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Up to five people can watch movies and TV shows, play AR games, and collaborate on work together even when they’re across the planet. Apple Vision Pro is above and beyond other mixed reality headsets, but even with the highest quality passthrough camera tech to help you stay grounded in your real surroundings, there’s no way to escape the fact that donning one is a single-user experience. That changes starting today with the rollout of spatial Persona. At Vision Pro’s launch in February, Personas — the 3D recreation of a person’s head and hands in visionOS — arrived in beta, and it showed. Personas looked video game-like with facial expressions and hair reproductions that appeared more strange than lifelike or natural. Personas still look like the uncanny valley, but the recent visionOS 1.1 software update did improve the 3D avatars with more natural mouth movements and better facial textures for attributes like makeup and hair. Spatial Persona, which was announced in a developer session post-WWDC keynote last June, is Vision Pro’s answer to its isolating, single-person experience. With spatial Persona, up to five people using their own Vision Pros can participate together within compatible apps without being in the same physical space. In the VR/Meta Quest world, this virtual collaboration is commonly called “presence,” or the ability to feel like a bunch of people are all hanging out together in a virtual space. Yesterday, Apple invited me to try out a demo of spatial Persona — from the comfort of my own home — with an Apple PR person and a member from Product Marketing. The addition to visionOS is part of the still-in-beta Persona experience, meaning it’s still a work in progress. But even with a few connection issues during my demo, it was a glimpse of how Vision Pro could bring people together to watch movies, play games, or collaborate on work. After accepting a FaceTime call from Apple’s PR team, I was greeted by two Persona faces inside of their respective 2D FaceTime square “tile” windows. A quick tap in Control Center, however, pulled them out of their tiles and into my living room. The two people weren’t actually standing in my living room, and they couldn’t see my messy apartment either, but their heads, hands, and the upper part of their torso floated in my room as if they were standing in front of me on the left and right. They could move around in their physical space to position themselves closer or farther away from me or each other, and I could too. If you try to walk through another Persona, they turn into a circle-shaped contact card (and they or anyone else will see you doing it). You could be that person and annoy everyone, but it goes without saying that you should respect each other’s personal space, even if it’s virtual. The three of us could sit down or stand up, and just like in real life, our eye levels would match accordingly. On a phone, tablet, or laptop/desktop, we’re used to not making eye contact on a video call because the webcam is often positioned above the screen. (iOS and iPadOS do have a nifty hidden “Eye Contact” feature that remaps your eyes to appear as if you’re looking into the camera as opposed to at the screen.) So it was more natural to look directly into their eyes and maintain contact; it felt more real, more intimate. In addition to realistic eye contact, spatial Personas are also directional. That means if several Personas are hanging out together in visionOS, you can see where they are relative to your position. For example, if I point to a Persona on my left with my left hand, everyone else will see that, and the person I’m pointing at will see that I am pointing at them from their right side. It’s basic presence 101 stuff and Apple nails it, even in beta. Similarly, just like when you’re making a FaceTime call with people (either in 2D or a Persona) in Vision Pro in their tiles, audio is directional (or spatial Apple calls it) as well. Everyone will hear each other’s voices relative to where they are positioned in virtual space. Once I had picked my mouth off the floor, we got to demoing some content together. First, the three of us watched a movie trailer together using the Apple TV app. There we were, watching a large, theater-sized screen — together. I could look over at them at any time and see how they were reacting, something I actually do when I’m watching a movie with my friends or family in a real theater. (I’m a weirdo!) It was pretty neat! The cooler part is that everyone’s spatial Persona could get the “best seat,” which is dead center in front of the screen. Changing your seat to direct center of the virtual screen doesn’t affect other people’s Personas; you aren’t all sitting on top of each other in virtual space. In the virtual theater, other Personas appear to you as if they’re positioned elsewhere while you’re watching from the best seat. I noted to Apple PR how this would have been really great when we all experienced lockdown at home a few years ago. Watching movies together in a virtual theater isn’t new. VR apps like Bigscreen and VRChat have offered this shared-watching experience for Quest, Vive, and other supported VR headsets for years. Apple Vision Pro supports up to five Personas for watching movies and TV shows together, which is a far cry from the dozens of virtual users that other VR co-watching apps offer. That being said, spatial Personas at least look real compared to the cartoony or video game-resembling avatars that populate virtual theaters in VRChat. Next, we did some virtual work. We opened JigSpace and examined a 3D model of a jet turbine together. Each of us could walk around and through the turbine, enlarge or shrink it, and even detach its parts for closer inspection. I had already seen the jet turbine by myself, but it was still fun to examine it with two others. The one thing I noticed is that if you remove a piece of the 3D model and create a gap or space, you can see a Persona standing on the other side. It’s just as if a person was looking at the turbine from the other side. After that, we checked out Apple’s Freeform app. It took a few seconds to load up the virtual whiteboard Apple created for the demo. We could walk up to the board and add circle things with the pen tool, rearrange notes, or add to the whiteboard in other ways. In the middle of the whiteboard was a 3D model of a Mars rover that I could manipulate with a gesture or get a closer look from all directions. I’m told five Personas can simultaneously work on the whiteboard or a few can hang back and watch as others work. I doubt this will be replacing Google Docs anytime soon for me, but I could see it being a more immersive way to collaborate for some people. The last thing in my demo was playing the classic card game, Hearts, in the Game Room app. As I said in my Apple Vision Pro review, the augmented reality game app is one of the best demonstrations of how spatial computing can bring people together. A new update adds spatial Persona support, which means you can play with up to five people (if a board game supports it) or have Personas spectate on the sides. It was here that one of the Apple reps (and another who was invited to join for a four-player experience) had connectivity issues, and so I ended up playing Hearts with one other Persona and two AIs. Connection problems aside, the idea of playing board games together with multiple people and/or having spectators wasn’t lost on me. When I played several games with a friend in Vision Pro, we both wished the app supported spectators, and now it does. VISION PRO IS A CONTINUOUS WORK IN PROGRESS Spatial Persona, launching today, is a much-needed addition to Vision Pro to make the headset more than just a single-user experience. When you’re dropping $3,500 on a headset, shared entertainment and collaborative work experiences are expected to be staple features. Like any first-generation product release, Vision Pro is a continuous work in progress. The fundamentals of spatial computing — responsive eye and hand tracking and high-resolution screens and passthrough cameras — are here, but visionOS has a long way to go. Every software update is going to improve Vision Pro from what it was on launch day. The same was true for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, etc. Like any first-generation product release, Vision Pro is a continuous work in progress. Maybe all this makes the Vision Pro feel like a developer kit to some people. The good thing is, if that’s how you feel, you can just wait. Early adopters, however, will keep getting a taste of the future — today.

