Special counsel moves to abandon election interference and classified documents cases against Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors have moved to abandon two criminal cases against Donald Trump, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him for retaining classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. In court filings on Monday, the prosecutors cited longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president who firmly won election this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him. Israel launches new airstrikes on Lebanon as leaders draw closer to a ceasefire with Hezbollah BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli airstrikes are hitting Lebanon with airstrikes as negotiations progress toward a ceasefire between the country and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants. Lebanon reported that at least 12 people were killed Monday as explosions lit up the sky and airstrikes hit targets in Beirut and Tyre, a southern port city. After about a year of exchanging low-level attacks across the Israel-Lebanon border with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, Israeli troops launched a ground invasion of Lebanon in October. More than 3,700 people have been killed and 1.2 million displaced since. The fighting has amplified worries about direct conflict between Israel and Iran. International mediators are seeking to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to end the fighting. What's blocking a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah? BEIRUT (AP) — Diplomats and other officials say there have been several sticking points in ceasefire talks in the war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, even as conditions for an agreement appear to be ripe. Israel’s military has killed nearly all of the militant group’s top leaders. Tens of thousands of Israelis who were evacuated from the border months ago are pressuring their government to go home. And the world wants to stop regional conflict from spreading after more than a year of fighting. But there remain sticking points over how Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the border area will be monitored and whether Israel will have freedom to strike the militants. Thanksgiving Travel Latest: Airport strike, staff shortages and weather could impact holiday travel Airports and highways are expected to be jam-packed during Thanksgiving week, a holiday period likely to end with another record day for air travel in the United States. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday, most of them by car. However, travelers could be impacted by ongoing weather challenges and those flying to their destinations could be grounded by delays brought on by airline staffing shortages and an airport service workers strike. White Florida woman sentenced to 25 years in prison for shooting Black neighbor in lengthy dispute A white Florida woman who fatally shot a Black neighbor through her front door during an ongoing dispute has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for her manslaughter conviction. Susan Lorincz was sentenced Monday. The 60-year-old was convicted in August of killing 35-year-old Ajike “A.J.” Owens by firing a single shot from her .380-caliber handgun in June 2023. The shooting was the culmination of a long-running argument between the two neighbors over Owens’ children playing in a grassy area near both of their houses in Ocala. Lorincz told detectives that she feared for her life. Jurors did not agree with her self-defense claim. Judge in LA delays until January decision on resentencing Menendez brothers LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has delayed until January his decision on whether to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez for killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion 35 years ago. Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic said he needed time to review 17 boxes of documents. Still he let the brothers' aunts take the stand. They both testified on their behalf as the brothers seek to have their 1989 convictions reexamined in the shotgun murders of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez. They argued the convictions should be reexamined because of new evidence of sex abuse by the brothers' father. The brothers were sentenced to life without parole. Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to graphic cigarette warning labels WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court won’t hear a challenge to a federal requirement that cigarette packages and advertising include graphic images demonstrating the effects of smoking. The high court declined to hear the case in a brief written order handed down Monday. The warnings include pictures of smoke-damaged lungs and feet blackened by diminished blood flow. Nearly 120 countries around the world have already adopted graphic warning labels. It’s not clear when new labels might appear in the U.S., however. Some legal claims remain and the FDA has said it doesn’t plan to enforce any new requirements until December 2025. Russia reportedly captures a Briton fighting for Ukraine as Russian troops advance Reports say the Russian military has captured a Briton fighting with Ukrainian troops who have occupied part of Russia’s Kursk region. Russia also began launching daylight drone attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine and its ground forces accelerated gains along parts of the front line. Russian state news agency Tass says the captured fighter was in the British army for four years and then joined the International Legion of Ukraine, formed early on in the nearly 3-year-old war. On the battlefield, a think tank says Russian forces recently have gained ground at “a significantly quicker rate” than they did in the whole of last year. Judge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgender A judge has rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she’s transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship in Las Vegas this week. His order also upholds the seedings and pairings in the tournament. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. So you're gathering with relatives whose politics are different. Here are some tips for the holidays NEW YORK (AP) — There’s no place like home for the holidays. And that may not necessarily be a good thing. In the wake of the presidential election, the upcoming marking of Thanksgiving and the ramp-up of the holiday season could be a boon for some - a respite from the events of the larger world in the gathering of family and loved ones, hours and even days spent with people who have played the largest roles in our lives, another chapter in a lifetime of memories.For others, though, that same scenario, particularly because of the polarizing presidential campaign, is something to dread, with the likelihood of disagreements, harsh words and raised voices looming large.
