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Google ups the stakes in AI race with Gemini, a technology trained to behave more like humans

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:28:10 GMT

Google took its next leap in artificial intelligence Wednesday with the launch of project Gemini, an AI model trained to behave in human-like ways that’s likely to intensify the debate about the technology’s potential promise and perils.The rollout will unfold in phases, with less sophisticated versions of Gemini called “Nano” and “Pro” being immediately incorporated into Google’s AI-powered chatbot Bard and its Pixel 8 Pro smartphone.With Gemini providing a helping hand, Google promises Bard will become more intuitive and better at tasks that involve planning. On the Pixel 8 Pro, Gemini will be able to quickly summarize recordings made on the device and provide automatic replies on messaging services, starting with WhatsApp, according to Google.Gemini’s biggest advances won’t come until early next year when its Ultra model will be used to launch “Bard Advanced,” a juiced-up version of the chatbot that initially will only be offered to a test audience. The AI...

Albania’s opposition speaks up at the Constitutional Court against ratifying migrant deal with Italy

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:28:10 GMT

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — The opposition in Albania on Wednesday spoke up at the Constitutional Court against the ratification of a contentious deal the government has signed with Italy to jointly process some asylum applications of migrants arriving in Italy by sea.Last month, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni announced a five-year deal in which Albania agreed to temporarily shelter up to 3,000 migrants per month — up to 36,000 migrants a year — while Rome fast-tracks their requests for asylum in Italy.Rama considers the deal as a gesture of reciprocation to Italy, which in 1991 welcomed thousands of Albanians fleeing poverty after the fall of communism.The Albanian government’s draft law will be debated Dec. 21 and voted on in the 140-seat parliament, where Rama’s governing Socialists have 74 seats.In a letter to the court, the opposition said it wants parliament to suspend the ratification, asserting that it runs counter to the constitution and ...

4th GOP debate airs tonight

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:28:10 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Four qualifying presidential candidates will face each other again, but the GOP’s lead contender will be nowhere near the debate stage.Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will face off at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.“We've been preparing for days and days. We've had an entire team here working on all the research for weeks,” said debate moderator Elizabeth Vargas. She points out its one of the candidates’ final chances to pitch themselves to a national audience before January’s Iowa caucus.Looming above all four candidates on stage, former president Donald Trump, the GOP’s leading contender for the presidential nomination, who is again skipping a presidential debate, meaning more focus on those present.Debate moderator Megan Kelly says, “Fewer candidates mean much higher stakes they're not going to be able to give 30 second answers and mo...

Dean cooks Cranberry Beef Brisket

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:28:10 GMT

Dean is cooking Cranberry Beef BrisketIngredients:1 (3-4 lb.) beef brisket2 (14 oz.) cans whole berry cranberry sauce1 (12 oz.) can ginger ale1/2 cup dried cranberries1 envelope onion soup mix1 tablespoons cornstarchSalt and pepper, to taste(Optional:  1 lb. yukon gold potatoes,  1 lb. baby or cut up carrots) More recipes from Dean here! Instructions:Place brisket in a lightly greased slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 can of cranberry sauce, ginger ale, dried cranberries, onion soup mix, corn starch and salt and pepper, to taste.Pour sauce over brisket. Add optional potatoes and carrots.    Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until brisket is tender.Remove brisket to a platter. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk together remaining can of cranberry sauce with desired amount of juices from slow cooker to create a glaze. Slice brisket.  Serve brisket, potatoes and carrots with cranberry gl...

Hibachi restaurant opens in downtown Troy

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:28:10 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A new Japanese restaurant is opening in downtown Troy. Hibachi Station is having its grand opening on December 6 at 501 Broadway. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Although the restaurant is called Hibachi Station, it doesn't have the traditional hibachi experience with the food being cooked at the table. According to a manager at the restaurant, the hibachi food will be cooked in an open kitchen.The Hibachi Station menu features hibachi lunches and dinners with steak, shrimp, chicken, and scallops, as well as poke bowls, gyoza, crab rangoons, and more. You can view the menu on the Hibachi Station website. Schenectady fish fry eatery permanently closes Hibachi Station is currently open every day from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., but the manager said the hours may change in a few months. The restaurant is open for both dine-in and take-out.

