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Facial-recognition ban gets lawmakers’ backing in AI Act vote

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:51:48 GMT

BRUSSELS — Europe got closer to a full-on ban on facial recognition in public spaces and reining in ChatGPT after lawmakers adopted a strengthened version of the EU’s artificial intelligence rulebook on Thursday. Members of the European Parliament in the internal market and civil liberties committees passed their compromise text for the Artificial Intelligence Act, first floated by the European Commission in April 2021. The text was backed by an 84-7 vote, with 12 abstentions.MEPs agreed on a blanket ban on remote biometric identification — AI-aided techniques, such as facial recognition, to recognize individuals from pictures or footage — in public venues, both in real-time and after the fact, in a departure from both the Commission’s original proposal and the position backed in Council by EU member countries. The issue was hotly debated among leading lawmakers thrashing out the text, with the center-right Christian Democrats fiercely opposing the ban. Eventually, the l...

Fire crews respond to ‘underground explosion’ that shattered windows, damaged roadway in Somerville

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:51:48 GMT

An early morning underground explosion in Somerville damaged a roadway and left windows on nearby buildings shattered but didn’t result in any injuries, officials said.Somerville firefighters responding to a reported explosion in the area of Cross Street in East Somerville around 4:15 a.m. determined an underground explosion in an electrical manhole resulted in significant damage to the street and also shattered several windows at 152 Cross St, fire officials said.The multi-unit building was occupied at the time but there were no injuries and the building did not suffer any structural damage. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

80s, isolated t-storm next few days

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:51:48 GMT

7Weather- We’re waking up to a wide range of temperatures in the 40s and 50s. From here, we’re headed for the upper 70s/low 80s. The warmth will stay with us through the first half of the weekend. Late-day isolated thunderstorms are also possible today and tomorrow. We’ll have a lot of sunshine through the morning. A west/northwest wind will be strong enough to push the mild air all the way to the coastline today. The exception will be the Cape and Islands, with a breeze coming off the cool ocean water. A couple waves of energy will drop out of Canada/Great Lakes region today and tomorrow. This will bring a 20% chance for a shower or storm mid to late afternoon/early evening.Overnight, we’ll have some clouds around. That’ll keep temperatures in the 50s to start tomorrow morning. A few light showers slide southeast across the region through the morning. Tomorrow is our warmest day of the next few in the low 80s. There’s still a chance for a late da...

‘Sexist’ ball girl outfits, silencing the women’s finalists and small birthday cakes: Madrid Open causes controversy

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:51:48 GMT

 (CNN) — One of the most prestigious tennis tournaments outside of the four grand slams, the Madrid Open attracts the biggest names in the sport.However, this year’s edition has drawn as much attention for off-court controversy as it has for the action on the clay surface.During the Masters 1000 event — which ended over the weekend with Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka being crowned men’s and women’s singles champions — organizers were criticized for dressing the ball girls on the main court in crop tops and short skirts.Following the backlash, the skirts were swapped for long shorts in Sunday’s final, but the crop tops remained.“It’s a feminized way of treating girls versus guys who don’t dress like that,” Pilar Calvo, spokesperson for The Association for Women in Professional Sports, told Spanish outlet Público.“In the end, it is a form of sexist violence that is so widespr...

Chicago Bears and the NFL will release the 2023 schedule tonight, and single-game tickets will go on sale

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:51:48 GMT

The Chicago Bears will announce the dates and times of their 2023 games at 7 p.m. Thursday as part of the NFL’s schedule release.Bears single-game tickets and executive suites for home games at Soldier Field will go on sale after the announcement. A presale for season ticket holders and fans on the season ticket priority list will begin at 7 p.m., followed by sales to the public at 8:30 at chicagobears.com/tickets.The Bears know their home and road opponents in 2023. Along with playing home and away NFC North games against the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, the Bears will host the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals. The Bears will go on the road to play the Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns.The NFL will air its schedule release show at 7 p.m. on NFL Network. The league announced its five international gam...

