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This article features stories from people who worked at ground zero after the 9/11 attacks. It highlights Dr. Benjamin Luft’s efforts to provide medical care to these responders and to preserve their history through a special project.
Key Facts
The article focuses on responders at ground zero from the 9/11 attacks.
Dr. Benjamin Luft helped start a clinic to treat health issues of these responders.
Dr. Luft also contributed to the World Trade Center Oral History Project.
This project collects and preserves personal stories from people involved at ground zero.
The information comes from CBS News and the 60 Minutes Archive.
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The creators of the TV show South Park joked that they are changing the show's name to South America. This satirical joke links to President Donald Trump’s efforts to rename places in the U.S. and also points at companies like Apple and Google for following those changes.
Key Facts
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone announced a fake name change to "South America" before Season 29.
The joke references President Trump’s efforts to rename geographic locations, such as calling the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America."
Apple and Google adjusted their maps to reflect some of Trump’s renaming demands.
The creators thanked Paramount, their parent company, using a mocking phrase "a Skydance Capitulation" that criticizes Paramount’s political decisions.
Trump threatened to rename New Mexico to "New America," though he has no legal power to rename states.
South Park has a history of satirizing political figures, including President Trump, featuring him in comedic storylines.
The show recently won an Emmy Award for outstanding animated program for its season that often mocked Trump and his allies.
The name change is purely a promotional joke and the series will continue to be called South Park.
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A map shows the chances of having snow on the ground on Christmas Day across the United States. The map and weather experts say that a strong El Niño weather pattern may cause warmer winters, reducing the chance of a white Christmas for many states, especially in the east and south, while northern and mountainous regions still have higher chances of snow.
Key Facts
A white Christmas means having at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on December 25.
Northern states, mountainous areas, and Alaska usually have the highest chances of snow at Christmas.
The southern U.S., Gulf Coast, and Southeast generally have low chances for a white Christmas due to warmer temperatures.
El Niño is a natural climate event where ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific are warmer than usual.
A strong El Niño can change weather patterns, often making southern U.S. winters stormier and northern U.S. temperatures warmer.
The National Weather Service says there is over a 90% chance of a very strong El Niño this winter (2026-27), possibly the strongest since 1950.
Warm conditions from El Niño may lower the odds of snow in many areas that usually have a white Christmas.
Some places, including Alaska and high mountain regions in western states, remain likely to have snow regardless of El Niño.
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President Trump and the Republican National Committee are holding a midterm convention in Dallas to energize supporters before the November elections. While some GOP candidates plan to attend and speak at the event, many running in close races are skipping it to focus on campaigning in their home areas.
Key Facts
The Republican National Committee midterm convention is held this week in Dallas at the American Airlines Center.
President Trump calls the event a big rally to celebrate his first two years and encourage voter turnout.
Some Republican candidates running in competitive races are not attending, choosing to campaign locally instead.
CBS News contacted 60 GOP candidates; only 4 confirmed attendance, 5 said no, and most did not respond.
The convention will feature speeches by President Trump, Vice President Vance, and other Trump allies.
This is the first midterm party convention since 1982, and it’s more like a rally than a formal nominating event.
Attendance is stronger among candidates in districts where President Trump is popular.
The event aims to boost voter support for the Republican agenda and candidates in the upcoming election.
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Two men have been arrested after a huge illegal waste dump was found in Oxfordshire. Over 22,700 tonnes of rubbish were cleared from the site, costing about £6 million and taking five months to finish.
Key Facts
The illegal waste pile was about 10 metres high and located between the River Cherwell and the A34 near Kidlington.
The large waste tip appeared in November last year and needed a costly clean-up.
The clean-up operation completed last month and removed an estimated 22,704 tonnes of rubbish.
The Environment Agency arrested two men from Surrey on Tuesday; six people have been arrested in total related to this case.
The dump posed a fire risk, which made clearing it a priority despite costs.
The Environment Agency usually does not pay to clear illegal waste but made an exception due to the size and risk.
The agency had been monitoring the site because of earlier reports of illegal dumping.
The two men arrested were released on conditional bail while investigations continue.
