SVG Summit 2024: SVGW Highlights the Rise of Women’s Sports Across Industries The (December 16-17, New York City) is just five weeks away and the event’s agenda is shaping up to be an exciting one. Women’s sports are not just having a moment — it has become a movement. Join us for a morning of sessions focused on the growth of women’s sports, why women’s sports programming will continue to become more popular and more of a marketing force, and how the gap between coverage of men’s and women’s sports is closing fast. The annual SVG Summit kicks off with networking and inspiration for women in the sports production community. Join us for coffee as well as a panel discussion featuring leading women in the industry discussing the future of technology and production. SVGW is a networking group that aims to enhance the role of women in the creation, production, and distribution of sports content. SVGW members are integral to the overall Sports Video Group community, and work for sports leagues, teams, television networks, technology companies, and start-ups where their focus is the business and technology behind sports production. Stick around after for a morning full of engaging panels, as follows: Join us for a presentation from Deloitte that will dive into the explosion in interest in women’s sports and what it means to the sports rights and media landscape. Panelists include: Join us for a conversation with Amanda Vandervort, who oversees the entire USL women’s pathway, including the W league and Academy for Girls. We’ll discuss what it takes to launch a new league, growing a brand in a new world filled with social media channels and influencers, Amanda’s own career, and much more. This interview features: , YoSy Media, Co-Founder & , United Soccer League (USL) Super League, President HBCUs and HBCUGo are working together to raise the profile of women’s athletics both on campus and via TV and streaming exposure. We’ll dive into the latest efforts, plans for 2025 and beyond, and how your organization can help HBCUs make a difference with women’s sports. Panelists include: It finally appears that women’s sports has collectively captured the attention of marketers, programming executives, social media, and fans. So where does women’s sports go from here? How can women’s sports continue to rise, increasing its value as a media property, it’s ability to pay athletes more money, and it’s attractiveness to brands and marketing companies? How does the industry raise the levels of production, give women’s sports better time slots, and help it grow? Panelists include:NFL The NFL issued a security alert to teams and the players’ union on Thursday following recent burglaries involving the homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the league says homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” Law enforcement officials noted these groups target the homes on days the athletes have games. Players were told to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted. Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets, including attempted home deliveries and posing as grounds maintenance or joggers in the neighborhood. Burglars have entered through side doors, via balconies, or second-floor windows. They’ve targeted homes in secluded areas and focus on master bedrooms and closet areas. Players were warned to avoid updating any social media with check-ins or daily activities until the end of the day. Posting expensive items on social media is discouraged. COLLEGE FOOTBALL Highly touted high school quarterback Julian Lewis committed to the University of Colorado, possibly an indicator that coach Deion Sanders does indeed plan to stick around in Boulder. The five-star recruit recently decommitted from Southern Cal to explore his options. He announced Colorado would be his destination Thursday on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” as he donned a Buffaloes stocking cap. Lewis figures to be the heir apparent to Shedeur Sanders, who’s expected to be a top pick in the next NFL draft. It gives Deion Sanders another elite quarterback to build around at Colorado. On Tuesday, Sanders tamped down speculation over his future. “I’m enthusiastic about where I am,” he said. “I love it here. Truly do.” ODDS AND ENDS Penn State won a closely watched trademark fight over an online retailer’s use of its vintage logos and images. ... Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking time with Manchester City is far from over. The City manager signed a two-year contract extension, ending speculation about his future by agreeing to a deal that would prolong his tenure to 11 seasons. ... Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen is expected to miss at least two months because of knee surgery. ... Australia reached the Davis Cup semifinals for the third consecutive year, eliminating the United States 2-1 when Matt Ebden and Jordan Thompson beat the surprise, last-minute pairing of Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4 in the deciding doubles match in Malaga, Spain. Get local news delivered to your inbox!None
WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump outlined an aggressive plan for opening his second term in an interview that aired Sunday, vowing to move immediately to crack down on immigration and pardon his most violent supporters while threatening to lock up political foes such as Liz Cheney. In his first sit-down broadcast network interview since being reelected, Trump said that on Day 1 of his new administration next month, he would extend clemency to the hundreds of his backers who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and try to bar automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to immigrant parents. Without giving a time frame, Trump also indicated that he would fire FBI Director Christopher Wray , out of personal pique because "he invaded my home" and was insufficiently certain at first whether Trump's wound during an assassination attempt this year was caused by a bullet or shrapnel. And he said that members of Congress who investigated his role in the Jan. 6 attack should be thrown behind bars. "For what they did, honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said of Cheney, a Republican who represented Wyoming, and the rest of the bipartisan House committee that looked into the attack. Speaking with Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press" on NBC, he said he would not direct his new attorney general or FBI director to pursue the matter but indicated that he expected them to do it on their own. "I think that they'll have to look at that," he said, "but I'm not going to" order them to. At the same time, Trump seemed to signal that he would not