hiladelphia Eagles quarterback ' concussion injury led the to make a scheduling change for Week 17 of the game against the . The game that was originally scheduled to take place on , will now take place at , while the game between the was put in its place. The game between will take place at , home of the Eagles. Hurts' shock during the first quarter of Sunday's Week 16 clash against the . Hurts took a hit on a carry down the middle of the field, and after an initial evaluation by medical services, he was ruled out for the rest of the game and placed in the concussion protocol. Now, what before the start of the season looked like an attractive duel between , became a game of that will pit . After Hurts left the game in the first quarter, the . Despite forcing five turnovers, the Eagles could not contain Washington's rookie quarterback , who led his team to a in a dramatic game, thanks to a touchdown in the last 6 seconds of the game. Eagles still fighting for best record in NFC Despite the loss, the have a two-game lead , with two games remaining in the regular season, and are still fighting for the possibility of being the best team in the National Conference, although . After the game against Dallas, Philadelphia will close its season at home against the , who currently have the worst record in the entire league at 2-13.Stock market today: Wall Street wavers at the start of a holiday-shortened week
BEIRUT — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama, as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels’ moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad’s government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad’s erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad’s status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. The insurgents’ march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; and Josef Federman and Victoria Eastwood in Doha, Qatar, contributed to this report. Updated at 4 p.m.VFX Software Market is set for a Potential Growth Worldwide: Excellent Technology Trends with Business Analysis 12-09-2024 08:47 PM CET | IT, New Media & Software Press release from: AMA Research & Media LLP The latest study released on the global 'VFX Software' market by AMA Research evaluates market size, trend, and forecast to 2030. The 'VFX Software' market study covers significant research data and proofs to be a handy resource document for managers, analysts, industry experts and other key people to have ready-to-access and self-analyzed study to help understand market trends, growth drivers, opportunities and upcoming challenges and about the competitors. Get free access to Sample Report in PDF Version along with Graphs and Figures @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/125427-global-vfx-software-market?utm_source=OpenPR/utm_medium=Rahul Some of the key players profiled in the study are: Adobe Inc. (United States), Autodesk, Inc. (United States), Dream Works Animation (United States), Studio Ghibli (Japan), SideFX (Canada), Fusefx, Inc. (United States), Blackmagic Design (Australia), The Walt Disney Company (United States), The Foundry Visionmongers (United Kingdom), Boris FX (United States), Red Giant, LLC (United States), Corel Corporation (Canada), Avid Technology (United States), FXhome Limited (United Kingdom), Milk VFX (United Kingdom), BlueBolt (United Kingdom) VFX software is also known as visual effects software is used to produce and manipulate computer-generated imagery outputs that can be expensive, dangerous or impossible to produce in real life. Its critical uses include motion graphics & compositing. Its expediency and various uses make it the ideal tool for film making and other video content making. This software is used in various applications such as Medical Animation, Architecture Visualization, Mechanical Animation, Forensic Animation, Animation in Education and others. In January 2019, Google LLC, A Technology Company That Specializes In Internet-Related Services and Products Comes In a Partnership with Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc., a Canadian Visual Effects and Computer Animation Company and Launched Open-Source VFX Render Manager Keep yourself up-to-date with latest market trends and changing dynamics due to COVID Impact and Economic Slowdown globally. Maintain a competitive edge by sizing up with available business opportunity in VFX Software Market various segments and emerging territory. Influencing Market Trend •The New Artificial Intelligence Technology in VFX Software Is In Trend •The Demand for Cloud-Based Technology VFX Software Is Growing Market Drivers •The Rising Demand For Visual Effects in Film And Entertainment Sectors Leads to the Growth of VFX Software •Increasing Demand for Content Creation Through VFX Software for Smart Classes in Transforming Education Sector •The Rising Demand for Animated Rec Opportunities: •Adoption of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Techniques in VFX Software Challenges: •Availability of Open Source VFX Software Analysis by Application (Medical Animation, Architecture Visualization, Mechanical Animation, Forensic Animation, Animation in Education, Media Animation, Gaming Animation, Others), Enterprise Size (Small and Medium Enterprise, Large Enterprise), Industry Vertical (Media and Entertainment, Health Care, Construction, Education Sector, IT and Telecom Sector, Others), Deployment (On-Premise, Cloud) Have Any Questions Regarding Global VFX Software Market Report, Ask Our Experts@ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/125427-global-vfx-software-market?utm_source=OpenPR/utm_medium=Rahul The regional analysis of Global VFX Software Market is considered for the key regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World. North America is the leading region across the world. Whereas, owing to rising no. of research activities in countries such as China, India, and Japan, Asia Pacific region is also expected to exhibit higher growth rate the forecast period 2024-2030. Table of Content Chapter One: Industry Overview Chapter Two: Major Segmentation (Classification, Application and etc.) Analysis Chapter Three: Production Market Analysis Chapter Four: Sales Market Analysis Chapter Five: Consumption Market Analysis Chapter Six: Production, Sales and Consumption Market Comparison Analysis Chapter Seven: Major Manufacturers Production and Sales Market Comparison Analysis Chapter Eight: Competition Analysis by Players Chapter Nine: Marketing Channel Analysis Chapter Ten: New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis Chapter Eleven: Manufacturing Cost Analysis Chapter Twelve: Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers Read Executive Summary and Detailed Index of full Research Study @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/125427-global-vfx-software-market?utm_source=OpenPR/utm_medium=Rahul Highlights of the Report • The future prospects of the global VFX Software market during the forecast period 2024-2030 are given in the report. • The major developmental strategies integrated by the leading players to sustain a competitive market position in the market are included in the report. • The emerging technologies that are driving the growth of the market are highlighted in the report. • The market value of the segments that are leading the market and the sub-segments are mentioned in the report. • The report studies the leading manufacturers and other players entering the global VFX Software market. Contact Us: Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA - 08837 Phone: +1(201) 7937323, +1(201) 7937193 sales@advancemarketanalytics.com About Author: AMA Research & Media is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enables clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As. This release was published on openPR.
