Auteur/autrice : Eric Mawuli DJIRACKOR

The 10 Funniest Christmas Movies of All Time, Ranked  Just Jared
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Guest column | How to see the good in families and connections in the holiday season  The Washington Post
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The Internet Archive has finally recovered from a devastating series of cyberattacks last month with all its main sites and services back up and running. Only a few ancillary features are still down, but those should be coming back soon.
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In Monday's update to the blog post, Chris Freeland, Director of Library Services at Internet Archive, reported that the key archive page is up, along with its Wayback Machine, Open Library, Archive-It service, Vault, and the scholarly archive site. On the archive page, most of the key services seem to be available once again, including publicly available texts, TV news search and borrowing, audio files, moving images, institutional uploads, institutional web archiving, and access via the API.
"More services and features coming online soon," Freeland said in the blog post. "Services may be interrupted for ongoing maintenance. Thank you for your patience and ongoing support."
Though the Internet Archive may appear on the surface as just one service, it actually provides a variety of resources. The main archive page offers free access to digital artifacts of the past, including software, music, movies, TV shows, and books. The Open Library is stocked with a huge catalog of electronic books you can read and borrow. Archive-It is a subscription-based service that helps organizations build large collections of videos, social media posts, and other digital content. The Vault is a digital repository and preservation service for libraries and other organizations.
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While all of those sites and services were affected last month by a series of cyberattacks, the chain of events started in September when two attacks hit the Internet Archive.
One was a data breach that compromised 31 million user accounts. Cyber attackers stole site users' usernames, email addresses, and encrypted passwords. Exploiting a JavaScript library to deface the archive, the attackers displayed the following message to visitors: "Have you ever felt like the Internet Archive runs on sticks and is constantly on the verge of suffering a catastrophic security breach? It just happened."
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Another incident occurred around the same time — a pro-Palestinian group named SN_BlackMeta launched a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack against the archive. Here, the hackers said they hit the site "because the archive belongs to the USA, and as we all know, this horrendous and hypocritical government supports the genocide that is being carried out by the terrorist state of 'Israel'."
The irony with the DDoS attack is that the archive is a non-profit and non-government organization with no ties to or affiliation with the US government.
Also: 7 essential password rules to follow in 2024, according to security experts
The third incident saw the theft of GitLab authentication tokens, as described by Bleeping Computer, giving the attackers access to the site's email support platform. Several people who had previously sent support emails to the archive received the following response from the attackers as shown in a Reddit forum:
It's dispiriting to see that even after being made aware of the breach weeks ago, IA has still not done the due diligence of rotating many of the API keys that were exposed in their GitLab secrets. As demonstrated by this message, this includes a Zendesk token with perms to access 800K+ support tickets sent to info@archive.org since 2018. Whether you were trying to ask a general question, or requesting the removal of your site from the Wayback Machine your data is now in the hands of some random guy. If not me, it'd be someone else.
Some people who chimed in on Reddit blamed the Internet Archive for not changing its API keys in the wake of the initial attacks, and others sympathized with the site. As a non-profit organization devoted to sharing valuable historical information, the Internet Archive has a limited budget. That means cybersecurity may get short shrift in the overall running of things.
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"In a third attack on the Internet Archive this month, hackers are exploiting access tokens to the organization's Zendesk implementation," said Ev Kontsevoy, CEO of Teleport. "This means they now have access to more than 800 support tickets. While many have been critical of Internet Archive for not rotating API keys, it can be challenging in the aftermath of a breach for organizations to pick through the blast radius of an attack to prevent further exploitation."
As a result of the attacks, the archive was forced to go offline and has slowly come back one service at a time.
"Along with a DDOS attack and exposure of patron email addresses and encrypted passwords, the Internet Archive's website javascript was defaced, leading us to bring the site down to access and improve our security," Kahle said in a blog post on October 18. "The stored data of the Internet Archive is safe and we are working on resuming services safely. This new reality requires heightened attention to cyber security and we are responding. We apologize for the impact of these library services being unavailable."

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ChildofHope.png  Arizona Daily Sun
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By Jason Hall
December 22, 2024
Monday’s (December 23) Powerball jackpot will be worth an estimated $103 million after zero players matched all six numbers during the $92 million drawing Saturday (December 21) night.
Results from Saturday’s Powerball game are listed below:
NUMBERS: 1-12-17-21-58
POWERBALL: 1
POWER PLAY: 3x
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are reported to be 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball.com. The Powerball jackpot previously reset after one player in New York won the $256 million drawing on December 7. The Powerball jackpot reset after one player in California won the $44 million drawing on August 19.
One player in Pennsylvania won the $214 million Powerball drawing on August 12, exactly one week prior to another jackpot. The Powerball jackpot had previously reset after one player won the $139 million Powerball drawing on July 3.
One player in California matched all six numbers to win the $2.04 billion ($997.6 million) jackpot on November 7, 2022, the largest jackpot offered in U.S. lottery history, according to the official Powerball website. Powerball has had jackpots exceeding $1 billion five times.
Mega Millions games have also exceeded $1 billion six times, which includes its largest offering, a $1.603 billion jackpot that was one by a player in Florida on August 8. Both jackpots increase during each following game until there’s a jackpot winning ticket matching all six numbers drawn, which includes the additional Mega Millions Gold Ball or Powerball in each respective game.
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Watch CBS News
By Anthony Salvanto, Fred Backus, Jennifer De Pinto
December 22, 2024 / 9:00 AM EST / CBS News
There’s plenty of public uncertainty about who’s controlling drones spotted over the East Coast. One idea does dominate, though: the public suspects the U.S. government is keeping information from them. 
Americans have a range of theories about who is controlling the drones, with the U.S. government the most suspected, but no one answer dominates. 
Just over half the country is paying attention to the story, and the more they’re paying attention to it, the more likely they are to suspect the U.S. government is controlling the drones.
Either way, about half of Americans consider the drones a threat to the U.S. This is particularly so among those who think the drones are being controlled by a foreign country or government. 
This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,244 U.S. adults interviewed between December 18-20, 2024. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to gender, age, race, and education, based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±2.4 points.


Anthony Salvanto, Ph.D., is CBS News’ executive director of elections and surveys. He oversees the CBS News Poll and all surveys across topics and heads the CBS News Decision Desk that estimates outcomes on election nights
© 2024 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright ©2024 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.

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As the cryptocurrency market continues to gain momentum, December offers investors many promising opportunities to diversify their portfolios. This month’s most notable projects are Qubetics, Near Protocol, Polygon, Celestia, XRP, Algorand, Injective, Binance, Fantom, and Bitcoin Cash. These projects stand out for their innovative solutions, market relevance, and potential for significant returns.
The Qubetics Network is redefining the blockchain landscape by introducing a marketplace that harnesses the power of tokenisation to democratise asset ownership. By leveraging blockchain technology, Qubetics enables the seamless conversion of various physical and digital assets into tradable digital tokens. This fractionalisation process allows investors to participate in opportunities that were once the exclusive domain of high-net-worth individuals and institutions.
The Qubetics marketplace is envisioned as a vibrant hub where investors can access a wide range of tokenised assets, including:
By catering to diverse investment preferences and risk profiles, the Qubetics marketplace is set to become a cornerstone of the blockchain ecosystem, empowering global investors with unprecedented access and opportunities.
Currently in Presale Phase 13, $TICS tokens are priced at $0.034. Over $7.4 million has been raised, with 11,100 holders and 365 million tokens sold. Weekly price hikes of 10%, culminating in a 20% rise during the final stage, offer a compelling case for early investment. The post-presale target of $0.25 per token provides an ROI of 630.27%.
Analysts predict that $TICS could reach $10 to $15 after the mainnet launch, with potential ROIs of 29,106.88% and 43,660.31%, respectively. For investors seeking to combine innovation and profitability, Qubetics is a top choice this month.
Near Protocol is making waves with its focus on user and developer accessibility. Its sharded architecture ensures scalability, while its emphasis on simplicity allows developers to create dApps easily. Near’s growing ecosystem and partnerships solidify its position as a blockchain designed for mass adoption.
With its commitment to usability and scalability, Near Protocol is a strong investment choice for December.
Polygon has cemented itself as a leading Layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum, addressing high fees and slow transaction speeds. Its robust ecosystem supports DeFi, NFTs, and gaming applications, attracting developers and projects across the blockchain space.
Polygon’s ongoing upgrades and partnerships ensure its continued relevance, making it a must-watch crypto this month.
Celestia is pioneering a modular blockchain architecture, separating consensus from data availability. This innovative approach allows developers to build blockchains tailored to specific use cases, providing unparalleled flexibility and efficiency.
Celestia’s focus on modularity positions it as a unique and promising project, making it a strong contender for investment this month.
XRP continues to lead in the cross-border payments sector, offering a faster and more cost-effective alternative to traditional systems. Despite regulatory challenges, XRP’s use case and adoption remain robust, especially among financial institutions.
With its strong fundamentals and growing adoption, XRP is a reliable investment for diversifying its portfolios.

Algorand combines security, scalability, and sustainability, making it one of the most advanced blockchain platforms. Its pure proof-of-stake consensus mechanism ensures energy efficiency, while its ecosystem supports DeFi, NFTs, and enterprise applications.
As a blockchain designed for real-world use cases, Algorand offers strong long-term potential and is a smart investment choice this December.
Injective is a decentralised finance (DeFi) platform offering innovative features such as gas-free transactions and cross-chain capabilities. Its ecosystem includes trading, lending, and staking solutions, appealing to retail and institutional users.
With the DeFi market expanding, Injective’s innovative approach makes it a standout project to watch this month.
Binance’s native token, BNB, remains a cornerstone of the cryptocurrency market. With use cases spanning exchange fee discounts, DeFi applications, and NFT marketplaces, BNB continues to gain utility and value.
As Binance expands its ecosystem, BNB remains a strong investment for December and beyond.
Fantom is gaining traction as a high-performance smart contract platform offering near-instant transaction finality and low fees. Its growing ecosystem of DeFi and dApp projects highlights its appeal to developers and users alike.
Fantom’s focus on speed and scalability ensures its place among the best cryptos to invest in this month.
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) offers faster and cheaper transactions compared to Bitcoin, making it a preferred choice for peer-to-peer payments. Its consistent upgrades and growing adoption as a digital currency solidify its position in the market.
BCH is a solid pick for December as a reliable and established cryptocurrency.
The cryptocurrency market is teeming with opportunities for forward-thinking investors. Whether you’re drawn to Qubetics’ innovative marketplace, Near Protocol’s user-friendly blockchain, or Injective’s DeFi solutions, these cryptos are paving the way for the next era of blockchain adoption.
Don’t let FOMO hold you back—invest in these transformative projects today and position yourself for long-term success. The future of blockchain innovation is here, and these are the projects leading the charge!

Qubetics: https://qubetics.com 
Telegram: https://t.me/qubetics 
Twitter: https://x.com/qubetics

Meet Alex, a distinguished writer and researcher specializing in the dynamic world of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. With a wealth of experience and an unyielding passion for staying at the forefront of this ever-evolving industry, Alex is your trusted guide in navigating the complex terrain of digital assets and blockchain innovation. Alex holds a Ph.D. in Blockchain Development, a testament to his unparalleled expertise in this field. His educational journey, combined with his multifaceted perspective, allows him to excel in dissecting the geographical and economic factors shaping the cryptocurrency market, providing insights that delve beyond the surface. What sets Alex apart is not just his professional expertise, but his personal dedication to the transformative potential of blockchain technologies. His keen research skills ensure that he remains a reliable source for industry trends and insights, helping you make informed decisions in the world of cryptocurrencies. Join Alex on this exciting journey through the crypto realm, where knowledge meets innovation, and discover the possibilities that lie within the blockchain revolution. Business Email: info@crypto-news-flash.com Phone: +49 160 92211628
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Will AI innovate itself out of its sustainability problem?
Artificial intelligence is now in full bloom, driving transformative change across nearly every industry.
But as its presence and impact on the way we do business scales up, so does its environmental footprint.
According to Goldman Sachs’ estimates, AI will push data center power demands up by 160% by 2030, consuming up to 2-3% of overall power globally. Columbia University attributes 2.5 to 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions to data centers already today, with the figure poised to skyrocket in the coming years.
That is, unless we do something about it by looking at innovative options to power AI.
The connection between AI and sustainability is thankfully no longer an afterthought. Instead, it’s become a defining factor for responsible deployment of AI by companies that are leading the charge on AI, including AT&T, IBM, Salesforce and Microsoft.
The stakes are high, and AI’s future may rest on how swiftly the industry can build sustainable solutions and ensure innovation doesn’t come at an irreversible cost to our ecosystem.
There’s no putting the genie back in the bottle when it comes to AI.
Businesses across all sectors are pressing forward with AI applications that promise to redefine everything from customer service to logistics and management consulting.
The generative AI market is projected to grow from $40 billion in 2022 to over $1.3 trillion by 2030, a feat few other technologies have managed to achieve in the past. However, with a level of demand that is surging at these rates comes intensifying environmental costs.
We’ve become so accustomed to using services such as search and text generation over sleek user interfaces that few even consider what each click or prompt entails in real terms.
Google has estimated that each online search takes up 0.3 watt-hours worth of electricity, and the latest estimates on generating images with services like DALL-E peg one image at the same energy requirement as charging up your mobile phone.
Whatever data point we examine, one thing is clear; AI is hungry for energy, and the environment seems positioned to bear the brunt of the cost.
At the same time, competitive pressures are forcing the hand of virtually every CEO to deploy AI across their value chain, whatever the externalities involved. For many, this spells out disaster both for the long-term viability of AI and the environment.
Some, such as Saleh ElHattab, CEO of Gravity, a carbon and energy management platform, see the rise of AI as an opportunity for the grid.
“Historically, the largest energy consumers have been organizations without climate commitments. With AI, an epicenter of energy consumption will be one of the sectors most dedicated to sustainability: the tech industry,” Saleh explains.
“AI’s energy requirements will require that tech companies launch energy solutions to help reduce their consumption. Some of these solutions exist already, can be implemented in data centers, and are incredibly cost-effective. Others will require more investment and exploration. Broadly, these investments will accelerate the greenification of the grid,” he continued, before explaining how companies like Gravity are coming up with new ways to help clients navigate the complexities inherent in carbon and energy budgets and save on energy costs.
As fans of history know, this isn’t the first time the economy has had to innovate its way out of the environmental consequences of economic growth that is too lucrative to pass up.
For example, London’s notorious smog in the 19th century stemmed from coal combustion that powered the rise of the British Empire itself, while leaving a dark mark on public health and the environment.
Will history repeat itself as businesses embrace AI, or can we find solutions that allow AI to thrive without pushing the planet to its limits?
There are a growing number of experts who are ready to answer in the affirmative.
Just as deployment is picking up speed, efforts to curb AI’s environmental toll are gaining traction simultaneously, led by both innovative tech giants and fresh startups focused on sustainable models.
One giant that is taking action on both fronts is Salesforce, as Boris Gamazaychikov, Salesforce’s Head of AI Sustainability, knows well.
“We know the solutions we can deliver for customers are better when they’re more efficient and curated,” Boris began, noting that AI will play an increasingly important role in their customer-facing offering as well as internally. Salesforce and others see hope across a multitude of approaches, including in deploying smaller models that are fit for purpose rather than all-encompassing in their reach.
“With Agentforce, we deploy an ensemble of efficient, purpose-built models that deliver high performance without the heavy energy costs of monolithic general-purpose models,” Boris adds.
He also notes that Salesforce is among those pushing for “low-carbon data centers” and has even launched an educational initiative, Trailhead, to address knowledge gaps in the industry.
Boris continues on the importance of education, where he sees “a huge untapped role lies in educating companies on their AI-related emissions, ” an area where giants like Salesforce have their role to play.
Meanwhile, other industry players are investing heavily in renewable energy sources to power their data centers. Amazon Web Services has committed to 100% renewable energy by 2025, and Microsoft has implemented water positive cooling systems that drastically reduce water consumption in its servers.
One energy source that is seeing a resurgence in interest is nuclear power, since it is touted as a clean energy alternative that promises a smaller carbon footprint to offset AI’s high-energy needs.
As Deóis Ua Cearnaigh, CTO at Aeon Blue, observes, “While nuclear’s day may not be today, it is the inevitable destination. In fifty years, we’ll likely be talking about nuclear as the backbone of sustainable energy.”
Deóis’ work at Aeon Blue highlights that renewables alone may struggle to support consistent energy needs, especially as demand continues to rise thanks to AI. “The sun rises and sets, the wind waxes and wanes,” he explains, “and even with all the lithium ever mined in human history turned into batteries, we wouldn’t be able to store the U.S. grid for one hour. Nuclear offers a steady, resilient alternative to keep us powered without compromise. In the meantime, it’s carbon capture and efuels.”
Collaboration across industry players is also a solution that can no longer be avoided.
Hugging Face and Salesforce’s Energy Scores for AI Models project is a great example of exactly such collaboration in action.
“Our collaboration is about transparency,” says Boris. “Consumers need clear, simple and standardized ratings to gauge a model’s environmental impact. This is especially critical as LLMs race toward commercialization.”
As the AI industry races ahead we all face a critical challenge: can we meet our growing demands for AI without compromising the environment?
The stakes are clear—deploying large-scale AI can bring transformative efficiencies and novel solutions, but not without considerable environmental costs.
Business leaders like Lan Guan, Accenture’s chief AI officer, emphasize that AI can be a source for solutions. “We’re seeing AI accomplish truly astonishing feats on behalf of our clients, just as it can also be energy intensive.”
Lan is among a growing number of experts that see AI itself as a part of the solution. “AI agents, in particular, can get to action faster and can enable more efficient energy use within an organization even when they are using non-negligible amounts of energy themselves.”One particular area where Lan sees potential for AI agents to do good is in streamlining supply chains, which often accounts for the vast majority of a company’s emissions.
“We’re seeing AI agents be able to cut down on procedural waste and reduce environmental impact while maximizing efficiency, with a net-positive impact on the environment,” Lan added.
Many others share this view.
In a survey of nearly 500 sustainability professionals earlier this year, Salesforce found that 58% believe the benefits of AI will outweigh its risks when solving the climate crisis. In October, the company launched the Salesforce Accelerator – Agents for Impact, the latest in a series of programs designed to help nonprofits deploy agents and other forms of AI to address environmental and social challenges.
The delicate balance between AI’s benefits and drawbacks, though promising, remains a work in progress. “Transparency, trustworthiness, and empathy are core tenets,” Accenture’s Lan notes, “and there’s work to do to make AI behave in ways that align with our human expectations, particularly when it comes to the environment.”
The future of AI hinges on innovation as much as companies’ commitment to sustainable growth strategies and responsible technology deployment. The journey toward sustainable AI may be complex, but with businesses focused on balancing innovation with responsibility, the industry is well-positioned to create solutions that work for both business and planet alike.

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Breaking news, people and events in Kaukauna, Wisconsin
MENASHA — A winning $165,000 Badger 5 jackpot ticket was sold at Menasha Gas for last Thursday’s drawing just as the Mega Millions jackpot continues to surge.
It is the second big lottery win in Menasha this week.
For the Wednesday, Dec. 18 Powerball drawing, a winning $50,000 ticket was sold at Menasha Kwik Trip, just over a mile away from Menasha Gas.
Players have been flocking to lottery outlets in hopes of getting in on the Mega Millions jackpot that surged to $944 million on Saturday after no ticket matched the numbers drawn on Friday.
The next Mega Millions drawing will be on Tuesday, Dec. 24.
Locally, Badger 5 jackpot wins have been a common occurrence in Menasha recently. Last month, a winning $22,500 Badger 5 jackpot ticket was sold at Menasha Circle K for the November 11 drawing.
Wisconsin Lottery retailers who sell a winning ticket over $599 receive a two percent Retailer Performance Program Winning Ticket Incentive, up to $100,000.
Players with winning Lotto tickets have 180 days to claim their prizes from the official draw date. More information on how to claim a winning ticket can be viewed on wilottery.com. Players can also check to see it their ticket is a winner by using the Lottery’s mobile app, available on the App Store or Google Play.
A Wisconsin-only Lotto game, the Badger 5 game is drawn daily after 9:00 p.m. The odds of winning the Badger 5 jackpot are 1:169,911. Tickets must be purchased before 9:00 p.m. to be included in that day’s drawing.

The odds of winning a $50,000 Powerball prize are 1:913,130.
Corrections and updates: news@kaukaunacommunitynews.com
Breaking news, people and events in Kaukauna, Wisconsin
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