At a time when Hollywood celebrities are worried about the potential misuse of artificial intelligence actor Scarlett Johansson has taken up the legal route against OpenAI's new chatbot. Johansson was left shocked and angered after OpenAI launched a chatbot named Sky with a voice eerily similar to her own.

Did OpenAi steal Scarlett Johansson's voice?

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<p>Australians will vote in a referendum on 14 October 2023 to constitutionally recognise its Indigenous people by establishing a representative body responsible for providing non-binding advice to the parliament.</p>

<p>Indigenous people of Australia consist of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They are 3.2 per cent of Australia's total population. More than 800,000 Indigenous people have inhabited the land for 60,000 years. They comprise various groups who have their histories, cultures and languages.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the British colonisation began in 1788, Australia's Indigenous population started plunging. The British colonisers took their land, exposed them to new diseases, pushed them to work in slave-like conditions, and even killed many. Since then, the marginalisation of Australia's First Nations people has continued. But there have been some efforts to address this issue more recently.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-uses-car-tyres-to-cover-military-aircraft-to-deter-ukrainian-drone-attacks-report-632902" target="_blank">Russia uses car tyres to cover military aircraft to deter Ukrainian drone attacks: Report&nbsp;&nbsp;</a></p>

<p>More than 60 years after the nations' establishment in 1901, Australia included the Indigenous people in census figures in 1967, following a referendum to amend the constitution.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2017, around 250 First Nations representatives gathered at the holy monolith landmark of Uluru in central Australia. They created the 'Uluru Statement from the Heart', calling for a First Nations Voice enshrined in the constitution. However, at that time, the conservative government rejected the call.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When Anthony Albanese became prime minister in 2022, he promised to hold a referendum to include an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the parliament, giving Australians a say. According to Reuters, Albanese has staked much of his political capital on the referendum by making it one of the prime issues.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The supportive forces comprise the left-wing Greens party, independent legislators, welfare groups, and national and ethno-religious groups.</p>

<p>However, some people oppose it on both flanks of the political ridge. Lidia Thorpe, an independent Indigenous senator, is one of them. She left the Green party over concerns about the Voice proposal, as she wants a treaty between the government and Indigenous people first, parallel to what New Zealand and Canada have.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While New Zealand's Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 promises to protect Maori culture, Canada recognises the rights of its Indigenous people under the Constitution Act 1982.</p>

<p>Those against the proposal are the conservative Liberal Party and the rural-based National Party. They have appealed to Australians to vote "No" in the referendum.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A campaign called "Recognise a Better Way" suggests creating an all-party parliamentary committee to address the concerns of native titleholders instead of having a referendum on establishing a Voice to Parliament.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
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Australians will vote in a referendum on 14 October 2023 to constitutionally recognise its Indigenous people by establishing a representative body responsible for providing non-binding advice to the parliament.

Australians will vote in a referendum on 14 October 2023 to constitutionally recognise its Indigenous people by establishing a representative body responsible for providing non-binding advice to the parliament. Indigenous people of Australia consist of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They are 3.2 per cent of Australia's total population. More than 800,000 Indigenous people have inhabited the land for 60,000 years. They comprise various groups who have their histories, cultures and languages. After the British colonisation began in 1788, Australia's Indigenous population started plunging. The British colonisers took their land, exposed them to new diseases, pushed them to work in slave-like conditions, and even killed many. Since then, the marginalisation of Australia's First Nations people has continued. But there have been some efforts to address this issue more recently. ALSO READ | Russia uses car tyres to cover military aircraft to deter Ukrainian drone attacks: Report More than 60 years after the nations' establishment in 1901, Australia included the Indigenous people in census figures in 1967, following a referendum to amend the constitution. In 2017, around 250 First Nations representatives gathered at the holy monolith landmark of Uluru in central Australia. They created the 'Uluru Statement from the Heart', calling for a First Nations Voice enshrined in the constitution. However, at that time, the conservative government rejected the call. When Anthony Albanese became prime minister in 2022, he promised to hold a referendum to include an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the parliament, giving Australians a say. According to Reuters, Albanese has staked much of his political capital on the referendum by making it one of the prime issues. The supportive forces comprise the left-wing Greens party, independent legislators, welfare groups, and national and ethno-religious groups. However, some people oppose it on both flanks of the political ridge. Lidia Thorpe, an independent Indigenous senator, is one of them. She left the Green party over concerns about the Voice proposal, as she wants a treaty between the government and Indigenous people first, parallel to what New Zealand and Canada have. While New Zealand's Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 promises to protect Maori culture, Canada recognises the rights of its Indigenous people under the Constitution Act 1982. Those against the proposal are the conservative Liberal Party and the rural-based National Party. They have appealed to Australians to vote "No" in the referendum. A campaign called "Recognise a Better Way" suggests creating an all-party parliamentary committee to address the concerns of native titleholders instead of having a referendum on establishing a Voice to Parliament. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

What is Australia's Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum? Here's all you need to know about the proposal

<p>A Tokyo-based startup, Preferred Robotics Inc, has introduced a new rectangular robot called "Kachaka" designed for home use.&nbsp;This innovative robot responds to verbal commands and can efficiently deliver various items within the house. Equipped with sensors and a camera, Kachaka attaches to a specially designed table fitted with caster wheels.</p>

<h2><strong>How does Kachaka function?</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>To initiate the delivery process, users simply place the desired object on the table and give a command. Once the command is given, the robot can transport the item to a pre-registered location within the house.&nbsp; Additionally, Kachaka can be programmed to bring books, magazines, or other objects to its owner at specified times.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mysterious-venice-canal-stuns-locals-as-patch-takes-on-fluorescent-green-hue-597632">Mysterious! Venice canal stuns locals as patch takes on fluorescent green hue</a></p>

<p>The robot's AI technology enables it to analyse camera images, allowing it to detect and avoid obstacles such as walls and furniture, ensuring safe navigation. Although automation is commonly used in controlled environments like factories, Preferred Robotics has focused on developing a robot capable of operating safely at home, even in varying surroundings.</p>

<h2><strong>What is Kachaka capable of?</strong></h2>

<p>Weighing 10 kilograms, Kachaka has a maximum carrying capacity of 20 kg, including the attached table. It can move at a speed of up to 80 centimeters per second, making it efficient and time-saving for household tasks. With more people spending increased time at home, especially for remote work, Preferred Robotics aims to reduce the time spent on chores with the help of their innovative home robot.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-secures-approval-for-second-hydropower-project-in-nepal-strengthening-bilateral-energy-cooperation-597637">India secures approval for second hydropower project in Nepal, strengthening bilateral energy cooperation</a></p>

<p>The robot is available with a double or triple-shelf table configuration and is priced starting from 251,800 yen. Users are also required to pay a monthly fee of 980 yen for the robot app.</p>

<h2><strong>Preferred Robotics</strong></h2>

<p>Preferred Robotics, a subsidiary of Preferred Networks Inc, is known as one of Japan's "unicorn" companies, a term used to describe unlisted startups valued at over $1 billion.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Turkey Elections 2023: Erdogan back for another five years</strong></p>

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<p>Since its establishment in 2014, the company has been dedicated to providing AI-driven robotic solutions that enhance human lives through the integration of advanced technology and supercomputers.</p>

<h2><strong>How can AI robots help humans?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>AI robots can act as intelligent personal assistants, helping individuals with tasks, managing schedules, and providing personalised recommendations. These assistants can leverage AI algorithms to understand user preferences, learn from interactions, and provide tailored services across various domains.</p>

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A Tokyo-based startup, Preferred Robotics Inc, has introduced a new rectangular robot called "Kachaka" designed for home use. This innovative robot responds to verbal commands and can efficiently deliver various items within the house.

A Tokyo-based startup, Preferred Robotics Inc, has introduced a new rectangular robot called "Kachaka" designed for home use. This innovative robot responds to verbal commands and can efficiently deliver various items within the house. Equipped with sensors and a camera, Kachaka attaches to a specially designed table fitted with caster wheels. How does Kachaka function? To initiate the delivery process, users simply place the desired object on the table and give a command. Once the command is given, the robot can transport the item to a pre-registered location within the house. Additionally, Kachaka can be programmed to bring books, magazines, or other objects to its owner at specified times. Also Read | Mysterious! Venice canal stuns locals as patch takes on fluorescent green hue The robot's AI technology enables it to analyse camera images, allowing it to detect and avoid obstacles such as walls and furniture, ensuring safe navigation. Although automation is commonly used in controlled environments like factories, Preferred Robotics has focused on developing a robot capable of operating safely at home, even in varying surroundings. What is Kachaka capable of? Weighing 10 kilograms, Kachaka has a maximum carrying capacity of 20 kg, including the attached table. It can move at a speed of up to 80 centimeters per second, making it efficient and time-saving for household tasks. With more people spending increased time at home, especially for remote work, Preferred Robotics aims to reduce the time spent on chores with the help of their innovative home robot. Also Read | India secures approval for second hydropower project in Nepal, strengthening bilateral energy cooperation The robot is available with a double or triple-shelf table configuration and is priced starting from 251,800 yen. Users are also required to pay a monthly fee of 980 yen for the robot app. Preferred Robotics Preferred Robotics, a subsidiary of Preferred Networks Inc, is known as one of Japan's "unicorn" companies, a term used to describe unlisted startups valued at over $1 billion. Watch | Turkey Elections 2023: Erdogan back for another five years × Since its establishment in 2014, the company has been dedicated to providing AI-driven robotic solutions that enhance human lives through the integration of advanced technology and supercomputers. How can AI robots help humans? AI robots can act as intelligent personal assistants, helping individuals with tasks, managing schedules, and providing personalised recommendations. These assistants can leverage AI algorithms to understand user preferences, learn from interactions, and provide tailored services across various domains. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Meet 'Kachaka': Japanese startup unveils home robot capable of delivering items through voice commands

