An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition
NEW YORK — Dylan Raiola took the shotgun snap and saw the Boston College defensive end crash in hard. Time to improvise. On the day Raiola set a new Nebraska freshman passing record for a season, perhaps his most crucial sequence came on a rare run. With the Huskers leaking momentum after a blocked punt helped whittle their lead to 20-15 late in the fourth quarter, the quarterback pulled the ball from Rahmir Johnson and took off to his left on a first-and-10 play from the NU 36. Raiola picked up five yards and slid late as defensive back Carter Davis crashed into him. Officials flagged Davis for a late-hit personal foul — Eagles coach Bill O’Brien vehemently disagreed in the moment and declined to discuss it afterward — as Raiola rolled to his feet and got in the face of the defender to set off a brief on-field scuffle. “He tried to take me out which is why I came up and kind of reacted,” Raiola said. “But I guess it was just kind of the fire in me. Game’s on the line, I’m going to lay it on the line for my team. I got up, I knew I wasn’t going to do anything but my linemen came in and kind of cleaned up for me.” Raiola finished 23-of-31 passing for 228 yards, pushing his season passing total to 2,823 yards in 13 games. The previous school mark was 2,617 by Adrian Martinez in 2018.Gaming wish granted for Nanaimo teen living with muscular dystrophy
US President-elect Donald Trump filed a brief Friday urging the Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok the day before his January 20 inauguration if it is not sold by its Chinese owner ByteDance. "In light of the novelty and difficulty of this case, the court should consider staying the statutory deadline to grant more breathing space to address these issues," Trump's legal team wrote, to give him "the opportunity to pursue a political resolution." Trump was fiercely opposed to TikTok during his 2017-21 first term, and tried in vain to ban the video app on national security grounds. The Republican voiced concerns -- echoed by political rivals -- that the Chinese government might tap into US TikTok users' data or manipulate what they see on the platform. US officials had also voiced alarm over the popularity of the video-sharing app with young people, alleging that its parent company is subservient to Beijing and that the app is used to spread propaganda, claims denied by the company and the Chinese government. Trump called for a US company to buy TikTok, with the government sharing in the sale price, and his successor Joe Biden went one stage further -- signing a law to ban the app for the same reasons. Trump has now, however, reversed course. At a press conference last week, Trump said he has "a warm spot" for TikTok and that his administration would take a look at the app and the potential ban. Earlier this month, the president-elect met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Recently, Trump told Bloomberg he had changed his mind about the app: "Now (that) I'm thinking about it, I'm for TikTok, because you need competition." "If you don't have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram -- and that's, you know, that's Zuckerberg." Facebook, founded by Mark Zuckerberg and part of his Meta tech empire, was among the social media networks that banned Trump after attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The ban was driven by concerns that he would use the platform to promote more violence. Those bans on major social media platforms were later lifted. - 'Unprecedented' - In the brief filed on Friday, Trump's lawyer made it clear the president-elect did not take a position on the legal merits of the current case. "President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute," John Sauer wrote in the amicus curiae -- or "friend of the court" -- brief. "Instead, he respectfully requests that the court consider staying the act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trump's incoming Administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case." A coalition of free speech groups -- including the American Civil Liberties Union -- also filed a separate brief to the Supreme Court opposing enforcement of the law, citing censorship concerns. "Such a ban is unprecedented in our country and, if it goes into effect, will cause a far-reaching disruption in Americans' ability to engage with the content and audiences of their choice online," the rights groups' filing read, in part. The US apex court agreed last week to hear TikTok's appeal against Biden's move to force its owner to divest from it or face a ban. With oral arguments scheduled for January 10, the case would have to be heard at a breakneck speed. TikTok argues that the law, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, violates its First Amendment free speech rights. AFP, among more than a dozen other fact-checking organizations, is paid by TikTok in several countries to verify videos that potentially contain false information. US President-elect Donald Trump filed a brief Friday urging the Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok the day before his January 20 inauguration if it is not sold by its Chinese owner ByteDance. "In light of the novelty and difficulty of this case, the court should consider staying the statutory deadline to grant more breathing space to address these issues," Trump's legal team wrote, to give him "the opportunity to pursue a political resolution." Trump was fiercely opposed to TikTok during his 2017-21 first term, and tried in vain to ban the video app on national security grounds. The Republican voiced concerns -- echoed by political rivals -- that the Chinese government might tap into US TikTok users' data or manipulate what they see on the platform. US officials had also voiced alarm over the popularity of the video-sharing app with young people, alleging that its parent company is subservient to Beijing and that the app is used to spread propaganda, claims denied by the company and the Chinese government. Trump called for a US company to buy TikTok, with the government sharing in the sale price, and his successor Joe Biden went one stage further -- signing a law to ban the app for the same reasons. Trump has now, however, reversed course. At a press conference last week, Trump said he has "a warm spot" for TikTok and that his administration would take a look at the app and the potential ban. Earlier this month, the president-elect met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Recently, Trump told Bloomberg he had changed his mind about the app: "Now (that) I'm thinking about it, I'm for TikTok, because you need competition." "If you don't have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram -- and that's, you know, that's Zuckerberg." Facebook, founded by Mark Zuckerberg and part of his Meta tech empire, was among the social media networks that banned Trump after attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The ban was driven by concerns that he would use the platform to promote more violence. Those bans on major social media platforms were later lifted. - 'Unprecedented' - In the brief filed on Friday, Trump's lawyer made it clear the president-elect did not take a position on the legal merits of the current case. "President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute," John Sauer wrote in the amicus curiae -- or "friend of the court" -- brief. "Instead, he respectfully requests that the court consider staying the act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trump's incoming Administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case." A coalition of free speech groups -- including the American Civil Liberties Union -- also filed a separate brief to the Supreme Court opposing enforcement of the law, citing censorship concerns. "Such a ban is unprecedented in our country and, if it goes into effect, will cause a far-reaching disruption in Americans' ability to engage with the content and audiences of their choice online," the rights groups' filing read, in part. The US apex court agreed last week to hear TikTok's appeal against Biden's move to force its owner to divest from it or face a ban. With oral arguments scheduled for January 10, the case would have to be heard at a breakneck speed. TikTok argues that the law, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, violates its First Amendment free speech rights. AFP, among more than a dozen other fact-checking organizations, is paid by TikTok in several countries to verify videos that potentially contain false information.
Gender Dysphoria Pipeline Drugs and Companies Insight Report, 2024 Updates: Analysis of Clinical Trials, Therapies, Mechanism of Action, Route of Administration, and Developments | Schering-PloughWhat happens next with Alex Jones' Infowars? No certainty yet after sale to The Onion is rejectedSince Threads’ launch last year, users have asked for the option to set their “Following” feed as their default feed. Now, more than a year later, Threads is finally testing the ability for users to do so. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Monday that the social network is now testing the option for users to choose their For You, Following, or a custom feed as their default one. The launch comes a few days after Threads rolled out custom feeds to allow users to curate feeds around specific topics or certain user profiles. The tool allows Threads to compete with Bluesky , a decentralized social network that lets users build their own algorithms, feeds, and lists. Meta has been moving quickly to update Threads at a time when many X users are moving to Bluesky, which has now surpassed 20 million users . The recent changes to the app indicate that Meta is looking to appease users by listening to their feedback and giving them what they want in an effort to keep them from moving to Bluesky. Last week, the platform rolled out changes to surface more content from people you follow in the app’s “For You” algorithmic feed. While some people welcomed the change, others responded to Instagram head Adam Mosseri’s announcement post with frustration, noting that they simply want the option to set their Following feed as their default feed. Fast forward a few days, and now users have the option to do so. In his announcement post, Zuckerberg said he’s “interested to see how and if people use this.” The new feature is rolling out to select users, a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch in an email. Although Threads has a solid user base of more than 275 million monthly active users , it’s facing increased competition from Bluesky. Data from market intelligence firm Similarweb shows that Bluesky is catching up with Threads when it comes to daily active users and that if the social network can keep up its current growth rate, it could eventually catch up with Threads.
Swift's daily impact on Vancouver may have exceeded 2010 games, says industry figure VANCOUVER — Taylor Swift's three-night run at BC Place, closing out the pop star's global Eras Tour, generated daily economic impact for Vancouver that could rival the 2010 Olympics and smashed data streaming records, industry figures say. Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press Dec 9, 2024 3:07 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour concert, in Vancouver on December 6, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck VANCOUVER — Taylor Swift's three-night run at BC Place, closing out the pop star's global Eras Tour, generated daily economic impact for Vancouver that could rival the 2010 Olympics and smashed data streaming records, industry figures say. The CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association, Ian Tostenson, said the shows that ended Sunday had an effect that went far beyond other concert or sporting events in the city. Tostenson said Monday that his group estimates there was a $25 million boost for Metro Vancouver’s establishments for each of the three show days. In comparison, a sold-out, highly anticipated Vancouver Canucks playoff game brings an estimated $3 million a day in economic impact, Tostenson said. “In the context of comparing to anything else, it’s not even believable almost — it’s such a huge impact,” Tostenson said. “I was out a little bit on Friday and Saturday, and every place I went to was absolutely lined up and packed.” Tostenson said the concerts rivalled the Olympics in drawing fans from regions far beyond what a typical playoff hockey game would, and while it is difficult to compare the 2010 Winter Games to the Taylor Swift weekend, the events were in the same magnitude in daily impact on restaurants. “The financial impact of the Olympics was massive, (but) it was spread out over a couple weeks in different venues and stuff,” he said. “So, you didn't sort of feel this concentration that you saw with Taylor Swift.” Tostenson also said Swifties bumped up business across Metro Vancouver all weekend, with one major restaurant owner with multiple locations reporting full capacity not just at its downtown location but also in North Vancouver and Olympic Village. He credits the festive mood brought by fans that had an emotional effect on people in general, which in turn has a major impact on restaurants, an industry built largely on discretionary spending. People consume more when the mood is right, he said. “From a financial point of view, the Olympics probably had a bigger impact,” Tostenson said. “But ... I'm going to venture to estimate that this, on a daily basis compared to the Olympics, was stronger.” Telecommunications giant Rogers said data used during the last show was enough to stream Swift's entire music catalogue 9,450 times. It said in a statement that fans on the company's network set a Canadian record when they used more than 11 terabytes of mobile data in just a few hours at BC Place. The company's chief technology officer Mark Kennedy said Monday that is the equivalent of uploading 307,000 photos and 2,180 hours of video streaming. The previous record was set Nov. 21, when fans at Swift's concert in Toronto used 7.4 terabytes of data on the Rogers network. Music industry publication Pollstar also said Monday that Swift's 149-show worldwide tour brought in revenue of US$2.2 billion in its 20-month run. Vancouver Police thanked residents and visitors for a "safe and memorable weekend." Const. Tania Visintin said in a social media post that police spent months preparing for the shows. "We've had so much fun meeting people of all ages from all around the world, trading friendship bracelets and showing what a great city it can really be when we all look out for one another," she said. Thirteen Swift-themed lighting installations were set up at locations around the city to celebrate the singer's arrival. Suzanne Walters, a spokeswoman for Destination Vancouver, said most of the lit-up letters will be coming down over the next few days, but the “Swiftcouver” display downtown will stay until Dec. 13 — Swift’s birthday. Walters said the letters will be reused for holiday displays over the month of December and then be part of a pool of rentable supplies. Swift told the 60,000 fans in BC Place at Sunday's show that they were part of a tour seen by 10 million people, and that it was the most thrilling chapter of her life to date. She said the legacy of the tour will be "a space of joy and togetherness and love" that the fans have created. Swiftie Alaina Robertson echoed Swift's sentiments after the show, saying she shed lots of tears watching the "once in a lifetime" spectacle. Robertson — who travelled from Camas, Wash., for the show and wore a "Reputation" inspired outfit along with a temporary silver bedazzled snake tattoo — said she doesn't think any other concert will be able to compare. "It's going to be hard to beat," she said of the show. "She's changing the world of music. She's changing entertainment entirely, and to be at the tour with the crowd here, getting to do the friendship bracelets, getting to get dressed up — it's just love and joy and friendship, and it's been really magical to be a part of it." Fan accounts on social media platform X have posted photos showing a number of television and music stars at BC Place Sunday night, including actors Jenna Fischer, Aubrey Plaza and Jesse Tyler Ferguson as well as Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. — With files from Ashley Joannou, Brieanna Charlebois and The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2024. Chuck Chiang, The Canadian 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 More Entertainment News 10 new TV shows from 2024 that are worth watching before the new year Dec 9, 2024 3:14 PM 'Looking for the Weinstein of Quebec': impresario Gilbert Rozon's civil trial begins Dec 9, 2024 2:58 PM Jay-Z says lawsuit accusing him of raping a child at awards after-party is part of an extortion ploy Dec 9, 2024 2:38 PM Featured FlyerGeneral Mills Inc. stock outperforms competitors on strong trading day
Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge became the youngest person to receive a life peerage when she entered the House of Lords at the age of 30. She was elevated to parliament’s upper chamber in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list 18 months ago after working as a special adviser to the former prime minister. She is now seeking to make her mark in the Lords with a private member’s bill to criminalise the non-consensual creation and solicitation of digitally altered sexually explicit images — known as deepfakes. • Kathleen Stock: We’re not ready for the voodoo of deepfakes Owen, 31, said women have “lost their ability to choose who owns sexually explicit images of them”. “Anyone can walk into the pub, take a picture of a
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