Moni scores 25 in North Dakota State's 91-62 win against Wisconsin-StoutAussie coach receives support from unlikely source as pressure risesThe mystery surrounding at least one of the unexplained drones causing Americans to look toward the night sky in recent days was solved late Saturday evening, when Boston police arrested two men for flying their unmanned aerial device too close to Logan Airport. According to police, 42-year-old Robert Duffy of Charlestown and 32-year-old Jeremy Folcik of Bridgewater were arrested Saturday on Long Island, after officials noticed the drone on their monitoring systems. “The incident began earlier that evening, at 4:30 p.m., when a Boston Police Officer specializing in real-time crime surveillance detected an Unmanned Aircraft System operating dangerously close to Logan International Airport. Leveraging advanced UAS monitoring technology, the Officer identified the drone’s location, altitude, flight history, and the operators’ position on Long Island,” the Boston Police Department said in a Sunday statement. After rallying officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Massachusetts State Police, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission, and Logan Airport Air Traffic Control, the Boston Police Harbor Patrol Unit was dispatched to the Boston Harbor Islands, where they allegedly found Duffy and Folcik, along with another man on the closed Long Island Health campus. All three attempted to flee on foot, according to police, but the arrested pair were caught and a drone found in their possession. The third man, according to police, is “believed to have fled the island in a small vessel.” Police say that all three were engaging in seriously dangerous behavior. “Operators are prohibited from flying drones over people or vehicles and must be aware of airspace restrictions. Even small drones pose significant risks, including the potential for catastrophic damage to airplanes and helicopters. Near-collisions can cause pilots to veer off course, putting lives and property at risk,” they said. Both Duffy and Folcik will appear in Dorchester District Court on charges of trespassing, police said. ©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) announcement of a dedicated green energy auction (GEA) for offshore wind projects next year has serious industry players excitedly charging ahead like surfers eyeing that perfect swell into the deep sea—but are we ready to catch the big wave on these uncharted waters, or will we dip our toes in the shallow end? The rising titans of the offshore wind industry know exactly what they’re after—they are laser-focused on taking that plunge for billion-dollar investments to anchor themselves at the heart of the Philippines’ bold energy transition goal. The big question is: how do we turn these fancy project blueprints into tangible gigawatt-producing wind farms without getting blown off course? Offshore wind: Policy & regulations The newly-released study from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) on "The Philippines Offshore Wind Supply Chain" isn’t just prescriptive and revealing — it’s an unflinching battle plan, outlining 15 critical policy and regulatory fixes that must be tackled head-on to turn targeted projects into actual gigawatt-installations. During the study’s presentation, GWEC Philippines Country Manager Ann Margret Francisco made it crystal clear: that to hit the government’s ambitious 2028 offshore wind generation target, “we need the right environment, the right policies, the right frameworks, a solid supply chain, and a robust offtake (power supply agreement) mechanism.” She acknowledged that there’s still a heated debate over what the industry can truly solidify by 2028—whether it’s construction, the first turbine on water, or actual kilowatt-hours of electricity generation—but the momentum is undeniable. The offshore wind sector is already gaining ground, rallying key players from government to financial institutions, industry groups, and embassies to push for policies that will make these projects a reality. Francisco cited that “the Philippines is off to a good start with the government showing a strong political will in developing its offshore wind market.” But she didn’t sugarcoat the challenges, emphasizing that “for the Philippines to fully capitalize on these offshore wind opportunities, the government needs to refine existing policies and scale up its local supply chain.” The GWEC’s supply chain-underpinned study cuts through the noise with 15 essential policy fixes that had been broken down into four sub-categories, starting with the heavy lifting of crafting a clear regulatory framework and streamlining permitting. This tackles five core issues: building a realistic, long-term offshore wind pipeline; securing transmission capacity linked to auction awards; ensuring policy continuity through changing administrations; establishing an Inter-Ministerial Task Force for Offshore Wind; and setting competitive GEAR (green energy auction reserve) prices— all while keeping consumer protection front and center. Next up on the roll is a deep dive into industry incentives and risk mitigation – and these are fleshed out into three key concerns: promoting retail electricity options for supply chain manufacturers, designating offshore wind projects as ‘infrastructure projects of national importance’; and unlocking export incentives for supply chain companies while ensuring they serve the domestic market. Third on the industry’s policy wish list is a purposeful engagement in workforce development and capacity building - segregated into