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‘I wanted them all to notice.” This is the title of a new report on protecting children from sexual abuse within the family , taken from an interview with a child who was sexually abused and failed by the agencies that should have protected them. The report by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (CSPRP) reviewed 136 cases of serious child sexual abuse from between 2018 and 2023, including the way in which children’s services responded. It sets out the horrific extent to which children are so often abandoned by the system and denied the safeguarding and support they desperately need. Child sexual abuse is far more common than many people realise. At least one in 10 children will be sexually abused before the age of 16, with survey data suggesting girls are three times as likely to experience it, and disabled children twice as likely as non-disabled children. In the cases reviewed by the panel, 98% of the abusers were men . But because of the shame and stigma that surrounds child sexual abuse it is less likely to be detected and acted upon than other forms of child abuse, and this has got worse over time. In 2022, just 3.6% of child protection plans were put in place because of a primary concern about sexual abuse. The abhorrent nature of the crime means that society rarely acknowledges its true prevalence; it’s more comforting to think of it as something rare, rather than recognising that all of us will unwittingly know men who sexually abuse children. Society is stuck in a toxic cycle: reacting with outrage every time a new scandal breaks, whether in religious institutions, in sports, in the NHS or in the media, but never making the changes needed to child protection to prevent it happening again. And when it comes to child sexual abuse within the family – one of the most common forms of child sexual abuse – it is more comfortable to pretend that it hardly ever happens. That pretence underpins how badly we fail these children. In this broader societal context, social workers, teachers, doctors and other professionals become too slow to respond to verbal disclosures of sexual abuse and too wary of recognising other signs in the common cases where children do not feel able to speak up. Cultures in social work have been profoundly affected by the Cleveland scandal in the late 1980s, after 121 children were taken into care as a result of concerns about sexual abuse. A public outcry and an inquiry followed, as a result of media and political questioning whether these children were really abused. Though the journalist Beatrix Campbell has uncovered documentation from the National Archives that indicates that most of these children were indeed sexually abused , the legacy of Cleveland and the perception that it was a scandal of state over-intervention continues to undermine timely action. The CSPRP report shows that the training that social workers and other professionals typically receive on child sexual abuse – despite the sensitivities and difficulties in this area of practice – is completely inadequate; it describes a “worrying evaporation” of skills and knowledge, and “a culture of fear and silence”. Assessing the risks that adults pose to children is too often left to badly under-resourced probation services. In more than a third of the cases the panel reviewed, the abusers were known to pose a risk of sexual harm. Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion The result of all this is a system that often fails to recognise when children are being sexually abused within family contexts, and does not know how to respond when it does. Practitioners are too reluctant to intervene and support children experiencing sexual abuse, and frequently and wrongly apply a criminal standard of proof for abuse as the threshold for triggering a safeguarding response. The report found a lack of understanding of grooming and coercive control among children’s professionals. Even where sexual abuse is identified, they are often unclear on what they can do to support a child and their family. Social workers do not do enough to address other risk factors, such as domestic abuse, that have an impact on mothers’ ability to protect their children from abusers. In the family courts, allegations of child sexual abuse are too often written off by judges who believe that it is rare; instead they are used as evidence that a mother is encouraging children to lie in order to undermine the other parent. The result is that, every day, children are left to suffer the most terrible harm in the family environment with very little intervention, if any at all. Many of the 136 children whose cases were reviewed had self-harmed, suffered eating disorders, were affected by PTSD, or had begun misusing substances or alcohol. Seven of them had killed themselves, 14 more had talked about taking or attempted to take their own lives. Children’s services are undoubtedly stretched but these devastating systemic failings are more a product of societal culture than resourcing. Given the stigma, it will take great political focus and will to address child sexual abuse – both in institutions and families – by creating a paradigm shift in the way children’s services recognise and respond to it. The alternative is to effectively shrug our shoulders at this terrible form of child abuse by continuing to indulge our adult discomfort in confronting it. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at observer.letters@observer.co.uk
Minns condemns ‘horrific humans’ following latest antisemitic attack in Sydney
