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The world has lost one of its most respected and indelible figures. Longtime CBS Sports anchor and play-by-play announcer Greg Gumbel has , with his wife and daughter confirming the news Friday. “He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer,” Marcy and Michelle Gumbel . “Greg approached his illness like one would expect he would, with stoicism, grace, and positivity. He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten. Greg's memory will forever be treasured by his family, dearest friends, colleagues and all who loved him.” A statement from the family of Greg Gumbel — CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) The older brother of Bryant Gumbel, Gumbel was a beloved figure over the course of his 52-year broadcasting career, someone whose mere on-screen presence was associated with some of the biggest events in sports. He became synonymous with the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, particularly its selection show, and had a lengthy run as an NFL play-by-play broadcaster. In 2001, he became the first Black man to do play-by-play for a major American sports championship when he called Super Bowl 35. As news of Gumbel’s death spread, outpourings of emotion and support flooded social media, with many fondly recalling his career and the impact it had on them. Here’s a sampling of the social media reaction to Gumbel’s passing: Greg Gumbel has passed away at the age of 78. Forever a legendary March Madness voice. — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) A very sad day for our CBS family - and mine. Greg was the kindest man I've ever known. — Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) When you think of Selection Sunday you think of Greg Gumbel. RIP to a 🐐 — Mark Titus Show (@MarkTitusShow) Just got off the phone with Phil Simms talking about Greg Gumbel. I spent six glorious years with those two legends covering top NFL games. Greg was one of one in so many ways. So so sad. — Armen Keteyian (@ArmenKeteyian) Terribly sad news. Greg Gumbel was the face of March Madness to so many of us. — Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) Selection Sunday will never be the same 😔 RIP Greg Gumbel 🙏🏻 — The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) A 50-year career in sports broadcasting is a rarity, and Greg Gumbel was a true professional throughout. RIP to a legend. 🙏🏾✊🏽 — Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) So sad to hear about the passing of Greg Gumbel. Whether hosting or calling games Greg did it with passion poise and made it look effortless. One of the best ever RIP — trey wingo (@wingoz) Greg Gumbel had the kind of career we dream of in our industry. He was talented, versatile, professional, respected, and tenured. Sad to learn of his passing, and sad that I never met him and got to say thank you for the inspiration. RIP 🙏🏾 — stan verrett (@stanverrett) Whenever a person has said to me that you have to be cutthroat-at-all-costs to make it to the top of the sports broadcasting world then I know they'd never met Greg Gumbel. What a pro. And a pro who loved his life. — Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) Greg Gumbel was a giant in the business. Unflappable. I wrote for him at two Olympics, in Lillehammer and Atlanta. In Lillehammer, he was hosting the highest-rated unscripted show in tv history--second highest-rated, period, surpassed only by the last episode of MASH--and he was... — Jeremy Schaap (@JeremySchaap) Never forget when Greg Gumbel lost it on air during Charles Barkley’s hilarious uniform washing story lol 😂 — Nick Cammuso (@npc210) Just so insane man...rest in peace Greg Gumbel. Made this moment 10x more special. ❤️ — RAMEY (@HoodieRamey) RIP Greg Gumbel who covered the Knicks for MSG. Here he is interviewing Michael Jordan in the Garden 1987 — New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork)PHILADELPHIA (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/NFLInnovative AI Law Service To Assist The Less Fortunate In Civil Rights Cases: VRN News
Dermata Therapeutics, Inc. ( NASDAQ:DRMA – Get Free Report ) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 128,400 shares, an increase of 125.7% from the November 30th total of 56,900 shares. Approximately 6.4% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 305,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.4 days. Dermata Therapeutics Stock Down 1.9 % Shares of DRMA stock opened at $1.33 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.71 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.08 and a beta of 0.79. Dermata Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $1.00 and a 52-week high of $13.35. The company’s 50 day moving average is $1.25 and its 200 day moving average is $1.73. Institutional Inflows and Outflows An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Dermata Therapeutics stock. Armistice Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Dermata Therapeutics, Inc. ( NASDAQ:DRMA – Free Report ) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 28,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $67,000. Armistice Capital LLC owned about 4.98% of Dermata Therapeutics at the end of the most recent quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 8.67% of the company’s stock. About Dermata Therapeutics Dermata Therapeutics, Inc, a late-stage medical dermatology company, focuses on identifying, developing, and commercializing pharmaceutical product candidates for the treatment of medical and aesthetic skin conditions and diseases. The company's lead product candidate is DMT310, which has completed Phase IIb clinical trial for treatment of moderate-to-severe acne; and Phase Ib proof of concept (POC) trial for Mild-to-Moderate Psoriasis, as well as is in a Phase 2 clinical trial for treatment of moderate-to-severe rosacea. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Dermata Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dermata Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:50 p.m. EST