In this video, we delve into Germany's groundbreaking decision to legalize recreational cannabis and its implications on European drug policies. Join us as we explore the factors leading to this pivotal moment and the potential impact on society and the economy. Don't miss out on this important discussion! Remember to like and share this video to spread awareness.

The Israel Defense Forces said Monday its troops have completed their operation at al-Shifa Hospital and left the area, following a raid that lasted about two weeks and targeted militants “in close quarters encounters.” Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defense, said emergency workers who arrived at dawn to recover bodies found that the hospital’s buildings were burned and shelled by artillery in a scene he described as “tragic in every sense of the word.”

Seven people are now in critical condition as Paris firefighters battle a blaze in the Latin Quarter of the city centre following a blast earlier this afternoon.

At least 7.6 million existing AT&T account holders and 65.4 million former users hit by the breach, the company says. Personal information belonging to millions of past and present AT&T customers has been leaked online, including Social Security numbers (SSNs), passcodes and contact details, the multinational company says. In a statement on Saturday, the telecommunication network – the largest in the United States – said a recently discovered dataset on the “dark web” contained information for about 7.6 million current AT&T account holders and 65.4 million former users, totalling about 73 million affected accounts. It is not known if the breach “originated from AT&T or one of its vendors”, the company said. “To the best of our knowledge, the compromised data appears to be from 2019 or earlier and does not contain personal financial information or call history,” the statement added. All 7.6 million existing account holders whose sensitive personal information was compromised were set to be notified about the breach AT&T. The company said it had already reset passcodes and was investigating the incident. In addition to passcodes and SSNs, the hacked data possibly included email and mailing addresses, phone numbers and birth dates, AT&T added. Reports of the breach first surfaced on a hacking forum nearly two weeks ago. It is unclear if the leak is linked to a similar breach in 2021 that was widely reported but that AT&T did not acknowledge. A hacker at the time claimed to have access to data of 70 million AT&T customers, including their names, addresses, phone numbers, SSNs, and date of birth. Auction data on a hacking forum revealed the hacker attempted to sell the stolen information for thousands of dollars. “If they assess this and they made the wrong call on it, and we’ve had a course of years pass without them being able to notify impacted customers” then it’s likely the company will soon face class action lawsuits, cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt told The Associated Press news agency. Troy, the creator of Have I Been Pwned? – a website that alerts subscribers to data breaches – said in a blogpost at least 153,000 of his customers were affected. The Dallas-based company faced challenges earlier in February after an outage temporarily knocked out mobile phone service for thousands of users. AT&T blamed the incident on a technical coding error, not a malicious attack. Other networks were also affected, but AT&T appeared to be the hardest hit.

