The endangered Geoffrey’s spider monkeys that dangle high in the rainforest canopy are elusive and hard for scientists to track. So biologist Jenna Lawson hid 350 audio monitors in trees across Costa Rica’s lush Osa Peninsula to spy on them. The devices recorded the sounds of the forest and surrounding countryside for a week, collecting so much data that Lawson could have spent years listening to it all. Instead, she fed it into artificial intelligence systems trained to instantly recognize spider monkey calls and detect where the animals traveled. One of the world’s largest acoustic wildlife studies when Lawson began the project in 2021, it revealed troubling findings about the health of a treasured wildlife refuge. | More of this AI-assisted wildlife surveillance is “urgently needed” as some 28% of all plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction, according to a paper published in the academic journal Science this summer. Researchers from Dutch and Danish universities showed that machine-learning techniques can “handle huge amounts of data and uncover sound patterns, allowing for faster, cheaper, and better ecological studies” that can aid in biodiversity conservation. But many technical challenges remain. Tech giant Microsoft’s philanthropic AI for Good Lab announced this month it is hoping to answer some of those technical challenges with a new kind of hardware and computing system for eavesdropping on the planet’s wildest places. “Those remote places are also the most important places on the Earth from a biodiversity perspective,” said Microsoft’s chief data scientist, Juan Lavista Ferres, in an interview last week by video call from Colombia, where a research team was preparing to test the new approach. Powered by the sun and energy-efficient AI computer chips, the devices can run for years rather than weeks without human intervention. And they can regularly transmit their data online via low-Earth orbit satellites. It’s called Sparrow, short for Solar-Powered Acoustic and Remote Recording Observation Watch. Pablo Arbelaez, director of an AI-focused research center at the University of the Andes, said a first Sparrow test will happen in a jungle preserve along Colombia’s largest river, the Magdalena. Eventually, the researchers hope to get a better idea of how deforestation—and efforts to reverse it—is affecting the population behavior of jaguars , blue-beaked paujil birds , spider monkeys and other endangered species. Another project closer to Microsoft headquarters will monitor forests in Washington state’s Cascade Mountains. By late 2025, Lavista Ferres plans to have devices on all continents, from remote corners of the Amazon rainforest to gorilla habitats of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. That will then be “open-sourced” to make it accessible to a wide body of researchers in real time, but with measures to obscure sensitive location data. “What we don’t want is these devices to ever be used for poachers to understand where the animals are,” Lavista Ferres said. It was a concern about encroachments on Costa Rican spider monkey habitat that led Lawson, then at Imperial College London, to undertake her ambitious bio-acoustic study three years ago. She persuaded landowners to let her place recording devices on their properties outside Corcovado National Park, a jewel of Costa Rica’s decades-long efforts to preserve biodiversity by encouraging wildlife tourism. “She basically realized the spider monkey is in a really critical situation,” said local environmentalist and bug scientist Jim Córdoba-Alfaro. On a follow-up visit last year, he and Lawson trekked across a private reserve with an Associated Press reporter to observe the monkeys and check on the audio monitors. Compared to the charismatic capuchin monkey and the notoriously loud howler monkey — both commonly seen or heard throughout Costa Rica—spider monkeys are far more wary of humans and the changes they bring. “They’re the most sensitive of the primates that we have here,” said Lawson. “The spider monkey would be the first animal to leave when there’s signs of trouble. They would be the last animal to come back once forests are restored because they need mature secondary and primary forest to be able to survive.” The Royal Society of London in March 2023 published Lawson’s findings of what the audio monitors revealed: the spider monkeys weren’t going anywhere near paved roads or the plantations harvesting palm oil and teak wood that bisect the region’s protected national parks. That meant government-designated wildlife corridors meant to extend their range through and beyond the Osa Peninsula were not working as well as designed. She came back to present those conclusions to local officials. After hours of searching, a troop of spider monkeys appeared—peering down at the humans who found them. Within moments, they were on their way again—extending their lanky arms and prehensile tails to grasp at trees and propel themselves across the canopy with spidery acrobatics. Unattended acoustic detection of animal sounds is valuable not just in rainforests but in a wide variety of ecosystems, according to the Science paper published earlier this year. For example, it could help sailors avoid colliding their ships with large baleen whales heard to be passing through a shipping channel. Lavista Ferres said there are still numerous challenges to overcome, from