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Book Review: Claire Legrand debuts adult trilogy with spellbinding ‘A Crown of Ivy and Glass’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:11:09 GMT

“A Crown of Ivy and Glass” by Claire Legrand (Bloom Books)Lady Imogen Ashbourne is rich, spoiled and obsessed with looks. She’s also tremendously weighted with guilt both earned and unearned. She’s got a lot of growing up to do, and the sink-or-swim adventure she’s about to embark on will guarantee she does.Author Claire Legrand, already established in the world of teen fiction, is also growing up into the world of adult fantasy with “A Crown of Ivy and Glass.” It’s the first of a promised three books in the Middlemist Trilogy, which promises angst, sexy time, mythical beasts and intriguing lore. A seasoned fantasy writer and masterful worldbuilder, Legrand explains the world’s history and magic without bogging down the story or turning it into a history lesson.Before the story even begins, Legrand warns readers it’s going to be an intense ride. Her author’s note serves as a brief content warning — one that is wholly merited, as the book touches on numerous sensitive but impor...

AI chip race heats up as AMD introduces rival to Nvidia technology

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:11:09 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Advanced Micro Devices has revealed a new artificial intelligence chip in its race to compete with rival chipmaker Nvidia in supplying the foundation for a boom in AI-fueled business tools.The semiconductor company, based in Santa Clara, California, described its new MI300X chip as “the world’s most advanced accelerator for generative AI.” It’s expected to attract interest from big cloud providers such as Amazon or Microsoft, but AMD hasn’t specified which cloud provider might use it. CFRA senior equity analyst Angelo Zino predicted this month that that AMD’s MI300 processor “will see significant interest from cloud providers and vie with NVIDIA’s Grace Hopper Superchip.”“AMD’s stronger partnership with Microsoft should also drive upside, as it is reportedly cited to be developing a custom processor chip that Microsoft will use for AI workloads,” Zino wrote. AMD CEO Lisa Su demonstrated the new technology at a showcase event in San Francisco on Tuesd...

UK’s ITV defends work culture amid host affair scandal and bullying claims

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:11:09 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Executives at Britain’s ITV defended the broadcaster’s working culture Wednesday as a committee of lawmakers grilled them about the way the network handled staff complaints and allegations of a “toxic,” bullying work environment. ITV, best known for shows like “Downton Abbey,” “Coronation Street” and “The X Factor,” has been under intense public scrutiny since Phillip Schofield, a long-time host on the channel’s popular morning show, quit last month after admitting he lied about his affair with a much younger male colleague. Chief executive Carolyn McCall and two other ITV executives were called to Parliament’s culture, media and sport committee to answer wider questions about how the broadcaster handled staff complains and safeguarding. Asked about Schofield, 61, and the younger colleague, who was not named, McCall denied that ITV turned a blind eye to what she called a “deeply inappropriate” relationship. She added that there were ...

Southern Baptists refuse to let Saddleback Church back into the denomination after expelling it for having women pastors

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:11:09 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Southern Baptists refuse to let Saddleback Church back into the denomination after expelling it for having women pastors.Source

What will the weather be like for the Denver Nuggets parade?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:11:09 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — For the first time in franchise history, the Denver Nuggets are NBA champions. In honor of this historic moment, the Mile High City will hold a parade in celebration. But how should you prepare when it comes to the weather?The Pinpoint Weather team has been tracking the forecast all week in anticipation of the big parade. The event will be held rain or shine, so you might want to bring a raincoat. Nuggets championship parade will be Thursday: Here are all the details On Thursday, the pre-rally starts at 9 a.m. at Civic Center Park. According to Pinpoint Meteorologist Kylie Bearse, at that time Denver will be sunny with temperatures in the low-60s.When the parade begins at 10 a.m. at Union Station, temperatures will stay cool, only rising to the upper-60s.While the Avalanche victory parade in 2022 was warm in the mid-80s, the Nuggets celebration will only climb to the low-70s.As the morning stays partly cloudy and cool, Kylie said you may need a raincoat by the time...

