Author: NY TIMES

The two-story library has Oriental rugs, shaded lamps dotting its desks and rows of hardbacks lining its walls. It is the architectural centerpiece of the offices of OpenAI, the start-up whose online chatbot, ChatGPT, showed the world that machines can instantly generate their own poetry and prose.The building, which was once a mayonnaise factory, looks like a typical tech office, with its communal work spaces, well-stocked micro-kitchens and private nap rooms spread across three floors in San Francisco’s Mission District.But then there is that library, with the ambience of a Victorian Era reading room. Its shelves offer everything from Homer’s…

During a recent performance by Tomorrow Comes the Harvest that had some attendees dancing in the aisles at BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House, a thrilling rhythmic conversation began between the percussionist Sundiata O.M., who was playing African talking drums, and the Detroit techno pioneer Jeff Mills, who tapped out beats on a Roland TR-909 drum machine. Over a 90-minute set, the musicians boldly blended techno, jazz and modern classical, embodying the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s famous credo “Great Black Music, Ancient to the Future.”Tomorrow Comes the Harvest began in 2018 as a collaboration between Mills and the Afrobeat originator Tony…

France’s government declared a state of emergency in New Caledonia on Wednesday as it struggled to quell deadly riots in the semiautonomous French Pacific territory.The French authorities have undertaken what they called a “massive” mobilization of security forces since violent protests broke out in New Caledonia this week over a proposed amendment to the French Constitution that would change local voting rules in the territory. A vote in France’s Parliament approving the amendment on Tuesday ignited riots overnight.“The priority is to restore order, calm and serenity,” Gabriel Attal, France’s prime minister, told lawmakers on Wednesday.The French government said that more…

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren hit two free throws with 9.4 seconds left in Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. Their performance was outstanding and brought the Thunder closer to the end of the series.The Mavericks ran out of timeouts. They had to rush the field to get back into the game. At that point, fans should be wondering if they are about to witness an iconic playoff moment. Can Luka Doncic shake off a rough night and improve his team? Will Kyrie Irving add awesome moments to his postseason highlights? Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander strip someone…

Jane Birkin pairing her beaded dress with a basket. Madonna in a Jean-Paul Gaultier cone bra and a garter set. Kristen Stewart barefoot in Chanel chain mail. Spike Lee in a sunset-inspired suit.The Cannes Film Festival, with its sheer preponderance of red carpets and boardwalk photo ops, its blockbusters and art house flicks, has given the world more indelible fashion moments than any other festival. In 2002, Sharon Stone made so many dramatic red carpet entrances as a member of the Cannes jury that she managed to revive her flagging career through the power of clothes alone.This festival, held on…

Wall Street is back in rally mode, with investors seizing on the latest sign that interest rates could begin to fall this year.The S&P 500 rose 1.2 percent on Wednesday, adding to three straight weeks of gains and climbing above its previous record, set on March 28.It marks a sharp shift from the sour mood that helped pull the index more than 5 percent lower at the beginning of April, as investors got used to the idea that high interest rates might stick around for longer, weighing on the economy and the markets.Fresh inflation data on Wednesday morning provided the…

Netflix is no longer simply in the “sports-adjacent” business. On Wednesday, the streaming giant announced a three-season deal with the National Football League that will include showing two Christmas Day games on its service this year. It’s the first time Netflix has become partners with a major sports league, and it likely won’t be the last.The move follows Netflix’s increasingly aggressive push into the business of live events. In the past two weeks, “The Roast of Tom Brady” was its most-watched English-language TV show; a quirky six-day John Mulaney talk show went viral as part of the Netflix Is a…

Sexually transmitted diseases are resurging across the United States. More than 3,700 cases of congenital syphilis were reported in 2022, roughly 11 times the number recorded a decade ago.Syphilis during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage and stillbirth, and infants who survive may become blind or deaf or have severe developmental delays. But timely testing and treatment can prevent most of these outcomes.Sexually transmitted infections disproportionately affect communities of color. Socioeconomic status and education level can also influence prenatal care.I report on infectious diseases at The Times. I would like to hear firsthand from women who experienced syphilis when pregnant. Were…

This week’s episode of Popcast (Deluxe), the weekly culture roundup show on YouTube hosted by Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli, includes segments on:The seeming conclusion of the beef between Drake and Kendrick LamarThe way in which Kendrick Lamar used the tools that Drake had long perfected against him, especially in the hit “Not Like Us,” now the No. 1 song in the countryHow the meme ecosystem turned on Drake, long its most effective weaponizer, owing in part to the crowdsourced takedowns recorded to Metro Boomin’s instrumental song “BBL Drizzy”What might be next for both Drake and Kendrick LamarZendaya’s star turn…

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken warned on Wednesday that recent gains in getting desperately needed humanitarian aid to people in the Gaza Strip risked being undone by the fighting in southern Gaza.The border crossing in the southern city of Rafah has been closed since Israel began what it describes as a limited military operation against Hamas fighters in the town, on the border with Egypt. The United Nations said on Wednesday that 600,000 people had fled Rafah since Israel’s ground assault started there.“At the very time when Israel was taking important and much needed steps to improve the provision…