MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold tossed aside his stoic demeanor for a moment after realizing he was on the videoboard, aggressively twirling a towel to further stoke the crowd's fire after the Minnesota Vikings had pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons late in the game. “I just felt the buzz. That was pure passion, pure joy, man,” Darnold said. Darnold added yet another highlight to his brilliant first season with the Vikings, passing for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, in a 42-21 victory over the foundering Falcons on Sunday to stretch their winning streak to six games. “It just felt like it was one of those days to keep the gas pedal down,” said coach Kevin O'Connell, who enjoyed his team's first 40-point game in three seasons on the job. Darnold passed for 250 yards after halftime to help the Vikings (11-2) break a 21-all tie early in the fourth quarter and stay one game behind NFC North-leading Detroit with a final-week matchup looming with the Lions. Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three scores and Justin Jefferson racked up seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns after going the past six games without scoring. “This is something that we want to do and we can do every single week,” Jefferson said. Cousins, whose departure in free agency for Atlanta prompted Minnesota to sign Darnold as a bridge to currently injured rookie J.J. McCarthy, threw two more interceptions without a touchdown in this unhappy homecoming following a mixed six-year run with the Vikings. Booed as he took the field, Cousins and the Falcons (6-7) left with a fourth consecutive loss to tumble out of first place in the NFC South and fall one game behind Tampa Bay. “When you’re playing well you usually aren’t as good as people are telling you when they’re patting you on the back, and if you’re in a rut you’re usually not as bad as people kind of leaving you for dead,” Cousins said. “The reality’s usually somewhere in the middle. You just have to keep playing and see where the dust settles in January.” Cousins went 23 for 37 for 344 yards for the Falcons, who crossed midfield on all nine of their possessions and finished with 496 total yards. He overthrew Ray-Ray McCloud III on fourth down in the first quarter, and the Falcons settled for short field goals just before and right after halftime. Their fate was sealed when McCloud fumbled the kickoff at the 32 after the Vikings went 70 yards in six plays for the go-ahead touchdown pass to Addison, who scored again seven plays later. The Falcons handed the Vikings an earlier touchdown when Kentavious Street was called for defensive holding during a field-goal attempt late in the second quarter, giving Darnold a fresh set of downs before a 12-yard laser to Jefferson on a post route on third-and-6. “You just can’t have the self-inflicted wounds and expect to win football games like we had today,” coach Raheem Morris said. Bijan Robinson had 22 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown and Tyler Allgeier rushed nine times for 63 yards and a score for the Falcons against the NFL’s leading run defense. Cousins, who was picked off four times last week, hesitated as he wound up to throw on first down from the Minnesota 47 in a tie game early in the second quarter and then inexplicably fired a pass straight to Josh Metellus as he sat in a zone in front of Drake London. Cousins has a NFL -most 15 interceptions. Byron Murphy snagged an overthrow for the second one near the goal line with a 35-21 lead and 6:26 left. Darnold, who went 22 for 28 without a turnover-worthy play despite heavy first-half pressure, then directed a seven-play, 98-yard drive to seal it. “I think we grew up a lot today offensively,” O'Connell said. Standout stats Addison and Jefferson became the first duo in Vikings history to each have 100-plus receiving yards and two-plus touchdown catches in the same game. Addison also became the first Vikings player with three receiving touchdowns in a game since Stefon Diggs caught three from Cousins in 2019. Murphy has six interceptions this season, the most for the Vikings since Jimmy Hitchcock had seven in 1998. Injury report Falcons: CB Mike Hughes (knee) was back in the lineup after missing two games. Minnesota's 2018 first-round draft pick returned an interception for a touchdown against Atlanta in his NFL debut here. Vikings: CB Stephon Gilmore (hamstring) and backup OLB Patrick Jones (knee) were out. TE Josh Oliver (wrist/ankle) returned from a two-game absence, and LS Andrew DePaola (hand) and PK Will Reichard (quadriceps) were back from four-game injured reserve stints. Up next Both teams play next Monday night, Dec. 16: Atlanta visits Las Vegas, and Minnesota hosts Chicago. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Dave Campbell, The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints quarterback Derek Carr was willing to risk his health to improve New Orleans’ chances of playing meaningful football in mid-December. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints quarterback Derek Carr was willing to risk his health to improve New Orleans’ chances of playing meaningful football in mid-December. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints quarterback Derek Carr was willing to risk his health to improve New Orleans’ chances of playing meaningful football in mid-December. Now the Saints, who’ve remained mathematically alive in the playoff race by winning three of four, might have to play without Carr again — and it didn’t go well the last time. Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi declined on Monday to rule out Carr for any of New Orleans’ final four games because of his injured non-throwing hand or his concussion. Both injuries occurred when he tried to leap for a first down and crashed hard to the turf during the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ 14-11 victory over the reeling New York Giants on Sunday. “We’re not going to rule him out just yet,” Rizzi said. “We have to see in the next day or two what the healing process is like and see if he can function. “The good news it’s not his throwing hand,” Rizzi said. “The bad news is we’re obviously dealing with an injury here that we have to kind of play it by ear.” Rizzi noted that Carr must clear the concussion protocol first. After that, he said, the Saints can see how well Carr can operate with his hand injury. “It’s been done before,” Rizzi said when asked about the prospect of an NFL QB playing with an injured non-throwing hand. “It appears at moment that it’s non-surgical, which is a big aspect of it. ... That’s why we’re going to discuss the options.” Last season, Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert played with a fractured finger on his non-throwing hand. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen has played part of this season with an injured non-throwing hand. If Carr can’t play, his replacement will be either second-year pro Jake Haener or rookie Spencer Rattler. Rattler started three games earlier this season when Carr had an oblique injury — all losses by New Orleans, which was in the midst of a seven-game skid. “We’ve just got to surround whomever it is and pick him up and get him rolling with the rest of us,” guard Lucas Patrick said. “It’s just another step of adversity in this long season that we’ve had.” What’s working New Orleans’ interior defensive line is coming off one of its better games. Defensive tackles Bryan Bresee and Khalen Saunders accounted for both New Orleans’ sacks in New York. The Saints also held the Giants to 112 yards rushing — a lower opponent rushing total than in seven other games this season. What needs help The Saints’ 92 yards rushing offensively was their fourth-lowest total all season and the lowest in any of their victories. Stock up Running back Kendre Miller’s future is looking a bit brighter now. He has played in just three games this season because of hamstring injuries and his lack of readiness was criticized by since-fired coach Dennis Allen earlier this season. Miller also has yet to rush for more than 36 yards in a game. But against the Giants, he earned praise for the speed, strength and elusiveness he was able to show on a couple of clutch runs, including an 8-yard run for his first and only touchdown this season. Patrick said Miller deserved credit on his scoring run for staying upright and continuing to push forward — with the help of some teammates — after he was met at the 5-yard line by a Giants defender. Patrick said if Miller didn’t give the extra effort and stay on his feet, his teammates would not have had the chance to help push him across the goal line. “Kendre’s definitely a bright, young runner and he’s exciting to block for,” Patrick said. Stock down Blake Grupe was 0 for 2 on field goal attempts, although both were from beyond 50 yards and one was blocked. Those were Grupe’s first two failures from beyond 50 yards this season. Injuries In addition to Carr, reserve linebacker D’Marco Jackson left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. Key number Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 0 — The number of games the Saints have won when Carr does not play. They’ve gone 5-5 in his starts this season. Next steps The Saints are back home Sunday against Washington in what could be ex-New Orleans cornerback Marshon Lattimore’s first game with the Commanders. The game also marks the return to Louisiana of quarterback Jayden Daniels, who won the Heisman Troply last year at LSU. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement Advertisement
By LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country’s hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump’s unusual nominees . Related Articles National Politics | Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it? National Politics | Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump’s America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect’s choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel , who has written extensively about locking up Trump’s foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees’ qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump’s team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump’s allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president’s Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump’s first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies” — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump’s first inauguration during the country’s bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it’s important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It’s one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.North Carolina interviews Bill Belichick for head coaching job, AP sources say
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Supreme Court on Thursday denied a stay of the execution of Joseph Corcoran. Corcoran on Dec. 18 faces death by lethal injection after a jury found him guilty in the July 26, 1997 shooting deaths of four men in Fort Wayne. The men included his brother, James Corcoran, 30; his sister’s fiancé, Robert Turner, 32; and two friends of James, Timothy Bricker, 30, and Doug Stillwell. Corcoran’s attorneys have argued he has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and “cannot distinguish between reality and his delusions and hallucinations.” State attorneys argued that Indiana’s Supreme Court “has never held that our constitution prohibits the execution of a person based on a mere allegation of ‘severe mental illness.’”
