PERSPECTA

News from every angle

Results for “Poth”

195 stories found

UK Drivers Report Surge in Pothole Incidents
EnvironmentThe Independent4d ago

UK Drivers Report Surge in Pothole Incidents

The daily average number of pothole reports received by RAC from broken-down drivers in February was three-and-a-half times higher than the same month last year, indicating a significant increase in road damage across the UK.

Newmont Stock Performance Analysis
FinanceYahoo5d ago

Newmont Stock Performance Analysis

An article analyzes the hypothetical return on a $1,000 investment in Newmont stock made one year ago, detailing the current value of such an investment.

War to Increase Spanish Inflation and Reduce GDP
Worldel-mundola-vanguardia8d ago2 sources

War to Increase Spanish Inflation and Reduce GDP

A study by Funcas predicts that the ongoing conflict will push Spanish inflation above 3% and reduce GDP by two-tenths of a point, based on the hypothesis that the conflict will last three months.

Opinion: The Butterfly Effect and Global Order
Opinionobservador11d ago

Opinion: The Butterfly Effect and Global Order

An opinion piece reflects on a hypothetical 'millimeter' moment in history where the world order hesitated and was subsequently thrown into a centrifuge of power, suggesting a critical turning point.

Rijeka Oil Refinery Upgrade Enters Final Phase
Businessjutarnji-list15d ago

Rijeka Oil Refinery Upgrade Enters Final Phase

The upgrade project for the Rijeka Oil Refinery, one of Croatia's largest and most complex industrial undertakings, has entered its final phase, with work progressing on a new heavy residue processing unit.

Breaking News: Texans part ways with QB coach
SportYahoo16d ago

Breaking News: Texans part ways with QB coach

As if on cue, just as this morning’s C.J. Stroud article was posting, the Texans were addressing 1 of the bullet points therein. From the earlier post: As hypothesized, the people speaking into Stroud’s ear might not be saying the things this particular young man needs to hear in order to rise above. Hopefully this opens […]

Czech Roads Damaged by Harsh Winter
Environmentirozhlas17d ago

Czech Roads Damaged by Harsh Winter

Roads in the Vysočina region of the Czech Republic have suffered extensive damage, including thousands of potholes, due to one of the harshest winters in recent years, characterized by high humidity and frost.

Motorway closure heaps misery on commuters, transporters, traders
PoliticswapoDawnPremium Times25d ago3 sources

Motorway closure heaps misery on commuters, transporters, traders

PESHAWAR: The prolonged closure of the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway (M-1) by the PTI activists heaped misery on commuters, transporters and traders. The ruling party’s leaders and workers have closed M-1 at Swabi rest area since last Friday to demand early treatment of their incarcerated leader, Imran Khan, for “vision loss”. The closure of M-1, the main artery connecting Peshawar with the rest of the country, has put the Grand Trunk Road, the other major road, under immense strain as the neglected highway is unable to cater to the traffic diverted from the motorway. Also, the GT Road is facing closures by PTI activists, causing massive inconvenience to people travelling to attend urgent business meetings and exams, take international flights from Islamabad airport and seek treatment. The businessmen, whose supplies have got stuck along the road, are also distressed. Businessmen wonder why PTI govt troubling people of KP Jan Mulk, a businessman, who was travelling from Islamabad to Peshawar on Sunday evening, told Dawn that he left Islamabad at around 4:30pm and reached Attock at around 6:30pm before finding himself caught in a huge traffic jam at Attock crossing. “Hundreds of vehicles were stuck in a long traffic grid lock and there was not even any way to turn back,” he said. The businessman said that the Attock traffic gridlock forced him to return and spend the night in Islamabad before coming to Peshawar next morning. “There were women, children and elderly, with a large number of them being on foot due to road closure and unavailability of public transport,” he said. Mr Mulk said transporters in Attock were charging commuters Rs1,000 for a trip to Rawalpindi. Khan Zaman Afridi, president of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transporters Association, told Dawn that road closures had made life difficult for transports. “Nearly 3,000 vehicles leave Peshawar General Bus Stand on a daily basis but the number has dropped to around 1500 due to road closures,” he said. Mr Afridi said almost all public transport used the M-1 and now its closure has diverted all the traffic to the GT Road and a usual trip of two to three hours on motorway was taking over 10 hours on GT Road. “GT Road is not old GT Road and is full of potholes and full of vans, Qingqi motorcycle-rickshaws and push carts, so it is very difficult to traverse and now, the entire motorway traffic has been diverted to it, causing massive traffic snarl,” he said. Mr Afridi said that due to the road closures, many people had stopped travelling, and commuter arrivals at bus stands had almost halved as only people who had to attend urgent business meetings travelled in compulsion. “It is ironic that the KP government is inflicting pain on its own people,” he said. A representative of Faisal Movers told Dawn that his transport company had stopped its Peshawar-Islamabad operations since the start of the M-1 closure. Junaid Altaf, president of KP Chamber of Commerce and Industry, questioned the rationale for the motorway closure. “Who are they troubling? Is it the people of KP or residents of Punjab and Sindh who are being affected due to the M-1 closure?” Mr Altaf said that KP chief minister and his cabinet had been sitting in Islamabad for the past many days, leaving their offices and official duties unattended. He said that the prolonged closure of Pak-Afghan border points had already ruined the province’s business community and now, the politicians didn’t understand that the trucks stranded on the road to KP carried raw material to factories in the province and prolonged closure was hurting the business community as well as the economy of the province. “If PTI thinks the people of KP deserve this for voting them to the powers, then it is ok and we deserve it,” he said. Malik Sohni, president of All Pakistan Agriculture Produce Traders Federation, told Dawn that road closures had resulted in an over 10pc increase in the vegetable prices in the provincial capital. He said that in the current season, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, okra, garlic, peas and leafy vegetables were transported from Punjab to Peshawar. Mr Sohni said that as vegetables were perishable, prolonged blockages not only caused spoilage but also drove the prices up. “Prices automatically go up when fresh supplies don’t reach on time,” he said. Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026

Pothole-Related Call-Outs Spike Across UK
PoliticsBBC26d ago

Pothole-Related Call-Outs Spike Across UK

The AA reports an 18% increase in pothole-related call-outs across the UK in January, with over 6,000 incidents in the East of England alone, highlighting deteriorating road conditions.

Czech Roads Damaged by Winter, Millions Needed for Repairs
Worldirozhlas1d ago

Czech Roads Damaged by Winter, Millions Needed for Repairs

Czech roads are heavily damaged with potholes after this winter, and road workers expect to invest significantly more money in repairs than in previous years. The Directorate of Roads and Motorways anticipates costs around 25 million CZK in South Moravia alone.

Trust at 100km/h: how Bluetooth bond helps skier Neil Simpson defy blindness
SportThe Guardian3d ago

Trust at 100km/h: how Bluetooth bond helps skier Neil Simpson defy blindness

After silver medal success with his guide Robert Poth, the British duo aim for more glory in the slalom events Neil Simpson and his guide Robert Poth won silver at the Winter Paralympics on Tuesday, the first medal for Great Britain at these Games. But to watch the athletes in visually impaired alpine skiing descend the slopes of the Dolomites at speeds of up to 100 km/h is to be strongly reminded that everyone needs at least another medal, just for being brave enough to do it in the first pl...

Sofia Municipality Begins Road Repair Work in Sukhodol Area
Politicsdnevnik-bg8d ago

Sofia Municipality Begins Road Repair Work in Sukhodol Area

The Sofia Municipality has started filling potholes on the ring road in the Sukhodol area, following recent protests by local residents regarding the poor condition of the road. Repairs are being conducted at night to minimize traffic disruption.

Road repairs cause traffic paralysis in Chișinău
Worldnewsmaker-md10d ago

Road repairs cause traffic paralysis in Chișinău

Road repairs on Muncești Highway in Chișinău, Moldova, have partially closed the road until March 6, causing significant traffic congestion as workers fill potholes that appeared after winter.

The Floor General: Jaden Bradley
SportYahoo11d ago

The Floor General: Jaden Bradley

Craig D. Lounsbrough had the famous quote, “The road to success is often paved with potholes.” If you’ve followed Jaden Bradley’s career, that quote rings true in a variety of...

Uber to Acquire Parking App SpotHero
Businesscnbcseeking-alpha18d ago2 sources

Uber to Acquire Parking App SpotHero

Uber has announced its intention to acquire SpotHero, a popular parking reservation application, expanding its services beyond ride-sharing and food delivery.

Blata Customs Border Crossing Faces Criticism Over Road Conditions
Businessbalkan-web19d ago

Blata Customs Border Crossing Faces Criticism Over Road Conditions

The Blata Customs border crossing between Albania and North Macedonia is criticized for having 'two standards' for truck passage, with the road on the North Macedonian side paved while the Albanian side of the Librazhd-Pogradec axis is riddled with potholes, causing major issues for heavy transport.

How Bhattacharya's NIH Is Rethinking China, DEI, And High‑Risk Labs
Politicszerohedge22d ago

How Bhattacharya's NIH Is Rethinking China, DEI, And High‑Risk Labs

How Bhattacharya's NIH Is Rethinking China, DEI, And High‑Risk Labs Authored by Jeff Louderback, Jan Jekielek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), For decades, scientists have looked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as an agency that publishes papers, according to Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, in Washington, on Feb. 8, 2026. Irene Luo/The Epoch Times Under President Donald Trump’s second term, the emphasis for NIH funding has shifted to “provable, testable hypotheses, not ideological narratives,” he said, which is resulting in widespread reforms to the agency. Bhattacharya, who obtained both a doctorate in economics and a medical degree from Stanford University within three years of each other, outlined changes that the NIH has implemented in his first year as the agency’s director and talked about his vision for the next three years in an interview with Epoch Times Senior Editor Jan Jekielek. The NIH has been instrumental in medical advances for decades, Bhattacharya said, but in the 21st century, it became “much more of a staid institution, not willing to take intellectual risks.” During the same time, the agency “was willing to take risks on dangerous gain-of-function and other social agendas, like DEI, that it had no business really engaging in.” “I think the NIH now, under my leadership, under President Trump’s leadership, and under what Secretary [Robert F.] Kennedy is looking over … is focused on actually addressing the chronic health problems of this country, reversing the flatlining of life expectancy, and making good on its mission ... research that improves the health and longevity of the American people, and the whole world,” he said. One of the 13 agencies managed by the Department of Health and Human Services, the NIH is the largest supporter of biomedical research globally, providing 85 percent of all biomedical research funding worldwide, according to Bhattacharya. It funds about $50 billion in scientific research via grants to hundreds of thousands of researchers at academic institutions and hospitals, he said. The NIH is not an agency that makes decisions or policies about public health directly, Bhattacharya said, noting that he intends to “remove the politicization of science that has existed for decades.” The National Institutes of Health Gateway Center in Bethesda, Md., on June 8, 2025. During President Donald Trump’s second term, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said the agency “is focused on actually addressing the chronic health problems of this country.” Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters/File Photo Political Agendas Over the past 15 to 20 years, the NIH has incorporated political rather than scientific agendas, Bhattacharya told The Epoch Times. “Probably the most prominent example of this is DEI—diversity, equity and inclusion,” he said. “If you were a researcher outside the NIH, the ticket to getting sort of extra, relatively easy funds was to promise to do DEI research. Looking into it, much of that research had no real scientific basis at all. I don’t even characterize this as science.” As an example, Bhattacharya used a project that studied the question: “Is structural racism the root reason why African Americans have worse hypertension results than other races?” “The problem with that hypothesis is that there’s no way to test it,” he said. “If structural racism is the cause, then what control group can you have to test the idea that that is true? ... None of that actually translated over to better health for anybody, much less for African Americans. “Scientists of the country understand that if they want NIH support, they need to propose projects that have the chance of improving the health of people rather than achieving some ideology that should not belong at the NIH.” The NIH has redirected its funding since Trump took office for his second term. That includes allocating funds for “early career scientists,” Bhattacharya said. President Donald Trump (C) speaks as National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya (2nd L) looks on during a press conference at the White House on May 12, 2025. The NIH redirected its funding priorities after Trump began his second term. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Funding Changes There should be “fundamental changes” with the way the NIH funds educational institutions, Bhattacharya said, and he intends to work with Congress “to make [this] happen.” On Jan. 5, a federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration cannot reduce the amount of money the NIH pays grant recipients for indirect costs, including administration and facility maintenance. The ruling applies to three lawsuits filed by the attorneys general of Massachusetts and 21 other states, as well as hospitals, schools, and the associations that represent them. The NIH published a guidance document in February 2025 to limit how much grant funding could flow to research institutions to cover their indirect costs. These are costs that cannot be directly attributed to an individual research project and include expenses related to funding equipment, facilities, and research staff. The guidance document states that these indirect costs could not exceed 15 percent of funding for direct research costs, regardless of the costs incurred at universities. The NIH stated that Johns Hopkins, Yale, and Harvard charged in excess of 60 percent for indirect costs, even though they had billions of dollars in endowments. Attorneys for those who filed suit said small universities don’t have such large endowments and that if the guidance took effect, there would be many layoffs, stalled clinical trials, and laboratory closures. “If you don’t have amazing scientists who can win the grants, you’re not going to get the facility support. But in order to attract excellent scientists to your institution, you have to have excellent facilities. It’s the kind of Catch-22 that guarantees that our funding from the NIH is going to be concentrated in relatively few institutions,” Bhattacharya said. Scientists at schools such as the University of Alabama, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Kansas deserve access to funding like Stanford and Harvard, he said. A researcher studies skin wound healing in a lab at the University of Illinois Chicago in Chicago on March 5, 2025. On Jan. 5, a federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration could not limit the percentage amount the National Institutes of Health pays grant recipients for indirect costs, including administrative expenses and facility maintenance. Scott Olson/Getty Images Dealing With China The NIH must be “very careful about how we fund research relationships with China, especially post-pandemic,” Bhattacharya said. “The U.S. invested in the Chinese biomedical research enterprise. Almost every single top Chinese biomedical research scientist of note was funded in some part by the NIH. Many were trained in the United States, so we invested heavily in that,” he said. “Post-pandemic, and especially given the geopolitical circumstances we are in now, it looks, in retrospect, like it wasn’t all that wise an investment.” The NIH must implement more secure measures with foreign research, he said, referencing the collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. “In the case of Wuhan, what happened was that the NIH funded … Eco Health Alliance, which had a sub-award relationship with the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Bhattacharya said. “When the pandemic happened, and the NIH had an interest in getting the lab notebooks of what exactly was studied in Wuhan, the Eco Health Alliance essentially delayed reporting at all about what it knew had happened,” Bhattacharya said. “They ultimately said, ‘Oh, well, we don’t control Wuhan Institute of Virology. We can’t get the lab notebooks.’” He noted that the NIH “funded research in collaboration with China that was actually quite dangerous and may indeed have led to the pandemic.” Under Bhattacharya, the NIH now has more stringent auditing processes with domestic and foreign institutions. “If it is NIH-funded, then [the domestic and the foreign institutions] have to have direct auditing relationships united with the NIH,“ he said. ”Then the NIH can shut off money to the foreign institution, if it’s not cooperating. ... It’s called a sub-project system. It’s one of the first things that I did.” Read the rest here... Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 21:45

Simpson and Poth pay price for 'costly' error
SportBBC1d ago

Simpson and Poth pay price for 'costly' error

Britain's Neil Simpson is left bitterly disappointed after he and guide Rob Poth fail to finish their opening giant slalom run in the men's visually impaired event at the Winter Paralympics in…

US Fighter Jets Shot Down in Kuwait, Betrayal Suspected
Worldla-repubblica4d ago

US Fighter Jets Shot Down in Kuwait, Betrayal Suspected

A video has cast doubt on the hypothesis of error regarding the downing of three US fighter jets in Kuwait, suggesting a jet from the Emirate was at close range and saw who it was firing at, leading to suspicions of betrayal.

