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NoneTORONTO - Canada’s main stock index pushed higher to end Monday up almost 150 points on light trading action, while U.S. stock markets also gained ahead of the Christmas break. “Today is a quiet pre-Christmas Day of trading,” said Kevin Burkett, a portfolio manager at Victoria, B.C.-based Burkett Asset Management. While markets in both Canada and the U.S. were mild, Burkett suggests watching the markets closely during the holiday season, a contrast to what’s typically a sleepy period for markets. “We’re continuing to watch markets very closely here because you’ve got some tectonic plate shifting in terms of the macroeconomic backdrop,” he said. “It’s all the political conversations both in Canada and in the U.S.” Burkett added fiscal policy seems to be disconnected from monetary policy in the post-pandemic period. “The fiscal policy may shift and that shift absolutely has market implications both in the short and long term,” he said. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 149.50 points at 24,748.98. Statistics Canada released its latest numbers on Canada’s economic growth, up 0.3 per cent in October — driven by the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector. The loonie continued its slide, trading for 69.47 cents US compared with 69.61 cents US on Friday. The telecom sector was the biggest loser at the closing on TSX, which Burkett attributed to “tax loss selling happening at the end of the year.” Competition Bureau Canada announced on Monday it was suing Rogers Communications Inc. for allegedly making misleading claims about its infinite wireless plans. The stock price for Rogers, which is hovering near 52-week lows, fell 0.7 per cent on Monday. Meanwhile, BCE was down almost 1.4 per cent and Telus dropped 0.9 per cent. Burkett suggested the day’s poor performance among telecom companies was likely tax loss selling since it’s almost the end of the year. “It’s been a tough year for the communication services sector,” he said. South of the border, communications services was the top-performing sector, led by large-cap tech companies. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 66.69 points at 42,906.95. The S&P 500 index was up 43.22 points at 5,974.07, while the Nasdaq composite was up 192.29 points at 19,764.89. The February crude oil contract was down 22 cents at US$69.24 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was down six cents at US$3.35 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was down US$16.90 at US$2,628.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down one cent at US$4.09 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX: GSPTSE, TSX: CADUSD, TSE: BCE, TSE: RCI. B)NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Brian Callahan insisted Monday he's busy preparing to coach the Tennessee Titans against the Jacksonville Jaguars, not what controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk thinks of his first season. “It’s a bottom line business and we’ve got to show progress and we haven’t shown enough,” Callahan said. “I would like to see more and we got two more opportunities to do it." The Titans have lost four straight after a 38-30 defeat in Indianapolis , dropping the season series to their AFC South foe. They also have lost six of seven to drop to 3-12, putting the franchise two losses from matching the most in a season set in 2014 when the NFL played a 16-game schedule. Asked if he thinks he will have to make a case to keep his job when this season ends, Callahan said he has no idea. “My job is to coach the football team and get ready to go play Jacksonville,” Callahan said. “That’s the only thing that I focus on. And anything other than that, is out of my control.” What’s working The Titans played a season-high 10 rookies in Indianapolis. Even with all that youth, they were flagged only four times matching their second-lowest total of the season. That was a huge improvement from the week before when Tennessee was penalized 12 times for 110 yards. What needs help Callahan said every time they try to fix one thing, another issue pops up. Against Indianapolis, the run defense simply disappeared . They gave up 335 yards rushing, the most in franchise history since Oct. 1, 1961. They gave up touchdown runs of 65 and 70 yards to Jonathan Taylor. A defense that entered Week 16 ranked 12th allowed Taylor to average 7.5 yards per carry and meant Anthony Richardson needed to throw just 11 passes. The Titans gave up 38 consecutive points — the third most allowed in a game all season just a week after giving up 37 in a loss to Cincinnati. Stock up TE Chig Okonkwo. He led the Titans with nine catches and 81 yards receiving — both career highs. He also scored his the second 2-point conversion of his career. He became the first tight end with nine or more receptions in a game since Delanie Walker had nine Nov. 13, 2016, against Green Bay. Stock down Mason Rudolph. Callahan defended the veteran's three interceptions with one going off running back Tony Pollard's hands and the third a last-gasp play