188jili art
2025-01-12
Cowboys shutting down CeeDee Lamb with 2 games to go over receiver's shoulder issue188jili art
。
Columbia Financial, Inc. Announces Appointment of New Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Back in April, Billboard magazine, the music industry’s recordkeeper for chart success, took the chance to try to predict what would be the song of the summer. At the time the publication considered Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em” and Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends” to be front-runners, as well as “Like That,” the collaboration by rappers Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar. Two weeks after Billboard asked what would be the song of 2024’s summer, Drake released “Push Ups.” The track insulted a number of people in the rap industry, but Drake took particular aim at Lamar, going so far as to mock his height and shoe size. Drake came at Lamar directly the following week with “Taylor Made Freestyle.” And on the last day of April, Lamar responded with the six-minute dissertation “Euphoria.” Eventually Billboard selected Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen as the “song of the summer.” Lamar’s chart topper “Not Like Us” — the fourth track in his back and forth with Drake — was somehow ranked third. I was a little shocked. To be honest, I thought the “song of summer” conversation was over in June after Lamar performed “Not Like Us” five times at his Pop Out concert at the Forum. Two Americas, I guess. Then again, “Not Like Us” is not a song, it’s a revelation as Lamar would say. A rather prescient one, considering how much racial tension and identity politics shaped the general election, particularly after Vice President Kamala Harris became the nominee. On “Like That” and “Euphoria,” Lamar threw haymakers at Drake. However, by the time we heard “Us,” Lamar was simply using Drake as a symbol to provoke a larger conversation about authenticity, accountability and manhood. Through that lens, including “Us” on a best-of-summer list is akin to referring to the locs on my head as a hairstyle — technically true, yet culturally tone-deaf. “Let me tell you what that record did do. It united the West,” Snoop Dogg said recently on the podcast “The Champs,” adding it made “everybody out here start looking at each other like how much love we got for each other ... so we should speak on that.” Absolutely. We certainly don’t have a problem talking about conflicts in hip-hop — whether a beef between two stars or a clash between Bloods and Crips. So why can’t we acknowledge the love? While other forms of music are routinely acknowledged for their healing power, the vulnerability embedded in the lyrics of hip-hop is often overlooked. And because of that, the humanity of the artist rapping those lyrics is easily overlooked. Lamar’s seven Grammy nominations this year, the Super Bowl gig lined up for next year and the streaming records are all outstanding. And none of that would have been possible without the social commentary that accompanies the music. This includes “GNX,” the surprise album Lamar released Friday. While he does continue to hammer away at Drake personally, the power of Lamar was always his ability to make a single story about an individual feel like an analogy about all of us. Where “Not Like Us” left off, “TV Off” and “Man at the Garden” picked up in terms of production value and searing observations. It’s funny to think that back in April, Lamar was somewhere minding his own business before Drake came for his crown — and missed. Since then, the culture has gone back and forth between headlines about something outlandish from the election and social media going crazy about another Kendrick Lamar surprise. Song of the summer? Record of the year? Those monikers couldn’t begin to encapsulate just how brilliant and bright Lamar has been in a year full of dark moments. Think of it this way: In 2012, LeBron James won the regular season MVP, an NBA title, Finals MVP and Olympic gold in London. Only one other player had accomplished all of that in a single year — Michael Jordan. That’s when the debate over who is better began in earnest. After cementing his legacy with a historic summer, James started the following season wearing a pair of gold gym shoes in honor of his Olympic achievement and officially announcing his arrival among the game’s greatest. As life would have it, the week before that game, Lamar announced his arrival among the greats as well, dropping “Good Kid, m.A.A.d City.” And like James he’s been breaking records ever since. However unlike for James, the debate over the greatest in Lamar’s game is over. @LZGrandersonIowa cornerback Jermari Harris has opted out of the remainder of the 2024 season in order to prepare for the NFL draft, according to a report by 247Sports.com . The 6-foot-1 sixth-year senior from Chicago has recorded 27 tackles, three interceptions and a team-high seven pass breakups in 10 games for the Hawkeyes this season. That includes a pick-6 in a 38-21 win over Troy earlier this season. Iowa (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) plays at Maryland on Saturday before closing out its regular season at home against Nebraska on Nov. 29. The Hawkeyes are already bowl eligible, so Harris is likely opting out of three games in total. After missing the entire 2022 season due to an ankle injury, Harris was suspended for two games of the following season for his involvement in the gambling investigation into Iowa athletics. He later emerged as the Hawkeyes' top cornerback, earning the team's comeback player of the year award after compiling 42 tackles, one interception and eight pass breakups. Harris will finish his college career with 105 tackles and eight interceptions. --Field Level MediaVDH: The Immorality Of Illegal Immigration
Parents slam Netflix's Spellbound for 'inappropriate' theme By RACHEL BOWMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 16:51 EST, 25 November 2024 | Updated: 17:30 EST, 25 November 2024 e-mail View comments Parents have slammed Netflix 's new animated film for 'normalizing' divorce which that believe is not appropriate for children. Spellbound is an hour and 49 minute flick starring Rachel Zegler , Nicole Kidman , Javier Bardem , John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis and Jordan Fisher. As the film starts, tenacious teen princess Ellian (voiced Zegler) is desperately seeking a cure for the mysterious spell that has transformed her parents , Queen Ellsmere (Kidman) and King Solon (Bardem). To make matters worse, she must hide the whole mess from the oblivious citizens of Lumbria. When the secret gets out , and panic spreads throughout the kingdom, Ellian is forced on a dangerous quest to undo the curse. But even if she succeeds, she soon learns that her family may never go back to the way it once was. To make Ellian's reaction to her - literally - monstrous parents believable and accurate, filmmakers employed the consulting services of a family psychologist and therapist who specializes in divorce. On film review site Rotten Tomatoes, Spellbound has a 65 percent audience score with critics flooding the comments expressing their frustration with the topic. Spellbound follows the adventures of Ellian, a princess who must go on a quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms her parents into monsters Spellbound is an hour and 49 minute flick starring Rachel Zegler , Nicole Kidman , Javier Bardem , John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis and Jordan Fisher 'Just bad. Divorce should not be normalized,' one critic said. 'It pretends to promote familial love, forgiveness and growth, but instead pushes for family separation, holding on to unforgiveness and making selfish choices,' said another. 'What looks like a cute animated movie about a young girl trying to save her parents who've been turned into monsters is just a moronic ploy to help normalize divorce to children. Don't normalize divorce. It's not normal,' a third person said. On social media people talked about how they were disappointed in the approach and even stopped their children from watching the film. 'My niece hated me for turning Spellbound off about 10 minutes in. Thank God I googled the ending. Why would anybody sign up to do a movie that normalizes divorce? Divorce should be rare, not normalized,' said one person. 'It just felt like they could have shown the parents trying to work through the problems. Not just oh we argue too much let's end it,' said another. A recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau show that overall divorce rates in the country are down, but marriage rates are stagnant. The U.S. marriage rate in 2012 was 16.6 compared to 16.7 in 2022, according to the American Community Survey. During the same period, divorce rates dropped from 9.8 to 7.1. Marriage and divorce rates are based on the number of women who married or divorced in the last year per 1,000 women age 15 and over. From 2008 to 2022, the national divorce rate declined from just over 10.0 to about 7.0. In contrast, the national marriage rate has generally remained between 16.0 and 18.0 since 2008, with the exception of 2021 when the rate fell below 15.0. Javier Bardem Netflix Rachel Zegler Share or comment on this article: Parents slam Netflix's Spellbound for 'inappropriate' theme e-mail Add comment
Stephanie Armour, Julie Rovner | (TNS) KFF Health News Many of President-elect Donald Trump’s candidates for federal health agencies have promoted policies and goals that put them at odds with one another or with Trump’s choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., setting the stage for internal friction over public health initiatives. Related Articles National Politics | Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreams National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action National Politics | A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his own National Politics | President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak The picks hold different views on matters such as limits on abortion, the safety of childhood vaccines, the COVID-19 response, and the use of weight-loss medications. The divide pits Trump picks who adhere to more traditional and orthodox science, such as the long-held, scientifically supported findings that vaccines are safe, against often unsubstantiated views advanced by Kennedy and other selections who have claimed vaccines are linked with autism. The Trump transition team and the designated nominees mentioned in this article did not respond to requests for comment. It’s a potential “team of opponents” at the government’s health agencies, said Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian policy organization. Kennedy, he said, is known for rejecting opposing views when confronted with science. “The heads of the FDA and NIH will be spending all their time explaining to their boss what a confidence interval is,” Cannon said, referring to a statistical term used in medical studies. Those whose views prevail will have significant power in shaping policy, from who is appointed to sit on federal vaccine advisory committees to federal authorization for COVID vaccines to restrictions on abortion medications. If confirmed as HHS secretary, Kennedy is expected to set much of the agenda. “If President Trump’s nomination of RFK Jr. to be secretary is confirmed, if you don’t subscribe to his views, it will be very hard to rise in that department,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “They will need to suppress their views to fit with RFK Jr’s. In this administration, and any administration, independent public disagreement isn’t welcome.” Kennedy is chair of Children’s Health Defense , an anti-vaccine nonprofit. He has vowed to curb the country’s appetite for ultra-processed food and its incidence of chronic disease. He helped select Trump’s choices to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health. If confirmed, he would lead them from the helm of HHS, with its more than $1.7 trillion budget. Clashes are likely. Kennedy has supported access to abortion until a fetus is viable. That puts him at odds with Dave Weldon, the former Florida congressman whom Trump has chosen to run the CDC. Weldon, a physician, is an abortion opponent who wrote one of the major laws allowing health professionals to opt out of participating in the procedure. Weldon would head an agency that’s been in the crosshairs of conservatives since the COVID pandemic began. He has touted his “100% pro-life voting record” on his campaign website. (He unsuccessfully ran earlier this year for a seat in Florida’s House of Representatives.) Trump has said he would leave decisions about abortion to the states, but the CDC under Weldon could, for example, fund studies on abortion risks. The agency could require states to provide information about abortions performed within their borders to the federal government or risk the loss of federal funds. Weldon, like Kennedy, has questioned the safety of vaccines and has said he believes they can cause autism. That’s at odds with the views of Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon whom Trump plans to nominate for FDA commissioner. The British American said on the “Brian Kilmeade Show” on Fox News Radio that vaccines “save lives,” although he added that it’s good to question the U.S. vaccine schedule for children. The American Academy of Pediatricians encourages parents and their children’s doctors to stick to the recommended schedule of childhood vaccines. “Nonstandard schedules that spread out vaccines or start when a child is older put entire communities at risk of serious illnesses, including infants and young children,” the group says in guidance for its members. Jay Bhattacharya, a doctor and economist who is Trump’s selection to lead NIH, has also supported vaccines. Kennedy has said on NPR that federal authorities under his leadership wouldn’t “take vaccines away from anybody.” But the FDA oversees approval of vaccines, and, under his leadership, the agency could put vaccine skeptics on advisory panels or could make changes to a program that largely protects vaccine makers from consumer injury lawsuits. “I do believe that autism does come from vaccines,” Kennedy said in 2023 on Fox News . Many scientific studies have discredited the claim that vaccines cause autism. Ashish Jha, a doctor who served as the White House COVID response coordinator from 2022 to 2023, noted that Bhattacharya and Makary have had long and distinguished careers in medicine and research and would bring decades of experience to these top jobs. But, he said, it “is going to be a lot more difficult than they think” to stand up for their views in the new administration. It’s hard “to do things that displease your boss, and if [Kennedy] gets confirmed, he will be their boss,” Jha said. “They have their work cut out for them if they’re going to stand up for their opinions on science. If they don’t, it will just demoralize the staff.” Most of Trump’s picks share the view that federal health agencies bungled the pandemic response, a stance that resonated with many of the president-elect’s voters and supporters — even though Trump led that response until Joe Biden took office in 2021. Kennedy said in a 2021 Louisiana House oversight meeting that the COVID vaccine was the “deadliest” ever made. He has cited no evidence to back the claim. Federal health officials say the vaccines have saved millions of lives around the globe and offer important protection against COVID. Protection lasts even though their effectiveness wanes over time. The vaccines’ effectiveness against infection stood at 52% after four weeks, according to a May study in The New England Journal of Medicine, and their effectiveness against hospitalization was about 67% after four weeks. The vaccines were produced through Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership Trump launched in his first term to fast-track the shots as well as other treatments. Makary criticized COVID vaccine guidance that called for giving young children the shots. He argued that, for many people, natural immunity from infections could substitute for the vaccine. Bhattacharya opposed measures used to curb the spread of COVID in 2020 and advised that everyone except the most vulnerable go about their lives as usual. The World Health Organization warned that such an approach would overwhelm hospitals. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s choice to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency within HHS, has said the vaccines were oversold. He promoted the use of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment. The FDA in 2020 revoked emergency authorization of hydroxychloroquine for COVID, saying that it was unlikely to be effective against the virus and that the risk of dangerous side effects was too high. Janette Nesheiwat, meanwhile, a former Fox News contributor and Trump’s pick for surgeon general, has taken a different stance. The doctor described COVID vaccines as a gift from God in a Fox News opinion piece . Kennedy’s qualms about vaccines are likely to be a central issue early in the administration. He has said he wants federal health agencies to shift their focus from preparing for and combating infectious disease to addressing chronic disease. The shifting focus and questioning of vaccines concern some public health leaders amid the spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus among dairy cattle. There have been 60 human infections reported in the U.S. this year, all but two of them linked to exposure to cattle or poultry. “Early on, they’re going to have to have a discussion about vaccinating people and animals” against bird flu, said Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “We all bring opinions to the table. A department’s cohesive policy is driven by the secretary.” ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Protesters demand immediate reopening of routes to ParachinarBiden gives life in prison to 37 of 40 federal death row inmates before Trump can resume executions WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row. He's converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before Donald Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office. Biden says the commutations are consistent with a pause on executions put in place by his administration in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. Biden says he couldn't let a new administration resume executions. Trump has talked about subjecting drug dealers and human smugglers to the death penalty. A spokesperson for Trump says Biden's decision is “abhorrent" and a “slap in the face” to victims and their families. House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee has accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including once with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs as a member of Congress. The 37-page report was released Monday by the bipartisan panel after a nearly four-year investigation that helped sink his nomination for attorney general. The report includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz took part in while representing Florida in the House. Congressional investigators concluded that he violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office. Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing and he filed a lawsuit Monday trying to block the report’s release. Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to murder and weapons charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO's death NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare has pleaded not guilty to murder and terror charges in a state case that will run parallel to his federal prosecution. The Manhattan district attorney formally charged Luigi Mangione last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism. Mangione's attorney complained during a brief hearing Monday that statements coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough for him to receive a fair trial. Mangione was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone to enter his not guilty plea. Man faces murder charges in the death of a woman who was lit on fire in New York City subway A man is facing murder charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames. Police on Monday said the man, identified as 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, had been taken into custody as a person of interest in the case hours after the woman died. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Jeff Carter said he is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally after he had been previously removed in 2018. Transit police apprehended the man hours after the fatal fire. Middle East latest: Defense minister acknowledges Israel killed Hamas leader Israel’s defense minister has confirmed that Israel assassinated Hamas’ top leader last summer and is threatening to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The comments by Israel Katz appeared to mark the first time that Israel has acknowledged killing Ismail Haniyeh, who died in an explosion in Iran in July. Israel was widely believed to be behind the blast and leaders have previously hinted at its involvement. In a speech Monday, Katz said the Houthis would meet a similar fate as the other members of an Iranian-led alliance in the region, including Haniyeh. He also noted that Israel has killed other leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, helped topple Syria’s Bashar Assad and destroyed Iran’s anti-aircraft systems. Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — First it was Canada, then the Panama Canal. Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland. The president-elect is renewing calls he made during his first term for the U.S. to buy Greenland, the ice-covered semi-autonomous Danish territory. That's added to the list of allied countries he’s picking fights with, even before taking office on Jan. 20. Greenland insists it's not for sale and Trump's initial calls to purchase it in 2019 came to nothing. But his latest suggestion comes after the president-elect suggested the U.S. could retake control of the Panama Canal and that Canadians wanted their county to become the 51st U.S. state. Nissan and Honda to attempt a merger that would create the world's No. 3 automaker TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have announced plans to work toward a merger that would catapult them to a top position in an industry in the midst of tectonic shifts as it transitions away from its reliance on fossil fuels. The two companies said they signed an agreement on integrating their businesses on Monday. Smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors agreed to join the talks. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month. Japanese automakers face a strong challenge from their Chinese rivals and Tesla as they make inroads into markets at home and abroad. Magdeburg mourns Christmas market attack victims as fears swirl of deeper German social divisions MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Mourners are laying flowers near the scene of the deadly Christmas market attack as investigators puzzle over the motive of the suspect and his previous encounters with authorities are scrutinized. At the same time there are fears that the rampage could deepen divisions in German society. A church a short walk from the scene of the attack has become a central place of mourning since the suspect drove a car into the busy market on Friday evening and killed five people. Authorities have identified the suspect as a Saudi doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006 and had received permanent residency. They say he doesn't fit the usual profile of perpetrators of extremist attacks. How faith communities can be welcoming of believers with disabilities this holiday season and beyond This holiday season, some religious congregations across the U.S. are holding events designed to be accommodating to and inclusive of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They range from a “Calm Christmas” in West Virginia to an inclusive Hanukkah in New Jersey. Many disabled people, advocates and families want more houses of worship to know that there are ways to fully incorporate and welcome people with these and other disabilities and their families — and not just during the holidays but year round. Tennessee and Auburn remain 1-2 in AP Top 25 poll featuring 10 SEC teams Tennessee and Auburn remained Nos. 1-2 atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll. They were the headliners among the Southeastern Conference's haul of 10 ranked teams. Iowa State, Duke and Alabama rounded out the top five. Kentucky had the week's biggest fall, sliding six spots to No. 10 after a loss to Ohio State. Mississippi State, Arkansas, Illinois and Baylor rejoined the poll after stints in the rankings earlier this season. They replaced Memphis, Dayton, Michigan and Clemson. The Big 12 and Big Ten were tied for second with five teams each in the AP Top 25.
## SoundHound AI’s Meteoric Rise in 2024 This year, SoundHound AI has emerged as the talk of the investment world, with an astonishing stock increase of over 1,000% in 2024. Most notably, the share price soared by an impressive 17.9% within a single trading session, cementing its status as a notable player in tech innovation—especially in the field of conversational AI. ## Driving Forces Behind SoundHound AI’s Success Advanced Conversational AI Technology: SoundHound AI stands out for its groundbreaking voice recognition and natural language processing abilities, helping businesses better engage with customers. This state-of-the-art tech fuels its rise, generating significant investor interest. This dramatic surge is part of a larger trend seen in the meme stock sector. Here, speculative investments are making a remarkable rebound after previous volatility. Analysts have taken note, with H.C. Wainwright significantly raising their one-year price target, citing substantial growth potential despite the existing market buzz. The company’s market cap has now reached about $8.8 billion, with shares trading at approximately 105 times their expected sales for the year. Enthusiasm around scalable AI solutions is driving this interest, but investors must be mindful of potential volatility if market dynamics shift or growth forecasts are not fulfilled. ## SoundHound AI’s Innovative Edge and Market Prospects With its advanced AI capabilities, SoundHound AI is poised to lead cutting-edge technology developments meant to enhance user interactions. Industry experts foresee the firm becoming a cornerstone in AI evolution, given its innovative initiatives and commitment to user engagement. This positions SoundHound AI as a compelling, albeit high-risk, investment opportunity. The AI Powerhouse Shaping the Future of Conversational Interfaces ## How SoundHound AI is Redefining the AI Investment Landscape In 2024, SoundHound AI has skyrocketed into the limelight of the tech investing world, primarily due to its impressive advancements in conversational artificial intelligence. The company has seen its stock prices soar by over 1,000% this year, topping a remarkable 17.9% increase in just one day. This meteoric rise not only underscores a broader trend in the resurgence of meme stocks but also highlights SoundHound AI’s growing role as a technological pioneer. ## Understanding SoundHound AI’s Cutting-Edge Technology SoundHound AI’s success can be attributed to its robust and sophisticated conversational AI technology, which offers unparalleled voice recognition and natural language processing capabilities. These technologies enable businesses to enhance customer interactions and engagement significantly, proving especially attractive to companies looking to integrate smarter, more intuitive user experiences. Key Features and Innovations – Voice Recognition: SoundHound AI’s voice recognition technology stands out due to its accuracy and speed, perhaps setting a new standard for the industry. – Natural Language Processing (NLP): The company’s NLP framework allows for nuanced and contextually aware interactions, ensuring that AI systems can understand and respond to users in a human-like manner. ## SoundHound AI vs. Competitors: An Analysis The competitive landscape for conversational AI is fierce, but SoundHound AI’s innovative edge positions it favorably against giants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. By focusing on providing bespoke AI solutions for enterprises, SoundHound AI differentiates itself from more generalist competitors, carving a niche that promises growth and sustainability. To learn more about their services, visit the SoundHound AI website . ## Pros and Cons of Investing in SoundHound AI Pros – High Growth Potential: Given recent trends, SoundHound AI shows promise for substantial returns on investment. – Leading Innovation: As a frontrunner in AI development, the company has potential first-mover advantages in new markets. Cons – Market Volatility: Like many high-growth tech stocks, SoundHound AI could encounter volatility and significant swings in stock price. – High Valuation Risks: With shares trading at 105 times expected sales, there’s substantial risk if growth doesn’t meet expectations. ## Future Outlook and Predictions Industry experts and analysts predict that SoundHound AI’s focus on scalable AI solutions will continue to attract investment and strategic partnerships. Its position as an industry cornerstone is strengthening, making it a company to watch for both technological innovations and market performance. However, investors should remain aware of the high-risk, high-reward nature of such investments, particularly in a landscape susceptible to rapid changes in technology and market dynamics. By continuing to push the boundaries of what conversational AI can achieve, SoundHound AI is not just participating in the future of AI—it’s actively shaping it.Retiring congresswoman, 68, torches older Democrats for wanting to stay in power 'forever'
Day of martyrs, oppressed observed Protesters associated with Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen sit on the road at Numaish during a demonstration organised by the religious party over the Parachinar situation — PPI/File Rawalpindi : Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafariya (TNFJ) observed the “Day of Martyrs and the Oppressed” nationwide with a spirit of national solidarity to pay tribute to the sacrifices of martyrs of religion and the nation, says a press release. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); This was in commemoration of Shaheed-e-Maidan Safdar Ali Naqvi and Shaheed-e-Zindan Ashraf Ali Rizvi, who embraced martyrdom during the struggle for Azadari (mourning rituals) and other Shia demands. Solidarity was also expressed with the oppressed people of Parachinar (Kurram Agency). On this occasion, after Friday prayers, protest gatherings were held in central mosques, where religious scholars condemned the deteriorating and extremely dire situation in Parachinar. They expressed deep concern over the large number of innocent civilians being martyred and the continued loss of lives due to the lack of essential food and medicine during the severe winter. This situation was termed a failure of both the provincial and federal governments. In Rawalpindi, the TNFJ Regional Council organized a protest rally titled “Azmat-e-Shuhada” from Liaquat Bagh Chowk to Committee Chowk on Murree Road. The rally was led by TNFJ Pakistan’s Vice President Bawa Syed Farzand Ali Shah Kazmi, Secretary General Allama Raja Basharat Hussain Imami, Regional President Allama Shabihul Hassanain Kazmi, General Secretary Shaukat Abbas Jafri, religious scholars, political and social figures, and mourning procession leaders. Thousands of protesters marched on Murree Road, passing through Committee Chowk to the shrine of Sakhi Shah De Tahlian.
Germany's Merkel recalls Putin's 'power games' and contrasting US presidents in her memoirsStock market today: Wall Street rallies ahead of Christmas
Jones alleges fraud and collusion marred the bankruptcy auction in which The Onion was named the winning bidder on November 14 over a company affiliated with him. US bankruptcy judge Christopher Lopez had been scheduled to hear an emergency motion to disqualify The Onion’s bid, but decided to put it off until either December 9 or December 17. That is also when the judge will hear arguments on a request to approve the sale of Infowars to The Onion. Mr Lopez said similar arguments are being made in both requests. He could allow The Onion to move forward with the sale, order a new auction or name the other bidder as the winner. At stake is whether Mr Jones gets to stay at Infowars’ studio in Austin, Texas, under a new owner friendly to him, or whether he gets kicked out by The Onion. The other bidder, First United American Companies, runs a website in Mr Jones’s name that sells nutritional supplements. Regardless, Mr Jones has set up a new studio, websites and social media accounts that would allow him to keep airing his show. His personal account with 3.3 million followers on the social platform X was not part of the sale, although Mr Lopez will be deciding whether it should be included in the liquidation and sold off later. In a new court filing on Monday, lawyers for X objected to any sale of the accounts of both Mr Jones and Infowars, saying X is the owner of the accounts and that it has not given consent for them to be sold or transferred. Mr Jones has praised X owner Elon Musk on his show and suggested that Mr Musk should buy Infowars. Mr Musk has not responded publicly to that suggestion and was not among the bidders. Mr Jones’ bankruptcy and the liquidation of his assets came about after he was ordered to pay nearly 1.5 billion dollars (£1.19 billion) to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Mr Jones was found liable for defamation and emotional distress damages in lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas for repeatedly calling the 2012 shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators a hoax staged by actors to increase gun control. Proceeds from the liquidation are to go to Mr Jones’s creditors, including the Sandy Hook families who sued him. Mr Jones alleged The Onion’s bid was the result of fraud and collusion involving many of those families, the humour site and a court-appointed trustee who is overseeing the liquidation. First United American Companies submitted a 3.5 million dollar (£2.7 million) sealed bid, while The Onion offered 1.75 million dollars (£1.3 million) in cash. But The Onion’s bid also included a pledge by Sandy Hook families to forego some or all of the auction proceeds due to them giving other creditors a total of 100,000 dollars (£79,400) more than they would receive under other bids. The trustee, Christopher Murray, said that made The Onion’s proposal better for creditors and he named it the winning bid. He has denied any wrongdoing. Mr Jones and First United American Companies claimed that the bid violated Mr Lopez’s rules for the auction by including multiple entities and lacking a valid dollar amount. Mr Jones also alleged Mr Murray improperly cancelled an expected round of live bidding and only selected among the sealed bids that were submitted. Mr Jones called the auction “rigged” and a “fraud” on his show, which airs on the Infowars website, radio stations and his X account. In a court filing, Mr Murray called the allegations “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process”. Mr Lopez’s September order on the auction procedures made a live bidding round optional. It gave broad authority to Mr Murray to conduct the sale, including the power to reject any bid, no matter how high, that was “contrary to the best interests” of Mr Jones, his company and their creditors. But at a November 14 hearing, Mr Lopez said he was concerned about the process and transparency. “We’re all going to an evidentiary hearing and I’m going to figure out exactly what happened,” he said. “No one should feel comfortable with the results of this auction.” The assets of Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, that were up for sale included the Austin studio, Infowars’ video archive, video production equipment, product trademarks, and Infowars’ websites and social media accounts. Mr Jones is appealing the 1.5 billion dollar (£1.19 billion) in judgments citing free speech rights but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened. Mr Jones has brought in millions of dollars a year in revenue by hawking nutritional supplements, clothing, survival gear and other merchandise from his Infowars Store website, according to court documents. Many of Mr Jones’ personal assets, including real estate as well as guns and other personal belongings, also are being sold as part of the bankruptcy.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s attorney general has ordered police to open an investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and witnesses in the Israeli leader’s corruption trial. The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a terse message late Thursday., saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the “Uvda” investigative program into Sara Netanyahu. The program uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs. Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aid to organize protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial. The announcement did not mention Mrs. Netanyahu by name, and the Justice Ministry declined further comment. But earlier Thursday, Netanyahu blasted the Uvda report as “lies.” The Associated PressTottenham told they must stick with Ange Postecoglou as Mauricio Pochettino sack call questioned
A gesture as simple as a smile can often convey what words cannot. This is part of why nonverbal communication is so central to human interaction. It is also why facial nerve disorders and injuries can be devastating. These conditions are typically treated with nerve tissue taken from elsewhere in a patient’s body, known as autografts. This technique for repairing injured nerves presents issues for patients, such as damage to the donor site and the odds of functional recovery being nearly a coin toss. Synthetic alternatives have been explored in the past but have yet to live up to the performance of autografts. Bioengineers at the University of Pittsburgh may have developed a new solution with the help of some of nature’s best engineers — stem cells. Leveraging these cells’ ability to create a restorative environment, the team produced implantable conduits to act as bridges, providing directional, mechanical, and biochemical guidance for injured nerves to regenerate across large gaps. Experiments in the facial nerves of rats showed that the technology matched autografts. These results were published in the Journal of Neural Engineering . “We leaned into the idea that the cells know what they're doing, and they know how to make tissue,” said oral and craniofacial sciences and bioengineering professor Fatima Syed-Picard, Ph.D., the senior author of the study. “These engineered tissues ended up being more biomimetic than many other synthetically derived scaffolds used in tissue engineering.” Getting neurons in line For nerves to be repaired, the long projections that extend from neurons, called axons, need to both regrow and reconnect to the appropriate tissue. With autografts, the former is slow, and the latter is no guarantee, as many patients experience unwanted muscle activity due to regrown nerves connecting to the wrong tissue. Researchers have wielded specific cell populations to accelerate growth, such as neural support cells and stem cells, which produce biomolecules that aid neural tissue regeneration. To orient growing tissue so that axons reach the proper targets, researchers have designed synthetic tissue scaffolds with features, such as grooves, that act as guiderails to regenerating neurons. “It’s difficult to embed and distribute cells evenly in synthetic scaffolds without harming them. Another concern is trying to get these scaffolds to match the structural complexity of innate tissue,” said first author Michelle Drewry, Ph.D., who conducted this research while a graduate student* at the University of Pittsburgh. Many cell types in the body frequently make or remodel the biomolecular scaffolding surrounding them, known as extracellular matrix (ECM). So, instead of making tissue scaffolds from scratch themselves, the researchers thought it might be better to let cells make their own. The authors of the study tested this hypothesis with dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), a hardy and readily available cell population that produce proteins known to encourage nerve growth. After extracting these cells from adult wisdom teeth provided by the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, the researchers put them to work. They wanted to give DPSCs the freedom to create ECM but, at the same time, nudge them into making an environment conducive to supporting aligned axons. To accomplish this, the researchers fabricated rubber molds with rows of 10 micrometer-wide grooves and then covered them with DPSCs. After several days, the DPSCs secreted aligned ECM around themselves, forming thin biological sheets. The authors then peeled the sheets from the rubber templates and rolled them up into cylindrical conduits. The researchers used this approach to make a type of bandage in a previous study , which successfully regenerated the axons of a crushed nerve. With their new work, they sought to clear a higher hurdle of using the conduit to bridge a 5-millimeter gap in the facial nerve of rats — a defect so large that the nerve would not be able to heal on its own. Specifically, they implanted their aligned conduits into gaps made in the buccal branch of the facial nerve. For comparison, the team also implanted autografts into another group of rats. “The buccal branch is the part of the facial nerve that helps with smiling. It's a big part of your quality of life because it’s a large piece of how you communicate with other people and how you're seen in the world. Injury to that nerve can have a life-changing effect,” Drewry said. Crossing the bridge Twelve weeks after implantation, the authors evaluated how well axons had regenerated, primarily through histology. They found that their cell-made conduits contained regenerated axons across their full length. And, in general, the density and number of axons were similar to what they found in autografts. Indicators of developing axons were prevalent in the conduits, suggesting that regeneration may have been more robust with additional time, Drewry noted. But did all this regenerated tissue translate to improved function? To find out, the authors electrically stimulated the nerves on one end and measured the animals’ whisker movement on the other side. The tests showed that the motions of rats implanted with conduits were on par with those treated with autografts. Syed-Picard’s lab aims to better understand the roles the ECM and cells play in healing and then use that information to improve their technology. For example, in addition to encouraging regrowth directly, the