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Super Falcons set for France friendly as Plumptre returnsEditor’s note: The headline of this story was updated to correct an error related to the reported day of the week. On Monday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services posted final payment determinations for its 2025 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule. Included was a final decision related to CMS pricing for Exact Sciences Corp’s (NASDAQ: EXAS ) Cologuard Plus, a second-generation test that received FDA approval in October . William Blair writes that the determinations effectively raise reimbursement by 16% versus the current Medicare rate for the first-generation Cologuard test (to $592 for Cologuard Plus from $509 for Cologuard). Also Read: Colorectal Cancer Diagnostic Focused Exact Sciences Stock Plunges On Weak Annual Guidance, Analyst Sees Compelling Long-Term Entry Point The determination reverses the September preliminary decision but aligns with a proposal made during the public comment period. The analyst writes that reimbursement for Cologuard Plus will now be calculated based on two components: three times the fee for methylation analysis of Septin-9 ($192 x 3) and the fee for a FIT test ($15.92). This pricing adjustment is expected to take effect for Medicare volumes when the test officially launches in late first quarter or early second quarter of 2025. Medicare fee-for-service volumes should reflect the new pricing immediately upon launch, with Medicare Advantage following soon after. The company is also likely to renegotiate commercial contracts for higher pricing, which may gradually roll out over the coming quarters and years. William Blair reiterates the Outperform rating on the stock. The analyst highlights that the update is a positive outcome for the company, as it simplifies the process of implementing a price increase compared to the more complex advanced diagnostic laboratory test (ADLT) pathway. From a financial perspective, this decision is expected to support a moderate pricing boost starting in 2025. Based on William Blair’s estimates, this could add at least 300 basis points to Cologuard's growth rate next year, which is projected to be around 15% overall. Exact Sciences said it will present 10 abstracts demonstrating the breadth of its Precision Oncology portfolio at the 2024 annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium scheduled next month . Price Action: EXAS stock is up 7.60% at $59.33 at last check Tuesday. Read Next: Analog Devices Q4 Earnings: Beats Estimates, Automotive Rebound, Cautiously Optimistic Outlook & More Illustration of Phrama lab worker created with MidJourney. Date Firm Action From To Feb 2022 Wells Fargo Maintains Equal-Weight Feb 2022 Citigroup Maintains Neutral Feb 2022 Raymond James Maintains Outperform View More Analyst Ratings for EXAS View the Latest Analyst Ratings UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily , plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? EXACT SCIENCES (EXAS): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Why Is Exact Sciences Stock Trading Higher On Tuesday? (CORRECTED) originally appeared on Benzinga.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Amgen Stock Dives After Weight-Loss Drug Data. Here’s What to Know. - Barron's
Texas spotlights unaccompanied migrant children ahead of Trump deportation push
ATLANTA — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington. As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race, held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating their neighbors’ pets, he didn't just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris hold their fists in the air after she delivered a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election Nov. 6 on the campus of Howard University in Washington. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” People are also reading... Recap: Here's how Joey Graziadei will win 'Dancing with the Stars' They fell in love with Beatrice. So they opened a store in downtown. At the courthouse, Nov. 23, 2024 Search warrants lead to arrest of man in narcotics investigation No change in bond amounts in child abuse death case Clabaugh family presents Outstanding Educator award Harmonizers to perform Courthouse lighting ceremony planned for Sunday Kidnapping in Nebraska prompted police chase that ended with 3 dead on I-29 in Missouri Inside Nebraska volleyball’s finishing kick for a Big Ten title: First up, Wisconsin Zitel bound over to district court in death of child Just Askin': Dana Holgorsen noncommittal on future, ranking a big week for Nebraska Athletics Streaming review: 'Landman' gives Billy Bob Thornton a real gusher of a series Amie Just: Bring out the tissues — and the brooms — for Nebraska volleyball's emotional win At the courthouse, Nov. 16, 2024 After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris' loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. AP VoteCast takeaways: Gender voting gap was unremarkable compared with recent history ALEXANDRA OLSONAssociated Press “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. Supporters cheer during a community rally with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris on Oct. 27 in Philadelphia. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women's concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people. Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,''' she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Trump hammered Democrats on transgender issues. Now the party is at odds on a response BILL BARROW and MARC LEVY Associated Press The 25 best cities for Black women to flourish financially The 25 best cities for Black women to flourish financially Where can Black women feel supported and flourish financially? When posed that question, Dr. Lori Martin, a professor of African and African American studies and sociology at Louisiana State University, had this to say: "A livable place for Black women is safe, and for women with children, it is home to schools where all students have access to an excellent education. It would also be diverse, with a visible and thriving Black community, including Black businesses." While the socioeconomic realities of our current time touch all corners of the country, there are pockets of the U.S. where the wealth gap narrows and Black women have more opportunities. MoneyGeek analyzed data on income, the cost of crime , homeownership , and poverty levels from 164 cities across the United States to rank the best — and worst — cities for Black women to live and financially flourish in. Key findings Suburban cities of large metropolitan areas ranked highest. Southfield — outside of Detroit — and Pearland — a suburb of Houston — ranked highest in the analysis. The South is home to 13 of the top 25 cities for Black women, led by Pearland, Texas; Port St. Lucie, Florida; and Garland, Texas. Minneapolis, Minnesota, ranks at the bottom due to significant income and health insurance disparities for Black women compared to white men. Miami has the second-lowest overall ranking and second-largest income gap of the cities analyzed, with Black women earning only over a third of what white men make. The best cities for Black women MoneyGeek ranked 164 cities with populations greater than 65,000 from the best to the worst for Black women. The ranking includes analysis of income, poverty rate, homeownership, educational attainment and health insurance gaps between Black women and the entire population nationally and locally. The size of the local Black population and the cost of crime in the area were included in the ranking to reflect the presence of the Black community and safety, respectively. Southfield — a suburb of Detroit — and Pearland — a Houston suburb — ranked as the top two cities in the analysis. Notably, Southern cities make up the majority of cities in the top 25, with 13 located in this region. The worst cities for Black women In contrast, Minneapolis, Minnesota, ranked as the worst city for Black women. In Minneapolis, Black women face high poverty rates in absolute and relative terms and have low rates of health insurance coverage compared to the cities analyzed. Meanwhile, Miami ranks as the second least favorable city, with a significant local income gap — there, white men earn almost triple the income of Black women. The economic realities Black women face Income disparity is a key measure of how well Black women are doing today. For each city in the analysis, we calculated the local Equal Pay Day — the day in the following year when Black women would make an equivalent amount as white men — using the median income of Black women working full time and the median income of white men working full time in each locality. In Carson, California, the median pay of Black women is higher than the median pay of white men. However, in Evanston, Illinois, Black women make just over a third of white men's earnings, meaning they would need to work until September 24, 2024, to earn the equivalent of a white man's 2022 pay. Economic challenges faced by Black women include restricted career advancement opportunities, insufficient health insurance, and inadequate retirement savings. Survey data from Goldman Sachs indicates that 42% of Black women perceive limited career growth opportunities compared to 35% of U.S. adults, and merely 43% are able to obtain health insurance through their employer, in contrast to 53% nationwide. Additionally, 71% of Black women feel they are living paycheck to paycheck, compared to 63% of the general population. The intersection of racial and gender bias contributes to these challenges, resulting in low-wage jobs and a considerable wealth gap. Our analysis validates this, demonstrating that Black women who work full-time, year-round, earn 64 cents for every dollar white men earn working full-time, year-round. Less access to economic opportunities puts Black women at a disadvantage in building wealth. The FDIC's National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households found that 11.3% of Black households were unbanked compared to just 2.1% of white households. Unbanked households are credit invisible — that is, they don't have a credit history and, therefore, can't build credit. Having no credit history makes it difficult to utilize credit cards to manage cash needs and mortgages to buy homes. Advocating for economic opportunities for Black women The struggle for economic equity remains a persistent challenge for Black women in America, who have historically faced systemic wage disparities and employment obstacles. However, there are tools and resources that can provide Black women with economic opportunities and empowerment. Dr. Ukanwa shares additional solutions, such as: 1. Invest in education: Research has already shown that degrees increase lifetime earnings, close some societal gaps, and increase job security. But if degrees are not your path, it also means continuing to build that knowledge and expertise in something you can be the best at. Figure out your expertise and what you bring to the table. 2. After building your expertise in a field, build your reputation and personal brand: With an excellent reputation and personal brand, people will start to seek you out rather than the other way around. This increases the worth of your expertise. 