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She told no one about her agony except ChatGPT. What her death reveals about AI risks

A year before she died, Sophie Rottenberg climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. Her mother says her "tiny hand" photos were a signature joke. Mourners were given the toys at her funeral. She was 29.

A 29-year-old woman confided her suicidal thoughts to an AI chatbot — not to her therapist, not to her parents, not to her best friend. What can AI learn from her death?

(Image credit: Reiley Rottenberg family)

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Many recent grads say AI is making it harder to get a job. Economists aren't so sure

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The unemployment rate for young adults with new degrees is higher than the rate for all workers, according to the New York Fed. Is AI the problem, or is it more complicated?

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This crowded Republican primary in Florida has drawn a unique cast of candidates

John Strand speaks during an event at the U.S. Capitol on June 13, 2023. A convicted and pardoned Jan. 6 rioter, Strand is now running for the Republican nomination in Florida

The GOP primary in Florida's 19th District includes candidates who are new to the state, candidates who've run for Congress before and two candidates who have received pardons from President Trump.

(Image credit: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)

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Morning news brief

Jared Kushner and Israel's prime minister meet in attempt to move Gaza ceasefire plan forward, U.S. focus on Iran draws key resources from Asia, voters head to the polls for primaries Tuesday.

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Jason Arday's rise and fall tells a larger story about academia, a critic says

Supporters leave flowers and photographs at a vigil for late Cambridge professor Jason Arday in London on Aug. 17. Arday died Aug. 14 at age 41 amid allegations of plagiarism and embellishing his biography.

What can academia learn from Jason Arday's rise and fall? Atlantic staff writer and former academic Tyler Austin Harper weighs the questions his story left behind.

(Image credit: Carlos Jasso)

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Jason Arday's rise and fall tells a larger story about academia, a critic says

Supporters leave flowers and photographs at a vigil for late Cambridge professor Jason Arday in London on Aug. 17. Arday died Aug. 14 at age 41 amid allegations of plagiarism and embellishing his biography.

What can academia learn from Jason Arday's rise and fall? Atlantic staff writer and former academic Tyler Austin Harper weighs the questions his story left behind.

(Image credit: Carlos Jasso)

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A dispute about fact vs. fiction at the trial over Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing

Duane Davis appears in court during his murder trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, at Clark County District Court Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026.

A prosecutor said that while few have been willing to speak about the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, Duane "Keffe D" Davis is the "one person who has a hard time being silent."

(Image credit: Steve Marcus)

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Palestinian American returns to his West Bank home, under siege by Israeli settlers

Loui Ridi, an Ohio-based Palestinian-American landlord of one of the homes besieged by Israeli settlers for over a week, arrives at his parent

The Palestinian American whose home in the occupied West Bank has been besieged by Israeli settlers traveled to his property on Monday to join other family members who have been defending it.

(Image credit: Majdi Mohammed)

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Part of a key firearms law lapsed following a federal court decision. What happens now?

A SureFire firearm sound suppressor, commonly referred to as a silencer, is displayed during the National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas on May 28, 2022. A recent court ruling eased restrictions around the purchase of suppressors.

A federal judge's decision in Texas has major implications for the National Firearms Act. What does this mean for certain guns and other weapons?

(Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON)

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Palestinian family in West Bank fear settler violence will rob them of home

The family of a Palestinian-American man remain holed up in his West Bank home for more than a week, after Israeli settlers laid siege to the house and the Israeli army then turned it into a closed military area.

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Former federal prosecutor is suing DOJ for 'unlawful and retaliatory' firing

The U.S. Department of Justice Building on Aug.17, in Washington, D.C.

A federal prosecutor who was fired earlier this year is suing the DOJ, alleging she was unlawfully dismissed for political reasons tied to her work prosecuting a case against anti-abortion activists.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)

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Democrat Rep. Jimmy Gomez being investigated over sexual misconduct allegations

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., speaks during a House Select Intelligence Committee hearing on March 19, 2026. The House Ethics Committee says it is investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against Gomez.

The California Democrat has admitted to "personal mistakes" outside of his marriage, but also says his actions were consensual in nature did not violate House Ethics rules.

(Image credit: Heather Diehl)

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DHS defends investigating agency critics and giving them warning notices

Two federal agents in blue jackets stand on David Streever

Federal officials acknowledged that ICE special agents tracked a New York man to his house, the airport and a hotel to question him about a critical email he sent to the former head of ICE in January.

(Image credit: David Streever)

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USS Washington to relieve USS Lincoln. And, Jared Kushner to meet with Netanyahu

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) conducts U.S. blockade operations related to the Strait of Hormuz on April 16, 2026 in the Arabian Sea. The ship

The USS Washington is on its way to the Middle East to relieve the USS Lincoln amid concerns about conditions aboard. And, Jared Kushner is expected to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu to move Gaza talks forward.

(Image credit: Handout Photo by the U.S. Navy)

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Mark Kelly says USS Lincoln sailors 'can't get basic needs met'

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., takes his seat during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 15, 2026.

