COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Ethan Taylor's 21 points helped Air Force defeat Mercyhurst 82-48 on Sunday night. Taylor added 10 rebounds for the Falcons (2-4). Wesley Celichowski scored 14 points, going 6 of 11 and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Luke Kearney had 12 points and shot 4 for 5 from beyond the arc. The Lakers (4-3) were led by Aidan Reichert, who posted 11 points. Jeff Planutis added 10 points for Mercyhurst. Mykolas Ivanauskas also had seven points, six rebounds and three blocks. Air Force took the lead with 15:21 left in the first half and never looked back. The score was 31-24 at halftime, with Taylor racking up nine points. Air Force extended its lead to 45-26 during the second half, fueled by a 14-0 scoring run. Taylor scored a team-high 12 points in the second half as Air Force closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .By MELINA WALLING Associated Press BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. It’s a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still deeply unsatisfied but some hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction. World Resources Institute president and CEO Ani Dasgupta called it “an important down payment toward a safer, more equitable future,” but added that the poorest and most vulnerable nations are “rightfully disappointed that wealthier countries didn’t put more money on the table when billions of people’s lives are at stake.” The summit was supposed to end on Friday evening but negotiations spiraled on through early Sunday. With countries on opposite ends of a massive chasm, tensions ran high as delegations tried to close the gap in expectations. Here’s how they got there: What was the finance deal agreed at climate talks? Rich countries have agreed to pool together at least $300 billion a year by 2035. It’s not near the full amount of $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, and that experts said was needed. But delegations more optimistic about the agreement said this deal is headed in the right direction, with hopes that more money flows in the future. The text included a call for all parties to work together using “all public and private sources” to get closer to the $1.3 trillion per year goal by 2035. That means also pushing for international mega-banks, funded by taxpayer dollars, to help foot the bill. And it means, hopefully, that companies and private investors will follow suit on channeling cash toward climate action. The agreement is also a critical step toward helping countries on the receiving end create more ambitious targets to limit or cut emissions of heat-trapping gases that are due early next year. It’s part of the plan to keep cutting pollution with new targets every five years, which the world agreed to at the U.N. talks in Paris in 2015. The Paris agreement set the system of regular ratcheting up climate fighting ambition as away to keep warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. The world is already at 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) and carbon emissions keep rising. What will the money be spent on? The deal decided in Baku replaces a previous agreement from 15 years ago that charged rich nations $100 billion a year to help the developing world with climate finance. The new number has similar aims: it will go toward the developing world’s long laundry list of to-dos to prepare for a warming world and keep it from getting hotter. That includes paying for the transition to clean energy and away from fossil fuels. Countries need funds to build up the infrastructure needed to deploy technologies like wind and solar power on a large scale. Communities hard-hit by extreme weather also want money to adapt and prepare for events like floods, typhoons and fires. Funds could go toward improving farming practices to make them more resilient to weather extremes, to building houses differently with storms in mind, to helping people move from the hardest-hit areas and to help leaders improve emergency plans and aid in the wake of disasters. The Philippines, for example, has been hammered by six major storms in less than a month, bringing to millions of people howling wind, massive storm surges and catastrophic damage to residences, infrastructure and farmland. “Family farmers need to be financed,” said Esther Penunia of the Asian Farmers Association. She described how many have already had to deal with millions of dollars of storm damage, some of which includes trees that won’t again bear fruit for months or years, or animals that die, wiping out a main source of income. “If you think of a rice farmer who depends on his or her one hectare farm, rice land, ducks, chickens, vegetables, and it was inundated, there was nothing to harvest,” she said. Why was it so hard to get a deal? Election results around the world that herald a change in climate leadership, a few key players with motive to stall the talks and a disorganized host country all led to a final crunch that left few happy with a flawed compromise. The ending of COP29 is “reflective of the harder geopolitical terrain the world finds itself in,” said Li Shuo of the Asia Society. He cited Trump’s recent