Former CENTCOM spokesperson Ret. Col. Joe Buccino joins ‘Fox News Live’ to discuss U.S. aid to Ukraine and ceasefire talks in the Middle East. President Biden still regrets dropping out of the 2024 presidential race last summer after mounting pressure from Democrats to step aside, according to a report. The president recently told people that he still believes he could have beaten Trump in the November election, despite his rough debate performance in June and his low approval numbers that forced him to leave the race, according to the Washington Post, citing people familiar with the conversations. Following the June 27 debate, more and more Democrats began to call for him to drop out every day, so another person could run in his place. The president also saw much of his funding dry up last summer as donors began to doubt his chances of beating Trump. DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN WHO RAN AGAINST BIDEN CITING ‘PHYSICAL DECLINE’ DEFENDS HIS DECISION: ‘VINDICATION’ President Biden speaks at the 2024 White House Tribal Nations Summit at the Department of the Interior, Dec. 9, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) Biden left the race on July 21, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris , who had just over three months to campaign before the election. Trump beat Harris by 2.2 million votes. Biden has been careful not to blame Harris while insisting to aides that he could have won, the Post reported. TRUMP TEASES DAY ONE ORDERS TO CANCEL ‘INSANE' BIDEN POLICIES President-elect Trump beat Vice President Kamala Harris by 2.2 million votes. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Even when he dropped out, Biden still believed he could beat Trump – whom he defeated for his first term in 2020, according to the New York Times in September. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., may disagree. Clyburn, who met with Biden earlier this year, told the Post that he had told the president, "Your style does not lend itself well to the environment we’re currently in," while speaking of style versus substance. Biden national security advisor Jake Sullivan told the Post: "How to govern at this moment to set the U.S. up for long-term success has one answer, and how to govern to deal with midterm and presidential elections in the very short-term might have a different answer. The president went with doing the things that really put America in a strong position." Biden has been careful not to blame Harris while insisting to aides that he could have won. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Among acknowledgments of other mistakes – including his debate performance – Biden has also said that he regrets picking Merrick Garland as attorney general, the Post reported. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Convinced to do so by aides who said that Garland would be a consensus pick, Biden has privately said that he feels Garland moved too slowly on prosecuting Trump, while also claiming his son Hunter had been prosecuted too aggressively. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
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Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Salesforce unveiled a major upgrade to its artificial intelligence platform on Tuesday, introducing technology that enables AI agents to perform deeper reasoning and take more autonomous actions across enterprise workflows — part of what the company’s CEO frames as an ambitious push into “digital labor.” The San Francisco software giant’s Agentforce 2.0 represents a significant evolution in how AI assistants operate within businesses, moving beyond simple chatbots to AI agents that can understand complex requests, access relevant company data, and independently complete multi-step tasks. “We’re creating a new industry,” said Marc Benioff, Salesforce’s chief executive, at a press conference announcing the release. “This isn’t just about managing and sharing information and data anymore. We’re a digital labor provider.” How Atlas Reasoning Engine powers next-generation enterprise AI The upgraded platform introduces what Salesforce calls the Atlas Reasoning Engine , which enables AI agents to engage in more sophisticated analysis and decision-making. Unlike traditional AI assistants that provide quick responses based on pattern matching, Atlas employs “ System 2 ” reasoning — a more deliberative approach inspired by psychologist Daniel Kahneman’s research on human thought processes. “The reasoning engine should be one of the first factors enterprise organizations consider when comparing digital labor options,” said Claire Cheng, Ph.D., VP of Machine Learning and Engineering at Salesforce. Early results appear promising. In testing, Agentforce 2.0 achieved a 33% improvement in answer accuracy compared to DIY AI solutions, while doubling response relevance, according to Salesforce. The company has already deployed the technology internally. At help.salesforce.com , AI agents now handle 83% of customer support queries independently, with human escalations dropping by 50% since implementation two weeks ago. “Suddenly, as a CEO, I’m not just managing human beings, but I’m also managing agents,” said Benioff. “There is an authentic agentic layer around the platform today. It’s not some vision fantasy in the future idea, it’s what is happening right now.” Digital labor: The key to solving global workforce challenges Salesforce’s push into “digital labor” comes amid growing labor shortages across industries. With birth rates declining and companies struggling to fill positions, Benioff sees AI agents as a crucial solution for business growth. “To unlock GDP growth, we need breakthrough technology. We have to become a digital labor provider,” he said. “This is the new horizon for business — this idea that a door has opened and business will never be the same.” The technology is already finding real-world applications. The Adecco Group , a global staffing firm, is using Agentforce to process millions of resumes and match candidates to opportunities. Digital tablet maker reMarkable deployed it for customer