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Experts warn of AI, deepfake impact on coming elections

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:51:43 GMT

By Ali Swenson and Christine Fernando | Associated PressNEW YORK — Nearly three years after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, the false election conspiracy theories that drove the violent attack remain prevalent on social media and cable news: suitcases filled with ballots, late-night ballot dumps, dead people voting.Experts warn it will likely be worse in the coming presidential election contest. The safeguards that attempted to counter the bogus claims the last time are eroding, while the tools and systems that create and spread them are only getting stronger.Many Americans, egged on by former President Donald Trump, have continued to push the unsupported idea that elections throughout the U.S. can’t be trusted. A majority of Republicans (57%) believe Democrat Joe Biden was not legitimately elected president.Meanwhile, generative artificial intelligence tools have made it far cheaper and easier to spread the kind of misinformation that can mislead voters and potentially infl...

Car fire blocking eastbound traffic at Caldecott Tunnel

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:51:43 GMT

(KRON) -- People driving eastbound through the Caldecott Tunnel Tuesday afternoon should expect delays, Caltrans said. The left tunnel is blocked due to a car fire. The fire was reported by California Highway Patrol at 4:45 p.m. According to CHP's traffic log, the car is fully engulfed. Freeway cameras showed eastbound traffic on CA-24 backed up in front of the tunnel. There is no estimated time for the roadway to reopen, and drivers are encouraged to find other routes. This is a developing story. Stick with KRON4 for updates.

Major BART delay at Embarcadero due to medical emergency

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:51:43 GMT

SAN FRANSCISCO (KRON) -- There is a major BART delay at Embarcadero Station in the East Bay direction on the San Francisco Line due to a medical emergency, the transit agency tweeted Tuesday.No other information was provided, and no timetable was available for when the delay might be resolved. Calm before the storm: Officials urge storm prep as wet, unsettled weather returns In other commuter news, a car fire near the Caldecott Tunnel was snarling eastbound traffic. Drivers were advised to seek alternate routes.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

One person shot and killed in East Oakland, suspect in custody

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:51:43 GMT

(BCN) -- A person was shot and killed in Oakland on Tuesday and a suspect is in custody, the police department said. Police were alerted to a possible gunshot from the city's ShotSpotter system and they headed to the 1400 block of Sunshine Court just before 2:45 p.m.Officers located a person who had sustained at least one gunshot wound. Medical personnel attended to the victim but they were pronounced dead at the scene. Food truck stolen on Christmas Eve found at homeless encampment While investigating, police believed they identified a suspect and obtained a location for them. The suspect led police on a lengthy pursuit throughout the city, Oakland Police said, but with the assistance of a helicopter and other tools the person was eventually taken into custody. This is being investigated as a homicide and police have not released the name of the suspect or the victim at this time. Anyone who may have information helpful to this case is encouraged to contact the homicide section ...

Joe Flacco’s revival in Cleveland has the Browns on the verge of clinching a playoff spot

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:51:43 GMT

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — When they signed Joe Flacco in near desperation last month, the Browns hoped the veteran quarterback could keep them in the playoff mix. They needed someone to settle things down amid mounting injuries and uncertainty.Expectations were tempered when Flacco arrived.Four games later, they’re untethered.Flacco not only has Cleveland on the verge of its second postseason berth in 21 years, but the 38-year-old has many in this football-crazed city believing anything is possible with these Browns — and their top-ranked defense.In four games, he’s passed for 1,307 yards — more than any quarterback in that span — and 10 touchdowns, tying Flacco with Matthew Stafford of the Rams and Brock Purdy of the 49ers for the most during that period.Not bad for a guy who spent months watching games on TV at home in New Jersey while wondering if he had thrown his last pass.Clearly, Flacco’s got something left.“He’s played really well,” All-Pro left guard Joel B...

A cyberattack targets Albanian Parliament’s data system, halting its work

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:51:43 GMT

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s Parliament said on Tuesday that it had suffered a cyberattack with hackers trying to get into its data system, resulting in a temporary halt in its services.A statement said Monday’s cyberattack had not “touched the data of the system,” adding that experts were working to discover what consequences the attack could have. It said the system’s services would resume at a later time.Local media reported that a cellphone provider and an air flight company were also targeted by Monday’s cyberattacks, allegedly from Iranian-based hackers called Homeland Justice, which could not be verified independently.Albania suffered a cyberattack in July 2022 that the government and multinational technology companies blamed on the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Believed to be in retaliation for Albania sheltering members of the Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, or MEK, the attack led the government to cut diplomatic relations with Iran two months...

