Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) Downgraded to Market Perform Rating by William Blair
Chiefs edge Panthers, Lions rip Colts as Dallas stuns WashingtonGeotab and Logmaster collaborate to transform Australian truckingPam Bondi, Donald Trump's pick to be attorney general, is a staunch ally of the former president, defending him against impeachment during his first term and pushing his false claims of election fraud as he sought to cling on to the White House. The 59-year-old former Florida attorney general, if confirmed by the Senate, will now serve as the top law enforcement official in a second Trump administration. "For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans -- Not anymore," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. "Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again." Bondi's nomination means the top ranks of the Justice Department will be filled by Trump loyalists, as the president-elect has named three of the lawyers who defended him in his multiple criminal cases to its other high-ranking roles. Trump tapped Bondi to be attorney general on Thursday after his first pick, firebrand ex-Florida lawmaker Matt Gaetz, dropped out amid sexual misconduct allegations and doubts that he could obtain Senate confirmation. A graduate of the University of Florida with a law degree from Stetson University, Bondi served as a prosecutor for 18 years before being elected attorney general of the "Sunshine State" in 2010, the first woman to hold the post. Bondi, a native of Trump's adopted home state of Florida, was reelected to a second term in 2014. As attorney general, Bondi notably fought opioid addiction and human trafficking while taking a tough stance on crime and supporting the death penalty. She sued BP for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and obtained more than $2 billion in economic relief for Florida, according to her biography page at Ballard Partners, a powerful lobbying firm where she has worked after leaving office. While serving as attorney general, Bondi was drawn into a controversy involving Trump when she declined in 2013 to join a multi-state prosecution accusing Trump University of fraud. It emerged later that Bondi's reelection committee had received a $25,000 donation from the charitable Trump Foundation. Both Trump and Bondi denied any wrongdoing. Bondi joined Trump's legal team during his first impeachment trial, in which he was alleged to have pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to find political dirt on his 2020 election opponent, Democrat Joe Biden. Trump was impeached by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives but acquitted by the Republican-majority Senate. After the 2020 election, Bondi made television appearances on behalf of Trump and pushed to de-legitimize vote counting in battleground states as part of the push by the former president to overturn the results of the vote. Bondi has also criticized the criminal cases brought against Trump, appearing in solidarity at his New York trial, where he was convicted of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star. At Ballard Partners, Bondi has done work for Amazon, General Motors and Uber and as a registered lobbyist for the oil-rich Gulf nation of Qatar, according to press reports. She is also a member of the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned right-wing think tank. cl/dw
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. The legislation sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta is necessary to bolster safety for children online, supporters say, but industry officials vow to fight the measure and others like it under the First Amendment. Warning labels for social media gained swift bipartisan support from dozens of attorneys general, including Bonta, after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to establish the requirements earlier this year, saying social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people.An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalition
Israeli hospital says Netanyahu has undergone successful prostate surgerySci-fi pioneer Bae Myung-hoon wants Korea to embrace the space opera Published: 10 Dec. 2024, 07:00 LEE JIAN [email protected] [Page-turners] As translated fiction enters a more global limelight, Korean books are being discovered by a wider audience beyond its borders. With the help of the massive inventory retained by dbBooks, Korea’s oldest independent book dealer, the Korea JoongAng Daily sought out hidden gems on their shelves. In this interview series, we find them for you and talk to the creatives behind them. Author Bae Myung-hoon speaks to the Korea JoongAng Daily for an interview at Tongbang Books' office in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON] Writing was originally a hobby for author Bae Myung-hoon. He began in politics, earning both bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from Seoul National University in the early 2000s. He wasn't interested in popular science fiction, a genre in which Korean characters were few and far between at the time. Related Article Truth in tales: How illustrator Hanna Cha's dragons symbolize her Korean American experience Not just for kids: Author Lee Suzy touts benefits of picture books for all readers It wasn't until he won a university fiction contest with a short story titled “Terrorist” (2004), followed by a science fiction competition hosted by the Korea Foundation for Science and Creativity at the Dong-A Ilbo, that he realized he might have a knack for the activity — and, more importantly, that the traditionally western genre could have a place in Korean society. “In the beginning, I had no prior knowledge of the genre,” Bae