Dana Hull | (TNS) Bloomberg News Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact. Related Articles National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action National Politics | An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump National Politics | Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal National Politics | House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture, or the political operation that’s endeared him to Donald Trump. Instead, they’re tied to the billionaire’s new Montessori school outside Bastrop, Texas, called Ad Astra, according to documents filed with state authorities and obtained via a Texas Public Information Act request. The world’s richest person oversees an overlapping empire of six companies — or seven, if you include his political action committee. Alongside rockets, electric cars, brain implants, social media and the next Trump administration, he is increasingly focused on education, spanning preschool to college. One part of his endeavor was revealed last year, when Bloomberg News reported that his foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. An additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year, according to the most recent tax filing for the Musk Foundation. Ad Astra is closer to fruition. The state documents show Texas authorities issued an initial permit last month, clearing the way for the center to operate with as many as 21 pupils. Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9. To run the school, Ad Astra is partnering with a company that has experience with billionaires: Xplor Education, which developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98% owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison. Ad Astra sits on a highway outside Bastrop, a bedroom community about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that’s home to several of Musk’s businesses. On a visit during a recent weekday morning, there was a single Toyota Prius in the parking lot and no one answered the door at the white building with a gray metal roof. The school’s main entrance was blocked by a gate, and there was no sign of any children on the grounds. But what information there is about Ad Astra makes it sound like a fairly typical, if high-end, Montessori preschool. The proposed schedule includes “thematic, STEM-based activities and projects” as well as outdoor play and nap time. A sample snack calendar features carrots and hummus. While Birchall’s and Balajadia’s names appear in the application, it isn’t clear that they’ll have substantive roles at the school once it’s operational. Musk, Birchall and Balajadia didn’t respond to emailed questions. A phone call and email to the school went unanswered. Access to high quality, affordable childcare is a huge issue for working parents across the country, and tends to be an especially vexing problem in rural areas like Bastrop. Many families live in “childcare deserts” where there is either not a facility or there isn’t an available slot. Opening Ad Astra gives Musk a chance to showcase his vision for education, and his support for the hands-on learning and problem solving that are a hallmark of his industrial companies. His public comments about learning frequently overlap with cultural concerns popular among conservatives and the Make America Great Again crowd, often focusing on what he sees as young minds being indoctrinated by teachers spewing left-wing propaganda. He has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and in August posted that “a lot of schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves.” Musk’s educational interests dovetail with his new role as Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has pitched a role for himself that he — and now the incoming Trump administration — call “DOGE,” or the Department of Government Efficiency. Though it’s not an actual department, DOGE now posts on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools,” the account posted Dec. 12. Back in Texas, Bastrop is quickly becoming a key Musk point of interest. The Boring Co., his tunneling venture, is based in an unincorporated area there. Across the road, SpaceX produces Starlink satellites at a 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) facility. Nearby, X is constructing a building for trust and safety workers. Musk employees, as well as the general public, can grab snacks at the Boring Bodega, a convenience store housed within Musk’s Hyperloop Plaza, which also contains a bar, candy shop and hair salon. Ad Astra is just a five-minute drive away. It seems to have been designed with the children of Musk’s employees — if not Musk’s own offspring — in mind. Musk has fathered at least 12 children, six of them in the last five years. “Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” reads the school’s website. A job posting on the website of the Montessori Institute of North Texas says “While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide.” The school has hired an executive director, according to documents Bloomberg obtained from Texas Health and Human Services. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodeled for the preschool. It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to take an interest in education, according to Bill Gormley, a professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University who studies early childhood education. Charles Butt, the chairman of the Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain, has made public education a focus of his philanthropy. Along with other business and community leaders, Butt founded “Raise Your Hand Texas,” which advocates on school funding, teacher workforce and retention issues and fully funding pre-kindergarten. “Musk is not the only entrepreneur to recognize the value of preschool for Texas workers,” Gormley said. “A lot of politicians and business people get enthusiastic about education in general — and preschool in particular — because they salivate at the prospect of a better workforce.” Political Moves Musk spent much of October actively campaigning for Trump’s presidential effort, becoming the most prolific donor of the election cycle. He poured at least $274 million into political groups in 2024, including $238 million to America PAC, the political action committee he founded. While the vast majority of money raised by America PAC came from Musk himself, it also had support from other donors. Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump’s first term, donated $250,000, federal filings show. The Department of Education is already in the new administration’s cross hairs. Trump campaigned on the idea of disbanding the department and dismantling diversity initiatives, and he has also taken aim at transgender rights. “Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” Trump wrote in Agenda 47, his campaign platform. Musk has three children with the musician Grimes and three with Shivon Zilis, who in the past was actively involved at Neuralink, his brain machine interface company. All are under the age of five. Musk took X, his son with Grimes, with him on a recent trip to Capitol Hill. After his visit, he shared a graphic that showed the growth of administrators in America’s public schools since 2000. Tuition Costs Musk is a fan of hands-on education. During a Tesla earnings call in 2018, he talked about the need for more electricians as the electric-car maker scaled up the energy side of its business. On the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020, Musk said that “too many smart people go into finance and law.” “I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters,” Musk said while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania in October. “That’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors.” Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.” “I do think we need significant reform in education,” Musk said at a separate Trump campaign event. “The priority should be to teach kids skills that they will find useful later in life, and to leave any sort of social propaganda out of the classroom.” With assistance from Sophie Alexander and Kara Carlson. ©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Vincent Kompany gave Bayern Munich fans the perfect Christmas present in the form of a 5-1 thrashing of RB Leipzig at the Allianz Arena in what was deemed by many a “must win game” for the Bavarians. The victory against Die Roten Bullen wrapped up Bayern’s Hinrunde and also marked the six month point in Kompany’s tenure with Die Rekordmeister. While the Belgian manager hasn’t “had time to look back yet”, he outlined how his side would use the winter break while praising the Bundesliga’s short period of rest as opposed to the Premier Leagues festive season fixture madness ( @iMiaSanMia ). “I haven’t had time to look back yet, there hasn’t been time for that. We will use the free time for the family. We played a lot in England during that time of the year. That’s a difference here and that’s good. I’m looking forward to it,” said Kompany. Repeating the fact that Kompany needs more time to provide a detailed summation of his first six months at Bayern Munich, he gave his best account of his experience so far in Bavaria. “I haven’t had time to take stock yet. We’re using the winter break to look back and look forward. If you ask me the question again on January 2nd, I’ll have a better answer. At the moment I’m just concentrating on the next game. What I’ve experienced with Bayern has been victories, defeats - good performances, bad performances - you learn from that. I’ve felt at home with every step we’ve taken so far,” said Kompany. “It’s also about how you get through bad phases. After the Barcelona game, we had seven wins in a row. In the moment after the game, things were critical on the outside, which is right - but things were calm internally. We have good quality, and even more so when the injured players come back.” A lot of good peppered with some bad, Vincent Kompany does well to close what was ultimately a year Bayern Munich would prefer to forget. However, the past always holds a lot of answers for the future, and Kompany will undoubtedly be looking to his first six months to figure out what went well, what didn’t and what needs to be done to bridge that gap in the new year. Looking for more thoughts and analysis of Bayern Munich’s 5-1 thrashing of RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga? Awesome, then check out the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show on Patreon , Spotify , or below: Support Bavarian Podcast Works on Patreon! If you like our podcasts and want more, or just want to listen our episodes ad-free, then support us on Patreon! Every single dollar will be used to help boost the coverage of the team we all love. Mia San Mia. DONATE NOW! Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more. Related Bayern Munich 5-1 RB Leipzig: Initial Observations and Reactions Match Awards from Bayern Munich’s crushing 5-1 win over RB Leipzig Four Observations from Bayern Munich’s cathartic 5-1 win over RB Leipzig Bavarian Podcast Works: Postgame Show — Bayern Munich 5-1 RB Leipzig (Bundesliga)
