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"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.By JILL COLVIN NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time. In a post on his social media site Friday, Trump said his party would try to end the practice when he returns to office. “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,” he wrote. Setting clocks forward one hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall is intended to maximize daylight during summer months, but has long been subject to scrutiny. Daylight saving time was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. Lawmakers have occasionally proposed getting rid of the time change altogether. The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the Sunshine Protection Act , had proposed making daylight saving time permanent. The measure was sponsored by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , whom Trump has tapped to helm the State Department. Related Articles National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg National Politics | Veteran Daniel Penny, acquitted in NYC subway chokehold, will join Trump’s suite at football game National Politics | About 3 in 10 are highly confident in Trump on Cabinet, spending or military oversight: AP-NORC poll “Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary,” Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said as the Senate voted in favor of the measure. Health experts have said that lawmakers have it backward and that standard time should be made permanent. Some health groups , including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said that it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology. Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do, the date that clocks are changed varies, creating a complicated tapestry of changing time differences. Arizona and Hawaii don’t change their clocks at all.NBA News: Thomas Bryant Reportedly Traded to Pacers from Heat; Draft Picks Swapped
With rookie QB Penix showing poise in starting debut, the Falcons again control their playoff hopesOTTAWA—When U.S. president-elect Donald Trump rattled global markets with a new threat of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian and Mexican products and additional tariffs on China, it jolted the Canadian dollar and nerves at all government levels, led to predictions of a recession in 2025, and kicked off bitter partisan shots on Parliament Hill. The early days of a new Trump era suddenly look a lot like the old days, only worse. The Liberal government did not rule out retaliation — possibly a tariff war — if Trump goes ahead with his threat, just as Ottawa levied reciprocal dollar-for-dollar tariffs against the U.S. in 2018 during the bitter NAFTA renegotiation talks — a trade counter-punch that Chrystia Freeland said Tuesday worked. Freeland, the deputy prime minister and finance minister, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, and other cabinet ministers said Canada “shares” Trump’s concerns about border security and is intent on beefing it up where necessary, but insisted the overall Canada-U.S. relationship is “balanced and mutually beneficial.” “The fact is, we need them and they also need us,” Freeland told reporters. She pointed to Canadian exports of oil, hydroelectricity, critical minerals and metals the U.S. relies on, all of which could face a sudden 25 per cent price hike for American consumers and businesses. Some economists suggested Canadian oil exports could eventually find new markets, but automotive, manufacturing, and other business leaders said Tuesday a 25 per cent surcharge would be devastating for most other Canadian export sectors. University of Calgary Prof. Trevor Tombe updated a report he wrote for the Chamber of Commerce with a more dire prediction on “X” that 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs would hammer the Canadian economy, cause a recession, and lead to a loss of $2,000 in real annual income for people. For months, the Trudeau government has told Canadians it was getting ready for the prospect of an incoming Trump administration. It knew he’d campaigned on a 10 per cent tariff on all on global imports. It was braced for surprises. Yet on Monday night, Trump’s vow to exact a “big price” on Canada and Mexico and his lumping of Canada together with Mexico as a source of fentanyl and illegal immigration to the U.S. still landed like a bombshell, sources admitted. Trump, in his statement on his Truth Social platform, claimed “thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing crime and drugs at levels never seen before.” On his first day in office, he now says he would levy and keep a 25 per cent tariff in place “until such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country!” Trump’s aggressive move sent the Canadian dollar and Mexican peso into a fall in overnight markets. Premier Doug Ford , who chairs the Council of the Federation, said it was “unfair” and “insulting” for Trump to compare Canada to Mexico. “It’s like a family member stabbing you right in the heart.” Asked if Canada should respond in kind if Trump slaps a 25 per cent tariff on goods shipped into the U.S., Ford said: “Hopefully we won’t come to that. But if it does, there is no choice. We have to retaliate.