Author: Reporter

Warnings about deepfakes and disinformation fueled by artificial intelligence. Concerns about campaigns and candidates using social media to spread lies about elections. Fears that tech companies will fail to address these issues as their platforms are used to undermine democracy ahead of pivotal elections. Those are the worries facing elections in the U.S., where most voters speak English. But for languages like Spanish, or in dozens of nations where English is not the dominant language, there are even fewer safeguards in place to protect voters and democracy against the corrosive effects of election misinformation. It is a problem getting...

As a substitute teacher in her mid-20s, Lindsey Puls was delighted to discover the fashion world of Shein more than 10 years ago, lured in by its super-low prices, with tops selling for a few dollars, dresses under $10, and free shipping on orders over $29. Puls, who has a blog called “Have Clothes, Will Travel,” joined other influencers in modeling her low-priced but trendy purchases on social media like Instagram and TikTok, contributing to a surge in popularity for Shein. The company, which was founded in China and sells clothing manufactured there, is now the top fast fashion...

John Littlejohn remembers the days when lots of people had a couple of dollars to spare to buy a copy of Street Sense, the local paper that covers issues related to the homeless and employs unhoused individuals as its vendors. Today, he is finding fewer people are walking around with spare change. Even well-meaning individuals who want to help are likely to pat their pockets and apologize, he said. “I would be out here for six or seven hours and wouldn’t get more than $12 to $15,” said Littlejohn, 62, who was homeless for 13 years. “People are like,...

More executives are feeling better about the global economy, but a growing number do not think their companies will survive the coming decade without a major overhaul because of pressure from climate change and technology like artificial intelligence, according to a survey of CEOs by one of the world’s largest consulting firms, PwC. The survey of more than 4,700 CEOs worldwide was released in January, and it showed a mixed picture of the coming years. Of the executives, 38% were optimistic about the strength of the economy, up from 18% last year, when the world was mired in high...