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Ohio State transfer quarterback Air Noland commits to South CarolinaReactions to Biden commuting federal death row sentencesPresident-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. While immigration officials have used the tech for years, an October letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by The Associated Press details how those tools — some of them powered by AI — help make decisions over whether an immigrant should be detained or surveilled. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency’s supervision. The letter, sent by DHS Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen to the immigrant rights group Just Futures Law, revealed that the score calculates the potential risk that an immigrant — with a pending case — will fail to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The algorithm relies on several factors, he said, including an immigrant’s number of violations and length of time in the program, and whether the person has a travel document. Hysen wrote that ICE officers consider the score, among other information, when making decisions about an immigrant’s case. RELATED COVERAGE Cheap Ozempic? How millions of Americans with obesity may get access to costly weight-loss drugs Southwest states certify election results after the process led to controversy in previous years Trump vows tariffs over immigration. What the numbers say about border crossings, drugs and crime. “The Hurricane Score does not make decisions on detention, deportation, or surveillance; instead, it is used to inform human decision-making,” Hysen wrote. Also included in the government’s tool kit is a mobile app called SmartLINK that uses facial matching and can track an immigrant’s specific location. Nearly 200,000 people without legal status who are in removal proceedings are enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, under which certain immigrants can live in the U.S. while their immigration cases are pending. In exchange, SmartLINK and GPS trackers used by ICE rigorously surveil them and their movements. The phone application draws on facial matching technology and geolocation data, which has been used before to find and arrest those using the app. Just Futures Law wrote to Hysen earlier this year, questioning the fairness of using an algorithm to assess whether someone is a flight risk and raising concerns over how much data SmartLINK collects. Such AI systems, which score or screen people, are used widely but remain largely unregulated even though some have been found to discriminate on race, gender or other protected traits. DHS said in an email that it is committed to ensuring that its use of AI is transparent and safeguards privacy and civil rights while avoiding biases. The agency said it is working to implement the Biden administration’s requirements on using AI , but Hysen said in his letter that security officials may waive those requirements for certain uses. Trump has publicly vowed to repeal Biden’s AI policy when he returns to the White House in January. “DHS uses AI to assist our personnel in their work, but DHS does not use the outputs of AI systems as the sole basis for any law enforcement action or denial of benefits,” a spokesperson for DHS told the AP. Trump has not revealed how he plans to carry out his promised deportation of an estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally. Although he has proposed invoking wartime powers, as well as military involvement, the plan would face major logistical challenges — such as where to keep those who have been detained and how to find people spread across the country — that AI-powered surveillance tools could potentially address. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, did not answer questions about how the incoming administration plans to use DHS’ tech, but said in a statement that “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation” in American history. Over 100 civil society groups sent a letter on Friday urging the Office of Management and Budget to require DHS to comply with the Biden administration’s guidelines. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Just Futures Law’s executive director, Paromita Shah, said if immigrants are scored as flight risks, they are more likely to remain in detention, “limiting their ability to prepare a defense in their case in immigration court, which is already difficult enough as it is.” SmartLINK, part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, is run by BI Inc., a subsidiary of the private prison company The GEO Group. The GEO Group also contracts with ICE to run detention centers. ICE is tight-lipped about how it uses SmartLINK’s location feature to find and arrest immigrants. Still, public records show that during Trump’s first term in 2018, Manassas, Virginia-based employees of BI Inc. relayed immigrants’ GPS locations to federal authorities, who then arrested over 40 people. In a report last year to address privacy issues and concerns, DHS said that the mobile app includes security features that “prohibit access to information on the participant’s mobile device, with the exception of location data points when the app is open.” But the report notes that there remains a risk that data collected from people “may be misused for unauthorized persistent monitoring.” Such information could also be stored in other ICE and DHS databases and used for other DHS mission purposes, the report said. On investor calls earlier this month, private prison companies were clear-eyed about the opportunities ahead. The GEO Group’s executive chairman George Christopher Zoley said that he expects the incoming Trump administration to “take a much more aggressive approach regarding border security as well as interior enforcement and to request additional funding from Congress to achieve these goals.” “In GEO’s ISAP program, we can scale up from the present 182,500 participants to several hundreds of thousands, or even millions of participants,” Zoley said. That same day, the head of another private prison company told investors he would be watching closely to see how the new administration may change immigrant monitoring programs. “It’s an opportunity for multiple vendors to engage ICE about the program going forward and think about creative and innovative solutions to not only get better outcomes, but also scale up the program as necessary,” Damon Hininger, CEO of the private prison company CoreCivic Inc. said on an earnings call. GEO did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, CoreCivic said that it has played “a valued but limited role in America’s immigration system” for both Democrats and Republicans for over 40 years.

For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter , with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal . His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft . Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The US tech giant said it now supported 550,000 jobs in the UK through direct employment, its supply chain and the economy around its App Store – with app developers having earned nearly £9 billion since it launched in 2008. Apple said its engineering teams were carrying out critical work on the firm’s biggest services, including key technology within Apple Intelligence, the iPhone maker’s suite of generative AI-powered tools which are expected to launch in the UK for the first time this week. Elsewhere, the firm said its growing TV empire, spearheaded by its Apple TV+ streaming service and production arm, had also helped boost its investment in the UK with Apple TV+ production in this country tripling in the last two years, the company said. Chief executive Tim Cook said: “We’ve been serving customers in the UK for more than 40 years, and we’re proud of our deep connection with communities across this country. “We’re thrilled to be growing our Apple teams here, and to keep supporting the extraordinary innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs who are pushing the boundaries of technology in so many ways.” The Chancellor Rachel Reeves said companies such as Apple were “intrinsic” to the UK’s prosperity by boosting jobs. “This government is laser focused on creating the right conditions for growth to help put more money in people’s pockets. “That’s what underpins the Plan for Change and is what has driven £63 billion worth of inward investment in the UK through our first international investment summit. “Companies like Apple are intrinsic to the success of our nation’s prosperity – helping deliver jobs, innovative technology, and boost infrastructure.”Inter beats Como and closes gap at the top of Serie A while Bove back on Fiorentina sideline

mohd izzuan/iStock via Getty Images Topline Summary and Updates I have been pretty optimistic about the outlook for Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. ( NASDAQ: PSTX ), joining a chorus of positive analysis on Seeking Alpha, even as the company had its share Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Unclaimed fortune: $50 million jackpot won by mystery Oz Lotto player

Surveillance tech advances by Biden could aid in Trump's promised crackdown on immigration

Cougars Decimated by QB, Coach Leaving, Face Tough Test Against SyracuseThe current Government’s biggest blunder is the neglect of fertiliser to paddy farmers Over the past few weeks, TV channel ‘Derana’ reported on a number of occasions, the plight of the paddy farmers in Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa and Amparai districts due to non-availability of fertiliser for their paddy cultivation. But the Government TV channels were silent over the issue. Maha rainy season started in early October as usual and will continue until early January. Rains start in early October during the evenings and intensity will increase reaching a maximum in December and rains will end in early January, allowing the farmers to harvest from late January onwards. The paddy farmers prepare fields after first rains having softened the grounds, mostly with tractors. With increase in rains, fields become muddy and are prepared for sowing of seed paddy generally in early November. Sown paddy seeds take root and grow slowly, by November-end they are 6 to 9 inches in height and need to become taller to face inundation during heavier rains expected in December. For getting taller they need nitrogen fertiliser, generally urea. Thus urea and other fertilisers need to be available in the market for the farmers to purchase. Earlier, they were given free fertiliser or a financial subsidy to enable them to buy from private suppliers. On 26 September, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake instructed the Treasury to increase the fertiliser subsidy to Rs. 25,000 from earlier Rs. 15,000 per hectare to paddy farmers for the Maha season of 2024/25, starting from 1 October, the President’s Media Division informed. After the new Government came into power, there were only three ministers and the President himself took over agriculture. The President and the ministers were busy on forthcoming General elections and had no time to deal with paddy farmers. Earlier JVP concentrated on Government servants also on private workers. They had no time for farmers, also as they will not join the strikes. When the new Minister for Agriculture K.D. Lalkantha was appointed on 21 November, he was questioned on the supply of fertiliser to paddy farmers. He replied that he will take immediate action. But his action will require preparing a Cabinet paper to be presented to the next Cabinet meeting and approved minutes of the meeting be submitted to Treasury. The Finance Minister (the President) approving and instructing the release of funds and transferring the funds (same amount as last Maha season and to same farmers) by the respective authorities. But how long will the procedure take? Earliest instructions will reach the local authorities by early December. Due to the Government’s long silence, fertiliser availability is poor, as only rich farmers could purchase fertiliser. When the Government announces fertiliser subsidy to farmers, the shop owners will order fertiliser from the wholesalers. Also due to long silence of the Government have the importers ordered the fertilisers from abroad? When their locally available stocks exhaust, they will have to wait for the arrival of imported stocks. According to former Minister Mahindananda Amaraweera the Government had decided to provide a subsidy to paddy farmers to purchase fertilisers required by them for the Yala season. Accordingly, arrangements have been made to provide a subsidy of Rs. 20,000 per hectare and Rs. 40,000 per two hectares. The minister stated that the voucher for obtaining fertiliser will be given to the farmers. The voucher will be printed by the Government Printing Office and will take several weeks to issue these vouchers, which will be printed with a special watermark, to be issued to farmers. The voucher will allow farmers to buy Bandi fertiliser (MOP) or organic fertiliser for their cultivation. Presently, due to poor demand the price of urea fertiliser has decreased to Rs. 9,000 in the market. Therefore, farmers can purchase urea at a lower price than the fertilisers provided by the two Government fertiliser companies. Also, we provided mud fertiliser free of charge to all farmers. Farmers need Bandi fertiliser in the upcoming period. Therefore, farmers can purchase Bandi fertiliser and organic fertiliser if needed through this voucher. The minister stated that the Government is expected to spend Rs. 11 billion for this purpose. Above shows the normal Government procedure and the time taken for the process. Paddy farmers in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa and Ampara districts have already commenced farming and are awaiting fertilisers which should have been applied a couple of weeks ago. But when can the farmers expect the fertilisers? Meaning, poor farmers who depended on the Government to supply them with fertilisers would be forced a crop failure, resulting in a massive paddy and rice shortage, resulting in increased prices. The Government had decided to import 70,000 tons of Nadu rice to control the excessive prices of rice in the market. By January when shortage of paddy is felt in the market, the Government will be forced to import possibly 700,000 tons of Nadu rice to stabilise market prices. But how about foreign exchange? On 21 November, with the opening of the new Parliament, when the President delivered the NPP’s one-hour policy statement, the only item missed was the paddy farmers and their cultivation, showing JVP’s concentration on Government servants and private sector employees. No wonder NPP’s failure in getting a majority only in the Batticaloa district. The current Government’s biggest blunder is the neglect of fertiliser to paddy farmers. Considering the Maha season supplies majority of paddy (rice) requirement, until Yala season paddy/rice is in the market the country will have to depend on imported rice needing valuable foreign exchange.Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of guest commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• As the fall semester concluded at the University of Minnesota, a different kind of buzz than the usual holiday excitement filled the air: the rush of new artificial intelligence tools. New products launched by Google, OpenAI and other tech giants beg the question: Are we witnessing a genuine educational revolution or simply the latest tech hype cycle? Since ChatGPT’s arrival nearly two years ago, the educational technology world has been saturated with claims that AI will transform learning. But history reminds us: These promises don’t always deliver. As a researcher of learning technologies over the past two decades, I’ve studied the use of technology in education and witnessed cycles of unbridled optimism. Educational radio and TV fell short of their lofty goals. Ιn 2012, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) were hailed as the solution to democratize higher education, but two studies published in one of the world’s most rigorous scientific journals revealed that they disproportionately benefited those who were already more affluent. In 2015, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative pledged to revolutionize K-12 learning with personalized approaches. Despite considerable investment, these initiatives have also failed to shift K-12 student outcomes in fundamental ways. Education has evolved, but no single technology has delivered the radical transformation it promised. Today, AI is championed as the latest game-changer in education, with advocates arguing that its unique capabilities can make education more effective, efficient and engaging. Proponents suggest AI can provide all kinds of benefits, ranging anywhere from offering one-to-one tutoring to addressing teacher burnout. However, a 2023 UNESCO report warns that AI may exacerbate existing disparities by privileging schools and students with access to high-quality digital infrastructure, leaving others behind. The enthusiasm for improving education is commendable, and our education systems are in desperate need of innovation. But a myopic focus on AI hinders innovation because it sidelines alternative solutions and the scope of conversation among educators, entrepreneurs and policymakers. If AI is so compelling and all-encompassing, why should we look elsewhere for solutions to the challenges that schools and universities are facing? To be sure, AI can be a valuable tool in the service of education. For example, it can help students learn more effectively by tutoring them using scientifically validated methods of studying. Or, it can help them explore possible ways forward when they are stuck, such as when they’re facing writer’s block. What higher education truly needs is a portfolio of solutions. AI can’t do it all. AI can’t fix broken policies, study on behalf of stressed learners or provide financial aid. Initiatives like policy changes, flexible learning opportunities, expanding mental health services on campuses, and offering online options are some of the ways that we can address such problems. These are just a few of the many possibilities for genuine transformation. By taking an expansive approach – one that isn’t limited to AI – we can build a better future for education in Minnesota and beyond. George Veletsianos is professor of Learning Technologies at the University of Minnesota, where he holds the Bonnie Westby Huebner Chair in Education and Technology. He can be reached at georgev@umn.edu and is on BlueSky: @veletsianos.bsky.social

Old knee injury no reason to avoid Sunday shifts: labour relations board

Jammu, Nov 24 (PTI) A comprehensive security review of Shiv Khori shrine and its adjoining areas was conducted in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Sunday, a police spokesman said. Nine persons were killed and 40 others injured when the terrorists attacked a pilgrim bus returning from Shiv Khori temple at Teryath village on June 9. Reasi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Paramvir Singh conducted the security review of Shiv Khori Shrine in Ransoo and its adjoining areas to ensure robust security measures and effective crowd management for the safety of pilgrims and locals, the spokesman said. The officer inspected the security arrangements along the yatra route, including the main track, where additional measures have been implemented to enhance surveillance. He emphasized maintaining strict vigilance against anti-national and anti-social elements and issued specific directions to the district police and the CRPF officers for bolstering security protocols, the spokesman said. The SSP also interacted with Road Opening Party (ROP) commanders enroute from Pouni to Ransoo to assess their preparedness. Highlighting the importance of preemptive measures, Singh directed the officers to carry out verification and census of migrants, workers, pony porters and other individuals operating in Ransoo town and surrounding areas. Random checks of hotels and residential accommodations were also instructed to verify the antecedents of the visitors and prevent any suspicious activity, the spokesman said. Acknowledging recent attempts to revive militancy in certain parts of Reasi district, the SSP instructed the officers to revisit the list of Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of terrorists with police stations. He also stressed the need for rigorous monitoring of social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to counter emerging patterns of radicalization. The SSP also supervised ongoing cordon and search operations in the Pouni-Ransoo belt and reiterated the importance of inter-agency coordination and cooperation. He urged all security forces deployed in the area to work in synergy to prevent any untoward incident, the spokesman said. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

The expanded Big Ten is poised to be a major player in this season's College Football Playoff. The 18-team conference had three of the top-four teams in the AP poll this week — No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State. A one-loss Indiana team is ranked 10th but is still very much a contender to make the playoff, given how many Southeastern Conference teams have three defeats or more. Indiana's rise has been perhaps the Big Ten's biggest story this season. Much of the spotlight was on newcomers Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington, but aside from the top-ranked Ducks, that foursome has struggled to impress. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers won their first 10 games under new coach Curt Cignetti before losing at Ohio State last weekend. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 back in October, and if the Buckeyes beat rival Michigan this weekend, they'll earn a rematch with the Ducks for the Big Ten title. And it's entirely possible another matchup between those two teams awaits in the CFP. Dillon Gabriel has quarterbacked Oregon to an unbeaten record, throwing for 3,066 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 games. But don't overlook Iowa's Kaleb Johnson and his 21 rushing TDs, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been a big part of Indiana's improvement. Penn State's Abdul Carter has eight sacks and two forced fumbles and could be one of the top edge rushers drafted this year. Oregon (11-0, 8-0), Ohio State (10-1, 7-1), Penn State (10-1, 7-1), Indiana (10-1, 7-1), Illinois (8-3, 5-3), Iowa (7-4, 5-3), Michigan (6-5, 4-4), Minnesota (6-5, 4-4), Washington (6-5, 4-4), Southern California (6-5, 4-5), Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) and Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) have already reached the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. Michigan State (5-6, 3-5) and Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) can join them. There may not be many firings in general at the top level of college football. The prospect of sharing revenue with athletes in the future might lead schools to be more judicious about shedding one coach and hiring a new one. Who should be most worried in the Big Ten? Well, Lincoln Riley is struggling to stay above .500 in his third season at USC. Purdue is 1-10, but coach Ryan Walters is only in his second season. Maryland's Mike Locksley has been there six years and his Terrapins are 4-7, but this was his first real step backward after guiding the team to three straight bowl wins. Cignetti has shown it is possible for a coaching change to push a previously moribund program to some impressive heights in a short amount of time — but the improvement has been more incremental at Michigan State following Jonathan Smith's arrival. Sherrone Moore wasn't a completely unknown commodity at Michigan after he won some massive games in place of a suspended Jim Harbaugh last year. But in his first season completely at the helm, the Wolverines have declined significantly following their national title a season ago. The Big Ten is home to one of the most dynamic freshmen in the country in Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. He has 52 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns. Highly touted quarterback Dylan Raiola has teamed up with fellow freshman Jacory Barney (49 catches) to lead Nebraska to bowl eligibility. Ohio State is on track to land the Big Ten's top class, according to 247 Sports, but the big news recently was quarterback Bryce Underwood flipping from LSU to Michigan. If the Wolverines do in fact keep Underwood in his home state, that would be a big development for Moore.