• Ken Buck becomes first Republican to sign Democrats’ discharge petition for Ukraine aid

    Rep. Ken Buck (Colo.) became the first GOP member to sign the House Democrats' aid discharge position on Thursday, just one day before he is set to retire from Congress. The discharge petition, formally launched earlier this month by House Democrats, is an attempt to force consideration of a Senate-passed $95 million foreign aid package,

  • Switzerland Becomes First Developed Economy To Cut Interest Rate

    The Swiss National Bank cut interest rates on Thursday -- the first to do so among the major central banks, saying the battle against inflation was working almost two years after launching its monetary tightening campaign.The SNB eased its monetary policy and cut its rate by 0.25 percentage points to 1.5 percent, effective from Friday, in its first interest rate cut since it began to hike them in June 2022.In a busy week for central banks, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday held US interest rates...

  • Bruce Springsteen becomes first non-Brit inducted into Ivors Academy

    The Boss says he is proud to become a fellow after being recognised for his ‘impact on the UK’s cultural landscape’There is perhaps nobody in the US’s short history who is better-known for describing blue-collar American life.But Bruce Springsteen is to be recognised by the most British of institutions when he becomes the first foreigner to be inducted as a fellow of the Ivors Academy. Continue reading

  • 'Couldn't Be Prouder': Louisiana First-Grader Becomes Mensa Society Member

    A Louisiana first-grader who faced great odds became one of the youngest members of the high-IQ Mensa society after overcoming developmental challenges.

  • Tennessee becomes first US state to protect musicians from threat of AI

    Legislation is designed to protect music industry professionals against intellectual property being replicated without consentBill Lee, the governor of Tennessee, signed off on legislation on Thursday, designed to protect songwriters, performers and other music industry professionals against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.The move makes Tennessee, long known as the birthplace of country music and the launchpad for musical legends, the first state in the US to enact such...

  • Tennessee becomes first US state with law protecting musicians from AI

    Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law on Thursday that aimed to protect artists including musicians from unauthorized use by artificial intelligence. The legislation is called the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act. WHY IT IS IMPORTANT While the presence of AI in music-making can be traced back to the 1950s, recent groundbreaking advances in generative AI, with robots now making music as digital pop stars, have divided opinions in the industry. Many experts say...

  • Tennessee becomes first US state with law protecting musicians from AI

    Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law on Thursday that aimed to protect artists including musicians from unauthorized use by artificial intelligence. The legislation is called the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act. While the presence of AI in music-making can be traced back to the 1950s, recent groundbreaking advances in generative AI, with robots now making music as digital pop stars, have divided opinions in the industry.

  • Queensland to become first state to introduce permanent pill-testing clinics

    Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival will conduct testing onsite at the end of March and first fixed-site clinic will open in Bowen Hills in AprilFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastQueensland will establish the first of two fixed pill-testing clinics in Brisbane this year, the first Australian state to back the harm reduction strategy on an ongoing basis.The Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival near Warwick will be the...

  • States rethink ambitious projects as tax revenues shrink and pandemic aid ends

    State tax revenue fell last year by 4%, according to a Stateline analysis of U.S. Census Bureau estimates released this month. Revenue is still up since 2019 by about 28%, though, higher than the inflation rate of about 18% in that time.

  • States rethink ambitious projects as tax revenues shrink and pandemic aid ends

    State tax revenue fell last year by 4%, according to a Stateline analysis of U.S. Census Bureau estimates released this month. Revenue is still up since 2019 by about 28%, though, higher than the inflation rate of about 18% in that time.

  • Food Authority plans job cuts amid budget shortfalls, state cuts

    Efforts to balance the budget have not been sufficient and funding from the state will decrease in coming years, according to the agency.

  • Tom Izzo wins 20th first-round game as Michigan State tops Mississippi State

    Tyson Walker scored 19 points and Spartans coach Tom Izzo picked up his 20th win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament