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AI could revolutionize dentistry. Here's how. 2023-07-24 - New forms of artificial intelligence are already changing how we write, communicate with our doctors and even create art. But the rapidly evolving technology could soon have a permanent fixture in a more sensitive environment: our mouths. Hundreds of dental offices across the U.S. are now using AI-powered X-ray imaging technology from Boston-based VideaHealth. The software helps dentists deal with routine procedures, such as identifying cavities, as well as spot more serious conditions, including periodontal disease, or bone loss within the mouth often linked with diseases like diabetes or Alzheimer's. The overarching goal is to use AI not only to improve patients' oral health, but also to identify potential risks for non-oral diseases, VideaHealth CEO Florian Hillen told CBS MoneyWatch. "I was at MIT doing AI research in breast cancer, chest X-rays and the entire radiology spectrum," he said. "And I realized that AI in dentistry can have an even greater impact in society and health than maybe any other health care domain." AI's ability to discern patterns and correlations in vast sets of data make it a potentially powerful tool in clinical settings, especially in diagnosing medical conditions, according to health care experts. And Hillen believes dentistry can tap into the technology's power to help diagnose a range of other medical conditions. "The dentist, he is a radiologist, a primary care physician, a surgeon and a business person," Hillen said. "We want to be the first AI company in the world to diagnose or to analyze a billion people globally. And that's only possible in dentistry because everyone goes to a dentist every year... but hopefully not every one of us gets a chest X-ray, or a breast cancer screening every year." Like seeing 100 dentists VideaHealth's AI is similar to the one behind ChatGPT, a popular public AI model developed by OpenAI. Such "large-language models" use statistical techniques to swiftly analyze massive amounts of data. But VideaHealth's tech analyzes anonymized dental X-ray images and identifies patients for potential treatments based on their screenings. The AI tool incorporates a database of millions of images that have been annotated by dentists, with clinical details about different conditions. That enables faster, more accurate diagnosis and ultimately enhances the quality of dental care, Hillen said. "Our AI has been trained on 50 times as much data as one dentist alone would see in their entire lifetime," he added. "What we explain to our customers is it's like 100 dentists who have all seen 50 times as much data in their lifetime are looking over your shoulder." Dentist Dr. Michael Scialabba, chief clinical officer of 42 North Dental, a practice based in Massachusetts with over 113 locations, sees enormous potential value in VideaHealth's AI because of its capacity to eliminate human error and its power as a diagnostic tool. His practice has been piloting the software for a year and now uses it in all of the organization's offices. AI improves the consistency and quality of patient care, ensuring that patients get the same evaluation regardless of the experience of individual dentists, Dr. Scialabba said. The software also helps catch potential problem areas in the mouth that a dentist could miss, he added. "It accelerates the diagnostic abilities of a new graduate or a recent graduate, which is great, as well as somebody who's older, as the human eye makes mistakes, especially when we're busy in an office," Scialabba said. "The busier you get, the more things that you're going to forget to do or miss. Not intentionally, but it eliminates human error." Screening out bias? Using AI in dentistry also could help eliminate bias against patients based on their race, health, or socioeconomic status, Scialabba said. "Doctors look at patients and they create a bias whether they like it or not, and [AI] eliminates it," he said. "The product allows us to have a true conversation with the patient that's factual in nature, which allows us to treat the patients with the care needed at the earliest stage possible which drives better outcomes. And when you get better outcomes, patients are healthier, and that's ultimately the goal." To be sure, using AI — as with any new technology — in health care settings carries risks, tech and health care experts note. Since their emergence last year, ChatGPT and other types of so-called generative AI have been found to make a range of errors, providing incorrect and sometimes incoherent information. That calls for prudence in using AI in medicine and dentistry, said Dr. Patricia Garcia of Stanford Health Care, underlining the high stakes when using a new tool on real patients. Although the growing use of AI has stirred fears about job losses, Hillen and Scialabba don't see any immediate threat to dentists or other dental workers. "The AI is a tool to help an aiding of diagnostics — it can't diagnose without the doctor's agreement," Scialabba said. "So right now, I don't see that there's going to be any job risk for a dentist to adopt AI." "The function of providing hygiene care to patients is not going to go away, " he added. "I think this only can be enhanced because in many cases, [AI] can identify early stages of disease and promote patients getting a third cleaning a year or fourth cleaning a year. The sooner we can get these patients engaged with the technology, the more opportunities there are going to be for hygienists to work."