victory in the US — with his promises to pull the country out of the Paris Agreement — as one reason why the relationship between China and the EU will be more consequential for global climate politics moving forward. Developing nations also faced some difficulties agreeing in the final hours, with one Latin American delegation member saying that their group didn’t feel properly consulted when small island states had last-minute meetings to try to break through to a deal. Negotiators from across the developing world took different tacks on the deal until they finally agreed to compromise. Meanwhile, activists ramped up the pressure: many urged negotiators to stay strong and asserted that no deal would be better than a bad deal. But ultimately the desire for a deal won out. Some also pointed to the host country as a reason for the struggle. Mohamed Adow, director of climate and energy think tank Power Shift Africa, said Friday that “this COP presidency is one of the worst in recent memory,” calling it “one of the most poorly led and chaotic COP meetings ever.” The presidency said in a statement, “Every hour of the day, we have pulled people together. Every inch of the way, we have pushed for the highest common denominator. We have faced geopolitical headwinds and made every effort to be an honest broker for all sides.” Shuo retains hope that the opportunities offered by a green economy “make inaction self-defeating” for countries around the world, regardless of their stance on the decision. But it remains to be seen whether the UN talks can deliver more ambition next year. In the meantime, “this COP process needs to recover from Baku,” Shuo said.The astronomer who brought the cosmos closer to us
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 revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world's biggest retailer 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 risk associated with some of 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 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 November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated 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. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that 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 no longer has 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.” He 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."Published 23:29 IST, December 29th 2024 Let’s reflect on ten pivotal moments that shaped 2024 and promise to influence the future. As the clock ticks down to 2025, it’s hard not to feel the weight of the year gone by. If you’re exhausted by the upheavals of 2024, you’re not alone. But before the new year begins, let’s reflect on ten pivotal moments that shaped 2024 and promise to influence the future. The Space Race Heats Up In 2024, humanity’s aspirations reached new heights, even as geopolitical rivalries extended to the stars. Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM) touched down in a lunar crater in January, relaying data for three months. Meanwhile, China returned soil samples from the far side of the moon, and NASA’s Perseverance rover reported possible evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars. The European Union and Japan’s joint mission captured stunning images of Mercury’s south pole, while SpaceX showcased its innovative “chopstick arms” technology for rocket recovery. Yet, space exploration wasn’t all scientific achievement. The United States accused Russia of deploying a nuclear anti-satellite weapon, while China significantly increased its military satellite network. With agreements like the Artemis Accords gaining traction but still excluding China and Russia, the militarization of space remains an ominous trend. The Shadow of China Shock 2.0 China’s economic turbulence has reignited global trade tensions. Following years of internal economic challenges, Beijing leaned heavily on its old strategy of subsidized exports, flooding international markets with low-cost goods. While inexpensive solar panels and electric vehicles have environmental benefits, countries like the United States, Brazil, and members of the European Union scrambled to impose tariffs to protect their domestic industries. Economists warn this “China Shock 2.0” could lead to heightened trade disputes in 2025, though it may also prompt a new wave of international negotiations to address economic imbalances. The Sudanese Civil War’s Devastation Sudan’s brutal civil war continued unabated, pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict, rooted in a power struggle between former allies Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has caused immense human suffering. With Khartoum and much of Darfur in ruins, estimates of war-related deaths surpass 60,000. A famine in Darfur and the displacement of 11 million people have compounded the tragedy. International mediation efforts, including a UN Security Council meeting, yielded little progress. As external powers back both sides, the outlook for peace remains bleak. AI Advances and Ethical Challenges Artificial intelligence made groundbreaking strides in 2024, with far-reaching applications in medicine, manufacturing, and beyond. Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry recognized AI-driven innovations, including advances in protein structure prediction. Yet, the rapid evolution of AI has raised questions about regulation and ethical use. With the United States leading in most measures and China dominating research publications, the global AI race highlights disparities in technological access. As we navigate this brave new world, the debate over AI’s role in society will only intensify. Russia Regains Momentum in Ukraine The war in Ukraine entered its third year with Russia taking the upper hand. Employing a “meat-grinder” strategy, Russia made gains in eastern Ukraine at a staggering human cost. Ukrainian forces attempted counterattacks, including a bold incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. However, Moscow’s acquisition of North Korean troops and continued Western hesitance to provide advanced weaponry complicated Kyiv’s efforts. With casualties mounting and Western support wavering, the prospect of a negotiated ceasefire looms. Yet, Russian demands for Ukrainian capitulation remain a formidable obstacle. Global Political Shake-Ups Elections in 80 countries underscored a global anti-incumbency trend. Voters punished ruling parties in India, Japan, South Africa, and beyond, often forcing them into precarious coalitions. The United States and United Kingdom saw their incumbent parties ousted, while French President Emmanuel Macron’s snap parliamentary elections backfired spectacularly. Economic discontent and a yearning for strong leadership seem to have fueled this wave of change, but the future of democracy may hinge on addressing systemic challenges rather than simply replacing leaders. Climate Crisis Intensifies The climate crisis reached alarming new heights in 2024. Average global temperatures surpassed the critical 1.5°C threshold for the first time, while natural disasters caused unprecedented damage. In the United States alone, 24 weather-related events each inflicted over $1 billion in damages. Northern South America endured record drought, with parts of the Amazon drying up. While COP 29 made limited progress on funding climate adaptation, the global response still falls short of what scientists say is necessary. Technologies to mitigate climate change are advancing, but their impact may not come soon enough. Middle East Upheaval The aftermath of Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel reverberated across 2024, as Israel waged war in Gaza and retaliated against Iran and Hezbollah. With 45,000 dead in Gaza and northern regions nearing famine, the conflict shows no sign of resolution. Israel’s targeted operations weakened Hezbollah and Hamas but escalated tensions with Iran. In December, the Syrian government fell to Turkish-backed forces, further isolating Tehran. Whether these developments pave the way for peace or greater turmoil remains to be seen. A New Challenge for America? A growing alignment among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea has raised alarms about a new geopolitical bloc. This quartet has deepened military and economic ties, challenging Western dominance. Iran supplied Russia with drones, North Korea provided artillery shells, and China bolstered Russia’s defense industry. Joint military exercises and technology exchanges signal closer cooperation, but the lack of shared vision among these nations may limit their cohesion. How the West, or America to be more precise, responds to this challenge will shape global politics for years to come. Trump’s Historic Comeback Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election marked a historic political comeback. Following his controversial departure in 2020, Trump capitalized on economic discontent and immigration concerns to secure a narrow win. While claiming a sweeping mandate, his administration faces challenges, including a divided Congress. Trump’s return underscores the outsized influence of U.S. presidential elections on global affairs. How his leadership will reshape the international order remains a critical question as 2025 begins. As we reflect on these defining moments, it’s clear that 2024 was a year of profound transformation. From the heights of human achievement to the depths of political and environmental crises, these events will continue to shape our shared future. Updated 23:29 IST, December 29th 2024Oklahoma residents on Sunday mourned the death of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Fred Harris , a trailblazer in progressive politics in the state who ran an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1976. Harris died on Saturday at 94. Democratic Party members across Oklahoma remembered Harris for his commitment to economic and social justice during the 1960s — a period of historical turbulence. Harris chaired the Democratic National Committee from 1969 to 1970 and helped unify the party after its tumultuous national convention in 1968 when protesters and police clashed in Chicago.nambitomo Investment Overview I last covered BioMarin ( NASDAQ: BMRN ) in a note for Seeking Alpha back in June last year, just ahead of the Prescription Drug User fee Act ("PDUFA") date for