roulette in casino

roulette in casino NEW YORK (AP) — In a string of visits, dinners, calls, monetary pledges and social media overtures, big tech chiefs — including Apple's Tim Cook , OpenAI’s Sam Altman , Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg , SoftBank's Masayoshi Son and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos — have joined a parade of business and world leaders in trying to improve their standing with President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office in January. “The first term, everybody was fighting me,” Trump said in remarks at Mar-a-Lago . “In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.” Tech companies and leaders have now poured millions into his inauguration fund, a sharp increase — in most cases — from past pledges to incoming presidents. But what does the tech industry expect to gain out of their renewed relationships with Trump? A clue to what the industry is looking for came just days before the election when Microsoft executives — who’ve largely tried to show a neutral or bipartisan stance — joined with a close Trump ally, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, to publish a blog post outlining their approach to artificial intelligence policy. “Regulation should be implemented only if its benefits outweigh its costs,” said the document signed by Andreessen, his business partner Ben Horowitz, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the company's president, Brad Smith. They also urged the government to back off on any attempt to strengthen copyright laws that would make it harder for companies to use publicly available data to train their AI systems. And they said, “the government should examine its procurement practices to enable more startups to sell technology to the government.” Trump has pledged to rescind President Joe Biden’s sweeping AI executive order, which sought to protect people’s rights and safety without stifling innovation. He hasn’t specified what he would do in its place, but his campaign said AI development should be “rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.” Trump's choice to head the Interior Department, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, has spoken openly about the need to boost electricity production to meet increased demand from data centers and artificial intelligence. “The AI battle affects everything from defense to healthcare to education to productivity as a country,′′ Burgum said on Nov. 15, referring to artificial intelligence. “And the AI that’s coming in the next 18 months is going to be revolutionary. So there’s just a sense of urgency and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration′′ to address it. Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and AI, and local governments are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to consume more resources, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. “Maybe Big Tech should buy a copy of ‘The Art of The Deal’ to figure out how to best negotiate with this administration,” suggested Paul Swanson, an antitrust attorney for the law firm Holland & Hart. “I won’t be surprised if they find ways to reach some accommodations and we end up seeing more negotiated resolutions and consent decrees.” Although federal regulators began cracking down on Google and Facebook during Trump’s first term as president — and flourished under Biden — most experts expect his second administration to ease up on antitrust enforcement and be more receptive to business mergers. Google may benefit from Trump’s return after he made comments on the campaign trail suggesting a breakup of the company isn’t in the U.S. national interest, after a judge declared its search engine an illegal monopoly . But recent nominations put forward by his transition team have favored those who have been critical of Big Tech companies, suggesting Google won’t be entirely off the hook. Cook’s notoriously rocky relationship with the EU can be traced back to a 2016 ruling from Brussels in a tax case targeting Apple. Cook slammed the bloc’s order for Apple to pay back up to 13 billion euros ($13.7 billion) in Irish back taxes as “total political crap.” Trump, then in his first term as president, piled on, referring to the European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who was spearheading a campaign on special tax deals and a crackdown on Big Tech companies, as someone who “really hates the U.S.” Brussels was eventually vindicated after the bloc’s top court rejected Apple’s appeal this year, though it didn’t stop Cook from calling Trump to complain, Trump recounted in a podcast in October. Altman , Amazon and Meta all pledged to donate $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which billionaire Bezos owns. Meanwhile, Bezos had criticized some of Trump’s past rhetoric. In 2019, Amazon also argued in a court case that Trump’s bias against the company harmed its chances of winning a $10 billion Pentagon contract. More recently, Bezos has struck a more conciliatory tone. He recently said at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York that he was “optimistic” about Trump’s second term, while also endorsing president-elect’s plans to cut regulations. The donation from Meta came just weeks after Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago. During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president, but voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. Earlier this year, he praised Trump’s response to his first assassination attempt. Still, Trump in recent months had continued to attack Zuckerberg publicly. And Altman, who is in a legal dispute with AI rival Elon Musk, has said he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence in the incoming administration. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the company earlier this year alleging that the maker of ChatGPT betrayed its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. “We have two multi-billionaires, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are tasked with cutting what they’re saying will be multiple trillions of dollars from the federal budget, reducing the civil service, the workforce,” said Rob Lalka, a business professor at Tulane University. Musk, he said, has a level of access to the White House that very few others have had -- access that allows him to potentially influence multiple policy areas, including foreign policy, automotive and energy policy through EVs, and tech policy on artificial intelligence. “Elon Musk walked into Twitter’s headquarters with a sink and then posted, ‘let that sink in,‘” he said. “Elon Musk then posted a status update on X, a picture of himself with a sink in the Oval Office and said, 'Let that sink in.′" —— Associated Press writers Kelvin Chan, Michael Liedtke, Matt O'Brien, Barbara Ortutay and Sarah Parvini contributed to this report. Best trending stories from the week. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. You may occasionally receive promotions exclusive discounted subscription offers from the Roswell Daily Record. Feel free to cancel any time via the unsubscribe link in the newsletter you received. You can also control your newsletter options via your user dashboard by signing in.The Trexo Robotics team, led by co-founders Manmeet Maggu, CEO and Rahul Udasi, CTO, are overjoyed by this accomplishment. "The 100 million steps milestone was not something I thought about as a goal, we wanted kids to take as many steps as they could. It's amazing, each kid starting with one step and going after their own goals, has added up to an unbelievable number,” says Udasi. "For many of these kiddos, they were told they would never take a step. Every single one of these 100 million steps tells a different story-one of courage, progress, and hope,” says Maggu. "This milestone is made up of countless special moments, each representing improved strength, better health, and brighter possibilities.” Trexo is hosting a celebration to mark this incredible accomplishment on Friday, December 6 th in Toronto. The celebration will honour the parents and community members who have been instrumental in this journey and, most importantly, the children themselves, who inspire everyone with their perseverance. Thinking about what the future may bring-500 million steps, which is the equivalent of walking to the moon-and one billion steps are on the minds of the Trexo team. "These numbers are mind boggling, and exciting because of what they mean for the kiddos. For now though, this moment is a time to pause, reflect, and celebrate,” says Jenn Horowitz, Head of Marketing at Trexo. The celebration will include Trexo robotic legs walking on their own, heartfelt speeches, a special surprise from one of the Trexo users, Alex Mertens, dancing, and for many, the opportunity to meet the team behind the innovation for the first time. Media representatives are welcome to attend to capture this inspiring achievement. Trexo Robotics extends heartfelt thanks to the parents, supporters, and especially the children, whose steps have turned what was a personal quest to help Maggu's nephew, into something bigger than they ever imagined. About Trexo Robotics: Trexo Robotics is a leader in mobility solutions, empowering children with disabilities to take their first steps in many cases. With a mission to redefine what's possible, Trexo Robotics combines cutting-edge technology with unwavering dedication to create life-changing moments for families that are searching for solutions for their children. Event Details: Date: Friday, December 6, 2024 Time: 6pm - 9pm Media only. For location and other details, please contact: Contact: Jennifer Horowitz, Head of Marketing Phone: 562-784-7711 [email protected] A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c9788464-2a17-4a2e-837b-2c4d4176cce1Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos speaks in Las Vegas on June 6, 2019. John Locher/The Associated Press In a string of visits, dinners, calls, monetary pledges and social media overtures, big tech chiefs – including Apple’s AAPL-Q Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta’s META-Q Mark Zuckerberg, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son and Amazon’s AMZN-Q Jeff Bezos – have joined a parade of business and world leaders in trying to improve their standing with President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office in January. “The first term, everybody was fighting me,” Trump said in remarks at Mar-a-Lago. “In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.” Tech companies and leaders have now poured millions into his inauguration fund, a sharp increase – in most cases – from past pledges to incoming presidents. But what does the tech industry expect to gain out of their renewed relationships with Trump? A clue to what the industry is looking for came just days before the election when Microsoft MSFT-Q executives – who’ve largely tried to show a neutral or bipartisan stance – joined with a close Trump ally, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, to publish a blog post outlining their approach to artificial intelligence policy. “Regulation should be implemented only if its benefits outweigh its costs,” said the document signed by Andreessen, his business partner Ben Horowitz, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the company’s president, Brad Smith. They also urged the government to back off on any attempt to strengthen copyright laws that would make it harder for companies to use publicly available data to train their AI systems. And they said, “the government should examine its procurement practices to enable more startups to sell technology to the government.” Trump has pledged to rescind President Joe Biden’s sweeping AI executive order, which sought to protect people’s rights and safety without stifling innovation. He hasn’t specified what he would do in its place, but his campaign said AI development should be “rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.” Trump’s choice to head the Interior Department, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, has spoken openly about the need to boost electricity production to meet increased demand from data centres and artificial intelligence. “The AI battle affects everything from defence to health care to education to productivity as a country,′′ Burgum said on Nov. 15, referring to artificial intelligence. “And the AI that’s coming in the next 18 months is going to be revolutionary. So there’s just a sense of urgency and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration′′ to address it. Demand for data centres ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and AI, and local governments are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centres begin to consume more resources, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. “Maybe Big Tech should buy a copy of ‘The Art of The Deal’ to figure out how to best negotiate with this administration,” suggested Paul Swanson, an antitrust attorney for the law firm Holland & Hart. “I won’t be surprised if they find ways to reach some accommodations and we end up seeing more negotiated resolutions and consent decrees.” Although federal regulators began cracking down on Google and Facebook during Trump’s first term as president – and flourished under Biden – most experts expect his second administration to ease up on antitrust enforcement and be more receptive to business mergers. Google may benefit from Trump’s return after he made comments on the campaign trail suggesting a breakup of the company isn’t in the U.S. national interest, after a judge declared its search engine an illegal monopoly. But recent nominations put forward by his transition team have favoured those who have been critical of Big Tech companies, suggesting Google won’t be entirely off the hook. Cook’s notoriously rocky relationship with the EU can be traced back to a 2016 ruling from Brussels in a tax case targeting Apple. Cook slammed the bloc’s order for Apple to pay back up to €13 billion ($13.7 billion) in Irish back taxes as “total political crap.” Trump, then in his first term as president, piled on, referring to the European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who was spearheading a campaign on special tax deals and a crackdown on Big Tech companies, as someone who “really hates the U.S.” Brussels was eventually vindicated after the bloc’s top court rejected Apple’s appeal this year, though it didn’t stop Cook from calling Trump to complain, Trump recounted in a podcast in October. Altman, Amazon and Meta all pledged to donate $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which billionaire Bezos owns. Meanwhile, Bezos had criticized some of Trump’s past rhetoric. In 2019, Amazon also argued in a court case that Trump’s bias against the company harmed its chances of winning a $10 billion Pentagon contract. More recently, Bezos has struck a more conciliatory tone. He recently said at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York that he was “optimistic” about Trump’s second term, while also endorsing president-elect’s plans to cut regulations. The donation from Meta came just weeks after Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago. During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president, but voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. Earlier this year, he praised Trump’s response to his first assassination attempt. Still, Trump in recent months had continued to attack Zuckerberg publicly. And Altman, who is in a legal dispute with AI rival Elon Musk, has said he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence in the incoming administration. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the company earlier this year alleging that the maker of ChatGPT betrayed its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. “We have two multi-billionaires, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are tasked with cutting what they’re saying will be multiple trillions of dollars from the federal budget, reducing the civil service, the work force,” said Rob Lalka, a business professor at Tulane University. Musk, he said, has a level of access to the White House that very few others have had – access that allows him to potentially influence multiple policy areas, including foreign policy, automotive and energy policy through EVs, and tech policy on artificial intelligence. “Elon Musk walked into Twitter’s headquarters with a sink and then posted, ‘let that sink in,‘” he said. “Elon Musk then posted a status update on X, a picture of himself with a sink in the Oval Office and said, ’Let that sink in.′”or signup to continue reading If you're in the market for a new , time is running out. The cheap and cheerful small car will be replaced very soon, ending a production run of four generations and over 20 years. It's still relatively affordable, still has a long warranty, and still packs power from a petrol four-cylinder. On paper, the Cerato isn't exactly going out with a bang. No changes have been made in its final year on sale, while prices rose $900 across the range early on in 2024 – despite the price rise, it's still a lot of metal for the money. You'll need to pay more for a , or , so it's instead aligned with high-end versions of the smaller . Is it still worth snapping up a Cerato before they're gone for good? Kia offers nationwide drive-away pricing for the Cerato lineup, with hatchback and sedan body styles costing the same. The test vehicle featured here is a Safety Pack equipped S sedan with no additional options. The interior of the Cerato is dull, but functional. Hard black plastics dominate the space, including the centre console, door cards, and dash. That's not unexpected for an economy car, and Kia has been very selective with how its limited budget is distributed across the Cerato S. Included in the Safety Pack is a leather-wrapped steering wheel, which sits satisfyingly in the hands. As does the gear lever, which is also trimmed in leather, and the plastics used in high-traffic areas such as the armrest have a soft touch. Small pieces of plastic aluminium-look trim break up the sea of black, but it's clear they aren't the real deal. Similar sentiments apply to the seats. Trimmed in cloth, they don't look especially premium, but it was easy to get comfortable thanks to supportive side bolstering and well-judged cushioning. The headrests are contoured, which is a pretty neat and uncommon feature that makes them gentler on your head. Behind the steering wheel you'll find a small screen flanked by an analogue tachometer on the left and a similarly old-school speedometer on the right. There's no digital instrument cluster here – despite a 10.25-inch unit being available in South Korea – and the Cerato feels older than it is as a result. The puny digital display can be customised to show vehicle settings, fuel economy, and speed information, and feedback for certain safety systems. It's easy enough to navigate, but the button controls are tacky and unpleasant to use. Moving from the gauges to the infotainment system, it's like stepping through a time portal from the mid-2000s to 2024. The 8.0-inch touchscreen is befitting of its modern status, complete with wireless smartphone connectivity. Some premium new cars still required a wired connection for smartphone mirroring, so I was pleasantly surprised to see wireless capability on the spec sheet for this little budget sedan. With that said, Apple CarPlay was prone to dropouts during my time with the car, and it's difficult to exit the mirroring screen without a physical home button. There's also a noticeable lag between pressing a button and something happening on the screen, which stands out given we spend so much time using lightning-quick phones and tablets in 2024. Although the infotainment system is wireless, there are two USB-A ports and a 12V outlet located under the climate controls, so both front occupants can charge their devices simultaneously. Speaking of climate control, the layout will be familiar to anyone who has driven a car in the last 30 years. All functions are adjusted through three rotary dials, one each for mode, temperature, and fan speed. Air is distributed through four vents up front. Simple and effective, a big plus for any rental-spec vehicle. Storage space benefits from such an uncluttered dash layout – you get two seperate iPhone-sized shelves under the climate dials, so both driver and passenger are looked after. However, elsewhere space is limited. The front door bins are small and poorly laid out, while the armrest cubby and glovebox are similarly tight. Dual centre cupholders are each big enough for a 1L drink bottle, and there's a drop down holder for sunglasses above the dash. Storage is also at a premium in the second row. Like many other compact cars, the rear door bins are only good for a small drink bottle, tops. Map pockets are absent from the seat backs, although you do get a centre armrest with two fixed cupholders. Connectivity is well covered in the front row and rear passengers aren't neglected in that domain either, with one USB-C connection point available. When it comes to space for people, the Cerato gets a pass mark. Adults of an average size will fit comfortably, although taller folk may find their hair grazes against the headliner when sitting upright. There's plenty of room for feet under the front seats. Thankfully, the light headliner and a pair of air vents also prevent the car from feeling claustrophobic in the back. Whether you're riding solo or travelling with a carload of passengers, the boot in the Cerato sedan provides plenty of cargo room. With of space, the Cerato has the most boot space in the small car segment, although the aperture is on the small side. If you need more room, the rear bench folds 60/40 to unlock extra capacity. Annoyingly, there's no way to open the boot manually without the key fob. That's unacceptable in my book, and a real knock on practicality. All Cerato variants except the flagship GT are powered by a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Our fuel economy figure was measured over 170km of mostly peak-hour commuting, with