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau immediately called Trump’s team Monday night, but the call resulted in no pullback by Trump, or dialing down of the threat. Trudeau told the Commons they talked about “how important it was for us to work together to solve some of the challenges we are facing as a continent and as countries, but also work to grow our economy and protect our workers on both sides of the border.” The prime minister essentially argued Canada is not the same problem Mexico is — rather it’s a solution to American concerns about border integrity. A senior government official told the Star the call lasted about 10 minutes, with the first few minutes spent on niceties and catching up, and was not confrontational. Still, at the end of it, Trudeau and his inner circle recognized Trump’s threat must be taken seriously, that Trump has set a deadline at his swearing-in date, and so the government must spend the next two months to avoid that. The sense of urgency pervaded Parliament Hill Tuesday. The Commons was to hold an emergency debate Tuesday night, and Trudeau said he has convened a first ministers’ meeting Wednesday night, at 5 p.m. to hash out how to handle the incoming Trump administration , and the potential crisis posed by his latest threat . It remains unclear if Trump is staking out a tough initial negotiating position, or trying to scare foreign investment capital away from Canada and Mexico. The renegotiated North American trade pact is up for review in 2026 and Trump has boasted since his re-election that he fixed it in his first term. Known here as the Canada-U.S.-Mexican-Agreement or CUSMA, that deal protects duty-free trade among the three countries, and mostly prevents the use of tariffs on each other. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said a tariff war would put “our common businesses at risk,” Associated Press reported. “It is unacceptable and would cause inflation and job losses in Mexico and the United States,” Sheinbaum said. Inside and outside the Commons, the prime minister issued a call for Canadian political leaders to set partisanship aside and show a united front in a “Team Canada approach” to Trump. However, Trudeau’s call didn’t bridge the deep partisan divide on Parliament Hill. Outside the Commons, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Trudeau and Freeland were surprised by Trump’s threat because they are “weak,” and that “if necessary” he would be willing to retaliate against any Trump tariffs, although he did not specify in what manner . Inside the chamber, Poilievre erroneously said Trump made the threat after Trudeau had called him, lambasting Trudeau for having no real plan other than a “Zoom call.” “Where is the plan to stop the drugs and keep our border open to trade?” Poilievre demanded. Trudeau retorted Poilievre “is just making stuff up” — Trump’s threat preceded and prompted their call — and resorting to slogans and fear-mongering. “We are going to continue to work constructively with the incoming administration to protect Canadian jobs, to protect Canadian growth and to take the responsible approach that is not steeped in partisanship,” the prime minister said. New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh said, “The only thing a bully responds to is strength. Where is our plan to fight back? Where is the war room? Where is a concrete plan to bring our issue before CUSMA? Why is the prime minister not fighting like hell for Canadian jobs?” Trudeau said the “idea of going to war with the United States” is not what anybody wants, and his government would not react by “freaking out the way the leader of the NDP seems to be.” Two premiers — Alberta’s Danielle Smith and Quebec’s François Legault — backed Trump, with Smith posting that he “has valid concerns related to illegal activities at our shared border.” “I think that the concerns expressed by Donald Trump are legitimate,” said Legault, speaking in Quebec City. “I understand that the problem is far worse on the Mexican border, but the fact remains that when you look at what’s happening on the Canadian border, especially in recent years, there’s been a significant increase in the number of illegal immigrants going through Canada to arrive in the United States. So Mr. Trudeau, more than ever, now must present a plan, a plan to properly protect the border on both sides.” NDP Premier Wab Kinew of Manitoba said Canada could more quickly invest in defence and border security to allay Trump’s concerns. ult agreed a 25-percent tariff would hit many sectors hard, and lead to “tens of thousands” of job losses. Asked if Canada should retaliate in kind with tariffs, Legault appeared skeptical. Quebec sends $87 billion in exports to the U.S. “We export twice as much as what we receive from the US. So the last thing we want is a trade war. We can’t rule it out, but I think we need to do everything we possibly can to avoid it.” With a file from Robert BenzieBrazil’s federal police last Thursday formally accused Mr Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup. They sent their 884-page report to the Supreme Court, which lifted the seal. “The evidence collected throughout the investigation shows unequivocally that then-president Jair Messias Bolsonaro planned, acted and was directly and effectively aware of the actions of the criminal organisation aiming to launch a coup d’etat and eliminate the democratic rule of law, which did not take place due to reasons unrelated to his desire,” the document said. At another point, it says: “Bolsonaro had full awareness and active participation.” Mr Bolsonaro, who had repeatedly alleged without evidence that the country’s electronic voting system was prone to fraud, called a meeting in December 2022, during which he presented a draft decree to the commanders of the three divisions of the armed forces, according to the police report, signed by four investigators. The decree would have launched an investigation into suspicions of fraud and crimes related to the October 2022 vote, and suspended the powers of the nation’s electoral court. The navy’s commander stood ready to comply, but those from the army and air force objected to any plan that