Today: October 07, 2024
Today: October 07, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Political

FTC probe of OpenAI: Consumer protection is the opening salvo of US AI regulation

The FTC probe of ChatGPT maker OpenAI aligns with concerns that members of Congress have expressed. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer The Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation of ChatGPT maker OpenAI for potential violations of consumer protection laws. The FTC sent the company a 20-page demand for information in the week of July 10, 2023. The move comes as European regulators have begun to take action, and Congress is working on legislation to regulate the artificial intelligence industry. The FTC has asked OpenAI to provide details of all complaints the company has received from users regarding “false, misleading, disparaging, or

FTC probe of OpenAI: Consumer protection is the opening salvo of US AI regulation
Political

China needs immigrants

Too few children means China needs to look outside the country for new blood. Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images China is entering a severe demographic crisis. For several centuries, the Asian nation has been the most populous country in the world. But it is now shrinking. In 2022, the country registered more deaths than births, and it will soon be surpassed by India in total population size – indeed, many demographers believe this has already occurred. As a scholar who has studied China’s demography for almost 40 years, I know the likelihood is this falling population will lead to an

China needs immigrants
Political

Registering refugees using personal information has become the norm – but cybersecurity breaches pose risks to people giving sensitive biometric data

A refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo registers his fingerprints on a biometric machine in Uganda in 2022. Badru Katumba/AFP via Getty Images The number of refugees worldwide reached record high levels in 2022. More than 108.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of violence or persecution. Meanwhile, governments and aid agencies are increasingly using a controversial method of effectively identifying and tracking many refugees. This method, known as biometrics, involves collecting someone’s physical or behavioral characteristics, ranging from fingerprints to voice. Organizations that collect the personal physical data can store it to instantly recognize

Registering refugees using personal information has become the norm – but cybersecurity breaches pose risks to people giving sensitive biometric data
Political

The Biden administration announces a cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices

The Biden administration and major consumer technology players on Tuesday launched an effort to put a nationwide cybersecurity certification and labeling program in place to help consumers choose smart devices that are less vulnerable to hacking. Officials likened the new U.S. Cyber Trust Mark initiative — to be overseen by the Federal Communications Commission, with industry participation voluntary — to the Energy Star program, which rates appliances’ energy efficiency. “It will allow Americans to confidently identify which internet- and Bluetooth-connected devices are cybersecure,” deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger told reporters in a pre-announcement briefing. Amazon, Best

The Biden administration announces a cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices
Political

House Republicans propose planting a trillion trees as they move away from climate change denial

As Speaker Kevin McCarthy visited a natural gas drilling site in northeast Ohio to promote House Republicans’ plan to sharply increase domestic production of energy from fossil fuels last month, the signs of rising global temperatures could not be ignored. Smoke from Canadian wildfires hung in the air. When the speaker was asked about climate change and forest fires, he was ready with a response: Plant a trillion trees. The idea — simple yet massively ambitious — revealed recent Republican thinking on how to address climate change. The party is no longer denying that global warming exists,

House Republicans propose planting a trillion trees as they move away from climate change denial
Political

Trump's classified documents case set for first pretrial conference hearing before Judge Cannon

A Florida judge who issued a court ruling last year that critics said was unduly favorable to Donald Trump is set to preside Tuesday over the first pretrial conference in his landmark criminal case concerning the mishandling of classified documents. Prosecutors and defense lawyers are scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to discuss the rules and procedures that will govern how classified evidence is used in the case. It’s a routine subject for any prosecution that concerns classified information, but it’s notable because it will be Cannon’s first time hearing arguments in

Trump's classified documents case set for first pretrial conference hearing before Judge Cannon
Political

Israel's president will meet with Biden as concerns over settlements, judicial overhaul continue

President Joe Biden on Tuesday is hosting Israel’s figurehead president Isaac Herzog at the White House, as they seek to sustain ties despite U.S. concerns over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial plans to overhaul his country’s judicial system and ongoing settlement construction in the West Bank. Herzog’s visit comes a day after Biden spoke with Netanyahu by phone and invited him to meet in the U.S. this fall, although the president expressed reservations about several of Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition’s policies. Netanyahu’s government is pushing forward with judicial changes that have sparked widespread protest in Israel and he

Israel's president will meet with Biden as concerns over settlements, judicial overhaul continue
Political

White House lawn turns to playground for kids' soccer clinic

Kidz Bop rang out on the stereo as groups of sweaty children beamed with joy at the chance to kick around soccer balls with major league professionals at the White House Monday. Children donning jerseys of their favorite Major League Soccer teams joined first lady Jill Biden and players from FC Cincinnati, DC United, Chicago Fire and other teams for a youth soccer clinic on White House South Lawn on a sweltering afternoon. They played pickup games of soccer until the early evening. White House staff eagerly passed out water to the kids and their parents. The

White House lawn turns to playground for kids' soccer clinic
Political

Georgia's top court rejects Trump attempt to thwart prosecutor in 2020 election investigation