The Commission welcomes today's unanimous decision by the Council to welcome Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area, starting with lifting controls at air and sea borders as of March 2024. Their accession will boost travel, trade and tourism and will further consolidate the internal market. Discussions on a further decision to lift controls at land borders will continue in 2024. An enlarged Schengen area will make the EU stronger as a Union, internally and on the global stage. President von der Leyen said: “Today marks a historic moment for Bulgaria and Romania. And a day of great pride for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens. As of March, they will be able to freely cross internal sea and air borders, without border controls. This is a major step forward for both countries and for the Schengen area as a whole. Congratulations to Bulgaria and Romania: this great achievement is possible thanks to your hard work, commitment and perseverance. Thanks to you the Schengen area will become even stronger to the benefit of all EU citizens.” Bulgaria and Romania are ready to join the Schengen area. The Commission first confirmed that both Bulgaria and Romania were ready to become part of the Schengen area without internal border controls in 2011. Since then, Bulgaria and Romania have continued to demonstrate that they fulfil the conditions for becoming Schengen members. This was reconfirmed by three fact finding missions at the Bulgarian and Romanian external borders in 2022 and 2023. The Commission also launched pilot projects with Romania and Bulgaria in March 2023 to boost external border management, reinforce cooperation with neighbouring countries and ensure fast asylum and return procedures. The Schengen area is also ready to welcome Bulgaria and Romania. In the last decade, the EU has worked to reinforce the architecture that protects the area without internal border controls. A series of measures in the field of security, police and judicial cooperation have been introduced to ensure that the EU remains strong against security threats. The Schengen area is now also supported by a new governance model, a new evaluation mechanism and an annual cycle of reporting and monitoring. The joint efforts made in recent years have made Schengen stronger and more resilient. This ninth enlargement of the Schengen area both confirms and reinforces the mutual trust and unity between Member States on which Schengen is built and will help to advance this essential project. It will make the Union stronger through a reinforced protection of our common external borders and effective police cooperation – more prosperous by eliminating time lost at borders and facilitating people and business contacts – and more attractive by significantly expanding the world's largest common area without internal border controls. Next steps Discussions on a date for a possible lifting of the checks on persons at internal land borders will continue in 2024 and a decision by the Council on this matter is expected to be taken within a reasonable time frame. To assist Bulgaria and Romania in protecting the external borders of the Union, substantial financial support and Frontex assistance will continue to be provided. At the same time, the pilot projects developed by Bulgaria and Romania at the external borders have proven effective and should be turned into more structural arrangements. Europe's Schengen area of free movement is one of its greatest achievements and one that EU citizens cherish most. What started as an intergovernmental project between five Member States in 1985 – France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg – has gradually expanded over seven enlargement stages to become what is today the largest area of free movement in the world. The benefits of abolishing internal borders remain as compelling today as they were in 1985. The Schengen area comprises 27 countries and extends over 4 million square kilometers with a population of almost 420 million people. With Romania and Bulgaria, the Schengen area will grow to 4.5 million square kilometers with a population of 450 million. The Schengen area is an integral part of the EU's legal framework. According to the Treaties all EU Member States of the EU need to become, when ready, full members of the Schengen area. This is both a right and an obligation. Both Bulgaria and Romania have proven to have a model track record of implementation. With Romania and Bulgaria, Schengen only becomes stronger. Voluntary fact-finding missions in 2022 in Bulgaria and Romania, and the latest mission in 2023 in Bulgaria only reinforced their readiness.

Biden has previously come under fire for his stance on LGBTQ+ and abortion issues given his own position as a 'devout Catholic' President Joe Biden was slammed on social media Saturday after designating Easter Sunday, the most solemn Christian holiday, as ‘Transgender Day of Visibility.’ Prominent Christians, politicians, and commenters flooded social media platforms with criticism after the announcement from the White House. "On Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our Nation’s commitment to forming a more perfect Union — where all people are created equal and treated equally throughout their lives," a statement released by the White House read. "Today, we send a message to all transgender Americans: You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You belong. You are America, and my entire Administration and I have your back," it continued. "NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility." AMERICANS AREN'T BUYING BIDEN'S 'DEVOUT CATHOLIC' LABEL, POLL FINDS Easter Sunday also falls on March 31 this year. Easter marks one of the most important days for Christians, as they celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy called Biden out on X, formerly Twitter, writing, "Joe Biden just proclaimed that ‘Transgender Visibility Day’ is on Sunday, March 31st. I wonder how he came up with that date." Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., echoed Ramaswamy's sentiments as he blasted Biden for the "coincidence on the timing." BIDEN SKEWERED AS 'WORLD’S WORST CATHOLIC' WHO CHEAPENS IRISH AND CATHOLIC IDENTITY "Joe Biden has proclaimed Easter Sunday as ‘Transgender Day of Visibility,’" Mooney wrote on X. "What a coincidence on the timing, right? This is a direct assault on Christianity. Yet another attack on religion and traditions by this administration." Tennessee Republican Rep. Diana Harshbarger said the announcement was "intentional" and slammed it as a "blatant disregard." "This is a direct assault on Christianity. It’s evident the left is determined to undermine our religion and traditions," she wrote on X. "This isn’t just blatant disregard, it’s intentional." Conservative commentator Benny Johnson shared a screenshot of the White House statement, writing alongside it, "What a slap in the face to all Christians in America…" Biden has previously come under fire for his stance on LGBTQ+ and abortion issues given his own position as a "devout Catholic" who regularly attends church. The White House also used the same terminology when addressing Biden's pro-choice stance on abortion. A recent poll from Pew Research found that just 13% of Americans think of Biden as "very religious," while 41% say he is "somewhat religious" and another 44% say he is "not at all" or "not too religious."