AMC ditching plan to charge more for best movie theater seats 2023-07-24 - Moviegoers no longer have to worry about paying extra for better seats at theaters operated by AMC Entertainment. The company has abandoned its pricing plan, AMC announced Thursday, leaving the cost of all seats in any given theater the same. The decision came months after AMC, the largest movie theater chain in the U.S., launched a pricing initiative pilot at three theaters. AMC had planned to roll the initiative out more broadly by the end of the year. "To ensure AMC's ticket prices remain competitive, the Sightline at AMC pilot program will come to an end at participating locations in the coming weeks, and the initiative will not roll out nationwide," the company said in a statement. AMC noted that its competitors did not follow in the chain's footsteps and charge based on seating choices. During the pilot, AMC offered three tiers of seating: value, standard and preferred. More than 75% of guests who previously sat in the preferred section continued to sit there during movies, even with the "slight upcharge," according to the company. AMC said there was almost no increase in moviegoers sitting in the front row, even though there was a "modest" price reduction for the seats. Many criticized the pricing plan when it was first announced, including "Lord of the Rings" actor Elijah Wood. "The movie theater is and always has been a sacred democratic space for all and this new initiative by @AMCTheatres would essentially penalize people for lower income and reward for higher income," he tweeted in February. The company noted it now plans one testing "spacious" front-row seating with reclining seats in select theaters later this year. Patrons will be able to "lay all the way back and relax." According to AMC, the angle of the seats will make it easier for guests to watch movies from the front row. AMC did not say if these seats would have a different cost than those in other rows. There are approximately 950 AMC theaters around the world.
SEC charges Digital World SPAC, formed to buy Truth Social, with misleading investors 2023-07-24 - The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday charged a so-called "blank check" acquisition company formed to merge with former President Donald Trump's social media company with fraud. In announcing a settlement with Digital World Acquisition Corporation, which is listed on the Nasdaq exchange, the SEC said the company misled investors and securities regulators by failing to disclose that it was planning to buy Trump Media & Technology Group before DWAC went public in 2021. Digital World is a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, a shell company that is created to take a private business public without conducting an initial public offering. "In the context of a SPAC — a 'blank-check' entity without business operations — these disclosure failures are particularly problematic because investors focus on factors such as the SPAC's management team and potential merger targets when making financial decisions," Gurbir S. Grewal, director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement, said in a statement. Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), based in Palm Beach, Florida, operates Trump's social media platform, Truth Social. Digital World has struggled to execute the planned merger with TMTG, failing to rally enough shareholder support to close the transaction. Digital World will pay an $18 million penalty if it completes the deal, the SEC said. For Trump Media, finalizing the deal would bring a critical injection of capital. Before its IPO, Digital World had raised roughly $300 million from investors, which agreed to pour more than $1 billion in funding to the merged entity. Shares of Digital World jumped more than 17% after the settlement was announced.
Seeing pink: Brands hop on "Barbie" bandwagon amid movie buzz 2023-07-24 - Why "Barbie" is in hot water over the nine-dash-line With movie stars prohibited from promoting the new "Barbie" film amid the actors strike, toy company and Barbie doll-maker Mattel worked overtime to keep the movie top of mind ahead of its release on Friday. Mattel has teamed up with various consumer brands which have formed licensing agreements with the toy maker to release limited-edition merchandise. Brands ranging from luxury apparel to fast food aren't hesitating to paint their worlds pink to cash in on fan interest in the film. "It adds some buzz and excitement to their line in the slow summer period. It's classic merchandising tied to a movie, which is good and bad," Allen Adamson, co-founder and managing partner of Metaforce, a marketing and branding agency, told CBS MoneyWatch. There's no real downside for Mattel and Warner Bros., the studio behind the film, to partnering with dozens of consumer brands. But whether or not the partnership proves successful for Airbnb, Balmain, Crocs, Gap and other Mattel collaborators, may depend on how popular the film is with audiences. "For merchandisers, it's only good if the movie is a success," Adamson said. "If the movie is a thud, everyone is going to be putting a lot of pink merchandise on sale." Mattel's strategy with the Barbie film also marks a notable departure from typical heritage brand marketing strategies. "They usually work with a closed group of brand professionals and disseminate product like it's gospel," Jason Moran, creative director at marketing firm Red Antler, told CBS MoneyWatch. "But I think Mattel is acknowledging that this kind of preciosity is also how you end up with some of the most formulaic and skippable marketing work in the market." As opposed to working