2 weeks agoUSA UpdateComments Off on New York Jets make another major coach decision announcement with big name demoted after Robert Saleh firing
NEW YORK JETS interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich has announced that Todd Downing will take over as the team’s new play caller from next week.
Ulbrich took over from Robert Saleh at the Metlife Stadium just a few days ago, but the ex-linebacker has already made a significant change.
APInterim head coach Jeff Ulbrich has announced a huge change to the Jets’ offense[/caption]
APHe has appointed Todd Downing as the team’s new play caller[/caption]
GettyNathaniel Hackett will remain offensive coordinator[/caption]
He believes a “fresh approach” is needed to boost the Jets following two successive losses.
The 47-year-old has therefore called on Downing to replace play caller Nathaniel Hackett ahead of Monday night’s meeting with the Buffalo Bills.
Despite his demotion, Hackett will remain on board as offensive coordinator.
Ulbrich announced his decision during a press conference on Thursday.
He said: “After a lot of time to think about it — and did not make this decision easily by any means — I’m going to make Todd Downing the play-caller for the New York Jets going forward.
“And this is more a byproduct of a different take on things. I’m not saying it’s a better or worse take on things by any means.
“But just a different take on things, a fresh approach.
“So, ultimately, Todd will have the full say on the game plan and, ultimately, the plays that are called within the game.
“Staying that as well, just another testament to the human being that Nathaniel Hackett is — the fact that he’s going to give this everything in his body, and heart, and soul, and he’s going to be a big part of the success we’re going to have going forward from an offensive perspective.
“And just, I feel so fortunate that he’s staying with us. I mean, here’s a guy who’s been a head coach in this league and willing to draw cards, willing to do whatever it takes — and the true heart of a servant.
“Just, I feel so fortunate that he’s on our staff that he’s in our lies and I can’t speak enough good things about him.”
Ulbrich was appointed interim coach this week after Saleh’s departure.
Saleh was fired by the Jets following Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings – which left the team with a 2-3 record after five games.
He was removed from the Jets training facility by security without being able to say goodbye to his team.
2 weeks agoUSA UpdateComments Off on I gave my daughter life-long chronic illness while pregnant with her – now she’s old enough to know the truth
A MUM battling a chronic illness has shared how she passed the disease on to her daughter while pregnant.
Kirstie Haysman, 36, had been suffering debilitating muscle and joint pain for almost a decade when she sought medical advice.
SWNSKirstie Haysman and her daughter Harriet both suffer with the chronic illness Lyme disease[/caption]
SWNSDoctors believe Kirstie, pictured, passed the illness on to Harriet while pregnant[/caption]
SWNSBefore her diagnoses, Kirstie competed in beauty pageants[/caption]
She was diagnosed with Lyme disease in February 2023, a bacterial infection normally spread through ticks, but which doctors believe she may have been born with.
Her daughter, Harriet, 12, was also diagnosed with the disease this year, and Kirstie claims three doctors think she passed it via her uterus during pregnancy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the spread of Lyme disease from mum to unborn baby is “possible but rare”.
After Miranda Hart spoke out about her battle with the disease, Kirstie is hopeful it will force doctors to “see the amount of people suffering and understand that it’s important that better research must be done”.
The mum from Watford, Hertfordshire said: “I first noticed symptoms in my daughter about a year and a half ago.
“Doctors didn’t want to test because there was no bite or rash.
“I pushed for a test and it came back possible for Lyme disease and Epstein Barr virus.
“After her diagnosis I felt very guilty that I had passed the disease onto her.
“I was in two minds to tell her as I didn’t want to burden her with the worry of the illness.
“She was very tearful as she had seen me for months having carers pick me up and help me for months.
“We caught it early enough to deal with it and she hasn’t got years of misdiagnosis under her belt.
“It’s wonderful that Miranda has come forward – it’s very sad that she’s had to suffer and keep it hidden”.
The former chiropodist was initially tested for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis in 2015 – and both came back negative.
She claims doctors assumed she was suffering from an autoimmune disease and prescribed her steroids.
