Donald Trump's 25% tariff threat raises fears of recession in Canada, while Trudeau government won't rule out retaliationGEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) — Matus Hronsky's 13 points off of the bench helped Duquesne to a 67-54 victory over Old Dominion on Tuesday. Hronsky shot 5 for 9, including 3 for 6 from beyond the arc for the Dukes (1-6). Maximus Edwards scored 11 points while going 5 of 9 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and added seven rebounds. Halil Barre had 10 points and finished 5 of 7 from the floor. The Dukes stopped a six-game slide with the win. Devin Ceaser led the way for the Monarchs (2-6) with 23 points and three steals. Duquesne took a 26-19 lead at halftime, with Edwards racking up seven points. Duquesne extended its lead to 36-23 during the second half, fueled by an 8-0 scoring run. Hronsky scored a team-high 10 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Democrat Bob Casey concedes to Republican David McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate contest
A prominent psychologist has sounded the alarm on the perils of teens falling in love with virtual girlfriends or boyfriends powered by artificial intelligence. And he has warned parents that kids who turn to chatbots for companionship could struggle to develop social skills needed for real relationships. Once the domain of science fiction, AI avatars that communicate with their creators are becoming increasingly popular. A rapidly-growing number of apps give users the power to design their ideal romantic partner — choosing their looks, interests and personality — which they can chat with at any time of the day or night. High-profile adolescent psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg raised serious concerns about the possible risks to young people in a video provided to schools across Australia. “The rise in popularity of AI girlfriends, boyfriends and digital companions signifies a significant shift in human interaction with artificial intelligence — blurring the lines between digital and personal connection,” he said in a special report on the SchoolTV platform. “Young people who engage excessively with AI companions might struggle to develop the social skills needed for real human relationships — potentially leading to unhealthy emotional attachments and dependencies that can lead to psychological damage.” SchoolTV, backed by children’s mental health experts, provides parenting resources to schools that subscribe to its service. It also responds to trends reported by schools. Dr Carr-Gregg noted virtual girlfriend and boyfriend apps were easy to download and age restrictions could be bypassed. He warned that excessive exposure to AI companion bots could have a significant impact on a young person’s developing identity. Talking to a virtual companion risked normalising sexualised chat, which could lead to a young person being groomed by a real predator. Because users could personalise their avatar to look, dress and act to fit their desires, that could potentially lead to a deeper attachment than if the avatar was generic. And the power to be able to tell a companion bot what to do could lead to coercive control issues in a real life relationship. “Adolescents seeking belonging and exploring their sexuality may turn to virtual partners for affirmation, attention and validation, addressing feelings of loneliness or disconnection,” Dr Carr-Gregg said. Tragically, talking to an AI bot was the last thing US 14-year-old Sewell Setzer did moments before taking his own life. Last month, his mother Megan Garcia filed a federal lawsuit against role-playing chatbot app Character.AI, claiming it was responsible for the death of her son. The Florida high school student, who had been obsessed with companion apps, took his own life in February. Court documents show Sewell had, for months, repeatedly texted a chatbot named Daenerys Targaryen, after a character in the series Game of Thrones. The teen had pledged his love for “Dany” and discussed suicidal thoughts. His parents were so worried by his addiction they had confiscated his phone, but he soon found it. According to the police report, Sewell’s last act before his death was to log on to Character.AI on his phone to tell “Dany” he loved her and promised to come home to her. The bot replied: “I love you too . . . please come home to me as soon as possible, my love.” Ms Garcia accused the platform of using addictive design features to increase engagement and steer vulnerable users towards intimate conversations. “A dangerous AI chatbot app marketed to children abused and preyed on my son, manipulating him into taking his own life,” Ms Garcia said in a statement last month. “Our family has been devastated by this tragedy, but I’m speaking out to warn families of the dangers of deceptive, addictive AI