Apple's latest iPhones get the gift of more AI as holiday shopping season heats up
Influenza Diagnostic Tests Market Poised for Tremendous Growth from 2024 to 2032 12-20-2024 06:17 PM CET | Health & Medicine Press release from: Cognate Insights Influenza Diagnostic Tests Market Latest Market Overview The global influenza diagnostic tests market is projected to reach USD 5.4 billion by 2024, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2% during the forecast period from 2024 to 2032. Influenza diagnostic tests are essential tools in the timely detection of influenza virus infections, which are known to cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly during seasonal outbreaks. The increasing burden of seasonal influenza epidemics, the growing demand for rapid diagnostic solutions, and the ongoing advancements in molecular testing are all driving the growth of the influenza diagnostic tests market. Furthermore, the rising awareness regarding the benefits of early diagnosis for effective management and treatment of influenza contributes significantly to market expansion. The Influenza Diagnostic Tests Market has experienced steady growth in recent years and is expected to continue expanding at a strong pace from 2024 to 2032. This analysis offers a comprehensive overview, providing valuable insights into key trends and developments within the Influenza Diagnostic Tests industry. These findings equip business leaders with the necessary knowledge to devise more effective strategies and enhance profitability. Furthermore, the report serves as a useful resource for new and emerging businesses, helping them make informed decisions as they navigate the market and seek growth opportunities. Major Players of Influenza Diagnostic Tests Market are: Quidel Corporation, San Diego, USA: Revenue USD 1.7 billion (2023). Hologic, Inc., Marlborough, USA: Revenue USD 4.1 billion (2023). Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland: Revenue USD 15.5 billion (2023). Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, USA: Revenue USD 44 billion (2023). Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany: Revenue USD 24 billion (2023). Get Latest PDF Sample Report @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/request-sample/influenza-diagnostic-tests-market-research Our Report covers global as well as regional markets and provides an in-depth analysis of the overall growth prospects of the market. Global market trend analysis including historical data, estimates to 2024, and compound annual growth rate (CAGR) forecast to 2032 is given based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market segments involving economic and non-economic factors. Furthermore, it reveals the comprehensive competitive landscape of the global market, the current and future market prospects of the industry, and the growth opportunities and drivers as well as challenges and constraints in emerging and emerging markets. Global Influenza Diagnostic Tests Market Landscape and Future Pathways: North America: United States Canada Europe: Germany France U.K. Italy Russia Asia-Pacific: China Japan South Korea India Australia China Taiwan Indonesia Thailand Malaysia Latin America: Mexico Brazil Argentina Korea Colombia Middle East & Africa: Turkey Saudi Arabia UAE Korea Speak to Our Analyst for A Discussion on The Above Findings, And Ask for A Discount on The Report @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/check-discount/influenza-diagnostic-tests-market-research Key drivers and challenges influencing the Influenza Diagnostic Tests market: Regional Analysis: The report involves examining the Influenza Diagnostic Tests market at a regional or national level. Report analyses regional factors such as government incentives, infrastructure development, economic conditions, and consumer behaviour to identify variations and opportunities within different markets. Market Projections: Report covers the gathered data and analysis to make future projections and forecasts for the Influenza Diagnostic Tests market. This may include estimating market growth rates, predicting market demand, and identifying emerging trends. Company Analysis: Report covers individual Influenza Diagnostic Tests manufacturers, suppliers, and other relevant industry players. This analysis includes studying their financial performance, market positioning, product portfolios, partnerships, and strategies. Consumer Analysis: Report covers data on consumer behaviour, preferences, and attitudes towards Influenza Diagnostic Tests This may involve surveys, interviews, and analysis of consumer reviews and feedback from different by Application. Technology Analysis: Report covers specific technologies relevant to Influenza Diagnostic Tests. It assesses the current state, advancements, and potential future developments in Influenza Diagnostic Tests areas. Reason to Buy this Report: -Analysis of the impact of technological advancements on the market and the emerging trends shaping the industry in the coming years. -Examination of the regulatory and policy changes affecting the market and the implications of these changes for market participants. -Overview of the competitive landscape in the Influenza Diagnostic Tests market, including profiles of the key players, their market share, and strategies for growth. -Identification of the major challenges facing the market, such as supply chain disruptions, environmental concerns, and changing consumer preferences, and analysis of how these challenges will affect market growth. -Evaluation of the potential of new products and applications in the market, and analysis of the investment opportunities for market participants. For In-Depth Competitive Analysis - Purchase this Report now at @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/purchase-report/influenza-diagnostic-tests-market-research Contact Us: Cognate Insights Web: www.cognateinsights.com Email: info@cognateinsights.com Phone: +91 8424946476 About Us: We are leaders in market analytics, business research, and consulting services for Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, financial & government institutions. Since we understand the criticality of data and insights, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. To be at our client's disposal whenever they need help on market research and consulting services. We also aim to be their business partners when it comes to making critical business decisions around new market entry, M&A, competitive Intelligence and strategy. This release was published on openPR.None
CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released his most recent tax returns to the Tribune this month, with the documents showing he is less wealthy than his predecessors and does not earn outside income. Johnson’s tax returns show his family brought in just over $176,000 in wages for 2023, his first year as mayor of Chicago. His annual salary was $216,210 that year, and he began his term mid-May. After claiming the standard $27,700 deduction for filing jointly with his wife Stacie and a $6,000 child tax credit, records show Johnson paid $17,302 in federal taxes, an effective tax rate of 11.65%. Johnson didn’t claim any other income from investments, retirement fund distributions or capital gains in 2023. He separately paid just under $8,000 in state income taxes, after taking a $140 tax credit for the property taxes he paid on his Austin home. 2023 was the highest reported wage Johnson earned since 2019. Household income for the Johnson family will go up for next year’s return, since his 2024 wage as mayor of Chicago climbed to just over $221,000. The Tribune annually requests the Chicago mayor’s tax returns, a longstanding tradition in U.S. politics when it comes to major public offices. Politicians are not mandated to disclose their income tax forms, but many do so to demonstrate transparency about potential conflicts — a particular importance to many voters in Illinois, where generations of politicians have enriched themselves through their government roles. Johnson, who grew up in suburban Elgin and famously touts being a West Sider, has often drawn from his humble upbringing when pitching himself as a firebrand progressive seeking to enact a host of “tax the rich” proposals. During the 2023 campaign, he fought back against criticism over his unpaid water bills to the city by saying his debt indicates he understands the plight of struggling Chicagoans, although by then he was employed as a county commissioner and Chicago Teachers Union organizer. Still, Johnson’s tax forms show his income history is more modest than that of his predecessors, Lori Lightfoot and Rahm Emanuel, while they were in office. Lightfoot, who grew up in the working-class town of Massillon, Ohio, reported making $402,414 in adjusted gross income in 2021, the most recent year the Tribune requested her returns. She reported taking out $210,000 in early distributions from retirement accounts that year to supplement her mayoral salary. While working as a partner at the law firm Mayer Brown before becoming mayor, Lightfoot reported an average adjusted gross income of $971,626 from 2014 through 2017. Emanuel reported making $554,000 while mayor in 2017 , including $353,000 from interest, dividends and capital gains from investments. Johnson did not provide his full 2022 return, which the Tribune has also requested, but his latest filing and other returns dating back to 2018 that his campaign provided to the Tribune during the mayoral race show the family reported about $161,782 in 2022, $161,000 in 2021, and $160,000 in 2020. Between 2018 and 2022, Johnson worked two jobs as a county commissioner earning $85,000 annually, and a separate income for the Chicago Teachers Union. His pay at the union varied year to year. His highest gross salary before becoming mayor was in 2019, when he earned about $94,000 in addition to his county salary, according to CTU’s federal disclosures. Between 2018 and 2021, Johnson also reported income for his work as a “media personality.” He reported $1,350 in gross income for that side business in 2021, while wife Stacie reported just under $2,000 in income for work as a doula. Johnson was not paid for his show on radio station WCPT AM-820, but was compensated when filling in for other hosts, his campaign previously told the Tribune. As a candidate when running for mayor in 2023, Johnson released four years of tax returns to the Tribune, with the most recent year’s reported income being 2021. Johnson previously reported $108,019 in adjusted gross income for 2018 when he was a regional organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union. In 2019, Johnson reported $171,300 in gross adjusted income. He listed his occupation as regional organizer, though he also was serving his first full year on the county board. For 2020, Johnson reported $160,217 in gross adjusted income. Johnson also reported $2,530 in income as a “media personality.” The next year, Johnson reported $161,371 in gross adjusted income. He also reported $1,350 as a “media personality” but claimed $1,450 in expenses and reported a $100 loss. His wife also reported making $1,941 as a doula that year. Johnson’s most recent city economic disclosure statement reported no financial conflicts in 2023. The NAACP National Convention will hold its 117th annual gathering in Chicago in July 2026. NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and other officials made the announcement on Sunday, Aug. 18, on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
