Journalist Protection Bill Blocked In Senate After Tom Cotton Objects To Speedy PassageWhy Intel Stock Sank TodayA Beijing Court veteran Chinese state media journalist Dong Yuyu on Friday to seven years in prison for espionage, according to Dong’s family in a statement provided to Reuters. Dong’s family called the verdict a “grave injustice” to Dong, his family, and “to every freethinking Chinese journalist and every ordinary Chinese committed to friendly engagement with the world.” The family said the court classified Japanese diplomats with whom Dong met “as agents of an ‘espionage organization.” The court thus allowed the Chinese government to consider foreign embassies within China as “espionage organization[s].” The Chinese government Dong in February 2022 while he was dining with a Japanese diplomat at a Beijing restaurant. Since his arrest, the authorities have detained Dong and prohibited any visits or communications with his family. US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns the sentencing on Friday. He stated: “Punishing Dong for exercising his freedom of speech and the press, guaranteed by the PRC’s constitution for all citizens, is unjust.” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller also the ruling, calling for Dong’s “immediate and unconditional release.” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also called for Dong’s release, that the only evidence presented against him was his contact with foreign diplomats and scholarships he received from international universities. RSF’s Asia-Pacific Bureau Director Cédric Alviani : “Maintaining relationships with foreign diplomats and academics is a normal part of a journalist’s work, and labelling these connections as espionage is just absurd.” In response to the international attention, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning that China follows the rule of law and handles cases according to legal procedures. She added that individuals who violate the law will be held accountable. After graduating from the Peking University Law School in 1987, became an editor and journalist of Guangming Daily, a news agency run by the Chinese Communist Party. In his articles, Dong often expressed support for the rule of law and constitutional democracy. He once criticized the Chinese Communist Party’s selective interpretation of Chinese history, which he said downplays the party’s role during dark periods such as the Cultural Revolution. Associate Professor of Chinese Studies at the Sydney University of Science and Technology Feng Chongyi that Dong’s articles, not his interactions with foreigners, were the primary reason the authorities have scrutinized him. Feng added that having relationships with foreign media or diplomats used to serve as a form of umbrella insurance in the 2000s since the Chinese government was concerned with the international repercussions that could arise from such connections. However, under President Xi Jinping, such relationships have led to accusations of being a foreign spy, worsening the situation for individuals like Dong Yuyu. RSF also criticized the Chinese government under Xi Jinping, claiming that the free spread of information has been criminalized under his leadership. The organization China 172 out of 180 countries and territories in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index and stated that the country “is the world’s largest prison for journalists.” South Africa becomes first country on continent to legalize same-sex marriage Same-sex marriages became legal in South Africa on November 30, 2006 as the country's Civil Union Act, 2006 went into effect, making South Africa the only country on the African continent to legalize same-sex marriage. the Civil Union Act, 2006. Justice Samuel Chase impeached On November 30, 1804, US Supreme Court Justice went on trial in the Senate for "arbitrary and oppressive conduct of trials." He was acquitted in March 1805.Read a C-SPAN on his 1992 book . Review a chronological list of .
Bamboo, Belle, Moira, and more gear up for amazing performances at Smart’s 5G Max event this Saturday
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ST. LOUIS, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Marketing Alliance, Inc. (OTC: MAAL) (“TMA” or the “Company”), announced its financial results today for its fiscal 2025 second quarter ended September 30, 2024. Fiscal Q2 2025 Financial Key Items (all comparisons to the prior year period) Revenues were $4,928,950 compared to $4,891,830. The increase was primarily due to 10% revenue growth in the insurance distribution business that was offset by a decline in construction revenue Operating income from continuing operations of $486,639 compared to $591,187 in the prior year period Net income was $401,511 or $0.05 per share compared to $236,599 or $.03 per share in the prior year period Subsequent to the end of the quarter, on October 28, the Company announced its Board of Directors had authorized a share repurchase program to repurchase up to 800,000 shares of issued and outstanding common stock and decided to discontinue paying dividends effective immediately Management Comments Timothy M. Klusas, TMA’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “While our bottom-line results were similar to the second fiscal quarter last year, this quarter showed a 10% revenue increase in the insurance distribution business. The investments in the business we made, and continue to make, appeared to begin to result in growth. During this quarter the Company filled two key open leadership roles, introduced a new logo to reflect a more modern customer-centric company, and integrated new tools and technologies on to our insurance distribution platform for customers to save time, save expense, and in turn drive better outcomes for their customers. In the