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Walmart's DEI rollback signals a profound shift in the wake of Trump's election victory NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart’s sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are re-evaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world’s biggest retailer on Monday followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The retreat from such programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump's threat to impose tariffs could raise prices for consumers, colliding with promise for relief DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists and industry officials say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea and an additional 10% tax on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday threatening tariffs on his first day in office could be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. Trump’s latest tariff plan aims at multiple countries. What does it mean for the US? WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has identified what he sees as an all-purpose fix for what ails America: Slap huge new tariffs on foreign goods entering the United States. On Monday, Trump sent shockwaves across the nation’s northern and southern borders, vowing sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, as well as China, as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. Trump said he will impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. Federal Reserve officials signal cautious path for rate cuts amid still-high inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — With inflation still elevated, Federal Reserve officials expressed caution at their last meeting about cutting interest rates too quickly, adding to uncertainty about their next moves. Even if inflation continued declining to the Fed’s 2% target, officials said, “it would likely be appropriate to move gradually” in lowering rates, according to minutes of the November 6-7 meeting. The minutes don’t specifically provide much guidance about what the Fed will do at its next meeting in December. Wall Street investors see the odds of another quarter-point reduction in the Fed’s key rate at that meeting as nearly even, according to CME Fedwatch. Canadian officials blast Trump's tariff threat and one calls Mexico comparison an insult TORONTO (AP) — Canadian officials are blasting President-elect Donald’s Trump’s threat to impose sweeping tariffs. The leader of Canada's most populous province on Tuesday called Trump’s comparison of Canada to Mexico “the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard.” Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada, Mexico and China as soon as he takes office in January as part of efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico. Canadians say their economy and the U.S. one are deeply intertwined and Americans would feel tariffs, too. Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of obese Americans would be eligible to have popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning. The proposal, which would not be finalized until after President-elect Donald Trump takes office, could cost taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade. It would give millions of people access to weekly injectables that have helped people shed pounds so quickly that some people have labeled them miracle drugs. Surveillance tech advances by Biden could aid in Trump's promised crackdown on immigration President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency’s supervision. It’s almost time for Spotify Wrapped. When can you expect your 2024 recap? NEW YORK (AP) — It’s almost that time of year. Spotify is gearing up to release its annual Spotify Wrapped, a personalized recap of its users' listening habits and year in audio. The streaming service has been sharing these personalized analyses with since 2016. And each year, it’s become a bigger production than the last. Spotify claimed its 2023 Wrapped was the “biggest ever created” in terms of audience reach and the kind of data it provided to users. But information on Wrapped's 2024 release has been kept under ... er, wraps. In previous years, it’s been released after Thanksgiving, between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6. Thanksgiving travel is cranking up. Will the weather cooperate? The Thanksgiving travel rush is picking up, with Tuesday and Wednesday expected to be much busier than the last couple days. A lot of travelers will be watching weather forecasts to see if rain or snow could slow them down. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen more than 2.8 million people on Tuesday and 2.9 million on Wednesday after handling more than 2.5 million people on Monday. So far, relatively few flights have been canceled this week, but there have been thousands of delayed flights every day. That is becoming normal for U.S. airlines. Federal agency raises the size of most single-family loans the government can guarantee to $806,500 The Federal Housing Finance Agency is increasing the size of home loans that the government can guarantee against default as it takes into account rising housing prices. Beginning next year, mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be able to acquire loans of up to $806,500 on single-family homes in most of the country, the agency said Tuesday. The new conforming loan limit is a 5.2% increase from its 2024 level. FHFA oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which buy home loans from banks and other lenders. FHFA adjusts the loan limits annually to reflect changes in U.S. home values, which have been rising this year despite a national home sales slump.Recap - While New Zealand might be leaving 2024 with fewer reporters than it started , no one told the news - so it just kept happening. Rude. Luckily, RNZ was there to cover it all - whether it was about brain worms , brain computer chips or brain rot , we were there. Or at least somewhere with access to a computer where we could stick it online. Here are some of the strangest, oddest and most brain-tickling stories RNZ covered in 2024. January Mysterious 'Big Ring' found in space 'must surely be telling us something' - astronomer The 'Big Ring' of "galaxies and galaxy clusters" is apparently "by no means the first likely violation of the cosmological principle", RNZ partner BBC News reported , definitely an inauspicious start to the year. Just send us an obelisk next time, ET. Mystery envelope containing $5000 cash handed to Auckland pensioner by young man who runs away "He knows of no debt that was ever to be repaid, favour not recognised or betrayal to be made good," RNZ's friends at the NZ Herald reported . Must have been a landlord? Mystery of disappearing gnomes in Hastings appears to be solved Officers discovered an array of animals, gnomes, fairies and other creatures in the garden of a suspect they were visiting after receiving a tip-off . Elon Musk's Neuralink implants brain chip in first human While many people who valued their brains fled X (formerly Twitter, I'm obliged to add) in 2024, one brave person in January let Elon Musk stick a computer chip in his brain - which they then used to play Civilization VI . Achievement unlocked. February Rogue digital billboard pokes fun at Waka Kotahi A digital billboard poking fun at Waka Kotahi appeared near an intersection in New Plymouth in February, featuring several tongue-in-cheek jibes at the transport operator. March Winston Peters told to stop using Chumbawamba hit 'Tubthumping' at rallies It sounds like a headline written via Madlibs or by ChatGPT, but this really happened . "Is he just being antagonistic about it now? Is that his thing?" Chumbawamba singer and sweet summer child Dunstan Bruce told First Up . US says UFO sightings likely secret military tests Of course that's what THEY