NEW YORK : The Nasdaq Composite Index hit 20,000 for the first time on Wednesday, putting an exclamation point on a year in which excitement over artificial intelligence and expectations of falling interest rates fueled a searing rally in technology stocks. The tech-heavy index is up more than 33 per cent on the year, driven by a cluster of giant technology-focused companies including Apple, Nvidia, Google-parent Alphabet and in recent weeks, electric carmaker Tesla. Wednesday’s gains came after a U.S. inflation report that cemented expectations of a Fed rate cut next week. The index closed on Wednesday at 20,034.89, up 1.8 per cent on the day. While the rally has rewarded investors who went big on growth and tech, it has also stirred unease over rising valuations and the dominance of megacap stocks, which now have an increasingly heavier weighting in the index. "There is clearly an aspect of a chase into year-end, where the winners ... keep winning," said Cameron Dawson, chief investment officer at NewEdge Wealth. "The question is if this momentum can persist into 2025, where stretched valuations, positioning, sentiment, and growth expectations could all present high bars to jump over to keep above-average returns going." After plummeting in early 2020 when the pandemic brought global economic activity to a standstill, the index mounted a swift rebound as the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to near-zero and the U.S. unleashed waves of fiscal stimulus to help the economy. It endured a sharp drop in 2022, falling 33 per cent as inflation surged to 40-year highs and the Fed was forced to deliver a series of jumbo rate cuts. But higher rates did not bring on a widely-expected recession, and the index has soared by about 90 per cent since then, stoked in part by increasing excitement over the business potential of AI. Shares of Nvidia, whose chips are considered the industry's gold standard, are up more than 1,100 per cent from their October 2022 low. “The AI story still rings true and appeals to investors,” said Alex Morris, chief investment officer of F/m Investments. “These are the go-go stocks." While the Nasdaq's valuation has climbed, it is still far from levels it reached during the dot-com bubble more than two decades ago. The index trades at roughly 36 times earnings today, a three-year high and well above its long-term average of 27, according to LSEG Datastream. That is still well below the roughly 70 times the index's P/E ratio reached in March 2000, bringing a measure of comfort to investors comparing the two periods. "The Nasdaq Comp’s latest rally pales in comparison to the late 90s/early 2000 experience, rising more gradually and does not yet look unsustainable as a result," Jessica Rabe, co-founder of DataTrek Research, said in a note on Wednesday. Megacap stocks increasingly dominate the index. The top 10 companies by market value account for 59 per cent of the Nasdaq, compared to 45 per cent in 2020. The three biggest companies by weight are Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia, which account for 11.7 per cent, 10.6 per cent and 10.3 per cent of the index respectively. While their surging share prices have buoyed the Nasdaq, the heavy concentration could present a problem for investors should Big Tech fall out of favor. The selloff in 2022, for instance, saw shares of index heavyweights Meta and Tesla fall 64 per cent and 65 per cent for the year respectively. The Nasdaq has topped the other major U.S. stock indexes this year, propelled by big gains in heavily weighted names such as Nvidia, Amazon and Meta Platforms. The tech-heavy index's 33 per cent climb in 2024 compares with over 27 per cent for the S&P 500 and 17 per cent for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Over the past decade, the Nasdaq has gained more than 320 per cent, against a 200 per cent rise for the S&P 500 and a 150 per cent increase for the Dow.
Qualcomm Statement on Trial Verdict WinSurface Protection Service Market to Observe Prominent CAGR of 9% by 2031, Size, Share, Trends, Demand, Growth, Challenges and Competitive Outlook
FORESTVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A major storm moving through Northern California on Thursday toppled trees and dropped heavy snow and record rain after damaging homes, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands in the Pacific Northwest. Forecasters warned that the risk of flash flooding and rockslides would continue, and scores of flights were canceled at San Francisco's airport. In Washington, more than 320,000 people — most of them in the Seattle area — were still without power as crews worked to clear streets of electrical lines, fallen branches and debris. Utility officials said the outages, which began Tuesday, could last into Saturday. Meanwhile on the East Coast, where rare wildfires have raged, New York and New Jersey welcomed much-needed rain that could ease the fire danger for the rest of the year. The National Weather Service extended a flood watch into Saturday for areas north of San Francisco as the region was inundated by the strongest atmospheric river — a long plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows through the sky over land — this season. The system roared ashore Tuesday as a “bomb cyclone,” unleashing fierce winds . Communities in Washington opened warming centers offering free internet and device charging. A number of medical clinics closed because of power outages. “I’ve been here since the mid-’80s. I haven’t seen anything like this,” said Trish Bloor, who serves on the city of Issaquah’s Human Resources Commission, as she surveyed damaged homes. Up to 16 inches (about 41 centimeters) of rain was forecast in southwestern Oregon and California's northern counties through Friday. The Sonoma County Airport, in the wine country north of San Francisco, received 6.92 inches (17.5 centimeters) Wednesday, breaking a record dating to 1998. In nearby Forestville, one person was hurt when a tree fell on a house. Small landslides were reported across the North Bay region, including one on State Route 281 on Wednesday that caused a car crash, according to Marc Chenard, a weather service meteorologist. Rain slowed somewhat, but “persistent heavy rain will enter the picture again by Friday morning,” the weather service's San Francisco office said on the social platform X. “We are not done!” Dangerous flash flooding, rockslides and debris flows were possible, especially where hillsides were loosened by recent wildfires, officials warned. Scott Rowe, a hydrologist with the weather service in Sacramento, said that so far the ground has been able to absorb the rain in California's Butte and Tehama counties, where the Park Fire burned over the summer. “It’s not necessarily how much rain falls; it’s how fast the rain falls,” Rowe said. Northern Mendocino and southern Humboldt counties received between 4 and 8 inches (10 and 20 centimeters) of rain in the last 48 hours, and similar amounts were expected over the next 48 hours, forecasters said. Wind gusts could top 50 mph (80 kph). The storm system, which first hit the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday, reached the status of “ bomb cyclone ,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly. A winter storm watch was in place for the northern Sierra Nevada above 3,500 feet (1,066 meters), with 15 inches (38 centimeters) of snow possible over two days. Wind gusts could top 75 mph (121 kph) in mountain areas, forecasters said. Sugar Bowl Resort, north of Lake Tahoe near Donner Summit, picked up a foot (30 centimeters) of snow overnight, marketing manager Maggie Eshbaugh said Thursday. She said the resort will welcome skiers and boarders on Friday, the earliest opening date in 20 years. “And then we’re going to get another whopping of another foot or so on Saturday, so this is fantastic,” she said. Another popular resort, Palisades Tahoe, is also opening Friday, five days ahead of schedule, according to its website. The storm already dumped more than a foot of snow along the Cascades in Oregon by Wednesday night, according to the weather service. Forecasters warned of blizzard and whiteout conditions and nearly impossible travel at pass level. Falling trees struck homes and littered roads across western Washington, killing at least two people. A woman in Lynnwood was killed when a large tree fell on a homeless encampment, and another in Bellevue died when a tree fell on a home. More than a dozen schools closed in the Seattle area Wednesday, and some opted to extend the closures through Thursday. In Enumclaw, east of