some short stints on the open road – hence the fairly high indicated readout. The Cerato is an easy and enjoyable car to drive with a flat learning curve. All the controls are simple to operate, and the small stature of the car makes it easy to place in city traffic and tight suburban streets. That also applies to parking. The Cerato will fit in just about any parking space and a reversing camera is on hand to make the process even simpler. While the S doesn't claim to have any performance credentials, it feels sporty on quieter roads with smooth, naturally aspirated power and accurate steering. You get 112kW and 192Nm from the 2.0-litre engine, which is more than enough for urban driving. It's happiest when you're taking things easy, put your foot down and you get lots of revs, lots of noise, but not all that much performance. The steering in particular surprised me, as some other modern steering systems can be overly light and inconsistent. A forgiving suspension setup ensures that the Cerato manages to be both sporty and comfortable, even over potholes and speed bumps. It's by no means flawless, though. Some of the additional safety systems included with the Safety Pack are too intrusive in their default settings, namely blind-spot monitoring and forward collision-avoidance. The blind-spot monitoring system has the tendency to warn you if a car is driving alongside in a separate lane, while forward collision-avoidance tech at times brakes and abruptly shudders the Cerato if you pass narrowly between parked cars or try to navigate a tight city laneway. Some of these issues are remedied by adjusting safety settings through the infotainment screen, but not all. I wouldn't mess with the rear cross-traffic alert feature, however, as it functioned seamlessly and took the anxiety out of reversing into busy streets. Out on the highway the Cerato is comfortable cruising, retaining a cushiony ride at high speeds. The cabin is well insulated from outside noise, so longer road trips don't become a chore. If you are trying to accelerate uphill with a load on board, however, you get lots of noise from the petrol engine as it strains to get the job done. Adaptive cruise control comes with the Safety Pack, and the technology operates smoothly on those extended journeys. It was hard to get a fair gauge on the efficiency of the Cerato during our test, as most of the kilometres were chalked up in city traffic, but I was still surprised to see a fuel consumption figure of 12L/100km. The S is the entry point into the Cerato range, although our tester was fitted with the $1500 Safety Pack – here's what you get with each variant. The Kia Cerato was last tested by ANCAP in 2019, with two different ratings covering the range. All Kia Cerato variants are covered by the brand's seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia. The Kia Cerato S, Sport and Sport+ require services every 12 months or 15,000km, while the GT has a stricter schedule with 12-month, 10,000km intervals. The Kia Cerato S is a practical and competent economy car that's ready for a refresh. It has enough infotainment and safety technology to keep up with the pack, and is comfortable to drive both in the city and on the open road. You also get more room in the second row than most similarly priced hatchbacks, while Kia is the class leader when it comes to boot space. Having said that, none of this is new and prices have jumped $6800 since the current model hit the market six years ago. The interior is a relic of that time, as is the inefficient powertrain. Sedan rivals in this price range are hard to come by, but the Hyundai i30 Sedan rolls on a newer platform that offers the option of hybrid efficiency and superior interior polish... if you can stretch your budget. Content originally sourced from: Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . Advertisement

Houston guard Mylik Wilson (8) defends against Auburn guard Denver Jones (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox) AP No. 7 Houston face Hofstra in a men’s college basketball game on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, at Fertitta Center in Houston, Texas. How to watch: Fans can watch game via a subscription to ESPN+ . Here’s what you need to know: What: College basketball Who: Houston vs. Hofstra When: Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, Where: Fertitta Center Time: 8 p.m. ET TV: N/A Live stream: ESPN+ Here’s a recent college basketball story from the AP: ansas strengthened its grip on No. 1 in the AP Top 25 . The rest of the top 10 turned into a jumble of teams swapping places. The Jayhawks picked up five first-place votes in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll released on Monday, receiving 49 from a 61-person media panel. No. 2 UConn had seven first-place votes, No. 3 Gonzaga earned two and No. 4 Auburn three. Iowa State climbed two spots to round out the top five. The shuffling started with No. 8 Alabama’s 87-78 loss to No. 6 Purdue, a game that dropped the Crimson Tide six spots and bumped the Boilermakers up seven. Losses by Duke and Arizona shook up the top 10 further. The No. 12 Blue Devils dropped six spots from last week after their 77-72 loss to No. 9 Kentucky. The Wildcats climbed 10 spots for their first top-10 ranking this season. Arizona lost 103-88 at No. 19 Wisconsin and fell eight spots to No. 17. The Badgers are ranked for the first time this season. Kansas backed up its win over North Carolina in the season’s opening week by beating Michigan State and Oakland last week. UConn continued to roll in its bid for a third straight national championship, blowing out Le Moyne 90-49 . Gonzaga crushed UMass Lowell, Auburn rolled over Kent State and Iowa State beat Kansas City by 26. No. 7 Houston moved up a spot bouncing back from a 74-69 loss to Auburn by blowing out Louisiana-Lafayette. Wisconsin had to reload its roster after an upset loss to James Madison in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Coach Greg Gard filled the holes with some solid additions through the transfer portal, but the Badgers were still picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten. The projections may have been off. After rolling through three easy wins against smaller conference schools, Wisconsin made a few waves by running over Arizona. John Tonje scored 41 points, two off the school record, and the Badgers never trailed in a convincing win over a top-10 team that led to a passionate post-game speech by Gard . No. 25 Illinois joined Wisconsin as the only teams to move into the top 25. The Illini knocked off Oakland 66-54 last week. Ole Miss dropped out from No. 25 despite beating South Alabama and Colorado State last week. Ohio State fell from No. 21 after its 78-64 loss to No. 23 Texas A&M. Arizona had the biggest drop, losing eight spots. Alabama and Duke were next, each dropping six places. Kentucky had the biggest jump among teams already in the poll, climbing 10 places and Purdue was next at seven. The Southeastern Conference led the way with seven ranked teams, including No. 11 Tennessee, No. 20 Arkansas and No. 21 Florida. The Big 12 has six teams in the poll and the Big Ten five, followed by the Big East with four. The Atlantic Coast Conference has two, while the West Coast Conference has one. MORE SPORTS COVERAGE Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans FREE LIVE STREAM (11/22/24): Watch NBA Cup game | Time, TV, Channel Rutgers basketball: Future opponent loses star player from N.J. indefinitely for mysterious reason What role Yankees’ Aaron Judge has in Juan Soto sweepstakes What channel is the Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets game tonight (11/22/24)? FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV, Channel for NBA Cup How to watch Pitt volleyball vs. Wake Forest (11/22/24) online without cable | FREE LIVE STREAM for ACC game Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Cayden Steele may be reached at CSteele@njadvancemedia.comPublished 2:40 pm Tuesday, December 17, 2024 By PA News Jeff Darby, Jeff Ortiz, and Britton Jones have announced their candidacies for the May 3 election in Nederland as a united ticket to bring reform, transparency, accountability, and a brighter future for Nederland. Jeff Darby is running for Mayor of Nederland. He retired in 2023 after 33 years as an investigator with the United States Department of Labor in Beaumont. Since retiring, he has owned and operated JP Darby Services, LLC, a consulting and mediation firm. He has been a Professional in Human Resources through the Human Resources Certification Institute in Alexandria, VA, since 1992. Darby has held several leadership positions, including 18 years as president of his local union and five years as President of the Sabine Area Central Labor Council. He has been a member of AFGE Local 2139 since 1990. He previously ran for Mayor of Nederland in 2002 and 2004. Jeff has been married to Christy since 1988; they have three grown daughters and one grandson. Darby earned a BA in history with a minor in French from Lamar University in 1988 and a 40-hour certificate in basic mediation training from The Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at The University of Texas School of Law in 2022. He is competent in French and Spanish, as well as some Dutch, German, Italian, and Portuguese. His hobbies include language study, travel, genealogy, and reading. Jeff Ortiz is running for City Council Ward 4. He has owned Ortiz Menswear and Bridal in Nederland for 12 years. For the last 10 years, Jeff has served as Executive Pastor at Revive Church in Nederland. Ortiz has 13 years of experience in the financial industry, including four years as Vice President of a local credit union. He served on the Nederland City Council from 2009 to 2011 as Ward 1 City Council Member. Jeff has been married to Angie since 2021, and they have one daughter. He graduated from Nederland High School in 2001. Get the latest news sent to your inbox Britton Jones is running for City Council Ward 2. Britton has worked in the chemical industry in Port Arthur since 2016 as a technician and first responder for fire and medical; he is licensed as an Emergency Care Attendant through the Texas Department of State Health Services. He is a proud member of USW Local 13-423. Jones has owned Mid County ATM in Nederland since 2022. Britton married Kimberly earlier this year. Jones is active in the Nederland Heritage Festival, serving as Vice Chair for Emergency Services since 2022. He graduated from Nederland High School in 2014 and from Lamar Institute of Technology in 2016 with an Associate of Applied Science in Instrumentation Technology. In 2021, Jones earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology from Lamar University. “Enough is enough. It’s time we elect people who care, who have a heart and a passion for this town,” said Ortiz. “We three stand before you today and tell you: we have the heart, we have the time, and we have the passion to look at everything.”

Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have become essential technologies across industries, automating tasks at a speed and scale far beyond human capabilities. However, building these systems at scale requires deep engineering expertise and skilled teams to ensure success. Niloy Gupta, Machine Learning Engineer Tech Lead at Attentive Mobile, is an expert in scaling machine learning systems for various industry verticals. Gupta’s experience spans critical roles, including CTO of Lambent Logic and a pivotal position in scaling Affirm’s Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) platform, one of the largest in the U.S. He was also instrumental in scaling Yelp’s Ads Targeting system. Niloy holds a graduate degree from the School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University. His research focused on machine learning systems. Engineering AI/ML Applications Niloy’s journey as a technology leader showcases his ability to build scalable AI/ML systems for diverse industries. At Affirm, he contributed to production-scale systems while advancing model interpretability. Niloy shares, “AI/ML models must be interpretable to understand why a loan is approved or denied. If a FinTech company were to deny a loan, they would be legally obligated to tell the consumer why their loan application was rejected. As a result, companies are biased toward simpler and more interpretable models.” Niloy’s work reflects the complexities of regulated FinTech systems, where model updates need regularity approval, in contrast to AdTech’s fast feedback cycles and rapid iterations. At Yelp, he developed a distributed ML training system and online model inference to handle billions of training samples and efficiently ensure real-time predictions. Leveraging distributed computing tools, Niloy built a fault-tolerant system optimized for cost and performance. “Since model predictions need to be served in real-time, having a model inference service that meets the SLA requirements is paramount. We applied novel model compression techniques to reduce the memory footprint of the model and thereby reduce cache misses,” Niloy notes. Niloy’s ability to adapt engineering principles to meet industry-specific challenges demonstrates his expertise. He blends technical skills with leadership to create high-impact AI/ML solutions in finance and advertising. Building large-scale AI/ML systems AI/ML systems intersect with machine learning theory and software engineering. The system should scale to large data sets, train models reliably and cost-effectively, and serve the model predictions while meeting latency requirements. All these stages must be monitored effectively to catch any degradation or bugs. The system should also support failure management and rollbacks. An engineering team needs to leverage the right technologies and tools to automate all three stages of a machine learning system—feature generation, model training, and model serving. These include distributed computing, microservices, security, and feature stores. The design of the AI/ML system also depends upon the industry vertical and product. Typically, in credit underwriting, labels (defaults or repayments) arrive weeks, if not months, after the loans have been issued. This creates a long lag between model deployment and evaluation. Investing in a reliable experimentation platform is crucial for any company working with AI/ML models. Niloy’s career reflects his ability to solve these challenges efficiently, ensuring models perform well and comply with industry standards. His expertise is building robust, high-performance systems that balance regulatory demands with technical innovation. AI/ML system quality assurance Building effective AI/ML systems requires careful planning, from data collection to model monitoring, based on Niloy’s