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Europe continues to be the safest region in the world for travel, according to Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s (BHTP) 11th annual State of Travel Insurance (SOTI) Safest Destinations report.Taking into account a variety of important factors, including American travelers’ attitudes toward safety, the research reveals the Netherlands to be the safest country to visit for 2026, followed by Australia, Austria, Iceland and Canada. The Netherlands ranking first is significant in that the country came in just 14th a year ago. Meanwhile, Austria is making its debut on the list for 2026.View from Mittelberg towards the valley in Austria’s Vorarlberg region.…

Senate Republicans shared a deepfake video of Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, designed to make it seem like Democrats are celebrating the ongoing government shutdown, which has lasted 16 days.   In the deepfake, an AI-generated Schumer repeats the phrase “every day gets better for us,” an actual quote taken out of context from a Punchbowl News article. In the original story, Schumer discussed the Democrats’ healthcare-focused shutdown strategy, and said they were not going to back away from Republicans’ playbook of threats and “bambooz[ling].”  The shutdown is happening because Democrats and Republicans cannot agree to pass a bill…

Silicon Valley leaders including White House AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks and OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon caused a stir online this week for their comments about groups promoting AI safety. In separate instances, they alleged that certain advocates of AI safety are not as virtuous as they appear, and are either acting in the interest of themselves or billionaire puppet masters behind the scenes. AI safety groups that spoke with TechCrunch say the allegations from Sacks and OpenAI are Silicon Valley’s latest attempt to intimidate its critics, but certainly not the first. In 2024, some venture capital…

by Donald Wood Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Fri October 17, 2025 Cunard’s recently revamped Queen Elizabeth ship arrived at PortMiami on Thursday for the first time to kick off its Caribbean voyages.Queen Elizabeth moved to the region for a two-season residency of nine- to 21-night itineraries, with author, philanthropist, and the Grand Dame of Bravo’s Southern Charm, Patricia Altschul, joining the inaugural Caribbean voyage. The nine to 21-night Caribbean voyages take place between October and April, with rates starting from $1,078 per person for an ocean view stateroom, based on double occupancy.“At Cunard, we believe true luxury is as…

Meta-owned chat app WhatsApp changed its business API policy this week to ban general-purpose chatbots from its platform. The move will likely affect WhatsApp-based assistants of companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, Khosla Ventures-backed Luzia, and General Catalyst-backed Poke. The company has added a new section to address “AI providers” in its business API terms, focusing on general-purpose chatbots. The terms, which will go into effect on January 15, 2026, say that Meta won’t allow AI model providers to distribute their AI assistants on WhatsApp. Providers and developers of artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies, including but not limited to large language…

Nurse Rod Salaysay works with all kinds of instruments in the hospital: a thermometer, a stethoscope and sometimes his guitar and ukulele.In the recovery unit of UC San Diego Health, Salaysay helps patients manage pain after surgery. Along with medications, he offers tunes on request and sometimes sings. His repertoire ranges from folk songs in English and Spanish to Minuet in G Major and movie favorites like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”Patients often smile or nod along. Salaysay even sees changes in their vital signs like lower heart rate and blood pressure, and some may request fewer painkillers.“There’s often a cycle…

American Airlines has partnered with the beloved Italian coffee brand Lavazza to offer travelers premium blends both in-flight and in the airport lounge.Beginning in early 2026, American customers will have access to Lavazza’s premium coffee blends across all cabins in-flight as well as at American’s Flagship and Admirals Club lounges. The airline said the rollout marks a significant step in its continued evolution of the premium travel experience, noting that the Lavazza partnership “aligns with the airline’s focus on refined offerings and exceptional service throughout the journey.””At American, we’re focused on looking at every aspect of the customer experience, and…

Ron Conway, the founder of venture firm SV Angel, known for its early investments into Google, Airbnb, and Meta, has resigned from the Salesforce Foundation, the New York Times reported. The resignation follows Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff saying last week that he “fully supported” President Trump and proposing that National Guard troops should patrol San Francisco streets to combat crime and homelessness. In an interview with the New York Times last week, Benioff argued that San Francisco needs “a show of force” and called for deploying the National Guard to address what he described as the city’s deteriorating conditions. He…

HONOLULU (AP) — Jason Momoa drove a vintage pickup along a winding country road in Hawaii, a tattooed arm dangling out the window and Metallica blasting.“POO’-ah-LEE’,” he said. His passenger corrected him, again, modeling the subtle emphasis on the “u” sound: “Puali.”Momoa was preparing for his role in “Chief of War,” the first major TV series featuring the language and culture of Hawaii’s Indigenous people. His passenger, Kahoʻokahi Kanuha, connected with Momoa years ago while they were both protesting against a giant telescope on a mountain summit held sacred by some Native Hawaiians. He wound up living with the Hawaiian…

Electric aircraft startup Lilium may have ceased operations a year ago, but its insolvency filing wasn’t quite the end of the German-based company. There were multiple failed attempts to restructure the company, including a last-ditch effort by Mobile Uplift Corporation, a company set up by investors from Europe and North America, to acquire the operating assets of the startup’s two subsidiaries. Ultimately, a bankruptcy administrator put the company’s assets through a competitive bid process. Now some of its tech will live on over at Archer Aviation, which beat out Ambitious Air Mobility Group and U.S.-based Joby Aviation with the winning…