"Say Goodbye To Awkward Dates": GPT-4 Powered Smart Glasses Tell You What To Say

 Students at Stanford University have developed smart glasses that provide users with appropriate responses for conversations through an optics lens connected to a smartphone running OpenAI's GPT-4 large language model.

Stanford student Bryan Hau-Ping Chiang tweeted the smart glasses are called "rizzGPT -- real-time Charisma as a Service (CaaS) ... it listens to your conversation and tells you exactly what to say next ... built using GPT-4, Whisper and the Monocle AR glasses." 

He said, "Say goodbye to awkward dates and job interviews." 

Chiang explained the monocle-like device can "clip onto any pair of glasses + has a camera, microphone, and high-res display." 

OpenAI's speech recognition software, Whisper, runs in the background on the phone and allows the glasses to show proper responses to say in a matter of seconds to its wearer. 

The Stanford student provided a diagram of how the technology works. 

And these glasses would be perfect for President Biden, whose answers to questions are sometimes 'incoherent mumbling.' 

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/say-goodbye-awkward-dates-gpt-4-powered-smart-glasses-tell-you-what-say

Fed Governor Says CBDC Risks Likely Greater Than Benefits

 Via PYMNTS.com,

It’s unlikely that the benefits of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) would be greater than the potential risks.

So said Federal Reserve Governor Michelle W. Bowman on Tuesday (April 18) during a speech at Georgetown University.

“From my perspective, there could be some promise for wholesale CBDCs in the future for settlement of certain financial market transactions and processing international payments,” Bowman said.

“When it comes to some of the broader design and policy issues, particularly those around consumer privacy and impacts on the banking system, it is difficult to imagine a world where the trade-offs between benefits and unintended consequences could justify a direct access CBDC for uses beyond interbank and wholesale transactions,” Bowman added.

Noting that it remains imperative to study the potential for a U.S. CBDC, Bowman said there are several instances in which it’s likely a CBDC would not be the best solution for a problem.

For example, while some look to CBDCs to make payments faster while reducing cost and friction, these goals can be accomplished with the upcoming launch of the Federal Reserve’s FedNow Service, Bowman said.

Others speculate that a U.S. CBDC could improve financial inclusion, but 95% of U.S. households have at least one member with a bank account, and the remainder are unbanked because they don’t want a bank account or they don’t trust banks, Bowman said.

“I think it is unlikely that this group would find the government somehow more trustworthy than highly regulated banks,” she added.

Another common proposal is that a CBDC could be used to achieve policy objectives — for example, by providing government benefits or payments that could be used only during a given time frame before expiring, Bowman said.

“Enabling this type of limit through a CBDC would stand in stark contrast to the flexibility and freedom embedded in physical currencies or bank deposits and could serve to control or even harm consumers and businesses,” she said.

The U.S. Congress will soon be considering CBDCs as well. A piece of crypto legislation published Saturday (April 15) includes a request by the U.S. Treasury to study the feasibility and working impact of a digital dollar CBDC.

https://www.zerohedge.com/crypto/fed-governor-says-cbdc-risks-likely-greater-benefits

Ozempic users report weird celeb dreams

 These are some VIP zzz’s.

Ozempic is the latest celebrity weight-loss craze — and now users of the drug are claiming they have experienced odd dreams about Hollywood stars.

“Had my first crazy Ozempic dream, the Kardashian/Jenners were my family and dinosaurs started invading and I saved us all with essential oils,” one person described on TikTok last month.

Vivid and strange dreams are being shared by consumers of Ozempic — a medication designed for people with Type 2 diabetes that has become widely used as a weight-loss drug — as well as the Eli Lilly counterpart Mounjaro, which is awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval to treat weight loss, the Wall Street Journal reported.

People have also reported experiencing unusual dreams after taking the weight-loss drug Wegovy. Ozempic and Wegovy are semaglutides, which help the pancreas release the right amount of insulin when blood sugar levels are high. Mounjaro is a tirzepatide that has been shown to help control blood sugar as well.

One person reported dreaming she was at a cattle auction with Matthew McConaughey, and she yelled at him when he tried to climb on her small pet llama.

