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In battle over AI, Meta decides to give away its crown jewels

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:28:59 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — In February, Meta made an unusual move in the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence: It decided to give away its AI crown jewels.The Silicon Valley giant, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, had created an AI technology, called LLaMA, that can power online chatbots. But instead of keeping the technology to itself, Meta released the system’s underlying computer code into the wild. Academics, government researchers and others who gave their email address to Meta could download the code once the company had vetted the individual.Essentially, Meta was giving its AI technology away as open-source software — computer code that can be freely copied, modified and reused — providing outsiders with everything they needed to quickly build chatbots of their own.“The platform that will win will be the open one,” Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist, said in an interview.As a race to lead AI heats up across Silicon Valley, Meta is standing out fro...

Neighborhood group demands halt to new truck-heavy distribution centers in Jefferson County

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:28:59 GMT

Two years after an Arvada neighborhood rose up to stop retail giant Amazon from building a distribution center in its midst, another set of neighbors a mile away is hoping for a similar outcome in their battle to derail a proposed 512,000-square-foot warehouse complex.But success is far from assured for McIntyre Neighbors United, a group of 18 homeowner associations that calls for residents to stand “shoulder to shoulder” against the development at 5950 McIntyre St. The developer is different, the project is different and the local government jurisdiction is different.Whereas Amazon had to go to Arvada City Council with an ultimately unsuccessful request to rezone the land where it sought to build a 112,000-square-foot warehouse, along with a 1,500-space parking lot for its delivery vans, there is no need for such approval from the county on the McIntyre project.Even so, neighbors took to the steps of the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden this week to demand t...

Denver-based Frontier Airlines hits turbulence, ranked last amid rancor around flights

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:28:59 GMT

Denver-based Frontier Airlines has hit more turbulence for troubles that, despite relatively low fares, have shaken relations with travelers.A new analysis of the nation’s 10 major airlines ranked Frontier last, citing high rates of “bumping” passengers involuntarily off flights, customer complaints, and fees for bags and changed flights. This seventh-annual report found that all airlines deteriorated in their performance with overall complaints increasing in 2022 by 87%. But Frontier’s reported data from 2022 showed that company gate agents denied boarding for more than 6,000 passengers against their wishes, an average of more than 16 every day and roughly 1 out of every 3,752 travelers, according to the report by “The Points Guy,” a travel information website. And Frontier led also in the rate of complaints with 22.6 for every 100,000 travelers in 2022 — more than twice the number of complaints reported by Spirit, the second-to-last carrier in that ca...

Amtrak, Metrolink service cleared to resume after landslide

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:28:59 GMT

The train tracks through San Clemente are set to reopen Saturday, allowing rail service, like the Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink, to resume through the area after a landslide shut it down last month.The landslide, which halted service through the Los Angeles to San Diego rail corridor known as LOSSAN, occurred on April 27, when the slope behind San Clemente landmark, the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, began to collapse. California homes teetering on edge of hillside after collapse; residents evacuated Crews have finished the bulk of the emergency work to stabilize the hillside and clear debris from the path for trains, according to Orange County Transportation Authority.All Passenger rail service -- including the Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink -- has been cleared to resume by the agency, which oversees the stretch of track."The rail line is being reopened at the start of the Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start to summer and a popular time for travel by all mo...

Family mourns innocent taxi driver killed in wrong-way crash; woman arrested

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:28:59 GMT

One person died and three others were injured when a wrong-way driver crashed into another car in the northbound lanes of the 110 Freeway early Friday.The crash happened just before 3 a.m. near Exposition Boulevard in the downtown Los Angeles area and involved a taxi and a black Chevy Cruze, according to the California Highway Patrol. Investigators say the driver of the Chevy was going southbound in the northbound lanes when she crashed into the taxi, killing the cab driver. He was later identified as Ken Balayev, 71, of Calabasas.The crash scene on the 110 Freeway on May 26, 2023. (OnScene.TV)The driver of the Cruze, identified as 23-year-old Samantha Molina, and a female passenger were hospitalized with serious injuries. The passenger of the taxi suffered minor injuries. Molina was eventually arrested. The collision forced the closure of the northbound 110 for several hours. All lanes reopened around 6 a.m. CHP is investigating whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the cra...

