slotvip heylink
After SpaceX and xAI, is preschool Ad Astra Elon Musk's next big venture? Here's what he plans to teach pre-kindergarten kidsAzerbaijani rights defender receives US human rights award in absentiaThe Los Angeles Lakers’ most recent 107-98 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night improved their record to 13-11 as they hold onto the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Los Angeles’ future Hall-of-Fame duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been pulling out all the stops to keep the team afloat, with Davis scoring 27.5 points on a remarkable 61.0% true shooting percentage and James contributing 23.0 points and dishing 9.1 assists. While the pair of NBA 75th Anniversary Team members have been producing at a spectacular rate, the team as a collective has struggled on both ends of the floor. Their No. 26 ranked 117.0 defensive rating specifically calls for a drastic change, and the Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka may be tempted to remedy the issue by contacting the New Orleans Pelicans to inquire about their gifted perimeter defender. The 26-year-old Herb Jones is already an All-Defensive First Team selection and fifth-place finisher in Defensive Player of the Year voting as he enters his fourth NBA season. Coming off of his incredible 2023-24 season, the Lakers have been named as the leading suitor to acquire Jones in recent reports . “While Davis is an incredible defensive player...the nine-time NBA All-Star needs some help,” shared Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Hanna Wednesday. “Fortunately, there is a player who would be a great addition to help the Lakers out on defense, and it looks like they're a frontrunner to land him.” “According to a report from Bovada ( per NBACentral ) the Lakers are one of the favorite NBA franchises to land forward Herb Jones in a potential trade.” While he had been contributing to previous iterations of Pelicans teams that were somewhat competitive, the franchise currently resides at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 5-21 record through 26 games. Jones has contributed 10.3 points and a career-high 1.8 steals to the injury-riddled Pelicans, and their wasted season has turned the defensive prodigy into a likely trade candidate. The potential acquisition of Jones for Los Angeles would immediately help the team climb the defensive rating ladder towards the conclusion of the season, as the pairing of Jones on the perimeter and Davis protecting the paint would be an unstoppable defensive formula. To acquire Jones, Los Angeles would likely ship out names like Gabe Vincent or D’Angelo Russell paired with a young prospect like Max Christie and first-round draft compensation. More NBA: Bronny James coverage by NBA facing backlash after Lakers rookie goes off
UCF and Tulsa will test their mettle against each other on Saturday afternoon in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic in Sunrise, Fla. The Knights will make their first appearance in the event since recording a two-point loss to Missouri in 2022, while Tulsa's last trip to the Orange Bowl Classic was a loss to Florida State in 2012. UCF (7-2) may have something to prove being away from Addition Financial Arena. The Knights are 7-0 at home, whereas a November trip to the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia produced an 86-70 loss to Wisconsin and a triple-overtime setback against LSU. The Knights relied heavily on their defense in Sunday's 66-51 win over Tarleton State. After a sluggish start offensively, UCF found its rhythm during a 37-point second half. Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with a game-high 16 points and freshman center Moustapha Thiam collected 10 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. UCF's Big 12 opener draws closer (at Texas Tech, Dec. 31), but head coach Johnny Dawkins remains focused on daily improvement. "I feel a sense of urgency to get better, not with regards to Big 12 play to be quite frank, but every game," Dawkins said. "I don't look too far in the future. Pretty much I've always been in the moment as a player and as a person, and so for me it's about just getting better because it's our standards." Tulsa (4-6) looks to stop a three-game slide following a 70-66 home loss to Southern University last Saturday. Keaston Willis scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, netting a season-high 23 points off the bench. But Isaiah Barnes, one of three Golden Hurricane players to start all 10 games, was injured in the first half and played only eight minutes. To complicate matters, head coach Eric Konkol's team is 0-6 when trailing at halftime. "We got to get some guys healthy that can be healthy for next Saturday (against UCF)," Konkol said. "We got a couple other guys dealing with some different things, but then (also) having some planning to figure out what's the best way going forward for this group." --Field Level MediaNoneA PREMIER League star’s domestic rubbish was dumped illegally outside an apartment block. Furious residents contacted Crystal Palace to report Jefferson Lerma for fly-tipping . 