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CNN —President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump took big steps toward making their seemingly inevitable rematch official, as both notched huge Super Tuesday wins. Here are takeaways from Super Tuesday:Trump wins bigThe former president continued his run of dominance in the Republican nominating contest, despite losing one state, Vermont, to Nikki Haley. His approval ratings remain low, and the general election horse race polling is worrisome for Democrats. But on Super Tuesday, like every other primary day, he has dominated his few rivals – typically winning around 80% of the vote. “Tonight’s numbers showed that President Biden cannot earn back our votes with just rhetoric,” Vote Uncommitted MN spokesperson Asma Nizami said in a statement.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, “ uncommitted, Biden, suburbanites, Haley, Nikki Haley, CNN’s, there’s, ” Trump, Evan Vucci, Haley —, –, Marianne Williamson, Dean Phillips, who’s, Tapper, Warren, “, uncommitted ”, Uncommitted, Asma Nizami, ’, “ uncommitted ”, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, he’s, They’ve, South Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham —, —, CNN’s Dana Bash, ”, Nikki, ” Graham, Graham, Haley’s, Mark Levin, She’s, — Biden, Jason Palmer, Palmer, hasn’t, Michael Bloomberg, ” Phillips, Biden’s, Mark Robinson, Josh Stein, Roy Cooper, Bill Graham, “ Mark Robinson, Laurie Buckhout’s, Don Davis, Sandy Smith, Smith, Dan Conston, Buckhout, Davis, Nathan L, Gonzales Organizations: CNN, Biden, Tuesday, Trump, Republican, —, AP, GOP, Trump . College, South Carolina, South Carolina Republican, News, American Samoa —, Democratic, Democratic National Convention, New York City, Minnesota Rep, Democratic Party loyalists, Gov, Democratic Gov, North Carolina Republicans, North, Republicans, Congressional, Fund, House GOP, Freedom Caucus, Capitol, Air Force Locations: Vermont, Lago, Palm Beach, Mar, Fla, Gaza, North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, Israel, Minnesota, Ilhan Omar’s, Minneapolis, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina, … Vermont, American Samoa, New York, Congress, Tarheel State, state’s, North Carolina’s, Washington

☆ More Chinese Women Choosing Singledom as Economy Stutters
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Chinese Premier Li Qiang also vowed to "work towards a birth-friendly society" and boost childcare services in this year's government work report. In Shanghai, this figure reached 30.6 for men and 29.2 for women last year, according to city statistics. Long-term single lifestyles are gradually becoming more widespread in China, giving rise to online communities of mostly single women who seek solidarity from like-minded people. Decades of the one-child policy have led to 32.3 million more men than women in 2022, according to official data. "Well-educated women in search of supportive life partners find fewer suitable men who also endorse women's rights."

Persons: Laurie Chen XIAN, Chai Wanrou, didn't, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, stigmatised, influencers, China's Instagram, Liao Yueyi, I've, Xiaoling Shu, Davis, Shu, Laurie Chen, Farah Master, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, Communist Party, Communist Youth League, University of California Locations: China, Xian, Shanghai, United States, Xiaohongshu, Nanning, Hong Kong

☆ In Texas’ Largest Fire, a Race to Save Animals Big and Small
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs | Desiree Rios | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Horses with singed tails and bellies licked by flames. Cows whose hides are spotted with burns. These are the scenes that emergency veterinarians and volunteers are finding as they traverse the wide-open fields of the Texas Panhandle, trying to save what animals they can and ease the suffering of many others. “Lots of burns,” said Dr. Laurie Shelton, a veterinarian who is part of Texas A&M’s Veterinary Emergency Team and among those who sprang into action after the Smokehouse Creek fire ignited last week. It’s a rough deal.”The Smokehouse Creek blaze is one of several major wildfires burning across the Texas Panhandle that were still difficult to contain over the weekend as dry, windy weather led to warnings of increased fire risk across the region.

