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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s false claims linking autism to childhood vaccinations are receiving new scrutiny now that President-elect Donald Trump has selected him to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a sprawling agency with a budget of $1.7 trillion that oversees research into both autism and vaccines. The myth that autism is caused by childhood vaccines — proposed in 1998 by a British doctor who was later banned from practicing medicine in the United Kingdom — has been thoroughly debunked . Hundreds of studies have found vaccines to be safe . The World Health Organization estimates that over the past 50 years, immunizations have saved 154 million lives around the world. Kennedy, who espouses a number of health-related conspiracy theories , has pointed to vaccines to explain the substantial rise in autism diagnoses in recent decades, which have ballooned from an estimated 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 today. Research suggests that much of that increase is due to increasing awareness and screening for the condition; changing definitions of autism to include milder conditions on the spectrum that weren’t recognized in previous years; as well as advances in diagnostic technology. “For a very long time, the anti-vaccine movement has been exploiting families of autistic people, promoting a market for pseudo-scientific treatments that don’t provide the answers they’re looking for and that can expose autistic people to real harm,” said Ari Ne’eman, co-founder of the nonprofit Autistic Self Advocacy Network and an assistant professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “More discredited conspiracy theories linking autism and vaccines are not the answer.” Timothy Caulfield, research director at the University of Alberta’s Health Law Institute in Canada, who studies health misinformation, said that people often are more willing to believe conspiracy theories about conditions such as autism, whose causes are complex and not fully understood, than diseases with clear causes. People seem less inclined to speculate, for example, about alternative explanations for Down syndrome, which causes intellectual disabilities and has long been known to be caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. “It’s really a shame because there are vulnerable families [of people with autism] who need our support,” said Judith Miller, a clinical psychologist and senior scientist and training director at the Center for Autism Research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Every dollar and hour spent trying to debunk a conspiracy theory is a dollar and an hour lost that could have been spent trying to understand how to help families.” Finding the causes of autism is complicated, because it’s not a single disorder, said Manish Arora, a professor of environmental medical and climate science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “Autism is a spectrum, not a single narrow disease,” Arora said. “It’s many, many things under one umbrella.” Although people diagnosed with autism often have similar strengths and challenges, “there are many paths to autism and many presentations of autism,” Miller said. Scientists have found a variety of risk factors for autism — most of which exist before birth — but there is no single cause for a neurological and developmental condition that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn and behave. A number of the traits sometimes seen in people with autism — such as being sensitive to loud noises, for example, or finding it difficult to interpret social cues — are also found in people who have not been diagnosed with autism. Doctors diagnose autism based on a person’s behavior, noting that there is no simple test for the condition, as there is for Covid or diabetes, said Arora, founder and CEO of a start-up company that researches biomarkers for autism and other neurological conditions. Finding the cause of an infectious disease — such as influenza, which is caused by the flu virus — is much more straightforward. While researchers continue to study the factors that influence the development of autistic traits, “the one thing we know doesn’t cause autism is vaccines,” said Catherine Lord, a psychologist and researcher at the Center for Autism Research and Treatment at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Doctors have long known that genes play a large role in autism, simply by noting that autism can run in families. For example, in identical twins — who share all of their DNA — if one twin has autism, the other usually does, as well. In the case of fraternal twins — who share about half their DNA — if one fraternal twin has autism, the chance that the other will have autism ranges from 53% to 67%, according to an analysis of research studies. Scientists have identified more than 100 genes related to autism, Miller said, and genes are believed to play a role in 60% to 80% of cases. “The genetics of autism have never been better understood,” said Dr. Gregory Cejas, medical director of the Autism Clinical Center and Fragile X Clinic at the Washington University School of Medicine. “We’re making leaps and bounds about known genetic causes of autism.” Yet genes clearly don’t explain every case of autism. Autism is very different from conditions like sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis, which are caused by a single gene. Scientists believe that people develop autistic traits due to a combination of genetic vulnerability and environmental exposures, Lord said. “People have found many, many different genetic patterns associated with autism, but none of them are only associated with autism and none of them are always associated with autism,” Lord said. For example, fragile X syndrome — caused by a mutated gene on the X chromosome — is the most common known cause of autism. But only a fraction of children with the genetic mutation actually develop autism, Miller said. It’s possible that this mutation leaves some people more vulnerable to developing autistic characteristics, while others with the same mutations don’t develop autistic traits, because they are shielded by protective factors that have not yet been identified. Some people blamed the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine with autism because symptoms of the condition often occur at around 12 to 15 months of age, the same time toddlers get that immunization. But Miller notes that “most of the genetic conditions that affect our life and health aren’t apparent at birth. Symptoms or characteristics