December run has surging Buccaneers going for another NFC South title

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:51:43 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are building confidence by the victory.“We don’t want to just be a Cinderella team,” linebacker Devin White said. “We want to be a team that can make some noise.”The Bucs (8-7) have won four straight games, rebounding from a stretch in which they dropped six of seven, to work their way back into contention for what would be a franchise-record third consecutive NFC South title.The division is one of the weakest in the NFL. Still, the way Tampa Bay has been playing in December, the Bucs could be a tough out in the playoffs.Especially if they continue to get strong play from Baker Mayfield at quarterback.“By any means necessary, we are trying to find a way to win,” Mayfield said, agreeing that the Bucs potentially could be an “extremely difficult” team to play if they continue trending the way they have in home victories over Tennessee and Jacksonville, as well as road wins at Atlanta and Green Bay.Tampa Bay has averaged 31 points per game ov...

¿Qué es la “biología de la resurrección” y por qué gana terreno en todo el mundo? 4 investigaciones que lo revelan

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:51:43 GMT

(CNN) — La biología de la resurrección, que intenta revivir cadenas de moléculas y organismos más complejos, está ganando adeptos en laboratorios de todo el mundo.El trabajo dista mucho de los dinosaurios modificados genéticamente que se escapan en la famosa película ” Jurassic Park”, aunque para algunos científicos el objetivo último es revertir la extinción y resucitar animales y plantas que se extinguieron.Otros investigadores buscan en el pasado nuevas fuentes de fármacos o hacen sonar la alarma ante la posibilidad de patógenos latentes desde hace mucho tiempo. Este campo de estudio también trata de recrear elementos de la historia humana en un intento de comprender mejor cómo pudieron vivir y morir nuestros antepasados.Estos son cuatro fascinantes proyectos de investigación en este campo emergente que comenzaron o avanzaron significativamente en 2023.Revivir virus “zombi”El aumento de las temperaturas en el Ártico está descongelando el permafrost d...

Bulls center Vucevic misses game against Hawks because of groin and hip injury

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:51:43 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Bulls center Nikola Vucevic missed Tuesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks because of bruised muscles around his left hip and groin, leaving Chicago without two star players.Coach Billy Donovan said Vucevic had an MRI on Tuesday. Donovan was not sure how long the two-time All-Star will be out. Vucevic was hurt trying to defend a dunk by Cleveland’s Max Strus during the Bulls’ loss to the Cavaliers on Saturday. Strus’ right knee struck Vucevic in the groin area.Vucevic, averaging 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds, missed his first game this season. He played in all 82 games last year. The Bulls host Joel Embiid and the 76ers on Saturday and play at Philadelphia on Jan. 2. Not having Vucevic for those games would obviously be a big blow for Chicago.Zach LaVine, meanwhile, started doing some light cutting on Tuesday. He missed his 13th consecutive game because of inflammation in his right foot.“He’s still got to ramp up a lot more in term...

Eberflus hopes to see more big passing plays in Bears’ final 2 games

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:51:43 GMT

The Chicago Bears have a star receiver in DJ Moore, another potential deep threat in Darnell Mooney and an improved offensive line.Despite all that, they’re 28th in the NFL in passing after beating the Arizona Cardinals 27-16 on Sunday. Coach Matt Eberflus would like to see more big passing plays.“We just got to just continue to work on that,” Eberflus said Tuesday. “It’s got to, to your point, get the downfield, explosive throws. How you score in the NFL is to get explosive passes and explosive runs. That’s what you need to do.”The Bears are averaging 182.6 yards passing. And with two games remaining, they don’t have much time left to work on it.The Bears came into the season hoping Justin Fields would take a big step forward as a passer. But that hasn’t happened.Against Arizona, Fields had a 53-yard completion to tight end Cole Kmet. But his overall passing numbers were modest: 15 of 27 for 170 yards, after throwing for 166 yards the previous week. He also ran fo...