construction business we completed a large job that was initiated in the prior fiscal year. We continued to maintain a very disciplined approach to only undertaking jobs that were economically profitable with respect to our capabilities. We continued to believe this approach positions us to perform better and have capacity to undertake more suitable jobs.” Mr. Klusas added, “Our general and administrative operating expenses increased this quarter due to a one-time $147,720 non-cash compensation expense. While we have worked very hard to reduce our expenses, we recognized that we may have to adjust these expenses to continue to perform at a high level. We continued to reduce debt and further strengthened our balance sheet by changing our position on dividends.” On October 28 the Company announced its approval of a share repurchase authorization and its decision to discontinue the dividend. At the time, Timothy Klusas, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The share repurchase authorization represents our financial strength and commitment to enhance shareholder value, and the Board’s willingness to change tactics to do so. The Board recognized, nor did it take lightly, that this action would be a significant change in our shareholder distribution strategy of paying dividends, which the Company has paid consistently since its founding in 1996. The Board arrived at this decision after monitoring the stock price while paying dividends and has concluded in its judgement that its dividend policy was not adequately reflected in the stock price." As of November 27, the Company has repurchased approximately 62,000 shares under this authorization. Fiscal Second Quarter 2025 Financial Review Revenues were $4,928,950 compared to $4,891,830, due to 10% growth in the insurance distribution business that was offset by a decrease in the construction business. Net operating revenue (gross profit) for the quarter was $1,367,731, compared to net operating revenue of $1,427,796 in the prior year fiscal period. While Net operating revenue was greater this quarter in the insurance business, it was offset by a decrease in the construction business versus the prior year quarter. Operating expenses increased to $881,092 compared to $836,609 for the prior year. The increase was due to a one-time non-cash expense of $147,720. The Company reported operating income from continuing operations of $486,639 compared to $591,187 in the prior year period, with differences due to factors discussed above. Operating EBITDA (excluding investment portfolio income) of $553,396 was less than the prior year quarterly EBITDA of $669,709. A note reconciling operating EBITDA to operating income can be found at the end of this release. Investment gain (loss), net (from non-operating investment portfolio) for the quarter was $61,203 as compared with ($129,263) during the same period the previous year. The Company has reduced its holdings of equity securities by 32% at the end of the quarter versus the prior year. Net income was $401,511, or $0.05 per share, compared to $236,599 or $0.03 per share. Common shares outstanding increased 100,000 pursuant to Director retention plans. Balance Sheet Information TMA’s balance sheet on September 30, 2024, reflected cash and cash equivalents of $1.4 million; working capital of $6.1 million; and shareholders’ equity of $6.4 million; compared to cash and cash equivalents of $1.8 million, working capital of $6.1 million, and shareholders’ equity of $6.5 million as of September 30, 2023. About The Marketing Alliance, Inc. Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, TMA provides support to independent insurance brokerage agencies, with a goal of integrating insurance and “insuretech” engagement platforms to provide members value-added services on a more efficient basis than they can achieve individually. Investor information can be accessed through the shareholder section of TMA’s website at: http://www.themarketingalliance.com/shareholder-information . TMA’s common stock is quoted on the OTC Markets (http://www.otcmarkets.com) under the symbol “MAAL”. Forward Looking Statement Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may affect TMA's business and prospects. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our expectations of growth based upon our investments in our business, our recently announced stock repurchase program, our plans to reduce expenses, and our ability to undertake more suitable jobs and generate earnings from our construction business. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent our estimates, expectations or intentions only as of the date hereof, or as of such earlier dates as are indicated, and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, expectations of the economic environment, material adverse changes in economic conditions in the markets we serve and in the general economy; the ways that insurance carriers may react in their underwriting policies and procedures to the continuing risks they perceive from public health matters; the ability of our construction business to be engaged for projects and for those projects to commence on the anticipated timetable and with the anticipated profitability; our reliance on a limited number of insurance carriers and any potential termination of those relationships or failure to develop new relationships; privacy and cyber security matters and our ability to protect confidential information; future state and federal regulatory actions and conditions in the states in which we conduct our business; our ability to work with carriers on marketing, distribution and product development; pricing and other payment decisions and policies of the carriers in our insurance distribution business, changes in the public securities markets that affect the value of our investment portfolio; and weather and environmental conditions in the areas served by our construction business. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. . Note – Operating EBITDA (excluding investment portfolio income) The Company elects not to include investment portfolio income because the Company believes it is non-operating in nature. The Company uses Operating EBITDA as a measure of operating performance. However, Operating EBITDA is not a recognized measurement under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, and when analyzing its operating performance, investors should use Operating EBITDA in addition to, and not as an alternative for, income as determined in accordance with GAAP. Because not all companies use identical calculations, its presentation of Operating EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies and is therefore limited as a comparative measure. Furthermore, as an analytical tool, Operating EBITDA has additional limitations, including that (a) it is not intended to be a measure of free cash flow, as it does not consider certain cash requirements such as tax payments; (b) it does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, its working capital needs; and (c) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized often will have to be replaced in the future, and Operating EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments. To compensate for these limitations, the Company evaluates its profitability by considering the economic effect of the excluded expense items independently as well as in connection with its analysis of cash flows from operations and through the use of other financial measures. The Company believes Operating EBITDA is useful to an investor in evaluating its operating performance because it is widely used to measure a company’s operating performance without regard to certain non-cash or unrealized expenses (such as depreciation and amortization) and expenses that are not reflective of its core operating results over time. The Company believes Operating EBITDA presents a meaningful measure of corporate performance exclusive of its capital structure, the method by which assets were acquired, and non-cash charges and provides additional useful information to measure performance on a consistent basis, particularly with respect to changes in performance from period to period.Kohl's Corp. stock rises Wednesday, still underperforms marketOne of Venezuela’s most popular bands canceled its homecoming tour after President Nicolas Maduro criticized the group for what he said were sexist lyrics — a lashing out that many said was an attack by the leftist leader over the band’s embrace of his political opponents. Rawayana, a 2025 Grammy nominee, was to play across the country to sold-out shows, starting this week but the concerts were abruptly cancelled on Tuesday night. On Sunday, Maduro laid into the group for its hit song “Veneka” — a term long used by Latin Americans to refer to Venezuelans but which has become pejorative over the past years as millions of Venezuelans fanned across the continent, fleeing poverty and Maduro’s increasingly authoritarian rule. “The group that made that song didn’t just mess things up, they stepped in it, they stepped in it,” an angry Maduro said at a rally in Caracas, the country’s capital. “The women of Venezuela are called Venezuelans with respect and dignity. They are Venezuelans, not venekas!” Rawayana took the term for the name of its catchy tune, which mixes salsa and an electronic dub groove with misogynistic lyrics. Still, the band claims the song celebrates Venezuelan women’s beauty and strength. The tour was to be something of a homecoming for Rawayana, which was formed in Caracas in 2007. Some of its members, like millions of Venezuelans, have abandoned their homeland in recent years as the economy nosedived and Maduro tightened his grip on power. While the group has mostly steered clear of politics, it leveraged its powerful voice among Venezuelan youth to protest Maduro’s reelection this summer amid widespread allegations of fraud. “This is how we say goodbye to our country until further notice,” the group said in a post on social media post announcing the cancelled tour. “Our music is not meant to divide....Peace.” Cusica, a two-day music festival in Caracas that was also to begin this week, was also cancelled. The festival’s organizers were also the producers of Rawayana’s Venezuelan tour. Many Venezuelans took to social media to denounce what they consider an unfair attack on the group by Maduro. “I’ve never gone to a concert in my 23 years and with great effort I managed to gather my money,” said one upset fan on Instagram. “We can’t even be happy any more.” Beto Monte, the group’s vocalist and guitarist, declined an interview request, citing security risks. “What can be seen a mile away doesn’t require much explanation,” he said in a statement provided to The Associated Press. Rawayana was last month nominated for best Latin Rock album at the Grammys taking place in February in Los Angeles OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who is in a legal dispute Since winning the election, President-elect Donald Trump has been talking One of Venezuela's most popular bands canceled its homecoming tour The outgoing year was a mix of turmoil, innovations andDaniel Grizelj Background USA Compression Partners ( NYSE: USAC ) provides high-horsepower natural gas compression units to the United States midstream industry, which play an important role in gathering, processing and transportation. When COVID-19 rocked the global economy during 2020, the collapse in natural gas Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Earlier this year, the San Francisco Bay Ferry launched the MV Sea Change. Traveling to the city from the East Bay, it is