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#fc188 Wayne Rooney encourages I’m A Celeb viewers to vote for Coleen to do a trial

Hear this! Transforming health care with speech-to-text technology November 21, 2024 Acoustical Society of America Researchers study the importance of enunciation when using speech-to-text software in medical situations. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email Speech-to-text programs are becoming more popular for everyday tasks like hands-free dictation, helping people who are visually impaired, and transcribing speech for those who are hard of hearing. These tools have many uses, and researcher Bożena Kostek from Gdańsk University of Technology is exploring how STT can be better used in the medical field. By studying how clear speech affects STT accuracy, she hopes to improve its usefulness for health care professionals. "Automating note-taking for patient data is crucial for doctors and radiologists, as it gives the doctors more face-to-face time with patients and allows for better data collection," Kostek says. Kostek also explains the challenges they face in this work. "STT models often struggle with medical terms, especially in Polish, since many have been trained mainly on English. Also, most resources focus on simple language, not specialized medical vocabulary. Noisy hospital environments make it even harder, as health care providers may not speak clearly due to stress or distractions." To tackle these issues, a detailed audio dataset was created with Polish medical terms spoken by doctors and specialists in areas like cardiology and pulmonology. This dataset was analyzed using an Automatic Speech Recognition model, technology that converts speech into text, for transcription. Several metrics, such as Word Error Rate and Character Error Rate, were used to evaluate the quality of the speech recognition. This analysis helps understand how speech clarity and style affect the accuracy of STT. Kostek will present this data Thursday, Nov. 21, at 3:25 p.m. ET as part of the virtual 187th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, running Nov. 18-22, 2024. "Medical jargon can be tricky, especially with abbreviations that differ across specialties. This is an even more difficult task when we refer to realistic hospital situations in which the room is not acoustically prepared." Kostek said. Currently, the focus is on Polish, but there are plans to expand the research to other languages, like Czech. Collaborations are being established with the University Hospital in Brno to develop medical term resources, aiming to enhance the use of STT technology in health care. "Even though artificial intelligence is helpful in many situations, many problems should be investigated analytically rather than holistically, focusing on breaking a whole picture into individual parts." Story Source: Materials provided by Acoustical Society of America . Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Cite This Page :

Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina KhanTwo famous late fortune tellers predicted chaos for 2025. Vangeliya Pandeva Gushterova, better known as Baba Vanga, was a blind Bulgarian mystic and healer who claimed to foresee the future and accurately predicted major events including 9/11 . She was born in 1911 and died in 1996. Additionally, 16th-century French astrologer Nostradamus warned of “cruel wars” and an “apocalypse” next year. Baba Vanga's chilling 'great war' prediction could mean WW3 is just months awa 'Devastating' war in Europe next year predicted by Nostradamus and Baba Vanga Both believe anarchy will define 2025 and that Europe will be an epicenter. Notably, the predictions line up with a rare astrological event that occurred at the end of 2024 when the transformation planet Pluto moved into Aquarius. Astrologers predict that the next two decades will be defined by social upheaval and technological advancement as a result of the major astrological shift. Nostradamus, whose real name was Michel de Nostredame, accurately predicted many historical events in his book, Les Propheties, released more than 450 years ago. He prophesized the rise of Adolf Hitler, the shooting of President John F. Kennedy, the start of the Covid pandemic and 2022's cost of living crisis. Using astrology, he warned that "those from the lands of Europe" would find themselves involved in "cruel wars" in 2025. DON'T MISS... Blind psychic's 2023 prediction may have just come true Blind mystic Baba Vanga's terrifying nuclear disaster prediction for 2023 Singer Gloria Estefan claims she has psychic abilities Similarly, the blind mystic Baba Vanga similarly predicted a global apocalypse in 2025. She believed the conflict would erupt on mainland Europe and that a new war would break out between two countries that would have global ramifications.( ) on Thursday reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street targets. HPE stock climbed amid strong revenue growth from artificial intelligence systems, mainly data center servers processing AI workloads. The maker of computer servers, networking equipment and data storage systems reported earnings after the market close. For the October quarter, HPE earnings rose 12% to 58 cents on an adjusted basis. Revenue rose 15% to $8.5 billion, the company said. Analysts expected HPE earnings of 56 cents a share on sales of $8.25 billion. Fiscal Q4 revenue from AI servers came in at $1.5 billion, up 16% from the previous quarter, vs. $900 million in fiscal Q3 and $400 million in the April quarter. Competition has heated up with ( ) in AI servers. For the current quarter ending in January, the company forecast adjusted EPS in a range of 47 cents to 52 cents, versus estimates of 49 cents. HPE said it expects revenue growth in the "mid-teens." On the , HPE stock rose more than 1% to 22.04 in extended trading. Shares were up 28% in 2024 prior to the HPE earnings report. Heading into the HPE earnings report, the tech stock had a Relative Strength Rating of 76 out of a best-possible 99, according to . HPE Stock: Juniper Closing Near? In early 2024, HPE agreed to buy Sunnyvale, Calif.-based ( ) for $14 billion in cash. The purchase is expected to close soon. HPE expects the deal to be earnings and free-cash-flow accretive in the first year post-close. However, HPE added significant debt to finance the transaction. Morgan Stanley analyst Meta Marshall on Thursday upgraded HPE stock to over-weight prior to the earnings report release. "With the close of the pending Juniper acquisition seemingly near, we think upwards of 40% to 50% of the pro-forma earnings power being driven by networking can help shares rerate to a (higher) multiple," he said in a report. "Combined with Juniper coming out of an inventory digestion and having new cloud customers, we are biased to think that there is more upside to Juniper's numbers in the near term vs. downside."

