casinos that pay real money
Attorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi’s felony voting ban is cruel and unusualEgypt seizes hundreds of ancient artefacts 'stolen' from sea floor
BOISE — Idaho lawmakers are grappling with ways the state could benefit from generative artificial intelligence, how to put safeguards on it, and how or whether to try and regulate the use of it in the private sector. The interim legislative AI work group met for the second time Tuesday to hear from industry and government resources as the members prepare to potentially bring policy recommendations in January. “We’re using it in state government in one form or another today, and ... this is with the absence of guidance, the absence of a framework, the absence of guardrails,” Idaho Chief Information Officer and Administrator Alberto Gonzalez told the committee Tuesday. The state IT office conducted an AI survey this year, and of the nearly 3,000 employees from 45 agencies who responded, 23% said their agency was currently using a form of generative AI and another 23% were exploring options to do so. Most respondents said they used AI for content creation and process automation, Gonzalez said. The biggest concern of respondents was data privacy as well as ethical and regulatory and compliance issues. Gonzalez told lawmakers he sees a lot of potential to improve efficiency with AI tools, but there’s a need for rules and guidelines around its use. There’s also concerns about it replacing jobs, he said. Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls, said his No. 1 priority is putting regulations on the technology’s use, but second is improving training so state employees can up-skill instead of being replaced. States across the nation are tackling the rising technology, according to staff from the National Conference of State Legislatures. “At NCSL, we’ve tracked AI-specific legislation over the past six years, and as you can imagine, the number of bills introduced in this time has increased substantially,” said Chelsea Canada, NCSL program principal for financial services, technology and communications. “With no major federal legislative enactments focusing on regulating AI use and/or protecting people from potential harms of AI and other automated systems, states are moving ahead to address potential harms from these technologies.” Idaho has enacted laws requiring disclosure in deceptive AI-generated electioneering content and prohibiting AI-created child pornography. Nationwide, there were 450 bills and resolutions related to AI introduced this year, Canada said. Most of the proposed legislation centered on government use closely followed by private-sector use. Most of the legislation that has been enacted falls within three categories: studying and overseeing the technology, government use, and targeted legislation toward specific uses, such as in health care, Canada said. Google’s Director of Customer Engineering for the Public Sector Chris Hein told lawmakers about AI tools aimed at public sector use and what kinds of safeguards the company puts in place. Lawmakers on Tuesday also heard about ethical considerations from Jim Berg, a Meridian resident who retired in 2020 after a career as a sales executive for tech companies such as Micron and NVIDIA, according to his LinkedIn page. Berg predicted a continued skyrocketed trajectory of AI technology’s improvement and its potential disruption to society. Berg and Hein both spoke to newer technology called “agent AI,” which does not generate content but can take actions and “make decisions,” within the parameters of its designated job. “It has the ability to create and execute very complex tasks,” Berg said. He said without rules surrounding ethics in the field, the tool’s ethical framework will depend on the developer creating it. His recommendation was to create an “ethics dashboard,” in which rules can be established and then an AI tool being used could be asked how it is applying the rules. He advocated for a Biblical perspective when creating the framework. “When you understand what you want your rules to be, my prayer is that it would be the Bible, but once you know what that looks like, you actually have to measure it and ask AI questions to see how it’s being used in the environment that it’s in,” Berg told lawmakers. Committee co-Chair Jeff Ehlers, R-Meridian, told members to bring policy ideas to the next meeting, which will likely take place in January. The 2025 legislative session begins Jan. 6.Spain's monarch pays tribute to the victims of Valencia floods in his Christmas Eve speechAs No. 25 Colorado attempts to keep its Big 12 championship hopes alive, star quarterback Shedeur Sanders continues to draw notable interest from NFL draft experts. Sanders could have left for the draft last year, but his decision to return for another season with the Buffaloes has seemingly paid off. The senior is considered one of, if not the top, quarterback prospects ahead of the 2025 NFL draft. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound passer ranks second in the country in passing touchdowns with 30 and sits fourth in the nation with 3,488 passing yards for the 8-3 Buffaloes, who are tied for first place in the Big 12 ahead of their regular season finale against Oklahoma State. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The biggest question regarding Sanders' draft potential relies on the handful of teams that are searching for their next franchise quarterback. According to CBS Sports' latest mock draft , Chris Trapasso projects Sanders to land at No. 3 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. He would be the second quarterback taken after Miami's Cam Ward (New York Giants). "Now this is the type of organization that would welcome Sanders," Trapasso wrote. "And this selection wouldn't solely be to sell tickets. Sanders doesn't have premier traits, yet is a poised pocket passer and very accurate." The Raiders (2-9) have struggled to find a long-term answer at the position following the release of 9-year starter Derek Carr in 2023. Las Vegas signed veteran Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million deal in the offseason. The Raiders also brought in veteran Aiden O'Connell on a four-year, $4.3 million deal. Gardner, 28, has thrown for 2,013 yards with nine touchdowns to 10 interceptions in nine starts this season. Sanders, who has amassed 6,718 passing yards with 57 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in two years with the Buffaloes, could be the answer Las Vegas is looking to sign. The NFL draft is down the road, though, for Sanders as he prepares to keep Colorado in the Big 12 and College Football Playoff race. Colorado-Oklahoma State is slated for Friday at noon ET (ABC). Related: Shedeur Sanders Doesn’t Hesitate When Naming the Best Player in College Football
