By SARAH PARVINI, GARANCE BURKE and JESSE BEDAYN, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. While immigration officials have used the tech for years, an October letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by The Associated Press details how those tools — some of them powered by AI — help make life-altering decisions for immigrants, including whether they should be detained or surveilled. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency’s supervision. The letter, sent by DHS Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen to the immigrant rights group Just Futures Law, revealed that the score calculates the potential risk that an immigrant — with a pending case — will fail to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The algorithm relies on several factors, he said, including an immigrant’s number of violations and length of time in the program, and whether the person has a travel document. Hysen wrote that ICE officers consider the score, among other information, when making decisions about an immigrant’s case. “The Hurricane Score does not make decisions on detention, deportation, or surveillance; instead, it is used to inform human decision-making,” Hysen wrote. Also included in the government’s tool kit is a mobile app called SmartLINK that uses facial matching and can track an immigrant’s specific location. Nearly 200,000 people without legal status who are in removal proceedings are enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, under which certain immigrants can live in the U.S. while their immigration cases are pending. In exchange, SmartLINK and GPS trackers used by ICE rigorously surveil them and their movements. The phone application draws on facial matching technology and geolocation data, which has been used before to find and arrest those using the app. Just Futures Law wrote to Hysen earlier this year, questioning the fairness of using an algorithm to assess whether someone is a flight risk and raising concerns over how much data SmartLINK collects. Such AI systems, which score or screen people, are used widely but remain largely unregulated even though some have been found to discriminate on race, gender or other protected traits. DHS said in an email that it is committed to ensuring that its use of AI is transparent and safeguards privacy and civil rights while avoiding biases. The agency said it is working to implement the Biden administration’s requirements on using AI , but Hysen said in his letter that security officials may waive those requirements for certain uses. Trump has publicly vowed to repeal Biden’s AI policy when he returns to the White House in January. “DHS uses AI to assist our personnel in their work, but DHS does not use the outputs of AI systems as the sole basis for any law enforcement action or denial of benefits,” a spokesperson for DHS told the AP. Trump has not revealed how he plans to carry out his promised deportation of an estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally. Although he has proposed invoking wartime powers, as well as military involvement, the plan would face major logistical challenges — such as where to keep those who have been detained and how to find people spread across the country — that AI-powered surveillance tools could potentially address. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, did not answer questions about how they plan to use DHS’ tech, but said in a statement that “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation” in American history. Over 100 civil society groups sent a letter on Friday urging the Office of Management and Budget to require DHS to comply with the Biden administration’s guidelines. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Just Futures Law’s executive director, Paromita Shah, said if immigrants are scored as flight risks, they are more likely to remain in detention, “limiting their ability to prepare a defense in their case in immigration court, which is already difficult enough as it is.” SmartLINK, part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, is run by BI Inc., a subsidiary of the private prison company The GEO Group. The GEO Group also contracts with ICE to run detention centers. ICE is tight-lipped about how it uses SmartLINK’s location feature to find and arrest immigrants. Still, public records show that during Trump’s first term in 2018, Manassas, Virginia-based employees of BI Inc. relayed immigrants’ GPS locations to federal authorities, who then arrested over 40 people. In a report last year to address privacy issues and concerns, DHS said that the mobile app includes security features that “prohibit access to information on the participant’s mobile device, with the exception of location data points when the app is open.” But the report notes that there remains a risk that data collected from people “may be misused for unauthorized persistent monitoring.” Such information could also be stored in other ICE and DHS databases and used for other DHS mission purposes, the report said. On investor calls earlier this month, private prison companies were clear-eyed about the opportunities ahead. The GEO Group’s executive chairman George Christopher Zoley said that he expects the incoming Trump administration to “take a much more aggressive approach regarding border security as well as interior enforcement and to request additional funding from Congress to achieve these goals.” “In GEO’s ISAP program, we can scale up from the present 182,500 participants to several hundreds of thousands, or even millions of participants,” Zoley said. That same day, the head of another private prison company told investors he would be watching closely to see how the new administration may change immigrant monitoring programs. “It’s an opportunity for multiple vendors to engage ICE about the program going forward and think about creative and innovative solutions to not only get better outcomes, but also scale up the program as necessary,” Damon Hininger, CEO of the private prison company CoreCivic Inc. said on an earnings call. GEO did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, CoreCivic said that it has played “a valued but limited role in America’s immigration system” for both Democrats and Republicans for over 40 years.