Serve Robotics Inc. ( NASDAQ:SERV – Get Free Report ) CEO Ali Kashani sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.55, for a total transaction of $72,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,290,990 shares in the company, valued at $47,883,904.50. This trade represents a 0.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Ali Kashani also recently made the following trade(s): Serve Robotics Stock Down 7.7 % Shares of SERV stock opened at $16.29 on Friday. Serve Robotics Inc. has a 1 year low of $1.77 and a 1 year high of $24.09. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $10.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $8.78. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Northland Securities assumed coverage on Serve Robotics in a report on Friday, October 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $16.00 price target on the stock. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH assumed coverage on shares of Serve Robotics in a research note on Monday, October 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Serve Robotics to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Northland Capmk upgraded Serve Robotics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy” and an average price target of $16.00. Check Out Our Latest Report on Serve Robotics Serve Robotics Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Serve Robotics Inc designs, develops, and operates low-emission robots that serve people in public spaces with food delivery in the United States. It builds self-driving delivery robots. The company was formerly known as Patricia Acquisition Corp. and changed its name to Serve Robotics Inc in July 2023. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Serve Robotics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Serve Robotics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is set to break more records Monday as U.S. stocks rise to add to last week’s gains. The S&P 500 was 0.2% higher, as of 3 p.m. Eastern time, and sitting just below its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 397 points, or 0.9%, to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% higher. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The roof at the home of the Dallas Cowboys opened without incident and will stay that way for a Monday night meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals. It was to be the first game with the roof open at AT&T Stadium since Oct. 30, 2022, a 49-29 Dallas victory over Chicago. The roof was supposed to be open three weeks ago for Houston's 34-10 victory on another Monday night, but a large piece of metal and other debris fell roughly 300 feet to the field as the retractable roof was opening about three hours before kickoff. The Cowboys decided to close the roof after the incident, and it remained that way for the game. There were no injuries, and the start of the game wasn't delayed. The club said at the time it would investigate the cause with a plan to reopen the roof when it was deemed safe. Wind was cited as a cause for the falling debris. There were gusts of at least 30 mph in the afternoon before the meeting with the Texans. It was sunny with a high in the 70s Monday in the Dallas area, and winds were in the 10 mph range. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
A patient holds up a dosage of Wegovy, a blockbuster drug used for weight loss. —AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File NEW MEXICO, United States — Unlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. READ: My life on Ozempic, the so-called weight-loss ‘miracle drug’ “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15 percent to 22 percent of their body weight—up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10 percent to 15 percent of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5 percent of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20 percent of patients—as many as 1 in 5—may not respond well to the medications. It’s a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It’s all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person’s response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn’t happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It’s not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn’t respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I’m hoping it’s slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.”Calin Georgescu, who ran independently, will face off against reformist Elena Lasconi in a December 8 run-off. Georgescu, 62, was ahead after nearly all ballots were counted with around 22.95 per cent of the vote. Lasconi, of the progressive Save Romania Union party, or USR, followed with 19.17 per cent. She beat by a slim margin incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party, or PSD, who stood at 19.15 per cent. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians took 13.87 per cent. After polls closed on Sunday, 9.4 million people – about 52.5 per cent of eligible voters – had cast ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau. Georgescu won 43.3 per cent of the vote in Romania’s large diaspora, compared with Lasconi who got 26.8 per cent.