its hemophilia drug Roctavian. The PDUFA date is the date by which If you like what you have just read and want to receive at least 4 exclusive stock tips every week focused on Pharma, Biotech and Healthcare, then join me at my marketplace channel, Haggerston BioHealth . Invest alongside the model portfolio, or simply access the investment bank-grade financial models and research. I hope to see you there. Edmund Ingham is a biotech consultant. He has been covering biotech, healthcare, and pharma for over 5 years, and has put together detailed reports of over 1,000 companies. He leads the investing group Haggerston BioHealth . Learn more Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.Kalidas Jayaram Celebrates White Christmas 2024 With Wife Tarini Kalingarayar in Finland, See The Stunning Pictures
U.S. needs a saner approach to immigrationStrike CEO Jack Mallers: 'Bitcoin Is The Best Performing Asset In The History Of Mankind'
Reusable digital identity emerged as one of the most prominent trends of the year in identification and fraud prevention. But the CEOs of three of the leading players in the nascent reusable ID market suggest in conversation with that 2024 was more of a precursor than the technology’s break-out year. Chief Executive Officer Nick Mothershaw tells in an interview that a similar conversation at the beginning of the year would likely not even have used the term “reusable identity.” refers to its value proposition as “identity acceptance,” and Liminal has forecast a major market opportunity for “ ,” which support the extension of digital IDs along different axes. “There are lots of different words to describe what we’re doing at the moment,” Mothershaw observes. “I guess we’ll all settle on one consistent one in the end.” Trinsic Co-founder and CEO Riley Hughes says he was not that optimistic about his company’s prospects for meeting its short-term revenue goals when we spoke at Identity Week, but “we’re in a different world now.” A conversation that has been confined to identity industry insiders for some time has finally gone beyond them in the past 12 to 18 months, CEO Robin Tombs tells . Goode Intelligence identified the trend towards reusable identity in an October 2023 report, citing the on how people access services. Tombs echoes this point at the close of 2024. Regulations that required right-to-work and other identity checks were amended to enable remote processes out of practical necessity. They also had to provide some degree of confidence in the authenticity of the identity provided. That meant adopting an approach that aligns neatly with trends in digital ID standardization and storage on mobile devices to unlock a concept which had long been considered an ideal to aspire to. “There was lots of logic that one day users would be keen to have reusable ID just as you have one passport to get into 200 countries ideally, rather than maybe apply for 200 visas every few years,” he says, but the same insiders who saw the concept’s value were acutely aware of the inherent challenge of a two-sided market. The volume of both consumer users and relying parties must be sufficient to provide value. Hughes is unable to pinpoint the exact cause or causes for his company’s sudden change in fortunes, suggesting perhaps it reached “enough features or enough users that it crossed some threshold.” Whatever changed, it reversed his concerns about hitting the startups 3 and 6-month revenue goals. “It’s been a kind of a crazy last few months trying to make sense of all this,” he says. Earlier in the year, Hughes says he had a lot of conversations that concluded with “’call me later’ type stuff.” The need for scale is what motivates Trinsic’s network model and Select ID’s market model, which Mothershaw says could be described as a network. Yoti provides its own digital ID, which is part of Trinsic’s network, and is also part of the ’s Easy ID and ’s Smart ID. Each is certified to the UK government’s Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF). is launching with three digital identity providers, who are currently going through testing. It is also currently in talks to add others, Mothershaw says. The first use case is UK financial services, and the service will launch with a single relying party in production. Select ID’s backers include , however, it is in talks with a couple of “fast followers,” and has a list of around 30 qualified prospects, according to Mothershaw. Select ID is looking at addressing other use cases in the future, “having built for the gold standard of financial services both in terms of identity proofing, authentication and data delivery, it’s now easy for us to dial that down, and say, ‘well actually now, we just want to do age.’” The urgency with which it does so will depend somewhat on the outcome of regulatory decisions currently being made, such as whether to bring the PASS scheme into the scope of the DIATF. Similarly for online accounts, the whole UK is waiting on Ofcom. Like Select ID, Trinsic is currently focused on a single use case, in its case replacing identity verification with ID document scans and selfie biometrics. “If they do, it will be faster and more secure. If they don’t, no worries, just