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5 things to do this week: Comedy show, Sleigh and Cutter Day, toy show and more
Published 6:43 pm Monday, January 29, 2024
By Ayanna Eckblad
1
Groundhog Day Comedy Show
Come to the American Legion Post 56 at 8 p.m. Friday for a night of Groundhog Day fun. Bad Credit Comedy is bringing a hilarious lineup of stand-up comedians and will be headlined by veteran Trevor Clumpner. Tickets are $10.
2
Sleigh and Cutter Day
It’s the second annual Freeborn County Sleigh and Cutter Day at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds. Come have some fun riding sleighs and warm up in the Fairlane building. There will be refreshments and learning stations inside. The fair board will be there selling season fair passes, and there will be a free donation for the sleigh rides.
3
Toy Show and Mid-Winter Flea Market
Stop over at Skyline Plaza from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for the Toy Show and Mid-Winter Flea Market. Items sold will include toys, antiques, collectibles, handmade gifts and goodies, comics, original art, jewelry, vintage clothing and more.
4
Indoor ‘ice fishing’ contest
Participate in a contest where the fish are guaranteed to bite. Lost Marsh Ducks Unlimited is hosting an indoor “ice fishing” contest at Nasinec Event Center in Wells at 2 p.m. Saturday. There will be prizes for the biggest three fish of each species and the smallest fish of each species. There will also be raffles and a silent auction for guns, gear, Ducks Unlimited merchandise and coolers. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Space is limited and registration is open online now at MNDU.org.
5
Share the Love Month
During the month of February, visitors to the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village are invited to share their love for history by leaving a paper Valentine heart next to their favorite exhibit at the museum.They can also share their love for their favorite exhibit by sharing it on social media @fchmhistory #FCHMhistory. The opening day for the Share the Love Month is at 10 a.m. Thursday, and paper hearts will be available at the welcome desk.
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https://www.albertleatribune.com/2024/01/5-things-to-do-this-week-comedy-show-sleigh-and-cutter-day-toy-show-and-more/
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Man who stole ‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby slippers avoids prison time
Published 6:49 pm Monday, January 29, 2024
By Dan Kraker, Minnesota Public Radio News
A federal judge Monday told the man who stole a pair of the iconic ruby red slippers slippers worn in the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” that his crime was “extraordinary in its stupidity, selfishness and impact,” yet he did not sentence him to any prison time because the thief is terminally ill.
Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz said he agreed to the sentencing recommendation from both the U.S. Justice Department and the attorney for 76-year old Terry Jon Martin because he likely only has a couple months to live.
The judge also noted that Martin did not commit any other crimes since he stole the slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in the late actor’s hometown of Grand Rapids in 2005.
Schiltz did order to Martin to pay $300 a month to the museum in restitution.
Martin appeared at the federal courthouse in Duluth wearing a blue flannel shirt, with a mask and oxygen tank that he needs to breathe at all times. His attorney, Dane DeKrey, pushed him in a wheelchair.
In arguing for a “time served” sentence, DeKrey argued that for a “significant length of time, Terry had no idea what happened to the slippers.”
When Martin stole the slippers while they were on loan to the museum in Grand Rapids, he believed they were made of real gemstones. After he discovered they were made of plastic and glass, DeKrey said, he told his accomplice he didn’t want them anymore. He held them for less than 48 hours.
Martin didn’t understand the cultural value they held, as one of four surviving pairs of shoes worn by Judy Garland during the filming of ‘Oz’ in 1939. The FBI says they are valued at several million dollars.
DeKrey acknowledged that his client refused to identify other people involved in the crime. Still, he argued that Martin’s confession provided some closure to both the government and to the Judy Garland Museum.
“He didn’t confess out of the goodness of his heart. But he did confess. He could have taken this to his grave. That would have resulted in zero closure,” DeKrey told the judge.
The FBI recovered the slippers in a sting operation in Minneapolis in 2018, when someone tried to claim insurance money.
After that extortion attempt, the FBI learned that Martin had extensive phone contact with people who were involved in that investigation, said government attorney Michael Greenley.
Martin’s extensive criminal history — the slipper heist was his 14th felony conviction — coupled with the fact he lived only 12 miles south of Grand Rapids, led the FBI to Martin, Greeley said.
After the theft, the Judy Garland Museum suffered financially for several years, founding director and current curator John Kelsch told the judge. He said the museum could no longer borrow world-class pieces, and had to sell about $250,000 in assets to stay afloat.
“Our credibility as a museum was gone. It was very hard to get that back,” said current executive director Janie Heitz.
Kelsch and Heitz said the slippers are currently under the protection of an auction house. They said the slipper’s owner, collector Michael Shaw, plans to sell the slippers after taking them on a worldwide tour.
After the hearing, Kelsch said there is a sense of relief in having his name cleared. For years he said some people suspected he was involved in the crime.
Now, he said people want to know where the slippers were for more than 12 years after they were stolen, before the FBI recovered them.
“We’re happy no one will be talking about an inside job anymore,” Kelsch said. “So that’s a good feeling. But the mystery still remains. I guess there’ll be books written and movies made. The story will go on. There is no closure in that regard.”
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https://www.albertleatribune.com/2024/01/man-who-stole-wizard-of-oz-ruby-slippers-avoids-prison-time/
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Trooper charged with murder of Ricky Cobb II makes first court appearance
Published 6:46 pm Monday, January 29, 2024
By Jon Collins, Minnesota Public Radio News
A Minnesota State Patrol trooper charged with murder and manslaughter for a fatal shooting during a traffic stop last year appeared in Hennepin County District Court on Monday afternoon.
Trooper Ryan Londregan was charged last week by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty for the killing of 33-year-old Ricky Cobb II last July during a traffic stop.
Londregan appeared in court Monday and acknowledged the charges read to him by a judge. He was not required to post bail but as a part of his conditions of release Londregan agreed to turn over his passport, have no contact with Cobb’s family, not transport any firearms and he agreed to obey all laws and show up for future court appearances.
Londregan, wearing a dark suit and red tie, only spoke when asked to say his name and then to tell the judge he didn’t have any more questions about the process.
The courtroom was packed with dozens of Londregan supporters as well as a smaller number of Cobb supporters. There weren’t any disruptions.
Outside the building, Londregan’s attorney Chris Madel continued his criticism of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. He questioned why Moriarty didn’t consult with a use of force expert before she decided to file charges.
”Standing behind me is about 100 different current and former police officers,” he said. “here’s a bunch of use of force experts, all she needs to do is email me and I’ll hook her up with one.”
Londregan is charged with second-degree unintentional murder, first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter.
Cobb was pulled over by another trooper on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis shortly before 2 a.m. on July 31, 2023. Troopers learned that Cobb was wanted for violating an “order-for-protection” in Ramsey County.
In body camera video released by the State Patrol, a trooper approaches on the driver’s side and eventually asks Cobb to step out of the car and hand over the car keys, saying he’d explain what’s happening once Cobb stepped out of the vehicle. Seconds later, the troopers open the car doors on both sides and Cobb starts to drive away.
Footage shows Cobb’s car moving as officers on each side try to force him out of the car followed by several shots into the vehicle by Londregan.
The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said the car traveled about a quarter mile on the interstate before crashing into a barrier. Cobb was declared dead at the scene.
The BCA said a firearm and two cartridges were found in the car but that Cobb wasn’t holding the gun at any time during the stop.
When announcing charges against Londregan last week, Moriarty said state troopers are only allowed to use deadly force when it’s necessary to protect someone from death or great bodily harm. She said the trooper didn’t follow his training by firing at a fleeing car.
Londregan is on paid administrative leave while the state Department of Public Safety investigates the shooting. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 29.
In a statement released Monday afternoon, Cobb family attorneys didn’t comment directly on the arraignment. However, they reiterated their contention that Londregan used excessive force.
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https://www.albertleatribune.com/2024/01/trooper-charged-with-murder-of-ricky-cobb-ii-makes-first-court-appearance/
| 2024-01-30T00:56:20
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WELLINGTON - New Zealand on Jan 30 joined the list of countries that have suspended funding to the embattled UN Palestinian refugee agency following Israeli allegations that some staff members participated in the Oct 7 Hamas attack.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand had paused funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) until the allegations are investigated.
The agency has fired several staff members over Israel’s accusations and promised a thorough investigation into the claims, which were not specified. Israel has vowed to stop the agency’s work in Gaza after the war.
“The allegations are incredibly serious. It’s important they are properly understood and investigated,” Mr Luxon told reporters.
New Zealand will not “be making any further contributions” to UNRWA until foreign minister Winston Peters “says it’s good to do so”, Mr Luxon added.
The United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany are among the other countries to have already suspended funding to UNRWA, which has been at the heart of humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
Mr Luxon said New Zealand had been providing UNRWA with about NZ$1 million (S$821,600) in yearly funding.
The European Union on Jan 29 demanded an “urgent” audit of the UN Palestinian refugee agency and is also reviewing funding. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/new-zealand-suspends-funding-to-embattled-un-agency-in-gaza
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SYDNEY – A shark mauled a woman as she swam in Sydney Harbour in a gory attack that left her in hospital with a “serious” leg injury, officials and media said on Jan 30.
The predator struck on Jan 29 evening as the woman swam off a wharf in Elizabeth Bay, less than 2km from the iconic Sydney Opera House, police said.
The woman suffered a “serious injury to her right leg”, New South Wales police said in a statement.
It was the first shark attack in Sydney Harbour since 2009, when an Australian navy diver fought off a bull shark that bit him in the arm and leg in Woolloomooloo Bay.
Neighbours rushed to help the Elizabeth Bay victim, the Sydney Morning Herald said, identifying her as Ms Lauren O’Neill, 29.
It quoted one resident, who said he had heard Ms O’Neill’s “soft yell” for help from his window.
“She was trying to climb in and behind her was her leg, which was completely open and full of dark red blood behind her,” resident Michael Porter was quoted as saying.
“It was surreal. We have always been worried and known about sharks in the harbour... it’s only now that it feels very real.”
A vet living nearby applied a tourniquet, the paper said.
“She swam out to a boat and on her way back, she got bitten by, I think it was, a bull shark,” another witness told local news outlet OnScene Bondi.
“We ran out. My wife’s a vet and she basically bandaged it up,” said the witness, who was not named.
Ms O’Neill was in stable condition and in intensive care at St Vincent’s hospital, a hospital spokesperson said.
She was expected to undergo surgery during the day.
In February 2002, 35-year-old British diving instructor Simon Nellis was devoured off Sydney’s ocean beach Little Bay, the first fatal attack in the city since 1963. AFP
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HONG KONG - China Evergrande Group’s liquidation order by a Hong Kong court cements the downfall of a company that exemplified the country’s real estate boom and bust. For global investors, what happens to the remnants will have implications far beyond one property developer.
Key is whether the Jan 29 ruling will be followed in mainland China, which has a separate legal system. While Evergrande’s shares and dollar bonds are traded in Hong Kong, the bulk of Evergrande’s US$242 billion (S$324 billion) of assets are located in the mainland.
Few expect the process to be straightforward - there is no precedent for a company the size of Evergrande to be wound up by a Hong Kong court and the firm has multiple units. Yet an unfavourable outcome for foreign investors risks exacerbating already acute pessimism toward China as well as undermining Hong Kong’s role as a vital fundraising center for the nation’s companies.
“International investors will be watching closely to see if mainland courts accept the Hong Kong court’s ruling,” said Kher Sheng Lee, Asia-Pacific co-head of Alternative Investment Management Association, whose hedge and private credit fund members collectively oversee more than US$3 trillion. “That could set an important precedent regarding Hong Kong’s ability to have its legal judgments enforced in China.”
The uncertainty underscores the growing concern among investors that their interests will always be secondary to those of the Communist Party. Abrupt crackdowns on private industry from property to tech have hammered stock valuations, along with concern over an economic slowdown. Last week, the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index of stocks in Hong Kong fell toward its lowest level since 2005.
Prices of Evergrande’s shares and bonds suggest holders have little faith in recovery. Its shares fell to 16 HK cents before they were halted on Jan 29, a fraction of its initial public offering price of HK$3.50 in 2009. Most of Evergrande’s dollar notes have been indicated at about 1.5 cents on the dollar, according to Bloomberg-compiled data.
Hong Kong’s insolvency proceedings have limited recognition in China, whose courts may also appoint administrators in their own jurisdictions.
“The liquidation order should have very limited immediate impact on Evergrande’s onshore operations or assets,” said Brock Silvers, managing director at private equity firm Kaiyuan Capital. “While the liquidator will likely be able to assert control over offshore assets, its authority won’t be recognized onshore.”
Chinese officials have also made it clear in the past they favor the completion of unfinished property projects and paying off contractors over creditor interests - a priority seemingly backed by Evergrande.
“The company has made all efforts possible and is sorry about the winding-up order,” Evergrande chief executive officer Shawn Siu said in a statement. “The company will ensure home deliveries and steadily promote normal operation of the group.” It will also communicate with the appointed liquidator, he said.
The rise and fall of Evergrande illustrates the central role Hong Kong has played in the development of China’s private enterprise. Chairman Hui Ka Yan founded Evergrande in 1996 in the nearby city of Guangzhou, but it was Hong Kong’s deep capital markets and access to international investors that supercharged the company’s growth.
In the decade after the company’s listing, its shares surged as much as 800 per cent to be among Asia’s hottest investments, while Chinese property junk debt - led by Evergrande - turned into one of the most profitable and popular corporate bond trades globally. Hui became one the world’s richest people.
After President Xi Jinping cracked down on leverage in the property market in 2021, Evergrande - with more than US$300 billion of liabilities - foundered. China’s junk bond market collapsed as investor confidence in the ability of firms to repay dwindled. Like many of its peers, Evergrande defaulted on its debt. Last year Hui was placed under police control on suspicion of committing crimes.
Regardless of how mainland courts respond, the liquidation - led by Alvarez & Marsal - will be a challenging process. Most Evergrande projects are operated by local units, making it difficult for the offshore liquidator to seize. More than 90 per cent of the company’s assets are located in mainland China, according to a court filing.
The winding up of Evergrande is uncharted waters, said Alternative Investment’s Mr Lee. “This will be a complex, multi-year process with many open questions.” BLOOMBERG
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| 2024-01-30T00:59:13
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Courts, not Govt, will decide use of new law to hold serious crime offenders indefinitely: Shanmugam
He said the period of continued incarceration will be assessed by a detention review board.
New sentencing regime draws mixed reactions from legal professionals
Asean ministers stay cautious despite Myanmar junta sending official to high-level meeting
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan described the talks with Myanmar as friendly, candid and constructive.
Singapore households continue to spend as inflation eases in 2023; credit card debt not a concern
Swiss man cuts off arm to escape bear attack in Chiang Mai
He used a pocket knife to sever his arm after the bear bit on it and refused to let go.
‘Who says Singapore is not politically mature?’: Janil Puthucheary
Young Singaporeans are interested and engaged, ask questions, attend grassroots events and offer their views, he said.
Keppel: Reinventing and reinvigorating its storied name
Keppel Ltd has shed its conglomerate clothes and successfully transformed itself into a global asset manager, says associate editor Ven Sreenivasan.
Europe’s rising fears as Trump marches towards the White House
A European army? Play the China card? Europe ponders its options in the event that Trump gets re-elected.
FAS fires head coach Takayuki Nishigaya after poor results
Tsutomu Ogura, a former Japan national team assistant coach, is expected to be his replacement.
Tunisia’s myriad worlds: Roman ruins and Mediterranean Sea, Arab spring and young influencers
The underrated North African country packs a punch with a diverse array of highlights.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/morning-briefing-top-stories-from-the-straits-times-on-jan-30-2024
| 2024-01-30T00:59:24
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DOHA - Iraq’s football association condemned the “abhorrent behaviour” of journalists who confronted coach Jesus Casas following the team’s exit in the Asian Cup last 16 on Jan 29.
Iraq conceded two goals in stoppage time in a surprise 3-2 defeat to lower-ranked Jordan in Doha.
Tempers flared among some Iraqi reporters in the post-game press conference, who pointed and shouted angrily at Casas, and approached him at the front of the room before being ushered out by security.
“It pains me what happened,” the 50-year-old Spaniard, who has been Iraq coach since November 2022, said of the chaotic scenes.
Iraq’s football association released a statement in which it expressed its “great dismay” at the “scene that was more painful than the undeserved exit of our team”.
“We denounce the blatant and abhorrent behaviour that occurred against the coach,” it said, vowing “not to deal with these media personnel who seek to cause chaos”.
Casas was himself angered in Jan 28’s pre-match press conference by a question about interviews he has done with Spanish media during the Asian Cup.
Some journalists from Iraq, the country which won the Asian title in 2007, believe the interviews distracted him from his work and were partly to blame for the defeat.
Casas rubbished that notion, pointing out that his team had won all three of their group games, including beating pre-tournament favourites Japan 2-1.
“Concerning my future, I’m calm and our goal is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup,” Casas, a former assistant coach to Luis Enrique at Spain’s national side, said after the Jordan loss.
“Anything might happen and I’m very calm.” AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/abhorrent-behaviour-as-iraqi-journalists-confront-asian-cup-football-coach
| 2024-01-30T00:59:34
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YAMOUSSOUKRO - Moussa Niakhate missed his penalty in the shoot-out as holders Senegal tumbled out of the Africa Cup of Nations after a drama-filled 5-4 loss to hosts Ivory Coast following a 1-1 draw at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in their last-16 clash on Jan 29.
Senegal were quick out the blocks and took the lead inside four minutes as Sadio Mane's cross from the left was chested down by Habib Diallo, whose thunderous shot from 10-yards settled in the top corner of the net.
Mane was fortunate not to get a red card shortly after that following a poor challenge, but Senegal could not add to their lead and paid the price when the Ivorians were awarded a clear penalty and equalised through Franck Kessie four minutes from the end of the 90 minutes.