A Windows zero-day security vulnerability under active exploit leads Microsoft's December 2024 Patch Tuesday security update, which hardly constitutes a sleigh of festive tidings for security admins: A stocking stuffed with 71 patches. The tech giant unwrapped CVEs in Windows and Windows Components, Office and Office Components, SharePoint Server, Hyper-V, Defender for Endpoint, and System Center Operations Manager. This year's holiday-season entry brings the total number of patches for the year to 1,020, Redmond's second-most voluminous year for fixes after 2020's 1,250. Out of this month's CVEs, 16 are rated as critical. The actively exploited bug is tracked as CVE-2024-49138 (CVSS 7.8), a moderate-severity flaw in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) Driver. “CLFS is a logging service that supports user and kernel-mode operations,” explained Henry Smith, senior security engineer at Automox, in an emailed analysis. "While the details are still limited, the root cause likely ties back to improper data validation. ... Early indicators suggest that attackers might exploit this bug by using Windows APIs to manipulate log files or corrupt log data, triggering the vulnerability." The potential impact is substantial, he added, given that an exploit leads to SYSTEM-level privileges on Windows Server. When paired with a remote code execution (RCE) bug, it's a perfect recipe for completely taking over a PC. Related: Microsoft NTLM Zero-Day to Remain Unpatched Until April Satnam Narang, senior staff research engineer at Tenable, noted via email that ransomware operators in particular have "developed a penchant for exploiting CLFS elevation-of-privilege flaws over the last few years." He noted, "unlike advanced persistent threat (APT) groups that typically focus on precision and patience, ransomware operators and affiliates are focused on the smash-and-grab tactics by any means necessary. By using elevation-of-privilege flaws like this one in CLFS, ransomware affiliates can move through a given network in order to steal and encrypt data and begin extorting their victims." The critical-severity CVE-2024-49112 (CVSS 9.8) is perhaps the most concerning CVE in this month's stocking of misery. It's an unauthenticated RCE issue in the Windows Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). According to Dustin Childs at the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), cyberattackers can exploit the bug to compromise Domain Controllers by sending a specially crafted set of LDAP calls. Related: Microsoft Expands Access to Windows Recall AI Feature "Code execution occurs at the level of the LDAP service, which is elevated, but not SYSTEM," Childs wrote in a blog post on Dec. 10 . "Microsoft provides some ... interesting mitigation advice. They recommend disconnecting Domain Controllers from the Internet. While that would stop this attack, I'm not sure how practical that would be for most enterprises. I recommend testing and deploying the patch quickly." Another critical RCE vulnerability to address quickly is CVE-2024-49117 (CVSS 8.8) in Windows Hyper-V. An exploit would allow someone on a guest virtual machine (VM) to execute code on the underlying host OS, or perform a cross-VM attack. "The good news here is that the attacker does need to be authenticated," Childs noted. "The bad news is that the attacker only requires basic authentication — nothing elevated. If you are running Hyper-V or have hosts on a Hyper-V server, you'll definitely want to get this patched quickly." A total of nine critical bugs affect Windows Remote Desktop Services, with one ( CVE-2024-49132 , CVSS 8.1) allowing RCE by exploiting a use-after-free memory condition. "The exploit requires precise timing, making it an advanced attack," Ryan Braunstein, security manager at Automox, said via email. "Specifically, if a user connects through the Remote Desktop Gateway role, an attacker could intentionally trigger the use-after-free scenario. Successfully exploited, this vulnerability can allow attackers to execute their code remotely, gaining control of the system." Related: Open Source Security Priorities Get a Reshuffle That means exploitation is on the difficult side, but Braunstein cautioned that "over time, it's likely that cyberattackers develop tools that simplify the attack process. Until then, there are no effective workarounds, making immediate patching your best chance to mitigate this risk." There are also eight other critical vulnerabilities that rate 8.1 on the CVSS scale in Remote Desktop Services, including five other UAF bugs ( CVE-2024-49115 , CVE-2024-49116 , CVE-2024-49108 , CVE-2024-49106 , and CVE-2024-49128 ); CVE-2024-49123 , which involves sensitive data storage in improperly locked memory; CVE-2024-49120 , an insecure default variable initialization flaw; and CVE-2024-49119 , arising from improper resource handling during RDP sessions. "These vulnerabilities underscore persistent issues in RDP components , including memory management, timing, and operational handling," said Mike Walters, president and co-founder of Action1, via email. “[With] varied root causes, [it shows that] attackers can exploit different facets of RDP services. Organizations should avoid exposing RDP services to the global Internet and implement robust security controls to mitigate risks. These flaws further prove the dangers of leaving RDP open and unprotected." Security experts also flagged two other bugs for security admins to add to their holiday checklists , including an EoP vulnerability in the