Jean Thompson, Author at Dual cow

Shakira Honored With a Statue in Her Hometown in Colombia

Dec

Shakira Honored With a Statue in Her Hometown in Colombia

The Colombian coastal city of Barranquilla this week revealed a 21-foot-tall tribute to one of the country’s most famous cultural exports: Shakira.“A heart that composes, hips that don’t lie, an unmatched talent, a voice that moves the masses and bare feet that march for the good of children and humanity,” reads the plaque below the statue.“I am honored and moved by this incredible recognition in my Barranquilla, the city where I was born,” Shakira said in a statement. “Every barranquillero and barranquillera are my brothers and sisters and the inspiration of my life since my childhood.”The statue’s sculptor, Yino Márquez,…

10 Nutrition Tips for a Healthy New Year

Dec

By Jean Thompson

Health

10 Nutrition Tips for a Healthy New Year

As a health reporter who’s been following nutrition news for decades, I’ve seen a lot of trends that made a splash — and then sank. Remember olestra, the Paleo diet and celery juice?Watch enough food fads come and go, and you realize that the most valuable nutrition guidance is built on decades of research, in which scientists have looked at a question from multiple perspectives and arrived at something like a consensus.Here are 10 science-backed pearls to carry you into the new year.1. The Mediterranean diet really is that good for you.Decades of research support the Mediterranean diet — which…

NFL playoff picture after Week 16: Ravens close in on AFC’s top seed; NFC up for grabs

Dec

By Jean Thompson

International

NFL playoff picture after Week 16: Ravens close in on AFC’s top seed; NFC up for grabs

The Baltimore Ravens scored their most impressive victory of the season Monday night, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 33-19. Along with making them look like worthy Super Bowl contenders, the victory puts them in a fantastic position in the AFC. At 12-3, they’re a game ahead of Miami and have a chance to clinch the top spot next week in a game against those very Dolphins.Meanwhile, the 49ers’ loss sends them to 11-4 and a three-way tie atop the NFC with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. The 49ers own the tiebreaker over both, but with two games to go,…

Chinese Spy Agency Rising to Challenge the C.I.A.

Dec

By Jean Thompson

Science and Technology

Chinese Spy Agency Rising to Challenge the C.I.A.

The Chinese spies wanted more. In meetings during the pandemic with Chinese technology contractors, they complained that surveillance cameras tracking foreign diplomats, military officers and intelligence operatives in Beijing’s embassy district fell short of their needs.The spies asked for an artificial intelligence program that would create instant dossiers on every person of interest in the area and analyze their behavior patterns. They proposed feeding the A.I. program information from databases and scores of cameras that would include car license plates, cellphone data, contacts and more.The A.I.-generated profiles would allow the Chinese spies to select targets and pinpoint their networks and…

New York Times Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over Use of Copyrighted Work

Dec

By Jean Thompson

Investments and Business

New York Times Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over Use of Copyrighted Work

The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement on Wednesday, opening a new front in the increasingly intense legal battle over the unauthorized use of published work to train artificial intelligence technologies.The Times is the first major American media organization to sue the companies, the creators of ChatGPT and other popular A.I. platforms, over copyright issues associated with its written works. The lawsuit, filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, contends that millions of articles published by The Times were used to train automated chatbots that now compete with the news outlet as a source of reliable…

Indian Envoy Hails Ties With Russia, Despite Western Pressure

Dec

By Jean Thompson

International

Indian Envoy Hails Ties With Russia, Despite Western Pressure

India’s foreign minister has met with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on Wednesday, as part of a diplomatic visit highlighting the two countries’ close economic ties even as international pressure to isolate Russia over its war in Ukraine has mounted.From the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, India has taken a neutral stance on the conflict, citing its longtime ties with Russia and insisting on its right to navigate an increasingly multipolar world its own way. Russia has long been the most important military supplier for India, and as international sanctions began constricting Russian oil sales, India rapidly expanded…