Macy’s is laying off around 2,000 employees and closing more stores as Americans move away from brick-and-mortar chains. Consumers are also spending less at gas stations, furniture stores and personal-care shops, the Commerce Department says.
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Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day. |
- Ballot fight
- Artificial intelligence
- Moon mission
Ballot fight
Former President Donald Trump has warned the Supreme Court of "chaos and bedlam" if states are allowed to bar him from the 2024 ballot. A growing number of states are pushing forward with efforts to exclude the likely Republican presidential nominee from their ballots, resulting in appeals from Trump's team. The Colorado Supreme Court last month said Trump is constitutionally ineligible to run in 2024 because the 14th Amendment's ban on insurrectionists holding office covers his conduct on January 6, 2021. The Supreme Court agreed earlier this month to hear the case, accepting an appeal brought by Trump. Meanwhile, the Oregon Supreme Court dismissed a similar case last week and election officials in Washington state confirmed Thursday that Trump's name will remain on the GOP primary ballot after a state judge dismissed a lawsuit that tried to disqualify him.
Artificial intelligence
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday pledged to build out artificial general intelligence, or AGI, that would meet or surpass human intelligence in almost all areas. This comes as several tech giants, including Microsoft and Google, continue to share new AI tools and visions amid a heightened AI arms race. However, some skeptics have shared concerns about the possibility that those big companies and new players could create unintended harm with their revolutionary products. This week, Sam Altman — the CEO of the company behind ChatGPT — tried to tamp down dystopian fears that AI could destroy humanity or, at least, lead to widespread job losses. He said human beings will continue to decide "what should happen in the world," adding AI is best suited to provide us "better tools" and "access to a lot more capability."
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday pledged to build out artificial general intelligence, or AGI, that would meet or surpass human intelligence in almost all areas. This comes as several tech giants, including Microsoft and Google, continue to share new AI tools and visions amid a heightened AI arms race. However, some skeptics have shared concerns about the possibility that those big companies and new players could create unintended harm with their revolutionary products. This week, Sam Altman — the CEO of the company behind ChatGPT — tried to tamp down dystopian fears that AI could destroy humanity or, at least, lead to widespread job losses. He said human beings will continue to decide "what should happen in the world," adding AI is best suited to provide us "better tools" and "access to a lot more capability."
Moon mission
The Peregrine lunar lander — the first US spacecraft to attempt a moon landing in five decades — has burned up after a failed mission. After soaring hundreds of thousands of miles through space and developing a fuel leak, the uncrewed spacecraft appears to have caught fire after smashing into the Earth's thick atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean, east of Australia. Astrobotic Technology, the Pittsburgh-based company that developed the Peregrine lander under a contract with NASA, confirmed the spacecraft's demise. Officials from NASA and Astrobotic are expected to speak publicly on the mission during a news briefing at 1 p.m. ET. Also today, Japan could be hours away from making its mark on the moon if it can complete the historic landing attempt of its spacecraft nicknamed the "Moon Sniper."
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Comedy icons attend Jim Carrey's birthday dinner
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As seen in this awesome group photo, several comedy MVPs came together to celebrate Carrey's 62nd birthday.
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