TikTok CEO Shou Chew dodged questions Thursday about whether tactics by parent company ByteDance used to “spy” on American journalists could be used to target more Americans. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington questioned Chew on reporting by Forbes that staff at ByteDance used TikTok data last year to surveil journalists who were covering the company, gaining access to their IP addresses to track whether they had been in proximity to ByteDance employees. “TikTok spied on American journalists. Can you say with 100% certainty that neither ByteDance, nor TikTok employees, can target other Americans with similar surveillance?” TikTok CEO: “I disagree with the characterization that it was ‘spying.'” pic.twitter.com/EjWPzuvcec — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 23, 2023 “TikTok spied on American journalists. Can you say with 100% certainty that neither ByteDance, nor TikTok employees, can target other Americans with … [Read more...] about TikTok CEO Dodges On Whether Company Will Cease ‘Spying’ On Americans
Cvs on broad street
Petition Fails To Recall Mayor Of Crime-Stricken Blue City After Majority Of Signatures Deemed Invalid
A recall of New Orleans Democratic Mayor LaToya Cantrell has failed due to a large number of petition signatures being deemed invalid, according to The Associated Press. Most of the petition’s 67,000 signatures were deemed invalid by the registrar, leaving the petition short by roughly 18,000 signatures to recall the mayor, the AP reported . Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards declared that just 27,243 were valid, while the petition would need 44,975 to become effective. “Now, with the divisiveness of the failed recall campaign officially behind us, we must heal and recommit ourselves to working collaboratively to continue the progress we’ve made towards reducing crime, increasing public safety, building a more sustainable and resilient city and creating economic and job opportunities that benefit all of our people,” Cantrell said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation. The signatures could have been declared invalid for many reasons, like being … [Read more...] about Petition Fails To Recall Mayor Of Crime-Stricken Blue City After Majority Of Signatures Deemed Invalid
Goldman Is Reportedly Using AI To Write Code As Banks Crack Down On ChatGPT Use
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Goldman Sachs revealed that the company is using generative AI tools to aid its software developers in writing and testing code, just weeks after reports of major U.S. banks—including Goldman—restricting staffers’ use of ChatGPT. Key Facts The bank’s use of generative AI was only a “proof of concept,” Marco Argenti, Goldman’s chief information officer told CNBC Tuesday. The AI tool has been used by the company’s software developers to write “as much as 40%” of code in some cases, the report said. The tool does not intend to fully replace human coders, but rather make them “more productive,” Argenti said. Argenti did not disclose which generative AI tool is being used by the investment bank Key Background Last month, the Telegraph and Bloomberg reported that JPMorgan Chase had restricted the use of ChatGPT by its staff. The reports suggested that the ban wasn’t a result of any … [Read more...] about Goldman Is Reportedly Using AI To Write Code As Banks Crack Down On ChatGPT Use
Housing Market: Mortgage Rates Sink To 5-Week Low Amid Bank Havoc
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Mortgage rates tumbled last week to their lowest level in over a month, according to data released Wednesday morning by the Mortgage Bankers Association, as waning confidence in the U.S. banking system provides a reprieve to home buyers. Key Facts The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate slipped from 6.71% to 6.48% last week, falling to its lowest level since mid-February and its largest percentage decline since November. Mortgage applications rose 3% last week, according to the survey, as buyers take advantage of rapidly declining home prices. That followed a wild stretch for the banking sector – headlined by the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, the nation’s second and third-biggest such failures ever – causing investors to pack into safer assets such as government bonds. Yields for 10-year U.S. Treasury notes sank 70 basis points to 3.4% in the two-week period … [Read more...] about Housing Market: Mortgage Rates Sink To 5-Week Low Amid Bank Havoc
GOP Leans Into George Soros Conspiracies In Targeting Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Republicans decrying Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into former President Donald Trump as a politically motivated stunt have sought to exploit the Democratic prosecutor’s links to billionaire George Soros, who for years has been the subject of conspiracies that tie his philanthropic ventures to issues demonized by the right. Key Facts GOP lawmakers, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), are among the Republicans who have claimed that Bragg took millions of dollars from Soros, while criticizing Bragg’s investigation into hush-money payments made on Trump’s behalf during the 2016 presidential election. Trump has also mentioned Soros in criticizing Bragg’s investigation, calling him “a highly controversial, George Soros backed District Attorney” and claiming he “received in EXCESS OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS” from Soros in a series … [Read more...] about GOP Leans Into George Soros Conspiracies In Targeting Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg
Breaking Down The Case Against Trump: New York Prosecutors Must Prove Complex Legal Theory—And It Could Be Risky