humidity that can fray jungle monitors to elephants in African savannas unintentionally knocking them off a tree. Lawson said using the audio monitors to capture the spider monkey’s distinctive whinny enables biologists to study a larger area at lower cost, but also provides a truer account of how the monkeys behave without scientists following them around. “We’re reducing our influence on their behavior,” she said. “And also—they don’t want us here.” —Matt O’Brien, AP technology writerNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Coach Brian Callahan is sticking with Mason Rudolph at quarterback for a second straight game to see if the Tennessee Titans can build on the veteran who's played in four of their highest scoring games this season. Callahan said Tuesday that he thinks Rudolph earned another chance to play despite a 38-30 loss to Indianapolis. “Obviously the one interception was probably his only really poor moment," Callahan said. "The rest of it was pretty well executed on his part and operated in a drop-back passing game and had to fight his way back through it. And it was good to see, so we’ll let him take another crack at it.” Rudolph is 2-4 in the six games he's played in this season. That includes coming in for an injured Will Levis on Sept. 30 in a 31-12 win at Miami , and he tried to rally the Titans in a turnover-plagued 37-27 loss to Cincinnati before being selected as the starter last week. Rudolph, who is in Tennessee on a one-year deal, was 23 of 34 for 252 yards with two touchdown passes and three interceptions. One went off running back Tony Pollard's hands with the final pick coming on the last play of the game after Rudolph led a rally from a 38-7 deficit in the final 18 minutes. Rudolph's ability to avoid sacks is a key piece of sticking with him over Levis, the 33rd pick overall in the 2023 draft. The quarterbacks' stats are similar with Rudolph having eight TD passes and eight interceptions, completing 63.8% of his passes with a 78.8 passer rating. That’s similar to Levis completing 63.7% of his passes with 12 TD passes and 12 interceptions. But Levis has been sacked 40 times compared to just seven for Rudolph. “He’s got the ability to avoid the negative play when it comes to sacks," Callahan said of Rudolph. “He gets the ball out. He knows where to go with it quickly.” That means Rudolph gets a chance Sunday when the Titans (3-12) visit the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12) to see if he can guide the offense to more than the six points Levis managed against their AFC South rival in a 10-6 loss on Dec. 8 in Nashville. Rudolph said he knows he put the Titans defense in a bad spot with some turnovers. "I’m ready to prove that I can take care of the ball better and keep scoring points,” Rudolph said. The Titans held a walk-through Tuesday with Callahan giving the team Wednesday off for Christmas. An injury report won't be released until Wednesday, and Callahan said it'll likely be lengthy. RG Dillon Radunz, who was knocked out of last week's game with an injury, will be on that report. Lineman Jaelyn Duncan, who hurt a hamstring badly enough early in his first start at right tackle Oct. 20 that he wound up on injured reserve , will be available. Callahan said he is excited to see Duncan play. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Horror as amusement park ride collapses at Christmas fair By ADRY TORRES FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 20:46, 24 December 2024 | Updated: 21:17, 24 December 2024 e-mail 33 shares View comments An amusement park ride collapsed at a bustling Christmas fair in Mexico , injuring two as terrified witnesses tried to flee the wreckage. Video of the collapse at the Acapulco Golf Club Monday night showed the Eiffel Tower cable car ride tilting and ultimately crashing to the ground. One of the cable cars can be see snapping off the line as the structure fell. Aldo Maldonado, a 35-year-old who was in town visiting from Mexico City, and Iván Gómez, also 35 and a resident of Acapulco, were treated on the scene by paramedics and rushed to Acqua Acapulco Hospital, the Mexican news outlet Milenio reported. Maldonado's and Gómez's were said to have suffered non life-threatening injuries and were in stable condition. The Guerrero state Integral Risk Management Department and Civil Protection dispatched investigators to the fair moments after the accident. They discovered that the tower was not anchored properly to the ground and that it was set up without a support mechanism. They also found that tower and other machine rides were not operating in accordance with guidelines. Authorities cordoned off the accident site as part of the investigations. Video of the collapse at the Acapulco Golf Club Monday night showed the Eiffel Tower cable car ride tilting and ultimately crashing to the ground Investigators found that the ride's towers were not properly anchored to the ground Mexico's National Guard provide assistance to one of the two men who was injured Despite the lax safety measures, agents allowed the rest of the rides to operate as normal. Some social media users were not surprised that the fairground was allowed to remain open. 'Strange? No. They never inspect those games and even less give them permission after a bribe,' one person commented. 'Stop using mechanical rides,' another mentioned. 'I think that governments and municipalities should certify (just as they close down a business) and put a seal on each ride (name and signature). There is no seal. It is not safe. And if it fails, we know who to complain to!' Share or comment on this article: Horror as amusement park ride collapses at Christmas fair e-mail 33 shares Add comment