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!! British police investigating allegations of rape and human trafficking have been granted a warrant to extradite Andrew Tate to the UK. Bedfordshire police said they had been granted the warrant by authorities in Romania, but would have to wait until proceedings there on allegations of sexual violence and trafficking, which Tate denies, are completed. Tate, 37, a controversial social media influencer accused of anti-women views, was detained in Romania on Monday after the arrest warrant was issued. He and his brother Tristan, 35, face charges in the UK including “sexual aggression” dating to 2012-15, according to a statement by his public relations representative. Bedfordshire police said in a statement: “As part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of rape and human trafficking, Bedfordshire police has obtained a European arrest warrant for two men in their 30s. “We are working with authorities in Romania as part of this investigation and will provide an update in due course.” It said its investigation was called Operation Moonwalk and asked “anyone with information about this specific investigation” to contact them. The Tate brothers were charged with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women in a separate case in Romania after being arrested in the country’s capital in December 2022 alongside two Romanian women. All four deny the allegations. The allegations from Britain led to their renewed detention in Romania and the extradition request went before a court in Bucharest on Tuesday. The Romanian court of appeal said in a statement that it “rules to execute the arrest warrant and … to postpone handing over the requested person until the final verdict in the criminal case argued at the Bucharest court”. After the latest court hearing in Bucharest, the Tate brothers were released from custody and both deny the allegations against them in the UK. In a statement, Eugen Vidineac, legal counsel for the defendants, said: “We appreciate the Bucharest court of appeal’s decision to postpone the extradition of Andrew and Tristan Tate. “This ruling provides an opportunity for the brothers to participate fully in their defence and for the legal process to proceed in a transparent manner.” The Tates denied claims they had been planning to flee and promised to stay in Romania to fight the case against them there: “We unequivocally deny any accusations that Andrew or Tristan Tate intends to abscond from Romania to evade the judicial proceedings. Our clients are fully committed to actively participating in the legal process and defending their reputation.” In an earlier statement the Tates’ representative said: “This bewildering revival of decade-old accusations has left the Tate brothers dismayed and deeply troubled. They categorically reject all charges and express profound disappointment that such serious allegations are being resurrected without substantial new evidence.” At least two British police forces have investigated Andrew Tate’s activities in the UK. Three women have previously spoken to Hertfordshire police, based just outside London, to make allegations. British prosecutors decided last year not to pursue their cases believing they were unlikely to get a conviction. A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorises criminal charges in England and Wales, confirmed that Hertfordshire police had submitted a file about potential charges after receiving allegations about Tate. The spokesperson said specialist prosecutors had reviewed the case and informed the women in January 2023 that the case would not be pursued: “Rape is a devastating crime, and every case that comes to the CPS is dealt with by a specialist prosecutor in one of our dedicated rape and sexual offences units. “In this case, we carefully reviewed all the evidence provided by the police regarding each complainant and concluded it did not meet our legal test, and there was no realistic prospect of a conviction. “We sent a letter to each complainant explaining our decision not to charge. “We acknowledge the bravery of everyone who comes forward and want them to be confident that their case will be prosecuted whenever our legal test is met.” Tate was born in the US but raised as a child in Luton, Bedfordshire.

An exclusive reception with Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton cost donors $500K President Biden appeared with his predecessors — former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton — at a star-studded fundraiser in New York City on Thursday night expected to fetch more than $25 million toward his re-election campaign. The one-night event was held at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan. More than 5,000 people were expected at the sold-out gala. The event isn't cheap. Organizers charged a minimum of $250 to attend and up to $500,000 for a more intimate, exclusive reception. For $100,000, guests can get a photo with all three presidents taken by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz. Stephen Colbert, host of "The Late Show," moderated a discussion with Biden and two former commanders-in-chief in front of thousands of guests. Entry to a smaller, virtual event with Biden, Clinton and Obama costs $25. Musicians Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo and Lea Michele are slated to perform, Reuters reported. Biden, who has routinely raised more campaign cash than former President Trump, raised more than $53 million in February, and $10 million in the 24 hours following his March 7 State of the Union address. "This historic raise is a show of strong enthusiasm for President Biden and Vice-President [Kamala] Harris and a testament to the unprecedented fundraising machine we’ve built," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, the Hollywood film mogul who serves as Biden campaign co-chair, said in a statement. "Unlike our opponent, every dollar we’re raising is going to reach the voters who will decide this election — communicating the president’s historic record, his vision for the future and laying plain the stakes of this election. The numbers don’t lie: today’s event is a massive show of force and a true reflection of the momentum to re-elect the Biden-Harris ticket." Obama is still very popular with young voters and progressives, who have voiced disdain over Biden's support for Israel after its response to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. Thursday's fundraiser was met with pro-Palestinian protests outside Radio City Music Hall. Protesters interrupt Biden, others Video footage taken from outside Radio City Music hall showed protesters clashing with police and accusing Biden of being complicit in the deaths of residents of the Gaza Strip at the hands of Israeli forces. During the event, several people interrupted the presidents' during the question-and-answer portion of the night. "You can't just talk and not listen," Obama said before the audience gave him a standing ovation. Another shouted: "You’re out of your f----- minds," while being escorted out of the building. As the event got underway, emcee Mindy Kaling joked that it was nice to be in a room with "so many rich people," adding that she loved they were supporting a president who "openly" promised to "raise your taxes." "The reason we are here is to re-elect President Joe Biden," she said. Trump attends police officer's wake As Biden was preparing for the event Thursday, Trump was some 40 miles away on Long Island to attend the wake for slain New York police officer Jason Diller, who was fatally shot this week during a traffic stop in Queens. After the service, Trump emphasized law and order. "Such a sad, sad event. Such a horrible thing. And it's happening all too often and we're just not going to let it happen," Trump said. "We need law and order." The White House offered its condolences to Diller's family and NYPD, saying Biden has stood law enforcement his entire career. "The President has stood with law enforcement his entire career and continues to stand with them as they put their lives on the line for their communities," she said. "Under his leadership, we will continue to support police officers and ensure that they have resources they need to continue — to continue to do the work — the all-important that — work that they have to do on behalf of the community."

