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'I'm trying not to lose hope': Irish man's parents stuck in Aleppo amid uprising
By SARAH PARVINI, GARANCE BURKE and JESSE BEDAYN, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. While immigration officials have used the tech for years, an October letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by The Associated Press details how those tools — some of them powered by AI — help make life-altering decisions for immigrants, including whether they should be detained or surveilled. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency’s supervision. The letter, sent by DHS Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen to the immigrant rights group Just Futures Law, revealed that the score calculates the potential risk that an immigrant — with a pending case — will fail to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The algorithm relies on several factors, he said, including an immigrant’s number of violations and length of time in the program, and whether the person has a travel document. Hysen wrote that ICE officers consider the score, among other information, when making decisions about an immigrant’s case. “The Hurricane Score does not make decisions on detention, deportation, or surveillance; instead, it is used to inform human decision-making,” Hysen wrote. Also included in the government’s tool kit is a mobile app called SmartLINK that uses facial matching and can track an immigrant’s specific location. Nearly 200,000 people without legal status who are in removal proceedings are enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, under which certain immigrants can live in the U.S. while their immigration cases are pending. In exchange, SmartLINK and GPS trackers used by ICE rigorously surveil them and their movements. The phone application draws on facial matching technology and geolocation data, which has been used before to find and arrest those using the app. Just Futures Law wrote to Hysen earlier this year, questioning the fairness of using an algorithm to assess whether someone is a flight risk and raising concerns over how much data SmartLINK collects. Such AI systems, which score or screen people, are used widely but remain largely unregulated even though some have been found to discriminate on race, gender or other protected traits. DHS said in an email that it is committed to ensuring that its use of AI is transparent and safeguards privacy and civil rights while avoiding biases. The agency said it is working to implement the Biden administration’s requirements on using AI , but Hysen said in his letter that security officials may waive those requirements for certain uses. Trump has publicly vowed to repeal Biden’s AI policy when he returns to the White House in January. “DHS uses AI to assist our personnel in their work, but DHS does not use the outputs of AI systems as the sole basis for any law enforcement action or denial of benefits,” a spokesperson for DHS told the AP. Trump has not revealed how he plans to carry out his promised deportation of an estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally. Although he has proposed invoking wartime powers, as well as military involvement, the plan would face major logistical challenges — such as where to keep those who have been detained and how to find people spread across the country — that AI-powered surveillance tools could potentially address. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, did not answer questions about how they plan to use DHS’ tech, but said in a statement that “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation” in American history. Over 100 civil society groups sent a letter on Friday urging the Office of Management and Budget to require DHS to comply with the Biden administration’s guidelines. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Just Futures Law’s executive director, Paromita Shah, said if immigrants are scored as flight risks, they are more likely to remain in detention, “limiting their ability to prepare a defense in their case in immigration court, which is already difficult enough as it is.” SmartLINK, part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, is run by BI Inc., a subsidiary of the private prison company The GEO Group. The GEO Group also contracts with ICE to run detention centers. ICE is tight-lipped about how it uses SmartLINK’s location feature to find and arrest immigrants. Still, public records show that during Trump’s first term in 2018, Manassas, Virginia-based employees of BI Inc. relayed immigrants’ GPS locations to federal authorities, who then arrested over 40 people. In a report last year to address privacy issues and concerns, DHS said that the mobile app includes security features that “prohibit access to information on the participant’s mobile device, with the exception of location data points when the app is open.” But the report notes that there remains a risk that data collected from people “may be misused for unauthorized persistent monitoring.” Such information could also be stored in other ICE and DHS databases and used for other DHS mission purposes, the report said. On investor calls earlier this month, private prison companies were clear-eyed about the opportunities ahead. The GEO Group’s executive chairman George Christopher Zoley said that he expects the incoming Trump administration to “take a much more aggressive approach regarding border security as well as interior enforcement and to request additional funding from Congress to achieve these goals.” “In GEO’s ISAP program, we can scale up from the present 182,500 participants to several hundreds of thousands, or even millions of participants,” Zoley said. That same day, the head of another private prison company told investors he would be watching closely to see how the new administration may change immigrant monitoring programs. “It’s an opportunity for multiple vendors to engage ICE about the program going forward and think about creative and innovative solutions to not only get better outcomes, but also scale up the program as necessary,” Damon Hininger, CEO of the private prison company CoreCivic Inc. said on an earnings call. GEO did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, CoreCivic said that it has played “a valued but limited role in America’s immigration system” for both Democrats and Republicans for over 40 years.The US tech giant said it now supported 550,000 jobs in the UK through direct employment, its supply chain and the economy around its App Store – with app developers having earned nearly £9 billion since it launched in 2008. Apple said its engineering teams were carrying out critical work on the firm’s biggest services, including key technology within Apple Intelligence, the iPhone maker’s suite of generative AI-powered tools which are expected to launch in the UK for the first time this week. Elsewhere, the firm said its growing TV empire, spearheaded by its Apple TV+ streaming service and production arm, had also helped boost its investment in the UK with Apple TV+ production in this country tripling in the last two years, the company said. Chief executive Tim Cook said: “We’ve been serving customers in the UK for more than 40 years, and we’re proud of our deep connection with communities across this country. “We’re thrilled to be growing our Apple teams here, and to keep supporting the extraordinary innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs who are pushing the boundaries of technology in so many ways.” The Chancellor Rachel Reeves said companies such as Apple were “intrinsic” to the UK’s prosperity by boosting jobs. “This government is laser focused on creating the right conditions for growth to help put more money in people’s pockets. “That’s what underpins the Plan for Change and is what has driven £63 billion worth of inward investment in the UK through our first international investment summit. “Companies like Apple are intrinsic to the success of our nation’s prosperity – helping deliver jobs, innovative technology, and boost infrastructure.”
