mcw casino kivabe khulbo

mcw casino kivabe khulbo Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.The masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” a law enforcement official said Thursday. The gunman is still at large and a manhunt is underway. Here's the latest: Just minutes before the shooting, the suspect was seen on surveillance footage purchasing the two items from a nearby Starbucks. Both the water bottle and protein bar wrapper were later recovered from a trash can in the vicinity of the killing, according to a police spokesperson. They’ve been sent to the city’s medical examiner for expedited fingerprint testing. As the suspect remained at large Thursday afternoon, New York police were sorting through a growing number of leads coming in through a public hotline. Many have been unfounded, including a tip from a commuter who claimed to have spotted the shooter on a Long Island Rail Road train Wednesday evening. Police searched the train, but found no sign of the gunman. Members of the public have also provided police with several different names of people who bear a resemblance to the gunman — though they have yet to confirm the shooter’s identity. NYPD spokesperson Carlos Nieves urged anyone with information to contact the department “even if it seems trivial.” “We ask you to call the tip line because that little piece of information could be the missing piece of the puzzle that ties everything together,” he said. Users’ reactions — and in many cases jokes — populated comment sections teeming with frustration toward health insurers broadly and UnitedHealthcare in particular. “I would be happy to help look for the shooter but vision isn’t covered under my healthcare plan,” one comment read on Instagram. “Thoughts and prior authorizations!” wrote another user. Images released by police of a person they say is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting match the lobby of the HI New York City hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Both feature a black-and-white checkered floor and a distinctive bench in the shape of a semicircle. Matheus Taranto, a guest at the hostel who’s visiting from Brazil, says he saw police at the lodging Wednesday evening. He said an officer wouldn’t let him access a bathroom where he wanted to brush his teeth. “I asked why, he was like, no, nothing happened,” said Taranto, 24. He didn’t connect the dots with the shooting until later. In Minnesota, police in the Minneapolis suburb of Maple Grove, where Thompson lived, said Thursday they believe a bomb threat on Wednesday night was a hoax. Maple Grove police put out a statement Thursday saying a “suspected swatting investigation” was underway. The department said it received a report of a bomb threat directed at two addresses around 7 p.m. CT Wednesday. The Minneapolis Bomb Squad and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office assisted, but investigators found no suspicions devices or other items. “The case is considered an active investigation, while the incident appears to be a hoax. No further comments will be made at this time,” the police statement said. Police reports provided to The Associated Press by the department show that officers made contact with family members at one of the homes and were told they had seen nothing suspicious and had received no direct threats. Back in Thompson’s home state of Minnesota, authorities were investigating a bomb threat that reportedly was made against his home Wednesday night, after his death. It was first reported by TMZ. City Prosecutor Andrew Draper confirmed to The Associated Press via email Thursday that he received an email Wednesday night “regarding a bomb threat. I reported it to the Maple Grove Police Department and do not have any additional information.” Maple Grove police officials did not immediately respond to requests for details Thursday. Local ATF spokesperson Ashlee Sherrill said: “ATF was made aware of the incident in Maple Grove last night, but no ATF resources were deployed. We are unable to confirm any further details.” A local FBI spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for information on the FBI’s involvement in the investigation. The words emblazoned on the ammunition used in the shooting – “deny,” “defend” and “depose” – were written in permanent marker, according to a law enforcement official. The official wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. — Jake Offenhartz As of Thursday morning, police were still searching for the shooter. They released new photos of a person they said is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting. The images match the lobby of the HI New York City hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, including its black-and-white checkered floor and a distinctive bench in the shape of a semi-circle. An employee at the hostel said police had visited but declined to provide further information. Danielle Brumfitt, a spokesperson for the lodging, said in an emailed statement that they are cooperating with the NYPD but can’t comment due to the active investigation. According to the official who spoke to AP about the ammunition messaging, investigators are running DNA and fingerprint analysis on items found near the shooting, including a water bottle, that they believe the suspect may have discarded. Additionally, they’re looking into whether the suspect had pre-positioned a bike as part of an escape plan. Doctors and patients have become particularly frustrated with prior authorizations, which are requirements that an insurer approve surgery or care before it happens. UnitedHealthcare was named in an October report detailing how the insurer’s prior authorization denial rate for some Medicare Advantage patients has surged in recent years. The report from the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations also named rivals Humana and CVS. Insurers say tactics like prior authorization are needed to limit unnecessary care and help control spiraling medical costs. Frustrations extend beyond the coverage of care. Expensive breakthrough medications to slow Alzheimer’s disease or help with obesity are frequently not covered or have coverage limits. In the U.S. health care system, patients get coverage through a mix of private insurers such as UnitedHealthcare and government-funded programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. That can prove particularly frustrating for doctors and patients because coverage often varies by insurer. Polls reflect those frustrations with the U.S. health care system in general and insurance companies in particular. About two-thirds of Americans said health insurance companies deserve “a lot of blame” for high health care costs, according to a KFF poll conducted in February . Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive. A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting — “deny,” “defend” and “depose” — echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. The three words were emblazoned on the ammunition a masked gunman used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday. They’re similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend” — the way some attorneys describe how insurers deny services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book that was highly critical of the industry. Police haven’t officially commented on the wording or any connection between them and the common phrase. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting a deepening frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care. ▶ Read more about the messaging left behind by the shooter The New York Police Department released photos Thursday morning, asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the individual pictured. Police say the person is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. A Senate panel has been investigating how frequently three major insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, deny care to patients who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. It has also investigated the use of artificial intelligence in deny those claims. Medicare Advantage is the private version of Medicare, which provides health insurance to millions of older Americans. The Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee’s report released earlier this year found that as UnitedHealthcare relied more on its automated system to review claims denials increased for post-acute treatment, which includes nursing home or rehabilitation care. The insurer denied nearly a quarter of claims, a rate that doubled over just a two-year period from 2020 to 2022. Joseph Kenny, the NYPD chief of detectives, says the shooter wore a black face mask, black-and-white sneakers and a distinctive gray backpack. He arrived outside the hotel about five minutes before UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson did, then waited and ignored other pedestrians before he approached Thompson from behind. After the assailant began to fire, his 9 mm pistol jammed but he quickly fixed it and kept firing, Kenny said, another sign of the shooter’s professionalism. “From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” Kenny said. The hostels were on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and police were following a tip that the suspect may have stayed at one of the residences, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. The official requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the ongoing search. According to an employee of Kama Central Park, two detectives arrived at the hostel at 7 a.m. Thursday with a photo of the shooter and asked staff if they recognized the man. They did not, the employee said, and the detectives left soon after. An employee at the nearby HI New York City hostel also confirmed that police had visited the location Thursday, but declined to provide further information. — Jake Offenhartz New York Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday the shooter used a silencer — something he’d never encountered in his 22 years as a police officer. “In all of my years in law enforcement I have never seen a silencer before,” Adams, a retired NYPD captain, said in an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “And so that was really something that was shocking to us all.” The masked gunman used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” a law enforcement official said Thursday. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The words on the ammunition may have been a reference to strategies insurance companies use to try to avoid paying claims. Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny had said earlier. — Mike Balsamo, Jake Offenhartz and Michael R. Sisak The chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest insurers, was killed Wednesday in midtown Manhattan in what police described as a targeted attack by a shooter outside a hotel where the company was holding a conference. ▶ Read more about the key things to know about the fatal attackAttorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi’s felony voting ban is cruel and unusualSAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 26, 2024-- PagerDuty, Inc. (NYSE:PD), a leader in digital operations management, today announced financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2025, ended October 31, 2024. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126811639/en/ (Graphic: Business Wire) “PagerDuty delivered a solid quarter with revenue and non-GAAP operating income results well above third quarter guidance ranges with annual recurring revenue increasing to $483 million, growing 10% year-over-year,” said Chairperson and CEO, Jennifer Tejada. “Consistent performance over the past four quarters has led to stabilization across all business segments, and along with improving leading indicators, positions the business on a strong upward trajectory.” Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights The section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below contains a description of the non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations between GAAP and non-GAAP financial information. Third Quarter and Recent Highlights Financial Outlook For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, PagerDuty currently expects: For the full fiscal year 2025, PagerDuty currently expects: These statements are forward-looking and actual results may differ materially. Please refer to the section titled "Forward-Looking Statements" below for information on the factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. PagerDuty has not reconciled forward-looking net loss per share attributable to PagerDuty, Inc. common stock holders to forward-looking non-GAAP net income per share attributable to PagerDuty, Inc. common stockholders because certain items are out of PagerDuty's control or cannot be reasonably predicted. Accordingly, such reconciliation is not available without unreasonable effort. Conference Call Information PagerDuty will host a conference call and live webcast (Zoom meeting ID 975 4160 6140) for analysts and investors at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on November 26, 2024. For audio only, the dial-in number 1-312-626-6799 may be used. This news release with the financial results will be accessible from PagerDuty’s website at investor.pagerduty.com prior to the conference call. A live webcast of the conference call will be accessible from the PagerDuty investor relations website at investor.pagerduty.com . Supplemental Financial and Other Information Supplemental financial and other information can be accessed through PagerDuty’s investor relations website at investor.pagerduty.com . PagerDuty uses the investor relations section on its website as the means of complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, we recommend that investors monitor PagerDuty’s investor relations website in addition to following PagerDuty’s press releases, SEC filings, social media, including PagerDuty’s LinkedIn account ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/482819 ), X (formerly Twitter) account @pagerduty, the X account @jenntejada and Facebook page (facebook.com/pagerduty), and public conference calls and webcasts. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding our future financial performance and outlook, and market positioning. Words such as “expect,” “extend,” “anticipate,” “should,” “believe,” “hope,” “target,” “project,” “accelerate,” “goals,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “may,” “will,” “might,” “could,” “intend,” “shall,” and variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control. Our actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to, risks and other factors detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 18, 2024. Additional information will be made available in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2024 and other filings and reports that we may file from time to time with the SEC. In particular, the following risks and uncertainties, among others, could cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: the effect of unfavorable conditions in our industry or the global economy, or reductions in information technology spending on our business and results of operations; our ability to achieve and maintain future profitability; our ability to attract new customers and retain and sell additional functionality and services to our existing customers; our ability to sustain and manage our growth; our dependence on revenue from a single product; our ability to compete effectively in an increasingly competitive market; and general global market, political, economic, and business conditions. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. We undertake no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. About PagerDuty, Inc. PagerDuty, Inc. (NYSE:PD) is a global leader in digital operations management, enabling customers to achieve operational efficiency at scale with the PagerDuty Operations Cloud. The PagerDuty Operations Cloud combines AIOps, Automation, Customer Service Operations and Incident Management with a powerful generative AI assistant to create a flexible, resilient and scalable platform to increase innovation velocity, grow revenue, reduce cost, and mitigate the risk of operational failure. Half of the Fortune 500 and nearly 70% of the Fortune 100 rely on PagerDuty as essential infrastructure for the modern enterprise. To learn more and try PagerDuty for free, visit www.pagerduty.com . The PagerDuty Operations Cloud The PagerDuty Operations Cloud is the platform for mission-critical, time-critical operations work in the modern enterprise. Through the power of AI and automation, it detects and diagnoses disruptive events, mobilizes the right team members to respond, and streamlines infrastructure and workflows across your digital operations. The Operations Cloud is essential infrastructure for revolutionizing digital operations to compete and win as a modern digital business. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release and the accompanying tables contain the following non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP research and development, non-GAAP sales and marketing, non-GAAP general and administrative, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income attributable to PagerDuty, Inc. common stockholders, non-GAAP net income per share attributable to PagerDuty, Inc. common stockholders, free cash flow, and free cash flow margin. PagerDuty believes that non-GAAP financial measures, when taken collectively, may be helpful to investors because they provide consistency and comparability with past financial performance and can assist in comparisons with other companies, some of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to supplement their GAAP results. The non-GAAP financial information is presented for supplemental informational purposes only, should not be considered a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from similarly-titled non-GAAP measures used by other companies. The principal limitation of these non-GAAP financial measures is that they exclude significant expenses and income that are required by GAAP to be recorded in PagerDuty’s financial statements. In addition, they are subject to inherent limitations as they reflect the exercise of judgment by PagerDuty’s management about which expenses and income are excluded or included in determining these non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation is provided below for each historical non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with GAAP. Specifically, PagerDuty excludes the following from its historical and prospective non-GAAP financial measures, as applicable: Stock-based compensation: PagerDuty utilizes stock-based compensation to attract and retain employees. It is principally aimed at aligning their interests with those of its stockholders and at long-term retention, rather than to address operational performance for any particular period. As a result, stock-based compensation expenses vary for reasons that are generally unrelated to financial and operational