<p>In the latest development in the world of artificial intelligence, researchers are now working on a technology which can detect if a person has a cold or not from the tone of their voice.</p>

<p>AI has emerged as a breakthrough in the world of technology ever since the inception of tools like Microsoft’s new Bing, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.</p>

<p>New ways of using artificial intelligence are being explored by people and the emerging technology is being experimented with at a large scale.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/ai-might-crack-your-password-in-less-than-a-minute-heres-how-you-can-secure-your-account-580888">AI might crack your password in less than a minute. Here's how you can secure your account</a></p>

<p>And now reports have emerged that researchers have developed the technology in a way that is capable of detecting if a person is suffering from cold from the tone of their voice.</p>

<p>AI technology may prove useful in helping people detect if they have caught a cold, however, this can prove troublesome for employees who apply for fake sick leaves, lying about suffering from a cold when they are absolutely healthy.</p>

<p>If this technology of detecting cold becomes another revolutionary product in future, it will provide employers with the power to detect which employee is actually suffering from cold and who is faking it just by their voices over a call.</p>

<p>According to a report published by Business Insider, originally attributed to The Economist, the researchers working at Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat were able to successfully analyse the vocal patterns collected from 630 people.</p>

<p>Out of these, the technology was able to detect that 111 were suffering from a cold. The researchers analysed the vocal patterns to check if the technology can spot the right people who are actually affected by a cold.</p>

<p>The report added that harmonics (vocal rhythms in human speech) were used by the study to detect the presence of cold in people. As per the science applied in the technology, the harmonics decrease in amplitude when the person's frequency increases.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Japanese scientists' experiment sparks ethical debate: Can AI now read minds? | | Trending on WION</strong></p>

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<p>A person, who has caught a cold, shows an irregular pattern of frequency. Depending on this phenomenon, machine-learning algorithms were utilised by researchers to analyse various individuals' amplification differences and spot those who were suffering from a cold.</p>

<p>It was further reported that the people subjected to the experiment were asked to count from 1 to 40 followed and then describe the activities they did over the weekend.</p>

<p>They were further asked to read Aesop's fable titled The North Wind and the Sun. The accuracy achieved by the study in detecting cold was 70 per cent.&nbsp;</p>

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In the latest development in the world of artificial intelligence, researchers are now working on a technology which can detect if a person has a cold or not from the tone of their voice.

In the latest development in the world of artificial intelligence, researchers are now working on a technology which can detect if a person has a cold or not from the tone of their voice. AI has emerged as a breakthrough in the world of technology ever since the inception of tools like Microsoft’s new Bing, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. New ways of using artificial intelligence are being explored by people and the emerging technology is being experimented with at a large scale. ALSO READ | AI might crack your password in less than a minute. Here's how you can secure your account And now reports have emerged that researchers have developed the technology in a way that is capable of detecting if a person is suffering from cold from the tone of their voice. AI technology may prove useful in helping people detect if they have caught a cold, however, this can prove troublesome for employees who apply for fake sick leaves, lying about suffering from a cold when they are absolutely healthy. If this technology of detecting cold becomes another revolutionary product in future, it will provide employers with the power to detect which employee is actually suffering from cold and who is faking it just by their voices over a call. According to a report published by Business Insider, originally attributed to The Economist, the researchers working at Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat were able to successfully analyse the vocal patterns collected from 630 people. Out of these, the technology was able to detect that 111 were suffering from a cold. The researchers analysed the vocal patterns to check if the technology can spot the right people who are actually affected by a cold. The report added that harmonics (vocal rhythms in human speech) were used by the study to detect the presence of cold in people. As per the science applied in the technology, the harmonics decrease in amplitude when the person's frequency increases. WATCH | Japanese scientists' experiment sparks ethical debate: Can AI now read minds? | | Trending on WION A person, who has caught a cold, shows an irregular pattern of frequency. Depending on this phenomenon, machine-learning algorithms were utilised by researchers to analyse various individuals' amplification differences and spot those who were suffering from a cold. It was further reported that the people subjected to the experiment were asked to count from 1 to 40 followed and then describe the activities they did over the weekend. They were further asked to read Aesop's fable titled The North Wind and the Sun. The accuracy achieved by the study in detecting cold was 70 per cent. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Planning a fake sick leave? Beware, AI may detect your lie from your voice