Lithuanian Roads Begin Pothole Repairs
Businessdelfi-lt15d ago

Lithuanian Roads Begin Pothole Repairs

With warmer weather, an increase in asphalt damage, including potholes, has been observed across Lithuania. The company 'Kelių priežiūra' is responsible for identifying and repairing these issues, with 'Via Lietuva' overseeing state roads.

Swiss Pharmacy Dispenses Sevenfold Overdose to Infant
Health20-minuten16d ago

Swiss Pharmacy Dispenses Sevenfold Overdose to Infant

A Swiss pharmacy mistakenly labeled a baby's medication with a sevenfold overdose (7 ml instead of 0.9 ml) for a four-month-old infant. The error was only caught because the parents became suspicious of the dosage.

Pothole Season Begins on Lithuanian Roads
Worlddelfi-lt17d ago

Pothole Season Begins on Lithuanian Roads

Drivers in Lithuania are reporting an increasing number of potholes on roads as snow melts, with some resembling sinkholes, signaling the start of 'pothole season'.

‘An apotheosis’: Osasuna rejoice at ending 15-year wait to topple Real Madrid | Sid Lowe
SportThe Guardian19d ago

‘An apotheosis’: Osasuna rejoice at ending 15-year wait to topple Real Madrid | Sid Lowe

After relegation fears, historic late victory has goalkeeper jumping in the stands and El Sadar dreaming of Europe There’s only one thing better than celebrating a brilliant 90th-minute winner that at last delivers victory over the team you most want to beat, 15 long years later. Celebrating it twice. So this Saturday, that was exactly what Sergio Herrera did. At the north end of El Sadar, where for one night only they thought VAR might be a good thing, Raúl García applied the brakes, sent Ra...

Emails show 'Godfather of AGI' Ben Goertzel courted Epstein for funding and congratulated him on jail release
TechnologyBusiness InsiderDaily Star BD23d ago2 sources

Emails show 'Godfather of AGI' Ben Goertzel courted Epstein for funding and congratulated him on jail release