appoint a special counsel to investigate President Joe Biden and his family, as he once vowed. And he signaled that he would not take the most assertive position on several other issues, saying that he would not seek to fire the chair of the Federal Reserve or restrict the availability of abortion pills. And although he vowed to end birthright citizenship, Trump said he would try to work with Democrats to spare immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, known as Dreamers, from deportation. Marketing Future of Marketing & Branding Masterclass By - Dr. David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Author | Speaker | Thought Leader | Branding Consultant View Program Web Development Intermediate Java Mastery: Method, Collections, and Beyond By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Strategy ESG and Business Sustainability Strategy By - Vipul Arora, Partner, ESG & Climate Solutions at Sattva Consulting Author I Speaker I Thought Leader View Program Legal Complete Guide to AI Governance and Compliance By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. 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"I'm not looking to go back into the past. I'm looking to make our country successful. Retribution will be through success." Trump sought to downplay fears of Kash Patel, a far-right loyalist he plans to nominate to take over the FBI, who has vowed to "come after" the president-elect's perceived enemies and named about 60 people he considered "members of the executive branch deep state" as the appendix to a 2023 book. "No, I don't think so," Trump said when asked whether Patel would pursue investigations against political adversaries. But the incoming president left the door open to it. "If they were crooked, if they did something wrong, if they have broken the law, probably," he said. "They went after me. You know, they went after me, and I did nothing wrong." Trump repeated his debunked claim that the Jan. 6 committee destroyed evidence, even though the evidence remains posted online. In a statement, Cheney said the president "lied about the Jan. 6 select committee" and that there would be "no conceivably appropriate factual or constitutional basis" to prosecute its members. "Donald Trump's suggestion that members of Congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic," she said. Trump's threat came as Biden's top aides are debating whether he should issue blanket pardons before leaving office to people such as Cheney who have drawn the president-elect's ire. Biden and his team have grown increasingly concerned that the selection of Patel indicates that Trump will follow through on his threats of "retribution" against those who have crossed him. To install Patel, Trump would have to fire Wray, who has a 10-year term under a law meant to avoid politicizing the FBI. Wray was originally appointed by Trump in 2017, but the president-elect made clear he was personally aggrieved against him for the FBI search of his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, in 2022 for classified documents that he had improperly taken after leaving the White House , even though the search warrant was approved by a judge. "I can't say I'm thrilled with him," Trump said. "He invaded my home. I'm suing the country over it. He invaded Mar-a-Lago. I'm very unhappy with the things he's done." He also cited Wray's comment after the assassination attempt in July that it was not initially clear whether Trump was hit by a bullet or shrapnel. "When I was shot in the ear, he said, 'Oh, maybe it was shrapnel,'" Trump said. "Where's the shrapnel coming from? Is it coming from -- is it coming from heaven? I don't think so." Trump did not explicitly say he would fire Wray, but he left little doubt about it. "It would sort of seem pretty obvious that if Kash gets in, he's going to be taking somebody's place, right?" he said. He also said, however, that he does not plan to fire Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve and another Trump appointee with whom he has grown disenchanted. "No, I don't think so," Trump said. "I don't see it." The president-elect said that on his first day in office, he would sign a raft of executive actions on the economy, energy and the border. Two specifics that came up during the interview were issuing pardons for Jan. 6 attackers and ending birthright citizenship for children born in the United States. Asked if he would consider pardoning "everyone" who attacked the Capitol, Trump said, "Yeah. But I'm going to be acting very quickly." Pressed, he added, "First day." He did say that "there may be some exceptions," those who were "radical, crazy." But asked about those convicted of assaulting police officers, he defended them. "Because they had no choice," he said. And he suggested those convicted were being mistreated. "They've been in there for years, and they're in a filthy, disgusting place that shouldn't even be allowed to be open," he said. In fact, only a handful of Capitol riot inmates are left in the Washington jail and most of those are serving significant sentences for violent crimes. Federal judges in Washington have taken a tough stance against Trump's promises to grant clemency. Late last month, Judge Carl J. Nichols, a Trump appointee, declared at a hearing that he opposed a broad policy of amnesty. "It would be beyond frustrating and disappointing if there were blanket pardons for Jan. 6 defendants or anything close," he said. As for birthright citizenship, Trump said he would try to reverse the constitutional guarantee that anyone born in the United States is a citizen regardless of the status of their parents. Most legal scholars have said the president has no power to overturn the right to citizenship guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, which says that "all persons born" in the United States "are citizens of the United States." Trump was vague about how he would proceed and whether he would seek to reverse the common interpretation of the amendment through executive action that would surely be challenged in the courts. He left open the idea that he would instead have to amend the Constitution, which would be unlikely to happen since it would require either a constitutional convention or the support of two-thirds of both houses of Congress and the approval of three-quarters of the states. "We're going to have to get it changed," Trump said. "We'll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it." He repeatedly said falsely that "we're the only country that has it." In fact, the World Population Review lists 34 other countries and territories that also have unrestricted birthright citizenship, including Canada and Mexico. But Trump suggested that he would