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- A + A (May 24): President Joe Biden is seeking to show US resolve against China, yet an ill-timed gaffe on Taiwan risks undermining his bid to curb Beijing’s growing influence over the region. Whether intentional or not, Biden provoked China with a vow to defend Taiwan militarily. After saying that US policy on Taiwan “had not changed at all” during a news conference in Tokyo, he then answered “yes” when asked if the US would act “militarily” to defend the island in the event of a Chinese attack. “It’s a commitment we made,” Biden added. White House officials later walked back the remark, saying the president was only promising US aid to help Taiwan defend itself in the event of hostilities. That would be akin to what the US is doing in Ukraine, where Biden has vowed not to send troops. “The policy has not changed at all, and I stated that when I made my statement,” Biden said Tuesday when pressed by reporters to clarify the US position. The president’s … [Read more...] about Biden’s latest Taiwan gaffe stokes tensions with Beijing

By Rachel Metz , CNN Business Updated 1124 GMT (1924 HKT) May 24, 2022 (CNN Business) Cher Scarlett, a software engineer, has a history of being misidentified by face-scanning technology, including one instance that may have surfaced a distant ancestor in a photo. So when she was introduced to an online facial-recognition tool she hadn't heard of, she wanted to see whether it would mistake photos of her mom or daughter for her. On February 1, Scarlett uploaded some images of her teenage daughter and her mom to PimEyes , a facial-recognition website meant to be used to find pictures of yourself from around the web — ostensibly to help stamp out issues such as revenge porn and identity theft. She didn't get any images of herself in return — pictures of her daughter yielded other kids, she said, while one of her mom led to some pictures of her mother, plus images of other, similar-looking women. Anyone can use this powerful facial-recognition tool — and … [Read more...] about She thought a dark moment in her past was forgotten. Then she scanned her face online

(CNN) In mid-February, privacy and digital rights activists were buzzing about a recent victory: Earlier in the month, the Internal Revenue Service said it would back away from a controversial plan to force taxpayers to use facial-recognition software before they could log in to its website. "This has definitely been a major team effort — the hook, right, left uppercut," Joy Buolamwini, the founder and executive director of the Algorithmic Justice League, said excitedly during a Twitter Spaces session. "So many people coming together for this win." In addition to the Algorithmic Justice League, which raises awareness of the consequences of artificial intelligence, these people came from groups such as Fight for the Future, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the American Civil Liberties Union. All have been vociferous critics of the IRS in recent months, contacting reporters and urging individuals, legislators, and the IRS itself to halt a plan that, starting this … [Read more...] about Activists pushed the IRS to drop facial recognition. They won, but they’re not done yet

(CNN Business) Since launching in five US cities in 2007, Google's Street View cars have been circling the globe, using roof-mounted cameras to map more than 10 million miles of imagery — pictures that have been stitched together to build a visual map of much of the world. Yet while these cameras have made it possible for Google to capture many far-flung places, they tend to be bulky, heavy, and require a bunch of computing power that has to be added on inside Street View cars. On Tuesday, Google unveiled a new Street View camera it thinks will make it a lot easier to take pictures of the world, particularly in remote spots such as small islands and mountain tops. The camera weighs 15 pounds (about a tenth the weight of the current camera plus all the electronics the existing one requires); is modular so it can be customized with different sensors such as lidar when needed; and can quickly be connected to the top of a car's roof rack without needing the car to be … [Read more...] about Google’s new Street View camera is more portable (and looks weirdly cute)

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline The U.S. is releasing vaccines that can prevent monkeypox from its national stockpile, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials announced Monday, after at least one U.S. resident tested positive for the rare disease. Key Facts Over 1,000 doses of Jynneos , a vaccine for monkeypox and smallpox approved for adults, are currently in the Department of Health and Human Services’ Strategic National Stockpile , CDC officials said in a Monday afternoon call with reporters. Monkeypox is closely related to smallpox, and some treatments for smallpox are also effective against monkeypox. The U.S. accumulated a “good stock” of Jynneos in preparation for possible smallpox outbreaks, CDC disease specialist Dr. Jennifer McQuiston said Monday—even though smallpox has been eradicated for decades. The stockpile has over 100 million doses of the smallpox vaccine ACAM2000, McQuiston said, … [Read more...] about U.S. Will Release Monkeypox Vaccine From National Stockpile, CDC Says

