MEMPHIS, Tenn. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- uLab Systems ® announces an exciting new strategic collaboration with Voxel Dental and LuxCreo, Inc., two other leaders in the orthodontic industry, aimed at advancing the use of direct print aligner technology. All three companies share the vision of transforming the landscape of in-office manufacturing capabilities for orthodontists. Together they will streamline the overall workflow for direct print appliances and further the adoption of this promising technology.
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NoneBy Idowu Isamotu Authorities of the Nigerian Army, on Monday, lamented that resources accruing to them have been dwindling in the recent time despite rising number of recruitment. It also disclosed that at least 15,000 personnel were being recruited into the force every year without support from any quarter regarding accommodation for soldiers and officers securing the nation from external aggression. Acting Chief of Army Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, a Lieutenant-General, revealed this at Army headquarters, Abuja when Senate Committee on Army led by Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua paid him a condolence visit. “It’s important for me to reiterate that Nigeria belongs to all of us, and without your support, it would be very difficult for us to secure Nigeria,” he said. I won’t rest until Nigerians feel economic impact – Tinubu Navy nabs 392 crude oil thieves, recovers 8.1m barrels in 4 years “So, I want to really appeal to you, very eminent personality of Nigeria, to just please support us and make our job very easy so that we can help secure Nigeria as much as possible. “Over time, we’ve had situations where the resources that are attributed to the Nigerian Army keeps dwindling. So I think this is a very good forum for me to appeal that maybe in considering next year’s budget, a few very important issues should be noted. “First, the Nigerian Army, for instance, in the last couple of years, we’ve been recruiting about 15,000 personnel. But I can tell you that not a single support has been given in terms of the accommodation,” he said. He wondered how the soldiers and officers would live and where such personnel would stay there is no insecurity in the country and they are asked to return to barracks. Speaking earlier, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Yar’Adua charged the Acting COAS to continue with the legacy of the late Army Chief, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja. He said the Senate had a robust relationship with Lagbaja whom he described as a “very practical officer” and very knowledgeable of military Operations, adding that late Lagbaja was “very honest” and “says it as it is”. The Committee chairman stated that late Lt-Gen Lagbaja led the Army and improved security of the country significantly, while assuring the Acting COAS of same courtesy and support for him to continue with the legacy. He further urged the army to deploy technology in the fight against terrorists. Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You. NEWS UPDATE: Nigerians have been finally approved to earn Dollars from home, acquire premium domains for as low as $1500, profit as much as $22,000 (₦37million+). Click here to start. allocated Army dwindling laments Olufemi Oluyede resourcesThe City of Abbotsford is looking at a property-tax increase of almost six per cent for 2025. The rate recommended by city staff for next year is 5.98 per cent (a 4.98 per cent tax revenue increase plus a one per cent infrastructure levy) – roughly the same that has been approved in the previous two budgets. The 2023 budget also had a 5.98 per cent increase – the highest in years – while 2024 saw 5.12 per cent. This compares to 3.49 per cent in 2022, 2.05 in 2021 and 2.12 in 2020. Budget presentations to council take place Tuesday (Dec. 10) and Wednesday (Dec. 11) from 1 to 5 p.m. at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium. The draft report to council states that the recommended 2025 property tax increase “continues to reflect the reality of ongoing elevated price pressures.” “These are mostly clearly seen in labour contract negotiations, construction cost inflation and emergency services contracts,” the report states. “These pressures are not unique to Abbotsford and have been observed across the region. Additionally impacting the budget this year is a significant investment in enhanced transit service.” The total consolidated budget for 2025 is $373 million, compared to $357 million in 2024. The 2025 budget breaks down to $84 million in capital projects and $289 million in operating expenses. Among the larger increased expenses for 2025 is $5.7 million more for the Abbotsford Police Department, which accounts for 20 per cent of the city budget. The APD’s total budget for 2025 comes in at $75.1 million. The draft report states that the E-Comm dispatch service continues to have a “significant impact” on the budget with a cost of $1.2 million. As well, another 8.5 proposed new positions are adding a further $800,000 to the police budget. Another large increase – $800,000 – for 2025 is related to transit, including an additional 10,000 hours of service for the conventional bus system and an extra 3,120 hours for handyDART. The city is also expecting to spend another $1.7 million in new positions “to support growth” and $300,000 more in improvements to program and service levels. Most of those positions are related to the field of information technology. Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service is also expecting to have an increase in spending of $1.5 million – mostly due to contractual increases, but also including the proposed hiring of four new firefighters, a training officer, and a fire prevention investigator/educator. Major projects planned in the capital budget for 2025 include safety improvements to railway crossings, drainage culvert replacements, renewal of an airport runway, road resurfacing, intersection improvements, park amenities, and the bike lane and sidewalk programs. In 2024, the tax bill for an average-priced single-family home – $1.157 million – in Abbotsford amounted to $5,339, including municipal and non-municipal taxes. In 2025, the average-priced home – $1.139 million – is expected to pay $5,747 in taxes. But that doesn’t necessarily mean individual homeowners will see their own bills rise by exactly that amount. Since property taxes are based on a home’s assessed value, only those properties with values that rise (or fall) exactly in line with the city average will see that average tax increase. Residents whose property values drop in value, compared to the city average, will see a smaller increase – or even a decrease. Meanwhile, those whose home’s value increases more than the city average will end up paying more in tax. The 2025 draft budget can be viewed .
Australia boss Nick Hockley has offered a diplomatic response amid claims the timing of the in the middle of the is simply 'rude'. The two-day auction for the lucrative T20 competition will begin in Saudi Arabia on Sunday evening (Aussie time), coinciding with the end of the third day's play in the first Test in Perth. Because and Justin Langer are both head coaches in the IPL (with Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants respectively), they'e been forced to fly to Suadi Arabia after just one day of commentating for Channel 7 in Perth. And Australia's coaching staff has also been affected, with assistant Daniel Vettori required at the IPL auction because he coaches Sunrisers Hyderabad. The timing of the mega-auction - right in the middle of the first Test - has raised eyebrows around the cricket world, with some suggesting it was 'rude' from Indian officials and a ploy to hamper Australia's preparations. But Hockley offered a diplomatic response on Saturday, saying: "I think it's not ideal. I think if you spoke to our broadcast partners who have commentators who are also IPL coaches, they would also say it's not ideal. "But that's out of our hands. I know certainly our players here will be fully-focused here, and it will be something to think and talk about after the Test match." Australia head coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins have both dismissed concerns about Vettori's absence, especially in light of the precarious position the Aussies found themselves in after the second day in Perth. India went to stumps at 0-172, holding a 218-run lead. "He is still connected with us. A lot of pre-planning, prep work has gone in," McDonald said. "The answer is no [it doesn't make a difference], he’s got some commitments elsewhere." Cummins said before the Test: “Dan has obviously flown over there. But he has been here for the whole prep, we've done a lot meetings, done all the chats and he will be watching and keeping an eye on it anyway." As for Ponting, the Australian legend didn't shy away from his annoyance at having to fly out in the middle of a Test. "It’s the worst possible case scenario for me and ‘JL’ (Langer),” Ponting . “We for the last couple of months felt that it was probably going to be in the gap between the (first and second) Test matches." Ponting said it would add a layer of stress for the Australian and Indian Test players in the auction. "[Not having it in the middle of a Test] takes all the pressure off the players from both teams," Ponting said. "So I always thought it would’ve been in that gap because it just seemed better for everybody. But I don’t know why they’ve chosen the dates they have – it might have something to do with the game. The auction actually starts on air almost immediately after the end of play. So it might be something to do with broadcast." Channel 7 officials have confirmed that Ponting and Langer will be back in Australia for the second Test in Adelaide, which starts on December 6. with a guaranteed contract for the 2025 IPL, after Sunrisers Hyderabad opted to retain the duo ahead of the auction. A total of 37 Australian players have entered in for the mega-auction, including Test stars Josh Hazlewood, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Alex Carey and Mitch Marsh. Indian Test players KL Rahul, Ravi Ashwin and Rishabh Pant are also up for grabs.
