Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a law that allows those who sign up to fight in Ukraine to write off unpaid debts worth almost $100,000, the government announced. The new legislation will be a strong motivation for some to join up, experts said, as Russia seeks new ways to recruit fighters for the nearly three-year conflict grinding through troops. The new legislation will allow those who sign a one-year contract to fight in Ukraine after December 1 to free themselves of existing bad debts. It also covers their spouses. The law concerns debts where a court order for collection was issued and enforcement proceedings began before December 1, 2024. The total amount of unpaid debt that can be covered is 10 million rubles, around $96,000 at current rates. Parliament approved the bill earlier this month. The legislation will largely concern younger Russians of fighting age, since those in their 30s and younger are most likely to have loans. Russia has extremely high interest rates for loans and many Russians have almost no cash savings, although the proportion of home owners is relatively high. "Previously (for those fighting) there was only provision for taking repayment holidays on loans," Sergei Krivenko of advocacy group Citizen Army Law told Vazhniye Istorii Telegram channel. The new legislation applies to those who are conscripted for national service and those mobilised for the so-called "special military operation", Krivenko said. Conscripts cannot be sent to the front line but can choose to sign a contract to join the professional army and be sent to fight in Ukraine. Russian authorities "are strengthening the motivation to sign a contract," political analyst Georgy Bovt wrote on Telegram. The legislation provides "another way to get rid of an unbearable burden of credit, at least for several hundred thousand people," Bovt wrote. Over 13 million Russians have three or more loans, according to a central bank report released last month covering the first two quarters. This was up 20 percent on the same period last year. The average amount owed by those with three or more loans is 1.4 million rubles ($13,400 at current rates). Many start with a bank loan and then apply for further loans from microfinance organisations. Russians serving on the front line are already paid far more than the national average. Ukraine also has legislation allowing those fighting to get preferential terms for loans and in some cases to write off debts. bur/twATLANTA — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. In this Nov. 3, 2019, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors. He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners. He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. Jimmy Carter is shown at age 6, with his sister, Gloria, 4, in 1931 in Plains, Georgia. (AP Photo) This is a 1932 photo of Jimmy Carter at age 7 in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo) Lt. Jimmy Carter peers at instruments on submarine USS K-1 in a 1952 photo. Directly in front of Carter, smoking a cigar, is Don Dickson. He had forgotten he ever served with Carter until he came upon the photo during Christmas, 1977. A friend got it to the White House where Carter wrote: "To my friend Donald Dickson - Jimmy Carter, USS K-1 to White House." (AP Photo) FILE - In this Sept. 15, 1966 file photo, then Georgia State Sen. Jimmy Carter hugs his wife, Rosalynn, at his Atlanta campaign headquarters. Jimmy Carter, winner in Georgia's runoff primary in the Democratic Party to determine the party's candidate for the November election for governor, 1970. (AP Photo) Former State Sen. Jimmy Carter listens to applause at the Capitol in Atlanta on April 3, 1970, after announcing his candidacy or governor. In background, his wife Rosalyn holds two-year-old daughter Amy who joined in the applause. Carter, 45, of Plains, Ga., finished third in the 1966 Democratic Primary behind Gov. Lester Maddox and Ellis Arnall. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn clutch the microphones as he claims victory in a runoff election at campaign headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, September 24, 1970. Carter beat former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders for the nomination and will face Republican candidate Hal Suit, veteran television newsman, in the general election Nov. 3, 1970. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Former state Sen. Jimmy Carter breaks into a broad smile after early returns gave him a lead of almost 2-1 in the Democratic runoff against former Gov. Carl Sanders, Sept. 23, 1970, in Atlanta, Ga. The winner will meet the Republic Hal Suit for the governorship of Georgia on the Nov. 3 general election. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Governor-elect Jimmy Carter and his daughter Amy, 3, walk about the grounds by the fountain at the Governor's Mansion in Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 10, 1971, as they get to know the place where they will live for the next four years. Carter will be sworn in as governor of Georgia Tuesday. (AP Photo) Judge Robert H. Jordan administers the oath of office to Gov. Jimmy Carter during ceremonies at the state capitol in Atlanta. Ga., Jan. 12, 1971. Next to the judge is former Gov. Lester Maddox, who will take over as lieutenant governer of Georgia. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter of Georgia, seen here Feb. 6, 1971, already described as a symbol of a new breed of moderate southern politician, says that the race question has ceased to be a major issue "between or among candidates" running for office in the old confederacy. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter, Governor of Georgia, is shown at his desk in Atlanta, on February 19, 1971. (AP Photo) Georgia's Gov. Jimmy Carter reaches for pen February 25, 1972 to sign a Georgia Senate House resolution opposing forced busing to achieve integration in the classrooms of the United States. Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter joins a half-dozen Rockettes in a high kick, September 21, 1973, at Radio City Music Hall in New York, while visiting backstage before an afternoon performance. Carter is in New York to induce the film industry to make pictures in his state. (AP Photo/stf) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, right, and Delaware Gov. Sherman Tribbitt say hello to Atlanta Braves Hank Aaron, left, following a rain canceled game with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Sept. 27, 1973, Atlanta, Ga. The cancellation slowed Aaron’s opportunity to tie or break Babe Ruth’s home run record. (AP Photo) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter spoke to 18,000 messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention on Thursday, June 13, 1974 in Dallas, Texas. He urged Baptists to use their personal and political influence to return the nation to ideals of stronger commitment and higher ethics. He said "there is no natural division between a man's Christian life and his political life." (AP Photo/Greg Smith) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter tells a gathering, Saturday, Oct. 5, 1974 at the National Press Club in Washington about his ideas concerning energy conservation. (AP Photo) In this Thursday, Aug. 14, 1975 file photo, former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter announces in Washington that he qualified for federal matching funds to help finance his campaign for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination. Former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, right, drew about 5,000 people to Youngstown's Federal Plaza in Youngstown, Ohio, in his quest for support in Tuesday's Ohio Democratic primary, June 7, 1976. The presidential hopeful waded into the crowd, shaking hands and signing autographs. Carter, speaking to the largest crowd to assemble during his Ohio campaign, said 1976 would be a Democratic year because of the Watergate aftermath and other national ills. (AP Photo) In this Monday, Aug. 23, 1976 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter gives an informal press conference in Los Angeles during a campaign tour through the West and Midwest. On Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015. (AP Photo) Democratic Presidential nominee Jimmy Carter, left, eats some freshly roasted barbecue chicken with his brother Billy Carter at Billy's gas station, Sept 11, 1976, Plains, Ga. The nominee had returned the night before from a week of campaigning, and planned to hold an impromptu press conference at the gas station. (AP Photo/Jeff Taylor) Democratic presidential nominee, Jimmy Carter, is all smiles as he talks with his brother Billy at the Carter Family Peanut warehouse, September 18, 1976. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter stands in a large mound of peanuts at the Carter Peanut Warehouse in Plains, Ga., September 22, 1976. The Democratic party presidential nominee took an early morning walk through the warehouse to inspect some of the harvest. (AP Photo) FILE - In this Oct. 6, 1976 file photo with his wife Rosalynn Carter looking on at center, Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter, center left, shakes hands with President Gerald Ford at the conclusion of their debate at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater in San Francisco, Calif. (AP Photo, File) Jimmy Carter, Democratic candidate for president, is joined by his daughter, Amy, as he waves from the rostrum at Fort Worth Convention Center, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 1, 1976. Carter and his family have been campaigning Texas, making a last minute bid for the state's 26 electoral votes. The others are not identified. (AP Photo) U.S. President-elect Jimmy Carter waves to supporters as he is surrounded by family members at a hotel in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 3, 1976. Carter won the presidential election by 297 electoral votes to 241 for Ford. Standing next to him is his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter Amy Lynn, far right. The others are unidentified. (AP Photo) President-elect Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn wipe tears from their eyes after returning to their home town in Plains, Ga., Nov. 3, 1976. The Carter family was greeted by local residents after returning from Atlanta. (AP Photo) President-elect Jimmy Carter leans over to shake hands with some of the people riding the "Peanut Special" to Washington D.C., Jan. 19, 1977. They will travel all night, arriving in Washington in time for Carter's inauguration as President tomorrow. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter takes the oath of office as the nation's 39th president during inauguration ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1977. Carter's wife, Rosalynn, holds the Bible used in the first inauguration by George Washington as U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger administers the oath. Looking on at left are, Happy Rockefeller, Betty Ford, Joan Mondale, Amy Carter, and outgoing President Gerald Ford. Behind Carter is Vice President Walter Mondale. At far right is former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. (AP Photo) Rosalynn Carter, left, looks up at her husband Jimmy Carter as he takes the oath of office as the 39th President of the United States at the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 20, 1977, Washington, D.C. Mrs. Carter held a family Bible for her husband. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter walk down Pennsylvania Avenue after Carter was sworn in as the nations 39th President, Jan. 20, 1977, Washington, D.C. (AP Photo) FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 20, 1977 file photo, President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd while walking with his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter, Amy, along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House following his inauguration in Washington. (AP Photo/Suzanne Vlamis) In this Jan. 24, 1977 file photo, President Jimmy Carter is interviewed in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. In this file photo dated May 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, right, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II with French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, at Buckingham Palace in London. In this Feb. 20, 1978, file photo, President Jimmy Carter listens to Sen. Joseph R. Biden, D-Del., as they wait to speak at fund raising reception at Padua Academy in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Barry Thumma, File) President Jimmy Carter tucks his thumbs into his jeans and laughs as he prepares to head down the Salmon River in Idaho August 1978 for a three day rubber raft float. (AP Photo) United States President Jimmy Carter, on a visit to West Germany in 1978, rides with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt during a review of United States Forces at a base near Frankfurt. (AP Photo) Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, left, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, center, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin clasp hands on the north lawn of the White House after signing the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel on March 26, 1979. (AP Photo/ Bob Daugherty) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev, right, sign the documents of the SALT II Treaty in the Vienna Imperial Hofburg Palace, Monday, June 18, 1979, Vienna, Austria. President Jimmy Carter leans across the roof of his car to shake hands along the parade route through Bardstown, Ky., Tuesday afternoon, July 31, 1979. The president climbed on top of the car as the parade moved toward the high school gym, where a town meeting was held. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) In this April 25, 1980 file photo, President Jimmy Carter prepares to make a national television address from the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, on the failed mission to rescue the Iran hostages. President Jimmy Carter applauds as Sen. Edward Kennedy waves to cheering crowds of the Democratic National Convention in New York's Madison Square Garden, Aug. 14, 1980. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) President Jimmy Carter raises a clenched fist during his address to the Democratic Convention, August 15, 1980, in New York's Madison Square Garden where he accepted his party's nomination to face Republican Ronald Reagan in the general election. (AP Photo/stf) Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy greets President Jimmy Carter after he landed at Boston's Logan Airport, Aug. 21, 1980. President Carter is in Boston to address the American Legion Convention being held in Boston. (AP Photo) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas enjoy a chuckle during a rally for Carter in Texarkana, Texas, Oct. 22, 1980. Texarkana was the last stop for Carter on a three-city one-day campaign swing through Texas. (AP Photo/John Duricka) In this Oct. 28, 1980 file photo, President Jimmy Carter shakes hands with Republican Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan after debating in the Cleveland Music Hall in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Madeline Drexler, File) Former US President Jimmy Carter, who had negotiated for the hostages release right up to the last hours of his Presidency, lifts his arm to the crowd, while putting his other hand around the shoulders of a former hostage in Iran, believed to be Bruce Laingen, at US AIR Force Hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany, Wednesday, January 21, 1981. Former Pres. Jimmy Carter, center, is joined by his wife Rosalynn and his brother Billy Carter during session of the Democratic National Convention, Tuesday, July 19, 1988, Atlanta, Ga. Billy had been recently diagnosed with cancer. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaks to newsmen as PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, right, looks on after the two men met in Paris Wednesday, April 4, 1990. Carter said he felt some leaders did not represent the region's yearning for peace. (AP Photo/Pierre Gieizes) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, center, introduces his wife Rosalynn, right, to Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin, April 14, 1991 in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Avery) Former President Jimmy Carter gestures at a United Nations news conference in New York, April 23, 1993 about the world conference on Human Rights to be held by the United Nations in Vienna June 14-25. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Former Presidents George Bush, left, and Jimmy Carter, right, stand with President Clinton and wave to volunteers during a kick-off rally for the President's Volunteer Summit at Marcus Foster Stadium in Philladelphia, PA., Sunday morning April 27, 1997. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) President Bill Clinton presents former President Jimmy Carter, right, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, during a ceremony at the Carter Center in Atlanta Monday, Aug. 9, 1999. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter adjusts his glasses during a press conference in Managua, Nicaragua, Thursday, July 6, 2006. The former president and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner is heading a delegation from the democracy-promoting Carter Center, based at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, to observe preparations for Nicaragua's Nov. 5 presidential election. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) In this Friday, Dec. 8, 2006 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter signs copies of his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ric Feld) Former President George H.W. Bush, left, watches as Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton chat during a dedication ceremony for the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, May 31, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Former President Jimmy Carter poses for a portrait during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Former President Jimmy Carter poses on the red carpet for the documentary film, "Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains" during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife Rosalynn wave to the audience at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and former first lady Rosalynn Carter are seen on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Former President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd as he goes on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, is seen with Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) President-elect Barack Obama is welcomed by President George W. Bush for a meeting at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, with former presidents, from left, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) In this photo taken Saturday, May 29, 2010, former South Africa president Nelson Mandela, right, reacts with former US president Jimmy Carter, during a reunion with The Elders, three years after he launched the group, in Johannesburg, South Africa. (AP Photo/Jeff Moore, Pool) Former US President Jimmy Carter, center, one of the delegates of the Elders group of retired prominent world figures, holds a Palestinian child during a visit to the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Menahem Kahana, Pool) Former President Jimmy Carter, 86, leads Habitat for Humanity volunteers to help build and repair houses in Washington's Ivy City neighborhood, Monday, Oct. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 22, 2010 file photo, former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, background right, looks at former U.S. president, Jimmy Carter, center, while visiting a weekly protest in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The protest was organized by groups supporting Palestinians evicted from their homes in east Jerusalem by Israeli authorities. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, his wife, Rosalynn, and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan conclude a visit to a polling center the southern capital of Juba Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Pete Muller) Former President Jimmy Carter signs his name in the guest book at the Jewish Community center in Havana, Cuba, Monday March 28, 2011. Carter arrived in Cuba to discuss economic policies and ways to improve Washington-Havana relations, which are even more tense than usual over the imprisonment of Alan Gross, a U.S. contractor, on the island. C (AP Photo/Adalberto Roque, Pool) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter pauses during an interview as he and his wife Rosalynn visit a Habitat for Humanity project in Leogane, Haiti, Monday Nov. 7, 2011. The Carters joined volunteers from around the world to build 100 homes in partnership with earthquake-affected families in Haiti during a week-long Habitat for Humanity housing project. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, sits prior to a meeting with Israel's President Shimon Peres at the President's residence in Jerusalem, Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012. Peres met two of 'The Elders', a group composed of eminent global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter watches baseball players work out before Game 2 of the National League Division Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) Former President Jimmy Carter speaks during a forum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014. Among other topics, Carter discussed his new book, "A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power." (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Rosalynn Carter arrive at the 2015 MusiCares Person of the Year event at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) In this July 10, 2015, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter is seen in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) In a Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday School class at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown, in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) Former President Jimmy Carter answers questions during a news conference at a Habitat for Humanity building site Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, in Memphis, Tenn. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have volunteered a week of their time annually to Habitat for Humanity since 1984, events dubbed "Carter work projects" that draw thousands of volunteers and take months of planning. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) Former President Bill Clinton, left, and former president Jimmy Carter shake hands after speaking at a Clinton Global Initiative meeting Tuesday, June 14, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter holds a morning devotion in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, Aug. 22, 2016, before he and his wife Rosalynn help build a home for Habitat for Humanity. (AP Photo/Alex Sanz) Former president Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter arrive during the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) In this Feb. 8, 2017, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for a solar panel project on farmland he owns in his hometown of Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) Former President George W. Bush, center, speaks as fellow former Presidents from right, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter look on during a hurricanes relief concert in College Station, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017. All five living former U.S. presidents joined to support a Texas concert raising money for relief efforts from Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria's devastation in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Former President Jimmy Carter, 93, sits for an interview about his new book "Faith: A Journey For All" which will debut at no. 7 on the New York Times best sellers list, pictured before a book signing Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) Former President Jimmy Carter speaks as Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams listens during a news conference to announce Abrams' rural health care plan Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter are seen ahead of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former President Jimmy Carter takes questions submitted by students during an annual Carter Town Hall held at Emory University Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, left, meets with former President Jimmy Carter, center, at Buffalo Cafe in Plains, Ga., Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Former President Jimmy Carter reacts as his wife Rosalynn Carter speaks during a reception to celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary on July 10, 2021, in Plains, Ga. In this Nov. 3, 2019, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. Former President Jimmy Carter, arrives to attend a tribute service for his wife and former first lady Rosalynn Carter, at Glenn Memorial Church, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Former President Jimmy Carter arrives for the funeral service for his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter at Maranatha Baptist Church, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, in Plains, Ga. The former first lady died on Nov. 19. She was 96. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) A sign wishing former President Jimmy Carter a happy 100th birthday sits on the North Lawn of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) FILE - Former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, in Plains, Ga., Nov. 3, 2019. Well-wishes and fond remembrances for the former president continued to roll in Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, a day after he entered hospice care at his home in Georgia. (AP Photo/John Amis, File) Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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Kodiak Sciences Inc. ( NASDAQ:KOD – Get Free Report ) fell 7.5% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $10.08 and last traded at $10.08. 212,886 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 55% from the average session volume of 476,958 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.90. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have issued reports on KOD. Barclays upped their target price on Kodiak Sciences from $3.00 to $4.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Kodiak Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, December 9th. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $3.00 price objective on shares of Kodiak Sciences in a report on Friday, November 15th. Get Our Latest Research Report on Kodiak Sciences Kodiak Sciences Stock Performance Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kodiak Sciences A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in KOD. LJI Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Kodiak Sciences by 21.3% during the 3rd quarter. LJI Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Kodiak Sciences by 18.5% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 54,323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $128,000 after purchasing an additional 8,470 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Kodiak Sciences by 1.7% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 768,740 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,007,000 after buying an additional 12,783 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in Kodiak Sciences during the third quarter worth $33,000. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Kodiak Sciences by 1.8% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 816,634 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,131,000 after buying an additional 14,711 shares during the period. 89.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Kodiak Sciences Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Kodiak Sciences Inc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, researches, develops, and commercializes therapeutics to treat retinal diseases. Its lead product candidate is tarcocimab tedromer (KSI-301), an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody biopolymer that is in Phase IIb/III clinical study to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as Phase III clinical study for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, naïve macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion, and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Kodiak Sciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kodiak Sciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Vernon band looking to bring blues to Memphis

Drone operators worry anxiety over mystery sightings will lead to new restrictionsWASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black has been hospitalized after suffering a bleed on his brain and is expected to have a “smooth recovery,” his office said. Black, 76, suffered a subdural hematoma earlier this week and is at a local hospital and under the care of the Capitol’s physician, said Rev. Lisa Schultz, Black’s chief of staff. A subdural hematoma is when blood builds up between the skull and the surface of the brain, increasing pressure on the brain. A in the hallways of the Senate, Black has been the chaplain since 2003. He opens the proceedings each day with a prayer and counsels senators and staff through prayer groups and one-on-one meetings. He was previously the chief of the Navy’s chaplains. Black is well known for his booming voice and his often prescient and timely opening prayers in times of political tension. During an extended government shutdown in 2013, he prayed to “deliver us from the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable.” During former President Donald Trump’s in 2019, he asked in a prayer that “our senators not permit fatigue or cynicism to jeopardize friendships that have existed for years.” In the early morning of Jan. 7, 2021, after supporters of Trump had and Congress had certified Democrat Joe Biden’s victory, he closed a joint session in the middle of the night with a call for unity. “We deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy,” he prayed. Associated Press medical writer Lauran Neergaard contributed to this report.

