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West Palm Beach (US), Dec 27 (AP) An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. Also Read | US Embassy in India Scripts Record, Issues 1 Million Visas for Second Consecutive Year. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer, a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump's selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the US. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Also Read | Brazil Bridge Collapse: Death Toll Rises to 9, With 8 Other People Unaccounted For. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer's comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks, whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. and Crypto Czar." Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government, weighed in, defending the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire US workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump's world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world's richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect, was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump's movement but his stance on the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut US citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump's own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the US illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration, including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for US workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump's businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club, and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B programme for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country" and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in US history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from US colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he told the “All-In" podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump's budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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State Department defends Israeli occupation of Syrian Golan HeightsNFL Christmas games on Netflix set streaming recordsBy Chinenye Anuforo Amaka Okoye, a seasoned journalist with a passion for truth and justice, has carved a niche for herself in the world of journalism. With a strong background in both Journalism and Maritime Administration and Management, Okoye has a unique perspective on the complexities of human experience. Currently a journalist at Deutsche Welle (DW), she has covered a wide range of topics, from women’s rights and justice to illegal migration and human trafficking. Her fearless reporting has taken her to the heart of Nigeria’s most dangerous regions, where she has documented the stories of those affected by conflict and crisis. This interview with Daily Sun delves into her experiences covering mass abductions in Nigeria, the emotional and professional toll it takes, and the ethical dilemma she faces. What drew you to conflict reporting particularly focusing on violence and insecurity? Quite frankly, conflict reporting chose me and I fell wholeheartedly for it. In fact, I owe it to my former Boss Mr Akintemi who recommended that I be sent to Katsina when the first mass abductions of school children happened there. His idea was majorly because I speak Hausa and it will be easy to get proper coverage of that abduction. I was supposed to go there for at most 3 nights with my cameraman but I ended up spending 13 nights covering back to back that harrowing experience- for both the students abducted, their parents and loved ones and for me as well at different levels- including being “hidden” in the government house because we had reported that the boys have been seen and would be released based on a verified information we got from a government official in the state. But as soon as we reported that, it became a question of “jeopardising the effort of the rescue mission”. And my face was plastered over social media for a false reporting. What Nigerians did not know was that the information came from the state but of course they denied knowledge of it when the Presidency reacted. And everyone wanted my head to know where we got that “intel” from including same government officials. It was an experience I will never forget. Thankfully, the boys were released just as reported. But the social media had roasted me off already. That coverage led to so many coverages of abductions and banditry for me. While very aware of how dangerous those assignments were, I think why I stayed true to those coverage was because of the people. Their story needed to be told correctly and in the right context while representing the reality of people in these conflict and crisis areas. Most importantly, so not to reduce this growing human suffering to just number and statistics. There was and still is the need to put a face to this suffering. That was my driving force and I am grateful for those stories, those people from Kankara to Kagara to Jangebe, to Birnin Kebbi, to Afaka, to Chibok and all those areas I went to, the motive was the same. How have these experiences covering mass abductions personally affected you, both emotionally and professionally? I have grown more in empathy and conviction to tell the stories of those affected with a lot of sensitivity and always check that you represent their stories correctly and factually. I have built a lot of mental resilient and physical stamina to cope with the regular stress of covering such beats and being physically present- I have not done much of that this year because I took some time off for more of up scaling and capacity building. I miss the adrenaline rush no doubt but still very much following and doing more of research work in collaboration with institutes interested in peace and conflict resolution and private security organization. Emotionally, I have learnt to take a break when I need to and to pay attentions to the whirlwinds of emotions- sometimes it is fear, sometimes anxiety, sometimes it is all