Authorities raid Costa Rica hotel again over death of Brett Gardner’s son

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By JAVIER CÓRDOBA

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica (AP) — Authorities in Costa Rica raided for the second time a hotel where the youngest son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner died during a family vacation on March 21.

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Miller Gardner was 14 when he died in his sleep, according to a statement from the New York Yankees in what initially was ruled by authorities as asphyxiation.

On April 2, the final ruling was that carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of death of the minor.

Prosecutor Kenneth Alvarez told ESPN that the raid at the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio beach, located in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific, was to collect additional evidence related to that autopsy.

“These proceedings seek to confirm or rule out the possibility of negligent homicide, that is, to determine whether this person’s death was caused by a breach of duty of care. For now, no one has been charged,” the Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement released on Thursday.

The Associated Press contacted the authorities on Friday to find out the outcome of the investigation, but no additional details were provided.

The authorities conducted a raid on the same property on March 28.

“That initial inspection allowed for measurements of hazardous atmospheres and the detection of carbon monoxide in the room where the Gardner family was staying,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.

This story has been corrected to show that Miller Gardner died on March 21, not March 24.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Charlie Kirk/Michael Knowles Sept. 22 event at U still listed on schedule

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Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Trump, who was shot and killed Wednesday at a Utah college event was scheduled to appear at the University of Minnesota on Sept. 22.

Kirk co-founded and was CEO of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, with an early focus on proselytizing on college campuses for low taxes and limited government. The political organization eventually grew to holding large rallies with thousands of attendees and featuring top conservative leaders, including Trump.

Student chapter Turning Point USA at the U scheduled Kirk and Michael Knowles, a conservative political commentator, to speak as part of Turning Point USA’s The American Comeback Tour. The event, scheduled on the Carlson Family Stage at Northrop Auditorium, is described as “a high-energy evening featuring a candid conversation about conservative values, followed by a live Q&A.”

University officials did not respond Friday to requests to confirm whether the event is still going ahead, but Knowles pushed back on a social media user’s urging Thursday night that he cancel public appearances.

“I appreciate the concern, but I will not be canceling any public appearances,” Knowles tweeted on social media platform X.

An employee with Northrop Auditorium also did not confirm whether the event was still scheduled when called Friday, though it still appeared on the Northrop website that same day. The tour’s next scheduled event at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., also still appears on the tour’s website.

Kirk previously appeared at the University of Minnesota in 2017, according to a social media post by the U’s Turning Point USA student chapter at that time. Requests for updates to the group on the Sept. 22 event were not answered.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has referred to Kirk’s killing at Utah Valley University as a political assassination carried out from a rooftop as Kirk spoke at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political organization. The suspected shooter has been identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Washington, Utah.

Robinson was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm, and obstruction of justice charges, according to a court affidavit. A judge ordered that Robinson be held without bail. Formal charges are expected to be released early next week when Robinson is due to make an initial court appearance.

Kirk had been outspoken on politics and events in Minnesota on his social media.

He previously made disparaging remarks about George Floyd, who was murdered by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020. Kirk also was condemned by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in July when Kirk tweeted a video of mayoral candidate Omar Fateh and claimed “Muslims are commanded to take over the government in the land they live. The attempted Islamic takeover of America is made possible thanks to mass migration.”

Frey and Fateh, along with political leaders across the political spectrum have condemned the attack on Kirk. Utah Gov. Cox also made an impassioned plea on Friday for Americans to use Kirk’s death as a moment to turn away from political violence and division.

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Federal government sues Uber over alleged discrimination against people with disabilities

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By DEE-ANN DURBIN

The federal government said Friday that it is suing Uber for allegedly discriminating against passengers with disabilities.

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The Department of Justice said Uber drivers routinely refuse to serve individuals with disabilities, including those with service dogs. Uber is the largest ride-hailing company in the U.S.

The lawsuit alleges that Uber drivers have charged illegal cleaning fees for service animal shedding and imposed cancellation fees after denying service. The lawsuit also alleges that drivers have refused to allow disabled individuals to sit in the front seat so they can use the back seat for mobility devices.

