French prosecutors summon Elon Musk over allegations of child abuse images and deepfakes on X
PARIS (AP) — Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris as part of an investigation into alleged misconduct on the social media platform X. French authorities are looking into the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino have been invited for voluntary interviews. It's unclear if they will attend. The investigation is still ongoing after a search at X's French premises in February. French prosecutors have alerted U.S. authorities, but the Justice Department reportedly declined to assist. Reporters Without Borders has also filed a complaint against X for allowing disinformation.
Tim Cook will step down as Apple CEO and hand reins over to the iPhone maker's hardware leader
Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down from the job that he inherited from the late Steve Jobs, ending a 15-year reign that saw the company’s market value soar by more than $3.6 trillion during an iPhone-fueled era of prosperity. The 65-year-old Cook will hand the CEO duties to Apple’s head of hardware products, John Ternus, on Sept. 1 while remaining involved with the Cupertino, California, company as executive chairman. Although he never shook the perception that he lacked Jobs’ vision, Cook leveraged the popularity of the iPhone and other breakthroughs orchestrated by his predecessor to lift Apple to heights that seemed unfathomable when it was on the brink of bankruptcy during the mid-1990s.
Asian shares are mixed and oil prices slip as talks on ending Iran war in doubt
Shares are mixed in Asia and oil prices have slipped following the latest rise of U.S.-Iran tensions. The lackluster start to trading Tuesday followed a modest retreat on Wall Street. On Monday, the S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from its all-time high and the Dow industrials edged less than 0.1% lower. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil remains above $95. U.S. President Donald Trump attacked critics after a second round of talks with Iran was thrown into doubt by the U.S. Navy’s seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship. Trump said Vice President JD Vance would be going to Islamabad, but the Iranian side made no commitment to more talks.
Businesses begin claiming refunds for Trump tariffs struck down by US Supreme Court
NEW YORK (AP) — A refund system for businesses that paid tariffs which the U.S. Supreme Court eventually struck down has launched. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said importers and their brokers could begin claiming refunds online beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday. It’s the first step in a complicated process that also might lead to refunds for consumers who were billed for tariffs on products shipped to them from outside the United States. Some users reported glitches with the new system. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled in late February that President Donald Trump usurped Congress’ taxation authority when he set double-digit import tax rates on products from almost every other country.
Two Southwest Airlines planes came dangerously close in Nashville and had to take evasive action
Two Southwest Airlines planes had to take evasive action to avoid colliding Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee, after an air traffic controller directed one pilot to turn into the path of the other plane. Last year, an American Airlines jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft. Midair collisions are rare in commercial flights where the planes are equipped with systems to alert pilots about a potential collision. Most of the close calls that happen every year involve small planes that don't have those systems, but the FAA couldn't immediately provide a number for close calls. Both Southwest pilots told the tower that they received alarms from their collision avoidance systems.
Trump wants to stop states from regulating AI. This Utah Republican isn't listening
RIVERTON, Utah (AP) — Doug Fiefia once worked at Google. Now he's a Utah state representative running to be a state senator. And like some other tech employees who've gone into politics, he's made regulating the artificial intelligence industry a campaign centerpiece. That's put him on a collision course with President Donald Trump’s administration. Earlier this year, it helped block the lawmaker's state proposal requiring companies to include child safety protocols. The White House wants a single national AI standard. But with no progress on that front in Congress, state lawmakers are struggling to address concerns about the game-changing technology.
Oil prices rise anew after a US-Iran standoff in the Strait of Hormuz strands tankers
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices are rising in early trading as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz. The price of U.S. crude oil increased 6.4% to $87.90 per barrel an hour after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 5.8% to $95.64 per barrel. The market reaction followed more than two days of lifted hopes and dashed expectations involving the strait. Crude prices plunged more than 9% on Friday after Iran said it would fully reopen the strait to commercial traffic. The country's government reversed course on Saturday after the U.S. vowed to maintain a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Wildfire survivors who lost their homes could face another blow from taxes on settlement payouts
Thousands of survivors of the 2025 Eaton Fire in California are accepting settlements from the utility accused of causing it. They're choosing faster payments over litigation to rebuild their lives. However, they now face the possibility of these payments being taxed as income, which could significantly reduce their funds and affect eligibility for government benefits. This news is causing confusion and panic among survivors. A bipartisan House bill aims to extend tax relief for wildfire-related compensation, but its future is uncertain. Fire survivors in Colorado, Hawaii and Oregon face similar challenges, highlighting the need for legislative action.
Oil prices rise and US stocks give back a bit of their record-breaking rally
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices climbed following the latest rise of U.S.-Iran tensions, but the moves were more modest than they were earlier in the war. U.S. stocks meanwhile gave back a bit of their record-breaking rally Monday. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down by less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil topped $95 again. The relatively muted moves suggest investors still see a possibility of a U.S.-Iranian agreement that could get oil flowing again from the Middle East to customers worldwide.
Carney says Canada's economic ties with US are a weakness that must be corrected
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada’s strong economic ties to the U.S. were once a strength but are now a weakness that must be corrected. Carney spoke in a video address released Sunday about his government’s efforts to strengthen the Canadian economy by attracting new investments and signing trade deals with other countries. He said the world is more “dangerous and divided” and noted the U.S. has changed its approach to trade by raising tariffs to levels last seen in the Great Depression. Carney said tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump have impacted workers in such major industries as auto and steel and prompted businesses to hold back investments.