round exhaustion and sometimes it is shock and helplessness, sometimes it is hope, it is joy in little and big wins of the stories of people who have triumphed from very scary situations to become shinning light. One thing I do is I pay attention to how I feel and what I feel and act rightly. As you know, I am big on therapy and that has been a great help and being surrounded by the right community of friends and colleagues and support tribe. What are the most significant challenges you’ve faced as a journalist covering such sensitive and traumatic events? I think is coming very close to near death experiences in places like Jangebe or Kagara and also when I receive threats that are very palpable. I also feel like the pain and helplessness you feel when you can’t provide answers or the frustrations of not seeing results despite all of the efforts to take some of these risks. Yes, sometimes, you never get any results, not at all. That can be tough. How do you ensure your safety while reporting on dangerous situations, particularly in conflict zones? I must admit that there are things I would do differently that I didn’t do in the past. That will include not undermining any situation and bearing in mind those things can escalate very fast. So, I keep basic tips in mind from how I dress to where I stay to what I post on social media and the timing to even the choice of transportation, sometimes it is safer to also disguise and mingle with locals, but again, this is with great understanding of where you are, who or those you are dealing with in terms of the reports and what you are up against. What ethical dilemmas have you encountered while reporting on these incidents, and how have you navigated them? I remember very vividly when the abductions were happening like every other month and for each of it, I was on ground and covering back to back. And I also remember there was a statement at the time from the government sort of implying that such coverage is amplifying the activities of these abductors or enemy of the state if you like. And it was a dillemma- should we cover the plights of the people or not because we don’t want to be seen as amplifying the voices of the enemy and leave out the sufferings of their victims? It was a tough call but in the end, we still have to do our work and bring these people’s plight to the world and not pretend these things are not happening. Another would be sometimes you hear very chilling accounts and after getting consent, the people will say “No, I don’t want that story told again”. What do you do? It is challenging sometimes to be honest. What do you think is the government’s role in addressing the issue of mass abductions? You know one of the things that baffle me is that we are still having this conversation. My one response is that the government of Nigeria is well aware of these issues, the concerns and demands of these state actors. The Nigerian government can root out these criminal elements. Yes, they can. They just do not have the political will or haven’t been able to demonstrate any political will at all. That is worth is more frustrating. How can the international community better support Nigeria in combating these issues? Nigeria first and foremost has the solutions to its problems. It should look inwards and employ all its resources before seeking collaborations from the so called international community. And what has it done so far with the support we always hear Nigeria soliciting from the international community? Your guess is right as mine What do you foresee for the future of security and safety in Nigeria, particularly regarding school abductions? Not been a prophecy of doom but I think that Nigeria will have more challenges if it refuses to strongly demonstrate political will that will lead to the end of these abductions. Sadly, there’s even more economic dimensions to these abductions. Nigeria has all the resources and intel from very brilliant and hardworking security agencies. Again it boils down to does it want to end it at all? How has the transition from Nigerian media to an international platform like DW impacted your reporting style and approach? Reporting on international platform like DW just gives you an opportunity to seek for stories with global relevance as well as tell the local story with the right nuances. My approach is using this opportunity to present our stories right. To tell them correctly and not promoting narratives that have been incorrectly pushed for a very long time. I also now have the opportunity to delve into global news and regions I would ordinarily not focus on and grow interest in different topics and find ways to present them accurately. How does your experience covering the Nigerian crisis inform your understanding of global issues related to violence and insecurity? I have realised that the problems in the world are pretty much the same- there is pain, corruption, darkness, injustice, name it all every where in the world. The difference is what each nation of the world choose to focus on, how does it media present the overall image of its nation in relation to these issues and how government and state actors tackle their issues. That is the difference. How do you balance the need to inform the public with the responsibility of not sensationalizing or exploiting the suffering of victims? This is a very important question. The first approach is understanding the situation, the context, the subject matter then apply a lot of sensitivity knowing that the people are what matters and you must treat them and their story with a lot of respect, dignity and truth. You can actually tell about their sufferings without dehumanising them more or exploiting their realities. I think also that journalists must learn where to stop or draw the curtain and understand to let the people be when they ask for that. Sometimes our approach are awfully intrusive. The fact of this business is that you are not entitled to anybody’s story and that is why we must honour the people in their stories and represent them rightly whether through images, words or our framing. This is the crux of it all.
