Latest news with #Blessing
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bengals' odds of receiving funding from Ohio for Paycor Stadium renovations has increased
The Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton County have been locked in negotiations on their lease involving Paycor Stadium. One of the more recent points in their negotiations has been the hopeful inclusion of funding from the state of Ohio after they initially proposed funding $600 million for the Cleveland Browns' brand-new stadium via bonds that would be paid back. That has since been called into question as it adds a ton of debt onto the state and the estimates for the Browns and Brook Park estimates were 'overly optimistic.' One thing that is for certain is there will be an added way of Ohio getting more tax money from legal gambling. It is just a matter of what it looks like. Dan Monk from WCPO recently wrote this on a promising new proposal, one that could actually mean that the Bengals are in better position to potentially get funding over the Browns: [Bill] Blessing introduced Senate Bill 199 on May 14 to propose a 2% fee on Ohio's sports betting handle, which is the total dollar value of all bets accepted by state-licensed sportsbooks. Ohio's handle was $8.9 billion last year, which means the fee could raise about $180 million per year, if approved. Blessing's proposal came one day after Sen. Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville, proposed the legalization of iGaming in Ohio in Senate Bill 197. It would allow online betting for casino games, including slot machines, poker and Blackjack, along with state lottery games and horse racing. Supporters claim it will raise up to $800 million in new taxes annually, money that could fund a reduction in state income tax or stadium projects. 'Just in talking with other members, there's a lot of skepticism over [Cleveland's financing plan],' Blessing said. 'They don't like the fact that it's bankrolled by state general revenue funds. I think that's probably one of the reasons why there's a mad dash to do iGaming as a potential alternative.' This could give us a better reason why the Bengals were so taken aback by Hamilton County hiring someone included in the Browns Stadium funding process. If they knew that support was waning for the Browns funding then hiring someone included in a possibly competitive process for funding could be problematic. In fact, the lawyer Hamilton County fired, Tom Gableman, actually had a hand in developing this proposal with Blessings. Essentially, the proposal deals out up to $200 million a year created by this two percent 'privilege fee' on each gambling transaction. The way that $200 is divided up would depend on several factors that favored the Bengals and Hamilton County after an agreement would be set up for a 10 to 20-year lease agreement. 'The way we structured it, there were ten factors to allocate funding,' Gabelman told Monk. 'The age of the stadium, capacity of the stadium, the public use of it, how many years are left in the term, or the new term. The amount of capital repairs put in by the local entity, by the team, and so on. Under those metrics, Paycor gets funded first.' This is still a proposal and is far from being set in stone, but it is a far easier pill for taxpayers to swallow than outright paying for the Browns to make a stadium from scratch outside of Cleveland and footing the entire bill upfront. This would still allow funding to go to the Browns, but it'd be much more of a supplemental payment than the original proposal. That ultimately fits the needs of the Bengals and Hamilton County much better. This all still depends on the two sides coming to an agreement before their deadline, which is less than a month away. Hamilton County's changing negotiators certainly put that process in more doubt than it appears they needed to. Hopefully, it still gets done, and the Bengals stay by the river for generations to come. More from NFL Week 14 injury report: 8 starters miss Bengals' Thursday practice Marvin Lewis a candidate to be Browns GM? Marvin Lewis reveals John Ross had been hiding a shoulder injury NFL Week 14 Bengals vs Bears: Behind enemy lines with Windy City Gridiron Bengals film room: Mistakes and injuries cause defense to fall apart vs Steelers Fantasy Football: Who to start and sit in NFL Week 14 Bengals Bytes (12/8): Getting over the Pittsburgh hangover
The Citizen
04-05-2025
- The Citizen
Heartbroken Ekurhuleni family demands justice after girl's death
What should have been a joyous Easter weekend filled with celebration and delight was marred by tragedy for a Dalview, Ekurhuleni, family. Faith Chifamba is mourning the loss of her 10-year-old daughter Blessing Onoh, who was struck by a car and killed on Good Friday, April 18. The 41-year-old single mother told the Brakpan Herald that Blessing and her two sisters, aged 12 and 17, were returning home that afternoon after shopping at the Mall@Carnival. Faith requested that the names of her other children not be disclosed. The siblings were crossing Heidelberg Road, near the Airport Drive intersection, to catch a taxi when the driver of the car allegedly swerved to avoid hitting another vehicle. According to the family, Blessing had almost safely reached the other side of the road when the car hit her. The driver allegedly offered no assistance to the injured girl or her traumatised sisters and fled the scene. 'My child was lying under his car and he just drove away,' says an emotional Faith. 'There were motorists in three different cars that chased after him and caught him. He was then handed over to Brakpan police,' she says. Faith adds that she is forever grateful to these strangers who assisted. None of Faith's children had a cellphone with them at the time of the accident, and her 12-year-old daughter quickly hurried home. 