text
stringlengths 100
728k
| url
stringlengths 13
1.03k
| crawl_date
timestamp[ns, tz=UTC]date 2024-01-01 00:29:56
2024-01-20 05:17:14
|
|---|---|---|
MANAGEMENT COMMENTS
"Healthy homebuying demand in the fourth quarter of 2023 led to Meritage's strong orders finish to the year, as interest rates retreated below 7% and consumer confidence started to recover. The underlying macro fundamentals indicate favorable need-based demand for millennials and now Generation Z right behind them, which together with the continuing shortage of existing homes for sale, are driving buyers to new homes. We capitalized on these market conditions utilizing our available move-in ready inventory to grow our orders year-over-year by 60% for the fourth quarter of 2023 and 12% for full year 2023," said Steven J. Hilton, executive chairman of Meritage Homes.
"The Meritage team's exceptional execution in the fourth quarter of 2023 and our spec building strategy resulted in 3,951 homes delivered, our second highest quarterly home closings in company history, and a record 110% quarterly backlog conversion," added Phillippe Lord, chief executive officer of Meritage Homes. "Home closing revenue of $1.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023 combined with home closing gross margin of 25.2% and SG&A leverage of 10.7% generated $5.38 in diluted EPS. We increased our book value per share 17% year-over-year to $126.61 at December 31, 2023 and generated a return on equity of 17% for full year 2023."*
Mr. Lord concluded, "Thank you to our employees for achieving yet another great year, generating value for our shareholders. As the economy stabilizes, we believe entry-level buyers will continue to gain confidence that now is the right time to buy a home. With our growing spec inventory levels, Meritage is well-positioned to take advantage of this positive demand environment."
FOURTH QUARTER RESULTS
Orders of 2,892 homes for the fourth quarter of 2023 increased 60% year-over-year due to a 64% increase in average absorption pace to 3.6 per month from 2.2 per month in the fourth quarter of 2022 and a 1% decrease in average communities. Entry-level made up 88% of total sales orders in the fourth quarter 2023, relatively consistent with the prior year quarter. Fourth quarter 2023 average sales price ("ASP") on orders of $415,000 was up 6% year-over-year. With an elevated quarterly cancellation rate of 39% in the fourth quarter of 2022, the prior year quarterly results were muted in both volume and ASP due to the greater amount of cancelled homes with higher ASPs that were sold earlier in 2022. The fourth quarter 2023 cancellation rate was 13%. The 17% year-over-year decrease in home closing revenue to $1.6 billion for the fourth quarter of 2023 reflected 13% lower home closing volume totaling 3,951 units and 5% lower ASPs on closings to $415,000, compared to prior year. The decrease in ASPs on closings was due to more costly financing incentives and geographic mix . Home closing gross margin was 25.2% in both fourth quarter periods. The fourth quarter 2023 home closing gross margin benefited from improved cycle time and lower lumber costs, which partially offset increased financing incentives and higher lot costs. Fourth quarter 2023 home closing gross margin included $3.2 million in terminated land deal walk-away charges, compared to $4.2 million in the prior year. Prior year fourth quarter homes closing gross margin also included a nonrecurring charge of $10.9 million in warranty adjustments related to two specific cases, which was partially offset by $5.4 million in retroactive vendor rebates. There were no similar items in the fourth quarter of 2023. Excluding the terminated land deal walk-away charges and the nonrecurring items, adjusted home closing gross margin was 25.4% and 25.7% for fourth quarter 2023 and 2022, respectively. Selling, general and administrative expenses ("SG&A") were 10.7% of fourth quarter 2023 home closing revenue, which was 230 bps higher than 8.4% in the prior year, primarily as a result of increased performance-based compensation costs, higher commission rates and reduced leverage from lower home closing revenue. Fourth quarter 2023 other income, net was $12.9 million, a $9.3 million increase from $3.6 million in 2022, due to higher interest income earned on a larger cash balance. The fourth quarter effective income tax rate was 23.2% in 2023, compared to 23.3% in 2022. The rate in both periods benefited from eligible energy tax credits earned on qualifying homes under the Internal Revenue Code's Inflation Reduction Act ("IRA"). The rate for 2023 also reflected the increased per-home energy efficiency credit amount that started in 2023. Net earnings were $198.9 million ($5.38 per diluted share) for the fourth quarter of 2023, a 24% decrease from $262.4 million ($7.09 per diluted share) for the fourth quarter of 2022. Lower home closing revenue and higher selling, general and administrative expenses led to a 24% year-over-year decrease in earnings per diluted share.
YEAR TO DATE RESULTS
Total sales orders of 13,193 homes for full year 2023 increased 12% over prior year due to an 11% year-over-year increase in average absorption pace to 4.0 per month in 2023 while average community count remained essentially flat. Home closing revenue decreased 2% for full year 2023 to $6.1 billion due to 2% decline in ASPs on closings and 1% lower home closing volume year-over-year. Full year 2023 home closing gross margin of 24.8% was down 380 bps from 28.6% for full year 2022, due to more costly financing incentives, higher lot costs, and slightly higher full year direct costs, although direct costs per square foot decreased sequentially in the second, third and fourth quarters of 2023, ending the year lower than 2022. Full year 2023 home closing gross margin included $5.3 million in terminated land deal walk-away charges, compared to $15.8 million in 2022. Prior year home closing gross margin also included a nonrecurring charge of $10.9 million in warranty adjustments, which was partially offset by $5.4 million of retroactive vendor rebates. There were no such nonrecurring items in 2023. Excluding the terminated land deal walk-away charges and the nonrecurring items, adjusted home closing gross margin was 24.9% and 28.9% for 2023 and 2022, respectively. SG&A as a percentage of home closing revenue of 10.2% was 190 bps higher year-over-year from 8.3% in 2022, as a result of higher commissions and marketing costs, reflecting the current sales environment, increased performance-based compensation and insurance spend, and a greater investment in technology. Other income, net was $47.9 million in 2023, up $45.2 million from $2.7 million in 2022, due to higher interest income earned on a larger cash balance. The Company recognized a loss on early extinguishment of debt of $0.9 million in 2023 in connection with the $150.0 million partial redemption of its 6.00% senior notes due 2025. There were no such redemptions in 2022. The effective tax rate for full year 2023 was 22.2%, compared to 23.0% for full year 2022. The rate in both periods benefited from eligible energy tax credits earned on qualifying homes under the IRA. The lower rate in 2023 is primarily due to the increased per-home energy efficiency credit amount that started in 2023. Net earnings were $738.7 million ($19.93 per diluted share) for full year 2023, a 26% decrease from $992.2 million ($26.74 per diluted share) for full year 2022, primarily reflecting lower home closing revenue and greater overhead costs in 2023.
BALANCE SHEET & LIQUIDITY
Cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2023 totaled $921.2 million, compared to $861.6 million at December 31, 2022. Land acquisition and development spend totaled $653.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to $350.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2022. Full year 2023 land spend was $1.9 billion compared to $1.5 billion in the prior year. Approximately 64,300 total lots were owned or controlled as of December 31, 2023, a 2% increase from approximately 63,200 total lots as of December 31, 2022. Over 7,600 net new lots were added in the fourth quarter of 2023, representing an estimated 43 future communities, all of which are for entry-level product. In the prior year fourth quarter, no new lots were put under control and roughly 3,700 lots related to underperforming land deals were terminated. Fourth quarter 2023 average community count of 271 was essentially flat to prior year and down 4% sequentially compared to the third quarter of 2023. Debt-to-capital and net debt-to-capital ratios were 17.9% and 1.9%, respectively as of December 31, 2023, compared to 22.6% and 6.8%, respectively as of December 31, 2022. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company repurchased 24,869 shares of stock, or 0.1% of the outstanding shares at the beginning of the quarter, for $4.1 million. For full year 2023, the Company repurchased 437,882 shares of stock, or 1.2% of the outstanding shares at the beginning of the year, for $59.1 million. As of December 31, 2023, $185.0 million remained available to repurchase under the authorized share repurchase program. The Company declared and paid cash dividends of $0.27 per share in the fourth quarter of 2023, totaling $9.8 million. For full year 2023, cash dividend payments totaled $39.5 million.
CONFERENCE CALL
Management will host a conference call to discuss its fourth quarter 2023 results at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) on Thursday, February 1, 2024. To listen, please go to Meritage's Investor Relations page for the live webcast or dial in to 1-877-407-6951 US toll free or 1-412-902-0046. A replay will be available on the Investor Relations page.
* The Company's return on equity is calculated as net income for the trailing twelve months divided by average shareholders' equity for the trailing five quarters. The Company's book value per share is calculated as shareholders' equity for the period divided by the shares outstanding as of the last day of the period.
We aggregate our homebuilding operating segments into reporting segments based on similar long-term economic characteristics and geographical proximity. Our three reportable homebuilding segments are as follows:
West: Arizona, California, Colorado, and Utah Central: Texas East: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Information (Dollars in thousands):
This press release and management's comments and discussion about our operating results included in this press release reflect certain adjustments, including home closing gross profit, home closing gross margin, and debt-to-capital ratios. These are considered non-GAAP financial measures and should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, the comparable GAAP financial measures. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are relevant and useful to investors in understanding our operating results and may be helpful in comparing the Company with other companies in the homebuilding industry to the extent they provide similar information. We encourage investors to understand the methods used by other companies in the homebuilding industry to calculate these non-GAAP financial measures and any adjustments thereto before comparing to our non-GAAP financial measures.
ABOUT MERITAGE HOMES CORPORATION
Meritage Homes is the fifth-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2022. The Company offers energy-efficient and affordable entry-level and first move-up homes. Operations span across Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Meritage Homes has delivered over 175,000 homes in its 38-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and award-winning customer experience. The Company is an industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding, a ten-time recipient of both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ("EPA") ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award and ENERGY STAR® Residential New Construction Market Leader Award, as well as a three-time recipient of the EPA's 2023 Indoor airPLUS Leader Award.
For more information, visit
The information included in this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include expectations about the housing market in general.
Such statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of Company management and current market conditions, which are subject to significant uncertainties and fluctuations. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The Company makes no commitment, and disclaims any duty, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or changes in these expectations. Meritage's business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. As a result of those risks and uncertainties, the Company's stock and note prices may fluctuate dramatically. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: changes in mortgage interest rates and the availability and pricing of residential mortgages; inflation in the cost of materials used to develop communities and construct homes; cancellation rates; supply chain and labor constraints; the ability of our potential buyers to sell their existing homes; our ability to acquire and develop lots may be negatively impacted if we are unable to obtain performance and surety bonds; the adverse effect of slow absorption rates; legislation related to tariffs; impairments of our real estate inventory; competition; home warranty and construction defect claims; failures in health and safety performance; fluctuations in quarterly operating results; our level of indebtedness; our ability to obtain financing if our credit ratings are downgraded; our potential exposure to and impacts from natural disasters or severe weather conditions; the availability and cost of finished lots and undeveloped land; the success of our strategy to offer and market entry-level and first move-up homes; a change to the feasibility of projects under option or contract that could result in the write-down or write-off of earnest money or option deposits; our limited geographic diversification; the replication of our energy-efficient technologies by our competitors; shortages in the availability and cost of subcontract labor; our exposure to information technology failures and security breaches and the impact thereof; the loss of key personnel; changes in tax laws that adversely impact us or our homebuyers; our inability to prevail on contested tax positions; failure of our employees and representatives to comply with laws and regulations; our compliance with government regulations related to our financial services operations; negative publicity that affects our reputation; potential disruptions to our business by an epidemic or pandemic, and measures that federal, state and local governments and/or health authorities implement to address it; and other factors identified in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set forth in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 under the caption "Risk Factors," which can be found on our website at
Contact
Emily Tadano, VP Investor Relations and ESG
(480) 515-8979
...
MENAFN31012024004107003653ID1107793768
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
|
https://menafn.com/1107793768/Meritage-Homes-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-2023-Results
| 2024-01-31T22:59:53Z
|
Doctor, Air Force Vet, and now, poet… Daily Headlines Newsletter Sign up for local daily headlines delivered straight to your email inbox every weekday morning. Click here to subscribe for free!
News, StateGovernor Mike Parson says delivering his final State of the State address last weekwas bittersweet. He says he’s proud of his accomplishments since becominggovernor in 2018. Parson is looking forward to going back to his southwest Missourifarm on a full-time basis.
|
https://kzimksim.com/2024/01/31/doctor-air-force-vet-and-now-poet/
| 2024-01-31T22:59:54Z
|
While Meta’s Twitter-like Threads app still has a long way to go to catch up with other platforms in the space, it is seemingly still adding users at a fairly strong rate, based on the latest data from Appfigures, which tracks overall download activity trends.
And while “downloads” and “active users” are wholly different measurements, the fact that Threads is still driving interest is a positive, which will at least see more people trying out the new app.
As reported by TechCrunch:
“Threads saw 12 million new downloads in December 2023, earning it a No. 4 spot in the Top Charts by downloads on Apple’s App Store. It also saw 16 million downloads on Google Play, which gave it the No. 8 spot. On both stores combined, it was the No. 6 app by way of new installs.”
Those results are not overly surprising, given that Threads was launched to European users on December 14th. Based on Instagram adoption figures versus Threads, my assumption was that the Threads EU launch would likely drive around 25 million more downloads overall, which is somewhat in line with these stats.
As such, these figures are not necessarily indicative of regular organic growth, as there was a significant event within this period. But still, it does show that Threads is still growing, and that it still maintains its opportunity to challenge X.
Though there have been some negative indicators as well.
Threads downloads had slowed significantly before December, while some prominent former Twitter users are either sticking with X, or even reverting back to the app, where they’ve already established a large following.
I recently looked at the Threads activity of the top 50 most followed profiles on X, and matched that to their posts on Threads, and found that almost half of these top accounts don’t even have a Threads presence, which is not a great signal for the app.
The majority of sports and news accounts are still prioritizing X, while big name Indian celebrities also haven’t made the switch. These are significant elements of the Twitter/X experience, and if Threads can’t win them over, it could make it difficult to maintain its growth momentum.
Still, it is early days for the app, and I do expect that Threads will cross 200 million monthly users shortly, versus X’s claimed 500 million monthly actives. That’s a lot of opportunity, and it feels like it could only take a few more Elon controversies to drive a more significant shift away from his app.
And at the same time, X is still struggling to win back ad partners, which will also play a key role in its future evolution.
The challenges for X in this regard are varied, ranging from Musk’s ongoing criticisms of former advertisers that have cut their X ad spend, to his many controversial takes on political hot button issues, to Community Notes being displayed on ads in the app, explaining why they’re misleading.
As a result, advertisers are seemingly still staying away from the app.
AdWeek has reported that big brands are spending around 55% less on Super Bowl ads on X this year, with their budgets instead going to TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram. That could suggest that X’s ad revenue, its key income source, is still down by around half on what it was before Elon took over at the app, and at some stage, based on X’s costs, and required investment in new projects, it could become an existential concern for the app.
Maybe that will be the thing that pushes more users towards Threads, and really, that’s likely what Meta built the app for, to provide an alternative in case of a full X collapse, in order to scoop up those cast-offs with a similar experience.
To be clear, the total destruction of X still seems unlikely, especially in an election year. But the challenges for Elon’s “everything app” are continuing to mount, while at the same time, more people are, at the least, giving Threads a shot.
|
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/threads-increased-download-momentum-december-amid-eu-launch/706062/
| 2024-01-31T22:59:54Z
|
From the occupied West Bank, an emergency hotline assists rescue efforts in Gaza By Aya Batrawy Published January 31, 2024 at 4:39 PM CST Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 5:17 NPR visits an emergency hotline center in the West Bank assisting first responders in the Gaza Strip. Copyright 2024 NPR
|
https://www.kmuw.org/2024-01-31/from-the-occupied-west-bank-an-emergency-hotline-assists-rescue-efforts-in-gaza
| 2024-01-31T22:59:54Z
|
At first glance, it might have looked like a run-of-the-mill social media check-in: "How is everybody doing?"
But the message came from Elmo — the furry red friend to kids, Muppets and anyone else. And Elmo is known, on Sesame Street and beyond, for his capacity to care.
So the responses flooded in on X and Instagram, Threads and Facebook, and conversations sparked on Reddit and elsewhere. People unburdened themselves, and Elmo took it all in. On X alone, Elmo's question received 180 million views by midday Wednesday.
Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?
— Elmo (@elmo) January 29, 2024
Responses to Elmo on Friday and Monday differ wildly
One of Elmo's earliest check-in messages was posted on Threads, where Elmo asked last Friday how people were doing.
"Just on my way to buy some BALSAMIC VINIGUH," came one popular reply — to which Elmo responded, "Elmo hopes it's yummy!"
"I'm doing ok! Hope you are too!" said another commenter, getting the reply, "Elmo loves you!"
Other notes wished everyone a happy Friday. But then the weekend was over. And when Elmo echoed his question on X and other platforms Monday morning, things took a turn.
"Not well Elmo they done raised rent and everything at this point I'm coming to live with u on sesame Street," Babygirl Whroway told Elmo on Facebook.
"Elmo would love that! #neighbors!" the Muppet responded.
"Elmo I'm having a rough time. Love you though," weatherwoman1213 said on Instagram.
"Elmo hopes you doing okay. Elmo loves you today and every day," he replied.
On X, people aired litanies of personal and relationship problems and more general angst. They spoke about being tired, broke and unsure how to improve things, and feeling disconnected from others.
As a user named Becky said of the massive response, people were "trauma dumping so hard on elmo the official sesame street account had to tweet out mental health resources," adding, "god help us."
A recurring theme also popped up, as adults remarked on how affirming it was to connect with Elmo and his friends.
"All the love to the Sesame Street team for still taking care of all us grown children," a commenter wrote on Instagram. "We may be chronologically outside the demographic, but we really never left the Street. Thank you."
President Biden weighed in late Tuesday, stating, "Our friend Elmo is right: We have to be there for each other, offer our help to a neighbor in need, and above all else, ask for help when we need it."
Is Elmo a gifted therapist?
In his responses this week — and let's be honest, in most moments since he was introduced in the 1980s — Elmo showed that he exemplifies three of the most important attributes of a therapist, as defined by the influential 20th century psychologist Carl Rogers, the driving force behind "person-centered" therapy.
Rogers' list starts with congruence, meaning authenticity and genuineness — being real. The other two core qualities for a therapist, he said, are acceptance that comes from unconditional positive regard, and empathy that comes from understanding another person.
While Elmo hasn't been able to reply to every message on his accounts, his responses are winning praise. Consider his answer to a student on Instagram who told him this week, "I don't wanna go to class Elmo, I need words of encouragement."
"You can do it! Try to make a new friend today!" Elmo told them. "That will make class extra fun and tomorrow you will be extra excited to see them!"
To that, another user replied, "bro that's actually such a good advice lol."
In many cases, commenters on the replies showed people sharing positive messages and practical advice with each other, encouraging people who are struggling to keep sharing, and working to make things better.
They are words we all need to say, and messages we need to hear. And in one short message, Elmo reminded us to make time for each other, and listen.
"Wow! Elmo is glad he asked!" Elmo said on Tuesday, as responses to his question continued to pour in. "Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends! Elmo loves you.❤ #EmotionalWellBeing."
Elmo's been there, too
A Muppet's life might seem like an eternally happy mix of friends, music and community spirit, but Elmo has struggled. His honesty about dealing with challenges is part of what makes him so relatable to young kids, who share his excitement about the novelties of life and his frustration when things don't go his way.
Consider Elmo's rocky relationship with Rocco, his friend Zoe's famous (and in some quarters, infamous) pet rock. With his intense feelings, Elmo hasn't always shown patience in navigating his friend's attachment to an inanimate object. Video of a 2004 clash between the friends over a cookie reserved for Rocco went viral in recent years; their complex dynamic even provoked a Lacanian psychoanalysis.
"Has anybody ever seen a rock eat a cookie? Elmo is just curious," Elmo tweeted in 2022, uncorking another front in the dispute. And once again, the red rascal's message sounded far beyond Sesame Street's brownstones.
Has anybody ever seen a rock eat a cookie? Elmo is just curious.
— Elmo (@elmo) January 5, 2022
"Yes, my friend," the actor Dwayne Johnson replied. "This Rock devours cookies. All kinds of cookies." He added, "Tell Cookie Monster to move it over, cuz I'm coming to Sesame Street to kick ass and eat cookies."
For the record, that didn't sit well with Cookie Monster, who isn't one for letting things go — especially if the things in question are cookies. The blue cookie enthusiast eagerly accepted The Rock's challenge.
As Elmo caused a new sensation by asking how people are doing, other famous Sesame Street residents also chimed in. Cookie Monster made a particularly solid offer: "Me here to talk it out whenever you want. Me will also supply cookies."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.nhpr.org/national/2024-01-31/elmo-takes-a-turn-as-a-therapist-after-asking-how-is-everybody-doing
| 2024-01-31T22:59:55Z
|
By David Randall
NEW YORK, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yields hovered near two week lows on Tuesday as investors weighed unexpected strength in the job market with Monday's announcement by the Treasury Department that it will not need to borrow as much as it forecasted in October.
Markets are highly focused on the labor market because it will likely signal when the Federal Reserve will begin cutting benchmark interest rates this year. The Fed concludes its two-day policy meeting on Wednesday.
While markets have priced in a near-certainty that the Fed will keep benchmark rates at their current level, Fed Chair Jerome Powell's press conference will likely give clues as to the number of interest rate cuts the central bank expects to see this year.
Markets are now expecting the first 25 basis point cut in May, compared with expectations of a cut at the March meeting at the start of the year. Overall, investors expect 130 basis points in cut by the end of the year, down from expectations of more than 160 basis points in cuts at the end of 2023.
"It's the quiet before the storm," said Frank Rybinski, head of macro strategy at Aegon Asset Management. "For a March cut to happen you'd have to have some pretty clear communication from the Fed laying the groundwork tomorrow, but when you look at the economic data and where the labor market is, it's hard to have a high degree of confidence that they will see the need to cut."
U.S. job openings unexpectedly rose in December and data for the prior month was revised higher, the Labor Department said, suggesting that demand in the labor market remains strong. Treasury yields sold off following the data release.
In late afternoon trading, the yield on 10-year Treasury notes US10YT=RRwas down 3.2 basis points to 4.059%. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond US30YT=RR was down 5.8 basis points to 4.277%.
The dip in yields comes on the heels of Monday's announcement by the Treasury Department that it will not need to borrow as much as it had forecasted in October, alleviating some concern among investors about oversupply.
Yields closed below their 200-day moving average on Monday, which historically has signaled another 10 to 12 basis point drop over the next few trading sessions, noted Ian Lyngen, head of U.S. rates strategy at BMO Capital Markets.
"It's easy to envision a breakout that brings 10-year yields comfortably below 4.0%," he said.
Overall, the Case-Shiller Home Price Index rose 5.40% on the year that ended in November and gained 0.15% on a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, slightly below expectations of a 5.80% annual gain and a 0.5% monthly advance.
"The Fed wants to limit increases of house prices to keep core inflation trending lower," said Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank.
A closely watched part of the U.S. Treasury yield curve measuring the gap between yields on two- and 10-year Treasury notes US2US10=RR, seen as an indicator of economic expectations, was at -25.7 basis points.
The two-year US2YT=RR U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was down 1.4 basis points at 4.308%.
(Reporting by David Randall; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Marguerita Choy)
((David.Randall@thomsonreuters.com; 646-223-6607; Reuters Messaging: david.randall.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
|
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/treasuries-10-year-yields-hover-near-2-week-lows-after-jobs-openings-data
| 2024-01-31T22:59:54Z
|
NHL players Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames have been charged with sexual assault in connection with an alleged assault by several members of Canada's 2018 world junior team.
Attorneys representing Hart, McLeod, Foote and Dube said Tuesday that each player has been charged with sexual assault by police in London, Ontario. They denied any wrongdoing on behalf of their clients.
Hart's lawyers, Megan Savard and Riaz Sayani, said their client is facing one count of sexual assault, adding, "He is innocent and will provide a full response to this false accusation in the proper forum, a court of law."
Legal teams representing McLeod and Dube said the players would be pleading not guilty.
"(We) will vigorously defend the case," McLeod's attorneys, David Humphrey and Seth Weinstein, said in a statement. "We ask that the public respect Mr. McLeod's privacy, and his family's privacy. Because the matter is now before the court, we will not comment further at this time."
Dube's lawyers, Louis Strezos and Kayleigh Davidson, said their client "maintains his innocence (and) will defend the allegations in court."
Foote's lawyer, Julianna Greenspan, said her client was "innocent of the charge and will defend himself against this allegation to clear his name."
"What is most critical at this time is the presumption of innocence, and the right to a fair trial that everyone in Canada is entitled to," Greenspan said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. "As the matter is before the court, I ask that Cal's and his family's privacy be respected."
A Devils spokesperson said the organization is aware of the reports and have been told to refer all inquiries to the league. A Flyers spokesman echoed a similar sentiment, saying the team "will respond appropriately to this very serious matter when the outcomes of the investigations are made public."
"We have now become aware of the charge of sexual assault that has been laid against Dillon Dube," the Flames said in a statement. "We take this matter very seriously. Because the matter is now pending legal proceedings, we will have no further comment at this time."
The NHL was not expected to address the situation Tuesday. Commissioner Gary Bettman is set to speak at the league's upcoming All-Star Weekend.
The latest developments in the case come two days after former NHL player Alex Formenton surrendered to police to face charges. Attorney Daniel Brown said Formenton is innocent "and asks that people not rush to judgment without hearing all of the evidence."
All five players have taken leave from their current clubs over the past 10 days. Their agents have not spoken publicly since.
London police have scheduled a news conference for Monday to address the situation. A spokesperson for police told the AP by email no updates on the investigation will be provided before the news conference.
Investigation followed a settlement in a lawsuit
London police launched their investigation in 2022 after it was disclosed that Hockey Canada had settled a lawsuit with a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by eight members of that gold medal-winning team after a Hockey Canada Foundation fundraising gala. London is approximately halfway between Toronto and Detroit.
According to court documents, the woman, then 20, alleged that a man, identified only as "John Doe #1," took her from a bar to a hotel room and invited seven other people into the room to perform undisclosed sexual acts, intimidating her and preventing her from leaving. The woman said in the lawsuit the men directed her to take a shower and asked her to say on video that she was sober.
The woman sought $3.55 million in damages and dropped the lawsuit after reaching a settlement with Hockey Canada.
The NHL has also been investigating
The NHL opened its own investigation in 2022 and has pledged to make those findings public. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly last week said the league would issue a statement if and when it is appropriate.
The Flyers said Hart requested and was granted a leave of absence for personal reasons. General manager Daniel Briere declined to provide details when asked follow-up questions related to the 25-year-old No. 1 goaltender's departure.
The Devils did not give a reason when announcing McLeod and Foote were granted indefinite leaves of absence. McLeod, who turns 26 on Saturday, is in the middle of his fourth full season with the team, while Foote — son of former NHL player Adam Foote — has spent much of this season in the American Hockey League and appeared in four games for New Jersey.
The Flames said Dube was on indefinite leave to tend to his mental health. As part of their statement Tuesday, they said they "had no knowledge of pending charges at the time Dillon's request for a leave of absence was granted."
The 25-year-old Dube has played for Calgary since 2018.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.lakeshorepublicmedia.org/npr-news/2024-01-31/4-nhl-players-charged-with-sexual-assault-in-a-2018-case-in-canada-their-lawyers-say
| 2024-01-31T22:59:55Z
|
A mother and her two children are among nine people injured in an incident involving a ‘corrosive substance’ in south London.
The attack also injured three others who were believed to have come to their aid, as well as a further three Met police officers who responded to the initial reports at around 7.25pm.
London Fire Brigade said the pair of children and their mother were given ‘immediate emergency care’ at the scene on Clapham’s Lessar Avenue.
The Met’s Detective Superintendent Alexander Castle confirmed the woman and children had been taken to hospital, along with the three adults who are thought to have come to their aid.
Latest London news
- One dead after being hit by bus outside Victoria Station
- Passengers scream in horror after mass fight breaks out on Tube
- Adele says she’s avoided Tube for 20 years after terror attack
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro.co.uk's London news hub.
The officers who responded to the incident were also taken to hospital with what are believed to be minor injuries.
Det Supt Castle added: ‘While tests are ongoing to determine what the substance is, at this stage we believe it to be a corrosive substance.’
Officers are searching for a man seen fleeing the scene, assisted by a police helicopter.
Marina Ahmad, a member of the London Assembly for Lambeth and Southwark, described the incident as a ‘traffic collision’ involving ‘a man assaulting occupants in a car and throwing acid’.
This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
MORE : Sarah Jessica Parker is really quite obsessed with the London Underground
MORE : Designs unveiled for London’s newest skyscraper
MORE : Met says sorry for PCSO who stuck tongue out when she confronted a busker
|
https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/31/children-among-injured-south-london-corrosive-substance-incident-20204997/
| 2024-01-31T22:59:56Z
|
Join us for a morning of inspiration, fellowship, and community support at the National Ladies Ministry Prayer Breakfast and Panel hosted by Mount of Blessing New Testament Church of God (NTCOG) – the blue and white Church. This empowering event will take place this Saturday, February 3rd, from 6 am to 11 am.
Event Details:
- Date: Saturday, February 3rd
- Time: 6 am to 11 am
- Location: Mount of Blessing New Testament Church of God (NTCOG) – the blue and white Church
Ticket Information:
- Tickets: $20
- Breakfast Meals: Share a meal for $10 or opt for $15 portions if needed.
Causes We Support:
Your participation and contributions will go towards supporting multiple causes:
- Orphans in Ukraine: Providing assistance to those in need.
- Battle on the Word Ministry: Supporting efforts to spread the message of faith and community.
- Church Step Repairs: Enhancing the safety and aesthetics of our place of worship.
This event promises a dynamic panel discussion, heartfelt prayers, and a delicious breakfast that you can share with friends and family. It’s an opportunity to come together as a community and make a positive impact on the lives of those in need.
Don’t miss out on this chance to be part of something meaningful. Purchase your tickets now and join us in contributing to these worthy causes.
Let’s unite in prayer, fellowship, and support for a brighter, more compassionate community. See you there!
|
https://antiguaobserver.com/community-notice-ntcog-ladies-ministry-prayer-breakfast-and-panel/
| 2024-01-31T22:59:56Z
|
Reyna is a Red! USMNT star Gio ends Borussia Dortmund nightmare as he completes Nottingham Forest loan moveRitabrata BanerjeeGetty ImagesGiovanni ReynaNottingham ForestTransfersBorussia DortmundPremier LeagueBundesligaUSAUSMNT star Gio Reyna has completed his loan move to Nottingham Forest from Borussia Dortmund.Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues belowReyna completes Forest loan moveContract valid until the end of the seasonSaw his game time reduced at Dortmund
|
https://www.goal.com/en-ng/lists/gio-reyna-usmnt-borussia-dortmund-nightmare-nottingham-forest-loan/blt17d4dd7b86b697e1
| 2024-01-31T22:59:56Z
|
The first of the storms - both products of vast airborne currents of dense moisture called atmospheric rivers - hit the West Coast on Wednesday, bringing showers and gusty winds from Oregon south into Northern California and the San Francisco Bay area.
