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NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally gunning down health insurance executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street, pleaded not guilty on Monday to New York state murder charges that brand him a terrorist. Mangione, 26, was escorted into Judge Gregory Carro's 13th-floor courtroom in the New York state criminal courthouse in lower Manhattan with a court officer on each arm, and a procession of a half dozen officers following him. He was in handcuffs and shackles, and wore a burgundy sweater over a white-collared shirt. ADVERTISEMENT Mangione leaned into a microphone and said "not guilty" when Carro asked how he pleaded to the 11-count indictment charging him with murder as an act of terrorism and weapons offenses. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group's UNH.N insurance unit UnitedHealthcare, was shot dead on Dec. 4 outside a hotel in midtown Manhattan where the company was gathering for an investor conference. The brazen killing and ensuing five-day manhunt captivated Americans. While public officials have condemned the killing, some Americans who decry the steep costs of healthcare and insurance companies' power to deny paying for some medical treatments have feted Mangione as a folk hero. Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9. After deciding last week not to fight extradition, he was transferred to New York, where he was led off a helicopter in lower Manhattan by a large phalanx of police officers and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. That spectacle and other statements by public officials suggest Mangione may not be able to get a fair trial, his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said at Monday's hearing. "They are treating him like he is some sort of political fodder, some sort of spectacle," Agnifilo said. "He is not a symbol, he is someone who is afforded a right to a fair trial." ADVERTISEMENT Several dozen people gathered outside the courthouse in freezing temperatures to express support for Mangione and anger at healthcare companies. One person held a sign with the words "DENY, DEFEND, DEPOSE," a phrase that echoes tactics some accuse insurers of using to avoid paying out claims. Authorities say the words "deny," "delay," and "depose" were found written on shell casings at the crime scene. Kara Hay, a 42-year-old schoolteacher, said she believed it was wrong for Mangione to be charged with terrorism. "Shooting one CEO does not make him a terrorist, and I do not feel terrorized," said Hay, who held a sign reading "innocent until proven guilty." After the 30-minute hearing, officers once again shackled Mangione and led him out of the courtroom. He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal lockup in Brooklyn. Carro set Mangione's next court appearance for Feb. 21. Monday's arraignment was the second court appearance in New York for Mangione, who also faces a four-count federal criminal complaint charging him with stalking and killing Thompson. ADVERTISEMENT He has not yet been asked to enter a plea in that case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker ordered Mangione detained at a Dec. 19 hearing in Manhattan federal court. The federal charges would make him eligible for the death penalty, should the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan decide to pursue it. The separate federal and state cases will proceed in parallel. The state case is currently expected to go to trial first, federal prosecutors said. At the hearing, Friedman Agnifilo said it was difficult to defend her client in dual state and federal cases. "He is being treated like a human ping-pong ball between these two jurisdictions," Friedman Agnifilo said. She also said the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which brought the charges, has not handed over any evidence to the defense to help prepare for trial, a process known as discovery. A prosecutor responded that the office would begin handing over evidence soon. According to the federal criminal complaint, the police who arrested Mangione found a notebook that contained several handwritten pages that "express hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular." ADVERTISEMENT A notebook entry dated Oct. 22 allegedly described an intent to "wack" the chief executive of an insurance company at its investor conference. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .NEW DELHI, India (AP) — A 13-year-old cricketer from India’s northern state of Bihar could become the sport's latest Twenty20 batting sensation. The Rajasthan Royals think so highly of Vaibhav Suryavanshi that they paid $130,000 in the Indian Premier League's mega auction for his services, making him the youngest ever to be selected. Suryavanshi came to the limelight last month when he scored a century against Australia's under-19 team off just 58 balls before he got out for 104. At the age of 13 years and 187 days, Suryavanshi broke the record of Bangladesh’s present test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who at the age of 14 years and 241 days held the previous record of scoring a century at youth level. The Delhi Capitals also showed interest when the bid for Suryavanshi started at his base price of $35,500. “He’s been to our high performance center in Nagpur, he had trials there and really impressed our coaching set-up there,” Rajasthan CEO Jake Lush McCrum said after the auction ended Monday. “He’s an incredible talent and of course you've got to have the confidence so he can step up to the IPL level.” McCrum described Suryavanshi as a “hell of a talent” and hoped lots of work will go into the coming months before the IPL begins on March 14 with former Indian captain Rahul Dravid among the coaching panel of the franchise. Suryavanshi idolizes legendary West Indian batter Brian Lara and often gets tips from former India batter Wasim Jaffer, with whom he met during an under-19 tournament in Bangladesh last year. Suryavanshi's father, Sanjiv, is his coach and has worked with him since his son showed interest in the game at an early age. “He is not just my son now, but entire Bihar’s son," the elder Suryavanshi told Press Trust of India. "My son has worked hard.” The IPL does not have a formal minimum age requirement, but in 2020 the International Cricket Council set the minimum age of 15 for players to compete internationally. However, the game’s governing body also said at that time that cricket boards can request permission to allow players under 15 to represent their country. Prayas Ray Barman held the previous record of youngest player to win an IPL contract. He was 16 in 2019 when the Royal Challengers Bengaluru spent about $200,000 for him. But the wrist spinner faded away after playing just one match. Pakistani batter Hasan Raza holds the record of youngest cricketer to make his test debut — the five-day cricket format — at the age of 14 years and 227 days in 1996. ___ AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket The Associated Press