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Andrew Ferguson as the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission . He will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars’ worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior . Ferguson is already one of the FTC’s five commissioners, which is currently made up of three Democrats and two Republicans. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Related Articles National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television National Politics | What will happen to Social Security under Trump’s tax plan? National Politics | Republican-led states are rolling out plans that could aid Trump’s mass deportation effort The replacement of Khan likely means that the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new chair is expected to appoint new directors of the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions. “These changes likely will make the FTC more favorable to business than it has been in recent years, though the extent to which is to be determined,” wrote Anthony DiResta, a consumer protection attorney at Holland & Knight, in a recent analysis . Deals that were blocked by the Biden administration could find new life with Trump in command. For example, the new leadership could be more open to a proposed merger between the country’s two biggest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons, which forged a $24.6 billion deal to combine in 2022. Two judges halted the merger Tuesday night. The FTC had filed a lawsuit in federal court earlier this year to block the merger, claiming the deal would eliminate competition, leading to higher prices and lower wages for workers. The two companies say a merger would help them lower prices and compete against bigger rivals like Walmart. One of the judges said the FTC had shown it was likely to prevail in the administrative hearing. Yet given the widespread public concern over high grocery prices, the Trump administration may not fully abandon the FTC’s efforts to block the deal, some experts have said. And the FTC may continue to scrutinize Big Tech firms for any anticompetitive behavior. Many Republican politicians have accused firms such as Meta of censoring conservative views, and some officials in Trump’s orbit, most notably Vice President-elect JD Vance, have previously expressed support for Khan’s scrutiny of Big Tech firms. In addition to Fergson, Trump also announced Tuesday that he had selected Jacob Helberg as the next undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.By MICHELLE L. PRICE NEW YORK (AP) — Chad Chronister, Donald Trump’s pick to run the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Tuesday he was withdrawing his name from consideration, becoming the second person selected by the president-elect to bow out quickly after being nominated for a position requiring Senate confirmation. Sheriff Chronister, the top law enforcement officer in Hillsborough County, Florida, said in a post on X that he was backing away from the opportunity, which he called “the honor of a lifetime.” “Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister wrote. He did not elaborate, and Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Chronister follows former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz , Trump’s first pick to serve as attorney general, in withdrawing his name for a post in the administration. Gaetz withdrew following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. Trump’s pick of Chronister for the DEA job drew backlash from conservatives, who raised concerns over his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and his saying that his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities.” In March 2020, Chronister arrested the pastor of a megachurch who held services with hundreds of people and violated a safer-at-home order in place aimed at limiting the spread of the Covid virus. “Shame on this pastor, their legal staff and the leaders of this staff for forcing us to do our job. That’s not what we wanted to do during a declared state of emergency,” Chronister said at the time. “We are hopeful that this will be a wakeup call.” U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky, was among those airing public complaints, saying Chronister should be “disqualified” for the arrest. Others flagged comments Chronister made in a video about Florida’s immigration laws that he released in 2023 that circulated again online after Trump named him last weekend. Related Articles National Politics | Trump team signs agreement to allow Justice to conduct background checks on nominees, staff National Politics | President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urge judge to toss his hush money conviction National Politics | Democrats stick with Schumer as leader, their strategy for countering Trump is far less certain National Politics | Trump vows to block Japanese steelmaker from buying US Steel, pledges tax incentives and tariffs National Politics | Democrats’ outgoing chair says Trump’s win forces party to reassess how it reaches voters In the video, Chronister praised the “rich diversity” of his community and called it “a place where people from all walks of life come together.” He said it was important to note his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities. We do not target individuals based on their immigration status. That’s the authority of federal agencies.” Trump has made a sweeping crackdown on immigration a central focus of his campaign and his aims for his coming administration. Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida contributed to this report.It’s World Cup weekend at Beaver Creek which is an amazing opportunity to see a fast-paced sport that is watched all over the world in person and for free. If you don’t know the difference between a super-G and a giant slalom, however, here’s a primer on what you need to know going into race weekend. First of all, when you say World Cup, people may think you are talking about soccer, but this is the ski racing at its finest — the White Circus as it is affectionately called throughout the season by racers, coaches, ski technicians and those who track the sport. The official name of this event is the Stifel Birds of Prey Audi FIS World Cup, with the FIS standing for the International Federation of Skiing, the highest governing body of the races. Birds of Prey is the name of the course that’s on the Golden Eagle trail in the Talons area of Beaver Creek. Beaver Creek will host three races this weekend, the downhill on Friday at 11 a.m., the super-G on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and the giant slalom on Sunday with the first race at 10 a.m. followed by a second run at 1 p.m. that will consist of the top 30 racers who advanced to the second run based on their race times during the first run. The downhill and the super-G are speed events while the giant slalom is a technical event. Speed events are classified as having longer distances, higher speeds and fewer gates than the technical events. World Cup ski races are timed events — the clock doesn’t lie, and the first one to the bottom wins. The Birds of Prey course was built in the summer of 1997 in order to host the World Alpine Ski Championships in 1999, which is an international event held every other year on odd-numbered years that names the top skiers in six events. The course was designed by Bernhard Russi of Switzerland. Russi was a ski racer who later took his expertise and designed downhill race courses around the world. Interestingly enough, Denver had been picked to host the 1976 Winter Olympic Games and Beaver Creek would host the alpine ski racing events. The citizens of Colorado, however, voted down hosting in 1972 because many thought it would lead to too much development. Denver became the only city in the history of the modern Olympic era to win the Games and then give them up. The Birds of Prey course is noted by ski racers and coaches as being not only extremely physically challenging but also mentally demanding. After coming off of the relatively flat Flyway section at the top, it’s game on. Stacked terrain, jumps and fast turns await, and in a little over a minute and a half, the racers are at the finish line. Different areas of the course have been named after American ski racers who have dominated on one of the only stops on American soil. Ligety’s Legacy is named after Ted Ligety, Miller’s Revenge is named after Bode Miller and Rahlves Roll is named after Daron Rahlves. Rahlves became the first American to win at the Birds of Prey downhill in 2003. The top of the downhill course, the longest of the three races this weekend, stands at 11,424 feet above sea level and the finish elevation is 8,954, making for a vertical drop of 2,470 feet over a distance of 8,303 feet. A course map can be found at BCWorldCup.com if you want to see the different sections and learn the stats for the super-G and giant slalom. The surface of the course is rock-hard. The course crew works tirelessly to keep the course in pristine condition from the first racer to the last each day. The Talons Crew is a dedicated group of course workers, many of them volunteers, and their efforts are always praised by the ski racers both domestic and foreign. The course is actually injected with water, so think of an ice rink — except it’s at a steep angle. The Golden Eagle Run will be closed to the public for a while after the races. Other ski teams may come to train here and it takes a while to return it to civilian use, but if you get a chance to ski or snowboard from the top of Birds of Prey (No. 9) to the bottom of Talons once it is back open, go for it, and keep track of your time and see how you measure up against Daron Rahlves and Bode Miller. Park at the Elk or Bear lots in Avon by the Beaver Creek entrance ($13 per day or free after 1 p.m.) and then take the free shuttle bus up to Beaver Creek Village and then hop on another free shuttle bus that will take you from Beaver Creek Village to Red Tail Stadium. Once the bus drops you off at the race venue, you will need to climb several stairs and walk on snow, so wear appropriate footwear. Allow about an hour to get from your parked car to Red Tail Stadium and go early to avoid lines on the buses. This is a very popular event. Once you get up there, the music will be pumping and a very funny emcee named Uncle E will entertain you with fun facts, interviews, trivia and prize giveaways. Drinks and concessions are available for purchase. Due to the abundant snowfall and the hard work of the crews at Beaver Creek, ski-in, ski-out access is available this year. Bring your Epic Pass or purchase a lift ticket and board the Centennial Express (No. 6) and then follow the signs to the venue. Skiers and snowboarders will have access to the course via the slopes from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. each race day and can exit the venue by either taking the Birds of Prey (No. 9) lift between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. or by skiing and snowboarding down the Dally run to the Beaver Creek Village base area. Beaver Creek’s