• Subpostmasters wont get financial redress until mid-2027 at current rate of progress
    www.computerweekly.com
    Biden's AI diffusion rule met with heavy backlashA newly proposed rule from the Biden administration targeting AI and chip exports has been met with intense criticism.As he exits, Biden awards over $33B in CHIPS Act fundingThe CHIPS and Science Act promises to boost U.S. semiconductor production and has ultimately spurred companies like Intel, TSMC ...Top 12 business process management certifications for 2025These certifications and courses can help you gain the specialized knowledge you need to bolster your credentials and ...Symmetric key encryption algorithms and security: A guideScrambling plaintext into ciphertext is essential to ensure data cannot be read or used by the wrong people. Learn the basics of ...Top 12 online cybersecurity courses for 2025Our panel of experts picked the best free and paid online cybersecurity courses for professionals looking to advance their ...10 must-have cybersecurity skills for career success in 2025Looking to advance your cybersecurity career? Here are the skills you need to win a CISO job, land a threat hunter gig and snag ...Evaluate 7 cloud monitoring tools for networksOrganizations use cloud monitoring tools to manage on-premises, hybrid and cloud networks. Discover the features of seven cloud ...The steps and benefits of DNS service auditsNetwork administrators should perform DNS audits periodically and after major network changes. Routine checks can help teams to ...How to configure networks using CI/CD pipelinesThe CLI is the common tool for many network engineers who manage network devices. But DevOps is changing the landscape, and ...5 top colocation providers to watch in 2025The market share leaders are poised to pursue more AI workloads in 2025, while also expanding their data center portfolios and ...Is TEC the next data center cooling breakthrough?Thermoelectric cooling uses semiconductors for efficient temperature control of IT equipment, while using less energy, but it has...Third-party VMware support for perpetual licenses growingVMware support for perpetual licensed software by Broadcom may be dwindling, but third-party vendors are stepping up to fill the ...Oracle Exadata update boosts performance to meet AI needsWith database workloads growing due to the demands of AI development and real-time analytics, the tech giant's latest database ...Informatica natively integrates governance suite on GCPAn expanded partnership between the data prep specialist and tech giant makes it easier for joint customers to develop AI and ...16 top data governance tools to know about in 2025Data governance software can help organizations manage governance programs. Here's a look at the key features and capabilities of...
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  • This $300 Motorola features a big screen and battery - but its durability is the crown jewel
    www.zdnet.com
    The Moto G has a hefty 5,000mAh battery that lasts all day, plus a speedy 120Hz screen. If you're willing to pay more, the Moto G Power has the same tech, but also a hardy design.
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  • The Human Cost Of A TikTok Ban: The Story Behind The Creator
    www.forbes.com
    Creators lobby Washington to keep TikTok in the U.S.Cassie SorensenAs conversations about banning TikTok in the U.S. escalate, the debate has reached a pivotal moment. The U.S. Supreme Court recently reviewed arguments surrounding a law that mandates TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025, or face an outright ban. Speculation swirls about potential buyers, including high-profile names like Elon Musk. While this law underscores national security concerns, its repercussions go far beyond policy discussions, potentially disrupting the livelihoods of millions of creators, small businesses, and the 170 million monthly active users in the U.S. who rely on TikTok as an indispensable tool for connection, creativity, and income.Yet, behind the headlines are real people whose livelihoods are deeply intertwined with the platform. One of those individuals is Cassie Sorensen, a stay-at-home mom who turned her creativity into a lucrative income stream. For creators like Cassie, losing TikTok isnt just about switching platformsits about losing a cornerstone of her livelihood and identity.Cassies Success StoryCassie Sorensens journey began modestly. She initially used TikTok to promote her small business, TasselAmor, sharing relatable and authentic content that resonated with her audience. Over time, she transitioned to posting advice for fellow small business owners to grow via social media. Most recently, Cassie has focused more on TikToks Creative Challenge Program (TTCC), a user-generated content platform where creators work with brands to produce sponsored videos that are posted on the brands social media accounts.Last year Cassie earned $150,000 by producing ads on TikTok for brands like IKEA, Walmart, Microsoft, Este Lauder, Crocs, Stanley, and TurboTax. She completes around 20 brand deals per month through TTCC, making her income not just significant but also consistent: It would be devastating, she said about the potential TikTok ban. Im a stay-at-home mom, and this platform has allowed me to provide for my family in ways I never thought possible.Beyond Monetization: TikTok as a ResourceFor Cassie (@smallbizcassie, 198K followers), TikTok is more than just a source of income. I go to TikTok to be entertained and educated, she explained. From trip recommendations for her familys vacation in London to insights into everyday life, TikTok has become an integral part of her daily routine. The platforms unique algorithm and community have allowed her to connect with people and brands she might never have reached otherwise.MORE FOR YOUThe Challenges of DiversificationCritics often suggest creators simply move to another platform, but as Cassie points out, its not that simple. Building an audience on TikTok since 2021 has required years of effort and consistency. Transitioning to platforms like YouTube comes with challenges, from mastering a different algorithm to creating content tailored for another audience and platform. Creators must also contend with lower engagement rates on unfamiliar platforms, a lack of immediate monetization tools, and the difficulty of replicating TikToks unique community-driven discovery features. For many, the emotional toll of starting overrebuilding trust, audience loyalty, and momentumadds another layer of complexity.If TikTok were banned, my next step would be to focus more on YouTube, both on shorts and long-form videos, Cassie shared. Shes already experimenting with evergreen content, noting that her five-minute video has generated promising viewership. But even as she diversifies, the uncertainty looms large. Its really hard when the platform doesnt pick up your video for some reason, she added. Algorithms on platforms like YouTube and Instagram can feel unpredictable, making success feel more like a gamble than a guarantee.Sorensen and creators in Washington D.C. in 2024 Cassie SorensenAdvocacy in ActionCassie is not just passively watching these debates unfold. In March 2024, she traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with representatives and advocate for the platform that has transformed her life. Her trip underscores the broader implications of a potential bannot just for creators but also for small businesses, educators, and everyday users who rely on the app for discovery, learning, and connection.The Broader Implications for the TikTok BanCassies story of building a livelihood on TikTok is one of thousands. TikTok has democratized content creation and monetization, allowing creators from diverse backgrounds to thrive. A ban would disproportionately impact micro creators who have invested in the platform for years, as opposed to larger creators who have had the means to build out a diversified following and business across multiple social media platforms.As the future of TikTok hangs in the balance, Cassies journey serves as a powerful reminder: behind every viral video or sponsored post is a real person, building a life on the opportunities the platform provides. The stakes of a TikTok ban extend far beyond the app itselfthey reach into the homes, dreams, and futures of countless creators like Cassie.AcknowledgmentsA special thanks to Jean Luo and Cassie Sorensen for their insights and contributions to this discussion.Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn. Check out my website.
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  • New York implements $15 broadband law for low-income households
    www.techspot.com
    Bottom line: New Yorkers will soon be able to take advantage of legislation requiring Internet service providers to provide cheap broadband connectivity to low-income earners. A multi-year court battle between the state of New York and broadband industry lobby groups was recently resolved after the Supreme Court elected not to hear the case. As such, an earlier appeals court ruling stands. Effective January 15, 2025, the Affordable Broadband Act (ABA) will once again take effect in New York. The law requires that ISPs with at least 20,000 subscribers offer 25 Mbps broadband service to low-income customers for $15 per month, inclusive of taxes and fees. ISPs can also comply by offering a 200 Mbps service for $20 a month. Failure to comply can result in a fine of up to $1,000 per violation.Certain exemptions for ISPs are in play, such as for those that serve fewer than 20,000 customers so long as the commission determines that compliance would result in "unreasonable or unsustainable financial impact on the broadband service provider."Roughly 1.7 million New York households and some 23 million homes nationwide used to receive a monthly discount on broadband costs thanks to an FCC program. That program ended in mid-2024, however, after Congress failed to provide additional funding.As Ars Technica highlights, several ISPs already offer solutions for low-income households. Charter Spectrum, for example, has a $25 per month plan that affords a 50 Mbps connection. Both Comcast and Optimum have plans under $15 a month. Verizon's Forward program can bring the price of Internet connectivity down to $20 per month.According to Speedtest.net, anything below 5 Mbps is considered slow by today's standards. A connection in the 5 20 Mbps range is better (but still Meh), while a 20 - 40 Mbps connection is said to be solid enough for 4K video streaming and general online gaming. A 40 100 Mbps connection is labeled as good, anything over 100 Mbps is considered fast, and 1 Gbps should allow you to do anything you want on multiple devices. // Related Stories
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  • The Alto Knights trailer: Robert De Niro plays dueling mob bosses in crime drama
    www.digitaltrends.com
    Its Robert De Niro versus Robert De Niro in the first trailer for The Alto Knights, Barry Levinsons mob drama for Warner Bros.De Niro is pulling double duty by starring as Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, two of New Yorks most nefarious crime bosses. Once friends, the two criminals become bitter rivals and eventually mortal enemies, culminating with Genoveses attempted assassination of Costello in 1957. After surviving the hit, Costello retires and goes after the mob, igniting the downfall of the American mafia.I need to find a way to take it all down, Costello says as he begins plotting his revenge.Please enable Javascript to view this contentDe Niro has become a leading figure in crime dramas for most of his career, especially in his collaborations with Martin Scorsese. De Niros notable crime movies include Mean Streets,Goodfellas, A Bronx Tale, Casino,The Irishman,andKillers of the Flower Moon. De Niro won Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for playing a young Vito Corleone inThe Godfather Part II.Besides De Niro,The Alto Knightsstars Debra Messing, Cosmo Jarvis, Kathrine Narducci, Michael Rispoli, Michael Adler, Ed Amatrudo, Joe Bacino, Anthony J. Gallo, Wallace Langham, Louis Mustillo, Frank Piccirillo, Matt Servitto, and Robert Uricola.Levinson, who won the Academy Award for Best Director for 1988s Rain Man, directsThe Alto Knights from a screenplay by GoodfellasThe Wizard of Lies, What Just Happened, Sleepers, and Wag the Dog.RockysIrwin Winkler produces alongside Levinson, Jason Sosnoff, Charles Winkler, and David Winkler, with Mike Drake executive producing.The Alto Knightsopens in theaters on March 21, 2025.Editors Recommendations
