NoneGoogle forges ahead with its next generation of AI technology while fending off a breakup threat
Donald Trump set to be named Time's 'Person of the Year' Ringing bell signifies start or closing of trading day at world’s largest stock exchange, NYSE WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump is likely to be announced as Time magazine’s "Person of the Year" on Thursday, the day when he is set to appear at the New York Stock Exchange, where he will ring the opening bell, sources familiar with the matter have revealed. A spokesperson for Time declined to comment on the selection. The Republican president-elect built his fortune as a New York real estate investor before turning to politics. During his first term as president, he measured his success in part by the strength of the stock market, which has so far welcomed his re-election. The ringing of the bell signifies the start or closing of the trading day at the world’s largest stock exchange, and is considered an honour. The act has historically been reserved for company executives celebrating an initial public offering or other major corporate milestones, but celebrities and politicians like Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela and Arnold Schwarzenegger have also rung it. Politico first reported the news of Trump's selection and plans. Time bestowed the "Person of the Year" title to Trump once before, in 2016. It named Democratic President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris "Person of the Year" in 2020, after they defeated Trump. Pop star Taylor Swift received the title last year. Musk's net worth surpasses $400 billion after Trump's Nov victory Indian beauty start-up faces criticism over pretend emails sacking workers Woman sells 30-day-old baby to pay husband's loans in India Sara Sharif's father, step mother convicted of her murderARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fluence Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: FLNC) (“Fluence” or the “Company”), a global market leader delivering intelligent energy storage, operational services, and asset optimization software, today announced the completion of the previously announced offering of $400.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2.25% convertible senior notes due 2030 (the “Notes”). Fluence also granted the initial purchasers of the Notes an option to purchase, for settlement within a period of 13 days from, and including, the date the Notes are first issued, up to an additional $50.0 million aggregate principal amount of the Notes. The Notes issued on December 12, 2024 include $50.0 million principal amount of Notes issued pursuant to the full exercise by the initial purchasers of their option to purchase additional Notes. The Notes will be senior, unsecured obligations of Fluence, will accrue interest payable semi-annually in arrears and will mature on June 15, 2030, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. On December 10, 2024, in connection with the pricing of the Notes, the Company entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions (the “base capped call transactions”) with one or more of the initial purchasers and/or their respective affiliates and/or other financial institutions (the “counterparties”). In addition, on December 11, 2024, in connection with the initial purchasers’ exercise of their option to purchase additional Notes, the Company entered into additional capped call transactions (the “additional capped call transactions” and, together with the base capped call transactions, (the “capped call transactions") with the counterparties. The capped call transactions cover, subject to customary adjustments, the number of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock that will initially underlie the Notes. The cap price of the capped call transactions represents a premium over the last reported sale price of the Company’s Class A common stock on the pricing date of the offering of the Notes. The capped call transactions are generally expected to offset the potential dilution to the Class A common stock and/or offset any cash payments the Company is required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted Notes, with such offset subject to a cap, as the case may be, as a result of any conversion of the Notes. In connection with establishing their initial hedge of these capped call transactions, the Company has been advised that the counterparties (i) may enter into various over-the-counter cash-settled derivative transactions with respect to the Class A common stock and/or purchase the Class A common stock in secondary market transactions concurrently with, or shortly after, the pricing of the Notes; and (ii) may enter into or unwind various over-the-counter derivatives and/or purchase the Class A common stock in secondary market transactions following the pricing of the Notes. These activities could have the effect of increasing or preventing a decline in the price of the Class A common stock concurrently with or following the pricing of the Notes and under certain circumstances, could affect the ability to convert the Notes. In addition, we expect that the counterparties may modify or unwind their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivative transactions and/or purchasing or selling the Class A common stock or other securities of the Company in secondary market transactions following the pricing of the Notes and prior to maturity of the Notes (and are likely to do so (x) during any observation period related to a conversion of the Notes or following any redemption or fundamental change repurchase of the Notes, (y) following any other repurchase of the Notes if the Company unwinds a corresponding portion of the capped call transactions in connection with such repurchase and (z) if the Company otherwise unwinds all or a portion of the capped call transactions). The effect, if any, of these transactions and activities on the market price of the Class A common stock or the Notes will depend in part on market conditions and cannot be ascertained at this time, but any of these activities could adversely affect the value of the Class A common stock and the value of the Notes, and potentially the value of the consideration that a noteholder will receive upon the conversion of the Notes and could affect a noteholder’s ability to convert the Notes. Fluence used a portion of the net proceeds from the offering to fund the cost of entering into the capped call transactions. Fluence intends to transfer the remaining net proceeds of the offering directly to purchase an intercompany subordinated convertible promissory note issued by Fluence Energy, LLC, the proceeds of which Fluence Energy, LLC intends to use for working capital needs, upgrading one of its battery cell production lines from 305 amp hour cells to 530 amp hour cells, and general corporate purposes. The offer and sale of the Notes and any shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes have not been, and will not, be registered under the Securities Act or any other securities laws, and the Notes and any such shares cannot be offered or sold except to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A under the Securities Act. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, the Notes or any shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes, nor shall there be any sale of the Notes or any such shares, in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offers of the Notes will be made only by means of a private offering memorandum. About Fluence: Fluence Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: FLNC) is a global market leader delivering intelligent energy storage and optimization software for renewables and storage. The Company’s solutions and operational services are helping to create a more resilient grid and unlock the full potential of renewable portfolios. With gigawatts of projects successfully contracted, deployed and under management across nearly 50 markets, the Company is transforming the way we power our world for a more sustainable future. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, statements regarding the consummation of the offering of the Notes, the consummation of the capped calls transactions, our future results of operations and financial position, operational performance, anticipated growth and business strategy, future revenue recognition and estimated revenues, future capital expenditures and debt service obligations, projected costs, prospects, plans, and objectives of management for future operations, including, among others, statements regarding expected growth and demand for our energy storage solutions, services, and digital application offerings, relationships with new and existing customers and suppliers, introduction of new energy storage solutions, services, and digital application offerings and adoption of such offerings by customers, assumptions relating to the Company’s tax receivable agreement, expectations relating to backlog, pipeline, and contracted backlog, current expectations relating to legal proceedings, and anticipated impact and benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and related domestic content guidelines on us and our customers as well as any other proposed or recently enacted legislation, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you may identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “seeks,” “intends,” “targets,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “grows,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential”, “commits”, or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Accordingly, we caution you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions, and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Among those risks and uncertainties are market conditions and the consummation of the offering of the Notes and the consummation of the capped calls transactions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, our relatively limited operating and revenue history as an independent entity and the nascent clean energy industry; anticipated increasing expenses in the future and our ability to maintain prolonged profitability; fluctuations of our order intake and results of operations across fiscal periods; potential difficulties in maintaining manufacturing capacity and establishing expected mass manufacturing capacity in the future; risks relating to delays, disruptions, and quality control problems in our manufacturing operations; risks relating to quality and quantity of components provided by suppliers; risks relating to our status as a relatively low-volume purchaser as well as from supplier concentration and limited supplier capacity; risks relating to operating as a global company with a global supply chain; changes in the cost and availability of raw materials and underlying components; failure by manufacturers, vendors, and suppliers to use ethical business practices and comply with applicable laws and regulations; significant reduction in pricing or order volume or loss of one or more of our significant customers or their inability to perform under their contracts; risks relating to competition for our offerings and our ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers; ability to maintain and enhance our reputation and brand recognition; ability to effectively manage our recent and future growth and expansion of our business and operations; our growth depends in part on the success of our relationships with third parties; ability to attract and retain highly qualified personnel; risks associated with engineering and construction, utility interconnection, commissioning and installation of our energy storage solutions and products, cost overruns, and delays; risks relating to lengthy sales and installation cycle for our energy storage solutions; risks related to defects, errors, vulnerabilities and/or bugs in our products and technology; risks relating to estimation uncertainty related to our product warranties; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; risks related to our current and planned foreign operations; amounts included in our pipeline and contracted backlog may not result in actual revenue or translate into profits; risks related to acquisitions we have made or that we may pursue; events and incidents relating to storage, delivery, installation, operation, maintenance and shutdowns of our products; risks relating to our impacts to our customer relationships due to events and incidents during the project lifecycle of an energy storage solution; actual or threatened health epidemics, pandemics or similar public health threats; ability to obtain financial assurances for our projects; risks relating to whether renewable energy technologies are suitable for widespread adoption or if sufficient demand for our offerings do not develop or takes longer to develop than we anticipate; estimates on size of our total addressable market; barriers arising from current electric utility industry policies and regulations and any subsequent changes; risks relating to the cost of electricity available from alternative sources; macroeconomic uncertainty and market conditions; risk relating to interest rates or a reduction in the availability of tax equity or project debt capital in the global