atmosphere is electrified this weekend as a multitude of vendor booths with all sorts of giveaways and product samples will be handed out. There is also a full schedule of bands and DJs filling the village with music after the races are done. Autograph signings will happen throughout the weekend as well, with the Men’s U.S. Ski Team doing a signing at 3 p.m. at Gorsuch and Ted Ligety signing his name at Kjus at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, River Radamus will be at the Celsius booth signing autographs at 4 p.m. Fun fact about Radamus, who grew up in the Vail Valley and trained with Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, he had posters on his wall of Ted Ligety up until he was named to the same team as Ligety before Mr. GS retired in 2021. So, you never know which of the kids at the autograph signings will become the next stars of the sport. At the Vilar Performing Arts Center, check out “75,” the latest installment of the Warren Miller franchise which commemorates 75 years of filmmaking at 5 and 8 p.m. on Friday. Also on Friday, stick around for the bib draw at 6 p.m. where the bib numbers the racers pick will determine the order they descend down the hill on Saturday. Fireworks will close out the bib Draw at 6:30 p.m. After the races on Saturday, the big highlight of the afternoon in the village will be the Beers of Prey at 2 p.m., featuring samples of plenty of Colorado beers and from locations beyond. This is a ticketed event, and prices go up to $45 the day of the beer tasting. For more historical information, results from past years, statistics of the course, racers to watch and entertainment lineup, go to BCWorldCup.com .

Chad Chronister, Donald Trump’s pick to run the DEA, withdraws name from consideration

NoneWomen of a certain age? They're a major force: Gregg Wallace's jibe shows grave ignorance, says ALEX BRUMMER By ALEX BRUMMER Updated: 17:10 EST, 5 December 2024 e-mail View comments Gregg Wallace's jibe at middle-class women of a certain age will not be forgotten, despite the MasterChef presenter’s efforts to row back. Aside from the offence caused, it shows a profound ignorance by a celebratory TV host who drools over sweet desserts and over-seasoned lamb dishes, but doesn’t understand what is going on outside kitchen walls. Among those women he dismisses so easily are some of the most powerful people in the world, who make an enormous contribution to well-being, prosperity and growth. The rise and rise of women – yes many middle-class and of a certain age – in the command and control structure of the global economy is a terrific 21st-century phenomena. Institutions once dominated by grey-haired, dark-suited male bureaucrats in wire spectacles are being made over by smart women. But it should also be recognised that it is not wholly typical, as evidenced by a lowly number of just nine FTSE 100 women bosses. Power trio: US treasury secretary Janet Yellen, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and ECB president Christine Lagarde Since July 5, we have all become familiar with bob-haired Rachel Reeves, who has acquired her middle-class status by dent of hard political graft. She may be too young to be part of Wallace’s construct of a ‘certain age’. But as Britain’s first female Chancellor in 700 years, as she reminded the nation in her debut Budget, Reeves is part of an impressive cohort that makes and will continue to make a growing contribution to our affluence. They all will be capable of sourcing the best ingredients and affording the gourmet restaurants graced by MasterChef professionals. Reeves is not alone among the women at the commanding heights of the British economy. Clare Lombardelli is deputy to Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey. It is her job to put together and sign off the monetary policy report used by rate-setters to determine the cost of your mortgage. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next A firm ringing the changes: Vodafone has changed the... Bitcoin tipped to rocket to $120,000 early next year after... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account Lombardelli was parachuted into the Bank from the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, where as chief economist she had a big say in the economic and fiscal policies governing every Western nation. Not far from these shores in Frankfurt sits the imperious and elegant president of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde. The silver-haired former French finance minister and one-time managing director of the International Monetary Fund is in charge of the borrowing costs and financial stability of the 20 nations that make up the eurozone. These include the three dominant EU economies of Germany, France and Italy. She determines the interest rates for a group that stretches from Finland on the borders of Russia to Spain on the Atlantic coast. If you think this stretches well beyond the chopping board and whisk, then consider the role of Bulgarian-born economist Kristalina Georgieva. As the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, she has a say over the economic, financial and (say it quietly) political affairs of 191 countries. These range from giants, such as the US and China, to Liechtenstein a new member. The Fund is a think-tank, a forecasting organisation and a lender called into action when economies get into difficulty. It recently has been helping to repair the indebted and destabilised Sri Lankan economy with a £2.3billion bailout and is at work across most of Africa. Georgieva affected our lives here in