Montreal pharmacist Aleck Brodeur just received a shipment of rapid COVID-19 tests. Since temperatures have dropped, more people want to buy them, he says.

“They sell out so quickly. We always have to order something every day and we keep increasing the amount we order, but they are all still on sale,” he said.

He expects that shipment – 13 kits in total – to be gone by the end of the day. In QuebecThere were 3,882 new laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 between September 15 and September 21.

Unlike last fall, there are no free rapid tests to distribute in Brodeur. The federal government stopped providing free rapid COVID tests to provinces and territories in May.

In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for Health Canada said it is no longer purchasing rapid tests in bulk. The agency also says there are no plans to replenish the federal stockpile once it is depleted.

This means that pharmacies bought the tests from suppliers and sold them like any other over-the-counter goods. Pharmacists say supplies are sometimes low.

“We hunt them down and make sure they are approved by Health Canada,” said Kyro Maseh, a Toronto-area pharmacist.

Artron Laboratories Inc., which makes COVID testing kits, said in an email that it has increased test production in recent months and expects to increase it even further for the upcoming winter season.

Where can you get COVID tests?

You may have to visit several pharmacies before you find one that offers rapid tests – free or for sale.

While some pharmacies in Quebec and Ontario no longer have free testing, the situation is different elsewhere. Alberta Public Health says it is still distributing free tests from the federal supply participating pharmacies until the supply runs out.

While Quebec pharmacies may no longer offer free rapid tests, the province does distribute Free rapid tests in certain clinics or service centers.

PCR testing is also available in some provinces for people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. It just takes a little longer to get the results: at least 24 hours.

Experts say most expired tests will continue to work for a few months after the expiration date, but they also warn that false negatives pose a risk: If your test comes back negative on an expired test but you’re still experiencing symptoms, Is it possible that this is the case? I still have COVID – even if the expired test didn’t detect it.

“If it’s positive, you’re definitely positive. If it is negative and has symptoms, you need to be concerned about using expired tests,” said Dr. Dawn Bowdish, professor of immunology at McMaster University and executive director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health in Hamilton.

Should we even still test for COVID?

If you’re otherwise healthy and young, there’s a good chance that whether you’ve tested positive for COVID or have a cold, you’ll be given the same advice: Don’t go to work or school, stay home .

But for those more vulnerable to serious illness, an early positive test can change treatment options — and potentially health outcomes.

“Older adults and immunocompromised people who are at high risk for hospitalization should receive antiviral medications within one day or no more than two days of becoming ill,” Bowdish said.

“If they don’t know they have COVID, they can’t get the medications that could keep them out of the hospital.”

Current numbers Select public health and hospital laboratories across Canada suggest COVID-19 levels remain stable across the country, but Dr. Donald Vinh, an infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at McGill University Health Centre, believes the numbers do not reflect the true level of what is going on in the community.

“We know this is an underestimate of what is going on,” he said.

For him, there is no doubt that comprehensive testing is still worthwhile. He says COVID can have serious impacts on vulnerable populations — and there are treatment options, too.

“Instead of saying: Do we still need tests for SARS-CoV-2 after four years? At-risk populations for which we can provide therapy,” Vinh said.

In the US, the federal government has done this a program reopens This will allow each household to receive up to four free COVID test kits in the mail. U.S. health officials are urging the public to take a rapid test before visiting friends and family during the holiday season.

Bowdish, the immunologist, says she would like to see something similar in Canada.

“People change their behavior and decisions when they know they have an infection that could cause an older adult or vulnerable person to become seriously ill.”

Whether you’ve carefully considered budget-friendly TV options or decided on one of the best TVs money can buy, you might be tempted to spend more money on a professional calibration – especially if you’re a picture purist are. For a hefty fee, a professional calibrator will come to your home, use some fancy equipment, and adjust your TV’s settings until the image is as accurate as possible.

It’s a fairly simple process, but deciding whether to do it or not is not always easy. I’ve been testing and calibrating TVs for over a decade and even I don’t have a clear answer. But I may help you weigh the pros and cons. Here’s everything you need to know about professional TV calibrations.

What does a professional TV calibrator do?

Lt. James Estabrook of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office talks about how the audio from body cameras can be integrated with artificial intelligence to draft a police report. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

Police agencies in Maine are dipping into the world of artificial intelligence, they say, to help them save on hours of paperwork so they can do more policing.

But experts who have studied this technology question whether it will actually save time, or if it will only bog down and raise more distrust in the criminal justice system.

Lt. James Estabrook demonstrated the potentially time-saving new tool in the parking lot of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office in Portland this month. He hopped out of his cruiser, clicked a button on his body camera and walked through a fake traffic stop scenario.

Lt. James Estabrook runs through a simulated traffic stop to demonstrate how the audio from his body camera can be used in conjunction with artificial intelligence to draft a police report. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

After he pretended to issue a warning to his colleague for speeding, he ended the body camera recording with the click of a button. But behind the lens, the footage was being sent to the cloud to be analyzed by AI which, within seconds, produces the first draft of a police report.

