The Petersburg Post
Top News Stories for Saturday, December 21st 2024
Saturday, Dec 21st, 2024 -
Google on Thursday released Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental, an AI model that uses runtime "reasoning" techniques similar to OpenAI's o1 to achieve "deeper thinking" for queries. The announcement , made on X by Google CEO Sundar Pichai, explained it all. "Our most thoughtful model yet," he wrote. The company did not mention a use for advertising, but it is still considered ...
Source: mediapost.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Elon Musk torpedoed a bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown. Trump one-upped him by demanding that the bill hike the debt ceiling. A new bill failed. Who's in charge here? Bluesky Happy holidays! Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are right around the corner—cultures all around the world celebrate festivals of light at this time of year. But the Republican Party seems to have opted for the darkly ...
Source: thenation.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Amazon workers affiliated with the Teamsters union launched a strike at seven of the company's delivery hubs less than a week before Christmas. The Teamsters said the workers, who voted to authorize strikes in recent days, joined picket lines on Thursday after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline the union had set for contract negotiations. The company says it doesn't expect the strike to impact holiday shipments. ...
Source: pbs.org
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Despite higher mortgage rates and elevated home prices, existing home sales jumped to an 8-month high in November, marking the second month of annual increase in more than three years, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). According to analysis from the National Association of Home Builders , while inventory improves and the Fed continues lowering rates, the market faces headwinds as ...
Source: lbmjournal.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
from the election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump and others. The appellate decision reversed a lower court ruling that had allowed Willis to continue pursuing the criminal racketeering case after she disclosed a romantic relationship with one of her prosecutors. Who said what The panel of Republican-appointed judges ruled that Willis' romantic relationship created the "appearance of ...
Source: theweek.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
NEW YORK -- murder suspect Luigi Mangione appeared in federal court in New York City Thursday after waiving extradition in Pennsylvania . He faces four new federal charges, including murder, which could make him eligible for the death penalty. He is also facing multiple state charges. Mangione, 26, appeared in front of a federal judge in New York City just before 3 p.m. after being transported from ...
Source: aol.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Generative AI can supercharge customer service processes, but not without AI governance and guardrails that help CX leaders avoid the risks often associated with the emerging technology The integration of generative AI tools within marketing and customer engagement platforms is driving exponential productivity gains for customer experience teams across industries. It is also leaving many customer experience leaders ...
Source: customerthink.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a UFO! It's an Iranian mothership! It's a radiation probe! Or maybe it's really just a plane. The wave of alleged noctural drone sightings in New Jersey has led to some wild theories about what the mysterious lights in the sky could be. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R–N.J.) claimed that the drones were coming from an Iranian " mothership " in the Atlantic Ocean, then retracted his claim ...
Source: reason.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
At least two people are dead and dozens are injured after a car plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, according to local authorities. At least 68 people were injured in the Magdeburg Christmas market attack, including 15 people with serious injuries, according to a statement posted on the city of Magdeburg's Facebook page. An adult and toddler were killed in the attack and the ...
Source: cnn.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
More than 50 men have been found guilty in one way or another for the rape or sexual assault of one French woman, Gisele Pelicot, 72, over a decade from 2011 to 2020. The rapes were orchestrated by Pelicot's ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, 72, who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping his wife as well as drugging her and inviting men to their home in France to rape her. A panel of five judges, who ...
Source: aljazeera.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The Zelle payment app opened the door for crooks and con artists to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from consumers over several years, and some big banks are to blame for a chaotic rush to roll out the platform, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The financial regulators Friday sued Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo saying they failed to protect consumers from widespread ...
Source: usatoday.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
California officials have declared a state of emergency amid growing fears over avian influenza. The virus has swept through dairy herds across the state and caused sporadic cases in humans, with the first severe human bird flu case in the U.S. reported in Louisiana on Wednesday (Dec. 18). In a statement released Dec. 18, Governor Gavin Newsom's office said that the action came "as cases were detected in dairy cows ...
Source: livescience.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
On December 19, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Declaratory Order reevaluating and re-confirming that the tirzepatide drug shortage has been resolved. This order revoked and replaced FDA's October 2, 2024, decision on tirzepatide. FDA's Declaratory Order : FDA's 12-page order describes the process that FDA undertook to come to this conclusion and explains that FDA ...