to "push" a message to consumers, Mattel has effectively "built a brand world that pulls consumers in," Moran added. From haute couture to fast food Clothing and jewelry makers such as French fashion house Balmain and jewelry maker Kendra Scott, pool float-maker Funboy and home-sharing service Airbnb have all teamed up with Mattel to create Barbie-themed products and experiences. Airbnb has a listing for a one-night stay at Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse, while department store Neiman Marcus is exclusively selling a Balmain x Barbie collection. A hoodie from the limited-edition line retails for $1,350. Then there's fast food joint Burger King, which in Brazil is selling burgers with a pink-colored sauce for a limited time. Brands are riding the wave of excitement around the Barbie Movie, hitting theaters Friday. Barbie Burger King Brazil Mattel and clothing maker Gap also struck a deal to release a Gap x Barbie apparel collection featuring Barbie-branded T-shirts, hoodies, button-down shirts and more, available at gap.com. "We are excited to partner with Gap to combine Mattel's iconic brand portfolio with Gap's signature products," Josh Silverman, chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products at Mattel, said in a statement announcing the deal. There's even a Barbie-inspired reality television competition. Discovery-owned television channel HGTV launched the series, called "Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge" hosted by supermodel Ashley Graham earlier this month to coincide with the movie's release. Eight different teams will give a Southern California home a Barbie-style renovation, with one team's design being declared the "Dreamiest" at the end of the series. Brands are wise to jump on the Barbie bandwagon, according to Moran of Red Antler. "For them, partnering with Barbie provides huge added value beyond selling co-branded merchandise," he said. "The Barbie brand equity is a massive boon to earned attention for smaller brands. It's an awareness driver that enters them into the conversation." Live like Barbie for a night These are just some of the official partnerships. There are also companies without formal agreements in place that are going pink to see some green, with pink cocktails, digital filters and more. Mattel did not immediately respond to CBS MoneyWatch's request for comment on Barbie-themed product releases. To draw attention and promote listings on their websites, vacation rental companies Hotels.com and VRBO, both owned by Expedia Group, compiled a list of pink properties "for anyone looking to live like their favorite pink-obsessed doll." The properties include this listing for a pink, A-Frame style house in Texas, available for $400 a night. The sofa, refrigerator, tableware and towels? Also pink. Live like Barbie for a night or two at this all-pink house listed VRBO For Mattel and Warner Bros., the glut of Barbie-related merchandise is a good thing, according to Adamson. "It's all good for Mattel because it's more visibility for the film. You don't have to be in the theater to pay attention to Barbie. You see it everywhere you turn." But from other brands' perspectives, there may well be too much merchandise for consumers to choose from. "All these brands are trying to hook their sales to and catch the wave of the Barbie buzz this summer. They all want to use it to catapult them from their invisibility," he said. Whether the movie is a blockbuster or bomb, store discount racks could soon be inundated with the pink merchandise. "It's good if the movie is a success and people see it. If the movie is a bellyflop, then everyone has an egg on their face. It needs to be more than flash in pan, and we don't know if the buzz will last a day, a week, a month or longer," Adamson said.
Why the actors and writers strikes are good news for Netflix 2023-07-24 - Netflix, a major target of the current strikes by Hollywood writers and actors, has seen an unexpected cash boost from the two labor unions' actions. In its quarterly earnings report Wednesday, Netflix said it expects to have at least $5 billion in free cash flow for 2023 because of reduced operational costs as a result of the strikes delaying production schedules. That's a significant increase from its previous estimate of $3.5 billion. The company plans to use some of the extra cash to buy back stock, it said. "We're currently running a bit above our targeted minimum cash level, so we expect to increase our stock repurchase activity in the second half of 2023, assuming no material change in our business," Netflix said in a letter to investors. The company's chief financial officer, Adam Neumann, detailed some of the reasons for the cash boost on an investor call Wednesday. In addition to "the impact of the strikes," Neumann said the company had "early success" with its crackdown on password sharing, and plans to expand so-called paid sharing to every country where it operates. The company added more than 6 million new paid subscribers in the second quarter of this year, including 1.2 million in the U.S. and Canada. "Now that we've launched paid sharing broadly, we have increased confidence in our financial outlook," the company wrote. "We expect that our revenue growth will accelerate more substantially in Q4 '23 as we further monetize account sharing between households and steadily grow our advertising revenue." The company reported $1.8 billion in profit on $8.2 bilion in revenue for the three months ending in June. Creators demand a bigger cut Netflix and other streaming services have been the target of ire from striking actors and writers who say the massive growth of streaming