By MIKE CATALINI CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It’s unclear if it’s drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Related Articles National News | FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup National News | OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment National News | Judge rejects an attempt by Trump campaign lawyer to invalidate guilty plea in Georgia election case National News | Texas’ abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine National News | US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what’s behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey’s new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they’re looking into what’s happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she’s glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn’t buy what the governor said, that the drones aren’t a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there’s the notion that people could misunderstand what they’re seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they’re looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin’s view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That’s not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.
World Series vision that got Nathan Eovaldi to the Rangers is the same one that got him to re-signDrones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightings
The Potential, Pros and Cons of Atlanta’s New AI CommissionIDT's income from operations +38% to $23.6 million; Adjusted EBITDA * +31% to a record $29.1 million GAAP EPS increased to $0.68 from $0.30; Non-GAAP EPS * increased to $0.71 from $0.32 NEWARK, NJ, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), a global provider of fintech, cloud communications, and traditional communications solutions, today reported results for its first quarter fiscal year 2025, the three months ended October 31, 2024. FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS (Throughout this release, unless otherwise noted, results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 (1Q25) are compared to the first quarter of fiscal year 2024 (1Q24). All earnings per share (EPS) and other 'per share' results are per diluted share.) "Building on our momentum from fiscal 2024, IDT delivered strong financial results in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, including record levels of gross profit, gross profit margin and Adjusted EBITDA. Consolidated revenue has now increased sequentially for three consecutive quarters. NRS along with our Fintech segment powered by BOSS Money, and net2phone each achieved robust increases in revenue, gross profit, and Adjusted EBITDA. "At NRS, we are focused on providing solutions to address the needs of our independent retailer market while heavily investing to develop new products and services to broaden our addressable market. In Q1, we continued to achieve increased adoption rates on our payment processing offerings and SaaS feature plans. We look forward to continuing this momentum through the remainder of the fiscal year. "BOSS Money's Q1 results reflected our decision to enhance margins, particularly within our retail channel. As a result, BOSS Money's gross margin expanded significantly and transaction growth slowed somewhat. The enhanced margins boosted Fintech's Q1 income from operations by $4.6 million year-over-year, and in November, following the quarter close, transaction growth rebounded led by D2C. "net2phone increased seats served to over four hundred thousand, driving a 13% increase in subscription revenue, despite the negative FX impact to its Latin American operations from the strong US dollar. net2phone's financial discipline also contributed to healthy increases in income from operations and Adjusted EBITDA. "In the Traditional Communications segment, our ongoing efforts to streamline these business units and improve their economics continue to pay off. In Q1, the year over year revenue decrease was 4%, while income from operations increased by 2%." 1Q25 RESULTS BY SEGMENT National Retail Solutions (NRS) (Terminals and accounts at end of period. $ in millions, except for average revenue per terminal) NRS Take-Aways / Updates: (Transactions in millions. $ in millions except for average revenue per transaction) Fintech Take-Aways: (Seats in thousands at end of period. $ in millions) net2phone Take-Aways: ($ in millions )A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence “dictatorship” is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world’s richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk’s filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI’s CEO. Musk also sought to be CEO and in an email outlined a plan where he would “unequivocally have initial control of the company” but said that would be temporary. He grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence, or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI,” said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don’t want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you’ve shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman’s desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk’s early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI’s board in early 2018. Musk didn’t immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration.