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline The Manhattan district attorney is reportedly toying with what experts have called an untested legal theory in potentially bringing charges against former President Donald Trump—adding to the unprecedented nature of a case that could mark the first-ever indictment of a former president. Key Facts The primary charge prosecutors are considering is whether Trump falsified business records when the Trump Organization reimbursed his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen for payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign for the presidency in exchange for her silence about her alleged 2006 affair with Trump, according to multiple reports . Prosecutors must prove that Trump orchestrated the payments, but legal experts have said his lawyers could argue that Cohen made the deal on Trump’s behalf and without his knowledge (though Cohen has explicitly, and repeatedly, said he did so … [Read more...] about Breaking Down The Case Against Trump: New York Prosecutors Must Prove Complex Legal Theory—And It Could Be Risky
Alzheimer’s Blood Test That Could Help Diagnose Disease Earlier Is Being Developed By Eli Lilly And Roche
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Swiss pharma giant Roche on Wednesday announced plans to jointly develop a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease with American heavyweight Eli Lilly, eying swift U.S. approval as companies race to create and sell the very first drugs aimed at slowing the progressive cognitive decline brought on by the incurable illness. Key Facts Eli Lilly will work with Roche to develop a blood test to detect the early stages of Alzheimer’s, the Swiss firm said in a statement on Wednesday. The test, called the Elecsys Amyloid Plasma Panel, measures the levels of a particular protein in the blood that has been linked to the onset of Alzheimer’s. While not intended as a standalone test—further confirmatory tests for Alzheimer’s would be needed—Roche said it speeds up the diagnostic process and helps direct people to the most appropriate resources. As Alzheimer’s has a similar set of symptoms to other causes of … [Read more...] about Alzheimer’s Blood Test That Could Help Diagnose Disease Earlier Is Being Developed By Eli Lilly And Roche
Embracing The End Of The Password Here And Now
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Fran Rosch is the CEO of ForgeRock , a global leader in digital identity. Passwords have become an obstacle that hinders nearly all organizations—whether you’re an employee or user accessing an application, everyone has experienced the frustration of not being able to log in. Whether they’re forgotten, weak or outdated, passwords create friction in the user journey, causing lost business revenue, exasperated customers and a decrease in workforce productivity. Forrester researchers found that the typical cost of a single password reset is $70, with the average large enterprise allocating over $1 million annually to password-related support costs. Organizations try to balance strong security with convenience but often fail to achieve either. Stronger security frustrates users and hinders their productivity. Passwords were meant to increase security, but as the attack surface has expanded with a hybrid workforce, … [Read more...] about Embracing The End Of The Password Here And Now
Why Executives Need To Pay Attention To Strategic Innovation
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Daniel Saunders is the CEO of L Marks . He is a technologist-turned-investor and an experienced advisor in applied innovation. For most businesses, innovation means commercializing what the R&D department invents. This approach results in what is called "sustaining innovation," where you refine your offering each year, making small but consistent gains. But focusing solely on sustaining innovation closes you off from "strategic innovations" that can disrupt markets by offering something completely new. Complacency over the difference between these two types of innovation has led successful companies to struggle, as a business can become irrelevant overnight in the face of disruptive innovations. Strategic and sustaining innovation differ significantly in the types of solutions they produce, the timescales they work toward and the level of economic returns. Businesses that have mastered different forms of … [Read more...] about Why Executives Need To Pay Attention To Strategic Innovation
Pink Floyd Graphic Designer On ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ Cover Turning 50
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Not only is Pink Floyd's 1973 progressive rock album, The Dark Side of the Moon , iconic, but so is its simple yet striking cover art: a triangular prism set against a black background with a ray of light refracting through it. Though the band's name and the record's title do not appear on the front cover, the design is universally recognizable and synonymous with Pink Floyd—so much so that it has since appeared on apparel, posters, mugs, magnets, beach towels, patches, buttons, a British postage stamp , and even the sides of vehicles . In essence, The Dark Side of the Moon design has become the band's unofficial visual trademark. The distinctive cover art was conceived by the British graphic design company Hipgnosis , founded in the late 1960s by Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell, which has long worked on Pink Floyd albums. In the five decades since the release of The Dark Side of the Moon ( which is marking … [Read more...] about Pink Floyd Graphic Designer On ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ Cover Turning 50