レアジョブ英会話 Daily News Article Podcast

The Prada Group has closed the purchase of Milan fashion rival Versace in a $1.375 billion cash deal that puts the fashion house known for its sexy silhouettes under the same roof as Prada’s “ugly chic” aesthetic and Miu Miu’s youth-driven appeal. The highly anticipated deal is expected to relaunch Versace’s fortunes after middling post-pandemic performance as part of the U.S. luxury group Capri Holdings. Prada said in a one-line statement that the acquisition had been completed after receiving all regulatory clearances. Capri Holdings, which owns Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo, said the money would be used to pay down debt. Donatella Versace welcomed the deal in an Instagram post, which also marked the birthday of the brand’s late founder, her brother, Gianni Versace. “Today is your day, and the day Versace joins the Prada family. I am thinking of the smile you would have had on your face,’' she wrote in a post that also featured a 1979 photo of Gianni Versace with Miuccia Prada. Prada heir Lorenzo Bertelli is set to steer Versace’s next phase as executive chairman, in addition to his roles as group marketing director and sustainability chief. The son of co-creative director Miuccia Prada and longtime Prada Group chairman Patrizio Bertelli has said he doesn’t expect to make any swift executive changes at Versace, although he also noted that the company, which is among the top 10 most recognized brands in the world, has long been underperforming in the market. Prada has underlined that the 47-year-old Versace brand offered “significant untapped growth potential.’’ The appeal of the deal is that it combines “the minimalist Prada (with) a maximalist Versace,” said Luca Solca, an analyst at the Bernstein Group consulting firm, meaning that the brands don’t compete for the same customers. Versace is “long past its heyday,” Solca continued. “The challenge and the opportunity is to make it relevant again... They are going to have to invent something which is going to make the brand attractive, desirable, and interesting again.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Digitally projected art masterpieces are bringing priceless artworks into the home—and the money raised is being used to support museums and galleries. If you've always dreamed of hanging a painting by Leonardo or Michelangelo in your home, purchasing a certified digital copy could be just what you need. The Italian non-profit Save the Artistic Heritage, with its technical partner Cinello, is providing collectors the possibility of owning a projection of original Italian masterpieces, sized and framed to match the museum experience. “The idea behind this was to, we don't just want to sell a piece of technology, we want to actually sell a piece of artwork. It might sound easy, but it's not, we learned because there are so many rules within the artwork that is completely different from what you do if you just need to create some software or some technical product," says John Blem, the Italian-born Danish entrepreneur behind the initiative. By purchasing one of the digital copies, the buyer obtains a certificate of authenticity also signed by the museum that owns the original work. The museum receives 50% of the profits. “Yes, so this is actually the certification that you get, if you acquire one of these (digital copies)," explains Blem with the certificate in his hand. "So we are signing it and the museum direction is signing it, so this is actually showing you, you have the right loan of edition 3 out of 9 of this particular artwork.” Only nine copies are made for each painting. The revenue sharing is integral to the project, which aims to help cash-strapped museums access new income streams, and a key part of the sales pitch, Blem said. Over the last two years, Save the Artistic Heritage has contributed 300,000 euros ($347,000) to its Italian museum partners, with prices of the digital masterpieces ranging from 30,000 euros to 300,000 euros. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on December 1. The updated ID has been required since May, but passengers without it have so far been allowed to clear security with additional screening and a warning. The Department of Homeland Security says 94% of passengers are already compliant and that the new fee is intended to encourage travelers to obtain the ID. REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that meets enhanced requirements mandated in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Obtaining the ID—indicated by a white star in a yellow circle in most states—means taking more documents to the motor vehicle agency than most states require for regular IDs. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008, but the implementation had been repeatedly delayed. Beginning February 1, travelers 18 and older flying domestically without a REAL ID and who don't have another accepted form of ID on them, such as a passport, will pay the non-refundable fee to verify their identity through TSA's alternative "Confirm.ID" system. TSA officials said that paying the fee does not guarantee verification, and travelers whose identities cannot be verified may be turned away. If approved, however, the verification covers a 10-day travel period. The fee can be paid online before arriving at the airport. Travelers can also pay online at the airport before entering the security line, but officials said the process may take up to 30 minutes. The TSA initially proposed an $18 charge for passengers without a REAL ID, but officials said they raised it after realizing the alternative identification program would cost more than anticipated. Other acceptable forms of ID include military IDs, permanent resident cards, and photo IDs from federally recognized tribal nations. TSA also accepts digital IDs through platforms such as Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet at more than 250 airports in the U.S. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Chile's Atacama Desert is one of the darkest spots on Earth, a crown jewel for astronomers who flock to study the origins of the universe in this inhospitable desert along the Pacific coast. A rare confluence of factors makes the Atacama an ideal home for some of the world's biggest ground-based astronomical projects—dry climate, high altitude, and crucially, isolation from the light pollution of civilization. “It's a perfect cocktail for astronomy,” said Daniela González, executive director of the Skies of Chile Foundation, a nonprofit that defends the quality of the country's night skies. But that may not be the case for much longer, a group of leading scientists warned in an open letter to Chile's government. A private company is pressing ahead with plans to construct a giant renewable energy complex in sight of one of Earth's most productive astronomical facilities—the Paranal Observatory, operated by an international consortium known as the European Southern Observatory, or ESO. In the letter, 30 renowned international astronomers, including Reinhard Genzel, a 2020 Nobel laureate in astrophysics who conducted much of his prize-winning research on black holes with the ESO-operated telescopes in the Atacama Desert, describe the project as “an imminent threat” to humanity's ability to study the cosmos and unlock more of its unknowns. “The damage would extend beyond Chile's borders, affecting a worldwide scientific community that relies on observations made at Paranal to study everything from the formation of planets to the early universe,” the letter reads. “We are convinced that economic development and scientific progress can and must coexist to the benefit of all people in Chile, but not at the irreversible expense of one of Earth's unique and irreplaceable windows to the universe.” The scientists join a chorus of voices that have been urging the Chilean government to relocate the hydrogen-based fuel production plant since the plan was unveiled a year ago by AES Chile, an offshoot of the American-based multinational AES Corp. In response to a request for comment, AES Chile said that its own technical studies showed the project would be fully compatible with astronomical observations and compliant with the Chilean government's strict regulations on light pollution. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has set off a “code red” alert to employees to improve its flagship product, ChatGPT, and delay other product developments, according to The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reported that Altman sent an internal memo to staff saying more work was needed to enhance the artificial intelligence chatbot's speed, reliability, and personalization features. Several weeks ago marked three years since OpenAI first released ChatGPT, sparking global fascination and a commercial boom in generative AI technology and giving the San Francisco-based startup an early lead. But the company faces increased competition with rivals, including Google, which last November unleashed Gemini 3, the latest version of its own AI assistant. OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Tech news outlet The Information also reported on the memo. Altman said this fall that ChatGPT now has more than 800 million weekly users. But the company, valued at $500 billion, doesn’t make a profit and has committed more than $1 trillion in financial obligations to the cloud computing providers and chipmakers it relies on to power its AI systems. The risk that OpenAI won't make enough money to fulfill the expectations of backers like Oracle and Nvidia has amplified investor concerns about an AI bubble. Nick Turley, an OpenAI vice president and its head of ChatGPT, posted on social media that online search is one of the product's biggest areas of opportunity as the company focuses on making ChatGPT more capable and “even more intuitive and personal.” OpenAI makes revenue from premium subscriptions to ChatGPT, but most users get the free version. OpenAI introduced its own web browser, Atlas, in October, an attempt to compete with Google's Chrome as more internet users rely on AI to answer their questions. But OpenAI hasn't yet tried to sell ads on ChatGPT, which is how Google makes money from its dominant search business. Altman's memo said the company was delaying work on advertising, AI agents for health and shopping, and a personal assistant called Pulse, according to the journal. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

