03142024 BUSINESS

A NEW $30m facility managed by the Bahamas Development Bank will allow business owners to finance renewable energy systems to combat power generation problems, according to Guildan Gilber, vice president of Alternative Power Sources Bahamas.

Speaking at the Andros Chamber of Commerce Economic and Investment Conclave yesterday, he advised business owners that solutions to their electricity woes are in the pipeline.

He said: “They actually met with renewable energy companies about three weeks ago and they advised that they were getting a tranche of funds and a portion of those funds were going to be used to finance renewables to homeowners, to small businesses, to midsize businesses, even to larger businesses.

“Bahamas Development Bank will be providing funding, I don’t know

what the exact dollar amount in the portfolio is going to be, my understanding is close to $30m. I don’t know the entire 30 million is going to be useful renewables, I know it’s for environmental use. But again, we’ve been advised that the loans will be done at 100 percent, I’ve asked for a period of no shorter than 15 years, up to 25 years.”

He said the renewable systems would be 100 percent financed and can be deactivated remotely so business owners can be disconnected if they default on their payments, which are to be made monthly

replacing their Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) payments.

He said: “So at 100 percent financing, very attractive rates, they will consider the system as collateral, because we can control the system remotely. So if the homeowner for example, doesn’t make their payments, over whatever period of time, they look at delinquency, we can remotely shut the system down. So then the homeowner doesn’t get the benefit of independent power until they settle that bill.

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Digital banking ‘easing pain’ in Family Islands

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter

DIGITAL banking providers are easing the “pains and pressures” faced by unbanked and underbanked Family Islands, according to Jevon Butler, chief sales officer at Kanoo, said yesterday.

Speaking at the Andros Chamber of Commerce Economic and Investment Conclave yesterday, Mr Butler said that local Money Transfer Businesses (MTBs) and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) are expanding their services throughout the country to ensure that all business can

service their consumers and have access to banking services.

He said: “The reality is this Kanoo is here, Sand Dollar is here, Sun Cash is here and as they say a rising tide raises all ships. So collectively the MTBs and the PSPs are alleviating the pains and pressures that Bahamians throughout the islands are experiencing from the financial institutions, specifically commercial banks. “With our footprints throughout The Bahamas collectively, you don’t have to keep asking when is the bank coming back…the banks are here.”

Andros needs more airlift, warns former Chamber CEO

reach with upgraded airport facilities and increased airlift.

ANDROS needs improved airlift, banking and energy generation to sustain its growing tourism sector, according to Edison Sumner, a former director and CEO of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC).

Speaking to Tribune

Business at the Andros Chamber of Commerce Economic and Investment Conclave yesterday, Mr Sumner said Andros has a growing tourism market but would be able to expand its

He said: “One of the first things I think Andros needs is an improvement in its airlift to the island. We need to see an improvement in the airport infrastructure development throughout the island, so that we can ensure that we able to bring in international flights from outside of the country and not necessarily having to come into New Providence to then take that flight into Andros.

“We need more international airport and airlift coming directly into all of the different districts

$1m helping hand just the start for Andros

THE Bahamas Entrepreneurial Venture Fund has contributed about $1m to Andros businesses, according to Edison Sumner.

Mr Sumner, a principal of Sumner’s Strategic Partners, was speaking at the Andros Chamber of Commerce Economic and Investment Conclave yesterday and said several businesses on the island have obtained financing through the fund but it “pales in comparison” to what can be done for the island.

He said: “The Bahamas Entrepreneurial Venture Fund is here to support the business community in Andros. We want to see more businesses and Andros Island; we want to see more businesses accessing the funding that we provide. Right now, we have about three or

four businesses in Andros that we have funded. We wanted to see more of that happening.

“I don’t know the exact amount, but we have put in probably about a million dollars in Andros. We have made significant investments on the island already but it pales in comparison to what can be done on the other potential that we see on the island.”

Mr Sumner, a former director and CEO of the

Workplace Stress

Study after study and survey after survey tell the same story: workers feel stressed-out on the job, and the stress is taking a toll on their sleep, health, relationships, productivity and sense of well-being.

"We live in a culture that values business and stress.

"Stress is a powerful currency”. The busier the more stressed you are, the more important and valuable you seem.

After scrambling to get the kids fed and off

to school, dodging traffic and combating road rage, and gulping down coffee in lieu of a healthy breakfast, many people arrive to work already stressed. This makes them more reactive to stress in the workplace.

Actually, you might be

surprised by how affected by workplace stress you are after surviving or undergoing a very stressful morning.

Clear expectations

A factor known to contribute to job burnout is unclear requirements for employees. If you don’t know exactly what is expected of you, or if role keeps changing with little notice, you may become extremely stressed.

However, it may help to have a talk with your supervisor, which surprisingly may relieve stress for both of you!

Avoid or Reduce Conflict

Interpersonal conflict takes a toll on the physical and emotional health, especially if it may be difficult to escape, therefore it’s a good idea to avoid it as much as you can.

Stay Organised

Even if you’re a naturally disorganized person, planning ahead to stay organized can greatly decrease stress at work.

Comfortable Work Environment

Another surprising stressor at work is physical discomfort, often related to where you perform most of your daily tasks (such as your desk). Even small things like office noise can be distracting and cause feelings of low-grade frustration. Do what you can to create a quiet, comfortable workspace.

Exercise

Many individuals feel the ill effects of leading a sedentary lifestyle but to combat the physical and mental effects of work stress, take a walk after work sometimes if your schedule permits.

Reward Yourself

Being a high achiever might make you feel good about yourself, but striving for perfection may create complications. You may not be able to do everything perfectly, every time especially on a busy, fast-paced job but a good strategy to avoid the perfectionism trap is always strive to do your best and make time to congratulate yourself on your efforts.

Music on the Drive

Listening to music offers many benefits and can be an effective way to relieve stress before, during, and after work.

Notably, considering these tips it may be reasonable to conclude that managers should be vigilant in trying to detect the signs of a stressed employee and meet with them to rectify the problem.

Encourage your team to take regular breaks, vacations and sick days, not taking on too many stressful chores at once, taking a break during work day, flexible work hours, limit overtime, discourage taking work home, not answering work calls or emails while at home, making time for things you enjoy, such as spending time with family, hobbies or sports, and relaxation techniques, or mindfulness.

