Thousands were without power on the East Coast of the United States yesterday evening (Friday), while water flooded roads in some coastal areas of New Jersey in the first major signs of the powerful storm “Noor Easter,” which is expected to create dangerous conditions over the weekend, according to the German News Agency.
There are tens of millions of people in the path of the storm, which has already begun to hit the region with strong winds and rain. Dangerous flooding is expected along the mid-Atlantic coast, especially near New Jersey and Delaware, according to the National Weather Service.
In the coastal area of Manasquan, New Jersey, some roads were submerged with water as darkness fell. Voluntary evacuation orders were issued earlier in some low-lying areas in the region. Mayor Mike Mangan said he expects "there will be a lot of water in the streets for a long time."
Concerts were cancelled, along with dozens of flights to Boston, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard airports on Friday and Saturday. Several airlines have offered to waive some change or cancellation fees for some East Coast flights over the weekend.
Brian Kelly, mayor of Sea Bright Beach, a small community in New Jersey, said the area was bracing for winds of up to 50 mph (80 kph) and flooding that could reach 6 feet (1.8 meters) high on some streets. Officials expect the flooding to begin today (Saturday) and worsen by midday.
The White House announced on Friday that Washington and Beijing will establish a “communication channel” between them to address incidents related to artificial intelligence.
The White House stated in an information document that the two countries had established a “dialogue between the United States and China on superintelligence to exchange views on the risks and benefits” associated with artificial intelligence, and they also agreed to establish a “bilateral communication channel” to address incidents in this field, according to Agence France-Presse.
Artificial intelligence, which US President Donald Trump a few days ago described as “superior intelligence,” was one of the main topics discussed by Chinese President Xi Jinping with his American counterpart during his visit to Washington, which concluded on Friday.
The two countries competing in the field of artificial intelligence are subject to increasing criticism regarding the issue of risks resulting from artificial intelligence, after recording a number of incidents that raised fears that this technology might escape the control of its creators.
The Chinese President considered that Washington and Beijing have a responsibility to “develop and manage artificial intelligence to serve the public good, and to ensure that its development always remains under human supervision.” As for Trump, his position was the opposite. He expressed his adherence to “the current level of organization.”
Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besent proposed creating a mechanism for mutual notification between the two countries regarding any incidents in the field of artificial intelligence “related to national security.” He added: “We believe that it is important to move from a situation shrouded in ambiguity to more transparency between the first and second powers in the world in the field of artificial intelligence.”
Today (Saturday), the White House indicated that CNN has been excluded from accompanying US President Donald Trump on Air Force One in the latest media restrictions.
The White House announced on Thursday that it had re-entered journalists from the media organizations MS Now, CNN, and Politico, after federal judge Tim Kelly deemed the ban imposed by US President Donald Trump on these organizations “likely unconstitutional,” and ordered their immediate re-entry. Their re-entry came in the middle of the day after a few chaotic hours, when journalists were still prevented from entering the White House.
