Ryan Levert, the youngest child of O’Jays lead vocalist Eddie Levert, has died. She was 22.
LeMicah Levert and Carlysia Levert, grandchildren of Eddie Levert, confirmed Ryan’s death this week on Instagram. They are the children of Gerald Levert, Eddie’s late first son. “Whenever you don’t answer the phone I knew something was wrong and now I’m going to have that feeling forever,” LeMicah captioned an Instagram tribute to his late aunt.
“I love you @missryanlevert! I wasn’t prepared for this,” he added.
Carlysia remembered Ryan by posting a photo of her aunt accompanied by purple heart and dove emojis to her Instagram story. Neither of the social media posts revealed further information about Ryan’s death, including a cause of death. According to her Instagram biography, Ryan had been battling lupus.
A representative for Eddie Lavert, 82, did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.
Ryan died nearly 20 years after her older brother Gerald died in November 2006 of a heart attack. He was 40. Sean Levert, the O’Jays singer’s second son, died in April 2008 after falling ill while carrying out a jail sentence in Cleveland. He was 39.
Ryan was born in March 2002 and is the daughter of Eddie and his wife Raquel. She often shared her personal life with followers on Instagram, posting pictures of sweet moments with her father and videos of memorable moments, including her 21st birthday celebration in 2023. In her final Instagram post, Ryan looked forward to 2024.
“Happy 2024,” she captioned photos from a chic photo shoot, “praying for good health, more love, and more laughter.”
Public Enemy frontman Chuck D has sharply criticized the recent misuse of the group’s 1990 track “Burn Hollywood Burn” amid the devastating wildfires that have been ravaging Los Angeles.
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As the fires continue to wreak havoc, some social media users have co-opted the politically charged anthem as a way to celebrate the destruction, prompting Chuck D to urge the public to understand the song’s true meaning and historical context.
Tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate amid the fires, and nearly 10,000 structures have been destroyed. The Palisades Fire is now considered the most destructive fire in Los Angeles County history, burning over 17,000 acres, while the Eaton Fire has also consumed more than 10,000 acres, causing severe damage to surrounding communities.
In response to the wildfires, Chuck D took to Instagram to express his frustration over how some are using “Burn Hollywood Burn” in relation to the disaster.
The song, which critiques Hollywood’s exploitation of Black culture and the entertainment industry’s negative portrayals of Black people, has been appropriated by some social media users as a celebratory anthem for the destruction.
The hip-hop icon shared a photo on Instagram of a Los Angeles neighborhood engulfed in flames, writing, “PRAYERS UP. BE SAFE. EVACUATE,” along with a list of the ongoing fires in the area.
He clarified that “Burn Hollywood Burn” — featured on Public Enemy’s seminal Fear of a Black Planet — was never intended to reference or glorify natural disasters, but was instead a critique of racial inequality and media representation.
“‘Burn Hollywood Burn’ is a protest song extracted from the Watts rebellion, coined by the magnificent Montague in 1965 against inequality when he said ‘burn baby burn’ across the air,” Chuck D wrote. “We made mind-revolution songs aimed at a one-sided exploitation by an industry.” He stressed that the track was never meant to glorify destruction or loss, adding, “It has nothing to do with families losing everything they have in a natural disaster. Learn the history. Godspeed to those in loss.”
“Burn Hollywood Burn” was released during a crucial moment in hip-hop’s history. The song appeared on Fear of a Black Planet, released in 1990, during hip-hop’s golden age. The track features guest verses from Ice Cube and Big Daddy Kane, and “Burn Hollywood Burn” became an anthem for Black empowerment, calling for greater and more authentic representation in the media.
Several figures in the entertainment industry have since shared harrowing images of the descrution to social media. Paris Hilton revealed she had lost her Malibu home in the wildfires, while Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker’s children, Landon and Alabama, shared on Instagram that they had to evacuate their home, with Landon writing, “Just evacuated praying for everyone the fires have [affected].”
Singer Jhené Aiko is one of the thousands of people who lost their homes amid the devastating fires blazing across Los Angeles this week.
The “Bed Peace” singer took to social media on Thursday (Jan. 9) to reveal that her home was “burned to the ground with all of our things inside,” but her two-year-old son Noah — whom she shares with Big Sean — and 16-year-old daughter Namiko are both safe with her. “Lord have mercy 🙏 Thankful we still have eachother 💙 starting from scratch. My heart is so heavy 💔,” she wrote.
“Lord have mercy 🙏 Thankful we still have eachother 💙 starting from scratch. My heart is so heavy 💔,” she wrote.