would say. This could be a case for Mulder and Scully. Rare 'UFO cloud' has Aucklanders' eyes on the skies Ditto . April Swipe card found in Antarctica years after being lost in Wellington RNZ Concert senior music producer David McCaw lost his Wellington Town Hall swipe card in 2003 when his car was broken into, and somehow it ended up in Antarctica . Scientists found it in 2016, but progress from there was glacial - get it? Snow joke. Military horses break free, rampage through London It's time to play real life or Blackadder ? Not only was this real life , it happened again just a couple of months later . An American journalist read her own obituary online, and soon discovered the strange world of obit pirates RNZ partner ABC News explains : "Anonymous internet fraudsters use search engine optimisation (SEO) to identify people looking up the name of someone who has recently died." So just normal sickening internet stuff then. Carry on. May Mystery Roman artefact sparks wild speculation Found during a dig in the place where Walt Disney's ancestors hailed from , the 12-sided object was likened to a dog treat dispenser, a spaghetti measure and even a measuring gauge for slingshot. Expect it to appear in the next Indiana Jones film. June Photo box mystery: 'Massive' collection of family snaps found in sewing machine case The photos covered a century, up to the early 2000s, with the only clue being the name 'McDonald', which didn't really narrow it down . July Vegan cafe turns to meat to stay afloat No, a mostly vegan café in Auckland did not literally turn to meat - but started selling "ethical" meat to pay the bills . "I think if we didn't do this, we wouldn't survive," the owner said, immediately nailing the vibe of a true red-blooded meat-eater. Woman calls police after mistaking 'realistic' sex doll for body "When it was on its back, it had everything... it was very realistic," Taranaki woman Alice Cowdrey told RNZ , not worried that going on the record would forever tie her name in search engines to the phrase "headless sex doll". Mystery milk bottles confound Alexandra residents A contender for best opening line of the year goes to reporter Soumya Bhamidipati: "As Alexandra residents wake to another cold morning, a silent figure slips into the mist. They leave no trace - except for another bottle of flavoured milk dumped at a local petrol station." And a contender for quote of the year too from fuel stop operator Poppy Prendergast: "Look, I hate to say it but I think it's got to be a man. I've never met any woman that drinks that much flavoured milk." The mystery only deepened when CCTV footage was obtained . August Nothing funny happened in August. September Aussie breakdancer Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn ranked world No. 1 When Paris was awarded the 2024 games back in 2017, no one could have predicted the breakout star would be an Australian who could not dance, especially as she was competing in a dance competition. Despite getting a zero score at the Games , 'Raygun' somehow ended up the sport's top-ranked competitor . Have you seen a blue ute with a bright pink door in Wellington? Karen O'Leary wants it back Not sure this counts as weird news, but it's certainly a weird headline if - like me - you weren't immediately aware who Karen O'Leary was. New 'ghost shark' discovered in New Zealand waters No, you can't touch it . Seriously, they live more than 2500m below the surface of the ocean. Spacehead. Mystery flower rearrangement at Upper Hutt cemetery outrages families It's never a good sign when real life imitates a Curb Your Enthusiasm plotline, but this is 2024. Government to launch AI chatbot called Gov-GPT Having solved every other problem, in September the government launched its own AI chatbot - the announcement arriving with an AI-created image of Judith Collins as an astronaut. I swear this is true. October Donald Trump rally turns into bizarre dance-a-thon We all know this list could have just been a Trump campaign diary, but sticking to just one incident, it had to be the "GREAT EVENING" (his words) in October which saw him gyrate on stage to the Village People and Guns n' Roses instead of doing whatever it is US presidential candidates are supposed to do. We can mock, and Kamala Harris certainly got stuck in, but he did end up winning. Covfefe. Pranksters rename New Zealand schools on Google Maps Nelson College for Girls was dubbed Yoza highschool (I have no idea what this means), while Rathkeale College in Masterton was renamed the Huak Tuah College of rizzcraft and sigmatry (unfortunately - sigh - I do know what those mean). Quasi leaving Wellington after five years perched on city's art gallery The job market has gotten so bad in the capital, there's no longer any place for a gigantic terrifying hand-man . Decision to remove Luxon artwork from Trade Me 'weird' - artist Kiwi artist Josh Drummond painted a rather terrifying portrait of Christopher Luxon for charity, which was removed from sale on Trade Me for being "material of a suggestive nature and/or graphic iconography". Drummond was not impressed . "The original idea was to have Luxon's head popping out from a wall of flesh, which was the meaning a lot of people got from that King Charles portrait ... I found that the photo reference I used for Luxon wasn't working with that wall of flesh idea so I was like: 'Oh I'll make it more of a tunnel.'" Christopher Luxon responds to attention on Wellington apartment sale Well-off businessman sells property to make a tidy, possibly tax-free profit? Not really a headline. But when that man is the prime minister and immediately afterwards boasts that he's wealthy ? What I say to you is... yikes. At least he might get an award - of sorts - out of it . November Aotearoa has multiple clouds so unique they have names Unique names aren't really New Zealand's forte, so when it was discovered we'd put more effort into naming clouds than our main islands' colonial names, of course it made headlines . Stowaway seal makes surprise visit to offshore gas platform A Department of Conservation expert said it topped her list of bizarre places where seals have turned up . Her only other example was one that got through a cat door, so yes, she was probably right. Gang member charged after walking into police station wearing Mongrel Mob hat Well, that was a freebie . Russia fines Google $20,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 The first time RNZ ran this story , it literally broke the homepage. Police vehicle crashes into limo carrying Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis Ram-raids were down over 2024 , but ram-raids by police officers on ministers of the Crown were up infinity percent . School ditches traditional bell for AC/DC and Muppets Locals signed a petition calling it "noise pollution" , perhaps entirely unaware one of AC/DC's biggest songs states definitively that it is not . Plan to relocate Westport To paraphrase an earlier paragraph, it's never a good sign when real-life imitates The Simpsons (President Trump, anyone?). In November a draft master plan proposed relocating the entire South Island town of Westport a bit to the southwest - in the long-term, not "next month", master planning project lead Paul Zaanen helpfully noted. 