Windows Resilient File System (ReFS). Resilient File System (ReFS) is a file system designed for enhanced scalability and fault tolerance for virtualization environments, databases, and backups. It offers data resilience, storage efficiency, and improved performance. " CVE-2024-49093 (CVSS 8.8) revolves around a scope change that allows an attacker to elevate privileges from a low-privilege app container environment," explained Seth Hoyt, senior security engineer at Automox, via email. "Normally, app containers are designed to limit a process's ability to access files, memory, and other resources. Exploiting this vulnerability enables attackers to escape those confines, gaining broader system-level access. This means they can interact with files, processes, and memory previously out of reach." From there, cyberattackers could move laterally across the environment, he added. The final lump of coal called out by researchers this month is an RCE vulnerability in Musik ( CVE-2024-49063 ), a research project on AI-created music. “We've been wondering what bugs in AI would look like, and so far, they look like deserialization vulnerabilities," ZDI's Childs said. "That's what we have here. An attacker could gain code execution by crafting a payload that executes upon deserialization. Neat." Tara Seals has 20+ years of experience as a journalist, analyst and editor in the cybersecurity, communications and technology space. Prior to Dark Reading, Tara was Editor in Chief at Threatpost, and prior to that, the North American news lead for Infosecurity Magazine. She also spent 13 years working for Informa (formerly Virgo Publishing), as executive editor and editor-in-chief at publications focused on both the service provider and the enterprise arenas. A Texas native, she holds a B.A. from Columbia University, lives in Western Massachusetts with her family and is on a never-ending quest for good Mexican food in the Northeast.A world within an islandSigning online petitions will not be enough if we want to stay the land of a fair go in 2025
Mumbai: Dharavi Sports Club Members Protest Mismanagement, Lack Of Facilities By Private Firm Despite Hefty FeesBrazil's ten-man Botafogo win Copa Libertadores
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NEW YORK , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with market evolution powered by AI - The global last mile delivery market size is estimated to grow by USD 60.82 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.12% during the forecast period. Growing global e-commerce industry is driving market growth, with a trend towards strong focus on technological advances. However, operational challenges for last mile delivery companies poses a challenge. Key market players include Accenture Plc, CMA CGM SA Group, Deutsche Bahn AG, Deutsche Post AG, DSV AS, FarEye Technologies Inc., FedEx Corp., FM LOGISTIC CORP, Honeywell International Inc., Infosys Ltd., J B Hunt Transport Services Inc., Kuehne Nagel Management AG, Mara Labs Inc., Nippon Express Holdings Inc., Royal Mail Plc, Schneider Electric SE, SNCF Group, United Parcel Service Inc., Werner Enterprises Inc., and XPO Inc.. Key insights into market evolution with AI-powered analysis. Explore trends, segmentation, and growth drivers- View Free Sample PDF Market Driver The Last Mile Delivery market is experiencing significant trends as consumer expectations shift towards real-time tracking, on-demand services, and better customer experience. Urban congestion and sustainability considerations are driving the need for logistics process improvements, including route optimization, technology insights, and the use of autonomous vehicles and drones. E-commerce growth and the rise of peer-to-peer marketplaces are increasing the demand for efficient last mile logistics, from distribution centers to the customer's doorstep. Brick-and-mortar retailers are also embracing omnichannel retailing and cloud kitchens, requiring seamless product delivery services. Companies are exploring various delivery options, from ground delivery vehicles and delivery robots like Scout, to shipping cost and shipping option considerations. The logistics market is evolving, with freight transportation companies and supply chain activities integrating warehousing, distribution, and fulfillment services to meet the needs of customers and retailers. Skilled workers, IT standards, and system integration are crucial for managing the complexities of last mile delivery, including the postal address system and expected delivery times. Transport costs, inventories, and financial costs are key areas of focus for companies looking to optimize their last mile delivery operations. Poor infrastructure and logistics costs remain challenges, but advancements in autonomous technology and non-autonomous technology are helping to address these issues. Overall, the last mile delivery market is a dynamic and evolving landscape, driven by consumer behavior, technology, and the ongoing growth of the e-commerce industry. The last mile delivery market is witnessing a significant shift with the increasing use of advanced technology for real-time tracking and package management. Consumers can now easily modify their retail deliveries through user-friendly online tools, ensuring greater transparency and control. However, handling large or high-value packages poses a challenge as they cannot be delivered outside homes. To address this issue, delivery providers offer web and mobile applications for managing the delivery schedules of such packages, enabling customers to collect