Say WOW

Suborbital space tourism finally arrives | FCC prepares to run public C-band auction | The big four in the U.S. launch industry — United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman — hope to be one of two providers that will receive five-year contracts later this year to launch national security payloads starting in 2022. | China’s launch rate stays high | The International Space Station is the largest ever crewed object in space.

 
Trump celebrates West Point alumni group canceling...
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump celebrated news on Monday that an alumni group from West Point canceled an award ceremony set to honor Tom Hanks, with the president calling the famous actor “destructive” and “WOKE.” Hanks was scheduled to receive the 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award on Sept. 25, but the U.S. Military Academy’s alumni association canceled the ceremony last week, according to news reports. “Important move!” Trump said in a post on his social media network Monday. “We...

Read More

In one DC neighborhood after federal intervention,...
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a swath of the nation’s capital that sits across the tracks, and the river, residents can see the Washington Monument, the Waldorf Astoria — formerly the Trump Hotel — and the U.S. Capitol dome. What the people of Anacostia cannot see are the National Guard units patrolling those areas. And they don’t see them patrolling on this side of the Anacostia River, either. In this storied region of Washington, home to Frederick Douglass, the crime...

Read More

Americans rally in singles to build 1-point...
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell birdied both par 3s along the ocean at Cypress Point to close out his match and Jace Summy won twice Saturday as the Americans rallied in singles to build a 6 1/2-5 1/2 lead over Great Britain & Ireland after the opening day of the Walker Cup. Howell earned his spot on the U.S. team when the 18-year-old high school senior in Georgia won the U.S. Amateur last month...

Read More

 
Italian fashion, sport and film stars join...
MILAN (AP) — Hundreds of ordinary admirers and VIPs paid their last respects Saturday to Giorgio Armani, remembered by Milan’s mayor as a “man of extraordinary elegance” who left an indelible mark on the city and the global fashion world. Armani died Thursday at 91 at his home in Italy’s fashion capital surrounded by loved ones. His fashion house said he worked up to the end. One of his final projects was a runway show marking 50 years of...

Read More

Mahjong nights draw young crowds to San...
San Francisco (AP) — When Ryan Lee first played mahjong two years ago, he got hooked. He dug out sets of the classic Chinese tile game from his parents’ house and brought them to San Francisco, where he started hosting mahjong nights in his apartment. The gatherings became so popular that the 25-year-old Chinese American began hosting pop-up mahjong parties in restaurants, bars and nightclubs around San Francisco. Mahjong, invented in 19th century China, is gaining popularity with a...

Read More

In their words: Skier Alex Hackel and...
People whose brains function differently have long felt the need to hide the traits associated with their conditions such as autism, dyslexia or ADHD. As The Neurodiversity Alliance empowers high school and college students to make themselves known and build more inclusive educational spaces, the nonprofit is enlisting celebrity ambassadors to tell more robust narratives about their community. Hear from them in their own words: Alex Hackel, a professional skier and creative filmmaker Hackel, a 29-year-old X Games medalist...

Read More

 
Families of Boeing crash victims to make...
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Families of some of the 346 people killed in crashes of Boeing 737 Max jetliners held photos of their dead loved ones Wednesday outside a federal court in Texas, where a judge was hearing arguments on the U.S. government’s motion to dismiss a felony conspiracy charge against the aerospace company in connection with the twin disasters. U.S. District Chief Judge Reed O’Connor set aside time for relatives of the crash victims to speak during...

Read More

Thomas Schumacher, who led Disney Theatrical Group...
NEW YORK (AP) — Thomas Schumacher, who led Disney Theatrical Group for decades and helped it produce enduring musical theater hits like “The Lion King” and “Aladdin,” changing Times Square and Broadway itself, is leaving the company. Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, announced the departure in an email to staff Wednesday, calling it the “end of an era.” Schumacher is due to leave at the end of September. During Schumacher’s tenure, Disney shows won 20 Tony Award wins...

Read More

China displays its military strength in a...
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping said humanity must choose between peace and war and dialogue and confrontation in a speech Wednesday before a major military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Xi started a brief address by remembering the victims of the war and called for eradication of the roots of war to prevent history from repeating itself. But his main message was forward looking: Today, China is strong, fears no...

Read More

 
The Latest: Judge rules Trump’s use of...
A federal judge has ruled that Trump’s use of the National Guard during Los Angeles immigration protests violates the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits military enforcement of domestic laws. Judge Charles Breyer’s ruling Tuesday did not require the remaining troops to be withdrawn from California, however. The decision comes as Trump pushes for more deployments in Democratic-led cities such as Chicago, Baltimore and New York. The president also deployed the Guard in a law enforcement takeover of the nation’s...

Read More

OpenAI and Meta say they’re fixing AI...
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artificial intelligence chatbot makers OpenAI and Meta say they are adjusting how their chatbots respond to teenagers and other users asking questions about suicide or showing signs of mental and emotional distress. OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, said Tuesday it is preparing to roll out new controls enabling parents to link their accounts to their teen’s account. Parents can choose which features to disable and “receive notifications when the system detects their teen is in a...

Read More

Humanoid robots showcase skills at Ancient Olympia....
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — With jerky determination, robots played soccer, wowed children with shadow-boxing skills and shot arrows on Monday at the birthplace of the Olympic Games. As they shuffled and occasionally froze for a battery change, their creators and futurologists debated the central question of when robots will be ready to tidy closets and wash dishes. Outer space before house chores Despite the explosive advance of artificial intelligence in applications like ChatGPT, their physical cousins — robots...

Read More

 
Ukraine’s children start new school year in...
BOBRYK, Ukraine (AP) — Pupils were returning to schools in Ukraine on Monday for the start of the new academic year in the hope of being able to study safely under the shadow of Russia’s invasion. Since the start of the war, in February 2022, schools have found different ways to keep lessons going for pupils. In Bobryk, a village in northern Sumy region — not far from the front line — one school moved its classrooms entirely into...

Read More

Road woes raise questions about Alabama’s direction...
Alabama hasn’t looked the same since coach Nick Saban’s retirement. It raises speculation about the future of his replacement, Kalen DeBoer. The eighth-ranked Crimson Tide have dropped three of their last four games following a 31-17 loss at Florida State on Saturday, a game in which the Seminoles bullied Alabama on both sides of the ball. The Tide are now 2-5 away from home during DeBoer’s 14-game tenure — with four of those losses coming as a double-digit favorite....

Read More

It’s not too late to catch DC’s...
Summer is coming to an end, but you still have a few more opportunities to soak up the last of the sunshine at D.C.’s Jazz in the Park concert series. Related stories Things to do in the DC area: Sunflower Festival, luau and pig roast … and more! Who will headline All Things Go music festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion? ‘The magic happened past that door’: At site of demolished Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, upcoming art installation will...

Read More