Manmohan Singh: technocrat who became India's accidental PM
Sneak peek into Ivanka Trump's chic Christmas Eve at Mar-a-Lago with DJ Donald TrumpYou Can Already See Signs Of Trump's Crony Capitalism In ActionBill Speltz: Don't blame the Montana defense for Saturday's Brawl debacle in Bozeman
France marks 80 years since Strasbourg's World War II liberationInvestors Following Housing Sentiment May Consider Direxion's NAIL ETFThe best women’s snow pants for skiing, sledding and beyond
Sidberry 8-9 1-2 18, Daley 3-5 4-5 10, Ivey 1-5 0-0 3, Todd 3-6 2-3 9, Waggoner 6-9 2-4 15, Jackson 2-3 0-0 4, Krasovec 0-1 0-0 0, Ndiaye 1-5 0-0 2, Greene 2-4 0-0 5, Thompson 2-3 1-2 5, Tomlinson 4-9 0-0 10, Totals 32-59 10-16 81 Cahalan 5-9 1-2 14, Donnelly 0-2 2-2 2, Eddy 3-11 0-0 7, Flanagan 5-10 0-0 10, Foreman 4-10 0-0 8, Lewis 3-4 0-0 6, Bachmann 1-3 1-2 3, Gougoufkas 0-1 0-0 0, Griffin 0-1 0-0 0, Huber 2-3 0-0 5, Totals 23-54 4-6 55 3-Point Goals_Boston College 7-14 (Sidberry 1-2, Daley 0-1, Ivey 1-1, Todd 1-2, Waggoner 1-1, Ndiaye 0-2, Greene 1-1, Tomlinson 2-4), Holy Cross 5-21 (Cahalan 3-6, Donnelly 0-2, Eddy 1-5, Flanagan 0-2, Foreman 0-3, Griffin 0-1, Huber 1-2). Assists_Boston College 16 (Ivey 4), Holy Cross 13 (Eddy 3, Flanagan 3). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_Boston College 38 (Greene 5, Jackson 5), Holy Cross 25 (Foreman 8). Total Fouls_Boston College 13, Holy Cross 18. Technical Fouls_None. A_1,074.Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug use
Where the recent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protests and the ensuing shutdown of several cities in Punjab including the federal capital proved to be a significant source of distress for the civilian population, the tumultuous political happenings simultaneously cost millions of rupees to the national exchequer. According to information available to The Express Tribune, more than Rs350 million have been spent on catching vehicles for security purposes during the recent PTI protest in Islamabad, where 700 to 1,000 containers and 2,000 to 3,000 trucks were seized to block various highways. Conversely, a one-day protest in other cities cost Rs170 to Rs200 million, out of which Rs40 to Rs60 million were spent in Lahore alone, where Mazda beverage trucks, cargo trucks, buses and other heavy weight vehicles were parked to block the entry and exit routes at Gajju Matah, Thokar Niaz Baig, Shahdara, Babu Sabu, Ring Road, New and Old Ravi Bridge, Ferozepur Road, Multan Road, Jail Road and Mall Road. Tanveer Ahmed, a truck driver, revealed that he transported vegetables and fruits from South Punjab. "Many of our trucks were caught by the Traffic Police during the protests that took place during the past few days. Truck owners who could not pay bribes or had no contacts were made to stand on the road for days," lamented Ahmed. Sajjad Khan, a truck driver for a beverage company, revealed that the police confiscated his documents and asked him to block the road for a few hours, however, he had to stand in the same place for two days. "Our beverage company had to face serious losses since the miscreants took away crates of bottles. After two days, the police gave just Rs3,000 for diesel, while the loss was in thousands of rupees," lamented Khan. On the other hand, former additional IG traffic, Rai Altaf Hussain claimed that on the occasion of any protest in the province, all the pressure from the administration was on the Traffic and Punjab Police. "Sometimes when more trucks and containers are required for protests, we also contact transport associations, who are paid a reasonable compensation," said Hussain, who further revealed that apart from impounding vehicles, millions are also spent on the deployment of security forces, food, weaponry and other facilities for the police deployed to deal with the protestors. Confirming Hussain's claims, Asif Khan, an official from the Truck Trailer Containers Association disclosed that they had demanded Rs50,000 for a container for five to six days, however, they were paid only Rs20,000 to Rs25,000 for a large vehicle and Rs5,000 to Rs10,000 for a small vehicle. "The government should formulate a plan of action to reduce the expenditure on containers. In this way, neither the public nor the truck and container owners will be bothered," recommended Khan. An Additional Deputy Commissioner of Lahore district claimed that if the government had planned any meeting, procession or program, the vehicles were paid by the Deputy Commissioner's Office. "The City District Government does not pay anyone for impounding vehicles for protests organized by the opposition. The Traffic Police, Punjab Police and the Transport Department look into these matters by conducting a joint adventure," they said. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our
Energy bills set to rise again for UK households from January amid ongoing market volatility
Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. They want to push through long-sought changes such as voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. They say the measures are needed to restore public confidence in elections. That's after an erosion of trust that Democrats note has been fueled by false claims from Donald Trump and his allies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Democrats say they are willing to work with the GOP but want any changes to make it easier, not harder, to vote. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of Americans, after an intense presidential election campaign, are looking for a break in political news. That's evident in cable television news ratings and a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they've found the need recently to cut down on their consumption of political and government news. That's particularly true among Democrats following President-elect Donald Trump's victory, although a significant number of Republicans and independents feel the same way. Cable networks MSNBC and CNN are really seeing a slump. That's also happened in years past for networks that particularly appeal to supporters of one candidate. Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military didn't immediate respond to questions about the WHO chief's statement. The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say they asked for — and got — the retraction of an independent monitor's warning of imminent famine in north Gaza. The internationally Famine Early Warning System Network issued the warning this week. The new report had warned that starvation deaths in north Gaza could reach famine levels as soon as next month. It cited what it called Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and water. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, criticized the finding as inaccurate and irresponsible. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the famine-monitoring group, told the AP it had asked for and gotten the report's retraction. USAID officials tell The Associated Press that it had asked the group for greater review of discrepancies in some of the data. India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies aged 92 NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. The hospital said Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to “sudden loss of consciousness at home.". He was “being treated for age-related medical conditions,” the statement added. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and earned a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. What is known about a plane crash in Kazakhstan that killed 38 of 67 people on board The crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan has killed 38 of 67 people on board. Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Azerbaijani capital Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons that aren’t fully clear yet. It crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan after flying east across the Caspian Sea. Officials in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia haven't commented on a possible cause of the crash pending an official investigation. Some commentators pointed out holes in the plane's tail section pictured after the crash as a sign that it could have been fired upon by air defense systems. Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region and face logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The intelligence agency said Thursday that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. Ukraine's president said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose. Why this Mexican American woman played a vital role in the US sacramental peyote trade MIRANDO CITY, Texas (AP) — Amada Cardenas, a Mexican American woman who lived in the tiny border town of Mirando City in South Texas, played an important role in the history of the peyote trade. She and her husband were the first federally licensed peyote dealers who harvested and sold the sacramental plant to followers of the Native American Church in the 1930s. After her husband's death in 1967, Cardenas continued to welcome generations of Native American Church members to her home until her death in 2005, just before her 101st birthday.New Zealand police begin arrests for gang symbol ban as new law takes effect
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Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — In losing Sunday’s battle with the Buffalo Bills, perhaps the best team in football, Jerod Mayo won the war. Best I can tell, he’s staying put. For 2025, and maybe beyond. To his angry fan base and incredulous pockets of the New England Patriots’ media corps, remember Mayo’s future doesn’t hinge on winning this season. It’s not about what you want, or what I think. It’s about the Krafts, who hand-picked Mayo to succeed Bill Belichick four and a half years before he actually did, believing in him, and finding reasons to maintain that belief. In the eyes of someone who wants to believe, Sunday supplied enough reason. The Patriots led at halftime, then lost by three as 14-point underdogs. They became the first team since mid-October to hold the Bills under 30 points. Drake Maye outplayed the next MVP of the league for most of the game and took another step toward his destiny as a franchise quarterback, Somers Point man killed in two-vehicle crash in Egg Harbor Township Atlantic City Airshow canceled for 2025 Atlantic City police officer accused of assaulting, pointing gun at wife Somers Point man killed after motorcycle strikes SUV on Longport Boulevard Atlantic City Mayor Small indicted on witness tampering charge in child abuse case Mays Landing's Level Up comic and video game shop to close after 18 years GoFundMe started for Somers Point man seriously injured in Egg Harbor Township crash Body found in fridge in Belleplain State Forest 14 arrested following drug operations in Atlantic City Troopers gave special treatment to