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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Reddit suing AI startup Anthropic for breach of contract, using data without authority
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Social media company Reddit has filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence startup Anthropic for breach of contract. The lawsuit, which was filed in San Francisco on Wednesday, accused the AI company of scraping Reddit user comments to train its chatbot 'Claude.' The suit alleges that Anthropic has been training its AI models using the personal data of Reddit users without their consent. Reddit alleges it has been harmed by the unauthorized use of its content and user data. Bay Area tech layoffs: Google, Microsoft, Cruise all announce job cuts In the lawsuit, Reddit refers to Anthropic as a 'late-blooming artificial intelligence company that bills itself as the white knight of the AI industry.' Reddit-lawsuitDownload 'It is anything but,' the lawsuit states before going on to allege that the AI startup is 'intentionally trained on the personal data of Reddit users without ever requesting their consent.' The lawsuit also alleges that despite Anthropic saying it had blocked its bots from accessing Reddit, the bots have hit Reddit's servers over 100,000 times since July of 2024. Reddit also alleges that unlike its competitors, Anthropic 'has refused to agree to respect Reddit users' basic privacy rights.' The suit further alleges that Anthropic has trained its AI 'on one of the most robust online discussion platforms in the world — Reddit has entered into formal partnership with some of Anthropic's competitors, namely Google and OpenAI. This partnership, the suit explains, allows them to use public Reddit content after agreeing to Reddit's licensing terms. In the lawsuit, Reddit said it is seeking compensation for damages and to prohibit Anthropic from using any Reddit data or content for its commercial offerings or profit. The lawsuit is demanding a jury trial. KRON4 reached out to Anthropic and received the following response: 'We disagree with Reddit's claims and will defend ourselves vigorously.' Reddit and Anthropic both have their headquarters in San Francisco. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hamilton Spectator
30-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Why did I get an emergency alert for a homicide in Pickering? Teen boy charged with 1st-degree murder following ‘sadistic and cowardly' attack
Thousands of Ontario residents received a shelter-in-place alert during the Thursday afternoon commute. The alert indicated police were investigating a homicide suspect at 2125 Lynn Heights Dr., but it failed to mention the community name of Pickering. The alert appeared to create confusion on social media and included the r/askTO subreddit on . People receive this alert on Toronto-area cellphones as police hunt for a suspect in Thursday's stabbing death. Commenters reported receiving the alert in downtown Toronto and Newmarket. Others who said they received it, live more than 100-kilometres away from the impacted area, in places like Haliburton and Barrie. Alert Ready is the public-facing brand name for the National Public Alerting System administered by Public Safety Canada. Canada's emergency alerting system is intended to deliver critical alerts to Canadians through television, radio and LTE-connected and compatible wireless devices. The May 29 Pickering alert was sent by the Ontario Provincial Police on behalf of Durham Regional Police. In an email to Metroland, Durham police spokesperson Joanne McCabe said the local police service provided a suggested area to shelter in place in its alert request to the OPP. 'The area the alert extends to and what information is released, is at the discretion of the OPP,' McCabe added. 'My understanding is the reach for the alert went further than the requested area as the armed suspect was mobile and there was an imminent threat to public safety.' Metroland has also reached out to the OPP and will update this piece when we receive a reply. A shelter in place can be issued for major police events. The Government of Canada website advises people to follow the directions and advice of law enforcement and first responders. Here's what you should do if you receive a notice: In a May 30 update, Durham police said a 14-year-old boy was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after an older adult woman was stabbed to death in the Lynn Heights Drive and Fairport Road area of Pickering Thursday afternoon. The suspect was initially thought to be 13, according to a previous news release. On May 29 at 3:05 p.m., police responded to the area for an unknown trouble call. After a brief encounter, the suspect 'assaulted the victim in an unprovoked attack (by) stabbing her multiple times,' police said. The woman was outside her home on Lynn Heights Drive near Fairport Road around 3 p.m., when police say the suspect approached her. A passerby found a woman on the ground outside a residence suffering from traumatic injuries. She was transported to a Toronto-area trauma centre and pronounced dead. In a media briefing Thursday evening, Durham police Chief Peter Moreira called the suspect 'sadistic and cowardly' in the unprovoked attack, which was captured on video. 'I worked in homicide for a long time and I can tell you that an unprovoked attack like this is just unimaginable,' Moreira added. The woman was doing what 'everyone else would do at the front of their home,' according to Moreira and added she does not hold any responsibility for the attack. Following the stabbing, police said the suspect fled eastbound on Lynn Heights Drive, which prompted a massive search that included a rare shelter-in-place alert issued across the Greater Toronto Area in a bid to minimize any risk to public safety. Police said the suspect was arrested without incident Thursday evening at 8:30 p.m. The stabbing death is Durham Region's second homicide of 2025, said police. The woman's name is being withheld at the request of the family. — With files from Kristen Calis, Toronto Star Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fresno Rep. Jim Costa gets scolded for Trump-friendly vote. What's gotten into him?
