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Artists using artificial intelligence as a creative partner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:21 GMT

Editor’s note: This story is part of the annual Mosaic Journalism Workshop for Bay Area high school students, a two-week intensive course in journalism. Students in the program report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.James Morgan began his creative journey into artificial intelligence as a joke. Now it is a significant part of his creative process, making him part of a now growing group of creatives who are now using AI in their art in new and inventive ways.Morgan, an artist and a professor of digital media at San Jose State University, has spent the past few years experimenting with AI in art. He first got into it, he said, when he “made a joke about wanting to make an opera.” A friend was creating software to make music, so Morgan was able to use it to generate melodies in the style of the great Giacomo Puccini. He wrote lyrics to be translated into Italian and eventually created Arido Taurajo, an operatic short taking place over a video game....

Samuel Alito’s Wife Leased Land to an Oil and Gas Firm While the Justice Fought the EPA

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:21 GMT

A year ago this month, Martha Ann Bomgardner Alito decided to see if a 160-acre plot of land in Grady County, Oklahoma, would produce. In a lease filed with the Grady County clerk, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito entered into an agreement with Citizen Energy III for revenue generated from oil and gas obtained from a plot of hard scrabble she inherited from her late father. It is one of thousands of oil and gas leases across Oklahoma, one of the top producers of fossil fuels in the United States.Last year, before the lease was activated, a line in Alito’s financial disclosures labeled “mineral interests” was valued between $100,001 and $250,000. If extraction on the plot proves fruitful, the lease dictates that Citizen Energy will pay Alito’s wife 3/16ths of all the money it makes from oil and gas sales.In the past, Alito has often recused himself from cases that pose potential conflicts of interest with his vast investment portfolio. Many of these recusals were born f...

McPike defeats challenger Guzman, wins nomination for northern Virginia state Senate seat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:21 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Incumbent Virginia state Sen. Jeremy McPike narrowly defeated Del. Elizabeth Guzman in a Democratic nomination contest for a northern Virginia district. The Associated Press called the 29th District race Monday. Guzman conceded over the weekend and McPike claimed victory. McPike, who has served in the Senate since 2016, will head into the general election season as the favorite in the Democratic-leaning district that covers parts of Prince William and Stafford counties. He thanked Guzman for a “gracious” concession and for “running a spirited race focused on the communities we represent.”“I’m looking forward to continuing to meet with voters and earn support in every corner of this district,” McPike said in a statement. Guzman, one of the most progressive members of the House of Delegates, thanked her supporters and asked them to back McPike in November. It’s not yet clear who McPike will face in the general election. The Republican nomination contes...

Couple celebrating 50th wedding anniversary are stabbed to death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:21 GMT

NEWTON, Mass. (AP) — A couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary were stabbed to death, along with another family member, in what law enforcement officials said was probably a random attack.The bodies were found in a home in Newton when the couple failed to arrive at church Sunday morning, police said. Police worry that the killer or killers may be still at large, and residents in nearby neighborhoods were urged to remain vigilant.“Two of the individuals were celebrating a golden wedding anniversary this weekend. As you can imagine, this would be tragic on any day. To have family gathered for this kind of a celebration makes it particularly tragic,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said Sunday evening.Preliminary investigation indicates that there were signs of forced entry and that the victims were stabbed, Ryan said.“Their 50th anniversary was to be celebrated in a blessing after communion at the 10 a.m. Mass,” the Rev. Dan Riley, of Our Lady Help of Christian...

Amazon wants small businesses to help make deliveries in rural areas and big cities

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:21 GMT

Many small businesses have long relied on Amazon’s platform and delivery pipeline to boost their business. Now, Amazon wants to enlist them to help with deliveries, too.The e-commerce giant on Monday officially launched a program it has been piloting since 2020 that pays small business owners to deliver packages during the “last mile” of delivery to customers’ doorsteps. Axios first reported the launch.Amazon has long been working on finding new ways to deliver packages faster and more efficiently, including working with third-party delivery companies, increasing its warehouse space and making other moves.The program, called Amazon Hub Delivery, will operate in 23 states and focus on rural areas and large, dense cities including Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Hoboken, New Jersey.The small businesses do not need delivery experience to apply for the program. But Amazon said businesses need to be able to make deliveries daily, deliver packages with existing staff and vehicl...

German government calls for tolerance after far-right party wins control of a county for first time

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:21 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s government said Monday that the country is shaped by values such as tolerance and respect, calling for them to be upheld a day after a far-right party won control of a county administration for the first time.Alternative for Germany, which has come under scrutiny from security services over its ties to extremists, won a runoff election Sunday in Sonneberg county, about 180 kilometers (112 miles) east of Frankfurt. A spokesman for Chancellor Olaf Scholz declined to comment directly on the outcome of the local election, but said that it was important to take people’s concerns seriously and engage in “civilized discussions.”“Our country is shaped by values such as fairness, tolerance, decency and respect,” Steffen Hebestreit told reporters in Berlin. “This must be cultivated and practiced again and again.”The victory of Alternative for Germany’s candidate, Robert Sesselmann, against a center-right rival was sharply criticized by anti-racism cam...

DC Water ofrece asistencia para cambio de tuberías de plomo ante riesgos a la salud

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:21 GMT

Ante el riesgo que supone para la salud la exposición a las tuberías de plomo, DC Water anunció que puede costear de forma parcial o completa la sustitución de estos conductos. Al menos 20,000 viviendas en la capital tienen tuberías con este metal que puede ocasionar daños permanentes en el cerebro y el sistema nervioso. Según Jon Bendana, coordinador comunitario de DC Water, la meta es cambiar todos los conductos de plomo de la ciudad para el 2030.“El 80% de la comunidad latina está afectada. Hay unos que tienen la casa más nueva y ya la han cambiado, pero muchos no chequean el tubo de servicio que viene hacia la casa”, explicó.Por su parte, la médico pediatra de Mary’s Center, indicó que los niños y las mujeres embarazadas son la población de mayor riesgo en este caso. “Es un mineral que se une a las células del cerebro, entonces lo afecta de una forma bastante importante. Y si no se descubre temprano, las consecuencias pueden ser para toda la vida”, afirmó...

Italy coach explains why she left longtime captain Sara Gama off Women’s World Cup team

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:21 GMT

ROME (AP) — Longtime captain Sara Gama was left off Italy’s squad for the Women’s World Cup purely “for technical-tactical and physical” reasons, coach Milena Bertolini said Monday.Gama was a surprising omission when Bertolini announced a preliminary 32-woman team for the July 20-Aug. 20 tournament in Australia and New Zealand.“Don’t think that I made this choice lightheartedly,” Bertolini said at the Azzurre’s training camp in the Italian Dolomites. “As head coach I have the right and the duty to make decisions. The reasons are exclusively technical-tactical and physical. Our movement is really growing and there are a lot of young players who are improving.”The 34-year-old Gama is a center back who has made 126 appearances for Italy and helped the national team to the quarterfinals of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in a breakout performance for the women’s game in the country. Gama has also won five Serie A titles with Juventus.Gama said on Instagram that she was notified three days be...

PacWest, Lucid Group rise, Carnival, Pfizer fall, Monday, 6/26/2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:21 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that are trading heavily or have substantial price changes on Monday: International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), up $1.17 to $130.60.The technology and consulting company is buying software company Apptio.Lucid Group Inc. (LCID), up 34 cents to $5.82.The electric vehicle maker entered a technology partnership with Aston Martin.MoonLake Immunotherapeutics (MLTX),up $17.35 to $43.23.The biotechnology company gave investors an encouraging update on the development potential skin condition treatment.PacWest Bancorp (PACW), up 38 cents to $7.61.The bank sold $3.5 billion loan portfolio to Ares Management.Wolfspeed Inc. (WOLF), up $1.96 to $51.41.The maker of energy-efficient lighting announced about $2 billion worth of financing.Snowflake Inc. (SNOW), down $3.98 to $174.27.The cloud-data software company is expanding its partnership with Microsoft.Carnival Corp. (CCL), down $1.73 to $14.07.The cruise line gave investors a discouraging financial forecast.Pfizer In...

Judge sentences Club Q shooter with 5 life terms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:21 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) -- The suspect in a mass shooting that killed five people and wounded 17 at Club Q in Colorado Springs in November pleaded guilty to several charges Monday.Anderson Lee Aldrich, 23, pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder, 46 counts of first-degree attempted murder and no contest to two charges of bias-motivated crimes.They were sentenced to five life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murder charges, as well as an additional 2208 years for attempted murder.In court, Aldrich said they are pleading guilty because of the high likelihood that they will be found guilty if it went to trial.Victims were notified of the possible plea deal beforehand, per Colorado law.A press conference with the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s (DA) Office is set to follow the hearing on Monday.