Amazon Burning: Who's to Blame: The Brazilian government is facing growing outrage around the world for the 80 percent increase in fires that are spreading across the Amazon. The French president called the fires an “international crisis” that should be on the agenda at this weekend’s G7 meeting. Scientists say 99 percent of the fires were set by humans, often as a means of deforestation for business projects. Guardian.
Amazon Burning: Why it Matters: The Amazon rainforest is called the “Earth’s lungs” because it produces 20 percent of the world’s oxygen. It’s the size of India, home to countless animals, and helps regulate the planet’s temperature. CNN.
Gridlock Alert: The average American commuter spends 54 “extra hours” stuck in traffic each year, according to a new study from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute which looked at data from 2017. Commuters in Los Angeles -- the most-congested city -- spent about 119 hours in traffic. See where your city ranks (scroll down): Read it.
Overstock CEO: The longtime CEO of the e-commerce site Overstock.com abruptly resigned, days after issuing a bizarre press release in which he referred to the “deep state” and admitted to having a relationship with the Russian spy Maria Butina, who is currently serving time for trying to influence American politicians. Patrick Byrne’s statement sent shares of the retailer plunging, and he said he felt forced to resign. Overstock shares shot up 10 percent after Byrne said he’d leave. AP.
Sports Illustrated Swim: Sports Illustrated has released photos of the finalists -- a diverse group of women -- for next year’s swimsuit issue. The magazine posted the photos to Instagram. The finalists include a bald dancer with alopecia and a 55-year-old woman with silver hair who says she wants to change how society views women over 50: See pics.
New iPhones: Apple reportedly plans to unveil three new iPhone models at an event next month, including a new “iPhone Pro” that includes a wide-angle camera and would replace the XS. The company is also said to be planning the debut of a new high-end MacBook, entry-level iPad, and noise-cancelling AirPods with a better battery. Bloomberg.
Pats Player Indicted: New England Patriots safety Patrick Chung has been indicted in New Hampshire on charges of cocaine possession. The Patriots said the team won’t comment while his case is pending. Chung has played on the team for nine years, winning three Super Bowls. CBS Boston.
Obama’s New House: The Obamas are reportedly in escrow on a Martha’s Vineyard mega-mansion listed at $14.85 million The estate is currently owned by the owner of the Boston Celtics, who has been renting it to the former first family this summer: See it.
Sarah Sanders on Fox: Both of President Trump’s former press secretaries have new jobs. A day after Sean Spicer’s hiring on Dancing with the Stars generated outrage online, Spicer’s successor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, got a gig as a Fox News analyst. AP.
Swift Mania: A devoted Taylor Swift fan spent 23 hours on line in New York City to get into her free concert in Central Park for Good Morning America, according to 1010 WINS. Swift’s seventh album, Lover, comes out today and she dropped the video for its eponymous track last night: Watch.
Bird or Rabbit?: A viral video has the internet wondering: is that a bird or a rabbit? In the video, a person appears to be scratching the head of a black bird -- perhaps a raven -- or is it a bunny? See for yourself.
Cheddar's Jill Wagner and Baker Machado get into the latest.
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A rare magnum of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 champagne that was specially produced for the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana has failed to sell during an auction. Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen handled the bidding Thursday. The auction's house website lists the bottle as not sold. It was expected to fetch up to around $93,000. It is one of 12 bottles made to celebrate the royal wedding. Little was revealed about the seller. The auction house says the bids did not receive the desired minimum price.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