Seattle, residents were cleaning up after their town clocked the highest winds in the state Tuesday night: 74 mph (119 kph). Resident Sophie Keene said the powerful gusts caused transformers to blow out around town. “Things were exploding, like, everywhere,” Keene told the Seattle Times. “Like the transformers over by the park. One blew big, it looked like fireworks just going off.” Ben Gibbard, lead singer of the indie rock bands Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service, drove from his Seattle neighborhood Thursday morning to the woods of Tiger Mountain for his regular weekday run, but there were too many trees blocking the trail. “We didn’t get hit that hard in the city,” he said. “I just didn’t assume it would be this kind of situation out here. Obviously you feel the most for people who had their homes partially destroyed by this.” In California, there were reports of more than 20,000 power outages on Thursday. Only 50 vehicles per hour were allowed through part of northbound Interstate 5 from 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Redding to 21 miles (34 kilometers) south of Yreka due to snow, according to California's Department of Transportation. Transportation officials also shut down a two-mile (3.2 kilometer) stretch of the famed Avenue of the Giants, a scenic drive named for its towering coast redwoods, due to flooding. About 150 flights were delayed and another two dozen were canceled early Thursday at San Francisco International Airport after hundreds of delays and dozens of cancelations the previous day, according to tracking service FlightAware. Parched areas of the Northeast got a much-needed shot of precipitation Thursday, providing a bit of respite in a region plagued by wildfires and dwindling water supplies. More than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain was expected by Saturday morning in areas north of New York City, with snow mixed in at higher elevations. “Any rainfall is going to be significant at this point,” said Brian Ciemnecki, a weather service meteorologist in New York City, where the first drought warning in 22 years was issued this week. “Is it going to break the drought? No, we’re going to need more rain than that.” Har reported from San Francisco, and Weber from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Hallie Golden and Gene Johnson in Seattle; Martha Bellisle in Issaquah, Washington; Sarah Brumfield in Washington, D.C.; and Michael Hill in Albany, New York, contributed.
Measles case confirmed by SWPHHealthcare Laboratory Informatics Market Set for Exceptional Growth in the Forecast 2024-2032 12-20-2024 06:14 PM CET | Health & Medicine Press release from: Cognate Insights Healthcare Laboratory Informatics Market Latest Market Overview The global healthcare laboratory informatics market is projected to reach USD 5.7 billion by 2024, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5% from 2024 to 2032. This growth is primarily driven by the increasing adoption of laboratory information management systems (LIMS), laboratory data management systems (LDMS), and electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs). The need for enhanced data management, regulatory compliance, and the integration of laboratory data with clinical and hospital systems is leading healthcare organizations to invest heavily in laboratory informatics solutions. Additionally, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based platforms are further contributing to market expansion, improving operational efficiency, reducing human errors, and supporting decision-making in healthcare settings. The Healthcare Laboratory Informatics Market has experienced steady growth in recent years and is expected to continue expanding at a strong pace from 2024 to 2032. This analysis offers a comprehensive overview, providing valuable insights into key trends and developments within the Healthcare Laboratory Informatics industry. These findings equip business leaders with the necessary knowledge to devise more effective strategies and enhance profitability. Furthermore, the report serves as a useful resource for new and emerging businesses, helping them make informed decisions as they navigate the market and seek growth opportunities. Major Players of Healthcare Laboratory Informatics Market are: Thermo Fisher Scientific (USA): USD 43.52 billion in revenue (2023). LabWare (USA): Leading in LIMS market solutions with a strong global footprint. PerkinElmer (USA): USD 3.5 billion in revenue (2023). Agilent Technologies (USA): Renowned for informatics platforms, USD 6.85 billion in revenue (2023). LabVantage Solutions (USA): Prominent in customized laboratory informatics solutions. Get Latest PDF Sample Report @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/request-sample/healthcare-laboratory-informatics-market-research Our Report covers global as well as regional markets and provides an in-depth analysis of the overall growth prospects of the market. Global market trend analysis including historical data, estimates to 2024, and compound annual growth rate (CAGR) forecast to 2032 is given based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market segments involving economic and non-economic factors. Furthermore, it reveals the comprehensive competitive landscape of the global market, the current and future market prospects of the industry, and the growth opportunities and drivers as well as challenges and constraints in emerging and emerging markets. Global Healthcare Laboratory Informatics Market Landscape and Future Pathways: North America: United States Canada Europe: Germany France U.K. Italy Russia Asia-Pacific: China Japan South Korea India Australia China Taiwan Indonesia Thailand Malaysia Latin America: Mexico Brazil Argentina Korea Colombia Middle East & Africa: Turkey Saudi Arabia UAE Korea Speak to Our Analyst for A Discussion on The Above Findings, And Ask for A Discount on The Report @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/check-discount/healthcare-laboratory-informatics-market-research Key drivers and challenges influencing the Healthcare Laboratory Informatics market: Regional Analysis: The report involves examining the Healthcare Laboratory Informatics market at a regional or national level. Report analyses regional factors such as government incentives, infrastructure development, economic conditions, and consumer behaviour to identify variations and opportunities within different markets. Market Projections: Report covers the gathered data and analysis to make future projections and forecasts for the Healthcare Laboratory Informatics market. This may include estimating market growth rates, predicting market demand, and identifying emerging trends. Company Analysis: Report covers individual Healthcare Laboratory Informatics manufacturers, suppliers, and other relevant industry players. This analysis includes studying their financial performance, market positioning, product portfolios, partnerships, and strategies. Consumer Analysis: Report covers data on consumer behaviour, preferences, and attitudes towards Healthcare Laboratory Informatics This may involve surveys, interviews, and analysis of consumer reviews and feedback from different by Application. Technology Analysis: Report covers specific technologies relevant to Healthcare Laboratory Informatics. It assesses the current state, advancements, and potential future developments in Healthcare Laboratory Informatics areas. Reason to Buy this Report: -Analysis of the impact of technological advancements on the market and the emerging trends shaping the industry in the coming years. -Examination of the regulatory and policy changes affecting the market and the implications of these changes for market participants. -Overview of the competitive landscape in the Healthcare Laboratory Informatics market, including profiles of the key players, their market share, and strategies for growth. -Identification of the major challenges facing the market, such as supply chain disruptions, environmental concerns, and changing consumer preferences, and analysis of how these challenges will affect market growth. -Evaluation of the potential of new products and applications in the market, and analysis of the investment opportunities for market participants. For In-Depth Competitive Analysis - Purchase this Report now at @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/purchase-report/healthcare-laboratory-informatics-market-research Contact Us: Cognate Insights Web: www.cognateinsights.com Email: info@cognateinsights.com Phone: +91 8424946476 About Us: We are leaders in market analytics, business research, and consulting services for Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, financial & government institutions. Since we understand the criticality of data and insights, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. To be at our client's disposal whenever they need help on market research and consulting services. We also aim to be their business partners when it comes to making critical business decisions around new market entry, M&A, competitive Intelligence and strategy. This release was published on openPR.Kansas 61, Auburn 60
NEW YORK : The Nasdaq Composite Index hit 20,000 for the first time on Wednesday, putting an exclamation point on a year in which excitement over artificial intelligence and expectations of falling interest rates fueled a searing rally in technology stocks. The tech-heavy index is up more than 33 per cent on the year, driven by a cluster of giant technology-focused companies including Apple, Nvidia, Google-parent Alphabet and in recent weeks, electric carmaker Tesla. Wednesday’s gains came after a U.S. inflation report that cemented expectations of a Fed rate cut next week. The index closed on Wednesday at 20,034.89, up 1.8 per cent on the day. While the rally has rewarded investors who went big on growth and tech, it has also stirred unease over rising valuations and the dominance of megacap stocks, which now have an increasingly heavier weighting in the index. "There is clearly an aspect of a chase into year-end, where the winners ... keep winning," said Cameron Dawson, chief investment officer at NewEdge Wealth. "The question is if this momentum can persist into 2025, where stretched valuations, positioning, sentiment, and growth expectations could all present high bars to jump over to keep above-average returns going." After plummeting in early 2020 when the pandemic brought global economic activity to a standstill, the index mounted a swift rebound as the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to near-zero and the U.S. unleashed waves of fiscal stimulus to help the economy. It endured a sharp drop in 2022, falling 33 per cent as inflation surged to 40-year highs and the Fed was forced to deliver a series of jumbo rate cuts. But higher rates did not bring on a widely-expected recession, and the index has soared by about 90 per cent since then, stoked in part by increasing excitement over the business potential of AI. Shares of Nvidia, whose chips are considered the industry's gold standard, are up more than 1,100 per cent from their October 2022 low. “The AI story still rings true and appeals to investors,” said Alex Morris, chief investment officer of F/m Investments. “These are the go-go stocks." While the Nasdaq's valuation has climbed, it is still far from levels it reached during the dot-com bubble more than two decades ago. The index trades at roughly 36 times earnings today, a three-year high and well above its long-term average of 27, according to LSEG Datastream. That is still well below the roughly 70 times the index's P/E ratio reached in March 2000, bringing a measure of comfort to investors comparing the two periods. "The Nasdaq Comp’s latest rally pales in comparison to the late 90s/early 2000 experience, rising more gradually and does not yet look unsustainable as a result," Jessica Rabe, co-founder of DataTrek Research, said in a note on Wednesday. Megacap stocks increasingly dominate the index. The top 10 companies by market value account for 59 per cent of the Nasdaq, compared to 45 per cent in 2020. The three biggest companies by weight are Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia, which account for 11.7 per cent, 10.6 per cent and 10.3 per cent of the index respectively. While their surging share prices have buoyed the Nasdaq, the heavy concentration could present a problem for investors should Big Tech fall out of favor. The selloff in 2022, for instance, saw shares of index heavyweights Meta and Tesla fall 64 per cent and 65 per cent for the year respectively. The Nasdaq has topped the other major U.S. stock indexes this year, propelled by big gains in heavily weighted names such as Nvidia, Amazon and Meta Platforms. The tech-heavy index's 33 per cent climb in 2024 compares with over 27 per cent for the S&P 500 and 17 per cent for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Over the past decade, the Nasdaq has gained more than 320 per cent, against a 200 per cent rise for the S&P 500 and a 150 per cent increase for the Dow.WASHINGTON — Only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter after earlier promising he would do no such thing, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That displeasure tracks with the bipartisan uproar in Washington that ignited over the president's about-face. The survey found that a relatively small share of Americans "strongly" or "somewhat" approve of the pardon, which came after the younger Biden was convicted on gun and tax charges. About half said they "strongly" or "somewhat" disapprove, and about 2 in 10 neither approve nor disapprove. The Democratic president said repeatedly that he would not use his pardon power for the benefit of his family, and the White House continued to insist, even after Republican Donald Trump's election win in November, that Biden's position had not changed — until it suddenly did. Hunter Biden leaves federal court Sept. 5 in Los Angeles after pleading guilty to federal tax charges. "I know it's not right to believe politicians as far as what they say compared to what they do, but he did explicitly say, 'I will not pardon my son,'" said Peter Prestia, a 59-year-old Republican from Woodland Park, New Jersey, just west of New York City, who said he strongly disagreed with the move. "So, it's just the fact that he went back on his word." In issuing a pardon Dec. 1, Biden argued that the Justice Department had presided over a "miscarriage of justice" in prosecuting his son. The president used some of the same kind of language that Trump does to describe the criminal cases against him and his other legal predicaments. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was a decision that Biden struggled with but came to shortly before he made the announcement, "because of how politically infected these cases were" as well as "what his political opponents were trying to do." The poll found that about 4 in 10 Democrats approve of the pardon, while about 3 in 10 disapprove and about one-quarter did not have an opinion or did not know enough to say. The vast majority of Republicans and about half of independents had a negative opinion. President Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden walk Nov. 29 in downtown Nantucket Mass. For some, it was easy to see family taking priority over politics. "Do you have kids?" asked Robert Jenkins, a 63-year-old Democrat who runs a lumber yard and gas station in Gallipolis, Ohio. "You're gonna leave office and not pardon your kid? I mean, it's a no-brainer to me." But Prestia, who is semiretired from working for a digital marketing conglomerate, said Biden would have been better off not making promises. "He does have that right to pardon anybody he wants. But he just should have kept his mouth shut, and he did it because it was before the election, so it's just a bold-faced lie," Prestia said. Despite the unpopularity of his decision, the president's approval rating has not shifted meaningfully since before his party lost the White House to Trump. About 4 in 10 Americans "somewhat" or "strongly" approve of the way Biden is handling his job as president, which is about where his approval rating stood in AP-NORC polls since January 2022. Still, the pardon keeps creating political shock waves, with Republicans, and even some top Democrats, decrying it. Older adults are more likely than younger ones to approve of Biden's pardoning his son, according to the poll, though their support is not especially strong. About one-third of those ages 60 and older approve, compared with about 2 in 10 adults under 60. The age divide is driven partially by the fact that younger adults are more likely than older ones to say they neither approve nor disapprove of the pardon or that they do not know enough to say. President Joe Biden walks with his son Hunter Biden on July 26 as he heads toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. About 6 in 10 white adults disapprove of the pardon, compared with slightly less than half of Hispanic adults and about 3 in 10 Black adults. Relatively large shares of Black and Hispanic Americans — about 3 in 10 — were neutral, the poll found. "Don't say you're gonna do something and then fall back," said Trinell Champ, 43, a Democrat from Nederland, Texas, who works in the home health industry and said she disapproved of the pardon. "At the end of the day, all you have is your word." Champ, who is Black, voted for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump. "I just had my hopes up for her, but I wasn't 100% positive," she said. Champ also said she does not approve of Biden's handling of the presidency and thinks the country is on the wrong track. "While he was in office, I felt like I really didn't see a lot of changes," she said. "I just felt like everything just kind of stayed the same," Champ said. Overall, though, the pardon did not appear to be a driving factor in many Americans' assessment of Biden's job performance. The share of Black Americans who approve of the way he is handling his job as president did fall slightly since October, but it is hard to assess what role the pardon may have played. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) carries both of his sons, Joseph R. III, left, and Robert H., during an appearance at the Democratic state convention last summer, 1972. At center is his wife Neilia Biden, who was killed in an auto crash, Dec. 20, 1972. With them are Governor-elect Sherman W. Tribbitt and his wife, Jeanne. (AP Photo) Joseph Biden, the newly-elected Democratic Senator from Delaware, is shown in Washington, Dec. 12, 1972. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin) 1972 - Is first elected to the Senate at age 29, defeating Republican Senator J. Caleb Boggs. Wins re-election in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996 and 2002. The newly-elected Democratic senator from Delaware, Joe Biden, is shown, Dec. 13, 1972. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) kisses the cheek of an unidentified friend who offered consoling words after a memorial service in Wilmington, Del., Dec. 22, 1972, for Biden's wife Neilia, their 13-month-old daughter Naomi Christina, who perished in a car-truck crash. Biden's two sons were hospitalized with serious injuries. (AP Photo/Bill Ingraham) December 18, 1972 - While Christmas shopping, Biden's first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, and daughter, Naomi Biden, are killed in a car accident. His sons are badly injured, but survive. January 5, 1973 - Is sworn in as US senator of Delaware at son Beau Biden's bedside in the hospital. In this Jan. 5, 1973 file photo, four-year-old Beau Biden, foreground, plays near his father, Joe Biden, center, being sworn in as the U.S. senator from Delaware, by Senate Secretary Frank Valeo, left, in ceremonies in a Wilmington hospital. Beau was injured in an accident that killed his mother and sister in December 1972. Biden's father, Robert Hunter, holds the Bible. (AP Photo/File) 1987-1995 - Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, rubs his temples while speaking during confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Robert H. Bork, Sept. 17, 1987, on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/John Duricka) June 9, 1987 - Enters the 1988 presidential race, but drops out three months later following reports of plagiarism and false claims about his academic record. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) waves from his train as he leaves Wilmington, Del., after announcing his candidacy for president, June 9, 1987. At right, son Beau carries daughter; to Biden's right is his wife Jill and son Hunter. (AP Photo/George Widman) February 1988 - Undergoes surgery to repair an aneurysm in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), wearing a University of Delaware baseball cap, leaves Walter Reed Army Hospital accompanied by his son Hunter Biden, Thursday, March 24, 1988, Washington, D.C. Biden had been in the hospital for 11 days so that surgeons could implant a small umbrella-like filter in a vein to prevent blood clots from reaching his lungs. (AP Photo/Adele Starr) In this Oct. 12, 1991 file photo Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Biden, D-Del., points angrily at Clarence Thomas during comments at the end of hearings on Thomas' nomination to the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. looks on at right. (AP Photo/Greg Gibson, File) January 20, 1990 - Introduces a bill that becomes the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The act addresses sexual assault and domestic violence. It is signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), left, stands behind a flag as Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), second from right, along with other congresswomen meet reporters on Capitol Hill, Feb. 24, 1993, to discuss the Violence Against Women Act. From left are: Sen. Biden; Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.); Rep. Pat Schroeder (D-Colo); Sen. Boxer; and Rep. Constance Morella of Maryland. (AP Photo/Barry Thumma) In this April 9, 1993, file photo Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. stands in front of a Danish armored personnel carrier at the UN-controlled Sarajevo Airport, making a statement about his trip to the besieged Bosnian capital. (AP Photo/Michael Stravato, File) Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, meets reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003 to discuss the United Nations-Iraq vote. (AP Photo/Terry Ashe) Democratic presidential hopeful, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., presides over a hearing of the committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007 to discuss the remaining options in Iraq. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook) Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden D-Del., smiles during the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Presidential Forum Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007, in Waterloo, Iowa. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green) January 31, 2007 - Files a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission to run for president. August 1, 2007 - His memoir, "Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics," is published. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., left, listens as Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., responds to a question during the first Democratic presidential primary debate of the 2008 election hosted by the South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC., Thursday, April 26, 2007. At right is Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., speaks at a Caucus night rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. Biden abandoned his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday after a poor showing in the state's caucuses. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) In this Jan. 3, 2008, file photo, Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., rests his head on the shoulder of his wife, Jill, as they stand in a hallway awaiting his introductions for a rally at the UAW Hall in Dubuque, Iowa on the day of the Iowa caucus in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP Photo/Mark Hirsch, File) August 23, 2008 - Is named the vice-presidential running mate of Barack Obama. In this Aug. 23, 2008 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., and his vice presidential running mate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., appear together in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, file) In this Sept. 16, 2008 file photo, then Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. arrives by Amtrak in Wilmington, Del., (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) In this Oct. 2,2008 file photo, Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., left, and Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin face off during the vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam, File) November 4, 2008 - Is elected vice president of the United States. President-elect Barack Obama, left, and Vice President-elect Joe Biden wave to the crowd after Obama's acceptance speech at his election night party at Grant Park in Chicago before giving his acceptance speech Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) January 20, 2009 - Is sworn in as vice president of the United States. Vice President Joe Biden, left, with his wife Jill at his side, taking the oath of office from Justice John Paul Stevens at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) February 7, 2009 - Delivers his first major speech as vice president at a security conference in Germany. US Vice President Joe Biden addresses the participants of the International Conference on Security Policy, Sicherheitskonferenz, at the hotel "Bayerischer Hof" in Munich, southern Germany, on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. September 1, 2010 - Presides over a ceremony in Iraq to formally mark the end of the US combat mission in Iraq. US Vice President Joe Biden, left, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, center, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen, right, stand while the US National Anthem is played during the United States Forces-Iraq change of command ceremony in Baghdad on Wednesday Sept. 1, 2010, as a new US military mission in Iraq was launched ending seven years of combat. (AP Photo/Jim Watson Pool) November 6, 2012 - Obama and Biden are reelected, defeating Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. Vice President Joe Biden exits with his wife Jill Biden after voting at Alexis I. duPont High School, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Greenville, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Vice President Joe Biden, with his wife Jill Biden, center, holding the Biden Family Bible, shakes hands with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor after taking the oath of office during an official ceremony at the Naval Observatory, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) October 2, 2014 - Speaking at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Biden tells attendees that ISIS has been inadvertently strengthened by actions taken by Turkey, the UAE and other Middle Eastern allies to help opposition groups fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In this Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014 file photo, Vice President Joe Biden speaks to students, faculty and staff at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Biden is due to headline a Democratic campaign rally in Las Vegas, with a downtown appearance Monday, Oct. 6, 2014, to talk about raising the minimum wage. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson,File) May 30, 2015 - Biden's eldest son, Beau Biden, passes away from brain cancer at age 46. In this June 6, 2015 file photo, Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied by his family, holds his hand over his heart as he watches an honor guard carry a casket containing the remains of his son, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, into St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del. for funeral services. Beau Biden died of brain cancer May 30 at age 46. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) October 21, 2015 - Says he will not seek the presidency, announcing that the window for a successful campaign "has closed." December 6, 2016 - Doesn't rule out running for president in 2020, saying "I'm not committing not to run. I'm not committing to anything. I learned a long time ago fate has a strange way of intervening." President Barack Obama hugs Vice President Joe Biden as Biden waves at the end Biden's announcement in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, that he will not run for the presidential nomination. Jill Biden is at right. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Vice President Joe Biden pauses between mock swearing in ceremonies in the Old Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, as the 115th Congress begins. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) January 12, 2017 - Obama surprises Biden by presenting him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, during a White House ceremony. President Barack Obama presents Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) February 1, 2017 - Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, launch the Biden Foundation, an organization that will work on seven issues: foreign policy; Biden's cancer initiative; community colleges and military families; protecting children; equality; ending violence against women; and strengthening the middle class. February 7, 2017 - Is named the Benjamin Franklin presidential practice professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he will lead the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. He will also serve as the founding chair of the University of Delaware's Biden Institute, the university announces. March 1, 2017 - Biden receives the Congressional Patriot Award from the Bipartisan Policy Center. He receives the honor in recognition of his work crafting bipartisan legislation with Republicans and Democrats. Former Vice President Joe Biden tucks notes into his jacket after speaking at an event to formally launch the Biden Institute, a research and policy center focused on domestic issues at the University of Delaware, in Newark, Del., Monday, March 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) In this March 26, 2019, file photo, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Biden Courage Awards in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) April 25, 2019 - Announces he is running for president in a campaign video posted to social media. Hours later, the Biden Foundation board chair, Ted Kaufman, announces the immediate suspension of all the organization's operations. Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden arrives at the Wilmington train station Thursday April 25, 2019 in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden announced his candidacy for president via video on Thursday morning. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) In this June 6, 2019, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the "I Will Vote" fundraising gala in Atlanta. Biden shifted to oppose longstanding restrictions on federal funding of abortion during his remarks. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden signs a copy of his book "Promise Me, Dad" at a campaign rally at Modern Woodmen Park, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, in Davenport, Iowa. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary night election rally in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 after winning the South Carolina primary. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary night election rally in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, after winning the South Carolina primary. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary election night campaign rally Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) August 20, 2020: Joe Biden accepts the Democratic nomination for president Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, with Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., raise their arms up as fireworks go off in the background during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del. Looking on are Jill Biden, far left, and Harris' husband Doug Emhoff, far right. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, with moderator Chris Wallace, center, of Fox News during the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, and former President Barack Obama greet each other with an air elbow bump, at the conclusion of rally at Northwestern High School in Flint, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden arrives to speak at a rally at Belle Isle Casino in Detroit, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, which former President Barack Obama also attended. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President-elect Joe Biden gestures on stage after speaking, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, file photo, from left, Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Harris, President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, stand on stage together, in Wilmington, Del. The theme for Biden’s inauguration will be “America United." Unity is an issue that’s long been a central focus for Biden but one that’s taken on added weight in the wake of the violence at the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool, File) President-elect Joe Biden announces his climate and energy team nominees and appointees at The Queen Theater in Wilmington Del., Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President Joe Biden speaks about his domestic agenda from the East Room of the White House in Washington on Oct. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) U.S. President Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with Pope Francis as they meet at the Vatican on Oct. 29, 2021. (Vatican Media via AP) President Joe Biden removes his face mask as he arrives in the East Room of the White House to speak about the evacuation of American citizens, their families, special immigrant visa applicants and vulnerable Afghans on Aug. 20, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Cherelle Griner, wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, speaks after President Joe Biden announced Brittney Griner's release in a prisoner swap with Russia on Dec. 8, 2022, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Also attending are Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris. President Joe Biden holds the microphone to Chocolate, the national Thanksgiving turkey, during a pardoning ceremony Nov. 21, 2022, at the White House in Washington. President Joe Biden holds an Atlanta Braves jersey during an event celebrating the Major League Baseball 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves in the East Room of the White House on Sept. 26, 2022, in Washington. President Joe Biden receives his COVID-19 booster from a member of the White House medical unit during an event in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus on Oct. 25, 2022, in Washington. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive to give treats to trick-or-treaters on the South Lawn of the White House, on Halloween on Oct. 31, 2022, in Washington. U.S. President Joe Biden, left, talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo during their bilateral meeting ahead of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 14, 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting Nov. 14, 2022, in Bali, Indonesia. President Joe Biden is greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport on Oct. 18, 2023, in Tel Aviv. President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 19, 2023, in Washington, about the war in Israel and Ukraine. President Joe Biden arrives to speak at the Amtrak Bear Maintenance Facility on Nov. 6, 2023, in Bear, Del. President Joe Biden, accompanied by Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young, left, and Women's Alzheimer's Movement founder Maria Shriver, right, gives first lady Jill Biden a kiss after giving her the pen he used to sign a presidential memorandum that will establish the first-ever White House Initiative on Women's Health Research in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 13, 2023, in Washington. President Joe Biden pauses as he speaks to reporters in Nantucket, Mass. on Nov. 26, 2023, about hostages freed by Hamas in a third set of releases under a four-day cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House on Dec. 12, 2023, in Washington. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy depart a news conference in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus on Dec. 12, 2023, in Washington. President Joe Biden speaks during a funeral service for retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at the Washington National Cathedral on Dec. 19, 2023, in Washington. O'Connor, an Arizona native and the first woman to serve on the nation's highest court, died Dec. 1, 2023, at age 93. President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks on the economy on June 28, 2023, at the Old Post Office in Chicago. President Joe Biden, right, stands as an Army carry team moves the transfer case containing the remains of U.S. Army Sgt. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Ga., at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on Feb. 2, 2024. Sanders was killed in a drone attack in Jordan on Jan. 28, 2024. President Joe Biden speaks during the State of the Union address on Capitol Hill on March 7, 2024, in Washington, as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson listen. Vice President Kamala Harris embraces President Joe Biden after a speech on health care in Raleigh, N.C., on March. 26, 2024. President Joe Biden greets Zion Schrode, 8 months, of Marin County, Calif., as he is held by his mother Erin Schrode during a Jewish American Heritage Month event, on May 20, 2024, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, left, and CEO Clark Hunt, right, watch as President Joe Biden, center, puts on a Chiefs helmet during an event with the Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs on the South Lawn of the White House, on May 31, 2024, to celebrate their championship season and victory in Super Bowl LVIII. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk in the Normandy American Cemetery following a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, on June 6, 2024, in Normandy. U.S. President Joe Biden, right, greets Pope Francis ahead of a working session on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Energy, Africa-Mediterranean, on day two of the 50th G7 summit at Borgo Egnazia, southern Italy, on June 14, 2024. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event with former President Barack Obama moderated by Jimmy Kimmel at the Peacock Theater on June 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. President Joe Biden, right, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, participate in a presidential debate hosted by CNN on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. First lady Jill Biden, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff view the Independence Day firework display over the National Mall from the balcony of the White House, on July 4, 2024, in Washington. President Joe Biden, right, and the Rev. Dr. J. Louis Felton pray at a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ on July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia. President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on July 14, 2024, about the assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden pauses as he speaks at the Biden campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del., on Feb. 3, 2024. President Joe Biden walks on stage to speak during the NAACP national convention July 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. President Joe Biden walks between tombstones as he arrives to attend a mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del., on July 6, 2024. The poll of 1,251 adults was conducted Dec. 5-9, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.David Bonderman, co-founder of private equity firm TPG and co-owner of Seattle Kraken, dies at 82