<p>Scientists have developed a new mobile app that can detect if a person has COVID-19 infection by analysing people's voices with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).</p>

<p>The researchers at the Institute of Data Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, have claimed that the app is more accurate than other antigen tests and is comparatively cheap, quick and easy to use.</p>

<p>They said that this app can be useful in low-income countries where RT-PCR tests are expensive and difficult to access. The AI model has 89 per cent accuracy.</p>

<p>The app was around 89 per cent accurate in identifying Covid positive cases, while it was 83 per cent accurate in identifying the Covid negative cases, researchers said.</p>

<p>Their research was presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday.</p>

<p>The promising results suggest that simple voice recordings and fine-tuned AI algorithms can potentially achieve high precision in determining which patients have Covid-19 infection," said Wafaa Aljbawi, a researcher at the Institute of Data Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.</p>

<p>"Moreover, they enable remote, virtual testing and have a turnaround time of less than a minute. They could be used, for example, at the entry points for large gatherings, enabling rapid screening of the population," she said at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona, Spain.</p>

<p>The scientists used Mel-spectrogram analysis to assess 893 audio samples from 4,352 healthy and ill participants, of which 308 had tested Covid positive.</p>

<p>The analysis measured voice features such as loudness, power and variation over time.</p>

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Scientists have developed a new mobile app that can detect if a person has COVID-19 infection by analysing people's voices with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

Scientists have developed a new mobile app that can detect if a person has COVID-19 infection by analysing people's voices with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The researchers at the Institute of Data Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, have claimed that the app is more accurate than other antigen tests and is comparatively cheap, quick and easy to use. They said that this app can be useful in low-income countries where RT-PCR tests are expensive and difficult to access. The AI model has 89 per cent accuracy. The app was around 89 per cent accurate in identifying Covid positive cases, while it was 83 per cent accurate in identifying the Covid negative cases, researchers said. Their research was presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday. The promising results suggest that simple voice recordings and fine-tuned AI algorithms can potentially achieve high precision in determining which patients have Covid-19 infection," said Wafaa Aljbawi, a researcher at the Institute of Data Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. "Moreover, they enable remote, virtual testing and have a turnaround time of less than a minute. They could be used, for example, at the entry points for large gatherings, enabling rapid screening of the population," she said at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The scientists used Mel-spectrogram analysis to assess 893 audio samples from 4,352 healthy and ill participants, of which 308 had tested Covid positive. The analysis measured voice features such as loudness, power and variation over time. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Scientists create app that can detect Covid using people’s voices

<p>If you want to know why our politics are so awful, check out our recent public debates about abortion.</p>

<p>Everybody is sensing where the Supreme Court seems to be heading on Roe v. Wade. But as our politics have grown coarser and more combative, a lot of conservatives aren’t even acknowledging the problems that have always made this issue so hard. For example: How do we show proper respect and deference to women who become pregnant in terrible circumstances? How do we respect women who say: “This is not abstract. This is my body and my private concern?” What would it look like to ban abortion in places where vast majorities do not believe that life begins at conception? Many conservatives focus on the fetus to the exclusion of all else.</p>

<p>A lot of the progressive commentary, on the other hand, won’t recognize the fetus at all. Over the past day or two I’ve seen progressives refer to abortion as just health care for women, or an entirely private decision about what a woman does with her body. A lot of progressives talk about abortion as if it couldn’t possibly be a termination of a human life.</p>

<p>Especially now, in the post-Trump degradation of public life, politicos, propagandists and activists on this issue elide the hard and complex issues in order to powerfully advocate their side. And that’s what we see on issue after issue. The armies of certitude march forth and dominate debate and politics. The rest of us, hampered by ambivalence, hang back. We live in a democracy in which the majority often does not rule.</p>

<p>For a professional pundit, I’ve written remarkably little on abortion because I am so torn. For most of my life I’ve considered myself pro-choice because I didn’t have any confidence that I knew when life began and didn’t want to impose my views on others. But like many people, my life has intersected with the issue.</p>

<p>When I was about 19 a friend came home from college and realized she was pregnant, she asked me to accompany her through the abortion process, which I did. My progressive milieu did not prepare me for the moral and emotional anguish she endured before and especially after the abortion. I realized how grave an issue this was, and with what humility it must be addressed.</p>

<p>Then, there came the science. Like a lot of people, I’ve been influenced by the sonograms, and the way they show a human form at the early fetal stages.</p>

<p>I’ve read my share of books about human development, and my takeaway is that things are happening a lot earlier in the womb than we used to think. By 20 or 21 weeks, before what has been considered viability, the fetus is possibly moving, sucking its thumb, moving its eyes, hearing sounds. A female fetus has eggs of her own. These are sobering realities.</p>

<p>Then there are miscarriages. I have watched so many grieve over miscarriages. I’ve grieved myself. It doesn’t feel like the loss of some cells, but of life.</p>