prevented Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s inauguration, the report said. Those refusals are why the plan did not go ahead, according to witnesses who spoke to investigators. Mr Bolsonaro never signed the decree to set the final stage of the alleged plan into action. Mr Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or awareness of any plot to keep him in power or oust his leftist rival and successor. “No one is going to do a coup with a reserve general and half a dozen other officers. What is being said is absurd. For my part, there has never been any discussion of a coup,” Mr Bolsonaro told journalists in the capital Brasilia on Monday. “If someone came to discuss a coup with me, I’d say, that’s fine, but the day after, how does the world view us?” he added. “The word ‘coup’ has never been in my dictionary.” The top court has passed the report on to prosecutor-general Paulo Gonet. He will decide whether to formally charge Mr Bolsonaro. Rodrigo Rios, a law professor at the PUC university in the city of Curitiba, said Mr Bolsonaro could face up to a minimum of 11 years in prison if convicted on all charges. “A woman involved in the January 8 attack on the Supreme Court received a 17-year prison sentence,” Mr Rios told the Associated Press, noting that the former president is more likely to receive 15 years or more if convicted. “Bolsonaro’s future looks dark.” Ahead of the 2022 election, Mr Bolsonaro repeatedly alleged that the election system, which does not use paper ballots, could be tampered with. The top electoral court later ruled that he had abused his power to cast unfounded doubt on the voting system, and ruled him ineligible for office until 2030. Still, he has maintained that he will stand as a candidate in the 2026 race. Since Mr Bolsonaro left office, he has been targeted by several investigations, all of which he has chalked up to political persecution. Federal police have accused him of smuggling diamond jewellery into Brazil without properly declaring them and directing a subordinate to falsify his and others’ Covid-19 vaccination statuses. Authorities are also investigating whether he incited the riot on January 8 2022 in which his followers ransacked the Supreme Court and presidential palace in Brasilia, seeking to prompt intervention by the army that would oust Mr Lula from power. Mr Bolsonaro had left for the United States days before Mr Lula’s inauguration on January 1 2023 and stayed there for three months, keeping a low profile. The police report unsealed on Tuesday alleges he was seeking to avoid possible imprisonment related to the coup plot, and also await the uprising that took place a week later.
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured Nigerians that 2025 will usher in a new wave of progress and opportunities for the country. Speaking during a nationwide presidential media chat, Tinubu expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their patience and support while reaffirming his commitment to steering the nation toward prosperity. The President highlighted the successes of his administration’s reforms, stating that they are strategically designed to position Nigeria on a path of sustainable growth. “We are nearly 18 months into this tenure, and I assure you that things will work out well for Nigeria again,” Tinubu declared. ALSO READ: Gombe ACReSAL trains 500 on rainwater harvesting He also disclosed that in the past three months, his administration has refrained from collecting funds from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), emphasising that his policies have already started generating sufficient revenue. Responding to a question from media personality Ruben Abati about his Christmas message to Nigerians, Tinubu reiterated his optimism for the coming year. “As we celebrate Christmas, I want to assure every Nigerian that 2025 will be a promising year. I seek your continued patience and support as we build a better future together,” he said. Tinubu’s message is a rallying call for unity and faith in the administration’s efforts to rebuild and strengthen the nation, promising Nigerians that brighter days lie ahead. NIGERIAN TRIBUNEPowell leads the Clippers to a 114-110 victory over the GrizzliesEx-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died
Rare Roman coin featuring Brutus up for auction in GenevaLUCKNOW: Seers' organisation Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti (AKSS) criticised on Monday RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat 's recent remarks cautioning against 'an unacceptable trend of wannabe Hindu leaders raking up temple-mosque disputes at various sites'. AKSS general secretary Swami Jitendranand Saraswati said such religious matters should be decided by 'dharmacharyas' (religious leaders) rather than RSS, which he described as a 'cultural organisation'. "When the subject of religion arises, it is for religious gurus to decide. And whatever they decide will be accepted by Sangh and VHP," Saraswati said. He said despite Bhagwat's similar comments in the past, temple structures have been identified at 56 new sites, underscoring ongoing interest in these disputes. He said religious organisations often act in response to public sentiment than political agendas. This marks the first time Bhagwat has faced major dissent from within the saffron ecosystem. Religious gurus like Jagadguru Rambhadracharya believe that Sangh should defer to spiritual figures in decisions related to religion. Analysts suggested the seer's backlash reflects a larger struggle within the Hindu religious community over RSS's influence in matters of faith. Bhagwat's remarks came after Hindu groups filed legal petitions seeking the demolition of mosques they claim were built on temple sites, including Shahi Jama Masjid in UP's Sambhal. In response, Bhagwat warned that 'no one will become a leader of Hindus by raking up temple-mosque disputes and spreading communal divide'. Rambhadracharya challenged the RSS chief's authority, saying: "Let me make it clear, Mohan Bhagwat is not our disciplinarian, but we are." He said the recent unrest in Sambhal, where a temple-mosque dispute led to violence and five deaths, highlight the importance of judicial and democratic processes in resolving such issues. "The positive side is that things are being uncovered in favour of Hindus. We will secure this through the courts, through the ballot, and with public support," Rambhadracharya said. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword . Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes , messages , and quotes.Ever since pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto published a whitepaper on Bitcoin BTC/USD in 2008, there have been plenty of cryptocurrency skeptics. President-elect Donald Trump was one of them . “I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which are not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air,” Trump tweeted in 2019. He also called out Libra, a virtual currency that Meta Platforms was working on at the time. The Facebook parent company should “seek a new Banking Charter and become subject to all Banking Regulations, just like other Banks,” he insisted. But during his 2024 U.S. presidential campaign , Trump changed his mind. He suggested a strategic national crypto stockpile for the U.S. Trump also launched his own non-fungible tokens on the Polygon MATIC/USD blockchain and accepted Ethereum ETH/USD as a payment option. Read Also: Trump Appoints VC David Sacks As White House Crypto Czar: ‘He Will Work On A Legal Framework’ A key milestone for the crypto sector came when Trump spoke at the 2024 Bitcoin Conference in Nashville. "For too long our government has violated the cardinal rule that every Bitcoiner knows by heart: Never sell your Bitcoin," Trump said at the event on July 27. "This afternoon I'm laying out my plan to ensure that the United States will be the crypto capital of the planet and Bitcoin superpower of the world and we'll get it done.” Investing $1,000 in Bitcoin: Bitcoin holders saw a soaring valuation ever since Trump made that speech. Bitcoin traded between $66,705.22 to $69,398.51 on July 27, 2024, the date of Trump's event appearance. A $1,000 investment at the day's highest price could have purchased 0.0144 BTC. Fast-forward to today and Bitcoin trades at $101,478.46, recently passing the $100,000 milestone for the first time. The $1,000 investment would be worth $1,461.29 today, up 46.1% in less than five months. The same $1,000 invested in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, which tracks the S&P 500, would be worth $1,111.21 today. That’s up only 11.1% over the same time period. Bitcoin quickly passed new all-time highs after Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Over the past month, Bitcoin has traded between $74,480.42 and $103,900.47. Bitcoin investors are optimistic that Trump's incoming administration will continue being pro-crypto compared to his predecessor, President Joe Biden . Now Read: EXCLUSIVE: Bitcoin Briefly Tops $100,000, But Where Do Benzinga Readers Predict It Will Finish 2024? Image: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Toronto-Dominion Bank stock falls Thursday, underperforms marketThe standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.
Unwrap the latest AI features with Amazon Fire TabletsPresident Joe Biden on Tuesday welcomed as "good news" a US and French-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, saying he hoped it could be a springboard to peace in Gaza too. The deal will come into force at 4:00 am local time (0200 GMT) Wednesday, Biden said as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced his ministers had approved the deal. "I have some good news to report from the Middle East," Biden, who is due to leave office in less than two months, said in a speech in the Rose Garden of the White House. "I just spoke with the prime ministers of Israel and Lebanon and I'm pleased to announce that their governments have accepted the United States' proposal to end the devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah." Biden thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for his "partnership in reaching this moment." The deal is a rare boost for Biden as he prepares to leave the White House and hand over to President Donald Trump on January 20. Trump has appointed some key Israel hawks in his cabinet. Biden said the deal was designed to be a "permanent cessation of hostilities" between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, after more than a year of cross-border fire and two months of all-out war in Lebanon. Under the agreement, the Lebanese army would take control of the border area on their side and "what is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed... to threaten the security of Israel again," he said. The United States and France would ensure the deal was fully implemented but there would be no US troops on the ground, he added. Biden said the deal "heralds a new start for Lebanon" but could also lead to wider peace in the tense Middle East. The United States, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Israel would "make another push" in coming days for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel is still at war with Hamas following the Palestinian group's deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Washington would also push for a long-hoped-for deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, he said. dk/md Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.
