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  • Amateur archaeologists found a mysterious 12-sided object from the Roman Empire that experts can’t explain

    A metal dodecahedron with circles on each of its 12 sides and knobs covering it on display in glass case
    The Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group found an ancient Roman dodecahedron in the Midlands of England.

    • An amateur archaeology group found a mysterious dodecahedron near an ancient Roman villa.
    • The purpose of these 12-sided objects is unknown, though many theories have been suggested.
    • The complex crafting process suggests they were likely custom-made and expensive.

    Down a tree-lined road 100 miles north of London lies an open field where a Roman villa once stood about 2,000 to 1,700 years ago.

    Amateur archaeologists with the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group have been excavating its remains, including a bathhouse, gatehouse, and ancient tiled mosaic floors for the last few years when they made a miraculous discovery.

    Last year, a dozen volunteers were digging up a field about half a mile from the villa when a cry went up, Richard Parker, the group's secretary, told Business Insider.

    The archaeologists had mostly been finding masonry, some animal bones, and a lot of pottery. But Richard Watts, one of the volunteers, was holding something unique.

    It was a small metal object, about the size of a softball, with holes in each of its 12 sides and covered with small knobs.

    A Roman dodecahedron with holes on each of its 12 sides and knobs covering it
    Due to their unusual shape and where they've been found, dodecahedrons' purpose remains a mystery.

    "We realized we'd found something really quite significant pretty quickly," Parker said. Though he'd never seen one in person, Rob Evershed, a member of the group, recognized the hollow, rounded object as a Roman dodecahedron.

    Everyone started Googling on their phones. Work stopped as they tried to figure out what to do next, Parker said.

    Only around 130 dodecahedrons have ever been found. The first known one was discovered in 1739 in Hertfordshire, England.

    This latest find is the first dodecahedron ever uncovered in England's Midlands region, the BBC reported. The British broadcast recently featured the object on an episode of "Digging for Britain," a show about archaeology. And England's Lincoln Museum put the object on display for the first time last weekend during its Festival of History.

    No one knows the purpose of the dodecahedron

    A group of people, many in bright yellow vests, standing in front of a white van, and the main in the center is holding a small metal dodecahedron
    The Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group on the day they discovered the dodecahedron.

    A toy? A tool? A religious relic? Once the group had identified it as a dodecahedron, they still had no idea what exactly it was. In fact, no one really knows.

    "The fact that many of them were found before scientific excavation started in the 20th century does hinder our understanding of them," Frances McIntosh, an archaeologist with English Heritage who specializes in Roman artifacts, told Business Insider via email.

    There often aren't detailed records of their excavation sites.

    Over the centuries, more have turned up in the northwestern provinces of the Roman Empire in present-day Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, McIntosh said.

    However, she noted that dodecahedrons haven't been found in Italy, Spain, Africa, or Turkey. That regionality adds to their mystery.

    Made of a copper alloy, the 12-sided dodecahedrons don't have an obvious function. They come in many sizes, meaning they likely weren't used as a measurement tool. They're somewhat fragile and couldn't withstand heavy use, an archaeologist told The Washington Post.

    Some scholars suggest dodecahedrons have religious significance or played a role in rituals. Other guesses range from a candle holder to surveying equipment. Their locations don't offer many clues, either.

    "They have been found in all sorts of places," McIntosh said. People have dug up dodecahedrons at military camps, a temple, public baths, a theater, and a tomb, to name a few.

    Dodecahedrons may have been custom-made

    Parker thinks it would've taken an expert to make the dodecahedron that the Norton Disney group found. An analysis of the material found it's 75% copper, 18% lead, and 7% tin.

    "The composition is fairly unusual," Parker said. "Having such a high lead content, it would've required a lot of skill to pour this particular alloy into the mold because it would've been very sticky."

    McIntosh agrees an experienced craftsperson likely made it. "As this is a hollow item, it would have been a very complex process," she said.

    That complexity means they wouldn't have been cheap. "They would have been expensive items," McIntosh said, "likely bespoke commissions."

    The dodecahedrons' many mysteries make them fascinating, Parker said. The group plans to return to the site this year to look for more objects and possibly new clues to the dodecahedron's significance.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Trump’s Mar-a-Lago document trial has been delayed again. He now has a chance to dodge it entirely.

    donald trump mar a lago
    Former President Donald Trump speaking to supporters at his Mar-a-Lago club.

    • Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago documents trial has been delayed indefinitely.
    • It's now extremely unlike that it would take place before the 2024 election.
    • The scheduling may allow Trump to get rid of the case if he's elected president.

    The judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal case over his holding onto secret government documents following his presidency delayed the trial indefinitely — giving him the chance to get rid of the charges if he wins the 2024 election.

    In an order Tuesday afternoon, US District Judge Aileen Cannon scheduled more than a dozen more hearings and deadlines for lawyers through July. The trial, she said, couldn't happen until she decided "myriad and interconnected pre-trial and CIPA issues remaining," referring to laws related to handling classified information.

    Cannon — who Trump nominated for the judgeship while he was in the White House — had previously scheduled jury selection to commence on May 20, but it had long been clear the trial would not be ready to take place by then.

    For months, lawyers for Trump and his two co-defendants — Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliveira and aide Waltine Nauta — had been sparring with federal prosecutors over how to share discovery information, which includes classified documents.