fall back and just use the existing doc scanning thing that you were already doing. You could imagine using eIDs and mDLs for a thousand use cases,” like log-ins, but cost is too high for that right now. New regulatory requirements, such as for age checks, and business models are continuing to alter the market, however. Governments around the world are split on how to best establish digital identity ecosystems, but have mostly been won over to the importance of having one, in one way or another. “There’s lots of governments now thinking either we need to do this as a state solution or a choice between a state solution and private sector, potentially frameworks,” Tombs says. Businesses may have been more aware of the looming shift, as they are more likely to read trade publications. With digital identity crossing over into the mainstream consumer press, public awareness and understanding are increasing, and could finally lead to sufficient demand on both sides of the market. Trinsic targets financial services companies that can integrate its network to be among its early customers, but it’s customer base differs from Select ID’s in that it targets the digital service providers that serve the whole user lifecycle with holistic solutions, like , which Trinsic partnered with for the . Some American relying parties have told Trinsic: “call me when you get to 150 million in the U.S. market.” Relying parties can provide a fast and convenient user experience through digital identity even on the way to those kinds of numbers, though. “You can get really, really good user experiences even if only 5 percent of people have a thing, as long as you try to only show the option to the 5 percent who have it,” Hughes points out. In some cases, reusable identity does not require a network at all. Tombs gives the example of a company granting a contractor access to a secure building or area in the form of a digital ID. “You don’t need a network. You do need a business that recognizes its more efficient to do that then you know have a piece of paper at the door and check their ID each time they turn up,” he says. Delivering on promises of improved user experience will generate positive reviews and the sort of organic adoption that scales the user base. User experience is largely a matter of speed. Trinsic says it enables identity verification ten times faster than the document scan and face biometrics process. Mothershaw expresses Select ID’s benefit in the context of the regulations and policy elements, the contracts and due diligence that must be in place, along with the technology. “We’re looking at dealing with those layers of complexity on behalf of our relying parties, so that they don’t have to worry about that,” he says. And while the enterprise relying party use case for reusable digital identity noted above may yet be a significant market opportunity, the largest potential for transaction volumes and revenue appears to be on the consumer side. Changes in regulations, standards, and other factors have already opened up use cases that did not exist a few years ago. About one-third of the 100,000 people per month who complete UK right-to-work checks with Yoti already do so with a reusable ID, according to Tombs. But “as is often the case in business ecosystems,” he adds, relying parties will expect to implement multiple providers, not just for reach but to give their users choice. “Reusable IDs absolutely need to join networks,” Tombs says. “Even the most popular ones will see the logic.” There are other potential benefits for relying parties adopting reusable digital ID as well. “It’s not just about ID verification,” Tombs explains; “some of the value is, if you’re spending a couple of hundred pounds acquiring a customer, if you can get that customer to not fill in the registration form, and instead, touch the button and fill in 80 percent of that form with verified, correctly spelled information, directly into the back server, that is a super-valuable thing.” And speed and simplification are also associated with higher conversions, he notes. Yoti has long seen age as a “key initiator” for reusable ID, Tombs says, although it may be proven through a different provider for in-person retail checks, “where there’s no money to be earned,” than online interactions. “It doesn’t sound the most important thing in the world in terms of how you can cleverly do reusable,” he says, “but actually if it’s going to be the thing you need to do every week as a young person, or even as my age, if I’m going to the supermarket, I don’t want to be the older person waiting still whilst the light is on, somebody has to come over and check me out. I’d rather get a reusable ID and whip through.” This is where the value proposition for lower-assurance use cases for reusable digital ID is found, in accelerating interactions which are carried out repeatedly. The volume of users is also different at lower levels of assurance. Hughes points out that of the total number of digital identities in Trinsic’s network that are verified to identity assurance level 2 (IAL2), where the company’s current value proposition lies, is approaching 100 million. But one of the ways that number could grow