By LOLITA C. BALDOR WASHINGTON (AP) — Reported sexual assaults at the U.S. military service academies dropped in 2024 for the second year in a row, according to new Pentagon data, marking a sharp turnaround from an alarming surge two years ago that triggered sweeping reviews and an overhaul in leadership . The decline in reports was mirrored by a similar decrease in the total number of students who said in an anonymous survey that they experienced some type of unwanted sexual contact during the school year that ended in the spring. Defense officials, however, warned on Thursday that the numbers are still high, and there is still a lot of work to be done. According to the survey, which is done every other year, about 13% of female students said they experienced unwanted sexual contact in the 2024 school year, compared with more than 21% in 2022. For men, the rate decreased from 4.4% to 3.6%. The reported assaults reflect familiar trends. Most of the alleged offenders are also academy students and are often known to the victim. They often happen after duty hours or on weekends and holidays. Drinking has long been a consistent factor. Beth Foster, executive director of the Pentagon’s force resiliency office, called the new numbers encouraging. But she added, “the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment is still far too high. What this data tells us is that this is a difficult problem for all, but it is not an impossible problem to solve.” A vast majority of students — 88% — responded to the survey. Defense officials said they are still concerned that, based on the survey, an estimated 783 students experienced unwanted sexual contact but just a small percentage reported it. The U.S. military and defense leaders have pushed improvements in programs, leadership training and staffing to encourage more victims to report so they can receive help and perpetrators can be punished. Defense officials released preliminary data much earlier than usual this year, and said the full report will go out in February. They said the early release was done to provide better information to school leaders who are implementing changes. However, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will leave in January when President-elect Donald Trump takes office, and new leadership will take over the Pentagon. Trump and his pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth , have vowed to eliminate “woke” policies fostering diversity and equity, and it’s not clear how any of that may impact sexual assault prevention efforts. Hegseth himself has been accused of sexual assault , which he denies, although he acknowledges making a settlement payment to the woman. Foster and others said Austin’s pressure on academy leaders to confront the problem led to a number of changes in how the schools foster better leaders and focus more stridently on sexual assault prevention. Related Articles National News | American released from Syrian prison is flown out of the country, a US official says National News | Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds National News | How to protect your communications through encryption National News | Companies tighten security after a health care CEO’s killing leads to a surge of threats National News | Unidentified drones spotted flying at locations across NYC, including LaGuardia Airport The total number of reported sexual assaults at the academies is divided in an often complex and confusing way. Academy and defense officials focus on the number of assaults reported by cadets and midshipmen during their school year. But students sometimes file reports after they leave the academies, describing incidents that happened when they were in school. The total is 106 for the 2024 school year, a sharp drop from 137 last year and 170 in 2022. The totals also decreased at each individual academy. Students at the U.S. Naval Academy reported 47 assaults, a slight dip from 49 the previous year. The other two saw significant decreases: Students at the Air Force Academy in Colorado reported 34, compared with 45 last year, and those at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York reported 25, compared with 43. In addition, eight students reported assaults last year that happened to them before they became students. The military services and the academies have struggled for years to combat sexual assault and harassment, with myriad prevention, education and treatment programs. But despite reams of research, and expanded programs, the numbers have grown. A renewed emphasis on it in the past several years has led to improvements and staff increases, although service members still complain that the videos and other programs are often outdated and don’t resonate as well with young troops.INDIANAPOLIS — It was just a 10-yard completion, easy to overlook in the wake of a record-setting rushing day and easy to dismiss as one of just 11 pass attempts throughout the Indianapolis Colts’ 38-30 victory Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. But Anthony Richardson’s third-and-8 pass to wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. just