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Okanagan MLAs express concern with removal of religious sign from nativity sceneSuppose you believe that your Social Security benefits only include the monthly money you receive from the Social Security Administration (SSA). In that case, you are underestimating the value generated by all of the processes and policies that are implemented and constantly updated without being directly communicated to you. The Social Security Administration has challenges maintaining its service level as its operating budget shrinks and Americans’ needs grow. Without making any modifications, it will go out of business sooner rather than later. However, those changes will undoubtedly influence your Social Security check, and knowing about them beforehand allows you to prepare or, better still, pressure your officials to accept or disapprove them so that your needs are met. Here, we’ll summarize some of them so you may get a jump start in the new year. Who is going to oversee your Social Security benefits? Martin J. O’Malley served as the SSA Commissioner from December 20th, 2023, to November 29th, 2024. During his eleven-month tenure, he oversaw improvements that decreased wait times from 24 to 13 minutes and increased access to SSA programs, particularly reducing qualifying restrictions for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program . However, its tenure has finished, and Carolyn W. Colvin has been appointed acting commissioner. She has previous experience in this post, serving as an acting commissioner during the Obama administration. Unfortunately, his time may be cut short, as President Trump is set to nominate a new individual for the position once Congress approves it. For the time being, he has nominated Frank Bisignano, an American businessman well-known for his roles as Chairman, President, and CEO in the technology and financial industries, respectively. His most notable achievements involve organizations such as Finserv, First Data Corporation, and JPMorgan Chase. There is an opportunity to analyze how his private sector experience will help streamline SSA benefits and address the agency’s issues. How will customer service impact your Social Security benefits? There will be two changes in how the Social Security Administration deals with its pensioners. They will affect your Social Security benefits. The first is more operational, and it concerns a shift in the methodology used by the SSA to attend to in-person beneficiaries. Beginning January 6th, 2025, the SSA will introduce a mandatory appointment system. You can still visit your local SSA office to have your questions about Social Security checks answered. However, after that date, the only method to be served will be to request an appointment via their national line, 800-772-1213, or by visiting your local office. The second modification may raise some concerns. It means a reduction in the scope of SSA services. It began with a hiring freeze on November 21st, 2024. This measure was necessary since Congress denied the request for additional cash from the federal budget. The SSA is experiencing operational challenges since it requires additional manpower and IT investments to save money. Without further funding, it will be forced to cut its physical presence or apply furloughs for present employees. Hopefully, this is not going to impact any of the Social Security payments . How much will your Social Security benefits increase? Starting January 1st (or December 31st, if you are an SSI member), the new Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) will take effect not just on the Social Security benefits that will be delivered from that point forward but also on other aspects of the SSA’s processes. The current COLA boost is computed using increases in the CPI-W (Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers) that occurred in the third quarter of this year (July, August, and September) and reflects the drop in inflation from last year. As a result, the defined amount was fixed at a 2.5% increase. What other impacts will COLA have on your Social Security benefits? COLA will also affect Social Security benefits by increasing other values, such as the maximum taxable earnings (from $168,600 in 20204 to $176,100 in 2025), the retirement earnings test exempt amounts (from $22,320 in 2024 to $23,400 in 2025), and even income and asset limits if we are referring to the SSI program.

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Joshua Jones threw for one touchdown and ran for three as North Carolina Central wrapped up the regular season with a 52-10 win over Delaware State on Saturday. The defense also contributed a pair of touchdowns on interceptions, Eric Adams in the first quarter went 37 yards and C.J. Henry went 63 yards in the second. In all the Eagles (8-3, 4-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) had five takeaways. Jones had a pair of short scoring runs before the first defensive touchdown for a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Jones was 11-of-15 passing for 199 yards and ran for 57. J'Mari Taylor rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown. Jaden Sutton ran for 113 yards and a touchdown for the Hornets (1-11, 0-5), who lost their 10th straight. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25 Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more.

