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Shohei Ohtani wins 3rd AP Male Athlete of the Year award, tying Michael Jordan for 1 shy of record LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has been named The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time. That ties the two-way superstar with Michael Jordan, an athlete Ohtani followed while growing up in Japan. He trails only Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James, who each won the award four times. Ohtani received 48 votes in balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members. He earned his third National League Most Valuable Player award after helping the Dodgers win their eighth World Series title. Ohtani hit 54 home runs and stole 59 bases as the first player with a 50-50 season. His dog, Decoy, became a celebrity, too, helping Ohtani deliver a ceremonial first pitch at a game. Tennessee and Auburn remain 1-2 in AP Top 25 poll featuring 10 SEC teams Tennessee and Auburn remained Nos. 1-2 atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll. They were the headliners among the Southeastern Conference's haul of 10 ranked teams. Iowa State, Duke and Alabama rounded out the top five. Kentucky had the week's biggest fall, sliding six spots to No. 10 after a loss to Ohio State. Mississippi State, Arkansas, Illinois and Baylor rejoined the poll after stints in the rankings earlier this season. They replaced Memphis, Dayton, Michigan and Clemson. The Big 12 and Big Ten were tied for second with five teams each in the AP Top 25. USC up to No. 4 in women's AP Top 25 after win over UConn. UCLA, South Carolina, Notre Dame stay 1-3 Southern California jumped to No. 4 in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll on Monday after edging UConn. The Trojans moved up three spots after beating the then-No. 4 Huskies 72-70 in a rematch of last season’s Elite Eight game that UConn won. UCLA, South Carolina and Notre Dame remained the top three teams. The Bruins received 30 of the 32 first-place votes from a national media panel. The Gamecocks and the Fighting Irish each got one first-place vote. UConn fell to seventh behind Texas and LSU. Maryland, Oklahoma and Ohio State rounded out the top 10 teams. Former NFL great Michael Vick introduced as Norfolk State’s football coach NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Michael Vick has been introduced as Norfolk State’s football coach, a homecoming for the former NFL star and a splashy, attention-grabbing hire for a program that has struggled in recent years. Vick donned a Norfolk State letterman’s jacket and cap in front of a crowd of supporters that included fellow Hampton Roads, Virginia, sports greats Allen Iverson and Bruce Smith. Vick led Virginia Tech to the national championship game as a redshirt freshman and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2001 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. His career was derailed by his conviction in 2007 for his involvement in a dogfighting ring. On Football: Falcons and Buccaneers flip spots atop the NFC South and playoff races tighten up The 49ers, Cowboys and Cardinals are out of the playoff race. The Falcons took control of their hopes and the Colts, Dolphins and Bengals kept slim chances alive. The NFL’s playoff picture became clearer Sunday. With two weeks remaining, three of eight division titles are secured, eight teams have wrapped up playoff berths and 11 more are competing for the six remaining spots. The biggest change in the standings occurred in the NFC South with Atlanta reclaiming the top spot from Tampa Bay. The Chiefs have the inside track for the AFC's No. 1 seed and the NFC's top spot could likely come down to the Vikings-Lions matchup in Week 18. No. 1 Oregon and No. 8 Ohio State gear up for rematch of thriller won by Ducks Oregon and Ohio State have already produced one heck of a game this season. Now, the top-seeded Ducks and eighth-seeded Buckeyes are gearing up for a rematch more than 10 weeks later in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Of course, both teams have had ample time for evolution since that 32-31 Oregon win on Oct. 12. But they also have that game and players’ familiarity with each other, not to mention common opponents in the Big Ten. Texas, Arizona State to meet in CFP clash of old vs. new Big 12 champs AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas won the Big 12 title in 2023 on its way out the door to the Southeastern Conference. It was still swinging open when Arizona State waltzed in and won the league title in its debut season. And now last season’s Big 12 champs meet the new Big 12 champs on the path toward a potential national title. The fifth-seeded Longhorns and fourth-seeded Sun Devils play News Years Day in the Peach Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. Penn State preparing for hard-charging Jeanty and Boise State in CFP quarterfinals STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State