FC Dallas signs Alan Velasco to contract extension
Share Tweet Share Share Email Himanshu Sinha is a globally recognized thought leader in AI and data science, currently serving as the Director of Advanced Data Science at Marriott International. An AI innovator with deep-learning based patent to his name and a published author of the best-selling book “Cognitive Horizons: Navigating the Landscape of Artificial Intelligence” His book is widely adopted by educational institutions to guide data science capabilities and inspire the next generation of AI practitioners. As a foundational contributor to machine learning and AI research, Himanshu has published extensively in internationally acclaimed journals , pushing the boundaries of innovation. With over 18 years of experience, Himanshu has led data science capabilities at organizations like CVS, Precisely, and Wipro, delivering transformative results across industries. Currently, he is driving AI-powered innovation in the hospitality sector, redefining customer experiences at Marriott International. Himanshu’s respected record of using data, analytics, and AI to deliver significant business impact is complemented by his role as an advisor and coach to executives, boards, and data leaders. His visionary leadership continues to transform organizations and inspire the global AI community. Himanshu Sinha Please tell us your name and a little more about yourself. My name is Himanshu Sinha, and I am a data scientist with over 15 years of experience in leveraging machine learning and AI to drive transformative change across industries. From fintech to healthcare and hospitality, I have had the privilege of developing and deploying innovative AI solutions that blend technical excellence with business strategy. My expertise spans a wide range of areas, including generative AI, predictive analytics, and data observability. Beyond my technical work, I am a passionate mentor, a published co-author of books on AI and ML, and a patented innovator. I thrive on building solutions that not only solve complex problems but also inspire others to push the boundaries of what technology can achieve. You’ve had an extraordinary career in AI and machine learning, spanning various industries like healthcare, hospitality, and fintech. Can you walk us through your journey and how it has shaped your current role as Director of Advanced Data Science at Marriott International? I began my professional journey in consumer-focused research for a CPG brand, here I developed a fascination for consumer behaviour change indicated through and their business implications . This passion deepened as I worked on leveraging state-of-the-art machine learning techniques to analyze behavioral changes and their impact on business outcomes. My focus has always been on helping organizations use patterns in data to inform strategy and drive results. Working in large scale consulting such as Wipro brought me close to enterprises’s pain areas and help create machine learning cored solutions for them. In 2012, I established a Center of Excellence for analytics at Agilis, a lesser-known company at the time, helping telecom clients predict fraud and mitigate risks like churn. Over the years, Agilis went through multiple acquisitions, becoming Infogix and later Precisely Inc. During this period, I led the development of a bespoke software product with an embedded ML-based ‘Anomaly Detection’ system. This solution predicts ‘data drift and shift’, ensuring data quality and integrity. Today, it’s a multimillion-dollar offering used by Fortune 100 companies to maintain operational excellence of data dependent functions. Currently, as the Director of Advanced Data Science at Marriott International, I lead transformative AI initiatives, including personalization models, generative AI applications, and global acquisition strategies. My journey has been about building scalable AI solutions that align technical innovation with business impact, and I continue to be inspired by the limitless potential of machine learning and AI to transform industries. In your article, “The Ultimate Blueprint for Enterprise Chatbots: Simplify, Scale, Succeed”, you discuss the challenges of fragmented chatbot strategies. What inspired you to advocate for a unified chatbot framework, and how do you see it transforming industries? The inspiration came from witnessing the inefficiencies and frustrations caused by fragmented chatbot strategies in enterprises—siloed implementations, inconsistent user experiences, and high maintenance costs. I realized the need for a unified framework that could streamline development, ensure scalability, and provide a seamless experience across touchpoints. A unified chatbot framework transforms industries by enabling businesses to deliver consistent, personalized interactions while reducing operational overhead. It empowers enterprises to integrate. Enterprises often face the dilemma of balancing ROI with the complexity of AI solutions. How do you approach this challenge in your projects, and can you share a specific example where you had to make such decisions? Balancing ROI with AI complexity is a common challenge, but I approach it by focusing on simplification and scalability without compromising value. In my article, The Ultimate Blueprint for Enterprise Chatbots: Simplify, Scale, Succeed , I discussed how fragmented chatbot strategies often create inefficiencies and diminish user satisfaction. To address this, I advocate for a unified framework that prioritizes intent-driven design and reusable components. A specific example is a chatbot project for a travel enterprise. Initially, individual bots were handling separate use cases like booking management, trip planning, and customer support, leading to redundancy and confusion. By implementing a unified triage bot as the primary entry point, we streamlined user interactions and routed intents to specialized APIs. This reduced operational complexity and boosted ROI by consolidating efforts into a cohesive system. The result? Enhanced user satisfaction and scalable deployment across multiple business units—all while maintaining a strong ROI through reduced maintenance costs and improved efficiency. Simplifying complexity is not just about technology—it’s about creating value for both users and businesses. Your work highlights generative AI’s role in creating personalized user experiences, such as credit card recommendations. How do you envision the future of generative AI in personalization across industries? Generative AI is revolutionizing personalization by creating tailored, intuitive experiences that resonate with individual users. In the context of chatbots, like those for credit card recommendations, generative AI plays a pivotal role in breaking decision paralysis. It simplifies complex choices by presenting relevant options in a conversational and engaging way, helping customers make faster and more confident decisions. Looking ahead, I envision generative AI expanding its influence across industries—from retail to healthcare—where it will not only personalize user interactions but also anticipate needs, provide proactive solutions, and streamline decision-making. The future of personalization lies in AI’s ability to combine deep contextual understanding with dynamic adaptability, ultimately creating experiences that are both efficient and deeply human-centered. You’ve authored books, published scholarly articles, and filed patents in advanced AI domains. How do you balance your role as a technical leader and a thought leader in the ever-evolving field of AI? Balancing my roles as a technical and thought leader in AI comes down to a shared foundation: curiosity , giving back to learners community and a commitment to impact. As a technical leader, I focus on driving practical innovations—building systems like scalable enterprise chatbots or anomaly detection frameworks that solve real business problems. This hands-on work keeps me connected to the evolving challenges and opportunities in AI. As a thought leader, I view my role as amplifying these learnings for a broader audience. Writing articles on social blogs like “The Ultimate Blueprint for Enterprise Chatbots” allows me to distill complex ideas into actionable strategies, fostering industry-wide collaboration and growth. It’s a synergy—my technical work feeds my thought leadership, while my engagement with the AI community sharpens my ability to lead in dynamic environments. Ultimately, the key is staying grounded in purpose: using AI not just to innovate, but to inspire and drive meaningful change. Many of your projects aim to enhance customer experience through AI, like anomaly detection and marketing optimization. How do you align technical innovation with customer-centric outcomes? I believe the key to aligning technical innovation with customer-centric outcomes is to start with the end in mind—understanding what the customer truly values. Whether it’s anomaly detection, marketing optimization, or enterprise chatbots, my approach combines cutting-edge AI techniques with a deep focus on creating seamless and meaningful experiences for users. For instance, in my article “ The Ultimate Blueprint for Enterprise Chatbots: Simplify, Scale, Succeed ,” I emphasized building unified frameworks that deliver consistent, personalized customer interactions. Similarly, my work on marketing optimization involves leveraging predictive models to understand behavioral patterns, enabling hyper-targeted engagement that feels intuitive to the customer. At the core, it’s about using AI as a bridge—not just to solve technical problems but to anticipate and enhance the customer journey. By embedding intelligence into every interaction, we not only drive business impact but also create solutions that resonate with people in real and tangible ways. With increasing emphasis on data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, how do you ensure that your AI models remain compliant while delivering actionable insights? Ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA starts with embedding guardrails into the design and deployment of AI models. Guardrails ensure that privacy, security, and transparency are foundational, not an afterthought. In my work, I advocate for privacy-by-design principles—data minimization, anonymization, and secure pipelines are non-negotiables. For instance, when building models for personalized customer targeting or chatbots, we ensure that data used is aggregated and anonymized, aligning with both regulations and user trust. Balancing compliance with actionable insights requires robust governance frameworks. These frameworks monitor data usage and provide explainability, ensuring that while insights drive business value, they do so ethically and legally. In the age of AI, it’s not just about what we can do with data, but what we should do, and that’s where compliance meets innovation. As an internationally recognized expert, what advice would you give aspiring data scientists looking to make a significant impact in the field of AI and machine learning? My advice to aspiring data scientists is simple: focus on solving practical problems and always prioritize the user experience. AI and machine learning aren’t just about building sophisticated models—they’re about creating solutions that make a tangible difference. Start by immersing yourself in real-world challenges. Learn how businesses operate, identify pain points, and think about how data and AI can address them. For instance, in my own journey, I’ve worked on everything from predictive analytics to creating a unified chatbot framework. These experiences taught me that the best solutions are the ones that simplify complexity and put the user first. Stay curious, keep experimenting, and don’t shy away from asking questions like: “How does this impact the end user?” and “Is this scalable for enterprise needs?” A data scientist’s true power lies not just in technical expertise but in the ability to translate it into meaningful impact. Keep that as your north star, and you’ll create solutions that truly transform industries. Related Items: AI , AI Visionary , Generative AI , Himanshu Sinha , Industry Leader , machine learning Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you AdTech Innovation Boosting Publisher Revenue: Interview with Mykyta Plastomak on Pubcircle’s AI-Driven AdTech Innovations and Global Growth Strategy. Nikhil Purwaha on the Future of AI-Powered Fraud Prevention and Scam Reduction Broker Complaint Alert Introduces AI-Driven Solutions to Revolutionize Crypto Recovery and Enhance Investor Protection CommentsTHE black lace party dress from Asos is perfect for Charlotte. She’ll wear it at the weekend and then, if she feels like it, she might order another dress for the party season. Advertisement 4 A growing number of women are buying clothes, wearing them once or twice, then sending them back (stock image) Credit: Getty 4 The practice has become so widespread there’s a word for it: Wardrobing Credit: Getty Money doesn’t come into it — Charlotte has no intention of paying. Once she’s worn the dress she will stick it straight back in the post. Around a week later, a full refund will hit her bank. Charlotte, a 28-year-old support worker from Manchester, is one of a growing number of women who buy clothes, wear them once or twice, then send them back. Advertisement READ MORE ON FASHION BACK IN FASHION Iconic noughties brand returns to UK high streets after disappearing WRAPPED UP Fashion fans praise soft and cosy stylish winter jacket that costs just £26 More often than not, the item will be something glitzy for a special occasion. The practice has become so widespread there’s a word for it: Wardrobing. Shops label it “tag tuck fraud”. Charlotte has been doing it for ten years and admits she has worn — then returned — between 100 and 150 items. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous TU COSY 'Soft as cashmere' cry shoppers as they run to Sainsbury's for bargain winter coat HOT WINGS People urged to protect bird feeders from garden pests with 75p kitchen staple VOM CENTRAL I got so drunk at the office Xmas party that my male boss had to JET WASH me SEX SHOCK I slept with 100 men a day but had no idea HIV was sexually transmitted She pays for everyday clothes but says she wouldn’t dream of forking out for something she’ll only ever wear once. It’s saved her up to £2k. A shop manager quit her job to resell second-hand clothing - and now makes up to £3,900-a-month “It’s usually party dresses, or something nice for a wedding or the races — one-off dresses I’d never wear again,” says Charlotte. “Because I’m not paying for it, I can go for something a bit different, something I wouldn’t normally wear. Advertisement “There was this little green cropped top with a matching skirt I got once. “It was bold, very out there, and it got a lot of compliments.” For Charlotte, who mainly shops online at the likes of Pretty Little Thing, Shein, ASOS and Boohoo, it’s not just about looking glam for free. Sometimes I do get a kick out of it, I think ‘I’ve just got to wear a really nice outfit for free and now I’m sending it back Charlotte She now gets a thrill out of her underhand habit. Advertisement “Sometimes I get a kick out of it, because I think: ‘I’ve just got to wear a really nice outfit for free and now I’m sending it back’,” she says. “I’ve saved hundreds of pounds — my friends do it as well. I do feel a bit bad sometimes, but not enough to stop.” The only inconvenience, she says, is having to put up with irritating clothing labels rubbing against her skin. “I’ve only had a return rejected once. Advertisement “A blue bodysuit had one of those hygiene stickers on it and I’d removed it. “I had to pay for that — it was about £15.” A survey in October by logistics company Zigzag, and researchers at Retail Economics, found serial returners send back £6.6BILLION worth of online purchases a year. Most of these are items that don’t fit, or the buyer has changed their mind, but 16 per cent of buyers surveyed admitted they had bought the items to wear at a social event, only to return them. Advertisement Cardiff student Sarah, 18, started wearing and returning items two years ago after getting a part-time job in a high-street clothing store. In that time she has “borrowed”, as she puts it, around 50 items. “At work, I realised how easy it was to take things back — staff wouldn’t really check,” she says. “We’d have things coming in a little damaged, with tags ripped off, or minor stains, but they still got a refund. Advertisement “Then a friend saw something on TikTok about wearing clothes once before sending them back, and I thought it was a good shout.” Usually it’s something I don’t want to splash out on Sarah Like Charlotte, Sarah normally returns items she plans to wear once, to a party. “Usually it’s something I don’t want to splash out on,” she says. “I tuck in the labels and wear the piece for a day or two. I’ve bought stuff then taken it back from shops such as Pull&Bear, H&M, Primark — large stores where it’s easier to get away with.” Advertisement 4 Charlotte has been wardrobing for ten years and admits she has worn — then returned — between 100 and 150 items Credit: Getty Sarah only sends returns to larger shops. She adds: “These are all chain stores that don’t really need the extra cash. More people are struggling to buy clothes than there are [chain stores] struggling to make profits, so I’ve never felt too bad about it.” Retailers might not see it quite the same way, as people like Sarah cost them money. Advertisement In September, ASOS said it was introducing a return fee for frequent returners. Julia, 42, a model and writer from Derby, grew accustomed to having a large wardrobe. But in recent years she has had cancer and her husband lost his job. With money in short supply, she started wardrobing five years ago. Advertisement While she does it out of a perceived necessity, she admits she also gets a kick out of it. “It’s like playing dress-up – it’s kind of thrilling,” she says. “It’s usually more showy things, like glitzy party dresses. I needed something for a wedding recently, so bought a nice sequinned skirt for £60 from Zara.” Sarah admits to not telling her husband what she’s doing as he doesn’t agree with it. Advertisement She adds: “He once saw a label sticking out of my dress. I tried to say I was keeping the label on in case the dress didn’t fit, and he just rolled his eyes and said, ‘It fits fine, you’re not doing that again’. “Since then I’ve carried on without him knowing, but I do feel bad. Read more on the Scottish Sun WARMING UP Scots set for 21C swing as temperature rise to bring an end to sub zero freeze HOT BUY Shoppers race to Primark for fleecy £14 hoodie will keep you cosy on frosty days “As long as I’m not hurting anyone, though, I’ll do it.” Names have been changed 4 Retailers label the trend as 'tag tuck fraud' Credit: Getty Advertisement ‘RETAILERS LOSE OUT’ Industry expert Clare Bailey says: “It does create a potential loss of revenue. Retailers have to check the product and process it back into the stock, and then there is the cost of the admin of the refund.”Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com, Healthcare costs have soared. Obamacare failed to live up to its promises. And my lead image dramatically understates the problems with costs... Data from the BLS, chart by Mish The numbers look bad but they are much worse than they look because of the way the BLS calculates the CPI. On all CPI calculations, the BLS only counts costs directly paid by consumers. To the extent corporations and Medicare are obscuring more of the costs, the CPI numbers are understated. The above is an AI-generated response. It totals 86.6 percent. Census. Gov says that in 2022, 92.1 percent of people, or 304.0 million, had health insurance at some point in the year. Those in various Medicare plans have seen smaller increases than those buying insurance for themselves. And the cost of direct pay is outrageous. Large corporations can get better deals than smaller ones. The BLS averages this all in to arrive at the numbers posted in the chart. Heaven help anyone paying for their own insurance who gets cancer or other serious needs. Obamacare penalizes young and healthy for the benefit of those older and with conditions. Young adults not working for a company that provides health care benefits frequently opt out. No one can blame them. The Wall Street Journal discusses the ObamaCare Con Progressives are at last acknowledging that ObamaCare is a failure. They aren’t doing so explicitly, of course, but their social-media screeds against insurers, triggered by last week’s murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, suggest as much. “We’ve gotten to a point where healthcare is so inaccessible and unaffordable, people are justified in their frustrations,” CBS News medical contributor Céline Gounder said during a Friday segment on the roasting of health insurers. Remember Barack Obama’s promise that if you like your health plan and doctor, you could keep them? Sorry. How about his claim that people with pre-existing conditions would be protected? Also not true. The biggest howler, however, was that healthcare would become more affordable. Grant Democrats this: The law has advanced their political goal of expanding government control over insurers, in return for lavishing Americans with subsidies to buy overpriced, lousy products. (One might observe that Democrats are driving a similar Faustian bargain to induce automakers to produce more electric vehicles.) One problem is that simply having insurance doesn’t change people’s behavior. It does, however, cause them to use more care. This is a particular problem in Medicaid, since beneficiaries often rush to the emergency room for nonemergencies because they don’t have deductibles or co-pays. Another problem: The nearly 100 million Americans on Medicaid or tightly regulated and generously subsidized exchange plans struggle to find doctors to treat them. Physician access for Medicaid patients has long been limited owing to the program’s low reimbursement rates. It has gotten worse since ObamaCare expanded eligibility, as states have tried to hold down Medicaid costs by reducing reimbursements. A 2019 study found that patients were only half as likely to get an appointment with a doctor compared with privately insured patients before the law passed. Post-ObamaCare, they were less than one-third as likely. Medicaid is insurance in name only. Patients with exchange plans hardly fare better. Affordable Care Act plan networks include on average only 40% of local physicians and 21% of those employed by hospitals. Patients must pay significantly more out of pocket to see out-of-network doctors. If you find a doctor in network, there’s no guarantee he’ll continue to be. Insurers are narrowing coverage to keep down costs. They are also hiking deductibles, which this year averaged $5,241 for a typical plan . That’s up from $2,425 in 2014. Although subsidies reduce how much people with ObamaCare plans pay toward their premiums, they are stuck paying out of pocket until they hit their deductible. Most healthy young people never do. That means their insurance is worthless except in the event of a catastrophic emergency, which was the gist of recent rants against insurers. Perhaps they should take up their grievances with Mr. Obama, since his law’s mandates and regulations are to blame. ObamaCare requires plans to cover myriad government-determined “essential benefits” regardless of whether people need them. It also prohibits insurers from charging higher premiums based on a patient’s health-risk factors and limits their ability to do so for older people. The young and healthy are thus required to subsidize their elders, while taxpayers are required to subsidize everyone on the exchanges . The WSJ noted “states have tried to hold down Medicaid costs by reducing reimbursements.” Everyone else pays more because if it. Wait times and the struggle to find a doctor who takes Medicaid are not factored into the CPI at all. The Huffington Post reports ‘This Is A Warning’: Warren, Sanders Address Sympathy For UnitedHealthcare CEO Killing Two of the biggest critics of the U.S. health care system condemned the assassination of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson while calling out “vile” insurance company practices aimed at maximizing profits. “The visceral response from people across this country who feel cheated, ripped off, and threatened by the vile practices of their insurance companies should be a warning to everyone in the health care system,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told HuffPost in an interview on Tuesday when asked about the cold response to Thompson’s death, which included celebratory posts on social media. “Violence is never the answer, but people can be pushed only so far,” Warren added. “This is a warning that if you push people hard enough, they lose faith in the ability of their government to make change, lose faith in the ability of the people who are providing the health care to make change, and start to take matters into their own hands in ways that will ultimately be a threat to everyone.” After drawing some criticism for her remarks, Warren clarified her comments in a statement provided to HuffPost on Wednesday. “Violence is never the answer. Period,” the senator said. “I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called Thompson’s killing “outrageous” and “unacceptable” before similarly criticizing insurance company practices. “I think what the outpouring of anger at the health care industry tells us is that millions of people understand that health care is a human right and that you cannot have people in the insurance industry rejecting needed health care for people while they make billions of dollars in profit,” Sanders said. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) also criticized “vile” social media posts for celebrating an “assh*le that’s going to die in prison.” “If you gun someone down that you don’t happen to agree with their views or the business that they’re in, hey, you know, I’m next, they’re next,” he added. “And people want to celebrate it. It’s twisted.” Government meddling is one of the reasons healthcare is so expensive. Obamacare failed across the board. And it did so by creating big pools of those who overpay and underpay. Let’s not mince words. People who smoke ought to pay more for healthcare because they are a higher risk. Those who are grossly overweight ought to pay more as well. Medicaid encourages emergency visits by paying primary care doctors so little that the doctors refuse new patients. To avoid lawsuits, doctors perform more tests than necessary. Fraud is rampant. Paperwork is excessive. “Medicare for All” would enhance problems in all of the above. Customers who have already reached their max out of pocket deductibles have no skin in the game. And that’s a huge problem. According to Medicare.Gov “ No Medicare drug plan may have a deductible more than $505 in 2023. Some Medicare drug plans don’t have a deductible. In some plans that do have a deductible, drugs on some tiers are covered before the deductible. ” Once deductibles are reached, sometimes in one month, consumers have no incentive to shop around. Other customers, unaware of cost differentials, fill prescriptions on the basis of convenience, that being the nearest pharmacy. January 24, 2024: Denver Health at “Critical Point” as 8,000 Migrants Make 20,000 Emergency Visits The Denver hospital system is turning away local