Chiefs lineman saves child from serious injury in terrifying stadium mishapFeds suspend ACA marketplace access to companies accused of falsely promising ‘cash cards’
Special Counsel Jack Smith on Monday moved to dismiss the federal cases against US President-elect Donald Trump -- including one for election subversion -- citing an official policy of not prosecuting a sitting president. Trump, 78, was accused of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden and mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House, but neither case ever came to trial. Smith, in a filing with the district judge in Washington presiding over the election case, said it should be dropped in light of the long-standing Justice Department policy of not indicting or prosecuting a sitting president. He cited the same reasoning in withdrawing his appeal of a ruling by a district judge, a Trump appointee, who dismissed the classified documents case earlier this year. Smith asked District Judge Tanya Chutkan to dismiss the election interference case "without prejudice" -- leaving open the possibility it could be revived after Trump leaves office four years from now. The special counsel paused the election interference case this month after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 presidential election. "The Government's position on the merits of the defendant's prosecution has not changed," Smith said in the filing with Chutkan. "But the circumstances have." "It has long been the position of the Department of Justice that the United States Constitution forbids the federal indictment and subsequent criminal prosecution of a sitting President," Smith said. "As a result this prosecution must be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated." In a separate filing, Smith said he was withdrawing his appeal of the dismissal of the classified documents case against Trump but pursuing the case against his two co-defendants, Trump valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said the cases were "empty and lawless, and should never have been brought." "Over $100 Million Dollars of Taxpayer Dollars has been wasted in the Democrat Party's fight against their Political Opponent, ME," he said. "Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before." Trump is accused of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding -- the session of Congress called to certify Biden's win, which was violently attacked on January 6, 2021 by a mob of the then-president's supporters. Trump is also accused of seeking to disenfranchise US voters with his false claims that he won the 2020 election. The former and incoming president also faces two state cases -- in New York and Georgia. He was convicted in New York in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election to stop her from revealing an alleged 2006 sexual encounter. Judge Juan Merchan has postponed sentencing while he considers a request from Trump's lawyers that the conviction be thrown out in light of the Supreme Court ruling in July that an ex-president has broad immunity from prosecution. In Georgia, Trump faces racketeering charges over his efforts to subvert the 2020 election results in the southern state, but that case will likely be frozen while he is in office. cl/bgs
Work or play? The rise of online 'kidfluencers' is raising complex legal and ethical questionsBy ALI SWENSON and BARARA ORTUTAY Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, which they view as increasingly leaning too far to the right given its owner’s support of President-elect Donald Trump, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. Related Articles National News | Bill Clinton is hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says National News | Why Finland is vaccinating farmers against bird flu — but California isn't National News | The internet is rife with fake reviews. Will AI make it worse? National News | Mega Millions jackpot nears $1 billion ahead of Christmas Eve drawing National News | 2 US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident, US military says The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter, championed by its former CEO Jack Dorsey. Its decentralized approach to social networking was eventually intended to replace Twitter’s core mechanic . That’s unlikely now that the two companies have parted ways. But Bluesky’s growth trajectory — with a user base that has more than doubled since October — could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. But with growth comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. The skyrocketing user base — now surpassing 25 million — is the biggest test yet for a relatively young platform that has branded itself as a social media alternative free of the problems plaguing its competitors. According to research firm Similarweb, Bluesky added 7.6 million monthly active app users on iOS and Android in November, an increase of 295.4% since October. It also saw 56.2 million desktop and mobile web visits, in the same period, up 189% from October. Besides the U.S. elections, Bluesky also got a boost when X was briefly banned in Brazil . “They got this spike in attention, they’ve crossed the threshold where it is now worth it for people to flood the platform with spam,” said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University and a member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media. “But they don’t have the cash flow, they don’t have the established team that a larger platform would, so they have to do it all very, very quickly.” To manage growth for its tiny staff, Bluesky started as an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other distinctive features to attract new users , such as “starter packs” that provide lists of topically curated feeds. Meta recently announced that it is testing a similar feature. Compared to the bigger players like Meta’s platforms or X, Bluesky has a “quite different” value system, said Claire Wardle, a professor at Cornell University and an expert in misinformation. This includes giving users more control over their experience. “The first generation of social media platforms connected the world, but ended up consolidating power in the hands of a few corporations and their leaders,” Bluesky said on its blog in March. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see. On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself.” Because of this mindset, Bluesky has achieved a scrappy underdog status that has attracted users who’ve grown tired of the big players. “People had this idea that it was going to be a different type of social network,” Wardle said. “But the truth is, when you get lots of people in a place and there are eyeballs, it means that it’s in other people’s interests to use bots to create, you know, information that aligns with their perspective.” Little data has emerged to help quantify the rise in impersonator accounts, artificial intelligence-fueled networks and other potentially harmful content on Bluesky. But in recent weeks, users have begun reporting large numbers of apparent AI bots following them, posting plagiarized articles or making seemingly automated divisive comments in replies. Lion Cassens, a Bluesky user and doctoral candidate in the Netherlands, found one such network by accident — a group of German-language accounts with similar bios and AI-generated profile pictures posting in replies to three German newspapers. “I noticed some weird replies under a news post by the German newspaper ‘Die Ziet,’” he said in an email to The Associated Press. “I have a lot of trust in the moderation mechanism on Bluesky, especially compared to Twitter since the layoffs and due to Musk’s more radical stance on freedom of speech. But AI bots are a big challenge, as they will only improve. I hope social media can keep up with that.” Cassens said the bots’ messages have been relatively innocuous so far, but he was concerned about how they could be repurposed in the future to mislead. There are also signs that foreign disinformation narratives have made their way to Bluesky. The disinformation research group Alethea pointed to one low-traction post sharing a false claim about ABC News that had circulated on Russian Telegram channels. Copycat accounts are another challenge. In late November, Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, found that of the top 100 most followed named individuals on Bluesky, 44% had at least one duplicate account posing as them. Two weeks later, Mantzarlis said Bluesky had removed around two-thirds of the duplicate accounts he’d initially detected — a sign the site was aware of the issue and attempting to address it. Bluesky posted earlier this month that it had quadrupled its moderation team to keep up with its growing user base. The company also announced it had introduced a new system to detect impersonation and was working to improve its Community Guidelines to provide more detail on what’s allowed. Because of the way the site is built, users also have the option to subscribe to third-party “Labelers” that outsource content moderation by tagging accounts with warnings and context. The company didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Even as its challenges aren’t yet at the scale other platforms face, Bluesky is at a “crossroads,” said Edward Perez, a board member at the nonpartisan nonprofit OSET Institute, who previously led Twitter’s civic integrity team. “Whether BlueSky likes it or not, it is being pulled into the real world,” Perez said, noting that it needs to quickly prioritize threats and work to mitigate them if it hopes to continue to grow. That said, disinformation and bots won’t be Bluesky’s only challenges in the months and years to come. As a text-based social network, its entire premise is falling out of favor with younger generations. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that only 17% of American teenagers used X, for instance, down from 23% in 2022. For teens and young adults, TikTok, Instagram and other visual-focused platforms are the places to be. Political polarization is also going against Bluesky ever reaching the size of TikTok, Instagram or even X. “Bluesky is not trying to be all things to all people,” Wardle said, adding that, likely, the days of a Facebook or Instagram emerging where they’re “trying to keep everybody happy” are over. Social platforms are increasingly splintered along political lines and when they aren’t — see Meta’s platforms — the companies behind them are actively working to de-emphasize political content and news. The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here . The AP is solely responsible for all content.Walker Buehler was a two-time All-Star and won two World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s also had two Tommy John surgeries. Ashley Landis/Associated Press BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox aren’t done adding to their starting rotation. According to multiple reports, the Red Sox are signing former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler. The deal is reportedly for one year, $21.05 million and will allow Buehler an opportunity to rebuild his market value in his first full season recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. Buehler represents a fascinating buy-low option for the Red Sox, who had already fortified their rotation by acquiring left-handers Garrett Crochet and Patrick