'Close to McDonald's': Auckland real estate agent lures buyers with cheesy sell In November, our friends at Stuff reported a real estate agent using a property's proximity to McDonald's as a selling point . He talked up its distance in terms of how long it would take to walk there however, perhaps losing those eyeballs just as quickly. December New Zealand man wins Spanish Scrabble championships despite not speaking Spanish If this headline sounds familiar , it's because you've read it before - except last time it was French . But don't get despondent if you suck at Scrabble, because Mattel this year released a non-competitive version just for you - yes, you with the letters K, W, Y, J, I, B and O. Woman arrested with 10kg of meth wrapped as Christmas presents at Auckland Airport With another one of his mules captured, authorities in December got a step closer to bringing down Santa . Rawiri Waititi says Luxon may be 'drop-nuts' if he doesn't attend Waitangi Day No further comment. British political stoush over sandwiches In an interview Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch suggested sandwiches were not real food and lunch was "for wimps" . In response, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said sandwiches were a "great British institution", particularly cheese toasties. Since this is RNZ I did the research (well, I read the Google search AI summary) and it seems both sandwiches and cheese toasties are indeed British. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday .Senate Democrats are flexing their outgoing majority, filling a mass of court vacancies with liberal judges before the Senate term ends on Dec. 20 —and before they lose their majority in January. “It’s far too important, and we’re not going to let anything stand in our way,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters on Tuesday. “Everyone should be prepared for another late night on Wednesday to vote on nominations and get as many judges done as possible.” And a late night it was, with the vote lasting to around midnight. Democrats succeeded in confirming two additional judges —one in Washington state and one in Washington, D.C. Since Donald Trump won the presidential election earlier this month, Senate Democrats have confirmed nine judges, many to lifetime appointments. Few, if any, Republicans have supported the nominees. Democrats have confirmed a new judge almost every weekday since Nov. 12. And now they’re guaranteed to vote on at least another 12. On Thursday, Politico reported that Democratic leaders had negotiated behind the scenes to give up four appellate judges in December in exchange for more than a dozen district judges. “The trade was four circuit nominees—all lacking the votes to get confirmed—for more than triple the number of additional judges moving forward,” a spokesperson for Schumer said. Lawmakers will take a weeklong recess the last week of November, then return with only three weeks until the 118th congressional session ends, where they’ll vote on seven judges once senators return after Thanksgiving. On Tuesday, Trump used his bully pulpit to tell Republicans to “Show Up and Hold the Line,” adding, "No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!" Republicans have also reportedly been getting increasingly frustrated with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, sabotaging their efforts by not showing up to vote. Both are currently senators. White House officials quickly responded to Trump. "There is no excuse for choosing partisanship over enforcing the rule of law,” said White House spokesperson Andrew Bates, in response to Trump. "Regardless of party, the American people expect their leaders to fight for the rule of law and to ensure the criminal justice system can function effectively in every state," Bates added. "Delaying the confirmation of highly qualified, experienced judges takes a real-life toll on constituents and leads to backlogs of criminal cases—meaning Senator [John] Thune was correct in 2020 when he said senators have every urgent reason for Republicans and Democrats to continue working together in good faith to staff the federal bench." Bates is referring to the fact that when the tables were turned in 2020, after Joe Biden won, Trump had no issue with confirming judges during the transition period. In fact, during that lame-duck period, the GOP-led Senate confirmed dozens of nominees without missing a beat . “There is no time to waste,” said Democrat Dick Durbin, chair of the Judiciary Committee. “ The Senate must try to confirm every one of these highly qualified, diverse nominees before the sun sets on the 118th Congress. The American people deserve nothing less.” As the battle over judicial nominees unfolds, progressive groups are ready to support the confirmation push. Progressive political organization Demand Justice is preparing to stake out at Capitol Hill in the coming weeks. “Senate Democrats cannot give up and go home just because they lost the chamber,” Skye Perryman, a senior adviser to the progressive group Demand Justice, told the Associated Press . “It is even more critical now that good, qualified, fair-minded judges are confirmed so they can serve as a backstop and uphold the rights of ordinary people and protect our Constitution. ” Senate Democrats’ confirmation blitz should provide something of a judicial bulwark against Trump’s radical agenda and his Cabinet full of far-right, washed-up TV personalities .PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) — When the referee whistled for the free kick just outside the area, Atletico Madrid forward Julián Álvarez quickly picked up the ball and moved in position to take the shot. “When I saw the free kick, I told Rodri (Rodrigo De Paul) that I felt confident with the shot,” Álvarez said. “And it was a great goal.” Álvarez, , has not been lacking confidence lately. The Argentina forward curled in the free kick shot in the 15th minute for the first of his two goals in the team’s 6-0 rout of Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday — the team’s biggest ever away win in European competitions. “We'll keep rotating who takes the free kicks,” said Álvarez, who also found the net in the 59th. It was Álvarez’s seventh goal in the last 10 matches, and third in his last three games across all competitions. The 24-year-old had a slow start to his first season with Atletico, scoring twice in 10 matches. “It was a matter of time before we started connecting well with each other,” said Álvarez, who joined Atletico after two seasons at Manchester City. “We have to stay on this path to keep improving.” Ángel Correa also scored two goals for Atletico, with Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann adding one each. “We know that in this format of the competition we need to keep adding the three points and scoring goals," Álvarez said. "It's important to get the points and the goals.” Atletico was sitting in 13th place in the 36-team league standings. ___ AP soccer: The Associated Press
Originally from Tennessee, Cunha, 36, moved to Annapolis as an United States Naval Academy midshipman and graduated in 2011.The Latest: Former President Jimmy Carter is Dead at age 100Australia's House of Representatives passes bill banning children younger than age 16 from social media
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Josh Hoover passed for four touchdowns to help TCU beat Louisiana-Lafayette, 34-3, on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl. Hoover was 20 for 32 for 252 yards with an interception. Eric McAlister had eight catches for 87 yards and a TD for the Horned Frogs (9-4). TCU’s defense also had a solid day, holding Louisiana-Lafayette (10-4) to 209 yards, including 61 on the game’s final possession. Ben Wooldridge was 7-for-20 passing for 61 yards for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He also threw an interception. The Horned Frogs put together a fast start. Hoover found DJ Rogers for a 3-yard TD pass, capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive on the game’s opening possession. After Lou Groza Award winner Kenneth Almendares missed a 54-yard field goal for Louisiana-Lafayette, TCU went right back to work. McAlister’s 1-yard touchdown reception finished a 10-play, 63-yard drive and gave the Horned Frogs a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Kyle Lemmermann kicked two field goals and JP Richardson added a 20-yard touchdown reception as TCU opened a 27-0 halftime lead.