Georgia’s highest court Monday rejected a request by former President Donald Trump to block a district attorney from prosecuting him for his actions in wake of the 2020 election. The Georgia Supreme Court unanimously shot down a petition that Trump’s attorneys filed last week asking the court to intervene. Trump’s legal team argued that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office should be barred from seeking charges and that a special grand jury report that is part of the inquiry should be thrown out. Willis has been investigating since early 2021 whether Trump and his allies broke any

Georgia's top court rejects Trump attempt to thwart prosecutor in 2020 election investigation
Political

Gag order issued ahead of Texas AG Ken Paxton's impeachment trial after 'inflammatory' remarks

A top Texas Republican who will oversee Attorney General Ken Paxton ‘s impeachment trial issued a sweeping gag order Monday that scolded “inflammatory” public comments made by lawyers on both sides ahead of the historic September proceedings. The order by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful leader of the state Senate, underscored how Paxton’s fight for his political survival over accusations of abuse of office has drawn some of Texas’ brashest and highest-profile legal figures. The impact was swift: Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, Paxton’s lead attorney, canceled a news conference scheduled for Tuesday after the order

Gag order issued ahead of Texas AG Ken Paxton's impeachment trial after 'inflammatory' remarks
Political

Russian fighter jet flies dangerously close to US warplane over Syria

A Russian fighter jet flew very close to a U.S. surveillance aircraft over Syria, forcing it to go through the turbulent wake and putting the lives of the four American crew members in danger, U.S. officials said Monday. The officials said the incident, which happened just before noon EDT on Sunday, was a significant escalation in what has been a string of encounters between U.S. and Russian aircraft in Syria in recent weeks. The intercept by the Russian Su-35 impeded the U.S. crew’s ability to safely operate their MC-12 aircraft, the officials said, calling it a new

Russian fighter jet flies dangerously close to US warplane over Syria
Political

Biden and Sanders meet union organizers amid labor turmoil

With labor turmoil roiling industries from coast to coast, President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders met with organizers at the White House on Monday to talk about ways to boost union membership. The organizers represent industries and workplaces that have not traditionally been represented by unions, such as Starbucks coffee shops and video game companies. Sanders, an independent from Vermont, said outside the White House that more people are “standing up and saying it is important for us to have a union so we can earn better wages, better working conditions, better pensions and dignity on

Biden and Sanders meet union organizers amid labor turmoil
Political

Potential jurors share strong feelings about Trump ahead of trial over Michael Cohen's legal fees

Jury selection began Monday in Michael Cohen’s civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization, in which the former president’s personal attorney and fixer claims he is owed more than $1 million. Roughly three dozen prospective jurors sat inside a Manhattan courtroom, largely silent as Judge Joel Cohen outlined the coming trial dates and posed a series of questions meant to weed out candidates with potential conflicts of interest. Then the judge asked the assembled group, all New Yorkers, whether they had strong opinions about former President Donald Trump or his family members. A few people snickered. More

Potential jurors share strong feelings about Trump ahead of trial over Michael Cohen's legal fees
Political

Top official in Justice Department's criminal division to depart

The head of the Justice Department’s criminal division is leaving at the end of July after two years of overseeing work that ranged from corporate fraud prosecution to war crimes investigations. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite’s tenure has included work to combat human smuggling, prosecute white-collar crime and pursue accountability for Russian war crimes in Ukraine, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “Under his leadership, the division has accelerated its efforts to keep the American people safe and tackle some of the most complex and urgent challenges our nation faces,” Garland said. He did not

Top official in Justice Department's criminal division to depart
Political

Citing Trump case, Pentagon leak suspect Teixeira urges judge to release him while he awaits trial

The Massachusetts Air National Guard member accused of leaking secret military papers challenged a judge’s decision that he remain behind bars, pointing Monday to the pretrial release of former President Donald Trump and others charged in high-profile classified documents cases. A magistrate judge who ruled in May that 21-year-old Jack Teixeira must remain behind bars while the case plays out found that releasing him would pose a risk that he would attempt to flee the country or obstruct justice. Teixeira’s lawyers are now asking a different judge to reverse that decision. In court papers, the defense attorneys

Citing Trump case, Pentagon leak suspect Teixeira urges judge to release him while he awaits trial
Political

Biden campaign staffs up with former White House aide Cedric Richmond and fundraising leaders

After having just four official staffers on the payroll last quarter, President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign on Monday announced that former White House aide and congressman Cedric Richmond is joining as co-chair and that two veteran Democratic fundraisers are signing on to lead outreach to donors. Richmond, who served as a senior adviser to Biden in the White House and director of the office of public engagement, has been a key political confidant to the president and is set to reprise that role on his campaign. Biden’s team also announced that Rufus Gifford and Chris Korge

Biden campaign staffs up with former White House aide Cedric Richmond and fundraising leaders
Political

US sending fighter jets, warship to Gulf region to protect ships from Iranian seizures

The U.S. is sending additional fighter jets and a warship to the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman to increase security in the wake of Iranian attempts to seize commercial ships there. The Pentagon said Monday that the USS Thomas Hudner, a destroyer, and a number of F-35 fighter jets will be heading to the area. The Hudner had been in the Red Sea. Defense officials last week announced the deployment of F-16s to the area over the past weekend, and there have been A-10 attack aircraft there for nearly two weeks in response to the

