jili 178 ph register Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeksHOWLING WINDS COULD not stop Notre Dame Cathedral’s heart from beating again. With three resounding knocks on its doors by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a specially designed crosier carved from fire-scorched beams, the monument roared back to life on Saturday evening. For the first time since a devastating blaze nearly destroyed it in 2019, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened for worship, its rebirth marked by song, prayer, and awe beneath its soaring arches. The ceremony, initially planned to begin on the forecourt, was moved entirely inside due to unusually fierce December winds sweeping across the Ile de la Cite, flanked by the River Seine. Yet the occasion lost none of its splendour. Inside the luminous nave, choirs sang psalms, and the cathedral’s mighty organ, silent for nearly five years, thundered to life in a triumphant interplay of melodies. The restoration, a spectacular achievement in just five years for a structure that took nearly two centuries to build, is seen as a moment of triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline – and a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. The evening’s celebration, , underscored Notre Dame’s enduring role as both a spiritual and cultural beacon. Observers see the event as Macron’s, and his intention to pivot it into a fully fledged, diplomatic gathering, while highlighting France’s ability to unite on the global stage despite internal political crises. Inside, 42,000 square meters of stonework – an area equal to six football pitches – were meticulously cleaned, revealing luminous limestone and intricate carvings. Overhead, 2,000 oak beams, nicknamed “the forest”, were used to rebuild the spire and roof, restoring the cathedral’s iconic silhouette. The thunderous great organ, with 7,952 pipes ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide, resounded for the first time since the fire. Its newly renovated console, boasting five keyboards, 115 stops, and 30 foot pedals, was a marvel of restoration, reawakening a cornerstone of Notre Dame’s identity. Guests gradually filing into the cathedral for the evening reopening ceremonies were awestruck by the renovated interiors, many whipping out mobile phones to capture the moment. Guests entered through Notre Dame’s iconic western facade, whose arched portals adorned with biblical carvings were once a visual guide for medieval believers. Inside, the hum of hundreds of guests awaiting the service filled the cathedral with human sounds once more – a stark contrast to the construction din that echoed there for years. The celebration is expected to give a much-needed boost to embattled Macron, whose prime minister was ousted this week, plunging the nation’s politics into more turmoil. The French president, who has called Notre Dame’s reopening “a jolt of hope”, will address the gathering. He had hoped the occasion would briefly silence his critics and showcase France’s unity and resilience under his leadership. Macron’s presidency now faces its gravest crisis after the government’s collapse this week in a historic no-confidence vote that toppled Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Security will be high through the weekend, echoing measures taken during the Paris Olympics earlier this year. The Ile de la Cite – the small island in the River Seine that is home to Notre Dame and the historic heart of Paris – is closed to tourists and non-residents. Public viewing areas along the Seine’s southern bank will accommodate 40,000 spectators, who can follow the celebrations on large screens. For many, Notre Dame’s rebirth is not just a French achievement but a global one – after the reopening, the cathedral is set to welcome 15 million visitors annually, up from 12 million before the fire.AP Business SummaryBrief at 4:24 p.m. EST

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Fulgent Genetics chief scientific officer sells $26,773 in stockHONESDALE, Pa., Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Norwood Financial Corp (NASDAQ: NWFL) (“Norwood” or the “Company”), parent company of Wayne Bank, announced today that it has launched an underwritten public offering of shares of its common stock. The Company intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase additional shares of its common stock. Norwood expects to use the net proceeds from this offering for investment into its bank subsidiary to support its capital ratios in connection with the repositioning of a substantial portion of the Company’s available-for-sale debt securities portfolio, and for general corporate purposes, repurchase of our common stock and support acquisitions of other institutions or branches if opportunities for such transactions become available. Piper Sandler & Co. is serving as lead book-running manager for the offering, and Janney Montgomery Scott LLC acted as joint book-running manager for the offering. Additional Information Regarding the Offering The offering of common stock is being made pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-279619) that was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on July 11, 2024. A preliminary prospectus supplement to which this communication relates will be filed with the SEC. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus will be filed with the SEC. Prospective investors should read the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the offering. Copies of these documents are available at no charge by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov . When available, copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement, the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus related to the offering may be obtained by contacting by emailing Piper Sandler & Co. at prospectus@psc.com or by emailing Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, at prospectus@janney.com . No Offer or Solicitation This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. There will be no sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. ABOUT NORWOOD FINANCIAL CORP Norwood Financial Corp is the parent company of Wayne Bank, which operates from fourteen offices throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania and fifteen offices in Delaware, Sullivan, Ontario, Otsego and Yates Counties, New York. The Company’s stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “NWFL”. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains a number of forward-looking statements within the meaning and protections of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates, intentions, and future performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of words such as “may”, “will”, “anticipate”, “assume”, “should”, “indicate”, “would”, “believe”, “contemplate”, “expect”, “estimate”, “continue”, “plan”, “point to”, “project”, “could”, “intend”, “target”, and other similar words and expressions of the future. These forward-looking statements may not be realized due to a variety of factors, including, general economic conditions, either nationally or in our market areas, that are worse than expected; business or economic disruption from a national or global epidemic or pandemic events; changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses; our ability to access cost-effective funding; fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate market conditions; demand for loans and deposits in our market area; our ability to implement changes in our business strategies; the effects of competition from other commercial banks, thrifts, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, credit unions, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market and other mutual funds and other financial institutions operating in our market area and elsewhere, including institutions operating locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, together with such competitors offering banking products and services by mail, telephone, computer and the internet; inflation and changes in the interest rate environment that reduce our margins and yields, or reduce the fair value of financial instruments or reduce the origination levels in our lending business, or increase the level of defaults, losses and prepayments on loans we have made and make whether held in portfolio or sold in the secondary markets; adverse changes in the securities markets; changes in laws or government regulations or policies affecting financial institutions, including changes in regulatory fees and capital requirements; changes in monetary or fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board; the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the regulatory agencies, as well as the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC, and other accounting and reporting standard setters; our ability to manage market risk, credit risk and operational risk in the current economic conditions; our ability to enter new markets successfully and capitalize on growth opportunities; our ability to successfully expand our franchise, including acquisitions or establishing new offices at favorable prices; our ability to successfully integrate any assets, liabilities, customers, systems and management personnel we have acquired or may acquire into our operations and our ability to realize related revenue synergies and cost savings within expected time frames and any goodwill charges related thereto; an increase in the Pennsylvania Bank Shares Tax to which our bank subsidiary’s capital stock is currently subject, or imposition of any additional taxes on the capital stock of us or our bank subsidiary; changes in consumer demand, borrowing and savings habits; the ability of third-party providers to perform their obligations to us; the ability of the U.S. Government to manage federal debt limits; cyber-attacks, computer viruses and other technological risks that may breach the security of our websites or other systems to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information and destroy data or disable our systems; technological changes that may be more difficult or expensive than expected; changes in the financial condition, results of operations or future prospects of issuers of securities that we own; other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory and operational factors affecting our operations, pricing products and services; volatility in the securities markets; disruptions due to flooding, severe weather, or other natural disasters or Acts of God; and acts of war, terrorism, or global military conflict. If one or more of the factors affecting our forward-looking information and statements proves incorrect, then our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking information and statements contained in this press release. Therefore, we caution you not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking statements are based upon management’s beliefs and assumptions at the time they are made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our periodic and current reports that we file with the SEC. Also note that we provide a cautionary discussion of risks, uncertainties and possibly inaccurate assumptions relevant to our businesses in our periodic and current reports to the SEC. These are factors that, individually or in the aggregate, management believes could cause our actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results. Norwood Financial Corp Contact: John M. McCaffery Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer 272-304-3003 www.waynebank.comThe Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv's use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said. In a televised address to the country, the Russian president warned that U.S. air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at ten times the speed of sound and which he called the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree. He also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian ally whose missiles are used to attack Russia. “We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities,” Putin said in his first comments since President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light this month to use U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike at limited targets inside Russia. RELATED STORY | Russia says Ukraine fired 6 US-made missiles at the Bryansk region, days after Biden policy shift Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that Russia’s missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. “This was new type of lethal capability that was deployed on the battlefield, so that was certainly of concern," Singh said, noting that the missile could carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. The U.S. was notified ahead of the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels, she said. The attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro came in response to Kyiv's use of longer-range U.S. and British missiles in strikes Tuesday and Wednesday on southern Russia, Putin said. Those strikes caused a fire at an ammunition depot in Russia's Bryansk region and killed and wounded some security services personnel in the Kursk region, he said. RELATED STORY | Biden authorizes Ukraine's use of US-supplied long-range missiles for deeper strikes inside Russia “In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in kind,” the Russian president said, adding that Western leaders who are hatching plans to use their forces against Moscow should “seriously think about this.” Putin said the Oreshnik fired Thursday struck a well-known missile factory in Dnipro. He also said Russia would issue advance warnings if it launches more strikes with the Oreshnik against Ukraine to allow civilians to evacuate to safety — something Moscow hasn’t done before previous aerial attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially said Russia hadn’t warned the U.S. about the coming launch of the new missile, noting that it wasn't obligated to do so. But he later changed tack and said Moscow did issue a warning 30 minutes before the launch. Putin's announcement came hours after Ukraine claimed that Russia had used an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Dnipro attack, which wounded two people and damaged an industrial facility and rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, according to local officials. But American officials said an initial U.S. assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that the use of the missile was an "obvious and serious escalation in the scale and brutality of this war, a cynical violation of the UN Charter.” He also said there had been “no strong global reaction” to the use of the missile, which he said could threaten other countries. “Putin is very sensitive to this. He is testing you, dear partners,” Zelenskyy wrote. “If there is no tough response to Russia’s actions, it means they see that such actions are possible.” The attack comes during a week of escalating tensions, as the U.S. eased restrictions on Ukraine's use of American-made longer-range missiles inside Russia and Putin lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons. The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that the Dnipro attack was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea. “Today, our crazy neighbor once again showed what he really is,” Zelenskyy said hours before Putin's address. “And how afraid he is.” Russia was sending a message by attacking Ukraine with an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of releasing multiple warheads at extremely high speeds, even if they are less accurate than cruise missiles or short-range ballistic missiles, said Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. “Why might you use it therefore?” Savill said. "Signaling — signaling to the Ukrainians. We’ve got stuff that outrages you. But really signaling to the West ‘We’re happy to enter into a competition around intermediate range ballistic missiles. P.S.: These could be nuclear tipped. Do you really want to take that risk?’” Military experts say that modern ICBMs and IRBMs are extremely difficult to intercept, although Ukraine has previously claimed to have stopped some other weapons that Russia described as “unstoppable,” including the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missile. David Albright, of the Washington-based think tank the Institute for Science and International Security, said he was “skeptical” of Putin’s claim, adding that Russian technology sometimes “falls short.” He suggested Putin was “taunting the West to try to shoot it down ... like a braggart boasting, taunting his enemy.” Earlier this week, the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to use the U.S.-supplied, longer-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia — a move that drew an angry response from Moscow. Days later, Ukraine fired several of the missiles into Russia, according to the Kremlin. The same day, Putin signed a new doctrine that allows for a potential nuclear response even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. The doctrine is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons. In response, Western countries, including the U.S., said Russia has used irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior throughout the war to intimidate Ukraine and other nations. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Russia’s formal lowering of the threshold for nuclear weapons use did not prompt any changes in U.S. doctrine. She pushed back on concerns that the decision to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles to strike deeper inside Russia might escalate the war. ′′They’re the ones who are escalating this,” she said of the Kremlin — in part because of a flood of North Korean troops sent to the region. More than 1,000 days into war, Russia has the upper hand, with its larger army advancing in Donetsk and Ukrainian civilians suffering from relentless drone and missile strikes. Analysts and observers say the loosening of restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western missiles is unlikely to change the course of the war, but it puts the Russian army in a more vulnerable position and could complicate the logistics that are crucial in warfare. Putin has also warned that the move would mean that Russia and NATO are at war. “It is an important move and it pulls against, undermines the narrative that Putin had been trying to establish that it was fine for Russia to rain down Iranian drones and North Korean missiles on Ukraine but a reckless escalation for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons at legitimate targets in Russia,” said Peter Ricketts, a former U.K. national security adviser who now sits in the House of Lords.Elon Musk, SpaceX reportedly under federal review for undisclosed meetings with foreign leaders

Renewable energy pioneer gears up for growth via acquisitionThe practice of using AI to write police reports has come under attack from the American Civil Liberties Union — and its new paper on the issue could end up influencing competition among suppliers of technology to law enforcement. The report is a fusillade against Axon, which makes body cameras and other products, along with software for AI-powered police reports. has faced controversy before about its products. In 2022, most of its AI Ethics Board resigned over the company’s plan to put . But the nearly century-old civil rights organization goes beyond criticism of that one company and says that police departments should avoid using artificial intelligence in most instances when crafting police reports. Many officers consider that task as among the most time-consuming chores they have, providing an opening to sellers of government technology. The need to be legally and factually precise — to create writing that will withstand scrutiny in court — adds pressure to the process. Not only that, but writing doesn’t come naturally to all police officers. That’s why gov tech companies such as have developed products designed to make that part of policing more efficient, using as a prompt and automation tool for police reports. The ACLU report, “ ” takes direct aim at Axon to make the case that AI can be sloppy and biased when used to guide the report-writing process. The ACLU bases its argument around several common criticisms of AI found in all industries: potential unreliability and bias, a lack of transparency around AI learning models and inputs, and the absence of privacy protections. In its paper, the ACLU anchored those concerns in the group’s analysis of Axon’s . The product takes audio files from body cameras, runs them through OpenAI’s GPT-4 large language model and produces what the ACLU report calls a “first-person narrative for the officer in the typical format of a police report.” Described by Axon as a “force multiplier” because, the company says, officers can spend up to 40 percent of their time on reports, Draft One prompts officers to insert specific details such as speed limits and driver’s license status to complete the famously dry narratives. As the ACLU analysis notes, Draft One also includes what amounts to a safety valve: The random insertion of “silly sentences” — say, a mention of a flying squirrel — into the reports to ensure that officers fix it. The idea is to make sure police officers are really reading and checking the veracity of these AI-generated reports. The ACLU, citing a comment from Axon leadership, is skeptical that all police departments would use that safeguard. The group also worries that and “absorb the racism, sexism and other biases” picked up by AI as it takes in vast amounts of data from the digital world. Data from body cameras also could provide less-than-complete data, depending on the sensitivity and placement of the microphone and other factors, the ACLU says. And since corporate use of AI training models are not subject to Freedom of Information requests, the civil rights group worries about the ability of defendants to fully challenge one of the tools involved in their prosecutions. The ACLU did not respond to a request for comment about the report. Earlier this year, Draft One underwent trials in Colorado and Louisiana and is now widely available in the U.S., an Axon spokesperson tells via email. Police in Maine and California also are interested in buying the product, a type of purchase that often requires a long lead time and substantial civic debate. For police in Fort Collins, Colo., the tool resulted in a 67 percent reduction in the time spent on report writing, which in turn frees up officers for more street duty, the spokesperson said, adding that “success stories” about the product “mostly center on how much quicker officers can complete their paperwork while maintaining quality.” The Axon spokesperson did not directly dispute any facts from the ACLU report but painted a picture of a solid, safe and supervised product. “Critical safeguards require every report to be edited, reviewed and approved by a human officer, ensuring accuracy and accountability of the information,” the spokesperson said, adding that the company asks ethical and other experts to provide feedback and testing. The spokesperson emphasized that Draft One requires officers to “review, edit and sign off on [the] accuracy” of their reports, and that use of the software leaves a digital audit trail. As well, use of the tool for now is “restricted” to minor incidents that do not include felonies and arrests, so that client agencies can get “comfortable with the tool before expanding to more complex cases.” The company’s double-blind study of the tool showed that Draft One produced equal or better reports than those written 100 percent by officers, at least when judged by such factors as completeness, neutrality, objectivity, terminology and coherence. The study included 24 experts from law enforcement and court systems. Axon’s own research also found “no statistically significant racial bias toward a particular race,” the spokesperson said. “As we look to the future, we believe that the responsible innovation of real-time operations, drones and robotics and artificial intelligence will enable public safety to observe, communicate and act like they have never done before, ultimately protecting more lives in more places,” the spokesperson said. The ACLU report comes at a sensitive, trying time for public safety. Law enforcement still faces staffing challenges and distrust from citizens over racism, brutality and associated issues in the aftermath of the . Meanwhile, Nashville recently rejected a police-backed using Axon tech, the latest example of and against relatively . No matter what happens, AI in policing — and report writing — seems unlikely to fade. One example of that comes from Missoula, Mont., where officials recently moved forward with a . "I'm pretty cautious about AI and how that might look, but we will consider it," said Missoula Police Chief Mike Colyer, according to the report. The ACLU report has the potential to shape how gov tech suppliers try to stand out in the crowded public safety tech space, where and AI is making its way to even . For instance, , an Axon competitor, all but welcomed the ACLU’s findings, even though Truleo uses AI for reports, too. CEO and co-founder Anthony Tassone says his company’s offers more safeguards than Draft One. Officers use Truleo to dictate a narrative of an incident — something they can do while driving — and the company’s technology then uses AI to “enhance” that information and come back with “suggestions.” Officers then make edits and finish the report on their own. Truleo had already positioned itself as the “ethical” alternative to Axon, and Tassone repeated that point during an interview with conducted after the release of the ACLU report. In his view, a “weapons manufacturer” — Axon sells Tasers — should not be in the business of AI-generated reports, as that can lead to conflicts of interests in the case of mishaps or fatalities. The AI could help an officer or department to basically clean up a report in favor of law enforcement. Another pitch used by Truleo is that Axon’s AI goes too far, and that body-cam transcripts can be severely unreliable. “They are asking AI to make determinations,” he said, adding that Truleo has opened its AI to “random studies” and privacy checks. “You can’t ask AI to properly attribute criminality to people. That’s an officer’s job.” The ACLU report recommends that no police department use AI to “replace the creation of a record of the officer’s subjective experience.” But the report did leave wiggle room that would seem to offer a company such as Truleo a boost during client sales meetings and city council debates about law enforcement purchases. The ACLU said that “safer and more limited” uses of AI could help with the “dull chore” of writing police reports. “For example, officers could make an audio recorded verbal narrative of what took place ... and computers could transcribe those accounts and perhaps perform some light cleanup and formatting to create an editable first draft,” the report states, adding that “like most people, [police] probably find it faster and easier to speak than to write.”

NEW YORK , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Paramount Global (the "Company") (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA) today announced that it would redeem all of its remaining outstanding 4.750% senior notes due May 15, 2025 (the "4.750% senior notes") on December 27, 2024 . The redemption price for the 4.750% senior notes is equal to the sum of 100% of the principal amount of the 4.750% senior notes that remain outstanding, the make-whole amount calculated in accordance with the terms of the 4.750% senior notes and the related indenture under which the 4.750% senior notes were issued, and the accrued and unpaid interest on the remaining 4.750% senior notes up to, but excluding, the redemption date of December 27, 2024 . The aggregate principal amount of the 4.750% senior notes outstanding and the aggregate principal amount of the 4.750% senior notes to be redeemed is as set forth below: Title of Security Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding Aggregate Principal Amount to be Redeemed 4.750% senior notes $125,561,000 $125,561,000 Holders owning 4.750% senior notes through a broker, bank, or other nominee should contact that party for information. For more information, holders of the 4.750% senior notes may call the paying agent for the redemption of the 4.750% senior notes, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas at (800) 735-7777. About Paramount Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA) is a leading global media, streaming and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount+ and Pluto TV. The Company holds one of the industry's most extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, the Company provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution, and advertising solutions. Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains both historical and forward-looking statements, including statements related to our future results, performance and achievements. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Similarly, statements that describe our objectives, plans or goals are or may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations concerning future results and events; generally can be identified by the use of statements that include phrases such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "foresee," "likely," "will," "may," "could," "estimate" or other similar words or phrases; and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others: risks related to our streaming business; the adverse impact on our advertising revenues as a result of advertising market conditions, changes in consumer viewership and deficiencies in audience measurement; risks related to operating in highly competitive and dynamic industries, including cost increases; the unpredictable nature of consumer behavior, as well as evolving technologies and distribution models; risks related to our ongoing changes in business strategy, including investments in new businesses, products, services, technologies and other strategic activities; the potential for loss of carriage or other reduction in or the impact of negotiations for the distribution of our content; damage to our reputation or brands; losses due to asset impairment charges for goodwill, intangible assets, FCC licenses and content; liabilities related to discontinued operations and former businesses; risks related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters; evolving business continuity, cybersecurity, privacy and data protection and similar risks; content infringement; domestic and global political, economic and regulatory factors affecting our businesses generally; disruptions to our operations as a result of labor disputes; the inability to hire or retain key employees or secure creative talent; volatility in the prices of the Companyʼs common stock; potential conflicts of interest arising from our ownership structure with a controlling stockholder; business uncertainties, including the effect of the Skydance transactions on the Companyʼs employees, commercial partners, clients and customers, and contractual restrictions while the Skydance transactions are pending; prevention, delay or reduction of the anticipated benefits of the Skydance transactions as a result of the conditions to closing the Skydance transactions; the Transaction Agreementʼs limitation on our ability to pursue alternatives to the Skydance transactions; risks related to a failure to complete the Skydance transactions, including payment of a termination fee and negative reactions from the financial markets and from our employees, commercial partners, clients and customers; risks related to change in control or other provisions in certain agreements that may be triggered by the Skydance transactions; litigation relating to the Skydance transactions potentially preventing or delaying the closing of the Skydance transactions and/or resulting in payment of damages; challenges realizing synergies and other anticipated benefits expected from the Skydance transactions, including integrating the Companyʼs and Skydanceʼs businesses successfully; potential unforeseen direct and indirect costs as a result of the Skydance transactions; any negative effects of the announcement, pendency or consummation of the Skydance transactions on the market price of the Companyʼs common stock and New Paramount Class B Common Stock; and other factors described in our news releases and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. There may be additional risks, uncertainties and factors that we do not currently view as material or that are not necessarily known. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date of this communication, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. PARA-IR View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/paramount-global-announces-redemption-of-its-4-750-senior-notes-due-may-2025--302334251.html SOURCE Paramount GlobalNoneRural areas experience the brunt of healthcare system deficiencies. Are there solutions?

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NoneTrump Demands BRICS Loyalty to the DollarBlues supporters also sang the name of head coach Maresca during the closing stages of an emphatic success sealed by goals from Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and substitute Jadon Sancho. Bottom club Southampton briefly levelled through Joe Aribo but were a man down from the 39th minute after captain Jack Stephens was sent off for pulling the hair of Marc Cucurella. Chelsea, who have endured an underwhelming period since Todd Boehly’s consortium bought the club in 2022, climbed above Arsenal and into second place on goal difference, seven points behind leaders Liverpool. “It was a very good feeling, especially because you can see that they are happy, that is our target,” Maresca said of the atmosphere in the away end. “We work every day to keep them happy and tonight was a very good feeling, especially the one that they can see that Chelsea’s back. This is an important thing.” Maresca rotated his squad in Hampshire, making seven changes following Sunday’s impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa. Following a sloppy start, his side, who stretched their unbeaten run to six top-flight games, could easily have won by more as they hit the woodwork three times, in addition to squandering a host of chances. “I’m very happy with the five we scored,” said the Italian. “I’m not happy with the first 15, 20 minutes, where we struggled. The reason why we struggled is because we prepared the game to press them man to man and the first 15, 20 minutes we were not pressing them man to man. “After 15, 20 minutes we adjust that and the game was much better. For sure we could score more but five goals they are enough.” Southampton manager Russell Martin rued a costly “moment of madness” from skipper Stephens. The defender’s ridiculous red card was the headline mistake of a catalogue of errors from the beleaguered south-coast club as they slipped seven points from safety following an 11th defeat of a dismal season. “I don’t think anyone will be as disappointed as Jack,” Martin said of Stephens, who was sent off for the second time this term after tugging the curls of Cucurella as Saints prepared to take a corner. “I haven’t got to sit down and talk with him about that at all. He will be hurt more than anyone and it’s changed the game for us tonight, which is disappointing. “I think they have to describe it as violent conduct; it’s not violent really but there’s no other explanation for that really. It’s a moment of madness that’s really cost us and Jack.” Southampton repeatedly invited pressure with their risky attempts to play out from defence, with goalkeeper Joe Lumley gifting Chelsea their second goal, scored by Nkunku. While Saints were booed off at full-time, Martin, who was missing a host of key players due to injuries and suspensions, praised the effort of his depleted team. “When they see such a big scoreline and a couple of the goals we concede, I understand it (the jeers),” he said. “It’s football, it’s emotive, people feel so much about it, it’s why it’s such a special sport in this country and so big. “I understand it but I feel really proud of the players tonight, some of the football we played at 11 v 11 was amazing. “For an hour with 10 men we’ve dug in so deep, there were some big performances. I’m proud of them for that and I’m grateful for that because that’s not easy in that circumstance.”Shares of home goods retailer Williams Sonoma ( WSM 3.22% ) rallied 28.2% in November, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence . Williams-Sonoma reported third-quarter results on Nov. 20, with shares skyrocketing in the aftermath, accounting for most of the month's gains. While headlines results didn't seem like much to cheer about at first glance, they were well above expectations, with Wall Street cheering management's navigation of a tough consumer spending environment. Revenues decline, but margins go up Williams-Sonoma is a specialty retailer that owns several high-end home goods brands, including its Williams-Sonoma namesake, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm, and Rejuvenation. As has been the case with virtually every discretionary and home goods retailer, Williams-Sonoma has seen sales declines amid post-pandemic inflation following the home goods boom during the pandemic. At first glance, investors might be confused as to why the stock was up so much after seeing the numbers, After all, revenue declined 2.9% to $1.8 billion, with comparable-store sales down a similar amount. Yet while revenue was down, the reported number still came in ahead of analyst expectations. Meanwhile, Williams-Sonoma was actually able to grow earnings per share by 7.1% in the quarter to $1.96, which also came in ahead of Wall Street's expectations. The impressive profit growth came as a result of higher gross margins , which expanded from 44.4% last year to 46.7%. Additionally, the company lowered its share count by repurchasing $533 million worth of stock in the quarter, increasing the year-to-date repurchase total to $707 million. Not only did repurchases ramp up, suggesting optimism on the part of management, but Williams-Sonoma's board of directors also authorized another $1 billion share repurchase program on the earnings release. Management also gave strong guidance, at least on a relative basis relative to prior figures. Williams-Sonoma now sees full-year revenues down between 3% and 1.5% for the full year, which would be an improvement over the third quarter, and sees operating margins improving by 40 basis points relative to the prior outlook. Williams-Sonoma is allocating capital well Amid the downturn in home goods sales, Williams-Sonoma appears to be strategizing well. Understanding the importance of preserving its brand power and its debt-free balance sheet, the company appears to be maintaining or raising prices to grow gross margin at the sacrifice of volumes and revenue growth. Clearly, investors are cheering the strategy and execution, as well as the generous shareholder returns. That being said, shares now seem to reflect an anticipation of a recovery in the year ahead, as they trade for 22 times earnings. While not overly expensive, that figure does seem to anticipate a better consumer spending environment in the future. After all, one can't generate earnings growth by raising prices exorbitantly or cutting costs forever.