won’t show up until later, but the genetic code will have been with us the whole time.” Many of the known risk factors for autistic characteristics occur before birth or at the time of delivery, Arora said. Babies who experience complications at birth , such as their umbilical cord becoming wrapped around their neck, have a higher risk of autism. So do babies born prematurely , perhaps because of something that happened in the womb. Children are also slightly more likely to be diagnosed with autism if they have older fathers and possibly if they have older mothers, Miller said. It’s not clear if something in the biology of older parents causes a child to have a higher risk of autism, or if socioeconomic issues could play a role. It’s possible that older parents have better access to health care, making it more likely for their child to receive an autism diagnosis. A mother’s health influences her child’s autism risk in several ways, according to multiple studies: Children have a greater chance of being diagnosed with autism if their mothers were exposed to high levels of air pollution or developed a serious infection , such as the flu or pneumonia, while pregnant. While Ne’eman, of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, said he’s not opposed to basic biological research on autism or its causes, he said those studies do little to help people with autism overcome the barriers they face in their everyday lives. He notes that only 8.4% of the $419 million spent on autism research in the United States is devoted to support and services for people with autism. “We need an autism research agenda,” he said, “that reflects the true priorities of autistic people and our families: supports across the lifespan and inclusion in the community.” This article first appeared on NBCNews.com . Read more from NBC News here:A routine cab ride in Mumbai led to an extraordinary revelation for entrepreneur Aaryan Singh Kushwah, who discovered that his Ola driver, Parag Patil, is a former Olympian. Patil, who has represented India in international athletics, boasts an impressive record of two gold, 11 silver, and three bronze medals, primarily in Triple Jump and Long Jump events. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Kushwah shared the encounter in a LinkedIn post that quickly went viral. “My Ola driver is an Olympian. Meet Parag Patil, Senior Olympian: 2nd in Asia in the Triple Jump. 3rd in Asia in the Long Jump. Every time he represented India internationally, he returned with a medal—2 golds, 11 silvers, 3 bronze. Yet, he has no sponsors and barely enough funds to support his family, let alone pursue his athletic career. This post is a call to action for anyone who can help sponsor Parag to represent and win for India internationally,” Kushwah wrote. The post, accompanied by a photo of Kushwah and Patil, struck a chord with netizens, drawing attention to the financial struggles faced by many Indian athletes after their active sports careers. Social Media Reacts Social media users were quick to respond, with many expressing admiration for Patil’s resilience and frustration over the lack of support for retired athletes. “This is both inspiring and heartbreaking. What a story of resilience!” one user commented. Another wrote, “Our sports legends deserve better than this. We need to step up as a nation.” Several users suggested practical solutions, including crowdfunding and corporate sponsorships. “Why aren’t there sustainable programs for athletes after retirement? This needs urgent attention!” a commenter noted. Another user encouraged action, saying, “Let’s crowdfund this. Parag deserves another chance to shine.” Patil’s story sheds light on a systemic issue: the lack of post-retirement support for athletes in India. Despite bringing glory to the nation, many athletes struggle to make ends meet once their competitive careers end. While some countries provide structured pathways and financial backing for retired sports professionals, Indian athletes often have to turn to unrelated jobs for survival.
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THE National Alliance of Reading Advocates (NARA), a coalition of over 100 organizations, held its inaugural conference at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila on Saturday. Convened by the National Book Development Board (NBDB), the event tackled the ongoing literacy crisis in the country and the promotion of reading culture among Filipinos. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.Made In Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo continues to pack on the PDA with new millionaire fiancé James Watt as she shares festive photos Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com By RUTH FRANCIS FOR MAILONLINE Published: 22:20, 29 December 2024 | Updated: 22:20, 29 December 2024 e-mail View comments She recently got engaged during an idyllic Greek getaway after 18 months of dating. And on Sunday, Georgia Toffolo, 30, took to social media to share some adorable Christmas snaps of her and fiancé James Watt. The former Made In Chelsea star posed with her husband-to-be in the car wrapped up in wooly winter jumpers on their way to stay with family. In another photo, Georgia wowed in a black long sleeved dress that boasted a stylish white collar. Resting her head lovingly on her partner's shoulder, she smiled to the camera, whilst James - the BrewDog founder, 42 - beamed in a pair of sunglasses and a festive headband. Another image from the same day, saw the couple radiate happiness with their arms around each other, as they enjoyed a lavish dinner. Georgia Toffolo took to social media to share some adorable Christmas snaps of her and fiancé James Watt In one photo Georgia wowed in a black long sleeved dress that boasted a stylish white collar as she rested her head lovingly on her partner's shoulder, who beamed in a pair of sunglasses and a festive headband Georgia, who found fame on Made In Chelsea, also shared snaps of the family in matching pyjamas for the festive photos stood on top of a hill. The sweet post saw Georgia with her arm outstretched, wearing a pair of reindeer antlers, whilst James wrapped up in a hat and jumper, had a youngster sat on his shoulders. In another photo Georgia flashed her huge sparkler as she posed in a black fluffy hat. With the huge diamond on show, the reality star pouted for the camera and let her blonde locks fall loosely down her shoulders. Alongside the collection, Georgia penned how she was making the most of being her last Christmas before the pair wed next year. She wrote: 'Soaking up my first Christmas being engaged and my last before we get married. 'Happily my family were with us up in Scotland - true to form we have done far too much and are all zonked and exhausted. So worth it though. 'Anyone else battled feeling under the weather this year? Desperate to get in bed with my book and not move!' Another image from the same day, saw the couple radiate happiness with their arms around each other, as they enjoyed a lavish dinner The pair who got engaged during an idyllic Greek getaway in October after 18 months of dating looked happier than ever as they celebrated over the festive season Georgia, who found fame on Made In Chelsea, also shared snaps of the family in matching pyjamasas they stood on top of a hill Alongside the collection, Georgia penned how she was making the most of being her last Christmas before the pair wed next year In another photo Georgia flashed her huge sparkler as she posed in a black fluffy hat and let her blonde locks fall loosely down her shoulders For another image, the blonde bombshell wore a white fluffy coat over her dress and added a touch of glamour with a diamond necklace fans couldn't help but notice the huge engagement ring in one of her photos and congratulated the happy couple for their good news Fans flocked to her comment section to wish the happy couple their best writing: 'Have a great break. Your ring is fabulous xx' Read More Georgia Toffolo, 30, reunites with I'm A Celeb bestie Stanley Johnson, 84, at Christmas party 'You look like you had a fabulous Christmas, your ring is beautiful. All the best for 2025 to you and James x' ... 'Just mega ❤️' .... Gorgeous ❤️xx' It comes after Georgia and James celebrated their engagement in style as they enjoyed a festive-themed bash. The BrewDog founder, 42, popped the question to the former Made In Chelsea star , 30, in October during an idyllic Greek getaway for her birthday. And just days before Christmas , the happy couple gathered at one of James' BrewDog branches in Aberdeen with their friends and family to mark their upcoming nuptials. The pair pulled out all the stops for party, capturing special moments with a 360 photo booth while also posing up a storm on a sleigh. Dressed to impress for the occasion, Georgia looked sensational in a black lace mini dress which she teamed with semi-sheer black tights and black boots . The star added a pair of bauble-clad antlers as she posed beside her husband-to-be, who looked smart in a white shirt and jeans. It comes after the pair celebrated their engagement in style as they enjoyed a festive-themed bash just before Christmas The BrewDog founder, 42, popped the question to the former Made In Chelsea star , 30, in October during an idyllic Greek getaway for her birthday Georgia lovingly danced with James while their nearest and dearest watched on. Before the pair posed for a number of snaps alongside their friends and family, including an adorable photo with James' granny donning a sparkly glitter ball helmet. Captioning her post, Georgia penned: 'Last night we hosted our Christmas / engagement party. I danced for hours and it was so special for us to have our people in one place. 'This is the second year we hosted this together and now I’m worried about what to do next year to top it! Highlight was James’ Granny on the 360 camera wearing a glitter ball helmet'. James - who is reportedly worth an estimated £262 million - proposed at the end of October, on the week she celebrated her 30th birthday in the Greek islands. At the time, a source told MailOnline: 'He asked her to marry him yesterday in front of both of their families in Greece . 'After the proposal they went to a big party at the Peligoni club and ended up dancing on tables to ABBA , celebrating with all the other guests.' Georgia, who found fame as a regular cast-member on E4 show Made In Chelsea , has been dating the millionaire BrewDog co-founder since last summer and the pair now live together in London. James proposed at the end of October, on the week she celebrated her 30th birthday in the Greek islands And just days before Christmas , the happy couple gathered at one of James' BrewDog branches in Aberdeen with their friends and family to mark their upcoming nuptials The pair pulled out all the stops for party, capturing special moments with a 360 photo booth while also posing up a storm on a sleigh Dressed to impress for the occasion, Georgia looked sensational in a black lace mini dress which she teamed with semi-sheer black tights and black boots Georgia radiated happiness as she lovingly danced with James while their loved ones watched on Georgia and James' loved ones partied the night away at the festive engagement bash The former I'm A Celebrity star rocked a pair of bauble-clad antlers for the party The pair posed for a number of snaps alongside their friends and family, including an adorable photo with James' granny donning a sparkly glitter ball helmet Captioning her post, Georgia penned: 'Last night we hosted our Christmas / engagement party. I danced for hours and it was so special for us to have our people in one place Announcing the news while showing off her enormous diamond engagement ring, the blonde beauty told her Instagram followers: 'James just asked me to marry him. 'It really was the best moment of my life so far. I never knew I could feel happiness like this. The easiest, quickest yes to being your wife. 'Our love story is my favourite. How we managed to find each other out of billions of people out there will always be my greatest blessing. 'I love you forever and the magical life we’re building.' James proposed with and exquisite eight carat triple-diamond studded band estimated to be worth £200,000. Georgia Toffolo Made In Chelsea Share or comment on this article: Made In Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo continues to pack on the PDA with new millionaire fiancé James Watt as she shares festive photos e-mail Add commentFlood Risks Are Rising Everywhere — And One Simple Solution Is Finally Getting Heard
