
Airports and highways are expected to be jam-packed during Thanksgiving week, a holiday period likely to end with another record day for air travel in the United States. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday, most of them by car. However, travelers could be impacted by ongoing weather challenges and those flying to their destinations could be grounded by delays brought on by airline staffing shortages and an airport service workers strike . Here's the latest: U.S. airlines are preparing for a Thanksgiving holiday rush, and so are the U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service and FedEx. Shipping companies will deliver about 2.2 billion packages to homes and businesses across the U.S. from Thanksgiving to Dec. 31, said Satish Jindel, a shipping and logistics expert and president of ShipMatrix. That’s down from 2.3 billion packages last year. Because the shopping period is a week shorter than in 2023, consumers are shopping further ahead of Black Friday and more purchases are taking place in physical stores, he said. The number of holiday package shipments grew 27% in 2020 and by more than 3% the following year during the pandemic. The numbers have been falling since then, with a projected decline of about 6% this holiday season. Looking to de-stress while waiting for your flight? Many airports have a fleet of therapy dogs — designated fidos and puppers that are eager to receive pets and snuggles from weary travelers. Rules and schedules vary from airport to airport, but the group AirportTherapyDogs uses online crowdsourcing to share the locations of therapy dogs across its various social media accounts. Today, Gracie, a toy Australian shepherd, and Budge, an English bulldog, wandered the concourses at Denver International Airport, and an American Staffordshire Terrier named Hugo greeted travelers at Punta Gorda Airport in Florida. Some airports even feature other therapy pals. San Francisco International Airport’s fleet of animals includes a Flemish Giant rabbit and a hypoallergenic pig. “We cannot live on the wages that we are being paid,” ABM cabin cleaner Priscilla Hoyle said at a rally earlier Monday. “I can honestly say it’s hard every single day with my children, working a full-time job but having to look my kids in the eyes and sit there and say, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to have a home today.’” Timothy Lowe II, a wheelchair attendant, said he has to figure out where to spend the night because he doesn’t make enough for a deposit on a home. “We just want to be able to have everything that’s a necessity paid for by the job that hired us to do a great job so they can make billions,” he said. ABM said it is “committed to addressing concerns swiftly” and that there are avenues for employees to communicate issues, including a national hotline and a “general open door policy for managers at our worksite.” Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services cast ballots Friday to authorize the work stoppage at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines. They described living paycheck to paycheck while performing jobs that keep planes running on schedule. Most of them earn $12.50 to $19 an hour, union officials said. Rev. Glencie Rhedrick of Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice said those workers should make $22 to $25 an hour. The strike is expected to last 24 hours. Several hundred workers participated in the work stoppage. Forty-four fights have been canceled today and nearly 1,900 were delayed by midday on the East Coast, according to FlightAware . According to the organization’s cheekily named MiseryMap , San Francisco International Airport is having the most hiccups right now, with 53 delays and three cancellations between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST. While that might sound like a lot of delays, they might not be so bad compared to last Friday when the airport suffered 671 delays and 69 cancellations. In an apparent effort to reduce the headaches caused by airport line cutting, American Airlines has rolled out boarding technology that alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group. This new software won’t accept a boarding pass before the group it’s assigned to is called, so customers who get to the gate prematurely will be asked to go back and wait their turn. As of Wednesday, the airline announced, the technology is now being used in more than 100 U.S. airports that American flies out of. The official expansion arrives after successful tests in three of these locations — Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Tucson International Airport. ▶ Read more about American Airlines’ new boarding technology Travel can be stressful in the best of times. Now add in the high-level anxiety that seems to be baked into every holiday season and it’s clear travelers could use some help calming frazzled nerves. Here are a few ways to make your holiday journey a little less stressful: 1. Make a checklist of what you need to do and what you need to bring 2. Carry your comfort with you — think noise-canceling headphones, cozy clothes, snacks and extra medication 3. Stay hydrated 4. Keep up to date on delays, gate changes and cancellations with your airline’s app ▶ Read more tips about staying grounded during holiday travel Thanksgiving Day takes place late this year, with the fourth Thursday of November falling on Nov. 28. That shortens the traditional shopping season and changes the rhythm of holiday travel. With more time before the holiday , people tend to spread out their outbound travel over more days, but everyone returns at the same time, said Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines . “A late Thanksgiving leads to a big crush at the end,” Watterson said. “The Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving are usually very busy with Thanksgiving this late.” Airlines did a relatively good job of handling holiday crowds last year, when the weather was mild in most of the country. Fewer than 400 U.S. flights were canceled during Thanksgiving week in 2023 — about one out of every 450 flights. So far in 2024, airlines have canceled about 1.3% of all flights. Drivers should know that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will be the worst times to travel by car, but it should be smooth sailing on freeways come Thanksgiving Day, according to transportation analytics company INRIX. On the return home, the best travel times for motorists are before 1 p.m. on Sunday, and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Monday, the company said. In metropolitan areas like Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, “traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day,” INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue said. Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that he expects his agency to use special measures at some facilities to deal with an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers. In the past, those facilities have included airports in New York City and Florida. “If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” Whitaker said. The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of controllers that airline officials expect will last for years, despite the agency’s lofty hiring goals. 5. Auto club and insurance company AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday. Most of them will travel by car. 6. Drivers should get a slight break on gas prices . The nationwide average price for gasoline was $3.06 a gallon on Sunday, down from $3.27 at this time last year. 7. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 18.3 million people at U.S. airports during the same seven-day stretch. That would be 6% more than during the corresponding days last year but fit a pattern set throughout 2024. 8. The TSA predicts that 3 million people will pass through airport security checkpoints on Sunday; more than that could break the record of 3.01 million set on the Sunday after the July Fourth holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the next busiest air travel days of Thanksgiving week. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving travel across the U.S. Workers who clean airplanes, remove trash and help with wheelchairs at Charlotte’s airport, one of the nation’s busiest, went on strike Monday to demand higher wages. The Service Employees International Union announced the strike in a statement early Monday, saying the workers would demand “an end to poverty wages and respect on the job during the holiday travel season.” The strike was expected to last 24 hours, said union spokesperson Sean Keady. Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services cast ballots Friday to authorize the work stoppage at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines. The two companies contract with American, one of the world’s biggest carriers, to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs. ▶ Read more about the Charlotte airport workers’ strike Parts of the Midwest and East Coast can expect to see heavy rain into Thanksgiving, and there’s potential for snow in Northeastern states. A storm last week brought rain to New York and New Jersey, where wildfires have raged in recent weeks, and heavy snow to northeastern Pennsylvania. The precipitation was expected to help ease drought conditions after an exceptionally dry fall. Heavy snow fell in northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Pocono Mountains. Higher elevations reported up to 17 inches (43 centimeters), with lesser accumulations in valley cities including Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Around 35,000 customers in 10 counties were still without power, down from 80,000 a day ago. In the Catskills region of New York, nearly 10,000 people remained without power Sunday morning, two days after a storm dumped heavy snow on parts of the region. Precipitation in West Virginia helped put a dent in the state’s worst drought in at least two decades and boosted ski resorts as they prepare to open in the weeks ahead. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving week weather forecasts Two people died in the Pacific Northwest after a rapidly intensifying “ bomb cyclone ” hit the West Coast last Tuesday, bringing fierce winds that toppled trees and power lines and damaged homes and cars. Hundreds of thousands lost electricity in Washington state before powerful gusts and record rains moved into Northern California. Forecasters said the risk of flooding and mudslides remained as the region will get more rain starting Sunday. But the latest storm won’t be as intense as last week’s atmospheric river , a long plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows over land. “However, there’s still threats, smaller threats, and not as significant in terms of magnitude, that are still going to exist across the West Coast for the next two or three days,” weather service forecaster Rich Otto said. As the rain moves east throughout the week, Otto said, there’s a potential for heavy snowfall at higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada, as well as portions of Utah and Colorado. California’s Mammoth Mountain, which received 2 feet (0.6 meters) of fresh snow in the recent storm, could get another 4 feet (1.2 meters) before the newest system clears out Wednesday, the resort said. Another round of wintry weather could complicate travel leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, according to forecasts across the U.S., while California and Washington state continue to recover from storm damage and power outages. In California, where two people were found dead in floodwaters on Saturday, authorities braced for more rain while grappling with flooding and small landslides from a previous storm . Here’s a look at some of the regional forecasts: 9. Sierra Nevada: The National Weather Service office issued a winter storm warning through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at higher elevations and wind gusts potentially reaching 55 mph (88 kph). Total snowfall of roughly 4 feet (1.2 meters) was forecast, with the heaviest accumulations expected Monday and Tuesday. 10. Midwest and Great Lakes: The Midwest and Great Lakes regions will see rain and snow Monday and the East Coast will be the most impacted on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, forecasters said. 11. East Coast: A low pressure system is forecast to bring rain to the Southeast early Thursday before heading to the Northeast. Areas from Boston to New York could see rain and breezy conditions, with snowfall possible in parts of northern New Hampshire, northern Maine and the Adirondacks. If the system tracks further inland, there could be less snow and more rain in the mountains, forecasters said. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving week weather forecastsKirrawee florist Cathy Pool closes shop after 35 years for health reasonsAs players around the world embark on their adventure in the enchanting world of "Endless Warmth", they can rest assured that Alibaba Cloud's support will continue to enhance their gaming experience and ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey. With its global reach, technical expertise, and commitment to innovation, Alibaba Cloud remains a key player in the gaming industry, empowering developers to create unforgettable experiences for players worldwide.
Brock Purdy and Nick Bosa are not available for the San Francisco 49ers when they enter Green Bay with designs on finding their finishing kick on Sunday afternoon. Purdy is out with a right shoulder injury and won't leave the sideline at Lambeau Field, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday, when he also declared Bosa out and confirmed journeyman Brandon Allen would make his 10th career start at quarterback. "Outside of here people haven't seen a lot of Brandon. But it's his second year (with the 49ers)," Shanahan said. "Obviously guys want Brock up, but guys are excited to see Brandon play." Shanahan said the 49ers are "a little surprised" Purdy experienced tightness and discomfort in his shoulder after an MRI exam on Monday that showed no long-term cause for concern. "The way it responded this week, it's really up in the air for next week," Shanahan said of Purdy's long-term prognosis. Allen's last NFL start on the road was with the Bengals at the Ravens in 2020. Allen completed 6 of 21 passes for 48 yards with two interceptions. He finished with a passer rating of 0.0 in a 38--3 loss. "It's definitely an opportunity for me to go out and play well and put our guys in a good position to win the game," Allen said Friday. "And obviously we want Brock back and healthy and all that, but for time being, it is an opportunity for me." Purdy took the practice field Thursday with the intent to participate. His shoulder tightened significantly, and the 49ers ushered him off the field to meet with trainers. Purdy beat the Packers in the NFC divisional playoffs at San Francisco in January, but Allen is familiar to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. LaFleur was an assistant coach with the Rams during Allen's two-year run in Los Angeles. Allen broke into the NFL in 2016 with the Jaguars and is 2-7 in nine career starts. He went 1-2 with the Broncos in 2019 and 1-5 in six starts over two years with the Bengals in 2020 and ‘21. A victory against the visiting 49ers on Sunday would bolster the Packers' playoff chances, send a conference rival below .500 and avenge a bitter playoff defeat. Those seemingly rank in no particular order for the Packers (8-3), although they don't shy from living at least partially in the past ahead of a Week 12 showdown. San Francisco eliminated Green Bay 24-21 in the NFC divisional playoffs last season, scoring 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. "That's what you've got to sit with all offseason, is going back, watching the game, trying to see what you could have done better," Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. "What you could have done differently in that game. ... Just knowing that's the team that knocked us out, we're definitely hungry for this game." Ditto for San Francisco. The 49ers fell to 5-5 after last week's 20-17 home loss to Seattle, done in by Geno Smith's 13-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds to play. Still only a game behind NFC West-leading Arizona, the reigning conference champion 49ers are just 1-3 in division play and can ill afford to lose more ground. A visit to AFC East leader Buffalo awaits after the trip to Green Bay. While they're dealing with plenty of not-so-good news on the injury front, the 49ers do anticipate the return of other contributors. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, who missed the past two games following the death of his 1-year-old daughter, practiced Wednesday. Tight end George Kittle also is eager to play after a nagging hamstring injury sidelined him against the Seahawks. "Very excited," Kittle said. "Can't pass up playing the Packers, so no, I will be out there for sure." Allen was a three-year starter at Arkansas but has been a journeyman backup since entering the NFL in 2016 as the 201st overall pick of the Jaguars. Shanahan and LaFleur have been fierce competitors since twice working together, first as low-level assistants with the Texans in 2008, then on the so-called "dream team" staff in Washington that also included Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel and Raheem Morris; and two seasons with the Falcons (2015, 2016) where LaFleur was quarterbacks coach and Shanahan called the plays. Shanahan scored the most recent win over LaFleur in January. Green Bay has won seven of the past eight regular-season meetings between the franchises. But the familiarity and shared-brain approach to offense that has the coaches completed each other's play calls has led to some tight games. The past three at Lambeau Field were all decided by three points. Green Bay, which hosts a home game on Thanksgiving next Thursday, is starting a run of three games in 12 days. They'll play back-to-back Thursday games. Their Week 14 game is at Detroit. That might make it good news for LaFleur that surprising contributors have emerged of late. Packers wideout Christian Watson had a career-best 150 receiving yards on only four catches during last week's 20-19 road win against the Chicago Bears. His diving 60-yard reception in the fourth quarter put the Packers in position for Love's go-ahead, 1-yard scoring run with 2:59 to play. Watson entered the game with eight catches for 83 yards over his previous three contests, but LaFleur assured Watson remains a "big part" of the attack. "He's a guy who's got every measurable known to man in terms of the size, the speed, and it's not like those were easy plays he was making," LaFleur said. "He was making tough, contested catches." San Francisco will aim to generate more pressure against Love than the Bears, who sacked him just once. The 49ers collected four sacks against the Seahawks, with Bosa and Leonard Floyd contributing 1.5 apiece. Recent regular-season history between the Packers and 49ers at Lambeau Field has favored Green Bay. The Packers have won seven of their past eight home games against the 49ers and are 22-11 versus San Francisco at home all-time. Green Bay leads the series 34-28-1. --Field Level Media
By Stan Choe, The Associated Press NEW YORK — U.S. stocks rose Monday, with those benefiting the most from lower interest rates and a stronger economy leading the way. The S&P 500 climbed 0.3% to pull closer to its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 440 points, or 1%, to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Treasury yields also eased in the bond market amid what some analysts called a “Bessent bounce” after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent , a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Bessent has argued for reducing the U.S. government’s deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through taxes and other revenue. Such an approach could soothe worries on Wall Street that Trump’s policies may lead to a much bigger deficit, which in turn would put upward pressure on Treasury yields. After climbing above 4.44% immediately after Trump’s election, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell back to 4.26% Monday, down from 4.41% late Friday. That’s a notable move, and lower yields make it cheaper for all kinds of companies and households to borrow money. They also give a boost to prices for stocks and other investments. That helped stocks of smaller companies lead the way, and the Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped 1.5%. It finished just shy of its all-time high, which was set three years ago. Smaller companies can feel bigger boosts from lower borrowing costs because of the need for many to borrow to grow. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks the market’s expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with overnight interest rates, also eased sharply. The Fed began cutting its main interest rate just a couple months ago from a two-decade high, hoping to keep the job market humming after bringing inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. But immediately after Trump’s victory, traders had reduced bets for how many cuts the Fed may deliver next year. They were worried Trump’s preference for lower tax rates and higher spending on the border would balloon the national debt. A report coming on Wednesday could influence how much the Fed may cut rates. Economists expect it to show that an underlying inflation trend the Fed prefers to use accelerated to 2.8% last month from 2.7% in September. Higher inflation would make the Fed more reluctant to cut rates as deeply or as quickly as it would otherwise. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle expects that to slow by the end of next year to 2.4%, but he said inflation would be even lower if not for expected tariff increases on imports from China and autos favored by Trump. In the stock market, Bath & Body Works jumped 16.5% after delivering stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The seller of personal care products and home fragrances also raised its financial forecasts for the full year, even though it still sees a “volatile retail environment” and a shorter holiday shopping season this year. Much focus has been on how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. Last week, two major retailers sent mixed messages. Target tumbled after giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Another big retailer, Macy’s, said Monday its sales for the latest quarter were in line with its expectations, but it will delay the release of its full financial results. It found a single employee had intentionally hid up to $154 million in delivery expenses, and it needs more time to complete its investigation. Macy’s stock fell 2.2%. Among the market’s leaders were several companies related to the housing industry. Monday’s drop in Treasury yields could translate into easier mortgage rates, which could spur activity for housing. Builders FirstSource, a supplier or building materials, rose 5.9%. Homebuilders, D.R. Horton, PulteGroup and Lennar all rose at least 5.6%. All told, the S&P 500 rose 18.03 points to 5,987.37. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 440.06 to 44,736.57, and the Nasdaq composite gained 51.18 to 19,054.84. In stock markets abroad, indexes moved modestly across much of Europe after finishing mixed in Asia. In the crypto market, bitcoin was trading below $95,000 after threatening to hit $100,000 late last week for the first time. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. More business news Overhauls of ‘heritage brands’ raise the question: How important are our products to our identities? Here’s when Target, Walmart and other retailers will open on Black Friday Shorter holiday shopping season? No problem, Black Friday deals have already begunSalesforce Grants Equity Awards to Tenyx, PredictSpring, and Zoomin Employees Under Its Inducement Equity Incentive Plan
Furthermore, by leveraging Gaode Maps' advanced mapping and navigation capabilities, Lenovo Baiyin technicians can easily reach users' locations in a timely manner, ensuring prompt and efficient service delivery. This level of convenience and precision sets a new standard in the industry and sets the collaboration apart from traditional computer service providers.9. Insensitive Reporting:
In conclusion, the complaints from female gamers about the difficulty of pressing W and the spacebar simultaneously in "Infinite Warmth" highlight the importance of intuitive and ergonomic keyboard controls in gaming. As the gaming industry continues to evolve, it is crucial for developers to listen to player feedback and make adjustments to ensure a seamless and enjoyable gaming experience for all players.Through their heartfelt conversations, Baomo came to realize that his sister's journey was a tapestry of love and loss, of resilience and redemption. Minghui had faced her fair share of struggles, but she had emerged stronger and wiser because of them. Baomo's heart swelled with pride as he witnessed the woman his sister had become - a beacon of light in a world full of darkness.
Not Purdy: 49ers hit Green Bay with backup QB, no BosaOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Gregg Wallace 's main TV rival is said to be taking the lead in the running to replace him on MasterChef , as Wallace faces an external review over historical misconduct allegations and new claims of harassment. The 60-year-old presenter, who has temporarily stepped away from the BBC cooking show , has been accused of touching a woman's bottom at an event and making unwanted contact with another woman while filming a different show. His lawyers have strongly denied the allegations, stating that it is "entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature". However, several MasterChef staff members and former contestants, including celebrities Emma Kennedy and Kirsty Wark, have come forward claiming that Wallace made them feel uncomfortable on set. Furthermore, Wallace's ghostwriter, Shannon Kyle, made additional accusations against him on Newsnight, alleging that he asked a British Sign Language interpreter to sign inappropriate phrases, including "big boobs" and "sexy bum", at the BBC Good Food Show in 2012. "There was a British Sign Language interpreter there and he wandered over to her at one point and just said: 'Do you have to sign everything I say?' And she said yes, and then he just started saying, 'big boobs', 'sexy bum' – this sort of thing, in order to get her to sign it. It was like he could control her, I suppose," an attendee told the Guardian. Now, it seems that fellow TV chef James Martin, 52, is the favourite to take over his role, according to bookies. The beloved Yorkshireman hosts his own ITV series, James Martin's Saturday Morning, and previously presented Saturday Kitchen on BBC. His "impressive" career could see him replace Gregg and co-host MasterChef with John Torode, 59. Bookies BetFred have priced him as the favourite, with odds of 5/2 to replace Gregg, reports the Mirror . However, John's wife Lisa Faulkner is also in the running with odds of 3/1, followed by Nigella Lawson at 4/1 and Gino D'Acampo at 5/1. Betfred spokesperson Kayley Cornelius said: "With Gregg Wallace unlikely to return to MasterChef, the big question is who might step into his shoes." "At the moment, TV chef James Martin is the bookies' favourite to take over as the new face of the iconic series, with odds of 5/2. With experience hosting Saturday Kitchen and regularly appearing on This Morning , a prime-time show could be the perfect next step in James's already impressive career." The news follows the removal of two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials from the BBC's schedule. On Monday, Wallace apologised for suggesting that complaints about his behaviour came from "a handful of middle-class women of a certain age", and announced that he would be taking a break. He is currently facing allegations from 13 individuals across various shows spanning 17 years, as reported by BBC News on Thursday, with many others sharing their experiences since then. According to a statement from Banijay UK, the show's production company, Wallace is "committed to fully cooperating throughout the process" of the BBC's investigation and has stepped away from his role on the show. On Sunday morning, Gregg took to social media to dispute the allegations, claiming they came from "middle-class women of a certain age", prompting Ulrika to comment that his "ignorance and arrogance knows no bounds". He later issued a sincere apology and announced that he would be taking a break from social media. OK! has reached out to a BBC spokesperson for comment.
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As Manchester United looks to build upon its recent successes and compete for top honors both domestically and in Europe, having players like Rashford in the squad will be crucial. His ability to change games, provide moments of brilliance, and lead by example make him an indispensable part of Solskjaer's plans for the team's future.
Keita, who arrived at Liverpool with high expectations in 2018, has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter under manager Jurgen Klopp. Injuries and inconsistent form have hampered his progress, leading to speculation about his future at the club. The loan move to Ferencváros presents a fresh opportunity for Keita to showcase his talents and prove his worth on the pitch.
As the FIFPRO Best 11 for the year is unveiled, football fans around the world will undoubtedly have their own opinions and reactions to the selection. The debate over the inclusion and exclusion of certain players will continue to spark discussions and fuel the excitement and passion for the beautiful game.
It is no secret that Barcelona's financial situation has been a cause for concern in recent years. The club has been struggling to cope with a massive debt and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its revenue streams. As a result, Barcelona had to part ways with several key players, including Messi, in an effort to alleviate their financial woes.Recent studies conducted by leading medical experts have shed light on the alarming impact of repetitive head injuries on professional footballers, linking these incidents to significantly higher rates of brain diseases in retired players. According to research findings reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the risk of developing conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer's, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is 3.5 times higher among former footballers compared to the general population.SpeedSell, with one hand against internal competition and the other hand supporting new businesses, is now the best time to join the cross-border race.
Funding from Teachers’ Venture Growth and Other Investors to Scale Exploration Solutions Powered by Space & AI for Faster Energy Transition Mineral Discovery ADELAIDE, Australia , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Fleet Space Technologies (Fleet Space), Australia’s leading space exploration company, today announced the closing of a A$150M Series D funding round, led by Teachers’ Venture Growth (TVG), the late-stage venture and growth investment arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and joined by existing investors Blackbird Ventures, Hostplus, Horizons Ventures, Artesian Venture Partners, and Alumni Ventures. The new investment will be used to expand the capabilities of Fleet Space’s global end-to-end exploration platform, ExoSphere, to accelerate the discovery of critical minerals needed for Earth’s clean energy future. “The ability to meet the rapidly increasing demand for critical minerals presents a significant challenge to achieving global net-zero targets,” said Rick Prostko , Senior Managing Director, Teachers’ Venture Growth. “Current mineral exploration methods are inadequate for efficient discovery and production. Fleet Space addresses this with advanced 3D subsurface imaging and AI analysis tools, which have the potential to sustainably transform the industry. We are proud to support the multidisciplinary team at Fleet Space in their efforts to accelerate the global energy transition.” “We’re proud to continue our investment in Fleet Space, building on many years of history,” added Niki Scevak, Partner at Blackbird. “Quite simply, the discovery of critical minerals must exponentially increase if we are to electrify our society by 2050 and breakthroughs, like ExoSphere, are needed to make it happen.” Real-Time Exploration Powered by Space & AI Founded by former propulsion engineer at the European Space Agency, Flavia Tata Nardini , and aerospace entrepreneur, Matt Pearson , Fleet Space was created to harness the capabilities of space exploration technologies for a new wave of solutions that can accelerate decarbonisation and the global energy transition. By integrating Fleet Space’s satellites in LEO, smart seismic sensors, and AI into an end-to-end solution, Fleet Space’s ExoSphere technology streamlines the acquisition, processing, and integration of exploration datasets, providing the global mining industry with high-quality targeting insights faster than ever before while minimising environmental impact. “There are two versions of the future. One where we bend the latest advances in space, AI, and big data towards building a clean energy future and another where we risk net-zero targets falling out of reach as the rate of new discoveries of energy transition minerals continues to decline,” added Flavia Tata Nardini , CEO & Co-Founder of Fleet Space. “With ExoSphere, we have combined these technologies into an end-to-end platform that seamlessly integrates with and compliments modern mining operations – making the frontier of exploration technology accessible to the global mining industry within a single workflow. This is a fundamental step to unlock humanity’s potential for making extraordinary discoveries with less environmental impact.” Exponential Growth Today’s announcement caps a period of exponential growth for Fleet Space. In the past year, Fleet Space has: “This funding is not just a testament to Fleet Space’s growth, strong investor confidence, and sustained innovation in core technologies needed to address dual challenges of climate change and mineral exploration. It’s a signal that in a period of turbulent macroeconomic conditions, the shared commitment to build technologies needed for Earth’s clean energy future combined with solid business execution can attract the right partners,” said Federico Tata Nardini , Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Fleet Space. “We are proud to be among the few companies globally to close a Series D round in the context of reduced activity in the venture ecosystem and look forward to furthering our vision, strategic initiatives, and roadmap to scale the business to the next level.” Technology Roadmap for Explorers of New Worlds While advancing the capabilities of data-driven exploration on Earth with ExoSphere, Fleet Space has also laid the technology foundation to rapidly accelerate the exploration of new worlds. The smart seismic sensors used as part of Fleet Space’s terrestrial ExoSphere system represent the technological precursor for its lunar variant – SPIDER – which will be deployed on the Moon in 2026 to enhance humanity’s understanding of the lunar subsurface. Collaborating with MIT Media Lab’s Space Exploration Initiative , Fleet Space is also helping to advance off-world research needed for the planning of future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Additionally, Fleet Space unveiled a cost-effective, resilient full duplex SATCOM system using microsatellites and reprogrammed Centauri-4 to become the world’s smallest voice-enabled satellite . “The convergence of innovation in space, AI, and 3D subsurface imaging represents a foundational pillar of the core technology set that will enable humanity to build permanent research stations on the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” said Matt Pearson , Chief Exploration Officer at Fleet Space. “The flywheel we’ve created by continuously enhancing the subsurface understanding of Earth through the global deployment of ExoSphere simultaneously drives advances in the technology needed to build highly scalable, data-driven exploration systems for new worlds. A bold new chapter in the history of space exploration is about to begin and we are positioned to play a significant role as humanity boldly ventures deeper into our solar system.” About Fleet Space Technologies Fleet Space Technologies , Australia’s leading space exploration company, is revolutionizing critical mineral discovery with its end-to-end mineral exploration solution, ExoSphere, which combines satellite connectivity, 3D multiphysics, and AI to image mineral systems in real-time. Over 40 leading exploration companies like Rio Tinto, Barrick Gold , and Core Lithium have used ExoSphere’s real-time 3D subsurface imaging on projects across five continents. Due to global demand for ExoSphere, Fleet Space’s international footprint has expanded to the US, Canada , Chile , and Luxembourg with over 130+ employees, representing 37 nationalities, worldwide. In 2024, Fleet Space was recognised as the winner of the Innovation category at the Mining Technology Excellence Awards and received the Climate Impact Technology Award by the Banksia Foundation. To learn more about ExoSphere, please reach out to the Fleet Space team here . About Teachers’ Venture Growth Teachers’ Venture Growth (TVG) focuses on late-stage venture and growth equity investments in cutting-edge technology companies worldwide. We partner with founders with bold missions, looking to expand their product offering, scale geographically, and become the leaders in their markets. We bring long-term thinking and active investing to help build better businesses and a better world. We think globally and act locally through our direct presence across Asia , North America and Europe . TVG is part of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers’), a global investor with net assets of CAD 255.8 billion as at June 30, 2024 . We invest in more than 50 countries in a broad array of assets including public and private equities, fixed income, credit, commodities, natural resources, infrastructure, real estate and venture growth to deliver retirement income for 340,000 working members and pensioners. Our more than 450 investment professionals operate in key financial centres around the world and bring deep expertise in a broad range of sectors and industries. We are a fully funded defined benefit pension plan and have earned an annual total-fund net return of 9.3% since the plan’s founding in 1990. At Ontario Teachers’, we don’t just invest to make a return, we invest to shape a better future for the teachers we serve, the businesses we back, and the world we live in. For more information, visit otpp.com/teachersventuregrowth and follow us on LinkedIn . Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2578404/Fleet_Space_logo.jpg Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2578405/Fleet_Space_Series_D_Funding.jpg Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2578406/Fleet_Space_Co_Founders.jpg View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/fleet-space-closes-a150m-series-d-with-a800m-valuation-302328977.html SOURCE Fleet SpaceOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Love Island's Molly Mae Hague has been tuning in to watch her pal Maura Higgins on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! - and let her feelings be known with just a four-word sentence. The social media star took to Instagram on Thursday, sharing that she was eagerly watching Maura enter the jungle. Yet despite the show having started on Sunday, Molly Mae wrote: "The series has begun," alongside a photo of Maura on her TV. The pair rose to fame on Love Island's 2019 series together, where they initially competed for the affections of boxer Tommy Fury . While Maura came in fourth place with Curtis Pritchard , Molly Mae came second with Tommy - and the popular couple went on to welcome baby Bambi into the world last year. After five years together, the pair ended their relationship in August. Molly released a statement via Instagram saying their relationship was over and has since told fans she won't be discussing the split. Tommy was originally rumoured to be taking part in this year's series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me out of Here! - however, he reportedly pulled out to accept a lucrative boxing offer. An insider expressed their surprise at his last-minute withdrawal and told The Sun: "Bosses are surprised Tommy has pulled out of I'm A Celebrity at this late stage as it would have been a great opportunity for him." Ever hopeful, they added: "Thankfully, execs already had some great names waiting in the wings so they'll be looking at which ones fit best into the line-up already booked so they can deliver a truly great series." Maura made her I'm A Celebrity debut on Thursday night's show, entering the Jungle Junkyard with Strictly star Reverend Richard Coles. She's set for an awkward reunion in camp however when she sees Barry McGuigan - with the Love Island star having dated his son Shane McGuigan in the past. Before her ITV fame, Maura dated Shane for a year after meeting while she worked as a ring girl and he was commentating on a match. Following in his dad's footsteps, 36 year old Shane is now a boxing coach and owns a gym in South West London where he trains rising stars like Chantelle Cameron, George Groves, Carl Frampton and Lee McGregor. According to an insider speaking to The Sun: "Maura has brains and beauty, and she quickly caught Shane's eye." "They went on a few dates and had fun, but Maura lives in Ireland, Shane is running his successful boxing gym in London, and then she was travelling for work so it wasn't easy to pull off," reports the Express . The source revealed: "There were no hard feelings when it ended. It turned out to be short lived and the spark fizzled out."