New York Jets extend the most unwanted streak in US sports with agonizing overtime loss to Miami Dolphins READ MORE: Bill Belichick 'is desperate to return to the NFL in 2025' By ALEX RASKIN and ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 23:23 GMT, 8 December 2024 | Updated: 23:25 GMT, 8 December 2024 e-mail 8 shares 1 View comments The year was 2010 and the upstart New York Jets were making noise behind larger-than-life head coach Rex Ryan, young quarterback Mark Sanchez, veterans D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Bart Scott, as well as future Hall of Famers LaDainian Tomlinson and Darrelle Revis. Not only did Gang Green qualify for its second consecutive postseason, but Ryan engineered a historic playoff upset of the hated New England Patriots in Foxborough. Were it not for a gut-wrenching 24-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship, the Jets would have played in Super Bowl XLV against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers . Fast forward to Sunday's overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins , and the snapshot changes considerably. The 32-26 defeat dropped New York to 3-10, eliminating interim coach Jeff Ulbrich's team from postseason contention and putting Rodgers' future with the team into further doubt. Worst of all, the Jets have now failed to reach the postseason since their inspiring 2010 campaign. And that 14-year playoff drought stands as the longest current dry spell in any of the country's four major leagues: the NFL, NBA , NHL and Major League Baseball. 'Thanks, I almost forgot since it's not like we hear this literally daily,' one fan joked online after former ESPN host Trey Wingo reminded everyone of this fact. Rodgers nearly faced the Jets in Super Bowl XLV, but New York hasn't sniffed the playoffs since New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers speaks during a news conference after the loss Read More Ex-Jets rival and Super Bowl winner is 'interested in coaching New York... but with a condition' Despite the disappointing season, some fans were encouraged with the loss, given its implications for the 2025 NFL Draft. 'Also one game out of the first pick which at this point is most important,' one man remarked on X. Many more fans of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres were quick to mention that their favorite hockey team isn't far behind. With a record of 11-13-3, the Sabres' playoff drought could hit 14 seasons if they fail to qualify this spring. Interestingly, Buffalo has rehired Lindy Ruff, the last coach who guided the Sabres to the postseason back in 2010-2011. Ryan meanwhile, has been open about his interest in rejoining the Jets after being let go after missing the playoffs each year from 2011 through 2014. 'I have some unfinished business with that franchise,' Ryan told Barstool Sports last month. 'That particular franchise, you know my dad [Buddy Ryan] was there forever, he won a Super Bowl [as a defensive line coach], and it's super close to me,' Ryan continued. 'I would get back in it if I thought I could make a difference and I think I could make a big difference with that team.' Tua Tagovailoa threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith in overtime and Miami overcame Aaron Rodgers' first 300-yard passing game in nearly three years for the win Rex Ryan and Josh Mauga of the New York Jets celebrate a 23-20 ovetime win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 7, 2010. New York would reach the playoffs that season The Sabres face their own potential 14-year playoff drought if they can't reach the postseason this spring. Buffalo has re-hired Lindy Ruff - the last coach to guide the Sabres to the playoffs For all their struggles this season, the Jets nearly matched the Dolphins blow for blow on Sunday. Tua Tagovailoa threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith in overtime and Miami overcame Aaron Rodgers' first 300-yard passing game in nearly three years for the win. After Jason Sanders tied it with 7 seconds left in regulation with a 42-yard field goal, Tagovailoa quickly moved the Dolphins (6-7) down the field and they beat the Jets for the ninth straight time in Miami. That came after Anders Carlson gave the struggling Jets the lead with a 42-yarder with 52 seconds remaining. But Malik Washington put the Dolphins in great position to help set up Sanders' field goal with a 45-yard kickoff return to Miami's 46-yard line. Tagovailoa was 33 of 47 for 331 yards and two TDs. He had just one incompletion on Miami's eight-play, 70-yard scoring drive that was capped by Smith's fourth touchdown of the season. Smith didn't have a catch before catching three for 44 yards on the winning drive. Rodgers was 27 of 39 for 339 yards, ending a drought of 34 regular-season games without a 300-yard passing game - dating to December 12, 2021, while with Green Bay - and had a TD pass to Davante Adams. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and tight end Tyler Conklin (83) leave the field But Rodgers could only watch from the sideline in overtime as the Jets never got the ball after blowing a second straight second-half lead. Rodgers and Adams connected for a 3-yard score in the third quarter, the pair's 79th touchdown in the regular and postseason. They passed Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown for the fourth-most by a quarterback-receiver duo in NFL history. Adams finished with nine catches and 109 yards. The Dolphins trailed entering the fourth quarter, but Tagovailoa connected with Tyreek Hill for a 4-yard TD and Jaylen Waddle caught the two-point conversion to tie it at 23. Hill caught 10 passes for 115 yards, and Waddle added 99 yards on nine catches. The Jets took a 20-15 lead in the third on Adams' touchdown that was set up by a 42-yard pickup by Garrett Wilson, who beat cornerback Jalen Ramsey on a double move to get open. A 40-yard field goal by Carlson later stretched New York's lead to 8 after the Dolphins went scoreless in the quarter. The matchup pitted the Jets' No. 2-ranked pass defense against Tagovailoa, the NFL's most accurate passer, and Miami's No. 9-ranked pass defense against the four-time MVP Rodgers who has had a subpar season. Both quarterbacks were strong and the teams played rather evenly at first, with each scoring on their first three possessions. The first punt of the game was on Miami's first drive of the second half, and the Jets scored on their first five possessions. Tagovailoa had just three incompletions in the first half and was 3 for 3 on Miami's final drive of the second quarter, moving the Dolphins into field goal range in 45 seconds to set up a 57-yarder by Sanders, which tied the kicker's career best. Sanders also made kicks of 39 and 24 yards, and De'Von Achane had a 2-yard rushing touchdown on Miami's opening possession. Rodgers moved the Jets inside Miami's 20 three times in the first half. Isaiah Davis ran for a 17-yard score, and Carlson made field goals of 28 and 30 yards. Alas, it was not enough for Ulrbich & Co., who now move on to face Jacksonville on the road next week. Aaron Rodgers New York Jets Share or comment on this article: New York Jets extend the most unwanted streak in US sports with agonizing overtime loss to Miami Dolphins e-mail 8 shares Add commentJaylen Brown scored 29 points and Jayson Tatum finished with 26 points and eight rebounds to help the Boston Celtics extend their winning streak to five games by beating the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 107-105 Sunday. Brown made 7 of his 10 3-point attempts, including five in the opening quarter. The Timberwolves are winless in their last 18 road games against the Celtics. Minnesota’s last win in Boston came in March 2005. Minnesota was within two points, 107-105, following a Julius Randle layup with 33.6 seconds to play. The Timberwolves had the ball trailing by two with 7.1 seconds left, but Naz Reid missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have given Minnesota the win. The Timberwolves received 20 rebounds and 10 points from Rudy Gobert. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards had 28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Randle finished with 23 points. Minnesota, which shot 42% from the field, has lost five of its last seven games. Derrick White added 19 points and nine rebounds for Boston, which made 21 of its 56 3-point attempts (37.5 percent). Brown opened the game with five 3-pointers to help the Celtics build a 15-6 advantage. Boston missed 11 consecutive shots later in the quarter and an 11-0 run allowed Minnesota to go in front 17-15. The Timberwolves led 27-24 after one quarter. Boston led 53-43 following two Tatum free throws with 3:39 remaining in the second quarter and extended the lead to 12 later in the second, but Minnesota scored the final nine points in the quarter and Boston had a 55-52 halftime lead. Boston scored 14 of the first 18 points in the third quarter to stretch its lead to 69-56. Boston had a 19-point lead — its largest of the game — after an Xavier Tillman layup made it a 79-60 game with 4:26 to play in the third. The Celtics led 84-73 entering the fourth.Intel Board Blasted For Handling Of CEO's Sudden Exit As Stock Falls Again - Investor's Business DailyYMCA Winter Activities

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In conclusion, the European Union's investigation into Google's alleged secret ad deals with Meta underscores the need for robust competition regulation in the tech industry. With the outcome of the investigation yet to be determined, all eyes will be on how regulators address the issue and what measures may be taken to promote fair competition in the digital advertising market.The turning point in Wu Liufang's career came when she posted a heartfelt and deeply personal video detailing her struggles, insecurities, and moments of self-doubt. The raw emotion and vulnerability displayed in the video struck a chord with her audience, who showered her with messages of love, support, and encouragement. Overnight, Wu Liufang transitioned from being a mere social media personality to a beacon of hope and inspiration for countless individuals grappling with their own inner demons.

Thesis Porch Group, Inc. ( NASDAQ: PRCH ) , based in Seattle and deeply embedded in the home services and insurance sectors, has seen its stock rise sharply, up 170% over the past year. Wall Street seems to think there’s still more gas in the tank, with analysts Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.On the runway, Barnstorming has been making a splash at major fashion events, with designers showcasing their own interpretations of the trend. From tailored tweed suits with a hint of country chic to flowing dresses inspired by prairie life, the possibilities are endless. Celebrities and influencers have also been quick to embrace Barnstorming, incorporating pieces into their everyday wardrobes and sharing their looks on social media.

LONDON European nations have expressed mixed reactions to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, with a majority emphasizing respect for the court's independence. The warrants come as Israel’s genocidal offensive in Gaza recently entered its second year, having already killed some 44,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 103,000 others. In a landmark move, the International Criminal Court on Thursday announced it had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over war crimes in Palestinian territories, including Gaza. While emphasizing respect for the ICC's independence, the responses vary in tone and approach to implementation. Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, underscored the importance of adhering to the ICC's decisions, stating the warrants were not politically motivated and should be respected and implemented. Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris described the warrants as a "significant step" and urged cooperation to ensure the ICC's work proceeds with urgency. Spain's second Vice-President and Labor Minister Yolando Diaz welcomed the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, saying Madrid sides with justice. "Always on the side of justice and international law," Diaz said on X and added: "The genocide of the Palestinian people cannot go unpunished." Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard affirmed the EU’s support for the court’s work, emphasizing Sweden's commitment to its independence and integrity. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice stated its obligation to cooperate with the ICC under the Rome Statute, pledging to arrest and extradite Netanyahu or Gallant if they entered Swiss territory. In the Netherlands, Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp assured parliament that his country respects the ICC's independence, adding that Dutch authorities would act on the warrants and avoid non-essential contacts with those named. Austria’s Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg criticized the warrants as "incomprehensible and ludicrous" but acknowledged Austria’s legal duty to implement them. France's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine acknowledged the importance of acting in line with ICC statutes but refrained from committing to the arrest of Netanyahu or Gallant, citing legal complexities. Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasized the importance of interpreting the ICC’s decision in collaboration with allies, reiterating support for the court's legal, non-political role. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide highlighted the importance of judicial fairness, expressing confidence that the ICC "will proceed with the case based on the highest fair trial standards." A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed respect for the ICC's independence without confirming whether the UK would uphold the warrants. Meanwhile, the UK government is facing calls to "unequivocally" support the ICC. Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, Sacha Deshmukh, has called on Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and the UK government to honor their stated commitment to upholding international justice. "In opposition, the Foreign Secretary said in government his party would comply with any arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, and we now need to see Mr. Lammy and the whole UK government unequivocally backing this vitally important move by the ICC," Deshmukh stated.Nestled in the heart of the snow-covered mountains, Sangpo Village has long been regarded as the go-to destination for high-quality snow boots. For decades, the village has made a name for itself as the leading OEM manufacturer of snow boots, supplying top brands worldwide. However, as global trends shift towards customization and individuality, Sangpo Village is ready to break free from its OEM label and embark on a new journey of in-house design, production, and sales.In conclusion, the news of Manchester United's decision to do away with the Sporting Director role and Arsenal's interest in Ashworth highlights the dynamic nature of football club management and the strategic considerations that clubs must make to stay ahead in the highly competitive world of professional football. It will be interesting to see how these developments unfold and impact the future trajectories of both clubs.

Attention! Top-tier Hospital in Guangzhou to Temporarily Halt Medical Services for Renovation

In conclusion, the deaths of the Taiwanese mother and daughter following a devastating scam should prompt a wider conversation about the need for enhanced support and protection for victims of financial crimes, as well as the accountability of law enforcement in providing timely and compassionate assistance to those in need. It is only through collective efforts and a commitment to addressing such issues that we can strive towards preventing similar tragedies in the future.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot talks up ‘special player’ Mohamed Salah

In the fast-paced and ever-evolving world of mobile gaming, character design plays a pivotal role in capturing the hearts and minds of players. The creators of "Desolate Zone Zero" have truly outdone themselves with the introduction of this new character, who is sure to become a fan favorite in no time.The Reds ultimately left St James’ Park with only a point after Fabian Schar snatched a 3-3 draw at the end of a pulsating encounter, but Salah’s double – his 14th and 15th goals of the season – transformed a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead before the Switzerland defender’s late intervention. The 32-year-old Egypt international’s future at Anfield remains a topic of debate with his current contract running down. Asked about Salah’s future, Slot said: “It’s difficult for me to predict the long-term future, but the only thing I can expect or predict is that he is in a very good place at the moment. “He plays in a very good team that provides him with good opportunities and then he is able to do special things. “And what makes him for me even more special is that in the first hour or before we scored to make it 1-1, you thought, ‘He’s not playing his best game today’, and to then come up with a half-hour or 45 minutes – I don’t know how long it was – afterwards with an assist, two goals, having a shot on the bar, being a constant threat, that is something not many players can do if they’ve played the first hour like he did. “That is also what makes him special. If you just look at the goals, his finish is so clinical. He’s a special player, but that’s what we all know.” Salah did indeed endure a quiet opening 45 minutes by his standards and it was the Magpies who went in at the break a goal to the good after Alexander Isak’s stunning 35th-minute finish. Slot said: “The shot from Isak, I don’t even know if Caoimh (keeper Caoimhin Kelleher) saw that ball, as hard as it was.” Salah set up Curtis Jones to level five minutes into the second half and after Anthony Gordon has restored the hosts’ lead, levelled himself from substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 68th-minute cross. He looked to have won it with a fine turn and finish – his ninth goal in seven league games – seven minutes from time, only for Schar to pounce from a tight angle in the 90th minute. Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe was delighted with the way his team took the game to the Reds four days after their disappointing 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. Howe, who admitted his surprise that VAR official Stuart Attwell had not taken a dimmer view of a Virgil van Dijk shoulder barge on Gordon, said: “It’s mixed emotions. “Part of me feels we should have won it – a big part of me – but part of me is pleased we didn’t lose either because it was such a late goal for us. “Generally, I’m just pleased with the performance. There was much more attacking output, a much better feel about the team. “There was much better energy, and it was a really good performance against, for me, the best team we’ve played so far this season in the Premier League, so it was a big jump forward for us.”InfuSystem CEO Richard DiIorio sells $364,465 in stock

Tafara Gapare throws down 19 points and a highlight dunk, and Maryland beats Bucknell 91-67President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has presided over the annual meeting of the ADNOC Board of Directors. During the meeting, which was held at ADNOC Headquarters, His Highness approved the launch of XRG, a lower-carbon energy and chemicals investment company to accelerate ADNOC’s international growth and drive greater value. XRG will initially focus on investments that meet the growing global demand for natural gas, chemicals and low carbon energies. His Highness praised ADNOC for its achievements in delivering on its international growth strategy and noted that XRG will build on these achievements and ADNOC’s track record in energy and investments to deliver long-term sustainable value for the UAE. The board endorsed ADNOC’s target to drive AED200 billion (US$54.5 billion) into the UAE economy over the next five years through its In-Country Value (ICV) programme, building on AED55 billion (US$15 billion) delivered this year. The ICV programme also created 5,500 jobs for Emiratis in the private sector this year in partnership with the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis). These achievements bring the total value ADNOC has driven back into the UAE economy to AED242 billion (US$65.9 billion), with 17,000 Emiratis employed in the private sector since the programme was launched in 2018. His Highness highlighted ADNOC’s important role as a primary catalyst for the UAE’s growth and diversification and commended the company for continuing to prioritise value creation for the nation and stimulate economic and industrial opportunities for the private sector. As part of these efforts, ADNOC is enabling local manufacturing of critical industrial products in its supply chain. The company has signed local manufacturing agreements with UAE and international companies worth AED72 billion (US$19.6 billion) since 2022, as it delivers on its target to locally manufacture AED90 billion (US$24.5 billion) worth of products in its procurement pipeline by 2030 in support of the UAE’s ‘Make it in the Emirates’ initiative. The board reviewed ADNOC’s gas growth strategy and commended the company’s progress in harnessing the UAE’s gas resources to meet growing global gas demand. Through the lower-carbon Ruwais LNG project, ADNOC is more than doubling its existing UAE liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity to around 15 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) while building an integrated global gas business with strategic investments in Egypt, Mozambique, Azerbaijan, and the US. The board was updated on ADNOC’s artificial intelligence and digital technology (AIDT) strategy as it aims to become the world's most AI-enabled energy company. The board praised ADNOC for its industry leadership in leveraging digitalisation, advanced technologies, and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance efficiencies and future-proof its business. Ahead of the meeting, His Highness visited ADNOC’s world-class AI center, where he was briefed on how the company is integrating AI from the control room to the board room to enhance safety, maximise value, and reduce emissions as it continues to advance the UAE’s thriving AI ecosystem. During the tour, His Highness was shown some of ADNOC’s innovative AI solutions, including the world-first deployment of Robowell, an autonomous well-control solution, as well as the AI Lab, which is set to identify and shape high-value AI use cases across its operations. His Highness was also updated on ENERGYai, a first-of-its-kind agentic AI solution, which ADNOC recently launched in collaboration with AIQ, G42, and Microsoft. His Highness met with a group of young talented Emirati employees driving pioneering AI initiatives. Building on the success of ADNOC’s Trading Academy, His Highness was briefed on how young Emirati commodity traders are being upskilled to create additional revenue streams for the company across its international trading businesses. His Highness praised ADNOC for empowering young Emirati talent and delivering several strategic initiatives to develop its people. His Highness stressed that people are the nation’s greatest asset, and the UAE leadership will continue to prioritise human capital development. His Highness thanked ADNOC employees for their hard work and dedication and emphasised the importance of continuous performance improvement, efficiency, and agility. Attending the meeting were His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council; H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi; Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director and Group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC); Dr. Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazrouie, Member of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office; Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State; Jassem Al Zaabi, Member of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Department of Finance; Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Member of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Department of Energy; and Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority and Managing Director and Group CEO of Mubadala. Dr. Al Jaber said, “Under the guidance of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the steadfast support of the ADNOC Board of Directors, ADNOC is reinforcing its critical role as a catalyst for the UAE’s economic and industrial growth and a reliable global energy provider. This year has been a transformative period for ADNOC where we have taken important steps to future-proof our business, pivot to new growth opportunities across the energy value chain and the world, and accelerate the adoption of AI to drive efficiency and unlock greater value. With the support of all my colleagues across the ADNOC Group, we will build on this momentum to deliver more energy with fewer emissions to empower lives and fuel economies while delivering long-term sustainable value and growth.” ADNOC’s strong sustainability performance and its efforts to decarbonise and drive low-carbon growth was also highlighted by the board. The board directed ADNOC to double down on its 2030 sustainability strategy and its industry-leading net zero by 2045 ambition. ADNOC ranks among the least carbon-intensive oil and gas producers in the world and is further reducing its carbon intensity by 25% and targeting near-zero methane emissions by 2030. Follow Emirates 24|7 on

While the player's time in Serie A may have come to an abrupt end, there is still hope for his career to continue in other leagues around the world. Many top-flight clubs in Europe and beyond have shown interest in offering him a lifeline and providing him with the opportunity to showcase his talents on a different stage. The player has expressed his determination to overcome this setback and continue playing the game he loves, no matter where it takes him.

In addition to facilitating trade transactions, CIBTC also offers a range of support services to assist businesses in navigating the complexities of international trade. From trade financing and logistics support to legal and regulatory assistance, CIBTC provides comprehensive solutions to help businesses overcome barriers and challenges in the global trade landscape. By offering a full suite of services, CIBTC aims to empower businesses to explore new trade opportunities and expand their reach in the international market.As we approach another New Year's Eve, we can once again look forward to spending the evening with He Jiong and Wang Han, as they guide us through the festivities with their signature charm and charisma. Their presence is a reminder of the enduring power of tradition, the joy of shared experiences, and the beauty of human connection.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers are rushing to introduce legislation that reaffirms the state's role as a reproductive rights "haven" as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House and abortion-rights advocates warn of an uncertain future. Abortion remains legal in California, home to the strongest reproductive rights in the nation — unlike in some states, there is no required waiting period or counseling before the procedure, and minors can get abortions without parental involvement. In 2022 , voters solidified abortion access in the state constitution after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right, limiting healthcare for millions of women. But as Trump prepares to take the White House again, California's Democratic leaders are adamant that not enough has been done to secure reproductive access in case of further federal rollbacks. "The truth is, this is an urgent and dangerous situation," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said at a news conference in Sacramento on Monday, pointing to renewed legal challenges to the distribution of abortion pills. "The right-wing extremists continue to wage attack after attack on our bodily autonomy at the expense of the health or life of pregnant persons." Bonta, a Democrat, said new legislative proposals will make reproductive rights in California "ironclad." Gov. Gavin Newsom's earlier focus on abortion rights after Trump's first term — including ad campaigns in red states — have drawn criticism from California Republicans skeptical of his national political motives and praise from advocates who say it is better to be safe than sorry. While he has signed dozens of bills firming up abortion access in recent years, some of his plans have proved to be more flash than substance. A temporary law allowing doctors licensed in Arizona to provide abortions in California, for example, expired without any doctors using it. "He makes the big pronouncements, but he's not a very good executor of those policies," said Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher of Yuba City. "It's kind of become his M.O. to make a big splash, and then nothing really ever comes of it." Democrats, however, see the need to shore up abortion access given the uncertainty of Trump's plans. A bill introduced this week aims to ensure availability of mifepristone and misoprostol — the commonly used two-step medication abortion process — even if the Trump administration attempts to interfere. At issue is how anti-abortion government officials could revive and interpret the Comstock Act , a federal law that once banned the mailing of "obscene" materials related to abortions. While Trump has said he has no plans to ban abortion nationwide, he has repeatedly flip-flopped on the issue and taken credit for appointing conservative Supreme Court justices who reversed the federal right to abortion with their decision in the landmark Dobbs case. Reproductive health advocates are worried that under his second term, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could limit access to abortion medication. To lead the FDA, Trump has tapped Dr. Marty Makary , who has echoed antiabortion messages on Fox News about fetal pain — something disputed by major medical organizations. The California bill by former Planned Parenthood attorney and legislative newcomer Assemblymember Maggy Krell , D-Sacramento, aims to ensure that Californians continue to have access to medication abortion for the foreseeable future and protects "manufacturers, distributors, authorized healthcare providers and individuals" from any legal action for distributing or administering the pills. "There are emerging threats to the availability of mifepristone and misoprostol, and California may not be able to guarantee a continued supply," the bill states. "Previously, Governor Newsom implemented a plan to stockpile doses of misoprostol. While this effort was successful, the Legislature finds that the state needs to renew its stockpile to ensure that Californians can continue to exercise their constitutional rights." Last year, Newsom rushed to stockpile hundreds of thousands of abortion pills after a Texas judge ruled against the authorization of the medication. "We will not cave to extremists who are trying to outlaw these critical abortion services. Medication abortion remains legal in California," Newsom said then. But, facing expiration dates, the state released the stockpile to the public before the U.S. Supreme Court decision that rejected the Texas court's ruling. In Washington, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee chose to hold onto a similar stockpile in case Trump was reelected. A spokesperson for Newsom said California "remains ready" to procure more pills if needed. In another precautionary move last year, Newsom signed a law that allowed abortion providers in Arizona to temporarily practice in California. The action came after the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated an 1800s law that essentially banned all abortions. No Arizona providers ended up using the program, which expired Dec. 1, according to the California Department of Consumer Affairs. Concerns settled in Arizona after Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a bill that repealed the court decision, and voters last month passed a state constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to abortion . The California legislation "was designed to serve as a swift stop gap measure to preserve continued access to abortion care, if necessary, during this very precarious moment," California Department of Consumer Affairs spokesperson Monica Vargas said in an email when The Times asked for data about the program's use. Newsom also signed a law last year that allowed medical residents from states with "hostile" laws to get abortion training in California. The state does not require the California Medical Board to track whether that program is being used as intended, a spokesperson said. For Republican critics like Gallagher, those programs are instances of "political theater" meant more to draw attention to an issue than provide substantive policy. Newsom this week called a special legislative session in Sacramento to prepare for legal combat with Trump on issues such as abortion and immigration — a move heralded by liberals as smart preparation for an unpredictable president and criticized by conservatives as unnecessary panic. "In California, abortion is constitutionally protected, and you have a president-elect who has said very clearly he will not support any national abortion ban," Gallagher said. "This perceived threat that they're trying to make into a political volley ... it's just Newsom drawing attention to himself." Some abortion advocates said that they'd rather have a nimble governor like Newsom and be cautious even if the emergency plans don't always pan out. "Now more than ever is the time for innovative policy solutions," said Shannon Olivieri Hovis, a spokesperson for Essential Health Access. "And inevitably, it is going to be the case that not all solutions we put forth will be equally effective." Other bills introduced this week seeking to fill California's reproductive health access gaps include a proposal to financially penalize cities and counties that block the building of abortion clinics, as has happened in Beverly Hills and Fontana. Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, introduced a package of bills that ensure hospitals enforce laws that require emergency rooms to provide abortion care; make it easier for Medi-Cal recipients to get birth control; and prevent birthing centers from closing. About 40% of California counties don't have abortion clinics, including rural areas where transportation can be a hurdle. In September, the state sued a Humboldt County Catholic hospital after a patient said she was denied an emergency abortion even as she feared for her life because of miscarriage risks. "We have to be absolutely clear-eyed about the political and social moment we're in right now... when we have a proven misogynist as a president," said Mia Bonta, who is married to the attorney general, referring to Trump's sexual abuse allegations and "your body, my choice" refrains that surged after his election. "I think while California has done an amazing job, we still have a lot of work to do to shore up the infrastructure of support for people who are seeking health care and abortion access and protection of our reproductive and sexual freedoms." ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.As news of the shooting spread, law enforcement officials sprang into action to track down the assailant. Eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage led authorities to a nearby McDonald's restaurant, where the suspect was apprehended without further incident. The arrest of the gunman provided a sense of relief to a community grappling with the senseless violence that had transpired.None

Moreover, the inclusion of rare disease drugs in the medical insurance system is a testament to China's commitment to advancing medical research and innovation. By supporting the development and availability of treatments for rare diseases, the government is encouraging investment in research and development in this critical area of healthcare. This not only benefits individuals with rare diseases but also contributes to the overall advancement of medical science and technology.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc . RKLB shares are moving higher on Thursday. The stock may be moving higher amid continued strength after the company on Monday announced it completed its 16th successful mission of 2024. The Details: The company announced earlier this week that it successfully deployed a satellite for Japanese Earth-observation constellation operator Synspective. The mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex in New Zealand and deployed a single StriX satellite to orbit. Synspective’s StriX satellite serves multiple purposes, including detecting anomalies in road, rail and energy infrastructure as well as providing rapid damage assessments after events like flooding, landslides and volcanic eruptions. Rocket Lab concluded its 2024 launch schedule with this mission, setting a new record of 16 successful launches for the year, surpassing its 2023 total of 10. The company’s next launch is slated for the first quarter of 2025. Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck , said, “In 2024 we launched missions for NASA, the NRO, deployed multiple missions for commercial constellation operators like Synspective, launched suborbital HASTE missions advancing hypersonic flight test capability, and to top it all off, we achieved a world first by launching two missions from two different hemispheres in less than 24 hours.” Related Link: WiMi Develops Quantum Technology-Based QRAM Architecture, Shares Surge RKLB Price Action : At the time of writing, Rocket Lab shares are trading 5.64% higher at $28.10, according to data from Benzinga Pro . Image: Image via Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.www.jili178.ph 。

OLEAN, N.Y. (AP) — Noel Brown had 22 points in Saint Bonaventure's 85-70 win against Bryant on Sunday. Saint Bonaventure (6-0) is off to its best start since it won nine consecutive games to open the 1969-70 season. Brown added seven rebounds for the Bonnies. Melvin Council Jr. scored 18 points and added five rebounds. Lajae Jones shot 3 for 7 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points. It was the sixth victory in a row for the Bonnies. The Bulldogs (3-3) were led by Earl Timberlake, who posted 17 points and seven rebounds. Barry Evans added 14 points and six rebounds for Bryant. Connor Withers also had 14 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Saint Bonaventure took the lead with 15:50 remaining in the first half and never looked back. The score was 46-40 at halftime, with Council racking up 14 points. Saint Bonaventure extended its lead to 64-44 during the second half, fueled by a 13-2 scoring run. Jones scored a team-high 10 points in the second half as their team closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Saint Bonaventure defeats Bryant 85-70, Bonnies 6-0 for first time since 1969-70 season

'Democracy and freedom': Jimmy Carter's human rights efforts in Latin America

NoneIslanders take losing streak into matchup with the SabresJimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100

Senators visit the Kings following Gaudette's 2-goal performanceThe South Carolina women's basketball team has been defeated for the first time since March 31, 2023. The No. 1 Gamecocks fell Sunday in Los Angeles as Lauren Betts posted a double-double effort to lead No. 5 UCLA to a 77-62 triumph. The Gamecocks (5-1) suffered their first defeat after 43 consecutive victories, dating back to the loss to Iowa 77-73 in the NCAA Tournament semifinals. South Carolina defeated Iowa last season for the national championship. Betts finished with 11 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks to power the Bruins (5-0) to a historic victory. UCLA also got 15 points from Londynn Jones on 5-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, 13 points from Elina Aarnisalo and 11 each from Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jacquez. It's the first time UCLA has beaten South Carolina since 1981. The Bruins lost twice to the Gamecocks in the 2022-23 season, including in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Te-Hina Paopao had 18 points for South Carolina on 4-of-4 3-point shooting, while Tessa Johnson had 14 points. UCLA won the rebounding battle 41-34, marking the second time this season the Gamecocks have been outrebounded. South Carolina also got outscored in the paint 26-18. It's rare that a Dawn Staley-coached team -- units that typically revolve around dominant centers from A'ja Wilson to Aaliyah Boston to Kamilla Cardoso -- gets beat in the paint and on the glass, but with 6-foot-7 Betts, UCLA had the recipe to outmuscle the Gamecocks in those areas of the game. South Carolina never led after UCLA began the game with an 18-5 run, capped off by back-to-back 3-pointers from Jones. The Gamecocks cut the deficit to nine points in the second quarter, but the Bruins responded with a 17-5 run and entered halftime ahead by 21 points. Aarnisalo scored seven points during that run. From there, the Gamecocks never got within single digits of the lead in the second half. It's the first time in 21 tries that UCLA has beaten an AP-ranked No. 1 team. And it's the first time South Carolina lost a true road game since 2021, a streak of 33 games. The schedule doesn't get any easier for South Carolina. While UCLA faces UT Martin next on Friday, the Gamecocks play No. 8 Iowa State on Thursday. --Field Level Media

Qatar tribune Khalid Tawalbeh Doha Marking a transformative milestone in Qatar’s innovation journey, Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), a key pillar of Qatar Foundation (QF), inaugurated ‘AI Week 2024’ on Sunday. Running from November 24 to 28, the event positions Qatar at the heart of the global AI revolution, celebrating 15 years of QSTP’s commitment to empowering technological advancements and fostering a thriving innovation ecosystem. AI Week 2024 brings together an eclectic mix of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, students, and policymakers to delve into the cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence (AI). Packed with interactive workshops, thought-provoking keynotes, panel discussions, and live demonstrations, the event is set to redefine perceptions about AI and its transformative potential across industries. In his statements to press, Dr Jack Lau, president of QSTP, emphasised the event’s importance in shaping Qatar’s innovation landscape. “AI Week is not just an event; it’s a platform for collaboration, creativity, and the exchange of bold ideas,” he said. “It reflects Qatar’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to address global challenges while fostering a culture of innovation that benefits society at large.” Dr Lau highlighted the integral role of QSTP in nurturing a dynamic ecosystem that empowers students, researchers, and entrepreneurs to translate ambitious ideas into impactful ventures. “For 15 years, QSTP has been a launchpad for innovation in Qatar. AI Week builds on this legacy by focusing on one of the most transformative technologies of our time,” he added. The opening day set the stage for an engaging week, featuring a keynote by Dan Givens, vice-president of Computer Science and Digital Innovation at Shell. Givens shared insights on integrating AI into digital transformation strategies, particularly in sustainability and operational efficiency. AI Week’s sessions cover a wide range of topics, including ‘Sustainability’, exploring how AI is optimising energy efficiency, reducing environmental impacts, and advancing smart city solutions; ‘Healthcare’, revolutionising early disease detection, personalised medicine, and efficient healthcare delivery systems; ‘Education’, harnessing AI for personalised learning experiences through advanced EdTech platforms; ‘Transportation and Public Safety’, addressing traffic management, autonomous vehicle innovation, and AI-driven safety measures. Interactive workshops led by industry experts promise hands-on learning experiences. Tashan Technology showcased a groundbreaking demonstration on robotic grasping with tactile sensing, highlighting AI’s potential in robotics and human-AI collaboration. AI Week includes initiatives like the Ride and Pitch competition, where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their AI-driven business ideas aboard the Education City Tram. Participants are mentored by experts before presenting their innovative concepts to a distinguished panel of judges. Additionally, the AI Hackathon, organised in collaboration with Qatar Scientific Club and the Ministry of Sports and Youth, invites students to tackle real-world challenges using robotics and AI programming. From smart waste management to sustainable agriculture, the hackathon encourages creativity and problem-solving among Qatar’s youth. Workshops throughout the week focus on practical applications of AI, with topics including ‘Cybersecurity’, using AI to detect vulnerabilities and enhance digital safety, ‘Marketini’, optimising strategies through advanced user experience insights, and ‘Human-AI Collaboration’, redefining how humans and machines work together in professional environments. In the coming days, participants will explore AI’s applications in maritime logistics, automotive technology, and public safety. Sessions will also delve into AI’s role in boosting operational efficiency and fostering sustainability across industries. Copy 25/11/2024 10

DNC chair candidate says lack of gender diversity in the race is 'jarring': 'Conversation is way off'Chamber welcomes new members to board of directorsJimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100

New York is feeling sky-high as pot sales near $1B since the launch of legal market: ‘Open for business’

Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters awayThe Ravens announced that tickets for a potential home wild-card playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium will go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m.

Juan Soto gets free luxury suite and up to 4 premium tickets for home games in $765M Mets deal

Welcome to OncLive On Air ® ! I’m your host today, Jax DiEugenio. OncLive On Air is a podcast from OncLive ® , which provides oncology professionals with the resources and information they need to provide the best patient care. In both digital and print formats, OncLive covers every angle of oncology practice, from new technology to treatment advances to important regulatory decisions. In today’s episode, supported by Natera, we had the pleasure of speaking with Stacey A. Cohen, MD, a physician and an associate professor in the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, as well as an associate professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. In our exclusive interview, Dr Cohen provided insights into the evolving role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in clinical decision-making for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), particularly through findings from the CIRCULATE-Japan GALAXY trial (UMIN000039205). She highlighted how ctDNA has emerged as a strong prognostic factor for recurrence risk in CRC and explored its potential to guide therapy escalation or de-escalation. She also discussed the heterogeneity in the patient population included in the CIRCULATE-Japan GALAXY study and how ctDNA negativity correlates with improved disease-free and overall survival. Additionally, Dr Cohen outlined what data are still needed to integrate ctDNA testing into routine clinical practice and how sustained vs transient ctDNA clearance may influence treatment and surveillance strategies moving forward. ___ That’s all we have for today! Thank you for listening to this episode of OncLive On Air , supported by Takeda. Check back on Mondays and Thursdays for exclusive interviews with leading experts in the oncology field. For more updates in oncology, be sure to visit www.OncLive.com and sign up for our e-newsletters. OncLive is also on social media. On X, follow us at @OncLive. On Facebook, like us at OncLive, and follow our OncLive page on LinkedIn. If you liked today’s episode of OncLive On Air , please consider subscribing to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and many of your other favorite podcast platforms,* so you get a notification every time a new episode is posted. While you are there, please take a moment to rate us! Thanks again for listening to OncLive On Air . *OncLive On Air is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Audacy, CastBox, Deezer, iHeart, JioSaavn, Listen Notes, Player FM, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, RadioPublic, and TuneIn.Middle East latest: WHO chief says he was at Yemen airport as Israeli bombs fell nearby

It's official: Rams clinch NFC West crown and a playoff berthHJ Shipbuilding & Construction Develops 88,000m3 Eco-Friendly Ammonia Carrierbit ly jili777 。

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes has established himself as one of the NHL’s best players over the past two seasons, but local fans still feel like he’s disrespected on the national level. Canucks fans are known for voicing their opinions on social media and did so today when an with thoughts from real voters. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed in the article picked Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar as the Norris Trophy leader. The other 25% was split between Hughes and Zack Werenski. Within minutes of Wyshynski posting the article to social media, Canucks fans were making it known that Hughes deserves more love, as they often feel he does from east coast fans and media. Hughes and Makar have been compared since they entered the league. The Canucks captain has 32 points in 26 games so far this season, while Makar has 35 points in 29 contests. Wyshynski’s page was flooded with angry Canucks fans, although he later clarified that Hughes would be his pick. Fans took specific issue with one line from a voter in the article, saying, “Makar is not only lapping the field offensively, he’s taking on primary matchup role in Colorado, which is something that players like Quinn Hughes and Victor Hedman are not.” Hughes has scored more per game than Makar so far this season and often faces off against the other team’s best players. This year’s Norris Trophy race will likely come down to the wire. Both Hughes and Makar have gotten off to excellent starts this season, and it could still go either way. The two are redefining what it means to play defence in the modern NHL, and fans are lucky to watch them on a nightly basis.

Carter hits 5 3s, scores 23 to help LSU beat Mississippi Valley State 110-45

The did not play Sunday, but they still won the NFC West. A positioned the Rams to capture the division title via the NFL’s strength of victory tiebreaking metric. The Cincinnati Bengals’ victory over the Denver Broncos on Saturday, plus the Buffalo Bills' victory over the New York Jets, the Minnesota Vikings' victory over the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Commanders’ victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday gave the Rams the tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks. So the game between the Rams and Seahawks at 1:25 p.m. on Sunday at SoFi Stadium will enable to possibly rest starters for an NFC wild-card playoff game that the Rams will host. The Rams won the division for the fourth time in McVay’s eight seasons as coach. They also won in 2017 when they lost in the wild-card round, 2018 when they lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII and 2021 when they defeated the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. For the second season in a row, the Rams made a dramatic turnaround after their open date. In 2023, the Rams were 3-6 and then won seven of their last eight games to advance to the playoffs. The Detroit Lions then defeated the Rams in a wild-card game at Detroit. This season, the Rams started 1-4 before winning nine of their next 11 games. “A lot of people doubted us and a lot of people wrote us off at 1-4,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said . “To be able to sit here with our record what it is right now, I feel proud of this group.” This story originally appeared in .Palghar MIDC Fire: Blaze Erupts at 2 Chemical Factories in Boisar-Tarapur Area in Maharashtra, Fire Under Control; No Injuries Reported (Watch Video)

Throughout the year, in our Women, Money, and Mindset columns , we have tackled some of life’s most pressing financial challenges. Every month, we have delved into a financial issue that touches the lives of our readers, offering, each week, a distinct insight from the differing viewpoints of a Certified Financial Planner, an attorney, a CPA, and an executive business coach. From navigating the financial markets and business strategies to estate planning and tools to cut taxes, our goal has always been to provide clear, practical, actionable advice to take to your trusted professionals so you take the next steps to grow your wealth and increase your financial security. In this final installment of the year, the issue is giving, and the topic this week is Charitable Gift Annuities. It is a strategy that can address multiple financial and tax planning issues while supporting the causes that matter most to you. Unlike giving away cash or assets and not receiving anything in return, with a CGA, if you donate to a 501(c)(3) qualified charity, in return, you receive two powerful benefits. First, you can qualify for an immediate tax deduction for part of the contribution. Second, you receive a dependable, fixed income from the charity for the rest of your life. The minimum contribution is usually only $5,000, so it is an accessible planning tool for most people. Before diving into more specifics, let’s see how a CGA can help with some specific financial and tax planning concerns you might have: —You want to give more to your house of worship or favorite charity but are concerned about not having enough income in the future. With a CGA, you can receive guaranteed income for life. —You need a last-minute tax deduction and have maxed out on your IRA or 401k plan contribution for the year. A CGA can act as an alternate retirement plan if you itemize deductions on your return. —You are interested in giving away more to charity but do not want the complications of setting up a charitable trust or naming a trustee. A CGA can be set up in days directly with the charity at no cost to you. —You intend to leave some or all of your estate to charity and would like to have all of your estate planning finalized now. CGAs are especially helpful if you would like to leave your estate to several charities because you can set up annuities with each charity. —You have adequate income now or are not yet retired, but you are concerned about costs later in life, like long-term care. You can receive a larger monthly payment later if you choose a deferred annuity and start the payments at a later date. —If you are concerned about paying capital gains taxes on assets you want to sell, you can avoid or defer taxes if you contribute the asset to the CGA. —If you would prefer your church or favorite charity to have access to some of your contribution now, a CGA is preferable to a charitable remainder trust or bequest that funds after you have died. —If you want to secure the financial future of your spouse, child, or another loved one, CGAs can be set up for the lives of two individuals. This could be especially helpful if you have a child in their 50s or older, and you are concerned about them not having enough guaranteed retirement income. —If you keep most of your funds in the bank but would like to earn a higher return, the charity invests your CGA funds (and generally considered safe) with usually a fixed rate of return that is higher than you would receive on a CD. —You would like to avoid paying taxes on a required minimum distribution, so you are planning on doing a Qualified Charitable Rollover (QCR). New rules will allow you to fund your CGA with a one-time $53,000 QCR. The QCR amount to your CGA will not be included as income on your return, but you can still receive the monthly income benefit from the CGA, and you can defer income further if you choose a deferred CGA. As you can see, a charitable gift annuity checks many financial and tax planning boxes, and it is easy and cost-effective to set up. Now to the specifics. First, you set up the CGA and donate the asset to the charity. The gift is set aside and invested by the charity. You (and also your spouse or other person if you choose a two-person annuity) will receive fixed monthly or quarterly payments for the rest of your lives. The charity can utilize the remaining funds after your death. How much is the tax deduction? The income tax deduction is equal to the amount of the contribution minus the present value of the payments that will be made to the donors during their lives. The charity will handle these calculations for you. How much income will you receive? Current suggested annuity rates range from 4.6-10.1% for those 50 and older, dependent primarily on your age. (In other words, you would receive $4,600 to $10,100 a year on a $100,000 contribution.) For recommended rates and how they are calculated, go to acga-web.org/current-gift-annuity-rates . The amount you would receive is generally fixed and will never fluctuate or adjust for inflation. But it’s also secured by the charity’s entire assets and will continue regardless of how the investments of the annuity perform. Here is an example. Dennis, 75, and Mary, 73, fund a $50,000 charitable gift annuity with appreciated stock that they originally bought for $20,000. They are eligible for an income tax charitable deduction of $17,584. They will then receive a payment rate of 6%, or $3,000 each year for the remainder of their lives. If you contact your church or charity, they will provide you with information regarding the minimum age, contribution requirements, and rates for their annuities. As you can see, a charitable gift annuity is more than just a financial tool-it’s a way to make a lasting difference while providing for yourself and your loved ones. As you plan for the year ahead, I hope this inspires you to take the next step. Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year filled with peace and purpose! Michelle C. Herting is a CPA, accredited in business valuations, and an accredited estate planner specializing in succession planning and estate, gift, and trust taxes. She is also the past president of the Charitable Gift Planners of Inland Southern California.Dalyn Wakely scores pair to lead Colts to 3-1 victory over Battalion

