Latest news with #Burk
AFP
20-05-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Video of Trump saying Africa's mineral resources belong to US is fabricated
'Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traore./Donald Trump wahala wahala (sic),' reads the caption of a video shared on Facebook. A block of text over the clip reads: 'Breaking News: Trump says all mineral in Africa belongs to the U.S! Africa, let's unite and fight this'. The video has been shared more than 6,000 times since it was published on May 10, 2025. Image Screenshot of a Facebook post with the altered clip taken on May 15, 2025 'Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso is becoming a traitor, and I can't sit back. I watch him unite Africa because the unity of Africa will make our children to travel (sic) to Africa for greener pasture in the nearest future. Hiding in Russia won't save you; all that can save you is to listen to the demand of USA or France,' Trump appears to say in the clip. "No African country should be ruled by military slash African mineral resources belong to us," he added. However, these were not words spoken by Trump. The video was altered using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Altered audio The first clue that the video had been tampered with, is that the words are not in sync with the movement of Trump's lips. Secondly, the language in the clip sounds unnatural and some parts are grammatically incorrect such as "make our children to travel to Africa" rather than "make our children travel to Africa". At one point, Trump appears to read out a punctuation mark - saying slash (/) - when he purportedly states: 'No African country should be ruled by military slash African mineral resources belong to us.' This would not happen in natural speech or if a person was reading from a script. A reverse image search using keyframes extracted from the video led to a clip posted on a YouTube account on September 4, 2024 (archived here), in which Trump is heard calling on people to vote in the presidential election. A keyword search based on information from the video then showed that the same clip was also posted on Trump's verified Instagram and TikTok pages on the same day in September 2024 (archived here and here). This was two months before the US presidential election held in November of the same year. Several similarities can be noticed between the original video and the altered video, including the US flag to the right of Trump, the building visible through the window and his unbuttoned shirt collar. Image Screenshot showing the similarities between the original YouTube video (left) and the altered Facebook video In the 27-second clip, Trump called on his supporters to participate in the election to "save" the US. For the duration of the video, he does not mention Traore, Africa or mineral resources. AFP Fact Check extracted the audio from the altered clip and ran it through – an audio tool that looks for specific forensic traces left by voice generators. The result showed a 99 percent probability that the audio was generated with an AI tool. Image Screenshot of the detection result interface, taken on May 15, 2025 Burkina Faso's military leader Traore swept into power following a coup in September 2022 amid growing anti-French sentiments in the Sahel region (archived here). Traore is a frequent topic of viral social media posts in which supporters cast him in a positive light, but observers say his online rise has been accompanied by a flood of misleading and false claims. Both Trump and Traore have been the subject of altered videos shared online, including recent examples here and here. More AFP fact-checks related to artificial intelligence can be found here.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Detective's key role in criminal investigations
MOUNT POCONO, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — One of three suspects is still on the run following a deadly shooting at a short-term rental property in the Poconos back in January. Authorities believe all have ties to a gang in Venezuela. It's an open case out of Long Pond following the shooting and killing of a 22-year-old man from Venezuela at a rental property back in January. Man accused of hiding camera inside bathroom smoke detector With the help of Erica Burk, a Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department detective, the timeline of what happened was broken down. 'I needed to contribute in that respect with conducting most of the interviews.' Detective Burk says being bilingual played a huge role in the investigation. But it's not the only time it's helped her in the field.. She says it's played a role in many other cases due to the growing Spanish-speaking community in our area. 'I would say daily because if not for my own investigations, it isn't uncommon for a patrol officer to come to my desk and say, 'Hey Erica, I need your help. I just took a complaint, but the person is Spanish-speaking, can you help me?'' Detective Burk's been with the department for the last 16 years, working up the ranks as a school resource officer at the Pocono Mountain School District, where she handled many cases involving child abuse. 'When you have such close contact with children, you get to know the children, they confide in you, and so through those means, I was able to investigate those cases.' Stepping into her role as detective, she says it was a natural progression as she mostly handles crimes against children, with a passion to serve her community. 'I really enjoy my job, it's a blessing to be able to do this for a living. I get to help people and connect with people every single day, and so I just appreciate that I have the opportunity to do this.' At one time, Detective Burk says she was the only Spanish-speaking officer, but they have since hired other bilingual officers at the pocono mountain regional police department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Salt Lake EMT instructor's sexual abuse case to go to trial after 7 female victims testify in court
