Pay first, deliver later: Some women are being asked to prepay for their baby
AP News Summary at 2:48 p.m. ESTStock market today: Nasdaq hits a record as Wall Street drifts ahead of Federal Reserve's meeting
MELBOURNE, Australia , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As we move into 2025, the potential of AI is reshaping how sales teams operate, engage, and deliver value. Sales teams that fail to leverage AI risk being left behind – similar to the cloud and mobile technology transformations over the last decade. B2B sales productivity has always hinged on effective engagement, efficient processes, and timely decision-making, which AI sales tools are set to revolutionise. By capturing activity data and providing sales-focused playbooks, AI can optimise daily sales activities with new efficiencies. The quality of this AI driven decision making is underpinned by the underlying quality of the data sets used, enabling sales teams to orchestrate the highest value tasks across their team's activities. Gartner predicts that by 2026, 75% of B2B sales organisations will augment traditional playbooks with AI-guided selling solutions, making AI the primary system of action for sales. This isn't just about automation; it's about versatility – from multichannel engagement to workflow execution – all within a single interface. These tools can reduce time spent on tasks like prospecting and meeting preparation by over 50%, enabling teams to focus on building relationships and closing deals. At Firmable, we see AI as the engine room of modern sales. Firmable deeply integrates Australia's highest quality external business data to deliver the most useful AI toolkit to lift sales team productivity. For 2025 we're building AI agents that not only automate tasks but also continuously learn and improve. Imagine AI generating and prioritising sales tasks based on real-time signals – updating CRM records, enriching account information, managing prospect outreach, and tracking outcomes. Leveraging large language models (LLMs) and customer-specific data, these agents refine processes with every interaction, enhancing the quality and relevance of engagements over time. This isn't just layering AI on top; it's fundamentally rethinking how sales teams operate. The evolution of AI also brings higher expectations from B2B customers. Sales teams must now deliver deeply personalised outreach and seamless user experiences. Efficiency isn't just about saving time; it's about creating meaningful connections and addressing customer needs more effectively. As AI drives process efficiency, sales professionals will need to balance automation with a human touch. The message is clear: businesses that fail to adopt AI risk being left behind – not just in speed and scale but in their ability to meet evolving customer demands. AI isn't just a tool; it's a foundational layer transforming how we build products, engage markets, and drive growth. At Firmable, we're committed to leading this transformation, deeply integrating the highest quality data into our AI agents, to ensure our customers have the tools they need to thrive in the AI era. As we look to 2025, AI will continue to redefine the B2B sales landscape and accelerate growth, for those ready to embrace its potential. About Firmable Firmable is Australia's definitive B2B database platform, helping businesses drive smarter decisions and outperform by knowing more about their leads, customers, and candidates than ever before. The platform provides access to the largest database of companies in one place with a rich set of attributes, allowing sales and marketing teams to accelerate growth, better engage with their customers, and save time by leveraging reliable market intelligence. SOURCE Firmable Pty Ltd.Apple Inc. AAPL may be gearing up to introduce an 18.8-inch foldable iPad by 2028. The innovative device is expected to provide users with a seamless experience, similar to using “two iPad Pros side-by-side.” Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman in his latest weekly "Power On" newsletter shared that Apple’s industrial design team has successfully developed prototypes of the foldable iPad. The device, which has been a subject of speculation for years, is rumored to have a smaller version launching between 2026 and 2027. In his newsletter, Gurman compared the upcoming device to the 20-inch folding “iPad / MacBook hybrid” he talked about in 2022. Gurman believes that the new iPad will incorporate features from both Macs and iPads. By 2028, he expects the iPadOS to be sophisticated enough to run macOS apps. It is my impression that much of Apple's current work on foldable screen technology is focused on this higher-end device, but it's also been exploring the idea of a foldable iPhone. Considering that Macs currently support iPhone and iPad apps, the idea of the reverse happening is not far-fetched. This could significantly boost the device’s value proposition, especially given that the 13-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,299. Also Read: Apple Eyes Sony Partnership For Game-Changing Vision Pro Upgrade Gurman also hinted at the development of a foldable iPhone, although its release is not anticipated “before 2026 at the earliest”. He added that his sources corroborate a recent alleged Apple internal display roadmap, which suggests the launch of the 18.8-inch foldable iPad and the release of OLED MacBook Pros in 2026, followed by a MacBook Air OLED update in 2027. The introduction of the foldable iPad is a testament to Apple’s commitment to innovation and user experience. The device, which combines the functionalities of an iPad and a Mac, could potentially redefine the tablet market. Moreover, the ability to run macOS apps on the iPadOS could blur the lines between tablets and laptops, offering users a more versatile and compact computing solution. The rumored foldable iPhone further indicates Apple’s plan to expand its foldable device portfolio, which could significantly impact the smartphone market. Read Next Apple's Tabletop Robot: The Future Of Home Technology Or A Potential Misstep? © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Once regarded as a secondary market to Los Angeles, Orange County’s food scene has come into its own as of late. Find mom-and-pop shops that have spent decades perfecting a singular dish in areas like Westminster, where Vietnamese food rules , and along Anaheim’s Little Arabia District . For upscale, white-tablecloth dining experiences with higher prices to match are fine dining stalwarts backed by big names. There’s something for everyone in Orange County. Here are the 38 best restaurants in Orange County. Fuoco Pizzeria Napoletana Listed as one of the best pizzas in America by the Washington Post , the pies at Fuoco Pizzeria Napoletana emerge from a nearly 1,000-degree wood-burning oven built in Naples by Stefano Ferrara. Three generations of pizzaiolos continue churning out classic margherita pizzas and the Fuoco pie, which is topped with mozzarella, prosciutto crudo, arugula, and shaved Parmigiano, and drizzled with truffle oil. A mozzarella bar is stocked weekly with cheese imported from Caserta, Italy. A post shared by Tullio Ceccarelli (@fuocopizza) Also featured in: The 16 Essential Pizzerias in Orange County Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen This Michelin-recommended halal restaurant combines the flavors of India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan with a modern Californian twist. The tender boneless chicken karahi is served with tomatoes and shishito peppers, and the butter chicken with dried fenugreek is one of the restaurant’s more popular dishes. The pani puri with tamarind water, mint, onion, and potato arrives on a mini cart and is intended to be taken as a shooter. A post shared by Halal Indian/Pakistani Steakhouse, Restaurant + Catering in OC (@khansaab_oc) Also featured in: Save Space for These 22 Orange County Desserts Where to Order Incredible Indian and South Asian Food Adya Chef Shachi Mehra combines her Jersey roots and Indian heritage to create a tangy goat cheese-filled naan. The new RFC sandwich combines flavors of a popular Rajasthani snack, which acts as a coating for crispy fried chicken served inside a custom bun made by Dean Kim’s OC Baking Company. Mehra’s inventiveness garnered her a win on Food Network’s Chopped . Meanwhile, her chef-partner, Sandeep Basrur, combines his background in traditional authentic Indian cooking to prepare classics such as a yellow shrimp coconut curry, dal makhani, and creamy cucumber raita. A post shared by ADYA - fresh Indian flavors (@adyaoc) Kareem's Falafel As one of the first restaurants in Anaheim’s Little Arabia District , Kareem’s remains a go-to for authentic Middle Eastern food. Owner Kareem Hawari’s closely held family falafel recipe is so popular that the Hawaris started selling it wholesale to grocery stores and other restaurants. The baba ganoush, grape leaves, and hummus are staples not to miss, but Kareem’s newer menu items — vegetarian wraps, falafel burgers, and feta fries — also offer a modern Mediterranean vibe without sacrificing traditional flavor. Also featured in: Where to Eat Near Angel Stadium in Anaheim Katella Bakery, Deli & Restaurant The family-owned Los Alamitos