What's gotten into Rep. Jim Costa lately? Fresno's longtime congressman, who turns 73 next month, is on a feisty streak. His recent votes, official statements and social media posts are more spirited and conspicuous than usual. Now in his 11th two-year term on Capitol Hill following 24 years in Sacramento – an uninterrupted run of public service and election victories that dates to 1978 – Costa is a paradigm for measured, mild-mannered politicians. The conservative-ish Democrat doesn't say anything rash or controversial, doesn't do anything rash or controversial, very seldom casts rash or controversial votes, and generally maintains a low national profile. Opinion Costa blew his own cover Wednesday by being one of 10 Democrats who joined the House's slim Republican majority in voting to censure Rep. Al Green of Texas, who was ejected from the chamber for interrupting and heckling President Trump during Tuesday's state of the union address. The resolution passed 224 to 198. The 10 Democratic defectors were harshly criticized for their Trump-friendly votes on social media and from progressive groups. Including one called Indivisible, whose co-executive director Ezra Levin labeled them 'cowardly and unacceptable.' 'Rep. Green had the spine to call out Trump's blatant lies,' Levin said. 'That's the kind of Democratic leadership we need — not tone-policing, not pearl-clutching, and certainly not pretending this is a normal presidency.' Costa's X account got bombarded with negative replies (the parlance is 'getting ratioed'), and a thread entitled 'Jim Costa's political career in Fresno has to end' appeared on In response, the congressman released a statement saying he agrees with Green that Trump doesn't have a mandate for his wrecking-ball approach to reduce government spending but disagrees over 'disruptions during official proceedings of the United States Congress.' 'We need to focus instead on the President's distortions of the facts,' Costa added. 'As Democrats, our focus should remain on the critical issues that matter to the American people.' Speaking of those, Costa also helped Trump get a legislative win as part of his administration's broader crackdown on illegal immigration by supporting the Laken Riley Act. The new law directs federal agents to detain undocumented people accused, arrested or convicted not only of violent offenses but also relatively minor ones such as 'burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.' Costa was among six California Democrats and 46 overall to vote 'yes' on the hardline policy including fellow San Joaquin Valley congress members Rep. Adam Gray and Rep. Josh Harder. While aligned with the Trump administration and Republicans on those particular votes, Costa's recent press releases and social media posts tell a different story. The first sign of a more feisty, spirited Costa came after the Border Patrol began conducting immigration raids in Kern County and elsewhere in the Valley. Costa provided local media with the best information about ongoing sweeps and criticized the mass deportations of undocumented residents. 'Breaking families up is not the American way,' Costa said at a Jan. 11 press conference in southeast Fresno. 'And spreading fear to hard-working people who are contributing every day ... is not the way to deal with fixing our border.' For Costa, who isn't known for an economy of words, that qualifies as succinct. On Jan. 23, after Trump mass pardoned the 1,500 criminals and clowns that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Costa sounded as impassioned as you'll ever hear him in a 7-minute House speech denouncing the decision. 'This was not a peaceful protest as some have tried to portray it, including President Trump and Speaker Johnson,' said Costa, one of 25 House members trapped inside the gallery while rioters pounded locked doors and shattered glass windows. 'The photos and videos that we've all seen make it clear this was no lovefest. It was a violent insurrection attempt to try and overthrow a fair and free election.' Since then, Costa has issued statements pressing the Trump administration 'for answers' about his sudden water release orders from Tulare County reservoirs, supporting 5,000 federal employees in his district that were sent letters asking them to resign and imploring Trump to halt the 25% tariffs on building materials from Mexico and Canada. Costa saved some of his strongest language for a Feb. 24 press release denouncing Vladimir Putin's aggression in Ukraine as well as the U.S.'s vote against the United Nations resolution condemning Russia. 'This is a betrayal of Ukraine and of democracy itself,' Costa's statement said. 'Putin is a war criminal, and this vote undermines our commitment to justice and global unity.' While it's well-known Costa is a member of the House Committee on Agriculture and tends to focus on farming and water issues, he also (since 2019) serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and its Europe subcommittee. This aspect of Costa's job isn't as covered by Fresno media, but he has close ties in the war-torn country formed during four visits over the past six years. This split between agriculture and foreign affairs is reflected in the campaign contributions Costa received during the 2023-24 election cycle. His largest financial support came from the crop production & processing industry ($170,600) followed by pro-Israel lobbies ($141,472) including $136,472 from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, according to Costa's November election victory, by 5.2% over Republican challenger Michael Maher, was his narrowest margin since 2014. That's despite running in the redrawn 21st Congressional District, which based on voter registration should have been more favorable to Democrats than the one Costa represented between 2013-23. By casting Trump-friendly votes on the censure and Laken Riley Act while scolding Trump for his executive orders and policy decisions, Costa appears to be pitching to both sides of the plate. But far be it from me to question the strategy of a politician with his winning streak among Fresno voters. Costa has been in public service for so long he practically blends into the tapestry. But as recent weeks have shown, he is still capable of standing out.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tipsy Bean cafe owner accused of keeping servers' tips. What she said happened