The feature he’s been testing, “Draft One,” is software created by technology company Axon, which makes products for the military and law enforcement. Officers sporting Axon body cameras can upload any footage, from which the software interprets and generates an AI-authored draft of a report based on the audio.

Cumberland deputies tried out the feature for 90 days this summer. So did the Portland Police Department, which has now extended its trial until it can get the money together to fully implement it.

Officers who tried out the tech described it as a time-saving and game-changing feature. They say it produces an accurate summary that sometimes is higher quality than their own writing.

Portland police wouldn’t disclose the price, but Estabrook said the estimated monthly cost is $30.42 per officer, or just under $35,000 per year for the sheriff’s office, a cost the sheriff said they can’t afford right now.

But neither agency wants to be the first in Maine to officially get on board – they anticipate backlash.

Portland police are taking a “low and slow” approach, said Maj. Jason King, waiting to see how other agencies and courts across the country reckon with this tech before deciding to use it in potentially high-profile criminal prosecutions.

“Somebody is going to be a trendsetter and it will probably trigger some Law Court decisions on whether or not this is a tool that can be helpful and reliable,” Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said.

They might not have to be the first. Somerset County recently approved a five-year contract with Axon to purchase body and dashboard cameras and the Draft One software, all at a cost of about $840,000, according to reporting by the Morning Sentinel.

“It seems to me that it’s a pretty good bargain,” county Commissioner John Alsop said at a meeting this month. “If this is going to reduce the likelihood of lawsuits and other expensive outcomes, I think I’m in favor of it.”

But the AI innovation is not that simple and has some strong opponents in the legal field.

“Axon wants to make it sound as though this is giving every cop a personal secretary,” said Timothy Zerillo, a defense attorney in Portland and director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. “A personal secretary is a human being that can interpret your words … That’s different than having a machine do the same thing.”

THE TECH

Draft One is powered by Open AI, the creator of the generative AI chatbot called Chat GPT. It uses GPT-4 Turbo as its base, which is a more accurate model than ChatGPT that can interpret both text and images to answer questions and solve problems, according to Open AI’s website.

When an officer uploads their video, the Draft One version creates a report filled with optional brackets for them to insert additional details that may be relevant. For example, after a traffic stop, the software could prompt the officer to add the speed limit and observations about the driver. It also allows officers to edit, change and report any errors. They can also use a speech-to-text function to dictate what they want to add.

Lt. James Estabrook highlights a section of an initial draft of a police report generated by AI using body camera audio from a simulated traffic violation stop. The report prompts officers to add specific details. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

The final paragraph discloses that the narrative was generated by AI. At the end, the officer must sign their name to testify to the accuracy of the document. Once all of the brackets are removed, they can either submit it through the Axon system or copy and paste it into their own records management system.

It is just one of many products within Axon’s “ecosystem” that can work in tandem with its other devices and software. If multiple officers wearing Axon body cameras are responding to an incident, Axon’s systems automatically link the footage as a part of a single incident. Axon also owns Tasers, drones and other systems that law enforcement agencies depend on. The Portland Police Department is also looking into adding Axon drones to its fleet – at a cost of $40,000.

The software is being implemented amid a tricky, emerging landscape of technology in policing.

Andrew Ferguson, a law professor at American University in Washington, D.C., studies police surveillance technology, privacy and civil rights. He wrote a draft paper analyzing the software’s challenges.

Because the software only reports the facts, Ferguson wrote, it may result in “flattening” the narrative to be too formal and depersonalized. And because the AI system lacks nuance and cultural understanding, it may make unfair judgments, he said.

“Police have never just reported the facts,” he wrote. “Every narrative story of a police encounter involves a choice of how to describe the use of police power. Police reports are not narrations of the facts but are narrations of human interpretation of the facts.”

Even body cameras themselves, which can be turned off, can fail to capture objective data, he said. They record suspects, but not the officer’s actions. And because the Draft One technology relies on audio, Axon encourages the officers to narrate the situation.

“The same subtle biases observed in the video will be replicated on the transcript,” he wrote. “Perhaps more concerning, a sophisticated police officer will be able to narrate the facts to suit their desired outcome.”

Artificial intelligence models can be “trained” by feeding in certain data to produce certain results, like a police report.

Because large language models like GPT-4 are trained by people with their own biases, sometimes they produce content that can be harmful toward certain communities, said Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the American Civil Liberty Union’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project.

“We all sort of intuitively understand … how (human) memory works, how storytelling works, but these AI agents are a really alien being,” Stanley said. “It doesn’t make sense to throw them into the middle of the criminal justice system, and the concern is, injustices will result.”

Axon’s team used the Open AI model to generate “realistic” police report narratives and then fed it to the Draft One software to train it, according to a spokesperson. The company also chose police report narratives from agencies that opted into Axon’s voluntary program for product development.

Axon also boasts that the model has been calibrated “to prevent speculation or embellishments” and just stick to the facts when producing reports. The company said it conducted an internal study that reported Draft One was nonbiased and objective.

