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Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russia media say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The reports came hours after a stunning rebel advance swept into Damascus to cheers and ended the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule. Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire, joyful after a stifling, nearly 14-year civil war. But the swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country still split among armed factions. One rebel commander said “we will not deal with people the way the Assad family did." The fall of Bashar Assad after 13 years of war in Syria brings to an end a decades-long dynasty BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled the country. Assad’s departure on Sunday brings to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto power in a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Assad’s exit stood in stark contrast to his first months as Syria’s unlikely president in 2000, when many hoped he would be a young reformer after three decades of his father’s iron grip. But faced with protests of his rule that erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to his father's brutal tactics to crush dissent. A long stalemate was quickly broken when opposition groups in northwest Syria launched a surprise offensive late last month. Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad? BEIRUT (AP) — Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image and that of his fighters. He renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. The 42-year-old al-Golani is labeled a terrorist by the United States. He has not appeared publicly since Damascus fell early Sunday. But he and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stand to be a major player in whatever comes next. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” The hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answers NEW YORK (AP) — Police don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack, not a random one. On Sunday morning, police declined to comment on the contents of a backpack found in Central Park that they believe was carried by the killer. Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday outside of a hotel in Manhattan. Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is pushing Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump describes it as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office. Trump also said he would be open to reducing military aid to Ukraine and pulling the United States out of NATO. Those are two threats that have alarmed Ukraine, NATO allies and many in the U.S. national security community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says any deal would have to pave the way to a lasting peace. The Kremlin's spokesman says Moscow is open to talks with Ukraine. South Korean prosecutors detain ex-defense chief over martial law imposition SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors have detained a former defense minister who allegedly recommended last week’s brief but stunning martial law imposition to President Yoon Suk Yeol. Local media say that ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun voluntarily appeared on Sunday at a Seoul prosecutors’ office, where he had his mobile phone confiscated and was detained. A law enforcement official says Kim was later sent to a Seoul detention facility. Kim's detention came a day after Yoon avoided an opposition-led bid to impeach him, with most ruling party lawmakers boycotting a floor vote to prevent a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. Gaza health officials say latest Israeli airstrikes kill at least 14 including children DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials say Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza have killed at least 14 people including children, while the bombing of a hospital in northern Gaza has wounded a half-dozen patients. Israel’s military continues its latest offensive against Hamas militants in northern Gaza, whose remaining Palestinians have been almost completely cut off from the rest of the territory amid a growing humanitarian crisis. One airstrike flattened a residential building in the urban Bureij refugee camp Sunday afternoon. That's according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. Trump's return may be a boon for Netanyahu, but challenges abound in a changed Middle East TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is jubilant about President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House. Trump's first term policies skewed heavily in favor of Israel, and he has picked stalwart Israel supporters for key positions in his administration. But much has transpired since Trump left office in early 2021. The turmoil in the Middle East, the lofty ambitions of Netanyahu’s far-right governing coalition and Netanyahu’s own personal relationship with the president-elect could dampen that enthusiasm and complicate what on the surface looks like a seamless alliance. First 12-team College Football Playoff set, Oregon seeded No. 1 and SMU edges Alabama for last spot SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs (11-2), losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama (9-3) of the SEC but one fewer loss. The first-of-its-kind 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta.[Latest] Global Smart Orthopedic Implants Market Size/Share Worth USD 34.89 Billion by 2033 at a 5.10% CAGR: Custom Market Insights (Analysis, Outlook, Leaders, Report, Trends, Forecast, Segmentation, Growth, Growth Rate, Value)
President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. While immigration officials have used the tech for years, an October letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by The Associated Press details how those tools — some of them powered by AI — help make life-altering decisions for immigrants, including whether they should be detained or surveilled. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency's supervision. The letter, sent by DHS Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen to the immigrant rights group Just Futures Law, revealed that the score calculates the potential risk that an immigrant — with a pending case — will fail to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The algorithm relies on several factors, he said, including an immigrant’s number of violations and length of time in the program, and whether the person has a travel document. Hysen wrote that ICE officers consider the score, among other information, when making decisions about an immigrant’s case. “The Hurricane Score does not make decisions on detention, deportation, or surveillance; instead, it is used to inform human decision-making,” Hysen wrote. Also included in the government’s tool kit is a mobile app called SmartLINK that uses facial matching and can track an immigrant’s specific location. Nearly 200,000 people without legal status who are in removal proceedings are enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, under which certain immigrants can live in the U.S. while their immigration cases are pending. In exchange, SmartLINK and GPS trackers used by ICE rigorously surveil them and their movements. The phone application draws on facial matching technology and geolocation data, which has been used before to find and arrest those using the app. Just Futures Law wrote to Hysen earlier this year, questioning the fairness of using an algorithm to assess whether someone is a flight risk and raising concerns over how much data SmartLINK collects. Such AI systems, which score or screen people, are used widely but remain largely unregulated even though some have been found to discriminate on race, gender or other protected traits. DHS said in an email that it is committed to ensuring that its use of AI is transparent and safeguards privacy and civil rights while avoiding biases. The agency said it is working to implement the Biden administration’s requirements on using AI, but Hysen said in his letter that security officials may waive those requirements for certain uses. Trump has publicly vowed to repeal Biden's AI policy when he returns to the White House in January. “DHS uses AI to assist our personnel in their work, but DHS does not use the outputs of AI systems as the sole basis for any law enforcement action or denial of benefits,” a spokesperson for DHS told the . Trump has not revealed how he plans to carry out his promised deportation of an estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally. Although he has proposed invoking wartime powers, as well as military involvement, the plan would face major logistical challenges — such as where to keep those who have been detained and how to find people spread across the country — that AI-powered surveillance tools could potentially address. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, did not answer questions about how they plan to use DHS’ tech, but said in a statement that “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation” in American history. Over 100 civil society groups sent a letter on Friday urging the Office of Management and Budget to require DHS to comply with the Biden administration’s guidelines. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Just Futures Law’s executive director, Paromita Shah, said if immigrants are scored as flight risks, they are more likely to remain in detention, "limiting their ability to prepare a defense in their case in immigration court, which is already difficult enough as it is.” SmartLINK, part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, is run by BI Inc., a subsidiary of the private prison company The GEO Group. The GEO Group also contracts with ICE to run detention centers. ICE is tight-lipped about how it uses SmartLINK’s location feature to find and arrest immigrants. Still, public records show that during Trump’s first term in 2018, Manassas, Virginia-based employees of BI Inc. relayed immigrants’ GPS locations to federal authorities, who then arrested over 40 people. In a report last year to address privacy issues and concerns, DHS said that the mobile app includes security features that “prohibit access to information on the participant’s mobile device, with the exception of location data points when the app is open.” But the report notes that there remains a risk that data collected from people "may be misused for unauthorized persistent monitoring.” Such information could also be stored in other ICE and DHS databases and used for other DHS mission purposes, the report said. On investor calls earlier this month, private prison companies were clear-eyed about the opportunities ahead. The GEO Group’s executive chairman George Christopher Zoley said that he expects the incoming Trump administration to “take a much more aggressive approach regarding border security as well as interior enforcement and to request additional funding from Congress to achieve these goals.” “In GEO’s IS program, we can scale up from the present 182,500 participants to several hundreds of thousands, or even millions of participants,” Zoley said. That same day, the head of another private prison company told investors he would be watching closely to see how the new administration may change immigrant monitoring programs. “It’s an opportunity for multiple vendors to engage ICE about the program going forward and think about creative and innovative solutions to not only get better outcomes, but also scale up the program as necessary,” Damon Hininger, CEO of the private prison company CoreCivic Inc. said on an earnings call. GEO did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, CoreCivic said that it has played “a valued but limited role in America’s immigration system” for both Democrats and Republicans for over 40 years. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Steph, Warriors have ‘sour taste' in mouth after last two lossesThe Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team has gotten off to a fast start this season in more ways than one. The No. 16 Bearcats have raced to a 5-0 record while outscoring their opponents by more than 31 points per game, with just one team (Northern Kentucky) coming within 16 points. Cincinnati is averaging a robust 87 points per game with one of the more efficient offenses in college basketball. Cincinnati will look to continue that hot streak when it plays host to Alabama State in nonconference action Wednesday evening. Cincinnati has punished opposing defenses in a variety of ways this season. Despite being the No. 14 offense in the nation in Ken Pomeroy's efficiency ratings, the Bearcats aren't among the nation's leaders in pace. Still, they take advantage of those opportunities when they are there. "Us playing fast is something we want to do," Cincinnati forward Dillon Mitchell said. "When I was being recruited here, that was something Coach (Wes) Miller wanted to do. "There could be games where we're not making shots or something is off, but one thing is we're gonna push the ball, play hard and play fast. That's something he preaches. We'll be in shape and get rebounds." Mitchell is fresh off a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in Cincinnati's 81-58 road win at Georgia Tech Saturday. He is one of four Bearcats to average double figures in scoring this season. That balance was on display once again against the Yellow Jackets, with Connor Hickman and Jizzle James also scoring 14 points each and Simas Lukosius contributing 12 points. In that game, Cincinnati sank 51.6 percent of its shots while regularly getting out into transition with 16 fastbreak points, while winning the rebounding battle 36-29. "Any time you get a road win over a quality, Power 4 team, you're gonna feel good about it," Miller said. "I was pleased with our effort." Lukosius is scoring 16.6 points per game, while James is at 14.0 points, followed by Mitchell at 12.4, while he also grabs a team-best 8.6 rebounds. Alabama State (3-3) has a tough task ahead, especially when considering its 97-78 loss at Akron Sunday, which ended a three-game winning streak. The Hornets allowed the Zips to shoot 46.4 percent from the field and were 53-32 in the rebounding battle. Alabama State gave up a season high in points, after playing the likes of LSU and UNLV earlier this season. Akron standout Nate Johnson lit up Alabama State for 25 points, as the game got away from the Hornets in the second half to keep them winless in true road games. Alabama leading scorers CJ Hines and TJ Madlock still got theirs against Akron, scoring 19 and 17 points, respectively. They were joined in double figures by reserve Tyler Mack (18 points), but recent history says they'll need more help to keep up with the Bearcats. Hines leads the Hornets with 15.7 points per game, while Madlock contributes 14.5 points. In previous Akron Basketball Classic wins last week against Omaha and Lamar, Alabama State featured at least four double-digit scorers in each game. --Field Level Media
Increased surveillance at the Canada-U.S. border means more asylum seekers could die
Security beefed up in Panipat for PM Modi’s visit on MondayMid-American Conference football goes all in on November weeknights for the TV viewersPresident-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. While immigration officials have used the tech for years, an October letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by The Associated Press details how those tools — some of them powered by AI — help make life-altering decisions for immigrants, including whether they should be detained or surveilled. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency's supervision. The letter, sent by DHS Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen to the immigrant rights group Just Futures Law, revealed that the score calculates the potential risk that an immigrant — with a pending case — will fail to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The algorithm relies on several factors, he said, including an immigrant’s number of violations and length of time in the program, and whether the person has a travel document. Hysen wrote that ICE officers consider the score, among other information, when making decisions about an immigrant’s case. “The Hurricane Score does not make decisions on detention, deportation, or surveillance; instead, it is used to inform human decision-making,” Hysen wrote. Also included in the government’s tool kit is a mobile app called SmartLINK that uses facial matching and can track an immigrant’s specific location. Nearly 200,000 people without legal status who are in removal proceedings are enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, under which certain immigrants can live in the U.S. while their immigration cases are pending. In exchange, SmartLINK and GPS trackers used by ICE rigorously surveil them and their movements. The phone application draws on facial matching technology and geolocation data, which has been used before to find and arrest those using the app. Just Futures Law wrote to Hysen earlier this year, questioning the fairness of using an algorithm to assess whether someone is a flight risk and raising concerns over how much data SmartLINK collects. Such AI systems, which score or screen people, are used widely but remain largely unregulated even though some have been found to discriminate on race, gender or other protected traits. DHS said in an email that it is committed to ensuring that its use of AI is transparent and safeguards privacy and civil rights while avoiding biases. The agency said it is working to implement the Biden administration’s requirements on using AI , but Hysen said in his letter that security officials may waive those requirements for certain uses. Trump has publicly vowed to repeal Biden's AI policy when he returns to the White House in January. “DHS uses AI to assist our personnel in their work, but DHS does not use the outputs of AI systems as the sole basis for any law enforcement action or denial of benefits,” a spokesperson for DHS told the AP. Trump has not revealed how he plans to carry out his promised deportation of an estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally. Although he has proposed invoking wartime powers, as well as military involvement, the plan would face major logistical challenges — such as where to keep those who have been detained and how to find people spread across the country — that AI-powered surveillance tools could potentially address. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, did not answer questions about how they plan to use DHS’ tech, but said in a statement that “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation” in American history. Over 100 civil society groups sent a letter on Friday urging the Office of Management and Budget to require DHS to comply with the Biden administration’s guidelines. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Just Futures Law’s executive director, Paromita Shah, said if immigrants are scored as flight risks, they are more likely to remain in detention, "limiting their ability to prepare a defense in their case in immigration court, which is already difficult enough as it is.” SmartLINK, part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, is run by BI Inc., a subsidiary of the private prison company The GEO Group. The GEO Group also contracts with ICE to run detention centers. ICE is tight-lipped about how it uses SmartLINK’s location feature to find and arrest immigrants. Still, public records show that during Trump’s first term in 2018, Manassas, Virginia-based employees of BI Inc. relayed immigrants’ GPS locations to federal authorities, who then arrested over 40 people. In a report last year to address privacy issues and concerns, DHS said that the mobile app includes security features that “prohibit access to information on the participant’s mobile device, with the exception of location data points when the app is open.” But the report notes that there remains a risk that data collected from people "may be misused for unauthorized persistent monitoring.” Such information could also be stored in other ICE and DHS databases and used for other DHS mission purposes, the report said. On investor calls earlier this month, private prison companies were clear-eyed about the opportunities ahead. The GEO Group’s executive chairman George Christopher Zoley said that he expects the incoming Trump administration to “take a much more aggressive approach regarding border security as well as interior enforcement and to request additional funding from Congress to achieve these goals.” “In GEO’s ISAP program, we can scale up from the present 182,500 participants to several hundreds of thousands, or even millions of participants,” Zoley said. That same day, the head of another private prison company told investors he would be watching closely to see how the new administration may change immigrant monitoring programs. “It’s an opportunity for multiple vendors to engage ICE about the program going forward and think about creative and innovative solutions to not only get better outcomes, but also scale up the program as necessary,” Damon Hininger, CEO of the private prison company CoreCivic Inc. said on an earnings call. GEO did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, CoreCivic said that it has played “a valued but limited role in America’s immigration system” for both Democrats and Republicans for over 40 years.
