Jack Smith’s attorneys defend special counsel’s analyzing GOP lawmakers’ phone data as “lawful”

Attorneys for former special counsel Jack Smith called his actions “entirely lawful, proper and consistent with established Department of Justice policy” in defending the investigative steps taken by his team, including obtaining phone records of sitting Republican lawmakers as part of the probe of President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Earlier this month,…

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Your health insurance premiums are set to jump in 2026, with costs rising twice as fast as inflation

Open enrollment — the annual window when employees can adjust their benefits — may deliver sticker shock this year. Workers are likely to pay between 6% to 7% more for their 2026 employer-sponsored health insurance, more than double the current rate of inflation, according to a new analysis from consultant Mercer.  That means employees could pay about…

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Amazon Web Services outage persists as recovery stalls, impacting many websites and apps

Internet users on Monday afternoon continued to report issues with platforms that rely on Amazon Web Services, hours after Amazon’s cloud computing unit said it was recovering from an outage that started earlier in the day.  The Amazon division provides remote computing services to many apps, websites, governments, universities and companies. Early Monday, users reported…

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A family sued Roblox and Discord, alleging a sex offender communicated with their son on the platforms. He now battles depression.

The popular online gaming platform Roblox, which hosts millions of user-created games, is being sued by families and state attorneys general who claim online predators can groom, extort and exploit kids they meet on the platform. Steven, a father of two, is among those who have filed lawsuits as his family tries to rebuild their…

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Israel launches retaliatory strikes in Gaza after saying Hamas targeted its forces, killing 2 IDF soldiers

The fragile truce in Gaza faced its first major test on Sunday after Israel alleged Hamas had violated the ceasefire and hit back with air and artillery strikes. An Israeli security official told the Associated Press, on the condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement, that the transfer of aid into Gaza is halted “until further notice.”…

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OpenAI blocks Sora 2 users from using MLK Jr.’s likeness after “disrespectful depictions”

OpenAI is temporarily blocking users of its Sora 2 AI video app from making content that includes Martin Luther King Jr.’s likeness after some people created what the technology company called “disrespectful depictions” of the civil rights activist.  OpenAI, the company behind generative-AI platform ChatGPT, said late Thursday on social media that it made the…

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As influencers and others push protein powders, here’s what dietitians say

The demand for protein has soared as 61% of consumers in the U.S. increased their protein intake last year, according to new research from Minnesota-based food corporation Cargill. And social media influencers and brands alike are taking note. “We’re seeing that influencers, fitness professionals – they’re all encouraging more protein after lifting,” said Yasi Ansari,…

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Cybersecurity order warns of “imminent risk” to federal agencies following possible breach

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Wednesday issued a sweeping emergency order directing all federal agencies to immediately patch critical vulnerabilities in certain devices and software made by F5, a technology vendor, after confirming a nation-state cyber actor gained unauthorized access to F5’s source code.  CISA — a part of the Department of Homeland…

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