Persons: ”, Laurie Shelton, “ Organizations: Texas Panhandle Locations: Texas

☆ An ex-flight attendant shares his top pet peeves when it comes to passengers — and it includes swapping seats
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In July, American offloaded a passenger after he got into an argument with a flight attendant. AdvertisementHere are three of Laurie's pet peeves as a flight attendant and how to avoid them. Laurie said passengers should pay for their seats in advance rather than trying to move to other passengers' seats once on board — especially without telling the cabin crew. "Don't 'steal' the seat and think the flight attendant won't notice. "As a crewmember, I always tried to have fun and relate to my passengers," Laurie said.

Persons: Bobby Laurie, Laurie, —, Tungateja, stow, Taylor Rains Organizations: Service, US Airways, Virgin America, Jackets, Airlines, AirAsia, Marielle

☆ Home Equity Loan Alternative Could Revolutionize the Housing Market
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Like a lot of homeowners, Schummer was keen to convert some of his theoretical wealth into real cash. These kinds of deals, often referred to as home-equity-sharing agreements or home-equity investments, have existed on the fringes of housing finance for decades. The success or failure of home-equity investments could shape the future of homeownership in America. If the home's value has gone up, everyone wins; sell it for a loss, and the investor might share in that downside. "Over time for us, the customer becomes everybody," Eoin Matthews, the chief business officer and a cofounder of Point, told me recently.

Persons: Kennis Schummer, Schummer, Laurie Goodman, Goodman, he'd, Eoin Matthews, —, Hometap, Jim Riccitelli, Riccitelli, Adam Rust, Rust, Rust wasn't, I'm, Jordan Gilberti, Holly Bunting, Mayer Brown, Edwin Remsberg, Matthews, they'd, Jeffrey Glass, Glass, I've, he's Organizations: Consumer, Urban Institute, Federal Reserve, Bain Capital, Palisades Group, Redwood Trust, Getty, Consumer Federation of America Locations: Pensacola , Florida, California, homeownership, America, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida

☆ An ex-flight attendant who flew with 2 US airlines shares ways travelers can save money on flights — without skiplagging
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Travel expert Bobby Laurie shared two ways travelers can save money on airfare. Laurie suggested travelers search for the cheapest upgrades and not just the cheapest overall fare. Laurie said travelers should avoid searching their flights on the same search engine, device, or IP network as many airlines have a dynamic pricing strategy. I've seen many times situations where first class or premium economy was cheaper than the coach ticket," Laurie said. Laurie said travelers should avoid spending extra for a refundable fare when booking with major US airlines.

Persons: Bobby Laurie, Laurie, —, who've, I've Organizations: Service, International Trade Administration, US Airways, Virgin America Locations: skiplagging

☆ How to take pictures of the 2024 solar eclipse: 11 tips from the pros to snap the most dramatic photos
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

NASA's Scientific Visualization StudioTens to hundreds of millions of people across the US will get to experience a partial solar eclipse on April 8. Scout your spot — then have a backupClouds can block out and ruin the experience of a total solar eclipse. Laurie Ambrose/Getty ImagesThe most important factor for great eclipse photos is something we can’t control: the weather. Consider renting equipmentYou can see the solar corona as thin white whisps jutting out from the moon's shadow in this photo of a total solar eclipse. Enjoy itThis year's total solar eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime event for some.

Persons: —, ” astrophotographer Jon Carmichael, what's, Carmichael, Andrew Studer, you’re, “ It’s, Laurie Ambrose, Getty, Jon Carmichael, Studer, PhotoPills, Doug Duncan, Jon Carmichael It’s, ” Carmichael, Manfred Gottschalk, you’ve, It’s, ” Studer, Thomson, Jon Carmichael Carmichael’s, keng cheong, Sean Gallup Organizations: Service, Business, National Geographic, BBC, Great, Hubble Space, Thomson Reuters, Getty Locations: Texas, Maine

☆ Yale happiness expert: The No. 1 thing you can do to be happier—businesses can also use it to excel
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

For individuals who are seeking happiness, the answer is pretty simple and may also be of some use to businesses as well. 1 thing people can do to feel happier, Santos says "it would be engaging in social connection." "And my earliest love was ice cream. This prompted Bunn to think about how she could "use ice cream as a tool to bring people together" with a heightened focus on fostering "connection and imagination." So how can businesses similar to the Museum of Ice Cream tap into the happiness booster that is social connection?