In January 2023 an acquaintance suggested she might be suffering with Lyme disease and after going to Mexico for blood tests Kirstie was diagnosed.
She has taken since two trips to Mexico and one to Idaho, US to seek stem cell treatment – a therapy which eases the symptoms of the disease but is not currently offered in the UK.
SWNSKirstie has received treatment in Mexico, including a lumbar puncture[/caption]
SWNSThe mum has also been receiving stem cell treatment, which is not currently available in the UK[/caption]
She said: “It has really, really helped.”
Kirstie was able to raise £20,000 for the first Mexico treatment in March 2023 through a GoFundMe page and financial help through family and friends.
The second treatment was provided to her for free by the doctors in Mexico.
She said: “They felt so bad that I wasn’t getting any help at home.”
Despite the treatment helping Kirstie’s symptoms, Lyme disease has no cure.
She said: “I am still suffering, some days I cannot get out of bed and my right leg is completely crippled, but I get by as best as I can, everyday is different.”
Kirstie went on to claim that her daughter Harriet’s symptoms were dismissed for over a year before her diagnosis in July 2023.
Kirstie said: “She struggles terribly with migraines, low mood, stomach aches and nausea.
“The doctors refused to test until she was 16 but I pushed and pushed for it.
“There isn’t any treatment they can offer to her, it has been really hard to seek treatment for her.”
Speaking on their differing symptoms, Kirstie said her and her daughter “support each other as best we can”.
During treatment in Idaho, Kirstie had her daughter undergo some less invasive treatment similar to magnet and light treatment.
She said: “This treatment helped within a few weeks, she got her Hertz Lymer reaction which occurs when the bacteria is dying off.”
Former-beauty pageant queen Kirstie has now gone from bedbound to working again this year.
She plans to work alongside the charity team at the Miss Great Britain beauty pageant to “raise awareness for Lyme disease and help others who are suffering”.
She will be raising funds at the pageant for Alex’s Wish, a charity that supports those suffering with joint and muscle pain with the main goal of eradicating Duchenne Muscular, a deadly illness which causes muscle weakness that worsens over time.
She said: “They [the team] have been so supportive, offering me wheelchairs and support where I need it throughout the pageant.
“My other main aim is to normalize mobility aids within the pageant industry and normalizing disabilities”.
“It will be nice for Harriet to watch me do this and be proud of me instead of seeing me fall over in hospitals and struggling to walk.”
More information on Alex’s Wish charity can be found here.
How to avoid tick bites and remove a tick safely
THERE are a few things you can do to lessen your likelihood of tick bites.
Firstly, try to cover as much of your skin as possible while walking outdoors and tuck your trousers into your socks.
You should also be using insect repellent containing DEET on your clothes and skin, and wearing light coloured clothing so you can spot a tick easily.
Also stick to paths where possible when you’re out walking.
But if you are bitten, you must remove a tick safely.
Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool. You can buy these from some pharmacies, vets and pet shops.
Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
Slowly pull upwards, taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you have removed it.
Clean the bite with antiseptic or soap and water.
The chance of getting ill is low. You do not need to do anything else unless you notice a rash or become unwell.
If either of these happen, make sure to see a GP so you can get treatment as soon a possible.
SWNSThe former beauty queen is now working alongside the charity team at the Miss Great Britain beauty pageant[/caption]
SWNSThe mum hopes to raise awareness about the disease, which comedian Miranda Hart has recently spoken out on[/caption]
SWNSLyme disease left Kirstie bedbound[/caption]
2 weeks agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Watch moment Elon Musk unveils creepy faceless Optimus robots that he boasts can ‘do anything’ – even ‘babysit kids’
THIS is the eerie moment Elon Musk unveiled his creepy faceless Optimus robots that he boasts can do anything, even babysit children.
The tech billionaire will unleash the humanoid bots into his Tesla factories next year before they’re made available to other companies in 2026.
Twitter / Tesla LiveThe creepy faceless humanoids were seen marching in at a Tesla event[/caption]
Twitter / Tesla LiveThe bot is seen playing games with human children[/caption]
Twitter / Tesla LiveIt was also seen watering plants in the background as a family enjoyed time together[/caption]
Twitter / Tesla LiveElon Musk boasted that his Optimus robots can ‘do anything’[/caption]
In a video posted on his own X account, Musk can be heard presenting the life-size machines as they marched into a Tesla event.
He said: “You’re really gonna have something spectacular. Something that anyone could own.
“You can have your own personal R2-D2 [or] C3-PO.”
A montage then plays showing the multiple uses of the Opimus robots.
The faceless bot, dubbed an “autonomous assistant” or a “humanoid friend” by Tesla, can be seen picking up a parcel at the doorstep, watering plants as a human family enjoys their time together.
It can then be seen joining in on the fun and playing games with a dad and his children before it goes on to help mum in the kitchen.
“It will basically do anything you want,” Musk explains.
“It can be a teacher, or babysit your kids, walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks, whatever you can think of, it will do.”
An exact price for the bot is yet to be announced by Musk has previously suggested it will be lower than $20,000 (£17,900).
Twitter / Tesla LiveMusk’s robot cleaning the kitchen counter[/caption]
Twitter / Tesla LiveThe droid also picks up parcels at the front door[/caption]
A second version of the machine, dubbed Optimus II, works 30 times faster than the last one.
It’s also 10kg lighter and has a more human like build.
Musk, 53, previously tweeted that the walking machines will be “genuinely useful” when deployed to help build Tesla cars.
“Tesla will have genuinely useful humanoid robots in low production for Tesla internal use next year and, hopefully, high production for other companies in 2026,” he said.
The electric car giant has been working on a humanoid robot, known as Optimus, to use in its factories and on production lines.
When Tesla’s humanoid robot was first announced in 2021 during a company event, it did not appear on stage but a person wearing a white outfit and a black helmet walked robotically on before starting to dance.
Since then, Tesla has shown off updated versions of Optimus, including in a video at the end of last year in which the robot picked up, held and put down an egg without breaking it.
Musk has previously said he hopes Optimus will walk humans into a “future of abundance, a future where there is no poverty, a future where you can have whatever you want in terms of products and services.”
But he’s also cautioned about the development of humanoids, saying they can “basically chase you anywhere”.
Musk announced the development of the humanoid bots in 2021ReutersX / @Tesla_OptimusMusk’s Optimus humanoid bot can already do yoga[/caption]
Jessica represented the United States at the 2012 London Olympics as an alternate, and that same year Great Britain Olympic rider Peter Charles sold his gold medal-winning horse to her.
The Duke University graduate then won the American Gold Cup in 2014 and her first five-star Grand Prix jumping competition in 2016.
Unfortunately she was not selected to represent the United States for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
She did however make the US team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and went on to win a silver medal in team jumping on August 7, 2021.
Jessica also models for Gucci as their equestrian ambassador.
Olympic glory
Jessica competed for the United States at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
She competed individually in equestrian and placed 31st, however only the top 30 advanced to the medal rounds.
Luckily Jessica got another shot at Olympic glory when she competed in the US jumping team and came away with a silver medal.
After the first round of the team jumping final, Sweden and the United States were tied as front runners with eight faults apiece.
In a tense final showdown the Swedish side came out on top to take gold, with just 1.3 penalty points separating the teams.
Despite her success in Tokyo, Jessica was not selected to take part in Paris 2024.
GettyJessica’s dad Bruce is seen with her mum Patti cheering her on at a competition[/caption]
Proud father
Jessica’s famous dad Bruce couldn’t prouder of his daughter.
After her Olympic glory, the singer said: “I want to congratulate the United States Olympic show jumping team – that’s McLain Ward, Laura Kraut and my lovely daughter, Jessica Springsteen – on their silver medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.”
When he’s not busy touring, Bruce often attends his daughter’s competitions, along with his wife Patti.
Jessica’s love life
Jessica is not married however she has been dating a fellow rider since June 2018.
Lorenzo de Luca is an Italian show jumper who won the Rolex Rome Grand Prix in 2018 with his horse Halifax.
The pair got together following her split with her ex-boyfriend – Argentinian polo player Nic Roldan.
GettyThe data of 31million people was stolen during the Internet Archive breach[/caption]
How the Internet Archive Data breach happened
The incident began on October 9, 2024, when a malicious JavaScript pop-up appeared on the Internet Archive website, alerting visitors to a security breach potentially affecting 31million users.
The message read: “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. See 31 million of you on HIBP!”
The message not only indicated that the breach had taken place, but also directed users to Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) — a site where individuals can check if their email addresses and passwords have been compromised in data breaches.
This coincided with distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) assaults that began on October 8, aimed at disrupting the Internet Archive’s website and servers, while also rendering the Wayback Machine inaccessible.
The Wayback Machine
The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web, operated by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco.
Established in 1996 and publicly launched in 2001, it enables users to access archived versions of websites, effectively allowing them to “travel back in time” to see how web pages appeared at various points in history.
The Internet Archive Data breach
Troy Hunt, founder of Have I Been Pwned (HIBP), confirmed that the attack occurred in September, exposing 31 million email addresses, usernames, bcrypt password hashes, and other internal system data.
The stolen database, a 6.4GB SQL file named ‘ia_users.sql’ contained records up to September 28, 2024.
Internet Archive Data breach details
The cyberattack involved multiple components:
Data breach: Compromising user information
Website defacement: Through a JavaScript library exploit
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks: Rendering services like the Wayback Machine inaccessible
Brewster Kahle, the Internet Archive’s founder, acknowledged the breach and outlined the organization’s response.
He wrote on X/Twitter: “What we know: DDoS attack — fended off for now; defacement of our website via JS library; breach of usernames / email / salted-encrypted passwords.
A ‘hacktivist’ group called SN_BlackMeta claimed responsibility for the DDoS attacks.
The group, linked to pro-Palestinian movements, stated their attack lasted five hours and targeted the Archive due to perceived connections with the US.
‘Hacktivist’ group SN_BlackMeta claimed responsibility for the DDoS attacks
Protect yourself from phishing
The breach exposed 31 million unique email addresses, screen names and bcrypt-hashed passwords.
Bcrypt is an adaptive cryptographic hash function specifically designed for securely hashing passwords.
Password hashing is the process of transforming a plaintext password into a fixed-size string of characters — called a hash — using a mathematical algorithm.
While bcrypt is a strong encryption algorithm, users are advised to change their passwords, especially if reused across platforms.
The Internet Archive is currently working to restore services and enhance security measures.
Kahle stated: “We are working to restore services as quickly and safely as possible.”
Affected users should:
Change passwords, particularly if reused on other platforms
Avoid downloading or interacting with files from the Internet Archive until the organization declares the breach resolved
Here’s everything you need to know about the confession that changed everything in the Menendez case.
A shock confession
Jerome had been working as a therapist since getting his doctorate in 1972, but met the Menendez brothers in 1988.
He took on Erik and Lyle as clients after they had committed a series of burglaries.
Jerome then became one of the first people that Erik confessed to after he and his brother murdered their parents.
Due to patient-therapist confidentiality laws, Jeremy did not report his client’s confession to the police but he did decide to begin recording their sessions.
He also told his mistress, Judalon Smyth, about Erik’s confession in a decision that directly led to the arrests of both brothers.
When Jerome split up with Judalon, she told the police everything that Erik had shared with his therapist including details about the recordings.
It took some time to determine if the tapes could be used in court, but two of the recordings eventually became key parts of the trial.
Jerome is played by Dallas Roberts in Ryan Murphy’s MonstersNetflix
Erik and Lyle’s crime
On August 20, 1989, the Menendez brothers entered their parents home and murdered them in a brutal shooting.
The court case was broadcast on Court TV and soon Americans were glued to their screens.
Eventually, both brothers were sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Lyle and Erik were sentenced to life in prison without parolethe mega agency
After the trial
Once the Menendez brothers were sentenced, Jerome had his license to practice as a therapist revoked.
The California Board of Psychology said that had wrongfully shared information with Judalon and also alleged that she was a client of his.
This would mean that their relationship could be classified as sexual misconduct.
Jerome agreed to surrender his license, but told Bustle in 2017 that this was not because of the accusations against him.
Jerome said: “I did not surrender my license due to the accusation, which implies I gave up my practice because I did things alleged in the original accusation.
“I had phased out of my practice because I had a major business offer that was highly lucrative and moved to be the CEO of a large business in another state a year and a half prior to the surrender. … No agency ever found I did a thing that was improper or wrong.”
He now lives in Albuquerque and goes by the name “Jerry”.
2 weeks agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Reggaeton star El Taiger dies at 37 days after being shot as cops probe theory he may have been dumped at hospital
REGGAETON star El Taiger has died – just a week after he was shot in the head in Miami.
The music artist, 37, was found in the back of a Mercedes SUV on October 3 and cops are investigating if he was dumped at a hospital.
GettyThe rapper El Taiger has died after being shot[/caption]
The rapper was found with a gunshot wound near a hospital, but cops suspect he was targeted at a different location (Pictured in 2022)Getty
A week later, a statement in Spanish was uploaded to his Instagram Stories, updating fans that he had died.
The lengthy post claimed El Taiger, whose real name was Jose Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar, was the victim of a “senseless violent crime.”
“El Taiger was pronounced dead and is now reunited with his beloved mother in heaven,” it said.
But mystery surrounds the music star’s death.
The car in which the rapper was found was discovered near the city’s Jackson Memorial Hospital.
But Miami cops believe the rapper may have been shot in a different area, as reported by Telemundo.
“We are certain it did not happen on that corner where the car was found. This happened somewhere else, someone drove it there, left it and left on foot,” Miami police spokesperson Mike Vega said.
Police revealed they had to haul the star’s body from the back of the car, and there was a lot of blood.
Police were quick to rule out that El Taiger died by suicide.
Cops have named Damian Valdez-Galloso, 49, as a person of interest.
Manuel Morales, a Miami Police chief, believes Valdez-Galloso has more information to share.
Neighbors told the Cuban outlet CiberCuba that Swat teams searched Valdez-Galloso’s home in Hialeah –a city in Miami-Dade County.
One woman, known only as Yamira, told local media that she often exchanged pleasantries with Valdez-Galloso but didn’t know him well.
“I’ve known him for a year, but we never shared anything,” she said.
El Taiger boasted over one million listeners on Spotify and had over a million followers on Instagram.
He worked with the former Barcelona goalkeeper José Manuel Pinto and DJ Ricky Luna on the hit La Habana, which was part of the Fate of the Furious soundtrack.
Just days before the shooting, El Taiger promoted his new collaboration with the star Seikan Anikila.
He claimed the new track would blow people’s minds.
But, El Taiger appeared to share a cryptic post telling fans: “Never forget.”
The video showed him driving, and the phrase “Alone and we die alone, and this world imposes a set of rules on us so we forget, but I never” appeared on screen.
Mourners have held a vigil in memory of the music man.
Cops have issued a $5,000 reward in an appeal for information relating to Valdez-Galloso.
Miami PoliceDamien Valdez-Galloso is wanted by cops over the shooting[/caption]
2 weeks agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Missing Sri Racha cat gets helping paw from trapped ceiling drama
In a dramatic rescue that will leave pet owners double-checking their ceilings, a cat missing for eight days was finally saved after being discovered trapped in an eyewear shop’s ceiling in Si Racha, Chon Buri. The unfortunate feline, Swat, had been unknowingly stuck inside the building undergoing renovations, while its owner, Suwate Hachai, had been …
2 weeks agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Banyan Tree Samui scoops trio of top awards
In a dazzling display of luxury, Banyan Tree Samui in southern Thailand is basking in the glow of three major international awards—all in just one week. This exclusive beachfront resort has proven it’s not just a tropical paradise, but a world-class destination that knows how to make waves in the luxury travel industry. First up, …