Source: natlawreview.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The Biden administration announced Friday that it would forgive another $4.28 billion in student loan debt for 54,900 borrowers who work in public service. The relief is a result of fixes the U.S. Department of Education made to the once-troubled Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, U.S. December 10, ...
Source: cnbc.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Invasive "murder hornets" have been completely eradicated in the U.S., officials have announced, after there were no confirmed sightings of the giant wasps in the last three years. Northern giant hornets ( Vespa mandarinia ), nicknamed " murder hornets ," are the world's largest wasps with a fearsome reputation, posing a threat to U.S. wildlife and human health. Native to Asia, the hornets arrived in North America ...
Source: livescience.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Packaged foods in the U.S. will have to follow new rules in order to call themselves "healthy," according to changes finalized Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration. It's an update of the agency's definition originally devised 30 years ago. The move is aimed at helping Americans navigate food labels at the grocery store and make choices that are aligned with federal dietary guidelines — in hopes of ...
Source: chicago.suntimes.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Big Lots is preparing to close its remaining 963 locations after a sale to save the bankrupt retailer fell through. The company previously announced it was selling "substantially all" of its assets to private equity firm Nexus Capital Management in September, but Big Lots said in a statement Thursday it "does not anticipate completing" the transaction. As a result, Big Lots is starting its "going out of business" ...
Source: cnn.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is worth considering if you're loyal to Hilton and qualify for a small business credit card . This is one of the few hotel small business credit cards on the market, targeting business professionals and frequent travelers. If you're a frequent Hilton guest, this card may entice you with its high welcome bonus offer, great earning categories, and valuable ...
Source: businessinsider.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug Zepbound to treat sleep apnea, a common but potentially serious sleep-related breathing disorder, marking it the first medication for certain patients with the condition. The agency green-lit the blockbuster medication to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity in combination with increased physical ...
Source: washingtonpost.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The Pentagon acknowledged Thursday that it had been providing journalists and the public with an inaccurate count of the number of U.S. troops deployed to Syria, with a spokesperson for the department telling members of the press that the actual figure is two times higher than what was previously disclosed. "We have been briefing you regularly that there are approximately 900 U.S. troops deployed to Syria," ...
Source: commondreams.org
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
FRIDAY, Dec. 20, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Holy chip! Frito-Lay has issued a limited recall of select 13-oz bags of Lay's Classic Potato Chips due to the potential presence of undeclared milk, which could pose a serious health risk to individuals with a milk allergy. According to a report released by the , the affected bags have a "guaranteed fresh" date of Feb. 11, 2025, and the manufacturing codes 6462307xx ...
Source: insidenova.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
has agreed in principle to accept a second "no find, no fee" proposal from a U.S. company to renew the hunt for flight MH370, which is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean more than 10 years ago, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Friday. Loke said Cabinet ministers gave the nod at their meeting last week for Texas-based marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity to continue the seabed search operation ...
Source: foxnews.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Richard Allen, the man convicted in the 2017 killings of two teenage girls who disappeared in Delphi, Indiana, was sentenced Friday to 130 years in prison. Allen was sentenced to 65 years for each death, totaling 130 years in prison. His 760 days served since his arrest will count towards his sentence. An Indiana jury in November convicted Allen in the murders of 14-year-old Liberty "Libby" German and ...
Source: cbsnews.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The issue has not caused any accidents, injuries or deaths Tesla has recalled more than 694,000 of its Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck electric vehicles. The recalled vehicles "installed a software release that was not compliant with the tire pressure monitoring system malfunction telltale requirement" issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), according to the Tuesday recall report ...
Source: foxbusiness.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Netflix has inked a deal with FIFA to snag exclusive US broadcasting rights to the next two Women's World Cup tournaments, according to a report by ESPN . This contract covers both the 2027 and 2031 events. Neither entity has described the financial value of the deal, but it has been reported to be the most significant contract that FIFA has ever signed with a streaming service for a major tournament. FIFA ...
Source: engadget.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The Federal Reserve made its last rate cut of 2024 this week, and it predicted two more cuts in 2025. While the Fed's move doesn't decide what savings rates banks offer, we often see that banks move in the same direction as the central bank. That means you'll likely see savings rates dip soon, but it's still a smart move to stash savings in interest-earning accounts, like high-yield savings accounts . ...