The owner of Tipsy Bean Cafe, 2425 Peach St., was the subject of a firestorm of social media criticism Jan. 19 when it was claimed on that she was keeping electronic tips intended for servers. Owner Gisele Littrell got so much negative feedback that she produced a Facebook Live video explaining that she has been keeping server tips left electronically since 2022. She said in the video that she has used the funds to pay more than the prevailing wage. "Everything I did was in the best interest of my employees and in accordance with my understanding of the law," Littrell said Wednesday. "I pooled the electronic tips to pay higher, consistent wages, which my employees voted for, as opposed to lower base wages and splitting tips by shifts. I did not financially benefit from this policy." Customers who left electronic tips were not informed of the policy for the house to take the tips. In a post Jan. 20 on Facebook, which has since been deleted, Littrell apologized for misunderstanding the law and changing the job descriptions for servers that she said makes them tip-eligible and that she would pay employees electronic tips retroactively to August of 2022. "I am currently working with the state to review if our records complied with the law," Littrell said later. "I am working with an employment attorney and have gained a great deal more clarity in regards to wage and handbook policy guidelines. "I have a new tip pooling and wage policy, as well as, job titles and descriptions currently in place," she said. "I have made mistakes and am doing everything in my power to set things right." Tipsy Bean has won best coffee shop in a Best of Erie contest four times in a row, starting in 2021. It displays work for sale by local artists and hosts events including live music and speakers. The accusation that Littrell kept the tips surfaced on Reddit about three weeks ago, and hundreds of comments and accusations flew around for several days, making it onto the coffee shop's Facebook site, where they were soon deleted. With the intention of clarifying her position, Littrell live streamed a video on Facebook Live that was subsequently uploaded to YouTube. Littrell said in the video that she considered all Tipsy Bean employees to be "shift leaders," who, as managers, would not be eligible for tips of any kind. She allowed servers to keep the tips left in cash. Pennsylvania law states: "All tips and gratuities paid by credit card or other non-cash method of payment are the property of the employee receiving them. "Employers are prohibited from deducting any credit card or other payment processing fees from employees' tips." More: Erie's cup overflows with independent coffee shops. Find them here. When asked if Littrell broke the law, Danielle L. Woods, press secretary for the state's Department of Labor & Industry responded: "Neither the Wage Payment and Collection Law nor the Minimum Wage Act (both enforced by L&I) makes a distinction between electronic and cash tips for purposes of compliance," Woods wrote. "Tips, with very few exceptions, are considered to be the property of the employee. More information on Pennsylvania's regulations related to the minimum wage and tipped workers can be found" (on the website). Woods said if anyone had filed a complaint, she could not address it publicly. "Whether a complaint has been filed or an investigation has been commenced is confidential," Woods said. "Accordingly, the Department of Labor & Industry cannot offer comment." She said if a complaint were made and found to be true, and the state and owner came to an agreement, that would be public record. More: In what used to be bank drive-through lanes, there could soon be a tiny coffee shop "If a labor law violation is determined to have occurred, an administrative order or signed settlement agreement reflecting the violation and penalty would be publicly available," Woods said in an email Jan. 24. "At this time, L&I has not issued violations or entered into a signed settlement agreement with Tipsy Bean." She said employees who believe they were deprived of their tip income can file a confidential complaint, and the department takes those complaints seriously. "Any Pennsylvanian who believes they have experienced a violation of Pennsylvania's labor laws is encouraged to submit a complaint with the Department's Bureau of Labor Law Compliance online," she wrote. "The Department investigates all complaints." In a recent visit to the coffee shop, a reporter found the debit card machine did not offer a way to tip electronically as it did on previous visits. There was a mug for cash tips sitting on the counter near the point of sale. "We had to temporarily turn off tipping to transition to the new wage and tip policies," Littrell said. "The tipping option is currently active again." Contact Jennie Geisler at jgeisler@ Find her weekly newsletter at This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Tipsy Bean cafe tip-collecting allegations addressed by owner