Heinz is releasing a sauce packet unique to Colorado

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:11:09 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Heinz packets could be a collectors' item this summer as the sauce brand is releasing special limited-edition condiment packets that are custom to each state and its most popular dish.They're calling it Saucemerica, and the packets will be at restaurants, theatres, parks, stadiums, drive-throughs and other places that contribute to your sauce packet collection at the office or in your junk drawer. Yelp names unlikely Boulder restaurant among top 25 burger spots Plus if you document your United States of Saucemerica collection, you could be rewarded for all the sauce packets you save for a rainy day.The saucesThe Saucemerica packets come in classic condiments including ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, ranch, BBQ sauce and tartar sauce. The designs, however, will be unique to each of the 50 states.Each packet's unique design will correspond to the state and its most popular dish.The Colorado sauce packet, filled with tomato ketchup, features the Rocky Mountains and tre...

Puppies found abandoned in sealed box near Florida Walmart, battling canine parvovirus

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:11:09 GMT

BRADENTON, FLA. (WSVN) – In a heart-wrenching incident, two 7-week-old puppies were discovered abandoned on the sidewalk near a Florida Walmart.The innocent pups were left to fend for themselves inside a sealed box, their lives hanging by a thread. They were discovered on Friday, June 9 on a sidewalk near SR-70 and 301 in Bradenton. The distressing condition of the puppies became apparent as they were brought to Manatee County Animal Welfare. Both tested positive for canine parvovirus, a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease, and alarmingly registered dangerously high temperatures of 106 degrees.Thanks to the quick actions of a compassionate individual who found them, the puppies were promptly transported to an emergency partner for urgent medical attention. Their critical health condition required immediate intervention to give them a fighting chance at survival.Canine parvovirus is a severe viral infection that affects dogs, particularly puppies who have not yet bu...

Pembroke Pines Police seek assistance in identifying porch pirate caught on camera

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:11:09 GMT

Authorities in Pembroke Pines are seeking the public’s help in identifying a package thief who was captured on surveillance cameras.The incident occurred in the vicinity of NW 98th Way and NW 16th Court. The suspect, who fled the area in a newer model black sedan, possibly a Nissan Maxima, remains at large.https://twitter.com/PPinesPD/status/1668998428989304832?s=20The Pembroke Pines Police Department has released footage of the incident, urging community members to come forward with any information that could aid in identifying the individual responsible for the theft. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Detective Abbey, who is leading the investigation, at 954-743-1267 or via email at [email protected].

Beyoncé caused Sweden inflation bump, expert says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:11:09 GMT

Crazy In … Flation. American superstar singer Beyoncé, who launched her world tour with a concert in Stockholm on May 10, is partially responsible for the rise of inflation in the country in May, a senior economist at one of the top Nordic banks said.Monthly inflation increased by 0.3 percentage points in Sweden from April to May, data published Wednesday from Statistics Sweden shows.The hike was in part due to an increase in “a broad set of goods and services, for instance hotel and restaurant visits” and “recreational services,” which include concert tickets. According to Michael Grahn, Danske Bank’s chief economist in Sweden, Beyoncé’s concerts in the Swedish capital are partly to blame.“Beyonce’s start of her world tour in Sweden seems to have colored May inflation, how much is uncertain, but probably 0.2 p.p. of the 0.3 p.p. that hotels/restaurants added,” Grahn said. “We expect this upside surprise to be reversed...

Facial recognition emerges as AI rulebook’s make-or-break issue

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:11:09 GMT

Forget ChatGPT: The battle brewing over artificial intelligence in Brussels is about facial recognition. On Tuesday, the European Parliament’s plenary passed its version of the Artificial Intelligence Act after two years of wrangling. The text — backed by a coalition of Socialists and Democrats, center-right Christian Democrats of the EPP, liberals from Renew, and Greens — passed by a large margin, with 499 lawmakers giving it their final approval, 28 voting against and 93 abstaining. Yet until the very end, one issue threatened to scupper the deal: The Parliament’s text, as presented, would ban facial recognition.The Parliament wants to crack down on the use of facial recognition in public places, an area considered one of artificial intelligence’s riskiest uses.AIs powering facial-recognition cameras (and tools designed to identify individuals relying on other biometric indicators) are dogged by biases, sometimes struggling to tell non-white people apart, for in...