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Momentum stocks can be a thrilling investment strategy, offering the potential for significant returns when chosen carefully. The principle behind momentum investing is straightforward. Stocks that have performed well in the past are likely to continue their upward trajectory, driven by strong fundamentals, market sentiment, and the psychological allure of success. While it requires a keen eye for trends and timing, momentum investing can reward those who understand the nuances of the market. So, let’s look at some options. Brookfield ( ) is a prime example of a company harnessing momentum effectively. As one of the largest global alternative asset managers, Brookfield oversees over $900 billion in assets, spanning real estate, renewable energy, infrastructure, and private equity. The company’s ability to pivot and adapt to market demands has been critical to its long-term success. Brookfield’s recent financial performance highlights its resilience, with revenue growth supported by strong returns in its renewable energy and infrastructure segments. Its global footprint and diversified business model make it a beacon of and growth in the ever-changing economic landscape. Fairfax ( ) is another standout in the momentum space. As a leader in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, Fairfax has consistently demonstrated financial strength. The company reported a notable 10.2% year-over-year increase in revenue for its most recent quarter. Reflecting robust underwriting performance and strategic investment gains. Fairfax’s ability to combine traditional insurance operations with savvy investment management has been a winning formula. Its profitability metrics, including a net margin of 11.86% and return on equity of 16.98%, underscore its appeal to investors seeking both and stability. Manulife ( ) has also carved out a strong position, particularly in the life insurance and wealth management sectors. The company reported an impressive 19.5% increase in quarterly revenue, driven by robust growth in its Asia and global wealth management operations. Manulife’s ability to capitalize on demographic trends and increasing demand for financial planning services positions it well for the future. The company’s upcoming leadership transition, with Phil Witherington set to succeed Roy Gori as chief executive officer in May 2025, signals a commitment to innovation and sustained growth. Manulife’s focus on global diversification and digital transformation continues to attract investors looking for a mix of security and growth potential. CIBC ( ) rounds out the group of momentum-driven opportunities. As one of Canada’s leading banks, CIBC has demonstrated impressive resilience in a competitive industry. In the most recent quarter, the bank reported a significant rise in adjusted net income, reaching $1.89 billion, up from $1.52 billion the previous year. This was partly due to a reduction in credit loss provisions, highlighting improved loan performance and economic conditions. CIBC’s focus on personal and business banking, coupled with a strong dividend yield, has made it a favourite among investors seeking reliable income and capital appreciation. Considerations Momentum investing isn’t just about riding the wave of rising stock prices. It’s about identifying the underlying factors driving that growth. The recent performance of these companies underscores why momentum stocks can be so attractive. Brookfield has capitalized on its diversified assets to weather economic fluctuations and continue expanding its footprint. Fairfax’s dual focus on insurance and investments has allowed it to thrive even in challenging market conditions. Manulife’s strong performance in Asia and its proactive leadership changes reflect a company poised for sustained success. Meanwhile, CIBC’s ability to deliver strong earnings growth while maintaining a healthy dividend yield makes it a compelling option for income-focused investors. Momentum investing can yield substantial rewards, particularly with companies that exhibit strong fundamentals, consistent performance, and clear growth strategies. However, it’s important to remember that the market is inherently unpredictable, and momentum can shift quickly. Bottom line For investors, Brookfield, Fairfax, Manulife, and CIBC represent a compelling mix of growth, stability, and income potential. Their strong recent performances, strategic outlooks, and positions in key industries make them standout options on the TSX. As always, successful investing requires balancing risk and reward, and momentum stocks like these offer an exciting opportunity to achieve that balance.
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Takanashi Kiara is not like other girls. The cliche applies to her in a literal sense. She’s a Vtuber , a term for a content creator who streams using an anime avatar. When Kiara appears on a stream, viewers watch a bubbly anime girl with bright orange hair and blue highlights. Kiara, the character, is a star. The person who voices her remains anonymous, but is signed to the Vtuber talent agency Hololive and has garnered worldwide acclaim in the role. At the time of publication, Kiara’s YouTube channel has more than 1.55 million subscribers and she’s starred in live concerts as a hologram. Her fans are known as “Kiara Fried Phoenix” or KFP, a reference to the lore behind her character, which evokes a lightheartedness that characterizes much of her work. Kiara gleefully switches between the contrasting roles of glamorous popstar and laid-back video game personality. She will blurt out “ I have diarrhea ” on a stream, but then go perform a commanding solo at a sold-out concert . On top of it all, she has taken on the role of an educator and teaches her U.S.