drivers with courtesy cards, watchdog finds 'Great Day Express' takes its maiden voyage to Big SNOW at American Dream Mall Lower Township man charged with possession of child porn Long Beach Island fire damages multimillion-dollar bayfront home Atlantic commissioners say no privatization planned for ACUA after landfill odor problem Who are The Press' 2024 High School Football All-Stars? If that sounds like a low bar, that’s because it is. Such is life in Year 1 of a rebuild, a multi-year process ownership has committed to seeing through to the end with their organizational pillars now in place: Mayo, Maye and de facto GM Eliot Wolf. As frustrating as this 3-12 campaign has been, there are always nuggets of optimism amid the rubble of a losing season; particularly if you want to find them. The Krafts do, and so does Maye, who loves his head coach, by the way; calling questions about Mayo’s job security “BS.” “We’ve got his back,” Maye said post-game. Maye’s voice matters. Certainly more than any number of fans or media members. Ever since media-fueled speculation that Mayo could get canned at the end of his first season began rising, the caveat has always been the same: if, a Gillette Stadium-sized “if,” the Patriots bomb atomically down the stretch, ownership could pull the plug on Mayo. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport became the latest to join that chorus Sunday with this pregame report: “The Krafts want to keep Jerod Mayo,” he said. “They believe he is the leader for the organization for the future, and they knew it would be a multi-year process to get this thing right. Now if things go off the rails, if they really start to struggle and he loses the locker room the last couple games of the season, we’ve seen this thing turn. “But as of now, the Patriots believe Jerod Mayo is their leader for the future.” Well, Mayo hasn’t lost the locker room. That’s a fact. To a man, both in public and from those I’ve spoken to in private, Patriots players believe in their head coach. Mayo might be a players’ coach, yes, in the best and worst senses. But the Patriots were a few plays away Sunday from pulling off their largest upset since Super Bowl XXXVI. “I think we’re building something good,” Maye said. The Patriots also played their best half of football this season against their toughest opponent yet. Another fact. Now, to the frustrated, I am with you. To the shocked, I understand. But to the trigger-happy, lay down your arms. Mayo, by all accounts, is returning in 2025. Alex Van Pelt, however, is another story. In the same vein that the Krafts could have viewed Sunday’s performance as a reason to save Mayo — despite his pathetic punt at midfield, down 10 with just eight and a half minutes left — they could have convinced themselves their offensive coordinator is the real problem. After all, team president Jonathan Kraft was visibly exasperated over Van Pelt’s play-calling during the Pats’ loss at Arizona a week earlier. Four days later, Van Pelt told reporters he had yet to hear from his boss. Well, that time may be coming. Trailing by three in the fourth quarter Sunday, Van Pelt called a pass that resulted in an unnecessary lateral and game-winning touchdown for Buffalo. His offense later operated like it was taking a Sunday drive with the game on the line, using up 3:16 of the final 4:19 en route to its final touchdown. Van Pelt, finally, weaponized Maye’s legs in critical situations, something that arguably should have been done weeks ago. Not to mention, Van Pelt’s top running back can’t stop fumbling, and the offensive line remains a hot mess. Call him Alex Van Fall Guy. Because Van Pelt’s offense, for the first time in a while, under-performed relative to Mayo’s defense. On merit, he deserves to stay; a case that’s harder to make for defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. But it’s not about merit this season. It’s not about what you want. It’s not about what I think. It’s about the Krafts; what they see, what they want, what they believe. Even in defeat. ____ Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter Sent weekly directly to your inbox!The US will launch a probe into Adani Solar USA and Adani Green Energy Ltd India based on a complaint filed by a Chinese firm about alleged violations of its patents on solar cells, modules, panels, components and products made from such components. The United States International Trade Commission (USITC), earlier this month, said that an "investigation be instituted to determine whether there is a violation... of section 337 in the importation into the US, the sale for importation, or the sale within the US after importation of certain products identified... in infringement of one or more... patent and claims". The complaint, filed by Chinese photovoltaics company Trina Solar in September, claimed that an industry in the US exists or is in the process of being established. Besides the Adani companies, various firms of Chinese solar module maker Runergy will be investigated for the alleged infringement of intellectual property rights . Under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, the US can investigate whether imported goods infringe on American intellectual property rights and exclude them from entry into the US. "The case has been filed by a US-based Chinese company for violation of its American registered intellectual property," said a person aware of the matter, who did not wish to be identified. Queries emailed to the Adani group did not elicit a response till press time. The USITC said, "The complainant requests that the Commission issue a limited exclusion order, cease and desist orders, and impose a bond upon respondents' alleged infringing articles." 