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CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Live updates: Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial continues with more ‘Mia' testimony
Update: Date: 10 min ago Title: Combs' former assistant describes "tiptoeing" around the rapper Content: Mia testified that she emailed Sean 'Diddy' Combs a few times asking him to tell her what to do after he threatened her job if she didn't leave South Africa, where she had been with Cassie Ventura while Ventura shot a movie. The fees to change her flight were expensive, she said, so she emailed him that she couldn't afford it herself. She paid for her flights to South Africa with her own money, she wrote in the email. 'I need to make sure I'm following your instructions correctly,' she wrote and also told him that Ventura was upset and didn't want her to leave early. Combs, who didn't respond to the emails, had directed Mia to go with Ventura to South Africa, she testified. She told Combs that she loved him more than once in the email. 'I want to stay with Cass, but I don't want to make him mad,' Mia testified. 'I'm tiptoeing: That's the way I would survive, so I didn't make him more mad or make him think that I thought what he was doing was wrong.' 'It didn't it matter what I wanted or what anyone else wanted, it matters what he wants and he was in charge,' Mia said. Update: Date: 14 min ago Title: Jury sees messages of Combs threatening to "tell everything" Content: The jury saw messages between Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Mia, one of his former assistants, on October 31, 2015, when she was still in South Africa with Cassie Ventura. 'If you dont call me now f**k it all. And imma tell everything. And dont ever speak me again. You have 2 min. F**k her. Call my [house] now or never speak to me again. F**k abc and all lawyers. Let's go to war,' Combs wrote in the message. Mia testified today that Combs was threatening to tell Ventura about the sexual assaults but with a different framing 'as though it was my fault or that I was, or that I had a part in it.' Mia said ABC had recently purchased the rights to a comedy show she had written. She said it was 'the most exciting thing that's ever happened in my life, and he's threatening to take that away.' In the messages, Mia responded saying Ventura was busy and asking Combs to give her more time. 'I'm begging you,' she said in the messages. 'She just texted you - she said she just needs the time to change please just be nice on the phone please,' she wrote. Combs then sent a series of more than 10 messages telling her to call him before sending a message saying, in part, 'I've come to the conclusion that it's best that we no longer have any dealings.' Update: Date: 11 min ago Title: Combs' former assistant got threatening texts and calls for days as Diddy tried to get to Ventura Content: The jury saw a series of messages between Mia and Sean 'Diddy' Combs' chief of staff Kristina Khorram about Combs angrily demanding to speak to Mia so he could get to Cassie Ventura. Khorram repeatedly texted and called Mia in the overnight hours while Mia and Ventura were asleep. Mia eventually answered Khorram on October 26, 2015, after she said she spoke to Combs on the phone. 'He doesn't sound in the right mind at the moment. Any reasoning should be in the a.m. your time,' Mia wrote. Mia testified when she spoke to Combs before sending that message, Combs was 'Irate, forgetting what he was talking about, slurring quite a bit, saying irrational things.' Mia said Combs was 'threatening my job, threatened to kill me, lots of threats, telling me he was on the phone with HR even though I knew that wasn't true.' The repeated calls and texts through Khorram, who was being pressured by Combs, continued for days. Update: Date: 15 min ago Title: Diddy taking Suge's advice and testifying 'is a risky proposition,' legal analyst says Content: Marion 'Suge' Knight, an imprisoned rap icon, who for decades had a relationship filled with animosity toward Sean 'Diddy' Combs, proposed that his nemesis take the stand in his own federal trial to 'humanize' him, he told CNN's Laura Coates in a brief phone interview. And while the practice could do just that, 'it's a risky proposition,' Joey Jackson, CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney told CNN's Kate Bolduan, adding Combs would 'have a lot of explaining to do.' Jackson points out that while the testimony coming out of Combs' trial has been graphic and telling of his alleged behavior, the jury needs to hear more in order to stand up the racketeering charges against the music mogul, since that is what he is being charged with. 'When you put a defendant on the stand, it just becomes about him,' Jackson said. 'The defense could make an argument saying, 'This guy's a horrible guy, but is he a racketeer? Was he engaged in a continuous course of conduct that makes him a criminal of an underboss? So that's going to be the problem, and that's why you may want to keep him off.' Lisa Bonner, an attorney and former litigator, said Combs taking the stand is 'the most ridiculous thing that he can do.' 