OTTAWA - A Canadian diplomat who visited Abousfian Abdelrazik while in Sudanese custody says the Montreal man told him he did not know why he was being held and that he wanted to return to Canada. Abdelrazik, who is suing Ottawa over his detention, came to Canada from Sudan as a refugee, settling in Montreal and later becoming a Canadian citizen. He was arrested in September 2003 while in his native country to see his ailing mother. Officials from Canada’s intelligence service travelled to Sudan the following month to interrogate Abdelrazik about suspected terrorist links. David Hutchings, senior official at Canada’s mission in Khartoum at the time, met with Abdelrazik in December 2003. Hutchings said in Federal Court today that during the consular visit, Abdelrazik seemed “puzzled and mystified” as to why he was in prison. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024.An Israeli drone strike on a hospital compound in northern Gaza on Thursday killed a 16-year-old boy in a wheelchair and wounded at least 12 other people, including medical staff, the Gaza Health Ministry and the hospital director said. Kamal Adwan Hospital is one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the , where Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Earlier Thursday, the human rights group Amnesty International accused Israel of during its war with Hamas, saying it has sought to deliberately destroy Palestinians by mounting deadly attacks, demolishing vital infrastructure and preventing the delivery of food, medicine and other aid. Israel says it goes to great lengths to avoid harming civilians as it battles Hamas. has destroyed and displaced 90% of the population of 2.3 million, often multiple times. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel in October 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, . Israel’s blistering retaliatory offensive , more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. ___ Here's the Latest: Attack near US base in eastern Syria may have wounded 3 service members, Pentagon says WASHINGTON -- Three U.S. service members were being evaluated for potential traumatic brain injuries following an attack near a base in eastern Syria this week, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday. Ryder said U.S. Central Command is still evaluating who was behind the attack near Mission Support Site Euphrates, which prompted the U.S. to conduct counter strikes on Tuesday. At the time, the Pentagon said rockets and mortars had landed in the vicinity of the base. The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria to conduct missions to counter the Islamic Stage group. ___ By Lolita Baldor Hezbollah says it will help pay to rebuild homes destroyed in war with Israel BEIRUT — Hezbollah chief Naim Kassem said in a televised speech on Friday that the Lebanese militant group will provide financial assistance to families whose during the recent war with Israel. In addition to being an armed group, Hezbollah is also a political party and provides extensive social services. In his second speech since the ceasefire that ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel on Nov. 27, Kassem reiterated that the U.N. Resolution 1701 “is not a new agreement,” adding that it stipulates that “Israel must withdraw from all Lebanese territories.” “The agreement is limited to the area south of the Litani River and nothing else,” Kassem said. He also accused Israel of committing over 60 violations of . Seated against the backdrop of a banner reading “reconstruction campaign,” Kassem announced that Hezbollah, with support from Iran, will provide financial aid to families whose homes were completely destroyed during the war. will receive $14,000, while families outside the capital will receive $12,000, covering annual rent and compensation for furniture, he said. For partially damaged homes, specialized committees will assess the damages, Kassem said. and the stunning offensive by jihadi insurgents in recent days, Kassem said Hezbollah “will stand alongside Syria to stop the aggression.” “The aggression against Syria is sponsored by America and Israel,” Kassem said. He did not specify whether Hezbollah would send fighters to Syria to join forces with the Syrian army. Biden administration says genocide accusations against Israel are ‘unfounded’ WASHINGTON — The Biden administration says it believes accusations by Amnesty International that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza are “unfounded” although it says human rights groups play a “vital role” in speaking to the consequences of the conflict. Deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel declined to comment Thursday about specifics in the report, saying he would “let Amnesty International speak to the details about it.” But, he said the administration continues to disagree with its conclusion, as it has with previous similar reports from other organizations. “As you’ve heard us say previously, we disagree with the conclusions of such a report,” Patel told reporters in Washington. “We have said previously and continue to find that the allegations of genocide are unfounded. But there continues to be a vital role that civil society organizations like Amnesty International and human rights groups and NGOs play in providing information and analysis as it relates to Gaza and what’s going on.” At the same time, he said the administration’s concern about the situation in Gaza also remains unchanged and urged Israel to do more to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza. “We continue to stress at every turn that there is a moral and strategic priority for Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and that is something we’re going to continue to raise with partners in the region and directly with Israel,” Patel said. An Israeli drone strikes a hospital in northern Gaza, killing a teen in a wheelchair and wounding at least 12 CAIRO — An Israeli drone strike on a hospital compound in northern Gaza killed a 16-year-old boy in a wheelchair and wounded at least 12 other people, including medical staff, the Gaza Health Ministry and the hospital director said. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said an Israeli drone deliberately targeted patients and staff at the entrance to the reception and emergency area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, killing Mahmoud Abu al-Aish, a patient being taken in a wheelchair to the radiology department. Abu Safiya spoke in a video he posted on social media, standing inside the hospital as doctors operated on a wounded man behind him, calling it, “The injured treating the injured.” Abu Safiya was wounded in his thigh and back by an Israeli drone strike on the hospital last month. Israel says it goes to great lengths to avoid harming civilians as it battles Hamas. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months since in northern Gaza against Hamas militants. In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff. Hospital officials denied the claim. The United Nations humanitarian office estimates up to 75,000 people remain in the northern towns of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and the Jabaliya refugee camp. The area has been almost completely sealed off from humanitarian aid for two months and . A medical relief team from the U.N. World Health Organization was able to reach Kamal Adwan Hospital on Monday, delivering 10,000 liters of fuel (2,640 gallons), blood supplies, essential medical items and food. The U.N. press office also said Baby formula shortage in Gaza leaves Palestinian mothers struggling to feed infants, Health Ministry says DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian mothers in Gaza are struggling to secure baby formula for their newborn children and are forced to resort to alternatives that aren't the best options for infants. The Health Ministry in Gaza reported Thursday a shortage in baby formula amid a lack of aid entering the besieged territory and high prices due to scarcity. If found in the market, one box of baby formula could cost up to $50, according to an Associated Press journalist. Ahmed al-Farra, director of the child and maternity department at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, said in the video statement posted by the Health Ministry that Israeli forces have been denying the entry of baby formula to the Gaza Strip for around three months. He explained that some women in Gaza can’t breastfeed their babies due to their own malnutrition or illness and must resort to giving infants starch or dissolved herbs instead, which pose a health risk. One mother said in a video posted by the Health Ministry that she was feeding her baby crushed biscuits, ground rice, and Cerelac brand baby formula if available. Medical professionals often recommend waiting to feed a child solid foods until at least the age of six months. The amount of aid entering Gaza plunged in October, and hunger is widespread across the territory, even in central Gaza where aid groups have more access. Humanitarian organizations say Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting and the breakdown of law and order make it difficult to deliver assistance. Israel has said it is working to increase the flow of aid. Israeli rights groups demand end to ‘forcible transfer’ of Palestinians out of northern Gaza JERUSALEM — Israeli rights groups are calling on the government to stop the “forcible transfer” of Palestinians out of northern Gaza and for the displaced to be allowed to return home. A joint letter from five well-known groups says “this forcible transfer is being undertaken through direct attacks on the civilian population, threats of such attacks, and the creation of inhumane living conditions.” The letter was issued by Gisha, Adalah, HaMoked, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and Physicians for Human Rights – Israel, groups based in Israel that advocate for Palestinian rights. Tens of thousands have fled Gaza’s northernmost governorate since in early October against Hamas militants. The United Nations humanitarian office estimates up to 75,000 people remain in the northern towns of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and the Jabaliya refugee camp. The area has been almost completely sealed off from humanitarian aid for two months and . Israel has ordered repeated mass evacuations since the start of the war. Around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people have fled, . Hundreds of thousands are packed into sprawling tent camps along the coast, an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone where Israel against what it says are militant targets. Moshe Yaalon, a former top Israeli general and defense minister, said last week that Israel was in northern Gaza. Amnesty International on Wednesday said . Israel has adamantly denied the allegations, saying it goes to great lengths to avoid harming civilians as it battles Hamas, which ignited the war with its Oct. 7, 2023 attack into Israel. Amnesty International accuses Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip CAIRO — Amnesty International accused Israel of during its war with Hamas, saying it has sought to deliberately destroy Palestinians by mounting deadly attacks, demolishing vital infrastructure and preventing the delivery of food, medicine and other aid. The human rights group released a report Thursday in the Middle East that said such actions could not be justified by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel, which ignited the war, or the presence of militants in civilian areas. Amnesty said the United States and other allies of Israel could be complicit in genocide, and called on them to halt arms shipments. “Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now,” Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said in the report. Israel, which was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust, has adamantly rejected genocide allegations against it as an antisemitic “blood libel.” It is challenging such allegations at the , and it has rejected accusations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister committed war crimes in Gaza. “The deplorable and fanatical organization Amnesty International has once again produced a fabricated report that is entirely false and based on lies,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Israel accused , which has vowed to annihilate Israel, of carrying out a genocidal massacre in the attack that triggered the war, and said it is defending itself in accordance with international law. The Associated PressTurkish flag carrier's flights vital for expansion of Australia-Türkiye relations: Consul generalpanalo999 app 。

Murdoch Family Trust Battle: Lachlan's Leadership Challenged

If you like this article, share it with your friends. GenCost: Building nuclear reactors would take up to six-times longer than renewables firmed by storage technologies A consultation draft report developed by the CSIRO and AEMO has found that developing nuclear energy infrastructure in Australia would be more costly and slower to roll out than alternative sources of power. The draft GenCost 2023-24 report, providing an economic analysis of future national electricity generation costs, was released on Monday. Touted as "technology-agnostic" and "policy-neutral", the report was developed by the CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). Despite varied inflationary impacts across technologies, the report found renewables have the lowest cost of a range of any new electricity generation for the seventh year in a row. Responding to the draft findings, Clean Energy Council CEO Kane Thornton said the experts concluded nuclear energy would directly impact Aussie hip pockets and drive energy prices even higher. "Waiting decades for nuclear power, which every independent review over the past few decades has found to be uneconomic when compared to renewables, is a risk... Melissa CoadeNone

The recently released Royal Commission of Inquiry report about New Zealand’s COVID response highlights the harmful impact of misinformation and disinformation on public health. While the report offers no solutions, it notes that disinformation campaigns fuelled division and loss of trust in government. It’s an age-old problem that has proved extremely difficult to counter. Indeed, the practice of disinformation and propaganda has ancient roots , with some of the earliest recorded use of these techniques dating back to antiquity. The Greeks were among the first to study and formalise the art of rhetoric, a cornerstone of effective propaganda. In 2010, colleagues and I published research that analysed vaccine narratives for the use of logical fallacies defined by Aristotle. We highlighted many common techniques of manipulation. It was a fun exercise in a more innocent time. Understanding and analysing these manipulative tactics has evolved alongside their use in both political and military strategies. So have the tactics of mitigating the impact of such strategies. Early approaches to counteract these effects typically involved promoting transparency, education and critical thinking. This still stands today, but the time for merely talking about the problem has passed. What’s required now is decisive action and robust policy to address misinformation and disinformation as we navigate the ongoing impacts of the COVID pandemic. How to recognise misinformation and disinformation Misinformation refers to inaccurate information spread without harmful intent, often