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No. 25 Illinois rebounds in big way, blasts UMES 87-40Players Era Festival organizers betting big NIL is future of college tourneysJoe Biden begins final White House holiday season with turkey pardons for 'Peach' and 'Blossom' WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Separately, first lady Jill Biden received the delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens are traveling to New York later Monday for an early holiday celebration with members of the Coast Guard. Bah, humbug! Vandal smashes Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone used in 'A Christmas Carol' movie LONDON (AP) — If life imitates art, a vandal in the English countryside may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Police in the town of Shrewsbury are investigating how a tombstone at the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge was destroyed. The movie prop used in the 1984 adaption of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” had become a tourist attraction. The film starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him what will become of his life if he doesn’t become a better person. West Mercia Police say the stone was vandalized in the past week. Megachurch founder T.D. Jakes suffers health incident during sermon at Dallas church DALLAS (AP) — The founder of Dallas-based megachurch The Potter's House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, was hospitalized after suffering what the church called a “slight health incident.” Jakes was speaking to churchgoers after he sat down and began trembling as several people gathered around him Sunday at the church. Jakes' daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts said in a statement on social media late Sunday that Jakes was improving. The 67-year-old Jakes founded the non-denominational The Potter's House in 1996 and his website says it now has more than 30,000 members with campuses in Fort Worth and Frisco, Texas; and in Denver. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by announcing plans Monday to hand more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The interview was paused before Redknapp told the pop star to “come and say hello in a minute.” Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich fan and holds a minority stake in the club. He was pictured celebrating after Omari Hutchinson’s equalizing goal in the game at Portman Road. A desert oasis outside of Dubai draws a new caravan: A family of rodents from Argentina AL QUDRA LAKES, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A desert oasis hidden away in the dunes in the far reaches of skyscraper-studded Dubai has drawn a surprising new set of weary world travelers: a pack of Argentinian rodents. A number of Patagonian mara, a rabbit-like mammal with long legs, big ears and a body like a hoofed animal, now roam the grounds of Al Qudra Lakes, typically home to gazelle and other desert creatures of the United Arab Emirates. How they got there remains a mystery in the UAE, a country where exotic animals have ended up in the private homes and farms of the wealthy. But the pack appears to be thriving there and likely have survived several years already in a network of warrens among the dunes. Pilot dies in plane crash in remote woods of New York, puppy found alive WINDHAM, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot and at least one dog he was transporting died when a small plane crashed in the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, though a puppy on the flight was found alive with two broken legs. The Greene County sheriff’s office says Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the plane crashed at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday in a remote area. Officials believe the pilot died from the impact. The surviving dog was hospitalized, while a third dog was not located. The flight was connected with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals. New Zealanders save more than 30 stranded whales by lifting them on sheets WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — More than 30 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a beach in New Zealand have been safely returned to the ocean after conservation workers and residents helped to refloat them by lifting them on sheets. New Zealand’s conservation agency said four whales died. New Zealand is a whale stranding hotspot and pilot whales are especially prolific stranders. The agency praised as “incredible” the efforts made by hundreds of people to help save the foundering pod. A Māori cultural ceremony for the three adult whales and one calf that died in the stranding took place Monday. Rainbow-clad revelers hit Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro’s pride parade RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Thousands of revelers have gathered alongside Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro’s annual gay pride parade, many scantily dressed and covered in glitter. Rainbow-colored flags, towels and fans abounded among the crowd mostly made up of young revelers, who danced and sang along to music blaring from speakers. While the atmosphere was festive, some spoke of the threat of violence LGBTQ+ people face in Brazil. At least 230 LGBTQ+ Brazilians were victims of violent deaths in 2023, according to the umbrella watchdog group Observatory of LGBTQ+ deaths and violence in Brazil.