the UK two years ago when she used the IMF’s annual meetings to give former prime minister Liz Truss, another woman of a certain age, a dressing down over her unaudited tax-cutting Budget. This was among the factors that drove UK mortgage rates higher and caused mayhem on financial markets. Just along the road from the IMF, downtown Washington is home to Janet Yellen, the US treasury secretary. The Brooklyn-born economist is in her last days in office following the election of Donald Trump. Yellen, a hero to Reeves, is among the world’s most respected economic analysts. She previously served as chairman of the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, before being relieved of her duties by the last Trump government. She can be credited with delivering the fastest growth among the G7 rich nations in the Biden years. But the Democrats, like most Western governments, were punished at the polls for near-double digit inflation following the pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine. The change of the guard in Washington with Donald Trump taking the oath of office on January 20 will see his new chief of staff Susie Wiles as gatekeeper to the Oval Office. As significantly, Trump’s proposal to drive a coach and horses through globalisation, by imposing punishing tariffs on neighbours Canada and Mexico and China, will push the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation to centre stage. Its director general is former Nigerian finance minister and formidable World Bank official Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She has the task of policing global commerce and making sure Trump’s mercantilism doesn’t spin-out of control into a global trade war, with tit-for-tat restrictions, which could condemn the world economy to stagnation or even a 1930s-style recession. There will be those unreformed voices who see the women dominating economic policy, which is so important to all our standards of living, as tokenism. That’s what we have come to expect of Wallace and his ilk. Yet women tend to be less driven by ego and machismo than their male counterparts and more willing to listen, learn and negotiate. Several of the women of a certain age making it to the top of decision-making in global economics hail from humble beginnings, and have climbed the heights by dint of intellect, ambition, and judgment. We should wish them well. Our standards of living depend on it. 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That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence. More top storiesSeven must-watch movies to ring in the New Year

Permira’s Brian Ruder talks AI, Squarespace acquisition, and the value of co-leadershipNEW YORK -- NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution’s suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea “absurd.” The Manhattan district attorney's office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won't include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn't sentenced and his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined comment. It’s unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump’s request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution’s suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution’s suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the “ongoing threat” that he’ll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. “To be clear, President Trump will never deviate from the public interest in response to these thuggish tactics,” the defense lawyers wrote. “However, the threat itself is unconstitutional.” The prosecution’s suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they argued. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump has tabbed for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution’s novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump had died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to “fabricate” a solution “based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump" who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September “and a hypothetical dead defendant.” Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what’s already a unique case. “This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding,” prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn’t “precipitously discard” the “meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers.” Prosecutors acknowledged that “presidential immunity requires accommodation” during Trump’s impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury’s verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution . Other world leaders don’t enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza . Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records . Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. In their filing Friday, Trump’s lawyers citing a social media post in which Sen. John Fetterman used profane language to criticize Trump’s hush money prosecution. The Pennsylvania Democrat suggested that Trump deserved a pardon, comparing his case to that of President Joe Biden’s pardoned son Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. Trump’s hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases , which pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in all. Trump had been scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November. But following Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president’s sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump’s conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.