players have watched Ashton Jeanty make opponents look silly all season. They don’t want to be the next defenders Boise State’s star posterizes with jukes, spin moves, stiff arms and heavy shoulders. But they also know that slowing down Jeanty, who finished second in Heisman Trophy voting, will be their toughest task yet when the two teams meet in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. NCAA appealing Pavia injunction as D-I board grants waiver to former JUCO players The NCAA on Monday appealed the preliminary injunction granted by a U.S. federal judge giving Diego Pavia another year of eligibility even as the organization’s Division I board of directors granted a waiver allowing athletes in a similar situation as the Vanderbilt quarterback to play in 2025-26. The injunction Dec. 18 was limited to Pavia arguing he was likely to win on his argument that NCAA Division I eligibility rules discriminated against his junior college seasons. The NCAA waiver announced Monday should limit the lawsuits from other athletes who started at a junior college seeking another season to access name, image and likeness opportunities. Texas sues NCAA in latest push to block transgender athletes in women's sports AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the NCAA to block the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports, arguing that it tricks and misleads fans. The lawsuit filed in state district court argues the NCAA violates the Texas Trade Practices Act. The law is designed to protect consumers from deceptive business practices. The lawsuit is the latest attempt by conservative politicians to target transgender athletes and push the NCAA into banning them from competition. NCAA President Charlie Baker recently told Congress he was aware of fewer than 10 active transgender athletes.
Israel’s attorney general has ordered police to open an investigation into Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and witnesses in the Prime Minister’s corruption trial. The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a message late on Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the Uvda investigative programme into Sara Netanyahu. The programme uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aide to organise protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial. The announcement did not mention Mrs Netanyahu by name and the Justice Ministry declined further comment. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu blasted the Uvda report as “lies”. It is the latest in a long line of legal troubles for the Netanyahus, highlighted by the PM’s ongoing corruption trial. Mr Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases alleging he exchanged favours with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. He denies the charges and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous prosecutors, police and the media.Drop in Boxing Day footfall ‘signals return to declining pre-pandemic levels’Intel’s new Lunar Lake hardware is a reflection of modern chip design. It’s tempting to call it a “processor” or “CPU” — old habits die hard, after all — but it’s really a system-on-a-chip (SoC), both in terms of architecture and philosophy. The CPU cores are joined by integrated GPU cores, a neural processing unit (NPU), and even on-chip RAM. Also, unlike past Intel chips, Lunar Lake seems set on striking a balance between the three. That’s keenly felt in Intel’s approach to Lunar Lake’s integrated graphics (iGPU). Building on the success of Intel Core Ultra, Intel’s new processors also offer Intel Arc graphics — but this time around, Intel has returned to providing each iGPU a name unique to its configuration, and the best version here is the Intel Arc 140V with eight Xe Cores and a max frequency of 2.05GHz. Meanwhile, Intel’s competition hasn’t been spinning its wheels. AMD’s latest Ryzen AI processors have their own integrated graphics updates in the form of the Radeon 880M (succeeding the well-respected Radeon 780M) and the new Radeon 890M (which clearly thumped an earlier Intel Arc iteration ). So, how well does the iGPU in Intel’s Lunar Lake chips perform? Is it a minor boost over previous incarnations? Or a major update? Spoiler alert: Lunar Lake’s visual chops are good enough to let you play many modern games without paying extra for a discrete graphics card. Keep reading for our in-depth benchmark test results. This article was updated to include benchmark results from the Asus Zenbook S 14 with Intel Core Ultra 7 258V. Additional testing was conducted after initial results suggested the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition might be delivering lower-than-typical graphics performance for this configuration. Hardware specifications for our tests Our game benchmarks below were conducted on two laptops: a Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition with Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor and an Asus Zenbook