Sandoval this winter. The 30-year-old Buehler had a stretch as one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball, earning two All-Star selections while posting a 3.03 ERA with 408 strikeouts over 356 1/3 innings between 2018-21. He underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery in August 2022, cutting that season short after only 12 starts, and went on to miss all of 2023 as well. Upon his return in 2024, Buehler was not the same. In 16 starts for the eventual World Series champions, he posted a 5.38 ERA over 75 1/3 innings, but with the Dodgers’ rotation decimated by injury, he wound up making four playoff appearances. His first playoff start did not go well; he allowed six runs in five innings in Game 3 of the NLDS against San Diego. But he then came through with two of his best outings of the season, throwing four scoreless innings to start Game 3 of the NLCS against the Mets and five scoreless in Game 3 of the World Series against the Yankees. Buehler wound up closing out the decisive Game 5 of the World Series, earning the save with a scoreless ninth to lock down Los Angeles’ second World Series title in five years. By signing a one-year deal, the Red Sox are betting that those last outings are a better reflection of who Buehler will be going forward another year removed from elbow surgery. The deal also likely closes off any other additions to the starting rotation, which now features Crochet, Buehler, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and Kutter Crawford, plus depth options like Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts, Quinn Priester, Hunter Dobbins and eventually Sandoval, who is also recovering from Tommy John surgery and isn’t expected to be available until at least the second half of the season. PIRATES: Andrew McCutchen can sense the end of his baseball career coming. It’s not quite here yet. McCutchen, a five-time All-Star, agreed to a $5 million, one-year deal to stay in Pittsburgh for the 2025 season, confident he can still be a difference-maker for a team trying to get back toward postseason contention. RANGERS: Texas and free-agent designated hitter Joc Pederson agreed on a contract, a person with knowledge of the deal said. The Rangers will be the third team in three years for Pederson, who rebounded from a sub-par 2023 season with San Francisco to hit a career-best .275 with 23 homers and 64 RBI last season with Arizona. METS: Sean Manaea is set to return to the New York Mets on a $75 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. Please sign into your Sun Journal account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors.
Penn State kicks off Sunshine Slam by cruising past FordhamThe 1986 movie made star Paul Hogan famous, but another character received a fair share of notice as well—an actual crocodile named Burt. The huge saltwater croc has died in Australia, reports the . Crocosaurus Cove, an aquarium and exhibition facility in Darwin, posted on that Burt "passed away peacefully" and was believed to be more than 90 years old. Burt was captured in the 1980s from the Reynolds River—hence his name Burt—and was discovered by the filmmakers at a crocodile farm, per the . "He wasn't just a crocodile; he was a force of nature and a reminder of the power and majesty of these incredible creatures," reads the aquarium's post. The famous croc was about 16 feet, 8 inches long and weighed around 1,500 pounds. See a from the movie; it used models of Burt for obvious safety reasons, but the footage of a croc launching from the water is the real Burt. (More stories.)
It looks like a normal office, but it is allegedly a compound from which scammers targeted innocent Australians and tricked them into handing over their hard-earned money . The Australian Federal Police (AFP) last month executed a search warrant with Philippines authorities at the location, from which they allege men over the age of 35 years were targeted on social media and dating applications in cryptocurrency scams. “The scammers would communicate with victims to build trust before asking them to invest money in a fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platform,” the AFP said. “The alleged scammers were working shifts to align with Australian time zones.” More than 250 suspected cyber criminals were arrested by the AFP and Philippines authorities at the compound in central Manila’s Pasay City on October 3, the AFP said. Of those arrested, 68 were Filipino nationals, while the rest were foreign nationals. Officers seized more than 300 computer towers, more than 1000 mobile phones and thousands of sim cards. The compound was searched by two AFP members and a Manila based-AFP liaison officer, with relevant local partners, for intelligence relating to Australian scam victims. “AFP technical experts and cryptocurrency experts, with the Philippines Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), are now collecting information about who was targeted and the methodologies used to extract cash from victims,” the AFP said. Victims will be contacted as evidence becomes available. This evidence will also be used to help shut down other scam centres operating worldwide if possible. The operation is the first time investigators have accessed a scam centre compound, AFP Assistant Commissioner David McLean said. “A large portion of cybercrime affecting Australians originates offshore, and this action shows how the AFP and its international partners are proactively taking the fight to these syndicates where they operate,” McLean said. “We commend the PAOCC and NBI for their work in identifying this boiler room and taking swift action to shut it down. “I thank them for the trust they have shown in the AFP by allowing us to work with them. “We have gathered valuable intelligence on the structure of these types of scam call centres, how they are targeting Australians and the ways to help identify victims. “An AFP cryptocurrency expert was given a unique insight into the financial and money laundering structures operating within these hubs, and that will be immensely helpful in developing our strategies in combatting this crime impacting Australia.” The AFP urged Australians to be wary of scams, giving the following advice:King and PM honour former US president Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100
