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Imagine you’re messaging some friends on the Facebook Messenger app or WhatsApp, and you get an unsolicited message from an AI chatbot that’s obsessed with films. “I hope you’re having a harmonious day!” it writes. “I wanted to check in and see if you’ve discovered any new favorite soundtracks or composers recently. Or perhaps you’d like some recommendations for your next movie night? Let me know, and I’ll be happy to help!” That’s a real example of what a sample AI persona named “The Maestro of Movie Magic” might send as a proactive message on Messenger, WhatsApp, or Instagram, per…

PARIS (AP) — For the first time in over a century, Parisians and tourists are getting ready to take a refreshing dip in the Seine. The long-polluted river is finally opening up as a summertime swim spot following a massive, expensive cleanup project that made it suitable for Olympic competitions last year.Three new swimming sites on the Paris riverbank are set to open Saturday, including one close to Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral, another near the Eiffel Tower and a third in eastern Paris.The River Seine was one of the stars of the Paris Olympics, whether as the scene of the…

Condiments are getting an upgrade. Chefs are taking their signature sauces and dips outside the kitchen. And “swicy” still reigns.Those food trends were all on display at the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show, which returned to the Javits Center in New York this week.From Sunday to Tuesday, more than 2,000 exhibitors showed off a range of specialty food and drinks, offering attendees a glimpse at the products headed for grocery aisles and restaurants in the near future.”It’s always been the show where people go to see the trends,” said Christine Couvelier, a culinary trend spotter and founder of…

Facebook Tweet Email Link An international team of researchers may have just cracked the code for what makes someone “cool.” And no matter where you live, the personality traits that make someone “cool” appear to be consistent across countries, according to the study, published this week in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. The researchers found that, compared with people considered to be “good” or “favorable,” those considered “cool” are perceived to be more extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous. “The most surprising thing was seeing that the same attributes emerge in every country,” said Todd Pezzuti, an associate professor…

by Lacey Pfalz Last updated: 11:05 AM ET, Thu July 3, 2025 Just a few days after the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned that a cybercriminal organization called Scatter Spider was now targeting airlines, with Hawaiian Airlines and WestJet new victims, Australian air carrier Qantas shared the news that it has become the latest victim of a cyberattack. While it hasn’t been attributed to Scattered Spider, Qantas shared that the attack occurred in a third-party “contact center,” which holds customer data including names, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and frequent fly numbers. Our sister publication Travel Weekly reports that…

U.S. District Judge John D. Bates ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration’s Office of Personnel Management did not comply with all necessary laws when it ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to speedily comply with the president’s executive order on “gender ideology.” On the first day of his term, President Trump passed a deluge of executive orders, including one that ordered government agencies to change the language of government materials that address “gender ideology.” This is the administration’s way of referring to transgender or non-binary people. Soon after, agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services…

Editor’s note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay. CNN  —  In the early 1840s, Queen Victoria became the first British monarch to travel by train in her own dedicated royal saloons, but more than 180 years later, King Charles III looks set to oversee an end to this noble tradition. The current British royal train, decked out in its rich claret livery, will be decommissioned by March 2027 to “secure best value for public money,” according to the Royal Household’s…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Matthew “Moose” Musquiz was working as a diesel mechanic in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, when his physical therapist told him about a bar in Nashville, Tennessee, that he might like.Musquiz loves the Texas dance hall style of venues popular there, but he hadn’t really found a good one in Nashville, which is about an hour south of the U.S. Army installation. “He told me, ‘Tuesday night at the American Legion Post 82 is kind of like a dance hall,’” said Musquiz.In a dimly lit cinderblock building tucked away off a…

Participants march in the Reclaim Pride Coalition’s seventh annual Queer Liberation March in New York, June 29, 2025.Erik McGregor | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesCanadian citizen Robert Sharp was planning to visit Provincetown, Massachusetts — one of the most LGBTQ+-friendly places in America — for his friend’s milestone birthday in July.But against a backdrop of ongoing trade tensions sparked by President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and increasing anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policies in the U.S., he said his plans changed.”Do we want to have that stress before going on vacation? Or do we want to support our own country?” Sharp said.The group…

Investing in Y Combinator startups can lead to significant returns to investors. “If you look at the data: 6% of YC companies become unicorns, and of that 6% a quarter become decacorns,” Kulveer Taggar told TechCrunch. Taggar is a two-time YC alum best known for founding Zeus Living, a property management startup that raised over $150 million in funding. Taggar is so confident in the continuing return potential offered by the famed accelerator that he established Phosphor Capital, a venture firm dedicated solely to investing in YC companies. Since launching last year, Phosphor has raised $34 million in capital across…