What’s unclear is how Axon makes that calibration, and a spokesperson did not return several follow-up emails asking about it. Ferguson said how that calibration is made should be disclosed because the product is used for public safety by public officials.

“You have some obligation to explain how the technology was created if only just to quiet the people who might be asking hard questions,” he said.

But Estabrook, the Cumberland County lieutenant, said he feels comfortable with how accurate Draft One is and would use it when responding to any incident. The narrative only recounts what the body camera footage shows and doesn’t make anything up, he said.

“Be concerned if you want … be apprehensive … but read this final proof and watch the video,” he said. “The two should be darn near (the same).”

IS IT EFFICIENT?

Estabrook said although the tech wouldn’t be “massively” cost-saving, it would reduce overtime pay and make officers’ jobs easier.

The sheriff’s office first tested the tech with a few supervisors and three deputies, who Estabrook said varied in their report-writing skills. Then, for the final few months, the tech was turned on for everyone to try out.

Estabrook said most officers spend about three hours a day writing reports. Using Draft One, he said, a report that would usually take an hour to write took 10 to 15 minutes maximum.

Lt. James Estabrook of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office uses the dictation feature to add detail to a police report of a simulated traffic violation. The initial draft of the report was generated using AI analysis of body camera audio recording. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

At Portland police, the eight or nine officers using the technology found their report-writing time was cut nearly in half, from about 13 hours a week to about 6.5 hours, King said.

In Axon’s marketing materials, the company says that one of its customers, Colorado’s Fort Collins Police Services, saw an 82% decrease in report-writing time.

But at least one study discounts these claims.

Ian Adams, an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina’s criminology and criminal justice department, analyzed how officers in the Manchester, New Hampshire, police department interacted with the AI feature. The study, planned to be published this fall in the Journal of Experimental Criminology, found that there were no significant time-savings.

“Instead of assuming success, scholars and practitioners should be more open to the possibility that these tools might not deliver on all fronts and adjust our expectations accordingly,” wrote Adams, a former law enforcement officer.

He said all studies have limitations, so that may account for the discrepancy in his findings versus the other agencies. But he said self-reporting might also be to blame.

While the actual AI-generated narrative is written in seconds, the whole report-writing process can take about the same time as without it. Some agencies also have different expectations about what a report should look like, he said.

“All of this complexity is a really good reason to do careful, experimental work so that we can get away from self-reports,” Adams said. “When we’re spending this much public money, I think it’s incumbent upon us to be really careful in those measurements and really figure out if the tool … is accomplishing the explicit goals we have for it.”

IS AI FIT FOR COURT?

Some experts and defense attorneys are also concerned about how this AI tool fits into the legal system.

The sheriff’s office and Portland police met with the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office and some assistant attorneys general this summer to discuss the use of Draft One in criminal cases.

District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris said she was initially very concerned with the idea, but after the prosecutors left the meeting, they understood how it could be a helpful tool for police. Sartoris said that since the agencies are just piloting the tech, she doesn’t expect to see it being used right away in criminal cases.

“If AI is chosen to be used within those departments, it’s going to be based on an ongoing conversation about when we feel comfortable, where we think it’s appropriate and questions that we have,” Sartoris said.

She said she’s not aware of any AI-generated police reports that have made it to trial.

King said the Portland Police Department is only using Draft One when responding to low-level misdemeanor crimes. But Estabrook said the sheriff’s office inevitably used it in crimes that ended in criminal prosecution, though he was not aware of how many. A majority, he said, were likely misdemeanor offenses.

Ferguson, a law professor at American University, questions how people can evaluate or hold this software accountable in the judicial system. A police report can be a controlling document, sometimes the only thing that a prosecutor will review before filing charges, he said. And in a majority of cases that don’t end in trial, the body camera footage won’t ever be reviewed.

In a trial, a report’s legitimacy could be questioned and the court will need artificial intelligence experts to explain, putting an extra burden on the courts, he wrote.

And errors can happen. An officer may accidentally perjure themselves because of a mistake in the report, he said, and because of that, legislators need to be involved in creating regulations for the technology.

To get ahead of those concerns in court, Ferguson suggests officers should turn over the audit trail that Axon can produce, which identifies which parts of the narrative were AI-generated. Ferguson said it could help alleviate a judge’s worry by showing which details in the report were added by the officer.

“If you don’t explain at the front end, you’re going to get a lot of critique,” he said. “It’s only going to take one careless officer and one error to potentially blow up the entire system based on AI-generated police reports.”

Zerillo, the defense attorney, said that while he discourages this use of AI, auditing the reports is a first step. Each agency should also publicly provide their standards of practice with the technology, he said.

He submitted a public records request to the Portland Police Department for its policy on using Draft One. While the department has a draft policy, King said, he would not provide a copy because it’s not finalized.

Ferguson said that, too often, policing launches a new technological innovation, a major scandal or mistake occurs, and then there is a rollback. He said before departments sign a contract with Axon for Draft One, the public and city councils should be engaged in shaping policies around this technology.

“In America today, you would start asking those hard questions before the scandal happens, before a mistake happens, instead of waiting for that to happen,” Ferguson said. “Yet, we don’t seem like we’ve ever learned that lesson.”

Adams said that while police departments shouldn’t have to wait for researchers to identify every consequence of this technology before implementing it, they should set goals to review whether it’s actually doing what they had hoped.

“I think it’s too early to panic and too early to celebrate,” Adams said. “We just don’t know.”

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The mother of a missing North Carolina girl was charged in connection with her disappearance, pleaded guilty, walked out of prison and then fled the United States within two years.

Madalina Cojocari was last seen on November 21, 2022, getting off a school bus in her hometown of Cornelius, north of Charlotte, when she was 11 years old. Madalina’s mother and stepfather did not report her missing until December 15, 2022, although they had told the police that they had last seen their daughter at home on the evening of November 23, 2022.

“It never leaves my mind. And I can confidently say that it is the same with all the detectives and everyone who put so much time into this case,” Cornelius Police Department Chief David Baucom told Fox News Digital. “There were times in the beginning [the] Investigations where some of us didn’t go home for 48 hours because we were working so hard on the case and tracking down leads and everything else. Of course, this can only last for so long for each person. But… she never leaves our minds.”

Madalina’s mother, Diana Cojocari, and her stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, were arrested and charged with failing to report a missing child in 2022.

What happens after Madalina Cojocari’s mother pleads guilty?

Diana pleaded guilty in May, arguing that the time she had served in prison up to that point had served enough time.

A Mecklenburg County jury found Palmiter guilty of failing to report a missing child to law enforcement on May 31 after a week-long trial and sentenced him to 30 months of supervised probation.

MADALINA COJOCARI Missing for a year: “We won’t stop until we find her”

Around that time, authorities released Diana from prison, and neighbors reported seeing her again in their quiet suburban neighborhood in early June. Baucom said she and Palmiter “never really lived together” after their respective releases from prison, but Diana showed up at the house where they used to live in early June.

This poster shows Madalina Cojocari, who has not been seen since getting off a school bus in November 2022. (Cornelius Police Department)

In late June, Cornelius police named Diana the prime suspect in Madalina’s disappearance, but by that time she had already left the United States, probably for Moldova.

Mother of missing North Carolina girl wanted to smuggle 11-year-old from home: arrest warrant

“We… could not confirm that she is in Moldova. However, we assume that she is back in her home country.”

— David Baucom

“And then she ended up leaving the country. I don’t know the exact date she left the country,” Baucom said, later adding that there were no restrictions that could have prevented her from fleeing America.

Madalina Cojocari was last seen in November 2022. (Cornelius Police Department)

Baucom noted that in her first arrest in 2022, Diana “[S]He was charged with and served time for the only charge we were able to sustain in the first part of the investigation.”

Police were able to make contact with Diana while she was still in Cornelius after her release, but officials have since lost track of her exact whereabouts and have turned to federal authorities for help finding her abroad .

MADALINA COJOCARI: NORTH CAROLINA POLICE RELEASES NEW PHOTO OF 11-YEAR-OLD MISSING SINCE NOVEMBER

After Madalina Cojocari disappeared from her hometown of Cornelius, North Carolina in November 2022, authorities arrested Diana Cojocari and Christopher Palmiter and charged them with failing to report a missing child to law enforcement. (Mecklenburg County Internment Facility)

“We made this request, but we have not yet received a response as to whether it has been fulfilled,” the police chief said of the Cornelius Police Department’s request to federal officials.

Diana was in the USA with a green card. In May, Palmiter filed for divorce against his estranged wife.

MISSING MADALINA COJOCARI: TIMELINE OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF A NORTH CAROLINA GIRL THAT WAS NOT REPORTED FOR WEEKS

“It is unfortunate that she returned to Moldova, but our case here is ongoing and we will continue to investigate it,” Baucom said when asked whether Diana’s decision to leave the country would affect efforts to find Madalina. will hinder, which would be the case, I will be 13 years old today. “Although this investigation has been complicated from the start…since we were three weeks behind from the start, having her not here definitely doesn’t make our investigation any easier. But it doesn’t change what we do.” We will continue the investigation.”

Madalina Cojocari (Cornelius Police Department)

Based on their investigation so far, Cornelius police do not believe Madalina ever left the United States, but are not ruling out any possibility.

“It is still a very active case. We still meet regularly about this topic. We hired a detective to do it. So it’s not a cold case by any means, and I just want to make sure that the community and really whoever sees this… [knows] “Our goal is to find Madalina,” Baucom said.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

Residents of Cornelius, N.C., say they saw Diana Cojocari at the neighborhood pool and walking through downtown before she left town. (Facebook user)

Diana told school officials and Cornelius police that she had not seen her daughter, a Moldovan-born sixth grader at Bailey Middle School, since about 10 p.m. on Nov. 23, 2022, after she and Palmiter arrived there , went into her bedroom and got into an argument, court documents say.