Man linked to two St. Louis County bank robberies behind bars

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:28:10 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A man accused in two St. Louis County bank robberies over the past month is behind bars on felony charges. Prosecutors have charged Tyrone Leslie, 38, with two counts of first-degree robbery in connection with the case. Leslie is linked to a bank robbery on Nov. 14 in south St. Louis County and one on Dec. 2 in west St. Louis County. St. Louis officer shortage surpasses 300 as top cop hauls in $275k Investigators say Leslie targeted the U.S. bank in the 13000 block of Tesson Ferry during his first robbery, demanding a note and advising that he had a gun. The man took off with an undisclosed amount of cash in a red Dodge Durango. Several weeks later, Leslie reportedly targeted the PNC Bank located in the 15000 block of Manchester Road. Similarly to the first reported robbery, Leslie presented a note to the teller insisting he had a gun, demanded money and took off from the bank with some cash in a red Dodge Durango. Authorities issued a warrant for Leslie's...

A cozy one-pot chicken for a fuss-free holiday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:28:10 GMT

By Melissa Clark, The New York TimesThe Yiddish word tsimmes, or tzimmes, means to make a big fuss over something. It’s also the name of an Ashkenazi dish of sweet potatoes, carrots, dried fruit and sometimes flanken or brisket, traditionally served at Jewish holidays.You’d think, with a name like tsimmes, it must be a fussy dish, needing chopping, peeling and praying over to get right.But the tsimmes I grew up with were simple vegetable side dishes, a pretty mix of orange-hued roots dotted with dark prunes and glistening with honey, baked until plush and velvety. Sure, there was some peeling and chopping, but next to frying latkes, pinching kreplach and rolling matzo balls, a pan of tsimmes was the one fuss-free part of the holiday preparation.With that ease in mind, I created this tsimmes as a convenient holiday showpiece. Since Hanukkah is approaching, I wanted a one-pot dish that was festive enough for a holiday meal, yet easy enough to leave time to make latkes.Tsimmes recipes ...

Man punched in face while pushing grandaughter in stroller

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:28:10 GMT

Disturbing images show a man walking up to and punching another man who was pushing a stroller in Calabasas Tuesday. The victim called the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department around 5:42 p.m. to report the incident, a spokesperson confirmed. The unidentified caller told authorities he was walking with his 10-month-old granddaughter when he was elbowed by an unknown person. Video taken from a nearby home that was posted on Neighbors and shared with KTLA showed the victim was punched in the face by the attacker, who then got into a minivan and drove away.The victim managed to get to his feet and go to the stroller, which was knocked over during the incident. It was unclear if the child was injured in the fall. Deputy pumping gas in Hemet shoots man with handgun: RSO The attacker appeared to be wearing a dark-colored T-shirt, jeans and a backward-facing baseball hat. Investigators took a report but no further information was available, according to the spokesperson.

Unionized faculty members on strike at Cal State L.A. as final exams loom 

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:28:10 GMT

The union representing faculty across the California State University system is set to continue their series of one-day strikes on Wednesday, this time at Cal State Los Angeles. The California Faculty Association, which represents more than 29,000 tenured lecturers, librarians and counselors on the Cal State system’s 23 campuses, is looking for a 12 percent wage increase this academic year plus other concessions, including better parental leave, workload support and improved mental health services.  Man punched in face while pushing grandaughter in stroller Faculty members, who began their strike on CSULA’s campus around 7 a.m. this morning, are aware that students are preparing for final exams, but one lecturer told KTLA 5’s Carlos Herrera that she prepared her students for the walkout and that she has their support. “We have told the students from the beginning of the semester – we actually [included it] in our syllabus – that we are in the middle of labor negotiations,” sa...

Winter Open: Arts Calendar December 7-13

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:28:10 GMT

The holidays are perfect for combining art with parties and shopping—such as a Santa Monica art complex’s popular Winter Open, a fashion-forward artisan market in West Adams, and a pop-up ceramics sale inside an exhibition. A sensational Nutcracker update, a modern dance salon, the film version of a groundbreaking avant-garde indie opera, a suite of powerful post-history paintings, a fancy conversation on Surrealism, a corporeal conversation on sculpture, and a modern seasonal classic of animated musicals.Debbie Allen Dance Academy: Hot Chocolate NutcrackerThursday, December 7Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s Hot Chocolate Nutcracker at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker is an international sensation—made all the more so by the Netflix documentary, Dance Dreams. Dance icon Debbie Allen has taken the ballet classic and given it fresh, new context with lively characters, new music by industry legends, diverse choreography, spectacular aerial arts and s...