National Interest
Major Upgrade Now Available Across Apple Devices: What’s Inside Major Upgrade Now Available Across Apple Devices: What’s Inside Major Upgrade Now Available Across Apple Devices: What’s Inside
Major Upgrade Now Available Across Apple Devices: What’s Inside Apple is rolling out a sweeping software update packed with new tools, privacy-forward AI features, and expanded support for users worldwide. The latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS—iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 — are now available after being launched late in the day on Monday, March 31. The update brings Apple Intelligence capabilities to more regions and languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Simplified Chinese. English localization has also expanded to Singapore and India. For the first time, iPhone and iP…

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by Joe Lombardi
Hartford, CT
On Your Side
'OG Facebook' Returns With Revamped Friends Tab In Meta's Latest Change 'OG Facebook' Returns With Revamped Friends Tab In Meta's Latest Change 'OG Facebook' Returns With Revamped Friends Tab In Meta's Latest Change
'OG Facebook' Returns With Revamped Friends Tab In Meta's Latest Change Meta is hoping to bring back the original Facebook experience with a new Friends tab that shows only content from friends, removing recommended posts and ads.  The feature launched in the US and Canada on Thursday, Mar. 27. The addition is part of a broader effort to restore Facebook's original focus on connecting friends, according to Meta. The revamped feed only highlights content from friends, eliminating recommended posts and ads. "The new Friends tab is a throwback to OG Facebook when you only saw friends' status updates," CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted. "More OG Facebook coming soon…

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by Chris Spiker
National Interest
Parakeets Talking May Unlock Breakthroughs In Speech Disorder, Stroke Therapies: NYU Study Parakeets Talking May Unlock Breakthroughs In Speech Disorder, Stroke Therapies: NYU Study Parakeets Talking May Unlock Breakthroughs In Speech Disorder, Stroke Therapies: NYU Study
Parakeets Talking May Unlock Breakthroughs In Speech Disorder, Stroke Therapies: NYU Study Parakeet brains and their ability to mimic human talking could help people suffering from speech disorders, according to a new study. For the first time, scientists at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine recorded brain activity in parakeets as the birds made sounds. The researchers' findings were published in the scientific journal Nature on Wednesday, Mar. 19. The NYU study found that parakeet brains generate patterns previously observed only in humans while speaking. The findings may help guide future treatments for speech disorders like apraxia, which affects spee…

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by Chris Spiker
Arlington, VA
On Your Side
Scammers Stole $14M+ Promising Passive Income From AI-Powered Amazon Shops: FTC Scammers Stole $14M+ Promising Passive Income From AI-Powered Amazon Shops: FTC Scammers Stole $14M+ Promising Passive Income From AI-Powered Amazon Shops: FTC
Scammers Stole $14M+ Promising Passive Income From Ai-powered Amazon Shops: FTC A federal court has temporarily shut down an online business that regulators accused of deceiving consumers out of more than $14 million with false promises of big earnings through artificial intelligence-powered online stores, officials said. The Federal Trade Commission said Click Profit, operating under names like FBALaunch and Automation Industries, misled consumers into believing they could earn large sums in passive income by selling products on platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and TikTok. The FTC announced the legal action against Click Profit in a news release on Tuesday, Mar. 18…

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by Chris Spiker
Yonkers, NY
On Your Side
Google Purchasing NY-Based Cybersecurity Startup Wiz In Landmark $32B Deal Google Purchasing NY-Based Cybersecurity Startup Wiz In Landmark $32B Deal Google Purchasing NY-Based Cybersecurity Startup Wiz In Landmark $32B Deal
Google Purchasing Ny-based Cybersecurity Startup Wiz In Landmark $32B Deal Google is acquiring New York City-based cloud security firm Wiz for $32 billion in one of the largest cybersecurity acquisitions in history. Google announced the all-cash deal to purchase Wiz in a news release on Tuesday, Mar. 18. If the deal is approved, Wiz will be officially integrated into Google Cloud. The acquisition comes as online threats increase, with artificial intelligence-driven risks and multicloud security challenges growing more complex. Google Cloud executives said the deal will enhance cybersecurity offerings, lower costs for customers, and improve protection across m…

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by Chris Spiker
National Interest
Meta's Community Notes To Use Tech From Elon Musk's Social Media Platform Meta's Community Notes To Use Tech From Elon Musk's Social Media Platform Meta's Community Notes To Use Tech From Elon Musk's Social Media Platform
Meta's Community Notes To Use Tech From Elon Musk's Social Media Platform Meta's new Community Notes system will be based on algorithms developed by billionaire Elon Musk's social media platform, the company said. Meta will begin testing the crowdsourced program that aims to prevent misinformation on Tuesday, Mar. 18, the tech giant said in a blog post on Thursday, Mar. 13. The move comes as Meta replaces its third-party fact-checking program in the US for Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Community Notes are part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's broader shift toward what he calls "free expression" on the company’s platforms. "We’re going to take time to …