five critical actions: leveraging the Department of Science and Technology’s Balik Scientist Program as an immediate solution to tap Filipino talent for the offshore wind sector; creating long-term strategies to lure skilled workers back to the country; upskilling local talent to meet the industry's specific needs; boosting the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) institutional capacity; and enhancing the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre’s (PITC) expertise to promote offshore wind and its growing supply chain. At the heart of reskilling and upskilling for green jobs in offshore wind, the study highlights the Norwegian Training Initiative in Manila as a transformative force —pioneering a program that will equip Filipino seafarers with the specialized skills needed to power the offshore wind industry forward. According to GWEC, a powerful partnership is being firmed up between the Norwegian Training Center (NTC) in Manila and the Norwegian Shipowners Association (NSA) in Oslo; “to ensure that the Philippines will be able to produce the right personnel needed for offshore wind deployment.” The fourth and final focus zeroes in on mapping the industry’s competitive advantage, tackling two paramount hurdles: first, crafting targeted pitches to draw more supply chain players—ranging from steel production and shipbuilding to the extraction of critical minerals like those needed for transmission cables; and second, urging the Department of Trade and Industry’s Investment Promotion Group (DTI-IPG) to identify other Philippine industries with transferrable skills that could fuel the offshore wind industry’s growth. Simply put, the Philippines’ ambitious offshore wind dream is no longer a distant vision—it’s almost certain that it will be making landfall. Now, the power to turn this goal into tangible megawatts and gigawatts rests squarely in the hands of key stakeholders, each holding a crucial piece to ensure that billion-dollar investments flow in and the industry takes solid root. Tidbit: With two ERC Commissioners retiring by July 2025, the industry is already buzzing with speculation about forthcoming big moves. Two early prospective candidates have emerged—one is a current DOE official, and the other is a lawyer-executive entrenched in spot trading of electricity. Place your bets on who’s on deck for the next regulatory spotlight.
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A FORMER Google boss has warned of the dangers of AI - claiming humans "will not be able to police". Ex-CEO of the tech giant Eric Schmidt said when a computer system reaches a point where it can self-improve "we seriously need to think about unplugging it". The race to improve artificial intelligence has seen huge strides made in recent years, with Schmidt describing the progress as a cause for celebration. "I've never seen innovation like this," he told George Stephanopoulos for ABC's This Week. Schmidt added: "We're soon going to be able to have computers running on their own, deciding what they want to do." He went on to say: "The power of this intelligence... means that each and every person is going to have the equivalent of a polymath in their pocket. "We just don't know what it means to give that kind of power to every individual." We're soon going to be able to have computers running on their own, deciding what they want to do. It comes after Schmidt told AXIOS last year that computers making their own decisions might be less than four years away. And other experts have said the most powerful systems could operate at the intelligence of a PhD student by 2026. Schmidt said despite the US continuing to win the AI race, with China's tech developing quickly it's crucial "the West wins". He also advised that the "worst possible cases" be identified and a parallel system be developed to help monitor the first. "Humans will not be able to police AI, but AI systems should be able to police AI," he added. It comes as an AI technology analyst warned in recent weeks we're just steps away from cracking the "neural code" that allows machines to consciously learn like humans. Eitan Michael Azoff makes the case in his new book , Towards Human-Level Artificial Intelligence: How Neuroscience can Inform the Pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence . According to Azoff, one of the key steps towards unlocking "human-level AI" is understanding the "neural code." The term describes the way our brains encode sensory information and perform cognitive tasks like thinking and problem solving. Talks at a federal level are taking place to ensure regulations and protocols can keep the tech at bay. The emergence and success of ChatGPT since its mainstream introduction in November 2022 have surprised many in the AI field, accelerating the development of the technology immeasurably. AI expert Rishabh Misra, who has worked on machine learning for X for the past four years, insists he's "never seen any kind of tech move so fast" and believes once they begin to surpass human-level intelligence, super-powered robots could begin to wreak havoc in society "within the decade". Misra told The U.S. Sun: "In the future, as more such capabilities are added, some misconfiguration, irresponsible usage by giving wrong instructions, or involvement of malicious actors could have disastrous consequences, akin to the scenarios where it may seem bots have gone rogue. "If these bots get hacked or used for harmful purposes, they can spread misinformation or hate speech, launch spam campaigns, manipulate financial markets to crash the economy, or even carry out