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  • Chinas Hytera Pleads Guilty to U.S. Charge in Motorola Solutions Trade Secrets Theft Case
    www.wsj.com
    The telecommunications company could face a fine of up to $60 million for stealing walkie talkie-related trade secrets.
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  • Meta to cut 5% of employees deemed unfit for Zuckerbergs AI-fueled future
    arstechnica.com
    "Generous severance" promised Meta to cut 5% of employees deemed unfit for Zuckerbergs AI-fueled future Meta plans to refill roles with top talent to pursue AI and AR ambitions. Ashley Belanger Jan 14, 2025 3:05 pm | 20 Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor | Bloomberg Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor | Bloomberg Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreAnticipating that 2025 will be an "intense year" requiring rapid innovation, Mark Zuckerberg reportedly announced that Meta would be cutting 5 percent of its workforcetargeting "lowest performers."Bloomberg reviewed the internal memo explaining the cuts, which was posted to Meta's internal Workplace forum Tuesday. In it, Zuckerberg confirmed that Meta was shifting its strategy to "move out low performers faster" so that Meta can hire new talent to fill those vacancies this year."Ive decided to raise the bar on performance management," Zuckerberg said. "We typically manage out people who arent meeting expectations over the course of a year, but now were going to do more extensive performance-based cuts during this cycle."Cuts will likely impact more than 3,600 employees, as Meta's most recent headcount in September totaled about 72,000 employees. It may not be as straightforward as letting go anyone with an unsatisfactory performance review, as Zuckerberg said that any employee not currently meeting expectations could be spared if Meta is "optimistic about their future performance," The Wall Street Journal reported.Any employees affected will be notified by February 10 and receive "generous severance," Zuckerberg's memo promised.This is the biggest round of cuts at Meta since 2023, when Meta laid off 10,000 employees during what Zuckerberg dubbed the "year of efficiency." Those layoffs followed a prior round where 11,000 lost their jobs and Zuckerberg realized that "leaner is better." He told employees in 2023 that a "surprising result" from reducing the workforce was "that many things have gone faster.""A leaner org will execute its highest priorities faster," Zuckerberg wrote in 2023. "People will be more productive, and their work will be more fun and fulfilling. We will become an even greater magnet for the most talented people. That's why in our Year of Efficiency, we are focused on canceling projects that are duplicative or lower priority and making every organization as lean as possible."It seems that now that Meta is "leaner," the social media company is looking to ramp up its talent search to fulfill the part of Zuckerberg's plan where Meta becomes a "magnet" for top talent. According to Bloomberg, Zuckerberg's more recent memo revealed Meta's plans to focus on "AI, smart glasses, and the future of social media," partly by replacing low performers with ideally high performers more capable of rapidly delivering innovative products.Meta's AI tweaks to its platform haven't necessarily always been a big hit with users. Earlier this month, Instagram users discovered old AI-powered characters and instantly reviled them. And Zuckerberg sparked additional backlash recently when a court filing alleged that he directly approved training Meta's AI models on a controversial data set of pirated books at the center of several lawsuits.But Meta clearly has no plans to slow down AI projects. In December, the company explained that the "biggest thing" Meta learned after its smart glasses "hit their stride" in 2024 was that "glasses are by far the best form factor for a truly AI-native device" and "might be the first hardware category to be completely defined by AI from the beginning.""There are endless opportunities ahead," Meta's blog said, promising that 2025 will bring "the evolution of AI assistants into tools that dont just respond to a prompt when you ask for help but can become a proactive helper as you go about your day."From there, Meta plans to combine the AI glasses with augmented reality to redefine social media, the blog said.According to the WSJ, Meta's memo has upset some employees, but Zuckerberg justified the new round of cuts as critical for Meta to build the most important technologies in the world.Ashley BelangerSenior Policy ReporterAshley BelangerSenior Policy Reporter Ashley is a senior policy reporter for Ars Technica, dedicated to tracking social impacts of emerging policies and new technologies. She is a Chicago-based journalist with 20 years of experience. 20 Comments
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  • Giant isopod named after Darth Vader is a delicacy in Vietnam
    www.newscientist.com
