Latest news with #LaHood
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
China's DeepSeek that 'shocked' America and American technology companies has an update that it says .... to OpenAI's o3 and Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has announced a significant upgrade to its R1 model, named DeepSeek-R1-0528, which claims to boast enhanced capabilities in mathematics, programming, and general logic while reducing AI "hallucinations." The announcement, made via a post on the AI model platform Hugging Face, positions the new model as a formidable competitor to industry leaders like OpenAI's o3 and Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro. When Deepseek stunned America's technology industry DeepSeek stunned the global tech community in January with the original R1, a model that rivaled the performance of systems developed by much larger U.S. companies, reportedly at a fraction of the cost. The debut disrupted the AI industry, raising questions about the massive global spending on computational resources and sparking a wave of AI releases from Chinese tech giants like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Zhipu AI. Built for under $6 million using less-advanced Nvidia H800 chips, R1's efficiency challenged assumptions about the necessity of massive computational investments, triggering a $1 trillion stock market drop, including Nvidia's $589 billion loss. DeepSeek's open-source model, praised for its cost-effectiveness, raised concerns about U.S. AI dominance, prompting calls for stricter export controls and urgent policy reassessments American lawmakers, citing national security, swiftly reacted. Representatives Gottheimer and LaHood introduced the No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act, alleging Chinese Communist Party data theft risks. NASA, the Navy, and Congress banned DeepSeek on government devices, fearing espionage due to its China-based servers and lax data policies. Companies like Oracle blocked employee use, wary of intellectual property leaks. New DeepSeek model works on same foundation The upgraded DeepSeek-R1-0528 builds on this foundation, offering what the company claims is "greater depth of reasoning" and performance approaching that of the world's top AI models. 'Its overall performance is now approaching that of leading models,' DeepSeek stated, signaling its ambition to compete at the forefront of the global AI race. The rise of DeepSeek has also catapulted its founder, Liang Wenfeng , into the spotlight. Once a relatively unknown figure, Liang became a symbol of China's growing prowess in AI innovation following R1's debut. In February, he was invited by President Xi Jinping to a high-profile meeting alongside prominent entrepreneurs like Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and Tencent's Pony Ma, underscoring DeepSeek's significance in China's tech landscape. What makes timing of DeepSeek announcement important The timing of the DeepSeek-R1-0528 announcement was notable, coming just hours before Nvidia Corp., the Santa Clara-based leader in AI chips, released its latest financial report. Nvidia, whose shares took a hit following R1's initial launch due to concerns about reduced AI infrastructure costs, has since recovered as global investment in AI data centers remains robust. Nvidia's latest forecast reaffirmed strong demand for its chips, suggesting that DeepSeek's cost-efficient approach has not slowed the broader AI investment boom. DeepSeek's rapid progress highlights China's accelerating role in the global AI arms race. Industry analysts note that the startup's ability to deliver high-performing models at lower costs could reshape the economics of AI development, challenging the dominance of U.S. tech giants. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
How Donald Trump Could Boost US High-Speed Rail
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump has the chance to cement his legacy by laying the groundwork for a "17,000-mile high-speed rail network" across the United States, according to former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Speaking to Newsweek at the U.S. High Speed Rail Association's 2025 annual conference in Washington, D.C., LaHood, who worked in the Obama administration, said he was "heartened by some of the things" Trump has said about high-speed rail, and urged him to "send a signal" by vocally backing one or more proposed high speed rail lines. He said such a move would unlock "private dollars and state dollars" which would help high speed rail "take off much quicker than it is right now." Newsweek has contacted the White House press office for comment. The U.S. High Speed Rail Association (USHSR) is a campaign group, including both industry and labor representatives, that advocates on behalf of the American high speed rail industry. The State of U.S. High Speed Rail Currently, the U.S. doesn't have any functioning high speed rail lines, which the International Union of Railways (UIC) defines as operating at a minimum of 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour) on specially built tracks. This puts the U.S. behind the likes of France, Spain, Japan and China all of which have advanced high speed rail networks, with the latter operating nearly 30,000 miles worth of high-speed rail track, the vast majority of which was built over the past two decades. Two high speed rail lines are currently under construction in the U.S.