is by increasing the assurance level of those who already have an ID that can be reused. Hughes estimates over a hundred million people have Aadhaar and DigiLocker, but no mobile driver’s licenses that would raise their digital ID to IAL2, for example. Getting any kind of reusable ID into people’s digital wallets may be the busiest onramp for consumers, therefore. “That will be the initial way that lots and lots of young people will end up getting reusable IDs,” Tombs says, “and because businesses will then want to benefit from those people proving age over ID, they’ll accept reusable IDs.” Cross-border interoperability is a challenge for regulated markets, because even as digital wallets and the credentials that they store are standardized, policy differences remain. Bilateral agreements between trust schemes in neighboring jurisdictions like the UK and EU may be feasible, but Mothershaw cautions they do not represent a path to global interoperability. Trust frameworks and regulations will have to “align, accept, or adapt” to each other. Adapt is most likely, Mothershaw believes, with service providers like Select ID facilitating the process. “The identity providers who in the end prevail, and are able to work in different geographies, will be pretty sophisticated,” he predicts. As mDLs become useful for more different types of interactions with more relying parties, and the ecosystem matures, Hughes sees the potential market for reusable digital IDs continuing to expand. “When its ten times easier to prove your identity,” he says, “it’s going to happen ten times more.” While Select ID is taking its time to get its demanding first use case right, there is a sense of urgency to be ready for the expanded adoption of reusable ID. Looking ahead to 2025 and 2026, Mothershaw says “there’s a number of waves in different sectors that will break at slightly different times. It’s likely we’ll get a whole cascade of them, so we want make sure we can serve as many of them as possible.” Tombs similarly sees policy and popular opinion catching up to technology. “Over the next 2-3 years, as long as governments begin to actually introduce these regulatory changes so that compliance offices in certain sectors and businesses in other sectors can both benefit from reusable IDs, and that the industry increasingly makes it easier for them to do so, and makes it more networked for the consumer, I think it’s a foregone conclusion,” he says. Those who do not execute on their strategy for fitting into the reusable identity ecosystem within that time frame, he warns, may find they are too late. | | | | | | | | | |Oklahoma residents on Sunday mourned the death of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Fred Harris, a trailblazer in progressive politics in the state who ran an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1976. Harris died on Saturday at 94. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Oklahoma residents on Sunday mourned the death of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Fred Harris, a trailblazer in progressive politics in the state who ran an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1976. Harris died on Saturday at 94. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Oklahoma residents on Sunday mourned the death of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Fred Harris, a trailblazer in progressive politics in the state who ran an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1976. Harris died on Saturday at 94. Democratic Party members across Oklahoma remembered Harris for his commitment to economic and social justice during the 1960s — a period of historical turbulence. Harris chaired the Democratic National Committee from 1969 to 1970 and helped unify the party after its tumultuous national convention in 1968 when protesters and police clashed in Chicago. “Fred Harris showed us what is possible when we lead with both heart and principle. He worked to ensure everyone had a voice and a seat at the table,” said Alicia Andrews, chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. Harris appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this year as a guest speaker for the Oklahoma delegation, where he reflected on progress and unity. “Standing alongside him in Chicago this summer was a reminder of how his legacy continues to inspire,” Andrews said. Kalyn Free, a member of the Choctaw nation of Oklahoma and the DNC, said that there is no one else in public service whom she admired more than the former senator. “He was a friend, a mentor, a hero and my True North. Oklahoma and America have lost a powerful advocate and voice,” Free said in a statement. “His work for Indian Country will always be remembered.” Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. “Senator Harris truly was an Oklahoma treasure and was ahead of his time in so many ways,” said Jeff Berrong, whose grandfather served in the state Senate with Harris. “He never forgot where he came from and he always remained focused on building a society that would provide equality of opportunity for all.” Harris served eight years in the state Senate before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served another eight years before his 1976 presidential campaign. State party leaders commemorated his work on the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, or the Kerner Commission, to investigate the 1960s riots. Harris was the last surviving member of the commission. Shortly after his presidential campaign, Harris left politics and moved to New Mexico and became a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. —- Lathan 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. Advertisement AdvertisementAndhra CM Chandrababu Naidu in Delhi for NDA meet amid Ambedkar row