For many children, the experience of getting their first pair of glasses is an inevitable milestone, the first in a lifetime of visits to the eye doctor. But what if those lenses could actually help preserve the child's vision and reduce the chances of more serious eye problems in adulthood? That's the promise of a new type of lens approved by the Food and Drug Administration in September. While the technology has previously been available in Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world, it's now rolling out in the U.S. What is myopia, and why is it increasing? Myopia, commonly called nearsightedness, is when people can clearly see objects at close range but struggle with distant objects, which often appear blurry or indistinct. Studies conducted around the world have shown rising rates of myopia, which researchers have associated with increased time indoors looking at screens, books, and other objects held close to the eyes. In the U.S., 30% to 40% of children will have myopia by the time they finish high school, according to Dr. Michael Repka, a professor and pediatric ophthalmologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Until now, doctors have had few options for treating the condition. "It was typically and simply: 'Your child needs to wear glasses and they'll live with it,'" Repka said. "It will be lifelong and it will likely get worse over the next few years." The specialized glasses, sold under the brand Essilor Stellest, are approved by the FDA to slow nearsightedness in 6- to 12-year-olds. The FDA said it cleared the lenses based on company data showing children experienced a 70% reduction in the progression of their myopia after two years. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Chain stores have Black Friday. Online marketplaces have Cyber Monday. For local businesses, it's Small Business Saturday. In the last 20 years, more segments of the retail industry have vied for their own piece of the holiday shopping season. The travel trade firmly joined the trend with another post-Thanksgiving sales push: Travel Tuesday. On the same day as the nonprofit world's Giving Tuesday, December 2, airlines, hotels, cruise ship companies, travel booking platforms, and tour operators got in on the annual spirit to spend by promoting one-day deals. Consumer advocates say there are legitimate savings to be had, but also chances to be misled by marketing that conveys a false sense of urgency. “People see ‘40 percent off’ and assume it’s a once-in-a-lifetime steal, without recognizing that the underlying price may have been inflated or that the same itinerary was cheaper last month (October),” Sally French, a travel expert at personal finance site NerdWallet, said. She and other seasoned travelers advised consumers who wanted to see if they could save money by booking trips on Travel Tuesday to do research in advance and to pay especially close attention to the fine print attached to offers. People who were hoping to score last-minute deals for Christmas or New Year's needed to double-check for blackout dates or other restrictions, recommended Lindsay Schwimer, a consumer expert for the online travel site Hopper. It’s also wise to keep an eye out for nonrefundable fares, resort fees, double occupancy requirements, or upgrade conditions that may be hidden within advertised discounts, according to French. Shoppers should be wary of travel packages with extra transportation options or add-on offers, French said. Instead of lowering fares or room rates, some companies use statement credits, extra points, included amenities, and bundled extras as a way to tempt potential customers, she said. “Many travel brands want to keep sticker prices high to maintain an aura of luxury, but they still need to fill planes, ships, and hotel rooms,” French said. “Add-on perks are their workaround.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

On a quiet street in one of Tokyo’s trendiest neighborhoods, a floral terrier mascot stands beneath a pastel signpost that reads “London,” forming part of the entrance to a Cath Kidston store. Cath Kidston is a British brand that has disappeared from the U.K. high streets but is now enjoying a revival in Japan. The British retailer known for its vintage-inspired floral prints entered administration during the pandemic and closed all 60 U.K. stores. But the brand is thriving in Japan for a second time thanks to the country’s deep affection for British nostalgia and aesthetics. The brand resonates deeply with Japanese consumers drawn to soft romanticism and Anglophilia. “I think they see potential in Japan. I'm not sure about the numbers, but I think Cath Kidston in Japan is pretty big compared to other franchise partners. We will have like six stores in a year, and that's a lot,” says Tiara Simmons, the brand director for Cath Kidston Japan. Unlike past booms for luxury brands, today's Western companies, often overlooked at home, are being reborn here through local partnerships and a focus on quality. Global brands like Gap and Ikea are learning that to do well in Japan, where