<p>Experience and the moral sentiments that derive from it have moved me many notches over toward the anti-abortion position. Does that mean I know when life begins? That no longer seems like the right question. I’ve come to believe that all human beings have some piece of themselves that has no size, shape, color or weight but gives them infinite value and dignity, and it is their soul. To me the crucial question is when does a living organism become a human soul. My intuition is that it’s not a moment, but a process — a process shrouded in divine mystery.</p>

<p>This leaves me in a humdrum political position, I’m afraid — with the roughly half of Americans who want to restrict abortion in some circumstances, but — perhaps because they feel it would be unworkable or wrong — don’t want to ban it totally. Third- and some second-trimester abortions seem increasingly wrong to me, except in extraordinary circumstances. But the first trimester? I don’t know, and therefore I’d defer to each woman’s conscience.</p>

<p>Given where the Supreme Court seems to be heading, I’d sign onto the compromise position that Claremont McKenna professor Jon A. Shields sketched out in these pages in October, which could involve tightening restrictions on abortion after the first trimester.</p>

<p>I guess that means I’m rooting for John Roberts in the current deliberations over Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. He has signaled that he’s open to exploring whether the court could uphold Mississippi’s law banning abortion after 15 weeks, but not overturn Roe and allow states to enact total or near-total bans. But he may be in a minority of one.</p>

<p>I used to support overturning Roe because I thought it would be healthy to get the abortion issue out of the courts and back to state legislatures. I used to think that most states would wind up where the nation’s center of gravity is — with restrictions but not bans.</p>

<p>But we’re now trying to deal with a miserably complex issue in a brutalized political culture. Majorities don’t rule in this country; polarized minorities do. The evidence this week is that the post-Roe politics would make even our current politics seem tame. I’m not sure our democracy is strong enough for that.</p>


If you want to know why our politics are so awful, check out our recent public debates about abortion. Everybody is sensing where the Supreme Court seems to be heading on Roe v.

If you want to know why our politics are so awful, check out our recent public debates about abortion. Everybody is sensing where the Supreme Court seems to be heading on Roe v. Wade. But as our politics have grown coarser and more combative, a lot of conservatives aren’t even acknowledging the problems that have always made this issue so hard. For example: How do we show proper respect and deference to women who become pregnant in terrible circumstances? How do we respect women who say: “This is not abstract. This is my body and my private concern?” What would it look like to ban abortion in places where vast majorities do not believe that life begins at conception? Many conservatives focus on the fetus to the exclusion of all else. A lot of the progressive commentary, on the other hand, won’t recognize the fetus at all. Over the past day or two I’ve seen progressives refer to abortion as just health care for women, or an entirely private decision about what a woman does with her body. A lot of progressives talk about abortion as if it couldn’t possibly be a termination of a human life. Especially now, in the post-Trump degradation of public life, politicos, propagandists and activists on this issue elide the hard and complex issues in order to powerfully advocate their side. And that’s what we see on issue after issue. The armies of certitude march forth and dominate debate and politics. The rest of us, hampered by ambivalence, hang back. We live in a democracy in which the majority often does not rule. For a professional pundit, I’ve written remarkably little on abortion because I am so torn. For most of my life I’ve considered myself pro-choice because I didn’t have any confidence that I knew when life began and didn’t want to impose my views on others. But like many people, my life has intersected with the issue. When I was about 19 a friend came home from college and realized she was pregnant, she asked me to accompany her through the abortion process, which I did. My progressive milieu did not prepare me for the moral and emotional anguish she endured before and especially after the abortion. I realized how grave an issue this was, and with what humility it must be addressed. Then, there came the science. Like a lot of people, I’ve been influenced by the sonograms, and the way they show a human form at the early fetal stages. I’ve read my share of books about human development, and my takeaway is that things are happening a lot earlier in the womb than we used to think. By 20 or 21 weeks, before what has been considered viability, the fetus is possibly moving, sucking its thumb, moving its eyes, hearing sounds. A female fetus has eggs of her own. These are sobering realities. Then there are miscarriages. I have watched so many grieve over miscarriages. I’ve grieved myself. It doesn’t feel like the loss of some cells, but of life. Experience and the moral sentiments that derive from it have moved me many notches over toward the anti-abortion position. Does that mean I know when life begins? That no longer seems like the right question. I’ve come to believe that all human beings have some piece of themselves that has no size, shape, color or weight but gives them infinite value and dignity, and it is their soul. To me the crucial question is when does a living organism become a human soul. My intuition is that it’s not a moment, but a process — a process shrouded in divine mystery. This leaves me in a humdrum political position, I’m afraid — with the roughly half of Americans who want to restrict abortion in some circumstances, but — perhaps because they feel it would be unworkable or wrong — don’t want to ban it totally. Third- and some second-trimester abortions seem increasingly wrong to me, except in extraordinary circumstances. But the first trimester? I don’t know, and therefore I’d defer to each woman’s conscience. Given where the Supreme Court seems to be heading, I’d sign onto the compromise position that Claremont McKenna professor Jon A. Shields sketched out in these pages in October, which could involve tightening restrictions on abortion after the first trimester. I guess that means I’m rooting for John Roberts in the current deliberations over Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. He has signaled that he’s open to exploring whether the court could uphold Mississippi’s law banning abortion after 15 weeks, but not overturn Roe and allow states to enact total or near-total bans. But he may be in a minority of one. I used to support overturning Roe because I thought it would be healthy to get the abortion issue out of the courts and back to state legislatures. I used to think that most states would wind up where the nation’s center of gravity is — with restrictions but not bans. But we’re now trying to deal with a miserably complex issue in a brutalized political culture. Majorities don’t rule in this country; polarized minorities do. The evidence this week is that the post-Roe politics would make even our current politics seem tame. I’m not sure our democracy is strong enough for that.

Abortion: The voice of the ambivalent majority

<p>John Legend, who is one of the mentors on the reality show 'Voice', got emotional on the sets when a contestant dedicated his performance to Legend and his family.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Legend and wife Chrissy Teigen, were expecting their third child together before Teigen suffered a tragic pregnancy loss last month.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
To honour his mentor's loss, contestant John Holiday sang Coldplay's classic 'Fix You' during Monday's episode leaving Legend teary eyed. Holiday mentioned before his performance that it was dedicated to Legend and his wife who have been coping with the loss this past month.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
"I mean, I'm over here crying," admitted Legend holding back tears. "When I talked to John (Holiday) about doing this song, I just said it would mean a lot to us if you just give your emotional best performance and let yourself be not perfect, let yourself just live in the emotion of the song. And we felt it," said the singer.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
"It's one of those songs that is so special and I definitely thought of you and Chrissy," Holiday said during the episode.</p>

<p>Legend admitted that he had heard the song with Teigen before.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
"I was just sitting there working, and we started playing this song," Legend said. "My wife was sitting next to me, my daughter's in my wife's lap. We all just started crying ... The lyrics of the song just spoke to us," the singer revealed.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Teigen revealed that she was expecting her third child with Legend earlier in August this year. They are parents to Luna, 4, and Miles, 2.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
In September, the former model told fans she'd been hospitalized for an abnormal amount of bleeding. Days later, she shared the tragic news that their third child, a boy whom they called Jack, had passed away.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
After the incident Teigen went silent on social media for a month. She later wrote a post on Medium on how the family has been trying to cope with tragedy in their own way and even thanked fans for sending words of encouragement.&nbsp;</p>


John Legend, who is one of the mentors on the reality show 'Voice', got emotional on the sets when a contestant dedicated his performance to Legend and his family.

John Legend, who is one of the mentors on the reality show 'Voice', got emotional on the sets when a contestant dedicated his performance to Legend and his family. Legend and wife Chrissy Teigen, were expecting their third child together before Teigen suffered a tragic pregnancy loss last month. To honour his mentor's loss, contestant John Holiday sang Coldplay's classic 'Fix You' during Monday's episode leaving Legend teary eyed. Holiday mentioned before his performance that it was dedicated to Legend and his wife who have been coping with the loss this past month. "I mean, I'm over here crying," admitted Legend holding back tears. "When I talked to John (Holiday) about doing this song, I just said it would mean a lot to us if you just give your emotional best performance and let yourself be not perfect, let yourself just live in the emotion of the song. And we felt it," said the singer. "It's one of those songs that is so special and I definitely thought of you and Chrissy," Holiday said during the episode. Legend admitted that he had heard the song with Teigen before. "I was just sitting there working, and we started playing this song," Legend said. "My wife was sitting next to me, my daughter's in my wife's lap. We all just started crying ... The lyrics of the song just spoke to us," the singer revealed. Teigen revealed that she was expecting her third child with Legend earlier in August this year. They are parents to Luna, 4, and Miles, 2. In September, the former model told fans she'd been hospitalized for an abnormal amount of bleeding. Days later, she shared the tragic news that their third child, a boy whom they called Jack, had passed away. After the incident Teigen went silent on social media for a month. She later wrote a post on Medium on how the family has been trying to cope with tragedy in their own way and even thanked fans for sending words of encouragement.

John Legend gets emotional as 'Voice' contestant dedicates song to him and wife Chrissy Teigen 

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{182}" paraid="1662290056">A few months after he was voted into office in May 2014, Indian&nbsp;Prime&nbsp;Minister Narendra Modi launched the&nbsp;Swachh&nbsp;Bharat&nbsp;Abhiyan&nbsp;or the Clean India Mission.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{189}" paraid="962584056">The campaign aims to clean up India&#39;s cities by the time Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s&nbsp;150th birth anniversary comes round&nbsp;on October 2,&nbsp;2019.&nbsp;Gandhi was big on cleanliness. &ldquo;We can no more gain God&rsquo;s blessing with an unclean body than with an unclean mind. A clean body cannot reside in an unclean city,&rdquo; he wrote in the journal Young India in 1925.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{192}" paraid="1084963738">The Clean India Mission also wants to put a stop to open defecation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{213}" paraid="1292518957">A&nbsp;billion people defecate in the open&nbsp;the world over. South Asia is among&nbsp;the worst offenders.&nbsp;In India&nbsp;597 million people &ndash; or half the country &ndash; defecate in the open, 41 million do so in Pakistan, as do 15 million (that&#39;s more than half the country) in Nepal. Diseases&nbsp;like&nbsp;cholera,&nbsp;diarrhoea&nbsp;and typhoid,&nbsp;for example, is a natural outcome.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{218}" paraid="384175414">Prime Minister Modi kicked off his mission by picking up a broom and sweeping the road near Gandhi&#39;s memorial in Delhi. It is thought of as being one of his pet projects,&nbsp;but he is not going to find the going easy, as a short walk would tell him.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{220}" paraid="1907312861">((insert picture of Modi with broom at&nbsp;Rajghat))&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{242}" paraid="154697890">A&nbsp;stone&#39;s throw from&nbsp;his&nbsp;official&nbsp;residence, 7, Race Course Road,&nbsp;lies the&nbsp;Bhaiya&nbsp;Ram Camp slum. Of the 5,000 people who live here, 90&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;do not have toilets in their homes and have to make do&nbsp;with 16 communal toilets. There are no sewer lines, open drains run through the camp&nbsp;and as many as 90 households share one tap.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{244}" paraid="45645244">The lack of sanitation is frustrating, says&nbsp;Jyoti, who lives in the slum. &quot;The government claims that they have built a million toilets across India but I think the Clean India Mission is active only near their bungalows and not in our slums.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{17}" paraid="1744240119">Jyoti&nbsp;begins each morning with a 400-metre walk to the communal toilets. The toilets do not have running water&nbsp;so&nbsp;she carries a small bucket with her. There is no polite way to say this,&nbsp;but the toilets&nbsp;which&nbsp;Jyoti&nbsp;shows us, are filthy. And they smell.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{23}" paraid="2007065508">Jyoti&nbsp;has had&nbsp;diarrhoea&nbsp;three times since last December.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{30}" paraid="1133764903">That&#39;s not all. &ldquo;The situation worsens at night. Women have been assaulted at night in the communal toilets. So if we need the bathroom after dark we go near the drains behind our homes,&rdquo; says&nbsp;Jyoti. And adds, &ldquo;We have to risk our dignity every time we want to go to the toilet. Why does nobody care about our dignity?&rdquo;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{56}" paraid="1890053748">Ministry of&nbsp;drinking&nbsp;water and&nbsp;sanitation&nbsp;secretary&nbsp;Parmeshwaran&nbsp;Iyer&nbsp;told WION that the government had&nbsp;built 13 million toilets since the start of the mission.&nbsp;&quot;It&nbsp;is not a number&#39;s game. More important is to look at the shift in&nbsp;behaviour&nbsp;and mindsets.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{65}" paraid="597236208">What he means is that the government might build toilets, but you&nbsp;still&nbsp;have&nbsp;to convince people to use them. That,&nbsp;he says, is going to be the difficult part of the Clean India Mission. &ldquo;Today we have only 13 districts which are open defecation-free.&rdquo; (India has a total of 688 districts.)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{74}" paraid="2097714748">Mr&nbsp;Modi&nbsp;could still manage to pull off what even the Mahatma (the honorific means great soul) was not able to. But for that he will have to look for inspiration to his country&#39;s smaller&nbsp;neighbour&nbsp;to the east, Bangladesh, which in the&nbsp;past 15 years has virtually wiped out open defecation from its soil.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{99}" paraid="450883143">Only&nbsp;1&nbsp;per cent of Bangladesh&#39;s population today does not have access to toilets &ndash; the number was 42&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;in 2003. Bangladesh did it by focusing intensively on education, information, and interpersonal communication,&nbsp;which means that they&nbsp;did&nbsp;not&nbsp;just build a toilet in every home,&nbsp;but also talked to and educated their populace on why they should be using toilets.&nbsp;They got non-governmental and other&nbsp;organisations&nbsp;like the World Bank, WHO&nbsp;(World Health&nbsp;Organisation), and UNICEF&nbsp;(United Nations International Children&#39;s Emergency&nbsp;Fund)&nbsp;to help. Somewhat more coercively, the government also encouraged the creation of social pressure and got it to bear on people to get them to change their toilet etiquette.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{111}" paraid="1247452205">Iyer&nbsp;says they&nbsp;are doing the same thing in India. That all hands are needed on deck&nbsp;and that NGOs&nbsp;(non-governmental&nbsp;organisations)&nbsp;and civil society are being roped in.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{122}" paraid="873859267">Jyoti&nbsp;and her fellow residents&nbsp;at&nbsp;BR Camp say thank you and remind&nbsp;Iyer,&nbsp;and Prime Minister Modi,&nbsp;that not only will they have to build toilets but also maintain them. (They are somewhat upset that they seem to have been ignored while the rest of the country undergoes massive change.)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{128}" paraid="623064894">Less euphemistically and pointing to the overflowing toilets, the heaps of garbage lying around&nbsp;and the blocked sewers,&nbsp;Jyoti&nbsp;says: &ldquo;The stench is unbearable, children have to walk through this everyday and our health remains at risk.&rdquo;&nbsp;</div>