due to a misunderstanding or mistake. Disinformation, on the other hand, is deliberately deceptive and crafted to manipulate public sentiment or promote discord. Research has meticulously mapped the contours of misinformation and disinformation surrounding vaccines . Experts highlighted that the conditions for the spread of misinformation were ripe before the pandemic. Identifying misinformation and disinformation involves a critical evaluation of content and its source. A first question is the source credibility. Is the information from a recognised authority or reputable news source? The next bit, logical consistency, is harder to detect. Does the information contain contradictions or logically impossible claims? Many false narratives are internally inconsistent or implausible. Often there will also be at least some level of emotional manipulation. Disinformation frequently exploits emotions such as fear or anger to enhance engagement and sharing. The subtle art of rhetoric Logical fallacies are errors in reasoning that undermine the logic of an argument. For example, the ad hominem fallacy attacks the person making an argument rather than the argument itself. This is a common tactic to undermine credible sources. Cherry picking is the practice of selecting data that support a particular argument while ignoring data that contradict it. This is harder to spot if you are unfamiliar with the topic. Conspiracy theories are another major tool in the propaganda kit. During the pandemic, numerous conspiracy theories have misrepresented scientific evidence and the intentions of health authorities and experts. The claim of cover-ups is often the final go-to when there is no other convincing argument. Studies have repeatedly shown how false claims spread across social media platforms and how this influences public perceptions and behaviours detrimental to health . From myths about vaccine ingredients causing harm to conspiracy theories about global surveillance, these untruths have a real impact. Surveys have repeatedly highlighted a worrying trend: a segment of the public, including some health professionals, harbours scepticism about vaccines , fuelled by unmitigated misinformation. How to counter disinformation The consequences of disinformation campaigns are not abstract or random. It is crucial to recognise that such campaigns are meticulously designed and executed with specific goals in mind. One of the most insidious is the erosion of social cohesion. This is achieved by injecting divisive and false narratives into public discourse. They exploit socio-political fissures, amplifying scepticism and opposition to public health measures such as vaccination. These campaigns leverage sophisticated strategies and technologies to manipulate public perception. They exploit societal divisions and foster distrust in authoritative sources, particularly in science and medicine. Once consensus on basic facts is eroded, effective action becomes difficult. Significant research efforts have aimed to understand how best to counter misinformation and sophisticated disinformation campaigns. These studies emphasise the importance of clear, consistent and credible communication from trusted sources. Public health campaigns that engage directly with community leaders and employ tailored messaging have shown promise in increasing trust and positive health behaviours . “ Pre-bunking ”, which involves educating people on how to spot misinformation before they encounter it, is gaining traction. Authorities and public health leaders must prioritise transparency to rebuild and maintain public trust. Being open about the uncertainties and evolving nature of science can help mitigate the impact of disinformation that exploits gaps in public knowledge. Increasing media literacy is also important. By understanding the common tactics used in disinformation campaigns, people can become less susceptible to their influences. Collaboration between governments, international organisations and tech companies is essential. These stakeholders must work together to detect and limit the spread of harmful content and promote accurate information appropriate to the audience (right message, right messenger, right platform). Time to act Despite these insights, a coordinated, large-scale and multi-pronged strategy to combat misinformation remains elusive. Governments and health organisations often react to misinformation rather than being proactive, or worse, leave a vacuum. The challenge of misinformation is not insurmountable, but it requires more than ad-hoc responses. We need a strategic, well-resourced commitment from the highest levels of government and health leadership. It takes courage and the ability to walk a tightrope between freedom of speech and protecting public health. Both are human rights. As we continue to navigate the repercussions of the COVID pandemic, let us prioritise the integrity of our public health communications and bring all the facets we need to do this together. This includes media, tech companies, academics and community leaders. Only through a united front can we hope to restore and maintain the public trust essential for overcoming this crisis and future public health challenges.

Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, giving the market its fifth gain in a row and notching another record high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Friday. The Dow added 1%, and the Nasdaq composite tacked on 0.2%. Retailers had some of the biggest gains. Gap soared after reporting quarterly results that easily beat analysts’ estimates. EchoStar fell after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company’s Dish Network unit. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Crude oil prices gained ground. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Stocks rose on Wall Street in afternoon trading Friday, keeping the market on track for its fifth straight gain. The S&P 500 was up 0.2% and was solidly on track for a weekly gain that will erase most of last week's loss. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 333 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite was essentially flat with a gain of less than 0.1% as of 3:07 p.m. Eastern. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump's victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 10.8% after handily beating analysts' third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 1.5% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.4% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 were gaining ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.3%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.6%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.8% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, Bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts' expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rates. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It's still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers' inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the business group The Conference Board releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to the central bank's meeting in December.Bird Flu Emerges as Key Reason Behind U.S. Egg Shortage