Pro Picks is a weekly column where AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi shares his picks for upcoming games. For all previous Pro Picks, head here . Playoff berths, draft positioning and more are up for grabs in Week 17. There’s going to be plenty of football on television this holiday week with the NFL playing games on five out of six days, starting with a doubleheader on Christmas Day featuring four of the AFC’s top five teams. Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs visit Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. Then, two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens take on C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans. The Bears host the Seahawks on Thursday night and there are three games on Saturday, making Sunday’s schedule light at nine games. The Lions-49ers wrap up the weekend on Monday night. Pro Picks goes for another winning week. Line: Chargers minus 4 The Chargers would clinch a wild-card spot with a victory over the Patriots, who battled hard against the Bills. Los Angeles is 9-2 against the spread as favorites. Justin Herbert is 9-0 ATS in the Eastern time zone in his career. The Patriots have lost eight straight home games in December. BEST BET: CHARGERS: 23-16 Line: Bengals minus 3 Joe Burrow and the Bengals have to win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. They’re favorites for the 12th time this season despite a losing record. The Broncos would clinch a wild-card berth with a win. They’re 11-4 ATS. UPSET SPECIAL: BRONCOS: 23-22 Line: Chiefs minus 3 The Chiefs can set a franchise record for wins in the regular season and wrap up the No. 1 seed along with home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs as they continue their quest for a third straight Super Bowl title. Kansas City got another playmaker when wide receiver Marquise Brown made his season debut. Mahomes is 3-0 with 14 touchdowns and no interceptions in his career vs. Pittsburgh. The scuffling Steelers are trying to snap a two-game losing streak after missing an opportunity to clinch the AFC North. Wide receiver George Pickens should return from a hamstring injury and he’ll open up the passing game for Wilson and the offense. CHIEFS: 24-20 Line: Ravens minus 5 1/2 The Ravens have won five in a row over the Texans, including 34-10 in a divisional playoff game last season. Baltimore can move into first place in the AFC North with a win and loss by Pittsburgh. But Jackson and Derrick Henry face a tough challenge against Houston’s defense. Stroud and the Texans are reeling after losing receiver Tank Dell to a devastating knee injury. RAVENS: 23-19 Line: Seahawks minus 3 1/2 The Seahawks have to win to maintain slim playoff hopes. The Bears have lost nine straight. Geno Smith and Jaxon Smith-Njigba should have a big day against Chicago’s pass defense. SEAHAWKS: 26-20 Line: Rams minus 6 A four-game winning streak has the Rams on the verge of securing the NFC West. Los Angeles aims to avenge a lopsided loss to Arizona in Week 2. The Cardinals were eliminated from the playoffs and are reduced to playing spoiler. With Kyren Williams leading the rushing attack, the Rams don’t have to rely on Matthew Stafford’s passing as much. RAMS: 26-16 Line: Bills minus 10 The Bills will know going in if they have a shot at the AFC’s No. 1 seed. If the Chiefs beat the Steelers and lock it up, Buffalo’s main priority will be keeping Josh Allen and everyone healthy. Still, they can rest in Week 18. After a subpar effort against the Patriots, the Bills can’t take Aaron Rodgers and the Jets lightly. BILLS: 27-16 Line: Raiders minus 1 The Raiders already hurt their draft positioning by beating the Jaguars last week. Another win could further knock them down and negatively impact their quest for a franchise quarterback. But coach Antonio Pierce wants to win and the players don’t care about draft slots. The Saints can’t get to the end of the season fast enough. RAIDERS: 20-16 Line: Buccaneers minus 8 The Panthers have embraced the spoiler role and coach Dave Canales will try to derail his former team’s playoff hopes. Bryce Young keeps improving and Chuba Hubbard is having a career year. The Buccaneers would’ve lost to Carolina last month if Hubbard didn’t fumble in overtime. Baker Mayfield and a turnover-prone offense have to overcome a depleted defense that couldn’t stop Cooper Rush and the Cowboys. BUCCANEERS: 26-20 Line: Jaguars minus 1 The winner of this one really loses because it’ll be costly in the race for draft positioning. TITANS: 19-17 Line: Colts minus 8 The Giants have come too far to lose the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Colts are clinging to slim playoff hopes. Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson combined for 308 yards and four TDs against the Titans. They could have similar results against New York. COLTS: 27-16 Line: Eagles minus 9 1/2 The Cowboys are left to play for a winning record after being eliminated from the playoff race. The Eagles still need a win to secure the NFC East, but are almost locked into the No. 2 seed. If Jalen Hurts can’t play because of a concussion, Dallas has a shot against Kenny Pickett. Saquon Barkley is 268 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record. He could have a big day facing the fifth-worst run defense in the NFL. EAGLES: 24-17 Line: Vikings minus 1 The Vikings are two wins away from the NFC’s No. 1 seed with Sam Darnold. Let that sink in. But those won’t be easy victories. Minnesota has to beat Green Bay and then Detroit on the road to win the NFC North and get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Vikings defeated the Packers 31-29 in Green Bay in September. They’re getting the Packers on short rest off a Monday night rout. The Vikings have been overlooked and underrated. This is a statement game. VIKINGS: 27-22 Line: Dolphins minus 6 1/2 Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins still have slim playoff changes and get an opportunity to win a game in cold weather. A loss helps the Browns hold onto a top-five pick in the draft. DOLPHINS: 25-16 Line: Commanders minus 4 The Falcons regained control of their NFC South hopes when the Buccaneers lost. Now, they have a tough test against the Commanders with Michael Penix Jr. making his second start facing off against Jayden Daniels in another matchup between rookie QBs. Daniels beat Caleb Williams and the Bears earlier this season on a Hail Mary. Washington clinches a playoff berth with a win or a loss by Tampa Bay. COMMANDERS: 24-23 Line: Lions minus 4 The Lions aim to avenge their loss in the NFC championship game, though this matchup lost its luster because the 49ers are eliminated from the playoff race. Detroit clinches the NFC’s No. 1 seed with a win if the Packers beat the Vikings. If Minnesota beats Green Bay, the Lions have to beat the Vikings in Week 18 to win the division and secure the top seed so the result against San Francisco won’t matter. In that case, Dan Campbell could choose to rest some of his starters in preparation for a winner-take-all regular-season finale. LIONS: 26-23 Last week: 12-4. Against spread: 8-7-1 Overall: Straight up: 168-72. Against spread: 131-105-4. Prime-time: Straight up: 39-14. Against spread: 29-23-1. Best Bet: Straight up: 9-7. Against spread: 8-8. Upset Special: Straight up: 9-7. Against spread: 9-7. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
A video is going viral on social media which shows a woman, seemingly dead in a coffin, coming back from the dead. The video was shared over a million times on social media, with users expressing shock at the way the woman supposedly suddenly becomes alive in the coffin. However, behind-the-scene footage of the video shared later on social media shows that the woman did not actually come back from the dead. After the original video went viral on social media, a video was released seemingly showing how the entire event transpired. It showed that the scene was staged and in the BTS video, the woman can be seen lying in the coffin and getting ready for the video. Here's the original viral video: Here's the BTS video shared later: The video has been described as creepy because of the way in which the woman suddenly opens her eyes, shocking the viewer invested in the narrative. Some people initially suspected that it was a case of a dead body's eyes opening suddenly due to a loss of muscle caused after death. Usually, embalmers, stitches or glue is used to sew or paste the eyes so that they don't open up and create an uncanny situation for mourners. However, that was not the case, as the later video revealed that the video was staged and created in such a way that the viral element, coming from the shock value, is emphasized. After knowing the truth, social media hit out at the video for its allegedly misleading character. "Sounds like a classic case of internet drama spinning tales...," one user wrote. "Always question the source and look for context." "They probably think we stupid 😭 that bitch not dead," wrote another. "Viral doesn’t equal truth. Too many are fooled by the spectacle. Let’s focus on what’s real, not what’s trending," said another. "Looks like the internet loves a good mystery, But the truth behind the scenes is always more intriguing," said one.''' Rare cases of people coming back to life after being declared dead, known as the "Lazarus phenomenon," include: Janina Kolkiewicz, 91, who awoke 11 hours after being declared dead, craving tea and pancakes; a 66-year-old revived 10 minutes post-resuscitation during surgery; and a 78-year-old Mississippi man who woke up in a morgue body bag the next day. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US Buzz, World and around the world.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Buried among Florida's manicured golf courses and sprawling suburbs are the artifacts of its slave-holding past: the long-lost cemeteries of enslaved people, the statues of Confederate soldiers that still stand watch over town squares, the old plantations turned into modern subdivisions that bear the same name. But many students aren't learning that kind of Black history in Florida classrooms. In an old wooden bungalow in Delray Beach, Charlene Farrington and her staff gather groups of teenagers on Saturday mornings to teach them lessons she worries that public schools won't provide. They talk about South Florida's Caribbean roots, the state's dark history of lynchings , how segregation still shapes the landscape and how grassroots activists mobilized the Civil Rights Movement to upend generations of oppression. “You need to know how it happened before so you can decide how you want it to happen again," she told her students as they sat as their desks, the morning light illuminating historic photographs on the walls. Florida students are giving up their Saturday mornings to learn about African American history at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach and in similar programs at community centers across the state. Many are supported by Black churches, which for generations have helped forge the cultural and political identity of their parishioners. Since Faith in Florida developed its own Black history