Sandstorm Gold Ltd. ( NYSE:SAND – Get Free Report ) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $8.35. Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Sandstorm Gold from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. HC Wainwright raised their price target on Sandstorm Gold from $11.50 to $12.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Sandstorm Gold from $6.50 to $6.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Check Out Our Latest Report on Sandstorm Gold Institutional Inflows and Outflows Sandstorm Gold Stock Performance Shares of SAND stock opened at $5.85 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $5.97 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $5.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 2.29 and a quick ratio of 2.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.75 and a beta of 1.13. Sandstorm Gold has a 12 month low of $3.96 and a 12 month high of $6.50. Sandstorm Gold ( NYSE:SAND – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by ($0.01). Sandstorm Gold had a net margin of 20.46% and a return on equity of 2.44%. The business had revenue of $44.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $44.70 million. On average, research analysts anticipate that Sandstorm Gold will post 0.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Sandstorm Gold Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 15th were paid a dividend of $0.015 per share. This is a boost from Sandstorm Gold’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.01. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, October 15th. This represents a $0.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. Sandstorm Gold’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.00%. About Sandstorm Gold ( Get Free Report Sandstorm Gold Ltd. operates as a gold royalty company. The company focuses on acquiring royalties and gold and other metals purchase agreements from companies that have advanced stage operating mines. It offers upfront payments for companies to acquire a stream and receives the right to purchase a percentage of a mine's production for the life of the mine. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Sandstorm Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sandstorm Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
The Dakar Rally returns to provide one of motorsport's toughest tests for human and machine in January, with Saudi Arabia again hosting the challenge. It may not be the event it once was when run through Africa to the Senegalese capital [the event's name gives it away] but the test remains one that requires ultimate performance and robustness to overcome. Relevance remains for manufacturers looking to prove their mettle in the rally raid theatre, with Toyota, Ford and Mini all competing in the World Rally-Raid Championship's (WR2C) Cars class - as well as privateer Volkswagens, which are offshoots of the old works team. REPORT: Dacia cools Dakar expectations after debut 1-2 at Rallye du Maroc For the 2025 edition, there's a surprise name aiming for glory: Dacia. The small Romanian manufacturer is taking on the giants and aiming to make history when the Dakar Rally starts on 3 January. Motorsport.com was invited to visit the factory of technical partner Prodrive, ahead of its quest for glory. Why Dacia is tackling Dakar Dacia is very cynical in its business model. It offers affordable cars to its consumers, including only what it needs within its model range to keep costs down, rather than adding all the gadgets and gizmos we have come to expect in our road cars. Yet with a mission statement that includes focusing on its sustainability and remaining 'Eco-Smart', the Dakar project actually presents a number of important testbeds for the brand. "Our ambition within the Dakar project is obviously to win, first and foremost," says Dacia UK and Ireland brand director Luke Broad, who is aware this is no easy task for a brand at the first time of asking. "But we also see it as an effective outdoor technical laboratory. The idea is to take our learnings within Dakar with a view to eventually seeing some of the innovations that we put in this car in our road cars. Dacia Sandrider has been in development for much of 2024 ahead of debut on Dakar in January Photo by: Dacia "It's also a place for us to experiment with sustainable fuels because, as a brand, we're not about going into the desert and polluting it. We are going to do it in a very sustainable way, and that fits under our Eco-Smart brand." Those sustainable fuels will come through a partnership with Saudi-based company Aramco, which has been working on a similar project with Formula 1 as the world championship ushers in a sustainable future in 2026. Technical director Philip Dunabin says that while certain instances of technology transfer between the Dakar project and Dacia's road-car business "are not really very visible", they are still significant. If a partnership with Prodrive wasn't enough to make you believe Dacia was taking this seriously, then the crews that will get to grips with the three-car entry should "Dacia has been working on pigments and resin, in this case in the carbon fibre," he explains. "These are pigments that are intended to reduce infrared absorption, intended to keep temperatures lower in the cars. Those have got applications for them in terms of pigment arrangement in road cars. "They have also brought very matte, IR-reflecting [infra-red] paint that they will be using in the future in road cars. We use it here in things like the dashtop for low reflection, low glare from the windscreen. "There are elements that are not in the car yet in terms of to do with materials for the seats and so on, which have come directly from Dacia road cars and of course, there is the work they are helping us do with sustainable fuels with the partnership with Aramco." Dunabin and team principal Tiphanie Isnard are leading the Prodrive effort - officially called the Dacia Sandriders. The British operation that conquered the World Rally Championship with Subaru provides the motorsport expertise needed to help the programme shortcut its learning curve. Sandriders technical director Dunabin has joined the project from Alpine, evidencing its support for the programme Photo by: Dacia "When we are doing things in Dacia, we need to do well with the best specialist around us, so [that's] why we are here with Prodrive, it is one of the most successful companies in motorsports," says Isnard. "For us, it's the best partner as the technical provider for all the development." A strong three-pronged line-up If a partnership with Prodrive, which has tackled Dakar on the past four years with the BRX Hunter and managed two runner-up finishes, wasn't enough to make you believe Dacia was taking this seriously then the crews that will get to grips with the three-car entry should. Five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah is joined by navigator Edouard Boulanger in car #200 as he attempts to close on Stephane Peterhansel's record of eight wins in the Cars category. One of rallying's most famous names, Sebastien Loeb, returns for another crack at getting his first Dakar win after finishing third in 2024. The three-time runner-up, twice with Prodrive, will be partnered in