Sports on TV for Wednesday, Dec. 11NoneWhile genAI has been a hot topic for the past couple of years, organizations have largely focused on experimentation. In 2025, that’s going to change. It’s the year organizations will move their AI initiatives into production and aim to achieve a return on investment (ROI). But first, they’ll need to overcome challenges around scale, governance, responsible AI, and use case prioritization. Here are five keys to addressing these issues for AI success in 2025. For organizations seeking productivity and innovation gains, a best practice is to prioritize use cases based on value, feasibility, and breadth. To determine value, ask yourself questions like: How strategic is this use case? Does it contribute to business outcomes such as revenue, sustainability, customer experience, or saving lives? To evaluate feasibility, ask: Do we have internal data and skills to support this? What are the associated risks and costs, including operational, reputational, and competitive? Finally, when evaluating scope or breadth, go broad when there’s competition for resources and narrow if there’s hesitation toward adoption. When thinking implementation, first consider how genAI can . Next, explore potential new workflows or processes that genAI can create to improve productivity, increase innovation, and/or provide competitive differentiation. For AI models to succeed, they must be fed high-quality data that’s accurate, up-to-date, secure, and complies with privacy regulations such as the Colorado Privacy Act, California Consumer Privacy Act, or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Adhering to these practices also helps build trust in data. That said, watch for data bias. Put robust governance and security practices in place to enable responsible, secure AI that can scale across the organization. Like any new technology, organizations typically need to upskill existing talent or work with trusted technology partners to continuously tune and integrate their AI foundation models. The same holds true for genAI. Organizations should create a cross-functional team comprised of people who are already building, managing and governing existing AI initiatives in order to lay the foundation for genAI and select the appropriate AI solutions or models. Driving genAI adoption requires organizations to incorporate it into company culture and processes. Change management creates alignment across the enterprise through implementation training and support. Find a change champion and get business users involved from the beginning to build, pilot, test, and evaluate models. Ask for input on challenges and needed efficiencies and provide credit for employee contributions. GenAI operations and business automation teams must look at value and complexity against cost to determine which use cases provide the highest return for their investment. The goal should be to use lower-cost automation technologies and low-code platforms when possible, and genAI as needed. When it comes to performance, the KPIs for business processes are the same with AI-enhanced improvements. Some of these include: greater efficiencies and productivity around process improvements, faster cycle times, higher customer satisfaction, and market share gains through innovation. Many organizations struggle to ensure successful AI and genAI implementations. That can be due to a lack of skillsets, concerns about risks or integration complexity, or identifying the right use case that will deliver ROI. Turn to experts for guidance and support. Ask how you can customize genAI to meet organization’s needs and ensure business value. For example, Argano works with companies across industries to design and deploy AI and genAI solutions that streamline operations, increase agility, and drive sustainable growth. Consultants can help you develop and execute a genAI strategy that will fuel your success into 2025 and beyond.
Gus Malzahn is leaving UCF to become Florida State's offensive coordinator, AP source saysCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA's two stuck astronauts just got their space mission extended again. That means they won't be back on Earth until spring — 10 months after rocketing into orbit on Boeing's Starliner capsule. NASA announced the latest delay in Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams' homecoming Tuesday. The two test pilots planned to be away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing's first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. Their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to send the company's problem-plagued Starliner capsule back empty in September. FILE - This image made from a NASA live stream shows NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore during a press conference from the International Space Station on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (NASA via AP, File) Now the pair won't return until the end of March or even April because of a delay in launching their replacements, according to NASA. A fresh crew needs to launch before Wilmore and Williams can return and the next mission was bumped more than a month, according to the space agency. NASA's next crew of four was supposed to launch in February, followed by Wilmore and Williams' return home by the end of that month alongside two other astronauts. But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the new capsule for liftoff. That launch is now scheduled for no earlier than late March. NASA said it considered using a different SpaceX capsule to fly up the replacement crew in order to keep the flights on schedule. However, it decided the best option was to wait for the new capsule to transport the next crew. NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the space station for a smoother transition, according to officials. Most space station missions last six months, with a few reaching a full year. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, left, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, gives a thumbs up as they leave the Operations and Checkout Building on their way to Launch Complex 40 for a mission to the International Space Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla., (AP Photo/John Raoux) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, right, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov leave the Operations and Checkout building for a trip to the launch pad 40 Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) In this image from video provided by NASA, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, and astronaut Nick Hague travel inside a SpaceX capsule en route to the International Space Station after launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA via AP) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a crew of two lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Falcon 9's first stage booster returns to Landing Zone 1 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a crew of two lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, right, talks to his family members as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov looks on after leaving the Operations and Checkout building for a trip to the launch pad 40 Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Two astronauts are beginning a mission to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), has spearheaded a relentless crusade against oil thieves, revolutionizing Nigeria’s maritime security landscape. Since assuming office in June 2023, Admiral Ogalla has leveraged cutting-edge technology, strategic partnerships, and innovative tactics to combat maritime crimes, protect Nigeria’s economic interests, and ensure regional stability. The dynamic and seasoned navigator has embarked upon various instant reforms aimed at not just repositioning the Nigerian Navy but re-writing the narratives, especially with consolidation on the deployment of technology which will be aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime interests, promoting economic growth, and enhancing regional stability. The transformative blueprint was encapsulated in an ambitious, Nigeria’s Maritime Security and Blue Economy Comprehensive Strategy Agenda; namely, the Total Spectrum Maritime Strategy (TSMS), which is intended to tackle maritime crimes and promote economic growth, and involves the designation of Special Courts for Maritime Crimes, Advocacy Campaigns to enlist community support, and Socioeconomic Crime Prevention Strategies. Also, the TSMS will enhance naval capabilities through fleet renewal, operational readiness, and physical and social infrastructural development, with a premium on human capital development through personnel welfare and motivation, manpower training, and youth and sports development. This aims at maintaining and equipping a professionally competent and ethical naval force, capable of leveraging on all the elements of national powers to effectively defend Nigeria’s maritime area against all forms of threat to deliver the imperatives of national security. To accomplish the agenda, Ogalla engaged strategic stakeholders and other security agencies in a robust confidence-building, partnership and interagency relationship dialogue, drumming the necessity for shaping the security outcomes within Nigeria’s maritime domain and the littorals, including land-based engagements in fulfilment of national interest. This has led to synergy and intelligence sharing amongst various agencies such as NIMASA, NPA, NDLEA, NOSDRA, and NEMA, as well as many foreign bilateral meetings and talks with the American Chief of Naval Service, Operation (CNO), and also enhanced trust, confidence building, synergy and operational successes. The re-equipping of the Naval Shipyard Limited to construct and fabricate small boats, big vessels and other facilities of the Navy, has eliminated capital flight and encouraged the training and development of skilled manpower not just within the Navy but as a means of livelihood afterwards. To have firsthand knowledge of his officers and men, the CNS conducts frequent inspection and supervisory tours of the various Naval ships as part of his avowed commitment to the welfare of the personnel and also to have personal knowledge of their war readiness. The visit has been adjudged to greatly increase the morale of the officers and men, as well as a forum for a one-on-one with the CNS. An efficient and effective strategically pragmatic leader, the CNS deploys both men and materials in the most suitable manner such as to ensure economic utilization. The novel and innovative deployment of technology in combating oil thieves has led to landmark breakthroughs including, the deployment of drones and satellite images. For instance, the intense operation of Operation DELTA SANITY recorded the seizure of 95 wooden boats, the deactivation of 119 storage tank refining ovens, and the deactivation of 447 dugout pits. Other achievements include the deactivation of 120 illegal refining sites and the seizure of 13 fibre boats, the seizure of 9 vehicles and the arrest of 14 vessels and 74 criminal suspects, with the arrest of various vessels including; MT KALI, MT HABOUR SPIRIT, MT SAISNIL, MV TOKITO, MT VINILLARIS, and MT SWEET MIRI. These operations have also effective implications for climate change as they mitigate hazardous air pollution as well as curb sooth. The CNS’s deliberate human capacity development has led to a highly improved professional and well-motivated workforce, that is ethical and with the required competencies to defend the Country’s maritime space against threats of any kind. The Total Spectrum Strategy has led to the Zero Piracy Rating Status of Nigeria by the International Maritime Bureau. The Nigeria Navy through the Maritime Domain Awareness Capacity, has both ensured the compliance of its personnel to civility and also activated deterrent measures to curb negligence and unprofessional conduct of personnel as well as provide all year-round situation awareness of Nigeria’s maritime domain extending to the limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone. Through the use of its Maritime Domain Awareness Facilities, Drones and other technological tools, the Navy has enhanced early detection and swift response to incidences within the maritime environment. Instead of using responders which has proved to be costly both in terms of the responders’ psychology and otherwise, the introduction and integration of drones and AI, by the CNS has achieved tremendous benefits, in areas of surveillance, monitoring and rapid response. Presently, the deployment of technology has assisted in attaining real-time aerial surveillance. Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors can provide continuous aerial surveillance of pipelines, oil facilities, and surrounding areas, capturing real-time data and visual feeds. Drones can capture detailed images and videos, allowing for the identification of unauthorized activities, potential threats, and illegal taps on pipelines, all of these enhance rapid response. Also, Drones can be swiftly deployed to areas of interest, significantly reducing response times and allowing for immediate assessment of potential theft activities. In remote areas in particular, drones can access hard-to-reach or dangerous areas, providing critical information without exposing responders to potential risks. In the area of criminal detection, prevention and deterrence, with detection being the key reason for the deployment of the technology, early detection and deterrence can be easily and promptly achieved. Early detection, advanced sensors and AI algorithms are now effectively and efficiently used to detect anomalies such as leaks, illegal taps, and unauthorized movements along pipelines thereby preventing wastages and the dangers of scooping and its potential risk. Thermal imaging by drones equipped with thermal cameras is also used to identify heat signatures from illegal activities or equipment tampering, even in low visibility conditions such as nighttime or dense vegetation, this has become a potent tool for deterrence, while the physical visible presence of drones also acts as a deterrent to potential thieves, reducing the likelihood of thefts. While in flight, drones programmed to send automated alerts can automatically alert security personnel and local authorities upon detecting suspicious activities, enabling rapid intervention. It is necessary to note that the innovative mandatory deployment of the technology has led to an unprecedented high level of safety for all, ensuring personnel safety and minimizing the need for personnel to enter hazardous areas, significantly reducing the risk of injury or exposure to toxic substances and dangerous situations including armed attacks by oil thieves. Instead Naval personnel can now monitor and respond to incidents from a safe distance, enhancing overall safety and minimizing direct human involvement. All these leads also to overall cost efficiency, the strengthening of the operational capacity of the Navy and the enhancement of its capability to keep personnel abreast of global trends relating to evolving technological advancements in the maritime industry, as well as maintain a competitive edge during operations. Aside, the use of AI has greatly improved the Nigerian Navy’s decision-making processes, such as predicting the most fuel-efficient way to operate a vessel and has also affected the ship’s navigation system, radar operations or threat-detection systems to help operators process information faster. Part of the achievements of the automatic mode is that the CMS can detect a target and identify, classify and prioritize targets before deploying weapons, although people are involved in decisions about when and how to use weapons. Accordingly, harnessing AI and other technologies has helped the Nigerian Navy more effectively respond to a range of maritime threats such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU); drug smuggling; and piracy, eliminating the loss in revenue suffered annually by Nigeria of about $70 million to IUU fishing perpetrated by a host of foreign fleets, mostly Chinese. Aside from the use of drones and other technological tools, the use of the surveillance facility of the Nigerian Navy known as the FALCON Eye system for the security of the Nigerian Maritime space has also engendered economic prosperity. With the C4i system and the FALCON eye which are platforms that massively complement each other, there is effective intra-agency communication synergy and improved security of the maritime space devoid of security challenges, thereby boosting the courage of both local and foreign investors in the sector. The effective synchronization of the NIMASA C4i and the FALCON Eye of the Nigerian Navy has added to the strides of the FG in reaping the benefits of the blue economy. It is instructive to note that the FALCON eye system of the Nigerian Navy is a state-of-the-art surveillance facility that incorporates various sensors located along the nation’s enormous coastline, such as Radars, long-range Electro Optic Systems with thermal or night vision capability, Automatic Identification System receivers, Weather Stations and marine Very High-Frequency Radios for communication. The integration of these sensors into the Falcon Eye system generates a real-time situational awareness of the activities of vessels in the Nigerian maritime domain and some selected parts in the Gulf of Guinea. The device consists of over-the-horizon radars with a range of 200 miles, long-range electro-optical systems with a range of 30 miles, and automatic identification system (AIS) receivers. These are linked to three regional control centres and a network operations centre to provide real-time situational awareness of the country’s waters. As part of another landmark breakthrough, the CNS has also inaugurated an overarching control facility at Naval Headquarters in Abuja. The Command-and-Control Centre is filled with television screens on one wall, directly faced by at least a dozen individual workstations for monitoring the sensors. The Command-and-Control Centre is to enable the Nigerian Navy to generate a comprehensive intelligence picture of activities within the maritime environment. This will be further analyzed in appropriate cases, dispatching a Nigerian Navy ship for interdiction, investigation, and/or subsequent arrest of erring vessels. Falcon Eye had already facilitated the seizure of hundreds of tankers carrying stolen oil valued at USD10 billion and 1990 vessels engaged in illegal fishing, as well as 100 pirates and 5000 suspected smugglers. The CNS has achieved numerous exploits in the war against oil thieves. His deployment of technology to keep international thieves away from our territorial waters stands as a clear and eloquent testimony of his relentless effort to bring to an end the activities of oil thieves and criminal elements along the maritime corridor. The effective and collaborative utilization of the FALCON Eye has helped to record tremendous progress for the Nigerian Navy, and all these achievements for our country in less than no time. Adeh is a public affairs analyst based in Gbaramatu.As Alberta seeks to bolster trade with U.A.E., union alleges TFW recruitment