Is Reviving Keystone XL More Than Just A Pipe Dream?Game-changing holiday gifts for building fires, printing photos, watching birds and moreEDMONTON - The Alberta government has announced plans to ban new mountaintop removal and open-pit coal developments on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, but the new rules wouldn’t apply to advanced projects like a contentious mine proposed for the Crowsnest Pass. Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean announced Friday the new policies expected in late 2025, along with a round of consultations with industry players on how to implement them. Jean said under the “long overdue” rule revamp, all coal mining projects would be held to the highest environmental standards. “Our job will be to develop a policy that will attract investment and create jobs while respecting and protecting the air, land, water and wildlife,” he said. Jean said royalty revenues are also to be “substantially increased,” with rates to be revised after the consultations. “They’re too low. We’re going to bring them up,” he said of the province’s current rates. The new bans wouldn’t apply to advanced proposals, including the proposed Grassy Mountain open-pit mine in the Crowsnest Pass, which has been fought by environmental groups and communities downstream. Alberta Energy Regulator hearings into that project are to continue in January. Jean said the Grassy Mountain project, which aims to reclaim a site that was mined over 60 years ago but was never properly restored, would be monitored closely if approved. He said the province needs to find innovative ways to clean up those contaminated sites. “I hope (Albertans) look at us and say, ‘Wow, that’s smart. What a smart government,’” he said. Concerns over coal mining blew up in spring 2020, when the province announced it would remove rules that had protected the eastern slopes of the Rockies from open-pit coal mining since 1976. Public reaction was swift and angry, and the United Conservative Party government reinstated the protections and stopped selling exploration leases. Friday’s announcement also comes three years after the government received a report and recommendations on the issue, including public feedback ranging from environmental concerns to dissatisfaction with the regulatory process. Jean said the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s provincial election and fights with the federal government over resource jurisdiction led to the delay of the new initiative. NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said the plan to collect more royalties represents a plan to increase production in Alberta, with no economic benefit and a lot of environmental risk. “They may want to mess around with the rates, but what they really are trying to do is increase the amount of coal mining in the province,” he said. He said the policy previously in place since 1976 was lifted for a brief period so the UCP could “sneak” a few projects through the regulatory process. “It’s economically illiterate. It’s not going to create the jobs and the economic benefits that we need in Alberta,” Nenshi said. Under the new rules, companies would be required to show they can prevent toxic selenium from leaching into watersheds. Jean said technology, including “high wall mining” to catch overburden, the layer of soil and rock that sits above coal, would be used to keep it in check. But NDP environment and protected areas critic Sarah Elmeligi said she’s skeptical technology to remove selenium from waterways works at scale, outside a lab. “That technology doesn’t currently exist and, if it does, I would love to see it.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2024.
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Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” 'I'm a travelin' dog and I've made a lot of stops/All over this town...' Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. '...And at every stop I own the heart, of at least one lovely...' People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. “Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,” Brown said. Neighbor Tammy Murray had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues van toward reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim came to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter for stealth. '...If you're ever in the 9th Ward stop and see/My cute little mini poodle...' Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something," she said. "He's doing that, too.” Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” '...and my Shar-Pei doll down in old Treme/Waits for my return...' Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be.”The Andhra Pradesh government has constituted a committee to select a software firm to entrust it with the work related to processing of pre-examination and post-examination data and results, scanning work, digitisation and on-screen evaluation of re-verification and recounting applications for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations, Advanced Supplementary Examinations and other minor exams. The firm will be tasked with maintaining the official website, Digilocker service and development of other web applications for the 2024-25 academic year. The committe has Secretary, School Education Department as its Chairman, while Additional Secretary of Information Technology, Electronic and Communications Department, Additional Secretary, Finance Department and Commissioner/Director of School Education are its members. The Director of Government Examinations is also a member and the convener of this committee. A G.O. to this effect was released on Friday (December 20). Published - December 21, 2024 03:51 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit
Trump's tariffs may jack up Mexican alcohol price, including Modelo, Corona and tequilaPresident-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary operates a hedge fund that reaped a massive windfall two years ago — even as global markets sagged under the punishing weight of inflation, according to a report. Scott Bessent’s investment firm Key Square Capital saw its flagship fund score a 29% return in 2022 by betting that high rates of inflation would persist longer than what the Federal Reserve predicted. By contrast, the S&P 500 — the stock market index that tracks the performance of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the US — fell 18% that year, when the annual inflation rate rose to a whopping 8.3%, the highest since 1981. Key Square Capital’s strategy at the time was to short fixed-income assets and tech stocks that were generating low revenue, according to the Financial Times. “Scott is very cerebral and a global opportunist who does best when there is chaos,” a person close to Bessent told FT. “He can play multiple [financial] instruments in order to position himself on top of the rest ... during peaceful times he can struggle to find a winning angle.” Bessent’s hedge fund has also raked in double-digit-percentage profit so far this year, according to Reuters. Key Square Capital this year made successful bets that the stock market and the US dollar would rise. But the hedge fund has also experienced lean years under Bessent’s leadership. Bessent, who was George Soros’ money manager when the left-leaning, Hungarian-born financier became a billionaire by shorting the British pound during the 1992 “Black Wednesday” sterling crisis , founded Key Square in late 2015. The company quickly raised $4.5 billion — which included $2 billion from Soros. During its first year, Key Square’s flagship fund scored a 13% return on its investments, according to Reuters. The hedge fund correctly wagered that the British pound would decline in the wake of the “Brexit” vote that led to the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. Key Square also turned a profit when the hedge fund rightly predicted that Trump would win the 2016 presidential election — a development that sent US stocks and the dollar surging. But Key Square ended up losing 7% in 2017 and then either lost money or broke even from 2018 until 2021, Reuters reported. One investor told FT that Bessent was “nowhere near” the status of big-name Wall Street fund managers such as ex-Soros deputy Stanley Druckenmiller, Paul Tudor Jones or Louis Bacon. “If he had done really well as a hedge fund manager, then his business would be at a size where he couldn’t or wouldn’t take a post in government,” the investor told FT. Reuters cited a source as saying that the hedge fund gained double digits in both 2023 and 2024 and was up “double digits” over its history. The inconsistent performance apparently scared off potential clients. As a result, assets under management shrank from a high of around $5.1 billion at the end of 2017 to $577 million as of December last year, according to regulatory disclosures tracked by Convergence Inc. Aside from hedge funds, Key Square offers other financial services including an advisory business for family offices, foundations and endowments as well as a spin-out firm, Ghisallo Capital, which is said to be worth $3.4 billion. Brevan Howard Asset Management, the $34 billion macro hedge fund manager co-founded by British billionaire Alan Howard, is a longtime client of Key Square. “Scott is one of the best macro investors in the world,” a spokesperson for Brevan Howard told Reuters. “His understanding of markets, public policy, and the global economy is largely unmatched.” Semafor previously reported that selective Key Square performance numbers were being shared around Wall Street chats as Bessent competed for the coveted post of Treasury Secretary. The report did not reveal the numbers shared. The Post has sought comment from Key Square.
PM Modi to participate in 'Odisha Parba 2024' in Delhi tomorrowWITH the Christmas party season in full swing, smelling sweet is a top priority. More than a third of us have popped perfume on our Christmas wish list, but with some designer brands costing upwards of £100, some fragrances are well out of reach for many of us. So could budget perfume dupes be the answer? With a huge range available on the high street for a fraction of the price of top brands, Fab put some of the most affordable alternatives to the test. But how did they fare when it came to long-lasting wear? And do they really smell just like the designer originals they are emulating? READ MORE DUPE TESTS Emma Lazenby sniffs out the best dupes, revealing which ones are worth splashing out on and giving them all a mark out of five. Midnight Blossom 30ml, M&S, £6 vs Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium 30ml, £79 SAVING: £73 IF there was ever a winter evening fragrance that’s as warm as it is luxurious, then I think M&S ’s Midnight Blossom is up there. It’s perfect for the party season and smells remarkably like YSL’s Black Opium. With its musky, velvety notes and subtle floral undertones, it holds its weight against its designer rival. Most read in Fabulous The simple purple packaging is cute, giving Parma violet vibes, but as it looks quite basic, I’d put it in the stocking-filler category, rather than the main gift. Having said that, Midnight Blossom is possibly the perfect perfume present to yourself. Granted, Black Opium was still bold after eight hours of wear. But M&S’s winter fragrance wasn’t far off. My wrist was still smelling lovely – if a little faint – well into the afternoon. 5/5 Suddenly Femelle 75ml, Lidl, £5.25 vs Lancome La Vie Est Belle 75ml, £105 SAVING: £99.75 LIDL ’S Suddenly Femelle fragrance bears a striking resemblance to the vanilla, iris and patchouli notes of Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle. It’s a warm scent and looks very expensive with its apothecary-style bottle and pretty pink packaging. One of the cheapest of the bunch, it packs a surprising punch. If you’re after a cosy, winter fragrance, Suddenly Femelle could be the perfect choice for you. It has a whiff of maturity about it, adding to its classic fragrance feel, but if long-lasting wear is one of your perfume priorities, sadly it falls short. There were still subtle hints after three hours, but it’s another dupe that’ll need regular respraying. That said, it’s a great fragrance that’d make a lovely gift for older friends and relatives. 3/5 Lacura Radiant Majesty 100ml, Aldi, £6.99 vs Burberry Goddess 100ml, £135 SAVING: £128.01 ALDI ’S Lacura perfume offerings are on fire this year, earning rave reviews for their designer dupes. Its Burberry Goddess copycat certainly looks expensive. Its pretty pink and gold packaging and sturdy glass bottle would look classy on any dressing table. It’s slightly sweeter than the Burberry original, with notes of vanilla, ginger, cacao and lavender, but this is the only notable difference when you spritz both scents. It smells unbelievably similar, with some TikTok fragrance fans even saying they prefer Radiant Majesty to the £135-a bottle real deal. But in our “length of wear” test, Aldi’s offering unfortunately falls short, with barely a whiff remaining after just three and a half hours. In contrast, Burberry Goddess was still smelling bold at 10pm after a 9am spritz. But with a £128 price difference, it’s cheaper to top up through the day with Aldi’s dupe. 3/5 Lacura Floral Love 100ml, Aldi, £5.99 vs Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb 100ml, £130 SAVING: £124.01 THIS Aldi fragrance boasts a gorgeous, diamond-inspired bottle, which you’d be proud to pop in your handbag. It looks expensive and just as pretty as the designer original. Scent-wise it smells very similar to Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb. I’d say Aldi’s Floral Love is a little heavier, so I had high hopes for its longevity. Sadly, the spritz on my wrist didn’t hold its fragrance weight for long and was fading fast after three hours. But with its bargain price tag, beautiful bottle and floral gorgeousness, I think we can forgive its lack of staying power . 4/5 Cashmere 30ml, Next, £10 vs Estee Lauder Sensuous 30ml, £35 SAVING: £25 WITH the smallest price difference between dupe and designer, let’s not do Next ’s Cashmere a disservice. Its resemblance to Estee Lauder’s classic is pretty damn good. And if you like a softer, subtle fragrance that you can wear all year round, then Next’s Cashmere is the perfect perfume. It is floral, yet woody, and could be a great gift for someone who’s not a “perfume person”. And as for longevity, four hours later, it was holding on – just. Although Estee Lauder’s Sensuous was smelling strong after ten hours, weighing up the similarity of both, I’m not sure it’s worth the extra cost. 4/5 Red Temptation 30ml, Zara, £12.99 vs Baccarat Rouge 540 35ml, £155 SAVING: £142.01 MOVING on to the slightly higher end high street perfumes , Zara’s Red Temptation is tricky to get hold of right now (more stock is arriving soon) and for good reason. It has a cult following on social media due to its remarkable similarity to Baccarat Rouge 540. Red Temptation is just as heady as its very pricey designer counterpart, with its spicy combination of saffron, bitter orange and coriander. It’s a classic scent that’s not for the faint-hearted, but if you like punchy “occasion” perfumes, this is the one for you. It’s also one of the strongest contenders when it comes to its length-of-wear. While the Baccarat Rouge 540 lasted a whole day, Red Temptation was still holding its own after five hours. And the price difference is staggering. 5/5 Wonder Rose 30ml, Zara, £9.99 vs Dior J’Adore 35ml, £115 SAVING: £105.01 WE can all channel our inner Rihanna with Zara’s Wonder Rose, which smells very similar to the superstar-fronted Dior classic, albeit not as weighty. It’s a huge hit with the teens and rightly so. It’s wonderfully floral, but manages to be quite light, too – meaning we’re not venturing into headache territory. Wonder Rose combines fruitiness with flowers, coconut and vanilla. It’s lovely. And it definitely works for the festive period. With its mid-level price tag and cool packaging, it would make a great gift. Yes, we see a pattern emerging when it comes to length-of-wear, with Dior’s J’Adore lasting in excess of nine hours. But, Zara’s offering is pretty strong and I could still smell it after more than four hours. With the saving against its designer equivalent, it is pretty impressive. READ MORE SUN STORIES 4.5/5 WE can all channel our inner Rihanna with Zara’s Wonder Rose, which smells very similar to the superstar-fronted Dior classic, albeit not as weighty. It’s a huge hit with the teens and rightly so. It’s wonderfully floral, but manages to be quite light, too – meaning we’re not venturing into headache territory. Wonder Rose combines fruitiness with flowers, coconut and vanilla. It’s lovely. And it definitely works for the festive period. With its mid-level price tag and cool packaging, it would make a great gift. Yes, we see a pattern emerging when it comes to length-of-wear, with Dior’s J’Adore lasting in excess of nine hours. But, Zara’s offering is pretty strong and I could still smell it after more than four hours. With the saving against its designer equivalent, it is pretty impressive.Trump Cabinet picks, appointees targeted by bomb threats and swatting attacks