his #219 car by Fabian Lurquin, while the youth of the team comes in the form of Cristina Gutierrez, who raced with Loeb in the Prodrive-run X44 Extreme E team. The Spaniard, who won the Challenger (T3) class on the 2024 Dakar, is joined by Pablo Moreno in the #212 entry. The drivers have long been assisting with the development of the entire project, with Isnard telling Motorsport.com: "They were really involved from the beginning, they jumped in the car as quick as they could. They want to be a part of the first day of the car. "They quickly react and give feedback, which is positive, but also on what we need to improve and they call me, even on bank holidays in France - one was in the pool! But they all the time have questions and ask how the team is, what are the changes, what will be the car for Dakar." Having explained how the drivers used virtual headsets to get a feel for the inside of the cockpit when at the headquarters early on, Isnard adds: "From the beginning, the project was built with the crew in the Dacia design office. [We] said 'what do you want' and then built the design of the car around them. It is their office, so it's really important for the driver and navigator as a part of the performance." Integration between driver and team extends far past just the technical development at the start of the project. Teams essentially live together in bivouacs during the Dakar rally, so egos have to be left at the door. On Loeb in particular, chief mechanic Alistair 'Stretch' Gibson could only hail the Frenchman. Gibson has enjoyed working with Loeb, who is bidding to add a first Dakar win to his bulging CV Photo by: Dacia "He's great," says Gibson, unrelated to namesake Alastair who worked for the Prodrive-run BAR Formula 1 team in the noughties. "He is the person you see on the telly. He is shy, he is quiet, but he is actually really easy and simple to work with. He's not demanding. I was quite surprised; I expected a troublesome time, but it was completely the opposite. He just wants to get in the car and drive. Once the number is on the door, he wants to go and win. "It's a different breed of driver that wants to do Dakar and all these different demands of 'I want these drinks or those grapes' is out the window because you can't have it - it's not there. We sit and we eat together, there's not a special catering out the back for the drivers. We sit and eat together and all the teams from the whole bivouac are all together." While Loeb and Al-Attiyah will take the headlines from the line-up, the team is by no means expecting Gutierrez to simply make up the numbers. "We want a rising young driver to have with two experienced drivers. When we saw the [test] results, it was quite simple, Christina was the best one" Tiphanie Isnard "I wouldn't discount Cristina," insists Gibson. "We saw through the testing phase that she is pretty determined and pretty good at what she does. "She certainly earned the respect of the team around her with her performance in the test. It's not easy in Morocco and she was pretty tough, really good pace and good feedback. We were really impressed with her." In that test-run during the Rallye du Maroc, where the squad finished 1-2 on debut with Al-Attiyah and Loeb, Gutierrez was helping the team run shelf-life experiments, using components that had been used in previous tests to help discover durability levels of different parts - a vital mission as part of Dakar preparation. While using a female driver as well as a female team principal is a strong commercial move, Isnard is adamant this had no bearing on Gutierrez getting the nod. "The choice was quite simple," she says. "We want a rising young driver to have with two experienced drivers. When we saw the [test] results, it was quite simple, Cristina was the best one. She is a woman, that's great, but that was not the first choice." Gutierrez joins the programme after taking a class victory on the 2024 Dakar Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool Alpine's assistance to realise Dacia dreams While the Prodrive link-up and crew line-up makes the operation at least competitive, the Dacia Sandriders still have to take on the might of manufacturers that have been Dakar incumbents in recent times, not least in Toyota. But, being part of the Renault Group, Dacia has been able to take on expertise both in personnel and physical materials which will help accelerate its effort. Dunabin and Isnard are both Alpine Racing team members who have been designated to the project. "Within the Renault Group, the motorsport resource is Alpine Racing," Dunabin explains, "that looks after Formula 1, WEC, Formula E - where it looks after the programme for Nissan - rally with Renault Clios, Rally3, one-make championships and circuit racing. All of that expertise in motorsport is held within Alpine. "So it is natural that Dacia came to Alpine to say 'we want to use Alpine as the motorsport expertise for handling our rally raid programme'. That's where Tiphanie and myself come from. We work exclusively for Dacia, but we actually work for Alpine. "There's an awful lot of expertise. Recently, we have done things like materials analysis within Alpine for things on this car, electronics analysis [too]. There is a whole technical resource within Alpine that is a disposition of this programme. "When you make a road car, you don't pretend to do everything yourself anyway. Dacia is not going to make a steering rack, it is going to know who it wants to go to to install that. It is the same sort of thing in this arrangement. Prodrive have expertise in motorsport, they have an understanding of rally raid. You then have supervision from Alpine representing Dacia and Dacia utilises all of this resource to maximise the benefit for their programme." Speaking to Motorsport.com's Italian sister site during a Dacia Sandriders event in Italy, Loeb put his enthusiasm for the project down to the involvement of both Renault and Prodrive. “In the past months I had to make a choice," he related. "I had to choose a major project because my intention was still to race in the Dakar and the Dacia project seemed to me the best. "This is all because of the ambitions of the brand, of the manufacturer, which involved me in the project. Although it is its first sports project in the discipline, it has a huge, visible, tangible motivation. Significant expertise from the BRX project has transferred to the Dacia programme, including its driving strength Photo by: A.S.O. "Then I know several people involved; Bruno Famin, the boss of Renault Group as far as motorsport is concerned. I also know Prodrive well, with whom I raced in