She continued on another slide, “praying for everyone this morning. those who lost their home, those who lost their life’s work, those who lost their life. praying for my city. praying for the wild life and lost pets. praying for the world 💙.”
Weight loss and good health is a New Year’s resolution for many going into 2025 – and it turns out there’s a berry out there to offer a helping hand in their journey.
Scientific research has revealed blackberries as an effective antidote that helps ‘supercharge’ their quest to be their best selves heading into the rest of the calendar year.
Horticulture specialists from Ashridge Trees have collaborated with Dr Emma Patel, a renowned nutritionist specializing in weight-loss strategies, to shed some light on the life-changing benefits of the berry.
Here’s everything you need to know:
Blackberries are much ore than just a sweet treat, it seems. Ashridge Trees calls them “a nutritional goldmine” rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Studies say the fruit supports overall health while also promoting fat metabolism. They are packed with polyphenols and anthocyanins, which are natural compounds that help reduce fat accumalation and boost metabolic processes.
This makes blackberries a great addition to any weight-loss diet, with their low-calorie profile and ability to curb hunger helping you shed the pounds and feel much happier in yourself.
Dr Patel explained: “The natural sugars, fibres, and bioactive compounds in blackberries provide a one-of-a-kind synergy that boosts energy and helps the body regulate fat storage. Including them in your diet is an excellent step toward achieving your weight-loss goals.”
Blackberries deliver weight loss results overnight
Many think experts exaggerate when they say blackberries can help you lose weight overnight, and it is technically true.
As stated previously, it is full of natural compounds like polyphenols which can help energise your metabolism within a matter of hours. If you combine that with a balanced diet, you may even burn the fat at rest.
Dr Patel adds: “The antioxidants in blackberries reduce inflammation and enhance cellular function, creating noticeable improvements in energy and digestion within days. Regular consumption amplifies these effects, making blackberries a valuable part of any long-term weight-loss strategy.”
How can I incorporate blackberries into my healthy diet?
On its own – blackberries are so versatile you can have them on their own, such as with your morning yoghurt, cereal or smoothie.
When baking – blackberries can be added to muffins, pies, pancakes or even homemade energy bars.
Tea – that’s right, you can drink blackberry leaf tea to help boost your metabolism.
Something to snack on – dried blackberries is a healthier alternative to processed snacks.
Ashridge Trees’ horticultural specialists said: “Blackberries are easy to cultivate and incredibly versatile. Growing them at home guarantees freshness and maximizes their nutritional value, ensuring you get the full range of health benefits.”
Chrissy Teigen has given an update from her hotel room after evacuating her LA home. The model and her husband, John Legend, safely left their property along with their kids and several pets. The wildfires burning across Los Angeles County have forced several residents out of their homes. Moreover, numerous structures in the region have been reduced to rubble. Amid the horror, celebrities, including Teigen, have shared life updates after the evacuation.
Chrissy Teigen had to evacuate her LA home due to the raging LA wildfires
Photo Credit: @chrissyteigen / Instagram
Chrissy Teigen took to her Instagram Story to share a life update from the hotel room after evacuating her LA home amid the wildfires. Before that, the 39-year-old had also posted a mirror selfie while packing to leave the property, reported PEOPLE. Teigen stood in front of her closet and wrote across the photo, “This is surreal I’m very scared now. Packing.”
The model safely left the home she shares with her husband, John Legend, and their four kids, Luna Simone, Miles Theodore, Esti Maxine, and Wren Alexander. Later, Teigen shared a series of videos from the hotel room on her Instagram Stories. The mom of four filmed the clips from her bed and was surrounded by her dogs. She wrote over one of the videos, “4 dogs, 4 kids and a beared dragon walk into a hotel.”
In the following clip, Legend was also seen lying on the bed while the dogs were cuddled up between him and Teigen. Furthermore, the author continued to share that the family’s pet bearded dragon also evacuated with them. Teigen posted a clip of the reptile lying on her chest as she said, “Don’t worry, Sebastian made it.” She added, “We would never forget Sebastian, how dare you guys? He is with us.” Teigen then shared another video of the bearded dragon cuddling up inside her cardigan. She wrote across the clip, “Gotta keep him warm.”
Following the update, Teigen also shared information about relief and recovery funding in the region.
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Pitt Episodes 1 and 2.]
It doesn’t take long to realize that The Pitt is outstanding. (We’re completely sold in the premiere.) Noah Wyle, once again in scrubs (the ER vet is also an executive producer and writer), seems to be at home playing a doctor again, showcasing the harsh reality of the job, Robby’s struggles especially on this day (the anniversary of his mentor’s death, during COVID), and the constant, on-the-go mentality of an attending.
Wyle plays Robby with a weight — even though we’re just meeting him during this one shift, with a few flashbacks to the aforementioned tragedy, we can feel the weight of all the years that came before it. This is a man who should not be working this day. In fact, he’s taken it off the past four years, as the first episode makes clear, and therefore everyone is worried about him. Robby, on the other hand, is worried about Shawn Hatosy’s Abbott, whom he finds on the roof. The two share a conversation about what the job has given them (nightmares, ulcers, suicidal tendencies), and Robby warns him that if he jumps on his shift, he’s rude. Both hope Abbott’s never one of Robby’s patients. Abbott heads home, his shift over, just as Robby’s begins.
Warrick Page / Max
“He was supposed to go to this outdoor concert that’s taking place called Pit Fest in the city with his pseudo stepson, Jake. That was going to be his plan to kind of get away from the hospital and away from the attendant memories of this day,” Wyle explains to TV Insider. “And then Jake dumps him for a girl and says that he wants to take his girlfriend instead, which leaves Robby sort of at wit’s end and he decides that he’ll just pull the shift instead.”
And while Robby may want to push aside any thoughts about his mentor’s death (he blames himself), he can’t, even as he’s dealing with new interns and med students, bickering doctors, talk of the hospital being up for sale (it’s nothing new) and low patient satisfaction numbers, charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) checking on him (he’s fine, he doesn’t need to talk), rats, and patients that include a Good Samaritan and the woman who fell on the train tracks he saved, an elderly patient from a nursing home with an advanced directive for no artificial life support, a woman who made herself sick in hopes of getting her son help after she found a list of girls he wants to hurt, a teen who overdosed and is now brain dead, and patient after patient coming in. It’s all of that, as well as the real time aspect with each episode taking place over the course of one hour of Robby’s 15-hour shift, that makes The Pitt feel so real and grounded.
That’s just the life of an attending, says Wyle. “He’s immersing himself in work, but he’s doing exactly what anybody would be doing in his job on shift, which is you’ve got your head on a swivel and you move through the department like a shark and if you don’t put eyes and hands on every patient it could come back and bite you in the ass. He’s done it long enough that he’s just second nature to getting in everybody’s business and making sure everybody’s doing the best job they can.”
But it does feel, to us, like there’s going to reach a time when he can’t or shouldn’t be working, considering what he’s dealing with. (“Physician heal thyself,” Tracy Ifeachor‘s senior resident Collins remarks at one point. “Don’t you have patients?” Robby retorts.) Wyle agrees. “You’ve already seen it in flashes, but it’s going to get very pronounced very soon. Something happens at the end of Episode 11 that really informs the rest of the storytelling for the rest of the season,” he teases.
Also in the first two episodes: Collins is pregnant, and only Dana knows; second year resident King (Taylor Dearden) transfers over from the VA; third year medical student Javadi (Shabana Azeez), whose mother works in the hospital, faints when a patient’s foot is set, and Robby sends her to work with second year resident McKay (Fiona Dourif) — who has an ankle monitor — in triage; intern Santos (Isa Briones) rubs senior resident Langdon (Patrick Marron Ball) the wrong way but is on surgeon Garcia’s radar; the stage is set for a Leverage: Redemption reunion for Wyle and Drew Powell (as a patient very frustrated with the long wait time); third year resident Mohan (Supriya Ganesh) realizes a woman paramedics thought was a drug seeker is actually having sickle cell pain; and fourth year medical student Whitaker (Gerran Howell) struggles to let a patient go when he finds him unresponsive.
What did you think of The Pitt? How much did you love seeing Noah Wyle as a doctor again? Let us know in the poll and comments section below.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Damian Primis, a 45-year-old musician based in Queens, New York. During the pandemic, Primis started olive oil brand Primis Imports as a side hustle; the business has since grown to six figures. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Matt Dine. Damian Primis.
What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle? For more than 20 years, I’ve worked as a classically trained musician. My love for the arts and music started at a young age, which led me to New York, where I graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance from The Juilliard School. My career has taken me all over the globe, and I have had amazing experiences working with some of the greatest musicians of all time (and my personal favorites), like the jazz legend Joe Zawinful, The Who at Madison Square Garden and a Tiny Desk concert with Josh Groban and the cast of Broadway’s Sweeney Todd.
When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it? When the pandemic struck, Broadway went dark, and live music came to a halt. This meant that I would be out of a job for quite a while, which was really scary. Will things go back to normal soon? It was the question that kept popping into my mind. It was at this pivotal moment in my life that I started reflecting on what else brought me joy outside of music and how I could use this passion to create a side hustle. I have always had an immense sense of pride in my grandparents’ ancestral homeland in Evia, Greece. The rich culture, the beauty of the lands and the cuisine really inspired me. So, I called a friend of mine who produced great olive oil, the kind of extra virgin olive oil that you can’t find on the shelves of American supermarkets, and Primis Imports was born.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Primis Imports
What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? The first steps weren’t very easy, but I think it’s an essential part of what any startup or small business is like. You need to experience the “growing pains,” as I like to call it. While still in the pandemic, most manufacturing and fulfillment were either slow or at a halt. It took some time to have the first 150 liters of extra virgin olive oil shipped to New York from my grandfather’s town, but when the product finally arrived, I was able to expedite the process of hand-labeling every single bottle. I started selling to friends and family who spread the Primis Imports name through word of mouth, and the bottles sold out! It reassured me that there was a niche that I could unlock in the U.S. market and boosted my confidence to continue on this new journey.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle, and how did you navigate them? There were quite a few challenges, I must say. One of the biggest challenges I faced was securing funding. With a limited budget, I had to rely on each shipment’s profits to finance the next, which meant slower growth. But in retrospect, it helped me avoid making costly mistakes and made me more thoughtful about investments in production and packaging.
I was also completely unfamiliar with the importing process. It was overwhelming due to the complex regulations, paperwork and logistics. I sought advice from anyone who could offer insight and was persistent in finding the right contacts for guidance.
Additionally, ecommerce presented its challenges. I had to learn new skills like building a website, setting up shipping and ensuring the safe delivery of fragile products like olive oil in glass bottles. Factors like weather and temperature during shipment also became key obstacles, but through persistence and trial and error, I was able to find solutions.
What does revenue and growth look like? One thing to keep in mind about Primis Imports is that we were selling a small-batch quantity of olive oil that is harvested once a year. When the product is gone, it’s gone! In two to three months, we were able to see consistent revenue and ultimately sold out of our early harvest olive oil shortly afterward. This meant that we had to pivot to find more product until Greece’s next harvest. We sought out a southern hemisphere producer in Peru, which harvests olive oil at the opposite time of year from the northern hemisphere. This helped us to sustain brand awareness in the market and provided consistent funding and growth for the business month over month.
Primis Imports has consistently grown since we started in 2022. The first year, we had 200% growth, and in 2023, we had 305% growth from the previous year. DTC is where we see most of our sales, with a small fraction coming from wholesale and smaller retailers. What makes Primis Imports unique is our continued mission of sourcing smaller producers with the highest quality products. In 2024, we started expanding our product line with two honeys from the islands of Milos and Thasos, and in 2025, we will be launching more products within the snacking and cooking categories.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Primis Imports
What do you enjoy most about this side hustle? I enjoy how this side hustle allows me to stay deeply connected to my roots and heritage. Partnering with small Greek producers not only strengthens local economies but also helps share their craftsmanship with a global audience. I love the challenge of reimagining traditional products for the U.S. market, especially through innovative branding that catches the consumer’s eye. This venture also fuels my creativity — it’s incredibly rewarding to collaborate with talented artists from across the country to design packaging and storytelling that truly resonate. It’s a blend of culture, purpose and artistry, and I couldn’t ask for more.
What’s your advice for others hoping to start successful side hustles of their own? My advice for anyone looking to start a successful side hustle is to begin small and prioritize quality over quantity. In today’s competitive market, consumers value authenticity and excellence. A beautifully branded product will only go so far if the quality isn’t there, so invest in getting it right from the start.
Building genuine relationships with your suppliers is just as important. Be transparent about the scope and limitations of your business. The right partners will understand your vision and grow with you; if they can’t meet you where you are, they may not be the best fit.
Patience is another key ingredient. Success doesn’t happen overnight, but the small, consistent steps you take daily will compound over time. Focus on creating something meaningful and unique rather than chasing quick wins. When you approach your side hustle with care, persistence and a commitment to quality, the rewards — both financial and personal — will follow.
Investing.com – UK government bonds, known as gilts, have sold off dramatically over the last week, pushing the associated yields to their highest levels since 2008 and heaping the pressure on the new Labour government as it seeks to stimulate the moribund UK economy.
Benchmark 10-year yields have climbed as high as 4.9135%, up 8 basis points on the day, and soaring to levels not seen since August 2008.
British government bond yields have climbed steadily since September, reflecting reduced expectations of Bank of England rate cuts, extra borrowing in the new government’s Oct. 30 budget and higher US Treasury yields as President-elect Donald Trump is expected to pursue a loose fiscal policy and raise tariffs.
While yields are also rising in other major economies, like the US, France and Germany, the UK appears to be at the forefront of the move.
These higher yields are likely to prove a headache for UK chancellor Rachel Reeves, as the additional cost of servicing the country’s debt may mean she overshoots her medium-term borrowing targets when she updates the forecasts on March 26.
“We estimate that the rise in yields to date leaves the government with marginally negative fiscal headroom against its deficit rule,” said analysts at Goldman Sachs, in a note.
“Any further rise in yields and any OBR growth downgrade on March 26 from here would push headroom further into negative territory. While the government does not necessarily need to act quickly in response to the OBR update, a continued sell-off in gilt yields would raise pressure for corrective fiscal action.”
Additionally, the higher yields are likely to act as an additional headwind to growth via household remortgaging and weaker investment.
“The rise in gilt yields reinforces our view that UK growth will disappoint in 2025, with our 0.9% real GDP growth forecast notably below consensus (1.4%), the BoE (1.5%) and the OBR (2%),” Goldman Sachs added.
That said, higher long-term interest rates that weigh on the growth outlook would call for more (rather than fewer) BoE rate cuts, all else equal.
“A 25bp Bank Rate cut in February remains likely despite the gilt selloff,” Goldman added, “unless next week’s wage and inflation data surprise materially to the upside. Thereafter we still see continued quarterly cuts through the year as economic activity disappoints.”
For the people running Skydance Media, a “quick and clean” regulatory approval to buy Paramount Global has been replaced by “long and slow” — and that’s if they’re lucky, On The Money has learned.
The long-awaited merger’s final consummation is likely to remain in regulatory purgatory for the foreseeable future, government officials say. Despite continued heavy lobbying – and playing the so-called Trump card reminding the media world that Larry Ellison, one of the president-elect’s biggest boosters is the father of Skydance chief David Ellison– the new management hasn’t yet satisfied certain “fairness” conditions that will be demanded by the incoming administration’s regulatory big wigs.
Skydance had hoped to close the deal during the first quarter of this year; incoming Federal Communication Commission chair Brendan Carr has signaled that’s not likely to happen, these people add. He won’t rubber-stamp the $8 billion tie-up because he believes there’s evidence that Paramount’s TV-subsidiary, CBS News, plays fast and loose with basic FCC fairness rules all networks (as opposed to cable) must meet to air programming over the public airwaves.
David Ellison’s Skydance had hoped to close the deal during the first quarter of this year, but incoming Federal Communication Commission chair Brendan Carr has signaled that’s not likely to happen Jack Forbes
“Carr has told them a quick and clean approval is not on the table and all else remains on the table including an eventual approval or a denial,” a source close to the situation told On the Money.
Journalism has broad protections under the First Amendment, of course. But local TV has to meet certain fairness requirements to obtain FCC licenses to broadcast over public airwaves. That means, particularly during a political season, giving both parties equal access on news shows and not overtly taking sides in news programming.
Carr is said to be particularly vexed about CBS’ once-prestigious news magazine, “60 Minutes.” As On The Money has reported, conservative critics believe the network was trying to tip the scales in the 2024 presidential election, allegedly favorably editing an Oct. 7 interview with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris to make her sound, let’s say, more coherent, than her usual world salad when answering even simple policy questions.
Her edited reply came after the network aired a promo that showed Harris seemingly stumbling over the same question that she appeared to answer more seamlessly when the official interview ran.
Carr may seek proof that “60 Minutes” didn’t favorably edit the interview before giving the Paramount deal the green light. Trump has called for CBS to release the full, unedited transcript, which the network brass have ignored.
Carr may seek proof that “60 Minutes” didn’t favorably edit the Kamala Harris interview before giving the Paramount deal the green light. 60 Minutes / CBS
Now they might not have any choice. If Carr finds there was some shady business, he is thinking of demanding assurances that behavior won’t happen again before the FCC grants the network approval for its local broadcast licenses, which are being reviewed with a change in ownership.
CBS has denied it favorably edited the interview.
On The Money can also report that other items on Carr’s radar include possible favorable editing of a “60 Minutes” October 2023 interview of our barely sentient president Joe Biden (who often makes Kamala Harris sound like Winston Churchill), when he thought he was still running for the White House.
Yet another item on Carr’s list and possible impediment to deal approval: CBS’s reliance on so-called Diversity Equity and Inclusion, government sources said.