The two systems also fit the definition of a "Pineapple Express," or Pacific storms originating from the warm, subtropical waters around Hawaii, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist and meteorologist for the University of California, Los Angeles.
The initial storm was expected on Thursday to sweep into Southern California, where residents - still shaken by flooding in recent weeks - hurried to stack up sandbags and clear storm drains in anticipation of another onslaught.
"We're going to be filling 40 tons of sandbags at this recreation center," said Scott Webber, 27, a construction contractor helping with storm preparations in a San Diego County neighborhood where scores of homes were flooded on Jan. 22.
"We did 25 tons this morning" at another volunteer sandbagging site, he added. "People need to have each other's backs."
The winter storms - the first of the season - mark an abrupt change for California, which like much of the West had been basking in record, late-January warmth since the weekend.
The initial storm was expected to intensify in the Bay area on Wednesday evening. The precipitation will fall mostly as rain, with 2 to 5 inches possible in San Francisco through Thursday, while snow was forecast for nearby mountains.
The National Weather Service posted a flood watch for the Bay area and California's Central Coast, along with high-wind warning for much of the region.
Road and stream flooding was possible in Southern California on Thursday, though major bouts of inundation were considered less likely, according to Swain. Heavy to locally very heavy rains from the system could linger over parts of Northern California for six to 12 hours, he added.
SECOND, STRONGER PUNCH FORECAST FOR SUNDAY
A second, potentially more powerful storm is forecast to hit California on Sunday, bringing strong, gusty winds to the north and much heavier downpours in the south, while dumping yet more snow in the mountains.
Although much about the second storm's trajectory remains uncertain, Swain said it appeared to be packing a denser plume of moisture capable of unleashing heavier, more sustained rainfall.
"Suffice it to say there will be some flooding in Southern California," Swain said. "The question is whether it is the unremarkable street flooding we see in any big rainstorm or something considerably more significant than that."
San Diego County endured record-breaking rains and severe flash flooding from a localized storm last week, and parts of Ventura County were evacuated after a month's worth of rain fell in just one hour in December.
Still, precipitation forecast for California pales in comparison to Anchorage, Alaska, where a storm this week pushed the seasonal snowfall total for that state's largest city past the 100-inch mark earlier in winter than ever before.
A series of about a dozen atmospheric river storms lashed California in rapid succession last winter, causing mass evacuations, power outages, levee breaches and road closures in a state long preoccupied with drought and wildfires. At least 20 people perished in those storms, which nevertheless helped break the grip of a years-long drought in California.
The latest storms are likewise expected to help improve the state's water supply picture by bolstering mountain snowpacks, currently lagging at below-average levels.
While the U.S. West Coast has averaged 10 or 11 atmospheric river storms a year since 1980, they are projected to become more frequent and more extreme over the next century if planetary warming from human-induced climate change continues at current rates, according to scientists.
The two latest storms are also typical of the prevailing El Nino weather pattern, a naturally occurring deviation in the Pacific jet stream that causes warmer-than-usual ocean temperatures along the west coasts of North and South America, Swain said.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting in San Diego by Mike Blake; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Diane Craft)
By Steve Gorman
|
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/California-faces-drenching-rains-from-back-to-back-atmospheric-rivers-45851211/
| 2024-01-31T22:59:56Z
|
WorldWomen speak out about pregnancy impacts after living at Camp LejeuneStories of miscarriage and stillbirths are being shared by women who lived at Camp Lejeune, where the water was contaminated with chemicals for decades.February 1, 2024 — 7.27amSaveLog in, register or subscribe to save articles for later.Save videos for laterAdd videos to your saved list and come back to them any time.Got itLoadingReplayReplay videoPlay videoPlay video
|
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/women-speak-out-about-pregnancy-impacts-after-living-at-camp-lejeune-20240201-p5f1ju.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_world
| 2024-01-31T22:59:57Z
|
Debates over Trent Alexander-Arnold's best position in this Liverpool team will rumble on, but right now, it's difficult to make a case for the England international not to be moved into midfield given the form Conor Bradley has shown while covering at right-back.
The 20-year-old has impressed plenty in recent weeks, but against Chelsea on Wednesday, he was superb, as he netted his first Reds goal and assisted two more in the Premier League leaders' 4-1 win over the Blues on Merseyside.
After Darwin Nunez went close on a couple of occasions, Liverpool broke the deadlock through Diogo Jota, who ran onto Bradley's pass and bustled his way through two Chelsea defenders to poke home. Bradley then doubled the lead with a superb angled drive after being freed down the right.
Nunez missed the chance to make it 3-0 before half-time when he hit the post with a penalty, but the Reds soon put that behind them after the break as Dominik Szoboszlai headed in a sumptuous Bradley cross.
Chelsea threatened a comeback when Christopher Nkunku netted with 20 minutes to play, but after Nunez again hit the woodwork with a header, Luis Diaz settled things with a close-range finish to ensure the Reds' first Premier League game since Jurgen Klopp announced his intention to leave the club ended in victory.
GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield...
|
https://www.goal.com/en-ng/lists/liverpool-player-ratings-chelsea-conor-bradley-jurgen-klopp/blt56016321d56dc0dd
| 2024-01-31T22:59:57Z
|
Photo Credit: Champja
Study results indicate that switching from intravenous to subcutaneous vedolizumab in patients with IBD appears to be safe and effective.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) presents a significant challenge in healthcare due to its chronic nature and complex treatment requirements. However, the advent of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) has revolutionized the management of IBD, offering targeted therapy options that can effectively control inflammation and improve patient outcomes. Among these MAbs, vedolizumab (VDZ) has emerged as a pivotal agent, particularly for patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) who have failed conventional or anti-TNFα therapies.
Convenience of a Subcutaneous Formulation
VDZ operates by selectively targeting the α4β7 integrin, thereby inhibiting the interaction between immune cells and the gut endothelium, which is crucial in the pathogenesis of IBD. Traditionally administered intravenously (IV), VDZ has demonstrated efficacy in inducing and maintaining remission in patients with both UC and CD. However, the recent introduction of a subcutaneous (SC) formulation of VDV (SC-VDZ) has expanded treatment options, offering patients the convenience of at-home administration and potentially reducing the burden associated with frequent hospital visits for IV infusions.
Clinical trials, such as VISIBLE I and II, have provided robust evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of SC-VDZ, demonstrating its non-inferiority to IV-VDZ in terms of clinical response and safety profile. Real-world data have further corroborated these findings, showing comparable effectiveness, remission rates, and quality-of-life scores between the two formulations. Additionally, SC-VDZ has been shown to offer time-saving benefits, making it an attractive option for patients seeking more convenient treatment modalities.
Consensus Lacking on Transition Timing
Despite promising data supporting the use of SC-VDZ, there remains a lack of consensus among healthcare professionals regarding the optimal timing for transitioning patients from IV to SC formulations, particularly for those on long-term maintenance therapy. To address this gap, a prospective observational cohort study was conducted by Dr. Laura Parisio and colleagues to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of switching from IV to SC-VDZ in patients with IBD who were in clinical remission and stable on standard IV-VDZ therapy.
The study enrolled 93 patients (43 with CD, 50 with UC) who were in steroid-free clinical remission (SFCR) with IV-VDZ treatment for at least 3 months. “At baseline, 80 patients (86%) had a combined remission,” wrote Dr. Parisio and team in J Gastrointestin Liver Dis. Patients were then switched to SC-VDZ and followed for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint of the study combined SFCR plus biochemical remission (BR) at 24 weeks after switching to SC-VDZ, with secondary endpoints including SFCR plus BR at 12 weeks, persistence on SC-VDZ therapy, and factors influencing 24-week combined remission.
IBD Remission Maintained
Results from the study demonstrated that transitioning from IV to SC-VDZ was effective in maintaining remission in patients with IBD, with high rates of combined SFCR plus BR observed at both 12 and 24 weeks post-transition. “At 24-week, 89.2% (n=74) maintained combined steroid-free clinical remission plus biochemical remission,” wrote the study authors. Furthermore, UC diagnosis was identified as a predictor of a higher probability of combined remission at 24 weeks compared with CD. In J Gastrointestin Liver Dis, the study team wrote that “25 adverse events were reported, mostly SARS-CoV-2 infections and injection site reactions, with a further four recurrence episodes. Twelve patients (12.9%) discontinued subcutaneous administration and restarted intravenous vedolizumab.
Potential to Improve Outcomes & QOL
The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the effectiveness and safety of transitioning from IV to SC-VDZ in patients with IBD. “Switching from intravenous to subcutaneous vedolizumab can be considered effective and safe for maintaining remission in patients with inflammatory bowel disease,” wrote Dr. Parisio and team. “In addition, this might reduce healthcare costs.”
While the results are promising, further research with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods is warranted to validate these findings and explore patient satisfaction and healthcare costs associated with this transition, according to the study authors. Ultimately, optimizing the use of SC-VDZ in clinical practice has the potential to improve treatment outcomes and enhance the quality of life for patients with IBD, they added in J Gastrointestin Liver Dis.
|
https://www.physiciansweekly.com/switching-from-iv-to-subcutaneous-vedolizumab-deemed-safe-effective/
| 2024-01-31T22:59:57Z
|
"Do I have to remind you what’s at stake here?" barks Bryan Cranston’s villain Ritter at his hapless minions in Matthew Vaughn’s latest. Perhaps a few such reminders might have helped focus the Kingsman director’s fitfully lively but – ultimately – fatally loose espionage meta-satire.
Wobbling unevenly between self-awareness and self-satisfaction, Argylle is never as fast or funny as it thinks it is: a reminder that even frivolously quippy capers can benefit from discipline.
Supposedly adapted from a book by Elly Conway, Jason Fuchs’ script focuses on Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), writer of a novel series about super-spy Argylle. The action cuts between the ridiculous exploits of the fictional Argylle (Henry Cavill) and Elly’s creative pains, then blurs the dividing line increasingly until she’s swept away on a real mission by spy Aidan (Sam Rockwell). Her writer’s imagination is needed, it turns out, to help locate a digital whatnot before Ritter nabs it first.
Despite the race-against-time set-up, Vaughn rarely generates the necessary velocity. The opening stretch’s Bond parody and riffs on duplicitous identities are drawn out and labored. It’s left to a pleasingly spiky Catherine O’Hara and an ever-likable Howard to engage initially; later, Howard has fun flexing her range.
While Rockwell’s wise-cracking presence helps lift the mood, his fight scenes are either too overcooked or cheesy for impact. Cavill is reduced to looking suave while being blown through the air backward, his unruffled hair a visual parallel for oddly flat action sequences that neither shake nor stir. And he’s not the only wasted talent here: Ariana DeBose, Samuel L Jackson, and Chip the cat are all variably underused.
Some predictable mid-film twists add self-conscious fun, though it’s hard to shake the feeling that films like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent maxed the meta-genre mischief with more invention and elegance. The struggle to integrate the demands of action and knowing comedy weighs heavy as the film crawls to its second half, with a languid trip to a French vineyard stalling the pace at precisely the wrong moment.
When Vaughn does get his skates on (literally), he over-compensates for such shortcomings. Lumbering beyond the two-hour mark, Argylle’s excess of overwrought climactic set-pieces make The Return of the King’s endings look sparing. One clumsily staged ruckus involving a multicolored smokescreen speaks volumes: even when the air clears, you’re left with the impression of a film lost in a gaudy fog of self-indulgence.
Argylle is in UK cinemas from February 1 and in US theaters from February 2.
For more, check out all the upcoming movies on the way in 2024 and beyond.
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/argylle-review/
| 2024-01-31T22:59:59Z
|
(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) HAMPTON, N.H., Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Unitil Corporation (NYSE: UTL) (unitil ) today announced that its Board of Directors raised the quarterly dividend on the Company's common stock to $0.425 per share, an increase of $0.02 per share. Today's action increased the Company's annualized dividend by $0.08, to $1.70 per share. Also today, the Board declared the first quarter common stock dividend of $0.425 per share, payable February 29, 2024, to shareholders of record on February 14, 2024.
About Unitil Corporation
Unitil Corporation provides energy for life by safely and reliably delivering natural gas and electricity in New England. We are committed to the communities we serve and to developing people, business practices, and technologies that lead to the delivery of dependable, more efficient energy. Unitil Corporation is a public utility holding company with operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Together, Unitil's operating utilities serve approximately 108,500 electric customers and 88,400 natural gas customers. For more information about our people, technologies, and community involvement please visit unitil .
For more information please contact:
Todd Diggins – Investor Relations
Phone: 603-773-6504
Email: ...
Alec O'Meara – External Affairs
Phone: 603-773-6404
Email: ...
MENAFN31012024004107003653ID1107793769
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
|
https://menafn.com/1107793769/Unitil-Increases-Common-Stock-Dividend
| 2024-01-31T23:00:00Z
|
St. Louis Democratic U.S. Congresswoman Cori Bush under a federal investigation over alleged misuse of funds involving the use of security. Anthony Morabith reports Daily Headlines Newsletter Sign up for local daily headlines delivered straight to your email inbox every weekday morning. Click here to subscribe for free!
|
https://kzimksim.com/2024/01/31/st-louis-democratic-u-s-congresswoman-cori-bush-under-a-federal-investigation-over-alleged-misuse-of-funds-involving-the-use-of-security-anthony-morabith-reports/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:00Z
|
Lawmakers grilled the CEOs of top social media companies in a hearing today By Dara Kerr Published January 31, 2024 at 4:21 PM CST Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 3:45 During a contentious hearing, lawmakers demanded that social media companies do better to protect children online. Copyright 2024 NPR
|
https://www.kmuw.org/2024-01-31/lawmakers-grilled-the-ceos-of-top-social-media-companies-in-a-hearing-today
| 2024-01-31T23:00:00Z
|
As TikTok struggles to build momentum for its in-stream shopping push, it’s probably not being helped by the steady trickle of reports which suggest that the platform is still sharing user data with its parent company in China, despite TikTok repeatedly claiming that this doesn’t happen.
According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, based on internal reports from TikTok employees, the platform is indeed still providing U.S. user data to staff at ByteDance, its Chinese parent, even as it goes about siloing U.S. user data as part of “Project Texas”, which it pitched to U.S. regulators as a key measure that should dissuade a full ban of the app.
As reported by WSJ:
“[TikTok] managers sometimes instruct workers to share data with colleagues in other parts of the company and with ByteDance workers without going through official channels. That data sometimes includes private information such as a user’s email, birth date and IP address. Meanwhile, ByteDance workers in China update TikTok’s algorithm so frequently that Project Texas employees struggle to check every change, and fear they won’t catch problems if there are any, the people said.”
Project Texas, which TikTok originally announced early last year, is the company’s billion dollar plan to separate U.S. user data from other elements of the app, in order to reassure U.S. officials that it will not be sending sensitive information back to China, where it could be infiltrated by the CCP.
Under Chinese cybersecurity laws, TikTok, like all Chinese owned apps, is bound by an agreement to share all user data with the CCP on request. There’s no record of any such request being made, but concerns around this element, along with questions about potential interference with TikTok’s algorithmic recommendations, have seen cybersecurity experts repeatedly sound the alarm about the harmful potential of the app.
As a result, TikTok has already been banned on government devices in most Western nations, while the White House is also still weighing a full block of the app, which has seen TikTok’s team repeatedly scrambling to allay concerns. The app even recruited a team of U.S. influencers to meet with Senators last year, in order to make a plea on TikTok’s behalf.
Those efforts seem to provided it a stay of execution, at least for the time being. But concerning reports continue to come through, not regularly, but at a steady enough cadence to keep TikTok in the news.
In February last year, questions were raised around the CCP’s tacit support of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which saw some segments raise concerns about TikTok’s coverage of the conflict. That even led to TikTok proposing a potential sell-off from ByteDance, as a last ditch effort to avoid a U.S. ban, while more recently, in September, EU officials raised their own concerns about TikTok’s connection to the CCP. TikTok responded with more detail about “Project Clover”, its program to separate E.U. user data.
Even more recently than that, in November, a group of U.S. senators renewed their calls for a ban of the app, due to its algorithms seemingly amplifying anti-Israel and anti-Jewish content.
Despite the ban talking easing over time, the threat remains very real for the app, especially as more concerns like this continue to be raised, either due to global conflicts, or sometimes due to lobbyists working on behalf of U.S. social apps.
Which, as noted, could also be a key impediment to its broader shopping push.
TikTok desperately wants to get more people buying more products in the app, following the lead of the Chinese version of TikTok, called “Douyin”, which now generates the majority of its income from in-app product sales.
And TikTok has reason to be optimistic, given that spending in the app rose to record highs in 2023.
But while there is a clear willingness to spend, there’s also, evidently, some hesitancy, which has limited that activity from expanding beyond creator donations.
Could that be because of the lingering concerns around data privacy, and the potential of your information being used by the Chinese Government?
It’s not clear that this is a key issue for U.S. consumers, but it’s certainly not helping, and TikTok needs to sort out its actual data separation program if it wants to combat such reportage.
Its record on this, thus far, isn’t great, and it could eventually become the thing that stunts TikTok’s growth.
|
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktoks-still-sharing-us-user-data-china/706093/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:00Z
|
MIAMI — A federal judge has dismissed the Walt Disney Company's lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Disney sued after DeSantis and state lawmakers removed its self-governing status in 2023.
Backed by Republican lawmakers, DeSantis dissolved a special district near Orlando that for more than fifty years had governed Walt Disney World. He acted after Disney's CEO opposed a law limiting how sex orientation and gender identity can be discussed in the schools. The Parental Rights in Education Act was labeled "Don't Say Gay" by opponents.
At DeSantis' request, Florida's GOP-controlled legislature created a new special district, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, controlled by the Republican Governor's appointees. Disney sued in federal court, saying DeSantis was retaliating against the company, punishing it for exercising its First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Disney also canceled plans for a $1 billion campus in Florida.
In a 17-page order, U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor dismissed the case, saying Disney lacks standing to sue the governor. The judge also said while Disney could sue the new DeSantis-appointed board, it hadn't shown evidence that actions by the new board had harmed the company. In addition, Winsor said the law prohibits plaintiffs from bringing a free speech challenge to constitutionally enacted laws.
A DeSantis spokesman hailed the decision saying, "the Corporate Kingdom is over. The days of Disney controlling its own government and being placed above the law are long gone. Disney is still just one of many corporations in the state and they do not have a right to their own special government."
Disney says it will "press forward with its case." In a statement after the ruling, a company spokesperson said, "If left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with."
Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board are also embroiled in lawsuits in state court.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.lakeshorepublicmedia.org/npr-news/2024-01-31/a-federal-judge-dismisses-disneys-lawsuit-against-florida-gov-ron-desantis
| 2024-01-31T23:00:01Z
|
A council member in New York was allegedly heard threatening to ‘slit this b***h’s throat’ after a fellow leader voted to remove her from her post.
Councilwoman Tasha Diaz, the Democratic majority leader of the Yonkers City Council, is accused of hurling the remark at Councilwoman Corazon Pineda-Issac after a January 2 meeting.
Pineda-Isaac voted against keeping Diaz as the majority leader for another two-year term, but was unsuccessful in the bid.
A victorious Diaz said, ‘I need to get out of here before I slice this b***h’s throat,’ a source told The Journal News.
Shortly afterward, Diaz reiterated that she wanted to ‘slit’ Pineda-Isaac’s throat while in the council president’s office, another source told the newspaper.
No recordings of that exact threat allegedly made by Diaz have surfaced, but several people told The Yonkers Ledger that they would testify to officials about hearing it.
The incident was raised by Pineda-Isaac in a letter last Wednesday to the city’s human resources department.
‘My colleagues on the council and some of the staff witnessed the Majority Leader of the Yonkers City Council, the third largest city of New York say that she was going to “slit my throat,”’ wrote Pineda-Isaac.
‘Imagine how I felt being made aware of that. Imagine coming to work and having to sit next to someone who has made such violent remarks.’
Pineda-Isaac also claimed that Diaz has criticized her wardrobe and called her a ‘backwards b***h’ for being cold in the summer, and said she would ‘smack the taste out of my mouth’.
A video of Diaz at a meeting shows her raising her voice, pushing back on criticism, and claiming she has fought for her constituents.
Diaz did not deny making the throat slitting or slicing remark. She apologized for using exaggerated verbiage but also hit at Pineda-Isaac for the ‘retaliatory complaint’ that was a waste of ‘city resources and taxpayer money’.
‘In politics and while fighting for the residents of my district, I often speak hyperbolically as I am very passionate for fighting for the people of my district,’ Diaz told The Journal News.
‘Language taken out of context does not give the full picture and is mainly used as metaphors. If language used has ever offended anyone, I apologize.’
First district Councilwoman Shanae Williams in a reorganization meeting brought up other alleged comments by Diaz. Williams claimed that Diaz said she would ‘F them up’, in reference to Pineda-Isaac and fourth district Councilman John Rubbo, and that she called another commissioner the ‘C word’.
Pineda-Isaac urged the city’s human resources commissioner, Carlos Moran, to see through it that ‘the necessary steps be taken to fix this’.
‘When will this come to an end? When she actually physically harms me or someone else. I am not the first or last person to have fallen victim to Majority Leader Diaz’s behavior,’ Pineda-Isaac wrote.
‘I am just the first person to perhaps document it. I strongly believe that Majority Leader Diaz is at a breaking point and her behavior is only going to continue to get worse and more dangerous.’
Yonkers is about 12 miles north of Manhattan.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE : Woman screams as she’s compacted four times in lorry after falling in dumpster
MORE : Near-death shooting and reclusive life: DJ Slick Rick’s tragic past before grisly death
MORE : Man who ‘decapitated dad and showed head on YouTube’ thinks he’s the second messiah
|
https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/31/council-member-threaten-slit-throat-yonkers-new-york-20204670/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:02Z
|
- Advertisement -
The Department of Immigration has advised that Donnalee Samantha Salmon was apprehended on Tuesday night in the Crosbies area and she is now back in custody.
This means that both women who espaded from the Immigration Detention Centre on January 20, 2024, are now back in custody. Her compatriot, Tiffanie Stephanee Howell, turned herself over to law enforcement over the past weekend.
Salmon and Howell were awaiting deportation to their homeland, Jamaica, when they escaped from the Detention Centre.
- Advertisement -
|
https://antiguaobserver.com/second-jamaican-escapee-back-in-custody/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:02Z
|
The EU is keen to put a 13th package of measures together to mark the second anniversary of the war on Feb. 24.
The discussions that begin on Saturday are a final step before the Commission officially delivers a new package to be debated and voted on by EU countries in the Council.
The proposal is expected to focus on closing more loopholes on circumvention, especially for items that can be used on the battlefield, as well as a number of new listings on individuals and entities.
One source added that some minor sectoral measures such as new import bans were also likely.
Poland and the Baltic states have been calling for import bans on Russian aluminium and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
With EU elections looming in June, the bloc is pushing hard to secure more funding for Ukraine through a potential 50 billion euro ($54.06 billion) package, military aid as well as using revenues from frozen Russian central bank assets.
($1 = 0.9249 euros)
(Reporting by Julia Payne; Editing by Sandra Maler)
By Julia Payne
|
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/Commission-to-discuss-new-Russia-sanctions-proposal-with-EU-countries-45857186/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:03Z
|
Do Man City even need Erling Haaland?! Norwegian hitman returns from injury with Pep Guardiola's side cruising against BurnleyJames HunsleyGetty ImagesErling HaalandManchester CityManchester City vs BurnleyPremier LeagueErling Haaland made a welcome return from injury on Wednesday, with Pep Guardiola bringing him on during Manchester City's win over Burnley.Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues belowHaaland had been sidelined with injuryBrought on against BurnleyCity already cruising in PL clash
|
https://www.goal.com/en-ng/lists/man-city-erling-haaland-norwegian-hitman-returns-injury-pep-guardiola-burnley/bltade88da4053b212d
| 2024-01-31T23:00:03Z
|
Beloved not-quite-indie hit Dave the Diver showed up at today's State of Play showcase to reveal that it's coming to PlayStation, and the biggest guest star of all is coming, too: Godzilla.
The PlayStation version of Dave the Diver is set to launch in April, and the Godzilla crossover will follow in May. It's unclear what the scope of this expansion will be, but the trailer featured a full-on Godzilla rising out of the game's familiar waters. I'm pretty sure I also saw Ebirah rising out of the bay to face Godzilla at the end of the preview, but Ebirah is just a giant lobster, so that might just be a normal Dave the Diver monster.
This story is developing. For more, check out our PlayStation State of Play January 2024 live coverage.
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/dave-the-diver-is-getting-a-godzilla-expansion-and-it-looks-too-perfect-for-words/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:05Z
|
On Feb. 3, 2022, just before 9 p.m. Eastern, a Norfolk Southern train derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, a small Midwestern town of about 4,800 people near the Ohio border with Pennsylvania.
At least 11 of the train cars that derailed contained hazardous materials. Several cars were carrying vinyl chloride, a cancer-causing substance.
Government officials decided to burn the chemicals rather than let them drain onto the ground. The chemical explosion was enormous. The chemicals formed a gigantic toxic plume over the town.
Joe Biden promised to visit at some point and still has yet to show his face there.
Trump visited almost immediately and got a hero’s welcome, prompting a visit from our completely useless transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, which was nothing more than a lame attempt to save face by the Biden administration.
In this video, Karine Jean-Pierre is repeatedly asked by the press when Biden is going to visit the town and she just keeps putting them off.
316 days ago, Biden promised he would visit East Palestine, Ohio, “at some point.”
He hasn’t — and won’t — because he is a lying coward.pic.twitter.com/7AwUgyBXve
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 13, 2024
Biden simply doesn’t care. How else is anyone supposed to take this?
The people of East Palestine have been abandoned by this feckless administration! So sinister! Heck the whole country has been abandoned by this corrupt regime! https://t.co/UDi6zIbifN
— Kathleen Winchell ❤️ (@KathleenWinche3) January 13, 2024
Anyone remember this? Democrats are Americans LAST!! Never forget! Please, let’s make this go viral. https://t.co/VDSoVghrpy
— AllyinTucson (@Rockinthe60z) January 13, 2024
Do people realize how many vacation days Biden has taken in the last year? Yet he couldn’t find the time to visit Ohio?
The White House announced on Wednesday that Joe Biden will be visiting East Palestine, Ohio in Februay. A date was not listed.
President Trump visited the disaster site nearly a year ago after the horrific disaster.
The people are not fooled.
East Palestine, OH Business Owner: “… The leader of our country did not show up to the greatest catastrophe of 2023. And now, he’s going to show up because it’s an election year… the polls show President Trump came and supported us when he didn’t have to.”
East Palestine, OH Business Owner: "… The leader of our country did not show up to the greatest catastrophe of 2023. And now, he's going to show up because it's an election year… the polls show President Trump came and supported us when he didn't have to." pic.twitter.com/TkxTKeSPw0
— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) January 31, 2024
|
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/01/joe-biden-visit-east-palestine-ohio-year-after/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:05Z
|
The revenue targets above specifically pertain to the Company's organic growth, that is, not including revenues from M&A.
SYLA's core business domain, real estate development and sales, continues its upward trajectory, propelled by the Japanese government's low interest rate policy, increased inbound investment, and population growth in the central Tokyo area, which is the Company's primary focus. Despite challenges such as inflation-driven cost escalations and the potential for rising interest rates, SYLA anticipates robust growth. This expectation is based on the fact that the Company has already procured properties representing more than 60% of the estimated revenues for the real estate development and sales business through FY2025. Additionally, the collaboration with a private fund managed by BlackRock's real estate division (announced on December 11, 2023), and the capital and business alliance with RIBERESUTE CORPORATION (TSE: 8887) (announced on January 23, 2024), are poised to enhance SYLA's procurement and development capabilities, further contributing to sustained growth of the Company.
Furthermore, Rimawari-kun crowdfunding business is experiencing a steady rise in its membership (279,029 members as of December 2023, which is a 20% increase from the previous year), propelled by a successful collaboration with Rakuten Points. SYLA anticipates additional inflows of investment money driven by the Japanese government's“Doubling Asset-based Income Plan.” With equity from investors and financing from banks supporting larger-scale investment projects for the Rimawari-kun business, we expect our crowdfunding business to transition from the membership acquisition phase to a full sales growth phase in FY2024.
The renewable energy business expects an increase in sales, driven by the full-scale development of its core non-FIT solar power sources backed by substantial subsidy support from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
“The Japanese real estate industry has experienced substantial growth, particularly in the central Tokyo area, amid the recent low-interest-rate market conditions,” said Chairman, Founder, and CEO Hiroyuki Sugimoto.“Conversely, many companies in the real estate industry have price-to-book ratios below 1x, unable to leverage their robust net assets for their growth due to challenges such as industry-wide aging and the absence of business successors. With an estimated 23 trillion yen in unrealized profits for Japanese companies, attributed to the decade-long expansion of the central Tokyo real estate market, these low-growth companies have significant potential by taking advantage of leverage. Enriched with interconnected sectors, the real estate industry has the capacity to further stimulate the overall Japanese economy.”
Sugimoto continued:“SYLA is committed to fostering robust and steady organic growth by integrating our core real estate development and sales business with the Rimawari-kun business. Leveraging the cash generated from these businesses, we will concurrently pursue a growth strategy through M&A, targeting companies with a stable financial foundation and growth potential that are currently undervalued by the market. On the other hand, in the post-acquisition phase, it is imperative to create a secure work environment that empowers both management and employees to showcase their full capabilities. Therefore, we anticipate incurring reasonable post-merger integration costs, encompassing group integration and accounting audits. While these expenses may temporarily impact our short-term profits, we remain confident that this M&A strategy will drive substantial growth for SYLA in the medium to long term, ultimately delivering significant returns to our shareholders.”
About SYLA Technologies Co., Ltd.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, SYLA Technologies Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: SYT) (“SYLA” or“the Company”) owns and operates the largest membership real estate crowd-funding platform in Japan, Rimawari-kun, which targets individuals, corporate and institutional investors, as well as high net worth individuals. SYLA's mission is to democratize real estate investment around the world through technology and asset management through the Rimawari-kun platform. SYLA is engaged in the overall investment condominium business, including planning, development, construction, sales, rental management, building management, repair work, and the sale of properties. Additional information about the Company's products and services is available at
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and other securities laws. Words such as“expects,”“anticipates,”“intends,”“plans,”“believes,”“seeks,”“estimates” and similar expressions or variations of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For example, the Company is using forward-looking statements when it discusses the expected gross proceeds and the closing of the offering. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based upon management's current expectations, beliefs and projections, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain. Such expectations, beliefs and projections are expressed in good faith. However, there can be no assurance that management's expectations, beliefs and projections will be achieved, and actual results may differ materially from what is expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, reference is made to the Company's reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, but not limited to, the risks detailed in the Company's annual report on Form 20-F, filed with the SEC on April 18, 2023. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, subsequent events or circumstances, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect thereto or with respect to other forward-looking statements. References and links to websites have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release.
