Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record. The Capitals updated Ovechkin’s status Thursday after he was evaluated by team doctors upon returning from a three-game trip. The 39-year-old broke the leg in a shin-on-shin collision Monday night with Utah's Jack McBain, and some of his closest teammates knew it was not good news even before Ovechkin was listed as week to week and placed on injured reserve. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Labour MP for Cardiff West, Alex Barros-Curtis, said warnings should have been “amber or red”, as Mr Reed told MPs that more flooding is “likely”. Hundreds of homes were left under water, roads were turned into rivers and winds of more than 80mph were recorded across parts of the UK. More than 130 flood warnings and 160 alerts remained in place across the UK on Monday. In the Commons on Monday, Mr Barros-Curtis asked: “Can I ask that the Secretary of State speak to his Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) colleagues to carefully look into the role of the Met Office here? “It is clear that their response was slow and that there was a clear underestimation of the impact of Storm Bert. “They put it yellow rather than amber or red. Our constituents have been let down by this incompetence before, and it cannot keep happening.” Mr Reed said: “In most parts of the countries that were affected, warnings were given with adequate time for people to prepare and I would encourage people to sign up on the Defra website, or the Environment Agency website for warnings and alerts if they live in an area that could be affected by flooding. “I’m aware of the particular concern that he mentions regarding the Met Office, and I will indeed be speaking to colleagues in DSIT as they review the circumstances of that and look at how the situation can be improved for future events of this kind.” A Met Office spokesperson said: “Storm Bert was well forecast, with first signs of disruptive weather signalled a week ahead and the first warnings issued on Wednesday November 20. “A number of warnings were in place ahead of the system reaching the UK. “We work closely with partners to assess the potential risks of extreme weather and warnings covering Wales highlighted the potential for homes and businesses to flood with fast flowing or deep floodwater possible, causing a danger to life. “Observed rainfall totals were broadly in line with the forecast and the severe weather warnings issued in advance.” During his update to the House, the Environment Secretary said that more flooding this week is “likely” but its impact “should be less severe” than has been seen. He said: “Around 28,000 properties are being protected by Environment Agency flood defences. “Unfortunately, an estimated 107 properties have flooded across England, principally from river and surface water flooding.” He added: “The Environment Agency and local responders have also been busy protecting properties elsewhere in England, including flooding from the River Teme in Tenbury Wells where around 40 properties have flooded. “The river has now peaked and local responders will be focusing on the lower reaches of rivers over the next few days.” He further stated: “Further flooding is sadly likely over the next few days as water levels rise in slower flowing rivers such as the Severn and the Ouse. “The Environment Agency anticipates that any impacts should be less severe than we have seen in recent days.” Mr Reed also described the flood defences they inherited from the previous government as being “in the worst condition on record following years of underinvestment”. He added: “Over 3,000 of our key flood defences are below an acceptable standard. “That is why we are investing £2.4 billion over the next two years to build and maintain flood defences.” Elsewhere in the session, Labour MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, was among the MPs to call for a legal duty on fire services to respond to flooding. She said: “I want to express my solidarity and thanks to all of our emergency services, including firefighters on the front line. “Extreme weather events are on the rise and becoming ever more frequent due to climate change, highlighting the urgent need for proper funding and resources. “England is the only part of the UK without a statutory duty for flooding, leaving fire services underfunded and under-resourced to respond effectively. This must change, as the FBU (Fire Brigades Union) has long called for.” “When will the Government finally provide a statutory duty for Fire and Rescue authorities to respond to flooding incidents in England?” Mr Reed replied: “The fire and rescue authorities have the powers to intervene, but she’s quite right to point out there’s not a duty, and officials in my department, working with the Home Office, will review that to see that that remains appropriate.” Conservative MP for Mid Buckinghamshire Greg Smith said some communities in his constituency are flooding “for the first time in decades” as he accused the Government of wanting to “concrete over the countryside”. He said: “That is a result of some of the big infrastructure we are seeing being built, particularly HS2 where they will concrete over a field completely, it seems, unaware that that will have a knock-on effect to farmland next door. “So will the Secretary of State commit to working with the Transport Secretary (Louise Haigh) and I also suggest the Deputy Prime Minister (Angela Rayner) given their plans to concrete over the countryside to ensure that where construction takes place proper, and I really mean proper, flood mitigation measures are put into place.” Mr Reed replied: “This needs to operate across Government, and we will have those conversations and ensure that measures are put in place to support communities as much as is possible from the more severe weather events that we’re seeing as a result of climate change.”Campaigning for this week’s national polls reached a climax over the weekend as several political parties held their final rallies nationwide before voters cast their ballots on ... If you are an active subscriber and the article is not showing, please log out and back in. Free access to articles from 12:00.Connor Gaydos, a man connected to an apparent parody project to relaunch the energy company Enron and become its new CEO , was hit in the face with a pie this week as he was entering a building in New York City. The incident was caught on video and went viral on social media Thursday. The clip shows Gaydos exiting an SUV shortly before an older man slams the pie into his face as two bodyguards intervene. The bizarre incident mirrored one from more than two decades earlier, when a California woman tossed a pie into the face of Enron’s then-CEO Jeffrey Schilling . Earlier this month, a group announced the scandal-plagued Texas company was returning exactly 23 years after filing for bankruptcy amid massive fraud. “With a bold new vision, Enron will leverage cutting-edge technology, human ingenuity, and the spirit of adaptation to address the critical challenges of energy, sustainability, accessibility and affordability,” the company said in a press release that raised questions about its legitimacy. The announcement was reportedly joined by billboards in the Houston area, a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle and a video promoting the company’s comeback. An investigation conducted by Houston station KHOU turned up a disclaimer on the company’s website that read, “The information on the website is First Amendment-protected parody , represents performance art and is for entertainment purposes only.” Many have speculated the company’s reemergence is merely a publicity stunt promoting cryptocurrency .
I have a confession: I’m a rampant roguelike uninstaller. Almost invariably, I reach a point with games like Balatro , Dead Cells , or Hades when, watching my playtime balloon, I feel the need to remove the temptation to play the game. Roguelikes, almost by definition, pursue an addictive structure that reviewers often describe as the “one more run” feeling, wherein the player feels compelled to begin the loop again (and again, and — you get it). Another common phrase you’ll hear tossed around is the idea that you “lost time” to a game, as though the game has tricked you into giving it more of your life than you were consciously willing to give. For me, this kind of compulsive play leads to something I’ve started to think of as “roguelike dread,” or the feeling that I really need to move on from a potentially infinite game lest it completely take over my life. Usually, that is when I delete it. Now, clearly this is a me problem. There are undoubtedly people with better impulse control, and there are doubtless people for whom this feeling of “losing” time to a game is experienced not as dread but as joy. ( Infinite gameplay for 20-30 bucks? That’s a steal. ) Still, a cursory Googling suggests that I’m not alone in my experience of roguelike dread, of feeling like these games are so engaging as to be all-consuming. So, to my fellow roguelike uninstallers, I am here to say to you: Download Windblown — it’s so good. Windblown , the newest game from Dead Cells developer Motion Twin, was released in early access in late October. Trading the sidescrolling, pixel art vibe of Dead Cells for a top-down, cel-shaded romp through skybound islands, Windblown succeeds at feeling both distinct from Motion Twin’s last effort and close enough in spirit that it’s easy to sink into its loop. True to form, the game is plenty challenging and, even in early access, already offers substantial meta-progression unlocks to keep each run feeling fresh. Combat is the star here, with a new emphasis on chaining different attacks for maximum damage. The soundtrack is also catchy as hell, equal parts synth and rock, with a vocal track that never fails to get me hype when it comes in. Even in what feels like a very early build, design-wise, Windblown clearly has what it takes to keep you playing for days, months, and years on end. Time for another admission, though: I don’t like playing roguelikes in early access. The reason is probably obvious, given all that I’ve already written. I know myself, and I know that I burn out on these types of games, so I’m loath to put time into something that is unfinished, fearful of the idea that I won’t want to come back to it when it reaches 1.0. I put down Hades 2 earlier this year for this exact reason. Everything in me wanted to keep pressing forward, but whenever I saw placeholder art or