CBS’s reliance on so-called Diversity Equity and Inclusion is another item Carr will be looking at AFP via Getty Images
Broadcast networks and Hollywood studios in particular have in recent years pushed the controversial measures in hiring and promotion. Such employment practices have been criticized as racial and gender-based quotas and illegal because they give candidates who meet intersectionality measures advantages, a clear violation of civil rights laws.
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Yes, Skydance and Paramount will be controlled by the younger Ellison, and his management has been telling media industry execs that the Larry Ellison-Trump connection is going to get the deal approved sooner or later.
But Trump didn’t name Carr – currently an FCC commissioner long known in DC circles as a firebrand – because he wanted deals involving liberal media outfits to get pushed through unscathed.
Trump, himself, has criticized “60 Minutes” for aiding his opponents during the presidential election cycle.
A “60 Minutes” spokeswoman didn’t return a request for comment on Carr’s editing concerns. A Skydance spokeswoman had no comment. Carr declined to comment..
We once had Teflon John, as in Gotti. Then we had Teflon Ron, as in Reagan.
Now make way for Teflon Don, as in Trump.
Pity the Democrats and their legacy media mouthpieces, who just can’t seem to find any attack line that sticks to the 45th and soon-to-be 47th president.
Practice makes perfect, the old saying goes.
But that doesn’t apply to today’s Dems, who have been smearing Trump for the better part of a decade without dragging him down.
They can’t seem to find anything Americans — outside of those who still trust The New York Times and CNN — see as truly impactful or worth their outrage.
And that leaves the legacy media flailing to find a new negative narrative.
Here’s just a partial list of lies that have bounced off Trump’s armor:
Trump is an agent of the Kremlin (nyet).
Trump called neo-Nazis fine people (he didn’t).
Trump built cages for migrant kids (Obama did, actually).
Take this December CNN headline: “Trump bristles at Musk’s rocketing profile as Democrats play on the president-elect’s vanity”
For a week or two, the left seemed to believe this effort would deflate Trump’s popularity — yet he remains at his highest approval ever.
By the way, no one runs Donald Trump. Don’t they get that by now?
This week’s Jan. 6 coverage was equally ludicrous.
Sunny Hostin of “The View,” which incredibly falls under ABC’s news division, equated the 2021 riot at the Capitol with World War II and the Holocaust, global events that in aggregate left 85 million dead, including hundreds of thousands of US troops.
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But despite the media’s maudlin wall-to-wall coverage, Americans greeted Jan. 6’s fourth anniversary with mostly apathy.
Per a CNN poll, when asked to name their biggest memory of Trump’s first term, just 5% of Americans said Jan. 6
If you’re looking for a definition of “media disconnect,” this most certainly would be it.
Reason: Military strategy, of course, as well as a chance to tap the huge island’s abundant oil, gas and rare-earth minerals.
Greenlanders today can’t benefit, because of bans on drilling and mining. Result: 95% of Greenland’s economy depends on exports and subsidies from Denmark.
But instead of looking at this possible acquisition objectively, the media jumped right to their two favorite gambits: fear and hyperbole.
MSNBC’s Alex Wagner hyperventilated, “America will have to decide if it wants to be on the side of sovereignty and self-determination or on the side of imperial expansion.”
NBC News: “Greenlanders are worried to find themselves on Trump’s shopping list”
The New York Times: “Make Greenland Great Again’? No Thank You, Greenlanders Say”
Not sure when Greenland was great, but OK.
You get the point. The legacy-media reflex when it comes to Trump is the same it’s been since 2015: Anything Trump seeks to do, whip up a narrative tarring it as unpopular or extreme, throw in words like “imperial” and titles like “Emperor,” and watch the echo chamber do its thing.
Albeit to no avail.
On Friday, barring a save from the Supreme Court, Judge Juan Merchan will sentence Trump in the so-called hush-money case that was obviously a politically motivated act of lawfare.
The left would love nothing better, in the days leading up to his second inauguration, than to repeat over and over again that Trump is the first convicted felon to serve as president.
But just like his two (two!) show-trial impeachments, most Americans won’t care.
Why? Because the name-calling won’t lower their grocery or energy prices.
It won’t fight violent crime in their communities.
It won’t end the largely avoidable California wildfires.
And it won’t secure the border or end the chaos overseas.
That’s why Trump won in November — because Americans see him as the leader who can turn this mess around.
On Jan 20, Teflon Don will return to the Oval Office.
