It's time for the holidays, which means robust family conversations and seemingly never-ending courses of food. But for the more tech-savvy among us, the journey home could also mean we'll be called on to provide a backlog of tech support to parents, grandparents and other family members. And with generative AI being used to supercharge some major cyber scams this year, it's also a good time to teach and not just fix. Here are some tips on how to manage your tech encounters this holiday season: Whether it's Windows, macOS, iOS or Android, simply keeping your operating system and apps up-to-date will help protect your family's computers and devices against a surprising number of security threats, such as malware, viruses and exploits. Most operating systems, especially those for mobile devices and their app stores, typically have auto-updates turned on by default. Be sure to double-check the device to make sure it has enough storage space to carry out the update. (More on this below.) Keeping apps updated may also reduce the number of "Why isn't this app working?" type of questions from your relatives. Chances are someone in your family is going to have a completely full mobile device. So full, in fact, that they can no longer update their phone or tablet without having to purge something first. There are many approaches to freeing up space. Here are a few you can easily take without having to triage data or apps. According to some admittedly unscientific studies, the average person has hundreds of passwords. That's a lot to remember. So as you help your relatives reset some of theirs, you may be tempted to recycle some to keep things simple for them. But that's one of the bad password habits that cybersecurity experts warn against. Instead, try introducing your forgetful family member to a password manager. They're useful tools for simplifying and keeping track of logins. And if you want to impress a more tech-savvy cousin or auntie, you could suggest switching to a more secure digital authentication method: passkeys. As scammers find new ways to steal money and personal information, you and your family should be more vigilant about who to trust. Artificial intelligence and other technologies are giving bad actors craftier tools to work with online. A quick way to remember what to do when you think you're getting scammed is to think about the three S's, said Alissa Abdullah, also known as Dr. Jay, Mastercard's deputy chief security officer "Stay suspicious, stop for a second (and think about it) and stay protected," she said. Simply being aware of typical scams can help, experts say. Robocalls frequently target vulnerable individuals like seniors, people with disabilities, and people with debt. So-called romance scams target lonely and isolated individuals. Quiz scams target those who spend a lot of time on social media. Check our AP guide on the latest scams and what to do when you're victimized. Home internet speeds are getting faster, so you want to make sure your family members are getting a high-speed connection if they've paid for one. Run a broadband speed test on your home network if they're still rocking an aging modem and router. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!Is that a chill in the air? Perhaps your boots are starting to feel colder and damper with each passing day. Maybe your cheeks are turning pink every time you step outside. Whether we like it or not, winter is here, which means it’s the perfect time to avoid the cold and hurry to your nice, warm movie house. With the holidays right around the corner, repertory theaters are stocking up on Christmas classics and seasonal favorites. For those looking for something more traditional than Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” and Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” which release December 20 and December 25, respectively, cinemas in New York and Los Angeles have plenty of options for the whole family, as well as more festive adult fare for those looking to spice things up. Selections this month come from the Metrograph located on the Lower East Side in New York City and Village East by Angelika, as well as American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, which is responsible for the programming at The Egyptian Theater, the Aero Theater, and the Los Feliz 3, and Quentin Tarantino’s theater, the New Beverly Cinema. December has a wide array of choices dating back to 1944, with some film ‘s having been released within the last 10 years and even within the last few months. Keep reading to find out IndieWire’s picks for the last month of 2024. The holidays are a time of romance, celebration and, let’s face it, inebriation. And what better way to celebrate all three than with a viewing of Federico Fellini’s epic satire of Roman life, “La Dolce Vita.” The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1960 and stars one of Fellini’s muses, Marcello Mastroianni, as a tabloid journalist on a week-long bacchanalia through the ancient, yet modern city in search of love and happiness. Running at nearly three hours, “La Dolce Vita” offers plenty of time to kick back and live as the Romans do, with multiple screenings happening across the month on December 6, 8, 11, 18, and 26, all of which will be shown in 35mm. In need of a little romance this time of year? Metrograph has you covered with its 2024 installment of “The Holidays at Metrograph,” featuring three films that are sure to set your heart aflutter. First up is Paul Thomas Anderson’s cheeky peek behind the curtain of the 1950s London fashion world starring Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread,” screening in 35mm on December 20, 24, and 