Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA

BANDUNG, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s government was facing calls on Thursday to suspend President Prabowo Subianto ’s multi-billion-dollar free meals program after thousands of school pupils fell ill in an food poisoning outbreak.Television reports showed hospital wards filled with children, with some crying in pain and clutching their stomachs, while police and health workers carried away other victims in ambulances, vans and trucks.The Free Nutritious Meal program was started in January with the aim of fighting malnutrition by feeding nearly 90 million children and pregnant women. The initiative, which is expected to cost $28 billion through 2029, delivers on a…

Many factors can shape how someone views abortion – gender, age and education, to name a few. Around the world, however, religious belief is the most powerful predictor that someone will disapprove, as I document in my 2025 book, “Fetal Positions.” Faith traditions’ teachings about abortion vary – and there is diversity of opinions within faiths, too. On average, though, people who say that religion is important in their lives are far more likely to think abortion is morally wrong.But here’s the paradox: There’s a difference between abstract views and personal decisions. On average, strong religious beliefs and involvement in…

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) — This could have been Phil Mickelson’s week.This could have been his Ryder Cup.The 55-year-old six-time major champion who led an exodus to the breakaway LIV Golf league has more appearances (12) than any player in the U.S. vs. Europe event. He would have been a natural to captain the team at Bethpage Black.Bethpage is the brawny muni outside New York City where the tradition of fans serenading him with “Happy Birthday” took off in 2002. It’s where Mickelson returned to golf shortly after his wife was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, and where two of his…

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Justin Fields is back on the practice field for the New York Jets and could return for a Monday night matchup in Miami.The quarterback remained in the concussion protocol Thursday, but was progressing toward potentially playing against the Dolphins in prime time as both teams look for their first victory this season.“If he’s cleared, he’s the starter,” coach Aaron Glenn said.Fields was listed by the team as a full participant while practicing for the first time since suffering a concussion in the Jets’ loss to Buffalo in Week 2. Fields went through non-contact individual drills…

Spotify on Thursday announced a series of updates to its AI policy, designed to better indicate when AI is being used to make music, to cut down on spam, and to make it clearer that unauthorized voice clones are not permitted on its service. The company says it will adopt an upcoming industry standard for identifying and labeling AI music in credits, known as DDEX, and will soon roll out a new music spam filter to catch more bad actors. Under the DDEX system, labels, distributors, and music partners submit standardized AI disclosures in music credits. This solution offers detailed…

Flexible working can harm learning and competitiveness, ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt has said, after previously criticizing his old company’s approach to “work-life balance,” then walking back the comments.”I am not in favor of, essentially, working at home,” Schmidt told the All-In Summit earlier this month. His comments were included in a Wednesday episode of the “All-In” podcast.”Think about a 20-something who has to learn how the world works,” Schmidt said, adding that he learned a great deal from listening to older coworkers argue at Sun Microsystems in the early years of his career.He asked, “How do you recreate that in…

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A proposal to brand a new type of federal Pell Grant as “Trump Grants” has sparked pushback from Rhode Island lawmakers who want the program to retain the name of its creator — the state’s longest-serving U.S. senator.The name change is currently tucked inside a House spending bill for the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for the upcoming fiscal year.Rhode Island’s congressional delegation this week argued that the proposal would “erase Senator Pell’s name from a program that has uplifted generations and replace it with a President whose record on education…

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Republican Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s top public schools official who lauded President Donald Trump, pledged to put a Turning Point USA chapter in every high school to honor Charlie Kirk and end what he called “wokeness” in public schools, is resigning to lead a conservative educators’ group.Walters, 40, said Wednesday night on Fox News that he is stepping down as state superintendent of public instruction to become the CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a nonprofit that says it assists educators “in their mission to develop free, moral, and upright American citizens.”“We’re going to destroy the teachers…

A study is asking the Centers for Disease Control to declare Chagas disease, also known as “kissing bug” disease, an endemic after cases have been reported in eight different states.Since 2013, “kissing bugs” have been reported in 31 states. In eight of these states, humans were reported to have locally-contracted Chagas disease, according to the study, which was published in September on the CDC’s website and in PubMed.Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, according to the CDC. It is an endemic in 21 other countries in the Americas, excluding the U.S., and is most common in rural areas…

Founders used to be nerds in garages. Now, they’re rockstars.Des Traynor cofounded Intercom back in 2011, when founders were still generally viewed as smart but socially awkward. Since then, Silicon Valley has gained some muscle and started to dress better. The money is also flowing, with the AI boom sending millions in venture funding to fresh-faced recent graduates and college dropouts.Being a founder is cool now, Intercom’s chief strategy officer said on “Cheeky Pint.” That leads some entrepreneurs to found companies for the wrong reasons, he said.”It was a lot easier to invest when being a founder was uncool,” Traynor…