Computers Can Now Bluff Like a Poker Champ. Better, Actually….
July 11, 2019
A new artificial intelligence program is so advanced at a key human skill—deception— that it wiped out five human poker players with one lousy hand. A super-powered computer performed trillions of calculations to hone an elusive skill: bluffing. Then it proceeded to wipe out five human poker champions with one lousy hand. “It [felt] very hopeless. You don’t feel like there’s anything you can do to win,” said Jason Les, who’s played poker professionally for 15 years, and fell repeatedly to the poker bot’s bluffs.
Researchers at Facebook Inc. and Carnegie Mellon University have built the most effective non-human bluffer to date. The bot, called Pluribus, is a leap forward in the capabilities of artificial intelligence—and also a cunning player of Texas Hold ’em.
Google admits partners leaked more than 1,000 private conversations with Google Assistant…
July 11, 2019
Google on Wednesday admitted that partners who work to analyze voice snippets from the Google Assistant leaked more than 1,000 private conversations to a Belgian news outlet. Google said language experts only examine a small fraction of responses, but they're supposed to be anonymous. The Belgian news site VRT was able to identify the people in the voice clips, however.
Rattlesnake, uranium, whiskey found during traffic stop…
July 11, 2019
The traffic stop happened June 26 in Guthrie, about 30 miles (45 kilometers) north of Oklahoma City. Guthrie police Sgt. Anthony Gibbs told Oklahoma City TV station KFOR that police don’t know why the uranium was in the vehicle or how it was obtained, though uranium ore can be bought on Amazon.
Gibbs says police also found a gun in the console and a terrarium in the backseat containing a pet Timber rattlesnake.
Gibbs says the driver, Stephen Jennings, was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, transporting an open container of liquor and driving with a suspended license.
Twitter is back up after global outage…
July 11, 2019
Twitter suffered a complete outage for approximately an hour Thursday afternoon. The social media platform is now up but isn't entirely functional for everyone. Earlier, Twitter users trying to log on to the social network saw a message saying "Something is technically wrong." The company confirmed the service was down and found the culprit to be "an internal configuration change"...
Nxivm honcho Lauren Salzman will remain under house arrest…
July 11, 2019
At least she doesn’t have to stay in the sex dungeon.
Florida is selling drivers’ personal information to private companies and marketing firms…
July 11, 2019
Records show the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV) made $77 million in 2017 by selling drivers' personal information to more than 30 private companies, including marketing firms, bill collectors, insurance companies and data brokers... While the FHSMV sells driver data to private companies, those companies are not permitted to use that data for marketing purposes. Once FHSMV officials were alerted to Baston's case, the state opened an investigation... Florida says it has banned data sales to three companies since 2017 for misusing driver and ID cardholder information. Under the law, FHSMV must provide driver information but said federal privacy laws and its own rules limit how outside companies can access Florida residents' personal information.
Today’s Mix – Repossession
July 11, 2019
President Trump Delivers Remarks at the Presidential Social Media Summit
July 11, 2019
Tropical Storm Barry formed Thursday morning in the northern Gulf of Mexico may become a hurricane before landfall this weekend…
July 11, 2019
Storm surge and tropical storm warnings, and hurricane watches have been issued. A major threat of rainfall flooding is in play over the northern Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley. Storm-surge flooding is also likely, particularly to the east of Barry's track.
Angela Merkel sits for military honours after being seen shaking three times…
July 11, 2019
Rare fossil in a fossil reveals surprising last meal…
July 11, 2019
In Hinduism’s Vedic mythos, the deity Indra does battle with a dragon that swallows Indra whole. Now, scientists have found a strikingly similar tale captured in the fossil record: a newly recognized species of lizard that met its end in the belly of a glimmering dinosaur.
Named Indrasaurus wangi as a nod to the mythical encounter, the unfortunate reptile was found within the abdomen of a feathered dinosaur known as Microraptor. The fossil of this four-winged dinosaur was itself unearthed from the 130-million-year-old Jehol biota, a treasure trove of Cretaceous-period fossils in what’s now northeastern China.
Court Rules President Trump Can Defund Planned Parenthood, Will Cut Almost $60 Million in Taxpayer Funding…
July 11, 2019
A federal appeals court today ruled President Donald Trump can partially defund planned Parenthood while the abortion business’ lawsuit against his administration’s new rules moves forward... The full Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals then blocked the defunding while considering the case further. Today, the entire appeals court upheld defunding in a 7-4 decision with Republican-appointed judges upholding defended and Democrat judges forcing Americans to fund the abortion business.
Trump to sign executive order on collection of citizenship information…
July 11, 2019
A new high for the Dow as blue-chip index closes within inches of 27,000…
July 11, 2019
Dow 27,000! Well, almost 27,000: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record high Wednesday of 26,966, up 179 points in a shortened trading day ahead of the July 4 holiday. The S&P 500 stock index closed at a new high for the third straight day. The most popular investors' proxy for the U.S. stock market is now just 5 points shy of the 3,000 mark.
Trump Delivers Remarks on Citizenship and the Census
July 11, 2019
NY judge OKs Harvey Weinstein defense team recasting…
July 11, 2019
Lawyer Jose Baez, who's known for representing high-profile clients such as Casey Anthony, asked for permission to leave Weinstein's sexual assault case. The judge asked Weinstein if that was OK with him. Weinstein replied, "Yes" and the court gave the green light.
Weinstein, who ignored journalists' questions outside the Manhattan courtroom, is adding two new lawyers, Donna Rotunno and Damon Cheronis, both of Chicago. The lawyers have promised the judge that they won't seek to postpone the trial from its scheduled Sept. 9 start.
Cory Booker’s Brother Got Top N.J. Education Job After Poor Tenure Leading Charter School…
July 11, 2019
Cary Booker, older brother of senator and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker (D., N.J.), landed a top education job in the New Jersey governor’s administration in June despite an abysmal record leading a charter school in Tennessee, according to reporting by NJ Advance Media. Cary Booker in 2010 co-founded Omni Prep Academy, a charter school in Memphis. After years of financial woes, operational failings, and substandard educational performance by students, the school was ordered to close in 2016.
WATCH: Social media video shows girl licking tongue depressor, putting it back in canister at Florida doctor’s office…
Florida mom now charged with felony...
July 11, 2019
New York police let Jeffrey Epstein skip court-ordered check-ins for 8 years…
July 11, 2019
Epstein missed 34 check-ins before his arrest Saturday on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy, according to the New York Post. As a Level 3 sex offender, Epstein was required to check in with NYPD to confirm the address of his $77 million New York house or risk violating the state's 1996 Sex Offender Registration Act... Police officials and state prosecutors give conflicting reasons why Epstein was allowed to evade the law, which could have been used as grounds to arrest the 66-year-old hedge fund manager...
GOP legislators (140) voted for a bill drafted by business groups and Democrats which provides a green card giveaway to 300,000 Indian contract workers and dramatically increases the incentives for more Indian graduates to take college graduate jobs in the United States…
July 11, 2019
The 365- to-65 vote means the bill moves to the Senate, where GOP Senators are pushing a matching giveaway bill which is backed by Democrat Senator and presidential hopeful, Sen. Kamala Harris. Only 57 of 197 GOP legislators — and only eight Democrats — present voted against the giveaway... The bill also helps U.S. real-estate investors by extending the green-card giveaway to the Chinese leaders who use the EB-5 program to buy green cards for their families.