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By LISA MASCARO and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee’s long-awaited report on Matt Gaetz documents a trove of salacious allegations , including sex with an underage girl, that tanked the Florida Republican’s bid to lead the Justice Department . Related Articles National Politics | An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump National Politics | Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal National Politics | House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl National Politics | Trump wants mass deportations. For the agents removing immigrants, it’s a painstaking process National Politics | Many Americans have come to rely on Chinese-made drones. Now lawmakers want to ban them Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation. The former congressman, who filed a last-minute lawsuit to try to block the report’s release on Monday, slammed the committee’s findings. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he never had sex with a minor. And a Justice Department investigation into the allegations ended without any criminal charges filed against him. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” Gaetz wrote in one post on Monday. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Here’s a look at some of the committee’s key findings: The committee found that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women “likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use.” He paid the women using through online services such as PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp and with cash or check, the committee said. The committee said it found evidence that Gaetz understood the “transactional nature” of his relationships with the women. The report points to one text exchange in which Gaetz balked at a woman’s request that he send her money, “claiming she only gave him a ‘drive by.’” Women interviewed by the committee said there was a “general expectation of sex,” the report said. One woman who received more than $5,000 from Gaetz between 2018 and 2019 said that “99 percent of the time” that when she hung out with Gaetz “there was sex involved.” However, Gaetz was in a long-term relationship with one of the women he paid, so “some of the payments may have been of a legitimate nature,” the committee said. Text messages obtained by the committee also show that Gaetz would ask the women to bring drugs to their “rendezvous,” the report said. While most of his encounters with the women were in Florida, the committee said Gaetz also traveled “on several occasions” with women whom he paid for sex. The report includes text message exchanges in which Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges in 2021, initially connected with women through an online service. In one text with a 20-year-old woman, Greenberg suggested if she has a friend, the four of them could meet up. The woman responded that she usually does “$400 per meet.” Greenberg replied: “He understands the deal,” along with a smiley face emoji. Greenberg asks if they are old enough to drink alcohol, and sent the woman a picture of Gaetz. The woman responded that her friend found him “really cute.” “Well, he’s down here for only for the day, we work hard and play hard,” Greenberg replied. The report details a party in July 2017 in which Gaetz is accused of having sex with “multiple women, including the 17-year-old, for which they were paid.” The committee pointed to “credible testimony” from the now-woman herself as well as “multiple individuals” who corroborated the allegation. The then-17-year-old — who had just completed her junior year in high school — told the committee that Gaetz paid her $400 in cash that night, “which she understood to be payment for sex,” according to the report. The woman acknowledged that she had taken ecstasy the night of the party, but told the committee that she was “certain” of her sexual encounters with the then-congressman. There’s no evidence that Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her, the committee said. The woman told the committee she didn’t tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he didn’t how old she was. Rather, the committee said Gaetz learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But he stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. In sum, the committee said it authorized 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents and contacted more than two dozen witnesses. But when the committee subpoenaed Gaetz for his testimony, he failed to comply. “Gaetz pointed to evidence that would ‘exonerate’ him yet failed to produce any such materials,” the committee said. Gaetz “continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed.” The report details a months-long process that dragged into a year as it sought information from Gaetz that he decried as “nosey” and a “weaponization” of government against him. In one notable exchange, investigators were seeking information about the expenses for a 2018 get-away with multiple women to the Bahamas. Gaetz ultimately offered up his plane ticket receipt “to” the destination, but declined to share