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U.S. Special Forces Want to Use Deepfakes for Psy-Ops

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:44 GMT

U.S. Special Operations Command, responsible for some of the country’s most secretive military endeavors, is gearing up to conduct internet propaganda and deception campaigns online using deepfake videos, according to federal contracting documents reviewed by The Intercept.The plans, which also describe hacking internet-connected devices to eavesdrop in order to assess foreign populations’ susceptibility to propaganda, come at a time of intense global debate over technologically sophisticated “disinformation” campaigns, their effectiveness, and the ethics of their use.While the U.S. government routinely warns against the risk of deepfakes and is openly working to build tools to counter them, the document from Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, represents a nearly unprecedented instance of the American government — or any government — openly signaling its desire to use the highly controversial technology offensively.SOCOM’s next generation propaganda aspirations are outlined in a ...

AC Milan reaches Champions League QF with 0-0 draw at Spurs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:44 GMT

LONDON (AP) — AC Milan advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League after holding 10-man Tottenham to a goalless draw on Wednesday.Brahim Diaz’ strike in the first leg of the round-of-16 matchup was enough to separate the teams as even the return of manager Antonio Conte could not inspire a comeback from Spurs.Seven-time European champions Milan cruised through the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which saw Cristian Romero sent off in the second half.Harry Kane’s 94th minute header was the closest the home team came to leveling the score on aggregate — before Milan substitute Divock Origi hit the post in a frantic finish.Conte was back on the sideline for Tottenham after spending two-and-a-half weeks in Turin recovering from gallbladder surgery.But the he could only watch on as his team failed to break down Italian champions Milan, meaning Spurs’ 15-year wait for a trophy goes on, having failed to win any silverware since the League Cup in 2008.Tottenham i...

Jim Boeheim’s long career at Syracuse ends, Autry takes over

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:44 GMT

Basketball Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim’s 47-year tenure as coach at Syracuse came to awkward end on Wednesday, with the university saying Orange assistant Adrian Autry has been promoted to the job.The move came less than three hours after Syracuse lost to Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, after which Boeheim hinted at retirement but said it would ultimately be the university’s decision.Then came the news from the school: “Today, as his 47th season coaching his alma mater comes to an end, so too does his storied career at Syracuse University. Associate Head Coach Adrian Autry ’94, one of Boeheim’s former players and longtime assistant, has been named the program’s next head coach.”Autry has been on Boeheim’s staff since 2011, and held the title of associate head coach since March 2017.The 78-year-old Boeheim’s record in his 47 seasons, officially, was 1,015-441. That reflects 101 wins taken away by the NCAA for violations between the 2004-07 and 2010-12 seasons.W...

Best: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:44 GMT

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — HANGZHOU, China (AP) — Best Inc. (BEST) on Wednesday reported a fourth-quarter loss of $55.8 million, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier.On a per-share basis, the Hangzhou, China-based company said it had a loss of 71 cents. Losses, adjusted to account for discontinued operations and stock option expense, came to 60 cents per share.The logistics company posted revenue of $287.3 million in the period.For the year, the company reported a loss of $212.2 million, or $2.70 per share, swinging to a loss in the period. Revenue was reported as $1.12 billion.Best expects full-year revenue in the range of $1.3 billion to $1.38 billion.In the final minutes of trading on Wednesday, the company’s shares hit 73 cents. A year ago, they were trading at $3.10._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on BEST at https://www.zacks.c...

PSG eliminated by Bayern Munich in Champions League last 16

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:44 GMT

MUNICH (AP) — Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé will have to wait another year for a chance to win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain.Bayern Munich contained the World Cup stars and beat PSG 2-0 on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals 3-0 on aggregate.After former PSG forward Kingsley Coman scored in the round-of-16 first leg, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting — another former PSG player — doubled the advantage before Serge Gnabry finished off the scoring at Allianz Stadium.Shortly after having a goal ruled out for offside, and also inadvertently blocking a teammate’s shot, Choupo-Moting scored in the 61st minute to put Bayern on course for the quarterfinals and send PSG out of the Champions League in the last 16 for the second year running.Leon Goretzka and Thomas Müller teamed up to take the ball off Marco Verratti and Goretzka squared the ball for Choupo-Moting to apply a simple finish with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stranded.Two substitutes then linked up to make ...