S 14 with Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor. The Intel Core Ultra 7 processors are high-end Core Ultra 7 chips for slim-and-light laptops, though more mid-range in terms of overall core count and performance (as opposed to, say, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K). These chips are common choices for thin, light, Intel-powered laptops sold above $1,000. Cheaper laptops may offer them as upgrades. While neither the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V nor 258V are the most powerful SKUs in Intel’s latest line-up, their iGPU looks impressive on paper. Both are badged as Intel Arc 140V, which is the best version of Arc integrated graphics in the Lunar Lake line-up. They have eight Intel Xe Cores, the same number as higher Lunar Lake SKUs. With that out of the way, let’s get to the benchmarks. 3DMark Let’s start things off with 3DMark’s Time Spy and Night Raid tests. Time Spy is a more demanding (but still not especially punishing) benchmark while Night Raid is a less demanding benchmark meant for entry-level graphics hardware, including integrated graphics. Matthew Smith / IDG The Asus Zenbook S 14’s Arc 140V shows strong synthetic benchmark performance, scoring 31,946 in Night Raid and 4,236 in Time Spy. That’s a big improvement over the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition’s results of 28,193 and 3,585, respectively. While the Zenbook puts Intel closer to competing with AMD’s Radeon 890M, AMD still maintains an advantage of 39,966 in Night Raid, though it falls behind in Time Spy. That suggests we’ll see varied results in actual games, with Asus’ implementation providing stronger performance than our initial Lenovo test unit. Onward, to the games! Sid Meier’s Civilization VI Let’s give a polite round of applause to . First released in October 2016, the game is now eight years old — and over the course of that journey, it has roughly doubled its active player base since the months following its launch (based on publicly available Steam stats). With due out in 2025, the sun is setting on this title. But, at the moment, it’s still by far the most popular and commercially successful entry in the franchise. It’s also a less demanding game that’s playable even when frame rates dip below 30 FPS, which makes it easy to enjoy on mid-range, thin-and-light laptops with integrated graphics. Matthew Smith / IDG The Asus Zenbook’s Arc 140V delivers 72.46 FPS average with 43.35 FPS 1% lows. While this matches the Lenovo’s average frame rate of 72.6 FPS, the improved 1% low (compared to Lenovo’s 55.6 FPS) suggests more stable performance. However, both Intel Arc 140V laptops trail significantly behind AMD’s Radeon 890M and Radeon 880M, which average 126.5 and 89.9 FPS, respectively. Even the older Radeon 780M beats Intel’s Arc 140V by a few frames per second. That’s a huge advantage for AMD in this title. Dota 2 Although not often discussed in “mainstream” gaming news, still typically sits among the top three games on Steam and has a vibrant esports scene. It’s also the least demanding game used for this test. Matthew Smith / IDG ‘s average frame rate sees another marginal uplift for the Intel Arc 140V. Though it churned out a slightly better average frame rate, its advantage comes down to just a handful of frames, which is trivial in a game that averages above 100 FPS. The minimum frame rate is more impactful. The Asus Zenbook S 14 beat a 1% low of 60 FPS, which means it can generally achieve 60 FPS or better in even the most demanding scenes. Intel Arc 140V beat the 1% lows from the AMD Radeon 880M and 890M laptops by roughly 10 FPS. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition was not as quick, however, and more-or-less tied its AMD-powered peers. Final Fantasy XIV is a personal favorite and remains among the most popular MMORPGs on the market. The latest expansion, , brought a graphics update that noticeably improves texture quality and polygon count. That makes it somewhat challenging for iGPUs to handle, though most can deliver an average around 30 FPS or better at High (Laptop) detail. Matthew Smith / IDG These results are the opposite of what we saw from . The Intel laptops dominate, with the Asus Zenbook S 14 averaging nearly 52 FPS and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition averaging about 45 FPS. Both figures leave AMD’s Radeon 890M and Radeon 880M behind. Total War: Warhammer III Though it sits in the same grand strategy genre as , Creative Assembly’s is far more demanding. It’s enough to challenge the most capable iGPUs, even at just 1080p and the Low detail preset. Intel’s Arc 140V is no exception. Matthew Smith / IDG This is a disappointing result for Intel. While the Asus Zenbook S 14 with Intel Arc 140V delivered a small performance boost over the prior generation of Intel Arc, the game still can’t provide a consistent 30 FPS at these settings. The slower Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is even worse off, as it averaged a tad under 30 FPS. AMD’s Radeon 890M notches a win here, raising the minimum frame rate above the crucial 30 FPS line. The Radeon 880M, on the other hand, finds itself tied with Intel Arc 140V. It’s playable, I suppose, but barely. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Though over 10 years old at this point, is a game that keeps on giving. It remains popular and, thanks to graphical upgrades in the , it’s still somewhat demanding for iGPUs when played at 1080p resolution and High detail. Matthew Smith / IDG These results are good for Intel. While none exactly hit 60 FPS, it’s important to note the game has a 60 FPS cap. Because of that, it’s the minimum frame rate that matters most — and Intel’s Arc 140V beats both the AMD Radeon 890M and Radeon 880M by that metric. On the other hand, the older Dell Inspiron 14 Plus with Intel Arc delivered performance very close to the Asus Zenbook S 14 and Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition with Intel Arc 140V. plays well on Intel Arc 140V, but Intel’s prior-gen hardware is nearly as good. Cyberpunk 2077 We finish off with , a notoriously demanding game that, despite a lackluster launch, has roared back to popularity in part thanks to its visually stunning and immersive world. Matthew Smith / IDG This is a good result for the Intel Arc 140V, which delivers a noticeable improvement over its predecessor. Asus’ Zenbook S 14 took a clear lead over the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition, as the Asus averaged about 48 FPS against the Lenovo’s 40 FPS. Compared to the AMD-powered systems, Intel’s Arc 140V seems to edge out the AMD Radeon 880M, but it falls behind the AMD Radeon 890M. Still, it’s important to note the Intel Arc 140V scored both average and minimum frame rates above 30 FPS at these settings. That means the game should feel playable on Intel’s Arc 140V — which, given how demanding this game can be, is impressive. Intel Arc 140V performance discussion Intel’s Arc 140V is definitely superior to the prior-gen Intel Arc offering. How much so depends on the game, but best-case scenarios see that it can increase average frame rates by up to 25 percent. That would be significant in any case, but it’s especially important for integrated graphics solutions that often struggle to hit the 30 FPS target in modern titles. An extra 25 percent can mean the difference between clearing a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS or falling short a few frames — and that’s exactly what happens in . However, not every game saw a noticeable performance boost. was no quicker on the new Intel Arc 140V than it was on an older Dell Inspiron 14 Plus with first-gen Intel Arc. The performance uplift was also rather marginal in and . To be fair, though, all these games were enjoyable at the settings we used for testing. We also saw a notable difference in performance between the and . While the former felt like a respectable upgrade over the prior generation, the latter just barely edged ahead. We’ve also tried other laptops with Intel’s Arc 140V, like the , and we’ve found that performance leans closer to the Asus Zenbook S 14 than the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition (so far). But this goes to show that, in 2024, you can’t count on a graphics solution to perform similarly across all laptops that use it. You’ll need to read a review of the specific laptop you want to buy. How does the Intel Arc 140V compare to AMD’s Radeon 880M and Radeon 890M? We’d say the Intel Arc 140V has a general edge over the AMD Radeon 880M but isn’t as quick overall as the AMD Radeon 890M. As mentioned, it depends on the particulars of a given laptop. The verdict on Intel’s Arc 140V In summary, the Intel Arc 140V is a good update over prior Intel Arc integrated graphics. It pushes integrated graphics performance in a way that is at times meaningful, especially in more demanding games (like ) that struggle to offer a steady 30 FPS. In other games, like , the performance increase is evident in benchmarks but slim enough that it’s hard to notice in real gameplay. The real winner in all of this, truth be told, is you. Intel Arc and AMD Radeon integrated graphics solutions are competitive, and that competition is forcing both companies to put their best feet forward. In fact, Intel Arc 140V and AMD Radeon 880M/Radeon 890M graphics can now deliver performance that isn’t far behind some laptops with Nvidia GTX 3050 mobile graphics — and thanks to that, there’s a buffet of modestly priced laptops that can handle today’s most popular PC games. Matthew S. Smith is a freelance technology journalist with 15 years of experience reviewing consumer electronics. In addition to PCWorld, his work can be found on Wired, Ars Technica, Digital Trends, Reviewed, IGN, and Lifewire. Matthew also covers AI and the metaverse for IEEE Spectrum and runs Computer Gaming Yesterday, a YouTube channel devoted to PC gaming history.