Contact Information
Gateway Group, Inc.
John Yi and Steven Shinmachi
...
Tel +1 (949) 574-3860
SYLA Technologies Company Contact:
Hajime Sugino
Head of SYLA USA
...
MENAFN31012024004107003653ID1107793770
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
|
https://menafn.com/1107793770/SYLA-Technologies-Announces-Its-Growth-Strategy-Centered-On-Mergers-And-Acquisitions
| 2024-01-31T23:00:06Z
|
The Tardive Dyskinesia Impact Scale complements the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale by combining clinician-rated and patient-reported perspectives.
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a debilitating movement disorder characterized by abnormal involuntary movements that significantly impact physical, cognitive, and psychosocial well-being. According to a recent study, the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS), a clinician-rated outcome, is the gold standard for assessing treatment efficacy in TD clinical trials. However, a recent study led by Morgan Bron, PharmD, director, HEOR, Neurocrine Biosciences, contends that AIMS lacks insights into the patient perspective and can be cumbersome to administer in clinical settings. Addressing these limitations, researchers developed the Tardive Dyskinesia Impact Scale (TDIS) as a patient-reported outcome to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of TD.
To evaluate the TDIS, Dr. Bron’s study drew upon data from qualitative studies and phase 3 trials involving a VMAT2 inhibitor for TD treatment. Qualitative research involved concept elicitation and cognitive debriefing interviews with TD patients and their caregivers that gauged how the TDIS effectively captured key domains of TD impact. Quantitative analyses focused on assessing the psychometric properties of the TDIS, including construct validity, known groups, predictive validity, and responsiveness to change.
The results indicated that the TDIS successfully captured the essential impacts of TD, as reported by patients and caregivers. Furthermore, the quantitative analyses revealed two underlying domains of the TDIS—physical and socioemotional—demonstrating a robust factor structure with a Comparative Fit Index exceeding 0.9.
Notably, the TDIS exhibited unique content compared with the AIMS, establishing its distinct contribution to TD assessment (the correlation between AIMS and TDIS ranged from 0.2 to 0.28). Moreover, the TDIS demonstrated responsiveness to changes in treatment over the 48-week duration of the phase 3 trials.
Overall, the TDIS emerged as a valuable tool for assessing the impact of TD. The study team found it offered ease of administration in both clinical and home settings, and its longitudinal application enabled monitoring changes in TD burden over time. Importantly, according to the study, the TDIS complements the AIMS, providing a more holistic evaluation of TD by combining clinician-rated and patient-reported perspectives.
Physician’s Weekly (PW) spoke with Dr. Bron to better understand the benefits of TDIS and how physicians can leverage TDIS in their practice to monitor and understand the progression or improvement of TD in their patients.
PW: Can you elaborate on how the TDIS was developed and what specific patient-reported outcomes it measures?
Morgan Bron. PharmD: The TDIS was developed here at Neurocrine. Bob Farber and Chris O’Brien were the developers before I came on board and developed in a manner aligned with FDA guidance. The TDIS is patient-reported, which means the patient fills out a scale or survey that asks about certain aspects of their lives. We call them domains, and those ask the patient about the impact TD may have on various metrics, for example, mouth movements, throat swallowing, dexterity, ability to do everyday movements, mobility, standing or walking pain, and lastly, socialization and emotional aspects of their lives. In our research, having a patient report outcomes allows the patient to tell us how they feel and how their symptoms affect their daily activities. As I said, the questionnaire was designed to capture what’s relevant for TD patients, so what’s relevant to the disease, not necessarily just what is happening to the patient, but specifically what TD symptoms have affected their lives.
How does the TDIS differ from AIMS in assessing the impact of TD?
AIMS is a 12-item clinician-rated scale used to assess the severity of movement disorders. You can follow that over time, and you have seven items on the scale to assess movement in different body regions. The physician or HCP will rate each item from zero to four—zero is normal, no movements, and four is severe. The sum of those seven questions or body region areas of evaluation is the total score. Scores on the AIMS range from zero to 28. AIMS is helpful in understanding the severity of TD over time in terms of movement, but the TDIS gives you a measure that enables you to examine the physical, social, and emotional aspects of the disease from the patient’s perspective. I like that in terms of giving you a more complete picture. AIMS gives you movement, and TDIS gives you impact from a patient perspective. You get two sides of the story.
How can physicians leverage the TDIS in their practice?
AIMS is important to look at movement over time, but it’s also important to assess the severity of TD and the impact of what those movements can have on your ability to function. In our research, we’ve used the TDIS to determine your disease burden and then to see what treatment could do for that disease burden over time. We’ve used this scale in two of our clinical trials—KINECT3 and KINECT4. Those trials have different time points. We have primary endpoints at certain weeks but have followed these patients over longer periods. I think it gives you not only movement over time but also the impact of TD over time.
Those could help the physician understand how a treatment strategy is working? Is this appropriate? Could I do something different? What is the course of this condition? And is whatever I’m using for treatment or strategies working?
What benefits could the TDIS offer to provide a more holistic understanding of TD?
What’s interesting is that the TDIS is rather short right now. We’re committed to educating clinicians regarding screening practices, including learnings of our clinical trials and the use of TDIS in our research. If you think about clinical practice and if you think about the skills that you use, something that’s shorter is probably easier to implement. I think that the importance of having a tool that you can use easily and the importance of having that tool ask the right questions targeted to that specific disease is important. It’s interesting that you think, yes, there’s movement, but people living with TD also feel a lot of other things. The disease has a negative impact on them, not only physically, but it’s also social and emotional. There are feelings of being judged for movements. Do I have to worry about what people think of me? Does that lead to isolation and stigma? And it doesn’t have to be necessarily large or severe movements; even mild uncontrollable movements can have an emotional and social impact on a patient’s life.
Do you have any final thoughts?
We are still doing work and research with the TDIS. We’ll be publishing more as time goes on. We continue to refine our analysis, trying to understand the clinical importance of some of these changes for our scoring. We’re also trying to understand if there are certain domains or aspects of the TDIS that drive the scores for improvement. So, stay tuned for more data as we explore the properties of the scale. I think that’s exciting from a research standpoint, and I think it just gives patients and providers more information on what you can capture from this tool.
|
https://www.physiciansweekly.com/the-tardive-dyskinesia-impact-scale-provides-a-holistic-evaluation-for-physicians/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:05Z
|
The FFA is getting their own space at Saxony Lutheran High School in Jackson.
The FFA is getting their own space at Saxony Lutheran High School in Jackson. They
announced they will soon start construction on a new building on its campus that
will house their ag/sci and a Future Farmers of America (FFA) program the schools
had since 2014. The Southeast Missourian reports that now instead of going off
campus to do any shop-like activities, they will have their own building and rooms
and supplies. The school has raised enough money through a capital campaign to
entirely fund the $1.5 million to $1.7 million project and hopes to break ground in
the coming months.
|
https://kzimksim.com/2024/01/31/the-ffa-is-getting-their-own-space-at-saxony-lutheran-high-school-in-jackson/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:06Z
|
The dueling contests surrounding the Nevada Republican's nominating process has led to voter confusion. And with it, an outcome many in the state saw as inevitable: Trump is the de facto winner.
Copyright 2024 NPR
The dueling contests surrounding the Nevada Republican's nominating process has led to voter confusion. And with it, an outcome many in the state saw as inevitable: Trump is the de facto winner.
Copyright 2024 NPR
|
https://www.kmuw.org/2024-01-31/nevadas-gop-nominating-process-is-confusing-and-already-yielded-a-likely-winner
| 2024-01-31T23:00:06Z
|
This could have a big impact on TikTok, especially considering the rising role that music now plays in the app.
After negotiations between TikTok and Universal Music Group failed to reach a new agreement on usage rights, Universal has announced that it will withdraw its music from the app, as of Feb. 1.
Universal, which is home to some of the biggest music stars on the planet, including Taylor Swift, Adele, Drake, and Billie Eilish, says that TikTok offered less than it had hoped on both compensation for its artists, as well as safeguards about generative AI usage.
Unversal’s current rights agreement with TikTok, which it originally signed in 2021, will end on Jan. 31, after which time all Universal-owned content will be removed from the app.
As per Universal:
“[Universal and TikTok] have not agreed to terms for a new agreement, and upon expiration of the current agreement, Universal Music Group, including Universal Music Publishing Group, will cease licensing content to TikTok and TikTok Music services.”
Universal has gone so far as to say that TikTok tried to “bully” them in the negotiations, by using its audience reach as a means to reduce the current payment arrangement.
“As our negotiations continued, TikTok attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth. How did it try to intimidate us? By selectively removing the music of certain of our developing artists, while keeping on the platform our audience-driving global stars. TikTok’s tactics are obvious: use its platform power to hurt vulnerable artists and try to intimidate us into conceding to a bad deal that undervalues music and shortchanges artists and songwriters as well as their fans.”
Universal further claimed that TikTok “is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.”
In response, TikTok has said that it’s disappointed that Universal has walked away from a “free promotional and discovery vehicle” for its artists.
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) January 31, 2024
But even though TikTok is holding its ground, and making a strong public stand, this is going to be a big blow for the app, especially considering that TikTok made music a much bigger focus of late, as it works to capitalize on its rising value as a music discovery platform.
Indeed, a TikTok commissioned report published last November showed that TikTok users are significantly more likely to both discover and share new music content in the app, while 75% of its users also find new artists via TikTok clips.
That, in turn, has also made TikTok a critical consideration for record labels looking to showcase their latest artists and tracks. The platform has already sparked new careers, rejuvenated older ones, and even now has some artists changing the names of their songs to better align with in-app trends.
Given this, you can see why TikTok could view itself as being of more value to record labels than the other way round, which would have played into these negotiations. But the final outcome, that so much popular music will be pulled, will have a big impact, for both sides.
As such, I would assume that, somehow, the parties will come back to the negotiating table and rectify this through a compromise of some sort.
But as of now, it looks like a lot of pop songs are about to go silent in the app, which could spark a lot of confusion, and frustration for TikTok users.
|
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/universal-music-tiktok-failed-negotiation/706095/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:06Z
|
Senate Republicans demanded that President Biden's national security funding package for Ukraine be tied to policy changes to address the crisis at the southwest border. But now that negotiators say they are ready to release details of a bipartisan plan to reduce the surge of migrants at the border, Republican divisions could scuttle the plan.
Months of negotiations between the Republicans, Democrats and the Biden administration officials are now threatened by politics. Former President Trump, the GOP's likely 2024 presidential nominee, has been publicly slamming the deal and urging lawmakers to oppose it.
Negotiators started the week promising to release a bill in the coming days. But by Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to signal he's ready to move on, and focus on getting money to two key U.S. allies at war.
"It's time for us to move something, hopefully including the border agreement, but we need to get help to Israel and Ukraine, quickly," McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters.
McConnell has consistently argued that divided government is the moment to extract demands on border policy from Democrats.
Pressed about what voters would think of GOP lawmakers who sink a bill because Trump directed them to, McConnell sidestepped the question. "I still favor trying to make law when you can" and said what the bipartisan group is working on is better than current immigration law, adding, "you're asking me, a question I can't answer right now, which is the fate of it."
Senators already know key details
The top Democratic negotiator working on a border plan, Chris Murphy, D-Conn., has signaled for days that the deal is basically done, but getting sign off from the GOP to move ahead is the hold up.
"We have a bipartisan agreement to help address the crisis at the border. Republicans have been desperate for that. Why would they walk away from it?"
Senate Republicans huddled at their weekly lunch on Wednesday to discuss next steps, but the consensus coming out of the meeting was that lawmakers want to see the details.
But after weeks of negotiations, the key provisions have already been explained to lawmakers from both parties.
The bill includes several tools to address the border, including: giving the president the ability to shutdown the border if the numbers of migrants attempting to enter the U.S. climbs above a certain threshold, adjusting the rules for who qualifies for asylum and allowing migrants authorization to work while awaiting adjudication of their asylum claim.
Extended negotiations opened space for critics
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the effort is "an uphill climb" because as the talks have continued, some members have impressions about what the proposal will do and "there are certain people who will never change their mind."
Tillis has said a border plan needs to get the majority of Senate Republicans in order to move ahead. But Trump injecting himself into the process has caused many lawmakers to refrain from backing the framework, making it tougher to meet that test.
Oklahoma GOP Sen. Jim Lankford is crafting the plan along with Murphy and Independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Lankford spent time on Sunday talk shows swatting down leaks about the plan that conservative media outlets are painting as a green light for 5,000 additional migrants a day.
Texas Republican Sen, John Cornyn, who was an early advocate of linking money for Ukraine to changes to the Biden administration's policies, said people need time to see an official piece of legislation.
"People are talking about what they think is in it, and what they've heard is in it, what's not in it,' Cornyn told reporters. "I think the first thing we need to do is see where the conference is based on the text rather than just based on rumors and hearsay."
Tillis called Wednesday's meeting "a good discussion." But added, "I would ask those same members who are calling for time to read it, but not judge something they haven't read."
Others who came out against the bill already are already dismissing the proposals.
"I think this is a bad bill," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tx., told reporters. "And the simplest reason is it doesn't solve the problem."
Cruz blamed Senate Democrats for crafting a bill that "allows Joe Biden to continue the open borders," despite the months of bipartisan negotiations that have taken place. President Biden endorsed the proposal and said last week if Congress passes it he would immediately shutdown the border.
Some optimisim remains
Murphy remained optimistic on Wednesday that the deal would survive and come to the floor for a vote, possibly as soon as this week.
He said a "sizable, important group of Republican senators" are making a good faith effort to get something done on the border, and suggested that others are making disingenuous arguments about needing to see the full text.
"This is not a detailed study of the issue. This is a question as to whether they are going to put Trump before solving the problem," Murphy said.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.lakeshorepublicmedia.org/npr-news/2024-01-31/senate-gop-split-risks-bipartisan-border-deal-as-trump-looms-large
| 2024-01-31T23:00:08Z
|
Megan Thee Stallion’s ongoing feud with Nicki Minaj has taken another grim turn, after the cemetery where her mother is buried was reportedly forced to up their security efforts.
The pair have been swiping over the last few years, but their drama was reignited following the release of Megan’s new track, Hiss – as she seemingly took aim at her former pal’s husband, Kenneth Perry.
The Super Bass rapper swiftly called her out in multiple rants on social media over the last week, digging at her career and her late mom, Holly Thomas, before retaliating again in her new song, Big Foot.
It has been alleged that upset Nicki fans, named Barbz, have now found the location of where Thomas – who died in 2019 – was buried, and leaked the address on social media.
TMZ reports that cemetery staff reached out to local police authorities and increased their security measures as a result.
Although there has not yet been any vandalism at the site, a spokesperson explained that they would be monitoring the situation.
‘We take safety and security here very seriously,’ they also added to the Independent.
Nicki and Megan have been feuding for years, with their drama appearing to stem from the latter’s collaboration with Cardi B on WAP in 2020.
Eagle-eyed fans spotted that they unfollowed each other on social media, with many convinced that there was something more going on behind the scenes.
When Megan released Hiss on January 26, some spotted lyrics that pointed to tension, including a controversial reference to Megan’s Law – a federal statute which requires law enforcement to make the information of registered sex offenders available to the public.
She rapped: ‘These h**s don’t be mad at Megan, these h**s mad at Megan’s Law, I don’t really know what the problem is, but I guarantee y’all don’t want me to start.’
Listeners made the connection to Nicki as her husband was previously convicted of attempted first-degree rape, in connection with a 1994 assault.
In 2022, he was ordered to complete one year of home confinement, three years of probation, and a $55,000 fine for failing to register as a sex offender when he made the move to California with his partner.
Nicki responded by an almighty rant on social media, while also releasing Big Foot – containing many references to the shocking moment Tory Lanez shot Megan in the foot in 2020.
He was later convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Megan has not yet responded to the posts in question, or the release of Big Foot, and has yet to address whether she was referencing Nicki’s family in her track.
When asked about her own lyrics during an appearance on the Breakfast Club, she simply replied: ‘A hit dog will holler. Whoever feel it, feel it.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Nicki and Megan for a comment.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : The Apprentice star apologises for Israel social media posts and denies antisemitism
MORE : Dreamgirls star Hinton Battle dies aged 67 as Jennifer Hudson and Sarah Michelle Gellar pay tribute
|
https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/31/megan-thee-stallions-mums-cemetery-ups-security-amid-nicki-minaj-feud-20204945/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:08Z
|
It’s not exactly the birthday advice you want but its one you need – and that’s to renew your licence.
“If you recently had a birthday, and your driver’s license expired, you need to get it renewed to prevent yourself any form embarrassment if the police have to pull you over and they find you with an expired license. That in itself is an arrestable offence.”
Traffic Police Corporal Brendon Sutherland also issued a warning to motorists who are not paying traffic tickets that a committal warrant will be issued for them for that offence.
“We want to advice drivers also, if you know that you have been issued a ticket within the last few months and you haven’t paid your ticket, you can come to the Police Headquarters, go the Magistrate Court, and pay your ticket, because what is going to happen, there is going to be a warrant issued in your name. This is a commital warrant, which simply means that the police or any law enforcement officer can pick you up on this warrant and hand you over to His Majesty’s Prison where you’ll serve 7 days just for not paying a ticket.”
|
https://antiguaobserver.com/traffic-police-urges-renewal-of-expired-licenses-and-ticket-payment-to-avoid-legal-consequences/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:08Z
|
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will be offering four free waste pesticide collection events this year
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will be offering four free
waste pesticide collection events this year. All of the events will be open
from 8 a.m. to noon and are open to all Missouri farmers and households.
The events will take place on March 9th, April 6th, September 7th and
October 5th and they will be accepting up to eight-thousand pounds of
Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and more. Collection event locations can
be found online. Items such as Yard waste, Paint, and trash will not be
accepted.
|
https://kzimksim.com/2024/01/31/the-missouri-department-of-natural-resources-will-be-offering-four-free-waste-pesticide-collection-events-this-year/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:09Z
|
Man City confirm big-money Laura Blindkilde Brown signing from Aston Villa as they look to keep chase with Emma Hayes' Chelsea in WSL title raceJames HunsleyManchester CityManchester City WomenLaura BlindkildeWomen's footballWSLManchester City have completed the signing of Laura Blindkilde Brown from Aston Villa, with the midfielder penning a three-and-a-half year deal.Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues belowCity confirm Blindkilde Brown signingMidfielder pens three-and-a-half year dealCity also complete Pritchard and O'Hanlon deals
|
https://www.goal.com/en-ng/lists/man-city-laura-blindkilde-brown-signing-aston-villa-emma-hayes-chelsea-wsl-title-race/blt3f10b15dbde43581
| 2024-01-31T23:00:10Z
|
Communications services companies slid as traders retreated from high-risk areas in light of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's warning that rate cuts were not yet a certainty.
Paramount Global shares jumped after media mogul Byron Allen's Allen Media Group made a $14.3 billion offer to acquire the cable-and-streaming giant, setting up a potential bidding war.
David Ellison's studio Skydance Media is reportedly also pursuing Paramount.
A federal judge dismissed Walt Disney's lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies who oversee the company's theme-park operations in Florida, dealing a blow to the entertainment giant in its long-running battle with the governor.
Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, said it would stop licensing content to TikTok if the firm fails to reach a new contract with the social-media app to pay its musicians, which include Taylor Swift and Drake.
Write to Rob Curran at rob.curran@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
01-31-24 1735ET
|
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/Communications-Services-Down-on-Retreat-From-Risk-Communications-Services-Roundup-45857254/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:09Z
|
Thanks to the discovery of one ingenious Palworld player, fans of the hit survival game can easily move even the heaviest items without splitting stacks and taking multiple trips.
Reddit user BeyondSmash dropped a bombshell on the Palworld community earlier this week. It turns out that you can render any stack of items weightless by essentially suspending it in menu purgatory, letting you move even 9,999 stone between chests without being encumbered and, as you normally would be, rooted in place.
The trick is dead simple, and I dutifully booted up Palworld during work hours to confirm it. All you need to do is open a chest, select and drag the target item, and then close the chest menu with – on PC – the Tab button. This will keep the selected item on your screen, freeing you up to walk over to another chest, open it up, and drag the item in as you normally would from your inventory.
How to transfer any weight resources without being encumbered from r/Palworld
Palworld players were previously getting around the game's weight limit by using the grappling gun to forcibly pull their overloaded characters around. This technique, while limited to one stack of items at a time, is a much easier way to move things around your base, for example.
I haven't found a way to apply this technique to fast travel – opening the map seems to send the selected item back to its original chest – but it's still mighty handy for organizing things. You can, however, place chests near your start and end teleport points so that you can then unload your bazillion items without needing to walk, and this trick makes it much easier to load up the starting chest – consolidating ore and coal at a remote base for transport, perhaps.
Palworld players are pushing breeding to its limits, from a Pengullet that can one-shot a boss to an Anubis that can make 50 spheres per second.
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/game-changing-palworld-trick-lets-you-transport-any-stack-of-items-without-being-encumbered-even-9999-stone/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:11Z
|
(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and SAN DIEGO, Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ORIC Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ORIC), a clinical stage oncology company focused on developing treatments that address mechanisms of therapeutic resistance, today announced that management will participate in the following investor conferences in February:
6th Annual Guggenheim Biotechnology Conference – Participating in a fireside chat on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Oppenheimer 34th Annual Healthcare Life Sciences Conference – Participating in a virtual fireside chat on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Webcasts of the discussions will be available through the investor section of the company's website at . Replays of the webcasts will be available for 30 days following each event.
About ORIC Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
ORIC Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving patients' lives by Overcoming Resistance In Cancer. ORIC's clinical stage product candidates include (1) ORIC-114, a brain penetrant inhibitor designed to selectively target EGFR and HER2 with high potency against exon 20 insertion mutations, being developed across multiple genetically defined cancers, (2) ORIC-944, an allosteric inhibitor of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) via the EED subunit, being developed for prostate cancer, and (3) ORIC-533, an orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of CD73, a key node in the adenosine pathway believed to play a central role in resistance to chemotherapy- and immunotherapy-based treatment regimens, being developed for multiple myeloma. Beyond these three product candidates, ORIC is also developing multiple precision medicines targeting other hallmark cancer resistance mechanisms. ORIC has offices in South San Francisco and San Diego, California. For more information, please go to , and follow us on X or LinkedIn .
Contact:
Dominic Piscitelli, Chief Financial Officer
...
...
MENAFN31012024004107003653ID1107793771
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
|
https://menafn.com/1107793771/ORIC-Pharmaceuticals-To-Participate-In-Upcoming-Investor-Conferences
| 2024-01-31T23:00:12Z
|
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Vivian McCall, reporter for The Stranger, about recent raids in Seattle's gay bars. Members of the city's LGBTQ-plus community are looking for answers.
Copyright 2024 NPR
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Vivian McCall, reporter for The Stranger, about recent raids in Seattle's gay bars. Members of the city's LGBTQ-plus community are looking for answers.
Copyright 2024 NPR
|
https://www.kmuw.org/2024-01-31/seattles-queer-community-is-furious-after-gay-bars-were-raided-over-the-weekend
| 2024-01-31T23:00:12Z
|
X has added another way to boost the visibility of its Communities element, with community admins now able to add topic tags to their groups, which will then help to highlight it in related in-app searches.
As you can see in this example, shared by X engineer Dong Wook Chung, community admins now have a new “Search Tags” element within their group settings where they can add in topic tags to associate with their group.
Admins can add up to 10 tags, which can be whatever you want, though obviously, targeting the most relevant tags will showcase your community to the right audiences.
Your chosen tags will then be used by X to highlight your community in related search queries, though there’s no definitive guidance on exactly how much of a discovery boost this will actually provide, nor how you can optimize for the exact right tags.
But adding tags will have an impact.
As explained by Chung:
“We strongly recommend that all community admins to update the search tags. Adding the right search tags will be a significant factor in search results and will make your community appear for other queries where it wouldn't have before.”
Chung says that tags, along with other considerations, like the community’s name, its description, the number of posts in the group, moderators, all of these will have an impact on its relative search rank for those terms.
So tags won’t be the only tool to get your community to show up in search, but Chung says that it will be “a huge factor”.
Communities have been one of the key focus elements in Elon Musk’s reformation of the app, facilitating more topic and interest-related discussion to expand X usage. And those efforts seem to be having an effect. X recently reported that there are now over 350,000 communities on X, with around 650,000 community posts created daily.
That’s a lot of activity, and it could be worth checking out the topic tags for your industry and interests, in order to get a feel for what kind of discussion is happening in the app.
And if you already have your own group, you should be adding tags, as another way to improve discovery.
|
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/x-adds-topic-tags-groups-help-improve-discovery/706092/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:13Z
|
Beloved BBC show Strictly Come Dancing continues to be a beacon of inclusivity with its same-sex dance partners and even the professionals are impressed.
Last year saw Layton Williams storming all the way to the final with Nikita Kuzmin, in the fifth same-sex pairing ever seen on the long-running competition.
Johannes Radebe, who danced his way to fourth place with Annabel Croft, has praised the show for being ‘progressive’ and teaching the world.
‘I think Strictly is one the shows that shows the entire world how [to be] progressive in terms of inclusion,’ he shared.
In series 19, Johannes had been paired with chef John Whaite in the first all-male couple, losing out to Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice in the final.
Speaking to RadioTimes, the choreographer added: ‘I’m proud to be a part of an establishment that recognises that it takes all sorts to make the world go round and they’re great.’
This year Strictly has been slightly overshadowed by the stars’ personal issues, including Amy Dowden’s cancer battle and the drama between Amanda Abbington and Giovanni.
However, the continued efforts to platform the LGBTQ+ community have been widely praised by viewers for many years now.
Johannes added: ‘We are the ones that are teaching the world, so honestly so far I’m happy!’
In 2020, professional dancer Katya Jones made history as part of the first-ever same-sex couple with Nicola Adams, although there was some pushback at the time.
The following year proved this wasn’t a one-time show of solidarity as Johannes and John were paired, with the Bake Off star sharing: ‘The reaction has been so positive.’
He continued at the time: ‘I’m doing the first all-male partnership, I genuinely did think that I was going to receive a fair bit of hate because you do as a gay man, you get a lot of hate. You grow up and learn to deal with it, you shouldn’t have to, but we do.
‘Little kids who watch the show, to have same-sex role models will give them a little bit of hope for the future and it won’t make them grow up with the same shame that I grew up with.’
The next year the show introduced both Richie Anderson and Giovanni, and Jayde Adams and Karen Hauer as same-sex dancing duos.
Strictly has been praised by the likes of LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, who previously told Metro.co.uk: ‘We can’t be what we can’t see.
‘Seeing two same-sex dancers delight viewers throughout this series will mean so much to LGBTQ+ people across the country.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Strictly star Bobby Brazier offers huge EastEnders update amid Ellie Leach romance rumours
MORE : Strictly’s Neil Jones takes ‘harsh’ swipe at ex Katya Jones
|
https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/31/strictly-come-dancing-teaching-world-same-sex-duos-20204871/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:14Z
|
The number of syphilis cases in the U.S. are on the rise. According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases increased by nearly 80% to more than 207,000 between 2018 and 2022.
Rates increased among all age groups, including newborns, and in all regions of the country. In 2022, 3,755 cases of babies born with syphilis in the U.S. were reported, which reflects an alarming 937% increase in the past decade, the CDC said.
The report continued that racial and ethnic minorities are most disproportionately affected due to "long standing social inequities that often lead to health inequalities."
Experts point to various reasons for the increase, including increases in substance abuse tied to risky sexual behavior, decrease in condom use, ongoing social and economic conditions and reduction in sexually transmitted infections (STI) services at the state and local level.
"Because STIs often do not show symptoms, and screening is necessary for timely diagnosis and treatment, changes in access to sexual health care can affect the number of infections diagnosed and reported," the CDC said.
The stigma surrounding STIs can also keep people from seeking care, and "buries the truth that all people deserve quality sexual health care," said Laura Bachmann, acting director of the CDC's Division of STD Prevention, in an interview with NPR. "It also can cause issues at the provider level when it comes to talking with people about these issues."
The CDC said that its findings signal an urgent need for a closer look at public health efforts and prevention strategies.
"Some people face tremendous barriers to STI prevention and health services," said Bachmann ina statement. "So, the most important work is often outside the clinic, whether it be reaching out to communities with testing, interviewing patients to offer services to their partners, or delivering treatment directly to someone."
She added that there is still a need for more innovation around diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
"In the United States, syphilis was close to elimination in the 1990s, so we know it's possible to reverse this epidemic," said Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, in a statement. "I have hope for innovative prevention tools – such as a pill after sex that prevents STIs, and better tests for syphilis – but they will only be successful if they reach the people who will benefit. And that is going to require coordinated and sustained efforts at the federal, state, and local levels."
The U.S Department of Health and Human Services is also continuing to address the issue through the establishment of a federal task force last year.
"Addressing the resurgence of syphilis and congenital syphilis requires a concerted effort," said Admiral Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health and chair of the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Federal Task Force, in a statement. "We can collectively work towards reducing the incidence of syphilis and its devastating consequences, and we will turn the tide on the syphilis epidemic."
Without the appropriate funding however, it's difficult for communities to follow through with the recommendations by government officials, said Elizabeth Finley, director of communications at the National Coalition of STD Directors.
Over the past year, there has been a shortage of Bicillin, an antibiotic used to treat syphilis. In addition, last year states lost funding for STD prevention, affecting their ability to respond to syphilis.
"The 2022 data is devastating to see, but it's already a year old," said Finley. As a result, she said that "we have every reason to believe that the 2023 numbers will be much worse."
The CDC report also included data on other sexually transmitted infections, stating that "reported gonorrhea cases declined for the first time in at least a decade while reported chlamydia cases were level."
There were more than 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia reported in the U.S. in 2022 alone.
Without treatment, syphilis can cause serious health problems including damage to the heart and brain, and can cause blindness, deafness and paralysis. If transmitted during pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage, infant death and lifelong medical issues. With the right antibiotics, the STI is curable.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.lakeshorepublicmedia.org/npr-news/2024-01-31/syphilis-cases-rise-to-their-highest-levels-since-the-1950s-cdc-says
| 2024-01-31T23:00:14Z
|
Wellness is on its way…. Daily Headlines Newsletter Sign up for local daily headlines delivered straight to your email inbox every weekday morning. Click here to subscribe for free!
News, StateA Republican state senator says he’s not giving up on getting a sports betting bill passed this year
Local, News, StateThe Missouri Department of Natural Resources will be offering four free waste pesticide collection events this year
|
https://kzimksim.com/2024/01/31/wellness-is-on-its-way/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:15Z
|
As part of ongoing efforts by AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi mine to improve educational outcomes in Obuasi, AngloGold Ashanti has commissioned and handed over a 9-unit classroom block at Sanso to the Ghana Education Service.
