レアジョブ英会話 Daily News Article Podcast

Officials in Kansas City, Missouri, are preparing to equip some public buses with cameras with facial recognition software capable of identifying passengers who appear on a list of banned riders or missing persons.

Supporters and opponents alike view the effort as a major litmus test for tapping the AI-powered software on a U.S. public transportation system, positioning Kansas City as the latest epicenter of a fierce debate over whether the safety benefits of artificial intelligence are worth the privacy costs.

The idea of running face recognition on a camera that is pointed at live spaces in public is a line that until recently has never really been crossed in the last 25 years, said Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst for the Project on Speech, Privacy and Technology at the American Civil Liberties Union.

The state of Missouri declined to help fund the project as expected due to concerns with the facial recognition component. Still, the city is pushing ahead with local and federal money, said Tyler Means, chief mobility and strategy officer at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.

Privacy is always a tricky thing, Means said. We've always had cameras on our buses. It's just new technology. I think in time it'll smooth over and people will realize, 'Well, it didn't really feel any different.'

SafeSpace Global, the Knoxville, Tennessee-based company partnering with Kansas City to run the cameras, started using live facial recognition years ago to alert nursing homes when residents left the building, then brought the technology to correctional institutions and schools. Kansas City's buses represent the company's inaugural venture in transportation.

Images captured by cameras aboard the buses would immediately be checked against any active alerts generated when a missing person, banned rider, or someone on a law enforcement watch list designated by the transportation authority is identified.

If no match or safety issue is detected, the facial data won't be retained. After the buses return to the depot, the transportation authority would archive the regular video footage on a local server for up to five years.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire after shares of his rocket company SpaceX soared in Wall Street’s biggest initial public offering of stock.

Shares in SpaceX jumped more than 19% after opening for trading in June, a sign that investors are looking past the billions the company is losing and instead betting that its massive investments in satellites, orbital data centers, and artificial intelligence will pay off in the future.

SpaceX opened around midday at $150 a share, then rose to around $168 before finishing the day just below $161. That price gave the company a market value of $2.1 trillion, making it the sixth-largest public U.S. company—larger even than its founder and CEO’s other big business, the electric vehicle maker Tesla.

Between his holdings in SpaceX and Tesla, where he is also CEO, Musk is now worth an estimated $1.1 trillion, according to Forbes.

Musk says SpaceX, founded in 2002, is going public now because it needs money to fund its ambitions of putting satellites and data centers in space and eventually establishing a colony of people on Mars.

He marked the opening of trading on Nasdaq by joining a ceremonial bell ringing from Starbase, the South Texas home of SpaceX.

He reiterated his lofty goals “to make life multiplanetary.”

“Not just a few astronauts; I mean, literally, you,” Musk said. “Whoever you are watching this, SpaceX wants to be able to take you to the moon, take you to Mars, and ultimately beyond.”

Known for his technological breakthroughs, as well as wild claims and missed deadlines, Musk was able to whip up enthusiasm for the Initial Public Offering (IPO). The typical company going public has seen a 7% jump in its first day of trading, from 1980 through 2025, according to Jay Ritter, a professor at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business.

Institutional and retail investors alike jumped at the opportunity to buy a piece of the company at $135 per share before trading began. The $75 billion in proceeds SpaceX raised easily topped the previous record IPO from oil giant Saudi Aramco in 2019.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Billions of dollars have been pledged for Africa's clean energy transition, yet many renewable energy projects across the continent are still failing to get off the ground as countries struggle with soaring financing costs driven by a financial rule known as the sovereign ceiling, experts say.

Analysts and development finance specialists say the rule, which ties the creditworthiness of projects to the sovereign rating of the country where they operate, is making commercially viable renewable energy projects appear far riskier to international investors than they actually are.

Of Africa's 54 countries, only Botswana and Mauritius currently hold investment-grade sovereign ratings.

So, the rule is hindering governments' efforts to expand access to electricity and meet climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. Nearly 600 million people across Africa still lack access to electricity, according to the International Energy Agency.

The financing environment is the problem, said Dr. John Asafu-Adjaye, a senior fellow at the African Center for Economic Transformation. A project with strong fundamentals, a long-term power purchase agreement, and predictable cash flow ends up being priced as if it were inherently dangerous. Not because it is, but because of where it sits on a map.

The sovereign ceiling rule prevents companies or projects operating within a country from receiving a credit rating significantly higher than the country's sovereign rating.

In practice, analysts say, that means renewable energy projects in African countries with weak sovereign ratings inherit the perception of sovereign risk even when projects themselves are commercially sound and backed by international guarantees.

Kenya's Menengai Geothermal project, Zambia's IFC-led Scaling Solar program, and Nigeria's Solar IPP pipeline all struggled to get adequate funding as investors raised concerns over sovereign guarantees, creditworthiness, and concessional financing terms.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Robotic exoskeletons are finding new uses in hospitals and workplaces across Spain. The wearable devices are helping wheelchair users practice walking again and also reducing the physical demands of lifting heavy equipment.

Strapping into a robotic exoskeleton is now a very normal treatment option in the country for patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, and other neurological disorders.

