But British Airways says flights from Heathrow to the Egyptian capital remain cancelled.
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Sunday, July 21, 2019
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Making it easier to program and protect the web
Behind the scenes of every web service, from a secure web browser to an entertaining app, is a programmer’s code, carefully written to ensure everything runs quickly, smoothly, and securely. For years, MIT Associate Professor Adam Chlipala has been toiling away behind behind-the-scenes, developing tools to help programmers more quickly and easily generate their code — and prove it does what it’s supposed to do.
Scanning the many publications on Chlipala’s webpage, you’ll find some commonly repeated keywords, such as “easy,” “automated,” and “proof.” Much of his work centers on designing simplified programming languages and app-making tools for programmers, systems that automatically generate optimized algorithms for specific tasks, and compilers that automatically prove that the complex math written in code is correct.
“I hope to save a lot of people a lot of time doing boring repetitive work, by automating programming work as well as decreasing the cost of building secure, reliable systems,” says Chlipala, who is a recently tenured professor of computer science, a researcher in the Computer Science and Artificial Laboratory (CSAIL), and head of the Programming Languages and Verification Group.
One of Chlipala’s recent systems automatically generates optimized — and mathematically proven — cryptographic algorithms, freeing programmers from hours upon hours of manually writing and verifying code by hand. And that system is now behind nearly all secure Google Chrome communications.
But Chlipala’s code-generating and mathematical proof systems can be used for a wide range of applications, from protecting financial transactions against fraud to ensuring autonomous vehicles operate safely. The aim, he says, is catching coding errors before they lead to real-world consequences.
“Today, we just assume that there’s going to be a constant flow of serious security problems in all major operating systems. But using formal mathematical methods, we should be able to automatically guarantee there will be far fewer surprises of that kind,” he says. “With a fixed engineering budget, we can suddenly do a lot more, without causing embarrassing or life-threatening disasters.”
A heart for system infrastructure
As he was growing up in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, programming became “an important part of my self-identity,” Chlipala says. In the late 1980s, when Chlipala was young, his father, a researcher who ran physics experiments for AT&T Bell Laboratories, taught him some basic programming skills. He quickly became hooked.
In the late 1990s, when the family finally connected to the internet, Chlipala had access to various developer resources that helped him delve “into more serious stuff,” meaning designing larger, more complex programs. He worked on compilers — programs that translate programming language into machine-readable code — and web applications, “when apps were an avant-garde subject.”
In fact, apps were then called “CGI scripts.” CGI is an acronym for Common Gateway Interface, which is a protocol that enables a program (or “script”) to talk to a server. In high school, Chlipala and some friends designed CGI scripts that connected them in an online forum for young programmers. “It was a means for us to start building our own system infrastructure,” he says.
And as an avid computer gamer, the logical thing for a teenaged Chlipala to do was design his own games. His first attempts were text-based adventures coded in the BASIC programming language. Later, in the C programming language, he designed a “Street Fighter”-like game, called Brimstone, and some simulated combat tabletop games.
It was exciting stuff for a high schooler. “But my heart was always in systems infrastructure, like code compilers and building help tools for old Windows operating systems,” Chlipala says.
From then on, Chlipala worked far in the background of web services, building the programming foundations for developers. “I’m several levels of abstraction removed from the type of computer programming that’s of any interest to any end-user,” he says, laughing.
Impact in the real world
After high school, in 2000, Chlipala enrolled at Carnegie Melon University, where he majored in computer science and got involved in a programming language compiler research group. In 2007, he earned his PhD in computer science from University of California at Berkeley, where his work focused on developing methods that can prove the mathematical correctness of algorithms.
After completing a postdoc at Harvard University, Chlipala came to MIT in 2011 to begin his teaching career. What drew Chlipala to MIT, in part, was an opportunity “to plug in a gap, where no one was doing my kind of proofs of computer systems’ correctness,” he says. “I enjoyed building that subject here from the ground up.”
Testing the source code that powers web services and computer systems today is computationally intensive. It mostly relies on running the code through tons of simulations, and correcting any caught bugs, until the code produces a desired output. But it’s nearly impossible to run the code through every possible scenario to prove it’s completely without error.
Chlipala’s research group instead focuses on eliminating the need for those simulations, by designing proven mathematical theorems that capture exactly how a given web service or computer system is supposed to behave. From that, they build algorithms that check if the source code operates according to that theorem, meaning it performs exactly how it’s supposed to, mostly during code compiling.
Even though such methods can be applied to any application, Chlipala likes to run his research group like a startup, encouraging students to target specific, practical applications for their research projects. In fact, two of his former students recently joined startups doing work connected to their thesis research.
One student is working on developing a platform that lets people rapidly design, fabricate, and test their own computer chips. Another is designing mathematical proven systems to ensure the source code powering driverless car systems doesn’t contain errors that’ll lead to mistakes on the road. “In driverless cars, a bug could literally cause a crash, not just the ‘blue-screen death’ type of a crash,” Chlipala says.
Now on sabbatical from this summer until the end of the year, Chlipala is splitting his time between MIT research projects and launching his own startup based around tools that help people without programming experience create advanced apps. One such tool, which lets nonexperts build scheduling apps, has already found users among faculty and staff in his own department. About the new company, he says: “I’ve been into entrepreneurship over the last few years. But now that I have tenure, it’s a good time to get started.”
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An Honest Conversation About Race in the Workplace
Dealing with issues related to race in the workplace is a challenge for many professionals of color. Nearly every black woman in the workforce can attest to undergoing some form of racism, whether overt or covert, at the hands of a client, customer, colleague, or manager. Sometimes it’s in the form of a microaggression while, at other times, sisters are passed over for a deserved promotion or bonus without a reasonable explanation. It’s also the root cause of many of the unnecessary obstacles and hurdles that women of color face on the job but, somehow, it makes us stronger.
(from L-R) Aisha Thomas-Petit, Carolynn Johnson, Sarah Eames, and Valerie Rainford (Black Enterprise)
At the 2019 Women of Power Summit, an annual leadership conference designed for professional women of color, four corporate leaders held an open dialogue on the issues shaping race relations within companies and shared strategies for successfully navigating race for women at every level of their organizations. The conversation also focused on forming intentional relationships with allies in the workplace. Meanwhile, Sarah Eames, a partner at Healthcare CEO and Healthcare Services Practice Leader, Russell Reynolds Associates, talked about being an ally to help people of color advance in their careers.
Here are a few of the gems that the speakers shared during the session, titled “Intersectionality: An Honest Conversation About Race in the Workplace.”
Valerie Rainford (Black Enterprise)
Valerie Rainford
Managing Director; Head of Advancing Black Leaders & Diversity Advancement Strategies, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- “It’s very uncomfortable to talk about race.”
- “Sometimes we don’t know our own power to change a culture…[and] our own ability to slay.”
- “Angry doesn’t work everywhere, but passion does…know your culture.”
- “When I had that epiphany—that there is nobody who walks, talks, and thinks like Valerie Rainford—that became my competitive advantage.”
Carolynn Johnson (Black Enterprise)
Carolynn Johnson
COO, DiversityInc.
- “I am an angry black woman. I’m owning it [so that] you won’t shame me by saying it.”
- “Power is not taken. Power is given.”
- “I didn’t realize that I was in a box until I was gently uplifted out of it.”
- “I was ready to give up.”
- “Allies aren’t just white men or people who have more power than you.”
- In order to get over our fear and our shame, we have to understand the other side of racial fatigue.
Aisha Thomas-Petit (Black Enterprise)
Aisha Thomas-Petit
Division Vice President, HR, ADP
- In order to create an ally, you actually have to have a deeper relationship in order to do so.
- Look at your networks: are they diverse and inclusive?
- Being a woman and black “is actually a double blessing.”
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Donald Trump offers to guarantee bail for A$AP Rocky
Donald Trump took to twitter on Saturday to guarantee rapper A$AP Rocky‘s bail, or an alternative, for release from a Swedish jail.
The rapper was detained in early July, accused of assaulting a man before a concert in Stockholm. He denied the charges, posting Instagrams of two men follow his entourage.
READ MORE: Sweden wants extension of A$AP Rocky’s detention after fight
Just had a very good call with @SwedishPM Stefan Löfven who assured me that American citizen A$AP Rocky will be treated fairly. Likewise, I assured him that A$AP was not a flight risk and offered to personally vouch for his bail, or an alternative….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2019
Trump’s tweet comes just a day after he announced plans to call the Swedish prime minister to see how he can help rapper A$AP Rocky.
But according to CNBC News, this wasn’t Trump’s original idea. The proposed call to Prime Minister Stefan Lofven came as an idea after the president had a conversation with Kanye West.
Just spoke to @KanyeWest about his friend A$AP Rocky’s incarceration. I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky. So many people would like to see this quickly resolved!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2019
Trump’s connection to West comes as no surprise. Since the 2016 election Kanye has shown unwavering support for Trump, while his wife, Kim Kardashian West, has worked alongside him to help nonviolent criminals to be released from jail.
West tweeted in April 2018: “You don’t have to agree with trump but the mob can’t make me not love him. We both are dragon energy.”
The New York Times reported that Kanye asked his wife Kim to call in a favor. She was told to ask Jared Kushner, Trump’s senior advisor and son-in-law, to help A$AP in Sweden. Kushner then asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to work with Swedish authorities to make sure conditions in the the Swedish jail were to up par with conditions in the U.S.
Even though the president is now involved with A$AP’s case. Some fans believe his case is, well, poetic justice.
According to XXL, fans recalled back in 2016 when A$AP, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, tried to distance himself from the Black Lives Matter Movement and the murder of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
“Why, because I’m Black? So every time something happens because I’m Black I gotta stand up? What the fuck am I, Al Sharpton now? I’m A$AP Rocky. I did not sign up to be no political activist,” A$AP told The Breakfast Club in 2016. “I don’t wanna talk about no fucking Ferguson and shit because I don’t live over there! I live in fucking Soho and Beverly Hills. I can’t relate. I’m in the studio; I’m in these fashion studios; I’m in these bitches’ drawers. I’m not doing anything outside of that. That’s my life.”
A$AP returned to The Breakfast Club days later to clear up what he said.
“I just get upset, and what I was really trying to say there was, like, yo, I just, I hate when the bandwagon stuff start.”
READ MORE: West Philadelphia man scales 19-story building to save mom from fire
“I mean, how come, you know, Black lives only matter when a police take ’em, when a police officer takes it? And it should be like, Black lives, it should matter when a Black life take it. You know what I mean? It should always matter. All lives matter!”
Even though he tried to clear it up then, Black twitter still hasn’t forgotten, the damage was already done.
Y’all know what’s ironic? I noticed there are some rappers hollering about racial injustice in Sweden due to ASAP Rocky’s arrest.
I remember quite vividly an interview ASAP did where he said he didn’t feel a need to speak on social issues simply because he’s black.
Well..
— Mansa Musa Reincarnated đŸ‡³đŸ‡¬ (@eleven8) July 9, 2019
Y’all remember when ASAP Rocky said he didn’t give a fuck about Ferguson…karma is an universal language. If you stop karma it will happen one way or another. That’s the law of the universe.
— Dre FiRe (@DREFIR3) July 10, 2019
Asap Rocky: "I don’t wanna talk about no fucking Ferguson and shit because I don’t live over there. I live in fucking SoHo and Beverly Hills. I can’t relate,”
Me: I mean I haven't ever been to jail in Sweden so I can't relate really! https://t.co/i2tIFNNOHC
— Christopher Tulloch (@VillianComplex) July 10, 2019
The post Donald Trump offers to guarantee bail for A$AP Rocky appeared first on theGrio.
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R. Kelly to move to New York to face racketeering charges
R.Kelly has been ordered to report to New York for his arraignment on racketeering charges. The charges that came down on Friday allege that he systematically recruited young girls at concerts across the country for sexual abuse, reports say.
The indicted singer is currently being held without bond at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Downtown Chicago. He will be brought by U.S. Marshals to the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Aug, 2 for a hearing, according to Chicago Tribune.
READ MORE: Gayle King on R. Kelly’s latest arrest: ‘The indictments are not a surprise to me’
After this hearing, Kelly will be returned to Chicago in time for a Sept. 4 status hearing on a separate indictment for sex related charges, according to the court records.
Another member in Kelly’s case pleaded not guilty on Friday. Former employee Milton “June” Brown, appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Chicago for a charge of conspiracy to receive child pornography.
