NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana civil court judge on Monday halted state agencies' plans to forcibly clear homeless encampments in New Orleans. Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Ethel Julien issued a temporary restraining order blocking state police and two other agencies from evicting homeless people from their encampments in New Orleans or seizing their property without following city laws and due process. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry had called earlier this month for the City of New Orleans to remove a large encampment before Thanksgiving and warned he would intervene if the city did not comply. “If a judge believes that people have a right to be on whatever public space they choose, maybe that judge should have them move into her chambers and courtroom," Landry said after the judge issued the restraining order Monday. Louisiana State Police spokesperson Sgt. Katharine Stegall said the agency’s legal team and the state Attorney General’s Office are reviewing the order. State police have “promptly halted activities” and are “complying with the restrictions” of the order, Stegall said. Landry and New Orleans officials have repeatedly clashed over how to address the issue of homelessness in the city. New Orleans City Councilmember Lesli Harris said Monday that directing more resources towards moving homeless people into stable housing was “infinitely more effective than punitive sweeps” of encampments. “Coordination between the government and service providers on the housing of people is imperative, and continuously moving people only makes it that much harder to house them,” Harris said. But the governor has pushed to clear homeless encampments. In late October, Louisiana State Police, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Department of Transportation and Development converged on a homeless encampment under a highway to remove and relocate dozens of people prior to pop star Taylor Swift’s concerts in the nearby Superdome. Some people who had been away at the time of the clearances returned to the area to find they had lost their personal property including family heirlooms, identification documents and medication, according to testimony in court documents. City officials and advocates for homeless people decried the evictions and said they disrupted ongoing efforts to secure long-term housing for these individuals because they became harder to locate. A judge later granted a temporary restraining order preventing more clearances but declined to extend it beyond early November after lawyers representing the state police indicated in court that removals tied to the Taylor Swift concerts had ceased. But on Friday, homeless people began receiving flyers from state police officers ordering them to leave their encampments within 24 hours, according to a motion for relief filed on behalf of two homeless plaintiffs by the Southern Poverty Law Center and two other legal groups. The planned sweeps preceded the Bayou Classic football game on Saturday between Southern University and Grambling State University at the Superdome. “Your presence is considered a violation,” the flyers stated, according to the motion for relief. However, they were halted by the new temporary restraining order. On Dec. 3, the judge is scheduled to deliberate on whether to issue a preliminary injunction against the three state agencies. “The vulnerable people with disabilities who make up the vast majority of people living in the street deserve to be treated with sensitivity and compassion,” said Joe Heeren-Mueller, director of community engagement for Unity of Greater New Orleans, a homeless outreach organization. There are about 1,450 homeless people in New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish, according to a January survey by the nonprofit Unity of Greater New Orleans. The city has committed to securing housing for these individuals by the end of 2025. Brook 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. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96
Almost every second business lacks confidence in deepfake detection, according to a new industry assessment. This particularly relates to uncertainty with detection, leaving firms vulnerable to rising fraud risks. The study also uncovers significant gaps in preparedness, particularly in the Financial Services sector, where the threat is growing. The study comes from Regula , a global developer of identity verification solutions. The key message is a gap in preparedness: nearly half of businesses admit they are only partially confident in their ability to detect deepfakes, leaving them vulnerable to escalating fraud risks. Based on Regula’s study, “ The Deepfake Trends 2024 ,” 59 percent of businesses consider video deepfakes a serious threat, while 58 percent feel the same about audio deepfakes. Certain industries and regions feel the impact more acutely : In the Financial Services sector, 66 percent of respondents rank audio deepfakes as a moderate to significant risk. Traditional banks are among the least confident, with only 49 percent feeling prepared. In contrast, FinTech companies report the highest confidence levels at 63 percent. In terms of national trends, Mexico leads globally in deepfake threat perception, with 83 percent concerned about video deepfakes and 85 percent about audio deepfakes. By contrast, only 50 percent of U.S. organizations express concern about video deepfakes; meanwhile, Germany ranks slightly higher, with 57 percent of organizations worried. Germany leads in uncertainty, with only 47 percent of businesses expressing strong confidence in their defenses, while the UAE (63 percent) and the U.S. (60 percent) show the highest levels of confidence. Notably, businesses that have previously experienced identity fraud are twice as likely to view deepfake threats as a major concern. Despite widespread awareness, on average, 42 percent of businesses admit they are only “somewhat confident” in their ability to detect deepfakes. To address the issue, the study reveals that businesses adopting online identity verification (IDV) early are significantly more prepared. Those with seven years of IDV experience report 20 percent higher confidence than recent adopters. However, tackling deepfakes in-house can backfire. Companies building their own IDV systems reported higher average losses—$515,000 compared to $444,000 for those using ready-made solutions—underscoring the complexity of fighting fraud effectively. The report also uncovers a disconnect between owners and managers where 76 percent of business owners are confident in their ability to manage deepfake threats. Yet only 47 percent of managers feel the same, reflecting the day-to-day challenges of mitigating fraud. Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.I don't think anyone -- not even Meta -- expected last year's Ray-Ban smart glasses to be as big of a hit as they have been. However, baking a slew of useful features into a widely accepted form factor has made them one of the most successful tech gadgets in recent years. Since reviewing them a year ago, I still wear mine whenever I work, travel, and go out for walks. That's why I'm spotlighting one of the most competitive offers on the smart glasses yet, with both Meta and major retailers selling the wearable for 20% off, bringing the starting price down to just $239. The best part? The discount applies to every frame and style, including Wayfarer, Skyler, and Headliner. I won't get into the nitty-gritty of the Meta Ray-Bans, but their core features include a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens for capturing photos and videos, Bluetooth audio playing, and Meta AI for conversing and asking questions. 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You'll want to act fast, as the offer will run while supplies last. When in doubt, check listings from major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy if your preferred design is no longer available on the Ray-Ban website. When will this deal expire? Deals are subject to sell out or expire at any time, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Considering this offer is for a refurbished product, inventory is even more important than timing, so keep an eye out for the stock of the model that interests you the most. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We're sorry if you've missed out on this deal, but don't fret -- we're constantly finding new chances to save and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com . 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The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Marcus Adams Jr.'s 19 points helped CSU Northridge defeat Denver 89-60 on Monday night. Adams also added 11 rebounds for the Matadors (5-1). Keonte Jones added 17 points while shooting 4 of 6 from the field and 8 for 8 from the line and also had five rebounds and three blocks. PJ Fuller shot 2 of 8 from the field, including 0 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 6 from the line to finish with 10 points. Nicholas Shogbonyo led the way for the Pioneers (3-4) with 15 points. Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente added 10 points and two blocks for Denver. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .No. 25 Illinois rebounds in big way, blasts UMES 87-40
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November 21, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked proofread by Kathrin Haimerl, Universität Passau Cash grants appear to be more promising than matching grants, especially if the survival of small businesses, rather than innovation, is the key objective in fragile political contexts. This is the result of a study conducted by economists from the University of Passau and the World Bank in Washington D.C. and Burkina Faso. The research is published in the Journal of Development Economics . An unresolved policy question is whether support for small firms in the form of grants should be flexible ("cash grant"), and its exact use left to the discretion of the beneficiary, or whether it should be earmarked and accompanied by strict procurement rules and possibly an earmarked contribution ("matching grant"). To shed light on that question, researchers from the University of Passau and the World Bank conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in Burkina Faso to compare 400 firms that received flexible cash grants with 400 firms that received subsidies earmarked for investments in individualized technical training and consulting services. The study concludes that cash grants score higher in all categories and are also more cost-efficient. "Beneficiaries of cash grants showed higher survival rates, improved business practices , more formalization, and more innovation activities compared to beneficiaries of matching grants and firms in the control group ," explains Professor Michael Grimm, holder of the Chair of Development Economics at the University of Passau. He is the lead author of the study, which was published under the title "Supporting small firms in a fragile context: Comparing matching and cash grants in Burkina Faso." Together with his co-authors Dr. Sidiki Soubeiga, former doctoral student at the University of Passau and now consultant at the World Bank in Burkina Faso, and Dr. Michael Weber, senior economist at the World Bank in Washington D.C., Professor Grimm conducted a randomized controlled experiment in Burkina Faso, to assess the medium-term impacts and cost-effectiveness of two innovative interventions to enhance firm growth and job creation in a fragile and rural setting. Cash grants can be used for any business purpose. Matching grants are earmarked for business development services (BDS), such as technical training and expert consulting. Results at a glance Two years after implementing the interventions, the research team observed the following effects: Across all outcomes, beneficiaries of cash grants outperformed those receiving matching grants. Most cash grant beneficiaries chose to spend the grant on capital goods, inputs, and livestock rather than BDSs. Overall, there was little evidence of fraud or misuse, even for the more flexible cash grants. Cash grant beneficiaries increased investment, saw greater growth in capital stocks, and were more resilient to the COVID-19 crisis, which could boost profits, sales, and employment in the longer term. However, neither cash nor matching grants significantly increased profits, sales, and employment relative to the control group. Cash grants are more cost-effective to implement. Including the grants, the cost per beneficiary was USD 6,658 for recipients of cash grants and USD 7,135 for recipients of matching grants. The economists conducted the study as a randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso from 2019 to 2022, in partnership with the local Maison de l'Entreprise du Burkina Faso (MEBF) and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), which fielded the surveys. Participating firms were eligible for up to USD 8,000 either in the form of cash or matching grants. Procurement rules were stricter for matching grants to prevent misuse. In order to qualify for a grant , firms had to take part in a business plan competition. On behalf of MEBF, experts selected 1,200 entrepreneurs from 2,279 applications, who were randomly allocated into two treatment arms (cash grants or matching grants) and a control group. "Cash grants appear to be the more promising alternative, especially if survival of the firm rather than innovation is the key objective," says Professor Grimm, summarizing the results. "A flexible cash intervention, therefore, can be a worthwhile policy option in other fragile contexts with weak institutions and a low-skilled workforce." According to the researchers, this is the first study to compare matching grants with cash grants based on a randomized field experiment in a fragile context. More information: Michael Grimm et al, Supporting small firms in a fragile context: Comparing matching and cash grants in Burkina Faso, Journal of Development Economics (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2024.103344 Provided byUniversität Passau