Heat star Jimmy Butler seen serving up cocktails made with his coffee. How to order one in Miami.Future Vision II Acquisition Corp. Announces Entering into Amendment No. 1 to Merger Agreement with Viwo Technology Inc.Bank of America Announces Full Redemption of Its Series MM Preferred Stock and Related Depositary Shares
You know what they say: new year, new you. And in the world of aesthetics, that resolution couldn’t be easier to achieve. According to experts, 2025 will be the year of cutting-edge work, such as new-age skincare treatments and nearly invisible plastic surgery. Namely, the “invisilift” is on the rise. Double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Anil Shah, who practices in Chicago, said that getting a facelift before looking too aged is key for slowing down the aging process on the face. “Facelifts are absolutely the most requested procedure for patients in their 40s and 50s,” Shah explained to Salon Today . “When done early like this, it’s preventative, not restorative. Not only does this make for an incredibly natural outcome, but it allows patients to stop the clock, so to speak, for a good 10 to 15 years.” Also referred to as “early-intervention facelifts,” younger candidates for the procedure often see longer-lasting results, Dr. Sean Alemi, a double board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, told Forbes . “Millennials are turning 40 and looking for new solutions for facial aging and skin laxity that do not include filler,” he said. The change in preference signals a shift back to more naturally looking aesthetics, which has previously been called a “ De-Kardashian-ification ” or a “Great Deflation.” Chin implants are also expected “really take off in 2025,” Dr. Cat Chang, a Beverly Hills board-certified plastic surgeon, told Forbes. Her patients in particular, she added, have complained of having “weak chins.” “While on the pricier side, this procedure has minimal downtime, improves face shape and also defines the jawline,” she told Marie Claire . Non-invasive treatments for wrinkles and lifting are also expected to soar in popularity, such as Sofwave , which uses ultrasound technology to boost collagen production. Experts in the industry also predict that regenerative skincare — such as products that contain defensins, which are regenerative molecules, or exosome therapy — will gain traction in the new year. Exosomes, in tandem with red light therapy, have also been used in hair restoration treatments in people with menopausal hair loss. Shah called the combination of treatments a “game changer” for stimulating hair growth. Similarly, skincare treatments to counteract “ inflammaging ,” or aging caused by inflammation, could also be the next big thing in aesthetics. “I anticipate that exosome and stem cell treatments will rise in the coming year and beyond,” Chang said. “It’s hard to say exactly what that will look like, but it’s becoming more attractive for people to have their own stem cells harvested and injected back into the skin, as opposed to foreign substances.” Experts in the industry believe that the development of AI will also play a role in new-age techniques for rejuvenation and aesthetics. “Artificial intelligence is set to transform the world of aesthetic medicine,” said Dr. Patrick Byrne, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “By using AI to analyze facial features, guide cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, and predict evolution of interventions over time, surgeons will be able to deliver outcomes that are more nuanced and precise than ever before.”Iowa attorney general warns of sweepstakes scams after helping couple save $16,000
Then-Vice President Joe Biden introduced his son, Hunter Biden, to Chinese premier Xi Jinping, on an official visit in 2013, new photos show. Vice President Biden also met Hunter’s business associates in China, despite later denials. The photos — only a partial archive — were released in response to a lawsuit filed by Stephen Miller’s America First Legal foundation against the National Archives and Records Administration in 2022. They shed new light on the Biden family’s history of influence-peddling, which dates back to the Obama administration, and which Democrats denied as they impeached President Donald Trump and claimed Hunter’s laptop was Russian “disinformation.” In 2013, Hunter Biden accompanied his father to China on Air Force Two. When he returned, he brought with him a multi-billion dollar deal with a subsidiary of the Bank of China, which is owned by the Communist Party government. Hunter’s firm, Bohai Harvest RST (BHR), was one of many overseas ventures that the younger Biden launched, as he traded on access to his father. While Joe Biden claimed he had never spoken to his relatives about their business interests, evidence emerged over time — including on a laptop Hunter had abandoned at a Delware repair shop — that he was intricately involved, meeting with Hunter’s business associates and confirming Hunter’s high-level access. Other photos of then-Vice President Biden meeting with Hunter’s business partners emerged over the years, but the archive obtained by America First Legal is one of the largest and most consequential set of relevant photos ever released. In a statement Monday, the foundation said lawyers for Presidents Obama and Biden had stalled the release of the photos until after the 2024 presidential election — and that hundreds of photos were still being suppressed. Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days , available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency , now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak .BNDX: The Case For International Bond ExposureJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s attorney general has ordered police to open an investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and witnesses in the Israeli leader’s corruption trial. The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a terse message late Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the “Uvda” investigative program into Sara Netanyahu. The program uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs. Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aid to organize protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial. The announcement did not mention Mrs. Netanyahu by name, and the Justice Ministry declined further comment. But in a video released earlier Thursday, Netanyahu listed what he said were the many kind and charitable acts by his wife and blasted the Uvda report as “lies.” It was the latest in a long line of legal troubles for the Netanyahus — highlighted by the prime minister's ongoing corruption trial . Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases alleging he exchanged favors with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. Netanyahu denies the charges and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous prosecutors, police and the media.
Romanian presidential election results are SCRAPPED by top court after intelligence reports claim hard-right outsider who surged into lead was backed by RussiaBy REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The picture of who will be in charge of executing President-elect Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration and border policies has come into sharper focus after he announced his picks to head Customs and Border Protection and also the agency tasked with deporting immigrants in the country illegally. Trump said late Thursday he was tapping Rodney Scott, a former Border Patrol chief who’s been a vocal supporter of tougher enforcement measures, for CBP commissioner. As acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Trump said he’d nominate Caleb Vitello, a career ICE official with more than 23 years in the agency who most recently has been the assistant director for firearms and tactical programs. They will work with an immigration leadership team that includes South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as head of the Department of Homeland Security ; former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement head Tom Homan as border czar ; and immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Scott led during Trump’s first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country’s borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he joined the agency, San Diego was by far the busiest corridor for illegal crossings. Traffic plummeted after the government dramatically increased enforcement there, but critics note the effort pushed people to remote parts of California and Arizona. San Diego was also where wall construction began in the 1990s, which shaped Scott’s belief that barriers work. He was named San Diego sector chief in 2017. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump’s policies. “He’s well known. He does know these issues and obviously is trusted by the administration,” said Gil Kerlikowske, the CBP commissioner under the Obama administration. Kerlikowske took issue with some of Scott’s past actions, including his refusal to fall in line with a Biden administration directive to stop using terms like “illegal alien” in favor of descriptions like “migrant,” and his decision as San Diego sector chief to fire tear gas into Mexico to disperse protesters. “You don’t launch projectiles into a foreign country,” Kerlikowske said. At the time Scott defended the agents’ decisions , saying they were being assaulted by “a hail of rocks.” While much of the focus of Trump’s administration may be on illegal immigration and security along the U.S.-Mexico border, Kerlikowske also stressed the importance of other parts of Customs and Border Protection’s mission. The agency is responsible for securing trade and international travel at airports, ports and land crossings around the country. Whoever runs the agency has to make sure that billions of dollars worth of trade and millions of passengers move swiftly and safely into and out of the country. And if Trump makes good on promises to ratchet up tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada, CBP will play an integral role in enforcing them. “There’s a huge amount of other responsibility on trade, on tourism, on cyber that take a significant amount of time and have a huge impact on the economy if it’s not done right,” Kerlikowske said. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s hard-line immigration agenda. He has appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He’s also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In a 2023 interview with The Associated Press, he advocated for a return to Trump-era immigration policies and more pressure on Mexico to enforce immigration on its side of the border.
