Power Play for Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Don’t let the next Byemageddon creep up on your fantasy football roster

The chief marketing officer and the chief technology and product officer of Ola Electric Mobility Limited resigned today, the company said in a regulatory filing. "With reference to the captioned subject and mentioned reference, we hereby inform you that Mr. Anshul Khandelwal, Chief Marketing Officer, and Mr. Suvonil Chatterjee, Chief Technology and Product Officer, have tendered their resignation with effect from December 27, 2024," the company in a letter to BSE and NSE. Both Anshul Khandelwal and Suvonil Chatterjee have cited personal reasons for their resignation. "I am writing to formally resign from my position as the Chief Marketing Officer at Ola Electric, effective immediately, December 27th, 2024. It has been an incredible journey, and I am grateful for the opportunities to contribute to Ola's inspiring vision. However, due to personal reasons, I request to be relieved of my duties effective today," said Khandewal in his resignation. Also read: Ola Electric may lay off 500 workers as company faces financial challenges: Report Chatterjee thanked Ola's management and employees for “love and support”. "Formally sending in my resignation effective today. It has been a privilege to be a part of this amazing journey. I want to thank everyone at Ola for their support and love. Wishing you, Bhavish and the entire Ola family the very best," he wrote. Also read: Ola Electric's dominance fades as Indian e-scooter battle intensifies Ola Electric expands store network Ola Electric on Wednesday said it has expanded its network to 4,000 stores nationwide, a four-fold increase from its existing network. The company has opened over 3,200 new stores co-located with service facilities. The expansion spans beyond metros and Tier I and II cities into smaller towns and tehsils, Ola Electric said in a statement. "With our newly opened stores co-located with service centres, we have completely redefined EV purchase and ownership experience, setting new benchmarks with our #SavingsWalaScooter campaign," Ola Electric Chairman & Managing Director Bhavish Aggarwal said. With inputs from PTI

Vikings staying on track and in control behind Sam Darnold's composure and confidenceTORONTO — Losses in the tech sector led Canada's main stock index lower in late-morning trading on Friday, while U.S. stock markets also fell. The S&P/TSX composite index was down 93.03 points at 24,753.79. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 437.35 points at 42,888.45. The S&P 500 index was down 86.37 points at 5,951.22, while the Nasdaq composite was down 402.43 points at 19,617.93. The Canadian dollar traded for 69.39 cents US compared with 69.51 cents US on Tuesday. The February crude oil contract was up 66 cents at US$70.28 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was up five cents at US$3.37 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was down US$19.70 at US$2.634.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.12 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) The Canadian PressAnalyst Ratings For Nasdaq

Social Media and Elections: Lessons from Hyogo / Competition to Rack Up Views Distorts Election Campaigns in Japan; Attracting Attention for Profit Often Higher Priority Than Accuracy

Joe Douglas is gone. Robert Saleh already was fired. Aaron Rodgers could be next to leave the New York Jets. Douglas lost his job as the general manager on Tuesday, six weeks after the head coach was replaced following a 2-3 start. The Jets have gone 1-5 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich so owner Woody Johnson sent Douglas packing. Rodgers has played more like a 40-year-old quarterback coming off an Achilles tendon injury than a four-time NFL MVP. He's expressed a desire to play another season. The big question is whether the Jets will want him back. Maybe they'll decide to take one more shot at a playoff run with Rodgers while having him mentor a rookie quarterback. Or, they could start fresh. There are significant contract ramifications either way. Rodgers is slated to make a non-guaranteed $37.5 million in 2025 with a dead cap hit of $49 million as his salary cap total goes from $17.1 million to $23.5 million. The Jets could spread the dead money over two years by releasing Rodgers with the use of post-June 1 designation. He has a no-trade clause in his contract so they would need his permission to make a deal. If Rodgers doesn't retire and New York's new regime wants a clean slate, here are potential destinations for the future first-ballot Hall of Famer: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: This could only happen if Brock Purdy's shoulder injury is more significant than is known. Rodgers is a native of northern California and grew up a Niners fan. Returning home to help San Francisco win its sixth Super Bowl has to be attractive. Playing for coach Kyle Shanahan surrounded by playmakers Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle would be a quarterback's dream. Again, Purdy is the team's present and future. And, he's resilient. Purdy rebounded from elbow surgery following his rookie season to start Week 1 last year and ended up finishing fourth in MVP voting, leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl. Purdy also is due for a contract extension and a major raise so the salary cap makes this even more of a longshot. But never say never in the NFL. MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Sam Darnold has been more than a stopgap, helping the Vikings (8-2) to an impressive start. J.J. McCarthy is the future, however, and Darnold will be a free agent after the season. If the Vikings fall short of a Super Bowl and Rodgers shows over the final six weeks that he can play championship football, this could be a fit. The Vikings could let McCarthy sit and learn for another year, especially coming off a knee injury that required a second surgery earlier this month. NEW YORK GIANTS: Rodgers wouldn't have to move. The Giants will need a quarterback after benching Daniel Jones and eventually releasing him. They could draft a quarterback in the first round and have him learn behind Rodgers for a season. That'll depend on which pick New York ends up with because it's a thin draft class. Unlike the Jets, the Giants (2-8) haven't made any coaching or GM changes yet. If it's status quo with GM Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll, one year with Rodgers isn't unrealistic. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: They also need a quarterback. Brock Bowers could set an NFL record for most catches by a tight end if he had Rodgers next season. The Raiders (2-8) are aiming for a high pick to get a shot at a quarterback of their choice. New minority owner Tom Brady believes rookie quarterbacks need time to develop and learn. The seven-time Super Bowl champion would have to be in favor of having Rodgers start and tutor a youngster. TENNESSEE TITANS: If Will Levis doesn't prove over the final seven games that he can be a No. 1 quarterback, the Titans (2-8) will be in the QB market and likely have a high draft pick. It's another scenario where Rodgers would fit as a one-year bridge. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Pulmonx director French sells $132,600 in stock

