The "Bu Incident" has continued to make headlines as the investigation into the case progresses. Several individuals implicated in the case have been subjected to criminal coercive measures as authorities work towards unraveling the full extent of the allegations.In conclusion, the sentencing of the public officials and the teacher involved in the production and sale of Ba Bao Dan highlights the need for greater oversight and regulation in the health supplement industry to safeguard consumer health and prevent deceptive practices. This case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of unethical behavior and the importance of upholding integrity and responsibility in all aspects of public service and education.
Bluesky has growing pains. Here's what it can learn from X/Twitter
Diarlo and Bfee share a bond that goes beyond words. Their communication transcends language barriers and is rooted in a deep understanding of each other's movements, tendencies, and playing styles. Watching them on the field is like witnessing a silent conversation, as they seamlessly anticipate each other's next move and provide support in key moments.Proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons is halted by federal, state judges The proposed $24.6 billion merger between supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons floundered on Tuesday after judges overseeing two separate cases both halted the merger. A federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked the proposed merger until an in-house administrative judge at the Federal Trade Commission considers it. Shortly afterward, a judge in Washington state issued a permanent injunction barring the merger in that state, saying it lessens competition. Kroger and Albertsons in 2022 proposed what would be the largest grocery store merger in U.S. history. But the Federal Trade Commission and the state of Washington sued earlier this year. Kroger and Albertsons said Tuesday they are disappointed in the decisions and are reviewing their options. Biden says he was 'stupid' not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, like Donald Trump had done in 2020. He noted Tuesday in a speech at the Brookings Institution that Trump likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he defended his economic record and challenged Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Trump’s decision to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Former chairman of state-owned bank China Everbright Group jailed for 12 years for corruption BEIJING (AP) — Chinese official broadcaster CCTV says a former chairman of the state-owned bank China Everbright Group has been jailed 12 years for embezzlement and bribery. Tang Shuangning, who had also held senior posts at the People’s Bank of China and the China Banking Regulatory Commission, was arrested in January, part of a wider wave of prosecutions of senior officials accused of financial crimes. A court in the city of Tangshan, about 100 miles east of Beijing, found him guilty of taking advantage of his position at the state-owned bank in “seeking convenience for others” in jobs and loans, in exchange for illegal payments. The court said he had accepted illegal property with a total value of more than $1.5 million. Trustee over Infowars auction asks court to approve The Onion's winning bid A trustee who oversaw the bankruptcy auction of Alex Jones’ Infowars is asking a judge to approve The Onion’s winning bid for the conspiracy-filled platform. Trustee Christopher Murray took the stand Tuesday in the second day of testimony at a hearing where a judge is scrutinizing the satirical news outlet’s winning offer. He told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston that he was there asking a court to approve the sale of Infowars’ parent company to The Onion’s parent company. It is not clear how quickly Lopez will rule. The Onion wants to turn Infowars’ website and social media accounts into parodies. GM to retreat from robotaxis and stop funding its Cruise autonomous vehicle unit DETROIT (AP) — General Motors says it will retreat from the robotaxi business and stop funding its money-losing Cruise autonomous vehicle unit. Instead the Detroit automaker will focus on development of partially automated driver-assist systems like its Super Cruise, which allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel. In a statement Tuesday, GM said it would get out of robotaxis due to what it described as the considerable time and resources that would be needed to scale the business, along with an increasingly competitive robotaxi market. What did you Google in 2024? From the elections to Copa América, here's what search trends show NEW YORK (AP) — Remember what you searched for in 2024? Google does. Google has released its annual “Year in Search," rounding up 2024's top trending searches. It shows terms that saw the highest spike in traffic compared to last year. Sports — particularly soccer and cricket — dominated overall search trends, led by queries for Copa América, the UEFA European Championship and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, the U.S. election led news-specific searches worldwide. Queries about excessive heat and this year’s Olympic Games followed. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump topped searches in Google’s people category this year — followed by Catherine, Princess of Wales, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. US defense secretary in Japan to support alliance as Osprey aircraft safety causes concern TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has met with officials in Japan to reaffirm the importance of their alliance and Washington's commitment to regional security as threats rise from China and North Korea. Austin’s visit on Tuesday also came amid growing concerns over the safety of Ospreys. The military aircraft have been grounded in the United States following a near crash at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico last month. The incident was caused by weakened metal components. It was similar to a fatal crash off southwestern Japan last year. The U.S. measure prompted the suspension of Ospreys operated by Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force. Small businesses plan events, start marketing earlier to deal with shorter holiday shopping season The holiday shopping season is underway, and this year small businesses have less time to capitalize on the busy shopping period. Only 27 days separate Thanksgiving and Christmas — five fewer than last year. But there are still ways to make the most of a shorter season. One key strategy is for owners to promote deals to customers wherever they can, from social media to physical ads. The National Retail Federation predicts that retail sales will rise between 2.5% and 3.5% compared with same period a year ago. Online shopping is expected to grow too. Adobe Digital Insights predicts an 8.4% increase online for the full season. 10 notable books of 2024, from Sarah J. Maas to Melania Trump NEW YORK (AP) — Even through a year of nonstop news about elections, climate change, protests and the price of eggs, Americans still found time to read. Sales held steady according to Circana, which tracks around 85% of the print market. Many chose the release of romance, fantasy and romantasy. Some picked up the tie-in book to Taylor Swift’s blockbuster tour, which had the best opening week of 2024. Others sought out literary fiction, celebrity memoirs, political exposes and a close and painful look at a generation hooked on smartphones. Boeing is building new 737 Max planes for the first time since workers went on strike Boeing is resuming production of its bestselling plane, the 737 Max. It's the first time that Max jets have moved down the assembly line since September, when about 33,000 workers went on strike for higher pay. Boeing said Tuesday that work on the Max has resumed at its factory in Renton, Washington, near Seattle. Both the Max and another Boeing plane, the 787 Dreamliner, have been plagued by manufacturing problems in recent years. The Federal Aviation Administration is limiting Boeing’s production of Max jets until the agency is convinced that Boeing has corrected quality and safety issues during manufacturing.
In another groundbreaking announcement, actress Emma Dumont has bravely come out as transgender/non-binary. The "The Gifted" star took to social media to share their personal journey and identity with fans and the world. Dumont's honesty and courage in sharing their truth have been met with an outpouring of support and love from fans and fellow celebrities alike.A commission tasked with overseeing a process that could lead to a new Illinois state flag has selected 10 finalists for the public to consider early next year. The 20-member Illinois Flag Commission, which includes some elected officials, chose the finalists from nearly 5,000 submissions that came in since the Illinois secretary of state’s office opened the selection process in early September. The designs incorporate iterations of various state icons, including the state insect (the Monarch butterfly), the state flower (violet) and Abraham Lincoln, as well as nods to corn, agriculture and industry. Beginning in January, the public will be able to vote online at www.ilsos.gov/stateflag for one of the new designs, or for one of three flags that have already flown over the Land of Lincoln: the current state flag, the 1918 Centennial Flag and the 1968 Sesquicentennial Flag. By April 1, after the public vote has been tallied, the commission will offer recommendations and share its findings with the Illinois General Assembly, which will then decide on whether to adopt a new flag. The state flag now features a bald eagle with the state motto in its mouth standing on a rock bearing the year of the state’s incorporation, 1818, and the seal’s creation, 1868. It’s almost a carbon copy of the state seal. Through legislation sponsored by state Rep. Kam Buckner of Chicago and state Sen. Doris Turner of Springfield, the Illinois Flag Commission was created to determine whether a new state flag “would better represent the state’s diversity of urban, suburban and rural communities and inspire renewed state pride among Illinoisians,” according to a statement from the secretary of state’s office. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the measure into law last year. Designers for a new flag were asked to incorporate elements such as Illinois’ natural features or anything that represents the state’s history and culture. There was no limit on flag shape, but the commission was allowed to edit the designs. There was also no limit on colors but less than three colors were recommended for clarity of design. Designs were not allowed to be generated by artificial intelligence. The flag designs eligible for public voting in January can be viewed at ilsos.gov/special/IFC/10finalists.pdf . Minnesota adopted a new state flag earlier this year after a similar process, ending up with a banner that has an eight-pointed star enclosed in a dark blue shape that represents the state’s general outline and the night sky on the left, and a light-blue field on the right representing the state’s many bodies of water. Last year, Utah also underwent the process of getting a new state flag, which was changed to pay homage to its nickname, “The Beehive State.” Locally, Cook County changed its flag in 2022, adopting a design created by a student from Glenbrook South High School in north suburban Glenview.