read the game balance changelog, I felt this nagging feeling that I should save my stamina for when the game is “complete.” Roguelike dread is inevitable for me, and so I’ve found it best to wait out a game until at least 1.0, if not later. Or so I thought. Windblown can be a great single-player experience, but as the game’s marketing will readily tell you, that is definitely not the point of Windblown . The point is two-to-three-player co-op. The point is tackling the game’s sky-high challenge with a friend or two. The point is to lose time together . So once more to my fellow roguelike uninstallers, I am here to say to you: No, seriously — Windblown , get on it, it’s great. Here’s the thing: Windblown is not the first multiplayer roguelike. Not by a long shot. Somewhere out there, a Risk of Rain 2 player is pulling their hair out reading this, which, if you are, please stop. I see you, and I honor you. Even The Binding of Isaac , after all these years, just added online co-op. I’m not here to claim that Windblown is the first, nor even the best, multiplayer roguelike. What I am here to claim is that it was my first multiplayer roguelike, and because of that, it came with a revelation: The answer to roguelike dread is other people. Usually, playing a roguelike, I begin asking myself questions like “Has this become a waste of my time?” or “Are there other games I’d rather be playing right now?” More generally, I might start to feel that creeping sensation that I’m spending too much time on a single thing. Indeed, I do get a bit of that feeling when playing Windblown as a single-player game. It’s a roguelike, after all, and I’ve already laid out my personal mental hurdles when it comes to the genre. Any loop, no matter how pleasant, eventually gives way to the feeling that I want out of it. Unless, it turns out, I’m not the only one in the loop. I won’t extol the joys of multiplayer gaming to an audience well versed in such things, but I will say this: It was comical to me how quickly and how completely my worrying over “losing time” or feeling addicted to a roguelike dissipated when it was something I was sharing with a close friend. Instantly, I no longer cared whether this early build would feel incomplete compared to 1.0. All I cared about was chatting about our workdays and strategizing over who picked up what item when. Suddenly the time I spent on the game felt less like a personal indulgence and more like an interpersonal investment. What did we care if the game changed tomorrow? The time spent together would be worthwhile no matter how many digits came after the pre-release version number. The game was a social vehicle as much as it was a random number generator, and it was all the richer for it. For me, playing Windblown was a good reminder to me to open up my gaming experiences to other people. The world can sometimes feel lonely and punishing, and so can roguelikes. But when you travel the path with other people, success feels more within reach. Or if not success, then at least a valiant effort that you can laugh about together. Even failure feels better when someone else is there to pick you back up again. Even as a rampant roguelike uninstaller, I have not yet deleted Windblown . In fact, I don’t feel compelled to in the least. Instead, I’m looking forward to the next update and checking it out with a friend, seeing what new obstacles we might overcome together. Absent in my experience is dread, replaced with a sense of shared possibility. Windblown was released Oct. 24 in early access on Windows PC. The game was played using a download code purchased by the author. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here . Gaming Impressions PC WindblownNEW YORK (AP) — An early rebound for U.S. stocks on Thursday petered out by the end of the day, leaving indexes close to flat. The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% following Wednesday’s tumble of 2.9% when the Federal Reserve said it may deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than earlier thought. The index had been up as much as 1.1% in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 15 points, or less than 0.1%, following Wednesday’s drop of 1,123 points, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1%. This week’s struggles have taken some of the enthusiasm out of the market, which critics had been warning was overly buoyant and would need everything to go correctly for it to justify its high prices. But indexes remain near their records , and the S&P 500 is still on track for one of its best years of the millennium with a gain of 23%. Traders are now expecting the Federal Reserve to deliver just one or maybe two cuts to interest rates next year, according to data from CME Group. Some are even betting on none. A month ago, the majority saw at least two cuts in 2025 as a safe bet. Wall Street loves lower interest rates because they give the economy a boost and goose prices for investments, but they can also provide fuel for inflation. Micron Technology was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500 Thursday. It fell 16.2% despite reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. The computer memory company’s revenue fell short of Wall Street’s forecasts, and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said