UN nuclear watchdog board passes resolution chiding IranEoneren/E+ via Getty Images This article updates my review of ESGV published one year ago , in light of current portfolio and recent performance. ESGV strategy Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF ( BATS: ESGV ) was launched on 09/18/2018 and tracks the Quantitative Risk & Value (QRV) provides you with risk indicators and data-driven, time-tested strategies. Get started with a two-week free trial now. Fred Piard, PhD. is a quantitative analyst and IT professional with over 30 years of experience working in technology. He is the author of three books and has been investing in data-driven systematic strategies since 2010. Quantitative Risk & Value Learn more Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of AMZN, GOOGL, META either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Cooper Rush probably will need three more victories in a row filling in for the injured Dak Prescott for any postseason talk to be realistic. The thing is, the Cowboys (4-7) could be favored in two of those games, and already are by four points as an annual Thanksgiving Day host against the New York Giants (2-9) on Thursday, according to BetMGM. Not to mention the losing record at the moment for each of the next four opponents for the defending NFC East champions, playoff qualifiers each of the past three seasons. The Cowboys have a chance to make something of the improbable and chaotic 34-26 win at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. “Behind the eight ball,” Micah Parsons said, the star pass rusher acknowledging the reality that Dallas hadn't done much yet. “Let’s see how we can handle adversity and see if we can make a playoff run. But we got a long way to go.” It was a start, though, powered in part by the best 55 minutes from the Dallas defense since the opener, when the Cowboys dismantled Cleveland and looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. The last five minutes for the Dallas defense against the Commanders looked a lot like most of the nine games after that 33-17 victory over the Browns. Which is to say not very good. Jayden Daniels easily drove Washington 69 yards to a touchdown before throwing an 86-yard scoring pass in the final seconds to Terry McLaurin, who weaved through five defenders when a tackle might have ended the game. The Cowboys kept a 27-26 lead thanks to Austin Seibert's second missed extra point, and withstood another blunder when Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick recovery for a TD rather than slide and leave one kneel-down from Rush to end the game. Dallas will have to remember it did hold a dynamic rookie quarterback's offense to 251 yards before the madness of the ending in the Cowboys' biggest upset victory since 2010 at the New York Giants. That one was too late to save the season. This one might not be. “We needed it,” embattled coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been frustrating, no doubt. We’ve acknowledged that. We’ve got another one right around the corner here, so we have to get some wins and get some momentum.” Rush ended a personal three-game losing streak with his best showing since the previous time he won as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. The 117.6 passer rating was Rush's best as a starter, and the NFL's second-worst rushing attack played a solid complementary role with Rico Dowdle gaining 86 yards on 19 carries. KaVontae Turpin's electrifying 99-yard kickoff return did more than lift the Cowboys when it appeared an 11-point lead might get away in the final five minutes. It eased the worst day of special teams for Dallas since John Fassel took over that phase four years ago. Suddenly struggling kicker Brandon Aubrey had one field-goal attempt blocked and missed another. Bryan Anger had a punt blocked. For the second time in five games, Aubrey's attempt to bounce a kickoff in front of the return man backfired. The ball bounced outside the landing zone, putting the Commanders at the 40-yard line to start the second half and setting up the drive to the game's first touchdown. CB Josh Butler, whose NFL debut earlier this season came five years after the end of his college career, had 12 tackles, a sack and three pass breakups. The pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. Rookie LT Tyler Guyton, who has had an up-and-down season with injuries and performance issues, was benched immediately after getting called for a false start in the fourth quarter. His replacement, Asim Richards, could be sidelined with a high ankle sprain that executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones revealed on his radio show Monday. Veteran Chuma Edoga, who was the projected starter at Guyton's position before a preseason toe injury, was active but didn't play against the Commanders. He's awaiting his season debut. The status of perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and LG Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) will be a question on the short week after both sat against Washington. Stephen Jones indicated Smith could be available and said the same of WR Brandin Cooks, who hasn't played since Week 4 because of a knee issue. TE Jake Ferguson may miss at least a second week with a concussion. The short week might make it tough for CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to return. 75% — Rush's completion rate, his best with at least 10 passes. He was 24 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His other game with multiple TDs and no picks was a 25-10 victory over Washington two years ago, when he went 4-1 with Prescott sidelined by a broken thumb. There's some extra rest after the short week, with Cincinnati making a “Monday Night Football” visit on Dec. 9. The next road game is at Carolina on Dec. 15. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

NYC ad agency titans Omnicom and Interpublic to form $30 billion marketing powerhouse Omnicom is buying Interpublic Group in a stock-for-stock deal that will create an advertising powerhouse with combined annual revenue of almost $26 billion. The companies have had a hand in iconic marketing campaigns like “Got Milk” for the California Milk Processor Board, “Priceless” for Mastercard, “Because I’m Worth It” for L’Oreal and “Think Different” for Apple. The combined company will be worth more than $30 billion. Shares of Interpublic jumped more than 15% before the opening bell Monday, while Omnicom’s stock fell more than 2%. How should the opioid settlements be spent? Those hit hardest often don’t have a say People with substance use disorder are not getting a direct say on how most opioid settlement money is used. Some advocates say keeping them out of the process is a major reason money is going to law enforcement efforts instead of other programs more likely to prevent overdose deaths. Companies have agreed to pay more about $50 billion over time to resolve lawsuits filed by governments. Most of the money is required to be used to fight the crisis. Figuring out exactly to do with it is up to state and local governments that have used a variety of structures to make those decisions. The Onion's bid to buy Infowars goes before judge as Alex Jones tries stopping sale The Onion's bid to buy conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars has returned to a Texas courtroom. A federal judge in Houston is hearing arguments Monday on whether a bankruptcy auction was run properly as Jones alleges collusion and fraud. The hearing is expected to continue into Tuesday. The Onion satirical news outlet was named the winning bidder last month over a company affiliated with Jones. The auction was held to help pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation judgments that Jones was ordered to pay families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The families won lawsuits against Jones for calling the shooting a hoax. It's his job to keep American's planes running on time FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — It's the job of American Airlines' chief operating officer to make sure the carrier's flights take off on time and fly safely during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. David Seymour oversees flight and airport operations for American, which expects to make about 6,500 flights a day between now and New Year’s Day. A West Point graduate and former U.S. Army infantry officer, Seymour has held a variety of operations-related jobs and was promoted to his current post in 2020. He spoke with The Associated Press recently about managing huge passenger numbers during the holidays and preventing people from getting on a plane before their boarding group is called. Stock market today: Nvidia drags Wall Street from its records as oil and gold rise NEW YORK (AP) — A slide for market superstar Nvidia helped pull U.S. stock indexes down from their records. The S&P 500 fell 0.6% Monday, coming off its 57th all-time high of the year so far. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.6% from its own record. Nvidia was the market's heaviest weight after China said it's probing the chip giant for potential antitrust violations. Stocks in Hong Kong jumped after top Chinese leaders agreed on a “moderately loose” monetary policy. Prices for oil and gold rose following the ouster of Syrian leader Bashar Assad. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour ends by shattering own record, grossing an estimated $2.2B, Pollstar says NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour brought in approximately $2.2 billion in its nearly two-year run, making it the highest-grossing tour of all time for a second year in a row. That's according to Pollstar estimates from data collected across 149 shows and provided to The Associated Press on Monday. Last year, Swift’s landmark Eras Tour became the first to cross the billion-dollar mark. In North America, Swift’s tour earned an estimated $1.04 billion. Globally, that number jumps to an estimated $2.2 billion. Pollstar data is pulled from box office reports, venue capacity estimates, historical Pollstar venue ticket sales data, and other undefined research, collected from November 2022 to December 2024. Cyprus and the US double down on a joint effort to combat financial crimes with more training NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus and the U.S. say they’re doubling down on a joint effort to crack down on illicit finance with additional training of Cypriot law enforcement authorities to identify, investigate and prosecute financial crimes. According to a joint statement issued Monday, an “ambitious” plan for next year will involve 21 weeks of training for different Cypriot law enforcement agencies on financial investigative and forensic accounting techniques, as well as the use of technology in investigations. The plan adds to a U.S. initiative launched 20 months ago following a pledge by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides to clean up the island nation’s sullied reputation as a money laundering and sanctions evasion hub. Mexican soldiers will get a pay raise after elimination of oversight agencies, president says MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's president says much of the money gained by eliminating independent oversight and regulatory agencies will go to the army to fund a rise in soldiers’ pay. The announcement by President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday is the latest in a a series of strange funding sources to pay for the country's increasingly influential military. Mexico's Congress last week approved charging every cruise ship passenger a $42 immigration fee with much of that money also going to the armed forces. The military has been given powers to build and run everything from railways, airports and airlines in Mexico. And some of those projects appear to be losing money. Nvidia's stock dips after China opens probe of the AI chip company for violating anti-monopoly laws Shares of Nvidia have slipped after China said it is investigating the high-flying U.S. microchip company over suspected violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws. In a brief press release with few details, Chinese regulators appear to be looking into Nvidia’s $6.9 billion 2019 acquisition of network and data transmission company Mellanox. Nvidia shares dipped 2.7% in early trading Monday, falling below $139 each. Considered a bellwether for artificial intelligence demand, Nvidia has led the AI sector to become one of the stock market’s biggest companies, as tech giants spend heavily on the company’s chips and data centers needed to train and operate their AI systems. Meta shareholders seek sanctions for Sandberg, Zients for deleting Cambridge Analytica emails WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Attorneys for Meta shareholders are asking a Delaware judge to sanction former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and fellow Facebook board member and current White House chief of staff Jeff Zients for deleting emails related to the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal. The plaintiffs say Sandberg and Zients used personal email accounts to communicate about key issues relating to their 2018 shareholder lawsuit alleging that Facebook official failed for years to protect the privacy of user data. The plaintiffs say the former board members were either “reckless or intentional” in destroying documents, even after being told to preserve records for litigation purposes. A defense attorney argued Monday that there was no intent or “grand scheme” to destroy relevant documents.Longtime Biden adviser rips 'rationale' of Hunter pardon: 'Attack on our judicial system'

Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges

As open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans continues through Jan. 15, you’re likely seeing fewer social media ads promising monthly cash cards worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars that you can use for groceries, medical bills, rent and other expenses. But don’t worry. You haven’t missed out on any windfalls. Clicking on one of those ads would not have provided you with a cash card — at least not worth hundreds or thousands. But you might have found yourself switched to a health insurance plan you did not authorize, unable to afford treatment for an unforeseen medical emergency, and owing thousands of dollars to the IRS, according to an ongoing lawsuit against companies and individuals who plaintiffs say masterminded the ads and alleged scams committed against millions of people who responded to them. The absence of those once-ubiquitous ads are likely a result of the federal government suspending access to the ACA marketplace for two companies that market health insurance out of South Florida offices, amid accusations they used “fraudulent” ads to lure customers and then switched their insurance plans and agents without their knowledge. In its suspension letter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cited “credible allegations of misconduct” in the agency’s decision to suspend the abilities of two companies — TrueCoverage (doing business as Inshura) and BenefitAlign — to transact information with the marketplace. CMS licenses and monitors agencies that use their own websites and information technology platforms to enroll health insurance customers in ACA plans offered in the federal marketplace. The alleged scheme affected millions of consumers, according to a lawsuit winding its way through U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale that seeks class-action status. An amended version of the suit, filed in August, increased the number of defendants from six to 12: — TrueCoverage LLC, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based health insurance agency with large offices in Miami, Miramar and Deerfield Beach. TrueCoverage is a sub-tenant of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a building leased by the newspaper in Deerfield Beach. — Enhance Health LLC, a