Autor: Al Punto Hoy from ANASTACIO ALEGRIA

In 2026, refractive surgery conversations in Austin sound different from those they did even a few years ago. Patients are still interested in freedom from glasses or contacts, but many now ask a more refined question: why does modern LASIK seem faster, gentler, and more precise than older generations of treatment? For readers exploring LASIK eye surgery in Austin, the answer lies in a combination of newer laser platforms, better software integration, shorter treatment times, and a growing emphasis on comfort before, during, and after surgery.[1][2][3] That does not mean every new device automatically transforms outcomes. It does mean recent…

CARACAS, Venezuela — The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela arrived Thursday in the capital of the South American country, seven years after the U.S. Homeland Security Department ordered an indefinite suspension, citing security concerns.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The resumption of a nonstop commercial flight between the two countries comes months after the U.S. capture of then President Nicolás Maduro in a stunning nighttime raid on his residence in Caracas in early January.It also comes a month after the U.S. formally reopened its embassy in Caracas…

Connecticut lawmakers on Wednesday approved more reforms aimed at reining in towing companies in the state, following reporting by The Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica that exposed problems in state law. The Connecticut Senate passed a bill that would create an online portal so Connecticut drivers can track their towed cars and require towing companies to consider the age of towed vehicles before they’re sold. Last year, the legislature overhauled the state’s towing laws to end a practice in which towing companies could start the process to sell people’s cars in as little as 15 days if the firm deemed the…

The Islamic Republic of Iran puts the law of the state, represented by the Iranian government, above canonical Islamic law, usually referred to as the Sharia. Khomeini established this system to overcome a particular handicap within Shiism that had created several splits historically and to empower the state. In Shiism, the principle of authority is hereditary. It descends from Ali—the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad—through a family line of Imams. It could be argued that this family lineage was consolidated as a doctrine in response to the Umayyads consolidating hereditary power, although for Shias, this is a fundamental…

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate committee on Thursday that dissent from the «cheap seats» in Congress sought to undermine the military’s efforts in its war in Iran only two months into the campaign.»Defeatists from the cheap seats who, two months in, seek to undermine the incredible efforts that have been undertaken and the historic nature of taking on a 47-year threat,» Hegseth said in his opening statement.The statement was similar to what he told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday in the first of two hearings on the Pentagon’s 2027 budget plan in which he faced questions…

To hear the guys in Mildred tell it, their band didn’t form so much as fall in together. Back around 2022, three of the four members — singer-guitarist Henry Easton Koehler and Jack Schrott, and singer-bassist Matt Palmquist — were living together in a house in Berkeley and bonding over beers and Silver Jews songs. They were all around 30 years old, give or take a few years, and working day jobs or pursuing academic degrees. Though like the rest of the world they had just been temporarily grounded by the pandemic. During that time, whenever drummer Will Fortna dropped…

China is to ban the sale of drones in Beijing and permits will be required to fly them under new rules that take effect on Friday.Drones and key components will be prohibited from being sold, rented or brought into the Chinese capital. Drone owners will also be required to register their devices with the police.Drones and flying taxis are part of the so-called low-altitude economy, a strategic priority for China that is expected to generate more than two trillion yuan ($290bn; £217bn) by 2035.The BBC’s Laura Bicker looks into why China has tightened regulations on drones, with authorities citing public…

Politics / April 30, 2026 The Supreme Court’s decision is a cruel blow to our democracy. But our efforts to ensure that every American has the representation and resources they deserve will not stop. Ad Policy People march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the 61st anniversary of Bloody Sunday, on March 8, 2026, in Selma, Alabama.(Mike Stewart / AP) Last month, I joined the annual march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama—the place where, 61 years earlier, on Bloody Sunday, John Lewis and other giants of the civil rights movement endured the crush of batons and the burn of tear gas in defense of their right to vote.   Later, as I stood in the…

Two weeks ago, LIV Golf did its best to conceal the fact that the Saudi Public Investment Fund would cease to bankroll the league after the current season, only to have LIV Chief Executive Officer Scott O’Neil let the truth slip during a television interview.This week, the intentions of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, or PIF, and consequences to LIV are known by all.LIV Golf announced Thursday that it has established a new independent board that will attempt to keep the league afloat utilizing a “diversified, multi-partner investment model.” In other words, a model that doesn’t include PIF.PIF Governor Yasir…

The maker of ChatGPT has an explanation for all the goblin talk.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.In recent weeks, social media users, especially on X, have been noticing increasing references to goblins, along with other fantasy creatures such as gremlins, ogres and trolls in ChatGPT’s answers to user queries.“ChatGPT’s goblin fascination is so weird,” one user wrote. “Like why would an LLM identify with a thinking, feeling creature that’s nonetheless denigrated and ridiculed for not outwardly resembling a human being.”The short answer: ChatGPT was just reflecting its inner nerd — or…