toolkit last year, more than 400 congregations have pledged to teach the lessons, the advocacy group says. Florida has required public schools to teach African American history for the past 30 years, but many families no longer trust the state's education system to adequately address the subject. By the state’s own metrics, just a dozen Florida school districts have demonstrated excellence at teaching Black history, by providing evidence that they are incorporating the content into lessons throughout the school year and getting buy-in from the school board and community partners. School district officials across Florida told The Associated Press that they are still following the state mandate to teach about the experience of enslavement, abolition and the "vital contributions of African Americans to build and strengthen American society.” But a common complaint from students and parents is that the instruction seems limited to heroic figures such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks and rarely extends beyond each February's Black History Month . When Sulaya Williams' eldest child started school, she couldn't find the comprehensive instruction she wanted for him in their area. So in 2016, she launched her own organization to teach Black history in community settings. “We wanted to make sure that our children knew our stories, to be able to pass down to their children," Williams said. Williams now has a contract to teach Saturday school at a public library in Fort Lauderdale, and her 12-year-old daughter Addah Gordon invites her classmates to join her. “It feels like I’m really learning my culture. Like I’m learning what my ancestors did,” Addah said. “And most people don’t know what they did.” Black history mandate came at time of atonement State lawmakers unanimously approved the African American history requirement in 1994 at a time of atonement over Florida's history. Historians commissioned by the state had just published an official report on the deadly attack on the town of Rosewood in 1923, when a white mob razed the majority-Black community and drove out its residents. When the Florida Legislature approved financial compensation for Rosewood's survivors and descendants in 1994, it was seen as a national model for reparations . “There was a moment of enlightenment in Florida, those decades ago. There really was," said Marvin Dunn, who has authored multiple books on Black Floridians. “But that was short-lived.” Three decades later, the teaching of African American history remains inconsistent across Florida classrooms, inadequate in the eyes of some advocates, and is under fire by the administration of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has championed efforts to restrict how race , history and discrimination can be talked about in the state’s public schools . DeSantis has led attacks on “wokeness” in education that rallied conservatives nationwide, including President-elect Donald Trump . In 2022, the governor signed a law restricting certain race-based conversations in schools and businesses and prohibits teaching that members of one ethnic group should feel guilt or bear responsibility for actions taken by previous generations. Last year, DeSantis’ administration blocked a new Advanced Placement course on African American Studies from being taught in Florida, saying it violates state law and is historically inaccurate. A spokesperson for the College Board, which oversees Advanced Placement courses, told the AP they are not aware of any public schools in Florida currently offering the African American Studies class. It's also not listed in the state's current course directory. Representatives for the Florida Department of Education and the state's African American History Task Force did not respond to The AP's requests for comment. “People who are interested in advancing African diaspora history can’t rely on schools to do that,” said Tameka Bradley Hobbs, manager of Broward County's African-American Research Library and Cultural Center. "I think it’s even more clear now that there needs to be a level of self-reliance and self-determination when it comes to passing on the history and heritage of our ancestors.” Most Florida schools don't offer Black history classes Last year, only 30 of Florida's 67 traditional school districts offered at least one standalone course on African American history or humanities, according to state data. While not required by state law, having a dedicated Black history class is a measure of how districts are following the state mandate. Florida's large urban districts are far more likely to offer the classes, compared to small rural districts, some of which have fewer than 2,000 students. Even in districts that have staff dedicated to teaching Black history, some teachers are afraid of violating state law, according to Brian Knowles, who oversees African American, Holocaust and Latino studies for the Palm Beach County school district. “There’s so many other districts and so many kids that we’re missing because we’re tiptoeing around what is essentially American history,” Knowles said. Frustration over the restrictions that teachers face pushed Renee O'Connor to take a sabbatical last year from her job teaching Black history at Miami Norland Senior High School in the majority-Black city of Miami Gardens. Now, she is back in the classroom, but she also has been helping community groups develop their own Black history programs outside of the public school system. “I wish, obviously, all kids were able to take an African American history class,” O'Connor said, “but you have to pivot if it’s not happening in schools.” ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Kate Payne, The Associated PressMom left in tears after her two-year-old son cut off her hair as she slept before supergluing it back on