Latest news with #AlexanderHall
Fox News
29-04-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Zuckerberg slams 'sensationalist' media coverage, says users should make own choices on social media
Print Close By Alexander Hall Published April 28, 2025 Facebook and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg knocked critics and the media, arguing that people online have enough autonomy to decide for themselves what to believe. Meta announced in January that it would be ending its controversial fact-checking practices and lifting restrictions on speech to "restore free expression" across Facebook, Instagram and its platforms, admitting its current content moderation practices have "gone too far." The decision met swift backlash from groups who argue that social media needs a robust fact-checking and content moderation system to prevent misinformation or extreme ideology from going viral. Zuckerberg has faced critics who argue social media use is inherently harmful, criticizing "sensationalist" media coverage of social media's impact during his appearance on Theo Von's "This Past Weekend" podcast. "There's a version of history that says that individual people are very powerful and have a lot of kind of autonomy and ability to kind of go in the direction that they think is right," Zuckerberg said. "And then there's like all these other narratives where people try to kind of diminish peoples' autonomy and authority." INTERNET ROASTS NYT HEADLINE ABOUT FACT-CHECKERS RULING META CRITICISM OF FACT CHECKS 'FALSE:' 'BEYOND PARODY' The Facebook founder suggested that if anybody is guilty of a misunderstanding, it is the media itself. "I'm just like, I've always been a person who really kind of believes that people understand—people are smarter than people think, and I think in general are able to make good decisions for their lives, and when they do things that like the media or whatever thinks don't make sense; it's generally because the media doesn't understand their life, not because the people are stupid," he said. Zuckerberg added, "If people are saying something that seems wrong, it's not usually misinformation, it's usually that you don't understand what's going on in that person's life, and I just think that there's like a certain kind of paternalism in some of the like mainstream narratives and some of the media narratives" The Meta CEO did note there has been some change in the information landscape however, as "maybe some of those cultural or media elite people like are having a harder time predicting what's gonna happen in the world. Maybe there's a little more humility of like 'Maybe we don't understand all this." CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Zuckerberg argued the best predictive metric to assess a system is whether people find it to be useful. "If you're building something that is useful for them, then they will use it," he said, suggesting they will abandon it if other, better options become available. The danger, Zuckerberg said, is when people's choices are made for them. "Whenever we adopt the attitude of, 'Oh, we must know better than them because we're the ones building technology,' that's when you lose," he said. "If you have that attitude for long enough then you just, like, become a sh---y company, and you lose, and you lose, and you lose, and then you're irrelevant. Zuckerberg reiterated his belief that people are smart enough to make their own choices and "ultimately drive the direction that society goes in." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Print Close URL
Fox News
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Irish band feud with Sharon Osbourne, deny anti-Israel speech is ‘aggressive'
Print Close By Alexander Hall Published April 25, 2025 Irish hip-hop group Kneecap doubled down on its criticism of Israel after being called out by TV personality Sharon Osbourne. Irish hip-hop group Kneecap made calls to "free Palestine" and "F--- Israel" during a set last Friday at the Coachella music festival. They also made references to genocide and condemned the U.S. military for its support of Israel, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Kneecap also claimed last week that they were censored after pushing anti-Margaret Thatcher chants and other anti-Israel sentiments during their first show, which was reportedly cut off before their set ended. They proceeded to double down on the same type of political rhetoric. GREEN DAY CALLS VICE PRESIDENT VANCE SLUR IN REWORK OF BAND'S 2000s-ERA SONG Osbourne, the wife of rock star Ozzy Osbourne, condemned the band and the festival that platformed them in a lengthy social media post. "Kneecap, an Irish rap group, took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements," she said in part of a longer post on X. "Their actions included projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech, and this band openly support terrorist organizations. This behavior raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such a festival and further shows they are booked to play in the USA." She concluded her lengthy