AlphaSense is a market intelligence platform that uses generative artificial intelligence (genAI) and natural language processing to help organizations find and analyze insights from sources like financial reports, news, earnings calls, and proprietary documents.
The purpose behind the platform is to allow business professionals to access relevant insights and make data-driven decisions.
Sarah Hoffman, director of AI research at AlphaSense, is an IT strategist and futurist. Formerly vice president of AI and Machine Learning Research at Fidelity Investments, Hoffman spoke with Computerworld about how AI will change the future of work and how companies should approach rolling out the fast-moving technology over the next several years.
In particular, she talked about how the arrival of genAI tools in business will allow workers to move away from repetitive jobs and into more creative endeavors — as long as they learn how to use the new tools and even collaborate with them. What will emerge is a “symbiotic” relationship with an increasingly “proactive” technology that will require employees to constantly learn new skills and adapt.
How will AI shape the future of work, in terms of both innovation and new workforce dynamics? “AI can manage repetitive tasks, or even difficult tasks that are specific in nature, while humans can focus on innovative and strategic initiatives that drive revenue growth and improve overall business performance. AI is also much quicker than humans could possibly be, is available 24/7, and can be scaled to handle increasing workloads.
“As AI automates more processes, the role of workers will shift. Jobs focused on repetitive tasks may decline, but new roles will emerge, requiring employees to focus on overseeing AI systems, handling exceptions, and performing creative or strategic functions that AI cannot easily replicate.
“The future workforce will likely collaborate more closely with AI tools. For example, marketers are already using AI to create more personalized content, and coders are leveraging AI-powered code copilots. The workforce will need to adapt to working alongside AI, figuring out how to make the most of human strengths and AI’s capabilities.
“AI can also be a brainstorming partner for professionals, enhancing creativity by generating new ideas and providing insights from vast datasets. Human roles will increasingly focus on strategic thinking, decision-making, and emotional intelligence. AI will act as a tool to enhance human capabilities rather than replace them, leading to a more symbiotic relationship between workers and technology. This transformation will require continuous upskilling and a rethinking of how work is organized and executed.
Why is Gen Z’s adoption of AI a signal for broader trends in business technology? “Gen Z, having grown up in a highly digital environment, is naturally more comfortable with technologies like AI. Their rapid adoption of AI tools highlights a shift towards technology-first thinking. As this generation excels in the workforce, their familiarity with AI will drive its integration into business processes, pushing companies to adopt and adapt to AI-driven solutions more quickly.
“Gen Z’s use of AI also reflects the broader understanding that AI complements human skills rather than replaces them. As businesses increasingly adopt AI, they will need to recognize the importance of training employees to work alongside AI, ensuring that AI becomes a valuable tool that enhances human creativity and strategic thinking.”
Sarah Hoffman
AlphaSense
What is AI’s role in business teams and how can companies best leverage it to enhance human skills and knowledge? “AI’s role in teams is to act as a tool that enhances human capabilities rather than [as] a complete replacement for human decision-making. Professionals can use AI to streamline routine tasks, such as data analysis and trend identification, which frees up time for more strategic and creative work. Additionally, AI can accelerate learning and innovation by synthesizing complex data, identifying new perspectives, and providing personalized insights.
“To best leverage AI to enhance human skills and knowledge, companies should:
Define AI’s role clearly and establish specific tasks for AI, such as data processing or generating insights, and use it as a tool to support human judgment and decision-making.
Regularly check AI’s outputs for accuracy and reliability to ensure its recommendations align with human expertise.
Train teams effectively with the knowledge of when to trust AI’s recommendations and, importantly, when to rely on their own judgment and expertise.
Enable effective collaboration between AI tools and humans. AI should complement human intelligence, helping teams work more efficiently, creatively, and strategically.”
What should companies prioritize to harness AI for long-term success? “Before companies can leverage this powerful technology and the business opportunities that come with it, they must consider the common pitfalls. Companies can build a proprietary system that may be the best fit for their customers or they can leverage third-party partnerships to mitigate the initial cost of building an AI system from the ground up. This is a pivotal decision that impacts future success and longevity. And the answer doesn’t have to be just build or buy; often a hybrid solution can make sense too, depending on the use cases involved.
“Companies should focus on long-term strategy, quality data, clear objectives, and careful integration into existing systems. Start small, scale gradually, and build a dedicated team to implement, manage, and optimize AI solutions. It’s also important to invest in employee training to ensure the workforce is prepared to use AI systems effectively.
“Business leaders also need to understand how their data is organized and scattered across the business. It may take time to reorganize existing data silos and pinpoint the priority datasets. To create or effectively implement well-trained models, businesses need to ensure their data is organized and prioritized correctly.