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Mr. Kathwari Welcomes Platinum Spirit Award Winners Chairman, President and CEO Farooq Kathwari recognizes top sales writers for the 2024 fiscal year. Ethan Allen Focused on the Future During the 2024 convention, Chairman, President and CEO Farooq Kathwari listed the company's focus areas for the coming year. Kathwari Welcomes Attendees to 2024 Convention Chairman, President and CEO Farooq Kathwari greeted about 4,000 live and virtual audience members at Ethan Allen's 2024 convention. Led by its Chairman, President and CEO Farooq Kathwari, the convention highlighted five key areas of focus for Ethan Allen: talent, service, marketing, technology, and social responsibility. "It was good to review all areas of our vertically integrated enterprise, to share new products and initiatives, and to celebrate the work and achievements of our team members. We take pride in sharing this special event with about 4,000 in attendance both watching and participating each year.” Ethan Allen's annual convention is an important, decades-long tradition that gives its associates the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues from all over the world while they review the progress the Company has made over the past year. The Spirit Awards highlight Ethan Allen's interior design network, one of the world's largest, and emphasize the Company's unique combination of technology and personal service. The celebratory event concluded with Mr. Kathwari saying, "We are just getting started,” as the Company is Focused on the Future . ABOUT ETHAN ALLEN Ethan Allen (NYSE:ETD), named America's #1 Premium Furniture Retailer by Newsweek for the second year in a row, is a leading interior design destination combining state-of-the-art technology with personal service. Our design centers, which represent a mix of independent licensees and Company-owned and operated locations, offer complimentary interior design service and sell a full range of home furnishings, including custom furniture and artisan-crafted accents for every room in the home. Vertically integrated from product design through logistics, we manufacture about 75% of our custom-crafted products in our North American manufacturing facilities and have been recognized for product quality and craftsmanship since 1932. Learn more at www.ethanallen.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. CONTACT: Catherine Plaisted Senior Vice President, Marketing [email protected] Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/03602b41-d7d5-4e48-89b9-c4cf8d11a28f https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f03d7cf2-d8e6-433e-afb3-45d6616ed037 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6dd9c843-54d2-4f8e-970f-e8a2d90d71ae

