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UK’s Sunak to discuss AI risks with Kamala Harris at summit before chat with Elon Musk

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

BLETCHLEY PARK, England (AP) — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are set to join senior politicians from around the world on Thursday at a U.K. summit focused on containing risks from rapid advances in cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Sunak organized the first-ever AI Safety Summit as a forum for officials, experts and the tech industry to better understand “frontier” AI that some scientists warn could pose a risk to humanity’s very existence.The leaders of the United Nations and the European Union joined talks on the second day of the meeting, held at a former codebreaking spy base near London. It kicked off on Wednesday with an agreement signed by 28 nations, including the U.S. and China, to work toward “shared agreement and responsibility” about AI risks, and a plan to hold further meetings in South Korea and France over the next year. Binding regulation for AI is not among the summit’s goals. Sunak has said that the U.K.’s ...

GTA home sales drop 5.8% in October amid high borrowing costs

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

Home sales in the Greater Toronto Area fell 5.8 per cent last month compared with October 2022, with sales of townhouses recording the biggest decline.On a monthly basis, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says last month’s 4,646 home sales were relatively flat over the 4,631 sales in September.The board attributes the year-over-year slide to a lack of affordability and uncertainty associated with high borrowing costs, which has sidelined many would-be homebuyers.The average home price reached $1,125,928, a 3.5 per cent increase from last October. Related: Canadian Real Estate Association cuts forecast for home sales and prices this year Home sales, prices will likely fall in short term but pick up next spring: TD report More Canadians opting for home co-ownership amid affordability crunch: Royal LePage New listings surged 38 per cent to 14,397 in October compared with 10,433 in October 2022, which had marked a 12-year low.TRR...

Woman shot, another hit by car on South Side

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

CHICAGO — Two women are hospitalized following a shooting and a hit-and-run on the city's South Side.It happened around 9:10 p.m. Wednesday in the 7900 block of South Paxton. Police said a 24-year-old woman was in an alley when she was shot by a man who then fled the scene on foot.According to police, the woman was in a vehicle at the time of the shooting. She was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition with a gunshot wound to the shoulder.Police said a 23-year-old woman was also in the alley at the time of the shooting and was struck by a red sedan, which fled the scene. She was transported to the same hospital in good condition. Off-duty CPD officer under investigation after shoving 8th grader No one is in custody. Area Two Detectives are investigating.

Mayor Johnson headed to Washington D.C. over migrant crisis

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

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson is joining other mayors in Washington D.C. Thursday to ask federal officials for help with the migrant crisis.It's happening a day after city councilors showed division on purchasing land for a new shelter.Johnson will join mayors from New York, Denver, Houston and Los Angeles to ask for financial assistance with handling migrant housing.Since last year, Chicago has received more than 20,000 migrants from the Texas border — and opened 24 shelters.The handling of asylym seekers has divided Chicago's City Council.Purchasing an abandoned retail property to build a Morgan Park shelter for migrants was derailed by a group of frustrated alderpeople Wednesday, some saying the money spent on migrants could be given to communities in need.The discussion led to a call for a special city council vote regarding whether Chicago should keep its status as a sanctuary city. City Council vote on migrant shelter in Morgan Park temporarily shelved A group of council m...

Thursday Forecast: Temps in low 50s with partly cloudy conditions

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

CHICAGO — Temperatures in mid-50s Thursday with partly cloudy conditions. Winds: SW 10-15 G25. High: 51. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Partly cloudy tonight. Winds: SW 10-15 G30. Low: 41.Friday Forecast: Mostly cloudy, SW 10-15 G30. High: 54.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

What are junk fees, and how do you avoid them?

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

NEW YORK (AP) — “Junk fees” are just what they sound like: hidden or misleading charges that increase the total cost of concert tickets, hotel rooms, utility bills and other goods and services.The Biden administration has proposed a new Federal Trade Commission rule that would require more transparency from companies when it comes to these fees, as well as regulation from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and the Department of Labor. You can also avoid the fees by staying vigilant, challenging late-breaking add-ons, and comparison shopping.Here's what to know:WHAT QUALIFIES AS A JUNK FEE?Often junk fees don’t appear until the final pages of a checkout process, such as when buying concert tickets, airline tickets, hotel stays, or other products with “processing charges.”These fees may also appear late in the payment process when it comes to housing, such as when acquiring a rental, as well as when purchasing services for incarcerated people (such as phone calls, emails, or money...

ERCOT raises emergency alert thresholds

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

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said Wednesday it increased the threshold it uses to initiate energy emergency alerts.ERCOT triggers these alerts when the megawatt amount in operating reserves drop below certain levels.According to ERCOT, it increased the minimum operating reserves requirements for emergency operations for each of its three Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) levels.“The generation resource mix that powers the grid has changed, and how we operate the grid has evolved with it,” said ERCOT Senior VP and COO Woody Rickerson in a statement to KXAN. “By increasing the minimum reserve levels for the different EEA levels, we are better representing system requirements during emergency conditions.”ERCOT said it made the change as it studied what it needs to keep to “maintain system reliability” even during emergency conditions. It said that level of reserves has increased as more wind, solar, and battery storage resources have supplied power durin...

5 things to know this Thursday, November 2

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

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Happy almost Friday! According to Meteorologists Jill Szwed and Matt Mackie, we can expect seasonably chilly temperatures with more sun than clouds after a cold morning. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! In August, a New York Supreme Court judge’s order blocked the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) from issuing more recreational dispensary licenses. Next week, a decision in that case is expected. Also, new details are available on the arrests made recently in connection to the death of a special-needs elderly woman. NEWS10 took a look at felony complaints that said the defendants failed to properly monitor the victim, 73-year-old Patricia Nicholls, as they had been trained to do. They’re also charged with covering up their actions. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Thursday morning. 1. Cannabis licenses on hold may get the green light MondayIn August, a New York Supr...

Arrests made in Ladue carjacking

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

LADUE, Mo. -  A carjacking in Ladue ends hours later with a police chase and people arrested.Officers were actively searching for the suspects and the vehicle involved in the attempted carjacking Wednesday afternoon. That vehicle was eventually spotted, and the suspects were arrested after the chase. The suspect vehicle is the minivan with what looks like a towel over the rear window. At least one of the tires is also blown out.It's understood that the St. Louis County Police apparently chased the minivan for more than 20 minutes. When it was over, three suspects were taken into custody. Florida kidnapping victims rescued from downtown St. Louis hotel Police told FOX 2 that this all started with an attempted carjacking on Wednesday afternoon, just after 4:00 p.m., in front of a woman's home on Oladue Ridge Road. Police released images of the suspect minivan and two of the suspects running after the initial incident during the search for the vehicle and the suspects.Authorities sh...

Local Jewish officials call for apology from Rep. Cori Bush

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

ST.LOUIS – Some members of the St. Louis Jewish community are expressing outrage over Congresswoman Cori Bush’s response to the attack on Israel and Israel’s efforts to destroy Hamas.In a recent social media post, Rep. Bush referred to Israel’s response as an ethnic cleansing campaign. “What Israel is doing at this time is an appropriate and proportionate response in war to eliminating terrorists that exist on its border,” said Brian Herstig, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.He said Bush’s words fan the flames of antisemitism and come at a time when some members of the Jewish community are already living in fear.A letter signed by several members of the Jewish community calls on Rep. Bush to apologize. They feel the congresswoman has been too silent about Hamas’s terrorism. Statement From the Jewish Community of St. Louis by KevinSeanHeld on Scribd(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = tru...