performance in any particular period. Employer taxes related to employee stock transactions: PagerDuty views the amount of employer taxes related to its employee stock transactions as an expense that is dependent on its stock price, employee exercise and other award disposition activity, and other factors that are beyond PagerDuty’s control. As a result, employer taxes related to employee stock transactions vary for reasons that are generally unrelated to financial and operational performance in any particular period. Amortization of acquired intangible assets: PagerDuty views amortization of acquired intangible assets as items arising from pre-acquisition activities determined at the time of an acquisition. While these intangible assets are evaluated for impairment regularly, amortization of the cost of purchased intangibles is an expense that is not typically affected by operations during any particular period. Acquisition-related expenses: PagerDuty views acquisition-related expenses, such as transaction costs, acquisition-related retention payments, and acquisition-related asset impairment, as events that are not necessarily reflective of operational performance during a period. In particular, PagerDuty believes the consideration of measures that exclude such expenses can assist in the comparison of operational performance in different periods which may or may not include such expenses. Amortization of debt issuance costs: The imputed interest rates of the Company's convertible senior notes (the "2025 Notes" and the "2028 Notes" or, collectively, the "Notes") was approximately 1.91% for the 2025 Notes and 2.13% for the 2028 Notes. This is a result of the debt issuance costs, which reduce the carrying value of the convertible debt instruments. The debt issuance costs are amortized as interest expense. The expense for the amortization of the debt issuance costs is a non-cash item, and we believe the exclusion of this interest expense will provide for a more useful comparison of our operational performance in different periods. Restructuring costs: PagerDuty views restructuring costs, such as employee severance-related costs and real estate impairment costs, as events that are not necessarily reflective of operational performance during a period. In particular, PagerDuty believes the consideration of measures that exclude such expenses can assist in the comparison of operational performance in different periods which may or may not include such expenses. Gains (or losses) on partial extinguishment of convertible senior notes: PagerDuty views gains (or losses) on partial extinguishment of debt as events that are not necessarily reflective of operational performance during a period. PagerDuty believes that the consideration of measures that exclude such gain (or loss) impact can assist in the comparison of operational performance in different periods which may or may not include such gains (or losses). Adjustment attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest: PagerDuty adjusts the value of redeemable non-controlling interest of its joint venture PagerDuty K.K. according to the operating agreement. PagerDuty believes this adjustment is not reflective of operational performance during a period and exclusion of such adjustments can assist in comparison of operational performance in different periods. Income tax effects and adjustments: Based on PagerDuty's financial outlook for fiscal 2025, PagerDuty is utilizing a projected non-GAAP tax rate of 23% in order to provide better consistency across the interim reporting periods by eliminating the impact of non-recurring and period specific items, which can vary in size and frequency. PagerDuty's estimated tax rate on non-GAAP income is determined annually and may be adjusted during the year to take into account events or trends that PagerDuty believes materially impact the estimated annual rate including, but not limited to, significant changes resulting from tax legislation, material changes in the geographic mix of revenue and expenses and other significant events. Non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin We define non-GAAP gross profit as gross profit excluding the following expenses typically included in cost of revenue: stock-based compensation expense, employer taxes related to employee stock transactions, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and restructuring costs. We define non-GAAP gross margin as non-GAAP gross profit as a percentage of revenue. Non-GAAP operating expenses We define non-GAAP operating expenses as operating expenses excluding stock-based compensation expense, employer taxes related to employee stock transactions, amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition-related expenses, which include transaction costs, acquisition-related retention payments, and asset impairment, and restructuring costs which are not necessarily reflective of operational performance during a given period. Non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP operating margin We define non-GAAP operating income as loss from operations excluding stock-based compensation expense, employer taxes related to employee stock transactions, amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition-related expenses, which include transaction costs, acquisition-related retention payments, and asset impairment, and restructuring costs which are not necessarily reflective of operational performance during a given period. We define non-GAAP operating margin as non-GAAP operating income as a percentage of revenue. Non-GAAP net income attributable to PagerDuty, Inc. common stockholders We define non-GAAP net income attributable to PagerDuty, Inc. common stockholders as net loss attributable to PagerDuty, Inc. common stockholders excluding stock-based compensation expense, employer taxes related to employee stock transactions, amortization of debt issuance costs, amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition-related expenses, which include transaction costs, acquisition-related retention payments and asset impairment, restructuring costs, adjustment attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest, and income tax adjustments, which are not necessarily reflective of operational performance during a given period. Non-GAAP net income per share, basic and diluted We define non-GAAP net income per share, basic as non-GAAP net income attributable to PagerDuty, Inc. common stockholders divided by weighted average shares outstanding at the end of the reporting period. We define non-GAAP net income per share, diluted as non-GAAP net income attributable to PagerDuty, Inc. common stockholders divided by weighted average diluted shares outstanding at the end of the reporting period. Free cash flow and free cash flow margin We define free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities, less cash used for purchases of property and equipment and capitalization of internal-use software costs. We define free cash flow margin as free cash flow as a percentage of revenue. In addition to the reasons stated above, we believe that free cash flow is useful to investors as a liquidity measure because it measures our ability to generate or use cash in excess of our capital investments in property and equipment in order to enhance the strength of our balance sheet and further invest in our business and potential strategic initiatives. A limitation of the utility of free cash flow as a measure of our liquidity is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in our cash balance for the period. We use free cash flow in conjunction with traditional U.S. GAAP measures as part of our overall assessment of our liquidity, including the preparation of our annual operating budget and quarterly forecasts and to evaluate the effectiveness of our business strategies. There are a number of limitations related to the use of free cash flow as compared to net cash provided by operating activities, including that free cash flow includes capital expenditures, the benefits of which are realized in periods subsequent to those when expenditures are made. PagerDuty encourages investors to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, which it includes in press releases announcing quarterly financial results, including this press release, and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate PagerDuty’s business. Please see the reconciliation tables at the end of this release for the reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to their most-comparable GAAP financial measures. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126811639/en/ CONTACT: Investor Relations Contact: Tony Righetti investor@pagerduty.comMedia Contact: Debbie O'Brien media@pagerduty.comSOURCE PagerDuty KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DATA MANAGEMENT SOURCE: PagerDuty, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/26/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 11/26/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126811639/en

Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has diedThe masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” a law enforcement official said Thursday. The gunman is still at large and a manhunt is underway. Here's the latest: Water bottle and protein bar wrapper may hold clues to the shooter’s identity Just minutes before the shooting, the suspect was seen on surveillance footage purchasing the two items from a nearby Starbucks. Both the water bottle and protein bar wrapper were later recovered from a trash can in the vicinity of the killing, according to a police spokesperson. They’ve been sent to the city’s medical examiner for expedited fingerprint testing. Tips about the shooting, many unfounded, are pouring in through a police hotline As the suspect remained at large Thursday afternoon, New York police were sorting through a growing number of leads coming in through a public hotline. Many have been unfounded, including a tip from a commuter who claimed to have spotted the shooter on a Long Island Rail Road train Wednesday evening. Police searched the train, but found no sign of the gunman. Members of the public have also provided police with several different names of people who bear a resemblance to the gunman — though they have yet to confirm the shooter’s identity. NYPD spokesperson Carlos Nieves urged anyone with information to contact the department “even if it seems trivial.” “We ask you to call the tip line because that little piece of information could be the missing piece of the puzzle that ties everything together,” he said. Anger and vitriol against health insurers filled social media in the wake of Thompson’s killing Users’ reactions — and in many cases jokes — populated comment sections teeming with frustration toward health insurers broadly and UnitedHealthcare in particular. “I would be happy to help look for the shooter but vision isn’t covered under my healthcare plan,” one comment read on Instagram. “Thoughts and prior authorizations!” wrote another user. Police searched Upper West Side hostel seen in new images Images released by police of a person they say is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting match the lobby of the HI New York City hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Both feature a black-and-white checkered floor and a distinctive bench in the shape of a semicircle. Matheus Taranto, a guest at the hostel who’s visiting from Brazil, says he saw police at the lodging Wednesday evening. He said an officer wouldn’t let him access a bathroom where he wanted to brush his teeth. “I asked why, he was like, no, nothing happened,” said Taranto, 24. He didn’t connect the dots with the shooting until later. Police in Minnesota say they believe bomb threat against Thompson’s home was a hoax In Minnesota, police in the Minneapolis suburb of Maple Grove, where Thompson lived, said Thursday they believe a bomb threat on Wednesday night was a hoax. Maple Grove police put out a statement Thursday saying a “suspected swatting investigation” was underway. The department said it received a report of a bomb threat directed at two addresses around 7 p.m. CT Wednesday. The Minneapolis Bomb Squad and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office assisted, but investigators found no suspicions devices or other items. “The case is considered an active investigation, while the incident appears to be a hoax. No further comments will be made at this time,” the police statement said. Police reports provided to The Associated Press by the department show that officers made contact with family members at one of the homes and were told they had seen nothing suspicious and had received no direct threats. In Minnesota, authorities investigate reported bomb threat against Brian Thompson’s home Back in Thompson’s home state of Minnesota, authorities were investigating a bomb threat that reportedly was made against his home Wednesday night, after his death. It was first reported by TMZ. City Prosecutor Andrew Draper confirmed to The Associated Press via email Thursday that he received an email Wednesday night “regarding a bomb threat. I reported it to the Maple Grove Police Department and do not have any additional information.” Maple Grove police officials did not immediately respond to requests for details Thursday. Local ATF spokesperson Ashlee Sherrill said: “ATF was made aware of the incident in Maple Grove last night, but no ATF resources were deployed. We are unable to confirm any further details.” A local FBI spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for information on the FBI’s involvement in the investigation. Words on ammunition were written in marker, AP source says The words emblazoned on the ammunition used in the shooting – “deny,” “defend” and “depose” – were written in permanent marker, according to a law enforcement official. The official wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. — Jake Offenhartz What’s known about the search As of Thursday morning, police were still searching for the shooter. They released new photos of a person they said is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting. The images match the lobby of the HI New York City hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, including its black-and-white checkered floor and a distinctive bench in the shape of a semi-circle. An employee at the hostel said police had visited but declined to provide further information. Danielle Brumfitt, a spokesperson for the lodging, said in an emailed statement that they are cooperating with the NYPD but can’t comment due to the active investigation. According to the official who spoke to AP about the ammunition messaging, investigators are running DNA and fingerprint analysis on items found near the shooting, including a water bottle, that they believe the suspect may have discarded. Additionally, they’re looking into whether the suspect had pre-positioned a bike as part of an escape plan. What is the criticism of insurers? Doctors and patients have become particularly frustrated with prior authorizations, which are requirements that an insurer approve surgery or care before it happens. UnitedHealthcare was named in an October report detailing how the insurer’s prior authorization denial rate for some Medicare Advantage patients has surged in recent years. The report from the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations also named rivals Humana and CVS. Insurers say tactics like prior authorization are needed to limit unnecessary care and help control spiraling medical costs. Frustrations extend beyond the coverage of care. Expensive breakthrough medications to slow Alzheimer’s disease or help with obesity are frequently not covered or have coverage limits. How do Americans feel about insurers? In the U.S. health care system, patients get coverage through a mix of private insurers such as UnitedHealthcare and government-funded programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. That can prove particularly frustrating for doctors and patients because coverage often varies by insurer. Polls reflect those frustrations with the U.S. health care system in general and insurance companies in particular. About two-thirds of Americans said health insurance companies deserve “a lot of blame” for high health care costs, according to a KFF poll conducted in February . Thompson’s wife said her husband had received previous threats Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive. Words on ammo in CEO shooting echo common phrase on insurer tactics: Delay, deny, defend A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting — “deny,” “defend” and “depose” — echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. The three words were emblazoned on the ammunition a masked gunman used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday. They’re similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend” — the way some attorneys describe how insurers deny services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book that was highly critical of the industry. Police haven’t officially commented on the wording or any connection between them and the common phrase. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting a deepening frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care. ▶ Read more about the messaging left behind by the shooter New photos released by the NYPD The New York Police Department released photos Thursday morning, asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the individual pictured. Police say the person is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. UnitedHealthcare’s history of claim denials A Senate panel has been investigating how frequently three major insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, deny care to patients who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. It has also investigated the use of artificial intelligence in deny those claims. Medicare Advantage is the private version of Medicare, which provides health insurance to millions of older Americans. The Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee’s report released earlier this year found that as UnitedHealthcare relied more on its automated system to review claims denials increased for post-acute treatment, which includes nursing home or rehabilitation care. The insurer denied nearly a quarter of claims, a rate that doubled over just a two-year period from 2020 to 2022. What’s known about the suspected shooter? Joseph Kenny, the NYPD chief of detectives, says the shooter wore a black face mask, black-and-white sneakers and a distinctive gray backpack. He arrived outside the hotel about five minutes before UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson did, then waited and ignored other pedestrians before he approached Thompson from behind. After the assailant began to fire, his 9 mm pistol jammed but he quickly fixed it and kept firing, Kenny said, another sign of the shooter’s professionalism. “From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” Kenny said. Hunt for the shooting suspect brought New York police to at least two hostels Thursday morning The hostels were on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and police were following a tip that the suspect may have stayed at one of the residences, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. The official requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the ongoing search. According to an employee of Kama Central Park, two detectives arrived at the hostel at 7 a.m. Thursday with a photo of the shooter and asked staff if they recognized the man. They did not, the employee said, and the detectives left soon after. An employee at the nearby HI New York City hostel also confirmed that police had visited the location Thursday, but declined to provide further information. — Jake Offenhartz New York Mayor Adams says he’s ‘never seen a silencer before’ New York Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday the shooter used a silencer — something he’d never encountered in his 22 years as a police officer. “In all of my years in law enforcement I have never seen a silencer before,” Adams, a retired NYPD captain, said in an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “And so that was really something that was shocking to us all.” Deny,’ ‘defend’ and ‘depose’: Ammunition used in CEO’s killing had writing on it, AP source says The masked gunman used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” a law enforcement official said Thursday. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The words on the ammunition may have been a reference to strategies insurance companies use to try to avoid paying claims. Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny had said earlier. — Mike Balsamo, Jake Offenhartz and Michael R. Sisak Just getting up to speed? Start here The chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest insurers, was killed Wednesday in midtown Manhattan in what police described as a targeted attack by a shooter outside a hotel where the company was holding a conference. ▶ Read more about the key things to know about the fatal attackChinese Salt Typhoon cyberespionage targets AT&T, Verizon but networks secure, carriers say

Fancy 'chatting' with Dr. Jose Rizal? A veteran voice artist develops an AI Rizal for that

'Money changes everything': Inside the seven-year free fall of Conor McGregor

The Latest: Police search for man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO, new photos of suspect releasedThis photo taken on Sept. 11, 2024 shows the pavilion of Tesla at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's fast-growing new-energy sector is not only a domestic success story, but also serves as a global game-changer, offering collaboration dividends across the entire industrial chain and providing a fresh boost to the global economy. This global impact is evident in the Thai government's backing for Chinese automakers to build an electric vehicle supply chain in the country, a move that Surasit Thanadtang, director of the Thai-Chinese Strategic Research Center under the National Research Council of Thailand, deems a smart strategy. Already, several Chinese car manufacturers have established factories in Thailand, including SAIC, Great Wall, BYD and Chery. This influx of Chinese electric vehicles is not only attracting further investment but also inspiring Chinese automotive supply chain companies to expand their presence there. Firms like Gotion High-Tech and SVOLT Energy Technology have set up battery production bases, while electronics manufacturers such as Ningbo Sunrise Elc Technology and Changzhou Aohong Electronics have announced new investments in Thailand. Thailand is tapping into China's knowledge and technical expertise to bolster its own electric vehicle sector, drive technological advancements, and generate employment opportunities, Surasit said. China's foray into the new-energy sector is not an isolated endeavor. It is an open-door policy aimed at fostering growth. This approach has led to an increasing number of multinationals aligning with China's new-energy sector to capitalize on the opportunities it presents. Tesla's rapid development serves as a fitting example. Since the launch of its Shanghai plant in 2019, the facility has leveraged China's comprehensive supply chain system and top-tier intelligent manufacturing capabilities to become the most efficient vehicle factory within Tesla's global network. With the ability to produce a car in less than 40 seconds, the factory has emerged as Tesla's primary global export center. In 2023, it delivered 947,000 vehicles, accounting for more than half of Tesla's global deliveries last year. In April, Mercedes-Benz announced an upgrade to its Shanghai R&D hub to expedite intelligent innovation in China, and Volkswagen Group China declared a 2.5-billion-euro investment to expand its production and innovation center in Hefei, Anhui Province. BMW's production base in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, has seen cumulative investments nearing 100 billion yuan (about 13.91 billion U.S. dollars) since 2010. These investments are not just about growth in China but also about leveraging China's expertise to enhance their global competitiveness. "In the past, it was often said that China needs Bosch and its innovative technologies for the development of the country's automotive industry. But today, the narrative has shifted: Bosch also needs China," Xu Daquan, president of Bosch China, said at the second China International Supply Chain Expo in November. China's new-energy industry also helps forge a win-win model for green and low-carbon energy transitions. For instance, the De Aar Wind Farm in South Africa, the first wind power project financed, constructed and operated by a Chinese company in Africa, has eased the local electricity crunch. While in Kenya, the Garissa Solar Power Plant, also built by a Chinese company, has started operations, lifting tens of thousands of households out of energy poverty. China is ready to fulfill its responsibilities as a major developing country by collaborating with others to enhance clean energy industries and supply chains, share knowledge and experience, promote the shift to green and low-carbon energy, and contribute to global sustainable energy development, according to the white paper titled "China's Energy Transition," published in August. Currently, China is collaborating on green energy projects with over 100 countries and regions. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the average global cost per megawatt-hour for wind and solar power has plummeted by over 60 percent and 80 percent, respectively, over the last decade. A substantial portion of these savings is credited to Chinese innovation, manufacturing prowess, and engineering excellence, which are driving down costs and making renewable energy more accessible worldwide, experts say.Tamannaah joins Salman for Dabangg Reloaded Dubai

Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. “We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time,” said a statement from OpenAI. Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said “appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation.” The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide. His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a “happy, smart and brave young man” who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends. Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT. “Suchir’s contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn’t have succeeded without him,” said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what made him such an exceptional engineer and scientist was his attention to detail and ability to notice subtle bugs or logical errors. “He had a knack for finding simple solutions and writing elegant code that worked,” Schulman wrote. “He’d think through the details of things carefully and rigorously.” Balaji later shifted to organizing the huge datasets of online writings and other media used to train GPT-4, the fourth generation of OpenAI's flagship large language model and a basis for the company's famous chatbot. It was that work that eventually caused Balaji to question the technology he helped build, especially after newspapers, novelists and others began suing OpenAI and other AI companies for copyright infringement. He first raised his concerns with The New York Times, which reported them in an October profile of Balaji . He later told The Associated Press he would “try to testify” in the strongest copyright infringement cases and considered a lawsuit brought by The New York Times last year to be the “most serious.” Times lawyers named him in a Nov. 18 court filing as someone who might have “unique and relevant documents” supporting allegations of OpenAI's willful copyright infringement. His records were also sought by lawyers in a separate case brought by book authors including the comedian Sarah Silverman, according to a court filing. “It doesn’t feel right to be training on people’s data and then competing with them in the marketplace,” Balaji told the AP in late October. “I don’t think you should be able to do that. I don’t think you are able to do that legally.” He told the AP that he gradually grew more disillusioned with OpenAI, especially after the internal turmoil that led its board of directors to fire and then rehire CEO Sam Altman last year. Balaji said he was broadly concerned about how its commercial products were rolling out, including their propensity for spouting false information known as hallucinations. But of the “bag of issues” he was concerned about, he said he was focusing on copyright as the