Croatia's president faces conservative rival in election run-offArdal O'Hanlon has given new Death In Paradise lead Don Gilet a heads-up about the demanding nature of the role, revealing that he often worked 12-hour days, six days a week. While discussing his upcoming stand-up tour, Ardal reflected on his stint as DI Jack Mooney from 2017 to 2020 in the popular BBC series, confessing it was far from a walk in the park and that he envied guest stars who could come and go as they pleased from the tropical set in Guadeloupe. The production team even sat him down for a 'talk of doom' to brace him for the intense filming schedule under the sweltering sun. Looking back, the 59 year old actor and comedian said: "God, that was tough. Like, people don't believe you when you tell them how tough it was. "I was so grateful for that part and everything else. And I look back on it now as a really great experience, kind of life changing experience, I would say, because it's not just that you're playing a lead in a popular BBC primetime drama. It's more of a lifestyle thing." He added: "It was such a radical change of scenery for me going from a country where I hardly ever leave the house, to kind of living outdoors for six months of the year, for four summers, but it was gruelling because you have a huge workload. "And, of course, I'm not complaining about the work, but you have so much to prepare every day, so you don't have much downtime at all, you don't have the chance to enjoy the attractions out there. I used to be so jealous of the guest actors! The suspects and the victim, you know, there'd be five or six guest actors every couple of weeks, and they would come over and they'd have such an amazing time." "Like, they'd be there for a week or two, maybe in for two or three days, the rest of the time they're sitting by the pool, drinking cocktails and me working me arse off, 12 hours a day, six days a week! So I was very jealous of them.", reports the Mirror . "You just have to prepare so much every day, and you have to think quick on your feet. There was so many reasons for leaving it, I'd done four summers. That takes its toll at home as well. I knew the writing was on the wall, but my family stopped coming out to visit me, that was really the decider." He explained: "They kind of tell you that at the beginning, like they said, 'You know, you might last two years or three years, but you know, you probably won't last four! Nothing prepares you for it. I remember the producer came to visit me and we spent a day together. This is maybe a month before I went out there. And he was basically trying to go, 'You know, you can still get out of this, if you want! ' Do you know what I mean, he was kind of almost... he was really painting a very bleak picture saying, 'You know, like, it's gonna be tough.' You know, there's hurricanes to deal with. There's people going crazy because, like, people go stir crazy in that environment, you know, you're always dealing with something, like there's creatures that want to kill you." The former Father Ted actor Ardal O'Hanlon was discussing his experiences to promote his upcoming 2025 stand-up tour titled Not Himself. On the theme of the show, he added: "I suppose it's loosely around that whole idea of identity. I do a lot of stand up in in the UK, and what I've noticed in recent years is comedy is a very diverse sort of platform now, and most people that you come across are talking about their identity, whether it's race or gender or social class or sexual orientation or whatever. In Northern Ireland religion will come into the mix as well, religious background." "So it's a really big thing in comedy now and I suppose in the past, my approach was always like... I was a kind of a joke man, I would like to think of it as being a craftsman, where I was just trying to come up with perfect jokes, maybe with a slightly surreal twist or whatever." "And I suppose in more recent years, I've just been, I suppose, inspired by all those comedians that I work with, I suppose reflecting a little bit more on who I am, where I'm coming from, my upbringing and my relationship with with world around me, with technology, for example, that's a big part of my show, how our identities are shaped by the technology we use." Ardal was replaced on Death In Paradise by Ralf Little who played DI Neville Parker for 5 years. The new lead Don Gilet will join the show in the upcoming Christmas special as new lead DI Mervin Wilson. Death in Paradise remains one the UK's most watched returning drama across all broadcasters and streamers, with the 2024 series watched by over 8 million viewers."