Canada Carbon (CVE:CCB) Shares Down 33.3% – Time to Sell?AI In Telecommunication Market to Witness Stunning Growth | Major Giants Amdocs, NVIDIA, Google Cloud 12-24-2024 05:35 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Pvt. Ltd. AI In Telecommunication Market HTF MI recently introduced Global AI In Telecommunication Market study with 143+ pages in-depth overview, describing about the Product / Industry Scope and elaborates market outlook and status (2024-2032). The market Study is segmented by key regions which is accelerating the marketization. At present, the market is developing its presence. Some key players from the complete study are Ericsson, Huawei, IBM, Nokia, Google Cloud, AT&T, ZTE, Cisco, Qualcomm, Salesforce, Infosys, Amdocs, H2O.ai, NVIDIA, C3.ai, DataRobot. Download Sample Report PDF (Including Full TOC, Table & Figures) 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/3997773-global-ai-in-telecommunication-market-24?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash According to HTF Market Intelligence, the Global AI In Telecommunication market is expected to grow from 10 Billion USD in 2024 to 28 Billion USD by 2032, with a CAGR of 15.5% from 2024 to 2032. The AI In Telecommunication market is segmented by Types (Network Optimization, Fraud Detection, Predictive Maintenance, Chatbots), Application (5G Networks, Customer Support, Network Security, IoT) and by Geography (North America, LATAM, West Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Oceania, MEA). Definition: The AI in Telecommunication Market involves using artificial intelligence to optimize network performance, enhance customer support, and enable predictive maintenance. It drives innovations in 5G, IoT, and other communication technologies. Dominating Region: • North America Fastest-Growing Region: • Asia-Pacific Market Trends: •Edge AI, Automated Troubleshooting, AI-Driven Analytics Market Drivers: •5G Deployment, IoT Expansion, Need for Efficiency Market Challenges: •Data Privacy, Implementation Costs, Skills Gap Have a query? Market an enquiry before purchase 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/3997773-global-ai-in-telecommunication-market-24?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below: In-depth analysis of AI In Telecommunication market segments by Types: Network Optimization, Fraud Detection, Predictive Maintenance, Chatbots Detailed analysis of Tank Container Shipping market segments by Applications: 5G Networks, Customer Support, Network Security, IoT Geographically, the detailed analysis of consumption, revenue, market share, and growth rate of the following regions: • The Middle East and Africa (South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, Egypt, etc.) • North America (United States, Mexico & Canada) • South America (Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, etc.) • Europe (Turkey, Spain, Turkey, Netherlands Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.) • Asia-Pacific (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia). Buy Now Latest Edition of AI In Telecommunication Market Report 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=3997773?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash AI In Telecommunication Market Research Objectives: - Focuses on the key manufacturers, to define, pronounce and examine the value, sales volume, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis, and development plans in the next few years. - To share comprehensive information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (opportunities, drivers, growth potential, industry-specific challenges and risks). - To analyze the with respect to individual future prospects, growth trends and their involvement to the total market. - To analyze reasonable developments such as agreements, expansions new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. - To deliberately profile the key players and systematically examine their growth strategies. FIVE FORCES & PESTLE ANALYSIS: In order to better understand market conditions five forces analysis is conducted that includes the Bargaining power of buyers, Bargaining power of suppliers, Threat of new entrants, Threat of substitutes, and Threat of rivalry. • Political (Political policy and stability as well as trade, fiscal, and taxation policies) • Economical (Interest rates, employment or unemployment rates, raw material costs, and foreign exchange rates) • Social (Changing family demographics, education levels, cultural trends, attitude changes, and changes in lifestyles) • Technological (Changes in digital or mobile technology, automation, research, and development) • Legal (Employment legislation, consumer law, health, and safety, international as well as trade regulation and restrictions) • Environmental (Climate, recycling procedures, carbon footprint, waste disposal, and sustainability) Get 10-25% Discount on Immediate purchase 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/request-discount/3997773-global-ai-in-telecommunication-market-24?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash Points Covered in Table of Content of Global AI In Telecommunication Market: Chapter 01 - AI In Telecommunication Executive Summary Chapter 02 - Market Overview Chapter 03 - Key Success Factors Chapter 04 - Global AI In Telecommunication Market - Pricing Analysis Chapter 05 - Global AI In Telecommunication Market Background or History Chapter 06 - Global AI In Telecommunication Market Segmentation (e.g. Type, Application) Chapter 07 - Key and Emerging Countries Analysis Worldwide AI In Telecommunication Market Chapter 08 - Global AI In Telecommunication Market Structure & worth Analysis Chapter 09 - Global AI In Telecommunication Market Competitive Analysis & Challenges Chapter 10 - Assumptions and Acronyms Chapter 11 - AI In Telecommunication Market Research Methodology Key questions answered • How Global AI In Telecommunication Market growth & size is changing in next few years? • Who are the Leading players and what are their futuristic plans in the Global AI In Telecommunication market? • What are the key concerns of the 5-forces analysis of the Global AI In Telecommunication market? • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? • What are the different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the Global AI In Telecommunication market? Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter-wise sections or region-wise report versions like North America, LATAM, Europe, Japan, Australia or Southeast Asia. Nidhi Bhawsar (PR & Marketing Manager) HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited Phone: +15075562445 sales@htfmarketreport.com About Author: HTF Market Intelligence Consulting is uniquely positioned to empower and inspire with research and consulting services to empower businesses with growth strategies. We offer services with extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events, and experience that assist in decision-making. This release was published on openPR.
Stock up on these popular board games for your next get-togetherAll the Alien Movies Are Now Streaming in One Place – Including the Newest OneNEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to another all-time high. The Dow added 1% Monday to the record it set on Friday. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Treasury yields eased in the bond market after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Smaller companies can feel a big boost from easier borrowing costs, and the Russell 2000 index of small stocks jumped 1.5%, closing just shy of the record high it set three years ago. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is set to break more records Monday as U.S. stocks rise to add to last week’s gains. The S&P 500 was 0.2% higher, as of 3 p.m. Eastern time, and sitting just below its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 397 points, or 0.9%, to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% higher. Treasury yields also eased in the bond market amid what some analysts called a “Bessent bounce” after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent , a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Bessent has argued for reducing the U.S. government’s deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through tax and other revenue. Such an approach could soothe worries on Wall Street that Trump’s policies may lead to a much bigger deficit, which in turn would put upward pressure on Treasury yields. After climbing above 4.44% immediately after Trump’s election, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell back to 4.26% Monday and down from 4.41% late Friday. That’s a notable move, and lower yields help make it cheaper for all kinds of companies and households to borrow money. They also give a boost to prices for stocks and other investments. That helped stocks of smaller companies lead the way, and the Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped 2%. It’s set to top its all-time high, which was set three years ago. Smaller companies can feel bigger boosts from lower borrowing costs because of the need of many to borrow to grow. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks the market’s expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with overnight interest rates, also eased sharply. The Fed began cutting its main interest rate just a couple months ago from a two-decade high, hoping to keep the job market humming after bringing high inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. But immediately after Trump’s victory, traders had reduced bets for how many cuts the Fed may deliver next year. They were worried Trump's preference for lower tax rates and higher spending on the border would balloon the national debt. . A report coming on Wednesday could influence how much the Fed may cut rates. Economists expect it to show that an underlying inflation trend the Fed prefers to use accelerated to 2.8% last month from 2.7% in September. Higher inflation would make the Fed more reluctant to cut rates as deeply or as quickly as it would otherwise. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle expects that to slow by the end of next year to 2.4%, but he said inflation would be even lower if not for expected tariff increases on imports from China and autos favored by Trump. In the stock market, Bath & Body Works jumped 19.1% after delivering stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The seller of personal care products and home fragrances also raised its financial forecasts for the full year, even though it still sees a “volatile retail environment” and a shorter holiday shopping season this year. Much focus has been on how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. Last week, two major retailers sent mixed messages. Target tumbled after giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Another big retailer, Macy’s, said Monday its sales for the latest quarter were in line with its expectations, but it will delay the release of its full financial results. It found a single employee had intentionally hid up to $154 million in delivery expenses, and it needs more time to complete its investigation. Macy’s stock fell 2.9%. Among the market's leaders were several companies related to the housing industry. Monday's drop in Treasury yields could translate into easier mortgage rates, which could spur activity for housing. Builders FirstSource, a supplier or building materials, rose 6.2%. Homebuilders, D.R. Horton, PulteGroup and Lennar all rose at least 5.8%. In stock markets abroad, indexes moved modestly across much of Europe after finishing mixed in Asia. In the crypto market, bitcoin was trading around $96,800 after threatening to hit $100,000 late last week for the first time. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