    Justice Department Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, in an indictment last June, accused Trump of violating a slew of criminal national security and obstruction laws by spiriting away sensitive government documents from the White House to Mar-a-Lago and other personal properties, holding on to them after his presidency, and lying about it to authorities.

    The co-defendants, de Oliveira and Nauta, each helped Trump hide the documents and mislead investigators, prosecutors alleged. (A PAC controlled by Trump is paying lawyers representing de Oliveira and Nauta with political donor funds.)

    Trump's busy trial schedule is playing out in the thick of the 2024 election

    It's one of four ongoing criminal cases against Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 election and the only former president to be charged with any crime.

    Trump is currently about halfway through his first criminal trial, in Manhattan, where prosecutors accused Trump of illegally falsifying business records when he covered up hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, who says she had an affair with him, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

    Unlike in civil cases — Trump recently went through two — criminal cases generally require that the defendant be present during the entire trial, making scheduling a complicated task.

    Trump may also have the power, if he were to be reelected president, to dispose of the cases brought by the Justice Department.

    Another criminal case overseen by Smith, in a federal court in Washington, DC, was previously scheduled for March 4. In that case, Smith alleged Trump broke criminal laws through his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. But it has been paused as the US Supreme Court weighs whether Trump would be immune from prosecution in the case, and may not be decided in time to complete the trial process before the 2024 election.

    Trump's attorneys have also made immunity arguments in the classified documents case.

    Jack Smith.
    Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith.

    Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis also brought election interference charges against Trump, for trying to overturn the results in Georgia. That case is not expected to go to trial until 2025 at the earliest.

    At a hearing in February for the New York case, Juan Merchan, the presiding judge, grew impatient with Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, as he tried to lodge the trial from its original March 25 start date. Blanche is also the lead attorney representing Trump in the government documents case.

    "Stop interrupting me, please," Merchan said, when Blanche said the Florida case might move forward in May. "You don't have a trial date, not a real one."

    Blanche had suggested that everyone reconvene in March and then decide on a new schedule going forward. Merchan held firm, pointing out that the DC case had been indefinitely delayed, and that he expected the Manhattan trial to last six weeks — meaning it would end even if Cannon had held onto her May start date.

    "I'm sure that the trial cannot start on May 20th if this trial is ongoing May 20th and Mr. Trump is present in this courtroom on May 20th, which I don't expect," Merchan said. "I expect this trial to last about six weeks. Even so, we can't have two simultaneous criminal trials."

    Merchan later pushed back the trial to April, based on a last-minute snafu related to the production of new records from a separate criminal investigation from federal prosecutors in New York.

    On Tuesday, Stormy Daniels took the stand, testifying about sex she says she had with Trump in 2006 — and threats she said she experienced later.

    Trump filed several motions to dismiss the Florida case in February, claiming he's immune from criminal charges and that it was OK for him to hold on to the records.

    Cannon has thus far declined to dismiss the case on some of Trump's arguments, but is weighing others.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • These 10 states are the most frustrating places to buy a house. See where homebuyers are surprised with the biggest fees.

    A view of the Los Angeles skyline from East Los Angeles.
    East Los Angeles, California.

    • Homebuyers pay for things beyond the purchase price of their properties — and those can add up.
    • Unexpected homebuying costs include loan origination fees and property taxes.
    • Home-services firm Frontdoor listed the states with the highest unexpected homebuying costs.

    Buying a house is hard enough these days.

    In the US, purchasing a home comes with additional fees and costs, which means you might have to pay more than you initially budgeted — and in some states, a lot more.

    A report by home-services company Frontdoor identified the states that shackle buyers purchasing a median-priced property with the highest unexpected costs.

    Unless you're buying in cash, mortgage payments and a down payment are routine. However, other expenses — including appraisal costs, loan origination fees, and property taxes — crop up early in the home-buying journey.

    When prices of homes alone are so high, these additional costs — which can total from about $11,000 to almost $18,000 — can further burden and frustrate homebuyers.

    Frontdoor used data from for-sale-by-owner site Houzeo to pinpoint the cost of 20 common additional charges for homebuyers in each state.

    Here are the 10 states where homebuyers spend the most on unexpected property fees.

    10. Washington
    An aerial view of lakeside houses in Seattle.
    Washington.

    Unexpected fees: $11,400.60

    Median home price: $526,633

    9. New York
    A narrow street leading to a residential building in New York City.
    New York.

    Unexpected fees: $12,303.95

    Median home price: $658,333

    8. New Jersey
    A row of Victorian houses in New Jersey.
    New Jersey.

    Unexpected fees: $12,362.75

    Median home price: $433,333

    7. Massachusetts
    Townhomes in Massachusetts.
    Massachusetts.

    Unexpected fees: $12,535.50

    Median home price: $528,333

    6. New Hampshire
    An aerial shot of houses in New Hampshire.
    New Hampshire.

    Unexpected fees: $13,480.89

    Median home price: $423,333

    5. Vermont
    Houses in Vermont with mountains in the background.
    Vermont.

    Unexpected fees: $13,719.87

    Median home price: $327,672

    4. Delaware
    Aerial shot of waterside homes in Delaware.
    Delaware.

    Unexpected fees: $13,934.88

    Median home price: $326,483

    3. Maryland
    Houses reflecting on a lake with a gray sky in Maryland.
    Maryland.

    Unexpected fees: $14,614.46

    Median home price: $358,600

    2. California
    A row of homes in California.
    California.

    Unexpected fees: $14,693.55

    Median home price: $673,333

    1. Hawaii
    An aerial view of beachside houses in Hawaii
    Hawaii.

    Unexpected fees: $17,966.04

    Median home price: $706,508

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Reddit shares soar after company reports strong first-ever earnings with record user traffic

    Reddit CEO Steve Huffman stands on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange after ringing a bell setting the share price at $47 in its initial public offering on March 21, 2024 in New York City.
    Reddit CEO Steve Huffman stands on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange after ringing a bell setting the share price at $47 in its initial public offering on March 21, 2024 in New York City.

    • Reddit beat expectations for its first financial quarter as a publicly traded company.
    • Strong revenue growth and record user traffic sent the stock price up 16% in after-hours trading.
    • R&D expenses were up four times compared to last year.

    Reddit just delivered a big first quarter as a newly public company.

    The social media platform beat analyst expectations Tuesday when it reported revenue of $243 million, up 48% from the same period last year. The company also boasted a record 82.7 million daily active users, up 37% from the year before.

    "It was a strong start to the year and a milestone quarter for Reddit and our communities as we debuted as a public company," co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman said in a statement. "We see this as the beginning of a new chapter as we work towards building the next generation of Reddit."

    While still not yet profitable, the net loss of $8.19 a share was below the $8.75 a share loss that investors were bracing for.

    Meanwhile, research and development costs soared by 300% year-over-year as the company beefs up its AI-related revenue and advertising strategy.

    This story will be updated following the earnings call at 5 p.m ET.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Eric Schmidt says China trails behind the US in AI for these 4 reasons

    Eric Schmidt portrait
    Since leaving Google, Eric Schmidt has invested in tech and AI firms like Anthropic.

    • Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said the US is "way ahead of China" in AI development.
    • Schmidt cited chip shortages and more English language material to train AI models.
    • He also said China's reduced funding and focus on for-profit apps are barriers to its advancement.

    Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt thinks the US is "way ahead of China" when it comes to AI.

    "In the case of artificial intelligence, we are well ahead, two or three years probably of China, which in my world is an eternity," Schmidt said in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday. "I think we're in pretty good shape."

    Schmidt served as Google's CEO from 2001 until 2011 and remained its chairman until 2015. Following his departure, Schmidt has invested in various AI companies, including Anthropic. He also became the chairman of the Department of Defense's Innovation Board in 2016 and chaired the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence for three years.

    Schmidt said the US stands to be the clear winner in the AI race — as long as it doesn't screw up its lead. Since China is focused on dominating certain industries, the US needs to compete with them and win, he added.

    At the start of 2024, China had approved over 40 AI models in a six-month period, including 14 new Large Language Models approved for public use in a week span. Baidu, a search engine giant referred to as "China's Google," is leading the pack.

    Schmidt talked about four factors that contributed to his view that China is behind in the AI arms race.

    Chip shortages

    Schmidt said China is "struggling because of chips" and shortages.

    In a separate interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Schmidt said China has been set back by the Trump and Biden administrations restricting access to high-speed chips, particularly Nvidia chips.

    "They're certainly angry about that," Schmidt said.

    The chips serve as a crucial component in the effort to scale AI. The tech-related tensions between the US and China have resulted in a push from the government to produce semiconductors in the US. In November 2023, the US Department of Commerce implemented the Advanced Computing Chips Rule making it harder for China to import advanced AI chips from American manufacturers.

    The Biden administration most recently considered imposing sanctions on several Chinese semiconductor firms linked to Huawei in March.

    Schmidt thinks there's less Chinese material to train AI models with

    Schmidt also said in the CNBC interview that there's not as much Chinese material available to train large language models. Since English dominates the internet, research papers, and books that large language models train on, he believes English provides a larger pool of information to learn from.

    "That's why English is so strong in these large language models," Schmidt said.

    Additionally, most training data is in English, he said, which could lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations in other languages.

    Reduced funding

    Schmidt said that China is also facing a huge reduction in foreign investment and at-risk venture capital. Meanwhile, the US has exploded in these areas, he said.

    China has been on the economic decline for the last couple of years and it continues to face deflation problems.

    In November 2023, it suffered its first investment deficit as US tensions rose and Western countries leaned away from business involvement.

    Focusing on the wrong areas

    The former Google CEO said that China is focused on building for-profit application companies which may ultimately be successful. But they're not platform-focused, he argued.

    "Three or four of the top apps in America are, in fact, of Chinese origin," Schmidt said. "But at the moment, the leadership is US."

    While apps like TikTok may be successful, some industry experts think that China is lagging behind in foundational AI models, according to a report from CNBC.

    "We should be very proud to be here," Schmidt said. "America has invented this future and this particular future, the one which is AI and quantum and the other technologies, that people are talking about. We have a shot of actually dominating the world for the next 10 or 20 years if we do it right."

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • I was fired from a new job in less than a week after I started. It taught me not every opportunity is a good opportunity.

    Calli Nguyen wearing a red blazer in her headshot.
    Calli Nguyen planned to quit but was fired from her director role within three days of starting the job.

    • Calli Nguyen, 24, was fired from her job as a director of digital marketing after less than a week.
    • Nguyen highlights the importance of mental health and employee respect in the workplace.
    • She emphasizes Gen Z's unwillingness to settle for toxic work environments.

    This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Calli Nguyen, a 24-year-old social media marketer from Baton Rouge, LA, about getting fired after less than one week of work. It's been edited for length and clarity.

    Before I started as the director of digital marketing for a medical spa, I gave my boss the benefit of the doubt because I just wanted a job. What could go wrong?

    Turns out, everything.

    While I've worked many jobs, this director role was my first paid full-time position in digital marketing. I rationalized that maybe I was going through a learning curve; or that I just had the jitters. But on the third day of work, when I left my desk for a quick mental health break, I was fired on the spot. To be fair, I saw the red flags but ignored them.

    I read the negative Glassdoor and Google reviews left by former clients and employees. One review said that five employees quit within two weeks. The review underscored that employers should not mistreat their employees regardless of their age. Also, before I even started the job, I agreed to change my role from client care coordinator to director of digital marketing without changing my hourly pay of $16. Yet, immediately after I was fired, I felt like a failure.

    I now feel that getting fired after less than a week of employment was a blessing in disguise. The experience taught me that not every opportunity is a good opportunity. But more importantly, protecting my mental health and having employers see the value in me is more important than earning money.

    My boss refused to take my advice

    I didn't think it was a big deal that my former boss wanted me to switch gears to social media marketing after I applied on Indeed for an office coordinator role. Afterall, I did list my social media marketing skills on my résumé.

    After I accepted the new role over the phone with her general manager, I looked forward to honing in on my creative skills while helping a small, independent business grow and gain more customers. But how can I help someone who refuses to listen to my advice?

    My boss wanted her social media marketing to look a certain way: showcasing stock photos of attractive women with outdated fonts.

    I showed her the analytics on the low-performing social media posts and that I knew how to update her online presence to gain more customers, but she refused to absorb anything I had to say. So I followed her creative lead — until I became overwhelmed by her demands.

    I was shocked to find out that my boss wanted more from me than what I produced

    On my third day, I started a project to build posts for the company's social media accounts and research her competitors' special offers. I presented everything she asked for. While she seemed happy with my social posts and the offers that I found, she needed more from me.

    Without warning, she asked which products the other medical spas used. I spiraled into a tailspin.

    I didn't know anything about specific products in the medical spa industry. I didn't even know what she wanted me to research. She never brought up my level of product knowledge in our initial interview, nor did anyone ask me to find out about the competitors' products when explaining the project to me.

    She said I should've known to research the different products used by our competitors. Then, she launched into a list of other deliverables that I should've done. After a few minutes of her feedback, I felt overwhelmed.

    Mental health and respect at work are mandatory

    I stood up and told her I needed to take a break. So, I walked toward the front door.

    She tried stopping me. I didn't give in. I already vowed to never let anyone disrespect me at work. I said, "Ma'am, respectfully, I need to step outside and take a breather. I'll be back in a few minutes."

    She fired me, saying that I wasn't going to work out for her. I thought to myself, "Oh, awesome," as I tried to keep my demeanor professional. I was so pissed off.

    To be fair, I wanted to quit, so she got me before I got her. As I approached the front desk, I looked at the general manager and trainer and told them that I was fired. The general manager offered me a recommendation letter despite all the drama.

    I said goodbye to my coworkers after 2.5 days

    I felt like a failure after two days and about six hours of work on day three. I said goodbye to my coworkers and told them that I was fired as I walked out the door for the last time. But I really felt depressed too.

    I texted "9-1-1" to my mom while she was at work and started sobbing on the phone with her in the parking lot. I kept apologizing to her for being a failure, even though I knew I worked in a toxic environment.

    Afterward, I spent a month in bed while working remotely for another company.

    I've been in the workforce since I was about 16 or 17 years old and have worked with various age groups. That said, some Gen Z workers are lazy and unreliable, and I've seen the TikToks that say that Gen Z is rude, too. At the same time, we want what everyone else wants: for our employers to value us, to enjoy our jobs and work environment, and to receive proper training so that we'll thrive.

    Gen Z knows that there's somewhere better for us

    While the older generations might have put up with toxic work environments, we're speaking up for ourselves and not settling.

    I'm more than happy to receive constructive criticism, as long as the feedback does not cross the line into degradation and disrespect. The workforce continuously changes, and employers must be open to flexibility, growth, and change.

    Gen Z knows that there's somewhere better for us if we don't get what we want out of a job — that's why I'm working at a reputable advertising agency that respects me, advocates for mental health, and cultivates a fun and enjoyable work environment.

    As an employee, it's not on me if a boss doesn't want to learn or be flexible. I can't help a boss to grow, and I can't grow in a toxic environment, right?

    If you're a Gen Z worker and want to share your story, email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.

    Updated May 7, 2024 — An earlier version of this story did not clarify that the director role was Calli Nguyen's first paid full-time digital marketing job, not her first time working in digital marketing.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • About half of the North Korean missiles Russia fired at Ukraine flew off course and exploded in the air, official says

    Fragments of what may be non-Russian missiles, which Russia used to attack the city are seen on January 6, 2024 in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
    Fragments of what may be non-Russian missiles, which Russia used to attack the city are seen on January 6, 2024 in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

    • About half of the North Korean missiles fired by Russia at Ukraine have failed, a Ukrainian official said.
    • The missiles that failed flew off course and exploded in midair.
    • Ukraine's top prosecutor told Reuters they're investigating missile debris. 

    About half of the North Korean missiles Russia has fired at Ukraine have failed, Ukraine's top prosecutor said, per new reporting.

    The high reported failure rate raises questions about the quality of North Korean-provided munitions and comes after months of concern about how an arms deal between the two countries could influence the war in Ukraine and North Korea's own efforts to improve its military capabilities.

    State prosecutors have been examining the debris of 21 out of 50 North Korean missiles fired at Ukraine by Russia between December and February. About half of the missiles "lost their programmed trajectories and exploded in the air," Ukraine's top prosecutor Andriy Kostin told Reuters, noting that debris was not collected for these weapons.

    This falls in line with previous assessments from Ukraine. Back in March, Yuriy Belousov, head of the war crimes department of Ukraine's office of the prosecutor general, said North Korean ballistic missiles were "very low" quality, boasting an accuracy rate of only around 20 percent.

    Beyond the missiles, North Korean rockets have also been called into question. Last summer, the Ukrainians got their hands on North Korean rockets that troops characterized as "very unreliable," noting they sometimes "do crazy things." They said it wasn't odd for them to misfire or explode.

    The reported problems add to suspicions about weaknesses in North Korea's stockpiles, as sanctions and dated production capabilities impact the quality of missiles and other munitions. The battlefield intelligence Pyongyang may be receiving about the performance and capabilities of its weapon systems could be invaluable though.

    When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2023 for a summit on a potential arms deal, officials and experts expressed concerns that such a partnership could be mutually beneficial. The concern was that Putin would get more ammo for his war in Ukraine, and North Korea would get field testing of its weapons to improve the quality of the country's munitions.

    In November 2023, South Korean lawmakers estimated a million North Korean shells had been sent to Russia, beating out the European Union's collective aid to Ukraine since Moscow's forces invaded. In addition to shells, North Korea has also sent rockets and ballistic missiles to Russia as well, helping sustain it as Ukraine struggled to do the same.

    One of the North Korean missiles sent to Russia appears to be KN-23s, known in North Korea as the short-range Hwasong 11. Hwasong 11s resemble Russian Iskander-M missiles and boast a range of around 430 miles.

    Ukrainian officials and experts have identified fragments of the Hwasong 11 in the aftermath of several attacks, including one in early January and one in early February, both in Kharkiv. Kostin told Reuters the last recorded use of the weapon was February 27.

    Along with Kharkiv, other cities, such as Kyiv, and regions, such as Donetsk and Kirovohrad, have been the targets of missile strikes. Since December 30, the attacks have killed 24 people and wounded 115, damaging various residential areas.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • A timeline of Donald Trump’s three marriages, numerous rumored affairs, and sexual misconduct allegations

    donald melania trump met gala
    Donald and Melania Trump attend the MET Costume Institute Gala Celebrating Chanel at the Metropolitan Museum of Art May 2, 2005 In New York City.

    • Trump is currently on trial over hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
    • He faces 34 counts of falsifying business records and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
    • This timeline outlines Trump's three marriages, rumored affairs, and sexual misconduct accusations.
    Donald Trump has been married to or dating one of his three wives since the 1970s, with only a few breaks in between.
    Trump Ivana
    Trump talks with his former wife, Ivana Trump, during the men's final at the US Open in 1997.

    Then a young real estate developer, he married his first wife, Ivana Trump, in 1977.
    Donald Trump and Ivana Trump smile at the camera
    Donald Trump and then-wife, Ivana Trump, pose outside the Federal Courthouse in New York in May 1988.

    Ivana is the mother of Donald Jr., Ivanka (whose actual name is Ivana Marie), and Eric Trump. Ivana also worked to develop the Trump Organization as vice president of interior design.
    ivana trump kids ivanka eric donald
    Donald Trump Jr., Ivana Trump, Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump attend the 9th Annual Eric Trump Foundation Golf Invitational Auction & Dinner in 2015.

    Trump's reputation was tied to his "playboy" image, which came with rumors of affairs. According to one report, Trump tried to get Playboy magazine to run a "Girls of Trump" spread featuring his employees.
    Trump NYSE
    This June 7, 1995, file photo shows Trump posing for photos above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange after taking his flagship Trump Plaza Casino public in New York City.

    "He even tried to get Playboy to do a spread called 'The Girls of Trump,' wooing his most shapely staffers, including a former beauty queen secretary, into posing for the magazine with a sliding scale of offers on everything from full nude to breast to 'wet-lip' shots," Wayne Barrett wrote in his 1991 book "Trump, The Greatest Show on Earth: The Deals, The Downfall, The Reinvention." 

    Barrett continued: "It was all part of the rakish ethos of phony glamour that he consciously fostered, even to the extent of concealing from public view a very efficient secretary with a pimplish facial condition."

    At least 26 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, with allegations stretching back to the 1970s and running through 2016.
    E. Jean Carroll
    E. Jean Carroll at her home in Warwick, NY in 2019.

    Several women have come forward with allegations of sexual assault or sexual impropriety against Trump in recent years.

    Jessica Leeds told The New York Times in 2016 that Trump "grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt" when the pair were seated next to each other on a flight in the early 1980s, when Trump was married to Ivana.

    "He was like an octopus," Leeds told The Times. "His hands were everywhere."

    In 2019, columnist E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s. She's suing him for defamation and battery. The trial is scheduled to begin April 25.

    Trump has denied the allegations against him.

    Trump's marriage to Ivana fell apart when he began an affair with the model Marla Maples, which dominated the tabloids in the early 1990s.
    Marla Maples and donald trump go down an escalator
    Model Marla Maples and real estate mogul Donald Trump ride the escalator down to a limo after attending a "Get Well Soon" party for boxer Mike Tyson at the Trump Plaza Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Sept. 23, 1990.

    Ivana and Trump divorced in 1991, after months of headlines about Trump's affair with Maples.
    Trump Marla Maples
    Donald Trump (right) watches as Marla Maples gets a kiss from Earl Sinclair of TV's "Dinosaurs" in 1992.

    "The children are all wrecks," Ivana told gossip columnist Liz Smith. "Ivanka now comes home from school crying, 'Mommy, does it mean I'm not going to be Ivanka Trump anymore?' Little Eric asks me, 'Is it true you are going away and not coming back?'"

    Ivana died at the age of 73 in 2022.

    Maples and Trump were married in 1993, soon after the birth of their daughter, Tiffany. In 1997, the pair announced plans to divorce.
    Trump and Marla Maples
    Marla Maples (left), and Donald Trump (right) with their family at the US Tennis Open championships in New York in 1994.

    Trump wasn't single for long. In 1998, he met model Melania Knauss. The pair married in January 2005.
    donald and melania
    Trump and then-girlfriend Melania Knauss leave Hollinger International's annual meeting at the Metropolitan Club in New York on May 22, 2003.

    Melania and Trump dated on and off in the years before they got married.

    In September 2005, Trump was caught on tape telling "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush that he was able to "grab" women "by the p—y" because "when you're a star they let you do it."
    trump billy bush access hollywood NBC

    The tape was published by the Washington Post just before the 2016 presidential election, at which time Trump called his commentary "locker room banter."

    Melania gave birth to the couple's only son, Barron, in March 2006.
    donald melania
    Donald Trump and Melania Knauss pose for photographers as they arrive for the Entertainment Industry Foundation's National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance evening on board the Queen Mary 2, Saturday, April 24, 2004 in New York.

    Adult film star Stormy Daniels alleged that she and Trump had a sexual encounter just four months later, in July 2006.
    stormy daniels
    Stormy Daniels attends a signing for comedian Dane Cook's CD/DVD "Retaliation" at Tower Records on July 27, 2005 in Hollywood, California.

    In January 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, had facilitated a $130,000 payment to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, shortly before the 2016 election.

    In August 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal crimes, including making an illegal campaign contribution on the same day he facilitated the payment to Daniels.

    Fast-forward five years, and a New York grand jury has voted to indict Trump, capping the Manhattan district attorney's office yearslong investigation into Trump's personal and business finances. The charges are likely linked to the $130,000 payment to Daniels.

    Trump continues to deny having ever had an affair with Daniels.

    Playboy model Karen McDougal alleged that she started an affair with Trump even closer to the birth of Barron in June 2006.
    donald Trump the Apprentice
    Trump reportedly met McDougal at the Playboy Mansion while filming an episode of “The Apprentice."

    In February 2018, The New Yorker published an investigation into McDougal's alleged affair, which she said continued for months.

    American Media, a media company that owns the National Enquirer and has close ties to Trump, bought the exclusive rights to McDougal's story, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2016.

    But the company didn't run any pieces on the story — something The New Yorker noted was a tactic some media outlets commonly used to kill a story.

    The White House claimed the incidents the document outlined did not happen, with a spokesperson telling The New Yorker, "The President says he never had a relationship with McDougal."

    A number of women have also alleged that Trump sexually harassed or assaulted them during his relationship and marriage to Melania.
    Summer Zervos
    Summer Zervos.

    In 2016, People's Natasha Stoynoff alleged that Trump pushed her against a wall and "shoved" his tongue "down her throat" when she went to Mar-a-Lago to interview him and the very-pregnant Melania in December 2005.

    Miss USA and Miss Universe contestants said that Trump harassed and assaulted them in 2006, inspecting them before the pageants and grabbing them without consent.

    Summer Zervos, a former contestant on "The Apprentice," said Trump "very aggressively" kissed her, groped her breasts, and began "thrusting" his genitals at her in a 2007 meeting at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

    Trump has denied all of these allegations.

    Melania has stayed by Trump's side throughout the repeated allegations that he cheated on her throughout their relationship, including when she was pregnant and soon after Barron's birth.
    melania barron donald trump
    Trump tries to quiet his son Barron while Melania holds Barron during the men's finals championship match at the US Open in 2008.

    When she was first lady, Melania seemed to disappear from public view when Trump's alleged affairs made headlines.
    melania

    In February 2018, she eschewed the traditional walk with the president across the White House's South Lawn to Marine One after The New Yorker published its report on the McDougal affair.

    Melania also largely disappeared from public engagements with her husband after the Daniels news broke in January 2018.

    When a New York grand jury made history in voting to indict Trump in March 2023, Daniels offered a two-word response to the news.
    stormy daniels
    Stormy Daniels arrives for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007, in Los Angeles.

    She quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment should not be cause for celebration but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system.

    "Thank you," Daniels wrote.

    //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    In a Truth Social post after the news broke, Trump called his indictment "AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."
    Mar-a-Lago, left, and Donald Trump and Melania Trump, right, in a composite image
    Former President Donald Trump and Melania Trump, right, were photographed at Mar-a-Lago, pictured left, on March 30, 2023, shortly after the news of his indictment broke.