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Subscribe Search Search Sort by Relevance Title Date Subscribe ALBAWABA – ChatGPT’s developer, OpenAI, said on Thursday that it is looking into consumer complaints regarding issues with the AI program reportedly not functioning for many. Also Read OpenAI fined $15.5M by Italy over ChatGPT Many users took to social media reporting the service’s downtime, with our own testing with the app not showing conversation history, as well as failing to answer to queries with variety of errors. Reports on Down Detector started picking up approximately 1:30 PM ET, which seems to be when the service interruption arose. OpenAI said that ChatGPT, the API, and its text-to-video generator Sora are “currently experiencing high error rates” in a status page update at 2:00 PM ET. WTF is wrong with ChatGPT again?? @OpenAI It's down again! I can't use, can't access my chat history... what am I even paying for??? pic.twitter.com/fir8HlA8nR — Arek Dvornechuck (@ebaqdesign) December 26, 2024 According to an update published at 2:18 PM ET, OpenAI continues to keep an eye on the matter and said that the problem was “caused by an upstream provider.” Also Read Elon Musk's AI startup xAI secures $6 Billion in funding OpenAI said at 3:06 PM ET that it is "continuing to work on a fix." However, no estimated time of return for the service has been provided as of yet. Approximately 92% of users who reported problems with the application suspect they were associated with ChatGPT, with a small percentage claiming that the website or API was the culprit of the issue, as reported by the Mirror. Over the last several months, ChatGPT has experienced multiple outages. Only a few days after OpenAI made Sora available to ChatGPT subscribers earlier this month the video production tool and ChatGPT fell down for hours. In the meanwhile, ChatGPT went down in June due to a large outage that affected the AI tools, according to Yahoo. A passionate about the Gaming Industry with a career of over 5 years in the field, I write about current trends and news in the Game Development business and how it impact the industry and players. Laith has recently started a new position at Al Bawaba as a freelance business writer. Subscribe Sign up to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content Subscribe Now Subscribe Sign up to get Al Bawaba's exclusive celeb scoops and entertainment news Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content Subscribe
All the A-listers standing with Blake Lively amid her lawsuit against It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni Lively, 37, filed a lawsuit against her costar and director Baldoni, 40 She is suing him for sexual harassment and trying to 'destroy' her reputation Hollywood's finest have come forward to defend the actress By EMILY LEFROY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 21:54 GMT, 23 December 2024 | Updated: 21:59 GMT, 23 December 2024 e-mail 2 View comments A slew of stars have showed their support for Blake Lively after she filed a bombshell lawsuit against her It Ends With Us costar and director Justin Baldoni . In a complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department on Friday, Lively, 37, accused Baldoni, 40, of sexual harassment and of trying to 'destroy' her reputation. Ever since news of the lawsuit dropped on Saturday, December 21, Hollywood's finest have come forward to defend the actress. Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling pants costars - America Ferrera , Amber Rose Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel - released a joint letter on Instagram applauding their longtime 'friend and sister' for 'fighting back' against Baldoni . 'As Blake’s friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,' the statement read. 'Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice.' Colleen Hoover, the author of It Ends With Us, also voiced her support for Lively. She shared a post to her Instagram stories and wrote: '@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. A slew of stars have showed their support for Blake Lively after she filed a bombshell lawsuit against her It Ends With Us costar and director Justin Baldoni Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling pants costars released a joint letter on Instagram applauding their longtime 'friend and sister' for 'fighting back' against Baldoni 'As Blake’s friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,' the statement read 'Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.' Director Paul Feig, who worked with Lively on A Simple Favor and its sequel, also spoke out in favor of Lively . 'I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I’ve ever worked with,' he wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. 'She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this.' In addition, Amber Heard has weighed in on the ordeal , saying that she too knows how it feels to be on the receiving end of a smear campaign. In a statement to NBC News regarding Lively's claims, Amber said: 'Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying, "A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on." 