Retail investors, once an afterthought in financial markets, are now reshaping brokerage operations, pushing for real-time tools and constant market access. This shift was a central theme at the recent Benzinga Fintech Deal Day & Awards event, where a panel of experts explored the growing demands of Main Street investors and the technology adapting to meet them. "Retail is now about half of the U.S. equity market volume," said Brandis DeSimone , moderator and vice president at Nasdaq . She noted that the growth of retail trading has transformed it into a force capable of influencing the markets, a far cry from its marginal role just a decade ago. Eric Krueger , CEO of GTN Americas , reflected on how this change has made investing accessible to everyone. "When I started, my first trade was $1,000 worth of Microsoft, and I paid $100 in commission," he said. Today, retail investors can trade seamlessly on mobile apps with zero fees. "The barrier to entry has disappeared." Stephen Sikes , COO of Public , highlighted how modern retail investors demand more than accessibility. They want real-time pricing, instant alerts, and meaningful tools," Sikes said. Driven by the fast-paced digital age, investors have come to expect information at their fingertips. Beyond tools, Sikes noted the influence of social media on investor behavior. "They're not turning to traditional outlets like CNBC. They're getting their information from influencers and platforms like TikTok," he explained, emphasizing the need for brokerages to adapt to these new trends. Daniel Pipitone , CEO of TradeZero , stressed the importance of education in addressing this shift. "We focus on working with trusted educators to provide unbiased content," he said. "It's about teaching risk management and smart strategies without giving specific advice." See Also: Retail Investors Reshape Financial Markets: How Wall Street Is Catching Up Krueger discussed how personalized tools are helping investors make smarter decisions. "We're using data to create personas based on trading habits, watchlists, and activity," he said. This allows platforms to deliver education and resources tailored to each investor's needs, reducing common mistakes like failing to use stop losses or overtrading after a loss. Sikes shared an example of Public's recent success with its bond account feature. "We had bonds available for eight months, but uptake was minimal," he said. When the company repackaged bonds into a user-friendly format, trading volumes surged. "It's about presenting complex products in ways that are easy to understand." The panel also explored the global demand for U.S. equities. "About 90% of trading volume from our international clients goes into the U.S. market," said Krueger. He attributed this to the strong performance of U.S. companies and the widespread recognition of brands like Tesla and Amazon. Yoshi Yokokawa , CEO of Alpaca , noted similar trends. "We see a huge appetite for U.S. equities from clients in over 35 countries," he said, adding that platforms are adapting to serve these markets efficiently while keeping costs low. As retail investors continue to shape financial markets, brokerages are stepping up to meet their demands. By focusing on personalization, education, and accessibility, the industry is closing the gap between Wall Street and Main Street. "Retail investors have matured," Sikes said. "They're not just chasing trends anymore — they're looking for tools and strategies that work for them." With technology evolving rapidly, the retail investing revolution shows no signs of slowing down. Read Next: • Warren Buffett Gains Exposure To Digital Banks In Africa, Asia: Here’s How Photo: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.ST. LOUIS, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eric Watkins, President of Abstrakt, is shedding light on the significant challenges businesses face when building in-house Sales Development Representative (SDR) teams. Rising costs, complex technology needs, and extended timelines are making outsourcing an increasingly attractive option for companies seeking efficient and effective sales solutions. "We often find companies have already tried to do this all on their own and struggled," said Watkins. "It's a lot of puzzle pieces to put together, and working with a professional team that does this exclusively often gets better results." Watkins noted that businesses often underestimate the full scope of building an SDR team, from recruiting and onboarding skilled personnel to investing in necessary software and AI tools. Additional hurdles include developing outreach strategies, maintaining accountability metrics, and ensuring consistent performance tracking. "Building your own team can be a good route if you have the fully dedicated resources to do so," Watkins said. "But it requires a lot of software, content planning, research tools, and follow-through on sequencing." The rise of AI-driven sales tools has added to the complexity, with many companies struggling to optimize these technologies for maximum impact. Watkins explained that companies often lack the expertise to effectively integrate AI into their outreach efforts, further extending the time and cost required to build