In December 2024, the Centre for Information Policy Leadership (“CIPL”) at Hunton Andrews Kurth published a discussion paper titled, “Applying Data Protection Principles to Generative AI: Practical Approaches for Organizations and Regulators” (“Discussion Paper”). The Discussion Paper considers the following privacy and data protection concepts and explores how they can be effectively applied to the development and deployment of generative AI (“genAI”) models and systems: fairness; collection limitation; purpose specification; use limitation; individual rights; transparency; organizational accountability; and cross-border data transfers. CIPL presents the following recommendations, discussed in greater detail in the Discussion Paper, to organizations and regulators: To enable beneficial development and use of AI technologies in the modern information age, laws and regulatory guidance should facilitate lawful mechanisms for the use of personal data in model training . Lawmakers and regulators should avoid legal interpretations that are unduly restrictive regarding the use of personal data in AI model training, development and deployment. Different data privacy rules, considerations and mitigations apply in different phases of the AI lifecycle—data collection, model training, fine tuning and deployment. Regulators and organizations should interpret data protection principles separately in the context of each relevant phase of the AI technologies . Organizations should be able to rely on the “legitimate interests” legal basis for processing publicly available personal data collected through web scraping and personal data that they already have in their possession and control (first-party data) for genAI model training, as long as the interest concerned (which could be the controller’s, users’ or society’s at large) is not outweighed by the fundamental rights of individuals and appropriate, risk-based mitigation measures are put in place. Laws and regulatory guidance should be drafted or interpreted to recognize and enable the processing and retention of sensitive personal data for AI model training , as this is necessary to avoid algorithmic bias or discrimination and ensure content safety. In addition, sensitive personal data may be necessary for the training and development of certain AI systems whose sole purpose is based on the processing of sensitive personal data or to deliver benefits to protected categories of individuals (such as accessibility tools, or health systems). Developers should explore opportunities to employ privacy-enhancing and privacy-preserving technologies (“PETs/PPTs”) , such as synthetic data and differential privacy. This would enable genAI models to have the rich datasets they need during training while reducing the risks associated with the use of personal data. Laws and regulatory guidance should encourage the use of and acknowledge the need for continued research and investment in PETs/PPTs . The fairness principle is useful in the genAI context and should be interpreted to facilitate personal data processing in genAI model development to train accurate and accessible models that do not unjustly discriminate . Considerations of fairness also need to take into account the impact on the individual or society of not developing a particular AI application. Data minimization should be understood contextually as limiting the collection and use of data that is necessary for the intended purpose ( g. , model training, model fine-tuning, or model deployment for a particular purpose). Data minimization should not stand in the way of enabling the collection and use of data that is necessary and appropriate for achieving a robust and high-quality genAI model. As such, this principle does not prohibit or conflict with the collection and use of large volumes of data. Training general-purpose AI models should be recognized as a legitimate and permissible purpose in itself , so long as appropriate accountability measures and safeguards are reasonably and sufficiently implemented. Purpose or use limitation principles should be sufficiently flexible . In the context of genAI, purpose limitation principles in laws and regulations should allow organizations to articulate data processing purposes that are sufficiently flexible for the range of potentially useful applications for which genAI models may be used. Furthermore, processing personal data for the development of a genAI model should be treated as a separate purpose from processing personal data for the development, deployment or improvement of a specific application that uses a genAI model . The responsibility to inform individuals about the use of their data should fall to the entity closest to the individual from whom the data is collected. Where data is not collected directly from individuals, organizations should be able to fulfil transparency requirements through public disclosures or other informational resources. Where appropriate and practicable, individuals should be able to request that their input prompts and model output responses not be included in genAI model fine-tuning , especially if such prompts include personal or sensitive data. Transparency in the context of genAI models should be contextually appropriate and meaningful , while also fulfilling transparency requirements under applicable laws and regulations. Transparency should not come at the expense of other important factors, such as usability, functionality, and security, or create additional burdens for users. Organizations should also consider transparency in the wider sense, beyond individuals and users—to regulators, auditors and red-team experts. Lawmakers and regulators should consult with developers and deployers of genAI systems to clarify the distinctions in duties and responsibilities across the phases of genAI development. Organizations developing and deploying genAI models and systems must invest in comprehensive and risk-based AI and data privacy programs , continually improving and evolving their controls and best practices. Lawmakers and regulators should encourage and reward organizational accountability in development and deployment of AI, including the existence and demonstration of AI and data privacy management programs. Read the discussion paper.

LONDON (AP) — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the “modest award.” Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. “She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice,” she said. “I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. “He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.” Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him “no” as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, “now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. “I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman’s complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said “she never said ‘no’ or stopped” and testified that everything she said was a lie. “It is a full blown lie among many lies,” he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. “How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings.” McGregor’s lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. “You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise,” attorney Remy Farrell said. “I’m not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch.” The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor’s arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked “happy, happy, happy.” McGregor said he was “beyond petrified” when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor’s friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent.

Pulmonx director French sells $132,600 in stock

Centre transfers Rs 2.23 lakh crore for 1,206 schemes under Direct Benefit Transfer10 tips from experts to help you change your relationship with money in 2025

It’s not clear if Oz, a heart surgeon by training, still holds investments in health care companies, or if he would divest his shares or otherwise seek to mitigate conflicts of interest should he be confirmed by the Senate.DETROIT — Starting in September of 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers don’t buckle up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that it finalized the rule, which also requires enhanced warnings when front seat belts aren’t fastened. The agency estimates that the new rule will save 50 lives per year and prevent 500 injuries when fully in effect, according to a statement. The new rule will apply to passenger cars, trucks, buses except for school buses, and multipurpose vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds. Before the rule, seat belt warnings were required only for the driver’s seat. Under the new rule, outboard front-seat passengers also must get a warning if they don’t fasten their belts. Front-center seats will not get a warning because NHTSA found that it wouldn’t be cost effective. The agency said most vehicles already have warnings for the outboard passenger seats. The rule also lengthens the duration of audio and visual warnings for the driver’s seat. The front-seat rules are effective starting Sept. 1 of 2026. Rear passengers consistently use seat belts at a lower rate than front passengers, the agency says. In 2022, front belt use was just under 92%, while rear use dropped to about 82%. About half of automobile passengers who died in crashes two years ago weren’t wearing belts, according to NHTSA data. The seat belt rule is the second significant regulation to come from NHTSA in the past two months. In November the agency bolstered its five-star auto safety ratings to include driver assistance technologies and pedestrian protection. Safety advocates want the Department of Transportation, which includes NHTSA, to finish several more rules before the end of the Biden administration, because President-elect Donald Trump has said he’s against new government regulations. Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, urged the department to approve automatic emergency braking for heavy trucks and technology to prevent impaired driving.