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Not a few tears were shed during the touching retirement ceremony in honor of Rene Almendras, who is stepping down as senior managing director and group head of public affairs of Ayala Corp. Almendras joined the Ayala Group in January 2001 when he was appointed chief executive officer of Cebu Holdings Inc. and Cebu Property Ventures and Development Corp. He took on different roles in the succeeding years, including CEO of Manila Water Co. He did take a six-year break from 2010 to 2016 as he was called up to join the administration of his friend, the late former President Benigno Aquino III. He took on different roles there as well, among them secretary to the Cabinet. READ: Ayala earnings up 5% to P34B But even if he had held top posts in both the government and in the private sector, the proud Cebuano has been known to be among the most approachable of the top Ayala executives, able to relate to everyone up and down the corporate ladder. This is not difficult for Almendras who believes that “You can be significant no matter how lowly your position or how simple your role when you affect others positively.” Informed sources told Biz Buzz that Almendras’ retirement—to be followed by the retirement next year of Globe Telecom CEO Ernest Cu— means that the changing of the guard at the country’s oldest conglomerate is almost complete. What will Almendras do next? For now, what is sure is that he will join the boards of the Center for Family Ministries of the Ateneo de Manila University and the Institute for Regional Security in Canberra, Australia. He has also been asked to stay on at Ayala as a part-time consultant. But will he eventually join corporate boards outside the Ayala Group? Only time will tell. —Tina Arceo-Dumlao It is, indeed, the holiday season. And we’re not saying this just because of the hellish traffic we’ve been seeing in Metro Manila lately. For the first time, budget carrier Cebu Pacific surpassed 80,000 passengers flown in a single day on Dec. 20, when 81,243 people boarded its aircraft toward home or a vacation. READ: Cebu Pacific receives delivery of 16th aircraft for 2024 The celebration was brief but made better the next day: according to Cebu Pacific chief operating officer Javier Massot, they flew 83,100 passengers on Saturday, Dec. 21. “As we approach the Christmas season, we’re proud to help reunite families and friends for the holidays,” Massot said in a LinkedIn post. This, of course, should no longer come as a surprise, especially as nearly everyone we know will spend their holidays in other parts of the country, or, for some, the world. Cebu Pacific has likewise been launching new routes left and right. Earlier this year, it began offering direct flights to Chiang Mai and Don Mueang in Thailand, Osaka in Japan, and announced additional flight schedules to local destinations. Just to make sure that they have enough planes in their fleet to accommodate the booming travel demand, Cebu Pacific also recently took delivery of its 16th aircraft for the year. Maybe we can expect another breach of its daily record before the year ends. After all, we still have the New Year holiday. —Meg J. Adonis When an official of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center of the Philippines spoke about the “rejection” of the P29.82-billion proposal of Comclark Network and Technology Corp. to upgrade the country’s air navigation facilities, it came as a surprise to the proponent, tech tycoon Dennis Anthony Uy of Pampanga. Discussions are still ongoing but the project is shaping up now to be a joint venture (JV) with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) — and not a PPP, Uy said in a recent media chat. As such, it’s the DOTr that knows more about the progress of the project, he said. Uy said he’s willing to invest because nobody else will do it. Why JV and not PPP? It’s because there are equipment that had already been purchased by the government that officials wish to fold into the venture. Meanwhile, Comclark’s outlays will go down a bit from the P29.82-billion estimate earlier given, because the government would have an equity contribution. However, Uy said ComClark would still get majority control. “We see that the country needs to be faster to move forward,” Uy said. “Our air traffic is totally outdated technology. Turnaround is 35 to 40 minutes so the plane is burning gases.” Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . “This is only technology intervention.” he said. — Doris Dumlao-AbadillaRoyce Global Trust (NYSE: RGT) as of Nov 30, 2024
OPP and Ottawa firefighters help remove vehicle wedged into Highway 417 overpassIndia News | PM Modi Binding World in Thread of Peace, Harmony Through Message of Lord Buddha: AdityanathATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey gambling regulators have handed out $40,000 in fines to two sportsbooks and a tech company for violations that included taking bets on unauthorized events, and on games that had already ended. In information made public Monday, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement fined DraftKings $20,000. It also levied $10,000 fines on Rush Street Interactive NJ and the sports betting technology company Kambi. According to documents released by the state, Rush Street accepted 16 bets worth $1,523 in Nov. 2021 on a college basketball game between the University of North Carolina-Asheville and Tennessee Tech University after the game had already concluded with a UNC victory. Kambi told the enforcement division that a trader had failed to manually remove that game from its betting markets, saying it had stopped receiving messages from its own sports data provider due to a network connectivity error. Kambi said it has updated its guidelines and retrained its traders to prevent a recurrence. Kambi, which is based in Malta, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Monday. Rush Street declined comment, and DraftKings had no immediate comment Monday. DraftKings stopped using Kambi in 2021. In March 2022 Rush Street took seven bets totaling just under $2,900 on three Magic City Jai Alai games after the results were already known. Kambi told the division it experienced a connectivity issue that allowed the bets to be accepted after the games were over. An explanation of what Kambi did to address the situation was blacked out in documents released by the division. A month earlier Rush Street took 13 wagers worth $8,150 with pre-match odds on a Professional Golf Association match after the event had already begun. In this case, Kambi told the division a newly hired trader failed to enter the correct closing time time for bets on the event. The trader and a supervisor underwent retraining. DraftKings was fined for taking bets on unapproved events including Russian basketball for nine months in 2020 and 2021. It eventually voided over $61,000 in bets and returned the money to customers after being directed to do so by the state. In this case, Kambi told the division it misidentified this particular Russian basketball league as one that was approved for wagering in New Jersey. DraftKings told the state it did not catch the error, either. In 2020, DraftKings accepted 484 wagers on unapproved table tennis matches. Kambi incorrectly enabled the events for wagering without conditions required by the state, the division said. In Feb. 2022, the division said DraftKings took pre-season NFL bets involving specific players but did not give the state specific information on what information was to be included in the bets, drawing 182 wagers worth nearly $7,000 that were later voided and refunded to customers. Follow Wayne Parry on X at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller sat for a long interview with the NCAA as it looked into concerns about unusual gambling activity, his lawyer said Friday amid reports a federal probe is now under way. “Hysier Miller fully cooperated with the NCAA’s investigation. He sat for a five-hour interview and answered every question the NCAA asked. He also produced every document the NCAA requested,” lawyer Jason Bologna said in a statement. “Hysier did these things because he wanted to play basketball this season, and he is devastated that he cannot.” Miller, a three-year starter from South Philadelphia, transferred to Virginia Tech this spring. However, the Hokies released him last month due to what the program called “circumstances prior to his enrollment at Virginia Tech.” Bologna declined to confirm that a federal investigation had been opened, as did spokespeople for both the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia. ESPN, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that authorities were investigating whether Miller bet on games he played in at Temple, and whether he adjusted his performance accordingly. “Hysier Miller has overcome more adversity in his 22 years than most people face in their lifetime. He will meet and overcome whatever obstacles lay ahead," Bologna said. Miller scored eight points — about half his season average of 15.9 — in a 100-72 loss to UAB on March 7 that was later flagged for unusual betting activity. Temple said it has been aware of those allegations since they became public in March, and has been cooperative. “We have been fully responsive and cooperative with the NCAA since the moment we learned of the investigation,” Temple President John Fry said in a letter Thursday to the school community. However, Fry said Temple had not received any requests for information from state or federal law enforcement agencies. He vowed to cooperate fully if they did. “Coaches, student-athletes and staff members receive mandatory training on NCAA rules and regulations, including prohibitions on involvement in sports wagering," Fry said in the letter. The same week the Temple-UAB game raised concerns, Loyola (Maryland) said it had removed a person from its basketball program after it became aware of a gambling violation. Temple played UAB again on March 17, losing 85-69 in the finals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. League spokesman Tom Fenstermaker also declined comment on Friday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballChris Cenac Jr., the top center in the Class of 2025 according to the ESPN100, has committed to play for the Houston Cougars. The five-star recruit announced his decision Tuesday via the Bleacher Report's B/R App. Cenac previously said he wouldn't make his decision until the spring, but his stock soared over the summer after his impressive play on the Puma Pro 16 circuit with Dallas-based YGC, vaulting him into the national top-10 rankings. The 6-foot-10 New Orleans native was reportedly choosing between LSU, Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Kentucky, Tennessee and others before making the decision to join Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson's team. "I just like the coaching staff a lot, I like their plan to develop me and I like coming into a winning program," Cenac told 247Sports. "I'm looking forward to producing and just helping them win more. But the main thing was development and them being able to get me better so I can be ready for that next level." Cenac's rating of .9978 by 247Sports Composite makes him the Cougars' highest-rated commit in the modern era, according to multiple outlets. "They see me as a four who can kind of play all over the court and do everything," Cenac told 247Sports. "I can get rebounds, push the ball, shoot and play all over the floor." With Cenac joining other Houston commits like five-star shooting guard Isaiah Harwell, four-star point guard Kingston Flemings and three-star wing Bryce Jackson, Houston's Class of 2025 is ranked No. 2 in the nation by 247Sports and ESPN. --Field Level Media69 Best Gifts for Wives That'll Make Her Feel Special 2024
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a vocal opponent of artificial food dyes, blaming them in part for the “chronic disease epidemic" in America. He may get the opportunity to bring major changes to the U.S. food industry under the incoming Trump administration. What To Know: President-elect Donald Trump has named Kennedy as his pick to lead the department of Health and Human Services (HHS). If confirmed by the Senate, Kennedy would oversee the Food and Drug Administration, among other federal health agencies, and may be able to effect policy changes that align with his views, which have run counter to programs widely viewed by the public health community as successes, such as water fluoridation and vaccines. Read Next: Indian Billionaire, One Of The World’s Richest Men, Indicted For Alleged $250 Million Bribery Scheme Kennedy has criticized the use of artificial dyes in popular cereals, snacks and beverages and noted that some dyes, like Red Dye No. 3, are banned in Europe and California due to potential health risks. Kennedy argues the U.S. food system allows many additives that are restricted in other countries to the detriment of the public's health. "We are betraying our children by letting these industries poison them," Kennedy said at a Trump campaign rally Nov. 2. The potential HHS secretary has often targeted breakfast cereals in particular due to their popularity with children. "They get brighter colors in Froot Loops, but it's literally poisoning our kids," Kennedy told Fox News in September. Froot Loops maker Kellogg said in 2015 that it was working to remove artificial colors and flavors from its branded cereals by the end of 2018, according to the Wall Street Journal. WK Kellogg Co. KLG still sells cereal that contains the ingredients. "The first thing I'd do isn't going to cost you anything because I'm just gonna tell the cereal companies: Take all the dyes out of their food," Kennedy said in October. Kennedy's potential new role as the country's top health official has caught the attention of other food industry giants like General Mills, Inc. GIS . The mega-manufacturer of processed foods released a statement after Trump announced Kennedy as his choice for the position. "Because this is always an evolving space, we work in close partnership with policymakers on this issue," General Mills said in the statement. "We will engage with federal regulators as they consider any additional changes they may propose." Why It Matters: Trump has said he is ready to let Kennedy "go wild on health" and he could “do pretty much what he wants” in his administration. In his announcement of his intent to nominate Kennedy as secretary of HHS, Trump said he expects him to "end the chronic disease epidemic , and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!" "Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation and disinformation when it comes to public health," Trump's announcement stated. Read Next: Trump Appears ‘Frustrated’ As Elon Musk Chimes In On Treasury Secretary, Adds More Names To Short List Image: Shutterstock . © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.