Analysis: Win or lose at UNC, Belichick's NFL legacy cementedALTOONA, Pa. — After UnitedHealthcare’s CEO was gunned down on a New York sidewalk, police searched for the masked gunman with dogs, drones and scuba divers. Officers used the city's muscular surveillance system. Investigators analyzed DNA samples, fingerprints and internet addresses. Police went door-to-door looking for witnesses. When an arrest came five days later, those sprawling investigative efforts shared credit with an alert civilian's instincts. A Pennsylvania McDonald's customer noticed another patron who resembled the man in the oblique security-camera photos that New York police had publicized. Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry speaks during a press conference regarding the arrest of suspect Luigi Mangione, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pa., in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, was arrested Monday in the killing of Brian Thompson, who headed one of the United States’ largest medical insurance companies. He remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. By late evening, prosecutors in Manhattan had added a charge of murder, according to an online court docket. He's expected to be extradited to New York eventually. It’s unclear whether Mangione has an attorney who can comment on the allegations. Asked at Monday's arraignment whether he needed a public defender, Mangione asked whether he could “answer that at a future date.” Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after the McDonald's customer recognized him and notified an employee, authorities said. Police in Altoona, about 233 miles (375 kilometers) west of New York City, were soon summoned. This booking photo released Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections shows Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Pennsylvania Department of Corrections via AP) They arrived to find Mangione sitting at a table in the back of the restaurant, wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop, according to a Pennsylvania police criminal complaint. He initially gave them a fake ID, but when an officer asked Mangione whether he’d been to New York recently, he “became quiet and started to shake,” the complaint says. When he pulled his mask down at officers' request, “we knew that was our guy,” rookie Officer Tyler Frye said at a news conference in Hollidaysburg. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a Manhattan news conference that Mangione was carrying a gun like the one used to kill Thompson and the same fake ID the shooter had used to check into a New York hostel, along with a passport and other fraudulent IDs. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione also had a three-page, handwritten document that shows “some ill will toward corporate America." An NYPD police officer and K-9 dog search around a lake in Central Park, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) A law enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the document included a line in which Mangione claimed to have acted alone. “To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” the document said, according to the official. It also had a line that said, “I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.” Pennsylvania prosecutor Peter Weeks said in court that Mangione was found with a passport and $10,000 in cash — $2,000 of it in foreign currency. Mangione disputed the amount. Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a midtown Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. Police quickly came to see the shooting as a targeted attack by a gunman who appeared to wait for Thompson, came up behind him and fired a 9 mm pistol. Investigators have said “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on ammunition found near Thompson’s body. The words mimic a phrase used to criticize the insurance industry. A poster issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows a wanted unknown suspect. (FBI via AP) From surveillance video, New York investigators gathered that the shooter fled by bike into Central Park, emerged, then took a taxi to a northern Manhattan bus terminal. Once in Pennsylvania, he went from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, “trying to stay low-profile” by avoiding cameras, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said. A grandson of a wealthy, self-made real estate developer and philanthropist, Mangione is a cousin of a current Maryland state legislator. Mangione was valedictorian at his elite Baltimore prep school, where his 2016 graduation speech lauded his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” He went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a spokesperson said. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” An NYPD police officer and K-9 dog search around a lake in Central Park, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Luigi Nicholas Mangione worked for a time for the car-buying website TrueCar and left in 2023, CEO Jantoon Reigersman said by email. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of Honolulu tourist mecca Waikiki. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. "There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, from surfing to romance, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back," Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. NYPD officers in diving suits search a lake in Central Park, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. Although the gunman obscured his face during the shooting, he left a trail of evidence in New York, including a backpack he ditched in Central Park, a cellphone found in a pedestrian plaza, a water bottle and a protein bar wrapper. In the days after the shooting, the NYPD collected hundreds of hours of surveillance video and released multiple clips and still images in hopes of enlisting the public’s eyes to help find a suspect. “This combination of old-school detective work and new-age technology is what led to this result today,” Tisch said at the New York news conference. ___ Scolforo reported from Altoona and Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Contributing were Associated Press writers Cedar Attanasio and Jennifer Peltz in New York; Michael Rubinkam and Maryclaire Dale in Pennsylvania; Lea Skene in Baltimore and Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Swiss National Bank lifted its position in HealthEquity, Inc. ( NASDAQ:HQY – Free Report ) by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 169,900 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned 0.19% of HealthEquity worth $13,906,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in HQY. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of HealthEquity by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 5,219 shares of the company’s stock valued at $426,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in shares of HealthEquity by 19.2% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,838 shares of the company’s stock valued at $231,000 after acquiring an additional 457 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its position in shares of HealthEquity by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 65,666 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,360,000 after acquiring an additional 1,344 shares during the period. Shell Asset Management Co. acquired a new stake in HealthEquity during the 1st quarter worth about $233,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in HealthEquity by 7.0% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 51,384 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,195,000 after purchasing an additional 3,365 shares during the period. 99.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. HealthEquity Trading Down 0.4 % Shares of HealthEquity stock opened at $104.25 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.10 billion, a PE ratio of 86.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.52. HealthEquity, Inc. has a twelve month low of $62.10 and a twelve month high of $105.73. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $87.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $81.73. The company has a current ratio of 4.10, a quick ratio of 4.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Insider Activity at HealthEquity In other HealthEquity news, Director Robert W. Selander sold 8,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.98, for a total value of $684,585.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 54,719 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,540,582.62. This trade represents a 13.10 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, Director Frank Corvino sold 1,247 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.26, for a total transaction of $100,084.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,823 shares in the company, valued at $387,093.98. This trade represents a 20.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last three months, insiders have sold 10,536 shares of company stock valued at $884,517. 2.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $105.00 price target on shares of HealthEquity in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on HealthEquity from $102.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $105.00 price target on shares of HealthEquity in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $92.00 price target on shares of HealthEquity in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on HealthEquity in a research report on Friday, November 15th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $108.00 price target on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, HealthEquity currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $107.23. Get Our Latest Research Report on HealthEquity HealthEquity Profile ( Free Report ) HealthEquity, Inc provides technology-enabled services platforms to consumers and employers in the United States. The company offers cloud-based platforms for individuals to make health saving and spending decisions, pay healthcare bills, receive personalized benefit information, earn wellness incentives, grow their savings, and make investment choices; and health savings accounts. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for HealthEquity Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HealthEquity and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Mari Petroleum becomes largest company on PSX by market capitalisationBy LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country’s hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump’s unusual nominees . Related Articles National Politics | Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it? National Politics | Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump’s America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect’s choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel , who has written extensively about locking up Trump’s foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees’ qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump’s team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump’s allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president’s Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump’s first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies” — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump’s first inauguration during the country’s bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it’s important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It’s one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria falloutWhen Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976, he did something no other Democrat has been able to accomplish since — win Texas. Part of his victory can be chalked up to where the state was politically at the time. “We should understand the 1976 election in Texas as part of a gradual transformation that occurred over several decades,” Mark Lawrence, the director of the LBJ Presidential Library, told The Texas Newsroom. It was President Dwight Eisenhower, a Republican, who won