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Movie Review: Humans take a back seat in the stunning AI, sci-fi epic ‘The Creator’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:10 GMT

The artificial intelligence in Gareth Edwards’ “ The Creator,” a visually magnificent if by-the-books epic, is not the AI making headlines at the moment. This is AI in the classic sci-fi mold — the Roy Battys of “Blade Runner,” the Avas of “Ex Machina,” the ones whose sentience we question and debate endlessly. Will the machines kill us? Take our jobs? Or do something that the movies haven’t dreamed possible yet? As the retired special forces guy cleaning up nuclear debris, Joshua (John David Washington), flatly tells a fellow worker when she posits that the AIs were indeed after their jobs: “They can have this one.”Regardless, for now, artificial intelligence is more allegory for the other than aspiring screenwriters, filmmakers or trash collectors. And, for Edwards and his co-writer Chris Weitz, they might even have more capacity for humanity and goodness than humans, which is not exactly part of the ChatGPT conversation either, though that would be an interesting twist.In the wor...

What would a government shutdown mean for me? SNAP, student loans and travel impacts, explained

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:10 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — With gridlock persisting in Washington, a government shutdown is looking more and more likely ahead of Saturday night’s deadline.As the Senate marches ahead with a bipartisan approach aimed at keeping the government open, spending measures are still struggling to pass the Republican-controlled House. If a shutdown arrives, millions of federal employees will be furloughed and many others — including those working in the military and the Transportation Security Administration — will be forced to work without pay until it ends. A handful of federal programs that people nationwide rely on everyday could also be disrupted — from dwindling funds for food assistance to potential delays in customer service for recipients of Medicare and Social Security. The ripple effects would come down to how long a shutdown lasts and the varying contingency plans in place at impacted agencies.“Collectively, hundreds of millions of Americans, a majority of the population, are receivi...

The second GOP debate will kick off much like the first: Without Trump. Follow live updates

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:10 GMT

Follow along for live updates on the second 2024 Republican presidential debate, which begins at 9 p.m. ET in California. The field’s early front-runner, Donald Trump, is skipping the event, just as he did the first. He’ll be 2,000 miles away trying to woo union workers in Michigan amid a labor strike.The candidates on stage will be Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.What to know— 7 candidates qualified for the second debate. Here’s who missed the cut — Here’s how to watch tonight’s debate — Republicans face growing urgency to stop Trump ahead of debate — Trump heads to Michigan to compete with Biden for union votes — Who’s running for president? See a rundown of the 2024 candidatesAI Asa aims to take part in debate night conversationHe won’t be on the Si...

Secretary of State recommends mandatory driving test age remain at 79 in Illinois

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:10 GMT

ILLINOIS — Some senior citizens in Illinois may be able to wait a little longer before taking the mandatory driving test.Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is pushing to keep the age requirement at 79 on a permanent basis.A temporary law that boosted the age from 75 is set to expire on Sunday, September 30. The modification was approved in Springfield during the Covid-19 pandemic.“Statistics show that seniors are among the safest drivers of any age category,” Giannoulias said in a statement Wednesday.  “This change would make Illinois driving standards for senior drivers more consistent compared to other states while keeping Illinois as one of the strictest states for license renewals.” ‘Skip-the-Line’ program now in place at Illinois DMVs The statement from Secretary of State’s office stated there are more than 9.1 million licensed drivers in Illinois. Of those, approximately 280,000 individuals are between the ages of 75 and 78, or 3% of the driving population – who would be i...

Here's how a government shutdown would affect the military

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:10 GMT

(The Hill) – Troop paychecks and national security are under threat as Congress stands on the edge of a government shutdown, with no clear solution for getting a defense budget passed.After House Republicans three times tried to advance their fiscal 2024 Pentagon spending bill — efforts tanked by opposition from the GOP’s far-right members — lawmakers have only until Saturday at midnight to work out a fix.But with efforts continuing to stall, that could mean hundreds of thousands of service members and civilian workers won’t get paychecks starting this weekend, unless Congress passes emergency legislation to ensure America’s military continue to get paid.Administration officials are now sounding the alarm, with Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh warning Tuesday that “over 1 million military members” as well as furloughed civilian employees would go without pay during a shutdown. Government shutdown: Which veterans’ benefits may, may not be affected And th...