State agencies are required under the Illinois Personal Information Protection Act to notify the news media of certain reportable breaches of security. In a statement, the Illinois Department of Human Services said it experienced a privacy breach on April 25 when a phishing campaign was used to access a number of employee accounts and the files associated with the accounts. Phishing involves sending seemingly legitimate requests for personal or sensitive information such as passwords or account numbers. IDHS said the files that were accessed included Social Security numbers for 4,704 people. In addition, public assistance account information was accessed for more than 1.1 million people. While that information did not include Social Security numbers, it did have names, public assistance account numbers and some combination of addresses, birthdate, Illinois State Board of Education Student Information System identification numbers and cellphone numbers. "Upon learning of the phishing incident, IDHS worked in partnership with the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology to investigate the extent of the breach and to determine which individuals were included," according to the statement. "This was an in-depth forensic analysis, followed by a manual review of all compromised files to determine the nature of the breach. IDHS continues to train its employees on how to avoid and report phishing attempts." Written notices were sent to those whose Social Security numbers were involved and whose current address was on file. Those notices provide details about available actions, including credit monitoring.France has a new government, again. Politics and crushing debt complicate next steps
Silver prices to rise amid increasing industrial demand: Safe Haven HubNone
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After defending Penny, Mayor Adams reserves judgement on not guilty verdict
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this week that more than 2,000 grants totaling $62 million were awarded by the New York State Council on the Arts, including to some local organizations and artists. According to a media release, the grants will support 1,497 nonprofit organizations and 509 individual artists, “increasing access to arts funding and recognizing the substantial economic and social impact of New York’s vital arts and culture sector.” With more than $21 million already awarded as multi-year grants, this funding round brings Fiscal Year 2025’s totals to $84 million in grants. “As the unparalleled leader of arts and culture, New York’s creativity and innovation inspires the world,” Hochul said in the release. “Our continued investment in our dynamic creative sector will further boost tourism, strengthen our local economies and continue New York’s success as a rich and vibrant place to live, work and visit.” NYSCA’s on-going efforts to ensure greater access to arts funding also resulted in a 20% increase in applications, with 70% of organization support grants awarded to institutions with budgets under $1 million across the state, the release stated. Recipients of four different FY 2025 grant categories were announced: Support for Organizations, Support for Artists, Targeted Opportunities, and Regrants and Services. Local organizations and artists who received awards are: • Arts & Rec Inc. of Stamford, received a $20,000 support for organizations grant. • Bright Hill Press of Treadwell, received a $25,000 support for organizations grant. • Chenango County Council of the Arts Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Chenango River Theatre Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival, Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Community Arts Network of Oneonta received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Cooperstown Chamber Music Festival Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Earlville Opera House, Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Fenimore Chamber Orchestra received a $15,000 support for organizations grant. • Foothills Performing Arts Center, Inc. received a $49,500 support for organizations grant. • Foundation for the Open Eye, Inc. received a $10,000 support for organizations grant. • Franklin Stock Company at Chapel Hall, Inc. received a $25,000 support for organizations grant. It also received a $10,000 support for artist award for playwright Kyle Bass for “The Civilities.” • Gilboa Historical Society, Inc. received a $15,000 support for organizations grant. • Glimmerglass Opera Theatre Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Hanford Mills Museum at East Meredith received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. • Iroquois Indian Museum received a $10,000 support for artist award for Margaret Jacobs: Ancestral Understanding: Kanien’kehá:ka Plant Knowledge in Steel. • Roxbury Arts Group Inc. received a $40,000 support for organizations grant. The organization is also Delaware County’s regrant facilitator and received $175,000 for that program. • West Kortright Centre, Inc. received a $49,500 support for organizations grant. NYSCA is also accepting applications for $80 Million in grants for the Capital Projects Fund until 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, the release stated. NYSCA’s Capital Projects Fund invests in capital facilities and expansion projects for cultural nonprofit organizations that promote accessibility, diverse programming, environmental sustainability and more. This funding helps preserve and create jobs that contribute to the growth of New York’s arts and tourism sectors. Visit the NYSCA website for additional details. Created by Gov. Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Hochul and the state Legislature, the council is an agency that is part of the executive branch. For more information on NYSCA, visit arts.ny.gov , and follow NYSCA’s Facebook page, on X @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.Chocolate Factory Simulator - Official Release Trailer
Amanda Hernández | (TNS) Stateline.org CHICAGO — Shoplifting rates in the three largest U.S. cities — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — remain higher than they were before the pandemic, according to a report last month from the nonpartisan research group Council on Criminal Justice. Related Articles National News | Bill Clinton is out of the hospital after being treated for the flu National News | Heavy travel day off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounds all flights National News | Prosecutors withdraw appeal of dismissed case against Alec Baldwin in fatal movie set shooting National News | Today in History: December 24, former defense secretary pardoned in Iran-Contra scandal National News | Judge rules Arkansas law allowing criminal charges against librarians is unconstitutional The sharp rise in retail theft in recent years has made shoplifting a hot-button issue, especially for politicians looking to address public safety concerns in their communities. Since 2020, when viral videos of smash-and-grab robberies flooded social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have expressed fears that crime is out of control. Polls show that perceptions have improved recently, but a majority of Americans still say crime is worse than in previous years. “There is this sense of brazenness that people have — they can just walk in and steal stuff. ... That hurts the consumer, and it hurts the company,” said Alex Piquero, a criminology professor at the University of Miami and former director of the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, in an interview. “That’s just the world we live in,” he said. “We need to get people to realize that you have to obey the law.” At least eight states — Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, New York and Vermont — passed a total of 14 bills in 2024 aimed at tackling retail theft, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The measures range from redefining retail crimes and adjusting penalties to allowing cross-county aggregation of theft charges and protecting retail workers. Major retailers have responded to rising theft since 2020 by locking up merchandise, upgrading security cameras, hiring private security firms and even closing stores. Still, the report indicates that shoplifting remains a stubborn problem. In Chicago, the rate of reported shoplifting incidents remained below pre-pandemic levels throughout 2023 — but surged by 46% from January to October 2024 compared with the same period a year ago. Shoplifting in Los Angeles was 87% higher in 2023 than in 2019. Police reports of shoplifting from January to October 2024 were lower than in 2023. Los Angeles adopted a new crime reporting system in March 2024, which has likely led to an undercount, according to the report. In New York, shoplifting rose 48% from 2021 to 2022, then dipped slightly last year. Still, the shoplifting rate was 55% higher in 2023 than in 2019. This year, the shoplifting rate increased by 3% from January to September compared with the same period last year. While shoplifting rates tend to rise in November and December, which coincides with in-person holiday shopping, data from the Council on Criminal Justice’s sample of 23 U.S. cities shows higher rates in the first half of 2024 compared with 2023. Researchers found it surprising that rates went up despite retailers doing more to fight shoplifting. Experts say the spike might reflect improved reporting efforts rather than a spike in theft. “As retailers have been paying more attention to shoplifting, we would not expect the numbers to increase,” said Ernesto Lopez, the report’s author and a senior research specialist with the council. “It makes it a challenge to understand the trends of shoplifting.” In downtown Chicago on a recent early afternoon, potential shoppers shuffled through the streets and nearby malls, browsing for gifts ahead of the holidays. Edward Johnson, a guard at The Shops at North Bridge, said that malls have become quieter in the dozen or so years he has worked in mall security, with the rise of online retailers. As for shoplifters, Johnson said there isn’t a single type of person to look out for — they can come from any background. “I think good-hearted people see something they can’t afford and figure nothing is lost if they take something from the store,” Johnson said as he patrolled the mall, keeping an eye out for lost or suspicious items. Between 2018 and 2023, most shoplifting in Chicago was reported in the downtown area, as well as in the Old Town, River North and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, according to a separate analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice. Newly sworn-in Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke this month lowered the threshold for charging retail theft as a felony in the county, which includes Chicago, from $1,000 to $300, aligning it with state law. “It sends a signal that she’s taking it seriously,” Rob Karr, the president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, told Stateline. Nationally, retailers are worried about organized theft. The National Retail Federation’s latest report attributed 36% of the $112.1 billion in lost merchandise in 2022 to “external theft,” which includes organized retail crime. Organized retail crime typically involves coordinated efforts by groups to steal items with the intent to resell them for a profit. Commonly targeted goods include high-demand items such as baby formula, laundry detergent and electronics. The same report found that retailers’ fear of violence associated with theft also is on the rise, with more retailers taking a “hands-off approach.” More than 41% of respondents to the organization’s 2023 survey, up from 38% in 2022, reported that no employee is authorized to try and stop a shoplifter. (The federation’s reporting has come under criticism. It retracted a claim last year that attributed nearly half of lost merchandise in 2021 to organized retail crime; such theft accounted for only about 5%. The group announced this fall it will no longer publish its reports on lost merchandise.) Policy experts say shoplifting and organized retail theft can significantly harm critical industries, drive up costs for consumers and reduce sales tax revenue for states. Those worries have driven recent state-level action to boost penalties for shoplifting. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of 10 bills into law in August aimed at addressing retail theft. These measures make repeated theft convictions a felony, allow aggregation of crimes across multiple counties to be charged as a single felony, and permit police to arrest suspects for retail theft even if the crime wasn’t witnessed directly by an officer. In September, Newsom signed an additional bill that imposes steeper felony penalties for large-scale theft offenses. California voters also overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in November that increases penalties for specific drug-related and theft crimes. Under the new law, people who are convicted of theft at least twice may face felony charges on their third offense, regardless of the stolen item’s value. “With these changes in the law, really it comes down to making sure that law enforcement is showing up to our stores in a timely manner, and that the prosecutors and the [district attorneys] are prosecuting,” Rachel Michelin, the president and CEO of the California Retailers Association, told Stateline. “That’s the only way we’re going to deter retail theft in our communities.” In New Jersey, a bipartisan bill making its way through the legislature would increase penalties for leading a shoplifting ring and allow extended sentences for repeat offenders. “This bill is going after a formally organized band of criminals that deliver such destruction to a critical business in our community. We have to act. We have to create a deterrence,” Democratic Assemblymember Joseph Danielsen, one of the bill’s prime sponsors, said in an interview with Stateline. The legislation would allow extended sentences for people convicted of shoplifting three times within 10 years or within 10 years of their release from prison, and would increase penalties to 10 to 20 years in prison for leading a retail crime ring. The bill also would allow law enforcement to aggregate the value of stolen goods over the course of a year to charge serial shoplifters with more serious offenses. Additionally, the bill would increase penalties for assaults committed against retail workers, and would require retailers to train employees on detecting gift card scams. Maryland legislators considered a similar bill during this year’s legislative session that would have defined organized retail theft and made it a felony. The bill didn’t make it out of committee, but Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, said the group plans to propose a bill during next year’s legislative session that would target gift card fraud. Better, more thorough reporting from retailers is essential to truly understanding shoplifting trends and its full impact, in part because some retail-related crimes, such as gift card fraud, are frequently underreported, according to Lopez, of the Council on Criminal Justice. Measuring crime across jurisdictions is notoriously difficult , and the council does not track organized retail theft specifically because law enforcement typically doesn’t identify it as such at the time of arrest — if an arrest even occurs — requiring further investigation, Lopez said. The council’s latest report found conflicting trends in the FBI’s national crime reporting systems. The FBI’s older system, the Summary Reporting System, known as SRS, suggests that reported shoplifting hadn’t gone up through 2023, remaining on par with 2019 levels. In contrast, the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, shows a 93% increase in shoplifting over the same period. The discrepancy may stem from the type of law enforcement agencies that have adopted the latter system, Lopez said. Some of those communities may have higher levels of shoplifting or other types of property crime, which could be what is driving the spike, Lopez said. Despite the discrepancies and varying levels of shoplifting across the country, Lopez said, it’s important for retailers to report these incidents, as doing so could help allocate law enforcement resources more effectively. “All law enforcement agencies have limited resources, and having the most accurate information allows for not just better policy, but also better implementation — better use of strategic resources,” Lopez said. Stateline staff writer Robbie Sequeira contributed to this report. ©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 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Titre Tesla Shocks the Gaming World! Discover the Technological RevolutionQatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha As Qatar continues its drive for a sustainable and diversified economy, the logistics and transportation sector must actively contribute to this transformation, Sheikh Abdulla bin Fahad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, GWC Group Managing Director, has said. He was addressing the third Qatar Supply Chain Management Conference (SCMC), which was supported by Gulf Warehousing Company as a platinum sponsor. Under the patronage of Minister of Transport HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani, the event took place on Monday, highlighting best practices for enhancing supply chain sustainability. it also highlighted the role of digital transformation in facilitating supply chains and ensuring the flow of goods amid global challenges as well as strategies to enhance recovery and sustain supply chains. Sheikh Abdulla said: “Our sponsorship of this conference aligns with the company’s strategic objectives to support initiatives that drive supply chain development, especially amid the challenges facing the logistics sector. “The need to effectively manage and optimize the flow of goods and services from suppliers to consumers has never been more critical.” In Qatar, he added, logistics services play a vital role, extending beyond