Friday, January 31

News

OpenAI says DeepSeek may have ‘inapproriately’ used its data
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OpenAI says DeepSeek may have ‘inapproriately’ used its data

Its recent Chinese competitor, DeepSeek, may have "inappropriately taken data from its model to spin up its own artificial intelligence chatbot," according to OpenAI. On Monday, DeepSeek shocked U.S. markets by releasing an unexpectedly powerful and affordable Large Language Model, or LLM. This caused the stock of Nvidia, the leading U.S. chip manufacturer, to plummet. OpenAI's allegation was first published by the Financial Times. In an emailed statement to NBC News on Wednesday, an OpenAI representative stated that it believes DeepSeek might be one of the anonymous Chinese companies actively attempting to overtake American AI firms using a strategy called distillation, in which an LLM is trained using data produced by another LLM. The spokeswoman clarified that the business was not accus...
Meta agrees to pay $25 million in Trump lawsuit settlement over suspended accounts
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Meta agrees to pay $25 million in Trump lawsuit settlement over suspended accounts

On Wednesday, Meta announced that it will pay $25 million to resolve a lawsuit that President Donald Trump had filed four years prior against the social media firm for suspending Trump's accounts following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The complaint was still proceeding when Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, filed a notice of the settlement in federal court in San Francisco. The terms, which included a $25 million payment from the corporation, $22 million going toward a fund for Trump's presidential library, and the remaining amount going toward legal fees and other plaintiffs in the lawsuit, were independently confirmed by Meta spokesperson Andy Stone. According to Stone, Meta is not required to acknowledge fault as part of the settlement. Regarding ...
Justice Department drops classified documents case against Trump co-defendants
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Justice Department drops classified documents case against Trump co-defendants

The case would essentially come to an end on Wednesday when the Justice Department filed to discontinue its appeal of a federal court judgment dismissing the criminal charges against President Donald Trump's erstwhile co-defendants in the secret materials case. Then-U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland had stated that the pending appeal might affect the due process rights of co-defendants Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, which is why he would not make special counsel Jack Smith's report on the criminal case he had brought against Trump publicly available. Hayden O'Byrne submitted the Justice Department's move to withdraw the appeal with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. According to the Miami Herald, O'Byrne was appointed as the Southern District of Florida's acting U.S. attorney ...
RFK Jr. stumbles on Medicaid at Senate confirmation hearing
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RFK Jr. stumbles on Medicaid at Senate confirmation hearing

Washington President Donald Trump's choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faltered many times during his first Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday when he was questioned by senators on possible Medicaid reforms. Nearly 80 million low-income individuals are covered by the government-based health insurance program, which has gained more attention as Republicans in Congress search for ways to cut federal spending, with Medicaid potentially being one of the broadest cuts. Kennedy will supervise the implementation of Medicaid in addition to Medicare and the Affordable Care Act if he is confirmed as secretary of health and human services. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the ranking member of the Finance Committee, stated at the end of the hearing that ...
Former Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison in gold bar bribery case
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Former Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison in gold bar bribery case

For a years-long bribery and corruption plot that saw him rewarded with gold bars and piles of cash, a court on Wednesday sentenced an emotional former senator, Bob Menendez, to 11 years in prison. Twice, Menendez had sobbed as he begged U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein for mercy. After describing acts he claimed to have done to assist people while serving in the Senate—a position he was forced to leave following his conviction—the Democrat from New Jersey declared, "I have lost everything." Menendez, who chaired the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he accepted the payoffs, claimed that "every day I am awake is a punishment for a man who spent his entire life in public service." The judge seemed unimpressed, stating that although he had accomplished some good work, the e...
Trump slams Fed after decision to hold interest rates steady
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Trump slams Fed after decision to hold interest rates steady

After their first policy meeting since he returned to office, Federal Reserve officials left interest rates steady, which prompted President Donald Trump to criticize them. In reference to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, he wrote on his Truth Social platform, "I will do it by unleashing American energy production, slashing regulation, rebalancing international trade, and reigniting American manufacturing because Jay Powell and the Fed failed to stop the problem they created with inflation." He said that inflation would never have been an issue if the Fed had focused less on DEI, gender ideology, green energy, and false climate change. The president's criticism follows days after he put pressure on policymakers to decrease interest rates, continuing his practice of making his opinions ...
Here are the cities where ICE raids are taking place
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Here are the cities where ICE raids are taking place

Immigration enforcement actions have begun to spread throughout major U.S. cities since President Donald Trump returned to office. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 956 persons were taken into custody on Sunday. However, according to an NBC News report, immigration officials made around 1,200 arrests that day, but only 613 of them—or roughly 52%—were classified as criminal arrests. The remaining individuals seemed to be either nonviolent criminals or those who had only crossed the border illegally. Being undocumented is not a criminal; rather, it is a civil offense. The following day, the number of arrests increased once further, according to the agency, which reported that 1,179 arrests and 853 detainers were made on Monday. There has been worry that law-abiding...
What the polls say about the start of Trump’s second term
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What the polls say about the start of Trump’s second term

In his first week or two back in office, President Donald Trump quickly fulfilled a number of campaign-trail pledges, granted a plethora of pardons (some controversial), and exacted revenge on his political rivals. According to early polling, Trump is starting the election with greater support from the public and more leeway than he had before his first term in office. However, it is unclear how voters will evaluate his initial acts as president. Compared to January 2017, the previous president's image rating was higher as he began his second term. Just 38% of Americans gave Trump a good rating in NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey conducted in the days leading up to his first inauguration, whereas 42% of registered voters did so at that time, according to Fox News. According to the most ...
This $600 Automatic Litter Box Changed My Life
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This $600 Automatic Litter Box Changed My Life

When my friends found out about my cat's $600 litter box, they made fun of me endlessly. Instead of giving you a detailed recap of the sneers (you can use your imagination), I'll just say that this amazing equipment changed my relationship with my cat, Opie, without using exaggeration. I accept that the price tag is ridiculous, but this litter box is truly amazing. Through a dedicated app on your phone, the Leo's Loo Too smart litter box cleans itself and notifies you when it needs to be cleaned. Additionally, it can be connected to Google or Alexa voice control systems. Leo's Loo Too Automatic Litter Leo s Loo Too Automatic Litter Box Why we like this automatic litter box and how it works The exterior of the machine, which is 27.5 inches tall and 22 inches wide, looks like it...
Caitlin Clark declines invite to NBA All-Star weekend’s 3-point shooting contest
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Caitlin Clark declines invite to NBA All-Star weekend’s 3-point shooting contest

Caitlin Clark will not play her first 3-point game as a professional until July, when Indianapolis hosts the WNBA All-Star weekend. According to her managers at Excel Sports, the Fever star turned down an opportunity to take part in a unique challenge during NBA All-Star weekend next month on Wednesday. The idea of Clark playing in a match that featured Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu in a 3-point shootout during the NBA All-Star weekend last season had been discussed. The New York Liberty star was defeated by Curry. It was among the weekend's high points. When the NBA All-Star Game is held in the Bay Area in two weeks, there have been talks about extending that shootout this year. Earlier this month, Ionescu told The Associated Press that she would attend the All-Star celebrations, but ...