post by declaring, "I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap's work visa." When BBC News NI reached out to the band about Osbourne's statements, Kneecap replied, "Statements aren't aggressive, murdering 20,000 children is though." BERNIE SANDERS TAKES COACHELLA STAGE TO RAIL AGAINST TRUMP, 'BILLIONAIRE CLASS' AT HIGH-DOLLAR MUSIC FESTIVAL CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Kneecap's manager, Daniel Lambert, spoke to Irish broadcaster RTÉ about the controversy as well, arguing, "If somebody is hurt by the truth, that's something for them to be hurt by, but it's really important to speak truth. Thankfully the lads are not afraid to do that." Lambert also claimed that the band has received death threats after the Coachella performance, but said they are "too severe to get into." Fox News Digital reached out to the management of Kneecap, Coachella, and Coachella festival organizer Goldenvoice and did not receive immediate reply. Print Close URL
Fox News
22-04-2025
- General
- Fox News
Priest says US Catholic community 'busy, in a good way' as stats show massive wave of young adults converting
Print Close By Alexander Hall Published April 21, 2025 There is a spike in converts to the Roman Catholic Church as young adults reportedly seek "moral order" after the pandemic years. While people may convert to the Catholic faith at any time of year, the Easter season is when many choose to do so. According to the National Catholic Register, "certain dioceses are reporting increases of 30%, 40%, 50% and even more than 70%" this year. One particular diocese in Fort Worth, Texas, has seen spikes in numbers, where the number of converts from "896 at Easter 2023 to 1,544 at Easter 2024, an increase of 72%." Father Will Straten, the pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Center at Texas A&M, argued to the National Catholic Register that many new converts are desperate for authenticity. "The students who aren't Catholic are hungry and are looking for something. People are just looking for something that's authentic and real. They're looking for something that's grounded and seems to make sense," he said. POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88, VATICAN SAYS The New York Post spoke to a priest and several new Catholics about the recent wave of conversions across the country, particularly among young adults. Father Raymond Maria La Grange of St. Vincent Ferrer in Manhattan, confirmed that at least three-quarters of his new converts are in their 20s or early 30s and that "it was really after [the pandemic] that the parish in general started to grow." "Some were Protestants, some were nonreligious, some were Catholics who never practiced the faith. Both men and women," he told The Post. "Some well-off, others living day to day. Some are intellectuals, some are mystics. Some got to know Catholics who brought them in, others came in on their own and hardly know any Catholics." "It is a fun time to be a priest. It's busy, in a good way," La Grange added. The priest argued that "the most common impetus" inspiring young adult converts to the Roman Catholic Church "is that they realize the world cannot provide them with any moral order, or reasons for living in any particular way. A culture of license has left them unmoored." WHY ARE COMEDIANS TRENDING TOWARD CATHOLICISM? ONE QUIRKY COMIC OFFERS A SURPRISING EXPLANATION One young woman in Manhattan, Sydney Johnston, told The Post about how she initially grew up in a nondenominational Christian household. After walking away from religion for a time, the pandemic hitting during her college years inspired her to rethink her life. When the lockdown ended, she began a two-year exploration across dozens of denominations to discern which she believed to be the true faith. "I had this question on my mind, like, do I feel God here? Does this feel like a holy place? And so I really paid attention to the aesthetic and spiritual aspects of the services," the young woman recalled. "And I ultimately just felt myself most drawn to the Catholic Mass." The rootedness in "ancient history," she said, is at the core of the Catholic Church's sense of authenticity. "There's just something so beautiful and transcendent about the rituals and the ancient history in the Catholic Mass that's been preserved," Johnston said. "The church really communicates a degree of reverence that I didn't find in the more liberal, laissez-faire approach of nondenominational churches." CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Taylor New, a 27-year-old Cincinnati native, said that once she saw a YouTuber's video about the history of Catholicism, there was no going back to her former evangelical faith. "I decided to watch it, not thinking much of it — but I joke that that video ruined my life in the best way, because that set me on my spiral of research," New told The Post. As much as it pained her to leave her previous faith community behind, she said that there is a gravitational pull that people like her are feeling thanks to resources on the internet. "A lot of young people are converting to the faith, and I think that's just because there's a wealth of things to search on the internet, and people are just on a search for truth which has them gravitating to the Catholic Church," she said. MARTIN SCORSESE SAYS HIS NEW FOX NATION SERIES 'THE SAINTS' WAS A STORY HE ALWAYS WANTED TO TELL Former atheists have felt the pull as well, thanks to the work of Catholic influencers online. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A 30-year-old software developer in Southern California named Adrian Lawson told The Post that he was initially raised as nondenominational and then became an atheist as a teenager. What inspired his conversion to Catholicism was watching a debate between a Catholic and Protestant YouTuber, after which the Protestant influencer converted to Catholicism. Despite the "very strong negative reaction" from his parents, Lawson started attending the Catholic mass in 2022 and proceeded to fully convert a year ago. "I had anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, but since I've started praying the rosary regularly, I haven't had any of those issues," he said. Print Close URL
BBC News
20-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Historic Dunkirk tugboat in Chatham desperately needs repairs
The owner of a steam tugboat which participated in the pivotal Dunkirk evacuation says the vessel is in "desperate need of repairs" as it is one of the last operational steam tugs in the Challenge played a key role in Operation Dynamo, where more than 338,000 British and French soldiers were evacuated from the French coast to the UK from 26 May to 4 June tug boat, which was built in1931 by Scottish shipbuilder Alexander Hall, is currently moored on the River Medway in Chatham, near the Sun Pire Bannister, owner of the vessel and founder of the Steam Boat Trust, said he needed £35,000 to restore it otherwise this "vital piece of history will be lost". Mr Bannister said he aimed to restore the boat and open it to the public for educational purposes. "The funds will go towards immediate and ongoing maintenance and repair work on the Challenge," Mr Bannister said."This vessel is living proof of the sacrifices troops made and it is a symbol of a resilience and determination shown by an entire generation."Currently, the Steam Boat Trust has raised nearly £2,000. 'Labour of love' Mr Bannister said he had owned the vessel for five years and had spent £200,000 of his own savings to repair and maintain it."It is a labour of love," he said, "I have always loved marine steam engines."Two weeks after I purchased the Challenge, it started to sink and I spent £25,000 to keep it afloat."Mr Bannister said the Challenge needed repairs for the condenser and vacuum pump, which are critical components that maintain the steam added he and a team of volunteers are also carrying out paint work and adding other key elements to prevent Bannister said the money would also go towards keeping the boat's generator running. "As the Challenge is moored mid-river, it relies on the generator to keep water, electricity and toilets running," he added. He said the vessel did not qualify for the Heritage Lottery Fund as it was not currently open to the public."It is not open to the public because it desperately needs major repairs," Mr Bannister explained."The Challenge has a really fascinating history. It still bears the scars of a VI flying bomb attack in 1944," he added.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scammers are getting smarter. Here are their most common tricks
Recent Federal Trade Commission data shows American consumers lost more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023 — the highest total ever recorded. And with fraudsters constantly switching their tactics and using AI to make their schemes more convincing, it'll only get harder for consumers to spot red flags. 'Scams vary in scale and process, but all result in the victim's participation in a fraudulent operation,' said Alexander Hall, a former fraudster and trust and safety architect at Sift. 'Typically, these operations are used to extract value in four forms: identity information, account information, payment information and authorized payments.' As technology advances, so do the tactics scammers use to exploit unsuspecting victims. Here are some of the most popular financial frauds to watch for. AI-driven impersonation. With AI-driven impersonation scams, fraudsters use artificial intelligence to create highly realistic fake audio or video messages to impersonate trusted individuals or organizations. 'These deepfake scams can convincingly mimic voices and appearances, deceiving victims into transferring money or divulging sensitive information,' said Pete Nicoletti, Check Point's global chief information security officer for the Americas. 'Plus, the sophistication of AI makes these scams increasingly difficult to detect.' Phishing emails and messages. A phishing scam is when cybercriminals send emails or messages that appear to be from legitimate sources, like banks or reputable companies, to make the recipients click on malicious links or provide personal information. 