Column: As a former No. 1 pick, the Cubs’ Dansby Swanson knows the pressure Connor Bedard could face with Blackhawks

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:51:48 GMT

Dansby Swanson glanced at the video board Monday night at Wrigley Field as Chicago Cubs fans began cheering a PA announcement.The Blackhawks had won the draft lottery to secure the top pick in the NHL draft, meaning wunderkind Connor Bedard, a so-called “generational talent,” likely would be coming to Chicago.Being the top pick of any draft puts you in an exclusive club. Swanson earned that honor in 2015 when the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him No. 1 in baseball’s amateur draft, so the Cubs shortstop knows that living up to the hype isn’t easy.“No. 1 picks always are associated with a certain type of performance level that is expected, right?” Swanson said Tuesday at Wrigley. “I feel like a lot of that pressure comes from the outside in. It’s more of a challenge of just learning to manage the outside voices. Whoever this is that’s going to be drafted first … ”Uh, Bedard. Or so we assume.“Is that who it is?R...

Chicago Cubs finally break through with runners in scoring position in a 10-4 win ahead of a tough stretch

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:51:48 GMT

Every day for the past two weeks, the Chicago Cubs endured a similarly painful offensive performance.Plenty of baserunners yet the runs failed to consistently follow. The Cubs entered Wednesday’s series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals owning six one-run losses and three by two runs within that span. All winnable games backed by one of the best rotations in the majors.President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer attributed the Cubs’ offensive shortcomings, most notably with runners in scoring position, to the inherent randomness that occurs within a season, “but it doesn’t mean when you’re going through it you’re not searching for answers.”“When you look at our underlying numbers, there’s a lot of things to draw a ton of confidence from,” Hoyer said Wednesday. “But it’s a results business. We haven’t won the games. We’ve been losing a lot of games. … We just haven’t been able to get t...

Van carrying oxygen tanks explodes in Milan; driver injured

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:51:48 GMT

MILAN (AP) — A van that was transporting oxygen tanks to a nearby medical facility exploded in the center of the Italian city of Milan on Thursday, forcing the evacuation of a school and residential apartment buildings. The driver suffered minor injuries. Images on Sky TG24 show a plume of dark smoke rising from a narrow street near Porta Romana, where flames scorched nearby cars and motorcycles and exploded windows in adjacent buildings, including the school. Firefighters quickly brought the flames under control. The driver of the van suffered an injury to his hand when he tried to douse the flames, firefighter Carlo Cardinali told reporters at the scene. The driver was treated at the scene and transported to a hospital. It wasn’t immediately known what sparked the explosion, but Cardinali said the rapid spread of the flames was due to the quantity of explosive material on board. Law enforcement was investigating. About 200-300 children at an elementary, middle school and day...

Jacklyn Zeman, longtime ‘General Hospital’ cast member who played Bobbie Spencer, dies at 70

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:51:48 GMT

Jacklyn Zeman, who played Bobbie Spencer for 45 years on ABC’s “General Hospital,” has died. She was 70.Zeman died after a short battle with cancer, her family confirmed Wednesday. News of her death was first announced by the show’s executive producer, Frank Valentini.“I am heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Jackie Zeman,” he wrote on Twitter. “Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and a true professional that brought so much positive energy with her work.”ABC Entertainment and “General Hospital” also released a statement stating, “Jacklyn Zeman has been a beloved member of the General Hospital and ABC family since she originated the iconic role of Bobbie Spencer over 45 years ago. She leaves behind a lasting legacy for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of the bad girl turned heroine and will always be remembered for her kind heart and radiant spirit. We are devastated by the news of her passing, and send our deepest condolences to ...

CP NewsAlert: One officer dead, two others injured in eastern Ontario shooting: OPP

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:51:48 GMT

BOURGET, Ont. — Ontario Provincial Police say one officer is dead and two others were injured in an early morning shooting in a village east of Ottawa. OPP say three officers went to a home in Bourget, Ontario, shortly after 2 a.m. after someone reported hearing gunshots. Police say all three officers were shot by someone at the home. OPP say the officers were sent to hospital in Ottawa and one of them has since died from their injuries. Police say the other officers are recovering and one person has been taken into custody. OPP say there is no risk to public safety and did not immediately release any further details. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.The Canadian Press