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Atlanta wants to get a jump on artificial intelligence via a new commission — a move that could eventually help the city deal with its lean finances and perhaps even have an impact among suppliers of government technology. The city, , recently set up one of the in the country via a . The move came as to other governments and , just two examples of how the quickly growing technology is forcing officials to focus on its uses, risks and possibilities. The creation of the commission also happens as Atlanta faces a — a point brought up by , the City Council member credited by his colleagues with pushing the commission idea. “I want to make sure the city gets better at what it does for the benefit of residents. AI can play a role in that,” he told via email. “For example, we are headed into a lean fiscal year. AI could be used to streamline administrative tasks and improve customer service at a time when we need to tighten our belts.” As he sees it, Atlanta can do more to “leverage AI” for such tasks as infrastructure maintenance and monitoring, customer service and reducing “administrative inefficiencies.” To get from here to there, the commission will gather a “wide array of voices and inputs, both inside and outside the city,” he said. Any recommendations from the commission will have to go to the city’s executive branch and departments before winning approval, Farokhi said. For now, the commission will focus on gaining more knowledge about AI, . “This issue is important to me because AI has power, both good and bad, to transform our lives,” he said. This new commission in Atlanta represents the latest development in “ ,” according to Stefaan Verhulst, co-founder of , which helps governments navigate issues related to technology and data. “Cities are well-positioned to address the challenges and opportunities of AI due to their proximity to local stakeholders and the specific needs of their communities,” he told via email. Similar efforts, he said, have taken place in , , and . is not confined to the U.S.; are taking similar steps. National policies on AI tend to come more slowly than the pace of tech advancements, Verhulst said, sparking the establishment of local bodies to dig into the issue. Those local groups, such as the new one in Atlanta, promise to influence further progress with artificial intelligence. “Local AI commissions provide a platform to experiment with governance approaches that can later be scaled or adapted at higher levels,” he said. But those commissions can also come with significant challenges, he said. They include domination by “industry interests,” a lack of inclusivity and favoring private interests over public needs. “The Toronto Sidewalk Labs case is an example of how inadequate public engagement and transparency can erode trust,” he said, referring to the now cancelled, that was dogged by privacy fears and other concerns. Not only that, Verhulst added, but cities might not have the money or tech resources to follow recommendations from AI commissions. Cities, of course, aren’t the only operations deeply interested in AI guidelines and recommendations. Suppliers of government technology have a keen interest — it can seem that almost every company in that space is touting how its particular products are getting a boost from AI. At least one gov tech executive was generally skeptical of city AI commissions, though he could also see how the commission could provide benefits. “I find often [that] committees are just in name only,” said Parth Shah, CEO and co-founder of , which sells an , among other products. “I do think if they are actually focused on prioritizing customer service, AI solutions can be great.” He worries that with various governments getting into the AI commission and study group business, guidelines might not be consistent or lasting. He said he finds more value in a broader group such as the year-old , which includes about 1,700 people from about 550 agencies — and which just held a . “If they collaborate — and the GovAI Coalition did this — then that’s easier,” Shah told via email. He said such commissions, no matter which agency organizes them, won’t make a difference in the company’s AI research and development. But that doesn’t mean they lack value. “I do think it helps sales and marketing to see which [organizations] are already thinking about AI,” he said. At a company best known for its public safety tools, the company is “encouraged” about the Atlanta commission and the “open dialogue” about how to best use AI, according to a statement from Chris Bennett, director of AI transparency and education. “At the same time, we think it’s strategically important that we maintain a landscape for innovation, and would encourage these forums to prioritize education and awareness as a first step,” he said.
LAS VEGAS — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. "As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It's an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world's premier racing series, and we're committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM's engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level." The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. "We're excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. "Together, we're assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world." Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. "The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team," Michael Andretti posted on social media. "I'm very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!" The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti's dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years, and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA. The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they've already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti's application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1's current grid. "General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. "Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024," F1 said in a statement. "Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. "With Formula 1's continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1." Get local news delivered to your inbox!Our sun regularly shoots out solar flares — explosions of light and radiation from its surface — into space . But how about superflares ? These stellar events are thousands of times more powerful than typical solar flares, which can wreak havoc on our power and communication systems. To better understand the superflare risk from the sun, astronomers sought to find how often sun-like stars blast out such potent radiation, and to find an answer they surveyed a whopping 56,000 stars. The results astonished them. "Stars that are similar to our sun generate superflares once per century, which is 30 to 60 times more frequent than previously thought," Valeriy Vasilyev, a stellar activity researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, told Mashable. "We were shocked by the high frequency," he said. Vasilyev is a co-author on the research published in the journal Science . Previous research , for example, found that sun-like stars emit powerful superflares every 3,000 to 6,000 years. To better understand the behavior of sun-like stars, which are relatively stable stars, astronomers used observations captured by NASA 's now-retired Kepler Space Telescope . Kepler was designed to expertly measure stellar brightness as it searched for new planets transiting in front of their distant stars. The astronomers identified 56,450 stars that have sun-like characteristics, and over a four-year period spotted superflares — which show telltale signs of immediate light increases followed by a long tail of decaying light — on 2,527 sun-like stars. From this large number of superflares over a relatively brief time range, they inferred the frequency of how often these stars are blasting out superflares. "We were shocked by the high frequency." The distant stars emitted energies of some 103? to 103? erg ("erg" is a unit of energy measurement), which is greater than any flare ever observed from the sun. Such a superflare packs the energy of roughly 1 trillion hydrogen bombs, Vasilyev said. "We found crazy flaring stars," he marveled. An illustration of a superflare on a distant star. Solar flares explode from our star's surface when potent and changing magnetic fields naturally become tangled. "Like a rubber band that snaps when it is twisted too far, the tangled magnetic fields release energy when they snap," explains the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. "The energy emitted by a solar flare is more than a million times greater than the energy from a volcanic eruption on Earth!" And when solar flares shoot out on the side of the sun facing Earth, it can have consequences — particularly if it's a strong solar flare. Such mighty solar flares are often accompanied with events called " coronal mass ejections ," or CMEs, which are massive ejections of super hot gas (like throwing a chunk of the sun into space). Infamously, in 1989 a potent solar flare-associated CME knocked out power to millions in Québec, Canada. The CME hit Earth's magnetic field on March 12 of that year, and then, wrote NASA astronomer Sten Odenwald, "Just after 2:44 a.m. on March 13, the currents found a weakness in the electrical power grid of Quebec. In less than two minutes, the entire Quebec power grid lost power. During the 12-hour blackout that followed, millions of people suddenly found themselves in dark office buildings and underground pedestrian tunnels, and in stalled elevators." The same solar event fried a $10 million transformer at Salem Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey. Fortunately, Earth's protective magnetic field and atmosphere shield people from such harmful radiation . But this new research suggests we should be aware of the potential technological impacts from a superflare, which would be significantly more potent than the 1989 event. It remains unknown, however, if the sun has all the requisite properties of these distant sun-like stars that would stoke such relatively frequent solar flares. Superflares don't just pose threats to Earth . They could impact the many planets orbiting other stars, called exoplanets. For instance, Vasilyev wonders what impacts radiation-heavy superflares might have on worlds with protective atmospheres thinner than Earth's. But superflares aren't inherently bad. Conversely, superflares might provide the energetic kick molecules need to form the building blocks of life. Perhaps a lifeless Earth, in its distant past, even benefited from a superflare, or two.
No I’m not talking about the ATMs you see at every bank or most places of business. The ATM I’m talking about is a hard-working, people-caring, compassionate and humble leader in our village that we often take for granted until we face difficulties, need assistance, or someone to ask a favor from. It is then that we go to the ATM machine: Ask The Mayor! If you think about it, they are literally human machines. Every one of us have been impacted somehow, someway by our mayors and vice mayors at some point in our lives. Of all our political leaders, the ATMs are probably the most accessible, personable, and never have a limit on what you can get out from them. We see them everywhere. They do everything whether asked or not asked. They are on 24/7. They are like the ever-ready battery. They keep going and going. They are in fact the first line and front line individuals we go to. ATMs: What would we do without them! Today, I want to honor those who have put in countless days and nights working for us and with us but are now ready to give whatever they have left in them to give back to their own families. They chose to retire and give someone else an opportunity to become an ATM. Mayor Paul M. McDonald of Agana Heights has served 34 years. Mayor Melissa B. Savares of Dededo has served 24 years including as vice mayor. Mayor John A. Cruz of Hagåtña has served 20 years. Mayor Ernest T. Chargualaf of Malesso’ served 16 years. Mayor Dale E. Alvarez of Sånta Rita-Sumai served 16 years. Mayor Jessy C. Gogue of Ordot-Chalan Pago served 16 years. Vice Mayor Kevin AN Delgado of Mangilao served 4 years. Mayor Anthony Sanchez of Yigo, Mayor William Quenga of Yona and Vice Mayor Loreto Leones of Yigo all ran for reelection but were unsuccessful in their quest. Nonetheless, I honor them too. ATMs: What would we do without them! Mayor McDonald over the years has lost an eye and even a leg but never slowed him down. He upgraded and enhanced Tutujan Triangle Park and their gymnasium and ballpark. Mayor Savares continued the legacy of her grandfather, former Commissioner Vicente S.A. Benavente and was even hit by a vehicle performing one of her many challenges in the village. She was instrumental in opening a new location for the Dededo Flea Market and the farmer’s market and always had the unfair disadvantage of sharing funds equally amongst all villages even though Dededo had the highest population of residents. Mayor John always made sure that the day of Santa Marian Kamalen he can have thousand of residents come and honor our patron saint but to also walk the streets of a clean Hagåtña. He always claims that during the weekdays he has over a thousand residents (GovGuam workers from other villages) and less than 400 on weekends. Every other mayor wants to be the mayor of Hagåtña, our capital. Mayor Ernest continued the legacy of his dad, former Commissioner Francisco C. Chargualaf and now has a gymnasium built under his tenure. He also led the successful Crab Festival and Gupot CHamoru. Mayor Dale promoted sports in his village and played a major role in supporting his senior citizens. Mayor Jessy leaves a great Christmas gift to his residents with a new mayor’s office and community center and the acquisition of the Jose Atoigue Ball Park for more enhancement. Vice Mayor Kevin loved his generation and all the youth he mentored to become productive young citizens. They are all retiring after so many years of service, blood, sweat, and tears. Not to mention, they were “broke” at times. But they served with dedication, distinction and humility. I honor them today. You should too! Believe you me, we will still look at them and say, ATM! ATMs: What would we do without them. But the work continues in the hands of those that were reelected and in the election of newest crop of public servants. You already know what ATM means. For the new ones, you will soon find out! Si Yu’os in fan binindisi! God bless you!1 2 Jaipur: Professor Nir Barzilai , director of Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, New York, on Saturday emphasised that both physical and mental health must be prioritised to achieve healthy ageing. Speaking to TOI on the issues of ageing, he said, "First and foremost are mental function decline, physical activity decline, muscle loss, decrease in function of heart, kidney and liver, and of almost all organs. Main diseases are heart disease, Alzheimer's, kidney failure, and lung function loss." "What we start getting after 60 years of age are disease after disease. There is treatment for these diseases, but we start accumulating diseases and lead a bad quality of life," he said, adding that it is better to spend time on maximising health rather than treating diseases. On India becoming a diabetes and hypertension capital, and how people can deal with these two health issues, he said, "Two-pronged efforts are required. One is healthy lifestyle: exercise, healthy food, sleep, social connections, control and elimination of food and air pollution. The second approach is drug-based." Dr Barzilai was in the city as a speaker at Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Sciences and Technology , which hosted the prestigious Dr K D Gupta Memorial Centenary Oration. Professor Barzilai also holds the Ira Leon Rennert Chair of Aging Research and is the founder and President of the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research. He spoke on the topic, ‘Strategies to Live Healthy to a Hundred Years and Beyond.' Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . 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Labour plans to make spiking a specific offence and has laid out plans for venue staff to be trained in relation to spiking, with a pilot to begin within weeks before a wider rollout next year. Ms Davies-Jones, asked about why it was worthwhile to make spiking a new offence when it is already illegal, said: “Spiking is a crime already. “A lot of people don’t realise that it is a crime already, which is part of the problem.” She said there were around 6,000 reports of spiking last year but that because it is an underreported crime, it is not clear how big of a problem it is. 'Legislation won't fix this on its own...this is about a culture shift' @SophyRidgeSky challenges Minister for Victims @AlexDaviesJones on the govt plan to change the spiking law even though it is already a criminal offence. #PoliticsHub https://t.co/GlTNastFii 📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/Zb65c6KnOM — Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge (@SkyPoliticsHub) November 25, 2024 “Part of the problem we’ve got is around the data collection, so you don’t know if you’ve been spiked with a drink, a needle, a vape, for example,” she told Politics Hub on Sky News. Modernising the offence and giving police the tools to get accurate data allows a clearer picture of where, how and how often spiking is happening, she said. It is about “clarifying it, modernising it, making sure that people know exactly what this is...the law isn’t quite, it isn’t up to date. “It isn’t modern enough.” Sir Keir Starmer earlier said he hopes the change will give people “the confidence to come forward”, in a meeting of police bosses, transport figures and hospitality executives in Downing Street. Spiking will be made a criminal offence. My government was elected to take back our streets, central to this mission is making sure women and girls can feel safe at night. Perpetrators of spiking will feel the full force of the law. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) November 25, 2024 Ms Davies-Jones and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper were among the attendees at the round-table discussion on Monday morning. Labour pledged in its manifesto to introduce a new offence for spiking, but there was no detail in the King’s Speech this year about a specific crime, though it promised to ensure an improved police response to cases. According to information published by the Metropolitan Police, spiking offences are currently covered by more than one law, but most come under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Sir Keir told the meeting: “There are a number of measures that we are setting out this morning – we want to talk it through with you. “The first is to make spiking a specific offence so that it counts, it’s reported.” He said that such a measure would mean that it “enables everybody to have the confidence to come forward” and also “it allows perpetrators to know that it’s a specific offence”. Detailing the training scheme, he went on: “We’re beginning the piloting of training for staff in venues.” He said the scheme would be “partly to spot what’s happening, but also to know what to do in the event that there is an incident in a venue”. “That will start in December with a pilot then it will be rolled out from March of next year,” Sir Keir added. He also said that the “final” point of discussion for the morning was “police indexing – (the) way that we count it across different police forces”. Sir Keir added: “At the moment it’s quite hard to get your arms around the pure numbers.” Plain clothes officers are being deployed in areas around bars and clubs to spot predatory behaviour. The text-to-report number, 61016, that allows women to contact British Transport Police to report harassment on the train, is due to be relaunched. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Spiking is a disturbing and serious crime which can have a damaging and long-lasting impact on victims. “That’s why today we are taking decisive action to prevent this devastating crime and to crack down on perpetrators, by introducing a new criminal offence for spiking and launching specialist training for thousands of bar staff nationwide. “People shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their drinks on a night out. “These changes are about giving victims greater confidence to come forward, and ensuring that there is a robust response from the police whenever these appalling crimes take place.”ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Senate Republicans recommended on Friday that the state write laws banning transgender girls and women from participating in high school and college sports, setting the stage for action in the 2025 legislative session. The vote by a committee that was studying the issue is hardly a surprise. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — a possible Republican contender for governor in 2026 — announced almost identical goals at the panel's first meeting in August . It’s an issue that’s already been addressed in Georgia. Legislators in 2022 empowered the Georgia High School Association to regulate transgender students' participation in sports. The association, which regulates sports and activities for all public schools and some private schools, then banned transgender boys and girls from playing on the school sports teams matching their gender identity. Jones and others argue that doesn't go far enough and that lawmakers themselves need to act. It's a sign Republicans believe there is more political gain in fears about transgender women playing women’s sports or using women’s bathrooms. At least 26 mostly Republican states have passed laws or rules to restrict transgender girls from participating high school sports and, in some cases, transgender women from college sports , according to the Movement Advancement Project, a gay rights group. In Georgia, additional action appears more likely now after House Speaker Jon Burns and Gov. Brian Kemp, both Republicans, have voiced support for further legislation. Jeff Graham, executive director of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Georgia Equality, said his group is playing defense, concerned about the possibility of other bills that could further restrict gender-affirming care or ban transgender people from using public bathrooms that match their gender identity. “We’re expecting that it’ll be at least what we saw in 2023 and 2024, with the number of bills and more than likely laws,” Graham told reporters Friday. But Burns, from Newington, has said he's not interested in other bills dealing with transgender people besides those dealing with girls' and women's sports. Republican State Sen. Greg Dolezal, of Cumming, who led the Senate study committee, said Friday that he, too, is not interested in a broader bill regulating bathroom usage, although his committee recommended that schools that host sporting events require athletes to use locker rooms based on their assigned sex at birth. Dolezal said senators would seek to write legislation that regulated public schools and colleges, as well as private institutions that compete against public schools and colleges. The committee also recommends that people be able to sue or file grievances if schools break the rules, and that state money be withheld from schools that break the rules. Supporters of more action have focused on the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming championships at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, where Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, swam for the University of Pennsylvania and won the 500-meter freestyle . The NCAA has since revised its policy on transgender women’s participation, saying it will follow the rules of respective athletics federations. World Aquatics, the swimming governing body, banned transgender women who have been through male puberty from competing in women’s races. That means Thomas wouldn’t be allowed to swim in NCAA events today. “My basic contention that this is a solution in search of a problem remains,” Graham said. He said he fears that many people who oppose laws that seek to restrict transgender people will be afraid to testify and lobby at the Georgia Capitol, citing assault charges against a man accused of shaking U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in a Capitol office building in Washington, D.C. Dolezal repeatedly tried to turn down the emotional temperature of the issue on Friday. “I think that there’s a group of people that wants to be respected and I think that they deserve respect,” Dolezal told reporters. “But I also think that you can be respectful, but also recognize that in the sporting arena, fairness and competition is important.”Expert tips on how to live healthy to a 100 yrs and beyond