'These phishing attempts often create a sense of urgency so that they could pressure individuals to act quickly without verifying the authenticity of the request,' Nicoletti said. Investment and cryptocurrency scams. These scams are on the rise, with fraudsters taking advantage of people looking for quick and easy profits. According to the 2023 Cryptocurrency Fraud Report by the Internet Crime Complaint Center, losses from cryptocurrency-related investment fraud schemes reported to the complaint center rose from $2.57 billion in 2022 to $3.96 billion in 2023. With these types of scams, fraudsters will promise you high returns on investments, particularly in emerging markets like cryptocurrencies. 'They may use fake platforms or impersonate financial advisors to gain trust,' Nicoletti said. 'Once victims invest, the fraudsters disappear with the funds, leaving investors with significant losses.' Tech support scams. Tech support scams happen when fraudsters pretend to be technical support representatives from well-known companies, claiming that your device is compromised. 'They'll persuade you to grant remote access to your computer or to pay for unnecessary software or services, which could lead to serious financial loss and potential identity theft,' Nicoletti said. Romance scams. 'Romance scams have become the quintessential con, wherein a bad actor manipulates their target into establishing a digital relationship via phone calls, video calls, text messages and more,' Hall said. 'Once trust has been established, the bad actor claims to need money and coerces the victim to send funds.' According to the FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book, reported losses to romance scams totaled $1.14 billion in 2023, with the median losses per person being $2,000 — the highest reported losses for any form of imposter scam. So if you're an avid online dater, be extra careful of these types of deceptions. Jacob Kalvo, a cybersecurity expert and founder and CEO of Live Proxie, says there are a few giveaways that you might be dealing with a financial scam. If a message feels rushed, has slight inconsistencies or comes from a sketchy-looking email address, you'll want to proceed with caution. 'If it's a deepfake scam, you'll often notice subtle irregularities like lip-sync mismatch, unnatural pauses while speaking and weird facial movements. You can catch these by analyzing the video frame by frame,' he said. 'And even though AI is building grammatically perfect phishing emails, most still have very minor inconsistencies in tone, strange URL patterns or attachments demanding immediate downloads.' The most straightforward way to become less susceptible to online financial fraud is to think before you click. 'If you get an email or text claiming there's an urgent issue with your bank account, a package delivery, a prize you've won or a service you use, don't click on any links,' Nicoletti said. 'Instead, visit the official website directly by typing the address into your browser.' You'll also want to take concrete steps to protect your accounts. Start by creating strong and hard-to-guess passwords for every site. Yes, it's annoying to remember multiple passwords, but using the same one everywhere makes you an easy target. To make your life easier, Nicoletti suggests installing a password manager on your device to store your passwords securely. For added security, you'll also want to enable two-step verification on your important accounts. 'Just make sure your phone can receive text or email alerts for password changes,' Nicoletti said. And if you're asked to set up security questions when you create an account online, don't use obvious answers. Instead, Nicoletti recommends using unrelated answers to make it harder to guess. For example, if the question is "where were you born?" make the answer something like "green," so that fraudster will be less likely to guess it right since it doesn't make sense. Nicoletti also recommends taking the following steps to strengthen your online protection: Set up alerts on your accounts to notify you of changes Visit to see if your email or passwords have been leaked in a data breach Install antivirus software like ZoneAlarm and scan your devices routinely Use a VPN when browsing online to keep your connection private Change the default password on your home router and make sure your Wi-Fi uses a strong password Never provide sensitive information like Social Security numbers or banking details over email, text or social media messages Use fingerprint, PIN or facial recognition on your mobile devices Use incognito mode when browsing sensitive sites Enable pop-up blockers to prevent malicious ads from appearing Avoid storing passwords directly in your browser Falling victim to financial fraud can be extremely devastating because it undoes years of your hard work and savings in an instant. So, if you haven't already, take some time to go through the steps above to safeguard your finances. And remember: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