Serbia arrests 12 in connection with railway station roof collapseSurrogacy Market Size: Strong Growth Ahead (2024-2032) 12-19-2024 08:26 PM CET | Health & Medicine Press release from: Cognate Insights Surrogacy Market Latest Market Overview The global surrogacy market is anticipated to reach USD 45.1 billion by 2024, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5% from 2024 to 2032. Surrogacy, as a method of assisted reproduction, has become increasingly popular due to advancements in reproductive technologies, changes in societal norms, and rising infertility rates. The market is driven by the growing demand for surrogacy services, especially in developed countries, alongside the expanding acceptance of non-traditional family structures. Rising awareness of reproductive health issues and the increasing willingness to explore assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have further fueled market growth. The Surrogacy Market has experienced steady growth in recent years and is expected to continue expanding at a strong pace from 2024 to 2032. This analysis offers a comprehensive overview, providing valuable insights into key trends and developments within the Surrogacy industry. These findings equip business leaders with the necessary knowledge to devise more effective strategies and enhance profitability. Furthermore, the report serves as a useful resource for new and emerging businesses, helping them make informed decisions as they navigate the market and seek growth opportunities. Major Players of Surrogacy Market are: IVF Centers of America (USA): Revenue - $1.3 billion (2023). Genea Biomedx (Australia): Revenue - $870 million (2023). Bourn Hall Clinic (UK): Revenue - $650 million (2023). Nova IVI Fertility (India): Revenue - $420 million (2023). Medicana IVF (Turkey): Revenue - $310 million (2023). Get Latest PDF Sample Report @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/request-sample/surrogacy-market-research Our Report covers global as well as regional markets and provides an in-depth analysis of the overall growth prospects of the market. Global market trend analysis including historical data, estimates to 2024, and compound annual growth rate (CAGR) forecast to 2032 is given based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market segments involving economic and non-economic factors. Furthermore, it reveals the comprehensive competitive landscape of the global market, the current and future market prospects of the industry, and the growth opportunities and drivers as well as challenges and constraints in emerging and emerging markets. Global Surrogacy Market Landscape and Future Pathways: North America: United States Canada Europe: Germany France U.K. Italy Russia Asia-Pacific: China Japan South Korea India Australia China Taiwan Indonesia Thailand Malaysia Latin America: Mexico Brazil Argentina Korea Colombia Middle East & Africa: Turkey Saudi Arabia UAE Korea Speak to Our Analyst for A Discussion on The Above Findings, And Ask for A Discount on The Report @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/check-discount/surrogacy-market-research Key drivers and challenges influencing the Surrogacy market: Regional Analysis: The report involves examining the Surrogacy market at a regional or national level. Report analyses regional factors such as government incentives, infrastructure development, economic conditions, and consumer behaviour to identify variations and opportunities within different markets. Market Projections: Report covers the gathered data and analysis to make future projections and forecasts for the Surrogacy market. This may include estimating market growth rates, predicting market demand, and identifying emerging trends. Company Analysis: Report covers individual Surrogacy manufacturers, suppliers, and other relevant industry players. This analysis includes studying their financial performance, market positioning, product portfolios, partnerships, and strategies. Consumer Analysis: Report covers data on consumer behaviour, preferences, and attitudes towards Surrogacy This may involve surveys, interviews, and analysis of consumer reviews and feedback from different by Application. Technology Analysis: Report covers specific technologies relevant to Surrogacy. It assesses the current state, advancements, and potential future developments in Surrogacy areas. Reason to Buy this Report: -Analysis of the impact of technological advancements on the market and the emerging trends shaping the industry in the coming years. -Examination of the regulatory and policy changes affecting the market and the implications of these changes for market participants. -Overview of the competitive landscape in the Surrogacy market, including profiles of the key players, their market share, and strategies for growth. -Identification of the major challenges facing the market, such as supply chain disruptions, environmental concerns, and changing consumer preferences, and analysis of how these challenges will affect market growth. -Evaluation of the potential of new products and applications in the market, and analysis of the investment opportunities for market participants. For In-Depth Competitive Analysis - Purchase this Report now at @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/purchase-report/surrogacy-market-research Contact Us: Cognate Insights Web: www.cognateinsights.com Email: info@cognateinsights.com Phone: +91 8424946476 About Us: We are leaders in market analytics, business research, and consulting services for Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, financial & government institutions. Since we understand the criticality of data and insights, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. To be at our client's disposal whenever they need help on market research and consulting services. We also aim to be their business partners when it comes to making critical business decisions around new market entry, M&A, competitive Intelligence and strategy. This release was published on openPR.Rosen Law Firm Announces Investigation of Breaches of Fiduciary Duties by the Directors and Officers of Southwest Airlines Co. - LUV
Police officer numbers will need to be cut and council tax raised to prevent funding shortfalls, police chiefs have warned. Chief constables and police and crime commissioners (PCCs) have written to ministers to warn that funding announcements for the next year will put them in an “uncomfortable position”. They said they faced a reduction in headcount that could result in an increase in council tax because funds announced by Yvette Cooper, the home secretary , will not be enough to pay for pay rises and other unavoidable costs. Overall police numbers could be cut by thousands, according to one senior policing figure who said headcount would most likely be reduced by not replacing retirees and other leavers. Police chiefs said the upcoming cuts they willPresident-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. While immigration officials have used the tech for years, an October letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by The Associated Press details how those tools — some of them powered by AI — help make life-altering decisions for immigrants, including whether they should be detained or surveilled. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency's supervision. The letter, sent by DHS Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen to the immigrant rights group Just Futures Law, revealed that the score calculates the potential risk that an immigrant — with a pending case — will fail to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The algorithm relies on several factors, he said, including an immigrant’s number of violations and length of time in the program, and whether the person has a travel document. Hysen wrote that ICE officers consider the score, among other information, when making decisions about an immigrant’s case. “The Hurricane Score does not make decisions on detention, deportation, or surveillance; instead, it is used to inform human decision-making,” Hysen wrote. Also included in the government’s tool kit is a mobile app called SmartLINK that uses facial matching and can track an immigrant’s specific location. Nearly 200,000 people without legal status who are in removal proceedings are enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, under which certain immigrants can live in the U.S. while their immigration cases are pending. In exchange, SmartLINK and GPS trackers used by ICE rigorously surveil them and their movements. The phone application draws on facial matching technology and geolocation data, which has been used before to find and arrest those using the app. Just Futures Law wrote to Hysen earlier this year, questioning the fairness of using an algorithm to assess whether someone is a flight risk and raising concerns over how much data SmartLINK collects. Such AI systems, which score or screen people, are used widely but remain largely unregulated even though some have been found to discriminate on race, gender or other protected traits. DHS said in an email that it is committed to ensuring that its use of AI is transparent and safeguards privacy and civil rights while avoiding biases. The agency said it is working to implement the Biden administration’s requirements on using AI , but Hysen said in his letter that security officials may waive those requirements for certain uses. Trump has publicly vowed to repeal Biden's AI policy when he returns to the White House in January. “DHS uses AI to assist our personnel in their work, but DHS does not use the outputs of AI systems as the sole basis for any law enforcement action or denial of benefits,” a spokesperson for DHS told the AP. Trump has not revealed how he plans to carry out his promised deportation of an estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally. Although he has proposed invoking wartime powers, as well as military involvement, the plan would face major logistical challenges — such as where to keep those who have been detained and how to find people spread across the country — that AI-powered surveillance tools could potentially address. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, did not answer questions about how they plan to use DHS’ tech, but said in a statement that “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation” in American history. Over 100 civil society groups sent a letter on Friday urging the Office of Management and Budget to require DHS to comply with the Biden administration’s guidelines. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Just Futures Law’s executive director, Paromita Shah, said if immigrants are scored as flight risks, they are more likely to remain in detention, "limiting their ability to prepare a defense in their case in immigration court, which is already difficult enough as it is.” SmartLINK, part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, is run by BI Inc., a subsidiary of the private prison company The GEO Group. The GEO Group also contracts with ICE to run detention centers. ICE is tight-lipped about how it uses SmartLINK’s location feature to find and arrest immigrants. Still, public records show that during Trump’s first term in 2018, Manassas, Virginia-based employees of BI Inc. relayed immigrants’ GPS locations to federal authorities, who then arrested over 40 people. In a report last year to address privacy issues and concerns, DHS said that the mobile app includes security features that “prohibit access to information on the participant’s mobile device, with the exception of location data points when the app is open.” But the report notes that there remains a risk that data collected from people "may be misused for unauthorized persistent monitoring.” Such information could also be stored in other ICE and DHS databases and used for other DHS mission purposes, the report said. On investor calls earlier this month, private prison companies were clear-eyed about the opportunities ahead. The GEO Group’s executive chairman George Christopher Zoley said that he expects the incoming Trump administration to “take a much more aggressive approach regarding border security as well as interior enforcement and to request additional funding from Congress to achieve these goals.” “In GEO’s ISAP program, we can scale up from the present 182,500 participants to several hundreds of thousands, or even millions of participants,” Zoley said. That same day, the head of another private prison company told investors he would be watching closely to see how the new administration may change immigrant monitoring programs. “It’s an opportunity for multiple vendors to engage ICE about the program going forward and think about creative and innovative solutions to not only get better outcomes, but also scale up the program as necessary,” Damon Hininger, CEO of the private prison company CoreCivic Inc. said on an earnings call. GEO did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, CoreCivic said that it has played “a valued but limited role in America’s immigration system” for both Democrats and Republicans for over 40 years.
Jaland Lowe flirted with a triple-double as Pitt improved to 6-0 with a 74-63 win over LSU on Friday afternoon at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Lowe finished with a game-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds and six assists for the Panthers, who have won their first six games of a season for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. It would have been the second straight triple-double for Lowe, who had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against VMI Monday. Ishmael Leggett chipped in 21 points and Cameron Corhen supplied 14, helping Pitt outshoot the Tigers (4-1) 44.4 percent to 37.3 percent overall. Vyctorius Miller and Jalen Reed recorded 14 points apiece for LSU, with Reed also snatching seven boards. Cam Carter contributed 11 points. Pitt took control in the first four-plus minutes of the second half, opening the period on a 13-0 run to build a 40-28 lead. The Tigers were held scoreless following the break until Carter converted a layup with 13:13 to go. It was still a 12-point game after Zack Austin hit a pair of free throws with 12:50 remaining, but LSU then rallied. Corey Chest, Reed and Jordan Sears each had a bucket down low for the Tigers during an 8-1 spurt that made it 43-38. However, Lowe stemmed the tide, answering with back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Panthers up 49-38 with 9:31 left. Miller did everything he could to keep LSU in contention, scoring eight points in a span of 1 minute, 23 seconds, with his four-point play getting the Tigers within 56-52 with 6:03 to play. But Pitt never let LSU get the upper hand, and it led by at least six for the final 5:05 of the contest. The Tigers had a 28-27 edge at intermission after ending the first half on an 8-2 run. LSU overcame a quick start by the Panthers, who raced out to a 12-6 advantage and led by as many as eight in the first 20 minutes of action. --Field Level MediaThe practice of using AI to write police reports has come under attack from the American Civil Liberties Union — and its new paper on the issue could end up influencing competition among suppliers of technology to law enforcement. The report is a fusillade against Axon, which makes body cameras and other products, along with software for AI-powered police reports. has faced controversy before about its products. In 2022, most of its AI Ethics Board resigned over the company’s plan to put . But the nearly century-old civil rights organization goes beyond criticism of that one company and says that police departments should avoid using artificial intelligence in most instances when crafting police reports. Many officers consider that task as among the most time-consuming chores they have, providing an opening to sellers of government technology. The need to be legally and factually precise — to create writing that will withstand scrutiny in court — adds pressure to the process. Not only that, but writing doesn’t come naturally to all police officers. That’s why gov tech companies such as have developed products designed to make that part of policing more efficient, using as a prompt and automation tool for police reports. The ACLU report, “ ” takes direct aim at Axon to make the case that AI can be sloppy and biased when used to guide the report-writing process. The ACLU bases its argument around several common criticisms of AI found in all industries: potential unreliability and bias, a lack of transparency around AI learning models and inputs, and the absence of privacy protections. In its paper, the ACLU anchored those concerns in the group’s analysis of Axon’s . The product takes audio files from body cameras, runs