Palmiter said that on November 24, 2022, he drove to his relative’s home in Michigan “to pick up some items” after an argument with his wife. According to an affidavit, Diana apparently went to her daughter’s room around 11:30 a.m. that morning and discovered that the 11-year-old had disappeared.

WATCH: MADALINA WAS LAST SEEN OFF THE SCHOOL BUS IN 2022

When Palmiter returned home to Cornelius on November 26, Diana apparently asked him where her daughter was. Palmiter asked her the same question in return, the affidavit says.

Police only learned of Madalina’s disappearance through a report of truancy from the 11-year-old’s middle school.

SEE MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWS DIGITAL HERE

Madalina Cojocari is seen on camera getting off a school bus on November 21, 2022 at 5 p.m. (Twitter/@FBICharlotte)

Bailey Middle School resource officers along with a school counselor attempted a home visit to the Cojocari address on Dec. 12 after Madalina had not shown up to school since Nov. 21. No one answered the door and the school counselor left a truancy package at home.

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Search warrants unsealed last year indicate that Diana and her mother contacted a distant relative and asked if he would help “smuggle” Diana and Madalina out of their Cornelius home before Madalina disappeared, according to phone records obtained by police received from Cornelius.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about Madalina’s whereabouts to contact CPD at 704-892-7773.

Montreal pharmacist Aleck Brodeur just received a shipment of rapid COVID-19 tests. Since temperatures have dropped, more people want to buy them, he says.

“They sell out so quickly. We always have to order something every day and we keep increasing the amount we order, but they are all still on sale,” he said.

He expects that shipment – 13 kits in total – to be gone by the end of the day. In QuebecThere were 3,882 new laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 between September 15 and September 21.

Unlike last fall, there are no free rapid tests to distribute in Brodeur. The federal government stopped providing free rapid COVID tests to provinces and territories in May.

In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for Health Canada said it is no longer purchasing rapid tests in bulk. The agency also says there are no plans to replenish the federal stockpile once it is depleted.

This means that pharmacies bought the tests from suppliers and sold them like any other over-the-counter goods. Pharmacists say supplies are sometimes low.

“We hunt them down and make sure they are approved by Health Canada,” said Kyro Maseh, a Toronto-area pharmacist.

Artron Laboratories Inc., which makes COVID testing kits, said in an email that it has increased test production in recent months and expects to increase it even further for the upcoming winter season.

Where can you get COVID tests?

You may have to visit several pharmacies before you find one that offers rapid tests – free or for sale.

While some pharmacies in Quebec and Ontario no longer have free testing, the situation is different elsewhere. Alberta Public Health says it is still distributing free tests from the federal supply participating pharmacies until the supply runs out.

While Quebec pharmacies may no longer offer free rapid tests, the province does distribute Free rapid tests in certain clinics or service centers.

PCR testing is also available in some provinces for people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. It just takes a little longer to get the results: at least 24 hours.

Experts say most expired tests will continue to work for a few months after the expiration date, but they also warn that false negatives pose a risk: If your test comes back negative on an expired test but you’re still experiencing symptoms, Is it possible that this is the case? I still have COVID – even if the expired test didn’t detect it.

“If it’s positive, you’re definitely positive. If it is negative and has symptoms, you need to be concerned about using expired tests,” said Dr. Dawn Bowdish, professor of immunology at McMaster University and executive director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health in Hamilton.

Should we even still test for COVID?

If you’re otherwise healthy and young, there’s a good chance that whether you’ve tested positive for COVID or have a cold, you’ll be given the same advice: Don’t go to work or school, stay home .

But for those more vulnerable to serious illness, an early positive test can change treatment options — and potentially health outcomes.

“Older adults and immunocompromised people who are at high risk for hospitalization should receive antiviral medications within one day or no more than two days of becoming ill,” Bowdish said.

“If they don’t know they have COVID, they can’t get the medications that could keep them out of the hospital.”

Current numbers Select public health and hospital laboratories across Canada suggest COVID-19 levels remain stable across the country, but Dr. Donald Vinh, an infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at McGill University Health Centre, believes the numbers do not reflect the true level of what is going on in the community.

“We know this is an underestimate of what is going on,” he said.

For him, there is no doubt that comprehensive testing is still worthwhile. He says COVID can have serious impacts on vulnerable populations — and there are treatment options, too.

“Instead of saying: Do we still need tests for SARS-CoV-2 after four years? At-risk populations for which we can provide therapy,” Vinh said.

In the US, the federal government has done this a program reopens This will allow each household to receive up to four free COVID test kits in the mail. U.S. health officials are urging the public to take a rapid test before visiting friends and family during the holiday season.

Bowdish, the immunologist, says she would like to see something similar in Canada.

“People change their behavior and decisions when they know they have an infection that could cause an older adult or vulnerable person to become seriously ill.”

MOORHEAD, MN (Valley News Live) – “Amal’s Christmas Reunion” was inspired by author and star Emma Loliya. The story is connected to her roots as a South Sudanese woman.

“I realized that in such genres there was a need to tell a unique story because it lacked representation. I put myself into a genre like this as a South Sudanese woman,” Loliya said.

Casting director Jessica Hayes says her goal is to honor the story.

“It’s about connecting with the camera, connecting with each other, we want to honor the story,” Hayes said.

When Loliya watches romantic comedies, one of the things that resonates with her is the feelings these films evoke.

“The energy you get when you see that. They’re so exciting, it’s so uplifting,” Loliya said.

Dawer Maciek, himself a South Sudanese, auditioned for “Malik Hassan,” one of the main characters. Maciek felt like he saw a lot of himself in the character.

“A role I lived, you know? I am Sudanese. It just piqued my interest, so let’s give it a try,” Maciek said.

The crew is also looking for funds to support the project. To donate, click here.

Copyright 2024 KVLY. All rights reserved.

The “Brat” summer may be over, but nothing is truly dead until “Saturday Night Live” gets its hands on it.

In Saturday’s season premiere of the NBC sketch comedy series, Bowen Yang transformed into Charli XCX to host a fictional series called “The Talk Talk Show,” a reference to a song title by the British pop star.

More of diversity

In the segment, Yang welcomed “Australian dingo twink Troye Sivan,” with whom Charli XCX is currently on the Sweat Tour. The “Rush” singer played Sarah Sherman, who lifted up her shirt to reveal her fake washboard abs.

“Troye, are you happy to be here?” Yang asked, to which Sherman replied, “Naur!”

Yang then went through recent events and deemed her either “brat or nat.” The verdict: Hunter Biden’s laptop is “brat” and Mark Robinson’s search history is “nat.” Barron Trump, who goes to NYU, is “Brat,” but NYU itself is “Nat.” Amy Adams in Nightbitch? “Brat.” Charges against Eric Adams? “Nat.”

Yang then brought along the guests from “The Talk Talk Show”: queer nightlife icon Susanne Bartsch and straight CNN icon Kaitlan Collins, played by “SNL” host Jean Smart and Chloe Fineman, respectively.

Yang then directed political questions at Smart’s Susanne Bartsch, asking Fineman’s CNN anchor, “Have you ever taken ketamine?”

Next introduced was the “bad girl from C-SPAN,” also known as U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, played by Ego Nwodim. The congresswoman then offered her unfiltered thoughts on everything from JD Vance (“Smoky-eyed sofa sexual guy can’t order donuts but has a donut body”) to gerrymandering (“crazy-shaped crooked bitch”).

Brat, Charli With its hyperpop-influenced club bangers and slime-green aesthetic, it became the album of the summer. It also became fodder for TikTok dances and memes, to the point where Kamala Harris’ campaign briefly adopted the nickname “Brat.”

Charli XCX brought “Brat” to New York a week before “SNL,” performing at Madison Square Garden with Troye Sivan and special guests Lorde and Addison Rae. She is set to release a “Brat” remix album on October 11th.

“Saturday Night Live” kicked off its 50th season on September 28th with host Jean Smart and musical guest Jelly Roll. The legendary sketch comedy series celebrates its big anniversary with a live primetime special on February 16th. The series airs at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and streams on Peacock.

The best of diversity

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OASIS will announce their North American tour dates on Monday after sharing a new post.

This comes after The Sun revealed that Noel and Liam Gallagher will be releasing further US reunion tour dates next year.

5

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Fans went wild when Noel and Liam announced their reunion shows in the UK and Ireland in 2025 in August.

Many fans are hoping it’s true and can’t wait to get their hands on tickets.

Now, the rockers have shared four photos of the band’s billboards in major North American cities on their official X account with the caption, “MONDAY 8AM ET #OasisLive25.”

There is no further information about the dates yet.

Oasis last toured North America in 2008 – when they played in Virginia as part of their tour for their seventh studio album Dig Out Your Soul.

Earlier this week, it was leaked online by a reputable industry website that the band would be playing shows in the US and Canada as part of their 2025 reunion tour.

One fan said on Reddit: “If the leaks from early last month are true, they will be playing a limited stadium round across North America.”

They pointed out that there are many venues where the brothers can do their thing on stage.

They said there are different areas with more than 60,000 concerts in Mexico City, New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto.

One replied: “If the leaks are true, my plan (hoping the universe doesn’t laugh at it!) is to look for Boston tickets.”

Another added: “I think the cities on the leak make the most sense…NYC Toronto Chicago LA Mexico City.”

We’ve reported that Oasis are expected to play in New York and Los Angeles, as well as Chicago and Boston.

A source told us: “Noel and Liam will announce their shows in the US on Friday.

“There will be a handful of big dates in major cities.

“Brits living in New York and Los Angeles should have a good chance of getting a ticket.

“Oasis doesn’t want a repeat of the problems they’ve had with tickets to their home concerts, but they expect the same strong demand they’ve seen here.”

This was after they dropped a big hint about the American tour.

The band’s official X account shared the exciting news by tweeting: “Oasis will be touring the UK and Ireland in summer 2025! Tickets go on sale on Saturday, August 31st. IRE 8am IST UK 9am BST.”