'It's just not a good idea. There's nothing good that can come of that,' Bonner told CNN, adding that 'the cross-examination would be brutal.' Remember: Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that include racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to life in prison. Update: Date: 40 min ago Title: Combs' former assistant describes the moment she says Ventura learned Combs was cheating on her Content: Mia testified that Sean 'Diddy' Combs told her to go to South Africa with Cassie Ventura in October 2015 while Ventura was shooting a movie. While they were there, Ventura found out Combs was cheating on her when she saw a video of him with another woman, Mia said. 'She was devastated,' Mia testified. 'They were on the phone, and then at one point, she didn't want to speak with him so she stopped answering his calls,' she said. Mia testified that Combs tried to get her, another one of his employee, Kristina Khorram, and others to reach out to Ventura to get her on the phone. 'I was put in the middle,' she said. Update: Date: 35 min ago Title: Former employee says she was "desperate" to keep a best friend dynamic with Combs Content: Assistant US Attorney Madison Smyser asked the former assistant testifying in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal criminal trial why she would write 'love you' in text messages to the music mogul, even after being sexually assaulted by him. 'Because it's just how we talked to each other. When the dynamic would shift to the best friend dynamic, you're just desperate to keep it there because you're safe,' Mia testified. Update: Date: 53 min ago Title: Combs' former assistant is back on the stand Content: Mia, a former assistant to Sean 'Diddy' Combs who is using a pseudonym during this trial, is back on the stand. The jury is entering now. Update: Date: 59 min ago Title: Prosecutors want to show the jury charts of hotel and flight records Content: Prosecutors and defense attorneys are still discussing evidentiary issues before the jury is brought in for the day. This includes summary charts that prosecutors want to use later at trial to show the jury hotel and flight records related to the case. Update: Date: 1 hr 17 min ago Title: Judge discusses how he can help Combs' lawyers get more time with their client Content: Judge Arun Subramanian is on the bench, and he's working through some issues with the lawyers before the jury is brought in. He is discussing how he can get Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers more time with him to prepare outside of trial hours. Defense attorneys have previously raised concerns that their team doesn't have enough time to discuss the trial with Combs given restrictions at the Metropolitan Detention Center. Update: Date: 58 min ago Title: Anonymous "Diddy" employee will resume testimony this morning Content: A former employee of Sean 'Diddy' Combs is set to resume testimony this morning in his sex-trafficking trial. Prosecutors called a witness identified as 'Mia,' a pseudonym being used in court to protect her identity, to the stand yesterday at the federal criminal trial. Mia, a former assistant for Combs, described what she called a 'chaotic' and 'toxic' work environment, testifying that Combs committed acts of violence and sexual assault against her. If you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, there are resources available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Prosecutors called a witness identified as 'Mia,' a pseudonym being used in court to protect her identity, to the stand Thursday at the federal criminal trial for Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Mia, a former assistant for Sean 'Diddy' Combs, described what she called a 'chaotic' and 'toxic' work environment, testifying that Combs committed acts of violence and sexual assault against her. If you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, there are resources available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Update: Date: 1 hr 25 min ago Title: Suge Knight says Combs should take the stand to "humanize" himself Content: Imprisoned former rap mogul Marion 'Suge' Knight, who for decades shared an acrimonious relationship with Sean 'Diddy' Combs, said his longtime archrival should take the stand in his trial. Speaking to CNN's Laura Coates from prison, where he's serving a 28-year sentence for a deadly hit-and-run in 2015, Knight said he believed Combs should 'humanize' himself. 'I feel if he do tell his truth, he really would walk,' Knight said. 'If Puffy goes up there and says, 'Hey … I did all the drugs, I wasn't in control of my life at the time, or myself' – he can humanize his old self and the jury might give him a shot.' 'But if they keep him sitting down, it's like he's scared to face the music,' Knight added. 'He should just have his faith in God, put up his pants and go up there and tell his truth.' Some insight: Benjamin Chew, the co-lead counsel for actor Johnny Depp in his defamation trial, told CNN this week that the standard wisdom is for defendants not to testify – but added it may benefit Combs to defend himself and express remorse over the allegations that have been brought up during the prosecution's case. Knight has resurfaced in headlines in recent weeks during Combs' trial, as several former staffers employed by Combs mentioned the men's rivalry. One of Combs' former personal assistants, Capricorn Clark, said Combs once brought her to Central Park at night and brought up her former employment with Death Row Records. 