Latest news with #CentralMichiganUniversity
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
IBHS Joins Nation'sLargest Hail Study in 40 Years as ICECHIP Launches with Media Field Day
When: Saturday, May 17, 2025Media-Only Access: 1:00–2:00 PM MTPublic Event: 2:00–4:00 PM MTWhere: Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets (FARM) Facility - 4820 63rd St., Boulder, CO 80301 – Northeast side of building BOULDER, Colo., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Science Foundation-funded ICECHIP project—"In-situ Collaborative Experiment for the Collection of Hail In the Plains"—invites members of the media to an exclusive Media Field Day to kick off the largest hail-focused field campaign in the U.S. in more than 40 years. The ICECHIP Media Field Day will provide firsthand access to live weather demonstrations, storm-tracking tools and interviews with leading atmospheric scientists. The project brings together 15 U.S. institutions and four international partners to study hailstorms across the Central Plains and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Hail is the most consistently damaging hazard associated with severe thunderstorms, generating over $35 billion in losses in the U.S. last year alone and affecting homeowners, businesses, aviation, agriculture, transportation and more. This six-week field campaign aims to transform the understanding of hail by collecting unprecedented field data - advancing hail detection, improving forecast models and strengthening public warning systems. MEDIA FIELD DAY HIGHLIGHTS: Exclusive media access from 1:00–2:00 PM MT One-on-one questions and interviews with Scientists and team experts Live public demonstrations from 2:00–4:00 PM MT featuring: Opening remarks and project overview (2:00–2:15 PM MT) Weather balloon launch Doppler on Wheels (DOW) vehicles and mobile mesonets Hail measurement systems Radiometers and UAS (large drones) Online Media Kit: Where ICECHIP Goes: The mobile research campaign will continue through June 30th, 2025, and span hail-prone regions across the Plains gathering observations on a wide variety of hailstorms. Principal Investigators Rebecca Adams-Selin Atmospheric and Environmental Research (Lead PI)John Allen Central Michigan University Victor Gensini Northern Illinois UniversityAndrew Heymsfield National Center for Atmospheric Research Steering CommitteeBrian Argrow University of Colorado BoulderIan Giammanco Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)Karen Kosiba University of Alabama HuntsvilleMatthew Kumjian Pennsylvania State UniversityJoshua Wurman University of Alabama Huntsville For a full list of collaborators and partners, click here. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety; Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER)
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Using AI for Financial Advice? 4 Ways To Protect Your Money (and Privacy)
The proliferation and gradual sophistication of generative AI tools such as Gemini, Claude, and of course ChatGPT has turned most casual users into experimenters themselves, whether it be asking these models to provide a complete shopping list or to help with this year's tax filing. However, as CardRates reported, a majority of Americans (67%) now also feel comfortable letting AI tools assist them with their banking routines. While only about one-fifth (18%) of those surveyed reported using AI tools to help with banking on a monthly basis, an even greater proportion (nearly a quarter, at 28%) expressed concerns over privacy in this regard. What can be done to help mitigate the privacy risks associated with allowing AI tools to have a hand in your personal banking regimen? Ignorance may be bliss, but it can be extremely costly when it comes to your financial knowledge, particularly as AI integrates itself into the banking realm at a breakneck pace. As J.P. Morgan suggested, it's vital for consumers of banking products to educate themselves as to the current and prospective future capabilities of generative AI assistants and AI banking tools, lest they be taken advantage of. 'Publicly available tools capture, share and build on information, making it potentially accessible by those with malintent,' the firm stated. 'Many of these generative AI tools, apps and chatbots are currently not subject to any government regulations, ethics rules and governance structures, no matter how sophisticated these tools might seem.' Know that any public-facing information about you on the internet is likely scraped by these models, and that any information in your overall user profile is generally captured, as well. While most online banking portals already require this step, be sure that you are taking advantage of every opportunity to avail of multi-factor or two-factor authentication protocols. These typically come in the form of requiring a text message or email sent to a verified address with a PIN code, or for biometric information (such as a facial scan, or a fingerprint) to be inputted through your smartphone. Malicious hackers (or even malicious AI models themselves) may be stymied by your deployment of this sort of authentication on all banking and investment accounts. It never hurts to have a second barrier to entry for dishonest parties to clear before gaining access to your finances. Simply put, making sure that you do not offer up any personal details you do not have to provide when dealing with AI assistants or chatbots is good cybersecurity practice — as is enabling a reliable and trustworthy VPN whenever engaging with AI tools. A VPN can help to obscure your IP address in addition to other geographical or personal details about you, and refusing to offer any more information than is directly necessary when speaking to artificial intelligence tools can help to restrict data or privacy leaks, should they occur. Central Michigan University professor Qi Liao was firm in his assessment on today's tech-heavy banking and financial sphere: We are now living in a brand-new era when it comes to the elevated sophistication of phishing schemes mining your personal financial information. 'Beyond exploiting system weaknesses, AI is revolutionizing social engineering attacks. Attackers can now automate and personalize phishing schemes by analyzing social media data. AI-generated deepfakes, including realistic audio, video and images, have been weaponized for scams such as blackmail, impersonation and financial fraud,' Liao said. 