Monday, December 30, 2024 Facebook Instagram Twitter WhatsApp Youtube Personal Finance Education Entertainment Jobs Alert Sports Hindi Technology Complaint Redressal. Fact-Checking Policy Correction policy Authors and Team DNPA Code of Ethics Onwership and Funding Cookie Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Contact US About Us More Search Home India State Band: This state will remain closed for 10 hours today, neither... India State Band: This state will remain closed for 10 hours today, neither train nor vehicle will run By Shyamu Maurya December 30, 2024 0 1 Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Telegram State Band: This state will remain closed for 10 hours today, neither train nor vehicle will run Farmers had called for a bandh a few days ago, due to which the entire Punjab will remain closed today. Railways have also cancelled 150 trains in view of this agitation. State Band: Today the whole of Punjab will remain closed for 10 hours. This bandh has been called by 2 farmer organizations. During this time, roads, railways and shops will remain closed. Farmers want the Center to accept their 13 demands including MSP, due to which Punjab bandh was announced today. In such a situation, a call was given to keep roads, railways and shops closed from around 7 am to 4 pm today. However, emergency services will remain untouched by this bandh. Why will there be ‘Punjab Bandh’ Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) called for this bandh in support of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. Let us tell you that farmer leader Dallewal has been on hunger strike for about 1 month regarding his demands from the Center. Farmers have about 13 demands, which also include the demand for legal guarantee of MSP for all crops. In this call of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, farmer leaders have also put some farmer leaders on duty at different places. Along with this, farmers across the state have also been appealed to cooperate in making the bandh successful. Educational institutions Even before this bandh, children’s winter vacations were going on in schools, due to which schools will remain closed while Punjab University has postponed the examinations to be held on Monday in all its colleges to Tuesday. A circular was also issued by the university for this. Following this, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) Amritsar also issued an order to its campus and its affiliated colleges, stating that the UG exams scheduled to be held on December 30 will now be held on January 12, 2025. Milk vendors, fruit and vegetable market Milk vendors have also decided not to come on the roads in this bandh, as the effect of the bandh will be from 7 am to 4 pm, so it is practically not possible for the vendors to deliver milk by 7 am and go back home in the midst of severe cold. At the same time, the fruit and vegetable market can also be affected by this bandh, as the roads are expected to remain closed most of the time. Also, truck operators also support this bandh. In such a situation, there will be no fresh supply in the market before 4 pm today. Rail service The Center has also canceled about 150 trains due to this bandh. The reason for this is that the protesting farmers will close the railway tracks at many places from 7 am to 4 pm, which will affect the movement of passenger and goods trains. In a communication sent to its divisions in Delhi, Ambala and Ferozepur, the Northern Railway has cancelled 150 trains, including three Vande Bharat Expresses – two between New Delhi and Vaishno Devi and one between New Delhi and Amb Andaura. According to officials, another Vande Bharat train running between Chandigarh and Ajmer will halt at Delhi Cantt. Transport services Transport services in the state will also remain shut as transport associations have extended their support to the shutdown. According to the Indian Express, Ludhiana Transport Dealers Association president J P Aggarwal said that in solidarity with the farmers, the transport associations have decided to resume services after 4 pm on Monday. The state Transport Dealers Association has also made a similar call. Private and public buses will remain off the roads as the farmer unions will hold chakka jams at over 200 places on highways and link roads. KMM and SKM (non-political) leaders have also said they will block railway tracks at 50 places. Petrol pumps and LPG cylinder delivery Petrol pumps and LPG delivery may remain untouched by this shutdown as it is included in emergency services. However, petrol pumps may be closed in some places from the security point of view. Also, LPG cylinder delivery may be affected due to the transport shutdown. Government offices Punjab State Ministerial Services Association President Peepal Singh said, “We support the farmers’ issue, but there has been no call to stop work on Monday.” However, the number of employees is expected to be less than normal as outside employees are unlikely to reach the office on Monday. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami has supported the shutdown. In a statement issued to the press, he announced that all SGPC offices in Punjab will remain closed on Monday. What will remain open? Emergency services will continue during this shutdown. In such a situation, no ambulance will be stopped. Medical stores will also remain open. Also, flights will continue to operate from the airport. Marriages will not be stopped and even students going to take exams will not be stopped. Tags State Band: Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Telegram Previous article US Visa: Big relief for Indians! US issued more than 1 million non-immigrant visas; Students benefited the most Shyamu Maurya Shyamu has done Degree in Fine Arts and has knowledge about bollywood industry. He started writing in 2018. Since then he has been associated with Informalnewz. In case of any complain or feedback, please contact me @informalnewz@gmail.com RELATED ARTICLES Personal Finance US Visa: Big relief for Indians! US issued more than 1 million non-immigrant visas; Students benefited the most December 30, 2024 Personal Finance ITR Deadline: Deadline for filing income tax extended, know which taxpayers will get relief December 29, 2024 Personal Finance UPI New System: New rules related to UPI will be implemented from January 1, you will be able to transfer more money December 29, 2024 - Advertisment - Most Popular US Visa: Big relief for Indians! US issued more than 1 million non-immigrant visas; Students benefited the most December 30, 2024 ITR Deadline: Deadline for filing income tax extended, know which taxpayers will get relief December 29, 2024 UPI New System: New rules related to UPI will be implemented from January 1, you will be able to transfer more money December 29, 2024 WhatsApp Features: Now you can identify real and fake photos in just one click on WhatsApp December 29, 2024 Load more Recent Comments Gul Mohiudin on Kavita sister-in-law wore a sari without a blouse, seeing the pictures you will also be... 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US issued more than 1 million non-immigrant visas; Students benefited the most December 30, 2024 ITR Deadline: Deadline for filing income tax extended, know which taxpayers will get relief December 29, 2024 UPI New System: New rules related to UPI will be implemented from January 1, you will be able to transfer more money December 29, 2024 POPULAR CATEGORY Personal Finance 18149 Entertainment 17065 India 4565 News 3786 Technology 2270 Jobs Alert 794 Travel 652 Education 451 ABOUT US INFORMALNEWZ brings the Latest News & Top Breaking headlines on Politics and Current Affairs. Up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world by informal Newz. Find latest news coverage of breaking news events, trending topics, and compelling articles. Contact us: informalnewz@gmail.com FOLLOW US Facebook Instagram Twitter WhatsApp Youtube © - 2024 - informalnewz | Izon web Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us - Izon Web Pvt. Ltd. Hno. 789, Basement, Dlf Phase 4 Sector 43, Gurgaon, Haryana -122009, Call: +91-9110801499, 0124-4941700 Home Privacy Policy Authors and Team About Us Contact US Cookie Policy Disclaimer DNPA Code of Ethics Onwership and Funding Terms of Service Complaint Redressal. Fact-Checking Policy Correction policy हिन्दीMore than four million people will be claiming long-term sickness benefits by the end of the decade, an increase of more than 60 per cent on pre-pandemic levels. Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, will announce a package of legislation next week designed to “get Britain working” amid mounting concern in government about the spiralling cost of the benefits system. Official forecasts published by the government this week show that the number of people claiming incapacity benefits is expected to rise from 2.5 million in 2019 to 4.19 million in 2029. Last year there were 3.2 million claimants. The figures represent a significant increase on previous forecasts that were published in the spring, with more than a quarter of a million additional claimants now expected by the end of the decade.Darigabat is under clinical development by Cerevel Therapeutics and currently in Phase II for Seizures. According to GlobalData, Phase II drugs for Seizures have an 82% phase transition success rate (PTSR) indication benchmark for progressing into Phase III. GlobalData tracks drug-specific phase transition and likelihood of approval scores, in addition to indication benchmarks based off 18 years of historical drug development data. Attributes of the drug, company and its clinical trials play a fundamental role in drug-specific PTSR and likelihood of approval. Darigabat overview Darigabat (CVL-865) is under development for the treatment of panic disorder and drug-resistant focal onset seizures. It is administered orally as a tablet. The drug candidate specifically targets alpha 2,3 and 5 subunits of GABA-A receptor to overcome the . It was under development for the treatment for chronic low back pain and generalized anxiety disorder. Cerevel Therapeutics overview Cerevel Therapeutics (Cerevel), a subsidiary of AbbVie Inc, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops therapies to treat neuroscience diseases. The company’s product pipeline includes various drug candidates such as emraclidine for the treatment of schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease psychosis; and darigabat targets epilepsy and panic disorder; tavapadon for both early and late-stage Parkinson’s disease; and CVL-871 to treat dementia-related apathy. The company is also developing other programs such as CVL-354, PDE4 inhibitor, and M4 Agonist for therapeutic areas of major depressive disorder (MDD), psychiatric, neuroinflammatory disorder and neurological indications. Cerevel is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the US. For a complete picture of Darigabat’s drug-specific PTSR and LoA scores, This content was updated on 12 April 2024 From Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors. , the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article. GlobalData’s Likelihood of Approval analytics tool dynamically assesses and predicts how likely a drug will move to the next stage in clinical development (PTSR), as well as how likely the drug will be approved (LoA). This is based on a combination of machine learning and a proprietary algorithm to process data points from various databases found on GlobalData’s .Lennar ( LEN -5.16% ) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Dec 19, 2024 , 11:00 a.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Welcome to Lennar's fourth-quarter earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After the presentation, we will conduct a question-and-answer session. Today's conference is being recorded. [Operator instructions]. I will now turn the call over to David Collins for the reading of the forward-looking statements. David M. Collins -- Vice President and Corporate Controller Thank you, and good morning, everyone. Today's conference call may include forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Lennar's business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, strategies and prospects. Forward-looking statements represent only Lennar's estimates on the date of this conference call and are not intended to give any assurance as to actual future results. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could affect future results and may cause Lennar's actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements. These factors include those described in our earnings release and our SEC filings, including those under the caption Risk Factors contained in Lennar's annual report on Form 10-K most recently filed with the SEC. Please note that Lennar assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Questions & Answers: Operator I would like to introduce your host, Mr. Stuart Miller, executive chairman and co-CEO. Sir, you may begin. Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Very good, and thank you. Good morning, everyone, and thanks for joining today. I'm in Miami today, together with Jon Jaffe, our co-CEO and President; Diane Bessette, our chief financial officer; David Collins, who you just heard from, our controller and vice president; Fred Rothman is here, our chief operating officer; and Marshall Ames as well, chairman of the Lennar Charitable Foundation, along with a few others. As usual, I'm going to give a macro and strategic overview of the company. After my introductory remarks, Jon is going to give an operational overview, updating some construction costs, cycle time, and some of our land strategy and position. As usual, Diane is going to give a detailed financial highlight along with some limited guidance for the first quarter of 2025. And then of course, we'll have our question-and-answer period. And as usual, I'd like to ask that you please limit to one question and one follow-up so that we can accommodate as many as possible. So let me begin. Our fourth quarter was a challenging quarter at Lennar, as interest rates climbed approximately 100 basis points through the quarter and further challenged affordability. Starting early in the quarter, we saw sales stall at then existing price and incentive levels. That necessitated increased incentives, interest rate buy downs, and price adjustments to activate sales and avoid increased inventory buildup. Accordingly, our fourth-quarter results missed expectations as new orders were 16,895 short of the 19,000 we expected and our gross margin was 22.1% short of the 22.5% that we expected. The shortfall in margin resulted from increased incentives on homes sold and delivered within the quarter. Accordingly, we are moderating our expectations for margins and sales in the first quarter of 2025 as the market adjusts and stabilizes. Overall, the economic environment, which we believed last quarter was constructive for the homebuilding industry, has certainly turned more challenging as longer-term interest rates along with mortgage rates have climbed steadily since our last earnings call. While underlying demand for new homes remains very strong and the supply of available dwellings remains chronically short, a combination of wavering consumer confidence and elevated cost of acquisition have challenged the customers' desire and ability to transact. While there continues to be considerable traffic of customers looking for homes, the urgency to actually transact has quieted as customers adjust to a new normal. Of course, affordability has been a limiting factor for demand and access to homeownership for some time now. Inflation and interest rates have hindered the ability of the average family to accumulate a down payment or to qualify for a mortgage. Higher interest rates have also locked households in lower interest rate mortgages, and curtailed the natural move up as families expand and need more space. Rate buy-downs and incentives have enabled demand to access the market. While consumers remain employed and are generally confident that they will remain employed and their compensation will rise, higher interest rates and inflation have outstripped their ability or desire to act. While strong employment often goes hand in hand with a strong housing market, interest rates have put many with need on the sidelines. As strong demand enabled by incentives and mortgage rate buy downs has driven the new home market over the past years. We expect the broad-based demand cycle to reestablish as rates stabilize or even moderate and as pent-up demand continues to build against short supply, while demand has been constrained by affordability, the supply of homes remains constrained. The well-documented chronic housing shortage is the result of years of underproduction. This shortage is exacerbated by continuing shortfalls in production driven by now muted demand together with already existing restrictive land permitting and higher impact fees at local levels and higher construction costs across the housing landscape. Mayors and governors across the country are acutely aware of the housing shortage and shortfall in their respective geographies. Many have been pounding the table about the need for affordable housing, attainable housing and workforce housing in their respective markets. On a final note, immigration and tariffs have recently been added to the list of questions and potential concerns confronting the industry. We recognize that the landscape is still being shaped around these issues and cannot be addressed with certainty. Nevertheless, our early evaluation suggests limited impact to us and to the industry, and Jon will discuss this in further detail shortly. Against this macro backdrop, we continue to have conviction around the two core parts of our operating strategy. First, we are focused on volume and matching our production with the sales base, while our execution in the fourth quarter was challenged by the rapid and unexpected change in the direction of interest rates, we did adjust and adapt to new market conditions and we adjusted incentives and pricing and we did not enable our inventory levels to spike. We are currently focused on keeping sales volume up as we accelerate in order to catch-up pace and correct the sales miss that we had in the fourth quarter. Of course, the catch-up in sales pace comes at a cost, and that cost is additional pressure on margin. Accordingly, as we have looked ahead to the deliveries in the first quarter of 2025, we expect to sell between 17,500 homes and 18,000 homes and deliver between 17,000 and 17,500 homes. We expect our margin to be 19% to 19.25% as we expect approximately 50% of the deliveries in the quarter will be sold during the quarter, and this will dilute the 20% margin that is already embedded in our backlog. Nevertheless, we are focused on driving sales and closings, driving strong current cash flow even at reduced profitability, and maintaining carefully managed inventory levels so that as market conditions stabilize or improve, we will benefit from normalized margins across our growing volume. Secondly, and simultaneously, we continue to migrate our operating platform to an asset like configuration. We are much closer to the completion of the strategic rework of our operating platform from being a land company that happens to build homes to becoming a pure play land-light asset-light, manufacturing model homebuilder that benefits from just in time finished homesite delivery. Again, we have conviction that our structured asset-light land-light model enables far more predictable volume and growth with a much lower asset base and lower risk profile that has been and will continue to be at the core of our operating model. The value of this structure will be seen in the execution of our Rausch Coleman combination in conjunction with the Millrose spin and I'll discuss this in more detail shortly. Consistent volume and growth enable improving operating efficiencies in construction costs, cycle time, customer acquisition costs and SG&A. Additionally, it has driven consistent and dependable cash flow even with variable bottom-line results. And finally, it has enabled the consistent and predictable takedown of just in time delivered fully developed home site, and that has attracted capital to the structured land banking partnerships that have driven the nearly $20 billion of transaction that have enabled our land-light transformation to date. We are confident that our operating strategy of consistent volume and growth with a just in time delivery of developed homesites will continue to enable our company to be best positioned to rationalize our cost structure, and be best positioned with strong volume as margins normalize. Let me turn back briefly to our fourth-quarter operating results. As I noted earlier, while we are disappointed with our fourth-quarter actual results, they do represent a consistent and strategic quarter of operating results in the context of a difficult affordability environment. As mortgage interest rates migrated higher to around 7% through the quarter, we drove volume with starts while we incentivized sales to enable affordability. In our fourth quarter, we started almost 18,500 homes, sold almost 17,000 homes, and closed approximately 22,200 homes. While I have already talked about market conditions, later starts and sales were also attributable to a lighter community count at the beginning of the quarter, which has now been corrected. We have been able to solve the community count shortfall that we described last quarter and we brought our community count up from 1,283 communities at the end of the third quarter to 1,447 communities, which is now 13% higher than last quarter and 15% higher than the prior year. Our community count positions us materially better to drive the volume we expect at lower absorption rates as we enter 2025. We expect lower absorption rates to put less stress on our margin over time, as we deliver between 86,000 and 88,000 homes in 2025 reflecting an 8% to 10% increase over 2024. During the fourth quarter, sales incentives rose to 10.8% as we addressed affordability and the community count lag. As an offset, we were able to maintain construction costs and reduce cycle time as Jon will detail shortly, and we have maintained our customer acquisition costs while our SG&A rose to 7.2% reflecting our lower volume and lower average sales price leverage. On the positive side, we have driven production pace in sync with sales pace, and have used our margin as a point of adjustment to enable consistent cash flow. Our strategy has enabled us to repurchase another 3 million shares of stock for $521 million in the fourth quarter, bringing our total stock repurchase for the year to 13.6 million shares for over $2 billion in cash. We ended the quarter with $4.7 billion of cash on book and a 7.5% debt to total capital ratio. We are extremely well positioned to spin Millrose and to be able to continue to repurchase shares and reduce debt as we have driven strong overall operating results to date. We continue to be exceptionally positioned as a company from our balance sheet to our operating strategy to be able to adjust and address as the -- to adjust and address the market as it unfolds as we enter 2025. With that said, we're very optimistic about our future. On the one hand, we remain confident that the current volatility driven by affordability and interest rates will subside. Demands will adapt to a new normal, and the supply shortage will remain the dominant theme. Volume will continue to help reduce our cost structure and incentives will normalize, and margins will normalize and our increased volume will multiply bottom line. On the other hand, we are equally enthusiastic about the Millrose spin and the Rausch Coleman acquisition and the way both will work together. As most of you know, from yesterday's press release, Millrose Properties, the subsidiary we formed to carry out the spin that we announced some time ago has now filed a public SEC registration statement and it is available on the SEC website. In the very near future, the spin-off will be public and that will complete our now almost five-year migration to an asset light operating model. Millrose will be the first publicly listed land banking brief and will use our homesite option purchase platform that we call the hopper to provide just in time fully developed homesite inventory for Lennar. For Lennar related ventures, and subsequently to other home builders across the U.S. as well. The Hopper is a comprehensive suite of systems and procedures used to operate and manage the acquisition, financing, and development of land assets at scale, designed and refined by Lennar over the past 20 years. Millrose will be externally managed by a subsidiary of Kennedy Lewis Investments and Institutional alternative investment firm with approximately $17 billion in AUM and extensive experience with both Lennar and with the land and land development business for home builders. All of Millrose's operating costs will be paid by Kennedy Lewis through its management fee and Millrose will have no employees of its own. Millrose will receive consistent cash flows pursuant to option contracts. It will receive recurring monthly option payments, which will be used to pay predictable dividends to shareholders, and will additionally receive initial deposits and proceeds from the sale of fully developed homesites. Millrose will recycle proceeds from the sale of fully developed homesites into new acquisition and development land deals without needing to raise new investor funds. Accordingly, Millrose is an added source of more permanent capital for Lennar, and as an addition to organically negotiated option agreements with developers and other professionally managed programs that are currently private equity based. As such, Millrose is an important evolution of our landline strategy as it enables growth through attractive organic and inorganic opportunities, improved cash flow generation, and strong return on equity and inventory to Lennar. Lennar will contribute to Millrose approximately $5.2 billion of undeveloped and partially developed land and approximately $1 billion of cash. Additionally, Millrose will acquire approximately $900 million of land assets as part of our Rausch Coleman acquisition. While Lennar will acquire the WIP inventory and the homebuilding operations. We believe that the ongoing relationship with Millrose can facilitate other transactions in an asset-light manner as well. Millrose will be positioned with adequate capital to operate its core business, and will have a balance sheet that enables additional debt or equity as needed for strategic engagement or for growth. Lennar will distribute 80% of the stock of Millrose to Lennar shareholders. There will be one share of Millrose stock for every two shares of Lennar. Lennar will shortly thereafter dispose of the remaining 20%, which by the way is non-voting in a distribution of Millrose shares or a potential exchange for Lennar shares, which would basically effectuate a cashless buyback of Lennar shares. Let me say this one more time as it might be a little confusing. The additional 20% interest, which is non-voting shares will be retained by Lennar for a very brief period of time and will quickly either be distributed or exchanged for Lennar shares to effectuate a cashless stock buyback. Needless to say, we are very excited to bring Millrose public in the very near future. Now, let me turn briefly to the Rausch Coleman acquisition. As I have noted, the Millrose spin will work hand-in-hand with our previously announced purchase of Rausch Coleman Homes, which is based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Rausch Coleman is led by John Rausch, a fourth-generation builder, who built his company into the 21st largest homebuilder in the country. We look forward to welcoming John and his extraordinary team to the Lennar family as John will continue to work alongside Lennar as a partner and many of the Rausch Coleman associates will actually join the company. This acquisition fits squarely into our strategic growth plan of acquiring companies in concert with our Millrose Property spin-off, where Lennar acquires the operating assets, including when and Millrose acquires the Land Holdings. This enabled Lennar to acquire with a limited investment and producing a high return enabled by the Millrose platform. Rausch Coleman builds in 12 primary markets across seven states and is the No. 1 builder by market share in six of these markets. This acquisition will result in our expanding into new and desirable markets in Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri, while growing our existing operations in Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Florida. Rausch Coleman is a very strong cultural fit for Lennar, sharing a common operational philosophy focused on the building of reasonably priced homes with strong basic home designs. Like Lennar, Rausch Coleman offers few optional changes in proven markets and has an overall commitment to delivering high quality homes within budget and on schedule. We expect that the acquisition will add approximately 100 communities, 4,000 deliveries, and 4,000 new orders in 2025. Assuming that this acquisition closes by the end of the first quarter. After the 2025 activity, there will be more than 37,000 homesites controlled through Millrose for Lennar's operation in 2026 and beyond. The 2025 activity is concentrated 30% in markets where Lennar has existing operations and 70% in new markets where Lennar will take advantage of Rausch Coleman's exceptional reputation and well-run operations as we integrate into one Lennar. We are very excited about the Rausch Coleman position to the Lennar footprint. So we've covered a lot, and in conclusion, let me say that while this has been a difficult quarter, and year end for Lennar, while the short-term road ahead might look a little choppy, we are very optimistic about the longer-term road ahead. In spite of bumps in the road, this is an exciting time for Lennar. At Lennar, we are upgrading the financial and operating platform, as we drive production and sales. We have continued to drive production to meet the housing shortage that we know persists across our markets. With that said, as interest rates normalize, we believe that pent-up demand will be activated and margin will recover, and we are well prepared with a strong and growing national footprint, growing community count, and growing volume. Perhaps most importantly, our strong balance sheet and even stronger land banking relations afford us flexibility and opportunity to consider and execute upon thoughtful growth for our future. In that regard, we will focus on our manufacturing model and continue to use our land partnerships to grow with a focus on high returns, on capital and equity. We will also continue to focus on our pure-play business model and reduce exposure to non-core assets. We will continue to drive just in time homesite delivery and an asset-light balance sheet. And as we complete our asset-light transformation, we will continue to generate strong cash flow and return capital to our shareholders through dividends and stock buyback, while we also pursue strategic growth. For now, we are guiding to 17,000 to 17,500 closings in the first quarter of '25, with a margin of 19% to 19.25%, and we expect to deliver approximately 86,000 to 88,000 homes in 2025. We also expect to continue to repurchase stock in 2025, and we will determine the amount as we watch the evolution of our Millrose spin and our land-light operating model perform. We look forward to 2025, and for that I want to thank the extraordinary associates of Lennar for their tremendous focus, effort, and talent. With that, let me turn over to Jon. Jon Jaffee -- Co-Chief Executive Officer and President Thanks, Stuart, and good morning, everyone. As you just heard our operational teams of Lennar continue to focus on executing our operating strategy to become a consistent high-volume homebuilding manufacturer using margin as a shock absorber. I'll discuss our fourth-quarter performance on sales pace, cost reduction, cycle time reduction, and asset-light land position. Our focus begins with knowing the sales pace needed to match our production pace. While our production both start pace and cycle time performed as expected as Stuart noted market conditions changed from what we anticipated and our sales did not keep pace. As the quarter began, we expected affordability to ease and we priced accordingly. However, mortgage rates climbed instead of lowering and this pricing led to our underachieving the design sales pace for the first part of the quarter. As we saw that mortgage rates remained higher and the consumer needed more help with affordability, we adjusted our pricing to meet the market where it was. As we made these adjustments, we then continuously measured results against the desired pace and if we were still not achieving pace, we adjusted further. These incentives primarily were in the form of mortgage rate buy downs and for some buyers we used closing costs or price reductions to address their specific needs. In addition to adjusting pricing, our divisions engage daily with Lennar Machine to evaluate, if we had the volume of leads and appointments needed and if not we adjusted the digital marketing plan. The sales shortfall led to our overall fourth-quarter sales pace of 4.2 homes per community per month being lower than our start pace of 4.6. While sales were slower for the first part of the quarter, we adjusted as I noted resulting in our November pace of 4.6 sales per community per month that enabled us to end the quarter with an average of about two unsold completed homes per community. To be clear, it wasn't that the market improved in November, it was our adjusting incentives to where the market was that improved pace. Contrasted with a more challenging sales environment, our construction cost and cycle time continued to benefit throughout the fourth quarter from our focus on even flow production along with our high volume. This focus on a manufacturing approach along with the maximized efficiencies of our core product strategy will allow us to continue to improve cost and cycle time into 2025. The fourth quarter our construction costs were consistent with Q3, and decreased on a year-over-year basis by 2%, accomplishing a 2% cost reduction during an inflationary environment consisting of higher labor and material cost inputs for the supply chain over the past year demonstrates the effectiveness of our strategy and affirms the benefits of our builder of choice approach. This manufacturing strategy also resulted in continued reduction in cycle time. In our fourth-quarter cycle time decreased on average by two days sequentially from Q3 down to 138 calendar days on average for single family detached homes. This is a 23-day or 14% decrease year over year in a material contributor to our inventory turn improvement. I also want to comment on the potential impacts of new tariffs or immigration policies as each have the potential to of affecting costs and cycle time. With respect to tariffs, we made a major shift starting eight years ago to move away from Chinese and other Asian manufacturing to where today the majority of what we purchase from our supply chain is from U.S. based manufacturers. There remain some parts made in China, primarily electronic components used in the manufacturing of products that are assembled here. These components become subject to tariffs. We estimate the potential cost impact to be in the range of $5,000 to $7,000 per vote. With respect to lumber, we've already shifted to more usage of domestically grown timber. On the issue of immigration, the potential impact of a change in immigration policies is much more difficult to assess. First, we do not know what policies will be implemented. Additionally, there is no reliable information on what percentage of the workforce for our local labor and trades or for our manufacturers may be subject to new regulation and enforcement. What we do know, just like with the supply chain disruptions during the pandemic, is that we will be able to work with our local trades and national manufacturers to find the most effective solutions because of our builder of choice position with consistent high volume and a focus on production efficiencies. We've learned from that prior experience how important our strategy is to the supply chain, allowing us to minimize the impact from disruptions, and we believe we'll be able to do the same again. In the fourth quarter to effectively work with our strategic land developers and land -- sorry in the fourth quarter, we continue to effectively work with our strategic land developers and land bank partners to purchase land on our behalf and then deliver just in time finish homesites to our homebuilding machine. Diane will give the detail on how our land bank purchases in the quarter breakout, but most of the purchases are just in time takedowns to match our start pace on a community-by-community basis. During the quarter, land banks acquired on our behalf about 17,000 homesites for about $1.5 billion in land acquisition and a commitment of about $640 million in land development. With the focus on being asset-light. Our supply of own homesites decreased to 1.1 years down from 1.4 years and controlled homesite percentage increase to 82% from 76% year over year. These improvements in the execution of our operating strategies enabled reduced cycle time and left land owned, resulting in improved inventory turn, which now stands at 1.6 versus 1.5 last year, a 7% increase. Fourth quarter was a challenge operating environment. As mortgage rates moved higher home buyers needed more help to achieve a monthly payment they can afford. We'll continue with our strategy of pricing to market as we navigate whichever direction the rates move in 2025. We will lean into the Lennar marketing sales machine and stay focused on even flow of high-volume manufacturing production, and with Millrose in place execute even better on our asset-light land strategy. I also want to acknowledge and thank our extraordinary associates for their hard work focus and execution. And now, I'll turn it over to Diane. Diane J. Bessette -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Thank you, Jon, and good morning, everyone. Stuart and Jon have provided a great deal of color regarding our operating performance. So therefore, I'm going to spend a few minutes summarizing the balance sheet highlights and then provide estimates for the first quarter. So turning to the balance sheet. Once again, as you've heard, we are here to our volume-based strategy of maximizing returns by turning inventory at the appropriate market margin. The result of these actions was that we drove cash flow and ended the year with $4.7 billion of cash and no borrowings on our $2.9 billion revolving credit facility. This provided total liquidity of approximately $7.6 billion. As a result of our continued focus on balance sheet efficiency and reducing our capital investment, we once again continued to migrate toward our goal of becoming land-light. At year end, our years owned was 1.1 years and our homesites controlled was 82%, our lowest years owned and highest controlled percentage in our history. We ended the year owning 85,000 homesites and controlling 394,000 homesites for a total of 479,000 homesites. We believe this portfolio provides us with a strong competitive position to continue to grow market share in a capital efficient way. We spent $2.1 billion on land purchases this quarter. However, almost 80% were finished homesites where vertical construction will soon begin. This is consistent with our manufacturing model of buying land on a just-in-time basis. Of the homes closed during the quarter, approximately 66% were from third-party land structures where we purchased the homesite on a finish basis. And finally, our inventory churn was 1.6x, up from 1.5x last year, and our return on inventory was 29.2%. As we move forward with the Millrose spin-off, and thus continue to reduce our ownership of land and purchase homesites on a just-in-time basis. Our earnings should more consistently approximate cash flow and over time, it would be our goal to align capital return to shareholders more closely with this cash flow. During the quarter and consistent with production focus, we started about 18,400 homes and ended the quarter with 35,600 homes in inventory. This inventory number includes approximately 2,900 homes that were completed unsold, which is about two homes per community and within our historical range. And then turning to our debt position, we had no redemptions or repurchases of senior notes this quarter. However, for the 2024 year, we repaid $554 million of notes, and since 2018 we have repaid or repurchased over $7 billion of notes with an interest rate savings of almost $400 million. These actions brought our homebuilding debt to total capital ratio down to 7.5% at year-end, our lowest ever, and our next debt maturity is not until May of 2025. Consistent with our commitment to increase shareholder returns, as Stuart noted we repurchased 3 million of our outstanding shares for $521 million. This brought the total for the year to 13.6 million shares totaling $2.1 billion. Additionally, we paid total cash dividends this quarter of $135 million and a total of approximately $550 million for the year. So, in the aggregate for fiscal 2024, we returned about $3.3 billion to our equity and debt holders. Our stockholders' equity increased to almost $28 billion, and our book value per share increased to $104. In summary, the strength of our balance sheet, strong liquidity, and low leverage provides us with significant confidence and financial flexibility as we move into 2025. So with that brief overview, I'd like to turn to Q1 and provide some guidance estimates. Note that these estimates do not include the impact of the acquisition of Rausch Coleman or our spin-off. So starting with new orders, we expect Q1 new orders to be in the range of 17,500 to 18,000 homes, as we match sales pace with production, we anticipate our Q1 deliveries to be in the range of 17,000 to 17,500 homes with a continued focus on turning inventory into cash. Our Q1 average sales price on those deliveries should be about 410,000 to 415,000, as we continue to price to market to meet affordability. We expect our gross margins to be between 19% and 19.25%. So as Stuart alluded to provide additional context, the gross margin in our backlog expected to close in the first quarter is about 20%. What we do not have visibility into at this point is the gross margin on homes we expect to both sell and close in the first quarter, which we anticipate will be roughly 50% of the closing. As we sit here in mid-December with the limited visibility we are going to have into the spring selling season, we anticipate these closings will have a lower gross margin than our backlog. However, if market conditions improve, we will benefit from this upside. Additionally, recall that our Q1 margins are always negatively impacted by the current period expensing of field costs. Since revenues in Q1 are the lowest of the year. Additionally, as historically is the case, the first quarter will be the low point for margins during 2025. Our SG&A percentage should be in the range of 8.7% to 8.8% as we anticipate increased cost to maintain sales activity. For the combined home building joint venture, land sales, and other categories, we expect to be about break-even. We anticipate our financial services earnings to be approximately $100 million to $110 million. And for our multi-family business, we expect a loss of about $10 million. Turning to Lennar other, we expect a loss of about $20 million. However, remember that this excludes the impact of any potential mark-to-market adjustments to our public technology investments. Our Q1 corporate G&A should be about 2.6% of total revenues, and our charitable foundation contribution will be based on $1,000 per home delivered. We expect our Q1 tax rate to be approximately 24.5% and the weighted average share count should be approximately 266 million shares. So on a consolidated basis, these estimates should produce an EPS range of approximately $1.60 to $1.80 per share for the quarter. And since, as we turn to 2025, as we noticed, since market conditions are uncertain, we are only providing delivery guidance, we're targeting to deliver between 86,000 and 88,000 homes for the full year of 2025, including the Rausch Coleman acquisition. With that, let me turn it over to the operator. Operator [Operator instructions] Alan Ratner with Zelman & Associates. Alan Ratner -- Zelman and Associates -- Analyst Hey, guys. Good morning. Thanks for all the detail. Definitely a lot going on right now, so appreciate that. Stuart, I guess I'd love to just hear your thoughts on kind of the consumer and the drivers that impacted the demand during the quarter. Obviously, rates moved in the wrong direction, and I think it certainly makes sense compared to where you guys were back in September, why things were a bit weaker than expected. But, if we look at the absolute mortgage rate in the high-sixes, maybe hitting seven, nine in the quarter, it's not too dissimilar to what you were selling at in spring of 24' and a year ago. Yet it sounds like things were fairly meaningfully weaker from just an overall demand perspective. So, what do you attribute that to, is it seasonality? Is it the supply demand picture, given how many specs have been put on the ground, because it doesn't feel like things have changed that drastically in the economy to warrant a much softer picture at that type of rate environment? Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Alan, I think it's a combination of factors. I think that the consumer, and particularly at the entry level. But even as you move up into the move up level, acquiring a down payment in today's inflated environment. What I mean by that is prices have gone up and the rate of inflation has come down, but that doesn't mean prices have come down. It's harder to accumulate a down payment, and it's harder to qualify for mortgage. I think that there is a combination of interest rates moving up, and moving down, and moving up, moving down. It's created a little bit of a hesitancy and people actually pulling the trigger. You have some seasonality sprinkled in here. There are number of factors that are going on and it's just become a more difficult environment to get the buyer to actually make the decision to purchase. As we came to the end of our third quarter, where interest rates were trending down, we didn't see the same responsiveness to rates coming down that we had seen in prior movements. And then moving from there into the fourth quarter, as interest rates first tick down and then moved up in the wake of the 50-basis point fed reduction. The consumer kind of it just felt like they felt a little surprised by that and it's just been more sidelined. So, I just say it's a combination of things that we have felt at the door at our Welcome Home Centers and in particular as rates started migrating up during the fourth quarter. It became harder and harder to navigate the waters of incentives and rate buy down and purchase price reductions, all of the components that we have as tools navigating those waters became a little trickier, and it took a little bit more to get the consumer over the fence. Alan Ratner -- Zelman and Associates -- Analyst Got it. I appreciate the additional color there. And then second just kind of on your overall pace versus price strategy, you've always kind of articulated margin and price being the lever to achieve the volume targets. I'm just curious as you think about 25% and the targets you put out there for closings growth, not too dissimilar from where you were three months ago even though the market seems to have shifted a bit lower. What are you thinking on the sensitivity there now that margins are kind of below where we at least for the time being below what you consider to be normalized. Is there a lower bound on margin or an upper bound on incentives that you're willing to go to achieve the volume targets that you've put out there right now? Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer We have conviction here that steady state volume will help us rationalize costs, both at the land level and at the hard cost sticks and bricks level, as well as overhead over time. And so, the answer is we're going to adjust to market. We're going to maintain volume. Of course, there can be something that is so erratic that we might change our strategy, because it is outside the boundaries, but as it relates to the normalization of the market, the adjustment to a new normal and interest rates, or as it relates to affordability issues, just straight affordability. We're going to adjust to market conditions and maintain volume, and we're going to use that as a leverage point to rationalize both land and production costs. Operator Our next caller is Michael Rehaut with JPMorgan. Michael Rehaut -- Analyst First, a lot of questions. I'm sure we're going to hear about Millrose, shortly, but I'd love to just focus on the core business, which I think is really the focus on most of the clients that we speak to investors that we are speaking with today. Stuart, you mentioned a couple of times that, you are positioning the company from, in terms of keeping your finished spec kind of in line with historicals, kind of continuing to move volume that you are positioning yourselves to benefit from a normalized margin, when things stabilize. You also alluded to, I think Diane alluded to, your conviction that the first quarter should be the lowest in terms of the gross margin for the year. Trying to think about, what a normalized gross margin might mean over the next 12, 24 months. Relative to what you're seeing, what you've seen in the past year, what you're seeing in the first quarter. How should we think about, what a normalized margin means for Lennar, let's say once we get through this more bumpy period? Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Mike, I think, it's hard to look out ahead, especially in what I would consider to be turbulent times. Maybe turbulence's too strong a word, but interest rates are moving around. There's a lot of change injected in the system overall. What exactly is normalized? I don't know what that number is. It's certainly north of where we are now. I think that the market is adjusting to a new normal, there is underlying everything a supply shortage and demand is building in the background just by population and household formation. What is a normalized margin? It's going to be higher than where we are right now, and it's going to climb as demand is activated by market forces, and that means enabled by interest rates, enabled by stabilized pricing either at the grocery store, the gas pump, or gas prices coming down. It's all of these things are going to work together. What we focused on is, we are going to price to market conditions, and that means as the market ebbs and flows, our margin will move up and down along with it, and we know that market conditions right now are difficult. There will be easier times ahead where margin will migrate back up and we'll be multiplying by a larger volume number. Jon Jaffee -- Co-Chief Executive Officer and President Mike, I would just add as you heard from all of us is, that our strategy really enables our approach to the supply chain to continue to find efficiencies and reduce cost there that will help the margin equation. Michael Rehaut -- Analyst I appreciate that both Stuart and Jon, thank you for that. I guess second question, I wanted to shift toward the top-line. Last quarter, and I think you reiterated this a few times perhaps now, you intend to grow volumes about 10% annually, and it's what you stated last quarter, for fiscal '25 and beyond. Your guidance now is 8% to 10%. It does though include the contribution of Rausch Coleman, which I think you said was about a 5% contribution to growth 4,000 units, if you close in the first quarter. So, it obviously implies organic growth kind of in that 3% to 5% range. I'm just wondering going forward, you had the only other competitor of yours of similar volume size to D.R. Horton talk about flat to up slight volume growth in fiscal '25, and a big part of that just due to the challenges of getting communities online. How should we think about organic growth from Lennar going forward? Is that still, do you kind of view that 10% goal that you stated as an all in number? Is there variability there? Is the organic growth perhaps a little bit less. Because it certainly seems like fiscal '25, might be below a normal or aspire to growth year at least on an organic basis for some builders. Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Mike, the line between organic and inorganic has become a little bit more blurry. And the reason is that as we grow, we're adding communities. Sometimes we are adding communities through the acquisition of smaller builders, who have decided that an affiliation or a collaboration with us is a better avenue forward. And sometimes that's really just the acquisition of additional communities instead of buying one, we are buying four. And this is something that has got ongoing on a regular basis in different markets at different rates. So, it's kind of hard to decipher, where the line between organic and inorganic is. So, we're looking at basically that kind of a growth rate, as a combination between the two. With Rausch Coleman, we have a combination of some markets, where we're already embedded, where we are adding community count to an already existing rather robust operating system or platform and we have other markets, we are growing de novo into new markets working with the tremendous reputation that Rausch Coleman has and the high-quality people that come along with the acquisition. So even with Rausch Coleman the line between organic and inorganic, really begs the question of can we separate it out and how do we look at it? We're really looking at both organic and inorganic as being tied together with our growth strategy. Diane J. Bessette -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yes, Mike, I think I would just add that as you're saying with Rausch Coleman, while we are expanding into new markets, we're also growing market share and existing markets, and that's really the goal, because the greater we grow market share the more benefits we really achieve from that market. And I think what's really important to also remember is the way that we're structuring these, we'll call them the inorganic growth. And I think that's a really big differentiator. We're just buying whip, turning it quickly, adding profitability to the bottom line and at a high return. So I think you have to think about, sort of that M&A activity, if you will, in a very different light. It used to be very negative, it came with a lot of goodwill and things like that. But this is a different way to think about M&A and I think it is more akin to organic growth than you might be thinking about historically. Michael Rehaut -- Analyst I appreciate that Diane. And just to clarify for the first quarter, gross margins, that does not then as a result include any purchase accounting impact for Rausch Coleman, I guess not expected to be in the first quarter, but let's say in the second quarter, third quarter, is there any purchase accounting impact expected? Diane J. Bessette -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yes, there'll be some purchase accounting impact in the second quarter if we were to close at the end of the first quarter. But I'd say like, think about it, if we're, and again, depending on when we close, if we estimate 4,000 deliveries over the second, third, and fourth quarter, you can see that the purchase accounting impact in that second quarter will not be material to margins overall. Operator Our next caller is Stephen Kim with Evercore ISI. Stephen Kim -- Analyst I want to try to clean up a little bit if I can, on the gross margin. Stuart, I think you indicated that the backlog has gross margins that are kind of running closer to 20%. And I think I heard you say that you sort of thought that the number of, or the percentage of closings that you would get in 1Q that you have not yet sold or had not yet sold at the end of November was about half. So then that makes it easy. That sort of implies that your 19% gross margin in the first quarter, that implies that the stuff you're going to be selling here, over the coming weeks, you're sort of thinking is maybe an 18% gross margin. I think you also indicated though that 1Q has sort of a catch up in sales going on, because you missed your 4Q sales. So that might sort of suggest that, if you're trying to figure out what a steady state gross margin is, that 18% is probably a little lower, because you're actually sort of overselling, if you will, a little bit to make up for 4Q. Just want to make sure I'm thinking about that right, or if there's some other adjustment that we need to be thinking about. Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer I think you're doing a good job. That's pretty right on. And we'll have to see how the market actually unfolds and enables or not enables, activity at that level, but we're going to solve to activity. Diane J. Bessette -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yes, I think that's right, Stephen, that 20% margin, if you think about it. It has the impact of the increased incentive levels from Q4, which Jon really gave you some details on that. And I think if market conditions improve, there's upside to that. But we're trying to be really conservative right now because there just isn't a lot of visibility as we sit here in the middle of December. Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer And let me just add and say, look, we are solving to volume. But what we are doing is we're working, while we solve to volume on rationalizing the cost structure, and whether it's on the land side or whether it's on the production hard cost side. Our relationships with our trade partners building predictable volume that they can count on and they know that we are not flinching enables us to rework some of the efficiencies in some of those numbers. We have continued to be able to either bring our cost down or at least hold them steady in a tough environment and we think that we will be able to make more progress rationalizing cost by giving consistent volume. So, there are some offsets in all of this that are important to the way that we are thinking about our business. Stephen Kim -- Analyst Yes, that's helpful, and I think I should also have mentioned that you also indicated that 1Q, has lower margins than sort of a full year. So that's also, yes, so 18 isn't exactly like sort of an annualized number anyway on top of being conservative. Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Yes, and let me. Diane J. Bessette -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer And we have that field impact as well, Steve, which is not immature number. Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer And let me say this. That I, do want to go back to the third quarter, where I detailed that our community count had fallen off. The bolstering of community count also helps alleviate some of the pressure at the community-by-community level. So, these things are going to work through and work out. We are confident in that, and we like the fact that, OK we are a little lower right now, but over time we are going to normalize and we are going to multiply by a bigger number. Stephen Kim -- Analyst Got you. OK, switching gears to volume, your closings guide is 86% to 88%, up about 10%. I guess my question is does that assume orders for the year noticeably above the closings range, or does it assume a meaningfully higher backlog turnover ratio for the year? Because I, think in order to hit that closings guide, you're going to need one or the other. You're going to need to have orders either higher than, that number or you're going to have to have backlog turnover ratio higher than it was last year. And so I'm kind of curious which is it? And if, you tell me if, it's orders, that orders are going to be higher. I just want to make sure that we're thinking right because that my model is sort of telling me, it's got to be like north of 20% order growth in 2Q and 3Q, including Rausch. And, if you're telling me, well no, it's probably a higher backlog turnover ratio. I'm going to ask, well then, well are you contemplating cycle time impacts for maybe a crackdown on undocumented workers. Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Yes. So, you're not going to be happy with my answer. But I, think it's a little bit of both. And look, we are driving and getting more and more efficient across the platform. And what, I mean by that is on the orders, the new orders side, the focus and attention that we are bringing to the generation of sales. Whether it's through our digital marketing machine, or whether it's through our dynamic pricing mechanism, we are building efficiency through those programs, and so there will be some order growth embedded in this. But additionally the focus and attention that we have brought to cycle time, which enables that backlog conversion to accelerate the efficiencies that we're injecting in our business. I mean, if you listen to Jon's articulation, it's not just construction costs that are holding steady in a higher pressured environment, it's also cycle time coming down. Now, you raised the question of immigration and what happens with immigration policy, and that's a wild card out there, and we're all going to have to figure out how that kind of meshes together. But I will say as an overlay here, is that one of the things that we are doing is we're injecting predictability with our trade partners so that they understand that we are there for them and we're going to need them to be there for us. And that is a quid pro quo that kind of exists in the market. And we have been rock solid consistent in laying out the logistics and the predictability that enables them to be the best version of themselves. And even when the market says flinch, we're not flinching and that predictability is a value add. Jon Jaffee -- Co-Chief Executive Officer and President I would just add to that, Steve that predictability comes with a real focus on simplification. So we have a greatly reduced skew count than we used to have, which enables the execution, which Stuart just described to truly happen as you work through both the labor force and the manufacturers. Stephen Kim -- Analyst So just so I'm clear, are you assuming any cycle time? It sounds like you're not assuming any cycle time impacts, because if you do have it affecting the market, it's going to affect other people, but not you, just so I'm clear, is that what you're sort of hoping? Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer That's the two hunters with the bear chasing them and we're not quite that mercenary. We want all of our competitors to do well. But we are laser focused on our production, our cycle time, and we are solving too, the most consistency to be able to accomplish the things we're accomplishing. Now, are we assuming that there will be variability in here given an uncertain political environment? We are naturally thinking about that quite a bit at working with and talking to trade partners to look at eventualities. Are there clear answers at this point? There are not. And John was clear about that, but it's not something that we're asleep at the switch with. It's something that is very much a part of our thinking. Operator Our next caller is Trevor Allinson with Wolfe Research. Trevor Allinson -- Wolfe Research -- Analyst Stuart, I first wanted to follow up on some comments you just made talking about conversations with your suppliers and with the trades. Given 1Q gross margins are backed up pre pandemic levels. With your focus on growing volumes here, are you expecting to see some cost concessions maybe excluding any impacts from changes in policy, but are you expecting to see some cost concessions here in 2025 from both your trades and your suppliers? Jon Jaffee -- Co-Chief Executive Officer and President Yes, this is Jon. It's a continuous program of discussions with our supply chain to find efficiencies and bring costs down. We do expect that to continue. A big part of that is relative to our product strategy, our core product strategy, which we discussed before they just mentioned it gets to the details of skew reduction. But the biggest thing is consistent predictable volume enables us to have that discussion with our trade partners and have their margin come down just as our margin is coming down. Trevor Allinson -- Wolfe Research -- Analyst Got you. That makes a lot of sense. And then second, there's been a lot of talk in the industry about elevated completed inventory levels. Sounds like your completed inventory levels remain relatively normal. Can you just talk about your comfort levels with where your completed inventory levels are at in the current demand environment? And then perhaps expand that commentary to the completed inventory levels overall in markets. And if you feel in any of your markets, they've got more extended. Jon Jaffee -- Co-Chief Executive Officer and President Yes, that's a great question, Trevor. Our inventory as we came to the end of the year was within our range, but at the high end of our range, and we are very focused on maintaining an inventory level that is appropriate. So let me talk about appropriate. We recognize that build up in inventory, is the best way to really cast a dark cloud over your future. If we have too much inventory, it's going to constantly be a depressant on where pricing and margins can actually grow. So, we are laser-focused on keeping our inventory level within a range. Now, historically, we have trended closer to one home per community versus the two homes that we are at right now. But we have been within that range of one to two homes. We have actually migrated to a thinking process that given our land-light strategy, we are enabled to maybe carry just a little bit more than we have historically. And that really enables us to address the customer that comes in and needs a home now as opposed to one that's under production or to be under production. And therefore, we think that something closer to the two home per community range is, where we want to land, but we do not want to get above that. So, that's how we are thinking. That's what we're solving to. We're going to carefully maintain inventory, but we're going to be a little bit toward our historical higher side as a matter of strategy. And just to add to that Trevor, we're very focused on not just maintaining inventory levels, but the freshness of that inventory. So, we're very focused on not letting it age, and if you look at our inventory, about 80% of it is 90 days or fresher from an aging perspective. So, it's a big part of this overall focus of our operating platform. Operator Our next caller is Susan Maklari with Goldman Sachs. Susan Maklari -- Analyst Good morning, everyone, thanks for taking the question. My first question is going back to some of the focus on rationalizing the cost structure in there. Can you talk about where you are in terms of standardizing those product offerings? How much more you can get over the next several quarters in there? And how that will benefit both the margin structure over time, but then also just the cash generation of the business? Jon Jaffee -- Co-Chief Executive Officer and President So, we've been hard at work at it. It's a standardized product offering, which we refer to as our core product. And in '24, it represented about 10% of our starts, and we expect that that's going to grow to about a third of our starts in 2025. So, we do think there is further rationalization that will be very positively received by our supply chain both labor and materials, as we create more and more consistency. But also efficiency with that consistency that will both help cost and cycle time. The bottom line, Susan, is that there's a tremendous amount of opportunity here that we've been laser focused on the migration from 10% to a third of our product migrating to core equates to a great deal of efficiency with which is not about renegotiating with our trades as much as it is about value engineering and really building efficiency both into the design of the home and the production of the home. And so, we think that over the next year we'll see a lot more core product, and a lot more reduction in cost as associated with that. Susan Maklari -- Analyst And then Stuart, one of the comments that you made was that, you're going to continue to focus on repurchasing the stock and shareholder returns, and that will obviously evolve as Millrose moves through the process. Understanding there's a lot that that can change in there. But can you talk to some of the key factors that you're watching for and how that could perhaps evolve as we do get Millrose out and we move into a newer model of the business? Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Let's remember first of all that Millrose is the end of a process that has been ongoing for five years. So we have a tremendous amount of experience with our other land banking partners starting with essential housing and Angelo Gordon, where we have a tremendous program, an opportunity to continue to grow. Millrose is a next step. The biggest difference with Millrose is that it is a permanent capital vehicle as opposed to one where a group has to keep going out and raising the next round of capital. So there's something strategic about Millrose as we take a large part portion of land, our remaining land and move it into the system, we're going to see how capital flows, especially at the start-up of the Millrose endeavor as we go public, there will be a start-up process, and as we mature the engagement, which will dovetail with all of our other land banking relationships, as well as episodic programs where we're dealing with landowners and have rolling option programs as well. As we mature our engagement with now what will be a fully land light strategy, we will develop the confidence around how much of the capital that we're producing, the cash flow that we're producing actually goes to return to shareholders, either through dividend or through stock buyback, and as we're paying down debt as well, I'm not sure that that answers your question, but it's just a maturing process that we'll go through as Millrose goes public. Diane J. Bessette -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yes, Susan, I would add to that, as you remember what I said, the goal is to really have our net income, equal our cash flow. And I think 2025 is sort of a year where a lot is coming together, and we'll still be embarking on that journey of making sure that we're increasing shareholder returns through all the mechanisms of dividends and buybacks. But I think as you look on a longer term sustained basis, I think that we will get to the point where net income is pretty close to cash flow and we don't have a large maturity ladder from a debt standpoint. So by design that cash flow will be more heavily geared toward buybacks. Since, we were formally very focused on the debt reduction. So, I think that should give you sort of a trajectory of where we're going. What's important to us is to have a sustained program, and I think that we're taking a step another step in that direction. Susan Maklari -- Analyst OK, that's really helpful color. Thank you. Good luck with everything. Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Susan, and why don't we take one last question? Operator Our next caller is John Lovallo with UBS. John Lovallo -- Analyst Hi, guys. Thank you for taking my questions as well. Maybe the first one on the spin. I'm just curious, why you decided to partner with an external manager in the Millrose deal. And then along the same lines, what do you sort of think of as the right comps. I mean, should we be looking at mortgage REITs. I mean, they do tend to trade at, call it a 20% discount to book value. So, I'm just curious, what you would consider to be good comps and why you use an external manager? Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer So, John thanks for the question. I got Fred Rothman sitting right next to me, and Fred has done a tremendous amount of work on building the programming and the execution around Millrose. I'm just going to start by saying, we chose an external manager and we chose the external manager of Kennedy Lewis, because they've been a strong counterparty for us in this business. Angelo Gordon and we started it. Kennedy Lewis has been a participant along the way. And Fred, do you want to weigh in on the Kennedy Lewis relationship. Fred Rothman -- Chief Operating Officer Sure, we have a long strong history with Kennedy Lewis that has produced a very good working relationship, and using them as an outside manager here allows Millrose to get going from day one. We're going to be conveying and transferring large number of home sites and we need Millrose to be up and running to develop the internal platform and to develop the systems, they're already familiar with our hopper. So, on day one, Millrose will be very active up and running and be a strong partner for Lennar. Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer And let me just add to that and say, we've been asked, why wouldn't you have done it with Angelo Gordon. And let me tell you, the relationship with Angelo Gordon is extremely strong and beneficial, but multiple pools of capital are going to benefit us and the industry for that matter as we go into the future. And so therefore we have strong participants that are familiar, as Fred said with the hopper. The way that we govern the overall oversight of purchasing land, developing land, financing land, and moving it through the system in orderly fashion. We have a lot of experience with the professionals at Kennedy Lewis already. They were a natural external manager. Why an external manager, it gives clear visibility on what the cost structure is. The cost structure is borne by the professional manager. A very clear fee, is it supports the payment of all overhead associated with the administration. It's a much more simple structure for the world to understand. And then you ask the question of what are going to be the comps. I think, we are going to leave that to the next couple of months as we take Millrose public. So, there is a little bit of wait and see and we are going to stay within the boundaries of what's in the S-11 right now. But we are very enthusiastic about this addition to the capital markets. And what it means for the future of the homebuilder as a manufacturer that benefits from just in time delivery of homesites. Diane J. Bessette -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer John, I just going to add to think about, one of the goals with Millrose was to have Millrose produce sustainable recurring cash flows and income. And I think about that, while it's not perfect, I think about that sort of compared to the returns that you're getting from a bond investment, for example. And so that, I think that that recurring sustainable component will be very important. And so as Stuart mentioned, having a very fixed fee structure against that recurring income and cash flow, I think will accomplish the goal that we're trying to, one of the goals that we're trying to accomplish. As you think about Millrose from an investment standpoint. Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Fred, anything else you would add? Fred Rothman -- Chief Operating Officer Just the Kennedy Lewis has put the team together and just has a proven track record that is just going to make this a seamless transition for us on day one. And I think that's critical for the success of Millrose and the sustainable and future growth of Lennar. John Lovallo -- Analyst That's really helpful. And then just as a follow up, I just wanted to go back onto to an earlier question just to make sure I understand the strategy here. The 10% growth in delivery that target was out there pre-Rausch. You guys have maintained that at the high end, including Rausch. So I guess, the question is, if it were not for Rausch, would you have lowered that target? Or conversely, is Rausch just giving you sort of the opportunity to not push pace quite as hard in the existing communities and still get that same volume at perhaps a higher margin? Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Let me just add a little correction. We've been working on the Rausch deal long before, it became public. In our world, when we do deals, it is all about relationship and fit. And we have spent a tremendous amount of time working through not just the relationship, but a thoughtful negotiation on how things work best in bringing something together. So our 10% really didn't predate Rausch. We've been aware of and predisposed for this to be a part of our gross strategy in a very strategic part. If you look at the way we're thinking about growth strategy today, or the way we have been thinking about, it has been in part densifying some of the divisions that we already have in place. Some of them are already densified, but we've also been thinking about how we bring our brand to a broader geography. And so an acquisition component of entering new markets has been a thoughtful accelerant to the way that we've thought about growth. And the Rausch program has fit well within the boundaries of what we've been expecting of our own growth strategy. Now, once again, I'm going to say Fred has been the primary driver negotiator in and around the Rausch deal. Fred, would you add to that? Fred Rothman -- Chief Operating Officer Rausch also has a strong position in many of the markets we're not in. So we hit the ground running with Rausch as a No. 1 by market share in many of the markets we're not in. So we immediately will be able to capture the opportunities and the growth of being the No. 1 builder in a bunch of new markets accessing our ability combined with the Rausch Coleman excellent track record and access to land going forward. So really an exciting opportunity for both companies. Diane J. Bessette -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer And at a lower price point, which is attractive in today's affordability challenge market. John Lovallo -- Analyst Right. OK. Thank you, guys. Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer OK, you're welcome. Well, I want to thank everyone for joining today. I know it's a bit of a turbulent ride, but we're pretty excited about our future. Short-term bumpy, long-term excited, and we look forward to reporting back at the end of our first quarter. Have a nice day everyone and happy holidays. Operator [Operator signoff] Duration: 0 minutes Call participants: David M. Collins -- Vice President and Corporate Controller Stuart A. Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Jon Jaffee -- Co-Chief Executive Officer and President Diane J. Bessette -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Alan Ratner -- Zelman and Associates -- Analyst Stuart Miller -- Executive Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Michael Rehaut -- Analyst Jon Jaffe -- Co-Chief Executive Officer and President Diane Bessette -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Stephen Kim -- Analyst Trevor Allinson -- Wolfe Research -- Analyst Susan Maklari -- Analyst John Lovallo -- Analyst Fred Rothman -- Chief Operating Officer More LEN analysis All earnings call transcripts

