
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jamichael Stillwell had 22 points in Milwaukee's 69-65 win over St. Thomas on Sunday. Stillwell added eight rebounds for the Panthers (5-2). Aaron Franklin had 15 points and eight rebounds. AJ McKee added nine points. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Fort Lauderdale, FL, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Algorhythm Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIME) (“Algorhythm” or the “Company”), an AI-driven technology and consumer electronics holding company today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with several investors for the purchase and sale of an aggregate of 24,067,388 of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”) at a purchase price of 0.0831 per share in a registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of this offering are expected to be approximately $2 million. The transaction is expected to close on or about December 18, 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Univest Securities, LLC is acting as the sole placement agent. The registered direct offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-269183) previously filed by the Company and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on January 20, 2023. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus describing the terms of the proposed offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC's website located at http://www.sec.gov . Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained, when available, by contacting Univest Securities, LLC at info@univest.us , or by calling +1 (212) 343-8888. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor will there be any sales of such securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Copies of the prospectus supplement relating to the registered direct offering, together with the accompanying base prospectus will be filed by the Company and, upon filing, can be obtained at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . About Algorhythm Holdings, Inc. Algorhythm Holdings, Inc. is a holding company with two primary investments. First, the Company owns SemiCab Holdings, an emerging leader in the AI-enabled global logistics industry. Second, the Company owns The Singing Machine Company, the worldwide leader in the consumer karaoke industry. SemiCab is a cloud-based Collaborative Transportation Platform built to achieve the scalability required to predict and optimize millions of loads and hundreds of thousands of trucks. To orchestrate collaboration across manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and their carriers, SemiCab uses real-time data from API-based load tendering and pre-built integrations with TMS and ELD partners. To build fully loaded round trips, SemiCab uses AI/ML predictions and advanced predictive optimization models. On the SemiCab platform, shippers pay less and carriers make more while not having to change a thing. Since 2020, SemiCab has enabled major retailers, brands and transportation providers to address these common supply-chain problems globally. SemiCab's Orchestrated Collaboration TM AI model has proven to increase transportation capacity, improve asset utilization, reduce empty miles, lower logistics costs, and provide visibility into the entire transportation network. Models show the technology has the capability of saving shippers tens of billions of dollars annually through optimization. Further, SemiCab’s technology also has the potential to play a key role in the improved sustainability model globally. Based on its proven ability to improve truck utilization rates from 65% to over 90%, this results in a dramatic reduction in the carbon footprint of the industry. The optimization of existing truck utilization can add approximately 30% more trucking capacity without adding more trucks, drivers or driven miles which addresses common problems plaguing the industry like severe driver shortage and road congestion. Trucking optimization could also eliminate approximately 25% of CO2 emissions attributable to road freight. For additional information regarding SemiCab: http://www.semicab.com The Singing Machine Company, Inc. is the worldwide leader in consumer karaoke products. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and founded over forty years ago, the Company designs and distributes the industry's widest assortment of at-home and in-car karaoke entertainment products. Their portfolio is marketed under both proprietary brands and popular licenses, including Carpool Karaoke and Sesame Street. Singing Machine products incorporate the latest technology and provide access to over 100,000 songs for streaming through its mobile app and select WiFi-capable products and is also developing the world’s first globally available, fully integrated in-car karaoke system. The Company also has a new philanthropic initiative, CARE-eoke by Singing Machine, to focus on the social impact of karaoke for children and adults of all ages who would benefit from singing. Their products are sold in over 25,000 locations worldwide, including Amazon, Costco, Sam’s Club, Target, and Walmart. To learn more, go to www.singingmachine.com . Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and in its other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investor Relations Contact: investors@algoholdings.com www.algoholdings.comhas warned his teammates that forward is a "top player in form" as Mikel Arteta urged his strikers to find their ruthless streak to keep their Champions League hopes on track. Gyökeres has become one of Europe's most prolific forwards after netting 24 goals in 17 games this season, attracting interest from a host of clubs including , , and the Gunners. Sporting host Arsenal at Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday and Arsenal goalkeeper Raya said of Gyökeres: "We know his strengths, how he runs a lot in behind and scores a lot in one v. one and he is a top player in form. "We are going to try and keep him very, very quiet. Don't give him any chances. We have to step up defensively. Hopefully we can do a great job and keep a clean sheet." Arteta refused to be drawn on Gyökeres specifically, choosing instead to focus on Sporting's collective threat, having beaten Manchester City 4-1 in Ruben Amorim's final Champions League match before becoming United boss. Gyökeres scored a hat trick that night and since joining Sporting from Coventry in 2022, he has scored 69 goals in 67 games across all competitions. Asked how good the Sweden international is and how Arsenal can stop him, Arteta chose to focus on Sporting's remarkable unbeaten 19-game run this season, including 17 victories. "I would like to talk about the team, about the coaches and how phenomenal they have been," said Arteta. "The run they are in is incredible. That tells you that it is not only the quality, the setup, the ambition, it is something about the team energy that they have. That is a great challenge that we have tomorrow, to come here and make a statement and show we are capable against this kind of opponent. Be ourselves and win the game." Pushed further on Gyökeres, Arteta replied: "I understand the question, but they have a lot of individual qualities. That's why they can win games in various ways. And yes, in the specific position they have great players." Arsenal have won just one of their last eight away games in Europe and have not scored in their last four, a run dating back to last December's 1-1 draw against when the Gunners had already booked their spot in the knockout rounds. "Not all the games have been the same. It's true that within those games there were games that were when we had already qualified," Arteta said. "Something that is very true is that we have to improve those results and we have to find ways to understand what has been missing. Sometimes it's been performance, sometimes it's been other aspects. That's the next step we have to make as a team. "I wouldn't say that this is the most important thing but the efficiency that we have shown inside the box at this level with the chances that we are normally able to generate in the Champions League level, is not at the level required to win consistently. "I always say the Champions League is about boxes, small margins and details. You have to get all of those right to win, especially away from home." Sporting are second in the Champions League table, two points behind first-place Liverpool, while Arsenal sit in 12th on seven points after four matches.AI Frenzy or Smart Picks? Meet Top Stock Picks
Kenyan President pledges end to state-sponsored kidnappings
First Mexican company to win the Dora Award in the category of Large-Scale Improvements Throughout the Organization This award recognizes companies around the world that are defining the future of technology by leveraging cloud and automating software innovation and improvement processes. MEXICO CITY , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Grupo Financiero Banorte has won the DORA Google Cloud 2024 Award in the category of Large-Scale Improvements Throughout the Organization for accelerating software innovation in financial services. As a result, it is the first Mexican company to receive this important global recognition for its digital transformation. DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) is a Google Cloud program that examines the capabilities, practices, and metrics for cloud-based technology innovation implemented by the world's leading innovation organizations and teams. "Two years ago we joined the Google Cloud DORA program to strengthen our ability to innovate, accelerate changes and transform platforms and applications throughout Grupo Financiero Banorte. This has allowed us to respond with agility and immediacy to the accelerated digital transformation and the changing needs of users of the financial system," said Carlos Hank González, Chairman of the Administration Board of Grupo Financiero Banorte. Nathen Harvey , DORA Lead, Google Cloud, said: "The DORA program helps technology-driven teams improve their focus on people, process, and tools, enabling faster innovation. We recognize Grupo Financiero Banorte for embracing modern cloud approaches, technology, and organizational culture, which enables them to respond quickly to market changes and customer needs." In the Scaling