Canada's privacy commissioner says LinkedIn has paused training its artificial intelligence models on data from Canadian users. Philippe Dufresne says his office was informed of the pause by the tech platform, which he had reached out to after media reports suggested LinkedIn was training AI models with data from Canadian users it had not informed of the practice first. Dufresne says he has requested information from LinkedIn about the company’s training practices as well as how it obtains consent from its members. He says LinkedIn believed it had taken a "privacy protective" approach to training its AI models but will now work to ensure it has met the requirements of privacy laws before restarting the practice. Dufresne says even when personal information is publicly accessible, it is subject to privacy laws and must be adequately protected. LinkedIn suspended using U.K. user data to train its artificial intelligence models in September, after Britain's information commissioner raised similar concerns. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024. Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
Here is an interesting passage from a letter from Scott Bessent via his hedge fund in January of this year: With tariffs, corporate tax cuts and deficits there are tradeoffs that work against his aims for GDP growth, fiscal improvement and stock market gains. One way he could have it all -- at least in dollar-denominated terms -- is by working to weaken the currency. Broad dollar weakness would be useful but so would something more-targeted against the yuan and the yen, if possible. That sort of outcome might also allow China to claim a 'win' in avoiding US tariffs. Given these are comments from the incoming Treasury Secretary, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss them. Bretton Woods III isn't anyone's base case but the conditions are right.
Don't Forget About Holiday Poisoning Pitfalls“He’s the king of the Cover-0 blitz,” Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said Wednesday afternoon. The variety of blitzes and fronts the Vikings show can be overwhelming for experienced quarterbacks, and it showed up on the first snap of the game last season when the Vikings visited Soldier Field. They rushed six defenders and D.J. Wonnum went unblocked off the edge, tattooing Justin Fields from behind for a sack. As the Bears plot ways to build off the offensive showing they had in the 20-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers, they have to find ways to continue to run the ball effectively. The Vikings bring the league’s No. 1-ranked run defense to town. Thomas Brown, who took over as offensive coordinator last week, pledged that everything starts up front, and he remained true to his word. The Bears ran the ball effectively against the Packers with 179 yards. They are 3-2 in games in which they rushed for more than 100 yards, with the two losses both coming on the game’s final play — versus the Packers and Oct. 27 against the Washington Commanders . They’re 1-4 in games they failed to reach 100 yards. It’s an overly simplistic way to chart a path to victory for the Bears on Sunday, but they must run the ball well enough to stay ahead of the chains and remain balanced so Williams has a chance. The Vikings are allowing only 74.4 rushing yards per game and have been even more stingy recently. Over the last three games, opponents have totaled only 157 yards rushing on 56 carries (2.8 average). “They’ve got some really underrated dudes on their defense,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “Some guys who I think are playing the best in the league right now and don’t get the credit for it. (Outside linebacker) Andrew Van Ginkel looks really good. Number 0 (inside linebacker Ivan Pace Jr.) looks really shifty but will come and hit you. They’ve got some good players. “They’re physical and they bring so many different looks. There is going to be a lot on us up front to make sure we ID things correctly, get it communicated right so we can get the run game going.” With D’Andre Swift nursing a minor groin injury — he missed practice Wednesday — the Bears are going to have their hands full, although it sounds like he could be good by Sunday. As coach Matt Eberflus stated, the Vikings lead the league in forcing opponents into second-and-long situations and they’re No. 4 in the league on first down, allowing 4.68 yards per play; the Bears offense is fourth-worst, averaging 4.57 yards. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Second-and-long is no way to make a living against the Vikings, who are tied for third in the NFL with 35 sacks and have three outside linebackers with seven or more — Van Ginkel with eight and Pat Jones and Jonathan Greenard with seven each. “Staying committed to the run game, I think that’s an important piece to it,” Eberflus said. So the Bears, as best they can, have been preparing for the variety of looks and pressures, both versus the pass and run, as they’ve gotten into game-planning. “Just defining it and keeping it really tight,” Eberflus said. “Not too many things but things that are effective. The answers have to be defined and they’ve got to be simple and they’ve got to be correct to be able to find the space that you need to in the pass game and in the run game.” Everything started with the running game against the Packers, and the Bears stayed on the field (season-high 56.3% conversion rate on third down). All seven possessions were seven plays or more. In comparison, the offense has had six games with four or fewer possessions of seven plays. “We were able to get in our rhythm,” center Coleman Shelton said. “You run the ball and it kind of opens everything up after that. We want to build off it and keep the offense going.” It’s going to be a challenge of wills. The Bears have been both very good and very poor running the ball, and the Vikings are going to set out to put Williams in clear passing situations. “They fit up the run well, they run blitz a lot, guys flying through gaps, they create a lot of confusion up front in the run game with assignments,” said a pro scout who has studied the Vikings this season. “The fronts never look the same. They’ll walk (safety) Harrison Smith up. He’s not as fast anymore but he’s still making tackles. Camryn Bynum, the other safety, is an interchangeable guy that can roll down into the box and tackle. The corners tackle on the perimeter. “They’re very disciplined versus the run and give you a lot of different looks that creates confusion. It’s not just the same front every time. Those are easy to practice for during the week when they’re static. We know what we’re going to get and this is how we’re going to run power, this is how we’re going to run zone. All of a sudden you’ve got a safety and/or a linebacker standing up in the A-gap. Flores does a lot to mess with basic run-game rules in terms of ‘we’re double-teaming the three-technique and climbing to the linebacker.’ Well, what if he’s not even there? They tackle. We don’t talk about that enough. The defenses that are good against the run, since the beginning of the league, they tackle.” So the Bears are going to try to ensure they have their bases covered knowing that if they can handle pressures, there will be plays to be made. “If you’re able to hit the answers, you can hit some big plays,” Kmet said. “There is definitely stuff out there.”
Packers rule out LB Edgerrin Cooper, CB Jaire Alexander vs. 49ers | Week 12 Injury Report - Packers.comKimberly-Clark Offers Comfort With 58 Straight Years Of Dividend Growth
Is Jeff Bezos not marrying Lauren Sánchez in a $600 million ceremony this week?
F1 closer to approving expanded grid for GM entryAnalysis: After Juan Soto's megadeal, could MLB see a $1 billion contract? Probably not soonWAITROSE has finally revealed who stole the dessert in its star-studded "whodunnit"-style Christmas advert. The upmarket retailer has released the final instalment in its two-part series centring around a mystery theft of a festive pudding . The clip sees the ensemble cast from the first advert returning, including Matthew Macfadyen of " Succession ", comedian Joe Wilkinson from "Afterlife" and Rakhee Thakrar of " Sex Education ". Sian Clifford from " Fleabag ", Dustin Demri-Burns of "Slow Horses" and Eryl Maynard of "Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple" are also back. In the first part , the star-studded cast were left stunned after finding out a Waitrose desert had gone missing. The ad ends with self-appointed detective of the crime scene revealing that he had solved the mystery. READ MORE IN MONEY The second one-minute clips picks up right where the first left off, with Macfayden working to establish a motive, switching back to moments on Christmas Day when the guilty party could have gotten their hands on the dessert. We then see the detective working out how someone could pull off such a delicious crime before revealing that Steve (Dustin Demri-Burns) hid the dessert in the gingerbread house under everyone's noses. He is then caught in the act in the family garden shed enjoying the first bite. Once unveiled, the film ends with the whole family digging into the delicious dessert. Most read in Money The first advert has amassed over 150million views across social, TV and digital channels, with viewers flocking to social media to guess who the culprit was. If you haven't seen the first part of the advert, you can watch it below. A poll by Waitrose found that Fig the Cat was the top suspect, with Steve - the real villain - the least suspected. Nathan Ansell, customer director at Waitrose, said: "The last few weeks have been filled with suspicion, guessing and alibis. "I can’t wait for everyone to find out who did it." While Dustin Demri-Burns, who plays food lover Steve said: "I can fully empathise with Steve and his pud-thieving ways. "The pressure of making Christmas wonderful can get to us all - sometimes we just want to eat our pudding in the shed and that’s ok." The ad, which was created by advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, will air tonight during Channel 4 's Great British Bake Off and ITV 's I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here . For viewers wanting a slice of the action, The No.1 Red Velvet Dessert at the heart of the mystery will be available in Waitrose stores from December 19. But if you can't wait until then, it is available preorder now through the supermarket's website for £20. Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping. Limit the amount of presents - buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb. Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you're not having to buy multiple presents. Plan ahead - if you've got the stamina and budget, it's worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales. Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you're not forking out more than you should though. Buy in Boxing Day sales - some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25. Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent. Shop via outlet stores - you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts. They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor. What are other retailers doing? John Lewis' highly anticipated Christmas advert - called The Gifting Hour - follows a woman's last-minute dash to find a gift for her sister. Sainsbury's has unveiled its festive ad for 2024 , featuring iconic Roald Dahl character the BFG. Meanwhile, Morrisons' Christmas ad has singing oven gloves taking centre stage. German discounter Aldi has teased a "super cute" ad, although shoppers have been left asking after Kevin the Carrot . The Debenhams campaign features an all-star cast - Elizabeth Hurley , Leomie Anderson, Ellie Taylor , and Hannah Cooper-Dommett - as they embrace the ease of online shopping. And the Argos Christmas ad stars the retailers' much-loved mascots, Connie the doll and Trevor the dinosaur. Retailers aren't just releasing Christmas ads this year either - some are shutting up shop for two days over the festive period. READ MORE SUN STORIES Home Bargains , Aldi and John Lewis and Waitrose have all said they will shut stores on December 25 and 26 to give staff time off. They've been joined by Poundland , The Range and Wilko and Homebase . Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk . Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
NoneKUWAIT: Kuwait Telecommunications Company – stc, a world-class digital leader providing innovative services and platforms to customers, enabling the digital transformation in Kuwait, announced its collaboration with the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy (MEW), which consists of launching an awareness-based social media posts highlighting the importance of conserving water and electricity. The initiative comes as part of stc’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and its role in supporting national initiatives that create a positive lasting impact on the community. The initiative aims to educate the public through informative posts published on social media platforms highlighting efficient practices for reducing energy consumption. The collaboration will focus on the importance of resource conservation by limiting energy usage and water consumption to promote efficiency, emphasizing the shared responsibility within the community to achieve long-term sustainability. Having organized a number of awareness and sustainability campaigns, stc aims to drive engagement and spread a wide impact through this collaboration alongside MEW. Commenting on the collaboration, Danah Al-Jasem, General Manager of Corporate Communications at stc, said: “As a pioneer and leader in digital communications, we believe that it is our duty to support national initiatives and spread key messages, through our digital channels, that aim to promote and instill a sustainable mindset that will serve the generations to come. Conserving electricity and water requires collective efforts, and through this campaign, we aim to raise awareness and encourage individuals and organizations to adopt efficient resource management practices. Our collaboration strongly aligns with the key objectives defined under our 2024 Sustainability Program.” Al-Jasem added: “At stc, our sustainability and comprehensive corporate social responsibility frameworks are at the core of our corporate strategy, with a strong emphasis on impacting the communities we serve in a positive and effective way. Having said that, we are dedicated to implementing sustainable programs & initiatives that can an impact both internally within the organization and externally while creating long-term value for society. Our collaborations with entities within the public and private sectors aim to further broaden our reach and contribute to driving positive change for the community as a whole.” Ahmed Al-Jafira, Director of the Public Relations and Citizen Service Department at MEW, said: “Conserving electricity and water extends beyond being an economic necessity, but a national duty that contributes to protecting our natural resources and the environment for future generations. We are witnessing today unnecessary consumption rates of such resources that are impacting the community, and we believe that raising awareness on such issues is essential and critical. Our collaboration with stc aims to provide citizens and residents with tips on how to reduce consumption, while sharing valuable information related to effective sustainable practices. Through cooperation and commitment, we can implement these practices and secure the needs of tomorrow.”