The interviewer claimed Adams had become a 'fearmonger' on crime in NYC A discussion on crime in the Big Apple turned heated on Thursday when New York City Mayor Eric Adams was accused of sensationalizing the death of New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Jonathan Diller. During an appearance on "The Breakfast Club," commentator Olayemi Olurin clashed with Adams on his handling of crime in the city. She said that Adams was a "fearmongerer" on crime and took issue with his public comments about bail reform policies, claiming only a small percentage of those released on bail go on to re-offend. Things became tense when she mentioned Adams' response to Diller's murder. "In the same breath that you want to sensationalize, you want to highlight and point out how an officer was killed the other day which is a rare occurrence across the United States but let alone in New York. New York police officers have killed at least seven people this year, including a 19-year-old," she said. Adams, growing impatient, said that he would not dismiss the death of an "innocent person that wears a uniform." "But you do of the 31 people that died at Rikers," Olurin replied. After some back and forth, Adams said he did not want to take her out of context and did not want people to think that she was being "dismissive" of a "young man being shot and killed." "Mayor Adams, that's not gonna work on me," Olurin said. "Listen, I'm not trying to work anything on you. I lost a member of the police department. The same way I go to see a mother of an 11-month-old baby that was shot in the head when I first became mayor and I sat in the hospital with her, the same way I go visit these mothers that lose their children to gun violence, I go see them," Adams said. He later said that "many people on the far left" disagree with him on crime. You know, many people on the far left, they say, 'Eric, people should be allowed to sleep on the streets no matter what. They should be allowed to sleep on your stoop and inject themselves with drugs. They should be allowed to go into stores and steal whatever they want'.' Like, people disagree with me all the time." Diller was fatally shot on Monday during a traffic stop in Queens after a man with 21 prior arrests allegedly shot him in the stomach as Diller was trying to get the suspect, Guy Rivera, 34, to exit the vehicle. Rivera opened fire on Diller and his partner at about 5:45 p.m. Monday. The officers approached the vehicle because it was illegally parked at a bus stop. Fox News Digital previously reported that Diller was 31 years old and lived in Massapequa Park with his wife and nearly 1-year-old son. Former President Donald Trump attended his wake on Thursday afternoon. "Such a sad, sad event. Such a horrible thing. And it's happening all too often and we're just not going to let it happen," Trump said. "We need law and order," he added. This is not the first high-profile attack on NYPD officers in recent months. In January, two NYPD officers were beaten in Times Square by several illegal migrants just steps away from the New Amsterdam theater. The NYPD arrested Darwin Andres Gomez Izquiel, 19, of Mississippi; Kelvin Servat Arocha, 19, of Brooklyn; Juarez Wilson, 21, of Queens; Yorman Reveron, 24, of Brooklyn and Jhoan Boada, 22 in connection with the crime. They were all hit with a variety of charges, including assault on a police officer, gang assault, obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct.

Tuberculosis case count increased 16% compared to 2022, according to CDC The number of U.S. tuberculosis cases in 2023 was the highest in a decade, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced. The CDC said on its website Thursday that "overall, cases increased from 8,320 in 2022 to 9,615 in 2023, an increase of 1,295 cases" "The rate also increased from 2.5 per 100,000 persons in 2022 to 2.9 in 2023," it added, noting that numbers were up among all age groups. Data from the agency shows nearly 10,000 infections in 2013. CDC officials expected TB numbers would rise, but the 2023 count "was a little more than was expected," Dr. Philip LoBue, director of the agency's Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, told The Associated Press. The new CDC statistics are not a count of how many people were newly infected in 2023, but rather of how many people developed a cough or other symptoms and were diagnosed. An estimated 85% of the people counted in 2023 were infected at least a year or two earlier and had what’s called latent TB, when the bacterium enters the body and hibernates in the lungs or other parts of the body. Experts estimate as many as 13 million Americans have latent TB and are not contagious. "Although TB incidence in the United States is among the lowest in the world and most U.S. residents are at minimal risk, TB continues to cause substantial global morbidity and mortality," the CDC says, calling it "one of the world’s leading infectious disease killers." The CDC says tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called "Mycobacterium tuberculosis" that usually targets the lungs but can also attack other parts of the body such as the kidney, spine and brain. Symptoms of TB disease in the lungs include chest pains and a prolonged cough, sometimes with blood. Other symptoms include weakness or fatigue, weight loss, fever and loss of appetite. Cases declined sharply at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, but have been rising since. "This post-pandemic increase in U.S. cases highlights the importance of continuing to engage communities with higher TB rates and their medical providers in TB elimination efforts and strengthening the capacity in public health programs to carry out critical disease control and prevention strategies," the CDC said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Diller was 31 years old at the time of his death Former President Donald Trump attended the wake of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller on Thursday afternoon at a Massapequa Park funeral home, while calling for law and order. "Such a sad, sad event. Such a horrible thing. And it's happening all too often and we're just not going to let it happen," Trump said. "We need law and order," he added. Diller was fatally shot on Monday during a traffic stop in Queens after a man with 21 prior arrests allegedly shot him in the stomach as Diller was trying to get the suspect, Guy Rivera, 34, to exit the vehicle. Rivera opened fire on Diller and his partner at about 5:45 p.m. Monday. The officers approached the vehicle because it was illegally parked at a bus stop. Diller was 31 years old and lived in Massapequa Park with his wife and nearly 1-year-old son, Fox News Digital previously reported. He had served three years with the NYPD before his death. The Trump campaign first announced Wednesday that the 45th president would attend the wake. New York City Mayor Eric Adams was anticipated to also attend the wake following Trump. "President Trump is moved by the invitation to join NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller's family and colleagues as they deal with his senseless and tragic death," Karoline Leavitt, the campaign's spokeswoman, said. Trump has railed against cities' crime rates under the Biden administration, including last month in remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference. SUSPECTS IN SHOOTING DEATH OF NYPD OFFICER JONATHAN DILLER IDENTIFIED, HAVE LENGTHY RECORDS "Four years ago, I told you that if crooked Joe Biden got to the White House, our borders would be abolished, our middle class would be decimated and our communities would be plagued by bloodshed, chaos and violent crime," Trump said last month. "We were right about everything." He told the New York Post in a recent interview that the "radical lunatic left" is ruining cities and preventing police officers from doing their jobs. Rivera, who was sitting in the passenger's seat, was injured when the officers returned fire. He was charged with first degree murder of a police officer, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon in the case, police announced this week. Another man who was in the vehicle at the time of Diller's death, Lindy Jones, was also charged following the death, including for criminal possession of a weapon and defacing a weapon. "We just can't 21 times arrested this thug. And the person in the car with him was arrested many times and they don't learn because they don't respect. … And this should never happen. I just visited with a very beautiful wife that now doesn't have her husband. Stephanie was just incredible. Their child, brand new, beautiful, baby. Sitting there innocent," Trump said Thursday. Leavitt, in a message posted to her X account on Thursday, highlighted that President Biden "will be at a fancy fundraiser with [former Presidents] Obama and Clinton" during the wake. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that President Biden had spoken with Adams about the death, adding she did not have "private communications to share" regarding whether Biden had spoken to Diller's family. Diller will be laid to rest Saturday in Massapequa.