    While he raged about the indictment online, guests at Trump's private Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida said they saw him and Melania "smiling and greeting guests."

    The former president surrendered to the Manhattan district attorney's office.

    When asked if Trump plans to fight the case all the way to trial, Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said, "For sure, if it's not dismissed beforehand."

    On Tuesday, April 4, 2023, Trump surrendered into the custody of the Manhattan district attorney's office.
    Donald Trump
    Former US President Donald Trump waves as he arrives at the Manhattan Criminal Court on April 4, 2023.

    Trump remained under arrest until mid-afternoon, and then entered a plea of "not guilty."

     

    Trump's trial in Manhattan federal court began Monday, April 15, 2024.
    donald trump manhattan court
    Trump appears during a court hearing on charges of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star before the 2016 election, in New York on February 15, 2024.

    Stormy Daniels took the stand on May 7, 2024, and said she was scared and ashamed after her night with Trump in 2006.
    Judge Juan Merchan presides over proceedings as Stormy Daniels, far right, answers questions on direct examination by assistant district attorney Susan Hoffinger in Manhattan criminal court as former President Donald Trump and defense attorney Todd Blanche look on, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in New York.
    A courtroom sketch of Stormy Daniels being questioned by assistant district attorney Susan Hoffinger as former President Donald Trump and defense attorney Todd Blanche look on.

    In her testimony, Daniels described meeting Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe in July 2006. She said she accepted a dinner invitation from Trump and went to his hotel suite.

    Daniels testified that Trump's wife, Melania, came up in the conversation but that Trump said, "'Oh, don't worry about that. We don't even sleep in the same room."

    She said that after they had sex she quickly left and was ashamed.

    Daniels said she and Trump kept in touch, testifying he would call her and that they occasionally met in person. She said at one meeting in Los Angeles he introduced her to his "friend" Karen, who she later learned was Playboy model Karen McDougal, who has also alleged she had an affair with Trump.

    Trump has maintained he did not have an affair with Daniels or McDougal.

    Editor's note: This story was first published in March 2018 and has been updated to reflect recent developments.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Cybersecurity professionals say generative AI can be exploited in cyberattacks — but it can also be a powerful defense

    A 5G telecommunications tower in front of a blue sky
    A 5G wireless tower.

    • Generative AI is revolutionizing cybersecurity in connected networks.
    • Companies that don't adopt AI risk falling behind in cybersecurity, IT experts warn.
    • This article is part of "5G and Connectivity Playbook," a series exploring some of our time's most important tech innovations.

    Generative AI has become a double-edged sword for the security of connected networks.

    On one hand, generative AI can speed up cybersecurity problems, making it easier and cheaper for bad actors to conduct identity attacks. For example, it can be used to design sophisticated phishing campaigns by generating audio, images, or videos to create fake identities.

    While hackers exploit AI technologies, companies are adopting AI as a defense tool. As the number of connected devices on 5G networks increases, generative AI in security operations will become more crucial, David Cooper, a global lead for Accenture Security, said.

    "What used to take a human being two hours, now there's an AI solution to do it in much faster time," Cooper said. "We're able to respond faster, we're able to catch up to the bad guys faster with interesting transformational technology. We're able to move so much faster and do more with limited resources."

    Business Insider spoke with several cybersecurity professionals who attended the annual RSA conference this week in San Francisco about how generative AI is increasingly used in cybersecurity for 5G devices and networks. They said that while 5G networks have higher security standards, attacks could still come from identity breaches of accounts or devices connected to those networks.

    "If you can stay ahead of the risks you perceive when you implement 5G solutions, you're going to be in good shape," said Shaun McAlmont, the president and CEO of the cybersecurity-awareness-training company Ninjio.

    Accelerating cybersecurity

    Generative AI can speed up more routine security processes and free up resources, helping cybersecurity professionals increase productivity and make decisions faster. Things like the design and architecture of a 5G application, generating code samples, conducting tests, and speeding up authentication can be automated. It can also prevent attacks by helping to configure and manage networks.

    "There's a distinct benefit for organizations where we may leverage AI for improving network quality, improving security, and network healing," Chris Novak, the senior director of cybersecurity consulting at Verizon Business, said. "There are opportunities for AI to help us analyze network traffic flows in real time, recognize where there is an issue, and ensure little to no impact to network users."

    AI can also help 5G users monitor their security and ensure that the services they connect to have the appropriate certifications and authorizations for transferring data.

    Large language models can help mitigate security threats by identifying suspicious patterns in traffic and unusual attempts to enter the network. Because AI can process an enormous amount of data about malicious threats, it can help isolate them before they spread further. Additionally, it can triage malware and other threats, making sense of complex attack-path data and automating threat responses.

    Edge-protection tools powered by AI can be a "first layer of defense" that can deal with mass data, David Aviv, the chief technology officer at Radware, said.

    "Competitors that didn't adopt those machine-learning technologies have gotten left behind," said Steve Wilson, the chief product officer at Exabeam, a network security company.

    5G to strengthen AI

    5G can also boost the capabilities of AI applications themselves. With 5G, AI can do more computation and sensor analysis on the edge, meaning the computation is closer to the data source.

    "The combination of AI and 5G will make it inevitable that we will be using machines for tasks that are currently performed by humans," said Ev Kontsevoy, the cofounder and CEO of Teleport, an identity access and management software company.

