Technology

National

One engineer may have saved the world from a massive cyber attack

5:13pm April 11, 2024

Microsoft engineer Andres Freund found something strange when he was running routine tests of open-source software. He ended up uncovering a backdoor that could have enabled a major cyberattack.

Warning: these images contain vulgar language, threats of sexual violence and death threats.

National

Most doxxing campaigns only last a few days. But the effects can be felt for months

2:40pm April 11, 2024

by Mansee Khurana

Doxxing campaigns have been used to "name and shame" people who have expressed opinions about the Israel-Hamas war.

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A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner taxis at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington.

National

A Boeing whistleblower raises fresh concerns about the 787, and the FAA investigates

8:04pm April 09, 2024

by Joel Rose

The FAA says it is investigating a whistleblower's claims about flaws in the assembly of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. The company calls those allegations inaccurate, and insists the plane is safe to fly.

A new lunar time zone has been pitched for the moon.

NASA has been asked to create a time zone for the moon. Here's how it would work

5:01am April 09, 2024

by Kai McNamee

A new lunar time zone is all about ensuring the success of future, multinational missions to the moon.

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National

Tennessee lawmakers move to regulate AI and deepfakes

6:41pm April 08, 2024

by Jewly Hight

A Tennessee bill seeks to ban unauthorized deepfakes and regulate how AI platforms use copyrighted material to train algorithms without permission.

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The Apple Pay app on an iPhone in New York. Consumers tend to spend about 10% more when they adopt mobile contactless payment methods, a researcher says.

Economy

Using your phone to pay is convenient, but it can also mean you spend more

8:00am April 07, 2024

Consumers tend to spend about 10% more when they adopt mobile contactless payment methods, according to research from Assistant Professor Yuqian Xu at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Music & Culture

Tennessee became the first state to protect musicians from generative AI

8:34am April 06, 2024

by Jewly Hight

A Tennessee bill seeks to ban unauthorized deepfakes and regulate how AI platforms use copyrighted material to train algorithms without permission.

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The Chesapeake 1000 docked in Maryland in late March.

National

A huge crane with a CIA history helps with the Baltimore bridge cleanup

10:44am April 05, 2024

by Kathryn Fink

There aren't many cranes that have a storied history like the Chesapeake 1000 — nicknamed "Chessy" — which has been brought in to clear Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge.

From left: didn't stop, can't stop, won't stop

How much money do you need to earn to buy a house these days? Find out in the quiz

9:30am April 05, 2024

by Holly J. Morris

This week, the April 8 total solar eclipse inspired Barbie-level coverage mania at NPR. But it turns out other things happened too! Were you paying attention?

National

Experts examine how hackers took down a top digital health care payment system

5:12am April 05, 2024

by Jenna McLaughlin

Pharmacies have a backlog of insurance claims waiting to be paid after the payment system was hacked in February. Experts aim to push for better cybersecurity standards across critical infrastructure.