Ivory Coast will now face the winner of Jan 30’s last-16 tie between Mali and Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals on Feb 3.
The Ivorians were in disarray just days ago. Hammered 4-0 in a record loss on home soil by Equatorial Guinea, they were on the verge of elimination and sacked coach Jean-Louis Gasset, replacing him with assistant Emerse Fae.
But a fortuitous set of results elsewhere saw them squeeze into the last-16 and they put up a much-improved display against a Senegal side that had won all three of their pool matches with relative ease.
"It's very emotional, the last few days were tough for us," Ivory Coast striker Sebastien Haller said. "We have opened the door and given ourselves a chance. We can forget now about what happened in the group stages."
The hosts were the better side on the night and might have wrapped things up before the need for penalties, but will simply be relieved to fight another day having avoided an embarrassing early exit from their own tournament.
Leading 1-0, Senegal thought they should have had a penalty in the second half when Ismaila Sarr went down in the box, but the match officials decided there was not enough contact to send him sprawling, much to the annoyance of coach Aliou Cisse. Mane also fired wide when he should have scored.
The Ivorians could have been level when Nicolas Pepe had a clear shot of goal but could not beat Edouard Mendy, before they were awarded a clear spot-kick on VAR review as the former was clattered in the box by the latter and Kessie buried his kick.
The game went to penalties and the unfortunate Niakhate missed his side’s third kick as he struck the post and the Ivorians held their nerve to secure a place in the quarter-finals. REUTERS
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| 2024-01-30T00:59:45
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BRUSSELS - European Union members agreed unanimously on Monday to set aside billions of euros of windfall profits from Russian central bank assets frozen in Europe, the first step of a plan to help fund Ukraine reconstruction after Russia's invasion.
Ambassadors of the 27 EU countries agreed in principle this first step in a meeting late on Monday, according to a source from Belgium, which holds the six-month presidency of the European Union.
The agreement comes days ahead of a summit at which EU leaders will seek to overcome Hungary's objections to giving Kyiv 50 billion euros of funds for the next four years.
The text will undergo legal and language checks before the ambassadors will have the chance formally to adopt it. The source said this would take place as soon as possible.
The European Commission would then be expected to propose transferring the money set aside to the EU budget and subsequently to Kyiv though it is unclear when it would arrive in Ukraine.
France and Germany have already voiced reservations about the plan, while the European Central Bank has warned it could undermine confidence in the euro and unsettle global markets.
The EU, United States, Japan and Canada froze some $300 billion of Russian central bank assets in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. About $200 billion of that is held in Europe, mainly in the Belgian clearing house Euroclear. REUTERS
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ROME - Mass tourism has turned Florence into a “prostitute”, one of the city’s museum directors said on Jan 29, sparking outrage from politicians including Italy’s culture minister.
“Once a city becomes a prostitute, it is difficult for it to become a virgin again,” Ms Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Accademia Gallery that houses Michelangelo’s statue of David, told reporters on the sidelines of an event.
“Florence is very beautiful and I would like it to return to its citizens and not be crushed by tourism,” the German historian added, complaining about a lack of normal shops in streets filled with souvenirs.
But “it is already too late,” she said, according to La Repubblica daily, warning that if there was not an “absolute” brake on numbers, “I do not see any more hope”.
The Gallery later issued a statement in which Ms Hollberg apologised “for having used the wrong words” about “a city that I love”.
“What I meant to say is that Florence must be a witness for all of Italy of an increasingly conscious tourism, not ‘hit and run’ tourism,” she said.
But Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said her words were “serious and offensive” to Florence and the whole of Italy – and threatened to take action, saying he would “evaluate all appropriate initiatives” under current legislation.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s nationalist government has been accused of seeking to promote more Italians into top cultural roles, as well as more people sympathetic to her right-wing views.
In 2023, ministers approved a change that forces opera chiefs to leave their jobs when they reach 70 years old, a measure widely viewed as a way to remove some foreigners from their posts.
The deputy mayor of Florence, Ms Alessia Bettini, also weighed in against Ms Hollberg, saying that if the city was a prostitute, “are then Florentines the children of a prostitute, and tourists clients of a prostitute?“
Former premier Matteo Renzi, a senator for Florence, said Ms Hollberg “should apologise or resign”.
The gallery director is the latest official in Italy to express concern about the impact of overtourism, particularly in cities such as Florence – where the historic centre is packed with crowds for much of the year – and Venice.
After the UN’s cultural organisation warned it could lose its prized heritage status, Venice in 2023 announced plans to test a ticketing scheme to seek to control numbers, which begins in April. AFP
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| 2024-01-30T01:00:05
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GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories - Even the dead are not spared by the Hamas-Israel war raging in Gaza, with bodies dug up by Israeli troops and hurried burials happening in hospitals and even a school.
In Gaza City’s Al-Tuffah district, shrouded corpses of Palestinians torn from their graves lay atop muddied earth.
Israel’s military had bulldozed the site and exhumed bodies, according to an AFP photographer who visited it earlier January.
The desecration is part of a pattern which the religious affairs ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said has seen more than 2,000 graves damaged or destroyed by Israeli forces across the territory.
The Israeli military told AFP it “in no way targets cemeteries as such, and has no policy of harming or desecrating cemeteries”.
However, it said that “cemeteries or specific gravesites, like other civilian sites or structures, can come to be damaged” during the war.
Responding separately to allegations that soldiers have snatched bodies from graves, the military told AFP it acts “in the specific locations where information indicates that the bodies of hostages may be located”.
“Bodies determined not (to) be those of hostages are returned with dignity and respect,” it said in a statement.
The war erupted with the Oct 7 Hamas attack which resulted in about 1,140 deaths, mostly civilians, in southern Israel, according to an AFP tally of official figures.
Militants also seized 250 hostages, of whom Israel says around 132 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 28.
Israel’s relentless military offensive has killed at least 26,637 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the Hamas government’s health ministry in the territory.
At a school packed with displaced people in the central Deir al-Balah area, Ms Saida Jaber recalled seeing footage on social media of Jabalia refugee camp’s destroyed cemetery.
“I felt that my heart would stop,” Ms Jaber told AFP, adding that her father, grandparents and other relatives were buried at the site in northern Gaza.
“I felt that their souls trembled... I can’t imagine how anyone dares to dig up graves and violate the sanctity of the dead,” Ms Jaber said.
With no stop to the fighting, many Gazans have been unable to reach formal cemeteries and have instead turned to makeshift graveyards.
At a school-turned-shelter in the central Maghazi refugee camp, a woman touched the sandy earth where her daughter had been buried in the yard.
“My daughter died in my arms... we waited day and night and couldn’t send her to the emergency room,” said the woman, who did not give her name.
She told AFP that rockets hit the school compound and ignited gas canisters, causing deadly explosions.
A man tending to the site said more than 50 people are buried there, each grave containing three or four bodies, with their names written either on bricks or the adjacent wall.
‘Die of grief’
The scale of fatalities is such that AFP journalists have seen mass graves across Gaza.
They include rows of bodies buried in the grounds of Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, where people have separated graves with stones and plant branches.
“If we went to the cemetery, they (Israel) might bomb us and we’d die,” said Mr Arfan Dadar, 46, living in a tent with his family in the hospital compound.
Mr Dadar said Israeli soldiers shot dead his 22-year-old son while he was returning to the hospital in Gaza City.
“I marked his grave, (but) now the hospital park is crammed with mass graves. I barely recognise my son’s grave,” he said.
Gazans have said they hope they can move their dead once the war ends.
Mr Wael al-Dahdouh, Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, said he had “no choice” but to bury his son in an overcrowded cemetery in southern Rafah, after the young journalist was killed in an Israeli strike.
“We will transfer him to the martyrs cemetery in Gaza (City) after the end of the war. We want his grave to be near to us, so that we can visit him and pray for him,” said Mr Dahdouh.
Displaced in Deir al-Balah, Ms Jaber said she longed to return to Jabalia to check on the graves of her relatives.
“I will die of grief if they were also swept away,” she said. AFP
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BAGHDAD - The U.S. believes the attack that killed three U.S. troops on the Jordanian-Syrian border has the "footprints" of Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, the Pentagon said.
Who is the Kataib Hezbollah?
- Founded in the aftermath of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah is one of the elite Iraqi armed factions closest to Iran.
- It is the most powerful armed faction in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of hardline Shi'ite armed groups that have claimed more than 150 attacks on U.S. forces since the Gaza war began.
- After its founding, the group quickly developed a reputation for deadly attacks against military and diplomatic targets in the 2000s, using a mixture of sniper, rocket and mortar attacks and roadside bombs.
It does not openly confirm or deny involvement.
The U.S. designated it as a terrorist organization in 2009.
- It was led by dual Iraqi-Iranian citizen Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis until he was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020 along with Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani at Baghdad's international airport.
- The group has a translational Shi'ite ideology that views the borders between Iraq, Syria and Lebanon as Western constructs. It views U.S. troops in Iraq as foreign occupiers and has called for their forceful expulsion.
- It fought alongside other Shi'ite militias against mostly Sunni rebels during Syria's civil war and has continued to operate in Syria since.
- A shadowy group with no announced leadership structure, Kataib Hezbollah has thousands of fighters and an arsenal of drones, rockets and short-range ballistic missiles, Iraqi officials and members of the group say.
- The U.S. has struck Kataib Hezbollah positions, bases and training and logistics hubs several times over the years.
On Jan. 24, it struck several targets in Kataib Hezbollah's stronghold in Jurf Al-Sakhar some 50 kilometres south of Baghdad in retaliation for drone and missile attacks.
- It forms several battalions in Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a grouping of armed factions originally set up to fight Islamic State in 2014 that was subsequently recognised as an official security force.
Fighters receive state salaries and Kataib Hezbollah members, including some designated terrorists by the U.S., hold senior positions in the PMF.
While it is technically under the command of Iraq's prime minister as part of the PMF, the group often operates outside the chain of command and has defied and challenged government statements calling for an end to attacks on U.S. forces.
- Though it does not publicly confirm or deny links, the group is widely seen to have fielded a political party for the first time in 2021 elections, winning several seats in parliament. REUTERS
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| 2024-01-30T01:00:26
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WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Jan 29 that Ukraine’s gains over two years of fighting were all in doubt without new US funding, as Nato’s chief visited to lobby Congress.
Tens of billions of dollars in US aid has been sent to Ukraine since the invasion in February 2022, but Republican lawmakers have grown reluctant to keep supporting Kyiv, saying it lacks a clear end game as the fighting against President Vladimir Putin’s forces grinds on.
As Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg made the case on a visit to Washington, Mr Blinken offered an increasingly dire picture of Ukraine’s prospects without US approval of the so-called supplemental funding.
“Without it, simply put, everything that Ukrainians achieved and that we’ve helped them achieve will be in jeopardy,” Mr Blinken told a joint news conference with Mr Stoltenberg.
“Absent that supplemental, we’re going to be sending a strong and wrong message to all of our adversaries that we are not serious about the defense of freedom, the defense of democracy,” he said.
“It will simply reinforce for Vladimir Putin that he can somehow outlast Ukraine and outlast us,” he said.
President Joe Biden has asked Congress to approve US$61 billion (S$81.73 billion) in new aid to Ukraine.
But the talks have bogged down as Republican lawmakers – furious over record flows of migrants over the US border with Mexico – demand major changes in immigration and border control policy in exchange for approving more money for Ukraine.
Mr Stoltenberg said he would meet US lawmakers on Jan 30 and make the case that support for Ukraine was “in our own security interest.”
“It will be a tragedy for Ukrainians if President Putin wins but it will also make the world more dangerous and all of us more insecure,” Mr Stoltenberg said.
“It will embolden other authoritarian leaders – not only President Putin, but also North Korea, Iran and China to use force,” he said.
With many Republicans focused on opposing China, Mr Stoltenberg said: “Today it’s Ukraine; tomorrow it could be Taiwan.”
US and Nato officials have acknowledged limited gains in a counteroffensive launched by Ukraine in 2023.
But Mr Stoltenberg said that Ukrainians in the longer term have defied expectations, taking back half of the territory seized by Russia, which had expected a swift takeover.
“This idea that it doesn’t help to help them – actually, the Ukrainians have proved the opposite,” Mr Stoltenberg said.
Mr Stoltenberg earlier met at the Pentagon with Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and top US military officer General Charles “CQ” Brown and later at the White House with Mr Jake Sullivan, Mr Biden’s national security advisor.
He also appeared on Fox News, a favourite network of Republicans, and made the case that US weapons help US workers as they are made in the United States.
Donald Trump, the likely Republican candidate in the November presidential election, and who has often praised Mr Putin, is urging Republican lawmakers to reject the immigration accord being negotiated in Congress – which would also torpedo aid for Ukraine.
Sweden expected in Nato soon
Mr Stoltenberg visited after Turkey gave its long-awaited green-light for Sweden to enter Nato.
Hungary, led by nationalist Viktor Orban, is the remaining holdout but both Mr Blinken and Mr Stoltenberg expected approval soon.
Mr Stoltenberg said Mr Orban told him that the Hungarian Parliament will reconvene at the end of February.
“I expect also in line with what he said that the Parliament will then finalise ratification shortly after that,” Mr Stoltenberg said.
Sweden and Finland – which joined Nato last year – had once hesitated to enter the alliance for fear of antagonising Russia, but switched gears after the invasion of Ukraine, which has unsuccessfully sought membership.
Turkey extracted concessions from Sweden on Kurdish militants in the country and US approval of a US$23 billion sale of 40 F-16 warplanes – announced at the same time as a deal for more advanced F-35 jets for Turkey’s historic rival Greece, also a Nato member. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/meeting-nato-blinken-warns-ukraine-gains-in-doubt-if-no-us-aid
| 2024-01-30T01:00:36
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SAN FRANCISCO - Mr Elon Musk on Jan 30 said his Neuralink startup had installed a brain implant in its first human patient, with “promising” initial results.
The neurotechnology company co-founded by Mr Musk in 2016 aims to build direct communication channels between the brain and computers.
The ambition is to supercharge human capabilities, treat neurological disorders like ALS or Parkinson’s, and maybe one day achieve a symbiotic relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.
“The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well,” Mr Musk said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“Initial results show promising neuron spike detection,” he added.
The start-up in 2023 said it won approval from US regulators to test its brain implants in people.
Neuralink’s technology will mainly work through an implant called the “Link” – a device about the size of five stacked coins that is placed inside the human brain through invasive surgery.
According to data company Pitchbook, California-based Neuralink had more than 400 employees and has raised at least US$363 million (S$486.31 million).
Though he wins most of the headlines, Mr Musk is hardly alone in trying to make advances in the field, which is officially known as brain-machine or brain-computer interface research.
Hit with delays, the tycoon had reportedly reached out to join forces with implant developer Synchron about a potential investment.
Unlike Neuralink’s Link, its implant version does not require cutting into the skull to install it.
The Australia-based Synchron implanted its first device in a US patient in July 2022. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/musk-says-neuralink-installs-brain-implant-in-first-patient
| 2024-01-30T01:00:47
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Three U.S. troops were killed and dozens wounded after a drone hit a military outpost in Jordan known as Tower 22.
Here is what is known about the base:
LOCATION
Tower 22 holds a strategically important location in Jordan, at the most northeastern point where the country's borders meet Syria and Iraq.
PURPOSE
Little is publicly known about the base. But it includes logistics support and there are 350 U.S. Army and Air Force troops at the base.
Tower 22 is near Al Tanf garrison, which is located across the border in Syria, and which houses a small number of U.S. troops. Tanf had been key in the fight against Islamic State and has assumed a role as part of a U.S. strategy to contain Iran's military build-up in eastern Syria.
Tower 22 is located close enough to U.S. troops at Tanf that it could potentially help support them, while also potentially countering Iran-backed militants in the area and allowing troops to keep an eye on remnants of Islamic State in the region.
U.S. TROOPS IN JORDAN
Jordan's army is one of the largest recipients of Washington's foreign military financing.
The kingdom has hundreds of U.S. trainers and is one of the few regional allies that hold extensive exercises with U.S. troops throughout the year.
Since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Washington has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to help Amman set up an elaborate surveillance system known as the Border Security Programme to stem infiltration by militants from Syria and Iraq.
MANY UNKNOWNS
It is unclear what type of weapons are kept at the base, air defenses used, and what exactly went wrong. REUTERS
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| 2024-01-30T01:00:58
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Greg Olsen drew rave reviews for his commentary during Sunday's NFC championship game on Fox.
Social media lit up with praise as Olsen correctly identified at kickoff San Francisco's exploitability against the run before the Detroit Lions reeled off 148 yards and three touchdowns on the ground before halftime.
That praise reflected the general assessment of Olsen's performance as the analyst on Fox's No. 1 broadcast team. He provides poignant insights into the game and informs viewers of relevant information that they might not otherwise be aware of. He's a pleasure to listen to. He's good at his job.
Barring something unexpected, Sunday was Olsen's last day on that job alongside lead play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt. Thanks to Fox's deal with Tom Brady, Olsen is in line for a demotion. The question now for Olsen if he is demoted: will he stay or will he go?
Is Tom Brady ready to step up?
Brady's expected to step into Olsen's role in the fall with Fox slated to broadcast next season's Super Bowl. Fox signed Brady in 2022 to a 10-year, $375 million contract to take over as its lead game analyst pending his retirement from the NFL.
He was initially slated to take on the position for the 2023 season but put the job on hold for a year after an offseason of pondering continuing his NFL career. He ultimately retired, but wanted a year to prepare so he can "be great at what I do." Brady's since reiterated his plan to start in 2024, but Fox has yet to confirm the plans for next season's broadcast teams.
That meant another year for Olsen on Fox's No. 1 team, a position that he and Burkhardt took over when Joe Buck and Troy Aikman left for ESPN for the 2022 season. Olsen's proven himself in two years in the spotlight as a top-tier announcer. This is in a role where criticism regularly veers into vitriol from fans and media critics alike. Meanwhile, there's nothing to indicate Brady's competence for the job. We'll all have to wait and see.
