FEBRUARY 28th, 2024
Today’s Stories
Texas wildfires destroy 500,000 acres
Severe wildfires in Texas have led to a disaster declaration for numerous counties and evacuation mandates in sections of the Texas Panhandle.
On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties, citing "widespread wildfire activity throughout the state." The Smokehouse Creek Fire, the most significant of these wildfires, has become the second-largest wildfire in the history of Texas. [Read more - click]
Google is racing to fix its new AI-powered tool for creating pictures, after claims it was over-correcting against the risk of being racist.
Users said the firm's Gemini bot supplied images depicting a variety of genders and ethnicities even when doing so was historically inaccurate. [Read more - click]
Scientists discover 100 new species off coast of Chile
Apple scraps electric car after 10 years
Apple has ended its secret plans of building a self-driving electric car, a decade-long effort that was seen as one of the most ambitious undertakings in the company's history. [Read more - click]
Elon Musk hinted he is working on a rival to ‘Gmail’ called X-Mail
Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), has revealed his latest venture: XMail, a new email service that could challenge Google’s dominance in the market. [Read more]
Man pleads guilty to killing 3,000 birds including eagles
A Washington state man accused of helping kill 3,000 birds — including eagles on a Montana Indian reservation — then illegally selling their carcasses and feathers intends to plead guilty to illegal wildlife trafficking and other criminal charges, court documents show.
Quick Hits
> Sony's PlayStation division to lay off 900 employees, roughly 8% of its workforce after missing its sales target for the PS5 console (More)
> Disney's film production president Sean Bailey steps down after 15 years (More)
> Spotify generates $4.5B for independent labels and artists (More)
>Sean "Diddy" Combs accused by male music producer of sexual assault, now the fifth such lawsuit against Combs (More)
> Macy's to close 150 underperforming namesake stores, or about 30% of its total stores, by 2026; company expects to add new locations of higher-end department store Bloomingdale’s and beauty chain Bluemercury (More)
>Japan’s birth rate falls to a record low for the eighth straight year (More)
Fish of the Day
Wolf-fish
On This Date
1854 About 50 slavery opponents met in Ripon, Wis., to call for creation of a new political group that became the Republican Party.
1861 The Territory of Colorado was organized.
1953 Scientists James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick announced they had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule that contains the human genes, at Cambridge University.
1974 The United States and Egypt re-established diplomatic relations after a seven-year break.
1993 A gun battle erupted at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, when Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents tried to serve warrants; four agents and six Davidians were killed and a 51-day standoff began.
2005 Lebanon's pro-Syrian prime minister, Omar Karami, resigned amid large anti-Syria street demonstrations in Beirut.
IF YOUR BIRTHDAY WAS TODAY, WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN DRAFTED TO THE VIETNAM WAR?