Is Canada running out of time to make its buildings net zero? Experts say the country’s building sector is slow to meet emerging standards Wallace Immen, Special to The Globe and Mail Dec 3, 2024 2:00 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Airport Executive Park is a 13-building complex in Richmond, B.C., that recently installed electric heat pumps to replace its gas-fired heating systems. Colliers Canada Listen to this article 00:06:16 The 13 office buildings in Richmond, B.C.’s Airport Executive Park – a business park located on 35 acres of green space – date back to a time when climate change and carbon footprints weren’t part of mainstream discussions and long-term environmental control programs. But as more companies set climate and sustainability targets, many are actively working toward reducing greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions within their operations and supply chains. Fiera Real Estate Canada – the current owner of Richmond’s Airport Executive Park (AEP) – is aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, partly through the installation of electric heat pumps that will replace its gas-fired heating systems, which date back to the 1980s and early 2000s. The company’s net-zero ambitions are emblematic of the significant commitments national building owners are making that will help Canada reach its target of net-zero building emissions by 2050. And while 25 years from today may seem like a long time, experts warn Canada isn’t making progress fast enough to achieve its goal. The clock began ticking in 2021 when the federal government adopted the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act , aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, with an interim target of GHG reductions hitting at least 40 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. Released this year, the Canada Green Buildings Strategy says there are more than 564,000 commercial and institutional buildings across the country, and because the majority are expected to still be in use in 2050, most will require extensive upgrades and retrofitting to reach Canada’s net-zero goal. “It’s hard to see how we’re going to achieve the interim standards for the building sector by 2030, and if we don’t reach them, the climb to 2050 is going to be a lot harder,” says Thomas Mueller, president and chief executive officer of the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC), which supports the building industry’s transition to green structures and sets national standards for zero-carbon buildings. Updated in July, the council’s Zero Carbon Building standards focus on maintaining high energy efficiency in new buildings and reducing carbon emissions in older structures by replacing fossil-fuel-burning equipment. It estimates that Canada needs to convert at least 3 per cent of its buildings to net-zero emissions a year and invest billions in making buildings greener. A recent study from CAGBC and the Delphi Group – a Canadian climate and sustainability consultancy – identifies the most-needed upgrades in buildings to be LED lighting, triple-glazed windows, roof insulation, high-efficiency ventilation systems, as well as computer control systems that reduce heating and cooling when rooms are not in use. These upgrades require major structural changes and are why most building owners are conducting feasibility studies and putting refits into their 10-year plans, says Tonya Lagrasta, vice-president and head of ESG at commercial real estate services company Colliers Canada. However, she says: “The price tags for things like window replacements can have owners of older buildings falling off their chairs.” The Pembina Institute, a clean-energy think tank, estimates that decarbonizing Canada’s commercial and residential building sector will require more than $400-billion in upgrades. It also concludes that more incentives must be put in place. Since grants are often difficult for governments to finance and administer, tax credits to stimulate investment are more practical, says Mr. Mueller. However, a challenge is that several provinces and cities have building codes that include specifications that vary from the federal standards. “It is a real hodgepodge of standards across the country and that is contributing to confusion,” says Terry Bergen, Victoria-based managing principal of RJC Engineers, a building science consultancy. For retrofits, there is also a misconception that high efficiency comes with higher operating costs. But recently, a lot of studies have been released that demonstrate a high return on investment by making these changes, says Duncan Rowe, a Toronto-based principal with RJC Engineers. At the same time, Mr. Rowe acknowledges that it’s not economical or ecologically practical to speed up the replacement of nearly-new equipment just to meet a standard. In other words, upgrades should be aligned with the life cycle of equipment. In the case of Airport Executive Park, the heating systems were several decades old and in need of replacement. While the newly installed systems are less than a year old, the expectation is that annual energy cost savings for all the property’s buildings will be as much as 50 per cent. In the long term, achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is an interim step toward a goal of being fully net-zero energy – producing as much clean energy as consumed with on-site clean and renewable sources, such as solar, wind or geothermal, Ms. Lagrasta says. Net-zero energy is achievable because technology is advancing, says Mr. Rowe. For instance, solar