On Monday evening at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City’s last-standing mayoral candidates—Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa—took the stage to address their plans to meet the needs of Black women in New York should they take on the role. New York’s mayoral election has captured global attention, with an international audience deeply invested in the outcome after newcomer and current state assemblyman Mamdani beat former governor Cuomo as the Democratic nominee in June. Noticeably absent was the city’s current mayor, Eric Adams. The forum took place on the heels of Adams dropping his bid for mayoral…
Author: Staff Writer
A comedy festival in the capital of Saudi Arabia has provided golden material for comedians who declined the offer on principle—or would’ve done, if they’d received an invite in the first place. The debut Riyadh Comedy Festival, running Sept. 26 to Oct. 9, bills itself as “the biggest comedy festival in the world.” In the line up of more than 50 comedians, some like Bill Burr and Pete Davidson, whose firefighter father was killed in the 9/11 attacks, came as a shock and disappointment to fans. The irony is also not lost that many of these same comics, who have…
For the ladies of the Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury, it’s time to leave it all on the court. The 2025 WNBA finals start tonight (Friday, October 3) at 8 p.m. ET. Notably, this is the first year that the WNBA finals are a best-of-seven games format. The Aces may be favored to win, but don’t count out the scrappy Mercury squad. Let’s take a deeper look at how these two teams got here, their strengths, and how to tune in. A season and playoffs recap The WNBA consists of 13 teams, with the top eight moving onto…
A major Japanese beverage producer says it has been hit by a cyberattack that left its operations disrupted for the fifth day on Friday, and Japanese media are reporting that stocks of the company’s popular beer and other beverages are running low in some stores.Asahi Group Holdings said its computer systems were hit by a cyberattack on Monday, creating glitches that have affected orders, shipments, and a customer call center in Japan. Overseas systems were not affected.A company spokeswoman told the Associated Press on Friday that the problem had still not been fixed, though some emergency shipments were made on…
Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said Friday that unpredictable change is inevitable and central banks need to be aware of that and have strategies to operate in those environments. Williams’ comments, which came in prepared remarks for an event in Amsterdam, did not address the outlook for U.S. monetary policy. Williams serves as vice chair of the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee, which cut interest rates last month as officials sought to offset rising risks to the job market. “Unpredictable change and uncertainty will certainly continue to be with us for the foreseeable future,” Williams said,…
Whether it’s Sam Altman surreptitiously stealing GPUs from a Target, trying to make a break for the door under the gaze of security cameras as he tucks a box containing a valuable computer chip under his arm, or Super Mario appearing in Star Wars, the rupture in reality brought about by OpenAI’s AI-generated video social network, Sora, is significant. What previously would have been decried as deepfaked videos have gone viral on social media in the last two days, while also outstripping the release of Meta’s competing product, Vibes. Users, including some OpenAI employees on social media, have been revelling…
Many people are inquiring about the opportunity to invest in the upcoming Hollywood film about Cycles. I was told yes, but I am waiting for details. I think they will have a vehicle that people can invest in. I am not sure; I have not personally been involved in Hollywood movie funding. They did say I can share the first two pages of the script. I do know they are talking to A-class actors. However, beyond that, the script is currently in final editing. I will be meeting with the studio’s head this coming week. I agreed to allow this…
Uncertainty is the defining condition of our time. The pandemic reminded us how quickly our systems can fracture. Today, with political shifts, economic instability, and technological disruption intersecting, leaders are preparing for more turbulence ahead. From where I sit, however, there are nearly 2 million reasons to be optimistic. America’s 1.9 million nonprofits make up a fiercely resilient force for scaling impact to our toughest challenges. They deliver food and housing, safeguard youth wellbeing, respond to natural disasters, and fight for fairness and opportunity. They are trusted by millions of people across many topic areas—and they are built to move…
Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, is here. And this might be Swift’s biggest release yet, given that along with an album, she’s also premiering a film on the same day. Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl features a new music video for the album’s single “The Fate of Ophelia,” lyric videos, and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and commentary. It’s being hosted as a companion event by AMC, Cinemark Theaters, and Regal Cinemas. The catch? It’s showing in theaters for just three days: October 3 to 5. The brief theatrical window follows…
Taxpayers in the Empire State will soon receive a refund to help offset rising living costs. Part of the 2025-2026 New York State budget allocates funds for inflation refund checks. The onetime payments offer relief to New Yorkers who have incurred increased sales tax costs due to inflation. According to the state, 8.2 million households will receive payments. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that as of September 26, inflation refund checks have started to be mailed to taxpayers. Checks will continue to be issued throughout October and November. Here’s what to know about whether you’re eligible, how much you’ll receive, and…