SoCal’s defense startups secure vital funding boost

SoCal’s defense startups secure vital funding boost

A bill restoring crucial federal funding to defense startups in Southern California is on its way to the president’s desk after making it through Congress on Tuesday. The Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act was passed following a months-long impasse over funding the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)…

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“Judy Blume: A Life” and the Problem of Biography

“Judy Blume: A Life” and the Problem of Biography

When Blume started writing, the market category of young-adult (as opposed to children’s) literature was defined by politically motivated novels that took up social issues, such as drugs and teen pregnancy—“problem novels,” Oppenheimer calls them, using the terminology of the time. Blume didn’t write “problem novels,” he stresses. He quotes her in an interview, somewhat…

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In the Age of A.I., What Is Taste? And Do We Still Have It?

In the Age of A.I., What Is Taste? And Do We Still Have It?

With artificial intelligence continuing to dominate corporate strategies and news headlines, Silicon Valley has embraced a new buzzword, one that may feel too close to home for those already feeling embattled by automation. That word is “taste,” and in recent months it has become as much of a tech-world cliché as “disruption” was in the…

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Grindr says users can now tap AI for better matches

Grindr says users can now tap AI for better matches

Grindr Inc. has unveiled new features for its premium subscribers, hoping to leverage artificial intelligence to help users get better matches. The West Hollywood-based LGBTQ+ dating platform said Monday that its premium plan now allows access to new AI features and deeper personalization. The company has dubbed its AI gAI, which is pronounced “gay eye.”…

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Were the 2026 Oscars a Swan Song for Warner Bros.?

Were the 2026 Oscars a Swan Song for Warner Bros.?

The couple got into a Warner Bros.-issued Suburban. “Larry, do you have my speech?” Carter called out. (It would remain unread; she lost to Kate Hawley, for “Frankenstein.”) Her first film was Spike Lee’s “School Daze,” in 1988, and five years later she got her first Oscar nomination, for Lee’s “Malcolm X.” “Denzel and I…

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