The site added: “These dates will be the band’s exclusive European performances.”

Their post suggested they may have had plans to perform elsewhere – including in the US.

Oasis 2025 tour dates

OASIS brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have announced a 17-gig comeback tour next summer – here are the details

The Wonderwall hitmakers will wow audiences as follows:

JULY 2025
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park

16th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium

30th – London, Wembley Stadium

AUGUST 2025
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium

12th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park

SEPTEMBER 2025
27th – London, Wembley Stadium
28th – London, Wembley Stadium

Oasis sold out seven nights at Wembley Stadium as well as shows in Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin.

Liam recently returned to the stage during the double clash between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois over the weekend.

He was forced to hit back after fans criticized his performance at Wembley Stadium – leading some to demand a refund for next year’s tour.

He shared a picture of a bird with the words: “You won’t stop me from singing my song.”

“I’ll sing it forever.”

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Week 4 is the last slate of games in months to feature all 32 teams, as four teams have a bye starting next week.

With injuries mounting, it will be a relief for teams that players placed on injured reserve before the season will be available to return in Week 5.

Week 4 began on Thursday with the Dallas Cowboys’ narrow 20-15 victory over the New York Giants, but the bulk of the action will take place over the weekend.

Here are the three most important matchups in Sunday’s Week 4 games:

Minnesota Vikings (3-0) @ Green Bay Packers (2-1) – 1:00 p.m. ET

This NFC North rivalry has a little more spice in 2024.

The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers are two of the most intriguing teams in the league and Sunday’s clash is must-watch TV.

The Vikings are on the rise thanks to the inspired quarterback play of Sam Darnold and a swarming defense; Brian Flores’ team has allowed the third-fewest rushing yards and had the second-most interceptions and sacks in three weeks.

There’s additional motivation for Minnesota’s new running back Aaron Jones, who joined in the offseason after leaving Green Bay at the end of last season.

Jones scored 63 touchdowns in his seven seasons with the Packers, and in his first return to Lambeau Field since switching from green to purple, he says he will “definitely” do the famous “Lambeau jump” if he scores on Sunday. During the “Lambeau Leap,” players who score touchdowns in the Packers’ home game jump into the stands and celebrate with the fans.

“Of course. “If you’re not thinking about the end zone, you’re thinking about the wrong thing,” Jones told reporters Wednesday.

The Packers are also riding high after two impressive wins, which is all the more positive considering they were without starting signalman Jordan Love in the lineup.

Love has missed the last two games after suffering a knee injury in the final seconds of Green Bay’s Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

In Love’s absence, Malik Willis has performed dutifully. Paired with a creative offensive concept under head coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers lead the league in rushing attempts and yards on the ground.

It’s uncertain whether Love will start against the Vikings on Sunday, but even if he doesn’t, Willis and the rest of Green Bay’s offensive talent could provide an intriguing matchup against Flores’ defense.

“They give you a lot of different looks, and similar to how we talk about the illusion of complexity, where we like to give looks that are difficult for the defense but easy for us, I feel like they do just that,” Packers head coach LaFleur said on Wednesday. “They have a system in place that makes it easier or easier for their players to go out there and execute. But it makes it extremely difficult to counter the attacks they are up against.”

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) @ Indianapolis Colts (1-2) – 1:00 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the surprise packages of the NFL season so far, having won all three games despite the offense not yet hitting its stride.

The group – led by Justin Fields at quarterback, who was forced into the starting lineup only after an injury to offseason newcomer Russell Wilson – has scored three offensive touchdowns in three weeks, the fewest in the NFL.

However, Pittsburgh was able to earn victories thanks to its defense and special teams. Kicker Chris Boswell has made 10 field goals in three weeks – including six in Week 1, when he scored all 18 of the Steelers’ points in an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

And the Steelers defense has also grown, allowing the second-fewest rushing yards and conceding zero rushing touchdowns.

Pittsburgh faces an Indianapolis Colts team searching for its identity after three up-and-down performances so far.

The Colts got their first win of the season last time out, but quarterback Anthony Richardson wasn’t pretty. The second-year signal caller will make some excellent throws and then some head-scratching interceptions that will put his team on the defensive.

Positive for Indianapolis in Week 3 is the outstanding performance of running back Jonathan Taylor, who finished the game with 23 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

Heading into Sunday, Taylor talked about how the Colts are starting to come to terms with their young core of players.

“I feel like we definitely managed to play a role. We finally got one, but it’s a week-to-week league,” he told reporters on Thursday. “We definitely have to earn it again this week. (Steelers head coach) Mike Tomlin, he always has his guys ready to play – a tough team.

“But it’s another great opportunity at home. We will harness that energy at Lucas Oil (Stadium) and we just have to fight hard to get another win.”

Buffalo Bills (3-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-2) – 8:20 p.m. ET

Sunday Night Football pits two of the AFC’s supposed superpowers against each other, with one flying high and the other fighting to save their season.

