Nearly three-quarters of Americans see weather disasters, like Hurricane Dorian, worsening and most of them blame global warming to some extent, a new poll finds. And scientists say they’re right. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey shows 72% of Americans think catastrophic weather is more severe, while 4% see …
your ad here‘Deepfake Challenge’ Aims to Detect Phony Video, Other Media
Technology firms and academics have joined together to launch a “deepfake challenge” to improve tools to detect videos and other media manipulated by artificial intelligence.The initiative announced Thursday includes $10 million from Facebook and aims to curb what is seen as a major threat to the integrity of online information.The …
your ad hereTrump Presents Medal of Freedom to NBA’s Jerry West
President Donald Trump is continuing his run of recognizing American sports greats with the nation’s highest civilian honor.Trump has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to pro-basketball great Jerry West, formerly of the Los Angeles Lakers, during a White House ceremony. Trump says West “richly deserved” the medal for …
your ad hereNessie Unmasked? Loch Ness Monster Might Be Giant Eel
Scotland’s fabled Loch Ness Monster might most likely be a giant eel, a study of samples of DNA in the lake’s murky waters has found.Neil Gemmell, a geneticist from the University of Otago in New Zealand, led the study that tried to catalog all living species in the lake by …
your ad here11 More Women Accuse Opera Star Placido Domingo of Sexual Abuse
Eleven more women have come forward with allegations of sexual assault against opera star Placido Domingo, according to the Associated Press.The news organization last month reported that nine women had made similar charges against the famed singer.The women allege Domingo’s actions included unwanted touching, persistent requests for private get-togethers, late-night …
your ad hereProtest Body Art Gains Popularity in NYC
A peculiar form of body art is gaining popularity in New York city – It’s protest body art where people paint their bodies, not with pictures and innocent images, but slogans aimed at fighting divisiveness. Nina Vishneva has the story narrated by Anna Rice. …
your ad hereAlmodovar’s ‘Pain and Glory’ Picked to Bid for 2019 Oscar
Spain’s Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences says that Pedro Almodovar’s latest drama “Pain and Glory,” which was inspired by his own life story, will represent the country in the competition for this year’s Oscars.The film starring Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz will compete with other global entries for a …
your ad hereSocial Media, Tech Companies Meet With US Intelligence on 2020 Election Strategy
A number of technology companies including Facebook Inc., Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft Corp. and Twitter Inc. met with representatives of the U.S. government Wednesday to discuss security strategies related to the 2020 U.S. election, Facebook said in a statement.The security teams of the companies met with representatives from the Federal Bureau …
your ad hereTwitter Turns Off Tweeting by Text to Guard Against Hacking
Twitter on Wednesday halted users’ ability to fire off tweets via text messages as it seeks to fix a vulnerability that led to CEO Jack Dorsey’s account being hijacked. Dorsey last week was the target of so-called “SIM swap” fraud, which enables a hacker to trick a mobile carrier into …
your ad hereRapper Future to Give Scholarships, Tickets to Fans on Tour
The rapper Future has promised to give a $2,000 scholarship and pair of concert tickets to a fan at each stop on his Legendary Nights tour.The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that eligible fans must be active area college students who follow Future’s FreeWishes Foundation on Instagram and submit an essay on …
your ad hereGoogle’s YouTube Video Site Fined $170 Million
Google’s YouTube video service has been fined $170 million to settle charges of illegally collecting and sharing personal information from children.The Federal Trade Commission fined Google $136 million and the company will pay New York state $34 million to settle similar allegations.The settlement is the largest in a case involving …
your ad hereOprah Winfrey Launching Wellness Arena Tour in Early 2020
Oprah Winfrey is taking her motivational spirit on the road early next year with an arena tour to promote a healthier lifestyle.The talk-show host and chief of OWN television network said Wednesday that she will launch the “Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus” tour starting Jan. 4 in Fort …
your ad hereSwedish Lawyer Won’t Appeal A$AP Rocky’s Assault Verdict