consumers demand a level of quality that borders on perfection, requires more than good marketing or translation skills. Barneys New York was a cultural icon in the 1990s and early 2000s but folded in 2019. Now owned by Authentic Brands Group, it has a partnership with Laox Holdings in Japan, with 10 retail outlets. “Barneys was something that appeared in many different places, like lines in movies, dialogue in TV dramas, or parts of novels. It was a brand that was truly loved by a wide range of celebrities and influential people,” says Barneys Japan president Penny Luo. “So, in that sense, Barneys New York really became a kind of cultural icon. And so, when it came to Japan, there were a lot of customers who were genuinely thrilled: ‘It’s that Barneys; it has come to Japan!’ I believe that the image and status that Barneys developed in New York is something that people in Japan can still understand and appreciate.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Perhaps some of the most digitized countries on Earth, Scandinavian and Nordic nations are now going old-school—introducing nationwide bans on mobile devices, including smartphones, in schools. In Denmark, the country’s government hopes to introduce a ban on smartphones in public schools starting August next year. Trongårdsskolen in Kongens Lyngby, 12 kilometers north of Copenhagen, is a mobile-free school. Two years ago, teachers at the Danish high school, which educates around 700 children aged between 9 and 16, put forward a motion to parents and school officials. Teacher Bent Povlsen, 64, says things were getting out of hand—from constant interruptions in classes to “zombie” students sitting quietly on their phones, not interacting with fellow pupils. Parents would even call in the middle of class to discuss dinner or shopping trips. "We saw a lot of students losing focus, we saw them lose concentration. They were mentally not really present in school,” recalls Povlsen. “They stopped playing, they stopped doing sports, they actually stopped talking with each other during breaks. That was a really sad moment.” Now, when students arrive for the school day, they place their mobile devices—including smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches—into a secure cabinet, where they’re locked away until the end of classes. Special exceptions are made for students who need devices for diabetes apps or for disabilities like dyslexia, for example. Povlsen, who’s been teaching at the school for 39 years, says it’s been a “really good decision.” "It's been a huge success,” he says. “Today, we are back to normal. We see happy and smiling students. We see children playing. In classrooms, we see more focus, more concentration. So, we are on track again." Some Trongårdsskolen students embrace the rules, while others feel they are excessive. "We talk a lot at recess now. We used to maybe just play some games on our phones or scroll or something, but now, we talk,” smiles 14-year-old Nanna Christiansen. “At first, people were kind of like, ‘Oh, so annoying, you have to give up your phone,’ and they just didn't really hand them in,” says 15-year-old student Sally Jensen, who calls it a “pointless rule.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The pollution from food is sneaky. Because the apple sitting on your kitchen counter isn't really causing any harm. But chances are good that you didn't pick it from a tree in your backyard. It required land and water to grow, machines to harvest and process, packaging to ship, trucks to transport, and often refrigerators to store. Much of that process releases planet-warming greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That's why the global food system makes up roughly a third of worldwide human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EDGAR FOOD pollution database. Meanwhile, roughly a third of the U.S. food supply is lost or wasted without being eaten, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It might never get harvested, it might spoil in transit, or the grocery store might reject it for being the wrong size or color. That's a big reason why some consumers are looking for less-wasteful alternatives, ranging from farmers markets to delivery services for produce that didn't meet supermarket size or appearance standards. "There's a whole breadth of opportunities to purchase food," said Julia Van Soelen Kim, food systems adviser with the University of California Cooperative Extension. Jane Kolodinsky, professor emerita at the University of Vermont and director of research at Arrowleaf Consulting, has bought her produce directly from a local farmer for 30 years. It's called Community-Supported Agriculture, or CSA. At the beginning of every harvest season, Kolodinsky pays that farm a fee. Then, once per week, she picks up a box of produce at the farm. Some CSA programs pick the produce, while others let you customize. Some deliver. An online database shows which farms participate in CSA programs. Since the food is grown nearby, there is less processing and packaging. "There's a smaller carbon footprint for purchasing locally compared to global or national food distribution channels," said Van Soelen Kim. "When they're local, they're traveling less distance, so less gas, less fuel." Kolodinsky said the oldest alternative food system is the farmers market, where vendors gather and sell directly to consumers. Growers also sell at farm stands that aren't tied to a centralized, scheduled event. Farmers markets allow consumers more flexibility to pick the produce than a typical CSA. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Writers in U.S. prisons now have a new path to getting their work seen through a website managed by PEN America that includes information on publishers, agents, journalists, and other potential contacts. In November, PEN's Prison and Justice Writing Program announced the launch of the Incarcerated Writers Bureau, an initiative developed with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and designed to “make the literary community more inclusive of writers behind bars.” “For too long, powerful storytellers in prison have been left out of publishing and writing opportunities due to the challenges of connecting with the wider world,” Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, co-interim CEO of PEN and chief program officer of the free expression organization's Literary Programming, said in a statement. The new resource has a mission to help those in prison navigate the “dance of limited access and burdensome logistics.” It facilitates getting in touch with industry professionals and allows publishers and other outlets to promote opportunities for writers. It also offers advice and background on how and how much writers in prison should be paid, the ethics of working with incarcerated writers, and the challenges involving those who lack access to a computer or typewriter. Biographies, writing samples, and contacts are included for 21 writers affiliated with PEN and/or its decades-old prison program. The writer-critic PM Dunne, the recipient of four PEN prison writing awards, noted the long history of human beings who “penned masterpieces while locked in cages” and added, “We’re here to continue that good work, to enrich society on both sides of the wall.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The world's biggest music labels have struck AI licensing deals with a little-known startup named Klay Vision, the companies said, the latest in a series of deals that underline how the technology is shaking up the music industry's business model. Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment, and their publishing arms, all signed separate agreements with Klay, according to an announcement posted on Warner's website. It comes a day after Warner inked two other deals involving artificial intelligence, with startups Udio and Stability AI. There were few details released about the agreements or about Klay, which is based in Los Angeles, and what it does. The deal terms will help Klay "further evolve music experiences for fans, leveraging the potential of AI, while fully respecting the rights of artists, songwriters, and rightsholders," the announcement said. Klay has been working with the music industry on a licensing "framework for an AI-driven music experience" and has built a "large music model" trained only on licensed music. AI-generated music has been flooding streaming services amid the rise of chatbot-like song generators that instantly spit out new tunes based on prompts typed by users without any musical knowledge. The synthetic music boom has also resulted in a wave of AI singers and bands that have climbed the charts after racking up millions of streams, even though they don't exist in real life. Last year, Warner, Universal, and Sony sued Suno and Udio, makers of two popular AI song generation tools, accusing them of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. But there are signs that the disputes are being resolved through negotiation. Warner, which represents artists including Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa, said that it resolved its copyright infringement litigation against Udio. The two companies said they're teaming up to develop Udio's licensed AI music creation service set to launch in 2026 that will allow users to remix tunes by established artists. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

No one wants a weasel on their Thanksgiving table, but swapping turkeys for other animals was once surprisingly common. Trading turkeys–for wildlife management, not dinner–was a key part of one of North America’s biggest conservation success stories. After dwindling to a few thousand birds in the late 1880s, the wild turkey population has grown to about 7 million birds in 49 states, plus more in Canada and Mexico, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation. In many cases, restoration relied on trades. The exchange rates varied, but Oklahoma once swapped walleye and prairie chickens for turkeys from Arkansas and Missouri. Colorado traded mountain goats for turkeys from Idaho. The Canadian province of Ontario ended up with 274 turkeys from New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Michigan, Missouri, and Iowa in exchange for moose, river otters, and partridge. West Virginia, in particular, appears