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by Chris Spiker
National Interest
Trump, CAIR, SJP Release Statements On Columbia Protest Organizer Held By ICE In Elizabeth, NJ Trump, CAIR, SJP Release Statements On Columbia Protest Organizer Held By ICE In Elizabeth, NJ Trump, CAIR, SJP Release Statements On Columbia Protest Organizer Held By ICE In Elizabeth, NJ
Trump, CAIR, SJP Release Statements On Columbia Protest Organizer Held By ICE In Elizabeth, NJ A Columbia University graduate detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is now at the center of a political firestorm as the Trump administration slashes federal funding to the school and enforces new visa restrictions targeting international students linked to protests. Mahmoud Khalil Detained Amid Federal Crackdown Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident and recent Columbia graduate, was taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Saturday, March 8, outside his university-owned apartment in New York City. ICE claims his student visa was revoked, but …

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by Jillian Pikora
National Interest
Columbia University Protest Organizer, Green Card Holder, Held By ICE In Elizabeth, NJ Columbia University Protest Organizer, Green Card Holder, Held By ICE In Elizabeth, NJ Columbia University Protest Organizer, Green Card Holder, Held By ICE In Elizabeth, NJ
Columbia University Protest Organizer, Green Card Holder, Held By ICE In Elizabeth, NJ A Columbia University graduate who helped organize the campus’s Gaza solidarity encampment has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite being a legal permanent resident, advocates say. DHS Agents Detain Activist At His Home Mahmoud Khalil was taken into custody by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers at his New York City home around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, according to advocates. The two plainclothes agents allegedly followed Khalil and his eight-months-pregnant wife into their apartment building—owned by Columbia—before confronting him without id…

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by Jillian Pikora
Naugatuck, CT
Breaking News
Naugatuck Sex Offender Admits To Child Porn Charge, Faces Decade In Prison: DOJ Naugatuck Sex Offender Admits To Child Porn Charge, Faces Decade In Prison: DOJ Naugatuck Sex Offender Admits To Child Porn Charge, Faces Decade In Prison: DOJ
Naugatuck Sex Offender Admits To Child Porn Charge, Faces Decade In Prison: DOJ A registered sex offender in Connecticut admitted to child porn charges this week and faces potentially decades in prison, federal authorities announced.  Travis Tilley, 41, of Naugatuck, pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material on Thursday, March 6, the US Attorney for Connecticut said.  He was convicted of similar charges in 2019 in state court and released in 2022, records show.  Tilley was serving 15 years probation, and during an unannounced visit to his home, his probation officer seized his laptop and found more of the offending material, the federal…

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by Josh Lanier
National Interest
Students Feel Record Stress Over Admissions, MIT Passes Harvard As Top Dream College: Survey Students Feel Record Stress Over Admissions, MIT Passes Harvard As Top Dream College: Survey Students Feel Record Stress Over Admissions, MIT Passes Harvard As Top Dream College: Survey
Students Feel Record Stress Over Admissions, MIT Passes Harvard As Top Dream College: Survey For high school seniors, spring is a nerve-wracking time as college decisions roll in — but the class of 2025 is more stressed than ever, according to a new survey. The Princeton Review said 73 percent of students and parents reported "high" or "very high" stress over the admissions process. That's the highest level in the 23-year history of the College Hopes & Worries Survey, which had its 2025 edition released on Tuesday, Mar. 4. The 2025 survey polled 9,317 students and parents about a wide variety of college-related issues. Financial Pressures, Testing, AI Concerns Financial s…

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by Chris Spiker
New Rochelle, NY
On Your Side
Store Closings Surge To Highest Level Since Pandemic: Why 2025 Could Be Worse Store Closings Surge To Highest Level Since Pandemic: Why 2025 Could Be Worse Store Closings Surge To Highest Level Since Pandemic: Why 2025 Could Be Worse
Store Closings Surge To Highest Level Since Pandemic: Why 2025 Could Be Worse Retail store closures surged in 2024, reaching their highest levels since the start of the pandemic, a new study said. A total of 7,325 U.S. stores closed in 2024, driven by inflation and an increasing shift toward online shopping, according to retail data firm Coresight Research. The closings marked the steepest decline in brick-and-mortar retail since nearly 10,000 stores closed in 2020. While 5,970 stores opened—the highest yearly number since 2012—closures outpaced openings by a net loss of 1,355 stores.  "Retailers that were unable to adapt supply chains and implement t…

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by Chris Spiker
New Rochelle, NY
On Your Side
Cash App Users To Get Refunds In $175M Order As Feds Target Fraud Cash App Users To Get Refunds In $175M Order As Feds Target Fraud Cash App Users To Get Refunds In $175M Order As Feds Target Fraud
Cash App Users To Get Refunds In $175M Order As Feds Target Fraud Cash App's parent company will have to pay $175 million for poorly protecting its users from fraud and financial crimes on the payment platform, officials said. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered Block to refund up to $120 million to users harmed by fraud, the federal agency said in a news release on Thursday, Jan. 16. The parent company of Cash App, which has more than 56 million accounts, must also pay a $55 million fine into the CFPB’s victims relief fund. The CFPB found that Block failed to properly investigate unauthorized transactions and deprived users of…

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by Chris Spiker