residents because it is flooded with migrant visits. March 9, 2024: Medicaid Expansion Was Supposed to Pay for Itself, Instead Hospitals Are Closing 10 states did not fall for the Medicaid expansion trap under Obamacare. The rest are suffering. Private payers (you, one way or another) make up the loss. Medicaid does not pay enough to cover hospitals’ costs, meaning hospitals need to make up for the shortfall by charging private payers more. This was one of the easiest “I Told You So” advance predictions in history. Best of all, we have a decade of data to prove it thanks to ten states that resisted the trap. May 9, 2024: Hospitals Turn to Pay In Advance, In Full If you are in the hospital emergency room, and that’s where most people without insurance go, then you get treated. Otherwise, many hospitals are turning to pay in advance for services. It’s interesting to note that hospitals want payment in advance for births. Most illegals just walk in and never pay for anything. Nonpayment is one of the reasons costs are soaring for everyone who does pay. Obama claimed Medicaid expansion would pay for itself. Whenever you hear that claim please run. Free government handouts are never free and most often backfire completely. As long as we are going to have Medicare, and no politician will ever get rid of it, It would behoove Medicare and insurers to require the cheapest cost alternative on all drugs. That would force competition and eliminate fraudulent collusion. US consumers are subsidizing the rest of the world. I would put an end to that by allowing drug imports. It’s an uncomfortable topic, where demagoguery about “death squads” abounds, but we need to have a talk about the right to die and how much money we spend prolonging a terminal patient’s life, in massive pain, for a few weeks or months. I have made my wishes known. I do not want to be kept alive by heroic means if the quality of my life is expected to be grim. That’s a personal decision. At the national level, we must face this very uncomfortable question: Should we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars keeping someone alive whose life expectancy is 3 months? 6 months? a year? I say no to all for those without insurance, and no for me personally, regardless. Also, hospitals should be free to turn away those without insurance. We need tort reform to cut down legal expenses. When consumers have no skin in the game or not enough skin in the game, no one other than the insurers are interested in reducing costs. That is the fundamental problem with US healthcare. Senators Warren and Sanders proposals would make everything worse.With This New Tool, You Can Embrace the Trump Boom... and Beware Any Bust
CBC resurrects plans for live New Year's Eve broadcast specials TORONTO — CBC is restoring its annual live New Year's Eve celebration. A year after the national broadcaster cancelled the 2024 special due to "financial pressures," it says the countdown is back on the TV schedule to mark the dawn of 2025. David Friend, The Canadian Press Dec 12, 2024 11:22 AM Dec 12, 2024 11:35 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Programmers at CBC say the national broadcaster will restore its annual live New Year's Eve celebrations headed into 2025 after "financial pressures" pushed it off the schedule last year. People watch fireworks during the New Year's Eve celebrations held at Nathan Phillip square in Toronto just after midnight, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin TORONTO — CBC is restoring its annual live New Year's Eve celebration. A year after the national broadcaster cancelled the 2024 special due to "financial pressures," it says the countdown is back on the TV schedule to mark the dawn of 2025. Programming begins Dec. 31 with the one-hour "22 Minutes New Year's Eve Pregame Special," a satirical reflection on the year passed with the cast of the political comedy series "This Hour Has 22 Minutes." It will be followed by "Canada Live! Countdown 2025," a special hosted by news anchor Adrienne Arsenault and singer Jann Arden broadcasting live from Toronto's Harbourfront Centre, and anchor Ian Hanomansing and comedian Ali Hassan at Vancouver's VanDusen Botanical Garden. The coast-to-coast show will feature CBC reporters across the country as they count down to the new year in each of the six time zones. Last year, the CBC replaced its live New Year's programming with a taped Just For Laughs special hosted by comedian Mae Martin. It left Canadian viewers without a homegrown countdown on any of the major networks. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024. David Friend, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More The Mix Nearly half of US teens are online 'constantly,' Pew report finds Dec 12, 2024 2:03 PM Ontario mulls U.S. booze ban as Trump brushes off Ford's threat to cut electricity Dec 12, 2024 2:02 PM B.C. boosts tax incentives to support film and television production Dec 12, 2024 2:02 PM Featured FlyerFederal coalition to release nuclear power costings
Cotabato City–On Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, Sen. Robinhood Padilla filed Senate Bill No. 2879, which aimed to establish another autonomous region to be composed of three island provinces–Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi or the BaSulTa region. Upon hearing this news, top leaders of the current Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) expressed their dismay that one of their ”idols” and perceived champion in the Senate has dropped another bombshell to an already beleaguered region. Many of them consider this move as “ill-advised” and insensitive to the current problems the region is facing due to the Supreme Court decision last Sept. 9 removing Sulu as a component province of the region. To recall, the Supreme Court announced its final and executory ruling that the province of Sulu is no longer part of the fledgling BARMM, to be implemented after it was announced. This news spread like wildfire, making all functionaries and leaders in the region, and several civil society organizations confused and bewildered at this sudden turn of events in the already checkered brief history of the transitional BARMM government. Padilla’s new bill is a complicated proposal to address the already complex problems faced by the region as well as its constituencies. This proposed legislation is another political “mistake” on top of another one–the exit of Sulu from the BARMM. SB 2879 is not only “ill-advised,” it is fueling another firestorm already generating powerful flames of division in the region. Such divisive national-based policies and decisions hark back to the reign of our two main colonizers–Spain and the United States of America–and these are all referred to as “divide and rule” policy. The two colonizers easily instigated divisions among clan-based communities in Mindanao and its islands many of which have been Islamized starting in 1380 AD, long before the Spaniards came here in the early 16th century. By filing this bill, Padilla is manifesting his cluelessness of the entire range of dynamics–political, social, and cultural–that gave rise to what the BARMM is now. He may be a Muslim by conversion, but he has not embedded himself in the communities of the Bangsamoro, especially those who are leading the region now as the government of the day–the leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. He has not seen the suffering of the communities left behind by their heads who had to answer the call for the struggle for self-determination. He has not known how it is to be fighting a war of attrition for more than four decades without being assured of victory at the end. He has not known war on a personal level, since he has not been a part of the Bangsamoro history of struggle. He has only known war as part of his make-believe world as an actor on the big screen. He may be an effective and charismatic actor. Unfortunately, these are not the main traits required of a legislator, and a national one at that. He may be effective in playing his roles on the reel, make-believe world on the silver screen, but he has not gone through the needed training and experience of how to craft legislation, even at the barangay level. I would like to believe that as a Muslim convert, he is concerned with the dismal quality of life of many Bangsamoro Muslims in the region. He claimed this during his campaign sorties that convinced Bangsamoro voters to give their vote of confidence to him. Many of these voters have become part of the BARMM bureaucracy and consider him their champion in promoting more favorable legal instruments to benefit them in the region. The proposed BaSulTa region is not new; it is an arbitrary creation among nongovernment and religious-based organizations to come up with a way to delineate their respective initiatives by location, to distinguish the unique contexts of island communities vis-à-vis the “mainland” provinces of Lanao del Sur and now, the two Maguindanao provinces. But making it another autonomous region will raise a host of various problems, making it another set of kindling wood to an already existing conflagration that started with the exit of Sulu from the BARMM. First, the proposal will run counter to the 1987 Constitution that allows for only two autonomous regions–the ARMM, now BARMM, and the Cordillera Autonomous Region. While several sectors have advocated for reconsideration to reinstate Sulu as part of the BARMM, here is a proposal to divide the region once again. This has also raised questions on Padilla’s motives and his avowed concern and empathy for the Bangsamoro. This bill proves otherwise. Most of all, it is a proposal that spells another figurative firestorm in the region. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . [email protected]Novae Stone Investment, a prominent real estate investment firm, is contributing to the development of the Columbia City Project