to have had an abundance of turkeys to share. In 1969, it sent 26 turkeys to New Hampshire in exchange for 25 fishers, a member of the weasel family once prized for its pelt. Later trades involved otters and bobwhite quail. “They were like our currency for all our wildlife that we restored,” said Holly Morris, furbearer and small game project leader at the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Wild turkeys were abundant across the U.S. until the mid-1800s, when the clearing of forestland and unregulated hunting led the population to plummet. Early restoration efforts in the 1940s and 50s involved raising turkeys on farms, but that didn’t work well, said Patt Dorsey, director of conservation for the National Wild Turkey Federation’s western region. “That’s when we started capturing them out of the wild and moving them around to other places to restore their population, and they really took off.” Turkeys play an important role in a healthy ecosystem as both predator and prey, and are a popular draw for hunters, said Dan Ellingwood, a biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. But the restoration effort is also important just for the sake of ensuring native species continue to persist, he said. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A copy of the first Superman issue, unearthed by three brothers cleaning out their late mother's attic, netted $9.12 million last month at a Texas auction house, which says it is the most expensive comic book ever sold. The brothers discovered the comic book in a cardboard box beneath layers of brittle newspapers, dust, and cobwebs in their deceased mother's San Francisco home last year, alongside a handful of other rare comics that she and her sibling had collected on the cusp of World War II. She had told her children she had a valuable comic book collection hidden away, but they had never seen it until they put her house up for sale and decided to comb through her belongings for heirlooms, said Lon Allen, vice president of comics at Heritage Auctions. The brothers uncovered the box of comics and sent a message to the auction company, leading Allen to fly out to San Francisco earlier this year to inspect their copy of "Superman No. 1" and show it to other experts for appraisal. "It was just in an attic, sitting in a box, could have easily been thrown away, could've easily been destroyed in a thousand different ways," Allen said. "A lot of people got excited because it's just every factor in collecting that you could possibly want all rolled into one." The "Superman No. 1" comic, released in 1939 by Detective Comics, Inc., is one of a small number of copies known to be in existence and is in excellent condition. The Man of Steel was the first superhero to enter pop culture, helping boost the copy's value among collectors, alongside its improbable backstory, Allen said. The previous record for the world's most expensive comic book had been set last year, when an "Action Comics No. 1"—which first introduced Superman to the world as part of an anthology—sold for $6 million. In 2022, another "Superman No. 1" sold for $5.3 million. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Private jets, commercial aircraft, and military planes were among more than two hundred aircraft showcased at the Dubai Airshow 2025. The event brought together manufacturers, operators, and industry leaders, with a focus on new aircraft design and the push toward more sustainable aviation. One of the toured planes was a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) operated by Royal Jet. The BBJ is based on the Boeing 737 Max airframe, but unlike commercial versions, it's fitted with a custom interior designed for long-haul private travel. Inside, the aircraft includes a lounge area, a dining and meeting space, and a private bedroom with an en-suite shower. Royal Jet pilot Ahmed Suhoul said, “This aircraft can accommodate nineteen guests. It is divided into three different areas: a VIP Majlis sitting room-style area in the front, a dining room or conference room towards the middle, and a full-size bedroom towards the back with a bathroom and a shower.” While a regular airliner typically maintains a cabin altitude of around 6-8,000 feet, Boeing Business Jets keep the cabin at a lower equivalent altitude. The aim is to make long flights less tiring. “The BBJ has its unique system where it lowers the cabin pressurization. So, it is not like what is in FlyDubai or any other airline who operates a 737. The cabin altitude on the BBJs are way much less than the normal airliners. Therefore, it reduces the fatigue and jet lag for the passengers so the passengers can fly through the night, sleep on board, arrive at their destination, ready for their next meeting in a few hours.” A Royal Jet staff said a major appeal of private aviation is the ability to shorten the time spent in terminals. Protocol manager Khalid Al Sebeyi said, “Commercial goes normally through security, immigration, but for us, we finish all of these stake matters faster and then because the VIP does not feel that he is in an airport or somewhere, you know. He feels that it is a seamless journey and there are less touch points.” The Dubai Airshow 2025 concluded on November 21. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