At Quirónsalud Bizkaia Hospital in northern Spain, rehabilitation specialists are using wearable robotic devices designed to help patients stand up and retrain walking patterns that may have been lost after injury or illness.

What looks like a robotic suit is actually a powered lower-limb exoskeleton called HANK. Developed by Spanish robotics company GOGOA, the device attaches around the legs and waist and uses motorized joints at the hips, knees, and ankles to help movement. The exoskeleton weighs around 20 kilograms and contains electric motors that generate movement at each joint.

Therapists can adjust walking speed, step length, and support levels depending on a patient's condition.

In a demonstration, physician Sara Garcia helps a colleague into the device before activating it. As the exoskeleton powers up, the user rises from a wheelchair into a standing position before taking assisted steps across the room.

Garcia says, “The exoskeleton we have behind us is a walking exoskeleton that assists the patient in the three main joints of the lower limb: hip, knee, and ankle. What it does for the patient is generate a natural walking pattern where the patient can walk. This is done along with a technical aid that can be provided to them, always supervised in a clinical environment.”

The device is designed for rehabilitation rather than transport. Instead of carrying someone from place to place, it repeatedly guides the body through the mechanics of walking.

Rehabilitation therapists say that repetition is important because it helps patients practice coordinated movement patterns following neurological injury.

Garcia explains, “We can gradually recover their way of walking through the exoskeleton. The patient can move around the room knowing they are moving as they should and correcting those minor anomalies they might have due to their medical diagnosis.”

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Japan recorded a trade deficit in May, the first in four months, as imports of electrical machinery surged, helping to offset a jump in exports, the Finance Ministry reported.

Preliminary data showed Japan’s exports rose 17% in May from the same month last year to 9.51 trillion yen ($59.4 billion), while imports rose 12.5% to 9.89 trillion yen ($61.8 billion). That left a deficit of 378.6 billion yen ($2.4 billion), down from a surplus of 301.9 billion yen ($1.9 billion) in April.

Oil and gas imports fell 1.8% year-on-year due to the Iran war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

A fifth of the world’s oil passed through the Strait until February 28, when the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran. Japan has sought to diversify its suppliers.

Imports of electrical machinery jumped 31.5% as the boom in artificial intelligence generated strong demand for computer chips and other components.

Higher prices have also pushed the value of both exports and imports higher. Japan exported fewer vehicles in May, but the value of those shipments rose more than 13%. While imports of oil fell 28.5% in value, they plunged 57.3% in volume.

The weak yen was also a factor in boosting imports. The U.S. dollar has been trading at about 160 Japanese yen lately. A year ago, it was at 140 yen levels.

The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to 1.0% on June 16, the first time since 1995 that the rate has been at that level. It cited inflation as a key concern.

So far, the rate hike has not had a noticeable effect on the yen's value.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

They were once among the world's most threatened ecosystems, but now mangrove forests are showing signs of recovery, according to a new study. Research from Tulane University released on June 4 found that huge losses of mangrove forests over the last 40 years have been almost balanced out by restoration efforts and natural resilience.

Around the world, mangroves have been in decline for decades because of industries like aquaculture and agriculture. In Louisiana, natural erosion has weakened the living mangrove population. While human development still poses a threat, the study reports that global restoration efforts are seeing them grow back stronger and denser than before.

“The great thing about mangroves is that there are these kind of unsung superheroes,” says Daniel Friess, Cochran Family Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Tulane University and director of The Mangrove Lab.

“You think they're not that important or they're just there; they're in the way, but they are protecting our shorelines. They're creating fisheries, and they're a great place for recreation and education, and they're taking up our carbon emissions. And they're doing all of this for free. And hundreds of millions of people around the tropics rely on the benefits and the livelihoods provided by mangroves.”

The mangroves that have rebounded are playing a crucial role in preventing erosion, stabilizing shorelines, and providing habitats for birds and marine species. They also help tackle climate change by soaking in carbon dioxide, acting as natural carbon sinks.

The study drew its findings from four decades of satellite data. From the 1980s to 2010, mangrove forests shrank by nearly 2,900 square kilometers but have been bouncing back over the last 16 years. This has resulted in a net decline of only around 1% for that entire period, according to the study.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Berczy Park is home to a much-loved fountain that features canine sculptures that shoot water out of their mouths. Now, there’s a new dog in town at Berczy. Rather, a new Doug in town.

Thousands have already flocked to the Toronto park to catch a glimpse of a beaver sculpture, nicknamed Doug, that is part of a new World Cup-themed contest.

The Great Beaver Quest challenges participants to locate 51 beaver statues that have been strategically placed throughout the city’s Old Town Toronto neighborhood.

“We expect that it's going to be something that people who are coming in from out of town and looking for something to do and keep their kids busy will love to do. It's easy to participate in,” said Robyn Posner, with the neighborhood’s Business Improvement Area.

Old Town is about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from Toronto Stadium, which will host six World Cup matches, when the host nation takes on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With city officials estimating 300,000 visitors coming to Toronto during the three-week Cup run, Posner said the Beaver Hunt can provide both an enjoyable diversion and serve as a way to get to know the area and its businesses.

