Latest news with #R-Ga
The Hill
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Navy loses another aircraft to Red Sea
The fighter jet from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier was landing on the flight deck 'when the arrestment failed, causing the aircraft to go overboard,' a defense official told The Hill. The arrestment is the hook system aircraft use to catch steel wire ropes on the flight deck as it lands, and it is unclear what part of the system was faulty. As the fighter went overboard, its two pilots were forced to eject, but they were rescued by a search-and-rescue helicopter and only had minor injuries, with no flight deck personnel injured, according to the official. The loss of the more than $60 million Super Hornet is the latest incident aboard the Truman as it engaged in a U.S. airstrike campaign against Houthi militants in Yemen, which began March 15 but appears to be paused following President Trump's announcement Tuesday that there is now a ceasefire between the two sides. The ceasefire, mediated by Oman, has secured a tentative end to attacks on American ships in the Red Sea, but details are slim on the concessions made by both sides. Still, the ceasefire allows the Trump administration to claim victory in clearing the pathway for commercial shipping and that served to justify the military campaign against the designated-terrorist group in Yemen. Trump on Wednesday credited the U.S. strikes with bringing the Houthis to the table. Since mid-March, the U.S. military has said it has struck more than 1,000 targets in Yemen as part of Operation Rough Rider. The strikes have killed 'hundreds' of Houthi fighters and leaders, including senior Houthi missile and UAV officials, and degraded their capabilities, Pentagon officials claimed late last month. ' We hit them very hard. They had a great capacity to withstand punishment. They took tremendous punishment… But we honored their commitment and their word, they gave us their word that they wouldn't be shooting ships anymore and we honor that,' Trump said during a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office for his new ambassador to China, former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga). The Truman aircraft carrier strike group has been in the Middle East region since this past fall, and in that time it has lost at least three F/A-18s. The first was shot down in the Red Sea in December when it was 'mistakenly fired' upon by the USS Gettysburg, though both pilots ejected safely. The Truman lost the second Super Hornet on April 28 when the jet 'was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft' and it fell overboard, according to the Navy. Initial reports suggested that the carrier was forced to make a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, leading to the F/A-18 sliding off the deck.
Observer
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Observer
AI action figures flood social media
This week, actress Brooke Shields posted an image of an action-figure version of herself that came with a needlepoint kit and a pet terrier. Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga, imagined her own figurine accompanied by a gavel and a Bible. These hyper-realistic dolls are nowhere to be found in toy stores, at least for the time being. They are being created using artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT. In recent weeks, social media users have been turning to AI to generate Barbie-fied versions of themselves, their dogs or their favorite famous figures. Anna Wintour has not been spared the AI-doll treatment. Neither has Ludwig van Beethoven. The trend has frustrated illustrators who oppose the use of unlicensed artwork to train these artificial intelligence tools and who remain concerned about the effects of AI on their livelihoods. Several have responded by posting similar images of figurines that they illustrated themselves. 'Human Made,' reads a text bubble in the corner of one such illustration by Linh Truong, who depicted herself with her sketchbook and her cat, Kayla. Truong, 23, an artist who lives in New York City, sees the AI action figures, the latest of several AI portraiture trends, as a way that tech companies are trying to connect with users on a personal level. 'They're like, 'We want you to see yourself in our product,'' she said. To plenty of people, that's a tempting possibility. Suzie Geria, 37, a fitness trainer in Toronto, thought the action figure created for her by ChatGPT was surprisingly realistic. It came with a kettlebell and a cartoon peach to represent the glute-focused class she teaches at a nearby gym. 'It's kind of cool to see yourself reflected in a cartoon form,' she said. 'I think we're looking at other ways to see ourselves in the world we live in, which is very much online.' Geria said she had empathy for those who worked in industries that might suffer job loss because of AI. 'It's a tough one, but it's bringing people joy as well,' she said. Pat Bassermann, 42, who works in marketing and lives in Andover, Massachusetts, typed a paragraph-long prompt into ChatGPT to create an action figure of himself. 'Use this photo of me to create an action figure of myself in a blister pack, in the style like a premium collectible toy,' he wrote, adding requests for grilling tongs and a 'relaxed, friendly smile.' He uploaded a headshot and was presented with an image seconds later. 'Wife & Kids Not Included. Messy House Sold Separately,' reads a line of text at the bottom of the image. Soon, his three daughters wanted their own versions. In a few more minutes, they were presented with figurines with ponytails, accessorised with ballet slippers, a video game controller and a cup of Boba tea. As AI platforms have surged in popularity, their image-generating abilities have come under scrutiny. Artists and musicians have argued that the technology threatens their livelihoods. Deepfake images, many of them explicit, have confounded schools, political campaigns and celebrities. In March, social media was flooded with videos that used ChatGPT to replicate the style of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. In response, some users circulated a clip of Miyazaki calling AI 'an insult to life itself' in a 2016 documentary. Martha Ratcliff, 29, an illustrator in Leeds, England, said she spent years developing a distinctive style of portraiture. She said she felt frustrated every time she saw a new AI portrait trend that ostensibly drew from the work of real artists without compensation. She gets that it's fun to hop on a trend, she said. 'But I think if you look at the bigger picture, there are a lot of creatives that are worried,' she added. 'You just don't want it to wipe out the whole creative industry.' She spent about 20 minutes making her own hand-drawn rendition of the trend. She depicted herself holding her newborn, surrounded by flowers, coloured pencils and a steaming mug that said 'mama.' — The New York Times
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Donald Trump's New Insulting Nickname Is Mocked As A Total Dud
Donald Trump unveiled a new insult on social media this week to target critics of his proposed tariffs, which have sent stock markets sliding and raised fears of a looming global recession. But the nickname, 'Panican,' failed to land for many, with online commenters calling it a 'total clunker,' 'not Trump's best branding work,' and even a sign he 'knows he's fucked.' In an online post, Trump railed against what he described as 'a new party based on Weak and Stupid people' who oppose his tariffs, urging supporters not to give in to fear. Even prominent Republicans and his backers have called out the tariffs. Trump wrote: 'The United States has a chance to do something that should have been done DECADES AGO. Don't be Weak! Don't be Stupid! Don't be a PANICAN. Be Strong, Courageous, and Patient, and GREATNESS will be the result!' While Trump's loyalists ― including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) ― embraced the new catchphrase, many others weren't impressed. Critics suggested the insult lacked the punch of Trump's more infamous nicknames like 'Crooked Hillary' for Democratic 2016 rival Hillary Clinton or 'Sleepy Joe' for former President Joe Biden. Trump Loses It Over Reporter's Straightforward Tariffs Question: 'So Stupid' Billionaire Trump Backer Warns America Of 'Self-Induced Economic Nuclear Winter' Trump's Wild Golf Brag Amid Tariffs Panic Sparks Outrage Online 'Boom!': CNN Data Chief Spots How Trump Just Made History — In The Worst Way