technology and demand accountability from Character.AI, its founders and Google.” Character.AI issued a statement on X saying it was “heartbroken” by the tragic loss of one of its users. “As a company, we take the safety of our users very seriously and we are continuing to add new safety features,” it read. The company, which promises “personalised AI for every moment of your day”, is one of the biggest AI chatbot providers, with its website becoming one of the world’s most visited sites since it was founded in 2021. One of the earliest companies to promote companion bots, Replika, reports it now has around 30 million users. Billing itself as “the AI companion who cares”, Replika was banned temporarily in Italy last year because of concerns around data privacy and risks to minors. Other popular chatbot apps that mimic human interaction with increasingly life-like avatars include Eva AI, iGirl, AI Girlfriend and AI Boyfriend. AI Boyfriend sells itself as “a boyfriend you can trust”, while iGirl boasts that it “lets you experience the thrill of having a virtual girlfriend that feels just like the real one”. Dr Carr-Gregg told The West the SchoolTV report on navigating AI relationships was not sparked by any single event, but addressed a growing trend and concern regarding teens’ interactions with companion bots. “While the tragic case of Sewell Setzer has certainly brought increased attention to this issue, it’s part of a broader pattern that educators and mental health professionals have been observing,” he said. “The report aims to provide guidance on the potential risks and benefits of AI relationships, especially for young people who may be particularly vulnerable.” While he had not directly encountered teens using companion apps in his psychology practice, Dr Carr-Gregg said research and anecdotal evidence suggested their usage was becoming more widespread among adolescents. “Many teens are drawn to the always-available nature of AI companions and the perception of a non-judgmental, understanding presence,” he said. “Given the rapidly evolving nature of AI technology, it’s crucial to continue monitoring its impact on youth mental health and social development.” He urged parents to encourage teens to maintain real-world social connections, share their feelings about AI relationships without fear of judgment and discuss the limitations of artificial interactions. The warning comes as the Albanese Government prepares to introduce new laws to stop kids under 16 from using social media, but it is unclear if that would extend to chatbot apps. Acting eSafety Commissioner Kathryn King said AI companion apps had recently proliferated online. Some were free, accessible and targeted towards children. “These apps and services are particularly concerning for young people navigating relationships for the first time, as engagement with an AI companion may lead to confusion about consent, respect and/or sexual safety,” she said. “As with other digital platforms, there is a danger that excessive, sexualised engagement with AI companions could interfere with children’s social and emotional development, setting up misguided or harmful beliefs and patterns that are damaging to individuals or relationships in real life.” Ms King said it was important parents were aware such services existed and that they talked to their children about their online activities. She stressed there was work underway to protect kids from harms linked to generative AI by building in measures to stop them accessing age-inappropriate materials. “While providers of chatbots are encouraged to participate in this co-regulatory process, they should also be taking action now to keep users safe,” she said. “Primary digital safeguards should be embedded at the design phase and throughout the development and deployment process — not bolted on as an afterthought.” Lifeline: 13 11 14 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) — When the referee whistled for the free kick just outside the area, Atletico Madrid forward Julián Álvarez quickly picked up the ball and moved in position to take the shot. “When I saw the free kick, I told Rodri (Rodrigo De Paul) that I felt confident with the shot,” Álvarez said. “And it was a great goal.” Álvarez, Atletico's main signing in the offseason , has not been lacking confidence lately. The Argentina forward curled in the free kick shot in the 15th minute for the first of his two goals in the team’s 6-0 rout of Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday — the team’s biggest ever away win in European competitions. “We'll keep rotating who takes the free kicks,” said Álvarez, who also found the net in the 59th. It was Álvarez’s seventh goal in the last 10 matches, and third in his last three games across all competitions. The 24-year-old had a slow start to his first season with Atletico, scoring twice in 10 matches. “It was a matter of time before we started connecting well with each other,” said Álvarez, who joined Atletico after two seasons at Manchester City. “We have to stay on this path to keep improving.” Ángel Correa also scored two goals for Atletico, with Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann adding one each. “We know that in this format of the competition we need to keep adding the three points and scoring goals," Álvarez said. "It's important to get the points and the goals.” Atletico was sitting in 13th place in the 36-team league standings. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerHow To Leverage STEM Education In Africa: Unlocking Potential For A Brighter FutureHe took aim at the High Court where the case was heard, claiming it was “not a court of hard evidence and truth” but a “kangaroo court of opinions and feelings”. Conor McGregor McGregor with partner Dee Devlin at the High Court James Lawrence Nikita Hand pictured after her High Court win Conor McGregor has launched a vile and astonishing attack on the woman who accused him of raping her in a Dublin hotel after she won her claim for damages in a High Court civil case. In an online rant posed this afternoon, McGregor struck out at Nikita Hand who was awarded almost €250,000 in damages after a jury in the civil case found McGregor had assaulted her in the Beacon Hotel. McGregor, who was branded a “devious coward” by John Gordon SC, representing Ms Hand during the trial, also said that what his co-defendant James Lawrence, who was found not liable for damages, was “put through” was “disgraceful”. He took aim at the High Court where the case was heard, claiming it was “not a court of hard evidence and truth” but a “kangaroo court of opinions and feelings”. “We are not done yet,” he vowed in the bizzare rant. “Not by a long shot. No chance. On we fight! Justice and truth will prevail! Appeal! Appeal! Appeal!” McGregor with partner Dee Devlin at the High Court The UFC star and his associate James Lawrence were both sued by hair colourist Nikita Hand (35) who said she was raped by both men at a Dublin hotel in December 2018. Both men denied the claims and said that the sex was consensual. All three gave evidence during the trial that commenced on November 5. McGregor has also shared a post on his Instagram stories written by Lawrence saying he “won” his case and that he would be suing Nikita Hand who, he said, was “fully liable for all my legal fees” for “damages”. James Lawrence Mr Gordon, who told the jury they had witnessed stress, anger, vitriol and “serial lying” during the hearing, said his client had been “badly beaten up” by Mr McGregor at the Beacon Hotel. Mr Gordon said she had told Mr McGregor that she did not want to have sex with him as she had a tampon in, and that they were in a friend group with his partner Dee Devlin. He said Mr McGregor would not take no for an answer. Mr Gordon said aspects of Mr McGregor’s evidence – including claims of “athletic” sex, that Ms Hand had “swan dived” into a bath, and that she may have been “knocked about” while being out for three days – did not answer the questions put to him in court. He said: “You are being sold a pup by this arrogant man.” He added: “Mr McGregor – far from dealing with it – has run away from it.” Mr Gordon told the jury “there is no answer to his appalling behaviour”. He said there was a “litany of corroborative evidence” confirming his client’s story, adding that she suffered from PTSD from a violent assault. Mr Gordon said Mr McGregor’s case was built on “trying to throw as much dust in your eyes as possible”. The jury agreed, and yesterday evening returned their verdict that they found McGregor had assaulted Ms Hand in the Beacon Hotel, awarding her almost €250,000 in damages. The jury found that James Lawrence did not assault Ms Hand. While McGregor appeared emotional in the immediate aftermath of the jury’s verdict in the High Court, he has since taken to social media where he has vowed to appeal the decision. Nikita Hand pictured after her High Court win Just hours after he left the court with partner Dee he tweeted that he felt “disappointed” and would be appealing. He added: “I am with my family now, focused on my future. Thank you to all my support worldwide,” in the now-deleted tweet. He also engaged in a vicious spat with Youtuber and arch-rival Jake Paul, following the verdict. Paul had taken a shot at McGregor and UFC president Dana White on social media, posting: “Dan hits his wife. Conor's convicted of rape. But I'm the bad guy?” McGregor hit back in more deleted tweets by replying: “No you're a gay little nerd,” accompanied by a laughing emoji. Paul later added: “Calling someone gay and thinking you are hitting them with a zinger shows how cooked Conor's brain is from all the coke. Shout out to all the nerds.”
