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Senator Steve Padilla (D-CA) introduced a bill on Monday that would place a four-year ban on the sale and manufacture of toys with AI chatbot capabilities for kids under 18. The goal is to give safety regulators time to develop regulations to protect children from “dangerous AI interactions.” “Chatbots and other AI tools may become integral parts of our lives in the future, but the dangers they pose now require us to take bold action to protect our children,” Senator Padilla said in a statement. “Our safety regulations around this kind of technology are in their infancy and will need…

Small-group adventure company, Exodus Adventure Travels, has announced a special New Years promotion with up to 20 percent off on select 2026 trips.“Our New Year offer is an invitation to go deeper,” said Ben Colbridge, Product and Commercial Director at Exodus Adventure Travels in a statement. “From cycling quiet backroads in Tuscany to enjoying a remote village walk through the High Atlas range with guides who call the region home, our small-group trips are designed for deeper connection. We’re giving travelers every reason to plan an unforgettable adventure in 2026.” Adventures include:Highlights of Morocco-from mazey medinas and lively souks to the…

xAI, Elon Musk’s AI company behind the Grok chatbot — it also owns X — announced that it has raised $20 billion in a Series E funding round. The company wrote in a blog post that investors will include Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity, Qatar Investment Authority, and others, including Nvidia and Cisco as “strategic investors.” xAI has not disclosed if these investments come in the form of equity or debt. xAI says it has about 600 million monthly active users of X and Grok, and it will use this new funding to continue expanding its data centers and Grok models.…

by Lacey Pfalz Last updated: 12:05 PM ET, Tue January 6, 2026 G Adventures is celebrating the New Year with the return of its ‘G-Normous’ travel agent incentive competition, with opportunities for agents to earn a $10,000 grand prize now through April 30. The 13th annual G-Normous event is available to travel advisors in the United States and across Latin America. The booking incentive offers weekly and monthly prizes, plus top-secret random prizes including free trips!  “Forget the champagne toast, we’re kicking off 2026 with something way better: our most epic agent competition ever!” said Jenn Stevens, G Adventures’ trade marketing…

Mobileye made its name, and money, by supplying automakers with millions of computer vision chips designed to support automotive safety features and advanced driver assistance systems. The Intel subsidiary and publicly traded company later expanded to tackle autonomous driving through its chips and software. Now, co-founder and president Amnon Shashua is taking the company into what he calls Mobileye 3.0. And that means robotics and a hefty acquisition. The Israeli company announced Tuesday during CES in Las Vegas it has reached a deal to acquire Mentee Robotics — a startup co-founded by Shashua in 2022 — for $900 million. Under…

PASTO, Colombia (AP) — Revelers took to the streets with parade floats and costumes to celebrate the Black and White Carnival, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, in Pasto, Colombia. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. A reveler prepares for the Black and White Carnival, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, in Pasto, Colombia, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia) A reveler prepares for the Black and White Carnival, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, in Pasto, Colombia, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia) Add AP News on Google Add…

Heftier rates, including premium air, luxury hotels and expeditions cruises, have American travelers reassessing the types of trips they take in 2026, according to research conducted by Internova Travel Group.“The findings reveal that higher prices are accelerating a shift toward more strategic, experience-driven travel,” Internova said. “Consumers are taking fewer but more thoughtfully planned trips, while travel supplier partners and destinations are seeing growing polarization between value-focused and premium travel, with increasing pressure on the middle of the market.”Data from the proprietary research report –Internova Index: North American Traveler Insights – was gleaned from millions of bookings a survey as…

A Reddit user claiming to be a whistleblower from a food delivery app has been outed as a fake. The user wrote a viral post alleging that the company he worked for was exploiting its drivers and users. “You guys always suspect the algorithms are rigged against you, but the reality is actually so much more depressing than the conspiracy theories,” the supposed whistleblower wrote. He claimed to be drunk and at the library to use its public Wi-Fi, where he was typing this long screed about how the company was exploiting legal loopholes to steal drivers’ tips and wages…

Princess Cruises is launching a portfolio of Northern Europe itineraries and shore excursions for 2027 along with a ‘Come Aboard Sale’ promotion.Offering 48 voyages to 54 destinations across 18 countries, the extended Northern European program highlights brand new itineraries and the most immersive European voyage ever: a 64-day Ultimate European Journey aboard the 3,560-guest Regal Princess. Three additional ships, Majestic Princess, Sky Princess and Caribbean Princess will also sail across the British Isles, the Baltics, Iceland & Norway and Scandinavia.Highlights of the April to August 2027 season include:6 Regions: Atlantic, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Baltics, Iceland, and the British Isles48…

This week in Las Vegas, tech companies at CES 2026 are unveiling the latest wearable health devices — glucose monitors, blood pressure trackers, fitness trackers. Probably not mentioned at the show is that these gadgets might be creating a massive environmental problem. It isn’t something that tends to get much attention, but a new study from Cornell University and the University of Chicago found that by 2050, demand for health wearables could hit 2 billion units per year, or 42 times more than today. Unless we change how they’re made, these devices could generate over a million tons of electronic…