“The goal was to draw people to this area, to come and experience what it's like being in Old Town and to meet up with some like-minded people,” she said.

Forty-eight of the nearly 4-feet-high (1.2-meters) resin fiberglass beavers represent the nations competing in the World Cup, each hand-painted by a local artist. Doug represents Canada and sports a Canadian-influenced soccer uniform layered beneath a red flannel shirt.

The other 50 beavers are situated throughout Old Town—in parks, along sidewalks, and even indoors, with the Norway beaver staring out the window from inside an office building lobby.

The beavers are accompanied by a QR code that takes participants to a free digital scavenger hunt.

Still, why exactly did Old Town Toronto BIA officials decide to center their contest around dam-building rodents? “Well, because it's Canada's national animal, and we thought they were super cute,” Posner said. “And they're small enough. And so, we went with the beaver.”

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Any advertisements in New York that feature artificial intelligence-generated people in place of actors will now be violating state law if they don't clearly label that they have used a synthetic performer.

The law, signed in December by Gov. Kathy Hochul, went into effect June 9. Her office is calling it a first-in-the-nation law that will boost transparency at a time when AI-generated performers are popping up across all forms of media, including on social platforms and in digital advertising.

Synthetic performers are defined under state law as digitally created media that appear as a real person. The law applies to ads in any medium.

In New York, we are setting the rules of the road instead of letting AI run the show, Hochul said in a statement. The simple, honest disclosure required by the law protects consumers, respects our creative workforce, and keeps New York at the forefront of responsible innovation, she said.

Ads that don't conspicuously disclose that they have used a synthetic performer will be subject to a penalty of $1,000 for a first violation and $5,000 for any further violations.

There are specific carve-outs listed in the law to exempt ads for movies, television shows, streaming content, video games, and other works that feature synthetic performers in the entire work. It also doesn't apply to audio advertisements or ads where AI is solely used for language translation.

When the law was making its way through the state legislature last year, the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) and several other advertising organizations issued statements in strong opposition to the law.

The 4As said in one blog post that it would hurt advertisers by injecting compliance uncertainty into the advertising process, burdening brands (and their agencies) who advertise in New York and undermining creative and technological innovation.

The biggest supporter of the law was SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union that recently ratified a new contract with studios and streamers that they say provides further protections against synthetic performers.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

In June, Canada introduced legislation that could bar children younger than 16 from having social media accounts unless the companies show they can make their platforms safe.

Canada is joining a growing global effort to tighten safety protections. Canadian government officials said social media platforms can obtain an exemption if they have put in place sufficient safeguards.

“We are failing our children. Enough is enough,” Marc Miller, Canada’s culture minister, said. “We need basic protection in place.”

The legislation covers seven types of harmful content, including content that induces children to harm themselves, content that incites violence and foments hatred, and non-consensual intimate images.

A new regulator, the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, will be created. Criteria for what exemptions would look like will be announced at a later date. Miller said setting up the regulator could take up to 18 months.

Miller said platforms will need to prove they are safe. Age verification will also be established.

Countries including Australia, Brazil, and Indonesia have introduced or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media. Others, including Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand, and South Korea, are studying or developing similar approaches.

The legislation would also regulate the companies behind artificial intelligence chatbots by imposing on them a duty to act responsibly through measures such as crisis intervention protocols.

In Australia, social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children since the country banned use of the platforms by those under 16, officials said. The law provoked intense debate in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety, and mental health, and it has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.

A Canadian government official, in a briefing with journalists, said authorities will try to learn lessons from Australia.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

High oil and gasoline prices and energy supply problems won't be solved overnight, despite an agreement to end the Iran war and open the Strait of Hormuz announced on June 14.

It will likely take months before energy companies can resume operations to the point of meeting the world’s demand, according to energy experts. The slow pace of the process of shipping and refining crude oil, and doubts about the security of traveling through the strait, mean the effect won't be seen immediately, they said.

Ships loaded with crude oil have been stranded in the Persian Gulf for more than three months, unable to safely travel through the waterway, where about a fifth of the world’s oil and gasoline supplies typically traveled before the war began.

“It’s going to take time for people to feel comfortable and for insurance to be in place... particularly to get people on the ground to restart some of these assets,” said Daniel Evans, global head of fuels and refining research at SP Global.

Still, oil prices slipped after the deal was announced. Brent crude, the international standard, was down $3.45 at $83.89 per barrel. U.S. benchmark crude oil lost $4.03 to $80.85 per barrel. Those prices are still well above the roughly $70 per barrel where oil was trading before the war started.

As the higher prices unwind, ships that have been stranded will have to exit the strait, and then new tankers will have to come in to be loaded, Evans said.

“To bring a ship in, you need to be confident that you’ve got a big enough window of safety to bring it in, load it, and move it out,” he added.

Oil tankers also move slowly, he explained. It takes months to travel from the Strait to distant countries, deliver the crude oil to a refinery for processing, and then arrive at their final destination.

In addition, some producers in the Middle East paused extracting oil from the ground, known as a shut-in, when they ran out of storage space. Restarting those operations can be a slow process.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.