'I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.' Baldoni, who has since been dropped by his talent agency, hired TAG PR publicist Melissa Nathan in August of this year as stories surrounding the drama onset emerged. Colleen Hoover, the author of It Ends With Us, also voiced her support for Lively, writing: 'You have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met' Comedian Amy Schumer also showed her support for Lively, simply writing on her Instagram Stories, 'I believe Blake' Director Paul Feig, who worked with Lively on A Simple Favor and its sequel, also spoke out in favor of Lively Nathan founded the company in August this year, but previously worked for the same firm that Johnny Depp hired to help him navigate his trial with Heard. Comedian Amy Schumer also showed her support for Lively, simply writing on her Instagram Stories, 'I believe Blake.' Her comment was particularly poignant as she had previously taken aim at Lively on her Inside Amy Schumer sketch show back in 2015 , publicly admitting at the time: 'We’re not close friends.' The film – based on the 2016 bestseller by Hoover – followed Lily Bloom, a florist played by Lively, who falls in love with a charming but abusive neurosurgeon, played by Baldoni, who also directed it. The movie, which was released in August, was a box office hit – grossing more than $350 million against a $25 million production budget. But behind-the-scenes drama has continuously overshadowed the commercial success of the film. Lively claimed in the legal filing that Baldoni entered her make-up trailer while she was topless, showed her pornographic pictures and a graphic video of his own wife giving birth, repeatedly discussed his 'porn addiction,' described his own genitalia and even – in one horrifying incident – bit and sucked on Lively’s lips during an improvised kissing scene for which Baldoni insisted on doing multiple takes. The production of It Ends With Us was delayed in 2023 due to a writers strike. And one day before filming resumed, a meeting was held to address the set's 'hostile work environment,' per the lawsuit. In addition, Amber Heard has weighed in on the ordeal , saying that she too knows how it feels to be on the receiving end of a smear campaign In a complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department on Friday, Lively, 37, accused Baldoni, 40, of sexual harassment and of trying to 'destroy' her reputation READ MORE: Read the full list of 30 demands Blake Lively made of Justin Baldoni and others on set During the meeting, Lively made 30 demands of her It Ends With Us costar and others on set, as revealed in her legal complaint against Baldoni. The new 'rules' for production stated that Lively should be replaced by an 'A-list stunt double' for scenes involving 'rape and/or violence' with Baldoni. They also said that Baldoni must not add any new 'sex scenes, oral sex, or on camera climaxing' which weren’t in the previously agreed script, and that an intimacy coordinator should be employed on set whenever the two stars shared a scene. The rules weren’t even exclusively related to sexual impropriety. Other demands included that Baldoni stop claiming he was 'speaking to' Lively’s dead father and that he stop asking about her weight – which she suggested was akin to fat-shaming. Baldoni, via his company Wayfarer Studios, appeared to agree to the demands, writing in a formal response letter: 'Although our perspective differs in many aspects, ensuring a safe environment for all is paramount irrespective of differing viewpoints. 'Regarding your outlined requests, we find most of them not only reasonable but also essential for the benefit of all parties involved.' Filming duly restarted on January 5 and concluded just over a month later on February 9. Lively claimed in the legal filing that Baldoni entered her make-up trailer while she was topless, showed her pornographic pictures and a graphic video of his own wife giving birth On top of accusing him of 'repeated sexual harassment,' Lively (seen with her husband) claimed that Baldoni and his team had coordinated a smear campaign to 'destroy' her It appeared that the final month of shooting was a success, with Lively telling close friends and colleagues that Baldoni’s behavior had markedly improved. However, as soon as the film was wrapped, Lively alleged that the trouble started up again. During the press tour leading up to the film's release, rumors of an ongoing feud between Blake and Justin dominated headlines, resulting in the leads facing intense scrutiny online. On top of accusing him of 'repeated sexual harassment,' Lively also claimed that Baldoni and his team had coordinated a smear campaign to 'destroy' her reputation in the 80-page lawsuit. Private messages and emails obtained through a subpoena filed by the actress detailed the alleged plot, several sent by Hollywood crisis management expert Nathan. Justin's team has refuted the allegations and claimed the legal action is an attempt to patch up Blake's reputation. Justin Baldoni Blake Lively Share or comment on this article: All the A-listers standing with Blake Lively amid her lawsuit against It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni e-mail Add comment
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