Tim Warner/Getty Images

People have been sharing their bizarre dreams on social media that include joining the cast of “The Golden Girls,” preparing to rob a museum with Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck and carrying Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s baby and blending families.

The WSJ reported many are posting their dreams on Facebook, with one person recalling being at a cattle auction with Matthew McConaughey. She remembered yelling at him when he tried to climb on her small pet llama.

“Fine, you can stay with your llama, I’m leaving!” McConaughey screamed before storming off in the fantasy.

In another dream recounted on Facebook, Jonah Hill was waiting tables on a cruise and telling patrons that he planned to leave acting behind to start a career in cabaret — and that he changed his name to “Sundaze.”

Another dreamer was playing baseball in front of an unruly crowd, but was saved by Oprah Winfrey, who was riding a go-kart.

One visionary dreamed that she was about to give birth in a bar, requesting Will Ferrell, who happened to be standing close to her, deliver the baby.

One dreamer was playing baseball in front of an unfavorable crowd, but was saved by a go-kart-riding Oprah.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

The dreams don’t stop there.

A TikTok account called @ozempicdreams accepts submissions of star-studded fever dreams.

“Spent the night at Home Depot ordering new cabinets and appliances for my kitchen. My salesman, Clint Eastwood, helped me pick out everything I would need…cause apparently Clint Eastwood now works at Home Depot,” one user shared.

A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic and Wegovy, told The Post that “abnormal dreams” were reported by consumers in 2022.

“However, since these adverse events are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not possible to reliably estimate their frequency,” the spokesperson said in a Wednesday email.

“Novo Nordisk does not have all information pertaining to the patients’ treatment plan, concomitant medications, and medical conditions. Therefore, it is not possible to establish a cause-effect relationship between the products and the adverse event in question.”

The spokesperson explained that “abnormal dreams” is not listed as a side effect for Ozempic or Wegovy because it “was not a commonly reported adverse event during the clinical development” of either drug.

One person had a dream about carrying Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s baby and blending families.

Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

The Post has reached out to Eli Lilly for comment.

Dr. Caroline Apovian, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-director of a weight-loss center at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, told the WSJ that Ozempic dreams could be tied to the production of a gut hormone that has receptors in the brain.

She also speculated that these medications may make people expend more energy in their sleep, which could spark the colorful dreams.

The Wall Street Journal reported that users of Ozempic and Mounjaro have experienced vivid and strange dreams.

REUTERS/George Frey

But Deirdre Leigh Barrett, a dream researcher at Harvard Medical School and author of “Pandemic Dreams,” told the outlet it’s possible the drugs are simply helping people remember dreams they might have otherwise forgotten.

She also wondered if social media posts about dreams of A-listers are triggering others to respond with theirs.

https://nypost.com/2023/04/19/ozempic-users-report-weird-celeb-dreams-kardashian-jenners-were-my-family/

Fetterman’s opening committee hearing statement raises concern: ‘Not remotely well’

 Sen. John Fetterman’s first time leading a hearing in the Senate on Wednesday was met with concern among social media users, with many saying that the Pennsylvania Democrat’s obvious trouble reading his opening statement signals that he is unfit to serve.

Fetterman, who suffered a stroke on the campaign trail and was hospitalized for five weeks for depression treatment last month, led the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics and Research hearing on Wednesday, stammering and stumbling through his two-minute long opening remarks. 

“Good lord. This dude is not remotely well or able to do this job. Embarrassing for Pennsylvania,” Outkick founder Clay Travis wrote in a tweet.

Podcast host Jewels Jones called a clip of Fetterman’s remarks “frightening,” and Harrison Fields, communications director for Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), tweeted a GIF, joking that it is how ailing Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein would react to Fetterman’s remarks.

“It’s clear why Fetterman was admitted to Walter Reed. This is him ‘recovered,’” former Trump White House aide Sebastian Gorka said on Twitter.  

Comedian Tim Young tweeted, “Nothing says John Fetterman isn’t fit to serve quite like him attempting to chair a committee hearing today…”

Fetterman struggled to clearly read his opening statement during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

Getty Images

“This is pathetic and Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for continuing to wheel him out,” Young said, adding “There’s no way that John Fetterman even knows what he’s saying here.” 

Jenna Ellis, a one-time attorney for former President Donald Trump, said the opening statement made it clear that “Fetterman is not okay.” 

One of Fetterman’s colleagues, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), came to the freshman lawmaker’s defense on Wednesday, telling critics to “lay off.”

“I say: Lay off Fetterman’s health and talk about policy…There’s lots of material that doesn’t attack someone’s misfortune,” Paul wrote in a tweet.

The Pennsylvania Democrat returned to Capitol Hill on Monday after five weeks in the hospital for depression treatment.

REUTERS
Joe Calvello, spokesperson for Fetterman, told Fox News Digital that it’s “a sad but true fact of life that some people seem to get their jollies attacking John for the auditory processing issues resulting from his stroke but they’re just shouting into the wind.”

“Republicans already tried emptying the arsenal attacking John’s health and Pennsylvanians had his back in a big way,” Calvello said. “As a senator, John is fighting for forgotten communities and all of the people of Pennsylvania, regardless of their social media habits.”

https://nypost.com/2023/04/19/john-fettermans-opening-committee-hearing-statement-raises-concern/

Zelenskiy due to address Mexico's Congress Thursday

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to address Mexico's Congress on Thursday by video, according to two people familiar with the matter, as he seeks support in his country's ongoing war with Russia.

Mexico's government has said it wants to remain neutral in the conflict, and some supporters of Ukraine have criticized the country's leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for taking issue with European arms shipments to Kyiv.

Still, Mexico has voted alongside the United States and other Western powers on a number of major U.N. resolutions.

The speech was due to take place around midday Thursday, the sources said.

Zelenskiy's address to the lower house of Congress came at the invitation of a congressional friendship group between Mexico and Ukraine, according to the sources. There are other similar groups in the Mexican Congress, including one for Russia.

The Ukrainian embassy in Mexico did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The German president and the U.S. ambassador to Mexico have been among diplomatic allies that have sought to persuade the Mexican government to side with Ukraine against Russia.

Attempts to sway public opinion in Mexico over the war in Ukraine have led to some notable spats in Congress.

Last year, the Russian ambassador to Mexico told Mexican lawmakers that Mexico would never take orders from "Uncle Sam", prompting the U.S. ambassador to urge Mexico to support Ukraine.

Lopez Obrador last year proposed a plan to halt the fighting in Ukraine, although Ukrainian officials opposed it, arguing it would be advantageous to Russia.

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard met separately with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts to discuss the peace plan at the U.N. General Assembly in September. Nothing has come of the plan so far.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is currently on a Latin American tour, visiting Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba.

https://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-ukraines-zelenskiy-due-address-224522979.html

Republicans Rally Behind Donald Trump - The List Is Growing

 by Caden Pearson via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) on Tuesday joined the growing list of Republicans endorsing former President Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election after a positive meeting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the House Republican from Texas emphasized his belief that Trump’s proven track record and commitment to putting America first make him the best candidate for the GOP nomination.

“I met with Governor DeSantis, and while he has done commendable work in Florida, there is no doubt in my mind that President Trump is the only leader who can save America from the leftist onslaught we are currently facing,” Gooden said.

Gooden portrayed the former president as a “tireless” and persistent fighter who supports American jobs and the economy, and stands up against illegal immigration. Gooden also highlighted Trump’s support for the military and veterans, as well as his opposition to the “dangerous socialist agenda” promoted by the radical left.

“I wholeheartedly endorse President Donald J. Trump for the 2024 presidential election and vow to fight alongside him to reclaim our country from the leftist forces that threaten to destroy it,” Gooden said. “Together, we will ensure a prosperous and secure future for our great nation.”

Florida Republicans Endorsing Trump

Gooden joins a growing list of House Republicans backing the former president for the Republican nomination, including seven members from Florida who’ve backed Trump over DeSantis.

This week, Republican Reps. Greg Stuebe, John Rutherford, and Brian Mast joined Cory Mills, Anna Paulina Luna, Byron Donalds, and Matt Gaetz, who already endorsed Trump.