There is optimism among Southern California defense contractors that the incoming presidential administration’s plans and policies will inject adrenaline into the local economy and generate hundreds of new jobs, especially with talk of strengthening the U.S. military. President-elect Donald Trump has publicly vowed to strengthen the country’s military by making it more efficient and through that find better ways to develop more defense products utilizing technology innovation. He has also said he will build up a larger naval fleet to compete with China. Just after winning the presidential election, Trump named Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, founder of a pharmaceutical company, as co-leaders of a government efficiency initiative focused on cutting bureaucracy and waste in government. Many smaller tech firms, some of which have relationships with Musk’s Space X and Tesla, are hopeful the initiative could give them an edge over bigger defense companies with huge budgets. “The new administration is very passionate about countering China and they recognize the ability for the U.S. to outcompete China that manufacturing is probably the most important thing to counter that threat,” said Chris Power, CEO and founder of Hadrian Automation, a company based in Torrance that runs automated factories building defense products. “We haven’t been talking about reindustrializing the country in the last 10 years. Now, the vice president, a lot of the policymakers are hellbent on figuring out how to reindustrialize the U.S., both by investing in the country and also by creating an even playing field with China.” Power, an Australian who lives in Hermosa Beach and started his company just three years ago, was among hundreds who attended the 11th annual Regean National Defense Forum held over the weekend at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. The event is an opportunity for representatives of defense and technology companies to rub shoulders and exchange ideas with lawmakers, senior Department of Defense leadership, and foreign defense leaders in an environment away from the hubbub of the nation’s capital. Southern California is packed with hundreds of defense-oriented companies and continues to be a leader in military defense innovation. Commercial technology is also significant in the country’s national security approach. Because of that, the forum is also an opportunity for non-traditional companies to get a share of the spotlight and for startups like Hadrian Automation to get a chance to talk with people otherwise not in their sphere. This year’s forum, themed “Peace Through Strength in a Time of Transition,” included a day of back-to-back panel discussions. Key themes included what the new presidential administration would mean for defense, overcoming production and manufacturing constraints to build the future force, space capabilities and the space economy, modernizing defense capabilities, the next national defense strategy, and public opinion on national security after the election. During a discussion on force structure, resources and the next national defense strategy, panelists emphasized funding military needs going forward. Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, who serves on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, pressed the importance of passing the appropriation bills that fund military spending. “We need to get these bills done and give certainty to the military that they have the resources available in the Trump administration,” he said. “I know it’s difficult in an era where we have significant national debt, but nonetheless, our national security is at risk, and we need to move forward.” The uncertainty of the government’s appropriations process makes it difficult for the defense industry, “from a development perspective and a production perspective,” said Lawrence Culp Jr., chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace. “Without that clarity, it’s very hard to keep someone at task with all these stops and starts and the policy uncertainty of late – it’s very hard.” The smaller companies further down the supply chain bear a lot of the weight of uncertainty, he added. “When you talk about the small and medium-sized businesses that are part of that supply chain, the small companies we rely on for input, one, two, three tiers away, they’re at the end of the whip and they can’t really handle that, either operationally or financially.” Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said at the forum that is where Trump needs to use his ability to generate enthusiasm among the public and make Americans aware of the nation’s dangers if it doesn’t have a strong military. “The American people really don’t understand how much of a threat we’re facing,” he said. “We have got to educate the American people on that. We haven’t had a president in the last years who has gone to the American people and gotten their support. It’s the only way you get leadership in Congress to pay attention and get the action you need.” The forum produces a survey each year on public perception of military defense, the last conducted just after the November election by a bipartisan research group. Of the 2,500 surveyed, 79% of respondents said they want the U.S. to spend more on national defense. At the same time, 61% said the military should be large enough to win two wars simultaneously; 49% said China poses the most significant threat, while 25% said Russia poses more of a threat. And, that’s where lawmakers such as Calvert think Southern California companies can have opportunities to become more successful. “Southern California is the intellectual capital of the world when it comes to national security innovation and manufacturing,” he said. “President Trump is committed to a strong military that is focused on the threats we face today and tomorrow. There’s no doubt in my mind that Southern California will continue to make a significant contribution to those important goals in the years ahead. There’s widespread agreement that we need to invest in our national security to remain the preeminent superpower in the world.” With a new administration coming in talking about cutting waste in government agencies while strengthening the country with a more targeted and effective military, local companies working with defense contractors and manufacturers are looking to the future with a hopeful eye. Brandon Tseng, a former Navy SEAL who co-founded Shield AI and attended the defense forum this year for the second time, said more government interest in smaller companies that produce military technology will help Shield AI create more jobs. The San Diego-based company, which employs 900 people, aims to protect service members and civilians with AI systems. It develops artificial intelligence-powered pilot systems, drones and technology for military operations. “I’m bullish on the defense tech ecosystem,” he said, adding that he’s excited about Trump’s inclusion in his administration of Musk, Ramaswamy and Stephen Feinberg, a private equity investor with interests in the defense industry, who Tseng calls problem-solvers. Related links “What I’m optimistic about is that you have these operators who have run companies, been in the trenches, solved problems, and know what it means to walk the walk, not just talk the talk,” Tseng said. “The administration is bullish on doing things more efficiently, more effectively; that’s what technology is about. I think you’re going to see it will be very helpful for a lot of defense tech companies.” And, it’s exactly the idea of manufacturing parts quickly and efficiently that Power, of Hadrian Automation in Torrance, believes will help reinspire U.S. manufacturing, which he believes is the basis of a strong national defense. With his company, he hopes to inspire many young, smart people to want to get back into manufacturing – but in a more modern way that uses software to improve the manufacturing process and make it more efficient and effective. “U.S. power is based on the dollar,” he said. “The dollar is based on military might, which is really based on industrial power. We shot ourselves in the foot as a country by outsourcing our industrial power to China. That took away all the manufacturing skillsets, manufacturing technology, and a lot of jobs. For the last 25 years, we’ve treated China like a partner, but they have been subsidizing aggressively their manufacturing base specifically to gut our industrial power as a country.” At the same time the general public’s interest in manufacturing has dipped, he argued, with more people in the 1980s and ’90s choosing a four-year degree as the way to a successful future and a middle class that commands relatively high wages. “If you want manufacturing in America, the only way to do it is to build software factories that give the American workforce a productivity advantage so we can scale and use a new workforce instead of a legacy,” he said. “And if we want to be cost-competitive globally and efficient, we either have to pay everyone a very small amount or give the American workforce the 10x advantage with American software engineering and robotics.” Power sees Trump’s focus on empowering industrialization as having a huge impact on jobs. He plans to open two new facilities in the next year. “The faster we scale, the more jobs we provide,” he said. “And they’re better and more exciting jobs.” Related Articles

WESTFIELD — HVAC manufacturer Mestek Inc. has sued a Chinese company, saying the unrelated Shenzhen Mestek Electronics Co. is using the Mestek name and the Westfield company’s reputation to sell temperature and moisture sensing tools online. Westfield’s Mestek says the fan components it makes are for sale on the Chinese Mestek’s Amazon storefront next to electronic thermometers and sensors made by the Chinese company, according to a federal suit filed this week in the U.S. District Court in Springfield. The Chinese company’s Mestek products are also for sale on Chinese online marketplace Alibaba , on Amazon and elsewhere. Alibaba is based in China, but payment is accepted in U.S. dollars and shipping is available to the states, according to the suit. Westfield’s Mestek also said the fan components it makes are for sale on the Chinese Mestek’s Amazon storefront next to electronic thermometers and sensors made by the Chinese company, according to court papers. The suit includes examples of the Chinese Mestek using the name and similar logo. American Mestek says the Chinese company’s tools used to measure temperature, electricity or moisture are related to the heating, cooling, air handling and system control equipment it makes. Mestek says it’s been using the brand name “Mestek” for 40 years selling and promoting its line of heating, cooling, ventilating, metal forming machinery, architectural products, intelligent boiler controls, computer information systems and services and related products. But its corporate roots go back to1898. The suit says the Westfield Mestek discovered the Chinese company was using the name in October 2024 and later found out the Chinese firm had trademarked a similar logo to its own. Shenzhen Mestek Electronics first filed paperwork to register the trademark in 2017, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The paperwork was renewed in 2022. Neither the Westfield Mestek nor its attorney, Kevin H. Vanderleeden of the Springfield-based intellectual property and patent firm Grogan, Truccillo & Vanderleeden. responded to calls for comment Thursday. The Chinese company didn’t respond to emails and has not filed a response to the suit, according to the docket. Suits like this one meant to protect an American company’s intellectual property from Chinese interlopers have become increasingly common, according to a 2023 piece in MIT Technology Review. The suits are also lucrative for the U.S. law firms to file them and collect damages. Stories by Jim Kinney

SAO PAULO (AP) — Police have formally accused Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others of attempting a coup to keep the right-wing leader in office after his electoral defeat in 2022. Their allegations threaten to torpedo Bolsonaro's hopes of returning to politics. Brazil’s Supreme Court said Friday that police findings were delivered to Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who next week will relay them to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet. He will decide whether to formally charge Bolsonaro or toss the investigation. Bolsonaro told the news website Metropoles on Thursday that he is waiting for his lawyer to review the police report, which is reportedly about 700 pages long, but that he would fight the case. He dismissed the investigation as the result of “creativity.” The former president denies that he tried to stay in office after his narrow electoral defeat in 2022 to leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has since faced a series of legal threats. That police are seeking formal charges indicates the investigation found evidence of “a crime and its author,” and it is likely there are legal grounds for the prosecutor-general to file charges, said Eloísa Machado de Almeida, a law professor at Getulio Vargas Foundation, a university in Sao Paulo. On Friday, the attorney for Bolsonaro’s former right hand, Lt. Col. Mauro Cid, said in a live television interview that his client had informed the Supreme Court that Bolsonaro was aware of the coup plot. “The then-president knew it all. Actually, he led this organization,” Cid’s attorney, Cezar Bitencourt, told network GloboNews. Just minutes later, Bitencourt partially retracted his statement. "I didn’t say Bolsonaro knew it all. ‘All’ is a lot. He was evidently aware of some things.” Police said the Supreme Court agreed to the release all 37 names in the police report “to avoid the dissemination of incorrect news.” Among them are dozens of former and current Bolsonaro aides, including: Gen. Walter Braga Netto, who was his running mate in the 2022 campaign; former Army commander Gen. Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira; Valdemar Costa Neto, the chairman of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party; and his veteran former adviser, Gen. Augusto Heleno. Braga Netto’s lawyers said they would wait to formally receive the police documents before making any comments. The retired general shared their statement on X late Thursday. Bolsonaro is already accused separately of smuggling diamond jewelry into Brazil and directing Lt. Col. Cid to falsify his and others’ COVID-19 vaccination statuses. Bolsonaro has denied those charges. Another probe found he abused his authority by casting doubt on Brazil's electoral system, and judges on the top electoral court barred him from running again until 2030. Still, he insists he will run in 2026, and many in his orbit were heartened by President-elect Donald Trump's recent election win despite his swirling legal troubles. Local media report that Gonet is already under pressure to move forward with multiple investigations against the former president, and politicians say if the 69-year-old Bolsonaro does stand trial his allies and rivals will race to seize his influence with voters. “Bolsonaro is no longer the sole leader of the right-wing. He is coming out of mayoral elections in which most of his candidates lost. All these probes don’t help him at all,” said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper, a university in Sao Paulo. “The governor of Sao Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, the radical candidate for Sao Paulo mayorship Pablo Marçal, the governor of Goias state, Ronaldo Caiado ... There are politicians lining up to court Bolsonaro voters,” Melo said. Creomar de Souza, a political analyst of Dharma Political Risk and Strategy, said the formal accusation is “obviously bad” for Bolsonaro, but that it might not impede him if he does decide to run for office again. “This could give those targeted a chance to portray themselves as being persecuted,” de Souza said, adding that could benefit them. Bolsonaro's allies in Congress have been negotiating a bill to pardon individuals who stormed the Brazilian capital and rioted on Jan. 8, 2023, in an attempt to keep the former president in power. Analysts have speculated that lawmakers want to extend the legislation to cover the former president himself. However, efforts to push a broad amnesty bill would be “politically challenging” in light of the new allegations against Bolsonaro and others, Machado said. On Tuesday, Federal Police arrested four military and a Federal Police officer, accused of plotting to assassinate Lula and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes in an effort to overthrow the government following the 2022 elections. Last week, a man tried to enter the Supreme Court in the capital Brasilia with explosives but was blocked by guards. He threw the explosives outside the building , killing himself.

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NEW YORK — A number of President-elect Donald Trump 's most prominent Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks," Trump's transition team said Wednesday. The FBI said it was investigating. “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks ranged from bomb threats to swatting, in which attackers initiate an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses. The tactic has become a popular one in recent years. President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak at a meeting of the House GOP conference, followed by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) “In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action,” Leavitt said. Among those targeted were New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations, Matt Gaetz, Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin, who has been tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Susie Wiles, Trump's incoming chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General whom Trump has chosen as Gaetz's replacement, were also targeted, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity amid the ongoing investigation. Wiles and Bondi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI said in a statement that it was “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees" and was "working with our law enforcement partners. We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.” Stefanik's office said that, on Wednesday morning, she, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving home from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence in Saratoga County. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is seated before President-elect Donald Trump arrives at a meeting of the House GOP conference, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) "New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism," her office said in a statement. “We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7." The New York State Police said a team was dispatched to sweep Stefanik’s home on Wednesday morning in response to the bomb threat but did not locate any explosive devices. A spokesman for the agency directed further questions to the FBI. Zeldin said in a social media post that he and his family had been threatened. “A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message,” he wrote on X. “My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops.” Police in Suffolk County, Long Island said emergency officers responded to a bomb threat Wednesday morning at an address listed in public records as Zeldin’s home and were checking the property. In Florida, meanwhile, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office said in an advisory posted on Facebook that it “received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area around 9 a.m. this morning.” While a family member resides at the address, they said "former Congressman Gaetz is NOT a resident. The mailbox however was cleared and no devices were located. The immediate area was also searched with negative results.” Gaetz was Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, but he withdrew from consideration amid allegations that he paid women for sex and slept with underage women. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him. The threats follow a political campaign marked by disturbing and unprecedented violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the then-candidate in the ear with a bullet and killing one of his supporters. The U.S. Secret Service later thwarted a subsequent assassination attempt at Trump's West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through a perimeter fence while Trump was golfing. Public figures across the political spectrum have been targeted in recent years by hoax bomb threats and false reports of shootings at their homes. The judges overseeing the civil fraud case against Trump in New York and the criminal election interference case against him in Washington, D.C. were both targeted earlier this year. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who recently abandoned the two criminal cases he brought against Trump, was also the subject of a fake emergency call on Christmas Day last year. Earlier this year, schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials in Springfield, Ohio received a string of hoax bomb threats after Trump falsely accused members of Springfield’s Haitian community of abducting and eating cats and dogs. And in 2022, a slew of historically Black colleges and universities nationwide were targeted with dozens of bomb threats with the vast majority arriving during the celebration of Black History Month. The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement Wednesday that, “Anytime a Member of Congress is the victim of a 'swatting' incident, we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners. To protect ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copy-cats, we cannot provide more details at this time.” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called the threats “dangerous and unhinged.” “This year, there was not just one but TWO assassination attempts on President Trump. Now some of his Cabinet nominees and their families are facing bomb threats,” he wrote on X. “It is not who we are in America.” Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Colleen Long and Eric Tucker in Washington and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York contributed to this report. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Student loan: NELFUND boss engages students, educators in BornoValladolid loses again and Getafe ends winless run in La Liga

Republicans lash out at Democrats' claims that Trump intelligence pick Gabbard is 'compromised'Better Artificial Intelligence Stock: Broadcom vs. AMD

Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. Prices Offering of Series A Preferred StockIf you’re a side sleeper who craves the pressure relieving comfort of the Helix Midnight Luxe mattress but don't quite have the budget, we've got you covered. We've rounded up five mattress deals to shop this Black Friday, all offering comparable comfort of the Luxe but at a more affordable price. The Helix Midnight Luxe is one of the year's best mattresses , thanks to its high quality build and unrivaled support for side sleepers. And while you can pick up the Luxe for less in the current Black Friday sales — at $1,732 (was $2,373) for a queen, it's still a premium priced bed. The good news is that the Black Friday mattress sales are live, bringing huge discounts from our favorite mattress brands, such as Nectar, Leesa, Brooklyn Bedding and more. We've rounded up five deals that offer the same body contouring comfort as the Helix, but without the premium price tag. Let's take a look. 5 Black Friday Deals to shop instead of the Helix Midnight Luxe Is the Helix Midnight Luxe still the best mattress for side sleepers? Yes, we still think that the Helix Midnight Luxe is one of the best mattresses for side sleepers . This mattress has several key features that makes it ideal for those who like to sleep on their side including a memory plus foam layer that offers targeted cushioning for shoulders and hips, the main pressure points for side sleepers. Also the medium feel which offers the ideal balance of sink-in softness and support. But that doesn’t mean that we think it’s the only good mattress for side sleepers. If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to the cost of a Helix Midnight Luxe then there are plenty of good alternatives on the market, not just limited to the five suggestions we’ve given in this article. If you’re a side sleeper then look for a mattress that has pressure relief properties, has a soft or medium tension and also has good edge support so you can utilise the full surface of your bed. Finding a mattress that has good temperature regulation is another key feature to look out for as the closer the contact your body has with the mattress (for example, memory foam layers will contour to your curves) the more likely it is that heat will build up throughout the night.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Republican senators pushed back on Sunday against criticism from Democrats that Tulsi Gabbard , Donald Trump's pick to lead U.S. intelligence services , is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and secret meetings , as a congresswoman, with Syria’s president, a close ally of the Kremlin and Iran. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, a veteran of combat missions in Iraq, said she had concerns about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's choice to be director of national intelligence . “I think she’s compromised," Duckworth said on CNN’s “State of the Union," citing Gabbard's 2017 trip to Syria, where she held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Gabbard was a Democratic House member from Hawaii at the time. “The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes. And so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check,” Duckworth said. Gabbard, who said last month she is joining the Republican party, has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades. She was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and, according to the Hawaii National Guard, received a Combat Medical Badge in 2005 for “participation in combat operations under enemy hostile fire in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III." Duckworth's comments drew immediate backlash from Republicans. “For her to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong," Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, said on CNN, challenging Duckworth to retract her words. “That’s the most dangerous thing she could say — is that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia.” In recent days, other Democrats have accused Gabbard without evidence of being a “Russian asset.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, has claimed, without offering details, that Gabbard is in Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s pocket.” Mullin and others say the criticism from Democrats is rooted in the fact that Gabbard left their party and has become a Trump ally. Democrats say they worry that Gabbard's selection as national intelligence chief endangers ties with allies and gives Russia a win. Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat just elected to the Senate, said he would not describe Gabbard as a Russian asset, but said she had “very questionable judgment.” “The problem is if our foreign allies don’t trust the head of our intelligence agencies, they’ll stop sharing information with us,” Schiff said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” Gabbard in 2022 endorsed one of Russia’s justifications for invading Ukraine : the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world’s nastiest pathogens. The labs are part of an international effort to control outbreaks and stop bioweapons, but Moscow claimed Ukraine was using them to create deadly bioweapons. Gabbard said she just voiced concerns about protecting the labs. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, said he thought it was “totally ridiculous” that Gabbard was being cast as a Russian asset for having different political views. “It’s insulting. It’s a slur, quite frankly. There’s no evidence that she’s a asset of another country,” he said on NBC. Sen. James Lankford, another Oklahoma Republican, acknowledged having “lots of questions” for Gabbard as the Senate considers her nomination to lead the intelligence services. Lankford said on NBC that he wants to ask Gabbard about her meeting with Assad and some of her past comments about Russia. “We want to know what the purpose was and what the direction for that was. As a member of Congress, we want to get a chance to talk about past comments that she’s made and get them into full context,” Lankford said. Adriana Gomez Licon, The Associated PressNoneNone

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Mahomes threw two touchdown passes to Noah Gray for the second straight week as the Kansas City Chiefs held off the Carolina Panthers 30-27 on Sunday. A week after losing at Buffalo, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (10-1) maintained their position atop the AFC. Mahomes completed a 35-yard touchdown strike to Gray on the game’s opening possession and found him again for an 11-yard TD in the second quarter. Gray has four touchdown catches in the last two weeks — twice as many as nine-time Pro Bowler Travis Kelce has all season — and has become a weapon in the passing game for the Chiefs, who lost top wide receiver Rashee Rice to a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. Kelce was still a factor Sunday with a team-high six catches for 62 yards, although the four-time All-Pro looked dejected after dropping one easy pass. Kelce has 62 receptions for 507 yards this season, while Gray has 26 catches for 249 yards. But Gray's development is a good sign for the Chiefs — and he's on the same page with Mahomes. On his second TD, Gray said Mahomes “gave me the answer to the test there” before the play. “He told me what coverage it was pre-snap," said Gray, who had four receptions for 66 yards. “That’s just the blessing you have of playing with a quarterback like that. Offensive line did a great job blocking that up and the receivers did a great job running their routes to pop me open. Really just a group effort right there on that touchdown.” Gray said that's nothing new. “Pat’s preparation, his leadership is just something that I’m fortunate enough to play alongside,” Gray said. "I love it. It gets me motivated every time we go out there for a long drive. Having a leader like that, that prepares every single week in-and out, knows defenses, knows the game plans. “I’m just fortunate enough to play alongside a guy like that.” Mahomes completed 27 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three TDs, and he knew what to do on the second TD to Gray. “It's not just me, it's the quarterback coaches and the players, we go through certain checks you get to versus certain coverages,” Mahomes said. “I was able to see by the way they lined up they were getting into their cover-zero look. I alerted the guys to make sure they saw what I saw and I gave the check at the line of scrimmage.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

As a way to promote her newest endorsement deal, Chicago Sky star Angel Reese recently gave away a few boxes of her "Angel X Reese's Puffs" cereal to random fans in the streets. Reese shared the video on social media as a bunch of unexpected supporters were left in disbelief by their chance encounter with the WNBA All-Star. Reese's cereals hit supermarket shelves on Nov. 14, and it appears to have been quite a hit. So much so, that some stores have run out of stocks. One fan recently posted a video on social media wherein she started knocking down random cereal boxes in the grocery store after finding out that they had run out of Reese's Puffs. Reese herself caught wind of the fan's "irritated" complaint, and the Sky forward just had to respond. "omgg nooo don’t knock over the boxes😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 send your address so i can send you a box auntie cause ion need you crashing out & going to jail bout me lmaooo," Reese wrote on X. omgg nooo don’t knock over the boxes😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 send your address so i can send you a box auntie cause ion need you crashing out & going to jail bout me lmaooo https://t.co/jd8ljMDvIg In her video, the fan admitted that she was "irritated" by the fact that she wasn't able to purchase a box of Reese's cereals for her niece. The former LSU superstar came to the rescue, though, by saying that she would be happy to send a box to the disgruntled supporter just so she doesn't end up getting in trouble for causing a ruckus in the grocery store. © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Needless to say, her fans have come out to support Reese's latest endorsement deal. Reese's Puffs is just the latest in a growing line of product endorsements for the 22-year-old, which also includes brands such as Reebok, Beats by Dre and McDonald's, to name a few. As for her basketball, Reese is coming off a tremendous rookie campaign with the Sky -- one that had her finishing as the runner-up for the coveted Rookie of the Year title behind Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. In 34 games played before her season was cut short by surgery on her wrist, Reese produced averages of 13.6 points , a league-best 13.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Related: Angel Reese's Honest Confession About 'Scary' Career DecisionCHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Kobe Sanders scored 27 points, including five of six from the free throw line in the closing minutes, and Nevada pulled away late to beat Oklahoma State 90-78 for a fifth-place finish at the Charleston Classic on Sunday. Nevada's lone loss in its first six games came in the tournament's opening round when the Wolf Pack fell to Vanderbilt 73-71. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

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Big Lots reaches deal to keep hundreds of US stores open The discount chain Big Lots has reached a deal that will keep hundreds of its stores open. Big Lots said it will be sold to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, which specializes in distressed companies. Gordon Brothers will then transfer Big Lots’ stores to other retailers. Variety Wholesalers, which owns more than 400 U.S. discount stores, plans to acquire between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores and operate them under the Big Lots brand. Big Lots filed for bankruptcy protection in September, saying inflation and high interest rates had cut back on consumer demand for its furniture and other products. Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. Trump's request Friday came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court. Oral arguments are scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The brief said Trump opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” Stock market today: Wall Street slips as the 'Magnificent 7' weighs down the market NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are closing lower as Wall Street ends a holiday-shortened week on a down note. The S&P 500 fell 1.1% Friday and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 333 points, or 0.8%. The Nasdaq composite dropped 1.5%. The “Magnificent 7” stocks weighed on the market, led by declines in Nvidia, Tesla and Microsoft. Even with the loss, the S&P 500 had a modest gain for the week and is still headed for its second consecutive annual gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.62%. 10 tips from experts to help you change your relationship with money in 2025 NEW YORK (AP) — As the calendar changes to 2025, you might be thinking about how to approach your relationship with money in the new year. Whether you’re saving to move out of your parents’ house or pay off student loan debt, financial resolutions can help you stay motivated. If you’re planning to make financial resolutions for the new year, experts recommend that you start by evaluating the state of your finances in 2024. Then, set specific goals and make sure they’re attainable for your lifestyle. Janet Yellen tells Congress US could hit debt limit in mid-January WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says her agency will need to start taking “extraordinary measures,” or special accounting maneuvers intended to prevent the nation from hitting the debt ceiling, as early as January 14th, in a letter sent to congressional leaders Friday afternoon. The department has taken such action in the past. But once those measures run out the government risks defaulting on its debt unless lawmakers and the president agree to lift the limit on the U.S. government’s ability to borrow. An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in the president-elect’s political movement into public display. The argument previews fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — that is, wealthy members of the tech world who want more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, a deputy national security adviser, said Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. Canadian Cabinet ministers meet with Trump's nominee for commerce secretary in bid to avoid tariffs TORONTO (AP) — Two top Canadian Cabinet ministers have met with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary at Mar-a-Lago as Canada tries to avoid sweeping tariffs when Trump takes office. New Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly met with Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, as well as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department. The meeting was a follow up to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month. Trump has threatened to impose sweeping tariffs if Canada does not stem what he calls a flow of migrants and fentanyl into the United States. Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in UHC CEO death, poll finds WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials share responsibility for the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO — although not as much as the person who pulled the trigger. So says a new poll from NORC at the University of Chicago. It finds that about 8 in 10 Americans say that the person who committed the killing has “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of responsibility for the Dec. 4 shooting of Brian Thompson. Still, some see suspect Luigi Mangione as a heroic figure. About 7 in 10 adults say coverage denials or health insurance profits also bear at least “a moderate amount” of responsibility for Thompson’s death. Another jackpot surpasses $1 billion. Is this the new normal? Remember this moment because it probably won’t last: A U.S. lottery jackpot has soared above $1 billion, and that’s still a big deal. After three months without anyone winning the top prize, a ticket worth an estimated $1.22 billion was sold in California for the drawing Friday night. The high number has evoked headlines and likely lured more people to convenience stores with dreams of private spacewalks above the Earth. Jonathan Cohen is the author of the book “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America.” He says he expects jackpots to continue to grow in size. Larger payouts attract more media attention, increase ticket sales and bring in new players.

Dog food recalled in 7 states for salmonella risk after puppy litter gets sick, FDA saysJimmy Carter, 39th US president, Nobel winner, dies at 100The ChatGPT parent is reportedly weighing the possibility of introducing ads into its suite of AI products. Would such a change buoy the business as it transforms into a for-profit organization? OpenAI is reportedly considering debuting ads into its AI products, like ChatGPT / Matheus Bertelli OpenAI is weighing the possibility of integrating ads into ChatGPT and its other large language models, the Financial Times reports. It’s a possibility that experts say could help drive revenue and aid the company’s shift to a for-profit model – but, if deployed poorly, could damage user trust. The company’s chief financial officer Sarah Friar on Monday told the Financial Times that OpenAI is assessing the potential for an ads-based model and said that the company would be “thoughtful about when and where we implement [ads]”. Friar, who previously held posts at Salesforce and Square, noted that both she and the company’s chief product officer Kevin Weil, an ex-Instagram exec, bring significant advertising expertise to the table. The news comes at a critical juncture for the Microsoft-backed company, which in October secured $6.6bn in funding from Microsoft, Nvidia, Thrive Capital, Fidelity, Softbank and others. Now valued around $157bn, OpenAI is in the midst of a drastic transformation, considering becoming a public benefit corporation that would no longer be under the leadership of a nonprofit board. And as OpenAI pursues a profit-focused model, it’s facing the challenge of revenue generation. While the company’s monthly revenue reached $300m in August – a lift of 1700% since the start of 2023, according to the New York Times – it’s still burning through cash, projecting a loss of $5bn this year to operating costs and other expenses. More advanced models, like the premier version of ChatGPT – GPT-4o, released in May – require increased compute power, incurring ever higher costs for the company. Selling ads within ChatGPT and other OpenAI programs like DALL-E and the OpenAI o1 models could help advance the company’s goal of becoming profitable. “It’s long been known that OpenAI is burning cash at a crazy rate in order to keep up their operations,” says Christopher Penn, co-founder and chief data scientist at TrustInsights.ai, an analytics and AI firm for marketers. “When you think about it, ChatGPT as a tool is absurdly [low] priced for what it delivers. As they’ve debuted new models, like the [flagship] o1 model, it’s clear from the cost of tokens in that model that it is a crazy expensive model for them to run. The hardware requirements and the processing power point towards that model being the future of the company, but at a substantially increased price. Advertising allows someone else to pay the bill other than the users.” OpenAI wouldn’t be the first generative AI leader to pursue an ads-based model. Microsoft’s AI chatbot Copilot (previously called Bing Chat) and AI search engine Perplexity , for instance, have both introduced ads that appear in generated responses to user queries. Meanwhile, Google announced in October that it is debuting ads in its AI Overviews, which provide AI-generated summaries at the top of search results. While OpenAI is exploring the possibility, Friar caveated in a statement shared with The Drum that the company has no “active plans to pursue advertising.” A boon to business? Experts believe that the addition of ad products could be advantageous to OpenAI as it battles rising operational costs. “It’s hardly surprising that OpenAI would go down the advertising route. Since they announced their for-profit overturn, there’s no question that introducing ads into their products is one of the most straightforward ways to monetize any free software-as-a-service product,” says Eli Goodman, CEO and co-founder at Datos, a Semrush-owned clickstream data provider. He points to Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram as prime examples of the success of ad-based models. Both platforms introduced ads a few years after their respective launches, when they had already developed dedicated user bases. Since OpenAI, too, has a highly engaged user base – now tallying around 200 million active weekly users and more than a million paid business users – the company isn’t likely to repel users with the addition of ads, Goodman suggests. Others agree with the assessment that ads will prove a promising route for the developer. Dustin Engel, the CEO and founder of marketing consultancy Elegant Disruption, for example, says it would be “hard to imagine a scenario where ads aren’t a critical part of OpenAI’s business model,” especially considering that it needs to compete with other platforms that have already embraced ad-based models. Advertisement Engel and others argue that OpenAI’s access to vast swaths of user intent data could potentially offer more precise targeting for advertisers, and more relevant recommendations for users. If a language model like ChatGPT can effectively identify where a user is at in their customer journey – and their level of intent – it will likely be able to surface ads at an opportune moment. But the success of this approach, some experts warn, hinges on the platform’s willingness to establish responsible, privacy-conscious policies for data sharing. OpenAI could follow the lead of Perplexity, for instance, which includes ads in responses to user searches, but promises to never share users’ personal information with advertisers. Will transparency butt heads with user experience? Despite the promise of an ad-supported model, a number of hurdles remain. For one, OpenAI will need to be mindful to disclose advertisements explicitly – and not disguise them as organic responses to prompts. “Consumers generally don’t have a problem with ads as long as the ads are not deceptive and they’re clearly marked,” says TrustInsights.ai’s Penn. “If OpenAI, in the ChatGPT interface, has a response and then there’s a big, bright yellow ‘here’s an ad’ block that clearly denotes where the generated answer and the advertising-placed answer are, that would be [good]. If, on the other hand, the user can’t tell the difference between a purely generated answer and an advertising-placed answer, that would substantially impact trust because you don’t know whether the answer is actually correct or was paid to be correct. In today’s media environment, where trust is at all-time lows for everything, that could be substantially harmful to their business.” Advertisement But other experts argue that ads shouldn’t be highly disruptive – a position that might come into conflict with calls for clear disclosure. Users don’t want to be thrown off by blaring ads that detract from their experience – on the contrary, ads embedded in generated responses should be additive, argues Craig Elimeliah, chief creative officer at Code and Theory, a digital-focused creative agency. “If OpenAI does include ads, it is important that they don’t feel like ads,” he says. “They have to improve the experience, not [just] ‘dis-interrupt’ it.” Elimeliah goes so far as to argue that OpenAI should “consider rethinking ads altogether, blending them into what utility users have come to expect.” He urges OpenAI to ditch traditional ad banners, and instead embrace “tools or experiences that serve the user.” An example he offers are “curated recommendations that feel anticipatory, personal, helpful and aligned with the prompt.” In his view, “the magic is in making ads feel like they belong, and are useful and smart.” It’s a view shared by Greg Swan, senior partner at marketing agency Finn Partners, who says: “The challenge – and the opportunity – is to ensure that these ads enhance the experience rather than detract from it. If AI ads can be contextually relevant, helpful or even entertaining, they could feel like a natural extension of the platform’s capabilities, much like search ads did for Google, Yahoo and others.” Like Penn, Swan emphasizes the importance of maintaining user trust through transparency – ensuring that users are never in the dark about whether they’re being served an ad. Of course, ensuring ads are clearly disclosed while maintaining a seamless user experience is a fine line to toe. And even if OpenAI is able to develop compelling ad products, winning over ad dollars may prove challenging. OpenAI won’t just have to supply audiences – it will also have to prove out its performance potential. “Most advertisers are used to paying for eyeballs, or tonnage,” says Penn. “OpenAI would have to convince advertisers that their product performs better not on a traffic perspective, but on a performance perspective – that their language model successfully identifies commercial intent and directs the user when the user is ready to make a purchase. If [OpenAI] can do that, they will [prove to be better for brands than] spending a huge amount on impression-based advertising, say, on Instagram.” The brand safety conundrum Another hurdle for OpenAI is ensuring brand safety. Platforms like ChatGPT can produce unpredictable and controversial content. Further, misinformation and ‘hallucination’ remain unsolved problems in generative AI. In October, Dow Jones and the New York Post filed a lawsuit against Perplexity, alleging that the platform generated fake bits of news reporting and incorrectly attributed the text to the publishers. This phenomenon presents serious concerns for many brands. “If an ad appears in an inappropriate or poorly contextualized AI output, it could backfire,” says Swan. “OpenAI will need robust brand safety mechanisms and clear content guidelines to mitigate this.” Catch up on the most important stories of the day, curated by our editorial team. Stay up to date with a curated digest of the most important marketing stories and expert insights from our global team. Learn how to pitch to our editors and get published on The Drum. The sophistication of OpenAI’s brand safety guardrails may depend on the level of integration between the model in question and the ad products. “If the language model can understand intent and make recommendations at the right time based on the conversation, [OpenAI] will do well. If it just is flinging ads on a primitive keyword basis, it’s going to do poorly, because that’s no better than what you can get in traditional search,” says Penn. Ultimately, however, the onus for managing brand safety will remain on the advertisers themselves. Max Kalehoff, chief growth officer at Realeyes, an ad testing firm that uses AI and computer vision to measure attention and engagement, advises that advertisers “closely monitor their presence and reputations, and develop strategies and tools to proactively manage them.” Of course, once advertisers are enticed, they’ll demand granular performance reporting to justify their spend. OpenAI will also need to grapple with the task of providing focused metrics and proof of return on ad spend to maintain brand investments. A new era of AI’s interplay with adland Should OpenAI choose to invest in a hybrid ad- and subscription-based model, it may establish a precedent in the industry. “The key will be execution,” says Elegant Disruption’s Engel. “If OpenAI missteps and alienates users, others may hesitate to follow suit. Conversely, a well-implemented ad strategy could set the standard and drive broader adoption. Competitors like Anthropic or MidJourney may feel pressure to adopt similar strategies to remain competitive.” Realeyes’ Kalehoff is more bullish. “I expect the trend to gain steam. Advertising has long been a large, resilient component of our world economy. The players who dominate control and benefit from advertising come and go, though the advertising economy itself has proven its sustainability over and over again for well over 100 years. AI companies need to make money somehow.” And as AI capabilities expand, so too do the possibilities – and the risks – for brands. For example, the novel proliferation of AI agents – who can make decisions and take actions on behalf of users, like, say, making salon appointments or booking dinner reservations – is unleashing new opportunities. For instance, says Penn, “If you’re on a recipe website and you want to have AI generate a recipe, there are opportunities within that workflow to use [both] AI agents and traditional code to introduce products. If you’re asking for a recipe for a Christmas ham and your language model understands that named entity and you have an advertiser – Honey Baked Ham or whoever – that could be injected in.” But the possibilities are greater still. As AI agents become increasingly common, brands may be able to market or advertise directly to agents rather than to real users. In response, the agent could organically recommend a product or service to its user. In Engel’s view, “that’s the holy grail – getting your product recommended by an AI that knows its user inside out.” Meanwhile, the generative AI boom is reshaping the media landscape at large by empowering users to create their own personalized content on demand, from stories to films, in mere seconds. It’s a shift that’s increasingly threatening traditional media’s relevance and challenging advertisers to adapt to a world where broad-reach strategies no longer apply. With users engaging privately with AI platforms to create their own content, ad opportunities tied to public media consumption are shrinking. In this paradigm, Penn predicts, the brands that come out on top will be those that build loyal, direct audiences and work to get their messages seamlessly embedded in personalized AI experiences. If one thing is clear, it’s that the tides are changing dramatically. “This shift will push the industry to rethink how advertising and AI coexist, balancing monetization with user trust and creative integrity,” says Engel. “For OpenAI and others, the opportunity is immense – but so are the stakes.” For more, sign up for The Drum’s daily newsletter here .

Kansas holds off Auburn for No. 1 in AP Top 25 as SEC grabs 3 of top 4 spots; UConn slides to No. 25 Kansas continues to hold the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll. Auburn is pushing the Jayhawks in the latest poll after winning the Maui Invitational and checked in at No. 2. Two-time reigning national champion UConn nearly fell out entirely after an 0-3 week at Maui, falling from No. 2 to 25th. The Southeastern Conference had three of the top four teams with No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Kentucky behind the Tigers. The poll featured six new teams, headlined by No. 13 Oregon, No. 16 Memphis and No. 18 Pittsburgh. TCU, Duke climb into top 10, Notre Dame drops in women's AP Top 25; UCLA and UConn remain 1-2 TCU has its best ranking ever in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll after a convincing win over Notre Dame. The Horned Frogs jumped eight spots to No. 9, the first time the school has ever been in the top 10. The Fighting Irish, who were third last week, fell seven spots to 10th after losses to TCU and Utah. UCLA remained No. 1, followed by UConn, South Carolina, Texas and LSU. USC, Maryland and Duke are next. Houston's Al-Shaair apologizes for hit on Jacksonville's Lawrence that led to concussion HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair took to X to apologize to Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence after his violent blow to the quarterback’s facemask led to him being carted off the field with a concussion. Back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a sprained left shoulder, Lawrence scrambled left on a second-and-7 play in the second quarter of Houston’s 23-20 win on Sunday. He initiated a slide before Al-Shaair raised his forearm and unleashed on the defenseless quarterback. In the long post, Al-Shaair says "To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening.” Philadelphia ready to go the distance with RockyFest week dedicated to 'Rocky' movies PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rocky Balboa fans are ready to go the distance to honor Philly’s favorite fictional fighter almost 50 years after the first movie launched the enduring series of an underdog boxer persevering despite the odds. The city Rocky called home at last has a week dedicated to the box office heavyweight champion of the world a year after the inaugural Rocky Day was held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps. RockyFest officially kicks off Tuesday and a series of events dedicated to the movies series are set to be held around the city. How to sum up 2024? The Oxford University Press word of the year is 'brain rot' LONDON (AP) — Oxford University Press has named “brain rot” its word of the year. It's defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state,” especially from consuming too much low-grade online content. Oxford University Press said Monday that the phrase “gained new prominence in 2024,” with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before. It was chosen by a combination of public vote and language analysis by Oxford lexicographers. The five other word-of-the-year finalists were demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy and lore. Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said the choice of phrase “feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology.” Scientists gather to decode puzzle of the world's rarest whale in 'extraordinary' New Zealand study WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Scientists and culture experts in New Zealand have begun the first-ever dissection of a spade-toothed whale, the world's rarest whale species. The creature, which washed up dead on a beach on New Zealand's South Island in July, is only the seventh specimen ever found. None has ever been seen alive at sea. Almost nothing is known about it but scientists, working with Māori cultural experts, hope to answer some of the many lingering questions this week, including where they live, what they eat, how they produce sound and how this specimen died. Hong Kong launches panda sculpture tour as the city hopes the bear craze boosts tourism HONG KONG (AP) — Thousands of giant panda sculptures will greet residents and tourists starting on Saturday in Hong Kong, where enthusiasm for the bears has grown since two cubs were born in a local theme park. The 2,500 exhibits will be publicly displayed at the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, one of Hong Kong’s popular shopping districts, this weekend before setting their footprint at three other locations this month. The displays reflect Hong Kong’s use of pandas to boost its economy as the Chinese financial hub works to regain its position as one of Asia’s top tourism destinations. Violent hit on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence 'has no business being in our league,' coach says JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was carted off the field after taking a violent elbow to the facemask from Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. It prompted two sideline-clearing scuffles. Lawrence clenched both fists after the hit, movements consistent with what’s referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury. Lawrence was on the ground for several minutes as teammates came to his defense and mobbed Al-Shaair. Lawrence eventually was helped to his feet and loaded into the front seat of a cart to be taken off the field. He was not transported to a hospital. He was quickly ruled out with a concussion, though. Al-Shaair and Jaguars rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones were ejected after the first altercation. Big Ten fines Michigan and Ohio State $100,000 each for postgame melee ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — The Big Ten Conference has announced it fined Michigan and Ohio State $100,000 each for violating the conference’s sportsmanship policy for the on-field melee at the end of the Wolverines’ win in Columbus .A fight broke out at midfield Saturday after the Wolverines’ 13-10 victory when Michigan players attempted to plant their flag on the OSU logo and were confronted by the Buckeyes. Police used pepper spray to break up the players, who threw punches and shoves. One officer suffered a head injury when he was “knocked down and trampled while trying to separate players fighting." The officer was taken to a hospital and has since been released. Marshall Brickman, who co-wrote 'Annie Hall' with Woody Allen, dies at 85 NEW YORK (AP) — The Oscar-winning screenwriter Marshall Brickman, whose wide-ranging career spanned some of Woody Allen’s best films, the Broadway musical “Jersey Boys” and a number of Johnny Carson’s most beloved sketches, has died. He was 85. Brickman died Friday in Manhattan, his daughter Sophie Brickman told The New York Times. No cause of death was cited. Brickman was best known for his extensive collaboration with Allen, beginning with the 1973 film “Sleeper.” Together, they co-wrote “Annie Hall," “Manhattan” and “Manhattan Murder Mystery." The loosely structured script for “Annie Hall,” in particular, has been hailed as one of the wittiest comedies. It won Brickman and Allen an Oscar for best original screenplay.FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — This was not the homecoming scenario Kirk Cousins would have scripted. Cousins' return to Minnesota, his NFL home from 2018 through 2023, on Sunday comes as he is hearing speculation about his job security in Atlanta. Cousins has thrown six interceptions with no touchdowns in the Falcons' three-game losing streak. That includes four picks in last week's 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, his most in a decade. “It’s kind of the challenge always in pro football to be able to get back up off the mat and get back going,” Cousins said after Wednesday's practice. A vote of confidence from coach Raheem Morris can't silence suggestions that it's time to give rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. a chance to jump-start the Falcons' struggling offense. Morris said Sunday he didn't consider removing Cousins from the game, and he repeated his support for the veteran on Wednesday. “Got to go to Minnesota and get a big-time win and Kirk’s ready to go,” Morris said before acknowledging Cousins must bounce back from “obviously a tough game.” “You know, realistically, man he is built for this and he’s ready to go,” Morris said. The losing streak has left the Falcons (6-6) struggling to remain on top of the weak NFC South. They hold the tiebreaker advantage with Tampa Bay (6-6), but need Cousins to end his turnover streak. Cousins, 36, was expected to be the reliable leader on offense after he signed a four-year, $180 million contract. He will be in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. He said he expects a loud reception from Minnesota's fans. “They’re great fans, great football fans,” Cousins said. “As a result I think they’ll make it as hostile as they can for us.” Cousins ranks fifth in the league with 3,052 passing yards. He has 17 touchdown passes and his 13 interceptions are only one shy of his career high. Cousins insists he feels strong in his return from last season's torn Achilles tendon. He was critical of his mental mistakes in the loss to the Chargers. He said he rushed some passes, sometimes lacking the necessary velocity on his throws and giving defensive backs the opportunity to step in front of receivers for interceptions. Atlanta offensive coordinator Zac Robinson also said Cousins' lack of velocity on his throws “just goes back to, you know, decisiveness, being decisive when you do cut it loose. Certainly those things happen with quarterbacks. There might be times where, you know, you’re not as convicted on a throw. And it shows by the way the football comes out.” Morris said he still has confidence in Cousins' arm and the mental side to his game. “He’s done a great job with us, and I have no real qualms about him bouncing back and him being able to play the game the way it needs to be done,” Morris said. “He’s still an elite processor. He has the ability to make all the throws. He’s shown that throughout the year.” Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores also said he expects Cousins will shake out of his slump. “I know the narrative is he had a tough game last week, but he’s played some good football," Flores said. "I think the people in this building know what Kirk can do. He’s a very, very good quarterback.” Added Flores: “He’s a bounce-back type of guy, as we all know. I’m expecting his best, the best version of Kirk, the best version of that offense. It’s going to be a major challenge for us.” Atlanta's offensive production has dipped while the veteran quarterback’s turnovers have been on the rise. The Falcons were held to under 20 points in each of their three straight losses. “Have to just believe that tough times don’t last, tough people do,” Cousins said. “You have to keep pushing.” AP Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

WISNER, Neb. — Ponca built a 19-9 halftime lead and outlasted Plainview for a 39-25 victory over the Pirates in the championship of the Shootout on the Elkhorn boys’ basketball tournament, Saturday in Wisner, Nebraska. Tucker McGill led Ponca with 17 points. Austin Dendinger finished with 11 points. Wyatt Schroth scored eight points to lead Plainview. Karter Lingenfelter added seven points. HN Holiday Tourn. Lutheran High Northeast 46, Hartington-Newcastle 28 HARTINGTON, Neb. — Lutheran High Northeast took control in the middle periods, outscoring Hartington-Newcastle 20-7 to claim a 46-28 victory over the Wildcats in the Hartington-Newcastle Holiday boys’ basketball Tournament on Saturday. D’artagnan Taylor led LHNE with 18 points. Gavin Fedders scored 11 points and Colston Kapels added 10 points for the Eagles. Austin Sudbeck finished with eight points and three steals for Hartington-Newcastle. Brayden Lammers posted even points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. LHNE, 6-3, concludes the round robin tournament with a matchup against West Holt on Monday in Hartington. Hartington-Newcastle, 2-5, hosts Randolph on Friday. Great NE Neb. Shootout Cedar Catholic 79, South Sioux City 42 WAYNE, Neb. — Nolan Becker scored a game-high 25 points to lead Cedar Catholic past South Sioux City 79-42 in the consolation semifinals of the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout, Saturday in Wayne. Jaymison Cattau finished with 17 points for Cedar Catholic (3-3), which will play Winnebago for fifth on Monday. Mason Baller and Breiton Whitmire each scored eight points for the Trojans, who led 49-23 at the half. Jamison Houseman led SSC (3-5) with 16 points. Paul Tuner and Prestin Blackhawk each had nine points. SSC will face Laurel-Concord-Coleridge in the seventh place game. Winnebago 69, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 63 WAYNE, Neb. — Winnebago took control with a 20-2 edge in the third quarter, then held on for a 69-63 victory over Laurel-Concord-Coleridge in the consolation semifinals of the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout, Saturday in Wayne. Rahkim Free-Bass hit three three-pointers on the way to 15 points for Winnebago (4-5), which led 51-36 after three quarters. Darrius LaPointe and Rachman Free-Bass each had 12 points. Kellen Medina added 10 points for Winnebago, which had seven players combine to hit 11 three-pointers in the contest. Gibson Roberts scored a game-high 35 points for LCC (4-4). Caleb Erwin added nine points for the Bears. Winnebago will face Cedar Catholic in the fifth place game on Monday. Laurel-Concord-Coleridge will face South Sioux City for seventh. Pender 42, Pierce 32 WAYNE, Neb. — Pender built a 22-11 halftime lead on the way to a 42-32 victory over Pierce in the semifinals of the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout, Saturday in Wayne. Pender finished with 13 points for Pender (8-0), which will face fellow unbeaten Wayne in the championship on Monday. Trevor Trimble and Alex Roth each had 11 points in the victory. Keaton Frazier scored 12 points for Pierce, which will face Plattsmouth for third. Wayne 67, Plattsmouth 38 WAYNE, Neb. — Wayne outscored Plattsmouth 20-7 in the opening quarter on the way to a 67-38 rout in the semifinals of the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout, Saturday in Wayne. Colson Nelsen finished with 17 points for Wayne (7-0), which will face fellow unbeaten Pender in the championship on Monday. Jace Jorgensen scored 13 points, Gavin Redden had 12 points and Jaxson Kneifl added 10 points in the victory. Traceson Skalberg led Plattsmouth (2-6) with 15 points. Logan Ksiazek had nine points. Plattsmouth will face Pierce in the third place game. WPB Holiday Tourn. Archangels 54, Crofton 32 WEST POINT, Neb. — Archangels Catholic took control after the opening period, outscoring Crofton 43-13 after the opening period to claim a 54-32 victory over the Warriors in the opening round of the West Point-Beemer Holiday boys’ basketball Tournament, Saturday in West Point, Nebraska. Jace Panning scored nine points for Crofton. Archangels Catholic (7-1) will face host West Point-Beemer in the final on Monday. Crofton (2-5) will take on Wynot in the consolation game. Hoop City Classic Freeman 59, White River 45 MITCHELL — The Freeman boys continued their strong start to the season with a 59-45 victory over White River in the Hoop City Classic, Saturday in Mitchell. David Walter led Freeman (3-0) with 21 points and nine rebounds. Tate Sorenson finished with a double-double, recording 18 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. For White River (2-4), Teagen Bouman finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. Bryson One Star posted nine points, five assists and three steals. Freeman travels to Howard on Friday. White River is off until a Jan. 7 trip to Kadoka Area. Pine Ridge 55, Parkston 48 MITCHELL — Marvin Richard III filled the stat sheet in leading the Pine Ridge boys past Parkston 55-48 in the Hoop City Classic, Saturday in Mitchell. Richard recorded 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists for Pine Ridge (5-3). Anthony Steele added 16 points and 10 rebounds. James Deckert led Parkston (3-1) with 13 points and seven rebounds. Reco Muilenburg scored 11 points, Brycen Bruening scored eight points and Elliott Leischner added seven rebounds for the Trojans (3-1). Pine Ridge returns to Mitchell on Monday to face Lennox in the Hoop City Classic. Parkston faces Aberdeen Roncalli on Monday as it hosts the Parkston Classic. Other Games Gayville-Volin 48, Canistota 31 CANISTOTA — Gayville-Volin built a 32-15 halftime lead on the way to a 48-31 victory over Canistota in boys’ basketball action on Saturday. Spencer Karstens led Gayville-Volin with 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Preston Karstens scored 14 points. Hunter Wuebben added nine rebounds and four assists in the victory. Brady Scott led Canistota (0-3) with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Gayville-Volin, 3-1, hosts Bon Homme on Tuesday. Canistota travels to Corsica-Stickney on Friday.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took a hit to his wallet as a result of his on-field actions last week. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the 29-year-old had been fined $14,069 for "unsportsmanlike conduct" due to a "violent gesture" he made during the game. Mahomes raised his hands and made the "violent" gesture after a big throw, which was caught on the television. This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis. For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app , homepage and social feeds—including Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok .Colby Rogers made 6 of 9 3-pointers and scored 28 points as host Memphis defeated No. 16 Ole Miss 87-70 on Saturday afternoon. Rogers fouled out and finished one 3-pointer and one point short of his career-highs in both categories and Memphis never trailed. PJ Haggerty added 17 points, Dain Dainja had 16 and Moussa Cisse, an Ole Miss transfer who's in his second stint with the Tigers (10-3), had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Sean Pedulla scored 13, Jaylen Murray had 12 and Malik Dia added 11 to lead the Rebels (11-2), who had won their last five games. Memphis scored the first five points of the second half to increase its lead to 43-36. Pedulla made a layup for Ole Miss' first points, but Nicholas Jourdain made consecutive field goals to push the lead to nine. Mikeal Brown-Jones made two free throws for the Rebels before Haggerty made a 3-pointer and Cisse added a tip-in for a 52-40 lead. Pedulla made a jumper before Brown-Jones was ejected for committing a Flagrant 2 foul. Haggerty made both of the technical free throws and Rogers added two 3-pointers to push the lead to 16. Ole Miss got within 11 points four times, but couldn't get any closer until Matthew Murrell's dunk trimmed the lead to 76-67 with five minutes remaining. Rogers answered with a 3-pointer and Dainja added two field goals to increase the lead to 16. Murray made a free throw, but the Rebels didn't make a field goal during the final 5:32. The Tigers scored the first four points of the game and Haggerty had four as they opened a 9-2 lead. The Rebels made consecutive field goals before Memphis scored eight straight points for a 17-6 lead. Eduardo Klafke made a 3-pointer to end the run, but Rogers' 3-pointer helped the Tigers increase the lead to 27-14. Ole Miss scored the next seven points before Cisse's basket ended the run. The Rebels closed within four points four times Brown-Jones made two free throws to trim the lead to 38-36 at halftime. --Field Level Media