Experimental Docs From Poland, Cuba Win in AmsterdamLOS ANGELES, Dec. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crown Electrokinetics Corp. (NASDAQ: CRKN) ("Crown" or the "Company”), a leading provider of innovative technology infrastructure solutions that benefit communities and the environment, today provided a letter to shareholders from its CEO and Chairman, Doug Croxall. Dear Fellow Shareholders, As 2024 comes to a close, I want to reflect on Crown’s accomplishments this year and share our vision for the year ahead. It has been a transformative year for Crown, as we have evolved into a rapidly growing public conglomerate with three diversified divisions: Smart Windows, Fiber Optics, and Water Solutions. This year, we made significant operational progress, achieving key milestones that position Crown for continued growth and success. We expanded our presence across eight U.S. states and two countries, building a robust platform to address critical infrastructure and technology challenges. We are on track to deliver $20 million in revenue for 2024, which is all the more impressive given it was primarily generated in the final three quarters. This achievement reflects our progress and the strong demand for our innovative technology infrastructure solutions. Financially, we are well-positioned to achieve profitability in the first half of 2025, even as we continue to invest strategically in our growth plans. Crown has actively raised capital recently to execute those expansion plans and will close the year with record levels of cash in hand and minimal debt. This achievement reflects our disciplined approach to building a healthy balance sheet and implementing the structure required to support both near-term objectives and long-term expansion. We share in your frustration that our market value, trading at approximately our current cash value, does not yet reflect either Crown’s recent achievements or its immense future potential. However, we remain confident that this disparity will correct itself as we build a company that delivers meaningful impact, sustainable growth, and shareholder value. To ensure we maintain our listing status, we have filed our appeal with NASDAQ and expect to go before the hearing committee likely in early February. We will provide timely updates as they become available to Crown. In preparation, we have filed a Proxy Statement ahead of the Special Meeting on January 14th and are requesting approval to execute a reverse stock split to maintain bid-price compliance. We strongly urge our shareholders to favorably vote their approximately 64 million voting shares, and to provide Crown with the flexibility and financial strength needed to continue delivering against our growth plans. 2024 Division Highlights Smart Windows Fiber Optics Water Solutions Slant Wells Lead Pipes: Element 82 & PE Pipelines 2025 Outlook As we look ahead to 2025, Crown is stronger, more focused, and better positioned than ever to capitalize on new opportunities. With momentum across our three divisions, we are committed to achieving profitability in the first half of 2025, expanding our footprint to meet increasing demand, and delivering innovative infrastructure solutions that address critical challenges. Our team of industry experts, with a desire to change the status quo through innovation, is growing rapidly. As we scale, we are actively refining our business processes to align with our growing operations while maintaining agility and focus. Looking ahead, we provided full year 2025 revenue guidance between $30 million and $35 million, underscoring the expected strength of our business to come. To our shareholders, thank you for your trust and confidence as we continue to execute our vision. While our stock price does not yet reflect the intrinsic value of Crown, we remain focused on building a company that delivers meaningful impact, sustainable growth, and shareholder value. Approving the proposed reverse stock split is a critical step in strengthening our position to meet listing requirements, attract new investors, and enhance financial flexibility. Your support is vital to driving Crown’s long-term success and unlocking its full potential. We’re excited for 2025 and look forward to updating you on our progress regularly. Sincerely, Doug Croxall CEO and Chairman, Crown Special Meeting of Stockholders The Company will host a Special Meeting of Stockholders on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Holders of record of Crown’s Common Stock as of the close of business on December 16, 2024, will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting. Additional information regarding the Special Meeting, including how to vote, are available via proxy materials filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), and can be found at https://ir.crownek.com/sec-filings . About Crown Crown (Nasdaq: CRKN) is an innovative infrastructure solutions provider dedicated to benefiting communities and the environment. Comprised of three business divisions, Smart Windows, Fiber Optics, and Water Solutions, Crown is developing and delivering cutting edge solutions that are challenging the status quo and redefining industry standards. For more information, please visit www.crownek.com . Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release may be "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) regarding future events or Crown’s future financial performance that involve certain contingencies and uncertainties, including those discussed in Crown’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and subsequent reports Crown files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, in the sections entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” . Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that express our intentions, beliefs, expectations, strategies, predictions, or any other statements relating to our future activities or other future events or conditions. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may, and are likely to, differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and Crown Electrokinetic Corporation undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release. This press release does not constitute a public offer of any securities for sale. Any securities offered privately will not be or have not been registered under the Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. For more information, please contact: Investor Relations ir@crownek.com Public Relations pr@crownek.comRover Group (OTCMKTS:NEBCU) Trading 6.1% Higher – Here’s Why
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shut down access to the Affordable Care Act marketplace to two health insurance agencies. Here's a look at what's happened.King and PM honour former US president Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100Century-old series resumes as South Carolina hosts Presbyterian
Boston Consulting Group and Jones Day Highlight Success in Dallas' Premier Luxury Lifestyle Office Destination DALLAS , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Harwood International is proud to celebrate an extraordinary year, with 341,163 square feet of office space leased across the vibrant Harwood District . As Dallas' premier destination for luxury lifestyle office spaces, the District continues to attract world-class tenants with its unique blend of design-forward workspaces, walkability, and unparalleled amenities. This year's achievements include a landmark lease with global law firm Jones Day at the upcoming Harwood No. 15 and Boston Consulting Group 's (BCG) 7-year lease renewal for 69,624 square feet at Harwood No. 6 . Since 2008, Boston Consulting Group has called the Harwood District home. Known globally for its innovative approach to management consulting, technology, and design, BCG's decision to renew at Harwood No. 6 highlights the enduring appeal of Saint Ann Court . Designed by Shimoda Design Group , this 26-story architectural icon offers luxury lifestyle amenities such as the Rockefeller Sky Gardens, a private fitness center, The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection , and on-site dining at Saint Ann Restaurant & Bar and MICHELIN-recommended Mercat Bistro . Harwood No. 15, the next chapter in the District's evolution, will redefine the luxury lifestyle office with cutting-edge innovation, sustainability, and world-class design. The tower, designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates , represents the fourth collaboration between Harwood International and the world-renowned architectural firm. Set to break ground in 2025, Harwood No. 15 will provide an inspiring workplace experience that integrates modern sophistication with comfort and convenience. Spanning 19 city blocks, the Harwood District is a vibrant community that harmonizes hospitality, art, green space, and a Walk Score of 94—one of the highest in Dallas . With occupancy rates consistently exceeding 90 percent and some of the highest leasing rates in the market, the District has cemented its reputation as a destination for companies seeking a luxury lifestyle office experience. Harwood International's success is deeply rooted in its 40+ years of expertise, creating thoughtfully curated spaces where businesses and their employees thrive. This expertise extends beyond office leasing to include a robust hospitality portfolio of 20+ restaurants and the luxury boutique Hôtel Swexan , which earned MICHELIN recognition in 2024. Harwood's culinary excellence, exemplified by MICHELIN-recognized Stillwell's Steakhouse and Mercat Bistro, enhances the luxury lifestyle office environment, ensuring that tenants enjoy concierge-level service, exquisite dining, and exceptional experiences. As the Harwood District continues to grow, it exemplifies how thoughtful, design-forward development creates harmony between work and life. About Harwood International Founded in 1988, Harwood International is an international real estate firm with offices and developments in select niche markets including Dallas , Geneva , and London's West End. The company is recognized globally as a purveyor for building the finest developments in terms of design, location, and quality while creating cultural experiences within them that are beyond exceptional. Harwood International's leadership is based on its world- class experience, name-brand architecture, exacting finishes, and a focus on energy efficiency and green space. The firm has received numerous design and community awards, including recognition by ENR for the Best Office Project in the World for its Rolex Building. Please visit harwoodinternational.com for more information. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harwood-international-celebrates-exceptional-year-with-nearly-350-000-square-feet-leased-in-the-harwood-district-302338523.html SOURCE Harwood InternationalBy ALI SWENSON and BARARA ORTUTAY Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, which they view as increasingly leaning too far to the right given its owner’s support of President-elect Donald Trump, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. Related Articles National News | Bill Clinton is hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says National News | Why Finland is vaccinating farmers against bird flu — but California isn't National News | The internet is rife with fake reviews. Will AI make it worse? National News | Mega Millions jackpot nears $1 billion ahead of Christmas Eve drawing National News | 2 US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident, US military says The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter, championed by its former CEO Jack Dorsey. Its decentralized approach to social networking was eventually intended to replace Twitter’s core mechanic . That’s unlikely now that the two companies have parted ways. But Bluesky’s growth trajectory — with a user base that has more than doubled since October — could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. But with growth comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. The skyrocketing user base — now surpassing 25 million — is the biggest test yet for a relatively young platform that has branded itself as a social media alternative free of the problems plaguing its competitors. According to research firm Similarweb, Bluesky added 7.6 million monthly active app users on iOS and Android in November, an increase of 295.4% since October. It also saw 56.2 million desktop and mobile web visits, in the same period, up 189% from October. Besides the U.S. elections, Bluesky also got a boost when X was briefly banned in Brazil . “They got this spike in attention, they’ve crossed the threshold where it is now worth it for people to flood the platform with spam,” said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University and a member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media. “But they don’t have the cash flow, they don’t have the established team that a larger platform would, so they have to do it all very, very quickly.” To manage growth for its tiny staff, Bluesky started as an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other distinctive features to attract new users , such as “starter packs” that provide lists of topically curated feeds. Meta recently announced that it is testing a similar feature. Compared to the bigger players like Meta’s platforms or X, Bluesky has a “quite different” value system, said Claire Wardle, a professor at Cornell University and an expert in misinformation. This includes giving users more control over their experience. “The first generation of social media platforms connected the world, but ended up consolidating power in the hands of a few corporations and their leaders,” Bluesky said on its blog in March. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see. On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself.” Because of this mindset, Bluesky has achieved a scrappy underdog status that has attracted users who’ve grown tired of the big players. “People had this idea that it was going to be a different type of social network,” Wardle said. “But the truth is, when you get lots of people in a place and there are eyeballs, it means that it’s in other people’s interests to use bots to create, you know, information that aligns with their perspective.” Little data has emerged to help quantify the rise in impersonator accounts, artificial intelligence-fueled networks and other potentially harmful content on Bluesky. But in recent weeks, users have begun reporting large numbers of apparent AI bots following them, posting plagiarized articles or making seemingly automated divisive comments in replies. Lion Cassens, a Bluesky user and doctoral candidate in the Netherlands, found one such network by accident — a group of German-language accounts with similar bios and AI-generated profile pictures posting in replies to three German newspapers. “I noticed some weird replies under a news post by the German newspaper ‘Die Ziet,’” he said in an email to The Associated Press. “I have a lot of trust in the moderation mechanism on Bluesky, especially compared to Twitter since the layoffs and due to Musk’s more radical stance on freedom of speech. But AI bots are a big challenge, as they will only improve. I hope social media can keep up with that.” Cassens said the bots’ messages have been relatively innocuous so far, but he was concerned about how they could be repurposed in the future to mislead. There are also signs that foreign disinformation narratives have made their way to Bluesky. The disinformation research group Alethea pointed to one low-traction post sharing a false claim about ABC News that had circulated on Russian Telegram channels. Copycat accounts are another challenge. In late November, Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, found that of the top 100 most followed named individuals on Bluesky, 44% had at least one duplicate account posing as them. Two weeks later, Mantzarlis said Bluesky had removed around two-thirds of the duplicate accounts he’d initially detected — a sign the site was aware of the issue and attempting to address it. Bluesky posted earlier this month that it had quadrupled its moderation team to keep up with its growing user base. The company also announced it had introduced a new system to detect impersonation and was working to improve its Community Guidelines to provide more detail on what’s allowed. Because of the way the site is built, users also have the option to subscribe to third-party “Labelers” that outsource content moderation by tagging accounts with warnings and context. The company didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Even as its challenges aren’t yet at the scale other platforms face, Bluesky is at a “crossroads,” said Edward Perez, a board member at the nonpartisan nonprofit OSET Institute, who previously led Twitter’s civic integrity team. “Whether BlueSky likes it or not, it is being pulled into the real world,” Perez said, noting that it needs to quickly prioritize threats and work to mitigate them if it hopes to continue to grow. That said, disinformation and bots won’t be Bluesky’s only challenges in the months and years to come. As a text-based social network, its entire premise is falling out of favor with younger generations. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that only 17% of American teenagers used X, for instance, down from 23% in 2022. For teens and young adults, TikTok, Instagram and other visual-focused platforms are the places to be. Political polarization is also going against Bluesky ever reaching the size of TikTok, Instagram or even X. “Bluesky is not trying to be all things to all people,” Wardle said, adding that, likely, the days of a Facebook or Instagram emerging where they’re “trying to keep everybody happy” are over. Social platforms are increasingly splintered along political lines and when they aren’t — see Meta’s platforms — the companies behind them are actively working to de-emphasize political content and news. The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here . The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Republicans Reject Trump Twice In A WeekPenn State kicks off Sunshine Slam by cruising past Fordham
Few would argue that New York City is mired in a housing crisis — as defined by high prices and low vacancies. There’s good evidence for that conclusion. The most recent federal New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey reported a vacancy rate of just 1.4%, “a stark contrast to the 4.54 rate in 2021”. Over the same period, median monthly rent rose from $1,500 to $,1641 — and that includes everything from luxury high-rises to public housing. These sorts of figures drive an ongoing search for solutions to the problem — including, most recently, Mayor Adams’ Dec. 12 announcement of a new city Charter Revision Commission to consider, as he put it, how to “deliver as much affordable housing to working-class New Yorkers and their families.” A thorough examination of New York’s housing policy — both at the city and state level — could include a growing body of economic research regarding rent regulation, which affects the 960,000 “rent-stabilized” apartments whose price is set not by the market but by mayoral appointees. Rent stabilization may provide a good deal for those lucky to benefit from it. But as economists from across the political spectrum increasingly concur, it ultimately harms the city’s housing market for many. Research into the impact of rent control has a long history. Back in 1997, the Harvard economists Edward Glaeser and Erzo Luttner described the “misallocation of housing” that rent controls creates. That was their term for a mismatch between what renters might need and what they choose because the price is cheap — such as folks who might only need a small apartment, but live in a big one because they can afford it. More recently, in 2018, the liberal Brookings Institution cited the same problem: “Once a tenant has secured a rent-controlled apartment, he may not choose to move in the future and give up his rent control, even if his housing needs change.” This “misallocation,” Brookings continued, is not without major consequence, most notably “empty-nest households living in family-sized apartments and young families crammed into small studios.” Last year’s Census analysis of New York housing data suggests that’s exactly what is happening here — as young people crammed into subdivided studios with multiple roommates know well. The difference between rent-regulated and market-rate housing in the Big Apple is stark: Only 94,000 (24%) rent-stabilized tenants had moved (either in or out) in the past year, compared to 221,000 (57%) of market-rate tenants. Rent-stabilized tenants are more likely to stay put — forming a kind of housing blockade for newcomers or households with kids who need more bedrooms. As per the Census, the long-term rent-stabilized tenants were not necessarily low-income: 30% reported incomes above $100,000 a year—in keeping with notorious stories of the actress Mia Farrow and Congressman Charles Rangel enjoying rent-stabilized units. (Farrow inherited hers through her family, as the law permits.) Rent controls, notes the Journal of Housing Economics , lead to a redistribution of income — which can include tenants who become better off at the expense of landlords. As Kenny Burgos, the former Bronx Assemblyman who now heads the New York Apartment Association (NYAA) — which represents the owners of some 400,000 regulated units — notes, the current system “inhibits the natural flow and movement of a normal housing market.” There can be ill-effects on housing quality too, economists are finding, in ways that harm rent-stabilized tenants themselves. In February, 2024, ceonomists at the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank looked at the physical effects of rent controls. They concluded that “while rent-control policies do restrict rents at more affordable rates, they can also lead to a reduction of rental stock and maintenance, thereby exacerbating affordable housing shortages.” Similarly, new research in the Journal of Housing Economics from March 2024 concluded