Peter Max, Trippy Artist of Counterculture Era and Beyond, Dies at 88 - The New York Times
With work that breathed the spirit of the 1960s, he became fabulously wealthy from licensing his paintings and posters in all their euphoric Day-Glo glory.
Annie Dillard, Meditative Author of ‘Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,’ Dies at 81 - The New York Times
Her Thoreau-like account of journeys in the woods, published when she was 28, was the first of many ruminations on life and nature, good and evil.
Fed Raises Interest Rates in Push for ‘Timelier’ Retreat in Inflation - The New York Times
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time since 2023, putting its new leader, Kevin Warsh, at odds with President Trump. “The plain fact is that inflation is too high,” Mr. Warsh said.
E.U. Talks of Making Canada First ‘Associate Member’ as U.S. Ties Weaken - The New York Times
Canada and the European Union have been confronting an increasingly challenging relationship with the United States under President Trump.
E.U.-Canada Ambitions Face Reality Check
The bloc’s offer of “associate member” status to Ottawa shows how U.S. allies are pulling closer together. But their plans face significant obstacles.
T. Rex, King of the Dinosaurs, Had a Body Temperature of 97 Degrees
Hotter than a crocodile, cooler than a chicken, T. Rex was definitely warm-blooded, according to a new study.
Why Don’t I Recover From Workouts as Quickly as I Used To? (Thanks to Addy for this one)
We asked fitness experts when to consider modifying your routine.
U.S. Health Officials Move Quickly to Deploy Medical A.I. Despite Concerns (Thanks to Willa for this one)
Federal projects are rolling out A.I. agents that offer therapy and prescribe medicine, raising concerns about safety and the influence of venture capital investors.
Related:
OpenAI Discloses Six New Incidents of ‘Concerning' A.I. Behavior - The New York Times
Trump Defended A.I. Data Centers on Truth Social, and Commenters Clapped Back - The New York Times
The president’s posts about artificial intelligence on the social media platform he founded were met with an unusual volume of criticism.
The Liftoff Scenario That Terrifies A.I. Doomsayers - The New York Times
“Recursive self-improvement” is the idea that artificial intelligence could learn to build and train itself, creating exponential new progress — and risk.
How Iran’s Hard-liners Blew Up the Peace Deal with Trump - The New York Times
Opponents derailed the agreement with a clandestine effort to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz, regime insiders say. Iran’s president was furious when he found out.
The kingdom is in a state of strategic shock after coming under attack from an emboldened Iran and failing to win more U.S. military support, analysts say.
Six Reasons Why the United States Is Low on Munitions (CSIS)
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| Hossein Taeb in a photo made available by the Iranian news agency Tasnim. He opposed the deal with the United States from the outset. Credit...Hamed Malekpour/Tasnim News, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
The Supreme Court won’t allow midterm mail-in voting limits : NPR
Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Restrictions on Voting by Mail
The 7-2 ruling is a major loss for the Trump administration, which wanted to dramatically change how Americans vote by mail in the midterm elections.
A Teen Autopsy Marks the Arrival of a Deadly Drug in San Francisco - The New York Times
City officials — and one determined mother — are working to stop the spread of cychlorphine, which is far more potent than fentanyl.
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| Dante Paul Lacourte was 16 years old. |
The Bari Weiss Era of ‘60 Minutes’ Begins - The New York Times
The long-running CBS News program returned for a high-pressure 59th season on Sunday. With new correspondents and a refreshed stopwatch, it was more tweak than overhaul.
Kennedy Center Warns of Bankruptcy Unless Trump’s Name Is Added - The New York Times
Kennedy Center says it’s on the brink of bankruptcy, might close as early as Tuesday : NPR
The caution, contained in a draft resolution to the center’s board, comes as a federal judge decides whether President Trump’s name should remain off the building.
Trump Says a Smart President Is All That’s Needed to Rein In A.I. - The New York Times
The president again rejected calls to try to regulate the industry, even as some of its leaders are speaking more openly about the risks of rapidly developing artificial intelligence.
As Fears of A.I. Catastrophe Magnify, Washington Stirs, but Mostly Slumbers - The New York Times
Why It’s Difficult for Tech Companies to Rein In A.I. - The New York Times
Meanwhile, here is Dario Amodei in his first interview right after his essay: Dario Amodei — We Must Pace the Frontier
Russian Businessman With Putin Ties Paid for Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Party - The New York Times
The payments, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, represented an extraordinary flouting of ethical norms for an American president’s family member.
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| The president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., accepted the gifts from Umar Kremlev, the president of the International Boxing Association, according to people with knowledge of the matter.Credit...Alex Kent/The New York Times; Yulia Morozova/Reuters |
States and Cities Sue Over Trump’s Policy to Restrict Green Cards - The New York Times
The policy would give immigration officers wide authority to deny green cards to people using public benefits.