Disabled individuals have missed appointments, experienced significant delays and have been stranded in inclement weather, the lawsuit said.

“For too long, blind riders have suffered repeated ride denials by Uber because they are traveling with a service dog,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit seeks to end this persistent discrimination and allow riders with disabilities to use Uber.”

In a statement Friday, Uber said all of its drivers must acknowledge and agree to comply with its service animal and accessibility policies.

Uber said it prohibits drivers from denying service to someone with a service animal and it requires drivers to provide transportation to a person with a disability as long as they get into the vehicle on their own. It also prohibits drivers from refusing to assist with the stowing of devices like walkers, crutches and folding wheelchairs.

“Riders who use guide dogs or other assistive devices deserve a safe, respectful and welcoming experience on Uber — full stop,” the company said. Uber said it disagrees with the allegations in the lawsuit.

Uber said it established a hotline in 2023 for customers who were denied a ride because of a service animal. Uber said when it confirms that a violation has occurred, it takes action, including deactivating a driver’s account.

The Department of Justice is seeking $125 million for disabled individuals who have previously submitted complaints to Uber or the Department of Justice.

The case was filed in federal court in Northern California. Uber Technologies is based in San Francisco.

OpenAI reaches new agreement with Microsoft to change its corporate structure

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By THALIA BEATY and MATT O’BRIEN

OpenAI has reached a new tentative agreement with Microsoft and said its nonprofit, which technically controls its business, will now be given a $100 billion equity stake in its for-profit corporation.

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The maker of ChatGPT said it had reached a new nonbinding agreement with Microsoft, its longtime partner, “for the next phase of our partnership.”

The announcements on Thursday include a few details about these new arrangements. OpenAI’s proposed changes to its corporate structure have drawn the scrutiny of regulators, competitors and advocates concerned about the impacts of artificial intelligence.

OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit in 2015 and its nonprofit board has continued to control the for-profit subsidiary that now develops and sells its AI products. It’s not clear whether the $100 billion equity stake the nonprofit will get as part of this announcement represents a controlling stake in the business.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said last week that his office was investigating OpenAI’s proposed restructuring of its finances and governance. His office said they could not comment on the new announcements but said they are “committed to protecting charitable assets for their intended purpose.”

Bonta and Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings also sent the company a letter expressing concerns about the safety of ChatGPT after meeting with OpenAI’s legal team earlier last week in Delaware, where OpenAI is incorporated.

“Together, we are particularly concerned with ensuring that the stated safety mission of OpenAI as a non-profit remains front and center,” Bonta said in a statement last week.

Microsoft invested its first $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019 and the two companies later formed an agreement that made Microsoft the exclusive provider of the computing power needed to build OpenAI’s technology. In turn, Microsoft heavily used the technology behind ChatGPT to enhance its own AI products.

The two companies announced on Jan. 21 that they were altering that agreement, enabling the smaller company to build its own computing capacity, “primarily for research and training of models.” That coincided with OpenAI’s announcements of a partnership with Oracle to build a massive new data center in Abilene, Texas.

But other parts of its agreements with Microsoft remained up in the air as the two companies appeared to veer further apart. Their Thursday joint statement said they were still “actively working to finalize contractual terms in a definitive agreement.” Both companies declined further comment.

OpenAI had given its nonprofit board of directors — whose members now include a former U.S. Treasury secretary — the responsibility of deciding when its AI systems have reached the point at which they “outperform humans at most economically valuable work,” a concept known as artificial general intelligence, or AGI.

Such an achievement, per its earlier agreements, would cut off Microsoft from the rights to commercialize such a system, since the terms “only apply to pre-AGI technology.”

OpenAI’s corporate structure and nonprofit mission are also the subject of a lawsuit brought by Elon Musk, who helped found the nonprofit research lab and provided initial funding. Musk’s suit seeks to stop OpenAI from taking control of the company away from its nonprofit and alleges it has betrayed its promise to develop AI for the benefit of humanity.

The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement that allows OpenAI access to part of AP’s text archives.

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and non-profits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.