Good morning, I'm Sophia Tulp filling in for Sarah Naffa this morning. In the news today: Vermont authorities weigh whether to treat the shooting of three men of Palestinian descent as a hate crime; a tech conference tried to use an AI-generated woman as a featured speaker; and gas prices continue to decline in the U.S. Also, Puerto Rico is cracking down on its famous stray cats. |
People gather for a vigil in Brattleboro, Vt., on Nov. 27, 2023, for the three Palestinian-American students who were shot near the University of Vermont. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP) |
The shooting of 3 men of Palestinian descent could be considered a hate crime under Vermont law, but it’s complicated |
As authorities in Vermont push forward with their investigation of the weekend shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent, they are weighing whether to treat the violence as a hate crime. But whether it can be declared as such under state law is complex. Read more.
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A software company used a fake, AI-generated woman to lead a session. Tech executives dropped out once revealed
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The organizer of a virtual software conference called DevTernity admitted on social media that one of its featured speakers was an “auto-generated” woman with a fake title. The organizer was responding to allegations about a number of suspicious profiles on his conference websites that appeared to be generated by artificial intelligence. Read more.
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Some speculated that the fake profile was intended to mask the “worse-than-expected level of diversity of speakers” in this year’s lineup.
Organizer Eduards Sizovs denies this is the case and refused to apologize in a series of social media posts. He did not return a request for comment.
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The revelation led other speakers to quickly drop out of the conference that was supposed to start on Dec. 7, including executives at Microsoft and an Amazon exertive who said she found out she was the only woman on the agenda.
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US gas prices have fallen or remained steady for 10 weeks straight. Here’s why |
As of Tuesday, the national average for gas prices stood just below $3.25, according to AAA. That’s down 25 cents from a month ago and 30 cents less than this time last year. At least 15 states also have prices below $3. This is what’s behind the trend, and how long it’s expected to stay. Read more. |
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Experts point to a recent decline in oil prices and a seasonal dip in demand, as well as easing inflation as factors behind the roughly two-month trajectory of decline.
There’s also been an uptick in U.S. production that’s helping keep costs lower. American oil production hit an all-time high in October, and average production has since remained at that level.
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While the downward trend is expected to continue at least into the New Year, some experts point to the potential of more cuts from major producing OPEC+ countries as something that could boost energy prices.
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A stray cat sits on a wall in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo, File)
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WATCH: US National Christmas Tree is back upright after it toppled
The National Christmas Tree in front of the White House fell down Tuesday afternoon as high winter winds whipped the U.S. capital. The tree, a 40-foot Norway spruce from West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, had been planted just two weeks ago on the White House Ellipse. The tree is back upright after a snapped cable was repaired. |
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Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Sophia
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Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Sophia
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