The sighting of Chen Xiao at Hangzhou Airport has once again fueled rumors of a possible separation between the couple. Speculations about their marriage have been circulating in the media for months, with reports suggesting that they have been living separately and are on the verge of a divorce.While addressing the media, President Zelensky emphasized the importance of acknowledging the sacrifices made by Ukrainian soldiers and their families, stating that "we must never forget the price that has been paid for our freedom and sovereignty." His heartfelt words resonated with many Ukrainians who have been directly affected by the conflict and who continue to bear the brunt of its consequences.
Title: Expert Insights on Three Major Risk Factors Related to Cancer: Lifestyle Plays a Key RoleWhat does Donald Trump truly want with his tariff threat?
Doctored images have been around for decades. The term "Photoshopped" is part of everyday language. But in recent years, it has seemingly been replaced by a new word: deepfake. It's almost everywhere online, but you likely won't find it in your dictionary at home. What exactly is a deepfake, and how does the technology work? RELATED STORY | Scripps News Reports: Sex, Lies, and Deepfakes A deepfake is an image or video that has been generated by artificial intelligence to look real. Most deepfakes use a type of AI called a "diffusion model." In a nutshell, a diffusion model creates content by stripping away noise. "With diffusion models, they found a very clever way of taking an image and then constructing that procedure to go from here to there," said Lucas Hansen said. He and Siddharth Hiregowdara are cofounders of CivAI, a nonprofit educating the public on the potential — and dangers — of AI. How diffusion models work It can get complicated, so imagine the AI – or diffusion model – as a detective trying to catch a suspect. Like a detective, it relies on its experience and training. It recalls a previous case -– a sneaky cat on the run. Every day it added more and more disguises. On Monday, no disguise. Tuesday, it put on a little wig. Wednesday, it added some jewelry. By Sunday, it's unrecognizable and wearing a cheeseburger mask. The detective learned these changes can tell you what it wore and on what day. AI diffusion models do something similar with noise, learning what something looks like at each step. "The job of the diffusion model is to remove noise," Hiregowdara said. "You would give the model this picture, and then it will give you a slightly de-noised version of this picture." RELATED STORY | Scripps News got deepfaked to see how AI could impact elections When it's time to solve the case and generate a suspect, we give it a clue: the prompts we give when we create an AI-generated image. "We have been given the hint that this is supposed to look like a cat. So what catlike things can we see in here? Okay, we see this curve, maybe that's an ear," Hiregowdara said. The "detective" works backward, recalling its training. It sees a noisy image. Thanks to the clue, it is looking for a suspect — a cat. It subtracts disguises (noise) until it finds the new suspect. Case closed. Now imagine the "detective" living and solving crimes for years and years. It learns and studies everything — landscapes, objects, animals, people, anything at all. So when it needs to generate a suspect or an image, it remembers its training and creates an image. Deepfakes and faceswaps Many deepfake images and videos employ some type of face swapping technology. You've probably experienced this kind of technology already — faceswapping filters like on Snapchat, Instagram or Tiktok use technology similar to diffusion models, recognizing faces and replacing things in real time. "It will find the face in the image and then cut that out kind of, then take the face and convert it to its internal representation," Hansen said. The results are refined then repeated frame by frame. The future and becoming our own detectives As deepfakes become more and more realistic and tougher to detect, understanding how the technology works at a basic level can help us prepare for any dangers or misuse. Deepfakes have already been used to spread election disinformation, create fake explicit images of a teenager, even frame a principal with AI-created racist audio. "All the netizens on social media also have a role to play," Siwei Lyu said. Lyu is a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the University of Buffalo's Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the director of the Media Forensics Lab. His team has created a tool to help spot deepfakes called "DeepFake-o-meter." "We do not know how to handle, how to deal, with these kinds of problems. It's very new. And also requires technical knowledge to understand some of the subtleties there," Lyu said. "The media, the government, can play a very active role to