3. Find out what your expertise is worth: Educate yourself on how to negotiate . Negotiate to be paid what you are worth. 4. Get into the habit of ownership: Build your own equity, which decreases the dependence on someone else for your income. For example, this could be your own business, stocks , or real estate. Methodology To rank the best cities for Black women, MoneyGeek analyzed data from the American Community Survey , MoneyGeek's Safest Cities and Safest Small Cities and Towns studies, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The analysis started with over 500 places in America with populations of 65,000 or more. Places without granular data about Black women or lacking other data points for the analysis were removed to get to the final set of 164 cities. The ranking of the best cities for Black women was based on eight factors: safety, Black population, educational attainment, poverty rates, income, employment, health insurance, and homeownership. Each factor was weighted equally and scaled to a score between 0 and 1. The factors were calculated as follows: Safety (full weight): This metric equally comprises two metrics. Crime cost per capita (50%): This metric is based on the per capita cost of crime calculated in MoneyGeek's Safest Cities series. Racially motivated hate crimes per 1 million people (50%): This metric indicates the number of racially motivated hate crimes for 2022 per 1,000,000 population, with data sourced from the FBI's Crime Data Explorer. Percent of local population that is Black (full weight): This percentage represents the proportion of Black individuals within a city's total population, as reported by the United States Census Bureau's five-year American Community Survey (ACS) from 2021, the most recent data available. Educational attainment (full weight): This metric equally comprises two metrics. High school diploma gap (50%): The difference in percentage points of the rate of female Black high school diploma achievement compared to the national rate of male white high school diploma achievement. Higher education diploma gap (50%): The difference in percentage points of the rate of female Black bachelor's degree or greater educational attainment compared to the national rate of male white bachelor's degree or greater educational attainment. Poverty rate (full weight): The percentage point difference between the city's rate of Black women earning at or above the poverty level and the rate of all women living above the poverty level nationally. This finding comes from the 2021 Census ACS five-year data, the latest available source covering over 200 cities. Income (full weight): This factor equally comprises two metrics. Local Income Gap (50%): The ratio of Black female median income as a percentage of the local median income of white males. National Income Gap (50%): The ratio of Black female median income adjusted for purchasing power as a percentage of the national median income of white males. Employment (full weight): The difference in percentage points between the Black female employment rate and the white male employment rate in the locality. Health insurance (full weight): This metric reveals the percentage point difference between Black women (ages 19-64) and white men (ages 19-64) with health insurance. This information comes from the Census ACS five-year data from 2021, the most recent data source available. Black female homeownership (full weight): This factor comprises three metrics. Local Black homeownership (25%): Proportion of Black-owned homes compared to all local owner-occupied housing. National Black homeownership (25%): Proportion of Black-owned homes compared to all national owner-occupied housing. Mortgage cost percentage relative to income (50%): Black homeowners' monthly costs as a percentage of Black women's median monthly income. The full data set can be found here . This story was produced by MoneyGeek and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Get local news delivered to your inbox!ELAN LAWSUIT NOTICE: Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) Investors are Notified of the Upcoming December 6 Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit – Contact BFA Law (NYSE:ELAN)Sen. Schumer pushes for increased surveillance to hunt drones in NY, NJ
The game at Pittodrie looked to be heading towards stalemate, a result that would have done little to revive the home side's faltering title hopes after collecting just two points from their previous three games. But the champions ensured they pulled further clear at the top when in the 83rd minute Greg Taylor picked out the run of Hatate with a fine ball, giving the Japan international room to pick his spot and roll a finish into the corner. Rangers moved to within four points of the Dons with a 6-0 hammering of Kilmarnock at Ibrox. James Tavernier opened the scoring after 37 minutes, sliding in at the far post to turn home Ianis Hagi's wonderful cross. It was relief for the hosts to go in ahead after a tight first half but thereafter the floodgates opened as Philippe Clement's side hit five goals in 24 minutes after the break. Danilo turned home another fine cross from Hagi before Hamza Igamane rifled in the hosts' third soon after. Vaclav Cerny got on the scoresheet and Cyriel Dessers bundled in a fifth from Jefte's cross, before getting his 12th goal of the season and his team's sixth on the night from the penalty spot. Dundee moved into the top half of the table as three goals in seven second-half minutes helped them to a 4-1 win over Dundee. Oluwaseun Adewumi opened the scoring after 14 minutes for the home side before Apostolos Stamatelopoulos hit back to level for Motherwell. But the game was ended as a contest by a flurry of Dundee goals midway through the second half. Scott Tiffoney scored on the hour mark to restore the lead then Lyall Cameron netted a brace to seal a comfortable win and send his team up to fifth.NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE: TD) and certain of the Company’s senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in TD Bank, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/the-toronto-dominion-bank . Investors have until December 23, 2024 to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in TD Bank securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned Tiessen v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank. , et al. , No. 24-cv-08032. What is the Lawsuit About? TD Bank is the 10th largest bank in the United States. The complaint alleges that TD Bank made materially false and misleading statements about the scope of its anti-money laundering program. On October 10, 2024, TD Bank pleaded guilty to criminal money-laundering-related charges and agreed to pay more than $3 billion in fines to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Reserve, the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The Comptroller of the Currency also imposed an “asset cap” that prevents TD Bank from growing any larger than its current size. The news caused a significant decline in the price of TD Bank stock. On October 10, 2024, the price of the company’s stock fell 6.4%, from a closing price of $63.51 per share on October 9, 2024, to $59.44 per share on October 10, 2024. Click here if you suffered losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/the-toronto-dominion-bank . What Can You Do? If you invested in TD Bank you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/the-toronto-dominion-bank Or contact: Ross Shikowitz ross@bfalaw.com 212-789-3619 Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP? Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.’s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd. For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com . https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/the-toronto-dominion-bank Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
'We are on it': US official seeks to allay drone sighting concernsThe world stands at the dawn of a “third nuclear age” in which Britain is threatened by multiple dilemmas, the head of the armed forces has warned. But alongside his stark warning of the threats facing Britain and its allies, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said there would be only a “remote chance” Russia would directly attack or invade the UK if the two countries were at war. The Chief of the Defence Staff laid out the landscape of British defence in a wide-ranging speech, after a minister warned the Army would be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict. The admiral cast doubt on the possibility as he gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank in London. He told the audience Britain needed to be “clear-eyed in our assessment” of the threats it faces, adding: “That includes recognising that there is only a remote chance of a significant direct attack or invasion by Russia on the United Kingdom, and that’s the same for the whole of Nato.” Moscow “knows the response will be overwhelming”, he added, but warned the nuclear deterrent needed to be “kept strong and strengthened”. Sir Tony added: “We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age, which is altogether more complex. It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.” He listed the “wild threats of tactical nuclear use” by Russia, China building up its weapon stocks, Iran’s failure to co-operate with a nuclear deal, and North Korea’s “erratic behaviour” among the threats faced by the West. But Sir Tony said the UK’s nuclear arsenal is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on (President Vladimir) Putin than anything else”. Successive British governments had invested “substantial sums of money” in renewing nuclear submarines and warheads because of this, he added. The admiral described the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Ukraine’s border alongside Russian forces as the year’s “most extraordinary development”. He also signalled further deployments were possible, speaking of “tens of thousands more to follow as part of a new security pact with Russia”. Defence minister Alistair Carns earlier said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. He said it illustrated the need to “generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis”. In comments reported by Sky News, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, said Russia was suffering losses of around 1,500 soldiers killed or injured a day. “In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine – our Army for example, on the current casualty rates, would be expended – as part of a broader multinational coalition – in six months to a year,” Mr Carns said in a speech at Rusi. He added: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger Army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis.” Official figures show the Army had 109,245 personnel on October 1, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Mr Carns, the minister for veterans and people, said the UK needed to “catch up with Nato allies” to place greater emphasis on the reserves. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey had previously spoken about “the state of the armed forces that were inherited from the previous government”. The spokesman said: “It’s why the Budget invested billions of pounds into defence, it’s why we’re undertaking a strategic defence review to ensure that we have the capabilities and the investment needed to defend this country.”