the transportation of goods from one point to another to include bolstering trade flows, supporting sustainable development goals, and driving economic diversification. “This highlights the key role our work in the logistics sector plays in building a competitive, resilient, and diversified economy in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. “This vision serves as a guiding compass, steering us toward sustainable development that balances economic growth with environmental and social responsibility. “Today, our sector is at a crucial crossroads, amidst rapid transformations driven by digitalization, the growing demand for sustainability, and the urgent need to minimize environmental impact. These evolving trends present both challenges and opportunities, and how we navigate them will ultimately define the future of logistics in Qatar.” Sheikh Abdulla emphasized the importance of focusing on sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, saying: “In line with our national objectives and the global agenda, we must diligently work towards achieving sustainability across all aspects of operations. To aid sustainable transformation, he said prioritizing green technology, renewable energy solutions, and carbon emission reduction strategies is necessary. The accelerating pace of digitalization in this sector has already led to a substantial shift in business practices, enhancing operational efficiency, service quality, and overall performance. “By leveraging advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, and IoT solutions, we can achieve greater efficiency and respond to challenges with agility and flexibility,” Sheikh Abdulla said. “Moreover, agility is becoming increasingly critical, with the key lesson from recent years being the importance of resilience in the face of both positive and negative challenges. For instance, the global COVID-19 pandemic triggered sudden disruptions in supply chains, severely impacting the logistics sector.” Conversely, hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 catalyzed a significant positive transformation in Qatar’s logistics landscape through innovative solutions, He said. “The logistics sector requires strong and agile supply chains capable of withstanding future disruptions. This ability to adapt is particularly vital for Qatar as we expand our partnerships and explore new markets. “GWC’s role goes far beyond just transporting goods; we are dedicated to fostering an ecosystem that drives economic growth, pioneering sustainable practices, and making significant contributions to achieving Qatar National Vision 2030. “This is not only a great honor but also a profound responsibility. It is up to all of us in this sector to embrace emerging trends, innovate, and act with purpose.” Copy 10/12/2024 10
New York (CNN) — Following a brief outage that grounded all American airlines flights during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, American Airlines says it has resumed service Tuesday morning. American Airlines said a “vendor technology issue” was responsible for delaying all of its flights in the United States. But the company began boarding flights again at around 8 am ET, and flights have since resumed, airline spokeswoman Sarah Jantz told CNN. The Federal Aviation Administration lifted its nationwide groundstop order for all American flights. The FAA in a statement said American requested a nationwide ground stop but it referred all questions to the airline for more information. The outage came on a day when the airline is scheduled to have more than 3,300 domestic flights, according to the aviation analytics firm Cirium. The airline resumed service with residual delays but without a substantial number of cancelations. “It’s all hands on deck as our team is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible,” the airline said. “We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.” American said delayed customers should be on their way with minimal disruption. “Expect some delays throughout the day but [we’re] working to mitigate those and avoid cancels,” Jantz said. “We have a smaller schedule today and have the staffing to support the quick recovery.” Just 26 flights across all airlines were canceled nationwide, according to data tracker FlightAware. More than 1,000 flights into, within and out of the United States were delayed – a number that picked up shortly after the American outage, but it could also be caused by airport congestion and some winter weather in the Northeast. David Myers, a 62-year-old disaster consultant traveling from from Salisbury, Maryland, to New Orleans with a layover in Charlotte said he was first alerted to the issue at 6 am Tuesday morning. He and his wife are trying to spend Christmas with their children. “It’s Christmas Eve, so complaining doesn’t seem quite right,” Myers told CNN. “And safety always comes first. But more information at the gate would be helpful.” Customers on social media began complaining early Tuesday morning that some flights were returning to their gates and that delays are about 90 minutes. “Captain says @AmericanAir software outage preventing weight & balance calculations ‘company-wide’ with no estimate on resolution. Flights unable to depart as a result. Not a good start to Christmas Eve travel!,” a person posted on X. In a video posted from Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida, an agent is heard saying “our system is down” and they are keeping passengers at the gate. American Airlines’ (AAL) stock initially fell nearly 3% in premarket trading, but rose 1% following the resolution. Holiday travel delays are nothing new, but glitches and outages can make annoying situations significantly worse. In July, during the peak of summer travel season, a global tech outage led to travel chaos around the world. Most airlines recovered within a day, but Delta’s systems failed to recover for about a week. The meltdown ensnared an estimated half a million people, ruined holidays and travel plans and prompted a federal investigation In December 2022, a punishing winter storm that dumped multiple feet of snow across much of America led to widespread flight cancellations over the Christmas holiday. Although air travel was more or less back to normal a few days later, Southwest Airlines continued to face massive cancellations and delays as its outdated scheduling systems became overwhelmed. That storm had hit Chicago and Denver hard, where Southwest has two of its biggest hubs, exposing the airline’s technology shortcomings. The airline faced massive fines and lawsuits, but it has since upgraded its tech. To remove this article -USC women move to No. 4 in AP poll as top three unchanged
It’s not hard to understand the value tight end Josh Oliver brings to the Vikings. ADVERTISEMENT Just listen to the way people talk about him. “He’s an animal,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “Once he gets his hands on somebody, it’s kind of like, ‘Good luck.'” It was similar sentiment from offensive coordinator Wes Phillips. “He’s the best blocking tight end in the league, and that’s no disrespect to anybody else,” Phillips said. “We will take Josh over anybody in this league in the role that he’s in. It’s not only that he’s physically imposing as a 270-pound man. It’s the attitude that he plays with out there.” ADVERTISEMENT What are the Vikings losing now that Oliver has been ruled out with an ankle injury? His absence will be felt most when the Vikings try to run the ball against the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. Though he has proved he can contribute in the passing game, Oliver has been a force in the running game since signing with the Vikings. There have been multiple times this season that Oliver had singlehandedly carved out space for running back Aaron Jones to go to work. That’s partially why Hockenson has played only about 50% of the offensive snaps since returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament a few weeks ago. Even if the Vikings are often telegraphing a run when Oliver is on the field, they don’t care because they feel that strongly about his ability as a blocker. “You see it every single week,” Phillips said. “He’s moving large men and putting them on the ground.” ADVERTISEMENT It’s safe to assume Oliver would suit up for the Vikings if he were able to do so. He’s been playing through a wrist injury for the past few weeks, for example, and has still been extremely effective at the point of attack. How tough is it to replace Oliver in a vacuum? “It’s a big challenge because of all the things he does on a snap in and snap out basis,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We will see some guys make some impacts on some different downs and distances than we have maybe seen up to this point.” ADVERTISEMENT The only other players on the injury report for the Vikings are tight end Nick Muse (hand) and edge rusher Gabe Murphy (knee). Both players were officially listed as questionable and being full participants in the walkthrough on Friday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .
Two months after the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch was indicted on criminal charges of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution, his lawyers say he may have dementia and could be incompetent to face his charges. In court papers unsealed Monday on Long Island, defense lawyers for Michael Jeffries, 80, said that a neuropsychologist concluded, following an examination, that he likely has dementia with behavioral disturbance, Alzheimer’s disease, and Lewy body dementia. In a joint letter, the defense lawyers and prosecutors have asked for a competency hearing. Jeffries, who is free on a $10 million bond, pleaded not guilty to the sex charges. Along with his romantic partner and a third man, Jeffries is accused of luring men to sex parties under the guise of modeling opportunities. Accusers say, according to the Associated Press , that they were “sometimes directed to wear costumes, use sex toys, and endure painful erection-inducing penile injections.” Karoline Leavitt , President-elect Donald Trump ’s incoming press secretary , showed off a giant MAGA gingerbread cookie featuring a frosted likeness of her boss on Monday. The human head-sized treat, which she noted came from baker Ginger Betty’s in Quincy, Massachusetts, features a “Ginger Donald” gingerbread man with frosted recreations of Trump’s pouting lips and red-haired eyebrows, baked into a larger, circular cookie with the frosted, seasonal salutation “Merry MAGA Christmas .” Rather than Trump’s usual red coif or similarly colored MAGA ballcap, the Ginger Donald sported a Santa hat. In an Instagram story, Leavitt asked: “How cute is this gingerbread MAGA cookie?” Meanwhile, she recently claimed that the Washington, D.C. press corps is secretly elated to have Trump—who has long bashed journalists, threatening to shut down news networks and imprison reporters—back in the White House. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Martin Scorsese. Bill and Hillary. Martha Steward. These are just some of the people we are unlikely to meet in person, but at least we can get up close and personal with them by taking their MasterClass online courses —and at a major discount for a limited time. The expert-led platform has a robust library of educational classes on far-ranging topics: science , music, arts , personal empowerment, and more. The classes are taught by industry experts and household names, including Gordon Ramsey, Mariah Carey, David Lynch, Jeff Koons, and many more. Right now, you can score up to 50 percent off on MasterClass subscriptions just in time for last-minute holiday gifting. You do have to take a short quiz to get to the deal, but honestly, it’s worth the 60 seconds. Honestly, whether you waited until the last minute or not, you’ll be gifting the dad in your life with intelligent, cultured content and giving them the opportunity to learn something new from someone famous. The It Ends With Us cast and creative team continues to rally around Blake Lively after she went public about an alleged coordinated attack on her reputation. Earlier this week, Colleen Hoover , who wrote the book the film is based on, as well as its screenplay, and actor Brandon Sklenar , who starred opposite Lively, released statements in support of the actress. Sony Pictures, which released the film, also backed Lively . Now, Jenny Slate, who played Lively’s sister in the film, is standing by her “loyal friend” and “trusted source of emotional support.” In a statement to Today.com , Slate said, “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation. Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.” Lively filed a legal complaint on Dec. 20 against It Ends With Us director and lead actor Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and enlisting crisis managers to launch a smear campaign against her. “What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side,” Slate added. An Alaska Airlines passenger was too “anxious” to wait to exit the plane after her flight landed in Seattle on Sunday, so she opened the emergency exit and climbed out onto the plane’s wing, per Fox News . The flight had just landed and passengers were queuing to exit when the incident took place, prompting Port of Seattle fire services and Seattle Police to intervene and help her safely off of the aircraft. The passenger was then taken for a medical evaluation. Though no other explanation for the bizarre move was reported, an Alaska Airlines spokesperson told Fox the “matter was safely resolved.” In addition to thanking their employees for their “swift response,” the airline is still trying to understand what took place. The spokesperson added, “We are working with our crew and airport officials to gather more details about what may have transpired.” No injuries were reported. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. 2025 is quickly approaching, and there’s no better way to celebrate the new year than with 2024’s cocktail du jour—the espresso martini. It’s the perfect way to toast 2025 with sophistication, flavor, and an energy boost. Think you can’t make the buzzy beverage at home because you’re not a bartender? Think again. You can create this beloved cocktail effortlessly with just a cocktail shaker, fresh espresso, vodka, coffee beans, and Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur . It all starts in the land Down Under—Australia. Mr Black sources its ingredients, including 100 percent specialty-grade Arabica coffee, from local farmers and cooperatives. The liqueur is then slowly brewed with purified cold water to preserve its delicate, complex flavors. The result? A bittersweet masterpiece with bold flavor, balanced sweetness, and a lasting coffee kick. Its rich, coffee-forward taste is a crowd-pleaser, and the sleek bottle design adds a touch of elegance to any bar cart. Making an espresso martini is simple. Combine Mr Black , vodka, and freshly brewed espresso in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously until cold. Then, strain the mixture into a martini glass and finish with three coffee beans as a garnish. Skip the champagne toast this year and ensure you stay awake for the countdown to 2025 with a Mr Black espresso martini. An attempt to reinstate involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin over the deadly shooting on the set of the movie Rust was withdrawn Monday, authorities in New Mexico said. First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies disclosed that special prosecutor Kari Morrissey ended the state’s appeal of a lower court decision to dismiss the charges against Baldwin, who was holding a prop gun on the set in October 2021 when it discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. The movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for Hutchins’ death. Baldwin pleaded not guilty in the case, stating he did not pull the trigger of the gun. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case in July, ruling that prosecutors and police withheld evidence that could have helped determine the source of the live round that killed Hutchins. Carmack-Altwies said the district attorney’s office “supports the Hutchins’ family and their continued fight for justice in civil court.” During a podcast appearance with fellow actor David Duchovny last week, Baldwin accused media outlets of wanting him “to die” because of the charges and said he intends to “expose what really happened” that led to the fatal shooting on the Rust set. Actor Brandon Sklenar on Monday urged his followers to read a complaint filed by his It Ends With Us co-star, Blake Lively , accusing the film’s director Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and attempting to ruin her reputation. “For the love of God read this,” Sklenar wrote in an Instagram story, which also linked to the full complaint Lively filed against Baldoni and others with the California Civil Rights Department. The filing accuses him of sexual harassment during the shoot for It Ends With Us —which Baldoni also starred in—and alleges that he hired a company to launch a “social manipulation” campaign to “destroy” her reputation after she raised concerns about his behavior on set. An attorney for Baldoni has called the claims “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.” Since the allegations emerged, Baldoni has been dropped by his talent agency WME and Liz Plank, the co-host of his “Man Enough” podcast, announced her departure from the show Monday. Sony Pictures, which distributed It Ends With Us , also sent a statement to Variety backing Lively. “We strongly condemn any reputational attacks on her,” the statement said. “Any such attacks have no place in our business or in a civil society.” A man who claims to have worked as an executive assistant for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sued the embattled hip hop mogul for sexual battery in Los Angeles, Variety reported, adding another case to the slew of accusations that have been leveled against him. In a new suit filed on Monday, a plaintiff named Phillip Pines claimed he was hired as Diddy’s “personal lackey” and served at the legendary producer’s “beck and call” from 2019 through 2021. As part of his job, the plaintiff alleged that he was responsible for organizing sex parties called “Wild King Nights,” which involved procuring illegal drugs, alcohol, and even some of the mogul’s now-notorious “baby oil.” The suit also claims that he was in charge of cleaning up after the parties—removing stains of bodily fluids and leaving hotel staff large tips. Diddy, who is currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking, has denied any wrongdoing. A representative told the entertainment publication that Diddy was “confident he will prevail in court.” He is also facing a number of other lawsuits alleging sexual assault and other charges over his decades-long career in the music industry. A research manager for ESPN has died after a two-year fight with colorectal cancer, the network announced Monday. Zach Jones, 41, had joined ESPN in 2010, and moved to its Stats and Information team eight years later, “SportsCenter” anchor Randy Scott said while paying an emotional on-air tribute to Jones. “You may have never seen him on your screens, but you saw his work on our live golf coverage, on our women’s basketball coverage or any of our ‘SportsCenter’ shows,” Scott told viewers. “But more important than that, he got married here. He started a family here. The Stanford graduate loved the Cardinal and he loved golf. He loved his wife, Amber. And he loved his son, Silas, who turned 10 last month—and he lost his dad three days before Christmas.” Scott added: ”I saw Zach in the cafeteria just a couple of weeks ago. He was hopeful, but he was also reflective. He said he just wanted his family to be OK after a recent move to Texas. He fought like hell. He gets to rest now. We love you, buddy.” We remembered Zach Jones on SportsCenter this morning. Our friend, Amber’s husband, and Silas’s dad. pic.twitter.com/YAMMhg9Y5l Managing your period shouldn’t feel like a full-time job—you already have one of those. That’s why Knix’s leakproof period underwear is an incredibly thoughtful holiday gift for yourself or someone special. What makes Knix underwear special is the unique gusset. Built into the underwear’s crotch section, the gusset is a liner that—depending on the style chosen—absorbs up to five tampons worth of liquid. Knix offers more than just underwear, too. You’ll also find supportive wireless bras, silhouette-accentuating bodysuits, and ultra-comfy PJs (perfect for those tough, crampy days). Right now, you can score up to 60 percent off sitewide, including shapewear, leakproof underwear, loungewear, activewear, and more during its epic end-of-the-year sale . This is one of Knix’s biggest sales of the year, so if you’ve been wanting to try the brand or restock some of your favorite items, now’s the time to get shopping. An award recognizing Justin Baldoni’s efforts in “advocating on behalf of women and girls” from nonprofit organization Vital Voices has been rescinded following a lawsuit filed by Blake Lively accusing the actor of sexual harassment and coordinating a smear campaign against her. On Dec. 9, a little over a week before Lively filed her complaint, Baldoni was awarded the “Voices of Solidarity” Award from Vital Voices, which celebrates “remarkable men” who’ve shown “courage and compassion” in advocating for women. The NGO has since released a statement clarifying it has rescinded the award, writing in a post on Instagram Monday: “The communications among Mr. Baldoni and his publicists included in the lawsuit—and the PR effort they indicate—are, alone, contrary to the values of Vital Voices and the spirit of the Award. We have notified Mr. Baldoni that we have rescinded this award.” Along with sexual harassment, Lively’s complaint also accused Baldoni of orchestrating a smear campaign against her with the help of his public relations team. His attorney, Bryan Freedman, told the Associated Press in a statement that the claims were “completely false” and “outrageous.” A post shared by Vital Voices (@vitalvoices) Shane Lamond , a former lieutenant in the Washington, D.C. police department, was found guilty in federal court on Monday of tipping off a Proud Boys leader about a warrant, and then repeatedly lying to federal investigators about it. Lamond, who had been on the force for 24 years, alerted Henry “Enrique” Tarrio about his impending arrest for burning a Black Lives Matter banner that had been stolen from a predominantly African-American church in late 2020. “Whatever the relationship had been before, after the banner burning the defendant was not using Tarrio as a source; it was the other way around,” District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said. “He knew then, and he knows now, that it was wrong.” In 2023, Tarrio was one of several Proud Boys leaders who were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their actions relating to the Jan. 6 insurrection. Tarrio received a 22-year prison sentence. Lamond is due to be sentenced April 3. He could face 30 years for obstruction of justice and five years for each count of making false statements, though Lamond is a first-time offender, meaning his sentence will likely be shorter.Landmark lawsuit brought on behalf of thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse images and videos (CSAM) traded on Apple platforms CUPERTINO, Calif. , Dec. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This weekend, a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple on behalf of thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse for knowingly allowing the storage of images and videos documenting their abuse on iCloud and the company's defectively designed products. The lawsuit alleges that Apple has known about this content for years, but has refused to act to detect or remove it, despite developing advanced technology to do so. The plaintiffs are being represented by Marsh Law Firm. Additionally, Heat Initiative is providing some support for this lawsuit as part of the organization's broader Ignite program , which provides legal and advocacy support for victims of child sexual abuse through referrals, research, and funding to empower them to use their voices and hold technology companies accountable. The images and videos of the plaintiffs' childhood sexual abuse, which have been stored thousands of times, would have been identified and removed had Apple implemented its 2021 "CSAM Detection" technology. However, Apple terminated the program after its announcement. Other leading technology providers have been proactively detecting and reporting illegal child sex abuse images and videos for more than a decade. Apple's belated efforts, and subsequent cancellation, leave it among the very few major platforms that do not engage in proactive detection and removal. The full complaint, as well as a fact sheet and other supporting materials, can be found HERE . "The knowledge that images of my abuse are still out there is a never-ending nightmare – Apple could have stopped this, but has