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Denver mayor’s race centers on crime, housing, homelessness

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:35:47 GMT

DENVER (AP) — As Denver faces a rising crime rate, growing homeless encampments and dizzying housing costs, voters on Tuesday are expected to whittle down an unusually large and divergent field of 16 candidates for mayor — including a former boxer, an investment banker, a state lawmaker and a former Crenshaw Mafia Gang member.The fear that undergirds the wide open race is clear. Denver — the fast-growing, relatively young, business and tech hub of the U.S. Mountain West — is tumbling toward a fate similar to that of other major cities.“The San Franciscos or the Portlands or Seattles … have not been able to turn the tide on things like homelessness and affordable housing and public safety,” said candidate Mike Johnston during a recent debate.Johnston, a former state senator, is among candidates seeking the political post as Denver’s CEO, a position that has become a steppingstone for ambitious politicians.Former Mayor John Hickenlooper launched a successful gubernatorial campai...

Federal privacy watchdog probing OpenAI, ChatGPT after complaint about popular bot

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:35:47 GMT

OTTAWA — The federal privacy commissioner has launched an investigation into the company behind ChatGPT, an explosively popular artificial intelligence-powered chatbot.The watchdog’s office announced Tuesday that it is initiating the investigation into U.S.-based company OpenAI because it received a complaint alleging “the collection, use and disclosure of personal information without consent.”Privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne said in a statement that artificial intelligence and its effects on privacy are a top priority, and his office must stay ahead of “fast-moving technological advances.”Dufresne’s office said it won’t release further details at this time, but its mandate is to publicly report on the results of investigations after they conclude.ChatGPT, launched last November, uses written information already available on the internet to provide detailed, conversational responses to queries posed by users — and has been exploited to...

GM passes Ford to take No. 2 spot in EV sales behind Tesla

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:35:47 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors rode strong first-quarter sales of the Chevrolet Bolt to bump crosstown rival Ford out of second place in the U.S. electric vehicle sales race.But GM’s EV sales of 20,670 were still far below those of industry leader Tesla, which delivered more than 161,000 vehicles in the U.S. from January to March, according to estimates from Motorintelligence.com.Ford sold only 10,866 EVs during the quarter, but the company said that’s largely because it had to stop making the top-selling Mustang Mach-E electric SUV while it retooled a factory in Mexico to increase production. Spokesman Said Deep said the company didn’t build Mach-Es for seven weeks during the quarter, cutting into sales.Also, Ford was forced to stop making the F-150 Lightning electric pickup in February after a battery caught fire during a pre-delivery quality check. The problem was fixed and production resumed March 13.Still, Ford’s EV sales rose 41% above last year’s ...

Maple Leafs won’t wear themed jerseys for team’s Pride night Tuesday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:35:47 GMT

The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t wear themed warmup jerseys for the team’s annual Pride night celebration Tuesday.The organization has held Pride nights in support of the LGBTQ community since 2017, but has never sported special warmup jerseys.The Leafs say rainbow stick tape will be available to players during the pre-game skate, and the team has a number of other events planned throughout the night.Toronto players and head coach Sheldon Keefe donned rainbow-themed T-shirts during a Tuesday morning media availability before facing the Columbus Blue Jackets.A small group of NHLers have declined to wear Pride warmup jerseys this season, including Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Ivan Provorov, San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer, Eric and Marc Staal of the Florida Panthers, and Buffalo Sabres blue-liner Ilya Lyubushkin.Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly has marched in Toronto’s Pride parade along with general manager Kyle Dubas and team president Brendan Shanahan in the past.

Dangerous overnight severe storms expected in Midwest, South

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:35:47 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — People still sorting through the wreckage of their homes after deadly weather hit just days ago braced for another wave of strong storms, likely including tornadoes, that were expected in parts of the Midwest and South beginning Tuesday evening and stretching overnight, prompting officials to warn residents to have shelter ready before going to sleep.“This could be a night to just set up down in the basement to be safe,” said Tom Philip, a meteorologist in Davenport, Iowa.The storms were expected to hammer some areas hit just days ago by deadly storms that killed at least 32 people, meaning more misery for those whose homes were destroyed in Arkansas, Iowa and Illinois. Dangerous conditions Tuesday also could stretch into parts of Missouri, southwestern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas. Farther south and west, fire danger will remain high.“That could initially start as isolated supercells with all hazards possible — tornadoes, wind and hail — and then over tim...

Trump at courthouse for arraignment. Here’s what to expect

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:35:47 GMT

Former President Donald Trump came to a New York City courtroom Tuesday for his arraignment on charges related to falsifying business records in a hush money investigation, the first president ever to be charged with a crime. The Republican former president, who has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly assailed the investigation, has called the indictment “political persecution” and predicted it would damage Democrats in 2024. Trump’s lawyers have said the former president “did not commit any crime” and they will “vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.”What to expect: WHAT’S THE PLAN? Trump flew into New York from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday and traveled by motorcade to the Manhattan courthouse from Trump Tower on Tuesday to face a judge for his afternoon arraignment.WILL THERE BE A ‘PERP WALK’? No. So-called perp walks happen when a criminal suspect is taken in handcuffs out of a police precinct and then driven to the...

Prosecutor: Chinese man charged in $1B fraud ‘sociopathic’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:35:47 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A Chinese businessman charged in a $1 billion fraud was labeled “sociopathic” by a prosecutor as a judge heard arguments Tuesday over whether any bail conditions could ensure he’d not flee or engage in illegal business practices while awaiting trial.U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres did not immediately rule whether bail can be set for Guo Wengui, 54, who was arrested three weeks ago on charges including wire and securities fraud. He was charged in court papers under the name Ho Wan Kwok.Guo, once thought to be among the richest people in China, left in 2014 during an anti-corruption crackdown as individuals close to him were ensnared, including a top intelligence official. Chinese authorities have accused Guo of rape, kidnapping, bribery and other offenses. Since then, he has been sought by that nation’s government. Guo has maintained that the allegations against him in China are false, saying they were intended to punish him for publicly outing corruption the...

Ex-military couple faces 4th sentencing in child abuse case

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:35:47 GMT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A former U.S. Army major and his wife accused of routinely beating their young foster children and denying them food and water as punishment will be sentenced for a fourth time. But, the sentencing will be handled by a different judge, a federal appeals court has ruled.Federal prosecutors have argued that the sentences U.S. District Judge Katharine Hayden gave to John and Carolyn Jackson were too lenient. In a ruling issued Monday, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that Hayden failed to follow its directions to consider the children’s multiple injuries “holistically and in the context of the jury’s findings of guilt” in determining causation.Noting the repeated sentencings, the panel also concluded that Hayden — who presided over the Jackson’s 2015 trial — would have “substantial difficulty in putting out of her mind her previously expressed views of the evidence,” so they ordered that the matter be reassigned to another jurist. However, it’s not ...

Winnipeg police say another woman’s body has been found in a landfill

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:35:47 GMT

Winnipeg police are reporting the discovery of another Indigenous woman’s body in a landfill.Police say the remains of Linda Mary Beardy were found Monday afternoon at the city-run Brady landfill in south Winnipeg.Inspector Shawn Pike says the death is suspicious and is being investigated by the homicide unit.Pike says the case is not believed to be linked to the remains of other women found in landfills in the Winnipeg regionThe partial remains of Rebecca Contois were found in the same landfill last year.The remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran were discovered last year in the privately run Prairie Green landfill north of Winnipeg.Jeremy Skibicki is accused of killing those three women as well as an unidentified woman Indigenous leaders have named Buffalo Woman.The Canadian Press

Politician gets house arrest in Dominican corruption case

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:35:47 GMT

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — A judge in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday ordered an ex-presidential candidate held under house arrest and two former high-ranking officials jailed while awaiting trial in a record $347 million embezzlement case linked to illegal campaign financing.Gonzalo Castillo, a former public works minister who won 37% of the vote when he ran in the 2020 general elections and lost to current President Luis Abinader, was held under house arrest on $365,000 bond. Donald Guerrero, former treasury minister, and José Ramón Peralta, former administrative minister to the presidency, were ordered held without bail for 18 months.The judge also banned former comptroller general, Daniel Omar Caamaño, from leaving the country, and placed former director of the State Sugar Council, Luis Miguel Piccirilo, under house arrest.It wasn’t immediately clear if their attorneys would appeal the decision. A total of 20 suspects have been arrested in the case. Officials of ...