to end the game and said he thought Rudolph had a good performance. That said, Rudolph's numbers are almost a mirror image of the quarterback he replaced. Rudolph has eight touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He's completing 63.8% of his passes and has a 78.8 passer rating. That's nearly the same as Will Levis completing 63.7% of his passes with 12 TD passes and 12 interceptions. Callahan said turnovers from the quarterback spot has sort of been “our Achilles' heel” swinging games. But he also hasn't made a decision yet on who starts Sunday, saying stats don't always paint the full picture. “My goal is to try to put the best chance to win on the field for us and we’ll see what that looks like,” Callahan said. Injuries Callahan said K Nick Folk might have a chance to be back after an abdominal injury sidelined the veteran in Indianapolis. The Titans are practicing with a walk-through Tuesday and taking Wednesday off for Christmas so the coach said he'll have a better handle on injuries Thursday. But Folk's replacement Brayden Narveson missed a 53-yard field goal that would have given Tennessee a 10-0 lead. The Titans waived Narveson on Monday afternoon. They also activated Jaelyn Duncan, hurt four snaps into his lone start at right tackle in a loss to Buffalo on Oct. 20, from injured reserve. Key num ber 121 — Number of points allowed off turnovers this season. It's the most in a season for the Titans since at least 2000, topping the 108 given up in 2015. The Titans lead the NFL with 32 turnovers, which Callahan called their biggest issue. “That’s insanity,” Callahan said. Next steps The Titans visit Jacksonville on Sunday for their final road trip, trying to avoid being swept by their division rival. Then it's back home for the regular-season finale, hosting Houston before more changes this offseason in some form. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Teresa M. Walker, The Associated Press
VALENCIA, Calif., Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AVITA Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCEL, ASX: AVH), a commercial-stage regenerative medicine company focused on first-in-class devices for wound care management and skin restoration, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its premarket approval (PMA) supplement for RECELL GO ® mini. As a line extension of the RECELL GO system, the RECELL GO mini disposable cartridge is designed specifically to treat smaller wounds up to 480 square centimeters, compared to the standard RECELL GO disposable cartridge, which treats an area of 1,920 square centimeters. RECELL GO mini addresses a critical need in the full-thickness skin defect market, which includes a high volume of smaller wounds. As part of the RECELL GO platform, RECELL GO mini uses the same multi-use processing device as the standard disposable cartridge but features a modified cartridge optimized for smaller skin samples that reduces resource use and minimizes waste. This design provides an entry point for clinicians who may not have previously used the RECELL GO platform for smaller wounds, enabling broader accessibility and use in trauma and burn centers. “The FDA approval of RECELL GO mini strengthens our ability to provide clinicians with fit-for-purpose solutions that meet the diverse needs of patients with full-thickness wounds,” said Jim Corbett, Chief Executive Officer of AVITA Medical. “By introducing a treatment option specifically for smaller wounds, we are expanding the accessibility of RECELL to a wider range of patients. We believe this addition will drive greater adoption across trauma centers, where smaller wounds are common, and support our broader growth strategy.” The company expects RECELL GO mini to serve as a growth driver within the broader RECELL GO platform, further advancing AVITA Medical’s strategy to expand its impact on patient care. Rollout will begin with trauma and burn centers that currently treat smaller wounds during the first quarter of 2025. The PMA supplement follows the original PMA of RECELL Autologous Cell Harvesting Device and subsequent PMA supplements. About AVITA Medical, Inc. AVITA Medical is a commercial-stage regenerative medicine company transforming the standard of care in wound care management and skin restoration with innovative devices. At the forefront of our platform is the RECELL System, approved by the FDA for the treatment of thermal burn wounds and full-thickness skin defects, and for repigmentation of stable depigmented vitiligo lesions. RECELL harnesses the regenerative properties of a patient’s own skin to create Spray-On Skin TM Cells, delivering a transformative solution at the point-of-care. This breakthrough technology serves as the catalyst for a new treatment paradigm enabling improved clinical outcomes. In the United States, AVITA Medical also holds the exclusive rights to market, sell, and distribute PermeaDerm ® , a biosynthetic wound matrix, and Cohealyx, an AVITA Medical-branded collagen-based dermal matrix. In international markets, the RECELL System is approved to promote skin healing in a wide range of applications including burns, full-thickness skin defects, and vitiligo. The RECELL System, excluding RECELL GO TM , is TGA-registered in Australia, has received CE mark approval in Europe, and has PMDA approval in Japan. To learn more, visit www.avitamedical.com . Forward-Looking Statements Th is press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements generally may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “will,” “believe,” “continue,” “estimate,” “look forward,” “forecast,” “goal,” “target,” “project,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “future,” and similar words or expressions, and the use of future dates. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the timing and realization of regulatory approvals of our products; physician acceptance, endorsement, and use of our products; anticipated market share growth and revenue generation from certain products; failure to achieve the anticipated benefits from approval of our products; the effect of regulatory actions; product liability claims; risks associated with international operations and expansion; and other business effects, including the effects of industry, as well as other economic or political conditions outside of the Company’s control. These statements are made as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these statements, except as required by law. For additional information and other important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements, please see the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and other publicly available filings for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. Authorized for release by the Chief Financial Officer of AVITA Medical, Inc. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b6b7df71-e67c-4a6e-847c-bdcca54fad27Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust Un stock falls Wednesday, underperforms marketIt seems increasingly likely that Apple’s fourth-generation iPhone SE will feature the first 5G modem the company has built in-house. A new report from Bloomberg both confirms earlier reporting from 9to5Mac and clarifies that Apple’s first modem won’t be quite as capable as the chips the company is trying to leave behind. The new modem, reportedly called “Sinope” won’t support mmWave , the short-range 5G technology Verizon offers that can theoretically reach speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second. It also will only offer four-carrier aggregation as opposed to Qualcomm’s six, “a technology that combines bands from several wireless providers simultaneously to increase network capacity and speeds,” Bloomberg says. Apple’s modem will instead be focused on providing Sub-6 5G, the more common standard that’s already supported on the current iPhone SE , which was released in 2022. In testing, Apple’s new modem reportedly “caps out at download speeds of about 4 gigabits per second,” slower than Qualcomm’s current mmWave models, but the difference is easier to justify on a cheaper device and might not be that noticeable anyway. The goal is ultimately to achieve even tighter integration between the modem and other components of the phone to offer more important benefits than just download speed, like improved battery life. Bloomberg writes that launching on the iPhone SE first is how Apple plans on managing the risks of its new hardware gamble. Debuting on the iPhone 17 Pro would be a mark of confidence, but most people expect a phone that costs upwards of $1000 to work without issues. Until Apple can guarantee that, the SE makes sense as a modem guinea pig. That won’t be the case for long, however. “Ganymede,” Apple’s second-generation modem, should be ready for the iPhone 18 in 2026 and match Qualcomm’s current offerings with mmWave support and faster download speeds. In 2027, the company’s “Prometheus” modem is aiming to surpass Qualcomm entirely in “performance and artificial intelligence features.” A report published later today suggests these new modem designs could also have a pretty big influence on more than just the iPhone. Bloomberg attributes the thinness of the rumored iPhone 17 Slim to the space-saving efficiency of Apple’s new modem, and also suggests that future Macs and Vision headsets could get cellular connectivity in the future, too. This would mark the first time a Mac had onboard cellular, though the iPad has had the option since day one. There’s still years before any of that happens, and the road to even get here has been long and winding. For one, Apple’s relationship with Qualcomm has been up and down. The companies were in a legal spat over patent violations that ultimately led to a settlement and a licensing deal in 2019. That same year is when Apple’s intention to move on from Qualcomm became more public with the purchase of Intel’s modem business . Apple has attempted to build a team that could create its first modem since then, and even re-upped its agreement to use Qualcomm modems through 2026 in 2023. It now seems like the company could be a position for that to be the last deal with Qualcomm it makes.
Special counsel Jack Smith moved to abandon two criminal cases against Donald Trump on Monday, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him for retaining classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The decision was inevitable, since longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Yet it was still a momentous finale to an unprecedented chapter in political and law enforcement history, as federal officials attempted to hold accountable a former president while he was simultaneously running for another term. Trump emerges indisputably victorious, having successfully delayed the investigations through legal maneuvers and then winning reelection despite indictments that described his actions as a threat to the country’s constitutional foundations. “I persevered, against all odds, and WON,” Trump exulted in a post on Truth Social, his social media website. He also said that “these cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought.” The judge in the election case granted prosecutors’ dismissal request. A decision in the documents case was still pending on Monday evening. The outcome makes it clear that, when it comes to a president and criminal accusations, nothing supersedes the voters’ own verdict. In court filings, Smith’s team emphasized that the move to end their prosecutions was not a reflection of the merit of the cases but a recognition of the legal shield that surrounds any commander in chief. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” prosecutors said in one of their filings. They wrote that Trump’s return to the White House “sets at odds two fundamental and compelling national interests: on the one hand, the Constitution’s requirement that the President must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling his weighty responsibilities ... and on the other hand, the Nation’s commitment to the rule of law.” In this situation, “the Constitution requires that this case be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated,” they concluded. Smith’s team said it was leaving intact charges against two co-defendants in the classified documents case — Trump valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira — because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” Steven Cheung, Trump’s incoming White House communications director, said Americans “want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country.” Trump has long described the investigations as politically motivated, and he has vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. Now he will start his second term free from criminal scrutiny by the government that he will lead. The election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing Trump as he tried to reclaim the White House. He was indicted for plotting to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in 2020, an effort that climaxed with his supporters’ violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But the case quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence it planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden. In dismissing the case, Chutkan acknowledged prosecutors’ request to do so “without prejudice,” raising the possibility that they could try to bring charges against Trump when his term is over. She wrote that is “consistent with the Government’s understanding that the immunity afforded to a sitting President is temporary, expiring when they leave office.” But such a move may be barred by the statute of limitations, and Trump may also try to pardon himself while in office. The separate case involving classified documents had been widely seen as legally clear cut, especially because the conduct in question occurred after Trump left the White House and lost the powers of the presidency. The indictment included dozens of felony counts accusing him of illegally hoarding classified records from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and obstructing federal efforts to get them back. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. The case quickly became snarled by delays, with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon slow to issue rulings — which favored Trump’s strategy of pushing off deadlines in all his criminal cases — while also entertaining defense motions and arguments that experts said other judges would have dispensed with without hearings. In May, she indefinitely canceled the trial date amid a series of unresolved legal issues before dismissing the case outright two months later. Smith’s team appealed the decision, but now has given up that effort. Trump faced two other state prosecutions while running for president. One of them, a New York case involving hush money payments, resulted in a conviction on felony charges of falsifying business records. It was the first time a former president had been found guilty of a crime. The sentencing in that case is on hold as Trump’s lawyers try to have the conviction dismissed before he takes office, arguing that letting the verdict stand will interfere with his presidential transition and duties. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office is fighting the dismissal but has indicated that it would be open to delaying sentencing until Trump leaves office. Bragg, a Democrat, has said the solution needs to balance the obligations of the presidency with “the sanctity of the jury verdict.” Trump was also indicted in Georgia along with 18 others accused of participating in a sprawling scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election there. Any trial appears unlikely there while Trump holds office. The prosecution already was on hold after an appeals court agreed to review whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the case. Four defendants have pleaded guilty after reaching deals with prosecutors. Trump and the others have pleaded not guilty.
Black Friday is fully in swing at Amazon now and the gaming deals are here a full week early. There are a plethora of Xbox deals on Amazon, with big discounts on Xbox consoles and Xbox games. You can get the Xbox Series S 512GB SSD Console for $50 off, which brings the price to just under $250. The Xbox Series X 1TB SSD Console is also on sale for $448, instead of $500. The Xbox Series X – 1TB Digital Edition is currently $398, instead of $450. Related: Amazon’s giant Black Friday sale is now live — and the holiday deals are bigger and better than ever The Xbox Series S 512GB SSD Console is dubbed by the brand as the “best value in gaming” with this 17% off deal. It includes the console, an Xbox wireless controller, an HDMI cable, a power cable, and two AA batteries. This model has 1440P resolution) and is disc-free; you can directly compare it to the 1TB model (not on sale), which has a 4K resolution and is also disc-free. The Xbox-compatible Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is also on sale for $75, instead of $127. This allows you to play Xbox games without a console , plus the bundle comes with a Robot White Core Wireless Controller and 1 Month Game Pass Ultimate. The Sky Cipher version of this bundle is also on sale and costs just $5 more if you’d prefer the Sky Cipher Wireless controller instead of the white model. Get the Xbox Series S 512GB SSD Console for $249, instead of $299 in this limited-time Amazon deal. Xbox Black Friday deals on Amazon You can check out all of Amazon’s current Xbox Black Friday deals here , we’ve handpicked some of the best ones available right now. Read More: Amazon has PS5 consoles on sale up to $126 off on Black Friday — but only for a limited time The Best Black Friday Deals in 2024 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com . Victoria Rosenthal can be reached at vrosenthal@njadvancemedia.com . Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips .
A Louisiana civil court judge on Monday halted state agencies' plans to forcibly clear homeless encampments in New Orleans . Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Ethel Julien issued a temporary restraining order blocking state police and two other agencies from evicting homeless people from their encampments in New Orleans or seizing their property without following city laws and due process. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry had called earlier this month for the City of New Orleans to remove a large encampment before Thanksgiving and warned he would intervene if the city did not comply. “If a judge believes that people have a right to be on whatever public space they choose, maybe that judge should have them move into her chambers and courtroom," Landry said after the judge issued the restraining order Monday. Louisiana State Police spokesperson Sgt. Katharine Stegall said the agency’s legal team and the state Attorney General’s Office are reviewing the order. State police have “promptly halted activities” and are “complying with the restrictions” of the order, Stegall said. Landry and New Orleans officials have repeatedly clashed over how to address the issue of homelessness in the city. New Orleans City Councilmember Lesli Harris said Monday that directing more resources towards moving homeless people into stable housing was “infinitely more effective than punitive sweeps” of encampments. “Coordination between the government and service providers on the housing of people is imperative, and continuously moving people only makes it that much harder to house them,” Harris said. But the governor has pushed to clear homeless encampments. In late October, Louisiana State Police, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Department of Transportation and Development converged on a homeless encampment under a highway to remove and relocate dozens of people prior to pop star Taylor Swift’s concerts in the nearby Superdome. Some people who had been away at the time of the clearances returned to the area to find they had lost their personal property including family heirlooms, identification documents and medication, according to testimony in court documents. City officials and advocates for homeless people decried the evictions and said they disrupted ongoing efforts to secure long-term housing for these individuals because they became harder to locate. A judge later granted a temporary restraining order preventing more clearances but declined to extend it beyond early November after lawyers representing the state police indicated in court that removals tied to the Taylor Swift concerts had ceased. But on Friday, homeless people began receiving flyers from state police officers ordering them to leave their encampments within 24 hours, according to a motion for relief filed on behalf of two homeless plaintiffs by the Southern Poverty Law Center and two other legal groups. The planned sweeps preceded the Bayou Classic football game on Saturday between Southern University and Grambling State University at the Superdome. “Your presence is considered a violation,” the flyers stated, according to the motion for relief. However, they were halted by the new temporary restraining order. On Dec. 3, the judge is scheduled to deliberate on whether to issue a preliminary injunction against the three state agencies. “The vulnerable people with disabilities who make up the vast majority of people living in the street deserve to be treated with sensitivity and compassion,” said Joe Heeren-Mueller, director of community engagement for Unity of Greater New Orleans, a homeless outreach organization. There are about 1,450 homeless people in New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish, according to a January survey by the nonprofit Unity of Greater New Orleans. The city has committed to securing housing for these individuals by the end of 2025. _____ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96Bridgeline Announces Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2024Houston Astros welcome 1B Christian Walker to team; say negotiations with Bregman stalled