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Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges
By FARNOUSH AMIRI, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz said Friday that he will not be returning to Congress after withdrawing his name from consideration to be attorney general under President-elect Donald Trump amid growing allegations of sexual misconduct. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz told conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, adding that he has “some other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue with my wife and my family.” The announcement comes a day after Gaetz, a Florida Republican, stepped aside from the Cabinet nomination process amid growing fallout from federal and House Ethics investigations that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The 42-year-old has vehemently denied the allegations against him. Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general had stunned many career lawyers inside the Justice Department, but reflected Trump’s desire to place a loyalist in a department he has marked for retribution following the criminal cases against him. Hours after Gaetz withdrew, Trump nominated Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, who would come to the job with years of legal work under her belt and that other trait Trump prizes above all: loyalty. It’s unclear what’s next for Gaetz, who is no longer a member of the House. He surprised colleagues by resigning from Congress the same day that Trump nominated him for attorney general. Some speculated he could still be sworn into office for another two-year term on Jan. 3, given that he had just won reelection earlier this month. But Gaetz, who has been in state and national politics for 14 years, said he’s done with Congress. “I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” he said.
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump threatened the United States's closest neighbours with big tariffs this week, in a move that has reminded many of the unpredictable tactics the president-elect deployed during his first tenure in the White House. Trump said Monday he would use an executive order to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all goods coming from Canada and Mexico until the two countries stop drugs and migrants from illegally crossing the U.S. border. The announcement, made on Truth Social, brought swift responses from officials and industry in both countries who are bracing for chaos during Trump's second tenure. He has long used the threat of import taxes to pressure other countries to do his bidding, saying this summer that "the most beautiful word in the dictionary is 'tariff.'" It's unlikely the move would violate the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, which was negotiated during the first Trump administration. Laura Dawson, an expert on Canada-U. S. relations and the executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, said the president can impose tariffs under his national security powers. This type of duty has a time limit and can only be made permanent through Congressional approval, but for Trump, national security powers are like a "get out of jail free card," Dawson said. "This is exactly what happened in the last Trump administration," Dawson said. "Everyone said, 'Well, that is ridiculous. Canada is the U.S.'s best security partner. What do you mean our steel and aluminum imports are somehow a source of insecurity?'" But within the global trade system, she said, no country challenges another's right to define their own national security imperatives. Trump's first administration demonstrated how vulnerable Canada is to America's whims when the former president scrapped the North American Free Trade Agreement. The U.S. is Canada's closest neighbour and largest trading partner. More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S. Negotiation of CUSMA, commonly dubbed "the new NAFTA," was a key test for Ottawa following Trump's first victory. The trilateral agreement is up for review in 2026 and experts suspect this week's tariff announcement is a negotiating tactic. Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for treasury secretary, said in a recent op-ed that tariffs are "a useful tool for achieving the president's foreign policy objectives." "Whether it is getting allies to spend more on their own defence, opening foreign markets to U.S. exports, securing co-operation on ending illegal immigration and interdicting fentanyl trafficking, or deterring military aggression, tariffs can play a central role." During the initial CUSMA negotiations in 2018, Trump floated the idea of a 25 per cent tariff on the Canadian auto sector — something that would have been crippling for the industry on both sides of the border. It was never implemented. At the time, he did use his national security powers to impose a 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent tariff on aluminum imports, casting fear of an all-out trade war that would threaten the global economy. The day after announcing those levies, Trump posted on social media "trade wars are good, and easy to win." Former U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer recounted in his book that the duties sent an "unmistakable signal that business as usual was over." "The Trump administration was willing to ruffle diplomatic feathers to advance its trade agenda." It led to a legendary clash between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump at the G7 in Quebec. Trudeau said Canada would impose retaliatory measures, saying the argument that tariffs on steel and aluminum were a matter of national security was "kind of insulting." Trump took to social media, where, in a flurry of posts he called Trudeau "very dishonest and weak." Canada and other countries brought their own duties against the U.S. in response. They targeted products for political, rather than economic, reasons. Canada hit yogurt with a 10 per cent duty. Most of the product impacted came from one plant in Wisconsin, the home state of then-Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. The European Union, Mexico and Canada all targeted U.S. whiskey products with tariffs, in a clear signal to then Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his home state of Kentucky’s bourbon industry. Ultimately, Canada and Mexico were able to negotiate exemptions. Carlo Dade, the director of trade and trade infrastructure at the Canada West Foundation, said Trump is returning to the White House with more experience and a plan. But he suspects Americans will not like the blow to their bank accounts. Trump’s new across-the-board tariff strategy would not only disrupt global supply chains, it would also cause a major shakeup to the American economy. It's unclear if Trump will go through with them, or for how long, after campaigning on making life more affordable and increasing the energy market. "I think it will be short-term," Dade said. "The U.S. can only inflict damage on itself for so long." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian PressWill Utah State or Boise State forfeit vs. San Jose State in the Mountain West semifinals?
Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bullish approach towards Boeing BA , and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in BA usually suggests something big is about to happen. We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 77 extraordinary options activities for Boeing. This level of activity is out of the ordinary. The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 66% leaning bullish and 24% bearish. Among these notable options, 14 are puts, totaling $2,387,493, and 63 are calls, amounting to $2,860,084. Expected Price Movements Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $90.0 to $250.0 for Boeing over the last 3 months. Analyzing Volume & Open Interest Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Boeing's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Boeing's significant trades, within a strike price range of $90.0 to $250.0, over the past month. Boeing 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot Noteworthy Options Activity: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume BA PUT TRADE BEARISH 04/17/25 $7.05 $6.9 $7.0 $140.00 $1.0M 456 1.5K BA CALL SWEEP BULLISH 12/20/24 $17.85 $17.75 $17.75 $135.00 $175.7K 398 113 BA CALL TRADE BULLISH 03/21/25 $10.05 $9.85 $10.0 $160.00 $99.0K 2.0K 201 BA CALL TRADE BULLISH 03/21/25 $40.95 $40.8 $40.95 $115.00 $81.9K 28 20 BA CALL TRADE BEARISH 03/21/25 $31.4 $31.3 $31.3 $125.00 $78.2K 218 59 About Boeing Boeing is a major aerospace and defense firm. It operates in three segments: commercial airplanes; defense, space, and security; and Global services. Boeing's commercial airplanes segment competes with Airbus in the production of aircraft that can carry more than 130 passengers. Boeing's defense, space, and security segment competes with Lockheed, Northrop, and several other firms to create military aircraft, satellites, and weaponry. Global services provides aftermarket support to airlines. Having examined the options trading patterns of Boeing, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance Current Position of Boeing With a volume of 5,859,759, the price of BA is down -0.93% at $151.67. RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought. Next earnings are expected to be released in 64 days. What Analysts Are Saying About Boeing A total of 4 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $161.0. Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access .* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Wells Fargo continues to hold a Underweight rating for Boeing, targeting a price of $85. * An analyst from JP Morgan persists with their Overweight rating on Boeing, maintaining a target price of $190. * Reflecting concerns, an analyst from Bernstein lowers its rating to Market Perform with a new price target of $169.* In a cautious move, an analyst from RBC Capital downgraded its rating to Outperform, setting a price target of $200. Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely. If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Boeing, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Here’s an excellent cut, Biden’s blow to Democratic Party and other commentaryCP NewsAlert: Trump calls Florida meeting with Trudeau productive
Stock market today: Wall Street hits records despite tariff talkBy FARNOUSH AMIRI, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz said Friday that he will not be returning to Congress after withdrawing his name from consideration to be attorney general under President-elect Donald Trump amid growing allegations of sexual misconduct. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz told conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, adding that he has “some other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue with my wife and my family.” Related Articles The announcement comes a day after Gaetz, a Florida Republican, stepped aside from the Cabinet nomination process amid growing fallout from federal and House Ethics investigations that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The 42-year-old has vehemently denied the allegations against him. Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general had stunned many career lawyers inside the Justice Department, but reflected Trump’s desire to place a loyalist in a department he has marked for retribution following the criminal cases against him. Hours after Gaetz withdrew, Trump nominated Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, who would come to the job with years of legal work under her belt and that other trait Trump prizes above all: loyalty. It’s unclear what’s next for Gaetz, who is no longer a member of the House. He surprised colleagues by resigning from Congress the same day that Trump nominated him for attorney general. Some speculated he could still be sworn into office for another two-year term on Jan. 3, given that he had just won reelection earlier this month. But Gaetz, who has been in state and national politics for 14 years, said he’s done with Congress. “I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” he said.
Stock Markets Extends Record Highs, US Labor Market Recovers, Bitcoin Hits $100,000: This Week In The Markets
Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter can be criticized on many levels. The president lied repeatedly to the American people, saying he would never even consider such an action. And he demonstrated that same streak of stubbornness and selfishness that led him to ignore his obvious decline and declare – disastrously for the Democrats – that he would seek a second term. But those mistakes will be debated by historians. The practical and immediate result of Biden’s decision will be to undermine the forces, from both parties, who are now arming to oppose Donald Trump’s coming war against the nation’s system of law and justice. “Mr. Biden’s pardon,” writes Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent of The New York Times, “will make it harder for Democrats to defend the integrity of the Justice Department and stand against Mr. Trump’s unapologetic plans to use it for political purposes even as he seeks to install Kash Patel, an adviser who has vowed to ‘come after’ the president-elect’s enemies, as the next director of the FBI.” The president’s decision, editorialized the Washington Post, “maligned the Justice Department and invited Mr. Trump to draw equivalence between the Hunter Biden pardon and any future moves Mr. Trump might take against the impartial administration of justice.” Discount the Republicans, who are soaked in hypocrisy on this subject. There is real anguish among Biden’s fellow Democrats, such as Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, who headed the party’s Senate campaign effort. “A president’s family and allies shouldn’t get special treatment,” Peters said in a statement. “This was an improper use of power, it erodes trust in our government, and it emboldens others to bend justice to suit their interests.” Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland added on CNN: “A pardon at this point will be used against, I think, Democrats who were pushing to defend the Department of Justice against politicizing it, which is certainly what President Trump plans to do.” As Baker noted, one of Trump’s major efforts to bend justice is nominating Patel, a flag-waving, sword-brandishing warrior in his MAGA army, as the next FBI director. Patel has vowed to employ government power to punish Trump’s political enemies and wrote in his recent book: The FBI has “become so thoroughly compromised that it will remain a threat to the people unless drastic measures are taken.” He’s also aiming at journalists who dare to oppose Trump, telling Steve Bannon’s radio show, “We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly. We’ll figure that out.” Tradition dictates that a president gets to pick his own advisers. But tradition, at least in the half-century since Watergate, also mandates that the Justice Department and the FBI are different from other federal agencies and have a second set of loyalties – not just to the president, but to the rule of law and a fair judicial system. That’s precisely why lawmakers from both parties were so appalled at Trump’s first choice for Attorney General – the ethically indigent Matt Gaetz – that he was forced to withdraw within a week. If anything, the Patel nomination is even more indefensible, according to Republicans who served with him during Trump One. When Patel’s name was raised as a possible deputy director of the FBI, Attorney General Bill Barr recalls telling then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows it would only happen “over my dead body.” In his memoir, Barr wrote that Patel “had virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world’s preeminent law enforcement agency. The very idea of moving Patel into a role like this showed a shocking detachment from reality.” Trump also floated Patel’s name as a possible deputy director of the CIA, but as Axios reported, spy chief Gina Haspel “said she wouldn’t stand for it, and that she would resign before allowing Patel to assume a position as her deputy.” “No part of the FBI’s mission is safe with Kash Patel in any position of leadership in the FBI,” Andrew McCabe, deputy director of the bureau during Trump’s first term, told CNN. “If you enter into that position with nothing more than a desire to disrupt and destroy the organization, there is a lot of damage someone like Kash Patel could do.” Senators who believe in a system of laws and their impartial and independent enforcement have already defied Trump once by blocking Gaetz. Defeating Patel is just as vital. But Biden’s decision to pardon his son has made their task much more difficult. Steven Roberts teaches politics and journalism at George Washington University. He can be contacted by email at stevecokie@gmail.com.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A team that previously boycotted at least one match against the San Jose State women's volleyball program will again be faced with the decision whether to play the school , this time in the Mountain West Conference semifinals with a shot at the NCAA Tournament on the line. Five schools forfeited matches in the regular season against San Jose State, which carried a No. 2 seed into the conference tournament in Las Vegas. Among those schools: No. 3 Utah State and No. 6 Boise State, who will face off Wednesday with the winner scheduled to play the Spartans in the semifinals on Friday. Wyoming, Nevada and Southern Utah — which is not a Mountain West member — also canceled regular-season matches, all without explicitly saying why they were forfeiting. Nevada players cited fairness in women’s sports as a reason to boycott their match, while political figures from Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Nevada suggested the cancellations center around protecting women’s sports. In a lawsuit filed against the NCAA , plaintiffs cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request. A judge on Monday rejected a request made by nine current conference players to block the San Jose State player from competing in the tournament on grounds that she is transgender. That ruling was upheld Tuesday by an appeals court. “The team looks forward to starting Mountain West Conference tournament competition on Friday,” San Jose State said in a statement issued after the appeals court decision. “The university maintains an unwavering commitment to the participation, safety and privacy of all students at San Jose State and ensuring they are able to compete in an inclusive, fair and respectful environment.” Chris Kutz, a Boise State athletics spokesman, said in an email the university would not “comment on potential matchups at this time.” Doug Hoffman, an Aggies athletics spokesman, said in an email Utah State is reviewing the court’s order. “Right now, our women’s volleyball program is focused on the game this Wednesday, and we’ll be cheering them on,” Hoffman wrote. San Jose State, which had a first-round bye, would be sent directly to the conference title game if Utah State or Boise State were to forfeit again. If the Spartans make the title game, it's likely the opponent would not forfeit. They would face top-seeded Colorado State, No. 4 Fresno State or No. 5 San Diego State — all teams that played the Spartans this season. The conference champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
NASA is set to evaluate advancements to a tool designed to , or Quesst, during supersonic flight. The agency said Thursday the new technology, a shock-sensing probe, will be instrumental in validating computer models and gaining critical insights into supersonic aircraft behavior. The test results will be used to evaluate the current state of supersonic flight and potentially develop a quieter aircraft. ‘Under the Hood’ of the X-59 Quesst Shock-Sensing Probe The cone-shaped air data probe is designed to capture the unique “sonic thumps” and gather precise pressure data generated by the X-59. Researchers at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California developed two versions of this shock-sensing probe. The near-field probe captures shock waves occurring near the X-59 while the mid-field probe measures those at altitudes between 5,000 to 20,000 feet below the research aircraft. The probes are equipped with five pressure ports, which enables them to sense small pressure changes, particularly the weak shock waves produced by the X-59. These pressure ports combine their data to determine local pressure, speed and airflow direction. During the test, an F-15B aircraft equipped with the probe will fly behind another F-15. The probe will measure the shock waves generated by the second aircraft during the supersonic flight. Additionally, the researchers enhanced the heating system to prevent fluctuations caused by changing conditions seen in previous designs. “A shock-sensing probe acts as the truth source, comparing the predicted data with the real-world measurements,” said Mike Frederick, NASA principal investigator. “The probe will meet the resolution and accuracy requirements from the Quesst mission.”STOCK MARKET SNAPSHOT FOR 07/12/2024
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump threatened the United States's closest neighbours with big tariffs this week, in a move that has reminded many of the unpredictable tactics the president-elect deployed during his first tenure in the White House. Trump said Monday he would use an executive order to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all goods coming from Canada and Mexico until the two countries stop drugs and migrants from illegally crossing the U.S. border. The announcement, made on Truth Social, brought swift responses from officials and industry in both countries who are bracing for chaos during Trump's second tenure. He has long used the threat of import taxes to pressure other countries to do his bidding, saying this summer that "the most beautiful word in the dictionary is 'tariff.'" It's unlikely the move would violate the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, which was negotiated during the first Trump administration. Laura Dawson, an expert on Canada-U. S. relations and the executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, said the president can impose tariffs under his national security powers. This type of duty has a time limit and can only be made permanent through Congressional approval, but for Trump, national security powers are like a "get out of jail free card," Dawson said. "This is exactly what happened in the last Trump administration," Dawson said. "Everyone said, 'Well, that is ridiculous. Canada is the U.S.'s best security partner. What do you mean our steel and aluminum imports are somehow a source of insecurity?'" But within the global trade system, she said, no country challenges another's right to define their own national security imperatives. Trump's first administration demonstrated how vulnerable Canada is to America's whims when the former president scrapped the North American Free Trade Agreement. The U.S. is Canada's closest neighbour and largest trading partner. More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S. Negotiation of CUSMA, commonly dubbed "the new NAFTA," was a key test for Ottawa following Trump's first victory. The trilateral agreement is up for review in 2026 and experts suspect this week's tariff announcement is a negotiating tactic. Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for treasury secretary, said in a recent op-ed that tariffs are "a useful tool for achieving the president's foreign policy objectives." "Whether it is getting allies to spend more on their own defence, opening foreign markets to U.S. exports, securing co-operation on ending illegal immigration and interdicting fentanyl trafficking, or deterring military aggression, tariffs can play a central role." During the initial CUSMA negotiations in 2018, Trump floated the idea of a 25 per cent tariff on the Canadian auto sector — something that would have been crippling for the industry on both sides of the border. It was never implemented. At the time, he did use his national security powers to impose a 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent tariff on aluminum imports, casting fear of an all-out trade war that would threaten the global economy. The day after announcing those levies, Trump posted on social media "trade wars are good, and easy to win." Former U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer recounted in his book that the duties sent an "unmistakable signal that business as usual was over." "The Trump administration was willing to ruffle diplomatic feathers to advance its trade agenda." It led to a legendary clash between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump at the G7 in Quebec. Trudeau said Canada would impose retaliatory measures, saying the argument that tariffs on steel and aluminum were a matter of national security was "kind of insulting." Trump took to social media, where, in a flurry of posts he called Trudeau "very dishonest and weak." Canada and other countries brought their own duties against the U.S. in response. They targeted products for political, rather than economic, reasons. Canada hit yogurt with a 10 per cent duty. Most of the product impacted came from one plant in Wisconsin, the home state of then-Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. The European Union, Mexico and Canada all targeted U.S. whiskey products with tariffs, in a clear signal to then Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his home state of Kentucky’s bourbon industry. Ultimately, Canada and Mexico were able to negotiate exemptions. Carlo Dade, the director of trade and trade infrastructure at the Canada West Foundation, said Trump is returning to the White House with more experience and a plan. But he suspects Americans will not like the blow to their bank accounts. Trump’s new across-the-board tariff strategy would not only disrupt global supply chains, it would also cause a major shakeup to the American economy. It's unclear if Trump will go through with them, or for how long, after campaigning on making life more affordable and increasing the energy market. "I think it will be short-term," Dade said. "The U.S. can only inflict damage on itself for so long." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian PressMatt Gaetz says he won’t return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general
FirstElectric customers' monthly bills will rise beginning with the new year, same with those of Columbia Gas, but the respective increases are far less than the utilities sought. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to approve a $225 million rate increase and binding commitments to improve FirstElectric’s reliability and customer assistance and hardship programs. Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Inc. was unanimously approved separately for a $74 million annual increase, which is 40% less than the $124.1 million it proposed. FirstElectric serves an estimated 2.1 million customers in 56 counties through four rate districts: Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power. It had initially sought an annual rate increase of $503.8 million. The settlement represents a 55% negotiated reduction. Residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours will see the following average monthly increases beginning Jan. 1, 2025 (proposed rates in parentheses): $3.49 ($17.30), Met-Ed; $8.33 ($19.79), Pennelec; $8.13 ($21.29), Penn Power; $9.71 ($16.62), West Penn. The PUC Board wrote in its order that FirstElectric’s proposed rates were “found to be unjust, unreasonable, and therefore unlawful.” By Dec. 21, 2024, FirstElectric must refund $13.6 million to its residential and commercial customers as one-time bill credits. FirstElectric can’t pursue another rate hike until the second quarter of 2026, with the earliest implementation by Jan. 1, 2027. Columbia Gas has 445,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across 