it expects demand from consumers to remain weaker in the near term. It gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that fell well short of what analysts were thinking. Lamb Weston, which makes French fries and other potato products, dropped 20.1% after falling short of analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue in the latest quarter. It also cut its financial targets for the fiscal year, saying demand for frozen potatoes is continuing to soften, particularly outside North America. The company replaced its chief executive. Such losses helped overshadow a 14.7% jump for Darden Restaurants, the company behind Olive Garden and other chains. It delivered profit for the latest quarter that edged past analysts’ expectations. The operator of LongHorn Steakhouses also gave a forecast for revenue for this fiscal year that topped analysts’. Accenture rose 7.1% after the professional services company likewise topped expectations for profit in the latest quarter. CEO Julie Sweet said it saw growth around the world, and the company raised its forecast for revenue this fiscal year. Amazon shares added 1.3%, even as workers at seven of its facilities went on strike Thursday in the middle of the online retail giant’s busiest time of the year. Amazon says it doesn’t expect an impact on its operations during what the workers’ union calls the largest strike against the company in U.S. history. In the bond market, yields were mixed a day after shooting higher on expectations that the Fed would deliver fewer cuts to rates in 2025. Reports on the U.S. economy came in mixed. One showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1% annualized rate during the summer, faster than earlier thought. The economy has remained remarkably resilient even though the Fed held its main interest rate at a two-decade high for a while before beginning to cut them in September. A separate report showed fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, an indication that the job market also remains solid. But a third report said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region is unexpectedly contracting again despite economists’ expectations for growth. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.57% from 4.52% late Wednesday and from less than 4.20% earlier this month. But the two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for action by the Fed in the near term, eased back to 4.31% from 4.35%. The rise in longer-term yields has put pressure on the housing market by keeping mortgage rates higher. Homebuilder Lennar fell 5.2% after reporting weaker profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Stuart Miller said that “the housing market that appeared to be improving as the Fed cut short-term interest rates, proved to be far more challenging as mortgage rates rose” through the quarter. “Even while demand remained strong, and the chronic supply shortage continued to drive the market, our results were driven by affordability limitations from higher interest rates,” he said. A report on Thursday may have offered some encouragement for the housing industry. It showed a pickup in sales of previously occupied homes. All told, the S&P 500 slipped 5.08 points to 5,867.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 15.37 to 42,342.24, and the Nasdaq composite lost 19.92 to 19,372.77. In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 fell 1.1% after the Bank of England paused its cuts to rates and kept its main interest rate unchanged on Thursday. The move comes as inflation there moved further above the central bank’s 2% target rate, while the British economy is flatlining at best. The Bank of Japan also kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged, and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.7%. Indexes likewise sank across much of the rest of Asia and Europe. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
FBI investigating a rise in cryptocurrency scams as popularity rises
NEW YORK , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (NYSE: ZETA) resulting from allegations that Zeta Global may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. So What: If you purchased Zeta Global securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. What to do next: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31333 call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. What is this about: On November 13, 2024 , Culper Research published a report entitled "Zeta Global Holdings Corp ZETA: Shams, Scams, and Spam." (the "Report"). The Report raised concerns about the company's reported financials. In addition, Culper Research announced that it believed that "Zeta has quietly spun up its own network of consent farms i.e., sham websites that hoodwink millions of consumers each month into handing their data over to Zeta under false pretenses, baited by job applications, stimulus money, or other rewards that simply do not exist." On this news, Zeta Global's stock price fell 37.1% on November 13, 2024 . Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rosen-law-firm-encourages-zeta-global-holdings-corp-investors-to-inquire-about-securities-class-action-investigation--zeta-302314487.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.