3 Crystal Palace's Jefferson Lerma has been reported for fly-tipping Credit: Getty 3 The garbage included broken toys, full carrier bags and dozens of opened parcels and boxes bearing Lerma’s address The club investigated and discovered that the Colombian midfielder, 30, had paid for a “legitimate waste disposal service” to dispose of the trash “in good faith”. The rubbish was strewn across the front of garages behind flats in Streatham, South London — nine miles from Lerma’s home. Grainy CCTV images show men arriving in cars with fake number plates to dump the trash. The garbage included broken toys, full carrier bags and dozens of opened parcels and boxes bearing Lerma’s address. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS money talks Football icon turned down big money I’m A Celeb offer - but there's a twist KICKING OFF Footie ultras ARRANGING Fight Club-style brawls with brutal rules of engagement Recent windy weather spread the rubbish further. Heidi Vella, who lives in the flats, said: “Fly-tipping is illegal and a social blight and so it was a real shock to the residents here to see a Premier League footballer’s rubbish dumped on our property. “A quick look showed it was Jefferson Lerma’s domestic rubbish. Now we want to pursue the ‘man with a van’ so he is dealt with by law.” Lerma signed for Bournemouth for £25million in 2018 and joined Palace on a free transfer last year. Most read in Football LEVEL HEAD Clement shrugs off Celtic record as Rangers boss warns against Hoops' mind games BOOKIE BASHER Jim Delahunt's Celtic v Rangers League Cup Final verdict & 12/1 weekend acca LEAVE IT OUT Rodgers makes something clear about Clement 'financially out our league' claim CRYSTAL BALL Celtic vs Rangers score predictions as SunSport writers have their say The club said: “When this matter was drawn to our attention, we immediately arranged for the rubbish to be collected and disposed of correctly. “We apologise for any inconvenience.” Bournemouth target Jefferson Lerma is an absolute beast of a defensive midfielder 3 Heidi Vella, who lives in the flats, said: 'Fly-tipping is illegal and a social blight and so it was a real shock to the residents here to see a Premier League footballer’s rubbish dumped on our property' Credit: Louis Wood
Despite a recent flare-up of violence in Spanish Town, St Catherine Chamber of Commerce President Dennis Robotham is hopeful of an “uneventful” Christmas season with regards to crime in the parish. “Crime has been trending down (over) a year, a year and a half, kudos to the St Catherine North police who have been doing a very good job,” Robotham told Observer Online in a recent interview. “We have this upheaval ever so often because of the gang infighting... we’re going into the Christmas season and we really would like to see nothing of the sort happen at this particular point in time,” he said. According to Robotham, business activity has been slow for several months and it is hoped that the holiday shopping season will give commerce a much-needed boost – control over the crime situation in the parish will be critical to accomplishing that. “Now it is time for us to start to see some returns on new investments and (businesses) are stocking up. We really would like to see more calm or a sense of security that people can say ‘yes things are happening, the security forces are out in numbers,” Robotham said. “And I think that the authorities, the police in particular, are trying to do their part to create that kind of atmosphere,” he continued. “And we hope that this will bring (crime) down to the point where we’ll see the season go through uneventful, and we’re hoping that that will happen.”
On Sunday afternoon in Ottawa, Tom Willander had a breakout performance for Team Sweden at the 2025 World Junior Championship. Willander had a steady start to the tournament, leading Sweden in ice time in each of their first two games against Slovakia and Kazakhstan but only picking up a single assist in each game despite lopsided scores in Sweden's favour. As much as his reliable defensive game is a big part of why the Vancouver Canucks drafted him eleventh overall in 2023, a little more offence is always reassuring when it comes to top prospects at the World Juniors. It was gratifying for Canucks fans, then, that Willander had such a strong performance against Switzerland in his team's third game of the tournament. Willander scored two goals, both on the power play, and added an assist for a three-point game. That brings Willander to five points in three games, which is good for sixth in scoring in the tournament — second among defencemen behind teammate Axel Sandin-Pellikka — though he'll likely move down that list as other teams finish their games on Sunday. Willander opened the scoring for Sweden, sending a perfectly placed wrist shot into the top corner over the blocker of Elijah Neuenschwander. After Sweden and Switzerland traded goals to make the score 2-1 for Sweden, Willander nearly scored another power play goal, hammering a one-timer from the point that pinged off the post. Willander found the twine again in the second period. All four Swiss penalty killers got caught too low in the zone, giving Willander plenty of space above the faceoff circles. He loaded up his shot to pick a spot but the puck deflected off the stick of Swiss forward Loris Wey to change direction and give Christian Kirsch, who came in for Neuenschwander, no chance to make the stop. Willander's technique on his wristshot is impeccable, giving him all kinds of velocity despite a deceptively quick release. The flex on his stick shows just how much torque he's applying to whip the puck forward. Along with the two goals, Willander added a second assist on Sweden's 6-1 goal, setting up Sandin-Pellikka for a one-timer