Ben Goertzel had dozens of email exchanges with Jeffrey Epstein. Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Getty Images Ben Goertzel, a computer scientist who popularized the term AGI, courted Jeffrey Epstein for research funding, emails show. DoJ files show that Goertzel was aware of Epstein's criminal charges, and their correspondence continued until at least 2018. Goertzel told Business Insider he "made a mistake" in accepting Epstein's money and regretted not doing due diligence. In January 2013, Jeffrey Epstein sent a blunt email to the computer scientist Ben Goertzel. Epstein had funded Goertzel's research in artificial intelligence and was frustrated with a lack of progress. However, on this day, the disgraced financier wasn't writing to discuss algorithms or neural networks — he wanted to discuss Goertzel's hair. "I think it is now time for you to drop the hippie look," Epstein wrote, warning Goertzel that his "disheveled 80s appearance" was an "unnecessary hindrance" to securing the capital that might one day help the two men achieve AGI — artificial general intelligence, a hypothetical level of computer intelligence that could surpass that of humans. Epstein compared the scientist's ponytail to "spinach in the teeth of a friend." "I would be willing to cut my hair for a lot of AGI money," Goertzel replied. Ben Goerzel (right) with Kelly Larson (co-curator of TEDx Hong Kong and Asia Consciousness Festival) and Jeffrey Martin (visiting assistant professor at Polytechnic University) Chris Ip/South China Morning Post via Getty Images The exchange was among dozens between Epstein and Goertzel in files released by the Department of Justice, chronicling Epstein's fascination with the potential of AI. Goertzel, a researcher who helped popularize the term AGI and develop the humanoid robot Sophia, courted Epstein for money over several years, promising he could build the "Sputnik of AI," the emails show. In an online résumé that has since been removed, Goertzel said Epstein gave him a $100,000 research grant in 2001. Emails reviewed by Business Insider show Epstein agreed to give Goertzel at least another $100,000 between 2008 and 2018, spread out across multiple transfers. It could not be learned how much of the money Goertzel ultimately received. The emails show Goertzel was aware of Epstein's criminal charges. In a 2010 email, Goertzel congratulated Epstein on his release from the Palm Beach County Jail. In 2008, Epstein had pleaded guilty to two sex charges, including solicitation of a minor. In 2015, several days after Prince Andrew was named in a lawsuit over underage sex claims related to Epstein, Goertzel wrote about "utterly idiotic negative publicity in the news" and said he was sorry Epstein's camp had to deal with it. "Maybe some variation of what is alleged did happen, but if so it was surely an occurrence among reasonably mature people who mutually consented at the time, so why is it anybody else's business?" Goertzel wrote, before asking for $25,000 for a "corporate contribution" to one of his companies. In a statement to Business Insider, Goertzel said he "made a mistake" in accepting Epstein's money. He said he regretted not doing due diligence on Epstein's crimes and that he had "basically zero knowledge of Epstein's sexual peculiarities and exploitative practices." He added: "I deeply regret being social-engineered by this terrible human being and not doing more research into him decades ago. I won't make this sort of mistake again." 'The Sputnik of AI' Goertzel is currently the CEO of SingularityNET, an AI and blockchain company. He is also chair of The AGI Society, a nonprofit that holds an annual AI conference. His correspondence with Epstein was among millions of documents released by the Justice Department. The files have reverberated through the business world, revealing emails between Epstein and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Virgin founder Richard Branson, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, among others. The fallout for some people named in the files has been swift. Goldman Sachs' top lawyer, Kathryn Ruemmler, resigned in mid-February, and Brad Karp resigned as chairman of the law firm Paul Weiss, among others. Appearing in the files does not necessarily suggest that a person has engaged in wrongdoing. In one of the emails released by the Justice Department, Goertzel said he had known Epstein since 2001. Epstein took an interest in what labs like MIT and Google were doing in the AI field. Goertzel, who some consider one of the "godfathers of AGI," coauthored a 2006 book on the topic, and in 2008, he created OpenCog, an open-source project to try to architect human intelligence. Goertzel told Business Insider that he met Epstein through "mutual friends" in New York City. Epstein was well-connected with the rich and the powerful. Martin BUREAU / AFP via Getty Images Epstein appeared concerned in some emails by the lack of support for Goertzel's AGI theories among mainstream experts. "i believe in you. i can't figure out why i am in the minority," he told Goertzel in 2010. In a 2011 email, Goertzel asked if Epstein would fund half of a $3 million grant over four years to fund a "full speed ahead toward AGI" plan, which included building AI that could control a video game character and a humanoid robot. "Of course, US$3M is a lot of money. However, this would be the 'Sputnik of AGI' -- it would set the development of AGI on a whole new course," Goertzel wrote. In his statement to Business Insider, Goertzel said, "I had basically zero knowledge of Epstein's sexual peculiarities and exploitative practices and have no orientation toward that sort of thing and little understanding of it -- it was all about being overly desperate at that stage for any source of $$ to fund innovative frontier science, which Epstein did recognize as valuable but mainstream science at the time did not." Epstein sometimes pushed Goertzel for more tangible proof of breakthroughs and tried to influence some research directions, the emails show. In February 2013, he emailed Goertzel and suggested that having an AI system pass "iq tests for children" would provide a concrete research milestone. Goertzel agreed to pursue the idea. "Epstein was very smart and fairly technically savvy and had a lot of ideas about AI, which were not terribly stupid nor terribly brilliant," Goertzel told Business Insider. "I did not pay much attention to them nor did they influence my work in any way." Ben Goertzel, gives a press conference with Hanson Robotics at Web Summit, 2019 Henrique Casinhas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Epstein used corporate and foundation vehicles to send money to Goertzel, including his Southern Trust Company, registered in the US Virgin Islands, the emails show. "As before, we can do this as a tax-deductible donation to a nonprofit, assuming that's still your preference," Goertzel said in a September 2010 email to Epstein. Depending on the circumstances, Goertzel, who spent some of his time in Hong Kong, requested that the money be sent to different nonprofits' accounts, the emails show. In 2014, Goertzel requested that Epstein send the money to Humanity+, a nonprofit focused on transhumanism that he was vice president of. Goertzel said it would act as a fiscal "pass-through" so the money could be diverted to himself and other researchers. "Yes all this was totally legit, the funding was going to open-source AGI R&D for the good of humanity and its future, which was very much within the mandate of Humanity+ as a 501-3c nonprofit," Goertzel told Business Insider. 'Moronic media shitstorm' Goertzel told Business Insider he "reconnected" with Epstein in 2008 after several years of no contact, and that Epstein told him about his legal situation. "He framed it as a politically motivated prosecution for involvement with a consenting adult. I believed him. I should not have," Goertzel told Business Insider. Several emails show Goertzel and Epstein arranging to meet in person. Goertzel told Business Insider they met on several occasions at Epstein's New York and Florida offices. "I never hung out with him in a social setting, never went to the island or flew in the jet or saw him partying with girlfriends or anything like that," he said. In 2015, Goertzel was following up on a payment he hoped to receive from Epstein. Richard Kahn, Epstein's accountant, responded that it had to be put on hold due to "bad press." The Guardian had reported days earlier that Prince Andrew was named in a US lawsuit involving Epstein. "I don't want to push you guys at a difficult time, but given my own situation I do feel moved to ask if Jeffrey might still be able to help with $25K for my 'corporate contribution' to the OpenCog Hong Kong project," Goertzel wrote. "He has helped in this way every year since 2010, usually via a donation to Humanity+." The South China Morning Post reported earlier on some of the payments Epstein made to Goertzel to help him secure Hong Kong grants. Epstein responded, "yes 25," and Goertzel thanked him and said he hoped to resume conversations "once this current moronic media shitstorm blows over." Emails between the men continued for several years. In December 2018, a few days after the Miami Herald published an investigation into Epstein that contributed to his arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges the next year, Goertzel sent an email inviting Epstein to an AI and blockchain event in New York. Alternatively, he said, they could find another time to meet in the city. "let me know if you're in town and might spare a few moments," Goertzel wrote. "it's been a while!" Have something to share? Contact this reporter via email at hlangley@businessinsider.com or Signal at 628-228-1836. Use a personal email address and a non-work device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Read the original article on Business Insider