look for a way to keep the so-called Dreamers in the country. "We have to do something about the Dreamers because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age," he said. "And many of these are middle-aged people now. They don't even speak the language of their country. And yes, we're going to do something about the Dreamers." He said he would "work with the Democrats on a plan" and blamed them for not protecting Dreamers. But in fact, it was President Barack Obama who first took executive action in 2012 to spare about 700,000 Dreamers from deportation through a policy called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Trump, by contrast, tried to rescind the policy, arguing that it was unconstitutional, only to be blocked by the Supreme Court on procedural grounds. This article originally appeared in The New York Times . (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )LONDON/CAIRO/DUBAI: Famine in Sudan has expanded to five areas and will likely spread to another five by May, the global hunger monitor reported Tuesday, while warring parties continue to disrupt humanitarian aid needed to alleviate one of the worst starvation crises in modern times. Famine conditions were confirmed in Abu Shouk and Al-Salam, two camps for internally displaced people in Al-Fashir, the besieged capital of North Darfur, as well as in residential and displaced communities in the Nuba Mountains, according to the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Phase Classification (IPC). The committee also found that famine, first identified in August, persists in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp. The five-member review committee vets and verifies famine findings produced by technical analysts. In its Tuesday report, the review committee predicts famine will expand to five additional areas in North Darfur — Um Kadadah, Melit, Al-Fashir, Tawisha and Al-Lait — by May. The committee identified another 17 areas across Sudan at risk of famine. The IPC estimated about 24.6 million people, about half of all Sudanese, urgently need food aid through May, a sharp increase from the 21.1 million originally projected in June for October through February. The findings were published despite the Sudanese government’s continued disruption of the IPC’s process for analyzing acute food insecurity, which helps donors and humanitarian groups direct aid where it is most needed. On Monday, the government announced it was suspending its participation in the global hunger-monitoring system, saying the IPC issues “unreliable reports that undermine Sudan’s sovereignty and dignity.” The IPC is an independent body funded by Western nations and overseen by 19 large humanitarian organizations and intergovernmental institutions. A linchpin in the world’s vast system for monitoring and alleviating hunger, it is designed to sound the alarm about developing food crises so organizations can respond and prevent famine and mass starvation. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are engaged in a civil war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and are adamantly opposed to a famine declaration for fear it would result in diplomatic pressure to ease border controls and lead to greater foreign engagement with the RSF. In a Dec 23 letter to the IPC, the famine review committee and diplomats, Sudan’s agriculture minister said the latest IPC report lacks updated malnutrition data and assessments of crop productivity during the recent summer rainy season. The growing season was successful, the letter says. It also notes “serious concerns” about the IPC’s ability to collect data from territories controlled by the RSF. Under the IPC system, a “technical working group,” usually headed by the national government, analyzes data and periodically issues reports that classify areas on a one-to-five scale that slides from minimal to stressed, crisis, emergency and famine. In October, the Sudanese government temporarily stopped the government-led analysis, according to a document seen by Reuters. After resuming work, the technical working group stopped short of acknowledging famine. The Famine Review Committee report released today said the government-led group excluded key malnutrition data from its analysis. A recent Reuters investigation found that the Sudanese government obstructed the IPC’s work earlier this year, delaying by months a famine determination for the sprawling Zamzam camp for displaced people where residents have resorted to eating tree leaves to survive. The civil war that erupted in April 2023 has decimated food production and trade and driven more than 12 million Sudanese from their homes, making it the world’s largest displacement crisis. The RSF has looted commercial and humanitarian food supplies, disrupted farming and besieged some areas, making trade more costly and food prices unaffordable. The government also has blocked humanitarian organizations’ access to some parts of the country. “We have the food. We have the trucks on the road. We have the people on the ground. We just need safe passage to deliver assistance,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, director of food security and nutrition analysis for the UN’s World Food Program. In response to questions from Reuters, the RSF said the accusations of looting were “baseless.” The RSF also said millions of people in areas it controlled were facing “the threat of hunger,” and that it was committed to “fully facilitating the delivery of aid to those affected.” The government said that problems delivering aid were caused by the RSF. The IPC report says both parties to the conflict have imposed “bureaucratic procedures and approval processes” that “severely limit both the reach and scale of humanitarian efforts.” Only 10 percent of people in the areas the IPC reviewed received food assistance in the last three months, the IPC report says. At least a dozen aid workers and diplomats contacted by Reuters for this story said tensions increased between the Sudanese government and humanitarian aid organizations after the IPC determined Zamzam was in famine in August. The sources said the government is slowing the aid response. The government’s general and military intelligence services oversee aid delivery, subjecting international aid approvals to the SAF’s political and military goals, the sources said. The government is slow to approve visas for aid workers, and several aid workers said it has discouraged NGOs from providing relief in the hard-hit Darfur region, which is largely controlled by RSF forces. The government has told aid organizations “there are no legitimate needs in Darfur, so you should not work there, and if you continue to respond to needs there, you should not