his return “from” the Bahamas. The report said his return on a private plane and other expenses paid by an associate were in violation of House gift rules. In another Gaetz told the committee he would “welcome” the opportunity to respond to written questions. Yet, after it sent a list of 16 questions, Gaetz said publicly he would “no longer” voluntarily cooperate. He called the investigation “frivolous,” adding: “Every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration.” The report said that while Gaetz’s obstruction of the investigation does not rise to a criminal violation it is inconsistent with the requirement that all members of Congress “act in a manner that reflects creditably upon the House.” The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021 and deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request. It renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation without filing any charges against him. The committee sought records from the Justice Department about the probe, but the agency refused, saying it doesn’t disclose information about investigations that don’t result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the Justice Department, but after a back-and-forth between officials and the committee, the department handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual,” according to the report. “To date, DOJ has provided no meaningful evidence or information to the Committee or cited any lawful basis for its responses,” the committee said. Many of the women who the committee spoke to had already given statements to the Justice Department and didn’t want to “relive their experience,” the committee said. “They were particularly concerned with providing additional testimony about a sitting congressman in light of DOJ’s lack of action on their prior testimony,” the report said. The Justice Department, however, never handed over the women’s statements. The agency’s lack of cooperation — along with its request that the committee pause its investigation — significantly delayed the committee’s probe, lawmakers said.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that AI can bring superpowers to people in many roles and will change how they work. Soon, all software that companies build and buy will become AI software , which will be more flexible and adaptive than today’s rule-based systems. This will shrink time from opportunity discovery to action. Integration will get easier as agents dynamically bridge systems so that fragmented business processes come together in interconnected flows. The shift will unlock immense value for enterprises of all kinds, enhancing velocity, productivity, and innovation. But to get there, trust is critical. Stakeholder expectations are rising as perceived risks also rise, and that’s leading to rapid experimentation with new regulation. But the regulatory patterns and postures around the world are far from settled. And while compliance is essential, building AI trust goes well beyond compliance. The companies that derive the most value from AI will be those that create trust with their customers, employees, and stakeholders. Fundamentally, people must trust AI enough to hand over tasks. Enhanced evaluations, transparency, and explainability can all contribute—as well as flexible governance that puts principles into practice while encouraging innovation. Organizations can start with a principled approach to deciding not just what they can build but what they should build. These ethical decisions must be rooted in the values unique to each organization and the values of a society that places humans at the center of the AI ecosystem. This approach to building trust is responsible AI, or RAI. And when implemented well, RAI leads to real ROI. Our research has found that the majority of large companies (72 percent) are implementing AI today in at least one business process, but just 18 percent have an RAI council with decision authority. Making AI governance work requires bringing people together who can offer complementary cross-functional perspectives. Getting RAI right means implementing guidelines for all and operationalizing formal AI trust policies. This can create a psychologically safe environment where employees feel empowered to innovate boldly. But organizations also need technical guardrails to ensure their AI systems can be driven fast but safely. Across industries, we have repeatedly seen how the right AI guardrails can accelerate innovation, not impede it. Trusted data is also key to AI innovation. AI builders should constantly ask themselves: “How do we create the right metadata to track the provenance of data sets, how they were collected, and how they therefore can be used?” Deploying a data operating guide ensures that AI builders have well-curated and documented data for responsible innovation. “The majority of large companies are implementing AI today in at least one business process, but just 18 percent have a responsible AI council with decision authority.” In parallel with strengthening data governance and guardrails, leaders must tackle the hard work of building and implementing trusted AI deployment processes. I often advise leaders to take three steps to move fast. First, educate the enterprise. Create a clear communication plan about what AI trust means for the entire organization and why everyone should be committed to it. Define how executives should lead in an AI era—and then roll out structured