Brighton frustrated in goalless draw with Brentford
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I had a rifle through the charity shop’s 20p bin on the off chance, but was left flabbergasted by a gem I pulled outTrucordia is proud to serve a founding sponsor of the National Hockey League's Utah Hockey Club during the team's inaugural season in Salt Lake City . LINDON, Utah , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Trucordia is proud to serve a founding sponsor of the National Hockey League's Utah Hockey Club during the team's inaugural season in Salt Lake City . "We are excited to be part of the action at the Delta Center this season," said Trucordia CEO Felix Morgan . "Much like our hometown NHL team is striving for excellence on the ice, Trucordia's talented insurance professionals in 200-plus offices across the U.S. are driven to deliver results and redefine what an insurance brokerage can achieve." The Utah Hockey Club, a member of the NHL's Central Division in the Western Conference, opened its regular season on October 8 . Fans will experience the Trucordia brand on gamedays through in-arena signage, giveaways, and more. "Just as the Utah Hockey Club is writing the next chapter of professional hockey in the Beehive State, Trucordia is at a pivotal moment in our company's history and is poised to ascend to new heights," added Morgan. "We remain committed to being an economic driver within the state while continuing to expand our presence nationwide." About Trucordia Trucordia, formerly PCF Insurance Services, is the group name for a top 20 U.S. insurance brokerage headquartered in Lindon, Utah . The Trucordia group of companies offers a broad array of commercial and personal lines, life and health, and employee benefits insurance solutions. Trucordia is an integrated organization united by a passion to deliver extraordinary opportunities and exceptional experiences for its clients, partners and each other. With more than 5,000 team members across the U.S., Trucordia is a notable leader in the insurance brokerage space, ranking #19 on Business Insurance's 2024 Top 100 Brokers and #13 on Insurance Journal's 2024 Top Property/Casualty Agencies. Visit trucordia.com for more information. About Smith Entertainment Group Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) is a sports, technology, and entertainment investment group focused primarily on the state of Utah . SEG's portfolio includes the Utah Hockey Club (NHL), Utah Jazz (NBA), Real Salt Lake (MLS), Delta Center, America First Credit Union Field , the Salt Lake City Stars (NBA G League), Utah Jazz Gaming (NBA 2K League), Real Monarchs (MLS NEXT Pro), the Zone Sports Radio Network, SEG Media, the Utah Royals (NWSL), and other Utah -centric business ventures. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and the NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks, including the foregoing, and NHL team logos and marks, as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © National Hockey League. All rights reserved. Media Contact Trucordia Media Relations, Trucordia, 385-273-2270, communications@trucordia.com , www.trucordia.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prweb.com/releases/trucordia-teams-up-with-nhls-utah-hockey-club-as-founding-sponsor-302321410.html SOURCE Trucordia; Trucordia
Over a dozen community groups refuse to leave Montreal centre despite eviction orderNEW YORK (AP) — With the end of 2024 around the corner, you might be reflecting on financial goals for 2025. Whether you're saving to move out of your parents' house or pay off student loan debt, financial resolutions can help you stay motivated, said Courtney Alev, consumer advocate for Credit Karma. “Entering a new year doesn’t erase all our financial challenges from the prior year," Alev said. “But it can really help to bring a fresh-start mentality to how you’re managing your finances.” If you’re planning to make financial resolutions for the new year, experts recommend that you start by evaluating the state of your finances in 2024. Then, set specific goals and make sure they're attainable for your lifestyle. Here are some tips from experts: Think about how you currently deal with finances — what's good, what's bad, and what can improve. “Let this be the year you change your relationship with money,” said Ashley Lapato, personal finance educator for YNAB, a budgeting app. If you feel like money is a chore, that there's shame surrounding the topic of money, or like you were born being “bad at money,” it's time to change that mentality, Lapato said. To adjust your approach, Lapato recommends viewing money goals as an opportunity to imagine your desired lifestyle in the future. She recommends asking questions like, “What do my 30s look like? What do my 40s look like?” and using money as a means to get there. Liz Young Thomas, head of SoFi Investment Strategy, added that it’s key you forgive yourself for past mistakes in order to move into the new year with motivation. When setting your financial resolutions for 2025, it's important to establish the “why” of each, said Matt Watson, CEO of Origin, a financial tracking app. “If you can attach the financial goal to a bigger life goal, it’s much more motivating and more likely you’ll continue on that path,” Watson said. Whether you're saving to buy a house, pay off credit card debt or take a summer vacation, being clear about the goal can keep you motivated. Watson also recommends using a tool to help you keep track of your finances, such as an app, spreadsheet, or website. “After three years of inflation, your pay increases are likely still playing catch up to your monthly expenses, leaving you wondering where all the money is going," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. "Make that monthly budget for 2025 and resolve to track your spending against it throughout the year." McBride said that you may need to