experience. He shares, “The first AI/ML model provides the biggest lift to the product, so it should be kept simple. This allows the engineering team to focus on infrastructure where typically more issues lie.” Good data is essential—ML models can only perform as well as the training data they are fed. Niloy emphasizes the importance of validating data to catch issues like missing values and shifts in distribution. Features must be cataloged with ownership if they originate from multiple sources, ensuring accountability. Monitoring is critical for maintaining performance over time. Niloy explains, “Any AI/ML pipelines should invest in monitoring. The major one is checking for any training-serving skew. If the data at inference time has a different distribution than what was used for training, the model performance could not meet expectations.” To address challenges like feedback loops and skew, Niloy recommends piping inference data back into training pipelines and reusing code between training and serving environments. Testing models on holdout datasets ensures robustness beyond the original training data. While complex to build, these pipelines ultimately automate processes and unlock new growth opportunities. Niloy’s expertise and contributions to production-scale machine learning reflect engineers' vital role in shaping the future of AI/ML across industries.

THE Philippines and the United States held their second Energy Policy Dialogue (EPD) last week, reinforcing their shared commitment to advancing energy security, expanding access, and accelerating the clean energy transition. A significant outcome of this year’s dialogue was the finalization of the “Guiding Document,” which establishes a framework for regular and structured engagement in the energy sector. The Department of Energy (DOE) said this document is designed to facilitate meaningful collaboration and ensure the effective development and implementation of joint programs. The discussions between the two countries focused on advancing the deployment of renewable energy technologies to reduce carbon emissions, modernizing and expanding energy transmission infrastructure to meet growing demand, and exploring nuclear energy as a potential option for electricity generation. Both nations also emphasized the importance of reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels to strengthen energy security and resilience. Moreover, they discussed the critical need for access to financing, innovative technologies, and resilient infrastructure to support a just energy transition. These initiatives are essential to ensuring that the shift to cleaner energy is equitable, affordable, and inclusive, promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth without imposing undue burdens on consumers. By prioritizing these objectives, the DOE said both countries aim to address the dual challenges of fostering sustainable development and mitigating climate change, while paving the way for a cleaner, more resilient, and equitable energy future. The inaugural EPD was held in the US in August last year where the Philippine delegation was led by Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella, who is in charge of policy and planning at the agency. Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla welcomed the delegates from both countries during the event while US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson delivered the opening remarks. The Philippine delegation was headed by Fuentebella. Leading the US delegation were Kimberly D. Harrington, deputy assistant secretary for energy diplomacy at the US Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources; and Ann Ganzer, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. The dialogue this year builds on priorities initially reaffirmed during the visit of US Vice President Kamala Harris to the Philippines in November 2022, where both countries recognized the vital role of sustainable energy partnerships in driving economic growth and addressing global climate challenges. A Journalism Graduate of Letran College, Lenie Lectura is a multi-awarded veteran beat reporter of highly regulated industries, telco and energy. She has been consistently named best reporter for her coverage of energy and telecommunications issues. She was also recognized for having the best feature story, which tackled the transportation issues. She has also churned out exclusive reports from all the business beats she covered.S&P 500 Winners Fortinet, Boston Scientific Lead 5 Stocks Near Buy Points

Julia Bradbury said she has become more focused on her health than she has ever been after “death looked her in the eyes”. The 54-year-old TV presenter revealed in 2021 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and later underwent a mastectomy during which her breast plus two lymph glands were removed before reconstruction took place. Bradbury has since stopped drinking alcohol and has changed the priorities in her life, but revealed she has received some pushback on social media from sharing her approach. She told The Times Weekend magazine: “I wasn’t close to death, but death looked me in the eyes. So I am more focused on my health than I ever have been. “I don’t drink, I eat a healthy diet and exercise every day. “When I came home from my mastectomy, I promised I would spend time outside every day, and that is my mantra, however poor it might be in this shitty winter.” Bradbury, who has since been given the all-clear, said a doctor recently helped her reframe how she utilises her energy. She recalled: “He said, ‘This drive that you have – you’re running on a credit card. You can push through all sorts of things. But is that the best thing for you?’. “I realised you don’t have to win every race. You don’t have to overcome everything. I don’t want to max out the credit card.” The presenter previously discussed her experience in an ITV documentary, Julia Bradbury: Breast Cancer And Me, which followed her as she came to terms with her diagnosis and prepared to undergo her single mastectomy. She also regularly shares her wellness and fitness tips with her more than 270,000 Instagram followers. However, she revealed she has had pushback from people saying, “I was healthy, I go to the gym, I got cancer, and now its metastasised and I’ve got secondary cancer. So are you blaming me for my illness?”. Responding to the accusations, she added: “No. All I’m saying is, this is what I went through. It was a wake-up call, and it made me look at life differently. “It made me prioritise my sleep, emotional health, and give more time to my loved ones. “If I drink more than four units of alcohol a week, my risk of reoccurrence goes up by 28%. But people find me giving up drinking infuriating.” Bradbury, who has a 13-year-old son Zephyr, and nine-year-old twins Xanthe and Zena, said having children later in life has caused her to not be as “patient” as she feels she should be at times after becoming more set in her own ways. “People think that after you’ve got a cancer diagnosis, you become this beautiful angel with a halo, and a super mum and do everything right”, she added. “But no, you make the same mistakes. I lose my temper, and I can hear myself saying things that I can’t believe I’m saying. “None of us know what we’re doing, really. We’re just doing our best. I know they do have lots of love. They are told that they’re loved every day.”