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Several towns in Connecticut are installing cameras on school buses that use artificial intelligence to catch drivers who illegally pass stopped buses. The cameras only activate when the bus is stopped with flashing lights, and the footage is given to local police to issue fines. Some residents are concerned about privacy and how the video is stored and shared.
Key Facts
Towns including Vernon, Bridgeport, Danbury, Shelton, Stratford, North Haven, and New Haven are using BusPatrol cameras on school buses.
The cameras activate only when a bus has its warning lights and stop arm on.
The footage helps catch drivers breaking laws against passing stopped school buses.
New Haven’s over 300 buses recorded about 12,000 incidents this year.
Vernon caught nearly 100 drivers passing stopped buses in just three days after starting the program.
Since 2011, Connecticut allows digital video as evidence of traffic violations.
A 2024 law gave towns more power to use video monitoring and fine violators.
Some residents worry about privacy, data sharing, and use of AI surveillance linked to law enforcement.
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An Amazon cargo plane overshot a runway at Miami International Airport and crashed into two vehicles, killing five workers who were in a cleaning crew van. The plane landed after a flight from Puerto Rico during stormy weather and strong winds, and investigators are still trying to find out the cause of the accident.
Key Facts
The plane was a Boeing 767 cargo jet operated by Amazon.
It overshot the runway by about 1,300 feet (396 meters) during landing.
Five workers in a cleaning service van died after the plane hit their vehicle.
Two other workers in the van survived, and both the pilot and co-pilot of the plane were unharmed.
Strong winds over 25 knots were reported, which may have contributed to the accident.
Investigators noted the plane did not flare its nose properly to land and did not abort the landing despite weather conditions.
The crash caused Miami airport to shut down several runways and canceled over 225 flights.
The National Transportation Safety Board is collecting evidence and investigating the cause of the crash.
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The U.S. Supreme Court refused to allow Missouri to use new congressional district lines in the November 2026 election. The new map, supported by President Donald Trump and Missouri Republicans, was blocked because citizens gathered enough signatures to require a statewide vote on the redistricting. The Missouri Supreme Court had earlier ruled that the old districts must be used instead.
Key Facts
Missouri officials wanted to use new congressional districts backed by President Trump in the 2026 election.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Missouri’s appeal to use the new map.
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the new districts were suspended due to a citizen petition demanding a public vote.
The new districts were used only in the August 2026 primaries, but the state must revert to the older districts for the November general election.
The redistricting was aimed at helping Republicans keep their narrow House majority.
The new map changed parts of Kansas City’s district, impacting Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s area.
Missouri’s Secretary of State initially rejected the petition for a referendum, but the Missouri Supreme Court ordered it placed on the November ballot as Proposition A.
Missouri was among the first Republican-led states, following President Trump’s call, to redraw congressional maps in 2025.
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A video from YouTube channel Gamers Nexus, with help from Level1Techs and security researchers, showed that LG smart TVs scan home networks for phones, watches, and other devices, even when the TV is off. LG says this scanning helps their TVs connect with devices and support smart features, but concerns remain about privacy and how the collected data is used.
Key Facts
LG smart TVs, including the $2,500 G5 OLED model, scan local networks for connected and nearby devices.
The TVs can find many devices, including phones and smartwatches, even if these devices aren’t linked to the TV.
This scanning is said by LG to support features like device connectivity, content sharing, and smart home functions.
The video used Wireshark, a tool that captures network data, to show that LG TVs gather details such as IP addresses, nearby Wi-Fi networks, and signal strength.
LG states this scanning is a normal function found in many smart TVs and smart home devices.
The TV also can record sound around it when supposedly off or in standby mode, though it only listens for “wake words” if that feature is turned on.
Audio captured while offline may be stored locally in plain text, potentially allowing it to be sent to LG once the TV reconnects to the internet.
Experts warn that this type of device monitoring raises privacy concerns affecting not only LG TVs but other smart TVs and devices as well.
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Trading on prediction markets for the 2026 and upcoming elections is increasing quickly. Some states want to ban these markets, seeing them as illegal gambling, while election officials worry about how these bets might influence elections and democracy.
Key Facts
Prediction markets allow people to bet on election outcomes by trading odds.
Trading activity on these markets is growing fast this election season.
Some states consider these markets as unlicensed casinos and want to ban them.
