Posts by Riah Marton
New VR documentary puts you in the devastation of the L.A. fires — and might help you heal
A snapshot of fire-ravaged Altadena is laid out before me, hovering like a diorama. My eyes zero in on a red door, its frame one of the few surviving remnants of a home. I pull it closer to me, and in moments I see a fraction of the house as it once was — now…
Read MoreSun Letters to the Editor, Jan. 8, 2026: ‘Opinion split on Venezuela’
Breadcrumb Trail Links News Opinion Letters Published Jan 08, 2026 • Last updated 4 days ago • 2 minute read You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. A demonstrator wears a campaign poster depicting ousted President Nicolas Maduro during a rally in support of him in…
Read MoreGoogle and Character.AI to settle lawsuits alleging chatbots harmed teens
Google and Character.AI, a California startup, have agreed to settle several lawsuits that allege artificial intelligence-powered chatbots harmed the mental health of teenagers. Court documents filed this week show that the companies are finalizing settlements in lawsuits in which families accused them of not putting in enough safeguards before publicly releasing AI chatbots. Families in…
Read MoreHoliday shoppers spent a record amount online, searching out deals amid economic anxiety
Consumers splurged this last holiday season, enticed by good deals even as they worried about growth and inflation. Online shoppers spent a record $257.8 billion during the holiday season as they snagged major discounts on electronics, sporting goods and appliances, Adobe data show. The San José company, which analyzes online transactions on its Adobe Analytics…
Read MoreMEJIA, ALIAKBARI: Ottawa’s ‘green economy’ fails to fulfil promise
Breadcrumb Trail Links News Opinion Columnists So, what economic benefits did Canadians receive for all these billions? Not much. Despite the massive rise in government spending, the green sector’s share of Canada’s economic output increased only marginally… Published Jan 07, 2026 • Last updated 5 days ago • 2 minute read You can save this article…
Read MoreContributor: Tech can avert catastrophic fires. What’s missing is coordination
A year ago Los Angeles woke up to a red sky. Schools closed, and families packed into cars not knowing when or if they would return. In the end many couldn’t. The series of destructive fires that lasted throughout January also hurt those whose homes did not burn down — they displaced communities, strained public…
Read MoreSun Letters to the Editor, Jan. 5, 2026: ‘Putin talking nonsense’
Breadcrumb Trail Links News Opinion Letters Published Jan 05, 2026 • Last updated 1 week ago • 3 minute read You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. In this pool photo, distributed by Russian state-owned agency, President Vladimir Putin meets Russian First Deputy Prime Minister in…
Read MoreElon Musk company bot apologizes for sharing sexualized images of children
Grok, the chatbot of Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI, published sexualized images of children as its guardrails seem to have failed when it was prompted with vile user requests. Users used prompts such as “put her in a bikini” under pictures of real people on X to get Grok to generate nonconsensual images of…
Read MoreTesla dethroned as the world’s top EV maker
Elon Musk’s Tesla is no longer the top electric vehicle seller in the world as demand at home has cooled while competition heated up abroad. Tesla lost its pole position after reporting 1.64 million deliveries in 2025, roughly 620,000 fewer than Chinese competitor BYD. Tesla struggled last year amid increasing competition, waning federal support for…
Read MoreSee Kourtney Kardashian’s Daughter Penelope, 13, Tower Over Her During Gilmore Girls Set Visit
Kourtney Kardashian’s Daughter Penelope, 13, Looks All Grown Up During ‘Gilmore Girls’ Set Visit Where Kourtney Kardashian leads, her daughter Penelope Disick will follow. The Kardashians star was joined by the 13-year-old, who she shares with ex Scott Disick, during a recent visit to the Gilmore Girls set located on the Warner Bros. Studios backlot…
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