Feds suspend ACA marketplace access to companies accused of falsely promising ‘cash cards’A month after the Saskatchewan Party was re-elected, the government is outlining its priorities in the 2024 throne speech. “We should never take for granted the tremendous privilege that we have in our province and our country to freely choose our representatives and our government,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said in the speech. Moe says his government plans to start working on affordability issues, including a promise to reduce personal income tax rates. The provincial government also plans to address problems in health care, education and community safety. Affordability The largest section of the throne speech, Moe said he will introduce the largest personal income tax reduction in Saskatchewan since 2008 by raising the personal exemption, spousal exemption, child exemption and seniors supplement by $500 a year in each of the next four years, in addition to fully indexing income tax brackets. Moe said a family of four can expect to save more than $3,400 over the next four years and a senior couple will save more than $3,100. “When fully implemented, an additional 54,000 people will no longer pay any Saskatchewan income tax,” Moe explained. “The Saskatchewan Low-Income Tax Credit will be increased by 20 per cent over the next four years. When it comes to homeowners, the Home Renovation Tax Credit will allow homeowners to claim up to $4,000 in home renovation expenses every year, to a maximum benefit of $420 annually. Seniors will be able to claim an additional $1,000 every year, for a maximum benefit of $525 annually. Moe promises the Saskatchewan First-Time Homebuyers Credit will be increased by 50 per cent, from $10,000 to $15,000. The government is also promising to increase the disability tax credit by 25 per cent. The government will also introduce legislation to extend the carbon price exemption on natural gas through 2025. Health care Moe said his government will continue to accelerate the hiring of health-care professionals and expand urgent care centres. An urgent care centre opened in Regina this July and has served the needs of more than 14,000 patients. Moe said his government will open additional urgent care centres in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, North Battleford, Moose Jaw and Regina. Moe is also promising 450,000 surgeries will be performed over the next four years. “Increasing capacity will reduce surgical wait times to no more than three months,” the speech says. “To meet the need for more health-care infrastructure, five new hospitals are under development in Prince Albert, Weyburn, Esterhazy, Rosthern and Yorkton. “Over four years, my government will invest more than $2.6 billion into health-care infrastructure.” The speech also said the province will further implement a nurse task force, provide women with the option to do cervix self-screening at home for the human papillomavirus and more. Education When it comes to education, Moe said he will work to expand the specialized support classroom model. “My government will work with school divisions to expand the specialized support classroom pilot to 200 more schools throughout the province,” Moe said. He also said he would increase funding for school divisions, but not by how much or when. Safer communities When it comes to community safety, Moe said his government will add 500 more police officers and 500 more addiction recovery spaces. “More police officers, more access to recovery spaces, more mental health supports and stronger laws – that’s my government’s plan for safer communities and neighbourhoods,” the speech reads. Saskatchewan NDP push back The Saskatchewan Party heads into the 61-seat legislature with 34 members, facing a larger 27-member Opposition under NDP Leader Carla Beck. Beck said this speech from the Throne was just more of “the same old Sask. Party.” “Regardless of who you voted for, people want action from their elected officials. They want results now,” said Beck. “Claiming to have heard voters’ concerns while refusing to change course makes it clear that this is the same old Sask. Party government. People are tired of the same old song and dance from these guys. They want better than this.” Beck said the speech misses the mark in many key areas. She believes there are no new affordability measures until tax time next year, and only for those who are actually eligible. The NDP leader also said the promises do nothing to get Saskatchewan schools “out of last place in Canada,” and no changes to the “failed healthcare plan.” “Scott Moe suggests he’s heard the message from the people of Saskatchewan that they want change, but he offers nothing of the sort,” Beck said. “He’s pressing ahead with cuts to funding for hospitals and schools and doing nothing immediately to help make life more affordable for families. This is a government that’s out of ideas and out of touch with the people in this province who are hurting.” Beck, whose party gained ground in Saskatoon and Regina after the election, said she will press Moe to suspend the provincial gas tax and fix health care. She says her party plans to introduce an emergency motion that would give Moe a Wednesday deadline to pause the gas tax. — More info to come.FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Woody Newton had 26 points in George Mason's 100-55 win against Ferrum on Saturday. Newton also added six rebounds for the Patriots (4-3). Brayden O'Connor added 14 points while shooting 6 for 7, including 2 for 3 from beyond the arc while they also had five assists. K.D. Johnson shot 4 for 8 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 4 of 7 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points, while adding seven rebounds. Alfredo Abel-Rivera led the way for the Panthers with 15 points and seven rebounds. Bryant Wall added 13 points for Ferrum. Sterling Charles also had six points and two steals. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
West Virginia 31, UCF 21
Broadridge Announces First-of-its-Kind AI-Powered Algorithm Insights ServiceTime magazine named US president-elect Donald Trump its 'Person of the Year' on Thursday, citing his deep impact on American politics and the country's role in the world. "For marshalling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political realignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering America's role in the world, Donald Trump is Time's 2024 Person of the Year," Time Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs wrote in a letter to readers. The news magazine had previously bestowed the "Person of the Year" title to Trump in 2016 after his first presidential election victory. It named Democratic President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris "Person of the Year" in 2020 after they defeated Trump. Pop star Taylor Swift received the title last year. Why Taylor Swift is Time magazine's person of the year The latest 'Person of the Year' issue features a wide-ranging interview with Trump conducted on 25 November at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. In it, Trump sharply criticised Ukraine's use of US-supplied missiles deep into Russian territory. He also said he will have a "big discussion" about ending childhood vaccination programs with Robert F Kennedy Jr, his nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services, and that his new administration could scrap some vaccines. To commemorate the Time selection, Trump rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange, where he was cheered. Source: SIPA USA / Courtney Crow / NYSE via Sipa USA He was joined by Kennedy, wife Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, Vice President-elect JD Vance and Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary. Business leaders including Goldman Sachs Chief Executive David Solomon and Citigroup Chief Executive Jane Fraser were also present. In remarks to CNBC at the NYSE, Trump repeated his plans to boost domestic oil drilling and to lower corporate taxes to 15 per cent for US-made products. The bell ringing signifies the start of the trading day at the world's largest stock exchange and is considered an honour. It has historically been reserved for company executives celebrating an initial public offering or other major corporate milestones, but celebrities and politicians like Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela and Arnold Schwarzenegger have also rung it.