-based fans about Japanese idol culture and the ins and outs of Vtubers via a talk show she hosts. To learn more about KFP, her growing music career, and what it’s been like to perform live, Polygon conducted an interview with her virtually via written responses. [ Ed. note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.] Polygon: I met some of your fans and one said that you actively manage your community. Now, some of your fans organize the larger Hololive community. How do you interpret your influence on your fans? Takanashi Kiara: I am always very happy to see KFP pick up on things that I share with them. When [the first group of English-speaking members of Hololive] first debuted, we were the first in our branch, and I think I was the most knowledgeable about Japanese idol culture. So I wanted to share it with my audience. How to cheer for them, how to dress at concerts and so on! I always hear that KFP has been taking a leading role in non-Japan events of our company in terms of teaching chants and cheers and organizing stuff. I’m so glad that the community that I have been building has turned out to be such a pleasant and fun one! In your opinion, what is the wildest thing your fans have ever done for you? Traveling over continents to see me for example in Japan or Germany or just any continent that they are not from! My fans come from various continents and seeing how committed some are to travel, I appreciate them so much for showing up to support me! But even the ones who can’t travel for whatever reason also show me their love and support in many other ways. I do hope everyone gets a chance to see a concert in person one day, feel the atmosphere of the packed venues and socialize with other KFP! Appearing in a concert seems like a very different experience than day-to-day streaming. How does preparing and appearing at an event like that compare with streaming? It may seem like we don’t do much besides streaming but there is definitely always a lot of work behind the scenes, especially when there’s a concert of ours coming up. For me, hololive is a place where I can have a chill and fun streaming job, but also live out my dreams of being on stage every once in a while. It’s 2 very different experiences but that’s what’s so exciting and refreshing! It never gets dull. Were there any performances from real-life pop stars that influenced your performance? After my first 2 singles I have been trying to go for a more Kpop-like image with my songs and choreographies, so I would say Kpop artists in general have had influence on that for sure! But even within Kpop there are different vibes, so I have also been trying to do something different each time. Like Chimera was way more cool and powerful compared to Pineapple which is more the cutesy, energetic type of KPOP! What’s the one moment from performing live concerts that will stick with you? First of all, New York was a great place to visit, and I am glad that these concerts give me opportunities to travel around the world! I cherished every second of us hanging out before and after the concerts as much as I could. Also, since this is our 2nd concert for hololive English, and I have been part of this branch since the beginning, it felt very emotional to see how much bigger it has become already. So many new members making their debut on the stage, new group songs and new fun combinations of members. I’m so proud! I had a lot of time to bond with the members too on this trip. If I had to choose one moment from the Breaking Dimensions concert, it would probably be everyone singing along to my solo performance of my original song Pineapple. I chose it because it hadn’t been performed on stage before and I had hopes that it would be easy to sing along to, even for people who haven’t heard it before much, and I think it worked out well! Pineapple is such a fun summer song with an addicting chorus and a cute, bouncy choreography, so I wanted to give it some more love and appreciation on this occasion! Also, right before the Breaking Dimensions concert, we had our first World Tour concert in New York too, and one of the mixed unit songs we performed, was my original song DO U. I released this already a while ago and it was my first 3D MV, kind of cementing my new music direction as strong as it could. I think it became quite the memorable, loved song in hololive and I am extremely proud and grateful for that. Now, this time, people’s reaction to it being a mixed unit song with not just me, but Baelz, Moona and Kobo was priceless. Everyone got so hyped up about it, and even weeks after I still get fans complaining about how we can’t just let this be a one time thing with no recorded evidence of it, haha. If you don’t want to miss out on such exclusive, super special performances, please consider coming by to one of our concerts some time! Culture Gaming Q&A YouTubeIt didn't take Syracuse first-year coach Fran Brown long to figure out the key matchup for Saturday afternoon's Atlantic Coast Conference game visiting Miami. "Syracuse has a really good quarterback," Brown said of Kyle McCord, "and Miami has a really good quarterback (Cam Ward)." With a win on Saturday, the No. 6 Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1 