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The annual Think conference unveils an expanded roadmap for quantum computing and plans for 4,000+ qubit system in 2025

ARMONK, N.Y., May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today kicked off its annual Think conference in Boston, bringing together clients and IBM Ecosystem partners around the world to discuss how technology drives organizations to excel in a digital world. During the event, IBM senior executives, global business leaders, and industry experts will discuss significant advances in technology and issues such as sustainability, innovation and research, talent retention, and automation.

"Technology is now the source of competitive advantage with digital transformation leading the way. Our clients and partners trust IBM to deliver the innovation behind hybrid cloud, AI, and consulting solutions that are helping to ensure their success," said Arvind Krishna, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, IBM. "Our Think events will showcase how IBM is co-creating with an expanding ecosystem to make progress on the most pressing issues enterprises and society face today."

Major announcements from Think 2022 include:

Extending the Roadmap for Practical and Large-Scale Quantum ComputingToday's announcement showcases the expansion of IBM's roadmap to achieve practical quantum computing and deliver a 4,000+ qubit system in 2025. This roadmap lays out plans for new modular architectures and networking that will allow quantum systems to have larger qubit counts up to hundreds of thousands of qubits. To enable these systems with the speed and quality necessary for practical quantum computing, IBM plans to continue building intelligent software to distribute workloads across quantum and classical resources, and abstract away infrastructure challenges.

For more information on IBM's expanded quantum roadmap, please visit the IBM Research blog: https://www.research.ibm.com/blog/ibm-quantum-roadmap-2025.

Global Insights from IBM Shows Steady Growth in AI and Sustainability PrioritizationIBM issued the Global AI Adoption Index 2022, which surveyed 7,502 senior business decision-makers and showed business adoption of AI grew steadily in the last 12 months.

Business leaders' prioritization of sustainability on corporate agendas was further highlighted in a new IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) CEO study which surveyed more than 3,000 CEOs worldwide.

Partnership Momentum Continues to AccelerateAs part of a long-standing partnership with SAP, IBM is undertaking one of the world's largest corporate SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) transformation projects designed to better support clients and fuel its company growth.

Tackling the Talent Shortage and Cybersecurity though SkillsBuilding on a commitment to skill 30 million people by 2030, IBM is addressing the talent shortage and cybersecurity crisis with new and expanded partnerships with six Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Specialisterne Foundation.

During his keynote today, Krishna will be joined on stage by three visionaries creatively applying technology to business to drive change. These "New Creators" include Bryan Young, Co-Founder & CEO, Home Lending Pal, who is using technology to make the homebuying process more equitable for underserved communities; Dr. Rania Khalaf, CIO & CDO, Inari, who is using AI to create a more sustainable future for the food system; and Kiersten Todt, Chief of Staff, U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who is using technology to reduce risk to the cyber and physical infrastructures Americans rely on every day. "New Creators" will be featured throughout the Think on Tour events. In addition, various "New Creators" will be featured in print, digital, out-of-home, and video marketing assets as part of IBM's "Let's Create" integrated brand platform.

Think Broadcast, produced with WIRED Brand Lab, can be accessed at http://www.ibm.com/Think and will air 10 a.m. ET 12 p.m. ET May 10 and 11 in English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, and Simplified Chinese. Replays of the onstage sessions from Think Boston will also be available on-demand the day of the event at http://www.ibm.com/Think.

Following the flagship event in Boston, Think on Tour will travel to more than a dozen cities around the world. For updates on confirmed cities, please visit: https://www.ibm.com/events/think/on-tour/.

About IBMIBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider, helping clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service.

For more information, visit https://www.ibm.com.

Media Contact:Amanda CarlIBM Communications[emailprotected]

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IBM Kicks Off Think 2022 Conference, Convening a Worldwide Community of Clients and Partners - GuruFocus.com

Midwestern states are battling to be bumped up to a coveted early slot in the Democratic presidential nominating calendar, jump-starting what election watchers say could be a big shake-up ahead of the 2024 election.

Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois are among the states hoping to exert more influence and help diversify a lineup led by the largely rural and predominantly white states of Iowa and New Hampshire that many Democrats say doesnt represent the partys true strength.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has announced 17 finalists to be among the first four or five, including Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and all four current early primary states. State party officials began drafting proposals earlier this year and are set to make their cases to the bodys regulatory committee later this month.

Proponents of Michigan and Minnesota point to them being critical swing states that helped elect President Biden. Geography matters too, they say. If Iowa gets the boot from its traditional role as the first-in-the-nation caucus state, either state would provide an alternative in the Midwest.