them at their convenience. Request Sample of our comprehensive report now to stay ahead in the AI-driven market evolution! • Last Mile Delivery: Overcoming Challenges in E-commerce and Retail Last mile delivery refers to the final leg of a product's journey from a distribution center or retail store to the customer's doorstep. This critical phase presents several challenges for businesses, especially in the context of evolving consumer expectations and emerging technologies. Consumer expectations for real-time tracking, on-demand services, and quick delivery are on the rise. Urban congestion and sustainability considerations add complexity to last mile logistics. Companies must balance the use of autonomous vehicles, drones, and non-autonomous technology to optimize costs and improve customer experience. Brick-and-mortar retailers and e-commerce businesses face similar challenges in last mile delivery. Omnichannel retailing, cloud kitchens, and food delivery platforms require efficient route optimization and skilled workers to meet consumer demands. Technology insights, such as mobile applications, transportation hubs, and warehousing, play a crucial role in overcoming these challenges. However, poor infrastructure, logistics costs, and the postal address system can hinder progress. E-commerce industry growth, overseas market expansion, and trading activities add to the complexity of last mile delivery. Freight transportation companies and supply chain activities must adapt to meet the evolving needs of retailers and consumers. In conclusion, mastering last mile delivery is essential for businesses to remain competitive in today's market. By addressing challenges related to consumer behavior, technology, logistics costs, and infrastructure, companies can provide better delivery services and enhance the overall customer experience. • Last mile delivery operations present unique challenges for businesses, requiring transparency, efficiency, and profitability. While long-distance transportation costs are lower due to economies of scale, last mile delivery involves numerous individual deliveries within a region, leading to increased logistics costs. Major expenses include labor and fuel costs. Intense competition in the market is driven by pricing and delivery time, making cost reduction a priority for customers. Effective last mile delivery strategies focus on optimizing routes, leveraging technology, and collaborating with multiple delivery providers to minimize expenses and enhance customer satisfaction. Discover how AI is revolutionizing market trends- Get your access now! This last mile delivery market report extensively covers market segmentation by 1.1 B2C 1.2 B2B 2.1 FMCG 2.2 E-commerce 2.3 Retails 2.4 Others 3.1 APAC 3.2 North America 3.3 Europe 3.4 Middle East and Africa 3.5 South America 1.1 B2C- The last mile delivery market refers to the transportation of parcels and goods from transportation hubs to consumers' homes in a B2C context. This segment primarily deals with small and lightweight products, distinguishing it from B2B last mile delivery. With the in e-commerce sales, the significance of last mile delivery has escalated. For instance, US e-commerce sales as a percentage of total retail sales grew by 10% year-over-year from 2012 to 2021. However, the B2C last mile delivery sector poses challenges for operators due to the lack of large-volume deliveries and low-priced products, resulting in potentially low margins per delivery. Additionally, returns of goods may incur extra transportation costs. Despite these challenges, the global last mile delivery market has experienced growth in recent years, with the B2C segment leading the way. To cater to residential customers, last mile delivery services have introduced next-day, same-day delivery, and parcel return options. Real-time shipment tracking and package delivery status updates are also available to consumers. Major players in the market focus on improving the consumer experience through faster deliveries, easy returns, and data-driven strategies. DHL, for example, utilizes big data and real-time traffic information to optimize delivery routes for quicker deliveries, while others leverage historical consumer purchase data to dispatch forward inventory. These strategies enable lower fuel consumption and more efficient delivery routes, driving the growth of the B2C segment and the global last mile delivery market. Download a Sample of our comprehensive report today to discover how AI-driven innovations are reshaping competitive dynamics Last Mile Delivery Market: Bridging the Gap between Retailers and Customers Last Mile Delivery (LMD) refers to the final leg of the supply chain, delivering goods from a transportation hub or distribution center to the customer's doorstep. This critical phase of the logistics process faces unique challenges, including urban congestion, consumer expectations, and sustainability considerations. Consumer expectations for real-time tracking, on-demand services, and seamless experiences are shaping the LMD landscape. E-commerce and on-demand services are driving growth, with companies exploring various technologies such as autonomous vehicles, drones, and mobile applications to optimize routes and reduce costs. Urban congestion poses a significant challenge, with companies implementing route optimization and transportation hub strategies to mitigate delays. Sustainability considerations are also crucial, with companies focusing on reducing carbon emissions and adopting green logistics practices. Brick-and-mortar