expect visas,” said one senior aid official, who asked not to be named. The number of visa applications awaiting approval for non-UN aid workers has skyrocketed in the last four months, and the percentage approved has plummeted, according to data maintained by Sudan’s INGO Forum, which represents and advocates for international non-governmental organizations in the country. The government didn’t respond to specific questions about the blocking of visas. In the past, it has said that the majority of visa requests are approved. In October, the Sudanese government pressured the U.N. to remove the top humanitarian aid official for Sudan’s embattled Darfur region after the person traveled there without government authorization, three sources told Reuters. Requests for authorization had stalled, the sources said. The government told the UN it would throw the official out if he was not withdrawn, the sources said. The UN complied. The government didn’t respond to questions about the aid official’s removal. A UN spokesperson said the organization doesn’t comment on staff “working arrangements.” – Reuters
KyKy Tandy scored a season-high 21 points that included a key 3-pointer in a late second-half surge as Florida Atlantic roared back to beat Oklahoma State 86-78 on Thursday in the opening round of the Charleston Classic in Charleston, S.C. Florida Atlantic (4-2) advances to play Drake in the semifinal round on Friday while the Cowboys square off against Miami in the consolation semifinal contest, also Friday. Oklahoma State led by as many as 10 points in the first half before securing a five-point advantage at halftime. The Owls surged back and moved in front with four and a half minutes to play. It was part of an 11-1 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Tandy that made it 75-68 with 2:41 remaining. Ken Evans added 14 points for Florida Atlantic, with Leland Walker hitting for 13 and Tre Carroll scoring 11. The Owls went 35-of-49 from the free throw line as the teams combined for 56 fouls in the game, 33 by Oklahoma State. Khalil Brantley led Oklahoma State (3-1) with 16 points while Robert Jennings added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Cowboys, who hit one field goal over a 10-minute stretch of the second half while having three players foul out. The Owls were up by as many as seven points in the early minutes and by 13-10 after a layup by Carroll at the 11:32 mark of the first half. Oklahoma State leapfrogged to the front on Abou Ousmane's layup off a Brantley steal, fell behind again on a 3-pointer by Evans and then responded on a 3-pointer by Jennings to take a 17-16 lead. From there, the Cowboys stoked their advantage to double digits when Jamyron Keller canned a shot from beyond the arc with five minutes to play in the half. Florida Atlantic got a layup and a monster dunk from Matas Vokietaitis and a pair of free throws from Walker in a 6-2 run to end the half to pull within 39-34 at the break. Jennings and Ousmane tallied seven points apiece for Oklahoma State over the first 20 minutes, as the Cowboys led despite shooting just 33.3 percent from the floor in the half. Carroll and Vokietaitis scored seven points apiece to pace the Owls, who committed 11 turnovers that translated to seven points for Oklahoma State before halftime. --Field Level MediaGoogle and federal officials are battling it out over a proposal that the tech giant be forced to sell its popular Chrome web browser to restore competition to the online search market. The proposal , filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and several states this week, came after a federal judge ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly over internet search. The landmark decision opened the door to the current showdown over potential remedies that could reshape the tech giant’s multibillion-dollar business. As part of their proposed penalties, Justice Department officials also suggested the judge impose restrictions on Android, Google’s mobile operating system, to prevent it from favoring Google products. The Department of Justice says forcing Google to divest Chrome would create more competition and stop the search giant’s control over a “browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet.” Google pushed back, calling the request an “unprecedented government overreach” that would harm consumers and U.S. tech leadership. “This is to some extent a negotiating dance,” said George Hay, a Cornell University law professor and antitrust expert. “The DOJ is probably trying to get Google to be more cooperative in coming up with remedies that will fix the problem.” Here’s what you need to know: What are U.S. officials proposing? The Justice Department outlined for the judge several possible solutions in its 23-page court filing , including forcing Google to sell Chrome and potentially Android as well if the company does not adequately address its practice of requiring smartphone makers to use Google products embedded in Android. “The playing field is not level because of Google’s conduct, and Google’s quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired,” the filing says. “The remedy must close this gap and deprive Google of these advantages.” The Justice Department wants to bar Google from entering into exclusive agreements with content publishers, as well as owning or acquiring any interests in search rivals. Publishers should also be able to opt out of having Google use their content to train artificial intelligence tools, under the proposal. And Justice Department officials want advertisers to have more access to data and control over ads that show up in Google search results. The Justice Department is trying to make consumers more aware of choices outside of Google, the world’s most popular search engine. Another potential fix includes requiring Google to display a “choice screen” on every Google browser when a user hasn’t selected a default search engine. What’s Google’s response? Google thinks the government’s proposal goes too far. Instead, the company thinks the government should focus solutions more narrowly on agreements it has with Apple, Mozilla, smartphone manufacturers and wireless carriers that require the companies to favor Google’s search engine over others. Kent Walker, chief legal officer at Google and its parent company, Alphabet, in a blog post called the government’s proposal a “radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership.” Google opposes the idea that it should install “choice screens” on its browser and alleges that would hinder people’s abilities to use the company’s products. Will this affect the way I search online? Because Google’s punishment hasn’t been decided, it is too early to say how internet search could be affected. Antitrust experts said it depends on what remedies the judge in the case decides on and whether they withstand scrutiny by an appeals court. Some experts questioned whether any changes, even a forced sale of Chrome, would be effective in getting people to use other search engines. “It will still be there in some way, shape or form, but it may be more subtle in terms of the effects on consumers,” said Shubha Ghosh, a law professor at Syracuse University. It’s unclear who is interested in buying Google Chrome, which Bloomberg reported could be worth up to $20 billion. Could the Trump administration affect Google’s punishment? Possibly. President-elect Donald Trump has criticized Google over allegations that the search giant censors conservative speech, which the company has repeatedly denied. But Trump, who reportedly took a phone call with Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai after he won the U.S. presidential election, has also stopped short of saying he would break up the search giant. “It’s a very dangerous thing because we want to have great companies,” Trump said in an October interview moderated by Bloomberg News. “We don’t want China to have these companies. Right now, China is afraid of Google.” Hay said he doesn’t anticipate Trump will pull the plug on the case, but the Justice Department could soften its proposed remedies. What happens next? Google said it will file its own proposals next month. Court hearings on Google’s punishment are scheduled to begin in April. Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who is overseeing the case, is expected to make a decision on Google’s punishment by August 2025. The Associated Press was used in compiling this report.
Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc. ( NYSE:HASI – Get Free Report ) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, November 7th, Zacks Dividends reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 30th will be given a dividend of 0.415 per share by the real estate investment trust on Friday, January 10th. This represents a $1.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.06%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 30th. Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital has raised its dividend payment by an average of 221.2% annually over the last three years. Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital has a payout ratio of 62.9% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital to earn $2.43 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.66 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 68.3%. Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital Stock Down 0.9 % Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital stock opened at $27.38 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $30.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.67. The firm has a market cap of $3.24 billion, a PE ratio of 15.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.93. Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital has a twelve month low of $21.77 and a twelve month high of $36.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 13.55 and a current ratio of 13.55. Insider Activity Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts recently issued reports on HASI shares. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $39.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital from $36.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, September 27th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital in a report on Monday, November 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $40.50. View Our Latest Research Report on HASI About Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital ( Get Free Report ) Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable infrastructure markets in the United States. The company's portfolio includes equity investments, commercial and government receivables, real estate, and debt securities. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Support grows for Blake Lively over smear campaign claimEAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Justin Jefferson might be weary of all the safeties shadowing his every route, determined not to let the Minnesota Vikings go deep, but he's hardly angry. The double and triple coverage he continually faces, after all, is a sign of immense respect for his game-breaking ability. The strategy also simply makes sense. “I would do the same," Jefferson said. "It’s either let everybody else go off or let Justin go off. I’m going to let everybody else go off. That would be my game plan.” When the Vikings visit Chicago on Sunday, they're expecting the usual heavy dose of split-safety coverage designed to put a lid on the passing attack and force them to operate primarily underneath. “We see that every week: Teams just have different tendencies on film, and then when we go out on the field they play us totally different,” Jefferson said, later adding: “I don’t really feel like anyone else is getting played how I’m getting played.” Jefferson nonetheless is second in the NFL in receiving yards (912) behind Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase, his former college teammate at LSU. Last week, Jefferson set yet another all-time record by passing Torry Holt for the most receiving yards over the first five seasons of a career. Holt logged 80 regular-season games and accumulated 6,784 yards for St. Louis. Jefferson has 6,811 yards — in just 70 games. “I want to go up against those single coverages. I want to go have my opportunities to catch a deep pass downfield, just one-on-one coverage, like a lot of these other receivers get," Jefferson said. "It’s definitely difficult going up against an extra person or an extra two people, but it is what it is and the concepts that we’re drawing up and the ways that we’re trying to get me open, it definitely helps.” With fellow tight end Josh Oliver ruled out of the game on Sunday because of a sprained ankle, T.J. Hockenson is certain to have his heaviest workload since returning from knee surgery four weeks ago. He's also certain that Jefferson will continue to see persistent double-teams. “It puts it on us to make some plays and do some things to get them out of that,” Hockenson said. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has been forced to dig deeper into the vault of play designs and game plans to help keep quarterback Sam Darnold and the offense on track. O'Connell said after Minnesota's 12-7 win at Jacksonville, when Darnold threw three interceptions to precipitate a safer strategy down the stretch, that he superseded his play-calling role with the wisdom of a head coach to help win that game. "Not just the egomaniac of wanting to score points and constantly show everybody how smart we are. There was a mode that I think you have to go into sometimes to ensure a victory,” O'Connell said on his weekly show on KFAN radio. Taking what the defense gives is usually the shrewdest strategy. “You’ve got to really implement some new things and some things that maybe you didn’t come across during your early coaching years whether as a coordinator or position coach or even when you’re responsible for a small area of the game plan as a younger coach," O'Connell said. "You really have to kind of look outside the lens of always what you see on tape.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Former Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene is transferring to Michigan with one year of eligibility remaining. Confirming earlier reports, Keene posted an image of himself in a Wolverines uniform on social media on Monday. Keene passed for 2,892 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games for the Bulldogs in 2024. Fresno State opened the season with a 30-10 loss at Michigan on Aug. 31, with Keene throwing for 235 yards with one touchdown and two picks. Including two seasons at UCF (2021-22), Keene has completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 8,245 yards with 65 TDs and 28 interceptions in 39 games. Keene's competition for the starting job at Michigan includes incoming freshman Bryce Underwood, the 247Sports Composite's No. 1 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class. --Field Level MediaThe AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Justice Shoats had 18 points in Siena’s 66-53 victory against Canisius on Sunday. Shoats shot 6 of 15 from the field, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 6 from the free-throw line for the Saints (5-5, 1-1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Brendan Coyle scored 17 points and added nine rebounds. Major Freeman had 14 points and shot 5 for 9 (2 for 6 from 3-point range) and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Paul McMillan IV led the Golden Griffins (0-10, 0-2) in scoring, finishing with 22 points and four assists. Jasman Sangha added 11 points and two steals for Canisius. Tana Kopa finished with six points. The Golden Griffins have lost 11 consecutive games, dating to a 72-56 defeat at the hands of Quinnipiac in the 2024 MAAC Tournament. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Does deflated Pep Guardiola have energy to spark City revival?
McDonald’s menu is getting a huge overhaulFuture under threat Pakistan’s 2022 floods deprived at least 3.5M children of access to education, according to a survey Children give hope for a better future; they are the light we desperately need in a dark tunnel. And yet we have failed them: our energies are more focused on the present, and we are least considered about what may happen in the future if we do not change course. Take the latest report by Unicef, released a day before World Children’s Day, which is observed annually on November 20, “to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare.” In its report, the UN agency says that demographic shifts, worsening climate change and rapid technological transformation risk create a bleak future for children in 2050. These factors are in addition to the conflicts that may erupt anywhere in the world. The most alarming threat that children in 2050 will face is climate change. Unicef says “if current greenhouse gas emission trends continue, by 2050 children could face eight times more heatwaves than in 2000, three times more extreme flooding, and 1.7 times more wildfires.” Climate challenges hit children from the poorest households hardest. If their residential areas are flooded, they risk missing school for quite a long period. Second, if climate-induced floods destroy their houses or deprive their parents of their livelihoods, they have to deliberately drop out of school and help their parents earn some income. Pakistan’s 2022 floods, for example, deprived at least 3.5 million children of access to education, according to a survey conducted by the WHO. Even after months, most of these children could not go back to school. We all know how bleak the future could be, and yet there is no sense of urgency. Developing countries like Pakistan casually mention that their emissions make up a small percentage of the total number, but they also fail to put an end to activities that are harmful to the environment. The Unicef report also points out the demographic issue that children will face in the future. While there will be around 2.3 billion children (similar to their current number), they will represent a much smaller size of the total population. This, per Unicef, raises concerns about their “visibility and rights in societies focused on ageing populations”. This is apparent even today. While we have entertainment options for teens and young adults, there are hardly any spaces where children can grow and develop skills. The last threat that Unicef points out is the deepening digital divide. Approximately 95 per cent of individuals in developed countries have internet access, while only 26 per cent of people in the least developed nations enjoy the same, primarily due to limited access to electricity, connectivity, or devices. Unicef warns failing to address these barriers for children in these regions, particularly those in the poorest households, risks pushing an already disadvantaged generation even further behind. It is high time our leaders took steps to protect the rights of our children.
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Howard Levitt: When it comes to social media, assume your boss will see everythingAdvertising and marketing conglomerate Omnicom Group is in advanced talks to acquire Interpublic Group in an all-stock deal that is likely to value Interpublic at between $13 billion and $14 billion, excluding debt, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. A transaction, would mark the biggest deal to date on Madison Avenue, could be announced as early as this week, the report said, adding that the exact terms of the deal being discussed could not be learned. Omnicom and Interpublic didn’t immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment outside of business hours. New York-based Omnicom competes with the Interpublic Group of Companies and UK’s WPP, and is one of the world’s biggest integrated advertising and communications firms with more than 5,000 customers. Interpublic, which has clients in sectors ranging from healthcare to retail, had a market value of around $10.9 billion as of Friday and its shares have fallen 10% year to date to $29.48.
From Matt Gaetz to Pete Hegseth to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., several of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks have faced major blowback and media opposition campaigns aimed at derailing their nominations. But one pick conservatives were bracing for a knock-down, drag-out fight over is seemingly sailing toward confirmation despite early wailing from Democrats: would-be FBI Director Kash Patel. Patel was the former Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Defense and rose to prominence after being a vocal critic of the Mueller investigation into “Russian interference” during the 2016 election, which turned up nothing but caused a major distraction during Trump’s first term. Democrats viciously opposed the Patel pick, citing an “enemies list” from his book and his pledges to clean out the federal bureaucracy of disruptive and disloyal elements , but if the Senate is at all phased by it, it’s unnoticeable. Sources said Patel has been able to rise above the fray due to the legwork he’s put in with lawmakers in the years leading up to Trump’s second election. A source close to Patel said his commitment to advancing the MAGA agenda drove him to continue cultivating relationships with Senate Republicans even while Trump was out of office. That singular focus paid off, and the work he put in now has him on the cusp of serving in a critical position in the second Trump administration he hoped would eventually arrive. (RELATED: Kash Patel Wants The FBI Out Of The Spying Game — Here’s Where He Could Start) “I was aware of Kash Patel by reputation during the Trump administration, but really got to know him over the last couple of years. We’d often chat when he would swing through town. I found he had keen political instincts and was also just a delightful person to talk and strategize with,” Utah Sen. Mike Lee told the Caller. “Long before his name was on the shortlist to lead the FBI, I knew he was a dedicated patriot who has experienced firsthand the corrupt bureaucracy we’re going to hold accountable in Trump’s second term,” the senator added. Patel has met with more than a dozen senators since getting the FBI nod, and many have publicly come out in support of him. The Trump transition, Politico reported , expected more pushback to the FBI pick. But it hasn’t materialized, in part because senators already know Patel and what to expect from him in office. Several key senators told the Caller that over the last three years they have cultivated a relationship with Patel, discussing national security and the America first agenda. Working with Devin Nunes, Kash Patel was instrumental in dismantling the Russia Hoax. He was the author of the famous memo that exposed how the FBI lied in FISA warrants to spy on Carter Page. He exposed how the bogus Steele Dossier was funded by Hillary’s campaign and used... — Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 1, 2024 “I’ve been following his career for a while since he was working with Devin Nunes and exposing the Russia Hoax and FISA abuse. We connected at a few events and have stayed in touch over the years. He’s come by my office and been a great sounding board on national security and beyond,” Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall told the Caller. Ahead of Trump’s announcement, Patel was floated to be in the running for a top role in the FBI or the Department of Justice. When Gaetz withdrew his name from the attorney general running and former Florida AG Pam Bondi was tapped to replace him, the noise about Patel to the FBI got louder. The anticipated choice of Patel caused “shockwaves” – but only for a short time. One former official told CBS News that he was “by far the most dangerous pick.” NBC News wrote that he hosted a show for “a conspiracy-filled, far-right media organization,” the Epoch Times. Slate complained about Patel’s “terrifying” “enemies list.” (RELATED: James Carville Apparently Thinks All Indians Look Alike, Mixes Up Kash Patel With Daily Caller Publisher) But one by one, senators pledged their support. And perhaps the strongest sign yet that Patel is likely to be confirmed came when his would-be predecessor, Chris Wray, resigned this month . “Since I got to DC, Kash has been one of my go-to people to call with questions about defense or national security. His breadth of experience and handle on these critical issues is truly unmatched,” Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville told the Caller. Before Patel entered the Trump administration, he was known around the Capitol as a national security advisor and senior counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. That experience has proven fruitful in building relationships with Congressional leaders over the past few years. “His work to help uncover the FBI’s mishandling of the Russia collusion hoax, known as the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, make him uniquely positioned to begin a new day at the bureau, ensuring they can return to their number one mission of fighting crime and protecting the country,” a spokesperson for Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told the Caller. Ahead of his appointment, Patel earned attention for speaking out against the weaponization of the surveillance state and recently called for a “24/7 declassification office.” He has previously proposed taking the FBI headquarters, shutting it down and turning it into a museum. this kind of thing remains the bull case for Kash Patel: how many senior GOP officials are former public defenders (thankless work Patel did for 8 years in Miami)? Work echoed by a hostage rescue drive into Syria in summer 2020– when few in the world cared about Syria pic.twitter.com/XVz0LmbDLz — Curt Mills (@CurtMills) December 22, 2024 “Kash’s drive to lead the FBI is deeply personal, rooted in his family’s story. His father fled a genocidal dictatorship where there was no law and order, seeking the safety and opportunity America provides,” Erica Knight, a spokesperson for Patel, told the Caller. “He’s spent the last few years deliberately building relationships with senators, meeting with them, and preparing for this moment,” she continued.
