Month: December 2024

The new leaders in the world of faith to follow in 2025

The new leaders in the world of faith to follow in 2025

Published by skeptic

(RNS) — Like its politics, the United States’ religious scene could at times this year appear intractably stalled by partisanship and warring ideologies. But Americans of faith and observers of the religious landscape can also be encouraged and fascinated by the new voices that have emerged in past 12 months, in ancient faith traditions and new movements alike. These emerging faith leaders promise to take the country in new directions, whether offering new perspectives on immigrant rights in a new Trump administration, pushing young people to engage in faith-based environmental activism or fighting ableism. Not all of the new names that came to our attention this year offer escape from our discord: Some are engaged in political fights over whether the country, or our households, should adopt a Christian polity to live up to our highest ideals.  Here are some of the newsmakers we’ll be keeping our eyes on in the year ahead. Tia LevingsAuthor and social media influencer  Tia Levings. (Photo by Hannah Joy Photography) Levings, author of the New York Times bestseller “A …

GamesBeat writer Rachel Kaser’s Top 5 Games of 2024

GamesBeat writer Rachel Kaser’s Top 5 Games of 2024

Published by skeptic

We’re about to draw the shroud over 2024 — a complicated year that gave us excellent games but which I fully expect to be remembered as “troubled” by the industry at large. We’ve had over 14,000 layoffs, a withering market for three aging consoles, ballooning subscription costs and the (partial) collapse of the live service genre. But we have the first few weeks of January 2025 to eulogize the year’s events. Instead, it’s that time: Time to talk about our favorite games that we enjoyed the most this year. Dean’s already revealed his favorite games for the year… so now it’s my turn. Just to be clear, these games are the ones that I personally enjoyed the most and found to be the most sublime overall experiences. Hopefully I’ll be able to do a longer list at some point in 2025 — my list of games played in 2024 isn’t as long as it was last year (though in related news, I’m better rested than I was one year ago), but for now, here are …

Mother of OpenAI Whistleblower Alleges He Was Murdered, Says There Were Signs of Struggle

Mother of OpenAI Whistleblower Alleges He Was Murdered, Says There Were Signs of Struggle

Published by José

“Private autopsy doesn’t confirm cause of death stated by police.” Probe the Probe The family of Suchir Balaji, the 26-year-old OpenAI whistleblower who was found dead just a month after his New York Times exposé was published, is claiming that the young man was murdered. An account that appears to belong to Balaji’s mother Poornima Ramarao — shortened to “Rao” online — said in a post on X-formerly-Twitter that a private investigator’s probe has led the family to believe that the young whistleblower did not commit suicide as officials allege. “We hired private investigator and did second autopsy to throw light on cause of death,” Ramarao tweeted. “Private autopsy doesn’t confirm cause of death stated by police.” “Suchir’s apartment was ransacked,” she continued, adding that there was some “sign of struggle in the bathroom and looks like some one hit him in bathroom based on blood spots.” The account, which has shared photos of Balaji that hadn’t previously been seen in the press and a GoFundMe for the private investigation efforts, went on to suggest …

Michelle Obama talks ‘difficult few months’ in personal message ahead of the new year

Michelle Obama talks ‘difficult few months’ in personal message ahead of the new year

Published by skeptic

Michelle Obama has shared a new message with her fans on social media, and it’s come straight from the heart.  To mark the end of 2024, the Becoming author posted a video from her charity, Obama Foundation, highlighting the good work they have done this year.  She also reflected on what has been a “difficult few months” as she alluded to the 2024 election.  Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Michelle Obama talks life as an empty nester The mother-of-two wrote: “I know it’s been a difficult few months for so many of us — and folks are feeling a little bit anxious and uncertain. But this holiday season, there are plenty of reasons to stay hopeful.  “So as 2024 comes to a close, I wanted to share some reflections on the work the @ObamaFoundation is doing to lift up the young changemakers around the world. Take a look.”  Michelle has had a difficult 2024, having lost her beloved mom, Marian Robinson, in May 2024.   Marian was incredibly close to her daughter and even moved …

Elon Musk’s pro-Trump critics claim they’re being censored on X

Elon Musk’s pro-Trump critics claim they’re being censored on X

Published by skeptic

Conservatives critical of Elon Musk are accusing the platform he owns of censoring them, CNN reports. Political activist Laura Loomer sparked an online debate within the Right about work visas known as H-1Bs, which Musk supports. Loomer now claims her account has been unverified and demonetized, accusing Musk of being a “free speech fraud.” Meanwhile, another conservative activist, Charles C. Johnson, claims X banned his account because he “embarrassed” Musk by writing about his father’s alleged involvement with an emerald mine, something Musk has long denied. (Neither this nor Loomer’s accusations have been substantiated.) Elon has long publicly supported free speech, posting that it’s “the bedrock of democracy.” But Musk has also been accused of silencing people on the platform, notably in 2022 when X temporarily suspended journalists covering the suspension of an account tracking his jet. X didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Source link