landmark founded by Stan Ratman and his wife Shirley is known for its deli food and stocked bakery case that has black-and-white cookies, pastries such as custard-filled eclairs, chocolate chip Danishes, and rugelach. The family-sized portions allow diners to nosh on several dishes at once. Rotund matzo balls are served in Shirley’s chicken soup and rye bread pastrami sandwiches remain a Katella favorite. The vibe is family-friendly with a multi-generational crowd in the dining room, which was remodeled in 2022. The bakery section has illuminated cases filled with slices of layer cakes, cookies, and glistening fruit tarts, baskets filled with bagels, and a smattering of deli items available for takeaway. A post shared by Katella Bakery-Deli-Restaurant (@katella_bakery) Also featured in: 17 Best Jewish Delis in Los Angeles 18 Awesome Orange County Bakeries to Try Right Now Sign up for our newsletter. Check your inbox for a welcome email. Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again. Shootz At Rodeo 39 Public Market in Stanton, the bustling food hall houses some of the county’s most sought after southeast Asian bites. Beef shank-laden pho from Phoholic and Kra-Z-Kai’s Laotian-style barbecue and sticky rice. At Shootz, reimagined Hawaiian classics include a kimchi butter katsu chicken sandwich stuffed with mac salad and the honey coconut shrimp musubi. Yigah Korean comfort food served in large portions is what Yigah is known for in Orange County. Both the Garden Grove restaurant and its sister location in Irvine at Diamond Jamboree shopping center serve steamy galbi tang, beef short rib soup, as well as the bossam meal with boiled pork belly, napa cabbage, and spicy pickled radish. Also featured in: 15 Essential Korean Restaurants to Try in Orange County Tacos Manuel Santa Ana’s Tacos Manuel truck, open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., serves corn tortilla street tacos with carnitas, chorizo, carne asada, al pastor, and chicken. Most regulars opt for the offals, such as cabeza and tripas (tripe), served with grilled onions, jalapenos, and cilantro. The truck also makes quesadillas, tortas, and burritos, but the huaraches topped with beans, lettuce, sour cream, and meat are the most popular. A post shared by Best Food (@bestfood_aroundtheworld) Omakase by Gino Sushi chef Gino Choi prepares an intricate omakase for 10 diners at his namesake downtown Santa Ana restaurant. (Choi is also a self-taught carpenter who built the sushi counter, entryway, and partitions himself.) Standout dishes include a creamy Hokkaido uni udon garnished with winter black truffles from Spain; Gino’s version of tamago, flavored with shellfish; and a yuzu foam topped with slow-cooked black cod bedded alongside green plum marinated roasted tomatoes. Also featured in: 15 Splurge-Worthy Sushi Restaurants in Orange County Phoholic The hearty portions of Phởholic’s hot beefy pho keep Vietnamese grandparents and social media influencers returning to its original location in Westminster. Owners Gordon and Cathy Pham have opened two more locations , one at South Coast Plaza and another at Rodeo 39 in Stanton. Pham’s parents run the kitchen where the family’s decades-old recipe requires the broth to simmer for 14 hours. Regulars opt for the beef shank and oxtail pho on the “holic” side of the menu, but beginners can start with the steak and brisket version. Nok’s Kitchen Chef Nokmaniphone Sayavong’s Laotian food built a cult following with her grilled sausage and tum mak huong, grated papaya salad mixed with tomato and seasoned with fish sauce. The herbaceous pork sausage should be eaten with sticky rice, a Laotian staple, and dipped in tangy spiced jeow som, interspersed with bites of fresh cucumber. The khao pad, her signature fried rice, comes with either tofu, chicken, pork, shrimp or crab. The restaurant recently moved to a new location on Bolsa Avenue. Brodard Restaurant This timeless restaurant offers a wide array of Vietnamese specialties, starting with 13 types of spring rolls — including the popular grilled shrimp paste with lettuce, carrots, daikon, mint, cilantro, and cucumber wrapped in rice paper. The menu continues with traditional Vietnamese noodle soups, sandwiches, and much more. Also featured in: The 23 Essential Vietnamese Restaurants in Little Saigon, Orange County Save Space for These 22 Orange County Desserts Nep Cafe Nep Cafe is a brunch sensation. At the French Vietnamese all-day cafe, run by the massively successful restaurant group Kei Concepts , the kitchen pays “homage to the traditional Vietnamese morning routine.” The menu includes TikTok-worthy coffee drinks topped with salted egg yolk and delicate dishes like sous vide egg kicked up with hints of truffle. Nep’s second location in Irvine opened in the same plaza as Kei Concepts’ Sup Noodle Bar. Also featured in: The 23 Essential Vietnamese Restaurants in Little Saigon, Orange County The 21 Best Brunch Options in Orange County Terrace by Mix Mix Ross Pangilinan’s Terrace by Mix Mix is known for its open-air patio and the chef’s large raviolo. The hand-rolled pasta is stuffed with a cheese-herb filling and a whole egg yolk. Other popular items include an albacore crostini on a crispy corn tostada and brioche french toast for brunch. Filipino-inspired dishes, including his adobo and lumpia, stand out as nods to Pangilinan’s roots. Also featured in: The 21 Best Brunch Options in Orange County Vaca Top Chef: All Stars’ Amar Santana opened this sleek Spanish hideaway in 2016 inside the Segerstrom Performing Arts Center. Aged steaks hang from illuminated cases as if perched in a sleek showroom. For lunch, the lamb burger is punched up with feta, sumac onion, and red pepper jam. Those looking for paella will find options with saffron-hinted bomba rice. But the sharable tapas are the most fun. The chef’s snacks rotate often, but the creamy chicken croquettes and warm pulp with fingerling potatoes drizzled in Spanish olive oil remain mainstays since it opened. Knife Pleat This modern French-Californian restaurant from chef Tony Esnault and Yassmin Sarmadi is ripe for celebratory meals. The three-course lunch and four-to-six-course dinner prix fixe menus change often. One week, it’s French black truffles; another evening, it’s a Norouz dinner with recipes by Shamsi Katebi, prepared by Esnault and his kitchen team. Its plush banquets and round tables overlook the bar and open kitchen. A sunlit patio is typically booked with private weekend events, and a pricey but impeccable afternoon tea service is available on Saturdays. The surprisingly satisfying non-alcoholic cocktails, like the Cadillac margarita with blood orange and lime, are also worth stopping in for. Also featured in: The 18 Best Places for Afternoon Tea in Los Angeles Los Angeles’s 2024 Michelin Stars, Mapped A&J Restaurant This Taiwanese restaurant in Irvine serves Chinese-style crispy pork chop over rice and thousand-layer pancakes, but the noodle dishes are not to be missed, including a beef noodle soup and noodles with ground pork. For diners who enjoy heat, the menu also features several Sichuan-style dishes, like a beef tendon noodle soup and spicy wontons. A post shared by A&J Restaurant (@ajrestaurant) Also featured in: The Best Chinese Restaurants Around D.C. Where to Eat and Drink in Rockville Hana re The omakase-only Hana re is a 10-seat sushi-ya helmed by Atsushi Yokoyama. Located in an industrial storage crate at the Lab in Costa Mesa, the Michelin star counter feels like a hidden gem, even though its stellar fish preparations are no secret anymore. Yokoyama and one server, who also assists with wine pairings, put out an omakase experience that includes bite sized crab perched atop eel tempura, scallops enveloped in gelee, welk shellfish with celery root, caviar and shiso. Reservations can be made via text at (714) 545-2800 for the $250 omakase. A post shared by Wu Jiang (@w499340317) Vibe Organic Kitchen & Juice The gluten-free, organic, and vegan cafe serves breakfast options all day. The blue-colored spirulina chia pudding with fresh fruit and the tacos made with house-made corn tortillas, cauliflower scramble, pico de gallo, and cashew lime crema are snackable any time of day. For vegan beginners, the cafe serves acai bowls with cacao nibs, an extensive menu of made-to-order juices and smoothies blended with homemade coconut milk, and a kid-friendly organic mixed berry waffle with cashew cream and maple syrup. A post shared by Vibe Organic Kitchen & Juice (@eatdrinkvibe) Fermentation Farm Probiotics rule at Fermentation Farm — thanks to nearly a dozen different on-tap kombucha flavors, and food options like a French onion soup with raw cheese and a kraut-filled grilled cheese sandwich. Visit on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. when a farmers market featuring produce from Rosewood Farms and Sunny Cal Farms pops up in the restaurant’s parking lot. Monthly classes include an intro to bone broth and fermentation techniques like kombucha brewing. A new location opened at River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano. A Restaurant This cozy, red booth hideout on Pacific Coast Highway is known for its Rat Pack atmosphere. The classic martini reigns at the bar and the chicken pot pie is only available on Fridays, but locals love the steaks, the confited Mary’s organic chicken, and pan-seared Niman Ranch pork chops. Put simply: the restaurant is old-school done right. River Jetty Restaurant Group also operates A Restaurant’s sister locales CDM Restaurant, A Crystal Cove, and A Market, which are go-to hot spots in Newport Beach. Fable & Spirit A meal at Fable & Spirit, almost by default, starts with warm Guinness brown bread with European butter and Jacobsen sea salt. From there, the Lido Isle restaurant weaves between European meat and potato influences to pure Californicana, like citrusy salads loaded with cara cara and blood oranges, chevre, and crispy quinoa. Chef David Shofner and the Coyle family are also known for popular Mission Viejo restaurants Wineworks for Everyone and Dublin 4 Gastropub. Also featured in: Orange County's 12 Best Restaurants The 21 Best Brunch Options in Orange County Sushi II The splurge-worthy Sushi II is located in Mariner’s Point in Newport Beach and offers three hyper-seasonal omakase experiences. Named after distinct Japanese pottery — Bizen, Oribe, and Karatsu — the menus range from $150 to $275 per person. At lunch, chirashi starts at $35 and omakase is $120. Order the omakase paired with sake to experience master chef Susumu Ii’s washoku training to the fullest. The takeout offerings, such as the deluxe chirashi ($48) and a classic Japanese cherry blossom chirashi for $27, are exquisitely packaged for impressive meals on the go. A post shared by Sushi ii (@sushi_iirestaurant) Also featured in: 15 Splurge-Worthy Sushi Restaurants in Orange County Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens Chef Richard Mead is a long-standing figure in the Orange County dining scene. At the Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens, the chef showcases the best that the season has to offer from the region’s many producers, which means ever-changing takes on dishes like sea scallops, as well as shrimp and mussels served in a tomato-Pernod broth with a polenta cake made from blue corn sourced from the Tehachapi Heritage Grain Project. Also featured in: Save Space for These 22 Orange County Desserts The 21 Best Brunch Options in Orange County Marché Moderne Florent and Amelia Marneu’s white tablecloth restaurant is a stalwart in the Orange County fine dining scene. The Newport Beach restaurant serves traditional French favorites such as roasted bone marrow and duck confit. Amelia’s chopped salad with French feta, cucumber, mint, and honey grapefruit vinaigrette showcases California produce. Other standout dishes include hamachi with a jalapeno-tinged mango-yuzu sorbet, rabbit confit stuffed cannelloni, and the rotating desserts crafted by the Marneus. Also featured in: Save Space for These 22 Orange County Desserts Heritage Barbecue San Juan Capistrano’s award-winning pitmaster Daniel Castillo takes barbecue to the next level with wood-smoked brisket, sausages, turkeys, ribs, chickens, and more. First-timers load up on the brisket and ribs, while regulars order pork belly banh mi sandwiches, brisket tacos prepared with La Palma tortillas, and creamy banana pudding layered with pound cake and vanilla wafer cookies. Get the charred broccoli with cheesy mornay sauce if it’s on the menu. Also featured in: Save Space for These 22 Orange County Desserts 21 Road Trip-Worthy Barbecue Destinations Outside of Los Angeles Mayfield George Barker opened Mayfield in 2020 and sparked a new dining movement in San Juan Capistrano. The food is influenced by Levantine regional flavors, with hints of North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East mixed with California. There’s a solid burger with harissa aioli at happy hour and za’atar fried chicken for dinner. For brunch, there’s avocado toast and egg sandwiches, but there are also Turkish eggs with labneh and fiery tomato shakshuka, showcasing the variety from the kitchen. The restaurant is also known for its cocktails, one of which is featured monthly and whose proceeds are given to a local cause. Kahani Deep in Orange County, hidden away in the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, chef Sanjay Rawat prepares what could be the most incredible Indian fine dining that Southern California has seen. Rawat’s inventive and playful presentations don’t hold back on flavor in a venue that was previously a staid hotel steakhouse. It’s clear that Rawat and his immense wedding feasts for the property translate into something that OC diners can wrap their heads around, like the spiced Chilean sea bass with roasted delicata squash or the exceptional rack of lamb over forbidden rice and handi sauce. — Matthew Kang, lead editor Also featured in: The 21 Best Indian and South Asian Restaurants in Los Angeles
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Environmental groups are asking the U.S. government to do more to protect Rocky Mountain grizzly bears before the next Trump administration decides the big bruins' future. The groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday to take steps to connect the bears' separate populations. They want federal wildlife officials to encourage grizzlies to roam from the Yellowstone ecosystem in Wyoming across parts of Idaho and Montana to the area in and around Glacier National Park. "Overwhelming scientific consensus agrees that a naturally connected metapopulation of grizzly bears will lead to improved genetic diversity and greater demographic resiliency of the species," says the petition submitted by Earthjustice lawyers on behalf of 14 groups including the Sierra Club and Humane Society of the United States. Expanding the habitat of grizzlies doesn't sit well with many ranchers whose cattle and sheep can be their prey. Ranchers plan to press President Donald Trump's incoming administration to remove protections for bears — not encourage their spread. Not every place where grizzlies might roam is suitable for them, said Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. "As the population gets out of hand — which we believe it's doing at this point — yes, they start to expand into other areas but they're not natural areas for grizzly bears," Magagna said Wednesday. "They therefore present more of a problem." Fish and Wildlife faces a court-imposed deadline of Jan. 20 — the same day Trump will retake office — to decide whether to continue to protect grizzlies as a federally designated threatened species. U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson in Cheyenne set the date on Friday, almost a year after the service missed its own deadline to decide the matter. Fish and Wildlife officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday's petition. The previous Trump administration briefly removed federal protections for grizzly bears but was blocked by courts. Wyoming, Montana and Idaho all still seek to have grizzlies' federal protection removed in favor of state management. That would likely lead to new plans for grizzly hunting, similar to how the three states now allow the hunting of wolves that were reintroduced to the region. Grizzlies are North America's biggest bears, after polar bears. And while Alaska hosts the biggest grizzlies, those in the Lower 48 states can still top 600 pounds (270 kilograms). Since their listing as federally protected threatened species in 1975, the Rocky Mountain grizzly population has doubled to around 2,000 animals. But they still face a range of threats, and the 73 grizzly deaths attributed to or possibly caused by people in the Yellowstone region this year are the most on record, according to Earthjustice. Wildlife managers do often kill bears that habitually raid trash and other sources of human food and become a safety risk. Others are struck on roads and shot accidentally or in self-defense by hunters, the groups point out in their petition. In October, the death of arguably the world's most famous grizzly bear — No. 399, a 28-year-old female that birthed at least 18 cubs over the years — highlighted the risks of vehicle traffic. No. 399 often drew crowds by spending a lot of her time with her cubs near roads in nearby Grand Teton National Park before she was killed by a Subaru on a road south of Jackson, Wyoming. Encouraging the population to connect beyond the areas grizzlies currently inhabit full-time would improve their genetic diversity and make them more resilient to threats including habitat loss and climate change, according to the petition. The document draws on a plan by Chris Servheen, who was Fish and Wildlife's grizzly bear recovery coordinator from 1981 until his retirement in 2016. Servheen updated the 1993 recovery plan he developed for the service. He links the fate of grizzlies to that of wolves in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The bears, whose territory overlaps with wolf habitat, need more protection from neck snares intended for wolves, he pointed out in a call with reporters. His new plan applies only if grizzlies remain federally protected, however. "If they delisted all of the grizzly bears, the game is over for grizzly bears and it wouldn't be a recovery plan," Servheen said.Trampoline Market to Increase by USD 978.4 Million (2023-2028), Segmented by Product, End-User, Channel, and Geography, with AI Redefining Market Landscape - Technavio