The project which was built at a cost of 4.8 million Ghana cedis will replace the old Sanso Methodist school block which was built decades ago. The new facility has a library, ICT center, a sick bay and canteen. It is one of the proposed 10 new school blocks to be built by AGA as contained in its 10-year SEDP.
Present at the event to commission the project were the Deputy Minister of Education John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for the Obuasi West Constituency Kwaku Kwarteng, the Chief Executive for the Obuasi Municipal Assembly Hon Elijah Adansi-Bonah and the Edubiasehemaa Nana Akua Dwum II.
In his address, the Senior Manager of Community Relations for Africa, AngloGold Ashanti Emmanuel Baidoo said the Sanso school project is in fulfilment of a promise by the Obuasi Mine to contribute to nurture and invest in the dreams and aspirations of children in its operational areas to have a good future through quality education.
AngloGold Ashanti launched a comprehensive 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan for Obuasi in July 2022. As part of the plan, the mining company made a firm commitment to invest massively in education.
According to Mr. Baidoo, the magnificent school block at Sanso adds to a plethora of investments the company has made in education since the Mine was redeveloped in 2019.
He mentioned that the company through its Basic Education Improvement Program has supported the training of over 500 teachers and provided Circuit supervisors and Inspectors in Obuasi with motorbikes to strengthen school supervision.
He revealed that the company has so far collaborated effectively with the Otumfuo Charity Foundation to distribute 140,000 copies of NaCCA-approved textbooks to all public schools in Obuasi.
Success story
The Senior Manager of Community Relations Africa, AngloGold Ashanti hinted that as a result of AngloGold Ashanti's interventions and investments made in education, there has been a steady improvement in the BECE pass rate from 84% to 93.4% since 2020.
Calls for more investment into education
The Deputy Minister of Education John Ntim Fordjour commended AngloGold Ashanti for investing in education and contributing significantly to the human resource development of the country.
He said, " in this era where it is becoming increasingly clear that the state alone cannot shoulder the increasing cost of education, the contributions of companies like AGA are most commendable.”
He however appealed to other companies operating in the country to commit more of their Corporate Social Responsibilities to improving the quality of education within their operational areas.
Maintenance culture
The Member of Parliament for the Obuasi West constituency Hon Kwaku Agyeman Kwarteng admonished the school authorities to make good use of the facility and maintain it to serve future generations.
Nana Akua Dwum II, the Queen mother of Edubiase added her voice to calls for the school to maintain the facility.
She commended AngloGold Ashanti for fulfilling the promises as contained in their 10-year Socio-Economic Development adding that, Nananom are ready to collaborate effectively with them to realize their vision.
|
https://www.modernghana.com/news/1289441/anglogold-ashanti-obuasi-mine-commission-9-unit.html
| 2024-01-31T23:00:15Z
|
Thea Biallas – President, Publisher & Chair
Photo unavailable.
Hi, my name is Thea Biallas, and my passion is drawing psychedelic art. Outside of my passion, I am in my final year at Laurier for Communication Studies with Leadership as my Option, and Spanish as my Minor. Not only do I study how to be an effective leader and communicator, but my experiences within WLUSP have allowed me to practice these skills in a professional environment. This involvement began with two years volunteering through Radio Laurier as a colour commentator for the Laurier Basketball games and as the co-host for Talk-the-Hawk Sports Podcast, eventually leading me to earn the award as Radio Laurier’er of the year in 2021! During this time, I also became the Editor-in-Chief for Blueprint Magazine. The last two years as Editor has provided me with so much great experience and memories. I would love to continue excelling within WLUSP, and I believe the next step for this is as WLUSP President. As the President, I will ensure I continue to lead effectively and positively, always celebrating the small wins while also continuing to aid WLUSP publications towards success. Some things I will do as President include further promotion of WLUSP among future and current students, ensuring the Code of Conduct and guidelines are widely adopted, maintaining two-way communication with the Board of Directors and the key partners within Laurier administration, and most importantly be a positive representative of WLUSP. It is my hope that I will be considered a worthy candidate as WLUSP President.
Umaymah Suhail – President, Publisher & Chair
I have spent four years at Wilfrid Laurier University — and an equal amount of time dedicated to our student publications. I learned and grew immensely in each unique role I took on over the years. It was hard work, but I also thoroughly enjoyed my time collaborating with amazing individuals. I am now proudly running for President and I strive to nurture the very reasons I joined this organization at the beginning.
Throughout my first year, I ran a radio show with a co-host on Radio Laurier, called Let’s Talk Local. Our goal was to give community members nearby a voice through our research. During my second year, I became a volunteer news writer for The Sputnik, where I spoke with Laurier professors and students, highlighting their perspectives in my reporting. In my third year, I was The Sputnik’s Senior Copy Editor where I worked with a volunteer and different writers to ensure we were always publishing well-polished and credible pieces. For my final year at Laurier Brantford, I am incredibly privileged to manage a team of phenomenal writers and creators as The Sputnik’s Editor-in-Chief.
WLUSP platforms have always been a welcoming space for all types of students in any year to work together and produce a diverse range of content. It is through these channels where I have always and will continue to represent students and the community’s views accurately, as well as advocate for each publication’s awareness across both campuses.
After all, this is “your voice, your media.”
Nate Dawes – Student Director
I’ve been privileged to volunteer my time with WLUSP’s only non-print publication, Radio Laurier, for two years now, and this semester I’ve been honoured to serve as its Music Director. If elected to the Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications Board of Directors, I will maintain the high standards of WLUSP’s history, but in doing so, I will also keep three ideals in mind. The first of these is the editorial freedom of the individual publications, which should need no qualifier. The second of these is inalienable respect for volunteers; WLUSP would not function without its ground level volunteers, I want to advocate for them as a point of principle. The third of these is transparency; general meetings can be alienating affairs filled with rituals and jargon, and I want to make sure that to the greatest extent possible, Board activities are easily understood by outsiders. Thank You.
|
https://www.thesputnik.ca/wlusp-2024-25-election-candidates-platforms/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:16Z
|
Julian Alvarez celebrated his birthday in style by leading Manchester City to a comfortable 3-1 victory over Burnley on Wednesday night. Pep Guardiola made six changes to his side but Alvarez started a 21st-consecutive league game and bagged two goals in quick succession, the second helped by an audacious Kevin De Bruyne assist from a free-kick.
De Bruyne was making his first start in over five months and Erling Haaland came off the bench, with their returns potentially threatening Alvarez's place in future starting line-ups. But the Argentine showed he is worth keeping around as City continue to chase Liverpool in the title race.
Rodri put City further at ease early at the start of the second half but Burnley got a consolation goal, as Ameen Al Dakhil pounced on a blunder from Ederson in added time.
GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium...
|
https://www.goal.com/en-ng/lists/man-city-player-ratings-vs-burnley-julian-alvarez-kevin-de-bruyne/blt318549e341a372ae
| 2024-01-31T23:00:16Z
|
In some ways, Arknights: Endfield is following Genshin Impact's footsteps remarkably closely. With both games, an established gacha developer has pivoted to a much more ambitious open-world RPG that has a better shot at drawing in hardcore gamers who aren't quite so keen on mobile games. But that is where the major similarities end. As I learned in Endfield's recent technical test, its world and combat are very different from Genshin's, and more importantly, it has an entire second game – an unexpectedly deep Factorio-style base builder – up its sleeve.
Endfield is so different from Genshin, in fact, that it has maybe the best chance yet at meaningfully competing with it by finding a sizable audience outside the sphere of Arknights, the developer's hugely popular tower defense gacha game. Based on my test time, I may well be among that audience come launch, because I like this game a lot more than I thought I would.
It's a gacha game, all right
I am hugely envious of the people who'll find themselves in the exact center of the video game Venn diagram that developer Gryphline has created here. Some games just feel made for you, and for fans of Arknights, open-world games, RPGs, gacha mechanics, and also base builders, Endfield will fit like a tailored suit. As someone who loves RPGs, likes open-world games, can enjoy building bases, tolerates gacha mechanics, and only knows Arknights by reputation, I had more tepid expectations going in.
Endfield's story perfectly meets those expectations by opening with amnesiac nonsense that I struggle to remember after just a week. You play as the Endministrator – I'm still not sure if I love or hate that name – freshly and hastily awoken in such a way that you left most of your memories behind in your little cryo sleep chamber. You're basically the magical repairwoman (or man, depending on which protagonist you pick) of Endfield Industries, renowned for your mystical ability to instantly build and fix stuff, which I actually kind of like as a silly but fun way to canonize base-building mechanics. But so far, perhaps because I have no Arknights experience, I'm not really feeling invested in the cast or world. That said, I tend to get attached to characters who are strong and fun to play, so I'd probably find my favorites among the game's SSR-rarity lineup anyway.
The meat of the technical test was much more engrossing than the world, to the point that I'm still kind of sad it's over and I can't play anymore. Stubbornly ignoring the story for the time being, I would break Endfield into three main gameplay components: the gacha grind, combat, and base building.
I unfortunately couldn't get a good feel for the game's economy in the limited test – that is, how easy or tedious it is to pull new characters and upgrade the ones you have – so that's going to remain a question mark for now. But frankly, this bit is probably most likely to change in the leadup to release, so that's not much of a surprise. Using regular-ol' Arknights as a reference, I'll assume the gacha bit is fine. It looks like the usual stuff: enhance your weapon, level your abilities, and slap on some gear (some of which can be crafted rather than farmed via RNG, which is refreshing after years of getting burned by Genshin artifacts). But I'm infinitely more excited by the other elements because gacha mechanics will always, at best, be inoffensive.
"Strategic elements" is selling it short
To my delight, combat in Endfield feels like a middle ground between Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2 – not quite as dynamic as the second one just yet, but with much more going on than the first. It's a real-time 3D RPG that leans more into strategy than action. You don't perform combos like you would in the likes of Final Fantasy 16 or Tales of Arise; to use basic attacks, you hold The Attack Button to automatically hit the closest enemy with standard swings of your weapon. If that sounds boring, that's because it is. That's why depth is layered in through the party system instead, and it works pretty darn well.
Each of your four team members essentially act as abilities on your hotbar. When I tap the Endministrator's key, for instance, time freezes and the linear AoE marker for her default skill pulls up. I'll aim it in such a way that it hits as many enemies as possible and then let it rip, chipping away at the stagger meters of anything I hit and priming my next basic attack to deal a bunch of extra damage. From there, I can follow up with another party member's ability, like the uppercut move of draconic humanoid Chen Qianyu – by the way, almost everyone in this game has animal features like horns or fluffy ears or scaly tails – who launches enemies into the air to disrupt incoming attacks.
Some characters (perhaps all characters, but I don't know that for sure just yet) have alternate skills that can be swapped in. The Endministrator's linear skill can be replaced with a lunge that ends with a small cone AoE, and you can use this to deal damage while also repositioning to dodge enemy AoE markers. Similarly, you charge up an ultimate by using your skill a set number of times, sort of like a proxy cooldown, whereas skills have traditional, to-the-second cooldowns. The Endministrator's ultimate is a humongous semicircle AoE that deals extra stagger and damage, making it useful for controlling groups.
Combat quickly becomes a mix of crowd control, aligning and avoiding AoE markers, and chaining skills together in the most efficient way possible. Combining certain debuffs lets you deal more damage or spawn energy orbs that you can detonate for heavy hits, and this is a much more effective way of fighting than just spamming whatever skills you have off-cooldown. You also want to save some skills to interrupt the red-ring special attacks that bosses do. There's a degree of sequencing to Endfield that livens up fights, and I'm looking forward to theorycrafting parties with more units at my disposal.
Putting the industry in Endfield Industries
To be honest, I don't know why I've spent so much time banging on about the open-world RPG part of this open-world RPG when it's all just a smokescreen for the real shit: base building. There's no other way to say this; Endfield just straight-up turns into Factorio after a point, and I was caught entirely off guard. You harvest resources from remote mining nodes connected by custom ziplines (a fabulous addition for an open-world game), refine and process things at specific machines, and then send them down conveyor belts to be crafted into new components that will become more machines processing more resources. You budget and route electricity, assign inputs and outputs, and hoard all manner of ore. Up and up and up the scale of your engineering ascends, a perpetual motion machine powered by an unshakable instinct to collect and perfect.
At first, I thought this would just be a cute little minigame, maybe a way to automatically farm some of the materials you'll need for upgrading characters. But then I saw the tech tree unfurl before me like an abyss that stares back, and I realized that Endfield isn't playing around. I was being serious earlier that there is an entire other game inside this game. I spent a good few hours tinkering with my first base, importing ores and optimizing conveyor belt assembly lines, and I didn't make a dent in Endfield's tech progression. I don't think it will fully measure up to premium base builders and factory sims like Factorio, but as an additional mode in a free RPG – hell, the test version of a free RPG – it seems unbelievably good.
I don't know how much crossover there actually is among fans of open-world games, RPGs, Arknights, base builders, and gacha games, but the two main gameplay loops of Endfield both seem solid enough to keep a huge range of players on the hook. I'm not even the biggest base building guy, but even I found myself sucked into that side of the game. The idea of playing Diet Factorio in order to streamline a gacha resource grind – and have a lot more fun with that grind as a result – is something I never knew I needed. Endfield is an eclectic mix of ideas that I need to see more of, so I'll be following it very closely as it moves toward its PS5, PC, and mobile launch.
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/i-was-ready-for-arknights-endfield-to-be-a-cool-open-world-rpg-and-it-is-but-i-did-not-expect-a-shockingly-in-depth-base-builder-on-top-of-that/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:17Z
|
SAN JOSE, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Costa Rica's central bank on Wednesday said it was cutting its economic growth forecast for 2024 to 4% from a prior estimate of 4.3%, citing a moderation in household consumption. (Reporting by Alvaro Murillo; Editing by Anthony Esposito)
Stock market news
- Stock
- Stock market news
- Economy
- Costa Rica central bank cuts 2024 economic growth forecast to 4%
|
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/Costa-Rica-central-bank-cuts-2024-economic-growth-forecast-to-4-45857183/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:17Z
|
Kearny Financial Corp.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Unaudited)
_________________________
(1) Tangible equity equals total stockholders' equity reduced by goodwill and core deposit intangible assets. Tangible assets equals total assets reduced by goodwill and core deposit intangible assets.
(2) Tangible book value equals total stockholders' equity reduced by goodwill and core deposit intangible assets.
(3) December 31, 2023 amounts include the impact of the revision previously mentioned in this earnings release.
Kearny Financial Corp.
Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss)
(Unaudited)
_________________________
(1) December 31, 2023 amounts include the impact of the revision previously mentioned in this earnings release.
Kearny Financial Corp.
Average Balance Sheet Data
(Unaudited)
_________________________
(1) December 31, 2023 amounts include the impact of the revision previously mentioned in this earnings release.
Kearny Financial Corp.
Performance Ratio Highlights
(Unaudited)
_________________________
(1) The yield on tax-exempt investment securities has not been adjusted to reflect their tax-effective yield.
(2) Interest income divided by average interest-earning assets less interest expense divided by average interest-bearing liabilities.
(3) Net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.
(4) Non-interest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income.
(5) Average tangible equity equals total average stockholders' equity reduced by average goodwill and average core deposit intangible assets.
(6) December 31, 2023 amounts include the impact of the revision previously mentioned in this earnings release.
Kearny Financial Corp.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
_________________________
(1) Tangible equity equals total stockholders' equity reduced by goodwill and core deposit intangible assets. Tangible assets equals total assets reduced by goodwill and core deposit intangible assets.
(2) Tangible book value equals total stockholders' equity reduced by goodwill and core deposit intangible assets.
(3) December 31, 2023 amounts include the impact of the revision previously mentioned in this earnings release.
Kearny Financial Corp.
Supplemental Balance Sheet Highlights
(Unaudited)
Kearny Financial Corp.
Supplemental Balance Sheet Highlights
(Unaudited)
_________________________
(1) Uninsured deposits of Kearny Bank.
(2) Uninsured deposits of Kearny Bank adjusted to exclude deposits of its wholly-owned subsidiary and holding company and collateralized deposits of state and local governments.
Kearny Financial Corp.
Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss)
(Unaudited)
_________________________
(1) December 31, 2023 amounts include the impact of the revision previously mentioned in this earnings release.
Kearny Financial Corp.
Average Balance Sheet Data
(Unaudited)
_________________________
(1) December 31, 2023 amounts include the impact of the revision previously mentioned in this earnings release.
Kearny Financial Corp.
Performance Ratio Highlights
_________________________
(1) The yield on tax-exempt investment securities has not been adjusted to reflect their tax-effective yield.
(2) Interest income divided by average interest-earning assets less interest expense divided by average interest-bearing liabilities.
(3) Net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.
(4) Non-interest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income.
(5) Average tangible equity equals total average stockholders' equity reduced by average goodwill and average core deposit intangible assets.
(6) December 31, 2023 amounts include the impact of the revision previously mentioned in this earnings release.
The following tables provide a reconciliation of certain financial measures calculated in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) (as reported) and non-GAAP measures. These non-GAAP measures provide additional information which allow readers to evaluate the ongoing performance of the Company. They are not a substitute for GAAP measures; they should be read and used in conjunction with the Company's GAAP financial information. In all cases, it should be understood that non-GAAP per share measures do not depict amounts that accrue directly to the benefit of shareholders.
Kearny Financial Corp.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP
(Unaudited)
_________________________
(1) December 31, 2023 amounts include the impact of the revision previously mentioned in this earnings release.
Kearny Financial Corp.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP
(Unaudited)
_________________________
(1) December 31, 2023 amounts include the impact of the revision previously mentioned in this earnings release.
MENAFN31012024004107003653ID1107793772
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
|
https://menafn.com/1107793772/Kearny-Financial-Corp-Revises-Second-Quarter-Fiscal-2024-Results
| 2024-01-31T23:00:18Z
|
Scientists have found that spiderwebs can be used to capture environmental DNA, which reflects the animal population of an area. The technique may help track the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
Copyright 2024 NPR
Scientists have found that spiderwebs can be used to capture environmental DNA, which reflects the animal population of an area. The technique may help track the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
Copyright 2024 NPR
|
https://www.kmuw.org/2024-01-31/spiderwebs-could-offer-a-snapshot-of-an-ecosystem-study-shows
| 2024-01-31T23:00:18Z
|
Wheel of Fortune fans have seen red after claiming a contestant was ‘robbed’ of a massive win.
On the latest episode of the long-running game show, contestant Megan was left needing to guess a two-word answer to solve a bonus puzzle for the category of ‘Living Things’.
The high school choir director from California spun the wheel before host Pat Sajak picked up the prize estimate card and walked her to the puzzle board that read: ‘_ _N_ ‘ _R_ _ _ _.’
After guessing a few letters, the board then read: ‘P_N_’ ‘_RC_ _ D’
With just 10 seconds left on the timer, she then blurted out her final guess of what sounded like, ‘Pink Orchid’, or could faintly be heard as ‘Something Orchid’ before she then tried her luck with the answer ‘Pony Orchid’.
But right when the timer went off, the correct letters were filled onto the board.
Reading the correct answer, Megan looked like she knew she hadn’t made a correct guess.
‘You might have been overthinking a type of orchid. I’m sorry that didn’t work out for you,’ the host said.
Pat then opened up the card to reveal Megan could have won $40,000 (£31,000).
Instead, she walked away with $14,007 (£11,000).
While Megan appeared to take the final decision on board, those watching on at home declared the result was unfair.
‘What did she say? It sure sounded like the right answer,’ Mary Zeiner posted on X.
‘She 100% said pink orchid. She got robbed,’ Jorge F replied.
‘This lady on Wheel of Fortune just got absolutely robbed,’ Eli Hopkins added.
Meanwhile user Deedee said: ‘I am FUMING!! She got it she said pink orchid! WTF!?’
Megan did however also manage to leave with a holiday to Aruba too.
This month host Pat also came under fire for telling a contestant to ‘shut up’.
The presenter, 77, has held the role since 1981, and has won several awards for it, but announced last year that this would be his final season.
Despite the fact he was joking, some viewers were left unimpressed on a recent episode after he told a contestant to be quiet.
In the episode, contestant Angela couldn’t hold back her excitement as Pat revealed she had won but was cut off by her squealing: ‘Shut up!’
‘You didn’t mean that personally,’ Pat replied to which Angela corrected: ‘No, never!’
Pat went on: ‘According to my math, by $233 you are the winner with $11,900.’
As Angela celebrated her win, Pat hit back and told her to ‘shut up’, before laughing it off and making it clear he was just mimicking her earlier comment.
Wheel of Fortune airs on ABC in the United States.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : ‘Tight’ Michael Owen slammed after rejecting big money for charity on Deal or No Deal
MORE : Joe Sugg makes history on The Chase as he banks unbelievable amount
|
https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/31/wheel-fortune-sparks-outrage-contestant-robbed-huge-win-20204876/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:20Z
|
Will you be a bear or a chicken?
Will you be a bear or a chicken? The 18th Annual Cape Girardeau Polar Plunge is
happening on Saturday, February 3 at 2pm. Penny Williams, rec coordinator with
City of Cape Parks and Rec says, “It’s people that are willing to jump in freezing cold
water, all to raise money for a great cause, which is Special Olympics,”. Anyone 10
years or older can participate, no wet suits are allowed, and shoes are required.
Organizers say 2023′s plunge raised more than $63,000 for SOMO athletes. This
year’s goal is $66,000. Williams said people can donate the day of the event, and
receive either a polar bear hat or chicken hat. Each participant must raise a
minimum of $75 to take the plunge. Costumes are highly encouraged. This year’s
event is Hawaiian-themed.
|
https://kzimksim.com/2024/01/31/will-you-be-a-bear-or-a-chicken/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:21Z
|
Elderly rural women, supported by UNDP Global Environment Facility Small Grant Programme, are electrifying off-grid communities in the Upper West region of Ghana.
Salamatu, Dakota, and Afia, all in their 60s live in Dupari and Zukpuri in the Upper West region of Ghana. The women, popularly called the ‘solar grandmothers’, are the first solar engineers in their communities. They joined two other women to successfully electrify 150 households in their off-grid communities, and are championing a renewable energy revolution.
The ‘solar grandmothers’, five in five villages in the region, received training in Barefoot College in India, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Global Environment Facility Small Grant Programmme (UNDP GEF-SGP). The Barefoot College trains rural women to install and maintain solar lighting and power in their villages.
Overcoming the Odds
Traditionally, Dupari, Zikpuri and other communities without electricity in Ghana mostly use kerosene lanterns to light their homes.
“When they selected us to go to India, we were afraid because we have never travelled abroad before. Our biggest fear was that we only speak our local language and haven’t been to school, so going to school in another country sounded odd”, Dakota noted.
With the desire to light-up their homes and communities, Dakota, Salamatu, and Afia took up the challenge to honour the confidence the communities reposed in them by selecting them. They embarked on the “unknown” journey with the hope of exchanging darkness with light in return.
Leaving their region and country for the first time in their lifetime, the women joined other women from different countries at the Barefoot College for a six-month practical training in applied solar technology. Given that they have no formal education, they were taught with sign language and color-coded circuits to build solar-powered lamps and chargers, and to install solar power in their communities.
“Everyone is happy with us because we have connected several homes to electricity. It is such a great joy to have light, charge our phones, watch TV, and do other basic things with the power”, Salamatu stated.
Why older women solar engineers?
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 calls for gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls at all levels. In line with this, the UNDP GEF-SGP solar power initiative falls under a bigger forest conservation project. This project prioritizes women empowerment with different initiatives including women dry season vegetable farming and shea butter processing.
Moreover, women are the focus of solar power projects that Barefoot College runs. They believe that men and young people are likely to migrate from their village in search of other opportunities after training. Older women, on the other hand, have their roots in the communities and mostly remain to serve.
“We have been installing solar power for houses who need it and maintain it. Maintenance mostly requires change of fuse or batteries”, said Afia.
The women have since imparted the knowledge particularly to their children who support them with the installation.
‘I trained my youngest son who used to help me but now he is gone to school in the city. He supports when he comes for vacation”, Salamatu added.
Ghana’s electricity access rate per World Bank’s 2021 data, stands at 86.63 percent, with 74 percent of rural residents and 95 percent of urban residents connected to the electricity grid. Though Ghana’s electricity access is said to be the highest in Sub Sahara Africa, there is the need to bridge the remaining gap, particularly the rural-urban divide.
The success story of the ‘solar grandmothers’ is an inspiration and can be replicated. The use of solar energy in the communities is contributing to the reduction of fossil fuel use and pollution. It is estimated that about 3,000 litres of kerosene that were consumed monthly by the people, have been replaced with solar lights. Not only is this healthier for the people in the communities but also good for the planet. Moreover, mobile phones usage has increased, and school children are able to learn in the evening with the solar light.
To lift out remaining communities living in the dark, public-private partnerships remain critical. This way, we can unlock more investments to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
|
https://www.modernghana.com/news/1289447/solar-grandmas-powering-communities-in-ghana.html
| 2024-01-31T23:00:22Z
|
Paper Lily, a new anime horror RPG whose first chapter is currently available for free, has cracked the top 10 highest-rated games of 2024 on Steam just a few days after its release.
If you're a fan of RPG Maker-style horror games, you'll probably remember 2021's bite-sized and highly acclaimed Project Kat, the self-styled "unconventional RPG horror game in which there is always another way." Well, that game is a prologue to Paper Lily, which at roughly four hours (for one ending, anyway) is more akin to a full-length game, although it's only one chapter of a bigger saga. Starring new protagonist Lacie, the story is a direct continuation of Project Kat, but developer Leef 6010 says you can go into Paper Lily without having played the prologue.
"Something terrible has happened. You can’t bear to think about it - but you can’t live like this anymore. You stopped attending school, you haven’t left your house in months, you have no reason to get out of bed anymore. There are no choices left," reads the Steam description.
With existential psychological horror themes, a colorful anime pixel art aesthetic, and a fourth-wall breaking, self-referential meta narrative, it's hard not to be reminded of games like Doki Doki Literature Club and Undertale, but there are also subtle traces of horror IPs like The Ring and even Death Note.
Gameplay, like Project Kat before it, primarily involves exploring various environments in search of clues to solve objectives and progress through the story. Puzzles can be approached from a number of different ways, and the gameplay and dialogue choices you make will lead you down one of several narrative paths and endings.
At the time of writing, Paper Lily has 461 user reviews on Steam, and 454 are categorized as positive, positioning it as the storefront's ninth best-rated game of 2024 according to Steam 250 and SteamDB. (There are small weight differences in the algorithms for these review aggregates, but they're generally quite close and reliable.) Folks generally seem most impressed by the clever writing, challenging puzzles, and replayability via the multiple endings.
To be clear, the first chapter of Paper Lily is entirely free to play on Steam. There's a paid "Supporter Pack" that includes "some random cool stuff to look at for like 15 minutes," as well as a paid soundtrack, but the game itself is free. That said, it's unclear whether future chapters will be free as well.
For more frightful fun, here's a list of the best horror games to play today.
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/in-only-a-few-days-this-free-anime-horror-rpg-has-become-one-of-the-top-10-highest-rated-steam-releases-of-2024/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:23Z
|
(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Athene Holding Ltd. (“Athene”), a leading retirement services company and subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE:APO), announced it will host a Fixed Income Investor conference call on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 10:00AM ET.
The call will feature members of Athene's senior management team, who will provide an update on current business trends, new business origination, the investment portfolio, and capital.
An accompanying presentation, live webcast, and webcast replay will be available on the Investor Relations section of Athene's website at .
Conference Call Details:
Dial-in: Toll-free at 1-800-225-9448 (domestic) or 1-203-518-9708 (international) Conference ID: ATH2024
About Athene
Athene is a leading retirement services company with $270 billion of total assets as of September 30, 2023, and operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, and Japan. Athene is focused on providing financial security to individuals by offering an attractive suite of retirement income and savings products and also serves as a solutions provider to corporations. For more information, please visit .
Contact:
Jeanne Hess
Vice President, External Relations
+1 646 768 7319
...
MENAFN31012024004107003653ID1107793773
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
|
https://menafn.com/1107793773/Athene-Announces-Fixed-Income-Investor-Conference-Call
| 2024-01-31T23:00:24Z
|
NEW YORK, Jan 31 (Reuters) -
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday that officials have begun discussing what it would take for them to stop the ongoing run-off of the central bank's balance sheet.
Balance sheet run-off "has gone very well," Powell said at his press conference following the latest rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee meeting. He was referring to a process known as quantitative tightening, or QT, which involves the Fed allowing its holdings of cash and bonds to contract by way of allowing Treasury and mortgage bonds it owns to mature and not be replaced.
QT, which has seen the Fed shrink its holdings by over $1.3 trillion to $7.7 trillion, has run independently from the Fed's rate hike cycle but nevertheless complements it. And with rate cuts standing as the Fed's next likely move, many in markets have been expecting the central bank to wind down QT this year as well.
"We're getting to that time where questions are beginning to come into greater focus about the pace of run-off and all that," Powell said. "So at this meeting, we did have some discussion of the balance sheet, and we're planning to begin in-depth discussions of balance sheet issues at our next meeting in March."
The pace of debate pointed to by Powell suggests the QT effort could be in play for longer than many top Wall Street analysts had been expecting.
Going into this week's FOMC meeting, signs of a rapid pull-back in key measures of market liquidity had driven a number of analysts to argue the Fed would lay out the start of a formal plan to shutter the QT effort at the March meeting. Some even saw QT ending by summer.
The Fed is widely expected to slow at some point the speed at which it allows Treasury securities to run off the balance sheet, reducing the current cap of $60 billion. As the Fed wants to get back to an all government bond portfolio and has struggled to reach the $35 billion per month cap on the mortgage bond run-off, many expect the Fed to allow that type of contraction to continue even after QT ends.
Slowing the rundown is a prelude to stopping QT altogether, but some have argued that an earlier slowdown of QT could give the Fed more space to run the effort for longer. The Fed is trying to strip the market of excessive liquidity added in the response to the pandemic, and doesn't want to push QT too far lest it destabilize money market rates.
Many have looked to the Fed's reverse repo facility as a proxy for excessive liquidity and have argued that facility, which peaked at about $2.6 trillion on the final trading day of 2022 and was at $615.4 billion on Wednesday, will likely fall to zero before QT can stop. But Powell suggested that might not be right.
The correct level for the reverse repo facility is "not a decision that we've made," Powell said, adding "we wouldn't be taking a position it's got to go to zero."
(Reporting by Michael S. Derby; Editing by Leslie Adler and Andrea Ricci)
|
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/Fed-plans-in-depth-talks-on-balance-sheet-run-off-in-March-Powell-45857200/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:24Z
|
Updated January 31, 2024 at 5:33 PM ET
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday but signaled that rates could fall in the coming months if inflation continues to cool.
Policy makers have kept their benchmark interest rate between 5.25% and 5.5% — the highest in over two decades — since July.
Fed chairman Jerome Powell told reporters Wednesday that interest rates are unlikely to go any higher, and that he and his colleagues are beginning to contemplate cutting rates.
"If the economy evolves broadly as expected, it will likely be appropriate to begin dialing back policy restraint at some point this year," Powell said.
He cautioned, however, that the economy remains unpredictable and said the central bank would proceed cautiously.
"The economic outlook is uncertain and we remain highly attentive to inflation risks," Powell said.
The Fed has been pleasantly surprised by the rapid drop in inflation in recent months. Core prices in December — which exclude food and energy prices — were up just 2.9% from a year ago, according to the Fed's preferred inflation yardstick. That's a smaller increase than the 3.2% core inflation rate that Fed officials had projected in December.
If that positive trend continues, the Fed may be able to start cutting interest rates as early as this spring. First, though, Powell said he and his colleagues will need to see additional evidence that inflation is easing.
And he sounded doubtful about a rate cut at the Fed's next meeting in March as many investors in Wall Street had hoped for.
"Based on the meeting today, I would tell you that I don't think it's likely the committee will reach a level of confidence by the time of the March meeting," Powell said. "But that's to be seen."
The comments disappointed investors, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbling 317 points.
Investors are still hopeful about a rate cut by the following Fed meeting in May, with markets putting the likelihood of that at better than 90%.
Good omens in the economy
Both the economy and the job market have performed better than expected over the last year, despite the highest interest rates since 2001. The nation's gross domestic product grew 3.1% in 2023, while employers added 2.7 million jobs
Unemployment has been under 4%for nearly two years. And average wages in December were up 4.1% from a year ago.
While that strong economy is welcome news for businesses and workers, it also raises the risk of reigniting inflation. As a result, Fed policymakers say they'll be cautious not to cut interest rates prematurely.
"We have history on this," Atlanta Fed president Raphael Bostic told the Rotary Club of Atlanta this month. "In the '70s, the Fed started removing accommodation too soon. Inflation spiked back up. Then we had to tighten. Inflation came down. Then we removed it again. Inflation went back up. And by the time we were done with that, all Americans could think about was inflation."
The Fed is determined not to repeat that '70s show. At the same time, waiting too long to cut interest rates risks slowing the economy more than necessary to bring inflation under control.
A report from the Labor Department Wednesday showed employers' cost for labor rose more slowly than expected in the final months of last year. Labor costs increased just 0.9% in the fourth quarter. That's a smaller increase than the previous quarter, suggesting labor costs are putting less upward pressure on prices.
Fed officials promised to keep an eye on upcoming economic data and adjust accordingly.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.kmuw.org/2024-01-31/the-federal-reserve-holds-interest-rates-steady-but-signals-rate-cuts-may-be-coming
| 2024-01-31T23:00:25Z
|
Below is Validea's guru fundamental report for TWILIO INC (TWLO). Of the 22 guru strategies we follow, TWLO rates highest using our Value Investor model based on the published strategy of Benjamin Graham. This deep value methodology screens for stocks that have low P/B and P/E ratios, along with low debt and solid long-term earnings growth.
TWILIO INC (TWLO) is a large-cap value stock in the Software & Programming industry. The rating using this strategy is 43% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
Detailed Analysis of TWILIO INC
More Information on Benjamin Graham
About Benjamin Graham: The late Benjamin Graham may be the oldest of the gurus we follow, but his impact on the investing world has lasted for decades after his death in 1976. Known as both the "Father of Value Investing" and the founder of the entire field of security analysis, Graham mentored several of history's greatest investors -- including Warren Buffett -- and inspired a slew of others, including John Templeton, Mario Gabelli, and another of Validea's gurus, John Neff. Graham built his fortune and reputation after living through some extremely difficult times, including both the Great Depression and his own family's financial woes following his father's death when Benjamin was a young man. His investment firm posted per annum returns of about 20 percent from 1936 to 1956, far outpacing the 12.2 percent average return for the market during that time.
Additional Research Links
About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
|
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/twlo-quantitative-stock-analysis-benjamin-graham-1
| 2024-01-31T23:00:25Z
|
WWE superstar Solo Sikoa has deleted his X profile after being mocked by fans over old posts.
The Bloodline’s Enforcer, who earned the biggest win of his career against John Cena at Crown Jewel in November, grew up in the business but really burst onto the scene in NXT back in 2021.
By Clash At The Castle in September 2022, Solo – whose dad is Attitude Era legend Rikishi, with brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso – made a splash on the main roster and has seen his star rise ever since.
Unfortunately for the 30-year-old bruiser, fans found some old tweets from the Twitter days, and it painted a picture of a man a world away from his intimidating on screen persona.
In Solo’s defence, most of the posts simply have him moaning about how much he ‘hates math’, with others asking for a Netflix account to share (how times have changed).
Given both the way he was get mercilessly ripped into for the innocuous tweets and the dichotomy with his on screen character, he started blocking accounts sharing screenshots.
Soon after though, he went a step further by deactivating his whole account.
Given his portrayal on screen as the strong silent type, Solo may have simply decided it wasn’t worth having a presence on X for the time being.
‘Everyone pulling up the old tweets. He got tired of blocking people 😂,’ laughed X user @Cory_Hays407, while @DarthFC teased: ‘My man dipped because he didn’t like math.’
Solo’s most recent appearance came at the Royal Rumble when he got involved in his cousin Roman Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Title match.
He helped keep the Tribal Chief in the bout with AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton, while Roman would go onto retain the gold.
It’s not clear what Solo will be doing for WrestleMania 40, but it seems likely that Roman will be defending his championship against either a returning Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, or Rumble winner Cody Rhodes.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : WWE superstar Chelsea Green ‘really upset’ over shock Royal Rumble twist
|
https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/31/wwe-superstar-solo-sikoa-quits-social-media-over-unearthed-posts-20205001/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:26Z
|
A group of students from the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) have hosted a successful OnCampus event, kicking off the first stage of the prestigious Hult Prize competition.
This global challenge, offering a $1 million prize, empowers students to find innovative solutions to critical social issues.
UPSA's OnCampus program saw passionate student volunteers, known as Campus Directors, organize training sessions and community events centered around this year's theme. Their dedication culminated in a final pitch competition, where team EcoSynergy Network emerged victorious.
This dynamic team, composed of Claudia Obeng Agyemang, Grace Korkor Wortey, Hannah Nchidebon Johnson, and Samuel Mensah, impressed judges with their innovative solution. They will now advance to the regional competition, where they will compete against teams from across the globe for a chance to join the Hult Prize's prestigious Global Accelerator.
The Global Accelerator is an intensive program designed to refine and amplify the chosen teams' social ventures. From there, only six teams will earn the coveted title of Finalists, pitching their ideas on the world stage in London for the ultimate prize: $1 million to bring their vision to life.
"Putting this competition together was a challenge, but witnessing the passion and dedication of our students makes it all worthwhile," shared Mr. Michael Ackon, the UPSA Campus Director. "We are confident that EcoSynergy Network, or an equally strong team from Ghana will make it to the finals."
About the Hult Prize:
The Hult Prize, often referred to as the "Nobel Prize for students," challenges aspiring social entrepreneurs to develop solutions for pressing global issues. Each year, students from around the world compete for the chance to win $1 million to launch their social venture and make a lasting impact.
|
https://www.modernghana.com/news/1289452/upsa-students-host-hult-prize-2024-oncampus-event.html
| 2024-01-31T23:00:28Z
|
Confirming earlier rumors, the full title of the Hideo Kojima-directed sequel is Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and we just got an extensive new trailer revealing that the game is set to launch in 2025.
The new trailer is just as dense with wild speculative imagery and concepts as you'd expect, but the standouts include what appear to be a sentient ventriloquist's dummy that'll hang on your waist and a flying machine that looks a suspicious degree like Metal Gear Rex. Oh, and the revived Higgs appears to be wielding a guitar that shoots lightning.
This story is developing. For more, check out our PlayStation State of Play January 2024 live coverage.
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/its-really-called-death-stranding-2-on-the-beach-and-its-coming-in-2025-complete-with-a-sentient-ventriloquists-dummy-and-a-guitar-gun/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:29Z
|
(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq)
In January ToughBuilt announced an additional 16 SKUs would become available for the StackTech® Mobile Storage Ecosystem.
ToughBuilt entered the Stacking Tool Storage and Toolbox market for the first-time beginning October 19, 2023, disrupting industry competitors and generating millions of online impressions.
StackTechTM is the world's first auto-locking stacking storage solution with 14 unique features.
The Toolbox category is projected to expand at a CAGR of 8.3% from 2022 to 2032, with an expected market share of USD 6.8 Billion by 2032.
IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ToughBuilt Industries, Inc. ("ToughBuilt” or the Company”) (NASDAQ: TBLT; TBLTW) , announced today that the Company released 16 additional products to its revolutionary StackTech® mobile toolbox system, now totaling 24 SKUs available to customers in-stores and online.
ToughBuilt's launch into the stacking toolbox category has disrupted marketplace competitors, sweeping social media with more than 20 million impressions and driving a majority share of voice, commanding engagement on skilled labor media channels. This exposure has generated a powerful retail response, sparking global interest and new orders. In a few short months, StackTech has revolutionized the market with multiple patented advantages that offer unrivaled functionality, comprehensive breadth of line, solid durability, and a groundbreaking transportation system. The line debuted in October through a leading US home improvement retailer, and ToughBuilt expanded the line this January in response to unprecedented demand for this category-defining system.
The StackTech product ecosystem brings innovative solutions to a rapidly growing market, projected to expand by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3% in the ten-year period between 2022 and 2032, with an expected market share of USD 6.8 Billion by 2032, according to a June 2022 market research report1.
ToughBuilt Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael Panosian stated,“In order to assist in our endeavor to achieve profitability and shareholder value, we did not just take new austerity measures to make cuts in overhead and headcount, adjust prices, lower shipping costs, and hone our processes; we have also launched numerous innovative product lines in different categories to generate additional revenue. I am especially proud of the performance of this expansive StackTech line of storage solutions, which creates impactful revenue, which we believe will accelerate our progress toward reaching our fiscal goals.”
1 Future Market Insights Report. (06/2022). Tool Boxes Market by Material, Product Type, End User & Region - Forecast 2022 - 2032- Future Market Insights
ABOUT TOUGHBUILT INDUSTRIES, INC.
ToughBuilt is an innovative advanced product developer, manufacturer, and distributor with emphasis on innovative products, currently focused on tools and other accessories for the professional and do-it-yourself construction industries. We market and distribute various home improvement and construction product lines for both the do-it-yourself and professional markets under the TOUGHBUILT brand name, within the global multibillion dollar per year tool market industry. All of our products are designed by our in-house design team. Since launching product sales in 2013, we have experienced significant annual sales growth. Our current product line includes three major categories, with several additional categories in various stages of development, consisting of Soft Goods & Kneepads and Sawhorses & Work Products. Our mission is to provide products to the building and home improvement communities that are innovative, of superior quality derived in part from enlightened creativity for our end users while enhancing performance, improving well-being and building high brand loyalty. Additional information about the Company is available at:
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains“forward-looking statements.” Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the intended use of proceeds from the offering and may be preceded by the words“intends,”“may,”“will,”“plans,”“expects,”“anticipates,”“projects,”“predicts,”“estimates,”“aims,”“believes,”“hopes,”“potential” or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and cannot be predicted or quantified and consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) the impact the war in Ukraine and the war in the Middle East on our business, , (ii) supply chain disruptions, (iii) market acceptance of our existing and new products, including the Company's tackTechTM mobile stacking toolbox system (iv) delays in bringing products to key markets, (v) an inability to secure regulatory approvals for the ability to sell our products in certain markets, (vi) intense competition in the industry from much larger, multinational companies, (vii) product liability claims, (viii) product malfunctions, (ix) our limited manufacturing capabilities and reliance on subcontractors for assistance, (x) our efforts to successfully obtain and maintain intellectual property protection covering our products, which may not be successful, (xi) our reliance on single suppliers for certain product components, (xii) the fact that we will need to raise additional capital to meet our business requirements in the future and that such capital raising may be costly, dilutive or difficult to obtain, (xiii) the fact that we conduct business in multiple foreign jurisdictions, exposing us to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, logistical and communications challenges, burdens and costs of compliance with foreign laws and political and economic instability in each jurisdiction, and (xiv) market and other conditions. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's web site at The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
Investor Relations Contact:
KCSA Strategic Communications
David Hanover ...
MENAFN31012024004107003653ID1107793774
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
|
https://menafn.com/1107793774/Toughbuilt-Industries-Accelerates-Growth-With-Expanded-Stacktech-Ecosystem-Targeting-68-Billion-Market
| 2024-01-31T23:00:30Z
|
The International Olympic Committee is still not impressed with Italy's determination to spend about $90 million rebuilding a historic bobsled track for the 2026 Winter Games.
The IOC's latest statement Wednesday on the public rift came one day after local organizers of the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics moved ahead with a plan to revive a century-old sliding track in the Dolomites ski resort.
Aiming to avoid construction costs and potential white elephant venues, the IOC wants the Winter Games, opening in just two years' time, to use an existing track — with two nearby options in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Igls, Austria.
The issue has become one of Italian national pride to avoid paying another country to stage 12 of the 116 medal events.
"The IOC firmly believes that the existing number of sliding centers, globally, is sufficient for the current number of athletes and competitions in the sports of bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton," the Olympic body said in a statement.
SEE MORE: Lions vs. 49ers draws larger TV audience than Chiefs vs. Ravens
The IOC's opposition to an Italian renewal project on such a tight schedule — either at Cortina or Cesana, the now-closed sliding track at the 2006 Turin Olympics that was previously considered — has been publicly clear since its annual meeting in October held in Mumbai, India.
"(Only) existing and already operating tracks should be considered due to the very tight timeline remaining," the IOC said in a statement, stating it had been "unequivocal that no permanent venue should be built without a clear and viable legacy plan."
Italy's deputy prime minister detailed his country’s position Tuesday.
"It is not acceptable for the bobsled races to take place outside Italy," Antonio Tajani said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "We will do everything to achieve the goal."
Still, the Italian organizing committee aims to have a back-up plan if renovating the Cortina track used at the 1956 Winter Games is not ready by March next year.
The committee said after a board meeting Tuesday its plans rest on signing a contract with a Parma-based construction company that has offered to rebuild the Cortina track for $89 million.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
|
https://www.kztv10.com/ioc-pushes-back-on-90m-plan-to-rebuild-olympics-bobsled-track
| 2024-01-31T23:00:31Z
|
Donald Trump has yet to officially clinch the Republican presidential nomination, but he's already begun to tease about a running mate. The NPR Politics Podcast dives into who might be on his list.
Copyright 2024 NPR
Donald Trump has yet to officially clinch the Republican presidential nomination, but he's already begun to tease about a running mate. The NPR Politics Podcast dives into who might be on his list.
Copyright 2024 NPR
|
https://www.kmuw.org/2024-01-31/trump-says-vp-pick-wont-impact-the-race-so-whats-he-looking-for-in-a-running-mate
| 2024-01-31T23:00:31Z
|
Shares of banks and other financial institutions fell amid renewed concerns about regional banks.
Shares of New York Community Bancorp plummeted more than 35% after the company swung to a fourth-quarter loss and slashed its dividend to shore up capital following its purchase of the assets of the collapsed Signature Bank.
After emerging from a crisis early last year with the assistance of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., regional banks have begun to show signs of instability once more.
Columbia Banking System, the owner of Umqua bank chain in the Pacific Northwest, warned that its fourth-quarter earnings had dwindled during a period of volatile Treasury yields.
Shares of credit-card processor Mastercard rose after it posted stronger-than-anticipated earnings.
Treasury yields are set to experience swings again after the Federal Reserve's warning that interest-rate cuts are not imminent.
Write to Rob Curran at rob.curran@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
01-31-24 1730ET
|
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/Financials-Fall-as-Regional-Banks-Slide-Financials-Roundup-45857212/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:31Z
|
If you showed me the new trailer for Judas – the game from BioShock creator Ken Levine's new studio – totally out of context, I would probably tell you it looks a whole lot like BioShock. This was also the case over a year ago, so its appearance at tonight's PlayStation State of Play live show arguably hasn't told us all that much, but new gameplay footage slipped into the game's fresh story trailer really drives the overlap home – in a good way, I think.
Judas' latest showcase opens with a heady, psychological monologue that's doing everything it can to avoid saying "would you kindly." In a matter of moments, we're back in hallways mowing down robots and sycophants with a gun in one hand and elemental powers in the other. There's even a gruesome close-up shot of our hands getting fried. It's like we never left ol' Rapture.
This Judas trailer only confirms that it is "in development" for PS5, with no mention of a release date or window. It's also coming to PC and Xbox, for the record.
This story is developing...
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/judas-the-new-game-from-the-bioshock-creator-continues-to-look-a-lot-like-bioshock/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:35Z
|
I spent 20 years in mainstream media, working for NBC stations across the country. I left 12 years ago in disgust. Sadly, the state of the mainstream media has only gotten worse. Its fascination with Taylor Swift and celebrities like her overtook the mission of journalism.
Add in the quest to destroy conservatism and the fundamental values that this nation was founded on, the media turned into leftist propagandists. It is NOT what the people want. So, the media is getting a harsh lesson in free markets.
ABC, NBC, CBS, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The L.A. Times, Vox, Vice News, NPR, and Buzzfeed are all laying off hundreds of employees. The reality is Americans are fed up with fake news and celebrity gossip. It is why outlets like The Gateway Pundit and Real America’s Voice, along with so many other conservative outlets, are flourishing.
|
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/01/main-stream-media-financial-implosion-people-dont-want/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:35Z
|
A report released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has shown that one out of ten women had their first sex before turning 15.
This was captured in the GSS’s Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2022.
“Ten percent of young women aged 15–24 reported having sex before age 15, as compared with 8% of young men. Forty-eight percent of women and 34% of men aged 18–24 had sex before age 18.”
The report also found that the trend has remained the same since 2014 after increasing from 8 percent in 2008 to the current 10 percent.
“The proportion of women aged 15–24 who had sexual intercourse before age 15 increased from 8% in 2008 to 11% in 2014 and then remained relatively unchanged at 10% in 2022. Similarly, the proportion among young men increased from 4% in 2008 to 9% in 2014 and remained relatively unchanged in 2022 (8%).”
The report further encouraged the use of condoms during sexual intercourse to prevent the contraction of sexually transmitted infections and pregnancies, which are common among the demographic.
“Young people who initiate sex at an early age are typically at higher risk of becoming pregnant or contracting an STI than young people who initiate sex later. Consistent condom use can reduce such risks.”
-citinewsroom
|
https://www.modernghana.com/news/1289511/1-out-of-10-young-women-had-sex-before-turning.html
| 2024-01-31T23:00:34Z
|
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of Landmark. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of our management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as“believe,”“expect,”“anticipate,”“plan,”“intend,”“estimate,”“may,”“will,”“would,”“could,”“should” or other similar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this press release, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and Landmark undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events. A number of factors, many of which are beyond our ability to control or predict, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the following: (i) the strength of the local, national and international economies, including the effects of inflationary pressures and supply chain constraints on such economies; (ii) changes in state and federal laws, regulations and governmental policies concerning banking, securities, consumer protection, insurance, monetary, trade and tax matters, including any changes in response to the recent failures of other banks; (iii) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of our assets; (iv) increased competition in the financial services sector and the inability to attract new customers, including from non-bank competitors such as credit unions and“fintech” companies; (v) timely development and acceptance of new products and services; (vi) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (vii) our risk management framework; (viii) interruptions in information technology and telecommunications systems and third-party services; (ix) changes and uncertainty in benchmark interest rates, including the elimination of LIBOR and the development of a substitute and the recent and potential additional rate increases by the Federal Reserve; (x) the effects of severe weather, natural disasters, widespread disease or pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic), or other external events; (xi) the loss of key executives or employees; (xii) changes in consumer spending; (xiii) integration of acquired businesses; (xiv) unexpected outcomes of existing or new litigation; (xv) changes in accounting policies and practices, such as the implementation of the current expected credit losses accounting standard; (xvi) the economic impact of past and any future terrorist attacks, acts of war, including the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the conflict in Ukraine, or threats thereof, and the response of the United States to any such threats and attacks; (xvii) the ability to manage credit risk, forecast loan losses and maintain an adequate allowance for loan losses; (xviii) fluctuations in the value of securities held in our securities portfolio; (xix) concentrations within our loan portfolio, large loans to certain borrowers, and large deposits from certain clients; (xx) the concentration of large deposits from certain clients who have balances above current FDIC insurance limits and may withdraw deposits to diversify their exposure; (xxi) the level of non-performing assets on our balance sheets; (xxii) the ability to raise additional capital; (xxiii) cyber-attacks; (xxiv) declines in real estate values; (xxv) the effects of fraud on the part of our employees, customers, vendors or counterparties; and (xxvi) any other risks described in the“Risk Factors” sections of reports filed by Landmark with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Additional information concerning Landmark and its business, including additional risk factors that could materially affect Landmark's financial results, is included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
|
https://menafn.com/1107793775/Landmark-Bancorp-Inc-Announces-Fourth-Quarter-Earnings-Per-Share-Of-048
| 2024-01-31T23:00:36Z
|
A German Shepherd named Indy is on a long road to recovery after falling down an old well around this time last year.
Scripps News San Diego caught up with Indy at physical therapy on Tuesday to track his progress.
"So, Indy is here for his therapy treatment … Yes you're talking about it!" the physical therapist said as the dog chimed in with a lively bark.
The 10-year-old German shepherd is a retired police dog that captured the heart of his community after he was rescued from a 40-foot well in Chula Vista, California.
"He had a giant scar and cut from his shoulder all the way to his back — a very bad wound that was filled with mud," said Mark Pugh, Indy's owner. "He strained his legs and ruptured a disc in his back."
Pugh said after the accident, Indy couldn't walk at all. Pugh has been taking him to Aqua Animal Care Center in Oceanside twice a week for physical therapy.
The facility has an underwater treadmill and laser therapy, which requires Indy to don some spiffy goggles.
SEE MORE: Oklahoma asks teachers to return up to $50K in mistaken bonuses
"It brings in good blood flow, it reduces inflammation, reduces pain," the physical therapist said about the laser treatment.
Indy also does a series of exercises, building his balance, coordination and muscle strength. The treatment is working, but at a steep cost.
"His spirit's coming back," said Pugh. "It's almost to the point where if I don't find other resources, or I get the insurance company to come forward, I'll be out of money next month."
Combining the physical therapy, Indy's emergency veterinary care and monthly medication, Pugh said the bill for his precious dog's treatment has crossed the $100,000 mark.
A GoFundMe page was set up to try and raise funds for Indy's care, and it was shared out by Scripps News San Diego.
Despite the six-figure cost, Pugh said he can't imagine not doing everything he can to help Indy live and recover — especially since man's best friend has been there for him.
"When you take on a pet ... you're supposed to care for them and treat them and shelter them. That's what you take on. It's not a lighthearted decision. That's what you take on," he said.
This story was originally published by Madison Weil at Scripps News San Diego.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
|
https://www.kztv10.com/retired-k-9-s-owner-faces-steep-vet-bills-after-dog-falls-down-well
| 2024-01-31T23:00:37Z
|
New reports show a big academic recovery after schools reopened. But not for all students. Stanford professor Sean Reardon tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly how the pandemic worsened education inequality.
Copyright 2024 NPR
New reports show a big academic recovery after schools reopened. But not for all students. Stanford professor Sean Reardon tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly how the pandemic worsened education inequality.
Copyright 2024 NPR
|
https://www.kmuw.org/2024-01-31/u-s-students-are-starting-to-catch-up-in-school-unless-theyre-from-a-poor-area
| 2024-01-31T23:00:37Z
|
MEXICO CITY, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Mexican state oil company Pemex on Wednesday said it had removed a possible explosive device from the gardens outside its Mexico City headquarters, exactly 11 years after a deadly blast there left almost 40 dead and over 100 injured.
"The characteristics of the object suggest it could be an ornament," Pemex said on X. "This information will be published here once it is confirmed."
It added that military explosive specialists had been sent to the site around midday, and the area was cordoned off by security personnel while the device was taken away.
The incident happened on the anniversary of the deadly Jan. 31, 2013 blast at the same building. The government later said the explosion had been caused by a gas leak in the basement of the skyscraper complex. (Reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Sandra Maler)
|
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/Mexico-s-Pemex-removes-suspected-explosive-device-near-headquarters-on-anniversary-of-deadly-blast-45857291/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:37Z
|
The rumored VR spin-off of the Metro series is real and due out in 2024, and Metro Awakening looks like it could satisfy the Half-Life Alyx-shaped hole I've been carrying in my heart for years.
The trailer for Metro Awakening doesn't show much, but there's a lot of moody atmosphere and an appealing blend of action, exploration, stealth, and just a dash of horror. The game is set to launch in 2024 across Meta Quest 2 and 3, Steam VR, and PSVR 2.
This story is developing. For more, check out our PlayStation State of Play January 2024 live coverage.
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/metro-awakening-could-be-a-single-player-vr-game-to-rival-half-life-alyx-and-its-out-this-year/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:41Z
|
A brother of Ghanaian socialite Moesha Bodoung, Ebito Bodoung has announced that his sister has suffered a stroke.
In a statement published on a GoFundMe account created in his name on January 22, 2024, for Moesha, Ebito revealed that her sister's condition has affected her ability to move and talk hence he is requesting public assistance to pay for her medical bills.
“Hi I'm Ebito, my sister Moesha Bodoung recently experienced a life-altering stroke, and her journey to recovery has just begun. The impact of stroke on her life has been immense, affecting her mobility, speech, and overall quality of life. But we believe in the power of God, love, support, and community to bring about positive change,” parts of the description read
As of now, $570 (GH₵ 7,045.20) has been donated towards the $10,000 (GH₵ 123,600) target.
Wife of rapper Medikal, Fella Makafui and skit actress Ahuofe Patri are some of the celebrities who are also helping to raise funds for Moesha.
-citinewsroom
|
https://www.modernghana.com/news/1289534/moesha-bodoung-suffers-stroke-brother-begs-for.html
| 2024-01-31T23:00:41Z
|
Forgot Username or Password
Date
The financial information contained in this earnings release as of and for the periods ended December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023 is for SR Bancorp and Somerset Regal Bank. However, due to the timing of the merger noted below, the income statement only includes 11 days of operations of the combined entity during the period ended September 30, 2023. Financial information as of June 30, 2023 is for Somerset Savings Bank,SLA, on a stand-alone basis.
Completed Stock Offering and Merger
The conversion of Somerset Savings Bank, SLA from the mutual to stock form of organization and related stock offering by the Company was completed on September 19, 2023. SRBancorp, Inc.'s common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the trading symbol "SRBK" on September 20, 2023.
The Company sold 9,055,172 shares of its common stock at a price of $10.00 per share. Additionally, the Company contributed 452,758 shares and $905,517 in cash to the Somerset Regal Charitable Foundation, Inc., a charitable foundation formed in connection with the conversion. Upon the completion of the conversion and offering, 9,507,930 shares of Company common stock were outstanding.
Promptly following the completion of the conversion and related stock offering, RegalBancorp, Inc., a New Jersey corporation ("Regal Bancorp"), merged with and into the Company, with the Company as the surviving entity (the "Merger"). Immediately following the Merger, Regal Bank, a New Jersey chartered commercial bank headquartered in Livingston, New Jersey and the wholly-owned subsidiary of Regal Bancorp, merged with and into Somerset Bank, which converted to a commercial bank charter, and was renamed Somerset Regal Bank. The Merger was completed on September 19, 2023.
December 31, 2023 Highlights:
Comparison of Operating Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023
General. Net income increased $12.1 million, or 115.3%, to net income of $1.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from a net loss of $10.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily due to a $5.4 million charge related to the charitable contribution of cash and stock of Somerset Regal Charitable Foundation, a $4.2 million provision for credit losses and $3.9 million in merger-related expenses, offset by $161,000 of net accretion income related to fair value adjustments resulting from the Merger. Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to $1.4 million of net accretion income related to fair value adjustments resulting from the Merger, offset by $32,000 in merger-related expenses. The increase also was caused by an increase in interest income and a decrease in the provision for credit losses, offset by an increase in interest expense.
Interest Income. Interest income increased $6.8 million, or 121.6%, to $12.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from $5.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase resulted primarily from an increase of $6.4 million, or 171.3%, in interest income on loans and a $318,000 increase in interest income on other assets to $1.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from $930,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2023, offset by a $6,000 decrease in interest income on securities.
Interest Expense. Interest expense increased $1.9 million, or 133.7%, to $3.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from $1.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 due to an increase in interest expense on deposits. The average rate on certificates of deposit increased 139 basis points to 3.86% for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from 2.47% for the three months ended September 30, 2023 due to the higher interest rate environment. The average balance of certificates of deposit increased $98.0 million, or 55.7%, to $274.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from $176.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The average balance of interest-bearing demand deposits increased $53.8 million, or 38.3%, to $194.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from $140.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The average balance of savings and club accounts increased $79.3 million, or 46.7%, to $249.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from $169.8 for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increases in the average balance related to the deposits assumed from Regal Bank in the Merger.
Net Interest Income. Net interest income increased $4.9 million, or 117.6%, to $9.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from $4.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Net interest rate spread increased 96 basis points to 3.08%for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from 2.12% for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Net interest margin increased 115 basis points to 3.56%for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from 2.41%for the three months ended September 30, 2023.Net interest-earning assets increased $93.5 million, or 51.5%, to $275.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from $181.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increases in the Bank's net interest rate spread and its net interest margin were primarily a result of the cost of interest-bearing liabilities increasing at a slower rate than the yield on interest-earning assets.
Provision for Credit Losses. The Bank establishes provisions for credit losses, which are charged to operations in order to maintain the allowance for credit losses at a level it considers necessary to absorb probable credit losses attributable to uncollectible loans that are reasonably estimable at the balance sheet date. In determining the level of the allowance for credit losses, the Bank considers, among other things, past and current loss experience, evaluations of real estate collateral, current economic conditions, amount and type of lending, adverse situations that may affect a borrower's ability to repay a loan and the levels of delinquent, classified and criticized loans. The amount of the allowance is based on estimates and the ultimate losses may vary from such estimates as more information becomes available or conditions change. The Bank assesses the allowance for credit losses and make provisions for loan losses on a quarterly basis.
The Bank recorded a provision for credit losses of $(107,000) for the three months ended December 31, 2023 compared to a provision for credit losses of $4.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The $4.2 million provision reflected that, in connection with the Merger, a full reserve was required to be established on the Regal Bank loan portfolio, which represented more than half of the combined loan portfolio. The Bank had nocharge-offs for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and $145,000 of non-performing loans and $145,000 of classified loans at December 31, 2023. The Bank's allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans was 0.74% at December 31, 2023 compared to 0.77% at September 30, 2023, reflecting continued strong credit quality in its loan portfolio.
NoninterestIncome. Noninterest income decreased $148,000or 28.8%, to $365,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from $513,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2023, primarily as a result of a decrease in other income of $304,000, or 167%, for the three months ended December 31, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2023.
NoninterestExpense. Noninterest expense decreased $5.5 million, or 42.2%, to $7.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from $12.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, primarily as a result of the $5.4 million charitable contribution in the September 30, 2023 quarter, a $669,000, or 14.7%, decrease in salaries and employee benefits and a $290,000, or 34.0%, decrease in merger-related services.
IncomeTax Expense. The provision for income taxes was $408,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2023, compared to a tax benefit of $1.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The Bank's effective tax rate was 20.2% for the three months ended December 31, 2023 compared to 15.6% for the three months ended September 30, 2023.
Comparison of Financial Condition at December 31 , 2023 and June 30, 2023
Assets . Assets increased $423.5 million, or 65.0%, to $1.07 billion at December 31, 2023 from $651.5 million at June 30, 2023. The increase was the result of the acquisition of Regal Bank on September 19, 2023, which had total assets of $430.7 million at the time of the Merger.
Cash and Cash Equivalents . Cash and cash equivalents increased $47.8 million, or 112.6%, to $90.2 million at December 31, 2023 from $42.4 million at June 30, 2023. The increase was due to the acquisition of RegalBancorp, which had cash and cash equivalents of $49.7 million at the time of the Merger.
Securities. Total securities (securities available-for-sale and securities held-to-maturity) decreased $7.3 million, or 3.5%, to $200.0 million at December 31, 2023 from $207.3 million at June 30, 2023. The decrease was due to principal repayments and maturities from the securities portfolio.
Loans. Loans receivable, net, increased $333.5 million, or 92.1%, to $695.8 million at December 31, 2023 from $362.3 million at June 30, 2023. The increase was due to the acquisition of Regal Bank's loan portfolio, which totaled $336.0million at the time of the Merger.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets. Goodwill and intangible assets were $29.0 million at December 31, 2023 due to the goodwill that was recognized from the Merger that closed on September 19, 2023.
Deposits. Deposits increased $339.4 million, or 67.4%, to $843.3 million at December 31, 2023 from $503.9 million at June 30, 2023.The increase was due to the assumption of Regal Bank's deposits, which totaled $373.1million at the time of the Merger. At December 31, 2023, $120.8 million, or 14.3%, of total deposits consisted of noninterest bearing deposits. At December 31, 2023, $126.9 million, or 15.0%, of total deposits were uninsured.
Borrowings. During the year ended June 30, 2023, the Bank borrowed $20.0 million from the Federal Reserve under the Bank Term Funding Program as a precautionary measure to provide for additional liquidity due to current market conditions. Such borrowing remained outstanding at December 31, 2023.
Equity. Equity increased $76.9 million, or 63.0%, to $199.0 million at December 31, 2023 from $122.0 million at June 30, 2023. The increase was primarily due to the proceeds from the Company's initial public offering, offset by the $69.5 million of funds used to acquire Regal Bancorp. Accumulated other comprehensive loss decreased $504,000, or 10.0%, to $4.5 million at December 31, 2023 from $5.0 million at June 30, 2023. The decrease was due to the change in net unrealized holding gains or losses on securities available-for-sale, as well as the funded status of the Company's pension plan, as of the consolidated balance sheet dates, net of the related tax effect.
About Somerset Regal Bank
SomersetRegal Bank is a full-service New Jersey commercial bank headquartered in Bound Brook, New Jersey that operates 16 branches in Essex, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union Counties, New Jersey. At December 31, 2023, Somerset Regal Bank had $1.07 billion in total assets, $695.8 million in net loans, $843.3 million in deposits and total equity of $199.0 million. Additional information about Somerset Regal Bank is available on its website, .
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained herein are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, which are based on certain current assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of the words "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "plan," "potential," "estimate," "project," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "expect," "target" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include increased competitive pressures, changes in the interest rate environment, inflation, general economic conditions or conditions within the securities markets, our ability to successfully integrate acquired operations and realize the expected level of synergies and cost savings, potential recessionary conditions, real estate market values in the Bank's lending area changes in the quality of our loan and security portfolios, increases in non-performing and classified loans, changes in liquidity, including the size and composition of our deposit portfolio, including the percentage of uninsured deposits in the portfolio, monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, a failure in or breach of the Company's operational or security systems or infrastructure, including cyberattacks, the failure to maintain current technologies, failure to retain or attract employees and legislative, accounting and regulatory changes that could adversely affect the business in which the Company and the Bank are engaged. Our actual future results may be materially different from the results indicated by these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, we do not undertake, and we specifically disclaim any obligation, to release publicly the results of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statement.
SR Bancorp, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
December 31, 2023 (Unaudited) and September 30, 2023 (Unaudited)
(Dollars in Thousands)
December 31,
June 30,
2023
(Unaudited)
Assets
Cash and due from banks
$ 15,160
$ 8,657
Interest-bearing deposits at other banks
68,737
33,792
Federal funds sold
6,341
-
Total cash and cash equivalents
90,238
42,449
Securities available-for-sale, at fair value
34,783
36,076
Securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost
165,190
171,185
Equity securities, at fair value
26
24
Loans receivable, net of allowance for credit loss of $5,218 and $1,116, respectively
695,751
362,252
Premises and equipment, net
5,131
3,546
Right-of-use asset
3,057
19
Restricted equity securities, at cost
1,274
726
Accrued interest receivable
2,548
1,189
Bank owned life insurance
36,594
28,714
Net deferred tax asset
3,534
Goodwill and intangible assets
29,032
Other assets
7,782
5,306
Total assets
$ 1,074,940
$ 651,486
Liabilities and Equity
Liabilities
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing
$ 120,808
$ 40,687
Interest-bearing
722,503
463,230
Total deposits
843,311
503,917
Borrowings
20,000
Advance payments by borrowers for taxes and insurance
4,161
4,313
Accrued interest payable
907
Lease liability
3,137
Other liabilities
4,415
1,153
Total liabilities
875,931
529,402
Equity
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 55,000,000 authorized; 9,507,930 and 0shares issued, respectively
95
Additional paid-in capital
91,449
Retained earnings
119,202
127,099
Unearned compensation ESOP
(7,226)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
(4,511)
(5,015)
Total stockholders' equity
199,009
122,084
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss)
For the Three Months Ended December 31, 2023 (Unaudited) and September 30, 2023 (Unaudited)
Three Months Ended
December 31, 2023
September 30, 2023
Interest Income
Loans, including fees
$ 10,186
$ 3,755
Securities:
Taxable
852
858
Non-taxable
71
10
Interest bearing deposits at other banks
1,177
920
Total interest income
12,286
5,543
Interest Expense
Demand
335
47
Savings and time
2,692
1,111
240
Total interest expense
3,267
1,398
Net Interest Income
9,019
4,145
Provision for Credit Losses
107
(4,162)
Net Interest Income (Expense) After Provision For Credit Losses
9,126
(17)
Noninterest Income
Service charges and fees
212
171
Increase in cash surrender value of bank owned life insurance
233
175
Fees and service charges on loans
6
5
Unrealized gain (loss) on equity securities
(3)
Realized gain (loss) on sale of securities
31
Other
(122)
182
Total noninterest income
365
513
Noninterest Expense
Salaries and employee benefits
3,875
4,544
Occupancy
665
237
Furniture and equipment
228
161
Data Processing
634
807
Advertising
72
57
FDIC premiums
145
83
Directors fees
97
88
Professional fees
564
854
Insurance
108
116
Telephone, postage and supplies
84
991
5,906
Total noninterest expense
7,476
12,937
Income (Loss) Before Income Tax Expense
2,015
(12,441)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
408
(1,943)
Net Income (Loss)
1,607
(10,498)
Selected Ratios
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Performance Ratios: (1)
Return (loss) on average assets (2)
0.60%
(5.74)%
Return (loss) on average equity (3)
3.36%
(32.39)%
Net interest margin (4)
3.56%
2.41%
Efficiency ratio (5)
79.67%
277.74%
Total gross loans to total deposits
83.12%
79.53%
Asset Quality Ratios:
Allowance for credit losses on loans as a percentage of total gross loans
0.74%
0.77%
Allowance for credit losses on loans as a percentage of non-performing loans
3598.62%
3697.92%
Net (charge-offs) recoveries to average outstanding loans during the period
0.00%
Non-performing loans as a percentage of total gross loans
0.02%
Non-performing assets as a percentage of total assets
0.01%
Other Data:
Tangible book value per common share (6)
$17.88
$17.35
Tangible common equity to tangible assets
16.25%
15.29%
(1) Performance ratios for the three month periods ended December 31, 2023 and September 31, 2023 are annualized.
(2) Represents net income divided by average total assets.
(3) Represents net income divided by average equity.
(4) Represents net interest income as a percentage of average interest-earning assets.
(5) Represents non-interest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income.
(6) Tangible book value per share is calculated based on total stockholders' equity, excluding intangible assets (goodwill and core deposit
intangibles), divided by total shares outstanding as of the balance sheet date. Goodwill and core deposit intangibles were $29,032 and
$30,489 at December31, 2023 and September30, 2023, respectively.
SOURCE SR Bancorp, Inc.
MENAFN31012024003732001241ID1107793776
Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Tags
Comments
Category
|
https://menafn.com/1107793776/SR-BANCORP-INC-ANNOUNCES-QUARTERLY-FINANCIAL-RESULTS
| 2024-01-31T23:00:42Z
|
The CEOs of five major social media companies just wrapped up their testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The heads of Meta, X, TikTok, Discord, and Snap were grilled about what they're doing to protect kids on their platforms.
The major concerns are teen suicides, unrealistic beauty standards, bullying and guarding against child predators, and sextortion. The hearing started at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, and it didn't take long for things to get quite emotional.
In a poignant moment, parents stood up and held images of their children who lost their lives to suicide due to social media, as the hearing began with recorded testimonies from children who had been hurt because of these platforms. Mark Zuckerberg turned around and offered an apology.
“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” Zuckerberg told them. "It's terrible. No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered. And this is why we invest so much and are going to continue doing industry-leading efforts to make sure that no one has to go through the things your families have had to suffer."
However, Stefan Turkheimer, vice president of public policy at the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, who was sitting with the parents during the hearing, contends that the apology fell short of being enough.
“I think the parents are incredibly frustrated with the behavior of the platforms, and Facebook specifically, and Mark Zuckerberg even more specifically. I don't think his apology or whatever statement he made made much of a difference to them. I think that they want to see real change in the platforms and real accountability from Facebook and Meta, and they're not getting it, and I don't think the actual statement he made to them really had much effect,” Turkheimer told Scripps News.
Meta is under legal scrutiny from several states, accused of purposefully creating addictive features on Instagram and Facebook for children and failing to protect them from online predators.
During her opening statements, Sen. Amy Klobuchar was visibly frustrated as she compared tech companies’ response to harmful content to grounding Boeing planes after the in-flight emergency earlier this month.
"When a Boeing plane lost a door in midflight several weeks ago, nobody questioned the decision to ground a fleet of over 700 planes. So why are not we taking the same type of decisive action on the danger of these platforms when we know these kids are dying? We have bills that have passed through this incredibly diverse committee when it comes to our political views that have passed through this committee, and they should go to the floor,” she said. “We should do something finally about liability, and then we should turn to some of the other issues that a number of us have worked on when it comes to the charges for app stores and when it comes to the monopoly behavior and the preferencing, but I will stick with this today: Facts, one-third of fentanyl cases investigated over five months had direct ties to social media; that's from the DEA. Facts, between 2012 and 2022, cyber tip-line reports of online child sexual exploitation increased from 415,000 to more than 32 million. And as I noted, at least 20 victims committed suicide in sextortion cases."
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel apologized to families whose children died after purchasing drugs on Snapchat. “I’m so sorry that we have not been able to prevent these tragedies,” he said. Then he proceeded to outline some of the company's efforts to protect its users.
During the hearing, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew emphasized the platform's commitment to enforcing its policy preventing children under 13 from using the app. Meanwhile, CEO Linda Yaccarino stated that X (formerly known as Twitter) does not cater to children but that the company backs the STOP CSAM Act bill that makes tech companies responsible for child sexual exploitation cases by removing their liability shield.
Despite a rare instance of congressional agreement against the platforms during Wednesday's hearing, Congress has yet to enact legislation to regulate social media companies and their content, which has allowed these companies to operate for years without more strict federal oversight.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
SEE MORE: Mother who lost teen to viral challenge calls for more protections
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
|
https://www.kztv10.com/senate-judiciary-committee-grills-social-media-ceos-on-child-safety
| 2024-01-31T23:00:43Z
|
Donations poured in Wednesday to replace a destroyed statue of Jackie Robinson on what would have been the 105th birthday of the first player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier.
The total raised just through one online fundraiser surpassed $140,000, which is far in excess of the estimated $75,000 value of the bronze statue that was cut from its base last week at a park in Wichita, Kansas. Police are searching for those responsible.
Only the statue's feet were left at McAdams Park, where about 600 children play in a youth baseball league called League 42, which is named after Robinson’ s uniform number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, with whom he broke the major leagues' color barrier in 1947.
Fire crews found burned remnants of the statue Tuesday while responding to a trash can fire at another park about 7 miles (11.27 kilometers) away. A truck believed to be used in the theft previously was found abandoned, and police said the theft was captured on surveillance video.
Bob Lutz, executive director of the Little League nonprofit that commissioned the sculpture, said the money raised also could enhance some of its programming and facilities. In April, the group opened the Leslie Rudd Learning Center, which includes an indoor baseball facility and a learning lab.
“We’re not just baseball,” Lutz said. “We have after school education, enrichment and tutoring.”
One of the largest donations is a $10,000 pledge from an anonymous former Major League Baseball player who won a World Series. Wichita police Chief Joe Sullivan, who announced the donation over the weekend, has urged anyone involved in the theft to surrender and vowed that arrests were imminent.
“The community, along with the business community and the nation as a whole, have demonstrated an incredible outpouring of support,” Sullivan said in a statement Wednesday. “This effort highlights the kindness of the people and their determination to rebuild what was taken away from our community.”
Lutz, whose friend, the artist John Parsons, made the statue before his death, said the mold is still viable and anticipated that a replacement can be erected within a matter of months.
“We value what it represents,” he said. “It’s important that our 600 kids understand what it represents. And, we make every effort to educate our kids about the role that Jackie Robinson played in life and civil rights, his life beyond sports. He’s the absolute best role model you could imagine.”
League 42 drew attention to Robinson’s birthday Wednesday in a Facebook post, noting that “his legacy will hold up forever” and asking for donations.
Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of Black American ballplayers. He’s considered not only a sports legend but also a civil rights icon. Robinson died in 1972.
Lutz said that the league appeals to “all kids, but especially to kids of color" and that the connection to Robinson resonated.
“We can’t imagine, being named League 42 without a Jackie Robinson statue in our park," he said. "It was a no-brainer when we went about trying to name our league. And the name League 42 came up. It was like lightning and struck. We knew we had our name.”
|
https://www.kmuw.org/community/2024-01-31/donations-pour-in-to-replace-destroyed-jackie-robinson-statue-on-his-105th-birthday
| 2024-01-31T23:00:43Z
|
"Three victims - a woman and her two young children - have been taken to hospital for treatment," the police said in a statement, adding that three other people - all adults - were taken to hospital for injuries sustained.
Three police officers were also taken to hospital with minor injuries, the statement said.
There have been no arrests at this stage, the police said.
(Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
|
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/Nine-injured-in-incident-involving-corrosive-substance-in-London-police-say-45857255/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:44Z
|
Now that the longest month of the year is finally over, it's time to get in the mood for love, and more importantly, more Netflix! As well as chowing down on heart-shaped candy and watching Bridget Jones's Diary on repeat, this Valentine's period why not take advantage of Netflix’s newest movies and TV shows? And boy, do we have some first-class content for you.
February's streaming highlights include the long-awaited live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, a steamy thriller starring a certain noughties popstar, and One Day - a heart-wrenching romantic drama that gives Love Rosie a run for its money. Not only that, as well as a whole lot of Netflix originals, BBC hit series The Tourist will also hit the streamer in all its glory, meaning there truly is something for everyone this month.
So, what are you waiting for? Read on as we take you through the latest releases that the streaming giant has on offer this season.
New on Netflix in February 2024
The Tourist seasons 1 & 2
Release date: February 1 (season 1) and February 29 (season 2)
It’s official, the BBC hit show The Tourist is finally making its way to Netflix. Created by Harry and Jack Williams, the first season follows Elliot (Jamie Dornan), who, after a freak road accident, is stranded in the middle of the Australian Outback with no memory of who he is or where he has come from. With the help of an Aussie policewoman named Helen Chambers (Danielle Macdonald), he sets out on a path to remember his past with limited clues and a band of mysterious people hunting him.
When season 2 rolls around, Elliot and Helen travel back to his home country of Ireland in the hope that they can uncover more about who Elliot really is. But of course, there are a few bumps in the road. Less than a few hours after landing on the the Emerald Isle, a feuding family war is revealed and once again more information about Elliot’s dark former life is uncovered.
Read Total Film’s exclusive interview with the show’s creators here.
Orion and the Dark
Release date: February 2
If you are an Inside Out fan then you are in for a treat with Orion and The Dark. This fun-filled family comedy follows Orion, a normal-seeming elementary school student harboring a bout of irrational fears and phobias, the largest one being of the dark. So, when the literal embodiment of the thing he is most scared of pays him a visit, instead of terrifying Orion as he expects, Dark whisks him away on a journey around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of in the night. With Room’s Jacob Tremblay and I, Tonya’s Paul Walter Hauser voicing the unlikely pals, this animated flick looks at how we let fear control our lives and how to let go in order to start living.
One Day
Release date: February 8
One Day tells the story of two university students Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall), who, on the night of their graduation in 1988, speak for the very first time. The next morning, they go their separate ways, but fate brings them back together the year after on that same day, and every year that follows after that.
Sound familiar? That’s because this story, based on the worldwide bestselling novel by David Nicholls, was already adapted into a movie in 2011 starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. However, with Netflix turning the beloved romantic drama into an 8 episode-long series, expect to dive deeper into the pair’s twisty love story. After years of growing and changing, moving closer together and further apart, will the star-crossed pair end up as lovers or just friends? Well, for that answer you will have to wait and see!
Whilst you wait for its release, watch the full trailer for One Day here.
A Killer Paradox
Release date: February 9
Starring Choi Woo-shik from the 2020 Oscar-winning thriller Parasite, A Killer Paradox follows two men on parallel yet different paths. We meet ordinary college student Lee Tang (Woo-shik), a submissive man who never fights back but happens to become a serial killer when one accidental death of a wrong-doer leads to another. The shrewd yet relentless detective Jang Nan-gam (Son Suk-ku) will then stop at nothing to capture the murderer.
Based on writer Kkomabi’s original webtoon of the same name, this South Korean crime thriller is a never-ending game of cat and mouse, enough to make one question their moral compass and values.
Players
Release date: February 14
Whether you're single or taken, nothing sweetens up Valentine's Day quite like a good old rom-com. Bringing back that noughties chick flick vibe, Players follows sports writer Mack, played by Jane the Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez, a self-certified playgirl more interested in one-night stands than love. Along with her friendship group, she has up until now played the New York hook-up scene by treating it like a sports game. That is until our leading lady falls for her latest target and starts to rethink her game plan entirely. As her new romance blossoms with fellow journalist Nick, played by Lucifer’s Tom Ellis, the lines between work, fun, friendship, and love begin to blur, forcing Mack to learn how to play for keeps rather than score.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Release date: February 22
Ever since Netflix released the first trailer for Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans have been chomping at the bit to get their hands on the live-action adaptation. Well, the time has come. Adapted from the beloved animated show of the same name, the eight-episode-long series follows the young Aang (Gordon Cormier) who must learn to master the four elements - water, earth, fire, and air - to restore balance to a world threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation. Alongside his newfound friends Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio Tarbell) from the water tribe, Aang must set out on a journey to enlist the help of more team members to restore peace to the world and take his rightful place as the next Avatar.
Before Avatar hits Netflix, check out SFX’s exclusive interview with showrunner Kim.
Mea Culpa
Release date: February 23
It wouldn't be the month of love without a little bit of spice, and Netflix has all that and more with Tyler Perry’s new steamy thriller. Written, directed, and produced by Perry himself, Mea Culpa follows a criminal defense attorney named Mea, played by singer/actor Kelly Rowland, as she takes on her most challenging case yet - a seductive artist (Trevante Rhodes) accused of murdering his girlfriend. But when lust and desire come into play and things get hot, the lawyer soon realizes that not everything is as it seems and at the end of the day, everyone is guilty of something.
Looking for more to watch? Here are the best shows on Netflix.
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/new-on-netflix-february-avatar-the-tourist-players/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:47Z
|
At some point, Turning Point USA founder and mediocre white man for life, Charlie Kirk, needs to admit that needs to admit he has made being an anti-Black troll his entire identity, and that’s why he’s been ramping up the white nationalist nonsense in order to keep his Klans—sorry, fans—engaged.
In the past week alone, Kirk has brought some Candace Owens fanboy on his show and asked him if Black people find “gangbanging” more acceptable than supporting Donald Trump, he has gleefully admitted to racially profiling Black pilots, and he has doubled down on all of that not-so-veiled racism. Now, Kirk is resurrecting the decades-old salty white argument that the Central Park Five were guilty of the rape they were cleared of more than 20 years ago.
“New York City councilman Yusuf Salaam, who once took part in the gruesome gang rape of a jogger in Central Park, is now furious that an NYPD officer dared to pull him over for having illegally tinted windows,” Kirk posted on X. “Salaam wasn’t even arrested or given a ticket, but after getting away with gang rape he apparently thinks he deserves to be completely above the law. ”
After Kirk got dragged across social media for being a racist manchild starving for attention—and warned by many on X that he was opening himself up to a defamation lawsuit—Kirk deleted his thirsty-for-white-supremacist-love-ass post and replaced it with a lengthier post that quotes the original post and continues to insinuate without evidence that Salaam and the other victims of the Central Park Five were guilty.
“Many people, even on the right, think the Central Park Five case is a story of five completely innocent men, railroaded at random by a racist justice system, who have now been fully and totally exonerated beyond doubt,” Kirk wrote in a loud and still wrong followup tweet that was several paragraphs long. “This is not true and I’ll explain why.”
Kirk’s explanation, for the most part, was a speculation-reliant rant about how convicted murder and serial rapist Matias Reyes admitting to being the sole perpetrator of the rape, and the DNA evidence that backed the confession, don’t prove the members of the CP5 weren’t also involved.
“I should have mentioned that the justification for the vacated sentences was that one man, Matias Reyes, had confessed to the rape and had his involvement confirmed by DNA evidence,” Kirk went on to write. “But in addition, I should have mentioned that Reyes’s confirmed involvement in no way debunks the possibility that others were involved.”
Despite the fact that no physical evidence has ever been found to tie the five defendants to the rape and beating, Kirk thinks it’s more plausible that a proven serial rapist and murderer confessed to the crime but went out of his way to un-implicate the other five teens that were there than it is to believe the CP5 simply weren’t involved.
“I should have said ‘When police interrogated Salaam, he initially claimed to have not even been in Central Park. But when they told him that fingerprints had been found on Meili’s clothing, Salaam’s response was to confess immediately, by saying ‘I was there but I didn’t rape her,’” Kirk wrote earlier in the tweet. He also mentioned that “Salaam argued that his confession should have been inadmissible due to his age at the time — he was 15. But the only reason Salaam had been interrogated is that he lied to the police about his age, and fooled them with fake ID.”
Another way to write that is: A cop lied to a kid and said his fingerprints were found, prompting a coerced confession on the teen who was interrogated without a parent present, which the trained officer did either because he couldn’t spot a fake I.D. or because he just wanted an excuse to interview a minor suspect and claim it was done by the book.
Kirk has also decided to ignore the fact that the boys’ so-called confessions turned out to be factually wrong about key details of the crime, including when, where and how the rape took place. He also mentioned that there was nothing in the police report that indicated Salaam or any of the other false suspects were beaten because, in his boot-licking mind, it’s odd that cops who brutalized citizens didn’t include that part in their official reports.
So, basically, Kirk is showing us that he’s not only a factless, inadequate amateur journalist and political analyst, but he’s also a fake legal expert who occasionally dusts off his Law & Order: WSU (White Supremacist Unit) degree off so he can convict exonerated Black people in the court of public Klan-lovers’ opinion.
So, you know, maybe he’s just racist.
SEE ALSO:
Candace Owens Acolyte Tells Charlie Kirk ‘Black America’ Prefers ‘Gangbanging’ Over Supporting Trump
Charlie Kirk Says Donald Trump Was Elected Because White People Wanted A ‘White Obama’
The post Mediocre White Man Charlie Kirk Defends Deleted Racist Post Criminalizing Yusef Salaam, Exonerated 5 appeared first on NewsOne.
Mediocre White Man Charlie Kirk Defends Deleted Racist Post Criminalizing Yusef Salaam, Exonerated 5 was originally published on newsone.com
|
https://theboxhouston.com/11213274/mediocre-white-man-charlie-kirk-defends-deleted-racist-post-criminalizing-yusef-salaam-exonerated-5/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:48Z
|
Highlights of our 2023 results include:
Earned premiums grew 9% in 2023, reflecting growth in gross premium volume in recent periods. The higher combined ratio in 2023 compared to 2022 was primarily attributable to a higher attritional loss ratio. Operating income from Markel Ventures increased 35%, primarily driven by higher operating margins at our products businesses. Net investment income increased 64% in 2023 due to higher yields across our fixed maturity securities, short-term investments and cash equivalents and an increase in our allocation of cash to money market funds. Net investment gains in 2023 reflect an increase in the fair market value of our equity portfolio resulting from favorable market value movements.
We believe our financial performance is most meaningfully measured over longer periods of time, which tends to mitigate the effects of short-term volatility and also aligns with the long-term perspective we apply to operating our businesses and making investment decisions. We generally use five-year periods to measure our performance. Over the five-year period ended December
31, 2023, our share price increased at a compound annual rate of 6%.
The
compound annual growth in book value per common share over the five-year period ended December
31, 2023 was 11%. We give consideration to the following information when assessing this measure:
Amortization expense - As we grow through acquisitions, our intangible assets grow. GAAP requires that we amortize a portion of these acquired intangible assets, which is a non-cash charge to net income. Amortization of acquired intangible assets for the five-year period ended December 31, 2023 totaled $827.9 million. Unrealized gains and losses on fixed maturity securities - We invest in high credit quality, investment grade securities, with durations that are generally matched to the expected timing of claims-related payments. As such, unrealized gains and losses from our bond portfolio are generally expected to reverse as the securities mature. The fair value of our bond portfolio included cumulative pre-tax unrealized losses of $559.6 million as of December 31, 2023 compared to cumulative pre-tax unrealized gains of $92.4 million as of December 31, 2018. Value of our businesses - Book value does not include changes in the fair value of our acquired businesses or equity method investments, other than decreases arising from an impairment. Acquired businesses include our Markel Ventures, insurance-linked securities and program services businesses.
Insurance Results
Consolidated Underwriting Results
In 2023, underwriting results included $40.1 million of net losses and loss adjustment expenses attributed to the Hawaiian wildfires and Hurricane Idalia (2023 Catastrophes). In 2022, underwriting results included $81.9 million of net losses and loss adjustment expenses attributed to Hurricane Ian and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Excluding these losses, the increase in our consolidated combined ratio in 2023 compared to 2022 was primarily driven by a higher attritional loss ratio across both our underwriting segments.
Insurance Segment
Premiums
The increase in gross premium volume in our Insurance segment in 2023 was driven by more favorable rates and new business growth across many of our product lines, most notably within our personal lines and property product lines. The increase was partially offset by lower premium volume within select lines of our professional liability and general liability product lines, where we are adjusting our writings in response to changes in market conditions and downward pressure on rates. We continue to focus on rate adequacy, particularly within certain classes of our casualty and professional liability product lines, and will not write business that we believe will not meet our underwriting profit targets.
Net retention of gross premium volume was 81% in 2023 compared to 82% in 2022. The decrease was driven by higher cession rates on our personal lines product lines in 2023 compared to 2022. The increase in earned premiums in 2023 was primarily due to higher gross premium volume across most product lines in recent periods.
Combined
Ratio
The Insurance segment's current accident year losses and loss adjustment expenses in 2023 included $39.6 million of net losses and loss adjustment expenses attributed to the 2023 Catastrophes. Current accident year losses in 2022 included $69.2 million of net losses and loss adjustment expenses attributed to Hurricane Ian and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Excluding these losses, the increase in the current accident year loss ratio in 2023 compared to 2022 was primarily attributable to higher attritional loss ratios within our general liability and professional liability product lines in 2023 compared to 2022. Based on the adverse prior accident year loss development trends on these long-tail lines of business and the uncertainty around future loss cost trends, as discussed in further detail below, we increased our attritional loss ratios on certain product classes within our general liability and professional liability product lines in 2023. Consistent with our loss reserving philosophy and to increase the likelihood that the reserves established for our in-force portfolio will ultimately prove to be adequate, we are taking a more cautious approach in our reserving, resulting in higher attritional loss ratios on this business.
Additionally, we recognized losses on our intellectual property collateral protection insurance written within our professional liability product line in 2023 due to higher than anticipated levels of claims and loss experience. Losses on this product line included $65.0 million of credit losses recognized in connection with fraudulent letters of credit that were provided by an affiliate of Vesttoo Ltd. as collateral for reinsurance purchased on two policies, which we believe represents our full exposure to credit losses on the related reinsurance recoverables. We are actively pursuing remedies to make recoveries on the reinsurance recoverables impacted by the fraudulent letters of credit and do not have any other ceded reinsurance contracts with Vesttoo Ltd. or its affiliates.
The Insurance segment's 2023 combined ratio included $104.7 million of favorable development on prior accident years loss reserves, which was primarily attributable to favorable development on our property, marine and energy, professional liability, personal lines and workers' compensation product lines, partially offset by adverse development on our general liability product lines.
Net favorable development in 2023 was net of $330.7 million, or five points, of adverse development on prior accident years on the U.S.-based risks within our general liability and professional liability product lines in 2023. This adverse development was most substantial on our primary casualty contractors' liability and excess and umbrella general liability product lines. Our professional liability product lines experienced net favorable prior accident year development in 2023 with favorable development on our international business being partially offset by adverse development on business with U.S.-based risks. Beginning in the latter half of 2022, select lines within our U.S.-based general liability and professional liability portfolio have been impacted by consecutive quarters of increased frequency of large claims and unfavorable loss cost trends, resulting in consecutive periods of adverse development, primarily on the 2016 to 2019 accident years. The impact of economic and social inflation, including the rising cost to adjust and settle claims and the impact of more pervasive litigation financing trends, has contributed to the loss cost trends leading to these higher than anticipated losses in older accident years for these product lines over the past several quarters.
In response to consecutive quarters of adverse development, in the fourth quarter of 2023, we conducted an extensive reserve study on selected general liability and professional liability product lines, which resulted in further increases to our prior accident year loss reserves in the fourth quarter of 2023. A significant portion of our casualty portfolio is associated with construction business, which has grown meaningfully in recent years. Our study determined that the ultimate claim reporting tail on certain of our casualty construction lines are likely to be longer than we initially anticipated. Within our excess and umbrella general liability and risk-managed errors and omissions professional liability books, we determined that there was a greater than expected propensity for limits below our attachment point to erode, pushing more claims into our layers. Further, reporting of these claims has lagged historical loss development patterns due to the effect of court closures and claims backlogs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to aggressive tactics by the plaintiffs' bar and delayed claims reporting trends. Although we have achieved significant rate increases since 2019 on many of these lines in response to heightened loss trends, the findings of our study led us to increase our loss development factors and therefore our estimate of the ultimate loss ratios on our primary casualty contractors' liability, excess and umbrella general liability and risk-managed errors and omissions professional liability product lines. This resulted in significant strengthening of reserves on the impacted lines, including on the 2020 to 2022 accident years, where we determined that the incurred loss trends are following a similar loss development trend at the same stage as older accident years. Consistent with our reserving philosophy to hold reserves that are more likely to be redundant than deficient, we increased reserves in areas where there were indications that our reserves may have been deficient, however, in instances where claims trends have been more favorable than we previously anticipated, we will wait to reduce loss reserves until those trends are observed over additional periods of time. For those lines in which we strengthened reserves, although we believe the gross and net reserves are adequate based on information available at this time, we continue to closely monitor reported claims, claim settlements, ceded reinsurance contract attachments and judicial decisions, among other things, and may adjust our estimates as new information becomes available.
The increase in the Insurance segment's expense ratio in 2023 was primarily due to higher personnel costs, professional fees and other general and administrative expenses, which were partially offset by the impact of higher earned premiums.
Reinsurance Segment
Premiums
The decrease in gross premium volume in our Reinsurance segment in 2023 was driven by significantly lower gross premiums within our professional liability product lines, primarily attributable to unfavorable premium adjustments in 2023 compared to favorable premium adjustments in 2022, largely driven by transaction liability business, due to lower volume of deal activity, and the deterioration in the pricing environment on directors and officers liability. Lower premium volume within professional liability also reflects decreases on renewals, due to decreased exposures and participation. The decrease in professional liability premium volume was partially offset by higher gross premiums within our marine and energy product lines due to increases on renewals, arising from increased exposures and more favorable rates, as well as new business.
Significant variability in gross premium volume can be expected in our Reinsurance segment due to individually significant contracts and multi-year contracts.
Net
retention of gross premium volume was 92% in 2023 compared to 95% in 2022. The decrease in net retention was driven by changes in mix of gross premium volume, as our professional liability business is fully retained and our marine and energy business carries a higher cession rate than the rest of the segment.
The decrease in earned premiums in 2023 was primarily due to less favorable premium adjustments in 2023 compared to 2022, primarily attributable to our professional liability and credit and surety product lines, and the non-renewal of a large treaty within our workers' compensation product line.
Combined Ratio
The increase in the Reinsurance segment's current accident year loss ratio in 2023 compared to 2022 was primarily due to less favorable premium adjustments on prior accident years in 2023 compared to 2022,
primarily on our professional liability and credit and surety product lines.
The Reinsurance segment's 2023 combined ratio included $57.1 million of adverse development on prior accident years loss reserves, which was driven by $95.5 million, or nine points, of adverse development on our general liability product lines and $53.7 million, or five points, of adverse development on our public entity product line. These increases in prior accident year reserves in 2023 were partially offset by favorable development across several product lines, including our property and workers' compensation product lines.
Adverse development on our general liability product lines was primarily attributable to large reported loss claims and adverse loss development trends across multiple accident years. Substantially all of the adverse development on our public entity product line was attributable to a segment of this business that we discontinued writing in 2020, which experienced an increased frequency of large claims over the past several quarters, most significantly on the 2014 to 2019 accident years.
Adverse development on both our general liability and public entity product lines included notable strengthening as a result of actions taken in the fourth quarter in response to changes in loss trends observed in the reserve study previously discussed under "Insurance Segment" and the expectation that those loss trends will ultimately emerge within
comparable reinsurance product lines.
Program Services, Insurance-linked Securities and Other Insurance
Program Services and Other Fronting
The increase in operating revenues in 2023 was due to modest increases at both our program services business and other fronting operations as a result of higher gross premium volume in 2023 compared to 2022.
The increase in gross premium volume within our program services operations in 2023 was attributable to expansion of existing programs and growth from new programs. The increase in gross premium volume in our other fronting operating in 2023 was driven by expansion of our property catastrophe programs with Nephila Reinsurers and achieving more favorable rates on this business, as well as growth from a new specialty program with Nephila Reinsurers.
In June 2023, we sold Independent Specialty Insurance Company, a subsidiary within our program services operations, which resulted in a gain of $16.9 million.
Insurance-Linked Securities
The decrease in operating revenues and operating expenses in our Nephila insurance-linked securities operations in 2023 was primarily due to the disposition of our Velocity managing general agent operations in February 2022, which resulted in a gain of $107.3
million, and our Volante managing general agent operations in October 2022, which resulted in a gain of $118.5
million. Following these sales, our Nephila ILS operations are solely comprised of our fund management operations. In 2023, the increase in operating revenues within our fund management operations was primarily due to $31.1 million of management fees recognized upon the release of capital from side pocket reserves. Nephila's net assets under management were $6.8 billion as of December
31, 2023.
Markel CATCo Buy-Out
In March 2022, we completed a buy-out transaction with Markel CATCo Re Ltd. and Markel CATCo Reinsurance Fund Ltd. that resulted in the consolidation of Markel CATCo Re Ltd. In order to complete the transaction, we made $101.9
million in payments, net of insurance proceeds, to or for the benefit of investors that were recognized as an expense during the first quarter of 2022.
Investing
Results
The following table summarizes our consolidated investment performance, which consists predominantly of the results of our Investing segment. Net investment gains or losses in any given period are typically attributable to changes in the fair value of our equity portfolio due to market value movements. The change in net unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale investments in any given period is typically attributable to changes in the fair value of our fixed maturity portfolio due to changes in interest rates during the period.
The increase in net investment income in 2023 was primarily attributable to higher interest income on cash equivalents, fixed maturity securities and short-term investments due to higher yields during 2023 compared to 2022. Throughout 2023, we increased our allocation of cash to money market funds in response to increases in short-term interest rates. Additionally, interest income on our fixed maturity securities increased in part due to higher average holdings of fixed maturity securities in 2023 compared to 2022. During 2023, we continued to increase our allocation of cash and short-term investments to fixed maturity securities in response to increasing interest rates and to support our growing underwriting business.
As of December
31, 2023, 97% of our fixed maturity portfolio was rated "AA" or better.
Markel Ventures Results
The increase in operating revenues in 2023 was driven by higher revenues at our construction services businesses and transportation-related businesses, due to a combination of increased demand, higher prices, and growth, as well as increased production at one of our equipment manufacturing businesses compared to 2022. The increase also reflected a full-year contribution from Metromont, compared to an 11-month contribution in 2022 following its acquisition. These increases in operating revenues were partially offset by the impact of decreased demand at our consumer and building products businesses, consulting services businesses and one of our construction services businesses.
The increases in operating income, EBITDA and net income to shareholders in 2023 were driven by our products businesses, particularly our consumer and building products businesses, which had higher margins in 2023 compared to 2022. In 2022, the operating margins at many of our products businesses were impacted by increased costs of materials, freight and labor, which reflected the impact of broader economic conditions. As conditions stabilized throughout 2023, particularly in regard to materials and freight costs, our operating margins for those businesses improved. The increases in operating income, EBITDA and net income to shareholders at many of our businesses were partially offset by the impact of lower revenues and operating margins at one of our construction services businesses due to decreased demand.
Financial
Condition
Investments, cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents (invested assets) were $30.9
billion at December
31, 2023 compared to $27.4
billion at December
31, 2022. The increase was primarily attributable to operating cash flows, as well as an increase in the fair value of our equity portfolio. Net cash provided by operating activities was $2.8 billion in 2023 compared to $2.7 billion in 2022, reflecting an increase in operating cash flows from Markel Ventures and investments, partially offset by a decrease in operating cash flows from our insurance operations.
At December
31, 2023, our holding company held $3.5
billion of invested assets compared to $3.7
billion of invested assets at December
31, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to repurchases of $445.5 million of our common stock and the retirement of our 3.625% unsecured senior notes due March 30, 2023, partially offset by dividends received from our insurance subsidiaries and an increase in the fair value of equity securities held by our holding company.
* * * * * * * *
Our
previously announced conference call, which will involve discussion of our financial results and business developments and may include forward-looking information, will be held Thursday, February 1, 2024, beginning at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Time). Investors, analysts and the general public may listen to the call via live webcast at href="" rel="nofollow" mklgrou . The call may be accessed telephonically by dialing (888) 660-9916 in the U.S., or (646) 960-0452 internationally, and providing Conference ID: 4614568. Any person needing additional information can contact Markel Group's Investor Relations Department at [email protected] . A replay of the call will be available on our website approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call.
Additionally, we will be discussing financial results and related business and investments updates at our shareholders meeting on May 22, 2024 at the University of Richmond Robins Center at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The shareholders meeting will be part of a two-day event we are calling the 2024 Reunion, which is open to shareholders, employees, and friends of Markel Group. More information on the agenda and registration for the 2024 Reunion is available at mklreunion .
Safe Harbor and Cautionary Statement
This release contains statements concerning or incorporating our expectations, assumptions, plans, objectives, future financial or operating performance and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may use words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "predict," "project" and similar expressions as they relate to us or our management.
There are risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from predicted results in forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ are often presented with the forward-looking statements themselves. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ from those predicted are set forth under "Business," "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" in our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K, or our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, or are included in the items listed below:
the effect of cyclical trends or changes in market conditions on our underwriting, investing, Markel Ventures and other operations, including demand and pricing in the insurance, reinsurance and other markets in which we operate; actions by competitors, including the use of technology and innovation to simplify the customer experience, increase efficiencies, redesign products, alter models and effect other potentially disruptive changes in the insurance industry, and the effect of competition on market trends and pricing; our efforts to develop new products, expand in targeted markets or improve business processes and workflows may not be successful and may increase or create new risks (e.g., insufficient demand, change to risk exposures, distribution channel conflicts, execution risk, regulatory risk, increased expenditures); the frequency and severity of man-made, health-related and natural catastrophes may exceed expectations, are unpredictable and, in the case of some natural catastrophes, may be exacerbated by changing conditions in the climate, oceans and atmosphere, resulting in increased frequency and/or severity of extreme weather-related events; we offer insurance and reinsurance coverage against terrorist acts in connection with some of our programs, and in other instances we are legally required to offer terrorism insurance; in both circumstances, we actively manage our exposure, but if there is a covered terrorist attack, we could sustain material losses; emerging claim and coverage issues, changing industry practices and evolving legal, judicial, social and other claims and coverage trends or conditions, can increase the scope of coverage, the frequency and severity of claims and the period over which claims may be reported; these factors, as well as uncertainties in the loss estimation process, can adversely impact the adequacy of our loss reserves and our allowance for reinsurance recoverables; reinsurance reserves are subject to greater uncertainty than insurance reserves, primarily because of reliance upon the original underwriting decisions made by ceding companies and the longer lapse of time from the occurrence of loss events to their reporting to the reinsurer for ultimate resolution; inaccuracies (whether due to data error, human error or otherwise) in the various modeling techniques and data analytics (e.g., scenarios, predictive and stochastic modeling, and forecasting) we use to analyze and estimate exposures, loss trends and other risks associated with our insurance and insurance-linked securities businesses could cause us to misprice our products or fail to appropriately estimate the risks to which we are exposed; changes in the assumptions and estimates used in establishing reserves for our life and annuity reinsurance book (which is in runoff), for example, changes in assumptions and estimates of mortality, longevity, morbidity and interest rates, could result in material changes in our estimated loss reserves for that business; adverse developments in insurance coverage litigation or other legal or administrative proceedings could result in material increases in our estimates of loss reserves; initial estimates for catastrophe losses and other significant, infrequent events are often based on limited information, are dependent on broad assumptions about the nature and extent of losses, coverage, liability and reinsurance, and those losses may ultimately differ materially from our expectations; changes in the availability, costs, quality and providers of reinsurance coverage, which may impact our ability to write or continue to write certain lines of business or to mitigate the volatility of losses on our results of operations and financial condition; the ability or willingness of reinsurers to pay balances due may be adversely affected by industry and economic conditions, deterioration in reinsurer credit quality and coverage disputes, and collateral we hold, if any, may not be sufficient to cover a reinsurer's obligation to us; after the commutation of ceded reinsurance contracts, any subsequent adverse development in the re-assumed loss reserves will result in a charge to earnings; regulatory actions can impede our ability to charge adequate rates and efficiently allocate capital; general economic and market conditions and industry specific conditions, including extended economic recessions or expansions; prolonged periods of slow economic growth; inflation or deflation; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, commodity and energy prices and interest rates; volatility in the credit and capital markets; and other factors; economic conditions, actual or potential defaults in corporate bonds, municipal bonds, mortgage-backed securities or sovereign debt obligations, volatility in interest and foreign currency exchange rates, changes in U.S. government debt ratings and changes in market value of concentrated investments can have a significant impact on the fair value of our fixed maturity securities and equity securities, as well as the carrying value of our other assets and liabilities, and this impact may be heightened by market volatility and our ability to mitigate our sensitivity to these changing conditions; economic conditions may adversely affect our access to capital and credit markets; the effects of government intervention, including material changes in the monetary policies of central banks, to address financial downturns, inflation and other economic and currency concerns; the impacts that political and civil unrest and regional conflicts may have on our businesses and the markets they serve or that any disruptions in regional or worldwide economic conditions generally arising from these situations may have on our businesses, industries or investments; the impacts of liability, transaction and physical risks associated with climate change; the significant volatility, uncertainty and disruption caused by health epidemics and pandemics, as well as governmental, legislative, judicial or regulatory actions or developments in response thereto; changes in U.S. tax laws, regulations or interpretations, or in the tax laws, regulations or interpretations of other jurisdictions in which we operate, and adjustments we may make in our operations or tax strategies in response to those changes; a failure or security breach of, or cyberattack on, enterprise information technology systems that we, or third parties who perform certain functions for us, use or a failure to comply with data protection or privacy regulations; third-party providers may perform poorly, breach their obligations to us or expose us to enhanced risks; our acquisitions may increase our operational and internal control risks for a period of time; we may not realize the contemplated benefits, including cost savings and synergies, of our acquisitions; any determination requiring the write-off of a significant portion of our goodwill and intangible assets; the failure or inadequacy of any methods we employ to manage our loss exposures; the loss of services of any senior executive or other key personnel, or an inability to attract and retain qualified personnel, for our businesses could adversely impact one or more of our operations; the manner in which we manage our global operations through a network of business entities could result in inconsistent management, governance and oversight practices and make it difficult for us to implement strategic decisions and coordinate procedures; our substantial international operations and investments expose us to increased political, civil, operational and economic risks, including foreign currency exchange rate and credit risk; our ability to obtain additional capital for our operations on terms favorable to us; the compliance, or failure to comply, with covenants and other requirements under our credit facilities, senior debt and other indebtedness and our preferred shares; our ability to maintain or raise third-party capital for existing or new investment vehicles and risks related to our management of third-party capital; the effectiveness of our procedures for compliance with existing and future guidelines, policies and legal and regulatory standards, rules, laws and regulations; the impact of economic and trade sanctions and embargo programs on our businesses, including instances in which the requirements and limitations applicable to the global operations of U.S. companies and their affiliates are more restrictive than, or conflict with, those applicable to non-U.S. companies and their affiliates; regulatory changes, or challenges by regulators, regarding the use of certain issuing carrier or fronting arrangements; our dependence on a limited number of brokers for a large portion of our revenues and third-party capital; adverse changes in our assigned financial strength, debt or preferred share ratings or outlook could adversely impact us, including our ability to attract and retain business, the amount of capital our insurance subsidiaries must hold and the availability and cost of capital; changes in the amount of statutory capital our insurance subsidiaries are required to hold, which can vary significantly and is based on many factors, some of which are outside our control; losses from litigation and regulatory investigations and actions; and a number of additional factors may adversely affect our Markel Ventures operations, and the markets they serve, and negatively impact their revenues and profitability, including, among others: adverse weather conditions, plant disease and other contaminants; changes in government support for education, healthcare and infrastructure projects; changes in capital spending levels; changes in the housing, commercial and industrial construction markets; liability for environmental matters; supply chain and shipping issues, including increases in freight costs; volatility in the market prices for their products; and volatility in commodity, wholesale and raw materials prices and interest and foreign currency exchange rates.
Results from our underwriting, investing, Markel Ventures and other operations have been and will continue to be potentially materially affected by these factors.
By making forward-looking statements, we do not intend to become obligated to publicly update or revise any such statements whether as a result of new information, future events or other changes. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are based on our current knowledge and speak only as at their dates.
* * * * * * * *
About Markel Group
Markel
Group Inc. is a diverse family of companies that includes everything from insurance to bakery equipment, building supplies, houseplants, and more. The leadership teams of these businesses operate with a high degree of independence, while at the same time living the values that we call the Markel Style. Our specialty insurance business sits at the core of our company. Through decades of sound underwriting, the insurance team has provided the capital base from which we built a system of businesses and investments that collectively increase Markel Group's durability and adaptability. It's a system that provides diverse income streams, access to a wide range of investment opportunities, and the ability to efficiently move capital to the best ideas across the company. Most importantly though, this system enables each of our businesses to advance our shared goal of helping our customers, associates, and shareholders win over the long term. Visit mklgroup to learn more.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Underwriting
In addition to the U.S. GAAP combined ratio, loss ratio and expense ratio, we also evaluate our underwriting performance using measures that exclude the impacts of certain items on these ratios. We believe these adjusted measures, which are non-GAAP measures, provide financial statement users with a better understanding of the significant factors that comprise our underwriting results and how management evaluates underwriting performance.
When analyzing our combined ratio, we exclude current accident year losses and loss adjustment expenses attributed to natural catastrophes and certain other significant, infrequent loss events, for example, the on-going military conflict between Russia and Ukraine that began following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Due to the unique characteristics of a catastrophe loss and other significant, infrequent events, there is inherent variability as to the timing or loss amount, which cannot be predicted in advance. We believe measures that exclude the effects of such events are meaningful to understand the underlying trends and variability in our underwriting results that may be obscured by these items.
When analyzing our loss ratio, we evaluate losses and loss adjustment expenses attributable to the current accident year separate from losses and loss adjustment expenses attributable to prior accident years. Prior accident year reserve development, which can either be favorable or unfavorable, represents changes in our estimates of losses and loss adjustment expenses related to loss events that occurred in prior years. We believe a discussion of current accident year loss ratios, which exclude prior accident year reserve development, is helpful since it provides more insight into estimates of current underwriting performance and excludes changes in estimates related to prior year loss reserves. We also analyze our current accident year loss ratio excluding losses and loss adjustment expenses attributable to catastrophes and, in 2022, the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The current accident year loss ratio excluding the impact of catastrophes and other significant, infrequent loss events is also commonly referred to as an attritional loss ratio within the property and casualty insurance industry.
The components of our consolidated and segment combined ratios, including the non-GAAP measures discussed above, are included in "Insurance Results".
Markel Ventures
Markel Ventures EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. We use Markel Ventures EBITDA as an operating performance measure in conjunction with U.S. GAAP measures, including operating income and net income to shareholders, to monitor and evaluate the performance of our Markel Ventures segment. Because EBITDA excludes interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, it provides an indicator of economic performance that is useful to both management and investors in evaluating our Markel Ventures businesses as it is not affected by levels of debt, interest rates, effective tax rates or levels of depreciation or amortization resulting from purchase accounting. The following table reconciles Markel Ventures operating income to Markel Ventures EBITDA.
SOURCE Markel Group
MENAFN31012024003732001241ID1107793777
|
https://menafn.com/1107793777/Markel-Group-Reports-2023-Financial-Results
| 2024-01-31T23:00:48Z
|
With Terratinta Ceramiche's Norse collection, simplicity eliminates the superfluous, consistent with the company's path on the road to minimalism that becomes a tool to shape the essence of the brand's design concept. Thanks to a full range of sizes developed over seven colors and a surface that features a hand-laid effect with a slight graphical movement, Norse offers itself to designers to create striking spaces, alternating the tone-on-tone colors of the collection with saturated shades drawn from the Hexa palette that brings Norse's decorative program to life. Mosaics and decors that combine three-dimensional elements to amplify the perception of wall coverings with different compositions. A complete collection that also offers the outdoor version in thick 20mm, developed in three colors.
Visit www.terratintagroup.com for more information.
|
https://www.stoneworld.com/articles/93640-norse-collection-from-terratinta-ceramiche
| 2024-01-31T23:00:48Z
|
Theme park fans, get ready for a whole new universe to explore.
Universal has announced the 2025 opening of a fourth park, called Universal Epic Universe. It’s the latest addition to the company’s existing parks in Orlando, Florida — Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay.
Universal Epic Universe will be divided into five lands, many of which are based on movies and video games. According to the company’s press release, the theme park will feature “more than 50 awe-inspiring attraction, entertainment, dining and shopping experiences that come together to create an unforgettable adventure that is nothing short of epic.”
The five immersive worlds are: Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk and Dark Universe.
Here’s the general layout of how it will look:
No doubt fans will be thrilled to see a new area dedicated to the “Harry Potter” franchise, which has been a wildly popular component in two of Universal’s other parks. (Potter fans can visit Diagon Alley at Universal Studios and Hogwarts Castle at Islands of Adventure.)
Now they’ll be able to visit the Ministry of Magic and the streets of 1920s-era Paris from the “Fantastic Beasts” films.
In the area based on the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise, which is called Isle of Berk, fans can soar with dragons and go on Viking adventures.
Guests can go through another portal and enter Super Nintendo‘s iconic green pipe. On its other side, they will become immediately immersed in a video game world populated by famous characters like Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong and Princess Peach.
Celestial Park is described by Universal as a lush, green otherworldly destination and a “world between worlds full of sensory delights.” In contrast, monsters reside in the “shadowy” Dark Universe inspired by the experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein.
Wondering where all the guests will stay during their visit to this new park? Universal is also building three new hotels linked to Epic Universe. Two of the hotels will each boast 750 rooms, and one is located inside Universal Epic Universe and features its own dedicated entrance, so guests can walk directly into the theme park.
Watch the video below to get an enchanting glimpse at what will certainly be an epic universe park-goers will soon be able to explore.
It appears to be nothing short of magical!
Universal’s new Epic Universe theme park appears to live up to its name originally appeared on Simplemost.com
> > SIGN UP for the Simplemost weekly newsletter < <
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories.
|
https://www.kztv10.com/universal-epic-universe-is-a-theme-park-that-will-live-up-to-its-name
| 2024-01-31T23:00:49Z
|
Oleh Synehubov, writing on Telegram, said 38 people had been evacuated from the facility in the town of Velykyi Burluk, northeast of Kharkov, Ukraine's second largest city. The four injured were treated at the site.
The hospital's facade, windows and roof sustained damage.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukhar; Editing by Chris Reese)
|
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/Russian-bomb-hits-hospital-in-northeastern-Ukraine-four-injured-governor-45857067/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:50Z
|
Palworld has come a long, long way from its somewhat dubious pre-launch just two weeks ago when the developers felt it necessary to clarify that the game wasn't a scam. Since then, it's surpassed Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and Elden Ring to become the biggest Steam launch in history, and is now inching toward PUBG's world record for highest concurrent player count.
On Wednesday, developer Pocket Pair released some new stats that prove the ethically questionable creature catcher survival game is somehow, some way, even bigger than we previously thought. In a tweet, Pocket Pair shared the startling statistic that Palworld has now been played by a total of an astounding 19 million players across Steam and Xbox.
🎉Total number of players exceeds 19 million🎉It's been less than two weeks since #Palworld was released, thank you!・Steam: 12 million~ copies ・Xbox: 7 million~ playersWe will continue to prioritize fixing bugs!Thank you for your continued support of #Pocketpair! pic.twitter.com/twgAeYVL07January 31, 2024
As you can see in the tweet above, the 19 million figure is divided into 12 million players on Steam and a further seven million on Xbox, where it's available on Game Pass. Adding some context to those figures, the official Xbox blog points out that Palworld is now the biggest third-party Game Pass launch ever, the most-played third-party launch on Xbox Cloud Gaming, and currently the most-played Xbox game period with three million daily players.
For now, it seems Palworld truly can't be stopped. There was a time when it seemed inevitable that The Pokemon Company would throw a wrench into the game's apparent plans for world domination with a copyright claim, but so far it's only suggested that it'll investigate the potential for a legal battle.
Meanwhile, Nintendo is taking action against a much more blatant Pokemon clone.
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/palworlds-launch-is-even-more-impressive-with-xbox-added-in-the-survival-game-has-had-19-million-players-in-under-2-weeks/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:53Z
|
The three American soldiers killed in a drone attack in Jordan last weekend have been identified as Georgia residents who were all Black, including two women, placing a focus on the outsize role that African Americans play in serving the United States.
Condolences have been steadily streaming in on social media to mourn the lives of Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, from Carrollton; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, from Waycross; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, from Savannah. At least 34 other people were injured in the early morning attack on Sunday.
The three service members were killed in their housing units at an American military outpost in a country that is strategically located in a region beset by military conflict, including Iran, which is believed to be the source of the fatal drone attack.
The U.S. Department of Defense said the slain soldiers were working to support Operation Inherent Resolve, a combined task force that participates in targeted operations to defeat the ISIS militant group. They had been assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, 926th Engineer Battalion, 926th Engineer Brigade, in Fort Moore, Georgia.
The New York Times reported that Rivers, Sanders and Moffett were among “a team of soldiers trained to deploy at short notice to build roads, landing fields and protective earthen berms for U.S. forces.”
More from the Times:
The three who were killed on Sunday are part of an often overlooked part of the military that delivers supplies, maintains buildings, builds roads and does other routine work while shouldering the risk of operating in hostile territory.
Sergeant Rivers was trained as an electrician, had served in the Army Reserve for more than a decade and had been deployed to Iraq in 2018 during the fight against Islamic State militants, according to Army records.
Specialist Sanders and Specialist Moffett both enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2019 and were trained to operate heavy equipment, such as road graders. Tower 22 was Specialist Moffett’s first deployment. Specialist Sanders had been deployed once before, in 2021, to an American outpost in Djibouti.
President Joe Biden has vowed to “respond” to the drone attack at a time when polling shows he’s been hemorrhaging support from Black Americans during a crucial election year.
The race of the soldiers matters since research published by the Brookings Institute in 2020 found that Black Americans like Rivers, Sanders and Moffett are much more likely to serve the U.S. both militarily and in a civilian capacity than Americans from any other background.
Compared to the civilian labor force, Black men are significantly over-represented in military service, while Black women are similarly over-represented in civilian service. Among whites, women are significantly under-represented in military service, while men are significantly under-represented in civilian service. The overrepresentation of black men and women in the military can be seen as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the military has served as an important means of economic mobility for many black men. On the other hand, the dominance of Black Americans in military service– and therefore among these most likely to be put in harm’s way on behalf of the nation – is striking, especially in light of broader current conversations about race, justice and equity.
Data shows that Black people are among those vehemently opposing the Israeli-led violence against Palestinians in Gaza, which is located near Jordan where the three soldiers were killed.
Most recently, a group of Black faith leaders, including more than 200 in Georgia — where Rivers, Sanders and Moffett were from — have called for a ceasefire in Gaza and demanded Biden’s administration to stop sending aid to Israel.
“We’ve talked about it — it’s going to be very hard to persuade our people to go back to the polls and vote for Biden,” the Rev. Timothy McDonald, the senior pastor of First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta, told the New York Times.
This is America.
SEE ALSO:
Personal Stories From An Afro-Palestinian Amid Israel-Gaza Conflict
Why Black Americans Should Stand In Solidarity With Palestinians: Activist And Scholar Explains
The post All 3 US Soldiers Killed In Jordan Drone Attack Were Black People From Georgia appeared first on NewsOne.
All 3 US Soldiers Killed In Jordan Drone Attack Were Black People From Georgia was originally published on newsone.com
|
https://theboxhouston.com/11213361/all-3-us-soldiers-killed-in-jordan-drone-attack-were-black-people-from-georgia/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:54Z
|
(MENAFN- PR Newswire) Info-Tech Research Group's latest research delves into the transformative potential of Gen AI within the insurance industry, offering IT leaders actionable insights and innovative strategies. This comprehensive blueprint explores how Gen AI is not just enhancing operational efficiencies but also empowering strategic decision-making, thereby redefining the insurance landscape with advanced technological capabilities.
TORONTO, Jan. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - In the face of intensifying competition in the insurance sector, traditional firms and digital startups are under pressure to deliver outstanding customer experiences. The strategic implementation of generative AI (Gen AI) has emerged as a significant differentiator. Despite its potential, many insurers have yet to fully harness Gen AI's capabilities, often constrained by a lack of a comprehensive deployment strategy. Recognizing the critical need for insurers to adapt and innovate, Info-Tech Research Group has recently unveiled its latest research, Generative AI Use Case Library for the Insurance Industry .
Continue Reading
Info-Tech Research Group's "Generative AI Use Case Library for the Insurance Industry" blueprint highlights the significant benefits the industry can harness through the implementation of generative AI. (CNW Group/Info-Tech Research Group)
Customers seek innovative products, services, and experiences tailored to their unique requirements. When appropriately adopted and implemented, Gen AI can significantly elevate a company's standing in the market. This blueprint empowers IT leaders within the insurance sector to identify and apply Gen AI use cases strategically, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction, fostering innovation, and securing a competitive advantage in a dynamic market landscape.
"Generative AI represents a pivotal shift in the insurance industry, enabling companies not only to streamline operations and enhance risk mitigation but also to innovate and personalize customer experiences like never before," says
David Tomljenovic,
head of financial services industry research at Info-Tech Research Group. "Embracing Gen AI proactively is important for insurers to stay ahead of the curve, satisfy the ever-evolving demands of their customers, and safeguard their position in an increasingly competitive landscape."
Info-Tech's recent research shows a critical need for insurance companies to foster a closer alignment between IT capabilities and business innovation. To stay competitive and exploit new opportunities, IT must evolve from a traditional support role to a proactive business partner. This shift involves a deep understanding of client needs and a commitment to developing innovative products and services that meet those demands.
This transition extends beyond technology; it requires the introduction of specialized roles like data scientists, AI experts, client experience professionals, and process designers. To successfully navigate this shift, insurers must take a comprehensive approach, prioritizing talent acquisition, promoting upskilling and cross-training, and implementing effective retention strategies. Such an approach to business-IT alignment has the potential to revolutionize the insurance products and services landscape, laying the foundation for success in the digital era.
In light of the surging demand within the insurance industry, Info-Tech underscores the critical need for IT leaders to strategically evolve their core competencies. According to the firm, a crucial first step is the establishment of responsible AI principles, which will serve as the foundation for policy development. These policies should emphasize accountability, transparency, data privacy and security, IT governance, and detecting fairness and bias in AI models.
The research further explains that the implementation of Gen AI within insurance companies can yield several benefits, transforming various operational aspects:
Virtual Assistant: Gen AI can significantly streamline operations by organizing and sorting underwriting and claims data for thorough investigation. It can also enhance job efficiency by acting as a facilitator and assisting in risk assessments, claims evaluations, and false claim predictions, thereby optimizing the workflow for insurance professionals. Call Center Optimization: By deploying Gen AI, insurers can provide automated answers to common customer questions about policies, plans, and payment options. This approach can reduce call volume and call-handling times, offering 24/7 service with seamless escalation to live agents for more complex requests, leading to improved customer service efficiency. Fraud Detection: The application of Gen AI and machine learning in claims processing enables insurers to proactively detect suspicious claims and fraudulent behavior. This proactive stance not only protects clients and shareholders but also enhances the brand's trustworthiness by ensuring a secure and fair claims process. Internal Training Simulator: Harnessing predictive analytics and Genl AI, insurers can create sophisticated training simulators for staff. These simulators can prepare employees to handle complex customer queries related to policy, claims, and underwriting, thereby enhancing service quality and efficiency. Remote Monitoring of Assets: Gen AI can facilitate the remote management of insured assets, helping to prevent losses from occurring. This capability not only aids in loss prevention but also contributes to a reduction in claims, offering higher security for insured assets and potentially leading to more favorable insurance terms for clients.
Info-Tech's blueprint highlights the transformative potential of Gen AI in reshaping the insurance industry. While larger insurance firms with more substantial assets and revenues are leading the way in adopting this technology, smaller firms are also leveraging partnerships with vendors to tailor AI solutions to meet their specific needs. For firms of all sizes, strategically embracing AI is not just about remaining competitive; it's about redefining operational efficiency, enhancing customer experiences, and ultimately securing a pivotal position in the rapidly evolving digital insurance market. The adoption of Gen AI, as detailed in Info-Tech's blueprint, is a critical step for insurance companies aiming to thrive in this new era of Exponential IT, ensuring they lead in delivering innovative, customer-centric solutions.
For exclusive and timely commentary from David Tomljenovic, an expert in the insurance industry, and access to the complete
Generative AI Use Case Library for the Insurance Industry
blueprint, please contact [email protected] .
About Info-Tech Research Group Info-Tech Research Group
is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected] .
For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech
and connect via LinkedIn
and X .
SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group
MENAFN31012024003732001241ID1107793778
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
|
https://menafn.com/1107793778/Generative-AI-Can-Transform-Fraud-Detection-And-Customer-Service-In-The-Insurance-Industry-Says-Info-Tech-Research-Group
| 2024-01-31T23:00:54Z
|
Today, we Unusual Whales saw tons of unusual options activity, order flow, stock volume, and general options flow. Let's look at some for Netflix (NFLX).
Here are the options volume by expiry currently for NFLX:
Here are the top volume chains currently for NFLX:
Here are the top open interest (OI) changes currently for NFLX full option chains:
Here are, at the time of writing, some unusual contracts currently for NFLX's options:
You can see the full noteworthy options in NFLX at Unusual Whales. It is vital to look at the whole flow to better conceptualize unusual options, which we will give a screenshot of below.
Here is the Netflow for Netflix:
Looking at the big flow for today, you can see further information. Seen above at the very top is the aforementioned chain’s largest flow of puts and calls today. Go to flow to see more.
Lastly, it is instructive to take a look at recent flow alerts for the symbol. Here are some recent flow alerts found on Unusual Whales:
Unusual Whales has tons of options and equities data. In fact, we offer the most affordable toolsets for options and US equities data. If you are interested in adding NFLX to your watchlist, you can add its options and stock price fully here, as well as get alerted to any type of market move using our custom alerts feature.
To view more information about NFLX daily flow breakdown, click here to visit unusualwhales.com.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
|
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/unusual-options-activity-and-flow-in-netflix-nflx-0
| 2024-01-31T23:00:55Z
|
The electric automaker will buy idle equipment to make batteries from its Chinese supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited, the post said, adding that the plant will have an initial capacity of about 10 gigawatt hours.
Tesla and the Nevada Economic Development Bureau did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The move comes as regulation in the United States curtails companies from depending on countries such as China to source materials used in batteries such as nickel, cobalt and lithium.
This year, Tesla's cheapest cars, the Model 3 compact sedan, lost tax credits for the purchase of EVs under the Inflation Reduction Act, as new regulations on sourcing of battery materials kicked in.
(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
|
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/Tesla-to-bring-LFP-battery-supply-chain-to-US-Bloomberg-News-45857071/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:57Z
|
The Silent Hill mystery game, titled The Short Message, is surprise-dropping on PS5 today, and it'll be available for free.
We first caught word of the previously unannounced Silent Hill game when The Short Message was rated in Korea back in September 2022. It was then rated again, this time in Taiwan, in December 2022, and it was then that we first learned some vague details of the plot, involving a woman named Anita meeting with her friend Maya at an abandoned apartment and becoming trapped there.
Today's surprise reveal and accompanying gameplay trailer gave us our first official look at the protagonist, who wanders through dimly lit tight spaces while witnessing hallucinations. Staring down phantoms at the end of hallways and seeing walls shapeshift into pure nightmare fuel, it's easy to be reminded of Kojima's 2014 psychological horror "teaser," PT.
I'm definitely impressed by the trailer, but I'll wait until I can have some time with it tonight before I decide whether it deserves to be uttered in the same breath as PT.
This story is developing...
Along with Silent Hill 2 Remake, here are all of the upcoming horror games we can't wait to play.
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/silent-hill-the-short-message-available-now-ps5/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:59Z
|
CHICAGO, IL -- Iris Ceramica Group, the powerhouse behind globally renowned brands Fiandre, Ariostea, FMG, Sapienstone, Iris Ceramica and Porcelain Gres, is excited to announce a transformative move that will reshape the landscape of the flooring industry in the United States.
In a strategic and visionary decision, the U.S. divisions responsible for delivering exceptional products under the Iris Ceramica Group umbrella, namely Transceramica (Chicago & New York) and Eurowest (San Francisco & Anaheim), have formed a unified nationwide entity: ICG ITALIA.
This union represents a monumental milestone in the company's rich history, bringing together over 30 years of collective expertise to create a more robust and efficient entity. ICG ITALIA is positioned to reinforce and expand customer relationships through an elevated customer experience, characterized by streamlined operations, enhancing accessibility, and unmatched product offerings.
Hector Narvaez, executive vice president, expressing his enthusiasm about this unprecedented union, stated, "We have decided to consolidate Transceramica and Eurowest into ICG ITALIA in order to significantly strengthen and expand our relationship with architects and designers.”
The newly formed ICG ITALIA is geared towards providing the architect and designer community with a formidable partner for their flooring, wall and countertop needs. By uniting the brands, this will fortify relationships with clients, offering them unparalleled service and access to a range of high-quality products.
"ICG ITALIA's enhancement of business efficiency, coupled with its unparalleled legacy of providing quality solutions, ensures that our customers will have a powerful ally for high-end surfaces," emphasized Narvaez.
The company eagerly anticipates the opportunities that this union will unlock and is committed to maintaining its unwavering dedication and passion to excellence and sustainability, hallmarks of the group's enduring legacy, as it continues to serve its valued customers.
|
https://www.stoneworld.com/articles/93653-icg-italia-unveiled-strategic-union-of-transceramica-and-eurowest-redefines-excellence-in-the-industry
| 2024-01-31T23:00:58Z
|
- A fund intended to pay the legal bills of allies of Donald Trump has raised more than $1.5 million and spent just under $400,000, new records show.
- Most of the legal fund's spending went to the firm Brand Woodward Law, which represents a wide range of Trump-related figures.
- The top contributors to the Patriot Legal Defense Fund, Caryn and Michael Borland, have reportedly expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory.
- Then-Vice President Mike Pence reportedly canceled plans to attend a 2020 fundraiser hosted by the Borlands.
A fund intended to pay the legal bills of former president Donald Trump's allies backed chiefly by reported QAnon supporters has spent nearly $400,000, the bulk of which went to a single law firm, new records showed Wednesday.
The Patriot Legal Defense Fund received more than $1.5 million between its creation in mid-July and the end of December, according to documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
Of the total spent by the group, $221,000 went to the firm Brand Woodward Law, mostly in the form of professional and legal fees.
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
Another $150,000 from the fund went to the law firm Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher for the nondescript purpose of "services rendered," the IRS filing shows.
The fund was created by Trump campaign advisor Susie Wiles and former campaign aide Michael Glassner to help pay the bills of Trump's supporters facing lawsuits arising from their "participation in the political process," according to its records.
Of the fund's 23 contributors, the biggest contribution by far came from the Caryn L. Hildenbrand Living Trust, which donated $1 million in mid-November.
Money Report
The trust is associated with Caryn Borland and her husband, Michael Borland, who together gave more than $1 million toward Trump's reelection bid in 2020, The New York Times reported.
The Borlands have reportedly expressed support for QAnon, the internet-born conspiracy theory involving a belief that Trump and his allies were fighting a behind-the-scenes war against a global sex-trafficking ring run by powerful Satan-worshipping, cannibalistic pedophiles.
In 2020, then-Vice President Mike Pence canceled plans to attend a Trump campaign fundraiser hosted by the Borlands in Montana after their link with QAnon came to light, according to the Associated Press.
When CNBC called a phone number associated with Caryn Borland and asked to speak with either her or Michael, a person who answered the phone hung up.
Caryn Borland is also the biggest donor to a separate legal fund specifically supporting Rudy Giuliani, Trump's former lawyer who filed for bankruptcy as he faces a $146 million defamation judgment and a criminal prosecution. Borland donated $300,000 out of the $727,000 total Giuliani raised between August and December, records show.
Stanley Woodward, a partner at Brand Woodward Law, declined to comment about the money paid by the Patriot Legal Defense Fund.
Woodward represents Walt Nauta, Trump's assistant and co-defendant in the criminal case centered on the ex-president's retention of classified documents at his Palm Beach resort home Mar-a-Lago. Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty to the charges in the case.
Woodward has also represented more than a half-dozen other people who have been questioned by prosecutors in the documents case, NBC News reported.
The lawyer is entwined with so many figures in the documents case that special counsel Jack Smith raised concerns over whether Woodward's client history posed a conflict of interest.
Trump's PAC, Save America, paid Brand Woodward Law $202,000 in March 2023, according to FEC filings.
Woodward has also represented numerous others related to that case, as well as multiple people related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
That client list also includes several people facing lawsuits stemming from the Jan. 6 riot, such as Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs and his wife, Connie Meggs. Kelly Meggs was sentenced in May to 12 years in prison on seditious conspiracy charges.
Woodward also represented Trump White House aide Dan Scavino in connection with a House select committee investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection. Woodward has done work for other Jan. 6 rioters and people in Trump's orbit, including former advisor Peter Navarro and former Rep. Kevin McCarthy.
Spokespeople for Gibson Dunn did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
The new information about the Patriot Legal Defense Fund came one day after the Times reported that PACs backing Trump have spent approximately $50 million on legal expenses last year as the former president battled numerous criminal and civil cases.
He faces other daunting legal bills. A jury last week ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million in damages for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll after she came forward to accuse him of raping her in the mid-1990s. That's in addition to $5 million that a separate federal jury awarded Carroll last year in a related sex assault and defamation case against Trump.
A potentially much larger sum could be coming in Trump's civil business fraud case in Manhattan Supreme Court: New York Attorney General Letitia James has asked the judge in that case to order Trump and his co-defendants to pay $370 million in damages.
— CNBC's Brian Schwartz contributed reporting.
|
https://www.necn.com/news/business/money-report/qanon-linked-legal-fund-spent-400000-defending-trump-allies-new-filing-shows/3150439/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:59Z
|
HBO has traditionally allowed the mercurial Larry David to decide whether or not there would be more seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, but to Variety, he now says this is it.
At Tuesday night's Los Angeles red carpet premiere for the forthcoming 12th and final season, David acknowledged to the trade that he's said the show was over many times before.
"Yeah, I said it before. But I wasn't 76 when I said it," he noted.
The Seinfeld co-creator also expressed of the Emmy-winning show, "It's time. Twelve years, that's a lot for a television show -- over 24 years. It was time."
The series, which began in 1999 as a one-off mockumentary about David's alleged return to stand-up comedy, launched as a series in 2000.
HBO had always given David a wide berth to return for subsequent seasons at his leisure. For instance, there was a six-year gap between seasons eight and nine.
During its run, the show racked up 51 Emmy nominations with two wins, including an Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy in 2002.
Curb Your Enthusiasm's 12th season kicks off on Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max.
New episodes will debut subsequent Sundays at the same time, leading up to the series finale on April 7.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.k923orlando.com/entertainment/its-time-larry-david/VUYGNEKLMVKCRFOU4BHSRW4CUA/
| 2024-01-31T23:00:59Z
|
S outh Carolina Sen. Tim Scott appears to be very offended by the public reaction to his public show of affection for GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. Perhaps, in Scott’s mind, people are ruining what was a tender moment between him and his MAGA man-crush during Trump’s victory speech following his landslide win over Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire GOP primary.
During an appearance on Fox News last Thursday, Scott responded to the criticism leveled at him for telling Trump, “I just love you,” in response to the ex-president’s awkward attempt at humiliating Haley while on stage celebrating his victory.
During the interview with Sean Hannity—the white boomer bumper sticker of right-wing journalism—Scott lashed out at his detractors calling them “vile and disgusting” and declaring that “the most racist [people] in the country are liberals.”
“They’re trying to make sure that any other minority who will think for themselves and consider the GOP — they want to send a message to every single one of them: ‘Step outta line and we’ll attack you, too,’” Scott said.
Scott appears to be implying that white liberals are the only people mocking him in the media and on social media—and that’s where a lot of us should truly be offended.
I’m a Black journalist, and I’m sure there are Black journalists across the nation who will agree: We should not stand for Scott’s erasure of the fine work we’ve been doing dragging the hell out of him while he gives white progressives all the credit.
We didn’t spend all of this bandwidth publishing all of these think pieces calling Scott a tap-dancing, sambo-signifying, white voter-placating, disingenuous apologist for American racism just for him to play around in our faces and pretend he’s only being mocked by “liberals,” who tend to be recognized as white by default, especially in the context of being called “racist” against a Black person.
Poor Al Sharpton must have been aghast at Scott’s disrespectful audacity for ignoring it when Sharpton called his public Trump-humping “humiliating.”
And what about the trend-setting digital gathering spot formerly known as Black Twitter? (I guess we could call it “Black X” now, but that just sounds a little too on the nose.) When Tim Scott started gushing over Trump on stage, Black people absolutely led the cringe train in mocking him relentlessly on the socials.
Scott is doing what Black conservatives often do, which is to imply that Democrats and white liberals are responsible for the Black collective’s disdain for Black conservatives when the truth is so many Black people have regarded them as modern-day house slaves all along. There’s a reason Scott always falls flat when he gets in front of Black audiences pushing the same pseudo-colorblind narrative he serves up to his largely white and fragile constituency.
Aside from all that, Scott has made his entire platform in the political world about denying racism in America, but as soon as he’s getting dragged for a drag-worthy thing, he wants to cry racism on his own behalf.
And it’s that kind of shamelessness and lack of self-awareness that got him here in the first place.
SEE ALSO:
‘I Just Love You’: Internet Cringes At Tim Scott Gushing Over Donald Trump In New Hampshire
Ron DeSantis Was Never Going To Be President Because GOP Voters Want Donald Trump
The post Op-Ed: Tim Scott Calls Liberals ‘Racist’ For Dragging Him Over Trump Gushing, But Black People Deserve Credit appeared first on NewsOne.
Op-Ed: Tim Scott Calls Liberals ‘Racist’ For Dragging Him Over Trump Gushing, But Black People Deserve Credit was originally published on newsone.com
|
https://theboxhouston.com/11213383/op-ed-tim-scott-calls-liberals-racist-for-dragging-him-over-trump-gushing-but-black-people-deserve-credit/
| 2024-01-31T23:01:00Z
|
(MENAFN- PR Newswire) RESEARCH TRIANGLE, N.C., Jan. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
In response to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals decision today, which did not reverse a District Court denial of a preliminary injunction, SmartSky reaffirms the merits of its patent infringement case (C.A. No. 22-266-GBW) against Gogo Business Aviation originally filed in February of 2022. The appellate decision was based solely on the issue of irreparable harm and did not address any of SmartSky's patent infringement claims at this preliminary stage of the case.
Continue Reading
SmartSky continues to expect it will be fully vindicated in its patent rights claims
Post this
SmartSky's patented air-to-ground technology is a new way to deliver premium, streaming-level inflight internet that users expect in their homes or offices.
A preliminary injunction is an extraordinary measure because it stops a company from using and selling stolen patented technology during the pendency of the case. While preliminary injunctions are rarely granted, SmartSky was compelled to seek such extraordinary relief given the allegations ofGogo's egregious infringement.
In July of 2022, SmartSky announced the nationwide availability of its inflight internet network based on groundbreaking, patented technology that significantly outperforms any other previous or currently available air-to-ground solution in North America. In contrast, since 2008 Gogo has announced plans for at least four upgrades to its 3G-based technology. As SmartSky argued in its complaint, after failing to follow-through on those, Gogo abruptly announced in 2016 that it was changing course, and instead chose to market and sell Gogo 5G, a product that is substantially similar to SmartSky's air-to-ground network. SmartSky is confident the jury will agree that Gogo's actions are a clear, obvious, and willful infringement, even if the Gogo 5G network is still inactive as noted by the Court of Appeals.
SmartSky continues to expect it will be fully vindicated in its patent rights claims as the case moves forward and expects to secure a permanent injunction and substantial damages as a result of the trial scheduled for April 2025.
For more information, please visit SmartSkyNetworks .
Media Contact:
Mark Hazlin
Xenophon Strategies
Ph: (202) 777-2041
Mhazlin@xenophonstrategies. com
SOURCE SmartSky Networks
MENAFN31012024003732001241ID1107793779
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
|
https://menafn.com/1107793779/Smartsky-Reaffirms-The-Merits-Of-Its-Patent-Infringement-Case-Against-Gogo-Business-Aviation
| 2024-01-31T23:01:00Z
|
Keir Starmer, leader of the left-leaning party, will tell assembled executives that Labour will "get under the bonnet to fix an unprecedented stagnation in British productivity growth."
Labour, which leads Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives by around 20 percentage points in opinion polls, has sent senior policy chiefs to the World Economic Forum in Davos as part of Starmer's pitch to the business community.
He will also tell the conference that Labour has changed and is now the "party of business", offering stability under his leadership, in contrast to the "permanent cycle of crisis" which has seen five Conservative prime ministers in eight years.
"The depth of the changes we've made to transform the Labour Party's relationship with business is something I take immense pride in," he will say, according to extracts released by the party.
Labour will also launch a plan on Thursday called "Labour's Partnership with Business for Growth," setting out more details of how to improve skills in the economy, back businesses and create economic stability.
Ahead of the conference, the party's finance policy chief Rachel Reeves said that Labour would champion Britain's financial sector and not bring in a new cap on bankers' bonuses.
Labour also wants closer economic ties with the European Union, including deeper co-operation with the bloc on financial services.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout)
|
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/UK-opposition-Labour-party-pledge-productivity-fix-in-latest-pitch-to-business-45857226/
| 2024-01-31T23:01:04Z
|
Warning: Thanksgiving spoilers ahead!
Thanksgiving stars Nell Verlaque says she couldn't figure out who the killer was until it was time to film those final scenes.
"When I first read it, it had a totally different ending. The script was so locked up, so many NDAs, and then they kept releasing scripts into filming that just cut off before the ending happened to keep it secret," Verlaque tells GamesRadar+. "And then eventually I learned who it was. I think the original ending was, oh, you don't know who it is."
The Eli Roth-directed slasher is laid out much like Scream, where it's up to the lead heroine to solve the mystery – which she solves at the same time as the audience. Verlaque's Jess Wright spends much of the film piecing together clues and suspects, all while being hunted down by a vengeful masked killer known as John Carver.
Continues Verlaque: "I don't know if they did that on purpose – because they just didn't want everyone who was auditioning for it to know what the actual ending was. I don't know if it was like a little fake-out. I remember reading the script, which was this crazy script, and then I got to the end and I was like, what is this <laugh>? You don't know what happens at the end! So I would assume, knowing Eli, that was planned out."
The film's final scenes see Jess run through the woods in true final girl fashion before suddenly realizing that the killer is none other than Sheriff Eric Newton (Patrick Dempsey), the man who had been helping Jess crack the case all along. As it turns out, Jess was unknowingly leading John Carver to his victims, with Jess initially set up to be his last kill. She's able to outsmart him, and cement her status as the slasher genre's newest final girl.
"It was crazy. We filmed all this in Toronto and it was freezing and snowing not according to plan. And those last scenes we filmed in this huge warehouse, obviously not a very warm place," Verlaque explains. "We were all freezing and all trying to get these last shots – it was just one of those great things. We had explosions and chases and all these massive things and everyone was freezing. I think it just sort of pushed everyone to get together and hunker down. And we did. So at the end everyone was like, okay, let's go home."
"When I first read [the script] I was like, 'Oh my God, I've always wanted to do a scene where I'm running in the woods," she continues. "The nerd in me was like, I've always wanted to do that. I was really excited. Again, it was raining not according to plan. I was just a T-shirt and jeans and I was running and I was like, 'Okay, well my life, my life is made now – I'm a final girl. <laugh>."
Star Rick Hoffman, who plays Jess's father Thomas, says he also couldn't figure out who the killer was, and that those final scenes proved to be a challenge.
"I couldn't figure it out! It was really laid out the way was in the movie. I thought Patrick Dempsey did a really fantastic job.It really great to watch when we were in that screening, [seeing] how well he played it. I think it's why the movie did so well, because he did just a very subtle performance and then also just a great reveal. His acting work was just fantastic in the movie," Hoffman says.
"The thing that was most challenging to me was that dinner scene. The [challenge is] always for me, when it requires vulnerability and any emotion. I get that pit in my stomach. It's daunting, it's like, oh no, when is that day coming? I get nervous because I know it's gonna take a lot of concentration and really hard work just to make sure it's as real as possible," Hoffman explains. "It was gratifying to work around the table with all the other actors. Everybody was so focused and just so professional. And Eli, just trusting him - he’s great with actors. If you’re on the right track, he'll guide you and make you feel like you’re in that way. You know, it's smoother than [with] other directors. It's a smooth experience with Eli."
Thanksgiving is out now on Blu-Ray and DVD. Thanksgiving 2 2025 release window. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond.
|
https://www.gamesradar.com/thanksgiving-star-nell-verlaque-says-the-script-originally-had-a-totally-different-ending-and-filming-the-final-scenes-went-not-according-to-plan/
| 2024-01-31T23:01:05Z
|
In a recent episode of her podcast, journalist Megyn Kelly revealed that pharmaceutical giant Moderna was upset with her for disclosing side effects she experienced after receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that Megyn Kelly opened up about facing a newly discovered autoimmune issue following vaccination.
“I regret getting the vaccine even though I’m a 52-year-old woman because I don’t think I needed it,” Kelly said during her podcast last year.
“I think I would have been fine. I had got COVID many times, and it was well past when the vaccine was doing what it was supposed to be doing,” she added.
Her concerns intensified after a routine physical examination revealed an autoimmune issue, a new development for Kelly.
She recounted her conversation with a top rheumatologist in New York, who acknowledged a possible connection between her vaccination and the subsequent health issues.
“For the first time, I tested positive for an autoimmune issue at my annual physical. And I went to the best rheumatologist in New York, and I asked her, do you think this could have to do with the fact that I got the damn booster and then got COVID within three weeks? And she said yes. Yes. I wasn’t the only one she’d seen that with,” said Kelly.
During an interview with Glenn Greenwald, Kelly delved into an investigation by journalist Lee Fang, which purportedly unveiled Moderna’s displeasure with her disclosure of the side effects.
According to Kelly, Fang’s investigation uncovered Moderna’s consternation over her public comments about her health post-vaccination.
“Moderna was very, very upset, among other things, about the fact that I said on this show that after I had gotten my third Covid shot, my booster, which you needed in order to operate in New York to do anything, I developed a positive on an autoimmune test that my general practitioner gave me,” she said.
Kelly said that Moderna targeted her for amplifying concerns, which could contribute to the growing apprehension around vaccines.
“I got targeted by Moderna, who is very worried that this would add to the growing concern around autoimmune disorders following COVID-19 vaccinations,” said Kelly.
She cited other public figures, including Alex Berenson, Russell Brand, Michael Schellenberger, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who have also raised questions about the vaccines and have faced similar resistance.
“Apparently, they attached internally a National Institutes of Health Report highlighting a link between the COVID vaccines and autoimmune issues.”
“They’re admitting internally that it’s a problem, but they’re upset that I am talking about it and Alex Berenson, Russell Brand, Michael Schellenberger, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya because they don’t want it discussed,” Kelly said.
She criticized mainstream media outlets for their compliance with the narrative preferred by Big Pharma, suggesting a reluctance to report on vaccine-related complications.
WATCH:
Megyn Kelly on Being Targeted by Moderna for Sharing Her COVID Vaccine Side Effects Publicly
“I got targeted by Moderna who is very worried that this would add to the growing concern around autoimmune disorders following COVID-19 vaccinations. They’re admitting internally… pic.twitter.com/GlYnUvJFUo
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) January 31, 2024
|
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/01/megyn-kelly-speaks-being-targeted-moderna-after-publicizing/
| 2024-01-31T23:01:05Z
|
The police officer accused of murdering an unarmed Black driver in Minneapolis last summer didn’t follow the proper law enforcement protocol during the fatal encounter, according to a noted criminologist who played a pivotal role in legal proceedings surrounding George Floyd’s police murder.
Minnesota State Patrol Trooper Ryan Londregan was charged last week in the killing of Ricky Cobb II with second-degree unintentional murder, first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter more than six months after a pretextual traffic stop led to what critics say was unnecessary police violence.
Among those critics is Dr. Geoffrey Alpert, an internationally recognized law enforcement expert who testified as a witness in the civil lawsuit filed by Floyd’s family against the city of Minneapolis and the four officers convicted for their roles in the police murder. Alpert, a criminologist at the University of South Carolina specializing in police use of force, pointed to the video footage recorded via body and dashboard cameras as showing evidence supporting criminal charges against Londregan, who is white.
“Review of the body-worn camera video raises serious questions and red flags about policy violations and the use of excessive force,” Alpert, whose testimony helped secure a historic $27 million settlement for Floyd’s family, said in a statement emailed to NewsOne.
Alpert also noted: “The video can be used as an example of what a police officer should not do and if the officers had followed protocol and accepted police practices, it is likely that Ricky Cobb II would be alive today.”
Video from the incident was released by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS) and showed Cobb, 33, was pulled over for not having his rear lights on. While three officers responded to the initial incident, Londregan was the only one to discharge his firearm.
According to the family attorneys, MDPS has said that “At no point on available video” is Cobb holding a gun.
Bakari Sellers, one of the civil rights attorneys representing Cobb’s family, placed the blame on Londregan and the other officers who responded.
“Watching this video is like watching a trainwreck,” Sellers said in a statement. “No one tried to de-escalate the situation. No one tried to protect his life. Trooper Ryan Londregan pulled the trigger, but he’s not the only one responsible for Ricky Cobb’s death.”
Londregan had his first court appearance Monday as a judge gave him the privilege of remaining free without having to pay a bond while awaiting his trial. The conditions for Londregan’s freedom include surrendering his passport, having no contact with Cobb’s family, not transporting guns, obeying the law and being present for subsequent court dates.
“It’s a start to something,” Cobb’s twin brother, Rashad Cobb, told the Associated Press about Londegran’s appearance in court. “And I thank God for that.”
Londegran is next scheduled to be back in court on April 29.
What happened to Ricky Cobb II?
On July 31, 2023, 33-year-old Ricky Cobb II was pulled over by state troopers on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis.
During the traffic stop, officers tried to arrest Cobb and take him into custody for allegedly violating a restraining order. As they tried to take him out of his vehicle, Cobb took his foot off of the brake pedal and was promptly shot in the chest by Londregan. Cobb died on the scene.
In the days after the fatal shooting, Cobb’s family was joined by Black Lives Matter Twin Cities, the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota as they rallied in front of Hennepin County Government Center demanding Gov. Tim Walz hold the officers involved in Cobb’s death accountable.
Cobb’s mother, Nyra Fields-Mille, previously described her experience following her son’s death.
“I’m exhausted,” Fields-Miller said at the time. “My heart is heavy every day for the last three days. Waking up, I have migraines. And I’m hurt. I would like those officers to man up.”
Earlier this month, Cobb’s family filed a complaint with the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) about the events that led to the untimely death. POST put new changes in place in May that allow the board to revoke the license of an officer for violating its conduct guidelines without being charged or convicted of a crime.
The rule was put in place after Derek Chauvin murdered Floyd in 2020.
Londegran was finally charged last Wednesday.
“Our hearts are with Ricky Cobb’s family today, who are grieving an unimaginable loss,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said during a news conference announcing the charges. “I know that they are devastated and will continue to feel this loss for the rest of their lives.”
Cobb’s family, along with their attorneys, released a statement after the charges were announced and thanked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. However, they are still grieving for the loss of their loved one.
“Ryan Londregan stole my son from me,” Cobb’s mother, Fields-Miller, said following the charges being announced. “He gunned Ricky down my son for no reason while he was defenseless. Nothing can ever make up for that. But today’s decision is the first step toward closure and justice.”
SEE ALSO:
Ahmaud Arbery’s Convicted Killers To Ask Judge To Throw Out Hate Crimes
Roda ‘Brick Lady’ Osman: Alleged GoFundMe Scammer Free On Bail After Finally Surrendering In Houston
The post George Floyd Criminologist: Minnesota Cop Accused Of Murdering Ricky Cobb Didn’t Follow Police Protocol appeared first on NewsOne.
George Floyd Criminologist: Minnesota Cop Accused Of Murdering Ricky Cobb Didn’t Follow Police Protocol was originally published on newsone.com
|
https://theboxhouston.com/11213394/george-floyd-criminologist-minnesota-cop-accused-of-murdering-ricky-cobb-didnt-follow-police-protocol/
| 2024-01-31T23:01:06Z
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.