make adjustments during the year as certain expenses increase, which would require cutting back in other areas. “Calibrate your spending with your income, and any month you spend less than budgeted, transfer the difference into your savings account, ideally a high-yield savings account,” he said. “Interest rates aren’t likely to come down very fast, so you’re still going to have to put in the hard work of paying down debt, especially high-cost credit card debt, and do so with urgency,” McBride said. Start by taking stock of how much debt you have now relative to the beginning of the year. Hopefully you’ve made steady progress on paying it down, but, if you’ve gone in the other direction, McBride encourages making a game plan. That includes looking into 0% balance transfer offers. “You have more power over credit card interest rates than you think you do," said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. “Wielding that power is one of the best moves you can make in 2025.” A 0% balance transfer credit card is “a good weapon” in the fight against high card APRs, or annual percentage rates, he said. A low-interest personal loan is an option as well. You may simply be able to pick up the phone and ask for a lower interest rate. LendingTree found that a majority of people who did that in 2024 were successful, and the average reduction was more than 6 points. When planning for your financial resolutions, it’s important to consider how you’re going to make your goals sustainable for your lifestyle, said Credit Karma's Alev. “It really is a marathon, not a sprint,” Alev said. Alev recommends setting realistic, practical goals to make it easier to stick with them. For example, instead of planning to save thousands of dollars by the end of the year, start by saving $20 a paycheck. Even when your plans are achievable, there are times you'll get derailed. Maybe it’s an unexpected medical bill or an extraordinary life event. When these situations happen, Alev recommends trying not to feel defeated and working to get back on track without feeling guilty. “You can't manage what you can't see, so set a New Year’s resolution to check your credit score monthly in 2025," said Rikard Bandebo, chief economist at VantageScore. “Be sure to pay more than the minimum on your credit accounts, as that's one of the best ways to boost your credit score.” Bandebo also advises student loan borrowers to make all payments on time, as servicers will begin to report late payments starting in January, and missed payments will affect borrowers' credit scores. Automated changes, like increasing workplace 401(k) plan contributions, setting up direct deposits from paychecks into dedicated savings accounts, and arranging for monthly transfers into an IRA and/or 529 college savings accounts all add up quickly, McBride said. Your financial goals can encompass more than just managing your money better — they can also be about keeping your money safe from scams . A golden rule to protect yourself from scams is to “slow down,” said Johan Gerber, executive vice president of security solutions at Mastercard. “You have to slow down and talk to other people if you’re not sure (whether or not) it’s scam,” said Gerber, who recommends building an accountability system with family to keep yourself and your loved ones secure. Scammers use urgency to make people fall for their tricks, so taking your time to make any financial decision can keep you from losing money. Your financial goals don’t always have to be rooted in a dollar amount — they can also be about well-being. Finances are deeply connected with our mental health, and, to take care of our money, we also need to take care of ourselves. “I think that now more than any other year, your financial wellness should be a resolution," said Alejandra Rojas, personal finance expert and founder of The Money Mindset Hub, a mentoring platform for women entrepreneurs. "Your mental health with money should be a resolution.” To focus on your financial wellness, you can set one or two goals focusing on your relationship with money. For example, you could find ways to address and resolve financial trauma, or you could set a goal to talk more openly with loved ones about money, Rojas said. —— The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
If you think you’ve got your work cut out this Christmas , spare a thought for the staff of the UK’s largest paper recycling factory. Piles of giftwrap and cards in the average living room are a drop in the ocean compared to the daily lot of this hardworking team. Kemsley Paper Mill receives 144 lorries of waste a day to be recycled. It is Europe’s second largest and processes 830,000 tons a year. Christmas is the busiest time and Black Friday has brought the festive rush much earlier. Operations director Guy Lacey says: “We get very, very busy in that period with packaging coming from people’s homes. Sometimes the recycling network really struggles with the volume.” One problem is that not all packaging is recyclable and gets mixed in with the all the stuff that is. Guy explains: “With the packaging that has glitter on it, we can’t really make good use of it. Anything that contains plastics or anything that is added to the product can cause us problems with the recycling or in the later process.” The Kent factory is run by DS Smith which recommends a ‘scrunch test’ before people stick wrapping paper in their recycling bins. If it stays scrunched up when you crumple it in your hand it is good to go. If not it has a plastic film so cannot be recycled. Research by the London-based packaging giant estimates that the nation is set to waste 300,000 tons of packaging this festive season. Over a quarter of this could end up not being recycled. Contamination is a big reason it ends in landfill instead. In a perfect world , Guy believes everyone should have a separate bin for paper and cardboard. He adds: “Having