‘My world came crashing down’: Parents on finding out their children had dwarfism

‘My world came crashing down’: Parents on finding out their children had dwarfism

Published by Sam

FINDING LOVE Although Ms Xu now walks with her head held high and has grown accustomed to the stares and whispers she often faces, her insecurities about her height used to run deep, especially when she first started using dating applications.  Having her height listed on her profile in a dating app meant she was bombarded with never-ending questions, with some even accusing her of lying about it to prompt men to start a conversation with her.  “But the conversation usually stops when I tell them I have dwarfism,” she said.  This happened like clockwork until she swiped on Mr Soh’s profile. He did not care about her height and was insistent on meeting her.  “I kept emphasising my height to him and that I have short legs, so some people think I look like an alien,” she added.  “But he was very straightforward and said: ‘I don’t care how tall or short you are, how beautiful or ugly you are. I just want to find a life partner’.” Now, three years after their marriage, Mr Soh …

John Landis Film Editor, Producer Was 85 

John Landis Film Editor, Producer Was 85 

Published by skeptic

George Folsey Jr., the admired film editor and producer who collaborated with director John Landis on such films as Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Coming to America and the catastrophic Twilight Zone: The Movie, has died. He was 85. Folsey died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia, his son, fellow film editor Ryan Folsey (Cabin Fever, Renfield), told The Hollywood Reporter. Folsey’s father was George J. Folsey, the famed 13-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer whose credits included The Cocoanuts (1929), Animal Crackers (1930), Thousands Cheer (1944), Meet Me in St. Louis (1945), The Clock (1945), Green Dolphin Street (1947), Adam’s Rib (1949), Million Dollar Mermaid (1953), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1955) and Forbidden Planet (1956). George Folsey Jr. also edited Shawn Levy’s Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) and The Pink Panther (2006), as well as Eli Roth’s Hostel (2005) and Hostel: Part II (2007). After cutting Landis’ directorial debut, Schlock (1973), Folsey edited the Landis-helmed The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977), Animal House (1978), The Blues Brothers (1980) and Coming to America (1988), which he …

Eight reasons why ADHD diagnoses are increasing

Eight reasons why ADHD diagnoses are increasing

Published by José

For a long time it was assumed that somewhere between 5 and 6% of children have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But the rates, in practice, are often higher. The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the prevalence at 11.4% in children in 2022. The Swedish Board of Health and Welfare reports that in 2022 10.5% of boys and 6% of girls received an ADHD diagnosis, which is 50% more than in 2019. And the board forecast that the rates will eventually plateau at 15% for boys and 11% for girls. So, what might be the reasons behind the startling rise? Here are eight possible causes, many of which overlap and interact with each other. 1. Multiple diagnoses made in the same person Previously, doctors were recommended by diagnostic manuals and trained to limit diagnoses in an individual to the most prominent one, and not to make certain combinations of diagnoses at all – for example, autism and ADHD. Today, it is recommended and common practice in the mental health sector to make as …

Syria and the inevitability of failed transitions in Arab Spring countries

Syria and the inevitability of failed transitions in Arab Spring countries

Published by Sam

Post-Bashar al-Assad Syria is seeking a new equilibrium in an exceptionally complex geopolitical context. The country is partially occupied by two foreign powers and overshadowed by a third. Israel, which has occupied and colonized the Syrian Golan Heights since its conquest in 1967, has extended its influence into the buffer zone established after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The United States has special forces stationed in eastern Syria. To the north, Turkey aspires to create its own buffer zone within Syrian territory. These three countries intend to militarily intervene in Syria as they see fit: Israel, to prevent the reconstruction of a Shiite axis extending into Lebanon; the US, to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State organization; and Turkey, to contain Syrian Kurdish forces it claims are linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to Ankara. Read more Subscribers only Syrian refugees returning home, a dilemma for Turkey’s economy These foreign interventions represent the first major obstacle to the establishment of a new order in Damascus, a prerequisite for the restoration of Syrian …

ARTnews Looks Back at the Market in 2024

ARTnews Looks Back at the Market in 2024

Published by skeptic

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in On Balance, the ARTnews newsletter about the art market and beyond. Sign up here to receive it every Wednesday. It is tempting, at the end of the year, to look back and try to draw some grand conclusion about the events, large and small, that appear to have moved the art market one way or another over the last 12 months. December is as good a time as any for reflection, but it’s important to consider the past as part of a continuum, in the art world as everywhere else. Barring a cataclysmic event—knock on wood—people will very likely always be buying art. The end is not nigh and the market advances. Where you draw the line, as journalist, collector, dealer, or auction house bigwig, will determine your perspective. Related Articles That said, this year was not without memorable events: 2024 was peppered with lawsuits, auction records, and disappointing performances, more than a few gallery closings, and a lot of hot air forecasting that the art market was near the end. The art market, …