APD says it's aware of individual impersonating law enforcement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:10 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In a social media post on Wednesday, the Austin Police Department said it is aware of a person portraying himself as an APD sergeant.The agency said there were several incidents recently where people received phone calls from the man threatening people on the phone that they could be arrested on federal warrants for a failure to testify in a case, according to police.Things you should knowAPD said numbers can be spoofed and appear as if they are coming from a recognized government entity.If you are told you have an arrest warrant, request the name of the issuing agency and look up the agency phone number or email to validate and confirm its legitimacyAPD says it will never call and demand payment of any kind to settle a fine, fee and/or warrant"You may face threats of additional criminal charges, increased fine/fees, etc. if you refuse to pay" APD says these are intimidation tactics.Do not share personal information of any kind, the agency says.Do not call or email ...

LIST: Farmers markets to visit in Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:10 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Farmers markets are a fun way for customers to receive their produce and other goods straight from the source. Here’s a roundup of some farmers markets in the Austin area!Texas Farmers’ Market at MuellerOpened in 2012, the Texas Farmers’ Market has been voted Austin Chronicle’s Best of Austin Farmers’ Market for 10 years in a row. Hosted every Sunday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at 2006 Philomena St., 78723, the market boasts:120+ vendors, about 40% of which are agricultural producers.Fun activities for kids every second Sunday of the month.Producers from within 150 miles of the market, so produce doesn’t travel far.Indoor and outdoor market spaces.Texas Farmers’ Market at LakelineOpened in 2010, the Texas Farmers’ Market is hosted every Saturday from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. at 11200 Lakeline Mall Drive, 78613. Owned by the same organization as the Mueller location, the Lakeline location boasts the same amenities as its sister location and additionally showcases live music from loc...

Austin police, citing staffing issues, take 3 hours to respond to crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:10 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN Live’s top headlines for Sept. 27, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- At 6:50 p.m. on Sept. 13, police said a 911 call came in about a head-on crash just south of Zilker Park and Barton Springs. By the time officers got there at 9:55 p.m., everyone was gone, and the department said it could not take a report. It took APD about three hours to respond to this crash, the department said. Murphy McCollough's sister was in the sedan, pictured to the right. "I’ll never forget the fear in my sister’s voice after she got hit," MCollough posted on social media.KXAN is speaking with her later Wednesday afternoon and will update this story with more on her experience.'Unfortunate series of events'"On the day and timeframe this incident occurred, the officers in Southwest Austin responded to numerous calls prioritized as higher emergencies," the Austin Police Department said. "This unfortunate series of events and the staffing crisis at APD led to a delay in our abi...

Austin closes summer cooling centers, extreme heat resources for the season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:10 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After Austin broke its all-time record this summer for most consecutive days above 100 degrees, city officials announced Wednesday it was shutting down its extreme heat resources for the season.With sub-100-degree temperatures back continuously on the forecast, the City of Austin's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said it will "halt operations related to heat," including its cooling centers and misting canopy pilot. Austin’s record streak of consecutive 100° days finally ends after 45 days “We appreciate all the work that went into keeping our community informed and safe. We are thankful to all our library and parks staff who helped provide Cooling Center services to our community,” Ken Snipes, director for HSEM, said in the release. “Our emergency responders did an amazing job putting out fires, treating those who experienced heat-related illnesses and responding to those who needed medical attention. As we move into our next season, I ask eve...

Radium levels continue to be concern for Inver Grove Heights drinking water

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:10 GMT

Radium levels in the drinking water continue to be a concern for the city of Inver Grove Heights.Radium, a naturally occurring radioactive metal, can be found in small amounts in Minnesota’s groundwater, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. When levels exceed the standard set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, treatment is required.Drinking water that has radium in it exposes people to “very low doses of radiation,” the Minnesota Department of Health reports in general data about radium in community water systems. “You have a higher risk of getting cancer if you drink water with radium in it every day for many years,” the health department states in the data report.The Minnesota Department of Health first notified Inver Grove Heights on Jan. 30 that the radium levels in the city’s water were out of compliance. The problem is attributed to filters at the water treatment plant that are due for replacement.More recent testing continue...