MENLO PARK, Calif. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BillionToOne, a next-generation molecular diagnostics company with a mission to create powerful and accurate tests that are accessible to all, today announced that they will be presenting at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, CA , on January 14, 2025 . BillionToOne marks a transformative year of achievements as it looks toward 2025. The company closed an oversubscribed, upsized Series D funding round led by Premji Invest in June, and was recently recognized as the Biotech Breakthrough Awards' Diagnostics Company of the Year. More than 500,000 patients have received BillionToOne tests to date, and the company has grown from $0M to $150M+ in annual recurring revenue over the past five years. This will be BillionToOne's second year in attendance at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, and the company will present on the topic of "Redefining Molecular Diagnostics with Single-Molecule Precision." Presentation details are as follows: Location: Mission Bay (32nd Floor) at The Westin Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025 Time: 2:30-2:55 pm PT A webcast and presentation materials will be available on BillionToOne's website: https://billiontoone.com/event/jpm-2025-43rd-annual-healthcare-conference/ About BillionToOne Headquartered in Menlo Park, California , BillionToOne is a precision diagnostics company on a mission to make molecular diagnostics more accurate, efficient, and accessible for everyone. The company's patented Quantitative Counting TechnologyTM (QCTTM) molecular counting platform is the only multiplex technology that can accurately count DNA molecules at the single-molecule level. For more information, please visit www.billiontoone.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/billiontoone-to-present-at-the-43rd-annual-jp-morgan-healthcare-conference-302338634.html SOURCE BillionToOneWhat's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing
Phillies add depth to bullpen with 1-year deal for reliever Joe RossPolice in Georgia on Saturday fired water cannons to disperse pro-EU protesters rallying for a ninth consecutive day against the prime minister's decision to shelve talks on joining the European Union. The Caucasus nation has been engulfed in turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party declared that it had won a disputed October 26 election. The party's critics have accused it of creeping authoritarianism and of steering the country back towards Russia. Thousands of defiant pro-EU protesters in Georgia began to rally Friday eve after the prime minister claimed victory in a "battle" against the opposition. Tens of thousands have taken to the streets since the election to protest against alleged electoral fraud. Fresh rallies took place across the country after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced last week that Georgia would not hold talks on European Union membership until 2028. Police have fired tear gas and water cannon against pro-EU protests in Tbilisi and hundreds of arrests have been made, triggering outrage at home and mounting international condemnation. France, Germany and Poland condemned what they called the government's "disproportionate" use of force against protesters and opposition leaders in a joint statement Friday. Shortly after midnight on Saturday, riot police in full gear moved in with water cannons to disperse the rally outside the parliament building, making arrests as the crowd retreated a few metres (yards), an AFP reporter witnessed. Earlier on Friday evening, several thousand people blocked the street outside parliament, with some blowing whistles and others setting off firecrackers. The crowd was smaller than on previous nights and the mood quieter, but protesters rejected claims the movement was dying out. "People will continue the protest," said one demonstrator, 23-year-old Giorgi, wearing a Georgian flag and a back scarf pulled over his nose. "They're patient, I will be here for the rest of my life if it is necessary to save my country." Separate protests were held outside Georgia's Public Broadcaster -- accused of being a government propaganda tool -- as well as the education ministry and the country's tourism administration offices. Shalva Alaverdashvili, founder of the Georgian hotels' federation, told AFP that the "unexpected and unacceptable" suspension of EU accession talks has severely hit the country's tourism industry, which accounts for seven percent of the country's GDP. Thousands have also staged anti-government rallies in the second city of Batumi on the Black Sea coast. On Friday evening, a court in Tbilisi put a 19-year-old youth activist in pre-trial detention. Zviad Tsetskhladze had been arrested during the protests on charges of "organising, leading, and participating in group violence". Tsetskhladze told the judge: "Democracy in Georgia is no more. The rule of law has been crushed. "Our actions are a form of resistance, aimed at preserving the rule of law, defending democracy, and protecting the rights of every individual." Earlier Friday Prime Minister Kobakhidze praised his security forces for "successfully neutralising the protesters' capacity for violence". "We have won an important battle against liberal fascism in our country," he told a news conference, using language reminiscent of how the Kremlin in Russia targets its political opponents. "But the fight is not over. Liberal fascism in Georgia must be defeated entirely," Kobakhidze said, repeating an earlier