technology is becoming affordable and can be efficient at powering some buildings, but it needs the right conditions. If a building owner has a large roof area, solar is a practical solution, though it won’t be sufficient for an office tower with a small roof. However, there are also developments in photovoltaic glass that can turn windows into power sources, Mr. Rowe says. Ultimately, economics – not politics – will persuade building owners to invest in green technology, Ms. Lagrasta says. A study by Colliers found tenants are willing to pay a premium of an average of 8 per cent to be in a building with a high sustainability rating. “Building owners value their assets and political winds come and go. But it will become harder to attract and retain tenants in an older building that is falling behind the curve,” Ms. Lagrasta says. Tags: See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More Real Estate B.C. real estate workforce facing pressure as housing demand surges, says report Dec 3, 2024 1:30 PM Metro Vancouver's quick-service restaurants face multiple challenges heading into 2025 Dec 3, 2024 7:30 AM Vancouver home sales jump in November as more new listings keep prices steady: board Dec 3, 2024 7:14 AM Featured Flyer

Three decades ago, Andrew Luger’s biggest worry when he left his federal prosecutor job in Brooklyn to join the U.S. Attorney’s Office in his wife’s native Minneapolis was that he’d be bored here. Yet during two stints as the state’s top federal prosecutor — first from 2014-17 and now since 2022 — some of the state’s most profound criminal cases have unfolded under his watch. His first term was marked by international terrorism recruitment investigations and the prosecution of Jacob Wetterling’s killer. Luger’s second will be defined by a novel approach in going after street gangs and a still-swelling array of pandemic and health care fraud cases. “I wanted to take the impact that this office can have with significant cases and bring it to address what was happening in Minnesota, and in Minneapolis in particular, to make a difference,” Luger said in a recent interview in his office. “The idea that we could actually make a difference in a relatively new phenomenon, which is high violent crime in a city that just wasn’t known for that before.” Luger said he will step down before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in Jan. 20, and he expects many of his Biden-appointed peers to do the same. His resignation will avoid a repeat of 2017 when Luger was stunned via a wave of Friday firings early in Trump’s first term. Presidential appointees must clear the U.S. Senate. Under Biden, Minnesota’s two Democratic senators organized efforts to recommend U.S. Attorney, U.S. marshal and federal judicial candidates. But with a Republican returning to the White House, that task now shifts to Minnesota’s GOP congressional delegation. Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice G. Barry Anderson is leading a committee to find candidates, and a deadline to apply passed on Friday. Other search committee members included attorney David Asp; John Hinderaker, president of the Center of the American Experiment; Allie Howell, trial and appellate counsel at the Upper Midwest Law Center; Tad Jude, a former state court judge who twice ran for office as a Republican in recent cycles; and Ilan Wurman, a University of Minnesota law professor. Multiple sources told the Minnesota Star Tribune that those being considered to succeed Luger include Erica MacDonald, whom Trump first appointed as U.S. attorney in 2018. Joe Teirab, an ex-federal prosecutor and Republican defeated by Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., in November is also in the mix, as are Minneapolis attorney Ronald Schutz and Maple Grove attorney Ryan Wilson, who narrowly lost his 2022 race for state auditor as a Republican. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson, who has led the office’s Feeding Our Future prosecution and its ongoing probe into fraud suspicions at some Minnesota autism centers, is also said to have applied ahead of last week’s deadline. Sources did not identify a front-runner as the application window closed Friday. Luger’s focus on violent crime, drug trafficking and fraud is not a radical departure from what might be expected from his Trump-appointed successor. “Every U.S. Attorney comes in with their own ideas about how to improve service to the community, to the state. I did, and my successor will, and I’ll support those,” Luger said. “But I don’t expect a major shift fighting fentanyl trafficking, child exploitation, gangs, the Feeding Our Future-type frauds. That’s bipartisan.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick, as Luger’s first assistant, will take the reins of the office as Acting U.S. Attorney until the Senate approves Trump’s pick. She could be in that position for a while: Greg Brooker served as an interim U.S. Attorney for 15 months before MacDonald’s 2018 confirmation. When MacDonald left in February 2021, the office was again led on an acting basis for more than a year before Luger’s second confirmation in 2022. Kirkpatrick will oversee an office that in 2025 will be dominated by lengthy, complex trials. As a continuation of Luger’s violent crime focus, 19 alleged members of the Highs gang are scheduled for a series of trials between March and July on charges that include racketeering. More than a half-dozen, multi-defendant trials in the massive Feeding Our Future fraud case are scheduled for between February and December of next year, including a Feb. 3 trial involving Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock. All of that is on top of potential new charges that could stem from an ongoing related FBI investigation into possible Medicaid fraud perpetrated by autism centers in Minnesota. MacDonald, whom Trump picked to succeed Luger in 2018, emphasized that only the presidentially appointed leader of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be departing and that “the bread and butter of the work of the office remains the same.” MacDonald declined to comment when asked about her interest in succeeding Luger. Speaking generally, she anticipated that violent crime would remain a focus of the next administration. She praised Luger’s effectiveness at “communicating with the public on a regular basis about what is going on.” “Just knowing that the federal authorities are watching can be enough to have a deterrent effect,” MacDonald said. Though the U.S. Attorney is appointed by the president, MacDonald said that “if done right, it is not a political job.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a longtime friend and an influential figure in advancing Minnesota federal nominees, applauded Luger for laying out a vision at his swearing-in ceremony in 2022. “A lot of his legacy will be the big cases he handled ... but also it’s going to be accountability and trust when we really needed it,” Klobuchar said. Luger said he began his second term with a much clearer focus due to the sustained spike in violent crime that began in 2020. He knew right away that the office needed a strategy. “That doesn’t compare to anything we did last time because it was clear the day I started it, and it’s been clear every day I’ve been here that we needed to do this,” Luger said. Luger prefers to do much of his strategizing over shared meals. During one such occasion with Attorney General Merrick Garland, Luger outlined the rise in shootings and carjackings in Minneapolis. Garland, Luger recalls, responded by asking if Luger considered pursuing racketeering conspiracy cases to tie together a history of shootings and other crimes as part of one big conspiracy case. The strategy had scarcely been deployed against Minneapolis gangs before and was instead long associated with organized crime. That work led Luger to a fast friendship with Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, a fellow East Coaster who took over the department in 2022 after moving from Newark, N.J. The two led a panel on their work together earlier this month at a federal law enforcement conference that brought together more than 600 personnel from across the country. In remarks kicking off the conference — which also included joining Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in presenting Luger with a plaque for his service — O’Hara called Luger “a crucial partner” and “a mentor and close friend.” “People here should know that we here in the state of Minnesota have been fortunate to have a U.S. Attorney that is truly a national treasure,” O’Hara said. The occasion had a funereal tone, as O’Hara acknowledged Luger’s imminent departure. “It’s been really an incredible privilege to work with him and to see him be a leader that is astute enough to recognize what the major problem is and pivot quickly to bring federal resources to bear on it,” said Steven Dettelbach, ATF director, in an interview at the conference. Dettelbach has since said he too will resign before an expected Trump firing. Retirement is off the table, Luger said, though he declined to disclose what might come next. Luger returned to private practice after his 2017 dismissal, joining Jones Day. In mid-March 2020, he’d returned from an international work trip when he fell sick upon reaching home. His doctor confirmed Luger had COVID-19, which rapidly worsened and required three weeks in intensive care, two of them in a coma. “I came as close to death as I think was possible,” Luger said. “I’m not an epiphany person, but you come out of a coma that not everybody was convinced you’d come out of, you have to reflect on what it means. I did not immediately say, ‘Boy, I want to be U.S. Attorney again,’ but I knew I wanted to serve, and I knew that I wanted as much meaning in my life going forward.” --------- ©2024 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Relentless floods. Searing Heat. Vanishing coastlines. Thailand's cities are under siege from climate risks. Without urgent intervention, the worst is yet to come. The evidence is clear: Cities in Thailand are grappling with triple climate challenges -- rising temperatures, destructive floods, and coastal erosion. These threats do not endanger lives and ecosystems. They also cause significant economic loss since cities are the backbone of the economy. Globally, cities generate 80% of GDP while hosting over 56% of the population. Repeated extreme weather events can lead to economic disaster. Thailand is no exception. Heatwaves Over half of Thailand's population now lives in cities, and this number is growing along with the risks of heatwaves, flooding, and coastal erosion. In Bangkok, urban heat islands have caused city temperatures to rise by 5.26C over the past 25 years, according to a study by the Asian Institute of Technology and Khon Kaen University in 2020. Chiang Mai, known for its cool climate, now experiences temperatures over 36C in many areas. Another study from Burapha University in 2019 also mentioned that rapid urbanisation and shrinking green spaces have made the eastern region 2.56C hotter over the last decade. As a result, deaths from heat waves have surged. Vulnerable groups, such as outdoor workers, the elderly, and slum dwellers, are hit the hardest, exacerbating Thailand's already distressing inequality. Flooding Flooding is a major issue in Bangkok, with 737 flood hotspots, according to the data from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, worsened by more rainstorms. Floods disrupt daily life, cause traffic gridlock, and damage infrastructure, causing significant economic loss. During rush hours, heavy rain can cause up to 2,000 hours of travel delays daily alone. This number might seem to be small, but the calculation is based on the traffic situation at only 16 major intersections in Bangkok. As Bangkok sinks, rising seas will worsen the problem, while flash floods become more common. Chiang Mai, the largest city in the North, suffered unprecedented flooding this year, highlighting the need for better preparedness and action. Despite the devastation year after year, current flood prevention measures like barriers and drainage systems are short-term fixes. Sustainable solutions require comprehensive river basin management, better water-retention areas, and long-term city planning, including active community involvement. Coastal erosion Rising sea levels and stronger storms have eroded 26% of Thailand's 3,151-kilometre coastline. Over the past 30 years, the country has lost around 100,000 rai of coastal land, with Bangkok's Bang Khun Thian losing 2,735 rai. This erosion threatens cities, communities, ecosystems, and the economy, displacing villages and destroying vital ecosystems like mangroves. Urgent action is needed to protect the coastline. Piecemeal solutions Current efforts to address heatwaves, flooding, and coastal erosion are sadly fragmented and inadequate. As cities grow hotter, the government has done little -- if anything -- to expand green spaces, promote eco-friendly buildings, or invest in long-term solutions. Some measures, like taxing water retention areas as unproductive lands, have made things worse by reducing flood absorption areas. Concrete sea walls, built without comprehensive environmental studies or local input, have also worsened coastal erosion nearby, showing the flaws of relying solely on hard engineering solutions from a top-down policy. Long-term flood prevention is also lacking. Flood walls and drainage upgrades, for example, address the symptoms, not the root causes. Sustainable approaches require ecological planning, sufficient water retention, inclusive city planning and community involvement. Additionally, environmental and social assessments need to be fair, transparent, and participatory, which they are not at present. Global examples Piecemeal solutions do not work. The impacts of climate change are not just environmental -- they are also economic and social crises. What Thailand needs is a cohesive, long-term strategy to make cities climate resilient, and there is much to learn from other countries. After deadly heatwaves in 2022 that claimed 425 lives in Phoenix, US, mainly among the homeless and the elderly -- the city set up a data system to track vulnerable groups and give them easy access to shelters and water stations. It has saved lives and improved emergency responses. Meanwhile, London uses green, environmen- tally friendly buildings through collaboration between local government, the private sector, building owners, and climate experts to tackle rising temperatures. Copenhagen, Denmark, after dealing with repeated heavy rain and flooding, has created dual-purpose parks that act as floodwater reservoirs during storms. The city has also built giant underground tunnels to separate rainwater from sewage, helping improve climate resilience and urban liveability. In China, "sponge cities" are being developed to fight severe flooding. These cities use parks to absorb rainwater, temporary water-retention areas, and roads designed to soak up water and slow runoff. After the 1953 North Sea flood that killed 1,800 people and flooded 9% of the Netherlands, the government used modern sea wall technology to prevent future floods. They also listened to local fishermen's input to adjust the project and improve its effectiveness. Closer to home, Singapore is fighting city heat with better urban planning. This includes improving cooling systems, reducing car use, building eco-friendly structures, and adding more green, open spaces across the city. In Indonesia, Jakarta's flooding problem is being tackled by planting mangroves, clearing garbage to improve water flow, and relocating people from flood-prone areas with community input. These areas are being turned into water-retention zones. Indonesia is also moving its capital from Jakarta to the island of Borneo. International examples offer practical and effective strategies for making cities resilient to climate risks -- valuable lessons for Thailand. To fight heatwaves, cities can add more green spaces, reduce car use, and improve air conditioning systems. Green buildings, like those with rooftop gardens, can also help cool urban areas. For flooding, adding green spaces, improving drainage, and building "sponge cities" that soak up water can reduce damage from heavy rains. To protect coastlines, planting mangroves, restoring natural ecosystems, using innovative engineering, and relocating buildings from high-risk areas are essential steps. These solutions combine nature, smart engineering, and community support to address climate challenges effectively. They can be grouped into four colour-coded strategies. Grey focuses on traditional engineering, green on eco-friendly, natural solutions, blue on water absorption, and white on relocation. Importantly, all these strategies prioritise local knowledge and input, using a participatory process to help residents adapt their habits and behaviours. The solution is simple: reduce car use and improve air conditioning to cut emissions, make buildings eco-friendly, and expand green spaces, water-retention areas, and mangroves. Focus on new ideas and involve local communities. If needed, relocate people from high-risk areas. Adapting cities to climate change begins with understanding the risks, identifying vulnerable groups and dangerous areas, and checking if the city is ready to respond. This means reviewing city infrastructure, working together with all stakeholders, and creating long-term plans for sustainable growth. Cities need strong plans, careful assessments, and smart investments in solutions that tackle multiple climate risks. For Thailand, this means adding more green spaces, turning unused urban land into parks or wetlands with tax incentives, updating old buildings to be eco-friendly, and relocating risky developments with fair compensation and community input. These actions can help our cities prepare for climate change. For sure, adaptation will not be cheap, but the price of doing nothing will be far greater. The time to act is now. Sumet Ongkittikul, PhD, is vice president for internal systems and research director of transportation and logistic policy, and Nuntachart Ratanaburi is a researcher at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). This article is the author's adaptation from his presentation 'Making Cities Resilient to Climate Change' at the 2024 TDRI Annual Public Conference on Oct 30, 2024.US judge dismisses federal Trump 2020 election case