Improvement Throughout Your Organization award category, the following results were recognized: We were able to increase the number of software developments, enhancements and/or updates per day, which was a significant increase from the previous bi-weekly release cycles. Reduced turnaround time to less than two days for requested changes to the Group's platforms, tools, applications and digital solutions, freeing up valuable software development time Reduce operational and software development costs by 20%, streamline processes, and automate technology tasks Projected 30% reduction in technology infrastructure costs Learn more about the DORA Award received by Grupo Financiero Banorte at: https://cloud.google.com/customers/banorte?hl=es_419 About Banorte Grupo Financiero Banorte (GFNorte) is the largest financial institution in Mexico . It provides financial services to individuals and corporations through its banking, brokerage, fund management, insurance, pension, leasing and factoring, warehousing, portfolio management and remittance businesses. GFNorte also includes Afore XXI Banorte, the largest retirement savings fund in Mexico in terms of assets under management. GFNorte is a public company listed on the main index of the Mexican Stock Exchange and has 33,696 employees, 1,177 branches, 11,027 ATMs, 220,237 POS terminals and 17,960 correspondents. LinkedIn: Grupo Financiero Banorte Twitter: @GFBanorte_mx Facebook: Grupo Financiero Banorte. Contact the External Communications team for more media information: [email protected] Contact number: (55) 8471-7481 SOURCE Banorte
January in the Garden for Central Florida
York Factory First Nation (YFFN) in northern Manitoba has launched its own Cree language learning app called Inineemowin. Developed by a committee of YFFN language experts, HFC Planning and Design, and Vincent Design Inc., the app provides users with an interactive platform to learn the Nation’s stories, words and teachings. “It’s a wonderful resource for the young people,” said YFFN councillor Louisa Constant. “They are loving it at home. There have been so many downloads by the younger generations. It’s wonderful work.” The project began about a year ago with funding from the Heritage Canada’s Indigenous Languages Program. A second phase later this year will expand the content available for users. “York Factory came to Vincent Design in December last year and had this idea, a very loose idea, for an app they wanted for language learning,” said Jordan Dysart, software developer for Vincent Design Inc., an Indigenous-led Winnipeg design creative agency. In the following months the groups met and gathered information and resources to be used in the platform. “The intention with this language app is we really wanted to tie the app and experience to the community, and in this is their work,” said Dysart. “We want to highlight them as a community. York Factory Language Committee is trying to inspire youth and language learners to continue on and provide tools so that it makes it more accessible to learn about history, culture, local stories, and landmarks.” Dysart said each area throughout the western communities that speak Cree have “slight differences” in their dialect. When users launch the app, they will be presented with an illustration of a map which represents the community. Important landmarks and cultural gathering sites throughout the community are highlighted including an explanation or an image with a Cree title and a Cree word describing it. There is also an option for users to play an audio file of the words. The app’s Learning Path takes users through eight modules of lessons that introduce basic grammar and phrases in the context of cultural traditions including spring goose camp, winter carnival and sewing. “(Then) you can explore some of the other features that we’ve created,” Dysart said. “One where you can learn these curated progressions ... in full on phrases of the Cree language. The next category of that learning chapter is something that goes and pulls translations directly from the dictionary that we have saved on the device and it pulls and shuffles a certain amount of words directly from the dictionary.” These words can be chosen by selecting the user’s skill level. And then, if they want to use them again, they can choose to use the audio files to hear the words. Dysart explained these options offer a more diverse learning experience aside from just reading the words. “They can use the audio recognition as well (to test their progress),” he added. The Syllabics section of the app provides users with audio, recorded by the committee, that explains each symbol’s meaning. In addition, Inineemowin provides local Knowledge Keeper’s stories, children’s stories, community stories and historical photographs. Dysart used his own Cree heritage and prior experience with language revitalization initiatives to provide a unique fusion of tradition and technology for the app. His personal connection to the work made the development of the Indigenous language learning app a significant milestone for Vincent Design Inc. “This is an area that’s very important to me,” Dysart said. “I’m a Cree man from northern Manitoba, very