White House Urges House to Quickly Fund D.H.S.

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 21:48
The call amounted to a rebuke of Speaker Mike Johnson, who has delayed action on a homeland security spending bill and suggested this week that it needed changes.

Full Guest List for Trump’s State Dinner With Charles and Camilla

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 21:31
Six members of the Supreme Court were invited to the dinner, alongside top administration officials, billionaires and Republican lawmakers.

See the Menu for the British Royal State Dinner

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 21:11
Spring-herbed ravioli and Dover sole meunière are among the dishes at the dinner honoring King Charles III of Britain and Queen Camilla.

DOJ Secures New James Comey Indictment Over Alleged Threat Against Trump

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 20:08
The new case stems from a social media post showing seashells on a North Carolina beach that the Trump administration characterized as a threat against the president.

Former Fauci Adviser Indicted on Covid-Related Charges

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 19:46
Prosecutors accused Dr. David Morens, a former adviser to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, of hiding records related to the onset of the pandemic.

OpenAI Trial Starts With Two Very Different Tales of a Company’s Early Years

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 19:45
In the trial’s first day of testimony, Elon Musk said greed led co-founder Sam Altman to pull the A.I. lab away from its nonprofit roots. OpenAI says that’s nonsense.

Electrical Current Might Be the Key To a Better Cup of Coffee

SlashDot - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 19:00
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: University of Oregon chemist Christopher Hendon loves his coffee -- so much so that studying all the factors that go into creating the perfect cuppa constitutes a significant area of research for him. His latest project: discovering a novel means of measuring the flavor profile of coffee simply by sending an electrical current through a sample beverage. The results appear in a new paper published in the journal Nature Communications. [...] The coffee industry typically uses a method for measuring the refractive index of coffee -- i.e., how light bends as it travels through the liquid -- to determine strength, but it doesn't capture the contribution of roast color to the overall flavor profile. So for this latest study, Hendon decided to focus on roast color and beverage strength, the two variables most likely to affect the sensory profile of the final cuppa. His solution turned out to be quite simple. Hendon repurposed an electrochemical tool called a potentiostat, typically used to test battery and fuel cell performance. Hendon used the tool to measure how electricity interacted with the liquid. He found that this provided a better measurement of the flavor profile. He even tested it on four different samples of coffee beans and successfully identified the distinctive signature of a batch that had failed the roaster's quality-control process. Granted, one's taste in coffee is fairly subjective, so Hendon's goal was not to achieve a "perfect" cup but to give baristas a simple tool to consistently reproduce flavor profiles more tailored to a given customer's taste. "It's an objective way to make a statement about what people like in a cup of coffee," said Hendon. "The reason you have an enjoyable cup of coffee is almost certainly that you have selected a coffee of a particular roast color and extracted it to a desired strength. Until now, we haven't been able to separate those variables. Now we can diagnose what gives rise to that delicious cup." Outside of his latest electrical-current experiment, Christopher Hendon's coffee research has shown that espresso can be made more consistently by modeling extraction yield -- how much coffee dissolves into the final drink -- and controlling water flow and pressure. He also found that static electricity from grinding causes fine coffee particles to clump, which disrupts brewing. The solution: adding a small squirt of water to beans before grinding (known as the Ross droplet technique) to reduce that static, cut clumping and waste, and lead to a stronger, more consistent espresso.

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Amid Iran War and Tensions with Neighbors, U.A.E. Goes Its Own Way

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 18:12
The United Arab Emirates’ decision to leave OPEC has rocked the region, underscoring how the country, at odds with Saudi Arabia, is increasingly charting its own course.

Could At-Home Brain Stimulation Reduce Psychiatry’s Reliance on S.S.R.I.s?

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 18:02
A headset recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration uses a weak electric current to shock the brain. Some researchers hope it could challenge the current pill-centric paradigm.

Apple Vision Pro Used In World-First Cataract Surgery

SlashDot - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 18:00
Apple's Vision Pro has been used in what's described as the world's first cataract surgery performed with the headset. MacRumors reports: [New York opthalmologist] Dr. Eric Rosenberg of SightMD completed the initial procedure in October 2025 and has since performed hundreds of additional cases using ScopeXR, a surgical platform he co-developed for Apple's mixed reality device. ScopeXR streams live feeds from 3D digital surgical microscopes directly into the Vision Pro, which lets the surgeon view the operative field in stereoscopic 3D while overlaying preoperative diagnostic data. The platform also supports real-time remote collaboration, allowing surgeons to virtually join procedures and see exactly what the operating surgeon sees. "We are now able to bring the world's best surgeon into any operating room, at any hour, from anywhere on the planet," said Dr. Rosenberg in a company press release. "From residents performing their first cases to surgeons facing unexpected complications, this technology democratizes access to expertise and that will save vision."