The Americas Trailer Previews Tom Hanks-Narrated Nature Docuseries By NBC has released the first , previewing the upcoming 10-part nature docuseries narrated by acting legend . What happens in The Americas trailer? The new trailer previews the upcoming docuseries, which comes from BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the producers of Planet Earth and Blue Planet. The series will showcase the various wonders, secrets, and things found across the supercontinent. The Americas is set to premiere on NBC with a special two-hour episode on February 23, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Following the premiere, the series will begin to air weekly on March 2, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Episodes will also be available to stream on Peacock after they air. Check out the new The Americas trailer below (watch other trailers and clips): Each hourlong episode of the series will feature a different location across the Americas: “The Atlantic Coast,” “Mexico,” “The Wild West,” “The Amazon,” “The Frozen North,” “The Gulf Coast,” “The Andes,” “The Caribbean,” “The West Coast” and “Patagonia.” “The Americas showcases the wonders, secrets and fragilities of the world’s greatest supercontinent,” reads the series’ official synopsis. “For the first time, the Americas stars in its own incomparable series, using cutting-edge technology to uncover never-before-seen behavior, and highlight the extraordinary, untold wildlife stories that will deeply connect with millions around the world. Five years in the making and filmed over 180 expeditions, this groundbreaking series reveals the spectacular landscapes of Earth’s most varied landmass – the only one to stretch between both poles. “The Americas” unprecedented scale and ambition delivers remarkable world firsts; new species, new intimate courtship, dramatic deep-sea hunting and some of nature’s strangest stories – even a frog that seems to defy death every day.” Anthony Nash has been writing about games and the gaming industry for nearly a decade. When he’s not writing about games, he’s usually playing them. You can find him on Twitter talking about games or sports at @_anthonynash. Share articleHOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company's collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Enron's new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand's tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that "We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company's website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. This story was corrected to fix the spelling of Ken Lay’s first name, which had been misspelled “Key.” Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70

After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoff

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Delivers Outperformance Across All First Quarter Guided Metrics Reports 18% YoY ARR Growth and Strong Free Cash Flow SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nutanix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTNX ), a leader in hybrid multicloud computing, today announced financial results for its first quarter ended October 31, 2024. “During our first quarter we delivered outperformance across our guided metrics,” said Rajiv Ramaswami, President and CEO of Nutanix. “We also continued to bring innovations to the market supporting our vision of becoming the leading platform for running apps and managing data, anywhere, while strengthening our partner ecosystem.” “Our first quarter results demonstrated a good balance of top and bottom line performance with 18% year-over-year ARR growth and strong free cash flow generation,” said Rukmini Sivaraman, CFO of Nutanix. “We remain focused on delivering sustainable, profitable growth.” First Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Summary Reconciliations between GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures and key performance measures, to the extent available, are provided in the tables of this press release. Recent Company Highlights Nutanix Expands Partnership with AWS: Nutanix announced an expanded strategic collaboration with Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) that will offer access to AWS services for customers looking to migrate to NC2 on AWS. As part of the collaboration, customers will gain access to promotional credits from AWS to support customer migrations and proof-of-concept trials, as well as Nutanix licensing promotions. Nutanix is Named a Leader in 2024 Gartner® Magic QuadrantTM for Distributed Hybrid Infrastructure: Nutanix announced its recognition as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic QuadrantTM for Distributed Hybrid Infrastructure. Nutanix believes this recognition is due to the company’s vision and investments in the integration of edge, private and public clouds, as well as having a platform that supports both cloud native and traditional applications. Nutanix is Positioned Furthest in Vision Among All Vendors in 2024 Gartner® Magic QuadrantTM for File and Object Storage Platforms: Nutanix announced it is positioned furthest in Vision among all vendors in the 2024 Gartner® Magic QuadrantTM for File and Object Storage Platforms. Nutanix believes this recognition is due to the company’s strong vision for an enterprise storage platform that unifies unstructured data across edge, public and private clouds. Nutanix Extends AI Platform to Public Cloud : Nutanix announced that it extended the company's AI infrastructure platform with a new cloud native offering, Nutanix Enterprise AI (NAI), that can be deployed on any Kubernetes platform, at the edge, in core data centers and on public cloud services like AWS EKS, Azure AKS, and Google GKE. Second Quarter Fiscal 2025 Outlook Fiscal 2025 Outlook Supplementary materials to this press release, including our first quarter fiscal 2025 earnings presentation, can be found at https://ir.nutanix.com/financial/quarterly-results . Webcast and Conference Call Information Nutanix executives will discuss the Company’s first quarter fiscal 2025 financial results on a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time/1:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Interested parties may access the conference call by registering at this link to receive dial in details and a unique PIN number. The conference call will also be webcast live on the Nutanix Investor Relations website at ir.nutanix.com . An archived replay of the webcast will be available on the Nutanix Investor Relations website at ir.nutanix.com shortly after the call. Footnotes 1Annual Recurring Revenue, or ARR, for any given period, is defined as the sum of ACV for all subscription contracts in effect as of the end of a specific period. For the purposes of this calculation, we assume that the contract term begins on the date a contract is booked, unless the terms of such contract prevent us from fulfilling our obligations until a later period, and irrespective of the periods in which we would recognize revenue for such contract. Excludes all life-of-device contracts. ACV is defined as the total annualized value of a contract. The total annualized value for a contract is calculated by dividing the total value of the contract by the number of years in the term of such contract. Excludes amounts related to professional services and hardware. 