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A child psychiatrist who altered a first-day-of-school photo he saw on Facebook to make a group of girls appear nude. A U.S. Army soldier accused of creating images depicting children he knew being sexually abused. A software engineer charged with generating hyper-realistic sexually explicit images of children.Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are cracking down on a troubling spread of child sexual abuse imagery created through artificial intelligence technology from manipulated photos of real children to graphic depictions of computer-generated kids. Justice Department officials say they’re aggressively going after offenders who exploit AI tools, while states are racing to ensure people generating “deepfakes” and other harmful imagery of kids can be prosecuted under their laws.”We’ve got to signal early and often that it is a crime, that it will be investigated and prosecuted when the evidence supports it,” Steven Grocki, who leads the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And if you’re sitting there thinking otherwise, you fundamentally are wrong. And it’s only a matter of time before somebody holds you accountable.”The Justice Department says existing federal laws clearly apply to such content, and recently brought what’s believed to be the first federal case involving purely AI-generated imagery meaning the children depicted are not real but virtual. In another case, federal authorities in August arrested a U.S. soldier stationed in Alaska accused of running innocent pictures of real children he knew through an AI chatbot to make the images sexually explicit.Trying to catch up to technologyThe prosecutions come as child advocates are urgently working to curb the misuse of technology to prevent a flood of disturbing images officials fear could make it harder to rescue real victims. Law enforcement officials worry investigators will waste time and resources trying to identify and track down exploited children who don’t really exist.Lawmakers, meanwhile, are passing a flurry of legislation to ensure local prosecutors can bring charges under state laws for AI-generated “deepfakes” and other sexually explicit images of kids. Governors in more than a dozen states have signed laws this year cracking down on digitally created or altered child sexual abuse imagery, according to a review by The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.”We’re playing catch-up as law enforcement to a technology that, frankly, is moving far faster than we are,” said Ventura County, California District Attorney Erik Nasarenko.Nasarenko pushed legislation signed last month by Gov. Gavin Newsom which makes clear that AI-generated child sexual abuse material is illegal under California law. Nasarenko said his office could not prosecute eight cases involving AI-generated content between last December and mid-September because California’s law had required prosecutors to prove the imagery depicted a real child.AI-generated child sexual abuse images can be used to groom children, law enforcement officials say. And even if they aren’t physically abused, kids can be deeply impacted when their image is morphed to appear sexually explicit.”I felt like a part of me had been taken away. Even though I was not physically violated,” said 17-year-old Kaylin Hayman, who starred on the Disney Channel show “Just Roll with It” and helped push the California bill after she became a victim of “deepfake” imagery.Hayman testified last year at the federal trial of the man who digitally superimposed her face and those of other child actors onto bodies performing sex acts. He was sentenced in May to more than 14 years in prison.Open-source AI-models that users can download on their computers are known to be favored by offenders, who can further train or modify the tools to churn out explicit depictions of children, experts say. Abusers trade tips in dark web communities about how to manipulate AI tools to create such content, officials say.A report last year by the Stanford Internet Observatory found that a research dataset that was the source for leading AI image-makers such as Stable Diffusion contained links to sexually explicit images of kids, contributing to the ease with which some tools have been able to produce harmful imagery. The dataset was taken down, and researchers later said they deleted more than 2,000 weblinks to suspected child sexual abuse imagery from it.Top technology companies, including Google, OpenAI and Stability AI, have agreed to work with anti-child sexual abuse organization Thorn to combat the spread of child sexual abuse images.But experts say more should have been done at the outset to prevent misuse before the technology became widely available. And steps companies are taking now to make it harder to abuse future versions of AI tools “will do little to prevent” offenders from running older versions of models on their computer “without detection,” a Justice Department prosecutor noted in recent court papers.”Time was not spent on making the products safe, as opposed to efficient, and it’s very hard to do after the fact as we’ve seen,” said David Thiel, the Stanford