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FCC Orders a Review of ABC’s Licenses Amid Feud Between Trump and Kimmel

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:45
The agency said the review was related to the network’s diversity and inclusion policies. But it came amid a fight between the president and the network’s late night host, Jimmy Kimmel.

King Charles Stresses Significance of U.S.-U.K. Ties

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:43
Also, James Comey, the former F.B.I. director, is indicted. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.

Britain Summons Iran’s Ambassador Over Message to Iranians in U.K.

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:35
Iran’s embassy in London posted a message on social media inviting Iranians living in Britain to register for a ‘Sacrifice for the Homeland’ campaign.

‘Dances With Wolves’ Actor Is Sentenced to Life in Prison

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:13
Nathan Chasing Horse had been convicted of charges including the sexual assault of women and girls and the possession of child sexual abuse imagery.

Democrats Pitch ‘New Affordability,’ Looking to Widen Midterm Appeal

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:00
Progressives who expect their party to take control of Congress are putting forth a slate of bills aimed at helping lower costs for Americans, financed by tax increases on the wealthy.

The Banality of Evil, Again

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:00
The distinguishing feature of Cole Tomas Allen’s manifesto is its insipidity.

Sony Rolls Out 30-Day Online DRM Check-In For PlayStation Digital Games

SlashDot - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:00
Sony is reportedly rolling out a 30-day online check-in requirement for some digital PS4 and PS5 games, meaning players could temporarily lose access if their console does not reconnect to renew the license. Tom's Hardware reports: In the info page of an affected game, you'd see a new validity period and a "remaining time" deadline. At first, this seemed like a software bug, but now PlayStation Support has confirmed its authenticity to multiple users. PlayStation owners are furious about the change. From what we've seen, this DRM is intended for digital game copies. It works by instating a mandatory online check-in where you have to connect to the internet within a rolling 30-day window or risk losing access to the game. Afterward, you can still restore access, but you'll need an internet connection to renew the game's license first. So far, it seems like only games installed after the recent March firmware update are affected. Affected customers report that setting your PS4 or PS5 as the primary console doesn't alleviate this check-in policy either. No matter what, any game you download from now on will feature this new requirement, effectively eliminating the concept of offline play for even single-player titles.

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Trump’s Face Will Appear on Limited-Edition U.S. Passports, State Dept. Says

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 16:53
The department said it planned to release “a limited number of specially designed” U.S. passports that feature a picture of the president to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary in July.

Kennedy Center Works to Make the Case That Repairs Are Urgent

NY Times - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 16:42
In Washington and in federal court, the center is arguing that its planned two-year closure is crucial. Critics say it’s a result of declining attendance and fleeing artists.

Apple Introduces a Cheaper Option For App Store Subscriptions

SlashDot - Tue, 04/28/2026 - 16:00
Apple is adding a new App Store subscription option that lets developers offer lower monthly prices in exchange for a 12-month commitment. "This model will allow developers to offer discounted rates to customers in exchange for more predictable long-term revenue," reports TechCrunch. "This also caters to how many developers have already been marketing their annual subscriptions in their apps." From the report: Often, app developers will display the lower monthly price to highlight the discount the customer would receive if they purchase the annual subscription instead of the monthly option. If the user is on the fence about a longer-term commitment, the notion that they're getting a better deal can help to push them toward the annual option. Now, Apple is essentially formalizing what these developers were already doing, which allows it to also craft a set of policies around how these subscription offers are to be displayed so as not to mislead customers about the true cost of the deals. However, the option will not be available to developers in the United States or Singapore at launch. While Apple didn't offer an explanation for this, it's still in App Store litigation in the U.S. around the specifics of the court's ruling in its case with Epic Games around how Apple can charge for subscriptions. Apple likely doesn't want to complicate the matter further until that matter is finalized. Singapore, meanwhile, also has a sophisticated payments market with strong consumer rules, which is why it may have been left out of the initial release.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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