Trump’s FBI pick Kash Patel faces scrutiny over overhaul plans
The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . EMMITSBURG, Md. (AP) — Jedy Cordilia’s 21 points helped Mount St. Mary’s defeat Fairfield 101-94 on Sunday. Cordilia also had seven rebounds for the Mountaineers (6-3, 1-1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Dola Adebayo scored 15 points while shooting 5 of 7 from the field and 4 for 4 from the free-throw line and added nine rebounds, five assists, and four blocks. Dallas Hobbs shot 4 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the foul line to finish with 14 points. Prophet Johnson led the Stags (5-5, 1-1) in scoring, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Braden Sparks added 16 points and four assists for Fairfield. Jamie Bergens had 15 points and four assists. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Neil Critchley will time Hearts contract talks for ultimate protection as Lawrence Shankland and others see deals tick down
Pitney Bowes director Paul J. Evans acquires $226,071 in common stockSynagogue blaze an 'act of hate, anti-Semitism': PMOne of the country’s largest health insurers reversed a change in policy Thursday after widespread outcry, saying it would not tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted from "significant widespread misinformation" about the policy. "To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services," the statement said. "The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines." Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield would have used "physician work time values," which is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as the metric for anesthesia limits; maternity patients and patients under the age of 22 were exempt. But Dr. Jonathan Gal, economics committee chair of the American Society for Anesthesiologists, said it’s unclear how CMS derives those values. In mid-November, the American Society for Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to "reverse the proposal immediately," saying in a news release that the policy would have taken effect in February in New York, Connecticut and Missouri. It’s not clear how many states in total would have been affected, as notices also were posted in Virginia and Colorado . People across the country registered their concerns and complaints on social media, and encouraged people in affected states to call their legislators. Some people noted that the policy could prevent patients from getting overcharged. Gal said the policy change would have been unprecedented, ignored the "nuanced, unpredictable human element" of surgery and was a clear "money grab." "It’s incomprehensible how a health insurance company could so blatantly continue to prioritize their profits over safe patient care," he said. "If Anthem is, in fact, rescinding the policy, we’re delighted that they came to their senses." Prior to Anthem’s announcement Thursday, Connecticut comptroller Sean Scanlon said the "concerning" policy wouldn’t affect the state after conversations with the insurance company. And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an emailed statement Thursday that her office had also successfully intervened. The insurance giant’s policy change came one day after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare , another major insurance company, was shot and killed in New York City.