'He told me that he didn't know that I had anything to do with Suge Knight, and if anything happened, he would have to kill me,' Clark said. David James, another former assistant, recalled an instance when he and Combs' security guard ran into Knight at a diner. When Combs heard about it, he ordered James to drive them back to the diner, bringing three handguns with him – but Knight had left by the time they arrived, James testified. Update: Date: 1 hr 52 min ago Title: Here's what happened yesterday in court Content: A former employee of Sean 'Diddy' Combs took center stage in his federal criminal trial yesterday and testified that he physically and sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions during the time she worked for him. The employee, who is testifying under the pseudonym 'Mia,' is expected to return to the stand today to end the third week of testimony. The prosecution has said their case should last about five weeks. Here's what we learned in testimony Thursday: Ex-assistant describes alleged sexual assaults by Combs A 'toxic' workplace Ex-employee says she thought Combs was going to 'kill' Ventura Stylist says he 'always' had concerns for Ventura's safety
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
VAR-style cameras let shoplifters watch themselves steal
Retailers across the UK are deploying 'VAR-style' cameras at self-service tills in a bid to combat a record-breaking surge in shoplifting. Borrowing from football's Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, the technology records checkout activity in real time and replays moments where an item may have been missed, scanned incorrectly, or bypassed altogether. The goal: to make would-be shoplifters confront their actions in the moment — often literally watching themselves steal. Tesco and Sainsbury's are among the first major UK supermarkets to trial this technology, citing its potential to reduce theft and improve scanning accuracy. How VAR-style tech works at the checkout At the heart of the system is a small, AI-enhanced camera mounted above the self-checkout area. As customers scan and bag their items, the camera uses computer vision to track the movement of each product. If it detects that an item has been placed in the bagging area without being properly scanned — whether by accident or intent — the system automatically triggers a short on-screen video replay of the event. This is how shoppers 'see themselves stealing': the footage shows their own hands skipping a scan or misaligning a barcode, replayed just seconds after it happens. An on-screen message such as 'Looks like that last item didn't scan' accompanies the footage, nudging the customer to review their transaction. Even small items like packets of herbs or batteries have triggered the alert, underscoring the system's precision. Unlike traditional CCTV, which is reviewed after the fact, these systems are interactive and real-time — designed not just to observe but to influence customer behavior at the point of sale. Retail analysts note that the psychological effect of seeing oneself caught in the act, even in a replay, can be a powerful deterrent — especially when it's framed as a gentle correction rather than an accusation. Shoplifting on the rise: the retail response According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), police in England and Wales logged over 516,000 shoplifting offences in 2024 — a 20% year-on-year increase and the highest level since modern records began in 2003. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) warns that theft, along with associated abuse toward staff, has reached crisis levels. While major retailers collectively report tens of millions of incidents annually, many go unreported due to limited police response. The BRC estimates shoplifting now costs UK retailers more than £2.2 billion per year — including the expense of added security. In this climate, the rollout of VAR-style surveillance reflects a shift in strategy. Rather than relying on reactive measures like locked display cases or random staff checks, retailers are turning to proactive, tech-driven systems that engage directly with customers during checkout. Balancing security and experience Tesco and Sainsbury's both confirmed that the VAR-style systems are part of broader efforts to improve checkout accuracy while maintaining a smooth experience for honest shoppers. A Sainsbury's spokesperson said decisions about security technology take into account customer convenience as well as loss prevention. Tesco echoed that view, stating the system helps customers 'spot when something hasn't scanned properly.' Though official performance data is not yet available, early feedback suggests the technology is helping to curb both accidental and intentional theft. Retail experts believe its wider adoption could ultimately reduce the need for more disruptive security measures, such as locked cabinets for everyday items. As the industry continues to grapple with rising retail crime, VAR-style cameras offer a novel — and often jarring — way to hold people accountable. While privacy concerns may arise, many retailers argue that the ability to show someone exactly what they just did, in real time, is a practical and proportionate response to a growing problem. "VAR-style cameras let shoplifters watch themselves steal" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
SoundHound vs. Veritone: Which AI Voice Stock Is the Better Buy Now?
