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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Coach Hansi Flick was sent off for protesting a penalty decision and Barcelona was held at Real Betis to 2-2 in La Liga on Saturday. Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé helped Real Madrid close on the leaders. Flick showed his frustration over a decision to send Betis to the spot, but he also said after the match that his youthful team, which included two 17-year-old starters, must improve. “We are a young team and we need to improve a lot,” Flick said. “We must be stronger, especially when we play away. We have quality, but we have to show it in every game.” Flick disagreed with the referee’s decision to grant a penalty following a video review when Betis forward Vitor Roque fell in the area following a brush with Frenkie de Jong. Giovani Lo Celso converted the 66th-minute penalty to level the score after Robert Lewandowski put the visitors ahead in the 38th with his league-leading 16th goal. Substitute Ferran Torres scored from a pass by Lamine Yamal to put Barcelona back in front in the 82nd, but Assane Diao struck in injury time to secure the draw for Betis. Barcelona has dropped points in four of the last five rounds. Its latest slip in Seville let Madrid close to within two points with a game still to play after it rolled to a 3-0 win at Girona. Flick said he was surprised by the referee’s decision to expel him, but refused to criticize his sending off or the penalty decision that came after the ref viewed video replays. “I said nothing really to anyone, it was a reaction for myself,” the former Bayern Munich boss said about his alleged protest. “I am really disappointed about (the sending off) because that has never happened to me, but maybe here (in Spain) it is like this.” Bellingham rifled in a loose ball for the 36th-minute opener and extended his scoring streak to five rounds. He then set up Arda Guler to double Madrid's lead in the 55th when he threaded a long ball through Girona's defense. About five minutes later the England midfielder asked to be substituted for an apparent left-thigh injury, although coach Carlo Ancelotti said he was “fine” and left the game for precaution. Mbappé capped the victory with a goal from a tight angle, helping him rebound from his failure to score a penalty in a loss at Athletic Bilbao midweek. Madrid lost left back Ferland Mendy to an apparent leg issue as well. Madrid was already missing defenders Éder Militao and Dani Carvajal to serious leg injuries, and coach Carlo Ancelotti said David Alaba won't be fit to play until January. Madrid visits Atalanta on Tuesday in the Champions League, where it has lost three of five matches. After outscoring opponents 29-5 during a run of seven straight wins that included big victories over Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Barcelona has hit its first dip in form since Flick’s arrival last summer. The skid over the past month includes its first home loss to the modest Las Palmas in over 50 years and wasting a 2-0 lead in a draw at Celta Vigo. Barcelona bounced back with a 5-1 win at Mallorca this week, but the draw at Betis may be the most worrying setback for Flick yet. His team could have lost if it wasn’t for the goalkeeping of Iñaki Peña, who among his saves turned back a powerful point blank strike by Chimy Ávila. Flick said his team played poorly and its only “good play” in the first half was the pass by Jules Koundé that set up Lewandowski. His remedy was for his team to speed up its passing game and reduce the number of long balls that Flick said were not his team's strength. Flick also defended substituting Lewandowski, Raphinha, Pedri, and Dani Olmo — the team's best attacking players along with Yamal — for the need to rest them ahead of Barcelona's Champions League game at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. Yamal put Barcelona back in charge after he threaded the ball through the Betis backline for Torres to score. That was the 17-year-old’s league-leading ninth assist. Diao, however, unleashed the celebrations in Benito Villamarin Stadium when he used the inside of his right leg to redirect a cross by Aitor Rubial just inside the far post of Peña’s net. “We are disappointed because we missed a chance to get a win by conceding a late goal,” Koundé said. “We let them take the game to us.” Manuel Pellegrini’s team remained in 11th place after ending a run of seven consecutive home losses to Barcelona. Isco Alarcon returned to the field for the first time since the Betis midfielder broke a bone in his left fibula in May. The former Real Madrid playmaker played the final minutes as a substitute. Valencia's disgruntled supporters jeered their team after a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano left it in the relegation zone. Las Palmas also beat last-placed Valladolid 2-1. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerNFL NOTES
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As part of the upcoming Trump administration, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have unveiled their vision for the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), a newly created advisory board aimed at streamlining federal spending and bureaucracy. With lofty goals of cutting $500 billion annually, and Musk claiming potential cuts of up to $2 trillion, the initiative has sparked a mix of curiosity, skepticism, and controversy. An ambitious mission DOGE is set to focus on dismantling government bureaucracy, slashing excessive regulations, and restructuring federal agencies. In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal , Musk and Ramaswamy outlined a three-pronged approach: regulatory rescissions, administrative reductions, and cost-saving measures. They emphasized targeting expenditures deemed unauthorized by Congress or misaligned with legislative intent. Musk aims to reduce discretionary