Homeland Security memo sheds light on bridge collapse recovery mission One truck was pulled out from the waters of the Patapsco River on Wednesday following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, while another vehicle remains hanging from the metal, a report says. The development was reported in a Homeland Security memo that a law enforcement official described to The Associated Press, and comes as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says divers are still searching the water for the six bodies of construction workers who are presumed dead in the wake of Tuesday’s disaster. "These divers are in the water right now as we speak. In pitch dark, where they can literally see a foot or two in front of them," Moore told Fox News earlier this morning. "In cold water temperatures with heavy tides... and so the debt of gratitude our whole state has to these divers and to these first responders, it’s boundless." The 985-foot Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and flying under a Singapore flag on Tuesday when it struck a pillar of the bridge, causing it to collapse. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said it was too soon to give a time frame for clearing the channel, which is about 50 feet deep. Synergy Marine Group, which manages the ship, said the impact happened while it was under the control of one or more pilots, who are local specialists who help guide vessels safely in and out of ports. Synergy said in a statement Wednesday that one crew member was treated at a hospital for a minor injury. The ship is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd., and Danish shipping giant Maersk said it had chartered the vessel. he Dali was most recently inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard in New York in September, and no deficiencies were detected, according to Equasis. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ISIS-K terror attack in Moscow killed some 137 people The terrorist attack on Moscow's Crocus City concert hall was the worst attack in Russia in over 20 years, leaving 137 people dead and over 180 wounded, and reminds Russia and the West that the threat from ISIS and international terrorism hasn't gone away. Gunmen, identified by Russian media as Tajik nationals, entered the concert hall with automatic weapons and indiscriminately opened fire in the 6,200-seat venue. The Islamic State's affiliate in Afghanistan, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), claimed responsibility for the brutal attack on concertgoers. While the ISIS caliphate that spanned across Iraq and Syria was largely defeated by the U.S. and its mostly Kurdish ally there, the Afghan chapter of ISIS has been one of the most active post-caliphate branches. It was responsible for the suicide attack on Kabul airport in August 2021 that killed 13 American service members amid the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. MOSCOW ATTACK SHOWS PUTIN’S GRIP ON RUSSIA ‘NOT NEARLY AS TIGHT AS WE THINK,’ SAYS EX-US AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE The world's attention has once again returned to Afghanistan over two years since the Taliban regained control after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021. "It seems that ISIS-K has exploited the American withdrawal and has successfully tapped into recruits, especially from Afghanistan and Central Asia," Max Abrahms, terrorism expert and professor of political science at Northeastern University, told Fox News Digital. The deadly attack in Moscow comes after ISIS claimed responsibility for twin suicide bombings in January that killed at least 95 people commemorating the death of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of the Qud's Forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020. It's also no surprise that ISIS-K would target Russia, according to Ivana Stradner, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who focuses on Russian information security. Stradner told Fox News Digital that Russian actions in Syria and Moscow’s ties to Iran also play an important role in ISIS' decision to challenge the Kremlin. Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war in 2015 to prop up the Assad regime, at the time on the verge of collapse. Moscow's treatment of Muslim minorities in Russia and the brutal wars against Chechnya are also long-standing grievances. ISIS-K was formed in 2015 and operates primarily in Afghanistan but has expanded across the world, including in Russia's backyard of Central Asia. It may share a similar ideology with the Taliban, but remains a grave danger to their rule as it looks to undermine the regime and strike at foreign interests in Afghanistan. WITH TALIBAN VICTORY, AFGHANISTAN COULD BECOME THE 'SECOND SCHOOL OF JIHADISM' Abrahms says many countries are now grappling with the question of what to do with ISIS and other terrorist networks that operate in unstable nations with weak governance. "Naturally, they will begin to think more seriously about arming relative moderates in Afghanistan and other rebel forces could be empowered as well insofar as they brand themselves as anti-ISIS." Abrahms said. The Afghan National Resistance Front (NRF) is seen by some as the most viable Afghan resistance unit, and it has stepped up its attacks against the Taliban in recent months. Dislodging the Taliban and reinstalling the Afghan Republic remains the NRF's main objective, but they have also fought against ISIS-K and other networks. Terrorist groups like ISIS-K also challenge the Taliban's rule, but aren't looking to restore a secular and democratic Afghanistan. However, their coordinated attack in Moscow demonstrated the group's ability to strike internationally. "ISIS-K's expansion is directly the result of the Taliban allowing terror networks and foreign fighters to flood Afghanistan," Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations for the NRF, told Fox News Digital. "These groups are preparing themselves inside Afghanistan for attacks on a larger scale than Moscow against the West and regional countries in the years to come," Nazary warned. TALIBAN HAVE A 2-FRONT WAR HEADED THEIR WAY The NRF, which primarily operated in northeastern Afghanistan and concentrated operations in the Panjshir Valley, recently opened a new front in western Afghanistan and is increasing operations in Herat City. Nazary notes that within the last several weeks, NRF forces executed attacks in Kabul and will be intensifying their efforts starting this spring and summer. These operations, Nazary claims, underscore the increased support for the NRF across Afghanistan, and showcase their strategic capabilities in confronting the Taliban. The Taliban normally downplay the threat posed by the NRF and other armed groups, claiming they have restored stability to Afghanistan since the downfall of the U.S.-backed government. While the NRF is quick to highlight its success in its attacks against the Taliban, the U.S. Intelligence Community’s Annual Threat Assessment, released on March 11 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, only briefly mentions Afghanistan. It states that the Taliban regime has strengthened its power and suppressed anti-Taliban groups like the NRF and ISIS-K. The threat assessment provides a short but bleak outlook for the future of Afghan resistance groups. "However, near-term prospects for regime-threatening resistance remain low because large swathes of the Afghan public are weary of war and fearful of Taliban reprisals, and armed remnants lack strong leadership and external support," the document states. TALIBAN SAYS WOMEN LOSE VALUE IF MEN CAN SEE THEIR FACES IN PUBLIC: 'SHOULD BE HIDDEN' The resistance group has been in a two-year campaign to gain greater international recognition and support for their efforts to fight the Taliban and ISIS-K and hopes to organize a unified political opposition to govern Afghanistan without the Taliban. Unfortunately for the NRF and their supporters, they have so far failed to gain international recognition from another state, lack external financial backing and have not been endorsed by the U.S. "The United States does not support further armed conflict in Afghanistan. The country has been at war for 46 years. We do not want to see Afghanistan at war, and Afghans tell us they don’t want conflict either," a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Fatemeh Aman, a non-resident senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital that the NRF is largely respected and has sympathy from many Afghans, but it is still not sufficient. "Just by guerrilla warfare and without active support from the population, external moral and military support, and even some diplomatic interventions, it may be difficult to achieve the goal of liberating Afghanistan," Aman said.

