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Sodium-ion battery startup Natron ceased operations this week, ending the company’s 12-year quest to commercialize its technology in the U.S. The company had $25 million worth of orders lined up for its Michigan factory, but it couldn’t deliver them until it had UL certification, according to Raleigh’s The News & Observer, which reported on the business’s closure because Natron had been planning to bring jobs to the state of North Carolina with its new factory. However, receiving the UL certification can be a lengthy process, often spanning several months. Natron investors balked at releasing more funds, leaving the startup facing…

NEW YORK (AP) — Every year, summer arrives with a buzzing energy. School’s out, the sun is shining, music is blaring out of car windows and speakers are blasting on the beach.But this summer, the beaches seem quieter. The playlists feel aimless. The radio waves aren’t being dominated by the usual upbeat, sing-along tune. Where is our song of the summer?In this age of fractured listening habits, it’s hard to fully quantify a yearly winner. However, Billboard’s weekly Song of the Summer chart attempts to crown one each year by tracking streaming, airplay, and sales between Memorial Day and Labor…

NEW YORK (AP) — If it wasn’t clocking to you before, it should be now. Justin Bieber is doing whatever he wants.The 31-year-old has surprised listeners with a second new album in 2025 — “Swag ll” follows July’s “Swag.” Both arrived shortly after mysterious billboards teasing the records cropped up in major cities. The new album, his eighth, is an obvious companion piece, not only in name, but also in sound, theme and zeal. Liken it to Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” double album drop — this 23-track album is for his diehard loyalists. (Or 44 tracks, if listened…

The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage dropped 16 basis points to 6.29% Friday, according to Mortgage News Daily, following the release of a weaker-than-expected August employment report.It marks the lowest rate since October 3 and the biggest one-day drop since August 2024. Rates are finally breaking out of the high 6% range, where they’ve been stuck for months.”This was a pretty straightforward reaction to a hotly anticipated jobs report,” said Mortgage News Daily Chief Operating Officer Matt Graham. “It’s a good reminder that the market gets to decide what matters in terms of economic data, and the bond…

Karryn Christopher (Source: Signature Travel Network)Signature Travel Network appointed Karryn Christopher as president during the company’s annual Owners’ Meeting in San Diego San Diego earlier this month. Christopher, who has worked at Signature since 2001, most recently served as executive vice president of marketing & preferred partnerships.Alex Sharpe, CEO and president, will continue to serve as Signature Travel Network’s CEO. “Our coworkers, members and partners adore and respect Karryn because she leads with both head and heart,” said Sharpe said.“She has a rare ability to bring people together and turn ideas into impactful results. With Karryn stepping into this role,…

Warner Bros. is suing AI startup Midjourney for copyright infringement, alleging that the company allows users to generate images and videos of characters like Superman, Batman, and Bugs Bunny without permission. As first reported by Reuters, Warner Bros. says that Midjourney knowingly engaged in wrongful conduct, noting that the company previously restricted subscribers from generating content based on infringing images but recently lifted those protections. “Midjourney has made a calculated and profit-driven decision to offer zero protection for copyright owners even though Midjourney knows about the breathtaking scope of its piracy and copyright infringement,” the complaint reads. The lawsuit seeks…

Warner Bros. | Universal Studios | Amazon PrimeHollywood is finally leveling up.For decades, studios have tried to capitalize on the financial success and cultural relevance of video games, but it’s only been in the past few years that things have clicked.With the box office achievements of Universal’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and Warner Bros.’ “A Minecraft Movie,” alongside television hits like Amazon Prime Video’s “Fallout” and HBO’s “The Last of Us,” Hollywood has doubled down on its investment in content based on video game franchises and related intellectual property.”Adaptations of popular games used to be met with a high…

In the first half of 2025, she racked up over 55 million views on TikTok and 4 million likes, mostly from tweens glued to their cellphones. Not bad for an AI-generated cartoon ballerina with a cappuccino teacup for a head.Her name is Ballerina Cappuccina. Her smiling, girlish face is accompanied by a deep, computer-generated male voice singing in Italian — or, at least, some Italian. The rest is gibberish.She is one of the most prominent characters in the internet phenomenon known as “Italian Brain Rot,” a series of memes that exploded in popularity this year, consisting of unrealistic AI-generated animal-object…

ALG Vacations (ALGV) has announced a September campaign to support and celebrate its travel advisors.Building on Travel Advisor Appreciation Month, the initiative is designed to recognize and empower travel advisors with the tools, rewards and resources they need to finish with a strong 2025 and build momentum for 2026. As part of the event, ALGV is offering over 100 giveaways and elevated rewards, ranging from $10,000 in cash prizes and content creation kits to wellness-focused “Kindness Kits” and thoughtful surprise-and-delight moments. These recognition efforts reinforce ALGV’s year-round mission of celebrating advisors as true partners in success.  In addition to giveaways,…

Google is bringing improved translation to Circle to Search, its feature that allows users to quickly search for any information on their screen by using gestures like circling, highlighting, scribbling, or tapping. The company announced on Thursday that users can now see translations as they scroll. “Translation is one of the most-used features in Circle to Search — you can get more context for social posts from creators who speak a different language, or browse menus when you’re booking restaurant reservations while traveling abroad,” Google wrote in the blog post. “But until now, you had to restart the translation process…