The Yomiuri Shimbun 6:00 JST, November 22, 2024 The harmful effects of generative artificial intelligence (AI) are widespread, causing confusion and chaos. This is the first installment in a series examining how society should deal with the situation. * * A fabricated video went viral on social media the day before the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election. The video was created to look like a report from CBS News and said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was advising people to “vote remotely” due to a potential terrorist attack. Taking the situation seriously, the FBI released a statement on Nov. 5 reading, “This video is not authentic and does not accurately represent the current threat posture or polling location safety.” The video appeared to have been created with artificial intelligence by a group with links to Russia and was immediately deleted. At the end of October, a fake video clip was posted in which a man posing as an election committee staff member sifted through mail-in ballots from the swing state of Pennsylvania and ripped up votes cast for Republican candidate Donald Trump one after another, murmuring “F—ing Trump!” U.S. and European media reflected on the unprecedented scale of disinformation and conspiracy theories circulating online in the election, and forces hostile to the United States increased their interference. As the voting day approached, groups linked to Russia, China and others were said to have stepped up their interference by posting a succession of fake images and videos. “The easiest way for foreign governments to win in an information operation is to sow chaos,” Bret Schafer, a senior fellow of the U.S. research organization Alliance for Securing Democracy, said. Shafer added that Russia tried to support Trump, who is friendly toward the country. “As domestic turmoil deepens [due to disinformation], the United States is forced to focus on internal issues, leaving less attention and resources to address international affairs,” Schafer said. The rapid technological improvement of generative AI has made it possible to instantly create a large number of elaborate fake images and videos, resulting in countless bits of unconfirmed information that denigrates rival candidates being sent from various camps, political parties and supporters via social media. The expansion of online echo chambers, in which people only hear from those whose opinions match their own, is said to have further divided the country. President Joe Biden’s administration pledged to develop legislation to regulate AI, but it was not in time for the presidential election. Twenty states have passed state laws regulating AI, and some states have banned the spread of election-related false information created with AI, but the effect was limited. Tim Harper, a senior policy analyst of the citizens group Center for Democracy & Technology, urged active implementation of a federal regulatory regime. “There are definitely solutions that the United States at the federal level can and should put in place to better protect elections from the spread of misinformation and disinformation from deceptive, manipulated AI content,” Harper said. In Japan, fake videos were spread around the time the campaign for the House of Representatives election that kicked off on Oct. 15. In the videos, voices apparently generated by having AI learn to mimic voices of former prime ministers were making anti-Liberal Democratic Party remarks. One of them uses what is apparently AI-generated audio mimicking former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s voice to introduce more than 120 people — mainly LDP members — as “candidates who should lose” with such comments as “full of greed.” The fake voice urged people to “vote them down.” The clip got more than 30,000 views on YouTube and spread on X, formerly Twitter. In another video, a voice that appeared to have been generated by having AI learn to imitate that of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was discussing the relationship between candidates and the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, commonly known as the Unification Church. The videos came with a note stating that none of those comments were made by the prime ministers, but the posters apparently intended to enhance the videos’ credibility by using former prime ministers’ voices. Before the start of the campaign, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry on Oct. 11 requested 14 social media companies, including Meta Platforms Inc. — which manages Facebook — and X Corp., to take measures against false information on the internet. An official said the ministry “had not confirmed large-scale dissemination of false information,” but there are no provisions in the Public Offices Election Law specifically about generative AI, and no full-scale discussion has been underway for regulations. In September last year, fake recordings emerged on the messaging app Telegram, which features a high degree of confidentiality, two days before Slovakia’s general elections. The recordings were purported to be conversations of pro-European liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS) party leader Michal Simecka discussing a plan to manipulate votes. It was later revealed that the audio was an AI-generated fake, but the recordings had already gone viral on other social media. The PS came second in the election, and a left-wing party that opposed military support for Ukraine took power. The recordings were spread by mainly pro-Russian politicians. “It really represents a threat to democracy,” PS member Jan Hargas said of generative AI. “I think that’s why I believe that it’s a warning sign for the elections to come in the future.”