Structural engineer John Pistorino emphasized the need for "redundancy" in bridge construction Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge was gone in a flash early Tuesday after a cargo ship collided with one of its pillars, snapping the structure into pieces and sending it tumbling into the water below. As rescuers scramble to find multiple people who remain missing and as the details remain unclear, experts weigh what could have possibly caused the catastrophe. One structural engineer – John Pistorino – says he's "surprised" the ship was able to take down the structure at all. "At this point, I'm surprised that a container ship like that, which is so large, would be able to [take it down] even if it's off course," he said on "Fox & Friends" Tuesday. "Back over in Tampa, we do have some means underwater now, so if the ship does get out of its own direction, it will divert it away from the critical parts of the bridge. There's underwater structures that the ship would come across before it actually got to the bridge itself," he continued, referencing the Sunshine Skyway Bridge that saw a similar disaster in the Tampa Bay area decades ago. Continuing on that note, Pistorino outlined the need for "redundancy" in bridge construction. Redundancy, according to the American Institute of Steel Construction, is "the quality of a bridge that enables it to perform its design function in a damaged state" and is considered a "desired characteristic of good design." Pistorino said the quality is something faulty bridges have lacked in the past. "If we lose the critical part of one column, the structure itself tries to redistribute the load and then goes to the other column, which is apparently then overloaded… That's the nature of the structures," he explained. "It could be a money thing, but I think, really, that the design of the redundancy would be something that should always be considered." Maryland officials, particularly those from the Baltimore area, hosted multiple press conferences to update the public in the hours since the incident took place early Tuesday. Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., revealed in one of the press conferences that the cargo ship involved in the collapse issued a "mayday" call that enabled local officials to limit traffic on the bridge before the collision took place. An estimate of at least six people remain unaccounted for, with search and rescue efforts ongoing. Cold temperatures, including chilly waters, however, elicited fears that those submerged in water would be subjected to hypothermia over time

Private equity fund manager and Cardone Capital's Grant Cardone says he's already invested $500 million intended for New York real estate into Florida.

Former President Trump delivers remarks after the court slashed his civil fraud bond to $175 million.