Earthstone Energy: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:44 GMT

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Earthstone Energy Inc. (ESTE) on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter earnings of $129.6 million.On a per-share basis, the The Woodlands, Texas-based company said it had net income of $1.20. Earnings, adjusted for one-time items, came to $1.04 per share.The oil and gas company posted revenue of $495 million in the period.For the year, the company reported profit of $452.5 million, or $4.83 per share. Revenue was reported as $1.7 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on ESTE at https://www.zacks.com/ap/ESTESource

Morant to miss 4 more games, Colorado police say no charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:44 GMT

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will be away from the team for at least four more games, the team said on Wednesday, shortly after police announced that he will not face charges in Colorado related to the livestreamed video is which he appeared to be displaying a gun in a strip club.“Ja Morant will continue to remain away from the team for at least the next four games,” the team said with no further comment.That means Morant will miss games against Golden State on Thursday, home against Dallas on Saturday, at Dallas on Monday and at Miami on March 15. The earliest he could play is March 17 at San Antonio, and there’s no guarantee of that.Meanwhile, the Glendale Police Department said it looked into the video, which was a stream that Morant showed on his Instagram channel while he seemed to be holding a firearm, and found no proof that a crime was committed. Glendale is an enclave surrounded by the city of Denver.“In this case, it should be noted that on the night in question the G...

Greenlight Capital Re: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:44 GMT

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands (AP) — GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands (AP) — Greenlight Capital Re Ltd. (GLRE) on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter net income of $34.8 million.The Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands-based company said it had profit of 91 cents per share.The property and casualty reinsurance service provider posted revenue of $145.5 million in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $143.9 million.For the year, the company reported profit of $25.3 million, or 73 cents per share. Revenue was reported as $538.5 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on GLRE at https://www.zacks.com/ap/GLRESource

82-year-old charged with sale of fake Michael Jordan cards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:44 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — An 82-year-old Colorado man was charged Wednesday with selling and trading fake Michael Jordan basketball cards in a scheme that prosecutors said resulted in him making more than $800,000 over four years.Mayo Gilbert McNeil was arrested in Denver, where he lives, after a complaint was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s office. McNeil was accused of making numerous fraudulent deals beginning in 2015, including the 2019 sale of a counterfeit card to a victim in Manhasset, New York, for $4,500, and a 2017 deal in which he traded two counterfeit cards for two authentic Tom Brady football cards.“Mr. McNeil defrauded sports memorabilia collectors of more than $800,000 by intentionally misrepresenting the authenticity of the trading cards he was peddling when, in fact, they were counterfeit,” Michael Driscoll, assistant director-in-charge of the FBI’s New York field office,...

Swarm of earthquakes at remote Alaska volcano signal unrest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:44 GMT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A swarm of earthquakes occurring over the past few weeks has intensified at a remote Alaska volcano dormant for over a century, a possible indication of an impending eruption.The Alaska Volcano Observatory raised the alert level to advisory status for Tanaga Volcano late Tuesday after the quakes became very vigorous.“We started seeing a whole lot of earthquakes occurring, one after the other, several per minute,” said John Power, a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey stationed in Anchorage at the Alaska Volcano Observatory. There have been hundreds of small earthquakes, none larger than magnitude 2.75, but concentrated beneath the summit of the volcano, he said.“That indicates that we’re seeing significant unrest at the volcano,” Power said.“Whether or not this will lead to an eruption is something we can’t say at this point in time,” he said. “But we are concerned about it enough that we have gone and elevated the warning level.”While the ...