“It’s crucial to have alignment across teams to create a successful AI program. This includes developers, data analysts and scientists, AI architects and researchers and other critical roles that decide the overall business goals and objectives. These teams must work together closely to ensure there is consistency across development, product, marketing, etc.
“Another critical aspect for companies to consider is the end user. For AI to deliver long-term success, businesses must prioritize understanding the needs and expectations of those who will interact with or benefit from the technology. This involves gathering feedback from end-users throughout the development and implementation process to ensure the solutions being built provide real value.
“By focusing on these priorities, companies can ensure their workforce is prepared and AI programs are highly effective and ethically sound, positioning themselves for long-term success.”
What are some of the biggest advances you see happening with AI this year? “In 2025, generative AI will transition from its experimental phase to mainstream, product-ready applications across industries. Customer service automation, personalized content creation, and knowledge management are expected to lead this evolution.
“As more production-ready solutions are deployed, companies will refine methods to quantify AI’s impact, moving beyond time savings to include metrics like customer satisfaction, revenue growth, enhanced decision-making, and competitive advantage. These advancements will help executives make more informed investment decisions, accelerating generative AI adoption across industries.
“Generative AI systems will also become significantly more proactive, evolving beyond the passive ‘question-and-answer’ model to intelligently anticipate users’ needs. By leveraging a deep understanding of user habits, preferences, and contexts, these systems could predict and provide relevant information, assistance, or actions at the right moment. Acting as intelligent agents, they may even begin autonomously handling simple tasks with minimal input, further enhancing their utility and integration into everyday workflows.”
For what purposes do you see generative AI moving from pilot to production next year? “The leap from pilot projects to full-scale deployment is the next critical step for generative AI in 2025. While 2024 saw companies experiment with AI for efficiency — such as automating customer service queries or creating personalized content — these applications are expected to mature and deliver measurable business outcomes. As companies refine their data pipelines and AI infrastructure, these tools will likely become integral to daily operations rather than isolated experiments.
“Beyond efficiency, there’s a growing interest in leveraging AI for strategic innovation. For example, businesses may use generative AI to prototype new products, model market scenarios, or enhance customer experiences. These strategic applications could reshape industries by fostering innovation, increasing competitive advantage, and driving revenue growth.”
This past year, many organizations seemed to struggle with cleaning their data in order to prepare it for use by AI. Why do you believe that’s still necessary? “Data cleaning remains essential for ensuring AI reliability, even as models become more advanced. Generative AI systems depend on high-quality, consistent data to produce accurate results. Poorly prepared data can lead to biased outputs, reduced performance, and even legal risks in sensitive applications. By standardizing, de-duplicating, and enriching datasets, organizations ensure their AI systems are well-equipped to handle real-world complexity.”
How should companies go about ensuring the responses they get from genAI are accurate? “To ensure the accuracy of generative AI, businesses must employ rigorous testing and validation methods. Models should be evaluated against real-world datasets and specific benchmarks to confirm their reliability.
“Many companies are turning to retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), using domain-specific trusted and citable data to mitigate the risk of misinformation. This approach is particularly critical for applications like healthcare or financial decision-making where errors can have serious consequences. Similarly, in such high stakes functions, human oversight is essential.”
Companies that have deployed AI have used multiple models, but how do you create pipelines between those models and businesses for strategic purposes? “Rather than relying on a single provider, companies are adopting a multi-model approach, often deploying three or more AI models, routing to different models based on the use case. Continuous monitoring is necessary to ensure the models perform optimally, maintain accuracy, and adapt to changing business needs. “
Do you see smaller language models or the more typical large language models dominating in 2025 and why? “In 2025, the choice between smaller language models and large language models will ultimately depend on specific use cases. SLMs are invaluable for specified, narrow tasks that have use-case specific constraints around security, cost and latency. SLMs can be faster and cheaper to operate and can be deeply customized for domain workflows. For example, AlphaSense uses SLMs for earnings call summarization. Another advantage of SLMs is that they can be run on-device, which is critical for many mobile applications leveraging sensitive, personal data.
“LLMs, on the other hand, will dominate in general-purpose and complex applications requiring high-level reasoning, adaptability, and creativity. Their expansive knowledge and versatility make them essential for advanced research, multimodal content generation, and other sophisticated use cases. A hybrid approach will likely define the AI landscape in 2025, combining the efficiency of SLMs with the versatility of LLMs, enabling businesses to optimize performance, cost, and scalability.”
Image Credit: Courtesy of Primis Imports