Exclusive-Fund manager Bessent scores on Trump victory, hopes for bigger winThe Portland Trail Blazers hope to head home for Thanksgiving on a happier and healthier note when they conclude a five-game trip Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers. The Trail Blazers stagger into Indianapolis after a short-handed 123-98 drubbing at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. Five regulars -- Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray, Matisse Thybulle, Donovan Clingan and Deandre Ayton -- all sat out with injuries. Things went from bad to worse when Portland lost two starters -- Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III -- during Monday's loss. Grant injured his left knee while Williams suffered a concussion. It's possible the Trail Blazers, playing for the fifth time in eight days on the road, could be as many as seven players down for the trip finale. Not having Grant might be the biggest blow. He went for 34 and 37 points when the Trail Blazers, who only won 21 games last year, shockingly swept the season series from the Pacers. Following Monday's defeat, Portland coach Chauncey Billups practiced a speech he might have to give again in Indianapolis. "We hung in. Couldn't make shots," he lamented. "We just, at the end of the day, didn't have enough bodies." The Trail Blazers did have two of their brightest prospects - Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe - together for just the seventh time this season against the Grizzlies. However, they were not able to duplicate the success of their previous game at Houston, when they teamed for 49 points, as they combined to shoot just 6-for-26 and total 20 points against the Grizzlies. Portland figures to need to have all guns blazing against the high-powered Pacers, who have scored 111 or more points in seven straight games, including 115 and 114 in their last two outings: wins over the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans, respectively. One game after balanced scoring led the way in the victory over the Wizards, Tyrese Haliburton surged out of a recent slump with 34 points and 13 assists. The positives for Haliburton are doubly good news for the Pacers. His 12-for-23 night from the field was a welcome relief after he'd shot just 32.9 percent over his previous five games and found himself addressing a possible slump. "It's part of basketball," he admitted. "I've just gotta keep trusting myself, working hard. I'll figure it out. Just put my head down, keep working. I'll figure it out." Not slumping in the least, Pascal Siakam contributed a total of 36 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists during the two-game winning streak. He made 13 of his 27 shots (48.1 percent) in those games. The Trail Blazers haven't seen the Pacers since the night Siakam made his Indiana debut in Portland last January. He had 21 points. Portland's win that night was its 12th of the season. The Trail Blazers went just 9-32 the rest of the way. Thanks in large part to Siakam, the Pacers rebounded from its loss in Portland to finish 23-17 and reach the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers haven't swept Portland in a season series since 2008. -Field Level Media This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.
Brainy, 'normal guy': the suspect in US insurance CEO's slaying
Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with murder in New York, court records showThe Vigilance & Enforcement team reportedly seized around 483 metric tonnes of rice belonging to two firms on suspicion of being Public Distribution System (PDS) stock at the Visakha Container Freight Station (VCFS) warehouse in the Visakhapatnam Port area, near Sheela Nagar on Monday. The VCFS is one of the licensed warehouses in the port area. The vigilance team collected samples of the cargo in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar. “Around 483 metric tonnes of rice belonging to two firms were seized at the Visakha Container Freight Station (VCFS) warehouse. Around 36,000 metric tonnes of rice meant for distribution among the PDS beneficiaries was illegally exported from the Visakhapatnam Port alone in the last three years. The market value of the stock would be around ₹12,000 crore,” said the Civil Supply Minister after the raid. He further said that checks would be conducted in Anakapalli district very soon. The cargo has been seized till the completion of the investigation. According to official sources, the inspection of other licensed warehouses is yet to be conducted. Published - December 10, 2024 04:40 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp RedditBy SARAH PARVINI, GARANCE BURKE and JESSE BEDAYN, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. While immigration officials have used the tech for years, an October letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by The Associated Press details how those tools — some of them powered by AI — help make life-altering decisions for immigrants, including whether they should be detained or surveilled. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency’s supervision. Related Articles National Politics | Rudy Giuliani in a courtroom outburst accuses judge in assets case of being unfair, drawing a rebuke National Politics | Expecting challenges, blue states vow to create ‘firewall’ of abortion protections National Politics | Washington power has shifted. Here’s how the ACA may shift, too National Politics | Auto industry’s shift toward EVs is expected to go on despite Trump threat to kill tax credits National Politics | CDC chief urges focus on health threats as agency confronts political changes The letter, sent by DHS Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen to the immigrant rights group Just Futures Law, revealed that the score calculates the potential risk that an immigrant — with a pending case — will fail to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The algorithm relies on several factors, he said, including an immigrant’s number of violations and length of time in the program, and whether the person has a travel document. Hysen wrote that ICE officers consider the score, among other information, when making decisions about an immigrant’s case. “The Hurricane Score does not make decisions on detention, deportation, or surveillance; instead, it is used to inform human decision-making,” Hysen wrote. Also included in the government’s tool kit is a mobile app called SmartLINK that uses facial matching and can track an immigrant’s specific location. Nearly 200,000 people without legal status who are in removal proceedings are enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, under which certain immigrants can live in the U.S. while their immigration cases are pending. In exchange, SmartLINK and GPS trackers used by ICE rigorously surveil them and their movements. The phone application draws on facial matching technology and geolocation data, which has been used before to find and arrest those using the app. Just Futures Law wrote to Hysen earlier this year, questioning the fairness of using an algorithm to assess whether someone is a flight risk and raising concerns over how much data SmartLINK collects. Such AI systems, which score or screen people, are used widely but remain largely unregulated even though some have been found to discriminate on race, gender or other protected traits. DHS said in an email that it is committed to ensuring that its use of AI is transparent and safeguards privacy and civil rights while avoiding biases. The agency said it is working to implement the Biden administration’s requirements on using AI , but Hysen said in his letter that security officials may waive those requirements for certain uses. Trump has publicly vowed to repeal Biden’s AI policy when he returns to the White House in January. “DHS uses AI to assist our personnel in their work, but DHS does not use the outputs of AI systems as the sole basis for any law enforcement action or denial of benefits,” a spokesperson for DHS told the AP. Trump has not revealed how he plans to carry out his promised deportation of an estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally. Although he has proposed invoking wartime powers, as well as military involvement, the plan would face major logistical challenges — such as where to keep those who have been detained and how to find people spread across the country — that AI-powered surveillance tools could potentially address. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, did not answer questions about how they plan to use DHS’ tech, but said in a statement that “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation” in American history. Over 100 civil society groups sent a letter on Friday urging the Office of Management and Budget to require DHS to comply with the Biden administration’s guidelines. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Just Futures Law’s executive director, Paromita Shah, said if immigrants are scored as flight risks, they are more likely to remain in detention, “limiting their ability to prepare a defense in their case in immigration court, which is already difficult enough as it is.” SmartLINK, part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, is run by BI Inc., a subsidiary of the private prison company The GEO Group. The GEO Group also contracts with ICE to run detention centers. ICE is tight-lipped about how it uses SmartLINK’s location feature to find and arrest immigrants. Still, public records show that during Trump’s first term in 2018, Manassas, Virginia-based employees of BI Inc. relayed immigrants’ GPS locations to federal authorities, who then arrested over 40 people. In a report last year to address privacy issues and concerns, DHS said that the mobile app includes security features that “prohibit access to information on the participant’s mobile device, with the exception of location data points when the app is open.” But the report notes that there remains a risk that data collected from people “may be misused for unauthorized persistent monitoring.” Such information could also be stored in other ICE and DHS databases and used for other DHS mission purposes, the report said. On investor calls earlier this month, private prison companies were clear-eyed about the opportunities ahead. The GEO Group’s executive chairman George Christopher Zoley said that he expects the incoming Trump administration to “take a much more aggressive approach regarding border security as well as interior enforcement and to request additional funding from Congress to achieve these goals.” “In GEO’s ISAP program, we can scale up from the present 182,500 participants to several hundreds of thousands, or even millions of participants,” Zoley said. That same day, the head of another private prison company told investors he would be watching closely to see how the new administration may change immigrant monitoring programs. “It’s an opportunity for multiple vendors to engage ICE about the program going forward and think about creative and innovative solutions to not only get better outcomes, but also scale up the program as necessary,” Damon Hininger, CEO of the private prison company CoreCivic Inc. said on an earnings call. GEO did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, CoreCivic said that it has played “a valued but limited role in America’s immigration system” for both Democrats and Republicans for over 40 years.
‘Three-way tie:’ Trump Treasury pick hanging in limboA game show from popular YouTuber MrBeast has a first-look trailer and a premiere date that could put Amazon.com Inc AMZN in direct competition with Netflix Inc NFLX as two of the most anticipated shows will release a week apart on competing streaming platforms. What Happened : With 332 million subscribers on YouTube, MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson ) is the most followed person on the Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL owned video platform. Viewers frequently flock to the content creator's challenge videos, especially those comparing what $1 can buy versus large sums of money. A recent example, "$1 vs $50,000 Experiences," has garnered 111 million views in just three weeks. Next month, fans of MrBeast will likely be tuning into his next venture, but they won't be using YouTube. MrBeast has a new game show , Beast Games, which will be available exclusively on Prime Video, Amazon’s streaming platform. The new game show premieres on Dec. 19 and will have 10 episodes. In each episode, 1,000 players will compete in a winner-take-all competition across multiple challenges for a $5 million prize, as reported by Variety. "I spent over a year creating this 10 episode competition series, breaking 40 world records, building the craziest sets in entertainment history," MrBeast tweeted . "I poured everything I have into this show." Amazon previously called "Beast Games" the "world's largest live gameshow" with the "biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming." Read Also: MrBeast Vs. Elon Musk: YouTuber Says X Is ‘Not There’ For Video Yet, ‘They Need A Year Or Two To Build It Out’ Why It's Important: The Dec. 19 release date will see the first two episodes of "Beast Games" hit Prime Video, with the other episodes to follow on a weekly basis. This means that "Beast Games" hits streaming platforms one week before Netflix releases the highly anticipated second season of the smash hit "Squid Game," which premieres on Dec. 26. While "Beast Games" is not a direct replica of "Squid Game," Variety noted some similarities to the games and outfits featured in the Netflix show. MrBeast is, of course, not new to paying tribute to "Squid Game" as he previously created "Squid Game in Real Life," a real-life recreation of the challenges from the game, minus the deaths, with the winner getting $456,000. MrBeast previously said that other streaming platforms were in talks for the show, but ultimately he went with Amazon. "Amazon will give us the most creative control. Other platforms didn't. There's a reason we went with Amazon." While he wouldn't name other companies, Netflix may have been in the running. MrBeast has expressed some hostility towards Netflix for not being involved with the streaming company's reality show version of "Squid Game" called "Squid Game: The Challenge." “I’m not involved. Kind of funny because I learned so much from my filming of this and I probably could have helped them immensely (and would have done it for free haha),” MrBeast previously said of Netflix’s reality show. MrBeast said he watched episodes of Netflix’s reality competition based on “Squid Game” but did not finish the series. The content creator said the reality competition did a good job building up characters, but also had moments when nothing progressed. Netflix's reality competition had a cash prize of $4.56 million, a record MrBeast is set to break. The “Squid Game” video is currently MrBeast’s most-watched on YouTube, with 671 million views. The new "Beast Games" show comes with pending lawsuits from contestants against MrBeast, his production company and Amazon. The lawsuit claims that medical care, food and sleep were not provided for the contestants or minimum wages. Alleged sexual harassment and dangerous conditions are also listed as part of the lawsuits. MrBeast said the claims from the lawsuit have been "blown out of proportion" in a post on X. The content creator said there is behind the scenes footage that will show the conditions, but it can't be released before the show airs due to spoilers. "Beast Games" is part of Amazon's increased focus on game shows, with "Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?" featuring host Travis Kelce premiering in October and the upcoming "Pop Culture Jeopardy!" with host Colin Jost premiering on Dec. 4. AMZN Price Action: Amazon stock is up 2.6% to $206.85 on Tuesday versus a 52-week trading range of $142.81 to $215.90. Amazon stock is up 37.6% year-to-date in 2024. Read Next: Amazon Betting On Game Shows For Streaming Growth: MrBeast, Travis Kelce, Pop Culture Jeopardy And More Image created using artificial intelligence via Dall-E. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.