that squeaked through Kirsch and was banged in by Victor Eklund in the crease. That goal ended up being the surprise game-winner, as Switzerland pushed back hard in the third period and took advantage of some undisciplined penalties by Sweden to score four goals. They simply ran out of time to complete the admittedly improbably comeback. Sweden gave Switzerland seven power plays, with five of them coming in the third period. Willander was part of that parade to the penalty box, though in his case it was less a lack of discipline and more that he was a victim of a couple of bad calls. His first high-sticking penalty was just a stick lift where the Swiss player's own stick hit him in the face, while his second penalty was a holding call where he legally pinned his man to the boards in a battle and got whistled when his man fell down. It should be noted that Willander was on the ice for three goals against — one a lucky deflection off a Swedish skate and two Swiss power play goals. That marred an otherwise great game for Willander, though he could really only be faulted on one of the goals against. His positioning was a little bit off on Switzerland's second goal, so he didn't take away a shooting lane to the far post. Despite the goals against, this was a promising performance from Willander, showing the strength of his shot and how he uses that threat to open up lanes for teammates on the power play. He was also solid at 5-on-5, continuing to use his excellent mobility to close gaps and eliminate plays. Basile Sansonnens continues to develop Willander wasn't the only Canucks prospect on the ice in the game between Sweden and Switzerland. The Canucks' seventh-round pick from the 2024 draft, Basile Sansonnens, was patrolling the blue line for the Swiss side. It's important to remember that Sansonnens just turned 18 a few months ago, as he was one of the younger players in the 2024 draft, and he'll still be eligible for next year's World Junior Championship. Combined with his lower draft position, the expectations are quite a bit lower for Sansonnens. Still, he's shown well at this year's World Juniors. His smooth skating is still the biggest argument for his NHL future but he's taken massive strides in his ability to handle and move the puck over the past few months while playing top-pairing minutes for the Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL. Sansonnens' passing was shocking when I watched him at the Canucks' prospect development camp in the summer but at the World Juniors, he's made crisp, tape-to-tape passes to break the puck out or move it around the offensive zone. That swift development is pretty impressive and speaks well to his coachability. In fact, it's Sansonnens' play in the offensive zone that stood out against Sweden. He made some smart plays at the blue line, sent shots into traffic in front of the net looking for tips, and showed an awareness of when to activate into open space. On one sequence, he jumped up the left side, looped behind the net, and took a hit to protect the puck along the boards to prolong a possession for Switzerland in the offensive zone — something they didn't have much of at 5-on-5. The sequence ended with a shot on goal — perhaps not the most dangerous shot but still an opportunity for a rebound and for Switzerland to continue to possess the puck down low. Let's be clear, Sansonnens still has plenty of warts. There's a reason why he was a seventh-round pick as a mobile 6'4" defenceman, after all. He was victimized by the Swedish forecheck on the 2-1 goal, for instance, and was also on the penalty kill for three of Sweden's power play goals, which is less than ideal. Some of Sansonnens' defensive flaws should improve with maturity and experience and there's a lot to like about the progression in his game, particularly in his puck skills, which were his biggest weakness. That kind of rapid improvement is exactly what you hope for from a seventh-round pick. Sansonnens is still a longshot to make it to the NHL but he's taking steps in the right direction.When he was India’s best opening batsman, Sunil Gavaskar was a patient and careful player. He never played a single shot that was unwarranted. But now he seems to have made a very hasty judgement in the case of Mohammed Siraj. He recently urged the Indian team’s think tank to axe Siraj because the fast bowler failed to take wickets in the Australian innings. Gavaskar seems to have forgotten that Siraj took a total of five wickets in the first Test, had a creditable haul of four wickets in the second Test including the prize scalp of Travis Head. So far, in Australia’s second innings in the fourth match, Siraj has taken 3 wickets. With 16 wickets to his name so far, Siraj is number three in the list of wicket takers behind Bumrah and Pat Cummins. There is nothing in his performance that warrants removal from the team. Just because Siraj did not get any wickets in Australia’s first innings Gavaskar wants him to be sacked. It is surprising that the legendary batter from Mumbai has chosen to ignore his Mumbai teammate Rohit Sharma’s repeated failures with the bat and is pointing out one single non-performance of Mohammed Siraj. Clearly the demand by Gavaskar seems unjustified. Nobody can succeed in every innings. Siraj is a bowler who has proved his worth time and again. His track record in Australia has been worthy of emulation. He is a rhythm bowler and once he finds his normal touch he will be very effective. The