video has come at the expense of the very people who produce hyper-popular content. Actors have taken to social media to share images of their actual checks from streaming residuals. "This is Us" star Mandy Moore revealed she received residuals payments as low as 81 cents from the show's deal with Hulu. Actor Mark Proksch recently told The Wrap that he makes more in residuals from his guest-star role in 19 episodes of "The Office," which ended in 2013, than he does as a lead actor on FX's "What We Do In the Shadows," now in its fifth season. Productions halted Entertainment productions have ground to a halt after some 65,000 SAG-AFTRA members took to the picket lines last week, joining 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America who went on strike in May. Both unions are seeking higher base pay and a bigger cut of streaming companies' revenue in the form of residual or licensing fees. According to SAG-AFTRA, the studios — a group that includes Apple; Amazon; Netflix; NBCUniversal; Sony and Paramount, the parent company of CBS News — have refused to negotiate pay raises for performers and the sharing of streaming revenue. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios says the union has "mischaracterized" their position. "The deal that SAG-AFTRA walked away from on July 12 is worth more than $1 billion in wage increases, pension & health contributions and residual increases and includes first-of-their-kind protections over its three-year term, including expressly with respect to A.I.," AMPTP said in a statement. "Super committed to getting to an agreement" Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos on Wednesday brushed off investor worries that the company would "run out" of content during the strike, highlighting returning seasons of popular series including "The Crown," "Top Boy," "The Upshaws," "Sweet Magnolias," "Heartstopper," "Virgin River" and "Too Hot To Handle." He also cited his own experience as the son of a union electrician, noting that when his father, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, went on strike, it took "an enormous toll." "These strikes, this strike is not an outcome that we wanted," he said. "But we've got a lot of work to do. There are a handful of complicated issues. We're super committed to getting to an agreement as soon as possible, one that's equitable and one that enables the industry and everybody in it to move forward into the future."
Neal Katyal to Jen Psaki: 'Two more' Trump indictments coming soon 2023-07-24 - Judge Luttig on Trump’s likely third indictment: 'These are the gravest offenses against the U.S.'
Alabama ignores Supreme Court ruling to fix gerrymandered maps 2023-07-24 - “Our state has an opportunity to show the country something different in terms of leadership.” Alabama Forward executive director Evan Milligan discusses the state legislature’s decision to ignore the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that it must redraw its voting district maps. Milligan also gives his opinion on the controversy out of Newbern, Alabama, where the elected Black mayor alleges that White incumbents are blocking him from assuming office.July 23, 2023
Fmr. Trump insider on Jack Smith & the so-called 'War Room' 2023-07-24 - Rep. Moulton: U.S. military being harmed 'not because of the Russian or Chinese, but because of a United States Senator from Alabama' 05:15
Georgia Prosecutors Could Bring Charges in Election Probe as Soon as July 31 2023-07-24 - IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.
Texas faces Monday deadline to avoid Dept. of Jusice suit over Rio Grande barrier to deter migrants 2023-07-24 - The Department of Justice is threatening legal action over Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's deployment of a 1,000-ft barricade of razor wire-wrapped buoys in the Rio Grande River between Mexico and Eagle Pass. Democratic Texas State Senator and U.S. Senate candidate Roland Gutierrez joins Katie Phang to discuss alarming allegations of migrants being denied water and young children being pushed into the Rio Grande River.July 23, 2023
One-on-One with Rep. Jamie Raskin 2023-07-24 - IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.
Woman found dead after grizzly bear encounter near Yellowstone National Park 2023-07-24 - WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — A woman was found dead in Montana on Saturday after coming into contact with a grizzly bear on a trail west of Yellowstone National Park. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a statement on Sunday that the woman was found deceased on a trail near West Yellowstone, a Montana town nestled in the Custer Gallatin National Forest just west of Yellowstone National Park. They said the woman was found deceased “following an apparent bear encounter” based on what investigators determined were grizzly bear tracks at the scene. The department said the investigation into the grizzly attack was ongoing. Rangers issued an emergency closure of the area where the woman was found, which is popular with hikers. Though the department’s statement said the death appeared to have followed the woman’s interaction with the bear, it did not confirm her cause of death. The attack comes amid a rise in Montana’s grizzly bear population and an increase in sightings. The department put out a news release last week warning visitors that staff had confirmed grizzly bear sightings throughout the state, “particularly in areas between the Northern Continental Divide and the Great Yellowstone ecosystems.” They implored those camping and visiting parks to carry bear spray, store their food while outside and tend to their garbage.