Election officials are concerned these bets could affect election results and public trust.
Misinformation and conspiracy theories have already been a problem in recent elections.
The rise of prediction market trading adds a new challenge for those managing elections.
This situation is creating debates about how to regulate these markets during elections.
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The U.S. military struck several Iranian oil tankers connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after Iran tried to launch missiles at U.S. Navy ships. It is not yet clear which U.S. ship was targeted during the missile attempts.
Key Facts
The U.S. military attacked multiple Iranian oil tankers.
These tankers were linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The strikes happened after Iran attempted to fire missiles at U.S. Navy warships.
Officials have not identified which U.S. ship was targeted in these missile attempts.
The attack on the oil tankers occurred near an unspecified location.
The U.S. action was a direct response to Iranian missile threats against American forces.
The incident reflects ongoing military tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
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Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh decided not to allow Missouri to use its new congressional map for the November midterm elections. This means Missouri will use the older map, which has fewer Republican-favored districts, even though the state used the new map in its primaries.
Key Facts
Justice Brett Kavanaugh refused to lift a block on Missouri’s new congressional map.
The new map was expected to help Republicans win more seats in the November elections.
Missouri used the new 7-1 Republican-favored map during its primary elections.
For the November general elections, Missouri must go back to the older 6-2 Republican-favored map.
The decision affects the balance of power for Missouri’s congressional districts in the upcoming midterms.
The ruling keeps the current map in place until the legal dispute is resolved.
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President Donald Trump has been using online trolling and controversial remarks, including suggesting changing the name of New Mexico to “New America.” This happened as his approval rating dropped and the November midterm elections approached.
Key Facts
President Trump engaged in online trolling and off-color attacks.
He suggested renaming New Mexico to “New America.”
This suggestion came shortly after he proposed changing the name of Lake Ontario.
The moves come weeks before the November midterm elections.
President Trump’s approval rating has been falling recently.
These actions have drawn attention and criticism from various groups.
The focus is on rallying support despite growing concern within the Republican Party.
The article highlights increasing anxiety among GOP leaders before the elections.
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The U.S. military struck several Iranian oil tankers after Iran attempted missile attacks on a U.S. Navy warship. Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned tanker crews near Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their ships due to potential U.S. attacks. The conflict involves control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route, amid escalating tensions and economic sanctions.
Key Facts
The U.S. attacked multiple Iranian oil tankers following missile attacks on a Navy warship.
Iran warned tanker crews to leave vessels near Kuwait and Bahrain, fearing U.S. strikes.
Iran accused Kuwait and Bahrain of supporting U.S. attacks by hosting American forces.
Earlier attacks by the U.S. targeted three Iranian tankers and included a warning to destroy Iran’s oil ships if needed.
Iran plans to create a new "exclusion zone" around the Strait of Hormuz to control ship transit.
The Strait of Hormuz is vital, with about 20% of the world’s oil passing through it before the conflict.
The U.S. has imposed new sanctions on Iran’s aviation industry to isolate Tehran economically.
Rising oil prices are a concern for President Trump and his party ahead of U.S. midterm elections.
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A gray wolf was seen in California’s Mendocino National Forest for the first time since 2011, confirming the species is spreading in the state. The wolf was verified by wildlife officials with photos and tracks, showing that wolves are moving west of their usual areas.
Key Facts
A gray wolf was recently spotted in Mendocino National Forest, California.
This is the first confirmed sighting in that area since wolves returned to California 15 years ago.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed the sighting using photos and tracking evidence.
Wolves were once wiped out in California but have been gradually returning since 2011.
There are at least 50 gray wolves documented in California now, mostly in the northeast.
The sighting west of Sacramento Valley shows wolves are expanding their range.
Wolves are protected by state and federal laws, but some ranchers want fewer protections due to livestock losses.
President Donald Trump signed an order directing agencies to consider removing wolves from endangered species protections.
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Prediction markets, which are platforms where people bet on the outcome of future events, are now being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. New Jersey asked the court to decide how these markets should be regulated because different courts disagree on the rules.
Key Facts
Prediction markets let users bet on outcomes like elections or events.
There is no clear, consistent regulation for these markets across the U.S.
Different appeals courts have ruled differently on how prediction markets should be treated.