spending significantly, proposing cuts to entities like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting ($535 million annually), international grants ($1.5 billion), and progressive organizations such as Planned Parenthood ($300 million). “We must streamline government to align with congressional priorities while fostering efficiency,” Musk and Ramaswamy wrote. The scale of the challenge Critics argue that the $2 trillion reduction Musk envisions is impractical, given that most federal spending is mandatory, tied to programs like Social Security, Medicare, and defense. While targeting unauthorized expenditures, DOGE avoids mentioning larger areas like veterans’ health care or opioid treatment programs, which also fall under expired congressional authorizations. Historically, attempts to overhaul government spending, such as President Ronald Reagan’s Grace Commission in the 1980s, have yielded limited results. Experts question whether DOGE will face similar challenges. Conflicts of interest and ethical dilemmas The advisory board’s mandate to address inefficiencies has raised ethical concerns, particularly given Musk’s businesses. Regulatory agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission, which oversee Tesla and SpaceX, are among those reportedly targeted for restructuring under DOGE’s vision. Critics worry this could create conflicts of interest, undermining public trust in the initiative. The Musk-Bezos rivalry Further complicating Musk’s role are his claims about rival billionaire Jeff Bezos, who allegedly advised people to sell Tesla stock, believing Trump’s election victory would harm Musk’s businesses. Bezos has denied these assertions, calling them baseless. This rivalry, already marked by their competition in the private space race, adds another layer of intrigue to Musk’s political involvement. Public reactions and political implications DOGE has drawn praise from fiscal conservatives eager to see government spending curtailed. However, progressives and some experts have expressed concern over its feasibility and the potential for hasty cuts to vital programs. Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized the initiative’s lack of clarity and questioned the authority of Musk and Ramaswamy to implement such sweeping changes. Despite the backlash, Musk remains confident, calling DOGE “a necessary step toward a more efficient government.” President-elect Trump has also expressed his support, emphasizing Musk’s innovative approach as key to his administration’s goals. While DOGE reflects the unconventional nature of Trump’s cabinet picks, it raises significant questions about practicality, ethics, and authority. As Musk and Ramaswamy push forward with their ambitious agenda, the initiative will serve as a litmus test for the Trump administration’s ability to reshape federal governance. (Sources: Forbes, Wall Street Journal, CBS News)
BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and with the government forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels’ moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. As they have advanced, the insurgents, led by the group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands rushed the Syria border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those that remained open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some shops were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reach the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. Assad’s status Amid the developments, Syria’s state media denied rumors flooding social media that Assad has left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. Assad’s chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. Pedersen said a date for the talks in Geneva on the implementation of U.N. Resolution 2254 would be announced later. The resolution, adopted in 2015, called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. The insurgents’ march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were also marching from eastern Syria toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. Syria’s military, meanwhile, sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth largest city. HTS leader Abu told CNN in an interview Thursday from Syria that the aim is to overthrow Assad’s government. The Britain-based Observatory said Syrian troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs, where a battle is looming. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The Syrian army said in a statement Saturday that it has carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists.” The army said it is setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. After the fall of the cities of Daraa and Sweida early Saturday, Syrian government forces remained in control of five provincial capitals — Damascus, Homs and Quneitra, as well as Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast. Tartus is home to the only Russian naval base outside the former Soviet Union while Latakia is home to a major Russian air base. Diplomacy in Doha In the gas-rich nation of Qatar, the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey met to discuss the situation in Syria. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. After the fall of the cities of Daraa and Sweida early Saturday, Syrian government forces remained in control of five provincial capitals — Damascus, Homs and Quneitra, as well as Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast. On Friday, U.S.-backed fighters of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces captured wide parts of the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq as well as the provincial capital that carries the same name. The capture of areas in Deir el-Zour is a blow to Iran’s influence in the region as the area is the gateway to the corridor linking the Mediterranean to Iran, a supply line for Iran-backed fighters, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah. With the capture of a main border crossing with Iraq by the SDF and after opposition fighters took control of the Naseeb border crossing to Jordan in southern Syria, the Syrian government’s only gateway to the outside world is the Masnaa border crossing with Lebanon. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.Discover Calm In A Shot: Exploring The Relaxing Benefits Of VIVAZEN Kava