financial markets and corresponding effects on customers’ ability to finance energy storage systems and demand for our energy storage solutions; reduction, elimination, or expiration of government incentives or regulations regarding renewable energy; decline in public acceptance of renewable energy, or delay, prevent, or increase in the cost of customer projects; severe weather events; increased attention to ESG matters; restrictions set forth in our current credit agreement and future debt agreements; uncertain ability to raise additional capital to execute on business opportunities; ability to obtain, maintain and enforce proper protection for our intellectual property, including our technology; threat of lawsuits by third parties alleging intellectual property violations; adequate protection for our trademarks and trade names; ability to enforce our intellectual property rights; risks relating to our patent portfolio; ability to effectively protect data integrity of our technology infrastructure and other business systems; use of open-source software; failure to comply with third party license or technology agreements; inability to license rights to use technologies on reasonable terms; risks relating to compromises, interruptions, or shutdowns of our systems; changes in the global trade environment; potential changes in tax laws or regulations; risks relating to environmental, health, and safety laws and potential obligations, liabilities and costs thereunder; failure to comply with data privacy and data security laws, regulations and industry standards; risks relating to potential future legal proceedings, regulatory disputes, and governmental inquiries; risks related to ownership of our Class A common stock; risks related to us being a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NASDAQ rules; risks relating to the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws; risks relating to our relationship with our Founders and Continuing Equity Owners; risks relating to conflicts of interest by our officers and directors due to positions with Continuing Equity Owners; risks related to short-seller activists; we depend on distributions from Fluence Energy, LLC to pay our taxes and expenses and Fluence Energy, LLC’s ability to make such distributions may be limited or restricted in certain scenarios; risks arising out of the Tax Receivable Agreement; unanticipated changes in effective tax rates or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of tax returns; risks relating to improper and ineffective internal control over reporting to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Act; risks relating to changes in accounting principles or their applicability to us; risks relating to estimates or judgments relating to our critical accounting policies; and the factors described under the headings Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024. If one or more events related to these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may differ materially from what we anticipate. Many of the important factors that will determine these results are beyond our ability to control or predict. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. We qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this press release by these cautionary statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as otherwise required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Contacts: Analyst Lexington May, Vice President, Finance & Investor Relations +1 713-909-5629 Email: InvestorRelations@fluenceenergy.com Media Email: media.na@fluenceenergy.com
'We got them,' says Tuipulotu's Greenock-born gran after Scots blow Aussies away in series finaleSeveral suitors have emerged to be the successor to Mayor Valérie Plante. Luc Rabouin, the mayor of the Plateau Mont-Royal borough and chair of the city's executive committee, said Thursday he wanted to be mayor and was going to run for the leadership of Projet Montréal, Plante's political party. That position is up for grabs after Plante announced that she will not seek another mandate as Montreal's mayor. Podcast Why is Valérie Plante not running again as mayor? Rabouin said that, as mayor, he would focus on the environment and housing, two areas Plante prioritized during her tenure as mayor. But Rabouin isn't the only person vying for the job. Luc Rabouin, head of the city's executive committee, left, speaks at Montreal City Hall with Mayor Valérie Plante. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada) The former president of Projet Montréal, Guedwig Bernier also said he would run for party leader. In an interview with CBC News on Thursday, Bernier said he wanted the city to continue on its current path, but to spend money more efficiently. Asked if he was the best person to guide the city along that path, he said he had a business background and knew how to mine the proper expertise. "Am I the best person? I'll tell you that I'm able to surround myself well," he said. "I'm not a showman. I won't say I'm the best, but I'm able to get the right people around me to get those things done." Guedwig Bernier joined Projet Montréal in 2018, attracted by its vision for a greener city. (Julien Acosta) Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, the mayor of the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough, also said last week that she was weighing a run for Projet Montréal leadership. Hopefuls have until Jan. 31, 2025, to be official leadership candidates. To do so, they must secure signatures from 200 of the party's members from at least seven boroughs, with a minimum of 10 signatures from each of those boroughs. The leadership race will end on March 15, when the party will announce the results of its internal vote. So far, only Bernier has filed the necessary documents. Gracia Kasoki Katahwa has indicated she is considering running to be Projet Montréal's next leader. (CBC) The municipal election will take place on Nov. 2, 2025. Frédéric Bérard, a lawyer and political commentator, said that though the municipal race is in its early stage, the vote will likely come down to a referendum on Plante, and whether the city should continue on its current path: emphasizing spending on bike paths, pedestrianization and green space, for example. Ensemble Montréal, the Opposition at city hall, does not yet have a leader who will run for mayor in the November election. "People will have to decide if they want to keep going with Valerie Plante's agenda, in a way, because each and every candidate for Projet Montreal are from the team already," Bérard said. He added that he expects some big names to enter the race in the coming months.
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Tributes are flowing in for former National Party Minister Nikki Kaye, who has died after a long battle with cancer at age 44. It's understood she died at the weekend. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 at 36 years old . Her former colleague, Maggie Barry, posted a photo of the pair on Facebook with the caption "farewell my friend". Others have also chimed in to praise Kaye, National's deputy leader under Todd Muller, for her "tireless dedication" to her work. "Nikki's contribution to our party, her community, and New Zealand has left an indelible mark," Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and deputy National Party leader Nicola Willis said in a joint statement. "Nikki was a remarkable person and a crusader for what she believed in, and her contribution has left our country in a better place." Willis said Kaye was one of the bravest Parliamentarians New Zealand had seen. "She was not only a colleague, but a brilliant friend to many of us. She was fiercely committed to her constituents and her values and she contributed so much of her soul to this country and our party. "Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," Willis said. Meanwhile, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said today's news was incredibly sad. "Nikki Kaye and I were opposite numbers at Parliament in the Education portfolio, and I would describe us very fondly as frenemies," Hipkins said. "I had a lot of respect for her and how she went about her work. "I didn't agree with all of her decisions, but found her immensely reasonable. She poured her heart and soul into the electorate and she always pushed for better for children and young people." Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Kaye worked incredibly hard, cared passionately about her electorate, and was always willing to agree an idea was good, or bad, based on her values rather than just politics. "We laughed a lot over the years, and while we may have had some decent debates, nothing ever felt genuinely personal. I'm sorry that I never knew Nikki was unwell again, if I had, I'd liked to have talked with her just one more time." Others also posted to social media to pay tribute: Kaye had openly spoken about her health before retiring from Parliament. She was in Parliament for 12 years, entering in 2008 (aged 28), before announcing in July 2020 she wouldn't contest the upcoming election. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.Sad state of Australian cricket team laid bare as Justin Langer detail called out
In a cute show of strength , Canada has flexed its tiny muscles for a second day in a row and in what it believes is an attempt to intimidate the Trump admin, has threatened to cut off its biggest customer from the one thing that keeps Canada's economy running (hint: it's not illegal aliens or illicit Chinese real estate funs): exports . According to Bloomberg, Canada is examining the use of export taxes on major commodities it exports to its largest trading partner - the United States - including uranium, oil and potash, to retaliate if incoming president Trump carries out his threat to impose broad tariffs. Today's threat comes one day after Ontario premier Doug Ford (brother to infamous, and now deceased, Toronto mayor Rob Ford) also flexed what little muscles he has under that copious shell, and suggested that the province would cut off electricity exports to the US over Trump’s tariff threat (which amounts to some 14 million MWh, or enough to power to large data centers). Citing officials familiar with the discussions inside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, Bloomberg reports that export levies would be a last resort for Canada. Retaliatory tariffs against US-made goods, and export controls on certain Canadian products, would be more likely to come first. But commodity export taxes, which would drive up costs for US consumers, farmers and businesses, would be a real option if Trump decides to start a full-scale trade war, said the Bloomberg sources. The government of Turdeau, who recently hobnobbed with Trump at Mar-A-Lago exuding a self-indulgent smarminess found only among fanatical supporters of Fidel Castro, may also propose giving itself expanded powers over export controls as part of a scheduled update on the country’s fiscal and economic situation to be released on Monday. But since Turdeau's government is already socialist, will anyone know the difference. Even though the US is essentially self-sufficient, Canada remains the largest external supplier of oil to the US as some refineries depend on buying cheaper Canadian heavy crude and have few alternatives to it (all that would be required to make Canadian oil imports redundant, is a few billion in refinery capex spending). As a result, the US Midwest may be hit by higher costs. Fuel makers in the region rely on Canada for almost half of the crude they turn into gasoline and diesel. Of course, if Canada doesn't export its oil, its economy which is far less diversified, will be hit far harder if it were to voluntarily exclude its largest trading partner. Canadian uranium is also the biggest foreign source of fuel for US nuclear power plants, and potash from the country’s western provinces is a huge source of fertilizer for American farms. Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense has prudently been investing in Canadian projects to secure sources of cobalt and graphite and reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains. For those reasons, analysts have said they expect Trump will exempt commodities from his threat to place 25% levies on goods from Mexico and Canada, and focus instead on using tariffs against their manufacturing industries. In Canada’s case, that includes the auto manufacturing, aerospace and aluminum sectors, which are centered in Ontario and Quebec, where about 60% of Canadians live. It's unclear if that would change things: Turdeau’s government (sic) would have no choice but to respond if Trump simply exempted energy while hitting all other Canadian products, said Bloomberg sources, adding that’s a scenario that could prompt the use of export taxes by Canada. But for the prime minister, going down this path would cause serious political divisions within Canada. Oil, uranium and potash production are concentrated in the western provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Those provinces are the strongest voter base for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and their provincial governments are staunch right-wing opponents of Trudeau. In short, while Turdeau may retaliate in a Trump trade war, such an action will likely be his last. “It’s a terrible idea,” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said when asked about the possible use of export taxes. “I don’t support tariffs on Canadian goods and I don’t support tariffs on US goods because all it does is make life more expensive,” Smith said. “Instead, we’re taking a diplomatic approach and we’re meeting with our allies in the US.” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said export taxes “are the wrong approach and Saskatchewan will vehemently oppose the federal government imposing export taxes on our potash, uranium or oil.” The market, however, does not have patience to see how all this plays out, and sent the loonie to a two year low, with the USDCAD surging to 1.420, the highest since the April 2020 depths of the covid crash.
How AI Is Transforming Change ManagementIndexes closed lower on Thursday, dragged by tech stocks after the latest inflation report came in warmer than expected. Nvidia shares lost more than 1%, while Adobe stock fell almost 14% on a worse-than-expected revenue outlook. Tesla shares dropped 1.5% and climbing to record highs in the previous session. Google-parent Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon also ended lower. The Nasdaq retreated from its record above 20,000 set on Wednesday, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell over 230 points. The drop on Thursday comes as bond yields edged up after the latest producer price index report. The 10-year Treasury bond jumped six basis points to 4.332%. PPI showed wholesale prices rose 0.4% last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday. The data came in higher than consensus estimates of 0.2%. On an annual basis, wholesale inflation came in at 3%. Core PPI, which excludes food and energy prices, rose in line with economists' expectations, rising 0.2%. The report marks the latest warm inflation reading after the release of the consumer price index on Wednesday, which showed consumer prices rose 2.7% year-over-year in November. That's slightly higher than October's 2.6% rise. While the latest inflation updates showed price growth re-accelerating slightly, it wasn't enough to derail expectations for a rate cut at next week's Federal Reserve meeting. Investors see another cut as basically a given, though the outlook for further easing becomes less clear in January and beyond. If inflation stays hot, it could prevent the Fed's ability to continue its easing cycle. Jobless claims on Thursday showed 242,000 people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said on Thursday. That number comes in above forecasts of 220,000 and marks the highest level since early October. Read the original article onNoneKamala Harris could of California. Weeks after being defeated by President-elect Donald Trump, the former Democratic presidential nominee has told her inner circle she will keep all options open, according to Politico. That could include California’s 2026 gubernatorial race. A University of California, Berkeley poll taken shortly before the election showed one in three Golden State voters said they’d be “ to vote for Harris and and another 13% consider themselves “somewhat likely” to support her. Outgoing Rep. Katie Porter, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are also considered potentially strong candidates for the job. Gov. Gavin Newsom has been elected twice and isn’t eligible to run again. Harris reportedly told associates she’s “staying in the fight” after leaving her job as Vice President in January. She got more than 74 million votes in her loss to Trump, despite having only 107 days to campaign after President Joe Biden, 82, ended his bid for reelection. Harris went to Hawaii to relax with family and senior aides after her defeat and is in reportedly no rush to decide on her next move. Former Harris aide Brian Brokaw said told Politico his ex-boss is known to sometimes take “a painfully long time to make decisions.” Prior to serving in the White House, the 60-year-old Oakland native spent four years representing California in the U.S. Senate. Harris was the 32nd Attorney General of California from 2011 to 2017. She made that leap after spending seven years as San Francisco’s Attorney General. Biden tapped Harris as his Vice President after she competed against him for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 2020. “I picked her because she is ,” Biden told Pennsylvania sheet metal workers in October. “But most of all, I picked her because she has character and she has integrity.” _____
