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axiebet88 slot game FCCPC said it is still looking into allegations of exorbitant ticket prices made by Air Peace and other businesses The investigation began on December 3 under the direction of Ondaje Ijagwu, the commission's Director of Corporate Affairs The development occurs after media reports earlier referenced the commission's declaration that Air Peace was not being investigated by FG Don't miss out! Join Legit.ng's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now! Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market . The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has stated that it is continuing to investigate claims of unfair ticket prices by Air Peace and other companies. According to a statemnet by Ondaje Ijagwu, the commission's Director of Corporate Affairs in Abuja, the investigation started on December 3. Ijagwu said this in response to media reports citing the commission's statement that the federal government was not investigating Air Peace, The Guardian reported . Read also N-Power: Fire destroys NSIPA's warehouse as reps order Tinubu to unfreeze accounts PAY ATTENTION : Standing out in social media world? Easy! "Mastering Storytelling for Social Media" workshop by Legit.ng. Join Us Live! He clarified that one of the organizations being contacted to address claims of unfair ticket pricing, such as large price increases for reservations made in advance on particular domestic routes, is Air Peace. Ijagwu claimed that these investigations, which are being carried out in accordance with the FCCPAct (FCCPA) 2018, are aimed at addressing poor service performance, unfair business practices, and possible violations of consumer rights. According to Ijagwu, the investigation's goals were to safeguard consumer interests, increase openness, and guarantee adherence to legal requirements. “The referenced story, which seems syndicated and sponsored, did not emanate from the FCCPC. We advise the public to disregard it in its entirety. “The FCCPC stands firmly by its official release dated Dec. 1, which announced inquiries into widespread consumer complaints in the banking, telecommunications, and aviation sectors. “The FCCPC reaffirms that the inquiry into Air Peace commenced as scheduled on Dec. 3, and remains ongoing,” he said. Read also NNPC invites stakeholders to tour Port Harcourt refinery, speaks on operation According to him, the committee is now going over the information and responses that Air Peace and other organizations that are being investigated have submitted. The director promised to make the right decisions and take the required steps to resolve any infractions found. ”We urge the public to rely solely on verified communications from the FCCPC,” he said. Air Peace reportedly increases Lagos-Abuja one-way ticket Legit.ng reported that a one-way ticket on Air Peace from Lagos to Abuja would cost N200,000 s tarting on November 1, 2024. According to experts, the airline business is being severely impacted by the difficult economic climate, leading to fare increases by carriers in the face of passenger protests. Some Nigerians have been compelled by the development to select alternate modes of transportation, favoring vehicle travel. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ngAMERICAN FORK, Utah (AP) — AMERICAN FORK, Utah (AP) — Domo, Inc. (DOMO) on Thursday reported a loss of $18.8 million in its fiscal third quarter. The American Fork, Utah-based company said it had a loss of 48 cents per share. Losses, adjusted for stock option expense and to extinguish debt, came to 8 cents per share. The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for a loss of 15 cents per share. The company posted revenue of $79.8 million in the period. For the current quarter ending in January, Domo expects its results to range from a loss of 17 cents per share to a loss of 13 cents per share. The company said it expects revenue in the range of $77.5 million to $78.5 million for the fiscal fourth quarter. Domo expects full-year results to range from a loss of 64 cents per share to a loss of 60 cents per share, with revenue ranging from $315.5 million to $316.5 million. This story was generated by Automated Insights ( http://automatedinsights.com/ap ) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on DOMO at https://www.zacks.com/ap/DOMO

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Providing round-the-clock energy, using minimal space and considered a clean source of power — geothermal energy seems like an ideal option for countries like Indonesia and the Philippines, where the potential is high, and governments are seeking to transition away from highly polluting fossil fuels. Yet most of the potential of geothermal energy, created by harnessing heat produced by the earth from underground reservoirs of hot water to power turbines that generate electricity, remains untapped in these countries and across the world — as financial, regulatory and community roadblocks have stalled growth. More readily available financing and domestic regulatory changes are starting to address these barriers, but experts say more should be done to unlock the vast clean energy source trapped just beneath the Earth’s surface. Countries with high geothermal potential — such as the United States, Indonesia and the Philippines — are usually located close to tectonically active regions where hot water or steam is naturally carried to the Earth’s surface through volcanic activity, or can be accessed by shallow drilling. “We’re essentially standing on our own sun, which we can get clean, reliable energy from,” said Marit Brommer, CEO of the International Geothermal Association based in Germany. Experts also laud geothermal plants for their ability to operate continuously to meet the minimum level of power demanded around-the-clock, unaffected by weather, with long lifespans and minimal maintenance. As countries shift towards renewable and cleaner energy, geothermal use is expected to grow: In Southeast Asia, geothermal power generation is expected to increase tenfold from 2020 to 2050, reaching 276 million megawatt-hours, according to the International Energy Agency. With their steaming volcanoes and bubbling lakes, Indonesia and the Philippines — two archipelagic Southeast Asian countries located on the seismically active “Ring of Fire” — are the second and third-largest users of geothermal energy in the world, with some of the highest geothermal energy potential. The U.S. is number one. Yet Indonesia uses less a tenth of its gargantuan reserves, making up 6% of its power supply. In the Philippines, about 8% of geothermal capacity has been developed, constituting 14.6% of the country's energy use, the country's largest source of renewable energy. Both countries plan to expand use of geothermal energy as they transition away from fossil fuels: Indonesia aims to increase the share of geothermal power generation by at least 8% by 2030, making it the second-largest renewable energy source after hydropower. The Philippine government is targeting several projects to boost geothermal capacity by adding nearly 1.5 gigawatts, nearly doubling its current use. But the exploratory stage of geothermal development — when companies do tests and drilling to confirm the size, temperature, pressure, and potential production rates of sites — is expensive and risky. That makes it hard to attract finance for development, said Shigeru Yamamura, an energy specialist at the Asia Development Bank. “That’s the most difficult part of developers, because (financially) they cannot take 100% of the exploration risk themselves,” Yamamura told The Associated Press. Climate finance for geothermal development is limited for most Southeast Asian nations, accounting for only 9% of finance available for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — a political and economic bloc of ten states in the region, which includes Indonesia and the Philippines. A 2024 ASEAN energy report said “blended finance” using both public and private sources, grants and green bonds could help bridge the gap. The Philippine government has announced green energy auction schemes for geothermal energy and is preparing a “smart green grid plan” that prioritizes renewable energy — vital to enable private developers to get financing from banks. This signals progress in policy support for investment, Yamamura said. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has focused on geothermal as part of the country's energy transition. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources says it's working to shorten permitting times and considering ways to increase rates of return on investments in geothermal projects. The state electric utility, Perusahaan Listrik Negara, also said it's committed to ramping up geothermal energy development. The World Bank is providing a $150 million loan to scale up Indonesian investments in geothermal energy by reducing the risks of early-stage exploration. The Green Climate Fund and the Clean Technology Fund are providing a $127.5 million. Even when finance is secured, community pushback can slow development. In Indonesia, residents of villages have protested projects, citing safety and environmental concerns: Several geothermal sites in Indonesia have had deadly gas leaks in the past five years. Some Indonesian communities don't understand what geothermal energy is and how they could benefit from its development, said Timothy Ravis, a doctoral student in global development at Cornell University. Protests at geothermal sites in the Philippines have led at least one company to pay royalties to Indigenous groups worried about land degradation caused by geothermal development. Governments and businesses should work to gain the consent of communities near projects to help ensure they succeed, said Brommer. “We need to show that this development benefits all people, not just a company,” she said. “It's not about being a good neighbor, it's about being the best neighbor and really working with communities to respect their concerns."US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8% to set its own record. Treasury yields eased after the jobs report showed stronger hiring than expected but also an uptick in the unemployment rate. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass NEW YORK (AP) — In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million to surround CEO Mark Zuckerberg with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. And experts say the task of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them is getting more difficult. One of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to decide what represents a real threat. Police believe the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO quickly left NYC on a bus after shooting NEW YORK (AP) — Police officials say the gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene on a bicycle and hopping in a cab. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny says video of the gunman fleeing Wednesday’s shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson showed him riding through Central Park and later taking a taxi to a bus terminal, directly across from New Jersey. Police have video of the man entering the bus station but no video of him exiting. Investigators on Friday found a backpack in Central Park that was carried by the shooter, police said. USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus The U.S. government has ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows. The Agriculture Department on Friday said raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16. Testing will begin in six states — California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania. The move is aimed at eliminating the virus, which has infected more than 700 dairy herds in 15 states. Words on ammo in CEO shooting echo common phrase on insurer tactics: Delay, deny, defend A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were written on the ammunition used to kill UnitedHealthcare's CEO. That's according to two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday. The words are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend.” That's how attorneys describe insurers denying services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book critical of the industry. Police haven’t officially commented on the words. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care. Michigan Democrats move to protect reproductive health data before GOP takes control of House LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Democrats in Michigan are pressing to pass reproductive health care legislation before the party loses its majority with the new legislative session next year. A bill to protect digital reproductive health data including data logged on menstrual cycle tracking apps is a Democratic priority as lawmakers meet this month. Democratic women and supporters of the legislation say they are acting with new urgency before President-elect Donald Trump takes office because they don't believe his campaign promise to leave abortion to the states. The rush is also a reaction to Republicans taking control of the state House in January. Democrats kept control of the state Senate in the November election. Japan's Nippon Steel sets sights on a growing overseas market in its bid to acquire US Steel KASHIMA, Japan (AP) — The signs at Nippon Steel read: “The world through steel,” underlining why Japan’s top steelmaker is pursuing its $15 billion bid to acquire U.S. Steel. Japan's domestic market isn't growing, so Nippon Steel has its eyes on India, Southeast Asia and the United States, where populations are still growing. Nippon Steel gave reporters a tour of one of its plants in Japan on Friday. The bid for U.S. Steet is opposed by President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and American steelworkers. If the deal goes through, U.S. Steel will keep its name and its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but become subsidiary of Nippon Steel. China's ban on key high-tech materials could have broad impact on industries, economy BANGKOK (AP) — China has banned exports of key materials used for a wide range of products, including smartphones, electric vehicles, radar systems and CT scanners, swiping back at Washington after it expanded export controls to include dozens of Chinese companies that make equipment used to produce computer chips. Both sides say the controls are justified by national security concerns. Analysts say they could have a much wider impact on manufacturing in many industries and supply chains, depending on the ability of each side to compensate for loss of access to strategically important materials, equipment and components. Here's why this could be a tipping point in trade conflict between the two biggest economies.

TIOHTIÀ:KE ( MONTREAL ), QC , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Calling all youth in Canada , Mexico and the United States ! Are you ready to act now to support North American communities and preserve our shared waters, lands and air? The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is pleased to announce the launch of the second edition of its Generation of Environmental Leaders Program (GELP). This exciting program supports young leaders in accessing seed funding and developing the necessary skills to make a real and meaningful impact in their communities and beyond. The selected youth will benefit from a year-long mentorship program, networking opportunities across North America , receive C$15,000 in seed funding and the chance to present their solutions to North America's top environmental officials as part of the CEC's annual Council Session in the summer of 2025. It's time to act now. The GELP invites young people from North America to support communities and preserve our shared waters, lands and air. The program is aimed at youth who are 18–35 years old and are part of a team such as, but not exclusively, youth-led organizations, youth-led associations, nongovernmental organizations, not-for-profit youth-led businesses, and teams of youth innovators and entrepreneurs interested in building their businesses. Here's what the current GELP cohort is saying. "The mentorship provided by the GELP has greatly helped me grow as a person and has made me feel more comfortable stepping out of my comfort zone, especially in areas like preparing for presentations and managing stress. Today, I feel much more at ease speaking in front of an audience!"—Alexandre Savard, Encore! Biomatériaux, Canada . "The seed funding provided through the GELP was a wonderful opportunity to kickstart some of our project's most important activities. Thanks to this support, we were able to initiate the implementation of an Environmental Management Unit, a step that will foster restoration and conservation of the area." —Ana Cristina Posadas García, Strategy for the Restoration and Conservation of the Ciénega of Tamasopo Wetland, RAMSAR Site, Mexico . "As members of the inaugural GELP cohort, we have had the privilege of connecting with individuals and organizations driven to be a power for good in the environmental and climate space. These experiences have been the catalyst for additional award nominations and the formation of collaborative partnerships that we believe will further grow our work at the intersection of justice and an equitable energy transition."—McKenna Dunbar and Jake Barnet , Electrivive: An Equitable Building Electrification Workforce Redevelopment Tool, United States . We're giving youth the resources to succeed and lead. In addition to building capacity for youth, this program accelerates youth leadership by expanding youth environmental networks and providing seed funding for creative solutions to flourish, particularly at the local level. During the year-long mentorship program, youth leaders receive advice from experts to help advance their solutions and guidance on various elements of their projects, including how to pitch their solutions and other project development and management topics such as risk management, budgeting, outreach and fundraising. The program supports impactful and enduring community-driven activities and establishes a robust youth network across North America . The GELP also provides extended networking opportunities for participants. The selected solutions are presented to the public and selected teams can engage with the CEC's Joint Public Advisory Committee and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Expert Group , and Government officials and experts, during the CEC Council Session , an ideal platform to showcase the impactful ideas at the ministerial level. Requirements for participation. Applicants must demonstrate that their solutions can address or respond to critical issues related to supporting our communities and preserving our shared waters, lands and air across North America . Submissions should be practical, effective, achievable and propose sustainable solutions to an identifiable environmental problem. They should also be context-specific and consider the unique characteristics of the community or region targeted by the project. The eligibility and evaluation criteria prioritize solutions that have established a clear objective and will have a significant impact on local communities and their environment: Impact and community engagement (40%) Feasibility (25%) Alignment with CEC's strategic pillars and the program theme (15%) Identification of problem/issue (10%) Innovation (10%) Priority is given to proposals submitted by diverse youth who identified or developed their solutions jointly with communities, including community members who traditionally do not have access to decision-making spaces. Submission deadline : Completed submissions must be uploaded to the submission platform by 23:59 local time on 12 January 2025 . Click here to learn more about the program, the submission guidelines and criteria, and to apply. For more information about the Generation of Environmental Leaders Program and the submission process, please join us for a virtual information session on 17 December 2024 from 13:00–14:00 Eastern Time (12:00–13:00 Central Time) and (10:00–11:00 Pacific Time), available with simultaneous interpretation in English, French and Spanish. If you would like to know more about CEC initiatives, opportunities and efforts, you can sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media . Media Contact Patrick Tonissen Head of Communications +1 (438) 885-8463 SOURCE Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)By Nora Eckert and David Shepardson DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors needed to exit its Cruise robotaxi business, most Wall Street analysts agreed on Wednesday, but the automaker's decision to do so was still a disappointing end for an operation that GM had touted as a potential $50 billion revenue generator by 2030. The largest U.S. automaker on Tuesday pulled the plug on Cruise after evaluating the continued investments needed in a competitive space, executives said, adding they intend to fold some of Cruise's talent into GM to continue development of driver assistance systems. "We consider the news a step in the right direction for GM, as we think investors were losing patience with its hefty spending (~$10B) related to robotaxi development with very little to show for its investment," Garrett Nelson, analyst at CFRA Research wrote. GM shares jumped 3% after-hours on Tuesday immediately after the announcement, but gave back those gains during Wednesday's regular session and were down about 1% in late afternoon. Nelson said the announcement was "a black eye for the credibility of GM management that, as recently as last year, told investors the Cruise business could generate $50 billion in annual revenue by 2030." For the year to date, GM has far outpaced its competitors. Its stock is up 45% for 2024, while Ford's is down 14% and Stellantis is down 37%. GM CEO Mary Barra was already scheduled to speak with reporters Wednesday evening. She will likely face questions on cost-cutting moves the automaker is taking as it navigates turbulence in EV demand, changing technology and a new presidential administration. “This is the latest in the series of decisions that GM has announced which underscore our focus on having the right technology for the future of our company and the industry and reflects our commitment to execute with speed and efficiency," Barra told analysts Tuesday. GM recently scaled back plans for electric vehicles, sold a stake in one of its joint venture battery plants and recorded a $5 billion loss on its China business as it restructures. GM is now doubling down on its core business: making gasoline-powered pickup trucks and other large vehicles. Cruise's competitors - including Alphabet's Waymo, Baidu and Tesla - are well funded, and may have better technology, analysts said. Waymo, which is expanding its autonomous ride-hailing services, is still losing billions of dollars per year. Barclays noted Alphabet, which has over $100 billion in earnings annually, can absorb costs associated with Waymo's development. GM, however, is expected to record earnings of $14 billion to $15 billion for 2024. "It’s clear from Waymo that an AV robotaxi business is best owned by an entity with deep pockets," Barclays said. (Reporting by Nora Eckert and David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)

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Sports on TV Monday, Dec. 16Wall Street ended the week on a high note, as all major U.S. indexes showed positive weekly gains. Investors reacted positively to robust economic data highlighting strong business activity in the United States. The small-cap Russell 2000 index outperformed larger indexes, buoyed by optimism over potential interest rate cuts and business-friendly policies expected from President-elect Donald Trump's administration. However, technology giants Alphabet and Nvidia experienced dips amid regulatory challenges and market forecasts. As the market shifted towards value stocks, industrial stocks led gains on the S&P 500, while consumer discretionary lagged. The Federal Reserve's upcoming policy decision further shaped investor sentiment, with geopolitical tensions also playing a role in market fluctuations. (With inputs from agencies.)

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Pyxus Releases Fiscal Year 2024 Sustainability Report

Cementing its position as an industry leader in sustainability and innovation TABUK, Saudi Arabia , Dec. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Abdullah Abdin Ready-Mix Concrete is proud to announce its achievement of the Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC) certification, a milestone that establishes it as a leader in sustainable construction in the MENA region. This recognition makes Abdullah Abdin Ready-Mix Concrete the first ready-mix concrete company in the MENA region—and the first outside Europe , South America , and Turkey—to receive this esteemed certification. The CSC certification highlights Abdullah Abdin's dedication to implementing advanced sustainability practices and setting a higher standard for environmental and social responsibility, reflecting its commitment to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and reinforcing its position as a forward-thinking leader in the construction sector. Launched in 2017 as a global initiative to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the concrete sector, the Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC) is the only globally applicable certification system for ready-mixed and precast concrete. With 1,288 active certified plants in 25 countries, CSC certification is recognized by leading green building labels such as LEED and BREEAM. To celebrate the achievement, an award ceremony took place today at the company's premises in Sharma, NEOM, where notable attendees from the industry and the company's partners gathered to mark this significant accomplishment, which is expected to inspire similar efforts across the region. "This milestone demonstrates our commitment to advancing Saudi Arabia's leadership in sustainable development," said Tariq Abdullah Abdin , CEO of Abdullah Abdin Ready-Mix Concrete. "As the first company in the region to achieve this certification, we aim to set the standard for environmentally responsible construction while contributing to the Kingdom's ambitious Vision 2030 goals and fulfilling the aspirations of our partners, particularly in Giga projects with NEOM leading the way." Cynthia Imesch , Coordinator and Sustainability Manager at the Concrete Sustainability Council, remarked: " Abdullah Abdin's achievement represents a significant step forward for the region's construction industry. By integrating sustainability into their operations, they exemplify the transformative role businesses can play in achieving global climate objectives. Their leadership paves the way for broader industry adoption of these critical standards." Rabih Fakih , Managing Director at Grey Matters, the regional system operator for CSC, added: "We are proud to support Abdullah Abdin in achieving this certification as it reflects the growing momentum for sustainable construction in the Middle East . This milestone not only highlights their leadership but also serves as an inspiration for other companies to adopt practices that align with the environmental aspirations of Vision 2030 and NEOM." In addition to achieving CSC certification, Abdullah Abdin recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with MENA region Cryo and CarbonCure Technologies. This collaboration focuses on deploying carbon capture and utilization technologies across its facilities, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the sustainability of concrete production. By leveraging innovative solutions such as injecting captured CO2 into concrete mixes, the partnership aligns with Abdullah Abdin's broader mission to lead in eco-friendly construction practices and actively contribute to the Kingdom's decarbonization goals. For more information about Abdullah Abdin and its sustainability initiatives, please visit https://aabdin-sa.com/ . About Abdullah Abdin Ready Mix Concrete Founded in 1981 in the Tabuk region, Abdullah Abdin Ready-Mix Concrete has become a trusted name in construction materials, known for its quality, innovation, and sustainability. The company's contributions to major projects across Saudi Arabia underscore its reputation as a leader in building the Kingdom's future. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2581568/Abdullah_Abdin%C2%A0Ready_Mix_Concrete.jpgBrazil shares higher at close of trade; Bovespa up 1.40%Pyxus Releases Fiscal Year 2024 Sustainability Report