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — KyKy Tandy scored 21 points and Florida Atlantic pulled away late in the second half to beat Oklahoma State 86-78 on Thursday in the Charleston Classic. It was the second straight loss by a Power Four team in the tournament after Miami fell to Drake in the opener. Florida Atlantic (4-2) plays the Bulldogs in the semifinals on Friday, while Oklahoma State (3-1) battles the Hurricanes in a consolation game. Leland Walker completed a three-point play with 4:38 left in the second half to give FAU its first lead, 68-67, since it was 16-14. Tandy made a 3-pointer from the corner to cap FAU’s 11-1 run for a 75-68 lead with 2:41 left. Oklahoma State went five-plus minutes without a field goal late in the second half until Brandon Newman made a fast-break layup with 1:17 remaining. But Ken Evans Jr. answered with a three-point play at the other end for a nine-point lead. The Cowboys turned it over on their next possession with 52.3 seconds left. Evans finished with 13 points, Walker scored 12 and Tre Carroll had 10 for FAU. The Owls attempted 49 free throws leading to three Oklahoma State players fouling out and three others finishing with four fouls. Khalil Brantley had 16 points and Robert Jennings II scored a career-high 14 points to go with 11 rebounds for Oklahoma State. Patrick Suemnick was helped off the floor with 1:40 left in the first half and did not return. Oklahoma State led 39-34 at halftime despite making just 33.3% of its shots. FAU shot a better percentage from the field (47.8) than at the free-throw line (46.7) in the first half. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Nebraska opponent preview: Everything you need to know about IowaAs the end of the year approaches, the budgeted salary increases for 2025 across Southeast Asia are projected to be higher than in 2024, according to a November report by professional services firm Aon. On top of that, businesses in the region are likely to maintain or increase their overall workforce numbers, according to the study, which was conducted from July to September 2024. It analyzed data collected from more than 950 companies across Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are Notably, the failure to attract and retain top talent has emerged as a key risk for organizations in the Asia-Pacific, moving from the ninth top risk in 2021 to the fourth in 2023, according to Aon's Global Risk Management Survey . "The salary increase rates are still [anticipated to be] higher [in 2025] than they were [in 2024], while we are anticipating a lower inflationary, lower interest rate environment going forward," Rahul Chawla, Aon's partner and head of talent solutions for Southeast Asia, told CNBC Make It. "So what that really means is that in spite of a softening inflationary environment, salary increases are still hardening up, which means that there is a talent supply and demand discrepancy which goes beyond inflation," he said. While inflation remains an element in the expected increases, other factors also come into play, such as the high demand for skilled talent in the region. For example, Southeast Asia has been "a sandbox environment for a lot of technology companies, i.e. in Singapore, to be setting up shop, so it is attracting capital... and then that creates a demand for talent to serve this growth," Chawla said. Money Report Asia markets set to open higher as Aussie stocks hit record high; India GDP and Korea rates in focus Stock futures rise Sunday ahead of shortened trading week: Live updates "It's also the speed of technology evolution, right? So things like prompt engineering — probably not something that would have existed as a big skill set two years ago, but now, with ChatGPT ... it's a very new skill that now there is a demand for," said Cheng Wan Hua, director of talent analytics for Southeast Asia at Aon. Here's how much salary budgets are projected to increase in 2025 across six Southeast Asian countries, according to Aon. Actual salary increase in 2023: 7.5% Actual salary increase in 2024: 6.4% Budgeted salary increase in 2025: 6.7% Actual salary increase in 2023: 6% Actual salary increase in 2024: 5.7% Budgeted salary increase in 2025: 6.3% Actual salary increase in 2023: 5.2% Actual salary increase in 2024: 5.4% Budgeted salary increase in 2025: 5.8% Actual salary increase in 2023: 5% Actual salary increase in 2024: 4.9% Budgeted salary increase in 2025: 5% Actual salary increase in 2023: 4.7% Actual salary increase in 2024: 4.4% Budgeted salary increase in 2025: 4.7% Actual salary increase in 2023: 4% Actual salary increase in 2024: 4.2% Budgeted salary increase in 2025: 4.4% Salary increases also vary across industries in Southeast Asia, with technology and manufacturing budgeting for the highest bump at 5.8%, according to the report. Retail; consulting, business and community services; and life sciences and medical devices are set for a bump of 5.4%. On the lower end of the spectrum are the energy (4.9%), financial services (4.8%) and transportation (4.1%) industries, according to the data. Notably, the survey also found that the budgeted salary increases in Singapore and Thailand are expected to fall behind the broader region in 2025, at 4.4% and 4.7%, respectively. "Singapore salary increases typically lag other markets in Southeast Asia. Because Singapore is a developed market, inflation tends to be lower compared to other countries which are growing at a faster pace," said Chawla. In addition, gross domestic product growth rates in the city-state tend to be lower than other countries in the region, thus also contributing to the smaller budgeted salary increase, he added. Thailand, on the other hand, has had less economic growth than other countries in the region, Chawla said. In addition, as the country's talent pool is "less mobile from a language and deployment perspective," it tends to stay within its own market, he added. Also on CNBC In forgotten parts of Singapore's iconic shopping street, a new era is taking shape Indonesia wants Apple to sweeten its $100 million proposal as tech giant lobbies for iPhone 16 sales Vietnam's FPT Software discusses its Japan business strategyMan City stunned again as Feyenoord fight back to draw 3-3 in the Champions LeagueBritish Museum chief says Marbles deal with Greece 'some distance' away
“Gladiator II” asks the question: Are you not moderately entertained for roughly 60% of this sequel? Truly, this is a movie dependent on managed expectations and a forgiving attitude toward its tendency to overserve. More of a thrash-and-burn schlock epic than the comparatively restrained 2000 “Gladiator,” also directed by Ridley Scott, the new one recycles a fair bit of the old one’s narrative cries for freedom while tossing in some digital sharks for the flooded Colosseum and a bout of deadly sea-battle theatrics. They really did flood the Colosseum in those days, though no historical evidence suggests shark deployment, real or digital. On the other hand (checks notes), “Gladiator II” is fiction. Screenwriter David Scarpa picks things up 16 years after “Gladiator,” which gave us the noble death of the noble warrior Maximus, shortly after slaying the ignoble emperor and returning Rome to the control of the Senate. Our new hero, Lucius (Paul Mescal), has fled Rome for Numidia, on the North African coast. The time is 200 A.D., and for the corrupt, party-time twins running the empire (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), that means invasion time. Pedro Pascal takes the role of Acacius, the deeply conflicted general, sick of war and tired of taking orders from a pair of depraved ferrets. The new film winds around the old one this way: Acacius is married to Lucilla (Connie Nielsen, in a welcome return), daughter of the now-deceased emperor Aurelius and the love of the late Maximus’s life. Enslaved and dragged to Rome to gladiate, the widower Lucius vows revenge on the general whose armies killed his wife. But there are things this angry young phenom must learn, about his ancestry and his destiny. It’s the movie’s worst-kept secret, but there’s a reason he keeps seeing footage of Russell Crowe from the first movie in his fever dreams. Battle follows battle, on the field, in the arena, in the nearest river, wherever, and usually with endless splurches of computer-generated blood. “Gladiator II” essentially bumper-cars its way through the mayhem, pausing for long periods of expository scheming about overthrowing the current regime. The prince of all fixers, a wily operative with interests in both managing gladiators and stocking munitions, goes by the name Macrinus. He’s played by Denzel Washington, who at one point makes a full meal out of pronouncing the word “politics” like it’s a poisoned fig. Also, if you want a masterclass in letting your robes do a lot of your acting for you, watch what Washington does here. He’s more fun than the movie but you can’t have everything. The movie tries everything, all right, and twice. Ridley Scott marshals the chaotic action sequences well enough, though he’s undercut by frenetic cutting rhythms, with that now-familiar, slightly sped-up visual acceleration in frequent use. (Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo are the editors.) Mescal acquits himself well in his first big-budget commercial walloper of an assignment, confined though he is to a narrower range of seething resentments than Crowe’s in the first film. I left thinking about two things: the word “politics” as savored/spit out by Washington, and the innate paradox of how Scott, whose best work over the decades has been wonderful, delivers spectacle. The director and his lavishly talented design team built all the rough-hewn sets with actual tangible materials the massive budget allowed. They took care to find the right locations in Morocco and Malta. Yet when combined in post-production with scads of medium-grade digital effects work in crowd scenes and the like, never mind the sharks, the movie’s a somewhat frustrating amalgam. With an uneven script on top of it, the visual texture of “Gladiator II” grows increasingly less enveloping and atmospherically persuasive, not more. But I hung there, for some of the acting, for some of the callbacks, and for the many individual moments, or single shots, that could only have come from Ridley Scott. And in the end, yes, you too may be moderately entertained. “Gladiator II” — 2.5 stars (out of 4) MPA rating: R (for strong bloody violence) Running time: 2:28 How to watch: Premieres in theaters Nov. 21. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.Rihanna shares why she's proud of ‘baby daddy' A$AP Rocky