26. Are the 1950s not far enough back for your taste in period romances? Try Greta Gerwig’s take on Louisa May Alcott’s classic family tale, “Little Women,” featuring performances from Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper. There are many opportunities to catch the film, starting on December 21 and playing every day up to Christmas. Last on the list is another 1950s affair, this time starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as a housewife and department store clerk drawn to each other by some magic magnetic force at a time where falling in love with one another could put them both at great risk. Todd Haynes’ “Carol” may be a holiday film for adults, but it still feeds the soul in the same way films like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Carol” do. It can be seen in DCP on December 21 and 26 and in 35mm on December 23 and 25. On its own, Vincente Minelli’s “Meet Me in St. Louis” is a trite, unsubstantial musical filled with catchy but forgettable standards and a wasted Judy Garland pushing her talent across every inch of the frame as best she can. However, as one of the films that fueled the relationship between Minelli and Garland and led to the birth of their daughter, Liza Minelli, one can’t help but bask in its mediocre glory. Following a year in the life of a family at the turn of the 20th century, “Meet Me in St. Louis” would cement Minelli’s talents as a musical film director, leading to a long career at MGM helming projects like “An American in Paris” and “The Band Wagon.” To see where it all started, catch “Meet Me in St. Louis” at the Village East on Monday, December 23. Tired of seeing Hugh Grant plays villains and creeps? Go back to a time when the handsome Brit charmed and romanced with a viewing of the 2003 seminal classic, “Love Actually.” Comprised of an all-star cast that includes Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, and many more, the Richard Curtis film follows a string of Londoners experiencing the highs and lows of love around Christmas time and cemented Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” as one of the greatest holiday tunes of all time. Catch it with your favorite loved ones on Wednesday, December 18 at 7pm. And of course, no Christmas would be complete without a viewing of Frank Capra’s touching drama, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore. Following building and loan manager George Bailey on an odyssey of rediscovery, the film continues to hold a place in the hearts of multiple generations with its message of value and appreciation for the everyman in America just trying to help his fellow neighbor get by. It screens twice on Wednesday, December 11. It may still be reaching 70 degrees and higher here in Los Angeles, but with lights strung up and preparations underway for Jeremy Renner to serve as Grand Marshal of the 92nd Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade, it’s hard not to feel in a festive mood. If you’re wanting to feed that spirit, take your pick of two holiday gems screening on December 21 through American Cinematheque. The television version of Ingmar Bergman’s childhood tale “Fanny and Alexander” screens in all its glorious 312 minutes at The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood starting at 12pm and follows a pair of siblings during turn of the 20th century Sweden as they have their first experiences with familial strife. At 4pm , Tyler Taormina’s loving ode to family and community, “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” screens at the Los Feliz 3. Featuring Maria Dizzia, Francesca Scorsese, Ben Shankman, Elsie Fisher, and a host of unknown, yet terrific talent, the film premiered at Cannes this year and hit theaters in November, but if you missed it, there’s no better opportunity to catch this soon-to-be-holiday-classic than later this month. Another modern favorite returns to the screen for the holiday season and in glorious 35mm. Starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Ed Asner, Peter Dinklage, and Mary Steenburgen, Jon Favreau’s “Elf” is a classic fish-out-of-water tale with a healthy dose of silly winter cheer. It plays at the Egyptian on Christmas Eve at 7:30pm . Need a shift from all the candy canes and holly jolly after Christmas? Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” has you covered. Screening in 70mm at the Aero Theater on December 27, Kubrick’s dark journey through the cosmos is a visual feast that defies description and the perfect film to cap off a year that truly showed us the horrors technology can bring forth. Run, don’t walk to tonight’s screening of “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” at New Beverly Cinema, shown in glorious 70mm from an IB Tech Print and featuring the only performance from then-model George Lazenby as James Bond. Set mostly in a chilly research institute in the Swiss Alps, Lazenby’s Bond is as debonair as he is deadly, courting multiple women at the same time as he’s trying to stop the spread of a biological weapon. If you can’t make it tonight, there’s another showing tomorrow night, December 7 , as well. Later in the month, for those adults seeking out some mature, yet festive fare, Kubrick’s dizzying erotic epic “Eyes Wide Shut,” starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, plays on December 19 and 20 , while the action thriller “Die Hard,” starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman, screens December 23 and 24 . For our last selection, something the entire family can enjoy: “The Muppets Christmas Carol.” While the film does follow all of the beats and much of the traditional dialogue from Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, by surrounding Michael Caine’s forceful, yet grounded performance as Ebenezer Scrooge with the Muppet players, the story is given a new buoyancy that pulls audiences into the fantastical journey more than ever before. There are two matinee showings of the film this month, on Saturday, December 21 and Sunday, December 22 .