Persons: Laurie Santos, Santos, Maryellis Bunn, Bunn, she's Organizations: U.S, CNBC, Museum of, of Locations: United States, Post

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau each shot 8-under 62 on Friday to share the lead at LIV Golf Las Vegas, with fellow major champion Jon Rahm two strokes back with a day left in his second event on the Saudi-funded tour. In the shadow of the Super Bowl, Johnson and DeChambeau reached 11-under 129 at Las Vegas Country Club on another chilly day with the temperature barely in the 50s. Rahm had a 63 to join Peter Uihlein (65) and Matthew Wolff (66) at 9 under. In the team competition, Johnson's 4Aces were tied for the lead at 26 under with a RangeGoats team featuring Uihlein, Wolff and Watson. Last year, Johnson won LIV Golf Tulsa and DeChambeau topped fields at Greenbrier and Chicago.

Persons: — Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Johnson, DeChambeau, Rahm, Peter Uihlein, Matthew Wolff, Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak, Paul Casey, Harold Varner III, Bubba Watson, Cameron Smith, Laurie Canter, Johnson's 4Aces, Uihlein, Wolff, Watson, DeChambeau's Crushers, Nos, Joaquin Niemann, Sergio Garcia, ___ Organizations: LAS VEGAS, LIV Golf, LIV Golf Las Vegas, Saudi, Las Vegas Country Club, LIV Golf Tulsa Locations: LIV Golf Las, Greenbrier, Chicago, Mexico

☆ Chipotle says California customers will soon be paying more for their burritos
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Chipotle customers in California should brace themselves for higher menu prices this year. The law will put fast-food workers' wages up to $20 an hour from April. Minimum wages for California fast-food workers will increase to $20 an hour in April under a law signed by Gov. The new legislation, known as AB 1228, won't just bring a wage increase in April. Chipotle, which has roughly 115,000 workers, spent $2.44 billion on labor in 2023, up about 11% from the previous year.

Persons: Chipotle's, —, Jack Hartung, Gavin Newsom, Hartung, Laurie Schalow, Chipotle, Chris Kempczinski, Brian Niccol Organizations: Service, Gov Locations: California, —

☆ One of Wall Street's favorite ways to control workers is under attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

One of Wall Street's favorite employee leverage tactics — non-compete agreements — is facing a major threat, and there could be far-reaching implications for how the financial industry does business. But it's also clear that Wall Street firms are under particular attention for the practice. With major Wall Street firms already having among the most unpopular back-to-work policies in the market, "Wall Street is already in a position where they are recognizing they don't have all the hands they had before," Chamberlin said. Shore recommends Wall Street firms undertake a thorough competitive analysis at every level in every department to ensure they are market competitive. Even if the FTC rule goes through, Wall Street firms still have options to protect their business.

Persons: Charles Scharf, Wells, Brian Thomas Moynihan, Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase, Jane Fraser, Ronald O’Hanley, Robin Vince, BNY Mellon, David Solomon, Goldman Sachs, James Gorman, Morgan Stanley, General Mills, —, Wall, it's, Kathy Hochul, that's, Covid, Laurie Chamberlin, Chamberlin, Lina Khan's, Khan, It's, David Fisher, Gilbert, Fisher, Juan A, Crowell, Arteaga, Paul Webster, Matt Shore, Kareem Bakr, Webster, Leslie John, Ballard Spahr, John Organizations: Company, Bank of America, JPMorgan, Citigroup, BNY, Google, Apple, Pfizer, Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Procter, Gamble, Nike, Economic, Institute, Federal Trade Commission, North America, American College of Emergency Physicians, Davis, FTC, Supreme, Industry, Moring, Wall, Phaidon International, Wall Street Locations: Wells Fargo, Hart, Washington ,, New York, . California, U.S, Gilbert . Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts

☆ Signs of Rare Unrest Among North Korean Workers in China, Researchers Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Ju-min ParkSEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's intelligence agency says poor conditions for North Koreans working overseas have led to "incidents and accidents", while researchers report rare protests and unrest in China among workers from a North Korean military-linked trading company. Fed up with unpaid wages and lingering pandemic lockdowns, as many as 3,000 North Korean workers in China staged protests last month, according to two South Korean government-affiliated researchers, including a former North Korean diplomat. The North Korean embassy in Beijing and its consular office in the Chinese border city of Dandong did not respond to calls from Reuters seeking comment. South Korea's unification ministry said in a report last year that China and Russia were hosting North Korean workers despite the sanctions. That's not easy now, given the North Korean regime wants to keep them in China to raise money for the government."

Persons: Cho Han, Cho, Ko Young, Ko, Jimin Jung, Josh Smith, Eduardo Baptista, Antoni Slodkowski, Laurie Chen, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, . State, Korea Institute for National, South, Korea's National Intelligence Service, Security, Koreans, U.S . State Department, NIS Locations: SEOUL, China, North Korean, Beijing, Dandong, North Koreans, North Korea, Pyongyang, Korean, Helong, Jilin province, Jilin, Russia, Seoul

The palace's disclosure that King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer shattered that longstanding tradition. “The King has cancer,” the Times of London declared in a terse banner headline Tuesday. But in beaming a sliver of light from inside the palace walls and his own life, Charles has broken with his mother and royal tradition. HOW MUCH DOES THE BRITISH PUBLIC HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW? Charles' news was received with great sympathy in a country in which 3 million people live with cancer, according to Macmillan Cancer Support, a London-based charity.

Persons: King Charles III, Charles, “, Queen Elizabeth II, ”, wasn’t, Charles ’, King George VI, he's, Sally Bedell Smith, “ Charles, Simon Lewis, King, Julie Sharp, Charles “, Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, Konstantin Chernenko, It’s, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, they’re, Defense Lloyd Austin —, —, William, Kate, Wales, Danica Kirka, Laurie Kellman Organizations: —, BBC Radio, Cancer Research, Soviet, Defense, Defense Department, Black, Royals, Republican, National Center for Social Research, Macmillan Cancer, National Health Service, Associated Locations: London, Soviet Union, United States, Wales, British

It's a story increasingly familiar in the energy industry: Some utility companies don't properly assess the risks wildfires pose to their operations. The primary purpose is to prevent power lines from igniting a wildfire during periods of high fire danger. The lawsuit also alleges the company "inexcusably kept their power lines energized during the forecasted high-fire danger conditions." A PG&E utility worker locates a gas main line in the rubble of a home burned down by wildfire in Paradise, California, Nov. 13, 2018. Several of those agencies track statewide wildfire information, but most did not keep track of the names of utility companies associated with wildfire incidents.

Persons: Michelle Glogovac, Glogovac, Laurie Allen, Brent Jones, Allen, Jones, inexcusably, Michael Wara, Shelee Kimura, Yuki Iwamura, David Pomerantz, Pomerantz, Patti Poppe, It's, JOSH EDELSON, Warren Buffett's, Stanford's, CNBC's Brian Sullivan, David Paul Morris, Institute's Pomerantz, Tama Organizations: CNBC, Electric, Energy, Stanford University, Hawaiian Electric, AFP, Getty, Policy, Policy Institute, NV Energy, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Bloomberg, Getty Images Locations: Paradise , California, Lahaina , Hawaii, Hawaii, Maui, Maui County, Lahaina, California, Nevada, Warren, — Arizona, California , Colorado, Hawaii , Montana , Nevada , New Mexico , Oregon , Utah, Washington, Arizona , New Mexico, Utah

NEW YORK (AP) — Ever-present on the lips of Taylor Swift and the uniforms of both Super Bowl teams. The color red has gone boom as loud as TNT. The phenom that is Taylor Swift at boyfriend Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs games was a red-hued wonder of a lead-up to Super Bowl LVIII. You can wear red accessories to add color to a more neutral look or throw on a red lip or red nail polish. THE RED VS. RED SUPER BOWLThe 49ers have some skin in the red fashion game, too, in running back Christian McCaffrey's fiancee, Olivia Culpo, and in Kristin Juszczyk, fullback Justin Juszczyk's wife.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Trav, Travis Kelce's, We've, we've, Pat McGrath, ”, Laurie Pressman, Stuart Semple, Erin Jaeger, it’s, Christian McCaffrey's, Olivia Culpo, Kristin Juszczyk, Justin Juszczyk's, Kristin, Jaeger, I’m, Sabato De Sarno, Gucci Rosso, ” Jaeger, Bianca Betancourt, Semple, Anish Kapoor, It's, “, Geothe, Michel Pastoureau's Organizations: Super Bowl, TNT, Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs, Media, Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Pat McGrath Labs, FOOTBALL AS, North America, 49ers, Swift, Vogue Locations: Taylor, British, North, Paris, Milan, China, India

NEW YORK (AP) — The annual “Puppy Bowl” turns 20 this year, well over middle age in dog years. Cloud, Florida, who has been part of “Puppy Bowl” for a decade. “What we’ve done this year to flip the whole script is because it’s sort of a celebration of the fact that it’s the 20th year,” says “Puppy Bowl” referee Dan Schachner. "We’ve decided to go all in on puppy, making it the “most puppiest ‘Puppy Bowl’ ever.”The “Puppy Bowl” made its debut as counter-programming to the Super Bowl in 2005. The inaugural “Puppy Bowl” was watched by nearly 6 million viewers.

Persons: ”, Laurie Johnson, Dan Schachner, We’ve, Schachner, Johnson, it's, there’s, —, Shar Pei, Ruff —, “ Slick Rick ”, “ I’ll, they’re, ” ___ Mark Kennedy Organizations: Bowl, of Fame, Super, Animal Planet, Planet, Fox, TBS Locations: Florida, St, Cloud

The results will either buttress Trump's claims of massive wealth or expose him as a poseur. The biggest potential judgment comes in the civil fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The court has already determined that Trump committed fraud by securing loans through false financial statements – including inflating the value of his properties. The fraud case is more complicated, experts say, since there was no clear victim identified. Judge Arthur Engoron, who will deliver the judgment on financial damages as well as the fate of Trump's businesses in New York, hasn't been sympathetic to the idea that Trump's fraud caused no harm.

Persons: Donald Trump, ”, Trump, E, Jean Carroll –, Laurie Levenson, Levenson, Carroll, Letitia James, Gregory Germain, Arthur Engoron, hasn't, Germain, He's, Anna Cominsky, –, William Thomas, Stephen M, Thomas, James, hamstringing Trump Organizations: Trump, New, Forbes, Bloomberg, Loyola Law, New York, Syracuse University, Donald Trump View, New York University Law, Federal, Commission, America, PAC, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan Locations: New York, Engoron

☆ Sanfordiacaulis: New ancient tree species looks like it could be from the mind of Dr. Seuss
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Ayurella Horn-Muller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The authors said these new and unusual fossil trees not only bear a surprising shape reminiscent of a Dr. Seuss illustration, they reveal clues about a period of life on Earth of which we know little. Few tree fossils that date back to Earth’s earliest forests have ever been found, according to Gastaldo. Most ancient tree specimens are relatively small, he noted, and often discovered in the form of a fossilized trunk with a stump or root system attached. Wilf noted via email that the “unusual” new fossil tree was a relic of a time period from which there are almost no tree fossils. The peculiar set of tree fossils presents proof of a “failed experiment of science and evolution,” Stimson added.

Persons: Seuss, ”, Robert Gastaldo, sedimentologist, “, Coauthors Olivia King, Matthew Stimson, Gastaldo, “ gobsmacked, Tim, Laurie Sanford, Stimson, ” Stimson, Peter Wilf, Wilf, ” Wilf, Dr, King, “ We’re, fossilization, ” Gastaldo Organizations: CNN, Colby College, New Brunswick Museum, geosciences, Pennsylvania State University Locations: Canadian, New Brunswick, Waterville , Maine, paleobotanist

☆ Japan's Message for Donald Trump: Don't Cut a Deal With China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

Trump, who reached a trade agreement with Beijing in 2019 that later expired, has not mentioned any potential deal with China during his campaign for the 2024 nomination. Two Japanese foreign ministry officials said they fear that Trump may be prepared to weaken U.S. support for nearby Taiwan in pursuit of a deal with China. A Trump aide told Reuters that no recent meetings have taken place between Trump and Japanese officials. "If he is going to cut a deal with China, Japan needs to try and get ahead of the curve and understand its potential role to support its interests in both the U.S. and in China," said Machida. Robert O'Brien, Trump's former national security adviser, also has connections with Japanese officials, two of the sources said.

Persons: John Geddie, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, America's, Donald Trump, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden's, Trump, Xi, Kim Jong Un, they're, Ado Machida, Machida, Shinzo Abe, Aso, Japan's, Shigeo Yamada, Mike Pence, Jim Mattis, Mike Pompeo, Michael Green, Bill Hagerty, Yamada, Hagerty, Robert O'Brien, Trump's, O'Brien, Shigeru Kitamura, Biden, Tsuneo Watanabe, John Bolton, Watanabe, Yukiko Toyoda, Kaori Kaneko, Sakura Murakami, David Brunnstrom, Tim Reid, Ben Blanchard, Laurie Chen, Liz Lee, David Crawshaw Organizations: Trump, Republican, Group, North, Reuters, Fox News, U.S, Steel, Japan's Nippon Steel, U.S ., Liberal Democratic Party, . Studies, University of Sydney, Japan's U.S, Taiwan, Peace Foundation Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Asia, China, Beijing, Tokyo, Iowa, New Hampshire, U.S, Taiwan, Washington, Trump, Taipei

☆ New China Defence Minister Holds Video Talks With Russia's Shoigu
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's new defence minister Dong Jun held a video call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday, according to a defence ministry statement, in his first public engagement since being appointed last month. Former Navy chief Dong's appointment came after his predecessor, Li Shangfu, disappeared from public view in August, throwing China's military diplomacy in doubt. The role of China's defence minister is to be the public face of the People's Liberation Army in its engagement with the media and with other armed forces. China and Russia's close military ties have been the target of Western scrutiny, especially after Russia's 2022 invasion of its neighbour Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn. Western countries, including the United States, have repeatedly warned China not to provide lethal aid to Russia's battlefield efforts.

Persons: Dong Jun, Sergei Shoigu, Li Shangfu, Dong, Shoigu, Laurie Chen, Christopher Cushing, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Former Navy, People's Liberation Army, United States, U.S Locations: BEIJING, Russian, China, Ukraine, United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, South China, Beijing

☆ Opinion: The chilling lesson of the Taylor Swift deepfakes
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Opinion Laurie Segall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Sexually explicit AI-generated photos of pop superstar Taylor Swift have flooded the internet, and we don’t need to calm down. Now, you can digitally undress her or create your own explicit deepfake starring her. Imagine an immersive environment where a scorned ex invites others to collectively view a sexually explicit deepfake video of the girl who rejected him. They never taped a video, but due to advances in deepfake technology, it’s impossible to distinguish whether it’s real or fake. From a policy perspective, a handful of states have laws against the creation or sharing of these types of sexually explicit deepfakes.

Persons: Laurie Segall, Taylor Swift, Laurie Segall Angie Speranza Swift, I’ve, Swift, Mary Anne Franks, we’re, “ We’ve, ” Franks, —, Franks, Don’t Organizations: Tech’s Titans, CNN, George Washington University, ”, “ Locations: New York, Vermont

“This is an extremely undemocratic way to harm access to reproductive health care," said Sofia Tomov, operations coordinator with Access Reproductive Care Southeast, a member of the Mississippi Abortion Access Coalition. The proposal comes days after a Missouri abortion-rights campaign launched its ballot measure effort aiming to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution. Missouri abortion rights groups also have criticized Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, saying he is attempting to impede the initiative by manipulating the measure's ballot summary. Ohio abortion rights advocates have said last year’s statewide vote to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution was as much about abortion as it was a referendum on democracy itself. After Ohio voters approved the abortion protections last year, Republican lawmakers pledged to block the amendment from reversing the state's restrictions.

Persons: “ They’re, Laurie Bertram Roberts, we’ve, Mississippi, Cheikh Taylor, “, ” Taylor, Fred Shanks, Roe, Wade, ”, Jason White, Sofia Tomov, State Jay Ashcroft, Ed Lewis, Sam Lee, John Rizzo, Joe Adams, Deirdre Schifeling, ‘ Will, Summer Ballentine, Emily Wagster Pettus Organizations: CHICAGO, —, U.S, Supreme, Mississippi House, Democratic Rep, Republican Party, Republican, Republicans, Mississippi, Reproductive, Coalition, State, GOP, Democratic, Ohio Republicans, Ohio, ACLU, Press, Associated Press, AP Locations: Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, . Mississippi, ”, ” In Missouri, Nevada, Jefferson City , Missouri, Jackson , Mississippi

Allegations of research fakery at a leading cancer center have turned a spotlight on scientific integrity and the amateur sleuths uncovering image manipulation in published research. The blogger, 32-year-old Sholto David, of Pontypridd, Wales, is a scientist-sleuth who detects cut-and-paste image manipulation in published scientific papers. By Jan. 22, the institution said it was in the process of requesting six retractions of published research and that another 31 papers warranted corrections. The sleuths download scientific papers and use software tools to help find problems. Some journals told the AP they are aware of the concerns raised by David's blog post and were looking into the matter.

Persons: Jan, David, He's, Farber, DANA, FARBER, Sholto David, Dana, Laurie Glimcher, William Hahn, sleuths, Claudine Gay, Barrett Rollins, Elisabeth Bik, ” Bik, Ivan Oransky, Oransky, “, ” Oransky, —, ” They're, Bik Organizations: Dana, Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, The Harvard Crimson, WHO, Associated Press, American Society for Microbiology, Technology, New York University, “, AP, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group Locations: British, Pontypridd, Wales, PubPeer, California

☆ NASA Ingenuity helicopter mission on Mars ends after three years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —After completing 72 historic flights on Mars over three years, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter mission has ended. NASA/JPL-CaltechThe NASA mission team only expected the chopper to carry out five test flights in 30 days. The chopper flew over areas of scientific interest to capture images and help the mission team determine Perseverance’s next targets for detailed analysis. “The Mars helicopter would have never flown once, much less 72 times, if it were not for the passion and dedication of the Ingenuity and Perseverance teams. History’s first Mars helicopter will leave behind an indelible mark on the future of space exploration and will inspire fleets of aircraft on Mars — and other worlds — for decades to come.”

Persons: Perseverance, ”, Bill Nelson, Wright, Laurie Leshin, Nelson, “, Teddy Tzanetos Organizations: CNN, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Jet Propulsion, NASA, JPL, Caltech, “, NASA JPL, Caltech Communications, swatch, Wright Locations: Pasadena , California, Mars

☆ China Slams US 'Provocation' in Taiwan Strait, Pledges Further Drills
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China criticised the United States on Thursday for causing "trouble and provocation" after the U.S. Navy sailed its first warship through the sensitive Taiwan Strait since presidential and parliamentary elections on the island. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. The U.S. Navy said the destroyer USS John Finn transited through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that was "beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state". Wu said China's response in driving away the ship was "justified, reasonable, professional and restrained". Wu added that China's military will "continue to organise relevant military operations" around the Taiwan Strait on a regular basis as part of its training, as analysts predict frequent drills in the run-up to Taiwan President-elect William Lai's inauguration in May.

Persons: Wu Qian, John Finn, Wu, William Lai's, Dong Jun, Liz Lee, Laurie Chen, Greg Torode, Nick Macfie Organizations: U.S . Navy, Defence Ministry, Chinese Defence, U.S ., Pentagon, Indian, Reuters Locations: BEIJING, China, United States, Taiwan, U.S, Washington, Philippines, Spratly, Manila, South, India, New Delhi, Gaza, Beijing, Hong Kong

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