What does Big Tech hope to gain from warming up to Trump?
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart's sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are re-evaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups. The changes announced by the world's biggest retailer on Monday followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The retreat from such programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump's incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher at the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches -- the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President -- are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the October survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associate at Pew, called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI," Glasgow said. "The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Walmart says its U.S. businesses sourced more than $13 billion in goods and services from diverse suppliers in fiscal year 2024, including businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America's top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart's announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart's need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company has no explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer's ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart." Walmart's announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.
SOUTH LEBANON - The Lebanese army and UNIFIL have completed preparations for a gradual deployment in Khiyam after clearing it of unexploded ordnance and redeploying in the checkpoints that had been evacuated before the Israeli ground incursion. Following the retreatment of the Israeli occupation forces from the outskirts of the border city towards Sarda in the Wazzani plain, dozens of families are waiting for the moment to reenter their war-ravaged city to retrieve the bodies of martyrs from the rubble and rebuild their homes. The redeployment of the Lebanese army in northern Khiyam coincided with an Israeli Hermes drone martyring 3 citizens who were checking their homes. Najib Mikati, the caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister, has described the attack as “a blatant betrayal that violates all the pledges made by the parties that sponsored the ceasefire agreement. The United States and France are required to declare a clear position on what happened and to curb the Israeli aggression.” The steadfast town of Khiyam has an honorable history of defending the Lebanese territory and confronting the Israeli enemy. Every inch of the land in Khiyam tells a story of heroism and the name of an honorable martyr is engraved on every stone. The city has suffered greatly as a result of the Israeli occupation since the 1982 invasion, when the enemy turned its military barracks into detention centers, and practiced the most heinous forms of torture until the liberation in 2000. During the 2006 war, the Khiyam plain was the cemetery of the Merkava. Khiyam proved to be resistant to defeat. Since October 2023, the heroic scene has been repeated as Khiyam has sacrificed its best heroes for the sake of Palestine. After Khiyam, the Lebanese army is expected to be redeployed in all eastern border towns as the enemy postpones the implementation of the truce within 60 days. It is doing what it failed to do during the war as it continues to bombard homes. In 72 hours, the Israeli enemy destroyed 80% of the capabilities of the Syrian army, which will need an entire generation to rebuild. Will the Lebanese army be able to protect Lebanon? It is not surprising that the Lebanese army will fail to do so as the Zionist-American colonialism does not want powerful armies in the region, plain and simple. Hence, Observers believe that the re-deployment of the Lebanese army will not prevent the continuation of Israeli violations. Since the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon in 2005, Lebanon’s pro-US political factions have prevented the Lebanese army from cooperating with any country that Washington does not like. The best evidence of this is what happened in 2008 when Vladimir Putin decided to give Lebanon MiG-29 fighter jets, tanks, and artillery with weapons and ammunition. Washington, however, quickly thwarted it along with various other offers. Instead of confronting the US-Israeli hegemony, Lebanese Army Commander Joseph Aoun presents himself as a presidential candidate who seeks not to anger Washington.Jurors will likely never decide whether the president-elect is criminally responsible for his attempts to cling to power after losing the 2020 campaign.
Ian Schieffelin, Clemson topple Penn State to win Sunshine SlamPercentages: FG .596, FT .833. 3-Point Goals: 10-23, .435 (Kopp 4-7, Nyeri 3-5, Petty 2-3, Ammons 1-3, Grady 0-2, Hall 0-3). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 2 (Nyeri, Petty). Turnovers: 8 (Ammons 2, Hall 2, Ebonkoli, Ijeh, Kopp, Petty). Steals: 6 (Kopp 2, Diallo, Ebonkoli, Grady, Petty). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .475, FT .462. 3-Point Goals: 5-18, .278 (Ríos 2-7, L.Gonzalez 1-1, Fret 1-2, Hollingsworth 1-2, Fraguada 0-1, Texidor 0-1, Rivera 0-2, Torres 0-2). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 1 (Rivera). Turnovers: 12 (L.Gonzalez 4, Fret 3, Benitez 2, A.Gonzalez, Ríos, Torres). Steals: 3 (Benitez, L.Gonzalez, Ramirez). Technical Fouls: None. .