Of all the public policy issues legislators wrestle with, the issue of chronic homelessness is easily among the most frustrating. It’s frustrating to think of all the billions of tax dollars that have been spent on a myriad of programs intended to reduce homelessness in our state, without an appropriate return on that huge investment. The issue is even more challenging now than it was just a few years ago because of the Legislature’s failed drug-decriminalization experiment. That made the homelessness crisis immeasurably worse, especially in Washington’s urban communities. But instead of going on about the many flaws in state government’s approach to addressing chronic homelessness, I would rather put a spotlight on a local approach that gives me hope, during this season of hope. It’s called the Good Neighbor Village (GNV), and will be constructed in the Spanaway Lake area of Pierce County. The groundbreaking ceremony took place Nov. 21. The GNV is the product of a unique public-private partnership between Pierce County and the Tacoma Rescue Mission. It is modeled on the Community First! Village in Austin, Texas. Two of my former Senate Republican colleagues took the lead on this for Pierce County: county executive Bruce Dammeier and Steve O’Ban. But even more exciting to me, Democrats and Republicans on the county council joined together to support this solution. The vision of these villages is to empower people to be good neighbors, in a literal sense, with those who are chronically homeless — people who have lived more than a year, sometimes decades, on the streets. These people were often driven to the streets by addictions, mental illness, other disabilities, or a combination of those conditions. Pierce County has approximately 900 chronically homeless residents, nearly 125 of whom are military veterans. Having no suitable housing options, they are the people we see living in the rights-of-way, parks, and doorways — the “visible homeless,” as former Sen. O’Ban puts it. Many of the chronically homeless have lost the basic skills necessary to work and even socially interact with others. The model for the GNV seeks to restore those skills by creating a community in which formerly homeless people and their new neighbors all live in tiny homes. In a sense, the village will act as the social safety net which so many chronically homeless people have lost, because bridges to family members and friends have been burned. The feeling of community offered by the GNV approach is what seems to separate it most from the “housing first” strategy advocated elsewhere in our state. An example of the latter is the Partnership for Zero project in King County that collapsed in September 2023, less than 18 months after it launched. The flaws of the housing-first approach are exposed in a raw, unflinching way in a recently released documentary, “Behind Closed Doors.” It was produced by the partnership of ChangeWashington and filmmaker V Ginny Burton, and is easily found through an internet search for the title and filmmaker’s name. The interviews featured throughout the film reveal how most residents of several Seattle housing projects continue to use illegal drugs, violence is an everyday occurrence, and staff has no ability to help those who seek addiction or mental health treatment. The film also explores how housing-first policies are a huge drain on government resources, including law enforcement. Amazingly, the state’s Homeless Housing Strategic Plan for 2024-2029, which was quietly released by the Department of Commerce on Sept. 1, clings to the idea that the cost of housing and lack of housing in our state are the key drivers of homelessness. The plan criticizes the “criminalization” of homelessness — meaning the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson that allows communities to enforce rules against camping and sleeping in public. However, the plan goes out of its way to downplay any connection between substance use and homelessness, or mental health and homelessness. Income inequity, systemic racism and natural hazards made the list of “structural pressures” that influence the risk of homelessness, but not substance use or mental illness. If simply sheltering someone was the answer, you have to ask why King County was so quick to pull the plug on the Partnership for Zero, especially after the King County executive repeatedly promised it would help formerly homeless people get their lives back. The GNV plan in Pierce County is for 285 microhomes, common buildings and a farm. Behavioral-health treatment, and drug and alcohol treatment will be provided. Vocational and recreational activities will be offered. But most of all, the village approach offers something less tangible, which the housing-first approach clearly seems to lack: the opportunity, as one of my former Senate colleagues puts it, to live in a community that offers dignity, accountability, and hope — and feel like a human being again. If all of this sounds too good to be true, know that getting it off the ground was a challenge. In Austin, three sites were opposed by surrounding communities because of fear that bad experiences might follow. But finally, a location was found. Pierce County and the Tacoma Rescue Mission initially identified four potential sites for the Good Neighbor Village. The one they chose is in the middle of an area with a significant chronic homelessness problem. Nearly 70% of the 191 encampments Pierce County cleaned up between 2019 and this past year — at a cost of $1.07 million — were in the Spanaway area or neighboring Parkland. Fear of the unknown caused some around the future Pierce County village to protest as well. Their objection was not to the concept, but to the location — and their apprehension is totally understandable. However, just as the Community First! Village in Austin won its neighbors over, I’m willing to bet Pierce County’s commitment to excellence will ensure the Good Neighbor Village is a good neighbor to other residents of the Spanaway-Parkland area. In fact, former Senator O’Ban says the county and Tacoma Rescue Mission agreed the first 50 microhomes would be set aside for homeless people from the immediate area. There is no question the issue of chronic homelessness, as frustrating as it is, will again be high on the legislative agenda in 2025. Considering what we know about the Good Neighbor Village effort in Pierce County, versus the failures of the housing-first approach, this would be a good time to revisit the state’s approach to addressing chronic homelessness. Instead of focusing on how much money there is to spend, let’s talk about how the money is spent. I am reluctant to pour even more money into programs and services that pretend addictions and mental illness are not major drivers of chronic homelessness. I would rather look at investing in a housing model that is honest about the causes of chronic homelessness and responds to them in a way that offers real hope to our homeless neighbors. That’s how we can make our state better. ••• Sen. John Braun of Centralia serves the 20th Legislative District, which spans parts of four counties from Yelm to Vancouver. He became Senate Republican leader in 2020.

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(The Center Square) – National Governors Association (NGA) Chair and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colorado, joined Governors Joe Lombardo, R-Nev., Spencer Cox, R-Utah, and Mark Gordon, R-Wyo., alongside education experts to support an NGA initiative this week, according to a press release from the organization. The initiative is called Let’s Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success . It aims to improve public education in the following areas, according to the initiative’s website: early literacy, numeracy, and high-quality curriculum; after-school, summer, and expanded learning; work-based learning and apprenticeships; dual and concurrent enrollment; skills-based learning and non-degree credentials; technology and artificial intelligence in the classroom; educator development and support; and data systems and roles of state agencies. “Launched in July 2024, Let’s Get Ready is a yearlong initiative designed to support the nation’s Governors drive innovative education policies,” the release said. “Let’s Get Ready aims to help Governors form policies that better evaluate outcomes for state investments in education and improve outcomes for learners at all stages of their education journey. The initiative also focuses on the ways states can meet the future needs of the workforce by preparing students for success in and outside of the classroom. Last month, Governor Polis held the first Let’s Get Ready convening in Denver.” On Wednesday, Polis and Lombardo plan to tour Southeast Career Technical Academy where they will “highlight the innovative work the school is leading to empower students with the tools needed to succeed with professional career paths,” the release said. Southeast Career Technical Academy is the first career and technical education high school in Las Vegas. “I started the Let’s Get Ready initiative because I’m committed to advancing the American principle that all students should have access to education that prepares them for success in life,” Polis said in the release. “We know that education is the key to prosperity and success for individuals, our communities, and our economy. That’s why we’re encouraged that Governors from both sides of the aisles are working with our country’s top education experts to find innovative solutions to improve education policies and outcomes. We can ensure all learners have access to quality education by implementing policies that look to the current and future needs of students and our workforce.” Lombardo said the academy meshes well with his educational goals as governor. “Better preparing students for college and career paths is one of my top priorities,” Lombardo said in the release. “Nevada is taking action on a variety of fronts – expanding early childhood education, hiring more teachers, increasing per-pupil funding, supporting innovative charter schools, and increasing accountability to ensure schools deliver results for students. Establishing better education to workforce pathways takes coordination with teachers, students, and business leaders. I appreciate the opportunity to host Governors and education leaders in Nevada to spur a national conversation on education.” The Las Vegas-based event will feature panel discussions with education experts on both sides of the political aisle. Some education experts participating include : David Coleman, CEO of College Board; Dr. Shanika Hope, Education for Social Impact Director at Google; Dr. Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy; and Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, the release said. Additional information about the Let’s Get Ready initiative and upcoming bipartisan events are available on the NGA website .As part of a national “moonshot” to cure blindness, researchers at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus will receive as much as $46 million in federal funding over the next five years to pursue a first-of-its-kind full eye transplantation. “This is no easy undertaking, but I believe we can achieve this together,” said Dr. Kia Washington, the lead researcher for the University of Colorado-led team, during a press conference Monday. “And in fact I’ve never been more hopeful that a cure for blindness is within reach.” The CU team was one of four in the United States that received funding awards from the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health , or ARPA-H. The CU-based group will focus on achieving the first-ever vision-restoring eye transplant by using “novel stem cell and bioelectronic technologies,” according to a news release announcing the funding. The work will be interdisciplinary, Washington and others said, and will link together researchers at institutions across the country. The four teams that received the funding will work alongside each other on distinct approaches, though officials said the teams would likely collaborate and eventually may merge depending on which research avenues show the most promise toward achieving the ultimate goal of transplanting an eye and curing blindness. Dr. Calvin Roberts, who will oversee the broader project for ARPA-H, said the agency wanted to take multiple “shots on goal” to ensure progress. “In the broader picture, achieving this would be probably the most monumental task in medicine within the last several decades,” said Dr. Daniel Pelaez of the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, which also received ARPA-H funding. Pelaez is the lead investigator for that team, which has pursued new procedures to successfully remove and preserve eyes from donors, amid other research. He told The Denver Post that only four organ systems have not been successfully transplanted: the inner ear, the brain, the spinal cord and the eye. All four are part of the central nervous system, which does not repair itself when damaged. If researchers can successfully transplant the human eye and restore vision to the patient, it might help unlock deeper discoveries about repairing damage to the brain and spine, Pelaez said, as well as addressing hearing loss. To succeed, researchers must successfully remove and preserve eyes from donors and then successfully connect and repair the optical nerve, which takes information from the eye and tells the brain what the eye sees. A team at New York University performed a full eye transplant on a human patient in November 2023, though the procedure — while a “remarkable achievement,” Pelaez said — did not restore the patient’s vision. It was also part of a partial face transplant; other approaches pursued via the ARPA-H funding will involve eye-specific transplants. Washington, the lead CU researcher, said she and her colleagues have already completed the eye transplant procedure — albeit without vision restoration — in rats. The CU team will next work on large animals to advance “optic nerve regenerative strategies,” the school said, as well as to study immunosuppression, which is critical to ensuring that patients’ immune systems don’t reject a donated organ. The goal is to eventually advance to human trials. Pelaez and his colleagues have completed their eye-removal procedure in cadavers, he said, and they’ve also studied regeneration in several animals that are capable of regenerating parts of their eyes, like salamanders or zebra fish. His team’s funding will focus in part on a life-support machine for the eye to keep it healthy and viable during the removal process. InGel Therapeutics, a Massachusetts-based Harvard spinoff and the lead of a third team, will pursue research on 3-D printed technology and “micro-tunneled scaffolds” that carry certain types of stem cells as part of a focus on optical nerve regeneration and repair, ARPA-H said. ARPH-A, created two years ago, will oversee the teams’ work. Researchers at 52 institutions nationwide will also contribute to the teams. The CU-led group will include researchers from the University of Southern California, the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University and Johns Hopkins University, as well as from the National Eye Institute . The teams will simultaneously compete and collaborate: Pelaez said his team has communicated with researchers at CU and at Stanford, another award recipient, about their eye-removal research. The total funding available for the teams is $125 million, ARPA-H officials said Monday, and it will be distributed in phases, in part dependent on teams’ success. U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Democrat who represents Denver in Congress, acknowledged the recent election results at the press conference Monday and pledged to continue fighting to preserve ARPA-H’s funding under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. The effort to cure blindness, Washington joked, was “biblical” in its enormity — a reference to the Bible story in which Jesus cures a blind man. She and others also likened it to a moonshot, meaning the effort to successfully put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon nearly 50 years ago. If curing blindness is similar to landing on the moon, then the space shuttle has already left the launchpad, Washington said. “We have launched,” she said, “and we are on our trajectory.”

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NoneComing off what was likely a week's worth of intense practices, No. 10 Kansas returns home for a matchup with North Carolina State on Saturday afternoon in Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawks (7-2) lost back-to-back games versus unranked opponents, the first time in school history that they have done that while ranked No. 1. Now they have to regroup to face the Wolfpack (7-3). Kansas lost its first two games of the season emphatically: 76-63 at Creighton on Dec. 4 and 76-67 at Missouri last Sunday. Coach Bill Self, who has only lost three straight games four times in his 21-year career at Kansas, was pretty succinct about his team's play following the loss to Missouri. "I think it was probably a combination of them being good and us not being good," he said. "I don't know that I could give them 100 percent credit, but that's what happens in sports. When the other team is doing things to hurt you, and you don't attack it well, they guard you the same way. "A lot of times you just roll it straight because of just not being as prepared or ready. I think it was a combination of both. I would err on the side of giving them more credit, because if I just say we sucked, that would take credit from them. We did suck, but it was in large part them." The Jayhawks still have a balanced and experienced attack, led by seniors Hunter Dickinson (15.0 points per game), Zeke Mayo (10.9), Dajuan Harris Jr. (10.7) and KJ Adams Jr. (9.8). Their biggest problem against Missouri was the 22 turnovers. "It's been a crap week for all of us," Self said on his weekly radio show Tuesday. "But hopefully we get an opportunity to bounce back. "I'm not going to make any excuses. If you don't perform the way we didn't perform, there certainly can be some valuable things to learn from that hopefully will give us a chance to win the war and not just the battle." NC State has won back-to-back games, including the ACC opener against Florida State on Dec. 7. In their last game, the Wolfpack handled Coppin State 66-56 on Tuesday. That's not to say NC State coach Kevin Keatts was impressed. "I thought we did a terrible job at the end of shot clocks when they were going to take a bunch of bad shots but we fouled them," Keatts said. "That being said, you can learn a lot from a win instead of a loss. "We compete hard every day, and our energy is always high. With this group, I'm trying to get everyone to be consistent." The Wolfpack has a trio of double-digit scorers, led by Marcus Hill (13.0 ppg). Jayden Taylor adds 12.5 and Dontrez Styles chips in 10.6. Ben Middlebrooks (9.2) and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (8.7) round out the top five. Huntley-Hatfield (5.6 rebounds per game) and Styles (4.6) also lead a balanced rebounding attack. The Jayhawks have won 12 straight games in the series with North Carolina State. --Field Level Media

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NoneEditor’s note: This is one of a series of articles profiling area agencies that help people in the community.KINGSTON, N.Y. – As the holiday season blooms, People’s Place – an agency that helps people in Ulster County – has ramped up its giveaway programs.There are assorted special days sporting names like “Project Santa” and “Talkin’ [...]

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SAN DIEGO , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: HRTX) ("Heron" or the "Company"), a commercial-stage biotechnology company, announced today the relocation of the Company's headquarters from San Diego, California to Cary, North Carolina , effective January 1, 2025 . A majority of Heron's Management Team and corporate employees work from the Cary office, which is near the Research Triangle Park ("RTP"), one of the most prominent high-tech research and development parks in the United States . The growing biotech community in Cary and its surrounding areas provides ample space for growth and expansion. "We are excited to move our headquarters to Cary, North Carolina , which represents a significant milestone in Heron's journey," said Craig Collard , Chief Executive Officer of Heron. "This move will not only strengthen our ability to support our employees by centralizing our operations and resources, but also positions us in an excellent location from which we can continue making strategic partnerships as we growing our existing portfolio focused on improving the lives of patients in the acute and oncology care settings. This is an exciting chapter for Heron, and we look forward to the continued success and partnerships that lie ahead." The new address for Heron's corporate headquarters is 100 Regency Forest Drive, Suite 300, Cary, NC 27518. About Heron Therapeutics, Inc. Heron Therapeutics, Inc. is a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing and commercializing therapeutic innovations that improve medical care. Our advanced science, patented technologies, and innovative approach to drug discovery and development have allowed us to create and commercialize a portfolio of products that aim to advance the standard-of-care for acute care and oncology patients. For more information, visit www.herontx.com . Forward-looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Heron cautions readers that forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this news release and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are set forth in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the caption "Risk Factors." Forward-looking statements reflect our analysis only on their stated date, and Heron takes no obligation to update or revise these statements except as may be required by law. Investor Relations and Media Contact: Ira Duarte Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Heron Therapeutics, Inc. iduarte@herontx.com 858-251-4400 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/heron-therapeutics-announces-corporate-headquarters-relocation-to-cary-north-carolina-302338528.html SOURCE Heron Therapeutics, Inc.

Oklahoma sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold will enter the transfer portal, according to multiple reports on Wednesday. A five-star recruit in 2023 out of Denton, Texas, Arnold began this season as the starter, lost his spot and later regained it as the Sooners went 6-6. Monday is the first day that underclassmen can transfer during the winter portal window. Arnold completed 154 of 246 passes (62.6 percent) for 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions in 10 games. He also ran the ball 150 times for 444 yards and three TDs, including 25 attempts for 131 yards in the Sooners' 24-3 win over Alabama on Nov. 23. As a freshman last season playing behind Dillon Gabriel, Arnold appeared in seven games and was 44 of 69 (63.8 percent) for 563 yards, four TDs and three picks. A former Gatorade Texas Player of the Year, Arnold started for Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl last December, when the Sooners lost 38-24 to Arizona. He was QB1 for the 2024 campaign, but three early turnovers caused him to be pulled in a 25-15 defeat to Tennessee on Sept. 21 and replaced by true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. Arnold came off the bench to replace Hawkins in a 35-9 loss to South Carolina on Oct. 19, and head coach Brent Venables afterward fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. Co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley became the interim play-caller. Venables filled the position permanently on Monday by hiring Washington State OC Ben Arbuckle, who could bring Cougars QB John Mateer with him to Norman, Okla. --Field Level Media‘Political point scoring’: Premier Chris Minns responds to ‘disgraceful’ ICAC referralUkrainian girls’ team finds hockey haven at Wickenheiser festival

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McCOLL — A few days ago, a small town situated in Marlboro County on the state line was dealing with the departure of its police chief and officers , who had resigned citing harassment from a member of the town council and a lack of resources. McColl Mayor George Garner Now, the town of about 2,000 people is grieving the sudden loss of its mayor in a car crash and is grappling with what’s next for the community. It's been a whirlwind of a week for McColl, a town that welcomes you with a sign that reads “Small town. Big hearts.” Residents are shocked and saddened by Garner’s death, which occurred while law enforcement was following him, and many are confused after learning that the State Law Enforcement Division has an ongoing investigation involving him. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been on top,” Evelyn McKoy, lifelong McColl resident, said. “It seems like every time we take a step, we take about 10 or 20 steps back. I just thank God that we’re still here to tell it.” Mayor of a small SC town killed in 2-car crash while chased by law enforcement Mayor George Garner died Nov. 26 from injuries sustained in a collision in which his car, which was heading westbound on Cashua Ferry Road in Darlington County, veered into the eastbound lane and hit an 18-wheeler head-on. Darlington County Coroner Todd Hardee said Garner was being pursued by the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office at the time of the collision, but the pursuit was not related to any laws broken. Marlboro County Sheriff Charles Lemon told The Post and Courier that his office had spoken to April Garner, George Garner’s wife, and became concerned for the mayor’s wellbeing, which is why he was being followed. “What was learned, we felt we needed to check into his safety,” Lemon said. SLED has an active and ongoing investigation involving Garner, but no further information is available. Born and raised in McColl, resident Michael Flowers grew up just a few houses down from Garner and said the town feels the sadness of his sudden death. He and Garner’s families are close, and he said that he hates that Garner’s family and the town are dealing with the loss. On social media, residents, along with neighboring towns, shared an outpouring of love for Garner and his family. “There was not ever a time that we called George and didn’t come help us when we needed him to,” Rene’ Cummings shared on Facebook . “As a community and town we were blessed to have him as a mayor. Our family was blessed to have him as a friend.” Marlboro County E911 also shared condolences on Facebook for friends and family of Garner. “May you find comfort and strength in one another as you navigate this profound loss. Mayor Garner was truly a remarkable individual. He consistently treated everyone with warmth and respect, and his kindness left a lasting impact on those around him,” Marlboro County Emergency Management said on Facebook . When the police force resigned just a few days before Garner’s death, residents of McColl were not necessarily shocked by the departure, as the town has cycled through several police chiefs in recent years. Some were concerned about how the town would stay safe without local law enforcement. Upon the departure of the officers, Garner sourced help from the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office. McColl has yet to hire a new police chief or officers, but the town is still receiving help from the sheriff’s office. Several sheriff’s deputies were monitoring the town on Nov. 27. “I just wanna make sure folks know that we’re out here and they’re gonna be safe,” Lemon said. “We’re gonna be out in full force making sure we got someone out all day and night long.” This rural SC town is ready for something to change after its entire police force resigned For a small town, McColl has made lots of headlines in the past week. Flowers said the town is full of tough people who have fought through hardships — like the 1984 tornado that swept through the area — and will make it through this. Flowers has seen McColl change over the years, but the spirit of the community remains the same. He moved around a lot while serving in the military, but when he retired, he knew he wanted to settle back down in McColl. The entire police force resigned. Now this SC town is preparing for what's next. While he said the town doesn’t feel as safe as it did when he was growing up, the spirit of the community remains the same. He said when his mother’s tire blew out recently, people were quick to stop and help her, and that’s what you can expect from the town. “There’s a lot of good here,” Flowers said. “It’s just getting outweighed with the bad.”MKS Instruments Named One of America's Most Responsible Companies

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Azerbaijani-Turkish military cooperation develops (PHOTO)Tesla ( TSLA 5.10% ) stock investors received an early Christmas gift from Hyundai ( HYMTF -7.03% ) this morning: at least 112,000 new potential customers for its Supercharger electric car charging system . Tesla stock is up 4.5% through 10:45 a.m. ET on the news. Details, please Tesla spent the bulk of 2023 reporting a series of alliances with other carmakers around the world, in the form of announcements that these other carmakers -- Hyundai, Honda , GM , Ford Motor Company , and others -- would switch their electric cars' primary charging technology from the putative "Common Charging System" for all carmakers, to Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) instead. In Hyundai's case, the switchover began in Q4 2024 -- as in, from now onwards, all Hyundai electric vehicles should be sold exclusively with NACS charging connectors. But what about all the electric Hyundais that have already been sold with CCS connectors, you ask? Well, adaptors are available for sale. General Motors will sell its customers a NACS adapter for $225, and Ford will sell one for $200. As InsideEVs reported this morning, however, Hyundai is going to start giving away NACS adaptors for free. This will enable owners of early-edition Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and Kona Electric EVs to begin using Tesla's Superchargers immediately, and at no cost (well, aside from the cost of the electricity), which should encourage them to make the switch. Hyundai's Christmas gift to Tesla What does this mean for Tesla? Well, according to data from goodcarbadcar.net, Hyundai has sold about 112,000 Ioniq EVs in the U.S. already, and an unspecified number of Konas. And Hyundai EV sales are growing strongly up 77% in November, with more than 50,000 EV sales in 2024 so far, and a new Ioniq 9 on the way. Long story short, Hyundai just gifted Tesla at least 112,000 new potential electric car customers for its Supercharger network, with tens of thousands more on the way. This should make for a very merry Christmas for Tesla investors.panaloko com slot game 。

Taoiseach Simon Harris has insisted he is not aware that any member of his team tried to get RTE to take down a viral social media clip of a much-criticised encounter with a disability care worker. The Fine Gael leader was asked about the controversy in the first question posed during the second and final TV leaders’ debate of Ireland’s General Election campaign. Mr Harris apologised over the weekend for his handling of the discussion with Charlotte Fallon while canvassing in Kanturk in Co Cork on Friday evening. The Taoiseach was accused of dismissing concerns that Ms Fallon raised about Government support for the disability sector during the exchange filmed by RTE in a supermarket. Mr Harris rang Ms Fallon on Saturday and said he unreservedly apologised for the way he treated her, however focus has since shifted to Fine Gael’s interactions with the national broadcaster about the social media video. At the outset of Tuesday’s TV debate, co-host Miriam O’Callaghan directly asked the Fine Gael leader whether a member of his party contacted RTE to ask for the clip to be taken down. “I have no knowledge of that whatsoever, because this clip was entirely appropriate,” said Mr Harris. “It was a very important moment on the campaign. “And RTE and indeed many media outlets have been with me throughout the campaign, covering many interactions that I’ve had with many, many people right across this country.” The Taoiseach said the approach by his team member was part of the “normal contact that happens between party politics and broadcasters on a daily basis”. Mr Harris’s partner-in-government in the last coalition, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin , said he was not aware of the approach to RTE by Fine Gael. “I didn’t realise this had happened,” he said. “I think Simon has given his explanation to it. I’m not sure it’s as normal or as usual. I just get on with it every day. But, again, I think, you know, I’m not au fait with the details behind all of this, or the background to it. “The video didn’t come down, and it was seen by many, many people. “And I think it illustrates that out there, there are a lot of people suffering in our society. “Notwithstanding the progress we’ve made as a country, a lot of people are facing a lot of individual challenges, and our job as public representatives and as leaders in travelling the country is to listen to people, hear their cases, to understand the challenges that they are going through in their lives. “And when we go about in election campaigns, we have to open up ourselves to criticism and to people calling us to account.” Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald had earlier in the day described reports of the Fine Gael approach to RTE as “chilling”. However, at the start of the debate, she was asked about a media-focused issue related to her own party, namely the controversial manifesto proposal for an independent expert review of RTE’s objectivity in its coverage of the war in Gaza and other international conflicts. Mr Harris previously branded the proposal a “dog whistle to conspiracy theorists” while Mr Martin said it was a “dangerous departure”. Ms McDonald defended the idea during the RTE Prime Time debate on Tuesday. “Politics and politicians should not try to influence editorial decisions or try and have clips taken down because they are inconvenient to them,” she said. “There has to be distance, there has to be objectivity. But I would say I am struck by the very defensive reaction from some to this (the review proposal). “The BBC, for example, a peer review looked at their coverage on migration. Politicians didn’t put their hands on it, and rightly so. “I think in a world where we have to rely on quality information, especially from the national broadcaster, which is in receipt of very substantial public funding, that has to be the gold standard of reliability. I think peer reviews like that are healthy.”Trump has Christmas message to 'Radical Left Lunatics,' tells inmates Biden granted clemency to 'GO TO HELL!'Texans look to get on track before playoffs after lopsided loss to Ravens

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NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart's sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world's biggest retailer followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump's incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches -- the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President -- are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI," Glasgow said. "The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America's top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart's announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart's need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company no longer has explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer's ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart." Walmart's announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.

Panama Canal politics – and what Trump's threats mean

Missed Cardano’s Recent Price Jump? Find Out Which Altcoin Could Skyrocket Next and Deliver 100x Returns in Q1 2025!Advertisement During his first term, Trump threatened tariffs while renegotiating trade with Mexico and Canada. Now, his promise to slap a 25% tariff on all imports from the countries strikes a similar chord. Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for treasury secretary, has called tariffs a "negotiating tool." President-elect Donald Trump helped pen business advice in his 1987 book "The Art of the Deal" that's been reflected in his posture on tariffs, from his first term to today: "Leverage: don't make deals without it." Trump announced on Monday that he planned to use an executive order on his first day in office to impose a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada. He said in a post on Truth Social that the tariffs "will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!" Related Video A proposed merger could help Donald Trump pay off his $454 million fraud penalty While Trump promised to implement harsh tariffs throughout the campaign, actions from his first term suggest that the sweeping threat — which has reverberated throughout global markets and vulnerable sectors like the auto industry — might be a version of his long-favored "leverage." In June 2019, Trump threatened tariffs against Mexico if the country didn't alter its immigration system, which it eventually did . "That was in a sense analogous to what he's doing now outside of economics when he's talking about fentanyl and he's demanding more control of people coming to the border," Robert Lawrence, a professor of international trade and investment and a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Business Insider. "Were the tariffs the reason the Mexicans became more compliant? I don't know, but he certainly did use that as a threat." Advertisement Lawrence said that the threat of tariffs is effective rhetorically right now, particularly for those in the European Union who doubted Trump's willingness to follow through on his word. Trump also used tariffs as "leverage" when renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mark Blyth, a political economist at Brown University, told BI. Blyth said that Trump is notably unpredictable, and until he steps into the White House again on January 20, people can only speculate about what promises he'll follow through on. Advertisement "We're all shadowboxing. We're jumping at the show: 'Look, he's going to do this! He says he's going to do this!'" Blyth said. "He's still got to get in, he's still got to form his Cabinet . He's got to put in these people and then he can do stuff." A Brookings Institute report said tariffs set important context for the NAFTA renegotiations, and Mexico and Canada likely wouldn't have come to the negotiating table without them. However, the report concluded that using tariffs as leverage does not necessarily result in significantly more favorable trade relations, though they do succeed in getting "other countries' attention." While financial analysts are taking Trump's threats seriously, some banking leaders seem to think that Trump's most recent tariff threat is a continuation of his past negotiation tactics. Advertisement "This is President Trump's negotiating style: step one, punch in the face, step two, let's negotiate," Kieran Calder, the head of equity research for Asia at Union Bancaire Privée, said, per Bloomberg . In a report published Tuesday morning, UBS said that "the timing and narrow focus of the latest threat suggest scope for negotiation." By focusing on non-trade issues — immigration and drugs — Trump is suggesting that the tariffs are transactional, focused more on gaining the upper hand than implementing long-term tariffs, the authors argue. Luis Costa, the global head of emerging markets strategy at Citi Bank, made a similar point on Squawk Box Europe Tuesday. "To us, it is absolutely obvious that the Trump administration will use tariffs as one important lever to negotiate with Sheinbaum's government," he said, referring to Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum. "It is probably something that is more about negotiation rather than about imposing tariffs." Advertisement And Trump's own nominee for treasury secretary, Scott Bessent , published an opinion piece earlier this month arguing that the president-elect uses "tariffs as a negotiating tool with our trading partners." A spokesperson from the Trump transition team told BI in a statement that "in his first term, President Trump instituted tariffs against China that created jobs, spurred investment, and resulted in no inflation."WuKong Education Named to the 2025 GSV 150 for Leading the Way in Education Technology

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OTTAWA—Three key premiers whose provinces generate energy exports dismissed Premier Doug Ford’s suggestion that Canada should slap punitive tariffs on America or shut off electricity, gas and oil shipments to the U.S. in retaliation for Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on Canadian products, as Trump shrugged off Ford’s warning. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Quebec Premier François Legault, and Newfoundland and Labrador’s Andrew Furey said bluntly they do not support Ford’s threat to “cut off their energy” which he said would make Americans “feel the pain.” Ford made the threat after all 13 premiers met the night before with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Canada’s response, and he reiterated it Thursday. However Trump, the incoming U.S. president appeared unmoved by Ford’s tough talk when speaking with a CNBC reporter Thursday on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. “That’s OK if he that does that. That’s fine,” Trump told CNBC, repeating his view about the Canada-U.S. trade deficit. “The United States is subsidizing Canada and we shouldn’t have to do that,” Trump said. “And we have a great relationship. I have so many friends in Canada, but we shouldn’t have to subsidize a country. We’re subsidizing more than a $100 billion a year. We shouldn’t have to be doing that.” Alberta’s Smith dismissed throttling Canadian energy shipments as she unveiled Alberta’s own plan to beef up border security with new provincial sheriff patrol teams to allay Trump’s border concerns. “Under no circumstances will Alberta agree to cut off oil and gas exports,” Smith said. “We don’t support tariffs. I don’t support tariffs on Canadian goods, and I don’t support tariffs on U.S. goods, because all it does is make life more expensive for everyday Canadians and everyday Americans,” Smith said. “Instead, we’re taking a diplomatic approach, and we’re meeting with our allies in the U.S. We’re making the case for Alberta oil and gas to be part of the solution to energy affordability, to energy security and to, generally speaking, North American defence security as well,” she said. Ford reiterated the notion of cutting off Canadian energy exports to the U.S. right before Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador unveiled a blockbuster new $225-billion hydroelectricity deal , one those two provinces touted as key to Canada’s renewable energy commitments. The deal replaces a scorned decades-old contract due to expire in 2041, and requires Quebec to pay 30 times more for thousands of kilowatt hours of power generated from the Churchill Falls plant. It will also see the two provinces develop new hydro power projects along the Churchill River, and generate 2,400 more megawatts for Quebec. Legault called it an “extraordinary” deal for Quebec that means Labrador hydroelectricity will ramp up from a 17 per cent share of Quebec’s supply to 50 per cent. Furey said the agreement “changes everything.” “It is a fair deal for both parties. It’s a good commercial deal that recognizes the ills of the past and creates a new path forward for Newfoundland and Labrador, while allowing Quebec some certainty moving forward. So Premier Legault did show us the money,” Furey quipped. So it was no surprise when both premiers immediately dismissed any call to shut off energy exports to U.S. markets. “These tariffs will have significant impact on families and macro economies on both sides of the border. We hope it is just bluster. We’re preparing as if it is not. There will be no winners in a trade war,” Furey said, echoing Smith’s pledge. “Certainly from Newfoundland and Labrador’s perspective, we have no interest in stopping the flow of oil and gas, our incredibly valuable and now well-sought-after-world-class oil and gas to the United States. Nor do we now have any interest in stopping export of any electrons that could be produced in Labrador to the Northeastern seaboard.” Legault said he met Trump in Paris last weekend, “and he told me very clearly that we can avoid those tariffs if we do what needs to be done with the borders.” “He doesn’t want to see any more illegal immigrants coming from Canada to U.S. So I think the best choice right now for Mr. Trudeau is to very fast table a plan with money, with the number of people, to better secure the border. I think we have to do that. It’s a lot better than getting 25-per-cent tariffs starting on Jan. 21. So I prefer that than starting a war and stopping sending energy to (the) United States.” The Alberta premier said her new measures, which include sheriff patrol teams, and a “red zone” within two kilometres of the Alberta-Montana border, had been in the works since 2023 and would have been implemented even without Trump’s tariff threat. Steve Verheul, Canada’s former top trade negotiator, has suggested that Canada could put export levies on key Canadian goods like oil and agricultural commodities, saying it would quickly drive up the cost of fuel and food to American consumers, and could be used as leverage to negotiate a “broader exemption across all the sectors” that may be hit by Trump’s tariffs. Smith dismissed that, too, as a “terrible idea.” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Thursday he also intends to beef up border security using provincial conservation officers and spend more on overtime for RCMP officers at the border. Kinew did not directly answer whether he would restrict electricity exports, but Kinew said Manitoba is drafting a list of potential retaliatory tariffs in order to protect Canadian jobs at risk from Trump’s tariffs. He said Canada must show “how are we going to stand up for the ag industry? How are we going to stand up for our energy industry and the manufacturing industry here in Manitoba? So we have to make sure that our response is comprehensive,” he said. But at Queen’s Park, Ford did not walk anything back. He said he’s “sending a message to the U.S.” not to impose tariffs on Canadian goods or else — as a “last resort” — Ontario will strike back. “We power 1.5 million homes,” Ford said Thursday, referring to the electricity Ontario supplies Michigan, New York and Minnesota. “If they put on tariffs, it’s going to be unaffordable for Americans to buy electricity,” the premier said, noting his province alone does about $500 billion in annual two-way trade with the U.S. and nine million American jobs depend on trading with Ontario. “Just like if they put tariffs on the 4.3 million barrels of oil that Alberta is shipping down to the U.S. — if you put 25 per cent increases, every barrel of oil, every gallon of gasoline (goes up) by $1,” he said at Queen’s Park. Ford said that “along with the federal government, all the premiers are putting a list together” of American goods that could be targeted with counter-tariffs. “We can’t just roll over as we’re being under attack and hurting our families and our jobs.” Trudeau on Monday said Canada would respond to Trump’s threat to impose a 25-percent surcharge on all Canadian and Mexican products on his first day in office to force the two border countries to “stop” illegal immigration and fentanyl from entering the U.S. But it is far from clear what American products the Liberal government would levy counter-tariffs on. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said only that several premiers said critical minerals and metals needed by the U.S. should be on any “robust” Canadian retaliatory tariff list. With files from Susan Delacourt

( MENAFN - Robotics & automation News) ABB Robotics selects T-Robotics and Mbodi as AI startup winners December 22, 2024 by David Edwards ABB Robotics has selected T-Robotics and Mbodi as the winners of its 2024 ABB Robotics AI Startup Challenge, marking what the industrial giant says is“a significant milestone” in advancing artificial intelligence solutions for industrial robotics. Selected from over 100 global applicants, these pioneering startups will help transform how industrial robots understand, learn, and adapt to complex manufacturing environments through breakthrough artificial intelligence solutions. Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics, says:“Today's manufacturing challenges demand solutions that combine simplicity with sophisticated AI capabilities. “T-Robotics and Mbodi demonstrated groundbreaking innovations and by collaborating with both, we will accelerate the development of more intuitive, adaptable and easier-to-use robotic solutions that will make business more efficient, flexible and resilient.” T-Robotics has developed breakthrough physical AI models that allow operators to program robots through natural conversation while maintaining precision through industry-specific skill models. This innovative approach significantly reduces programming time while ensuring optimal performance across various manufacturing scenarios. Asad Tirmizi, founder of T-Robotics, says:“The convergence of robotics and physical AI will transform how manufacturing operates. “We're thrilled to partner with ABB in pioneering this transition towards a future where robots become intelligent assistants helping us produce better.” Mbodi's AI platform introduces real-time skill acquisition capabilities, enabling robots to learn and adapt to new tasks on the fly, through written and spoken natural language and demonstration. Their technology represents a major advancement in making robotic automation accessible to businesses of all sizes, particularly those seeking flexible solutions for high-mix, low- volume production environments. Sebastian Peralta, co-founder and CEO of Mbodi, says:“We're augmenting the industrial robotics experience through cutting-edge generative AI that fulfils evolving customer needs. “As an industrial leader, ABB's enthusiasm for disruptive technologies like ours will be instrumental in driving this transformation.” Both winners will receive $30,000 in project funding and will collaborate directly with ABB's technology experts to develop market-ready solutions and a six-month membership to SynerLeap, ABB's startup accelerator. Both T-Robotics and Mbodi expect to launch their first commercial application with ABB in 2025. Segura says:“The disruptive potential of Generative AI in robotics is vast, but requires focused scrutiny. By focusing on three pivotal areas -natural language programming, skill learning, and autonomous decision-making – we identified two key solutions that position us to accelerate AI-driven, market-ready industrial products. “This approach aligns with ABB's vision of creating robots that are more intuitive, adaptable, and efficient, paving the way for a new era of AI-powered robotics innovation.” ABB supports startup engagement, collaboration and investment through its business-led initiative, ABB Robotics & Automation Ventures (ABB RA Ventures), which leverages robotics and automation industry expertise to engage, collaborate with and invest in leading, disruptive and innovative early-stage companies of strategic relevance globally. The ABB Robotics AI Startup Challenge is part of ABB's wider Innovation Ecosystem, which is driven by collaboration and the transformative potential of emerging technologies. Through initiatives designed to identify, support and scale-up promising startups across all industries, ABB partners with pioneering businesses to accelerate innovation. These collaborative efforts bring new solutions to market, advancing ABB's mission to create a more sustainable and productive future. MENAFN22122024005532012229ID1109021545 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

George Twum-Barimah-Adu Pledges Inclusive Cabinet with Minority and Majority LeadersRiyadh : The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has deported more than 9,000 expatriates for residency, labour, and border law violations, from Thursday, December 12, to Wednesday, December 18. During this period, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) conducted inspection campaigns in the Kingdom to ensure compliance with regulations. The Kingdom recorded 20,159 violations, including: A total of 1,861 people were arrested while trying to cross the border into the Kingdom, of whom 65 percent were Ethiopians nationals, 33 percent were Yemeni, and 2 percent belonged to other nationalities while 112 people were arrested for trying to flee the Kingdom crossing borders. خلال أسبوع.. ضبط 20159 مخالفًا لأنظمة الإقامة والعمل وأمن الحدود. ⁧ #وطن_بلا_مخالف pic.twitter.com/CaPaxDKcbv The security forces also arrested 17 people who were involved in transporting violators and giving them shelter. Currently, legal proceedings are being carried out against 29,540 offenders, comprising 26,411 men and 2,619 women. Around 20,337 were detained for violating laws and instructed to contact their countries’ embassies or consulates to obtain proper travel documentation; 3,425 were told to make booking arrangements for their departure, and 9,461 were deported. The ministry of interior has warned that a maximum prison sentence of 15 years will be imposed on anyone caught facilitating someone entering the kingdom, in violation of border security regulations, or shelter. The punishment includes a fine of up to one million Saudi Riyal, and the confiscation of one’s means of transport, the residence used for shelter, in addition to the publication of their names in the local media.

Even after 24 years of its establishment, Tiakhali College in Barguna's Amtali upazila has not been included under the government's nationalisation scheme due to unknown reason. As a result, 38 teachers and staffers, who did not opted for any other jobs, have been deprived of their monthly salaries for over two decades now. While talking, a number of teachers of the college alleged that despite good academic results in public exams, Tiakhali College has not been enlisted under MPO (Monthly Pay Order) system only because of political revenge since the founding principal of the college was a BNP leader. During a visit to Tiakhali College this correspondent found almost all the teachers and staffers of the college living a subhuman life as they are not getting their salaries since the establishment of the institution. Moreover, in order to run their families most of them have sold their properties and other valuable belongings and become destitute. Local educationist Mohammad Delwar Hossain built Tiakhali College on about 2.25 acres of land in 2000. In 2001, the college received recognition from the education board to run its academic activities. The average pass rate was nearly 72 percent since 2002 till this year, while the institution had a 100 percent pass record in 2019. Currently, the college has a total of 322 students, but despite implementing all the directives of the ministry concerned the college was not included under the government's MPO scheme due to unknown reasons, teachers and staffers said. Although, hundreds of non-government educational institutions were nationalised in the last 15 years, Tiakhali College has been deprived of getting the government facilities even after making such good results, they alleged. However, a four-storey academic building was constructed at the college premises in 2017, but till then its founding principal had already retired. Boni Amin, an 11th grader, said the number of students will surely increase if the college is nationalised as the quality of education is quite good here. Shahanur Fakir, a peon at the college, said he cannot run his family anymore due to non-payment of the salary. Sometimes, he and his family members pass their days half-starved as he does not have any alternative. Mosharof Hossain, a lecturer, said, "I have given all my valuable times in this college and now it is very difficult to return home empty handed." Retired Principal Delwar Hossain said they established the college in 2001, but failed to enlist it under the government's MPO scheme due to political reason. "Till now all the teachers and students of the college have been deprived of their rights, but I hope the present government will bring the college under nationalisation scheme soon," Delwar said. Even after 24 years of its establishment, Tiakhali College in Barguna's Amtali upazila has not been included under the government's nationalisation scheme due to unknown reason. As a result, 38 teachers and staffers, who did not opted for any other jobs, have been deprived of their monthly salaries for over two decades now. While talking, a number of teachers of the college alleged that despite good academic results in public exams, Tiakhali College has not been enlisted under MPO (Monthly Pay Order) system only because of political revenge since the founding principal of the college was a BNP leader. During a visit to Tiakhali College this correspondent found almost all the teachers and staffers of the college living a subhuman life as they are not getting their salaries since the establishment of the institution. Moreover, in order to run their families most of them have sold their properties and other valuable belongings and become destitute. Local educationist Mohammad Delwar Hossain built Tiakhali College on about 2.25 acres of land in 2000. In 2001, the college received recognition from the education board to run its academic activities. The average pass rate was nearly 72 percent since 2002 till this year, while the institution had a 100 percent pass record in 2019. Currently, the college has a total of 322 students, but despite implementing all the directives of the ministry concerned the college was not included under the government's MPO scheme due to unknown reasons, teachers and staffers said. Although, hundreds of non-government educational institutions were nationalised in the last 15 years, Tiakhali College has been deprived of getting the government facilities even after making such good results, they alleged. However, a four-storey academic building was constructed at the college premises in 2017, but till then its founding principal had already retired. Boni Amin, an 11th grader, said the number of students will surely increase if the college is nationalised as the quality of education is quite good here. Shahanur Fakir, a peon at the college, said he cannot run his family anymore due to non-payment of the salary. Sometimes, he and his family members pass their days half-starved as he does not have any alternative. Mosharof Hossain, a lecturer, said, "I have given all my valuable times in this college and now it is very difficult to return home empty handed." Retired Principal Delwar Hossain said they established the college in 2001, but failed to enlist it under the government's MPO scheme due to political reason. "Till now all the teachers and students of the college have been deprived of their rights, but I hope the present government will bring the college under nationalisation scheme soon," Delwar said.

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The Fellow Aiden Precision Coffee Maker is a super slick, modern drip coffee machine that gives filter brewing the smart treatment with automatic water temperature adjustment, dosage calculations, carefully timed blooming of coffee before brewing, and presets tailored for different roasts. There's even a cold brew mode, which produces deliciously smooth results without you having to wait overnight. If that sounds like a little too much effort (or you live with someone who's less exacting about their brew), there's also an Auto Brew mode that lets you use the Aiden like an ordinary manual drip machine - just load in your preferred quantity of grounds, and it will run until the water tank is empty. The timer is a smart addition, though you'll need to make sure you're prepared with your coffee mug as soon as it's finished because the Aiden Precision Coffee Maker doesn't have a hot plate and while the carafe is double-walled it loses heat quite rapidly. You can minimize this problem by pre-heating it before brewing, but that's not a viable option if you're using the timer. The Aiden Precision Coffee Maker has a mobile app (available for iOS and Android) with some handy extra features, like customizable brewing profiles that you can share with other people, and the option to update the machine's firmware. You can link the coffee machine to your phone using a QR code by selecting 'Connectivity' from the settings menu, but it's entirely optional. The Fellow Aiden Precision Coffee Maker launched in July 2024 and is available in the US, or from in the UK. It has a list price of $365 / £365 (about AU$580). Unlike some drip coffee makers we've tested, such as the , the Aiden Precision Coffee Maker doesn't have a grinder. If you don't already own one, for $476 (about £380 / AU$760). That's about the same price as the , which currently sits at number one in our guide to the , and costs $359 / £229 / AU$515. Both are premium machines, but with the KBGV Select you're paying for a super tough manual machine that should last a lifetime, while the Aiden's price tag comes from its smart brewing technology. Both justify their list prices - it's just a question of where your priorities lie. The Aiden Precision Coffee Maker is beautifully designed - a compact black cuboid with a small, bright display panel, a single control dial, and a matching matt black carafe. Every part of the machine feels robust and well-made, from the sturdy hinge on the frosted plastic water tank (with clearly marked measurements on the front) to the smooth movement of the control knob. During brewing, the LCD display shows a countdown timer and the current stage of the brewing process (such as 'blooming' or 'pulsing'), which is particularly handy since the black carafe doesn't let you see how much coffee is inside. The machine has a maximum capacity of 1.5 liters (about 53oz), and brews in increments of 120ml (a standard tasse à café). A typical coffee mug holds around 280ml, so you'll need to set it to two cups for your usual morning brew. It's supplied with two baskets - one for servings up to three cups, and one for bigger batch brews. It comes with filter papers designed for the larger basket; during testing, I found that my standard flat-bottomed 1x4 filter papers fitted the small one just fine. The machine can detect which basket you have inserted and will instruct you to set the 'shower' head to the appropriate color-coded setting so water is pulsed evenly over the grounds. The carafe is well crafted, with a drip-free spout and sturdy handle, but as mentioned above, there's no hot plate in the machine's base to keep it warm when brewing has finished. The Aiden is a piece of cake to keep clean; the baskets and carafe are easy to wash with warm, soapy water, and you can keep the body of the machine looking like new with a damp cloth. There's also a descaling mode to keep the water lines clear, which works with regular coffee machine descaling liquid. It's recommended that you do this every three months. Fellow advises grinding your coffee coarser if you find mess in the brewing chamber once you're done, but this was never an issue for me. I used a Dualit burr grinder on a relatively coarse setting suggested for drip machines. The Aiden Precision Coffee Maker gives you a choice: an Instant Brew mode that works like a standard manual drip coffee maker, and a Guided Brew option that lets you tinker with settings, suggests an appropriate dosage, and brews only the amount of coffee you've specified. Guided Brew defies the preconception that drip coffee is inferior to espresso, tailoring the temperature of the water, how long the coffee is allowed to bloom, and how long is spent sending pulses of water through it afterward depending on the dosage and whether you've selected light, medium, or dark roast. You'll even be asked to enter your elevation relative to sea level during setup. It's not something I'd typically consider, but water boils at temperatures below 100°C/212°F at elevations above sea level, which can result in under-extracted coffee if you don't adjust for it. I particularly enjoyed the machine's cold brew setting. It's much quicker than brewing overnight in your fridge, taking 1.5-2 hours from start to finish depending on the quantity. The Aiden Precision Coffee Maker still uses hot water to bloom the coffee but then switches to cold for the remainder of the process, and the resulting coffee is incredibly smooth. Pop the carafe in the fridge for a while once it's done, and it's fantastic. There's also a timer, which is something I always appreciate with a drip coffee machine. The lack of a hot plate means you'll need to be organized in the morning to grab your fresh brew before it cools, but it shouldn't disturb any light sleepers who want a lie-in. During my tests, it only reached a maximum of 59dB while pulsing water through the grounds. That's about the same as a dishwasher, and the sound only lasted a couple of seconds at a time. Cold brew mode doesn't pulse and is nearly silent. For me, the drawback of the Aiden Precision Coffee Maker is how quickly the hot coffee cools down. Not only is there no hot plate, the carafe seems to lose heat quickly despite its double-walled design and Fellow's claim that it "keeps your coffee warm for hours in any room of the house". In my tests, a four-cup serving cooled down significantly within half an hour in my kitchen. That's not a problem if you're only brewing a cup or two, but the machine has a maximum capacity of 1.5 liters, and it's a real shame if you brew a batch and it goes cold before you can get through it all. You could decant your coffee into an insulated bottle or carafe once it's done brewing to keep it nice and hot, but that's an extra step I'd rather avoid if possible. Not everyone likes keeping their drip coffee on a hot plate, and leaving your drink on one for too long will definitely affect the taste, but for me, one of the joys of a drip machine is being able to brew a carafe and come back for a second cup. And if I've set a timer to brew my coffee in the morning, I don't want to find a cold carafe if I hit snooze on my alarm and spend a few extra minutes in bed. It's a shame because the Aiden Precision Coffee Maker is otherwise superb. It does its job exceptionally well, but you should be aware that it won't keep your beautifully brewed drink hot for long. Buy it if Don't buy it if If the Fellow Aiden Precision Coffee Maker hasn't won you over, here are two other options to think about. I tested the Aiden Precision Coffee Maker using a variety of coffees from , comparing the results to those from a fully manual filter coffee machine and a V60 coffee dripper. The cold brew was compared to coffee steeped overnight in a fridge. Coffee was ground to the same coarseness using an electric burr grinder. The baskets and carafe were cleaned between uses, and I used filtered tap water for all beverages. For more details, see .Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) Barclays 22nd Annual Global Technology Conference (Transcript)Southwest Airlines Co. Announcement: Southwest Airlines Co. Investors Are Encouraged to Contact ...

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), which met in Belagavi, Karnataka, on Thursday, urged the NDA regime to use its upcoming budget to provide income support to the poor and tax relief to middle classes. ET Year-end Special Reads Corporate Kalesh: Top family disputes of India Inc in 2024 The world of business lost these eminent people in 2024 Fast, faster, fastest: How 2024 put more speed into your shopping The CWC’s extended session, held in Belagavi to mark the centenary of the party’s session chaired by Mahatma Gandhi at the same place, adopted two resolutions. While one was on Gandhi, the other was on a range of pressing political issues. The CWC, chaired by AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge and attended by Rahul Gandhi, noted that the GST had become an absurdity. "The CWC reiterates its demand for a GST 2.0 that will be a truly good and simple tax -- both on paper and in practice." The party noted with concern what it called tax terrorism on industry, trade and commerce while calling for effort to end the tax terrorism. The Mod regime's economic policies, the resolution said, were designed to enrich only a few of the PM's favourite business groups. "Oligopolies in the economy are growing. While more and more Indians have a stake in capital markets, the integrity of regulators has been called into serious question. Private investment, which must drive faster economic growth, is still extremely sluggish and mass consumption is stagnating.” The working committee resolution demanded a socio-economic caste census at the earliest. The 50% ceiling on reservations for SC/STs and OBCs must be increased to further enhance the benefits accrued to the three traditionally disadvantaged groups in the society. Reservations must be based on social, economic or educational backwardness determined through appropriate means, the resolution said. 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View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program The party also demanded a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) and its fixation at 50% of the comprehensive cost of cultivation. The party sought adequate funding for the MGNREGA programme along with an increase in its wage to Rs 400 per day. The Congress has decided to launch a year-long nationwide public outreach campaign called the Samvidhan Bachao Rashtriya Padyatra from January 26,2025 to January 26, 2026. The party would hold its forthcoming session in Gujarat in April 2025. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )

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Fitch has predicted an unfortunate outcome for the naira by 2028, according to its BMI Research report It said the persistent depreciation of the naira will drive up the cost of importing medical devices and diminish consumer purchasing power Despite government incentives, local manufacturing of medical devices in Nigeria still faces significant obstacles Don't miss out! Join Legit.ng's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now! Legit.ng journalist Victor Enengedi has over a decade's experience covering Energy, MSMEs, Technology and the Stock Market. Fitch Solutions, a financial intelligence provider, has forecasted that the naira may fall to around N1,993 per dollar by 2028, posing significant challenges for Nigeria’s pharm*ceutical industry in importing medical devices. In a recent report, BMI Research, a subsidiary of Fitch Solutions, noted that despite the anticipated economic recovery, Nigeria’s medical devices market would likely continue to encounter operational and demand-related difficulties in the short term. Fitch projects that Nigeria’s medical device market will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8% from 2023 to 2028 in local currency terms and 9.6% in US dollar terms, reaching an estimated market value of NGN171.1 billion (USD344.7 million) by 2028. Read also NNPC shares pictures of petrol from pH refinery, says it is ‘top quality’, advises Nigerians PAY ATTENTION : Standing out in social media world? Easy! "Mastering Storytelling for Social Media" workshop by Legit.ng. Join Us Live! The report highlights that increasing healthcare spending focused on universal health coverage, alongside Nigeria's large population and the dual burden of chronic and infectious diseases, will sustain strong demand for medical devices, particularly diagnostics, consumables, and hospital equipment, in the short to medium term. Citing Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline as examples of companies that exited Nigeria due to naira devaluation, the report noted that the ongoing currency depreciation would drive up the cost of importing medical devices and diminish consumer purchasing power. Fitch’s subsidiary also indicated that, despite government incentives, significant obstacles still prevent local manufacturing of medical devices from gaining momentum in Nigeria. The report stated: “Continued weakness of the naira will increase medical device import costs and erode consumer purchasing power. Similar to other markets in sub-Sahara Africa, Nigeria heavily relies on medical device imports, with reliance of over 95%. We expect that the naira will end 2028 at NGN1993/USD from NGN306/USD in 2018." Read also Rewane advises CBN to stabilise Naira, tame money growth The report highlighted that as the naira depreciates, the cost of importing medical devices will keep rising, which will weaken both the healthcare system and patients' ability to afford essential medical technologies, particularly given the underfunding of the public health sector. However, on the export side, a weaker naira could boost the competitiveness of locally manufactured medical devices, supporting growth in the sector. Tinubu's attempt to manage the naira Years of economic mismanagement have left Nigeria facing a severe shortage of dollars. The country’s economy has long relied on oil exports while maintaining a high demand for imported goods, creating an unstable foundation. In an effort to address this issue, President Bola Tinubu relaxed long-standing foreign exchange controls shortly after assuming office in May 2023. As a result, the naira, previously maintained at an artificially strong rate against the dollar, has depreciated by around 70%. Tinubu aimed to attract foreign investment and enhance Nigeria’s appeal as an investment hub. Read also Report gives new naira prediction for 2024 as currency becomes worse-performing In the short term, however, this shift led to a spike in inflation , reaching a 28-year high, and intensified a cost-of-living crisis that sparked deadly protests in Africa’s most populous nation. Rewane advises CBN to stabilise naira In related news, Legit.ng reported that Bismarck Rewane has proffered solutions to the current state of the Nigerian economy The renowned economist called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to focus on stabilising the naira and controlling money supply growth to mitigate inflationary pressures. He also identified forex supply shortages, high energy costs, and poor policy coordination as key factors in economic instability. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ngNoneSeahawks' defense dominates in low-scoring win over BearsVouchers, housing among local senators' priorities next session

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Here are some of the headlines from this past week in the Missoulian. To read the full stories, click the link on each headline: Montanans encouraged to select health insurance plan by Jan. 15 deadline Montanans have until Jan. 15 to purchase a health insurance plan on the federal marketplace . Most people who miss the deadline will not be eligible to sign up again until November of next year. Cover Montana, an initiative to help people sign up for health insurance, and other advocates are encouraging people to look at their options and make sure they have health insurance plans that make sense for their needs going forward. This period, known as open enrollment, is especially critical for those who lost Medicaid coverage during the redetermination process over the last year. Montana Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that provides health care coverage to low-income earners, adults with disabilities, seniors, children and new birthing parents for 12 months postpartum. Of those, some are eligible under Medicaid expansion, which the state first passed in 2015 and renewed again in 2019. Adults earning below 138% of the federal poverty level can enroll in the government-funded health insurance program as well as children and pregnant people earning a bit more. — Carly Graf, carly.graf@missoulian.com Board of Regents approves UM grad student labor union The Board of Regents voted unanimously Nov. 22 to approve a labor agreement with the newly formed Graduate Employee Union at the University of Montana. The Graduate Employee Union, which falls under the Montana Federation of Public Employees, already reached a tentative bargaining agreement with the University in September after just one meeting. This agreement was partially based off of the contract used by unionized graduate students at MSU. In a letter sent to the University of Montana earlier this year , union leadership expressed that they sought to improve working and living conditions for graduate employees, who often take on teaching and research work in addition to their studies, but often cannot pay for their costs of living through existing stipends. — Andy Tallman, andy.tallman@missoulian.com Missoula land use plan heads to final vote A new land use plan that will guide development in Missoula for the next two decades received strong support during a Missoula city-county planning board hearing this week, with all nine board members approving the years-long project. The Our Missoula 2045 Land Use and Code Reform plan most notably has a goal to add an additional 19,000 to 23,000 housing units to the Garden City over the next two decades . In total, the city expects 39,000 more residents by 2045. The plan now just needs final approval from city council, which is set for Dec. 9. The plan also simplifies how the city views zoning, allowing city planners to streamline and diversify new development, according to Ben Brewer, a long-range planning supervisor with the city. — Griffen Smith, griffen.smith@missoulian.com Two large Missoula housing projects approved for TIF assistance to be scaled down A Missoula developer has significantly scaled down a proposal for a large apartment complex in Missoula, and city officials say another massive proposed housing complex will also be revised down. On Thursday, the Missoula Redevelopment Agency reviewed plans for a scaled-down version of Bissinger Place, which was originally proposed in the spring of 2022 . Back then, the MRA board unanimously approved $269,000 in Tax Increment Financing for Bissinger Place to help the developers with asbestos remediation, deconstruction of aging homes on the site, utility relocation and right-of-way improvements. The board also approved $50,000 in Facade Improvement Program grant funds for paint removal, windows, doors, an overhead door replacement and awnings. The project is located at 903 S. 1st W. near Loyola High School's football field. Back in 2022, the project was proposed to be a 61,500-square-foot, four-story, mixed-use development with 42 rental housing units and commercial space. The lot was deconstructed, but no construction has started on the project. — David Erickson, david.erickson@missoulian.com American Prairie donates land along Missouri, Judith rivers for possible state park A historic parcel of land along the Missouri and Judith rivers in central Montana has been donated to the Montana State Parks Foundation for a possible state park “benefiting outdoor enthusiasts and protecting natural resources and cultural heritage,” the group announced. "This donation and potential state park could benefit those who enjoy floating and fishing on the Judith and Missouri rivers, enrich the surrounding communities and honor Montana’s rich ranching heritage and Indigenous history,” said Angie Grove, president of the foundation’s board of directors, in a press release. The 109.43 acres of land located about 23 miles northwest of Winifred was offered by the Bozeman-based nonprofit American Prairie. "This donation represents an important step towards preserving the historical and cultural legacy of the area,” said Alison Fox, CEO of American Prairie, in a press release. The group bought the 47,000-acre PN Ranch , encircling the donated parcel, in 2016. — Brett French, bfrench@billingsgazette.com Livingston artist examines cartoonish colonialism Who is John Henry Haseltine? You could try to answer that question in a few ways. For starters, there’s his biographical information. Haseltine lives in Livingston now and has become a mainstay on the Gallatin Valley theatrical stage, but he was born in New York City and grew up all over, with stops in Jackson Hole and Kalispell. You could look up his IMDb page. Haseltine got a degree in film production from Boston’s Emerson College, one of America’s most prestigious liberal arts universities, which has produced creatives like David Cross, Paul Thomas Anderson, Norman Lear and, of course, the guy who wrote “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” After graduation Haseltine lived in L.A. for years. His credits include behind-the-scenes work on HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” directing the music video for a Chromeo remix of Donna Summer’s “Love is in Control” and a few films of his own. The most notable of those is “Spring: The Fairest of the Seasons,” a bonkers 30-minute short he shot in Montana in 2016. But if you really want to know who Haseltine is, what he likes and what makes him tick, you need to see his new art exhibition, “The Mountain Clown and Other Foul Animals,” which is at the Yellowstone Art Museum until February. — Jake Iverson, jiverson@billingsgazette.com At the Roxy: Ariana Grande gets 'Wicked,' 'RRR' roars back Missoula's community cinema is screening the new adaptation of the Broadway hit. They're also bringing back the head-spinning cult favorite "RRR." — Charlotte Macorn, for the Missoulian Things to do: Star-struck theater, vibey brewery jazz You can see a contemporary play about astronomy on campus, a bingo-themed production at the Senior Center, or hear a new Khruangbin-style band with local members of touring soul acts. — Cory Walsh, cory.walsh@missoulian.com Citizen grand juries and county militias: The quiet rise of Tactical Civics in Montana EAST HELENA — Steve Wagner stepped on the stage and gazed out over the pews. He was at the Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church to baptize a few dozen believers in a new Christian nationalist movement, one that’s crystalized around the idea that citizen-spurred grand juries and county militias are the instruments against omnipresent government corruption. The stakes, Wagner told them through a wired microphone headset, could not be higher. "We know we are sitting ducks. This criminal gang in Washington, D.C., right down through the channels of our state in the temples of government, we know that they could pick any one of us off at any minute, and there’s not a lot we can do about it," Wagner told the audience. At the meeting that night in April 2021, Wagner marshaled the simmering resentment in the room over public health measures to stem the spread of COVID-19, the 2020 election results and Black Lives Matter riots. He told the few dozen seated before him that these events had primed them all. "They can shut our business down; they can drain our bank account. Won’t be long before they have their way. You can’t go hardly anywhere unless you’ve got your little card that say’s you’ve been vaccinated — that’s what’s coming, we all know it, if we stay on the course that we are." Wagner, who lives in Whitehall, told the group they were now all on the forefront of turning the tide back, if they were willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work. — Seaborn Larson, seaborn.larson@missoulian.com Missoula Fairgrounds to get up to $120K from hosting Zootown Music Festival The Missoula County Fairgrounds will get a rental fee of at least $50,000 — and up to $120,000 depending on the number of tickets sold — for allowing concert promoters to host the two-day Zootown Music Festival at the fairgrounds on July 4-5, 2025. Fairgrounds events and operations manager Billie Ayers shared the 21-page facility use agreement the Fairgrounds signed with Always On LLC, the main concert promoter for the new festival. The term of the lease is for six days every year starting in 2025 and ending in 2029, meaning the festival could be held every summer through 2029. There are stipulations in the contract that state the concert promoters must pay for any delays in cleanup or damage to the Fairgrounds. Ayers said that the county won’t be liable if there’s, for example, damage to fencing or to the turf or arena. — David Erickson, david.erickson@missoulian.com Kalispell-based Rat's Army owner accused of illegally selling drugs to bodybuilders The owner of Rat’s Army LLC, a defunct online company based in Kalispell, has been charged in federal court with illegally distributing a class of pharmaceuticals popular among some bodybuilders. Tyler J. Hall was charged earlier this month in U.S. District Court in Missoula with the introduction of unapproved drugs into interstate commerce, a violation of federal law that requires approval by the federal Food and Drug Administration to sell the chemicals for human consumption. A plea agreement has been filed in the case, according to court documents, and Hall is scheduled for a change-of-plea hearing on Dec. 3. The agreement calls for Hall to admit to the single charge in the case, and in exchange prosecutors will move for a reduction in his offense level at sentencing. — Sam Wilson, sam.wilson@missoulian.com Missoula authorized campsite proposals in works, city tweaks strategy with shelters Missoula's homelessness service providers are working on a cost and workload estimate to establish and operate an authorized campsite to serve the city's homeless population, but it is unclear if that could become a reality any time soon. The city's urban camping law passed in June directs Missoula's mayor to propose an authorized camping site if it is "feasible, practicable, and in the public interest." There hasn't been an authorized campsite for the homeless in Missoula since summer 2022 . Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis said during a Wednesday city committee quarterly update on homeless programs that city council would need to approve any proposed authorized campsite, and discussions taking place now are only preliminary. "Folks are taking a look at what it would take," Davis said, adding current law allows for one to be established. — Griffen Smith, griffen.smith@missoulian.com 'The best scenario': The Last Best Ride gravel race continues in '25 under new owner This was almost the last best year for The Last Best Ride. The gravel road bicycle race, in its fourth running this past July, drew about 600 cyclists from around the state and continent to compete on a mostly unpaved course of mountainous roads around Whitefish. Behind the scenes this late summer and fall, organizers and their friends — primarily western Montana locals — worried the event wouldn't happen in 2025. Riders from Montana-based Frontiers Racing line up at the start of the 2024 edition of The Last Best Ride gravel race. But on Nov. 14, race founder and organizer Jess Cerra, a Whitefish native and former professional racer, announced the event wasn't going away. Shaun Radley of Missoula-based MTCX Skis, Bikes and Events had agreed to buy The Last Best Ride, Cerra wrote in a social media post . She and other original organizers like Stella Hobbs, a rising pro rider and owner of Great Northern Cycle & Ski shop, would continue their involvement in the race. — Joshua Murdock, joshua.murdock@missoulian.com 'Very disheartening': Deer and elk poached in Potomac, Bitterroot A white-tailed buck deer was shot and left to waste in Potomac last week, and state game officials are offering a cash reward for tips about the incident. Separately, the agency is also seeking tips on the poaching of at least three mule deer bucks and one bull elk found killed and left to waste around the West Fork Bitterroot River. According to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, a Potomac resident reported the buck on Nov. 13, and it was likely shot the day before. The animal was found dead in a field on private property. The agency announced Monday evening that Warden Chris Hamilton was seeking information about the killing, and that people who submit tips could be eligible for a reward up to $1,000 cash. Tips can submitted directly to Hamilton at 406-210-7513 or anonymously online at tipmont.mt.gov . Hamilton said in a phone call Tuesday afternoon that there was a small chance the deer was wounded by a legal hunting shot, moved locations and wasn't recovered, but "it doesn't seem as likely" because of where it was found. — Joshua Murdock, joshua.murdock@missoulian.com Business Buzz: New CEO at Western MT Mental Health; Small Business Saturday Small Business Saturday, which encourages shopping local instead of at "big box" stores, will be held on Nov. 30 and there's specials in downtown Missoula. — David Erickson, david.erickson@missoulian.com New Lewis and Clark art exhibit opens at Travelers’ Rest State Park Nov. 29 LOLO — Travelers’ Rest State Park is hosting a temporary exhibit, “Pop! Goes the Expedition: Pictures of an Expedition,” from Friday, Nov. 29 through March 25. The display is centered on the theme of how Lewis and Clark's Expedition is represented in art and pop culture. Visitors to Travelers’ Rest State Park can view the free exhibit during regular winter visitor center hours, Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Celebrate the exhibit opening with a special family-friendly activity available any time on Nov. 29 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. “Pop! Goes the Expedition” includes reproductions of some of the most famous paintings of the expedition by artists like Charles M. Russell, Frederic Remington and N.C. Wyeth. Additional works by contemporary Montana artists, including Robert Morgan and Courtney Blazon, offer different viewpoints. Display cases contain a carefully curated selection of objects from pop culture including movie posters, novels, toys and collectibles. More than 50 books and objects, as well as 17 original and reproduction works of art, will be on display from Nov. 29 through March 25. — Montana FWP Gianforte says he'll cut income taxes; critics say it fails to help working Montanans Gov. Greg Gianforte released details on his proposed roughly $18 billion budget last week, giving state lawmakers and residents a glimpse into his vision for the state over the next two years. His self-described "conservative" plan features decreased property taxes, investments in public safety and boosts to teacher pay. House Bill 2, the major appropriations bill, charts a plan for the majority of the state government's earnings and spending every two years. The governor works with the state Legislature to craft and pass the budget. During a press conference Nov. 13, Gianforte pitched his plan as a balanced budget that avoids cuts to essential services and caps spending increases at a level below inflation, which he repeatedly blamed on White House policy. — Carly Graf, carly.graf@missoulian.com New fishing regulations implemented to protect bull trout in northwest Montana The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission recently approved changes it says will add protections for bull trout in northwest Montana as officials report seeing record low numbers of spawning nests, known as redds, in one of the last places they thrive in the state. The new changes will affect the South Fork of the Flathead River, the Hungry Horse Reservoir, Big Salmon Lake and Big Salmon Creek. Bull trout were listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act in 1998, and the South Fork of the Flathead River is one of the last strongholds for the fish in Montana because the Hungry Horse Dam has limited the encroachment of nonnative species. “These changes are intended to be a proactive measure that maintains limited fishing opportunity but reduces the amount of handling stress on bull trout,” said Leo Rosenthal, a Fish, Wildlife & Parks fisheries biologist based in Kalispell. “These fish are important ecologically and culturally, but they are also an important sport fish. We want to maintain opportunity for anglers to pursue this unique native species.” — David Erickson, david.erickson@missoulian.com One year after attack on neighbors, Polson man set to stand trial A man who drove his pickup truck into his neighbor's home in Polson in 2023 is set to stand trial for attempted murder next month, more than a year after he was arrested and treated for extreme burns from the incident. Paul Ailport, 65, faces charges for attempted homicide, arson and criminal mischief stemming from a multi-year feud with the Schiele family in a rural Mission Valley neighborhood near Polson. The Schieles, who lived next door, described a multi-year saga of aggression from Ailport leading up to the morning he drove his truck into their home in a story published by the Missoulian in February. Paul Ailport's truck smolders after he crashed it into his neighbors' home on Nov. 10, 2023. The vehicle was filled with fireworks and covered with gasoline. Ailport and his wife moved into the rural neighborhood between late 2021 and early 2022, the Schieles said. Things were normal until Ailport started moving his car business of 30-40 vehicles onto the property. — Griffen Smith, griffen.smith@missoulian.com Public backlash sends Missoula street project back to planning Missoula's city council delayed a project to build sidewalks and boulevards along Eaton Street on Monday night after several residents brought concerns of costs and a lack of effectiveness to calm area traffic. The council agreed to send the project back to committee for more work to address resident concerns and the project design. About a dozen residents spoke against the project during the meeting. The project comes with a shared cost for homeowners, which could cost up to $9,000 per homeowner under city policy. Residents shared concerns that the price could be too much for them to afford. — Griffen Smith, griffen.smith@missoulian.com City council approves Missoula Southgate Crossing land purchase The city of Missoula approved the purchase of 13 acres of vacant land behind Southgate Mall for $5.88 million on Monday night, turning the page toward a planned redevelopment for housing, commercial and park space on the property. The council approved the Southgate Crossing purchase 9-2, with councilors Bob Campbell and Sandra Vasecka opposed. The city has eyed the land for decades as a "catalyst" for adding density to Missoula's Midtown. "This is one of the rare times that we get to be really proactive, and we get to make decisions for what's going to happen on that block," Ward 2 Councilor Sierra Farmer said. "This is the time where we can bring infrastructure in before it's too late." The money for the purchase comes from the Missoula Redevelopment Agency via Tax Increment Financing, which was approved by the MRA board on Oct. 31. — Griffen Smith, griffen.smith@missoulian.com City approves land purchase for new Missoula park on Northside Missoulians will soon get a new park on the Northside after the city council approved spending more than $2 million to purchase roughly 5 acres on North Scott Street on Monday night. The new Northside park is meant to add open space capacity to a growing residential district. The city purchased the 5.4 acres of land from the Resurrection Cemetery Association, which will retain a small cemetery on the northeast corner of the plot. — Griffen Smith, griffen.smith@missoulian.com Missoula County Fairgrounds to host two-day Zootown Music Festival in 2025 A group of entertainment production companies have announced a music festival slated to be held at the Missoula County Fairgrounds on Friday, July 4 and Saturday, July 5, 2025. The Zootown Music Festival will feature musical artists Hozier, Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Mt. Joy, Lake Street Dive, Modest Mouse, Julien Baker and Torres and perhaps a dozen more yet-to-be announced smaller acts. The festival's organizers sent out a press release this week and are having a press conference to answer questions on Tuesday afternoon. It will be organized by Always On LLC, Knitting Factory Presents and Shore Sound Entertainment in partnership with Destination Missoula and the University of Montana’s Entertainment Management program. — David Erickson, david.erickson@missoulian.com Financing, weather, inflation, lack of labor: Construction experts explain challenges There are plenty of vacant pieces of property or older, under-utilized buildings around Missoula, so why don’t developers just build new housing on these parcels to address the housing shortage? It turns out it’s complicated, according to three panelists at the City Club Missoula forum on Monday who all discussed the challenges of infill construction and the barriers to building diverse housing. “All the easy projects have already been done,” explained Chris Chitty, the president of Hone Architects and Builders in Missoula. “All the low-hanging fruit has been picked. All the projects that are left need creativity. They need head-scratching. They need back-and-forth with regulators. They’re not straightforward.” Chitty said his company mostly does smaller infill housing projects, like a small row of townhomes. Developers have to bring a considerable amount of upfront cash equity to a project in order to get a bank loan, he said. “Nobody just loans you all the money,” he said. “It’s more than 20% like you would have for a home mortgage. You need 25% to 30%, sometimes more if you’ve got a riskier development.” — David Erickson, david.erickson@missoulian.com Community Medical Center targeted for alleged role in Hurst sex abuse case At least 14 women who have accused former Missoula doctor Tyler Hurst of sexual abuse have filed claims against Community Medical Center with the Montana Medical Legal Panel — a required first step toward a malpractice lawsuit against the hospital for its role in the alleged assaults. Community Medical Center wasn’t named in a civil complaint against Hurst, filed by AVA Law Group in Missoula in August. But attorneys for the women wrote in that complaint that the hospital had failed “to act on a lot of red flags.” Tyler J. Hurst, 40, has been previously accused in Missoula County District Court of raping or sexually assaulting 15 women during his time as an emergency room doctor at Community Medical Center. He has pleaded not guilty to eight criminal charges, including six felonies, in Missoula District Court. Hurst’s next court appearance in his criminal case is scheduled for Thursday. — Sam Wilson, sam.wilson@missoulian.com Whitefish music fest Under the Big Sky rolls out 2025 lineup The Under the Big Sky Festival in Whitefish has announced its lineup for 2025, including headliners Tyler Childers, Mumford and Sons, and the Red Clay Strays. The festival’s sixth installment lands on July 18-20 at Big Mountain Ranch, a 360-acre working ranch that can accommodate multiple stages and even a rough-stock rodeo, according to a news release sent on Monday from promoter Outriders Present. Last year, the festival drew 20,000 attendees per day, the company said. Childers, a rootsy Kentucky songwriter who’s risen to the top of the country genre, is returning to Montana fresh from a sold-out concert at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in August. British folk act Mumford and Sons haven’t performed in the state since a 2019 appearance at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field. Alabama rock ‘n’ roll band the Red Clay Strays went viral on TikTok and channeled the attention into a new album, “Live at the Ryman.” Almost 40 acts in the country, roots, folk and bluegrass vein will perform over three days at the family-friendly event. Other artists include Grammy winner Wynonna Judd, online sensation Oliver Anthony, up-and-comer Wyatt Flores, “Yellowstone” star Luke Grimes and more. — Cory Walsh, cory.walsh@missoulian.com Sentencing set for Benson in Superior double-homicide case A man found guilty last month of fatally shooting his wife and their friend in a Superior bar in 2023 will be sentenced on Jan. 3. Kraig W. Benson, 48, was convicted of two counts of deliberate homicide at the end of a weeklong jury trial in October. He admitted to killing his wife , Jenny Benson, and their friend, Logan Gardner, at the Four Aces Bar on Aug. 27, 2023. Kraig W. Benson enters the courtroom at the Ravalli County Courthouse on Monday, Oct. 21 in Hamilton. With surveillance footage from the Four Aces Bar clearly showing Benson shooting the two victims multiple times with a handgun, Benson's defense attorneys had sought to obtain convictions on a lesser charge , mitigated deliberate homicide. — Sam Wilson, sam.wilson@missoulian.com Tribes, US and Canada agree on Lake K selenium study board Eleven governments — two countries, two states, a province and six Indigenous tribes — have a stake in the Elk and Kootenai rivers that flow through Montana, Idaho and British Columbia. Now, for the first time, all 11 are officially working together to address toxic mining contamination from Canadian coal mines that flows into the Elk, which empties into the Kootenai (Kootenay in Canada) and Lake Koocanusa, and pollutes a broad watershed spanning states and countries. The issue is being addressed by the International Joint Commission, a bi-national body created under the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty between the U.S. and Canada. The IJC exists to address trans-boundary water management or quality disputes. Waste rock piles form a terraced landscape at Teck Resources' mothballed Coal Mountain Operations mine southeast of Sparwood, British Columbia. The company owns four active mines to the north. The governments of Canada and its province of British Columbia had long resisted joining the U.S. to issue a joint reference of the issue to the IJC. But, under more than a decade of pressure from the trans-boundary Ktunaxa Nation and, more recently, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, the Canadian governments relented and joined a reference in March . The Ktunaxa Nation announced Wednesday that all 11 governments tapped by the IJC to form a governance body for the Elk-Kootenai/y Watershed had approved the terms of the reference — the document that outlines the group's structure, function, rules and goals — with Canada doing so only recently, months after a June 30 deadline. — Joshua Murdock, joshua.murdock@missoulian.com Tribal housing authority invites non-Native support amid housing crisis The Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority has launched a new program that invites non-Natives to “join a community of solidarity,” where members both commit to learning about tribal history and culture and make financial or other contributions to support tribal members in need of housing on the reservation. Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority (SKHA) Executive Director Jody Cahoon Perez said the initiative “brings people together to meet two different needs.” “Some tribal members need housing, and some non-Natives need a way to engage with the people who have stewarded this land since time immemorial.” Communities nationwide face housing crises, and the problem is exacerbated in Indian Country, where people must engage with slow and opaque government processes, where Termination Era policy contributes to widespread inequity and where limited federal funding does not come close to meeting infrastructure needs or community demand. — Nora Mabie, nora.mabie@missoulian.com Missoula 2045 growth plan scheduled for final votes The long-term framework document for growth within the city of Missoula is set for final votes in the next month, which would solidify the valley's new land use plan for the next decade. The Our Missoula Growth Policy Update and Code Reform plan has been under development for the past two years and residents are encouraged to comment on the plan as the final touches are made. The land use plan calls for 22,000 new homes in Missoula by 2045 to keep up with population growth. The new zoning would allow for more land uses in neighborhoods, like duplexes and multi-use buildings . "The Our Missoula 2045 Land Use Plan builds on the foundation of the current Our Missoula 2035 Growth Policy, which establishes Missoula’s policy to focus growth inward toward existing services and amenities and away from costly sprawl," the city said in a press release Friday. "The proposed Plan outlines a vision for Missoula that can meet community needs and desires; support housing supply; attract new businesses; protect the environment; and plan infrastructure effectively." Missoula's Consolidated Planning Board is set for final consideration of the plan on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. in the Sophie Moise Room of the Missoula County Courthouse. — Griffen Smith, griffen.smith@missoulian.com After-school program helps Missoula students bring dream projects to life It can be hard for families of teenagers to find something for them to do after school. Families First is trying to fill that gap with the Dream Bigger Afterschool Program that launched in September, which is aimed at helping seventh through 12th graders pursue their passion projects at Missoula and Lolo’s public libraries. For the kids, that means time, mentorship and resources to work on anything from SCUBA certification to filmmaking. The goal is that they’ll create something that’ll do more than just gather dust, teen program director Nick Ehlers said. For Allyson Curran, a seventh-grade student at C.S. Porter Middle School, that hopefully means launching a game for horror enthusiasts to play. That game, currently titled "Catfe," takes place at a cat cafe, where players will be able to play as either a worker or customer. They’ll uncover the cat-sacrificing demon-dealing mysteries of the nefarious cafe owner, all while running from monstrous cats. During a recent day at the program, Curran had sketches of possible cafe logos, playable characters and possessed villains strewn across her desk, showcasing a cute yet unsettling style for the game’s art direction. Allyson Curran, left, and Bella Curran, center, work with program instructors at the Dream Bigger Afterschool Program at the Missoula Public Library on Tuesday, Nov. 12. On another table sprawled a black and white photo of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. That photo was taken by Chris Taylor, and will be auctioned off as part of the program to pay for his daughter, Selene Taylor, to get SCUBA certified. — Andy Tallman, andy.tallman@missoulian.com A Carousel for Missoula reunited with a new vintage pony A Carousel for Missoula has added a new pony to its herd. Technically, it’s more of a reunion. The wood-carved horse, about a hundred years old, was part of a carousel at Ponderosa Ranch, an amusement park outside Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where some parts of the Western television show “Bonanza” were filmed. The frame for that carousel was eventually sold separately from the animals and ended up here in Missoula at Caras Park, where it was outfitted with horses hand-carved by local volunteers. John Thompson, an original carver for the Carousel for Missoula, looks up at the newly installed vintage pony on Tuesday, Nov. 12. This new addition took a circuitous route. Years ago, it was bought at auction by a private collector in California, said Tracy Ursery, the executive director of the nonprofit carousel. The donor is moving to the East Coast and felt “it was time to let the horse go,” Ursery said. The donor looked up the history of that horse and carousel frame and then reached out to Missoula and thought it was the best place for it to land. While the horse, complete with an intact patina, was installed on Tuesday, no one’s allowed to ride it to ensure it stays in good shape. Thankfully, there are the many other options that volunteers have maintained since it opened. — Cory Walsh, cory.walsh@missoulian.com When a theater company plays bingo, anything can happen A bingo game in honor of the dead should not be funereal, but celebratory. Think dance numbers, satirical music, surprise guests, unprovoked confessions. There will also be prizes, raffles and drinks. At least, that’s the card you’ll play if you show up at the Missoula Senior Center for a memorial game in honor of Lula Mae Johnson, a wealthy Missoula resident, avid bingo fan and somewhat of a free spirit. She’s also a fiction, the centerpiece of “Bingo! A Night of Theatre, Dance, and Prizes,” an interactive dramatic experience put on by the Montana Repertory Theatre the next two weekends. Eliza McNelly, playing Young Lula Mae, and Amy Ragsdale as Marion during a rehearsal for Montana Repertory Theatre’s production of “Bingo! A Night of Theatre, Dance & Prizes” at the Missoula Senior Center on Wednesday evening. The Rep’s series “Plays on Tap” is intended to bring theater out of the physical theater and make it a more immersive, more casual experience. In this case, you step into the Senior Center, buy a beer and take a seat with your bingo card. Your emcee is an actor, Monroe Ayers, playing Lula Mae’s agreeable but visibly stressed nephew, Jeff. Once the show gets started, real rounds of bingo are played along with the unfolding story, written by four professional playwrights. The player sitting next to you could very well be an actor from the University of Montana or a local professional, but you might not realize that until the right moment. Like any funeral in a movie, things don’t go as planned but the results are funny and moving in ways you might not expect. — Cory Walsh, cory.walsh@missoulian.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship'

BY MIKE PETRO Nov. 26, 2024 Plans scrapped for four-story academic building on university’s West Avenue campus After halting construction this spring on a $175 million project to construct an osteopathic medical school on Buffalo’s West Side, D’Youville University is scrapping those plans and looking elsewhere for a program site. D’Youville will still open a College of Osteopathic Medicine, but instead will do so inside rented space in downtown Buffalo, according to the university. D'Youville College is implementing a four-day work week for employees. (News file photo) A lease agreement was signed in October, but D’Youville officials would not reveal any further details about the site. It will be D’Youville’s second expansion downtown, following the opening of the Medical Extension offices at 712 Main St. “We are working with a new development partner and plan to disclose additional details in the new year,” the university said in a statement. A rendering of D’Youville University’s proposed new four-story academic building, next to its completed Health Professions Hub, that ultimately would be the home of a proposed medical school. Site work for the four-story, 104,000-square-foot academic building on the university’s campus at 443 West Ave. started earlier this year, but paused in May due to soaring construction costs and financing problems due to higher interest rates. Contractors had dug a giant hole in the ground on the site of the former parking lot, which remains to this day. But after weeks of work on-site, all the workers and equipment were suddenly removed. A rendering of D'Youville University's proposed new four-story academic building, next to its completed Health Professions Hub. Following the completion of environmental remediation and utilities relocation on the site, D’Youville is considering the development of housing at the location. Even after the transition of Madonna Hall back to a residential facility, the university’s recent NCAA Division II athletics transition has created the demand for additional housing, D’Youville said. A rendering of D'Youville University's proposed $175 million osteopathic medical school. Construction on the project has been paused due to financial considerations, a university official said. D’Youville confirmed in February it would open a College of Osteopathic Medicine on its campus that would educate 720 students at a time. The plan had originally been unveiled in late 2022 as an expansion of its health care programs. The university had intended to invest $100 million in the new building and set aside $50 million in reserve funds as insurance in case the program failed, and another $25 million just to cover startup costs for the first three years until it could break even at 400 students. Anastasiia Horova leads Saint toward the Koessler Administration Building after taking him out for a walk. To pay for it, D’Youville planned to invest $35 million of its own cash, while obtaining $48 million in taxable bonds through the Industrial Land Development Corp., an affiliate of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency. The bulk of the project cost would have been financed through bank loans or other means. UB climbs in entrepreneurship ranking The University at Buffalo is again ranked as one of the top and climbing worldwide undergraduate schools for entrepreneurship studies. For the third consecutive year, Entrepreneur magazine and The Princeton Review have named UB to the list, at No. 41 overall, up three spots from last year. UB also ranked No. 22 among public universities and No. 7 in the Northeast. Based on a 2024 survey of nearly 300 schools in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe offering entrepreneurship studies, the ranking factors in more than 40 data points about school programs, faculty, students and alumni. The growth has been fueled by collaborative efforts among several UB entities, including the School of Management, the UB Startup and Innovation Collaboratory powered by Blackstone LaunchPad, Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships and the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, according to UB officials. UB offers a wide range of entrepreneurial experiences, including courses, competitions, hackathons, boot camps, innovation sprints, design challenges, venture support, early funding, investment programs and e-labs. Also happening at UB: • The School of Management is ranked fifth among business schools in the nation based on the return on investment it provides MBA graduates, according to Bloomberg Businessweek’s ROI calculator. Of the 73 schools in the ROI calculator, UB's management school is the only business school from the Buffalo Niagara region to make the list and even finished ahead of top business schools at Harvard (No. 42), Penn (No. 51) and Cornell (No. 45). • Lillvis, which is led by researchers from UB, received a $100,000 grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences for a two-year project studying why hospital complications may occur for children with special health care needs following physical trauma. These special needs include chronic conditions such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, depression, spina bifida or Down syndrome. • A team from the School of Social Work has received a $3.6 million Department of Education grant to develop and implement the Buffalo Mental Health Service Professional fellowship program for graduate students designed to increase the number of highly trained, school-based social workers in rural communities. The program will provide training and coursework meant to address the unique mental health issues facing students and families living in these areas. Forty-six fellows will participate during the five-year grant period. Welcome to Buffalo Next. This newsletter from The Buffalo News brings you the latest coverage on the changing Buffalo Niagara economy – from real estate to health care to startups. Read more at BuffaloNext.com . THE LATEST Two of Buffalo's top development officials have been ousted . New solar project starts construction in Great Valley. Scanlon, Poloncarz criticize land bank for delays and cost of homes on projects in Buffalo and Cheektowaga. How do the Bills believe they will ever get to the more than 5,000 potential season ticket holder accounts on their waitlist for the new stadium and why advertise for more of them? Developers battle over Tonawanda Island site but sewer capacity may hinder projects. What went wrong at Tonawanda's Sumitomo tire plant ? And why did Sumitomo's Japan-based parent decide to pull the plug now? Work has begun on venture studio built to fill void in Buffalo's entrepreneurial space . Artisans report as much as 50% of their annual revenue comes from the holiday shopping season. Now valued at $5 billion, Odoo welcomes Google parent company venture fund as co-lead investor. An incentive package containing $11.6 million in sales and property tax breaks could help Wells Enterprises bring 270 jobs to Dunkirk. Local startup Rookery Labs will move into a space at the Northland Center. Family Promise of Western New York wants to build a second emergency shelter for homeless . StoreCash , one of five $1 million winners in last year’s 43North competition, has completed a $3.7 million seed funding round. The Buffalo Niagara region's jobless rate has risen to 3.6%. A report says the Buffalo Bills are ready to sell an about 20% minority stake in team. The cost of the new Buffalo Bills stadium is going up by almost 25% . A downtown golf project is getting a boost from a new investor . ICYMI Five reads from Buffalo Next: 1. Locally owned stores are pulling out all the stops to attract customers who may otherwise be lured in by the convenience of major retailers and online shopping. 2. Get the story behind Evans Bank's hunt for a merger , which ended with the Amherst-based bank's acquisition by NBT Bank. 3. A lot goes into getting local grocery stores ready for the Thanksgiving shopping rush . 4. Buffalo officials are considering whether to impose more restrictions on short-term rentals. 5. How retailers try to entice shoppers to do their holiday buying early . The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the region’s economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Buffalo Next Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up to get the latest in your inbox five days a week . Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Tulane QB Mensah transfers to Duke

Putin says he will fire MORE of Russia's new hypersonic missiles at targets in Ukraine and has already begun mass production of the nuclear-capable weapon By MIRIAM KUEPPER Published: 12:32 EST, 22 November 2024 | Updated: 13:18 EST, 22 November 2024 e-mail 223 View comments Vladimir Putin has said he will fire more of Russia 's new hypersonic missiles at targets in Ukraine. The Russian president added that his country has already begun mass production of the nuclear-capable weapon. Putin also said that Moscow would carry out more tests of the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile in 'combat conditions,' a day after firing one on Ukraine. 'We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and character of the security threats posted to Russia,' he said in a televised meeting with military chiefs. Putin said that while it isn't an intercontinental missile, it's so powerful that the use of several of them fitted with conventional warheads in one attack could be as devastating as a strike with strategic - or nuclear - weapons. Russia fired the new-generation missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro early Thursday in a major escalation of the weaponry being deployed in the nearly three-year conflict. The Kremlin boss also ordered the missile, which flies at speeds of Mach 10 - 10 times the speed of sound - to be put into serial production. Russia is developing similar advanced systems, he added. 'We need to begin serial production. The decision... has in effect been taken,' Putin said, praising the 'particular strength of this weapon and its power. The moment Russia used the Oreshnik for the first time to strike Dnipro, on November 21 Security camera footage out of the central-eastern city of Dnipro showed several projectiles streaking in and detonating in a series of violent, fiery explosions 'The weapon system that was tested yesterday is another faithful guarantee of Russia's territorial integrity and sovereignty,' he added. Putin claimed no other countries in the world had such missile technology. While he conceded other states would soon develop them, he said: 'That will be tomorrow, after a year or two. But we have this system now. That's important.' His choreographed meeting with the defence minister and those in charge of developing the missile came at the end of a week that has seen the Ukraine conflict escalate rapidly. Putin said the firing of the Oreshnik missile was a direct response to Kyiv's forces using US- and UK-supplied missiles on Russian territory for the first time. In an address to the nation on Thursday, Putin said Russia reserved the right to fire missiles at military facilities in countries whose weapons are being used by Ukraine - specifically the United States and Britain. Meanwhile, Ukraine is asking its Western partners for updated air defence systems after Russia fired an ultra-fast ballistic missile at the city of Dnipro this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday. 'Ukraine's defence minister is already holding meetings with our partners on new air defence systems - exactly the kind of systems that can protect lives from new risks,' Zelensky said in an evening video address published on social media. A Russian animation simulates how a Yars ICBM is deployed The RS-24 Yars is capable of unleashing up to four separate nuclear warheads anywhere in the US after flying through space at 19,000mph A grab taken from handout footage released by the Russian Defence Ministry on March 1, 2024 purport to show the test firing of an ICBM belonging to the country's nuclear deterrence forces Read More Putin's new missile leaves the whole of Europe minutes from Armageddon Ukraine's parliament canceled a session as security was tightened following Thursday's Russian strike on the military facility in Dnipro. NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked Dnipro with the experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. The conflict is 'entering a decisive phase,' Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday, and 'taking on very dramatic dimensions.' Gen. Sergei Karakayev, head of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, said the Oreshnik could reach targets across Europe and be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads, echoing Putin's claim that even with conventional warheads, 'the massive use of the weapon would be comparable in effect to the use of nuclear weapons.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up Russia's bellicose tone on Friday, blaming 'the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries' in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia. 'The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have also been quite clearly outlined,' he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, echoed Moscow's talking points, suggesting the use of U.S.-supplied weapons in Ukraine likely requires direct American involvement. 'These are rockets that are fired and then guided to a target via an electronic system, which requires the world's most advanced technology and satellite communications capability,' Orbán said on state radio. 'There is a strong assumption - that these missiles cannot be guided without the assistance of American personnel.' Orbán cautioned against underestimating Russia's responses, emphasizing that the country's recent modifications to its nuclear deployment doctrine should not be dismissed as a 'bluff.' 'It's not a trick- there will be consequences,' he said. This is a breaking news story. More to follow. Ukraine Russia Vladimir Putin Moscow Share or comment on this article: Putin says he will fire MORE of Russia's new hypersonic missiles at targets in Ukraine and has already begun mass production of the nuclear-capable weapon e-mail Add commentMorrisons Christmas shoppers angry as 10 per cent discount 'not working'

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Challenge Cup: Edinburgh v Bayonne Edinburgh (12) 52 Tries: Currie, Tuipulotu, Graham 2, Van der Merwe, Dodd 2, Ritchie Cons: Thompson 3, Healy 3 Bayonne (0) 12 Tries: Martin, Germain Cons: Lopez A superb second-half display secured Edinburgh a comfortable bonus-point win over Bayonne in the Challenge Cup. Sean Everitt's side took a 12-point lead into half-time thanks to tries from Matt Currie and Mosese Tuipulotu, but they went through the gears after the break with six further tries. Darcy Graham - who was the best player on the park - scored twice, as did replacement Tom Dodd, while there were also scores for Duhan van der Merwe and Jamie Ritchie. Lucas Martin and Baptiste Germain crossed for the visitors as they tried to rally early in the second period, but Edinburgh kept the French outfit at arm's length before taking total control. It provides Edinburgh with real impetus before their 1872 Cup double-header against Glasgow Warriors either side of Christmas. Graham spoke after the game about how Edinburgh's collective fitness helped them pull away from the visitors in the second half, but it was the Scotland winger's pace, tenacity and dancing feet that led the home side in attack. He set up Currie's score with a brilliant burst down the right, before a slaloming run took Edinburgh into Bayonne's 22 in the build-up to Tuipulotu's try. The 27-year-old then combined with Wes Goosen to cross himself, before showing impressive upper-body strength to hold off openside flanker Baptiste Heguy and dot down for his second. Much was made of Van der Merwe extending his stay with Edinburgh earlier this week and the wing strolled under the posts for a try of his own, but Graham delivered a reminder - not that many needed it - of his world-class ability. The Edinburgh duo are battling it out on the international stage to be Scotland's all-time Test try scorer, but against Bayonne, it was all about Graham. Edinburgh : Goosen; Graham, Currie, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Thompson, Price; Schoeman, Ashman, Hill, Sykes, Gilchrist (c), Ritchie, Crosbie, Bradbury. Replacements : Cherry, Venter, Sebastian, Skinner, Dodd, Shiel, Healy, Lang. Bayonne : Tiberghien; Callandret, Erbinartegaray, Martocq, Spring; Lopez, Germain; Bordelai, Martin, Cotet, Marchois, Poloniati, Capilla, Heguy, Bruni. Replacements : Van Jaarsveld, Cormenier, Scholtz, Bourdeau, Traversier, Machenaud, Segonds, Megdoud. Referee: Morne FerreiraPARIS (AP) — France’s president and prime minister managed to form a new government just in time for the holidays. Now comes the hard part. Crushing debt , intensifying pressure from the nationalist far right, wars in Europe and the Mideast: Challenges abound for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after an already tumultuous 2024. The most urgent order of business is passing a 2025 budget. Financial markets, ratings agencies and the European Commission are pushing France to bring down its deficit, to comply with EU rules limiting debt and keep France’s borrowing costs from spiraling. That would threaten the stability and prosperity of all countries that share the euro currency. France’s debt is currently estimated at a staggering 112% of gross domestic product. It grew further after the government gave aid payments to businesses and workers during COVID-19 lockdowns even as the pandemic depressed growth, and capped household energy prices after Russia invaded Ukraine. The bill is now coming due. But France’s previous government collapsed this month because Marine Le Pen’s far-right party and left-wing lawmakers opposed 60 billion euros in spending cuts and tax hikes in the original 2025 budget plan. Bayrou and new Finance Minister Eric Lombard are expected to scale back some of those promises, but the calculations are tough. “The political situation is difficult. The international situation is dangerous, and the economic context is fragile,” Lombard, a low-profile banker who advised a Socialist government in the 1990s, said upon taking office. “The environmental emergency, the social emergency, developing our businesses — these innumerable challenges require us to treat our endemic illness: the deficit,” he said. “The more we are indebted, the more the debt costs, and the more it suffocates the country.” This is France’s fourth government in the past year. No party has a parliamentary majority and the new Cabinet can only survive with the support of lawmakers on the center-right and center-left. Le Pen — Macron’s fiercest rival — was instrumental in ousting the previous government by joining left-wing forces in a no-confidence vote. Bayrou consulted her when forming the new government and Le Pen remains a powerful force. That angers left-wing groups, who had expected more influence in the new Cabinet, and who say promised spending cuts will hurt working-class families and small businesses hardest. Left-wing voters, meanwhile, feel betrayed ever since a coalition from the left won the most seats in the summer's snap legislative elections but failed to secure a government. The possibility of a new no-confidence vote looms, though it's not clear how many parties would support it. Macron has repeatedly said he will remain president until his term expires in 2027. But France's constitution and current structure, dating from 1958 and called the Fifth Republic, were designed to ensure stability after a period of turmoil. If this new government collapses within months and the country remains in political paralysis, pressure will mount for Macron to step down and call early elections. Le Pen's ascendant National Rally is intent on bringing Macron down. But Le Pen faces her own headaches: A March court ruling over alleged illegal party financing could see her barred from running for office. The National Rally and hard-right Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau want tougher immigration rules. But Bayrou wants to focus on making existing rules work. “There are plenty of (immigration) laws that exist. None is being applied," he said Monday on broadcaster BFM-TV, to criticism from conservatives. Military spending is a key issue amid fears about European security and pressure from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for Europe to spend more on its own defense. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who champions military aid for Ukraine and ramping up weapons production, kept his job and stressed in a statement Tuesday the need to face down ‘’accumulating threats'' against France. More immediately, Macron wants an emergency law in early January to allow sped-up reconstruction of the cyclone-ravaged French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean off Africa. Thousands of people are in emergency shelters and authorities are still counting the dead more than a week after the devastation. Meanwhile the government in the restive French South Pacific territory of New Caledonia collapsed Tuesday in a wave of resignations by pro-independence figures — another challenge for the new overseas affairs minister, Manuel Valls, and the incoming Cabinet. Associated Press writer David McHugh in Frankfurt contributed.

Frank Lampard makes admission as Coventry City 'match' West Brom apart from one vital area

slot game download MILWAUKEE (AP) — Erik Pratt had 20 points to help Milwaukee defeat North Central College 92-57 on Sunday. Pratt shot 5 for 9 (3 for 7 from 3-point range) and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Panthers (9-4). Jamichael Stillwell scored 12 points and added 10 rebounds. Learic Davis had 12 points and went 6 of 9 from the field (0 for 3 from 3-point range). The Cardinals were led in scoring by Sean Molloy, who finished with eight points. James Bullock and Drew Gaston scored seven each. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .New Delhi [India], December 23 (ANI): Mahesh Sachdev, former Ambassador to Bangladesh on Monday highlighted that Sheikh Hasina, ex-Prime Minister of Bangladesh can go to courts to fight extradition requests from Bangladesh's interim government. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Sachdev said that just like the extradition requests of India were rejected by other European countries on various caveats, Haina too can say that she does not trust her government and that she is likely to be treated unfairly. Sachdev added that the extradition treaty rules out extraditions in political consideration. Also Read | Sheikh Hasina Extradition: Bangladesh Requests India To Extradite Former Prime Minister; New Delhi Confirms Communication. "The extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh has various caveats which rule out extradition in case of political issues. But criminal issues are excluded from the political considerations. So all that is there and these caveats can be used. Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina can go to the court to fight extradition request saying she's likely to be treated unfairly. India can cite such instances as well that we not sure whether she would be treated fairly and by the justice system. You recall they were extradition of terrorists from Europe to India which were held back because Indian judicial system, Indian jails were not regarded as up to the standard for Europe. Mallya has used these arguments also to fight his extradition. So all these things are possibly going to pan out and it may be a rather protracted sort of affair to come with," he said. The extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh initially signed in 2013 and amended in 2016, was a strategic measure aimed at addressing the issue of insurgency and terrorism along the shared borders of the two nations. However, the extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh allows for refusal of extradition if the offence is of a political nature. Also Read | Brian Thompson Murder Case: Luigi Mangione Pleads Not Guilty to State Murder, Other Charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Death. "The authorities have today mentioned publicly that a note verbale has been given to India on this particular request saying that she is needed in Bangladesh to face justice without specifying what exact charges are there. We have an extradition treaty with Bangladesh, terms of that would be I suppose applicable. At the same time two or three communications are in order," he said. Sachdev said that note verbale is the lowest level of communication and is indicative of the priority attached. "Firstly, note verbale is the lowest level of communication between the two governments. It can be indicative of the priority attached. It's just to record something. If you want a visa note that's also a note verbale, an ordinary person going for a cultural tournament or something like that also requires a note verbale to be submitted to the other side so that he's looked after. There can be higher level ad memoirs etc. if the seriousness is to be indicated," he said. The political turmoil in Bangladesh has brought former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the forefront, not just in her homeland but also in India. Sachdev said that the case of Sheikh Hasina was flip flop because the extradition request was official and so was the request for asylum for her. "I would imagine that authorities in India and Bangladesh are in touch on this issue, even before our Foreign Secretary went to Bangladesh earlier this month, and would have discussed these possibilities. Bangladesh's demand for extradition of Sheikh Hasina is not new. It was, it has been periodically mentioned since she left in August. But then she left in August and was received in India based on an official request by the Bangladesh government at that time -- Saying, she's coming, please receive her. So there is a bit of a flip-flop there. I think there would be people in Bangladeshi authorities who would not heart of their hearts, expect her to be extradited quickly because this would cause all sorts of mayhem in Bangladeshi politics. It may become a focus and Sheikh Hasina may have some revelations which may embarrass the government in Bangladesh. So I think bilateral relations are going to be impacted, but then all these are expected moves. Like a sumo wrestler, you do something and the opponent does something else and people stay within the ring. And that is what is likely to happen. Of course, it will be used for domestic propaganda in Bangladesh, saying we asked, and they have not yet complied. So it's yet another blot on India, and yet another attempt to externalize Bangladesh's troubles at India's door," he said. Sachdev said that it cannot be decided for how long she will be here in India, as the asylum requests are decided on a political basis and there are no set rules. "I think her request is for asylum. Asylum requests are usually decided on a political basis. There are no set rules. There would be no deadline to my knowledge on such cases. And it is known even earlier that India had given her temporary asylum and suggested that she move on from there. She had requested the US, she had requested UK and other countries, and none of them accepted her plea to be allowed to settle in those countries. So she's here. Now that she's here, it will be impolitic for us to expel her," he said. Sachdev further gave examples of political leaders who have been given asylum before- such as the deposed Syrian dictator, who is now in asylum in Russia. "Only earlier this month, the Syrian dictator has been given asylum by Russia without questions being asked and without his extradition being demanded. There are various precedents of this kind and they have also mentioned that they are going to reach out to the International Criminal Court to have a warrant issued against Sheikh Hasina. Well, that's also a possibility but then the warrants have been issued against Netanyahu and Putin and they are still outstanding and they are conducting their jobs as they were. So I think the situation is a bit flex-full and it would depend on a lot of things happening below the surface, below the radar. That would eventually decide which way does it go," he said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

Stocks rally after inflation data but close lower for the week

ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 5, 2024-- Argan, Inc. (NYSE: AGX) (“Argan” or the “Company”) today announces financial results for its third quarter of fiscal year 2025 ended October 31, 2024. The Company will host an investor conference call today, December 5, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Consolidated Financial Highlights ($ in thousands, except per share data) October 31, For the Quarter Ended: 2024 2023 Change Revenues $ 257,008 $ 163,755 $ 93,253 Gross profit 44,327 19,235 25,092 Gross margin % 17.2 % 11.7 % 5.5 % Net income $ 28,010 $ 5,464 $ 22,546 Diluted income per share 2.00 0.40 1.60 EBITDA 37,509 12,180 25,329 Cash dividends per share 0.375 0.300 0.075 October 31, For the Nine Months Ended: 2024 2023 Change Revenues $ 641,705 $ 408,779 $ 232,926 Gross profit 93,376 57,201 36,175 Gross margin % 14.6 % 14.0 % 0.6 % Net income $ 54,090 $ 20,340 $ 33,750 Diluted income per share 3.91 1.50 2.41 EBITDA 74,241 33,774 40,467 Cash dividends per share 0.975 0.800 0.175 October 31, January 31, As of: 2024 2024 Change Cash, cash equivalents and investments $ 506,282 $ 412,405 $ 93,877 Net liquidity (1) 280,977 244,919 36,058 Share repurchase treasury stock, at cost 102,746 97,528 5,218 Project backlog 800,000 757,000 43,000 (1) Net liquidity, or working capital, is defined as total current assets less total current liabilities. David Watson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Argan, commented, “Our third quarter revenues and earnings, each the second highest in Company history, reflect strong execution across all of our businesses, which drove consolidated revenues growth of 57% to $257 million, gross margin of 17.2%, net income of $28.0 million, or $2.00 per diluted share, and EBITDA of $37.5 million. Our power industry services segment had a particularly strong quarter as evidenced by revenue growth of 75% to $212 million with gross margin of 18.3%, demonstrating our ability to drive enhanced profitability on our renewable as well as on our natural gas projects. “Our backlog of $0.8 billion at the close of the quarter increased 6% compared to backlog entering fiscal year 2025, and includes $478 million of renewable projects, reflecting the market appeal of our energy agnostic capabilities and our ability to diversify our backlog mix. The industry is seeing strong demand for natural gas projects and we believe that our expertise, well-established industry relationships and reputation for enabling efficient and on-budget project completion provide a competitive advantage as we pursue new opportunities. “As we move through the close of our fiscal year, we are encouraged by the strengthening pipeline of planned energy facilities as the industry prepares for the anticipated unprecedented growth in power demand driven by data centers, reshoring of manufacturing operations and increased EV charger utilization. We believe our successful track record as an effective partner in the construction of both traditional and renewable power facilities position us well to capitalize on the current and future need for high quality energy resources to support the power grid.” Third Quarter Results Consolidated revenues for the quarter ended October 31, 2024 were $257.0 million, an increase of $93.3 million, or 57%, from consolidated revenues of $163.8 million reported for the comparable prior year quarter. The Company achieved increased revenues with heightened quarterly construction activities at several projects, including the Midwest Solar and Battery Projects; the Trumbull Energy Center, a large combined cycle, gas-fired power plant under construction near Lordstown, Ohio; the 405 MW Midwest Solar Project; and the Louisiana LNG Facility. The overall increase in consolidated revenues between quarters was partially offset by decreased construction revenues associated with the Guernsey Power Station project, the Shannonbridge Power Project and the ESB FlexGen Peaker Plants, as those projects have been completed. For the quarter ended October 31, 2024, Argan’s consolidated gross profit was approximately $44.3 million, or 17.2% of consolidated revenues, reflecting profit contributions from all three reportable business segments. The consolidated gross margin for the quarter reflects the changing mix of projects, strong execution and certain positive job closeouts. Last year, during the third quarter ended October 31, 2023, gross profit was negatively impacted by a loss on the Kilroot project, which reduced gross profit by approximately $10.7 million. Consolidated gross profit for the quarter ended October 31, 2023 was $19.2 million, or 11.7% of consolidated revenues. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $2.6 million to $14.0 million for the quarter ended October 31, 2024, from $11.4 million in the comparable prior year quarter. However, as a percentage of revenues, these expenses declined to 5.4% in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 as compared to 6.9% in the third quarter of fiscal 2024. Other income, net, for the three months ended October 31, 2024 was $6.6 million, which reflected income earned during the period on invested funds in the total amount of approximately $4.8 million. During the quarter ended October 31, 2024, the Company recorded income tax expense of $9.0 million, primarily due to consolidated pre-tax book income of $37.0 million. For the comparable period last year, the effective tax rate was higher primarily due to the unrecognized tax loss benefit related to the Kilroot project. For the quarter ended October 31, 2024, Argan achieved net income of $28.0 million, or $2.00 per diluted share, compared to $5.5 million, or $0.40 per diluted share, for last year’s third quarter. EBITDA for the quarter ended October 31, 2024 increased to $37.5 million compared to $12.2 million in the same quarter of last year. Argan maintained a substantial total balance of cash, cash equivalents and investments during the quarter. The total balances were $506.3 million and $412.4 million as of October 31 and January 31, 2024, respectively. Balance sheet net liquidity was $281.0 million at October 31, 2024 and $244.9 million at January 31, 2024; furthermore, the Company had no debt. First Nine Months Results Consolidated revenues for the nine months ended October 31, 2024 were $641.7 million, an increase of $232.9 million, or 57.0%, from consolidated revenues of $408.8 million reported for the comparable prior year period. For the nine months ended October 31, 2024, consolidated gross profit increased to approximately $93.4 million, which represented a consolidated gross margin of 14.6%, compared to consolidated gross profit of $57.2 million, or consolidated gross margin of 14.0%, reported for the nine months ended October 31, 2023. The gross profit percentage increased between periods primarily due to the changing mix of projects and contract types. Additionally, during the nine-month periods ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, gross profit was negatively impacted by a loss recorded on the Kilroot Project, which reduced gross profit by approximately $2.6 million and $11.5 million, respectively. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $5.4 million to $37.8 million for the nine months ended October 31, 2024, from $32.5 million in the comparable prior year period. However, as a percentage of revenues, these expenses declined to 5.9% from 7.9% between the periods. Other income, net, for the nine months ended October 31, 2024 was $17.0 million, which reflected income earned during the period on invested funds of approximately $14.0 million, as the weighted average balances of investments are meaningfully higher this year. The Company recorded income tax expense of $18.5 million for the nine months ended October 31, 2024 primarily due to corresponding consolidated pre-tax book income of $72.6 million. For the comparable period last year, the effective tax rate was higher primarily due to the unrecognized tax loss benefit related to the Kilroot project. For the nine months ended October 31, 2024, Argan achieved net income of $54.1 million, or $3.91 per diluted share, versus net income of $20.3 million, or $1.50 per diluted share, for last year’s comparable period. EBITDA for the nine months ended October 31, 2024 was $74.2 million compared to $33.8 million in the same period of last year. Conference Call and Webcast Argan will host a conference call and webcast for investors today, December 5, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Domestic stockholders and interested parties may participate in the conference call by dialing (888) 506-0062 and international participants should dial (973) 528-0011; all callers shall use access code: 925404. The call and the accompanying slide deck will also be webcast at: https://www.webcaster4.com/webcast/page/2961/51625 The conference call and slide deck may also be accessed via the Investor Center section of the Company’s website at https://arganinc.com/investor-center . Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site. A replay of the teleconference will be available until December 19, 2024, and can be accessed by dialing 877-481-4010 (domestic) or 919-882-2331 (international). The replay access code is 51625. A replay of the webcast can be accessed until December 5, 2025. About Argan Argan’s primary business is providing a full range of construction and related services to the power industry. Argan’s service offerings focus on the engineering, procurement and construction of natural gas-fired power plants and renewable energy facilities, along with related commissioning, maintenance, project development and technical consulting services, through its Gemma Power Systems and Atlantic Projects Company operations. Argan also owns The Roberts Company, which is a fully integrated industrial construction, fabrication and plant services company, and SMC Infrastructure Solutions, which provides telecommunications infrastructure services. Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company prepares its financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). Within this press release, the Company makes reference to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), a non-GAAP financial measure. The Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measure described in this press release is important to management and investors because the measure supplements the understanding of Argan’s ongoing operating results, excluding the effects of capital structure, depreciation, amortization, and income tax rates. The non-GAAP financial measure referred to above should be considered in conjunction with, and not as a substitute for, the GAAP financial information presented in this press release. Financial tables at the end of this press release provide a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP measures. Safe Harbor Statement Certain matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Reference is hereby made to the cautionary statements made by the Company with respect to risk factors set forth in its most recent reports on Form 10-K, Forms 10-Q and other SEC filings. The Company’s future financial performance is subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the successful addition of new contracts to project backlog, the receipt of corresponding notices to proceed with contract activities, the Company’s ability to successfully complete the projects that it obtains, and the Company’s effectiveness in mitigating future losses related to the Kilroot loss contract. Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to the risk factors highlighted above and described regularly in the Company’s SEC filings. ARGAN, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS (In thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 31, October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 REVENUES $ 257,008 $ 163,755 $ 641,705 $ 408,779 Cost of revenues 212,681 144,520 548,329 351,578 GROSS PROFIT 44,327 19,235 93,376 57,201 Selling, general and administrative expenses 13,995 11,375 37,848 32,467 INCOME FROM OPERATIONS 30,332 7,860 55,528 24,734 Other income, net 6,646 3,733 17,044 7,222 INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES 36,978 11,593 72,572 31,956 Income tax expense 8,968 6,129 18,482 11,616 NET INCOME 28,010 5,464 54,090 20,340 OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME, NET OF TAXES Foreign currency translation adjustments (957 ) (882 ) (1,933 ) (627 ) Net unrealized losses on available-for-sale securities (659 ) (427 ) (169 ) (1,147 ) COMPREHENSIVE INCOME $ 26,394 $ 4,155 $ 51,988 $ 18,566 NET INCOME PER SHARE Basic $ 2.07 $ 0.41 $ 4.04 $ 1.52 Diluted $ 2.00 $ 0.40 $ 3.91 $ 1.50 WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING Basic 13,530 13,328 13,398 13,381 Diluted 14,034 13,559 13,830 13,549 CASH DIVIDENDS PER SHARE $ 0.375 $ 0.300 $ 0.975 $ 0.800 ARGAN, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Dollars in thousands, except per share data) October 31, January 31, 2024 2024 (Unaudited) ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 175,349 $ 197,032 Investments 330,933 215,373 Accounts receivable, net 131,660 47,326 Contract assets 44,620 48,189 Other current assets 34,579 39,259 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 717,141 547,179 Property, plant and equipment, net 14,147 11,021 Goodwill 28,033 28,033 Intangible assets, net 1,924 2,217 Deferred taxes, net 1,254 2,259 Right-of-use and other assets 6,365 7,520 TOTAL ASSETS $ 768,864 $ 598,229 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable $ 87,085 $ 39,485 Accrued expenses 78,393 81,721 Contract liabilities 270,686 181,054 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 436,164 302,260 Noncurrent liabilities 3,996 5,030 TOTAL LIABILITIES 440,160 307,290 STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Preferred stock, par value $0.10 per share – 500,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding — — Common stock, par value $0.15 per share – 30,000,000 shares authorized; 15,828,289 shares issued; 13,569,104 and 13,242,520 shares outstanding at October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024, respectively 2,374 2,374 Additional paid-in capital 168,441 164,183 Retained earnings 266,334 225,507 Treasury stock, at cost – 2,259,185 and 2,585,769 shares at October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024, respectively (102,746 ) (97,528 ) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (5,699 ) (3,597 ) TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 328,704 290,939 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY $ 768,864 $ 598,229 ARGAN, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION TO EBITDA (In thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 Net income, as reported $ 28,010 $ 5,464 Income tax expense 8,968 6,129 Depreciation 433 489 Amortization of intangible assets 98 98 EBITDA $ 37,509 $ 12,180 Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 Net income, as reported $ 54,090 $ 20,340 Income tax expense 18,482 11,616 Depreciation 1,376 1,524 Amortization of intangible assets 293 294 EBITDA $ 74,241 $ 33,774 View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205082200/en/ CONTACT: Company: David Watson 301.315.0027 Investor Relations: John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau IMS Investor Relations 203.972.9200 argan@imsinvestorrelations.com KEYWORD: EUROPE UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM NORTH AMERICA MARYLAND INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY ALTERNATIVE ENERGY ENERGY TECHNOLOGY OTHER CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY ENVIRONMENT OTHER COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING COMMUNICATIONS TELECOMMUNICATIONS MANUFACTURING SOURCE: Argan, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/05/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/05/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205082200/en

History is made in BBC One’s latest Death in Paradise Christmas special, as Don Gilet becomes the first Black actor to play the lead role of a British police detective parachuted into the sleepy (and entirely fictional) Caribbean island of Saint Marie. But as he dons the droopy green sun hat of DI Mervin Wilson, he has his work cut out in a fun, feature-length instalment that tries to pull off several demanding tasks simultaneously. Firstly, the episode must introduce DI Wilson as a fully rounded replacement for the departed Neville Parker (Ralf Little). Secondly, it has to serve up a distinctive dollop of Christmas cheer on a weekend when the primetime schedules heave under a dead weight of tinsel and season’s greetings. Oh, and it has to deliver a satisfying murder mystery with the inevitable loose ends tied up by the closing credits. That’s a tall order – too tall perhaps. There are moments when this Christmas one-off threatens to lose its footing and tumble head over heels like Santa slipping on a dodgy roof tile. The good news is that Gilet is a great addition to the series. His phlegmatic, crotchety persona harks back to the OG Death in Paradise policeman abroad, Richard Poole (the harrumphing Ben Miller). Poole was forever grumbling about life on a glorious tropical island. DI Wilson has some of that same Columbo-esque energy, complaining early on that visiting Saint Marie is “like stepping back in time”. But there’s deep sadness under that glum exterior, and it is revealed that he came to the island hoping to connect with his mother, whom he had never known. He also seems not to have any friends back in London – revealing to DS Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson) that he always volunteered to work at Christmas because he didn’t have much else on. The episode also brims with yuletide conviviality. As it was no doubt filmed months ago, in sunny Guadeloupe, conjuring the season’s charm must have been a challenge. But it pulls it off, with a heart-warming subplot in which Danny John-Jules’s officer Dwayne Myers pulls out all the stops to spend 25 December with his ageing dad Nelson (Ram John Holder), who he suspects may not have too many more Christmases left in him. Dwayne follows this up by announcing he is stepping down as a policeman so that he can have more quality time with his father (it is Jules’s second exit from Death in Paradise after he previously took time away in 2022). Where the instalment falls down is in its manically convoluted murder plot. You know that internet meme from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia , in which a wild-eyed Charlie Day stands in front of a cork-board map criss-crossed with red lines? That is what this Death in Paradise storyline feels like, as the holidaying Wilson is asked to delay his return to London to help the local police investigate the double killing of two men, both dressed as Santa. The two have seemingly been killed with the same gun – at the same time. Oh, and there is another near-victim, again done up as Father Christmas and pinged with a bullet at the very moment his fellow Santas were shot dead. Untangling the mystery is a tremendously fiddly undertaking, and I’m still not sure I entirely understand it all. I won’t spoil it here – suffice to say it’s a bonkers combination of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and Oliver Stone’s JFK , with several potential culprits and enough deep-fried red herrings to stock a chipper on Christmas Eve. It’s all quite baffling, and not even DI Wilson appears to fully understand it as he breaks down the details of the murder. But then, the crimes – and the idea they need to make any sense at all – have always taken a back seat on Death in Paradise . Far more important is the fact that the new DI strikes up an instant connection with the support crew of DS Thomas and police chief Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington). The chemistry is great, the sunshine a balm at this time of year – and the Christmas spirit appropriately festive. You could go down a tropical rabbit hole trying to unravel the complicated plot. But bah humbug to that. What is really important is that Death in Paradise has a compelling new lead detective. To grumble about the twisting, turning story would be to indulge in criminal levels of nitpicking.

Reports: Bill Belichick interviews for North Carolina jobSAN FRANCISCO , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Docusign, Inc. (NASDAQ: DOCU) today announced results for its fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2024. Prepared remarks and the news release with the financial results will be accessible on Docusign's website at investor.docusign.com prior to its webcast. "Docusign delivered powerful new innovation for customers highlighted by new capabilities to its Intelligent Agreement Management ("IAM") platform," said Allan Thygesen , CEO of Docusign. "In Q3, early IAM momentum outpaced expectations, and we continued to drive improvement in our core business with strong revenue growth and operating profit." Third Quarter Financial Highlights Total revenue was $754.8 million , an 8% year-over-year increase. Subscription revenue was $734.7 million , an 8% year-over-year increase. Professional services and other revenue was $20.1 million , an 11% year-over-year increase. Billings were $752.3 million , a 9% year-over-year increase. GAAP gross margin was 79.3% compared to 79.6% in the same period last year. Non-GAAP gross margin was 82.5% compared to 83.0% in the same period last year. GAAP net income per basic share was $0.31 on 204 million shares outstanding compared to $0.19 on 204 million shares outstanding in the same period last year. GAAP net income per diluted share was $0.30 on 209 million shares outstanding compared to $0.19 on 208 million shares outstanding in the same period last year. Non-GAAP net income per diluted share was $0.90 on 209 million shares outstanding compared to $0.79 on 208 million shares outstanding in the same period last year. Net cash provided by operating activities was $234.3 million compared to $264.2 million in the same period last year. Free cash flow was $210.7 million compared to $240.3 million in the same period last year. Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and investments were $1.1 billion at the end of the quarter. Repurchases of common stock were $172.7 million compared to $75.0 million in the same period last year. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the tables included in this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading "Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics." Key Business Highlights: IAM Product Releases and Highlights : Docusign announced new product capabilities to its IAM platform. Highlights from recent product releases include: Docusign Navigator: Lexion's AI capabilities were released to the IAM platform, including the ability to surface insights from a more extensive array of agreement types. Additionally, Navigator now includes the ability to import documents from third-party partners including Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive. Also, Navigator now has an upgraded search experience that includes predictive type-ahead functionality, more filters, and the ability to export results. Docusign IAM with Maestro and App Center Global Expansion : IAM with Docusign Maestro and IAM App Center availability expanded globally in the third fiscal quarter after the initial launch in the US, Canada , and Australia in May. Contract Lifecycle Management ("CLM") Product Releases and Highlights : Docusign CLM Connector for SAP Ariba: Docusign Connector for SAP Ariba automates workflows to help businesses accelerate time to value and eliminate friction in source-to-pay agreement processes. AI-assisted Contract Review for CLM : Incorporating Lexion's AI technology, AI-assisted review was launched with availability for Microsoft Word allowing for AI-generated markups, language recommendations, and generative Q&A. 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader: For the fifth year in a row, Docusign was named a Leader in the 2024 Magic Quadrant for Contract Life Cycle Manager report by Gartner, Inc. Developer Ecosystem: Docusign Discover 2024: On November 20 , Docusign held its first-ever agreement management ecosystem event, connecting customers, partners, and developers. Discover showcased Docusign IAM integrations with Microsoft, SAP, and Workday, and provided workshops and a virtual hackathon for developers to build across the entire agreement lifecycle. Docusign for Developers was also introduced as a suite of developer tools that partners will use to build apps powered by the IAM platform. Copilot for Microsoft 365 Integration: Integration with Microsoft 365 allows agreements to be searchable by Copilot, the AI-powered chatbot available to Microsoft customers. Users across HR, Sales, Procurement, Legal, and more can use the Copilot for M365 integration to ask Copilot for outstanding agreements or agreement status using AI-powered chat experiences. Guidance The company currently expects the following guidance: Quarter ending January 31, 2025 (in millions, except percentages): Total revenue $758 to $762 Subscription revenue $741 to $745 Billings $870 to $880 Non-GAAP gross margin 81.0 % to 82.0 % Non-GAAP operating margin 27.5 % to 28.5 % Non-GAAP diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 209 to 214 Fiscal Year ending January 31, 2025 (in millions, except percentages): Total revenue $2,959 to $2,963 Subscription revenue $2,885 to $2,889 Billings $3,056 to $3,066 Non-GAAP gross margin 81.9 % to 82.1 % Non-GAAP operating margin 29.5 % to 29.7 % Non-GAAP diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 210 to 212 A reconciliation of non-GAAP guidance measures to corresponding GAAP guidance measures is not available on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable effort due to the uncertainty regarding, and the potential variability of, expenses that may be incurred in the future. Stock-based compensation-related charges, including employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions, are impacted by many factors, including the timing of employee stock transactions, the future fair market value of our common stock, and our future hiring and retention needs, all of which are difficult to predict and subject to constant change. We have provided a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in the financial statement tables for our historical non-GAAP financial results included in this release. Webcast Conference Call Information The company will host a conference call on December 5, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. PT ( 5:00 p.m. ET ) to discuss its financial results. A live webcast of the event will be available on the Docusign Investor Relations website at investor.docusign.com . Prepared remarks and the news release with the financial results will also be accessible on Docusign's website prior to the webcast. A live dial-in will be available domestically at 877-407-0784 or internationally at 201-689-8560. A replay will be available domestically at 844-512-2921 or internationally at 412-317-6671 until midnight (EST) December 19, 2024 using the passcode 13750095. About Docusign Docusign brings agreements to life. Over 1.6 million customers and more than a billion people in over 180 countries use Docusign solutions to accelerate the process of doing business and simplify people's lives. With intelligent agreement management, Docusign unleashes business critical data that is trapped inside of documents. Until now, these were disconnected from business systems of record, costing businesses time, money, and opportunity. Using Docusign's IAM platform, companies can create, commit, and manage agreements with solutions created by the #1 company in e-signature and CLM. Learn more at www.docusign.com . Copyright 2024. Docusign, Inc. is the owner of DOCUSIGN® and all its other marks (www.docusign.com/IP). Investor Relations: Docusign Investor Relations investors@docusign.com Media Relations: Docusign Corporate Communications media@docusign.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "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, that are based on our management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management, and which statements involve substantial risk and uncertainties. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our future operating results and financial position, our business strategy and plans, market growth and trends, objectives for future operations, and the impact of such assumptions on our financial condition and results of operations are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release also include, among other things, statements under "Guidance" above and any other statements about expected financial metrics, such as revenue, billings, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP diluted weighted-average shares outstanding, and non-financial metrics, as well as statements related to our expectations regarding the benefits, rollout and customer demand of the Docusign IAM platform. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "intends," "target," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue" or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements about: our expectations regarding global macro-economic conditions, including the effects of inflation, volatile interest rates, and market volatility on the global economy; our ability to estimate the size and growth of our total addressable market; our ability to compete effectively in an evolving and competitive market; the impact of any data breaches, cyberattacks or other malicious activity on our technology systems; our ability to effectively sustain and manage our growth and future expenses and maintain or increase future profitability; our ability to attract new customers and maintain and expand our existing customer base; our ability to effectively implement and execute our restructuring plans; our ability to scale and update our platform to respond to customers' needs and rapid technological change, including our ability to successfully incorporate generative artificial intelligence into our existing and future products; our ability to successfully execute our technical developments, go-to-market and sales strategy for our IAM platform; our ability to expand use cases within existing customers and vertical solutions; our ability to expand our operations and increase adoption of our platform internationally; our ability to strengthen and foster our relationships with developers; our ability to retain our direct sales force, customer success team and strategic partnerships around the world; our ability to identify targets for and execute potential acquisitions and to successfully integrate and realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions; our ability to maintain, protect and enhance our brand; the sufficiency of our cash, cash equivalents and capital resources to satisfy our liquidity needs; limitations on us due to obligations we have under our credit facility or other indebtedness; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of our stock repurchase program; our failure or the failure of our software to comply with applicable industry standards, laws and regulations; our ability to maintain, protect and enhance our intellectual property; our ability to successfully defend litigation against us; our ability to attract large organizations as users; our ability to maintain our corporate culture; our ability to offer high-quality customer support; our ability to hire, retain and motivate qualified personnel, including executive level management; our ability to successfully manage and integrate executive management transitions; uncertainties regarding the impact of general economic and market conditions, including as a result of regional and global conflicts; and our ability to maintain proper and effective internal controls. Additional risks and uncertainties that could affect our financial results are included in the sections titled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2024 filed on March 21, 2024 , our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2024 , which we expect to file on December 6, 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), and other filings that we make from time to time with the SEC. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which such statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this press release or to conform such statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law. Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use certain non-GAAP financial measures, as described below, to understand and evaluate our core operating performance. These non-GAAP financial measures, which may be different than similarly-titled measures used by other companies, are presented to enhance investors' overall understanding of our financial performance and should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information about our financial performance, enhance the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects, and allow for greater transparency with respect to important metrics used by our management for financial and operational decision-making. We present these non-GAAP measures to assist investors in seeing our financial performance using a management view, and because we believe that these measures provide an additional tool for investors to use in comparing our core financial performance over multiple periods with other companies in our industry. However, these non-GAAP measures are not intended to be considered in isolation from, a substitute for, or superior to our GAAP results. Non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per share : We define these non-GAAP financial measures as the respective GAAP measures, excluding expenses related to stock-based compensation, employer payroll tax on employee stock transactions, amortization of acquisition-related intangibles, amortization of debt discount and issuance costs, fair value adjustments to strategic investments, acquisition-related expenses, lease-related impairment and lease-related charges, restructuring and other related charges, as these costs are not reflective of ongoing operations and, as applicable, other special items. The amount of employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions is dependent on our stock price and other factors that are beyond our control and do not correlate to the operation of the business. When evaluating the performance of our business and making operating plans, we do not consider these items (for example, when considering the impact of equity award grants, we place a greater emphasis on overall stockholder dilution rather than the accounting charges associated with such grants). We believe it is useful to exclude these expenses in order to better understand the long-term performance of our core business and to facilitate comparison of our results to those of peer companies and over multiple periods. In addition to these exclusions, we subtract an assumed provision for income taxes to calculate non-GAAP net income. We utilize a fixed long-term projected tax rate in our computation of the non-GAAP income tax provision to provide better consistency across the reporting periods. For fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025, we have determined the projected non-GAAP tax rate to be 20%. Free cash flow : We define free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property and equipment. We believe free cash flow is an important liquidity measure of the cash that is available (if any), after purchases of property and equipment, for operational expenses, investment in our business, and to make acquisitions. Free cash flow is useful to investors as a liquidity measure because it measures our ability to generate or use cash in excess of our capital investments in property and equipment. Once our business needs and obligations are met, cash can be used to maintain a strong balance sheet and invest in future growth. Billings : We define billings as total revenues plus the change in our contract liabilities and refund liability less contract assets and unbilled accounts receivable in a given period. Billings reflects sales to new customers plus subscription renewals and additional sales to existing customers. Only amounts invoiced to a customer in a given period are included in billings. We believe billings can be used to measure our periodic performance, when taking into consideration the timing aspects of customer renewals, which represents a large component of our business. Given that most of our customers pay in annual installments one year in advance, but we typically recognize a majority of the related revenue ratably over time, we use billings to measure and monitor our ability to provide our business with the working capital generated by upfront payments from our customers. For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, please see "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, (in thousands, except per share data) 2024 2023 2024 2023 Revenue: Subscription $ 734,693 $ 682,352 $ 2,143,542 $ 1,991,026 Professional services and other 20,127 18,069 56,945 58,470 Total revenue 754,820 700,421 2,200,487 2,049,496 Cost of revenue: Subscription 134,587 114,227 393,561 339,354 Professional services and other 21,950 28,418 67,887 85,360 Total cost of revenue 156,537 142,645 461,448 424,714 Gross profit 598,283 557,776 1,739,039 1,624,782 Operating expenses: Sales and marketing 290,597 292,473 859,705 867,916 Research and development 151,101 136,640 432,992 387,964 General and administrative 97,555 108,215 277,162 316,910 Restructuring and other related charges — 710 29,721 30,293 Total operating expenses 539,253 538,038 1,599,580 1,603,083 Income from operations 59,030 19,738 139,459 21,699 Interest expense (462) (1,577) (1,150) (5,135) Interest income and other income, net 13,006 17,673 41,745 47,373 Income before provision for (benefit from) income taxes 71,574 35,834 180,054 63,937 Provision for (benefit from) income taxes 9,151 (2,971) (804,340) 17,198 Net income $ 62,423 $ 38,805 $ 984,394 $ 46,739 Net income per share attributable to common stockholders: Basic $ 0.31 $ 0.19 $ 4.81 $ 0.23 Diluted $ 0.30 $ 0.19 $ 4.69 $ 0.23 Weighted-average shares used in computing net income per share: Basic 203,567 204,456 204,674 203,609 Diluted 208,706 208,054 209,755 208,317 Stock-based compensation expense included in costs and expenses: Cost of revenue—subscription $ 14,862 $ 13,705 $ 44,636 $ 38,143 Cost of revenue—professional services and other 4,765 7,343 14,465 21,359 Sales and marketing 49,347 53,715 154,396 150,604 Research and development 53,184 48,310 150,816 129,458 General and administrative 31,070 36,337 91,239 111,271 Restructuring and other related charges — 8 4,836 4,996 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (in thousands) October 31, 2024 January 31, 2024 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 610,870 $ 797,060 Investments—current 331,506 248,402 Accounts receivable, net 300,444 439,299 Contract assets—current 13,645 15,922 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 75,412 66,984 Total current assets 1,331,877 1,567,667 Investments—noncurrent 112,805 121,977 Property and equipment, net 278,623 245,173 Operating lease right-of-use assets 113,365 123,188 Goodwill 455,678 353,138 Intangible assets, net 83,307 50,905 Deferred contract acquisition costs—noncurrent 445,987 409,627 Deferred tax assets—noncurrent 816,538 2,031 Other assets—noncurrent 132,028 97,584 Total assets $ 3,770,208 $ 2,971,290 Liabilities and Equity Current liabilities Accounts payable $ 18,144 $ 19,029 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 94,591 104,037 Accrued compensation 158,779 195,266 Contract liabilities—current 1,307,749 1,320,059 Operating lease liabilities—current 19,507 22,230 Total current liabilities 1,598,770 1,660,621 Contract liabilities—noncurrent 22,931 21,980

A museum curator hiked into a forest in Poland with a metal detector to search for some artifacts from the World Wars. Instead, he stumbled upon a 3,000-year-old weapon. Krzysztof Mindur planned to explore the forest in Zarszyn in hopes of finding items from World War I or II to add to his museum, the Museum of Military and Technology in Wola Sękowa, he told McClatchy News on Dec. 5. He founded the museum to combine his work as a professional soldier and his passion for researching military history. Mindur and other history enthusiasts tracked down a former battlefield in the Zarszyn forest after talking to those who remembered the fighting. Equipped with metal detectors, the group set out to search the area for the first time in late October. To his surprise, Mindur unearthed four fragments of a sword from the Bronze Age , he wrote in a post on his museum’s Facebook account. Photos show the ancient blue-green sword. The weapon dated back over 3,000 years and was a unique, priceless find, the Subcarpathian Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments in Przemyśl said in a Dec. 3 Facebook post. The ancient sword measured about 15 inches in length, but its point was missing. Its handle had a geometric design carved into it, photos show. The 3,000-year-old sword was sent to the Historical Museum in Sanok for further analysis, TVP3, a Polish news outlet, reported. The museum’s curator, Piotr Kotowicz, identified it as a raga type sword, a style typically found in Slovakia or Hungary, and a first-of-its-kind find for Poland. Officials with the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Krosno described the ancient sword as extraordinary in a Facebook post. What are we learning about the past? Here are three of our most recent eye-catching archaeology stories. → Anglers spot something poking out of seafloor — leading to rare ancient find in Italy → Hiker finds strange item at melting glacier in Switzerland — and it stumps officials → 'Phantom' coins — believed to be destroyed after WWII — found in warehouse in Japan Mindur said he never dreamed of finding such a historically valuable artifact. He plans to continue searching former WWII battlefields next year. Zarszyn is a village in southeastern Poland, a roughly 240-mile drive southeast from Warsaw and near the border with Slovakia and Ukraine. Google Translate was used to translate Facebook posts from the Museum of Military and Technology in Wola Sękowa, the Subcarpathian Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments in Przemyśl and the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Krosno, article from TVP3 and comments from Krzysztof Mindur.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers, meet your latest lobbyists: online influencers from TikTok. The platform is once again bringing influencers to Washington, this time to lobby members of Congress to reject a fast-moving bill that would force TikTok's Beijing-based parent company to sell or be banned in the United States. On Tuesday, some influencers began a two-day advocacy event in support of TikTok, which arranged their trip ahead of a House floor vote on the legislation on Wednesday. But unlike a similar lobbying event the company put together last March when talks of a TikTok ban reached a fever pitch, this year’s effort appeared more rushed as the company scrambles to counter the legislation, which advanced rapidly on Capitol Hill. Summer Lucille, a TikTok content creator with 1.4 million followers who is visiting Washington this week, said if TikTok is banned, she “don’t know what it will do” to her business, a plus-sized boutique in Charlotte, North Carolina. “It will be devastating,” Lucille said in an interview arranged by the platform. In an unusual showing of bipartisanship, a House panel unanimously approved the measure last week. President Joe Biden has said he will sign the legislation if lawmakers pass it. But it’s unclear what will happen in the Senate, where several bills aimed at banning TikTok have stalled. The legislation faces other roadblocks. Former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump, who holds sway over both House and Senate Republicans, has voiced opposition to the bill, saying it would empower Meta-owned Facebook, which he continues to lambast over his 2020 election loss. The bill also faces pushback from some progressive lawmakers in the House as well as civil liberties groups who argue it infringes on the First Amendment. TikTok could be banned if ByteDance, the parent company, doesn’t sell its stakes in the platform and other applications it owns within six months of the bill’s enactment. The fight over the platform takes place as U.S.-China relations have shifted to that of strategic rivalry, especially in areas such as advanced technologies and data security, seen as essential to each country’s economic prowess and national security. The shift, which started during the Trump years and has continued under Biden, has placed restrictions on export of advanced technologies and outflow of U.S. monies to China, as well as access to the U.S. market by certain Chinese businesses. The Biden administration also has cited human rights concerns in blacklisting a number of Chinese companies accused of assisting the state surveillance campaign against ethnic minorities. TikTok isn’t short on lobbyists. Its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance has a strong lobbying apparatus in Washington that includes dozens of lobbyists from well-known consulting and legal firms as well as influential insiders, such as former members of Congress and ex-aides to powerful lawmakers, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will also be in Washington this week and plans to meet with lawmakers, according to a company spokesperson who said Chew’s visit was previously scheduled. But influencers, who have big followings on social media and can share personal stories of how the platform boosted their businesses — or simply gave them a voice — are still perhaps one of the most powerful tools the company has in its arsenal. A TikTok spokesperson said dozens of influencers will attend the two-day event, including some who came last year. The spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about how many new people would be attending this year’s lobbying blitz. The company is briefing them ahead of meetings with their representatives and media interviews. Lucille, who runs the boutique in North Carolina, says has seen a substantial surge in revenue because of her TikTok page. The 34-year-old began making TikTok content focusing on plus-sized fashion in March 2022, more than a decade after she started her business. She quickly amassed thousands of followers after posting a nine-second video about her boutique. Because of her popularity on the platform, her business has more online exposure and customers, some of whom have visited from as far as Europe. She says she also routinely hears from followers who are finding support through her content about fashion and confidence. JT Laybourne, an influencer who also came to Washington, said he joined TikTok in early 2019 after getting some negative comments on videos he posted on Instagram while singing in the car with his children. Laybourne, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, said he was attracted to the short-form video platform because it was easy to create videos that contained music. Like Lucille, he quickly gained traction on the app. He says he also received more support from TikTok users, who reacted positively to content he produced on love and positivity. Laybourne says the community he built on the platform rallied around his family when he had to undergo heart surgery in 2020. Following the surgery, he said he used the platform to help raise $1 million for the American Heart Association in less than two years. His family now run an apparel company that gets most of its traffic from TikTok. “I will fight tooth-and-nail for this app,” he said. But whether the opposition the company is mounting through lobbyists or influencers will be enough to derail the bill is yet to be seen. On Tuesday, House lawmakers received a briefing on national security concerns regarding TikTok from the FBI, Justice Department and intelligence officials. AP Journalist Didi Tang contributed to this report. This story was originally published on March 12, 2024. It was updated on December 23, 2024 to clarify a quote by TikTok content creator Summer Lucille.10 Exhibitions to See in Upstate New York This December

Shatel: Unpacking Tony White's chess move to Florida State, no Nebraska-Iowa handshake

Maharashtra CM Swearing-In: MVA Leaders Boycott Ceremony As Nana Patole Criticises New Government For 'Stealing People's Mandate'

OpenAI has introduced its latest AI model, known as “03,” which has achieved a new milestone in artificial intelligence. Scoring an impressive 75.7% on the ARC (Abstraction and Reasoning Corpus) benchmark, the model has surpassed human performance in a test specifically designed to evaluate reasoning and adaptability. This achievement marks a significant stride toward —a state where machines can perform intellectual tasks on par with humans. Imagine a world where machines could think, reason, and adapt as seamlessly as humans do. It might sound like science fiction, but OpenAI’s latest breakthrough, the OpenAI o3 model, brings us closer to that reality. This innovative AI has achieved a remarkable milestone, outperforming humans on the ARC benchmark—a test specifically designed to measure intelligence through adaptability and problem-solving, not rote memorization. While this achievement is undeniably impressive, it also raises questions: Are we truly on the brink of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), or is there still a long road ahead? This overview by AI Grid provides more insight into the benchmarks and latest announcements from OpenAI. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The OpenAI o3 model’s success is as much about its potential as it is about its limitations. Yes, it’s a leap forward, but it’s also a reminder of the challenges that remain—like high computational costs and struggles with tasks humans find simple. Still, this milestone is a testament to how far AI has come and where it might take us next. Whether you’re excited, skeptical, or just curious, this article will unpack what this achievement means, how it works, and why it matters for the future of AI. Let’s dive in. OpenAI’s OpenAI o3 model achieved a new 75.7% score on the ARC benchmark, surpassing human performance and marking a significant step toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The model is available in two variants: a low-tuned version for cost-efficient tasks and a high-tuned version for complex problem-solving, showcasing its flexibility. Despite its advancements, the model faces challenges such as task-specific struggles, high computational costs, and diminishing returns as benchmarks approach saturation. Beyond ARC, the OpenAI o3 model has demonstrated significant improvements in areas like software engineering and advanced mathematics, highlighting its versatility. While the OpenAI o3 model represents a pivotal moment in AI development, questions about AGI definitions, scalability, and cost efficiency remain critical for its future impact and accessibility. The ARC benchmark serves as a vital tool for assessing machine intelligence. Unlike traditional benchmarks that often focus on testing memorization or pattern recognition, ARC evaluates an AI system’s ability to solve novel problems using core reasoning and adaptability. These tasks, which include elements like basic physics, pattern recognition, and counting, are intuitive for humans but notoriously challenging for AI systems. The OpenAI o3 model’s score of 75.7% on this benchmark represents a significant leap forward in AI performance. This achievement underscores the model’s ability to generalize knowledge and solve problems without relying on rote learning. Such capabilities are essential for advancing AI systems toward more human-like intelligence. By excelling in ARC, the OpenAI o3 model demonstrates its potential to tackle complex, real-world problems that require reasoning and adaptability. The OpenAI o3 model is available in two distinct variants, each tailored to meet specific needs and applications. This dual-variant approach enhances the model’s flexibility and ensures it can address a wide range of challenges effectively. Optimized for speed and cost efficiency, this variant is ideal for simpler tasks that do not require extensive reasoning. It is particularly suited for applications where rapid processing and lower operational costs are priorities. Designed for complex, multi-step problem-solving, this version excels in tasks requiring deeper reasoning and adaptability. However, it comes with higher computational costs, making it more suitable for specialized, resource-intensive applications. These two variants highlight the model’s adaptability, allowing users to balance performance and cost considerations based on their specific requirements. Uncover more insights about in previous articles we have written. The OpenAI o3 model’s performance on the ARC benchmark represents a significant breakthrough in AI’s ability to adapt to new and unfamiliar tasks. This milestone brings the field closer to AGI, where machines could theoretically perform any intellectual task a human can. However, the model still falls short of fully meeting AGI criteria. It struggles with certain tasks that are straightforward for humans and faces limitations in computational efficiency, which remain critical hurdles. Despite these challenges, the OpenAI o3 model’s success demonstrates the feasibility of creating benchmarks that challenge AI systems in ways that align with human intuition. This progress paves the way for further advancements in AI, particularly in developing systems capable of reasoning and problem-solving at a level comparable to human intelligence. While the OpenAI o3 model showcases impressive capabilities, it is not without its limitations. These challenges highlight areas where further innovation and development are needed: The model occasionally falters on tasks that are simple for humans, revealing the inherent differences between human and machine intelligence. Running the model for certain tasks can incur significant expenses, sometimes reaching thousands of dollars. This raises concerns about scalability and accessibility for broader applications. As scores approach the upper limits of benchmarks like ARC, achieving further progress becomes increasingly difficult, necessitating the development of new evaluation methods. These limitations underscore the importance of addressing efficiency and scalability to ensure that advanced AI systems can be deployed more widely and effectively. The advancements of the OpenAI o3 model extend beyond its performance on the ARC benchmark. It has also demonstrated significant improvements in other domains, such as software engineering and advanced mathematics. For example, the model has achieved a 20-fold improvement in solving novel, research-level math problems compared to its predecessors. These achievements highlight the model’s versatility and its potential to address complex challenges across various fields. In addition to its technical capabilities, the OpenAI o3 model’s progress raises broader questions about how AGI should be defined and measured. As AI systems continue to improve in reasoning, adaptability, and efficiency, the boundaries of what machines can achieve are being redefined. This ongoing evolution will likely shape the future of AI research and its applications in diverse industries. The release of OpenAI’s 03 model marks a pivotal moment in the development of artificial intelligence. Its achievements on the ARC benchmark and other tests demonstrate the rapid pace of innovation in the field. However, these advancements also bring challenges, such as high operational costs and the need for more efficient systems. OpenAI plans to make the OpenAI o3 model more widely available, potentially unlocking new applications and opportunities across various sectors. As the field of AI continues to evolve, experts anticipate further breakthroughs that could reshape the boundaries of what machines can achieve. Over time, the costs associated with running advanced AI models are expected to decline, following trends observed in other technological advancements. This could make powerful AI systems like the OpenAI o3 model more accessible, allowing their use in a broader range of applications. The progress achieved by the OpenAI o3 model serves as a testament to the potential of artificial intelligence. While challenges remain, the advancements made so far provide a strong foundation for future innovation, bringing the field closer to realizing the vision of AGI and its fantastic impact on society. Media Credit:Six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick interviewed for the head-coaching job at North Carolina, Inside Carolina and the Raleigh News & Observer reported Thursday. According to the News & Observer, Belichick "blew them away in the interview," yet he is not likely to move forward because he is pushing 73 years old and has no experience in the college game. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Stacker analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify drops in HIV-related deaths and look at the causes and impacts. Click for more. HIV isn't the death sentence it once was: How related deaths are dropping in the US

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Erik Pratt had 20 points to help Milwaukee defeat North Central College 92-57 on Sunday. Pratt shot 5 for 9 (3 for 7 from 3-point range) and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Panthers (9-4). Jamichael Stillwell scored 12 points and added 10 rebounds. Learic Davis had 12 points and went 6 of 9 from the field (0 for 3 from 3-point range). The Cardinals were led in scoring by Sean Molloy, who finished with eight points. James Bullock and Drew Gaston scored seven each. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Fishburn leads at Sea Island as Dahmen keeps hope alive to keep jobHikers looking for WWII items stumble on 3,000-year-old weapon in Poland. See it

FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in JanuaryWASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray told bureau workers Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January, an announcement that came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the job. Wray said at a town hall meeting that he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought,” roughly three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations, including two that led to separate indictments of Trump last year as well as inquiries into Biden and his son. “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” Wray told agency employees. “In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” The intended resignation was not unexpected considering that Trump had settled on Patel to be director and had repeatedly aired his ire at Wray, whom he appointed during his first term. But his departure is nonetheless a reflection of how Trump's norm-breaking style has reshaped Washington, with the president-elect yet again flouting tradition by moving to replace an FBI director well before his term was up and Wray resigning to avert a collision with the incoming administration. “It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway — this is not easy for me," Wray said. “I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people — but my focus is, and always has been, on us and doing what’s right for the FBI.” Wray received a standing ovation following his remarks before a standing-room-only crowd at FBI headquarters and some in the audience cried, according to an FBI official who was not authorized to discuss the private gathering by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. Trump applauded the news on social media, calling it “a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice" and saying that Patel's confirmation will begin “the process of Making the FBI Great Again.” If confirmed by the Senate, Patel would herald a radical leadership transformation at the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency. He has advocated shutting down the FBI's Washington headquarters and called for ridding the federal government of “conspirators," raising alarms that he might seek to wield the FBI's significant investigative powers as an instrument of retribution against Trump's perceived enemies. Patel said in a statement Wednesday that he was looking forward to "a smooth transition. I will be ready to serve the American people on day one.” It's extremely rare for FBI directors to be ousted from their jobs before the completion of their 10-year terms, a length meant to insulate the agency from the political influence of changing administrations. But Trump has done it twice, placing Wray in the job in 2017 after firing Director James Comey amid an investigation into ties between Russia and the Republican president’s campaign. Despite having appointed Wray, Trump had telegraphed his anger with the FBI director on multiple occasions throughout the years, including as recently as the past week. In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, Trump said, “I can’t say I’m thrilled with him. He invaded my home,” a reference to the FBI search of his Florida property , Mar-a-Lago, two years ago for classified documents from Trump’s first term as president. That search, and the recovery of boxes of sensitive government records, paved the way for one of two federal indictments against Trump. The case, and another one charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 election, have both been dismissed by the Justice Department special counsel that brought them in light of Trump's November victory. Attorney General Merrick Garland praised Wray for having “served our country honorably and with integrity for decades.” He said: “Under Director Wray’s principled leadership, the FBI has worked to fulfill the Justice Department’s mission to keep our country safe, protect civil rights, and uphold the rule of law.” Natalie Bara, the president of the FBI Agents Association, said in a statement that Wray had led the FBI “through challenging times with a steady focus on doing the work that keeps our country safe. ” Throughout his seven years on the job, the self-professed "low-key, understated" Wray brought a workmanlike approach to the job, repeatedly preaching a “keep calm and tackle hard” mantra to bureau personnel despite a steady drumbeat of attacks from Trump and his supporters. He also sought to avoid public conflict when possible with the Trump White House, distancing himself and his leadership team from the FBI's Russia investigation over errors that took place before he took office and announcing dozens of corrective actions meant to prevent the recurrence of the surveillance abuses that plagued the inquiry. But there were other instances when he memorably broke from Trump — he did not agree, for instance, with Trump’s characterization of the Russia investigation as a “witch hunt." He made known his displeasure when the White House blessed the declassification of materials related to the surveillance of a former Trump campaign aide and contradicted a Trump talking point by stating that Ukraine had not interfered in the 2016 election. He repeatedly sought to keep the focus on the FBI's day-to-day work, using the bulk of his resignation announcement to praise the bureau's efforts in countering everything from violent crime and cyberattacks to Chinese espionage and terrorism. Yet as he leaves office at a time of heightened threats , much of the public focus has been on the politically sensitive investigations of his tenure. Besides the inquiries into Trump, the FBI in recent years also investigated Biden's handling of classified information as well as Biden's son Hunter for tax and gun violations. Hunter Biden was pardoned by his father last week. A particular flashpoint came in August 2022, when FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago — an action officials defended as necessary given the boxes of documents that were being concealed at the Palm Beach property and the evidence of obstruction that the Justice Department said had been gathered. Trump railed against the FBI over that search and has kept up his criticism ever since. Trump was angered by Wray's comment at a congressional hearing that there was “some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel” that struck Trump's ear during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July. The FBI later stated unequivocally that it was indeed a bullet. Before being named FBI director, Wray worked at a prestigious law firm, King & Spalding, where he represented former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during the “Bridgegate” scandal. He also led the Justice Department’s criminal division for a period during President George W. Bush’s administration.slot game free coins 。

Hegseth meets with moderate Sen. Collins as he lobbies for key votes in the SenateGearing up for the New Year and taking the most of the festive season, residents across the Capital have started turning up at prominent markets and restaurants. The markets have also stocked themselves up, anticipating the increased festive demand. However, some traders associations complain of low economic gains. “We have observed over and above crowd during Christmas around Connaught Place but that necessarily has not converted to sales for all, but we are hoping that sales will increase overall in the coming days,” Vikas Bhadhwar, general secretary, New Delhi traders’ association, said. Bhadhwar suggested that the parking arrangements at CP need to improve to accommodate the increasing footfall and traffic in the market. “We need better parking professionals and consistent timings to smooth out traffic congestion and improve shopping experience,” he added. At the same time, scenes are fairy in some places with jam packed crowd and shoppers. “We have seen very good response this festive season as the discounts are good across the market and most of the shops are putting out good sale numbers,” Nitin Gupta, president of Kamla Nagar traders’ association, said. Some traders also attributed the increase in winter collection demand to recent unseasonal rains. “Rain and dip in temperature have added to demand of winter clothing, with customers buying new winter fashion items. Many shops in Sarojini Nagar mini market are also offering discounts up to 50% on new clothing goods,” Ashok Randhawa, president of Sarojini Nagar mini market said, adding that arrival of new merchandise from neighbouring states after the removal of Grap 4 guidelines has also helped in boosting the sale. West Delhi’s Karol Bagh market has also witnessed decent footfall this year, in comparison to last year, traders said. Further, research by the chambers of trade and industries (CTI) has estimated business of ₹ 1,000 crore during Christmas and New Year’s holidays. “Around 10,000 people in hospitality, food and beverages and other industries will directly and indirectly get employment during this festive period,” Brijesh Goyal, chairman of CTI, said. Meanwhile, many shoppers said that quick e-commerce applications and ongoing flash sales online are reasons customers are choosing to shop from the comfort of their home. “We get better prices online nowadays and finding parking is also a hassle in these days,” Jyoti Sangwan, a shopper, said. Residents across Delhi-NCR said that the festive decorations are on point in shopping malls so people are gravitated towards them, but the rise in prices across food and clothing items is hampering their choices. “We went out for dinner and it seemed prices have shot up,” said Anushka De, another resident. Kuljeet Chahal, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) vice chairman, said that a special drive is being undertaken for clean up of markets in New Delhi before and after the New Year’s celebrations. “A special 10-day cleanliness drive is already underway in NDMC areas. Due to heavy footfall in markets like Connaught Place, Khan Market, Janpath, extra staff will be deployed at these places. The operation of all electricity poles and security in markets will be ensured,” Chahal said. The Delhi Police on Saturday issued a traffic advisory ahead of the New Year’s Eve celebrations, saying restrictions will be put around India Gate and CP as huge crowds are expected to celebrate there. Police had earlier said that more than 10,000 police personnel will be deployed on the streets on New Year’s eve to manage traffic and maintain law and order. Paramilitary forces will also be asked to help with deployment. Security will be heightened around New Delhi and south Delhi malls, markets and clubs. Traffic police said special traffic arrangements have been made in Lutyens’.

Column: Brady Corbet’s epic movie ‘The Brutalist’ came close to crashing down more than once

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