Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will phase out certain ultraprocessed foods from school meals over the next decade under a first-in-the-nation law signed Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.The law seeks to define ultraprocessed foods, the often super-tasty products typically full of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. The legislation requires the state’s Department of Public Health to adopt rules by mid-2028 defining “ultraprocessed foods of concern” and “restricted school foods.” Schools have to start phasing out those foods by July 2029, and districts will be barred from selling them for breakfast or lunch by July 2035. Vendors will be banned from…
Dolly Parton is speaking out after her sister prompted widespread concern for the legendary singer’s health amid the postponement of a string of live shows — insisting she “aint dead yet!”In a video posted on Instagram on Wednesday, Parton explained that she was working on commercials for the Grand Ole Opry and wanted to put people’s minds at ease, providing an update to fans on her health.”Everyone thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you?I’m working hard here! ” the 79-year-old singer added in the video captioned “I ain’t dead yet!”The public concern surged…
Dolly Parton posted a video to Instagram on Wednesday reassuring fans she is doing “okay” amid concern for her health.”I ain’t dead yet!” she captioned the video, where she spoke to fans directly.The message comes after Parton’s sister on Tuesday asked for prayers for the country music star, before clarifying she was simply “a little under the weather” and not seriously ill.In her video, Parton spoke to the camera, explaining she was working on commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, joking, “I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you?”Terry Wyatt/WireImage…
Zendesk announced Wednesday at its AI summit a string of LLM-driven products meant to reshape the company’s reliance on human technicians. The center of the new features is an autonomous support agent that Zendesk believes will solve 80% of support issues without human intervention. That system will be supplemented by a co-pilot agent, which will assist human technicians with the remaining 20% of issues, as well as an admin-layer agent, a voice-based agent, and an analytics agent. According to Shashi Upadhyay, Zendesk’s president of Product, Engineering and AI, the new agents are part of a broader change in the support…
The last time the NBA went to China, there was silence. They were two of the most awkward games probably ever played, a pair of preseason matchups between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers with some fans barely reacting to anything and no press conferences held afterward.This time, it’s going to be very different. Back to normal, it would seem.The Nets and Phoenix Suns have made their way to the Chinese gambling hub of Macao for two preseason games — one Friday, the other on Sunday, and marking the NBA’s first games played in China since 2019. There are…
Despite the well-known environmental benefits of recycling, it’s estimated that less than 10% of the world’s plastic gets recycled. Ganiga Innovation looks to bring that percentage up using AI-enabled robotic waste bins. Italian startup Ganiga built three products to help better manage waste and recycling. The first is a fleet of robotic waste bins, called Hoooly, that use generative AI to determine what is trash and what is recycling and sort the waste accordingly. The second is a smart lid that can be fitted to existing waste bins with the same functionality as its larger bin counterpart. The company also…
As Hollywood wrestles with how to reconcile AI and the creative process, new research offers a look at how some in the industry are actually using the tech.The findings, published October 8, come from the Mozilla Foundation and think-tank the Berggruen Institute. They offer a rare snapshot, albeit based on a limited sample size, of how people in Hollywood are using AI.The research came out of discussions with 174 people working in creative fields over three months in early 2025. The largest group (43%) consisted of TV and film producers, directors, and similar professionals. Others represented music, marketing, and technology…
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A soccer match between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been relocated to Florida amid the immigration crackdown in the city, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday.The friendly match was supposed to be played on Oct. 13 at Soldier Field in Chicago but will be moved to Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, the home stadium of Argentina and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi.An Argentine Football Association executive confirmed the move to the AP and said it was because of the situation in Chicago,…
Google announced on Wednesday that its AI feature that lets users virtually try on clothes is expanding to Australia, Canada, and Japan. The tech giant also announced that the feature now lets users virtually try on shoes. The feature works by asking users to upload a photo to see how real clothes might look on them. Now, users can visualize how different pairs of shoes would look on them. To virtually try on a pair of shoes, users need to tap on any product listing on Google, select the “Try It On” button, and then add a full-length photo of…
If you’re a utility customer in the US, you’ve likely seen your rates go up this year.Residents in at least 41 states and Washington, D.C., are experiencing increased electric and natural gas bills now or will see increases in 2026, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress.Costs are rising largely due to the AI data center development boom and the resulting strain it has placed on the country’s aging electric grid.The good news is that, depending on which state you live in and your electricity provider, you might be able to lower your bill through energy…