Texas in both presidential elections in the 1950s. But the next decade was a different story. In the 1960s it was three Democratic candidates — President John F. Kennedy, President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Hubert Humphrey — who won Texas’ popular vote. “But thereafter you see that the state really shifted pretty dramatically toward the Republicans,” Lawrence said. “The one exception was 1976 when Jimmy Carter won by a small margin.” Carter snagged Texas from Republican candidate Gerald Ford by just 4 points. Overall, Carter received 297 electoral votes to Ford’s 240. So, why was Carter the exception? Lawrence cited several elements that contributed to Carter’s victory here, including “Carter’s stature as a white Southerner.” “I think Texas voters, like voters across the South, were inclined to give him a close look, because he looked like them, sounded like them, came from the South — which was somewhat unusual in the history of the United States after the Civil War,” Lawrence said. From left, President Gerald Ford, Lady Bird Johnson and President Jimmy Carter at the LBJ Presidential Library on April 13, 2000. Natasha Altema McNeely, an associate professor of political science at University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, said Carter was also able to win because he garnered the Black and Hispanic votes in states across the South. “His success in Texas is a more specific example of his success across the South,” McNeely said, adding that he also earned the vote of southern non-Hispanic voters and unions. But Carter’s presidency was as short-lived as his support from Texas voters. In his 1980 reelection bid, Carter lost to Republican Ronald Reagan by a landslide. Reagan beat Carter by 14 points in Texas. McNeely said the 1980 political environment created new difficulties for Carter. It was a controversial — and transitional — time in America. “With the candidacy of Ronald Reagan, you have Republicans really emphasizing religious beliefs ... smaller government, more effective government ... states rights,” McNeely said. In contrast, McNeely said Carter’s focus on human rights and social welfare “didn't quite appeal to many voters across the South, including Texas.” Another key moment McNeely said led to Carter’s defeat was the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. That’s when, as the U.S. Department of State describes it, “Iranian students seized the embassy and detained more than 50 Americans, ranging from the Chargé d’Affaires to the most junior members of the staff, as hostages.” The Americans were held hostage for 444 days. Many sharply criticized Carter for how he handled the hostage negotiations, including his Republican opponent. While McNeely acknowledges Carter’s significant impact on American politics, she believes his greatest legacy — particularly in Texas — happened after he left the Oval Office. For 35 years, Carter partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for people. In Texas, they built homes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. “He was here in Texas in 2014 in Dallas, helping to build houses and repair houses,” McNeely said. “So, I think that was one of the many lasting components of his legacy outside of his political career." Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.Shares of Hershey ($HSY) rose more than 10% on Monday after larger fellow confectionery company Mondelez International ($MDLZ) was reportedly said to be exploring an acquisition of the former, dampening retail sentiment. On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Mondelez, which makes Oreos, was in talks to buy the "Hershey Kisses" maker in a potential deal that would create a combined company with nearly $50 billion in annual sales. A potential deal would be the largest one in the sector this year. Retail sentiment on the Hershey stock turned ‘extremely bearish’ (6/100) from ‘neutral’ (46/100) a week ago, with some users skeptical of the deal going through. However, sentiment on the Mondelez stock was optimistic, with message volumes climbing into the ‘extremely high’ zone. According to the Bloomberg report, Mondelez is seeking to expand its chocolate and snack businesses. The company made a “preliminary approach” and talks are reportedly in early stages. Mondelez previously launched a takeover bid for Hershey in 2016 but scuttled the deal after Hershey didn’t accept the offer. Hershey’s North America Confectionery segment net sales grew 0.8% to $2.48 billion during its most recent quarter while North America Salty Snacks segment’s net sales declined 15.5% to $291.8 million. A stocktwits poll on the merger pointed to users doubting Hershey shareholders would approve the deal. Wall Street analysts were similarly skeptical about the deal’s prospects, with one firm, Jefferies, reportedly believing a potential deal has a "higher probability than in 2016." HSY stock is up 0.71% year-to-date. For updates and corrections email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.<

Migrants give ‘Tripadvisor-style’ reviews for people-smugglersHoliday stress can lead Alzheimer’s patients and those with dementia to go missingFormer North Carolina State wide receiver Kevin "KC" Concepcion is transferring to Texas A&M. He confirmed the transfer on his Instagram account Sunday. Concepcion, who has two years of eligibility remaining, caught 124 passes for 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns, and rushed for two more, in 25 games over two seasons for the Wolfpack. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, when he set program records for a freshman with 71 receptions and 10 TDs. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 189 pounds, Concepcion is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 15 player overall and No. 6 receiver in the transfer portal. Texas A&M already has added receivers Micah Hudson, a transfer from Texas Tech, and Mario Craver (Mississippi State). The Aggies have 10 transfer commitments. Concepcion also considered Alabama, Colorado, Florida State, Miami and South Carolina. --Field Level Media