Southwest heat wave simmering since spring will expand to cover much of U.S. 2023-07-24 - A heat wave simmering in parts of the Southwest since spring was expected to expand into the central and eastern parts of the country for the last week of July, forecasters said Sunday. "For much of July hot dangerous conditions have been the normal in parts of the West, Texas and Florida," the National Weather Service said in a forecast discussion. "These summer conditions will build and expand across the Eastern two-thirds of the country this week, starting in the north-central states and Plains." Federal forecasters have issued excessive heat warnings and heat advisories for a wide swath of the U.S., including parts of California, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, the Dakotas, the desert Southwest and Texas, as well as the southern tip of Florida. Three high pressure systems of the type associated with hot weather were expected to move over the interior West, the Midwest and the Northeast, and Florida, according to the weather service. The heat wave's geographic expansion through at least Wednesday could be dampened by expected thunderstorms in the mid-Atlantic and the South and along the Gulf Coast, the weather service said. NASA reported July 13 that last month marked the hottest June on record for the planet. Last week, the director of the agency's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Gavin A. Schmidt, said at a news conference that July is likely to be the hottest month ever. Schmidt also said 2023 could go down as the fourth-hottest year on record, with the possibility it could ultimately rank higher as a new El Niño releases greenhouse gases and provides a warming influence for the North American West. The National Park Service has reported that at least four visitors in the Southwest are suspected to have succumbed to heat-related deaths since the beginning of June. The most recent was reported Tuesday after Steve Curry, 71, of Los Angeles, collapsed in 121-degree heat at Death Valley National Park, according to the park service. The weather service in Phoenix said Sunday that the city's record-breaking streak of high temperatures above 110 degrees continued into its 24th day. The high was 114. Maricopa County has counted at least 12 heat-related deaths since the warm months began in April. Additional deaths were under investigation to determine whether they were heat-related, according to a county report. Also Sunday, Salt Lake City recorded a temperature of 104, tying its record for the date, federal forecasters said. Miami posted a high of 98, beating its record of 95 for the date, the weather service said. Monday will be the 44th consecutive day in Miami with a heat index temperature, a "feels like" figure measured by including humidity, above 100 degrees, forecasters said. Fort Lauderdale tied its record high for the date, 95, according to the weather service. Nonstop heat started in Texas in mid-June, before June 21's summer solstice. Scientists say the prolonged summer warmth is consistent with the effects of global warming, which they say is creating more intense, frequent and prolonged bouts of extreme weather for much of the globe.
Spain at risk of political gridlock after conservative win falls short of toppling PM 2023-07-24 - MADRID — Spain appears headed for political gridlock after Sunday’s inconclusive national elections left parties on both the right and left without a clear path toward forging a new government. The conservative Popular Party won the elections, but it fell short of its hopes of scoring a much bigger victory and forcing the removal of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Instead, the party led by candidate Alberto Núñez Feijóo performed below expectations of most of the campaign polls. Even though Sánchez’s Socialists finished in second place, they and their allied parties celebrated the outcome like a victory since their combined forces gained slightly more seats than the PP and the far-right. The bloc that could likely support Sánchez totaled 172 seats; the right bloc behind Feijóo, 170. “It was a Pyrrhic victory for the Popular Party, which is unable to form a government,” said political analyst Verónica Fumanal, adding the conservatives will now have to reach out to the far-right, and even then it won’t be enough. “I see a deadlock scenario in the Parliament.” The closer-than-expected election was likely to produce weeks of political jockeying and uncertainty over the country’s future leadership. The next prime minister would be voted on only after lawmakers are installed in the new Congress of Deputies. But the chances of Sánchez of picking up the support of 176 lawmakers — the absolute majority in the Madrid-based Parliament — needed to form a government are not great either. The divided results has made the hardline Catalan separatist party Junts (Together) Sánchez’s potential kingmaker. If Junts asks for a referendum on independence for northeast Catalonia, that wouldmost likely be far too costly a price for Sánchez to play. “We won’t make Pedro Sánchez PM in exchange for nothing,” Míriam Nogueras of Junts said after the results left her party holding the keys to power. With 98% of votes counted, PP is on course for 136 seats. Even with the 33 seats that the far-right Vox is poised to get and the one seat set for a minor party that aligns itself with the PP would still leave far from its goal of a major victory. The Socialists are set to take 122 seats, two more than they had. But Sánchez can probably call on the 31 seats of its junior coalition partner Sumar (Joining Forces) and several smaller forces to at least total more than the sum of the right-wing parties. The election took place at the height of summer, with millions of voters on vacation and away from their regular polling places. However, postal voting requests soared. Coming on the tail of a month of heat waves, temperatures were expected to average above 95 degrees Fahrenheit, or as much as 18 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in many parts of the country. Authorities distributed fans to many of the stations.