them through OpenAI’s GPT-4 large language model and produces what the ACLU report calls a “first-person narrative for the officer in the typical format of a police report.” Described by Axon as a “force multiplier” because, the company says, officers can spend up to 40 percent of their time on reports, Draft One prompts officers to insert specific details such as speed limits and driver’s license status to complete the famously dry narratives. As the ACLU analysis notes, Draft One also includes what amounts to a safety valve: The random insertion of “silly sentences” — say, a mention of a flying squirrel — into the reports to ensure that officers fix it. The idea is to make sure police officers are really reading and checking the veracity of these AI-generated reports. The ACLU, citing a comment from Axon leadership, is skeptical that all police departments would use that safeguard. The group also worries that and “absorb the racism, sexism and other biases” picked up by AI as it takes in vast amounts of data from the digital world. Data from body cameras also could provide less-than-complete data, depending on the sensitivity and placement of the microphone and other factors, the ACLU says. And since corporate use of AI training models are not subject to Freedom of Information requests, the civil rights group worries about the ability of defendants to fully challenge one of the tools involved in their prosecutions. The ACLU did not respond to a request for comment about the report. Earlier this year, Draft One underwent trials in Colorado and Louisiana and is now widely available in the U.S., an Axon spokesperson tells via email. Police in Maine and California also are interested in buying the product, a type of purchase that often requires a long lead time and substantial civic debate. For police in Fort Collins, Colo., the tool resulted in a 67 percent reduction in the time spent on report writing, which in turn frees up officers for more street duty, the spokesperson said, adding that “success stories” about the product “mostly center on how much quicker officers can complete their paperwork while maintaining quality.” The Axon spokesperson did not directly dispute any facts from the ACLU report but painted a picture of a solid, safe and supervised product. “Critical safeguards require every report to be edited, reviewed and approved by a human officer, ensuring accuracy and accountability of the information,” the spokesperson said, adding that the company asks ethical and other experts to provide feedback and testing. The spokesperson emphasized that Draft One requires officers to “review, edit and sign off on [the] accuracy” of their reports, and that use of the software leaves a digital audit trail. As well, use of the tool for now is “restricted” to minor incidents that do not include felonies and arrests, so that client agencies can get “comfortable with the tool before expanding to more complex cases.” The company’s double-blind study of the tool showed that Draft One produced equal or better reports than those written 100 percent by officers, at least when judged by such factors as completeness, neutrality, objectivity, terminology and coherence. The study included 24 experts from law enforcement and court systems. Axon’s own research also found “no statistically significant racial bias toward a particular race,” the spokesperson said. “As we look to the future, we believe that the responsible innovation of real-time operations, drones and robotics and artificial intelligence will enable public safety to observe, communicate and act like they have never done before, ultimately protecting more lives in more places,” the spokesperson said. The ACLU report comes at a sensitive, trying time for public safety. Law enforcement still faces staffing challenges and distrust from citizens over racism, brutality and associated issues in the aftermath of the . Meanwhile, Nashville recently rejected a police-backed using Axon tech, the latest example of and against relatively . No matter what happens, AI in policing — and report writing — seems unlikely to fade. One example of that comes from Missoula, Mont., where officials recently moved forward with a . "I'm pretty cautious about AI and how that might look, but we will consider it," said Missoula Police Chief Mike Colyer, according to the report. The ACLU report has the potential to shape how gov tech suppliers try to stand out in the crowded public safety tech space, where and AI is making its way to even . For instance, , an Axon competitor, all but welcomed the ACLU’s findings, even though Truleo uses AI for reports, too. CEO and co-founder Anthony Tassone says his company’s offers more safeguards than Draft One. Officers use Truleo to dictate a narrative of an incident — something they can do while driving — and the company’s technology then uses AI to “enhance” that information and come back with “suggestions.” Officers then make edits and finish the report on their own. Truleo had already positioned itself as the “ethical” alternative to Axon, and Tassone repeated that point during an interview with conducted after the release of the ACLU report. In his view, a “weapons manufacturer” — Axon sells Tasers — should not be in the business of AI-generated reports, as that can lead to conflicts of interests in the case of mishaps or fatalities. The AI could help an officer or department to basically clean up a report in favor of law enforcement. Another pitch used by Truleo is that Axon’s AI goes too far, and that body-cam transcripts can be severely unreliable. “They are asking AI to make determinations,” he said, adding that Truleo has opened its AI to “random studies” and privacy checks. “You can’t ask AI to properly attribute criminality to people. That’s an officer’s job.” The ACLU report recommends that no police department use AI to “replace the creation of a record of the officer’s subjective experience.” But the report did leave wiggle room that would seem to offer a company such as Truleo a boost during client sales meetings and city council debates about law enforcement purchases. The ACLU said that “safer and more limited” uses of AI could help with the “dull chore” of writing police reports. “For example, officers could make an audio recorded verbal narrative of what took place ... and computers could transcribe those accounts and perhaps perform some light cleanup and formatting to create an editable first draft,” the report states, adding that “like most people, [police] probably find it faster and easier to speak than to write.”WASHINGTON — Walmart, the world's largest retailer , has started giving associates body cameras to wear as part of a pilot program at a few of its U.S. locations. A person familiar with the program said that these body cameras are specifically for the safety of employees and not designed for anti-theft measures. It's not clear how many stores are part of the program, but the company confirmed its being tested in just one market right now. Fox Business reports the pilot involves multiple stores in Denton, Texas, about 40 miles from Dallas, which have reportedly posted signage letting customers know body cameras are being used. A shopper in Denton also shared a photo with CNBC that showed an associate checking receipts while wearing a yellow and black body camera earlier this month. "While we don’t talk about the specifics of our security measures, we are always looking at new and innovative technology used across the retail industry," Walmart said in a statement on Tuesday. "This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions." A photo reportedly of Walmart body cameras in charging bays was posted on Reddit last month . The photo included instructions for how to use the camera to record "an event if an interaction with a customer is escalating." While Walmart's body camera pilot program is focused on employee safety, it comes after another national retailer rolled out body cameras to help curb shoplifting. TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods stores started having their stores' unarmed security guards wear body cameras late last year, parent company TJX revealed in an earnings call back in May . A company spokesperson said at the time that they hoped the body cameras would help de-escalate incidents, deter crime and demonstrate to our employees and customers that they take safety in stores seriously.