fast and bouncy tracks suit Siraj’s style and approach perfectly. This time too he is very likely to perform well. Any chop-and-change policy at this point can only make matters worse for India. Siraj and Bumrah are the twin howitzers that can pulverize the Aussies. The need is to persist with an attack that has proven itself in the past instead of ringing changes every now and then. That approach will only unsettle the confidence and firepower of our fast bowlers. On top of that, Ashwin has pulled out prematurely. His absence will put more loads on the fast bowlers and any inexperienced pacer will be completely demolished. It is vital to have two experienced hands to do the job and Siraj with Bumrah is the ideal combination. But what is of vital importance is the fact that Siraj has a fearless approach and refuses to be cowed down by the reputation of the Australian batsmen. He is the man who can pull India back when the chips are down. It’s time for Gavaskar to take a close look at the real weaknesses in the team. The failures are happening frequently in the batting order. Experienced batters like Rohit have not been able to lay the foundation for a big total. Unless Gavaskar addresses this vital issue, his words will have a hollow ring. Among the Indian bowlers, Siraj is noted for his stamina. His ability to maintain his speed, bounce and movement over a long period is what makes Siraj such a dangerous bowler. There is no time for the batsmen to relax. Siraj is best suited for Australian conditions. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of the Aussie batters and he is experienced in playing on Australian pitches. On earlier occasions, he has succeeded. He will likely succeed again. But sacking him for one off colour match will result in a disaster for the team. It will also send wrong signals to the rest of the players Sudden sacking and unplanned promotions do nothing but ruin the team’s morale. Even if Harshit Rana is brought into the team now as Gavaskar has suggested, it will put pressure on the bowler himself. Rana will be aware that he too could be removed for just one imperfect game. On the other hand, Siraj is likely to come back into form soon. Removing him at this stage of the tour will be unproductive for the player concerned as well as for Indian cricket. This is the time for our ex-players to play a constructive role and advise players and selectors to be cautious instead of advocating sudden and drastic changes.
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s vision for education revolves around a single goal: to rid America’s schools of perceived “wokeness” and “left-wing indoctrination.” The president-elect wants to forbid classroom lessons on gender identity and structural racism. He wants to abolish diversity and inclusion offices. He wants to keep transgender athletes out of girls’ sports. Throughout his campaign, the Republican depicted schools as a political battleground to be won back from the left. Now that he’s won the White House, he plans to use federal money as leverage to advance his vision of education across the nation. Trump’s education plan pledges to cut funding for schools that defy him on a multitude of issues. On his first day in office, Trump has repeatedly said he will cut money to “any school pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content on our children.” On the campaign trail, Trump said he would “not give one penny” to schools with vaccine or mask requirements. He said it would be done through executive action, though even some of his supporters say he lacks the authority to make such swift and sweeping changes. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Watch video as man shares what girlfriend did to his drink at restaurantUCF and Tulsa will test their mettle against each other on Saturday afternoon in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic in Sunrise, Fla. The Knights will make their first appearance in the event since recording a two-point loss to Missouri in 2022, while Tulsa's last trip to the Orange Bowl Classic was a loss to Florida State in 2012. UCF (7-2) may have something to prove being away from Addition Financial Arena. The Knights are 7-0 at home, whereas a November trip to the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia produced an 86-70 loss to Wisconsin and a triple-overtime setback against LSU. The Knights relied heavily on their defense in Sunday's 66-51 win over Tarleton State. After a sluggish start offensively, UCF found its rhythm during a 37-point second half. Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with a game-high 16 points and freshman center Moustapha Thiam collected 10 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. UCF's Big 12 opener draws closer (at Texas Tech, Dec. 31), but head coach Johnny Dawkins remains focused on daily improvement. "I feel a sense of urgency to get better, not with regards to Big 12 play to be quite frank, but every game," Dawkins said. "I don't look too far in the future. Pretty much I've always been in the moment as a player and as a person, and so for me it's about just getting better because it's our standards." Tulsa (4-6) looks to stop a three-game slide following a 70-66 home loss to Southern University last Saturday. Keaston Willis scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, netting a season-high 23 points off the bench. But Isaiah Barnes, one of three Golden Hurricane players to start all 10 games, was injured in the first half and played only eight minutes. To complicate matters, head coach Eric Konkol's team is 0-6 when trailing at halftime. "We got to get some guys healthy that can be healthy for next Saturday (against UCF)," Konkol said. "We got a couple other guys dealing with some different things, but then (also) having some planning to figure out what's the best way going forward for this group." --Field Level Media
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent successful surgery Sunday to have his prostate removed, hospital officials said, a procedure that came as he manages multiple crises including the war in Gaza and his trial for alleged corruption . Netanyahu, who has had a series of health issues in recent years, has gone to great lengths to bolster a public image of himself as a healthy, energetic leader. During his trial this month, he boasted about working 18-hour days, accompanied by a cigar. But as Israel's longest-serving leader, such a grueling workload over a total of 17 years in power could take a toll on his well-being. Netanyahu, 75, is among older world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, 82 , President-elect Donald Trump, 78 , Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , 79, and Pope Francis , 88, who have come under scrutiny for their age and health issues. Netanyahu's latest condition is common in older men, but the procedure has had some fallout. The judges overseeing his trial accepted a request from his lawyer on Sunday to call off three days of testimony scheduled this week. The lawyer, Amit Hadad, had argued that Netanyahu would be fully sedated for the procedure and hospitalized for “a number of days.” Jerusalem's Hadassah Medical Center announced late Sunday that the procedure had been “completed successfully.” Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close ally, served as acting prime minister during the operation. Netanyahu is expected to remain hospitalized for several days. With so much at stake, Netanyahu’s health in wartime is a concern for both Israelis and the wider world. As Israel’s leader, Netanyahu is at the center of major global events that are shifting the Middle East . With the dizzying pace of the past 14 months, being incapacitated for even a few hours can be risky. Netanyahu will be in the hospital at a time when international mediators are pushing Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and as fighting between Israel and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensifies . Prostate issues are common and in many cases easily treatable. Still, the procedure puts a dent in Netanyahu’s image of vigor at a time when he would want to project strength more than ever, both to an Israeli audience navigating constant threats as well as to Israel’s enemies looking to expose its weaknesses. Netanyahu insists he is in excellent health. His office releases footage of him touring war zones in full protective gear flanked by military officers, or meeting with defense officials on windswept hilltops in youthful dark shades and puffer jackets. But that image was shattered last year when Netanyahu’s doctors revealed that he had a heart condition , a problem that he had apparently long known about but concealed from the public. A week after a fainting spell, Netanyahu was fitted with a pacemaker to control his heartbeat. Only then did staff at the Sheba Medical Center reveal that Netanyahu has for years experienced a condition that can cause irregular heartbeats. The revelation came as Netanyahu was dealing with massive anti-government protests. The news about a chronic heart problem stoked further anger and distrust during extreme political polarization in Israel. Last year, Netanyahu was rushed to the hospital for what doctors said likely was dehydration . He stayed overnight, prompting his weekly Cabinet meeting to be delayed. Earlier this year, Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery , during which he was under full anesthesia and unconscious. Levin served as acting prime minister during the operation. According to Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli leader was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection on Wednesday stemming from a benign enlargement of his prostate. The infection was treated successfully with antibiotics, but doctors said the surgery was needed in any case. Complications from prostate enlargement are common in men in their 70s and 80s, Dr. Shay Golan, head of the oncology urology service at Israel’s Rabin Medical Center, told Israeli Army Radio. Golan spoke in general terms and was not involved in Netanyahu’s care or treatment. He said an enlarged prostate can block proper emptying of the bladder, leading to a build-up of urine that can lead to an infection or other complications. After medicinal treatment, doctors can recommend a procedure to remove the prostate to prevent future blockages, Golan said. In Netanyahu’s case, because the prostate is not cancerous, Golan said doctors were likely performing an endoscopic surgery, carried out by inserting small instruments into a body cavity, rather than making surgical cuts in the abdomen to reach the prostate. The procedure lasts about an hour, Golan said, and recovery is quick. He said that aside from catheter use for one to three days after the procedure, patients can return to normal activity without significant limitations. AP correspondent Isaac Scharf contributed reporting.
NoneOpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old dispute between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-p Matt O'brien, The Associated Press Dec 13, 2024 12:04 PM Dec 13, 2024 12:20 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message FILE - The OpenAI logo is displayed on a cell phone in front of an image generated by ChatGPT's Dall-E text-to-image model, Dec. 8, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File) A 7-year-old dispute between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk's filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI's CEO. Musk also wanted the job, according to emails revealed as part of the court case, but grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence , or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI," said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don't want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you've shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman's desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk's early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. Musk didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. —————————— The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives. Matt O'brien, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Science News OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' Dec 13, 2024 12:42 PM Geoffrey Hinton to donate some of Nobel winnings to create new annual award Dec 13, 2024 12:34 PM New Jersey governor wants more federal resources for probe into drone sightings Dec 13, 2024 12:22 PMWhite House, FBI downplay drone sightings amid growing concern from N.J., Pa. officials
Insurers Urged to Safeguard Data Amid Rising AI Adoption and Privacy Risks, Says Info-Tech Research GroupJordan Ivy-Curry, UCF aim to topple TulsaNew device produces critical fertilizer ingredient from thin air, cutting carbon emissions
When Macy’s on Wednesday reported more details about the “hiding” of $151 million, it became clear their accounting controls simply didn’t work. It exposed a massive software hole in just about every enterprise environment. The Macy’s accounting nightmare is only getting worse, with the $24 billion retailer telling the SEC on Wednesday that both its annual report from last year and its auditor report “should no longer be relied on.” Although the amount “hidden” was only $151 million — at the high end of Macy’s original estimate of “$132 million to $154 million” — the retailer said it exposed a massive weakness in its checks and balances procedures. Macy’s did not get specific about the nature of the flaws, but the problem seems to be that the software charged with monitoring financial transactions was never designed to catch accountants doing what they do best: categorizing numbers in ways designed to make the company’s performance look better than it is. Such software is typically designed to catch true fraud, such as an employee exfiltrating money out of an enterprise into bank accounts they control, or payments to fraudulent contractors or even simple math errors. Apparently, the Macy’s system had weak safeguards that were easily sidestepped. Accounting officials say these same technology deficits likely exist in every enterprise. Macy’s “management identified a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting related to the design of existing internal control activities involving manual journal entries over delivery expenses and certain other non-merchandise expenses, and the reconciliation of the related accrued liabilities,” the SEC filing said. “The Company identified that a single employee, who is no longer with the Company, intentionally made erroneous accounting entries and falsified underlying documentation, to understate delivery expenses from the fourth quarter of 2021 through the third quarter of 2024.” When Macy’s first reported the incident, it used the word “hidden” and made no reference to “falsified underlying documentation.” Those are big clues about what likely happened. “The material weakness was the result of deficiencies in the design of controls over delivery expense and certain other non-merchandise expenses, and the related accrued liabilities, whereby the design of the controls did not consider the potential for employee circumvention of these controls,” the company said in its filing, adding there were “failures to obtain, or generate and use, relevant, quality information to support the functioning of these controls, including validation of the reliability of the information.” Here’s the key “you’ve got to be kidding” point: “The design of the controls did not consider the potential for employee circumvention of these controls.” Really? The designers for an accounting system managing $24 billion in cash flow never considered that somebody might try to circumvent controls? Like perhaps someone engaged in naughtiness? The filing also showed some seeming contradictions. It stressed, for example, that this problem was done by just one employee — as though that’s a good thing. Imagine a Pentagon official explaining how 40 nuclear warheads were stolen and said, “I know this sounds bad, but this wasn’t done by a squadron on enemy fighters. This theft was just done by one guy, so all is fine.” Macy’s also tried to say that this was not that big a deal. “The Company evaluated the errors and determined that the related impact was not material to results of operations or financial position for any historical annual or interim period.” But by the end of the filing, Macy’s attorneys used a lot of words to essentially say this actually was a big deal. “As a result of the material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting described above, on December 10, 2024 the Audit Committee of the Board of the Company determined, based on the recommendation of management following its consultation with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm KPMG LLP, that management’s report on internal control over financial reporting as of February 3, 2024... should no longer be relied upon . Additionally, KPMG LLP’s opinion as to the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of February 3, 2024 included within the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 3, 2024, should no longer be relied upon .” In accounting speak, declaring that their financials are not to be trusted is admitting that this is a big deal. Why? Given the lack of meaningful controls and strong safeguards in this one business unit, there is every reason to believe that the same lack of safeguards exist elsewhere in the company — and according to accountants, in just about every enterprise. Stefan van Duyvendijk, an industry principal with accounting software vendor FloQast, reviewed Macy’s filing and said that the retailer “is trying to distract people” by implying that the “small package delivery” unit is “the only place where Macy’s has this weakness.” This happened because that small package area was likely deemed low-risk, van Duyvendijk said, but Macy’s “reviews over journal entries are the same across the company.” That means Macy’s likely knows that other similar issues could easily crop up — and that is what is tainting all of their reported financials and audits. The lone employee apparently reported that the small package unit owed less than it really did. “ERP is incapable of catching something like this,” van Duyvendijk said. For other enterprises, this glaring hole in controls could be worse. The Macy’s problem appears— so far –to be one employee manipulating numbers to make the department look better. It wasn’t outright fraud or theft. But that’s merely because the employee didn’t try to steal. But the same lax safeguards that allowed expense dollars to be underreported could have just as easily allowed actual theft. “What will happen when someone actually has motivation to commit fraud? They could have just as easily kept the $150 million,” van Duyvendijk said. “They easily could have committed mass fraud without this company knowing. (Macy’s) people are not reviewing manual journals very carefully.” Another accounting specialist, JR Kunkle, an auditor and GRC specialist who runs his own consulting firm, Kunkle Consulting, agreed that the ERP and accounting systems used today can’t prevent accounting fraud in the way they should. “If an individual is hellbent, he can change codes in the software. (Management) is going to rely on the accountant to setup the accruals,” Kunkle said. “Any kind of accounting entry requires judgment.” And today’s business software systems are incapable of reviewing and managing human judgment. “Once you get inside (the accounting decision process) and there is a judgment factor, ERP can give you data about it, saying that it’s a shipping expense, but I don’t think systems in general can figure out what an accountant should enter,” Kunkle said. “I don’t know that you can automate that.” Another financial specialist, Emburse CFO Andriana Carpenter, said that the software problem exists, but there are accounting tactics that can minimize exposure. “It’s true that most ERPs are not designed to catch erroneous accounting,” she said. “However, there are software tools that allow CFOs and CAOs to create more robust controls around accounting processes and to ensure the expenses get booked to the correct P&L designation. Initiating, approving, recording transactions, and reconciling balances are each steps that should be handled by a separate member of the team. There are software tools that can assist with this process, such as those that enable use of AI analytics to assess actual spend and compare that spend to your reported expenses. Some such tools use AI to look for overriding journal entries that reverse expense items and move those expenses to a balance sheet account.” The specific problem Macy’s is struggling with could be minimized for others, she said. For example, someone bypassing safeguards can eventually be detected. “In the event of management overriding accounting controls, leveraging the spend data on an end-to-end spend management platform and using AI analytics can identify this type of override by automatically comparing total spend to your P&L and identifying discrepancies,” Carpenter said. “In the case of this Macy’s accounting error, AI analytics would have identified differences in total payments versus the expense that was being reported.” The ultimate problem here involves enterprise CIOs and their teams who trust software controls too much. Trusting software to religiously do what it is supposed to do is asking for trouble. Trusting that software to do what it was never designed to do? That is just demanding trouble.
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s vision for education revolves around a single goal: to rid America’s schools of perceived “wokeness” and “left-wing indoctrination.” The president-elect wants to forbid classroom lessons on gender identity and structural racism. He wants to abolish diversity and inclusion offices. He wants to keep transgender athletes out of girls’ sports. Throughout his campaign, the Republican depicted schools as a political battleground to be won back from the left. Now that he’s won the White House, he plans to use federal money as leverage to advance his vision of education across the nation. Trump’s education plan pledges to cut funding for schools that defy him on a multitude of issues. On his first day in office, Trump has repeatedly said he will cut money to “any school pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content on our children.” On the campaign trail, Trump said he would “not give one penny” to schools with vaccine or mask requirements. He said it would be done through executive action, though even some of his supporters say he lacks the authority to make such swift and sweeping changes. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Previous: slotvip gacor
Next: slotvip indonesia