conduits may also be helping by dampening inflammation, Syed-Picard explained. Drewry’s work on this study was funded by the Cellular Approaches to Tissue Engineering and Regeneration (CATER) Training Program at the University of Pittsburgh, which is supported by NIBIB grant T32EB001026. “This research exemplifies how our training programs lay a strong foundation for doctoral students. Trainees from this particular program have gone on to receive 58 subsequent NIH grants including fellowships, career awards, and research grants,” said Zeynep Erim, Ph.D., director of the Division of Interdisciplinary Training at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). The research was also supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR; R56DE030881). This science highlight describes a basic research finding. Basic research increases our understanding of human behavior and biology, which is foundational to advancing new and better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Science is an unpredictable and incremental process—each research advance builds on past discoveries, often in unexpected ways. Most clinical advances would not be possible without the knowledge of fundamental basic research. *Drewry is now an associate program officer at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Her comments in this article reflect her personal views and not that of NASEM. About the graphics: These two images originally appeared in the Journal of Neural Engineering paper and are available under the Creative Commons license. Images have been adapted for the NIBIB website. Study reference: Michelle Drewry et al. Enhancing facial nerve regeneration with scaffold-free conduits engineered using dental pulp stem cells and their endogenous, aligned extracellular matrix. Journal of Neural Engineering (2024) https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-2552/ad749d
'Martyr' Jane Moore slammed by I'm a Celebrity viewers who spot detailSUNNYVALE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 23, 2024 / TechStar Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company listed in Hong Kong, announced that it entered a Business Combination Agreement with Seyond, a solution provider of high fidelity, high-performance LiDAR and intelligent sensing systems. Upon completion of the merger, Seyond is expected to be successfully listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The agreed valuation for this De-SPAC transaction is 11.7 billion Hong Kong dollars. Additionally, Seyond has introduced three PIPE investors with a cumulative investment of approximately 553.1 million Hong Kong dollars. Previously, Seyond has garnered investments from a host of prestigious institutions, including NIO Capital, Temasek, ERVC, Gaorong Ventures, Joy Capital, BAI Capital, Shunwei Capital, and Guotai Junan Venture Capital, among others. Established in 2016, Seyond specializes in providing automotive-grade LiDAR solutions for autonomous driving and a variety of automotive and non-automotive applications. As the first company to achieve mass production of automotive-grade high-performance LiDAR, Seyond ranked first globally in sales revenue of passenger car LiDAR solutions in 2022 and 2023. Rigorously tested with proven automotive-grade reliability and lifetime, Falcon, the flagship 1550nm LiDAR sensor for high-level autonomous driving, is mass-produced, with over 400,000 units delivered globally. Additionally, Seyond achieved a design win for its 905nm wavelength LiDAR products with a leading new energy automotive OEM, becoming the only company in the LiDAR industry with mass production experience in both 1550nm and 905nm products. In addition to the automotive market, Seyond is strategically expanding into the robotic and intelligent transportation markets with combined revenue opportunities of over USD 260 billion globally by 2031, aiming to create a more substantial revenue scale. Seyond is looking forward to embarking on this exciting new journey with its investors, partners, and customers. On January 7-10, the company will exhibit its latest technology at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Attendees visiting Booth #5060 will learn how Seyond's LiDAR solutions power intelligent systems worldwide. About Seyond SeyondTM is a global leader in high fidelity LiDAR solutions, powering a safer, smarter and more mobile world across the automotive, intelligent transportation, robotics and infrastructure industries. Seyond delivers a dynamic portfolio of robust, high resolution LiDAR sensors, perception software, and the Seyond ITS Management Platform (SIMPL). Founded in Silicon Valley with a global footprint, Seyond is dedicated to the highest quality engineering and manufacturing, and unwavering commitment to our customers. About TechStar TechStar is a special purpose acquisition company incorporated for the purpose of effecting a business combination with one or more businesses, with efforts concentrated on companies in new economy sectors, including but not limited to innovative technology, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, life sciences, culture and entertainment, consumer and e-commerce, green energy and climate actions industries. TechStar completed an offering comprising 100,100,000 TechStar Class A Shares at an offer price of HK$10.00 per TechStar Class A Share and 50,050,000 TechStar Listed Warrants on December 23, 2022. CONTACT: Name: Sally Frykman Email: sally.frykman@seyond.com SOURCE: Seyond View the original on accesswire.comHutson has five assists, defending champ U.S. routs Germany 10-4 at world juniors
Related hot word search:
Previous: 188 yen to php
Next: 188jili net