a functional SDR team. For many businesses, outsourcing to specialized teams like Abstrakt provides a faster and more cost-effective solution. By eliminating the need for ongoing training, technology investment, and process development, outsourcing offers immediate access to experienced professionals and proven systems. Abstrakt, which handles over 100,000 appointments annually across industries, has seen firsthand how outsourcing delivers measurable results for its clients. "Evaluate your resources, timeline, and ability to stay accountable to your sales goals," Watkins advised. "If there are gaps, partnering with a team that specializes in this work can help you grow faster and more effectively." Abstrakt is a B2B lead generation and marketing agency based in St. Louis, Missouri. With over a decade of experience, the company specializes in omnichannel appointment setting and helping businesses achieve measurable growth. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eric-watkins-of-abstrakt-highlights-the-challenges-of-building-internal-sdr-teams-302337750.html SOURCE Abstrakt Marketing Group
LOS ANGELES (Dec. 20, 2024) -- Mouneer Odeh, MA, has been named the inaugural chief data and artificial intelligence officer for Cedars-Sinai Health System. In this pivotal role, Odeh will advance Cedars-Sinai’s data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives, aligning them with the organization’s broader digital and information technology strategy. “Mouneer is a proven change agent with more than 25 years of leadership experience in data analytics, data science, health information and related specialties,” said Craig Kwiatkowski, PharmD , senior vice president and chief information officer at Cedars-Sinai. “We are excited to support Mouneer as he builds upon our existing data analytics environment and AI capabilities, strengthening our systemwide strategy and charting a new course through rapid evolution of this exciting field.” Odeh will lead enterprise-wide efforts to harness data analytics and AI to drive innovation across care delivery and administrative functions. He also will oversee a diverse team of professionals spanning advanced analytics, research, infrastructure, governance, data science and business intelligence. This inaugural role will also create collaborations with varying leaders across the broader Cedars-Sinai Health System to foster a data-driven culture, manage the life cycle of analytics and AI solutions, and enhance data and AI governance and policy to align with the health system’s strategic goals. Most recently, Odeh served as vice president of Analytics at Inova Health System in Fairfax, Virginia, where he was responsible for leading the analytics operating model to drive clinical and business transformation with strategic impact. Under his leadership, Inova became the first health system in the U.S. to achieve The Joint Commission's Responsible Use of Health Data Certification, recognizing ethical and transparent practices in data use. Previously, Odeh served as vice president of Enterprise Analytics and the chief data scientist at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, where he established enterprise functions to support strategic growth. Earlier in his career he held various leadership roles at Quest Diagnostics, including director of Health Information Ventures, where he launched innovative information startup businesses to develop and commercialize clinical informatics, population health and personalized medicine. His experience also includes roles in analytics, sales and marketing in various commercial firms. Odeh earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from McGill University and his master’s degree in economics from Georgetown University. “The responsible use of data and AI will not only improve patient care, but also accelerate clinical research, streamline operations and enhance the experiences of our patients and healthcare teams,” Odeh said. “Cedars-Sinai is a leader leveraging these technologies to transform healthcare, and I look forward to the lasting impact our work will have in advancing our mission to elevate the health status of the communities we serve.” Read More From the Cedars-Sinai Blog: What You Should Know About AI in MedicinePrincipal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Costamare Inc. ( NYSE:CMRE – Free Report ) by 34.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 59,177 shares of the shipping company’s stock after acquiring an additional 15,092 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Costamare were worth $930,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of CMRE. Unison Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Costamare by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Unison Advisors LLC now owns 82,707 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,359,000 after purchasing an additional 854 shares in the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Costamare by 1.3% in the second quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 74,571 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,225,000 after buying an additional 990 shares during the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its position in Costamare by 7.6% during the third quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 14,262 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $224,000 after acquiring an additional 1,012 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its stake in Costamare by 53.6% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,302 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $71,000 after acquiring an additional 1,502 shares during the last quarter. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC grew its position in Costamare by 1,700.0% in the third quarter. nVerses Capital LLC now owns 1,800 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,700 shares in the last quarter. 58.