Author: NY TIMES

Last summer, Ohio enacted a social media statute that would require Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to get a parent’s consent before permitting children under age 16 to use their platforms.But this month, just before the measure was to take effect, a tech industry group called NetChoice — which represents Google, Meta, Snap, TikTok and others — filed a lawsuit to block it on free speech grounds, persuading a Federal District Court judge to temporarily halt the new rules.The case is part of a sweeping litigation campaign by NetChoice to block new state laws protecting young people online — an…

Women are much more likely than men to have their immune system turn against them, resulting in an array of so-called autoimmune diseases, like lupus and multiple sclerosis. A study published on Thursday offers an explanation rooted in the X chromosome.The research, published in the journal Cell, suggests that a special set of molecules that act on the extra X chromosome carried by women can sometimes confuse the immune system.Independent experts said that the molecules are unlikely to be the sole reason autoimmune disease skews female. But if the results hold up in further experiments, it might be possible to…

Chita Rivera created several memorable Broadway characters that are now considered part of the canon, including the role of Velma Kelly in the original production of “Chicago.” So when the cast of the long-running Broadway revival took to the stage of the Ambassador Theater in New York on Tuesday night just a few hours after her death was announced, it was only natural that they would pay tribute to her.After the performance the cast assembled onstage as Amra-Faye Wright, who plays Kelly now, recalled Rivera as a “Broadway giant,” who championed other dancers.“I feel still an impostor in the role…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is fighting two parallel battles, one in Gaza and another at home — and neither is going according to plan.In Gaza, Mr. Netanyahu is leading a military campaign to defeat Hamas and free the remaining Israeli hostages captured during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. At home, he is fighting to secure both his short-term political survival and his long-term legacy.On both fronts, he is struggling.In Gaza, more than 100 hostages remain captive despite months of war and protracted negotiations for their release. Hamas is battered but undefeated, and generals have privately said that…

There are exceptions to those broad trends, and the findings might not apply to dogs outside Britain, where breeding practices — and gene pools — may be different, the researchers noted.More research will be needed to determine why some breeds have shorter life spans than others. Some breeds are genetically predisposed to serious health problems, but breed-related differences in behavior, lifestyle, diet, environment or other factors could also play a role in shortening some dogs’ lives, experts said.“Now that we have identified these populations that are at risk of early death, we can start looking into why that is,” said…

Something about my outfit just wasn’t right.Was it the height of my socks? The cut of my jeans or sweater?If you, like me, find yourself asking these questions, there’s a good chance you’re a millennial trying to wade through TikToks that shame your choice of jeans.We’re not just getting dragged for our skinny jeans. Gen Z is letting us know our choices in socks, shirt cuts, neutral colors, and even buying new instead of used, are tired, outdated — and sometimes even offensive.Every generation has a hard time keeping up with fashion trends, but Gen Z became the generation to…

In a significant victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a federal judge on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit filed by the Walt Disney Company claiming that Mr. DeSantis and his allies violated the First Amendment by taking over a special tax district that encompasses Walt Disney World.Disney said it planned to appeal the ruling.Disney and Mr. DeSantis, who recently ended his campaign for president, have been at odds for nearly two years over Disney World, the 25,000-acre theme park and resort complex south of Orlando. Angered over Disney’s criticism of a Florida education law that opponents called anti-gay —…

“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” Mr. Zuckerberg said. “No one should go through the things that your families have suffered.” He said that his company was working so that no one else would have to do so, and did not address Meta’s role.The leaders of Meta and TikTok took most of the heat.Though executives from Meta, Snap, Discord, X and TikTok were all called to the hearing — the latter three were subpoenaed to testify — it was Mr. Zuckerberg and Shou Chew, TikTok’s chief executive, who spent the most time in the spotlight. Senators grilled…

Never one to waste a spare moment, Matt Fitzgerald clambered into the second row of his Mazda CX-90 on a recent weekday morning and cracked open his MacBook so that he could work on another book.Mr. Fitzgerald, 52, is many things — writer, public speaker, coach — but mostly he is prolific. He has written or co-written 34 books, most of them about running, endurance sports and nutrition. He writes early. He writes often. He writes a lot.“Sometimes I do feel like I’m doing B-plus work on a dozen things versus A-plus work on three or four,” he said. “But…

Melinda Wilson, who helped rescue her future husband, Brian Wilson, the chief musical architect and visionary of the Beach Boys, from a decades-long psychological spiral when they began dating in the 1980s, died on Tuesday at their home in Beverly Hills, Calif. She was 77.Mr. Wilson confirmed the death on Instagram. No cause was given.“Melinda was more than my wife,” Mr. Wilson wrote. “She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor.”An anchor was exactly what…