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Fact Check: Did RFK Jr. Call Trump Fans 'Belligerent Idiots?'Chadron State College's Winter Commencement speaker Dec. 13 in the Chicoine Center at 2 p.m. will be Brandon Hall, Principal of Deer Creek Middle School in Jefferson County Public Schools, Colorado. Hall started his journey as an educator in 2002 teaching high school social studies. In 2010, Hall graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with a master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, and a Principal Licensure. As a school administrator and principal, he has served multiple school communities and learners in all grades K-12 since 2002. Hall is dedicated to professional development, having completed numerous leadership programs, including the Denver Public Schools Leadership and Crisis Prevention Institute training. Hall said he believes in serving his community through personal accountability, relational trust, and moral purpose. Hall Courtesy Photo Jefferson County Public Schools colleagues speak highly of Hall. Matt Walsh, Principal of Warren Tech, said Hall is a renaissance leader who is interested in learning where he may be lacking. “He is always reading, listening, seeking out alternative perspectives that challenge his understandings,” Walsh said. "Brandon is one of the most driven learner leaders I’ve ever encountered.” Wendy Doran, Community Superintendent, said Hall’s dedication is unwavering. “This consistency in his commitment to the school has been a driving force behind its continuous improvement,” Doran said. As a Marine, Hall entered Basic Training in 2001. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve as a logistician, civil affairs noncommissioned officer, section chief, civil affairs team chief, First Sergeant, and Sergeant Major. He retired in 2023 after being deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and once in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan. Hall and his wife, Stephany, have two adult children and a daughter in high school.
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Donald Trump is considering creating a new White House position dedicated to overseeing cryptocurrency policy. According to Bloomberg , the president elect’s team is already vetting potential candidates. The post would be the White House ’s first crypto-specific job. Trump himself has several crypto businesses, having recently released his fourth collection of non-fungible tokens and helped launch the crypto venture World Liberty Financial. Throughout his campaign, the president-elect promised to cut back crypto regulations, establish a presidential crypto advisory council and fire current Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, who has hammered the digital asset industry. In recent days, however, several crypto allies have visited Mar-a-Lago to discuss the White House crypto position. Ex-Coinbase and Binance executive Brian Brooks, also a potential candidate for SEC chair, met with Trump on Tuesday, sources familiar with the meeting told Bloomberg. Coinbase Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong reportedly also spoke with the president-elect this week. X , “the everything app ”, has it all, according to billionaire owner Elon Musk ’s preferred tagline. On offer today is a catty exchange between Musk, the world’s richest man, and the world’s second richest man, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos . Musk, a rabid supporter of President-elect Donald Trump who denies he goes around offering acquaintances his semen, tweeted on his social network that he’d heard “Bezos was telling everyone [Trump] would lose for sure, so they should sell all their Tesla and SpaceX stock 🤭.” Musk is the CEO of both companies, while Bezos owns rival space firm Blue Origin. Bezos shot down the claim: “Nope. 100% not true.” The buff-bodied online retail magnate certainly didn’t exhibit any preference for Trump’s opponent , Vice President Kamala Harris , during this year’s presidential campaign. In fact, he kiboshed an editorial page endorsement of Harris at the Washington Post , which he’s owned since 2013, provoking ire from hundreds of thousands of subscribers who canceled their subscriptions en masse. so funny the second richest man is bothering to respond to this pic.twitter.com/Bi4gADndvQ Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Made In Cookware is known for quality kitchen tools that look as good as they perform. Its sleek, chef-approved kitchen essentials are for people who know that the plates matter as much as the food. That makes its full sets a great option for anyone looking for a little uniformity in their cabinets. To sweeten the deal, Made In is not only offering up to 30 percent off, but shoppers can also score freebies like Dutch ovens, frying pans, and wine glasses with select purchases. We’ve pulled a few of their best deals just in time for your turkey prep. 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The actress revealed on the SHE MD podcast Tuesday that she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, which affect fertility. “I had a bit of a worry last summer and I just wanted to go and get things checked out and then we ended up finding out information that I probably wouldn’t have known until I started having kids in another five years,” Pugh said. Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, the host of the podcast, diagnosed Pugh, who said she made the appointment after “a few weird dreams.” “It was just so bizarre because my family are baby-making machines,” she said. “My mom had babies into her forties, my gran... she had so many kids as well. I just never assumed that I was going to be in any way different and that there was going to be an issue with it, or that I had to think about it before I needed to think about it.” A species of deep sea fish rarely seen at the ocean’s surface has been spotted numerous times on California beaches, and according to Japanese folklore it could be a bad omen. Three oarfish, which can grow over 30 feet long and are also known as “Doomsday Fish,” have been found dead on Southern California beaches over the past few months. Before that, researchers had only documented 19 beached oarfish in the state since 1901, reported The Sun . The most recent oarfish find was collected from Encinitas beach on Nov. 6, while the others were found on Huntington Beach in September and La Jolla in August. While researchers don’t know what’s behind the uptick, Ben Frable, a manager at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, told The Sun that it all could be due to a greater number of oarfish in the waters near California. Or it could be a shift in weather patterns. In Japanese folklore, oarfish are called the “messenger from the sea god’s palace” and their appearance is thought to be a precursor to earthquakes. Before Japan’s catastrophic 2011 quake, and following tsunami, dozens of oarfish were spotted on beaches. However, some scientific studies have cast doubt on the folklore. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. As any true audiophile already knows, Amazon Music Unlimited has long been a reliable destination for an elevated listening experience. With millions of high-quality songs and an unparalleled collection of top ad-free podcasts, the platform’s catalog is curated to capture both your attention and your imagination. Now, Amazon is raising the bar with an exciting update: Audible is officially joining Amazon Music Unlimited, cementing the brand’s status as an all-in-one audio hub . Audible’s industry-leading catalog of audiobooks features an expansive selection of can’t-miss bestsellers, hot-off-the-press exclusives, and timeless classics to immerse yourself in. As an Amazon Music Unlimited subscriber, you’ll be free to select one book each month (of any length) and listen to it directly in the Amazon Music app . Whether you’re a fiction buff ready to dive into a thrilling new adventure or a non-fiction enthusiast looking to expand your horizons, Audible’s expansive collection is sure to have the right title that matches your tastes. Plus, when you’re ready to take a break from the book, you can seamlessly swap back to your favorite tunes and podcast episodes —all without having to leave the app. It’s all the audio that you’ll ever need, all in one place! Best of all, this game-changing update is arriving just in time for the holiday season: start a new subscription , and enjoy your first three months of Amazon Music Unlimited, completely for free. Audio art, conversation, and storytelling—all in one place. What’s not to love? Sign up today and get lost in the sound . Kamala Harris retreated to Hawaii with husband Doug Emhoff for a week-long vacation on Tuesday, further shielding herself from the public eye after her loss to Donald Trump in the presidential election. The Federal Aviation Administration enforced a temporary flight restriction over Kona and Waimea on Hawaii’s big island from Tuesday to noon the next Monday, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. Harris’ vacation comes as Democrats try to push through more of Joe Biden’s judicial nominees before they lose control of the Senate in January. As the president of the Senate, Harris is often the tie-breaking vote for the Democrats’ slim majority. A Harris aide told NBC News that Harris delayed her trip in case she was needed to vote on any nominees, but the team is now anticipating she’ll be needed in December. “She will definitely be available for any tie votes,” another senior aide said. Chris Cuomo is once again opening up about his firing from CNN. “You only live going forward, and CNN is part of my past,” the anchor told People . Cuomo was axed from the network in December 2021, after advising his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, on how to navigate sexual harassment allegations . (The elder Cuomo has continually denied any wrongdoing.) Chris was “livid” over his termination, and eventually sued CNN for $125 in damages. He resurfaced at News Nation , and while he told People that “living in the past is very poisonous because you can’t change it,” he did spend the bulk of the interview talking about the past and defending his decision to help his brother. (For whom, incidentally, he also voted as a write-in candidate for president.) “I never kept any secrets about what I was doing,” he said. “I’ll always help my family.” A New York lawmaker eager to cash in on a feud between Whoopi Goldberg and a Staten Island bakery showed up Wednesday at the Capitol with a box of the pastry shop’s signature sweet. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) set out boxes of Charlotte Russe cakes from Holtermann’s Bakery near the steps of the House of Representatives and demanded that The View host apologize for telling viewers the bakery had refused to serve her because of her politics. “This is a small business, and somebody going on national TV like that could break a business,” she told the New York Post . In fact, business has been booming ever since Goldberg accused an unnamed bakery last week of refusing to fill her birthday order. Her team managed to procure the desired dessert—a mini sponge cake with strawberries and whipped cream—by calling back and not saying her name. “Perhaps they did not like my politics,” Goldberg said at the time. Fans quickly recognized Holtermann’s packaging, and the bakery disputed Goldberg’s version of events. They’ve arrived! All the way from #StatenIsland New York, Whoopi Goldberg’s FAVORITE Charlotte Russe cakes from our 146-year-old staple Holtermann’s Bakery. Everyone’s been asking me about them so we’ll be handing them out to members and staff on the House Steps at 4:30! pic.twitter.com/5eZhaRJEa1 Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are calling for an end to remote work for federal employees, labeling it a pandemic-era “privilege” that taxpayers shouldn’t have to fund anymore. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Wednesday, the two nominees to head Donald Trump ’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said requiring federal employees to return to the office full-time would lead to a wave of voluntary resignations, helping to shrink the government workforce. “If federal employees don’t want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn’t pay them,” they wrote. The proposal could impact more than a million workers, although only about 10 percent of federal employees are working fully remote, according to the Office of Management and Budget. The proposed remote working ban is among the first actual policies laid out for DOGE—named after Musk’s favorite meme-based cryptocurrency. In their op-ed, the pair said they wanted to target the thousands of rules and regulations issued by “unelected bureaucrats” every year as part of their mission to help Trump “cut the federal government down to size.” As the Journal reported , however, there could be a hitch to the remote working ban: DOGE may not have the legal power to order federal employees back to the office. Are you an amateur photographer, a curious learner, or a budding entrepreneur? Adobe Creative Cloud can take your photos, skills, or business to the next level. This premium suite encompasses over 20 Adobe apps. Normally, a one-year subscription is $59.99 a month. For Black Friday, Adobe is lowering the cost of a year’s subscription to just $29.99 a month. Adobe Express and Lightroom are great for quickly editing photos–color adjustments, precise cropping, and removing unwanted background elements with generative AI. Use Photoshop and Illustrator to create gorgeous images and rich graphics for use online or in print. In addition to the apps, members also get access to over one million stock images, tens of thousands of fonts, and in-app tutorials to take their skills from novice to expert. Hurry, because this deal will expire on Friday (11/29). Jump in and let your imagination run wild today! If you buy something from this post, we may earn a small commission. After months on the market, the Los Angeles estate belonging to Sean “Diddy” Combs has finally attracted an interested buyer—but they’re offering half the asking price, the New York Post reports. Diddy listed the 17,000-square-foot home—which has 10 bedrooms, a 35-seat theater, and a sinister history—for $61.5 million in September, after purchasing it for $39 million in 2014. Real estate executive Bo Belmont is now offering $30 million ”to remove the stigma and focus on the charming elegance of this remarkable property,” he said in a press release . The Beverly Hills estate is one of the homes the feds raided in September, when they confiscated all that lube ; it’s also believed to be one of the sites where Diddy held his alleged “freak-offs.” An unnamed People source predicted earlier this month that finding a buyer who could “see beyond the headlines” would “definitely” be “an uphill battle.” Belmont, for what it’s worth, seems focused on the “beautiful, bucolic setting” and the “picturesque trees, foliage, and walkways‚” so at least that’s something. The International Criminal Court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced in May that he was seeking warrants related to the Oct.7 Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel’s subsequent military conduct in the Palestinian territory Gaza . Roughly 700 Israeli civilians, and 1,200 people overall, were killed in the Oct. 7 attacks, according to Israel social security data. Over 44,000 have died during Israel’s subsequent 13-month siege on Gaza, according to local health officials. Human rights officials with the United Nations estimate nearly 70 percent of the deaths in Gaza have been women and children. “No one is above the law,” said Agnès Callamard, the Secretary General of leading human rights organization Amnesty International, after the announcement. Several Israeli officials hastily condemned the ICC’s decision. “These arrest warrants are a reward for terrorism,” said Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid. The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly rejected three resolutions that would have halted some weapons transfers to Israel on Wednesday. Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has threatened the ICC with sanctions over its case against Israel. Israel’s military says it killed Deif in August though his death remains unconfirmed by Hamas.Hamdan bin Mohammed approves formation of Board of Directors of ‘Young Arab Leaders’ initiativeArthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons release lengthy, heartfelt statement on President Jimmy Carter’s death
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