ace gaming 888 login
Apple’s latest iPhones get the gift of more AI as holiday shopping season heats upSome tech industry leaders are pushing the incoming Trump administration to increase visas for highly skilled workers from other nations. Related Articles National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row National Politics | Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreams National Politics | Trump’s picks for top health jobs not just team of rivals but ‘team of opponents’ The heart of the argument is, for America to remain competitive, the country needs to expand the number of skilled visas it gives out. The previous Trump administration did not increase the skilled visa program, instead clamping down on visas for students and educated workers, increasing denial rates. Not everyone in corporate America thinks the skilled worker program is great. Former workers at IT company Cognizant recently won a federal class-action lawsuit that said the company favored Indian employees over Americans from 2013 to 2022. A Bloomberg investigation found Cognizant, and other similar outsourcing companies, mainly used its skilled work visas for lower-level positions. Workers alleged Cognizant preferred Indian workers because they could be paid less and were more willing to accept inconvenient or less-favorable assignments. Question: Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? Caroline Freund, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy YES: Innovation is our superpower and it relies on people. Sourcing talent from 8 billion people in the world instead of 330 million here makes sense. Nearly half our Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Growing them also relies on expanding our skilled workforce. The cap on skilled-worker visas has hardly changed since the computer age started. With AI on the horizon, attracting and building talent is more important than ever. Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research YES: After years of openly allowing millions of undocumented entrants into the country, why is there controversy over legally increasing somewhat the number having desirable skills? Undocumented immigration significantly impacts lower skill level jobs and wages competing with domestic workers at every skill level. Why should special cases be made against those having higher skills? Could they just not walk across the border anyway, why make it more inconvenient to those with desirable skills? James Hamilton, UC San Diego YES: Knowledge and technology are key drivers of the U.S. economy. Students come from all over the world to learn at U.S. universities, and their spending contributed $50 billion to U.S. exports last year. Technological advantage is what keeps us ahead of the rest of the world. Highly skilled immigrants contribute much more in taxes than they receive in public benefits. The skills immigrants bring to America can make us all better off. Norm Miller, University of San Diego YES: According to Forbes, the majority of billion-dollar startups were founded by foreigners. I’ve interviewed dozens of data analysts and programmers from Berkeley, UCSD, USD and a few other schools and 75% of them are foreign. There simply are not enough American graduates to fill the AI and data mining related jobs now exploding in the U.S. If we wish to remain a competitive economy, we need highly skilled and bright immigrants to come here and stay. David Ely, San Diego State University YES: Being able to employ highly skilled workers from a larger pool of candidates would strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. companies by increasing their capacity to perform research and innovate. This would boost the country’s economic output. Skilled workers from other nations that cannot remain in the U.S. will find jobs working for foreign rivals. The demand for H-1B visas far exceeds the current cap of 85,000, demonstrating a need to modify this program. Phil Blair, Manpower YES: Every country needs skilled workers, at all levels, to grow its economy. We should take advantage of the opportunity these workers provide our employers who need these skills. It should be blended into our immigration policies allowing for both short and long term visas. Gary London, London Moeder Advisors YES: San Diego is a premiere example of how highly skilled workers from around the globe enrich a community and its regional economy. Of course Visa levels need to be increased. But let’s go further. Tie visas and immigration with a provision that those who are admitted and educated at a U.S. university be incentivized, or even required, to be employed in the U.S. in exchange for their admittance. Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates NO: While attracting high-skilled immigrants can fill critical gaps in sectors like technology, health care and advanced manufacturing, increasing high-skilled immigration could displace American workers and drive down wages in certain industries. There are already many qualified American workers available for some of these jobs. We should balance the need for specialized skills with the impact on the domestic workforce. I believe we can begin to increase the number of visas after a careful review of abuse. Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth YES: We should expand skilled visas to drive innovation and economic growth. Individuals who perform high-skilled work in labor-restricted industries or graduate from respected colleges with relevant degrees should be prioritized for naturalization. We depend on immigration for GDP growth, tax revenue, research, and so much more. Despite the abhorrent rhetoric and curtailing of visas in the first term, I hope the incoming administration can be persuaded to enact positive changes to a clearly flawed system. Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health YES: But it should be based upon need, not politics. There are several industries that have or could have skilled workforce shortages, especially if the next administration tightens immigration as promised and expected. Over the years, there have been nursing shortages that have been met partially by trained and skilled nurses from other countries. The physician shortage is expected to get worse in the years to come. So, this visa program may very well be needed. Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: While skilled immigration could boost our economy and competitiveness, the U.S. should prioritize developing our domestic workforce. Hiring foreign nationals in sensitive industries or government-related work, especially in advanced technology or defense, raises security concerns. A balanced approach could involve targeted increases in non-sensitive high-demand fields coupled with investment in domestic STEM education and training programs. This could address immediate needs while strengthening the long-term STEM capabilities of the American workforce. Not participating this week: Alan Gin, University of San DiegoHaney Hong, San Diego County Taxpayers AssociationRay Major, economist Have an idea for an Econometer question? Email me at phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com . Follow me on Threads: @phillip020Tech Stocks Soar Amid Market Turmoil! Nvidia’s Winning Streak Explained
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes got back to climbing on Wednesday after the latest update on inflation appeared to clear the way for more help for the economy from the Federal Reserve . The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to break its first two-day losing streak in nearly a month and finished just short of its all-time high. Big Tech stocks led the way, which drove the Nasdaq composite up 1.8% to top the 20,000 level for the first time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, meanwhile, lagged the market with a dip of 99 points, or 0.2%. Stocks got a boost as expectations built that Wednesday’s inflation data will allow the Fed to deliver another cut to interest rates at its meeting next week. Traders are betting on a nearly 99% probability of that, according to data from CME Group, up from 89% a day before. If they’re correct, it would be a third straight cut by the Fed after it began lowering rates in September from a two-decade high. It’s hoping to support a slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. Lower rates would give a boost to the economy and to prices for investments, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. “The data have given the Fed the ‘all clear’ for next week, and today’s inflation data keep a January cut in active discussion,” according to Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Expectations for a series of cuts to rates by the Fed have been one of the main reasons the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times this year , with the latest coming last week. The biggest boosts for the index on Wednesday came from Nvidia and other Big Tech stocks. Their massive growth has made them Wall Street’s biggest stars for years, though other kinds of stocks have recently been catching up somewhat amid hopes for the broader U.S. economy. Tesla jumped 5.9% to finish above $420 at $424.77. It’s a level that Elon Musk made famous in a 2018 tweet when he said he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share . Stitch Fix soared 44.3% after the company that sends clothes to your door reported a smaller loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also gave financial forecasts for the current quarter that were better than expected, including for revenue. GE Vernova rallied 5% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500. The energy company that spun out of General Electric said it would pay a 25 cent dividend every three months, and it approved a plan to send up to another $6 billion to its shareholders by buying back its own stock. On the losing end of Wall Street, Dave & Buster’s Entertainment tumbled 20.1% after reporting a worse loss for the latest quarter than expected. It also said CEO Chris Morris has resigned, and the board has been working with an executive-search firm for the last few months to find its next permanent leader. Albertsons fell 1.5% after filing a lawsuit against Kroger, saying it didn’t do enough for their proposed $24.6 billion merger agreement to win regulatory clearance. Albertsons said it’s seeking billions of dollars in damages from Kroger, whose stock rose 1%. A day earlier, judges in separate cases in Oregon and Washington nixed the supermarket giants’ merger. The grocers contended a combination could have helped them compete with big retailers like Walmart, Costco and Amazon, but critics said it would hurt competition. After terminating the merger agreement with Kroger, Albertsons said it plans to boost its dividend 25% and increased the size of its program to buy back its own stock. Macy’s slipped 0.8% after cutting some of its financial forecasts for the full year of 2024, including for how much profit it expects to make off each $1 of revenue. All told, the S&P 500 rose 49.28 points to 6,084.19. The Dow dipped 99.27 to 44,148.56, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 347.65 to 20,034.89. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.27% from 4.23% late Tuesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, edged up to 4.15% from 4.14%. In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was an outlier and slipped 0.8% as Chinese leaders convened an annual planning meeting in Beijing that is expected to set economic policies and growth targets for the coming year. South Korea’s Kospi rose 1%, up for a second straight day as it climbs back following last week’s political turmoil where its president briefly declared martial law. AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed.QB Nussmeier, potential 1st-rounder, back to LSU