Source: cnet.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin 15-year-old who shot and killed a teacher and a fellow student Monday was only in her first semester at the school but seemed to be settling in, a school official said Thursday as families of the victims remembered them as people of faith who had deep connections within the Christian school. Abundant Life Christian School student Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, of Madison and ...
Source: huffpost.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The Los Angeles Chargers scored three second-half touchdowns to overcome a double-digit deficit and defeat their AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos, 34-27 on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. With the victory, the Chargers bolstered their chances at a playoff berth to 97%, according to NFL.com . Los Angeles can clinch a ticket to the postseason if the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts ...
Source: cnn.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Of all the rules in football, Jim Harbaugh considers the obscure fair-catch kick to be his favorite. The Los Angeles Chargers coach had the opportunity to try one Thursday night for only the second time in his career. This time, his kicker got three points from one of the most unusual plays in the sport. Cameron Dicker made the first successful fair-catch kick in the NFL since 1976, ...
Source: apnews.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
DETROIT (AP) — In the waning days of President Joe Biden's administration, the government's highway safety agency is proposing voluntary safety guidelines for self-driving vehicles. But a rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration putting the plan in place won't be approved before the end of Biden's term in January and likely will be left to whoever runs the agency under Republican Donald ...
Source: news.yahoo.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
TORONTO — Embattled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will shuffle his Cabinet Friday. The prime minister's office confirmed late Thursday that Trudeau will participate in the swearing-in ceremony and chair a meeting with his new Cabinet later Friday. Trudeau is facing rising discontent over his leadership, and the abrupt departure of his finance minister on Monday could be something he can't recover ...
Source: time.com
A teenager stabs a 7-year-old to death and wounds a teacher and 3 more children in a Croatian school
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
– A knife-wielding teenager walked into a school in Croatia's capital on Friday, stabbed a 7-year-old girl to death and wounded three more children and their teacher, authorities said. The attack took place around 9:50 a.m. on the last day of school before Christmas at the Precko Elementary School in the Zagreb neighborhood of the same name. It caters for children between the ages of 7 and 15. "The attacker ...
Source: news4jax.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Shares of Novo Nordisk plummeted more than 24% at one point on Friday. By 12:30 p.m. London time the stock was around 18.8% lower, and shares of Eli Lilly jumped in U.S. pre-market trade. The fall comes after the Danish pharmaceutical giant reported results in a late-stage trial for its experimental CagriSema weight loss drug that missed expectations. In comments to CNBC, however, Novo said that CagriSema had ...
Source: cnbc.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
When he exits the White House on Jan. 20 next year, President Joe Biden will close the door on one of the most storied political careers in American history. But if he leaves without granting clemency to people who have been penalized disproportionately, especially those on federal death row, his legacy will be incomplete. The National Urban League has long opposed the death penalty, which has proven to be wildly ...
Source: chicago.suntimes.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Ingrid Lewis-Martin, a former top aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, has been indicted on bribery charges, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said on Thursday. Lewis-Martin took bribes from two real estate investors in exchange for expediting construction permits for businesses they owned, according to Bragg's office. "We allege that Ingrid Lewis-Martin engaged in a long-running bribery, money laundering, ...
Source: usatoday.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
15 Christmas Tree Desserts That Will Wow Guests These festive ideas are absolutely tree-mendous! Every item on this page was chosen by a editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. If you're looking to make a festive to wow friends and family this year, look no further than a Christmas tree dessert . It's sweet, recognizable, and fairly easy to execute. The shape is a giant green triangle ...
Source: womansday.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
US immigration authorities last year deported the largest number of undocumented immigrants in nearly a decade, surpassing the record of Donald Trump's first term in office. More than 271,000 immigrants were deported from the US over the last fiscal year, according to a report released by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency on Thursday. The ICE report comes just weeks before President-elect ...
Source: bbc.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The US government has charged a dual Russian and Israeli national with allegedly building and maintaining LockBit's malware code, while receiving over $230,000 in cryptocurrency for his work. The 51-year-old Rostislav Panev was arrested in Israel pending extradition to the US, making him the third member of the LockBit ransomware group in custody. Authorities previously arrested other alleged members of the LockBit ...
Source: theverge.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The most direct push for Google's Gemini chat so far. Google will soon take more steps to make AI a part of search, exposing more users to its Gemini agent, according to recent reports and app teardowns. "AI Mode," shown at the top left of the web results page and inside the Google app, will provide an interface similar to a Gemini AI chat, . This tracks with a finding from Android Authority earlier this month, ...
Source: arstechnica.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
Did OpenAI's big holiday event live up to the billing? Over the past 12 business days, OpenAI has announced a new product or demoed an AI feature every weekday, calling the PR event " ." We've covered some of the major announcements, but we thought a look at each announcement might be useful for people seeking a comprehensive look at each day's developments. The timing and rapid pace of these ...
Source: arstechnica.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The Montana Supreme Court has ruled that the state has a "fundamental constitutional right" to provide a "clean and healthful" environment — upholding a landmark 2023 climate ruling that said residents were having their rights violated on account of the state not having a "stable climate system that sustains human lives and liberties." The original case stemmed from a federal lawsuit filed in 2020 by 16 young ...
Source: lawandcrime.com
Friday, Dec 20th, 2024 -
The Moon, Earth's eternal companion, continues to captivate scientists. Despite decades of research and lunar missions, one fundamental question remains unresolved: how old is the Moon? Current estimates suggest the Moon formed around 4.35 billion years ago, but some evidence hints at an older age that is closer to 4.51 billion years. This discrepancy has fueled debates and inspired new research, including a recent ...
Source: earth.com
Thursday, Dec 19th, 2024 -
The Biden administration set ambitious new goals to slash US greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris climate accord, urging states and local governments to stay on course regardless of President-elect Donald Trump's plans to purposefully ignore climate change. The nearly 200 countries that have joined the Paris agreement face a deadline in February to update their national climate plans. Biden's team decided to ...
Source: theverge.com
Thursday, Dec 19th, 2024 -
Russian leader largely upbeat in year-end phone-in, calling Zelenskyy illegitimate and suggesting US missile 'duel' Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine had made Russia "much stronger" and denied that the fall of his key ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow's standing, as he held a marathon year-end press conference and television call-in seeking to project confidence at home and abroad. Casting the ...
Source: theguardian.com
Thursday, Dec 19th, 2024 -
As a longtime iPhone user directly affected, I've followed the rollout of the European Union's big Digital Markets Act (DMA) over the past few years, wondering how it might impact the time but also other devices and services from tech companies that are deemed gatekeepers in the region. I've also often criticized the DMA and what the EU is trying to do in the region to improve competition and user access to ...
Source: bgr.com
Thursday, Dec 19th, 2024 -
For most of the past year, human rights watchdogs have characterized Israel's deeds in Gaza as collective punishment, war crimes, violations of human rights, but not necessarily "genocide" — defined as intentionally destroying a people as a whole, and that carries more weight than perhaps any other crime. Now, a 179-page Human Rights Watch report is accusing Israel of doing just that, echoing a recent Amnesty ...
Source: salon.com
Thursday, Dec 19th, 2024 -
Amazon has agreed to implement nationwide safety procedures to address conditions that can lead to worker injuries as part of a settlement reached with OSHA. The settlement between the company and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration comes as the parties were scheduled to begin trials in 10 cases before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commissions between January and June 2025 related to ...
Source: news.bloomberglaw.com
Thursday, Dec 19th, 2024 -
Israel has said its fighter jets conducted a series of strikes against military targets in Yemen belonging to the Iran-backed Houthi movement in response to missile and drone attacks. An Israeli military spokesman said the targets included Red Sea ports and energy infrastructure in the capital Sanaa. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that nine people were killed in the port of Salif and the Ras Issa oil terminal, ...
Source: bbc.com
Thursday, Dec 19th, 2024 -
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday filed a legal notice that he intends to sue a woman who accused him of sexual harassment. The filing accuses former aide Charlotte Bennett of defaming Cuomo in a Dec. 9 statement that said the former governor sexually harassed her. Bennett came forward in 2021 as the second woman to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, alleging he subjected her ...
Source: huffpost.com
Thursday, Dec 19th, 2024 -
Topics More from TechCrunch Alexander Shatov / Unsplash Apps 9:47 AM PST · December 19, 2024 Instagram head Adam Mosseri is teasing upcoming generative AI features for the social app that will allow creators to "change nearly any aspect" of their videos using text prompts. The editing tools will be powered by Meta's Movie Gen AI model , and are expected to launch on the social network sometime next year, ...
Source: techcrunch.com