AP Business SummaryBrief at 3:50 p.m. ESTAll-rounder Washington Sundar says the mood in the Indian dressing room remains upbeat despite the calamitous run-out which helped Australia regain control leading into day three. Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal remonstrated with each other on the pitch after the latter was dismissed when he joined Kohli at the nonstriker’s end in a horror mix-up with the score 2-153. It triggered a collapse of 3-11 as a furious Kohli made his way back to the pavilion after prodding at a delivery outside the off stump from Boland, but Washington said the tourists felt they could regain a foothold in the match. “We looked like we were in a great position ... to get big runs, especially when Virat and Yash were batting, but we’ll still come back and continue to fight (on Saturday) morning,” he told reporters after play. “Definitely the energy is very good in the dressing room – we’re all positive. There’s still three days, a lot of overs to play, so it’ll just be about us trying to fight really hard and get things done for the team.” Washington, who still boasts a Test batting average of 48 after his stellar debut series in Australia three years ago, was listed to come in at no. 9 after nightwatchman Akash Deep was unsuccessfully deployed to protect Rishabh Pant and India’s trio of all-rounders. He said he didn’t feel any added pressure to score runs after replacing no. 3 Shubman Gill in a revamped batting order. “Isn’t it amazing that the team wants me to do really well in all three aspects of the game? That’s a great opportunity for me, especially when the team is believing in me that I am able to perform and win games for the team in all three aspects,” he said. ‘You’ve got to have faith’: Smith on verge of huge milestone Australian batting maestro Steve Smith has credited debutant Sam Konstas with generating the momentum that helped deliver the side’s highest first innings score of the series on Friday. Smith motored to his 34th Test century – his quickest since the 2015 Boxing Day Test – to take Australia from 6-311 to 474 on day two at the MCG, but said the teenage opener had paved the way in the first session. The middle-order veteran, who is now only 51 runs shy of the coveted 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket, joked it was time for him to “retire” if dashing openers Konstas and Yashasvi Jaiswal were the future of the longer format. “If that’s the future, maybe it’s time for me to finish,” he said at stumps. “I mean, you’ve got to have some serious courage to do what (Konstas) did yesterday, and that first over, (Jasprit) Bumrah beat him three our four times ... and I actually thought he played really well, played down the line and they just did too much. “For a kid to have the confidence to start lapping and reverse-lapping arguably one of the best bowlers to have played the game shows some real confidence. It sort of swung momentum our way.” Smith said the MCG pitch was “offering a little bit less” for the bowlers than the previous three wickets in the series, but thought plenty of life remained for Australia’s bowlers to take 20 wickets and move to Sydney with a 2-1 series lead. “There’s still something going on. You’ve just got to keep hitting good areas and be consistent,” he said. “The ball’s probably getting softer, quicker than perhaps it normally does, which maybe takes a little bit of the life and the carry out of it. “I still think there’s some seam on offer, and even swing – (India’s) ball yesterday was swinging at 80 overs still, so there’s still something on offer for sure.” If he looked close to the end of his glittering career in Perth and Adelaide, the champion batter said he had never felt that way as he just waited for some good fortune to build an innings. “You’ve got to have faith, you’ve got to have a bit of trust in what you’re trying to do,” he said. “I’ve played the game for long enough now to know that you can have your ups and downs. “There’s a difference, I think, between being out of form and out of runs You need a lot of luck on these wickets to get big runs as well ... last week (at the Gabba) I had my fair share – I think I got an umpire’s call, and got beaten on various occasions when other days I’d nick it, so you need a bit of luck.” Originally published as ’We’re all positive’: India says dressing room still intact after mix-up
Injured Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts won't play Sunday against Dallas
Japan's cabinet approves $140 billion stimulus package to spur growthSocial media users are misrepresenting a report by the Justice Department inspector general’s office, falsely claiming that it’s proof the FBI orchestrated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The examined a number of areas, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Claims spreading online focus on the report’s finding that 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who had been tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the events. Although 17 of those informants either entered the Capitol or a restricted area around the building during the riot, none of the 26 total informants were authorized to do so by the bureau, according to the report. Nor were they authorized to otherwise break the law or encourage others to do so. Here’s a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A December 2024 report released by the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General is proof that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a setup by the FBI. THE FACTS: That’s false. The report found that no undercover FBI employees were at the riot on Jan. 6 and that none of the bureau’s informants were authorized to participate. Informants, also known as confidential human sources, work with the FBI to provide information, but are not on the bureau’s payroll. Undercover agents are employed by the FBI. According to the report, 26 informants were in Washington on Jan. 6 in connection with the day’s events. FBI field offices only informed the Washington Field Office or FBI headquarters of five informants that were to be in the field on Jan. 6. Of the total 26 informants, four entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 13 entered a restricted area around the Capitol. But none were authorized to do so by the FBI, nor were they given permission to break other laws or encourage others to do the same. The remaining nine informants did not engage in any illegal activities. None of the 17 informants who entered the Capitol or surrounding restricted area have been prosecuted, the report says. A footnote states that after reviewing a draft of the report, the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington said that it “generally has not charged those individuals whose only crime on January 6, 2021 was to enter restricted grounds surrounding the Capitol, which has resulted in the Office declining to charge hundreds of individuals; and we have treated the CHSs consistent with this approach.” The assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office’s counterterrorism division told the inspector general’s office that he “denied a request from an FBI office to have an undercover employee engage in investigative activity on January 6.” He, along with then-Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D’Antuono, said that FBI policy prohibits undercover employees at First Amendment-protected events without investigative authority. Many social media users drew false conclusions from the report’s findings. “JANUARY 6th WAS A SETUP!” reads one X post that had received more than 11,400 likes and shares as of Friday. “New inspector general report shows that 26 FBI/DOJ confidential sources were in the crowd on January 6th, and some of them went into the Capitol and restricted areas. Is it a coincidence that Wray put in his resignation notice yesterday? TREASON!” The mention of Wray’s resignation refers to FBI Director Christopher Wray’s announcement Wednesday that he at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. Other users highlighted the fact that there were 26 FBI informants in Washington on Jan. 6, but omitted key information about the findings of the report. These claims echo a advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the Capitol in a violent clash with police. The report knocks that theory down. such theories “ludicrous” at a congressional hearing last year. Asked for comment on the false claims spreading online, Stephanie Logan, a spokesperson for the inspector general’s office, pointed The Associated Press to a about the report. In addition to its findings about the the FBI’s involvement on Jan. 6, the report said that the FBI, in an action its now-deputy director described as a “basic step that was missed,” failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence ahead of time. That was a step, the report concluded, “that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6.” However, it did credit the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known “domestic terrorism subjects” who planned to come to Washington that day. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general’s recommendation “regarding potential process improvements for future events.”
Natural & Organic Personal Care Market to Grow by USD 11.67 Billion (2024-2028), Driven by Rising Female Demand for Organic Products, AI Impacting Market Trends - TechnavioPresident-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump’s choice for solicitor general. The argument submitted to the court is the latest example of Trump inserting himself in national issues before he takes office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries over his plans to impose tariffs, and he intervened earlier this month in a plan to fund the federal government, calling for a bipartisan plan to be rejected and sending Republicans back to the negotiating table. He has been holding meetings with foreign leaders and business officials at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida while he assembles his administration, including a meeting last week with TikTok CEO Shou Chew. Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined the TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He said earlier this year that he still believed there were national security risks with TikTok, but that he opposed banning it. The filings Friday come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The law was was signed by President Joe Biden in April after it passed Congress with broad bipartisan support. TikTok and ByteDance filed a legal challenge afterwards. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” In their brief to the Supreme Court on Friday, attorneys for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance argued the federal appeals court erred in its ruling and based its decision on “alleged ‘risks’ that China could exercise control” over TikTok’s U.S. platform by pressuring its foreign affiliates. The Biden administration has argued in court that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China. Officials say Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok’s U.S. patrons or use the platform to spread or suppress information. But the government “concedes that it has no evidence China has ever attempted to do so,” TikTok’s legal filing said, adding that the U.S. fears are predicated on future risks. In its filing Friday, the Biden administration said because TikTok “is integrated with ByteDance and relies on its propriety engine developed and maintained in China,” its corporate structure carries with it risk.Watson and Loyola Chicago defeat South Florida 74-72
America’s banking regulator says that it’s costing more to supervise the country’s largest financial institutions. As such, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced Wednesday (Nov. 27) that it was hiking its assessment rates for 2025. The increases are chiefly for larger banks and other institutions requiring more supervision, the OCC said in a news release. “The OCC increased the rates in the general assessment fee schedule for assets above $40 billion by 16 percent to reflect the increased cost of supervising the largest institutions,” the release said. “The OCC increased all other rates in the general assessment fee schedule by 2.65 percent to account for inflation.” The assessment schedule will still include a surcharge for banks that need increased supervisory resources, the OCC added. Banks subject to the surcharge calculate this fee by multiplying the sum of the general assessment — based on the bank’s book assets up to $40 billion — and bank credit union association assessments by 50% for 3-rated banks and 100% for 4- and 5-rated banks. For next year, the OCC is hiking the asset cap from $40 billion to $250 billion, reflecting growth in the banking sector since the asset cap was last raised in 2014. “The 2025 assessment rates will provide the OCC with sufficient resources to recruit, train, and retain the talent and to update the agency’s technology systems as necessary to perform its important mission to maintain the safety, soundness, and fairness of the federal banking system,” the release said. The new assessment rates will go into effect Jan. 1, and will be reflected in assessments paid on March 31 and Sept. 30 of next year. In other OCC news, Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael J. Hsu said last week he supports “federal payments regulation and a chartering regime for nonbanks.” Testifying the House Financial Services Committee, Hsu said that if FinTechs remain licensed and regulated at the state level only, some will likely exploit regulatory gaps. “I support the Treasury Department’s call for federal payments regulation and a chartering regime for nonbanks,” Hsu said in the statement. “If well designed, such a system — which could be modeled on the dual banking system with distinct roles for federal versus state authorities — would provide the guardrails necessary to close regulatory gaps, protect consumers and promote more responsible innovation and competition.”Educational Development Corporation Announces Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Earnings CallPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts is still in the NFL's concussion protocol, forcing the Philadelphia Eagles to play against Dallas without their star quarterback. The Eagles will turn to backup Kenny Pickett on Sunday because Hurts is still dealing with the lingering effects of a concussion suffered against Washington. Hurts was injured early at Washington after his head slammed against the ground on one run and he was hit in the helmet by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu at the end of another. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said the Eagles would lean on the medical staff on a daily basis to know where Hurts — who threw two touchdown passes and ran for a pair of scores in the first meeting against Dallas in November — was in his recovery from the head injury. The 26-year-old Hurts did not practice this week, leaving Pickett — who suffered a rib injury in relief action against the Commanders — in line for his first start as an Eagle. Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards against the Commanders, throwing a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown and an interception. Pickett is from New Jersey and said when he was acquired from Pittsburgh that he had “great memories” of going to games at Lincoln Financial Field with his dad and grandfather since he was 5. The chance to run out of the home team tunnel — which he could get Sunday if he’s the starting QB — left him absolutely delighted. “It's a big opportunity,” Pickett said this week. “I've been working hard to stay ready. I felt like I was in a good position last game with my preparation. Now, having a week to practice, I'll feel even better going into the stadium.” Pickett, a first-round pick out of Pitt in 2022, went 14-10 as a starter for the Steelers. The Eagles will bump third-stringer Tanner McKee to the backup spot. The Eagles also signed QB Ian Book this week to the practice squad. There has been recent precedent for quarterbacks to play a week after entering the league’s concussion protocol. Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence sustained a head injury while scrambling up the middle on the team’s final drive in Week 15 loss to Baltimore last season. Lawrence misfired on seven of his final eight passes after the hit, a stretch that raised concerns on the sideline about his health. Lawrence reported symptoms after the game. He entered the protocol but was cleared in time to start the next game at Tampa Bay. The Eagles (12-3) could decide to play it safe and rest Hurts with the team needing a win against Dallas or the New York Giants to clinch the NFC East and the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Hurts shook off a sluggish start over the first four games and has thrown 18 touchdowns against just five interceptions to turn the Eagles into Super Bowl contenders. Thanks in large part to the tush push, Hurts has 14 rushing touchdowns this season. The Eagles won the Super Bowl for the 2017 season behind backup QB Nick Foles when starter Carson Wentz went down with a late-season injury. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Will the Foldable iPhone Reign Supreme? Next-Gen Tech Hints at Unrivaled FeaturesLife’s unfair — and then there’s the Michelin 2024 guide to New York City restaurants. If MAGA-believers and far-left progressives can agree on one book to ban, it should be the tire company’s red-jacketed travesty of culinary justice. Twenty years since Michelin invaded the Big Apple with its hilariously error-filled debut edition, the publication remains influential enough among high-spending foreign visitors to make or break a restaurant — but with no accountability to anyone. Unlike critics who put their names on their opinions, Michelin fields anonymous “inspectors” who may or may not have been to places they purport to judge. Their identities and the number of visits they make and when are a closely guarded secret. Michelin’s international director, Paris-based Gwendal Poullennec, disingenuously told Eater.com this week, “We don’t share demographics or figures [regarding inspectors] because anonymity is key for independence.” Of course, anonymity is also key to mugging someone in an alley. There’s been lots of hype over the new book’s findings which were announced on Monday. Jungsik is New York’s first new three-star restaurant in twelve years! Woweee! But few seem to have read the rest of the list, which is even more out of touch than previous editions and makes moronic social media posts seem astute by comparison. Michelin awarded stars to no fewer than fourteen Japanese and eleven Korean places, many of them small counters with prices starting at $200. But only two Italian eateries received stars — Torrisi and Rezdora each got one. This in a city full of great modern and traditional Italian restaurants, including Marea, Il Gattopardo, Locanda Verde, Lilia and Roberto’s. To put it another way: Japanese and Korean restaurants received a total of 36 stars to a total of two for Italians. Could there possibly be a prejudice here? We’ve enjoyed a revolution in great Chinese, from high-end Hutong to a dozen wonderful Szechuanese and Fukienese spots in the east and west 30s to tiny Cantonese joints on Mott Street — all chopped liver to Michelin. In a city with three large, distinct Chinatowns, Michelin blessed exactly one Chinese restaurant with a star — Yingtao on Ninth Avenue, which is merely “Chinese inspired,” according to its website. Conspicuously and outrageously missing from the ranks of star-holders is Tatiana. Bronx-raised Kwame Onwuachi’s Nigerian-influenced place at Lincoln Center has been proclaimed as one of New York City’s greatest restaurants by the New York Post, the New York Times and The New Yorker — in rare agreement. It’s earned accolades from the James Beard Foundation, Conde Nast Traveler, TimeOut New York and Forbes, which called it “the future of fine dining.” But apparently, the tire company’s invisible judges know much more about Nigerian-style short rib pastrami suya than we Big Apple ignoramuses do. Michelin’s tire treads ran over Restaurant Daniel, one of the nation’s most sophisticated modern-French restaurants, chopping it down from two stars to one. Having eaten there twice in the past year. I can attest that it’s a three-star place on every level and worthy of its high prices. The diss won’t matter to Daniel’s legion of admirers in New York. But the star haircut can damage it because many big-spenders from Europe still regard the “red book” as gospel. Michelin’s death grip on French attitudes especially was reflected in the suicides of two chefs in recent decades. One feared he’d lose a three-star rating (but didn’t), while the other did lose three stars. Michelin’s three-star roster includes just five NYC restaurants, among them Per Se. The Times’ Pete Wells famously chopped it down from four stars to two in 2016. The beatdown was so persuasive that chef Thomas Keller bought an ad in which he said, “We are sorry we let you down.” But it sounds as if things haven’t changed much. Last week, the Times’ interim critic Melissa Clark declared the tuile holding a salmon morsel as “thick and nubby as an oatmeal cookie” with “grainy” custard. A signature oyster dish had “the gloppy texture of the tapioca pudding served at my great-aunt’s nursing home” and much of her meal was “in that gummy, starchy vein.” New Yorkers know we have the world’s greatest collection of restaurants. We don’t need advice from a French tire company. Michelin should hit the road before it does any more damage to them.
Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok as soon as next month, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Executive of Tyler Perry Studios dies when plane he was piloting crashes in Florida ATLANTA (AP) — The president of Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios has died when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The studio confirmed on Saturday that Steve Mensch, its 62-year-old president and general manager, had died Friday. The crash happened in Homosassa, about 60 miles north of Tampa. Photos from the scene show the plane having come to rest upside down on a road. Mensch helped advocate for Georgia’s film tax credit of more than $1 billion a year. Perry hired Mensch to run his namesake studio in 2016. Mensch died as Perry released his war drama, “The Six Triple Eight." The film was shot at the Atlanta studio. US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8% to set its own record. Treasury yields eased after the jobs report showed stronger hiring than expected but also an uptick in the unemployment rate. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass NEW YORK (AP) — In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million to surround CEO Mark Zuckerberg with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. And experts say the task of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them is getting more difficult. One of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to decide what represents a real threat. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus The U.S. government has ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows. The Agriculture Department on Friday said raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16. Testing will begin in six states — California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania. The move is aimed at eliminating the virus, which has infected more than 700 dairy herds in 15 states. Words on ammo in CEO shooting echo common phrase on insurer tactics: Delay, deny, defend A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were written on the ammunition used to kill UnitedHealthcare's CEO. That's according to two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday. The words are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend.” That's how attorneys describe insurers denying services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book critical of the industry. Police haven’t officially commented on the words. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care. Michigan Democrats move to protect reproductive health data before GOP takes control of House LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Democrats in Michigan are pressing to pass reproductive health care legislation before the party loses its majority with the new legislative session next year. A bill to protect digital reproductive health data including data logged on menstrual cycle tracking apps is a Democratic priority as lawmakers meet this month. Democratic women and supporters of the legislation say they are acting with new urgency before President-elect Donald Trump takes office because they don't believe his campaign promise to leave abortion to the states. The rush is also a reaction to Republicans taking control of the state House in January. Democrats kept control of the state Senate in the November election. Japan's Nippon Steel sets sights on a growing overseas market in its bid to acquire US Steel KASHIMA, Japan (AP) — The signs at Nippon Steel read: “The world through steel,” underlining why Japan’s top steelmaker is pursuing its $15 billion bid to acquire U.S. Steel. Japan's domestic market isn't growing, so Nippon Steel has its eyes on India, Southeast Asia and the United States, where populations are still growing. Nippon Steel gave reporters a tour of one of its plants in Japan on Friday. The bid for U.S. Steet is opposed by President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and American steelworkers. If the deal goes through, U.S. Steel will keep its name and its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but become subsidiary of Nippon Steel. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 27, 2024-- WellRX , the parent company of preventative healthcare brands ReviveRX and Ways2Well, today announced it has acquired Bioreach , a state-of-the-art bloodwork and genetics laboratory. The acquisition brings advanced blood testing capabilities in-house, streamlining diagnostics and enabling the delivery of innovative health tests across WellRX’s ecosystem, including partner telehealth clinics, weight-loss programs, testosterone therapies, and regenerative medicine services. The strategic move is an expansion of WellRX’s commitment to offer a streamlined, vertically integrated approach to patients looking to optimize their overall health and wellness. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241127418036/en/ WellRX, Parent Company of Ways2Well and ReviveRX, Acquires Bioreach, a state-of-the-art bloodwork and genetics laboratory. (Photo: Business Wire) “Bioreach is a transformative addition for WellRX and its subsidiaries,” said Brigham Buhler, Founder and CEO of WellRX. “By integrating Bioreach’s cutting-edge capabilities, we’re not only accelerating bloodwork turnaround times but also unlocking deeper insights into patient health through our pharmacy and telehealth partnerships. This acquisition empowers us to drive down costs, achieve seamless vertical integration, and deliver proactive, predictive care. Together, we are reshaping healthcare to focus on healthspan—and one day, even lifespan—offering unmatched innovation, efficiency, and value to patients, clinicians, and providers. The future of medicine starts here.” Bioreach will support clinics by enhancing patient outcomes through data-driven health solutions. Telehealth providers relying on ReviveRX for prescription services will now benefit from seamless bloodwork integration, providing comprehensive care to their patients. This advancement also expands testing services offered by Ways2Well, WellRX’s telehealth clinic specializing in preventative care and functional medicine, bringing health insights to over 50,000 patients nationwide. A single drop of blood can measure thousands of protein, fat and metabolic molecules, helping detect metabolic and immune responses, and pave the way for early disease detection and diagnosis ( Stanford ). Traditionally, bloodwork results have taken five to seven business days to process. With Bioreach’s 80% improvement in testing efficiency, WellRX will cut this to just one day—a significant improvement for both patients and providers nationwide. With Bioreach, ReviveRX and Ways2Well will also continue to bring more cutting-edge tests to the market. About Bioreach Integration : Bioreach’s facilities will support the testing needs of clinicians, partner telehealth companies, and ReviveRX pharmacy customers. The integration of these capabilities will further ReviveRX’s commitment to providing personalized prescriptions based on robust diagnostic data. “Our team at Bioreach has done a tremendous job educating Utah’s population on what various biomarkers in their blood can tell them about their health, so they may work in tandem with a medical professional to create a personalized wellness plan,” said Jack Matsen, CEO of Bioreach. “By joining WellRX, we’re positioned to scale affordable, high-quality blood testing services across the country. We see a bright future with expanding our impact, particularly as we integrate with ReviveRX’s patient-centric pharmacy services and Ways2Well’s innovative telehealth care.” This acquisition is the latest in WellRX’s mission to redefine preventative healthcare. About WellRX : WellRX is an integrated healthcare company that bridges pharmacy services, telehealth, and preventative care. Through its subsidiaries—ReviveRX, Ways2Well, and now Bioreach—WellRX delivers seamless, patient-focused solutions for health and wellness. Note: WellRX is not affiliated with WellRx.com . About Bioreach : Bioreach’s mission is to extend and improve real lives, by giving ordinary people extraordinary access to their blood work and biomarkers. Bioreach is also committed to educate clients on their results, empowering them to make well-informed choices about their health, and their future. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241127418036/en/ CONTACT: ways2well@jacktaylorpr.com Bioreach Imagery:HERE KEYWORD: UTAH TEXAS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HEALTH TELEMEDICINE/VIRTUAL MEDICINE HEALTH TECHNOLOGY GENETICS FITNESS & NUTRITION GENERAL HEALTH PHARMACEUTICAL SOURCE: WellRX Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/27/2024 03:47 PM/DISC: 11/27/2024 03:45 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241127418036/enWillis Group Stock Soars to All-Time High of $320.99
The best Black Friday deals from A to ZDenny Hamlin is betting on racing phenom Connor Zilisch becoming a star in the NASCAR Cup Series, and in short-order. Over the past year, Zilisch has become the hottest commodity in stock car racing, inking a deal to race for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series in 2025. He showed his stuff during some limited appearances in 2024, including a dominating win at Watkins Glen in September. During an episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin elaborated on why he believes Zilisch is on his way towards becoming a star in American motorsports, and why the sky is the limit for the young wheelman. “I’d say it’s probably a sure-fire thing, just because he’s got enough experience on ovals,” Hamlin stated . “He still did quite a bit of oval racing as well, and certainly, if you look at the results in the competitive series that he’s run, he’s still, you know — he’s not as fast over the field when we go to ovals, but he’s still competitive, competing against veterans that have been doing it quite some time. “So, will he go win 12 races next year in Xfinity? No, I don’t think so. But I mean, could he win four or five? Yeah, absolutely. I think that’s a very feasible goal considering, you know, the car he’s in and what he’s going to be capable of.” Continuing, Hamlin even took it a step further, stating his belief that Zilisch has a leg up on fellow Trackhouse Racing teammate Shane van Gisbergen as it pertains to their future in NASCAR, due to the youngster’s success racing on ovals. “I think Connor’s got a leg up on (SVG), if you had to ask me to pick one of the two,” Hamlin added . “Connor, just because I think he’s more well-versed in the ovals than what SVG is. But I think when you look at what their capability is on road courses, I consider them equals right now. This is just my opinion right now. Maybe SVG a little bit — let’s just pretend this is, hey, this is an outlier. That is possible. Even SVG, while winning his very first cup race, still didn’t just win every other cup race he was in. So, I think, let’s see what the next time does. “But right now, I would give Connor the leg up, just because of the oval experience he’s got on SVG.” It remains to be seen how far Connor Zilisch can climb, but his star continues to burn bright. 2025 could be a breakout campaign for the young wheelman, as he looks to dominate the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and if that happens, the Cup Series won’t be far behind. This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.
