Us Stocks Move Higher In Early Trading; Apple Up Sharply

Microsoft is accusing three individuals of running a "hacking-as-a-service" scheme that was designed to allow the creation of harmful and illicit content using the company’s platform for AI-generated content. The foreign-based defendants developed tools specifically designed to bypass safety guardrails Microsoft has erected to prevent the creation of harmful content through its generative AI services, said Steven Masada, the assistant general counsel for Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit.

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms Inc. joins a growing list of companies that are pulling back on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Like others before it, the social media giant cited a U. S. Supreme Court decision in July 2023 that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions. Conservative activists have gone after companies — both in the courts and on social media — seeking to set a similar precedent in the working world.

MENLO PARK, Calif. — Joining companies such as John Deere and Walmart, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta Platforms Inc. is getting rid of its diversity, equity and inclusion program that includes hiring, training and picking vendors, a company spokesperson confirmed on Friday. The move, which was first reported by Axios, comes on the heels of the social media giant’s decision to end its third-party fact-checking program and scale back policies on hate speech and abuse. Citing an internal memo sent to employees, Axios said the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant said the U.

The US health department on Friday declared a public health emergency for California in response to devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area that have so far killed 10 people and destroyed more than 10,000 structures. As of Friday morning, 153,000 residents are under evacuation orders, and an additional 166,800 are under evacuation warnings, according to local reports. Wildfires pose numerous health risks, including exposure to extreme heat, burns, harmful air pollution, and emotional distress.

At CES in Las Vegas, Roborock introduced a new line of robot vacuums packed with new tech that has practical applications.

Gradient's advanced window unit can heat and cool 500 square feet, all without needing any fancy electrical work. I saw it at CES 2025.