that “even tenants in the controlled dwellings can suffer from rent control, as maintenance of such dwellings can be reduced, leading to a decreased housing quality.” Once again, the most recent findings from New York reveal these very same market conditions. Its review of “reported housing problems” found that there are more tenant complaints about rodents, leaks, cracks and heating in rent-stabilized units than in the non-regulated. The numbers are striking: 376,000 reports of rodents in regulated units (39% of all), compared to 240,000 in market-rate units (22% of all). The repair needs of older, rent-regulated buildings can even lead to owners simply abandoning them, as Maggie Brunn, president of Brooklyn’s A&E Real Estate, has said . “When an apartment has been lived in for 20 or 30 years, those limits [on rent increases] don’t even come close to the actual costs of rewiring, plumbing and the basic improvements you’d need to rent an apartment that a family would be proud to call home. That means more and more of those desperately needed low-rent apartments are sitting vacant.” That problem has been exacerbated by 2019 New York state legislation which sharply limits rent increases even for rising costs such major capital repairs. Burgos of the NYAA estimates at least 10,000 of such “ghost apartments” lie vacant — because their owners “aren’t allowed to recoup their costs. Inflation, property taxes, insurance.” As a result, he says, “banks won’t lend to them.” That’s exactly what Brookings has found. “Rent control can also lead to decay of the rental housing stock; landlords may not invest in maintenance because they can’t recoup these investment by raising rents.” “The system,” says Burgos, “is not working either for owners or tenants.” But how could this deeply established system — existing, in one form or other, for more than 50 years — actually be adjusted? The experience of another major world city, Buenos Aires, Argentina, suggests doing so might not bring on the chaos and price-gouging tenant advocates would suggest. Late last year, libertarian-leaning Argentine President Javier Milei simply “scrapped” rent controls, as reported in The Wall Street Journal. The effect, it reported, is that “the Argentine capital is undergoing a rental-market boom. Landlords are rushing to put their properties back on the market, with Buenos Aires rental supplies increasing by over 170%. While rents are still up in nominal terms, many renters are securing better (or at least fairer) deals, with a 40% decline in the real price of rental properties when adjusted for inflation.” Simply scrapping rent control like in Buenos Aires would be far more difficult in regulation-laden New York, of course. But, as Burgos notes, even permitting the de-regulation of vacant units could lead to significant improvement — without affecting current tenants. What he calls “vacancy control” stands in the way of the rent increases owners need to invest simply to comply with building codes and lead abatement laws — rather than leaving units vacant. The city’s Charter Commission could help by reducing property taxes or water rates for regulated units. But even a rapid deregulation might not be that consequential in much of the city. Census survey reports that the typical market-rate rent ($2,000) is not fantastically higher than the typical regulated rent ($1,500). In The Bronx, the typical rent for all units — including non-rent stabilized — is just $1,200. Market rents, in other words, can be close to regulated rents in lower-cost neighborhoods. Combined with a wave of vacant units coming back on the market and new investments, New York might follow (or at least tiptoe) in the footsteps of Buenos Aires. Such a move would not only benefit renters, it would save the city the expenses associated with an agency most metropolises don’t possess, the Rent Stabilization Guidelines Board, whose staff sets rent increase recommendations and monitors compliance. What’s more, property owners — including mom-and-pop landlords who own just a few buildings — would no longer have to incur the red tape headaches of registering their buildings every year — and either mailing or hand-delivering the required forms and fees, to be paid, for each unit, both to the state ($13) and the city ($20). Failing to do so means a $500 fine — per apartment. There have been attempts, led by the owners’ lobby, the Rent Stabilization Association (now part of the New York Housing Association), to upend the price control regime through the courts — without success. Most recently, the US Supreme Court declined a challenge based , in part, on the argument that rent regulation was effectively a legal “taking of an owner’s property, without compensation.” The fact that property owners sought to overturn rent regulation through the courts makes clear how difficult it is to change the system legislatively. But city and state officials should take notice of the changing leadership in Washington. In the first Trump Administration, a White House Executive Council singled out rent control for criticism, writing that it can lead to “restricted supply [which] ends up hurting some of the lower-income renters they are intended to help.” New York City’s budget relies on Washington for $100 billion in revenue, including from the Department of Housing and Urban Development — which could attach strings to that aid, including revisions to rent regulation or calling for it to end. Once back in office, Donald Trump — as he often does — could prove a wild card and deregulate New York City’s housing market. Howard Husock is a senior fellow in domestic policy at the American Enterprise Institute.
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