Home | Editorials | Editorial Adani In Trouble Editorial: Adani in trouble The case raises serious questions over symbiotic relationship between monopolistic business houses and politicians By Telangana Today Published Date - 22 November 2024, 11:55 PM The controversial billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani is in trouble again. A year after Hindenburg Research, an American firm, had accused the Adani Group of engaging in accounting fraud and stock market manipulation, prosecutors in the United States have indicted him, his nephew Sagar Adani and six others in an alleged bribery case. They have been accused of paying about $265 million in bribes to Indian officials and politicians to secure lucrative solar energy supply contracts with the state distribution companies. The matter is said to involve the States of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir and Chhattisgarh and the Solar Energy Corporation of India, a government-owned company, with whom these States signed the power sale agreement under the manufacturing linked project. These power contracts were expected to generate more than $2 billion in profit after tax for the Adani Group over the coming two decades. As per the indictment, extensive documentation was maintained on the bribery efforts. The allegations caught the attention of the US Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission as Adani’s companies were raising funds from American investors in several transactions starting in 2021. As the scandal triggered political furore with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanding Adani’s arrest, there is an urgent need to order a thorough investigation into the business practices of the conglomerate which, according to the opposition parties, enjoys the patronage of the NDA government. Following the shocking indictment by the district court in New York, the shares of the Adani Group companies have tanked. The Group has also scrapped its $600-million bond offering. The indictment levies multiple charges, ranging from conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to securities and wire fraud, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The case raises serious questions over flaws in corporate governance and the symbiotic relationship between monopolistic business houses and politicians. Though the Adani Group has dismissed the bribery allegations as baseless, the credibility of the company has taken a serious hit and it has to brace for what looks like a prolonged legal battle. The indictment has given the opposition fresh ammunition to attack the Narendra Modi government over crony capitalism, while the saffron party has launched a counter-attack, training its guns on non-BJP parties that were in power in States where government officials allegedly received bribes. A comprehensive probe, preferably monitored by the Supreme Court, is needed to get to the bottom of this murky matter. It would require close cooperation not only between the Centre and States but also between the Indian and US authorities. While the conglomerate managed to weather the Hindenburg storm to a great extent, it is facing far stronger headwinds this time. The indictment has also turned the spotlight on the ongoing probe by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) into the allegations of stock manipulation and accounting fraud. Follow Us : Tags bribery allegations Corporate Governance Corruption Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Related News Adani Group domination in solar energy sector leading to hike in equipment prices KTR demands Telangana government to cut ties with Adani Group Majority of Adani Group stocks trade lower for second day on trot TDP reacts cautiously to Adani indictment row, says ‘no comments for now’Marshall's 17 lead Albany over Puerto Rico-Mayaguez 93-50
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n recent years, major new studies have tried to rehabilitate the presidency of Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at age 100. They’ve emphasized a range of underappreciated accomplishments in everything from foreign policy to environmental protection and racial equity. These accounts still acknowledge Carter’s failures but balance them with a longer-term perspective on how his presidency changed the United States and the world. This positive reappraisal, however, hasn’t extended to . This makes sense considering how devastating the battle over health care was to Carter during his presidency. Congress rejected his major health care policy initiatives, and his grudging support for a much more limited national health insurance plan in part spurred Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) to challenge the incumbent Carter from the left in the 1980 Democratic presidential primary. Yet Carter’s health care record deserves a more nuanced evaluation. More than any other modern president, he took on the health care industry, as well as his own allies, by attempting to address the high costs of American health care. And his health care proposals pushed his party toward the policy strategies that eventually produced the landmark Affordable Care Act in 2010. Carter’s willingness to tackle the politically perilous task of offers a template for the kind of leadership and focus needed to address the health care system’s enduring flaws in 2024. Carter entered office at a moment when health care spending was skyrocketing. Between 1970 and January 1977, total national health expenditures had more than doubled, from $74 billion to $152 billion. As a percentage of gross domestic product, health care spending had risen from 6.9% to 8.1%. Much of this increase stemmed from the enactment of Medicare in 1965, with its generous . These formulas not only raised direct costs, but, critically, also allowed hospitals to generate new revenue streams that enabled them both to build capital reserves and take on debt by entering the bond markets. Hospitals in turn used this access to capital to build new