As the artificial intelligence (AI) sector continues to expand, investors are closely monitoring companies specializing in voice AI technologies. Two notable players in this space are SoundHound AI Inc. SOUN and Veritone Inc. VERI. While both companies are relatively small players in the broader artificial intelligence market, they operate at the intersection of voice interfaces, generative AI, and enterprise AI applications—an area increasingly gaining investor attention. Given the recent advancements in multimodal AI and speech-driven automation, these companies could be positioned to benefit from the growing demand for voice-enabled technologies across industries like automotive, media, customer service, and public dive deep and closely compare the fundamentals of the two stocks to determine which one is a better investment now. SoundHound AI has emerged as a high-growth contender in voice AI. The company's focus on conversational AI platforms is yielding explosive revenue gains. In first-quarter 2025, SoundHound's revenue jumped 151% year over year to $29.1 million – a record quarter. This growth has been fueled by new partnerships and acquisitions that expanded SoundHound's reach across industries. The company's voice AI is now used in settings ranging from fast-food ordering (e.g., drive-thrus at White Castle and Applebee's) to automotive voice assistants, thanks to enterprise deals and its Houndify recent acquisitions – including restaurant voice ordering provider SYNQ3, online ordering platform Allset, and AI dialogue firm Amelia – have rapidly increased its scale and customer base. Notably, the Amelia acquisition alone is expected to add $45 million in recurring revenue in 2025, prompting SoundHound to forecast over $150 million in combined revenue for 2025 (nearly double its 2024 sales).This strong top-line momentum, coupled with a diversified client roster (no single customer made up more than 10% of first-quarter 2025 revenues), underscores SoundHound's opportunities as voice AI adoption financial position is another strength. After going public via SPAC in 2022, the company has shored up its balance sheet. As of first-quarter 2025-end, SoundHound held $246 million in cash with no debt, giving it a healthy runway to fund growth and R& said, SoundHound is not without challenges. The company remains unprofitable, and its growth comes at the cost of heavy investments. In the first quarter, SoundHound posted an adjusted loss of 6 cents per share. Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $22.2 million, widening from a loss of $15.4 million, reflecting continued investment in growth and R&D. Another concern is stiff competition in voice AI. Companies like Amazon AMZN for Alexa, Alphabet GOOGL for Assistant, Apple AAPL for Siri, and others all invest heavily in voice AI, which could pressure an independent player. However, SoundHound tries to differentiate itself as an independent platform that clients can use without ceding control to Big Tech. Veritone presents a very different story in the AI voice arena, one of a smaller, value-oriented play undergoing a turnaround. Veritone is an enterprise AI software provider whose offerings include Veritone Voice (a synthetic voice generation service) and the aiWARE platform for AI workflow orchestration. Unlike SoundHound's pure-play voice assistant focus, Veritone's business spans multiple AI applications (media analytics, advertising, energy grid optimization, and government intelligence), with voice AI being one notable late 2024, Veritone took a major strategic step by divesting its media services division (Veritone One, an advertising agency) for up to $104 million. This move provided an influx of cash ($59.1 million received upfront) and allowed Veritone to focus squarely on its software products and services. Post-divestiture, Veritone's revenue base is smaller but more recurring. In first-quarter 2025, the company reported $22.5 million in revenue (down 7% year over year), which came entirely from its AI Software and related services now that the media arm is sold. Crucially, Veritone has built up a stable SaaS customer base, with Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of $58.7 million in the quarter, spread across 3,156 software customers. Approximately 81% of this ARR comes from subscription customers (as opposed to usage-based or one-time fees), giving Veritone a solid foundation of predictable software revenue. High gross margins reflect this software focus. The first-quarter gross margin was about 61.1% GAAP (65.1% non-GAAP), well above SoundHound's margin, indicating a potentially profitable core if scale can be is positioning itself for a potential rebound by deepening its focus on vertical-specific AI solutions and expanding its product offerings. A key growth driver is the Veritone Data Refinery or VDR, which has shown strong early traction with a growing pipeline, indicating rising enterprise interest. The company is also making strategic inroads into the public sector, leveraging existing deployments and government certifications to win high-value contracts, such as a recent deal with a California Sheriff's Office. Its AI voice technology continues to find unique applications, including a partnership with Stats Perform for sports commentary. With new bookings up 22% year over year in the first quarter and expectations for an 18% annual increase at the midpoint in 2025, Veritone appears to be on a path toward these positives, Veritone faces significant challenges. Firstly, the company's recent financial performance has been weak. Even excluding the divested segment, core revenue has been flat or declining. First-quarter's 7% revenue drop was attributed to lower AI software usage by some major customers (including Amazon) and FX/headwinds in Europe. Veritone's reliance on a few big customers for its AI services means growth is not yet robust or diversified. Improving the 'consumption' part of its SaaS (usage-based revenue) will be key to reigniting growth. Again, Veritone remains unprofitable and carries a heavy debt load. As of March 2025, the company's cash balance was just $16 million, which is overshadowed by its debt obligations. Veritone has roughly $90 million in convertible notes and over $28 million in term loans outstanding. This leverage is high relative to the company's market cap and cash flows, introducing refinancing and liquidity risk. Both SoundHound and Veritone are currently undergoing business transitions while contending with investor skepticism, as reflected in their sharp year-to-date (YTD) stock declines. SoundHound is down 43.9% so far this year, while Veritone has dropped 47.6% in the same time frame. However, their short-term trajectories diverge: SoundHound has bounced back 17.5% in the past month, while Veritone fell another 15.7% over the same period. This recent uptick for SOUN stock suggests improving sentiment as investors digest the company's growth story. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research After its staggering 836% run in 2024, SoundHound's valuation became quite rich. The stock trades around a 24.56X forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) ratio – a steep multiple for a firm still posting losses, reflecting the market's optimism for future growth. The good news is that the company expects to double revenues in 2025 (guiding for $157–$177 million, roughly 2x 2024 sales), so rapid growth could help boost this valuation over is trading at 0.68X, much lower than the SOUN stock. VERI also currently has a Value Score of D. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Although analysts have remained muted for SOUN's earnings potential over the past 60 days, they are growing increasingly bearish for VERI's prospects. Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for VERI's 2025 loss per share has widened, as you can see contrast in growth rates is notable — for 2025, the analysts expect Veritone's revenues to decline 0.7% to $106.3 million, whereas SoundHound is aiming to roughly double its revenue this year to $162.8 million (up 92.2%). This slower revenue growth trajectory, coupled with ongoing losses, makes investors cautious in the short term for VERI stock. For SOUN Stock Image Source: Zacks Investment Research For VERI Stock Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Although both stocks currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), the fundamental question lies in which stock offers better upside potential at this moment. Both SoundHound and Veritone stocks are down YTD. The former rebounded in the past month and the latter has continued to slide. The difference lies in their forward trajectories. SoundHound offers a compelling growth story - its revenues are skyrocketing, and it boasts a solid balance sheet with ample cash and zero debt to fund expansion. While its stock isn't cheap and volatility will persist, SoundHound's expanding partnerships and aggressive execution give it an edge in the race to monetize AI voice technology. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks contrast, Veritone is essentially in rebuild mode – it's smaller, saddled with debt, and trying to re-accelerate growth after a strategic reset. Veritone's focus on enterprise and government AI solutions could pay off over time, and its low valuation means any good news might ignite the stock. However, the company's fundamentals (declining revenue and ongoing losses) suggest that a sustained turnaround could take time, and there is considerable risk if it cannot achieve profitability before its cash runs closely examining both companies, SoundHound appears to have better upside potential at this moment. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Veritone, Inc. (VERI) : Free Stock Analysis Report SoundHound AI, Inc. (SOUN) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elastic Acquires AIOps Company Keep for Workflow Automation
On Thursday, Elastic (NYSE:ESTC) announced the completion of its acquisition of Keep Alerting Ltd. Keep is an open-source AIOps company that specializes in unifying alerts and automating incident remediation to improve operational efficiency and service reliability for users. A group of software engineers working in an open, futuristic office. This acquisition aims to integrate Keep's AIOps and workflow automation capabilities with Elastic's existing AI/ML and AI Assistant solutions. Ken Exner, Chief Product Officer at Elastic, stated that this merger will enable the delivery of AI-powered workflow automation across Elastic's Observability, Security, and Search solutions. From a financial and market perspective, this acquisition will strengthen Elastic's AI capabilities and increase its market share in the AI-driven observability and security sectors. Elastic (NYSE:ESTC) is a search AI company. It provides its Search AI Platform to thousands of companies, which include over 50% of the Fortune 500. While we acknowledge the potential of ESTC to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ESTC and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elastic Acquires AIOps Company Keep for Workflow Automation
On Thursday, Elastic (NYSE:ESTC) announced the completion of its acquisition of Keep Alerting Ltd. Keep is an open-source AIOps company that specializes in unifying alerts and automating incident remediation to improve operational efficiency and service reliability for users. A group of software engineers working in an open, futuristic office. This acquisition aims to integrate Keep's AIOps and workflow automation capabilities with Elastic's existing AI/ML and AI Assistant solutions. Ken Exner, Chief Product Officer at Elastic, stated that this merger will enable the delivery of AI-powered workflow automation across Elastic's Observability, Security, and Search solutions. From a financial and market perspective, this acquisition will strengthen Elastic's AI capabilities and increase its market share in the AI-driven observability and security sectors. Elastic (NYSE:ESTC) is a search AI company. It provides its Search AI Platform to thousands of companies, which include over 50% of the Fortune 500. While we acknowledge the potential of ESTC to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ESTC and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
