New LAPD car cameras to capture wider angles, allow video to upload from field to station
The Los Angeles Police Department partnered with Axon to install new cameras in its patrol cars, and they are expected to be rolled out over a year.
GOP Oversight chairman promises ‘intense scrutiny’ of John Kerry’s secretive China talks
EXCLUSIVE: House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., vowed Friday to maintain scrutiny of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry’s climate negotiations with China.
Comer said the committee, which has broad investigative authority, remains concerned about Kerry’s high-level role in setting climate policy and engaging in international talks despite having never been confirmed by the Senate. The State Department confirmed Friday that Kerry recently restarted climate talks with his Chinese counterpart and is planning additional meetings.
“For the past two years, the Biden Administration has withheld information on John Kerry’s role within the Administration despite the committee’s many requests,” Comer told Fox News Digital in a statement. “He was not confirmed by the Senate. He is not held accountable by the American people. He is skirting congressional oversight and that is unacceptable.”
“His reported upcoming negotiations with the Chinese on climate topics, an action which he has done on numerous occasions, is inappropriate and potentially undermines U.S. interests and domestic energy security,” he continued. “Mr. Kerry’s continued engagement in shady negotiations will be met with intense scrutiny by the committee.”
BIDEN CLIMATE CZAR JOHN KERRY’S TOP DEPUTIES DISCUSSED KEEPING DISCUSSIONS ‘OFF PAPER’
The top Republican lawmaker added that the panel sent letter last week to Secretary of State Antony Blinken related to Kerry’s role as special envoy at the State Department. Comer said he expects “nothing less than full cooperation” from the agency.
Comer announced in February that the Oversight Committee would open a probe into Kerry’s secretive negotiations with Chinese climate diplomats.
JOHN KERRY’S OFFICE CONSULTED LEFT-WING ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WHILE CRAFTING POLICIES, EMAILS SHOW
“Secretary Kerry last spoke virtually with his counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, in April as part of their ongoing conversations on the critical work needed to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis,” a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “He has been invited by Xie Zhenhua to visit China at some point in the future and continue these conversations in person, but no formal plans for this meeting have been made.”
“President Biden and President Xi agreed in one of their first conversations that this is global crisis and that the PRC and the U.S. need to play a role in order to address it,” the spokesperson continued. “They also agreed that they would try to keep this issue separate from the many other issues between our two countries.”
Since President Biden appointed him as the first-ever SPEC, Kerry’s office has been tight-lipped about its actions and has declined to share details about its internal operations, sparking criticism from Comer and other Republicans. Meanwhile, he has jet-set around the world, attending high-profile climate summits and diplomatic engagements on behalf of the U.S. government in an effort to push a global transition from fossil fuels to green energy alternatives.
As part of that effort, Kerry has engaged in various private talks with Chinese counterparts, including two 2021 meetings that took place in China. Following a regional climate summit in April 2021, Kerry told CNBC that solving climate change was “not about China.”
However, China still accounts for about 27% of total global emissions — nearly tripling the total from the U.S., the world’s second-largest emitter, according to Rhodium Group — and continues to approve and construct a large amount of coal power plants.
In addition, internal State Department emails obtained by Fox News Digital suggest that there is little agency oversight of Kerry’s work and that he is considered to be on the same level as Blinken. The emails — recently acquired via records request by watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust and shared with Fox News Digital — came in response to a congressional inquiry in 2021.
“The Secretary of State consults closely and regularly with the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate to ensure policy coordination,” a State Department official whose name was redacted told Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff in a May 2021 email responding to a question about whether Blinken has authority over Kerry.
“We have established a variety of mechanisms and channels to ensure robust coordination between their respective staffs, including regular meetings between the Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs of Staff, and other senior policy advisors,” the official continued.
Meg Ryan makes first public appearance in months to support Michael J. Fox
Meg Ryan made a rare public appearance in New York this week to support her longtime friend Michael J. Fox and his new Apple TV+ documentary, “Still.”
