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Tech companies try to take AI image generators mainstream with better protections against misuse

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

Artificial intelligence tools that can conjure whimsical artwork or realistic-looking images from written commands started wowing the public last year. But most people don’t actually use them at work or home.That could change as leading tech companies are competing to mainstream the use of text-to-image generators for a variety of tasks, integrating them into familiar tools such as Microsoft Paint, Adobe Photoshop, YouTube and ChatGPT. But first, they’re trying to convince consumers, business users and government regulators that they’ve tamed some of the Wild West nature of early AI image-generators with stronger safeguards against copyright theft and troubling content. A year ago, it was a relatively small group of early adopters and hobbyists playing with cutting-edge image generators such as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney and OpenAI’s DALL-E.“The previous ones were an interesting curiosity,” but businesses were wary, said David Truog, an analyst at market re...

Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office can’t account for nearly 200 guns, city comptroller finds

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office can’t account for 185 missing guns, according to a report released this week by the city controller’s office.Some of the missing guns were part of the sheriff’s office’s arsenal and others were confiscated from people subject to protection-from-abuse orders. Acting City Controller Charles Edacheril said his office conducted the review as a follow-up to a 2020 report that found the sheriff’s office couldn’t account for more than 200 weapons. That report stated that the office had haphazard recordkeeping practices and unclear procedures regarding the handling of guns.Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, who took office in 2020, said earlier this year that all but 20 of the weapons cited in the 2020 report had since been accounted for. They had been located, disposed of or sold.The controller, though, notified the sheriff’s office on Wednesday that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to account for 76 of its guns and 109 weapons t...

Candidates in Kentucky governor’s race preview debates on tax cuts, education, and abortion

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear declared that now is not the time to “sub out the quarterback” when Kentucky has so much momentum, while Republican challenger Daniel Cameron said he’s the one who can team up with GOP legislators to tackle the state’s nagging problems.The rivals offered contrasting assessments of how the state is faring during a Wednesday night forum hosted by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. They appeared separately to field questions from a moderator. It was a preview of upcoming debates in one of the nation’s most closely watched elections in 2023.Beshear is seeking a second term while Cameron is trying to reclaim the governorship for the GOP to consolidate its power in Frankfort, where Republicans have legislative supermajorities.The candidates offered differing views on the appropriate pace for eliminating the state individual income tax and touted competing plans for education and how to boost workforce participation. They...

Mississippi governor set to release proposal to help financially struggling hospitals

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is set to release a proposal Thursday aimed at helping some of the state’s financially struggling hospitals, even as the Democrat who is trying to unseat him has spent months hammering Reeves for opposing Medicaid expansion in one of the poorest states in the nation.Mississippi is one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid to low-wage workers whose jobs don’t provide private health insurance. Expansion is an option under the health care overhaul signed into law in 2010 by then-President Barack Obama.Reeves has said for years that he opposes Medicaid expansion because he does not want to add more people to a government program that he derides as “welfare.”Health officials have said Mississippi could receive about $1 billion a year from the federal government for Medicaid expansion. The federal government would pay 90% of the cost for people added to the program, and the state government would pay 10%.Bran...

India suspends visa services for citizens of Canada, Trudeau says he’s not trying to cause problems

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated Thursday that Canada is not looking to provoke or cause problems after India halted all visa services for citizens of Canada and told it to reduce its diplomatic staffing on as a rift widened between the countries after the prime minister said India may have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen.Ties between Ottawa and New Delhi, key strategic partners in security and trade, have plunged to their lowest point in years after Trudeau this week said there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader on its soil. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Canadian citizen who had been wanted by India for years, was gunned down in June outside the temple he led in Surrey, outside Vancouver. “We are not looking to provoke or cause problems but we are unequivocal around the importance of the rule of law and unequivocal about the importance of protecting Canadians a...

Jail where murderer Danilo Cavalcante escaped plans to wall off yard and make other upgrades

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

The Pennsylvania jail from which convicted murderer Danilo Cavalcante brazenly escaped, eluding searchers for two weeks, plans to enclose its exercise yards with walls and a roof and make inmates wear brighter uniforms, along with other security improvements.The Chester County jail board unanimously approved plans Wednesday to fully enclose the exercise yards at the facility in Pocopson, southwest of Philadelphia. The project is expected to cost $2.5 million to $3.5 million and could take as long as nine months to complete.TranSystems, a Kansas City, Missouri-based engineering and design company hired for the redesign, said the new enclosures will be a “permanent solution” to the security flaws that Cavalcante exploited in his Aug. 31 escape by crab-walking up between two walls that were topped with razor wire and then jumping from the roof.The redesign plan calls for fully enclosed exercise yards, with 18-foot-high masonry walls to replace fencing, and the removal of shed roofs tha...

Armed robbery in Summit leads to police stand-off in Markham

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

MARKHAM, Ill. — An armed robbery in Summit has led to a police stand-off in south suburban Markham in which shots have reportedly been fired.A man robbed an AT&T store in Summit and police were able to track the suspect to a home at 1522 West 162nd Street in Markham. A SWAT team is at the scene.There are no reports of injuries. VIDEO: 78-year-old man robbed and battered on North Side This is a developing story. Check back for details.

Jeff Greenberg, Blackhawks assistant GM, gets a new MLB job

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

CHICAGO — One of the members of the Chicago Blackhawks front office is going to be taking a major role with a Major League Baseball franchise. It's a return to the sport for Jeff Greenberg and the biggest promotion in his professional career.After being named the general manager of the Detroit Tigers, former Blackhawks assistant general manager Jeff Greenberg along with Kyle Davidson have released these statements..@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/ZHI8uzDNuF— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) September 21, 2023The associate general manager of the Blackhawks is headed to the Tigers, where he will become the 20th general manager in the history of that franchise. Greenberg returns to the MLB after joining the Blackhawks and then new general manager Kyle Davidson in April 2022. During his year and a half with the franchise, he oversaw strategic systems and processes within the hockey operations department. Before his time with the Blackhawks, Greenberg was in the Cubs' front office for 11 year...

Dean chats with Chef Susan Feniger and Filmmaker Liz Lachman about their brand new movie ‘Susan Feniger. FORKED"

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

Susan Feniger Liz Lachman Event:‘Susan Feniger. FORKED’ Premier at REELING: Chicago LGTBQ 41st Film FestivalSunday, September 24th4:30 p.m.Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema2828 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657Tickets: $12https://www.forkedthefilm.com/https://reelingfilmfest.org/

It was an unusual 24 hours for the Bears' backup QB, too

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — During one of the more bizarre days in recent Bears' memory, even the backup quarterback didn't have a quiet day.That's because Nathan Peterman was out and then back with the team during a span of 24 hours.In a day already filled with Bears’ news, the the team also terminated the contract of backup quarterback Nathan Peterman..At the moment, Tyson Bagent is the backup to Justin Fields..@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/BjH0upKPTd— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) September 20, 2023Just after 4 p.m., the Bears announced that the backup quarterback's contract was terminated. This is the second time that's happened in the last month since Peterman was initially released after final cuts but was quickly signed.This made for an interesting situation for the Bears as Tyson Bagent, the undrafted free agent rookie, would become the backup. But then on Thursday morning came another move that essentially reversed the move from earlier in the day.Less than a day after his contract...