Brown’s 13-count indictment alleges that he and former manager Derrel McDavis conspired with Kelly to throw his 2006 child pornography trial in Chicago by paying off witnesses and victims to change their stories.
The indictment also alleged the three paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to recover sex tapes that included children before they got into the hands of prosecutors.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Kelly and McDavid both previously pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Brown faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison if convicted according to prosecutors. When the indictment became unsealed last week, Brown turned himself into authorities in Las Vegas where he lives. Brown was released on Friday.
“We’re talking seventh and eighth grade girls,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Krull said. “And it didn’t happen once or twice. He sexually abused them hundreds of times before they turned 18.”
Kelly has been accused of abusing a dozen victims dating back to the 90s, in two federal indictments, and prosecutors predict there are “many more” Krull said.
“The investigation is far from over,” she said.
Kelly alone has a 18-page New York indictment, alleging that his common practice at concerts was for his entourage solicit girls and issue them a wristband to backstage, which gave them direct access to Kelly. He would then identify a girl he wanted to see again and his entourage would get her contact info. Some girls were provided with more backstage passes to party with Kelly, as well as lodging, according to the indictment.
The indictment also alleges Kelly made the girls call him “Daddy” and they weren’t allowed to do simple tasks such as eat, use the bathroom, or even leave their rooms without his permission.
READ MORE: West Philadelphia man scales 19-story building to save mom from fire
He also has four separate indictments in Cook County where one woman said she was sexually assaulted and three others were sexually abused. Kelly has pled not guilty to these charges as well.
While Kelly awaits arraignment, he has been held in isolation since his July 11 arrest.
R. Kelly will be held in solitary confinement because he fears for his life in general population: https://t.co/9Wpj2aYdPX pic.twitter.com/29qI6eY5xv
— Complex (@Complex) July 19, 2019
Steven Greenberg, Kelly’s lawyer says he no access to television, and is only allowed five minutes on the phone daily.
The post R. Kelly to move to New York to face racketeering charges appeared first on theGrio.
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Thousands released as sentence reform law takes effect
More than 3,100 inmates in custody of the Bureau of Prisons were released beginning Friday as part of the Justice Department’s effort to follow a criminal justice law passed last year by Congress.
The First Step Act allows offenders to be released. Most of their convictions were drug-related crimes and they have been living in halfway houses across the United States in preparation for their release, acting BOP chief Hugh Hurwitz explained to reporters in Washington at a news conference, according to NPR.
READ MORE: Report finds that incarcerated Black men are biggest beneficiaries of ‘First Step’ act
But not all inmates will walk free, about 900 of these inmates will be sent to detention by immigration and local authorities. The fate of their future will then be up to states or the Department of Homeland Security, Hurwitz said.
Since Donald Trump signed the law last December, the Justice Department announced 250 more inmates that are elderly or terminally ill have transitioned into home confinement or compassionate-release programs.
The First Step Act has made it easier for prisoners and their families to get advocacy access. Programs like the new law existed before but were hard to gain access to, The New York Times notes.
But government officials want to ensure this new law rolls out smoothly. “The department intends to implement this law fully and on time, with the goal of reducing crime, enhancing public safety and strengthening the rule of law,” Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said.
A new risk assessment tool has also been unveiled by authorities designed to identify inmates that may benefit from prison programming that allows them to credits that count toward early release under the law. Under this new program, inmates will be assessed every six months.
U.S. Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in a joint statement they would “vigilantly” look over the new assessment process.
“It’s critical that the assessment does not disproportionately designate minorities as having a higher risk of reoffending,” the senators said.
The Justice Department has also began a think tank with the Hudson Institute to assist with the assessment effort. But some Democrats don’t agree with the decision.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and subcommittee chairwoman Karen Bass (D-Calif.) argued earlier this year that “The Hudson Institute and its leadership have opposed sentencing reform, opposed the First Step Act’s reforms, and authored an article entitled ‘Why Trump Should Oppose Criminal Justice Reform.'”
READ MORE: West Philadelphia man scales 19-story building to save mom from fire
They noted concern that the selection of a biased organization may result in a failed effort to diligently and effectively implement the bipartisan criminal justice reforms.
But according to CNN, the new laws efforts were highly praised on Friday by criminal justice advocates.
“This is good news and we’re happy to see that it’s starting to be implemented but we think more needs to be done and we think Congress needs to provide that oversight,” said Inimai Chettiar, policy director of the Justice Action Network.
Funding levels for the First Step Act in 2020 have not been established yet.
The post Thousands released as sentence reform law takes effect appeared first on theGrio.
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West Philadelphia man scales 19-story building to save mom from fire
A West Philadelphia man was captured on camera Thursday night scaling a 19-story building to save his bedridden mother from a fire.
The man who identifies himself as Jermaine, 35, once worked in roofing and construction which helped him with his rescue tactics, New York Post reported.
READ MORE: Beyoncé and The Lion King cast reign at North America opening weekend
“Glad I had the practice,” Jermaine told ABC affiliate WPVI-TV.
“As kids we used to jump roofs,” he added.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Man speaks out after climbing 19-story building during fire looking for his motherhttps://t.co/MPRr8cfpCr
— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) July 19, 2019
Jermaine’s goal was to save his mother, Sheila, 65, after her apartment building in West Philadelphia caught fire about 9:30 p.m., according to reports. His sister notified him about the situation, and he sprung into action, racing to save his mom from her 15th-floor apartment.
He first tried to enter through the front door of the building , but was stopped by police.
“They said, ‘We can’t let you in,’ ” he told WPVI. “I took it upon myself because that’s my mother. There’s no limits. That’s my mother.”
Even with a bad hip, he explained to the news reporter he would stop at nothing to help his mother.
“All for my mom’s safety, period,” Jermaine said. “I wasn’t worried about mine at all. She can’t get out of the bed or walk around, so if there’s a fire she needs help out.”
The great news is by the time Jermaine reached is mom, she was doing just fine, according to New York Post.
So he climbed back down and firefighters were able to put the fire out without anyone getting hurt. All residents were accounted for and the building was fully evacuated. Alongside three firefighters, four residents were treated for smoke inhalation.
READ MORE: Beyonce drops ‘Spirit’ video featuring Blue Ivy from Lion King soundtrack
When Jermaine’s mom finally saw the footage of him scaling the building she said she was “shocked” but “not surprised.”
“She knows I’ll go above and beyond,” Jermaine said.
And authorities apparently understood, too.
“[A cop] told me if I didn’t leave, I was going straight to jail. Because that was his job. But, he actually did cut me a break,” he said. “He understood the circumstances. He knew when your adrenaline is pumping and your mom is up there, you’d do anything you can.”
The post West Philadelphia man scales 19-story building to save mom from fire appeared first on theGrio.
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6 Ways to Improve Yourself This Summer
Beyond enjoying backyard barbecues and waves at the beach, the summer season is also the perfect time to take your skills to the next level. Here are six ways to develop yourself this summer:
Get uncomfortable and fit
Whether it’s preparing for a bodybuilding contest or taking a fitness and adventure travel vacation, professional development and self-care go hand in hand.
(iStock.com/PeopleImages)
Switch up your daily routine
Can you walk or bike to work? Wake up earlier to meditate or read? Take on a new daily activity or initiative at work? Changing your routine can stimulate your creative thinking.
(iStock.com/LeoPatrizi)
Unplug at least once a day
Does your brain have too many tabs open? Feel like you’re addicted to your cell phone? If you’ve answered yes, it may be time for a digital detox to give your brain a break. Nowadays, hotels and vacation resorts offer a variety of fun and tech-free options for guest to unwind and enjoy …. Alternatively, you can opt for giving up your favorite social media app and digital devices for at least one day.
(Image: iStock/AndreyPopov)
Join a challenge
Experts say it takes a minimum of 21-days to form a habit, so if you’ve wanted to reduce your spending, lose weight, or unclutter your mind with meditation, starting a 21- or even a 30-day challenge with friends is a great way to get a jump-start on achieving your goals.
(iStock.com)
Do one thing that scares you
You know that one thing you keep putting off because you’re concerned about what people might think? Or the one activity you dream about doing but you haven’t mustered the courage to take action yet?
(iStock.com/Mauricio Graiki)
Volunteer or get involved with a charity
From lending your expertise to a function of the organization like social media management to providing hands-on support to daily operations such as feeding the homeless.
(Image: iStock/dzphotovideo)
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published on August 4, 2017.
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