As a final point, some of these approaches may not be applicable but find a balance that works and go for it. Until we meet again, fill your life with memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game.

NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com

$30m fund to help pay for renewable energy

“Essentially, the plan is to replace the BPL cost to the homeowner with the cost of the system on a monthly basis. So what they intend is that we put in a system, the homeowner borrows from Bahamas Development Bank and that repayment to Bahamas Development Bank is going to be lower than what they’re paying to BPL at this time and they have consistency of power.”

He said all businesses need consistent power generation to operate effectively and renewables can

be used to provide reliable, environmentally friendly service around the clock.

He said: “For a business, you need consistency of power to operate. So if there’s an issue with consistency of power, then there has to be an address for that, there has to be a solution for that. One of the solutions would be with the use of renewables because we can provide power to that entity 24 hours a day, guaranteed.

“So that entity doesn’t have to be without power. We can we can put in a

ANDROS NEEDS MORE AIRLIFT, WARNS FORMER CHAMBER CEO

FROM PAGE B1

throughout the island. If we can get that done, I think we will be able to significantly improve upon the marketing outreach.”

He said improving the island’s financial woes can also make it easier for visitors and businesses to make and accept payments.

“And then of course there’s also the case about getting better financial services infrastructure on the island because the people come in into the island, and they come in to use credit cards or cash and they’re having issues having those process because there’s a lack of a presence that can present a challenge,” he said.

Mr Sumner, however, said the lack of stable power generation is the

largest obstacles for Andros businesses, especially those in the north, as it halts both in physical and digital transactions.

He said: “One of the biggest challenges that needs to be looked at immediately is the issue of energy security and energy efficiency. Andros, especially this part of Andros, on a daily basis loses power because the grid always goes down.

“When that happens, it impacts everything. It impacts your business, it impacts your ability to use an ATM it impacts your ability to get online and use the internet because all the infrastructure is down when the power goes down.”

He said the island would benefit greatly from a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to improve the

battery-based system, which can operate independent of the utility. It can be grid tied to the utility, but the utility can be there as a backup, if anything happened to the solar system, but primarily the business establishment will own their own power.”

He said that although the government has set a target of having 30 percent renewable power generation by 2030, the country is currently operating on about 10 percent and noted that access to financing has been a major barrier for many individuals that are

overall power generation on the island and secure more reliable and cost efficient energy.

“I think an effort by a public private partnership type in the arrangement to enhance the energy infrastructure on the island will be something that should be given immediate priority because without it, you’re going to have people coming in who are getting frustrated every several hours because the power was going off,” said Mr Sumner.

“When the power goes down, everything goes down with it and business literally comes to a halt on the island, equipment is being damaged and destroyed. So part of the infrastructure needs to be looked at to improve the viability of Andros. We have to work on our energy infrastructure, but not just renewable energy, energy security and the cost of energy in on the island.”

$1M HELPING HAND JUST THE START FOR ANDROS

Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC), said businesses in the tourism, real estate, agriculture and manufacturing sectors can access up to $150,000 in debt funding or up to $250,000 in equity funding.

He said: “Andros businesses can access through the Venture Fund, up to $150,000 in debt funding, or up to $250,000 in equity funding. That can come for support in the bonefishing area in building second homes for short term rental spaces, in some level of agribusiness technology that we funded before and looking at other kinds of cottage industries.

But if there are also strong

manufacturing type concerns, we’d be interested in looking at those as well.

“Businesses are not restricted from applying for funding to the venture fund. The majority of our funds to date have been placed in New Providence, but we would love to see more businesses out of Andros accessing the funding that we provide and then also, as they access those funding, they will also be able to build up the industries on this island and in building those industries, will have the support of the venture fund.” He said the venture fund will also assist businesses with their business model and attracting consumers to sustain their growth.

He said: “Once we fund the business, we’re going to also work with that business to ensure that they are managed properly that they develop. We’re going to assist them with getting the market access and customer acquisition and building a very solid business model foundation for the business to thrive.

“So we got to be able to provide that level of expertise to those businesses here as well. So it’s not just about funding, it’s also providing other technical support and resources to support those businesses once they’ve been funded.”

interested in converting to renewables.

“The government has set a target of 30 percent renewables by 2030, we’re now at 2024 and I think our penetration is still less than 10 percent, so we still have a long way to go. Alternative Power Sources is prepared to step up and play the role that we need to play as a distributor, as a supplier and as a contractor,” said Mr Gilbert.

“Well, one of the things that is has come to light in the last couple of weeks is that financing has always

been an issue in the growth of renewables in the country because most people don’t have the ready cash to pay for the systems. “ He said traditional banks have shied away from providing loans for renewables as they do not meet their collateral requirements and cannot be easily repossessed for non – payment. He said: “The traditional banks have been reluctant to lend money for renewables because traditional banks need collateral.

When you get a house, the house is the collateral when

DIGITAL BANKING ‘EASING PAIN’ IN FAMILY ISLANDS

FROM PAGE B1

Lori Russell, SunCash merchant services and sales, said digital currency providers can be advantageous for merchants as they often have lower fees than tradition banks.

She said SunCash provides handheld devices to merchants that can process credit and debit card payments as well as Amazon Pay, PayPal, Google Pay and Sand Dollar. The device has a 1 percent sales fee but is free for merchants and does not have registration or terminal fees.

She said: “The advantages of having a Suncash wallet or a SandDollar authorised financial institution account versus the bank is persons are able to accept various payment methods. You have things like a PayPal, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, credit and debit cards and of course, the Sand Dollar.

“Our fees are relatively low, in most instances lower than what the typical bank will charge for a handheld device to accept any payment methods and those handheld devices that we provide, our merchants are free at this time.

“We do not charge a fee for that we get them free once you sign up with a merchant account the only fee attached to the merchant account is we take 1 percent of your sales but we do not have any signup fees, termination fees, terminal fees or registration fees.”

Mr Buttler said that Andros has a unique touristic experience and local stakeholders can take advantage of Kanoo’s invoicing feature to receive payments when clients book their resorts or activities.

He said: “Andros holistically has a quaint, intimate, touristic experience at a domestic and international level. For those business owners who have fishing lodges, taxicab drivers, doing chartered fishing tournaments or chartered fishing trips, they can sign up with Kanoo and take advantage of our invoicing feature.

“That invoicing feature permits the business owner to send either a QR code or hyperlink to their clients in which the client can go ahead and pay a deposit or pay for the full amount of the service being provided by simply inserting the debit

you buy a car, the car’s col-

lateral. If you don’t pay your mortgage or you don’t pay your car note, the bank can take it from you with renewables it’s different, once we install, it’s on the structure. So it’s not about going to the homeowner and removing that for non payment.

“So traditionally, the banks have stayed away from renewables because of their collateral requirements.”

or credit card information and those funds will settle in the merchant’s Kanoo account.”

He said Family Island businesses can have difficulties receiving booking fees from international travellers if they cannot process their desired payment method and they can save time and maximise profits by taking advantage of the services digital currency providers offer.

He said: “One of the frustrations that Family Island merchants who are in the touristic environments specifically in Andros experience periodically, is the fact that someone has made a booking but they never either one show up to honour that booking or to have a challenge because they pay with debit or credit cards, and that merchant may not have those facilities readily available.

“Therefore, we are encouraging verses to sign up with Kanoo, as they know and have the ability to receive those funds pre booking. They will have the ability to receive those funds pre arrival and ensure that the deposits are in place in case the client decides not to honour the appointment. It secures the merchant from losing their greatest asset which is their time.”

A blood test for colon cancer performed well in a study, expanding options for screening

By CARLA K. JOHNSON

AP Medical Writer

A BLOOD test for colon cancer performed well in a study published Wednesday, offering a new kind of screening for a leading cause of cancer deaths.

The test looks for DNA fragments shed by tumor cells and precancerous growths. It's already for sale in the U.S. for $895, but has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and most insurers do not cover it. The maker of the test, Guardant Health, anticipates an FDA decision this year.

In the study, the test caught 83% of the cancers but very few of the precancerous growths found by colonoscopy, the gold standard for colon cancer screening. Besides spotting tumors, colonoscopies can prevent the disease by removing precancerous growths called polyps.

But some people avoid the exam because of the hassle of getting time off work or the day-ahead preparation that involves drinking a strong laxative to empty the bowels.

A convenient alternative is an annual stool test, where people send a stool sample to a lab for analysis.

"The best test is the one someone will actually

complete," said Dr. Douglas Corley, chief research officer for Kaiser Permanente, Northern California, who was not involved in the study. "Giving people a choice increases the number of people who will get screened."

In the U.S., screening is recommended for healthy adults ages 45 to 75 at average risk for colon cancer. Frequency depends on the test: a routine colonoscopy is every 10 years. Screening is inching up but falls well short of the 80% of age-eligible adults goal set by the American Cancer Society and other groups.

Guardant recommends testing with its blood test called Shield every three years. Like a stool test, the blood test requires a followup colonoscopy if there's an abnormal result, which could lead to more out-ofpocket costs.

The study, sponsored by Guardant and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved 7,861 people in the U.S. who had both a colonoscopy and a blood test.

While the blood test caught 83% of the cancers found by colonoscopy, it missed 17%. That's on par with stool-based tests. There were also false alarms: For 10% of the people where the

colonoscopy found nothing, the blood test falsely indicated they might have colon cancer. That means a sizeable number of people would face the anxiety of follow-up colonoscopies. The blood test is tuned to pick up the signature of colon cancer but more research is needed to determine if it might pick up other cancers as well and give misleading results, Corley said.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and the third worldwide. In the U.S., more than 153,000 new cases and 53,000 deaths from the disease are expected this year. More screening should result in fewer cancer deaths, said study co-author Dr. William Grady of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle and a paid

LEBANESE, FRENCH OFFICIALS FLOAT A PLAN TO REBUILD BEIRUT PORT NEARLY 4 YEARS AFTER HUGE EXPLOSION

By ABBY SEWELL Associated Press

THREE and a half years after hundreds of tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate ignited at the Beirut port, setting off one of the world's biggest non-nuclear explosions, Lebanese and French officials put forward a plan for reconstruction and reorganization of the port Wednesday.

The Aug. 4, 2020, explosion at Beirut's port killed more than 200 people, injured and displaced thousands and devastated entire neighborhoods of the city.

Since then, an investigation into the causes of the blast has ground to a halt, and reconstruction of the damaged areas has largely been carried out piecemeal with private funding as international funds promised for rebuilding were largely contingent on political reforms that never materialized.

A number of proposals that have been floated for reconstruction and redevelopment of the still-functioning port have floundered, including an ambitious plan suggested in 2021 by a group of German companies to redevelop the

member of Guardant's scientific advisory board.

In a separate study published Wednesday in the same journal, an updated version of the Cologuard stool test, which also looks for DNA fragments, seemed to improve its performance on false alarms, possibly leading to fewer follow-up colonoscopies.

That study, involving more than 20,000 people, was

THIS image provided by Guardant Health in March 2024, shows packaging for their colon cancer blood test, Shield. According to a study published Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in the New England Journal of Medicine and sponsored by Guardant Health, the test performed well, further expanding screening options for a leading cause of cancer deaths. The test missed some cancers and won’t replace colonoscopy, the gold standard test.

sponsored by Exact Sciences, maker of the test.

"The more options we have for our patients, the better," said Dr. Nabil Mansour of Baylor College of Medicine, who was not involved in either study. He'll continue to recommend a colonoscopy for his patients but "I'm excited there will be a pretty good blood test option available."

port alongside new commercial and residential developments. In 2022, French shipping giant CMA CGM Group won a 10-year contract to run the container terminal at the port. The French government funded the development of the plan presented Wednesday by two French engineering firms, Artelia and Egis. It will focus on

rebuilding quays damaged in the explosion, reorganizing the port's layout to streamline traffic, and shifting the facility to solar power. A French public agency, Expertise France, conducted an assessment with recommendations for improving security at the port. Lebanon will need to come up with an estimated $60- $80 million to complete the reconstruction.

Photo:Guardant Health/AP

LEBANESE caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during a conference announcing a French reconstruction plan for the Beirut Port, in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, March 13, 2024.

Photo:Bilal Hussein/AP

EUROPE’S WORLDFIRST AI RULES GET FINAL APPROVAL FROM LAWMAKERS. HERE’S WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

By KELVIN CHAN

AP Business Writer

EUROPEAN Union lawmakers gave final approval to the 27-nation bloc's artificial intelligence law Wednesday, putting the world-leading rules on track to take effect later this year.

Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Artificial Intelligence Act, five years after regulations were first proposed.

The AI Act is expected to act as a global signpost for other governments grappling with how to regulate the fast-developing technology.

"The AI Act has nudged the future of AI in a humancentric direction, in a direction where humans are in control of the technology and where it — the technology — helps us leverage new discoveries, economic growth, societal progress and unlock human potential," Dragos Tudorache, a Romanian lawmaker who was a co-leader of the Parliament negotiations on the draft law, said before the vote.

Big tech companies generally have supported the need to regulate AI while lobbying to ensure any rules work in their favor. OpenAI CEO

Sam Altman caused a minor stir last year when he suggested the ChatGPT maker could pull out of Europe if it can't comply with the AI Act — before backtracking to say there were no plans to leave. Here's a look at the world's first comprehensive set of AI rules:

HOW DOES THE AI ACT WORK?

Like many EU regulations, the AI Act was initially intended to act as consumer safety legislation, taking a "risk-based approach" to products or services that use artificial intelligence.

The riskier an AI application, the more scrutiny it faces. The vast majority of AI systems are expected to be low risk, such as content recommendation systems or spam filters. Companies can choose to follow voluntary requirements and codes of conduct.

High-risk uses of AI, such as in medical devices or critical infrastructure like water or electrical networks, face tougher requirements like using high-quality data and providing clear information to users. Some AI uses are banned because they're deemed to pose an unacceptable risk,

WAYMO'S ROBOTAXI SERVICE EXPANDS INTO LOS ANGELES, STARTING FREE RIDES IN PARTS OF THE CITY

LOS ANGELES Associated Press

ROBOTAXIS will begin cruising the streets of Los Angeles on Thursday when Google spinoff Waymo starts offering free rides to some of the roughly 50,000 people who have signed up for its driverless ride-hailing service.

Waymo is expanding into Los Angeles, the second largest U.S. city, seven months after California regulators authorized its robotaxis to begin charging for around-the-clock rides throughout San Francisco.

That came despite objections from local officials who asserted the driverless vehicles posed unacceptable risks to public safety. Although Waymo isn't charging for rides in its robotaxis in Los Angeles to start, the company said in a blog post announcing the expansion that it will eventually collect fares from passengers there too. Waymo also hopes to begin commercial operations in Austin, Texas, later this year, a goal that makes its robotaxi service available in four major U.S. cities 15 years after it began

like social scoring systems that govern how people behave, some types of predictive policing and emotion recognition systems in school and workplaces.

Other banned uses include police scanning faces in public using AI-powered remote "biometric identification" systems, except for serious crimes like kidnapping or terrorism.

WHAT ABOUT GENERATIVE AI?

The law's early drafts focused on AI systems carrying out narrowly limited tasks, like scanning resumes and job applications. The astonishing rise of general purpose AI models, exemplified by OpenAI's ChatGPT, sent EU policymakers scrambling to keep up. They added provisions for so-called generative AI models, the technology underpinning AI chatbot systems that can produce unique and seemingly

as a secret project within Google. Waymo's robotaxis have been charging for rides in Phoenix since 2020.

For now, Waymo's free rides in Los Angeles will cover a 63-square-mile (101-square-kilometer) area spanning from Santa Monica to downtown.

Waymo is launching operations in Los Angeles two weeks after the California Public Utilities Commission approved the expansion in a decision that once again overrode the concerns of city transportation officials about robotaxis coming to sudden stops that block roads and the potential for driverless vehicles to malfunction in more serious ways that could jeopardize lives.

The worst fears about robotaxis were realized in San Francisco last October when a vehicle operated by Cruise, a driverless ridehailing service owned by

lifelike responses, images and more.

Developers of general purpose AI models — from European startups to OpenAI and Google — will have to provide a detailed summary of the text, pictures, video and other data on the internet that is used to train the systems as well as follow EU copyright law.

AI-generated deepfake pictures, video or audio of existing people, places or events must be labeled as artificially manipulated.

There's extra scrutiny for the biggest and most powerful AI models that pose "systemic risks," which include OpenAI's GPT4 — its most advanced system — and Google's Gemini.

The EU says it's worried that these powerful AI systems could "cause serious accidents or be misused for far-reaching cyberattacks." They also fear generative AI could spread "harmful biases" across many applications, affecting many people.

General Motors, dragged a pedestrian who was hit by another car operated by a human for 20 feet (6 meters) while traveling at roughly 7 mph (11 kph) before coming to a stop. The incident resulted in California regulators suspending Cruise's state license and triggered a massive shakeup at that service.

Companies that provide these systems will have to assess and mitigate the risks; report any serious incidents, such as malfunctions that cause someone's death or serious harm to health or property; put cybersecurity measures in place; and disclose how much energy their models use.

DO EUROPE'S RULES INFLUENCE THE REST OF THE WORLD?

Brussels first suggested

AI regulations in 2019, taking a familiar global role in ratcheting up scrutiny of emerging industries, while other governments scramble to keep up.

In the U.S., President Joe Biden signed a sweeping executive order on AI in October that's expected

THE OPENAI logo is displayed on a cell phone with an image on a computer screen generated by ChatGPT's Dall-E textto-image model, Dec. 8, 2023, in Boston.

European Union lawmakers are set to give final approval to the 27-nation bloc's artificial intelligence law Wednesday, putting the world-leading set of rules for the fastdeveloping technology on track to take effect later this year.

to be backed up by legislation and global agreements. In the meantime, lawmakers in at least seven U.S. states are working on their own AI legislation. Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed his Global AI Governance Initiative for fair and safe use of AI, and authorities have issued " interim measures " for managing generative AI, which applies to text, pictures, audio, video and other content generated for people inside China. Other countries, from Brazil to Japan, as well as global groupings like the United Nations and Group of Seven industrialized nations, are moving to draw up AI guardrails.

Photo:Michael Dwyer/AP

BILL TO QUASH HUNDREDS OF WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS OVER A POST OFFICE SCANDAL GOES BEFORE UK PARLIAMENT

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press

THE British government introduced legislation Wednesday to quash the wrongful convictions of hundreds of Post Office branch managers in England and Wales who were caught up in one of the United Kingdom's biggest miscarriages of justice.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the legislation "marks an important step forward in finally clearing" the names of those who were convicted on the basis of a faulty computer accounting system, known as Horizon, and who have faced long delays in having their compensation claims assessed.

"We owe it to the victims of this scandal who have had their lives and livelihoods callously torn apart, to deliver the justice they've fought so long and hard for, and to ensure nothing like this ever happens again," he said.

Under the terms of the bill, which is expected to become law by the summer,

convictions will be automatically quashed if they meet certain conditions, including if the cases were brought by the state-owned Post Office or the Crown Prosecution Service.

The convictions must also relate to alleged offenses, such as theft, fraud and false accounting, committed between 1996 and 2018, by anyone using the faulty Horizon software. More than 700 so-called subpostmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office and handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015.

Those with overturned convictions will receive an interim payment with the option of immediately taking a fixed and final offer of 600,000 pounds ($760,000). Those who suffered financially but weren't convicted will be offered "enhanced" financial redress, and those who have already settled will have their compensation topped up. The option remains for claims to be assessed under the normal process in which there is no limit.

By CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer

DON'T be surprised if your doctors start writing you overly friendly messages. They could be getting some help from artificial intelligence.

New AI tools are helping doctors communicate with their patients, some by answering messages and others by taking notes during exams. It's been 15 months since OpenAI released ChatGPT. Already thousands of doctors are using similar products based on large language models. One company says its tool works in 14 languages.

AI saves doctors time and prevents burnout, enthusiasts say. It also shakes up the doctor-patient relationship, raising questions of trust, transparency, privacy and the future of human connection.

A look at how new AI tools affect patients:

IS MY DOCTOR USING AI?

In recent years, medical devices with machine learning have been doing things like reading mammograms, diagnosing eye disease and detecting heart problems. What's new is generative AI's ability to respond to complex instructions by predicting language.

Your next check-up could be recorded by an AIpowered smartphone app that listens, documents and instantly organizes everything into a note you can read later. The tool also can mean more money for the doctor's employer because it won't forget details that legitimately could be billed to insurance.

Your doctor should ask for your consent before using the tool. You might also see some new wording in the

forms you sign at the doctor's office.

Other AI tools could be helping your doctor draft a message, but you might never know it.

"Your physician might tell you that they're using it, or they might not tell you," said Cait DesRoches, director of OpenNotes, a Boston-based group working for transparent communication between doctors and patients. Some health systems encourage disclosure, and some don't. Doctors or nurses must approve the AI-generated messages before sending them. In one Colorado health system, such messages contain a sentence disclosing they were automatically generated. But doctors can delete that line.

"It sounded exactly like him. It was remarkable," said patient Tom Detner, 70, of Denver, who recently received an AI-generated message that began: "Hello, Tom, I'm glad to hear that your neck pain is improving. It's important to listen to your body." The message ended with "Take care" and a disclosure that it had been automatically generated and edited by his doctor.

Detner said he was glad for the transparency. "Full disclosure is very important," he said.

WILL AI MAKE MISTAKES?

Large language models can misinterpret input or even fabricate inaccurate responses, an effect called hallucination. The new tools have internal guardrails to try to prevent inaccuracies

from reaching patients — or landing in electronic health records.

"You don't want those fake things entering the clinical notes," said Dr. Alistair Erskine, who leads digital innovations for Georgia-based Emory Healthcare, where hundreds of doctors are using a product from Abridge to document patient visits.

The tool runs the doctorpatient conversation across several large language models and eliminates weird ideas, Erskine said. "It's a way of engineering out hallucinations."

Ultimately, "the doctor is the most important guardrail," said Abridge CEO Dr. Shiv Rao. As doctors review AI-generated notes, they can click on any word and listen to the specific segment of the patient's visit to check accuracy. In Buffalo, New York, a different AI tool misheard Dr. Lauren Bruckner when she told a teenage cancer patient it was a good thing she didn't have an allergy to sulfa drugs. The AI-generated note said, "Allergies: Sulfa."

The tool "totally misunderstood the conversation," said Bruckner, chief medical information officer at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. "That doesn't happen often, but clearly that's a problem."

WHAT ABOUT THE HUMAN TOUCH?

AI tools can be prompted to be friendly, empathetic and informative.

But they can get carried away. In Colorado, a patient with a runny nose was alarmed to learn from an AI-generated message that the problem could be a brain fluid leak. (It wasn't.) A nurse hadn't proofread carefully and mistakenly sent the message.

"At times, it's an astounding help and at times it's of no help at all," said Dr. C.T. Lin, who leads technology innovations at Coloradobased UC Health, where about 250 doctors and staff use a Microsoft AI tool to write the first draft of messages to patients. The messages are delivered through Epic's patient portal.

The tool had to be taught about a new RSV vaccine because it was drafting messages saying there was no such thing. But with routine advice — like rest, ice, compression and elevation for an ankle sprain — "it's beautiful for that," Linn said.

Also on the plus side, doctors using AI are no longer tied to their computers during medical appointments. They can make eye contact with their patients because the AI tool records the exam.

The tool needs audible words, so doctors are learning to explain things aloud, said Dr. Robert Bart, chief medical information officer at Pittsburgh-based UPMC. A doctor might say: "I am currently examining the right elbow. It is quite swollen. It feels like there's fluid in the right elbow."

Talking through the exam for the benefit of the AI tool can also help patients understand what's going on, Bart said. "I've been in an examination where you hear the hemming and hawing while the physician is doing it. And I'm always wondering, 'Well, what does that mean?'"

WHAT ABOUT PRIVACY?

U.S. law requires health care systems to get assurances from business associates that they will safeguard protected health information, and the companies could face investigation and fines from the Department of Health and Human Services if they mess up.

Doctors interviewed for this article said they feel confident in the data security of the new products and that the information will not be sold.

Photo:Frank Augstein/AP

EQUAL EDUCATION, UNEQUAL PAY: WHY IS THERE STILL A GENDER PAY GAP IN 2024?

By CLAIRE SAVAGE

Associated Press

NOT even education can close the pay gap that persists between women and men, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report.

Whether women earn a post-secondary certificate or graduate from a top-tier university, they still make about 71 cents on the dollar compared with men at the same education level, Census Bureau research found.

That difference is coming into stark view on Equal Pay Day, and in spite of the fact that women comprise more than half of college-educated workers and participate in the labor force at record rates.

Rather than comparing full-time working men to full-time working women, the Feb. 22 Census Bureau report juxtaposes men and women with the same education caliber: graduates of certificate degree programs and those who hold bachelor's degrees from the most selective universities, explained economist Kendall Houghton, a co-author of the research. The report also includes graduates who may have opted out

of the labor force, such as women taking on child care responsibilities. "The main point here is that there's a substantial gap at every single level," added Census Bureau economist and co-author Ariel Binder.

Field of study, choice of occupation and hours account for much of the discrepancy, but not all. Field of study, for instance, contributes to the pay gap much more for top graduates (24.6%), but for less selective degree holders accounted for only a sliver (3.8%). And the number of hours and weeks worked affect the pay gap more for certificate earners (26.4%) than selective bachelor's degree earners (11.3%), suggesting there is a bigger gender difference in work participation for certificate holders, Binder said.

At the same time, about 31% of the gap for each education level remains unexplained, suggesting less easily measured factors such as gender stereotypes and discrimination may be at play.

Chantel Adams says she isn't surprised that the gender pay gap persists even among men and

women with the same level and quality of education, or that the gap is wider for Black and Hispanic women.

A senior marketing executive who holds an MBA from University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School, Adams said her qualifications aren't enough to counteract the headwinds she faces in her career as a Black woman.

Despite taking on extra responsibilities and an undisputedly strong performance, Adams said she was turned down for a promotion because she was told that "I was so articulate and sharp that it was intimidating to some people."

"I have nearly $300,000 of post-high school education. It would be surprising if I weren't articulate and sharp," said Adams, who is based in Durham, North Carolina.

She said her peers at the company — one of whom did not have an MBA — were promoted while she was held back two years in a row.

"It's unreasonable and unfair to hold someone's strengths against them," Adams said. "I would

Investigator says she asked Boeing’s CEO who handled panel that blew off a jet. He couldn’t help her

By The Associated Press

THE nation's chief accident investigator said Wednesday that her agency still doesn't know who worked on the panel that blew off a jetliner in January and that Boeing's CEO told her that he couldn't provide the information because the company has no records about the job.

"The absence of those records will complicate the NTSB's investigation moving forward," National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy wrote in a letter to a Senate committee that is looking into the Jan. 5 accident on a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines. Boeing issued a brief statement vowing, as it has

many times, to support the investigation. Homendy told senators last week that the NTSB asked Boeing for securitycamera footage that might help identify who worked on the panel in September, but was told the video was overwritten after 30 days — months before the blowout. Boeing said Wednesday that it's standard company practice to erase video after 30 days. Homendy's latest letter to the Senate Commerce Committee was a follow-up to her appearance before the panel last week. Shortly after her testimony ended, Boeing provided names of 25 employees who work on doors at the company's 737 factory near Seattle. She said, however, the company still hasn't said

which of the workers removed the panel, which plugs a hole left when extra emergency doors are not required on a plane. She said she even called Boeing CEO David Calhoun.

"He stated he was unable to provide that information and maintained that Boeing has no records of the work being performed," Homendy wrote. Boeing did not comment on the phone call.

There is a drawback to NTSB's focus on identifying specific workers, Homendy conceded. She worried that it could discourage people from talking about the matter with investigators, and so she told her staff to protect the identities of Boeing employees who come forward.

consider that as something that is race-based."

Broadly, younger women are closer to wage parity with younger men, according to Carolina Aragao, who researches social and demographic trends at Pew Research Center. But the gap widens between the ages of 35 and 44, which coincides with when women are most likely to have a child at home.

"That does not play out the same way for men," Aragao said, adding that there is actually an opposite

phenomenon known as the fatherhood premium, in which fathers tend to earn more than other workers, including men without children at home. Despite women making vast gains in C-suite and high-earning industry representation, wage gap improvement has stalled for about 20 years, Aragao said. Uneven child care and household responsibilities, falling college wage premiums, and overrepresentation in lower-paying occupations

are all contributors to why the pay gap stubbornly remains.

For Adams, the best strategy to overcome them has been to keep changing jobs — six times in 10 years, across multiple states in her case.

"I knew that I needed to be intentional and move with urgency as I navigated my career in order to work against that headwind," she said. "When those opportunities were not afforded me within one company, I've gone elsewhere."

CHANTEL ADAMS, a senior marketing executive, sits in her home office Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Durham, N.C. Adams says she isn’t surprised that the gender pay gap persists even among men and women with the same level and quality of education, or that the gap is wider for Black and Hispanic women.

Photo:Chris Seward /AP

Bill that could ban TikTok passed in the House. Here’s what to know

By HALELUYA HADERO

AP Business Writer

TIKTOK once again

finds itself in a precarious position as lawmakers in Washington move forward with a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban on the platform.

The House on Wednesday passed legislation that would ban TikTok if its China-based owner ByteDance doesn't sell its stakes in the popular social media platform within six months of the bill's enactment.

Here's what you need to know:

What's in the House bill?

The legislation essentially gives ByteDance two options: sell TikTok or face a ban.

If ByteDance chooses to divest its stakes, TikTok

would continue to operate in the U.S. if the President determines "through an inter-agency process" that the platform is "no longer being controlled by a foreign adversary." The bill would also require ByteDance to give up control of TikTok's well-known algorithm, which feeds users content based off their preferences. Experts have said it will be challenging for ByteDance to sell TikTok in a few months.

If the company chooses not to sell, TikTok would be prohibited from app stores – such as those offered by Apple and Google - as well as web-hosting services until a divesture occurs, according to the bill.

Why are lawmakers concerned about TikTok?

Lawmakers from both parties - as well as law enforcement and intelligence officials - have long expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over data on the 170 million Americans who use TikTok. The worry stems from a set of Chinese national security laws that compel organizations to assist with intelligence gatheringwhich ByteDance would likely be subject to – and other far-reaching ways the country's authoritarian government exercises control.

TikTok has denied assertions that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government. The company has said it has never shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities and won't do so if its asked. To date, U.S. government also has not provided any evidence that shows TikTok shared such information with Chinese authorities.

Apart from security concerns, some lawmakers, researchers and critics of TikTok posit the app suppresses content unfavorable to Beijing, which TikTok denies. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence also warned in a report released Monday that the Chinese government has used TikTok to influence recent U.S. elections.

"TikTok accounts run by a PRC propaganda arm reportedly targeted candidates from both political parties during the U.S. midterm election cycle in 2022," the report said.

Will TikTok shut down now?

No. The Senate would also need to pass the measure for it to become law. But it's unclear what will happen in that chamber, where several bills aimed at banning TikTok have stalled. Senate lawmakers have indicated this bill would undergo a thorough review.

President Joe Biden has said he will sign the bill if

lawmakers pass it. If that happens, ByteDance would have 180 days to sell TikTok to a qualified buyer.

The proposal could also be challenged in the courts by TikTok, which has sued to counter other attempts to ban the platform both nationally and at the state level.

What happened to the previous attempts made to ban TikTok?

In 2020, former President Donald Trump attempted to ban the social media platform through an executive order. This was later blocked by the courts after TikTok sued.

The Trump administration also brokered a deal in 2020 that would have had U.S. corporations Oracle and Walmart take a large stake in TikTok on national security grounds. But the sale never went through for a number of reasons, one being China, which imposed stricter export controls on its technology providers.

The Biden administration revoked Trump's executive order but continued a review of the platform by the secretive Committee

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on Foreign Investment in the U.S., an intra-agency committee that reportedly threatened to ban TikTok last year if its Chinese owners don't divest their stakes. The White House acknowledged last month that review remains ongoing.

Other efforts from federal lawmakers to enact nationwide bans were stalled last year amid lobbying from TikTok as well as influencers and small businesses who use the platform. The American Civil Liberties Union and some digital rights groups have opposed a TikTok ban on free speech grounds and argued the latest House bill would violate the rights of Americans who rely on the app for information, advocacy and entertainment.

How are TikTok content creators reacting to the latest bill?

If the House bill becomes law, it would be bad news for small businesses who rely on the platform for marketing or sell products on TikTok Shop — the company's e-commerce arm. It would also impact the lives of social media influencers who have spent years cultivating their following on the platform, and rely on it to acquire brand deals or other types of income.

Many TikTok influencers were flown into into Washington this week by the company to participate in a lobbying blitz against the bill. Some said a ban on

the app would disrupt their lives and businesses.

What about TikTok users?

TikTok sent a notification to some users last week urging them to call their representatives about the measure, which it characterized as a "TikTok shutdown."

The company told users Congress was planning "total ban" on the platform that could "damage millions of businesses, destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country and deny artists an audience."

On Thursday, many users responded by inundating congressional offices with calls, leading some to shut off their phones.

Can I access TikTok if it gets banned?

Experts say users can likely find ways to get around a ban.

App users can try to use virtual private networks, or VPNs, to disguise their location and bypass such restrictions, said Roger Entner, a telecom analyst and the founder of Recon Analytics. It will be challenging for the government to crack down on that behavior because there are many foreign VPN services that don't need to abide by U.S. laws, Entner said.

But the use of VPNs also raises additional security questions, especially for users who go with a free or cheap VPN provider they haven't carefully vetted.

FANS sit under a TikTok ad at a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, April 14, 2023, in New York. A bill that could lead to the popular video-sharing app TikTok being unavailable in the United States is quickly gaining traction in the House. Lawmakers advanced legislation against TikTok Thursday as they voiced concerns about the potential for the platform to surveil and manipulate Americans.

Photo:Frank Franklin II/AP

Trader Joe’s $3 mini totes went viral on TikTok. Now, they’re reselling for hundreds

By GAETANE LEWIS Associated Press

TRADER Joe's mini

canvas tote is the latest item to cause a stir on social media, so much so that resellers are taking advantage of the hype.

The mini totes are offered in four colors — blue, red, green, and yellow — and they are all in high demand.

The bags, retailing for $2.99, are now advertised on platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace for many times their original price.

Offers from third-party sellers range significantly, but as of Wednesday, listings ranged from about $20 for a single bag to as high as $999 for a set of four.

Videos shared on social media show crowds of customers visiting Trader Joe's stores hoping to get their hands on one of the highlycoveted mini totes. Beyond the checkout line, TikTokers

have gained tens of thousands of views for sharing and customizing their bags with detail paint, buttons, and embroidery designs. "Our Mini Canvas Tote Bags certainly sold more quickly than we anticipated," said Nakia Rohde, a spokesperson for Trader Joe's. "Before we had the opportunity to promote them in any way, customers across the country found them at their neighborhood Trader Joe's."

While Trader Joe's is no stranger to having its products go viral, the Monrovia, California-based grocery chain also said it does not condone the reselling its products — with Rohde stressing that "our customers, in our stores, are our focus."

Exclusivity and limited supply are always key factors impacting both prices and consumer behavior. Beyond the added influence of the internet, that's

previously been displayed in demand for products ranging from the scarcity of Huy Fong Foods' Sriracha to empty toilet paper shelves seen at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We as humans seem to hoard things that social media makes us think is desirable or important," Jay Zagorsky, a clinical associate professor at Boston University's Questrom School of Business, told The Associated Press via email. He added that such bulk buying — whether it's Trader Joe's mini totes or COVID-era toilet paper — can also help consumers feel more secure, as future availability may be uncertain.

Of course, Trader Joe's mini totes aren't the first to become a viral sensation. Stanley cups, for example, similarly skyrocketed to online fame this year, with demand for the tumblers causing chaos at retailers nationwide.

A TRADER Joe's mini tote bag is shown in Palmyra, N.J., on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. The bag is the latest item to cause a stir on social media, so much so that resellers are taking advantage of the hype.

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A private and well-established gated resort-community in the family islands is seeking to employ a Bahamian General Manager.