There needs to be a Midwest state, Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell (D) told The Hill in an interview. Were the heart of the country.

After going for former President Trump by a slim margin in 2016, Michigan flipped back to blue four years later to give Biden enough Electoral College votes to help win the presidency.

I was one of the people that told people that Donald Trump would win Michigan in 2016, and, by the way, people in both parties thought that I was crazy, and I think it stunned a lot of people, Dingell said. It is a purple state, and we do decide who the presidents going to be.

Im not interested in presidential candidates testing the waters in my state. Im interested in seeing the candidates answers to the questions that voters care about, she added.

Democrats see an advantage to having a generalelection battlegroundgo earlier in the process, arguing that theres value in showing voters the kind of candidates who can win in the fall, even a year or more ahead of the next presidential race.

The economy is diverse, the population is diverse, the geographical population is diverse, the educational levels are diverse, said John Anzalone, one of Bidens top pollsters who works on Michigan elections.

If youre a presidential candidate looking to be tested with a bunch of different universes of voters, its really perfect, he said.

Michigan Democrats are expected to pitch their case to the DNCs Rules and Bylaws Committee, the governing force that decides the order of the calendar, on June 23.

As part of their case-building, they recently sent a letterto the national party listing reasons they believe the Great Lakes State is best suited to appear on the early roster. The memo was signed by Dingell and the rest of Michigans congressional delegation.

Minnesota is also high on Democrats list of considerations. It currently leans blue, but also has a strong independent streak that state party officials believe can be beneficial to voters.

In 2016, it awarded Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) a momentum-boosting win over Hillary Clinton, which temporarily changed the narrative that progressives cant catch on in geographically diverse areas. Clinton took Minnesota in the 2016 general election and in 2020 Biden won the state over Trump.

Our state is a true microcosm of the country, said Ken Martin, who chairs Minnesotas Farmer-Labor Party and serves as the vice chairman of the DNC.

Martin has been closely involved in navigating the complicated process each presidential cycle. As president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, hes seen the importance of bringing new perspectives into the conversation that set the tone and direction for the election.

Martin believes Minnesota, which currently votes on Super Tuesday, brings together diverse racial and ethnic communities, a strong agriculture industry and the presence of rural Democratic voters. He also praised the strong union and business footprint.

Presidential candidates who can bring all of these voters together and win in Minnesota would be well positioned to win across the country, he added.

Adding to the intrigue, a third state, Illinois, has also thrown its hat in the ring. Officials there recently submitted their pitch to the DNC, also citing the states unmatched diversity in the Midwest.

That diversity would strengthen candidates campaign messaging and tactics for both the primary and general elections, because winning in Illinois requires building the kinds of broad-based coalitions necessary to win the Electoral College in November, the state party wrote.

Biden was the overwhelming favorite in the Prairie State in 2020, outcompeting Trump by double digits. That could ultimately work against its chances of moving up, as many Democrats are openly expressing a desire for a battleground to serve as a test run ahead of the eventual Democrat vs. Republican match-up.

Still, others see the upside overtaking any potential shortcomings. An official with the state Democratic Party listed recent Democratic gains there as reasons for the national party to consider its bid.

We really have a blueprint here for national candidates and how to translate Democratic values and Democratic campaign tactics into persuading voters, turning them out and winning, said Jake Lewis, deputy director of the Illinois Democratic Party.

We are a bigger state. We understand that, Lewis continued. But Democrats have to win big states.

We vote to be able to win big states like Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and so testing Democratic candidates early on their ability to organize in bigger states and their ability to organize in bigger cities in a city like Chicago, its really important, he said.

Even as newcomerstry outfor a spot, the original first four are working to keep their places on the calendar.Election strategistssay that may be hardest for Iowa.

Democrats have long lamented the states prominence in the process, pointing to its lack of racial diversity and its rightward tilt in recent years. The highly public debacle in 2020, when atechnology malfunctioncauseduncertainty among voters and problems for party officials,may have been the final push to retool the calendar.

But supporters of Iowa keeping the electoral status quo are fighting to maintain its first-in-the-nation status, saying the state has played a defining role in previous races that sent more liberal candidates to the White House.

There wouldnt have been a President Obama without Iowa, said Ross Wilburn, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party.

But they are open to making a significant change. Another major criticism of the caucus process is that it excludes anyone who may not be able to spend multiple hours at the event on a cold, winter night. TheDes Moines Registerreported earlier this month that state party officials have put forward a plan where voters wouldsend inpresidential preference cards in advance.In an attempt at compromise,the results would be announced on the original caucus date, but the voting process itself would be closer to a traditional primary.

And for officials such as Wilburn, the states small size is an asset. I understand other states wanting to be part of the process, but our presidential nominee cannot be decided by large media markets and candidates who just have larger dollars, he said.

We have an affordable television market, and a candidate who doesnt have the funds necessarily or the notoriety nationally, initially, they can campaign here in Iowa. Theres great grassroots strength. Our friends and neighbors help inform the messaging of presidential candidates, he said.

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Midwest Democrats jockeying to come out on top in primary calendar shake-up - The Hill

Leaving aside, for now, possible Election Day consequences if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, or further damning revelations in the House Bill 6-FirstEnergy scandal, Ohio Republicans are sitting pretty as the state slogs into Campaign 22. The primary election for state legislative offices will be held on Aug. 2, the general election on Nov. 8.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and Democrat Nan Whaley, once Daytons mayor, are vying for the governorship. And Republican J.D. Vance, a Middletown native, and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a suburban Warren Democrat, are competing to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman, of suburban Cincinnatis Terrace Park.

There are facts that separately favor Republicans in each contest.

Fact one, as to DeWine-Whaley: The last time Ohioans retired a Republican governor was in 1958. But voters have since retired three Democratic governors Govs. Michael V. DiSalle in 1962, John J. Gilligan in 1974, and Ted Strickland in 2010.

Fact two, as to the Vance-Ryan contest: Since Ohioans began to directly elect senators in 1914 by sending Marion Republican Warren G. Harding to the Senate there have been 10 Senate races in which, like this years, neither Ohio nominee was the incumbent. Republicans won nine of those contests. The exception: 1974, when Democrat John Glenn beat the GOPs Ralph Perk, then Clevelands mayor.

True, in Ohio elections, as in all things, history isnt necessarily destiny. As the great historian Gordon Wood wrote, If history teaches anything, it teaches humility. So, at this stage of their campaigns, Whaley, for governor, and Ryan, for the Senate, stand every chance of besting DeWine and Vance, respectively. But to the extent the past can suggest patterns, theyre each going to have to campaign extra hard, and extra widely, in Ohio.

Also on the statewide ballot are races for attorney general, state auditor, secretary of state and state treasurer. Republicans hold those posts now, and unless a scandal erupts, or someone dumps a ton of money into the campaigns of Democratic challengers for those offices, the Republicans who hold them now are likely to be holding them next year.

Meanwhile, in the struggle for the Ohio General Assembly, Republicans are well-positioned again, absent further seamy revelations about the HB 6-FirstEnergy affair.

Even if newly drawn General Assembly districts werent biased in favor of the GOP and they are Republicans running for Ohios House and state Senate hold a huge fundraising edge over Democrats.

Thats long been true at the Statehouse: Once a General Assembly caucus is in the minority (as state Senate Democrats have been since January 1985, and Ohio House Democrats since January 2011), its members basically become legislative spectators, not bill-passers. The people who fund campaigns, though, are usually looking for bill-passers, not bystanders. The lobbies are interested in results. And only a majority caucus can produce those.

Beyond DeWine-Whaley and Ryan-Vance, this years pivotal contests for people who ... invest ... in state government will likely be the race for three state Supreme Court seats.

To recap: Republican Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, who sided with Democrats in this years fight over legislative districts, is retiring. Competing to succeed OConnor are Democratic Justice Jennifer Brunner and Republican Justice Sharon Kennedy.

Seeking re-election are Republican Justices R. Patrick Pat DeWine, the governors son (challenged by Democratic 1st Ohio District Court of Appeals Judge Marilyn Zayas of Cincinnati), and Patrick Fischer (challenged by Democratic 10th Ohio District Court of Appeals Judge Terri Jamison of Columbus).

Ohio Supreme Court contests have become even more critical for both parties: Because of Ohios redistricting mess, this years wrestling match over General Assembly lines will play out again in 2023 and 2024 because the General Assembly districts used in this Novembers election will depending on more courtroom jousting be redrawn again for 2024s election.

Whether Brunner or Kennedy is elected chief justice, Mike DeWine would appoint a Republican to the remainder of either justices term as an associate. Thatd leave the court 4-3 Republican. But if Democrats unseated Pat DeWine or Fischer, thatd make the high court 4-3 Democratic and leave utilities, insurance companies and the General Assemblys GOP caucuses very unhappy. They like things the way they are. But do ratepayers and policyholders?

Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens.

To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-408-9474

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The odds, and the money, are against Ohio Democrats in the fall: Thomas Suddes - cleveland.com

Analysis

10:00

by Joel Kotkin

Fly, you fool. Credit: Getty

There is no question that the Democrats are going overboard on the staged theatrics surrounding the horrific events of January 6th. This is a clear attempt by the Party to revive their electoral prospects this autumn, but they may well end up undermining the only man who can save them: Donald Trump.

The hearings already face diminished ratings. After the first day, audience figures fell by 50% and seem unlikely to persuade most fair-minded people that January 6th was anything like the insurrection its painted as. What emerges instead is a confirmation of mass stupidity by addled MAGA activists set in motion by a cheerleading Chief Executive.

Trump certainly bears his share of the blame for January 6th but not as an organiser of a coordinated rebellion in the historic sense. A coup? Without guns and no military or police support? Mussolini, he is not. January 6th lacked the focus and planning of the March on Rome and theres certainly nothing of the organised violence that facilitated the Nazi rise to power. Instead, Trump comes off as a hopeless narcissist unwilling to accept his loss even when presented with the facts by his most reliable advisors.

What is catching up with Trump is not his fascist leanings but his pathetic character as an overaged Baby Huey. Progressives and Democrats revel in the idea that the GOP is now a tool of Trump as the unassailable il duce. But in reality, the ex-President is not getting stronger, but weaker. His poll numbers, even among Republicans, have weakened, as more members claim to identify with their party rather than its titular leader. Trump does not retain the respect and loyalty that Ronald Reagan, for example, maintained among a broad part of the party.

Trumps paranoid, personal style so evident in the hearings is no longer unchallenged inside the party. This year his record of endorsements, particularly in hotly contested races, is mediocre. His loss in Georgia, against state officials he desperately wished to topple, was particularly revealing. Last week in South Carolina, he was only partially successful in his drive to expel disloyal house members. There are even signs that he may have lost the support of the Murdoch empire.

This is not to say that Trump might not win the GOP nomination, which would be a disaster for the party and country. Even though Trump still leads the field, its likely much of the party would favour figures like former Vice President Mike Pence, Floridas Ron DeSantis or South Carolinas Tim Scott or Nicky Haley. For many, a Trumpista policy agenda without the diversions of Trumpian insanity may prove appealing.

As for the rest of us, its clear that we are fed up with both of the flawed alter cockers who have run this country into the ground. Over 70% of Americans would prefer that neither one runs again.

But we may be forced to accept this choice. If as in 2016 the opposition to him is divided, Trump can skate to victory with 30% of the Republican primary vote. This would give the Democrats a rallying point that they will sorely need, particularly if their likely candidate is an ever more debilitated Joe Biden or the remarkably unappealing Kamala Harris. Indeed, even amid the awful performance of this Administration, Trump polls about even with the likely Democratic candidate.

The hope here is that sentient elements in the Republican Party can stop Trump from ruining what could be a historic opportunity to stop the more extreme progressive agenda. At the same time, the GOP can be recast as the voice of the middle and working class. In this, the Democrats may be helping by placing emphasis on Trumps personal awfulness. If Trumps image continues to fade, even to the point of caricature, the GOP may end up thanking Nancy Pelosi for saving their party from itself.

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Trump is the Democrat's secret weapon - The Post - UnHerd

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 04: U.S. President Barack Obama (L) jokes with Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr (R) during an event with the team in the East Room of the White House on February 4, 2016 in Washington, DC. Obama welcomed the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors to the White House to congratulate the team on their championship season. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry received a pretty important phone call following Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

On the floor at TD Garden following the Warriors' championship-clinching victory, Curry, who had been named Finals MVP, took a call from the 44th President, Barack Obama.

Obama hosted Curry and the Warriors at the White House after their first championship in 2015, and he and Curry have golfed together as well. Still, Steph said it was "kind of surreal" to get that post-game call.

Here's what some fans had to say about Obama's telephone session with Curry.

In addition to his convo with Curry, Obama also tweeted his congratulations to the Warriors on Friday afternoon.

"With four championships in eight years, the Warriors leave no doubt of their place as one of the NBAs greatest dynasties," he wrote. "Congrats to Finals MVP Steph, Draymond, Klay, Coach Kerr and the rest of Dub Nation for such sustained excellence."

By the way, the Warriors have now won an NBA title under three different presidents--Obama, Trump and Biden. That's a pretty lengthy dynastic run if you ask us.

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NBA World Reacts To The President Obama Phone Call News - The Spun