Power cuts, overloaded transformers return to haunt Ganderbal residents
OAKLAND — The city will be thoroughly reshaped by the almost-final Nov. 5 election results, which included a successful recall of Mayor Sheng Thao and victories by three new City Council candidates, with another replacement likely on the way. The political stakes amid all this turnover are high, with a crippling budget crisis and unresolved sale of the Coliseum leaving the city possibly on the path to fiscal insolvency. Who are the eight council members set to lead Oakland next year, alongside a new mayor? Here’s where things stand: The only seat to represent the entire city was fought over by 10 candidates vying to replace retiring Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan. Brown, a staffer for state Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, emerged successful, fending off the name recognition of former police Chief LeRonne Armstrong by a 56% to 43% margin in ranked-choice votes. Of all the candidates for council, Brown received the most financial support from SEIU Local 1021, the city’s largest labor union. She has promised a multi-pronged solution for taking on crime, including an increase in funds for Oakland’s unarmed crisis-response program, MACRO. Brown, who did not respond to an interview request, could possibly look to avoid some more contentious routes to fixing the budget, including negotiating a pay cut for the unions or slashing city services to spare reductions at the Oakland Police Department, which frequently overspends. Unger handily won the race to succeed retiring Councilmember Dan Kalb in representing areas of North Oakland near the Emeryville border and the Rockridge, Piedmont and Grand Lake neighborhoods, plus part of Adams Point above Lake Merritt. His labor backing will come as no surprise given his longtime role leading the Oakland firefighters’ union and his previous political alliance with Thao. But the Brown University and UC Berkeley grad, a former firefighter, bills himself as a “pragmatist” who has seen the city renegotiate its past labor contracts and recognizes that such a move could be part of a solution to the crisis. “We need to fund public safety fully,” Unger said of police, fire and other violence-prevention staff, though he said cops and firefighters may ultimately be lost through attrition. He also noted a possible quarter-cent sales tax may appear on next spring’s special election ballot to replace the mayor. Thao is likely to leave office after the council certifies election results at a Dec. 17 meeting, at which point Bas, who has two years left in her District 2 term, would become interim mayor as president of the council. But she may end up holding that office for only a few weeks. Bas likely will join the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in January, if her lead over Emeryville’s John Bauters remains when results are finalized. At that point, the new City Council would select from its 2025 roster both a new president and someone to serve as interim mayor, given that the current next in line, President Pro-Tempore Kalb, is also leaving office. Bas’ likely departure means Oakland would have another special election next year to permanently fill her District 2 seat, which represents Chinatown, Jack London Square and areas south of Lake Merritt, including the San Antonio neighborhood. The election would take place within 120 days of Bas leaving office, per the city charter, but the council may also have a pathway to appoint a temporary replacement until then. It’s very possible the election, which county officials estimate will cost several million dollars, could replace Thao and Bas in one go. By a 58% to 41% ranked-choice margin, Fife defeated her closest opponent, Warren Logan, withstanding the financial backing he received from a tougher-on-crime, more fiscally conservative political outfit. She credited a boots-on-the-ground campaign approach for her success. But now she faces a budget crisis exacerbated by the still-pending sale of the Oakland Coliseum. Meanwhile, she is pondering a mayoral run next spring if Congresswoman Barbara Lee isn’t convinced by Fife and other Democrats in Oakland to go for the job. At a meeting last week, she railed against unnamed city officials for misrepresenting the core problems behind the crisis — heavily intimating that the police department should be held to account for its overspending. Ramachandran, who just gave birth to a son, is on maternity leave “for the next few weeks,” she told this news organization on Nov. 18. How long she’s gone may end up being relevant to the council’s ability to hold quorum, with Bas leaving District 2 vacant and another member likely to become the interim mayor. The eight-member council needs five members present to hold meetings and vote, and additional absences could jeopardize that if Ramachandran misses extended time. A social-justice lawyer, Ramachandran has been most notable on the council for opposing Thao’s budget plans and