Assuming that Brady does take over, Olsen's in line for a significant pay cut. Per the New York Post's Andrew Marchand, Olsen's five-year contract with Fox is worth $10 million annually when he's calling game's on the network's No. 1 team. On the No. 2 team, Olsen's contract will pay him $3 million per year.
His contract also offers him an out. Per Marchand, Olsen has an opt-out clause that allows him to seek a role with another network in the event that he's bumped from the No. 1 Fox team. This, of course, would require an opening at another network.
Will Greg Olsen have options?
Tony Romo is the lead analyst at CBS alongside Jim Nantz. Romo has a $180 million deal with the network through 2030. Cris Collinsworth is the top analyst at NBC alongside Mike Tirico. He was reportedly in contract talks in 2021 to extend through 2025 at $12.5 million annually. The results of those talks weren't made public, but he remains a fixture at NBC
Kirk Herbstreit will enter his second season calling games alongside Al Michaels at Amazon. He reportedly makes $10 million annually in the role that allows him to continue covering college football on a long-term deal at ESPN. And Aikman has the "Monday Night Football" gig at ESPN locked up alongside longtime partner Joe Buck. He'll enter the third year next season of a reported five-year, $92.5 million contract.
This is all to say that there are no No. 1 analyst openings in sight. What's a No. 1-caliber talent to do when faced with playing second chair to an unproven but immensely marketable Brady while facing a $7 million pay cut?
Without the prospect of another No. 1 gig, it may add up to Olsen remaining at Fox on the No. 2 team while eyeing his next shot at a top job. Which would be a boon for Fox. For now, it's a waiting game dependent on Brady actually taking over.
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| 2024-01-30T01:22:18
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In a dossier provided last week to the United States government, Israel accused a dozen employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency of participating in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that left an estimated 1,200 dead in Israel. On Friday, the U.N. said it had fired several employees in response to the allegations. So far, 11 countries — including the U.S. — have frozen funding to UNRWA, the main aid group responsible for schooling, sheltering and feeding hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip, where the reported death toll now stands at more than 26,000. Here are the key facts you need to understand the controversy.
What is UNRWA?
UNRWA was established in 1949 by the U.N. General Assembly to provide relief to all Palestinian refugees displaced by the 1948 war that followed the establishment of Israel, and subsequent conflicts. A subsidiary body of the U.N., it provides education, health care and social services in addition to basic food supplies. UNRWA is one of the largest employers in Gaza, with 13,000 people on staff — most of them Palestinians.
What is Israel claiming?
According to reports by the Associated Press and the New York Times — both of which obtained the dossier in question — Israel has alleged that 10 of the UNRWA employees had ties to Hamas; that an 11th employee was affiliated with the militant group known as Islamic Jihad; that seven UNRWA employees stormed into Israeli territory on Oct. 7; that one abducted a woman from Israel; and that another brought the body of a dead Israeli soldier to Gaza after distributing ammunition and coordinating vehicles on the day of the attacks. In total, Israeli intelligence has determined that at least 190 UNRWA workers could be considered operatives of Hamas or Islamic Jihad, according to the document.
What evidence has Israel provided?
Israeli intelligence says it based its allegations on cellphone data showing movements inside Israel on Oct. 7, calls inside Gaza to discuss the Hamas attacks and text messages ordering UNRWA workers to report to specific locations on Oct. 7 — including one that told an employee to come equipped with rocket-propelled grenades that had been stored in his home, according to the Times.
Other Western governments have yet to independently verify Israel’s claims, but “American officials say they found them credible enough to warrant suspending aid,” according to the Times. As for the U.N., it condemned “the abhorrent alleged acts” and fired nine of the accused workers. Two others are reportedly dead, and the last is still being identified as part of an ongoing investigation by the U.N.’s Office of Internal Oversight Services.
How have the U.S. and other countries responded?
As of Monday afternoon, 11 countries had suspended payments to UNRWA in response to the allegations: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Estonia and Japan. That represents at least $363 million of UNRWA’s $1.6 billion budget.
"The United States is extremely troubled ... [and] has temporarily paused additional funding for UNRWA while we review these allegations and the steps the United Nations is taking to address them," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement last week. "There must be complete accountability for anyone who participated in the heinous attacks of October 7."
How has the U.N. responded?
In addition to firing the accused employees, the U.N. has announced a "comprehensive and independent" review of UNRWA — a process that will help "establish the truth without delay," according to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. Lazzarini added that "any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror" would potentially face criminal prosecution.
Yet Lazzarini also warned of an impending humanitarian catastrophe if relief money is withheld at a time when a quarter of Gaza's population is facing starvation. The vast majority of Gazans depend on UNRWA for some form of aid, and its schools alone provide shelter to more than a million residents.
“It would be immensely irresponsible to sanction an agency and an entire community it serves because of allegations of criminal acts against some individuals, especially at a time of war, displacement and political crises in the region,” he said. “The lives of people in Gaza depend on this support, and so does regional stability.”
What is Israel’s relationship with UNRWA?
Israel sees UNRWA as an obstacle to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because it “prevents Palestinian refugees from integrating into new communities and stokes their dreams of one day returning to what is now Israel,” according to the Times — “a goal that Israel says it will never allow.” And even before leveling its latest allegations, Israel has long insisted that Gaza’s UNRWA is under the influence of Hamas, which it claims uses the agency’s facilities to store weapons and launch attacks — accusations UNRWA has repeatedly denied.
Does this have any connection to the genocide allegations against Israel?
On Friday — the same day Israel’s UNRWA allegations surfaced — the U.N.’s top judicial body issued an interim ruling on accusations of genocide against Israel. After South Africa requested “provisional measures” to stop Israel’s military campaign while the International Court of Justice considered the broader genocide charge, the court ordered Israel to prevent acts banned under the 1948 Genocide Convention; to prohibit and punish statements that incite such acts; to allow more aid into Gaza; and to report back on its progress in a month.
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| 2024-01-30T01:22:24
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The Minnesota Twins are trading former All-Star infielder Jorge Polanco to the Seattle Mariners, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports.
Terms of the deal were not initially reported.
Polanco, 30, has played his entire eight-season MLB career with the Twins. He made an All-Star game in 2019. A career .269/.334/.446 hitter, Polanco has averaged 14 home runs, 55.9 RBI and 6.4 stolen bases per season. He hit a career-high 31 home runs in 2021.
Ankle, knee and hamstring injuries limited Polanco to 80 games in 2023. He was productive when available while slashing .255/.335/.454 with 14 home runs, 48 RBI and six stolen bases.
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https://www.kiss104fm.com/news/national/report-twins-trading/MUC6INW4CV4LNGMWXG36O2I5SY/
| 2024-01-30T01:22:31
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BESSEMER, Ala. — A kangaroo seen hopping through a neighborhood in central Alabama was captured on Monday, authorities said.
Dee Miller, a truck driver from Bessemer, took a video after witnessing the missing marsupial bouncing through the Birmingham suburb on Sunday night, AL.com reported.
Miller grabbed his cellphone and began recording, convinced that no one would believe him, WTVM reported. The kangaroo hopped away at a fast pace, according to the television station.
“I’m sure they’re looking for it,” Miller told AL.com. “I’ve never heard of anyone (exotic animal owner) being here until I posted the video.”
See the (now recaptured) kangaroo on the loose in Bessemer:
— AL.com (@aldotcom) January 29, 2024
More: https://t.co/iCrXWfQ6JP pic.twitter.com/Em4XevuXK9
Bessemer police Det. Justin Burmeister said the kangaroo’s owner apparently has several exotic pets at his residence in the city, AL.com reported. The owner caught the kangaroo later, Burmeister said on Monday.
Miller said the kangaroo was small, between two and four feet tall. He said he was in a vehicle with his mother when he saw the kangaroo about five blocks from his home.
“I said, ‘Mom, you see that?’” Miller told AL.com. “There it was, a kangaroo standing right in the road. I said, ‘It’s a kangaroo, Mom.’ Then it went to jumping in the grass.”
Miller said he was glad he recorded the encounter.
“I know people would have said, ‘No, ain’t no kangaroo in Bessemer,’” Miller told AL.com.
© 2024 Cox Media Group
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| 2024-01-30T01:22:38
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WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Monday identified the three U.S. Army soldiers who were killed during a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday.
According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Defense, the three soldiers killed were all from Georgia. They were Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton; Spec. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24; of Waycross; and Spec. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah.
The soldiers were members of a reserve engineering unit who were in their housing units when the drone exploded, The Washington Post reported. At least 25 others were injured in the attack, which President Joe Biden said was a drone attack from an Iran-backed militia.
BREAKING: The Pentagon identifies three U.S. service members killed in the drone attack in Jordan by an Iran-backed group.
— ABC News (@ABC) January 29, 2024
“These brave Americans and their families are in our prayers and the entire Department of Defense mourns their loss." https://t.co/yKTmR3M23f pic.twitter.com/pyaB387YRn
They were assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, 926th Engineer Battalion, 926th Engineer Brigade, at Fort Moore, Georgia, according to the Department of Defense.
Defense officials said that the soldiers were at Tower 22, a small installation in northeastern Jordan, near the borders of Iraq and Syria, the Post reported.
Biden, who was traveling in South Carolina, said Sunday that the U.S. will respond to the attack.
“We had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases,” the president said. “And we shall respond.”
Biden said in a written statement that the United States “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing,” The Associated Press reported.
According to a statement from the Army Reserve Command, Rivers enlisted in the Army Reserve as an Interior Electrician in 2011, ABC News reported. He completed a nine-month rotation to Iraq in 2018 as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, for which he received the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal with Campaign Star.
Rivers’ wife, who asked not to be identified, told WSB-TV that her husband was passionate about his work with the Army.
“He was away, and he just promised that he would be home safe. And unfortunately, that didn’t happen,” she told the television station, adding that she did not know her husband was in Jordan. “They came to the door and told me that he had passed away in Jordan, which I didn’t know he was in Jordan because, I guess, that was classified information.”
The heartbroken wife said her husband of almost 11 years and father of their teenage son was always there for them, even when he was overseas. https://t.co/JzH3rEB8a1
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) January 29, 2024
Sanders was a 2017 graduate of Ware County High School in Waycross, WJCL-TV reported.
On Monday, officials in Ware County, located in the southeastern area of Georgia, issued a proclamation honoring Sanders and ordered that all flags will be flown at half-mast until sunset on the day of her internment.
“Her unwavering commitment to defending our nation and protecting the freedoms we hold dear will forever be etched in our hearts and memories,” the proclamation read. “Her sacrifice will not be forgotten, and his service will be forever honored. ... Her sacrifice reminds us of the profound debt of gratitude we owe to those who selflessly serve our country.”
'Their service and sacrifice will not be forgotten': Military releases info on Georgia soldiers | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/ACcfhad6s7
— WJCL News (@WJCLNews) January 29, 2024
Moffett, a graduate of Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, enlisted in the Army Reserves in 2019 as a Horizontal Construction Engineer, the Pentagon said. She was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson released a statement on Facebook, calling the soldiers heroes.
“May we always remember that freedom is not free,” Johnson wrote.
“On behalf of the Army Reserve, I share in the sorrow felt by their friends, family, and loved ones, Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General U.S. Army Reserve Command, said in the Department of Defense press release. “Their service and sacrifice will not be forgotten, and we are committed to supporting those left behind in the wake of this tragedy.”
© 2024 Cox Media Group
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| 2024-01-30T01:22:45
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DETROIT — Officials at Toyota and General Motors on Monday urged the owners of approximately 61,000 older vehicles to stop driving them because their airbag inflators are at risk of exploding.
The urgent advisory covers Corolla compact cars and Matrix hatchbacks from 2003 and 2004., The Associated Press reported. It also includes the RAV4 model, a small SUV, from 2004 and 2005. An additional 11,000 Pontiac Vibes from 2003 and 2004, are also part of the warning, according to the news outlet.
The Matrix and Vibes are essentially the same vehicle and were produced at the same California factory, the AP reported.
The concern is from the vehicles’ Takata airbag inflators, which could explode and hurl debris, CBS News reported. Because of the airbags’ ages, an explosion could shoot sharp metal fragments, which could lead to injury and possibly death, according to Toyota.
All of the vehicles were in the United States.
The recalled RAV4s have Takata driver’s airbags while the Corolla, while they are located on the passenger side in the Matrix models, the AP reported.
“Owners SHOULD NOT DRIVE these vehicles until the FREE safety recall repair has been conducted,” Toyota said in a news release.
Toyota and General Motors said that owners of the affected vehicles should contact a local dealer, the news release stated. Dealers will provide options that will include mobile repair, towing the vehicle to a dealer, or vehicle pickup and delivery by the dealership.
The latest announcement comes about a month after Toyota recalled about 1 million vehicles in the U.S. because the front passenger airbags may not deploy properly in a crash, posing an additional risk of injury to riders.
© 2024 Cox Media Group
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| 2024-01-30T01:22:52
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Former South Carolina supreme court chief justice Jean Toal decisively shot down convicted killer Alex Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial on Monday, determining improper conduct with jurors was made by Colleton County clerk of court Becky Hill – but that Hill’s contacts did not rise to the level of necessitating a new trial for Murdaugh.
As a result, Murdaugh’s March 2, 2023 convictions for the murder of his wife and younger son remain standing … for now.
A fourth generation scion of one of the Palmetto State’s most influential legal dynasties, Murdaugh was found guilty last winter of the graphic murders of his wife, 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and younger son – 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh – on the family’s hunting property near Islandton, S.C. on the evening of June 7, 2021.
He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison on those charges on March 3, 2023. Murdaugh has appealed those convictions, although his appeal has put been on hold for the last few months as the jury tampering allegations against Hill were investigated.
Or, covered up … depending on your perspective.
***
The killings of Maggie and Paul were part of an institutionally enabled maze of multifaceted criminality collectively referred to as the ‘Murdaugh Murders’crime and corruption saga. These crimes captured international audiences and turned Murdaugh’s double homicide trial in Walterboro, S.C. last year into the Palmetto State’s ‘Trial of the Century.’
Toal’s decision to deny Murdaugh a new trial came two weeks after she controversially narrowed the scope of this inquiry reached despite the absolute evisceration of Hill on the stand, an implosion reminiscent of the way Murdaugh himself imploded after he took the stand in his murder trial last year.
It also came after one of the Murdaugh jurors – rechristened “Juror Z” – testified under oath that Hill tampered with the jury and that her tampering influenced the juror’s guilty verdict. This testimony certainly appeared to not only meet – but exceed – the high bar set by Toal for granting Murdaugh a new trial under the state supreme court case she chose to use as her guide.
Another juror corroborated Juror Z’s testimony about Hill making these remarks – although they indicated the comments did not impact their decision to find Murdaugh guilty.
Nonetheless, Toal determined Hill’s tampering did not cross the line into impacting the verdict.
“I find that the answer to this question is ‘no,’” she said.
(Click to view)
Still, Toal chided Hill for succumbing to the “siren call of celebrity” and making “fleeting and foolish comments” to jurors – remarks Hill’s attorneys moved quickly to cast in the best possible light.
“We respect today’s ruling by Justice Toal denying Alex Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial,” a statement attributed to Justin Bamberg and Will Lewis. “Justice Toal described Becky Hill’s alleged comments at the center of Murdaugh’s defense counsel’s argument as ‘fleeting’ and that any interaction she had with jurors in no way influenced their collective decision on the facts of the case. We agree with Justice Toal’s finding that the Colleton County jurors selected for this very complicated and lengthy trial were consummate professionals and operated within the instructions of the court. We thank them for their service.”
The outcome of this chapter of this crime and corruption saga felt preordained, with Toal delivering a ruling less than fifteen minutes after Murdaugh’s attorneys – and prosecutors in the office of S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson – gave their closing arguments.
Wilson’s office clearly considers the matter closed – despite the massive, unresolved conflicts of interest this jury tampering investigation has exposed.
“As with all cases, the attorney general’s office and SLED’s only mission is to seek the truth and deliver justice, wherever the facts lead,” Wilson said in a statement following Toal’s decision. “It does not matter your name, position, or status, no one is above the law. We take very seriously the allegations in this situation and immediately requested an investigation, committed to discovering the truth, regardless of what it might find. After that thorough investigation, and a fair public hearing, it is clear that Alex Murdaugh’s convictions for the murders of Maggie and Paul are based solely upon the facts and evidence of the case. It is time to move on and forward.”
Wilson may want this chapter closed, but Murdaugh’s lawyers – who scored some significant points during Monday’s hearing – clearly have no intention of going gently into that brisk, midwinter South Carolina night.
Stay tuned for much more on this case as the fallout from justice Toal’s decision reverberates across the Palmetto State and the broader true crime universe …
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
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WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to proactively address? We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
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https://www.fitsnews.com/2024/01/29/denied-alex-murdaughs-bid-for-a-new-trial-shot-down/
| 2024-01-30T01:31:07
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Updated January 29, 2024 at 7:17 PM ET
The Pentagon on Monday released the identities of the three American service members killed Sunday by a drone strike in northeastern Jordan.
The three were identified as Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Ga.; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Ga.; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Ga.
The three were all reservists assigned to the 718th Engineer Company in Fort Moore, Ga.
Meanwhile, the number of those wounded in the attack rose to more than 40, the Pentagon announced on Monday.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said President Biden is committed to holding accountable those behind the drone strike, adding that the attack was "escalatory" and "requires a response."
But Kirby also emphasized that "we are not looking for a war with Iran," which U.S. officials say played a role in the attack.
"We'll do that on our schedule, in our time, and we'll do it in a manner of the president's choosing as commander in chief," he said.
The attack in Jordan marks the first deadly attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas broke out with the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7. The U.S. has been attempting to contain the conflict and prevent it from spreading further in the region.