Chinese hackers posing as journalists sent over 10,000 malicious emails to multiple high-ranking US officials, Justice Department says. The Justice Department unsealed an indictment on Monday charging seven Chinese nationals with working under the guise of a Wuhan tech company to coordinate cyber-attacks targeting politicians and American companies on behalf of the Chinese government for over a decade. The defendants — Ni Gaobin, Weng Ming, Cheng Feng, Peng Yaowen, Sun Xiaohui. Xiong Wang, and Zhao Guangzong — are charged in connection to China’s vast hacking operation that allegedly targeted sensitive data from U.S. elected and government officials, journalists and academics; valuable information from American companies; and political dissidents in America and abroad. The "prolific global hacking operation" was said to have involved over 10,000 malicious emails, impacting thousands of victims across multiple continents. The announcement from the Biden administration comes as Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said on Monday that a Chinese government-affiliated group also hacked into the United Kingdom’s electoral registry to steal the personal information of tens of millions of voters. "The Justice Department will not tolerate efforts by the Chinese government to intimidate Americans who serve the public, silence the dissidents who are protected by American laws, or steal from American businesses," U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement. "This case serves as a reminder of the ends to which the Chinese government is willing to go to target and intimidate its critics, including launching malicious cyber operations aimed at threatening the national security of the United States and our allies." The U.S. Treasury Department also sanctioned Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company, Limited (Wuhan XRZ), which American authorities say is a Wuhan, China-based Ministry of State Security (MSS) front company that has served as cover for multiple malicious cyber operations. Between June and September 2018, the seven defendants sent more than 10,000 malicious email messages to professional and personal email addresses belonging to "high-ranking U.S. government officials and their advisors, including officials involved in international policy and foreign trade issues," the indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York says. "Since at least 2015, the Conspirators sent thousands of malicious tracking email messages to the personal and professional email accounts of government and political officials in the U.S. and elsewhere, including targets’ family members and contacts," the indictment alleges. "The malicious email messages generally purported to be from prominent American journalists, contained email subject headers purporting to contain legitimate news articles, and the body of the messages purported to include excerpts from news articles from news outlets, such as CNN and Vox." Prosecutors go went on to say the messages contained an embedded hyperlink that served as a tracking link. "If the recipient activated the tracking link by opening the email, information about the recipient, including the recipient’s location, IP addresses, network schematics and specific devices used to access the pertinent email accounts, was transmitted to a server controlled by the Conspirators," the indictment says. "The Conspirators used this method to enable more direct and sophisticated targeting of recipients’ home routers and other electronic devices, including those of highranking U.S. government officials and politicians and election campaign staff from both major U.S. political parties." The targets allegedly included individuals at the White House; the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Treasury and State; members of Congress, including both Democratic and Republican U.S. senators from more than ten states; government officials in the Eastern District of New York; and the spouses of a high-ranking Department of Justice official, high-ranking White House officials and multiple U.S. senators. The indictment says the targets also included political strategists and commentators and political and special interest advocates, as well as U.S. government contractors, including cleared defense contractors, to obtain U.S. government information. In May 2020, the DOJ says, the defendants began targeting email accounts belonging to several senior campaign staff members for a presidential campaign. By November 2020, they allegedly sent emails containing tracking links to targets associated with additional political campaigns, including a retired senior U.S. government national security official. "In or about March 2022, the Conspirators sent emails containing tracking links to various government officials in the U.S. Senate, the State Department and the Departments of Commerce, Labor and Transportation," the indictment says. DOJ prosecutors say the seven Chinese nationals also targeted other government officials around the world who expressed criticism of the PRC government, including members of the Inter Parliamentary Alliance on China ("IPAC"), a group founded in 2020 on the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests whose stated purpose was to counter the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to the international order and democratic principles. The Hubei State Security Department ("HSSD"), the provincial foreign intelligence arm of the MSS located in the city of Wuhan, first created Wuhan XRZ in 2010 to carry out its computer intrusion activities, according to the indictment. "A PRC government business license issued by the PRC Administration for Market Regulation described Wuhan XRZ as a company involved with research and experimental development, technology development, technology consultation and technology transfer," it says. The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also announced it was designating Zhao Guangzong and Ni Gaobin, two of the defendants believed to be affiliated with Wuhan XRZ, "for their roles in malicious cyber operations targeting U.S. entities that operate within U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, directly endangering U.S. national security." The U.S. Department of State announced a Rewards for Justice offer for information on the seven Chinese nationals, their organization or any associated individuals or entities, and the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office implemented matching sanctions. "The United States is focused on both disrupting the dangerous and irresponsible actions of malicious cyber actors, as well as protecting our citizens and our critical infrastructure," Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said in a statement. "Through our whole-of-government approach and in close coordination with our British partners, Treasury will continue to leverage our tools to expose these networks and protect against these threats."

Landlord Jaskaran Singh and journalist Jonathan Choe discuss a Washington community coming together to demand a squatter be removed from a local home.

Dr. Nicole Saphier evaluează diagnosticul de cancer al lui Kate Middleton: „Se pare că face totul bine”

In May, 2010, from his bedroom in London, Navinder Sarao, helped cause panic in U.S. markets. Bloomberg’s Liam Vaughan tells the story of The Flash Crash Trader, also known as The Hound of Hounslow. We bring you insights and analysis from business, science, and technology experts who are shaping our future. Subscribe for business news, but not as you've known it: exclusive interviews, fascinating profiles, data-driven analysis, and the latest in tech innovation from around the world. For breaking global news and insight in an instant.

Millions under threat in the northeast - flooding rains and heavy snow, Philly setting a record for the wettest day in March ever, our weather team timing it out; The well wishers for Princess Catherine after revealing she's being treated for cancer, and the personal message from Harry and Megan; and America Strong - The incredible dog rescue, and the happy ending that you have to see for yourself.

Russian authorities say they've arrested all four gunmen responsible for the terror attack in at a Moscow concert that killed more than 130 people. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Russia says Ukraine is connected to the shooting, which Ukraine denies.