On November 23, Mnet held the third and final day of the 2024 MAMA Awards at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan. This was the concluding night of the award ceremony, bringing some big wins for the world’s top K-Pop artists . Aespa was among the groups that took home more than one award. Aespa’s “Supernova” won “Song of the Year,” “Best Choreography,” and “Best Dance Performance Female Group,” while “Armageddon” earned them the award for “Best Music Video.” [ #2024MAMA ] BEST MUSIC VIDEO #aespa #에스파 @aespa_official #Armageddon We proudly announce the great winner of the 2024 MAMA AWARDS!🏆 BIG BLUR : What is Real? 2024 MAMA AWARDS #MAMAAWARDS #2024MAMAAWARDS pic.twitter.com/07wGtAPBKB — MAMA AWARDS (@MnetMAMA) November 23, 2024 aespa is sweeping MAMA 2024 😮💨😭 🏆 “Best Female Group” 🏆 “Best Choreography” 🏆 “Best Dance Performance Female Group” 🏆 “Fan’s Choice Award — TOP 10” 🔜 “Best MV” 🔜 “Song of the Year” 🔜 “Album of the Year” 🔜 “Artist of the Year” — echi (@aechi___) November 23, 2024 Best Music Video – ARMAGEDDON (aespa) 💯 pic.twitter.com/jDBhCkILYc — Jazz (@mjkmwntr) November 23, 2024 Naturally, aespa’s fans were excited for the group. Many felt their wins were well-deserved, especially for the music video. Yet, netizens argued that other artists’ music videos were more deserving. i love aespa but love wins all mv was an absolute masterpiece pls 😭😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/HY4QcGDpWN — ᴗ̈ lee (@okeydokeykyeom) November 24, 2024 I love aespa but lets be real the best MV's this year are Girls Never Die and HEYA a close second #2024MAMA pic.twitter.com/UGjU8bVQkM — Supreet S (@BacardixCola) November 23, 2024 And if I say Seventeen was robbed of Best Music video for Maestro- An MV which used AI in it won over an MV that didn't and conveyed the message that AI is harmful and can never replace human art https://t.co/WL2NOciVGj pic.twitter.com/3OTlJS6mnM — ASH (@honouredbysvt) November 24, 2024 One common criticism of aespa’s “Armageddon” MV is that it utilized AI (Artificial Intelligence). AI usage is a common debate, as many are opposed to the usage of AI, and there’s a discourse on its ethicality. Many feel that AI is stealing jobs; in this case, specifically, they thought it insulted hardworking artists. Ya show is actually rigged cuz why tf they gave aespa best choreography with that boring ass dance and also best mv where ai is used. With more 2 awards that they were not even predicted to win https://t.co/m6yDW3RWBv — Zoe☆17 (@yoon1004hannie) November 24, 2024 Fans jumped to aespa’s defense, as the AI clip in the MV is used for 2 seconds. Most of the MV was created by real artists using 3D modeling/rendering and VFX. generative ai???? Dont discredit aespa’s hardwork especially their teams of editors, creative directors and everyone who was part of this masterpiece. Something not commonly seen “normal”, doesnt mean its all ai. https://t.co/ccWYeAROhY — xo, trisH 🐹 (@lhs_h7) November 25, 2024 You got idols that use HEAVY ai for teasers and photos and actual music videos, but y’all just want to talk about aespa’s under-2-seconds-of-ai for wtv reason. And ik it’s not just cause it won best mv. People BEEN on them for this. People just want a reason to hate aespa lmaoooo https://t.co/CjIg72BWBi — savae ❤️🤎 WHIPLASH (@aespaholo) November 25, 2024 Its called 3D modeling/rendering and VFX, not that Carats know something like that bec these days yall call everything made by AI when there are real artists pouring their heart and time into every detail of aespa's MV pic.twitter.com/OtQN5hC9LE — ACEWNTR |❄️윈터 (@draecaryssss) November 24, 2024 Besides, this is not the case when randomly using AI to be “trendy.” Aespa’s lore has long been intertwined with the Metaverse, with each member having their own computer-generated æ-aespa counterparts. There’s also the additional “member” of Nævis (also known as NAVIS or Naevis), another AI in aespa’s universe responsible for helping the group and their avatars coexist as they fight the fictional Black Mamba villain. So, it’s on brand for aespa as a group to include AI. Just because you don't do research and educate yourselves about art and vfx doesn't mean everything is done by AI, credits to all the people that worked on this MV — even adding a special thanks to MY since our fandom appreciate aespa's artistry (aespacore) pic.twitter.com/jiGcXWoZPm — ACEWNTR |❄️윈터 (@draecaryssss) November 25, 2024 not to mention aespa uses ai to enhance their futuristic/surreal concept, just like the ai lipsync in supernova, its not just there cus the artists were lazy https://t.co/lKsUxBqk2i — ren (@renomenonn) November 25, 2024 when are yall going to acknowledge the fact that ai is literally part of aespa's concept?? it's about the progress of the technology and futurism. the generated part of the mv was only like 2 seconds anyway yet they still wanted to include it and that's it. suck it up already. https://t.co/qTpDapObkZ — zuzu (@PRAWILNYCHEN) November 25, 2024 Some of the original critical tweets have since been deleted. Still, some K-Pop fans are standing their ground regarding not using AI. I'm really sorry, but ai is ai nonetheless no matter how many seconds it counts. It shows that it's getting commercialized and generalized in the creative industry. I'm happy Aespa got their bag but that doesn't mean its condoning SM from using ai for their artists' mvs https://t.co/nQQFm7GpFR — Rei or Rhey, call me whatever (@mochi_mangga) November 25, 2024 What do you think about the AI usage? aespa Korean Announcer Claims To Look Like aespa’s Karina Unexpected Story Of Popular Korean Star Meeting aespa’s Karina For The First Time Is Going Viral Rookie Girl Group Gets Accused Of Copying aespa Aespa’s Giselle Goes Viral For Her Visuals Despite Having An Allergic Reaction See more aespaFRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Cooper Rush probably will need three more victories in a row filling in for the injured Dak Prescott for any postseason talk to be realistic. The thing is, the Cowboys (4-7) could be favored in two of those games, and already are by four points as an annual Thanksgiving Day host against the New York Giants (2-9) on Thursday, according to BetMGM. Not to mention the losing record at the moment for each of the next four opponents for the defending NFC East champions, playoff qualifiers each of the past three seasons. The Cowboys have a chance to make something of the improbable and chaotic 34-26 win at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. “Behind the eight ball,” Micah Parsons said, the star pass rusher acknowledging the reality that Dallas hadn't done much yet. “Let’s see how we can handle adversity and see if we can make a playoff run. But we got a long way to go.” It was a start, though, powered in part by the best 55 minutes from the Dallas defense since the opener, when the Cowboys dismantled Cleveland and looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. The last five minutes for the Dallas defense against the Commanders looked a lot like most of the nine games after that 33-17 victory over the Browns. Which is to say not very good. Jayden Daniels easily drove Washington 69 yards to a touchdown before throwing an 86-yard scoring pass in the final seconds to Terry McLaurin, who weaved through five defenders when a tackle might have ended the game. The Cowboys kept a 27-26 lead thanks to Austin Seibert's second missed extra point, and withstood another blunder when Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick recovery for a TD rather than slide and leave one kneel-down from Rush to end the game. Dallas will have to remember it did hold a dynamic rookie quarterback's offense to 251 yards before the madness of the ending in the Cowboys' biggest upset victory since 2010 at the New York Giants. That one was too late to save the season. This one might not be. “We needed it,” embattled coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been frustrating, no doubt. We’ve acknowledged that. We’ve got another one right around the corner here, so we have to get some wins and get some momentum.” Rush ended a personal three-game losing streak with his best showing since the previous time he won as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. The 117.6 passer rating was Rush's best as a starter, and the NFL's second-worst rushing attack played a solid complementary role with Rico Dowdle gaining 86 yards on 19 carries. KaVontae Turpin's electrifying 99-yard kickoff return did more than lift the Cowboys when it appeared an 11-point lead might get away in the final five minutes. It eased the worst day