retailers and omnichannel retailers are leveraging cloud kitchens and food delivery platforms to streamline operations and meet customer demands. Peer-to-peer marketplaces and technology insights are disrupting traditional LMD models, while non-autonomous and autonomous technologies coexist to address various market needs. Company costs and shipping costs are critical factors influencing the LMD market, with companies constantly seeking innovative solutions to improve efficiency and reduce expenses. The LMD landscape is evolving rapidly, with a focus on enhancing the customer experience and ensuring timely, cost-effective, and sustainable delivery solutions. The Last Mile Delivery Market refers to the final leg of the supply chain, where products are transported from a distribution center or transportation hub to the customer's doorstep or retail store. Consumers expect fast, reliable, and cost-effective delivery, leading to the growth of on-demand services and real-time tracking. Urban congestion and sustainability considerations are driving the adoption of autonomous vehicles, drones, and non-autonomous technology like Scout delivery robots. The logistics process involves distribution centers, warehouses, and delivery vehicles, with route optimization and mobile applications streamlining the last mile delivery experience. E-commerce, food delivery platforms, and brick-and-mortar retailers are leveraging omnichannel retailing and cloud kitchens to meet customer demands. Technology insights, such as autonomous technology and IT standard system integration, are crucial for efficient last mile logistics. Company costs, shipping costs, and transport infrastructure are key factors influencing the market, with poor infrastructure and logistics costs posing challenges. The e-commerce industry's growth, expected delivery times, and shipping options are shaping consumer behavior and trading activities, both domestically and overseas. Freight transportation companies and supply chain activities play a vital role in the last mile delivery market, with fulfillment services and skilled workers ensuring seamless product delivery services. 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Service B2C B2B Application FMCG E-commerce Retails Others Geography APAC North America Europe Middle East And Africa South America 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE TechnavioGlobal stocks mostly fall ahead of ECB, US inflation data
Aidan O'Connell shows in loss to Chiefs that he is the Raiders' QB for the rest of season HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Aidan O'Connell might not be Mr. Right for the Raiders, but he is Mr. Right Now. Mark Anderson, The Associated Press Nov 30, 2024 2:37 PM Nov 30, 2024 3:05 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (12) calls a play at the line of scrimmage against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Aidan O'Connell might not be Mr. Right for the Raiders, but he is Mr. Right Now. He did enough in Friday's 19-17 loss at Kansas City to show that Las Vegas' quarterback job will be his for the rest of the season — barring, that is, another injury. O'Connell didn't look like a quarterback who hadn't played in nearly six weeks because of a broken thumb . Plus, the Raiders had a short week to prepare for the Chiefs, meaning O'Connell only went through a series of walk-through practices. Even so, he completed 23 of 35 passes for 340 yards, including touchdown passes of 33 yards to tight end Brock Bowers and 58 yards to wide receiver Tre Tucker. He didn't throw any interceptions. “Thought he competed,” coach Antonio Pierce said Saturday morning. “I thought for what we knew we were getting with Spags (Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) and that defense, that he stood in the pocket, made some tough throws, took some hits, took the shots down the field like we wanted. We had some opportunities to take shots down the field, he threw them. And I thought our skill guys did a hell of a job competing and making some really good plays for us.” O'Connell's performance would've shined even more if not for the Raiders' final offensive play. He led the Raiders from their 8-yard line to the Chiefs 32 with 15 seconds left. The plan was for O'Connell to take the snap and throw the ball away to run off a few more seconds, then send Daniel Carlson out for the potential winning field goal without giving Patrick Mahomes enough time to mount one of his signature comebacks. But rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson snapped the ball before O'Connell was expecting it, and the Chiefs recovered to secure another close, last-minute victory. The Raiders were called for illegal shift, which Kansas City declined. But there was some question about whether officials intended to call a false start instead. Though that infraction would have cost Las Vegas 5 yards, the pre-snap penalty still would've given Carlson a shot at the field goal. Pierce said his team heard an official's whistle before the snap, and that will be included in the Raiders' report to the NFL. “We do that every game,” Pierce said. “Typically, anywhere from three to five questions, and then we’ll get a letter within 24 to 36 hours, and we’ll read it and learn from it.” What’s working Bowers had another sensational game. He was targeted 14 times, catching 10 passes for 140 yards. For the season, he has 84 receptions for 884 yards and four TDs, making him a strong contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year. “We’re seeing double-teams and them really