By Christopher Quinn, Ernie Suggs The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Former President Jimmy Carter, a man who redefined what a post-presidency could be, died Sunday. He was 100. Carter, who lived longer than any other U.S. president, entered home hospice care in Plains, Georgia in February 2023 after a series of short hospital stays. The only Georgian ever elected to the White House, Carter left office after a single term that was highlighted by forging peace between Israel and Egypt, but was overshadowed by the Iran hostage crisis. In the decades after, his reputation grew through his and wife Rosalynn Carter’s work at the Carter Center in Atlanta and his philanthropic causes such as Habitat for Humanity. “People will be celebrating Jimmy Carter for hundreds of years. His reputation is only going to grow,” Rice University history professor Douglas Brinkley wrote in his book “The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter.” James Earl Carter Jr. was born in Plains on Oct. 1, 1924, the first of four children of Earl Carter, a farmer and businessman, and Lillian Gordy Carter, a registered nurse. He gained an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduated and joined the Navy submarine branch where in seven years he worked his way into “Rickover’s boys,” the elite nascent unit of America’s nuclear submarine fleet championed by the iconic Admiral Hyman Rickover. Carter was on his way up until a death at home changed his destiny. His father Earl, a farmer, businessman and cornerstone personality in the Plains community, died from cancer. Carter left the Navy and its far-from-Plains postings such as Hawaii, and he, Rosalynn and their growing family returned to Georgia in 1953 to take over the family farming business. It was there he first ran for school board, then state senator. He was elected governor in 1970. Carter served one successful term before launching an improbable bid to become president, winning the Democratic nomination and then defeating Republican President Gerald Ford in November 1976. On his inauguration day, rather than driving past the crowds in an armored limousine, Jimmy and Rosalynn emerged from the car with daughter Amy at their side and walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, holding hands and waving. Carter’s successes included promoting human rights, adding to the national park and preserve system, reestablishing governmental credibility after the Watergate Crisis, and the Camp David Accords, which forged a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. They were overshadowed by trouble at home and abroad. At home, Carter and his advisers, most of them Washington outsiders, met resistance from his own party. Then, in November 1979, Iranian militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took hostages. He tried negotiation, then launched a bold rescue mission that never reached its target because of helicopter failure. He could not resolve the situation until the last day of his administration. At home, a foundering economy exacerbated by oil embargoes from Mideast countries and the rise of the Republican Party under Ronald Reagan helped lead to his defeat in November 1980. Carter returned to tiny Plains and used the power of an ex-president’s bully pulpit as the springboard to his last, and, some say, his best act. Carter began volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, a fairly new Americus-based organization, building houses for the poor. Then, together with Rosalynn, he founded the Atlanta-based Carter Center, which focused on making peace and spreading health and democracy around the world. It will carry the couple’s humanitarian and democratic work forward. From his work as president and as the leader of the Carter Center, he won the Nobel Prize, the United National Human Rights Prize and many other notable awards from countries, organizations and world leaders. The Carters both were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. ”Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter,” Clinton said, “have done more good things for more people in more places than any other couple on the face of the Earth.” Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter’s wife of 77 years, died in November 2023. They are survived by their children Amy, Chip, Jack and Jeff; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. 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SAN FRANCISCO — A former OpenAI researcher known for whistleblowing the blockbuster artificial intelligence company facing a swell of lawsuits over its business model has died, authorities confirmed this week. Suchir Balaji, 26, was found dead inside his Buchanan Street apartment on Nov. 26, San Francisco police and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said. Police had been called to the Lower Haight residence at about 1 p.m. that day, after receiving a call asking officers to check on his well-being, a police spokesperson said. The medical examiner’s office has not released his cause of death, but police officials this week said there is “currently, no evidence of foul play.” Information he held was expected to play a key part in lawsuits against the San Francisco-based company. Balaji’s death comes three months after he publicly accused OpenAI of violating U.S. copyright law while developing ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence program that has become a moneymaking sensation used by hundreds of millions of people across the world. Its public release in late 2022 spurred a torrent of lawsuits against OpenAI from authors, computer programmers and journalists, who say the company illegally stole their copyrighted material to train its program and elevate its value past $150 billion. The Mercury News and seven sister news outlets are among several newspapers, including the New York Times, to sue OpenAI in the past year. In an interview with the New York Times published Oct. 23, Balaji argued OpenAI was harming businesses and entrepreneurs whose data were used to train ChatGPT. “If you believe what I believe, you have to just leave the company,” he told the outlet, adding that “this is not a sustainable model for the internet ecosystem as a whole.” Balaji grew up in Cupertino before attending UC Berkeley to study computer science. It was then he became a believer in the potential benefits that artificial intelligence could