of special teams for Dallas since John Fassel took over that phase four years ago. Suddenly struggling kicker Brandon Aubrey had one field-goal attempt blocked and missed another. Bryan Anger had a punt blocked. For the second time in five games, Aubrey's attempt to bounce a kickoff in front of the return man backfired. The ball bounced outside the landing zone, putting the Commanders at the 40-yard line to start the second half and setting up the drive to the game's first touchdown. CB Josh Butler, whose NFL debut earlier this season came five years after the end of his college career, had 12 tackles, a sack and three pass breakups. The pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. Rookie LT Tyler Guyton, who has had an up-and-down season with injuries and performance issues, was benched immediately after getting called for a false start in the fourth quarter. His replacement, Asim Richards, could be sidelined with a high ankle sprain that executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones revealed on his radio show Monday. Veteran Chuma Edoga, who was the projected starter at Guyton's position before a preseason toe injury, was active but didn't play against the Commanders. He's awaiting his season debut. The status of perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and LG Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) will be a question on the short week after both sat against Washington. Stephen Jones indicated Smith could be available and said the same of WR Brandin Cooks, who hasn't played since Week 4 because of a knee issue. TE Jake Ferguson may miss at least a second week with a concussion. The short week might make it tough for CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to return. 75% — Rush's completion rate, his best with at least 10 passes. He was 24 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His other game with multiple TDs and no picks was a 25-10 victory over Washington two years ago, when he went 4-1 with Prescott sidelined by a broken thumb. There's some extra rest after the short week, with Cincinnati making a “Monday Night Football” visit on Dec. 9. The next road game is at Carolina on Dec. 15. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
C$ unless otherwise stated TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945 TORONTO , Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife has been notified of an unsolicited mini-tender offer made by New York Stock and Bond LLC (New York Stock and Bond) to purchase up to 50,000 Manulife common shares, or less than 0.003% of the common shares outstanding, at a price of USD$12.50 per share. Manulife is in no way associated with New York Stock and Bond and does not recommend or endorse acceptance of this unsolicited offer. Manulife cautions shareholders that the mini-tender offer has been made at a price below the current market price for Manulife shares. The offer represents a discount of approximately 60.76% and 60.80%, respectively, below the closing prices of Manulife common shares on the TSX and NYSE on November 27, 2024 , the last trading day before the mini-tender offer was commenced, and a discount of 61.43% and 61.42%, respectively, below the closing prices on the TSX and NYSE on December 6, 2024 . Mini-tender offers are designed to seek less than 5% of a company's outstanding shares, avoiding disclosure and procedural requirements applicable to most bids under Canadian and U.S. securities regulations. The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have expressed serious concerns about mini-tender offers, including the possibility that investors might tender to such offers without understanding the offer price relative to the actual market price of their securities. The SEC states that "bidders make mini-tender offers at below-market prices, hoping that they will catch investors off guard if the investors do not compare the offer price to the current market price." Shareholders should carefully review the New York Stock and Bond offer documents and current market price for Manulife shares, and consult their investment advisors regarding any offer they may receive and review with their advisors all options for their investment in Manulife shares. Manulife has stock transfer agents providing shareholder services in Canada , the United States , Hong Kong and the Philippines . These local agents provide services directly to our registered shareholders and can provide information on share account management, direct deposit of dividends, dividend reinvestment and share purchase plans. Please email manulifeinquiries@tmx.com for more information. Manulife requests that a copy of this news release be included in any distribution of materials relating to New York Stock and Bond's mini-tender offer for Manulife common shares. About Manulife Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada , we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada , Asia , and Europe , and primarily as John Hancock in the United States . Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2023, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 35 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto , New York , and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under '945' in Hong Kong. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/manulife-cautions-investors-regarding-new-york-stock-and-bond-llc-offer-for-shares-302326646.html SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation
Top 10 casino streamersHas FIFA rigged voting system to award Saudi Arabia with 2034 World Cup host?By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI TOMS River, N.J. (AP) — A U.S. senator has called for mysterious drones spotted flying over sensitive areas in New Jersey and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region to be “shot down, if necessary,” even as it remains unclear who owns them. “We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Thursday as concerns about the drones spread across Capitol Hill. People in the New York region are also concerned that the drones may be sharing airspace with commercial airlines, he said, demanding more transparency from the Biden administration. The White House said Thursday that a review of the reported sightings shows that many of them are actually manned aircraft being flown lawfully. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said there were no reported sightings in any restricted airspace. He said the U.S. Coast Guard has not uncovered any foreign involvement from coastal vessels. “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby said, echoing statements from the Pentagon and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. The drones appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security. The FBI has been investigating and has asked residents to share any videos, photos or other information about the drones. On Wednesday, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said they are not U.S. military drones. The number of sightings has increased in recent days, though officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once. The worry stems partly from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey were larger than those typically used by hobbyists. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he was frustrated by the lack of transparency, saying it could help spread fear or misinformation. “We should know what’s going on over our skies,” he said Thursday. Fantasia, a Morris County Republican, was among several lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the sightings from the New York City area across New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia. It is unknown at this time whether the sightings are related. Two Republican Jersey Shore-area congressmen, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, say the military should shoot down the drones. Smith said a U.S. Coast Guard commanding officer briefed him on an incident over the weekend in which a dozen drones followed a motorized Coast Guard lifeboat “in close pursuit” near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County. Coast Guard Lt. Luke Pinneo on Wednesday told The Associated Press “that multiple low-altitude aircraft were observed in the vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park.” ___ Associated Press reporters Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and reporter Darlene Superville and videojournalists Serkan Gurbuz and Nathan Ellgren in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
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