It may sound surprising, but children can get lupus, arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases, although they're not as common in children as adults. These youngsters' lives are often filled with hospital appointments and medicines, but a special summer camp allows them to enjoy life like other children. Symptoms of these diseases in youngsters can sometimes be more severe, and treating growing bodies is challenging. Ethan Blanchfield-Killeen is 11 years old, and he has a form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. His family doctor suggested the camp, and he's enjoying every minute of it. "I haven't gone before, and it's kind of like a new experience, you know? It's very fun to kind of go away and do activities I haven't done before, especially with different groups of kids," says Blanchfield-Killeen. The camp is a partnership with Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. And a rheumatologist is on hand to give out medicines, do check-ups, and be present for any issues that may arise for the children. Dr. Natalia Vasquez-Canizares, a Pediatric Rheumatologist at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, says at the camp the children can enjoy themselves without worrying about their illnesses. "A lot of our patients have chronic diseases, and we wanted them to feel what it is to be in a summer camp, not being worried about their disease and going to the hospital,” she says. Vasquez-Canizares says many people just aren't aware that children can have these chronic diseases. "A lot of people are not aware that these diseases can happen. And most of the time they think it only happen in adulthood. Right? So, when I meet people that are like, wait, what? Can kids have arthritis? Can kids have lupus? It's like, yeah, they do,” she says. The Frost Valley YMCA camp welcomes children throughout the summer to do rope courses, swim in the lake, garden, and other camp traditions. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Roblox is stepping up its age verification system for users who want to chat with other players and is implementing age-based chats so kids, teens, and adults will only be able to communicate with people around their own age. The moves come as the popular gaming platform continues to face criticism and lawsuits over child safety, and a growing number of states and countries are implementing age verification laws. The company had previously announced the age estimation tool, which is provided by a company called Persona, in July. It requires players to take a video selfie that will be used to estimate their age. Roblox says the videos are deleted after the age check is processed. Users are not required to submit a face scan to use the platform, only if they want to chat with other users. Roblox doesn't allow kids under 13 to chat with other users outside of games unless they have explicit parental permission—and unlike different platforms, it does not encrypt private chat conversations, so it can monitor and moderate them. While some experts have expressed caution about the reliability of facial age estimation tools, Matt Kaufman, chief safety officer at Roblox, said that between the ages of about 5 and 25, the system can accurately estimate a person's age within one or two years. "But of course, there's always people who may be well outside of a traditional bell curve. And in those cases, if you disagree with the estimate that comes back, then you can provide an ID or use parental consent in order to correct that," he said. After users go through the age checks, they will be assigned to age groups ranging from under 9, 9 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, 18 to 20, and over 21. Users will then be able to chat with their age group or similar age groups, depending on their age and the type of chat. Roblox had started enforcing age checks in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands in the first week of December and will do the same in the rest of the world in early January. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

For more than two decades, Susan Bushby, a 70-year-old housekeeper from a rural ski town in New Hampshire's White Mountains, took comfort in knowing she only had a short drive to reach the community health center. The lodge-like medical building, which sits on a hill overlooking town, was like a second home for Bushby and many other patients. The front desk staff knew their names and never missed a chance to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. Staff photos of the wilderness that make this place such a draw hung on the walls, and bumping into a neighbor in the waiting room was routine. But last October, this site of the Ammonoosuc Community Health Services in Franconia, a town of around 1,000 people, closed for good. Officials blamed cuts in Medicaid, the federal program that millions of low-income Americans rely on for healthcare. The 1,400 patients, almost half of them older and some facing serious health challenges like cancer and early-stage dementia, must now drive at least 10 miles