the first zero-emission commercial ferryboat powered only by hydrogen fuel cells. It is a shining glimmer of hope on the horizon. Sea Change is the first ferry with drinkable emissions. It releases water vapor, which gets remineralized into drinking water passengers can drink onboard. This should be just the start for California’s transportation system. Our gasoline-based buses should be next in line for “green” possibilities. Starting when I was 12 years old, my parents would drop me off at the Larkspur ferry terminal or the San Rafael Transit Center to venture into San Francisco with my friends. I spent hours riding these nearly empty buses and ferries, allowing for beautiful sightseeing sprawled out over empty rows of seats. However, my short maritime and bus journeys weren’t just an exercise of independence. These underutilized vessels of Marin public transport emphasized a problem, a poorly executed means of transportation with worsening emissions. Studies show that, in many ways, Marin is the least accessible county among the five counties in the core Bay Area. With limited buses struggling to connect, only two lines servicing the Marin-to-San Francsico route and hard-to-access ferry terminals, many Marin residents feel forced to own personal vehicles. This exacerbates an increase in traffic congestion and carbon emissions. For many, gridlocked rush-hour commutes from San Francisco take nearly an hour when it should take just 20 minutes. Traffic jams are frequent with nearly empty carpool lanes, yet this is not due to some lack of environmental care. As one of the wealthiest counties, it is no surprise that Marin has one of the highest rates of electric vehicle ownership in the whole country. Our EVs comprise almost 6% of our registered cars. Each parking lot is flooded with an array of Teslas and Priuses. Marin County now has more electric vehicle chargers than gas stations. We pride ourselves on taking extra steps to be more environmentally conscious. However, our organic, locally sourced produce and compost bins aren’t enough to battle the gas-guzzling, inefficient public transport on the streets. Despite our high level of EVs reflecting our commitment to sustainability, our public transportation is behind. We prioritize investing in the latest Tesla models, yet Marin Transit has only six electric buses (according to last year’s “rollout” report). We could drastically reduce our carbon footprint by allocating some of our personal EV spending toward public transportation. Electrifying our buses and ferries will create a more sustainable system, lowering the carbon footprint per passenger by almost 50%. Sea Change demonstrates the potential to implement innovative green technology into California’s public infrastructure. Similarly, California’s high-speed rail project is designed to be environmentally sustainable, revolutionizing green transit innovation. We can’t keep making excuses. Our public transit system lags miles behind. While we have spearheaded the future of EV ownership, we have to broaden our activism to our busing system. The time has never been more pressing. We need to keep setting a precedent for the standard of land transportation. California isn’t just revolutionizing the convenience of electric personal vehicle ownership; it’s reinventing public transportation systems and inspiring cities across the country. I encourage everyone to reach out to Rep. Jared Huffman, our elected official in the House, and Amy Changchein, our deputy regional administrator for the Federal Transit Administration. Both are pushing for greener public transit in Marin. Show your support and let them know that our priority for eco-friendly transportation will help enact change. And, if you live in San Rafael, let your City Council representative know that you support Marin Transit’s plan for a new EV bus yard in the Canal neighborhood. We are fighting for change for our country and planet, so let’s get down to business in our cities, where it all starts. Let’s not let an eco-friendly ferry be the end of change. We can chart a new course. Liora Homa, who grew up in San Rafael, is a student at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.Amherst vs. North Olmsted boys basketball: Comets freshman makes go-ahead basket in first high school game
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IF any member of the Celtic team is entitled to enjoy a little rest and recuperation between matches it is Daizen Maeda. The Japanese internationalist, whose stunning second half goal against Club Brugge at Parkhead on Wednesday night ultimately earned the Glasgow club what could prove to be a vital Champions League point, leaves nothing out on the park when he plays. The 27-year-old is, as opposition sides will readily testify, a bundle of energy who bombs forward and attacks at pace whenever he has the opportunity to do so and tracks back and defends when required. Maeda is a model professional who appreciates the importance of taking down time to recover from his exertions - but the way he chooses to relax is a little different from most athletes. As he looked ahead to the Scottish champions’ punishing run of fixtures in December – they will play six times this month, starting with a William Hill Premiership meeting with Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Wednesday night – the winger revealed that he enjoys nothing more than chasing after his daughter Soyo and son Tensei at the local soft play area. Read more: Nutmeg's nine month odyssey in search of the soul of the Scottish Cup Rangers truth that should settle Lawrence Shankland’s future at Hearts Idah admits he 'got carried away' after dream Celtic start “Regardless of the opposition or the competition, we just have to win the next game and to keep winning,” he said. “We can think of who comes after once we win this next one. “No club which plays this many games can possibly go with the same starting XI every time, so it’s up to whoever is picked to prove themselves because, as I say, we always need to win. “Strong teams have players who can step up and show themselves. We are that kind of team and I am sure we have guys who can do this over the tough period ahead.” (Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group) Maeda added: “But I want to play every game, so it’s up to me to recover as well as possible so that hopefully I will start. “Me? I recover by playing with the kids. After a lot of games I take them to soft play centres and that refreshes me. Maybe I have a different way of relaxing from the others, but that works for me.” It clearly does. The man who joined Celtic from Yokohama F Marinos in his homeland for a £1.5m transfer fee back in 2022 has long been a firm favourite with supporters. But he has been in inspired form in recent months and endeared himself further to the fans with his spectacular and important equaliser in midweek. However, the 22-times capped wide man felt than neither he nor his team mates performed as well as they could have in the league phase encounter with the Belgian visitors. He is determined to do better when they play their next European match against Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia on Tuesday week and help secure a result which increases their chances of progressing to the knockout round play-offs. “Every goal is important to me,” he said. “But it was such a big game that it felt really good. As a team in the first half we didn’t perform well and the fans got frustrated, so it was a difficult time, but then we got the goal and the point and we all felt better. Read more: How much have Celtic earned in total in Champions League? Why Rodgers is sure Arne Engels will come good at Celtic Rangers condemn 'draconian & heavy-handed' policing in Nice “Champions League games are the most difficult and we always learn lessons from them. We will learn from this game, because it’s all about experience. "One point in any Champions League game is a good point. We just have to focus on the next one now and take on board what happened. We always want to say that each game has been a good learning experience for us.” Maeda is sure that Celtic centre-half Cameron Carter-Vickers, who passed the ball into his own net in the first half of the Brugge game to gift the away side the lead, will lead by example when the game against Zagreb gets underway in the Maksimir Stadium later this month. He was impressed at how all of Brendan Rodgers ’ players rallied around the defender and then fought back to draw 1-1 and remain in the top 24 of the Champions League table after five matches. “In the time I have been here, we have never had a huddle as we did after the goal,” he said. “But we are disciplined and it showed how much we wanted to win the game. It was a good gesture in a difficult moment. “What happened to him [Carter-Vickers] was not only his fault, it was a team thing and we will all take part of the responsibility. He has been a leader for this team and he will keep being so.”Venezuelan pop band that embraced Maduro’s opponent cancels tour after his criticism of its lyrics
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Welling scores 21 as Utah Valley takes down West Georgia 77-74A North Vancouver man has been charged on multiple counts after a bizarre stabbing incident in California. Devin Wolfgang Vandorhoef, 25, is in police custody after he was arrested by detectives with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 25. At around 10 p.m. that evening, police received multiple 911 calls that a person had been stabbed in a residential neighbourhood of Salinas, a small city about a 30-minute drive from Monterey, Calif. Upon arriving at the scene, police said they found three people with stabbing injuries. All were sent to hospital with minor to critical injuries and are expected to survive. Monterey County Sheriff Detectives said they learned that Vandorhoef and a female victim had previously met and gotten to know each other via a gaming platform. “Vandorhoef developed a year’s long obsession with the victim which led to him flying to California from Canada where he resides,” reads a statement from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. Police added that Vandorhoef was accompanied by Darius Avery Whyte, 25, who is also Canadian. Whyte has also been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. “On the date of the stabbing, Vandorhoef arrived at a residence on Bollenbacher Drive and knocked on the door while holding a package. He identified himself as a delivery driver,” police said. “Our victim’s boyfriend opened the door and Vandorhoef forced his way in and began stabbing the boyfriend with a knife resulting in multiple critical injuries. “The female grabbed a sharp metal object and began defending her boyfriend. While fighting back, the female victim was strangled and stabbed by our suspect sustaining moderate injuries. During the struggle, the suspect sustained multiple critical stab wounds,” police said. Detectives said they discovered that the package Vandorhoef was carrying when he arrived contained handcuffs, duct tape and knives. “It is unknown how these items were intended on being used,” the sheriff’s office said. According to the Monterey County in-custody log, Vandorhoef has been charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit attempted murder, mayhem, stalking and burglary. His bail is set at US$2.3 million (C$3.2 million). Local broadcaster KBSW Action News 8 reported that Vandorhoef and Whyte pleaded not guilty in court on Monday. The co-accused are due to appear in court again Dec. 10.
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