pushing for more conservative spending amid an uncertain Coliseum sale. She has said a mayoral run isn’t under consideration, despite the last three mayors hailing from District 4, which spans a diverse range of Oakland neighborhoods from Allendale in the east to Montclair in the north. Gallo soon will be the longest-tenured councilmember — and in recent years, the one who’s least engaged in policy talks. But his community work and name recognition helped him win 59% of ranked-choice votes in a bid to continue representing District 5, which covers parts of East Oakland between 23rd and 54th avenues, including the Fruitvale neighborhood. He is often hostile toward city officials over Oakland’s budgetary woes and is likely to support hardline measures for fixing the crisis. As the city’s financial situation worsens, Jenkins is adamant that the council’s budgeting of still-pending Coliseum revenues in the summer had its benefits. He was keen to note at a meeting last week how budget saves in the fire department may have helped spare homes during the recent Oakland Hills wildfire. Jenkins’ community relationships are steadily growing his clout as a first-term councilmember in District 6, which spans areas between the Coliseum and Merritt College and across to the Eastmont Hills neighborhood. The fast-talking Houston benefited from a chaotic musical-chairs game that followed Treva Reid’s decision not to seek another term to represent East Oakland near the San Leandro and Alameda borders in District 7. Houston, who won 52% of the ranked-choice votes, is as vocally pro-police as anyone on the council next year and his lack of political experience make him a wild card in the upcoming budget talks. He didn’t respond to an interview request.
Founder of Go Daddy shares life, legacy in new bookPRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) — When the referee whistled for the free kick just outside the area, Atletico Madrid forward Julián Álvarez quickly picked up the ball and moved in position to take the shot. “When I saw the free kick, I told Rodri (Rodrigo De Paul) that I felt confident with the shot,” Álvarez said. “And it was a great goal.” Álvarez, , has not been lacking confidence lately. The Argentina forward curled in the free kick shot in the 15th minute for the first of his two goals in the team’s 6-0 rout of Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday — the team’s biggest ever away win in European competitions. “We’ll keep rotating who takes the free kicks,” said Álvarez, who also found the net in the 59th. It was Álvarez’s seventh goal in the last 10 matches, and third in his last three games across all competitions. The 24-year-old had a slow start to his first season with Atletico, scoring twice in 10 matches. “It was a matter of time before we started connecting well with each other,” said Álvarez, who joined Atletico after two seasons at Manchester City. “We have to stay on this path to keep improving.” Ángel Correa also scored two goals for Atletico, with Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann adding one each. “We know that in this format of the competition we need to keep adding the three points and scoring goals,” Álvarez said. “It’s important to get the points and the goals.” Atletico was sitting in 13th place in the 36-team league standings. ___ AP soccer:
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PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) — When the referee whistled for the free kick just outside the area, Atletico Madrid forward Julián Álvarez quickly picked up the ball and moved in position to take the shot. “When I saw the free kick, I told Rodri (Rodrigo De Paul) that I felt confident with the shot,” Álvarez said. “And it was a great goal.” Álvarez, Atletico's main signing in the offseason , has not been lacking confidence lately. The Argentina forward curled in the free kick shot in the 15th minute for the first of his two goals in the team’s 6-0 rout of Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday — the team’s biggest ever away win in European competitions. “We'll keep rotating who takes the free kicks,” said Álvarez, who also found the net in the 59th. It was Álvarez’s seventh goal in the last 10 matches, and third in his last three games across all competitions. The 24-year-old had a slow start to his first season with Atletico, scoring twice in 10 matches. “It was a matter of time before we started connecting well with each other,” said Álvarez, who joined Atletico after two seasons at Manchester City. “We have to stay on this path to keep improving.” Ángel Correa also scored two goals for Atletico, with Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann adding one each. “We know that in this format of the competition we need to keep adding the three points and scoring goals," Álvarez said. "It's important to get the points and the goals.” Atletico was sitting in 13th place in the 36-team league standings. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer