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  • Fed’s Cook Says She Won’t Be Bullied Into Stepping Down

    Fed’s Cook Says She Won’t Be Bullied Into Stepping Down

    Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook signaled her intention to remain at the central bank, defying calls for her resignation by President Donald Trump over allegations of mortgage fraud.

    “I have no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet,” Cook said in an emailed statement via a Fed spokesperson. “I do intend to take any questions about my financial history seriously as a member of the Federal Reserve and so I am gathering the accurate information to answer any legitimate questions and provide the facts.”

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  • A Debilitating Virus Surges Globally as Mosquitoes Move With Warming Climate | The Transmission

    A Debilitating Virus Surges Globally as Mosquitoes Move With Warming Climate | The Transmission

    NYT Chikungunya, which can disable victims for years, is spreading rapidly, including in China, France and other places that have not seen major outbreaks before. A mosquito-borne virus that can leave infected people debilitated for years is spreading to more regions of the world, as climate change creates new habitats for the insects that carry it.

    More than 240,000 cases of the virus, chikungunya, have been reported around the world so far this year, including 200,000 cases in Latin America and 8,000 in China. Chinese authorities have launched an urgent effort to try to stifle the virus with public health measures that evoke the response to Covid-19.

    Chikungunya is not circulating in the United States or Canada, but cases have been reported in France and Italy. The disease is endemic in Mexico.

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  • Man charged with killing ‘American Idol’ exec and husband will undergo mental evaluation

    Man charged with killing ‘American Idol’ exec and husband will undergo mental evaluation

    LOS ANGELES — A man charged with fatally shooting an “American Idol” music supervisor and her husband in their Los Angeles home will undergo mental evaluation to determine whether he’s fit to stand trial, a judge ruled Wednesday.

    Raymond Boodarian, 22, was set to be arraigned in a courthouse in Los Angeles but did not enter a plea. A judge suspended the criminal proceedings against him while a psychiatrist examines him to determine his competency.

    He’s charged with two counts of murder in the killing of longtime “American Idol” producer Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, both 70, who were shot when they came home unexpectedly during a burglary on July 10.

    A judge at a court that specializes in mental health will consider the evaluation and decide whether Boodarian will proceed toward trial or be placed in a state hospital.

    Boodarian stood behind a window in a custody area of the courtroom, and appeared to try to remain out of sight.

    His attorney declined comment, and the district attorney’s office had no immediate comment.

    Boodarian will undergo the same evaluation in the same small courthouse on Hollywood Boulevard where a man charged with stalking Jennifer Aniston and driving into the front gate of her home was recently found to be not competent to go to trial.

    Police said they responded to a 911 call about a burglary at the home of Kaye and Deluca in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. Police said they found no sign of forced entry or other trouble and left.

    Four days later the couple’s bodies were found, shot to death, when officers carried out a welfare check at the home. Boodarian was arrested the following day.

    District Attorney Nathan Hochman later said in a community meeting that investigators believe the couple arrived home unexpectedly while Boodarian was burglarizing it. He shot them with their own gun and later called 911 himself, Hochman said.

    Kaye had been with “American Idol” for more than 15 years and was working on the upcoming season of the hit singing competition TV series at the time of her death. She had also worked in the music departments of several other productions, including “The Singing Bee,” “Hollywood Game Night,” “Lip Sync Battle,” and several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.

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  • Asia markets mostly rise as investors assess S&P 500’s four-day losing streak

    Asia markets mostly rise as investors assess S&P 500’s four-day losing streak

    Evening view of Marine Drive, Queen’s necklace, Juhu and Chowpatty beaches

    Grant Faint | The Image Bank | Getty Images

    Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose as investors assessed the four-day losing streak for the S&P 500, led by declines in tech stocks.

    Investors in the region are awaiting India’s HSBC Composite flash purchasing managers’ index reading for August, which provides an early snapshot of the performance of the private sector economy, expected later in the day. Economists polled by Reuters expect it to come in at 60.5, compared with 61.1 in the month before.

    Japan’s Nikkei 225 was down 0.21% in early trade, while the broader Topix index ticked down 0.4%.

    In South Korea, the Kospi index rose 0.81%, while the small-cap Kosdaq increased by 0.62%.

    Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 benchmark started the day 0.47% higher.

    Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index is slated to open flat with futures tied to the index at 25,168, compared with the HSI’s last close of 25,165.94.

    U.S. equity futures were little changed in early Asia hours.

    Overnight stateside, two of the three key benchmarks ended the session in declines as tech stocks dragged the market lower.

    The broad market S&P 500 index slipped 0.24% to close at 6,395.78, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 0.67% and settled at 21,172.86. Wednesday marked a fourth day of losses for the S&P 500 and a second negative session for the Nasdaq.

    Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was the outlier, adding 16.04 points, or 0.04%, and settling at 44,938.31.

    — CNBC’s Yun Li, Pia Singh and Alex Harring contributed to this report.

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  • Chris Martin reveals why he relates to Homer Simpson on ‘deeper’ level

    Chris Martin reveals why he relates to Homer Simpson on ‘deeper’ level



    Coldplay’s Chris Martin shares unfiltered thoughts on cartoon hero

    Coldplay’s Chris Martin is sharing his unfiltered thoughts on his cartoon hero, Homer Simpson, stating a valid reason for his fondness for the character.

    The 48-year-old frontman, who is quite different from The Simpsons character, given that he doesn’t drink at all, has his own reasons for liking the beer-loving Homer.

    During an exclusive interview on the #ABTalks podcast, Martin admitted that he admires Homer because of his human nature, making mistakes all the time, yet having a good heart at the end of the day.

    He said, “I have to say Homer Simpson. I just think he’s one of the most beautifully constructed characters in all of creativity because he’s so human and does stupid things and makes mistakes, but his heart is good.

    “He’ll always make the right decision in the end. He’s angry and full of all the emotions, but ultimately he will always do the right thing.”

    For those unfamiliar, Chris made a guest appearance on the highly acclaimed show in the 2010 episode Million Dollar Maybe.

    Previously, Martin garnered attention after he exposed Astronomer’s CEO cheating on his wife with his girlfriend on camera during one of his concerts.

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  • 87% of video game developers use AI agents, study says – NewsNation

    1. 87% of video game developers use AI agents, study says  NewsNation
    2. 87% of game developers are already using AI agents and over a third use AI for creative elements like level design and dialogue according to a new Google survey  PC Gamer
    3. Cryptø Info(@San_02)’s insights  Binance
    4. 90% of Games Developers Already Using AI in Workflows, According to New Google Cloud Research  Google Cloud Press Corner
    5. AI raises the stakes: Why game studios face new and unfamiliar insurance risks  Insurance Business America

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  • Trump has bought more than $100m in bonds while president, disclosure shows | Donald Trump

    Trump has bought more than $100m in bonds while president, disclosure shows | Donald Trump

    Donald Trump has bought more than $100m in company, state and municipal bonds since taking office in January, according to new disclosures which shed further light on the vast holdings of the US’s billionaire president.

    The forms, posted online on Tuesday, show the Republican former real estate mogul made more than 600 financial purchases since 21 January, the day after he was inaugurated for his second term in the White House.

    The 12 August filing from the US Office of Government Ethics does not list exact amounts for each purchase, only giving a broad range.

    They include corporate bonds from Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo, as well as Meta, Qualcomm, the Home Depot, T-Mobile USA and UnitedHealth Group.

    Other debt purchases include various bonds issued by cities, states, counties and school districts as well as gas districts, and other issuers.

    The holdings cover sectors that could benefit from US policy shifts under his administration, such as financial deregulation.

    A senior White House official said Trump continued to file mandatory disclosures about his investment portfolio but that neither he nor his family had a role in managing or selecting the bonds, which are managed by a third-party financial institution. Federal ethics officials certified the reports, which are in compliance with applicable laws, according to the official, who declined to be named.

    Trump, a businessperson turned politician, has said he has put his companies into a trust managed by his children.

    “President Trump’s net worth has increased substantially, with much of that concentrated in crypto holdings and Trump Media. Given that, there is no evidence currently that his bond purchases are anything other than a prudent diversification within his billions of dollars in assets,” said John Canavan, lead US analyst at Oxford Economics.

    “It seems like he was primarily purchasing corporate and municipal bonds and others that are high quality and highly rated, so it’s just a way to take a little bit of risk off the table,” he said.

    Trump’s annual disclosure form filed in June showed his income from various sources still ultimately accrues to the president – something that has opened him up to accusations of conflicts of interest.

    In that disclosure, which appeared to cover the 2024 calendar year, Trump reported more than $600m in income from cryptocurrencies, golf properties, licensing and other ventures. It also showed his push into crypto had added substantially to his wealth.

    Overall, Trump reported assets worth at least $1.6bn, according to a Reuters calculation at the time.

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  • How Meghan Markle made Harry ‘comrade in arms’

    How Meghan Markle made Harry ‘comrade in arms’

    How Meghan Markle made Harry ‘comrade in arms’

    Prince Harry didn’t try enough to retain Meghan Markle into the Royal Family.

    The Duke of Sussex himself wanted out when the Duchess started experiencing problems in the UK.

    Royal expert Tina Brown reveals: “Their new complicity required Meghan to fight all the norms he had kicked against for so long. She was now his comrade in arms.”

    Speaking about Meghan’s half sister Samantha, Ms Brown said: “Samantha had called Meghan ‘narcissistic and selfish’ as early as November 2016, before Meghan and Harry were engaged, but she was stirred again by Harry’s insensitive remark on BBC Radio 4’s Today show about the royals being “the family, I suppose, that [Meghan’s] never had.”

    “This seems rich, given what Harry has since told the world about his miseries as a misfit in the royal cage… But in a contest of dysfunctional families the Markles versus the Windsors is probably a toss-up,” she noted.


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  • The First Descendant makers address claims of fake AI

    The First Descendant makers address claims of fake AI

    The First Descendant developer Nexon has issued a response following claims that the game was promoted using TikTok ads featuring AI-generated streamers, including one that appeared to resemble a real content creator.

    The controversy began after Reddit user ‘iHardlytriHard’ shared multiple adverts allegedly discovered within 15 minutes of browsing TikTok. Four of the clips showed supposed streamers discussing the game, while others used AI-generated voiceovers.

    Viewers noted common indicators of AI involvement, such as mismatched lip-sync and unnatural speech patterns. One ad even promoted The First Descendant as “the world’s most popular shooter RPG.”

    Fans highlighted concerns after one of the videos appeared similar to streamer DanieltheDemon, raising questions over whether his likeness had been used without consent.

    Many players criticised the approach, arguing that real creators could have been paid to participate and warning that reliance on AI advertising could harm the game’s reputation.

    In response, Nexon explained that the adverts stemmed from its TikTok Creative Challenge programme, launched as part of the Season 3: Breakthrough campaign. This initiative allowed creators to voluntarily submit content to be used in official marketing.

    “As a part of our marketing campaign for Season 3: Breakthrough, we recently ran a Creative Challenge programme for TikTok creators, which allows creators to voluntarily submit their content to be used as advertising materials,” Nexon said in a statement.

    “All submitted videos are verified through TikTok’s system to check copyright violations before they are approved as advertising content. However, we have become aware of cases where the circumstances surrounding the production of certain submitted videos appear inappropriate. Thus, we are conducting a thorough joint investigation with TikTok to determine the facts.”

    It remains unclear how much oversight Nexon had over the advertisements prior to their release.

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  • Meet The 18 New Castaways

    Meet The 18 New Castaways

    Survivor has revealed its 18 new castaways who will compete on the upcoming 49th season of the CBS Emmy-winning reality series, the final edition before the landmark 50th season next spring. Season 49 will premiere with a two-hour episode on Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 9 PM on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. The series shifts to 90-minute weekly episodes beginning Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 8 PM.

    This season’s castaways include former Marvel executive Nate Moore, along with a political communications director, fitness trainer, clinical social worker, musician, a financial crime consultant and a correctional officer, among others.

    Two of Season 49’s castaways will return for the 50th season in May. When the cast was recently announced, CBS kept two names secret from Season 49, and they will return for the 50th. Their identities will be revealed at a later date.

    Hosted by five-time Emmy winner Jeff Probst, Survivor is currently nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Host and Reality Competition Program. The series also powers ahead with strong ratings, having finished the 2024-25 television season as the No. 1 entertainment series among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54.

    Have a look at the 18 castaways who will compete in Season 49 for the title of Sole Survivor and the $1 million prize.

     

     

     

     

     

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