one bin for all recycling does make things harder. If people put in something like a baked bean can with residue in or a milk carton that still has a bit inside, then this can contaminate the paper so much it can’t be accepted for recycling and sent to us. “When paper and plastic get wet they can also stick together so it is very difficult for the sorting stations to sort it out. “In an ideal world everyone would have a single bin for paper and cardboard they could keep dry but I appreciate there are challenges, such as with big tower blocks having too many bins. “Making sure you avoid contamination, by cleaning out food packets for example, and keeping it as separate as possible massively helps us.” During our visit to Kemsley, near Sittingbourne, we were shown how waste is turned back into paper – something that takes just 20 minutes. Material comes in on lorries from sorting hubs, where it has been separated from plastics, cans and glass. Kemsley’s job is to get as many of the paper-making fibres out of that recovered paper as they possibly can. Guy says: “That does still have some contamination in it. We bring warm water and put it into a big blender, stir it up and it releases all the paper-making fibres. We then have a slurry of fibre which we make paper from and we clean it as best we can using various different technologies to remove the different materials. “Once we have the fibre at a clean level, we make another sheet of paper in one of our paper machines by removing the water, and dry it.” This is then reeled up into giant three-ton rolls of paper, most of which are sent to DS Smith box plants where they are converted into board and boxes for packaging, with the remaining produce used for specialist papers. It is all 100% recyclable. The UK’s paper and cardboard recycling rate is lagging – we are 25th out of 30 European nations, with recycling rates of just 73% compared to the average of 82%. But Guy says he does believe people are making more effort. He adds: “I think there will be more of a generational shift. When I was at school we didn’t have recycling at home but younger people have grown up with it and understand the role they play in it.” Kemsley started out producing newsprint and is celebrating its 100th year of operation. Guy says: “If we didn’t exist, that incoming material would have nowhere to go and would just be burned and put into a hole in the ground. “This is really valuable stuff that can be reused time and time again into paper and boxes.”
US homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people Federal officials say the United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said that federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless. That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. Among the most concerning trends was a nearly 40% rise in family homelessness. An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in the president-elect’s political movement into public display. The argument previews fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — that is, wealthy members of the tech world who want more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, a deputy national security adviser, said Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. Israeli troops burn northern Gaza hospital after forcibly removing staff and patients, officials say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's Health Ministry says Israeli troops have stormed one of the last hospitals operating in the territory's north on Friday and forced many of the staff and patients outside. Then they had to remove their clothes in winter weather. It was the latest assault on Kamal Adwan Hospital. Parts of it were set on fire. Staff say it has been hit multiple times in the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighborhoods. Israel's military says Hamas uses the hospital as a base. It did not provide evidence, and hospital officials have denied it. Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire U.S. and Azerbaijani officials have said weapons fire may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed on Wednesday, killing 38 people. The statements from Rashad Nabiyev and White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Friday raised pressure on Russia. Officials in Moscow have said a drone attack was underway in the region that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was destined for but have not addressed statements from aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defenses responding to a Ukrainian attack. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Chechnya on Wednesday when it crashed, killing 38 people and leaving all 29 survivors injured. Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has ruled that the Georgia state Senate can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. It's part of a inquiry into whether Willis has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump. But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram is giving Willis the chance to contest whether lawmakers’ demands are overly broad before Willis responds. A Republican-led committee was formed earlier this year and sent subpoenas to Willis in August seeking to compel her to testify during its September meeting and to produce scores of documents. Willis argued that the committee didn’t have the power to subpoena her. In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee has a nearly total abortion ban and a porous safety net for mothers and young children. GOP state leaders in Tennessee and other states that banned abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 argue that they are bolstering services for families. Recent research and an analysis by The Associated Press has found that from the time a Tennessee woman gets pregnant, she faces greater obstacles to a healthy pregnancy, a healthy child and a financially