The lawyer for American rapper A$AP Rocky says his client won’t appeal his assault conviction for a June 30 street brawl in Stockholm.Slobodan Jovicic told Sweden’s TT news agency Wednesday that the rapper doesn’t have the energy to appeal. A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, had pleaded …
your ad hereA Smart Apron That’s Like an Extra Set of Hands
Online cooking videos are an indispensable tool for at-home chefs, but using a mobile device in the kitchen can get messy. A New York University student has solved the problem by turning the traditional apron into a remote control for devices. Tina Trinh reports. …
your ad hereBattle of Carthage: Tunisia Demolishes Homes to Protect Ancient Site
Saber Sessi was working the night shift at a municipality vehicle depot in Carthage, Tunisia, when he signed off on five bulldozers in the early hours of July 9.Unbeknownst to him, the intended target for those bulldozers was his home.”I opened the gate, I handed [the keys] over and then …
your ad here‘The Painted Bird’ Tells ‘Timeless’ Story of Survival in Dark Times
Set somewhere in rural eastern Europe towards the end of World War II, “The Painted Bird” is a sombre tale of a young boy trying to survive a harsh wilderness and the cruelty of strangers, and is described by one of its stars as “timeless.”Based on a 1965 novel by …
your ad hereTech Tools Can Lead Fight Against Modern Slavery, Says UN Expert
From tracing ill-gotten gains back to their source to spotting illegal factories, technology will be key in beating slavery as a fragmenting workplace leaves many more at risk, the United Nations leading expert on slavery said on Tuesday.With an increase in automation and temporary contracts, billions go without rights like …
your ad hereUS Plans for Fake Social Media Run Afoul of Facebook Rules
Facebook said Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security would be violating the company’s rules if agents create fake profiles to monitor the social media of foreigners seeking to enter the country.”Law enforcement authorities, like everyone else, are required to use their real names on Facebook and we make …
your ad hereFather-Daughter Bond Explored in Egoyan’s ‘Guest of Honour’
“Harry Potter” actor David Thewlis plays a father desperate to understand his adult daughter’s choices in “Guest of Honour,” an exploration of a family relationship with hidden secrets.The movie, directed by Atom Egoyan, begins with Veronica, a former high school music teacher recently released from jail, meeting a priest to …
your ad hereVeteran Swedish Director Andersson Reflects on Humanity in ‘About Endlessness’
A father tying up his daughter’s laces in the rain, a priest doubting his faith and a man being tied to a post and then abandoned all make up little slices of life in film’s “About Endlessness,” a reflection on humanity, be it kind or cruel.The Swedish director on Tuesday …
your ad hereUS Judge Says Opioid Litigation Can Proceed Toward Trial
A U.S. judge on Tuesday rejected efforts by drugmakers, distributors and pharmacies to dismiss claims that they caused the nation’s opioid crisis, clearing the way for a scheduled landmark trial even as he pushes for a nationwide settlement.U.S. District Judge Dan Polster, who oversees roughly 2,000 opioid lawsuits by state …
your ad hereFacebook Brings Face Recognition to All Users, Discontinues ‘Tag Suggestions’
Facebook said on Tuesday its face recognition technology will now be available to all users with an option to opt out, while deciding to discontinue a related feature called ‘Tag Suggestions.’Face recognition, which was available to some Facebook users since December 2017, notifies an account holder if their profile photo …
your ad hereNew York Declares End of Worst Measles Outbreak in Three Decades
US officials on Tuesday declared New York’s worst measles epidemic in nearly 30 years officially over after months of emergency measures that included mandatory vaccinations.About 654 people, many in areas with large Orthodox Jewish communities, were infected since October last year but there have been no new cases since mid-July, …
your ad hereConvicted Hacker Called to Testify to Grand Jury in Virginia
A convicted hacker who’s serving 10 years in prison for breaking into computer systems of security firms and law-enforcement agencies has been called to testify to a federal grand jury in Virginia.Supporters of Jeremy Hammond, part of the Anonymous hacking group, say he’s been summoned to testify against his will …
your ad hereWith a Nudge From the Young and Sober, Mocktails Taking Hold
Five years ago, for her 27th birthday, Lorelei Bandrovschi gave up drinking for a month on a dare. She was a casual drinker and figured it would be easy. It was, but she hadn’t banked on learning so much about herself in the process.“I realized that going out without drinking …
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