—California High Speed Rail, which is intended to link Los Angeles to San Francisco, and Brightline West, a project to connect Las Vegas to southern California. However, a plethora of other proposals have been made including plans to link Dallas, Houston, and Fort Worth in Texas, Eugene, Oregon, to Vancouver in Cascadia and Boston, New York and Washington D.C. in the Northeast. President Trump could turbocharge U.S high speed rail by sending "a signal" to attract private funding, according to former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. President Trump could turbocharge U.S high speed rail by sending "a signal" to attract private funding, according to former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Newsweek Illustration/Canva/Associated Press/Getty Former Transportation Secretary LaHood's Hopes There was widespread concern among attendees at the USHSR annual conference that Trump's second term could stymie American high speed rail plans, but LaHood, a Republican who served as Obama's transportation secretary from 2009 to 2013, struck a more optimistic note. LaHood told Newsweek he had been "heartened by some of the things I've heard President Trump say" about high-speed rail, adding he "seems enthused about [the] Las Vegas to Los Angeles" project. This plan, Brightline West, is being built between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga in southern California, but there is also a plan to link it to the Los Angeles to San Francisco line via a "high desert corridor." The former transportation secretary said that a clear signal from Trump in support of one or more high speed rail projects would help to unlock private and state funding. "I think the success of these projects in Europe and Asia is largely due to the national government making investments but then encouraging the private sector," LaHood said. "Once the national government makes a commitment its easier for the private sector then—they know it's going to be a stable project, they know their investment is going to be good." Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood speaking at the U.S. High Speed Rail Association's 2025 annual conference in Washington D.C. Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood speaking at the U.S. High Speed Rail Association's 2025 annual conference in Washington D.C. James Bickerton/Newsweek He added: "I think if President Trump sent a signal to Texas Central or sent a signal to national government has to be positive and has to make a commitment for dollars in order to then attract the kind of private dollars and state dollars that it takes to make these projects happen. If that kind of commitment were made by national government boom, I think high speed rail would take off much quicker than it is right now." LaHood pointed to the success of Brightline, a privately owned and operated rail line connecting Miami and Orlando that opened in 2023. While it runs at below the high-speed standard, Brightline was the first privately built rail line in the U.S. to begin operations in a century and has seen its passenger number surge since its launch. "If you look at the Brightline project in Florida between Miami and Orlando, now it's not high-speed rail but it is wildly popular," the former transportation secretary said. "They're putting more and more trains on that track every day because people like the idea that they don't have to get on the I-95. "If you build it, they will come, if you build it, it will be successful and I think that will be the case with Brightline West, Las Vegas to LA, and I think it will be true San Francisco to LA. I think they will be wildly popular. I really believe at this point if you build it, they will come and the proof of that is Europe and Asia. Their trains are wildly popular." Trump and High-Speed Rail Trump's positions on high-speed rail have been mixed over the years. In August 2024, the then Republican presidential candidate praised "unbelievably fast" bullet trains that had "no problems" in other countries. "We don't have anything like that in this country, not even close, and it doesn't make sense that we don't. Doesn't make sense," Trump said. Then-U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Capitol Hill February 24, 2010, in Washington, D.C. Then-U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Capitol Hill February 24, 2010, in Washington, D.C. Mark Wilson/GETTY Last month however, Trump's Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cut $63.9 million in federal funding that was being provided to support the Texas Central proposed high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston, describing it as "a waste of taxpayer funds." Texas Central insists it was not reliant on the funding and is continuing with its plans. Trump has also been harshly critical of the California High Speed Rail project designed to link Los Angeles to San Francisco claiming it had the "worst overruns that there have ever been in the history of our country." During his first term, Trump slashed $1 billion of funding for the project, which was later restored under President Joe Biden. In February, Duffy said he was launching a review into whether the project "followed through on the commitments it made to receive billions of dollars in federal funding" and if not whether the money should be spent elsewhere. The U.S. High Speed Rail Association paid travel and hotel expenses for Newsweek reporter James Bickerton to attend its 2025 annual conference.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Advocacy groups hold vigil outside U.S. representative Darin LaHood's office
NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — Advocacy groups and concerned residents gathered outside U.S. Representative Darin LaHood's district office in Normal to protest proposed federal budget cuts. The vigil aims to highlight the human impact of the GOP's budget plan, which includes $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid. Organizers said the proposed reductions could jeopardize healthcare access and food assistance for thousands in LaHood's district. The executive director of Citizen Action Illinois, the organization behind the vigil, said that having healthcare is a human right. 'Every single corner of his district. People care about their access to Medicaid, and people are watching him to make sure that he does the right thing. And so far, he's been unable to do that. He's been unable to stand up to House leadership, but especially as he talks about wanting to run for Senate. I mean, how can you say that you deserve a higher office when you are ripping away health care from over 139,000 of your constituents in your congressional district?' said Anusha Thotakura. The vigil featured personal testimonies from central Illinois residents, speeches from local leaders, and a moment of collective prayer and reflection. U.S. Representative Darin LaHood released a statement regarding the vigil. 'I am committed to representing the people of Illinois' 16th Congressional District,' said Rep. LaHood. 'I will continue to provide high-quality constituent services, support local businesses, meet with constituents across the 16th district, and represent their interests in Washington, D.C. I am proud of my record working on policy to support access to high-quality health care in rural Illinois.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reconciliation bill targets SNAP, extends Trump tax cuts
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Negotiations continue on Capitol Hill for the reconciliation process, with key committees advancing their portions of the bill on Wednesday. No Democratic amendments made it into the so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill', which aims to cut $1.5 trillion from federal programs and services to pay for $4.5 trillion in proposed tax cuts. 'The poor decisions that are being made here in Congress, are going to have significant effects. People are looking for certainty right now and all they're getting is just stupid politics from Washington. We need to get the job done for the people back home,' said U.S. Congressman Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.) Sorensen sits on the House Agriculture Committee, which is tasked with finding $230 billion in cuts. But the Republican-led committee cut even more than that. Wednesday's bill contains $300 billion in cuts from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), commonly referred to as food stamps. The bill increases the age requirement for SNAP from 54 to 64 for able-bodied adults with children. It also shifts the direct cost of food benefits from the federal government to the states. 'We need to make sure that we're doing right by our American farmers, by those that are getting up early in the day, working late at night, working to feed their families. Instead, what are we doing? We're looking at taking away the ability for people to put food on the table, literally, that's what we just did in the Agriculture Committee,' said Sorensen, who voted against the bill. Nearly two million Illinoisans, or one in seven people, depend on SNAP benefits to meet their nutritional needs, according to the Illinois Department of Health and Human Services. Sorensen lashed at his Republican colleagues, accusing them of prioritizing billionaires over the middle class. 'The only reason that they're doing what they're doing today is to give Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, and all of the rich fat cats, all of their tax breaks and put it onto the backs of working people. And so, let's call it out for what it is. It's a changing of how our government is working. It should be for the people by the people, but that's not what's going on today,' he said. U.S. Congressman Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) sits on the House Ways and Means Committee. The committee's bill makes Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent and increases the child tax credit. Some of LaHood's provisions made it in as well. The 'Health Saving for Families Act' makes health savings accounts (HSA) more accessible. 'The House Ways and Means Committee voted to provide hardworking Americans, seniors, small businesses, and farmers with much-needed and immediate tax relief,' said LaHood. 'It is critical that Congress pass the One, Big, Beautiful Bill as soon as possible to give rocket fuel to the United States' economy.' The committee bills now head to the House Budget Committee to combine into the legislative package. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
E&E News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
House approves slate of Natural Resources Committee bills
The House on Tuesday passed a list of Natural Resources Committee bills, including one to reclaim abandoned coal mines and another to expedite certain Interior Department appeals. The House cleared H.R. 167 the 'Community Reclamation Partnerships Act,' by voice vote. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) reintroduced the bill to protect third-party groups from liability for helping clean up abandoned mine sites and water. LaHood's bill would amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to encourage states and groups to work together to address sites abandoned before the law passed. The Senate didn't take up a similar proposal last Congress. Advertisement The House also approved Wyoming Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman's H.R. 677, the 'Expedited Appeals Review Act,' by voice vote. The bill would allow entities with cases before Interior's Board of Land Appeals to demand an expedited review if their case isn't resolved within 18 months.
