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Nendah Tarke scores 24 to help Towson defeat Morgan State 64-60MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler will not play in the final two games of Miami's ongoing road trip while recovering from illness, the team said Friday. That means Butler will not play Saturday at Atlanta or Sunday at Houston. The earliest he could play again is Wednesday at home against New Orleans. Butler hasn't played since the first quarter of Miami's Dec. 20 game against Oklahoma City, when he twisted an ankle, left the game and then was ruled out because of illness. Miami has played three games since without Butler, two because of the illness and then Thursday's win in Orlando with him back in Miami conditioning for a return. He is not with the team on the road trip. The Heat said Thursday that they are not going to trade Butler, that announcement coming after ESPN, citing sources, said the six-time All-Star would prefer to be moved before the trade deadline on Feb. 6. Butler has not publicly expressed any desire to be traded. He is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBABARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living” and “The people without homes uphold their rights.” The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States . Organizers said that over 170,000 had turned out, while Barcelona’s police said they estimated some 22,000 marched. Either way, the throngs of people clogging the streets recalled the massive separatist rallies at the height of the previous decade’s Catalan independence movement. Now, social concerns led by housing have displaced political crusades. That is because the average rent for Spain has doubled in last 10 years. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros ($7.5) in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment. RELATED COVERAGE Barcelona’s Yamal and Lewandowski out due to injuries Barcelona’s attack keeps clicking and Catalan club earns another big Champions League win Heavy rains in Barcelona disrupt rail service as troops search for more flood victims in Valencia Protester Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they can renovate it and boost the price. “Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.” A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters who do so. “We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory. The rise in rents is causing significant pain in Spain, where traditionally people seek to own their homes. Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Many migrants to Spain are also disproportionately hit by the high rents because they often do not have enough savings. Spain is near the bottom end of OECD countries with under 2% of all housing available being public housing for rent. The OECD average is 7%. Spain is far behind France, with 14%, Britain with 16%, and the Netherlands with 34%. “I think it’s impossible to make prices fall to what they were a few years back. It makes me cry,” said protester Laia Pizjuán. “It’s so upsetting. I know so many people who are in a bad situation. I have relatives living together in crowded apartments because they can’t afford to live on their own.” Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Barcelona’s Tenants Union which helped organize the protest, said that renters should consider a “rent strike” and cease paying their monthly rents in a mass protest movement. “I think we the tenants have understood that this depends on us. That we can’t keep asking and making demands to the authorities and waiting for an answer. We must take the reins of the situation,” Arcarazo told the AP. “So, if they (the owners) won’t lower the rent, then we will force them to do it.” The Barcelona protest came a month after tens of thousands rallied against high rents in Madrid. The rising discontent over housing is putting pressure on Spain’s governing Socialist party, which leads a coalition on the national level and is in charge of Catalonia’s regional government and Barcelona’s city hall. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presided over what the government termed a “housing summit” including government officials and real estate developers last month. But the Barcelona’s Tenants Union boycotted the event, saying it was like calling a summit for curing cancer and inviting tobacco companies to participate. The leading government measure has been a rent cap mechanism that the central government has offered to regional authorities based on a price index established by the housing ministry. Rent controls can be applied to areas deemed to be “highly stressed” by high rental prices. Catalonia was the first region to apply those caps, which are in place in downtown Barcelona. Many locals blame the million of tourists who visit Barcelona, and the rest of Spain, each year for the high prices. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to completely eliminate the city’s 10,000 so called “tourist apartments,” or dwellings with permits for short-term rents, by 2028.
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How Dr Manmohan Singh defied Leftist obstructionism to redefine IndiaKBC Group NV lifted its position in McGrath RentCorp ( NASDAQ:MGRC – Free Report ) by 32.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 767 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 188 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in McGrath RentCorp were worth $81,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MGRC. River Road Asset Management LLC lifted its position in McGrath RentCorp by 68.2% in the 3rd quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 1,247,376 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $131,324,000 after acquiring an additional 505,817 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB bought a new position in shares of McGrath RentCorp during the first quarter valued at $14,804,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of McGrath RentCorp by 26.0% during the second quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 486,190 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $51,803,000 after buying an additional 100,210 shares during the last quarter. Murchinson Ltd. bought a new stake in McGrath RentCorp in the 2nd quarter worth about $7,466,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its position in McGrath RentCorp by 31.1% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 287,136 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,594,000 after buying an additional 68,172 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.05% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have recently commented on MGRC. StockNews.com upgraded shares of McGrath RentCorp from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of McGrath RentCorp from $124.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. McGrath RentCorp Stock Performance Shares of NASDAQ:MGRC opened at $120.90 on Friday. McGrath RentCorp has a 52-week low of $95.50 and a 52-week high of $130.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.06, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.74. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $110.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $108.31. McGrath RentCorp ( NASDAQ:MGRC – Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.48. McGrath RentCorp had a net margin of 25.29% and a return on equity of 13.64%. The company had revenue of $266.76 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $227.76 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.65 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that McGrath RentCorp will post 5.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. McGrath RentCorp Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, October 17th were issued a $0.475 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 17th. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.57%. McGrath RentCorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.77%. Insider Activity at McGrath RentCorp In related news, CEO Joseph F. Hanna sold 15,840 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.88, for a total transaction of $1,898,899.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 155,409 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,630,430.92. The trade was a 9.25 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . Also, Director William J. Dawson sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total transaction of $2,300,000.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 4,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $460,000. The trade was a 83.33 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last three months, insiders have sold 47,016 shares of company stock worth $5,493,411. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock. McGrath RentCorp Company Profile ( Free Report ) McGrath RentCorp operates as a business to business rental company in the United States and internationally. It rents and sells relocatable modular buildings, portable storage containers, and electronic test equipment. The company operates through four segments: Mobile Modular, Portable Storage, TRS-RenTelco, and Enviroplex. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MGRC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McGrath RentCorp ( NASDAQ:MGRC – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for McGrath RentCorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McGrath RentCorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats failed Wednesday to confirm a Democratic member of the National Labor Relations Board after independent Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema opposed the nomination, thwarting their hopes of locking in a majority at the federal agency for the first two years of President-elect Donald Trump's term. A vote to move ahead with the nomination of Lauren McFarren, who currently chairs the NLRB, failed 49-50. Had she been confirmed to another five-year term, it would have cemented a Democratic majority on the agency's board for the first two years of the incoming Trump administration. Now, Trump will likely be able to nominate McFarren's replacement. The NLRB oversees labor disputes, supervises union elections and has the power to investigate unfair labor practices . The partisan breakdown of the NLRB’s leadership is fiercely contested by businesses and labor groups, as the majority on the board sets the agenda and determines how readily the agency uses its power to investigate and enforce labor laws. “It is deeply disappointing, a direct attack on working people, and incredibly troubling that this highly qualified nominee — with a proven track record of protecting worker rights — did not have the votes," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. The rejection of McFarren was yet another blow to Senate Democrats and President Joe Biden from Manchin and Sinema, who served as major brakes — and at times outright obstacles — to much of their legislative agenda the first two years of Biden's term. Manchin left the Democratic Party in May, while Sinema withdrew from the party in 2022. Both chose not to run for another Senate term and will be leaving the Congress in January. Some congressional Republicans praised Manchin and Sinema for preventing the confirmation. “This NLRB seat should be filled by President Trump and the new incoming Senate. Not a historically unpopular president and a Senate Democrat Majority that has lost its mandate to govern,” Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, said in a statement after the vote. “Big Labor knows the days of having the federal government do its bidding are numbered,” Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., wrote in a statement. Foxx, who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said that the incoming Trump administration would focus on “enacting a truly pro-worker agenda.” Business groups also praised the rejection of McFarren. Kristen Swearingen, a vice president at Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade group, called McFarren's policies “harmful” and said the process to nominate her was “flawed.” “Under McFerran’s leadership, the NLRB has issued decisions and expanded interpretations of the National Labor Relations Act that have been rejected by the business community, Congress and federal courts," argued Swearingen. Labor unions decried the vote. Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest consortium of labor unions, said the senators who rejected McFarren's nomination “voted against the working people of this country” and warned that the incoming Trump administration would direct the NLRB to side with management over workers. “Make no mistake: This vote had nothing to do with stopping Chair McFerran’s renomination and everything to do with reversing generations of progress workers have made toward building a fairer and more just economy," Shuler said. Democratic lawmakers, like Schumer, took a dim view of the vote. Some directed their anger directly at Manchin and Sinema. “Shortchanging workers is a bad way to leave,” Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., wrote on social media .
