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Adam Pemble, AP journalist whose compassionate lens brought stories to life, dies at 52'Prophecy's' Weirdest Mystery Could Set Up a Massive 'Dune' 3 Twist
There would be no second chances this time. Lando Norris has been prone to in-race lapses of judgement and concentration in 2024 but here, with a 26-year hoodoo solely in his hands, the Bristolian gave his beloved McLaren a long-awaited F1 constructors’ championship at the season-finale. Norris, pole-sitter and the quickest man all weekend, kept it clean and avoided trouble – where his teammate Oscar Piastri did not – to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and seal the teams’ title for the papaya. Ferrari did their best, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc both on the podium, but ultimately a 14-point advantage was enough. The last time McLaren sealed the constructors’ championship, Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard were the drivers in the 1998 MP4/13 cockpit. Both were present here in Abu Dhabi as one of F1’s biggest teams ended their long wait in the MCL38. As for Lewis Hamilton , in his 246 th and final race for Mercedes, a trademark charge through the field. Starting in 16 th , the seven-time world champion ended the greatest driver-team partnership in F1 history with a fourth-place finish, passing George Russell on the last lap. He parked his car on the home straight at the end, waved to the crowd and said his goodbyes. Ferrari, and all the glamour that goes with it, awaits Hamilton as he heads into his 40s. Russell finished fourth and Max Verstappen in sixth, as he dropped back after a penalty for clattering into Piastri’s rear-left wheel a matter of seconds into the race. Piastri recovered for 10 th , but no matter. His teammate had secured the crowning moment. “It feels incredible, not for myself but for the whole team,” he said. “It’s been a long journey and to end the season like this is perfect. “To win a constructors’ [title] after 26 years is pretty special. Zak has already said we’re going to get pretty hammered tonight!” It ended in ideal fashion after a start which was far from it. The Yas Marina Circuit, with its short home straight, is not prone to drama at turn one on lights out. But this year, as McLaren simply needed a clean get-away for both their drivers, a Verstappen-shaped curveball threw open the race for the title. The Dutchman surged down the inside and clipped Piastri, who spun and dropped down to last. Fortunately, his McLaren was not irrevocably damaged but the usually mild-mannered Australian sharply gave his verdict over team radio. “Yep, move of a world champion that one.” Verstappen was duly given a 10-second time penalty, though Piastri himself received the same judgement from the stewards after crashing with the rear of Franco Colapinto, giving the Williams a puncture. Mercifully for Zak Brown’s team, and their fans watching back at the McLaren technology centre in Woking, Norris was unimpacted by the first-lap shenanigans and led, comfortably, through the first phase of the 58-lap race. The Brit pitted on lap 26. Would the mechanics hold their nerve? You bet they would. A two-second pit-stop meant Norris rejoined the race still in P1 and, with the quickest racepace on the track, the Brit just had to keep it error-free to hand McLaren their prized silverware. No ignoring yellow flags like last week in Qatar. No flirting with the wall like in Singapore. Norris was assured, composed and by a margin of eight seconds took the chequered flag for his fifth win in Formula 1. Cue jubilation from the orange-clad personnel on the pit-wall. For a team in no man’s land at the start of the season, it has been a superb turnaround from team principal Andrea Stella – formerly of Ferrari – and his engineers. Norris’ goal now, with a sense of longing about what might have been this year, will be an individual title pursuit more complete and cool-headed than last year’s topsy-turvy campaign. He even referenced it on the team radio straight after the race. “So proud of you all, you deserve this, thank you so much,” he said. “This is our year. Next year is going to be mine too.”
Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders
Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leadersGhanaian former president secures historic comebackTributary Capital Management LLC trimmed its stake in NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ) by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 28,240 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after selling 2,100 shares during the period. Tributary Capital Management LLC’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $3,429,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVDA. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its position in NVIDIA by 884.0% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 213,127,959 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $26,329,751,000 after buying an additional 191,469,114 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in NVIDIA by 854.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 182,622,629 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $22,561,200,000 after buying an additional 163,482,580 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in NVIDIA by 870.3% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 102,422,225 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $12,658,922,000 after buying an additional 91,867,031 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in NVIDIA by 1,123.2% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 92,039,713 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $11,371,255,000 after buying an additional 84,515,429 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in shares of NVIDIA by 808.6% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 82,689,605 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $10,215,474,000 after purchasing an additional 73,589,208 shares in the last quarter. 65.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. NVIDIA Stock Down 1.8 % NVDA stock opened at $142.44 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $138.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $125.58. The company has a market capitalization of $3.49 trillion, a P/E ratio of 56.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 4.10 and a quick ratio of 3.64. NVIDIA Co. has a 12 month low of $45.60 and a 12 month high of $152.89. NVIDIA Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.01 per share. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.03%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 5th. NVIDIA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 1.57%. NVIDIA declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, August 28th that authorizes the company to buyback $50.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the computer hardware maker to purchase up to 1.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of NVIDIA from $140.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of NVIDIA in a report on Monday, November 18th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of NVIDIA from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of NVIDIA from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of NVIDIA from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $164.15. Read Our Latest Analysis on NVDA Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CFO Colette Kress sold 66,670 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.59, for a total transaction of $7,773,055.30. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 4,954,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $577,611,810.26. This represents a 1.33 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, Director John Dabiri sold 716 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.00, for a total transaction of $101,672.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 19,942 shares in the company, valued at $2,831,764. This trade represents a 3.47 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,796,986 shares of company stock valued at $214,418,399. Corporate insiders own 4.23% of the company’s stock. NVIDIA Company Profile ( Free Report ) NVIDIA Corporation provides graphics and compute and networking solutions in the United States, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and internationally. The Graphics segment offers GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics; virtual GPU or vGPU software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; automotive platforms for infotainment systems; and Omniverse software for building and operating metaverse and 3D internet applications. Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than NVIDIA How to Use Stock Screeners to Find Stocks Fast-Growing Companies That Are Still Undervalued Investing in Construction Stocks Top Cybersecurity Stock Picks for 2025 TSX Venture Exchange (Formerly Canadian Venture Exchange) Archer or Joby: Which Aviation Company Might Rise Fastest? 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A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge's order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana.Medical Equipment Maintenance Market to Grow by USD 51.21 Billion (2024-2028), Driven by Focus on Preventive Maintenance, AI Redefining Market Landscape - Technavio
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Austin Ekeler was concussed late in the Commanders' loss and taken to hospital for evaluationFLORENCE — Texas Department of Public Safety will graduate 130 recruits next week following 29 weeks of rigorous physical, mental and situational training, part of which occurred just 20 miles south of Killeen. Class B-2024, which began May 20, is about to complete the rigorous six-month course. Last week, officials held a joint field training exercise at the DPS Tactical Training Center in Florence in Williamson County. “We provide a quality of training which is excellent,” said the facility’s Assistant Chief of Training Derek Prestridge. “Our intensive program and in-resident training brings value to our academy and a level of excellence that is a part of the core value of this organization.” Texas Department of Public Safety Assistant Chief of Training Lt. Derek Prestridge explains some of the strategies taught at