Steube told Newsmax on April 17 that Trump is “the only person that can reverse on day one all these disastrous policies of the Biden administration.”

“We need to right all the wrongs that have happened under this administration, fix the things that happen in Afghanistan, support our military and our veterans, and do the things that the America First agenda stands for, and that is one person, Donald Trump,” Steube said.

“I’m honored to add my endorsement to the long list of endorsements for President Trump,” he added.

Donalds, who publicly endorsed Trump earlier this month, declared him the only leader who can get America “back on track” and provide the strength and resolve to “make America great again.”

Other Endorsements

Trump has received more than 39 endorsements from House Republicans, the most of any declared candidates, according to Ballotpedia.

He also gained the support of seven senators and one governor, Henry McMaster of South Carolina.

On April 13, Trump picked up his seventh Senate endorsement from Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.). Budd said America was stronger and safer under Trump but, in contrast, had become “a nation in decline” under President Joe Biden. This echoed Trump’s remarks in November when he announced his candidacy.

“That’s why I endorse Donald J. Trump for President,” Budd said. “Hardworking, everyday families need a return of the America First agenda to restore prosperity and peace.”

The six other GOP senators who have endorsed Trump’s presidential bid are Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).

Trump has garnered a diverse array of endorsements from House Republicans spread across 16 states, with the largest number of endorsements coming from Texas, which had 12 as of April 13, according to Ballotpedia, which updates its statistics weekly.

South Carolina has four endorsements for Trump, while Arizona has three; the remaining states have one to three endorsements each: Alabama, two; Colorado, one; Georgia, one; Illinois, two; Indiana, one; Louisiana, one; New Jersey, one; New York, two; Ohio, three; Tennessee, one; West Virginia, one; and Wyoming, one.

Meanwhile, DeSantis, who has not announced his candidacy but has been spending time in early primary states, has so far received two House GOP endorsements from Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).

While DeSantis has support among Republican voters, recent polls have consistently placed him second behind Trump in a possible 2024 Republican primary matchup.

The latest endorsements of Trump come shortly after the former president pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records as part of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into hush-money payments to adult entertainment actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign.

Trump, who has maintained his innocence, has stated that Bragg has “no case” against him.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/republicans-rally-behind-donald-trump-list-growing

'Environmental advocates warn against using PVC in drinking water pipes'

 A coalition of environmental organizations warned in a report Wednesday of potential health risks in replacing lead pipes with polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

PVC, a low-cost plastic, is commonly used as an alternative material for older metal pipes, which is particularly relevant as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden includes a provision to replace the U.S.’ lead service lines.

In the report, the authors note that plastic pipes can leach more contaminants into the water than unlined metal ones. The replacement process, they write, could potentially result in a so-called regrettable substitution, the term for a solution equal or worse to the problem.

The report was a joint collaboration between the organizations Beyond Plastics, Environmental Health Sciences and the Plastic Pollution Coalition. 

The authors noted that independent analysis has identified about 50 toxic chemicals that PVC and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) pipes can release into water. However, there is no government data on such chemical releases, and formulations within individual pipes and brands vary widely.

However, PVC and CPVC pipes can also release toxic chemicals into water when they degrade due to fire, such as in the case of wildfires. Burning the compounds can release hazardous amounts of carcinogens such as styrene and benzene into water.

Risks associated with manufacturing and transportation of the compounds has also been in the national spotlight after the Feb. 3 derailment of a train in East Palestine, Ohio, carrying vinyl chloride, a key component of PVC and a toxic substance in its own right.

“Vinyl chloride was designated a likely human carcinogen 49 years ago, and still we have massive amounts of it being transported around the country. The people of Ohio and Pennsylvania know the risks better than anyone since that was the chemical that was set on fire and burned throughout our region after the February 3 toxic train derailment,” Amanda Kiger, co-director of River Valley Organizing in Ohio, said in a statement.

“It is alarming that this is the chemical used to make PVC plastic pipes to deliver drinking water. We need to stop using vinyl chloride for pipes and other products.”

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3959308-environmental-advocates-warn-against-using-pvc-in-drinking-water-pipes/