Friend of Quebec man killed in Florida boat explosion says his sister also injuredDonald Trump weighed in Saturday in a bitter debate dividing his traditional supporters and tech barrons like Elon Musk, saying that he backs a special visa program that helps highly skilled workers enter the country. "I've always liked the (H1-B) visas, I have always been in favor of the visas, that's why we have them" at Trump-owned facilities, the president-elect told the New York Post in his first public comments on the matter since it flared up this week. An angry back-and-forth, largely between Silicon Valley's Musk and traditional anti-immigration Trump backers, has erupted in fiery fashion, with Musk even vowing to "go to war" over the issue. Trump's insistent calls for sharp curbs on immigration were central to his election victory in November over President Joe Biden. He has vowed to deport all undocumented immigrants and limit legal immigration. But tech entrepreneurs like Tesla's Musk -- as well as Vivek Ramaswamy, who with Musk is to co-chair a government cost-cutting panel under Trump -- say the United States produces too few highly skilled graduates, and they fervently champion the H1-B program. Musk, who himself migrated from South Africa on an H1-B, posted Thursday on his X platform that luring elite engineering talent from abroad was "essential for America to keep winning." Adding acrimony to the debate was a post from Ramaswamy, the son of immigrants from India, who deplored an "American culture" that he said venerates mediocrity, adding that the United States risks having "our asses handed to us by China." That angered several prominent conservatives who were backing Trump long before Musk noisily joined their cause this year, going on to pump more than $250 million into the Republican's campaign. "Looking forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and Big Tech," said Laura Loomer, a far-right MAGA figure known for her conspiracy theories, who often flew with Trump on his campaign plane. "We have to protect President Trump from the technocrats." She and others said Trump should be promoting American workers and further limiting immigration. Musk, who had already infuriated some Republicans after leading an online campaign that helped tank a bipartisan budget deal last week, fired back at his critics. Posting on X, the social media site he owns, he warned of a "MAGA civil war." Musk bluntly swore at one critic, adding that "I will go to war on this issue." That, in turn, drew a volley from Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who wrote on the Gettr platform that the H1-B program brings in migrants who are essentially "indentured servants" working for less than American citizens would. In a striking jab at Trump's close friend Musk, Bannon called the Tesla CEO a "toddler." Some of Trump's original backers say they fear he is falling under the sway of big donors from the tech world like Musk and drifting away from his campaign promises. It was not immediately clear whether Trump's remarks might soothe the intraparty strife, which has exposed just how contentious changing the immigration system might be once he takes office in January. bbk/nro
Short Interest in Friedman Industries, Incorporated (NYSEAMERICAN:FRD) Grows By 129.3%Siyapatha Finance PLC, ceremoniously opened its 53rd branch located at No. 134, Station Road, Homagama, recently. The grand opening marked another milestone in the company’s ongoing mission to provide accessible, customer-centric financial solutions across Sri Lanka. The event was attended by Siyapatha Finance Managing Director Ananda Seneviratne, Chief Operating Officer Rajeev De Silva, other senior officials, alongside key representatives from local government, ASP Homagama Hasanga Randika Wedamulla, Acting OIC Homagama Priyashantha, Trade Association President, Principal of Magammana Maha Vidyalaya K. Padmalatha, private sector institutions, financial institutions and insurance companies in the area. The Homagama branch offers a diverse range of financial products, including leasing, fixed deposits, savings accounts, gold financing, business loans, personal loans, fast draft services, factoring, and the SmartPay automated bill payment facility, tailored to meet the needs of both individuals and businesses in the Homagama area, supporting the local community’s financial aspirations. Managing Director Ananda Seneviratne said: “Being part of the Colombo District and conveniently connected by the Southern Expressway, Homagama plays a crucial role in the economic development of the region. Its proximity to Colombo also presents significant opportunities for both established and emerging businesses. Siyapatha Finance’s expansion into this area provides tailored financial solutions that cater to the needs of local entrepreneurs, individuals, and families, contributing to the broader economic development of the region.” “With the opening of this new branch, we hope to enhance the living standards of all stakeholders in the region by providing access to affordable financial services that support the growth of local businesses and individuals. Especially, with around 51% of Homagama’s population being female, Siyapatha Finance is set to empower women through customised services, helping improve their quality of life,” he added. As part of its commitment to social responsibility, Siyapatha Finance PLC also launched its “Siyapathen Mihikathata” initiative in Homagama. In parallel with the branch opening, the company’s senior management team participated in a tree-planting program and donated computers and accessories to a local school – Magammana Maha Vidyalaya , Homagama, affirming the organisation’s dedication to educational development and environmental sustainability within the communities it operates in.