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday passed a $895 billion measure that authorizes a 1% increase in defense spending this fiscal year and would give a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military. The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization. The bill passed the House by a vote of 281-140 and will next move to the Senate, where lawmakers had sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the current measure allows. Lawmakers are touting the bill's 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. Lawmakers said service member pay has failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. “No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that's exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “This bill goes a long way to fixing that.” The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation’s borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators had wanted to increase defense spending some $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a “tremendous loss for our national defense," though he agreed with many provisions within the bill. “We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it,” Wicker said. House Republicans don't want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many non-defense programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a "very real problem." He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, have proven effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. “These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives,” Smith said. “And in this bill, we decided we're going to bar servicemembers' children from having access to that.” Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care extends into the thousands. He could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson's office insisted upon the ban and said the provision “taints an otherwise excellent piece of legislation.” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying, “I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates.” Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, “and yet, here it is in this bill.” Branden Marty, a Navy veteran who served for 13 years, said the loss of health coverage for transgender medical treatments could prompt some with valuable experience to leave the military, affecting national security because “we already struggle from a recruiting and retention standpoint.” He also said the bill could regularly force service members into difficult choices financially. “It will be tough for a lot of them because of out-of-pocket expenses, especially enlisted members who we know already struggle with food insecurity,” said Marty, the father of a transgender teenager. “They don’t get paid very much, so they’re going to be making a lot of choices on a day-to-day, tactical level.” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team was not telling Democrats how to vote on the bill. “There's a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well,” Jeffries said. Overall, 81 Democrats ended up voting for the bill and 124 against it. On the Republican side, 200 voted for the bill and 16 against. “It’s disappointing to see 124 of my Democrat colleagues vote against our brave men and women in uniform over policies that have nothing to do with their intended mission,” Johnson said. The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration had requested about $10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January.
The Kremlin on Thursday revealed that the day prior Ukraine's military launched six US-made long-range ATACMs missiles and four British-made Storm Shadow missiles against Russian territory . The projectiles targeted the southern Rostov region, with Russia's military saying its anti-air defense systems were able to intercept all four ATACMS missiles and three of the four Storm Shadows. The statement further vowed a harsh response to the attacks, given this is at least third of fourth major wave of long-range attacks. Western missiles have been used perhaps half a dozen times or more against Russian territory at this point, only a month after Washington initially gave Kiev permission. The ATACMS and Storm Shadow assault on Wednesday was accompanied by other conventional weapons as well. In the overall attack some targets, including an oil refinery, were struck : Ukraine struck Russian territory with at least 13 missiles and 84 drones, triggering a fire at an oil refinery in the southern Rostov region that burned for hours , Russian officials said on Thursday. As Russia advances at the fastest pace since the start of the war in 2022, Ukraine has repeatedly tried to strike Russia's oil infrastructure - which funds a significant chunk of the Russian war economy. "The actions of the Kyiv regime, supported by its Western curators, will not go unanswered," the Russian defense ministry said in follow-up. This retaliation could involve more hypersonic ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine, a threat which has been sounded more frequently of late, specifically more debilitating attacks on Ukraine's energy grid headed into the cold winter months. On Thursday, during President Putin's year-end Q&A session with journalists, Putin warned that more Oreshnik missiles could be used, emphasizing that there is no defense against them. 