stable family life than the average American mom. Maryland sues maker of Gore-Tex over pollution from toxic 'forever chemicals' Maryland is suing the company that produces the waterproof material Gore-Tex. State officials say the company's leaders kept using so-called “forever chemicals” long after learning about serious health risks. The federal complaint alleges Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates polluted the air and water around 13 facilities in northeastern Maryland with chemicals that have been linked to certain cancers, reproductive issues and high cholesterol. They’re nearly indestructible and can build up in various environments, including the human body. The company stopped using the harmful chemicals in 2014 and says it’s working with state regulators on testing and cleanup efforts. Man indicted in burning death of woman inside a New York City subway train, prosecutors say NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train has been indicted on state charges. A prosecutor announced Sebastian Zapeta’s indictment at a court hearing Friday. The development comes days after Zapeta’s arrest and subsequent police questioning in which they say he identified himself in photos and surveillance video showing the fire being lit. The indictment will be under seal until Jan. 7. He remains jailed. Federal immigration officials say the 33-year-old Zapeta is from Guatemala and entered the U.S. illegally. Authorities are continuing to work to identify the victim. Alex Ovechkin is on track to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is chasing the NHL career goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin entered the season 42 goals short of breaking a record that long seemed unapproachable. He is set to play again Saturday at the Toronto Maple Leafs after missing more than a month with a broken left fibula. Ovechkin was on pace to get to 895 sometime in February before getting injured. At 868, he his 27 goals away from passing Gretzky.
LOS ANGELES — JuJu Watkins hit a school record and career-high nine 3-pointers and scored 40 points as No. 6 Southern California routed Cal Baptist 94-52 on Tuesday night. The Trojans (7-1) earned their third consecutive blowout victory since losing to then-No. 6 Notre Dame 74-61 on Saturday. Kiki Iriafen added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Trojans. Talia von Oelhoffen had 14 points and six assists and Rayah Marshall had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Watkins had just five points in the first quarter before heating up. She tied her career best with her sixth 3 in the third and added three more before she sat down with 4:08 remaining in the game. Grace Schmidt led the Lancers (0-9) with 12 points and seven rebounds. Takeaways Cal Baptist: The Lancers opened the season with a 30-point loss to Oregon and have dropped every game by double digits. It hasn't helped that they're missing a couple key players due to injuries. USC: Watkins and Iriafen have scored in double figures in all eight games so far. Tuesday's game was Watkins' 16th with at least 30 points, with 14 of those coming last year as a freshman. Key moment Watkins was efficient from long range, hitting 9 of 11 to break the previous school record of seven 3s. After making just one 3 in the first quarter, she hit three in a row in the second. She came into the game shooting 25% from outside. Key stat The Trojans had a season-best 12 blocked shots with 20 assists and only nine turnovers. Up next Cal Baptist visits St. Mary's on Saturday in the fourth of five straight road games. USC visits Oregon also on Saturday in its Big Ten debut.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Mustapha Amzil scored 14 points as New Mexico beat Colorado State 76-68 on Saturday. Amzil added five rebounds for the Lobos (10-3, 2-0 Mountain West Conference). Donovan Dent added 14 points while going 7 of 16 from the field while they also had six assists. C.J. Noland had 11 points and finished 5 of 7 from the field. Nique Clifford led the way for the Rams (7-6, 1-1) with 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson added 13 points and nine rebounds for Colorado State. Kyan Evans also had 10 points. New Mexico took the lead with 8:53 to go in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 41-25 at halftime, with Filip Borovicanin racking up 10 points. New Mexico was outscored by Colorado State in the second half by eight points, with Amzil scoring a team-high six points in the final half. Both teams next play Tuesday. New Mexico visits Fresno State and Colorado State goes on the road to play San Jose State. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
President of theRepublic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree amendingthe "Rules for the Storage, Placement, and Management of CurrencyFunds of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan" (SOFAZ),originally approved by the President's decree on June 19, 2001, reports. The new decree outlines significant changes regarding SOFAZ'sinvestment portfolio. The portfolio, divided according to thefund's investment policy, may now include various assets, suchas: - money market instruments with an investment-grade creditrating (from Standard & Poor's, Fitch, or Moody's) and deposits incentral (national) banks; - debt obligations with an investment-grade credit rating; - stocks; - real estate, including infrastructure; - equity interests in alternative investment funds; - gold bars (gold) meeting the standards set by the LondonBullion Market Association; - debt instruments with non-investment-grade ratings or moneymarket instruments, provided that the total value of the investmentportfolio does not exceed five percent, including up to one percentrated at least "B-" (Standard & Poor's, Fitch) or "B3" (Moody's),with the remaining portion rated at least "BB-" (Standard & Poor's,Fitch) or "Ba3" (Moody's).
STONY BROOK, N.Y. (AP) — Joseph Octave scored 24 points as Stony Brook beat Maine 74-72 on Saturday. Octave also added five rebounds for the Seawolves (4-8). Ben Wight shot 4 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line to add 11 points. CJ Luster II shot 3 for 8 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. Kellen Tynes led the way for the Black Bears (8-6) with 15 points, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Jaden Clayton added 15 points, four assists and three steals for Maine. AJ Lopez finished with 13 points and four assists. Stony Brook went into halftime leading Maine 34-30. Octave put up 10 points in the half. Octave led Stony Brook with 14 points in the second half as his team was outscored by two points over the final half but held on for the victory. Both teams next play Sunday. Stony Brook visits Albany (NY) and Maine plays Boston University at home. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
SAN FRANCISCO — The parents of a former OpenAI researcher known for recently blowing the whistle on the company’s business practices are questioning the circumstances of their son’s death last month. In an interview this week, Suchir Balaji’s mother and father expressed confusion and shock over his sudden passing, expressing doubt their son could have died by suicide, as determined by the county medical examiner. The family hired an expert to perform an independent autopsy but has yet to release the report’s findings. “We’re demanding a thorough investigation — that’s our call,” said Balaji’s mother, Poornima Ramarao. San Francisco police found Balaji dead in his Lower Haight apartment on Nov. 26, less than a week after his 26th birthday. The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office later told this news agency his death was ruled a suicide, though a final autopsy report has yet to be released while the office completes toxicology tests. Earlier this month, San Francisco police officials said there is “currently, no evidence of foul play.” Balaji’s death sent shockwaves throughout Silicon Valley and the artificial intelligence industry. He garnered a national spotlight in late October when he accused his former employer, OpenAI, of breaking federal copyright law by siphoning data from across the internet to train its blockbuster chatbot, ChatGPT. His concerns backed up allegations aired in recent years by authors, screenwriters and computer programmers who say OpenAI stole their content without permission, in violation of U.S. “fair use” laws governing how people can use previously published work. Media companies have been among those to sue the company, including The Mercury News and seven of its affiliated newspapers, and, separately, The New York Times. In an interview with The New York Times published in October 2024, Balaji described his decision to leave the generative artificial intelligence company in August while suggesting that its data collection practices are “not a sustainable model for the internet ecosystem as a whole. “If you believe what I believe, you have to just leave the company,” he told the newspaper. By Nov. 18, Balaji had been named in court filings as someone who had “unique and relevant documents” that would support the case against OpenAI. He was among at least 12 people — many of them past or present OpenAI employees — to be named by the newspaper in court filings as having material helpful to their case. His death a week later has left Balaji’s parents reeling. In an interview at their Alameda County home this week, his mother said her only child “was an amazing human being, from childhood.” “No one believes that he could do that,” Ramarao said about his taking his own life. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment but in a statement to Business Insider said it was “devastated” to learn of Balaji’s death and said they had been in touch with his parents “to offer our full support during this difficult time.” “Our priority is to continue to do everything we can to assist them,” the company’s statement read. “We first became aware of his concerns when The New York Times published his comments and we have no record of any further interaction with him. “We respect his, and others’, right to share views freely,” the statement added. “Our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones, and we extend our deepest condolences to all who are mourning his loss.” Related Articles National News | 4 people found dead in N.H. home in suspected carbon monoxide poisoning National News | All 6 victims hurt by yellow taxi van driver outside Manhattan Macy’s are tourists National News | Powerful thunderstorms threaten Texas and Louisiana, delaying holiday travel National News | The Mega Millions jackpot is over $1 billion again. Is this the new normal? National News | AI is a game changer for students with disabilities. Schools are still learning to harness it Born in Florida and raised in the Bay Area, Balaji was a prodigy from an early age, his mother told this news agency. He spoke her name at 3 months old; at 18-months he would ask “me to light a lamp to cheer me up” and could recognize words at 20 months, she said. Balaji appeared to have a knack for technology, math and computing, taking home trophies and earning renown, including in the 2016 United States of America Computing Olympiad. In 2020, he went to work for OpenAI — viewing the company’s then-commitment to operating as a nonprofit as admirable, his mother said. His opinion of the company soured in 2022 while he was assigned to gather data from the internet for the company’s GPT-4 program, the New York Times reported. The program analyzed text from nearly the entire internet to train its artificial intelligence program, the outlet reported. Ramarao said she wasn’t aware of her son’s decision to go public with his concerns about OpenAI until the paper ran his interview. While she immediately harbored anxiety about his decision — going so far as to implore him to speak with a copyright attorney — Ramarao also expressed pride in her son’s bravery. ‘He kept assuring me, ‘Mom, I’m not doing anything wrong — go see the article. I’m just saying, my opinion, there’s nothing wrong in it,” said Ramarao, herself a former employee of Microsoft who worked on its Azure cloud computing program. “I supported him. I didn’t criticize him. I told him, ‘I’m proud of you, because you have your own opinions and you know what’s right, what’s wrong.’ He was very ethical.” After leaving the company, Balaji settled on plans to create a nonprofit, one centering on the machine learning and neurosciences fields, Ramarao said. He had already spoken to at least one venture capitalist for seed funding, she said. “I’m asking, like, ”How will you manage your living?’ ” Ramarao said. She recalled how her son repeatedly tried to assuage any concerns about his finances, suggesting that “money is not important to me — I want to offer a service to humanity.” Balaji also appeared to be keeping a busy schedule. He turned 26 while on a backpacking trip in the Catalina Islands with several friends from high school. Such trips were commonplace for him — in April he went with several friends to Patagonia and South America. Balaji last spoke to his parents on Nov. 22, a 10-minute phone call that centered around his recent trip and that ended with his talking about getting dinner. “He was very happy,” Ramarao said. “He had a blast. He had one of the best times of his life.” Ramarao remembers calling her son shortly after noon on Nov. 23 but said it rang once and went to voicemail. Figuring that he was busy with friends, she didn’t try visiting his apartment until Nov. 25, when she knocked but got no answer. She said she called authorities that evening but was allegedly told by a police dispatch center that little could be done that day. She followed up Nov. 26, and San Francisco police later found Balaji’s body inside his apartment. Ramarao said she wasn’t told of her son’s death until a stretcher appeared in front of Balaji’s apartment. She was not allowed inside until the following day. “I can never forget that tragedy,” Ramarao said. “My heart broke.” Ramarao questioned authorities’ investigation of her son’s death, claiming that San Francisco police closed their case and turned it over to the county medical examiner’s office within an hour of discovering Balaji’s body. Ramarao said she and her husband have since commissioned a second autopsy of Balaji’s body. She declined to release any documents from that examination. Her attorney, Phil Kearney, declined to comment on the results of the family’s independent autopsy. Last week, San Francisco police spokesman Evan Sernoffsky referred questions about the case to the medical examiner’s office. David Serrano Sewell, executive director of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, declined to comment. Sitting on her living room couch, Ramarao shook her head and expressed frustration at authorities’ investigative efforts so far. “As grieving parents, we have the right to know what happened to our son,” Ramarao said. “He was so happy. He was so brave.” If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, round-the-clock support, information and resources for help. Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.