close to York Factory. It’s been such a wonderful process and we’re so excited to have this out. There is so many lessons and memories that are drafted in the language and as language develops it develops around the environment that it’s spoken in. Inside jokes or comments around the campfire, if you’re in the Rockies it’s going to be different in the Prairies.” Once the app had been developed, Dysart was able to have a ‘focus group’, which actually consisted of his grandparents, try it out. “It was really cool to see my grandparents playing on the app,” said Dysart adding they were testing the various translations and showed a lot of interest with the differences to their own dialect. The Inineemowin app is available on the App Store or Google Play.Formula One owner Liberty Media shares up after GM entry
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Group, a full-service meeting, event, and incentive agency, is proud to highlight its insights and contributions to Skift Meetings' Megatrends 2025 report. The report reveals a dynamic landscape shaped by transformative forces, from artificial intelligence and sustainability to mental health and generational inclusivity. Creative Group's expertise underscores how strategic event design can address complex organizational goals while delivering exceptional attendee experiences. Trends Redefining the Events Landscape 1. Events Have Become More Strategic Melissa Van Dyke , Creative Group's Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing, Design, and Innovation, highlights the shift in event strategy. "Today's events must go beyond flawless logistics to deeply align with business initiatives," Van Dyke states in the report. Events must begin with a deep understanding of their purpose. Creative Group advocates for aligning all aspects of event planning with business initiatives, ensuring every element—from agenda to attendee engagement—supports organizational goals. By starting with the "why," planners can craft experiences that not only meet attendee expectations but also drive organizational objectives forward. This more intentional design focus is the crucial middle between events that check a box and events that move the needle. 2. Addressing Generational Shifts With Millennials and Gen Z comprising an increasing share of the workforce, event strategies must reflect values like sustainability, inclusivity, and experiential depth—with more immersive and interactive experiences. Creative Group's methods integrate these elements seamlessly, ensuring events resonate with all age groups while fostering connections across diverse demographics. 3. Immersive and Interactive Engagement Understanding the purpose of an event also shapes how planners design interactions. Creative Group incorporates principles of behavioral economics—awareness, engagement, and nudges—to create meaningful moments before, during, and after the event, ensuring participants stay inspired by and connected to event messaging, brand and core business objectives. Meeting New Expectations in 2025 Sustainability as a Business Imperative As sustainability becomes non-negotiable for many attendees, Creative Group emphasizes adopting eco-friendly practices, such as waste reduction and locally sourced elements, to meet expectations while reflecting each brand's business values. Mental Health Integration Event designers are increasingly tasked with addressing attendee well-being, making it essential to create events that reduce stress and promote emotional connection. Creative Group's approach integrates wellness strategies that are empathy-based and customizable to meet the needs of the modern attendee. Looking Ahead Creative Group's contributions to the Megatrends 2025 report reinforce the idea that understanding the "why" behind every event is crucial in today's meetings landscape, especially critical given the additional scrutiny on event budgets in 2025. "Corporate events are no longer about simply gathering people for a single objective—they are about achieving complex business challenges, reinforcing organizational culture, boosting brand loyalty, and recognizing and retaining top talent," says Van Dyke . To explore how Creative Group and other industry leaders are addressing the trends shaping 2025, download the full Skift Meetings Megatrends 2025 report. About Creative Group Creative Group is a full-service meeting, event, and incentive agency that delivers business results by inspiring people to thrive. An industry leader, Creative Group has been honored with numerous Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) awards and the CMI 25 Award, which recognizes the top 25 most influential meeting and incentive management companies in the U.S. Creative Group was founded in 1970, and has served clients in financial services, life sciences, insurance, manufacturing, retail, technology, automotive, and hospitality. Employing 220+ people, the company is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois , and maintains offices in San Francisco , Appleton, Wisconsin , and Toronto, Canada . For more information about Creative Group, visit http://www.creativegroupinc.com . SOURCE Creative Group, Inc.
Govt allocated space for Manmohan Singh's memorial, Congress playing 'cheap politics': JP Nadda
Retail sales rose at healthy pace last month in latest sign of US economy's health WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers stepped up their spending at retail stores last month, providing a boost to the economy in the early phases of the winter holiday shopping season. Retail sales rose 0.7% in November, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, a solid increase and higher than October’s 0.5% gain. The boost in spending underscores that the economy is still growing at a healthy pace even with higher interest rates, a trend that could cause the Federal Reserve to lower borrowing costs more slowly next year than they have previously signaled. Tuesday’s report arrives just a day before the Fed is set to announce its latest rate decision Wednesday. Americans end 2024 with grim economic outlook, but Republicans are optimistic for 2025: AP-NORC poll WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll finds that Democrats are feeling more pessimistic about the U.S. economy after Donald Trump's victory. Republicans, meanwhile, are still dour about the current state of the economy but hopeful that growth will be stronger next year when Trump returns to the White House as president. The latest survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggests that some Americans are evaluating the economy more by who holds political power than on what the underlying trends suggest. This was a persistent challenge for President Joe Biden and raises the possibility that Trump might also struggle to translate his economic ideas into political wins. Biden calls for ban on congressional stock trading WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has endorsed a ban on congressional stock trading in an interview that’s being released this week. It's the first time he's publicly backed the idea. He made the comments to Faiz Shakir, a political adviser for Sen. Bernie Sanders. Shakir interviewed the Democratic president for A More Perfect Union, a pro-labor advocacy and journalism organization. The Associated Press reviewed a video of the interview before its release. A bipartisan proposal to ban trading by members of Congress and their families has dozens of sponsors, but it has not received a vote. What does Big Tech hope to gain from warming up to Trump? NEW YORK (AP) — In a string of visits, dinners, calls, monetary pledges and social media overtures, big tech chiefs have joined a parade of business and world leaders in trying to improve their standing with President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office in January. The tech list includes Apple’s Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Meanwhile, the list of what the executives may be hoping for includes an open path toward developing artificial intelligence, easier access to energy for data centers and an easing of antitrust enforcement. Federal Reserve is likely to slow its rate cuts with inflation pressures still elevated WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans hoping for lower borrowing costs for homes, credit cards and cars may be disappointed after this week’s Federal Reserve meeting. The Fed’s policymakers are likely to signal fewer interest rate cuts next year than were previously expected. The officials are set to reduce their benchmark rate, which affects many consumer and business loans, by a quarter-point to about 4.3% when their meeting ends Wednesday. The problem is that while inflation has dropped far below its peak of 9.1% in mid-2022, it remains stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% target. Why is tech giant SoftBank investing over $100 billion in the US? BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese tycoon Masayoshi Son has joined President-elect Donald Trump in announcing plans by technology and telecoms giant SoftBank Group to invest $100 billion in projects in the United States. Trump said the investments would create 100,000 jobs over four years, twice what Son promised when he pledged $50 billion in U.S. investments in 2016. Son is known for making bold choices, sometimes paying big and sometimes not. SoftBank has investments in dozens of Silicon Valley startups, big companies like semiconductor maker Arm and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The stock market rally and craze for AI has boosted the value of its assets, but some question if its investments will create that many jobs. Business owners should not forget anti-money laundering rule currently in legal limbo Small business owners should not forget about a rule that requires them to register with an agency called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, by Jan. 1. The registration is part of the Corporate Transparency Act passed in 2021. Registering isn’t difficult, but if a small business owner is unaware of the requirement, they could be slapped with penalties of up to $10,000. For now, the rule is in legal limbo. On Dec. 3 a federal court in Texas issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting enforcement of the rule. Stellantis pledges invest $2.1 million in Italian production in 2025 during talks with government MILAN (AP) — The Stellantis automaker has pledged to invest 2 billion euros or $2.1 billion in Italian production next year and spend another 6 billion euros or $6.3 billion in the supply chain. The head of European operations for the world's fifth-largest carmaker made the pledge during a meeting with Italian ministers, regional officials and unions following the forced resignation of former CEO Carlos Tavares earlier this month. The Italian government was seeking reassurances of Stellantis' commitment to Italy. Billion-dollar donation from Netflix's Reed Hastings leads 2024's list of biggest gifts Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg made the largest contributions in 2024, and financial aid, especially for medical students, got most of the money. The Chronicle’s annual list of the biggest charitable donations from individuals or their foundations totaled nearly $6 billion in 2024, with half of that coming from three contributions of $1 billion or more each. Two of those three gifts went to medical schools to provide financial aid. Altogether, four of the top donations on the list, totaling $2.3 billion, went to support financial aid. Stock market today: Wall Street trims its stellar gains as Nvidia's star dims again NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are trimming some of their stellar gains for the year. The S&P 500 fell 0.3% in Tuesday afternoon trading, though it’s still near its all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 242 points, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.2% from its record set the day before. Nvidia, the superstar stock that’s been a big reason for Wall Street’s run to records this year, fell toward its eighth loss in the last nine days. Treasury yields held relatively steady after sales at U.S. retailers strengthened by more than expected. Bitcoin set another record.
Romania votes in presidential poll with nationalist and leftist vying for runoff