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona about conditions aboard the USS Lincoln and his calls for an investigation into sailors' treatment.

(Image credit: Tom Brenner)

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Hayden Panettiere, who starred in 'Heroes' and 'Nashville,' dies at 36

Hayden Panettiere attends amfAR Gala Los Angeles 2022 at Pacific Design Center on November 03, 2022 in West Hollywood, California.

A child actor since she was cast in various commercials as an 11-month-old, Panettiere was best known for her role as the country music star Juliette Barnes in the series "Nashville."

(Image credit: Jon Kopaloff)

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Car problems? No childcare? How an app is helping people get to work

Ebert Velasquez Ramos (right) works at the drive-through at a McDonald

Unexpected absences can cost employers tens of thousands of dollars a month. An app that helps workers with last-minute transportation, food and childcare is making a difference.

(Image credit: Claire Harbage)

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As wildfires get worse, some states are struggling to pass fire protection rules

Three wildfires in Spokane, Wash., including the Old Trails Fire, destroyed more than 800 homes and buildings. For years, Washington has debated adopting statewide rules to help protect communities during wildfires.

There's a lot homeowners can do to prepare for wildfires, such as managing flammable plants and using fire-resistant building materials. But some states struggle to pass rules requiring those steps.

(Image credit: Josh Edelson)

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Living with nuns: Priced out of D.C., young women found low rent with unlikely roommates

Former residents, current residents and friends of Anne Montgomery House begin a traditional Greek dance at the farewell celebration in Washington, D.C. on July 31, 2026. The community house, <!-- raw HTML omitted -->run by Society of the Sacred Heart, is closing after a decade.

For 10 years, a Catholic-run home offered young women an affordable place to live in the nation's capital as they studied and launched careers. Now, that community is saying goodbye.

(Image credit: Charlotte Kesl for NPR)

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Meta heads to court in a landmark trial about kids and social media addiction

In this illustration photo from Oct. 28, 2021, a person watches on a smartphone as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveils the Meta logo.

Four states are suing the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging that the platforms were designed to hook kids and that Meta hid the mental health risks.

(Image credit: Chris Delmas)

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Elon Musk's Starbase wants to expand in south Texas

A view from Boca Chica Beach towards two SpaceX launch pads, in south Texas.

Landowners and activists worry about impact to the environment around SpaceX's complex.

(Image credit: Reynaldo Leaños Jr.)

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Cialis is an erectile dysfunction drug. Could it also help you live longer?

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In some wellness circles, tadalafil is promoted as a longevity drug. There is evidence showing a link between it and a lower risk of death in men, but there are no well-controlled trials in humans.

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Can a student ID be used for voting? More Republican-led states are banning it

A sign informs registered voters to have their photo IDs ready to check in at a polling place in Lancaster, N.H., in 2024.

New bans on using student IDs for voting in Indiana and New Hampshire have sparked lawsuits after creating the latest hurdles to the ballot box for the U.S. voting-age group least likely to vote.

(Image credit: Joseph Prezioso)

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Morning news brief

USS Washington to relieve USS Lincoln after concerns about conditions, Ukraine launches one of its largest aerial attacks on Russia, a look at where talks stand regarding the future of Gaza.

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Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea

President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Morristown Airport, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Morristown, N.J.

President Trump explained the decision by saying South Korea had declined to help with the "denuclearization" of Iran and he cited his good relationship with North Korea's leader.

(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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Multiple people dead as flooding continues in Indiana

Residents paddle through a flooded neighborhood in a kayak in Indianapolis, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026.

Some parts of Indiana received more than 11 inches of rainfall over three days, beginning Aug. 11, causing record floods. Several suburbs of Indianapolis also underwater.

(Image credit: Obed Lamy)

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Kushner meets with Hamas on the Gaza road map ahead of talks with Netanyahu

U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner, pictured in June, held a rare meeting with Hamas in Egypt, in a push to make progress on the stalled Gaza ceasefire plan.

Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, held a rare meeting with Hamas leadership Sunday in Egypt, in a new diplomatic effort to make progress in the stalled Gaza ceasefire.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

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Tommy John, namesake for a pioneering elbow surgery that saved his career, dies at 83

Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tommy John praises his late friend, Dr. Frank Jobe, during a 2014 memorial service at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

The left-handed MLB pitcher was 31 years old when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow in 1974, an injury that had been a death knell for pitchers' careers up to that point.

(Image credit: Damian Dovarganes)

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A good – and bad – week for Italy's art police and museum security

A journalist browses the Messina museum website showing a picture of the Early Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina

On Friday, Italian police said they'd recovered three paintings stolen from a museum near the city of Parma. By Saturday night, thieves in Sicily had made off with four more masterpieces.

(Image credit: Gregorio Borgia)

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Lala is again a tropical storm, sending drenching rain and winds across Hawaii

A view of the rising water levels at the Wainaku Street Bridge in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026.

Hurricane Lala weakened to a tropical storm Sunday after skirting Hawaii without making landfall, but it wasn't done punishing the Big Island with hurricane-force gusts.

(Image credit: Taylor Cozloff/AP)

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