chosen not to act," said Jane Doe , a plaintiff in the lawsuit. "Apple has the technology to stop this from continuing, yet they knowingly turn a blind eye. This isn't just about my story – it's about standing up for every survivor who deserves safety and dignity. Apple has a responsibility to protect us, and I'm here to demand that they fulfill it." "Today, thousands of brave survivors are coming forward to demand accountability from one of the most successful technology companies on the planet. Apple has not only rejected helping these victims, it has advertised the fact that it does not detect child sex abuse material on its platform or devices thereby exponentially increasing the ongoing harm caused to these victims," said Margaret E. Mabie , Partner at Marsh Law Firm, representing the plaintiffs. "Our clients have endured unimaginable abuse, and yet Apple's top executives continue to ignore their pleas, fully aware that this illegal contraband remains on their platform. By abandoning their state-of-the-art detection program without offering an alternative, Apple has chosen to prioritize its own corporate agenda over the lives and dignity of survivors. This lawsuit is a call for justice and a demand for Apple to finally take responsibility and protect these victims." "Apple wants people to think they are the 'responsible' tech company, and this lawsuit demonstrates clearly that, on this issue, they are not," said Sarah Gardner , Founder and CEO of the Heat Initiative, an organization dedicated to encouraging leading technology companies to combat child sex abuse on their platforms. "The plaintiffs and countless other survivors of child sexual abuse are forced to relive the worst moments imaginable because Apple refuses to implement common sense practices that are standard across the tech industry. They will argue that this is a privacy issue, but they are failing to acknowledge the privacy and basic humanity of the children being raped and sexually assaulted in the videos and images Apple stores on iCloud." In August 2021 , Apple announced it would implement a new "CSAM Detection" feature, which would have identified known child sexual abuse material in iCloud using NeuralHash, a type of hashing technology that Apple developed. However, after the program was announced, Apple executives reversed their decision and ultimately killed the implementation of the program . At the same time, in 2023, five major tech companies collectively reported more than 32 million pieces of child sexual abuse images and videos on their platforms– Apple reported only 267 . The lawsuit is seeking injunctive relief for Apple to implement basic child safety measures on behalf of the plaintiffs. The claim of negligence and failing to fulfill their duty of care resulting in harms to the plaintiffs stems from two main factors: Apple's failure to implement any plan to detect illegal child sexual abuse images and videos when they have full knowledge of its existence on their platform violates their duty of care. If the "CSAM Detection" feature had been implemented, the plaintiffs' illegal child sexual abuse images would have been detected and removed. Instead they remain on iCloud and devices today, continuing to cause the plaintiffs harm. Marsh Law Firm focuses its legal practice exclusively on representing survivors of sexual abuse and online exploitation. They are a survivor-focused, trauma-informed, and justice-oriented law firm that advocates for clients both in and out of the courtroom to secure justice and hold perpetrators and the institutions that enable abuse accountable. Heat Initiative is a collective effort of concerned child safety experts and advocates encouraging leading technology companies to combat child sexual abuse on their platforms. Heat Initiative sees a future where children's safety is at the forefront of any existing and future technological developments. The Heat Initiative's Ignite program catalyzes impact litigation to hold technology companies accountable to their duty to prevent and address the sexual exploitation of children on their platforms. Contact: press@heatinitiative.org View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/apple-sued-for-knowingly-hosting-child-sexual-abuse-material-on-its-products-failing-to-protect-survivors-302325571.html SOURCE Heat Initiative
USC women move to No. 4 in AP poll as top three unchangedFacebook X Email Print Save Story For fifty-four years, generations of Syrians lived and died in a country that was colloquially known as Assad’s Syria. It was a place where children were taught that the walls had ears and that a misplaced word could lead to being disappeared. The regime had multiple branches of secret police, collectively called the Mukhabarat, which helped underpin its one-party, one-family, one-man rule. President Bashar al-Assad, and his late father and predecessor, Hafez, were omnipresent forces, glaring down from the many billboards, posters, and statues that were felled this week with all the exuberance, rage, and grief of the long-oppressed. The Lede Reporting and commentary on what you need to know today. The end of Assad’s Syria was as stunning as it was swift. It took eleven days for some of Assad’s armed opponents to bring down the regime. The fall of the capital, Damascus, on Sunday morning marked the climax of an almost fourteen-year campaign that began in March, 2011, when peaceful protests morphed into a messy war that pitted myriad armed rebel groups (and others, including foreign jihadi fighters) against the Syrian military and each other. Since about 2018, the conflict had been largely stalemated, and Syria has been a unified state in name only. Its northwestern province of Idlib was controlled by the Sunni Islamists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (H.T.S.), a coalition led by the group formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda. Its oil-rich northeast was dominated first by ISIS and then by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which are supported by the U.S. The northwest, around the town of Azaz, was home to the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army. Jordanian-influenced rebel groups held sway in pockets of the south. The rest was what remained of Assad’s Syria. This year, on November 27th, the same day that a ceasefire took hold between Israel and Hezbollah, in neighboring Lebanon, H.T.S. and its allies abruptly pushed south from their stronghold in Idlib. Cities fell rapidly, one after another, with little resistance from the forces of a crumbling state that had been hollowed out by years of U.S.-imposed sanctions, endemic regime corruption, and Israeli air strikes on military infrastructure. By Sunday morning, Assad had fled on a private plane shortly before Damascus International Airport closed down. It was a remarkable abdication of power from the head of state, who just weeks earlier had attended a meeting of the Arab League in Saudi Arabia, where he had been welcomed back into the fold following years of bitter estrangement. Assad did not address the nation or issue a statement regarding his departure. His Prime Minister, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, extended his hand to the opposition. He said, in a short, prerecorded message, that he remained in Damascus and was ready to facilitate an orderly transition to whatever comes next. He called on citizens to protect public property, adding that he would be at work in his office the following morning. “We believe in a Syria for all Syrians,” he said. “This country deserves to be a normal state, with good relations with its neighbors.” (Earlier this week, as the opposition gained momentum , some of Syria’s neighbors—Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq—closed their borders with the country.) The peaceful handover of power in Damascus was marked by scenes of jubilation, of people cheering and tearing down posters of the Assads, and by scenes of fear: of tearful citizens hurrying through a deserted airport, of soldiers abandoning their posts, leaving