facilities, renovate old ones and add sophisticated new equipment. This created a cost spiral as hospitals competed with one another on facilities and technology, rather than affordability. Carter tried to duck the issue of health care policy in the 1976 Democratic primary, but exploding prices, along with continued interest in national health insurance on the left flank of the Democratic Party, made that impossible. After Carter’s victory in the Florida primary in March 1976, the United Automobile Workers (UAW) union demanded that he endorse national health insurance as a condition for receiving its critical endorsement. As an outsider from Georgia, Carter needed the union’s support. So after extended negotiations, he agreed to satisfy the UAW’s demand in an April 1976 speech. Even then, however, Carter refrained from backing Kennedy’s “Health Security Bill”—which offered complete single-payer public health coverage with no cost sharing and no role for private insurers—despite all of his main rivals for the Democratic nomination endorsing it. Instead, he described the general principles of a program that would be introduced in phases. Carter envisioned relying on private as well as public insurance, and his plan included checks on both hospital and physician fees to control costs. Carter also tied his program, in some unspecified way, to reductions to welfare. Since the union wanted to maintain influence if Carter won, this proposal was enough to secure its support. Carter went on to win the nomination and the election in 1976. As the president-elect and his team evaluated their priorities, concerns about the federal budget deficit and rising inflation took precedence over his campaign promise on health insurance. They decided to focus on hospital costs instead. As later put it, they couldn’t “even begin talking about affording a national health insurance program if hospital costs had an unlimited straw into the Federal Treasury.” Kennedy and other supporters of a deferred to the new president—but they were unhappy about it. They agreed about the need to control costs, but believed the two goals could be pursued simultaneously. By April 1977, the Carter team had drafted an innovative, two-part hospital cost containment proposal. The first part capped total hospital revenue growth at nine percent annually, with limited exceptions, achieved through a limit on average revenue per admission. The second part of the Carter bill audaciously proposed limiting total annual hospital capital expenditures to $2.5 billion nationally. This would cut spending for new facilities, and thus was key to slowing the rapid growth of the hospital sector. Together, the two prongs had the potential to be as transformative as Kennedy’s “Health Security Bill” because of the way they challenged unchecked hospital expansion and cost increases. The proposal triggered a brutal war. The industry organized an aggressive local lobbying campaign against the bill while implementing a much-hyped “voluntary effort” to control costs. , Carter’s special assistant for public liaison, explained that every local hospital board included "the president of the bank, the president of whatever local community organizations there were, the leading lights in all the religious organizations in town and so forth.” The hospitals’ powerful allies meant that Carter had lost public opinion, “before we ever got going.” Congress voted down Carter’s proposal multiple times between 1977 and 1979, dealing what he considered to be a crucial blow against his domestic agenda. Meanwhile, a frustrated Kennedy pressed the president to announce a national health insurance plan before the 1978 midterm elections. Carter recognized, however, that Kennedy had no support from moderate and conservative Democrats in Congress and pushed to defer release of a specific plan until the following year. Kennedy grudgingly agreed, but at the midterm Democratic convention that December, he savaged Carter’s inaction. Finally, in June 1979, Carter released a plan for the first phase of a program to achieve universal coverage. It relied on both public and private insurance to cover “catastrophic” medical costs, and it proposed federalizing Medicaid by combining it with Medicare into a new federal program known as “Healthcare.” This would have eliminated the state-to-state variations that made Medicaid an inconsistent and unequal vehicle for insuring low-income Americans. While covering all expenses for the poor, Healthcare had a $1250 deductible ($5151 in 2023 dollars) for higher income recipients. In addition, the Carter plan retained employer-provided private insurance with a mandate that employers offer at least catastrophic coverage for their workers for costs above a deductible of $2500. On the cost control side, the bill limited hospital capital expenditures and added a new system of physician fee controls. More comprehensive coverage, the administration argued, could be added as economic conditions allowed. Kennedy balked at the skimpy benefits, understanding that Congress could not be relied on to regularly expand coverage. Even so, Carter’s vision influenced him. Kennedy’s own proposal began to include public and private elements, including an employer mandate and a requirement that insurance companies provide marketing and administrative services for the plan’s public elements. It also included an annual national health budget to control costs. Neither bill made any real progress in Congress, and Kennedy’s frustrations fueled his decision to challenge Carter for the 1980 Democratic nomination. Despite the political damage done by Carter’s twin defeats on health care, he achieved two major things. First, he recognized the burgeoning cost control problems in the American health care system. His proposal, if passed, would have laid the foundation for a more cost effective and equal system. He understood that such hospital cost containment was a prerequisite for achieving universal coverage. Second, Carter changed the terms of the health care debate for Democrats. No longer would they push universal federally provided insurance like Kennedy’s proposal from the early 1970s had done. Instead, Bill Clinton (unsuccessfully) and eventually Barack Obama in his signature bill in 2010 both embraced a mixture of public and private health insurance that built on Carter’s legacy. Its debatable whether this shift was positive, but it marked a key step toward our current system. The other element of Carter’s health care agenda—the critical but politically perilous problem of high costs—remains largely unaddressed. While President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act took important steps to control the costs of prescription drugs, those only account for nine percent of healthcare costs. Also under Biden, the Federal Trade Commission has increased its scrutiny of both horizontal and vertical hospital mergers, but this has had limited effects and is largely after-the-fact, as the industry has already undergone significant consolidation. Unlike Carter, Biden has not pursued the direct regulation of costs stemming from hospitals, physicians, and clinical services, despite them accounting for 51 percent of health care costs. With cost problems still plaguing Americans in 2023, Carter has proved right on health care. While he couldn’t bend Congress to his will, his hospital spending caps could have prevented many of the challenges we continue to confront. The question now is whether today’s political leaders have the courage to follow his lead. ,
Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha With the generous support of a Qatari woman, Qatar Charity (QC) has opened a multi-service centre in Abéché, the capital of the Wadai region in Chad. The centre has been handed over to the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), which will manage its operations in partnership with Qatar Charity. The centre is set to offer educational services, along with providing clean water and healthcare for students and residents. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Sultan of the Wadai Region, Cherif Abdelhadi Mahdi; Dr. Yusuf Hassan Taha, director of ISESCO in Chad; and the Qatari donor, Aisha Abdulrahman Ubaidan, who built the centre as an ongoing charity for the reward of her late parents. The centre, one of Qatar Charity’s flagship projects, includes a primary school, a health centre with multiple medical clinics, a pharmacy, and a laboratory. It also provides healthcare services, including reproductive health and vaccinations. The multi-service centre features an artesian well, a water tank, a mosque, and 8 social housing units for teachers. It will also train teachers in Arabic language and Islamic studies. At the inauguration, the Sultan of the Wadai Region, HE Cherif Abdelhadi Mahdi, thanked the Qatari philanthropist who funded the establishment of the centre. In his speech, he praised Qatar Charity’s developmental and humanitarian efforts across Chad. He also urged Qatar Charity and generous donors in Qatar to help fund deep wells for clean drinking water, highlighting that Chadian women often travel 3 to 10 kilometres daily to fetch water. In his speech at the ceremony, Dr. Yusuf Hassan Taha, director of ISESCO in Chad, praised Qatar Charity and its valuable partnership. He highlighted Qatar Charity’s significant role in providing high-quality educational infrastructure. He also mentioned that ISESCO would use the centre to train 1,000 teachers in Arabic language and Islamic studies, as well as oversee the provision of other services through the centre. Aisha Abdulrahman Ubaidan thanked Qatar Charity for its efforts in building the centre, praising the quality and specifications of the building. Copy 24/12/2024 10Brad Pitt shocked fans on Saturday as he collapsed to the ground while filming a scene for his upcoming Formula One movie . The veteran actor was on the track at the Las Vegas Grand Prix , when he was pictured stumbling away from a car crash; Brad looked unsteady on his feet before he fainted, but luckily, a crew member was there with a crash mat to avoid injuries. The father of six was filming a scene for F1 , which drops in June 2025, where his character, Sonny Hayes, escapes a car crash. To build hype for the film, which is helmed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, Sonny's fictional racing team, APX GP, released a statement on social media about the event. "During Qualifying, Sonny sustained a significant impact requiring immediate medical evaluation," the statement read. "Incidents of this magnitude are always taken seriously, and Sonny's health remains our top priority." "While Sonny is otherwise stable, he will not participate in tomorrow's face as he focuses on recovery. " " The entire team stands behind him, and we'll provide updates when available. Joshua will race solo tomorrow, carrying the team forward, " it finished. F1 will follow Sonny Hayes, a washed-up race car driver, who was sidelined by a tragic crash. He returns to the sport years later after being recruited by the APX GP owner, played by Javier Bardem . "I would be a guy who raced in the '90s, " Brad told Sky Sports in a 2023 interview. "He has a horrible crash and kind of [expletive] out and disappears and then is racing in other disciplines. " The cast and crew have frequented race days for the past year to film scenes and make the movie as close to real life as possible. "We're shooting at the actual Grands Prix; there are certain aspects of this film where we're working in very, very tight windows, shooting on the track, between practice and qualifying sessions, in front of hundreds of thousands of people, " the director told Deadline in July. " Last year, at Silverstone, we had a scene we shot on the grid. I think we had something like nine minutes to shoot, " he said. " It really brings an intensity, and everyone's leaning forward in a way that maybe you wouldn't on a normal shoot day...you can just see the adrenaline going beforehand, and you feel that in the performances. " F1 is being produced by real-life racing star Lewis Hamilton , who explained what the film means to him as an F1 driver in a press conference at the 2023 British Grand Prix. "We want everyone to love it and to really feel that we encapsulate what the essence of this sport is all about – that's our goal, and I hope we can do you proud, " he said, adding that he was "excited to see it all coming together. " The director also spilled that many F1 stars, like Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon , have made it into the film to lend authenticity to the project. "They're all playing themselves, " he told Deadline . "We're just embedding into this world, so the drivers are who they are in these races [in the movie]. " "We're the eleventh team; we're the back of the pack in an incredible field of teams. We see the drivers on the track, and we're hoping to see all of them off track as well. "
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XCHG Limited Reports Second Quarter 2024 Unaudited Financial ResultsMELBOURNE, Australia and INDIANAPOLIS , Dec. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX; Nasdaq: TLX, Telix, the Company) today announces that it has submitted its Biologics License Application (BLA) to the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for TLX250-CDx (Zircaix®[1], 89 Zr- girentuximab) kidney cancer imaging[2]. TLX250-CDx is an investigational PET[3] drug product for the non-invasive diagnosis and characterisation of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common and aggressive form of kidney cancer. If approved, TLX250-CDx will be the first and only targeted PET agent specifically for kidney cancer to be commercially available in the U.S., further building on Telix's successful urology imaging franchise. The FDA is expected to advise the PDUFA[4] goal date following the 60-day administrative review of the application. Kevin Richardson , Chief Executive Officer, Precision Medicine at Telix, stated, "We are pleased to be progressing the BLA for TLX250-CDx, which has been granted Breakthrough designation, and may therefore be eligible for priority review. Telix continues to target a full U.S. commercial launch in 2025 addressing a major unmet medical need for patients with suspected ccRCC." About TLX250-CDx TLX250-CDx (Zircaix® 1 ) is an investigational PET agent that is under development for the diagnosis and characterisation of ccRCC. Telix's pivotal Phase III ZIRCON trial (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03849118 ) evaluating TLX250-CDx in 300 patients, of whom 284 were evaluable, met all primary and secondary endpoints, including showing 86% sensitivity and 87% specificity and a 93% positive-predictive value for ccRCC across three independent radiology readers[5]. Telix believes this demonstrated the ability of TLX250-CDx to reliably detect the clear cell phenotype and provide an accurate, non-invasive method for diagnosing and characterising ccRCC. Confidence intervals exceeded expectations amongst all three readers, showing evidence of high accuracy and consistency of interpretation. About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited Telix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals and associated medical technologies. Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia , with international operations in the United States , Europe ( Belgium and Switzerland ), and Japan . Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical and commercial stage products that aims to address significant unmet medical needs in oncology and rare diseases. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX) and the Nasdaq Global Select Market (Nasdaq: TLX). Telix's lead imaging product, gallium-68 ( 68 Ga) gozetotide injection (also known as 68 Ga PSMA-11 and marketed under the brand name Illuccix®), has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)[6], by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) [7], and by Health Canada [8] . No other Telix product has received a marketing authorisation in any jurisdiction. Visit www.telixpharma.com for further information about Telix, including details of the latest share price, announcements made to the ASX, investor and analyst presentations, news releases, event details and other publications that may be of interest. You can also follow Telix on X and LinkedIn . Telix Investor Relations Ms. Kyahn Williamson Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited SVP Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Email: kyahn.williamson@telixpharma.com This announcement has been authorised for release by the Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited Disclosure Committee on behalf of the Board. Legal Notices You should read this announcement together with our risk factors, as disclosed in our most recently filed reports with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our registration statement on Form 20-F filed with the SEC, or on our website. The information contained in this announcement is not intended to be an offer for subscription, invitation or recommendation with respect to securities of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (Telix) in any jurisdiction, including the United States . The information and opinions contained in this announcement are subject to change without notification. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Telix disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any information or opinions contained in this announcement, including any forward-looking statements (as referred to below), whether as a result of new information, future developments, a change in expectations or assumptions, or otherwise. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained or opinions expressed in the course of this announcement. This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that relate to anticipated future events, financial performance, plans, strategies or business developments. 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’Tis the season to drain your bank account. The back end of December is an expensive time – and not just because of Christmas Day. “A lot of people think, ‘Oh, it’s just food and gifts [you have to budget for]’. It’s not,” says Canna Campbell, a financial planner and author. “It’s travel. It’s babysitters. It’s alcohol. It’s taking a plate. It’s a new outfit. It’s so many other things. It can really add up.” So, how can you get through all the celebrations, catch-ups and New Year’s revelry without blowing your budget? Here’s some advice. Going away over Christmas? Act now – most gyms require seven days’ notice to freeze your membership. Even if you’re staying put, many studios are closed on public holidays, meaning you’d get limited usage over the silly season anyway. And do you really plan to exercise on 27 December? “I know it’s kind of but it’s also cost-saving,” says Carolina Gasolina, a DJ who is well versed in getting to and from events on the cheap. Your workplace should be paying for your cabs to and from the office Christmas party, says Victoria Devine, a podcaster and author of books like She’s on the Money. “If your work wants you to go to your Christmas party and they’re serving alcohol, from my perspective, there is an obligation to make sure you get home safely.” So ask for cab charges – or if the party has already happened, have a conversation with your boss about being able to expense your ride home. You should also chat to your employer about being able to expense any costs associated with getting to industry-related events at this time of year. For anything vaguely work-related your boss won’t pay for, hold on to your receipts and claim it at tax time. “If you’re on a tight budget, let people know” so that your friends can plan around it, says Campbell. It’s not worth starting 2025 with a financial hangover out of social obligation. Or if you’re worried about how much that dinner out is going to cost but are afraid to speak up, take the reins and book the restaurant so you can pick somewhere comfortably within your price range. Want to avoid dreaded surge pricing? Go retro and take turns playing designated driver with your friends, says Campbell. It’s a ye olde concept known as taking one for the team. If you draw the desi driver short straw, make sure you’re getting the cheapest possible fuel. Prices can vary by as much as 40 cents per litre in the same suburb, but apps such as FuelCheck (in New South Wales), Petrol Spy and MotorMouth make it easy to find the lowest petrol near you. “There’s nothing wrong with repeating your outfits, so don’t feel pressured to buy something new for every single Christmas party or outing,” says Gasolina. “No one really cares as much as you do.” If you’ve got a bunch of fancy events and really want something new to wear, organise a fun clothes swap with friends the same size as you. Got a packed schedule of Christmas parties? Save your boozing for events with an open bar, and otherwise, drink in moderation or not at all. It doesn’t have to be sad: “If you’re sober-inclined, pink lemonade is awesome,” says Gasolina. “You’ll get a high from the sugar rush.” If you’re going to be out and about every night, you’re probably not going to have time for that Netflix marathon. And streamers will often try to lure you back with cut-price rates, so you might even be able to resubscribe later for less. If you’re planning last-minute catch-ups with friends, “encourage family-friendly activities so that you don’t have to pay for a babysitter,” says Campbell. Think: the park, the beach, the bowls club. If you’re after more cheap ways to hang out with friends before the end of the year, look up local gigs – there are always a bunch of free shows over summer, says Gasolina. If all else fails, don’t be afraid to reschedule for January or February. “I don’t particularly understand the need to catch up before Christmas. Let’s catch up afterwards. I haven’t seen you in six months anyway. What’s another three weeks?” says Devine. You’ll still spend money on going out, but it might be better for your budget to do it later. If you haven’t already planned (and paid for) a New Year’s Eve party, offer to host your own, make guests BYO, or persuade a nearby friend to throw one instead. Bonus points if they have a nice house. Has this Christmas been a source of financial stress? Start building a silly season 2025 fund by opening a new bank account and setting up a recurring $10 or $20 weekly transfer into it. You’ll thank yourself later. “If you save $20 a week, you’re going to end up with just over $1,000 in your Christmas fund,” says Devine. “So, I think, while we are feeling the pressure right now, we can actually set ourselves up for success next year.”AeroVironment’s (NASDAQ:AVAV) Q3: Beats On Revenue But Stock DropsNEW YORK — Major stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The Standard & Poor’s 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners as gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company’s big gain helped cushion the market’s broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the tech sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other tech companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market’s other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street’s rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve’s last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of rate cuts have driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year. The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate after an aggressive rate hiking stint that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Under pressure from higher interest rates, inflation eased nearly to the central bank’s 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed’s policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month to month in October, after a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower. Troise and Veiga write for the Associated Press.
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