JPMorgan Chase & Co. trimmed its holdings in shares of Saia, Inc. ( NASDAQ:SAIA – Free Report ) by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,080,530 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 16,130 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned approximately 4.06% of Saia worth $472,473,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Saia during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $41,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Saia during the second quarter worth approximately $42,000. Paladin Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Saia during the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. Tobam acquired a new position in Saia in the 3rd quarter valued at $100,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in Saia by 319.1% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 285 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $135,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. Insider Buying and Selling at Saia In related news, EVP Rohit Lal sold 1,120 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $560.00, for a total value of $627,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 8,270 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,631,200. This represents a 11.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Get Our Latest Stock Report on SAIA Saia Trading Down 0.2 % Shares of SAIA stock opened at $475.31 on Friday. Saia, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $358.90 and a fifty-two week high of $628.34. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $511.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $459.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a current ratio of 1.26. Saia ( NASDAQ:SAIA – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 25th. The transportation company reported $3.46 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.53 by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $842.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $839.82 million. Saia had a return on equity of 18.00% and a net margin of 11.83%. The business’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.67 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Saia, Inc. will post 13.51 EPS for the current fiscal year. Saia Profile ( Free Report ) Saia, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a transportation company in North America. The company provides less-than-truckload services for shipments between 100 and 10,000 pounds; and other value-added services, including non-asset truckload, expedited, and logistics services. It also offers other value-added services, including non-asset truckload, expedited, and logistics services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Saia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Saia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Share Tweet Share Share Email The rising cost of healthcare has been a pressing concern for many individuals and families worldwide. Traditional health insurance plans, often riddled with complex terms, high premiums, and out-of-pocket expenses, have left countless people searching for alternative solutions. Enter subscription-based healthcare services—an innovative model that aims to simplify medical costs while providing affordable and accessible care . What Are Subscription-Based Healthcare Services? Subscription-based healthcare services operate on a model similar to popular streaming platforms like Netflix or Spotify. Instead of paying for each service separately or navigating the complexities of traditional insurance, members pay a monthly or annual fee to access a predefined set of healthcare services. These services often include: Routine check-ups Preventive care Virtual consultations Diagnostic tests Chronic disease management This straightforward approach eliminates hidden fees and allows patients to plan their healthcare expenses better. Why Are Healthcare Costs So High? Understanding the need for subscription-based healthcare begins with examining why traditional healthcare costs are so high. Factors contributing to these costs include: Administrative Expenses: A significant portion of healthcare spending goes toward billing, insurance negotiations, and paperwork. Pharmaceutical Prices: Prescription drug costs in some countries, especially the United States, are among the highest in the world. Fee-for-Service Model: Traditional systems often incentivize quantity over quality, leading to unnecessary procedures. Lack of Transparency: Patients rarely know the cost of services upfront, resulting in surprise bills . These challenges have created a demand for simpler, more predictable payment models—a gap that subscription-based services aim to fill. Benefits of Subscription-Based Healthcare Services Cost Predictability One of the primary advantages of subscription-based healthcare is cost predictability. With a fixed monthly fee, patients can budget their medical expenses without worrying about unexpected charges. This transparency fosters trust between providers and patients. Accessibility to Care Subscription models often include telehealth services, making it easier for patients to access care from the comfort of their homes. This is especially beneficial for individuals in remote areas or those with mobility challenges. Focus on Preventive Care Preventive care is a cornerstone of subscription-based healthcare. Regular check-ups and early interventions can prevent minor issues from escalating into costly emergencies, ultimately reducing overall healthcare spending. Enhanced Doctor-Patient Relationships By eliminating the bureaucracy associated with insurance, doctors can spend more time focusing on patient care. Many subscription-based providers limit the number of patients they serve, ensuring personalized attention. No Surprise Bills Unlike traditional healthcare systems, where bills can be confusing and unpredictable, subscription models offer clear pricing structures. Patients know exactly what they are paying for. Examples of Subscription-Based Healthcare Services Several companies and healthcare providers have embraced the subscription model , offering services tailored to different needs: Direct Primary Care (DPC) DPC practices charge a monthly fee, typically ranging from $50 to $150, covering a variety of primary care services. These include office visits, basic lab tests, and chronic disease management. Telehealth Platforms Companies like Teladoc and MDLIVE offer virtual healthcare subscriptions, providing access to doctors, mental health professionals, and specialists via video or phone calls. Specialized Care Subscriptions Some subscription services focus on specific areas like mental health (e.g., BetterHelp) or women’s health (e.g., Maven Clinic), catering to niche patient needs. How Subscription-Based Healthcare Benefits Employers Employers are also recognizing the value of subscription-based healthcare services. Many companies are offering these plans as part of their employee benefits packages to: Reduce overall healthcare costs Enhance employee satisfaction and retention Improve workplace productivity by ensuring employees have access to timely care Subscription-based models are especially attractive to small businesses that may struggle to afford traditional group insurance plans. Challenges and Considerations While subscription-based healthcare services have numerous advantages, they are not without challenges. Here are a few considerations: Limited Coverage Subscription models often focus on primary care and may not cover specialized treatments or hospitalizations. Patients may still need traditional insurance for catastrophic events. Regulatory Hurdles In some regions, regulatory frameworks are not yet equipped to handle this new model, potentially limiting its adoption. Scalability As more patients adopt subscription-based services, providers may face challenges in maintaining the personalized care that sets this model apart. The Future of Subscription-Based Healthcare The subscription-based healthcare model is poised for significant growth, driven by technological advancements and shifting patient preferences. Innovations such as artificial intelligence, wearable health devices, and data analytics can further enhance these services, making care more proactive and personalized. Additionally, as more individuals prioritize transparency and affordability, the demand for subscription-based healthcare is likely to rise. Policymakers and healthcare providers will need to collaborate to address regulatory barriers and ensure that these services are accessible to all. Conclusion Affordable subscription-based healthcare services represent a promising solution to the challenges of traditional healthcare systems. By offering cost predictability, improved access, and a focus on preventive care, this model has the potential to revolutionize how we approach medical costs. While it may not replace traditional insurance entirely, it serves as a valuable complement, providing individuals and families with an alternative path to managing their health. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, subscription-based services will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping a more equitable and efficient system for all. Related Items: Healthcare Services , Simplifying Medical Costs , Subscription-Based Healthcare Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you Medical Expense Management: Simplifying Payments for Healthcare Services 5G Technology Explained: What It Means for Consumers and Businesses Navigating the Complexities of Life Care Planning in San Diego CommentsDhananjay Munde: From asset to liability for NCPFazl says will 'mull' meeting Imran Khan if requested

TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told that Americans would also suffer if the president-elect follows through on a , a Canadian minister who attended their recent dinner said Monday. Trump if they don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders with the United States. He said on social media last week that he would impose a 25% tax on as one of his first executive orders. Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, attended a dinner with Trump and Trudeau at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on Friday. Trudeau requested the meeting in that the northern border is . "The prime minister of course spoke about the importance of protecting the Canadian economy and Canadian workers from tariffs, but we also discussed with our American friends the negative impact that those tariffs could have on their economy, on affordability in the United States as well," LeBlanc said in Parliament. If Trump on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, for food, clothing, automobiles, alcohol and other goods. The Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said last week that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when the countries retaliate. Canada is already tariffs on certain items from the U.S. should Trump follow through on the threat. After his dinner with Trump, returned home without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. “The idea that we came back empty handed is completely false,” LeBlanc said. “We had a very productive discussion with Mr. Trump and his future Cabinet secretaries. ... The commitment from Mr. Trump to continue to work with us was far from empty handed.” Joining Trump and Trudeau at dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, and Mike Waltz, Trump’s choice to be his national security adviser. Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, told The Associated Press on Sunday that “the message that our border is so vastly different than the Mexican border was really understood.” Hillman, who sat at an adjacent table to Trudeau and Trump, said Canada is not the problem when it comes to drugs and migrants. On Monday, Mexico’s president rejected those comments. “Mexico must be respected, especially by its trading partners,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said. She said Canada had its own problems with fentanyl consumption and “could only wish they had the cultural riches Mexico has.” Flows of migrants and seizures of drugs at the two countries’ border are vastly different. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Most of the fentanyl reaching the U.S. — where it causes about 70,000 overdose deaths annually — is using precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol reported 1.53 million encounters with migrants at the southwest border with Mexico between October 2023 and September 2024. That compares to 23,721 encounters at the Canadian border during that time. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports as well. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing for national security.NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Emerance Maschmeyer turned in 34 saves on 35 shots on goal and the Ottawa Charge held off the New York Sirens 3-1 on Sunday for their second win in six games. Playing their first game in 10 days, the Charge got a first-period goal from Emily Clark and Shiann Darkangelo and Kateřina Mrázová added second-period goals to build a 3-0 lead through two periods. Ottawa has scored at least three goals in all five of its meetings with New York over two seasons. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

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BATAVIA, Ill., Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High Wire Networks, Inc. HWNI , a leading global provider of managed cybersecurity, reported results for continuing operations for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2024. All comparisons are to the same year-ago period unless otherwise noted. The following results are from continuing operations following the divesture of the company's technology enablement services business on June 27, 2024. The company's current business segments include Overwatch managed cybersecurity services and SVC telecom services. Q3 2024 Operational Highlights Awarded an expanded annual contract renewal to deliver enhanced managed cybersecurity at more than a dozen luxury car dealerships across the West Coast and Midwest U.S. The renewal increases the anticipated annual revenue by fivefold over the previous year. Recognized as top cybersecurity leader in Frost & Sullivan's managed security services report, Frost RadarTM: Managed Security Services in Americas, 2024 . Appointed veteran cybersecurity thought leader and executive, Edward Vasko, CISSP, as High Wire's chief operations officer and chief executive officer of the Overwatch managed cybersecurity services division. Vasko brings to High Wire more than 33 years of experience and accomplishment in the cybersecurity industry, including business formation and product development, and leading strategic M&As and major exits. Appointed Mark Dallmeier to the new position of chief revenue officer of Overwatch. Dallmeier brings to Overwatch 27 years of accomplishment in taking technology and managed services companies into ‘hypergrowth.' Appointed Michael Lieder as senior director of Overwatch Service Delivery and Products. Financial Highlights Revenue from continuing operations in the third quarter of 2024 increased 4% to a record $2.1 million, with revenue for the first nine months up 8% to a record $6.1 million. The increases were primarily due to growth in the company's Overwatch managed cybersecurity business. Q3 2024 revenue from Overwatch increased 9% to $1.0 million. Operating income for SVC was $103,000, up 600% from the second quarter of 2024, with operating income for the first nine months up 34% to $252,000. Operating expenses decreased 21% to $3.6 million, as compared to $4.6 million in the same year-ago quarter, as the result of the company's strategic realignment initiative. Net loss from continuing operations in the third quarter totaled $1.7 million or $(0.01) per diluted share, a 56% improvement from a net loss of $3.8 million or $(0.01) per diluted share in the same year-ago quarter. Total liabilities for the third quarter of 2024 decreased $5.9 million to $7.6 million at quarter end from $13.6 million at the end of the same year-ago quarter. Interest expense decreased $1.1 million or 96% to $50,000 in the third quarter of 2024. Management Commentary "In Q3, we saw continued revenue growth from our Overwatch managed cybersecurity and telecom businesses as we began to realize the benefits of the strategic realignment we initiated in the second quarter," stated High Wire CEO, Mark Porter. "This realignment included the divestiture of our IT enablement services business so we could focus on the greater and more rewarding opportunities in managed cybersecurity. "The strong momentum we've experienced with our current business in Q3, including higher average monthly recurring revenue from new and expanded engagements, validates this transition. It also reinforces our strategy of targeting larger channel partners and enterprise-level opportunities in the cybersecurity space. "Our Overwatch growth in the quarter is perhaps even more impressive when considering the distraction of the IT divestiture and our transition to focus on Overwatch. Our sharper focus on Overwatch resulted in the full realignment of our Overwatch management team with certain departures and key news hires designed to better prepare us for the accelerating growth we see ahead. "The new appointments included Ed Vasko as our new Overwatch CEO, Mark Dallmeier as chief revenue officer, and Michael Lieder as senior director of Overwatch's service delivery and products. Together, they have refined our go-to-market strategy around larger partners, paving the way for strong growth ahead. "During the quarter we also implemented efficiencies that decreased our operating expenses by 21% versus the same year-ago quarter. This substantial improvement demonstrates the effectiveness of our operating strategies and leverage in our model, which includes the application of advanced AI automation and engineering. "Altogether, these efforts have resulted in the largest pipeline of large deals in our company's history, with several in the final closing stages and supporting our path to profitability. Combined with now a much cleaner capital structure, we are well positioned for an uplisting to a major exchange — especially how the capital markets are looking the best they've been in many months. Capable players have expressed strong interest and confidence in helping us with such an endeavor. "Last month, we were honored to be recognized for the fourth consecutive year by MSSP Alert as a Top 100 provider in the managed security service space. This achievement reflects our team's dedication to delivering cutting-edge solutions through our Overwatch ecosystem, including managed XDR and advanced edge protection. We believe these solutions meet the evolving needs of our partners and customers like none other on the market today. "Looking ahead, we remain confident in our ability to capitalize on the new foundation we've established. Our diversified service offerings in secure voice, combined with enhanced compliance and quality, are attracting new customers and unlocking additional revenue streams. "As we progress through the final quarter of the year and into 2025, we expect accelerating growth with this supporting significant profitability by the second half of the new year. This positive outlook, coupled with the strengthening macroeconomic sentiment among our partners, positions us well for executing our managed cybersecurity strategy and delivering greater shareholder value." Q3 2024 Financial Summary Revenue in the third quarter of 2024 totaled $2.1 million, an increase of 4% from $2.0 million in the same year-ago quarter. The increase in revenue reflects an increase in revenue from the company's Overwatch managed cybersecurity business. At the end of the third quarter of 2024, Overwatch was generating monthly recuring revenue of approximately $0.4 million or $4.8 million on an annualized basis. Gross profit totaled $0.7 million or 33.1% of revenue in the third quarter, improving from $0.6 million or 32.6% of revenue in the same year-ago quarter. The increase in gross profit in the third quarter of 2024 was primarily due to the business moving towards a more scalable, efficient cyber platform as well as the efficiencies gained by continued improvements in the company's automation capabilities. Total operating expenses decreased 21% to $3.6 million compared to $4.6 million from the same year-ago quarter. The decrease is due to decreases in salaries and wages expenses of $0.8 million, general and administrative expenses of $812,000, and depreciation and amortization of $12,000. Net loss from continuing operations in the third quarter of 2024 totaled $1.7 million or $(0.01) per diluted share, compared to a net loss from continuing operations of $3.8 million or $(0.01) per diluted share in the same year-ago quarter. Net loss attributable to High Wire Networks common shareholders in the third quarter of 2024 totaled $1.7 million or $(0.01) per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $3.6 million or $(0.01) per diluted share in the same year-ago quarter. First Nine Months of 2024 Financial Summary Revenue in the first nine months of 2024 totaled $6.1 million, an increase of 8% from $5.6 million in the same year-ago period. The increase in revenue reflects the same reasons described above. In the first nine months of 2024, the Overwatch managed cybersecurity business contributed revenue of $3.1 million, as compared to $2.9 million in the same year-ago period. Gross profit totaled $2.4 million or 39.8% of revenue in the first nine months of 2024 as compared to $1.7 million or 29.6% of revenue in the same year-ago period. The increase in gross profit reflects the same reasons described above. Total operating expenses decreased 7% to $12.2 million compared to $13.0 million from the same year-ago period. The decrease is primarily due to decreases in general and administrative expenses of $1.2 million and depreciation and amortization of $6,000. Net loss from continuing operations in the first nine months of 2024 totaled $7.7 million or $(0.03) per diluted share, compared to a net loss from continuing operations of $6.4 million or $(0.02) per diluted share in the same year-ago period. Net income attributable to High Wire Networks common shareholders in the first nine months of 2024 totaled $2.0 million or $0.01 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $7.5 million or $(0.03) per diluted share in the same year-ago period. The first nine months of 2024 included a gain on the sale of the company's technology enablement business for approximately $8 million. About High Wire Networks High Wire Networks, Inc. HWNI is a fast-growing, award-winning global provider of managed cybersecurity. Through over 200 channel partners, it delivers trusted managed services for more than 1,100 managed security customers worldwide. End-customers include Fortune 500 companies and many of the nation's largest government agencies. Its U.S. based 24/7 Network Operations Center and Security Operations Center is located in Chicago, Illinois. High Wire was ranked by Frost & Sullivan as a Top 15 Managed Security Service Provider in the Americas for 2024. It was also named to CRN's MSP 500 and Elite 150 lists of the nation's top IT managed service providers for 2023 and 2024. Learn more at HighWireNetworks.com . Follow the company on X , view its extensive video series on YouTube or connect on LinkedIn . Forward-Looking Statements The above news release contains forward-looking statements. The statements contained in this document that are not statements of historical fact, including but not limited to, statements identified by the use of terms such as "anticipate," "appear," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "hope," "indicate," "intend," "likely," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "would," and other variations or negative expressions of these terms, including statements related to expected market trends and the Company's performance, are all "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on assumptions that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and its management. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performances and are subject to a wide range of external factors, uncertainties, business risks, and other risks identified in filings made by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in the company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any statement is based except as required by applicable law and regulations. High Wire Contact Mark Porter Chief Executive Officer High Wire Networks Tel +1 (952) 974-4000 Email contact Investor & Media Relations: Ronald Both or Grant Stude CMA Investor & Media Relations Tel +1 (949) 432-7557 Email contact High Wire Networks, Inc. Condensed consolidated statements of operations (Unaudited) For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Revenue $ 2,051,672 $ 1,974,464 $ 6,050,793 $ 5,623,104 Operating expenses: Cost of revenue 1,372,998 1,330,426 3,641,460 3,957,640 Depreciation and amortization 186,422 198,208 608,283 614,098 Salaries and wages 1,043,209 1,854,917 4,394,912 3,743,614 General and administrative 1,019,153 1,204,488 3,507,287 4,700,827 Total operating expenses 3,621,782 4,588,039 12,151,942 13,016,179 Loss from operations (1,570,110 ) (2,613,575 ) (6,101,149 ) (7,393,075 ) Other income (expense): Interest expense (50,195 ) (1,117,606 ) (1,037,268 ) (1,705,659 ) Amortization of debt discounts (66,907 ) (86,736 ) (923,717 ) (924,128 ) Gain on change in fair value of warrant liabilities 4,880 - 234,673 - Gain (loss) on settlement of debt 69,038 - (398,022 ) - Exchange loss (7,145 ) 1,852 (35,007 ) (6,177 ) Warrant expense - - (233,877 ) - Gain on extinguishment of warrant liabilities - - 921,422 - Penalty fee - - (100,000 ) - Liquidated damages related to escrow shares - - - (1,222,000 ) Gain on change in fair value of derivative liabilities - - - 3,140,404 Gain on extinguishment of derivatives - - - 1,692,232 Other (expense) income (50,000 ) - (50,000 ) 37,500 Total other (expense) income (100,329 ) (1,202,490 ) (1,621,796 ) 1,012,172 Net loss from continuing operations before income taxes (1,670,439 ) (3,816,065 ) (7,722,945 ) (6,380,903 ) Provision for income taxes - - - - Net loss from continuing operations (1,670,439 ) (3,816,065 ) (7,722,945 ) (6,380,903 ) Net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax - 265,416 9,737,003 (1,143,432 ) Net (loss) income attributable to High Wire Networks, Inc. common shareholders $ (1,670,439 ) $ (3,550,649 ) $ 2,014,058 $ (7,524,335 ) Income (loss) per share attributable to High Wire Networks, Inc. common shareholders, basic: Net loss from continuing operations $ (0.01 ) $ (0.01 ) $ (0.03 ) $ (0.02 ) Net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes $ - $ - $ 0.04 $ (0.01 ) Net income (loss) per share $ (0.01 ) $ (0.01 ) $ 0.01 $ (0.03 ) Income (loss) per share attributable to High Wire Networks, Inc. common shareholders, diluted: Net loss from continuing operations $ (0.01 ) $ (0.01 ) $ (0.03 ) $ (0.02 ) Net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes $ - $ - $ 0.04 $ (0.01 ) Net income (loss) per share $ (0.01 ) $ (0.01 ) $ 0.01 $ (0.03 ) Weighted average common shares outstanding Basic 240,912,395 237,860,605 240,691,342 222,693,501 Diluted 240,912,395 237,860,605 268,062,471 222,693,501 High Wire Networks, Inc. Condensed consolidated balance sheets September 30, 2024 December 31, 2023 (Unaudited) ASSETS Current assets: Cash $ 140,682 $ 328,282 Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $74,142 and $81,359, respectively, and unbilled revenue of $60,351 and $99,916, respectively 1,372,921 670,388 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 387,433 117,030 Current assets of discontinued operations - 1,629,011 Total current assets 1,901,036 2,744,711 Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $667,966 and $477,763, respectively 849,282 1,026,293 Goodwill 1,812,818 3,162,499 Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $1,359,396 and $2,350,059, respectively 3,080,350 3,620,256 Operating lease right-of-use assets 200,716 277,995 Total assets $ 7,844,202 $ 10,831,754 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT) Current liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 4,106,312 5,189,996 Contract liabilities 230,020 80,819 Current portion of loans payable to related parties, net of debt discount of $0 and $10,968, respectively 116,556 254,032 Current portion of loans payable, net of debt discount of $0 and $96,552, respectively 1,272,734 2,995,803 Current portion of convertible debentures, net of debt discount of $98,016 and $614,556, respectively 644,844 326,005 Factor financing - 1,361,656 Warrant liabilities 117,120 833,615 Operating lease liabilities, current portion 108,145 89,318 Current liabilities of discontinued operations 505,782 1,529,286 Total current liabilities 7,101,513 12,660,530 Long-term liabilities: Loans payable to related parties, net of current portion, net of debt discount of $0 and $25,297, respectively 241,718 44,703 Loans payable, net of current portion 48,833 - Convertible debentures, net of current portion, net of debt discount of $0 and $464,839, respectively - 685,161 Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion 98,133 190,989 Total long-term liabilities 388,684 920,853 Total liabilities 7,490,197 13,581,383 Commitments and contingencies Series B preferred stock; $3,500 stated value; 1,000 shares authorized; 1,000 issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 - - Total mezzanine equity - - Stockholders' equity (deficit): Common stock; $0.00001 par value; 1,000,000,000 shares authorized; 241,579,688 and 239,876,900 issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively 2,416 2,399 Series D preferred stock; $10,000 stated value; 1,590 shares authorized; 943 issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 7,745,643 7,745,643 Series E preferred stock; $10,000 stated value; 650 shares authorized; 311 issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 4,869,434 4,869,434 Additional paid-in capital 32,267,924 31,178,365 Accumulated deficit (44,531,412 ) (46,545,470 ) Total stockholders' equity (deficit) 354,005 (2,749,629 ) Total liabilities and stockholders' equity (deficit) $ 7,844,202 $ 10,831,754 © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Monroe Capital Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter Distribution of $0.25 Per Share

The Australian government has withdrawn a bill that would have fined online platforms up to 5 percent of their global revenue if they failed to stop the spread of misinformation. The bill, which was backed by the Labor government, would have allowed the Australian Communications and Media Authority to create enforceable rules around misinformation on digital platforms. In a statement , Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the bill would have “ushered in an unprecedented level of transparency, holding big tech to account for their systems and processes to prevent and minimise the spread of harmful misinformation and disinformation online.” However, she said “based on public statements and engagements with Senators, it is clear that there is no pathway to legislate this proposal through the Senate.” When a revised version of the bill was introduced in September, Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), criticized it in a one-word post : “Fascists.” Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman was a vocal opponent of the bill, arguing that it would prompt platforms to suppress free speech in order to avoid fines. With the bill now seemingly dead, Coleman posted that it was a “shocking attack on free speech that betrayed our democracy” and called on the prime minister to “rule out any future version of this legislation.” Rowland’s statement, meanwhile, called for Parliament support on “other proposals to strengthen democratic institutions and keep Australians safe online,” including legislation targeting deep fakes, enforcement of “truth in political advertising for elections,” and AI regulation. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also pursuing a plan to ban social media for children under 16 .New Delhi: The BJP 's performance in the Uttar Pradesh assembly bypolls shows that the party succeeded in bringing back the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Scheduled Caste (SC) voters into its fold, say analysts. While the BJP bagged six seats out of the nine for which bypolls were held in UP, its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal won one seat. These seats, in different parts of the state, required different political strategies owing to varied caste combinations. So, it was a tough task for the BJP to work out a separate strategy for each assembly seat. Chief minister Yogi Adiyanath, who spearheaded the BJP's election management, chose to field party candidates from Katehari and Majhawan seats, which had gone to the ally Nishad Party as part of the seat-sharing in 2022 assembly polls. The BJP won both seats, bagging Katehari after three decades. Besides, it retained Phulpur after a close contest. BJP also increased its vote share in Samajwadi Party 's pocket borough of Karahal-vacated by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav after he won the Lok Sabha election from Kannauj-where it polled 89,597 votes. Following the bypolls, the NDA has four more MLAs from the OBC category. BJP's success in snatching Katehari seat from the SP would not have been possible without the support of OBC and SC voters. The party fielded Dharamraj Nishad, a former BSP leader who is a popular face among the local SC voters. He was elected to the state assembly thrice in the past. Apart from the SC voters, this constituency has a considerable presence of Brahmin voters also. The SP had fielded Shobhawati Verma, who is wife of Ambedkar Nagar MP Lalji Verma. This seat was vacated by Lalji Verma after his victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Ambedkar Nagar. Verma was elected to the state assembly from Katehari in 2017 and 2022 assembly polls. The Katehari seat offered fresh challenges for the BJP in view of Verma's political grip over this seat. Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Master RESTful APIs with Python and Django REST Framework: Web API Development By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrow's Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Intermediate Java Mastery: Method, Collections, and Beyond By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Office Productivity Advanced Excel Course - Financial Calculations & Excel Made Easy By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Leadership Business Storytelling Masterclass By - Ameen Haque, Founder of Storywallahs View Program Web Development Django & PostgreSQL Mastery: Build Professional Web Applications By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy for Non-Finance Executives By - CA Raja, Chartered Accountant | Financial Management Educator | Former AVP - Credit, SBI View Program Leadership Crafting a Powerful Startup Value Proposition By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development JavaScript Essentials: Unlock AI-Driven Insights with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By - Study At Home, Quality Education Anytime, Anywhere View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI for Everyone: Understanding and Applying the Basics on Artificial Intelligence By - Ritesh Vajariya, Generative AI Expert View Program Leadership From Idea to Product: A Startup Development Guide By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program The party worked out a different strategy for the Karhal seat which is referred to as a stronghold of Akhilesh Yadav. The party selected a local Yadav face Anujesh Yadav to improve its performance. But BJP gave a tough fight to the SP here and reduced the margin of SP's victory compared to the 2022 polls. SP candidate Tej Pratap Yadav won this seat by a margin of only 14, 725 votes. Following the debacle that the BJP faced in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the course correction to restore the required balance between the party organisation and the government also enabled the BJP to corner its main political opponent, the SP, in the assembly bypolls, said analysts. Apart from deploying his ministers across the nine assembly seats, Adityanath interacted with the party cadres at the ground level. Riding on his slogan 'Katoge to Batoge', perceived as a call to Hindus to stay united, he continued to attack the SP in his own way, turning the bypolls into a direct contest between him and the SP chief. 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Eagles vs Rams Props for Matthew Stafford, Jalen Hurts, Puka Nacua, Dallas Goedert - The Action NetworkNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Monday, with those benefiting the most from lower interest rates and a stronger economy leading the way. The S&P 500 climbed 0.3% to pull closer to its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 440 points, or 1%, to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Treasury yields also eased in the bond market amid what some analysts called a “Bessent bounce” after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent , a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Bessent has argued for reducing the U.S. government’s deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through taxes and other revenue. Such an approach could soothe worries on Wall Street that Trump’s policies may lead to a much bigger deficit, which in turn would put upward pressure on Treasury yields. After climbing above 4.44% immediately after Trump’s election, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell back to 4.26% Monday, down from 4.41% late Friday. That’s a notable move, and lower yields make it cheaper for all kinds of companies and households to borrow money. They also give a boost to prices for stocks and other investments. That helped stocks of smaller companies lead the way, and the Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped 1.5%. It finished just shy of its all-time high, which was set three years ago. Smaller companies can feel bigger boosts from lower borrowing costs because of the need for many to borrow to grow. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks the market’s expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with overnight interest rates, also eased sharply. The Fed began cutting its main interest rate just a couple months ago from a two-decade high, hoping to keep the job market humming after bringing inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. But immediately after Trump’s victory, traders had reduced bets for how many cuts the Fed may deliver next year. They were worried Trump’s preference for lower tax rates and higher spending on the border would balloon the national debt. A report coming on Wednesday could influence how much the Fed may cut rates. Economists expect it to show that an underlying inflation trend the Fed prefers to use accelerated to 2.8% last month from 2.7% in September. Higher inflation would make the Fed more reluctant to cut rates as deeply or as quickly as it would otherwise. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle expects that to slow by the end of next year to 2.4%, but he said inflation would be even lower if not for expected tariff increases on imports from China and autos favored by Trump. In the stock market, Bath & Body Works jumped 16.5% after delivering stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The seller of personal care products and home fragrances also raised its financial forecasts for the full year, even though it still sees a “volatile retail environment” and a shorter holiday shopping season this year. Much focus has been on how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. Last week, two major retailers sent mixed messages. Target tumbled after giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Another big retailer, Macy’s, said Monday its sales for the latest quarter were in line with its expectations, but it will delay the release of its full financial results. It found a single employee had intentionally hid up to $154 million in delivery expenses, and it needs more time to complete its investigation. Macy’s stock fell 2.2%. Among the market’s leaders were several companies related to the housing industry. Monday’s drop in Treasury yields could translate into easier mortgage rates, which could spur activity for housing. Builders FirstSource, a supplier or building materials, rose 5.9%. Homebuilders, D.R. Horton, PulteGroup and Lennar all rose at least 5.6%. All told, the S&P 500 rose 18.03 points to 5,987.37. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 440.06 to 44,736.57, and the Nasdaq composite gained 51.18 to 19,054.84. In stock markets abroad, indexes moved modestly across much of Europe after finishing mixed in Asia. In the crypto market, bitcoin was trading below $95,000 after threatening to hit $100,000 late last week for the first time. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

After being perfect for more than a year and completely dominating the sport, Dawn Staley and South Carolina have finally fallen. No. 5 UCLA rolled to a dominant and stunning 77-62 upset win over the top-ranked Gamecocks on Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion. It marked the Bruins’ first ever win over a No. 1-ranked team in program history, and solidified their place as a legitimate title contender this season. The loss snapped a 43-game win streak for South Carolina and was the first for the Gamecocks since they fell to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Final Four in 2023. They were a perfect 5-0 this season after winning the national championship last spring, and had won 85 of their last 86 games before Sunday. UCLA GETS THEIR FIRST WIN OVER A NO. 1 RANKED TEAM IN PROGRAM HISTORY x — FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) The Bruins led from the jump on Sunday, and never looked back. They opened the game on a 15-2 tear, and then sent the Gamecocks into the locker room down more than they have been in years. UCLA took a 21-point lead at halftime after draining six 3-pointers — half of which came from Londynn Jones off the bench — in the opening 20 minutes. Londynn Jones for three AGAIN & is FIRED UP 🔥 — FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) South Carolina’s offense was basically non-existent in the first two quarters, too. The Gamecocks entered halftime with just 22 points as a team, and shot 26.5% from the field as a team. Three South Carolina starters were held scoreless in the first half, and they were out-rebounded by seven. It marked the first time that South Carolina has trailed by double digits at halftime in any game since 2021. According to ESPN, the last time they trailed by 20 points or more at halftime was against Baylor in 2019 — which was more than 2,000 days ago. Though the Gamecocks came out of halftime on a quick 7-2 burst, the Bruins didn’t let up. UCLA carried a 20-point lead into the fourth quarter before cruising to the 15-point win in the final 10 minutes. Jones led UCLA with 15 points off the bench, all of which came from behind the arc. Elina Aarnisalo added 13 points and four assists, and Lauren Betts finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Te-Hina Paopao led the Gamecocks with 18 points in the loss while shooting 7-of-13 from the field. Tessa Johnson was the only other player to hit double figures for South Carolina. She finished with 14 points off the bench. The Gamecocks shot better than 36% from the field as a team, and shot just eight total free throws. The next few weeks won’t get any easier for South Carolina. The Gamecocks will take on No. 8 Iowa State next on Thursday in the Fort Myers Tip-Off before games against Purdue, No. 14 Duke and No. 19 TCU. The Gamecocks will fall from No. 1 in the rankings on Monday, too. UCLA, however, now has its marquee non-conference win. If Sunday is any indication, the Bruins should be in a great spot to not only hang with JuJu Watkins and USC, but potentially run the Big Ten in their first season in the league.LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Jaylon Johnson wasn't all that interested in discussing any bright spots or reasons to have hope for the Chicago Bears. The star cornerback made his feelings clear. “I’ve been in slumps four, five years in a row now,” Johnson said Monday. "So, I mean at the end of the day, I don’t look for, ‘OK, what is going to be better in the future?’ ... It will be better when it’s better. So, right now, it’s not better. That’s all I can go off of.” The Bears (4-7) are last in the NFC North and have five straight losses after in overtime. They wiped out an 11-point deficit in the final 22 seconds of regulation, only to come up short again when the Vikings' Parker Romo kicked a 29-yard field goal. It was the third game during this skid that came down to the final play. in Week 8 and had a in Week 11. Players have openly questioned some of the coaching decisions in recent weeks. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron got fired before the game against Green Bay. And coach Matt Eberflus' game management came under more scrutiny against Minnesota. With the Bears trailing 17-10 in the third quarter, there was some confusion on a fourth-and-4 at the Vikings 27. Eberflus said he didn't do a good enough job communicating on the previous play that they would go for it on fourth down. That led to a chaotic sequence in which Santos and long snapper Scott Daly ran onto the field, only to get waved off by a lineman. Quarterback Caleb Williams had to rush to get everyone lined up properly in order to avoid a delay of game. He wound up barking out the wrong play because he misheard the call from offensive coordinator Thomas Brown and threw an incomplete pass. Receiver DJ Moore said Eberflus had not addressed that play with the team. The Bears were scheduled to meet later Monday. “That moment was just like, like a ‘what is going on’ moment that we could have avoided,” he said. What's working The passing game. Williams has clearly looked more comfortable in the two games since Brown replaced the fired Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator. The No. 1 draft pick followed up a solid performance against Green Bay by throwing for 340 yards and two touchdowns. It was his fourth straight turnover-free game and fifth in a row without an interception. What needs help Field goal protection. One week after his game-ending 46-yard field goal attempt against Green Bay got blocked, Santos had a 48-yarder rejected on his first try against Minnesota. It happened from the same area, in the middle of the line, when the Vikings' Jerry Tillery knocked down the kick. “I just think it’s technique," Eberflus said. "It’s getting your foot down, bracing up there, staying lower. ... We just have to do a better job there with that.” It was the third blocked field goal for Santos this year, the most for Chicago in a single season since it also had three blocked in 2012. He had a 43-yard try blocked in a win over Jacksonville on Oct. 13. Stock up Moore. The Bears have done a better job getting Moore involved under Brown. Moore caught seven passes for a season-high 106 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota. That gave him 14 receptions for 168 yards the past two games, compared to 13 for 104 yards over the previous four. Johnson's 27-yard catch down the middle set up Santos' tying field goal at the end of regulation. But it's not just deep shots. The Bears are finding ways to get the ball in his hands, allowing him to turn short passes into bigger gains. He also had a 13-yard run. Stock down RB D’Andre Swift. After a string of solid outings, Swift had just 30 yards on 13 carries. To be fair, he has been dealing with a groin issue, and he was going against the NFL's No. 1 run defense. Injuries The Bears reported no injuries during the game. Key number 5-18 — The Bears' record in one-possession games in nearly three seasons under Eberflus, including a 2-5 mark this year. They are 14-31 overall during Eberflus' tenure. Next steps The schedule doesn't get any easier, with a Thanksgiving matchup at NFC North leader Detroit. The Lions (10-1) have won nine straight since losing to Tampa Bay in Week 2. ___ AP NFL: Andrew Seligman, The Associated PressSocial Don't miss out on the headlines from Social. Followed categories will be added to My News. Coalition senator Matt Canavan says he is still unsure if he will support the Albanese government’s social media ban for kids under 16. The world-leading policy has received broad support in principle, but parliamentarians have had little time to scrutinise the legislation and privacy has emerged as a key concern for the opposition. Senator Canavan said on Tuesday he understood the need for the ban but did not think there was a need “to rush it”. Coalition senator Matt Canavan says he is still unsure if he will support the government’s social media ban. Picture: NewsWire / Gary Ramage “I certainly think the Bill needs major changes, and regardless of the changes, I remain unimpressed with this condensed timeframe to analyse the Bill,” Senator Canavan told the ABC. “There is widespread support across the parliament for something like this. “And given that, there’s just no real need, I think, to rush it. “I don’t think that support is going to somehow disappear over the summer break. “We can, I think, just pause here, come back and do this.” Senator Canavan also said the ban would affect social media users of all ages “because once you have to try and verify someone’s age under 16, you’re going to have to verify everyone’s age to check their age”. The Greens have also taken issue with the lack of scrutiny over the ban, with MP Max Chandler Mather saying there were “a lot of unresolved questions”. Meanwhile, independent MP Zoe Daniel said the legislation let social media platforms “off the hook”. Independent MP Zoe Daniel says the social media ban would let platforms ‘off the hook’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman She introduced her alternative proposal in a private member’s Bill on Monday. “We need to get the platforms to take responsibility for what is in their environment, and actually, it would make an age ban redundant if we were to put in this kind of safety by design and a duty of care and hold the platforms accountable for what’s happening in their spaces,” she told the ABC. “You wouldn’t actually need an age ban.” Originally published as Hesitancy over federal government’s social media ban Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories Social Star confronts fans after ‘monkey’ slur A social media star with 33 million followers has called out a group of young fans after a disturbing incident follwing his Aussie tour. Read more National ‘Blood on our hands’: Aussie parents’ plea on social media ban Mums and dads around Australia are calling on MPs to have the courage to vote for world-leading legislation. They fear if it does not pass, more children’s lives will be lost. Read more

Breyten Breytenbach, who died Sunday, was one of South Africa's most honoured writers, who found beauty in his Afrikaans language but was horrified at the white supremacy imposed by his government. The poet, author and painter had not lived in South Africa for decades, leaving in the early 1960s to settle in Paris, where he became a global voice against apartheid. What was intended to be a short and secret trip back in 1975 led to him spending seven years in jail, two in solitary confinement, after he was betrayed and arrested. French president Francois Mitterrand helped secure his release in 1982 and he returned to France to become a citizen. He travelled back to South Africa regularly, according to his daughter Daphnee Breytenbach, who confirmed his death to AFP. "My father, the South African painter and poet Breyten Breytenbach, died peacefully on Sunday, November 24, in Paris, at the age of 85," she said. "Immense artist, militant against apartheid, he fought for a better world until the end." Breytenbach was born in the small Western Cape town of Bonnievale in 1939 at a time when Afrikaans was emerging with a distinct identity as a language, having been derided as "kitchen Dutch". When in 1964 Breytenbach published his first volume of poetry -- "Die ysterkoei moet sweet", or The Iron Cow Must Sweat -- Afrikaans was not just ascendent but had given the name "apartheid" to South Africa's brutal system of racial segregation. With Afrikaners in power, their language became ever more associated with the regime. "I'd never reject Afrikaans as a language, but I reject it as part of the Afrikaner political identity. I no longer consider myself an Afrikaner," he said in an interview with The New York Times the following year. In his language and politics, Breytenbach pushed back against the strictures of the country in which he was born. He travelled around Europe in his early 20s, eventually settling in 1962 in Paris, where he met his wife, Yolande Ngo Thi Hoang Lien, who was born in Vietnam and raised in France. She was refused a visa to visit South Africa in the late 1960s as she was considered "non-white" by the apartheid system. Breytenbach returned to the country in the early 1970s on a false passport to deliver money to the anti-apartheid struggle and meet white activists. But he was discovered and sentenced to nine years in prison, serving seven. Of his more than 50 books, most are in Afrikaans. His acclaimed 1984 prison memoir, "The True Confession of an Albino Terrorist", is in English. In the book, he recalls the horrors of hearing fellow inmates being hanged, often for political crimes. "Very often –- no, all the time really –- I relive those years of horror and corruption, and I try to imagine, as I did then with the heart an impediment to breathing, what it must be like to be executed. What it must be like to be. Executed," he wrote. His path crossed once, briefly, with another famous inmate. Nelson Mandela was for a time transferred from Robben Island to Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town, where Breytenbach was serving his time. The writer was tasked with preparing new prison clothes for the future president. Breytenbach eventually turned to painting to portray surreal human and animal figures, often in captivity, with his art displayed in Johannesburg, Brussels, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Paris. His literature gathered several prizes, including the international Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award (2017), the Mahmoud Darwish Literature Prize (2010) and the Van der Hoogt prize for Dutch literature (1972). "His poems are rich in metaphors and are a complex mixture of references to Buddhism, Afrikaans idiomatic speech, and memories of the South African landscape," according to the Hague-based Writers Unlimited foundation. For all his activism, when democracy arrived in 1994, the older and gray-bearded Breytenbach did not return to embrace the new South Africa. He wrestled with the failings of the democratic government, even with Mandela, despairing at what he called in Harpers magazine in 2008 the "seemingly never-ending parade of corrupt clowns in power at all levels". Breytenbach also taught at the University of Cape Town, the Goree Institute in Dakar and New York University. zm-gs-br/lhd/jsThailand's Jeeno wins LPGA Tour Championship

NEW YORK, Dec. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorney Advertising--Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against ASP Isotopes Inc. ("ASP Isotopes" or "the Company") ASPI and certain of its officers. Class Definition This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired ASP Isotopes securities between October 30, 2024 and November 26, 2024, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/ASPI. Case Details The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) the Company overstated the potential effectiveness of its enrichment technology; (2) the Company overstated the development potential of its high assay low-enriched uranium facility; (3) the Company overstated the Company's nuclear fuels operating segment results; and (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. What's Next? A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/ASPI. or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in ASP Isotopes you have until February 3, 2025, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. There is No Cost to You We represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful. Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contact Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC Peretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller 332-239-2660 | info@bgandg.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Hidden Overwatch 2 update adds highly-requested feature players have waited ages for

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Defending national champion South Carolina women defeated by UCLA 77-62 for their first loss since the 2023 Final Four.EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the government is working to get taxpayer value for the money it paid for medication that has yet to be approved and delivered. Smith announced the plan two years ago amid a national shortage of children's pain medication. The province spent $70 million upfront to import five million bottles from Turkey-based Atabay Pharmaceuticals. But Alberta Health Services said Friday that Health Canada only approved 1.5 million bottles or $21 million worth of product. That left a credit of $49 million. Smith said this week the holdup is with Health Canada, which would have to approve a new suite of imports for the province to get its money's worth. “We’re waiting for Health Canada to work with AHS to identify the products, get the formulations, approve it, so that we're able to execute on it. Those things take time," Smith said in a year-end interview. The premier said the province had to pay the $70 million upfront. "They delivered a portion, and then the supply chains were restored, and we didn't need to fulfil it with the two products we'd initially ordered. So we have a credit on file with Atabay,” said Smith. The government and AHS declined to say what specific products they're seeking or when they might arrive. “We want it to be delivered soon," said Smith. Health Canada was unable to provide an immediate response. AHS said the $70-million prepayment went to Edmonton-based medical supplier MHCare. AHS did not address questions about how common it is to pay the entire contracting fee upfront with no apparent backstops to ensure fulfilment. The costs of shipping, waste disposal and other administration tied to the deal were initially estimated to be an extra $10 million, but are yet to be finalized. NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said Smith's United Conservative government signed a deal that didn't follow normal procurement practices, and it backfired. "The federal government had already signed a deal to get real Tylenol onto the shelves that arrived before the Turkish Tylenol," he told The Canadian Press. "Albertans should be really angry, because we basically have given $80 million of taxpayers money that could have built schools." Smith's government has stood by the decision to import the medication because, in late 2022, parents were desperate to find relief for their children at the height of the respiratory virus season. The purchase has long been mired in difficulties. It was immediately beset by delays, as the province sought regulatory approvals and sorted out packaging and warning labels. Pharmacists had to keep some of the medicine behind the counter to make sure customers who bought it were aware of the comparatively lower dosage. Hospital neonatal units eventually stopped using it due to safety concerns. The purchase also sparked questions about whether the province's relaxed ethics rules meant elected officials could be bought for the right price. Multiple UCP cabinet ministers have said they accepted free tickets to Edmonton Oilers hockey games during the Stanley Cup playoffs. They said they followed conflict-of-interest rules and denied any claims of disreputable behaviour. Health Minister Adriana LaGrange has said AHS has identified what imported adult medications it could use, is in negotiations with Atabay and is working to get approval from Health Canada. “Once those processes have been gone through, I will be happy to share exactly what those medications are,” she said Thursday. "My goal has always been to get products that we can use, get maximum value out of what's remaining on the books there, and that's what's happening." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2024. Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press

Holiday gift ideas for the movie lover, from bios and books to a status toteEDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the government is working to get taxpayer value for the money it paid for medication that has yet to be approved and delivered. Smith announced the plan two years ago amid a national shortage of children’s pain medication. The province spent $70 million upfront to import five million bottles from Turkey-based Atabay Pharmaceuticals. But Alberta Health Services said Friday that Health Canada only approved 1.5 million bottles or $21 million worth of product. That left a credit of $49 million. Smith said this week the holdup is with Health Canada, which would have to approve a new suite of imports for the province to get its money’s worth. “We’re waiting for Health Canada to work with AHS to identify the products, get the formulations, approve it, so that we’re able to execute on it. Those things take time,” Smith said in a year-end interview. The premier said the province had to pay the $70 million upfront. “They delivered a portion, and then the supply chains were restored, and we didn’t need to fulfil it with the two products we’d initially ordered. So we have a credit on file with Atabay,” said Smith. The government and AHS declined to say what specific products they’re seeking or when they might arrive. “We want it to be delivered soon,” said Smith. Health Canada was unable to provide an immediate response. AHS said the $70-million prepayment went to Edmonton-based medical supplier MHCare. AHS did not address questions about how common it is to pay the entire contracting fee upfront with no apparent backstops to ensure fulfilment. The costs of shipping, waste disposal and other administration tied to the deal were initially estimated to be an extra $10 million, but are yet to be finalized. NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said Smith’s United Conservative government signed a deal that didn’t follow normal procurement practices, and it backfired. “The federal government had already signed a deal to get real Tylenol onto the shelves that arrived before the Turkish Tylenol,” he told The Canadian Press. “Albertans should be really angry, because we basically have given $80 million of taxpayers money that could have built schools.” Smith’s government has stood by the decision to import the medication because, in late 2022, parents were desperate to find relief for their children at the height of the respiratory virus season. The purchase has long been mired in difficulties. It was immediately beset by delays, as the province sought regulatory approvals and sorted out packaging and warning labels. Pharmacists had to keep some of the medicine behind the counter to make sure customers who bought it were aware of the comparatively lower dosage. Hospital neonatal units eventually stopped using it due to safety concerns. The purchase also sparked questions about whether the province’s relaxed ethics rules meant elected officials could be bought for the right price. Multiple UCP cabinet ministers have said they accepted free tickets to Edmonton Oilers hockey games during the Stanley Cup playoffs. They said they followed conflict-of-interest rules and denied any claims of disreputable behaviour. Health Minister Adriana LaGrange has said AHS has identified what imported adult medications it could use, is in negotiations with Atabay and is working to get approval from Health Canada. “Once those processes have been gone through, I will be happy to share exactly what those medications are,” she said Thursday. “My goal has always been to get products that we can use, get maximum value out of what’s remaining on the books there, and that’s what’s happening.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2024. Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press

The biography of the renowned playback singer Hemlata, titled Dastan-e-Hemlata, was launched on November 23, 2024, Saturday, at the Sahitya Aaj Tak platform in Delhi. This biography has been penned by well-known journalist and biographer Dr. Arvind Yadav. It is an authentic account of Hemlata’s life, containing many interesting anecdotes, including some that even her close ones were unaware of. The author also sheds light on the life of Hemlata’s father, Pandit Jaychand Bhatt, bringing to the literary and music lovers several fascinating insights. At the mere age of thirteen, Hemlata recorded her first film song. Over the course of her career, she has sung more than five thousand songs in 38 languages. In every language and dialect in which films were made in India, Hemlata has sung songs. Apart from the major languages like Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Odia, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, Sanskrit, Prakrit, she has sung in regional languages and dialects like Marwari, Braj, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Bundeli, Maithili, Dogri, Kashmiri, Konkani, Haryanvi, Nepali, Garhwali, Kumaoni, Chambayali, Bilaspuri, and more. Additionally, Hemlata has sung in foreign languages such as English, French, Italian, Dutch, Zulu, Mauritius Creole, Siraiki, and Multani. She has sung in every genre – love songs, separation songs, devotional songs, folk songs, and ghazals, showcasing her unmatched talent and the incredible versatility of her voice. Hemlata is extremely popular for her Hindi duets with the legendary singer Yesudas, holding the record for the most number of duets with him. In her childhood, Hemlata was called ‘Baby Lata’, and during her adolescence, she was referred to as the ‘Second Lata’. Some even called her ‘cheap Lata’. For film producers who found Lata Mangeshkar’s fee exorbitant, and for music directors who couldn’t get Lata’s dates, Hemlata became their go-to artist. She was their ‘Lata’. Legendary music director Naushad once said, “Hemlata has the voice quality of Lata Mangeshkar and the innocence of Noor Jehan.” Roshan remarked, “I have found my Lata.” SD Burman told his son Rahul Dev Burman, “I will get Hemlata to sing first, not you.” Hemlata was one of the rare artists who had the potential to challenge Lata Mangeshkar’s supremacy. In the 1970s and 1980s, Hemlata set a record by singing the most ‘dubbed songs’ in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam films that were dubbed into Hindi. Her melodious voice became a household name through the iconic TV series Ramayan. She sang several popular songs, couplets, and chaupais in the series. However, due to one person’s jealousy, she did not initially receive the credit, respect, and popularity she truly deserved. But the truth could not be hidden, and the world soon knew that many of the memorable songs from Ramayan were sung by Hemlata. Hemlata holds a unique record as the first singer to record songs while being nine months pregnant. She recorded the famous song “Kaun Disha Mein Le Ke Chala Re Batuhiya” from the popular film Nadiya Ke Paar when she was pregnant and had already passed her delivery date. The author of this biography, Dr. Arvind Yadav, is primarily a journalist. Apart from Hemlata, he has written biographies of prominent personalities like the renowned scientist Bharat Ratna Professor CNR Rao, India’s first female cardiologist Padma Vibhushan Dr. Padmavati, the well-known social worker Padma Shri Phoolbasan Yadav, the famous entrepreneur Sardar Jodh Singh, renowned entrepreneur, social worker, and doctor Nimmagadda Upendranath, and famous surgeon Dr. Pigilam Shyam Prasad. Several of his books have been published. Dr. Arvind Yadav began his journalism career in 1996 with the Hindi Milap newspaper. He later worked as a reporter with Aaj Tak and Channel 7/IBN 7. In 2008, he became the Executive Editor of Sakshi, a Telugu news channel. Between 2012 and 2015, he served as the Editor of TV9, a Telugu news channel. In 2015, he joined Your Story, a digital media organization, and played a key role in launching its web editions in twelve Indian languages. Dr. Arvind worked as the Managing Editor (Indian Languages) for Your Story. From 2019 to June 2024, he served as the Special Officer (Media) for the Andhra Pradesh government. Arvind Yadav, known for his struggle against injustice, corruption, and untruths through his writing, was born in the historic city of Hyderabad. He completed his schooling and college education in the same city. He holds Master’s degrees in English and Hindi from Osmania University and has also studied science, psychology, and law. He is a prominent expert on the politics and culture of South India. He has travelled to many villages and cities in search of news and stories, a journey that continues. His struggle for the downtrodden has earned him a unique position in the field of journalism. Over the past few years, he has focused on writing stories and articles about people who are striving to bring positive change to society. Exploring different aspects of successful individuals’ lives and presenting them to the public has now become his primary goal. He is a strong advocate for spreading the good work happening in the country to the masses. Established as a journalist, Dr. Arvind Yadav is now also gaining recognition as a storyteller and biographer. Click for more latest Entertainment news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Latest NewsDaniel Jones Released by Giants, Eyes New Opportunity Elsewhere

Beneficient Enters into Agreement to Acquire Mercantile Bank International to Expand its Alternative Asset Custody Services

2024 has been a phenomenal year for almost every , including ( ) shares. Most of us would know about ( ) shares' seemingly endless parade of new all-time record highs. But it's not just CBA. ( ), ( ) and ANZ have all enjoyed double-digit share price gains over the year to date. Additionally, all three have seen new 52-week highs in recent months. Saying that, ANZ shares have still been a conspicuous laggard. To illustrate, let's look at the numbers. At the time of writing, CBA shares have enjoyed a 40% rise over the 2024 calendar year. NAB shares have lifted 30%, while Westpac stock has climbed 47%. ANZ trails the pack, though, with a year-to-date gain of 24%. Yep, even though ANZ shares have risen from $25.99 each to the $32.26 we are seeing at present, this bank's investors might be feeling a little shortchanged. See for yourself below: So, we can definitively conclude that ANZ has been the worst investment of the major banks in 2024 despite the nominally impressive return. But does this mean that ANZ shares present the best value for investors today? Are ANZ shares the best ASX 200 bank buy for value right now? Well, it certainly seems that way on the surface. Right now, ANZ shares are trading on a of 15. That means the market is willing to pay $15 for every $1 of earnings ANZ brings home. In contrast, Westpac and NAB shares are currently on P/E ratios of 17.65 and 17.74, respectively. And CBA is far out in front with its lofty (to put it generously) and unbank-like earnings multiple of 28.02. This paradigm is reflected in each of these banks' . Remember, as a company's share price rises, its dividend yield tends to fall if the bank can't compensate with commensurate hikes. That's why we see CBA shares with a (again, unbank-like) yield of 2.92% right now, compared with ANZ's far more conventional 5.15%. So, what can we make of this situation? Buying for quality or yield? Well, I tend to think of ANZ as the most challenged of the big four banks today. ANZ simply does not seem to have developed its business model to the same high calibre as NAB and CBA. Its earnings have been stagnant for a while now, and ANZ lacks the size and scale of CBA. As such, it arguably deserves to trade on a lower earnings multiple than its larger rivals. As such, I don't see it as a screaming buy. Saying that, I still regard this ASX bank share as a decent income investment. Whilst CBA has lost most of its firepower as a dividend share, ANZ's 5%-plus yield makes it a compelling investment for passive income, particularly for those investors who invest primarily for dividends. ANZ has a long history as a reliable dividend payer. Investors haven't endured a heavy dividend cut in quite a while, with the excusable exception of COVID-ravaged 2020. In conclusion, I would happily buy ANZ shares today for a diversified, dividend-focused income portfolio. But otherwise, I think there are better value opportunities out there.Jaishankar said that the Chancery of Indian Embassy in Rome will help serve better the Indian community in Italy. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday inaugurated the new Chancery of the Indian Embassy in Rome, Italy, and hailed the historical India-Italy ties saying the two maritime countries give a different perspective to the world. The Foreign Minister further emphasised that a lot of India's historical connect with Europe was with Italy. "Our historical connect is actually very deep and I would not be exaggerating if I said that a lot of India's historical interface with Europe was actually with Italy. This was almost the landing point for anything coming to India or going out of India. So for us, Italians have been producers, they have been customers, they have been financiers, they have been carriers in our commerce. Our countries are also maritime nations. I think that gives a very different perspective to the world," he said. Jaishankar said that the Chancery of Indian Embassy in Rome will help serve better the Indian community in Italy. Taking to social media platform X, the EAM said that the new chancery befits the continued expansion of India-Italy partnership in recent years and will help in better serving the Indian community in Italy. "Pleased to inaugurate the new Chancery of the Embassy of India in Rome today. It befits the continued expansion of India - Italy partnership in recent years. Will also help us serve better the Indian community in Italy," he stated. Jaishankar added that India and Italy's shared commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation and shipping also helps in bringing the two countries closer. "I recall Prime Minister Meloni when she came to the Raisina Dialogue describing the Mediterranean Sea as a water body connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Indian Ocean. Certainly, our maritime interest and our shared commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation and shipping also help us bring the two countries closer. We are coordinating amongst others in the Gulf of Aden and in response to some challenges that shipping has faced there. But most important, we are today making history work for the modern relationship," he said. Speaking on the India-Middle East-Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was agreed to in principle during India's presidency of the G20 in 2023, Jaishankar said that it will be a "game changer." "India and Italy are founding members of the India-Middle East-Europe connectivity corridor (IMEC), along with like-minded friends. And as I contemplate the future, certainly one day we will look back on this period and say that this connectivity corridor, which was agreed to in principle during India's presidency of the G20, will be a game-changer," he said. He further said that the frequent interactions between the leaders of two countries shows the depth of their relations. "In many ways I think the frequent interactions today we see at various levels is actually a sign of the depth and the breadth of our relationship. It is also a reflection of the commitment and vision of our leaders today in taking forward our lives. There is a convergence in our worldviews, a synergy in our endeavours in addressing global and regional issues and definitely a new enthusiasm for developing our bilateral ties," the Foreign Minister said. Jaishankar also appreciated Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni-led government for giving attention to Asia, and specifically to India. "India's growing engagement with Europe and particularly to Italy, which we see both as a very influential European and Mediterranean country, certainly reinforce each other and we've been very pleased to see that Prime Minister Meloni's government has given more attention to Asia and specifically to India as part of its wider Indo-Mediterranean approach. We regard in Italy as a key partner, a very crucial one in Europe, a very influential one in the Mediterranean, and I will in fact tomorrow be participating in the Mediterranean Dialogue which takes place annually in the city," he said. EAM Jaishankar is on an official visit to Italy from November 24 to 26. He was welcomed in Rome by India's Ambassador to Italy, Vani Rao, and other officials from the Foreign Ministry. The Foreign Minister will travel to Fiuggi, Italy to participate in the Outreach session of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, where India has been invited as a guest country. During the visit, he will also participate in the 10th edition of the MED Mediterranean Dialogue in Rome, being organised by Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) in collaboration with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. Stay informed on all the latest news , real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world News on Zee News.