New Jersey has asked the Supreme Court to provide a final decision on regulation.
The case could affect how prediction markets operate nationwide.
The Supreme Court's involvement signals the issue is important and unsettled.
Regulation decisions will impact businesses and users involved in prediction markets.
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OpenAI says it solved the Navier-Stokes mathematics problem, which has been unsolved for nearly 100 years, using advanced AI models. The project involved thousands of AI agents working together and took 88 hours. Some concerns arose about whether OpenAI used data from other researchers without permission, but OpenAI denies this.
Key Facts
OpenAI claims to have solved the Navier-Stokes problem, one of seven famous unsolved math problems called Millennium Prize Problems.
The solution was reached by about 10,000 AI agents working autonomously over 88 hours.
Mathematician Tristan Buckmaster raised concerns that OpenAI may have used data from his and a colleague’s work stored in OpenAI’s Codex system.
OpenAI says it did not use the pair’s data or materials but admits it can’t fully rule out any indirect use of data for improving models.
The Navier-Stokes problem deals with equations that describe how fluids like water and air move and asks if these equations can break down.
OpenAI’s solution suggests the equations can sometimes produce impossible results, like infinite speed.
Solving any Millennium Prize Problem comes with a $1 million reward, but OpenAI will not claim this prize.
OpenAI’s math achievement comes alongside previous AI progress in math by Google DeepMind and others.
The announcement follows ongoing concerns about AI safety and recent AI hacks, which have prompted calls by US senators to limit AI development.
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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has started a new free program called "Gateside by TSA PreCheck." It allows certain trusted travelers without plane tickets to pass through security and enter airport gates at some U.S. airports, restoring a practice stopped after the 9/11 attacks.
Key Facts
The program is for TSA PreCheck members and other trusted travelers with a Known Traveler Number.
Participants must apply online 1 to 3 days before their visit and get approved.
Approved visitors use a TSA PreCheck lane with ID to enter the gate area.
The pass is valid only for the calendar day of the visit but allows re-entry that day.
The program launched at 13 airports, including Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City.
TSA plans to add more airports to the program soon.
Some airports, like Pittsburgh and Seattle-Tacoma, already have similar gate access programs.
This change revives a way for friends and family to see off or welcome travelers, a practice limited since 9/11.
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Hurricane Lowell hit Hawaii's western islands, especially Kauai, causing strong winds, heavy rain, and power outages for thousands of people. Although the storm center has moved away, flooding and mudslide risks remain high.
Key Facts
Hurricane Lowell caused strong winds and heavy rain, mainly on Kauai island.
Nearly all Kauai residents lost power, with about 50,400 power outages across Hawaii.
The highest rainfall recorded was 17.76 inches in Hanalei on Kauai.
The storm's maximum sustained winds were 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane.
Flooding and mudslides remain a risk on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.
Hawaii’s governor closed schools and government offices on affected islands during the storm.
Hurricane warnings for Kauai and Niihau were lifted by Tuesday morning, but caution continues.
Cleanup crews are removing sand and rocks from roads damaged by floodwaters on Oahu.
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GOG, a PC gaming platform, has started offering downloadable 3D models and printable templates of old "big box" game packaging for a few classic PC games. This allows players to print and fold physical versions of the original game boxes, helping preserve the look and feel of old physical game media in a digital form.
Key Facts
GOG offers "Printable Big Box" packaging for five classic PC games: Armikrog, Descent, Hitman: Codename 47, Myst, and Star Trek: 25th Anniversary.
Buyers and owners on GOG can download 3D animated box models and flat printable templates in PDF, SVG, and Adobe Illustrator formats.
These downloads allow users to print and fold their own versions of the original game boxes, creating a physical collectible.
The 3D models include animations like the front flap opening, enhancing user experience.
This initiative is part of GOG’s Preservation Program, aiming to keep old games and their packaging accessible for the future.
The project partners with Benjamin Wimmer’s Big Box Collection website, which has scanned over 1,000 physical PC game boxes.
Physical media for games is declining, with companies like Sony and Nintendo moving away from traditional retail game copies.
GOG’s DRM-free game installers let users keep and copy games freely, ensuring continued access despite changes in physical game formats.
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