told the Korea JoongAng Daily. “I just wrote about things that I knew.” The 46-year-old, now the author of more than 20 books and short stories, is considered a pioneer of Korea's modern science fiction market. His writing is known to blur the line between genre and literary fiction, touching on universal themes such as nationalism, war and resilience. Many of his works are set in Korea and feature Korean characters, a trend that was less common before he entered the scene. Still, when writing “The Proposal,” his newly translated book, Bae wasn't exactly sure how it, or he, would fit into the writing world. The book was published 11 years ago to a reaction the author describes as “lukewarm." “People, including myself, weren’t very aware of the sci-fi genre, and some even considered it a kind of low-rate,” the author said. Related Article Han Kang 'shocked' by martial law, calls it a 'return to the age of control and suppression' 'Truths will be spoken': Nobel winner Han Kang on the necessity of literature Han Kang says 1979 martial law in hometown of Gwangju still affects her Based in space ahead of an imminent war, “The Proposal” is a series of letters from a space-born protagonist to his lover in Seoul. The work reflects “on the distances that separate us—both physically and emotionally—and celebrates the resilience of the human spirit, ever striving to overcome these divides,” according to Honford Star. The space-born protagonist questions, often wittingly, humanity's tendencies, like its inherent nationalism, that draw lines in the face of a lesser-understood existence. “The most primal ethic that makes humans humans is not the taboos against cannibalism or incest but the ability to tell up from down," Bae writes in the book. Such themes tap into Korean experiences, Bae believes, in a way that sci-fi historically hasn't. “SF books require a bit of nationalistic confidence,” he said, “and Korean writers in the past didn’t have that. For example, if someone were to go to the moon, it would be odd to make that character a Korean. It would make more sense for the protagonist to be an American.” Cover of ′′The Proposal′′ by Bae Myung-hoon [HONFORD STAR] Much of sci-fi, consequently, used to be narrated by American characters, which Bae says “didn’t quite click with the readers." “It would seem obvious today that a Korean author would write in a Korean voice, but that wasn’t the case in science fiction 20 years ago.” Bae was one of the authors who paved the path for sci-fi stories with Korean protagonists, best known for “Tower” (2009) and “Launch Something!” (2022), both of which have been translated into English. “The Proposal,” translated by Stella Kim and released this fall by Honford Star, was the third of his books to be published in the language. One thing those works have in common, Bae says, is that their characters identify conflict not within themselves but rather with their surroundings. Solutions, if they exist, are also found in the environment. “There isn’t a big internal realization that happens and then changes the protagonist,” he said. “It is about how the characters interact with the world around them.” For instance, in "The Proposal," the protagonist's main dilemma with his army's corruption is a completely external problem. As he works through his conflicts, no significant mind shift or growth ensues that he comes out at the end of the novel a changed person. His love for space - his home - is left unchanged and because of that, and his sense of loyalty to his job, he is unable to travel back to his lover on Earth. They also, as is the case with some sci-fi works, don't bog readers with scientific facts and measurements. He makes heavy use of the phenomenon sci-fi critics refer to as “cognizant estrangement,” whereby a fictional setting helps the reader to better understand their empirical reality. “I’m not so interested in science and technology but how a society functions,” Bae said. “Sci-fi is how I understand the world.” He hopes that such genre-bending stories like “The Proposal” will continue to resonate in Korea's market, where he feels that, despite decades of progress, sci-fi is still considered inferior to more “traditional” works. It's a genre, after all, that chose him. “There wasn’t a specific moment that I told myself, ‘I want to be a science fiction writer,’” said Bae. “What I liked writing, it turned out, was science fiction. It was very organic in coming.” He's spent a considerable amount of time thinking about space and studying it, but it isn't a place where he would rather be. “Space is a great place for my mind to travel to limitlessly, but I like Earth,” he said, and more jokingly added, “I wouldn't be able to handle space's zero-gravity.” BY LEE JIAN [ [email protected] ]
Pacers waive former Celtics center amid disappointing startReigning champion Kansas City edged Carolina and Detroit ripped Indianapolis on Sunday to reach an NFL-best 10-1 while Dallas shocked arch-rival Washington to snap a five-game losing streak. Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns and Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal on the final play to lift Kansas City over the host Panthers 30-27. Chuba Hubbard's 1-yard touchdown run and a 2-point conversion run had put Carolina level with 1:46 remaining, setting the stage for the Chiefs' seven-play, 57-yard march to set up the winning kick. Joining the Chiefs with a 10th triumph to keep a conference lead was Detroit, with Jahmyr Gibbs rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns and David Montgomery running for another score in the Lions' 24-6 triumph at Indianapolis. A wild finish with 38 points in the last 5:16 marked the Dallas Cowboys' 34-26 victory at Washington, where the Commanders appeared to have lost, then made an amazing comeback only to fall in the end. Cooper Rush's second touchdown pass, a 22-yarder to Luke Schoonmaker with 5:16 remaining, gave Dallas a 20-9 edge, but Jayden Daniels threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz and ran for a 2-point conversion to pull Washington within 20-17. KaVontae Turpin answered with a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown on the ensuing play, but again the Commanders responded as Austin Seibert kicked a 51-yard field goal and Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds remaining. Seibert, however, shockingly missed the conversion kick to keep Dallas ahead 27-26 and the Cowboys added a Juanyeh Thomas 43-yard kickoff return touchdown on the next play to seal victory. At Miami, Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns to spark the Miami Dolphins over New England 34-15. At Chicago, Minnesota's John Parker Romo kicked a 29-yard field goal with 2:10 remaining in overtime to lift the Vikings over the host Bears 30-27. Sam Darnold threw for 330 yards and two touchdowns as the Vikings improved to 9-2. At Houston, Chig Okonkwo caught a 70-yard go-ahead touchdown pass from Will Levis in the fourth quarter as Tennessee upset the host Texans 32-27. Levis threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns and Tony Pollard ran for 119 yards and a touchdown as the Titans reached 3-8 and Houston fell to 7-5. Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield threw for 294 yards to spark the Buccaneers over the host New York Giants 30-7. js/sev
14 new California laws to watch for in 2025
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 21, 2024-- Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), a global provider of end-to-end enterprise software support and innovation solutions, the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP, and VMware software, today announced Rimini ConnectTM Console , a single-pane-of-glass management tool that unifies and simplifies the administration and monitoring of Rimini ConnectTM, Rimini Street’s industry-leading suite of interoperability solutions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121087329/en/ Rimini Street Announces New Management Console for Rimini ConnectTM Suite of Interoperability Solutions (Graphic: Business Wire) Immediately available for Rimini ConnectTM for Browsers and for additional Rimini Connect solutions in the future, Rimini Connect Console is the latest advancement in Rimini Street’s interoperability solutions suite which are designed to extend the useful life of existing systems by insulating applications from changes in dynamic technology stacks and compatibility standards that may otherwise require costly upgrades or custom development. Rimini Connect Console unifies and automates several important capabilities into one centralized management tool, including: “Maintaining application interoperability with constant updates to dynamic technology stacks is a challenging, costly and never-ending effort that consumes potentially millions of dollars in forced software upgrades or development of custom, highly technical solutions,” said Desmond Whitt, vice president & general manager of Rimini Connect, adding that “Rimini Connect solutions future-proof your enterprise software against interoperability issues and Rimini Connect Console is designed to unify and streamline the monitoring and management of Rimini Connect solutions at scale, beginning with Rimini Connect for Browsers.” Rimini Connect Helps Businesses Achieve Modernization Without Disruption Built on Rimini Street’s experience of successfully resolving thousands of compatibility issues for clients since 2005, Rimini Connect provides a suite of seamless interoperability solutions that can resolve compatibility issues without requiring an upgrade of your core enterprise software. For example, Rimini Connect for Browsers enables IT teams to implement the latest releases of browsers without delay or worry of negative impact to current application releases. It also strategically decouples existing enterprise software from technology stack version dependencies, providing the flexibility needed for organizations to take control of their IT roadmap. Officeworks , a leading Australian retailer with over 167 stores nationwide and already a Rimini Street client for support of their SAP systems, deployed Rimini Connect for Browsers when Microsoft announced it would retire Internet Explorer 11. They needed to ensure their mission-critical applications would not be jeopardized by the change in browser availability or require an expensive, disruptive upgrade to maintain compatibility. “This project really was a collaborative experience with the Rimini Street team.... For us, it was about making this transition as seamlessly as possible without any interruption to business, and Rimini Street helped us achieve that,” said Michael Howard, chief operating officer at Officeworks. Rimini Street Continues to Invest in the Future of its Clients with New Interoperability Capabilities Known for helping clients maximize the potential of their IT investments, gain flexibility, and enjoy better support and savings from a trusted partner, Rimini Street continues to invest in interoperability solutions like Rimini Connect Console that help clients at scale to future-proof and extend the useful lifespan of their existing, robust systems without worrying about changing compatibility standards. “Rimini Connect Console is the latest of our continuously expanding offerings to help organizations achieve their goal of growth and profitability while reducing risk,” said Whitt. “We not only help extend the life of systems, we also help make it easier to manage them, lessening overhead costs and freeing teams to focus on higher value priorities for the business.” Learn more about how to remove interoperability challenges without upgrades by choosing Rimini Connect . About Rimini Street, Inc. Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), a Russell 2000® Company, is a global provider of end-to-end enterprise software support and innovation solutions and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP and VMware software. The Company offers a comprehensive portfolio of unified solutions to run, manage, support, customize, configure, connect, protect, monitor, and optimize enterprise application, database, and technology software. The Company has signed thousands of contracts with Fortune Global 100, Fortune 500, midmarket, public sector and government organizations who selected Rimini Street as their trusted, proven mission-critical enterprise software solutions provider and achieved better operational outcomes, realized billions of US dollars in savings and funded AI and other innovation investments. To learn more, please visit www.riministreet.com , and connect with Rimini Street on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 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These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, adverse developments in and costs associated with defending pending litigation or any new litigation, including the disposition of pending motions to appeal and any new claims; additional expenses to be incurred in order to comply with injunctions against certain of our business practices and the impact on future period revenue and costs; changes in the business environment in which Rimini Street operates, including the impact of any macro-economic trends and changes in foreign exchange rates, as well as general financial, economic, regulatory and political conditions affecting the industry in which we operate and the industries in which our clients operate; the evolution of the enterprise software management and support landscape and our ability to attract and retain clients and further penetrate our client base; significant competition in the software support services industry; customer adoption of our expanded portfolio of products and services and products and services we expect to introduce; our ability to grow our revenue, manage our cost of revenue and accurately forecast revenue; the expected impact of recent and anticipated future reductions in our workforce and associated reorganization costs; estimates of our total addressable market and expectations of client savings relative to use of other providers; variability of timing in our sales cycle; risks relating to retention rates, including our ability to accurately predict retention rates; the loss of one or more members of our management team; our ability to attract and retain additional qualified personnel, including sales personnel, and retain key personnel; our business plan, our ability to grow in the future and our ability to achieve and maintain profitability; our plans to wind down the offering of services for Oracle PeopleSoft products; the volatility of our stock price and related compliance with stock exchange requirements; our need and ability to raise equity or debt financing on favorable terms and our ability to generate cash flows from operations to help fund increased investment in our growth initiatives; risks associated with global operations; our ability to prevent unauthorized access to our information technology systems and other cybersecurity threats, protect the confidential information of our employees and clients and comply with privacy regulations; our ability to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting; our ability to maintain, protect and enhance our brand and intellectual property; changes in laws and regulations, including changes in tax laws or unfavorable outcomes of tax positions we take, a failure by us to establish adequate tax reserves, or our ability to realize benefits from our net operating losses; the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters; our credit facility’s ongoing debt service obligations and financial and operational covenants on our business and related interest rate risk, including uncertainty from the transition to SOFR or other interest rate benchmarks; the sufficiency of our cash and cash equivalents to meet our liquidity requirements; the amount and timing of repurchases, if any, under our stock repurchase program and our ability to enhance stockholder value through such program; uncertainty as to the long-term value of Rimini Street’s equity securities; catastrophic events that disrupt our business or that of our clients; and those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Rimini Street’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on October 30, 2024, and as updated from time to time by Rimini Street’s future Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other filings by Rimini Street with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 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View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121087329/en/ CONTACT: Janet Ravin VP, Global Communications Rimini Street, Inc. +1 702 285-3532 pr@riministreet.com KEYWORD: NEVADA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: DATA MANAGEMENT APPS/APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE NETWORKS INTERNET HARDWARE SOURCE: Rimini Street, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/21/2024 04:00 PM/DISC: 11/21/2024 04:00 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121087329/en
California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites