Author: NY TIMES

Customers at some CVS stores will no longer have to push a button and wait for a clerk to unlock one of those glass cabinets to get the products they want to buy. A new app will allow them to open the cabinets themselves, the company said on Tuesday.That feature of the new CVS Health app has been available in three stores in New York City as part of a pilot program that began in August, said Tara Burke, a CVS Health spokeswoman. She said there are plans to roll out the “smart locks” at approximately 10 stores on the…

Investors worried about how much money big technology companies are spending on artificial intelligence did not get much relief from Microsoft when it reported its latest financial results on Wednesday.In its most recent quarter, which ended on Dec. 31, Microsoft kept up its rapid drive to build data centers to power cloud computing and artificial intelligence. It spent $22.6 billion on capital expenses, almost twice as much as a year earlier.Microsoft has said it would spend around $80 billion in data centers this fiscal year, which ends in June. It is sprinting because it has said it does not have…

Since the year 2000, more and more Black women have been nominees for album of the year: India.Arie, Missy Elliott, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Janelle Monáe, Cardi B, H.E.R., Lizzo, Doja Cat, SZA and Mary J. Blige. But it’s Beyoncé’s appearances in this category — beginning with “I Am … Sasha Fierce” (2010) — that have garnered the most headlines. The tension between the evolving, colossal ambition and innovation of her nominated releases, their critical acclaim and their global popularity, set against the Grammy voters’ repeated unwillingness to reward these efforts, has amounted to the greatest ongoing Grammy drama:…

The top American envoy to the Middle East was to meet on Wednesday with Israel’s prime minister and, potentially, visit the Gaza Strip to reinforce a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas that, if made permanent, would allow thousands more displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.The envoy, Steven Witkoff, was expected to inspect the Netzarim Corridor, a four-mile strip that bisects Gaza, where American security contractors have been enlisted to help handle the return of displaced Palestinians. He would be the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Gaza in years, both because of security concerns and the official American no-contact…

After the United States blocked Nippon Steel’s bid for U.S. Steel, the Pittsburgh company is facing new pressure from an activist investor who is seeking to oust U.S. Steel’s leadership and thwart the companies’ efforts to revive the deal.The activist investor, Ancora, said in an open letter to U.S. Steel’s board on Monday that it has nominated nine directors, including Alan Kestenbaum, the former chairman and chief executive of Stelco Holdings.Stelco last year was acquired by the Cleveland- Cliffs, which is considering its own bid for U.S. Steel. Ancora wants Mr. Kestenbaum to replace U.S. Steel’s chief executive, David Burritt,…

The Trump administration declared on Friday that the Gulf of Mexico had been renamed the Gulf of America, but popular mapping services from Google and Apple have continued showing the old name.On Monday, Google said it would update its maps to display Gulf of America as soon as the U.S. government updated its official maps.“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” the company said in a post on X.President Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20, his first day in office, to rename the gulf, in addition to…

Laura Van Antwerp tried Dry January for the first time 11 years ago. Like many who participate in this monthlong sobriety challenge, she reveled in the immediate benefits: She slept better, went to the gym more often and saved money.But as February approached, Ms. Van Antwerp felt excited — “maybe overly excited,” she admitted — to drink again. She would be traveling to Southeast Asia for a six-week trip, and she imagined sipping a glass of wine in Bangkok when she got off the plane.“I couldn’t even wait that long,” Ms. Van Antwerp, 40, said. “I ended up drinking at…

Israeli forces opened fire toward residents of southern Lebanon for a second straight day on Monday as people pressed on with attempts to return to their homes along the border, a day after at least two dozen people were killed and scores injured in Israeli attacks, Lebanese officials said.The Israeli fire on Sunday was the deadliest bout of violence in Lebanon since the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia, ended with a truce in November. In the renewed violence on Monday, at least one person was killed and seven others injured, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The Israeli…

U.S. women’s soccer defender Naomi Gilma has completed her move from the San Diego Wave to Chelsea, becoming the most expensive transfer in women’s soccer history.Competitor Earlier this week, Chelsea had agreed terms with the Tide for a record transfer fee of $1.1 million for Gilma, according to unnamed sources with knowledge of the negotiations.The 24-year-old is contracted to Santiago until 2026, which is why the deal comes with a fee, making her the first women’s soccer player worth over $1 million.The deal surpasses the previous record of €735,000 Bay FC paid for Zambian forward Racheal Kundananji from CFF Madrid…

On its face, the claim feels improbable: In addition to being the world’s richest man, the chief executive of multiple companies and a key adviser to President Trump, Elon Musk says he is also a world-class video game player.It is a claim that Mr. Musk has repeated through the years. He has an account on X, his social media platform, dedicated to posting highlights of his gameplay. He has streamed with some of the top competitive video game players in the world on platforms like Twitch. He has even etched his name on the global leader boards of certain games.But…