'She came to fetch me while her older sister stayed with Blessing. She (the older sister) was trying to get motorists to stop and get help for Blessing,' says Faith. Blessing would later be declared dead on the scene. Faith described Blessing, who was a Grade Four learner at a school in Springs, as a gentle and loving child who cherished their relationship. 'She was such a sweet girl who loved her mommy,' said Faith. The 48-year-old driver was arrested on a charge of culpable homicide and appeared in the Brakpan Magistrate's Court last Tuesday, where he was granted bail and the case was postponed to later this month. The family is devastated that the man is out on bail because of his initial attempt to flee. They are demanding justice. They are also heartbroken that Blessing's life has been reduced to the financial value of the bail amount. There were claims that the man was an undocumented foreigner, but Brakpan police have confirmed that he is legally in the country. The family met with an official from the Brakpan Magistrate's Court on Friday to better understand what transpired in court. This meeting left them more hurt and confused as they were informed there was a watching brief acting on behalf of the family during Tuesday's court proceedings. This legal practitioner allegedly told the prosecutor that the family did not oppose bail, which the family has denied. Faith is adamant she was not approached by any lawyer or legal practitioner on the day, nor spoke with such a person. Blessing's death has also sparked an outcry in the community and an online petition for immediate revocation of the man's bail is gaining traction. The petitioners are also demanding full prosecution and appropriate charges against the man for fleeing the scene of a fatal accident. The Brakpan Herald is awaiting comment from the National Prosecuting Authority. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fatal high-speed chase in Jackson County under investigation
JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a high-speed chase that ended tragically in Jackson County. According to a news release, on Wednesday at approximately 9:30 p.m, the Chattahoochee Police Department was in pursuit of a fleeing vehicle. During the pursuit, the vehicle was traveling west on US 90 before making a turn south and then back east on Old Spanish Trail in Sneads. The driver of the fleeing SUV, a 40-year-old man from Camilla, Georgia, reportedly lost control and crashed, authorities wrote. The driver reportedly collided with pipes and a concrete manhole cover, causing the SUV to overturn. Enjoy St. Andrews Marina with Blessing of the Fleet The vehicle came to a final rest on its roof. While overturning, the driver was ejected, the SUV came to a final rest in a ditch, and it burst into flames, authorities said. Pursuing officers were able to pull the passenger, a 32-year-old man from Leesburg, Georgia, from the vehicle. Officers then began life-saving measures on the driver, but the efforts were unsuccessful. Authorities confirmed, the driver was pronounced deceased on the scene, and the passenger was airlifted to Tallahassee Memorial. The investigation is ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio bill seeks to regulate AI-generated child sexual abuse material and identity fraud
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A recently introduced Ohio bill would regulate artificial intelligence in the state, including simulated child sexual abuse material and content mimicking people without their consent. Senate Bill 163, sponsored by Sens. Louis Blessing III (R-Colerain Township) and Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), would prohibit creating or distributing sexual images of children generated by AI. Current state laws surrounding child pornography leave loopholes for AI materials that are not based on a real person, Blessing said. 'There is a gray area in the law where somebody possesses child pornography, for example, but it's AI-generated and it's not an actual person, you really can't go after them easily,' Blessing said. Why this transgender Ohioan says he's leaving the state Introduced in April, the bill would classify creating child sexual abuse material using AI as a third-degree felony, and buying or possessing it as a fourth-degree felony. In Ohio, third-degree felonies typically carry a sentence of nine months to three years in prison, in addition to a possible fine of up to $10,000. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a nonprofit that runs an online tip line for child exploitation, reported that from 2022 to 2024, it received over 7,000 reports of child sexual abuse material involving AI. If SB 163 passes, Ohio will join 38 states that have enacted laws to criminalize AI-generated child sexual abuse material. The bill's AI regulations extend beyond sexual images of children, and also prohibit computer-generated identity fraud. This includes replicating a person's image, voice or likeness to illegally obtain money or damage their reputation. This would include any sexual or obscene material portraying a person without their consent. Under the bill, identity fraud using AI is generally a fifth-degree felony, but the charge could be escalated depending on a variety of factors, including previous related offenses and whether other statutes were violated in carrying out the crime. The bill would permit a person whose identity is unlawfully replicated to sue their offender. The bill would also require creators of AI products that are accessible in the state to watermark them. This would not be a visual watermark, but rather exist in the file's metadata, identifying it as AI-generated. The watermarks would be detectable by computer programs, rather than the human eye. Currently, most mainstream social media platforms use metadata to flag content as AI. 