the Dakar and in the World Rally Raid during the last two seasons. I thought starting a project from scratch with these people involved was a good thing; they could use our experience made in the past to make a very competitive car.” Can Dacia conquer the challenge of Dakar? However competitive the car is on paper, or how strong the line-up and pedigree of the entire squad may be compared to rival outfits, the real test is the conditions faced in Saudi Arabia. Almost 8,000km will be covered across 12 stages which will take in gruelling terrain in the desert heat - and cold - of the Middle Eastern Kingdom, including the daunting 48-hour, 1057km endurance stage. With bivouacs set up each night, any repairs to cars must be done while exposed to the elements. "The sandstorm is the worst environment to work in," Gibson explains. "You can cope with the rain and the cold and the heat, but the sandstorm is definitely the worst, especially if it is a gearbox or a major component that needs working on. It does happen, and you just have to get on with it." "The easiest thing to do with Dakar is to screw up. It is incredibly difficult to do a Dakar when you don't have problems" Philip Dunabin "We try to avoid opening a gearbox or engine in that sort of situation, or any air intakes. But sometimes, you just have to get on with it. With the tents, we can try and pull the sides down. "Thankfully, it doesn't happen that often. Only twice in the last four years have we had a really bad sandstorm in the bivouac, so they do come. It does present challenges in many ways, from the tents themselves, or the trucks or the generators - it is just a feature of the landscape." With the 1-2 finish in Morocco proving the car's speed, focus since then has been on ensuring the reliability is up to scratch to avoid a repeat of cooling issues. "A lot of the stuff in terms of the cooling in Morocco was to do with the reliability side than anything else," says Dunabin. "We had incidents where fans would drop out, that sort of thing. If you lose one of the fans out of the system, then the car tends to get a bit too hot. So most of what we have been concentrating on is on the reliability side. Encouraging debut in Morocco is not giving way to overconfidence, although Dunabin hopes cooling issues have been remedied Photo by: Motorsport.com "Obviously we finished first and second, we won three out of five stages. We were never very far away from the front of the field and there were one or two subjects where we sailed a bit too close to the wind. Those subjects are things we have been working on to get right for Dakar." While the result in Morocco puts Dacia Sandriders in a strong position to ink its name into the Dakar history books, there is no complacency being allowed to creep in. "The easiest thing to do with Dakar is to screw up," cautions Dunabin. "It is incredibly difficult to do a Dakar when you don't have problems, you don't make any mistakes - no driving mistakes, no navigational mistakes, no technical error, no finger trouble. It's an event that is two weeks on, the days are long and everybody gets very tired. The vigilance that is needed to deliver a Dakar is really at the top level. "The fact we won in Morocco is great, fantastic for Dacia - they have manufacturing plants in Morocco, they are by far and away number one in terms of the sales in Morocco and it couldn't be any better for the Dacia people in Morocco to have the car arrive and win the rally. But no, I don't think there's any complacency. We can absolutely not assume we can go to Dakar and just trundle around. It will be hard." Can a Dacia win the Dakar Rally? Photo by: Dacia
DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea, including additional 10% taxes on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday on Truth Social threatening the tariffs on his first day in office could just be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. High food prices were a major issue in voters picking Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, but tariffs almost certainly would push those costs up even further. For instance, the Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said Tuesday that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when other countries retaliate. “Tariffs distort the marketplace and will raise prices along the supply chain, resulting in the consumer paying more at the checkout line,” said Alan Siger, association president. Mexico and Canada are two of the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables to the U.S. In 2022, Mexico supplied 51% of fresh fruit and 69% of fresh vegetables imported by value into the U.S., while Canada supplied 2% of fresh fruit and 20% of fresh vegetables. Before the election, about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. “We’ll get them down,” Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. People looking to buy a new vehicle likely would see big price increases as well, at a time when costs have gone up so much they are out of reach for many. The average price of a new vehicle now runs around $48,000. About 15% of the 15.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year came from Mexico, while 8% crossed the border from Canada, according to Global Data. Much of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers, unless automakers can somehow quickly find productivity improvements to offset them, said C.J. Finn, U.S. automotive sector leader for PwC, a consulting firm. That means even more consumers “would potentially get priced out,” Finn said. Hardest hit would be Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. “A 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada would severely cripple the U.S. auto industry,” he said. The tariffs would hurt U.S. industrial production so much that “we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” Roeska said. The tariff threat hit auto stocks on Tuesday, particularly shares of GM, which imports about 30% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, and Stellantis, which imports about 40% from the two countries. For both companies, about 55% of their lucrative pickup trucks come from Mexico and Canada. GM shares were down more than 8% and Stellantis was off over 5%. It's not clear how long the tariffs would last if implemented, but they could force auto executives to move production to the U.S., which could create more jobs in the long run. But Morningstar analyst David Whiston said in the short term automakers probably won't make any moves because they can't quickly change where they build vehicles. Millions of dollars worth of auto parts flow across the borders with Mexico and Canada, and that could raise prices for already costly automobile repairs, Finn said. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said tariffs on tequila or Canadian whisky won’t boost American jobs because they are distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. In 2023, the U.S. imported $4.6 billion worth of tequila and $108 million worth of mezcal from Mexico and $537 million worth of spirits from Canada, the council said. “At the end of the day, tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry,” the council said. Electronics retailer Best Buy said on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it runs on thin profit margins, so while vendors and the company will shoulder some increases, Best Buy will have to pass tariffs to customers. “These are goods that people need, and higher prices are not helpful,” CEO Corie Barry said. Walmart also warned this week that tariffs could force it to raise prices, as did Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who talked with Trump after his call for tariffs, said they had a good conversation about how the countries can work together. "This is something that we can do, laying out the facts and moving forward in constructive ways. This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau said. Trump's threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have been falling . The most recent U.S. numbers for October show arrests remain near four-year lows. But arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico, and seizures have increased. Trump has sound legal justification to impose the tariffs, even though they conflict with a 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico, said William Reinsch, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former trade official in the Clinton administration. The treaty, known as the USMCA, is up for review in 2026. In China’s case, he could simply declare Beijing hasn't met its obligations under an agreement he negotiated in his first term. For Canada and Mexico, he could say the influx of migrants and drugs represent a national security threat, and turn to a section of trade law he used in his first term to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum. The law he would most likely use for Canada and Mexico sets out a legal process that often takes as long as nine months, during which time Trump would likely seek a deal. If talks failed and the duties were imposed, all three countries would likely retaliate by putting tariffs on U.S. exports, said Reinsch, who believes Trump's tariffs threat is a negotiating ploy. U.S. companies would lobby the Trump administration intensively against tariffs, and would seek to have products exempted. Some of the biggest exporters from Mexico are U.S. firms that make parts there. “Our economies really are integrated,” Reinsch said. Longer term, Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the threat of tariffs could make the U.S. an “unstable partner” in international trade. “It is an incentive to move activity outside the United States to avoid all this uncertainty,” she said. Trump transition team officials did not immediately respond to questions about what he would need to see to prevent the tariffs from being implemented and how they would impact prices in the U.S. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Tuesday that Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own. Sheinbaum said she was willing to talk about the issues, but said drugs were a U.S. problem. ___ Rugaber reported from Washington. AP reporters Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit, Stan Choe and Anne D'Innocenzio in New York, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.Jones 3-8 3-4 9, Francois 3-10 4-4 10, Calderon 4-13 0-0 8, Cartagena 2-3 2-2 6, Kimbrough 8-12 3-3 19, Ford 0-1 0-0 0, Mushore 0-1 0-0 0, Berry 0-4 0-0 0, Brown 0-1 0-0 0, Butler 1-2 0-0 2, Ellis 1-1 0-0 3, Joseph 1-4 2-2 4, Washington 4-8 1-1 9, Totals 27-68 15-16 70 Merritt 4-6 0-0 9, Sanogo 2-4 0-0 4, Fritz 0-3 0-0 0, Maupin 6-11 5-7 20, Shavers 3-12 3-4 10, Mora 0-0 0-0 0, Peat 1-3 3-5 5, Blacklock 3-9 0-0 8, Bristow 7-13 3-4 17, Johnson 2-6 1-3 5, Martin 0-0 0-0 0, Wynn 0-2 0-0 0, Totals 28-69 15-23 78 3-Point Goals_New Orleans 1-14 (Jones 0-2, Francois 0-4, Calderon 0-2, Cartagena 0-1, Berry 0-2, Butler 0-1, Ellis 1-1, Joseph 0-1), Texas Tech 7-31 (Merritt 1-1, Fritz 0-2, Maupin 3-7, Shavers 1-7, Blacklock 2-8, Bristow 0-2, Johnson 0-2, Wynn 0-2). Assists_New Orleans 11 (Calderon 3), Texas Tech 15 (Maupin 4). Fouled Out_New Orleans Cartagena. Rebounds_New Orleans 49 (Francois 17), Texas Tech 37 (Bristow 8). Total Fouls_New Orleans 23, Texas Tech 19. Technical Fouls_None. A_4,130.
India's AI regulations are still in the works. The EU's comprehensive AI regulations, focused on transparency and safety, could serve as a model for India. Ethical AI usage with proper regulations still seems far away. Ten years from now we may look back at 2024 as the year when Artificial Intelligence was truly integrated within our lives. You buy any gadget today — AI will come as part of the overall experience, whether you need it or not. More importantly, whether you understand it or not. Think of the smartphone world, major companies such as Apple, Samsung, and Google have all integrated AI-powered features into their smartphones and announcing new reasoning models, tools, and standalone features. AI has been around for more than 75 years, and it continues to improve with advanced machine learning and algorithms. It can now help you create videos that you never shot, write essays, get detailed answers to your query, or even summaries of big research papers in just a few seconds. It is not limited to this; you can get a variety of different tools catering to your requirements. Thanks to machine learning, devices including smartphone, laptops, or even refrigerators are also AI-powered and can do the tasks automatically which once required manual efforts. READ: “When actual regulation is on the table, he opposes it”: Ex-OpenAI researcher claims Sam Altman doesn’t support AI regulation While the pitch is that these features will make users’ lives easy, we don’t really know yet. In exchange, a lot of data is being used to train these models — make them better — and there are still a lot of grey areas as to how and where this data is being stored. Then, there are also concerns around bias, misinformation, copyright violations, and obscene content. There have also been reports of users around the world misusing AI platforms to create deepfakes, scam people, or even promote racism