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Jason Lee , the media maverick behind Hollywood Unlocked, has had an unique career path. Lee, an LGBTQA+ media personality, author, entrepreneur, and CEO of Hollywood Unlocked (HU) — a leading urban entertainment company — is well-known for his controversial opinions on the entertainment industry. In order to turn over a fresh leaf, Lee has decided to reinvent himself and redefine what he genuinely represents. Lee first appeared on the media landscape in the early 2010s, after leveraging contacts with celebrities and social media influencers to launch the successful online media company Hollywood Unlocked, which spawned the television and radio show Hollywood Unlocked with Jason Lee in 2015. The 44-year-old from Stockton, California, was always spilling tea, although in a different role, before starting his media company. Lee worked for SEIU United Healthcare Workers in California, where he was one of the few black … [Read more...] about Hollywood’s Cultural Critic Jason Lee Dispels Cancel Culture

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died before our eyes as a police officer knelt on his neck for approximately 9 minutes on a street in Minneapolis. Had Darnella Frazier, then 17, not captured the murder on her cell phone and posted it to Facebook, Floyd would have been yet another Black man to die in police custody – a statistic. Instead, George Floyd became a powerful symbol of persistent inequality and systemic injustice against Black Americans and a wake-up call for all. The response was historic – from the scores of leaders making forceful statements every day about racial justice to the $50 billion that U.S. companies pledged (but not necessarily paid) to support Black communities. To understand the complexities of where we stand as a nation, though, look no further than the racially motivated mass murder at a Buffalo grocery store on May 14. In an effort to capture the reality of being Black in America, we decided that we wanted to hear from leaders in the community. Here are … [Read more...] about Two Years After George Floyd, Black Leaders Reflect On Change

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Today Pfizer/BioNTech announced that their data on the three-dose Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to under age 5 years had favorable results regarding immune response, with minimal side effects. As reported in Forbes by Robert Hart , the three-dose regimen, unlike the previously studied two-dose regimen, produced an immune response similar to that of the two-dose regimen in 18- to 25-year-olds, with a strong safety profile. This comes at a time when Covid-19 cases are surging in many states, with some areas of the northeast determined to be back at “high alert” levels. Most regions nationwide have lifted nearly all Covid-19 mitigation measures, including masking and testing, and few jurisdictions have reverted to requiring either, despite the marked rise in daily case numbers as well as now in hospitalizations. Parents of the 18 or so million children under age five years in the U.S. have been eagerly … [Read more...] about Covid-19 Vaccines For Children Under Age Five Years: Explained

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin People with disabilities and chronic illnesses are asking themselves — not for the first time in the last few years — “What do we do now?” As a May 21, 2022 article in The Hill observes, “Americans are ‘checked out’ on COVID-19:” “Even in blue cities, restaurants are packed with people, and many Americans don’t wear masks even on the subway or on airplanes.” If the current surge continues, this may well turn out to be a serious problem for everyone. But this resolutely lax attitude already poses something close to an existential crisis for people with chronic illnesses and disabilities. High risk people today see a combination of more transmissible Covid variants, vaccines that may be losing effectiveness, funding for vaccines and treatments drying up, and public commitment to any sort of precautions just about gone. The disability community sees disaster looming — more mass death and disablement, and a choice … [Read more...] about 4 Things High Risk People Need Now To Fight Covid

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Breitling does it again. Today, the brand makes a real statement about its heritage and watchmaking prowess at a huge product-release event in Zurich. Not only is the Swiss watch brand releasing an all-new beloved Cosmonaute watch, but also it is recalling its rich aviation history for this release. The new timepiece recalls the watch worn by American astronaut Scott Carpenter in a space mission in 1962. Additionally, to set the tone for the release event, Breitling even brings the original watch worn by Carpenter (and fairly well destroyed in the seawater landing) to the forefront for the first time since the mission. The Space and Watch Race In the 1960’s when the world is in a space race, with various countries competing to be first in space and first on the moon, a similar race was taking place on Earth in the world of wristwatches. Watch brands were vying for room on astronaut’s and cosmonaut’s wrists. In … [Read more...] about Breitling Unveils Cosmonaute To Honor 60 Years Since Its First Historic Space Flight