Lights Out, AI Warning, & Shower Frequency

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
September 14, 2026

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Alexander Zverev won his second Grand Slam title Sunday, defeating American Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 in the US Open final and extending the 23-year drought for American men at the majors.
Zverev followed his French Open victory with another title in New York, becoming just the fourth man in the Open era to win his first two majors in the same year. For Shelton, the loss ended a breakthrough run that included a five-set upset of Carlos Alcaraz, and left Andy Roddick's 2003 US Open victory as the last Grand Slam title by an American man.
Elena Rybakina won the women's title Saturday, beating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. The victory gave Rybakina her third major and second this year after the Australian Open, while also ending Sabalenka's 19-match US Open winning streak. Rybakina will replace her as the world's No. 1 player on Monday.

Sleeping with even small amounts of light in the bedroom was associated with harmful changes in the heart's structure and function and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study of more than 11,000 adults.
Researchers measured participants' nighttime light exposure for a week and later examined their hearts using MRIs. Compared with those sleeping in near-total darkness, people with the most light exposure had left ventricles that were 2.4% larger, heart walls that were 1.5% thicker, and contractions that were 1.9% weaker. The light levels studied were low enough to come from sources such as streetlights through a window or LEDs on bedroom electronics.
Nighttime light was associated with shorter sleep, which could explain nearly half of the observed heart differences, while disruption of the body's circadian rhythm may provide another pathway. Future research will need to determine exactly how light produces these effects and whether certain types are more disruptive than others.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for leading AI companies to slow development Saturday, warning that increasingly autonomous systems could soon advance faster than researchers can reliably control them.
Amodei warned that within six to 12 months, AI could become capable of independently performing tasks across the internet at a scale humans may struggle to monitor. Those concerns aren't entirely hypothetical: OpenAI disclosed in July that one of its models unexpectedly hacked another company's systems during testing, accessing restricted information to help accomplish its assigned goal.
Amodei argued that slowing development by even a year or two could give safety research time to catch up. His proposal includes placing independent safety evaluators inside leading AI companies and coordinating development standards across the industry and governments. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman quickly backed the evaluator proposal, while Elon Musk said “Dario is right.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson launched his reelection campaign Sunday, seeking a second term despite weak approval ratings. (More)

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s plan to nearly halve FEMA’s workforce, ruling the Department of Homeland Security unlawfully interfered with the disaster agency’s staffing authority. (More)

Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany and a pilot swam to safety after their small plane lost power and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau Saturday night. (More)

Canada and the European Union are reportedly exploring a new “associate membership” arrangement. (More)

An attack on an Iranian cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz killed one and wounded four Sunday. (More)

More than 76,000 people have fled their homes in Yemen as escalating fighting between Houthi militants and government forces killed hundreds. (More)

US stock markets closed higher on Friday (S&P +0.86%, Nasdaq +0.96%, Dow +0.98%), rebounding from four straight days of declines. (More)

U.S. diesel prices hit another record Friday, topping $6 a gallon on average — up 63% year over year. (More)

Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison canceled plans to sell up to 50 million Oracle shares worth roughly $7.5 billion. (More)

No. 4 Texas stunned No. 1 Ohio State 24-23, erasing a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit and scoring the winning touchdown with 25 seconds remaining. (More)

Team USA rallied from 14 points down to defeat France 97-79 for its fifth straight women’s FIBA World Cup title. (More)

Celine Dion returned to the stage for her first full concert in six years Saturday in Paris after years battling stiff-person syndrome. (More)

Scientists discovered the first known series of adult T. rex footprints, a 23-foot trackway in North Dakota containing four three-toed prints. (More)

A new study suggests weakening Atlantic Ocean circulation could amplify global warming by reducing how much heat escapes the ocean, effectively “throttling” a planetary heat valve. (More)

An 8.5-inch fossilized Pacific mastodon tooth at least 10,000 years old was discovered in a California creek bed. (More)

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