This article was originally published in Rest of World, which covers technology’s impact outside the West. This is the last of a three-part series. Read the first and the second parts. Fidaa Maksour, a dispatcher with the White Helmets, a volunteer organisation that operates largely in the war-torn northwestern region of Syria, was on duty in the early morning hours of February 6, 2023, when the ground began to shake. It was a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest ever to hit the border region between Syria and Turkey Calls started pouring into the operation room’s emergency WhatsApp lines soon after. There were “many people under the rubble, many people under collapsed buildings”, Maksour told Rest of World . In Syria alone, the earthquake and its aftershocks destroyed an estimated 10,000 buildings and killed more than 5,500 people . By that time, Syria had already suffered through more than a decade of civil war. Government bombardments had destroyed much of the opposition-controlled northwestern region. Residents couldn’t call for help through regular emergency numbers. So instead, in times of crisis, they turn to the WhatsApp-based emergency response system set up by the White Helmets, who are often the only first responders available. Maksour fielded the WhatsApp calls as best he could, relaying information between ambulances ferrying victims to overwhelmed hospitals and rescue crews attempting to reach those still trapped under the rubble. The White Helmets’ WhatsApp system dates back to 2021, when a Turkish-Syrian project restored power lines to the northwest and a patchwork of satellite and broadband providers helped bring back widespread access to internet services. WhatsApp quickly became the default means of communication. “The whole population – every family, every household in the northwest – is using WhatsApp,” one of Maksour’s colleagues told Rest of World . In recent months, Maksour has received emergency WhatsApp calls reporting everything from a serious car accident to unexploded ordnance. He dispatched ambulances and disposal teams for these instances, respectively. Messaging apps have become indispensable tools for civilians in conflict and disaster zones like Syria, and WhatsApp, with its more than 2 billion daily users, is the most popular among them. The app’s compression algorithm, which in part allows it to function in areas with poor connectivity, makes it particularly useful. Humanitarian organisations use it to coordinate emergency responses; refugees turn to it as a lifeline; and journalists use it to relay reporting from conflict zones. “We’ve talked to a variety of humanitarian NGOs,” WhatsApp’s director of global communications, Christina LoNigro, told Rest of World . “A lot of the things that we are concerned with is how they can use our app to get their information out most effectively ... How do they get information out to affected populations in a place where they already are? How do you message where they are? And a lot of times, they are on WhatsApp.” A volunteer of the Syria Civil Defence looks at her mobile phone as she rides in a vehicle, in Idlib province in March 2023. Credit: Reuters. Historically, the flow of information in conflict and disaster areas has been limited. In the 20th century, government and aid organisations often turned to radio or television broadcasts to get critical messages out. Sometimes, they just used cars with loudspeakers. Meanwhile, victims of conflict often had no way to speak to each other, or the outside world. As recently as 2006, a report from Denmark-based nonprofit International Media Support described the radio as “the principal means of communication for most of the population in conflict areas”. In Indonesia after 2006 and Sudan in 2009 , radio sets were distributed as part of aid packages. But by the beginning of the 2000s, digital messaging systems started taking on more importance. Skype, launched in 2003, became one of the only ways to reach Syrian activists and volunteers in opposition-controlled areas in the early days of the conflict. Then WhatsApp launched in 2009, Viber in 2010, and Telegram in 2013. These apps had features as simple as sending an SMS or making a phone call, but were not bound by bundled message allowances, character limits, or borders. Shergo Ali, a humanitarian worker originally from the Syrian city of Qamishli, spent nearly eight years in the northeastern region of his home country as well as the Sinjar and Mosul areas of Iraq. “At that time, in 2015, 2016, 2017, it was more Skype and SMS messages,” he told Rest of World . “But not much WhatsApp or other apps.” The aid sector is often cautious about adopting new technology to avoid introducing operational risks, but by the mid-2010s, messaging apps had become critical tools to some organisations. John Warnes, senior innovation officer with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, told Rest of World that responding to the influx of Syrian refugees to West Asia and Europe, who were generally highly connected, required a change of approach. “UNHCR has been engaging with communities through digital channels such as messaging apps for a number of years,” Warnes said. “This accelerated particularly in the early 2010s as adoption rates of mobile devices grew in many parts of the world in which UNHCR was active.” WhatsApp was not the only application the agency used. In Mexico, personnel used Facebook Messenger as a way to speak with refugees and migrants. The popularity of different messaging apps varied across regions. A 2017 report by the International Committee of the Red Cross noted Viber’s popularity in war-torn Ukraine – the company that operates Viber, Rakuten, claims the service is installed on 98% of Ukrainian mobile phones . In Niger, which has been wracked by years of violence between the military and armed Islamist groups, Viber was also popular, along with Facebook Messenger and Imo, a US-owned messaging platform with over 200 million users. Before the fall of 2023, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees relied on phone calls, emails, and in-person meetings to communicate with its staff in Gaza, UNRWA director of communications Juliette Touma told Rest of World . Then, on October 7 that year, Hamas attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people. Israel responded with a massive and ongoing military campaign that has since killed more than 44,000 Gazans , according to health authorities, displaced most of the around 365-square-km strip’s 2.3 million residents, and destroyed at least half of the area’s buildings. Cell towers, along with power and internet infrastructure, were hit early on in the conflict, causing a near-total blackout in Gaza within weeks. “People couldn’t speak to each other. They couldn’t call each other. They were cut off from one another in the middle of a war zone, and they were cut off from the rest of the world,” Touma told Rest of World . “We were communicating with one staff member through one satellite phone that barely worked but we got cut off from the rest.” UNRWA turned to WhatsApp. The agency had previously used the service for sending messages to communities about things like school events or information on vaccination campaigns. Now, the app was suddenly much more important. “I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that WhatsApp can be life-saving,” Touma said. UNRWA, she said, is now almost completely dependent on WhatsApp to speak with staff in Gaza. Before the war, writer Amal Helles lived in Gaza’s Khan Yunis city, and mostly used WhatsApp to speak with friends and family. Shortly after the Israeli military campaign began, she started reporting for The Times and WhatsApp became indispensable for her work, she told Rest of World. To cover the aftermath of airstrikes or the desperate daily search for water and food, she and other journalists came to rely on data-only eSIMS that could connect to the outer edges of Egyptian or Israeli networks. She climbed to exposed and dangerous high points in search of a phone signal. The connection was typically too weak to connect for email, but WhatsApp functioned. Thanks to WhatsApp’s compression algorithms, she was able to send voice notes, videos, and documents to her colleagues in London. “Whatsapp was the only – the base – application that we used during the war,” Helles said. Helles and her children eventually escaped Gaza, but she still continues to remotely cover the violence wracking her home and relies on WhatsApp to reach people there. Helles messages her family often, too, including her husband, who is still in Gaza and also works as a journalist. One day this past August, she read of a strike near the entrance of a hospital where her husband regularly reports. She sent him a WhatsApp message right away but only saw a single gray tick indicating her message had been sent but not received. She tried to call his cell but it wouldn’t connect, and his colleagues couldn’t reach him either. An agonising hour passed before he finally logged on. “I heard his voice in a voice note via WhatsApp,” she said. “And my heart was reassured.” Ahmad, who requested a pseudonym to speak with Rest of World out of concern for his safety, spent about a year working as an interpreter with British forces in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. That made him a target for the Taliban and other militant groups. He received a death threat in 2019, and was stabbed and shot in an apparent assassination attempt a few months later. So when the Taliban took Kabul in 2021, he fled. He first went to Iran and then made the arduous trek across the mountains of the Turkish border. Ahmad was already familiar with WhatsApp – he used it to avoid exorbitant Afghan telecom fees. But as he escaped Afghanistan, it also became his only link to home. “When I was traveling, my family had concerns about my journey,” he told Rest of World . “I was sending some of my pictures home [to say] I’m okay, I’m fine ... I had contact with my family and I was always giving them my updates.” Ahmad reached Istanbul, and applied for a humanitarian visa and to a UK immigration program. In the meantime, he spent months in a cramped and crowded basement apartment hiding from the police sweeps for illegal migrants, venturing out only to work long shifts in a textile factory for around $50 a week. International calls would have been prohibitively expensive, so Ahmad turned to WhatsApp. “It was the only way that I contacted my family,” he said. “I used to share pictures, selfies, voice notes.” After an unsuccessful attempt to smuggle himself to Europe, Ahmad was deported back to Afghanistan, where he lives today in hiding. WhatsApp is how he keeps in touch with the few