one it was “actually possible to do something about.” He acknowledged that it was an unpopular opinion within the AI research community, which is accustomed to pulling data from the internet, but said “they will have to change and it’s a matter of time.” He had not been deposed and it’s unclear to what extent his revelations will be admitted as evidence in any legal cases after his death. He also published a personal blog post with his opinions about the topic. Schulman, who resigned from OpenAI in August, said he and Balaji coincidentally left on the same day and celebrated with fellow colleagues that night with dinner and drinks at a San Francisco bar. Another of Balaji’s mentors, co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, had left OpenAI several months earlier , which Balaji saw as another impetus to leave. Schulman said Balaji had told him earlier this year of his plans to leave OpenAI and that Balaji didn't think that better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence “was right around the corner, like the rest of the company seemed to believe.” The younger engineer expressed interest in getting a doctorate and exploring “some more off-the-beaten path ideas about how to build intelligence,” Schulman said. Balaji's family said a memorial is being planned for later this month at the India Community Center in Milpitas, California, not far from his hometown of Cupertino. —————- EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. —————-- The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives. Matt O'brien, The Associated PressAP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:42 p.m. EST

South Korean authorities seek warrant to detain impeached President Yoon in martial law probe

Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire to end nearly 14 months of fighting

Heat earns gusty road win over Rockets behind another excellent night from Tyler Herro

California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the border in San Diego County Thursday to announce construction beginning in January on a new road leading to the long-awaited Otay Mesa East port of entry. The next step forward in the project is decades in the making. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are “We’ve been talking about this Otay East port of entry since quite literally the late 1990s,” Newsom said. “We’re finally here to make the announcement that we’re going to be moving forward in the next few weeks. We’ve identified a contractor. We’re going to be moving forward with building the roads right behind us to get down to this section of the border.” Newsom added that the state has been working with the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to formalize the design contract and partnership agreement by the end of the month. He said the port of entry is on track to open by December 2027. At issue in negotiations is staffing, specifically who will run the port of entry and how. “It's been a stubborn project for one reason and one reason alone. Full disclosure: operational questions of how we manage this new port of entry and the funding that comes from actively managing it,” Newsom said. “And that's the process that is unfolding in real time as it relates to the details of this final agreement that we're working with the White House.” Newsom said he “didn’t want to make this too political.” But in a conversation on commerce, he found it seemingly impossible to avoid talk of tariffs, taking aim at President-elect Donald Trump floating the idea of taxing imports. Local Drop off toys Friday, December 6 at NBC 7 & Telemundo 20's ‘Toys for Tots' drive-thru event December Nights, San Diego's largest free holiday festival, returns to Balboa Park “Tariff’s a tax that you pay for. Not even complicated,” Newsom said, pointing to confusion over what a tariff would do. “This is one of the biggest tax increases in U.S. history that that this guy Donald Trump just proposed. That’s a hell of a thing.” His office noted that Mexico is California’s top export market, buying $33.3 billion of goods each year, and the state’s second-largest source of imports, worth $61.5 billion. “The cost of food that will go up, the cost of tomatoes, the supermarket, the vegetables, over half that come in from Mexico,” Newsom said. He also brought up Trump’s unspecified promise of mass deportations, pointing to the potential impact particularly on agriculture. Newsom said about half of farm workers in California are undocumented, the vast majority having been in the state for years. “The impacts of mass deportation on the cost of food in this state, in this nation, are off the charts. This is serious business,” he said. “This is a serious moment in California’s history.” Also part of the announcement Thursday, CalGuard will add analysts to state and federal task forces investigating the flow of weapons and money from the U.S. into Mexico – fueling cartel activity – for a more collaborative border security effort.Amazon is doubling its investment in Anthropic to $8 billion in a deepened collaboration on artificial intelligence, the companies said Friday. The e-commerce and technology behemoth will remain a minority investor in Anthropic, having pumped an initial $4 billion into the artificial intelligence developer late last year and becoming its primary cloud computing provider. "The response from AWS customers who are developing generative AI applications powered by Anthropic in Amazon Bedrock has been remarkable," said Matt Garman, chief of AWS cloud computing division. "We'll keep pushing the boundaries of what customers can achieve with generative AI technologies." Amazon is investing the additional $4 billion in Anthropic as part of an expanded alliance that includes working together on "Trainium" hardware to optimize machine learning, according to the companies. "We're looking forward to working with Amazon to train and power our most advanced AI models using AWS Trainium, and helping to unlock the full potential of their technology," said Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei. The announcement came just days after Britain's competition regulator cleared Google-parent Alphabet's investment in Anthropic, following a probe. The Competition and Markets Authority concluded that the big tech giant had not acquired "material influence" over Anthropic as a result of the deal, which was reported to have cost $2 billion. The British regulator is one of several global regulators concerned with reining in big tech companies and their partnerships with AI firms. In September, the CMA cleared Amazon's initial investment in Anthropic, saying it did not believe that "a relevant merger situation has been created." gc/mlmThousands rallied across Georgia on Thursday for a second week of pro-EU protests, after the prime minister threatened to "eradicate" the country's "liberal-fascist" opposition. Tbilisi has been rocked by turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party, which critics accuse of creeping authoritarianism and leading the country back towards Russia, claimed victory in a disputed election in October. The government said last Thursday that it would suspend EU membership talks until 2028, sparking a fresh wave of demonstrations that have been met with a heavy-handed response from authorities. Several thousand people gathered outside parliament on Thursday for the eighth consecutive night of protests. Some held signs reading "your repression will finish you" in a reference to the government's heavy-handed response to the demonstrations, an AFP reporter witnessed. "This government has to change as they just don't care about us, about future generations," said Mano, a 23-year-old who declined to give her full name. As on previous nights, some demonstrators banged on the metal barriers blocking the parliament's entrance, waved EU flags and blew horns and whistles. But turnout was initially lower than in the previous days. Nini Tchurghulia, 19, a history student wrapped in a Georgian flag, said she was worried that the movement might be losing steam but was nevertheless determined to continue protesting. "We will win" in the end, she said. Protests were also held in cities including Batumi, Kutaisi, and Zugdidi, local media reported. The reports said several demonstrators were arrested in Kutaisi. Video footage shared on social media showed a teenager lying on the ground, semi-conscious, as protesters accused the police of using excessive force against him. Earlier, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told reporters "we will do everything necessary to completely eradicate liberal fascism in Georgia," escalating the government's bitter campaign against its rivals. "This process has already begun. These recent developments mark the start of the end of liberal fascism in Georgia," he said, using language reminiscent of the Kremlin in Russia to target political opponents. Masked police on Thursday raided several opposition party offices and arrested opposition leaders. Kobakhidze has refused to back down in the face of international condemnation, instead escalating a feud with pro-EU opposition groups that are demanding a rerun of the elections. Around 300 people have been detained and dozens injured, including protestors and police, in clashes outside parliament in Tbilisi over the last week. Several demonstrators, including journalists, have needed hospital treatment after being detained and, they allege, beaten by security forces. Rights ombudsman Levan Ioseliani has accused the police of using "torture" against those detained at rallies. On Thursday, he