shifting their zone to him, and I don’t really think it matters,” Pierce said. “I think we've got a really special player on our hand.” What needs help The Raiders need to do better on first and second downs to set up more favorable third-down conversions. They have faced 47 third downs from 7 to 10 yards, tied with the Dallas Cowboys for fifth most. Las Vegas' conversion rate on those plays is 36.2%, which actually is favorable compared to the rest of the league, but the Raiders are still creating too many of those situations. Stock up Las Vegas made life difficult for Mahomes, sacking him five times. And it wasn't just Maxx Crosby bringing the heat. Four players had at least one-half sack, including K’Lavon Chaisson, who had 1 1/2. It was a season-high total for the Raiders, and they have taken down the opposing quarterback in 30 consecutive games, the third-longest active streak. Stock down Carlson is usually money, but he missed field goals from 56, 55 and 58 yards. Hardly chip shots, but he is capable of converting from those distances. He had made 30 of 38 field goals from 50-plus yards entering the game, with a career long of 57 yards. Injuries WR DJ Turner injured his knee in the second half. Key number 12 — The Raiders are one of three teams to fall behind double digits in each of their first 12 games of a season. The others were the 1986 Indianapolis Colts and 1972 New England Patriots. Next steps The Raiders visit Tampa Bay on Dec. 8. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Mark Anderson, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Chargers will be without top RB Dobbins and could lean on QB Herbert against Falcons Nov 30, 2024 1:44 PM Washington Commanders release 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes Nov 30, 2024 1:40 PM J.K. Dobbins and Alohi Gilman are placed on injured reserve by Chargers Nov 30, 2024 1:32 PM
The Overwatch 2 devs added a secret new feature in the game’s latest update that wasn’t included in the patch notes – and it’s something players have requested for a long time. Back in Overwatch 1, the game had three unique PvP story events . These events contained a special feature that allowed players to see the health and status effects of everyone on their team at the top of their screen. This allowed support players to instantly see how their teammates were doing HP-wise and assist them. When Overwatch 2’s PvE story content was released in Season 6, this feature returned, but it was refined. Instead of being at the top, the devs moved the team’s HP to the bottom left side. The PvE campaign was ultimately reportedly canceled due to poor sales , but the teammate feature was a hit... So much so that players instantly requested that it be repurposed for the main PvP portion of OW2. Now, after years of waiting for this mechanic to be added to PvP, players have finally got their wish. Sort of. Overwatch 2 finally adds long-request UI feature, but there’s a catch As spotted by OW Cavalry, the latest Quick Play: Hacked event dubbed ‘Kingmaker’ has introduced this PvE feature, and it’s available in the game’s options settings. Players can enable it by going to their settings and selecting ‘PVP Team Overlay.’ This lets users see teammates’ health and status effects right above their own health bar. Party Frames might be coming soon to #Overwatch2 👀 The latest Quick Play: Hacked introduces new UI for viewing teammates' health and status. This can be toggled in the settings under "PVP Team Overlay." Do you want to see this in the main game? 💭 pic.twitter.com/BSNscU6bh0 Fans were quickly in favor of the option, with many insisting that it would be an extremely helpful quality-of-life change for support players. Related: “I think it’s a great addition to the game and will help everyone in the team,” one said . Another chimed in : “Been wanting this since I started playing support, my situational awareness is not ready for a mute team bro.” “Would also be nice to have a bit of customization with size and opacity, but for now this would be awesome to have so I don’t have to look at Leaderboard as much to tell if we’ve got numbers,” someone else suggested. God, yes please. Would also be nice to have a bit of customization with size and opacity, but for now this would be awesome to have so I don't have to look at Leaderboard as much to tell if we've got numbers. Interestingly, this change wasn’t included in the Kingmaker patch notes . Instead, they simply explain that Kingmaker is a limited-time mode that caps a role at two players. However, the role that only has one player receives a bonus effect, such as reduced cooldowns or a health buff. We’ll have to see if Blizzard decides to make this a permanent feature once Season 14 launches on December 10 alongside the latest tank hero Hazard .A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied TikTok’s petition to overturn the law — which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — and rebuffed the company’s challenge of the statute, which it argued had ran afoul of the First Amendment. “The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States,” said the court’s opinion, which was written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg. “Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.” TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, though it’s unclear whether the court will take up the case. “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue,” TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people,” Hughes said. Unless stopped, he argued the statute “will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world on January 19th, 2025.” Though the case is squarely in the court system, it’s also possible the two companies might be thrown some sort of a lifeline by President-elect Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first term but said during the presidential campaign that he is now against such action. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was the culmination of a years-long saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China. “Today’s decision is an important step in blocking the Chinese government from weaponizing TikTok to collect sensitive information about millions of Americans, to covertly manipulate the content delivered to American audiences, and to undermine our national security,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Friday. The U.S. has said it’s concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Officials have also warned the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect — a concern mirrored by the European Union on Friday as it scrutinizes the video-sharing app’s role in the Romanian elections. TikTok, which sued the government over the law in May, has long denied it could be used by Beijing to spy on or manipulate Americans. Its attorneys have accurately pointed out that the U.S. hasn’t provided evidence to show that the company handed over user data to the Chinese government, or manipulated content for Beijing’s benefit in the U.S. They have also argued the law is predicated on future risks, which the Department of Justice has emphasized pointing in part to unspecified action it claims the two companies have taken in the past due to demands from the Chinese government. Friday’s ruling came after the appeals court panel, composed of two Republican and one Democrat appointed judges, heard oral arguments in September. In the hearing, which lasted more than two hours, the panel appeared to grapple with how TikTok’s foreign ownership affects its rights under the Constitution and how far the government could go to curtail potential influence from abroad on a foreign-owned platform. On Friday, all three of them denied TikTok’s petition. In the court’s ruling, Ginsburg, a Republican appointee, rejected TikTok’s main legal arguments against the law, including that the statute was an unlawful bill of attainder or a taking of property in violation of the Fifth Amendment. He also said the law did not violate the First Amendment because the government is not looking to “suppress content or require a certain mix of content” on TikTok. “Content on the platform could in principle remain unchanged after divestiture, and people in the United States would remain free to read and share as much PRC propaganda (or any other content) as they desire on TikTok or any other platform of their choosing,” Ginsburg wrote, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China. Judge Sri Srinivasan, the chief judge on the court, issued a concurring opinion. TikTok’s lawsuit was consolidated with a second legal challenge brought by several content creators – for which the company is covering legal costs – as well as a third one filed on behalf of conservative creators who work with a nonprofit called BASED Politics Inc. Other organizations, including the Knight First Amendment Institute, had also filed amicus briefs supporting TikTok. “This is a deeply misguided ruling that reads important First Amendment precedents too narrowly and gives the government sweeping power to restrict Americans’ access to information, ideas, and media from abroad,” said Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the organization. “We hope that the appeals court’s ruling won’t be the last word.” Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, lawmakers who had pushed for the legislation celebrated the court’s ruling. “I am optimistic that President Trump will facilitate an American takeover of TikTok to allow its continued use in the United States and I look forward to welcoming the app in America under new ownership,” said Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China. Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who co-authored the law, said “it’s time for ByteDance to accept” the law. To assuage concerns about the company’s owners, TikTok says it has invested more than $2 billion to bolster protections around U.S. user data. The company has also argued the government’s broader concerns could have been resolved in a draft agreement it provided the Biden administration more than two years ago during talks between the two sides. It has blamed the government for walking away from further negotiations on the agreement, which the Justice Department argues is insufficient. Attorneys for the two companies have claimed it’s impossible to divest the platform commercially and technologically. They also say any sale of TikTok without the coveted algorithm – the platform’s secret sauce that Chinese authorities would likely block under any divesture plan – would turn the U.S. version of TikTok into an island disconnected from other global content. Still, some investors, including Trump’s former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in purchasing the platform. Both men said earlier this year that they were launching a consortium to purchase TikTok’s U.S. business. This week, a spokesperson for McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative, which aims to protect online privacy, said unnamed participants in their bid have made informal commitments of more than $20 billion in capital.