Half of India still defecates in the open including those in the slum on the other side of the road from the PM

A few months after he was voted into office in May 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or the Clean India Mission. The campaign aims to clean up India's cities by the time Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary comes round on October 2, 2019. Gandhi was big on cleanliness. “We can no more gain God’s blessing with an unclean body than with an unclean mind. A clean body cannot reside in an unclean city,” he wrote in the journal Young India in 1925. The Clean India Mission also wants to put a stop to open defecation. A billion people defecate in the open the world over. South Asia is among the worst offenders. In India 597 million people – or half the country – defecate in the open, 41 million do so in Pakistan, as do 15 million (that's more than half the country) in Nepal. Diseases like cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid, for example, is a natural outcome. Prime Minister Modi kicked off his mission by picking up a broom and sweeping the road near Gandhi's memorial in Delhi. It is thought of as being one of his pet projects, but he is not going to find the going easy, as a short walk would tell him. ((insert picture of Modi with broom at Rajghat)) A stone's throw from his official residence, 7, Race Course Road, lies the Bhaiya Ram Camp slum. Of the 5,000 people who live here, 90 per cent do not have toilets in their homes and have to make do with 16 communal toilets. There are no sewer lines, open drains run through the camp and as many as 90 households share one tap. The lack of sanitation is frustrating, says Jyoti, who lives in the slum. "The government claims that they have built a million toilets across India but I think the Clean India Mission is active only near their bungalows and not in our slums.” Jyoti begins each morning with a 400-metre walk to the communal toilets. The toilets do not have running water so she carries a small bucket with her. There is no polite way to say this, but the toilets which Jyoti shows us, are filthy. And they smell. Jyoti has had diarrhoea three times since last December. That's not all. “The situation worsens at night. Women have been assaulted at night in the communal toilets. So if we need the bathroom after dark we go near the drains behind our homes,” says Jyoti. And adds, “We have to risk our dignity every time we want to go to the toilet. Why does nobody care about our dignity?” Ministry of drinking water and sanitation secretary Parmeshwaran Iyer told WION that the government had built 13 million toilets since the start of the mission. "It is not a number's game. More important is to look at the shift in behaviour and mindsets.” What he means is that the government might build toilets, but you still have to convince people to use them. That, he says, is going to be the difficult part of the Clean India Mission. “Today we have only 13 districts which are open defecation-free.” (India has a total of 688 districts.) Mr Modi could still manage to pull off what even the Mahatma (the honorific means great soul) was not able to. But for that he will have to look for inspiration to his country's smaller neighbour to the east, Bangladesh, which in the past 15 years has virtually wiped out open defecation from its soil. Only 1 per cent of Bangladesh's population today does not have access to toilets – the number was 42 per cent in 2003. Bangladesh did it by focusing intensively on education, information, and interpersonal communication, which means that they did not just build a toilet in every home, but also talked to and educated their populace on why they should be using toilets. They got non-governmental and other organisations like the World Bank, WHO (World Health Organisation), and UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) to help. Somewhat more coercively, the government also encouraged the creation of social pressure and got it to bear on people to get them to change their toilet etiquette. Iyer says they are doing the same thing in India. That all hands are needed on deck and that NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and civil society are being roped in. Jyoti and her fellow residents at BR Camp say thank you and remind Iyer, and Prime Minister Modi, that not only will they have to build toilets but also maintain them. (They are somewhat upset that they seem to have been ignored while the rest of the country undergoes massive change.) Less euphemistically and pointing to the overflowing toilets, the heaps of garbage lying around and the blocked sewers, Jyoti says: “The stench is unbearable, children have to walk through this everyday and our health remains at risk.”

Prime Minister Modi says clean India but his voice does not carry across the street from his official residence

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