Cyprus Lawmakers Agree to Raise the Sports Betting LevyMolecular Templates Announces Notice of Delisting and Failure to Satisfy Continued Listing Rules
NEW YORK (AP) — An early rebound for U.S. stocks on Thursday petered out by the end of the day, leaving indexes close to flat. The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% following Wednesday’s tumble of 2.9% when the Federal Reserve said it may deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than earlier thought. The index had been up as much as 1.1% in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 15 points, or less than 0.1%, following Wednesday’s drop of 1,123 points, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1%. This week’s struggles have taken some of the enthusiasm out of the market, which critics had been warning was overly buoyant and would need everything to go correctly for it to justify its high prices. But indexes remain near their records , and the S&P 500 is still on track for one of its best years of the millennium with a gain of 23%. Traders are now expecting the Federal Reserve to deliver just one or maybe two cuts to interest rates next year, according to data from CME Group. Some are even betting on none. A month ago, the majority saw at least two cuts in 2025 as a safe bet. Wall Street loves lower interest rates because they give the economy a boost and goose prices for investments, but they can also provide fuel for inflation. Micron Technology was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500 Thursday. It fell 16.2% despite reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. The computer memory company’s revenue fell short of Wall Street’s forecasts, and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said it expects demand from consumers to remain weaker in the near term. It gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that fell well short of what analysts were thinking. Lamb Weston, which makes French fries and other potato products, dropped 20.1% after falling short of analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue in the latest quarter. It also cut its financial targets for the fiscal year, saying demand for frozen potatoes is continuing to soften, particularly outside North America. The company replaced its chief executive. Such losses helped overshadow a 14.7% jump for Darden Restaurants, the company behind Olive Garden and other chains. It delivered profit for the latest quarter that edged past analysts’ expectations. The operator of LongHorn Steakhouses also gave a forecast for revenue for this fiscal year that topped analysts’. Accenture rose 7.1% after the professional services company likewise topped expectations for profit in the latest quarter. CEO Julie Sweet said it saw growth around the world, and the company raised its forecast for revenue this fiscal year. Amazon shares added 1.3%, even as workers at seven of its facilities went on strike Thursday in the middle of the online retail giant’s busiest time of the year. Amazon says it doesn’t expect an impact on its operations during what the workers’ union calls the largest strike against the company in U.S. history. In the bond market, yields were mixed a day after shooting higher on expectations that the Fed would deliver fewer cuts to rates in 2025. Reports on the U.S. economy came in mixed. One showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1% annualized rate during the summer, faster than earlier thought. The economy has remained remarkably resilient even though the Fed held its main interest rate at a two-decade high for a while before beginning to cut them in September. A separate report showed fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, an indication that the job market also remains solid. But a third report said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region is unexpectedly contracting again despite economists’ expectations for growth. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.57% from 4.52% late Wednesday and from less than 4.20% earlier this month. But the two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for action by the Fed in the near term, eased back to 4.31% from 4.35%. The rise in longer-term yields has put pressure on the housing market by keeping mortgage rates higher. Homebuilder Lennar fell 5.2% after reporting weaker profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Stuart Miller said that “the housing market that appeared to be improving as the Fed cut short-term interest rates, proved to be far more challenging as mortgage rates rose” through the quarter. “Even while demand remained strong, and the chronic supply shortage continued to drive the market, our results were driven by affordability limitations from higher interest rates,” he said. A report on Thursday may have offered some encouragement for the housing industry. It showed a pickup in sales of previously occupied homes. All told, the S&P 500 slipped 5.08 points to 5,867.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 15.37 to 42,342.24, and the Nasdaq composite lost 19.92 to 19,372.77. In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 fell 1.1% after the Bank of England paused its cuts to rates and kept its main interest rate unchanged on Thursday. The move comes as inflation there moved further above the central bank’s 2% target rate, while the British economy is flatlining at best. The Bank of Japan also kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged, and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.7%. Indexes likewise sank across much of the rest of Asia and Europe. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
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Wisa technologies CEO Brett Moyer sells $166 in stock5-Axis CNC Machining Centers Market to Grow by USD 792.5 Million (2024-2028), Driven by Self-Optimized Cutting, AI Transforming Market Landscape - TechnavioLawmakers are under increasing pressure to implement biometric age verification measures to combat the rising issue of underage vaping. Proposals include leveraging AI-powered apps and integrating advanced biometric tools to prevent minors from purchasing vape products, echoing initiatives already underway in countries like Ireland and the United States. As the pressure mounts for lawmakers, it trickles down to the biometric systems providers to have the tools readily available. Retailers across Ireland, the UK and the U.S. have already begun adopting AI age assurance apps, designed to verify the age of customers attempting to purchase vaping products. In the UK, the widespread accessibility of vape products to minors has sparked calls for innovative systems, with age verification at the forefront. has unveiled a technology platform designed to enforce continuous age verification on vaping devices, as the UK government prepares to introduce its to Parliament. The proposed legislation includes measures to raise the legal age for tobacco sales incrementally, restrict child-friendly vape packaging, and establish a licensing scheme for vape and tobacco products. However, IKE Tech has argued that while these steps may curb underage vaping, they are unlikely to eliminate the problem entirely, . The company’s tool involves embedding a Bluetooth-enabled chip in vaping devices, functioning as a “child lock.” Paired with an app linked to global identity verification platforms that provide authentication with selfie biometrics, the system’s main focus is to prevent vapes from being used unless the user’s age is authenticated. Similar ideas have been gaining traction globally. In the U.S., e-cigarette company Juul proposed integrating age assurance mechanisms directly into vaping devices , after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered the company to stop selling vapes. The tool would require users to connect their vape pens to a smartphone app that verifies their identity and age through biometrics. Juul uses ‘s NetVerify for identity and age verification online. This strategy aligns with the push for stricter regulations outlined by the FDA. Ispire Technology Inc. and its joint venture partner IKE Tech LLC have successfully completed a pre-market submission meeting with the FDA for their age verification technology, which aims to prevent underage access to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) while allowing adult users to continue using flavored vaping products. By using blockchain technology and collaborating with identity verification providers, the IKE Tech platform aims to provide a tool for vaping products, particularly those that are flavored and already approved under the FDA’s Pre-Market Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) process. The technology is seen as a potential tool for expanding adult access to flavored vapor products, while helping to reduce underage vaping by introducing robust age-gating measures at the point of use. In Ireland, an AI-powered app for automating age estimation by Johnston Retail Services and has been deployed across retail outlets. The AgeAI app scans users’ biometric data, such as facial features, to infer their age before purchase. “Underage vaping is a problem in Ireland, and there’s a pressing requirement to prevent sales to minors,” says Deepak Tewari, CEO, Privately. “But store owners and managers need help, and our partnership with Johnston Retail Services delivers that, with an automated, accurate and speedy solution that allows staff to avoid the confrontation that comes from requests for ID and turning people away.” AgeAI is already deployed to hundreds of vape stores in the UK through a . Research found that four out of five have never been asked to verify their age before purchase. | | | | |