If you or someone you know needs help, call the Rape & Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1-888-421-1100. SALT LAKE CITY () — A former fire captain and EMT instructor will face 15 felony sexual abuse charges in trial after seven victims testified against him during his preliminary hearing Tuesday. Christopher David Burk, 46, was charged with 14 counts of forcible sexual abuse and two counts of attempted forcible sexual abuse earlier this year. The judge dismissed one of the attempted forcible sexual abuse charges at the end of Tuesday's hearing. PREVIOUS STORY: Salt Lake fire captain and EMT instructor charged with sexually abusing students Burk was arrested after two female students spoke with police, alleging they were abused by their EMT instructor. He was originally facing six charges, but has as five other victims came forward after his arrest. During the preliminary hearing, seven women spoke of their experience with Burk as their CPR or EMT instructor at several locations, the majority of which were EMT students at Salt Lake Community College or Utah Valley University. Other victims included a high school student enrolled in a program and an employee attending a CPR training at her workplace. Each woman testified one by one, recounting similar stories of Burk touching them inappropriately. The victims said Burk would ask them to stay after class to review the class content or invite them on 'ride-alongs' with the fire department. When they were alone or out of view, Burk would allegedly demonstrate different 'medical assessments' on the students. The victims all said he touched them inappropriately during the demonstrations. 'I didn't know what he was doing and I didn't know how far he was gonna take it.' -A victim's testimony in court One victim said Burk unbuttoned her top and did an assessment 'skin to skin.' Another said he lifted her shirt to do lung assessment demonstrations and touched her in her groin area under her clothes. The victim said she was 'afraid to report any of it' since she was going through a hard time in her life and Burk was her 'only support.' Another victim testified in court that Burk had touched her breasts under her clothes four times while supposedly helping her review content after class. She said he 'had touched every part of me' and she 'knew what he was doing.' The victim told the court she didn't let on that she knew what was happening because she just wanted to 'make a safe exit,' saying it was after a late-night class and she didn't know if there was anyone else in the building. 'What was going through your mind at this time?' prosecutors asked the victim. 'I was terrified,' she said. 'I didn't know what he was doing and I didn't know how far he was gonna take it.' Prosecutors called an EMT SLCC coordinator to the stand who said instructors should always be doing demonstrations in class on other instructors, not students. She said EMTs are taught to always use the back side of their hands to make sure patients are not uncomfortable. When asked by prosecutors if there is 'ever a scenario where your instructors would demonstrate by cupping a female student's breast,' she said, 'That should never be the case.' The Sandy police detective leading the case took to the stand during the preliminary hearing, describing the process of arresting Burk. He said he could not get in contact with him for nearly two months and had to arrest Burk using unmarked vehicles. The detective said when interviewing him he denied touching underneath the student's clothing. Despite one victim's claims that SLCC had known of UVU sexual abuse allegations involving Burk, the school told ABC4 they were 'unaware of any accusations or charges regarding sexual abuse until the student came forward.' The school said Burk was employed with the school from July to November of last year. 'After a SLCC EMT student filed a complaint on November 20, 2024, the college took immediate action and placed Burk on administrative leave the next day (Nov. 21) pending an investigation. When Burk was arrested on Jan. 30, 2025, this is when SLCC learned about Burk's criminal charges. Burk was immediately fired,' the statement read. Burk's next hearing is on April 15 when court officials will agree on a date for his trial. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Voice of America
03-03-2025
- Health
- Voice of America
Rise in ADHD Cases Raises Questions
Allison Burk's daughter was struggling. The American teenager had uncontrolled emotions, a decreased ability to pay attention and trouble completing work on time. A family doctor suggested testing for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. This led to an unexpected discovery: The teen had ADHD, and her mother, Allison Burk, did too. During her daughter's testing, Burk thought, 'Wait a minute. This sounds familiar.' 'I was able to piece together that this might be something I was experiencing,' said Burk, who lives in Columbus, Ohio. She sought testing for herself and was diagnosed with ADHD — at 42 years old. More adults are being diagnosed with ADHD. Diagnoses have been rising for at least 20 years but seem to have increased sharply in the last few years. A recent government study suggested that more than 15 million adults in the United States — about 1 in 17 — have been diagnosed with ADHD. The condition starts in childhood, but about half of adults with ADHD are diagnosed when they are 18 or older. Some doctors say the number of people seeking ADHD testing is sharply increasing. 'Just in our clinic, requests for assessments have doubled in the last two years,' said Justin Barterian. He is a psychologist based at Ohio State University. Signs of ADHD in adults ADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control their behaviors. The disorder can be genetic. Doctors often treat the disorder with drugs, behavioral therapy, or both. Judy Sandler is 62 years old and lives in the U.S. state of Maine. She was diagnosed in her 50s. Sandler describes what ADHD feels like for her. 'It's like there's an engine in you and you feel like it's always running, and you can't turn it off except with medication,' Sandler said. ADHD has been called the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in American children. More than 7 million children in the U.S. have been diagnosed. The disorder was once thought to be something that resolved as children became adults. But now, experts say they believe that many people are not diagnosed as kids and that the disorder continues into adulthood. Adults with the condition talk about having trouble focusing on immediate responsibilities and planning their time. Some say the disorder has led to problems in their personal relationships. Diagnoses have been rising Diagnoses have been increasing in both kids and adults. The recent government report also found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates had suggested. 'We haven't had (federal) adult ADHD data in a long time,' said Angelika Claussen. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researcher was one of the study's writers. There were signs of the rise, she added. Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to severe shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. A 2023 study showed the rise in prescriptions, or doctors' orders for such medication, was notable in adults — especially among women. ADHD diagnoses and medication were increasing before the pandemic. This is partly because of a change in general diagnostic measures in 2013. Those changes expanded the definition of ADHD and reduced the number of signs, or symptoms, required for diagnosis. But cases really seemed to increase in 2020, when schools closed and many adults were forced to work from home. 'It's very difficult to focus when you are home and you have kids,' Claussen said. She said such conditions may have worsened ADHD symptoms in people with less severe cases. How ADHD is diagnosed in adults Experts say that it was long believed that ADHD was underdiagnosed in adults. Now, experts debate about whether it has become over-diagnosed. There is no blood or brain test for the disorder. Experts say it is diagnosed when symptoms cause ongoing problems in more than one area of life, and when those symptoms began in early childhood. Experts say the best way professionals diagnose ADHD is by getting careful histories from patients and from people who know them. They also might test a patient's memory and ability to focus. But getting an appointment with a mental health professional can take months. And assessments can cost thousands of dollars. Many people turn to family doctors. People also take online diagnostic tests, some of which are linked to health companies that prescribe medications. 'There is a wide variability in this country in how people diagnose, how strict they are, and who they diagnose,' said Margaret Sibley. She is psychologist at University of Washington. The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders is preparing a set of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for American health professionals who treat adults. Sibley is leading the work on the guidelines, which the organization expects to release later this year. I'm Anna Matteo. And I'm Jill Robbins. Mike Stobbe reported this story for the Associated Press from New York, New York. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. __________________________________________________ Words in This Story teenager -n. someone who is between 13 and 19 years old familiar -adj. frequently seen or experienced diagnose -v. to recognize a disease or condition in clinic -n. a place for the treatment of people needing medical help who do not stay overnight assessment -n. the action or an instance of making a judgment about something psychologist -n. a person who specializes in the study of mind and behavior or in the treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders focus -v. to cause to be concentrated prescribe -v. to order or direct the use of something as a remedy variable -adj. able or likely to change : variability -n. strict -adj. completely correct : exact : precise
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Cadillac of cultural preservation: Architect Mark Baker unveils plans to convert a historic dealership into UNM's new Route 66 research center
Feb. 23—Award-winning Albuquerque architect and entrepreneur Mark Baker has unveiled plans for the Route 66 National Research Center — a new, federally funded initiative of the University of New Mexico, which will serve as a global mecca for Route 66 scholars under the umbrella of UNM's library system and its Center for Southwest Research. Gracing the corner of University and Central — the old Route 66 — the Research Center will house an archive of documents and materials related to the storied highway, including oral histories, and will host academic conferences. As Baker's floor plan and renderings show, it will also feature an exhibition space and a bookshop. The full scope of the Research Center's activities will be determined by a future director, who has not yet been named. This project is separate from the Route 66 Visitor Center. The Visitor Center, an unrelated initiative of Albuquerque's Department of Arts and Culture, is community-focused, whereas UNM's Research Center is being planned and designed primarily to serve the needs of scholars. A quartet of national nonprofit organizations — Research Route 66, the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, the Route 66 Consortium and the Route 66 Centennial Commission — have been teaming up over the course of three years to bring the center to life. The idea of a national research center was the brainchild of Research Route 66. "This is a group of archivists, curators and researchers, representing 10 academic institutions and museums in the eight states along Route 66," said William Thomas, who heads the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership and serves on the Centennial Commission. UNM was selected due to its elite status as a Carnegie-classified "R1" research institution and its prime location on one of the best-preserved segments of Route 66. In turn, the executive director of UNM's Lobo Development Corp., David Campbell, said Baker was selected as the center's architect, in part, for his longstanding ties to the local community, as well as for his reputation of balancing historical preservation with architectural innovation. Lobo Development is UNM's real estate arm. A classic redefined To create the new Research Center, Baker will transform the Galles Motor Company Building, a former Cadillac dealership. "The building is important in itself," Baker said. "It's a 1956, mid-century modern (building) by William Burk, who was a fairly prominent architect." Burk designed the building "during an era when modernism was sweeping through the growing metropolis," according to a 2015 case study by Ryan