ACC) can clinch a berth in the league championship game against SMU. Miami is a 10 1/2-point favorite for Saturday's game. Syracuse (8-3, 4-3) has reached eight wins for just the fourth time since 2002, going 8-5 in 2010 and 2012 and 10-3 in 2018. However, the Orange haven't defeated a Top-10 team since knocking off Clemson in 2017. Miami leads the nation in scoring (44.7), and the Hurricanes will count on perfect passing conditions in Syracuse's dome. That could be huge for Ward, who leads the nation with 34 touchdown passes, ranking second in passing yards (3,774) and fourth in passing efficiency. Ward's top target is wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who needs just 21 yards to reach 1,000 for the second straight season. Restrepo also ranks tied for seventh in the nation with 10 TD receptions. Ward has some other top targets, including 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end Elijah Arroyo, who is a walking mismatch because of his size and speed. He leads Miami with 18.5 yards per reception. Hurricanes wide receivers Isaiah Horton and Jacolby George have combined for 12 TD passes, and Sam Brown has added two more. Each of them has more than 500 receiving yards this season. Miami's running game features battering ram Damien Martinez (739 yards, 5.5 average, eight TDs); versatile Mark Fletcher Jr. (499 yards, 5.7 average, six TDs); and game-breaking freshman Jordan Lyle (361 yards, 8.6 average, four TDs). Defensively, Miami's big-play man is safety Mishael Powell, who ranks second in the ACC with five interceptions. "He's all about winning," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of Powell. "He's a smart, self-starting team player." On special teams, Miami kicker Andres Borregales ranks second in the ACC with 97 points. He is 52-for-52 on extra points and 15-for-16 on field goals. Meanwhile, McCord ranks No. 1 in the nation in passing yards (3,946) and tied for seventh in TD passes (26). McCord, a transfer from Ohio State, has also set Syracuse's single-season record for passing yards. In last week's 31-24 win over Connecticut, McCord passed for a career-high 470 yards. However, McCord is just 46th in the nation in passing efficiency, due in part to his high total of interceptions (12). Syracuse also has three of the top six pass-catchers in the ACC in terms of yards: tight end Oronde Gadsden II (810) and wide receivers Jackson Meeks (801) and Trebor Pena (743). Gadsden, who is from the greater Miami area, has had three straight 100-yard games. He is the son of former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Oronde Gadsden. Syracuse's run game is led by LeQuint Allen, who has rushed for 819 yards, a 4.3 average and 12 TDs. The issue for Syracuse could be its defense, which ranks 13th in the ACC in points allowed (27.8). Miami's defense is fourth (22.3). Even so, Syracuse coach Brown said he's excited about this matchup. "I heard Miami is going to come deep," Brown said of Miami fans. "It's going to be intense in the stands. It's going to be intense on the field. I think this is a game everyone wants to see." --Field Level MediaWest Virginia knocks off No. 3 Gonzaga in overtimeNone
Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to Luton Today, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you. Midfielder Liam Walsh has issued a personal apology to Luton supporters for the manner in which he has let them down after picking up his second red card of the season at Blackburn Rovers earlier this month. The 27-year-old, who was snapped up by Town on a free transfer in the summer, despite an injury-hit season in which he featured just 20 times for Swansea City , had looked good in his opening few appearances for the club. However, he was then sent off a mere 36 seconds after coming off the bench against Oxford United in October, shown a straight red card for a poorly timed and reckless sliding challenge. Advertisement Advertisement Banned for three games, Walsh had impressed once more when brought on in the 1-0 victory over Hull City , before missing a further four matches due to injury. The ex-Everton youngster returned to the squad for the trip to Ewood Park, introduced just after the hour mark, as this time he lasted 11 minutes, once more dismissed after another rash tackle on Yuki Ohashi. Sipper Carlton Morris showing his disapproval towards his team-mate when shoving him from the pitch, Town Gary Sweet confirming he had been fined the maximum amount possible for his ‘mind-boggling' actions. After reflecting on the difficult start to his life in Bedfordshire, Walsh took to Instagram to say sorry, writing: “Firstly, I just want to say that since the first day I walked into this special club, I’ve had nothing but positive support from the fans, staff and players. As a football fan myself I understand how much I’ve let you down and I own up to that, there is no excuse. I have made not one but two mistakes now that I know myself are not good enough and not up to the standards expected as a professional. "I’ve had a week or so to think how I can make it up to the fans of this great football club, because Luton Town is a club I want to be at and succeed at. I will be working hard now to stay as fit as possible so I am ready to come back to the pitch to help the boys, and also showcase to you fans how much you mean to me. I know a lot of people won’t take my apology well and rightly so, but I look forward to playing in front of you Hatters again, backing up my words and helping this club go on to success."
Bad Axe: Wisconsin wary of rival Minnesota with bowl bid in perilTranscript: Conway Gittens: I’m Conway Gittens reporting from the New York Stock Exchange. Here’s what we’re watching on TheStreet today. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, which they view as increasingly leaning too far to the right given its owner’s support of President-elect Donald Trump, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter, championed by its former CEO Jack Dorsey. Its decentralized approach to social networking was eventually . That’s unlikely now that the two companies have parted ways. But Bluesky’s growth trajectory — with a user base that has more than doubled since October — could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. But with growth comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. The skyrocketing user base — now surpassing — is the biggest test yet for a relatively young platform that has branded itself as a social media alternative free of the problems plaguing its competitors. According to research firm Similarweb, Bluesky added 7.6 million monthly active app users on iOS and Android in November, an increase of 295.4% since October. It also saw 56.2 million desktop and mobile web visits, in the same period, up 189% from October. Besides the U.S. elections, Bluesky also got a boost when X was . “They got this spike in attention, they’ve crossed the threshold where it is now worth it for people to flood the platform with spam,” said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University and a member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media. “But they don’t have the cash flow, they don’t have the established team that a larger platform would, so they have to do it all very, very quickly.” To manage growth for its tiny staff, Bluesky started as an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other distinctive features to , such as “starter packs” that provide lists of topically curated feeds. Meta recently announced that it is testing a similar feature. Compared to the bigger players like Meta’s platforms or X, Bluesky has a “quite different” value system, said Claire Wardle, a professor at Cornell University and an expert in misinformation. This includes giving users more control over their experience. “The first generation of social media platforms connected the world, but ended up consolidating power in the hands of a few corporations and their leaders,” in March. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see. On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself.” Because of this mindset, Bluesky has achieved a scrappy underdog status that has attracted users who’ve grown tired of the big players. “People had this idea that it was going to be a different type of social network,” Wardle said. “But the truth is, when you get lots of people in a place and there are eyeballs, it means that it’s in other people’s interests to use bots to create, you know, information that aligns with their perspective.” Little data has emerged to help quantify the rise in impersonator accounts, artificial intelligence-fueled networks and other potentially harmful content on Bluesky. But in recent weeks, users have begun reporting large numbers of apparent AI bots following them, or making seemingly automated in replies. Lion Cassens, a Bluesky user and doctoral candidate in the Netherlands, found one such network by accident — a group of German-language accounts with similar bios and AI-generated profile pictures posting in replies to three German newspapers. “I noticed some weird replies under a news post by the German newspaper ‘Die Ziet,’” he said in an email to The Associated Press. “I have a lot of trust in the moderation mechanism on Bluesky, especially compared to Twitter since the layoffs and due to Musk’s more radical stance on freedom of speech. But AI bots are a big challenge, as they will only improve. I hope social media can keep up with that.” Cassens said the bots’ messages have been relatively innocuous so far, but he was concerned about how they could be repurposed in the future to mislead. There are also signs that foreign disinformation narratives have made their way to Bluesky. The disinformation research group Alethea pointed to one low-traction post sharing a false claim about ABC News that had circulated on Russian Telegram channels. Copycat accounts are another challenge. In late November, Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, found that of the top 100 most followed named individuals on Bluesky, 44% had at least one duplicate account posing as them. Two weeks later, Mantzarlis said Bluesky had removed around two-thirds of the duplicate accounts he’d initially detected — a sign the site was aware of the issue and attempting to address it. Bluesky earlier this month that it had quadrupled its moderation team to keep up with its growing user base. The company also announced it had introduced a new system to detect impersonation and was working to improve its Community Guidelines to provide more detail on what’s allowed. Because of the way the site is built, users also have the option to subscribe to third-party “Labelers” that outsource content moderation by tagging accounts with warnings and context. The company didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Even as its challenges aren’t yet at the scale other platforms face, Bluesky is at a “crossroads,” said Edward Perez, a board member at the nonpartisan nonprofit OSET Institute, who previously led Twitter’s civic integrity team. “Whether BlueSky likes it or not, it is being pulled into the real world,” Perez said, noting that it needs to quickly prioritize threats and work to mitigate them if it hopes to continue to grow. That said, disinformation and bots won’t be Bluesky’s only challenges in the months and years to come. As a text-based social network, its entire premise is falling out of favor with younger generations. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that only 17% of American teenagers used X, for instance, down from 23% in 2022. For teens and young adults, TikTok, Instagram and other visual-focused platforms are the places to be. Political polarization is also going against Bluesky ever reaching the size of TikTok, Instagram or even X. “Bluesky is not trying to be all things to all people,” Wardle said, adding that, likely, the days of a Facebook or Instagram emerging where they’re “trying to keep everybody happy” are over. Social platforms are increasingly splintered along political lines and when they aren’t — see Meta’s platforms — the companies behind them are actively working to de-emphasize political content and news.Amazon Invests Another $4B In AI Firm Anthropic
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