Top Stories
TOP STORY
TOP STORY
System fails to stop deadly Maine shootings
A special commission report revealed missed opportunities by the Army Reserve and police to prevent Maine's deadliest shootings.
The commission reiterated its earlier conclusion that law enforcement had the authority but didn't act under Maine’s yellow flag law to seize reservist Robert Card's guns. They could have put him in protective custody weeks before the shootings.
Card killed 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar and then took his own life. The report’s conclusions stemmed from 16 public meetings and thousands of reviewed evidence pages.
The Army Reserve was faulted for not adequately ensuring Card’s health and controlling his access to weapons during his psychiatric crisis.
Ben Gideon, a lawyer for victims’ relatives, said: “Here was a pairing of someone who was known to be paranoid, delusional and suffering from a diagnosed psychosis with someone who owned numerous weapons of warfare.”
The report pointed out no one used New York’s red flag law to initiate steps to seize Card’s weapons when he was hospitalized, despite applying the law before on non-New York residents.
Running Stories
Russia-Ukraine war
Putin inspects troops readying to fight Ukraine in surprise trip to Chechnya.Israel-Hamas war
Blinken wraps up Mideast trip with Gaza deal still elusive.Democratic National Convention
Michelle Obama tells DNC ‘hope is making a comeback’ with Harris.SPORTS
SPORTS
25,000 police guard the Paralympic Games
About 25,000 police officers will be deployed in Paris for the Paralympic Games in line with the Olympic Games security.
The Paralympics will be held Aug. 28–Sept. 8 in Paris and nearby sites. France Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said authorities detected no “tangible” terror threat.
He said Israel’s delegation of 27 athletes would be protected 24 hours a day by elite police officers, like during the Olympics, amid tensions over Palestinian deaths during the war in Gaza.
The opening ceremony next week is expected to draw about 30,000 attendees at the Concorde venue, and some 15,000 others will attend the ceremony on Champs-Elysees Avenue.
The Paralympics will involve 4,400 athletes in 19 venues compared with 10,500 athletes in 41 venues during the Olympics, the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee said.
The Committee said 1.7 million of the available 2.8 million tickets have been sold.
Bubbling Under
US presidential election
RFK Jr's running mate says campaign may back Trump.Women’s basketball
Olympic medalist Gabby Williams re-signs with Storm for playoff push.Unbearded let go
Taliban morality police dismiss over 280 men without beards from security forces.Subscribe to our newsletter
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BUSINESS & ECONOMICS
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS
New job seeker numbers highest in 10 years
A Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey shows people looking for a new job have increased to the highest level since March 2014.
While 28.4% of people were looking for a new job—a jump of nine percentage points from June—worker satisfaction decreased over pay, nonwage benefits and promotion opportunities.
Experts said the numbers don't necessarily indicate a decline in worker satisfaction overall, but higher confidence that something better could be out there.
The labor market is seen as stabilizing from the so-called “great resignation,” when employers offered glitzy compensation and benefits packages to attract workers.
With an expected decrease in interest rates this fall, analysts think the market will continue stabilizing, providing more job security for those already employed.
SOCIETY
SOCIETY
US births continue to fall — 17% since 2007
Government data shows US births falling by 2% last year compared to 2022, continuing a decade-long decline.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, annual births have fallen by 17% since peaking in 2007. The general fertility rate (births per 1,000 women) tumbled by 21%.
Births to females in their teen years (ages 15–19) are part of this trend, declining by 4% from 2022–2023. There were 3,596,017 births recorded last year, down from 3,667,758 in 2022.
Fewer pregnant women received adequate care last year. Women receiving prenatal care in their first trimester fell by 1%, and those not getting any rose by 5%, continuing a trend from 2021–2022.
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
Over 900 SC preschoolers suspended yearly
Over 900 children aged 3–4 were suspended from South Carolina preschools last year for hitting, spitting and disobeying teachers.
According to federal data, South Carolina suspends more pre-K students than any other state, University of South Carolina researchers told the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children.
The numbers reflect suspensions at public schools only. They do not include preschoolers in state-funded 4K programs at private providers or federally funded Head Start programs.
The US Department of Education said, “A child’s early years set the trajectory for the relationships and successes they will experience for the rest of their lives, making it crucial that children’s earliest experiences … never harm their development.”
Last year, more than 60% of the children who received in-school or out-of-school suspensions were children of color, and 77% were boys, researchers found.
Students with some form of disability account for nearly a fifth of all suspensions over the past eight years, researchers said.
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
OpenAI strikes content deal with Condé Nast
Magazine publisher Condé Nast has agreed a deal for its editorial content to be used by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and its search engine.
The multi-year deal is the latest agreement OpenAI has struck with major media firms. Technology companies seek out the content to train their AI models.
Some media firms, including the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, have resisted this and taken legal action to protect their content.
OpenAI and Condé Nast did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement. Condé Nast’s magazine stable includes well-known titles such as Vogue, The New Yorker and GQ.
OpenAI launched its prototype AI-powered search engine, SearchGPT, last month. OpenAI’s other media partners include Time Magazine, the Financial Times, and the Associated Press.
OFFBEAT
OFFBEAT
94-year-old rides at 100 mph on zip line
A 94-year-old Englishman rode a zip line reported to be the world’s fastest to raise money for a hospice.
David Aris and 70-year-old Narelle Kilby went to Zip World in Penrhyn Quarry, Wales, to ride a zip line that can reach speeds of 100 miles per hour.
“When we rang up to book, I said I was 94, and they said I am ‘probably the oldest person’ to do it. They checked, and that turned out to be true!”
Aris commented on his ride: “On the day, the zip line was all over and done in less than a minute because it was so fast! I was nervous but also excited. And I really enjoyed it.”
Otherweb Editorial Staff
Alex FinkTechie in Chief
David WilliamsEditor in Chief
Angela PalmerContent Manager
Dan KriegerTechnical Director