Gloria Steinem, Writer and Feminist Icon, Dies at 92
Gloria Steinem, the writer, journalist and feminist activist who became one of the most visible leaders of the modern women’s movement, has died at the age of 92. Her foundation said she passed away peacefully at her home in New York City on Wednesday, surrounded by some of those who loved her; the announcement was made on Thursday.
Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine and spent decades challenging sexist assumptions and campaigning for reproductive freedom, equal pay, same-sex marriage and broader gender equality. She first gained national attention with a 1963 exposé in which she went undercover as a Playboy Bunny.
A memoir, An Unexpected Life, is due to be published later this month and will now serve as a posthumous account of her work. She had been scheduled to speak at a women’s lunch in New York at the end of September and at further events in October.
Lindsay Clancy Jury Deadlocked After Five Days of Deliberation
Jurors in the Massachusetts murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, remain deadlocked after five days of deliberations, raising the prospect of a mistrial. Clancy does not deny strangling her three young children but argues that postpartum psychosis left her not criminally responsible.
The panel told Plymouth Superior Judge William Sullivan for a second time that it could not reach a unanimous verdict, and on Wednesday he delivered the so-called dynamite charge, instructing jurors to continue working toward consensus.
The deadlock followed a separate incident in which a woman was arrested outside the courthouse and accused of filming jurors as they left. The woman’s lawyer said she had been trying to photograph the defendant; prosecutors charged her with intimidation. Judge Sullivan questioned jurors individually before deliberations resumed.
Hong Kong Activist Joshua Wong Pleads Guilty to Foreign Collusion
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, 29, has pleaded guilty to a second charge under the Beijing-imposed national security law, this time accusing him of colluding with foreign interests. Prosecutors allege he urged foreign powers to impose sanctions, blockades and other hostile measures against Hong Kong and China.
The plea, entered in a Hong Kong court, relates to alleged outreach to Western politicians including former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Marco Rubio. Wong is already serving a prison sentence from a separate national-security case; the collusion charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and could extend his time in custody by at least three years.
Nvidia Agrees to Buy AI Platform Hugging Face for $12.9 Billion
Nvidia has agreed to acquire Hugging Face, a leading open‑source artificial‑intelligence platform and developer community, in a deal valued at about $12.9 billion. The transaction gives the semiconductor giant control of a hub widely used by AI developers.
Nvidia’s shares edged lower after the announcement. The company is betting that support for open AI models can help offset any slowdown in demand for its chips.
Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Second Birthright Citizenship Restriction
A federal judge in Maryland has issued a preliminary injunction blocking a second Trump administration executive order that sought to restrict birthright citizenship, this time by targeting what the White House termed “birth tourism.” The ruling marks the second time federal courts have halted an attempt to narrow the constitutional right.
The judge found that the order risked stripping citizenship from babies already recognized as U.S. citizens under Supreme Court precedent.
Maltese Tycoon Yorgen Fenech Acquitted in Journalist Murder Trial
Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech, one of the country’s wealthiest men, has been acquitted of involvement in the 2017 car-bomb murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. A jury found him not guilty on both charges he faced.
Caruana Galizia, who was 53 when she was killed, had reported extensively on suspected corruption and money laundering in Malta. Prosecutors are expected to appeal the verdict, which campaigners and the journalist’s family have greeted with dismay.
Nicolás Maduro and Wife Seek Dismissal of U.S. Drug Charges
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have asked a U.S. judge to dismiss drug-trafficking indictments against them, arguing that they are entitled to immunity as the leader and first lady of a foreign country. Their attorneys contend that only Venezuelan courts have jurisdiction to prosecute them.
Maduro has previously described his capture as a kidnapping and himself as a prisoner of war.
The Athletic Finds Russini-Vrabel Relationship Violated Newsroom Standards
The Athletic has concluded that the relationship between former NFL reporter Dianna Russini and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel violated the publication’s newsroom standards. The internal investigation found the ties created at least the appearance of a conflict of interest, though it said it could not determine the exact nature of the relationship.
Russini resigned after the relationship became public amid a photo scandal. The Athletic is owned by the New York Times Company.
Airlink Cancels Springboks Flyby as South African Regulator Reviews Stunt
South African airline Airlink has cancelled a planned flypast before Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test between the Springboks and the All Blacks, citing forecasts of unfavourable weather. The cancellation comes as South Africa’s civil aviation authority reviews a similar low-level display by the airline last weekend, when aircraft passed less than 50 feet above a stadium.
New York City to Ban AI Use Through Eighth Grade
New York City plans to ban the use of artificial intelligence by public-school students through eighth grade, with the prohibition scheduled to take effect next week. The policy, part of a broader overhaul of technology use in the nation’s largest school district, is expected to be announced formally on Wednesday.
Teachers and parents have raised concerns that uncritical use of AI in classrooms encourages “cognitive surrender.”
OpenAI Sued by Victims of Canadian Mass Shooting
OpenAI is facing 30 new lawsuits filed on behalf of victims of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting in rural Canada, in which eight people were killed and dozens more were wounded in February. The suits allege that the company’s ChatGPT chatbot induced the shooter to carry out the attack.
The filings also claim that OpenAI’s global affairs team, led by veteran political strategist Chris Lehane, rejected recommendations to alert police about the alleged shooter before the attack. OpenAI has denied the allegations.