At least 6 dead and 26 injured after violent weekend of shootings in Chicago 2023-07-24 - At least six people died and as many as 26 others were injured in gun violence that sprawled across Chicago over the last 48 hours. The identified victims were ages 13 to 64. Early Friday, a 41-year-old man was found in a vehicle in an alley in the Lower West Side. He had been fatally shot during an armed robbery. Later in the day, a 16-year-old boy was discovered on the sidewalk around the 1200 block of W. 81st Street with gunshot wounds to the chest. After being taken to a local hospital, he was pronounced dead. A 13-year-old boy was riding his bicycle Saturday when a car drove by and an occupant shot him, grazing him in a knee. He was taken to a local hospital in good condition. A group of people were standing on the sidewalk early Sunday when an unknown assailant fired shots from the west alley of the street, striking two women and a man. Officers discovered a 29-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head in a flipped-over vehicle near the 3000 block of W. 21st Street on Sunday morning. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition and pronounced dead later. CORRECTION (July 24, 2023, 1 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated when six people were killed and 47 others were injured in a mass shooting in a Chicago suburb. It was over the Fourth of July weekend last year, not this month.
Chris Christie slams Ron DeSantis over Florida's new Black history curriculum 2023-07-24 - Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican presidential contender, went after his rival Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday over his response to the Florida Board of Education's new standards for how African American history will be taught in schools. “DeSantis started this fire with the bill that he signed, and now he doesn’t want to take responsibility for whatever is done in the aftermath of it. And from listening and watching his comments, he’s obviously uncomfortable,” Christie said in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” The new history standards, which the board approved last week, teach students that some Black people benefited from slavery because it taught them useful skills. Updates to the curriculum were required by a 2022 law that DeSantis called the “Stop Wrongs To Our Kids and Employees Act,” or “Stop WOKE Act,” NBC South Florida reported. Vice President Kamala Harris rebuked the new standards Friday, decrying them as an effort by extremist leaders to spread propaganda. DeSantis swiftly pushed back on Twitter, accusing Harris and other Democrats of lying about the educational standards to “cover for their agenda.” He also dismissed Harris’ reaction as “absolutely ridiculous” and “totally outrageous” in brief remarks to reporters at the Utah Capitol. Asked to respond to the board’s wording of the curriculum change, DeSantis said: “I didn’t do it, and I wasn’t involved in it. “But I think — I think what they’re doing is, I think that they’re probably going to show some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into, into doing things later in life,” he continued, referring to enslaved people. “These were scholars who put that together. It was not anything that was done politically.” Christie took aim at DeSantis’ remarks Sunday. “‘I didn’t do it’ and ‘I’m not involved in it’ are not the words of leadership," he said. “If this was such a big issue for Gov. DeSantis, he had four years to do this. He only started to focus on this when he decided he wanted to run for president and try to get to the right of Donald Trump. “And so, I think people see this as politically manipulative," Christie added. DeSantis’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Christie has launched frequent attacks on DeSantis and other candidates in the early race for the GOP nomination. He spent nearly as much time slamming his presidential rivals as he did touting his own accomplishments at a nearly two-hour town hall in South Carolina on Friday night, his first outing in the state since he launched his campaign in June. Throughout the event, Christie made pointed jabs at several 2024 contenders, equally disavowing both Trump and President Joe Biden but also calling out DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley by name.
Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wins the Tour de France for 2nd straight year 2023-07-24 - PARIS — Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard has won the Tour de France for a second straight year as cycling’s most storied race finished Sunday on the famed Champs-Élysées. With a huge lead built up over main rival Tadej Pogačar, the 2020 and 2021 winner, Vingegaard knew the victory was effectively his again before the largely ceremonial stage at the end of the 110th edition of the Tour. Vingegaard drank champagne with his Jumbo-Visma teammates as they lined up together and posed for photos on the way to Paris. Jonas Vingegaard celebrates after winning the Tour de France in Paris on Sunday. Etienne Garnier / AFP - Getty Images It had been a three-week slog over 3,405 kilometers (2,116 miles) with eight mountain stages across five mountain ranges. Vingegaard seized control of the race over two stages in the Alps. Little had separated the two rivals until Vingegaard finished a time trial 1 minute, 38 seconds ahead of Pogačar on Tuesday, then followed up the next day by finishing the toughest mountain stage of the race almost 6 minutes ahead of his exhausted rival. “I’m dead,” Pogačar said. The Slovenian rider responded by winning the penultimate stage on Saturday, but Vingegaard still had an insurmountable lead of 7 minutes, 29 seconds going into the final stage — a mostly ceremonial stage which is contested at the end by the sprinters. “We have to be careful not to do anything stupid,” Vingegaard warned Saturday, “but yeah, it’s amazing to take my second victory in the Tour de France.” Belgian cyclist Jordi Meeus won the final stage in a photo finish between four riders on the line, just ahead of Jasper Philipsen, Dylan Groenewegen and Mads Pedersen. “It was my first Tour. It was a super nice experience already so far, and to take the win today is an incredible feeling,” Meeus said.
Brian Harman unstoppable in drama-free British Open win at Hoylake 2023-07-24 - HOYLAKE, England — Brian Harman turned back every challenge in the British Open, from big names to bad weather, and took his place among major champions Sunday with a victory that was never seriously in doubt at Royal Liverpool. Harman twice responded to a rare bogey with back-to-back birdies, leaving everyone else playing for second. He closed with a 1-under 70, making an 8-foot par putt on the last hole for a six-shot victory. At age 36, he is the oldest first-time major winner since Sergio Garcia was 37 when he won the Masters in 2017. That wasn’t a surprise. Not many would have seen this coming at the start of the week. Harman had gone 167 tournaments over six years since his last victory in the 2017 Wells Fargo Championship. This is only his third title in his 12 years on the PGA Tour. And then the avid outdoorsman made winning golf’s oldest championship look as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Masters champion Jon Rahm birdied his last hole for a 70 to make it a four-way tie for second with Tom Kim (67), Sepp Straka (69) and Jason Day (69). That turned out to be the B-flight. Harman took the lead on Friday morning with the second of four straight birdies early in the second round. He never trailed over the final 51 holes, leading by five shots after the second round and five shots after the third round. There was one anxious moment early on Sunday in a steady rain. Harman hit his drive into a gorse bush left of the fairway on the par-5 fifth hole and had to take a penalty drop. It led to his second bogey of the round. Rahm, playing in the group ahead, looked to get one of those breaks that fall to major winners. His drive had landed between bushes, allowing for a shot just short of the green and a birdie. The lead was down to three shots. The rain wasn’t stopping. The rest of the links, along with the pressure that comes with Sunday at a major, was still ahead of him. Harman drained a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 sixth, a 25-foot birdie putt on the next hole and he was on his way.
NBA Board of Governors approves Michael Jordan's sale of the Charlotte Hornets, AP source says 2023-07-24 - FILE - Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan speaks to the media about hosting the NBA All-Star basketball game during a news conference, Feb. 12, 2019, in Charlotte, N.C. The NBA Board of Governors has voted to approve Jordan’s sale of the Charlotte Hornets to an ownership group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday, July 23, 2023, on condition of anonymity because the sale won’t become official for at least another week. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File) FILE - Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan speaks to the media about hosting the NBA All-Star basketball game during a news conference, Feb. 12, 2019, in Charlotte, N.C. The NBA Board of Governors has voted to approve Jordan’s sale of the Charlotte Hornets to an ownership group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday, July 23, 2023, on condition of anonymity because the sale won’t become official for at least another week. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File) FILE - Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan speaks to the media about hosting the NBA All-Star basketball game during a news conference, Feb. 12, 2019, in Charlotte, N.C. The NBA Board of Governors has voted to approve Jordan’s sale of the Charlotte Hornets to an ownership group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday, July 23, 2023, on condition of anonymity because the sale won’t become official for at least another week. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File) FILE - Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan speaks to the media about hosting the NBA All-Star basketball game during a news conference, Feb. 12, 2019, in Charlotte, N.C. The NBA Board of Governors has voted to approve Jordan’s sale of the Charlotte Hornets to an ownership group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday, July 23, 2023, on condition of anonymity because the sale won’t become official for at least another week. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File) According to a person familiar with the situation, the NBA Board of Governors has voted to approve Michael Jordan’s sale of the Charlotte Hornets to an ownership group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The NBA Board of Governors has voted to approve Michael Jordan’s sale of the Charlotte Hornets to an ownership group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the sale won’t become official for at least another week. The decision ends Jordan’s 13-year run as majority owner of the franchise. He will remain on as a minority owner. Jordan agreed to sell the team on June 16. However, when an NBA owner decides to sell it first must be approved by the league’s Board of Governors. Jordan’s decision to sell leaves the NBA without a Black majority owner. Plotkin has been a minority stakeholder with the Hornets since 2019, while Schnall has been a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks since 2015. He has been forced to sell his investment in that team. The sale price is reportedly around $3 billion, according to ESPN. As an owner Jordan never came close to matching his success as a player, where he won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls while becoming one of the game's greatest players ever. Charlotte went 423-600 under Jordan, the 26th-best record over that span. The Hornets never won a playoff series in that time and haven’t been to the postseason in the past seven seasons. The owner members of the Hornets new ownership group include artist J. Cole, Dan Sundheim, Ian Loring, country music singer-songwriter Eric Church, Chris Shumway and several local Charlotte investors, including Amy Levine Dawson and Damian Mills. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Australia to buy 20 C-130 Hercules aircraft from the US for $6.6 billion 2023-07-24 - In this photo provided by the Australian Defence Force a AC-130 Hercules aircraft practices landing on the dirt airstrip at Benning Field during Exercise Northern Station 2007 near Townsville, Australia, Sept. 25, 2007. Australia said Monday, July 24, 2023, it will buy 20 new C-130 Hercules from the United States in a 9.8 billion Australian dollar ($6.6 billion) deal that will increase by two-thirds the size of the Australian air force’s fleet of its second-largest heavy transport aircraft. (ADF via AP) In this photo provided by the Australian Defence Force a AC-130 Hercules aircraft practices landing on the dirt airstrip at Benning Field during Exercise Northern Station 2007 near Townsville, Australia, Sept. 25, 2007. Australia said Monday, July 24, 2023, it will buy 20 new C-130 Hercules from the United States in a 9.8 billion Australian dollar ($6.6 billion) deal that will increase by two-thirds the size of the Australian air force’s fleet of its second-largest heavy transport aircraft. (ADF via AP) In this photo provided by the Australian Defence Force a AC-130 Hercules aircraft practices landing on the dirt airstrip at Benning Field during Exercise Northern Station 2007 near Townsville, Australia, Sept. 25, 2007. Australia said Monday, July 24, 2023, it will buy 20 new C-130 Hercules from the United States in a 9.8 billion Australian dollar ($6.6 billion) deal that will increase by two-thirds the size of the Australian air force’s fleet of its second-largest heavy transport aircraft. (ADF via AP) In this photo provided by the Australian Defence Force a AC-130 Hercules aircraft practices landing on the dirt airstrip at Benning Field during Exercise Northern Station 2007 near Townsville, Australia, Sept. 25, 2007. Australia said Monday, July 24, 2023, it will buy 20 new C-130 Hercules from the United States in a 9.8 billion Australian dollar ($6.6 billion) deal that will increase by two-thirds the size of the Australian air force’s fleet of its second-largest heavy transport aircraft. (ADF via AP) Australia says it will buy 20 new C-130 Hercules planes from the United States in a $6.6 billion deal that will increase by two-thirds the number of the Australian air force’s second-largest heavy transport aircraft CANBERRA, Australia -- Australia said Monday it will buy 20 new C-130 Hercules from the United States in a 9.8 billion Australian dollar ($6.6 billion) deal that will increase by two-thirds the size of the Australian air force’s fleet of its second-largest heavy transport aircraft. The announcement follows the U.S. Congress' approval last year of a larger sale of 24 of the Lockheed Martin-manufactured propellor-driven aircraft. The United States and Australia are currently conducting their biennial Talisman Sabre military exercise along the Australian coast that this year involves 13 nations and more than 30,000 personnel as global concerns intensify over an increasingly assertive China. The first of the new four-engine Hercules is expected to be delivered in 2027 and the new aircraft will eventually replace the fleet of 12 Hercules currently operated by the Royal Australian Air Force from RAAF Base Richmond near Sydney, Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy said. The purchase "will almost double the fleet and represents a massive uplift in capability, in mobility and transport for the Royal Australian Air Force,” Conroy told reporters. “Almost doubling the fleet gives us more capacity to deploy them on multiple operations at the same time, and that’s the critical driver,” Conroy added. The Australian air force also operates eight of the larger Boeing C-17A Globemaster heavy transport jet aircraft. The deal was confirmed ahead of U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with their Australian counterparts for annual talks late this week in the Australian city of Brisbane. It is Blinken’s third trip to Asia in less than two months, highlighting U.S. efforts to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. A closer bilateral military relationship with Australia was underscored Saturday when the USS Canberra was commissioned in Sydney. The Independence-variant littoral combat ship, built by Australian manufacturer Austal, became the first U.S. warship to be commissioned in a foreign port. The original Canberra was a U.S. cruiser launched in 1943 and named after the Australian cruiser HMAS Canberra, which was torpedoed by the Japanese in 1942 with a loss of 193 lives while supporting U.S. Marines landings in the Solomon Islands. The Australian warship was named for Australia's capital. The Solomons are again a security concern for the United States and its allies over recent security agreements that the South Pacific nation signed with China. Conroy, who is also Australia's minister for international development and the Pacific, flew to the Solomons later Monday to mark the 20th anniversary of the arrival in the capital, Honiara, of an Australian-led force of Pacific Islands troops and police. The Regional Assurance Mission to Solomon Islands was invited by the Solomons government to end years of civil unrest. The force left in 2017, but Australian police and military personnel returned in late 2021 at Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s request to quell anti-government and anti-China rioting. Australian peacekeepers remain in Honiara.