My children are going through a "Mary Poppins" phase — the 1964 version starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Especially during these rainy days, we've found ourselves inside on weekend afternoons, singing along to the musical's Sherman Brothers-penned classics. I've been indulging my kids, as our oldest dog just passed away, and the movie serves as a perfectly wholesome distraction. This is how I found myself on a recent afternoon, setting down the newspaper and tablet, so I could belt out "I Love to Laugh" with them, one of the least popular songs from "Mary Poppins," but one that now feels more poignant than ever. "The more I laugh, the more I fill with glee," beloved character actor Ed Wynn sings while floating in the air in a fit of giggle-induced levitation. "And the more the glee, the more I'm a merrier me." To laugh, his number argues, is to be filled with lightness, so much so that we become unbound by the rules of physics — to laugh is to transcend gravity, to go beyond the highest high, even as the world tries to tether us to the ground. Laughter has always been political. From the old Margaret Atwood refrain ("men are afraid that women will laugh at them") to the fact that some of the best insight on current events comes from comedians, humor and politics have always been awkward bedfellows. And in this political moment, as many feel the doom and gloom (or smug elation) of the election results, laughter has never felt more important. In "Mary Poppins," the light and unencumbered Uncle Albert serves as a foil to the very serious banker, Mr. Dawes, Sr. There is a hum of political commentary occurring in the musical, one that urges parents to be present in their children's lives, to let go of their politics and ambitions in the name of family. It's telling that when the elder Mr. Dawes finally laughs, he too begins to float. The bank, it turns out, was only keeping him down. In this time of uncertainty, it's important to find our sense of humor. But I don't think it will be too difficult to find fodder. The president-elect has already given the whole world much to laugh about — and he's not even president yet. "Anti-swamp" candidate immediately appointing deeply swamp-tastic politicos as members of his cabinet? Amazingly uproarious. Two people to head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (never mind the pre-existing Office of Management and Budget)? Hilariously inefficient. Man investigated for sexual relationship with a minor now in charge of the Department of Justice? Jaw-droppingly incongruous. You gotta laugh, right? Buckle in, because the next four years are going to be ripe for parody. The reign of dramatic irony has already begun. Infowars pundit Alex Jones lost a $1.4 billion defamation suit two years ago against the families of the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, after he incorrectly claimed that the massacre of young children was fake, staged by advocates to motivate stricter gun laws. After Jones declared bankruptcy, in September, a Texas judge ruled that assets owned by Jones' companies could be auctioned off to the highest bidder to cover his legal obligations. And on Thursday it was announced that in the case of Infowars, the highest bidder was The Onion, a satirical online newspaper unafraid to punch hard. "We thought this would be a hilarious joke," Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion's parent company, told the New York Times. "This is going to be our answer to this no-guardrails world where there are no gatekeepers and everything's kind of insane." The Onion plans to relaunch their version of Infowars soon, and the families of Sandy Hook victims are on board. "They're all human beings with senses of humor who want fun things to happen and want good things to take place in their lives," Collins said. "They want to be part of something good and positive too." There is goodness to be had from laughter. And the cleverest humor can reveal bigger, and more uncomfortable, truths. Consider how Hannibal Buress' standup helped the effort to hold Bill Cosby accountable for sexual assault. Or the theory that Trump decided to run for president after being mocked by Obama at a dinner. Jokes can change history. When I speak to my Trump-supporting friends, they often cite the president-elect's sense of humor as part of his appeal. "He's funny," my friend Alex wrote on social media. "And let's be honest, Dems have no sense of humor." It's not that the left isn't funny, but its best comics require audiences to overcome subscriptions and paywalls, vocabulary lessons and literary references. Maybe jokes, and the news, should be more accessible, less condescending. Still, it's clear who is losing the humor wars. And there have been consequences that will affect us all. "There's nothing like a good joke," says Bert in "Mary Poppins." "And that was nothing like a good joke," Uncle Albert quickly replies. We could all use a hearty chuckle right now. Or as Abe Lincoln put it: "I laugh because I must not cry, that is all, that is all."
Fact Check: Sudha Murthy Deepfake Video Shared To Promote Fraudulent Investment SchemeDALLAS , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) today announced that its board of directors approved the purchase of up to an additional $500 million of its outstanding shares of common stock under its existing share repurchase program, effective immediately. This repurchase program follows the substantial completion of purchases of common stock under the inaugural $250 million repurchase authorization from August 2023 . With this additional repurchase authorization, the Company anticipates executing a $250 million accelerated share repurchase ("ASR") program that will commence in the fourth quarter of 2024. "We believe our asset-lite, highly-franchised model enables industry-leading shareholder returns," commented Alex Kaleida , Chief Financial Officer. "Since becoming a public company in 2015, we have returned more than $1 billion of capital to shareholders. Our share repurchase program is another example of the long-term value creation enabled by our category of one operating model." Repurchases under the program may be made in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions or by other means, including through trading plans intended to qualify under Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and accelerated share repurchase agreements, with the amount and timing of repurchases to be determined at Wingstop's discretion, depending on market and business conditions, prevailing stock prices, and contractual limitations, among other factors. Open market repurchases will be structured to occur in accordance with applicable federal securities laws. This program does not obligate Wingstop to acquire any particular amount of common stock, or at any specific time or intervals and may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time at Wingstop's discretion. Wingstop expects to fund repurchases with existing cash and cash equivalents, including the proceeds from its recently completed $500 million financing transaction which closed on December 3, 2024 . About Wingstop Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Dallas, TX , Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) operates and franchises more than 2,450 locations worldwide. The Wing Experts are dedicated to Serving the World Flavor through an unparalleled guest experience and a best-in-class technology platform, all while offering classic and boneless wings, tenders, and chicken sandwiches, cooked to order and hand sauced-and-tossed in fans' choice of 12 bold, distinctive flavors. Wingstop's menu also features signature sides including fresh-cut, seasoned fries and freshly-made ranch and bleu cheese dips. In fiscal year 2023, Wingstop's system-wide sales increased 27.1% to approximately $3.5 billion , marking the 20th consecutive year of same store sales growth. With a vision of becoming a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand, Wingstop's system is comprised of corporate-owned restaurants and independent franchisees, or brand partners, who account for approximately 98% of Wingstop's total restaurant count of 2,458 as of September 28, 2024 . A key to this business success and consumer fandom stems from The Wingstop Way, which includes a core value system of being Authentic, Entrepreneurial, Service-minded, and Fun. The Wingstop Way extends to the brand's environmental, social and governance platform as Wingstop seeks to provide value to all guests. In 2023, Wingstop earned its "Best Places to Work" certification. The Company landed on Entrepreneur Magazine's "Fastest-Growing Franchises" list and ranked #16 on "Franchise 500." Wingstop was listed on Technomic's "Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report," QSR Magazine's "2023 QSR 50" and Franchise Time's "40 Smartest-Growing Franchises." For more information, visit www.wingstop.com or www.wingstop.com/own-a-wingstop and follow @Wingstop on X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Learn more about Wingstop's involvement in its local communities at www.wingstopcharities.org . Unless specifically noted otherwise, references to our website addresses, the website addresses of third parties or other references to online content in this press release do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on such website and should not be considered part of this release. Forward-looking Statements This news release includes statements of our expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to come within the safe harbor protection provided by those sections. These statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to the discussion of our expectations concerning the implementation and execution of our share repurchase program, including the anticipated execution of a $250 million ASR and our strategic growth initiatives. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "may," "will," "should," "expect," "intend," "plan," "outlook," "guidance," "anticipate," "believe," "think," "estimate," "seek," "predict," "can," "could," "project," "potential" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements are accompanied by such terms. These forward-looking statements are made based on expectations and beliefs concerning future events affecting us and are subject to uncertainties, risks, and factors relating to our operations and business environments, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Please refer to the risk factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which can be found at the SEC's website www.sec.gov . The discussion of these risks is specifically incorporated by reference into this news release. When considering forward-looking statements in this news release or that we make in other reports or statements, you should keep in mind the cautionary statements in this news release and future reports we file with the SEC. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and we cannot predict when they may arise or how they may affect us. Any forward-looking statement in this news release speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Media Contact Maddie Lupori Media@wingstop.com Investor Contact Kristen Thomas IR@wingstop.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wingstop-announces-additional-500-million-share-repurchase-authorization-302324306.html SOURCE Wingstop Restaurants Inc.
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Is this the time Nebraska gets past Wisconsin? The teams have played three straight one-score games, each won by the Badgers. Amie Just, columnist: Ty Robinson. Luke Mullin, reporter: Robinson spends the whole game in the Wisconsin backfield, finishing with two sacks and even more quarterback pressures. Nate Head, editor: Let's say Isaac Gifford, the Lincoln native, comes down with his first interception of the season. Just: Emmett Johnson. Mullin: It's another week of Johnson leading the way, though Dante Dowdell takes over inside the red zone. Head: Johnson has had two games with at least 10 carries this season. He gets his third Saturday. Just: The final buzzer. Mullin: It'll be a one-score game to the end, but a stop from the Nebraska defense with two minutes left seals the win. Head: Late. Wisconsin scores a go-ahead touchdown with four minutes left in the game, and Nebraska's ensuing drive ends in a turnover. Just: Keelan Smith. Mullin: Freshman wide receiver Quinn Clark gets his shot and records a catch too. Head: Clark seems like the obvious choice so I'll mix it up: Carter Nelson. Just: Under. Mullin: Under. Head: Under. Just: Under. Mullin: Over. Head: Under. Just: Under. Mullin: Over. Head: Over. Just: Over. Mullin: Over. Head: Over. Just: Under. Mullin: Under. Head: Under. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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