offer society, including its ability to cure diseases and stop aging, the Times reported. “I thought we could invent some kind of scientist that could help solve them,” he told the newspaper. But his outlook began to sour in 2022, two years after joining OpenAI as a researcher. He grew particularly concerned about his assignment of gathering data from the internet for the company’s GPT-4 program, which analyzed text from nearly the entire internet to train its artificial intelligence program, the news outlet reported. The practice, he told the Times, ran afoul of the country’s “fair use” laws governing how people can use previously published work. In late October, he posted an analysis on his personal website arguing that point. No known factors “seem to weigh in favor of ChatGPT being a fair use of its training data,” Balaji wrote. “That being said, none of the arguments here are fundamentally specific to ChatGPT either, and similar arguments could be made for many generative AI products in a wide variety of domains.” Reached by this news agency, Balaji’s mother requested privacy while grieving the death of her son. In a Nov. 18 letter filed in federal court, attorneys for The New York Times named Balaji as someone who had “unique and relevant documents” that would support their case against OpenAI. He was among at least 12 people — many of them past or present OpenAI employees — the newspaper had named in court filings as having material helpful to their case, ahead of depositions. Generative artificial intelligence programs work by analyzing an immense amount of data from the internet and using it to answer prompts submitted by users, or to create text, images or videos. When OpenAI released its ChatGPT program in late 2022, it turbocharged an industry of companies seeking to write essays, make art and create computer code. Many of the most valuable companies in the world now work in the field of artificial intelligence, or manufacture the computer chips needed to run those programs. OpenAI’s own value nearly doubled in the past year. News outlets have argued that OpenAI and Microsoft — which is in business with OpenAI also also has been sued by The Mercury News — have plagiarized and stole its articles, undermining their business models. “Microsoft and OpenAI simply take the work product of reporters, journalists, editorial writers, editors and others who contribute to the work of local newspapers — all without any regard for the efforts, much less the legal rights, of those who create and publish the news on which local communities rely,” the newspapers’ lawsuit said. OpenAI has staunchly refuted those claims, stressing that all of its work remains legal under “fair use” laws. “We see immense potential for AI tools like ChatGPT to deepen publishers’ relationships with readers and enhance the news experience,” the company said when the lawsuit was filed. Jakob Rodgers is a senior breaking news reporter. Call, text or send him an encrypted message via Signal at 510-390-2351, or email him at jrodgers@bayareanewsgroup.com.Jimmy Carter dead: Former president dies at 100 after hospice care

Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling

Aircraft Cabin Lighting Market Research Insights : Uncovering CAGR and USD Growth Drivers, 2024-2033Jalon Moore led No. 12 Oklahoma with 22 points in an 89-67 home win against pesky Prairie View A&M in Norman on Sunday. Jeremiah Fears scored 19 points and Duke Miles added 17 for the Sooners, who are 13-0 for the fourth time in program history and the first time since the 1987-88 season. Tanahj Pettway led PVAMU with 22 points while Marcel Bryant added 14. Braelon Bush and Jordan Tillmon each chipped in 11 points for PVAMU (1-13) which played without leading scorer Nick Anderson (18.9 points per game). The Sooners finally pulled away from the determined Panthers with 5:20 left on a 10-3 run that started when Sam Goodwin tipped in a rebound and was capped by a Glenn Taylor Jr. rebound for an 80-63 lead. A Kobe Elvis 3-pointer capped a game-closing 9-0 Sooners run. Pettway connected on a 3-pointer from the wing that gave the Panthers a 5-2 lead. PVAMU hung tight on a Bryant jumper that tied the game at 7. Even though they were short-handed, the Panthers' largest first-half deficit was only 11. A Pettway layup and his steal in the full-court press that led to Bryant's turnaround jumper in the lane as the Panthers closed within 34-30. PVAMU's rally prompted an Oklahoma timeout after which Miles drilled a 3-pointer to kick off a half-closing 9-2 spurt for a 43-32 halftime lead. Braelon Bush's 3-pointer pulled the Panthers within 58-50 with 11:17 left in the game. It was the Panthers' 12th straight nonconference road game. PVAMU returns to its home court Saturday against Grambling. Oklahoma kicks off its first season in the SEC at No. 5 Alabama on Saturday. --Field Level Media

Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa told Al Arabiya TV on Sunday that elections could take four years, noted the importance of ties with Iran and Russia, and called for the United States to lift sanctions. In a wide-ranging interview three weeks after his Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied rebels ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad from power after a lightning offensive, Sharaa also said that local Kurdish-led forces which Turkey opposes should be integrated into the national army. "The election process could take four years," Sharaa told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya. "We need to rewrite the constitution" which could take "two or three years", added Sharaa. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, adopted in 2015, outlined a roadmap for a political transition in Syria that included drafting a new constitution and holding UN-supervised elections. Visiting UN special envoy Geir Pedersen this month said he hoped Syria would "adopt a new constitution... and that we will have free and fair elections" after a transitional period. Diplomats from the United States, Turkey, the European Union and Arab countries who met in Jordan this month also called for "an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government formed through a transparent process". An interim government has been appointed to steer the country until March 1. Sharaa expressed hope that the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump would lift sanctions imposed under Assad on the now war-torn and impoverished country. "The sanctions on Syria were issued based on the crimes that the regime committed," Sharaa said, adding that since Assad was gone, "these sanctions should be removed automatically". - Russia, Iran - Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), rooted in Syria's Al-Qaeda branch, is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by many governments including the United States, though it has recently sought to moderate its rhetoric and vowed to protect Syria's religious and ethnic minorities. Sharaa said HTS's dissolution would be announced "during the national dialogue conference", without specifying a date, and emphasising that the dialogue would include all Syrians. He also noted the importance of ties with Russia and Iran, both key allies of Assad, helping him claw back territory during 13 years of war before the rebels launched their offensive last month. "Syria cannot continue without relations with an important regional country like Iran, but they must be based on respect for the sovereignty of both countries and non-interference in the affairs of both countries," Sharaa said. Iran-backed groups including Lebanon's Hezbollah militants were heavily present in Syria under Assad, and Iran long provided what it described as military advisers to the Syrian armed forces. "Russia is an important country and is considered the second most powerful country in the world," Sharaa said, noting the "deep strategic interests between Russia and Syria". Assad fled to Russia as rebels closed in on Damascus, and uncertainty has shrouded the future of Moscow's naval base in Tartus and its Hmeimim air base, both on Syria's Mediterranean coast. - 'Investment' - "All Syria's arms are of Russian origin, and many power plants are managed by Russian experts... We do not want Russia to leave Syria in the way that some wish," Sharaa added. He also said local Kurdish-led forces which Turkey opposes should be integrated into the national army. Swathes of north and northeast Syria are controlled by a Kurdish-led administration whose de facto army, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), spearheaded the fight that helped defeat Islamic State group jihadists in Syria in 2019, with US backing. "Weapons must be in the hands of the state alone. Whoever is armed and qualified to join the defence ministry, we will welcome them," Sharaa said. "Under these terms and conditions, we will open a negotiations dialogue with the SDF... to perhaps find an appropriate solution," he added. Turkey accuses the main component of the SDF, the People's Protection Units (YPG), of being affiliated with the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) at home, which both Washington and Ankara consider a "terrorist" group. Sharaa also said regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia "will certainly have a large role in Syria's future", pointing to "a big investment opportunity for all neighbouring countries". bur/lg/itFollowing quality win, No. 19 Mississippi St. faces Bethune-Cookman

By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record and challenging Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television As Biden focused on his legacy with his term ending, he suggested Trump should keep the Democrats’ momentum going and ignore the policies of his allies. The president laid out favorable recent economic data but acknowledged his rare public regret that he had not been more self-promotional in advertising the financial support provided by his administration as the country emerged from the pandemic. “I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from Donald Trump,” Biden said at the Washington-based think tank. “He signed checks for people for 7,400 bucks ... and I didn’t. Stupid.” The decision by the former reality TV star and real estate developer to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris , who replaced him as the Democratic nominee , largely failed to convince the American public of the strength of the economy. The addition of 16 million jobs, funding for infrastructure, new factories and investments in renewable energy were not enough to overcome public exhaustion over inflation, which spiked in 2022 and left many households coping with elevated grocery, gasoline and housing costs. More than 6 in 10 voters in November’s election described the economy as “poor” or “not so good,” according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. Trump won nearly 7 in 10 of the voters who felt the economy was in bad shape, paving the way for a second term as president after his 2020 loss to Biden. Biden used his speech to argue that Trump was inheriting a strong economy that is the envy of the world. The inflation rate fell without a recession that many economists had viewed as inevitable, while the unemployment rate is a healthy 4.2% and applications to start new businesses are at record levels. Biden called the numbers under his watch “a new set of benchmarks to measure against the next four years.” “President-elect Trump is receiving the strongest economy in modern history,” said Biden, who warned that Trump’s planned tax cuts could lead to massive deficits or deep spending cuts. He also said that Trump’s promise of broad tariffs on foreign imports would be a mistake, part of a broader push Tuesday by the administration to warn against Trump’s threatened action. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also issued a word of caution about them at a summit of The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council. “I think the imposition of broad based tariffs, at least of the type that have been discussed, almost all economists agree this would raise prices on American consumers,” she said. Biden was also critical of Trump allies who have pushed Project 2025 , a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that calls for a complete overhaul of the federal government. Trump has disavowed participation in it, though parts were written by his allies and overlap with his stated views on economics, immigration, education policy and civil rights. “I pray to God the president-elect throws away Project 2025,” Biden said. “I think it would be an economic disaster.” Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina KhanMOREHEAD, 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

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