German man rescued from woods after sex game gone wrong
German police say a 51-year-old man who was left tied up in the woods when a sex game went awry had a lucky escape after a cyclist and a hunter heard his screams for help.
NYPD OFFICERS CAUGHT HAVING SEX IN CAR AFTER RESIDENTS HEAR SCREAMS: REPORT
Police said the man was discovered fully dressed but firmly bound with ropes and a pantyhose over his head atop a deer-hunting platform near the town of Bueckburg late Wednesday.
In a statement Friday, police said the man appeared to have been tied up by a woman he met online. After she had done so, the woman received a phone call and fled the woods suddenly, leaving the man behind in a helpless state.
WILD SEX CLAIMS REVEALED AT ‘CUSHIEST’ PRISON AS 18 FEMALE GUARDS FIRED, QUIT: REPORT
“The 51-year-old told officers that he had a box cutter on him ‘for such situations’ but seemed to have underestimated the (woman’s) bondage skills because he was unable to reach the knife,” police said.
The man was unharmed and refused to provide information about the woman’s identity. Police have opened an investigation of her on suspicion of failure to render assistance and possible deprivation of liberty.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/german-man-rescued-woods-sex-game-gone-wrong
Jenny Craig, the Once-Highflying Weight-Loss Brand, Is Going Out of Business After 40 Years
The company was famous for its personalized meal plans and celebrity endorsements.
Giants’ Dexter Lawrence says Saquon Barkley will ‘get what he deserves’ as contract talks loom
Dexter Lawrence was at the New York Giants’ training facility Friday doing his signature sack dance with head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen after officially putting pen to paper on his four-year, $90 million contract extension.
Lawrence joined quarterback Daniel Jones, a fellow 2019 first-round pick, as a cornerstone franchise piece locked in at big money for the future.
But the Giants still have one piece left to lock in, and all eyes are on running back Saquon Barkley’s situation with the team. He’s franchise tagged, though he and the Giants are hoping to work something out like Jones and Lawrence did by the time training camp rolls around.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Lawrence, knowing how much Barkley means to the team, said the All-Pro running back will be getting his big payday.
“I think Saquon is going to get what he deserves,” he told reporters Friday. “He’s a great player, he’s a great leader for us. One of the top players on the team. I’m excited to see what’s up for him.”
Schoen recently told “Good Morning Football” that Barkley’s representatives have agreed to set up a meeting post-NFL Draft to see “what the appetite” is regarding a potential deal.
Schoen and the Giants want their leader in the backfield on the roster, but a deal has to make sense for both sides.
“Listen, Saquon is a very good football player, captain last year. He’s a good locker room guy. I love him,” Schoen explained. “We want him to be here. But you’ve got to have a deal where both parties are happy with where you end up. That’s what we’re going to try to work for and see if we can get something we can both agree on.”
The running back market isn’t like the market for quarterbacks or even defensive tackles like Lawrence. It’s been a position for which teams have found cost-effective talent in later rounds in the draft. Think Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, a seventh-round pick out of Rutgers last year who ended up getting the lion’s share of carries for the Super Bowl champions as the season progressed.
But Barkley has proven to be one of the most dynamic, two-way running backs in the league since he was drafted No. 2 overall by the Giants in 2018. And in Daboll’s offense, Barkley has been the focal point. He had 1,312 yards on 295 carries last season with 10 touchdowns along with 338 receiving yards.
That’s elite production, and Barkley likely wants to be paid like an elite player.
Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers leads the pack with just over $16 million in average annual value after signing his four-year deal while playing for the Carolina Panthers. The New Orleans Saints’ Alvin Kamara makes $15 million per year, while the Minnesota Vikings’ Dalvin Cook and Tennessee Titans’ Derrick Henry make $12.6 million and $12.5 million, respectively.
The Giants reportedly offered Barkley a deal that was worth $14 million per season, but talks fell through because the structure of the deal and guaranteed money weren’t to his liking.
