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The Trump administration is seeking a $1 billion settlement from the University of California, Los Angeles, a White House official said Friday, weeks after the Department of Justice accused the school of antisemitism and other civil rights violations. UCLA is the first public university whose federal grants have been targeted by the administration over allegations of civil rights violations related to antisemitism and affirmative action. The Trump administration has frozen or paused federal funding over similar allegations against private colleges.The White House official did not detail any additional demands from the administration. The person was not authorized to speak publicly…

Facebook Tweet Email Link An acrylic waterslide on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas broke open on Thursday, injuring one passenger and leaving a sizable hole in the bottom of the tubular slide. “Our team provided medical care to an adult guest when acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide,” a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said in a statement. “The guest is being treated for his injuries. The water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation.” The guest is in stable condition. Video captured by bystanders after the…

Signage is displayed outside a permanently closed Bed Bath & Beyond retail store in Hawthorne, California, on May 1, 2023. Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty ImagesBed Bath & Beyond is back — kind of. The bankrupt home goods chain is being resurrected by the owners and licensees of its intellectual property, which opened the first new Bed Bath & Beyond store in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday with potentially dozens of more to come. This time around, the store has a new name — Bed Bath & Beyond Home — and marks a “fresh start” for the beloved brand, said Amy Sullivan,…

Victoria Cruise Lines will debut the 570-passenger, 17,000-ton Victoria Isabella on Sept. 28, 2025, which it is said is the “largest and most advanced electric-hybrid vessel” to ply China’s Yangtze River.“In addition to pushing the boundaries of eco-friendly innovation with a hybrid-electric engine designed to protect the Yangtze’s precious resources by drastically reducing emissions, the Victoria Isabella becomes the first passenger ship on the river equipped with an escalator,” the American-managed company said. The vessel will be equipped with 236 Superior Staterooms with balconies and 22 Executive Suites – and is virtually identical to its sister ships: Victoria Sabrina, Victoria…

Google announced on Friday that it’s giving Google Finance, its tool that provides financial information and business news, an AI update. Users will now be able to research their financial questions with AI, access advanced charting tools, and get real-time data and news. With the update, users can now ask detailed questions about finance and get a comprehensive AI response that includes links to relevant sites. Instead of having to look up individual stock details, users can ask complex questions in one go. As for the new charting tools, Google says these “will help you visualize financial data beyond simple…

Facebook Tweet Email Link 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. Every year after the Michelin guide announces its selection of starred restaurants in France, journalist Nora Bouazzouni receives a flurry of angry and resentful messages. It’s become an unexpected consequence of her burgeoning reputation as one of the most influential whistleblowers of France’s restaurant industry. The messages come from despondent restaurant staff, livid at seeing abusive, toxic chefs who have made their lives hell elevated to hero status with the…

For clients who want to delve into the heart of Thai culture through hands-on activities and immersive experiences, plan an itinerary to northern Thailand. The region’s warm hospitality and remarkable attractions will likely inspire a longing to return—after all, more than a third of American travelers to Thailand are repeat visitors. There’s no better place to start than Chiang Mai, once the capital of the Lanna Kingdom and recognized as a UNESCO World Creative City for its crafts and folk art.  More than 700 years old, Thailand’s second-largest city preserves many of its ancient handicraft traditions, so visitors can return home…

Meta has acquired AI voice startup WaveForms for an undisclosed sum, The Information reports. It’s the company’s latest buy to strengthen its new AI unit, Superintelligence Labs, and Meta’s second major AI audio acquisition in the last month after it bought PlayAI.  WaveForms, founded just eight months ago, raised $40 million from Andreessen Horowitz in a round that valued the company at $160 million pre-money, per PitchBook data.  Two of the startup’s co-founders — former Meta and OpenAI researcher Alexis Conneau, and former Google advertising strategist Coralie Lemaitre — have reportedly joined Meta. While at OpenAI, Conneau co-created GPT4-o Advanced…

Facebook Tweet Email Link Jerusalem  —  Israel’s security cabinet has voted to expand the war in Gaza, marking a major escalation at a time when it is under intense domestic and international pressure to end the conflict. The cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, in the north of the territory, as part of Israel’s goals to destroy Hamas and rescue hostages the militants are holding. But the move raised fears further fighting will only endanger captives – and worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis. The plan also brings Israel closer to fully occupying Gaza, something it has not done…

In Starz’s “Outlander,” Caitriona Balfe’s Claire Fraser is bold and brave. She can also think on her feet in high-pressure moments. Her husband Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughan, is protective and empathetic. In a new prequel series out Friday, called “Outlander: Blood of My Blood,” we see how they each got that way.“Blood of My Blood” tells the love story of Jamie’s parents, Ellen and Brian, and Claire’s parents, Julia and Henry. The characters are inspired by the stories of Diana Gabaldon but there are no novels for showrunner Matthew B. Roberts to follow. He also is the showrunner…