Morton. "With its location on historic Route 66 and its dramatic glass and stone façade, the new dealership acted as a billboard for the automobile in mid-century Albuquerque," Morton wrote. Despite its cultural significance, Burk's building found itself on the chopping block. "UNM will potentially seek to demolish the original Galles building in the next few years," Morton wrote in 2015, "due to its lack of practical function for university use and operational costs." Ten years later, the building is getting a new lease on life, courtesy of Baker. "It has some really wonderful architectural elements that we're going to be saving, like all the glass on the south side, which I think is the signature for the building," Baker said. "Inside, there's a vintage map, and it has this cool 1950s starlight ceiling that we're saving." Baker added, "We went through and did an audit and identified what's contributing to the history and significance of this building, and we're doing a very light touch." Campbell is thankful Baker is leaving so much of the original building intact. "We believe this gives us the opportunity to preserve an important historical building in a way that's historically appropriate," he said. Baker has won praise for his renovations of other historic structures. In 2016, he turned New Mexico Highlands University's 1905 Trolley Building into the site of a cutting-edge Media Arts program — a project that earned him four prestigious architectural awards, including New Mexico's top honor for contemporary architecture, the Jeff Harnar Award. In 2017, he adapted John Gaw Meem's Streamline Moderne-era building, 505 Central, for reuse as a food court and lofts. In 2020, his renovation of NMHU's historic Rodgers Hall won him an American Institute of Architects award. These adaptive reuse successes have prepared Baker for the Research Center project, his highest profile commission to date. 'The Course of Life' While functionality and sustainability are Baker's top priorities, a few artistic flourishes will make the building stand out. On the exterior, Baker will install "The Course of Life," an architectural feature consisting of a series of evenly spaced metal frames containing neon lights. "As you go by, it really exemplifies that movement and that travel and that journey," Baker said. "In a way, it's a sculpture, but it's part of the architecture." Like the repeated shapes of a Donald Judd installation, Baker's enframed neon squares will appear to change angles as drivers glide past them, calling attention to the essential truth that everyone is a four-dimensional being. "It's an homage to the Route and its neon signs, but it's also about the metaphor of Route 66," Baker said. "Wherever you get on (Route 66), there's a beginning, and there's the end, and then there's the journey in between." Sometimes that journey is fun, but not always. And while Baker's "Course of Life" is eye-catching, its restrained, minimalist vocabulary seems intended to be emotionally neutral, capable of encompassing Route 66's varied meanings for multiple communities. One road, many stories "For some people, Route 66 just represents the ultimate road trip," Baker said. "But for others, it was a chance to change their lives. People ran from the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma to find a new, better life." John Steinbeck portrayed such Dust Bowl refugees in his Pulitzer Prize-winning 1939 novel, "The Grapes of Wrath." Campbell of Lobo Development said, "Our history has uplifting, happy aspects, but it also has some very challenging aspects, (including) notions of what Route 66 did to Native American sites along the way." "When I first got involved with this (Research Center), the 'Barbie' movie was just out," Campbell said. He had visions of "people driving down the road in pink convertibles, maybe with roadside venues and drive-in movie theaters, in a very happy Westward movement." "But if you watched 'The Green Book,'" Campbell continued, "you learned that travel for African-Americans in the United States was a huge challenge, so much so that they had to write books so that African-Americans would know where they could stay along the road." The center aims to preserve these difficult histories, as well as more nostalgic ones. Thomas of the Road Ahead Partnership and Route 66 Centennial Commission also emphasized the multiple narratives Route 66 encompasses. "It helped win World War II by serving as the primary artery for transporting men and materials to the Pacific theater," Thomas said. "Then it was used by many of those same soldiers as the way back home, leaving them with memories that motivated them to take their families on what became the great American road trip vacation during the 1950s and '60s." "In the 1970s and '80s," Thomas continued, "the road became an object lesson of the sometimes negative impact transportation systems can have. Countless communities across it learned — the hard way — that the progress envisioned by the Interstate Highway System wasn't progress for everyone." "Talk to almost anybody, and they will have a Route 66 story," Campbell said. Himself included. "My dad was in the military, and in 1969 we moved here from Kansas," he said. "As we were coming through the Sandia Mountains on Route 66, it was July 20, 1969, and man was landing on the moon that day. So, we scurried into the first motel we could find and watched that 'the Eagle has landed' on a grainy black-and-white television." The Route 66 National Research Center looks to honor the road's history while contributing to its present development. "As it now approaches its 100th Anniversary, Route 66 serves as an example of how everything old can be new again," Thomas said. "Towns and cities are embracing its spirit and using it to develop their local economies once more — following its original economic purpose from its genesis in 1926," he said. Baker's creative redesign of a modernist car dealership embraces this "everything old can be new again" spirit. With its thoughtfully considered architectural details, it endeavors to become a landmark in its own right, honoring Albuquerque's architectural heritage while embracing the future. "It's such an exciting project for me," Baker said, "because I consider Route 66 the most significant and iconic of all the man-made structures in Albuquerque."