2Average Contract Duration represents the dollar-weighted term, calculated on a billings basis, across all subscription contracts, as well as our limited number of life-of-device contracts, using an assumed term of five years for life-of-device licenses, executed in the period. 3Weighted average share count used in computing diluted non-GAAP net income per share. Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Performance Measures To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, this press release includes the following non-GAAP financial and other key performance measures: non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, free cash flow, Annual Recurring Revenue (or ARR), and Average Contract Duration. In computing non-GAAP financial measures, we exclude certain items such as stock-based compensation and the related income tax impact, costs associated with our acquisitions (such as amortization of acquired intangible assets, income tax-related impact, and other acquisition-related costs), restructuring charges, litigation settlement accruals and legal fees related to certain litigation matters, the amortization and conversion of the debt discount and issuance costs related to convertible senior notes, interest expense related to convertible senior notes, and other non-recurring transactions and the related tax impact. Non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income, and non-GAAP operating margin are financial measures which we believe provide useful information to investors because they provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance and liquidity by excluding certain expenses and expenditures such as stock-based compensation expense that may not be indicative of our ongoing core business operating results. Free cash flow is a performance measure that we believe provides useful information to our management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business after capital expenditures, and we define free cash flow as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less purchases of property and equipment. ARR is a performance measure that we believe provides useful information to our management and investors as it allows us to better track the topline growth of our subscription business because it takes into account variability in term lengths. We use these non-GAAP financial and key performance measures for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. However, these non-GAAP financial and key performance measures have limitations as analytical tools and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, and free cash flow are not substitutes for gross margin, operating expenses, operating income (loss), operating margin, or net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, respectively. There is no GAAP measure that is comparable to ARR or Average Contract Duration, so we have not reconciled the ARR or Average Contract Duration data included in this press release to any GAAP measure. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate non-GAAP financial measures and key performance measures differently or may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures and key performance measures as tools for comparison. We urge you to review the reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measures and key performance measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures included below in the tables captioned “Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Profit Measures” and “Reconciliation of GAAP Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities to Non-GAAP Free Cash Flow,” and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business. This press release also includes the following forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures as part of our second quarter fiscal 2025 outlook and/or our fiscal 2025 outlook: non-GAAP operating margin and free cash flow. We are unable to reconcile these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures without unreasonable efforts, as we are currently unable to predict with a reasonable degree of certainty the type and extent of certain items that would be expected to impact the GAAP financial measures for these periods but would not impact the non-GAAP financial measures. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains express and implied forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding: our business momentum and prospects; our innovations supporting our vision of becoming the leading platform for running applications and managing data, anywhere; strengthening our partner ecosystem; our focus on delivering sustainable, profitable growth; our second quarter fiscal 2025 outlook; and our fiscal 2025 outlook. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts and instead are based on our current expectations, estimates, opinions, and beliefs. Consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements. The accuracy of these forward-looking statements depends upon future events and involves risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including factors that may be beyond our control, that may cause these statements to be inaccurate and cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied by such statements, including, among others: the inherent uncertainty or assumptions and estimates underlying our projections and guidance, which are necessarily speculative in nature; any failure to successfully implement or realize the full benefits of, or unexpected difficulties or delays in successfully implementing or realizing the full benefits of, our business plans, strategies, initiatives, vision, objectives, momentum, prospects and outlook; our