Trump's free speech push means a revival of religious libertyThe US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern.'Polky’ and the sex workers - Steve Braunias on the Philip Polkinghorne 'trial of the century'
As we reported last night, president-elect Trump announced he intends to levy a 25% tariff on all imports from Mexico and Canada and an additional 10% tariff on imports from China. Tariffs on Mexico and Canada would remain in place until the flow of “drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop,” while tariffs on China would remain in place “until such time as [the drugs that are pouring into our country] stop”. He also stated that on January 20th he would “sign all necessary documents” to implement the tariffs on Mexico and Canada as one of his “many first Executive Orders”. To be sure, Trump has proposed most of this before, in different forms: Overall, the announcement is more reminiscent of the first Trump administration, when such tariffs were announced as a negotiating tactic, rather than the more systematic tariff policies (e.g., the 10-20% “universal baseline tariff”) Trump frequently discussed during the campaign. Some more details: 43% of US goods imports come from Mexico (15.4%), Canada (13.6%), and China (13.9%). At the proposed tariff rates, this would generate slightly less than $300bn (or 1.0% of GDP) in tariff revenue annually , without accounting for dynamic effects, such as changes to import volumes and prices or taxable incomes, and boost the US effective tariff rate by 8.6% (Goldman's rule of thumb is that every 1% increase in the effective tariff rate would raise core PCE prices by 0.1%), while the proposed tariff increases would also boost core PCE prices by 0.9% if implemented. In its commentary on the tariff announcement, Goldman political analyst Alex Phillips writes that while he had assumed tariffs on imports from China will rise early next year, it is more likely Mexico and Canada will avoid across-the-board tariffs. Phillips also notes that if implemented, these are about three times as large as the China and auto tariffs the bank assumes in its baseline economic forecasts but slightly smaller than a 10% universal tariff. In a separate note from Goldman Delta One trader Rich Privorotsky ( available here for pro subs ), he writes that the bigger surprise in the Trump proposal is Canada. To this point, Goldman tried to calibrate the FX impact of tariffs by assessing the importance of US trade for different economies and the complexity of the products they produce: here the Loonie stands out too. Privo also found it curious that China's HSI was actually up for most the session having now eventually back some its gains (now unch) and believes that " if tariffs on China went up only another 10% I think relative to expectations that have been built up this might be taken as a modest positive." Privorotsky also suggests that Trump's announcement is another part of the wall of worry for Europe. Tariffs are known risk (unknown in magnitude) and "it's the waiting that is really the problem." So while it make sense for European stocks to be down in sympathy on the news (especially after some hopefulness that recent cabinet picks might mean a less hawkish approach), he would argue that a 25% tariff on Canada (biggest source of trade is the import of energy) is likely more of a negotiating tactic rather than a likely outcome. Bottom line: while the CAD will lurch lower on this, it will likely find support. Turning to China, Goldman's EM strategist Sun Lu focuses on the silver lining, i.e., "it's priced in", and lays out the following analysis (excerpted from her full note available to pro subs ). Dovish views: FX response: What trades does Lu like? Continue to like owning 1y USDCNH, USDTWD and USDSGD topside, funded by selling short-dated downside. The Goldman strategist prefers to be long USD ahead of actual tariff announcements rather than just headlines. Finally, we go to Goldman EM vol trader trader Sanjiv Nanwani who writes that "the market remains in a holding pattern despite early AM tariff headlines – but as far as China is concerned, the tariffs seem to underwhelm what is already expected, and in any case, the authorities are clearly unwilling to let FX move as evidenced by the ~unchanged USDCNY fix today." The vol market seems to suggest the same – don’t expect spot to do a whole lot before the inauguration. Nanwani found that a little surprising, "as we now have confirmation that Trump is already contemplating tariff policy and is prepared to announce them ahead of his formal inauguration, which the market will surely have to re-price in response to." Nanwani likes owning some cheap 1mth USD calls here, notwithstanding the poor realized performance (suppressed by the fix) over the past 1-2 weeks. Further out, the market remains very keen on holding onto term premium, keeping calendars uber steep but creating a very high bar for the delivery of realized performance – there is a real risk that the premium decay on some option structures will more than offset expected gains from delta. He therefore likes vol-selling strategies in 3mth+ expiries, particularly via USD bull seagulls, to benefit from both the inverted forward curve and steep vol curve. ATM run: 1m 4.6 3m 6.1 6m 6.6 1y 6.9. It's not just Goldman however: in a note to clients ( available to pro subs ), SouthBay Research this morning reminds us that while attention is focused on China, it really should be on Vietnam; here's why: Here is the timeline to consider: Next, and especially for all the inflation alarmists, it is worth noting that there was minimal inflationary impact in the last trade war: In this context, the real question - according to Southbay - is why doesn't Trump also Tariff Vietnam? Consider this: in 2023, registered Chinese investment in Vietnam was $8.3B. Thanks to offshoring production by Chinese manufacturers, Vietnam has become a player in the global supply chain. This is a response to Trump initiated tariffs whereby OEMs like Apple want to de-risk their exposure to China. Despite proclamations of de-risking and 'internationalizing the supply chain', these moves don't really change the reality that products and components are still sourced from Chinese producers. Given that it's obviously a shell-game, why isn't Trump lumping Vietnam into the anti-China trade tariffs? Here, geopolitics is the most likely reason. There is a containment policy in place. While it's nice to talk about democracy, the major reason for US support of Taiwan is power projection: Taiwan sits at the underbelly of China. With South Korea and Japan to the East, and Taiwan and the Philippines to the South, the US and allies have China surrounded. In case war breaks out with China, a naval blockade would be very effective and complete. Or almost complete, as Vietnam would seal the deal. Turning Vietnam into a friendly ally would plug a big hole in the shipping routes out of Hong Kong. Ships would have to thread a path between Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan. In other words, it's not just negotiation, but more like foreplay... and at the moment there is a courtship underway. China is throwing billions of dollars at Vietnam. The US not so much. But Vietnam is wary of China and might want an American military presence. Trump belligerence towards Vietnam would not create necessary goodwill. Which also means that as long as Trump plays softball with Vietnam, China will continue to bypass most if not all of the tariff threat. More in the full note from Southbay available to pro subs .Will New Year’s Eve be loud or quiet? What are the top 2025 resolutions? AP-NORC poll has answers
S&P 500 components ( ) and ( ), and ( ), ( ) and ( ) are in focus for this week's stock market. The Dow Jones and the S&P 500, fell Friday, slashing weekly gains. However, the stock market rally is acting well, despite remaining somewhat divided. End-of-year light trading and potential tax-related selling in early January could add some turbulence to the market. With this is in mind, investors should keep an eye on these five stocks, which are setting up and are potentially actionable, as they assess current holdings and work on watchlists for stock market action. Investors should also keep tabs on the , the and along with the list for the week's stock market start. Boston Scientific Stock BSX edged down 0.9% to 90.66 during on Friday. But shares rose 1.9% for the week, bouncing off the and . Boston Scientific stock has been trading tightly for several weeks, forming a with a 91.93 buy point as of Friday's close, according to . It should be noted the base is long, dating back to August. Boston Scientific stock has gained around 57% in 2024 but the average analyst price target sits at 101.06, according to FactSet. That represents a further 11% upside for the S&P 500 medtech. While BSX has surged in 2024, the 126 stocks in the industry group have collectively only advanced 1.5% this year. Last week, Truist analysts raised their price target on Boston Scientific to 110 from 100 and kept a buy rating on the shares. The firm broadly sees the medical technology sector as "one of the better/safer houses" in health care given its lower "front-line" exposure to health care policy rhetoric that is tied to the White House change of guard. Earlier this month, Citi also raised its BSX price target to 107 from 98. The firm predicts this year's BSX momentum will continue in 2025 with growth buoyed by the Farapulse pulsed-field ablation and continued adoption and penetration of the company's "Watchman" left atrial appendage closure device. Boston Scientific was Thursday's . Boston Scientific stock has a 93 out of a best-possible 99. The stock also has an 88 and a 92 . Burlington Stores Stock BURL fell 1% to 292 Friday, but rose 2.4% for the week. For weeks, shares have been trading in or near a from a base of 279.51 after breaking out on Nov. 22. BURL stock is technically in the buy zone from that base. But it now has a new flat base with a 298.88 buy point. Investors could use Thursday's high of 295.18 as an early entry. Burlington is featured in this . Burlington has surged 67% from its April low. The stock is up about 50% so far this year and trading around its highest level since December 2021. Shares received a number of price-target hikes in the wake of Burlington's Q3 earnings report and Black Friday sales. Burlington Stores on Nov. 26 reported a 41% increase in Q3 earnings to $1.55 per share adjusted, meeting FactSet expectations. Total revenue rose about 11% to $2.53 billion, short of estimates for $2.55 billion. Chief Executive Michael O'Sullivan noted that third-quarter comparable-sales trends started out "very strongly" for the company's winter outerwear stronghold. However, comparable sales were up 4% during the quarter if cold weather categories were excluded, which represented 15% of sales for Q3. The comp growth is consistent with the trajectory Burlington has seen since March, O'Sullivan said, adding that the company is "very encouraged" by the underlying sales trend. However, the discount retailer provided cautious guidance for the fourth quarter, expecting comparable-sales growth to range from 0% to 2%. On Dec. 2 Goldman Sachs analysts added Burlington Stores to the firm's "U.S. Conviction List" as part of its monthly update. The firm has a buy rating on BURL shares with a 334 price target. Goldman sees Burlington's value offering as "ideally positioned for today's economy." Several discounters, including off-price rival ( ), have been acting well. Burlington Stores stock has a 92 Composite Rating out of a best-possible 99. The stock also has an 86 Relative Strength Rating and an 88 EPS Rating. S&P 500: Fortinet Stock Performance Fortinet fell 1.2% to 96.08 in Friday's stock market, trading about 4% below a traditional 100.59 buy point from a flat base after a strong run-up on earnings, according to MarketSurge chart recognition. Shares ended the week just above their 21-day line. A move above this past week's high of 97.83 could offer aggressive investors an early entry. Fortinet competes in the firewall network security market vs. ( ), ( ) and others. Firewalls reside between private networks and the internet. They block unauthorized traffic and check web applications for malware. As large companies shift to off-premise cloud computing services, one view is that firewall technology will play a lesser role. Fortinet has targeted software-defined wide area networks, or SD-WANs, an emerging computer networking technology. In November, Fortinet , with expectations billings and revenue will grow at a 12% CAGR. The forecast came in slightly above analyst predictions. The company did not give preliminary 2025 guidance. Fortinet stock has a strong 99 Composite Rating. The S&P 500 stock also has a 93 Relative Strength Rating and a 99 EPS Rating. MasTec Stock MTZ shares sank 2% to 135.73 on Friday, back below its recently regained 50-day and 21-day lines. A move above the Dec. 24 high of 140.06 would break a downtrend and offer investors an early entry opportunity. The stock has a three-weeks-tight pattern with a 150.12 buy point, according to MarketSurge chart analysis. It's working on a possible flat base but will need another week. MasTec is an infrastructure and construction services firm with segments including communications, oil and gas and clean energy. The communications segment performs engineering, construction, maintenance, and customer fulfillment activities related to communications infrastructure — primarily for wireless and wireline/fiber communications. The firm is also involved in electric utility transmission and distribution along with heavy civil works projects and industrial infrastructure. The company reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings on Oct. 31, while revenue came in a little light. MasTec Q3 profit grew 70% and analyst consensus has Q4 EPS jumping 86%, according to FactSet. Analysts project annual 2024 profit increasing more than 80% and surging 160% in 2025, compared to 2023 levels. Truist analysts on Dec. 19 raised the price target on MasTec to 189 from 173, keeping a buy rating on the stock as part of a broader research note previewing 2025 for machinery and infrastructure services industrials. The price target hike represents further 36% upside for the stock. The firm wrote that after a strong 2024, the anticipated large-scale investment in infrastructure, renewable energy and data center projects supports continued long term secular growth among infrastructure services names. The stock has gained more than 80% in 2024 while the 21 stocks in the industry group have collectively advanced 70% this year. MasTec stock has a robust 91 Composite Rating. The stock also has a 91 Relative Strength Rating and a 69 EPS Rating. Vertex Stock VERX shares sank 2.1% to 52.71 during Friday's stock market action, but came off lows after undercutting the lows of its recent pullback. The financial software maker is back below its 21-day moving average. A move above Friday's high of 54.48 would break a short downtrend, offering an early entry. Vertex stock is working on a possible new base, but needs more time. Shares also could test a rising 10-week line. Vertex stock had several high volume gains throughout November, with several . Several ANTS marks on a chart can be a signal to consider some profits in the short term. But it's also a reason to watch for a new base. The stock surged more than 30% in November but is down less than 1% in December. On Dec. 18, Stifel analyst Brad Reback raised the firm's price target on Vertex to 58 from 52 and maintained a buy rating. Reback wrote that after a bumpy start to 2024, the year is "ending on a higher note" for the enterprise software group. The analyst expects management to take a more conservative approach to Q1 guidance, but overall believes that "in general top-line growth rates should at least mirror what we have seen during the back half of 2024 due to many of the above mentioned factors." Overall, the corporate tax compliance software maker has had a successful 2024, gaining around 100% so far. Recent acquisitions have helped the investment case for Vertex. At the end of 2023, Vertex announced plans to acquire e-invoicing leader for $555 million. In June, the company acquired tax-specific AI technology and on Aug. 7, the company announced its intent to acquire Ecosio GmbH, an Austrian company that provides electronic data interchange and e-invoicing services. Vertex stock has a perfect 99 Composite Rating. The stock also has a 95 Relative Strength Rating and a 93 EPS Rating.
Mumbai city first, suburbs second in Maha govt’s ‘Good governance’ report
2024 was the year when Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain chip company, finally moved from theory into reality, announcing its first successful medical implants in patients. This on its own is a remarkable achievement and not one to be taken lightly though, with Musk in his cheerleading role, the promises of what comes next may make a few of us non-augmented folk roll their eyes. The promise-happy billionaire has not only declared that Neuralink is going to be full steam ahead, but that patients will be outperforming pro gamers within two years : And that's not even his wildest claim. Musk reckons Neuralink is going to have to speed up human brains so that AI doesn't get "bored." Musk says our "low data rate" is too slow, you see, and this is a barrier to positive human-AI convergence. "Our slow output rate would diminish the link between humans and computers," says Musk, adding a helpful comparison to plants: "Let's say you look at this plant or whatever, and hey, I’d really like to make that plant happy, but it’s not saying a lot." To be clear: The human brain is a computer that no Silicon Valley firm is even close to outperforming. But that's not going to stop our boy, who reckons Neuralink can increase our brain's output rate (how fast our brain is sending signals to the chip) by "three, maybe six, maybe more orders of magnitude." Some of these scenarios sound like hell. "Let's say you can upload your memories, so you wouldn't lose memories," says Musk, adding that this would fundamentally change the experience of being human: "yeah we would be something different. Some sort of futuristic cyborg... it's not super far away, but 10-15 years, that kind of thing." The above was Musk in August this year, but it's a drum he keeps beating. A recent tweet by tech investor Apoorv Agrawal called Neuralink the "most important company of the decade", an assertion Musk leaped upon to make further claims: "Bit rate and patient number will increase hyperexponentially over the next 5+ years. My guess is combined I/O bit rate >1Mbs and augmented humans >1M by 2030." The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. So over a million augmented humans in five years' time. But even that prediction looks positively tame next to Musk's previous notion that hundreds of millions will have Neuralinks within "the next couple of decades." Add to which Musk’s comments about the Input/Output rate of over one million bits per second, basically the speed of thought, and we are leaving "normal" brain function far behind for something that we don't really have a name for yet. Master? I jest of course, and we'll get to why Neuralink is unquestionably A Good Thing and will almost certainly improve the quality of life for some individuals (it has already done this on a small scale). But there's a real distinction between the reality of Neuralink and the medical goals versus Musk's rhetoric, which essentially starts at predicting millions of people having the devices implanted and ends up with creating a race of supermen. Some would call this visionary, the very reason that much is such a heralded individual for some. Others might point out just how far this thing is from non-medical applications as it stands, and the speed of that five year timeframe for getting a million people chipped. To be clear: I'm not pretending to have any special knowledge of this. But what is abundantly clear is that, if Musk's wilder claims are even approximately close to reality, this would mark a social-technological revolution the likes of which we've never seen, and overnight create a two-tier species where a small percentage of the population is thinking six times faster than the rest. That seems a long way from a utopian prospect, and something that at the very least requires the kind of ethical and regulatory scrutiny that Musk recoils from (indeed, the SEC is sniffing around and not before time ). The thing is, of course, this feels unlikely to come to pass on Musk's timeframe. It is well to remember that, as well as the man's many outstanding achievements, there are a whole lot of unfulfilled promises, many of which are nowhere near as pie-in-the-sky as brain chips in hundreds of millions of people. Remember the network of one-car tubes? Musk has been promising that Tesla will have self-driving cars "next year" since 2014: Next year has yet to arrive. In 2019 he said there would be a million Tesla robo-taxis on the road by 2020: In 2024, they're still not here. As Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the WHO, Musk declared there was nothing to worry about and predicted no new cases in the US: Tens of thousands would die. There's the Tesla bots, which he reckons will soon be bigger business for the company than its cars, except... when they were rolled out to do some bartending, it turned out that us fleshbags were still in control . And then perhaps my favourite claim of all: Musk says we won't just get to Mars by 2050, but on that date there will be a million people on the red planet. Neuralink itself has been the subject of other claims. The first trial was supposed to start four years before it did, and some of Musk's wilder claims about the technology include that it will somehow be able to "cure" autism and schizophrenia, which are not diseases, as well as give you super-sharp "eagle eyes." In this context it's hard to parse the visionary, which Musk undoubtedly is in some ways, from the vaudeville hype-man. It is undeniable that advances are being made in brain-computer interfaces, and not just by Neuralink, that would have been unimaginable even a decade ago: And that we live in an age of breakneck technological progress such that no one has any real idea what things will look like in 2030, never mind 2050. What can and should be acknowledged is that Neuralink has successfully implanted devices in human patients, and those patients are able to interface with computers in a way that would have previously been impossible. Neuralink's first patient, Noland Arbaugh, likened the device to using the Force (as in Star Wars) and can now control a computer, play videogames, and talk to friends without any physical input. This is the tech story that has the biggest chance of either changing the world, or sputtering down all sorts of half-realised alleyways. Because it is a story about the human race, our capabilities and evolution and what might be next, as much as it is about silicon. If we live in a world with a million Neuralink-enabled humans, is that going to amplify the empathetic and social side of humans: Or one of the many others? Neuralink is one part of what could be the biggest shift in human society since the Industrial Revolution. "We're not just aiming to give people the communication data rate equivalent to normal humans," says Musk. "We're aiming to give people who [are] quadriplegic, or maybe have complete loss of the connection to the brain and body, a communication data rate that exceeds normal humans. While we're in there, why not? Let's give people superpowers." Elon Musk is a busy man. Aside from Neuralink there's the AI wars, in which he's currently embroiled in a huge legal spat with OpenAI, as well as SpaceX, Starlink, the Tesla bots and cabs, and of course his obsession with trolling on X. This is the technology that has the potential to truly reshape things. Whether it does remains to be seen: But I'm making a note to check back in five years, and see whether a million of us really are rocking brain chips.
Soccer-Inzaghi satisfied after unconvincing Inter snatch 1-0 win over Leipzig( MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) BOSTON, Dec. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The more-than-likeness of Google's Willow chip and AI-119 Gen AI patent technology have led to the development of AI legal Mate, an AI Law research organization that aims to provide free legal assistance to disabled Veterans, LBGTQIA+ youth, and foreign nationals in legal actions, usually in situations where they cannot afford the cost of a bail bond or an attorney to help them out during their very unfortunate situation they've caught themselves up in. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AI LEGAL MATE As previously reported , AI Legal Mate has filed its Gen AI 'Law and Health' technology utility patent updates, utilizing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and quantum computing. QM-Ware is designed exclusively for remote and physical users, and will continue to be under (nonpartisan) exploration delegations with organizations like the Veterans Recovery Network , The Gaygency , Fugees Lives Matte PAC , The Trump S.A.F.E. Act - Department of Government Efficiency 2025, SMART Recovery Network , and Harvard I-Labs. The AI Legal Mate launched a project to assist disabled Harvard students in civil rights actions concerning overly 'X'd up Harvard degrees, and military veterans at the Veterans Recovery Network seeking settlement claims through the PACT Act Relief programs. With quantum computing, AI Legal Mate works as an ultimate API conduit between a pro-bono law client and live attorneys and AI Law technicians to handle batches of similarly situated claimants within a shorter time than a well-staffed civil rights organization with a dozen or more attorneys. AI PATENT TECH NEWS AI119 Tech's propel development team has filed a second utility patent update application for their 'third generation' AI Law and Health technology, designed similar to military ISACs established in the late-90s. This technology uses quantum computer technology under Grover's algorithms for quantum-error corrections in human-driven transactions. The newer version of AI119's technology is capable of resolving tens of thousands of administrative complaint cases within a few days by integrating live attorneys with AI Law resources and SOC-2 applications to certify legal documents. AI Legal Mate's next generation plan is to complete its fifth-generation technology with innovative lab affiliates, including their "QM-ware" approach, which aims to integrate AI with assistive technology like earbuds, eye-ware, wrist-ware, head-ware, and body-ware to enable adaptive learning at 'meta-speed.' This will empower users to receive treatment or training for mental health disabilities or professional skills through peer-to-peer transmission of Generative AI at meta-speeds. For more information about AI Legal Mate or AI119 Gen AI Law technology, visit . A photo accompanying this announcement is available at A video accompanying this announcement is available at MENAFN29122024004107003653ID1109039925 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Utah Hockey Club Had To Walk To The Arena For Game Against The Leafs Thanks To Brutal Traffic - Outkick