Technology

National

Four minutes into SpaceX's new Starship test flight, it tumbled and exploded

4:28pm April 20, 2023

by Brendan Byrne

SpaceX's new Starship launched from Texas on a test flight. Four minutes into the mission, it tumbled and exploded. No one was on board the rocket, which is the largest and most powerful ever built.

Photograph or... 'promptograph?' Artist questions implications of AI generated images

4:28pm April 20, 2023

NPR's Scott Detrow talks with photographer Boris Elgadsen about his decision to reject a photography award he received for an image he created using AI.

National

Facebook users can apply for their portion of a $725 million lawsuit settlement

11:49am April 20, 2023

by Ayana Archie

The settlement stems from a lawsuit alleging Facebook developers sold user data to Cambridge Analytica, a former political consulting firm, to target people in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Science

SpaceX rocket explodes shortly after test-flight takeoff in Texas

10:55am April 20, 2023

SpaceX's new stainless-steel rocket named Starship exploded Thursday just four minutes after liftoff. In a statement, the company said, "with a test like this, success comes from what we learn."

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Coffee Talk takes place in a fantasy-inflected version of Seattle.

Arts

Chill out as a fantasy barista in 'Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly'

8:36am April 20, 2023

by Rakiesha Chase-Jackson

Indonesian developer Toge Productions released a charming sequel to a game about running a café in fantasy Seattle. It's enjoyable, but not nearly as consistent as the first title.

Singer-songwriter Coles Whalen's legal battle has reached the Supreme Court. At issue is whether invasive messages sent to her over a number of years constitute a "true threat" in the eyes of the law.

The Supreme Court ponders when a threat is really a 'true threat'

11:30am April 19, 2023

by Nina Totenberg

The court hears arguments Wednesday in a case that looks at whether the prosecution has to show that the defendant frightened his target intentionally.

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National

SpaceX prepares to launch the largest rocket ever built

5:14pm April 17, 2023

by Geoff Brumfiel

The commercial spaceflight company SpaceX is preparing to launch the largest rocket ever built. The stainless-steel giant could one day take humans to Mars, but first it has to get off the ground.

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The villainous Elesh Norn in all her porcelain splendor, as depicted by artist Magali Velleneuve.

Arts

'March of the Machine' early review: Mom invades Magic: The Gathering's multiverse

2:29pm April 14, 2023

by James Perkins Mastromarino

Villains that stretch back to Magic: The Gathering's earliest years battle its sprawling multiverse in 'March of the Machine.' NPR reviews the new set ahead of its prerelease.

A program called MomConnect fields questions via mobile phone about pregnancy and babies. It started in South Africa and now is offered in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Timor-Leste as well.

Health & Safety

A robot answers questions about health. Its creators just won a $2.25 million prize

12:49pm April 14, 2023

by Ari Daniel

At the Skoll World Forum this week, South Africa's Reach Digital Health was one of five honorees. They offer health advice via mobile phones to millions, focusing on pregnancy, babies and COVID.

$A Dominion Voting logo appears on a voting machine as it is tested while Clark County Election Department workers set up a polling place in Las Vegas last year.$

Politics & Government

The math behind Dominion Voting System's $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News

12:25pm April 14, 2023

by Bente Birkeland

If Dominion prevails in its massive defamation suit against Fox News, a big challenge for the voting tech company will be to demonstrate that it deserves more than $1 billion in damages.

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