physical attacks by controlling vehicles or operating weapons. "They may create deepfakes that show scenarios that never happened to damage someone's reputation or cause wars." They may create deepfakes that show scenarios that never happened to damage someone's reputation or cause wars. With AI bots potentially having the ability in the future to carry out instructions and demands faster than humans, the scope for disrupting economies or inciting hate as part of a political ploy, for example, is huge. "The frequent fear that comes up is that bots may become self-aware and decide serving humans is not worthwhile," adds Misra. "Maybe they will take harmful actions towards humans in an attempt to reach an ultimate goal, ironically supplied by humans themselves. "Based solely on the current trends of technology advancements, I think the chances of realization of the latter fear might be much more as compared to the former in the future." Here's some advice from The Sun's tech expert Sean Keach ... The best way to interact with chatbots is to treat it like a total stranger. You (hopefully) wouldn't dish out sensitive details about your life to a random person on the internet. Chatbots are no different – they talk like a human, and you don't know where the info you share will end up. Don't be fooled by the fact that they can come across like a trusted friend or colleague. In fact – and sorry to say – chatbots don't care about you at all. So they don't have your best interests at heart. They don't have a heart! It's just lines of code simulating a human, so remember that if you're tempted to pour your heart out to what is little more than a smart app. Chatbots can be immensely powerful and help you with difficult problems – even personal ones – but keep everything anonymous. Don't share specifics about your life, and try to sign up to chatbots with info that doesn't give away exactly who you are. It's especially important not to share info about your job with a chatbot, as you don't want to land yourself in hot water professionally. But don't allow chatbots to build up a picture of who you are, because that could eventually be used against you.Temple secures 60-42 win against Hofstra
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Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, has issued directives to Regional Police Officers (RPOs) to ensure that the provincial police force does not engage in political activities. In an official letter, the IG emphasized that RPOs must strictly prohibit police personnel from participating in political gatherings, rallies, or protests. The letter explicitly stated that KP police should maintain its neutrality and not become involved in any political campaigns or events. The directive also warned that any violation of these orders would lead to departmental action against the personnel involved. The step of the IGP was seen as an effort to uphold the professional integrity of the police force and maintain its impartiality and professionalism in a politically charged environment. Job Quota: As per the judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has eliminated job quota for the legal heirs of civil servants in all government jobs. A notification issued here by the provincial establishment department, said that the apex court had declared the appointment of the widow, widower, spouse, child of a civil servant in different grades on a contract or regular basis without open advertisement, competition and merit a violation of articles 3, 4, 5(2), 18, 25(1) and 27 of the constitution of Pakistan. It further noted that the court ordered federal and provincial governments to withdraw all policies, rules and procedures related to the appointment of the legal heirs of a civil servant in different grades, who dies during service or becomes permanently disabled, invalidated or incapacitated for further services and take retirement. The notification said that in light of the order of the Supreme Court the provincial government had directed all the departments to strictly comply with the orders of the court and ensure appointments based on open advertisement, competition and merit. It however, clarified that the order of the court would not affect the policies, rules or compensation packages of the provincial government for the benefit of the legal heirs of martyred personnel of law enforcement agencies and civil servants who die due to terrorist activities. Diphteria: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Health Advisor, Ihtesham Ali on Friday said that adequate supplies of anti-diphtheria serum were available across the province and urged parents to take their children to the nearest healthcare centres for vaccination. Responding to media reports on the worsening diphtheria outbreak in the province, he emphasised the critical need for vaccination to control the situation. In a statement, Ihtesham shared that a comprehensive report on the outbreak had been presented to raise awareness among the public and media about the severity of the disease. He stressed that the situation could be brought under control unless parents ensure their children were vaccinated against diphtheria and 11 other preventable diseases. The health advisor also disclosed that 26 deaths had been reported across the province due to diphtheria this year, adding that the disease’s rapid transmission from one child to another could aggravate the situation. He urged parents to immediately vaccinate their children and maintain social distancing as key measures to curb the spread. Earlier, the health department in its report revealed that 383 cases of diphtheria had been recorded this year across from 228 union councils in 27 districts of the province. Alarmingly, 91 percent of the affected children had not received the diphtheria vaccine, it said and added that the outbreak had occurred 27 times this year in districts including Peshawar, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat, Charsadda, Haripur, and Swabi, with 75 percent of affected children being over five years old. Agreements with Hospitals: DIG Welfare Muhammad Kashif Mushtaq Kanju has directed the heads of Dera region to ink agreements with best hospitals in their respective districts for providing treatment and healthcare services to Dera range personnel. Similarly, the DIG Welfare also directed authorities concerned of the district police to ensure that children of policemen had access to higher education by signing Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with different schools, colleges, and universities. He issued these directives during his visit to the Dera Ismail Khan region, aimed to address the welfare issues of police personnel and officers in the region. In this regard, he held a “Darbar” at the district’s police lines in line with the instructions of Inspector General of Police(IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Akhtar Hayat Khan. According to police spokesman Muhammad Kashif Mushtaq Kanju was presented a salute by a smartly turned-out police contingent upon his arrival at the police lines. He also laid a floral wreath at the martyrs’ memorial and prayed for their departed souls. He also conducted a video link session with police officers and personnel from Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Upper South Waziristan, and Lower South Waziristan to discuss and resolve welfare issues of the policemen. While earlier addressing the Darbar, DIG Welfare highlighted the significant measures taken by the Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Akhtar Hayat Khan, for the welfare of police personnel and the families of martyrs. He informed that agreements had been made with various hospitals across the province to ensure better healthcare facilities for police personnel and their families. Thus, he directed the high-ups of the district’s police to make similar agreements with hospitals and educational institutions for welfare of the police personnel of the region. He also lauded the dedication and sacrifices of all police officers and personnel in the Dera region, especially their courageous actions against anti-state elements. He acknowledged their invaluable contribution in safeguarding the nation.Key Trends in the Packaging artwork management Software Market with Insights from Loftware, NiceLabel, enLabel Global Services, ManageArtworks, Esko, Kalypso, BLUE Software, TwonaUnique among ‘Person of the Year’ designees, Donald Trump gets a fact-check from Time magazine
E-commerce and tech giant Amazon is reportedly planning to donate about $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s forthcoming inauguration, drawing a mixed reaction from retail investors on Stocktwits. Amazon reportedly plans to donate $1 million in cash and another $1 million in-kind donation by streaming the event on Amazon Video, CNN reported. According to media reports, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos plans to visit Trump in person at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, the latest Silicon Valley technology exec attempting to woo the new president. Bezos also reportedly had a word with Trump following the first assassination attempt leading up to the November election, for which he was heaped with praise by the president-elect. Retail sentiment on the stock turned ‘bearish’ from ‘bullish’ a day ago. However, some users appeared optimistic. Google has also similarly tried to cement ties with Trump with CEO Sundar Pichai also visiting Trump earlier this week. According to The Information, the company avoided “direct overtures” about the company’s antitrust troubles at that meeting, the NYT reports. Meta has also reportedly donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, AP reported earlier. AMZN stock is up 52% year-to-date. For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com. The entry of products deemed environment-friendly to the Philippines—a net goods importer—faces challenges due to expensive non-tariff barriers, according to the World Bank. "The Philippines' share of green goods trade is relatively low, partly due to the high incidence of non-tariff measures (NTMs) on imports of green goods," said the World Bank report titled "Trade Policy, Green Goods and the Labor Market: Evidence from the Philippines" published on Dec. 13. This assessment is based on a comparison made by the Washington-based multilateral lender with the Philippines' peer-countries as well as leading green industries. In particular, the World Bank cited "costly" NTMs impacting imported energy transition-related technologies, among other green products. For the World Bank, this is a missed opportunity for the Philippines, given its vulnerability to climate change challenges, citing that "bolding the green trade can support the country's transition towards a more sustainable area, enhance resilience, and alleviate environmental risks." "As the Philippines heavily relies on fossil fuel imports, investing in green energy such as hydropower, wind, or solar can reduce the dependence on fossil fuel imports," the World Bank pointed out. Also, the report noted that the Philippines' participation in green trade aligns with its global climate commitments, including as part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) agreement. "More importantly, promoting green goods imports and exports can drive job creation, increase wages for people, and support economic growth," it added. According to the World Bank, out of the around 90 "burdensome" NTMs, there are five specific measures that, if reformed, may increase trade in green goods, as there is a direct link between higher exports and imports. But the report warned that this may also lead to fewer high-skilled labor involved in export industries, even as it could jack up the proportion of females working in import sectors. While importing green products is associated with bigger overall industry earnings, the report cautioned that reforming trade policies to become more climate- and environment-friendly could cause shifts in the labor market, hence requiring additional measures supporting impacted workers. In all, "green goods trade will matter for the transition to a low-carbon global economy as well as for its adaptive capacity to climate events," the World Bank said. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship'BOSTON , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Below is the November 2024 Monthly Update for the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. ASG . Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. Ticker: ASG Monthly Update, November 2024 Investment Approach: Fund Style: All-Cap Growth Fund Strategy: Combines three growth style investment managers, each with a distinct capitalization focus (small-, mid- and large-cap) selected and continuously monitored by the Fund's Investment Advisor. Investment Managers: Weatherbie Capital, LLC Small-Cap Growth Congress Asset Management Company, LLP Mid-Cap Growth Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Large-Cap Growth Top 20 Holdings at Month-End: (39.1% of equity portfolio) 1 NVIDIA Corp. 3.9 % 2 Apple, Inc. 3.0 % 3 Amazon.com, Inc. 2.9 % 4 Microsoft Corp. 2.8 % 5 Upstart Holdings, Inc. 2.1 % 6 SPS Commerce, Inc. 2.1 % 7 Alphabet, Inc. 2.0 % 8 Natera, Inc. 2.0 % 9 Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. 2.0 % 10 Meta Platforms, Inc. 1.9 % 11 FirstService Corp. 1.9 % 12 Casella Waste Systems, Inc. 1.9 % 13 Hamilton Lane, Inc. 1.6 % 14 StepStone Group, Inc. 1.6 % 15 Visa, Inc. 1.4 % 16 Semtech Corp. 1.4 % 17 Glaukos Corp. 1.3 % 18 ServiceNow, Inc. 1.1 % 19 Raymond James Financial, Inc. 1.1 % 20 Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. 1.1 % Holdings are subject to change. Monthly Performance: Performance NAV Market Price Discount Beginning of month value $5.96 $5.56 -6.7 % Distributions (Ex-Date November 15 th ) $0.12 $0.12 End of month value $6.35 $5.87 -7.6 % Performance for month 8.72 % 7.73 % Performance year-to-date 20.25 % 21.05 % Net Assets at Month-End ($millions): Total $384.8 Equities $383.6 Percent Invested 99.7 % Sector Breakdown* (% of equity portfolio): Information Technology 28.4 % Industrials 17.6 % Health Care 16.5 % Financials 14.2 % Consumer Discretionary 9.9 % Communication Services 5.7 % Consumer Staples 4.2 % Real Estate 1.9 % Materials 0.9 % Energy 0.7 % Total Market Value 100.0 % *Based on Standard & Poor's and MSCI Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). New Holdings: Block, Inc. GE Vernova, Inc. GoDaddy, Inc. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. VSE Corp. Holdings Liquidated: AbbVie, Inc. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. ASML Holding N.V. The net asset value (NAV) of a closed-end fund is the market value of the underlying investments (i.e., stocks and bonds) in the Fund's portfolio, minus liabilities, divided by the total number of Fund shares outstanding. However, the Fund also has a market price; the value at which it trades on an exchange. If the market price is above the NAV the Fund is trading at a premium. If the market price is below the NAV the Fund is trading at a discount. Performance returns for the Fund are total returns, which includes dividends, and are net of management fees and other Fund expenses. Returns are calculated assuming that a shareholder reinvested all distributions. Past performance cannot predict future investment results. Performance will fluctuate with changes in market conditions. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data shown. Performance information shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that shareholders would pay on Fund distributions or the sale of Fund shares. Shareholders must be willing to tolerate significant fluctuations in the value of their investment. An investment in the Fund involves risk, including loss of principal. Sources of distributions to shareholders may include ordinary dividends, long-term capital gains and return of capital. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2024 for tax reporting purposes will be made after year end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Based on current estimates a portion of the distributions consist of a return of capital. These estimates may not match the final tax characterization (for the full year's distributions) contained in shareholder 1099-DIV forms after the end of the year. All data is as of November 30, 2024 unless otherwise noted. Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund, Inc. 1-800-241-1850 www.all-starfunds.com libinfo@alpsinc.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/liberty-all-star-growth-fund-inc-november-2024-monthly-update-302331693.html SOURCE Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Examined: How, When & Why Aircraft Have Their Engines Replaced