'These tools enable attackers to execute crimes like online banking fraud, fake ransom demands and large-scale financial scams,' he added. So, be sure to second-guess your interactions online or on the phone, even if the messages or calls appear to be from a trusted friend, family member or financial advisor. If something seems 'off' or is setting of alarm bells in your head, trust your instinct and follow-up with some due diligence before proceeding any further. You could end up saving yourself a great deal of trouble, and your wallet, in so doing. More From GOBankingRates 6 Used Luxury SUVs That Are a Good Investment for Retirees The New Retirement Problem Boomers Are Facing 7 Overpriced Grocery Items Frugal People Should Quit Buying in 2025 How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region Sources: 'America's Banking Habits: Survey Finds 84% Concerned About Banking Cybersecurity' Central Michigan University, 'How can you protect your privacy, money from AI?' J.P. Morgan Private Bank, 'AI tools and your privacy: What you need to know' This article originally appeared on Using AI for Financial Advice? 4 Ways To Protect Your Money (and Privacy) 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
Chicago Tribune
18-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
E. Jason Wambsgans
E. Jason Wambsgans has been a staff photojournalist at the Chicago Tribune since 2002. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography in 2017 for his tender photos of a child shooting victim, illuminating the city's brutal street violence. The Detroit-area native is a graduate of Central Michigan University.
CBS News
05-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Visas of Central Michigan University international students terminated by federal officials, school says
Visas of several current and former international students at Central Michigan University have been "terminated" by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the school said. According to a letter sent by the university, staff members learned of the students' records being terminated by federal officials during routine reviews of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The school says neither it nor the impacted students were notified of the revocations. "CMU does not have the ability to reverse the government's decision to terminate a student's visa status, nor can the university's Office of General Counsel provide legal guidance or services to individual students, faculty, and staff," the letter says. According to the school's policy , the Office of International Student and Scholar Services is running daily checks on international student records and will "immediately" reach out to any person whose status has changed. As of Saturday afternoon, there have been no reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection officers on campus, according to the school. The school says it has designated certain spaces on campus, including residence hall rooms and faculty offices, where ICE agents need a judicial warrant to enter. Immigration officers, however, do not need a warrant to enter public spaces. University President Neil MacKinnon and Provost Paula Lancaster signed the letter. The Trump administration's recent crackdown on some students with visas and green cards has raised questions about First Amendment rights , however, Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month cited a provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act that authorizes the nation's top diplomat to revoke the visas of foreign national students because their presence or activities have "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences" for the U.S. The letter from CMU concluded with, "To our international students, faculty, and staff: You are welcome here, and we are glad to have you as members of our community. In uncertain times, we rely on our friends, colleagues, and neighbors to help us weather challenges. Thank you in advance for offering compassion and kindness to our students and to each other as we navigate these changes." CBS News Detroit has reached out to Wayne State University, University of Michigan and Michigan State University to determine whether similar incidents occurred at their institutions but has not heard back. The above video first aired on April 2, 2025. Aaron Navarro and Caitlin Yilek contributed to this report.
CBS News
05-04-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Michigan experts worry after federal cuts impact forecast translations from NOAA
As the Trump administration continues to slim down the federal workforce, agencies like the National Weather Service face continuous changes . "Every week, it seems new things are cut, so that's one of the challenges: we don't know how to plan for the future," said Martin Baxter, professor of meteorology at Central Michigan University. So far this year, hundreds of employees have been fired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service. The long-term effects are yet to be discovered. "We need people to do this issue these life-saving forecasts and warnings," Baxter said. While a workforce reduction is ongoing, there are other changes as well. Recently, the National Weather Service halted its website's automated translation service. According to Bloomberg, the contract expired. "Part of the weather services mission to make sure everyone in America, no matter what language they speak no matter where they live, is to make sure they can understand the warnings that they are providing them with," Baxter said. The expired contract reportedly was with an AI company that translated weather alerts and forecasts into several languages, including Spanish and Chinese. According to the NWS' website, further details on the future of this service will be provided when available. "Allowing that contract to lapse means some people may not receive the information they've received in recent history," Baxter said. As budget cuts continue, the effects could be felt far and wide, even down to your favorite weather app! "The private companies that create the apps make it look nice and allow you to interact with it, but the fact that the data is there at all comes from NOAA and the National Weather Service," Baxter said. The weather-related cuts could eventually prove to be a lasting issue, especially when preparing the next generation of meteorologists at the collegiate level. "Now that the government is telling them no, we don't need people to do this, it is really hard to take for young people," according to Baxter said.