the training center near Florence. The in-resident training allows recruits to experience the physical challenges of being away from family members and friends. One instructor said the arrangements inside the building where recruits stay are not like hotel accommodations. Recruits sleep on cots, or on the floor, or periodically wherever they can catch a nap. The reasoning behind this type of training is to see how recruits deal with mental and emotional situations which may be brought on by uncomfortable accommodations or the lack of adequate sleep, rest and daily schedule. For a portion of the physical training, there are 16 stations set up throughout the 200-acre training area. The training center has a three-mile track used to teach vehicle dynamics, coned skill courses, a road course, pursuit and emergency response tactics. There are three towers which give instructors the ability to run all electrical signs, lights, gates, security cameras and for visual observation. The Texas DPS training facility near Florence is home to 130 recruits who reside there during the last week of skills training The driving course is designed to teach precision driving skills within the urban environment, skid control and high-speed pursuit skills. The course is also used to teach crash investigation techniques. Included on the course: a paved level surface which, when wet, offers a slick surface to practice driving in those conditions in order to prepare for real-life situations. On Thursday, instructors had set up several exercises which would simulate conditions similar to a traffic stop. The first exercise involved a civilian vehicle which appeared to be broken down on the side of a road. Recruits are given no more information than that as they drive toward the vehicle, stop and attempt to survey the situation. The recruit attempts to make contact with a man who is under the hood of the vehicle by shouting out. In this case, the man yells back at the recruit to go away. As the recruit steps closer to the man’s vehicle it appears he has a gun and begins to shoot at the recruit. The recruit returns fire, appearing to have hit the man who falls to the ground, and is still. The recruit moves to the rear of the DPS vehicle, while using the radio to notify a dispatcher that help is needed and the important details of the stop. This all happens very quickly, in a matter of minutes. After the role-play is complete, instructors who have shadowed the recruit and watched from a close proximity, give the recruit feedback. These drills are run several times throughout the training period in many different circumstances. Another exercise involved a situation in which another trooper might be using excessive force. The recruit is told he is being called to assist in the take-down of a criminal, but when the recruit approaches, the original trooper appears to be using a baton to hit his suspect in the back of the head with excessive force. In this case, the recruit had to quickly assess the scene, determine the severity of the troopers actions and decide how to assist. One recruit used his own strength to pull the offending trooper off the suspect while assessing whether or not the trooper was in control of himself and his actions. Then, in an instant, the recruit apprehended the suspect and called dispatch to alert them of the situation. Another recruit was set up at the same station a few minutes later to test their assessment and action taken. This time, after pulling the trooper from the suspect, the recruit pushed the offending trooper to the ground and proceeded to handcuff him. When asked why by his instructors later, the recruit said the trooper appeared to continue his bad behavior even after the recruit arrived and told him to stop. These two exercises had very different endings and neither were wrong, according to instructor Lt. Michael Monaghan. “In the second case, the recruit felt they might be in danger, due to the aggressive demeanor of the trooper,” Monaghan said. “This is all part of the training and could happen out in the real world.” In this first exercise, the recruit in the gray shirt has pulled over to assess the situation of a car with a raised hood on the side of the road. The suspect is seen pulling a weapon from his pants and the recruit must call on her training to follow through with the stop. In another exercise, recruits were tested at an intersection where the driver of a vehicle sped past and the task was to make a traffic stop. It was all going along well, until the other driver decided to speed away from the stop taking some twisting turns and leaving the roadway. After pursuing the driver with sirens, lights and a PA call to pull over, the driver slowed down again. Before the recruit could stop his vehicle, the driver of the other car was off again, finally coming to a stop several hundred yards in front of the recruit. By this time, a second DPS vehicle had joined the pursuit as back up. The remainder of the stop consisted of giving the suspect directions as the recruits from both vehicles trained their guns on him. There was a series of commands given in order to subdue the driver, check the vehicle for other passengers and calm the situation down. In this exercise, there were several options open to the recruits to complete the test. “If an instructor believes additional training is needed, recruits will circle back through the situations that gave them difficulty,” Monaghan said. “The purpose of this is to help recruits feel at ease with their decisions and to develop the confidence to make snap decisions and follow-through in a safe manner.” Monaghan also pointed out that on every stop there are so many variables that they couldn’t possibly set them all up. He also said that the academy brings in experts in their field to assist in some of the scenarios. There are emerging threats that come up and the training needs to stay ahead and up to date with the latest methods, technology and strategies. The mission of the DPS’s Training Operations Division is to prepare law enforcement leaders and peace officers to meet 21st Century demands and challenges. The division develops a wide variety of world-class training and education programs and delivers them to public safety professionals within the department and throughout the state. Recruits, in the gray shirts, hold a suspect at gunpoint and verbally instruct him on how to proceed during this traffic stop exercise. “The Texas Department of Public Safety is committed to recruiting and training a diverse workforce that reflect our values of integrity, excellence, accountability and teamwork,” Prestridge said. The rigorous recruit training includes the basic peace officer course, which exceeds mandatory licensing requirements established by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. Trooper trainees are educated by experts on criminal and traffic law enforcement, crash investigation, crisis intervention, use of force, emergency casualty care, criminal investigations, communications, cultural diversity, fitness and wellness and many other areas, gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the job of a highway patrol trooper anywhere in Texas. “The Texas DPS is the premier law enforcement agency in the state, as well as one of the finest in the nation,” according to the state’s website. In order to meet the many challenges facing law enforcement today, the department operates a world-class training program. Law Enforcement Education educates and trains recruits, troopers, agents, and other law enforcement officers across the state. Students study tactical vehicle operation, firearms, use of force, effective report writing, communications skills, and first aid, as well as other topics. Physical training and arrest and control tactics training are also core elements of the program. At the end of training, recruits are taken to DPS headquarters in Austin and given a chance to prepare for graduation. The annual DPS Legacy Run took place on Friday. The four-mile run went from the DPS Fallen Officers Memorial at DPS headquarters to the Peace Officers Memorial at the Texas State Capitol. First implemented in 2008, recruits and instructors have said it is a way to mark the end of the 30-week training academy. According to the DPS website, trooper trainees are accompanied by their instructors, members of DPS leadership and often times DPS retirees. Before leaving the Training Center, Prestridge talked about the relationship DPS has with legislators in Austin. “Our training brings value to the state,” Prestridge said. “We have the ear of legislators and have worked with them to help equip our facilities and provide state-of-the art technology. The way we invest in our personnel makes this a law enforcement agency of excellence.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Chaz Lanier scored 18 and No. 7 Tennessee extended its season-opening winning streak to seven games with a 78-35 victory over UT Martin on Wednesday. Felix Okpara had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Volunteers (7-0). Zakai Zeigler added 11 points and nine assists, and Igor Milicic had 13 rebounds and nine points. The Skyhawks (2-5) were led by Josu Grullon's 15 points. Lanier scored 11 points in the first half as Tennessee built a 35-20 lead at the half. Grullon had 10 for UT Martin. UT Martin: Dropped its fifth straight after two opening wins under first-year coach Jeremy Shulman. After 21 wins last year, the Skyhawks brought in 16 newcomers this season. They are picked to finish 10th in the Ohio Valley Conference. Tennessee: After receiving the news that 6-foot-9 sophomore J.P. Estrella will miss the entire season with a foot injury, the Vols have had to go back to the drawing board to determine their rotation on the front court. Estrella had been coming off the bench with Cade Phillips to spell Igor Milicic and Felix Okpara. What that big man rotation looks like will be interesting. From late in the first half to early in the second half, Tennessee scored 14 straight points and turned a 10-point lead into a 44-20 advantage. Zakai Zeigler had five of those points. UT Martin committed 18 turnovers. Five of those were shot-clock violations. Tennessee scored 24 points off the turnovers. UT Martin will be at Charleston Southern next Tuesday. Tennessee will host Syracuse next Tuesday in the SEC/ACC Challenge. 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-basketballStock Ideas Buy LTIMindtree at Rs 6,120 Buy Mastek at Rs 3,230 Buy Tata Motors above Rs 800 Buy Siemens above Rs 6,850 Buy Jubilant Food above Rs 645
Capitol Federal Financial (NASDAQ:CFFN) & Oconee Federal Financial (NASDAQ:OFED) Head to Head ContrastEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants organization got exactly what it deserved in getting blown out by Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Giants were embarrassed in Sunday's 30-7 loss , taunted by Mayfield after a touchdown run just before halftime. And then they saw their fans walk out on them again when the Bucs extended their lead to 30-0 and sent New York (2-9) to its sixth straight loss. The losing streak is the longest for the Giants since 2019, when they dropped a franchise-record nine straight games to finish 4-12. That led to the firing of coach Pat Shurmur after two seasons. Third-year coach Brian Daboll is clearly in trouble, with the Giants guaranteed a second straight losing season. They were 6-11 in a 2023 season that featured a lot of injuries. Daboll, who denies he has lost the team, isn't the only one whose job is in jeopardy. General manager Joe Schoen is on the hot seat and so is this entire franchise, which is celebrating its 100th year. It's one thing to lose. It's quite another to give up, and that's what the organization did when it decided to bench Daniel Jones a week ago and then release him on Friday after the 27-year-old asked co-owner John Mara to let him walk away. While he wasn't playing well, Jones was the Giants' best quarterback. He gave them more a of chance to win than either Tommy DeVito or Drew Lock. Removing him from the picture was all but certain to make the Giants worse, even if it was a good business decision. If Jones was hurt and unable the pass his physical before the 2025 season, the team would have been on the hook for a $23 million cap hit. The problem is the players care about now. By getting rid of Jones and elevating DeVito to the starting role, the front office was telling the team it didn't care about winning with seven games left in the season. So the players gave a lackluster effort. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence called the team soft. Rookie receiver Malik Nabers said he was sick of losing. Left tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said he saw a lack of effort by some players. What they all were saying was they were angry at being betrayed. Money is never more important than winning, and the Giants made that mistake. At this point in the season? Nothing. The offense once again. The Giants have scored a league-low 163 points, including only 60 in six games at MetLife Stadium, where they are winless this season. They have scored in double figures at home twice. Daboll's team has been held scoreless in the first half in three of 11 games and it has been held without a first-half touchdown seven times. Daboll said he will continue to call the offensive plays. S Tyler Nubin. The rookie has had a team-high 12 tackles in each of the last two games. His 81 tackles for the season are just two behind team leader Bobby Okereke. RB Tyrone Tracy. The rookie leads Giants running backs with 587 yards on 116 carries — a 5.1-yard average for the fifth-round pick. But holding onto the ball has been a big issue. Tracy's fumble in overtime cost New York a chance to win in Germany against Carolina. He also lost the ball in the third quarter at the Bucs 5-yard line with New York down 23-0. It earned him a seat on the bench. LT Jermaine Eluemunor (quad) and OLB Azeez Ojulari (toe) left Sunday's game in the first quarter. Chris Hubbard filled in at tackle and the Giants luckily got back DL Kayvon Thibodeaux this past week after he missed five games with a broken wrist. DeVito was banged up but Daboll expects him to start against the Cowboys. 10 — The Giants have gone 10 consecutive games without an interception, tying the NFL record held by the 1976-77 San Francisco 49ers and the 2017 Oakland — now Las Vegas — Raiders. The Giants and Raiders now share the single-season mark. A national showcase on Thanksgiving Day for the NFC-worst Giants at Dallas. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLBNP Paribas Financial Markets Buys 99,685 Shares of Integra LifeSciences Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:IART)No. 7 Tennessee extends its season-opening winning streak to 7 games in 78-35 win over UT Martin
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Google and the US government faced off in a federal court on Monday, as each side delivered closing arguments in a case revolving around the technology giant's alleged unfair domination of online advertising. The trial in a Virginia federal court is Google's second US antitrust case now under way as the US government tries to rein in the power of big tech. In a separate trial, a Washington judge ruled that Google's search business is an illegal monopoly, and the US Justice Department is asking that Google sell its Chrome browser business to resolve the case. The latest case, also brought by the Justice Department, focuses on ad technology for the open web -- the complex system determining which online ads people see when they surf the internet. The vast majority of websites use a trio of Google ad software products that together, leave no way for publishers to escape Google's advertising technology, the plaintiffs allege. Publishers -- including News Corp and Gannett publishing -- complain that they are locked into Google's advertising technology in order to run ads on their websites. "Google is once, twice, three times a monopolist," DOJ lawyer Aaron Teitelbaum told the court in closing arguments. Presiding judge Leonie Brinkema has said that she would deliver her opinion swiftly, as early as next month. Whatever Brinkema's judgment, the outcome will almost certainly be appealed, prolonging a process that could go all the way to the US Supreme Court. The government alleges that Google controls the auction-style system that advertisers use to purchase advertising space online. The US lawyers argue that this approach allows Google to charge higher prices to advertisers while sending less revenue to publishers such as news websites, many of which are struggling to stay in business. The US argues that Google used its financial power to acquire potential rivals and corner the ad tech market, leaving advertisers and publishers with no choice but to use its technology. The government wants Google to divest parts of its ad tech business. Google dismissed the allegations as an attempt by the government to pick "winners and losers" in a diverse market. The company argues that the display ads at issue are just a small share of today's ad tech business. Google says the plaintiffs' definition of the market ignores ads that are also placed in search results, apps and social media platforms and where, taken as a whole, Google does not dominate. "The law simply does not support what the plaintiffs are arguing in this case," said Google's lawyer Karen Dunn. She warned that if Google were to lose the case, the winners would be rival tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta or Amazon, whose market share in online advertising is ascendant as Google's share is falling. The DOJ countered that it simply "does not matter" that Google is competing in the broader market for online ads. "That is a different question" than the market for ads on websites that is the target of the case, said Teitelbaum. Google also points to US legal precedent, saying arguments similar to the government's have been refuted in previous antitrust cases. Dunn also warned that forcing Google to work with rivals in its ad products would amount to government central planning that the court should reject. If the judge finds Google to be at fault, a new phase of the trial would decide how the company should comply with that conclusion. And all that could be moot if the incoming Trump administration decides to drop the case. The president-elect has been a critic of Google's, but he warned earlier this month that breaking it up could be "a very dangerous thing."LILLEY UNLEASHED: Border security — The Donald’s great divide