after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter was pivotal to holding off the visitors’ late rally. If the Colts were forced to punt in that situation, a defense that had allowed touchdowns on three consecutive drives — of 70, 55 and 71 yards — would be back on the field with tremendous pressure to prevent the game going to overtime. Richardson was cold and out of rhythm. He’d been sacked on his most recent pass attempt — on third-and-9 with 6:51 remaining — and he hadn’t gotten a pass off since throwing an incompletion intended for wide receiver Josh Downs at the 11:20 mark. With the dual-threat quarterback and running back Jonathan Taylor combining for 270 of Indianapolis’ single-game franchise-record 335 rushing yards, Richardson had not completed a pass since the 8:33 mark of the third quarter, and he was just 1-for-2 in the second half. Still, he was calm and composed on the crucial third down — hitting Pittman on a simple out pattern to move the chains and keep the clock moving. When the Colts finally did punt the ball back to Tennessee, there were only three seconds remaining for the Titans to work with, It was a forgettable play in the grand scheme of the game, but it was also the most recent evidence of the 22-year-old quarterback’s ability to raise his level of play in the clutch. He’s 3-2 as a starter since taking the role back from veteran Joe Flacco, and the other two victories featured game-winning touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. “I think that’s a special trait — obviously as a young player — that he doesn’t flinch in those times, to lead those comebacks,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. “Obviously, the (New York) Jets, the New England (Patriots) game, I mean, those are big-time drives to go win games. “You want that out of young players, especially (when) you see the veteran guys do it around the league all the time, but to do it as a young player speaks volumes of the person that he is.” Despite Richardson’s up-and-down season, Indianapolis has maintained steadfast belief in his potential. Even when he was benched for Flacco, the organization repeatedly stated it was not giving up on the quarterback as its future leader. There’s still plenty of work to be done. Richardon has completed just 47.7% of his passes, and he’s thrown 12 interceptions in 11 starts. His rushing ability again was evident Sunday, and he’s set franchise single-season records for a quarterback with 499 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. And he has proven his big-play ability with a league-leading 14.4 yards per completion. The Colts still believe improved consistency will come with increased reps, and they hold out hope the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft can still become the long-term answer at the game’s most important position. For now, Richardson’s late-game heroics offer the most compelling argument in his favor. “I think it’s just me just playing all the way until the clock hits zero,” Richardson said of his mindset. “I never think about fourth quarter moments or anything like that. I just try to play until the game’s over. And it just happens sometimes that most of it happens in the fourth quarter. So I just try to play through the whistle and just play through the whole game.” After rushing for 218 yards and three touchdowns against the Titans – both the second-highest single-game totals of his career – Taylor has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. It was a major bounce-back performance after Taylor’s unforced fumble just short of the goal line cost the Colts dearly in a pivotal loss against the Denver Broncos a week prior. “It’s always exciting to see that dude just do what he does,” Richardson said. “It’s fascinating, honestly, just to see him hit a gap and just take it to the house. It’s just amazing, especially thinking about what happened in the Denver game. It honestly like wiped my mind. I wasn’t even thinking about it until people were talking about him coming back and having the game he did. “It’s like ‘OK, that’s the type of player he is, the type of person he is.’ He always wants to do better for the team and for himself. And just to see him do that and get what he did on Sunday is just a blessing.” The Colts officially signed right guard Mark Glowinski to the 53-man roster Tuesday after he’d been called up for game day in each of the past three weeks. Guard Antonio Mafi was re-signed to the practice squad after being released from the 53-man roster Monday.
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Tonya Garcia (Bloomberg) — A Starbucks Corp. barista strike has shut down about 170 cafes, according to the coffee chain, disrupting service at locations nationwide during the final days of the crucial holiday shopping season. The union said it expects the number of stores impacted to hit 300, but it’s unclear if the group will hit that target by the end of Christmas Eve. Over 5,000 workers in Boston, New York and Philadelphia, among other cities, planned to join the work stoppage on Tuesday, according to an emailed statement from Starbucks Workers United. Elected officials, including Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, have also joined striking baristas on the picket line over previous days, with the union asking for further support on its last scheduled day of action. The walkouts began on