ANDOVER, Mass. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedics Group, Inc. ("TransMedics") (Nasdaq: TMDX), a medical technology company that is transforming organ transplant therapy for patients with end-stage lung, heart, and liver failure, today announced that on December 9, 2024 , TransMedics granted non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 20,612 shares of its common stock and an aggregate of 13,576 restricted stock units to 3 employees, each as a material inducement for each employee's entry into employment with TransMedics. The grants included stock options to purchase 18,922 shares of TransMedics' common stock and 12,463 restricted stock units granted to Gerardo Hernandez , the Company's Chief Financial Officer. The grants were approved by the Compensation Committee of the TransMedics Board of Directors and were granted in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) and pursuant to the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. TransMedics granted non-qualified stock options to purchase 20,612 shares of TransMedics' common stock and 13,576 restricted stock units in the aggregate. The stock options were granted with a per share exercise price of $69.84 , the closing price of the common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on December 9, 2024 . Twenty-five percent of the shares subject to each option will vest on the first yearly anniversary of the date of the employee's start of employment, with the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the subsequent three year period, subject to the employee's continued service with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The options have a 10-year term and are subject to the terms of the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. Twenty-five percent of each restricted stock unit award will vest on the first four anniversaries of the date of the employee's start of employment, subject to the employee's continued service with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The restricted stock units are subject to the terms of the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. About TransMedics Group, Inc. TransMedics is the world's leader in portable extracorporeal warm perfusion and assessment of donor organs for transplantation. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts , the company was founded to address the unmet need for more and better organs for transplantation and has developed technologies to preserve organ quality, assess organ viability prior to transplant, and potentially increase the utilization of donor organs for the treatment of end-stage heart, lung, and liver failure. Investor Contact: Brian Johnston 332-895-3222 Investors@transmedics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transmedics-reports-inducement-grants-under-nasdaq-listing-rule-5635c4-302330724.html SOURCE TransMedics Group, Inc.Opposition fighters are closing in on Syria’s capital in a swiftly developing crisis that has taken much of the world by surprise. Syria's army has abandoned key cities in the west and south with little resistance. Nervous residents in Damascus describe security forces on the streets. The state news agency has been forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad has left the country. Who are these opposition fighters ? If they enter Damascus after taking two of Syria’s largest cities , what then? Here’s a look at the stunning reversal of fortune for Assad and his government in just the past 10 days, and what might lie ahead as Syria’s 13-year civil war reignites . Recommended Videos The aim? Overthrow the government This is the first time that opposition forces have reached the outskirts of the Syrian capital since 2018, when the country’s troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The approaching fighters are led by the most powerful insurgent group in Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , or HTS, along with an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Both have been entrenched in the northwest. They launched the shock offensive on Nov. 27 with gunmen capturing Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and the central city of Hama, the fourth largest. The HTS has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. But the group said in recent years it cut ties with al-Qaida, and experts say HTS has sought to remake itself in recent years by focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani told CNN in an exclusive interview Thursday from Syria that the aim of the offensive is to overthrow Assad’s government. Possible rifts ahead The HTS and Syrian National Army have been allies at times and rivals at times, and their aims might diverge. The Turkish-backed militias also have an interest in creating a buffer zone near the Turkish border to keep away Kurdish militants at odds with Ankara. Turkey has been a main backer of the fighters seeking to overthrow Assad but more recently has urged reconciliation, and Turkish officials have strongly rejected claims of any involvement in the current offensive. Whether the HTS and the Syrian National Army will work together if they succeed in overthrowing Assad or turn on each other again is a major question. Others take advantage While the flash offensive against Syria’s government began in the north, armed opposition groups have also mobilized elsewhere. The southern areas of Sweida and Daraa have both been taken locally. Sweida is the heartland of Syria’s Druze religious minority and had been the site of regular anti-government protests even after Assad seemingly consolidated his control over the area. Daraa is a Sunni Muslim area that was widely seen as the cradle of the uprising against Assad’s rule that erupted in 2011. Daraa was recaptured by Syrian government troops in 2018, but rebels remained in some areas. In recent years, Daraa was in a state of uneasy quiet under a Russian-mediated ceasefire deal. And much of Syria's east is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led group backed by the United States that in the past has clashed with most other armed groups in the country. Syria’s government now controls just four of 14 provincial capitals. What’s next? Much depends on Assad’s next moves and his forces' will to fight. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces have started carrying out the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs. If that city is captured, the link would be cut between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where he enjoys wide support. “Homs to the coastal cities will be a very huge red line politically and socially. Politically, if this line is crossed, then we are talking about the end of the entire Syria, the one that we knew in the past,” said a Damascus resident, Anas Joudeh. Assad appears to be largely on his own as allies Russia and Iran are distracted by other conflicts and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah has been weakened by its war with Israel, now under a fragile ceasefire. The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is calling for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition,” saying the situation is changing by the minute. He met with foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran on the sidelines of the Doha Summit. President-elect Donald Trump in his first extensive comments on the developments in Syria said the besieged Assad didn’t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump posted on social media.