threat to "complete the process of neutralising the radical opposition". With both sides ruling out a compromise, there appeared to be no clear route out of the crisis. The leader of the opposition Lelo party, Mamuka Khazaradze, said the ruling party "no longer has the strength or resources to stand against the people." The government "has resorted to arresting young activists and political opponents out of fear of relentless public protests and growing civil disobedience by public servants," he told AFP. The interior ministry said police had detained three more individuals Friday for "participating in group violence", punishable by up to nine years' jail. Masked officers have raided several opposition party offices and arrested opposition leaders earlier this week, while around 300 people have been detained at rallies. On Friday Nika Gvaramia, leader of the opposition Akhali party, was sentenced to 12 days in prison. Alexandre Elisashvili, leader of the Strong Georgia opposition group, was remanded in custody for two months of pretrial detention. More trouble is expected after December 14, when Georgian Dream lawmakers elect a loyalist to succeed pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili. She has vowed not to step down until the parliamentary polls are re-run. Local media has also reported protests across the country, including in the cities of Batumi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Rustavi and Telavi. Critics of Georgian Dream are enraged by what they call its betrayal of Tbilisi's bid for EU membership, enshrined in the constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population. Several ambassadors, a deputy foreign minister, and other officials have resigned over the suspension of EU talks. Georgian Dream, in power for more than a decade, has advanced controversial legislation in recent years, targeting civil society and independent media and curbing LGBTQ rights. Brussels warned such policies were incompatible with EU membership, while domestic critics accuse the government of copying Russia's playbook. Georgia's own rights ombudsman has accused the police of "torture" against those arrested. ub-im/sbkMicrosoft and OpenAI have had something of a symbiotic relationship, with the former giving billions of capital to a startup AI lab and in return gaining early access to cutting-edge models that are now baked into Microsoft’s suite of productivity software. The two companies have been headed in diverging directions, however, and Reuters reported today that Microsoft is looking to add more models to its 365 Copilot product that aren’t built by OpenAI. The reasoning, according to the report, is that Microsoft sees OpenAI’s cutting-edge GPT-4 model as too expensive and not fast enough to satisfy its enterprise customers. Copilot 365 is an AI-powered assistant built into Microsoft’s suite of productivity applications including Word and PowerPoint. The tool is supposed to ingest all of a company’s data and do a myriad of things, like give users the ability to quickly find information without needing to hunt through disparate apps; quickly generate a list of the company’s most profitable business units; or instantaneously summarize meetings and emails. It is supposed to do those things, but customers and insiders alike are still underwhelmed by Copilot 365, which costs an extra $30 per month per user on a team. In a recent Business Insider story , employees of Microsoft speaking anonymously called the tools “terrible” and “gimmicky,” not working well 75% of the time. On the customer front, Business Insider cited a survey of 123 IT leaders published by management consultancy Gartner, which found only four said Copilot provided significant value to their companies. It should be noted some other stories have reported on companies that have found value in using large language models, such as by simplifying customer support . Some customers who spoke to Business Insider specifically noted that 365 Copilot is too expensive. OpenAI’s ChatGPT is a frontier, general model, meaning it is trained on vast swaths of data and can be more expensive and slow to run; that is why most models are offered in “lite” versions that perform less intensive inference or “thinking.” Microsoft has been training its own in-house, smaller models like one called Phi-4, and Reuters reports that sources speaking to the outlet said the company is looking to “customize other open-weight models to make 365 Copilot faster and more efficient.” In one sense, it makes sense that Microsoft would want to reduce its reliance on OpenAI. If the company is right and AI is going to be the next generational change in computing, relying on an independent company for the core technology is not a great idea. Microsoft has plowed billions of dollars into OpenAI and will receive 75% of its profits until it makes it breaks even on its investment, and even then will still hold a large stake in the startup. The company in effect gets to hedge its bets—build its own in-house models while keeping a lottery ticket in OpenAI in case it continues on its current skyward trajectory. Despite being the front-runner today, some skeptics of OpenAI say that we may not know a true winner in the AI race yet (should these technologies be as revolutionary as we are told to believe). In the same way that there were numerous search engines that came online in the ’90s, only to be quickly trounced when the latecomer Google showed up. Microsoft is likely wise to hedge.
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