Devils vs. Hurricanes Game 2 pick: NHL odds, predictions, best bets
The Devils’ bandwagon was loading up after the first round, but it lost some steam after their Game 1 loss.
https://nypost.com/2023/05/05/devils-vs-hurricanes-game-2-pick-nhl-odds-predictions-best-bets/
Border Patrol Union blasts ‘clown’ Kamala Harris, Biden’s handing of immigration after surge of migrants
The National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) mocked Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, calling her a “clown” as Title 42’s expiration date looms.
“In 6 days the massive crush of illegal aliens coming through our border will make the last 2 years look like amateur hour,” the Border Patrol Union wrote in a Twitter post.
Title 42, a Trump-era policy that allows the swift expulsion of illegal immigrants from the U.S., will expire on May 11 and tens of thousands of migrants are expected to seek entrance into America after it is lifted.
“Biden doesn’t have one clue about how to contain what he’s unleashed. He has a clown running DHS and a worse clown as VP. Watch what happens,” NBPC said in an effort to draw attention to the ongoing crisis at the southern border.
TILLIS, SINEMA TO INTRODUCE BILL TO ALLOW MIGRANT EXPULSIONS TO CONTINUE AFTER TITLE 42 ENDS
Harris, who was appointed to lead efforts at the southern border as the Border Czar, has only visited the southern border once since taking office in 2021, despite the ongoing migrant surge into the U.S.
GOP SENATORS URGE BIDEN TO REVERSE TITLE 42 TERMINATION, CITING ESTIMATES OF MIGRANT DELUGE
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources revealed that they had encountered over 8,000 migrants a day border-wide in the first few days of May. However, the Department of Homeland Security warns that this number could nearly double after Title 42 expires, reaching up to 14,000 migrant encounters a day.
As concerns grow over the multitude of individuals expected to enter the U.S. after the policy ends, President Joe Biden ordered 1,500 active duty troops to guard the southern border.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw and Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.
Amazon quietly acquired audio content discovery engine Snackable AI to boost its podcast projects
Amazon quietly acquired New York-based audio content discovery engine Snackable AI last December to boost its podcast features, as first reported by New York Post. The tech giant told TechCrunch in email on Friday that the Snackable AI team joined Amazon Music to work on existing podcast projects. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Snackable AI founder and CEO Mari Joller is now an AI and machine learning product leader at Amazon Music, according to her LinkedIn profile. Her profile notes that she leads “a team of engineers, applied scientists and computational linguists to build AI-powered products for Amazon Music Podcasts’ customers.”
Founded in 2018, Snackable AI specialized in using AI to add structure and metadata to video and audio easily with AI-generated chapters, highlights and more. The company’s technology provides an “at a glance” view to make consuming content fast and efficient.
Joller’s LinkedIn profile says Snackable AI joined Amazon to “to continue innovating and exploring new experiences on behalf of Amazon Music Podcasts’ customers.” Snackable AI raised $3.1 million in funding before being acquired by Amazon, according to Crunchbase.
Amazon added podcasts to its Music platform back in 2020 and has since been building out the offering and adding new features, such as synched transcripts. Last November, the company made most of the top podcasts on its service available without ads for Prime members. The Amazon Music app was also updated to include a new “Podcast Previews” feature that lets customers listen to short clips as a way to discover new podcasts they may like.
At the same time, Amazon began offering Prime subscribers a full music catalog with 100 million songs, instead of the previously more limited selection of just 2 million songs. The move was seen as a way for Amazon Music to lure some subscribers away from other music services, like Apple Music or Spotify.
The tech giant closed the acquisition at a time when major companies, including Microsoft and Google, were racing to implement AI-powered features into the products following the launch and subsequent popularity of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Amazon was among many other tech companies that touted the potential of AI during its latest quarterly earnings call last month. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy revealed during a call with investors that the company is building a more “generalized and capable” large language model (LLM) to power Alexa.
Amazon quietly acquired audio content discovery engine Snackable AI to boost its podcast projects by Aisha Malik originally published on TechCrunch
Thieves detach ATM from Seattle bank – as locals slam ‘defund the police’
As of Friday afternoon, the criminals remain on the run.
https://nypost.com/2023/05/05/thieves-detach-atm-from-seattle-bank-as-locals-slam-defund-the-police/