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Does James Cameron find AI dangerous? 'The Terminator' director says 'you didn't listen' after warning about it in 1984
Does James Cameron find AI dangerous? 'The Terminator' director says 'you didn't listen' after warning about it in 1984
Janes Cameron said, 'I think weaponization of AI is the biggest danger. I think that we will get into the equivalent of a nuclear arms race with AI'
2023-07-20 05:44
Farmers’ markets in autumn are a cornucopia of colour
Farmers’ markets in autumn are a cornucopia of colour
There’s something enchanting about the mellow-misted colours of Borough Market in autumn that I find utterly absorbing and truly magical. Hypnotic shades of rusted ochre reds, dark butterscotch browns, plum purples, mustard yellows, forest greens and golden copper oranges. It’s a palette of comforting abundance, which ushers forth the only season of the year whose flavours exhilarate the tastebuds just as much as they soothe the soul. Russet red Discovery apples are one of the first fruits to arrive. Their sweet-acidic bite and floral strawberry notes pair fantastically with cheeses like Cumin Gouda or Bath Soft Cheese, drizzled with a kiss of truffle honey if feeling fancy. Tart ombré-green Bramley apples call for slow baking into cinnamon-sugar scented pies, old fashioned crumbles or streusel-topped crisps – the latter being particularly delicious with the addition of toasted coconut, rum-soaked sultanas, and a pinch of warming green cardamon. But the cornucopia of autumn’s apples also takes wonderfully to savoury treatment in the kitchen. A recipe I discovered recently from a north Italian neighbour is Tuscan sausage baked apples. The apples are sliced across the top to create a lid, hollowed out, then stuffed with a piquant filling of spiced Italian sausage meat, garlic, crushed fennel seeds, finely chopped shallots, toasted breadcrumbs, pecorino, wine vinegar and a splash of vermouth. Bake at 180C for 30-40 minutes until the apples are burnished outside and the filling cooked through – it makes for the most sumptuous autumnal supper with big hunks of focaccia to mop up the juices. Braeburn and Egremont Russets are great varieties for this, their hard-fleshed nuttiness adding an extra dimension of flavour to the dish. One of the most thrilling markers of autumn in the market are chalkboard signs blazoned with the word “WILD”: a moniker attached to both mushrooms and game birds, both of which have their moment at this time of year. Girolles, chanterelles, pheasant and partridge are a quartet of ingredients that cry out to be married together in a pie. This is an occasion for a crumbly lardy pastry, generous sprigs of fresh rosemary and a good splash of vin jaune or dry sherry for yeasted acidic kick. The comedic sight of squashes piled high in wooden market crates in an assortment of gnarly shapes and speckled colours always looks to me like a convention of delicious misfits gathered together for their annual symposium. Their names alone – butternut, acorn, pumpkin, delicata – have an inviting poetry that autumn’s harvests alone possess. My favourite among them is the kabocha – a dappled green gourd with a fluffy orange inside that tastes of fired chestnuts, floral honey and sweet potato all at once. Roasted at 180C for 30 minutes in elliptic boat shapes with a generous glug of olive oil and either a sprinkling of ras al hanout, a splash of ponzu or a scattering of freshly torn sage, it makes the perfect accompaniment to any autumnal roast. But I think kabocha squash is most delicious when gently baked with a little brown sugar and grated nutmeg, then blitzed to a velvety orange mash for enriching autumnal deserts. A deep-filled pumpkin pie is the truly classic way to go, but the bake I turn to on repeat every autumn is the kabocha, olive oil, and bittersweet chocolate cake from Los Angeles-based restaurant, Gjlena. Eaten warm from the oven in a puddle of vanilla custard, its rich, buttery texture and intense roasted-squash flavour is the bear-hug of comfort that autumn’s colder days demand. The market’s fruits of the sea also flourish at this time of year. Turbot – king of the flatfish – is exquisite in the prime of autumn. With its firm flaky texture and delicate flavour, it takes well to spicing – but always do so with subtlety. I like to pan fry well-seasoned fillets in a little oil with a good knob of butter, crisping up the skin side for 3-4 minutes. Complete by flipping over and adding a pinch of a single spice to the frothy butter, as suits your mood. Crushed black lime will add zesty smokiness, finely ground pink peppercorns bring lemony fruitiness, or for something a little decadent, a pinch of crushed saffron pairs perfectly and tints the turbot bright sunshine yellow. Whichever direction you take it, serve with leeky spring onion champ on the side. For autumnal suppers with a more brazen hit of spice, I turn to the season’s fresh clams, which arrive at the market in abundance at this time of year. Their sweet brininess has a special affinity with the powerful flavours of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. I love them stir-fried with fresh ginger matchsticks, bruised lemongrass, slivers of garlic, a little tamarind paste, palm sugar, fish sauce and a chiffonade of Thai basil to finish. Add a birdseye chilli if you want a touch of autumnal heat and serve with fragrant jasmine rice. Alternatively, there is no better time than now to be making spaghetti alle vongole on repeat! Bundles of freshly excavated beetroot, dotted around Borough’s market halls like giant purple baubles, are the quintessence of earthy sweetness that makes cooking in autumn so homely. For a simple warming lunch dish, keep the beets unpeeled then slice into thick discs. Jumble together in a shallow roasting tin with blanched purple kale, a jar of Spanish chickpeas, a glug of tarragon vinegar, maple syrup and a generous sprinkle of smoked salt. Roasted at 190C for 30-40 minutes, it makes for a delicious vegan bake. These cooked beetroots are equally delicious blitzed into a soup with some good vegetable stock and obligatory ripple of double cream just before serving. Garnishing with Kentish cobnuts will add hazelnutty crunch, while shavings of manchego cheese add a delicious tang. Among Borough’s most welcoming autumn arrivals are the wicker baskets of pear-shaped quinces in muted shades of custard yellow. They make for the most delicious autumnal breakfast compotes and chutneys – marrying just as well with vanilla bean, cinnamon and sugar as they do with freshly grated ginger, cider vinegar and star anise. Their sweet citrussy bitterness also makes them wonderful for baking into brown sugar upside-down cakes, pairing gloriously with toasted almonds and marzipan. I particularly love cubes of quince gently stewed in orange juice, honey and cognac for layering into nostalgic trifles, with dense madeira cake and pillowy orange blossom whipped cream. But of all the sights in the market, it’s the majestic purple of ripe autumn figs that brings me most joy. Their flavours are so intensely raisiny at this time of year that I like to eat them fresh – simply score in a cross with a knife, then gently squeeze open like a ruby-seeded lotus. Their syrupy sweet flavours can be amplified even further by adding savoury sweet adornments for devouring together in the same bite. The flavour-chord trio of ripe figs, crumbled Stichelton and sour cherry molasses is rather special. But what I love most is a slice of warm sourdough with the jammiest soft figs of the season smooshed on top like an avocado – then decorated with slivers of pickled walnut, fresh thyme and a little flaky salt. It’s a combination that both enlivens your palate and comforts your senses in equal measure. All the magic of autumn on toast – simply sublime! For more information on what you can find at Borough Market, visit: boroughmarket.org.uk Read More How to shop at Borough Market in the summer Obsessed with Boursin? It’s the perfect way to elevate your leftovers Spice up your life: Three recipes from Nadiya Hussain’s new book that bring the heat Budget Bites: Three one-pan recipes that minimise on washing up
2023-10-16 13:30
Sports minister: Djokovic must abstain from political messages at French Open
Sports minister: Djokovic must abstain from political messages at French Open
French Sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera says Novak Djokovic’s political message about Kosovo was “not appropriate
2023-05-31 16:30
NBA Draft 2023: 3 perfect picks for the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 17
NBA Draft 2023: 3 perfect picks for the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 17
Most of the Lakers offseason work will come in free agency. But they have a rare chance to add an impact rookie with the No. 17 pick in the NBA Draft.The Lakers' biggest priorities this offseason are re-signing (or replacing) Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell and then f...
2023-06-14 02:28
When is the New TFT Set Coming Out?
When is the New TFT Set Coming Out?
TFT fans might be wondering when Set 7.5: Uncharted Realms is officially releasing
1970-01-01 08:00
DeSantis v Disney: Why Florida’s governor is at war with the Mouse
DeSantis v Disney: Why Florida’s governor is at war with the Mouse
For years, Florida legislators and the governor’s office enjoyed a close relationship with The Walt Disney Company, among the state’s largest employers, wielding enormous political influence while bringing in billions of dollars to the state each year. Now, the company and allies of Republican governor Ron DeSantis are suing one another, following a year-long feud over opposition to what opponents have called Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law that boiled over into political and legal battles that could shape the company’s business in the state. The state’s feud with the company is entangled with volatile far-right attacks smearing Disney and LGBT+ people as “groomers” and “paedophiles,” while similar threats to LGBT+ people are making their way through state legislatures and governor’s offices across the country Last year, Governor DeSantis endorsed a broadly written bill from Republican lawmakers – the “Parental Rights in Education Act” – that prohibits instruction of “sexual orientation or gender identity” from kindergarten through the third grade and any such discussion “that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students” in other grades. LGBT+ advocates and civil rights groups warned that the measure’s broad scope could freeze classroom speech involving LGBT+ people and issues – from civil rights history lessons to discussions with students, school staff and their families – under the threat of potentially financially destructive litigation and harassment from third parties who accuse schools of violating the law. Following passage of the bill, more than three dozen similar measures have been proposed in nearly half of US states, including 26 measures in 14 states in their current legislative sessions alone. Here is how – as Disney writes in a recent lawsuit – “it has come to this.” Disney faces pressure to respond to ‘Don’t Say Gay’ threats Disney is a political heavyweight in the state. The company dispatches several lobbyists to the state capitol in Tallahassee and gives millions of dollars through its many entities to both Democratic and Republican officials every election cycle to promote its business. It’s also a cultural and economic powerhouse, drawing millions of visitors to the state each year. The company’s voice on controversial legislation could, until recently, carry significant weight. But reporting from The Independent and other outlets found that Disney entities contributed tens of thousands of dollars to Mr DeSantis and other Republican lawmakers central to the “Don’t Say Gay” law, despite the company’s history of LGBT+ advocacy. In February 2022, Bob Iger – just weeks into his retirement from Disney leadership – announced that if the bill passed, it will “put vulnerable, young LGBTQ people in jeopardy.” Eleven days later, facing pressure from LGBT+ advocates and Disney employees, now-former CEO Bob Chapek issued a company memo stating that “corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds” while asking staff to not “mistake a lack of a statement for a lack of support.” On 11 March, 2022, Mr Chapek announced that the company would oppose the bill and suspend its political donations in the state. He stated that the company would “immediately” begin supporting efforts to combat similar legislation elsewhere and pause “all political donations” in the state pending a review of the company’s political giving, conceding that the company failed to “be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights”. The company’s LGBT+ employees and staff opposed to the legislation staged daily walkouts to pressure Disney to indefinitely cease all campaign donations to state officials who created or helped pass the measure and demand that Disney leadership publicly commit to an actionable plan that protects employees from anti-LGBT+ legislation. The actions culminated in a full workday walkout or “sick out” on 22 March. “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down by the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organisations working to achieve that,” the company said on 28 March 2022, when the governor signed the bill into law. Governor DeSantis and members of his administration quickly lashed out at the company, igniting a feud that escalated to Republican threats to punish its operations in the state. By the end of that year, Mr Iger returned to Disney as CEO. DeSantis pushes for the end of Reedy Creek In April 2022, Governor DeSantis expanded the scope of a special legislative session on the state’s redistricting plans to also consider the “termination of all special districts that were enacted in Florida prior to 1968,” including the municipal taxing and government district that allows Disney to tax and regulate its sprawling park and resort properties in the Orlando area. The Reedy Creek Improvement District was first created in 1967 to give Disney control of its land use, zoning rules and public services without putting a tax burden on Florida residents. The district encompasses Disney World properties in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, spanning 39 square miles and land across Orange and Osceola counties. With Disney as the primary landowner for the district, the company is largely responsible for all costs of those municipal services that otherwise would fall under the jurisdiction of county and local governments, including the taxpayers who live within them. In effect, Disney used the Reedy Creek board to tax itself to foot the bill for all of its municipal needs. The governor and Republican lawmakers wanted to blow up that arrangement. On 19 April 2022, Republican state Rep Randy Fine introduced House Bill 3C, the “Independent Special Districts” bill. A companion measure, Senate Bill 4C, was introduced in the state Senate. The governor and his administration insisted that the initial proposal was intended to block what they called “special privileges” for big business in the state, but fundraising messages promoting Reedy Creek’s demise pointed to Disney’s “woke” opposition to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. “Disney thought they ruled Florida,” an email from his campaign on 19 April said. “They even tried to attack me to advance their woke agenda. Now, parents see Disney for what it is. And now is the time to put the power back in the hands of Floridians and out of the pockets of woke executives.” State lawmakers bristled over the governor’s initial plans to dissolve Reedy Creek over concerns that doing so would not only violate state law but force Florida taxpayers to pay for infrastructure projects like road construction that Disney was effectively paying for through the district’s arrangement. Instead, the governor’s own appointees will be in charge of the district and its powers to tax, build and borrow money under a new “Central Florida Tourism Oversight District”. During an event on 27 February, Governor DeSantis signed a bill that amounts to a state takeover of the new district, with a five-member board made up of his own appointees. “Today, the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” the governor said inside a Reedy Creek fire station in Lake Buena Vista that day. “There’s a new sheriff in town and accountability will be the order of the day.” Orlando-area Democratic state representative Anna Eskamani said in a statement that it is “absolutely wild to see a self-proclaimed capitalist like DeSantis celebrate the government takeover of a private board”. “All this bill does is rename Reedy Creek and allow Governor DeSantis to appoint hostile conservative cronies to a new board,” she said. “Disney still maintains the same tax breaks – but their First Amendment rights have been suppressed, and it sends a message to any private individual or company that if you don’t purport to what the governor wants, then you’ll be punished.” DeSantis appointees take control Among the governor’s controversial appointees include a donor who gave the DeSantis campaign $50,000 in 2022 and supported the governor’s efforts to remove an elected state attorney from office. The governor also appointed the CEO of a right-wing ministry, and the founder of the right-wing activist group Moms for Liberty which the governor has supported to transform local school boards. Board member Ron Peri, CEO of The Gathering USA ministry, was captured in a since-deleted YouTube video suggesting tap water has turned Americans gay. “So why are there homosexuals today? There are any number of reasons, you know, that are given. Some would say the increase in estrogen in our societies. You know, there’s estrogen in the water from birth control pills. They can’t get it out,” Mr Peri said in the video, according to CNN. “The level of testosterone in men broadly in America has declined by 50 points in the past 10 years. You know, and so, maybe that’s a part of it.” Despite public notice of proposed changes before the new board stepped in, the governor’s appointees were outraged to find the Reedy Creek board approved new agreements to make major changes at Disney’s campus, changes that would remain in effect for years to come. Then came the lawsuits Moments after the new board voted to strip control of its Florida resort, the company filed a federal lawsuit against the governor and state officials alleging a “targeted campaign of government retaliation”. On 26 April, the board voted to nullify those agreements, the “latest strike” from Mr DeSantis, according to the lawsuit. “Disney regrets that it has come to this,” the lawsuit states. “At the governor’s bidding, the state’s oversight board has purported to ‘void’ publicly noticed and duly agreed development contracts, which had laid the foundation for billions of Disney’s investment dollars and thousands of jobs,” the complaint alleges. “This government action was patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional.” The lawsuit also quotes the governor’s other retaliatory statements directed towards the company, including weighing potential new taxes and tolls on its hotels and roads and the possibility of a “state prison” near the parks. A statement from the governor’s communications director Taryn Fenske shared with The Independent said that “we are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state”. “This lawsuit is yet another unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of the Florida voters and operate outside the bounds of the law,” the statement added. Disney CEO Bob Iger hinted at the company’s case against the board when he told shareholders in April “the company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do”. “The governor got very angry about the position that Disney took, and it seems like he’s decided to retaliate against us... in effect, to seek to punish a company for its exercise of a constitutional right,” Mr Iger said. “And that just seems really wrong to me – against any company or individual, but particularly against a company that means so much to the state that you live in.” It didn’t take long for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to respond. On 1 May, days after Disney’s federal lawsuit was filed, the board unanimously agreed to sue the company in state court. Disney fights back On 18 May, the company announced that it was pulling the plug on a $1bn office complex in Florida, following through on a warning from Disney leadership that billions of dollars in projects were potentially on the line with the governor’s feud. The development scheduled for construction was set to bring 2,000 jobs to the region, with 1,000 employees expected to relocate from southern California. In an email to employees, Disney’s theme park and consumer products chair Josh D’Amaro pointed to “changing business conditions” for the cancellation of the 60-acre Lake Nona project. “I remain optimistic about the direction of our Walt Disney World business,” he added, noting that the company has still planned $17bn in projects over the next decade at its Disney World campus. “I hope we’re able to,” he said. A ranking from Axios and Harris Poll that guages the reputations of the most visible brands in America places Disney at No 77 with a score of 70.9, or “good,” falling 12 points from an earlier report. This story was initially published on 1 May and has been updated with developments Read More Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis DeSantis expected to launch 2024 presidential bid next week, reports say Trump posts fresh attack on DeSantis while insisting ‘I couldn’t care less’ if Florida governor runs against him He lost his job and health insurance after his arrest under a DeSantis election unit. The case was dismissed
2023-05-24 21:10
Exclusive-United States, China agree to double weekly flights between countries -- sources
Exclusive-United States, China agree to double weekly flights between countries -- sources
WASHINGTON The United States and China will approve twice the number of passenger flights currently permitted for air
2023-08-12 04:08
BeautyHealth Brings Hydrafacial Syndeo to New Cowshed Spas at Soho House Location in the U.S.
BeautyHealth Brings Hydrafacial Syndeo to New Cowshed Spas at Soho House Location in the U.S.
LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 2, 2023--
2023-10-02 20:00
TikTok influencers targetted by deepfake porn that is flooding Twitter
TikTok influencers targetted by deepfake porn that is flooding Twitter
Deepfakes are becoming increasingly concerning with many high profilers finding themselves the centre of fake, sinister content. Now, social media has witnessed yet another surge in deepfake porn targeting influencers and celebrities. A deepfake is a digitally altered video or image to depict someone else, often without consent. They're sometimes used with malicious intent or to spread false information from high-profile individuals. A recent report by NBC discovered that a quick Twitter search for Addison Rae Easterling, Charli D’Amelio and Bella Poarch – three of the most-followed TikTokers – returned fake, explicit images and videos on Twitter. This was all in a 24-hour window. One video of an altered Poarch reportedly showed her face edited on a woman's body, which racked up a staggering 21 million views. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Worryingly, this isn't the first time either. Billie Eilish has previously fallen victim to the fake, NSFW tech – which was eventually removed from social media after being viewed 11 million times. A separate incident saw popular Twitch streamer Sweet Anita was horrified to learn her face had been used in X-rated material. "I have never made a single drop of sexual content in my life, but now they just assume that I have and [that] I must want this," she told The Sun, before sharing her concerns for future job opportunities. "It could potentially get you fired from jobs in the future if people think you’ve done sex work. It affects your security [and] how people treat you. You are stigmatised." Cybersecurity expert and What the Hack podcast host Adam Levin told Indy100 that "as long as every party involved is a legal adult, there aren’t very many laws on the books to prevent or punish the distribution of illicit content." He claimed, "It’s nearly impossible to remove any content published online, pornographic or otherwise," before adding: "That said if all the parties are known, there may be legally actionable kinds of deepfake porn content." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-06-17 14:00
Senators demand documents from Meta on social media harm to children
Senators demand documents from Meta on social media harm to children
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has written to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding documents about its
2023-11-16 01:27
'I was ready to slow down!' Belinda Carlisle talks music comeback
'I was ready to slow down!' Belinda Carlisle talks music comeback
Belinda Carlisle was unsure whether she wanted to return to music before
2023-05-28 15:00
Macron urges 'tangible' NATO security guarantees for Kyiv
Macron urges 'tangible' NATO security guarantees for Kyiv
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday called on the West to offer Ukraine "tangible and credible" security guarantees as...
2023-06-01 00:48