NHL To Announce Ottawa Senators Quarter-Century Team: Who Makes The List?DEAR ABBY: A month ago, my 7-year-old son was struck by a vehicle while riding his bike in a crosswalk. He's fine now. His injuries were minor, although it was frightening. Police and paramedics responded quickly, and I took my son to the hospital to have him fully checked. Later that day, a police officer came by our house with a new bike for our son, purchased by the driver of the vehicle. He gave us a paper with the driver's insurance information and said something to the effect of, "Her address is on there too, if you want to thank her for the new bike. That was really nice of them." I was shocked that he would say that. I guess it was a nice gesture, but she hit my son with a car! The driver admitted to having been distracted. At the scene, she said she thought she had hit a dog. I could go on, but suffice it to say the driver was 100% at fault. I put the new bike away in the garage. My son saw it there and wanted to ride it. I held out until our insurance claim was accepted, and we went for a ride today. The new bike is not as good as his old one, but he was excited about it because it is a different color. I'm so grateful that he is doing well and isn't afraid of biking again. My question is, do I have to write that thank-you note? If so, can you please give me the words? -- BICYCLE MOMMY IN WASHINGTON DEAR MOMMY: I can think of a few choice words, but no rule of etiquette demands you thank the woman for the bicycle that was destroyed because of her inattentiveness. DEAR ABBY: I have a group of friends I've known for 40 years. As time has passed, we have grown apart politically. This wasn't a problem until recently. Whenever we get together now, they shout at me about my political choices. At first, I tried to defend my position, but I was shouted down. Then I explained that I didn't want to talk politics, that I respect their right to have a different opinion and to please respect mine. That works only temporarily. The next time we meet, it's the same. It's like they think if they all talk at once, they can convince me. They can't, and I have no desire to convince them. It has reached the point that I'm no longer comfortable in their company, and, evidently, they're not in mine, since they are now meeting without me. I can make new friends, but 40 years is a long time, and I miss them. Is there nothing more I can do short of pretending I agree with them, which I won't do? -- ISSUES APART IN NEW YORK DEAR ISSUES APART: Just as there is nothing more that your old friends can do to convince you, the reverse is also true. You have now reached a stalemate. Politics aside, these friends are shouting at you and disrespecting your wishes. For your own sake, it may be time to step back and cultivate friends who are more tolerant than these folks appear to be.WASHINGTON , Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chief Executive Officer of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) expressed his profound thanks to President-elect Donald Trump and extended his heartfelt congratulations to Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer on her nomination as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor. "On behalf of our 4,000 NECA contractors and the hundreds of thousands of workers they employ across the nation in our nearly quarter trillion-dollar industry, I want to congratulate Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer on her nomination to head up the Department of Labor," said David Long , CEO of NECA. "Her leadership, dedication, and commitment to fostering economic growth and workforce development make her an outstanding choice to lead the Department of Labor. We are confident she will bring a thoughtful and collaborative approach to addressing the challenges and opportunities facing America's workforce." Representative Chavez-DeRemer has demonstrated a deep understanding of the critical role skilled trades play in building a strong economy. Her support for apprenticeship programs, workforce training initiatives, and fair labor practices aligns with NECA's mission to create a thriving environment for the electrical construction industry and the people who power our nation. "As NECA continues to champion the skilled trades and the electrical construction industry, we look forward to working closely with Representative Chavez-DeRemer to advance policies that ensure a robust workforce, uphold workplace safety, and promote innovation in our sector," Long added. NECA stands ready to collaborate with the Department of Labor under Representative Chavez-DeRemer's leadership to unite the needs of employers, workers, and apprentices across the nation. We extend our best wishes to her for a successful confirmation process and look forward to seeing the positive impact of her work in this critical role. ABOUT THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION NECA is the voice of the $240 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light, and communication technology to buildings and communities across North America. NECA's national office and 118 local chapters advance the industry through advocacy, education, research, and standards development. Go to www.necanet.org for more information. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/electrical-contractors-congratulate-representative-lori-chavez-deremer-on-nomination-as-us-secretary-of-labor-302315777.html SOURCE National Electrical Contractors Assoc Inc.
By BASSEM MROUE and ZEINA KARAM BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian government fell early Sunday in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family after a sudden rebel offensive sprinted across government-held territory and entered the capital in 10 days. Syrian state television aired a video statement by a group of men saying that President Bashar Assad has been overthrown and all detainees in jails have been set free. The man who read the statement said the Operations Room to Conquer Damascus, an opposition group, called on all opposition fighters and citizens to preserve state institutions of “the free Syrian state.” The statement emerged hours after the head of a Syrian opposition war monitor said Assad had left the country for an undisclosed location, fleeing ahead of insurgents who said they had entered Damascus following the remarkably swift advance across the country. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and turn its functions over to a transitional government. “I am in my house and I have not left, and this is because of my belonging to this country,” Jalili said in a video statement. He said he would go to his office to continue work in the morning and called on Syrian citizens not to deface public property. He did not address reports that Assad had fled. Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told The Associated Press that Assad took a flight Sunday from Damascus. State television in Iran, Assad’s main backer in the years of war in Syria, reported that Assad had left the capital. It cited Qatar’s Al Jazeera news network for the information and did not elaborate. There was no immediate statement from the Syrian government. As daylight broke over Damascus, crowds gathered to pray in the city’s mosques and to celebrate in the squares, chanting “God is great.” People also chanted anti-Assad slogans and honked car horns. In some areas, celebratory gunshots rang out. Soldiers and police officers left their posts and fled, and looters broke into the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense. “My feelings are indescribable,” said Omar Daher, a 29-year-old lawyer. “After the fear that he (Assad) and his father made us live in for many years, and the panic and state of terror that I was living in, I can’t believe it.” Daher said his father was killed by security forces and his brother was in detention, his fate unknown. Assad “is a criminal, a tyrant and a dog,” he said.” “Damn his soul and the soul of the entire Assad family,” said Ghazal al-Sharif, another reveler in central Damascus. “It is the prayer of every oppressed person and God answered it today. We thought we would never see it, but thank God, we saw it.” The police headquarters in the capital appeared to be abandoned, its door left ajar with no officers outside. An Associated Press journalist shot footage of an abandoned army checkpoint where uniforms were discarded on the ground under a poster of Assad’s face. Footage broadcast on opposition-linked media showed a tank in one of the capital’s central squares. It was the first time opposition forces had reached Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured areas on the outskirts of the capital following a yearslong siege. The pro-government Sham FM radio reported that the Damascus airport had been evacuated and all flights halted. The insurgents also announced they had entered the notorious Saydnaya military prison north of the capital and “liberated” their prisoners there. The night before, opposition forces took the central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as government forces abandoned it. The city stands at an important intersection between Damascus, the capital, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The rebels had already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said rebel control of Homs would be a game-changer. The rebels’ moves into Damascus came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were by far the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad’s government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, called Saturday for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Lebanese border officials closed the main Masnaa border crossing late Saturday, leaving many stuck waiting. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad’s status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he was performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria . Separately, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser said the Biden administration had no intention of intervening there. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation of a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015 and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” The insurgents’ march A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth-largest city. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Abdulrahman Shaheen and Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria; Abby Sewell in Beirut; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; Josef Federman and Victoria Eastwood in Doha, Qatar; and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report.
Cava Group ( CAVA -1.82% ) was one of the better-performing names in 2024. Even after a recent pullback, the stock has risen by more than 175% over the last year, likely because many saw it as a second-chance Chipotle as it works to bring fast, healthy Mediterranean food to more customers. However, the stock has dropped almost 25% since early December. Hence, the question for investors: Is Cava in a temporary bear market and will continue surging in 2025, or will it face considerable pain as the value of the restaurant stock continues to slide? The state of Cava Group stock Admittedly, the narrative that Cava is "Mediterranean Chipotle" is oversimplified but difficult to ignore. Indeed, consumers and investors will probably recall that Chipotle built its success by offering healthy, reasonably priced food that is fast and delicious. Moreover, American consumers have grown more health-conscious in recent years, and various segments of the media have long promoted Mediterranean cuisine as a healthy alternative. Hence, the times seem to call for a fast-casual restaurant like Cava. Additionally, Cava's growth has outpaced Chipotle's. In the first 40 weeks of fiscal 2024 (ended Oct. 6), revenue of $736 million grew 34% compared with the same period in fiscal 2023. In comparison, Chipotle's revenue rose 15% over approximately the same period. Also, Cava's restaurant count, which had reached 352 at the end of fiscal Q3, rose 21% year over year, and its same-restaurant sales grew 11% during that period. Furthermore, its costs and expenses rose 28% during the first 40 weeks of fiscal 2024, slightly lagging the revenue increase over the same period. That led to a $52 million net income, well above the $12 million during the same time frame in fiscal 2023. Cava looks set to improve its performance, as it has guided for 12% to 13% same-restaurant sales growth for fiscal 2024. Since analysts predict 32% revenue growth for Cava for the fiscal year, it appears set for continued prosperity, at least for now. Cava's growing pains Nonetheless, the recent decline in the stock may face a challenge that tends to hurt growth stocks : slowing revenue increases. In fiscal 2025, analysts predict 24% yearly revenue growth. While that still represents robust growth, it also marks a significant slowdown from the last fiscal year. Moreover, it compares less favorably in other ways to its larger fast-casual rival, Chipotle. Unfortunately for Cava investors, this goes well beyond the fact that Mexican cuisine is more popular than Mediterranean food. Cava's goal of 1,000 restaurants by 2032 would approximately triple its number of locations. However, Chipotle intends to operate 7,000 restaurants in North America, not including its international plans (it operates over 3,600 locations now). Since Cava has not outlined any publicly outlined goals to expand outside the U.S., Chipotle may have a larger growth goal, even in percentage terms. Amid that future, valuation differences favor Chipotle. Cava's recent turn to profitability probably makes its P/E ratio a misleading valuation comparison. Still, Cava's price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 15 is far above Chipotle's sales multiple of 8, which may leave investors wondering whether Cava is worth that extra expense. CAVA PS Ratio data by YCharts Where will Cava stock go in 2025? Given current conditions, investors should expect Cava stock to struggle over the next year. Indeed, with its rapid growth and potential to add new locations, Cava Group stock should prosper longer term, meaning current shareholders should probably not sell. However, slowing revenue growth tends to hurt stocks with high valuations, a factor that may have already begun to weigh on Chipotle's stock performance. Additionally, comparing Cava's valuation to Chipotle's highlights how expensive the stock has become, making investors less inclined to buy Cava shares. Ultimately, Cava Group stock should turn into a winning investment for long-term shareholders. Nonetheless, its long-term investment case appears more favorable than its potential performance in 2025.