military fatigues, equipment, and even tanks strewn in the streets. In the end, Assad’s exhausted army of conscripts wasn’t prepared to continue to fight and die for a dictatorship. A friend who lives in Damascus told me that he was hearing rampant gunfire—he wasn’t sure if it was all celebratory or not—and the sounds of explosions. Social media was flooded with videos of people emerging dazed and dishevelled from Assad’s state prisons, in many ways the most potent symbol of his rule, which had been flung open by opposition forces. In one clip, said to be from Sednaya, a facility near Damascus that was particularly notorious for executions and torture, a man dressed in plainclothes and carrying a Kalashnikov unbolted the door of a cell full of women. Another man, off camera, said, “Get out, get out! Don’t be afraid!” A woman asked who the men were. “Revolutionaries,” one of them responded. “Syria is ours.” Some of the women shrieked. “Why are you afraid?” a man told one. “Bashar al-Assad has fallen! He’s gone! He’s left Syria! . . . The brother of a whore has gone!” The offensive came at a time when Assad’s key backers were tied down or weakened by other conflicts: the Russians in Ukraine, and Iran and Hezbollah with Israel. The push was spearheaded by Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the founder and leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, which he rebranded as part of H.T.S. a few years ago, claiming to disavow ties to Al Qaeda and casting himself as a fatigues-clad statesman. Other groups, most notably the Syrian National Army, were also involved in the blitz, as were foreign fighters from factions including the Turkistan Islamic Party, which has long been present in rebel-held territories. On Syria’s exceedingly complicated battlefield, H.T.S. and its earlier Al Qaeda incarnation opposed both Assad and various rebel groups, defeating many during years of intra-opposition infighting. If anything, H.T.S. and its hard-line conservatism represented a counter-revolution that was rejected by the more secular, pro-democratic opposition. They weren’t so much “the rebels” but rather the factions that defeated the rebels. Since late November, Julani has issued statements aimed at reassuring Syria’s many religious minorities, including the Alawites, of which the Assads are members, that his group has embraced pluralism and religious tolerance. (The overtures have been made to Christians, and others, too.) The coming hours, days, and weeks will be a test of those stated intentions. Julani has said that he’s a changed man, but at least one of his fellow-fighters, a man I’ve known for years who held leadership positions in Jabhat al-Nusra, told me that the changes were cosmetic. Before dawn on Sunday, I reached a former emir of Jabhat al-Nusra, who knows Julani well, by phone. He told me, “The man hasn’t changed at all, but there’s a difference between being in battle, at war, killing, and running a country.” Julani had seen the sectarian bloodlust of other Salafi-jihadi groups—before coming to Syria, in 2011, to form Jabhat al-Nusra, he was a member of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s Islamic State of Iraq—and he’d noted those mistakes. Julani, the former emir went on, “now considers himself a statesman.” He remains, however, a U.S.-designated terrorist with a ten-million-dollar bounty on his head, which will surely complicate any state-building plans. The challenges facing a new Syria are many, not least the anti-Assad opposition’s history of bloody infighting. But the former emir was hopeful. He anticipated that Julani would dissolve H.T.S. and incorporate it and other factions into a new defense ministry. “He can’t punish every Syrian,” he said. “Julani has subdued the northern factions, which won’t dare to take him on, especially now that he has about forty thousand fighters.” He went on, “The fear, to be honest, is from the southern factions, one of which is supported under the table by the Israelis. But it has about two thousand or two thousand five hundred fighters. There is no local military power to stand or compete with Julani.” If he fails, the alternative scenario is Libya, a state torn apart by rival armed militias. What happens to Syria’s Alawite communities, in particular, will indicate the direction the new state may take. On Sunday, videos circulated of Assad statues being knocked down to much fanfare by unarmed people in predominantly Alawite areas, a reminder that belonging to the group was never a ticket to greater status or even a guarantee of safety—the Assads detained Alawite opponents, too. It remains to be seen whether Julani’s troops have the discipline to avoid committing violence against members of a community that was collectively branded a bedrock of the regime. Any confidence, or lack thereof, that the Alawites have regarding their place in a new Syria will likely also be made clear whenever borders reopen, potentially precipitating a mass exodus across the nearest frontier, into Lebanon, a state already reeling from its own economic woes and that hosts some two million Syrian refugees. Until recently, hundreds of thousands of them, along with many Lebanese, were moving back into Syria to escape the war between Hezbollah and Israel. Now, for some communities, the directions may reverse, even as many Syrians in the diaspora were giddily planning their return to what they termed “Free Syria.” Uncertainties remain about the territorial integrity of this Free Syria. Turkey has long backed various rebel groups and has de-facto control of swaths of the north. The U.S. has some nine hundred troops in the country, supporting Kurdish-led groups in the northeast. And then there is Israel, which, within hours of Assad’s departure, invaded the Syrian city of Quneitra near the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights. The geopolitical fallout of Assad’s—and Syria’s—exit from Iran’s hobbled Axis of Resistance will also be seismic. The alliance, comprising Syria, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, some Iraqi armed factions, Yemen’s Houthis, and the Palestinian Hamas, has taken a clobbering since Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel in October of 2023. Syria was a crucial strategic supply route for Hezbollah, which now finds itself landlocked by enemies: Israel, and a Syrian opposition that it fought to shore up Assad’s regime. For now, though, among many Syrians, euphoria, and a great sense of potential, reigns. On Sunday, thousands poured into cities across the country, celebrating along with the millions scattered throughout the vast diaspora. “Our joy is huge, huge, huge!” a Syrian refugee in Germany, who is a former political prisoner, told me in the early hours of Sunday morning. It was a day of joy for a fervently nationalistic people, for the detainees finally freed, but also of pain and sadness for the hundreds of thousands killed and disappeared not only in the recent brutal war but in the many decades that preceded it. An exiled Syrian named Maysaara, who has been living in Belgium and featured prominently in my first book , was already packing his bags after a sleepless night glued to his screen. He’d spent the morning coördinating with others from his home town of Saraqib, in Idlib, trying to locate and determine the fate of its many detainees. “I can’t describe my happiness and God’s great justice that lifted this oppression off us,” he told me through tears. “Raise your head high. You are a free Syrian!” he sang, repeating a chant from the earliest days of the 2011 revolution. “I feel like I’ve been born again. We, the Syrians, have all been born again today. I prayed to live long enough to see this day.” ♦ New Yorker Favorites A man was murdered in cold blood and you’re laughing ? The best albums of 2024. Little treats galore: a holiday gift guide . How Maria Callas lost her voice . An objectively objectionable grammatical pet peeve . What happened when the Hallmark Channel “ leaned into Christmas .” Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker .
