Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA

Microsoft executives explained why the company is mandating a stricter return-to-office policy during an all-employee town hall on Thursday, citing internal data that showed employees with more in-office time are “thriving.”CEO Satya Nadella said the company observed through the pandemic that an “unintended consequence” of remote work was that social ties are “necessary for innovation,” according to internal comments at the town hall, reviewed by Business Insider.”Weak ties, you know, become weaker, stronger ties become stronger, and new ties are tough to form, right? That’s it,” Nadella said to employees on Thursday. “If you think of it as a simple…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The same scene played out at campuses across the country. Charlie Kirk would grab a microphone, take a seat under a canopy — often in busy campus hubs — and invite debate from anyone who came along. His prompt: “Prove me wrong.”Kirk’s open and engaging approach veered from the well-worn tracks of provocateurs who rile audiences in campus lecture halls. It made him a phenomenon, attracting hundreds who crowded around his tent as challengers sparred with one of the nation’s most influential conservatives.It also made him vulnerable.The risks of his exposure became too clear Wednesday, when Kirk…

The FTC announced on Thursday that it is launching an inquiry into seven tech companies that make AI chatbot companion products for minors: Alphabet, CharacterAI, Instagram, Meta, OpenAI, Snap, and xAI. The federal regulator seeks to learn how these companies are evaluating the safety and monetization of chatbot companions, how they try to limit negative impacts on children and teens, and if parents are made aware of potential risks. This technology has proven controversial for its poor outcomes for child users. OpenAI and Character.AI face lawsuits from the families of children who died by suicide after being encouraged to do…

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump attended the New York Yankees game on Thursday night, drawing a mixed reaction while marking the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.Authorities installed security glass for the president outside the upper level box suite belonging to the Steinbrenner family, which owns the Yankees, on the third base side over the visiting Detroit Tigers dugout. Trump sat next to Yankees team president Randy Levine and chatted with him throughout the game.During the national anthem, the president was shown on the stadium jumbotron and received boos from some in the crowd, cheers from others.When…

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s governor is promising universal free child care to families of all income levels.Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her plans this week, saying she wants to leverage a financial windfall from oil and gas production to help more parents by removing the state’s income eligibility limit starting Nov. 1.Rules for the program are being hashed out and lawmakers still have to approve funding, but New Mexico already is several steps ahead of other states when it comes to subsidizing child care. The latest initiative expands on previous early childhood education investments by extending access…

It’s that time of year when many parents across the U.S. see their kids head off to college or leave home to start their working lives. For parents and guardians, experts say, the separation from their children can cause mixed feelings of loss, grief, loneliness, relief and freedom and can lead to unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.They’re the classic signs of what is known as “empty nest syndrome.”While not a clinical diagnosis, it can create intense long-term feelings that affect mental health, emotional well-being and relationships. Experts say acknowledging changing emotions, reconnecting with loved ones and finding new hobbies are all…

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A series of reported threats toward historically Black colleges and universities across the U.S. on Thursday led to lockdown orders, canceled classes and heightened security. Authorities did not elaborate on the type of threats that were made and no injuries have been reported. The FBI told The Associated Press that they are taking the “hoax threat calls“ seriously and that there is “no information to indicate a credible threat.”Although lockdowns have since been lifted, schools that received the threats continue to act with an abundance of caution. In an era of mass shootings — and…

NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL is reinstating five players who were acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from an incident in 2018 when they were members of Canada’s world junior team, announcing Thursday they will be eligible to sign a contract Oct. 15 and take part in games Dec. 1.The move comes roughly seven weeks since Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were found not guilty by a judge in London, Ontario. The Canadian government told lawyers for the players last month it would not appeal the ruling.They were not in the NHL at…

School choice resurfaced Thursday as a hotly debated issue in Kentucky, where the state’s highest court heard arguments in a bitter dispute over the constitutionality of a measure to publicly fund charter schools.The measure, known as House Bill 9, was enacted by the state’s GOP-dominated legislature in 2022 over Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto. It would funnel taxpayer dollars to support charter schools. It was struck down by a lower court judge, setting up the climactic review by the Kentucky Supreme Court.The outcome could decide whether charter schools gain a foothold in the Bluegrass State.Supporters say charter schools offer another…

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The number of suspected Ebola cases in Congo’s southern Kasai province have more than doubled in a week since a new outbreak was confirmed there, Africa’s top public health agency said Thursday.The suspected cases have increased from 28 to 68 in recent days, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at an online briefing. It has also spread from two to four districts while the death toll currently stands at 16.Local residents expressed concerns on Thursday over the outbreak, the first in Congo in three years and the province’s first in more than a…