The latest move in the province’s effort to make primary health care more accessible for Albertans is a new primary care physician compensation model. The model is the result of a commitment made last year, the province says, and a memorandum of understanding with the Alberta Medical Association in order to attract more doctors to Alberta and alleviate pressures in other areas of the health-care system. “We have worked with the Alberta Medical Association to address the challenges that primary care physicians are facing,” Health Minister Adriana LaGrange told reporters Thursday. “This model will provide the supports physicians need and improve patient access to the care they need.” The new model is structured to encourage physicians to grow the number of patients they care for and encourage full-time practice. Incentives include increases for high panel numbers, providing after-hours care, improving technology and enhancing team-based care, all with the goal of increasing the appeal to provide more accessible and higher-quality care. “Albertans must be able to access a primary care provider,” Premier Danielle Smith said. “We’ve been working hard with our partners at the Alberta Medical Association to develop a compensation model that will not only support Alberta’s doctors but also improve Albertans’ access to physicians. Ultimately, our deal will make Alberta an even more attractive place to practise family medicine.” Additionally, family physicians who are not compensated through the traditional fee-for-service model, such as those who provide inpatient care in hospitals or rural generalists, will now receive higher pay rates under their payment model, known as the alternative relationship plan. This announcement was well received by AMA, which released a president’s letter referring to Thursday as “a great day for Alberta’s health-care system and our patients.” Similar cautious optimism was provided by the Alberta NDP, which released a statement from health critic Sara Hoffman in regards to this “good first step,” though she believes it to be overdue. “Hopefully this will stop the further hemorrhaging of health-care workers who have had to close practices, move away from our province and even leave the profession,” said Hoffman. “This UCP government must now be focused on and committed to recruiting, retraining and showing respect to all health-care workers.” Enrolment in the primary care physician compensation model will begin in January with full implementation in spring 2025, provided at least 500 physicians enrol.
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a "tragic incident" following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible. Putin's apology came as allegations mounted that Russian air defenses shot down the plane while attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference Saturday at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner "repeatedly" attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane. The statement said Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace." People are also reading... The readout said Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, and Azerbaijani state prosecutors have arrived in Grozny to participate. The Kremlin also said that "relevant services" from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are jointly investigating the crash site near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned toward Kazakhstan, hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed while attempting to land. There were 29 survivors. According to a readout of the call provided by Aliyev's press office, the Azerbaijani president told Putin that the plane was subject to "external physical and technical interference," though he also stopped short of blaming Russian air defenses. Part of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane lies on the ground Thursday near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan. Aliyev noted the plane had holes in its fuselage and the occupants sustained injuries "due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight." He said that a team of international experts began a probe of the incident at Azerbaijan's initiative, but provided no details. Earlier this week, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office confirmed that investigators from Azerbaijan are working in Grozny. On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon, echoing those made by aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defense systems responding to a Ukrainian attack. U.S. President Joe Biden, responding Saturday to a reporter asking whether he thought Putin should take responsibility for the crash, said: "Apparently he did but I haven't spoken to him." Biden made the comment after leaving church in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Passengers and crew members who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it circled over Grozny. Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, said Friday that as the plane was preparing to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones were targeting the city, prompting authorities to close the area to air traffic. Yadrov said after the captain made two unsuccessful attempts to land, he was offered other airports but decided to fly to Aktau. People attend a funeral Saturday for Mahammadali Eganov, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's airport of Aktau at the age of 13, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Earlier this past week, Rosaviatsia cited unspecified early evidence as showing that a bird strike led to an emergency on board. In the days following the crash, Azerbaijan Airlines blamed "physical and technical interference" and announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports. It didn't say where the interference came from or provide any further details. If proven that the plane crashed after being hit by Russian fire, it would be the second deadly civil aviation accident linked to fighting in Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed with a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people aboard, as it flew over the area in eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014. Russia denied responsibility but a Dutch court in 2022 convicted two Russians and a pro-Russia Ukrainian man for their role in downing the plane with an air defense system brought into Ukraine from a Russian military base. The grave of Mahammadali Eganov, 13, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's Aktau airport, is seen Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan. Following Wednesday's suspension of flights from Baku to Grozny and nearby Makhachkala, Azerbaijan Airlines announced Friday that it would also halt service to eight more Russian cities. Several other airlines made similar announcements since the crash. Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air on Friday said it would stop flying from Astana to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains for a month. Turkmenistan Airlines, the Central Asian country's flagship carrier, on Saturday halted flights to Moscow for at least a month, citing safety concerns. Earlier this past week, Israel's El Al carrier suspended service from Tel Aviv to the Russian capital, citing "developments in Russia's airspace." Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.