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Costamare Price Performance Shares of NYSE:CMRE opened at $14.29 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.68 billion, a PE ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. Costamare Inc. has a 1-year low of $9.16 and a 1-year high of $17.58. The business’s 50 day moving average is $14.37 and its 200-day moving average is $14.61. Costamare Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 21st were paid a $0.115 dividend. This represents a $0.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.22%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, October 21st. Costamare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.28%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Costamare from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $13.00 price target on shares of Costamare in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Read Our Latest Stock Report on CMRE Costamare Company Profile ( Free Report ) Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CMRE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costamare Inc. ( NYSE:CMRE – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Costamare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Costamare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are the defending champions in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Shreyas Iyer-led KKR defeated the Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the grand finale in Chennai. Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, KKR appointed legendary West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo as their new mentor. Ahead of the IPL 2025 edition, the Kolkata Knight Riders welcomed legendary West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo as their new mentor after Gautam Gambhir left the franchise as a mentor to become the India national cricket team head coach. Earlier, the Kolkata-based franchise won two IPL titles under the captaincy of Gambhir. IPL 2025 Mega Auction Day 1 Live Updates . In the IPL 2024 auction, Kolkata signed Australian star pacer Mitchell Starc for a whopping INR 24.75, making him the most expensive overseas player to be bought in an IPL auction. However, they didn't retain him ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. In a shocking move, KKR didn't retain their title-winning skipper, Shreyas Iyer. KKR Players Bought at IPL 2025 Auction: Venkatesh Iyer (23.75 Crore INR). KKR Players Retained Ahead of IPL 2025 Auction: Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh KKR Previous Season Recap: The Shreyas Iyer-led side had a brilliant outing last season. The franchise won the IPL trophy. In the group stage, KKR finished at the top of the standings with nine victories from 14 matches. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 24, 2024 07:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com ).
:Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday, pressured by a large surprise build in U.S. gasoline stocks and worries about U.S. interest rate cuts next year, but prices drew support from concerns about supply eased after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. Brent crude futures settled 2 cents higher at $72.83 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude slipped 5 cents to $68.72. U.S. gasoline stocks rose by 3.3 million barrels in the week to 212.2 million barrels, the Energy Information Administration said, counter to analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a draw of 46,000 barrels. Crude stocks fell by 1.8 million barrels in the week ended Nov. 22, the EIA added, far exceeding analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a draw of 605,000 barrels. Market sources, citing the American Petroleum Institute, had said on Tuesday that oil inventories fell by 5.94 million barrels and fuel inventories rose last week. "It is surprising to see gasoline inventories building so much and implied demand not really budging week-on-week, given expected record travel this Thanksgiving," said Matt Smith, an analyst at Kpler. Oil prices also were dented by U.S. data showing progress on lowering inflation appears to have stalled in recent months, which could narrow the scope for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in 2025. Traders added to bets the U.S. central bank will lower borrowing costs by 25 basis points at its Dec. 17-18 meeting, according to CME Group's FedWatch tool. However, they anticipate the Fed will leave rates unchanged at its meetings in January and March. Slower-than-expected rate cuts would keep the cost of borrowing elevated, which could slow economic activity and dampen demand for oil. Both oil benchmarks settled lower on Tuesday after Israel agreed to a ceasefire deal with Lebanon's Hezbollah group, effective Wednesday after both sides accepted the agreement brokered by the U.S. and France. The ceasefire started on Wednesday. "The real question will be for how long it (the ceasefire) will truly be honoured," said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial. Oil gained support after sources from the OPEC+ group, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, said it is discussing a further delay to the oil output increase set for January. The group, which produces about half of the world's oil, had aimed to gradually ease production cuts through 2024 and 2025, but weaker global demand and rising output outside OPEC+ have cast doubt on that plan. The decision will be made at a Dec. 1 meeting. The heads of commodities research at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley said oil prices are undervalued, citing a market deficit and risk to Iranian supply from possible sanctions when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Sources also told Reuters on Tuesday that crude oil would not be exempt from the 25 per cent tariffs that Trump has threatened to impose on all products coming into the U.S. from Mexico and Canada. Oil industry analysts and traders warned the move would likely raise oil prices for U.S. refiners, squeezing margins and driving up the cost of fuel.
Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, who was aggressive in his oversight of cryptocurrencies and other financial markets, will step down from his post on Jan. 20. Gensler pushed changes that he said protected investors, but the industry and many Republicans bristled at what they saw as overreach. President-elect Donald Trump had promised during his campaign that he would remove Gensler. But Gensler on Thursday announced that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated. Bitcoin has jumped 40% since Trump’s victory. It hit new highs Thursday and was nearing $100,000. Bitcoin moved notably higher still after Gensler's resignation was announced. Gensler's stance on the rise of cryptocurrencies was captured during a speech he gave during the first year of his chairmanship in 2021 where he described the market as “the Wild West.” “This asset class is rife with fraud, scams, and abuse in certain applications,” he said in a speech at the Aspen Security Forum. “There’s a great deal of hype and spin about how crypto assets work. In many cases, investors aren’t able to get rigorous, balanced, and complete information.” Under Gensler, the SEC brought actions against players in the crypto industry for fraud , wash trading and other violations, including as recently as last month when the commission brought fraud charges against three companies purporting to be market makers, along with nine individuals for trying to manipulate various crypto markets. Yet access to cryptocurrencies became more widespread under Gensler. In January, the SEC approved exchange-traded funds that track the spot price of bitcoin. With such ETFs, investors could get easier access to bitcoin without the huge overlays required to buy it directly. Gensler, however, acknowledged the SEC had denied earlier, similar applications for such ETFs, including Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, among the first to eventually be approved by the SEC. “Circumstances, however, have changed,” Gensler said, pointing to a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that said the SEC failed to adequately explain its reasoning in rejecting Grayscale’s proposal. Even there, Gensler made sure not to endorse the merits of bitcoin. He pointed to how ETFs that hold precious metals are tracking prices of things that have “consumer and industrial users, while in contrast bitcoin is primarily a speculative, volatile asset that’s also used for illicit activity including ransomware, money laundering, sanction evasion, and terrorist financing.” Gensler was tested early in his tenure with the rise of the meme stock phenomenon that shocked the financial system in early 2021. Earlier this year, the SEC under Gensler pushed Wall Street to speed up how long it takes for trades of stocks to settle, one of the areas where the commission’s staff recommended changes following the reckoning created by GameStop , one of the first meme stocks. In the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, hordes of smaller-pocketed and novice investors suddenly piled into the stock of the struggling video-game retailer. During the height of the frenzy, several brokerages barred customers from buying GameStop after the clearinghouse that settles their trades demanded more cash to cover the increased risk created by its highly volatile price. In May 2024, new rules meant broker-dealers have to fully settle their trades within one business day of the trade date, down from the previous two. Critics of the SEC under Gensler have called many of the agency's proposals overly burdensome. The investment industry, for example, is pushing against a proposal to force some advisers and companies disclose more about their environmental, social and governance practices, otherwise known as ESG. Critics say the proposal is overly complex and increases the risk of investor confusion, while imposing unnecessary burdens and costs on funds. On Thursday, Gensler stood by the SEC's track record under his direction. “The staff and the Commission are deeply mission-driven, focused on protecting investors, facilitating capital formation, and ensuring that the markets work for investors and issuers alike," Gensler said in prepared remarks. “The staff comprises true public servants." Gensler previously served as Chair of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, leading the Obama Administration’s reform of the $400 trillion swaps market. He also was senior advisor to U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes in writing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) and was undersecretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance and assistant secretary of the Treasury from 1997-2001.