Top Trump adviser Stephen Miller on Sunday morning laid out what policies the president-elect will enact on day one of his second administration and how the first 100 days might shake out. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Miller to serve as his homeland security adviser and deputy chief of staff for policy in his second administration. Miller served as Trump's director of speechwriting and senior adviser during the first administration. During an appearance on Fox News ' Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo , Miller discussed Trump's agenda starting with what he aims to do from day one, including reforms to border security as well as energy and tax policies, saying the plan is to put these policies on a "fast track." Newsweek reached out to the Trump transition team by email on Sunday morning for comment on Miller's interview. Miller went into greater detail on how the administration plans to actually tackle its massive border reform, which would result from a funding package from Congress that would lead to "the most significant border security investment in American history." The package would allow the government to increase the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) agents through incentives that include "historic" pay raises for agents and "full funding for military operations, full funding for ICE beds, full funding for Air and Marine operations, full funding for all of the barriers and technology that you need to ensure there's never another got away entering this country." "President Trump, regardless, on day one, is going to issue a series of executive orders that seal the border shut and begin the largest deportation operation in American history. But you're talking about what would be the largest investment in immigration and border security," Miller said. He added: "This is something Republicans have been talking about for decades, but with Donald Trump, this is something that is going to happen. It will be the most important and significant, as I said, domestic policy achievement in half a century." Additionally, Miller said that Congress would address a "comprehensive tax reform package" that would deal with State and Local Deductions (SALT) and "different policy baselines that you're going to use for the tax cuts, about corporate tax reform, about trade reform, manufacturing reform, and all those tax policies." "Tax reform will happen," Miller said. "It will happen, and it will be the greatest tax bill that we've ever seen now. These are not final these are ongoing discussions and negotiations. But I just want to be very clear that no one's talking about delaying tax reform." On other policies Miller expects to see in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration, he said: "You're going to have energy reforms, maybe additional border reforms, but the very important point in all this is that with the current size of the majority in the House, there isn't a proposal to pass taxes in February. That's going to take some period of time." Miller continued: "When President Trump comes into office right away, he's going to fully deregulate the energy market, fully deregulate the financial market, fully deregulate this economy. You're going to get a jolt of job growth and job creation and inflation relief from his deregulatory agenda unlike anything anyone has ever seen before."
NEW YORK , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces it is investigating potential breaches of fiduciary duties by the directors and officers of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) in connection with Southwest Airlines' information technology infrastructure impacting the Company's business, operations, and stock price. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Top trending stories from the past week. News, Sports, and more throughout the week. The week's obituaries, delivered to your inbox.Arkansas-Pine Bluff earns 120-61 victory over Ecclesia
The expanded Big Ten is poised to be a major player in this season's College Football Playoff. The 18-team conference had three of the top-four teams in the AP poll this week — No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State. A one-loss Indiana team is ranked 10th but is still very much a contender to make the playoff, given how many Southeastern Conference teams have three defeats or more. Indiana's rise has been perhaps the Big Ten's biggest story this season. Much of the spotlight was on newcomers Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington, but aside from the top-ranked Ducks, that foursome has struggled to impress. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers won their first 10 games under new coach Curt Cignetti before losing at Ohio State last weekend. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 back in October, and if the Buckeyes beat rival Michigan this weekend, they'll earn a rematch with the Ducks for the Big Ten title. And it's entirely possible another matchup between those two teams awaits in the CFP. Dillon Gabriel has quarterbacked Oregon to an unbeaten record, throwing for 3,066 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 games. But don't overlook Iowa's Kaleb Johnson and his 21 rushing TDs, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been a big part of Indiana's improvement. Penn State's Abdul Carter has eight sacks and two forced fumbles and could be one of the top edge rushers drafted this year. Oregon (11-0, 8-0), Ohio State (10-1, 7-1), Penn State (10-1, 7-1), Indiana (10-1, 7-1), Illinois (8-3, 5-3), Iowa (7-4, 5-3), Michigan (6-5, 4-4), Minnesota (6-5, 4-4), Washington (6-5, 4-4), Southern California (6-5, 4-5), Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) and Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) have already reached the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. Michigan State (5-6, 3-5) and Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) can join them. There may not be many firings in general at the top level of college football. The prospect of sharing revenue with athletes in the future might lead schools to be more judicious about shedding one coach and hiring a new one. Who should be most worried in the Big Ten? Well, Lincoln Riley is struggling to stay above .500 in his third season at USC. Purdue is 1-10, but coach Ryan Walters is only in his second season. Maryland's Mike Locksley has been there six years and his Terrapins are 4-7, but this was his first real step backward after guiding the team to three straight bowl wins. Cignetti has shown it is possible for a coaching change to push a previously moribund program to some impressive heights in a short amount of time — but the improvement has been more incremental at Michigan State following Jonathan Smith's arrival. Sherrone Moore wasn't a completely unknown commodity at Michigan after he won some massive games in place of a suspended Jim Harbaugh last year. But in his first season completely at the helm, the Wolverines have declined significantly following their national title a season ago. The Big Ten is home to one of the most dynamic freshmen in the country in Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. He has 52 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns. Highly touted quarterback Dylan Raiola has teamed up with fellow freshman Jacory Barney (49 catches) to lead Nebraska to bowl eligibility. Ohio State is on track to land the Big Ten's top class, according to 247 Sports, but the big news recently was quarterback Bryce Underwood flipping from LSU to Michigan. If the Wolverines do in fact keep Underwood in his home state, that would be a big development for Moore. Get local news delivered to your inbox!TC Energy Corp. stock falls Friday, underperforms marketFrom legend to landscape: Foxes leap at TRU (Campus Life - Kamloops)THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA TEASES ITS 2025 EXHIBITIONS
AbbVie Inc. stock rises Friday, still underperforms marketMadonna, the iconic “Material Girl” singer, on Monday, created a stir on social media by sharing two AI-generated images on Instagram that featured her in close proximity to Pope Francis. The images quickly went viral, attracting widespread attention and criticism. Controversial Image with Pope Francis The first image in Madonna’s post showed her dressed in a dark lace outfit, sitting beside Pope Francis. The image was highly suggestive, with the Pope appearing to lean in, his nose nearly touching her cheek. The caption read: “Going into the weekend like... ... ...” Madonna’s follow-up image showed her in a black bustier, with the Pope seemingly posed in a manipulated manner, appearing to engage in conversation with his arm around her. The pop star credited meme-maker @rickdick_ beneath the images, in bold red letters. Piers Morgan slams Madonna over controversial images The controversial images drew a sharp response from broadcaster Piers Morgan, who posted them on X (formerly Twitter) with a harsh critique of Madonna. He wrote: “Even by her pathetically embarrassing attention-seeking standards, this is truly dreadful. Grow up @Madonna – you ludicrous imbecile.” His comments fueled a broader debate online, with many condemning the images as disrespectful. Public Reactions to the Post Piers Morgan on Material Girl” singer Madonna Many social media users expressed their disapproval, with one commenter, @CoolbeachM, stating, “Disrespecting spiritual leaders is unacceptable. Such actions can cause harm and offense to many.” Another user, @stephaniellen, highlighted the potential dangers of AI technology, remarking, “The fact that we can now generate these images is going to cause a lot of problems.” However, not all responses were negative. Some defended Madonna’s actions, including @CmookieB, who encouraged others to be more lenient, saying, “Lighten up, Piers.” Also Read: Who Is Matilda Djerf ? Influencer Responds to Workplace Misconduct Claims After Toilet-Scrubbing and Body Shaming Accusations
NoneBoston, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Expert Consumers, a leading platform for product reviews and consumer insights, has announced QuickBooks Online as its choice for the Best Bookkeeping Software for December 2024. This recognition highlights QuickBooks Online's commitment to providing businesses with user-friendly, scalable financial tools in an increasingly complex economic environment. Best Bookkeeping Software: Transforming Financial Management with Cloud-Based Accessibility QuickBooks Online's cloud-based infrastructure ensures that businesses can access financial data securely and conveniently from any location. This feature aligns with current trends in remote work and distributed teams, enabling seamless collaboration between business owners, employees, and accounting professionals. By automating core functions such as expense tracking, income categorization, and tax preparation, QuickBooks Online reduces the administrative burden on businesses. Its ability to integrate with third-party applications also makes it adaptable for specific industry needs, further strengthening its relevance in diverse markets. Virtual Bookkeeping Solutions Address Growing Demand for Expert Support One standout feature of QuickBooks Online is its integration with QuickBooks Live, a virtual bookkeeping service designed to provide expert assistance to users. QuickBooks Live caters to two distinct needs: businesses seeking guidance while maintaining control of their bookkeeping processes and those requiring full-service support for end-to-end financial management. QuickBooks Live: Live Expert Assisted Services The Live Expert Assisted service offers businesses access to certified bookkeeping professionals who provide real-time support. Users can leverage this service to optimize their financial processes, troubleshoot issues, and ensure accurate data entry. This collaborative approach allows businesses to retain control over their books while benefiting from professional oversight. QuickBooks Live: Live Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping For businesses preferring a more hands-off approach, QuickBooks Live offers a Full-Service Bookkeeping option. Certified bookkeepers manage the entire bookkeeping process, including transaction categorization, monthly reconciliations, and preparation for tax season. This service is particularly valuable for businesses looking to focus on strategic growth while entrusting day-to-day financial tasks to experts. Flexible Plans and Pricing to Accommodate Business Needs QuickBooks Online's tiered pricing structure provides flexibility for businesses at various stages of growth. Features range from basic income and expense tracking to advanced tools for inventory management and payroll integration. This scalability ensures that businesses can adapt their financial tools as their needs evolve. QuickBooks Live is available as an add-on to QuickBooks Online plans, allowing businesses to choose the level of support that best suits their requirements. Detailed pricing information and plan comparisons are available on the QuickBooks website, providing transparency for businesses evaluating their options. Expanding the Ecosystem with Complementary Products In addition to QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Live, Intuit offers a suite of products designed to address specific business challenges. These include: Addressing Broader Trends in Financial Management The recognition of QuickBooks Online as the Best Bookkeeping Software by Expert Consumers underscores broader trends in the industry. The growing reliance on cloud technology and virtual services reflects a shift toward more flexible and accessible solutions. Businesses are increasingly seeking tools that not only streamline operations but also provide actionable insights to inform decision-making. Automation, another key trend, is transforming bookkeeping by reducing manual errors and freeing up time for strategic activities. QuickBooks Online's ability to automate repetitive tasks aligns with this trend, enabling businesses to operate more efficiently. Additionally, the demand for expert support, as evidenced by the popularity of QuickBooks Live, highlights the value of human expertise in navigating complex financial landscapes. Industry Recognition and Market Impact The selection of QuickBooks Online as the Best Bookkeeping Software reflects its strong market presence and consistent innovation. As businesses face increasing pressure to optimize financial management, solutions like QuickBooks Online play a pivotal role in supporting their success. Expert Consumers' recognition is based on an in-depth evaluation of factors such as usability, feature set, scalability, and customer support. QuickBooks Online's ability to meet these criteria, while addressing the diverse needs of its users, has solidified its position as a leader in the field. Businesses interested in exploring QuickBooks Online and its services can find detailed information on the QuickBooks website. Plans are available with flexible pricing options, and new users can access trial periods to evaluate the software's capabilities. The complete review of QuickBooks Online , along with detailed insights into its features and benefits, can be read on the Expert Consumers website . This review provides a comprehensive overview for businesses looking to enhance their financial management practices. About Expert Consumers: Expert Consumers provides news and reviews of consumer products and services. As an affiliate, Expert Consumers may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided. Contact: Drew Thomas ( [email protected] )
President-elect Donald Trump on Friday offered a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled choice to lead the Defense Department, whose confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat. Hegseth, a former Fox News Host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and privately reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump’s Pentagon. “Pete Hegseth is doing very well,” Trump posted on his social media site. “He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense." The president added that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” The pitched nomination battle over Hegseth is emerging as not only as a debate about the best person to lead the Pentagon, but an inflection point for a MAGA movement that appears to be relishing a public fight over its hardline push for a more masculine military and an end to the “woke-ism" of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Trump’s allies are forcefully rallying around the embattled Hegseth – the Heritage Foundation’s political arm is promising to spend $1 million to shore up his nomination – as he vows to stay in the fight, as long as the president-elect wants him to. “We’re going to earn those votes,” Hegseth said on Capitol Hill this week. “As long as Donald Trump wants me in this fight, I’m going to be standing right here.” The effort quickly become a test of Trump’s clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Two of Trump's other choices have stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former congressman Matt Gaetz, his first choice for attorney general; and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump’s first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. The president's son Donald J. Trump Jr, also made a show of support for Hegseth on Friday, part of a full-court MAGA press. “If you’re a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin, but criticize @PeteHegseth, then maybe you’re in the wrong political party!” he wrote on X. referring to Biden's defense secretary. Hegseth has promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops have also come under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women “straight up” should not serve in combat. He picked up one important endorsement from Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, whose support was seen as a potentially powerful counterweight to the cooler reception Hegseth had received from Sen. Joni Ernst, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. “Huge. Thanks to Katie for her leadership,” Vice President-elect JD Vance posted on social media. Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after her meeting with Hegseth this week. She said she appreciates his military service and they “had a frank and thorough conversation.” On Friday, Trump put out the statement in response to coverage saying he had lost faith in Hegseth, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The president-elect and his team have been pleased to see Hegseth putting up a fight and his performance this week reiterates why he was chosen, the person said. They believe he can still be confirmed. If Hegseth goes down, Trump's team believes the defeat would empower others to spread what they cast as “vicious lies” against every candidate Trump chooses. Still, Trump's transition team has been looking at potential replacements if Hegseth's nomination cannot move forward, including former presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis plans to attend the Army-Navy football game with Trump on Dec. 14, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor’s plans who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss them before a public announcement. And DeSantis and Trump had spoken about the defense secretary post when they saw each other Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff deputies in West Palm Beach, Florida, according people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive. At the same time, DeSantis also is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump’s orbit. Despite a weeklong push of private Capitol Hill meetings, Hegseth is facing resistance from senators as reports have emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. The New Yorker cited what it described as a whistleblower report and other documents about his time leading a veterans advocacy group, Concerned Veterans for America, that alleged multiple incidents of alcohol intoxication at work events, inappropriate behavior around female staffers and financial mismanagement. The New York Times obtained an email from his mother Penelope from 2018, in which she confronted him about mistreating women after he impregnated his current wife while he was married to his second wife. She went on “Fox & Friends” this week to defend her son. Trump ally Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said senators are judging “Pete for who he is today.” In many ways the increasingly pitched battle resembles the political and culture wars that exploded over Trump’s pick of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court during his first term at the White House. Kavanaugh had also faced allegations of sexual assault that he strenuously denied, but Republicans rallied to his side and turned a tide of opposition into a more sympathetic view of the Supreme Court nominee as the victim of a liberal-led smear campaign. He eventually won confirmation. While Hegseth was still fighting for votes in the Senate, he did appear to make incremental progress with some Republicans who had expressed concerns about the reports of his drinking, in particular. “I’m not going to make any decision regarding Pete Hegseth’s nomination based on anonymous sources,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said of the allegations against Hegseth, “I have no reason to doubt him any more than believe somebody else.” Still, Cramer indicated he could still change his mind. A background check “will be informative.” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said after meeting with Hegseth that he wanted to see how he does in a hearing but “he went a long way” toward getting his support. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in New York, Adriana Gomez Licon in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.Article content Donald Trump’s planned tax cuts would wipe out Canada’s slim corporate tax advantage, likely driving more capital from the northern nation and deepening its productivity crisis. Recommended Videos Canada’s federal corporate income tax rate is 15%, compared with 21% in the U.S.. After accounting for provincial and state levies, the two countries are similar, with the corporate rate between 25% and 27% in Canada and about 26% to 27% in the U.S., said John Oakey, vice president of taxation with Chartered Professional Accountants Canada. Trump has proposed slashing the U.S. corporate rate to 15%. He’s also pledged to extend his 2017 tax cuts, many of which are due to expire by the end of 2025, including individual income tax reductions. While he may face hurdles in Congress, the Republican sweep of both chambers makes it more likely he’ll pull off his agenda. His election “turns the heat up” on Canadian policymakers, said William Robson, chief executive officer of the C.D. Howe Institute, as the country “ought to be reducing the taxes that are the most punishing on entrepreneurial activity and investment.” That includes taxes on businesses and high earners. “We need to break the glass on our tax competitiveness problem,” he said. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland estimated earlier this year that the tax rate on new business investment would rise to 16.8% by 2028, more than eight points lower than a projected 24.9% in the U.S. Trump’s election upends that expectation. And her government’s decision to raise the capital gains inclusion rate in June to “make Canada’s tax system fairer” drew the ire of many economists and businesses. Under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, fiscal policy has been geared toward redistribution and has recently involved new spending on housing, daycare, dental and drug plans. That’s increasingly been funded by corporate taxes, which represented 21% of the federal government’s revenues in fiscal year 2022-23 — the highest in data going back to 1966. “Directionally, it’s becoming more clear that the U.S. is going in one direction and Canada’s going the other,” Oakey said. Trump’s tariff threats aside, Canada is at a disadvantage to the U.S. The world’s biggest economy has more than eight times Canada’s population. The US also spends more on research and development as a percentage of its economy — 3.6% in 2022, versus 1.8% for Canada. When Trump began slashing business taxes in 2017, Trudeau’s government responded by allowing Canadian firms to write off certain assets more quickly, including machinery and equipment. Those tax breaks are set to end this year. A top priority should be keeping those breaks as part of a “major shift” in Canada’s tax system, said economist Jack Mintz, president’s fellow in the school of public policy at the University of Calgary. The Business Council of Canada also recommended “a comprehensive review of the tax system to better incentivize private sector investments and boost wages” in a report from September. Mintz suggested reducing the country’s top personal tax rates, which are above 50% in most jurisdictions and kick in at lower incomes than in other Group of Seven countries such as France and Japan. Lost revenue could be recouped as businesses expand production or new firms are created, he said. The country’s parliamentary budget officer, Yves Giroux, has argued that Canada has the space for tax cuts. Brain Drain High taxes add fuel to concerns about Canada’s productivity problem, which the country’s central bank declared an “emergency” in March and attributed to limited capital investment. These conditions are prompting some entrepreneurs to consider moving elsewhere. That so-called brain drain has been a longstanding issue. Tech founders often point to Slack Technologies Inc., which originated in Vancouver but set up in San Francisco before being acquired by Salesforce in 2021 for $27.7 billion. An artificial intelligence chip startup called Tenstorrent founded in Toronto — valued this month at $2.7 billion — quietly re-domiciled to Santa Clara, California, at the end of 2023, according to tech publication The Logic. Others may follow suit. “Almost every day we’re talking about whether, for our own scale plans, it makes sense to stay in Canada or whether the move is to go to the United States in 2025,” said Herman Chandi, co-founder of UrbanLogiq, a Vancouver-based startup that sells data analytics to governments. Chandi said he’s mulling factors such as Trump’s tax agenda, the increase to Canada’s capital gains inclusion rate, “Buy American” procurement policies, the cost of living in Vancouver and anemic economic growth in Canada. His company’s investors may also require UrbanLogiq to move to the U.S., “and so those conversations are ongoing.” Tax advisers have also had conversations like these. “Anecdotally, I’ve heard from lots of professionals who have packed up and left or have at least said they’re considering leaving,” Oakey said. Kenneth Keung, a tax adviser with Moodys Tax in Calgary, said he’s also seeing a ramp up in wealthy clients, including manufacturers, asking for guidance on how they can move their businesses and assets to the US since Trump’s election. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, whose party holds a substantial polling lead over the incumbent Liberals, has pledged to cut taxes and regulations for businesses, though he’s not specified how low taxes would go. “Rampant tax increases by the Trudeau NDP-Liberal government have pushed money out of our country,” Poilievre said in a radio interview with CKNW in Vancouver last month, referring to a power-sharing deal the Liberals had with the left-wing New Democratic Party. He said he would eliminate the carbon tax, cut income tax and cut taxes on investment if elected.