Sean Manaea embraces new relief role for SF Giants: ‘I think I get it now’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:28:59 GMT

MILWAUKEE — While running through the highlights of his bullpen’s combined shutout of the Brewers on Thursday, Giants manager Gabe Kapler began with a name that wouldn’t have belonged in the conversation when the team broke camp at the end of March.Sean Manaea.“Obviously Manaea was big for us tonight,” Kapler began. “Manaea getting back on track is going to be a pretty important thing for our season this year.”Entering in the fifth inning with runners on first and second, Manaea was making only his third appearance out of the bullpen since being demoted from the starting rotation. Before this season, he had appeared in relief only three times in 159 career games over seven big-league seasons.But it’s possible that Manaea is settling into a new role. He faced four batters, retired them all and struck out three of them. It was his second straight scoreless appearance — both in relief — after allowing a run in his all of his first 10 outings si...

Opinion: California water proposal has dark, hidden currents

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:28:59 GMT

When’s the last time you thought about where your water comes from? If you aren’t steeped in water policy, it’s fair to assume you may not appreciate the complexities of managing our water systems. But what’s vital to know is that water is the essential building block to ensure prosperous, healthy communities.This resource ensures housing gets built, people can afford groceries and local businesses can offer good jobs. Legislation introduced in Sacramento creates uncertainty that threatens these underpinnings of our economy.As a former legislator, I trust that my former colleagues had the best intentions in putting these policies forward, but residents should be aware that these bills are far reaching and will create dramatic changes that increase costs.Three bills currently moving through the California Legislature – SB 389, AB 1337, and AB 460 – aim to provide the State Water Resources Control Board with new authorities to regulate water. On the surface, this may seem like a good ...

Henry Kissinger, History’s Bloodiest Social Climber

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:28:59 GMT

Henry Kissinger, former secretary of state, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Feb. 6, 2023.Photo: David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty ImagesIn 2002, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and his wife attended an elegant dinner party hosted by Barbara Walters. Other participants included Time editor Henry Grunwald, one-time ABC Chair Thomas Murphy, and Peter Jennings, then the anchor of ABC “World News Tonight.”At one point in the evening, as New York magazine recounted, Jennings addressed Kissinger and asked him, “How does it feel to be a war criminal, Henry?”Kissinger did not respond. However, Grunwald informed Jennings that this inquiry was “unsuitable.” Walters, who considered Kissinger “the most loyal friend,” later said, “I tried to change the subject, but it was a very uncomfortable moment. [Kissinger’s wife] Nancy reacted very strongly and hurt.” Most Read ...

Deaths and tragedy from 1973 Indy 500 opened the door for safety evolution in racing

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:28:59 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Johnny Rutherford and Gordon Johncock delivered spectacular results at the 1973 Indianapolis 500 that were overshadowed by perhaps the worst month in the history of the storied race.Rutherford won the pole with a record-breaking, four-lap average speed of 198.413 mph and Johncock wound up with the first of his two Indy wins, but it was a grim across the rest of Gasoline Alley.Art Pollard was killed in a pole day crash. David Savage died from injuries sustained in a terrifying race-day crash. In the chaos after Savage’s wreck, pit-sign board holder Armando Teran was fatally struck by a safety truck. And roughly a dozen spectators were burned when Salt Walther’s fuel tanks ruptured as his spinning car destroyed part of the catch fence.“I don’t know what the rest of the guys thought, but I thought, ‘Let’s just get this damn thing over, you know, this has not been good,’” Rutherford recalled. “That was the way the business was. You know,...

UK police free man involved in Downing Street collision — then arrest him on unrelated charge

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:28:59 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A man who was taken into custody after his car crashed into the gates of the British prime minister’s residence in central London was released in that case — but then immediately rearrested on charges of making indecent images of children, police said Saturday.The 43-year-old suspect was arrested for the unrelated offense shortly after he was released pending further investigation into the crash, the Metropolitan Police Service said in a statement. The collision Thursday afternoon outside the prime minister’s official residence and offices at 10 Downing St. set off an intense security response.Authorities later said the incident wasn’t believed to be terror-related. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and criminal damage.It wasn’t immediately clear whether the crash was deliberate. Video posted on social media showed a silver hatchback car heading straight for the gates at low speed across Whitehall, the main thoroughfare in London’s government d...