26 counties in western and southcentral Pennsylvania. Residential customers using an average of 70 therms of natural gas each month will see bills rise from $118.16 to $128.06. Columbia’s proposal would have increased the average to $136.92. The new rates take effect Dec. 14, 2024. The settlement also calls for Columbia to increase its annual budget for the Low Income Usage Reduction Program by $800,000 and create “plain language notifications” to customers in arrears and eligible for forgiveness, payment negotiations and more hardship supports. Settlement terms require FirstElectric to make it easier to enroll and remain in its customer assistance programs and within six months, make it automatic. FirstElectric will seek approval to automatically enroll recipients of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program in company programs designed to help customers avoid falling behind on their bills and connect with social agencies. FirstElectric must increase its annual budget for the Low Income Usage Reduction Program proportionate to the residential base distribution rate hike. It must also increase its hardship support fund by $2 million in additional annual shareholder contributions for the next three years, plus $500,000 in additional annual shareholder matching funds for grant assistance, according to PUC. System reliability improvements include 3.5% and 2.5% reductions, respectively, in electric outage duration and frequency, hiring more field workers, identifying opportunities by the end of 2025 to move facilities below ground as part of proposed updates to a long-term improvement plan, and performing annual audits on call center operations, billing, meter reading and response to customer complaints.
A live TV panel discussion over new polling on Anthony Albanese had to be abruptly cut short after a Labor and Liberal politician repeatedly spoke over one another. A survey released on Wednesday found voters appear to be turning on the federal Labor government ahead of the election which must be held by May . Almost half of those polled in the Redbridge questionnaire believe Australia is heading in the wrong direction, while one third argued the country is on the right track. When asked about if the government is focused on the right priorities, only six per cent of respondents agreed compared to 52 per cent who disagree or strongly disagreed. The survey also revealed more voters are coming around to the idea of Peter Dutton becoming the next prime minister, showing Australians want a change of leadership. Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth appeared with shadow finance minister Jane Hume for a weekly panel to discuss the topics of the week so far. After talking about inflation pain potentially set to last until 2030 and wages growth, Sunrise host Nat Barr raised the concerning polling on Mr Albanese. "I know not everyone listens to the polls and not everyone looks at it but when you sit around in cabinet... what do you think about the figures?" the Channel 7 star asked. Ms Rishworth said the only thought on her mind was "helping people with the cost of living", giving an example of the government's push to get more housing. Ms Hume interjected saying: "Where have you been for 2.5 years?" "You've voted against our housing bills. Blocking our cost of living measures. Fought against our energy price measures. Everything we've done, the Liberal Party have fought against it," the Social Services Minister hit back. "You spent a year concentrating on the Voice referendum," Ms Hume added. Barr attempted to stop the two politicians from speaking over one another. The Sunrise host tried to ask Ms Hume a question but was interrupted. "When it comes to the next election, Jane and Nat, my focus will be on the future. It will be..." Ms Rishworth continued before the shadow finance minister interjected. "It's been two-and-a-half-years," Ms Hume said. The Social Services Minister claimed the opposition appeared to have a "sense of arrogance", adding "you think you've got it (the federal election) in the bag". Ms Hume then repeated her two earlier remarks. Barr was visibly frustrated with how the chat panned out and ended the interview. "That was feisty," co-host Matt Shirvington said. The Redbridge poll, conducted for News Corp, also asked whether the standard of living would be better or worse than before COVID-19 for families in five years' time. One third of respondents say they are somewhat or much worse off, while a quarter said they felt no difference and 17 per cent indicated they are "somewhat better". Only five per cent said they are "much better" off. Mr Dutton is also being seen more favourably by voters with just months until millions of Australians head to the polls to decide the 32nd prime minister. Forty per cent say the Opposition Leader is ready for government, with 39 per cent disagreeing. However 21 per cent remain unsure if Mr Dutton is ready. The survey questioned 1,506 people and was conducted between November 13 and 20.Doctored images have been around for decades. The term "Photoshopped" is part of everyday language. But in recent years, it has seemingly been replaced by a new word: deepfake. It's almost everywhere online, but you likely won't find it in your dictionary at home. What exactly is a deepfake, and how does the technology work? RELATED