ability to achieve, sustain and/or manage future growth effectively; the rapid evolution of the markets in which we compete, including the introduction, or acceleration of adoption of, competing solutions, including public cloud infrastructure; failure to timely and successfully meet our customer needs; delays in or lack of customer or market acceptance of our new solutions, products, services, product features or technology; macroeconomic or geopolitical uncertainty; our ability to attract, recruit, train, retain, and, where applicable, ramp to full productivity, qualified employees and key personnel; factors that could result in the significant fluctuation of our future quarterly operating results (including anticipated changes to our revenue and product mix, the timing and magnitude of orders, shipments and acceptance of our solutions in any given quarter, our ability to attract new and retain existing end-customers, changes in the pricing and availability of certain components of our solutions, and fluctuations in demand and competitive pricing pressures for our solutions); our ability to form new or maintain and strengthen existing strategic alliances and partnerships, as well as our ability to manage any changes thereto; our ability to make share repurchases; and other risks detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, on September 19, 2024. Additional information will be set forth in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2024, which should be read in conjunction with this press release and the financial results included herein. Our SEC filings are available on the Investor Relations section of our website at ir.nutanix.com and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and, except as required by law, we assume no obligation, and expressly disclaim any obligation, to update, alter or otherwise revise any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or subsequent events or circumstances. About Nutanix Nutanix is a global leader in cloud software, offering organizations a single platform for running applications and managing data, anywhere. With Nutanix, companies can reduce complexity and simplify operations, freeing them to focus on their business outcomes. Building on its legacy as the pioneer of hyperconverged infrastructure, Nutanix is trusted by companies worldwide to power hybrid multicloud environments consistently, simply, and cost-effectively. Learn more at www.nutanix.com or follow us on social media @nutanix. © 2024 Nutanix, Inc. All rights reserved. Nutanix, the Nutanix logo, and all Nutanix product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or unregistered trademarks of Nutanix, Inc. (“Nutanix”) in the United States and other countries. Other brand names or marks mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s). This press release is for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes a warranty or other binding commitment by Nutanix. Investor Contact: Richard Valera ir@nutanix.com Media Contact: Lia Bigano pr@nutanix.com _____________ (1) Includes the following stock-based compensation expense: (2) Includes the following amortization of intangible assets: _____________ (1) Included within other assets—non-current in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Subscription revenue — Subscription revenue includes any performance obligation which has a defined term, and is generated from the sales of software entitlement and support subscriptions, subscription software licenses and cloud-based software-as-a-service, or SaaS, offerings. Ratable — We recognize revenue from software entitlement and support subscriptions and SaaS offerings ratably over the contractual service period, the substantial majority of which relate to software entitlement and support subscriptions. Upfront — Revenue from our subscription software licenses is generally recognized upfront upon transfer of control to the customer, which happens when we make the software available to the customer. Professional services revenue — We also sell professional services with our products. We recognize revenue related to professional services as they are performed. Other non-subscription product revenue — Other non-subscription product revenue includes $8.1 million and $1.9 million of non-portable software revenue for the three months ended October 31, 2023 and 2024, respectively, and $0.6 million and $1.1 million of hardware revenue for the three months ended October 31, 2023 and 2024, respectively. Non-portable software revenue — Non-portable software revenue includes sales of our platform when delivered on a configured-to-order appliance by us or one of our OEM partners. The software licenses associated with these sales are typically non-portable and can be used over the life of the appliance on which the software is delivered. Revenue from our non-portable software products is generally recognized upon transfer of control to the customer. Hardware revenue — In the infrequent transactions where the hardware appliance is purchased directly from Nutanix, we consider ourselves to be the principal in the transaction and we record revenue and costs of goods sold on a gross basis. We consider the amount allocated to hardware revenue to be equivalent to the cost of the hardware procured. Hardware revenue is generally recognized upon transfer of control to the customer. _____________ (1) Stock-based compensation expense (2) Amortization of intangible assets (3) Legal fees (4) Other (5) Amortization of debt issuance costs related to convertible senior notes (6) Income tax effect primarily related to stock-based compensation expense (7) Includes 22,273 potentially dilutive shares related to convertible senior notes and the issuance of shares under employee equity incentive plans _____________ (1) Stock-based compensation expense (2) Amortization of intangible assets (3) Legal fees (4) Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs and interest expense related to convertible senior notes (5) Other (6) Income tax effect primarily related to stock-based compensation expense (7) Includes 51,371 potentially dilutive shares related to convertible senior notes and the issuance of shares under employee equity incentive plansFacebook still silent after suddenly banning then reinstating this popular gun manufacturer