service, while accounting firm 1-800 Accountant expects to deflect 65% of incoming service requests using AI agents. Behind the tech: The innovation powering Salesforce’s AI revolution Under the hood, Agentforce 2.0 introduces several technical advances. The Atlas Reasoning Engine creates detailed semantic understanding of company data and processes, enabling more contextual responses. “We’re able to associate each data component with contextual metadata information, which allows us to find the mapping between data and the corresponding semantic meaning,” explained Silvio Savarese, who leads Salesforce’s AI research. “This enables much more relevant, much more aligned responses to user queries.” The platform also introduces enhanced integration with Slack, Salesforce’s workplace messaging platform, allowing employees to work alongside AI agents directly in their communication flows. “If you want these agents to be used, to be engaged with, and you want them to get better over time, having them where people are already working is critical,” said Rob Seaman, who oversees Slack integration. Looking ahead, Salesforce envisions expanding into physical robotics, with Benioff announcing plans for a “robot force partner program” to connect physical robots with the company’s AI agent platform. Trust, security, and the ruture: Navigating AI’s enterprise integration For Salesforce, the stakes of this initiative are significant. While the company expects $38 billion in revenue this year from its traditional software business, Benioff believes the digital labor market represents a multi-trillion dollar opportunity. However, challenges remain, particularly around trust and security. Salesforce emphasizes its “ trust layer ” that prevents toxic content and maintains data privacy, while giving customers control over how agents operate within their organizations. “These things act as a user — they don’t have God permissions or admin permissions,” noted Seaman. “We don’t create any holes for the AI to see things that it should not be able to.” As businesses grapple with persistent labor shortages and productivity challenges, Salesforce is betting that AI agents will become an essential part of the modern workforce. The company’s vision suggests a future where human employees work alongside AI agents that can handle increasingly complex tasks — fundamentally changing how businesses operate and scale. “This is the beginning of the beginning,” said Benioff. “When you’re at the beginning of the beginning, you see these little things, and then you try to extrapolate what this is going to be. This is an incredible moment.” If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI. Read our Privacy Policy Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here . An error occured.
IS VINYL ON THE DECLINE? Why ‘unrealistic’ pricing is slowing down salesAn Official works at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, Dec. 27. Yonhap The Korean currency dipped further against the U.S. dollar to its lowest level in nearly 16 years Friday amid a deepening political crisis following President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration and the subsequent impeachment. The Korean won was quoted at 1,467.5 won per dollar, down 2.7 won from the previous session. It was the lowest level since March 13, 2009, when the currency was quoted at 1,483.5 won in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. The won opened at 1,467.5 won per dollar Friday and had fallen markedly to as low as 1,486.7 won during intraday trading. The stock market also tumbled on heavy foreign and institutional selling. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 1.02 percent to end at 2,404.77. A political crisis has intensified in South Korea as the National Assembly was set to vote on a motion to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo over his refusal to appoint Constitutional Court justices that will adjudicate President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial. Earlier, parliament voted to impeach Yoon for his shocking, albeit short-lived, imposition of martial law on Dec. 3. This photo shows a currency exchange counter in Seoul, Dec. 24. Yonhap Following the martial law fiasco, the currency has been well above the closely watched level of 1,400 won, and Bank of Korea Gov. Rhee Chang-yong has said the currency is forecast to stay around that level for the time being. "Volatility has grown amid the thin year-end trading. Under such circumstances, authorities' efforts to settle the market would have little market impact," said Kwon Ah-min, an analyst from NH Investment & Securities. The won-dollar exchange rate is forecast to return to normal next month, though there is also a possibility of the won's further weakening to breach the 1,500 won level or lower should political risks prolong, the expert added. The won's weakness also came in line with the continued strengthening of the U.S. dollar, as concerns have deepened over the impact of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's new tariff policy on South Korean industries and the broader economy. The U.S. Federal Reserve's indication of scaling back the number of rate cuts it anticipated in 2025 to two from the initial four has hammered the won and other Asian currencies. Financial authorities have vowed to inject unlimited liquidity and implement all measures available to settle the market. (Yonhap) To remove this article -
COMMERCE, Texas (AP) — Scooter Williams Jr. had 19 points in East Texas A&M's 68-67 victory over Abilene Christian on Wednesday. Williams added six rebounds and three steals for the Lions (2-10). Khaliq Abdul-Mateen added 17 points while going 3 of 8 and 11 of 12 from the free-throw line while he also had five assists and three steals. The Lions snapped a seven-game slide. Quion Williams led the Wildcats (7-5) in scoring, finishing with 17 points and seven assists. Leonardo Bettiol added 16 points and seven rebounds for Abilene Christian. Hunter Jack Madden had 13 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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