    The head of Bathynomus vaderi, a newly named marine isopodNguyen Thanh SonA large crustacean that lives in the sea off Vietnam has been designated as a new species and named after Darth Vader.Bathynomus vaderi is a kind of isopod, a group that also includes woodlice. It can reach lengths of over 30 centimetres and weights in excess of a kilogram. AdvertisementSo far, the new species has only been found by fishers trawling near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Peter Ng at the National University of Singapore and his colleagues analysed four specimens obtained from fishmongers in Quy Nhn in south-central Vietnam. The locals call them sea bugs.Researcher Peter Ng examining giant isopods at a seafood market in Hanoi, VietnamNguyen Thanh SonNg says the team chose the species name because of its resemblance to Darth Vaders mask, but also because the creature is thought to live at depths of 800 to 1200 metres, where it is perpetually dark. Unmissable news about our planet delivered straight to your inbox every month.Sign up to newsletterI am the biggest Star Wars fan in the team, as its my vintage. The first movie was in 1977, in my youth, and it was cool, says Ng. But we all agree that the face of Bathynomus looks so much like Darth Vader that it just had to be named after the Sith Lord.The isopods have become a popular seafood delicacy in Vietnamese restaurants since 2017, and are said to be as tasty as lobster.But little is known about their ecology or the impact on populations from trawling, says team member Conni Sidabalok at the National Research and Innovation Agency in Cibinong, Indonesia.The scale of harvesting is a matter for concern. Its a challenge for all deep-sea species we fish, she says. We know so little about their biology, so we need more studies to evaluate how best to conserve and manage this resource.Journal reference:ZooKeys DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1223.139335Topics:
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  • A timeline of Kate Middleton's health struggles, from a cancer diagnosis to remission
    www.businessinsider.com
    Kate Middleton made a public appearance on Christmas Day 2023.The royal family on Christmas Day 2023. Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images Kate joined the royal family for their annual walk from Sandringham in Norfolk, England, to attend a church service on Christmas Day.The Princess of Wales walked with her children and husband to the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in one of her signature coatdresses, much like she did in years past. On January 17, 2024, Kensington Palace announced Kate was in the hospital for "a planned abdominal surgery."Kensington Palace said in its statement that Kate would remain in the hospital, The London Clinic, for up to two weeks following the procedure."Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery," the statement read. "The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."Kensington Palace provided no additional information about what procedure Kate underwent, though the palace told the Associated Press the princess didn't have cancer.The statement also said Kate hoped "her personal medical information remains private" to help provide her children with "normality.""Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share," the statement went on to say.Prince William was photographed visiting Kate at the hospital the following day. On January 29, 2024, Kensington Palace said that Kate had returned to Windsor Castle.Kate Middleton in November. Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images "The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery," the statement shared on Instagram said. "She is making good progress."William and Kate went on to thank the staff at The London Clinic in the statement, as well as those who sent them well wishes.The same day, Buckingham Palace announced King Charles was returning home after having a procedure for a benign prostate enlargement. Buckingham Palace announced on February 5, 2024, that King Charles had cancer.King Charles III during the state tour of France in September 2023. Samir Hussein - Handout/Getty Images Buckingham Palace said in a statement that "a separate issue of concern was noted" during the king's prostate procedure, and additional testing disclosed he had cancer. The palace didn't disclose what form of cancer he was diagnosed with, though they said it wasn't prostate cancer.The statement also said that the king "commenced a schedule of regular treatments" and that although he would still be working from home, he would "postpone public-facing duties" per medical advice.The palace didn't specify how long the king would forgo public-facing work at the time."His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer," the statement also said. Prince William returned to public duty on February 7, 2024.Prince William in March 2023. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images William paused his royal engagements amid Kate's surgery and recovery, returning to work on February 7, 2024, for an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.The same day, he attended a gala raising money for the London Air Ambulance, and he thanked the public for their messages of support for Kate, Town & Country reported."I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days," he said, adding that "it means a great deal to us all."He has attended a handful of public events since. The public was predicted to look to William in Charles and Kate's absences, as he represents the monarchy's future as heir to the throne."It's an opportunity for him to communicate on behalf of the royal family," Eric Schiffer, the chairman of Reputation Management Consultants, said.In addition, the public generally responds more favorably to younger royals. Without Kate, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle, William's youth could be a boon for the monarchy, as Kristen Meizner, a royal watcher, told BI."They are most focused on the royals when they are of courtship age, getting married, having babies, that kind of thing," she said. "They're not necessarily considered as dazzling or as exciting to the public when they're 60 or 70 or whatnot." Kate was reported on February 9, 2024, to have traveled to Norfolk to continue her recovery.Kate Middleton in 2023. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images On February 9, 2024, the Daily Mail reported that Kate had joined her family at their home in Sandringham, Anmer Hall, for her children's half-term holiday.The outlet also reported that her recovery was going well at the time.Kate wasn't photographed during her trip from Windsor to Sandringham. King Charles was photographed a few times throughout February, while Kate remained unseen.King Charles and Rishi Sunak at Buckingham Palace on February 21. ONATHAN BRADY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Although he wasn't taking on public-facing duties, King Charles was still photographed a few times following his cancer diagnosis and the beginning of his treatment.On February 11, 2024, he and Queen Camilla were spotted going to church in Sandringham, and he was photographed meeting with then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on February 21 at Buckingham Palace.On the other hand, Kate remained absent, as Kensington Palace released no photos or videos of her. William released a rare solo statement on February 20, 2024.Typically, William and Kate have released statements as a pair since they got married.But on February 20, 2024, Kensington Palace released a statement on only William's behalf regarding the conflict in Gaza, in which he said he remained "deeply concerned about the human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October.""I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible," the statement said. "There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza."William also said he continued "to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found, and I refuse to give up on that."In addition to speaking for only William, the statement had a "W" seal at the top rather than the crown featured on messages from the Prince and Princess of Wales as a unit. William missed a service of thanksgiving on February 27, 2024, because of an unnamed personal matter.Prince William didn't attend his godfather's service of thanksgiving. Kin Cheung - WPA Pool/Getty Images On February 27, 2024, members of the royal family attended a service of thanksgiving for King Constantine of Greece, King Charles' second cousin and close companion. He was one of William's godfathers.William was set to attend the event alongside Queen Camilla and other family members but missed the service because of a personal matter, Kensington Palace told Business Insider.A palace representative also told BI that Kate was doing well, but they didn't elaborate on what caused William to miss the event.Following his absence, chatter about Kate's prolonged absence from the public eye erupted on social media, with users speculating about why she hadn't been seen in months. The princess was trending on X, and thousands posted about her on TikTok. "Kate Middleton" was also sixth on Google's list of trending search terms on February 27, highlighting how high public interest got in her absence. Kensington Palace reiterated that Kate was "doing well" as William returned to public duty on February 29, 2024.Prince William speaking to a Holocaust survivor, Renee Salt, at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue on Thursday. Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images On February 29, 2024, Prince William resumed public duty, visiting the Western Marble Arch Synagogue to learn about the Holocaust Educational Trust, as Kensington Palace shared on Instagram.He sat down with a Holocaust survivor, Renee Salt. Rebecca English, a royal editor for the Daily Mail, reported on X that during the conversation, he spoke on behalf of himself and Kate."Both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise in antisemitism," English quoted the prince as saying to Salt. "That's why I'm here today to reassure you all that people do care and people do listen, and we can't let that go."Kensington Palace also reiterated that Kate was "doing well" in a statement sent to BI on February 29."We gave guidance two days ago that The Princess of Wales continues to be doing well," the statement said. "As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates." Kate was spotted for the first time in 2024 on March 4.Kate Middleton in September 2023. Chris Jackson/Getty Images On March 4, 2024, a sunglasses-clad Princess of Wales was seen riding in a car with her mother, Carole Middleton, in photos obtained by Backgrid and shared by TMZ.According to TMZ, the pair were driving near Windsor Castle when they were photographed, and no other royals or security appeared to accompany them on the drive.The sighting came as Queen Camilla announced she was taking a break from filling in for her husband at royal engagements until March 11. After initially indicating she would attend, the British army removed references to Kate from online tickets for a June event shared on March 5, 2024.Kate Middleton during the Trooping the Colour parade in 2023. Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images On March 5, 2024, outlets like BBC News reported that Kate's name was included on tickets released online to The Colonel's Review, an event the British army hosts amid Trooping the Colour, on June 8. Kate was named the Colonel of The Irish Guards in December 2022, and the Colonel typically participates in the Review.Many took her inclusion on the tickets as a sign she was on track to return to work in the summer. But then, the army quickly removed all references to Kate after the tickets were released because Kensington Palace had not confirmed she would attend.A source close to the situation told Business Insider's Mikhaila Friel the army didn't get approval from Kensington Palace to include references to the princess in the tickets, leading to the confusion.The palace didn't respond to a request for comment from BI on the matter. Kensington Palace released a photo of Kate with her children for Mother's Day but the photo was immediately met with suspicion.March 10, 2024, was Mother's Day in the UK, and to commemorate the occasion, Kensington Palace released the first official portrait of Kate since Christmas.In the photo, Kate sits in a chair surrounded by her children, who are all giggling. According to the caption they shared on social media alongside the image, William took the picture of his family in 2024, and the photo appeared to come directly from Kate, as she signed the caption, "C," which stands for Catherine."Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," she wrote. "Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day."But shortly after it was released, people began to speculate the photo had been edited. Photo editor Patrick Witty told BI's Shubhangi Goel it was "astonishing" the palace released the photo at all because of issues in the image, pointing to areas where the picture is blurred and things that seemed to be added to the shot during the editing process, like a zipper on Kate's jacket. Later that day, multiple photo agencies removed the picture from their platforms.Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2023. Chris Jackson/Getty Images On March 10, 2024, Reuters, the Associated Press, and the French organization Agence France-Presse sent kill notices for the picture, which means it is no longer available for distribution through their platforms.Reuters said it removed the picture after a "post-publication review," while the AP said explicitly in its kill notice that it wouldn't distribute the photo because "it appears the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent."Kensington Palace has been accused of editing photos of the royals before, as was the case with the Waleses' 2023 Christmas card, but the photo released on March 10 was the first to be killed by photo agencies.The palace did not respond to a request for comment on the editing controversy. Kate personally apologized for "any confusion" the picture caused on March 11, 2024.Kate Middleton in September 2023. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images On March 11, 2024, Kate released a statement on social media addressing the controversy surrounding the photo, seemingly taking responsibility for the manipulated image."Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she wrote on X. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C."Notably, Kate signed the statement alone. Kensington Palace typically speaks on behalf of the couple as a unit, and the royals said in their initial post that William took the shot.The statement didn't appear to convince royal watchers online. Kate was trending on X, and the edited image had been viewed over 72 million times on the platform. William and Kate were photographed together on March 11, 2024, before he attended a Commonwealth Day service.Prince William attends a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March 2024. Henry Nicholls - WPA Pool/Getty Images A few hours after the princess posted on X, the Daily Mail released a photo of William and what appeared to be Kate in a car together leaving Windsor Castle.In the shot, Kate is looking out of the window, so only her profile is visible. According to the outlet, Kate was going to "a private appointment," and William was en route to a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.William was photographed alongside Queen Camilla at the Commonwealth Day service after the photo of him and Kate was published. Multiple tabloids released a video of what appeared to be Kate and William shopping in Windsor on March 18, 2024.On March 17, 2024, The Sun reported that William and Kate were spotted shopping at a "farm shop" near Adelaide Cottage, their home on the grounds of Windsor Castle. But The Sun's coverage didn't include any images of the prince and princess.Then, on March 18, TMZ and The Sun released a video of what appeared to be William and Kate walking through the market, holding shopping bags.The video was grainy, and Kensington Palace did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on the matter. On March 22, 2024, Kate announced she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy in a video, speaking directly to the public.Kate Middleton was receiving treatment for cancer. BBC Studios On March 22, 2024, Kensington Palace uploaded a video of Kate speaking directly to a camera on its social media.In the video, Kate said that her abdominal surgery in January was successful, but "tests after the operation found cancer had been present."Her medical team recommended she "undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy" after reviewing the tests, as Kate said in the video. She began treatment in late February, according to a press release shared with BI.The princess said that the diagnosis was a "shock" and that she and William "have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," adding that determining how to share the news with their children was difficult."As I have said to them, I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body, and spirits," Kate said.In the press release shared with BI, Kensington Palace said it would not be revealing what kind of cancer Kate had, nor what stage her cancer was.The release also said Kate would return to work "when she is cleared to do so by her medical team."In the video, Kate reiterated Kensington Palace's previous requests for privacy."We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment," she said. The Prince and Princess of Wales marked their anniversary with a private photo of their wedding in April 2024.To celebrate their 13th anniversary, Kate and William shared a never-before-seen photo from their wedding on Instagram on April 28, 2024.The caption on the post was simple, reading, "13 years ago today!"William said Kate was "doing well" during a royal engagement in May 2024.Prince William speaks to two people in Sicily, Italy, in May 2024. WPA Pool/Getty Images Kensington Palace had not released any official updates, but on May 10, 2024, William said Kate was "doing well" when asked about her health in a video recorded by Sky News. Kate apologized for missing a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour in June 2024.Catherine, Princess of Wales, travels down the mall in a