The Buffalo Bills have been arguably the hottest team in the NFL so far this season, staging a stellar 14-point comeback in Week 1, defeating the Arizona Cardinals before sweeping the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bills QB Josh Allen was the league’s best passer in Week 3 despite losing two of his top targets in the offseason – Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. He has thrown seven touchdowns and no interceptions so far, with the combination of Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman and James Cook becoming stars with Allen at the helm.

Buffalo’s explosive start to the season makes them one of the early favorites to reach the Super Bowl. And normally you would expect the Baltimore Ravens to be among those contenders, but it’s been a tough start to the 2024 season for the Maryland-based team.

They came within a whisker of going to overtime in their season opener against the Chiefs, and then they were beaten at home by the Las Vegas Raiders before finally getting their first win of the season – just – by overtaking the Dallas Cowboys.

Baltimore’s defense underwent significant upheaval in the offseason – coordinator Mike Macdonald was named head coach of the Seattle Seahawks and both defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver were given coordinator roles at Tennessee and Miami, respectively.

Therefore, the group is still in its infancy, but shows promise and has the best run defense in the league, but also the worst pass defense. And it will be a lot of work for them against the Bills and Allen, who has the second-highest pass completion rate (75%) of all 32 starting quarterbacks.

Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy was effusive in his praise for Allen when asked what makes him such a dangerous opponent.

“I mean, we could be here all day talking about this,” Van Noy told reporters with a smile. “(Allen is) just an incredible player who plays at such an extremely high level. I think that (he) and (Bills offensive coordinator Joe) Brady, when they’re calling the plays, they’re in sync right now, their offense and their identity is well in sync and they’re doing an extremely good job of just getting everyone involved.”

In response, Allen spoke nothing but good things about Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

“I think he’s an inspiration to a lot of people in this country,” Allen told reporters. “The way he plays the game, the doubters he brought out … and then him showing the resilience and the work ethic and the attitude to go forward and win two MVPs, people in the The whole league, you can see that.”

“He’s really changed the way guys play the game in my opinion, but make no mistake, he can kick the snot out of football and (I) have a lot of respect for him, a lot of love for him.”

Complete Sunday schedule

Away at home

New Orleans Saints (2-1) @ Atlanta Falcons (1-2) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Cincinnati Bengals (0-3) @ Carolina Panthers (1-2) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Rams (1-2) @ Chicago Bears (1-2) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Minnesota Vikings (3-0) @ Green Bay Packers (2-1) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3) @ Houston Texans (2-1) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) @ Indianapolis Colts (1-2) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Denver Broncos (1-2) @ New York Jets (2-1) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) – 1:00 p.m. ET

Washington Commanders (2-1) @ Arizona Cardinals (1-2) – 4:05 p.m. ET

New England Patriots (1-2) @ San Francisco 49ers (1-2) – 4:05 p.m. ET

Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) @ Los Angeles Chargers (2-1) – 4:25 p.m. ET

Cleveland Browns (1-2) @ Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) – 4:25 p.m. ET

Buffalo Bills (3-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-2) – 8:20 p.m. ET

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Vashu Bhagnani, a renowned film producer in Bollywood, made headlines after he faced allegations of non-payment of dues. Amid the controversy, actor Rakul Preet, his daughter-in-law, was asked about him on the green carpet of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) 2024 but walked out without hearing the full question.

When the reporter asked about Vashu Bhagnani’s controversy with Rakul, he said, “There are many reports in the media about Vashu sir and many people have said that…” The ‘Yaariyan’ star didn’t hear the full question but said she simply said “sorry” and left abruptly.

Talking about her outfit at IIFA 2024, Rakul looked stunning in the green bodycon dress.

Meanwhile, Vashu Bhagnani’s production house Pooja Entertainment recorded losses after several big-budget films produced by him failed at the box office. The films include Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Mission Raniganj and Ganapath.

Later, Jackky Bhagnani and Vashu Bhagnani also filed a complaint against Zafar for withdrawing the subsidy money he received from Abu Dhabi authorities during the filming of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. According to the copy of the complaint, Bhagnani accused Ali Abbas Zaffar, Himanshu Mehra, Ekesh Ranadive and others of fraud, deception, criminal intimidation, misappropriation of funds, forgery of invoices, criminal conspiracy, money laundering and harassment.

The two also alleged that Zafar enlisted the help of a shell company in Abu Dhabi to carry out these illegal activities. They also alleged that the defendants breached contractual obligations, failed to provide transparent financial records and also made improper demands for payment, leading to legal action.

He also shared that his experience working in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan was “painful” and he doesn’t want to work with them.

For the unversed, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff became a box office hit. According to reports, the film was made on a huge budget of Rs 350 crore but failed miserably, earning only around Rs 60 crore.

Meanwhile, Rakul Preet was last seen in the Tamil film Indian 2, which received mixed reactions from fans. She will next be seen in De De Pyaar De 2 with Ajay Devgn.

Current version

September 29, 2024 1:32 p.m

Written by

Simran Srivastava