Hympulsion Orders 4 New HRS Stations As Part Of The Hydrogen Mobility Program ‘zero Emission Valley’ In The Auvergne-rhone-alpes Region (France)Grindr to Participate in the Raymond James 2024 TMT & Consumer Conference

Furious Cucurella changes cleats after slipping twice to concede early goals, then helps Chelsea win

The Chengdu J-36 is a tailless military aircraft. Published: December 28, 2024 6:33 PM IST By Edited by The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has been considered the best air force in the world since it made Japan surrender following the decimation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Right after the culmination of the World War 2, the USA has reigned the skies especially in the face of the Cold War era and its multiple military campaigns across the globe where it destroyed the entire civil and military infrastructure of the enemies, right from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. Post 2000, Russia and China have also marked their presence in the global defence sector with their indigenous military hardware that are said to be giving a tough competition to the unrivalled supremacy of the United States. China has made great strides in developing fifth generation fighters Pentagon’s 2024 annual report on Chinese military power evaluates that though China’s PLA Air Force (PLAAF) is “good and improving quickly”. This has given the experts a hot topic about the capabilities of the Asian country already working on the prototype of a sixth-generation fighter aircraft. If it is indeed going ahead with the ambitious programme then it will tilt the balance heavily in Beijing’s favour. “The Pentagon report mentions that China has expanded the capabilities of its uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), which are now comparable to USAF systems. The report also mentions Chinese strides in air-to-air missiles, electronic warfare, bombers, and fifth-generation fighters. In some of these areas, it is closing up to US standards,” according to www.eurasiantimes.com. China’s H-20, (Xi’an H-20) is a projected subsonic stealth bomber design of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force which is referred to as a strategic project by the People’s Liberation Army. When unveiled, it will be the first dedicated strategic bomber developed by China. On the other hand, America has been actively using dedicated Bombers since the 1920s. America used bombers extensively in the WW II. In fact, it was a Boeing B-29 Superfortress that was used to drop the atomic bombs on Japanese cities. China was still struggling to get on its feet at that time whereas the USA rapidly developed, deployed, and used its bombers in many wars in Asia, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. The latest being against the Houthis in Yemen while China has used its old fleet to carry out intimidating sorties in the South China Sea region with Taiwan on its focus. China has a lot of ground to cover to make any significant impact in terms of bombers. Talking about the fifth-generation fighters, China has brought out its fleet of J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fifth-generation fighters as experts say that the Dragon is rapidly building up and improving. PLAAF is also replacing older J-11s and Su-27s with J-20s, supported by advancements in domestic engine technologies like the WS-15, reducing China’s reliance on Russian-made engines. The J-20 fleet could increase its number beyond 800 aircraft by 2030 while the target is 1,500 aircraft by 2035. The J-35A, said to be a copy of the American F-35 is developing quickly and has found a market, thanks to the Zhuhai air show. China, on December 26, test flew two technology demonstrator aircraft, the Chengdu J-36. The emergence of China’s new stealth fighter jet, believed to be a 6th-generation model, has caused a stir in military circles globally. The videos of J-36, flying in broad daylight over Chengdu, Sichuan province went viral as the analysts opine that the J-36 is designed to perform not only better than the fifth generation USAF fighter but be the first sixth generation aircraft. The USA is significantly ahead of China in deployable air power, with its commitments being unrestricted, whereas China’s Theatre command system is primarily focused on mainland defense. The Eastern and Southern Theatres are beginning to oversee parts of the Western Pacific. China’s aircraft industry remains state-controlled, while US industry is private and significantly more in research, products, and sales. Aero-engines continue to be a challenging area for China, particularly concerning sixth-generation fighters. The Chengdu J-36 is a tailless military aircraft currently being developed and tested by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIC). As of now, this model is presumably designated as the “J-36”, but further confirmation is needed, and we are keeping an eye. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and . Read more on Latest on . TopicsThe Canadian stock market as a whole is up huge this year, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any last-minute shopping deals to be had. The is up more than 20% on the year. Even so, there’s still no shortage of discounted stocks on the TSX to choose from. With the market as hot as it is right now, it’s understandable to question whether or not now is a smart time to be loading up on stocks. For short-term investors, that’s worth pondering. But for anyone with a long-term time horizon, there’s no sense in trying to time the market. Fortunately, there are buying opportunities out there for patient investors with cash readily available. I’ve reviewed two beaten-down . Both might be trading at a discount but are not far removed from being market-beaters. The two stocks are down from all-time highs that were last set in 2021 yet remain loaded with long-term growth potential. If you’re looking to add some serious market-beating growth potential to your portfolio at a fair price, these two companies should be on your watch list right now. ( ) is down a staggering 85% from all-time highs that were last set in 2021. The is trading at a price barely above where it went public in 2019. Investors may need to be patient with this one, but there could also be a short-term payout. The long-term thesis is that this is a global company that offers its customers a range of commerce-related solutions to choose from. Lightspeed’s global footprint and wide product offering are two key reasons why revenue growth is expected to be in the double-digit range for years to come. The possible short-term payout comes from the company announcing last September that it was exploring options for a potential sale. The announcement alone sent shares surging upward, and the stock is now up 30% since then. At today’s discounted price, Lightspeed is a low-risk, high-reward type of investment. It likely will take time, though, for the tech stock to return to all-time highs. That being said, it could be back to its market-beating ways sooner rather than later. ( ) is another example of a stock that’s trading at a bargain price yet offers investors a ton of long-term growth potential. The telehealth provider saw demand skyrocket in the early days of the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, demand eventually cooled off, and so did the stock price. In 2020 alone, shares were up a whopping 400%. A lot of growth was pulled forward that the stock soon after had to pay for. WELL Health has been gaining momentum as of late. Shares up close to 80% on the year, with the majority of those gains coming in the back half of 2024. At this rate, the growth stock won’t be trading at a discount for much longer. If you’re bullish on the long-term rise in demand for virtual healthcare, then now’s the time to be loading up on shares of WELL Health.

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS): While India has proved its prowess in precision landing with Chandrayaan-3, the impending SpaDeX mission will achieve a historic space docking feat, said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) aims to launch the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission, aboard the PSLV-C60 rocket, at 21:58 IST from Sriharikota on December 30. The mission aims to dock two satellites in space, a challenge only mastered by the US, Russia, and China, so far. “ISRO's year-end mission is going to be a historic one as it will seek the rare feat of docking or merging or joining together two satellites in space,” Singh said, adding that “the indigenous technology used for this mission is called the ‘Bharatiya Docking System’”. "SpaDEX will mark a milestone, showcasing India's expertise in spacecraft docking technology,” Singh noted. The success of this mission is vital for India’s future space ambitions. Docking technology will help upcoming missions like Chandrayaan-4 and the planned Indian space station, expected to be ready by 2035. It is also crucial for the eventual manned Gaganyaan mission, expected to launch in 2026. With SpaDeX, “ISRO will attempt to dock two satellites orbiting at speeds of 28,800 km/h”. And both satellites must be carefully manoeuvred to reduce their relative velocities to a mere 0.036 km/h”. The two satellites, SDX01 or Chaser and SDX02 or Target, will merge to form a single unit in space. Each satellite weighs around 220 kilograms and will orbit 470 km above Earth. The mission aims to include performing precision rendezvous and docking manoeuvres, validating power transfer between docked spacecraft, and operating payloads post-undocking, with a two-year lifespan. SpaDEX will also use PSLV's fourth stage, POEM-4, for experiments. The stage will carry 24 payloads from academic institutions and startups. These experiments will utilise the microgravity environment in orbit.

UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New YorkLautaro Martinez ends goal drought as Inter keep pressure on Serie A leaders

Dean Prediger has been hired as the City of Kimberley's new manager of Parks and Facilities. Prediger is originally from Calgary and has also lived in Canmore and the Blaeberry Valley near Golden, before returning to Calgary for work and schooling. He has lived in Kimberley for the past nine years. Prediger went to SAIT in Calgary for Mechanical Engineering Technology, and then started his career at a small engineering family before transitioning into the trades. In his more than two decades as a refrigeration mechanic, he has earned Journeyman tickets in Refrigeration and Gas and has worked on numerous projects including industrial ammonia plants and commercia HVAC&R systems. Interestingly, Prediger has even service the Marysville Arena, back in 1998, long before he knew he would one day live and work here. His most recent position was managing the facilities department for Canadian Mountain Holidays, but he left the role in order to focus on his family and contribute more to his community with this new role. According to a City press release, Prediger is: "excited to bring his diverse experience and passion for the region to the Parks and Facilities team, where he aims to help create an enjoyable, vibrant community for all residents." You can contact Prediger at dprediger@kimberley.ca

A childhood friend of the Quebec man killed in a Florida boat explosion earlier this week says one of the victim’s sisters was among the other six passengers injured in the blast. Thi Cam Nhung Lê says she grew up with Sebastien Gauthier in Quebec City and considered him her best friend. Lê says Gauthier’s older sister was also on the boat in Florida’s Broward County when it exploded and she was taken to a hospital. She says Gauthier’s family was in Florida to celebrate the holidays and that his sudden death feels “unimaginable.” A video posted on social media Monday shows the vessel engulfed in flames following the explosion, with a thick column of black smoke billowing into the sky. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has confirmed that Gauthier died of his injuries, saying a preliminary investigation shows the 37-foot vessel exploded after its engines were started. Lê remembers Gauthier as someone who was always smiling and says she is waiting for answers about what led to her friend’s death.

49ers QB Brock Purdy, DE Nick Bosa out, Brandon Allen to start at Green Bay