'America's Next Top Model' star Jay Manuel says he asked to be excused from the infamous race-swapping photo shoot, but was denied
CultureBusiness Insider26d ago

'America's Next Top Model' star Jay Manuel says he asked to be excused from the infamous race-swapping photo shoot, but was denied

Tyra Banks and Jay Manuel at the finale party for "America's Next Top Model" season two. Gregg DeGuire/WireImage Netflix's new three-part docuseries explores the legacy of "America's Next Top Model." One of the show's stars, Jay Manuel, says he objected to season four's race-swapping photo shoot. Tyra Banks says she didn't think it was controversial because she was in her "own little bubble." In a new documentary, Tyra Banks responds to criticism of "America's Next Top Model" with a familiar refrain: "Hindsight is 20/20." But for her former costar, Jay Manuel, one controversial moment was troubling from the start. Netflix's three-part documentary "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model" explores the TV show's legacy, from its peak popularity in the early aughts to the divisive reactions from current viewers. Perhaps the most infamous photo shoot in "Top Model" history aired in 2005, when the season four contestants were told by Manuel, "We're actually going to switch your ethnicities." Several of the models' faces and bodies were painted with dark makeup: Christina Murphy, Brittany Brower, and Noelle Staggers were assigned the roles of "East Indian," "African American," and "traditionally African woman," respectively. "The challenge here really is taking on the persona of that other ethnicity while in the photograph, and owning it," Manuel tells the models in the episode. Brittany Brower in season four of "America's Next Top Model." UPN/Amazon Prime Many viewers and critics have since condemned the photo shoot as blackface, an offensive practice that dates back to racist minstrel shows in the 1830s. In the documentary, Manuel says he was uncomfortable with the concept from the start, especially given his family's history with racial segregation. "The shoot that I had the most difficult time with was this race-swapping shoot. My parents are from South Africa. They grew up during apartheid. I am very aware of that history," he tells the camera. However, he says his objections were brushed off by Banks. "I first asked to be excused from the photo shoot," Manuel continues. "And Tyra said to me, 'I will handle this on camera with the girls at judging, just go and do your job.' I recognized that my role was starting to have limitations. That shoot was happening regardless." The documentary includes clips from the episode, including several of Manuel, who was billed as the "art director of photo shoots," coaching the models behind the camera. "If you really look for it, you can see it on my face. Especially the setup for the day, where I tell the girls what we're doing. I could tell I was just, like, double swallowing," he recalls. "But I just had to do my job." Tyra Banks says she didn't anticipate backlash to the race-swapping photo shoot Tyra Banks and her fellow judges on season four, episode five of "America's Next Top Model." UPN/Amazon Prime Banks, who created "Top Model" and hosted the reality show for 12 years, says she "didn't think it was controversial" at the time to paint the models' skin. "I was in my own little bubble, in my own little head, that this was my way of showing the world that brown and Black is beautiful," she says in the documentary. "But then we put it out there, and the world was like, 'Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?'" "Looking at the show now, through the 2020 lens, it's an issue, and I understand 100% why," Banks adds. "Top Model" became a surprise hit for UPN when it premiered in 2003. Banks worked with producer Ken Mok to develop a competition show that blended the performative elements of "American Idol" with the behind-the-scenes drama of "The Real World." It made for irresistible TV, and "Top Model" drew millions of viewers. However, Banks and Manuel both recall pressure to pump up the drama on "Top Model" as its audience continued to grow. "It was a time in the world where there was a show, 'Fear Factor,' and 'Survivor,' and all of these things of, like, pushing the limits and all of that," Banks says. "And so we kept pushing, and we kept creating more and more and more. You guys were demanding it." Dawn Ostroff, then-president of UPN, says there was a constant push to raise the stakes, even as contestants were having emotional breakdowns or health emergencies on camera. Season three contestant Rebecca Epley fainted in the middle of judging, for example, and season seven winner CariDee English developed hypothermia during a photo shoot in a swimming pool. "How do you get that, 'I can't believe they're doing that' moment again? You have to keep one-upping yourself," she says in the documentary. "I never thought about, you know, 'Can we air it? Can't we air it?' Good television is good television." Nicole Fox on season 13, episode nine of "America's Next Top Model." The CW/Amazon Prime Although Manuel was originally cast as a creative director and occasional judge, he says the content of the challenges and photo shoots was largely out of his control, especially as the show got bigger. Eventually, his role was narrowed to "on-camera talent." "There was a time when the creative of the show started to shift. We were supposed to be showing the behind-the-scenes of what the fashion world was, helping change the industry. But the show had evolved in a way I'd never expected," Manuel says. "I really struggled over some of the things that happened. And that was something that was slowly depleting me, chipping away at my soul." He adds, "Tyra would always reinforce, 'We need to keep it entertaining. We need to keep people watching.'" In "Top Model" season 13, which aired on The CW in 2009, the models were tasked with yet another race-swapping shoot. This time, Banks was the photographer. Representatives for Ostroff and Banks did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider