Stock market today: Wall Street ends little changed after giving up a big morning gain
PAP must continue to represent all Singaporeans, earn strong mandate in next GE: DPM Heng
B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. ( NYSE:CF – Free Report ) during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 19,557 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,678,000. Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Swedbank AB purchased a new stake in CF Industries during the first quarter valued at about $19,824,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its stake in shares of CF Industries by 17.0% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 50,243 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,724,000 after buying an additional 7,294 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in shares of CF Industries by 286.0% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 34,439 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,866,000 after buying an additional 25,516 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of CF Industries during the second quarter valued at about $4,710,000. Finally, Bayesian Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of CF Industries during the first quarter valued at about $2,384,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.06% of the company’s stock. Insider Activity In related news, EVP Bert A. Frost sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.00, for a total value of $264,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 103,155 shares in the company, valued at $9,077,640. The trade was a 2.83 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Also, VP Ashraf K. Malik sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.78, for a total transaction of $635,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 22,211 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,016,314.58. The trade was a 23.96 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 19,201 shares of company stock worth $1,727,694. Insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Read Our Latest Report on CF Industries CF Industries Stock Performance Shares of CF opened at $89.81 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 2.81 and a quick ratio of 2.52. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $69.13 and a one year high of $91.06. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $85.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $79.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.63 billion, a PE ratio of 14.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.97. CF Industries ( NYSE:CF – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.50. CF Industries had a net margin of 19.45% and a return on equity of 14.57%. The business had revenue of $1.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.28 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.85 earnings per share. CF Industries’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 6.32 EPS for the current fiscal year. CF Industries Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. CF Industries’s payout ratio is 31.65%. About CF Industries ( Free Report ) CF Industries Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities in North America, Europe, and internationally. It operates through Ammonia, Granular Urea, UAN, AN, and Other segments. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CF Industries Holdings, Inc. ( NYSE:CF – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for CF Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CF Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Save Big on a New Dell Monitor This Black Friday
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Dozens of us crowd around the coffee shop’s tables, eyes glued to our phones, waiting for something — anything — to come through. Our cube-shaped bags clutter the floor of the Tim Hortons at Dundas St. W. and Spadina Ave., a popular waiting spot for food delivery couriers. An occasional “ping” cuts through the idle chatter, jolting us to attention. I snatch my phone, hoping for a notification — but my screen is blank. It’s another courier’s order and he’s already bolting out the door, bag in hand. It’s my first week working as an courier and despite it being peak time for deliveries on a Thursday afternoon, I haven’t received an order in over three hours. I turn to the driver next to me. Is my app malfunctioning or am I doing something wrong? After all, the app’s city map shows I’m in a “hot spot,” a high-demand area during high-demand hours. He shrugs. He spent $10 on his to the city, he tells me, and has only made $8 on Uber Eats all day. “Too many drivers and not enough orders,” he says. Toronto’s sidewalks and congested streets have never felt more crowded with food couriers. Spurred by a pandemic surge in delivery app usage, the food courier workforce has ballooned, increasingly made up of newcomers and for whom few other job options exist. In 2023 alone, Statistics Canada says the workforce for delivery apps like Uber Eats grew by a . Toronto Star reporter Ghada Alsharif spent six weeks working as a Uber Eats food courier. In taking a job as a delivery worker for Uber Eats, the city’s most popular food delivery app, I joined the ranks of an oversaturated workforce, where on any given night, a surplus of food couriers outnumbers the available orders. Behind the boom lies a troubling trend: couriers’ pay and behaviour are governed by opaque algorithms that determine wages based on hidden criteria. Using artificial intelligence technology, these platforms keep drivers tethered to the app, waiting unpaid for their next order. For drivers, the results are unpredictable and too often unfair. Data obtained by the Star shows Uber Eats’ platform can offer two food couriers different wages for the exact same trip. Labour advocates charge that the app collects data on driver behaviour and can use it to decide who it can pay at a lower rate, allowing the company to pocket the difference and boost its revenue. This concept is widely referred to as algorithmic wage discrimination. “The app has total control over how a worker gets paid,” says Veena Dubal, a University of California law professor whose research focuses on the gig economy. “Minimum wage and the idea that hard work should lead to economic security, can be — and are being — destroyed by these A.I. systems.” The Ontario government’s legislation aimed at for digital platform workers won’t take effect until 2025 — and even then, workers say it will fail to address the most of gig work. Uber says my experience as a food courier “was atypical” and didn’t match that of an average Toronto delivery driver. The company denies allegations of algorithmic wage discrimination, stating that it does not use a driver’s “past behaviours” to determine who it can pay at a lower rate. Uber says it’s transparent with drivers about potential earnings. The company says delivery workers choose the platform for its flexibility and their ability to “earn money on their own terms.” I worked as an Uber Eats courier for six weeks. I wanted to understand the costs behind the convenience of app-based delivery and gain insight into how gig work is evolving as algorithms call the shots. Many of the food couriers I worked alongside were young international students struggling to earn an income while they make their way through school. Others were refugees or undocumented workers, navigating precarious lives. Of the dozens of workers I spoke with, almost none of them have permanent status in Canada. Most were afraid to speak openly about their experiences with Uber Eats or other apps they deliver for out of fear of jeopardizing their livelihoods. I rented an electric bike and set out to complete at least 100 orders. The goal was to collect independent data that could shed light on how drivers’ wages are determined. But I soon discovered I’d get far fewer orders than expected, a struggle many couriers say is becoming all too common. After my first 20 hours on the Uber Eats app as a food courier, I made just $28.98. In my first weeks delivering food there were hours and even days when I wouldn’t get a single order. Hot spots on the app could change at any moment. When I followed the prompts and biked to one of these locations, like in Liberty Village, it vanished the moment I arrived. A new hot spot appeared on the other end of the downtown core at Yonge and Dundas, nudging me to wait on sidewalks crowded with couriers competing for the same jobs. The more time I spent on the app, the more I felt like a player in a game where I couldn’t figure out the rules. But every courier I met had their own theory on how to beat the game. Some swear by logging in and out of the app to trigger more orders. Others insist on keeping the app open at all times without interruption. Many advise ignoring the heatmap altogether and heading to quieter areas with less competition. Some say to keep biking around instead of waiting in one spot for too long — “the app will think you’re taking a break,” they say. One thing became clear: chasing orders was part of the job. “This is the gamification of work,” said , economist and director of the think tank Centre for Future Work. Employing and data scientists, Uber has talked about how the company has experimented with video game techniques and other tactics to incentivize drivers to stay on the road for more hours. However, Uber told the Star this characterization was “misleading,” and that its data science team was “focused on making offers more transparent and improving the Uber Eats app.” As soon as I logged into the app, I was met with flashing heat maps signalling high demand areas, performance goals tied to rewards programs and countdown timers pressuring me to accept rides while I was in the middle of biking in rush hour traffic. I noticed that I was more likely to get orders if I was constantly on the move. To test this theory, I logged on to the app and stayed in a hot spot for seven hours. Not a single order came through. When asked about this experience, Uber Eats said it “does not require a delivery person to be moving to receive trips.” I changed my strategy and biked in circles around the city during peak lunch and dinner hours. More orders came in this way than when I’d stop and wait at hot spots. Over six weeks, I spent 140 hours and 22 minutes on the app in search of work. But I was paid only for 15 hours and 49 minutes — the time Uber Eats determined I was actively delivering orders. One courier I met on the road was a 28-year-old from India who had been delivering food for over a year trying to pay off his MBA tuition. Unable to find a steady job, he worked on multiple delivery apps, but said it wasn’t uncommon to go six hours between receiving orders. Sometimes, he earned less than $10 over an eight-hour workday. “I’m OK to do hard work, but I’m not making any money,” said the driver. What are the conditions like as a food delivery courier? Toronto Star reporter Ghada Alsharif spent six weeks delivering Uber Eats to find out. Like most of the couriers I spoke to, he asked not to be quoted by name for fear that he will face repercussions from delivery platforms or jeopardize his chances of finding better opportunities in the future. Having work appear scarce creates a sense of competition that makes drivers less selective of what orders they take, said labour relations lawyer Ryan White of Cavalluzzo LLP. “This feeling of scarcity might lead delivery workers to think, ‘If I don’t take this assignment, even if it’s not an assignment I want ... someone else is going to,’ ” White said. Uber spokesperson Keerthana Rang said it’s “difficult to comment on experiences a specific delivery person has because many factors play a role in earnings, like time of day, demand in the area, weather.” Delivery workers “control where and when they work, they are free to use other apps at the same time as they’re on Uber, choose which deliveries to accept, and they can deliver using their own vehicle, by bike, or on foot.” I felt anything but in control. As I spent more time on the app, another change occurred. Instead of simply allowing me to “accept” an order immediately, the app started prompting me to request to “match” with it, meaning the app would first determine whether I was the best fit for the delivery before giving me the job outright. More often than not, I’d lose the match to another driver. The power to choose was not mine. Uber says “there are a number of factors that determine how a match is made, including the proximity to the merchant and estimated delivery times.” One driver suggested I rush to the restaurant as soon as I got a “match” request, in a bid to be the closest to the location when the app made its decision — more guessing, more waiting. Often, after a few match requests were given to other drivers, finally receiving an order I could accept felt like a small victory — one that kept me eager and engaged. Control for drivers is an illusion — it’s really “all in the hands of the apps,” White said. “Workers don’t get to determine their terms and conditions of employment and they don’t get to set the prices that they’re working for.” Toronto was the first city in the world where Uber Eats operated, launching onto the food delivery scene in 2015. On a bitter February evening in 2022, a group of Uber Eats delivery workers gathered at Wychwood Barns Park near St. Clair Ave. W. and Christie St. Soaked in freezing rain, they huddled together to test an algorithm that had become their boss. They ran a simple experiment: logging into the app simultaneously mere inches apart, they strived to document how pay varied for identical orders. When one driver received an order, they took a screenshot capturing the pay and details before declining the job. If one of the other drivers was then offered the order, they did the same thing, creating a side-by-side comparison. The Star analyzed the data of six delivery workers collected by Gig Workers United, a network of app-based couriers advocating for better workers’ rights. Out of 21 assignments offered to at least two drivers in the group, all but one — 95 per cent — revealed pay discrepancies for the same job. For one delivery, from a Harvey’s at St. Clair and Bathurst to a location near Casa Loma, the first driver was offered $6.81. The second was offered $6.18 — a nearly 10 per cent pay difference for the same delivery. In many cases, the pay difference for identical deliveries was less than 10 cents, an amount that may go unnoticed. But given the thousands of drivers and orders around the world, if Uber were to “skim off a few cents” from each delivery, the difference could result in “millions ... of dollars in profit across millions of rides globally,” Dubal said. Dubal has spent more than a decade researching the ride-hailing and gig economy and how these platforms affect workers’ rights, livelihoods and legal protections. Her research, which includes interviews with drivers and analysis of their pay patterns, has found the business model the couriers participate in ultimately relies on an imbalance of power and information. Artificial intelligence technology determines what an Uber Eats worker gets paid. Platforms like Uber use these complex algorithms to streamline customer service while maximizing profits and also dictating worker pay, speed and behaviour. It has fostered a system, Dubal says, where workers performing the same task with the same skills under identical conditions can receive different pay. Dubal’s research documented this alleged algorithmic wage discrimination among rideshare drivers in the San Francisco Bay area, comparing the fares they received to what other drivers got. The data from the Toronto food couriers’ experiment, she says, adds to a growing body of evidence that “proves that Uber Eats has created a system where workers do not earn the same amount even if they’re doing the exact same thing.” “This upends the notion that there should be and is an assumption of equal pay for equal work.” Uber has denied the app uses an individual worker’s past behaviour to set different wages. “Uber Eats does not send lower-paying upfront offers to a delivery person with a history of accepting them. Anything written in your story otherwise would be false,” Rang said. The Uber spokesperson said that any variation of earnings between drivers for the same trip “is likely due to the technical limitations of GPS. “GPS Satellite visibility, location settings, and device orientation are some of the reasons why phones next to each other might have different geolocation results.” According to Dubal and Stanford, Uber Eats is applying a concept similar to one it popularized: consumer price discrimination, sometimes called dynamic or surge pricing, where customers are charged different prices based on what companies think they’re willing to pay. Now, critics say it appears it’s being used to set couriers’ wages. This raises serious concerns, particularly given the vulnerable demographics of many workers, Stanford said. Among the couriers I spoke with was a refugee from Eritrea unable to work legally in Canada, who said he had no choice but to rely on income from food delivery apps despite earning dismal wages. “I do this or I die,” he said. In February, Uber reported its first annual net profit since the company went public in 2019. The company booked a net profit of $1.9 billion in 2023, compared with a loss of $9.1 billion in 2022. Uber says the company’s “profitability has come from the ever-growing volume of trips, which has resulted in our revenues growing faster than our costs.” Hours after announcing its first-ever annual profit, Uber’s CEO told investors on a conference call that the company is increasingly focused on offering drivers’ orders and rides based on their “behavioural patterns.” “I think what we can do better is targeting different trips to different drivers based on their preferences, or based on behavioural patterns that they are showing us,” said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, saying it will lead to shorter wait times for customers, happier drivers and a more efficient system. “That is really the focus going forward: Offering the right trip, at the right price to the right driver.” Landed immigrants accounted for nearly 60 per cent of people who provided either personal transport or delivery services through an app or platform in 2023, according to data from Statistics Canada. Toronto was the first city in the world where Uber Eats operated, launching onto the food delivery scene in 2015. Uber was competing against other companies such as DoorDash and Hurrier. To ensure there were enough couriers available at all times to meet customer demand, delivery platforms offered workers incentives to keep engaging with their apps. Companies offered “boosts,” which multiplied courier earnings if they delivered food in areas seeing a surge in demand, recalls Brice Sopher, who has spent nearly a decade as a bike courier in Toronto. “Uber paid so well in the beginning that you didn’t even care about tips — it was that good,” said Sopher, who is also the vice-president of Gig Workers United. When the pandemic hit, the use of online food delivery platforms surged as customers were confined to their homes and restaurants shuttered their doors. In June 2020, Uber scrapped a payment structure that had offered couriers clear pay based on pickups, drop-offs, distance and time. It was replaced by algorithmic pricing. Drivers could no longer see how their base pay was being calculated. For example, I have no way of knowing why a 2.5-kilometre delivery earned me $4.06 before tip, while a nearly identical 2.3-kilometre delivery paid $6.08. Uber maintains the changes made wages more transparent. Before accepting a delivery, drivers can see fares, including estimated tip, trip distance, estimated time to completion and locations for pick-up and drop off. “The delivery person is in control in determining whether they wish to choose or decline the offer,” Uber’s spokesperson said. The upfront fare and estimated time calculated by the app often failed to account for delays beyond my control, from waiting for food that wasn’t ready at the restaurant to climbing flights of stairs at a condo tower because the elevators were down. When these incidents happened, my deliveries took longer but my pay stayed the same — this meant I would be earning less money per hour. Uber said it aims to “minimize delivery person wait time by adjusting expected merchant preparation time based on actuals.” Demographics of the gig-economy workforce have also changed. Data shows that the surge of ride-hailing and delivery gig workers has been driven largely by newcomers. Landed immigrants accounted for nearly 60 per cent of people who provided either personal transport or delivery services through an app or platform in 2023, according to data from Statistics Canada. One courier I spoke with, a 19-year-old university student from India, came to Canada in search of a good education and better living standards. Instead, he says he’s barely scraping by, struggling to pay his tuition at Niagara College. These days, he considers himself lucky to make $50 on a weekend shift. He searched for work for six months. “When I couldn’t find anything I started doing Uber (deliveries) full-time,” he said. With low barriers to entry, app-based delivery jobs can be appealing to newcomers who are often shut out of other jobs in the labour market, Stanford said. High levels of immigration “combined with the weakening of the labour market, means there are more people willing to do this lousy work than there were two years ago,” he said. “They’re desperate and the platforms take advantage of that.” Over six weeks, I hustled to complete 56 orders. I spent more than 140 hours glued to the app and biking around the city in hopes of coaxing an order out of an algorithm, and made just $243.82, plus another $73 and change in tips. This money is being donated to charity. In the end, I earned a shocking $1.74 per hour online. Uber says the average delivery person in Toronto is engaged four times more on an hourly basis than I was during my six-week experiment. And the company reports that the median driver earnings in Toronto in late 2023 was $33.35 per “engaged hour.” Uber says earnings “must be calculated against engaged time” because a delivery person can have multiple food-delivery apps open at once to optimize their earnings. Even by that standard, my earnings fell short. I made approximately $15.41 per engaged hour before tips, below Ontario’s $17.20 minimum wage. The per-hour pay fluctuated on each order. For one delivery, I made the equivalent of $34 per hour. On another, a paltry $6.95 per hour. In fact, on roughly half of the orders I delivered, I earned the equivalent of less than minimum wage. The effort didn’t even cover my expenses. Renting an e-bike alone cost me $460 for those six weeks. Food-delivery apps keep drivers tethered to the phones, waiting unpaid for their next order. The Ontario government has brought forward legislation meant to improve working conditions for gig workers such as food couriers and ride share drivers. The Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act will require companies to provide workers with a description of how their wages are calculated, and will guarantee gig workers earn minimum wage — but only for engaged hours. But the legislation, introduced in 2022, does not come into effect until summer 2025. “It is important that the government get this right, which includes consulting with workers, digital platforms, the legal sector, and other affected stakeholders,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour said. Some cities have taken steps to regulate platforms such as Uber. City staff had recommended limiting how many drivers could work for the app-based ride-hailing companies at 80,429. That proposal is now in doubt. City staff had recommended limiting how many drivers could work for the app-based ride-hailing companies at 80,429. That proposal is now in doubt. Earlier this month, Toronto city staff the number of rideshare licences in a bid to address the ride-hailing industry’s negative impacts on traffic, emissions, and public transit. A staff report concluded that drivers’ median income, when accounting for all the time spent on the app, was just $5.97 an hour after costs such as fuel and insurance — a figure Uber disputes. The city’s executive committee voted to to the drawing board. Other cities, such as New York City, have focused on guaranteed wages for drivers. By paying drivers a guaranteed wage, Stanford said the hope is that this will dissuade companies from courting a surplus of workers to compete for orders. Critics say that delivery apps for years have gotten around paying drivers minimum wage by misclassifying gig workers as independent contractors — excluding workers from the full set of rights they would otherwise be entitled to as employees. Organizations like Gig Workers United and RideFair TO have been advocating for gig workers to be classified as employees, which would grant them access to essential benefits, including employment insurance and minimum sick days. App companies have pushed back saying this would undermine couriers’ flexibility to work across multiple platforms and to set their own schedules. Sopher, who has worked on more than one app at once, described the experience as “degrading.” “It’s like working two or more jobs at the exact same time and still not making enough money,” he said. “You only do it because you have to.” In Uber’s 2023 annual report, the company said its business “would be adversely affected if drivers were classified as employees, workers or quasi-employees instead of independent contractors.” Dubal warns that the ripple effects of this algorithm-driven system, in which drivers have minimal protections, extend far beyond food delivery. This same technology is already playing a significant role in managing jobs in some distribution warehouses, from scheduling shifts to assigning tasks and even reportedly firing employees. For six weeks, I knew I had the option to log off whenever I wanted, to step away from the relentless chase for orders. But for a growing number of workers, their primary — often sole — source of income is determined by an app, with wage rates and assignments beyond their control. Sopher, who has all but given up on delivery work, fears that if companies like Uber continue to misclassify delivery workers “you’re going to have a permanent two-tier employment regime in Ontario.” “It’s all of the worst parts of being an employee and all the worst parts of being an independent contractor rolled up in one.”
10-man Barcelona concedes two late goals in draw at Celta VigoStock market today: Wall Street ends little changed after giving up a big morning gain
SMETHPORT: Hamlin Memorial Library to host Christmas partyFed's Powell: US economy is envy of the world, I'm going to do everything to keep it there US November ISM services 52.1 vs 55.5 expected US November ADP employment +146K vs +150K expected ECB's Lagarde: Inflation expected to temporarily rise in Q4 and decline next year Beige Book: Fed districts deport slight growth, rising business optimism for 2025 US October factory orders +0.2% vs +0.2% expected Fed's Musalem: Time may be approaching to slow or pause rate cuts Fed's Barkin: I'm encouraged by where inflation is headed French government loses no-confidence vote French President Macron aims to name new Prime Minister swiftly if government falls ECB's Nagel: I favor a gradual, cautious approach to rate cuts ECB's Makhlouf: Asked about 50 bps cut, says he prefers to move cautiously EIA weekly crude oil inventories -5073K vs -671K expected US November S&P Global final services PMI 56.1 vs 57.0 prelim Canada November S&P Global Services PMI 51.2 vs 50.4 prior Canada Q3 labour productivity -0.4% vs -0.2% prior OPEC+ might extend cuts to six months but cuts won't be deeper - report Markets: Gold up $6 to $2649 US 10-year yields down 4 bps to 4.18% WTI crude down $1.05 to $68.88 GBP leads, AUD lags S&P 500 up 0.6% to fresh record There were a series of crosscurrents in markets today and it was a busy day of news. In terms of data, the ISM services number was softer and it weighed on the US dollar broadly. That helped to boost the euro to a session high of 1.0544 and the pound to 1.2721. Those gains faded in part because Powell struck a more-hawkish tone, while the French political news had little effect. However the dollar bounce ran against the mode in other markets as Treasury yields started the day high and sagged, with 10s falling 10 bps intraday. US stocks were also bid but that didn't lend much support for AUD, which as beaten up in Asian trading. Eyes are on OPEC+ ahead of tomorrow's meeting but the market is clearly worried as crude fell $1 in US trading. Crack spreads have weakened and that was one factor that was cited. USD/JPY rebounded after six days of declines and climbed as high as 151.22 but was mostly tracking down in US trade and fell to 150.00 before bouncing from the big figure to 150.64. Powell may have helped firm up that intraday bottom and the Beige Book was slightly better than the prior edition and highlighted post-election optimism. The crypto market was choppy with some large outperformance in the alt-coins that was later joined by bitcoin as it has another look at $100,000. The nominated SEC commissioner is friendly towards the industry and that likely helped late-day BTC bids.Photo: Contributed Kristy Dyer, whose column Sustainability Spotlight usually appears in this spot every second week, is on an extended leave. Her column is expected to return in the spring. This is the first of a two-part series about renewable natural gas by our new climate action columnists Janet Parkins and Eli Pivnick. The second part wil appear Jan. 7. According to FortisBC, renewable natural gas is a low-carbon energy that can help B.C. reach its climate action goals and provides an option for its customers to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. But what is it really? The name “renewable natural gas” is a marketing term coined in North America to describe methane gas produced from biological waste. Outside North America, it is more accurately known as “biomethane”. RNG is methane gas, chemically identical to fossil natural gas, sourced from decaying organic material. Nearly all available RNG is created in landfills, sewage treatment plants and livestock manure ponds on large industrial farms. When animal waste and trash decay in the absence of oxygen, the microbes that break them down produce gases that contain methane. The methane can be captured, purified and pumped into a pipeline. In the pipeline, RNG is indistinguishable from its fossil fuel counterpart. Burning RNG produces the same amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) as fossil gas. It’s only considered a “carbon-neutral” fuel because its source materials are already considered to be “in” the atmosphere. FortisBC's goal is to have 75% of the gas in its system be renewable, or low-carbon, by 2050. That could prove to be unrealistic. Natural Resources Canada found nationally sourced RNG can only supply 3.3% of our natural gas needs. To meet its target, FortisBC plans to purchase about 70% of its RNG from the Eastern U.S., Alberta and Ontario by 2030, in the form of credit-like “environmental attributes” for RNG made in other places. The process is renewable gas is created and used by a gas utility, which sells that gas to its customers as fossil gas. FortisBC sells an equivalent amount of fossil gas, using the purchased carbon neutral “attribute” from the renewable gas produced elsewhere to brand its fossil gas as “renewable.” This is a confusing process, currently has no independent agency or system oversight to ensure FortisBC and other gas utilities aren’t double counting the carbon neutrality of RNG at both the source and use locations. FortisBC’s proposed largest future RNG suppliers use uncommon production practices. One is injecting high-pressure steam at extremely hot temperatures (above 8,000 C) into waste, producing a mix of gases called “syngas” or synthesis gas, which is then processed again with heat to produce pure methane for RNG. Energy is lost at each step of the process. Another method is similar in the use of high-steam and high-heat, but uses waste wood, losing about half the initial wood energy in the process. That technology is untested at a commercial scale and research on non-RNG wood biomass plants in B.C. has found evidence companies sometimes use whole, previously live trees rather than wood waste. FortisBC lists two Ontario cities among its largest future RNG suppliers—Greater Napanee and Hamilton. As of March 2024, Greater Napanee was not aware of the proposed project, and no permit applications had been submitted. The Hamilton project was to begin producing renewable natural gas in 2023, but in 2019 Hamilton city councillors unanimously rejected the proposal and later signed a contract with another company to collect its waste until 2028. Beyond its existing contracts, FortisBC’s prospects of buying cheap, plentiful RNG from elsewhere appear slim because FortisBC must compete with utilities in Quebec, New York, Nevada, Massachusetts and Washington state that have pitched RNG to their customers as a way to decarbonize. RNG is methane produced from biological sources and so it is, in theory, renewable. Compared to fossil methane (natural gas) it is very limited in supply and will never be able to provide more than a very small portion of our needs. Janet Parkins is a member of Frack-Free BC and Climate Action Now! North Okanagan. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet."RAPIST MAKER" Prosecutors have requested a 16-year jail term for Jerome V, a 46-year-old who also sought to take part in the abuse six times. His lawyer Gaele Guenoun warned the court against making an example of her client. She said Jerome V, a grocery store employee, had admitted to rape during his six visits and apologised to Gisele Pelicot. But, she argued, he had "fallen into Dominique Pelicot's net", describing the main defendant as a "rapist maker". The attorney of another co-defendant Redouane A., who has rejected accusations he committed rape during his two visits, asked for him to be acquitted instead of jailed for 12 years as requested by the prosecution. Henri Amr spoke of his 40-year-old client's "emotional, social and sexual misery". He said the defendant - who he described as "psychotic" and having suffered from "mental retardation" since childhood - had been "manipulated" by Dominique Pelicot after meeting him online into believing he was taking part in a couple's fantasy. "Doped up on pornographic images, this man believed him. He believed him and returned a second time," he said. Lead prosecutor Laure Chabaud last week rejected this argument of so-called consent by proxy as one "from another era". UNDERSTOOD "SHE HAD BEEN DESTROYED" Gisele Pelicot, who has since divorced her husband but kept his surname for the trial, was listening attentively in court on Wednesday after a day's absence. She sometimes appeared irritated by some of the arguments. She has become a feminist icon at home and abroad for demanding that the trial be open to the public to raise awareness, arguing that the perpetrators of sexual abuse - not their victims - are the ones who should be ashamed. Closing arguments in the case are scheduled to run to Dec 13, with a verdict expected on Dec 20. Unlike her counterparts, the lawyer of a fourth man who is accused of rape only once, Fabien S, did not seek to shift all the blame on Dominique Pelicot.
Molecular Templates Announces Notice of Delisting and Failure to Satisfy Continued Listing Rules
The explosive growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) market has minted a lot of millionaires. For example, a modest $3,000 investment in the AI chipmaker Nvidia just 10 years ago would be worth nearly $1.5 million today. But with a market cap of $3.6 trillion, it could be tough for Nvidia to replicate those millionaire-making gains over the next decade. Therefore, investors looking for those kinds of life-changing returns should seek out smaller companies that have more room to grow. I believe these three companies -- Symbotic (NASDAQ: SYM) , Serve Robotics (NASDAQ: SERV) , and Lemonade (NYSE: LMND) -- might just make the cut. Start Your Mornings Smarter! Wake up with Breakfast news in your inbox every market day. Sign Up For Free » 1. Symbotic Symbotic produces fully autonomous robots for processing pallets in warehouses. It claims a $50 million investment in just one of its modules (which includes its robots and software) can generate $250 million in lifetime savings over 25 years. Its top customer is Walmart , which tasked the company with automating all of its U.S. regional distribution centers over the next decade. That deal accounted for 88% of Symbotic's revenue in fiscal 2023 (which ended last September). Walmart is also one of Symbotic's leading investors. Symbotic is overwhelmingly dependent on Walmart, but it's been gaining additional major customers like Target , Albertsons , and C&S Wholesale. It's also providing more robots to GreenBox, a new warehouse-as-a-service joint venture it launched with its big backer SoftBank last year. Symbotic's revenue jumped 55% in fiscal 2024, and analysts expect its top line to keep growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32% over the next two years as it continues to fulfill its long-term deal with Walmart and lock in new customers. Analysts also expect it to turn profitable on a generally accepted accounting principles ( GAAP ) basis in 2025. With an enterprise value of $3.1 billion, Symbotic's stock still looks cheap at 1.3 times this year's sales. It faces some near-term macro and competitive headwinds in the warehouse automation space, but it might just become a millionaire-maker stock over the next few years. 2. Serve Robotics Serve Robotics develops autonomous sidewalk delivery robots. It was originally created as a unit of Postmates, which was acquired by Uber Technologies in 2020. Uber spun off Serve in 2021, but it still uses its robots to fulfill some of Uber Eats' orders in Los Angeles. Serve still generates all of its revenue from Uber, and it only operated 59 active robots across the Los Angeles area in the third quarter of 2024. But in 2025, it plans to deploy up to 2,000 robots for Uber Eats across the L.A. and Dallas-Fort Worth metro areas. For 2024, analysts expect Serve to generate less than $2 million in revenue as it racks up a net loss of $34 million. But in 2025, they expect its revenue to jump to $13 million as it narrows its net loss to $31 million. In 2026, they see its revenue more than quadrupling to nearly $60 million as it narrows its net loss to $25 million. We should take those estimates with a grain of salt, but Serve's business could start gaining momentum as more businesses use its robots to make short-range deliveries. That growth could help it attract more customers to reduce its dependence on Uber. With an enterprise value of $379 million, Serve doesn't seem terribly expensive at 6 times its 2026 sales. It remains a highly speculative stock, but it could still have plenty of upside potential and counts Nvidia as one of its top investors. 3. Lemonade Lemonade is an online insurance company that simplifies the onboarding and claims process with its AI-powered chatbots. That simple digital-first approach made it popular with younger and first-time insurance buyers, and more than 70% of its customers were under the age of 35 at the time of its initial public offering in 2020. It initially only offered renters and homeowners insurance, but it now offers term life, pet health, and auto insurance policies. It ended its latest quarter with 2.31 million customers, compared to just over 1 million customers at the end of 2020. For 2024, Lemonade expects its in-force premiums to rise 26%, its gross earned premiums to grow 22%-23%, and its total revenue to increase 21%-22%. It also sees its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) improving from negative $173 million in 2023 to negative $151 million-$155 million in 2024. Lemonade hasn't proven its business model is sustainable yet, but it's growing much faster than its larger competitors. With an enterprise value of $2.9 billion, it trades at just 4 times next year's sales -- so it might generate millionaire-maker gains if it scales up its business, narrows its losses, and widens its moat. Don’t miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a “Double Down” stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you’re worried you’ve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it’s too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you’d have $380,291 !* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $43,278 !* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $484,003 !* Right now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon. See 3 “Double Down” stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of November 18, 2024 Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Lemonade, Nvidia, Serve Robotics, Target, Uber Technologies, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy . 3 Millionaire-Maker Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks was originally published by The Motley FoolAir Canada to bar carry-on bags for lowest-fare customersFacebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The team looking for a missing Pennsylvania woman believed to have fallen into a sinkhole has determined that an abandoned coal mine is too unstable for people to safely search underground, authorities said Wednesday while still expressing hope Elizabeth Pollard will be found alive. Rescue workers continue to search for Elizabeth Pollard, who is believed to have disappeared in a sinkhole while looking for her cat, Wednesday in Marguerite, Pa. Emergency crews and others have been trying to find Pollard, 64, for two days. Her relatives reported her missing early Tuesday and her vehicle with her unharmed 5-year-old granddaughter inside was found about two hours later, near what is thought to be a freshly opened sinkhole above the long closed, crumbling mine. Authorities said in a noon update that the roof of the mine collapsed in several places and is not stable. The sinkhole is in the village of Marguerite, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. “We did get, you know, where we wanted, where we thought that she was at. We’ve been to that spot," said Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha, the incident's operations officer. “What happened at that point, I don’t know, maybe the slurry of mud pushed her one direction. There were several different seams of that mine, shafts that all came together where this happened at.” People are also reading... The real reason Corvallis' Pastega Lights moved to Linn County City officials admit Corvallis' flag is 'bad.' Will it change? OSU football: Three takeaways from Oregon State's loss at Boise State Prosecutor: Driver on laughing gas caused double fatal in Sweet Home UPDATED: GAPS teacher strike NOT off after talks over returning to the classroom break down OSU women's basketball: Marotte takes a more aggressive approach on offense Recently made-over park sees this change after Albany got an earful Corvallis chemical manufacturer eyes Albany for expansion Agreement reached (again), GAPS teachers get new contract OSU football: Boise State's pass rush is formidable Strike to end, GAPS reaches tentative deal with Albany teachers Philomath moves forward following July Nazi flag controversy A false start: GAPS strike continues after district, teachers announce deal Philomath's Lumos among 6 wineries suing Pacific Power over wildfires OSU women's basketball: Beavers earn home win over Grambling State Trooper Cliff Greenfield said crews were still actively searching for Pollard. “We are hopeful that she’s found alive,” Greenfield said. Searchers were using electronic devices and cameras as surface digging continued with the use of heavy equipment, Bacha said. Search dogs may also be used. Rescue workers search through the night in a sinkhole for Elizabeth Pollard, who disappeared while looking for her cat, Tuesday in Marguerite, Pa. On Wednesday afternoon, machinery was removing material from the area around the hole while police and other government vehicles blocked a clear view of the scene. Sinkholes occur in the area because of subsidence from coal mining activity. Rescuers had been using water to break down and remove clay and dirt from the mine, which has been closed since the 1950s, but that increased the risk “for potential other mine subsidence to take place," Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani said. Crews lowered a pole camera with a sensitive listening device into the hole, but it detected nothing. Another camera lowered into the hole showed what could be a shoe about 30 feet below the surface, Limani said. Searchers have also deployed drones and thermal imaging equipment, to no avail. Marguerite Fire Chief Scot Graham, the incident commander, said access to the immediate area surrounding the hole was being tightly controlled and monitored, with rescuers attached by harness. The top of a sinkhole is seen Tuesday in the village of Marguerite, Pa., where rescuers searched for a woman who disappeared. “We cannot judge as to what’s going on underneath us. Again, you had a small hole on top but as soon as you stuck a camera down through to look, you had this big void,” Graham said. “And it was all different depths. The process is long, is tedious. We have to make sure that we are keeping safety in the forefront as well as the rescue effort.” Bacha said they were “hoping that there’s a void that she could still be in.” Pollard's family called police at about 1 a.m. Tuesday to say she had not been seen since going out at about 5 p.m. Monday to search for Pepper, her cat. The temperature dropped well below freezing that night. Her son, Axel Hayes, said Pollard is a happy woman who likes going out to have fun. She and her husband adopted Hayes and his twin brother when they were infants. Hayes called Pollard “a great person overall, a great mother” who “never really did anybody wrong.” He said at one point Pollard had about 10 cats. “Every cat that she’s ever come in contact with, she has a close bond with them,” Hayes said. His mother worked for many years at Walmart but recently was not employed, he said. “I’m just hoping right now that she’s still with us and she’s able to come back to us,” he said. Police said they found Pollard's car parked behind Monday's Union Restaurant in Marguerite, about 20 feet from the sinkhole. Hunters and restaurant workers in the area said they had not noticed the manhole-size opening in the hours before Pollard disappeared, leading rescuers to speculate that the sinkhole was new. “It almost feels like it opened up with her standing on top of it,” Limani said. Searchers accessed the mine late Tuesday afternoon and dug a separate entrance out of concern that the ground around the sinkhole opening was not stable. “Let’s be honest, we need to get a little bit lucky, right?” Limani said Wednesday. “We need a little bit of luck on our side. We need a little bit of God’s good blessing on our side.” Pollard lives in a small neighborhood across the street from where her car and granddaughter were located, Limani said. The young girl “nodded off in the car and woke up. Grandma never came back," Limani said. The child stayed in the car until two troopers rescued her. It's not clear what happened to Pepper. From field to fork: how America's farming revolution affects your plate and wallet From field to fork: how America's farming revolution affects your plate and wallet In an era of rapid technological advancement and environmental change, American agriculture is undergoing a revolution that reaches far beyond the farm gate. From the food on consumer plates to the economic health of rural communities, the transformation of U.S. farming practices is reshaping the nation's landscape in ways both visible and hidden. LandTrust explores how these changes impact everyone, whether they live in the heartland or the heart of the city. The Changing Face of American Farms The image of the small family farm, while still a reality for many, is increasingly giving way to larger, more technologically advanced operations. According to the USDA, the number of farms in the U.S. has fallen from 6.8 million in 1935 to about 2 million today, with the average farm size growing from 155 acres to 444 acres. This shift has profound implications for rural communities and the food system as a whole. Despite these changes, diversity in farming practices is on the rise. A landmark study published in Science , involving data from over 2,000 farms across 11 countries, found that diversifying farmland simultaneously delivers environmental and social benefits. This challenges the longstanding idea that practices boosting biodiversity must come at a cost to yields and food security. Technology Revolution on the Farm The adoption of precision agriculture technologies is transforming how farmers manage their land and resources. GPS-guided tractors, drone surveillance, and AI-powered crop management systems are becoming commonplace on many farms. These technologies allow farmers to apply water, fertilizers, and pesticides with pinpoint accuracy, reducing waste and environmental impact while improving yields. However, the digital divide remains a challenge. More than 22% of rural communities lack reliable broadband internet access, hindering the widespread implementation of AI and other advanced technologies in agriculture. The Economic Tightrope: Challenges Facing Modern Farmers While technology offers new opportunities, farmers are also facing significant economic challenges. The USDA's 2024 farm income forecast projects a 4.4% decline in net farm income from 2023, following a sharp 19.5% drop from 2022 to 2023. This financial pressure is compounded by rising production costs and market volatility. Climate variability adds another layer of complexity. Extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, and shifting growing seasons are forcing farmers to adapt quickly. These factors could reduce agricultural productivity by up to 25% over the coming decades without significant adaptation measures. But adapting requires additional financial resources, further straining farm profitability. Diversification: A Lifeline for American Farms In the face of these challenges, many farmers are turning to diversification as a strategy for resilience and profitability. The Science study mentioned earlier found that farms integrating several diversification methods supported more biodiversity while seeing simultaneous increases in human well-being and food security. Agritourism is one popular diversification strategy. In 2022, 28,600 U.S. farms reported agritourism income, averaging gross revenue of $44,000 from these activities. Activities like farm tours, pick-your-own operations, and seasonal festivals not only provide additional income but also foster a deeper connection between consumers and agriculture. From Farm to Table: The Consumer Connection The changing face of agriculture is directly impacting consumers. The rise of farm-to-table and local food movements reflects a growing interest in where our food comes from and how it's produced. If every U.S. household spent just $10 per week on locally grown food, it would generate billions of dollars for local economies. However, the larger challenges in agriculture can also lead to price fluctuations at the grocery store. The USDA's Economic Research Service projects that food-at-home prices will increase between 1.2% and 2.2% in 2024. The Future of Farming: Opportunities and Innovations Looking ahead, several innovations are poised to reshape agriculture: Sustainable farming practices : Cover cropping, no-till farming, and precision agriculture are gaining traction. These practices can reduce soil erosion by up to 90% compared to conventional tillage. Genetic engineering : CRISPR and other gene-editing technologies offer the potential to develop crops with enhanced nutritional profiles and resistance to pests and diseases. Alternative protein sources : The market for plant-based and lab-grown meat alternatives is projected to reach $30 billion by 2030. Conclusion: A Call to Action The transformation of American agriculture affects everyone, from the food we eat to the health of our environment and rural communities. Consumers have the power to support sustainable and diverse farming practices through our purchasing decisions. As citizens, they can advocate for policies that support farmers in adopting innovative and sustainable practices. The challenges facing agriculture are complex, but they also present opportunities for innovation and positive change. By understanding and engaging with these issues, everyone can play a part in shaping a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food system for the future. This story was produced by LandTrust and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
ENPH Investors Have Opportunity to Lead Enphase Energy, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit
Terrell Owens isn't thrilled with Deebo Samuel's play for the San Francisco 49ers this season. Owens, who spent the first eight seasons of his career with the 49ers, called out Samuel this week for not playing up to his usual standards. "Deebo is not really playing up to Deebo's standards," Owens said , ( first transcribed by Sports Illustrated ). "It seems like he's more focused on his pregame attire than the game. If we can shift that focus, maybe that can energize and create some more production from an offensive standpoint. I'm just being tongue-in-cheek with that." George Gojkovich/Getty Images Samuel has had a bit of a down season in 2024, compiling 33 receptions for 490 yards and a touchdown. He didn't do that much against the Seahawks this past Sunday, posting only four receptions for 22 yards and no touchdowns. In fact, Samuel hasn't gone over 100 receiving yards since October 10 when he had three receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown in the first matchup against the Seahawks. The 49ers won that game before the Seahawks went to San Francisco on Sunday and won on the road in the final seconds. Owens wants to see more from Samuel since the 49ers find themselves in the thick of the playoff race. They're 5-5 through their first 10 games and are only a game behind the Arizona Cardinals for first in the NFC West. The 49ers will need to run the table down the stretch if they want to make the playoffs. Their next game will be this Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Kickoff will be at 4:25 p.m. ET. Related: Christian McCaffrey Has Message For 'Instagram Doctors' After Returning From InjuryKBC Group NV lifted its holdings in Surgery Partners, Inc. ( NASDAQ:SGRY – Free Report ) by 31.8% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 2,385 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 576 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Surgery Partners were worth $77,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale increased its holdings in Surgery Partners by 102.0% in the 1st quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 2,723 shares of the company’s stock worth $80,000 after buying an additional 1,375 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its holdings in shares of Surgery Partners by 133.1% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 3,082 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 1,760 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning bought a new stake in shares of Surgery Partners in the third quarter worth approximately $258,000. Versor Investments LP bought a new position in Surgery Partners during the third quarter valued at approximately $271,000. Finally, MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Surgery Partners by 15.9% during the second quarter. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC now owns 12,320 shares of the company’s stock valued at $293,000 after purchasing an additional 1,690 shares during the period. Surgery Partners Trading Down 1.5 % Surgery Partners stock opened at $23.01 on Friday. Surgery Partners, Inc. has a 12-month low of $21.36 and a 12-month high of $36.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -48.67, a P/E/G ratio of 16.71 and a beta of 2.76. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $30.02 and a 200 day moving average of $28.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have weighed in on SGRY. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Surgery Partners from $49.00 to $35.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $43.00 price objective on shares of Surgery Partners in a research report on Friday, October 4th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $50.00 target price on shares of Surgery Partners in a research report on Monday, August 26th. Macquarie reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $34.00 price target on shares of Surgery Partners in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Surgery Partners from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $38.71. View Our Latest Research Report on Surgery Partners About Surgery Partners ( Free Report ) Surgery Partners, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a network of surgical facilities and ancillary services in the United States. The company provides ambulatory surgery centers and surgical hospitals that offer non-emergency surgical procedures in various specialties, including orthopedics and pain management, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, and general surgery. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SGRY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Surgery Partners, Inc. ( NASDAQ:SGRY – Free Report ). 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LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Golden Knights go head-to-head against the Montreal Canadiens for the first time this season this Saturday at 4 p.m. Bonjour 😁📺: Vegas 34📲: KnightTime+📻: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460📰: https://t.co/GOujUILu1P pic.twitter.com/3iEcKfFXYP — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 23, 2024 The head coach Bruce Cassidy reached his 400th win as a NHL coach with Thursday's victory. Brett Howden signed a five-year contract extension through the 2029-30 NHL seaso on Friday, Nov.22. Jack Eichel is tied for the fifth in NHL scoring with 29 points (6G, 23A). VGK won the first game of their five-game road trip against the Ottawa Senators, 3-2, on Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre. KEYS TO THE GAME: Head coach Bruce Cassidy says it's important to allow the players to get comfortable in their play and not put yourself in a situation where you are chasing the game.( MENAFN - AFP) Dominant in the electric car sector, Chinese companies have been quietly consolidating their position in the lesser-watched trucking scene -- but foreign tariffs and a perceived quality gap could signal roadblocks ahead, experts warn. The domestic supply chain and low-price strategy that helped make China's EV car industry world-leading are being leveraged by established automakers and start-ups alike, aiming to similarly transform trucking. Electric trucks currently represent less than one percent of truck sales worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) -- with China making up 70 percent of those sales in 2023. But the agency said it was "optimistic" policy and technology developments would see more widespread adoption in the next 10 years. "This industry, I believe, is ripe for disruption," Han Wen, the founder of start-up Windrose, told AFP on a factory floor as the company's first vehicles for delivery were assembled behind him. Fleets of electric heavy goods vehicles from China have been growing internationally, even as Western countries target the country's EV cars with heavy sanctions. Chinese companies like BYD and Beiqi Foton have shipped trucks to countries including Italy, Poland, Spain and Mexico, and have opened assembly plants around the world. "China's trucks are generally cost-competitive in emerging markets," Stephen Dyer, from consulting firm AlixPartners, told AFP. "For mature markets, performance and durability do not yet meet the needs of most customers, but that is changing." When it comes to emissions, "heavy-duty trucks are considered one of the more difficult to abate transport segments (after aviation and shipping)", IEA analyst Elizabeth Connelly told AFP. - Battery issues - A major challenge is the trade-off between battery size and range. "The larger the battery, the longer the range. But the larger the battery, the heavier the truck... and the worse the fuel economy," Connelly said. Chinese manufacturers have been seen as producing lower quality products than foreign counterparts. "Historically, Chinese trucks tended to have a shorter useful lifecycle than European or Japanese trucks," AlixPartners' Dyer told AFP. While that perception is changing, China's flagship companies still lag rivals on factors like range and battery capacity. According to the Zero-Emission Technology Inventory, the median Chinese heavy duty truck range is 250 kilometres (155 miles), compared with 322 km in the United States. BYD -- which in October beat Tesla in quarterly revenue for the first time -- says its 8TT model's range is 200 kilometres, compared with the 800 kilometres promised by Tesla's Semi truck. But Chinese manufacturers could close the gap quickly. Han's Windrose says its semi-trucks can go up to 670 kilometres on a single charge. Meanwhile, battery giant CATL has rolled out truck battery-swapping facilities -- where drained units can be immediately replaced, eliminating charging time altogether. China's existing EV ecosystem is a massive advantage. "We're very lucky to have the Chinese supply chain (for EVs)," said Han, noting Windrose was using an electric bus company's factory to build its trucks. "There's no doubt that China also will have an edge on the electrification of heavy-duty trucks." - 'Not normal times' - More unpredictable are the testy geopolitical waters the sector risks stalling in. This year has seen important trading partners including the European Union and the United States impose hefty tariffs on Chinese EV cars, saying Beijing's state aid to automakers undercut their own firms. China refutes this, but as its EV truck footprint grows globally, so could the risk of similar action being taken. "Governments in potential export markets want to protect their local industries," Sam Fiorani, at AutoForecast Solutions, told AFP. US President-elect Donald Trump has promised huge tariff hikes on Chinese imports once he takes office. "Since EV truck volume is smaller than passenger EVs, there is a chance that EV trucks would fall a little under the radar in normal times," AlixPartners' Dyer said. But "these are not 'normal times' anymore and anything Chinese is high profile in the US government currently", he added. Some companies have already taken steps that could mitigate this risk. BYD proudly touts its trucks as being "assembled by union workers in Lancaster, California", while it has announced plans to build a factory in Mexico, and has plants in Hungary and Romania. Windrose's Han told AFP the firm has consciously spread its operations across multiple countries, moving key headquarters to Belgium earlier this year. "We do embrace the fact that every major market would like its own domestic supply chain of EV," he told AFP. But he added: "You have to start in China. We then try to move the supply chain globally... But you have to start in China. There's no alternative." MENAFN14122024000143011026ID1108993555 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. 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7 Sporting Directors Who Could Replace Edu at Arsenal (Ranked)LOS ANGELES — The UCLA women’s basketball team rode a dominant first half to knock off No. 1 and defending national champion South Carolina, 75-60, on Sunday, ending the Gamecocks’ overall 43-game winning streak and their run of 33 consecutive road victories. The Gamecocks (5-1) lost for the first time since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat them in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals. The No. 5 Bruins welcomed South Carolina to a sold-out Pauley Pavilion in the best way they knew possible: Gamecocks star Chloe Kitts went up for a jumper just in time for 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts to get a hand on the ball for a forceful block that sent Kitts to the floor as the opening quarter came to a close. The Bruins had double the amount of points as the Gamecocks in that moment. And yet, UCLA head coach Cori Close wanted more of her team: “Whatever the score is,” she told the crowd at halftime, “I know we can play better.” Betts continues to average a double-double and recorded 11 points and 14 rebounds in the game. Londynn Jones scored 15 points and was a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range. Elina Aarnisalo and Gabriela Jaquez also finished in double-digit scoring with 13 and 11 points, respectively. South Carolina was scoring an average of 45.6 points in the paint heading into the game, but UCLA had limited them to 18. Kitts, who averages a team-leading 14 points for South Carolina, finished with 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting. The Bruins shook off a choppy start in which the shots weren’t falling and took off on an 11-0 run in the first quarter. It was unclear who would start at point guard between freshman Elina Aarnisalo and Kiki Rice, who was day-to-day with an injury. UCLA had both of them in the starting rotation and reaped benefits from Rice’s scoring abilities and Aarnisalo’s IQ. The Finnish hooper had a steal that led to a layup for UCLA’s first points of the game and she continuously came up with athletic plays throughout the game. She hit a midrange jumper and a 3-pointer from the top of the key in a matter of three minutes in the second quarter as the Bruins entered the break with a 43-22 advantage. The Gamecocks found rhythm in transition as they trudged on but were unable to put together a run of more than five points at a time. They switched their offensive attack to the perimeter but saw little success. Meanwhile, UCLA’s success from range grew. Jones made a shot from beyond the arc to keep the Bruins ahead by 20 points and Janiah Barker made a three of her own shortly after to extend the lead to 57-36. The Bruins added 16 points in the fourth quarter to keep the celebratory mood alive. A corner three by Jones sent three fingers from each player flying into the air after a steal by Dugalić and assist by Rice. The game was part of a big weekend in Los Angeles women’s basketball. No. 3 USC hosted No. 6 Notre Dame the night before and lost 74-61.
Odisha DGP Reviews Security Arrangements For President’s Visit To Puri
Trump picks Milei critic as Latin America special envoyNoneBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Cam Carter hit five 3-pointers and finished with 23 points, Vyctorius Miller added 20 points and LSU never trailed Sunday night in a 110-45 win over Mississippi Valley State, the Tigers' 21st consecutive victory when scoring at least 100 points. LSU's 65-point margin of victory was its largest since the Tigers beat Grambling by 75 (112-37) on Nov. 20, 1999 and is the third biggest against a Division-I opponent in program history. The 110 points were the most by LSU since a 119-108 win over North Florida on Dec. 12, 2015. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a weekNorth Korea's Kim vows the toughest anti-US policy before Trump takes office
MIAMI , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at Art Basel Miami, Blue Square X proudly announced an expansion of its art curation services to further elevate the Vision X LED series. Building on its success with collaborations featuring artists like ThankYouX, Nick Thomm , Brooke Einbender , JN Silva, and institutions such as Art Republic and BlackDove, the company continues to lead at the intersection of art and technology. Past installations include Leila Pinto at Pace Gallery, Jennifer Steinkamp at Lehmann Maupin Gallery, and Anthony Samaniego of Art Republic. A Curated Collection for Vision X Scheduled for release in Q1 2025, Blue Square X will launch exclusive contemporary art collections tailored specifically for Vision X LED displays. These collections will enable subscribers to turn their Vision X displays into immersive, gallery-quality art experiences, redefining how contemporary and digital masterpieces are enjoyed. Art Beyond Boundaries This expanded service transforms how audiences interact with art by seamlessly introducing renowned works from established and emerging artists into retail spaces, public venues, and private homes. By merging advanced technology with curated collections, Vision X offers an unmatched platform for showcasing art in visually stunning and immersive ways. Pioneering the Fusion of Art and Technology This expansion underscores Blue Square X's dedication to exploring new frontiers at the intersection of creativity and technology. By combining advanced display technology with thoughtfully curated art collections, the company is redefining how audiences access and experience art, creating deeply engaging, transformative encounters. "Our goal at Blue Square X has always been to push boundaries and explore new ways to connect people with art through technology," said Yitzy Shapiro , COO of Blue Square X. "With this new curation service, we're not just providing a product; we're creating a platform that transforms spaces and inspires deeper connections to art. We're excited to offer this next step in immersive, experiential storytelling." Experiential Marketing Through its curated art services, Blue Square X empowers clients to craft immersive, emotionally resonant experiences that foster brand loyalty and drive engagement. This experiential approach positions Vision X displays as invaluable tools for businesses aiming to captivate audiences through compelling storytelling. Redefining the Art and Technology Landscape Blue Square X redefines the intersection of art and technology through its curated art offerings, transforming audience experiences with cutting-edge display solutions. This initiative reinforces the company's role as a trailblazer, combining innovative storytelling and immersive visuals to deliver unforgettable, industry-leading experiences. For more information about Blue Square X's Vision X LED series and Art Curation Services, visit Bluesqx.com or contact marketing@bluesqx.com Media Contact: Shari Sentlowitz Blue Square X 201-951-2734 Shari@bluesqx.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blue-square-x-expands-art-curation-services-at-art-basel-miami-302324265.html SOURCE Blue Square X © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.The emergence of tools that allow people to efficiently produce novel and detailed online reviews with almost no work has put , service providers and consumers in uncharted territory, watchdog groups and researchers say. have long plagued many popular consumer websites, and Yelp. They are typically traded on private social media groups between fake review brokers and businesses willing to pay. Sometimes, such reviews are initiated by businesses that offer customers incentives such as gift cards for positive feedback. But AI-infused text generation tools, popularized by OpenAI’s , enable fraudsters to produce reviews faster and in greater volume, according to tech industry experts. The deceptive practice, which is , is carried out year-round but becomes a bigger problem for consumers during the , when many people rely on reviews to help them purchase gifts. Fake reviews are found across a wide range of industries, from e-commerce, lodging and restaurants, to services such as home repairs, and piano lessons. The Transparency Company, a tech company and watchdog group that uses software to detect fake reviews, said it started to see AI-generated reviews show up in large numbers in mid-2023 and they have multiplied ever since. For a report released this month, The Transparency Company analyzed 73 million reviews in three sectors: home, legal and medical services. Nearly 14% of the reviews were likely fake, and the company expressed a “high degree of confidence” that 2.3 million reviews were partly or entirely AI-generated. “It’s just a really, really good tool for these review scammers,” said Maury Blackman, an investor and advisor to tech startups, who reviewed The Transparency Company’s work and is set to lead the organization starting Jan. 1. In August, software company DoubleVerify said it was observing a “significant increase” in mobile phone and smart TV apps with reviews crafted by generative AI. The reviews often were used to deceive customers into installing apps that could hijack devices or run ads constantly, the company said. The following month, the Federal Trade Commission sued the company behind an AI writing tool and content generator called Rytr, accusing it of offering a service that could pollute the marketplace with fraudulent reviews. The FTC, which this year banned the of fake reviews, said some of Rytr’s subscribers used the tool to produce hundreds and perhaps thousands of reviews for garage door repair companies, sellers of “replica” designer handbags and other businesses. Max Spero, CEO of AI detection company Pangram Labs, said the software his company uses has detected with almost certainty that some AI-generated appraisals posted on Amazon bubbled up to the top of review search results because they were so detailed and appeared to be well thought-out. But determining what is fake or not can be challenging. External parties can fall short because they don’t have “access to data signals that indicate patterns of abuse,” Amazon has said. Pangram Labs has done detection for some prominent online sites, which Spero declined to name due to non-disclosure agreements. He said he evaluated Amazon and Yelp independently. Many of the AI-generated comments on Yelp appeared to be posted by individuals who were trying to publish enough reviews to earn an “Elite” badge, which is intended to let users know they should trust the content, Spero said. The badge provides access to exclusive events with local business owners. Fraudsters also want it so their Yelp profiles can look more realistic, said Kay Dean, a former federal criminal investigator who runs a watchdog group called Fake Review Watch. To be sure, just because a review is AI-generated doesn’t necessarily mean its fake. Some consumers might experiment with AI tools to generate content that reflects their genuine sentiments. Some non-native English speakers say they turn to AI to make sure they use accurate language in the reviews they write. “It can help with reviews (and) make it more informative if it comes out of good intentions,” said Michigan State University marketing professor Sherry He, who has researched fake reviews. She says tech platforms should focus on the behavioral patters of bad actors, which prominent platforms already do, instead of discouraging legitimate users from turning to AI tools. Prominent companies are developing policies for how AI-generated content fits into their systems for removing phony or abusive reviews. Some already employ algorithms and investigative teams to detect and take down fake reviews but are giving users some flexibility to use AI. Spokespeople for Amazon and Trustpilot, for example, said they would allow customers to post AI-assisted reviews as long as they reflect their genuine experience. Yelp has taken a more cautious approach, saying its guidelines require reviewers to write their own copy. “With the recent rise in consumer adoption of AI tools, Yelp has significantly invested in methods to better detect and mitigate such content on our platform,” the company said in a statement. The Coalition for Trusted Reviews, which Amazon, Trustpilot, employment review site Glassdoor, and travel sites Tripadvisor, Expedia and launched last year, said that even though deceivers may put AI to illicit use, the technology also presents “an opportunity to push back against those who seek to use reviews to mislead others.” “By sharing best practice and raising standards, including developing advanced AI detection systems, we can protect consumers and maintain the integrity of online reviews,” the group said. banning fake reviews, which took effect in October, allows the agency to fine businesses and individuals who engage in the practice. Tech companies hosting such reviews are shielded from the penalty because they are not legally liable under U.S. law for the content that outsiders post on their platforms. Tech companies, including Amazon, Yelp and Google, have sued fake review brokers they accuse of peddling counterfeit reviews on their sites. The companies say their technology has blocked or removed a huge swath of suspect reviews and suspicious accounts. However, some experts say they could be doing more. “Their efforts thus far are not nearly enough,” said Dean of Fake Review Watch. “If these tech companies are so committed to eliminating review fraud on their platforms, why is it that I, one individual who works with no automation, can find hundreds or even thousands of fake reviews on any given day?” Consumers can try to by watching out for a few , according to researchers. Overly enthusiastic or negative reviews are red flags. Jargon that repeats a product’s full name or model number is another potential giveaway. When it comes to AI, research conducted by Balázs Kovács, a Yale professor of organization behavior, has shown that people can’t tell the difference between AI-generated and human-written reviews. Some AI detectors may also be fooled by shorter texts, which are common in online reviews, the study said. However, there are some “AI tells” that online shoppers and service seekers should keep it mind. Panagram Labs says reviews written with AI are typically longer, highly structured and include “empty descriptors,” such as generic phrases and attributes. The writing also tends to include cliches like “the first thing that struck me” and “game-changer.”
John Schindler is a well known American historian and writer. He was a professor at Naval War College and the author of several books, including the best-selling “Sowing the Dragon's Teeth: How American Greed and Righteousness Created the Next .” He also has written a series of books on espionage and national security as well as the behavior of modern warfare. He is a former officer and academic who now uses those lenses to inform his examinations of the intersection of history, politics and security. His best-known works often illuminate the implications of intelligence operations, as well as the strategic decisions that shape global events. John R. Schindler has made a name for himself as a prominent political commentator. Schindler's profuse writing provides a sympathetic view of current events that has gotten attention from a wide audience. He weaves wonky analysis with user-friendly prose, enabling a wide range of people to engage serious political topics. Through writing for platforms including the Examiner and Observer, he dedicates his efforts to shedding light on affairs at the national and international level. Schindler often covers foreign policy, and he sharpens his scissors when he cuts beyond the headlines to explain the complexities of foreign relations and how foreign governments affect American interests. His sharp instincts help make sense of the tactics employed by various countries and their leaders. Over this time he has highlighted the subtle issues that stem from changing global relationships — most notably the implications for American foreign policy. National security is another important theme in Schindler's writings. His former experience in the intelligence community shapes his views and gives his opinions depth and authenticity. It is good that Schindler is looking in the right direction, because figuring out and intelligence practices, not to mention military strategy is crucial to navigating the complexities of modern threats to security. He believes defying national security doctrine — adapting it to old and new threats, transitional ones and drastic — is required. John R. Schindler has examined several noteworthy events in international politics and given us something to think about concerning their consequences. In some instances, his criticisms of geopolitical postures taken by countries, including and , shed light on the game being played on the international geopolitical board. Schindler unpacks these events, allowing the audience to understand the larger implications of regional conflicts, alliances and power shifts. Schindler's commentary on U.S. intelligence practices feels particularly timely in our current political climate. He writes regularly about the and efficacy of intelligence operations, adding to the public debate about government transparency and accountability. His insights call into question the delicate balance between national security interests and civil liberties, an issue that has remained a point of contention in public discourse. Another major theme in Schindler's work is the changing face of global leadership. He specializes in assessing the behaviors and policies of major political leaders, and how their styles of governance impact foreign affairs. His analyses outline that effective leadership must contemplate the quickly shifting terrain of global politics, a lesson that seems especially relevant in modern discussions. John Schindler writes with the depth of someone who's been working in this world. He also has firsthand experience with the inner workings of national security, with a background in intelligence. His years in the intelligence community enable him to break down complicated international circumstances analytically. This background lends credibility to his observations as a commentator, giving readers access to a rare insider's perspective. Schindler is an academic as well as a practitioner. His educational background for his analytical work. He combines practical experience with academic knowledge, providing him with a distinctive and informed perspective on the issues of the day, earning his place as a trusted source of political commentary. John Schindler is one of the leading voices in establishing the narrative on security and political events. His written words ignite critical conversations about important topics, allowing readers to have thoughtful dialogues about the world around them. His active presence on social media, including John Schindler , only broadens his scope, allowing him to reach and educate a wider audience than print or television alone. The Schindler Perspectives are interactive activities that allow you to engage with an aspect of Schindler's perspectives. I cannot overstate the impact of John Schindler's work on public opinion. His knack for distilling complex events into digestible narratives helps keep the public informed and educated. His readers interact with his critiques and refine their own opinions of pressing matters, strengthening the quality of the electorate. Web based social networking stages work as an augmentation of Apfelstetler. However, on sites like John Schindler Twitter, he directly interacts with herdsmen and dialogues between expert material and public discourse. Such dialogue enables live feedback and enhances the discussion towards political matters over time. Written by John Schindler, Edited by Orion Rummler Schindler's regular stream of commentary helps to contextualize these changes for the public as evolve. His views, which are often circulated in the media, reflect and contribute to a synthesis of world events in which informed public discourse has a vital role. John Schindler is a deep well of knowledge: here, too, are dozens of his arch and insightful essays on national security, foreign policy and political commentary. His work not only educates policymakers and analysts alike, but helps empower the general public to be able to participate in meaningful discussions about national and global matters.Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods are alike in many ways - even politics. The legendary NBA star and the all-time PGA Tour professional are two of the greatest in the history of sports. Few athletes, if any, were more iconic than Michael and Tiger. They both dominated their respective sports and went on to become billionaires off of it. Michael made most of his money with Nike, while Tiger has also landed some massive endorsements. Both Michael and Tiger seem to be on the same page politically, as well. James Gilbert/Getty Images Pedro Salado/Getty Images Both Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods seem to be pretty close to the center. Michael might lean a little more left, with Tiger a little more right - but both have made it clear that they think you should respect the office. Tiger Woods said back in 2018 that he thinks everyone should respect the office. "Well, he's the president of the United States. You have to respect the office. No matter who is in the office, you may like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office," Woods said when asked about Donald Trump in 2018. He added: "I've known Donald for a number of years. We've played golf together. We've had dinner together. I've known him pre-presidency and obviously during his presidency.'' Michael Jordan, meanwhile, has also shown support for the office and the troops. He's also stood up for causes like Black Lives Matter. "We have been beaten down [as African Americans] for so many years. It sucks your soul," he said in 2020 according to The Washington Post. "You can't accept it anymore. This is a tipping point. We need to make a stand. We've got to be better as a society regarding race." He added: “We understand that one of the main ways we can change systemic racism is at the polls. “We know it will take time for us to create the change we want to see, but we are working quickly to take action for the Black Community’s voice to be heard.” Neither man has taken too many risks with their political statements, which isn't too surprising, given their celebrity and influence.
I’ve been bullied relentlessly because my parents named me after a Game of Thrones character, I’m desperate to change it
The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers have released their lists of inactives ahead of the Week 14 game at Ford Field on Thursday night and there is one surprise for the Lions. Ahead of Thursday, both teams ruled out four players. The Lions won't have the services of left tackle Taylor Decker and defensive linemen D.J. Reader, Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal. To help fill the void along the defensive line, the Lions signed Myles Adams off the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad and Jonah Williams off the Los Angeles Rams' practice squad. Swing tackle Dan Skipper is expected to start in place of Decker. Also expected to lend a helping hand in some form or fashion are safety Jamal Adams and outside linebacker Mitchell Agude, both of whom were elevated from the practice squad for the Week 14 contest. Adams was signed this week and could see some time at linebacker at some point. The Lions will see the return of cornerback Carlton Davis, who sat out with an injury last week. But Emmanuel Moseley is the surprise inactive, as head coach Dan Campbell had said he would be good to go this week. It isn't clear what went wrong for Moseley but we'll have to wait at least another week for his 2024 debut. The Packers ruled out four players on Wednesday, also, including cornerback Jaire Alexander, who has missed four of the last five games now. Leaving the Packers even shorter at cornerback, Corey Ballentine has also been ruled out. Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and wide receiver Romeo Doubs are not suiting up, either. Now, a look at the full list of inactives for the Lions and Packers with kickoff almost here. Lions inactives OT Taylor Decker DL Levi Onwuzurike DL Josh Paschal DL D.J. Reader CB Emmanuel Moseley OL Giovanni Manu OL Kayode Awosika Packers inactives CB Jaire Alexander CB Corey Ballentine WR Romeo Doubs LB Edgerrin Cooper OL Jacob Monk MORE DETROIT LIONS NEWS Jake Bates wins award, Lions make franchise history Lions vs. Packers picks, predictions Several Lions among leaders in Pro Bowl voting
Carter hits 5 3s, scores 23 to help LSU beat Mississippi Valley State 110-45Inquiry focuses on recruitment practices for BS-01 to BS-04 positions within the PSQCA, after a complaint by an individual alleged procedural violations The Ministry of Science and Technology has launched an investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment at the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) following directives from the Federal Ombudsman. According to a news report, the inquiry focuses on recruitment practices for BS-01 to BS-04 positions within the PSQCA, after a complaint by an individual named Irfanullah alleged procedural violations. Acting on the ombudsman’s findings, the ministry has tasked Shakil Arshad, DSA (Commercialisation), to lead the probe. Arshad is required to submit a comprehensive report and recommendations within 15 days. The investigation will identify those involved, assess individual culpability, and prepare a detailed charge sheet with a statement of allegations. The probe will also include reviewing all relevant records related to the recruitment process. The Federal Ombudsman, which oversees complaints of maladministration in federal agencies, ordered the investigation to ensure transparency and accountability. To facilitate the inquiry, the probe officer has been provided with a copy of the ombudsman’s findings. The report is expected to offer a detailed analysis of recruitment practices and shed light on the alleged irregularities within the national standards body. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );The dream of playing for a Big 12 title is still alive for the Colorado Buffaloes, but it isn’t as attainable as it was before a trip to Kansas City, Mo., this past weekend. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.
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Biden Pulled Off a $370 Billion Miracle for the Climate. Where Did the Money Go?
VILNIUS (LITHUANIA): Unimpressed by the substitute for Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 's "Nutcracker", the mother and her young daughter left at the intermission, a small protest over a decision by the opera house not to perform the Russian composer's Christmas classic. "Everything about ' The Nutcracker ' is much better - the music, the dance, the story," said Egle Brediene, 38, hurrying out of Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre this past week after the first act of a replacement ballet composed by an Italian. Lithuania, an unwavering supporter of Ukraine in the war waged by Russia, set aside Tchaikovsky and the holiday favourite two years ago after declaring a "mental quarantine" from Russian culture. That stirred grumbling by theatergoers, but their annoyance had largely calmed - until a new govt took office in Lithuania this month and a newly installed culture minister announced that he liked listening to Tchaikovsky. There was no reason, the minister, Sarunas Birutis, said in an interview, to be "afraid that after watching a Christmas fairy tale we will become pro-Kremlin." His remarks prompted fury from supporters of Ukraine and applause from lovers of Russian music, igniting a bitter debate about whether culture and politics can be separated at a time of war. Many in the art world oppose banning works on the basis of their nationality, believing that culture has the power to unite and should not be contaminated by politics. Darius Kuolys, a veteran of Lithuania's struggles to break free from the Soviet Union who was the first culture minister after a 1990 declaration of independence, said it was obvious that the Kremlin often exploited culture for political ends. But he added, "It never occurred to me as a minister to tell people what to watch or listen to." Despite a bloody crackdown by Soviet forces in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, in Jan 1991, Kuolys did not pause performances of "The Nutcracker" or try to cancel Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring." "We fought Soviet power to get the freedom not to ban things," said Kuolys, 62. Simonas Kairys, the culture minister who pushed in 2022 for the quarantine from Russian influence embedded in music, insisted that he had never banned anything and only issued "recommendations" to the national opera house and other state-funded institutions, which promptly pulled "The Nutcracker" and other Russian works. During WWII, Britain's National Gallery put on a series of concerts featuring German composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven. The director of the gallery at the time said that this was to show that Britain's fight was with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, not with Germany as a nation or culture. Fear of Russia and fury over its invasion of Ukraine, however, have led many in Lithuania and other countries with a long and bitter history of past Russia occupation to doubt that culture can be disentangled from politics. "In Russia, it's always been mixed," said Arunas Gelunas, director of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art. "The Kremlin has long been using classical culture to distract the eyes of the world from its atrocities."
The Miami Hurricanes, who once appeared to be a near-lock for the College Football Playoff, are not playing for a national title. Instead, they will play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. That bowl berth against Iowa State is a let-down for fans with dreams of a sixth national title in their minds, as well as players hoping to compete for a championship. However, Miami’s trip to Orlando and the lead-up to it are still crucial periods for the Hurricanes for multiple reasons. First, it’s a chance for the program to achieve something it has not done in more than two decades: win 11 games. Although the 11th win won’t get them closer to a championship, it is a good sign of the program’s progress over Mario Cristobal’s tenure. It would also end UM’s five-game losing streak in bowls. “We’re not satisfied,” Cristobal said. “We want to win every single game. We won 10. We were close on the other two, but close isn’t good enough. We want progress. We’re hungry and driven to get better, and so that’s what our focus is on: to improving as a football program, to getting better, to moving into the postseason with an opportunity against a great football team like this and putting our best on the field.” There are signs the Hurricanes will show up at close to full strength for the bowl game. Running back Damien Martinez announced he was going to play, and star quarterback Cam Ward said in a video call posted on social media that he intends to play, as well. “We’re trying to win our first bowl game in 20 years,” Ward said in the video, mistaking the length of UM’s long bowl losing streak. “We’re going hard.” Playing in the bowl game also provides the opportunity for the Hurricanes to get in several practices between now and the game. That means Miami can develop its young players and prepare them for next season during both the practices and the bowl game itself. “It’s extremely valuable,” Cristobal said. “You really don’t have many opportunities throughout the course of the year — time is limited more and more each season with your student-athletes. I want to state this and be very clear: it’s very important, it’s ultra-important for the University of Miami to continue to develop and grow and progress by stressing the importance of offseason opportunities ... You learn a lot about your team and learn a lot about your people and your program when you head to the postseason.” Of course, there are potential negatives. Players can get hurt; Mark Fletcher Jr. suffered a foot injury in the Pinstripe Bowl last year that cost him all of spring practice. A poor performance can also potentially set the tone for next season, like how Florida State, fresh off a playoff snub last year, suffered a devastating loss against Georgia in the Orange Bowl and went on to a dismal 2-10 season this year. “This is the ending of ’24 and the beginning of ’25,” Cristobal said. “This is the last opportunity to be on the field and carry some momentum into the offseason. So it is, in essence, it is the most important game because it’s the next game. “There’s a lot of excitement in the form of opportunity for our guys. Our guys love to play football. The chance to play one more time with this special group — this is a special group of guys now. They’ve worked hard to really change the trajectory of the University of Miami, and they want to continue to elevate the status and the culture at the University of Miami. So certainly a ton to play for.” ____
Dragons’ Den star planning $70B Alberta investment
Why Miami’s Pop-Tarts Bowl appearance is important even after missing College Football PlayoffGotham has Batman, but New York wants Robin. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said this weekend that the Department of Homeland Security should send special drone-detection technology made by Robin Radar Systems to New York and New Jersey following a series of mysterious sightings. If the technology exists for a drone to make it up into the sky, there certainly is the technology that can track the craft with precision and determine what the heck is going on,” Schumer told reporters on Sunday. Schumer said he is requesting Robin’s equipment in part because it uses “not a linear line of sight, but 360-degree technology that has a much better chance of detecting these drones.” In recent years, the Netherlands-based Robin Radar Systems has risen in prominence, though its hardware is not only used to track down drones. Robin is part of a consortium developing small radar satellites that can measure water levels, according to the Netherlands Space Office. In February, the company also deployed four bird-detection radars to support the creation of what has been billed as the world’s most ecological wind farm in the Dutch part of the North Sea. Follow along for live coverage In early October 2023, Robin announced it had joined a group of organizations working on the development of the world’s most advanced weather radar , known as PHARA. The group’s mission is to “develop a fully 3D weather radar that can accurately track the movement and growth process of cloud particles and large-scale weather fronts.” “Detecting small objects is what we do, and it’s what we do best,” the company says on its website. “Bird, bat, or drone, our 360° radar systems log thousands of observations, scanning every second to track and classify with precision.” Robin’s systems have been used in at least one notable military context, too. In early August, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced it had purchased 51 drone radars from the company and planned to donate them to Ukraine as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s forces attempt to fend off Russia’s aerial assault. In a news release announcing the purchase, Robin explained that “traditional radar systems are typically stationary, mounted on fixed platforms like buildings or tripods.” But the Robin-produced radar systems have “on-the-move” functionality, allowing them to “perform even when mounted on mobile objects, like vehicles or ships.” “Robin’s 3D drone detection radars ... are designed with the explicit purpose of detecting small, fast and elusive drones,” the company said. The deployment of Robin technology could come as a relief to residents in the New York and New Jersey areas who have been rattled by the bright, unidentified flying objects hovering above their homes almost every night for weeks. The objects have appeared in the sky since at least Nov. 18. It remains unclear who is operating the devices. The Pentagon has insisted the objects are not owned by the military. In an interview with NBC News on Monday, Robin Radar Systems general manager Kristian Brost said the company’s radars can detect a drone in the sky, but “we can’t tell you who’s flying it [or] what country it’s from.” Schumer’s request to Homeland Security came two days after New York Stewart International Airport was closed following multiple drone sightings nearby. The Democratic lawmaker told reporters it was “remarkable” that “we have more questions than answers” amid a growing number of mysterious sightings. “Some of the drones are small. Some of the drones’ flight patterns are erratic,” Schumer said. “Multiple drones flying together can confuse a traditional radar system, and that’s why, again, this new technology can really get us the answers that we need.” Schumer said he was working to pass a bill that would give local law enforcement “more tools for drone detection.” Currently, only federal agencies have the legal authority to scour for drones. The Democratic lawmaker’s office did not immediately respond to an email Monday requesting more information. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, meanwhile, said on X late Sunday that he had met with state police officials and radar technicians who are “surveying the area for unmanned aircraft systems.” “The public deserves clear answers — we will keep pushing the federal government for more information and resources,” Murphy said. Tom Costello contributed. This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here: FBI warns some lawmakers that China aims to create fake stories about them to erode support for Taiwan Judge in Trump's hush money case denies bid to toss out guilty verdict Women's basketball league Unrivaled secures $28 million in new funding from star-studded investor lineup
Predators Teammates Fight During Practice as the Team's Struggles Lead to Increasing Frustration
RELIGION: St. Thomas Aquinas relevant 800 years laterWhy Miami’s Pop-Tarts Bowl appearance is important even after missing College Football Playoff
Joe Rogan is "genuinely concerned" about drone sightings in New York and New Jersey areaThe Miami Hurricanes, who once appeared to be a near-lock for the College Football Playoff, are not playing for a national title. Instead, they will play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. That bowl berth against Iowa State is a let-down for fans with dreams of a sixth national title in their minds, as well as players hoping to compete for a championship. However, Miami’s trip to Orlando and the lead-up to it are still crucial periods for the Hurricanes for multiple reasons. First, it’s a chance for the program to achieve something it has not done in more than two decades: win 11 games. Although the 11th win won’t get them closer to a championship, it is a good sign of the program’s progress over Mario Cristobal’s tenure. It would also end UM’s five-game losing streak in bowls. “We’re not satisfied,” Cristobal said. “We want to win every single game. We won 10. We were close on the other two, but close isn’t good enough. We want progress. We’re hungry and driven to get better, and so that’s what our focus is on: to improving as a football program, to getting better, to moving into the postseason with an opportunity against a great football team like this and putting our best on the field.” There are signs the Hurricanes will show up at close to full strength for the bowl game. Running back Damien Martinez announced he was going to play, and star quarterback Cam Ward said in a video call posted on social media that he intends to play, as well. “We’re trying to win our first bowl game in 20 years,” Ward said in the video, mistaking the length of UM’s long bowl losing streak. “We’re going hard.” Playing in the bowl game also provides the opportunity for the Hurricanes to get in several practices between now and the game. That means Miami can develop its young players and prepare them for next season during both the practices and the bowl game itself. “It’s extremely valuable,” Cristobal said. “You really don’t have many opportunities throughout the course of the year — time is limited more and more each season with your student-athletes. I want to state this and be very clear: it’s very important, it’s ultra-important for the University of Miami to continue to develop and grow and progress by stressing the importance of offseason opportunities ... You learn a lot about your team and learn a lot about your people and your program when you head to the postseason.” Of course, there are potential negatives. Players can get hurt; Mark Fletcher Jr. suffered a foot injury in the Pinstripe Bowl last year that cost him all of spring practice. A poor performance can also potentially set the tone for next season, like how Florida State, fresh off a playoff snub last year, suffered a devastating loss against Georgia in the Orange Bowl and went on to a dismal 2-10 season this year. “This is the ending of ’24 and the beginning of ’25,” Cristobal said. “This is the last opportunity to be on the field and carry some momentum into the offseason. So it is, in essence, it is the most important game because it’s the next game. “There’s a lot of excitement in the form of opportunity for our guys. Our guys love to play football. The chance to play one more time with this special group — this is a special group of guys now. They’ve worked hard to really change the trajectory of the University of Miami, and they want to continue to elevate the status and the culture at the University of Miami. So certainly a ton to play for.” ____ Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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Political analyst Mark Halperin said Monday that he anticipates President Joe Biden struggling after his presidency ends in January. Since President-elect Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in November, Biden has largely refrained from wielding political influence, Politico reported on Monday. Halperin , on “ The Morning Meeting ,” compared Biden’s potential post-presidency challenges to the more active and profitable pursuits of former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. (RELATED: Andy McCarthy Says Hunter Biden Was Pardoned On Charges That ‘No American’ Would A Catch A Break On) WATCH: “We had three straight presidents who were pretty young men when they left after full terms, right? Clinton, Bush and Obama. None of them really sought the limelight. Clinton did a little bit; Clinton did,” Halperin said. “[Clinton] Global Initiative, but all of them had normal post-presidencies in the sense that they got book deals, they gave speeches for $250,000 and up, they did lots of international travel, giving even more lucrative speeches. They played the roles they wanted to play. Bush painted and Obama started making Netflix stuff and Clinton did the Global Initiative. And they all have libraries, although Obama’s is financed in a private way.” “But Biden may never even live to see the building of a library, in part because of his age, but also because he’s gonna have trouble raising money,” he continued. “And I don’t know — is he gonna get a big book deal? Is he gonna get paid speeches? Like, he’s about to go from a guy who was a senior senator for decades, then vice president, then out briefly, but then back as president. It’s going to be a shock to the system. You think he’s feeling kind of irrelevant now?” Biden was struggling to raise the hundreds of millions of dollars necessary to establish a presidential library, The Wall Street Journal reported in October. Halperin then recounted how Clinton made a “ridiculous attempt to get attention” by making a speech to the Arkansas legislature during his transition to Bush, saying the Democrat “felt so overshadowed” by the 2000 election. “Biden’s just not gonna be capable of doing any of that. Now, he may not care. He may say, ‘I’m just going to play with my grandkids and go through my papers,’ whatever. But Politico did this new investigative piece about the background stuff,” he added. “Like, even if the pardons don’t hit the hornets’ nest, he’s gonna be in for a rude awakening, I think. And I’m not sure he’s gonna be equipped. If he wants attention, I’m not sure he’s gonna be equipped to garner it.” Democratic strategist James Carville on Thursday expressed sorrow for how Biden’s career is ending after issuing a sweeping pardon to his son Hunter and Trump’s victory. “All of this is self-inflicted. It’s tragic, it’s sad ... It’ll be six years before somebody comes back and talks about all of the stunning things, the manufacturing that he’s brought back ... What’s so sad, it didn’t have to be this way,” he said. “He brought it all on himself ... At the bottom of this, Joe Biden is and will continue to be the most tragic figure in modern American politics. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.” Biden has faced scrutiny for his mental acuity during his presidency, especially after his debate with Trump in June. The president has made numerous gaffes , including calling Trump supporters “garbage” in October. All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org .TTEC Digital wins Cisco Reimagine Customer Experiences Partner of the Year - Americas
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The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has called upon the government to announce robust economic strategies, as the country has stuck in low economic growth situation, where double-digit policy rate for the last few years has diminished capacity to increase domestic production. PIAF Chairman Faheemur Rehman Saigol in a joint statement along with senior vice chairman Nasrullah Mughal and vice chairman Tahir Manzoor Chaudhary said that the government will have its work sharply cut out as far as the economic challenges are concerned. Coming at the back of fast-unfolding climate change crisis that pushed millions into poverty with little fiscal capacity of government to provide anywhere near close to what was needed in stimulus spending. Then there is acute debt distress, and inflation at the back of global aggregate supply shock, and accentuated by a world of rising conflicts, mainly in Ukraine, and the Middle East. The PIAF leaders emphasized that such transparency from the government is crucial, as the country has had trouble raising enough money to cover its expenses. Faheem Saigol said that the domestic investment at the moment is alarmingly low which has sent a negative signal to the potential foreign investors and now is the time that the federal government should give some patient hearing to the private sector calling. They said if the government was seriously desirous of having economic turnaround in the coming years it would have to do two things that are: an immediate freeze on domestic and foreign borrowing and secondly put in place a well-tailored strategy to show-case Pakistan’s potentials to the outer world. Tahir Manzoor Chaudhary said that even though Pakistan’s economic crisis is a recurring factor in the country’s political unrest, it has a history of ignoring the nation’s true issues, which include poor governance, a broken judicial system, outdated laws, complicated tax system, lack of transparency, duplication in the government system, ineffective bureaucracy, improper use of our human, natural and water resources, lack of efficient local government, inadequate data for country’s planning, and the consistent flaws in policies in execution by the government departments.
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INFLUENCER Dominique Brown has tragically died at 34, reportedly due to a severe allergic reaction during an industry event. Witnesses claim she unknowingly consumed food containing an allergen at a BoxLunch event on Thursday. Several influencers who were present claimed the food item was unmarked, and Brown had allegedly been assured it was free of the allergen before the reaction occurred. A user on X, known as @hideyagrannies, alleged that Dominique Brown was her mother's best friend for the past ten years and was reportedly allergic to peanuts. The user made a startling claim, stating that when Brown asked to be taken to a hospital after feeling unwell, “everyone said no and took pictures first.” They wrote: "She was my moms best friend of 10 years. She asked if there was peanuts in the food and everyone told her no. "When she instantly felt bad she asked someone to take her to the hospital, everyone said no and to take pictures first. So sad." Dominique's brother expressed his gratitude to her fans by commenting on her final Instagram post. He wrote on Friday: “Hi everyone, this is @pramos313 – Dominique’s brother. “I wanted to take a a moment to say thank you to her social media fam for showing her so much love and light. "Disney did bring her joy, but it was unparalleled that she found a community who loved her and Disney as much as she did. "I will miss my sister and best friend and that infectious smile she always had. Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart.” Brown, a California-based influencer known online as HellooDomo, built her platform around Disney-inspired content. In 2018, she co-founded BlackGirlDisney alongside Mia Von after recognising a lack of representation within the Disney influencer community. Together, they established an inclusive space for women of colour who share a passion for Disney’s movies and theme parks. Numerous Disney influencers expressed their grief in the comments of Brown's final video, with many highlighting her warm, friendly personality and commending her dedication to fostering a safe and supportive community. Tatiana Kelley, who goes by Dapper on the Daily online, said: "The kindest most genuine person in this community ...we will miss you Domo [...] “Thank you for touching our lives with your joy & wit & for being so incredibly welcoming to us all." Main St Muse, real name Katy Lane, added: "I’m so happy I got to hug you last week. "Your positivity and passion for life will always inspire me ❤️ you were and will continue to be the good in the world Dom.” It comes after a beauty influencer tragically died of cancer aged just 42. Lilian Martins Gomes, was better known to her one million Instagram followers as Lili Spada. The Brazilian revealed this summer that she was battling cancer. Lili, who created content about plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures, then announced that she would be taking an indefinite break from social media due to her “delicate health situation.” Her team also said: “All her focus is entirely on her recovery at this time.” She died on Wednesday, announced the Brazilian Centre for Hydroliposuction who she was partnered with. They said all their activities would be suspended for two days to honour the influencer as their “hearts are in mourning”. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun .EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Ray'Sean Taylor had 27 points, Ring Malith scored 24 with 10 rebounds and SIU Edwardsville beat Ball State 82-69 on Sunday. Taylor went 9 of 22 from the field (7 for 15 from 3-point range) for the Cougars (6-4). Malith hit 7 of 13 shots and 9 of 10 at the free-throw line. Brian Taylor II shot 5 of 8 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line to finish with 13 points. Juan Sebastian Gorosito led the way for the Cardinals (3-6) with 17 points. Ball State also got 13 points and six rebounds from Ben Hendriks. Malith scored 10 points in the first half and SIU-Edwardsville went into the break trailing 41-39. Ray'Sean Taylor scored the last seven points for SIU-Edwardsville to finish off the 13-point victory. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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By JAMIE STENGLE, Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — More than 60 years after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated , conspiracy theories still swirl and any new glimpse into the fateful day of Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas continues to fascinate . Related Articles President-elect Donald Trump promised during his reelection campaign that he would declassify all of the remaining government records surrounding the assassination if he returned to office. He made a similar pledge during his first term, but ultimately bended to appeals from the CIA and FBI to keep some documents withheld. At this point, only a few thousand of the millions of governmental records related to the assassination have yet to be fully released, and those who have studied the records released so far say that even if the remaining files are declassified, the public shouldn’t anticipate any earth-shattering revelations. “Anybody waiting for a smoking gun that’s going to turn this case upside down will be sorely disappointed,” said Gerald Posner, author of “Case Closed,” which concludes that assassin Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. Friday’s 61st anniversary is expected to be marked with a moment of silence at 12:30 p.m. in Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy’s motorcade was passing through when he was fatally shot. And throughout this week there have been events marking the anniversary. When Air Force One carrying Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy touched down in Dallas , they were greeted by a clear sky and enthusiastic crowds. With a reelection campaign on the horizon the next year, they had gone to Texas on political fence-mending trip. But as the motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested 24-year-old Oswald and, two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer. A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate the assassination, concluded that Oswald acted alone and there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that hasn’t quelled a web of alternative theories over the decades. In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection of over 5 million records was required to be opened by 2017, barring any exemptions designated by the president. Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had boasted that he’d allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the potential harm to national security. And while files have continued to be released during President Joe Biden’s administration, some still remain unseen. The documents released over the last few years offer details on the way intelligence services operated at the time, and include CIA cables and memos discussing visits by Oswald to the Soviet and Cuban embassies during a trip to Mexico City just weeks before the assassination. The former Marine had previously defected to the Soviet Union before returning home to Texas. Mark S. Zaid, a national security attorney in Washington, said what’s been released so far has contributed to the understanding of the time period, giving “a great picture” of what was happening during the Cold War and the activities of the CIA. Posner estimates that there are still about 3,000 to 4,000 documents in the collection that haven’t yet been fully released. Of those documents, some are still completely redacted while others just have small redactions, like someone’s Social Security number. There are about 500 documents where all the information is redacted, Posner said, and those include Oswald’s and Ruby’s tax returns. “If you have been following it, as I have and others have, you sort of are zeroed in on the pages you think might provide some additional information for history,” Posner said. Trump’s transition team hasn’t responded to questions this week about his plans when he takes office. From the start, there were those who believed there had to be more to the story than just Oswald acting alone, said Stephen Fagin, curator of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which tells the story of the assassination from the building where Oswald made his sniper’s perch. “People want to make sense of this and they want to find the solution that fits the crime,” said Fagin, who said that while there are lingering questions, law enforcement made “a pretty compelling case” against Oswald. Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said his interest in the assassination dates back to the event itself, when he was a child. “It just seemed so fantastical that one very disturbed individual could end up pulling off the crime of the century,” Sabato said. “But the more I studied it, the more I realized that is a very possible, maybe even probable in my view, hypothesis.”Check out CGPA of UI student who emerged as best graduating student in arts faculty
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BCE and More! Here’s Another Passive Income Stock to Stash in a TFSAHome Franchise Concepts' Leading Window Covering Brand Promotes and Expands Roles for Veteran Team Members to Drive Collaboration, Growth and Innovation IRVINE, Calif. , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Budget Blinds, a leader in window coverings, today announced significant changes to its executive leadership team, positioning the company for continued success and industry disruption. Effective immediately, the brand has promoted Tracy Christman to Chief Operating Officer; and expanded roles for Amy Campbell to Vice President of Marketing, Product Design & Strategy; and Nicholas (Nick) Petropoulos as Director of Information Technologies. As part of Home Franchise Concepts' family of brands, these executive changes reflect the leading franchise platform's commitment to setting industry standards and laying the groundwork for building exponential future growth opportunities. Home Franchise Concepts, a subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises, places an emphasis on strategic leadership development to continue positioning its brands as industry front-runners. Budget Blinds' restructuring aligns with its strategic vision to become the most revered brand in the window coverings industry, while pursuing its primary objectives of operational excellence and innovative customer experience. "We're on the verge of transformational changes that will redefine Budget Blinds' presence in the industry," said Heather Nykolaychuk , President of Budget Blinds. "Earlier this year, we introduced a new business model for our franchisees to enhance brand reinvestment and elevated our strategic planning process to incorporate input from key stakeholders, including our franchisees, fostering greater buy-in and alignment to our long-range plan. As such, with their combined experience and expertise, we are confident that as Tracy, Amy and Nick take on their new or expanding roles, they will ignite our bold new direction, benefiting our associates, franchisees, vendor partners and customers." Additional details on Budget Blinds' leaders and their expanded roles are outlined below: These organizational changes, coupled with the brand's proactive engagement of key stakeholders, position Budget Blinds for improved performance and sustainable growth. The brand is confident that this new structure will foster collaboration and drive innovation, ensuring Budget Blinds remains the leader in window coverings while Home Franchise Concepts continues to reinvest in the brand for future growth. Budget Blinds looks forward to providing enhanced franchisee support, more efficient operations and the development of products and services that truly resonate with our consumers. "We strive to be regarded with deep respect and admiration by all who work and partner with us, through championing high-standards of child-safety, product quality and exceptional experiences rooted in trust and brand reputation," continued Nykolaychuk. "We're excited for the bright future we have ahead, and look forward to the lasting impact Tracy, Amy and Nick will bestow on the Budget Blinds legacy." With Budget Blinds contributing to the success of Home Franchise Concepts, the parent company plans to execute even more innovative strategies and remain ambitious in implementing new tactics to generate additional awareness and support for its family of brands. With new shifts in leadership, Home Franchise Concepts is focused on ongoing operational and technology improvements and is dedicated to enhancing the support for its family of brands. To learn more about Home Franchise Concepts and franchise development opportunities, visit homefranchiseconcepts.com . For more information specific to Budget Blinds, please visit budgetblinds.com . About Budget Blinds Budget Blinds ® is the largest window covering franchise in North America, offering custom blinds, shutters, shades, drapery, and more for residential and commercial consumers in more than 10,000 communities in the U.S. and Canada. Budget Blinds' over 900 business owners, and 1,500 locations, have dressed more than 25 million windows since the brand's founding in 1992. Budget Blinds is part of the Home Franchise Concepts family of home improvement goods and services brands. About Home Franchise Concepts Home Franchise Concepts® , is one of the world's largest franchising systems in the home improvement goods and services space, among the world's largest franchise businesses and a recognized leader in franchisee-franchisor relationships. Home Franchise Concepts' brands including AdvantaClean® , Aussie Pet Mobile®, Bath Tune-Up® , Budget Blinds® , Concrete Craft® , Kitchen Tune-Up®, Lightspeed RestorationTM , PremierGarage® , The Tailored Closet®, and Two Maids® are supported by more than 2,600 franchise territories in the U.S., and Canada . For information on franchise opportunities, please visit http://homefranchiseconcepts.com/ . About JM Family Enterprises JM Family Enterprises, Inc. was founded by automotive legend, Jim Moran in 1968. It is a privately held company with more than $20 billion in revenue and more than 5,000 associates. Rooted in automotive and united in its strong culture and core values, JM Family is in the business of helping other businesses succeed. As a long-term partner, it is invested in its companies, associates and its communities. Driven by exceptional performance, current subsidiaries are in the automotive, financial services, franchising and specialty distribution industries. Its family of companies includes: Southeast Toyota Distributors , JM&A Group , World Omni Financial Corp. (dba Southeast Toyota Finance ), JM Lexus , Home Franchise Concepts ®, Futura Title & Escrow and Rollease Acmeda . Interact with JM Family on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn . Contact: Margo Williams mwilliams@fish-consulting.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/budget-blinds-announces-strategic-changes-to-executive-leadership-team-302324283.html SOURCE Home Franchise ConceptsWooley and Cottle each score 32, Kennesaw State knocks off Brewton-Parker 112-77
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In a surprising turn of events, the Hang Seng Tech Index experienced a significant surge of over 4% during the final hours of trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The index, which tracks the performance of the top technology companies listed in Hong Kong, exhibited a sharp upward trend in the late afternoon session, with several key stocks driving the overall market higher.
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Northern California was under a rare and brief tsunami warning alert Thursday that tested local emergency notification systems after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook part of the state. The National Weather Service canceled its alert after roughly an hour and before the tsunami was expected to arrive. In that hour, some cities and counties ordered evacuations while others relied on social media and text messages to inform people of the warning. Some people headed for higher ground, while others drove to the beach to get a better view. People took to social media to figure out why a warning was issued and then canceled so quickly, and how the NWS determines when to send alerts. Here are answers to more questions. What exactly is a tsunami? The word for tsunami comes from the Japanese characters for harbor and wave. It's a series of extremely long waves set in motion when energy from an earthquake causes the ocean floor to suddenly rise or fall, according to the National Weather Service. How common are they in California? Since 1800, California's shores have been struck by more than 150 tsunamis, most of them minor, according to the California Geological Survey. Phones buzzed Thursday when the National Weather Service issued its warning just minutes after the quake struck west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County. It read in part: “You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now.” Why was there an alert if there wasn't a large tsunami? The National Weather Service Bay Area posted on the social platform X early Friday that the region doesn't get tsunami alerts often and “there are lot of questions, frustration, and even some anger” about Thursday's event. A warning alert is the most serious of four tsunami alerts, including a watch alert for a possible tsunami and an advisory alert telling people to stay out of the water and away from the shore. The last time California received a warning alert was 2011 when an earthquake in Japan caused about $100 million in damages along the California coast. Basically, a distant, offshore earthquake or other trigger event gives scientists more time to analyze data and confirm that a large tsunami was generated before sounding a warning. But Thursday’s earthquake was local and close to the coast, forcing a hasty high-level alert in order to give people the maximum time to prepare as tsunami waves can travel very fast, up to 500 mph (800 kph) in the deep ocean, the NWS wrote. “By the time we actually observe it, it may be too late, because it's right there in our back doors,” said Dalton Behringer, a meteorologist with NWS Bay Area, on Friday. Scientists used the time Thursday to monitor buoys and get more information on the earthquake itself, he said. They canceled the alert after seeing little sea-level change and determining the quake was a strike-slip type of temblor that shifts more horizontally and is less prone to cause tsunamis, he said. “These things happen so infrequently for us, I think it just caught a lot of people off-guard,” he said. How did Northern California respond? Authorities in Eureka, the biggest city in Humboldt County, sent texts and went door-to-door to order businesses in high-risk areas to evacuate, said City Manager Miles Slattery. He said only a small portion of the city was at risk, and Thursday's test run showed evacuees need to work on leaving by foot, rather than by car. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the commuter light-rail system known as BART stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland, and the San Francisco Zoo’s visitors were evacuated. Responses varied as fire and police in Berkeley evacuated certain areas of the city while in San Francisco, officials sent alerts and messages on social media telling residents to stay away from water, beaches, harbors, marina docks, and piers. “Move at least one block inland,” said the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. Emergency personnel in vehicles with public address systems also went to make sure no one was on beaches and other low-lying areas. But some critics said San Francisco should have sounded its loud emergency sirens, which have been off-line since 2019 for repairs. In San Mateo County, just south of San Francisco, officials considered but decided against sounding its tsunami warning sirens after receiving more comprehensive information from the NWS that any tsunami would affect coastlines north of the Golden Gate Bridge, said Michelle Durand, a spokesperson for the county. Fire and police cleared the beaches while emergency personnel gathered to monitor the situation, she said, which “prioritized both public safety and the prevention of unnecessary panic.”
In conclusion, the announcement of the remake of "The Talos Principle" heralds an exciting chapter in the history of this groundbreaking game. With its profound themes, intricate puzzles, and immersive gameplay, the remake promises to be a testament to the enduring appeal and creativity of the original. As players prepare to embark on a new adventure in the world of "The Talos Principle," they can look forward to an experience that challenges their minds, stirs their hearts, and leaves a lasting impression long after the final puzzle is solved.
ATLANTA — On Jan. 18 and 19 the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! will be held at State Farm Arena in advance of the College Football Playoff national championship on Jan. 20. The star-studded lineup was announced Thursday at a news conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Performances will include Lil Wayne and GloRilla on Saturday; and Camila Cabello, Myles Smith and Knox on Sunday. On game day, the Allstate Championship Tailgate, taking place just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the Home Depot Backyard, will feature country acts on the Capital One Music Stage, including global superstar Kane Brown and iHeartCountry “On The Verge” artist Ashley Cooke. The concerts are just two of the festivities visiting fans can enjoy in the days leading up to the big game. The fan experience for both ticket holders and the general public has been a focus for event planners. All weekend long, an estimated 100,000 people from across the country are expected to attend fan events preceding kickoff. People are also reading... “It will be an opportunity for fans of all ages to come together to sample what college football is all about, and you don’t have to have a ticket to the game to be a part of it,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP in a press release. “We’ve worked closely with the Atlanta Football Host Committee to develop fan-friendly events that thousands will enjoy come January.” On Saturday, Jan. 18, Playoff Fan Central will open at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The free, family-friendly experience will include games, clinics, pep rallies, special guest appearances, autograph signings and exhibits celebrating college football and its history. That day, fans can also attend Media Day, presented by Great Clips, which will feature one-hour sessions with student-athletes and coaches from each of the College Football Playoff national championship participating teams. ESPN and social media giants X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will be taping live broadcasts from the event. On Sunday, Jan. 19, the Trophy Trot, both a 5K and 10K race, will wind its way through the streets of downtown Atlanta. Each Trophy Trot participant will receive a T-shirt and finisher’s medal. Participants can register at atlantatrackclub.org . On Sunday evening, the Georgia Aquarium will host the Taste of the Championship dining event, which offers attendees the opportunity to indulge in food and drink prepared by local Atlanta chefs. This premium experience serves as an elevated exploration of local cuisine on the eve of the national championship. Tickets to the Taste of the Championship event are available on etix.com . Atlanta is the first city ever to repeat as host for the CFP national championship. The playoff was previously held in Atlanta in 2018. “We are honored to be the first city to repeat as host for the CFP national championship and look forward to welcoming college football fans from around the country in January,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council and Atlanta Football Host Committee. “This event gives us another opportunity to showcase our incredible city.” The College Football Playoff is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The quarterfinals and semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games — the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This year’s quarterfinals will take place on Dec. 31, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025, while the semifinals will be Jan. 9-10, 2025. The CFP national championship will be Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com . Be the first to know
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TEHRAN- Militant groups in Syria claim to have taken more key areas from the hands of government forces. The government has cautioned against propaganda claims circulating on social media. The Syrian Army emphasized on Saturday that its forces operating in the southern provinces of Daraa and Suwayda have repositioned and redeployed, establishing a strong and cohesive security cordon in the areas. A statement issued by the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces read, “The redeployment and repositioning came after terrorist elements attacked the army's dispersed checkpoints and positions, aiming to distract our armed forces, which have begun regaining control in the provinces of Homs and Hama against terrorist organizations.” The statement stressed that the armed forces are addressing developments with a focus on ensuring the safety of the nation and its citizens and will confront terrorism with determination and strength. While the Syrian army fights armed groups in Homs and Hama provinces, other militants in southern Syria are attacking Syrian army positions in Daraa and Suwayda. This has led Jordan to close its border as the fighting in Syria has reached close to Jordanian territory. Making matters worse for the government in Damascus, militants allied with the United States have reportedly taken control of areas in Dayr al-Zor province near the Iraqi border. Militants have also claimed to have controlled Quneitra near the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan, near the occupied Palestine border, Reuters reported, citing two militants and a Syrian officer. After capturing the cities of Aleppo and Hama in a surprise offensive, militants have vowed to continue heading south and take over the strategic city of Homs. Experts believe the fate of Homs will determine who controls the Arab country. A Syrian military source stated that “reports broadcast by some media channels about terrorists entering the al-Qaryatayn (a town in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate) are unfounded.” The source added that Syrian forces remain in their positions in the al-Qaryatayn area and are fully prepared. Meanwhile, another Syrian military source said that forces operating in the countryside of Hama and Homs “carried out intensive artillery and rocket strikes on terrorist positions and supply lines, achieving direct hits among them.” Additionally, joint Syrian-Russian airstrikes targeted terrorist gatherings in northeastern Homs countryside, killing dozens of militants and destroying their vehicles. The militant offensive has been mostly led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the northeast, formerly known as the Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra, which was aligned with al-Qaeda. The Syrian state television reported that “the death toll among terrorists of Jabhat al-Nusra and its affiliated groups has risen to approximately 2,500 over the past week, as the army, supported by Syrian and Russian air forces, repelled their attacks.” Later, a Syrian military source indicated that “terrorists are resorting to entering some villages and areas, requesting permission from residents to film for a few minutes before leaving. They use these clips in their media propaganda to falsely portray control over these areas, aiming to affect the morale of our people and our valiant army.” On Friday, the Syrian army carried out a special operation targeting the Dar al-Kabira - Talbiseh - Rastan axis in northern Homs countryside. According to a military source in the Syrian Ministry of Defense, the operation resulted in the killing of dozens of militants, causing panic, confusion, and mass flight among their ranks. Meanwhile, a military source denied reports circulated by some media outlets and pages affiliated with terrorist organizations about any withdrawal of Syrian army units from the vicinity of Homs city and its countryside. On the diplomatic front, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in the Qatari capital Doha on Saturday, to participate in a meeting of the Astana parties and the Doha Forum. Turkey hosted a meeting in Doha with Russia and Iran to seek a political and peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis. The three countries, represented by their foreign ministers, participated in the Astana format discussions.
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Shares of Avenue Supermarts Ltd . rose 0.92 per cent to Rs 3657.70 in Tuesday's trade. It hit an intraday high of Rs 3680.00 and low of Rs 3622.75, respectively, during the day. The stock quoted a 52-week high price of Rs 5484.00 and low of Rs 3567.35. As of 10:50AM (IST), the counter saw total traded volume of 10,170 shares with a traded value of Rs 3.72 crore, according to NSE . The stock had closed at Rs 3624.25 in the previous session. The scrip has -9.71 per cent in the past one month till date, while the benchmark BSE Sensex has gained 0.7599999904632568 per cent during the same period. Stock Trading Options Trading Made Easy: Options Trading Course By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Stock Trading Technical Analysis Demystified: A Complete Guide to Trading By - Kunal Patel, Options Trader, Instructor View Program Stock Trading Candlesticks Made Easy: Candlestick Pattern Course By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Stock Trading Point & Figure Chart Mastery: A Comprehensive Trading Guide By - Mukta Dhamankar, Full Time Trader, 15 Years Experience, Instructor View Program Stock Trading Market 103: Mastering Trends with RMI and Techno-Funda Insights By - Rohit Srivastava, Founder- Indiacharts.com View Program Stock Trading Technical Analysis Made Easy: Online Certification Course By - Souradeep Dey, Equity and Commodity Trader, Trainer View Program Stock Trading Market 104: Options Trading: Kickstart Your F&O Adventure By - Saketh R, Founder- QuickAlpha, Full Time Options Trader View Program Stock Trading Ichimoku Trading Unlocked: Expert Analysis and Strategy By - Dinesh Nagpal, Full Time Trader, Ichimoku & Trading Psychology Expert View Program Stock Trading Futures Trading Made Easy: Future & Options Trading Course By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Stock Trading Stock Investing Made Easy: Beginner's Stock Market Investment Course By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Stock Trading RSI Made Easy: RSI Trading Course By - Souradeep Dey, Equity and Commodity Trader, Trainer View Program Stock Trading A2Z of Stock Market for Beginners: Stock Market Course For Beginners By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program According to exchange data, the stock traded at a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 88.51 while price-to-book ratio stood at 15.76. A higher P/E ratio shows that investors are willing to pay a higher price for per rupee earnings given by the stock because of better future growth expectations. The price-to-book value indicates the inherent value of a company and it reflects the price investors are ready to pay even for no growth in a business. The stock belongs to the Supermarkets industry. Promoter/FII Holding Promoters held 74.65 per cent stake in the company as of 30-Sep-2024, while FII and MF ownership in the firm stood at 9.95 per cent and 5.95 per cent, respectively. Key Financials The company reported consolidated sales of Rs 14478.0200 crore for the quarter ended 30-Sep-2024, 2.6 per cent from the previous quarter's Rs 14110.7400 crore and 14.35 per cent from the year-ago quarter's Rs 12661.2900 crore. Its net for the latest quarter stood at Rs 659.58 crore, 5.78 per cent from the same quarter a year ago. (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )
Apiaries abuzz over ruling against widening cross-border trade in live honeybeesDefending champ South Dakota State dominates Montana 35-18 in FCS 2nd roundAfter a string of sales misses from its recent games lineup, it looks like Square Enix has hit it big with its latest Dragon Quest RPG. Instead of just re-releasing older games in their original formats ad infinitum, Square Enix had the unique idea to supercharge classic RPGs with a mix of both old-school and new-school graphics. The result is a charming visual style that appeals to anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, the kind of warm and magical style found in Octopath Traveller. Square has turned this new reinvigorated lens to one of its best-selling franchises of all time: Dragon Quest. Fans have showed up for the new Dragon Quest III HD-2D release en masse. The game has sold more than 2 million copies combined across PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC, which bodes well for Square Enix. Typically, these HD-2D projects cost less to produce and ship than big AAA projects like Final Fantasy XVI. Square plans to release the new HD-2D remakes of Dragon Quest I & II as a 2-in-1 release sometime next year. Check below for more info on the game, or click here to check the Steam listing.Former Celtics center drawing trade interest from multiple teams | Sporting News
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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 12, 2024-- Today marks the inaugural International Humanoids Day, a global celebration dedicated to humanoid robotics' role in shaping a better future for humanity. This event coincides with the Humanoids Summit, held in Silicon Valley at the Computer History Museum, the world’s premier gathering focused solely on humanoid robots, underscoring the importance of ethical development, technological innovation, and global collaboration. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212465616/en/ International Humanoids Day is December 12, a global celebration dedicated to humanoid robotics' role in shaping a better future for humanity. In 2024, it was celebrated in conjunction with the Humanoids Summit. (Graphic: Business Wire) International Humanoids Day highlights humanoid robots as the physical manifestation of AI, embodying cutting-edge advancements in embodied AI to improve healthcare, education, and everyday life. The initiative promotes international cooperation, bringing together thought leaders and organizations from the United States, Europe, and Asia. This milestone is supported by a consortium of leading robotics organizations, including Silicon Valley Robotics, ASTM International, Open Robotics, and IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Industry Activities Board. These organizations emphasize the importance of ethical frameworks, global standards, and open collaboration in advancing humanoid robotics. Women in Robotics also champions this initiative, further emphasizing the need for diversity and inclusivity in advancing humanoid robotics. A key highlight is the official release of the Humanoids Standards and Guidelines, led by Aaron Prather, a respected leader in robotics and automation. This groundbreaking framework addresses ethical development, interoperability, and safety for humanoid robots. Prather commented, "These guidelines set a global benchmark, ensuring humanoid robots are developed responsibly and safely integrated into society. The international collaboration behind this initiative demonstrates our collective commitment to a better future.” For more information about ASTM's Standards Group and its role in developing global frameworks, visit https://www.astm.org/ . Modar Alaoui, founder of the Humanoids Summit and organizer of International Humanoids Day, remarked, "This day is not just about celebrating innovation — it’s about fostering a global dialogue on how humanoids can align with human values. Humanoid robots represent the future of embodied AI, a future where technology and humanity co-create progress." For details on the Humanoids Summit, visit the official website at https://www.humanoidssummit.com/ . Andra Keay, Managing Director of Silicon Valley Robotics, added, "International Humanoids Day reflects the global effort required to ensure humanoid robots benefit society. By setting ethical and technical standards, we can harness their full potential while addressing challenges like equity, access, and safety." Kat Scott, Developer Advocate at Open Robotics, shared her thoughts: "Humanoids are the physical manifestation of AI, and their success depends on collaboration across open-source platforms and industry leaders. Days like this bring the community together to drive meaningful progress." International Humanoids Day underscores the United States’ leadership in AI and robotics, while also highlighting the importance of international collaboration. The U.S. leads with initiatives like the Humanoids Standards, while partners in Europe and Asia play a crucial role in fostering global innovation. About International Humanoids Day International Humanoids Day, celebrated on December 12, is dedicated to advancing global awareness and collaboration in humanoid robotics, with a mission to ensure these technologies enhance human life while aligning with ethical and societal values. As AI and embodied AI evolve rapidly, humanoid robots are becoming critical tools in healthcare, education, and industrial applications. Now more than ever, it is vital to establish frameworks that guide the responsible development and adoption of humanoid robots. International Humanoids Day serves as a platform to unite global thought leaders, promote inclusivity, and set standards for a future where technology and humanity work together seamlessly. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212465616/en/ CONTACT: Press Contact Jane Wang media@humanoidssummit.com 650-262-7900 KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY ROBOTICS HARDWARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: International Humanoids Day Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/12/2024 05:56 PM/DISC: 12/12/2024 05:56 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212465616/enZakladatel společnosti Xsolla Shurick Agapitov vydává hru Once Upon Tomorrow Fortnite Island: přelomový pohlcující zážitek, který oživuje románový vesmír
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After a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications. To safeguard against the risks highlighted by the campaign, which originated in China, federal cybersecurity authorities released an extensive list of security recommendations for U.S. telecom companies — such as Verizon and AT&T — that were targeted. The advice includes one tip we can all put into practice with our phones: “Ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible.” End-to-end encryption, also known as E2EE, means that messages are scrambled so that only the sender and recipient can see them. If anyone else intercepts the message, all they will see is garble that can't be unscrambled without the key. Law enforcement officials had until now resisted this type of encryption because it means the technology companies themselves won't be able to look at the messages, nor respond to law enforcement requests to turn the data over. Here's a look at various ways ordinary consumers can use end-to-end encryption: Officials said the hackers targeted the metadata of a large number of customers, including information on the dates, times and recipients of calls and texts. They also managed to see the content from texts from a much smaller number of victims. If you're an iPhone user, information in text messages that you send to someone else who also has an iPhone will be encrypted end-to-end. Just look for the blue text bubbles, which indicate that they are encrypted iMessages. The same goes for Android users sending texts through Google Messages. There will be a lock next to the timestamp on each message to indicate the encryption is on. But there's a weakness. When iPhone and Android users text each other, the messages are encrypted only using Rich Communication Services, an industry standard for instant messaging that replaces the older SMS and MMS standards. Apple has noted that RCS messages “aren’t end-to-end encrypted, which means they’re not protected from a third party reading them while they’re sent between devices.” Samsung, which sells Android smartphones, has also hinted at the issue in a footnote at the bottom of a press release last month on RCS, saying, “Encryption only available for Android to Android communication.” To avoid getting caught out when trading texts, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps. Privacy advocates are big fans of Signal, which applies end-to-end encryption to all messages and voice calls. The independent nonprofit group behind the app promises never to sell, rent or lease customer data and has made its source code publicly available so that it can be audited by anyone to examine it “for security and correctness.” Signal's encryption protocol is so reputable that it has been integrated into rival WhatsApp, so users will enjoy the same level of security protection as Signal, which has a much smaller user base. End-to-end encryption is also the default mode for Facebook Messenger, which like WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms. Telegram is an app that can be used for one-on-one conversations, group chats and broadcast “channels" but contrary to popular perception, it doesn't turn on end-to-end encryption by default. Users have to switch on the option. And it doesn’t work with group chats. Cybersecurity experts have warned people against using Telegram for private communications and pointed out that only its opt-in ‘secret chat’ feature is encrypted from end-to-end. The app also has a reputation for being a haven for scammers and criminal activity, highlighted by founder and CEO Pavel Durov's arrest in France. Instead of using your phone to make calls through a wireless cellular network, you can make voice calls with Signal and WhatsApp. Both apps encrypt calls with the same technology that they use to encrypt messages. There are other options. If you have an iPhone you can use Facetime for calls, while Android owners can use the Google Fi service, which are both end-to-end encrypted. The only catch with all these options is that, as with using the chat services to send messages, the person on the other end will also have to have the app installed. WhatsApp and Signal users can customize their privacy preferences in the settings, including hiding an IP address during calls to prevent your general location from being guessed. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children's toys and hair accessories. In a blog post, Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society in Canada, explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it's actually about one-tenth of that. (Dreamstime/TNS) The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were "an order of magnitude lower" than the EPA's thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it's actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren't enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn't be in these products in the first place. "The math error does not impact the study's findings, conclusions or recommendations," said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they're heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you're wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It's nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That's because these products that include recycled e-waste don't disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it's also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study "had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them," she said. Anytime you're looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you're going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn't a definitive timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. The 20th century brought airplanes, radio, television, the internet, and plastic. Lots of plastic. That plastic is now showing up on shorelines, forming islands in oceans, and generating mountains of translucent trash on land. Around 700 species of animals in the sea have been found to interact with plastic daily. Companies across every industry face pressure to reduce the amount of plastic they produce. Seventy-two percent of the world's largest have made voluntary commitments to reduce their plastic waste, according to a Duke University analysis. One industry, in particular, has greatly benefited from advancements in single-use plastic technology: the medical industry. Only in recent years have businesses and academics in the field begun to talk about minimizing their impact on our environment like beverage manufacturers and other consumer goods-producing businesses. Medical Technology Schools analyzed academic studies published in the National Library of Medicine , the American Medical Association , and news reports to shed light on the medical community's use of plastics through history, their environmental problems, and proposed solutions to reduce their impact. And the impact can be significant. A single hospital patient generates nearly 34 pounds of waste a day —as much as a quarter of it is plastic. The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the problem. The pandemic pushed hospital capacity to the brink and led to a massive increase in personal protective equipment and medical supply usage. Medical-grade masks and other protective equipment like face shields, made mostly of nonrenewable plastics, were in high demand. In 2020, the World Health Organization estimated that the international need for PPE manufacturing would boost 40% to address the public health crisis. Hospitals needed an estimated 89 million masks, 76 million gloves, and 1.6 million goggles every month of the pandemic. To date, nearly 677 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, each requiring their own plastic syringe, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan estimated that the U.S. would produce a year's worth of medical waste in just two months due to the pandemic. The World Economic Forum warned that the COVID-19 crisis threatened to " stall and even reverse progress " to reduce large plastic waste. It's a challenge researchers acknowledge today as they search for solutions. Plastics introduced an era of ultraconvenience to the world. It makes our clothes. It's made bike helmets and airbags possible. And it's a cheap material to produce, meaning it's cheap for consumers too. Almost as importantly, it's durable and incredibly easy to make into complex shapes—a trait that helped plastics invented in the mid-20th century quickly replace more expensive metal and wooden goods. That adoption extended to the medical field, where the single-use nature of plastics represented a move toward more hygienic tools for physicians and hospitals. But it wasn't plastic's sanitary qualities that the industry first latched onto. Like so many other technical advancements, convenience and cost were the initial driving factors. That they were more conducive to creating a sterile environment for patients was a benefit that health care began to tout closer to the end of the 20th century. PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, replaced glass bottles previously used to hold IV solution and replaced rubber tubing used throughout hospital settings. Plastic has also become the go-to material for making syringes and catheters. Plastic products are generally made from chemicals derived from the oil and natural gas refining process. Chemists use those byproducts to create synthetic materials with malleable and durable chemical structures. The low cost of these materials has helped medical device-makers support better health outcomes for communities across the U.S. since the 1900s. No longer was health care priced at rates only the elite could afford—it was accessible to a much larger swath of the public. In the last decade, the U.S., in particular, has emerged as a massive market for medical plastics. The country generally accounts for nearly half of the global market for medical devices. Plastic's durability is not only a benefit but a detriment to the environment, as the material can take many years to deteriorate when it enters landfills or trashes oceans. Estimates vary widely, but scientists ballpark that depending on the kind of plastic and the environment in which it decomposes, it could take dozens to thousands of years to break down entirely. COVID-19, which remains a burden for health care systems, isn't the only force raising the stakes for a health care industry pressured to reduce reliance on plastics or find ways to reuse them. Global annual production of plastic has doubled in the last two decades , according to the Environmental Protection Agency. As the U.S. looks toward the future, its aging population is another factor that could exacerbate the rate at which medical plastics end up in landfills. People require more medical care as they age, and aging baby boomers are expected to place increased demand on the medical device industry. At the same time, governments are under pressure to lower health care costs, which have become unaffordable even for those insured . As recently as 2021, researchers lamented a lack of data on efforts to recycle medical plastics. Around 350 hospitals participate in Practice Greenhealth's Environmental Excellence Awards . Practice Greenhealth is an organization working to help hospitals increase their sustainability. It's one of the few sources of hospital sustainability data, and its roster of participating hospitals represents a small fraction of the more than 6,000 hospitals operating in the U.S. To meet the need to reduce plastic waste generation, some hospitals are moving away from using plastic in certain applications. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center replaced health care workers' disposable plastic isolation gowns with reusable cloth gowns at its hospitals in the last decade, saving money and preventing literal tons of medical waste. It also implemented a process for sterilizing and incinerating the boxes that hold used needles, allowing them to be reassembled and reused in a health care setting. Recycling plastic medical waste is complicated by the potential for contamination and the need to separate contaminated and noncontaminated waste; once separated, they can be broken down with heat or treated with chemicals and reprocessed. However, using chemical methods to break down and dispose of plastics has drawbacks. Over 200 nongovernmental organizations signed a letter in 2023 urging the Biden administration to end federal support for methods like these, arguing they generate toxic pollutants. The Vinyl Council of Australia is working with hospitals to recover used materials made of PVC . The materials are broken down into tiny pieces, washed and heated at high temperatures, and remade into things used outside medical settings. In the U.S. and Europe, there's the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council, a coalition of companies working in the health care device space that includes DuPont, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic. In 2021, the HPRC, advised by professionals at Kaiser Permanente and other health systems, rolled out a medical waste recycling pilot project with hopes of scaling it across more hospitals. Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on Medical Technology Schools and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!Eddie Precision Shines at bauma CHINA 2024 11-27-2024 08:58 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: Stones_PR On November 26th, the bauma CHINA 2024, themed "Pursuing Light and Encountering Brilliance," was grandly opened at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. More than 3,400 exhibitors from 32 countries and regions, along with over 200,000 visitors from more than 130 countries and regions, attended this grand event, showcasing tens of thousands of new products and technologies. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/e5da09f6154b8dc338d24b35e552fd8d.jpg Adhering to the philosophy of "professionalism, efficiency, and creating value for customers," Eddie Precision showcased a range of new products and integrated solutions, including the heavy-duty silence hydraulic breakers, pure hydraulic breakers, automatic frequency hammers, hydraulic compactor, demolition grapple, eagle shears, hydraulic pulverizers, as well as large-displacement plunger pumps, high-speed pumps, swing motors, final drive, electronic control valves as well as Electric Motors & Controllers. These products were refreshing and allowed customers to feel the manufacturing strength of Eddie Precision. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/3e5d0023bdd01ba2e013936526252dbc.jpg EDDIE Pure Hydraulic Breakers feature a wrapped shell and a unique shock-absorption module design, reducing noise and providing better driving experience. Its unique hydraulic system ensures more stable piston movement, lower maintenance costs, and a longer service life. Under the appropriate flow rate, the pure hydraulic hammer has a faster striking frequency, making it suitable for secondary breaking and other working conditions. The new FCS60 Eagle Shear is equipped with a high-flow acceleration valve for efficient energy regeneration, effectively improving opening and closing efficiency. Its high-strength two-way support provides strong support for shearing large components. The new FHP70A High-Speed Pump is suitable for electric excavators within 45 tons. It can reach a working speed of 6000 rpm, with a maximum displacement of 70cc/rev. The structure is more compact, effectively reducing operating costs. As a comprehensive high-end equipment manufacturing enterprise, Eddie Precision also brought more than 100 products including the full series of hydraulic breakers, attachments, hydraulic parts, reducers, motors, batteries, etc., to this exhibition, fully demonstrating its comprehensive strength in intelligent manufacturing. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/e1b117875976ccbf192f5497bd625250.jpgImage: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/0cfa87b61f75658007798af449a7a012.jpg This participation further deepened Eddie Precision's commitment to providing comprehensive solutions for global customers. As a leading player in the industry of construction machinery attachment tool and hydraulic parts, Eddie Precision will remain steadfast in the pursuit of innovation, intelligence and sustainability, making efforts to the development of the construction machinery industry. Media Contact Company Name: YantaiEDDIEPrecisionMachineryCo.,Ltd. Contact Person: MayaShi Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=eddie-precision-shines-at-bauma-china-2024 ] Country: China Website: http://www.cceddie.com This release was published on openPR.Syria's new authorities say they've secured the release of an American pilgrim imprisoned by Assad DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — An American citizen who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system was suddenly discovered Thursday outside Damascus after being released and handed over to rebel forces, Sy Canadian Press Dec 12, 2024 2:24 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message In this photo provided by the Syrian Emergency Task Force, American Travis Timmerman, right, sits with Mosaed al-Rifai, center, who found him in the Syrian desert, and the owner of the house where he took refuge, left, name not available, in Damascus, Syria on Thursday Dec. 12, 2024. (Syrian Emergency Task Force via AP) DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — An American citizen who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system was suddenly discovered Thursday outside Damascus after being released and handed over to rebel forces, Syria’s new authorities said. The political affairs office of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the lightning offensive to topple Assad’s government, said the group had secured the release of U.S. citizen Travis Timmerman. In interviews with media in Syria, Timmerman said he was imprisoned after crossing from Lebanon into Syria on a Christian pilgrimage. He appeared to be among the thousands of people released from Syria's sprawling military prisons this week after rebels reached Damascus, overthrowing Assad and ending his family’s 54-year rule. “We affirm our readiness to cooperate directly with the U.S. administration to complete the search for American citizens disappeared by the former Assad regime,” the group said, adding that a search was underway for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. As footage emerged online Thursday of Timmerman, looking disheveled and disoriented as rebels led him out of a family's home near Damascus, some initially mistook him for Tice. In the video, Timmerman could be seen lying on a mattress under a blanket. A group of men in the video said that he was being treated well and would be safely returned home. A Syrian family told The Associated Press they found Timmerman barefoot on a main road in the countryside of Damascus early on Thursday. He appeared cold and hungry so they brought him back to their home. “I fed him and called a doctor,” said Mosaed al-Rifai, the 68-year-old waste collector who first found Timmerman. Al-Rifai said it was hard to communicate because of the language barrier but it seemed Timmerman had been held by an internal security agency. A few hours after al-Rifai discovered him, rebels arrived at the family’s house to pick him up, he said. Mouaz Mostafa, the executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a U.S.-based nonprofit group, said he met Timmerman at the house and arranged for a car to take him to Damascus, where the new authorities gave the ex-detainee food and water and brought him clothes and shoes. Timmerman had lice in his long, unkempt hair, Mostafa said, and reported walking for 13 miles barefoot before being discovered. Timmerman — now recovering until the rebels can figure out how to hand him to U.S. authorities — was planning to get to Jordan after his release to obtain a new passport, Mostafa said. Earlier this year, a Missouri State Highway Patrol bulletin identified him as “Pete Travis Timmerman,” 29, and said he had gone missing in Hungary in early June. In late August, Hungarian police put out a missing persons announcement for “Travis Pete Timmerman,” saying he was last seen at a church in Hungary’s capital, Budapest. Authorities in Missouri and Hungary had shared photos of a young man who strongly resembles the ex-prisoner who identified himself as “Travis Timmerman" in interviews with international news outlets on Thursday. Missouri court records indicate Timmerman is from Urbana, Missouri, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Springfield in the southwestern part of the state. A graduation list from Missouri State University shows he earned his bachelor’s degree in finance in the spring of 2017. Timmerman’s mother, Stacey Collins Gardiner, told National Public Radio that he returned home to Urbana after working in Chicago for a couple of years. He then left for Budapest with the goal of writing about his Christian faith and helping people, she said. Timmerman had warned her, she added, that his travels might make communication difficult. After losing contact with him during his stay in Hungary, Gardiner later learned that her son had gone to Lebanon. On Thursday, she heard that he was found through the media. “I will hug him. ... And then I probably won’t let him go,” she said, laughing. “I’ll say, well, thank God you’re still alive. And I’m so happy. Our prayers came true." U.S. officials said they were working to confirm Timmerman's identity and provide the support. From Aqaba, Jordan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that the White House was “working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria” but declined further comment for privacy reasons. Timmerman, with a scraggly beard and grey sweatshirt, later spoke with the Al-Arabiya TV network, saying he had illegally crossed into Syria on foot from the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle seven months ago before being detained and held in a cell alone. He said that he was treated well in detention, but could hear other young men being tortured. “It was OK. I was fed. I was watered. The one difficulty was that I couldn’t go to the bathroom when I wanted to,” he said. He said he was only allowed to go three times a day. “I was not beaten and the guards treated me decently,” he added. Washington's top hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, traveled to Lebanon earlier this week in hopes of collecting information on the whereabouts of Tice. President Joe Biden has said his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged on Sunday that “we have no direct evidence” of his status. The case has frustrated U.S. intelligence officials for years. On Thursday, Blinken emphasized the administration’s work on Tice's case. “Every single day we are working to find him and to bring him home” Blinken said. "This is a priority for the United States.” Tice, who has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others, disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus in August 2012 as the Syrian civil war intensified. A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men. He hasn't been heard from since. Assad's government had denied that it was holding him. ___ Follow the AP's Syria coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/syria The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Religion News Millions mark Mexico's Virgin of Guadalupe Day but calls for a truce in drug violence go unheeded Dec 12, 2024 3:03 PM Millions mark Mexico's Virgin of Guadalupe Day but calls for a truce in drug violence go unheeded Dec 12, 2024 12:41 PM Black denomination upholds stance against same-sex marriage. A gay pastor in its ranks seeks change Dec 12, 2024 7:48 AM
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Following Sampath Information Technology Solutions’ (SITS) recent win at the ASOCIO General Assembly in Tokyo, CEO Mangala Rodrigo shares insights on the company’s journey, the innovative impact of their award-winning credit approval system Wave, and how SITS is shaping the future of sustainable digital transformation. A: Winning the ASOCIO ESG Award is a proud moment for SITS. It recognizes our commitment to innovation and sustainability, specifically through our credit approval system, Wave is a product that designed and developed by SITS transforming FinTech to the next level. This award highlights how our technology solutions align with global efforts to promote digital transformation and sustainable development. A: SITS is built on three pillars: software solutions, enterprise solutions, and managed services. Our core focus is on delivering technology that drives business growth while remaining adaptable to evolving challenges. Whether it’s developing tailored software or offering strategic enterprise support, we aim to provide solutions that create real value for our stakeholders partners. A: Wave is designed to digitize traditional, paper-based credit approval processes, making them more efficient and adaptable. What sets Wave apart is its flexibility; authorized users can adjust the approval process to fit specific needs without altering the backend. This ensures seamless workflow management while maintaining security and control. Additionally, it offers in-depth analytics to help financial institutions make data-driven decisions. A: Wave directly supports sustainable practices by reducing the need for paper and manual processes, aligning with ESG principles. Beyond that, it empowers financial institutions to serve communities better, improving access to credit and fostering financial inclusion. By streamlining processes, Wave helps businesses grow sustainably, which ultimately contributes to economic development. A: ASOCIO’s mission to promote digital skills and foster a connected, inclusive digital future resonates deeply with what Wave offers. The system not only enhances operational efficiency but also supports broader goals of digital transformation by creating more accessible financial services. This alignment with ASOCIO’s vision is part of what made Wave stand out. A: Moving forward, SITS will continue to develop innovative solutions that drive business growth and sustainability. We remain committed to creating technology that not only solves immediate challenges but also lays the groundwork for a more sustainable digital economy. Our focus will be on enhancing Wave and exploring new opportunities that contribute to both business success and social responsibility.As Josh Campbell spoke joyously in the Hearts press room after winning the derby, a small man in a Hibs tracksuit came over and slapped him on the back cheekily in congratulation. Those who attend Hibs game regularly will be aware of Gavin Gillies, the club’s long-serving assistant kitman - although his role at Easter Road has a far wider remit. Thing is, Gillies wasn’t expected to be at Tynecastle. He has been suffering from ill-health and required emergency treatment last week in hospital. He has been at Hibs for two decades and has seen numerous high and lows, players and staff come and go. So when he was one of the first faces to greet the team upon their arrival on Boxing Day in Gorgie, he gave everybody a lift. Campbell - a boyhood Hibs fan - made sure Gillies got a big mention, hijacking the line of questioning to name-drop someone close to his heart. “I'm just going to give a shout out to wee Gav (Gillies), who fell really ill last week,” said Campbell. “He was here. And he got the win today. So just wanted to give a wee shout out to wee Gav. He got the boys through it today. “I've been at Hibs for 16, 17 years. He was there the first day I was there, welcoming me in. And he's a real big character at the changing ground, that man. If you come in from a defeat at the weekend, he'll lift the spirits right away. “Whether he's singing, whether he's dancing. Bad jokes. I've heard all the jokes, so I just sit and just ignore them. Because I've heard them all. But all the new boys get to hear them over and over again. But no, it was bad to hear the news of Gav, because he's massive for us, and when we walked in the changing room and seen him at the door at Tynecastle, it was a real smile for everyone.” It’s an example of the strong team spirit coursing through the Hibs dressing room right now. My word, they’ve needed it. This has been a testing season, bottom of the Premiership table in mid-December before a run of three wins, the latest being Thursday’s 2-1 derby triumph over Hearts, lifting them up to seventh in the table. The players have always been right behind Gray, even in the darkest of times. The victory at Tynecastle - Hibs’ first there in five years - sparked a jubilant party in front of the away end. The wounds of earlier in the season are healing. There is genuine optimism in the fanbase that finishing in the top six is now the aim, not fighting relegation. “Mental, words can't describe that to be fair,” was Campbell’s summation of the scenes in the Roseburn Stand. “For a Hibs fan, winning here. My first time winning here. Amazing! Incredible. Seeing them singing your name, it's just the best feeling in the world.” Taking centre stage in the celebrations was Elie Youan, Hibs’ flamboyant French forward who cavorted with a corner flag in front of the supporters. “There's only one person who can do that celebration and that's him,” laughed Campbell. “I would never do that. That's mental. I don't think I can dance like that.” It wasn’t always like this. Gray’s job was on the line just a few weeks ago, and Campbell was out of the team. But one thing that never wavered was team spirit. “The togetherness of the team has always been there,” said Campbell. “We've never not been together. As we said, it was a bad run of decisions that were going against us. Silly moments from individual people. But when you put that all aside and you move on each week, which we've done, we get the rewards that we're finding now. “Every year I'll come out of the team sometimes because I've not been performing, which is fair enough. I've always said that. But I'll never shy away from working behind the scenes to get back in. And I've done that and the managers put the trust in me to put me back out there.” Campbell is revelling in his role behind the two strikers in a 3-5-2 formation. Identified as a No 10 at the start of the season, the 24-year-old lost his place during Hibs winless run before making two consecutive starts for the team. “It just gives them [strikers Elie Youan and Martin Boyle] the freedom to do what they want because I'm happy to do other people's running,” explained Campbell. “I'll do the man-and-a-half run. So it allows them to have the freedom of floating about the front line and doing what they want. And I'll throw myself about. “It's a new position. Well, not new now, but I'm more an eight. Box to box, as you say. But I'm happy to do it as a 10 because I love being the box and scoring goals and having chances. I think I'm a threat.” Next up for Campbell and Co is a home match against another resurgent team in Kilmarnock, who smashed Aberdeen 4-0 at the same time as Hibs were winning the derby. Both teams are on 21 points and Hibs will be keen to back up their own run of three victories over Ross County, the Dons and Hearts. “The next game's at home, which is brilliant,” added Campbell. “Fans will be delighted with that. If we win that, we're close to the the top six. And then the season's turned right round, isn't it? So yeah, we're looking forward to it. “It’s exactly how quick it can turn. This league is mental. It can turn the click of a finger. But no, as you said, we're looking forward to Sunday.”
Three firefighters and a dozen passengers were injured in Florida on Saturday when a fire truck with its lights flashing drove around rail crossing arms and into the path of a high-speed passenger train after waiting for another train to pass, according to video of the incident and a person briefed on what happened. The crash happened at 10:45 a.m. in crowded downtown Delray Beach. In the aftermath the Brightline train was stopped on the tracks, its front destroyed, about a block away from the Delray Beach Fire Rescue truck. Its ladder was ripped off and in the grass several yards away, The Sun-Sentinel reported . The Delray Beach Fire Rescue said in a social media post that three Delray Beach firefighters were in stable condition at a hospital. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue took 12 people from the train to the hospital with minor injuries. The person familiar with the details of the crash, who was not authorized to disclose what happened because of the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the fire truck stopped at the crossing and waited for a freight train to go by before maneuvering around the lowered crossing arms. Video of the collision shows the fire truck driving around cars stopped at the crossing with its lights flashing to cross the double tracks. Emmanuel Amaral rushed to the scene on his golf cart after hearing a loud crash and screeching train brakes from where he was having breakfast a couple of blocks away. He saw firefighters climbing out of the front window of their damaged truck and pulling injured colleagues away from the tracks. One of their helmets came to rest several hundred feet away from the crash. “The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts to the fire truck stuck in the front of the train, but it split the car right in half. It split the fire truck right in half, and the debris was everywhere,” Amaral said. A Brightline safety officer said the entire community is involved in ensuring railroad safety and drivers should never go around closed gates. The Federal Railroad Administration will investigate. A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said in the afternoon that it was still gathering information about the crash and had not decided yet whether to investigate. The NTSB is already investigating two crashes involving Brightline’s high-speed trains that killed three people early this year at the same crossing in Melbourne along the railroad’s route between Miami and Orlando. More than 100 people have died after being hit by trains since Brightline began operations in July 2017 — giving the railroad the worst death rate in the nation. But most of those deaths have been either suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train or drivers who went around crossing gates instead of waiting for a train to pass. Brightline has not been found to be at fault in those previous deaths. Railroad safety has been a concern since a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023, spilling toxic chemicals that caught fire. Regulators urged the industry to improve safety and members of Congress proposed a package of reforms, but railroads have not made many major changes to their operations and the bill has stalled. Earlier this month the two operators of a Union Pacific train were killed after it collided with a semitrailer truck that was blocking a crossing in the small West Texas town of Pecos. Three other people were injured, and the local Chamber of Commerce building was damaged. ___ Associated Press writers Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, Chevel Johnson in New Orleans and Julie Walker in New York contributed. More articles from the BDN
Behind a defense that spent the afternoon slowly squeezing hope out of its adversaries on the other side of the ball, Becker completed a wire-to-wire run as the top team in Class 4A with a 24-8 victory over Totino-Grace in the Prep Bowl on Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The win gave the Bulldogs their fourth state championship in program history. Becker, which completed an undefeated season at 13-0, held Totino-Grace to 55 yards of total offense in the first half while building a 14-0 halftime lead, made possible by a 32-yard score from Landon Kujawa and a a 54-yard touchdown run by Carter Reckelberg. Totino-Grace (12-1) couldn’t muster much to cheer about in the second half, either. Becker increased its led to 21-0 just 18 seconds into the third quarter when Sawyer Brown intercepted a pass near the sideline and returned it 30 yards to the end zone. Kicker Evan Norberg added a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Totino-Grace cracked the scoreboard on a 1-yard pass from Jake Person to Luther Bunge with 1:10 left in the game, followed by a two-point conversion. Becker held Totino-Grace to 152 yards of total yards.
Love animals? You’ll love them even more after reading about their wondersTrudeau reports ‘excellent conversation’ with TrumpDALLAS , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE: NREF) (the "Company") today announced a dividend for its 8.50% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (NYSE: NREF PRA) of $0.53125 per share. The dividend will be payable on January 27, 2025 , to stockholders of record at the close of business on January 15, 2025 . About NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc. NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc., is a publicly traded REIT, with its common stock and Series A Preferred Stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NREF" and "NREF PRA," respectively, primarily focused on originating, structuring and investing in first-lien mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, preferred equity, convertible notes, multifamily properties and common equity investments, as well as multifamily and single-family rental commercial mortgage-backed securities securitizations, promissory notes and mortgage-backed securities. More information about the Company is available at nref.nexpoint.com . CONTACTS Investor Relations Kristen Griffith IR@nexpoint.com Media Relations Prosek Partners for NexPoint pro-nexpoint@prosek.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nexpoint-real-estate-finance-inc-announces-series-a-preferred-stock-dividend-302339003.html SOURCE NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc.Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row
KORE Announces NYSE Acceptance of Plan to Regain Listing Compliance
WASHINGTON — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. An American Airlines employee wearing looks toward quiet check-in counters Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights departed within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — arrived at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 3,712 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 55 flights canceled. It did not show any flights from American Airlines. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York's Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Travelers wait in line for security checks Tuesday at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms developed in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. Any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have "interline agreements" that let them put stranded customers on another carrier's flights. An American Airlines employee wearing a Santa Claus hat walks through the American terminal Tuesday at Miami International Airport in Miami. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. Finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. American Airlines employees check in travelers Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. "Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday," AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation's highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. "It's not the destination, it's the journey," said American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ralph clearly was not among the travellers on one of more than 350 cancelled or 1,400 delayed flights after a worldwide tech outage caused by an update to Crowdstrike's "Falcon Sensor" software in July of 2023. U.S. airlines carried nearly 863 million travellers in 2023, with Canadian carriers accounting for another 150 million, many of whom experienced lost luggage, flight delays, cancellations, or were bumped off their flights. It's unclear how many of them were compensated for these inconveniences. Suffice it to say, posting a crabby rant on social media might temporarily soothe anger, but it won't put wasted money back in pockets. Money.ca shares what to know in order to be compensated for the three most common air travel headaches. Bags elected to go on a vacay without you? Check off the following: If you expect a large payout, think again. Tariffs (air carrier contracts) limit the compensation amounts for "loss of, damage to, or the delay in delivery of baggage or other personal property." In the case of Air Canada, the maximum payout is $1,500 per passenger in the currency of the country where the baggage was processed. To raise that limit, purchase a Declaration of Higher Value for each leg of the trip. The charge is $0.50 for each $100, in which case the payout limit is $2,500. For Delta Air Lines, passengers are entitled to up to $3,800 in baggage compensation, though how much you'll receive depends on your flight. Delta will pay up to $2,080 for delayed, lost, and damaged baggage for international travellers, almost half of what U.S. domestic passengers can claim. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. Different air carriers and jurisdictions have their own compensation policies when flights are delayed or cancelled. For example, under European Union rules, passengers may receive up to 600 Euros, even when travelling on a non-EU carrier. Similarly, the DOT states that travellers are entitled to a refund "if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel." However, US rules regarding delays are complicated. Some air carriers, such as Air Canada, do not guarantee their flight schedules. They're also not liable for cancellations or changes due to "force majeure" such as weather conditions or labour disruptions. If the delay is overnight, only out-of-town passengers will be offered hotel accommodation. Nevertheless, many airlines do offer some compensation for the inconvenience. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. In terms of cash compensation, what you'll get can differ significantly based on things like departure location, time, carrier, and ticket class. The DOT offers a helpful delay and cancellations dashboard designed to keep travellers informed about their compensation rights. The dashboard is particularly helpful because, as the DOT states on its website, "whether you are entitled to a refund depends on a lot of factors—such as the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances." The Canadian Transportation Agency is proposing air passenger protection regulations that guarantee financial compensation to travellers experiencing flight delays and cancellations, with the level of compensation varying depending on the situation and how much control the air carrier had. The proposed regulations include the following: The airline is obligated to complete the passenger's itinerary. If the new ticket is for a lower class of service, the air carrier would have to refund the cost difference; if the booking is in a higher class of service, passengers cannot be charged extra. If the passenger declines the ticket, the airline must give a full refund, in addition to the prescribed compensation. For overnight delays, the air carrier needs to provide hotel accommodation and transportation free-of-charge. Again, if you are unsatisfied, the Canadian Transportation Agency or Department of Transportation may advocate on your behalf. Passengers get bumped because airlines overbook. When this happens, the air carrier must compensate you. For international flights in the US, the rate is 200% of your one-way fare to your final destination, with a $675 maximum. If the airline does not make travel arrangements for you, the payout is 400% of your one-way fare to a maximum of $1,350. To qualify, you must check-in by the stated deadline, which on international flights can be up to 3 hours ahead. Keep in mind that if you accept the cash, you are no longer entitled to any further compensation, nor are you guaranteed to be rebooked on a direct flight or similar type of seat. Don't be too quick to give up your boarding pass. Negotiate for the best compensation deal that would include cash, food and hotel vouchers, flight upgrade, lounge passes, as well as mileage points. But avoid being too greedy—if the gate attendant is requesting volunteers and you wait too long, you'll miss the offer. According to Air Canada's tariff, if a passenger is involuntarily bumped, they'll receive $200, in cash or bank draft, for up to a two-hour delay; $400 for a 2-6 hours delay; and $800 if the delay is over six hours. (Air Canada was forced to raise its payouts in 2013 due to passenger complaints.) The new rules would raise the payout significantly: $900 for up to six hours; $1,800 for 6-9; and $2,400 for more than nine hours, all to be paid within 48 hours. Statistically speaking, Delta Airlines is the carrier most likely to bump. A few years ago, Delta raised its payout maximum to $9,950, while United Airlines tops out at $10,000. This story was produced by Money.ca and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Auto industry rides on partnerships, joint ventures
Knox also had six rebounds for the Bulls (3-2). Brandon Stroud added 11 points while shooting 4 for 12 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line while he also had six rebounds. Jamille Reynolds shot 3 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line to finish with 10 points. The Pilots (2-3) were led in scoring by Max Mackinnon, who finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Vincent Delano added 14 points for Portland. A.Rapp also had 11 points and eight rebounds. South Florida went into the half ahead of Portland 38-33. Knox scored eight second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Omer B Announces the Release of New Instrumental Single "Dino Puppy Groove"
OMODA & JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center Completed, Shipping Efficiency Increased by 85% The OMODA & JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center covers an area of 12,000m2, making it not only OMODA & JAECOO’s first regional integrated spare parts distribution center, but also the largest Chinese automotive brand storage in the Middle East. Completing the OMODA & JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center further enhances the efficiency and coverage of parts supply, achieving a 95% parts fulfillment rate and 24-hour VOR parts supply efficiency. Dubai, UAE, December 27, 2024: On December 19th, the OMODA & JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center officially opened in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. This spare parts distribution center is the brand’s first regional integrated storage center and the largest Chinese spare parts distribution center in the Middle East. At the opening ceremony, senior executives including Zhang Guibing, the president of Chery International, and Peng Gang, Vice President of JD Logistics Middle East and North Africa(MENA), attended the event. Additionally, over 10 media representatives from Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as users from various fields, were present to witness this milestone moment. The OMODA & JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center, with its vast inventory, significantly enhances the efficiency and coverage of parts supply. Through efficient supply chain management and high-quality after-sales service, it fully meets the lifetime vehicle needs of users in the Middle East. Grand Opening of the Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center: Leading the way in high-quality and efficient service. The OMODA & JAECOO Middle East spare parts distribution center covers an area of 12,000 square meters, making it the largest distribution center for Chinese automotive brands in the Middle East. The distribution center is strategically located, with proximity to the Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport, just a 15-minute drive away. The OMODA & JAECOO Middle East spare parts distribution center stocks over 20,000 different parts, with a parts variety fulfillment rate of 95% and a core component fulfillment rate of 100%, fully meeting the diverse needs of vehicles in maintenance and repair. To build an efficient and intelligent warehouse management system, OMODA & JAECOO has introduced a modern WMS (Warehouse Management System) wireless logistics management system. This system provides real-time visibility of inventory levels, locations, and movements, helping optimize inventory levels and reduce stockouts. Additionally, through features such as barcode scanning and automated order processing, the WMS significantly improves order accuracy, reduces human errors, and enhances customer satisfaction. It also enables a 24-hour supply of urgent VOR (Vehicle Off-Road) parts, offering round-the-clock service. This creates an unobstructed “fast lane” for quickly responding to market demand, flexibly allocating resources, and providing efficient and timely parts delivery services. Localized development is progressing, while global services are expanding rapidly The establishment of the OMODA&JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center is not only a testament to the brand’s deep commitment to the Middle Eastern market, with a keen insight into and strategic layout for localization but a key pillar in the brand’s global strategy and an important part of its global service network. The Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center significantly strengthens the regional service network in the UAE and the entire Middle East. Compared to other Chinese brands in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region that rely entirely on sourcing and shipping parts from China, the shipping cycle has been reduced from the usual 60 days to just 9 days, improving shipping efficiency by 85%. This accelerates the efficiency and quality of the parts supply process in the Middle East, precisely addressing the local market’s urgent demand for high-quality, responsive services. OMODA&JAECOO has established in-depth cooperation with numerous global top distribution centers and logistics companies such as JD.com and Kuehne + Nagel, ensuring that global spare parts can be delivered to global users at the optimal cost and the fastest speed, effectively breaking through geographical boundaries and achieving global service coverage and a convenient experience. Globally, OMODA&JAECOO will gradually establish spare parts centers on each continent so that global users can enjoy rapid and reliable spare parts services. Building on this foundation, OMODA&JAECOO is accelerating the development of its global parts service system, with plans to gradually establish five major spare parts distribution centers globally. These parts centers will serve as bridges connecting the brand with its customers, demonstrating that the brand not only has strong product research, development and manufacturing capabilities, but also has an efficient and flexible global supply chain management system, enabling it to quickly adapt and meet the personalized needs of different regional markets. When it comes to supply chain inventory management, traditional approaches such as inventory optimization and cost control are essential. The successful completion of the OMODA&JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center highlights the brand’s new management thinking and business model, as well as its innovation in technology and management capabilities. Looking ahead, OMODA&JAECOO will continue to deepen its global service network, extending this commitment not only to the Middle East but to every corner of the world. Through continuous technological innovation and service optimization, it aims to further shorten distances and provide global customers with more convenient, efficient, and personalized service experiences.Reshaping the new landscape of after-sales service for Chinese automotive brands. – Ends – PRESS ENQUIRIES: Lucy Aziz Regional Head of PR & Communication Lucy.aziz@omodaglobal.com M: +971 55 2470121 About OMODA & JAECOO OMODA & JAECOO is an innovative automobile brand pioneering the future of mobility globally, bringing to life the philosophy of new products, new technology, and new ecosystems in the Middle East under two distinct sub-brands, each with its own charm. Its pathbreaking vehicles enrich automotive experiences through their world-class design aesthetics, superb performance standards, and rigorous emphasis on environmental sustainability. Dedicated to elevating every journey into an exhilarating experience and delivering exceptional value at every turn, OMODA & JAECOO’s elegantly designed vehicles that place customers at the heart of the experience, seamlessly blending convenience, sportiness, and unrivaled entertainment options on the move. The brand portfolio includes new energy hybrids and purely electric vehicles, underlining its commitment to environmental sustainability. Captivating the world with its first launches, OMODA C5 and JAECOO 7, the trendsetting automotive brand unveiled the pure electric OMODA E5, and the new energy, hybrid SUVs JAECOO J7 PHEV and J8 PHEV at its Ecological Conference, in Wuhu, China, reiterating the brand’s unwavering commitment to premium comfort, sporty style, and superior finishes. Backed by rigorous testing, OMODA & JAECOO vehicles deliver top-notch performance and quality. With a focus on fuel efficiency and extended battery life for electric vehicles, the brand is contributing to shaping a low-carbon automotive universe. Innovations such as the O-Universe and intelligent safety systems prioritise the well-being of users, focusing on smart living and future lifestyles. OMODA & JAECOO is not just redefining mobility but shaping a future where innovation, performance, and sustainability converge to create unforgettable automotive experiences. OMODA & JAECOO was introduced to international markets as a marque of Chery, the fifth largest automobile manufacturer group in China and the largest Chinese automobile exporter since 2003, extending its 27-year legacy beyond borders. Related
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Report: Ex-Cal QB Fernando Mendoza signs with IndianaCOLUMBIA — No. 19 South Carolina is the hottest team in the Southeastern Conference and on one of the most impressive streaks in the country. Can the Gamecocks stay locked in when it comes to Wofford, a six-touchdown underdog? South Carolina running back Raheim Sanders (5) celebrates his touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. "I would for mediocre people, I would say it's human nature" to let the focus wander, South Carolina linebacker Debo Williams said. "But we're not talking mediocre." Lately, the Gamecocks (7-3) have been extraordinary. They have won four straight in SEC play for the first time since Steve Spurrier was coach in 2012 and beaten three straight AP Top 25 opponents — Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Missouri — for the first time ever. "This is not recent years. This is not a recent team," Williams said. "We are putting it together and we've got to get better every single day." That includes, defensive lineman Alex Huntley said, putting in the same work for an FCS foe to prepare as they did for any of those noteworthy SEC victories. Wofford (5-6) has had its moments, although it has lost 17 straight against the Gamecocks and only once in the past 13 meetings have the Terriers come within single digits of their FBS opponent. "It's not about the team, it's about us," Huntley said. "So just attack everything the same exact way, don't change the routine." Terriers coach Shawn Watson understands the enormous task his team is facing Saturday in South Carolina. Watson recalled watching Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer at a new conference saying he did not want media to rank his team. "Because he knew what he had," Watson said. "They have great chemistry and are probably one of the hottest team, I think the hottest team in college football right now." Wofford is an FCS program in Spartanburg, South Carolina, that has built a strong football history the past four decades. The Terriers have been to 10 NCAA playoffs, the last trip coming in 2019. Watson, in his third season, and the team's five wins this year equal his total of the previous two. One of the school's football highlights came in 2007 when the Terriers handed Appalachian State its first loss after the Mountaineers had stunned top-five Michigan weeks earlier. South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers has settled into the starting job with his stellar play the second half of the season. He's passed for 1,010 yards and 10 touchdowns against just one interception in the Gamecocks four straight SEC victories. Last week, Sellers had five TD throws including an inside pass to Raheim Sanders he took 15 yards for the winning score against Missouri with 15 seconds left. It's sure to be an emotional time for Beamer as he and the Gamecock crowd say goodbye to the team's seniors who will be playing a final game at Williams-Brice Stadium. Beamer started tearing up, he acknowledged, when he filmed a video for the occasion earlier this week, in part because several of the players leaving chose to stay when Beamer took over four seasons ago. Gamecocks senior punter Kai Kroeger leads the SEC and is second nationally with a 47.7-yard average this season. When his football time is done, Kroeger said he wanted to work for the Secret Service or another federal law enforcement agency. Kroeger explained he'd had family friends follow that path and he became interested. Beamer got a text a few weeks back from Hootie and the Blowfish front-man Darius Rucker about donating to help the university's band fund their planned trip to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. "It took me five seconds to respond" with a yes, Beamer said as he, Rucker and women's basketball coach Dawn Staley each donated $25,000 for band expenses. Get local news delivered to your inbox!