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Blakley added five rebounds and three steals for the Dolphins (4-8). Robby Carmody went 5 of 7 from the field (4 for 6 from 3-point range) to add 14 points. Isaac Nyakundi shot 4 of 8 from the field and 3 for 6 from the line to finish with 11 points, while adding seven rebounds. The Broncos were led by Lester McCarthy, who recorded 16 points. Abdul-Jaleel Ibrahim added seven points. Isaiah Barnes had four points and three steals. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Art Basel Miami Beach Returns With Smoke and Mirrors
2024 in pop culture: In a bruising year, we sought out fantasy, escapism — and cute little animals
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. (AP) — CJ Luster II's 20 points helped Stony Brook defeat Rider 72-55 on Saturday. Luster shot 7 for 11, including 6 for 9 from beyond the arc for the Seawolves (3-7). Joseph Octave scored 14 points, shooting 5 for 12 (1 for 4 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. Ben Wight shot 5 of 7 from the field to finish with 12 points. The Seawolves snapped a five-game losing streak. Jay Alvarez led the Broncs (4-7) in scoring, finishing with 13 points and two steals. Rider also got 13 points, four assists and two steals from Aasim Burton. Tariq Ingraham also had seven points. Stony Brook took the lead with 4:48 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. Luster led their team in scoring with 12 points in the first half to help put them up 34-24 at the break. Stony Brook extended its lead to 50-33 during the second half, fueled by a 12-0 scoring run. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .His weekslong journey would take him from Tehran, through rural Iranian villages, on foot across a mountainous borderland and ultimately to Hamburg, Germany. As arduous and dangerous as the trip was, Rasoulof’s travels had an added wrinkle: He was trying to finish a movie at the same time. A week after arriving in Germany, Rasoulof would premiere his film, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” at the Cannes Film Festival in France. As he fled, Rasoulof was preoccupied with the movie’s edit, which was being carried out in Germany. “I remember when I was sitting in the car that was driving me to the border,” Rasoulof says. “I had my laptop and I was taking notes and sending them to my editor. The two friends who were taking me kept saying, ‘Put that thing away for a second.’” In Cannes, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” won a special jury prize and Rasoulof was celebrated with a 13-minute standing ovation. The movie has since been hailed as one of the best of the year, and arguably its most daring. Rasoulof made “Sacred Fig” clandestinely in Iran, directing scenes from a separate location to avoid raising suspicions. (The opening titles read: “When there is no way, a way must be made.”) Its story — a devastating family drama set during the 2022 protests that engulfed Iran — would surely only add to Rasoulof’s prison sentence. So after all of this, how is he feeling? When he recently met with The Associated Press for an interview, Rasoulof shrugged. “Ordinary,” he says. Rasoulof, 52, has a more gentle, bemused presence than some of his films would suggest. But how could Rasoulof, after what he’s lived through this year, feel anything like ordinary? “I still haven’t grasped the meaning of exile,” he explains. “I think it will take some time. The feeling of that void has not hit me yet, and I think it may never come.” Rasoulof has been busy traveling from film festival to film festival. In September, he and his 24-year-old daughter attended the Telluride festival in Colorado. Many more such stops were to come. Since fleeing Iran, Rasoulof has effectively been immersed in the world he’s long known: cinema. “Maybe I am living in the world of cinema, and maybe that’s why things are so familiar,” he agrees. “Maybe that’s why I don’t feel I’m in exile.” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” currently playing in theaters, is the Oscar submission from Rasoulof’s adoptive home, Germany. He’s settled in with his family, grateful for how the country has welcomed him. Speaking through an interpreter, Rasoulof grants that he’ll probably always mentally have a bag packed, ready to return to Iran should the chance ever come. But what “home” constitutes has changed for him. “I might be able to change this concept of home for myself,” he says. “I walk on the streets here and I see people of different colors and forms from all over the place, and they all call this place home. So there’s always the chance that one can build something new.” How oppressive politics can infiltrate the home is central to “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” It concerns a family of four: Iman (Missagh Zareh), a lawyer newly appointed to the Revolutionary Court in Tehran; his wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) and their two daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki). Iman is proud of his high position, but, when the government crackdown on protesters following the death of Mahsa Amini accelerates, his daughters are increasingly at odds with him. After Iman's gun goes missing, his wife and daughters turn into suspects. “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” populated with real cellphone videos from the protests, plays out as an excruciating microcosm of Iranian society. “It wasn’t like I put those videos in. They just came in,” says Rasoulof. “The reality is that it was through those videos I realized what happened. When the Woman, Life, Freedom movement occurred, I was in prison.” Rasoulof has spent several spells in Tehran’s Evin Prison. In 2010, he was arrested on set for filming without a permit. In 2022, he was jailed for seven months after pursuing the release of another of Iran’s most prominent filmmakers, Jafar Panahi. Panahi, who secretly made the film “No Bears,” was only released in 2023 after commencing a hunger strike. “My windows at home opened to the hills that have the Evin prison in them,” says Rasoulof. “I knew behind those walls many of my friends were sitting.” Rasoulof, inspired by the courage of the younger generation, resolved to pour the same spirit into “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” Although it wasn’t until Rasoulof’s appeal of his sentence failed that he resolved to flee, he grants that deciding to make “Sacred Fig” essentially sealed his fate. “Making this film was part of that decision,” he says. “Although I had made up my mind earlier, because it was such a bitter decision, I was denying it and delaying it, waiting for a miracle to allow me to stay.” “I would open the fridge to make sure there was nothing there that would go bad,” he adds. “It was a strange circumstance.” For the film's actors and crew members, signing up for the movie meant also becoming co-conspirators. Everyone knew the risks. And, like Rasoulof, many of them have since left Iran. Rostami and Maleki also now live in Germany. Asked if his collaborators are all currently safe, Rasoulof responds: “No one is safe from the Islamic Republic.” In his new life, Rasoulof is experiencing freedoms he never had in Iran. His films, for example, are widely available outside his native country but not in Iran. His prize-winning 2020 drama “There Is No Evil,” about capital punishment in Iran, is banned — though, ironically, Rasoulof’s prison guards enjoyed watching it with him from a flash drive. “I haven’t seen many of my films on a big screen, especially my last film,” he says. “I really want to see ‘There Is No Evil’ on a big screen. A festival in Portugal has promised to take me to see my own film.” The name of Rasoulof’s film comes from his memory of an ancient fig tree he once visited on an island in the south of Iran. It’s a tree that, with apparent metaphorical meaning for the Iranian government, spreads its seeds onto other trees, killing them and growing in their place. Rasoulof pulls out his phone to share a photo of his apartment in Tehran. Outside a large window, you can see the walls of Evin running along a craggy hillside. Inside are many houseplants. “This is my home,” he says. “I have a lot of plants. I really miss my plants. I have a neighbor who takes care of them for me. I actually have a fig tree at home.”
VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says his fellow premiers and the federal government have hatched a game plan to fight U.S. tariffs, with conservative premiers lobbying Republican counterparts, left-leaning provincial leaders courting the Democrats, and Ottawa focusing on president-elect Donald Trump. The premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talked about using their political diversity and connections to thwart the prospect of Trump's proposed 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, Eby said Thursday in a year-end interview. He said it was discussed that conservative premiers Danielle Smith in Alberta, Doug Ford in Ontario and Nova Scotia's Tim Houston are well-placed to lobby Republican governors and business leaders. Eby said as a New Democrat he will likely have more in common with Democrat governors and business leaders from the West Coast states. "I can easily have conversations with governors and businesses down the West Coast of the U.S., where we have close relationships and our politics are very similar," he said. "Premier Smith can have conversations with Republican governors. That would be more challenging for me, and (she) would have more connections potentially with the Trump administration than an NDP administration in B.C. would." He said a meeting last week between the premiers and Trudeau discussed Canada's diversity of representation, and how it could bring leverage and advantages in tariff talks. "It's interesting, there was a lot of talk about what unity means in terms of Canada's response to the tariffs," he said. "There's obviously a diversity of views around the Council of the Federation table of all the premiers. Certainly, mine is not the same as Premier Smith's or Premier Ford's or Premier Houston's, and that diversity of views is actually potentially a significant strength for us as we enter into these discussions." Eby also said he was prepared to appear on American's right-leaning Fox News TV network, as did premiers Ford and Smith. "Anything that I can do to support the national effort to protect the families in Canada from the impact of tariffs and also families in the U.S. from those unjustified tariffs," he said. "Absolutely, if I thought it was helpful." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Dirk Meissner, The Canadian PressThe electric vehicle market lost some juice earlier in 2024, but October showed a sector comeback with some serious battery power. According to Cox Automotive, new EV sales were up 2.3% for the month and have cleared one million units for the year to date. Cox attributed the growth to aggressive dealer incentives and attractive vehicle leasing deals. But that growth has yet to translate into success for sector portfolio players. A case in point is the benchmark Global X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles ETF (DRIV), which is losing ground, down -6.61% for the year. That's the trouble with EV stocks and funds, market mavens say. While the long-term glide path looks clear enough for electric vehicles, mile marker to mile marker, the sector isn't gaining much steam. Here’s why those troubles may continue in 2025 – with one huge potential exception. “There is a lot of opportunity in the EV market, but it still faces significant challenges, mainly geared around consumer confusion," says David Boice, CEO of Team Velocity, an automotive technologies firm in Washington, D.C. "The upsides are that EVs are changing how the government can incentivize vehicles, allowing OEMs to explore new tech, and cities are constantly expanding infrastructure for mass adoption and sustainability." The downsides, unfortunately, are stacking up right now. "A lack of resources leaves consumers uncertain; tax credits, charging time, and long-term savings are all things Americans need to understand before buying an EV," Boice says. "OEMs and dealers need to be providing clear messaging about their vehicles to make sure there is as little friction surrounding the EV purchasing process as possible.” Another issue vexing potential investors is how the Trump administration's EV policies will play out. "The biggest downsides right now have to do with affordability," says KC Boyce, vice president at Escalent, a global market research and data advisory firm. "If the EV purchase tax credit goes away under Trump 2.0 and automakers don't continue a relentless pursuit of affordable models, EV adoption will run out of juice." [Two-Week Free Access to Pro-Level Trading Tools] What the Experts Are Saying About EV Stocks With that framework in mind, where are EV stocks headed in what promises to be a tumultuous 2025? Here's a snapshot of what sector plays stand out and why. Tesla (TSLA). Elon Musk's favorite car company has seen its share price rise by 34% so far in 2024, comfortably ahead of the S&P 500 Index, which is up 26% for the year. When it comes to investing, companies that show they're in it for the long haul are almost always a good bet, and Tesla follows that script to the letter. "Tesla is an obvious choice as an EV favorite — they've practically defined the electric vehicles category," says Mark Whitley, founder and CEO at Whits Corporation, a sustainable technology firm in St. Louis, Mo. Investors shouldn't pay too much attention to the highly vocal Musk, but the Trump administration's aggressive stance on tariffs and EV credits is another story. "Despite Elon Musk saying he wants Trump to kill EV tax credits, Tesla benefits greatly from the current regulatory regime," Boyce says. Chargeback (CHPT). This Campbell, Cal.-based electric vehicle charging network provider went public last March via a special purchase acquisition company (SPAC) deal and has plummeted over 90% since the rollout. Yet the company operates 315,000 charging ports in the US and abroad, giving it a big advantage in a burgeoning industry. It also has over one million roaming charging points, which represents a robust number in another growing EV sector. The company's broad-based operational stance should eventually stabilize the stock price, but it also has other advantages. "Let's not forget the infrastructure part," Whitley says. "Companies like ChargePoint, which focuses on electric vehicle charging solutions, are a way to invest in the sector without betting on any specific vehicle." BHP Group, LTD (BHP). This nickel mining company is a good supply/demand stock right now, as nickel is one EV-linked commodity company that can take advantage of rising EV battery needs. The stock is down 24% for the year, but with production pressures pushing nickel demand up, BHP may make sense for sector investors over the long haul. "There's potential in businesses that develop EV infrastructure, like battery technology and charging networks," says Dre Villeroy, CEO at Beyorch, a private equity firm in Los Angeles, Cal. "They are essential to expanding the sector." Going Forward Ultimately, investors' short-term sector issues against long-term potential will matter most, and lead them to choose sector stocks accordingly. "I suspect EV sales will be very strong in December due to the prospect of the tax credit going away and may slow down for a bit as the ultimate resolution of the tax credit is under discussion in Washington," Boyce says. "Over time, however, EVs will continue a growth trajectory." "Just how quick a growth trajectory really depends on where we land with the regulatory and tax environment in Washington," he adds. Step up your trading with Benzinga Pro's advanced news alerts, scanners, and real-time market insights. Join over 6,000 traders who rely on these tools to spot opportunities first. Start your free trial and trade smarter today. Image via Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. (AP) — CJ Luster II's 20 points helped Stony Brook defeat Rider 72-55 on Saturday. Luster shot 7 for 11, including 6 for 9 from beyond the arc for the Seawolves (3-7). Joseph Octave scored 14 points, shooting 5 for 12 (1 for 4 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. Ben Wight shot 5 of 7 from the field to finish with 12 points. The Seawolves snapped a five-game losing streak. Jay Alvarez led the Broncs (4-7) in scoring, finishing with 13 points and two steals. Rider also got 13 points, four assists and two steals from Aasim Burton. Tariq Ingraham also had seven points. Stony Brook took the lead with 4:48 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. Luster led their team in scoring with 12 points in the first half to help put them up 34-24 at the break. Stony Brook extended its lead to 50-33 during the second half, fueled by a 12-0 scoring run. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
The home healthcare market is in a state of flux. The need for home healthcare workers is soaring as the population in the U.S. ages. In about ten years, 78 million people in the U.S. will be 65 or over. By 2060, The Institute on Aging expects the demographic will increase to 98 million and account for a quarter of the U.S. population. At the same time, the nation is aging, there is a dearth of home healthcare workers, and it looks like it's only going to get worse. Over the next decade, the institute expects the number of home health aide jobs to grow by 425,000, creating a shortage that will need to be filled. As it stands, about 95% of home and community-based care providers say they face moderate to severe staffing shortages, with 77% turning away new clients because of the lack of workers. What's more, 72% of providers say staffing shortages make it hard to meet quality standards. If nothing is done, that problem will only get worse. It's why some home healthcare providers are turning to technology, namely NurseMagicTM, for an assist. The brainchild of Amesite AMST , NurseMagic is a proprietary AI-powered app designed for nurses and home health care workers. The company reports it has closed on contracts with franchise owners representing nationally recognized brands that operate hundreds of locations across the country – resulting in recurring revenue in a total addressable market it estimates at $330 billion. Streamlining Work, Improving Care The AI-powered app, which Amesite reports has seen explosive growth since its launch this past summer, provides nurses and home healthcare professionals with a handy tool that writes comprehensive documentation instantly, can quickly translate medical terms into easy-to-understand language, create work emails, assist nurses in talking to patients with compassion, coach nurses on taking effective breaks during the day, convert images to text, provide key information about medications and collect instant feedback. Amesite says its AI app integrates seamlessly into the operational frameworks of home care agencies, enhancing workflow efficiency and supporting employee retention by lightening administrative burdens and reducing worker burnout. As a result, AI technology can enable agencies to make the most of existing resources and extend care to more clients who would otherwise be turned away due to staffing constraints, reports Amesite. Take the Senior Helpers franchise in Northern Orange County for one example. Since adopting NurseMagic, owner Steven Nickens said NurseMagic has been empowering his staff to get answers to questions quickly through the app, saving time and ensuring accurate results. "NurseMagic’s technology is transforming my organization with its intuitive and easy-to-use platform," said Nickens. "NurseMagic is both powerful and incredibly easy to use, making it accessible to everyone on my team.” Nickens isn't alone in his assessment. Joshua Porter, owner of the Spokane North BrightStar Care franchise, said he uses NurseMagic to support the company's rapid growth. “As a new franchise owner with extensive business and engineering experience, I'm thrilled to share how quickly we're growing. When I discovered NurseMagic, I immediately recognized it as a must-have to stay competitive in today's market," said Porter, noting there are no hidden fees or messy contracts when bringing NurseMagic into the fray. Growth Driven By NurseMagic In addition to improving the quality of care for patients, NurseMagic is also aiming to help healthcare franchises grow their businesses. That's certainly the case at the Fargo Senior Helpers franchise, with owner Tanya Ferber saying the app is enabling her to go after more medically complex clients in the new year. Plus, incorporating NurseMagic into her business attracts more tech-savvy healthcare workers. "It's a value-added tool for my business and takes our quality to the next level," says Ferber. It's not just home healthcare franchises that benefit. Amesite says that by selling NurseMagic to franchise owners from well-known brands in the home health and home care industries, its revenue should grow and cement NurseMagic's status as a must-have tool. "We made two tactical decisions: first, to build a best-in-class infrastructure that delivers top-tier compliance, security and low operating costs; and second, to price NurseMagic accessibly, at a sustainable margin, focusing on scaling sales rather than maximizing margins with a few customers," said Dr. Ann Marie Sastry, CEO of Amesite. "These choices position us to meet the strong demand in our industry and drive widespread adoption." Since launching NurseMagic a mere five months ago, the company says it has met several milestones, including launching a paid individual subscription , meeting HIPAA compliance requirements for paid enterprise customers and generating revenue in the home care market . The U.S. population is getting older at the same time that there is a shortage of nurses and home healthcare workers available to tend to the aging population. Those who are working are stressed and doing more with less. NurseMagic can fill that gap, presenting nurses, home health care workers and franchises with an AI-driven tool to improve the quality of life for workers and the care for patients, the company argues. It’s a win-win, which is why Amesite has been hitting so many milestones in 2024, and expects revenue to ramp up in the new year. Featured photo by Dominik Lange on Unsplash . This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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Writers Guild demands studios stop tech companies from training AI on their work(The Center Square) — California’s senators have sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg requesting last-minute federal funding for the state’s high-speed rail project before the Trump administration takes office in January. This move comes amid concerns that the incoming administration might pull federal funding from the now $135 billion project, and use California as a national example for redirecting federal funds from Democratic priorities. Once complete, the project is supposed to carry passengers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in under three hours, with one-way tickets priced at $86. It’s unclear how competitive this will be with air travel; one-way flights booked more than two weeks in advance currently cost $59 on Southwest, which includes two checked bags. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), proposed by the incoming Trump administration, aims to reduce what it views as wasteful government spending, recently spotlighted the project, and Congressmen Kevin Kiley, R-California, announced his bill to eliminate federal funding for the endeavor. Amid the state’s financial foes, a pause or withdrawal of federal funding could leave the state with no choice but to put the project on hold. During the spring, the California High Speed Rail Authority requested the use of state rainy day funding to plug the $8 billion to $10 billion funding shortfall for the system’s initial $30 billion to $33 billion, 171-mile segment connecting the cities of Bakersfield and Merced in the relatively sparsely populated Central Valley. But with the state’s legislative analyst now finding the state has “no capacity” for new spending and projecting annual deficits will soon rise to $30 billion, enhanced state support for the project is unlikely, leaving federal funding as the only option to fill the gap. The letter , signed by Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, and Reps. Pete Aguilar, Zoe Lofgren, and Jim Costa, requests an additional $536 million to join $134 million in state funds to complete a 30%, or preliminary, design of one tunnel in Southern California and one tunnel in Northern California. The letter also recounted the federal government’s existing $6.8 billion in support for the project, and $22 billion from California for the project thus far. “By preparing for future final design and construction of complex tunnels in this corridor, the Project will advance both state and federal goals to improve safety, expand economic strength and global competitiveness, address equity issues, and implement sustainability practices to confront climate change,” wrote the federal legislators. “These investments will continue to support living wage jobs, provide small business opportunities, and equitably enhance the mobility of communities in need – including disadvantaged agricultural communities – all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” In 2012, the state legislative analyst’s office found the bullet train would increase overall greenhouse gas emissions for the first 30 years of its operation, putting the project’s emissions impact — and state funding based on emissions reductions — into question. Kiley, who is aiming to pass a bill in Congress ending federal support for the project, said even if a grant is approved, he hopes to keep that money away from California’s bullet train. “A small group of CA Democrats is asking Biden to send even more money for High-Speed Rail ... before Congress can pass my bill to deny further funding,” said Kiley on X. “If Biden complies, we will make sure that the grant is promptly revoked.” Because U.S. Congress holds “power of the purse,” Kiley’s bill could allow the federal government to withhold any further funding from the project – even spending that is already approved. However, it's less clear whether the Trump administration could unilaterally halt funding. As a discretionary grant under the Department of Transportation, such a decision might fall within its authority, but political and legal challenges could arise.