'It actually kind of protects the business to some degree by including that watermark,' Blessing said. 'It's like, 'Hey, we're including it with all of our software, if somebody removed this to use it in a bad way that's that's on them.'' Under the legislation, those found removing watermarks could be fined up to $10,000 by the attorney general. Residents harmed by a violation of this rule could also file a civil lawsuit. Blessing said throughout the bill's hearings, lawmakers will likely work on amending the bill to determine a date the watermark needs to be effective by to give entities time to implement the rule. Blessing and Johnson introduced similar legislation in the last General Assembly, Senate Bill 217, which received three hearings but ultimately did not reach a vote before the end of the session. A group of six entities, including the company NetChoice and Computer & Communications Industry Association, signed testimony in opposition to the bill. The organizations expressed concern that the watermark requirement in the bill may not currently be technologically feasible. Game against Columbus Blades boosts Buckeyes' spirits 'Responsible digital service providers have already taken aggressive steps to moderate dangerous and illegal content, consistent with their terms of service,' the written testimony reads. 'SB 217 is not limited to high-risk cases, but instead, is targeted towards any AI-developed product.' Three individuals testified in support of the bill, including the Center for Christian Virtue, the consumer rights nonprofit Public Citizen and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's Office, who originally brought the issue to Blessing's attention. 'We need to ensure there are guardrails on the use of AI so that, intentionally or unintentionally, it doesn't ruin a kid's life,' a spokesperson with the attorney general's office said. SB 163 awaits proponent and opponent testimony. It currently has two Democrat cosponsors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio senators want to crack down on child pornography created with AI
Ohio lawmakers want to regulate images and sounds made by artificial intelligence, including making simulated child pornography made with AI illegal. This is the second time state Sens. Bill Blessing, R-Colerain Twp., and Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, have introduced this legislation. Along with Senate Bill 163's rules against child pornography, it would require images and sounds made with AI to include a watermark and it would also prohibit identity fraud with AI. More: Ohio teen tapped to help draft legislation on health care and AI Blessing said current statues about child pornography leave loopholes for people to create AI-generated child porn as long as it is not explicitly based on a real person. Current law requires a real photo of a child to prosecute someone for generating or possessing child sexual assault material. Because AI does not generate a "real image," there is an exploitable gap that AI fits into. Blessing said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost reached out to the General Assembly to fill this gap in Ohio law. "If you're peddling in child pornography, even if it's artificially intelligence generated it's effectively the same thing," he said. Under SB 163, creating or distributing simulated obscene material, including child pornography, would become a third-degree felony and buying or possessing it would be considered a fourth-degree felony. The bill would also prohibit users from generating sexual images of adults without that person's consent. A provision in the bill would require AI programs to include a distinctive watermark that informs the user that what they are viewing or hearing was made by AI. Blessing said the watermark would not be intrusive and easy for companies to implement. Instead of something visible in an AI-generated image or something a listener could hear in AI-generated audio, this watermark would not be detectable by humans but would instead be detected by another machine. It would exist in the file's metadata and be used to determine the origins of AI images and audio. SB 163 would allow citizens and the attorney general to sue AI generators for not including these watermarks and anyone who intentionally removes them for damages. A group of six companies and interest groups including Technet, a trade association for technology companies, signed onto opponent testimony from the previous version of the bill last year. They acknowledged the threat AI poses, but said companies are doing enough to regulate nefarious uses, including child sexual assault material. They also said the requirement for a watermark might not be feasible with current technology. The regulations proposed by the bill, the interest groups argued, could stifle innovation. If the bill becomes law, citizens could sue people who use AI to replicate someone's persona to, harm their reputation or defraud them. They would also be able to take action if someone used their persona to convince someone to make a financial decision that would require that person's approval. "There's going to be a lot of legislation in this space going forward, and rightfully so, because this is not something that should be left up to the markets as my colleagues like to say." Blessing said. "I'd rather have a regulated environment in this space, rather than just leaving it up to the courts or, you know, God knows what." Donovan Hunt is a fellow in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism's Statehouse News Bureau. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: State lawmakers introduce bill to prohibit AI identity fraud