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Photo:Christina Paciolla/AP

AI IMAGE-GENERATOR MIDJOURNEY BLOCKS IMAGES OF BIDEN AND TRUMP AS ELECTION LOOMS

By MATT O'BRIEN AP Technology Writer

THE popular artificial intelligence image-generator Midjourney has started blocking its users from creating fake images of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential election, according to tests of the AI tool by The Associated Press.

With the election in full swing, it's time to "put some foots down on election-related stuff for a bit," Midjourney CEO David Holz told several hundred members of the service's devoted userbase in a digital office hours event

Wednesday.

Declaring that "this moderation stuff is kind of hard," Holz didn't outline exactly what policy changes were being made but described the clampdown as a temporary measure to make it harder for people to abuse the tool. The company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Attempts by AP journalists to test Midjourney's new policy on Wednesday by asking it to make an image of "Trump and Biden shaking hands at the beach" led to a "Banned

Prompt Detected" warning. A second attempt escalated the warning to: "You have triggered an abuse alert."

The tiny company — which has just 11 employees, according to its website — has largely kept silent in the public debate over how generative AI tools could fuel election misinformation around the world. Midjourney was the only maker of a leading image-generating tool that didn't join a voluntary tech industry pact in February to combat AIgenerated deepfakes that deliberately trick voters.

"I don't really care about political speech," Holz said Wednesday. "That's not the purpose of Midjourney. It's not that interesting to me. That said, I also don't want to spend all of my time trying to police political speech. So we're going to have put our foot down on it a bit."

The Center for Countering Digital Hate released a report earlier this month that concluded Midjourney is already being used to produce images that could support disinformation about political candidates or false claims of election fraud.

"Midjourney seemed to have the fewest controls of any AI image-generator

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when it came to generating images of well-known political figures like Joe Biden and Donald Trump," said Callum Hood, the group's head of research, in an interview Wednesday. "Midjourney was almost unique in both being willing to

generate those images and generating quite convincing images of candidates."

The watchdog group tested Midjourney as well as OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus, Stability AI's DreamStudio and Microsoft's Image Creator, and found all had

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NOTICE is hereby given that FUNTASHA CHARLES Blackwood, Eleuthera, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 7th day of March 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

intelligence image-generator Midjourney announced it has blocked its users from creating images of Biden and Trump ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

AP

week but "its decision to block those images would help seal a major weakness compared to other popular image generators."

problems, creating election disinformation in 41% of cases. But "Midjourney performed worst of any tool, failing in 65% of test runs," the report said. Hood said he wasn't aware if Midjourney changed its policies this

As recently as late last week, Midjourney's public database shows users were successfully able to produce images based on prompts such as "Abstract photo of Donald Trump sitting in a tiny electric car" and "joe biden eating ice cream."

But that changed in recent days as users reported they received a warning when trying to make Biden or Trump images. Some complained that Midjourney wasn't properly communicating the changed policy.

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The

Nominations forms are available at our Nassau and Freeport offces or by emailing sthompson@pwccu.org.

Completed Nomination forms, along with a cover letter and resume must be submitted by 4 pm on Monday, May 6th, 2024, either by delivering to any of our offces or via the email listed.

No nominations will be allowed from the foor

THIS combination of photos shows former President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden. On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, the popular artificial

Photo:

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Wall Street drifts to a mixed close, holding near record levels

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer

U.S. stocks drifted to a mixed finish Wednesday, as a lull carried through financial markets worldwide.

The S&P 500 slipped 9.96 points, or 0.2%, from its alltime high set a day before to 5,165.31. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 37.83, or 0.1%, to 39,043.32 and pulled within 90 points of its record set last month.

The Nasdaq composite dipped 87.87, or 0.5%, to 16,177.77.

The bond market was also relatively quiet, with Treasury yields ticking higher, while stock markets abroad were mixed after making mostly modest moves.

The biggest action may have been in the oil market, where a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude climbed $2.16 to settle at $79.72. Brent crude, the international standard, rose $2.11 to $84.03 per barrel.

Oil prices have been on a general upswing so far this year, which has helped keep inflation a bit higher than economists expected. That higher inflation has in turn dashed Wall Street's hopes that the Federal Reserve could start offering relief at its meeting next week by cutting interest rates.

But the expectation is still for the Fed to begin cutting rates in June because the longer-term trend for inflation seems to remain downward. The Fed's main interest rate is at its highest level since 2001, and reductions would release pressure on the economy and financial system. Stocks have already rallied in part on expectations for such cuts.

Their nearly nonstop run since late October, though, has raised criticism that it was overdone. The U.S. stock market was recently looking more expensive than it has in 99% of its history by a measure that

looks at prices versus long-term earnings for companies, according to Jeremy Grantham, co-founder of GMO.

The famed investor, who has a reputation for being cautious but also correctly predicted the popping of prior bubbles, says the longrun prospects for the broad U.S. market "look as poor as almost any other time in history."

"The simple rule is you can't get blood out of a stone," he wrote in a recent report. "If you double the price of an asset, you halve its future return."

On Wall Street, where the S&P 500 has jumped 44% since hitting a bottom in 2022, Dollar Tree tumbled 14.2% after reporting weaker results for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Traffic increased at its stores, but it said customers bought less at each purchase than they did a year ago. The company also said it will close about 600 of its Family Dollar stores in the six months through early August.

On the winning side of Wall Street was WilliamsSonoma, which jumped 17.8%. The company, which also runs Pottery Barn and West Elm stores, increased its dividend 26% and announced a new authorization to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock. It also delivered a stronger profit for its latest quarter than analysts expected, despite the drag of a slower housing market.

Stocks of energy producers were also strong, benefiting from the rise in oil prices. Those in the

S&P 500 rose 1.5% for the biggest gain among the 11 sectors that make up the index.

Valero Energy climbed 5.2%, and Marathon Petroleum added 3.1%. A 1.1% rise for Exxon Mobil was one of the stronger forces pushing upward on the S&P 500.

A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 ended up rising, but the index was weighed down by losses from some Big Tech behemoths and other influential members. Nvidia slipped 1.1% and was one of the strongest forces pulling the S&P 500 lower.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.18% from 4.15% late Tuesday. It helps set rates for mortgages and loans for all kinds of companies and other borrowers.

Photo:Peter Morgan/AP