'We should have a duel — Oreshnik v NATO missile defense over Kiev' SUPERCUT: Putin's biggest statements during annual 4+ hour Q&A pic.twitter.com/M7FYwk4g7y "There is no chance of shooting down these Oreshnik missiles. Well, if those Western experts you mentioned think they can be shot down, we propose they - and those in the West and the United States who pay them for their analysis - conduct some kind of technological experiment, a high-tech duel of the 21st century ," Putin explained to the press. "Let them name some object, let's say, in Kyiv, concentrate all their air defence and missile defence forces there, and we will hit it with Oreshnik and see what happens. We are ready for such an experiment. Is the other side ready?" he posed.Space Don't miss out on the headlines from Space. Followed categories will be added to My News. Large unidentified drones displaying advanced technology have been flooding the night skies of New Jersey for weeks, spooking residents and leaving authorities scrambling to identify them. Now a New Jersey Congressman says he’s pretty sure he knows where they’re coming from, urging that they be “shot down”. Representative Jeff Van Drew, a Republican who sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he had “gotten to know people” and he had it from “very high sources, very qualified sources”, that “Iran launched a mothership, probably about a month ago, that contains these drones”. “That mothership is off the east coast of the United States of America,” he told Fox News on Wednesday morning. “They’ve launched drones, everything that we can see or hear. Again [this] is from high sources. I don’t say this lightly.” The Pentagon has since denied Mr Van Drew’s claims. “There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called ‘mothership’ launching drones toward the United States,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said during a Wednesday briefing. “At this time we have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or are the work of an adversary. We’re going to continue to monitor what is happening but at no point were our installations threatened when this activity was occurring. These are not US military drones. This is being investigated by local law enforcement.” Mystery drones have been flying over New Jersey. Picture: X Mr Van Drew told Fox News the three possible origins for the drones were the US government, “glorified hobbyists” or an adversary nation. “We know it’s not our own government, because they would have let us know,” he said. “It could have been some glorified hobbyist or hobbyists that were doing something unbelievable. They don’t have the technology. The third possibility was somebody, an adversarial country doing this. Know that Iran made a deal with China to purchase drones, motherships and technology in order to go forward.” He stressed “the sources I have are good, I can’t reveal who they are because they’re speaking to me in confidentiality”. “These drones should be shot down,” he said. “Whether it was some crazy hobbyist that we can’t imagine, or whether it is Iran and I think it very possibly could be, they should be shot down. We are not getting the full deal. The military is on alert with this.” The comments left Fox News host Harris Faulkner stunned. “You’ve given us some pretty dire information just here and I want to make sure our viewers are digesting this,” she said. “Iran has the capability to pull up along our eastern seaboard and launch drones the size of an SUV into the skies of several states, particularly New Jersey where we know the incoming President has a large home in the same county where some of these drones have been seen.” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Picture: khamenei.ir/AFP Faulkner questioned how the drones were being fuelled. “They have to land somewhere, drones don’t fly forever,” she said. “Why don’t they close down the airspace? Yes it’s inconvenient, yes it’s the holidays — shut it down. But if you start shooting things and you don’t know how they’re fuelled, that’s going to be mass explosions. This isn’t like one spy balloon. Congressman, this is serious.” Mr Van Drew insisted “we’ve got to bring them down”. “I don’t know exactly where they’re landing,” he said. “I have some information ... again this isn’t just Jeff Van Drew ... I’m telling you the straight deal from very high positioned individuals who are telling me this. The bottom line is they’re launching them, they’re all across the country. We don’t even have anything like this. We’ve got to get them down, we’ve got to determine how they function, what they do, make sure that we can get them and you’re right, in a safe way. This is a clear and present danger to the United States and our President-elect, and this is serious business.” Drones all over my town in Bergen County NJ tonight. I walked up by the police station and library b/c thatâs where they were clustered. I have tons of videos. Police said they are aware and following their movements. (Sorry for the commentary I was sending to my friends) pic.twitter.com/RXw0a2j0fY — Kateðoð ̧ (@Kate_inNJ) December 9, 2024 The startling claim comes as officials have continually told Americans that the drones pose no threat — even as the FBI has admitted it has no idea what they are or how to stop them. The large drones have been spotted flitting across the night skies across New Jersey for weeks, baffling residents with mysterious arrays of flashing lights and seemingly aimless movements. During a briefing on Wednesday, a Pentagon spokeswoman said the US government “at this time have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or are the work of an adversary”. “We’re going to continue to monitor what is happening but at no point were our installations threatened when this activity was occurring,” she continued. “These are not US military drones. This is being investigated by local law enforcement.” Meanwhile, more footage captured by a New Jersey mother and shared on X showed blinking lights buzzing over Bergen County on Sunday night. “They’re just pacing back and forth going very slow,” she said in the clip, adding she counted five or six flying machines hovering overhead. “It doesn’t sound like a plane ... no, no, it’s too quiet — that’s a drone.” Similar videos have flooded social media since November 18, when police first responded to calls about the drones hovering over Morris County. Sometimes numerous objects have been spotted flying in formation, and they’ve begun appearing across parts of New York, too. One Sunday alone, there were 49 reported sightings, mostly in New Jersey, although Governor Phil Murphy said some of those could have been misidentified aircraft or multiple reports of the same object. NEW: Governor Phil Murphy has spoken with White House officials about the âvery sophisticatedâ drones over New Jersey. âThe minute you get eyes on them, they go dark⦠This is something weâre taking deadly seriously.â pic.twitter.com/aS12aM693P — UAP James (@UAPJames) December 9, 2024 “I don’t blame people for being frustrated,” the Democratic Governor told reporters on Monday. “Let me say most importantly right upfront, we see no evidence, and when I say we this includes Homeland Security, FBI, Secret Service, our state police, authorities at all levels of government, the most important point to say is we don’t see any concern for public safety. Having said that, it’s really frustrating that we don’t have more answers as to where they’re coming from and why they’re doing what they’re doing.” Mr Murphy said he had been in contact with the White House and top national security officials “pretty much all day” on Sunday. “I’m hoping we’ll get answers sooner rather than later,” he said. “I would just ask folks to continue to let the FBI or their local law enforcement know when they see something and we’ll continue to do everything we can with our federal partners to get clearer answers.” He noted the technology appeared to be “very sophisticated”. “The minute you get eyes on them they go dark,” he said. “We’re obviously most concerned about sensitive targets and sensitive critical infrastructure. This is something we’re taking deadly seriously. We’ve got good co-operation out of the feds but we need more. We’re not aware of any nefarious drones that have crashed. If there is one that’s crashed can someone please call me and let me know where that is?” Speculation about the objects’ origins has ranged from Chinese spy operations — to visitors from other planets — to top-secret experimental military tech operated by the US government itself. “Unfortunately, we don’t have many answers, and we don’t want to guess or hypothesise about what’s going on,” FBI spokeswoman Amy J. Thoreson told NJ.com last week. “We are doing all we can to figure it out.” — with NY Post More Coverage ‘Black object’: Pentagon’s wild UFO revelation Frank Chung Pentagon powerless to stop UFO drone spying Ronny Reyes — NY Post Originally published as Congressman claims mystery drones spooking New Jersey for weeks come from Iranian ‘mothership’ More related stories Space Mysterious space radio wave origin revealed The slowly repeating bursts of intense radio waves from space have puzzled astronomers for years. Read more Space Astronaut returns to earth devastated, crying Emily Calandrelli became the 100th woman in space this week but was in tears after a “moaning” controversy erupted on social media. Read moreSome elite U.S. universities — including Penn — favor wealthy students in admissions decisions, lawsuit alleges
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer's comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar." Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump's world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world's richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump's movement but his stance on the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump's own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump's businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country" and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he told the “All-In" podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump's budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.
November 22 - While without another key performer, the Vancouver Canucks hope to have two others along for the ride when they open a six-game trip against the Ottawa Senators, who are mired in their longest slide of the season. The struggling Canucks will try to right the ship by handing the Senators a fifth straight loss Saturday night. Vancouver has lost two straight and four of six following a 7-1-1 stretch, and the team announced this week that star J.T. Miller will take a leave of absence for personal reasons. It's reported he likely won't be available through this road stretch. "We don't know when he'll be back," Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said of Miller, who is second on the team with 16 points. Vancouver has also been without fellow All-Star Brock Boeser (upper-body injury), who has 11 points in 12 games, for the past six contests. But it's been reported Boeser is with the team for this trip and could be set for a return to the ice. Also, fellow star Thatcher Demko is expected to join the Canucks on this Eastern road trip. However, it's uncertain when he'll make his season debut following a knee injury suffered in the 2024 playoffs. "I definitely know that I'll be playing here," said Demko, who set career bests with 35 wins, a 2.45 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage last season. "I can't give you the timeline yet, but I'll definitely be back. (I'm) just enjoying being where I am today and keep making progress." In the meantime, veteran Kevin Lankinen has been solid in Vancouver's net with a 2.71 goals-against average in 13 starts. However, he's allowed four goals apiece in each of his last two. Backup Arturs Silovs, who made 29 saves in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers, is 1-3-1 with a 3.91 GAA in six games (five starts) this season. The Canucks have not suffered three consecutive regulation losses in 2024-25. The club has won four in a row amid a 5-0-1 stretch versus Ottawa. Quinn Hughes has a team-leading 19 points, and 18 in 17 career games against the Senators. Meanwhile, teammate Elias Pettersson, with five goals and four assists in the last eight games, has recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in 13 games versus Ottawa. The Senators have struggled to win consistently. They've allowed 17 goals while mired in an 0-3-1 rut after winning two straight. That said, Ottawa battled Vegas hard during Thursday's 3-2 home loss. "We just need to keep working, keep believing in each other," said the Senators' Drake Batherson, who scored his eighth goal Thursday. "You can't get down. Just come to the rink positive and work hard." Former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark has allowed 13 goals during his current 0-2-1 starting stretch for the Senators, but made 29 saves against the Golden Knights. Teammate Anton Forsberg has yielded three goals apiece in losing his last two starts. Despite Ottawa's middling performance to begin the season, Tim Stutzle has recorded 17 of his team-leading 23 points at home. He has a goal and five assists spanning his last five games versus Vancouver. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
House approves $895B defense bill with military pay raise, ban on transgender care for minorsHow major US stock indexes fared Wednesday, 12/11/2024Uber Technologies, Inc. ( NYSE: UBER ) Barclays 22nd Annual Global Technology Conference Call December 11, 2024 4:20 PM ET Company Participants Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah - Chief Financial Officer Conference Call Participants Ross Sandler - Barclays Ross Sandler All right. We're going to get started. Thanks for everybody joining this meeting. My name is Ross Sandler. I'm in charge of Internet Research here at Barclays in the US. Super excited to have Prashanth from Uber. This isn't Prashanth's first time at the Barclays TMT Conference, but first time in the current capacity. So welcome. Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah Thank you. Thank you. Question-and-Answer Session Q - Ross Sandler I guess just to kick things off, so you've been in the role for about a year. What have you learned? What are the biggest takeaways over that year? Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah Yes. Thank you for having me. Last time I was here, I was in Semis. Blayne was covering me, and the day before I came out, Blayne downgraded me. So I told Ross, I'm only coming out if he can prove that he's got an Uber rating that's 4.7 or higher. And I'm very happy to say that he's a big tipper. So at Barclays' expense, no doubt, but still, we appreciate it. So I've been in the job now 14 months. And I'm sure what's on everyone's mind is AV, but let me just give you a couple of comments on what I've observed since joining Uber. And they sort of influence how I think about this business. What is pretty incredible about this company compared to some of the organizations I've been at before and this is really -- this is now my third time being a public CFO is many companies say they are mission-driven. I have never seen a company as focused as Uber is and how quickly they adapt to taking a new hill when given a charge. And that can be when Dara points
Fijiana 7s needs shake-up The performance of the Fijiana 7s needs a shake-up. When Saiasi Fuli was in charge, the Fijiana 7s showed some brilliance, but then the girls faltered as the season progressed. I remember vividly the Fijiana 7s beating Australia 14-12 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in what was the biggest upset of the Games. The Fijiana 7s lost to the Black Ferns 22-17 in extra time and went on to beat Great Britain 21-12 to finish third in the Olympics meet. However, in the last Olympic Games in Paris, the Fijiana 7s lost all their games. They lost 17-14 to Canada, 40-12 to China and 38-7 to the Black Ferns. Brazil added salt to our wounds with a 28-22 win. We finished 12th in Paris after losing 21-15 to South Africa. Fuli stepped down and in came Ratu Timoci Volavola, but the performance has worsened. In Dubai, the Fijiana 7s lost to Ireland 30-12, Australia 42-7 and China 15-14. The side lost again to China 24-7 in the nineth place semi-final and then to Spain 22-5, finishing last in Dubai. In Cape Town, the Fijiana 7s got thrashed by the USA 31-0. In their second pool match, the Fijiana 7s got beaten by Great Britain 22-5. The team managed to win their match against Brazil 22-19 but lost to China again 14-12. I urge FRU to carry out a SWOT analysis on the dismal performance of the Fijiana 7s. We need to get things right! RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM, Nadawa, Nasinu. Respect for Fiji The British Lions, Italy, Scotland, Japan and many others have all played international rugby test matches against Fiji in Fiji. And it is heartening to note that Scotland will be playing Fiji in Fiji in July, 2025. However, it is sad and disappointing that two of the world’s rugby superpowers and our closest neighbours in New Zealand and Australia who normally consider ourselves as members of their Pacific family have never considered Fiji as good enough to agree to play test rugby against us in Fiji. This is despite the fact that they have been playing against Fiji for over 100 years and some of these matches played in their own countries. The most recent is the Fiji/New Zealand rugby match played in the US last June supposedly to improve the sport in the biggest economy in the world. What a joke! And Fiji and the interest of Fijians? They obviously were considered even with Fijian Government’s involvement but not considered to be that important to have the test match in Fiji. As always with world rugby involved, we in Fiji are kept in the dark and we should accept whatever they decide supposedly for our interest without any question. Now that we’re in the 21st century, we in Fiji demand that New Zealand and Australia in particular should give Fiji the recognition and respect that it deserves by playing rugby test matches against Fiji in Fiji. The Fiji Government should include this as an agenda item in their next high level dealings with their Governments. Fiji should also as a matter of priority directly approach the South African Government to request rugby test matches between the two countries in their respective countries. I believe Fiji can expect a greater appreciation and respect from them compared to the type of treatment we have been getting from our immediate neighbours. SAVERIO BALEIKANACEA, Delainavesi, Lami Newfound freedom It would appear to me that since the last election when Fijians found their freedoms after 16 long years of “oppression”, personal prejudice and personal opinions by those in power is the basis of all new laws. I believe the elite and those who are in positions of influence have taken this newfound freedom to mean they can make laws based on their personal prejudices and opinions. We are already seeing this not just by what politicians are saying but by village chiefs as well. We are seeing this arrogance almost daily at the highest levels. Isn’t this new found freedom just great? I have always maintained; the people of Fiji are truly blessed. May I add, no one else in the world is as blessed as Fijians. JAN NISSAR, Hiroshima, Japan Nothing has changed! During the FFP’s governing era, most of the current government ministers and senior government officials including some prominent legal eagles, vehemently decried the hosting of conferences, seminars, symposiums, conventions, meetings, etc, at lavish resorts and hotels. However, nothing seems to have changed over the past two years. Recently, the 26th Attorney-General’s Conference was held at the 5-Star Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort at Denarau. Was it a necessity to have it at such a venue? A school hall somewhere in Suva or Nadi could’ve been pre-arranged/organised as it’s the school holidays or even a tent erected at the Albert Park precinct and pay for your own meals and drinks. Imagine the thousands of dollars that could be saved and better utilised elsewhere. Sa sega tu mada mehn ! We have four-legged banded iguanas living in the forests on some of our maritime islands including the invasive iguana on Taveuni.Subsequently, we do have 2-legged chameleons (a lizard which has the ability to change colours to suit the environment) walking the corridors of power. Shame. ANTHONY SAHAI, Levuka, Ovalau Diabetes issue Diabetes has been the subject of the Government and NGOs’ attention in awareness programs to curb the current trend which has put Fiji as one of the highest recorded populations in the world which suffer from this disease. Other than awareness, one sure way to convince people to change their lifestyle is to compel them to become aware of the level of sugar in their blood and this can only be achieved through regular blood tests with glucometers. If Government assists registered diabetes patients and makes these glucometers and its test strips more affordable then this would be a step in the right direction to compel sufferers to change their lifestyle to avoid the extreme results of amputations and untimely demise. Food for thought for Government. EMOSI BALEI, Suva Stop it! The FICAC Commissioner has stressed that it is illegal for civil servants and government entities to ask for Christmas donations and food. Despite her stern warning, I believe one organisation here in the West has sent out an email to various clients requesting for contributions to fund their Christmas festivities. Did they not get the memo? Or did this organisation in question simply chose to disregard FICAC’s firm directive? I strongly urge FICAC to follow up on this specific instance and possibly take action for their lack of adherence and to ensure compliance with the rule. This shameful practice of begging the public for funding must stop. Go source your own dalo, chicken and vuaka. NISHANT SINGH, Lautoka . Ultimate thievery With an unbelievable quizzical state of theft in the country, one of my mates has shared the ultimate thievery act. Upon returning home from a busy Saturday CBD, one realises that his underwear is gone. Not from the clothes line. The one which he had worn to town. MOHAMMED IMRAZ JANIF, Natabua, Lautoka Mice will play! This week, LTA enforcement officers and police were out around Lautoka City advocating the road safety message with their pens. However, they were not seen around in the evening and late hours of the night. Habitual mindset of illegal drivers, drive around any how. A truck driver double parked on the road to buy booze saying who are you? Meanwhile, a private car loaded seven passengers and made a U-turn before driving off. By the looks of it, when the cat is away, the mice have the field. Thank you LTA and police, don’t give up. Old habits die hard, eh Nishant Singh! NAVNEET RAM (TD), Lautoka Arriving on time Colin Deoki wants the PM to ask his parliamentary colleagues why they arrive late at official speaking engagements (FT 11/12). I can tell him why. It’s a lack of respect for ordinary people and an arrogance of power and an inflated sense of self-importance. I remember the same thing used to happen routinely at Fiji Football organised soccer tournaments. And it was for the same reason. RAJEND NAIDU, Sydney, Australia Rip off! I received an envelope from our friends from abroad with some contents worth $36 together with freight costs. I paid $10.95 to customs and $5.80 to the post office to retrieve the envelope. Being an unemployed senior citizen, the total charge was a rip off in accordance with the envelope. The relevant ministry should seriously consider such costs which vulnerable citizens have to bear. DAVID SUSHIL LAL, Malolo St, Lautoka Multiple coups? Violence against children costs $460m — study (FT 11/12). Is there any study on the cost of the violence and setbacks of our multiple coups? That would make an interesting and illuminating study and warn us not to go down that path ever again if we want our country and its people to progress. RAJEND NAIDU, Sydney, Australia Harmful scenario! I thank Conan Hatch for joining the club, so to speak! And a very special thank you to The Fiji Times for giving his letter the headline — Discipline crisis — for that is exactly what we have on our hands; and it should be on our consciences, too. I received a letter the other day which made the salient point concerning this issue, that today, in the main, the world’s governments mostly comprise younger people — young men and women who have little or no experience — whereas, in days gone by the people we voted into office on our behalf were older: people with experience who had no need to make a mark on society. Today’s authority has been passed to young people who have yet to make their mark and so come up with harebrained schemes without giving thought to the consequences. I recently read Descartes’ Error – Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain, by Antonio R. Damasio: Professor of Psychology, Philosophy and Neurology at the USC — adjunct professor at the Salk Institute — winner of many awards. I confess it is not an easy read, but well worth the effort. He has this to say . . . Early in development, punishment and reward are delivered by parents and other elders and peers, who actually embody the social conventions and ethics of the culture to which (they) belong. In Germany and the Soviet Union during the 1930s and 1940s . . .in Cambodia during the Pol Pot regime . . . a sick culture prevailed upon a presumably normal machinery of reason, with disastrous consequences. Adding that he fears sizeable sectors of society are gradually becoming tragically similar. He states further . . . If the proposed solution to individual and social suffering bypasses the causes of individual and social conflict, it is not likely to work for very long. It may treat a symptom, but it does nothing to the roots of the disease. Damasio stresses: One of the most distinctive human traits is the ability to learn to be guided by future prospects rather than by immediate outcomes, something we begin to acquire in childhood. If we are permitted to acquire it, that is! Most pertinently he claims . . . Lack of reward can constitute punishment and be unpleasant, just as lack of punishment can constitute reward and be quite pleasurable. I have written many times on the loss of a parent’s right to discipline their child and I commend all of those who, few though they may be, have the sense to see the harm we are doing to our children. SUE CAUTY, Pacific Harbour Blood shortage Recently, an elderly relative was admitted to the Acute Surgical Ward at the CWM Hospital in Suva due to a sickness which required her needing a blood transfusion. My concern here is when a patient needs blood, the blood bank will not release blood to the patient until donors are found and donate to the patient due to the existing low levels of blood at the blood bank. To my knowledge, this has been an ongoing problem for many years. A possible solution is if the Army, Navy and Police, etc., were able to donate a pint of blood each. That would lead to a significant boost to the blood bank at the hospitals around the country. Is there sufficient storage space at the major hospitals? In saying that I would like to say a big vinaka vakalevu to the donors who came forward and donated upon our request. Not forgetting the hard-working doctors, nurses and auxiliary staff at the Acute Surgical Ward and the hospital in general. Much respect to you all. Lastly, could the Health Minister please look into this matter which will benefit our people who are in dire need. DEREK FONG TOY, Navua.
Briarfield beats WCCA for fourth MAIS state title in eight years
Analysts have good things to say about these shares this month. You're reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool's Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources , and more. Learn More Do you like growth stocks? Well, if you do and you are on the lookout for some new investments when the market reopens then read on. Listed below are a couple of top ASX growth stocks that analysts have recently named as buys. Let's see what they are saying about these growing companies this month: Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG) The first ASX growth stock that could be a buy according to analysts is Breville. It designs, develops, markets, and distributes small electrical kitchen appliances in the consumer products industry. As well as the eponymous Breville brand, the company's portfolio... James Mickleboro