8 mins read

US-Canada trade war further taxes small businesses as costs rise during the Iran war

NEW YORK | A trade war between the United States and Canada is making it more difficult and expensive for small businesses in the economically entwined countries to operate, according to business owners caught in the crossfire. Canada imposed reciprocal tariffs on about $20 billion (CA$27.6 billion) worth of U.S. goods last week after President […]

7 mins read

Why Yemen’s Houthis have only grown stronger through years of war

At various times over the last decade, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Britain and Israel have carried out punishing air raids on Yemen’s Houthi rebels — only to see them grow even stronger. Now, as the Iran-backed Houthis advance on a key maritime chokepoint and strike Saudi oil facilities, rattling world […]

3 mins read

OpenAI flags concerning new AI behavior and vows to track it more closely

OpenAI has disclosed six reports of “unexpected or concerning” behavior in artificial-intelligence models as the debate on AI safety becomes increasingly heated. The AI company also said Wednesday it was introducing a new framework for tracking, probing and disclosing instances of what it called “misalignment,” including cases where AI models acted without authorization, coordinated with […]

3 mins read

The fight over congressional maps put nearly 35 million people into new House districts, report says

WASHINGTON | The unprecedented spate of mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House has changed the congressional districts for one-tenth of Americans and significantly altered the makeup of at least one-fifth of districts, according to a new study. A report by Protect Democracy found that 34.8 million people — about one in 10 Americans — now […]

8 mins read

A global AI safety strategy depends on US-China cooperation. They each see the other as the problem

HONG KONG | As concern rises over the risks of artificial intelligence, hopes for any kind of global approach depend on cooperation between the U.S. and China — superpowers that seem only to be more skeptical of each other’s AI strategy. AI governance is expected to be on the agenda in a meeting planned for […]

5 mins read

EU chief proposes bloc-wide social media ban for kids under 13

BRUSSELS | The European Union’s top official proposed on Wednesday banning children under 13 across the 27-nation bloc from using social media sites and imposing limits for older teens on accessing the platforms. The plan outlined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen adds to global efforts to protect young people using platforms such […]

2 mins read

Warren Buffett steps down as Berkshire Hathaway chairman, a post he has held since 1970

Warren Buffett is stepping down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway after serving in the role at the conglomerate for more than 50 years. Buffett, 96, will become chairman emeritus and will take on his new role immediately, the company said Friday. His son, Howard, will become Berkshire Hathaway’s new chairman, part of a long-planned succession. […]

2 mins read

Ethan Salas becomes youngest catcher with a multi-homer game as Padres beat Rockies 9-3

DENVER | Ethan Salas hit his first two home runs and became the youngest catcher in major league history with a multi-homer game as the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Wednesday night. San Diego moved 3 1/2 games ahead of Arizona for the last National League wild card when the Diamondbacks […]

1 min read

DoorDash and Uber Eats to offer delivery from US Costco stores

Costco said Thursday it’s partnering with DoorDash to offer delivery from its U.S. warehouse stores. DoorDash already offers Costco delivery in a few markets, including Australia, Sweden and Puerto Rico. But the nationwide partnership is a first for the San Francisco-based delivery company, which said Costco was among the most-searched retailers not yet on its […]

6 mins read

Climate change made deadly Nepal glacier and rock collapse more likely, according to analysis

BENGALURU, India | Human-caused global warming thinned glaciers and thawed mountain permafrost, likely helping to destabilize the Himalayan slope that collapsed last month and unleashed catastrophic flooding across Nepal, according to a report released Thursday. The report by the World Weather Attribution cautioned that climate change was not the sole cause of the Aug. 26 […]