Dec. 20 at a handful of locations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle and escalated over the following days. “Only around 170 Starbucks stores did not open as planned,” the company said Tuesday morning, leaving 98% of its more-than 10,000 company-operated stores open. Baristas will return to work Wednesday or Thursday, and are ready to resume negotiations, according to the union. Starbucks Workers United planned the walkouts to coincide with the days leading up to Christmas — an important time for Starbucks as shoppers treat themselves to lattes while finishing up their shopping. In addition to beverages, the company sells a large volume of gift cards during the year’s final months. The strikes were sparked by a breakdown in final-stage negotiations between the union and company leadership, according to the union, which represents employees at over 500 stores. Starbucks Workers United said the coffee chain offered a package that included no immediate pay raises for its members. Unionized employees and the company have been facing off since the first store organized for better pay, hours and schedules in December 2021. Earlier, Starbucks said the union “prematurely ended” a bargaining session and called for talks to continue. The coffee chain has said it’s focused on improving workers’ experience and that baristas who work at least 20 hours a week receive $30 an hour, on average, when combining pay and benefits. Starbucks Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol, who took the top job in September, has pledged to negotiate with the union in good faith. The Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. and Taco Bell veteran was hired to turn around sagging sales. Since he took over on Sept. 9, the stock has declined about 3%, compared with a 10% gain for the S&P 500 Index. Related Articles Business | Starbucks triples baristas’ paid parental leave to 18 weeksIGT, the global slot machine and gaming equipment manufacturer with a massive presence in Las Vegas, has been the victim of a cyberattack, according to a company Securities and Exchange Commission filing. In a statement, the company said the attack does not appear to be affecting any of the company’s public or customer-facing systems. London-based IGT on Tuesday said the attack, discovered Sunday, affected its internal information technology systems. IGT revealed no details of what systems were involved or how the breach was discovered. “On Nov. 17, 2024, International Game Technology PLC became aware that an unauthorized third party gained access to certain of its systems (sic), and the company has experienced disruptions in portions of its internal information technology systems and applications resulting from this cybersecurity incident,” the company’s SEC filing said. “Promptly after detecting the issue, the company activated its cybersecurity incident response plan and launched an investigation with the support of its external advisers to assess and remediate the unauthorized activity,” the filing said. “The company has also proactively taken certain systems offline to help protect them. The company’s ongoing investigation and response include efforts to bring its systems back online. The company has not yet determined whether this incident is material.” The filing also said the company is communicating with its customers and other stakeholders and, where possible, has implemented alternatives for some operations in accordance with its business continuity plans to mitigate disruptions and continue servicing its customers. Player systems unaffected In a statement from a Las Vegas-based IGT representative Friday, the company said it does not appear any player systems have been affected. “To date, there is no indication that customer or player-facing lottery and gaming systems have been affected,” the Friday statement said. “Out of an abundance of caution, IGT has temporarily suspended specific processes and services until this issue is resolved. The company has implemented alternatives for certain operations in accordance with its business continuity plans to mitigate disruptions and continue servicing its customers.” IGT provides thousands of cabinet and bar-top slot machines in Nevada casinos, taverns, supermarkets and convenience stores. It has manufacturing facilities in Las Vegas and Reno and the company also manages a number of lottery terminals and systems in other states and around the world. The company is in the midst of being split up with its gaming and digital business along with systems developed by Everi Holdings Inc. to be acquired by New York-based Apollo Global Management Inc. for $6.3 billion. The deal is expected to be completed toward the end of 2025 and the new company will retain the IGT name and be based in Las Vegas. IGT becomes the third high-profile gaming company to publicly acknowledge being the victim of a cyberattack. In August 2023, Caesars Entertainment Inc. was attacked and reportedly paid a ransom to retain control of its systems. A month later, MGM Resorts International was attacked and refused to pay a ransom in an incident that eventually cost the company an estimated $100 million, mostly recovered through insurance. It’s unclear whether the IGT attack included a ransom demand or extortion or what the goals of the hackers is. Federal law enforcement personnel have not indicated whether they are involved in an investigation.