reskilling and upskilling programs. Even top technologists can be new to many aspects of RAI and will need to learn new human-centered AI engineering practices. Second, invest in AI trust. Allocating the right resources requires treating it as an asset that is built up and not a cost of compliance to be “managed down” in the presence of regulatory scrutiny. This means creating a multiquarter road map for enhancing RAI maturity that embraces people, processes, and technology in a well-orchestrated action plan. Third, engage cross-functional teams to deploy a strong governance platform, including registries for the software and the data resources that must be built or bought, as well as end-to-end workflows to ensure the right controls are in place. In addition, at the model and product level, AI tools should be continuously monitored by machine learning operations, or MLOps, for performance, quality, and risk. These “engine room” technologies are critical to ensuring that leaders “on the bridge” can make confident decisions. Getting AI trust right is a shared responsibility between the organizations deploying AI and the platform providers, governments, international organizations, and standards bodies aiming to ensure that AI is safe and reliable. In this dynamic environment, academic researchers, open-source communities, and developers also play a big role in building AI that is more trustworthy, transparent, and explainable. CEOs and chief technology officers can do their part by getting their data houses in order, empowering their teams to innovate safely, and monitoring all their AI deployments for signs of bias or misinformation. By Roger RobertsU.K. stocks extend positive streak for second session
Alberta Surrenders to the Australian Coal LobbyMysterious googly eyes go viral after appearing on public art in Oregon
Supreme Court will take up a challenge related to California's tough vehicle emissions standards WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will take up a business-backed appeal that could make it easier to challenge federal regulations, acting in a dispute related to California’s nation-leading standards for vehicle emissions. The justices agreed Friday to hear an appeal filed by fuel producers who object to a waiver granted to California in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency during Joe Biden’s presidency. The waiver allows California to set more stringent emissions limits than the national standard. The case won’t be argued until the spring, when the Trump administration is certain to take a more industry-friendly approach to the issue. Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter, Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission’s demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won’t intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk’s computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Saudi Arabia banned film for 35 years. The Red Sea festival is just one sign of the industry's rise JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — “My Driver and I” was supposed to be made in 2016, but was scuttled amid Saudi Arabia’s decades-long cinema ban. Eight years later, the landscape for film in the kingdom looks much different. And the star of “My Driver and I” now has an award. Roula Dakheelallah was named the winner of the Chopard Emerging Saudi Talent award at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday. Both the award and the glitzy festival itself are signs of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to shaping a new film industry. The reopening of cinemas in 2018 after 35 years marked a cultural turning point for Saudi Arabia. Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn't install more automated systems WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. He posted on social media Thursday that he met with union leaders and that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the “amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Unique among 'Person of the Year' designees, Donald Trump gets a fact-check from Time magazine Donald Trump got something this year that no other person designed Time magazine's Person of the Year had ever received. He got a fact-check of claims that the president-elect made in the interview accompanying the magazine's piece. Trump earned the recognition of the year's biggest newsmaker for the second time, also winning it in 2016 the first time he was elected president. But in a piece described as a “12-minute” read, Time called into question more than a dozen statements Trump made when speaking to the magazine's reporters, on issues like border size, autism and crowd size at a rally. Time said it has fact-checked other interviews in the past, but not for this annual feature. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund LOS ANGELES (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. China signals it's prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing's monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new initiatives at a time when the outlook is clouded by the President-elect Donald Trump's threats to sharply raise tariffs once he takes office. The ruling Communist Party did commit to raising China's deficit and to doing more to encourage consumer spending by bringing wage increases in line with the pace of economic growth. Here's a look at China's main priorities and their potential implications.