Sunrise-based health insurance agency that the lawsuit says was founded by Matthew Herman, also named as a defendant, with a $150 million investment from hedge fund Bain Capital’s insurance division. Bain Capital Insurance Fund LP is also a defendant. — Speridian Technologies LLC, accused in the lawsuit of establishing two direct enrollment platforms that provided TrueCoverage and other agencies access to the ACA marketplace. — Benefitalign LLC, identified in the suit as one of the direct enrollment platforms created by Speridian. Like Speridian and TrueCoverage, the company is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. — Number One Prospecting LLC, doing business as Minerva Marketing, based in Fort Lauderdale, and its founder, Brandon Bowsky, accused of developing the social media ads that drove customers — or “leads” — to the health insurance agencies. — Digital Media Solutions LLC, doing business as Protect Health, a Miami-based agency that the suit says bought Minerva’s “fraudulent” ads. In September, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in United States Bankruptcy Court in Texas, which automatically suspended claims filed against the company. — Net Health Affiliates Inc., an Aventura-based agency the lawsuit says was associated with Enhance Health and like it, bought leads from Minerva. — Garish Panicker, identified in the lawsuit as half-owner of Speridian Global Holdings and day-to-day controller of companies under its umbrella, including TrueCoverage, Benefitalign and Speridian Technologies. — Matthew Goldfuss, accused by the suit of overseeing and directing TrueCoverage’s ACA enrollment efforts. All of the defendants have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit. The motions deny the allegations and argue that the plaintiffs failed to properly state their claims and lack the standing to file the complaints. The Sun Sentinel sent requests for comment and lists of questions about the cases to four separate law firms representing separate groups of defendants. Three of the law firms — one representing Brandon Bowsky and Number One Prospecting LLC d/b/a Minerva Marketing, and two others representing Net Health Affiliates Inc. and Bain Capital Insurance Fund — did not respond to the requests. A representative of Enhance Health LLC and Matthew Herman, Olga M. Vieira of the Miami-based firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, responded with a short message saying she was glad the newspaper knew a motion to dismiss the charges had been filed by the defendants. She also said that, “Enhance has denied all the allegations as reported previously in the media.” Catherine Riedel, a communications specialist representing TrueCoverage LLC, Benefitalign LLC, Speridian Technologies LLC, Girish Panicker and Matthew Goldfuss, issued the following statement: “TrueCoverage takes these allegations very seriously and is responding appropriately. While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we strongly believe that the allegations are baseless and without merit. “Compliance is our business. The TrueCoverage team records and reviews every call with a customer, including during Open Enrollment when roughly 500 agents handle nearly 30,000 calls a day. No customer is enrolled into any policy without a formal verbal consent given by the customer. If any customer calls in as a result of misleading content presented by third-party marketing vendors, agents are trained to correct such misinformation and action is taken against such third-party vendors.” Through Riedel, the defendants declined to answer follow-up questions, including whether the company remains in business, whether it continues to enroll Affordable Care Act clients, and whether it is still operating its New Mexico call center using another affiliated technology platform. The suspension notification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services letter cites several factors, including the histories of noncompliance and previous suspensions. The letter noted suspicion that TrueCoverage and Benefitalign were storing consumers’ personally identifiable information in databases located in India and possibly other overseas locations in violation of the centers’ rules. The letter also notes allegations against the companies in the pending lawsuit that “they engaged in a variety of illegal practices, including violations of the (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations, or RICO Act), misuse of consumer (personal identifiable information) and insurance fraud.” The amended lawsuit filed in August names as plaintiffs five individuals who say their insurance plans were changed and two agencies who say they lost money when they were replaced as agents. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of 55 counts of wrongdoing, ranging from running ads offering thousands of dollars in cash that they knew would never be provided directly to consumers, switching millions of consumers into different insurance policies without their authorization, misstating their household incomes to make them eligible for $0 premium coverage, and “stealing” commissions by switching the agents listed in their accounts. TrueCoverage, Enhance Health, Protect Health, and some of their associates “engaged in hundreds of thousands of agent-of-record swaps to steal other agents’ commissions,” the suit states. “Using the Benefitalign and Inshura platforms, they created large spreadsheet lists of consumer names, dates of birth and zip codes.” They provided those spreadsheets to agents, it says, and instructed them to access platforms linked to the ACA marketplace and change the customers’ agents of record “without telling the client or providing informed consent.” “In doing so, they immediately captured the monthly commissions of agents ... who had originally worked with the consumers directly to sign them up,” the lawsuit asserts. TrueCoverage employees who complained about dealing with prospects who called looking for cash cards were routinely chided by supervisors who told them to be vague and keep making money, the suit says. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began contacting the company in January about customer complaints, the suit says TrueCoverage enrollment supervisor Matthew Goldfuss sent an email instructing agents “do not respond.” The lawsuit states the “scheme” was made possible in 2021 when Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The act made it possible for Americans with household incomes between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level to pay zero in premiums and it enabled those consumers to enroll in ACA plans all year round, instead of during the three-month open enrollment period from November to January. Experienced health insurance brokers recognized the opportunity presented by the changes, the lawsuit says. More than 40 million Americans live within 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level, while only 15 million had ACA insurance at the time. The defendants developed or benefited from online ads, the lawsuit says, which falsely promised “hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars per month in cash benefits such as subsidy cards to pay for common expenses like rent, groceries, and gas.” Consumers who clicked on the ads were brought to a landing page that asked a few qualifying questions, and if their answers suggested that they might qualify for a low-cost or no-cost plan, they were provided a phone number to a health insurance agency. There was a major problem with the plan, according to the lawsuit. “Customers believe they are being routed to someone who will send them a free cash card, not enroll them in health insurance.” By law, the federal government sends subsidies for ACA plans to insurance