I'd buy 30,434 shares of this UK dividend stock to target £175 a month in passive income The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK. When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in. You're reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool's Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources , and more. Learn More . When I see senior executives buying lots of shares in the company they help run, I tend to take notice. The passive income stock I'm writing about today has seen one senior insider invest more than £1m over the last year. Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income Fund (LSE: SEQI) is not exactly a household name. But this... Roland Head
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In a significant political move, the BJP administration in Rajasthan has dismantled nine districts created under the previous Congress rule, labeling them as impractical and not in public interest. The reshuffle was confirmed during a state cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, resulting in Rajasthan retaining seven divisions and 41 districts. The opposition Congress party, quick to criticize the decision, argued it was fueled by political vendetta and hinted at possible legal battles to counter the government's actions. (With inputs from agencies.)No. 9 Kentucky, focused on getting better, welcomes Jackson St.None
US sanctions the founder of Georgia's ruling political party2024 In Review
Two scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) were recognised by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) for their contributions to advanced research in fisheries science. Eldho Varghese, senior scientist, was elected as a NAAS fellow and Sumithra T.G., scientist, was selected as NAAS associate for their outstanding contributions to agricultural research, said a release here. The NAAS is a national body dedicated to agricultural sciences. Its fellowships are awarded to distinguished personalities in agriculture and allied sciences from around the world. The associateship of the academy was launched for young scientists below the age of 40 years, working in agriculture-related disciplines in the country. Dr. Varghese was recognised for his contributions to statistics, particularly in experimental design for agricultural and fisheries research. His work also focused on statistical and ecosystem modelling, fish stock assessment, the application of deep learning models in marine fisheries research, and the development of computational tools for advanced data analysis. On the other hand, Dr. Sumithra was honoured for her research in fish health and marine microbiology, focusing on the marine fish microbiome, fish diseases, and antimicrobial resistance. Her work led to the development of key guidelines for responsible antibiotic use in aquaculture, as well as eco-friendly technologies for bioethanol production and sustainable fish waste management, said the release. Published - December 28, 2024 08:29 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Kochi / Kerala / agricultural research and technology2024 In ReviewA bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report released Friday slammed the CIA for its treatment of patients with a mysterious ailment known as “Havana syndrome,” determining that “many individuals faced obstacles to timely and sufficient care.” The report outlines 11 recommendations for the CIA to implement to address key concerns such as a lack of an “established clear and documented policies, guidance, and criteria for how it refers AHI (anomalous health incidents) reporters to facilitated treatment programs.” The recommendations also include developing written policies for medical care and benefit programs associated with AHIs, conducting a comprehensive organizational assessment of the CIA’s response to AHIs, and reestablishing a standard post-AHI evaluation to all AHI reporters who request one. Examples of insufficient care outlined in the report included patients who “experienced delayed, denied, or pre-conditioned care,” including “long wait times to access facilitated treatment options; were denied facilitated care by a CIA care adjudication board; perceived that their access to facilitated medical care was contingent on their willingness to participate in a NIH clinical research study.” A spokesperson for the CIA told CNN that during the periods covered in the report, the agency worked to both understand the problem and investigate the “possibility that foreign actors were harming US government personnel and their families.” “In that environment, supporting our officers and their families required us to dynamically adapt our programs and processes to changing needs and circumstances. Whether, in hindsight, we could have done better is for others to evaluate, but our commitment to ensuring that our officers and their families had access to the care they needed has never wavered,” the spokesperson said, emphasizing that the agency has “no greater responsibility than to care for the health and safety of our people.” The mysterious illness first emerged in late 2016, when a cluster of diplomats stationed in the Cuban capital of Havana began reporting symptoms consistent with head trauma, including dizziness and extreme headaches. In subsequent years, there have been cases reported around the world, including clusters of at least 60 incidents in Bogota, Colombia, and Vienna, Austria. There have been about 1,500 reported cases across the US government in 96 different counties, officials said last year, but the number of reported incidents has dropped significantly in recent years. One problem facing the medical community is that there is still not a clear definition of Havana syndrome, which the government refers to as “anomalous health incidents” (AHIs). These tests were done, in some cases, long after symptoms began, making it harder to understand what physically happened. The illness and its cause have remained frustratingly opaque to both the intelligence community and the medical community. Despite long-standing speculation that the illness could have been the result of a targeted campaign by an enemy of the US, the US intelligence community said last year that it cannot link any cases to a foreign adversary, ruling it unlikely that the unexplained illness was the result of a targeted campaign by an enemy of the US. The Senate report, however, recommends that the US intelligence community should continue research as “there remain many unanswered questions about these incidents given information and research gaps.” “The IC must remain objective and must continue to actively collect intelligence: conduct analysis and pursue information that could shed light on AHI reports in general and foreign adversary emerging technologies, to include directed energy weapons in particular.” “Moreover, U.S. adversaries are likely developing directed energy technologies that may plausibly explain some of the reported symptoms community associated with AHls,” the report states. The report also denounces the CIA for halting its collection of clinical research on Havana syndrome while the Pentagon’s research efforts continue. “CIA has halted its own internal clinical research efforts related to AHIs. Specifically, the Agency stopped promoting pre-AHI baseline medical assessments in December 2021 and stopped conducting post-AHI medical assessments in January 2022. As a result, CIA may be missing out on important clinical data that could advance its understanding of AHIs,” it says. The committee also warns about the risks posed by the CIA’s lack of preparedness to respond quickly. “The Committee nevertheless assesses that CIA may not be well postured to respond to future AHI reports and to facilitate quick, accessible, high-quality medical care for those who need it, particularly in the case of another AHI cluster.” Additionally, the report lays out three recommendations for Congress to consider, including codifying into law the two Federal Employees’ Compensation Act bulletins pertaining to AHI-related claims and amending the Expanded Care Program. The findings are “based largely off testimonial evidence provided by CIA officials, other USG (US government) officials, medical professionals who provided care to AHI reporters as part of a facilitated medical care program, and AHI reporters.”
Local stories on interest from 2024 included happy, sad and a host of emotions in between. Here are but a few: Election Year The year started out with caucuses in January, a primary in June, and the General Election in November. Keith Wieland was sworn in as a new Supervisor. The EMS Levy failed by less than 1 percent needed. The Supervisors have already discussed initial steps to try again. Food At one end of the spectrum the local food pantries were kept busy all year. On the other end, there was an abundance of breakfast, lunch, and supper fundraisers featuring fish, spaghetti, tenderloins, steaks, soups, pancakes, etc. Business Several new businesses started or expanded in Independence over the past year: - Steeple Studio (catering and yoga) - Gail Hunter Agency, LLC (affiliated with American Family Insurance) move. - Gedney Bakery - Hardware Hank changed to Cole’s Ace Hardware - And The Kitchen Sink - Independence Premium Foods (former Tyson facility) - Shih Tzu Knot Grooming - Hartig Drug moved across the river - Salt + Light Wellspa - Allerton Brewing Company (new owners) - Unleashed Pet Services - Merit Insurance - Ink & Steel - Premier Animal Wellness & Surgery (PAWS) (new facility) - Farm Bureau Financial Services — The Osborne Agency renovated and moved to the building across from the Post Office. - Odin’s Mark Tattoo and Emporium Celebrations Every weekend this past summer had a parade or celebration. Buchanan County Fair had pretty good weather – a bit of rain, but not beastly hot. Same for Winthrop Days in June. It was a beautiful night in Winthrop Park for fun and the Sawyer Brown concert. In the fall, the schools held homecoming parades and reunions. Candy was everywhere for Halloween events. December was full was holiday celebrations, including Jingle on Main in Independence, Brandon’s Christmas Festival, Winter Fest in Jesup, Santa in Lamont, and Christmas on Madison in Winthrop. Politics and Opinions The big issues on people’s minds this year included: - Wind turbines / WECS - Property rights - EMS levy - Transparency - Biden / Trump - Candidates for office at all levels of government