What happened?
The aerial drone struck container housing units at Tower 22, a remote base in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border, early Sunday.
Tower 22 supports the Al-Tanf Garrison in southeastern Syria, where U.S. special operations have long operated in tandem with other countries in combating Islamic State militants. About 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel are deployed to the base.
Central Command said at least eight service members were evacuated out of Jordan to receive higher level care but they are in stable condition.
A U.S. official told NPR that the service members' injuries vary, with many suffering from traumatic brain injury. There are also reports of a spinal injury and at least one case of a shrapnel wound.
U.S. military has been under scrutiny after reports that air defenses at Tower 22 possibly mistook the enemy's drone for an American one which was operating around the same time and level of the attacker. The confusion was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Who was behind the attack?
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of militias backed by Iran, claimed credit for the attack. The group called it revenge for America's military presence in the region and the Palestinian death toll in Gaza. More than 25,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza's health ministry.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed to have attacked a total of four military bases on Sunday — three of which are U.S. bases in Syria and on the Syrian-Jordanian border, and one belonging to Israel. There has been no confirmation of other attacks from U.S. officials.
Iranian officials deny the country had any involvement in the drone strike, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
But U.S. officials say they are confident that Iran played a role in the attack, though it is too soon to say if Iran directed the strike.
"We know that Iran is behind it," said Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh at a press conference on Monday. "Iran continues to arm and equip these groups to launch these attacks."
Why are U.S. troops in the Middle East?
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described the service members as "brave Americans" who were deployed to northeastern Jordan to "work for the lasting defeat of ISIS."
"The President and I will not tolerate attacks on American forces, and we will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests," he said in a statement Sunday.
About 900 U.S. troops are stationed in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq, largely to help fight ISIS. Since the Israel-Hamas war started, Iranian-linked forces have carried out more than 140 attacks in those two countries.
Earlier this month, Central Command said a "number" of U.S. military personnel were evaluated for traumatic brain injuries after Iran-backed groups launched multiple ballistic missiles and rockets on an airbase in western Iraq. Most of the missiles were intercepted but at least one Iraqi service member was wounded, it added.
In December, three U.S. service members were injured, one critically, by a drone strike in northern Iraq. In response, the U.S. said it carried outmultiple airstrikes against facilities used by militants.
NPR's Tom Bowman, Jane Arraf and Peter Kenyon contributed reporting.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wskg.org/npr-news/2024-01-28/u-s-identifies-the-3-service-members-who-were-killed-in-drone-strike-in-jordan
| 2024-01-30T01:36:00
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An incident involving a female student in a hijab, an Islamic headscarf, being attacked by a male student at Glenside Middle School in Queen Bee District 16 in Glendale Heights, is being investigated by the district and police.
The attack happened Thursday and was caught on students’ cellphones and shared widely on social media and WhatsApp. The video shows a male student grabbing the female student by her head and holding her in a headlock before shoving her to the ground near a set of lockers.
On Monday afternoon, the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which had previously warned of an increase in bullying, harassment and discrimination incidents against Muslim students over the last couple of years, called on law enforcement to investigate the attack.
District 16 Superintendent Joseph Williams called the events “extremely upsetting” but said the investigation does not suggest that the attack was fueled by bigotry.
“This is a serious disciplinary incident and we’re handling it as such, but we have no evidence that this was some act of intolerance related to a matter of faith,” Williams said Monday. “This type of behavior is aberrant; we completely won’t tolerate it. Our duty at this point is to protect the child through what happened, and then respond within the limits of the law, understanding that everybody here is a child.”
Though Williams could not share the identity of the female student, he noted that she is one of 91 students in the district who are new to the country.
“We have 52 languages spoken in a student population of about 1,700. We embrace it as a gift and it is a strength of our community,” he said. “It’s a multifaith, multicultural community and it’s brilliant, so things like this hurt.”
Williams said the district notified the Glendale Heights Police Department, which has initiated an investigation into the attack. “We can report that we have identified the students responsible for this attack,” Williams said.
According to CAIR-Chicago, the student’s family came from Saudi Arabia and has been in the United States for two months.
In the footage, a crowd of students can be seen watching the events unfold but none are seen intervening.
Williams said that while the behavior of the other students was deeply distressing, within minutes, a teacher responded to the female student in distress and called the administration for help.
A member of the school’s administration then responded and cleared the scene, and made sure the student was physically safe, Williams said.
“At this time, we are working on our No. 1 priority, which is to support the student to whom this happened,” Williams said. “We will make sure that the school is safe for them, and will always continue to be and also hold the individual or individuals responsible for this behavior fully accountable.”
Daywatch
In a statement, CAIR-Chicago also called on the school and the district to effectively address the larger culture of bullying, which has become an intractable phenomenon.
“Bullying involves more than the perpetrator, bystanders who watch and accept, or even reward this behavior, make it possible for the bully to carry out their attack,” CAIR-Chicago’s operations manager and former CPS school teacher, Maggie Slavin, said in a statement. “In this case, we see bystander students reinforcing the terrible ambush, filming it, and even gloating about it on social media. This larger culture must be addressed.”
Williams said the district will investigate every possibility, considering the culture and climate of schools across the country.
“We’re not immune, just like any other school, seeing as, unfortunately, this happened,” he said. “But in our case, we will accept responsibility for the safety of the child and also to hold the ... individuals accountable. It just cannot happen again.”
Williams said the district is in communication with leaders from Muslim Society Inc., a mosque down the street from Glenside Middle School, as it ensures the well-being of the female student and her family.
Glendale Heights police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/education/ct-glenside-middle-school-attack-video-20240130-upl723xgafhovpzffstrpfqfue-story.html
| 2024-01-30T01:40:57
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The city of Aurora and CyrusOne on the far northeast side of town are seeking a deal that would allow the company to expand.
Aurora staff is seeking City Council authorization to enter into a reimbursement deal with the data center company to expand on 30 acres along Bilter Road, west of the Eola Road interchange with Interstate 88.
If all goes well during negotiations, the company would expand on the property, and the city would get reimbursement for some of the money it spent years ago toward getting the Eola Road interchange.
“We have an opportunity to leverage a change in market conditions,” said Alex Alexandrou, the city’s chief management officer. “We could recapture some of the infrastructure cost and any opportunity cost.”
“(The expansion) would certainly be a nice addition to the community,” said Russ Whitaker, a Naperville-based attorney representing CyrusOne. “It’s a large scale win all around.”
CyrusOne is a Dallas-based data center company that first located in Aurora when it bought a 428,000-square-foot building at Eola and Diehl roads. It also added a 440,000-square-foot facility next door.
While the company has 24 data centers across the country, this is one of the most significant because it handles data for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, as well as a number of foreign exchanges. The company serves nine of the Fortune 20 and 180 of the Fortune 1000 companies, along with more than 950 customers.
The company now wants to expand in Aurora because “they are out of room,” Alexandrou told members of the City Council Finance Committee recently.
The company approached the city about 30 acres on the north side of the tollway that is one of the final pieces of the DuPage Ventures property that brought the Butterfield development to the city. Officials want to build another 428,000- square-foot building to house more data servers.
It is next to the Eola Road interchange with I-88. The city has marketed the property for years as a potential home for a hotel, and at one point, specifically banned data centers from consideration for it.
But Alexandrou said “significant efforts” were made to attract a hotel there, and “it didn’t come to fruition.”
The Beacon-News
“The market has changed,” he said. “Adaptability in this environment is key. There is a need for data centers.”
The agreement being negotiated between Aurora and CyrusOne would seek to change the zoning on the property to facilitate the data center. The city is seeking to recapture some of the roughly $10 million to $11 million it put toward the Eola Road interchange project, as well as any revenue it might lose with the loss of a potential hotel on the property.
Alexandrou pointed out that a data center there would bring in significant property taxes, utility taxes and would create a number of construction jobs, not to mention permanent high technology jobs.
It also is in keeping with the area as a high tech center, with CyrusOne, Scientel Solutions and the Endeavor Edged data center currently under construction just to the east of where Cyrus One wants to build.
“Data centers don’t create so much traffic,” said Ald. Shweta Baid, 10th Ward, a Finance Committee member. “There is no pressure on the school district because it creates no children.”
Aldermen on the committee voted unanimously to recommend the resolution authorizing execution of a memorandum of reimbursement with CyrusOne. It will go before the full City Council at the Feb. 6 Committee of the Whole meeting.
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct-abn-aurora-cyrus-st-0131-20240130-iql4gavgrvfy7oatto362okmse-story.html
| 2024-01-30T01:41:03
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A Chicago man was the first charged Friday in connection with a high-profile Munster home invasion.
Elkin Castillo, 46, is charged with 10 felonies. He is in custody in Cook County on an “unrelated crime,” according to Munster Police.
Authorities believe the heist was coordinated with at least four men participating and a man matching Castillo’s description who cased the neighborhood days before.
He is ordered held in Indiana on a $150,000, or $15,000 cash surety bond.
The victim previously offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Efforts to contact Munster Police to see if that reward money could be paid were unsuccessful.
Munster Police responded Oct. 27 in the early afternoon to the 1400 block of Park West Circle.
A woman told police she was visiting her relative’s home, when she answered a knock at the attached garage door. Thinking it was her daughter and son-in-law, she started to open it.
“Multiple” men rushed in and attacked her. They forced her to the ground, hitting her repeatedly, zip-tied her hands and feet and duct-taped her mouth, before dragging her down the stairs and taking her cell phone.
She was later taken to the hospital for treatment.
Another man, a visitor, said he was checking on a crying baby when he felt a gun on his forehead. The men also zip-tied his hands and feet, duct-taped his mouth, stole cash, a necklace, bracelet and his ring, according to the affidavit.
One man kept a gun pointed at him, ordering him not to move.
The homeowner was on his bedroom balcony when he heard “commotion” downstairs. Two men came out, point a gun and demanding cash and jewelry.
He said he didn’t have a lot of cash in the house.
“You have liquor stores,” one man said. “You have a lot of businesses. You have money counting machine here. You have money here.”
The man gave him $500 from his pocket. The bedroom was “already ransacked.”
The robbers “seemed to be already familiar with the (home’s) layout,” the affidavit states.
They ordered the man to his safe in the closet.
“C’mon ... you have some money here,” the first robber said. The man hit the victim with his gun, before the second robber zip-tied his hands. They left him on the closet floor.
“Take whatever you can and let’s go,” the men said in Spanish.
They stuffed a money counting machine in the victim’s black suitcase and took other stuff. The victim waited a minute, before he went to the balcony, got his cell phone and called 911.
He had a cut on head over left eye. He later told police they also took a pricey Breitling watch.
Police learned the first robber was a light-skinned Hispanic, aged 30-40, wearing a green construction vest under a black shirt and pants. He wore a tan cap, mask and blue rubber gloves. The man did “most of the talking” and had a “distinctive” accent and was mostly on the phone.
The second robber was a darker-skinned Hispanic, around 40, wearing the same clothes, aside from a black cap and mask.
Security video and license plate readers put a 2010 brown GMC Terrain and 2017 black Nissan Altima in the area that morning around 8:32 a.m.
Around 1 p.m. the four men are seen on camera leaving the home and getting into the SUV, according to court records.
Chicago Police found and towed the Altima Nov. 12 on the 4100 block of W. Oakdale. They found a black mask and walkie talkies inside.
They found the Terrain Nov. 14 parked on the 2300 block of N. Clybourn. Inside, there were walkie talkies and a birth certificate. The father listed died in 2021, but his booking photos included a photo of Castillo, who matched the first robber’s description.
Chicago Police got a tip after television news ran information from a news release. They learned Castillo had been on the 3700 block of S. Honore in Chicago putting on masks and vests and “loading up” the SUV before the robbery.
Police arrested him. He had a black gun, a fake Puerto Rico driver’s license and a Breitling watch, matching the description of the one stolen from the Munster home.
His cell phone pinged in the area during the robbery and several days before.
On Oct. 27, Castillo texted his daughter: “I’m getting ready to go to the job I’ve been talking about,” he wrote.
“Be safe, always listen to your gut,” she replied. “If you ain’t feeling it listen. If you have no bad vibes then go ahead.”
Post-Tribune
“I want to make sure everyone is okay with money,” he responded.
Investigators picked up references he planned to flee to Columbia soon afterward.
Security cameras appeared to show Castillo bagging vests and an orange hat early morning on Oct. 27 at a Skokie Walmart at the self-checkout, then leaving with the stuff without paying.
He was arrested with a gun on June 6 outside St. Stanislaus Church, 1351 West Evergreen in Chicago. He had been out on bond and cut off his ankle monitor, police noted.
Castillo was arrested Nov. 26 in the home invasion.
He was charged with Level 1 felony burglary, Level 2 felony burglary, Level 2 felony robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, three counts of Level 3 felony armed robbery, and four counts of Level 3 felony criminal confinement.
The other robbers are unidentified. Anyone with more information can leave an anonymous tip with Munster Police at 219-836-6658 or email tnosich@munster.org.
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-castillo-st-0131-20240130-xifma3u7pfa6xby3nl45yjve4q-story.html
| 2024-01-30T01:41:09
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The 2023 offseason did not produce great results for the Jets. Aaron Rodgers getting injured sidelined the most consequential player added, but none of the other major players the team added had a positive impact.
No team bats 1.000 in its decisions. The best teams, however, figure out why they made mistakes and take steps to avoid making them again. On today’s podcast we discuss some of the errors of the last offseason from the Jets and how they avoid these mistakes heading into 2024.
The Jets added multiple wide receivers to join Garrett Wilson. None of them had much of a track record of success prior to coming to New York. That should be a sign for the Jets going forward. The Jets also should look to add players in their prime and do a better job communicating between the coaching staff and the front office.
Thanks for watching and listening.
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https://www.ganggreennation.com/2024/1/29/24054867/podcast-how-the-jets-can-learn-from-last-offseasons-mistakes
| 2024-01-30T01:46:08
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“It is one of the great paradoxes of the stock market that what seems too high usually goes higher and what seems too low usually goes lower.” – William O’Neil
It’s been a solid start to the New Year for investors, with all three major U.S. indices well in positive territory for the month of January. We’re heading into the final trading week with the S&P 500 advancing 2.54%, the Nasdaq gaining 2.96%, while the Dow is up 1.11% as of this past Friday’s close.
The multi-month rally off the 2023 October lows has yet to run its course. Both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average notched new all-time highs last week. The Nasdaq hasn’t yet eclipsed its former high, but remains less than 4% away from the pivotal level.
There’s something about buying at record highs that just doesn’t sit well with most investors. Behavioral biases lead them to believe that they can likely buy at cheaper prices in the future. But as we’ll see, new highs have historically been a great time to purchase stocks. And while we certainly can’t guarantee that will be the case this time around, there’s plenty of reasons to suspect we’re in the early innings of a new bull market.
Bull Markets Last Longer Than Bear Markets
It took more than two years for the S&P 500 (SPY - Free Report) to eclipse the highs from January 2022. New highs should be viewed as a sign of strength; it means that stocks are ultimately surpassing levels that met former resistance, and a breakthrough of those levels normally ushers in additional buying pressure.
Image Source: StockCharts
We’re starting to see this now as volume was above-average over the past week, a good sign that the momentum can be sustained. As a general rule, volume flow usually precedes price movement.
Dating back to the 1950s, once those former highs were put in the rearview mirror, bull markets have lasted an average of another 4.5 years. This overlooked fact suggests the potential for more gains ahead that could be substantial. Investors normally underestimate the length and magnitude of bull markets.
In the past, when we’ve eclipsed a new high in the S&P 500 after at least one year (it was more than 2 years this time around), the index performance a year later averages a +14% return and has been higher 93% of the time:
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Economic Data Surprises to the Upside
A preliminary estimate of fourth-quarter GDP (released last week) showed that the economy grew at an annualized pace of 3.3% during the period, much faster than the median 2% projection. It’s another data point that suggests consumers ended the year on a strong note. Consumer spending expanded at a 2.8% annual rate; remember, consumer spending accounts for about 70% of U.S. GDP.
Despite the impressive Q4 GDP growth, inflation remained tame. The Fed’s primary inflation gauge (core PCE) rose at a 2% annual rate in the fourth quarter, matching expectations. Markets are expecting rate cuts this year, and the decelerating inflation trend is providing the Fed with ammunition to do just that.
Investors tend to associate rate cuts with a weak outlook and future problems with the economy, but once again, history shows that rate cuts have been good for stocks on average. In the span of over a century, the Dow has rallied an average of 14.4% over the next 12 months following the first rate cut. Perhaps this time around, the economy is on sound footing and the Fed believes the worst of the inflation issue is behind us.
The Fed will conduct its first policy meeting of the year on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. They’ll hold rates steady (markets are currently pricing in a 98% probability), but a March rate cut is more likely (48%).
Positive Seasonality Supportive of Stocks
We remain the midst of the best 6-month stretch from a seasonality perspective that spans from November through April. This year is also an election year, which is the 2nd best year of the Presidential Cycle. Stocks typically do well in election years, particularly under new Presidents. The S&P 500 has averaged a 12.2% return during election years when a new President has been in office:
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Presidential incumbency is an influential phenomenon and considered to be a driving force behind the 4-year Presidential Election Cycle. Dating back to 1950, the S&P 500 is up more than 12% on average in election years when a sitting President is running for re-election, versus about 7% in all election years. When there is an open field (meaning years with no incumbent running for a second term), the S&P 500 has averaged a -1.5% loss.
Adding to the bullish case, in cycles where we’ve experienced negative midterm years (as was the case in 2022), we’ve never had a lower election year since 1950. When midterm years are negative, election years rise 13.2% on average and tend to follow strong pre-election years (which did occur last year).
Bottom Line
Investors would do well to fight the natural wariness of buying new highs, as history shows this is an excellent time to purchase stocks. Backed by a resilient economy and positive seasonality, a new bull market is underway with the potential for significant advancement in the coming months and years.
The Q4 earnings season continues to heat up with some major companies reporting this week including tech titans Apple, Microsoft, Facebook-parent Meta Platforms, Google-parent Alphabet, and Amazon. Make sure you’re taking full advantage of all that Zacks has to offer as we wrap up the first month of the New Year.
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https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2216751/the-smart-money-is-buying-all-time-highs---and-why-you-should-too
| 2024-01-30T01:47:39
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Here are three stocks with buy rank and strong momentum characteristics for investors to consider today, January 29:
Western Digital Corporation (WDC - Free Report) : This data storage company has a Zacks Rank #1 and witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 26.5% over the last 60 days.
Western Digital's shares gained 39.4% over the last three months compared with the S&P 500’s advance of 17.6%. The company possesses a Momentum Score of A.
QCR Holdings, Inc. (QCRH - Free Report) : This multi-bank holding company has a Zacks Rank #1 and witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 5.2% over the last 60 days.
QCR Holdings' shares gained 28.9% over the last three months compared with the S&P 500’s advance of 17.6%. The company possesses a Momentum Score of A.
Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. (SASR - Free Report) : This bank holding company for Sandy Spring Bank has a Zacks Rank #1 and witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 12.7% over the last 60 days.
Sandy Spring Bancorp's shares gained 27.3% over the last three months compared with the S&P 500’s advance of 17.6%. The company possesses a Momentum Score of A.
See the full list of top ranked stocks here
Learn more about the Momentum score and how it is calculated here.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Western Digital Corporation (WDC) - free report >>
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https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2216760/best-momentum-stocks-to-buy-for-january-29th
| 2024-01-30T01:47:46
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Stocks hitting their 52-week high and delivering consistent performance offer attractive opportunities to investors while building a portfolio. This is because stocks near that level are perceived to be winners. However, stocks touching a new 52-week high are often predisposed to profit-taking, resulting in pullbacks and trend reversals.
Moreover, given the high price, investors often wonder if the stock is overpriced. While the speculations are not absolutely baseless, all stocks hitting a 52-week high are not necessarily overpriced.
In fact, investors might lose out on top gainers in an attempt to avoid the steep prices.
Stocks such as The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (GT - Free Report) , Casey's General Stores (CASY - Free Report) , Synovus Financial (SNV - Free Report) , Arch Resources (ARCH - Free Report) and The Bank of New York Mellon (BK - Free Report) are expected to maintain their momentum and keep scaling new highs. Extensive information on a stock is necessary to understand whether or not there is scope for further upside.
Here, we discuss a strategy to find the right stocks. The strategy borrows from the basics of momentum investing. This technique bets on “buy high, sell higher.”
52-Week High: A Good Indicator
Many times, stocks that hit a 52-week high fail to scale higher despite having potential. This is because investors fear that the stocks are overvalued and expect the price to crash.
In fact, overvaluation is natural for most of these stocks as investors’ focus (or willingness to pay a premium) has helped them reach the level. But that does not always indicate an impending decline. Factors such as robust sales, surging profit levels, earnings growth prospects and strategic acquisitions that encouraged investors to bet on these stocks could keep them motivated if there is no tangible negative. In other words, the momentum might continue.
Also, when a string of positive developments dominates the market, investors find their under-reaction unwarranted, even if there are no company-specific driving forces.
Setting the Right Filters
We ran a screen to zero in on 52-week high stocks (trading near the high level) that hold tremendous upside potential. The screen includes parameters to shortlist stocks with strong earnings growth expectations, sturdy value metrics and price momentum.
Moreover, the screen filters stocks that are relatively undervalued compared to their peers in terms of earnings as well as sales, ensuring the continuation of their rally for some time.
Current Price/52 Week High >= .8
This is the ratio between the current price and the highest price at which the stock has traded in the past 52 weeks. A value greater than 0.11 implies that the stock is trading within 20% of its 52-week high range.
% Change Price – 4 Weeks > 0
It ensures that the stock price has moved north over the past four weeks.
% Change Price – 12 Weeks > 0
This metric guarantees a continued upward price momentum for the stock over the past three months as well.
Price/Sales <= XIndMed
The lower, the better.
P/E using F(1) Estimate <= XIndMed
This metric measures the amount an investor puts into a company to obtain one dollar of earnings. It narrows down the list of stocks to those that are undervalued compared to the industry.
One-Year EPS Growth F(1)/F(0) >= XIndMed
This helps choose stocks that have higher growth rates than the industry. This is a meaningful indicator, as decent earnings growth adds to investor optimism.
Zacks Rank =1
No screening is complete without the Zacks Rank, which has proved its worth since its inception. It is a fundamental truth that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have always managed to brave adversities and beat the market average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Current Price >= 8
This parameter will help screen stocks that are trading at $8 or higher.
Volume – 20 days (shares) >= 100000
The inclusion of this metric ensures that there is a substantial volume of shares, so trading is easier.
Here are five stocks of the 11 that made it through the screen:
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is one of the largest tire manufacturing companies in the world. In addition to selling tires, Goodyear provides other rubber-related chemicals while also offering repair and other services.
With the acquisition of Cooper Tire, Goodyear has strengthened its leadership position in the U.S. market as well as expanded its foothold in the global tire industry. The Goodyear Forward plan, designed to optimize portfolio, enhance margins and reduce leverage, aims to unlock significant value for shareholders. Encouragingly, Goodyear expects operating margins to double by 2025-end. The company's electrification strides also augur well.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GT’s 2023 earnings has gained 40% in the past 30 days to 7 cents per share. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate once in the trailing four quarters while missing the same thrice, the average surprise being 76.39%.
Casey's General Stores operates convenience stores under the Casey's and Casey's General Store names in 16 states, mainly Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. Casey's offers a comprehensive range of products and services to meet the needs of its customers. In addition to fuel, the stores provide a wide variety of merchandise, including groceries, prepared food, snacks, beverages, tobacco products, health and beauty aids, school supplies, housewares, pet supplies and automotive supplies.
The company’s business operating model, omnichannel capabilities, enhanced customer reach and private-label offerings reinforce its position in the industry. Casey's price and product optimization strategies, increased penetration of private brands, and digital engagements are also commendable. The company’s focus on inventory management, technology advancements and data analytics positions it well for future growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CASY’s fiscal 2024 earnings has increased 1% to $12.64 per share in the past 30 days. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same once, the average surprise being 17.79%.
Synovus Financial is a diverse financial services company, which conducts its banking operations through Synovus Bank. Synovus’ organic growth is supported by its relationship banking model. Loans and deposits witnessed a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% and 8.8%, respectively, in the last three years (2019-2022).
Its deposits are well diversified across industries and geographies in Southeast regions. Also, the company’s floating-rate loan portfolio is well positioned in the current high interest-rate regime.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SNV’s 2024 earnings has increased 5.5% to $4.03 per share in the past 30 days. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate twice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same twice, the average surprise being 1.61%.
Arch Resources is one of the largest coal producers in the United States, operating nine mines across the major coal basins of the country. The company mainly produces and sells metallurgical and thermal coal. The locations of its mines and access to export facilities enable the company to ship coal worldwide.
The company commenced longwall production at the Leer South mine, which will add 3 million tons of high-quality metallurgical coal annually to its total production. The ongoing rebound in production in the steel industry will create fresh demand for met coal supplied by the company.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARCH’s 2023 earnings has increased 4.7% to $27.88 per share in the past 30 days. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate twice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same twice, the average surprise being 24.45%.
The Bank of New York Mellon (popularly known as BNY Mellon) is a financial services company that has been in business since 1784. Its global client base consists of financial institutions, corporations, government agencies, endowments and foundations, and high-net-worth individuals.
Higher interest rates are expected to support BNY Mellon’s top-line growth in the near term. Also, global expansion initiatives, robust assets under management balance, business restructuring efforts, solid balance sheet and digitization of operations have aided performance.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BK’s 2024 earnings has increased 4.2% to $5.16 per share in the past 30 days. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 10.62%.
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216859/5-stocks-trading-near-52-week-high-that-can-climb-further
| 2024-01-30T01:48:54
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216864/focus-list-for-week-of-january-22
| 2024-01-30T01:49:06
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The Biden administration’s decision to pause approvals for new U.S. projects seeking to export liquefied natural gas has spurred hopes for British Columbia’s long-stalled LNG prospects, even as climate activists urge restraint.
The White House announced the move on Friday, saying there would be a temporary pause on pending decisions on LNG exports. President Joe Biden said in a statement that the U.S. Department of Energy will be taking “a hard look at the impacts of LNG exports on energy costs, America’s energy security and our environment.”
He added that the pause “sees the climate crisis for what it is: the existential threat of our time.”
Curbing the use of natural gas has long been a demand of environmental advocates worried about the fossil fuel’s contribution to climate change, though the LNG industry has often noted that its product generates fewer greenhouse-gas emissions than coal when burned. With the U.S. now in a holding pattern for new approvals, Canada’s producers have an opportunity to fill the supply gap. But the industry is concerned that B.C.’s infrastructure isn’t up to the task.
“B.C.’s natural gas travels nearly 5,000 kilometres across North America to get to export facilities on the Gulf Coast. It’s a ludicrously indirect route that sends our natural gas south of the border,” Karen Ogen, chief executive of the First Nations LNG Alliance, an association of Indigenous communities involved in LNG development in B.C., said in a statement.
“Canadians could be exporting our own natural gas at a fraction of the distance,” Ms. Ogen said. “Canadians – and in particular, Indigenous Canadians – should be the ones to receive the rewards of training, jobs and business opportunities that come with a thriving LNG industry.”
The U.S. has seven operational LNG export terminals. Another five appear likely to open by 2028 because they are already approved. Canada, by contrast, has no export terminals up and running. The first to enter service would be the Shell PLC-led LNG Canada project in Kitimat, B.C., which is scheduled to begin loading tankers with fuel bound for Asia by 2025.
Two Canada-based producers – Tourmaline Oil Corp. TOU-T and ARC Resources Ltd. ARX-T – have deals to supply natural gas to Cheniere Energy Inc.’s LNG-A Corpus Christi LNG export terminal in Texas, though their ability to transport the fuel is limited by Canada-U.S. pipeline capacity.
Over the past decade, Canadian natural-gas pipeline giants Enbridge Inc. ENB-T and TC Energy Corp. TRP-T have been on the defensive at home, but have been able to expand their pipeline networks into the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Ten years ago, there were more than 20 proposals in B.C. to export LNG. Today, despite much hype, LNG Canada is the only project that has progressed significantly, and only four other B.C. export projects are in early stages: Cedar LNG in Kitimat; Ksi Lisims LNG on Pearse Island; Woodfibre LNG near Squamish; and FortisBC’s planned expansion at its Tilbury LNG site in Delta.
“This isn’t just about building big projects, it’s about lifting our Indigenous communities out of poverty,” Ms. Ogen said.
Climate activists in Canada praised Mr. Biden’s decision and urged B.C. Premier David Eby to reject LNG expansion plans in the province. Mr. Eby’s NDP government will be seeking re-election in October.
“True climate leadership means saying no to fossil fuel infrastructure,” Peter McCartney, a climate campaigner at the Wilderness Committee, said in a statement.
The provincial government has been attempting with policy measures to reduce the LNG industry’s environmental impact. Last year, B.C. introduced environmental standards for LNG projects, as part of a bid to reduce the province’s emissions to net-zero.
At the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George earlier this month, Mr. Eby reiterated his view that LNG has a role to play in the energy transition. “Our partners in LNG Canada, for example, and other major projects are going to continue to be our partners,” he said.
Teresa Waddington, LNG Canada’s vice-president of corporate relations, said in an e-mail that the shipping distance to Asia from Kitimat is about 50 per cent shorter than the route to Asia from the U.S. Gulf Coast.
LNG Canada’s terminal will be supplied with natural gas by Coastal GasLink, a 670-kilometre pipeline from northeast B.C., to be operated by TC Energy. About 190 kilometres of the pipeline route cross the unceded traditional territory of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, whose hereditary chiefs oppose the project and say they have jurisdiction over the territory.
“The LNG Canada export facility is now more than 90 per cent complete overall,” Ms. Waddington said. “GHG emissions from LNG Canada’s Kitimat operation will be lower than any facility of a similar size operating in the world today: 35 per cent lower than the world’s best-performing facilities.”
The owners of LNG Canada are considering whether to pursue a proposed expansion, once the terminal’s initial phase of construction is complete.
B.C.’s other potential LNG export projects are at various early stages. Cedar LNG is led by the Haisla Nation, together with co-owner Pembina Pipeline Corp. They expect to make a final decision by the end of March on whether to forge ahead with their planned floating production facility, which would use hydroelectricity to help supercool natural gas into liquid form.
The elected Lax Kw’alaams Band opposes Ksi Lisims, and has cast doubt on the LNG project’s goal of net-zero emissions.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-lng-bc-biden-climate-activists/
| 2024-01-30T01:49:36
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Residents and businesses in Edmonton and the surrounding area were told Monday to limit their water use.
Epcor issued a mandatory ban on non-essential water use after a failure in the distribution pumping system at the E.L. Smith Water Treatment Plant in the morning.
“This mandated water ban includes all surrounding communities that Epcor provides water to, so that’s Edmonton and surrounding communities such as St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Stony Plain, Spruce Grove, Beaumont, Leduc, Fort Saskatchewan, amongst others,” said Craig Bonneville, the company’s director of engineering and technical services.
Epcor said in a press release that the Rossdale plant remained operational but can’t supply the entire service area with normal water consumption.
There was no timeline for when repairs were to be completed, though Epcor said drinking water remained safe.
People were told to take measures such as delaying laundry and turning taps off while brushing teeth. Businesses like laundromats and car washes that use large volumes of non-essential water were asked to halt water use.
“Businesses using water to provide an essential product for life-sustaining needs are exempt from these measures,” Bonneville said.
“Other exemptions could include businesses that must use water to meet health codes, such as hospitals.”
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta/article-epcor-issues-ban-on-non-essential-water-use-in-edmonton-area-due-to/
| 2024-01-30T01:49:42
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Ontario is proceeding with a massive, multibillion-dollar refurbishment of four aging nuclear reactors at its Pickering power plant east of Toronto, according to two provincial government sources.
The decision will be formally unveiled by Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith at the facility in Pickering on Tuesday, a senior government source said. This would mark the government’s latest major move to preserve and expand the province’s reactor fleet.
Another government official said the province has approved a $2-billion budget for Ontario Power Generation, the plant’s owner, to complete the necessary engineering and design work and order crucial components, which can require years to manufacture. The Globe and Mail is not naming the sources, because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the decision.
No full cost estimate for the project has been revealed. Refurbishments under way at OPG’s Darlington nuclear plant in Clarington, and at Bruce Power’s station in Tiverton, have cost between $2-billion and more than $3-billion a reactor.
Mr. Smith’s announcement had been expected. In 2022, the province asked OPG to study the feasibility of refurbishing the four Pickering “B” units, which entered service in the mid-1980s and had previously been passed over for refurbishment 15 years ago. Mr. Smith received OPG’s report last summer, but his ministry rebuffed a request from this newspaper to release it under the province’s freedom of information legislation.
The Pickering station, situated on the shore of Lake Ontario about 30 kilometres from downtown Toronto, generates about 15 per cent of Ontario’s power. It also includes the four 1970s-era Pickering “A” reactors, which are not currently being considered for refurbishment. Two have been dormant for decades after an aborted refurbishment, and the remaining two are scheduled to shut down permanently this year.
OPG’s current licence for Pickering B allows its reactors to operate only to the end of this year. OPG has applied to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, which regulates the industry, for permission to operate them until late 2026. CNSC approval would also be required for a refurbishment.
Refurbishment involves replacing major components to extend reactors’ operating lives by 30 years, although the list of required upgrades varies from station to station. Subo Sinnathamby, OPG’s chief projects officer, told The Globe earlier this month that, if the project were approved, OPG would begin Pickering’s refurbishment in 2028, with the goal of returning its reactors to service by the mid-2030s. Previous refurbishments have unfolded over longer periods.
“It is a compressed timeline,” she acknowledged. But she added that this time OPG will benefit from the experience it and its contractors and suppliers gained during previous refurbishments.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-pickering-nuclear-reactor/
| 2024-01-30T01:49:48
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The overall earnings for the semiconductor industry this earnings season is expected to be better than the year-ago quarter. After a challenging period marked by economic headwinds and disruptions in the supply chain, semiconductor stocks appear to be on the brink of a significant comeback, fueled by a steady increase in sales.
The semiconductor market grappled with challenges arising from pandemic-induced disruptions in the supply chain and the Federal Reserve's stringent monetary policies, which subdued demand and led to a decline in sales. However, with the easing of inflationary pressures and a gradual recovery in demand, the industry has been on an upward trajectory since the second quarter of 2023.
The advent of generative AI has further attracted investments. The technology has already proven beneficial across a variety of industries, including marketing, advertising, customer service, education, content creation, healthcare, automotive, energy and utilities and video game development.
The growing proliferation of generative AI has boosted the demand for chips, benefiting semiconductor sales. According to the latest data released by the Semiconductor Industry Association, global semiconductor sales grew 5.3% to $48 billion in November 2023, marking the first year-over-year increase since August 2022. This year-over-year rise also came after eight consecutive months of sequential growth, signifying a strong recovery.
How to Make the Right Choice?
With the presence of several industry participants, finding the right tech stocks with the potential to beat on earnings can be daunting. However, our proprietary methodology makes this task fairly simple.
You could narrow down your choices by looking at stocks that have the perfect combination of two key elements — a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold).
Earnings ESP is our proprietary methodology for determining stocks that have maximum chances of beating estimates in their next earnings announcement. It is the percentage difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Our research shows that for stocks with this favorable mix of ingredients, the odds of a positive earnings surprise are as high as 70%.
4 Semiconductor Stocks That Match the Criteria
Silicon Motion Technology (SIMO - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +4.92% and a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The company is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter 2023 results on Feb 6. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has increased 5 cents upward to 76 cents per share over the past 30 days.
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +3.68% and currently has a Zacks Rank of 2.
The company is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 results on Feb 21. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has increased by a penny to $4.49 per share over the past 30 days.
Allegro MicroSystems (ALGM - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.16% and a Zacks Rank #3.
The company is set to report third-quarter fiscal 2024 results on Feb 1. The consensus mark for earnings has been steady at 29 cents per share over the past 60 days.
Ambarella (AMBA - Free Report) is expected to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 results on Feb 27. The company has an Earnings ESP of +0.60% and a Zacks Rank of 3.
The consensus estimate for the bottom line is pegged at a loss of 33 cents per share, 5 cents narrower than the loss of 38 cents expected 60 days ago.
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216877/4-semiconductor-stocks-poised-to-beat-estimates-this-earnings
| 2024-01-30T01:49:50
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The Liberals and Conservatives sharpened their attacks in the House of Commons on Monday, with Pierre Poilievre charging that under Justin Trudeau’s government people are starving, while the minority government accused his party of crying “crocodile tears” for struggling Canadians.
The attacks were levelled in the first Question Period of the winter sitting. As MPs returned to Parliament, the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP tried to stake out their positions as the party most dedicated to the affordability crisis. The government suggested the Competition Bureau use its new subpoena powers to study the grocery market, the NDP called for an emergency debate on housing, and the Conservatives doubled down on their demands the government axe the carbon tax.
“I would like to welcome the Prime Minister back,” Mr. Poilievre said in reference to Mr. Trudeau’s gifted vacation to a Jamaican resort over New Year’s.
“Given that he gives himself a free vacation at other people’s expense, will he at least allow Canadians to heat their homes without his tax?” he asked.
In the flurry of responses to carbon price questions, Mr. Trudeau attacked the opposition party for failing to present a climate plan and defended the carbon price and its accompanying rebate. The Prime Minister also questioned whether individual Tories supported the Conservative’s decision to vote against issues they had previously championed.
“While the Conservative Leader is muzzling his own caucus and putting himself first, we will keep putting Canadians first,” Mr. Trudeau replied.
But Mr. Poilievre countered that it was backbench Liberal MP Ken McDonald who has been muzzled. The Newfoundland and Labrador MP called for a leadership review of Mr. Trudeau last week but recanted after having a conversation with the Liberal party whip.
That demand overshadowed the government’s caucus retreat, which was aimed at mapping out a strategy for the Liberals as they try to claw their way back from a double-digit drop in the polls and counter a buoyed Conservative Party.
But at the end of those meetings, Liberals insisted they were united and promised to present a pointier contrast with the Conservatives. Political scientist and Dalhousie University professor Lori Turnbull said the shift was exemplified in Monday’s Question Period.
“The increased edginess is on purpose,” Prof. Turnbull said, describing the atmosphere in the House as toxic.
In one exchange, Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer described Mr. Trudeau as being “pathologically obsessed” with the carbon price policy, at the expense of Canadians who are struggling to put food on the table.
“When the Conservatives talk about working families, everyone knows that those are crocodile tears,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland countered, pointing to the party’s opposition to the Liberal’s child-care program.
Prof. Turnbull said the dramatic lead the Conservatives hold in the polls shows how big the challenge is for the Prime Minister, who is seeking a fourth consecutive mandate and has already served eight years in government.
“He’s increasingly on the defence and not just for the government, but for himself,” Prof. Turnbull said.
She said decisions like Mr. Trudeau accepting a free vacation to Jamaica over the holidays amplifies questions about his judgment. “I don’t think he sees how this comes across, and he doesn’t see this as the liability that it is,” Prof. Turnbull said.
Despite the leadership discontent that went public last week, Ms. Freeland told reporters that during the cabinet and caucus retreats last week, Mr. Trudeau reiterated to his colleagues that he’s staying.
“The Prime Minister was very clear, as he has been, that he intends to lead our party in the next election. He has my full support,” she said.
Ms. Freeland, Housing Minister Sean Fraser, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Treasury Board president Anita Anand have all been touted as possible leadership successors. None of them answered The Globe and Mail’s question Monday about whether they are considering a bid for the top job.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-liberals-conservatives-sharpen-attacks-as-mps-return-to-the-house-of/
| 2024-01-30T01:49:54
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After securing a provincial title with a three-man lineup, the members of Team Glenn Howard will be Regina-bound in about a month to play in the Montana’s Brier.
What remains uncertain is whether the short-handed crew will add a player – and if so, who – for the Canadian men’s curling championship.
Howard’s status remains uncertain due to lingering pain in his surgically repaired left knee. Son Scott Howard skipped the team to victory at last week’s Ontario playdowns and will likely throw last stone again at the March 1-10 nationals at Brandt Centre.
“Over the next little while – probably a week or so – we’re going to start batting out some names and see who [might] fit that mould for our team to give us the best chance to hopefully win this thing,” Scott said.
The elder Howard served as a coach last week in the London, Ont., suburb of Dorchester. He hasn’t played a competitive game in almost two months and remains out indefinitely.
Scott ran the table in his place and made a draw to the button for an 8-7 extra-end win over Jayden King in the final.
“The best part is I felt so confident,” Scott said Monday. “I felt comfortable actually the whole week skipping and having that last rock.”
The younger Howard usually plays third but has skipped on occasion over the years. He also guided the team to victory at a bonspiel last month in Penticton, B.C., when Glenn’s knee “seized up” midway through the event.
The Penetanguishene, Ont.,-based side, which also includes lead Tim March and second David Mathers, does not use a regular fifth player. Adam Spencer and Wayne Middaugh have served as team alternates on occasion in the past.
If the team decides to add a player, it can pick up anyone who played in the Ontario championship or any free agent who hasn’t competed in another provincial/territorial playdown this season, a Curling Canada spokesperson said in an e-mail.
Three-man squads are used infrequently in team curling but sometimes can be quite effective.
One of the more notable examples came in 2022 when Brad Gushue won the Brier without vice Mark Nichols, who missed the final weekend due to a positive COVID-19 test.
However, the Brier is a 10-day competition from start to finish. The physical toll on a short-handed squad would be more significant than at a shorter event like a provincial playdown or a Grand Slam.
Last week, March threw the first three rocks of each end for the team before sweeping the next five. His body “took a pretty big beating,” Scott said, adding that physiotherapy was needed after every game.
“It’s not like you get a break here or there being the opposite-side sweeper,” Scott said. “He’s sweeping hard every single rock … throughout 10 ends, it’s a daunting task for sure.”
Defending champion Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Calgary’s Brendan Bottcher and Winnipeg’s Matt Dunstone are some of the Brier headliners. The full 18-team field will be finalized Feb. 11.
Also Monday, Curling Canada released the draw for the Feb. 16-25 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary.
Canada skip Kerri Einarson, who’s aiming to win a record fifth straight Hearts crown, will open against Quebec’s Laurie St-Georges at the WinSport Event Centre.
Winnipeg’s Kate Cameron and Corryn Brown of Kamloops, B.C., rounded out the 18-team field based on their positions in the Canadian rankings.
Winnipeg’s Jolene Campbell missed the cutline by just 1.25 ranking points.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-three-man-howard-team-secures-brier-berth-now-its-decision-time-ahead/
| 2024-01-30T01:50:00
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Toronto star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. headlines 18 players scheduled for salary arbitration hearings that start Tuesday and run through Feb. 16 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Guerrero has asked for US$19.9-million and been offered US$18.05-million by the Blue Jays. If the case doesn’t settle, it would be the highest salary awarded in arbitration win or lose, topping the US$14-million Seattle outfielder Teoscar Hernández received after he lost his hearing last year.
A total of 198 players were eligible for arbitration after the November deadline for teams to tender 2024 contracts to unsigned players on their 40-man rosters, and most reached agreements on Jan. 11, when teams and players exchanged proposed salaries. The highest deal was a US$31-million, one-year contract between Juan Soto and the New York Yankees, who acquired the outfielder from San Diego last month.
For players and teams unable to reach agreements, hearings will be held before three-person panels.
Baltimore left-hander Danny Coulombe avoided a hearing when he agreed Monday to a one-year contract with the Orioles guaranteeing US$2.3-million.
Adolis García and Texas have the largest gap at US$1.9*million, with the outfielder asking for US$6.9-million and the team offering US$5-million.
Right-hander Casey Mize and Detroit had the smallest gap among the 22 players who exchanged proposed salaries but then agreed to a one-year contract guaranteeing US$840,000 – an $830,000 salary for this year and a US$3.1-million team option for 2025 with a US$10,000 buyout. The pitcher had asked for US$840,000 and had been offered US$815,000.
Also slated for hearings are Baltimore right-hander Jacob Webb ($1 million vs. $925,000), outfielder Austin Hays ($6.3 million vs. $5.85 million) and first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn ($3.8 million vs. $3.2 million); Houston infielder/outfielder Mauricio Dubón ($3.5 million vs. $3 million); Los Angeles left-hander José Suarez ($1.35 million vs. $925,000) and outfielder Taylor Ward ($4.8 million vs $4.3 million); Minnesota infielder/outfielder Nick Gordon ($1.25 million vs. $900,000); Tampa Bay outfielder Harold Ramírez ($4.3 million vs. $3.8 million) and right-hander Jason Adam ($3.25 million vs. $2.7 million); Cincinnati second baseman Jonathan India ($4 million vs. $3.2 million); Miami second baseman Luis Arraez ($12 million vs. $10.6 million), centrefielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. ($2.9 million vs. $2,625,000) and left-hander Tanner Scott ($5.7 million vs. $5.15 million); New York Mets right-hander Phil Bickford ($900,000 vs. $815,000); Philadelphia third baseman Alec Bohm ($4 million vs. $3.4 million); and San Francisco third baseman J.D. Davis ($6.9 million vs. $6.55 million).
Ramírez and Adam will be trying to win for the second straight year.
Teams have won the majority of decisions for four straight years, going 13-6 in 2023. They lead players 347-257 since arbitration started in 1974.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-vladimir-guerrero-jr-headlines-18-players-scheduled-for-salary/
| 2024-01-30T01:50:06
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Dave Dickenson will have two newcomers to his Calgary Stampeders coaching staff this season.
Dickenson, Calgary’s head coach and general manager, unveiled his 2024 staff Monday and it includes Andre Bolduc (running backs) and Ryan Williams (quarterbacks).
Bolduc, of Alma, Que., has previous coaching experience with the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders and also played six CFL seasons as a receiver with Ottawa, Edmonton and Montreal.
Williams spent the previous six years at the University of Georgia (NCAA champions in 2021 and ’22). He played quarterback at Memphis and Miami before signing with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2016.
Nik Lewis, Juwan Simpson and Des Catellier all return for their second seasons as receivers coach, defensive line coach and offensive/special-teams assistant, respectively.
Mark Kilam, Calgary’s special-teams co-ordinator and assistant head coach, returns for a 20th season in Calgary. Defensive co-ordinator Brent Monson and Pat DelMonaco – the Stampeders offensive co-ordinator and offensive-line coach – are back for their 15th and 11th seasons, respectively.
Dwayne Cameron will enter his fifth season as the squad’s defensive backs coach and draft co-ordinator while linebackers coach Bob Slowick returns for a fourth campaign.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/article-andre-bolduc-ryan-williams-join-calgary-stampeders-coaching-staff/
| 2024-01-30T01:50:12
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One of the largest and most well-known asset management stocks — BlackRock (BLK - Free Report) — kicked off fourth-quarter earnings on Jan 12. In a challenging operating environment, BLK handily surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Higher revenues and assets under management (AUM) balance more than offset a rise in total expenses. In an effort to capitalize on an accelerating demand for infrastructure investment, it announced an agreement to acquire Global Infrastructure Partners for $3 billion in cash and around 12 million shares of BlackRock common stock.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, the industry players continued to face a challenging operating backdrop, though, in the later part of the quarter, some clarity on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate path offered support. We are using our proprietary methodology to find stocks that are poised to outpace the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the fourth quarter. By using the Zacks Stock Screener, we have identified three such asset management stocks — SEI Investments Company (SEIC - Free Report) , T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW - Free Report) and Principal Financial Group, Inc. (PFG - Free Report) .
These stocks have the ideal combination of two key ingredients — a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better — to surpass expectations. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Our proprietary methodology, Earnings ESP, shows the percentage difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Research shows that for stocks with this combination of rank and ESP, chances of a positive earnings surprise are as high as 70%.
Before we go into the details regarding the abovementioned asset managers, let’s first understand the factors that are likely to have influenced quarterly performance.
The performance of equity markets during the fourth quarter was robust. The S&P 500 Index gained 11.2% in the quarter, driven by the central bank’s signal of no further hike in rates this cycle, three interest rate cuts in 2024 and fading near-term recession risks. Thus, the market value of assets witnessed a rise, supporting performance fees.
Further, as the U.S. dollar lost some value, FX favorably impacted the asset managers’ performance. All these supported the asset price and also resulted in net inflows.
On the cost front, as asset managers continue to optimize operations through digital initiatives, expenses are likely to have been manageable. However, fears of an economic slowdown are likely to have driven cost-cutting measures among many industry players, which might have led to one-time restructuring expenses.
Q4 Earnings Expectations
The Zacks Finance sector’s (of which asset management is part) earnings are projected to rise 9.9% year over year in the fourth quarter. This compares with the 9.7% increase recorded in the third quarter of 2023.
(For a detailed look at the earnings growth projections for this sector and others, please read our Earnings Preview.)
3 Potential Safe Bets
SEI Investments, based in Oaks, PA, is a leading provider of wealth management business solutions in the financial services industry. The company offers investment processing, management and operations solutions globally.
Similar to other industry players, SEIC is likely to have benefited from solid equity market performance in the to-be-reported quarter. This is likely to have aided the company’s inflows and AUM balance.
SEI Investments is scheduled to announce results on Jan 31 after market close. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its fourth-quarter earnings of 91 cents per share implies a rise of 9.6% from the year-ago reported figure. SEIC has an Earnings ESP of +0.64% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
T. Rowe Price, based in Baltimore, is a global investment management organization that provides a broad array of mutual funds, sub-advisory services and separate account management for individual and institutional investors, retirement plans and financial intermediaries.
TROW continues to focus on fortifying its business by enhancing investment capabilities, broadening distribution reach and investing in new product offerings, which will support revenue growth. The company reported a Dec 31, 2023 preliminary AUM balance of $1.45 trillion. Though it has improved on a year-over-year basis, the company recorded preliminary net outflows of $28.3 billion during the fourth quarter. Thus, this is likely to have marred the company’s performance fee to some extent.
T. Rowe Price is slated to announce results on Feb 8 before market open. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s fourth-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.60, implying a fall of 8.1% year over year. TROW has an Earnings ESP of +1.33% and a Zacks Rank #3.
Des Moines, Iowa-based Principal Financial is a leader in global investment management, offering a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through its diverse family of financial services companies.
PFG’s operations capitalize on the extensive distribution footprint, best-in-class solutions, strategic buyouts and operational discipline. As the uncertainty over the macroeconomic backdrop was over, the performance of equity markets improved in the fourth quarter of 2023. Thus, like other industry players, the company is likely to have witnessed improvement in the inflow and a rise in the AUM balance.
Principal Financial is scheduled to announce fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 numbers on Feb 12 after the closing bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter earnings of $1.70 indicates no change from the prior-year quarter. PFG has an Earnings ESP of +2.00% and a Zacks Rank #3.
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216896/3-asset-management-stocks-set-to-pull-off-earnings-beat-in-q4
| 2024-01-30T01:50:15
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Time has done little to erase Theo Benedet’s disappointment.
On Nov. 25, the towering University of British Columbia tackle capped a decorated college football career playing in the Vanier Cup. But there wouldn’t be a storybook ending as the Montreal Carabins got past the Thunderbirds 16-9 at Richardson Stadium in Kingston, Ont.
Two months later, the sting of that defeat still lingers.
“Oh, it’s still there,” Benedet said during a telephone interview. “It’s obviously tough still at this point to look back on the season and feel good about it given the way it ended.”
At least, though, there promises to be more football in Benedet’s future.
The native of North Vancouver, B.C., was ranked No. 2 last week on the CFL Scouting Bureau’s top-20 winter list for the ’24 draft. The 6-foot-7, 305-pound offensive lineman has also garnered attention south of the border, having played in the College Gridiron Showcase earlier this month in Texas after suiting up for the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl.
The NFL draft is slated for April 25-27 in Detroit, and even if Benedet isn’t selected he could sign with a club as an undrafted free agent. The date of the CFL draft hasn’t been released yet but it traditionally follows the NFL's.
“To have interest on both sides of the border is perfect at this point,” Benedet said. “No matter what happens I know I'll have a place to play football next year and that’s really all I want.”
The prospect of waiting over three months for clarity on where he'll play next doesn’t bother Benedet, especially considering just how fast the last five years went by at UBC.
“It’s crazy,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s definitely surreal how far I've come.
“I came just hoping to play college football and get on the field and now all of this has happened. It’s insane, really.”
Benedet was a starter at UBC since his rookie campaign in 2019. Last year, he helped the Thunderbirds reach the Vanier Cup for the first time since 2015.
The 2023 season was another stellar one for Benedet. He captured the J.P. Metras Trophy as Canadian university’s football’s top down lineman for a second straight year, becoming the first offensive lineman to do so and just the third player overall.
And for a second straight year, Benedet secured All-Canadian honours. He also said the experience of playing in the two American college all-star contests really helped him elevate his game.
“They've been huge for me,” he said. “When I went to the Shrine game last year, it was knowing I was almost certainly going to come back to school so it was a chance to be around professional coaches and find places where I could improve.
“I came back this year understanding how to play without the yard [between offensive/defensive line in Canada], how to get out of my stance and use my hands better. And then at the Gridiron Showcase, I think I implemented a lot of those things and did really well and so to be able to show I could do well against Americans has helped me a lot.”
Benedet will audition for pro scouts at UBC’s pro day sometime in March. He’s been able to concentrate fully on training after having put the finishing touches on his history degree, meaning he'll be able to graduate in May.
“I planned it that way so I'd be able to focus on training and not also have to worry about school,” he said. “And now, my mom is happy because I finished my degree.”
While the prospect of playing pro football is enticing, Benedet has bittersweet emotions about leaving UBC.
“To have it end without a championship is tough,” he said. “But I look back at least fondly on the bonds I created with teammates there and what we were able to accomplish.”
He added playing for Thunderbirds head coach Blake Nill has prepared him well for whatever lies ahead.
“Coach Nill has instilled so much in me about understanding the importance of hard work,” Benedet said. “He always talks about the integrity of the game, how you can’t cheat it and that at the end of the day the truth will catch up to you if you’re not working hard.
“Obviously I’ve learned so much football stuff regarding technique but in the long-term that’s what I’ll take with me. For everything he’s done for me, it would’ve been nice to pay him back with [Vanier Cup championship] but unfortunately just wasn’t meant to be.”
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/article-benedet-dealing-with-disappointment-of-ubcs-vanier-cup-loss-eyeing-pro/
| 2024-01-30T01:50:20
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It is never too late to invest in mutual funds for retirement. As such, if you plan to invest in some of the best funds, the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank can provide you with valuable guidance.
The easiest, most reliable way to judge a mutual fund's quality over time is by analyzing its performance, diversification, and fees. The Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, which covers over 19,000 mutual funds, has helped us identify three outstanding options that are perfect for any long-term investors' portfolios that is retirement-focused.
Here are the funds that have achieved the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and have low fees.
MassMutual Select Small Cap Growth Equity A (MMGEX - Free Report) : 1.42% expense ratio and 0.8% management fee. MMGEX is a Small Cap Growth mutual fund building their portfolio around stocks with market caps under $2 billion and large growth opportunities. With annual returns of 12.14% over the last five years, this fund is a winner.
MainStay Large Cap Growth Investor (MLINX - Free Report) . Expense ratio: 1.21%. Management fee: 0.61%. MLINX is a Large Cap Growth option; these mutual funds purchase stakes in numerous large U.S. companies that are expected to develop and grow at a faster rate than other large-cap stocks. This fund has managed to produce a robust 17.25% over the last five years.
T. Rowe Price Value Adviser (PAVLX - Free Report) : 0.94% expense ratio and 0.56% management fee. PAVLX is a Large Cap Value fund. These funds invest in stocks with a market cap of $10 billion of more, but whose share prices do not reflect their intrinsic value. With a five-year annual return of 12.2%, this fund is a well-diversified fund with a long track record of success.
We hope that your investment advisor (if you use one) has you invested in one or all of the top-ranked mutual funds we've reviewed. But if that isn't the case, it might be time to have a conversation or reconsider this vitally important relationship.
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MainStay Winslow LargeCap Grow Inv (MLINX) - free report >>
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216897/3-top-ranked-mutual-funds-for-your-retirement
| 2024-01-30T01:50:21
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There is never a wrong time to invest in mutual funds for retirement. So, if you're still looking for the best mutual funds, the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank can be a great guide.
How can you tell a good mutual fund from a bad one? It's pretty basic: if the fund is diversified, has low fees, and shows strong performance, it's a keeper. Of course, there's a wide range, but using the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, we've found three mutual funds that would be great additions to any long-term retirement investors' portfolios.
Let's learn about some of Zacks' highest ranked mutual funds with low fees you may want to consider.
If you are looking to diversify your portfolio, consider AQR Global Equity Fund N (AQGNX - Free Report) . AQGNX is a Global - Equity mutual fund investing in bigger markets like the U.S., Europe, and Japan; these kinds of funds aren't limited by geography. This fund is a winner, boasting an expense ratio of 1.05%, management fee of 0.6%, and a five-year annualized return track record of 10.51%.
AB Equity Income Z (AUIZX - Free Report) : 0.69% expense ratio and 0.55% management fee. AUIZX is a Large Cap Value mutual fund, which invests in stocks with a market cap of $10 billion of more, but whose share prices do not reflect their intrinsic value. AUIZX, with annual returns of 12.6% over the last five years, is a well-diversified fund with a long track record of success.
Principal EDGE Midcap Instl (PEDGX - Free Report) : 0.77% expense ratio and 0.65% management fee. PEDGX is a Mid Cap Blend mutual fund, and usually features a portfolio with stocks of various styles and sizes, allowing for diversification within a strategy that focuses on mid cap companies. The fund is mainly invested in equities, has a long reputation of salutary performance, and has yearly returns of 12.29% over the last five years.
We hope that your investment advisor (if you use one) has you invested in one or all of the top-ranked mutual funds we've reviewed. But if that isn't the case, it might be time to have a conversation or reconsider this vitally important relationship.
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AB Equity Income Z (AUIZX) - free report >>
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216898/are-these-3-top-ranked-mutual-funds-in-your-retirement-portfolio?
| 2024-01-30T01:50:27
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Dan Campbell’s aggressiveness bit his team.
The Detroit Lions blew a 17-point halftime lead and missed an opportunity to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history because their head coach stuck to the same philosophy that helped him turn a perennial loser into a championship contender.
Hard to blame Campbell for staying true to himself.
On a Sunday filled with superlative performances by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in the AFC championship game and a stellar comeback by Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers against the Lions in the NFC title game, Campbell’s fourth-down decisions stole the spotlight.
Even another playoff failure by Lamar Jackson won’t compare to the second-guessing Campbell will surely face throughout the offseason.
Kansas City are heading back to the Super Bowl to face the 49ers with a chance at a rare repeat in a rematch from four years ago.
But much of the talk is focused on Campbell’s gambles.
He was aggressive when the Lions went 3-13-1 in his first season in 2021 and he hasn’t wavered in his go-for-broke approach. The Lions have led the NFL with 62 conversions on fourth down in Campbell’s three seasons.
However, they couldn’t convert when the stakes were highest.
After the 49ers kicked a field goal on the opening drive of the third quarter, the Lions drove into San Francisco’s territory and had a chance to regain their 17-point lead with a 46-yard attempt by Michael Badgley.
But Campbell chose to go for a fourth-and-2 from the 28 instead of taking the field goal. Jared Goff’s pass bounced out of Josh Reynolds’s hands, giving the 49ers some hope.
“I feel like going for it on fourth down a lot will come back to bite you,” Niners edge rusher Nick Bosa said.
Purdy led them on a touchdown drive, tossing a six-yard scoring pass to Brandon Aiyuk. Lions rookie Jahmyr Gibbs fumbled on the next play and Christian McCaffrey ran in from the 1 to tie it at 24-24.
After Jake Moody’s field goal gave San Francisco a 27-24 lead, the Lions faced a fourth-and-3 from the 49ers 30 midway through the fourth quarter. Campbell passed up a shot at a tying field goal and Goff threw an incompletion.
Purdy drove the Niners for another TD that gave them a 10-point cushion and Detroit couldn’t recover an onside kick after closing within 34-31.
“I just felt really good about us converting and getting our momentum and not letting them play long ball,” Campbell explained. “They were bleeding the clock out, and that’s what they do. And, I wanted to get the upper hand back. It’s easy in hindsight, and I get it. I get that. But, I don’t regret those decisions. And, it’s hard. It’s hard because we didn’t come through. It wasn’t able to work out. … And, I understand the scrutiny I’ll get. That’s part of the gig, man. But, it just didn’t work out.”
Campbell, the 6-foot-5, 265-pound former NFL tight end, can handle the criticism. He knew the Lions were underdogs and hadn’t won a road playoff game since capturing their last NFL championship in 1957. Before beating the Rams and Buccaneers this month, they had only one playoff win in the previous 65 seasons.
He wasn’t going to come this close and change his coaching style.
“I told those guys, this may have been our only shot,” Campbell said. “Do I think that? No. Do I believe that? No. However, I know how hard it is to get here. I’m well aware. And it’s gonna be twice as hard to get back to this point next year than it was this year. That’s the reality. And if we don’t have the same hunger and the same work, which is a whole other thing once we get to the offseason, then we got no shot of getting back here.
“I don’t care how much better we get or what we add or what we draft. It’s irrelevant. It’s gonna be tough. Everybody in our division’s gonna be loaded back up. And, you’re not hiding from anybody any more. Everybody’s gonna want a piece of you. Which is fine, you know. Which is fine. So it’s hard. You wanna make the most of every opportunity. And we had an opportunity and we just couldn’t close it out.”
Others will wonder what would’ve happened if Campbell took the points, though field goals of 45-plus yards are no guarantee. He won’t.
The Lions went down doing what they did to get here.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/article-hard-to-blame-dan-campbell-for-staying-true-to-his-aggressive-self/
| 2024-01-30T01:50:26
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Tickets on at least one secondary-market site were the most expensive in Super Bowl history on Monday, underscoring the anticipation of the game’s Las Vegas debut between the defending champion and what likely is the most popular team in the West.
Oh, and the great possibility Taylor Swift will be on hand when Kansas City plays the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11.
The average purchase price on TickPick was US$9,815 on Monday morning. That’s nearly double the final average price of US$5,795 for last year’s game between Kansas City and Philadelphia Eagles in Glendale, Ariz., although current prices could decline.
It’s also more than the previous high of US$7,046 for the 2021 game in Tampa between the Buccaneers and Kansas City. The stadium was at 33-per-cent capacity because of COVID-19 restrictions, increasing the demand for each ticket.
TickPick’s highest non-COVID Super Bowl was in 2020 at Miami Gardens, Fla., when Kansas City and the Niners met for the first time in the championship game. That average price was US$6,370.
The cheapest ticket on TickPick for this year’s game was US$8,188 on Monday, more than the US$5,997 low price at this point last year.
“Location has always impacted demand for a Super Bowl, but Vegas takes things to a whole other level,” TickPick co-CEO Brett Goldberg said in a statement to the Associated Press. “It’s already the entertainment capital of the world, and could very well become the sports capital of the world after the Super Bowl.
“With both teams having made at least one Super Bowl appearance in the past five years, we would typically expect there to be slight fatigue from fans, in turn causing prices to dip. Instead, we’re seeing demand hit record highs and a big driver being that fans want to experience their team winning a Super Bowl in Vegas.”
StubHub was experiencing similar demand with an average price of tickets sold at US$9,300 on Monday, though that trails the Super Bowl two years ago. The average at the same time was US$9,797 for the game in Inglewood, Calif., when the hometown Los Angeles Rams were preparing to play the Cincinnati Bengals.
The lowest-priced ticket on StubHub for this year’s game was US$6,500.
Sales on that website are 90 per cent greater than last year at this time and 147 per cent greater than the 2020 meeting between Kansas City and San Francisco.
The convenient location for 49ers fans is helping drive demand, with California residents accounting for 26 per cent of tickets sold on StubHub. That’s more than the combined tickets sold to those who live in Nevada (8 per cent) and Kansas or Missouri (7 per cent).
“As predicted, the first Super Bowl in Vegas is seeing strong numbers – sales are nearly double this time last year and early demand has far surpassed the last time Kansas City and San Francisco met in Miami,” StubHub spokesman Adam Budelli said in a statement.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/article-las-vegas-first-super-bowl-is-driving-record-prices-on-the-secondary/
| 2024-01-30T01:50:33
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There is never a wrong time to invest in mutual funds for retirement. So, if you're still looking for the best mutual funds, the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank can be a great guide.
How can you tell a good mutual fund from a bad one? It's pretty basic: if the fund is diversified, has low fees, and shows strong performance, it's a keeper. Of course, there's a wide range, but using the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, we've found three mutual funds that would be great additions to any long-term retirement investors' portfolios.
Let's learn about some of Zacks' highest ranked mutual funds with low fees you may want to consider.
If you are looking to diversify your portfolio, consider American Century Small Cap Value R6 (ASVDX - Free Report) . ASVDX is a Small Cap Value fund, and these funds are known for investing in companies with market caps under $2 billion. This fund is a winner, boasting an expense ratio of 0.74%, management fee of 0.73%, and a five-year annualized return track record of 15%.
Voya Mid Cap Opportunities Portfolio S (ISMOX - Free Report) : 0.91% expense ratio and 0.79% management fee. ISMOX is a Mid Cap Growth mutual fund. These funds aim to target companies with a market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion that are also expected to exhibit more extensive growth opportunities for investors than their peers. ISMOX, with annual returns of 13.42% over the last five years, is a well-diversified fund with a long track record of success.
Transamerica Large Cap Value I2 (TWQZX - Free Report) : 0.63% expense ratio and 0.58% management fee. TWQZX is a part of the Large Cap Value category, and invests in equities with a market capitalization of $10 billion or more, but whose share prices do not reflect their intrinsic value. The fund is mainly invested in equities, has a long reputation of salutary performance, and has yearly returns of 10.4% over the last five years.
We hope that your investment advisor (if you use one) has you invested in one or all of the top-ranked mutual funds we've reviewed. But if that isn't the case, it might be time to have a conversation or reconsider this vitally important relationship.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Voya Mid Cap Opportunities Port S (ISMOX) - free report >>
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216899/are-these-3-top-ranked-mutual-funds-in-your-retirement-portfolio?
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Anthony Lanier II will be returning for a fourth season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
According to a league source, the six-foot-six, 285-pound defensive lineman signed a one-year contract extension with the CFL club Monday. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity as the Riders haven’t announced the move.
But Saskatchewan did announce Monday that Canadian defensive back Nelson Lokombo, the second player taken in the 2021 CFL draft, had signed a one-year extension with the club.
Both Lanier and Lokombo were slated to become CFL free agents next month.,
Lanier, a 30-year-old Georgia native, has appeared in 35 career regular-season games with Saskatchewan. He has registered 51 tackles, 14 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Lokombo, who played his college football at the University of Saskatchewan, has played in 23 regular-season games (starting five) with the Riders. He has recorded 18 tackles, four special-teams tackles and a forced fumble.
At the University of Saskatchewan, Lokombo earned the Presidents’ Trophy as Canadian university football’s top defensive player.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers agree to extension with Canadian centre Kolankowski
WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with Canadian centre Chris Kolankowski on Monday.
Kolankowski was slated to become a free agent Feb. 13.
The six-foot-one, 309-pound Toronto native started all 18 regular-season games last season with Winnipeg. He’s entering his seventh CFL season and fourth with the Blue Bombers.
Kolankowski was originally drafted by the Toronto Argonauts in 2016.
Calgary Stampeders re-sign American defensive back Titus Wall
CALGARY – The Calgary Stampeders re-signed American defensive Titus Wall on Monday.
Wall was slated to become a free agent Feb. 13.
The six-foot, 200-pound Wall has appeared in 22 games over two seasons with Calgary. He has registered 94 tackles (eight for loss), 10 special-teams tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Wall has also scored two defensive touchdowns – one on an interception, the other coming on a fumble return.
Toronto Argonauts re-sign linebacker Jones to contract extension
TORONTO – American linebacker Jonathan Jones signed a contract extension with the Toronto Argonauts on Monday.
Jones was eligible to become a CFL free agent next month.
The five-foot-eleven 230-pound Jones had 49 tackles, 13 special-teams tackles, seven sacks and an interception in 18 regular-season games last year. He joined the Argos as a free agent in 2022, appearing in six games that year.
Jones, 26, played collegiately at both Notre Dame and Toledo.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/article-saskatchewan-roughriders-re-sign-veteran-lanier-to-contract-extension/
| 2024-01-30T01:50:40
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The U.S. economy has shown remarkable strength this year, culminating in the S&P 500 Index’s all-time high last week. With three consecutive weeks of gain and 12 out of 13 weeks in positive territory, Wall Street's benchmark has demonstrated resilience.
Following a notable decline in the inflation rate last year, the Federal Reserve responded by initially scaling back the intensity of interest rate hikes and eventually halting them altogether in July 2023. This strategic decision contributed to an impressive 23.9% rally in the S&P 500 Index last year.
Going forward in 2024, the Fed is poised to implement an interest rate reduction. This move is anticipated to be favorable for stock markets, as a lower risk-free interest rate will decrease the discount rate, positively impacting the net present value of equity investments. Bolstered by robust economic growth in the fourth quarter, the outlook for markets in 2024 remains optimistic.
In light of this favorable scenario, astute investors are concentrating on relative price performance, strategically identifying and capitalizing on promising opportunities that offer the potential for accelerated returns.
Relative Price Strength Strategy
Whether a stock has the potential to offer considerable returns is determined primarily by its earnings and valuation ratios. Simultaneously, it is essential to check whether its price performance exceeds its peers or the industry average.
Upon such comparison, if we find that a stock is unable to match up to wider sectoral growth despite having impressive earnings momentum or valuation multiples, it may be better to avoid it.
However, those outperforming their respective industries or benchmarks should be included in your portfolio since they have a higher chance of securing significant returns. Picking a stock that outperforms its peers ensures a winning option on your hands.
Then again, it is imperative that you determine whether or not an investment has relevant upside potential when considering stocks with significant relative price strength. Stocks delivering better than the S&P 500 for 1 to 3 months at least and having solid fundamentals indicate room for growth and are the best ways to go about this strategy.
Finally, it is crucial to find out whether analysts are optimistic about the upcoming earnings of these companies. In order to do this, we have added positive estimate revisions for the current quarter’s (Q1) earnings to our screen. When a stock undergoes an upward revision, it leads to additional price gains.
Screening Parameters
Relative % Price change – 12 weeks greater than 0
Relative % Price change – 4 weeks greater than 0
Relative % Price change – 1 week greater than 0
(We have considered those stocks that have been outperforming the S&P 500 over the last 12 weeks, four weeks and one week.)
% Change (Q1) Est. over 4 Weeks greater than 0: Positive current-quarter estimate revisions over the last four weeks.
Zacks Rank equal to 1: Only Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks — that have returned more than 26% annually over the last 26 years and surpassed the S&P 500 in 23 of the last 26 years — can get through. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Current Price greater than or equal to $5 and Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 50,000: A minimum price of $5 is a good standard to screen low-priced stocks, while a high trading volume would imply adequate liquidity.
VGM Score less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy), offer the best upside potential.
Here are five of the seven stocks that made it through the screen:
AZZ Inc. (AZZ - Free Report) : Based in Fort Worth, TX, the company is engaged in the galvanizing and coil coatings business. AZZ’s expected EPS growth rate for three to five years is currently 14%, which compares favorably with the industry's growth rate of 10.9%. The company has a VGM Score of A.
Notably, the 2024 Zacks Consensus Estimate for AZZ indicates 4.9% year-over-year earnings per share growth. The company has a market capitalization of $1.6 billion. AZZ shares have gone up 50.7% in a year.
Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (UTI - Free Report) : Founded in 1965, it operates workplace training programs for professionals in the technical industry and transportation. The fiscal 2024 Zacks Consensus Estimate for this firm indicates 376.9% year-over-year earnings per share growth. Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, UTI has a VGM Score of B.
Universal Technical Institute beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and missed in the other. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 188.5%, on average. UTI shares have risen 104.4% in a year.
Acuity Brands, Inc. (AYI - Free Report) : Based in Atlanta, GA, Acuity Brands specializes in lighting and building management solutions across North America and beyond. Over the past 60 days, this firm saw the Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2024 move up 10.5%. AYI has a VGM Score of B.
The fiscal 2024 Zacks Consensus Estimate for Acuity Brands indicates 5.3% year-over-year earnings per share growth. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 13.9% on average. AYI shares have increased 29.2% in a year.
PACCAR Inc. (PCAR - Free Report) : The company is a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicles in the world and has substantial manufacturing exposure to light/medium trucks. Over the past 60 days, this Bellevue, WA-based firm saw the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 move up 6.6%. PCAR has a VGM Score of A.
PACCAR beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 17.1%, on average. PCAR shares have increased 40.3% in a year.
The Progressive Corporation (PGR - Free Report) : It is one of the major auto insurers in the country. The 2024 Zacks Consensus Estimate for this firm indicates 40.3% year-over-year earnings per share growth. Headquartered in Mayfield, OH, PGR has a VGM Score of B.
Progressive’s expected EPS growth rate for three to five years is currently 20.9%, which compares favorably with the industry's growth rate of 13.4%. PGR shares have shot up 32.5% in a year.
You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.
The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.
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Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216901/5-relative-price-strength-stocks-compelling-enough-to-buy
| 2024-01-30T01:50:40
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Team captain Marie-Philip Poulin and defender Ella Shelton are among the players looking to build on strong seasons in the Professional Women’s Hockey League when the Rivalry Series between Canada and the United States resumes next month.
Poulin and Shelton were among 24 players selected to Canada’s roster for the final three games of the series, which includes games Feb. 7 in Saskatoon and Feb. 9 in Regina before wrapping up Feb. 11 in St. Paul, Minn.
Poulin, one of the top players in international women’s hockey with three Olympic championship-winning goals to her credit, has continued her success at the club level with Montreal in the inaugural PWHL season.
The Montreal captain entered the week tied for first in the league with six goals in eight games.
Shelton, a defender for New York, scored the first goal in PWHL history in a 4-0 win over Toronto on Jan. 1, leads defenders and is tied for second among all skaters with eight points in eight games.
Fourteen players who competed in Rivalry Series games in Kitchener, Ont. and Sarnia, Ont., in December were named to the roster for the final three games.
Joining Poulin and Shelton as returnees are goaltenders Ann-Renée Desbiens, defenders Ashton Bell, Jaime Bourbonnais, Renata Fast, Jocelyne Laroque and forwards Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner, Emma Maltais, Sarah Nurse, Kristin O’Neill, Laura Stacey and Blayre Turnbull.
Forward Maggie Connors is the lone Rivalry Series rookie on the roster.
The United States leads this year’s series 3-1 and is 13-12 since it started in 2018-19.
Canada:
Goaltenders – Ann-Renée Desbiens, Clermont, Que., Montréal (PWHL); Emerance Maschmeyer, Bruderheim, Alta., Ottawa (PWHL); Corinne Schroeder, Elm Creek, Man., New York (PWHL)
Defenders – Erin Ambrose, Keswick, Ont., Montréal (PWHL); Ashton Bell, Deloraine, Man., Ottawa (PWHL); Jaime Bourbonnais, Mississauga, Ont., New York (PWHL); Jessica DiGirolamo, Mississauga, Boston (PWHL); Renata Fast, Burlington, Ont., Toronto (PWHL); Jocelyne Larocque, Ste. Anne, Man., Toronto (PWHL); Ella Shelton, Ingersoll, Ont., New York (PWHL); Micah Zandee-Hart, Saanichton, B.C., PWHPA
Forwards – Victoria Bach, Milton, Ont., Toronto (PWHL); Emily Clark, Saskatoon, Ottawa (PWHL); Maggie Connors, St. John’s, N.L., Princeton University (ECAC); Jessie Eldridge, Barrie, Ont., New York (PWHL); Brianne Jenner, Oakville, Ont., Ottawa (PWHL); Emma Maltais, Burlington, Ont., Toronto (PWHL); Sarah Nurse, Hamilton, Toronto (PWHL); Kristin O’Neill, Oakville, Montréal (PWHL); Marie-Philip Poulin, Beauceville, Que., Montréal (PWHL); Jamie Lee Rattray, Ottawa, Boston (PWHL); Natalie Spooner, Toronto, PWHPA; Laura Stacey, Kleinburg, Ont., Montréal (PWHL); Blayre Turnbull, Stellarton, N.S., Toronto (PWHL)
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/article-pwhl-stars-poulin-shelton-headline-canadas-rivalry-series-roster/
| 2024-01-30T01:50:46
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Two factors often determine stock prices in the long run: earnings and interest rates. Investors can't control the latter, but they can focus on a company's earnings results every quarter.
We know earnings results are vital, but how a company performs compared to bottom line expectations can be even more important when it comes to stock prices, especially in the near-term. This means that investors might want to take advantage of these earnings surprises.
Now that we know how important earnings and earnings surprises are, it's time to show investors how to take advantage of these events to boost their returns by utilizing the Zacks Earnings ESP filter.
The Zacks Earnings ESP, Explained
The Zacks Earnings ESP, or Expected Surprise Prediction, aims to find earnings surprises by focusing on the most recent analyst revisions. The basic premise is that if an analyst reevaluates their earnings estimate ahead of an earnings release, it means they likely have new information that could possibly be more accurate.
Now that we understand the basic idea, let's look at how the Expected Surprise Prediction works. The ESP is calculated by comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with the percentage difference between the two giving us the Zacks ESP figure.
When we join a positive earnings ESP with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or stronger, stocks posted a positive bottom-line surprise 70% of the time. Plus, this system saw investors produce roughly 28% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.
Most stocks, about 60%, fall into the #3 (Hold) category, and they are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with a #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) rating, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market, with Strong Buy stocks outperforming more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Eli Lilly?
The last thing we will do today, now that we have a grasp on the ESP and how powerful of a tool it can be, is to quickly look at a qualifying stock. Eli Lilly (LLY - Free Report) holds a #3 (Hold) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $2.77 a share eight days away from its upcoming earnings release on February 6, 2024.
LLY has an Earnings ESP figure of +0.19%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $2.77 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.76. Eli Lilly is one of a large database of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
LLY is just one of a large group of Medical stocks with a positive ESP figure. Merck (MRK - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.
Merck is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on February 1, 2024. MRK's Most Accurate Estimate sits at -$0.07 a share three days from its next earnings release.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Merck is -$0.09, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +23.45%.
Because both stocks hold a positive Earnings ESP, LLY and MRK could potentially post earnings beats in their next reports.
Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're Reported
Use the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216951/how-to-find-strong-medical-stocks-slated-for-positive-earnings-surprises
| 2024-01-30T01:53:59
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Earnings are arguably the most important single number on a company's quarterly financial report. Wall Street clearly dives into all of the other metrics and management's input, but the EPS figure helps cut through all the noise.
Life and the stock market are both about expectations, and rising above what is expected is often rewarded, while falling short can come with negative consequences. Investors might want to try to capture stronger returns by finding positive earnings surprises.
Now that we know how important earnings and earnings surprises are, it's time to show investors how to take advantage of these events to boost their returns by utilizing the Zacks Earnings ESP filter.
The Zacks Earnings ESP, Explained
The Zacks Earnings ESP is more formally known as the Expected Surprise Prediction, and it aims to grab the inside track on the latest analyst estimate revisions ahead of a company's report. The idea is relatively intuitive as a newer projection might be based on more complete information.
Now that we understand the basic idea, let's look at how the Expected Surprise Prediction works. The ESP is calculated by comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with the percentage difference between the two giving us the Zacks ESP figure.
Bringing together a positive earnings ESP alongside a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better has helped stocks report a positive earnings surprise 70% of the time. Furthermore, by using these parameters, investors have seen 28.3% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.
Stocks with a ranking of #3 (Hold), or 60% of all stocks covered by the Zacks Rank, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with rankings of #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy), or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market; Strong Buy stocks should outperform more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Dutch Bros?
The last thing we will do today, now that we have a grasp on the ESP and how powerful of a tool it can be, is to quickly look at a qualifying stock. Dutch Bros (BROS - Free Report) holds a #3 (Hold) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.03 a share 30 days away from its upcoming earnings release on February 28, 2024.
BROS has an Earnings ESP figure of +9.38%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.03 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.02. Dutch Bros is one of a large database of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
BROS is just one of a large group of Consumer Staples stocks with a positive ESP figure. Estee Lauder (EL - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.
Estee Lauder is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on February 5, 2024. EL's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $0.57 a share seven days from its next earnings release.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Estee Lauder is $0.55, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +3.55%.
Because both stocks hold a positive Earnings ESP, BROS and EL could potentially post earnings beats in their next reports.
Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're Reported
Use the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216952/how-to-boost-your-portfolio-with-top-consumer-staples-stocks-set-to-beat-earnings
| 2024-01-30T01:54:06
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Two factors often determine stock prices in the long run: earnings and interest rates. Investors can't control the latter, but they can focus on a company's earnings results every quarter.
We know earnings results are vital, but how a company performs compared to bottom line expectations can be even more important when it comes to stock prices, especially in the near-term. This means that investors might want to take advantage of these earnings surprises.
The ability to identify stocks that are likely to top quarterly earnings expectations can be profitable, but it's no simple task. Here at Zacks, our Earnings ESP filter helps make things easier.
The Zacks Earnings ESP, Explained
The Zacks Expected Surprise Prediction, or ESP, works by locking in on the most up-to-date analyst earnings revisions because they can be more accurate than estimates from weeks or even months before the actual release date. The thinking is pretty straightforward: analysts who provide earnings estimates closer to the report are likely to have more information.
Now that we understand the basic idea, let's look at how the Expected Surprise Prediction works. The ESP is calculated by comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with the percentage difference between the two giving us the Zacks ESP figure.
When we join a positive earnings ESP with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or stronger, stocks posted a positive bottom-line surprise 70% of the time. Plus, this system saw investors produce roughly 28% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.
Most stocks, about 60%, fall into the #3 (Hold) category, and they are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with a #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) rating, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market, with Strong Buy stocks outperforming more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Etsy?
The final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. Etsy (ETSY - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) 30 days from its next quarterly earnings release on February 28, 2024, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.80 a share.
Etsy's Earnings ESP sits at +3.17%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.80 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.78. ETSY is also part of a large group of stocks that boast a positive ESP. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
ETSY is one of just a large database of Computer and Technology stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is Veeco Instruments (VECO - Free Report) .
Veeco Instruments is a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on February 14, 2024. VECO's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $0.43 a share 16 days from its next earnings release.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Veeco Instruments is $0.43, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +1.18%.
ETSY and VECO's positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.
Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're Reported
Use the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216956/how-to-boost-your-portfolio-with-top-computer-and-technology-stocks-set-to-beat-earnings
| 2024-01-30T01:54:31
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Earnings are arguably the most important single number on a company's quarterly financial report. Wall Street clearly dives into all of the other metrics and management's input, but the EPS figure helps cut through all the noise.
We know earnings results are vital, but how a company performs compared to bottom line expectations can be even more important when it comes to stock prices, especially in the near-term. This means that investors might want to take advantage of these earnings surprises.
The ability to identify stocks that are likely to top quarterly earnings expectations can be profitable, but it's no simple task. Here at Zacks, our Earnings ESP filter helps make things easier.
The Zacks Earnings ESP, Explained
The Zacks Earnings ESP is more formally known as the Expected Surprise Prediction, and it aims to grab the inside track on the latest analyst estimate revisions ahead of a company's report. The idea is relatively intuitive as a newer projection might be based on more complete information.
With this in mind, the Expected Surprise Prediction compares the Most Accurate Estimate (being the most recent) against the overall Zacks Consensus Estimate. The percentage difference provides the ESP figure. The system also utilizes our core Zacks Rank to provide a stronger system for identifying stocks that might beat their next quarterly earnings estimate and possibly see the stock price climb.
When we join a positive earnings ESP with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or stronger, stocks posted a positive bottom-line surprise 70% of the time. Plus, this system saw investors produce roughly 28% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.
Most stocks, about 60%, fall into the #3 (Hold) category, and they are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with a #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) rating, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market, with Strong Buy stocks outperforming more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Block?
The final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. Block (SQ - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) 24 days from its next quarterly earnings release on February 22, 2024, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.62 a share.
Block's Earnings ESP sits at +10.89%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.62 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.55. SQ is also part of a large group of stocks that boast a positive ESP. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
SQ is one of just a large database of Business Services stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is Paychex (PAYX - Free Report) .
Paychex, which is readying to report earnings on April 3, 2024, sits at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) right now. It's Most Accurate Estimate is currently $1.37 a share, and PAYX is 65 days out from its next earnings report.
Paychex's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +0.26% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.37.
SQ and PAYX's positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.
Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're Reported
Use the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>
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https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2216957/how-to-find-strong-business-services-stocks-slated-for-positive-earnings-surprises
| 2024-01-30T01:54:37
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The Pentagon says a drone attack on a U.S. outpost in Jordan left three Americans dead and more than 40 injured.
The early morning attack over the weekend happened at a housing unit while some Americans slept.
It marked the first deadly airstrike against U.S. bases in the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs confirmed in a tweet that Arizona National Guardsmen were wounded in the strike.
I am heartbroken to hear reports of the Arizona National Guardsmen wounded in action during the attack in Jordan. I’m actively monitoring the situation and my administration is in contact with AZ NG Adjutant General Muehlenbeck. We are ready to offer support for the Guardsmen and…
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) January 29, 2024
Hobbs says the state is ready to offer support for the guardsmen and their families.
The Arizona National Guard released a statement confirming guardsmen were in the area on January 27, but did not reveal how many.
A spokesperson with the Arizona National Guard confirmed Arizona servicemembers were among the eight people needing evacuation or imminent transport for their injuries.
The servicemembers deployed from Arizona last September for Operation Spartan Shield to advise and assist Jordanian forces.
President Joe Biden blames Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq, and has vowed to retaliate.
Iran is denying any role in the attack.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.tv20detroit.com/arizona-national-guard-members-among-the-injured-in-jordan-attack
| 2024-01-30T01:57:46
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Britney Spears isn't being "Toxic" when it comes to her ex Justin Timberlake.
In a Sunday night post to her Instagram, which has now gone private, the pop star issued an apology for some of the stories featuring Timberlake she included in her memoir, "The Woman in Me" — while also showing love for her former boyfriend's new music.
"I wanna apologize for some of the things I wrote about in my book. If I offended any of the people I genuinely care about I am deeply sorry," Spears wrote alongside a video of Timberlake on Thursday's episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." "I also wanted to say I am in love with Justin Timberlake's new song 'Selfish.' It is soo good… PS 'Sanctified is wow too."
The post came a day after Timberlake debuted his gospel-style song "Sanctified" on "Saturday Night Live," where he also performed his upcoming album's lead single, "Selfish." But perhaps more of note, Spears' shout-out to Timberlake's tracks came as her fans have seemingly started a battle for who sang "Selfish" the best.
The day after Timberlake dropped "Selfish" last week, fans rallied to support Spears' 2011 song of the same name, shooting it to No. 1 on the iTunes charts while the former boy bander's single sat at No. 3.
Spears' music videos for her songs "Oops!... I Did It Again" and "I'm a Slave 4 U" also hit the top two spots on iTunes' music videos chart, while Timberlake's "Selfish" music video held third place.
SEE MORE: Reports: Britney Spears had an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake
The fan-induced battle of the exes seemed to draw from their new or renewed disdain toward Timberlake following the release of Spears' memoir last year.
In it, the singer revealed personal details about the pair's three-year relationship, which ended in 2002, including that he urged her to have an abortion — an experience she described as "one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life."
"Justin definitely wasn't happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren't ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young," Spears wrote in the book. "I don't know if that was the right decision. If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it."
Timberlake hasn't commented on the story, but shortly after the story was made public he temporarily disabled his Instagram comments as Spears' fans swarmed with hate, which continues today.
That month, Spears made a now-deleted Instagram post saying she didn't "like the headlines I am reading" and that "most of the book is from 20 years ago … I have moved on."
She continued, saying, "although some might be offended, [writing this book] has given me closure on all things for a better future. Hopefully I can enlighten people who feel particularly alone in most cases or hurt or misunderstood !!!"
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.tv20detroit.com/britney-spears-praises-justin-timberlake-s-new-music-in-apology-post
| 2024-01-30T01:57:52
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