E.P.A. Will Erase Limits on Climate Pollution From Power Plants - The New York Times
Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.
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| E.P.A. administrator Lee Zeldin speaking next to President Trump in the Oval Office earlier this year. Mr. Zeldin announced on Monday that the agency will no longer limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Credit...Pete Marovich for The New York Times |
The closest planet to our sun is shrinking. Here’s what that means (Thanks to Finn for this one)
Mercury Is Shrinking, and Faster Than We Thought
New estimates using the planet’s surface wrinkles show that our smallest planet is growing even smaller, at a faster clip than expected.
The 25 Photos That Changed Fashion Forever (Thanks to Addy for this one)
Two photographers, a fashion designer, a stylist, a creative director, an editor and a supermodel debate the images that have had an indelible impact on how we dress.
This summer was hot. August shattered global heat records (thanks to Harper and Gabi for this one)
In U.S., GLP-1 Usage Reaches New High (Thanks to Ali for this one)
Americans' use of GLP-1 injectables for weight loss has nearly quadrupled since 2024
Man Sentenced to 2-Year Jail Sentence After Strangling Fellow Theatregoer for Singing Along During We Will Rock You The dust-up happened at a 2023 press performance in London's West End. (Thanks to Ally for this one)
A.I. Leaders Call for Slowing Down A.I. Development (Thanks to Jackie)
In an essay, the head of Anthropic laid out the rapidly advancing capabilities of artificial intelligence and said there needed to be greater safety controls across the industry.
A.I. leaders are girding themselves for a day when an A.I. system can rely on itself to grow more advanced rather than requiring the aid of human researchers. This dynamic, which computer scientists call “recursive self improvement,” is what some top A.I. developers believe may lead to the software spinning out of their control.
“Left unchecked, it could outrun our ability to understand and control these systems, and so must be pursued very carefully, if at all,” Mr. Amodei said.
Hours after Mr. Amodei published his essay, Mr. Altman posted a statement to social media agreeing that a slowdown of A.I. development was necessary.
“This has been a primary topic of discussions we’ve had at OpenAI in recent weeks,” Mr. Altman wrote. “Committing to having independent evaluators with employee-like access is a great idea, and we will do the same. We’ll have more to share soon.”
Mr. Musk, in a post on his social media platform X, said simply, “Dario is right.”
A Mastodon Tooth From the Ice Age Is Discovered in a California Creek (Thanks to Kabir for this one)
A researcher surveying a San Mateo County creek stumbled upon a preserved Pacific mastodon molar estimated to be at least 10,000 years old.
Related:
A fossil feather from the age of dinosaurs may explain why only some birds survived
A fossil feather from the age of dinosaurs may explain why only some birds survived
Worried About Your College Kid? Now You Can Hire a Local Mom. (Thanks to Addy for this one)
At some universities, parents can pay to make sure their children are cared for, the way they were back home.
Foldable Phones Are Unpopular. Why Is Apple Selling One?
The company unveiled a new iPhone that costs $1,999. Here are the economics behind that price tag.
Supreme Court Again Blocks Republican-Backed Missouri Voting Map
The ruling deferred to the state’s Supreme Court, which had invalidated G.O.P.-friendly district lines, saying voters must first have an opportunity to approve the map in a statewide referendum.
A.I. Could Possibly End Humanity. How Are Humans Supposed to Process That?
The technology is far from the only existential risk our species faces. But weighing such cosmic fears can become a mind-bending exercise.
Anthropic Researchers Raise Alarm Over A.I. Acceleration
Their warnings echo concerns that other artificial intelligence experts have voiced in recent months, as calls increase for a slowdown in the pace of development.
Could Your Chatbot Be Stealing Ideas From You? It’s a Thorny Question.
A controversy around OpenAI’s latest math proof raises a fear that might become increasingly common: that A.I. tools could take valuable insights from one user and hand them to another.
Sept. 11 and the Persistence of Memory
Live Updates: 25 Years After 9/11, a Nation Gathers to Remember
Drone artwork for 9/11 Remembrance
After thousands of deaths, first responders are still navigating health effects 25 years post-9/11
The America That 9/11 Made (The New Yorker)
Writer Jill Lepore looks back a quarter century after the attacks, the grief, wars, and political furies of their aftermath still shape American life.
After 9/11, Islamophobia Shaped a Generation of Muslim New Yorkers
The attacks unleashed a wave of hate, but the years since have seen Muslim Americans’ political and cultural influence grow.
How a Heroic Response Went Awry
Cargo jet tried to abort unsteady landing before Miami crash that killed 5, flight data indicates (Thanks to Lexie for this one)
Federal investigators probe Amazon cargo jet’s fiery runway crash that killed 5 in Miami (Thanks to Sam for this one)