“We had another outstanding quarter with record revenue and positive Adjusted EBITDA...We are very excited with our VSDHOne release and onboarding clients to increase our growth pace” - Shane Madden, CEO of Hydreight VANCOUVER, British Columbia and LAS VEGAS, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hydreight Technologies Inc. (“Hydreight” or the “Company”) ( TSXV: NURS )( OTCQB: HYDTF )( FSE: SO6 ), a fast-growing mobile clinical network and medical platform which enables flexible at-home medical services across 50 states in the United States, is pleased to announce its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024. All financial information is presented in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated. Summary of Q3, 2024 Financial Highlights: Shane Madden, CEO of Hydreight commented, “We had an outstanding quarter with record revenue, Adjusted EBITDA1 and Adjusted Revenue1. We are very excited for our “VSDHONE” products expansion and cashflow from that in the upcoming year”. Madden continues "Our balance sheet and P&L reflect a provision for US sales and use tax where we have taken the most conservative approach in recognizing a liability of uncertain timing and amount based on our internal and preliminary assessment of sales and use tax nexus under the most expansive taxability assumptions. Given the complexity of our corporate structure and State excise tax laws and regulations, we have engaged external tax professionals to prepare a detailed review of our corporate structure to determine the Company’s liability for sales and use tax by revenue stream at the State-by-State level. We anticipate the liability to be settled at an amount materially less than the provision. The Company believes the following Non-GAAP1 financial measures provide meaningful insight to aid in the understanding of the Company’s performance and may assist in the evaluation of the Company’s business relative to that of its peers: 1 Refer to Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures The table below sets out a summary of certain financial results of the Company over the past eight quarters and is derived from the audited annual consolidated financial statements and unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements of the Company. The Company has experienced dramatic user growth over the past two years as can be seen by the consistent revenue growth over the past eight quarters. The Company continues to deliver on its mission of building one of the largest mobile clinical networks in the United States. Through its medical network, pharmacy network and proprietary technology platform that adheres to the complex healthcare legislation across 50 states, Hydreight has provided a fully integrated solution for healthcare providers to become independent contractors. Hydreight remains focused on its strategic priorities of (1) Profitability (2) adding more product and service offerings for its customers, (3) introducing Hydreight story with more potential shareholders (4) driving white label partnerships and Nurses to the platform and (5) looking for strategic tuck in M&A opportunities to scale and grow the business quickly and efficiently . Hydreight will continue to invest into its technology to ensure continuous improvements, advancements and updates adhering to changes within the healthcare industry. Please see SEDAR + for the Company's condensed interim consolidated unaudited financial statements and MD&A for the three and six months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 and for the Company’s audited annual consolidated financial statements and MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. About VSDHOne - Direct to Consumer Platform In a partnership with two other parties, Hydreight Technologies launched the VSDHOne (Read as VSDH-One)platform. VSDHOne simplifies the entry challenges for companies and medi-spa businesses to enter the online healthcare space compliantly. This platform will help all businesses to launch a direct-to-consumer healthcare brand in a matter of days in all 50 states. Compliant offerings include: GLP-1s (semaglutide, tirzepatide), peptides, personalized healthcare treatments, sermorelin, testosterone replacement therapy (“TRT”), hair loss, skincare, sexual health and more. Hydreight invested in technology, legal and infrastructure to launch this platform. The VSDHOne platform offers a complete, end-to-end solution for businesses looking to launch direct-to-consumer healthcare brands. From compliance and telemedicine technology to nationwide doctor and pharmacy networks, VSDHOne provides all the tools needed for a seamless entry into the online healthcare space. The platform is designed to significantly reduce the time and costs associated with launching such services, making it possible for businesses to go live in days instead of months. About Hydreight Technologies Inc. Hydreight Technologies Inc. is building one of the largest mobile clinic networks in the United States. Its proprietary, fully integrated platform hosts a network of over 2500 nurses, over 100 doctors and a pharmacy network across 50 states. The platform includes a built-in, easy-to-use suite of fully integrated tools for accounting, documentation, sales, inventory, booking, and managing patient data, which enables licensed healthcare professionals to provide services directly to patients at home, office or hotel. Hydreight is bridging the gap between provider compliance and patient convenience, empowering nurses, med spa technicians, and other licensed healthcare professionals. The Hydreight platform allows healthcare professionals to deliver services independently, on their own terms, or to add mobile services to existing location-based operations. Hydreight has a 503B pharmacy network servicing all 50 states and is closely affiliated with a U.S. certified e-script and telemedicine provider network. On behalf of the Board of Directors Shane Madden Director and Chief Executive Officer Hydreight Technologies Inc. Contact Email: ir@hydreight.com ; Telephone: (702) 970 8112 This press release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures: This release contains references to non-GAAP financial measures Adjusted Revenue (also referred to as Topline Revenue), Adjusted Gross Margin, and Adjusted EBITDA. The Company defines Adjusted Revenue as gross cash income before adjustment for the deferred portion of business partner contract revenue and gross receipts from Hydreight App service sales. The Company defines Adjusted Gross Margin as GAAP gross margin plus inventory impairment plus the deferred portion of business partner contract revenue. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and before (i) transaction, restructuring, and integration costs and share-based payments expense, and (iii) gains/losses that are not reflective of ongoing operating performance. The Company believes that the measures provide information useful to its shareholders and investors in understanding the Company’s operating cash flow growth, user growth, and cash generating potential for funding working capital requirements, service future interest and principal debt repayments and fund future growth initiatives. These non-GAAP measures may assist in the evaluation of the Company’s business relative to that of its peers more accurately than GAAP financial measures alone. This data is furnished to provide additional information and does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP. Accordingly, it should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP and is not necessarily indicative of other metrics presented in accordance with GAAP. Neither TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains statements which constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, path to profitability, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect” or similar expressions and includes information regarding expectations for the Company's growth and profitability in 2024. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects the Company’s management’s expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the ability to obtain requisite regulatory and other approvals with respect to the business operated by the Company and/or the potential impact of the listing of the Company’s shares on the TSXV on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; compliance with extensive government regulation; and the diversion of management time as a result of being a publicly listed entity. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of the Company and market conditions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. 1See Use of Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresMasterChef winner responds to Gregg Wallace experience with one word
Saints hope to ride the Rizzi factor back to relevance after their bye weekNEW YORK (AP) — In a string of visits, dinners, calls, monetary pledges and social media overtures, big tech chiefs — including Apple's Tim Cook , OpenAI’s Sam Altman , Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg , SoftBank's Masayoshi Son and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos — have joined a parade of business and world leaders in trying to improve their standing with President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office in January. “The first term, everybody was fighting me,” Trump said in remarks at Mar-a-Lago . “In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.” Tech companies and leaders have now poured millions into his inauguration fund, a sharp increase — in most cases — from past pledges to incoming presidents. But what does the tech industry expect to gain out of their renewed relationships with Trump? A clue to what the industry is looking for came just days before the election when Microsoft executives — who’ve largely tried to show a neutral or bipartisan stance — joined with a close Trump ally, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, to publish a blog post outlining their approach to artificial intelligence policy. “Regulation should be implemented only if its benefits outweigh its costs,” said the document signed by Andreessen, his business partner Ben Horowitz, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the company's president, Brad Smith. They also urged the government to back off on any attempt to strengthen copyright laws that would make it harder for companies to use publicly available data to train their AI systems. And they said, “the government should examine its procurement practices to enable more startups to sell technology to the government.” Trump has pledged to rescind President Joe Biden’s sweeping AI executive order, which sought to protect people’s rights and safety without stifling innovation. He hasn’t specified what he would do in its place, but his campaign said AI development should be “rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.” Trump's choice to head the Interior Department, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, has spoken openly about the need to boost electricity production to meet increased demand from data centers and artificial intelligence. “The AI battle affects everything from defense to healthcare to education to productivity as a country,′′ Burgum said on Nov. 15, referring to artificial intelligence. “And the AI that’s coming in the next 18 months is going to be revolutionary. So there’s just a sense of urgency and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration′′ to address it. Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and AI, and local governments are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to consume more resources, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. “Maybe Big Tech should buy a copy of ‘The Art of The Deal’ to figure out how to best negotiate with this administration,” suggested Paul Swanson, an antitrust attorney for the law firm Holland & Hart. “I won’t be surprised if they find ways to reach some accommodations and we end up seeing more negotiated resolutions and consent decrees.” Although federal regulators began cracking down on Google and Facebook during Trump’s first term as president — and flourished under Biden — most experts expect his second administration to ease up on antitrust enforcement and be more receptive to business mergers. Google may benefit from Trump’s return after he made comments on the campaign trail suggesting a breakup of the company isn’t in the U.S. national interest, after a judge declared its search engine an illegal monopoly . But recent nominations put forward by his transition team have favored those who have been critical of Big Tech companies, suggesting Google won’t be entirely off the hook. Cook’s notoriously rocky relationship with the EU can be traced back to a 2016 ruling from Brussels in a tax case targeting Apple. Cook slammed the bloc’s order for Apple to pay back up to 13 billion euros ($13.7 billion) in Irish back taxes as “total political crap.” Trump, then in his first term as president, piled on, referring to the European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who was spearheading a campaign on special tax deals and a crackdown on Big Tech companies, as someone who “really hates the U.S.” Brussels was eventually vindicated after the bloc’s top court rejected Apple’s appeal this year, though it didn’t stop Cook from calling Trump to complain, Trump recounted in a podcast in October. Altman , Amazon and Meta all pledged to donate $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which billionaire Bezos owns. Meanwhile, Bezos had criticized some of Trump’s past rhetoric. In 2019, Amazon also argued in a court case that Trump’s bias against the company harmed its chances of winning a $10 billion Pentagon contract. More recently, Bezos has struck a more conciliatory tone. He recently said at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York that he was “optimistic” about Trump’s second term, while also endorsing president-elect’s plans to cut regulations. The donation from Meta came just weeks after Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago. During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president, but voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. Earlier this year, he praised Trump’s response to his first assassination attempt. Still, Trump in recent months had continued to attack Zuckerberg publicly. And Altman, who is in a legal dispute with AI rival Elon Musk, has said he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence in the incoming administration. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the company earlier this year alleging that the maker of ChatGPT betrayed its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. “We have two multi-billionaires, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are tasked with cutting what they’re saying will be multiple trillions of dollars from the federal budget, reducing the civil service, the workforce,” said Rob Lalka, a business professor at Tulane University. Musk, he said, has a level of access to the White House that very few others have had -- access that allows him to potentially influence multiple policy areas, including foreign policy, automotive and energy policy through EVs, and tech policy on artificial intelligence. “Elon Musk walked into Twitter’s headquarters with a sink and then posted, ‘let that sink in,‘” he said. “Elon Musk then posted a status update on X, a picture of himself with a sink in the Oval Office and said, 'Let that sink in.′"MIAMI — Shaq Barrett’s retirement during the summer stunned the Dolphins and their fans. But after a few months on the sideline, the two two-time Pro Bowler wants back in. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Special teams miscues prove costly for Bears in overtime loss to Vikings“The first term, everybody was fighting me,” Trump said in remarks at Mar-a-Lago . “In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.” Tech companies and leaders have now poured millions into his inauguration fund, a sharp increase — in most cases — from past pledges to incoming presidents. But what does the tech industry expect to gain out of their renewed relationships with Trump? A clue to what the industry is looking for came just days before the election when Microsoft executives — who’ve largely tried to show a neutral or bipartisan stance — joined with a close Trump ally, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, to publish a blog post outlining their approach to artificial intelligence policy. “Regulation should be implemented only if its benefits outweigh its costs,” said the document signed by Andreessen, his business partner Ben Horowitz, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the company's president, Brad Smith. They also urged the government to back off on any attempt to strengthen copyright laws that would make it harder for companies to use publicly available data to train their AI systems. And they said, “the government should examine its procurement practices to enable more startups to sell technology to the government.” Trump has pledged to rescind President Joe Biden’s sweeping AI executive order, which sought to protect people’s rights and safety without stifling innovation. He hasn’t specified what he would do in its place, but his campaign said AI development should be “rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.” Trump's choice to head the Interior Department, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, has spoken openly about the need to boost electricity production to meet increased demand from data centers and artificial intelligence. “The AI battle affects everything from defense to healthcare to education to productivity as a country,′′ Burgum said on Nov. 15, referring to artificial intelligence. “And the AI that’s coming in the next 18 months is going to be revolutionary. So there’s just a sense of urgency and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration′′ to address it. Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and local governments are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to consume more resources, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. “Maybe Big Tech should buy a copy of ‘The Art of The Deal’ to figure out how to best negotiate with this administration,” suggested Paul Swanson, an antitrust attorney for the law firm Holland & Hart. “I won’t be surprised if they find ways to reach some accommodations and we end up seeing more negotiated resolutions and consent decrees.” Although federal regulators began cracking down on Google and Facebook during Trump’s first term as president — and flourished under Biden — most experts expect his second administration to ease up on antitrust enforcement and be more receptive to business mergers. Google may benefit from Trump’s return after he made comments on the campaign trail suggesting a breakup of the company isn’t in the U.S. national interest, after a judge declared its search engine an illegal monopoly . But recent nominations put forward by his transition team have favored those who have been critical of Big Tech companies, suggesting Google won’t be entirely off the hook. Cook’s notoriously rocky relationship with the EU can be traced back to a 2016 ruling from Brussels in a tax case targeting Apple. Cook slammed the bloc’s order for Apple to pay back up to 13 billion euros ($13.7 billion) in Irish back taxes as “total political crap.” Trump, then in his first term as president, piled on, referring to the European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who was spearheading a campaign on special tax deals and a crackdown on Big Tech companies, as the “tax lady” who “really hates the U.S.” Brussels was eventually vindicated after the bloc’s top court rejected Apple’s appeal this year, though it didn’t stop Cook from calling Trump to complain, Trump recounted in a podcast in October. Trump hosted Cook for a Friday evening dinner at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. Neither Apple nor the Trump transition team has commented on the nature of their discussions. Altman , Amazon and Meta all pledged to donate $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which billionaire Bezos owns. Meanwhile, Bezos had criticized some of Trump’s past rhetoric. In 2019, Amazon also argued in a court case that Trump’s bias against the company harmed its chances of winning a $10 billion Pentagon contract. More recently, Bezos has struck a more conciliatory tone. He recently said at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York that he was “optimistic” about Trump’s second term, while also endorsing president-elect’s plans to cut regulations. The donation from Meta came just weeks after Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago. During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president, but voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. Earlier this year, he praised Trump’s response to his first assassination attempt. Still, Trump in recent months had continued to attack Zuckerberg publicly. And Altman, who is in a legal dispute with AI rival Elon Musk, has said he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence in the incoming administration. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging that the maker of ChatGPT betrayed its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits.
Indian Researchers Find Method To Decode Monkeypox Virus, Aid DiagnosticsFLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets running back Breece Hall could play Sunday at Jacksonville after missing a game with a knee injury. Hall has been dealing with a hyperextension and injured MCL in his left knee that sidelined him last Sunday at Miami. But he was a full participant at practice Friday after sitting out Wednesday and Thursday. Hall was officially listed as questionable on the team's final injury report. “He looks good right now,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “So it’s promising.” Hall leads the Jets with 692 yards rushing and four touchdown runs, and he also has 401 yards receiving and two scores on 46 catches. A pair of rookies helped New York offset Hall's absence last weekend, with Braelon Allen rushing for 43 yards on 11 carries, and Isaiah Davis getting 40 yards on 10 attempts and scoring his first rushing touchdown. “We’re hopeful and we’ll see how it goes,” Ulbrich said of Hall. The Jets will get star cornerback Sauce Gardner back after he missed a game with a hamstring injury, but New York's secondary appears likely to be without cornerback D.J. Reed because of a groin injury. Reed was listed as doubtful after he didn't practice Thursday or Friday. “It’s been something that’s kind of lingered here and there,” Ulbrich said. “It’s gotten aggravated and then it went away, and then it got aggravated again. So, it’s just dealing with that.” Backup Brandin Echols is out with a shoulder injury, so veteran Isaiah Oliver or rookie Qwan'tez Stiggers could get the start opposite Gardner if Reed can't play. Kendall Sheffield also could be elevated from the practice squad for the second game in a row. Ulbrich said kick returner Kene Nwangwu will be placed on injured reserve after breaking a hand last weekend at Miami. The injury came a week after he was selected the AFC special teams player of the week in his Jets debut, during which he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and forced a fumble in a loss to Seattle. “To put him out there with a broken hand, just thought it’d be counterproductive for him and for us as a team, so it unfortunately cuts the season short and what a bright light he was,” Ulbrich said. “What an amazing future I think he has in this league. With saying that, he’s already been a really good player for quite a while, so (it's) unfortunate, but he’ll be back.” Offensive lineman Xavier Newman (groin) is doubtful, while right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) and RT Morgan Moses (wrist) are questionable. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLGlobal research team develops H5N1 detection kit to tackle avian flu - Medical Xpress