Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Johanna Abzug, a 38-year-old freelance product designer who lives in Madrid. It’s been edited for length and clarity. Loading audio narration… We moved for political reasons.My partner and I had just had a kid, and we lived in Texas. I don’t know if it was postpartum rash decision-making, but I decided this would be the best thing for our family. That was my main objective for over a year: getting us all moved.I had these big items. When it really got down to seeing all the things that are of value,…
If you work on Capitol Hill, your boss might prohibit you from betting on prediction markets pretty soon. Loading audio narration… “It’s something we’ve talked about internally,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told Business Insider. “We haven’t put out any official guidance, but you know, that certainly seems like it would make sense.”Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts recently became the first member of Congress to publicly announce that he would ban his staff from making bets on platforms like Kalshi or Polymarket.He told Business Insider that he’s received plaudits from other lawmakers in both parties, including some who…
Despite the pandemic, an exodus of tech companies, and a feared “doom loop,” a one-two punch of return-to-office mandates and the explosion of AI startups has shifted San Francisco’s tech center into smaller neighborhoods. Loading audio narration… Together AI is one of those startups, housed in the Design District, where office space costs around $59.53 per square foot, according to a fourth-quarter 2025 report from Cresa, a commercial real estate company. That is comparably more affordable than the cost of commercial space, which has hit $70 per square foot or more in the Financial District and Mission Bay, where OpenAI’s office is located.CEO Vipul Ved Prakash…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lauryn Muller was scrolling on social media when she saw a clip of President Donald Trump belittling California Gov. Gavin Newsom for having dyslexia. It stirred a well of emotion for the 18-year-old Muller, bringing back memories of her own struggles learning to read and the times she felt something was wrong with her.Trump called Newsom “stupid,” “low IQ,” “mentally disabled” and unfit to become president. Muller knew it was part of a political feud — Trump is a Republican and Newsom is a Democrat who is expected to run for the White House in 2028 —…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Benjamin Phillips, 26, who is based in Seattle. He is a business program manager for Minecraft at Microsoft. Business Insider has verified his job applications and employment; Microsoft declined to comment for this story. This piece has been edited for length and clarity. Loading audio narration… When I was about 9 years old, my dad got us our first Xbox, and it changed our world. I’m the oldest of three boys, and when we weren’t playing sports outside, we were always playing Call of Duty or Halo together.Xbox was my introduction…
After years of delays and missed deadlines, Tesla’s full self-driving tech has finally launched in Europe — and owners are celebrating. Loading audio narration… Last week, the RDW, the Netherlands auto regulator, approved the driver-assist system that Tesla says allows its EVs to drive themselves almost anywhere under human supervision.It marked the culmination of a long campaign that saw Tesla navigate what Elon Musk described as a “layer cake of bureaucracy.” Until now, European owners have been stuck with a more limited version of Tesla’s driver-assist software that can’t handle intersections or change lanes on its own.For Tesla’s European fans,…
A new Kansas law will allow college students to sue their schools for free-speech violations. In Tennessee, a new law will encourage teachers and professors to include “the positive impacts of religion” in American history courses.The common factor: Both are being done in the name of Charlie Kirk.The laws are among the first of what could become multiple state tributes to the conservative activist who was killed while speaking at a Utah university last year. More than 60 Kirk-themed bills have been proposed in over 20 states seeking to promote his ideology, establish official days of remembrance or affix his…
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Mahnaz Ataei, a finance manager in Tehran, brings her 7-year-old to the office and oversees his online classes while trying to do her job.Schools have been closed across Iran since the United States and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, with no word on when in-person instruction will resume. The fear of airstrikes has lifted since a fragile ceasefire went into effect, but life has not returned to normal.As with the COVID closures six years ago, it’s especially difficult for working parents with small children.“My productivity drops when I have to pay attention to both…
OpenAI lost three top executives on Friday. Loading audio narration… Kevin Weil, who headed OpenAI’s scientific research efforts after serving as chief product officer, posted on LinkedIn that his team, OpenAI for Science, is being decentralized into other research teams and that he is leaving the company.Bill Peebles, who headed OpenAI’s AI video app Sora, also announced his departure. Although Peebles didn’t explain why in his post, OpenAI shut down Sora last month due to cost and compute constraints.”I’m proud of all the sleepless nights before and after the launch this team endured in order to deploy the technology in…
At a trendy venue near the San Francisco pier, Sam Altman’s verification project World celebrated its next evolution and rapid expansion of its ambitions. And it’s starting with Tinder. Tools for Humanity (TFH), the company behind the World project, announced Friday plans to integrate its verification tech into dating apps, event and concert ticketing systems, business organizations, email, and other arenas of public life. “The world is getting close to very powerful AI, and this is doing a lot of wonderful things,” said Altman, speaking before a packed crowd at The Midway. “We are also heading to a world now…