and nudity. While the results can be fantastic for your work, they can be dangerous if misused. Many platforms, including Google Gemini, have faced criticism for such results while hiding under cover of a ‘developing platform’. Everyone maintains that the user data is safe but these models definitely demand more robust regulations and guidelines. Several authorities from all over the world including European Union (EU), China, the US, and India have announced their commitments to regulate AI but could not come up with an organised plan to regulate AI but have a single vision, ‘we must leverage the power of AI while mitigating its risks’. AI regulations in India The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) announced in 2022 that the government will develop a comprehensive regulation plan under the Digital India Act, but the draft legislation has yet to be drafted. This means that India is working on AI regulations, and AI remains unregulated. However, in 2024, MeitY proposed a Digital India Act blueprint that identified high-risk AI systems. It was an advisory stating that all companies would require government approval before deploying any AI models and addressing issues such as algorithmic discrimination and deepfakes, but it received criticism and was replaced. According to reports, MeitY favors a light-touch strategy, whereas other government bodies prefer more proactive intervention. Overall, the regulations are said to be determining the AI trajectory in India. However, certain factors should be considered, such as key risks, innovation, privacy, and human rights before framing the AI regulations for the country. How are other countries dealing with AI? AI regulations in other countries are completely based on their legal terms, governance models, and socio-economic priorities. For instance, the EU has regulated AI in a rights-based approach focusing more on health, safety, and fundamental rights. On the other hand, China is focusing on state control and social order while Japan follows human-centric goals in line with the welfare of individuals. Interestingly, Singapore and the UK have adopted a principle-based approach, tailoring regulations to some specific industries. EU’s first AI regulations and can it help India? The European Union’s regulations, considered as world’s first comprehensive AI regulations, were proposed in 2021. It has been categorised into different risk levels to ensure safe, transparent, and ethical use. AI systems that are considered unacceptable risks such as cognitive manipulation, biometric identification for surveillance, and others will be banned but with some exceptions. High-risk AI systems that are used in critical infrastructure, law enforcement, and medical devices will first have to undergo assessment. Generative AI, including ChatGPT, will have to comply with the transparency requirements, including disclosure of AI-generated content and adherence to copyright law. The new framework also helps the startups and other companies to continue their innovation. India can use the EU’s initial framework as a model to help shape its AI policy by enforcing moral principles, encouraging innovation and growth, fostering accountability, safeguarding individual privacy, and preserving a growing economy but certainly with some tweaks and add-ons. Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. Previously, he worked as a Senior Sub-Editor with Jagran English from 2022, and has been a journalist since 2020, with experience at Times Internet. Ashish specializes in Technology. In his free time, you can find him exploring new gadgets, gaming, and discovering new places. View Full ProfileMassachusetts diners have spoken, and six eateries in the Bay State have been named to OpenTable’s 2024 national list of top 100 restaurants . “Some lists are decided by critics, but not OpenTable’s Top 100 — this one is driven by diners,“ OpenTable wrote of the list. ”See this year’s top-ranked spots based on insights and reviews from verified OpenTable users just like you.” You can find each of the six Massachusetts restaurants that made the list below. Bar Vlaha (Brookline) Bar Vlaha is a traditional Greek restaurant in Brookline, Massachusetts. Adam Detour for 23015 Greek restaurant Bar Vlaha is one of two restaurants under Xenia Greek Hospitality to make it onto OpenTable’s list. With menu items from Saganaki to Kontosulvi, “Bar Vlaha captures the true soul of Greek cooking with rustic and nomadic traditions using charcoal and open-fire gastra techniques,” the restaurant’s website reads. Bar Vlaha is located at 1653 Beacon St., Brookline. Giulia Restaurant (Cambridge) Bar Vlaha is a traditional Greek restaurant in Brookline, Massachusetts. Adam Detour for 23015 Italian restaurant Giulia is the first restaurant of award-winning Chef Michael Pagliarini. The Cambridge spot focuses on “wonderful food and great service,” with offerings such as duck wing and prosciutto Tortelli and house-made lamb sausage. Giulia Restaurant is at 1682 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Krasi (Boston) Krasi is an upscale Greek restaurant in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. Linda Campos Xenia Greek Hospitality also owns Krasi — a staple Greek restaurant in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. Krasi invites diners to “come for the wine, stay for the food” by offering an extensive wine menu and Greek bites . The restaurant is at 48 Gloucester St., Boston. Pammy’s (Cambridge) Pammy’s, located between Cambridge’s Central and Harvard squares, “is a New American restaurant inspired by the feel of an Italian neighborhood trattoria,” Pammy’s website states. Menu items include yakitori chicken, striped bass saddle chop and honeynut squash torta. Pammy’s is at 928 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Silver Dove Afternoon Tea (Boston) Silver Dove Afternoon Tea is an English-style tea room located in downtown Boston. The restaurant serves more than two dozen kinds of tea, multiple pastries, cocktails and more. The restaurant accepts 90-minute reservations every afternoon from Wednesday to Sunday. Silver Dove Afternoon Tea is at 24 Tremont St., Boston. The Nautilus (Nantucket) The Nautilus Nantucket is a New England fusion restaurant on Nantucket, Massachusetts. The Nautilus Opened on Nantucket in 2014, Nautilus focuses on creating a social experience for diners, from food, cocktails and wine to ambiance and atmosphere. The restaurant specializes in New England cuisine with Japanese, Spanish, Latin and Mediterranean influences. The Nautilus is located at 12 Cambridge St., Nantucket. More restaurant stories