Kodiak Sciences Inc. ( NASDAQ:KOD – Get Free Report ) fell 7.5% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $10.08 and last traded at $10.08. 212,886 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 55% from the average session volume of 476,958 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.90. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have issued reports on KOD. Barclays upped their target price on Kodiak Sciences from $3.00 to $4.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Kodiak Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, December 9th. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $3.00 price objective on shares of Kodiak Sciences in a report on Friday, November 15th. Get Our Latest Research Report on Kodiak Sciences Kodiak Sciences Stock Performance Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kodiak Sciences A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in KOD. LJI Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Kodiak Sciences by 21.3% during the 3rd quarter. LJI Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Kodiak Sciences by 18.5% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 54,323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $128,000 after purchasing an additional 8,470 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Kodiak Sciences by 1.7% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 768,740 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,007,000 after buying an additional 12,783 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in Kodiak Sciences during the third quarter worth $33,000. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Kodiak Sciences by 1.8% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 816,634 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,131,000 after buying an additional 14,711 shares during the period. 89.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Kodiak Sciences Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Kodiak Sciences Inc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, researches, develops, and commercializes therapeutics to treat retinal diseases. Its lead product candidate is tarcocimab tedromer (KSI-301), an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody biopolymer that is in Phase IIb/III clinical study to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as Phase III clinical study for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, naïve macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion, and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Kodiak Sciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kodiak Sciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Helping to drown out the noise

The first time I tracked my blood sugar, I wrote about how it humbled me and knocked my wellness socks clean off , before eventually bringing me around to the idea that glucose monitoring -- tracking the ebbs and flows of blood sugar throughout the day and over time -- can be very telling of overall health in ways you may not realize. For the past few weeks, and with a break or two between sensors, I've been wearing the Lingo continuous glucose monitor , also known as a CGM, made by Abbott, one of two diabetes care "big wigs." (The other diabetes tech giant is Dexcom, whose Stelo CGM I wore for my first time tracking blood sugar.) Like Stelo was for Dexcom, Lingo is the result of Abbott turning a medical device that once required a prescription into consumer tech cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for use by any adult who doesn't need insulin and wants a deeper dive into how their diet and lifestyle affects blood sugar. This is important, as glucose levels can tell you about your diabetes risk and overall metabolic health, giving you a leg up and some agency to make changes or get care as you see fit. Lingo is a small, circular biowearable that sticks to the back of your arm and tracks your glucose in real time through a teeny sensor that reads glucose levels in interstitial fluid , which leaks out of surrounds cells and gives away their blood sugar contents. While there have been workarounds for people without diabetes to get a prescription for CGMs through biohacking companies like Nutrisense and Levels , having blood sugar biosensors cleared directly for the general wellness market by the FDA is a big deal, since glucose remains a crucial health marker that smartwatches, smart rings and any other regular consumer wearable can't touch yet . Apple is getting closer to adding glucose tracking to its smartwatches, reports from Bloomberg suggest, but it won't be our reality in the near future, as the only tech that can reliably track blood sugar so far needs to (literally) get under our skin. So, how does the Lingo -- marketed specifically for general wellness consumers -- compare to the Stelo, whose target customer base is those with Type 2 diabetes or those in the prediabetes zone? Here's what I found, what I like about the Lingo app and where I think it can improve. Also, we'll take this moment to debrief what current scientific evidence says about glucose as a measure of our metabolic health -- the very function of our bodies and how they use energy. Why you should care about blood sugar or glucose When we eat, our body converts food (mostly glucose or "sugar") into energy, which our body breaks down, uses and stores. So naturally, we get a little uptick or energy boost after a meal -- especially from carbohydrates, which are made up of simple sugars -- and our body releases the hormone insulin in response to help convert energy and bring blood sugar down. People with diabetes have a disrupted insulin response, and people with Type 1 diabetes, as well as some with Type 2 diabetes, need to take insulin as medication. However, in people without a diabetes diagnosis, blood sugar that stays too high for too long can also pose health problems or indicate an underlying problem, such as illness or even prolonged stress or sleep disturbances. It can also mean insulin resistance, where the body has to work harder to produce enough insulin to clear blood sugar from the blood, which can lead to prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes if not managed. Diabetes or too-high blood sugar becomes a problem because blood sugar can damage nerves, hurt kidneys and more. Fortunately, prevention or management of diabetes is possible, which is where CGMs come in. Dr. Scott Isaacs, a board-certified endocrinologist and president-elect of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, told me last summer during my first stint monitoring my blood sugar that CGMs have a leg up against traditional blood sugar tests, such as the A1C test you may get as part of typical blood work , because they give you a days-long range of information. You can also get actionable insights into how different habits or choices impact glucose. For example, I've found that walking around after a meal not only makes me feel better but reduces the severity of my glucose spike after eating. I've also tried to eat a little more protein ( nothing too dramatic ), as research has shown that starting with protein or less sugary foods also helps stabilize blood sugar. All of this health insight, and more, is available on the Lingo app, so you can learn as you watch your glucose levels naturally rise and fall throughout the day. Read more: TikTok Spotted My Diabetes Before I Did. 2 Gadgets I Now Use Daily Getting started with Lingo Abbott originally announced Lingo at CES 2022 as part of a line of biosensors that will, one day, the company says, be able to track not only glucose but other metrics like ketones (bodily acids that break down fat for energy) as well. With all this build-up, I've been itching to try the Lingo. A single biosensor, which will give you two weeks of data, costs $49 . A whole month (two sensors) costs $89, and if you're really in it for the long haul, you can opt for a three-month subscription of $249. Unfortunately for Android users, Lingo only works with iPhone currently. If you're an Android user and want to track your blood sugar or glucose, you should get the Stelo by Dexcom , which works for both Android and iPhone. Because I'd already worn a CGM for about a month earlier this year, I had an idea of what to expect this time around. In my experience, setting up Lingo was virtually painless, less loud than the noise Stelo makes when being injected into my arm and easy to do. The first step is to download the Lingo app and create an account. Then, sterilize the back of your arm where you'll be attaching the biosensor -- Abbott recommends you use soap and water first, then an alcohol wipe. Lingo comes in a box with two components: a gray biosensor applicator and a white biosensor pack that comes with a peel-off lid. To prepare your biosensor for your arm, peel off the biosensor pack lid. Then, unscrew the applicator cap and line it up with the biosensor pack per the instructions. Push it firmly down so the biosensor attaches to the applicator. Once your biosensor is loaded, follow the applicator instructions and push firmly on the sterilized part of your back arm. Then, scan the biosensor with your phone so it pairs. It takes about an hour to warm up and officially start measuring your glucose or blood sugar. Lingo comes with an applicator and a biosensor that you need to connect before sticking it to your arm. Pros and cons of Lingo app I appreciated the relative transparency of the Lingo app and what are good glucose goals to aim for. On the "today" screen, which shows a graph of real-time glucose information, you'll see dotted lines outlining the "healthy range." This range -- between 70 and 140 mg/dL -- serves as a parameter for people who haven't been diagnosed with diabetes to stay between. Many reports say that 96% of the time, you should aim to keep it below 140 mg/dL. I also liked how Lingo/Abbott has a "common questions" section under the "challenges" tab, which gets into what the target range means and what it indicates if you "see spikes." The app explains how spikes are normal after eating but should return to baseline about 90 minutes later. While there's very little official health word on what your graphs or numbers should look like as someone without diabetes, this guidance seems to run with how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses 140 mg/dL as a cut-off for a prediabetes diagnosis during the fasting glucose test -- that is, two hours after consuming glucose, your body should bring your blood sugar down below 140. I appreciated the extra health context Lingo provides. Now for something I want to like but can't get behind yet: the Lingo Count. I don't get it. It's a number that supposedly represents your glucose spikes throughout the day. Everyone's "target" starts at 60, but you can adjust it higher or lower based on your own goals. You'll see it go up throughout the day, and you can look at how your counts stack up as the week goes on. The goal is to stay under your target count. Pamela Nisevich Bede, a registered dietician, nutritionist and senior manager of medical affairs at Abbott, said that the Lingo count is meant to provide more context for people who haven't had any experience tracking their glucose before and may want an easier score to go after. But Bede said it's something they're always looking at, as blood sugar tracking in people without diabetes is still a new concept. "It's a value that we're always playing with," Bede said about Lingo Count. "We're always looking for new research into individuals without diabetes -- what's that going to look like in five years? I think, 'more to come'." While it does feel similar to a wearable readiness score, I prefer just looking at the graph and seeing how my glucose goes up and down throughout the day. I should also say, while I love my Oura data, I only look at the actual data (sleeping time, temperature trends, etc), and barely give the numerical Readiness Score a glance. So maybe someone who finds the more holistic wearable scores or briefings useful will appreciate Lingo Count. However, the Lingo app does give you a list of Lingo Counts throughout the day that prompt you to log an event (food, most likely), and I find this helpful to make note of the "big" glucose events so that you don't have to sweat the small snacks or activities. As I wrote for my first CGM review, I'm not a fan of food logging, even when it's not asking for calories, because I think it sets a potentially harmful precedent and you can get yourself into the swing of checking the app/your glucose graph periodically throughout the day to see how it may affect you. My least favorite thing about the Lingo experience has been its motivational wording in the "Today" tab when you open the app. On this particular day, my Lingo app told me to do some squats because my Lingo Count was going up post-coffee. Another thing I didn't love about the Lingo app is the attempted motivational wording it uses in the "Today" tab. It's possible I'm reaching and not everyone will feel this way, but praising phrases like "Good job today" when the app is centered around eating and diet feels weird and makes my spidey senses for disordered eating potential tingle. I also laughed out loud when I looked at my glucose measurements after my first coffee of the day recently (I added oat milk and sugar) and the app suggested I get up and do 20 squats because my Lingo Count was going up. Other things I didn't appreciate: When the Lingo app told me to do calf raises and put some "tunes" on while I cleaned up after dinner. Glucose tracking 2.0: Lingo vs. Stelo CGM I was more prepared, and less scared, during my testing of Lingo than I was when I first attached Stelo. During the latter's testing, I was flying blind in terms of what "normal" glucose fluctuations were supposed to look like. I also experienced (what seemed to be) markedly different glucose levels from the start of my Stelo run to the end. I have had no formal diagnosis or medical conclusion drawn around any of this. Still, my hypothesis for why this happened is that I was sick and recovering from a virus when I first started using Stelo, combined with generally high stress. Comparatively, my Lingo glucose levels have been lower, though that may be credit to both companies' apps and biosensors doing their job of teaching me subtle ways to help regulate blood sugar, such as taking more walks and being mindful about eating protein or fattier, more satiating foods before the high-carb or sugary stuff. App-wise, in addition to Abbott more clearly defining what's "okay" vs. what should prompt you to reach out to your doctor for more information or guidance, I liked the graph set up more on the Lingo app, since you can toggle along the dotted line and go back days to see how your glucose has risen and fell. However, I personally find the motivational language a bit ridiculous (while well-meaning), so I think the copy could be improved in future versions of the app to be more hands-off and less micro-managy. In this sense, I think Stelo is superior. Importantly, whether you should go with Stelo or Lingo hinges mostly on whether you've been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (but aren't taking insulin) or if you think you're prediabetic. If either apply, you'll probably want to try the Stelo CGM, as it offers a higher target range up to 180 mg/dL and is generally less competitive/annoying with challenges and prompts. Of course, a big con to Lingo is that it is (currently) only available on iPhone, so it makes for an easier choice for Android users. Read more: Apple Watch Now Pairs Directly With Dexcom G7 in Diabetes Tech First My blood sugar had more "lows" with Lingo, so I investigated a crash An example of what the Lingo app looks like tracking your glucose. You'll see that my glucose levels were fairly low over night while I was sleeping -- the spike you see is when I had my first coffee of the day. For my first documentation of blood-sugar tracking with the Stelo CGM, I spent most of my time obsessing over highs and getting to the bottom of spikes. But my glucose levels have been lower with Lingo, so I want to spend time on a different, related phenomenon: the blood sugar crash. Something about 3:30 PM on a weekday makes me feel extremely unwell. On one occasion, I felt so tired and headachey, post-lunch, that I decided to check in with Lingo and see what my nifty glucose sensor had to say and if there was any correlation. Indeed, while I was feeling particularly "blah," my blood sugar had dipped below the bottom range of 70 mg/dL -- surprisingly low for me. In a person with diabetes or someone who takes insulin, this may be concerning and prompt some type of action. However, I don't have diabetes, so this was less a medical concern and more a head-scratching event to pick apart. What's more, I'm wearing the Lingo, which is a consumer wearable device -- not one approved for medical purposes. All that being said, here are some of my guesses at the culprits of my crash: I was drinking a Diet Dr. Pepper right before The Crash. I usually only drink soda (artificially sweetened) when I go into the office because the bright fluorescent lights overhead tire me out and give me a headache (yes, I'm a wimp), and I've usually burned through my coffee quota earlier in the day. Could artificial sugar be the problem? I haven't found any evidence to suggest it would. I was munching on bread -- more of it than I normally have when not paired with other food. Bread is delicious and absolutely part of a well-rounded diet, but it's very carby. Before the naan bread and Diet Coke, I had a banana, half a can of lentil soup and a bite of a red bean rice cake. While I wouldn't call this an unhealthy meal, it was pretty carb-heavy and not padded by a dose of protein up front, so I may've been doomed to crash. Tiredness. The two nights before, I'd had pretty poor sleep. About five and a half hours the previous night and about six and a half the night before that, according to my Oura ring data. Could I once again be victim to my own poor sleep choices? Probably. Taking all of this into account, the things I can do differently next time to avoid this crash lean on the same general advice when it comes to helping your body process blood sugar and, therefore, energy after eating. I could've taken a quick, leisurely walk after lunch (nothing crazy, and no sweating) and considered eating protein before the more carby foods. Maybe I could've added a slice of cheese to the soup or eaten the banana after. Who should use Lingo or try a CGM? I regret to inform you that, after spending weeks with two different models of CGMs, I think it's a good idea for everyone to use one to track their glucose levels at least one time -- preferably once a year for as long as your box of biosensors will serve you, just to check in with how your body's handling blood sugar and to play around with your wellness routine. And this is coming from someone who is adamantly against calorie counting or similar types of food logging for most people. To reiterate: I disagree with the current app designs around consumer CGMs and don't think you need to log every single food item to learn how different foods impact blood glucose. My grandpa has Type 2 diabetes. In this photo, he's wearing the Stelo. Consumer technology that gives the general public earlier and easier access to glucose information and how it's directly impacted by diet, movement and more, is a big deal in my mind. People who have diabetes or prediabetes (and who don't need insulin) may benefit from wearing one more often (you should get the Stelo, or ask your doctor whether you can get a prescription for another one). However, whether you need to "continuously" use a continuous glucose monitor is totally up to your preferences and what benefits your overall well-being. That includes how stressed it makes you feel and whether you think it's actually helping you make meaningful changes to your routine. If it's not helpful, forget it. For those who think they may have prediabetes or people who are worried about what their graphs may show: I feel you. Whether you want to wear a CGM or check your blood sugar ever is completely up to you, but given that the resources available for people to catch potentially chronic diseases early are sparse -- and the noise around diet trends or wellness hacks purporting to make you healthier is loud and confusing -- you may find that a tool that gives you direct information about your health can help you make tweaks that'll actually be helpful. It may also prompt you to get care earlier if you can benefit from health care or medication, minimizing the risks of health problems later on in life. I offer the yearly glucose check-in advice for most people because that's what I plan on doing, and based on some Reddit threads and general comments from doctors, using a CGM to check in every once in a while seems to be more in line with how others view it as well. While I was provided CGMs from both Abbott and Dexcom for testing, I'll probably buy a single Lingo biosensor roughly a year from now, just to see how my blood sugar is trending, purely based on the fact Abbott sells a two-week sensor for a more affordable $49, instead of a month-long sensor pack for $99. In the meantime, I plan on overhauling my sleep routine and working on bringing down my stress levels, so I'm focusing on those gradual changes that can reap big, rippling health results.Direct Line Insurance Group (LON:DLG) Hits New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?Versarien (LON:VRS) Hits New 1-Year Low – Here’s WhyFaraday Future Announces it Will Change its Stock Ticker Symbol to "FFAI" and Host an “FF AI Open Day” Event in Early 2025

Putin signs law letting Ukraine fighters write off bad debts

MEUDON (França)--(BUSINESS WIRE)--nov 21, 2024-- A inteligência artificial é o tema central da Semana Europeia de Cibernética deste ano, que ocorre de 19 a 21 de novembro em Rennes (França). Em um desafio organizado para coincidir com o evento pela Agência de Inovação de Defesa (AID) da França, as equipes da Thales desenvolveram com sucesso um metamodelo para detectar imagens geradas por IA. À medida que o uso de tecnologias de IA ganha força, e em um momento em que a desinformação está se tornando cada vez mais predominante nos meios de comunicação e impactando todos os setores da economia, o metamodelo de detecção de deepfake oferece uma maneira de combater a manipulação de imagens em uma grande variedade de casos de uso, como a luta contra a fraude de identidade. Este comunicado de imprensa inclui multimédia. Veja o comunicado completo aqui: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241120748438/pt/ (c)Thales As imagens geradas por IA são criadas usando plataformas de IA, como Midjourney, Dall-E e Firefly. Alguns estudos previram que, dentro de alguns anos, o uso de deepfakes para roubo de identidade e fraude poderia causar enormes perdas financeiras. A Gartner estimou que cerca de 20% dos ataques cibernéticos em 2023 provavelmente incluíram conteúdo deepfake como parte de campanhas de desinformação e manipulação. Seu relatório 1 destaca o uso cada vez maior de deepfakes em fraudes financeiras e ataques avançados de phishing. “ O metamodelo de detecção de deepfake da Thales aborda o problema de fraude de identidade e as técnicas de morphing ” 2 , disse Christophe Meyer, especialista sênior em IA e CTO da cortAIx, a aceleradora de IA da Thales . “ A agregação de vários métodos usando redes neurais, detecção de ruído e análise de frequência espacial nos ajuda a proteger melhor o número crescente de soluções que exigem verificações de identidade biométrica. Trata-se de um avanço tecnológico notável e uma prova da experiência da unidade de pesquisa em IA da Thales. ” O metamodelo da Thales usa técnicas de aprendizado de máquina, árvores de decisão e avaliações dos pontos fortes e fracos de cada modelo para analisar a autenticidade de uma imagem. Ele combina vários modelos, entre eles: A equipe da Thales por trás da invenção faz parte da cortAIx, a aceleradora de IA do Grupo, que tem mais de 600 profissionais de pesquisa e engenharia de inteligência artificial, sendo que 150 estão no cluster de pesquisa e tecnologia de Saclay, ao sul de Paris, e trabalham em sistemas de missão crítica. A equipe de Friendly Hackers desenvolveu uma caixa de ferramentas chamada BattleBox para ajudar a avaliar a solidez dos sistemas baseados em inteligência artificial diante de ataques projetados para explorar as vulnerabilidades intrínsecas de diferentes modelos de IA (incluindo os modelos de linguagem de grande escala), como ataques adversários e tentativas de extrair informações confidenciais. Para combater esses ataques, a equipe desenvolve contramedidas avançadas, como desaprendizagem, aprendizagem federada, marca d'água de modelos e fortalecimento de modelos. Em 2023, a Thales demonstrou sua experiência durante o desafio da CAID (Conferência sobre Inteligência Artificial para Defesa) organizado pela Agência de Compras de Defesa (DGA) da França, que consistia em encontrar dados de treinamento de IA mesmo depois de terem sido excluídos do sistema para proteger a confidencialidade. Sobre a Thales A Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) é uma líder mundial em tecnologias avançadas, especializada em três áreas de negócios: Defesa e Segurança, Aeronáutica e Espaço e Segurança Cibernética e Identidade Digital. O Grupo desenvolve produtos e soluções que ajudam a fazer do mundo um lugar mais seguro, ecológico e inclusivo. A Thales investe cerca de 4 bilhões de euros por ano em Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, especialmente em áreas-chave de inovação, como IA, segurança cibernética, tecnologias quânticas, tecnologias de nuvem e 6G. Com 81 mil funcionários em 68 países, O Grupo gerou vendas de €18,4 bilhões em 2023. ACESSE Thales Group Defence Thales Developing AI systems we can all trust | Thales Group 1 Relatório 2023 da Gartner sobre riscos emergentes de segurança cibernética. 2 O morphing envolve a transformação gradual de um rosto em outro em fases sucessivas, modificando os traços visuais para criar uma imagem realista que combine elementos de ambos os rostos. O resultado final parece uma mistura das duas aparências originais. O texto no idioma original deste anúncio é a versão oficial autorizada. As traduções são fornecidas apenas como uma facilidade e devem se referir ao texto no idioma original, que é a única versão do texto que tem efeito legal. Ver a versão original em businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241120748438/pt/ CONTACT: Marion Bonnet Gerente de RP da Thales Marion.bonnet@thalesgroup.com +33660384892 KEYWORD: FRANCE EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: APPS/APPLICATIONS ONLINE PRIVACY TECHNOLOGY SECURITY OTHER TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE NETWORKS INTERNET DATA MANAGEMENT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: Thales Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/21/2024 06:42 PM/DISC: 11/21/2024 06:42 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241120748438/pt

University of Texas, MIT and others announce free tuition for some undergraduates - NPR