STORY | Scripps News Reports: Sex, Lies, and Deepfakes A deepfake is an image or video that has been generated by artificial intelligence to look real. Most deepfakes use a type of AI called a "diffusion model." In a nutshell, a diffusion model creates content by stripping away noise. "With diffusion models, they found a very clever way of taking an image and then constructing that procedure to go from here to there," said Lucas Hansen said. He and Siddharth Hiregowdara are cofounders of CivAI, a nonprofit educating the public on the potential — and dangers — of AI. How diffusion models work It can get complicated, so imagine the AI – or diffusion model – as a detective trying to catch a suspect. Like a detective, it relies on its experience and training. It recalls a previous case -– a sneaky cat on the run. Every day it added more and more disguises. On Monday, no disguise. Tuesday, it put on a little wig. Wednesday, it added some jewelry. By Sunday, it's unrecognizable and wearing a cheeseburger mask. The detective learned these changes can tell you what it wore and on what day. AI diffusion models do something similar with noise, learning what something looks like at each step. "The job of the diffusion model is to remove noise," Hiregowdara said. "You would give the model this picture, and then it will give you a slightly de-noised version of this picture." RELATED STORY | Scripps News got deepfaked to see how AI could impact elections When it's time to solve the case and generate a suspect, we give it a clue: the prompts we give when we create an AI-generated image. "We have been given the hint that this is supposed to look like a cat. So what catlike things can we see in here? Okay, we see this curve, maybe that's an ear," Hiregowdara said. The "detective" works backward, recalling its training. It sees a noisy image. Thanks to the clue, it is looking for a suspect — a cat. It subtracts disguises (noise) until it finds the new suspect. Case closed. Now imagine the "detective" living and solving crimes for years and years. It learns and studies everything — landscapes, objects, animals, people, anything at all. So when it needs to generate a suspect or an image, it remembers its training and creates an image. Deepfakes and faceswaps Many deepfake images and videos employ some type of face swapping technology. You've probably experienced this kind of technology already — faceswapping filters like on Snapchat, Instagram or Tiktok use technology similar to diffusion models, recognizing faces and replacing things in real time. "It will find the face in the image and then cut that out kind of, then take the face and convert it to its internal representation," Hansen said. The results are refined then repeated frame by frame. The future and becoming our own detectives As deepfakes become more and more realistic and tougher to detect, understanding how the technology works at a basic level can help us prepare for any dangers or misuse. Deepfakes have already been used to spread election disinformation, create fake explicit images of a teenager, even frame a principal with AI-created racist audio. "All the netizens on social media also have a role to play," Siwei Lyu said. Lyu is a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the University of Buffalo's Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the director of the Media Forensics Lab. His team has created a tool to help spot deepfakes called "DeepFake-o-meter." "We do not know how to handle, how to deal, with these kinds of problems. It's very new. And also requires technical knowledge to understand some of the subtleties there," Lyu said. "The media, the government, can play a very active role to improve user awareness and education. Especially for vulnerable groups like seniors, the kids, who will start to understand the social media world and start to become exposed to AI technologies. They can easily fall for AI magic or start using AI without knowing the limits." RELATED STORY | AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone Both Lyu and CivAI believe in exposure and education to help combat any potential misuse of deepfake technology. "Our overall goal is that we think AI is going t impact pretty much everyone in a lot of different ways," Hansen said. "And we think that everyone should be aware of the ways that it's going to change them because it's going to impact everyone." "More than just general education — just knowing the facts and having heard what's going to happen," he added. "We want to give people a really intuitive experience of what's going on." Hansen goes on to explain CivAI's role in educating the public. "We try and make all of our demonstrations personalized as much as possible. What we're working on is making it so people can see it themselves. So they know it's real, and they feel that it's real," Hansen said. "And they can have a deep gut level feel for tthe impact that it's going to have." "A big part of the solution is essentially just going to be education and sort of cultural changes," he added. "A lot of this synthetic content is sort of like a new virus that is attacking society right now, and people need to become immune to it in some ways. They need to be more suspicious about what's real and what's not, and I think that will help a lot as well."Assad flees after 13 years of war