1 2 3 Jaipur: BJP's spectacular victory in the Jat-dominated constituencies of Jhunjhunu and Khinvsar after 21 and 11 years respectively has drawn attention to, and sparked a debate over, the party's revamped electoral strategies. These victories, coming just six months after BJP suffered losses in the Jat-majority Lok Sabha seats of Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Churu, and Nagaur to candidates of the Congress-led INDIA bloc, mark a significant political shift in Rajasthan. Despite BJP's landslide in the 2013 Assembly elections, where it captured 163 of the total 200 seats, and its strong showing in 2023, Jhunjhunu and Khinvsar remained elusive for the party. The latest bypolls, however, saw BJP securing these constituencies that the party's internal surveys had identified as challenging. Fear of a voting pattern similar to that in past elections jeopardising the party's prospects had loomed large. A glimmer of hope for BJP's Rajasthan unit came with the results of Haryana assembly elections defying the exit-poll predictions, prompting the party to lean on its former state president and Haryana poll in-charge, Satish Poonia, to script a turnaround in Jat dominated seats. Maharashtra Jharkhand Maharashtra Alliance View i Party View Seats: 288 Results Majority: 145 BJP+ 229 MVA 47 OTH 12 Results : 288 / 288 BJP+ WON Jharkhand Alliance View i Party View Seats: 81 Results Majority: 41 INDIA 56 NDA 24 OTH 1 Results : 81 / 81 INDIA WON Source: PValue "On Oct 7, two days after the unexpected Haryana results, BJP state president Madan Rathore congratulated Poonia and urged him to lead the efforts for bypolls in Rajasthan," said a senior BJP leader. Poonia's success in Haryana, where his "OBC-Farmer-Jat (OFJ) formula' proved highly effective, became the blueprint for Rajasthan's campaign. "Poonia's social engineering to unite OBC farmers and Jats was widely recognised by then. The state unit relied on his expertise to craft a strategy to win these difficult seats," noted a BJP insider. Before arriving in Jhunjhunu and Khinvsar, Poonia held consultations with booth-level workers from Jaipur to evaluate the party's standing. In a meeting with CM Bhajan Lal Sharma, he outlined an extensive outreach campaign aimed at OBCs, Jats, and farmers. "Leveraging his 3.5-year tenure as state president, Poonia engaged panchayat leaders and community influencers to highlight BJP's governance achievements, mirroring the promises made in Haryana," added the party insider. In the final stretch, key BJP leaders, including former Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore and cabinet minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar, played crucial roles in consolidating votes in favour of the party. Meanwhile, CM Bhajan Lal Sharma's rallies and public addresses in the campaign's closing days solidified the party's position, leading to a decisive victory, said BJP functionaries.
Two charged in connection with Iran drone strike that killed 3 US troops in the Middle East
A research team has developed the world's first high-performance photoacoustic endoscopy based on a transparent ultrasonic transducer. Their findings were recently published in the journal Science Advances. Endoscopic ultrasound is widely used in gastroenterology for cancer diagnosis , but it offers limited contrast in soft tissues and only provides structural information, ultimately reducing diagnostic sensitivity. To address this, numerous studies have attempted to integrate photoacoustic technology with endoscopic ultrasound to provide more detailed information about tissue vasculature, thereby improving early cancer detection. However, achieving high-quality photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging simultaneously within an ultra-compact probe has proven challenging. For obtaining high-resolution images , light and ultrasound must be aligned in the same direction. However, past efforts faced limitations in achieving this alignment. Ultimately, alignment could be achieved either by drilling a hole in the ultrasonic transducer to secure the light path or by tilting the optical system to align the two paths. Both approaches, however, come with trade-offs, often compromising the quality of either the ultrasound image or the photoacoustic image. In this study, the research team developed an ultra-compact (1 mm2) transparent ultrasonic transducer capable of delivering high-resolution ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging simultaneously. To achieve this, they employed piezoelectric material (PMN-PT) known for its high permittivity and suitability for miniaturization. The transducer was constructed using transparent materials, including indium tin oxide electrodes and urethane sound-absorbing layers, which preserve the transducer's structure while allowing the light path to pass through. This design enables high-resolution ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging. The researchers successfully integrated the optical and acoustic systems within this ultra-compact probe and aligned the two imaging pathways. To evaluate the technology, the team inserted the device into the channel of a commercial endoscope and captured images of a porcine esophagus. As a result, they were able to clearly visualize all layers from the esophageal mucosa down to the muscle