Internet Observatory’s chief technologist.AI images get more realisticThe National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline last year received about 4,700 reports of content involving AI technology a small fraction of the more than 36 million total reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. By October of this year, the group was fielding about 450 reports per month of AI-involved content, said Yiota Souras, the group’s chief legal officer.Those numbers may be an undercount, however, as the images are so realistic it’s often difficult to tell whether they were AI-generated, experts say.”Investigators are spending hours just trying to determine if an image actually depicts a real minor or if it’s AI-generated,” said Rikole Kelly, deputy Ventura County district attorney, who helped write the California bill. “It used to be that there were some really clear indicators … with the advances in AI technology, that’s just not the case anymore.”Justice Department officials say they already have the tools under federal law to go after offenders for such imagery.The U.S. Supreme Court in 2002 struck down a federal ban on virtual child sexual abuse material. But a federal law signed the following year bans the production of visual depictions, including drawings, of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct that are deemed “obscene.” That law, which the Justice Department says has been used in the past to charge cartoon imagery of child sexual abuse, specifically notes there’s no requirement “that the minor depicted actually exist.”The Justice Department brought that charge in May against a Wisconsin software engineer accused of using AI tool Stable Diffusion to create photorealistic images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and was caught after he sent some to a 15-year-old boy through a direct message on Instagram, authorities say. The man’s lawyer, who is pushing to dismiss the charges on First Amendment grounds, declined further comment on the allegations in an email to the AP.A spokesperson for Stability AI said that man is accused of using an earlier version of the tool that was released by another company, Runway ML. Stability AI says that it has “invested in proactive features to prevent the misuse of AI for the production of harmful content” since taking over the exclusive development of the models. A spokesperson for Runway ML didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP.In cases involving “deepfakes,” when a real child’s photo has been digitally altered to make them sexually explicit, the Justice Department is bringing charges under the federal “child pornography” law. In one case, a North Carolina child psychiatrist who used an AI application to digitally “undress” girls posing on the first day of school in a decades-old photo shared on Facebook was convicted of federal charges last year.”These laws exist. They will be used. We have the will. We have the resources,” Grocki said. “This is not going to be a low priority that we ignore because there’s not an actual child involved.”
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Learn about managing inflation in retail and e-commerce businesses and pricing strategies to maximize revenue without losing customers.
LeBron James gave his 20-year-old son a pep talk before they rose from the Lakers bench. Amid rising cheers, they walked together to the scorer’s table and then they stepped straight into basketball history.LeBron and Bronny became the first father and son to play in the NBA together Tuesday night during the Los Angeles Lakers ‘ season opener, fulfilling a dream set out a few years ago by LeBron, the top scorer in league history.That moment, us being at the scorers table together and checking in together, its a moment Im never going to forget, LeBron said. No matter how old I get, no matter how my memory may fade as I get older or whatever, I will never forget that moment.Father and son checked into the game against Minnesota simultaneously with four minutes left in the second quarter, prompting a big ovation from a home crowd aware of the enormity of the milestone. The 39-year-old LeBron had already started the game and played 13 minutes before he teamed up with his 20-year-old son for about 2 1/2 minutes of action.LeBron James is one of the greatest players in NBA history, a four-time champion and 20-time All-Star, while LeBron James Jr. was a second-round pick by the Lakers last summer. They are the first father and son to play in the world’s top basketball league at the same time, let alone on the same team.Yall ready? You see the intensity, right? Just play carefree, though, father told son on the bench before they checked in, an exchange captured by the TNT cameras and microphones. Dont worry about mistakes. Just go out and play hard.Their time on court together was fast and furious, just as LeBron promised.LeBron, who finished the night with 16 points, missed two perimeter shots before making a dunk. Bronny had an early offensive rebound and missed a tip-in, and his first NBA jump shot moments later was a 3-pointer that came up just short. He checked out one possession later with 1:19 left in the second quarter, getting another ovation.Bronny didnt play again in the Lakers 110-103 victory over the Timberwolves.(I) tried not to focus on everything thats going on around me, and tried to focus on going in as a rookie and not trying to mess up, Bronny said. But yeah, I totally did feel the energy, and I appreciate Laker Nation for showing the support for me and my dad.After the final whistle on the Lakers’ first opening-night victory in LeBron’s seven seasons with the team, father and son also headed to the locker room together but not before stopping in the tunnel to hug Savannah James, LeBron’s wife and Bronny’s mother. The entire family was in attendance to watch history on little sister Zhuri’s 10th birthday, no less.Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. also were courtside at the Lakers’ downtown arena to witness the same history they made in Major League Baseball. The two sluggers played 51 games together for the Seattle Mariners in 1990 and 1991 as baseball’s first father-son duo.The Jameses and the Griffeys met during pregame warmups for some photos and a warm chat between two remarkable family lines.LeBron first spoke about his dream to play alongside Bronny a few years ago, while his oldest son was still in high school. The dream became real after Bronny entered the draft as a teenager following one collegiate season, and the Lakers grabbed him with the 55th overall pick.I talked about it years and years ago, and for this moment to come, its pretty cool, LeBron said. I dont know if its going to actually hit the both of us for a little minute, but when we really get to sit back and take it in, its pretty crazy. But in the moment, we still had a job to do when we checked in. We wasnt trying to make it a circus. We wasnt trying to make it about us. We wanted to make it about the team.LeBron and Bronny joined a small club of father-son professional athletes who played together. The Griffeys made history 34 years ago, and they even homered in the same game on Sept. 14, 1990.Baseball Hall of Famer Tim Raines and his namesake son also accomplished the feat with the Baltimore Orioles in 2001.In hockey, Gordie Howe played alongside his two sons, Mark and Marty, with the WHAs Houston Aeros and Team Canada before one NHL season together on the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80, when Gordie was 51.While the other family pairings on this list happened late in the fathers careers, LeBron shows no signs of slowing down or regressing as he begins his NBA record-tying 22nd season.LeBron averaged more than 25 points per game last year for his 20th consecutive season, and he remains the most important player on the Lakers alongside Anthony Davis as they attempt to recapture the form that won a championship in 2020 and got them to the Western Conference finals in 2023.Bronny survived cardiac arrest and open heart surgery in the summer of 2023, and he went on to play a truncated freshman season at the University of Southern California. He declared for the draft anyway, and the Lakers eagerly used the fourth-to-last pick in the draft on the 6-foot-2 guard.LeBron spent the summer in Europe with the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the Paris Olympics, while Bronny played for the Lakers in summer league. They started practicing together with the Lakers before training camp.The duo first played together in the preseason, logging four minutes during a game against Phoenix just outside Palm Springs earlier this month.Its been a treat, LeBron said at Tuesdays morning shootaround. In preseason, the practices, just every day … bringing him up to speed of what this professional life is all about, and how to prepare every day as a professional.The Lakers were fully aware of the history they would make with this pairing, and coach JJ Redick spoke with the Jameses recently about a plan to make it happen early in the regular season.The presence of the Griffeys likely made it an inevitability for opening night, even though Redick said the Lakers still wanted it to happen naturally, in the flow of the game.The Lakers have declined to speculate on how long Bronny will stay on their NBA roster. Los Angeles already has three other small guards on its roster, and Bronny likely needs regular playing time to raise his game to a consistent NBA standard.Those factors add up to indicate Bronny is likely to join the affiliate South Bay Lakers of the G League at some point soon. LeBron and Redick have both spoken positively about the South Bay team, saying that player development is a key part of the Lakers organization.Miami forward Kevin Love, who knew all the James children Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri from his time as LeBrons teammate in Cleveland, said it was an unbelievable moment to see father and son playing together.I grew up a Mariners fan, so I got to see Griffey and then Griffey Sr. But this is different, because LeBron is still a top-five player in the league, Love said. This game, man. Its why we have that ($76 billion) TV deal. The storylines and the things that happen like this, its an unbelievable story. This is really cool to see.___AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed.
Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama says he remains unfazed by attempts from the governing New Patriotic Party to downplay his proposal to support startups and create jobs for individuals interested…
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In U.S. politics, tax policy often becomes a critical issue for defining economic priorities and future plans.Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have each championed tax policies that reflect the economic ideologies of their political parties. Their individual views tend to differ drastically.However, ahead of the 2024 general election, both Harris and Trump have come out saying they support the removal of taxes on tips for workers in the service industry.What are the points where they disagree? Here’s the breakdown:Kamala Harris’ tax policy: Taxing corporations to support the middle classHarris aligns with progressive tax policies that aim to reduce income inequality by shifting a greater tax burden onto wealthy individuals and corporations.Her stance is similar to that of President Joe Biden, under whose administration several tax proposals have been advanced that Harris supports.According to U.S. News and World Report, a cornerstone of Harris’ policy is raising the corporate income tax rate from 21% to 28%. This ensures that businesses, especially large corporations, contribute a larger share of federal revenue. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, believe that these tax increases on the wealthy and corporations will fund critical public services, such as infrastructure, education and health care.Harris has also proposed increasing the Medicare tax from 3.8% to 5% for people making more than $400,000. This includes raising the top individual tax rate from 37% to 39.6%. Additionally, Harris advocates for increasing the capital gains tax rate for those earning more than $1 million annually, aiming to close the gap between how investment income and wage income are taxed.Harris also supports measures to expand the child tax credit to $3,600 for children aged 2-5, $3,000 for children 6-17, and $6,000 for a childs first year. This credit provides significant financial relief to middle- and lower-income families.Harris and Walz also plan to provide $25,000 down payment assistance to qualifying first-time homebuyers and increase the $5,000 tax deduction for small business startup costs to $50,000.Donald Trumps tax policy: Cutting taxes to boost businessesDonald Trump’s tax policies, in contrast, are rooted in Republican principles that emphasize lower taxes, particularly for businesses and high-income earners, with the belief that such cuts spur economic growth. His signature legislative achievement, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, slashed the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and reduced individual income tax rates across most brackets.His 2024 campaign with running mate JD Vance builds off of plans from his previous presidency. Trump and Vance have proposed ending taxes on Social Security benefits and imposing a 10%-20% tariff on most imported goods and a 60% tariff on goods imported from China. U.S. News and World Report clarifies that a tariff is a tax on imported goods and is typically used to encourage consumers to buy products made domestically.What policy outcomes could look like The tax policies advocated by Kamala Harris and Donald Trump reflect starkly different economic ideologies. Harris’ focus is on redistributing wealth to reduce inequality and support middle-class families, while Trump prioritizes tax cuts to incentivize business investment.The Republican plan with Trump would “would increase primary deficits by $5.8 trillion over the next 10 years,” according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model. The same budget model reports that Harris plan would “increase primary deficits by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years.”
Kiva is a global nonprofit that crowdfunds microloans for small businesses. A local hub was established after an official launch on Friday.
The Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program is out of money, delaying critical assistance for thousands of people impacted by recent storms. The agency made the announcement on Tuesday after warning of a potential shortfall for weeks. It follows a surge in demand from Hurricanes Milton and Helene. The SBA’s long-term, low-interest loans are a critical lifeline for small businesses, homeowners and renters. The loans can be used for personal property losses, home damages, business repairs and economic injuries. Despite the funding lapse, the White House says survivors should apply immediately.”Americans should continue to apply for these loans, and SBA will continue to process them and disburse assistance as soon as Congress does its job and provides the needed funding, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a press conference on Wednesday. The SBA said, as of Tuesday evening, it had made 700 loan offers totaling about $48 million between the two storms. Officials say borrowers who already have a loan offer will continue to receive disbursements.The majority of applicants are still waiting on a determination. The SBA reported receiving 37,000 relief applications from Helene and another 12,000 from Milton as of Tuesday. “We need to have Congress act immediately to be able to replenish these dollars so that we can get checks to folks who are in need,” said SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Congress is tracking the situation closely, but there are still no plans to bring lawmakers back to Capitol Hill before Election Day. Johnson added in a statement, “When members return in just a few short weeks, the Administration should have an accurate assessment of the actual dollar amount needed, and there will be strong bipartisan support to provide the necessary funding.”Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat from Florida, has already introduced a bill to send $8 billion to the SBA for relief efforts. Congress should have proactively funded the SBA and FEMA before going on a months-long recess during hurricane season, Moskowitz added in a press release. Joe Scully, a restaurant owner in hard-hit Asheville, North Carolina, is among those waiting for relief. He had to throw away thousands of dollars worth of food due to power outages, and one of his restaurants, Corner Kitchen, flooded to the second story during Helene. “It is just a skeleton of what it was, Scully said. “We believe that it will work out, but the delay is real.”Scully is calling on lawmakers to act with urgency. Waiting for the election to happen isnt going to help anyone, not them, not us, not the people that need the money right now to start their businesses, Scully said. If Congress approves additional funds, businesses may be eligible for loans of up to $2 million for physical damages and economic losses. Homeowners may be eligible for loans of up to $500,000 for damage repairs, while both homeowners and renters can get up to $100,000 for losses to personal property. For more information, visit sba.gov/disaster, call SBAs Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Individual survivors are also encouraged to visit disasterassistance.gov for resources, including assistance from FEMA.
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Small business owners are growing more uncertain about the economy ahead of the presidential election and are reining in spending, according to a new survey