said that 191 protesters detained over the past week had reported mistreatment in custody, with 138 showing visible injuries. On Wednesday, Georgian police arrested seven people for "organising and leading group violence" and seized crates of fireworks, which have been launched by protestors at riot police. Opposition leader Nika Gvaramia of the Akhali party was beaten and detained during a police raid. Television footage showed him apparently unconscious, being carried away by masked security forces. Another detained opposition politician, Alexandre Elisashvili, was hospitalised with "serious injuries" he allegedly sustained in custody, his Strong Georgia opposition alliance said. The United States and other countries have denounced Georgia's crackdown, threatening additional sanctions against the country's leaders. Kobakhidze rejected Blinken's statements and said Tbilisi was hoping for better relations with Washington after Donald Trump takes office in January. Critics of the government are enraged by what they call its betrayal of Georgia's bid for EU membership, which is enshrined in its constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population. Several ambassadors and a deputy foreign minister, resigned over the decision to suspend EU accession talks. Galvanising the protest movement, a senior interior ministry official tasked with responding to the protests also quit on Wednesday, posting his resignation letter on social media accompanied by Georgian and European flag emojis. The protests have drawn comparisons with the 2014 pro-EU revolution in Ukraine that ousted a Moscow-backed president. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday criticised Kobakhidze and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, widely seen as the country's de facto leader, for "handing Georgia over to Putin", he said in a video message referring to Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Since 2022, Georgia has advanced legislation targeting civil society and independent media as well as curbing LGBTQ rights, measures critics say are based on repressive Russian laws. ub-im/gv

As the holiday season kicks off, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the festive spirit and overlook potential medical emergencies. Dr Neville Vlok, a specialist emergency medicine physician practising in the emergency department at Netcare Unitas Hospital, highlights four health issues that could disrupt even the most carefully planned holiday celebrations. Allergic reactions and insect stings Outdoor activities such as picnics and hikes can increase exposure to allergens and insect stings. While most bites and stings cause only minor irritation, Dr Vlok warns that severe allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis, can be life-threatening. “Over-the-counter antihistamines can help with mild reactions, but immediate medical attention is needed for symptoms like swelling of the lips and tongue, a skin rash or difficulty breathing,” he advises. Bee sting first aid : Use a card or fingernail to gently scrape out the sting, avoiding squeezing it. If you're allergic, carry an adrenaline injection and always wear a medical bracelet. Allergies can develop at any time, so remain vigilant for symptoms like difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, or severe headaches. Prioritise water safety With families flocking to beaches and spending time around swimming pools, drowning is a significant concern at this time of year. Dr Vlok emphasises vigilance around water and recommends learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to be prepared in case of emergencies. “Saving local emergency numbers on your phone can be a lifesaver,” he suggests. Water safety tips : Never swim alone or at night. Avoid swimming under the influence of alcohol, and always supervise children around water. Ensure pools are secured with a net or fence, and only swim in designated beach areas with lifeguards. Always check water depth before diving. Even if you have never done CPR before, Netcare 911’s national emergency operations centre [EOC] is putting life-saving skills into the hands of the public with an innovative telehealth video call technology application. When a caller reports an emergency requiring CPR to Netcare 911’s EOC on 082 911 , the coordinator immediately initiates the video calling process by sending the caller a link via SMS to a live, secure video platform. The caller clicks on the link to connect with the Netcare 911 emergency care providers, enabling them to see and hear each other to better guide the caller in performing CPR until help arrives. Guard against heat exhaustion and dehydration High temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion and dehydration, especially when spending long hours outdoors. Symptoms like dizziness and fatigue should not be ignored. “Stay hydrated, wear light clothing, and use sunscreen to prevent sunburn. Avoid excessive alcohol, as it can worsen dehydration,” advises Dr Vlok. Avoid strenuous activities in hot conditions and seek shade during peak sun hours. Drink fluids regularly but avoid over-hydration. Wear sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat, and protect your skin with a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Use sunscreen with at least SPF 15; a higher SPF, like 30 or 50, is recommended for extended outdoor activity. Prevent food poisoning Holiday feasts are a highlight of the season, but improper food handling can lead to food poisoning. Dr Vlok stresses the importance of food hygiene. “Keep perishables refrigerated and cook meat thoroughly. Keep hydrated if you experience symptoms like nausea or diarrhoea.” Food safety guidelines : Be cautious with high-risk foods like shellfish and undercooked meats. Only eat fruits you can peel yourself, and ensure dishes are served hot. Pay extra attention to food handling while travelling. Be prepared for emergencies Dr Vlok emphasises the importance of being ready to handle minor injuries or medical issues before professional help arrives. A well-stocked first-aid kit should include bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers and a thermometer. Familiarise yourself with nearby medical facilities and have a family emergency alert system in place. Dr Vlok recommends including these essential items in your first-aid kit for home and travel. “Emergencies are unpredictable, but preparation can save lives. Stay calm, assess the situation, and act swiftly. The emergency department at Netcare Unitas Hospital wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday season, and we will be open throughout for our community’s peace of mind,” Dr Vlok concludes. DispatchLIVEGEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) — Matus Hronsky's 13 points off of the bench helped Duquesne to a 67-54 victory over Old Dominion on Tuesday. Hronsky shot 5 for 9, including 3 for 6 from beyond the arc for the Dukes (1-6). Maximus Edwards scored 11 points while going 5 of 9 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and added seven rebounds. Halil Barre had 10 points and finished 5 of 7 from the floor. The Dukes stopped a six-game slide with the win. Devin Ceaser led the way for the Monarchs (2-6) with 23 points and three steals. Duquesne took a 26-19 lead at halftime, with Edwards racking up seven points. Duquesne extended its lead to 36-23 during the second half, fueled by an 8-0 scoring run. Hronsky scored a team-high 10 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There’s more than just school pride and bragging rights to all that bellyaching over who might be in and who might be out of college football ‘s first 12-team playoff. Try the more than $115 million that will be spread across the conferences at the end of the season, all depending on who gets in and which teams go the farthest. According to the College Football Playoff website , the 12 teams simply making the bracket earn their conferences $4 million each. Another $4 million goes to conferences whose teams get into the quarterfinals. Then, there’s $6 million more for teams that make the semifinals and another $6 million for those who play for the title. Most of this bonanza comes courtesy of ESPN, which is forking over $1.3 billion a year to televise the new postseason. A lot of that money is already earmarked — more goes to the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference than the Big 12 or Atlantic Coast — but a lot is up for grabs in the 11 games that will play out between the opening round on Dec. 20 and the final on Jan. 20. In all, the teams that make the title game will bring $20 million to their conferences, all of which distribute that money, along with billions in TV revenue and other sources, in different ways. In fiscal 2022-23, the Big Ten, for instance, reported revenue of nearly $880 million and distributed about $60.5 million to most of its members. RELATED COVERAGE No. 2 Texas goes for a title in its first SEC season, but must get by No. 5 Georgia CFP berth at stake when No. 10 Boise State hosts No. 19 UNLV in Mountain West title game No. 18 Clemson needs to slow down SMU QB Kevin Jennings to win 9th ACC title game, secure CFP spot The massive stakes might help explain the unabashed lobbying coming from some corners of the football world, as the tension grows in advance of Sunday’s final rankings, which will set the bracket. Earlier this week, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark lit into the selection committee, which doesn’t have a single team higher than 15 in the rankings. That does two things: It positions the Big 12 as a one-bid league, and also threatens to makes its champion — either Arizona State or Iowa State — the fifth-best among conference titlists that get automatic bids. Only the top four of those get byes, which could cost the Big 12 a spot in the quarterfinals — or $4 million. “The committee continues to show time and time again that they are paying attention to logos versus resumes,” Yormark said this week, while slamming the idea of teams with two losses in his conference being ranked worse than teams with three in the SEC. The ACC is also staring at a one-bid season with only No. 8 SMU inside the cut line of this week’s projected bracket. Miami’s loss last week all but bumped the Hurricanes out of the playoffs, a snub that ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said left him “incredibly shocked and disappointed.” “As we look ahead to the final rankings, we hope the committee will reconsider and put a deserving Miami in the field,” Phillips said in a statement. The lobbying and bickering filters down to the campuses that feel the impact. And, of course, to social media. One of the most entertaining episodes came earlier this week when athletic directors at Iowa State and SMU went back and forth about whose team was more deserving. There are a few stray millions that the selection committee cannot really influence, including a $3 million payment to conferences that make the playoff. In a reminder that all these kids are going to school, after all, the conferences get $300,000 per football team that meets academic requirements to participate in the postseason. (That’s basically everyone). ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the border in San Diego County Thursday to announce construction beginning in January on a new road leading to the long-awaited Otay Mesa East port of entry. The next step forward in the project is decades in the making. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are “We’ve been talking about this Otay East port of entry since quite literally the late 1990s,” Newsom said. “We’re finally here to make the announcement that we’re going to be moving forward in the next few weeks. We’ve identified a contractor. We’re going to be moving forward with building the roads right behind us to get down to this section of the border.” Newsom added that the state has been working with the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to formalize the design contract and partnership agreement by the end of the month. He said the port of entry is on track to open by December 2027. At issue in negotiations is staffing, specifically who will run the port of entry and how. “It's been a stubborn project for one reason and one reason alone. Full disclosure: operational questions of how we manage this new port of entry and the funding that comes from actively managing it,” Newsom said. “And that's the process that is unfolding in real time as it relates to the details of this final agreement that we're working with the White House.” Newsom said he “didn’t want to make this too political.” But in a conversation on commerce, he found it seemingly impossible to avoid talk of tariffs, taking aim at President-elect Donald Trump floating the idea of taxing imports. Local Drop off toys Friday, December 6 at NBC 7 & Telemundo 20's ‘Toys for Tots' drive-thru event December Nights, San Diego's largest free holiday festival, returns to Balboa Park “Tariff’s a tax that you pay for. Not even complicated,” Newsom said, pointing to confusion over what a tariff would do. “This is one of the biggest tax increases in U.S. history that that this guy Donald Trump just proposed. That’s a hell of a thing.” His office noted that Mexico is California’s top export market, buying $33.3 billion of goods each year, and the state’s second-largest source of imports, worth $61.5 billion. “The cost of food that will go up, the cost of tomatoes, the supermarket, the vegetables, over half that come in from Mexico,” Newsom said. He also brought up Trump’s unspecified promise of mass deportations, pointing to the potential impact particularly on agriculture. Newsom said about half of farm workers in California are undocumented, the vast majority having been in the state for years. “The impacts of mass deportation on the cost of food in this state, in this nation, are off the charts. This is serious business,” he said. “This is a serious moment in California’s history.” Also part of the announcement Thursday, CalGuard will add analysts to state and federal task forces investigating the flow of weapons and money from the U.S. into Mexico – fueling cartel activity – for a more collaborative border security effort.

Who owns your face and your voice? Generally, you do. But the question is getting a lot more complicated now that artificial intelligence can capture you from material that’s on the internet and rapidly produce a digital likeness that can do all sorts of things. Many of those things make money. Digital likenesses can appear in movies, TV shows and commercials, as well as monetized snippets on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Rumble and probably five more platforms that could have a million users by noon tomorrow. So, whose money is that? This is a fascinating question that touches on blood-sucking. That’s not a criticism, it’s a 1979 California Supreme Court decision about Count Dracula merchandise. In 1930, actor Bela Lugosi signed a contract with Universal Pictures to play Dracula. He wasn’t the first or last actor to play the vampire aristocrat, but the performance was so iconic that his voice and likeness became a valuable and marketable commodity. Decades later, when Universal licensed monster movie characters for merchandise, the face of Dracula was Bela Lugosi. Lugosi’s widow and son sued Universal over the unauthorized use of the actor’s image. The state Supreme Court squabbled over whether the right to market Lugosi’s image was included in the original contract, whether the issue was one of property, publicity or privacy rights, and whether the rights had died with Lugosi or transferred to his heirs, undead. A majority of the justices concluded that the right of publicity that belonged to Lugosi when he was alive did not transfer to his heirs. But the California legislature soon stepped in with a new law to establish that the right to profit from the exploitation of an individual’s likeness, with some exceptions, is a right of publicity that survives death. In 1999, after the producers of video dance lessons used movie clips of Fred Astaire without the permission of his widow, Robyn, the legislature passed another law to curtail the exceptions in the earlier law. But at the time, lawmakers did not think to include in the law any limits on using artificial intelligence to generate an entirely new performance by a deceased celebrity and make it available on a YouTube channel. That’s what happened in 2024 to the late George Carlin, when the hosts of the “Dudesy” podcast released a one-hour “comedy” special titled, “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead.” Carlin’s family was not amused. The Dudesy team claimed that the performance was created with generative artificial intelligence. Carlin’s estate filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in federal court. One of podcast hosts then told the New York Times that the jokes were actually written by the other podcast host, not by an AI-generated Carlin. Did they violate copyright law? Property rights? Publicity rights? Exactly what was created here, who created it, and who has the right to monetize it? The case was settled, so a court didn’t have to decide. But it prompted the union that represents performers, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, known as SAG-AFTRA, to sponsor legislation in California to broaden the protection the law gives to heirs of people whose valuable performances have suddenly become unlimited AI training material. Related Articles Opinion Columnists | Politicians truly are the worst among us Opinion Columnists | California’s prohibitively expensive recounts are unfair and bad for public trust Opinion Columnists | Democrats really don’t understand democracy, or why they lost the presidential election Opinion Columnists | How Trump handles the U.S.–Mexico relationship is vital, for the U.S. and California Opinion Columnists | Dockworker unions need to be forced to accept reality. Automation is coming and that’s a good thing. Assembly Bill 1836, which takes effect on January 1, 2025, establishes a right to sue over the unauthorized uses of digital replicas in “an expressive audiovisual work or sound recording” without the prior consent of the person who controls the rights to the deceased individual’s likeness. Two more laws taking effect on January 1 extend financial protection to minors whose parents make money by posting videos of their kids on social media. Senate Bill 764 requires parents who “vlog,” defined as posting content for compensation, to put a share of the earnings into a trust account for the child. Assembly Bill 1880 expands the 1938 Coogan Law, later updated into the 1999 Coogan Act, named for child star Jackie Coogan. The law requires that 15% of all gross earnings of a minor under contract for artistic services be set aside in a trust for the minor’s benefit. AB 1880 adds the category of “influencer” to the employment contracts covered by the law. California is battling the future to protect performers. Bravo. Write Susan@SusanShelley.com and follow her on X @Susan_ShelleyRupiah Intervention Shows EM’s Strong-Dollar Headache