    It's becoming increasingly important for companies to apply AI to their cybersecurity practices because humans won't be able to keep up, Rohit Ghai, the CEO of RSA, said.

    "Any 5G network is very very dynamic," Ghai said. "It's changing all the time. Human approaches to securing that are not able to keep up with the dynamic nature of the network."

    Now that mobile and Internet of Things devices have become more ubiquitous, they're using even more data, which generative AI can help filter and secure.

    "We're going to be required to collect an order of magnitude more data from more devices and provide really quick analysis on that," Wilson said.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Space Force Guardians became the first ‘space cowboys’ after completing the Army’s rigorous spur ride challenges

    US Space Force spur ride candidate carries a 120mm Mortar Round
    A US Space Force spur ride candidate carries a 120mm Mortar Round at Fort Bliss, Texas.

    • Three Space Force Guardians earned their spurs after finishing a series of rigorous combat tests.
    • They completed the Army Cavalry Spur Ride, becoming the US military's first 'space cowboys.'
    • The officers said the challenges were vastly different than their day jobs at military bases.

    After being covered in dust, sweat, dirt, and blood, three officers emerged from the West Texas desert last week and were given their spurs and Stetson cowboy hats by the Army, becoming the first-ever "space cowboys."

    The three Space Force Guardians traveled to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, to complete an Army Cavalry Spur Ride, a series of arduous combat tests and physical training exercises in which service members often ruck-march in between challenges — the first members of the military's newest and smallest service to do so.

    Space Force Capt. Bradley Evans, an engineer at White Sands Missile Range who took part in the Spur Ride, told Military.com that all of the Guardians who participated completed the challenges, though some Army soldiers didn't make it through.

    "Being in the Space Force, we certainly received a lot more attention from the cadre than some of the soldiers did, which made it quite a good challenge for us," Evans said. "I think there was an expectation by some that we wouldn't make it, and so pushing back against that expectation and performing was a powerful driver."

    A US Space Force officer in uniform is covered in dust while carrying a firearm and holding a canteen
    A US Space Force spur ride candidate hydrates during a spur ride at Fort Bliss, Texas.

    Earning your spurs is a long-standing tradition that dates back to the early days of the Army cavalry when new soldiers had to prove their skills in swordsmanship and horseback riding. Even though the US military is changing, including the addition of the Space Force and its Guardians, those traditions are still upheld through rigorous physical challenges and training.

    Guardians are often deployed in place, meaning they're at military installations in front of a computer and not typically put into austere and deadly conditions. As a result, the service has placed a different focus on routine physical training. It has announced plans to use wearable fitness technology and take a more holistic approach to keeping its service members in shape compared to the other branches.

    All of the Space Force officers who participated in the Spur Ride, including 1st Lt. Jordan Savage, an acquisitions officer at Space Systems Command in Los Angeles, told Military.com that the physical challenge was vastly different from their day jobs.

    "My Garmin captured us doing about 37 miles of rucking. We had a 60-pound ruck that we were with the whole time that had all of our gear that was necessary for the Spur Ride and, on top of that, we had minimal sleep," Savage said. "So, all those things are not what we experienced in our day-to-day life as acquisitions [officers] or engineers here."

    US Space Force spur ride candidates crawl in the sand during an exercise
    US Space Force spur ride candidates move a litter with a BGM-71 TOW, low crawling through the sand at Fort Bliss, Texas.

    Some of the Army soldiers who participated in the Spur Ride had never met someone in the Space Force before and quickly recognized cultural differences between the service branches.

    "So many soldiers had questions because the Space Force is still so new, and they just want to know, 'Hey, what do you guys do?'" 1st Lt. Jackson Jennings, a Space Force developmental engineer, told Military.com. "So, I tell them about my day-to-day life, and they're just kind of dumbfounded that we don't have mandatory PT three times a week or we have to form up and stuff like that."

    Their presence also led to some extra attention during the challenges, with many soldiers reportedly calling them "space cowboys" as they rucked from one painful activity to the next.

    "Let's just say they showed us some extra love for being space cowboys," Savage said.

    Participating in and completing the Army Cavalry Spur Ride marks the latest frontier that the Space Force's men and women have conquered.

    A US Space Force is covered in dust as the light from sunset illuminates his face
    A US Space Force spur ride candidate takes a breather before continuing through an obstacle during a spur ride at Fort Bliss, Texas.

    Last month, two Space Force Guardians became the first in the service to graduate from the Army's Drill Instructor Academy at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.

    Last year, Space Force Guardian Capt. Dan Reynolds graduated from Ranger School — a two-month course filled with grueling physical training and exercises designed to educate participants on elite squad and platoon tactics. The achievement not only was a first for the service, it bucked criticism and stereotypes that Guardians aren't as active as other military service branches.

    The three Space Force Guardians who participated in the Spur Ride told Military.com that they hope their peers will look for other opportunities to train with the other branches and push themselves.

    "I would say, whether it's this challenge or other challenges out there, there's a great need for Guardians to push themselves, particularly in the physical aspect," Evans told Military.com. "It's not only just generally healthy, but doing this event is going to help me in my regular job when I'm just pushing forward and trying to get something done. … Something about rucking 30 miles, and just thinking one more step, applies very well to being on a 12-hour shift."

    Read the original article on Business Insider