8 mins read

Patagonia is suing Pattie Gonia, a drag queen performer with an environmental message

DENVER | Days before the beginning of Pride Month in June, a glamorous drag queen with long, wavy red hair, a matching mustache and carabiner earrings stared into a camera and levied a strong accusation against a famous sustainable outdoors apparel brand: “This is a corporation trying to erase an activist.” The drag queen, Pattie […]

6 mins read

The secrets behind a memorable World Cup anthem, from Shakira and more

NEW YORK | What makes a memorable World Cup anthem? Is it a song that best reflects the host countries? Is it a global banger, incorporating multiple languages and genres? Or should it simply value a chant-along chorus above all? There’s an argument to make for each — or perhaps all. To get to the […]

2 mins read

Canada seeks to ban social media accounts for children under 16, joining growing global effort

TORONTO | Canada introduced legislation on Wednesday that could bar children younger than 16 from having social media accounts unless the companies show they can make their platforms safe. Canada is joining a growing global effort to tighten safety protections. Canadian government officials said social media platforms can obtain an exemption if they have put […]

5 mins read

Visa plugs its payment network into ChatGPT, letting AI agents shop and pay for users

SAN FRANCISCO | Betting that people will soon grow more comfortable having artificial intelligence agents shop for groceries, plane tickets or diapers on their behalf, payments giant Visa said Wednesday that it has embedded its payment network inside of ChatGPT, empowering the chatbot to independently shop and complete transactions. It means AI agents can not […]

5 mins read

Movie Review: This train’s going fast, but the jokes fly even faster in “Stop! That! Train!’

Presidential candidates take note: If you ever want an effectively simple campaign slogan, you could do worse than this: “SHE FUN!” That’s the slogan that got President Judy Gagwell — aka RuPaul — elected, and if it puts a smile on your face, it’s a good sign that lots of other, er, gags from Gagwell […]

3 mins read

Glenn Close will get an Oscar at last — honorarily. So will Ridley Scott and animator Floyd Norman

Glenn Close will finally get her hands on an Oscar. Long considered among the best actors to never win one, the eight-time nominee will get an honorary Academy Award along with director Ridley Scott and animator Floyd Norman at the annual Governors Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday. “Throughout her […]

4 mins read

OB-GYN group makes vaccine recommendations for the first time

A prominent OB-GYN group announced vaccine recommendations on Wednesday that differ from what the U.S. government advises. The immunization schedule is specifically for pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women. It aligns with prior recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before changes were made under the Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. […]

8 mins read

The skills people still perform better than AI, according to workplace experts

NEW YORK | Many workers fear machines will supplant them as adoption of artificial intelligence accelerates. But what if people have qualities both unmistakably human and essential to career success that AI could not easily replace them? Some workplace experts argue that with more businesses adopting AI tools, soft skills such as empathy, critical thinking […]

6 mins read

Insider tour of the Sagrada Familia reveals 5 divine enigmas and hidden treasures

BARCELONA, Spain | The Sagrada Familia basilica features sandcastle-like spires, stone carved to look like lush flora, a kaleidoscopic interior and a trove of treasures, some hiding in plain sight. Even regular worshippers at Barcelona’s world-famous landmark find themselves dumbstruck with wonder. Josep Turull, the Catalan rector of the Sagrada Familia and the priest in […]

6 mins read

Movie Review: ‘Disclosure Day’ is classic Spielberg

“Disclosure Day” invites you into its world with a kick to the face. Or maybe it’s a stomp. Whatever it is, this opening sequence, in a garish professional wrestling ring, is bound to wake you up and make you wonder, first, if you’re in the right movie, and second, if Steven Spielberg has lost it. […]