horse-drawn carriage during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images Kate became Colonel of the Irish Guards in 2022, inheriting the title from Prince William. As the Colonel, she's meant to oversee the Colonel's Review, a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour, the king's official birthday celebration. However, Kate was unable to attend this year.The Irish Guards shared a letter from Kate on X, in which she apologized for missing the rehearsal, on June 8, 2024."Being your Colonel remains a great honour, and I am very sorry that I am unable to take the salute at this year's Colonel's Review," she wrote. "Please pass my whole apologies to the Regiment, however I do hope that I am able to represent you all once again very soon." In June 2024, Kate announced she would attend Trooping the Colour, her first royal event of the year.On June 14, 2024, Kate announced in a post on Kensington Palace's official social-media accounts that she would attend Trooping the Colour. The event, which took place on June 15, marked Kate's first official appearance of the year and her first since publicly sharing her cancer diagnosis.In the post, accompanied by a photograph of Kate taken at her home in Windsor, the princess wrote that she was making "good progress" with her chemotherapy treatment, adding that there were "good days and bad days.""On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well," she wrote.Kate added that her treatment was ongoing but that she was starting to do "a little work from home" and hoped to be able to join other "public engagements over the summer.""I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty," she added. "Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.""I'm looking forward to attending The King's Birthday Parade this weekend with my family," she wrote, adding that she is grateful for the public's "continued understanding" and support.It was announced that King Charles would also attend his official birthday celebration, though he would ride in a carriage instead of on horseback.
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  • An even bigger threat is looming behind California’s fires
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    Fires in and around Los Angeles continue to rage as gusting Santa Ana winds drive the flames through brush and into neighborhoods. Two major blazes, the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire, have combined burned almost 40,000 acres since last week. Another fire, the Auto Fire, erupted Monday evening in Ventura County. The fires have killed at least 24 people.The extraordinary scale and speed of the blazes have overwhelmed responders, even in a region with a long history of fighting wildfires. That was evident last week as firefighters worked to contain the Palisades Fire when they found that some of the fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood ran dry. RelatedThe Los Angeles Times reported that the 114 water tanks that supply the citys water were full before the fires ignited. But when the blazes ignited, firefighters were using so much water for so long, faster than the tanks could refill. That made it hard to keep the water flowing, particularly at higher elevations. Four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight, which lowered our water pressure, Janisse Quiones, CEO and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, told the Los Angeles Times. Water, however, is always a political issue in Los Angeles. The region has contended with water scarcity since it was founded, yet has also faced extensive flooding during intense downpours. City officials and local politicians were quick to criticize the citys underinvestment in its water infrastructure. However, the fires have also become another reason to litigate a long list of grievances with Californias decisions around water: taking down dams, not building enough reservoirs, protecting a tiny fish. Its important to understand that factors have little relevance to the ongoing fire response. I think some of the conversation is so unrelated to fire hydrants in LA its hard to know where to start, said Faith Kearns, a water and wildfire researcher at the Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. Nonetheless, California is facing threats to its water infrastructure that will only intensify after the flames die down. The fires are already degrading drinking water in the afflicted region and will continue to impede the recovery. And as the climate changes, water stresses on the state are mounting alongside the growing threat of more major fires in the future.Why water isnt always helpful with wildfiresThe ongoing fires around Los Angeles are challenging for several reasons. A big one is that the weather has been obstinately uncooperative, with powerful winds blowing embers miles across a region thats unusually dry. Those embers are landing on a bumper crop of vegetation primed to burn after a sequence of intense rainfall, record-breaking heat, and a dry start to winter over the past year. Another big factor is that the fires are burning in both wildlands and in urban areas. Firefighters use different tactics depending on the environment. For structure fires in a city or suburbs, the typical response involves firehoses, pump trucks, and lots of water. But amid the chaparral, grasses, and trees, the preferred tools are shovels, axes, drip torches, and bulldozers. The core strategy is not necessarily to extinguish the fires but to contain them with fire breaks, denying fuel to the flames. Aircraft that drop water and flame retardants can help on the margins and blazes encroach on neighborhoods, but there arent enough of them to contain fire fronts that span miles, while smoke and high winds can often make it too dangerous to fly. When the recent fires reached the built environment around Los Angeles, they exploded as winds blew up to 100 miles per hour, creating a disaster that has more in common with a hurricane than a house fire. Dozens of buildings ignited across the county at once, leaving urban firefighters facing advancing fire fronts like those in the wilderness. Their tools and tactics could not keep up. More than 12,000 structures have burned so far in the fires. Our traditional urban water infrastructure and supply was just largely not meant to fight fires like this, Kearns said. It was designed to put out a fire at a single house or a few structures, not thousands of houses during really high winds.The more pressing constraint is a shortage of personnel to deal with the scale of the fires, particularly responders with the training to contain infernos in such difficult conditions. Firefighters from across the state, around the country, and even from Canada and Mexico are now assisting with the response. California is also deploying prison inmates to help contain the blazes. LA County and all 29 fire departments in our county, are not prepared for this kind of widespread disaster, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a press conference last week. There are not enough firefighters in LA County to address four separate fires of this magnitude. The LA County fire department was prepared for one or two major brush fires, but not four, especially given these sustained winds and low humidities. Californias fire and water challenges are getting tougherThe raging infernos are likely to create longer lasting problems for the regions water supply. Kearns co-authored a 2021 report that found that drinking water suffered contamination in the wake of several major California wildfires. There are several mechanisms for this. Kearns explained that when water pressure drops in the municipal water supply like it did in Los Angeles last week, untreated waste water can backflow into mains. This means that pathogens and other contaminants can enter water lines. Several communities in Los Angeles County have advised residents not to drink tap water.The ash from the fires can also enter surface water supplies like reservoirs and aqueducts. That ash can contain toxic chemicals. Some of the flame retardants used to contain the fires can also allow hazardous substances like benzene to enter the water supply. Fires can melt PVC plumbing, which can introduce long-lasting contaminants into water. Weather conditions have been exceptionally dry so far, but when rain does pick up, that can wash fire debris into the water system, stressing water treatment plants.Southern California and the state as a whole are also facing water scarcity in the years to come. Californias infamous housing shortage is pushing more people to live in areas likely to burn. By one estimate, there will be 645,000 new homes built in areas rated as very high wildfire severity zones by 2050. More people living in wildfire prone regions increases the chances of starting a wildfire and raises the damage tally when those blazes inevitably ignite. On top of that, California is experiencing long-term changes in its climate that are poised to expand and worsen wildfire risk while exacerbating water scarcity. Rising average temperatures are causing trees and shrubs to dry out and more readily ignite. Thomas Harter, a professor at the University of California Davis studying water infrastructure, said that the state has shifted between wet years and dry years in equal measure through much of its history. But now, the swings between rainfall and drought are starting to become more aggressive. Climate change is driving larger swings between periods of intense rainfall and drought, a phenomenon dubbed whiplash. That often means that there is too much water to save during wet periods and not enough to go around in dry spells. And since the start of the 21st century, the number of dry years have begun to outnumber the wet years, and the dry years are getting drier. Dry years in California have become drier and begun to outnumber wet years since 2000. California Natural Resources AgencyIn addition, as average temperatures rise, theres more evaporation from surface water stores and theres more evapotranspiration from vegetation, which means trees, grasses, and shrubs retain less water. The amount of water in Californias reservoirs varies year to year with rainfall, and right now most of them are at or above the levels that are typical for this time of year. The compounding effects of climate change on Californias water are more apparent underground. With more dry years than wet years, the states thirsty agriculture sector draws on groundwater when surface supplies run low. Groundwater stores recharge slowly over thousands of years, so theyre building up a deficit as aridity increases. A precipitation deficit is starting to accumulate in California. California Natural Resources AgencyThe result is that California cant simply dam its way out of water scarcity and will have to make some difficult decisions about who gets to use water. There is no two ways around the fact that we have to dial back the amount of water we are using, Harter said.Even if California were to build more reservoirs, they wouldnt be enough to counter its growing wildfire problem. Water is expensive to get there, expensive to distribute, expensive to store to prevent and douse these very extreme [fire] events, Harter said. The difference is very minimal in terms of what can be achieved. Its also important to remember that fires are a natural part of ecosystems throughout California, so trying to eliminate them entirely can create more problems like allowing fuel to build up to very high levels.Reducing the threat from wildfires instead requires a suite of approaches that will take time, cost money, and create new political friction points. That includes performing controlled burns to reduce fuel loads, building codes that require more fire-resistant materials, limiting where people can live in the first place, accurately pricing risk in insurance policies, and curbing humanitys output of heat-trapping gases.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:
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