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Ticker: X says Grok blocked from undressing images

Elon Musk’s X says its AI chatbot Grok won’t be able to edit photos of real people in revealing clothing in places where that is illegal. The announcement followed a backlash over sexualized images of women and children, including bans and warnings by some governments. A statement posted on X said it has taken technological measures to stop users from editing images to show real people in bikinis, underwear and other revealing attire. It said the rule applies to paid subscribers as well as others. It added that any image creation or editing will now be available only to paid ...

US, Taiwan sign $250B trade deal to cut tariffs

HONG KONG — The United States and Taiwan reached a trade deal Thursday that cuts tariffs on Taiwanese goods in exchange for $250 billion in new investments in the U.S. tech industry. The deal is the latest President Donald Trump has struck — such as those with the European Union and Japan — since he unveiled a sweeping tariff plan last April to address trade imbalances. Trump also has a one-year trade truce with China to stabilize ties with the world’s second largest economy. Trump initially set the tariff at 32% on Taiwanese goods but later changed it to 20%. The new ...

Senate passes more spending

WASHINGTON — Congress is halfway home in approving government funding for the current budget year that began Oct. 1 after the Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a three-bill package. Now comes the hard part. Lawmakers still must negotiate a spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security amid soaring tensions on Capitol Hill after the shooting of a Minnesota woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Lawmakers are working to complete passage of all 12 annual spending bills before Jan. 30, the deadline set in a funding patch that ended a 43-day government ...

Ticker: Retail sales unexpectedly rose 0.6% in November

Shoppers increased their spending in November from October as holiday shopping kicked into full gear. Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.6% in November, following a revised 0.1% decline October, according to the Commerce Department. The report on Wednesday was delayed more than a month because of the 43-day government shutdown. Luxury retailer Saks files for bankruptcy Luxury retailer Saks Global has filed for bankruptcy, preparing to reposition itself after obtaining about $1.75 billion in financing commitments. The private company that owns retailers Saks Fifth Avenue and ...

SFU sets business webinar

LORETTO SFU sets business webinar The Saint Francis University Small Business Development Center and Somerset Trust Company have scheduled a free pre-business planning webinar for 4 p.m. Jan. 28. This free, online webinar is for people who are interested in opening and operating their own business. Topics to be discussed are feasibility issues, marketing, recordkeeping, business plans, legal issues, regulations, taxes and financing. Pre-registration is required. If interested, contact the SBDC at 814-472-3200 or register online at ...

Musk’s AI Grok generates sexualized images of kids

Just days after a global backlash erupted over Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok generating sexualized deepfakes of women and children, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon will embrace the technology. Hegseth said Monday that Grok will soon be deployed on “every unclassified and classified network” throughout the department. U.S. officials are endorsing the technology even as governments around the world have condemned it. Rising alarm from disparate nations points to the nightmarish potential of nudification apps that use artificial intelligence to generate sexually ...