US sending fighter jets, warship to Gulf region to protect ships from Iranian seizures
Political

Blinken urges Congress to act on delayed ambassadorial nominations

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday urged the Senate to move forward with votes on more than 60 diplomatic nominations, including 38 ambassadors, that have been stalled due to objections by individual lawmakers. In a letter to all 100 senators and in public comments, Blinken said delays in confirmation votes for these nominees constitute a national security risk. Blinken said 35 of the 38 ambassadorial nominees are career foreign service officers who have served in both Republican and Democratic administrations. “Vacant posts have a long-term negative impact on U.S. national security, including our ability to reassure

Blinken urges Congress to act on delayed ambassadorial nominations
Political

Watchdog calls for House committee to uninvite RFK Jr. after his comments are blasted as antisemitic

A Democratic watchdog group has called for a U.S. House committee to rescind an invitation to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after the Democratic presidential candidate was filmed falsely suggesting COVID-19 could have been “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. Kyle Herrig, executive director of the Congressional Integrity Project, sent a letter to Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, asking him to disinvite Kennedy from a hearing scheduled for Thursday after the candidate’s comments at a New York City dinner last week

Watchdog calls for House committee to uninvite RFK Jr. after his comments are blasted as antisemitic
Political

Turning Point Action's student activists were torn between Trump and DeSantis last year. Not anymore

When student activists assembled in Florida last year for Turning Point Action’s annual summit, many were torn, wrestling with whether former President Donald Trump or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was the Republican Party’s best hope for 2024. One year later, there is no more doubt. Attendees at this year’s meeting booed at even the suggestion of a contested GOP primary. Trump, they overwhelmingly said, is their pick. “Trump, for sure. I don’t think anyone else really has a chance,” said Sky Sanchez, 21, a student from Durham, North Carolina, who was volunteering at the

Turning Point Action's student activists were torn between Trump and DeSantis last year. Not anymore
Political

GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy lists Senators Cruz, Lee as possible Supreme Court picks

Biotech entrepreneur and Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday released a list of 16 people he’d nominate to the U.S. Supreme Court or federal appellate courts if he becomes president, making him the first in the party’s field to itemize his possible top judicial appointments. Ramaswamy’s list includes Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah as possible nominees for the nation’s top court, as well as elevating federal judges who struck down President Joe Biden’s airplane mask mandate and the FDA’s two-decade-long approval of the abortion pill. The direction of the Supreme Court was a powerful

GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy lists Senators Cruz, Lee as possible Supreme Court picks
Political

Impunity over Wagner mutiny signals further degradation of rule of law in Russia

Face masks depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and owner of private military company Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin. AP Photo When mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin led his rebels in a short-lived mutiny, many observers focused on how it would challenge the Kremlin politically – few looked at how the episode and the reaction of the Russian authorities undermine the country’s legal system. On June 24, 2023, as the Wagner Group looked set to march on Moscow, the Russian Federal Security Bureau officially announced the opening of an investigation under Article 279 of the Criminal Code, which prosecutes armed mutiny. The crime

Impunity over Wagner mutiny signals further degradation of rule of law in Russia
Political

International African American Museum in Charleston, S.C., pays new respect to the enslaved Africans who landed on its docks

One of the exhibits of notable Black people on display at International African American Museum. courtesy of v2com/International African American Museum T Before Congress ended the transatlantic slave trade in 1808, the Port of Charleston was the nation’s epicenter of human trafficking. Almost half of the estimated 400,000 African people imported into what became the United States were brought to that Southern city, and a substantial number took their first steps on American soil at Gadsden’s Wharf on the Cooper River. That location of once utter degradation is now the hallowed site of the International African American Museum. Pronounced “I

International African American Museum in Charleston, S.C., pays new respect to the enslaved Africans who landed on its docks
Political

Events that never happened could influence the 2024 presidential election – a cybersecurity researcher explains situation deepfakes

The volatile mix of deepfakes and political campaigns is a good reason to be on guard. Sean Anthony Eddy Creative/E+ via Getty Images Imagine an October surprise like no other: Only a week before Nov. 5, 2024, a video recording reveals a secret meeting between Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The American and Ukrainian presidents agree to immediately initiate Ukraine into NATO under “the special emergency membership protocol” and prepare for a nuclear weapons strike against Russia. Suddenly, the world is on the cusp of Armageddon. While journalists could point out that no such protocol exists and social media users

Events that never happened could influence the 2024 presidential election – a cybersecurity researcher explains situation deepfakes
Political

Climate envoy John Kerry in Beijing talks as US seeks to raise China relations from historic low

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry was holding talks Monday with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing as the U.S. seeks to restore contacts amid disputes over trade, Taiwan, human rights and territorial claims. China’s official Xinhua News Agency said Kerry was meeting Monday with Xie Zhenhua for the first extensive face-to-face climate discussions between representatives of the world’s two worst climate polluters after a nearly yearlong hiatus. China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal and has proceeded with building new plants, while at the same time forging ahead with renewables such as solar and wind

Climate envoy John Kerry in Beijing talks as US seeks to raise China relations from historic low

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