layer, with ultrasound performance comparable to that of commercial endoscopes. Additionally, they obtained high-resolution photoacoustic images even at long distances, demonstrating the strong clinical potential of photoacoustic-ultrasound endoscopy. Professor Chulhong Kim of POSTECH remarked, "This breakthrough is expected to overcome the limitations of existing photoacoustic-ultrasound systems and dramatically improve diagnostic accuracy." Professor Hee Man Kim of Yonsei Cancer Hospital added, "These successful experimental results with a transparent ultrasound transducer-based photoacoustic -ultrasound endoscopy system mark an important first step toward developing and localizing innovative diagnostic medical devices." More information: Jaewoo Kim et al, Enhanced dual-mode imaging: Superior photoacoustic and ultrasound endoscopy in live pigs using a transparent ultrasound transducer, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adq9960
For more than a century, Atlanta beverage giant Coca-Cola has released holiday ads that have closely shaped much of the imagery associated with Christmas. Think Santa Claus and polar bears. This year, some of Coca-Cola’s holiday ads airing on TV look a little different. They’re generated by artificial intelligence. In what is the company’s largest push into using AI in advertising, Coca-Cola partnered with generative AI companies to make new iterations of its classic 1995 ad “Holidays Are Coming.” Shots of lighted Coca-Cola trucks on snowy roads and mountains, smiling townspeople and Christmas trees rising above an idyllic village, among other familiar holiday imagery, were all rendered using AI models. In a statement, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola said the company is “always exploring new ways to connect with fans and experiment with different approaches” and dedicated to “creating the highest level of work at the intersection of human creativity and technology.” Silverside AI, one of the firms commissioned by Coke, provided further detail about the project on their website. A project of the same scale as the holiday ad would typically take more than 12 months, Silverside wrote on its website. But using both proprietary technology and market AI tools, Silverside produced the ad in two months with a team of 40 people, “showcasing that AI, combined with human creativity, can elevate storytelling to new heights.” The campaign immediately received backlash, with critics saying the ad deceives consumers and strips the holiday campaign of its creativity. On the other side of the spectrum, some called it a bold innovation and a new approach to visual storytelling. The controversy indicates that the argument over advertisers incorporating AI into campaigns is far from settled. Tim Halloran, a professor at Georgia Tech who spent 10 years working with Coca-Cola’s brand management division, said the new ad campaign was a violation of Coca-Cola’s brand promise. “As a brand, you always want to establish a relationship with consumers built on authenticity and realness and being true. That’s where the fallacy of this is, especially for a brand like Coca-Cola. For years, a core crux of that brand has been the idea of authenticity. After all, Coke was ‘The Real Thing,’” Halloran said, referring to the brand’s iconic campaign from the 1970s. To keep up with the pace of innovation in an ever-changing advertising market, Coca-Cola, along with thousands of other companies, are reckoning with the fast-improving technology. Generative AI can automate time-consuming or labor-intensive tasks involved in producing ads, cutting down on time and costs. But there are concerns it has the potential to limit the need for human workers involved in the craft. In a study gauging awareness and acceptance of AI within the advertising industry by Yahoo and public relations company Publicis Media from earlier this year, about 77% of surveyed advertisers had a positive sentiment toward AI. Consumers only had a 38% positive sentiment. The holiday ads are not Coca-Cola’s first foray into using generative AI. In 2023, the company debuted a tool built partly by OpenAI that generates artwork from imagery within its archives. Later that year, it allowed users to generate holiday cards. To the untrained eye, the computer-generated graphics may look identical to real images. But it has the uncanny look of much of the AI-generated content that has flooded the internet in recent years. Halloran, who played the ad in front of his graduate students not long after it had released, said it looked like a poorly done version of the 2004 animated film “The Polar Express,” which was the first film shot entirely using motion capture technology. The problem with AI, Halloran said, is that it can’t replicate human emotion, an element that makes so many advertising campaigns successful, Coca-Cola’s holiday ads included. Consumers typically look forward to Coca-Cola’s yearly ads and think back to older campaigns with nostalgia. To use this campaign as its largest-scale experimentation with AI yet seems to be a statement, Halloran said. “A brand like Coke needs to have one foot in being technologically savvy and understanding how technology is changing,” Halloran said. “You don’t want to seem baked in the past, but you have to stay true to what the brand means to people.”
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over parts of New Jersey and have been spotted in recent days across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern over where they are coming from and why. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim have both gone out on drone hunts, hoping for answers. Murphy posted on X Sunday night that he went out with state police officials in West Trenton, New Jersey, surveying the area for drones. “The public deserves clear answers — we will keep pushing the federal government for more information and resources,” he said. Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to be a threat to public safety , but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft. The FBI is among several agencies investigating and has asked residents to share videos, photos and other information they may have about the drones. Dozens of witnesses have reported seeing them in the state since mid-November. At first they were spotted flying along the scenic Raritan River, which feeds the Round Valley Reservoir, the state's largest aquifer, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of New York City. But soon sightings were reported statewide, including near the Picatinny Arsenal, a military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Republican U.S. Rep. Chris Smith said a Coast Guard commanding officer told him a dozen drones closely followed a Guard lifeboat earlier this month. The growing anxiety among some residents is not lost on the Biden administration, which has faced criticism from Trump for not dealing with the matter more aggressively. In a call with reporters Saturday that was organized by the White House, senior officials from the FBI, Pentagon, Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies sought to assure people that the drones are not a national security or public safety threat, or the handywork of a malicious foreign actor. The White House has said a review of the reported sightings shows that many of them are actually manned aircraft being flown lawfully, echoing the opinion of officials and drone experts. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” Authorities say they do not know. The FBI, Homeland Security and state police are investigating the sightings. Authorities say they don’t know if it is one drone that has been spotted many times or if there are multiple aircraft being flown in a coordinated effort. Speculation has raged online, with some expressing concerns that the drone or drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents. Officials stress that ongoing state and federal investigations have found no evidence to support those concerns, but Rep. Smith on Saturday echoed such speculation. “The elusive maneuvering of these drones suggests a major military power sophistication that begs the question whether they have been deployed to test our defense capabilities — or worse — by violent dictatorships, perhaps maybe Russia, or China, or Iran, or North Korea,” he said. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Wednesday that the aircraft are not U.S. military drones. In Boston, city police arrested two men accused of operating a drone “dangerously close” to Logan Airport on Saturday night. Authorities said an officer using drone monitoring technology detected the aircraft and the location of the operators. A third man fled police and remains at large. Authorities said the two men face trespassing charges and could face more charges and fines. Drones flying around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, forced base officials to close its airspace for about four hours late Friday into early Saturday, said Robert Purtiman, a base spokesperson. It was the first time drones had been spotted at the base, one of the largest in the world, and no sightings have been reported since early Saturday, Purtiman said Monday. He would not say how many drones were flying in the area, adding that they ranged in size and that they did not impact any facilities on the base. Trump has said he believes the government knows more than it’s saying. “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” he posted on his social media site. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Thursday that the drones should be “shot down, if necessary.” A New Jersey congressman has urged the Pentagon to authorize the use of force to bring down one or more drones to try to figure out who deployed them. The objects could be downed over the ocean or in an unpopulated area on land, Smith said Saturday at a news conference. “Why can't we bag at least one of these drones and get to the bottom of it?” Smith said. Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said people should not take it into their own hands to shoot down drones, as that would violate state and federal laws. Drone sightings have now been reported in New York, where a permit is required, and Mayor Eric Adams said the city was investigating and collaborating with New Jersey and federal officials. The runways at Stewart International Airport — about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the city — were shut down for about one hour Friday night because of drone activity in the airspace, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “This has gone too far,” she said in a statement. The governor called on Congress to strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones and give more investigative authority to state and local law enforcement. Two people said they spotted an aircraft Thursday night near Virginia Beach that was unlike any other they’ve seen. The object was over the ocean, and they watched as it slowly moved over an Army National Guard facility, John Knight told The Virginian-Pilot. “It flew like a helicopter but made no noise,” he said. The Virginia National Guard said it was aware of the incident and it was under investigation. Another military installation in the area is Naval Air Station Oceana Dam Neck Annex. NAS Oceana, the East Coast master jet base in Virginia Beach, is aware of recent reports of sightings in the area and is coordinating with federal and state agencies to ensure the safety of its personnel and operations, Katie Hewett, public affairs officer, said Friday by email. In Massachusetts, 10 to 15 drones were reported hovering over a home Thursday night in Harwich on Cape Cod. A resident told police they were bright and she observed them for more than an hour. Earlier that evening, an off-duty police officer in the same town noticed similar activity near a public safety complex, police said. The information was forwarded to the FBI and Massachusetts State Police. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Bruce Schreiner in Shelbyville, Kentucky; and Aamer Madhani in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed.
WH's 'Building a Better Future' Post With Pic of Kamala Harris Waving Goodbye Sends a MessageMOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) — Isaiah Smith ran for a career-high 205 yards on 31 carries and scored a touchdown and San Diego beat Morehead State 37-14 in a season-ending contest for both teams on Saturday. Grant Sergent threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns for San Diego (8-3, 6-2 Pioneer Football League) which ended the season with a four-game win streak and winners of six of seven. The Toreros finished in sole possession of second place in the PFL behind Drake (7-1), which clinched the league outright with a 49-10 win over Stetson on Saturday. Drake beat San Diego 30-28 on a walk-off field goal on Sept. 28 in Des Moines, Iowa. Bryce Patterson threw for 133 yards and a touchdown and James Louis ran for a touchdown for the Eagles (7-5, 5-3). ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP collegebasketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
We must feed our children’s future, not let climate change devastate it