people he trusts. He depends on the app’s end-to-end encryption to keep the Taliban from finding him. “It’s more safe than a phone call,” he said. “Mobile phones, SIM cards, voices – these three can be tracked easily.” He has been trying to reach Europe once again, this time via legal pathways. His lawyer insists that they communicate only through Signal , an open-source, privacy-focused messaging app but Ahmad is confident that WhatsApp is safe enough. “I think the Taliban are not that much developed that they can track WhatsApp very easily,” he said. WhatsApp has its faults and weaknesses, even for those dependent on the service in conflict and disaster areas. The service has been criticised for a relative lack of privacy and the potential for surveillance by more sophisticated actors. Meta collects a variety of data on users, including IP addresses, device information, and profile images that it shares across its companies. In May, The Intercept reported on the contents of an internal WhatsApp threat assessment, which discussed potential vulnerabilities that could allow government agencies to work out a user’s contacts, group membership, and potential location. Meta told The Intercept that there was no evidence of security vulnerabilities on WhatsApp. Signal is often cited by security professionals as harder to surveil for even the most advanced intelligence apparatuses. But that has not yet translated into mass uptake. Signal does not release specific usage data but its active users are estimated to number in the tens of millions – a tiny fraction of that of WhatsApp. When Ali, the Syrian humanitarian worker, arrived in Ukraine last February to start a new role as area manager for the east of the country with German NGO Welthungerhilfe, colleagues instructed him to download Signal immediately. Aside from general information sharing and travel, the NGO uses Signal for security and safety communications, including instructions on how to react to air raid alarms and airstrikes, Ali said. “I’d never used Signal before,” he said. “We’ve had staff who arrived new after me, and they didn’t have Signal. We asked them to download it.” After a 2021 data protection analysis of potential risks, the ICRC instructed its employees to use Signal internally, and, where possible, externally, Rebeca Lucía Galindo, an adviser at the ICRC on communication with communities, told Rest of World . But if that is not possible, then the organisation uses the safest viable alternative. WhatsApp is aware of how its services are relied upon in dangerous areas and is trying to address concerns, LoNigro said. She described various privacy-boosting additions made to the app after discussions with NGOs, including disappearing messages and the ability to lock specific chats with a PIN or biometric identification. Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, underscored the capacity of messaging apps to inflame tensions and incite violence during times of crisis. He described incidents in the ongoing war in Sudan, where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces sent out large batches of WhatsApp messages announcing an impending attack on a given location, causing panic and displacement. That is echoed in the findings of a report by the multi-donor initiative Conflict Sensitivity Resource Facility. It concluded that in South Sudan, social media – particularly WhatsApp – had been used to spread propaganda and also as a means to plan and coordinate attacks and ambushes. Research consortium PeaceRep has also noted the connection between WhatsApp groups and revenge killings in Somalia. But WhatsApp is now so ubiquitous that it will inevitably continue to be a critical tool in conflict areas. Maksour, the White Helmets dispatcher in Syria, said it would be “very, very difficult” to do his job without WhatsApp. “The civilians have only WhatsApp to communicate with us and to communicate an emergency to the operations room.” John Beck is an award-winning journalist based in Istanbul. This article was originally published in Rest of World , which covers technology’s impact outside the West.PORT HARCOURT – The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, says the Commission is investing in digital learning because it holds the key to unlocking untapped potential and shaping the future of the Niger Delta region. Ogbuku, who spoke during an interactive session with newsmen at the NDDC’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, stated that the Commission was determined to harness the power of technology to build a brighter future for the Niger Delta, where every child would have the tools and opportunities to succeed. He remarked that the NDDC, in collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI, of Nigeria’s First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, launched a large-scale digital education initiative aimed at distributing 45,000 U-Lesson tablets to primary and secondary schools across the nine states in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. According to the NDDC boss, the initiative was aimed at enhancing educational opportunities in the Niger Delta region through the distribution of U-Lesson tablets and software designed to improve student literacy and learning outcomes. He stated: “The initiative fosters a conducive learning environment by integrating digital learning resources. It aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 4, which emphasises the importance of inclusive and equitable quality education. This approach aims to empower students, ensuring they have the tools to excel academically and compete globally. “It is all about being pragmatic and positioning our region for the future. Digital education came to the forefront during the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19. The pandemic taught us that interpersonal learning will be a thing of the past very soon. During the COVID-19 period, churches were functioning through online platforms. “We want the children growing up to be able to use computers and other digital devices for learning. We realise that some of our students sent outside the country for postgraduate studies struggle with the highly computerised modern society. That is why we are investing more in educating our students on digital learning.” “Education is improving, and even our phones are always on software upgrades. Education is also being improved to meet the present reality of our society so that students can compete with others when they leave our country.” Ogbuku in a statement signed by Seledi Thompson-Wakama, Director Corporate Affairs, NDDC on Sunday, explained that the U-Lesson software was tailored to the Nigerian educational framework, noting that it featured an offline video library, allowing students to access educational content without internet connectivity. The Managing Director stated: “This digital tool complements traditional face-to-face instruction, empowering students to master their materials and excel in tests and examinations. We believe that every student in our region deserves a quality education, and we are committed to providing the resources necessary to make this a reality.” Speaking on the NDDC Foreign Post-Graduate Scholarship Programme, Ogbuku observed that 2,700 students from the Niger Delta had benefitted from the scheme since its inception in 2010. He noted: “We reactivated and strengthened our foreign postgraduate scholarship scheme, making it more merit-based and funding it adequately to prevent the challenges of the past.” He said: “We have made educational development and human capacity building our key policy thrust. The previous negative narrative of the NDDC is changing due to the conscious and sustained efforts to chart a new course of development for the region.New Perspective on Tesla Stock. Gaming and Future Technologies
PEARLAND While other kids circled toys in sales flyers or wrote their long wish lists to Santa, young Summer-Linn’s wish for the holiday season wasn’t the newest toy or trending electronic, it was to see others happy. “Her Christmas wish was to make sure all the foster kids had a good family,” mother Max Ryder said while the family participated Saturday in a Pearland fundraiser. “She took it upon herself to contact the local foster home, made up a list of what they wanted and started baking cookies to raise money.” Summer-Linn makes handcrafted beanies throughout the year of all different styles and themes for her customers. The beanies are easy to make and something the family also uses to help the homeless in their community. “It gives you a good feeling and warms up your heart," Summer-Linn said. “I’m buying items that they want with what I’ve saved up.” The savings come from her allowance and the profits she makes from her fundraisers. Her current goal is to have $5,000 saved before Black Friday. “She takes half of her allowance to buy yarn for the beanies and has made 400 over the last week and a half,” Ryder said. Summer-Linn’s closet is currently stocked with new toys she’s collected for the children, and she is on the lookout for more once Black Friday comes around. “This is something I’m wanting to always continue,” she said. “Seeing my friends and family happy is what makes me happy during the holidays; I don’t really care if I get toys.” The community can support Summer-Linn’s mission by buying items on the family’s Amazon wish list for the foster children or donate money to the family by Venmo, Zelle or Cash App. “With a lot of kids, it’s all about ‘me,’ but she will give you the shirt off her back if you need it,” Ryder said. “It’s who she is and I just love it.” Summer-Linn’s main goal is to see everyone around her have just as great a Christmas as she does, and that is something she finds impactful. “The strongest thing in the world is hope,” Summer-Linn said. “Without hope, we cannot love; without love, we can’t understand; and without understanding, we can’t respect.” Summer and her family continue to raise money for the children and hope to have a fun holiday season by giving back to their community and brining families together this Christmas. “When you help other people, they are encouraged to help others, and it just starts to spread love, hope and happiness,” Ryder said. “Just by giving someone one thing, you are making such a big impact.”
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