improve user awareness and education. Especially for vulnerable groups like seniors, the kids, who will start to understand the social media world and start to become exposed to AI technologies. They can easily fall for AI magic or start using AI without knowing the limits." RELATED STORY | AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone Both Lyu and CivAI believe in exposure and education to help combat any potential misuse of deepfake technology. "Our overall goal is that we think AI is going t impact pretty much everyone in a lot of different ways," Hansen said. "And we think that everyone should be aware of the ways that it's going to change them because it's going to impact everyone." "More than just general education — just knowing the facts and having heard what's going to happen," he added. "We want to give people a really intuitive experience of what's going on." Hansen goes on to explain CivAI's role in educating the public. "We try and make all of our demonstrations personalized as much as possible. What we're working on is making it so people can see it themselves. So they know it's real, and they feel that it's real," Hansen said. "And they can have a deep gut level feel for tthe impact that it's going to have." "A big part of the solution is essentially just going to be education and sort of cultural changes," he added. "A lot of this synthetic content is sort of like a new virus that is attacking society right now, and people need to become immune to it in some ways. They need to be more suspicious about what's real and what's not, and I think that will help a lot as well."
Csb bancorp CEO Eddie Steiner acquires $58,375 in common stockRedefining the Real Happiness
IT was Jose Mourinho who best summed up how a footballer’s career can be here and gone in a flash. Former Manchester United manager Mourinho said: “I am 56 now and yesterday, I was 20. Time flies. One day, you will regret if you don’t reach what you can reach.” Mourinho was talking to Dele Alli in a documentary series while he was manager at Tottenham. It could be a conversation Ruben Amorim has with 27-year-old Marcus Rashford now he is Old Trafford boss. We all know what Rashford can do. He burst on the scene aged 18 in 2016 with a Europa League double — his first United goals — on his debut against Midtjylland. READ MORE ON MAN UTD And we saw it two seasons ago, when he posted a career-best of 30 goals as United finished third and won the Carabao Cup . The kid who grew up in Wythenshawe with the dream of playing for the Red Devils was in the spotlight. But the floodlights have faded. In the last 18 months, he has lost his place in the England squad, the United team and hit more headlines for what he did off the field than on it. Most read in Football FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS Partying after a defeat in the Manchester derby , out until the early hours in Belfast when he was due to train later that day. Just recently as he prepared for life under new boss Amorim, he took the time off given for the international break to jet to New York . He was court-side for the NBA match between New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, dressed in a long Louis Vuitton coat and sporting glitzy grillz. Fine if you are on top of your game... not such a good look when you cannot find it. And Rashford has not been able to find it for some time. There were nine cry-offs from the last England squad for their final two matches under Lee Carsley and still he was not worth a call. Which tells you where he is at. Amorim employed Rashford up front for his first game in charge against Ipswich, on Sunday, mainly because Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee are so bad. Inside two minutes he took advantage of some great work by Amad Diallo to put United into the lead and then...he faded. Red Devils fans have started cheering when he gets subbed now. Previous boss Erik ten Hag was at his wits’ end with Rashford by the final days of his reign. The Dutchman privately admitted he would have dumped him into the reserves after that Belfast party incident in January had he had enough players available to take his place. Ten Hag did everything to protect Rashford and help him but was let down by the player. Everyone knows there is a good guy there. Rashford’s MBE for charitable work, helping the poor and hungry, tells you all you need to know about a man with a good heart. And his tears when United won the FA Cup last season told you how much he loves the club. But he has been too easily swallowed up by the celebrity and party lifestyle on offer to all young stars if they want it. Amorim emphasised ahead of Thursday's Europa League match against Bodo/Glimt — who, with 6,500 fans at Old Trafford , will have one-eighth of the Norwegian city’ s population in attendance — that the drive to get back to his best has to come from Rashford first. It was the same mantra that came from Ten Hag. Amorim knows playing through the middle is not his best position and will employ him wide, in the long run, in a 3-4-3. IN theory at least, the only way is up for Manchester United, writes Charlie Wyett. We are nearly a third of the way through this Premier League season and it is still staggering to see United lurking in 12th place. They have managed just four wins with a goal difference of 0. Only Everton, Crystal Palace and Southampton have scored less. It is certainly not a false position and a point at Ipswich illustrated the massive job that Ruben Amorim faces. United’s fans sang the name of their new manager throughout the game. They also gave the players rapturous applause on the final whistle and although this was an improvement on some of the performances this season, the bar has been set pretty low. The club’s optimistic supporters will see that their team is only six points off the top four. Ultimately, though, it is difficult to see United even reaching last season’s final position of eighth as they look worse. United’s patched-up defence will improve - and a three-man formation at the back will help them - but you have to wonder where the goals are going to come from. Marcus Rashford struck after 81 seconds and then went missing for the rest of his 68 minutes on the pitch. Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were also introduced in that double change midway inside the second half but added absolutely nothing. What a terrible couple of signings they have proved to be and United’s fans would swap both of them for Ipswich’s Liam Delap. Amorim did not celebrate the Rashford goal and paced around his technical area throughout looking uneasy. Each time there was a break in play, he called over players for instructions. Alejandro Garnacho headed over to the touchline on a couple of occasions while there were also words for Diogo Dalot, Casemiro and Jonny Evans. Amorim, a manager with infectious enthusiasm, will be hopeful he can get his message across to all of the players in the next few weeks. But the problem for the Portuguese coach is that this was the first of 10 games in the space of 33 days. What he really needs are spells on the training ground without a midweek game but he does not have that luxury. The only problem is the shortage of alternatives. United’s lack of goals has been a problem for some time and just three teams have scored fewer than their 13 goals in the Prem this season. Rashford is top scorer with five in all competitions . Hojlund has two and Zirkzee one. Amorim said: “There is a concern but we have to improve as a team. We have quality players who can score so many goals. “But you could feel it in the second half on Sunday, we controlled possession of the ball but we were not dangerous. “Maybe because we spend the week trying to work on build up and then the rest was not working. “We will try to improve as a team and Rasmus and Josh and Rash will score more goals. “Even Bruno Fernandes has to score more goals! Amad has to be better near the goal.” READ MORE SUN STORIES Rashford has to improve and quickly. Because today he might be 27 but tomorrow he could be 56. WHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies . Optimism and hope was at an all-time low. But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals. Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term. He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers. The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival. And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford. Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up. Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”. United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won't be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.” And yet, you cannot help but compare the two. For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for.President Joe Biden acknowledged that he missed an opportunity to enhance his branding in the pandemic by not putting his name on relief checks, as his predecessor Donald Trump did. Biden's remarks came during a speech at the Brookings Institution where he defended his economic legacy. In the speech, Biden highlighted the country's strong economic indicators, such as low unemployment and growing infrastructure investments, while pointing out he had not sufficiently promoted these achievements during his tenure. He urged President-elect Trump to continue Democratic policies for economic stability. Biden also criticized Trump's suggested economic measures like tax cuts and tariffs, warning they could have detrimental impacts on the economy. He particularly opposed Project 2025, a proposal from the Heritage Foundation that calls for extensive restructuring of the federal government, urging Trump to dismiss it. (With inputs from agencies.)