along rural roads to reach the nearest health center, which is also near a regional hospital. A second center is twice as far. The closure of the Franconia center reflects the financial struggles facing community health centers and rural healthcare systems more broadly amid Medicaid cuts and a feared spike in health insurance rates. The government shutdown, which ended in November, was driven by a Democratic demand to extend tax credits, which ensure low- and middle-income people can afford health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, or ACA. Marsha Luce, whose family moved from the Washington, D.C. area in 2000, is especially concerned about the impact on her 72-year-old husband, a former volunteer firefighter who has had an ear and part of his jaw removed due to cancer. He also has heart and memory issues. She worries about longer waits to see his doctor, Dr. Melissa Buddensee, and the loss of relationships built up over decades in Franconia. "I know specifically for Kirk, it’s, it's going to be a harder one because he, he likes dealing with Dr. Buddensee himself.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A prisoner is challenging an Australian state's ban on inmates eating Vegemite, claiming in a lawsuit that withholding the polarizing yeast-based spread breaches his human right to "enjoy his culture as an Australian." Andre McKechnie, 54, serving a life sentence, took his battle for the salty, sticky, brown byproduct of brewing beer to the Supreme Court of Victoria, according to documents released to The Associated Press. Most Australians revere Vegemite as an unfairly maligned culinary icon, and more than 80% of Australian households are estimated to have a jar in their pantries. But inmates in all 12 prisons in Victoria are going without. McKechnie is suing Victoria's Department of Justice and Community Safety and the agency that manages the prisons, Corrections Victoria. The case is scheduled for trial next year. Vegemite has been banned from Victorian prisons since 2006, with Corrections Victoria saying it "interferes with narcotic detection dogs." Vegemite also contains yeast, which is banned from Victorian prisons because of its "potential to be used in the production of alcohol," the contraband list says. A decade ago, Vegemite's then-U.S. owner, Mondelez International, rejected media reports that remote Australian Indigenous communities were using Vegemite to brew alcohol in bathtubs. Mondelez said in a statement that the manufacturing process killed the yeast and that "Vegemite cannot be fermented into alcohol." McKechnie is seeking a court declaration that the defendants denied him his right under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act to "enjoy his culture as an Australian." He also wants a declaration that the defendants breached the Corrections Act by "failing to provide food adequate to maintain" McKechnie's "well-being." Manufactured in Australia since 1923 as an alternative to Britain's Marmite, Vegemite was long marketed as a source of vitamin B for growing children. The spread is beloved by a majority of Australians, but typically considered an acquired taste at best by those who weren't raised on it. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

More people are falling behind on paying their bills to keep the lights on and heat their homes, according to a new analysis of consumer data—a warning sign for the U.S. economy and another political headache for President Donald Trump. Past due balances to utility companies jumped 9.7% annually to $789 between the April-June periods of 2024 and 2025, said The Century Foundation, a liberal think tank, and the advocacy group Protect Borrowers. The increase has overlapped with a 12% jump in monthly energy bills during the same period. Consumers usually prioritize their utility bills along with their mortgages and auto debt, said Julie Margetta Morgan, the foundation's president. The increase in both energy costs and delinquencies may suggest that consumers are falling behind on other bills, too. "There's a lot of information out there about rising utility costs, but here we can actually look at what that impact has been on families in terms of how they're falling behind," Margetta Morgan said. Troubles paying electricity and natural gas bills reflect something of an economic quandary for Trump, who is promoting the buildout of the artificial intelligence industry as a key part of an economic boom he has promised for America. But AI data centers are known for their massive use of electricity, and threaten to further increase utility bills for everyday Americans. These troubles also come as Trump faces political pressure from voters fed up with the high cost of living. The president spoke about the economy and affordability issues at an event hosted by the McDonald's fast-food company. "We have it almost at the sweet spot, and prices are coming down on different things," Trump said at the event, adding that inflation has been "normalized" at a "low level." During Trump's first six months in office, there was a 3.8% increase in households with severely overdue utility bills. This article was provided by The Associated Press.