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NEW YORK — Juan Soto put on a New York Mets jersey and cap for the first time Thursday after his record $765 million, 15-year contract was finalized and talked about what made the difference in his decision. “They showed me a lot of love. ... How they're going to make it comfortable for me,” he said. "That's one of the things I was looking for." Soto was introduced at Citi Field a day after his deal was finalized. Speaking in the Piazza 31 Club, he was flanked by Mets owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns and his agent, Scott Boras. “They always talk about family. They always talk about stick(ing) together,” Soto said. “That's one of the things that opened my eyes.” Security men in gray suits wearing earpieces were off to the side. Soto walked in led by Boras, wearing a dark suit, black turtle neck shirt and gold chain with his No. 22. “I’m excited by the Mets future,” Cohen said. “I think this accelerates our goal of winning championships.” Soto chose the Mets' offer on Sunday, deciding to leave the Yankees after helping them reach the World Series in his only season in the Bronx. SAN FRANCISCO — Willy Adames wasted little time making one thing clear: He wants to play all 162 games for the San Francisco Giants. So when introduced as their new shortstop Thursday, Adames looked to his left and gently put a hand on manager Bob Melvin's right shoulder, smiled and said, “if he lets me.” Melvin might not need much convincing, thrilled to suddenly have stability at a position that lacked continuity this year in his first season as skipper. Adames didn't hesitate to also offer a thought to new boss Buster Posey: He plans to win a few championships with the Giants just like the catcher-turned-executive did here. Surrounded by his parents and other family and friends, Adames was formally introduced and welcomed at Oracle Park after signing a $182 million, seven-year contract — the first big, splashy move made by Posey since he became President of Baseball Operations in late September. “There’s no words to describe my feeling right now to be here in this beautiful city, I’m just so happy to be here,” Adames said. "... This is a dream come true for me. I’m thrilled to be here, I’m so excited. Hopefully we can win a few championships like you did, and that’s one of the main reasons I’m here.” PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — The trial against Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who has been charged with sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking, was postponed on Thursday and scheduled to resume June 2, 2025. Dominican judge Yacaira Veras postponed the hearing at the request of prosecutors because of the absence of several key witnesses in the case. Only three out of 31 witnesses arrived to the hearing on Thursday. Franco’s lawyers asked the court to reconsider the postponement, arguing Franco must report to spring training in mid-February. “There is no case against Wander, for as many witnesses as they present, there is no case now,” Franco's lead lawyer Teodosio Jáquez told The Associated Press after the hearing. The judge replied that Franco is obligated to continue with the trial schedule and his conditional release from detainment. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Walmart has became the latest major corporation to ditch its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. That comes as welcome news for Americans who are sick and tired of woke nonsense. The move came after conservative activist Robby Starbuck threatened to call a pre-Black Friday boycott to highlight the world’s largest retailer’s “woke” policies. Starbuck, who has over 700,000 followers on social media platform X alone, has made it his mission to get companies to end . He recounted in a Monday post that Walmart representatives actually reached out to him when they learned he was investigating the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company. “We were able to have frank conversations with Walmart, and as I’ve said for a long time I don’t ask companies to take on my political views. I am simply advocating for corporate neutrality,” Starbuck said. “I am not OK with left-wing policies being forced on me and people like me via things like DEI.” His goal is to “change corporate America and get them back to a policy of sanity and neutrality,” he explained. MASSIVE news: Walmart is ending their woke policies. I can now exclusively tell you what’s changing and how it happened. Last week I told execs at that I was doing a story on wokeness there. Instead we had productive conversations to find solutions. Below are the... — Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) Bloomberg noted Starbuck’s apparent role in Monday’s announcement by . Walmart has decided to no longer participate in the pro-LGBTQ Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. The retailer said it will not carry inappropriate sexual and transgender products marketed toward children. Walmart will discontinue its racial equity training and stop funding its Racial Equity Center, which it established in 2020 in response to the George Floyd protests. Further, the corporation will no longer evaluate its suppliers based on certain demographic criteria. Bloomberg reported that Walmart has an ethnically diverse workforce, with people of color making up over half of its 1.6 million employees in the U.S. Starbuck said that other companies that have pulled back on DEI include: Tractor Supply, , Polaris, Indian Motorcycle, Lowe’s, , Coors, Stanley Black & Decker, Jack Daniels, DeWalt tools, Craftsman, Caterpillar, Boeing, and Toyota. Walmart told its decision to reverse course on DEI policies had been in the works for months, but perhaps attention from Starbuck nudged it along. The news outlet pointed out that corporations have been looking at the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June 2023 finding affirmative action in college admissions is unconstitutional and realizing they may be next to face similar legal challenges to their DEI policies. reported, “A Walmart spokesperson said some of its policy changes have been in progress for a while. For example, it has been moving away from using the word DEI in job titles and communications and started to use the word ‘belonging.'” The demise of wokeness cannot come soon enough. It’s reassuring that companies like Walmart are seeing the light, too. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. .
Union announce offseason roster moves, part with Leon FlachRays will play 19 of their first 22 games at home as MLB switches series to avoid summer rainNEW YORK — Juan Soto put on a New York Mets jersey and cap for the first time Thursday after his record $765 million, 15-year contract was finalized and talked about what made the difference in his decision. “They showed me a lot of love. ... How they're going to make it comfortable for me,” he said. "That's one of the things I was looking for." Soto was introduced at Citi Field a day after his deal was finalized. Speaking in the Piazza 31 Club, he was flanked by Mets owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns and his agent, Scott Boras. “They always talk about family. They always talk about stick(ing) together,” Soto said. “That's one of the things that opened my eyes.” Security men in gray suits wearing earpieces were off to the side. Soto walked in led by Boras, wearing a dark suit, black turtle neck shirt and gold chain with his No. 22. “I’m excited by the Mets future,” Cohen said. “I think this accelerates our goal of winning championships.” Soto chose the Mets' offer on Sunday, deciding to leave the Yankees after helping them reach the World Series in his only season in the Bronx. SAN FRANCISCO — Willy Adames wasted little time making one thing clear: He wants to play all 162 games for the San Francisco Giants. So when introduced as their new shortstop Thursday, Adames looked to his left and gently put a hand on manager Bob Melvin's right shoulder, smiled and said, “if he lets me.” Melvin might not need much convincing, thrilled to suddenly have stability at a position that lacked continuity this year in his first season as skipper. Adames didn't hesitate to also offer a thought to new boss Buster Posey: He plans to win a few championships with the Giants just like the catcher-turned-executive did here. Surrounded by his parents and other family and friends, Adames was formally introduced and welcomed at Oracle Park after signing a $182 million, seven-year contract — the first big, splashy move made by Posey since he became President of Baseball Operations in late September. “There’s no words to describe my feeling right now to be here in this beautiful city, I’m just so happy to be here,” Adames said. "... This is a dream come true for me. I’m thrilled to be here, I’m so excited. Hopefully we can win a few championships like you did, and that’s one of the main reasons I’m here.” PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — The trial against Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who has been charged with sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking, was postponed on Thursday and scheduled to resume June 2, 2025. Dominican judge Yacaira Veras postponed the hearing at the request of prosecutors because of the absence of several key witnesses in the case. Only three out of 31 witnesses arrived to the hearing on Thursday. Franco’s lawyers asked the court to reconsider the postponement, arguing Franco must report to spring training in mid-February. “There is no case against Wander, for as many witnesses as they present, there is no case now,” Franco's lead lawyer Teodosio Jáquez told The Associated Press after the hearing. The judge replied that Franco is obligated to continue with the trial schedule and his conditional release from detainment. Get local news delivered to your inbox!