companies, and not to individual consumers. Scripts were developed requiring agents not to mention a cash card, and if a customer mentions a cash card, “be vague” and tell the caller that only the insurance carrier can provide that information, the lawsuit alleges. In September, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the claims. In addition to denying the charges, they argued that the class plaintiffs lacked the standing to make the accusations and failed to demonstrate that they suffered harm. The motion also argued that the lawsuit’s accusations failed to meet requirements necessary to claim civil violations of the RICO Act. Miami-based attorney Jason Kellogg, representing the plaintiffs, said he doesn’t expect a ruling on the motion to dismiss the case for several months. The complaint also lists nearly 50 companies, not named as defendants, that it says fed business to TrueCoverage and Enhance Health. Known in the industry as “downlines,” most operate in office parks throughout South Florida, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit quotes former TrueCoverage employees complaining about having to work with customers lured by false cash promises in the online ads. A former employee who worked in the company’s Deerfield Beach office was quoted in the lawsuit as saying that senior TrueCoverage and Speridian executives “knew that consumers were calling in response to the false advertisements promising cash cards and they pressured agents to use them to enroll consumers into ACA plans.” A former human resources manager for TrueCoverage said sales agents frequently complained “that they did not feel comfortable having to mislead consumers,” the lawsuit said. Over two dozen agents “came to me with these complaints and showed me the false advertisements that consumers who called in were showing them,” the lawsuit quoted the former manager as saying. For much of the time the companies operated, the ACA marketplace enabled agents to easily access customer accounts using their names and Social Security numbers, change their insurance plans and switch their agents of record without their knowledge or authorization, the lawsuit says. This resulted in customers’ original agents losing their commissions and many of the policyholders finding out they suddenly owed far more for health care services than their original plans had required, the suit states. It says that one of the co-plaintiffs’ health plans was changed at least 22 times without her consent. She first discovered that she had lost her original plan when she sought to renew a prescription for her heart condition and her doctor told her she did not have health insurance, the suit states. Another co-plaintiff’s policy was switched after her husband responded to one of the cash card advertisements, the lawsuit says. That couple’s insurance plan was switched multiple times after a TrueCoverage agent excluded the wife’s income from an application so the couple would qualify. Later, they received bills from the IRS for $4,300 to cover tax credits issued to pay for the plans. CMS barred TrueCoverage and BenefitAlign from accessing the ACA marketplace. It said it received more than 90,000 complaints about unauthorized plan switches and more than 183,500 complaints about unauthorized enrollments, but the agency did not attribute all of the complaints to activities by the two companies. In addition, CMS restricted all agents’ abilities to alter policyholders’ enrollment information, the lawsuit says. Now access is allowed only for agents that already represent policyholders or if the policyholder participates in a three-way call with an agent and a marketplace employee. Between June and October, the agency barred 850 agents and brokers from accessing the marketplace “for reasonable suspicion of fraudulent or abusive conduct related to unauthorized enrollments or unauthorized plan switches,” according to an . The changes resulted in a “dramatic and sustained drop” in unauthorized activity, including a nearly 70% decrease in plan changes associated with an agent or broker and a nearly 90% decrease in changes to agent or broker commission information, the release said. It added that while consumers were often unaware of such changes, the opportunity to make them provided “significant financial incentive for non-compliant agents and brokers.” But CMS’ restrictions might be having unintended consequences for law-abiding agents and brokers. A story on Nov. 11 quoted the president of the Health Agents for America (HAFA) trade group as saying agents are being suspended by CMS after being flagged by a mysterious algorithm that no one can figure out. The story quotes HAFA president Ronnell Nolan as surmising, “maybe they wrote too many policies on the same day for people who have the same income or they’re writing too many policies on people of a certain occupation.” Nolan continued, “We have members who have thousands of ACA clients. They can’t update or renew their clients. So those consumers have lost access to their professional agent, which is simply unfair.”

Ange Postecoglou has admitted his position will be under “a lot of scrutiny” if he has not lifted Tottenham out of mid-table by Christmas. The club play at Manchester City on Saturday – the start of what Postecoglou called a “pivotal” nine-game sequence in 29 days – and he was keen to highlight the fine margins at work. If Spurs had beaten on the Sunday before last, they would sit third in the Premier League. They have the second-best goal difference in the division, are into the Carabao Cup quarter-final – where they have a home tie against Manchester United – and are going well in the Europa League. Instead, they were beaten by Ipswich – they have lost before each of the three international breaks – to lag in 10th. Postecoglou made a fast start to his Spurs tenure, winning eight and drawing two of 10 league matches at the beginning of last season. Since then his record in the competition reads W17 D5 L17. “It’s a significant period and at the end of it we could be in a decent position for a strong second half of the year,” Postecoglou said. “You can build some momentum or if things don’t go well you could get yourself into a bit of a grind. So it’s going to be a really pivotal part of the season. If we’re still 10th then people won’t be happy, I won’t be happy. But we might not be 10th. “If we had beaten Ipswich, we’d be third and I reckon this press conference would be much different. I’m not going to let my life be dictated by one result. I take a wider perspective because I know how fickle it can be. But we need to address our position. And if we’re 10th at Christmas it won’t be great – for sure. Rightly so, there’d be a lot of scrutiny and probably a lot of scrutiny around me. That’s not where I plan for us to be.” Postecoglou, preparing for his 50th league game in charge, said Spurs were “definitely a better side than we were last year”. He also remembered where the club were when he took over. They had finished eighth, failing to qualify for Europe, and were about to embark on a squad overhaul in terms of personnel and style. “I think there’s enough there that shows we are progressing and developing into the team we want,” Postecoglou said. “The key is the next 50 games: if they can be, in totality, better than the first 50? First, that means I’m here. Second, I think we’ll be in a good space. I firmly believe we’re on the right path. I firmly believe in this squad of players. I firmly believe we will have success. But I can see why outwardly, if you put a pin in it right now, it doesn’t look that way.” Postecoglou reported that Cristian Romero would miss the City game as he looks to recover full fitness after hamstring and toe problems. The manager’s other first-choice centre-half, Micky van de Ven, is out with a hamstring injury, meaning Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are likely to start. Romero came off at half-time for Argentina against Paraguay on Thursday of last week and missed his country’s game against Peru on Wednesday. His daughter, Lucy, was born on Tuesday. Postecoglou admitted Romero had not been properly fit for a few weeks and he was asked whether he might have had second thoughts about him travelling to South America. “Yeah, you do,” Postecoglou replied. “But there’s always a line there, especially with someone like Romero, where you’ve got to trust his judgment as well. He understands the responsibility he has. “I think when he went away, he realised that this is not healing the way we want it to. I said: ‘Just have a break. We need you 100% fit.’ As much as we’d love to have him out there, it’s best for him he gets totally over everything. He had the birth of his daughter this week, which is a significant event in his life. It’s important for him to pause a little bit and just spend some time with his family. He’s kind of over both [injuries] now. But we’ll just wait.” Postecoglou also addressed the fallout from Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-game ban for making a racial slur against his teammate Son Heung- min. The club are understood to have not fined him and want the FA’s to the minimum tariff of six matches but their appeal has been criticised for its bad optics, particularly as their position is that Bentancur has made a mistake. The seventh game of his ban is against Liverpool. “I couldn’t care less who it is against and, yes, the appeal is worth it,” Postecoglou said. “We still have a judicial process. That’s why appeals are there. We think it was harsh, we think it should have been the minimum [punishment] and we’ll go through that process.”Ross Barkley’s 85th-minute winner gave them victory after they had twice squandered the lead in Germany. John McGinn and Jhon Duran goals at the start of each half were cancelled out by Lois Openda and Christoph Baumgartner. But Barkley had the final say less than two minutes after coming off the bench as his deflected effort earned the points which sent his side third in the new Champions League league phase. The top eight automatically qualify for the next stage and with games against Monaco and Celtic to come, Unai Emery’s men are a good bet to avoid the need for a play-off round in their first foray in this competition. Leipzig are out, having lost all six of their games. Villa enjoyed a dream start and were ahead with less than three minutes on the clock. Matty Cash, playing in a more advanced position on the right, crossed for Ollie Watkins, who nodded down into the path of McGinn and the skipper made no mistake from close range. That gave the visitors confidence and they had enough chances in the first 15 minutes to have the game wrapped up. Lucas Digne’s cross from the left was begging to be converted but Watkins could not make contact from close range and then Morgan Rogers shot straight at Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. Then Youri Tielemans found himself with time and space on the edge of the area from Watkins’ tee-up but the Belgium international disappointingly dragged wide. All that good work was undone in the 27th minute, though, as Emiliano Martinez was left red-faced. The Argentinian was too casual waiting to collect Nicolas Seiwald’s long ball and Openda nipped in to get the ball first and tap into an empty net. Duran was introduced at the break and needed just a couple of minutes to fire a warning when he drilled wide after a loose ball fell to him 14 yards out. But the Colombian got his goal in the 52nd minute, though it was another moment for the goalkeeper to forget. Duran was invited to drive forward and unleashed a 25-yard shot, which was hardly an Exocet, but still was too much for Gulacsi, who barely even jumped. It was his 10th goal of the season and sixth from the bench as he continues his super-sub role. The striker was not complaining and he thought he had doubled his tally shortly after when he converted Cash’s centre but the provider was ruled offside by VAR. Five minutes later, Villa found themselves pegged back again with a finish of real quality. Openda was sent clear by another long ball and his cross was perfect for Baumgartner to cushion a far-post volley back across goal and into the corner. Digne brought a save out of Gulacsi and then Openda shot straight at Martinez as both sides pushed for a winner. It was Villa who got it as Barkley saw his deflected effort wrong-foot Gulacsi and hit the back of the net.

The news about academic cheating has gone from worrying to post mortem. Colleges apparently can’t manage cheating on any level. As usual, a lot of handwringing and total lack of answers produce a sort of techno-manga doomscape. Those headlines create a bizarre set of situations from “ AI is an existential threat to colleges” from the Washington Post (paywall) to the truly alarming penalizing of a student for proofreading using Grammarly. The AI outscores the humans relentlessly at about 83%, according to Forbes . As usual, honesty gets you nowhere. See that quaint little rustic waste of time called the USA for details. Strangely, people aren’t happy with this 100% true-to-Western-cultural breakthrough into institutional incompetence and corruption. Despite the decades of noble roles of mainstream media and so many utterly futile public figures, people who can’t do their jobs aren’t much in demand. “Why not?” you enquire, grimly bolting yourself to the ridiculous shriveled lettuce of a society. Well, ‘cause: Education has become a stagnant backwater of regressive politics. They’re either scared of it or actively trying to prevent it. See Oklahoma for details. Defunding public education is actually a stated policy in the USA. If they seriously think everyone can afford private education, you can see the level of intellect in the mix. Past idiocies sabotaged education decades ago. The blame isn’t all one-way. Imbecile ideas like not teaching phonics (structuring basic words and concepts) did a lot of damage. Many people in multiple generations are functionally illiterate. The illiteracy of the system itself doesn’t exactly help in managing AI issues. Literacy isn’t just being able to read. It’s being able to understand what you read. It’s essential to critical thinking, of which we have so little lately. The future isn’t looking at all good for the skills bases required to manage new tech and things like human reality. Let’s get down to basics: 1, AI cannot replace humans. If you replace people with AI, you have to check absolutely everything. It’s actually more work. 2, AI doesn’t give you actual skills. You still need to learn and understand to know your stuff. Your overpriced education is utterly meaningless and useless if you can’t do the jobs. 3. It’s pretty easy to prove who can really do a job and who can’t. All you need is a simple competence test. See if the useless smug little brats can function. 4, Force AI providers to include AI detection capacity in their products by law. This “free lunch for fakes” stuff has to stop somewhere. Bear in mind that the present capacity is nothing like up to this task. According to the Forbes article above, the current 6% detection rate of AI is an overestimate. (Might help with scientific fraud and deranged social media bots, too.) This isn’t “artificial intelligence” yet. It’s “artificial idiocy”. It’s fixable. _________________________________________________ Disclaimer The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members. Editor-at-Large based in Sydney, Australia.Embedding Disaster Resilience in Public Finance: A Roadmap for Global Challenges