Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leadersThe first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff kicked off this past Friday night in South Bend, with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish facing in-state foe, the Indiana Hoosiers. Though it certainly wasn't the biggest game in the storied history of the Notre Dame football program, it was the biggest game in the young coaching career of 38-year-old Irish head coach Marcus Freeman. To the delight of the 77,622 fans in attendance, Freeman and the Irish aced this first test of the postseason. Now awaiting Notre Dame on New Year's Day in the Sugar Bowl is the Georgia Bulldogs, and standing across the sideline from Freeman will be Kirby Smart, who, like ND's head coach, got into the coaching game early. Smart took over at Georgia as a 40-year-old and, like Freeman, faced immediate pressure to succeed. And succeed, he did. By year two, Smart had the... Sonny Giuliano

Chandigarh: Former National Commission for Women chief and BJP nominee Rekha Sharma filed her nomination for the Rajya Sabha bypoll from Haryana here on Tuesday. She submitted her nomination papers to returning officer Ashok Kumar Meena. Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, BJP state president Mohan Lal Badoli, ministers Krishan Lal Panwar, Rao Narbir Singh, Mahipal Dhanda, Vipul Goel, Shyam Singh Rana, Krishan Kumar Bedi and Shruti Choudhry, Arti Singh Rao, Rajesh Nagar, and Gaurav Gautam, and BJP leaders were present on the occasion. The chief minister said Sharma is a senior party leader who has been working at the grassroots level to strengthen the party for a long time. Saini elaborated upon Sharma’s political journey and thanked the party high command and senior leaders for picking her as the party candidate. He expressed confidence that Sharma would effectively represent Haryana in the Rajya Sabha, benefitting the state significantly. The CM said that the double-engine govt in Haryana and the Centre is running numerous schemes for women, including self-help groups, “Drone Didi,” “Lakhpati Didi,” and programmes for women entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the Prime Minister's “Nari Shakti Vandan Bill,” which provides 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, will empower women and allow them to play a crucial role in the country’s development. Meanwhile, Sharma while interacting with mediapersons expressed gratitude towards party high command and Saini. She reiterated that having worked in Haryana for decades and then serving at national platform, she would effectively take up the issue of development in the upper house and would always be available. A resident of Panchkula, Sharma is seen as a close confidant of PM Narendra Modi and is among the few like Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar who have worked with Modi during his stint as in-charge for Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh in 1990s. We also published the following articles recently BJP nominates former NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma for Rajya Sabha from Haryana Rekha Sharma, former NCW Chairperson, has been nominated by the BJP for Haryana's Rajya Sabha seat. The election is scheduled for December 20, and Sharma is expected to win due to BJP's majority. The seat was vacated by Krishan Lal Panwar, who resigned to contest the assembly elections. Sharma's Rajya Sabha term will last approximately four years. Modi government to purchase all farm produce at MSP, assures agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Rajya Sabha Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reassured Parliament that the Modi government is fully committed to procuring all farm produce at minimum support prices (MSP). He emphasized the government's policy of calculating MSP with a 50% profit margin over production costs, contrasting it with previous administrations. Five Rajya Sabha MPs in contention for UP BJP chiefs post The BJP is searching for a new Uttar Pradesh state president to lead the party into the 2027 assembly elections. Five Rajya Sabha MPs have emerged as potential candidates: B.L. Verma, Babu Ram Nishad, Amar Pal Maurya, Dinesh Sharma, and Laxmikant Bajpai. The party is considering caste representation and experience, with some speculation that an OBC leader may be favored. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Vikings vs Bears Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, QB Matchup, Injury News, Betting Trends and Stats

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of guest commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• At some point, if you haven’t already, you’ll experience a mental health challenge. Each year, one in five American adults has a mental health disorder and this number continues to grow. To keep up, therapists have incorporated artificial intelligence into their practices. While AI makes therapy more accessible, it raises several ethical issues. These concerns include bias as well as the lack of privacy, transparency and meaningful relationships. AI has become woven into the fabric of our society. It can be beneficial but only if implemented ethically. So far, this hasn’t been the case. AI is being used for therapy and administrative tasks, subsequently replacing humans. Chatbots converse with patients and other types of AI categorize documents. AI also quickly analyzes data such as brain scans. But at what cost? AI is inherently biased. It’s developed through human-generated data that is incomplete or unevenly favors one group. This results in one patient receiving different and potentially better advice than another patient based on factors such as gender or race. This is especially problematic because users tend to believe any information provided by AI. The implementation of AI in health care often glosses over informed consent. Users, especially those already vulnerable due to mental health disorders, should be aware of all the risks and benefits. These issues with informed consent showcase the lack of transparency in AI. Decisions made by AI also lack transparency. They don’t provide evidence or an explanation. This is especially concerning in health care because clinicians can’t determine how or why a recommendation was given. There is no way to prove or replicate AI’s interpretation making it difficult to adjust a treatment plan. Another concern with AI is that it collects and stores your personal data. This includes sensitive information such as your address. Many AI systems work independently without human support. The unchecked operation of AI could lead to your data being leaked. Some companies also sell data to third parties. For example, AI can track your location to personalize advertisements. Users often don’t consent to this and aren’t aware it’s happening. AI is also insufficient in understanding human connection. It doesn’t respond effectively to human emotions. AI only considers the empirical evidence when making recommendations and diagnoses. The recommendations are not always accurate because AI doesn’t consider the nuances of human behavior. Human connection not only solves these problems but should be prioritized because it has benefits such as a longer life span and higher self-esteem. In 2023, one user of Tessa, an AI chatbot deployed by the National Eating Disorders Association, shared her experience. The purpose of this chatbot was to provide advice and help those struggling with an eating disorder. When she asked Tessa how it supports people with eating disorders, it replied by giving her tips on how to lose weight. This advice could be detrimental to those trying to recover from an eating disorder because it triggers negative thoughts about body image. This situation emphasizes the importance of informed consent and human assistance. Despite all the benefits of AI, it isn’t perfect. Users should know this and understand that they can’t take every AI-generated response at face value. There are some guidelines already in place to combat the ethical concerns of AI. For example, Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI put rules in place to protect fairness, accountability and respect for human autonomy. However, current policies fail to account for full transparency. The best solution is for the collaboration of humans and AI. Humans can ensure patients fully understand how AI works and explain the intricacies of their diagnosis. This solves several other problems as well. Humans can monitor AI and step in when necessary to reduce inaccurate responses from AI. Human involvement would also improve the sensitivity of AI suggestions while building a relationship with the patients. AI will continue to be integrated into our lives. It can either be destructive or revolutionary. The best hope for current AI technology to succeed in ethical practices of health care is to support it with human intervention. We can’t rely solely on AI to protect our information and give us accurate responses. The connection with real people is, and forever will be, impossible to replace. Abigail Paulnock, from Eden Prairie, is a senior at Bucknell University studying psychology and linguistics.