Bank Holiday: Banks will remain closed on Tuesday, know why the bank has given holiday on 24 DecemberOn June 28 2023, Microsoft and LinkedIn launched the AI Skills Initiative certificate program, a library of free videos for professionals who are beginners in generative AI . The program aims to teach participants how to apply generative AI to their work. As of December 2024, Microsoft expanded its library to form the AI Skills Navigator portal. What are the Career Essentials in Generative AI program by Microsoft and LinkedIn? The Microsoft AI Skills Initiative, developed with LinkedIn, consists of five modules. Every module includes a video, and some are supplemented with quizzes, a workbook file, or both. Completing all five modules gives the learner a Professional Certificate in Generative AI to display on LinkedIn Learning. The content presented in the AI Skills Initiative certification skews toward Microsoft’s Copilot instead of its major rival, Google’s Gemini . The Professional Certificate on Generative AI training will be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese and will be free through 2025. SEE: Learn how generative AI is transforming cloud security . (TechRepublic) “We have the opportunity to provide foundational information to everyone, everywhere, to help us all stay ahead of the skills gaps and harness its creativity to retrieve helpful information,” said Naria Santa Lucia, general manager of digital inclusion at Microsoft, in an email to TechRepublic. “As we are learning, the technology is learning from us, too, and we have the power to shape how the technology can best support us.” SEE: 2025 was the year of agentic AI . The LinkedIn training course is part of Microsoft’s Skills for Jobs program, which includes a training module for teachers, trainers, and facilitators exploring artificial intelligence . Note that some of the material focuses on Microsoft Azure and Azure OpenAI. Generative AI skills are among companies’ top three training priorities More than 75% of companies plan to adopt AI in the next five years, according to the World Economic Forum. Training employees to use AI and big data is the third-highest company skills-training priority companies plan to focus on over this period, as highlighted in the WEF Future of Jobs 2023 report . That statistic includes generative AI and related technologies, such as machine learning , which fall under the same umbrella. The importance of AI in the workplace is further underscored by Microsoft’s May 2024 Work Trend Index, which found that 75% of knowledge workers use AI at work. However, 53% of people surveyed who use AI at work worry that using it makes them look replaceable. Additionally, some workers (45%) are still concerned they will lose their jobs to AI. On the other hand, a proportionate number of hiring leaders (55%) say they’re concerned about not having enough talent to fill roles in 2025. In last year’s Work Trend Index, 49% of people were concerned about AI making their jobs obsolete. At the same time, 70% are open to the possibility of delegating some tasks to AI to reduce their workloads. To address these challenges and opportunities, Microsoft proposes upskilling in AI to remediate imbalances. One element of skills training somewhat unique to generative AI is the practice of prompt engineering . “Unlike other enterprise software, generative AI tools require the user to train the tool itself,” said Shravan Goli, chief operating officer at Coursera, in an email to TechRepublic in 2023. “Without good prompts, the tool won’t be able to help employees boost productivity in a meaningful way, and increasing productivity is one of the most promising components of generative AI for workers today.” SEE: This customizable prompt engineer hiring kit from TechRepublic Premium He also noted that generative AI skills training requires ethical oversight, which Coursera considers in its own free training modules . “As with any emerging technology, society is still navigating its broader implications and managing guardrails,” Goli said. “In order to leverage this incredibly powerful tool while still ensuring responsible use by employees, I believe organizations need to carefully outline ethical guidelines.” Note: This story was originally published in 2023 and updated for 2024.These coins could be hiding in your coin jar at home (Image: Getty) Sign up to our free email newsletter to receive the latest breaking news and daily roundups More Newsletters Subscribe Please enter a valid email Something went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show me See Our Privacy Notice See Our Privacy Notice × Group 28 Sign up to our free email newsletter to receive the latest breaking news and daily roundups Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up No thanks, close We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice Brits are being encouraged to rummage through their spare change for three rare Christmas coins that could be worth a small fortune. An expert, known as the Coin Collecting Wizard on TikTok, has shared with his over 200,000 followers the specific coins to keep an eye out for, potentially fetching upwards of £8,000 if sold to collectors. He highlighted: "Christmas coins that will make you rich." Firstly, he pointed out a 50p coin from Gibraltar with a unique error – a 1990 dated coin featuring an image from the previous year. Despite Gibraltar coins not being legal tender in the UK, they often find their way into British pockets and this particular coin could command a price of up to £4,000, reports the Mirror . The expert elaborated: "This is a 50p from Gibraltar and is known as a mule error. The obverse of this coin features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, dated 1990." "This is paired with the incorrect 1989 Gibraltar Christmas design featuring a singing choir boy and a puppy wearing a Santa hat and a bow. Errors like this where a mismatched obverse and reverse die are used are extremely uncommon today due to advancements in modern minting technology. "This coin can sell for up to £4,000 so make sure to check if you have this one." He then advised viewers to look out for a 2003 50 pence piece depicting a scene from The Snowman. "This sought-after collectible coin is a new addition of a rare Christmas themed design first issued in 2003 inspired by Raymond Briggs' the Snowman first published in 1978," he elaborated. The coin features an image of the eponymous snowman dancing with the young boy, James. He explained: "The 2003 Snowman and James coin was the first in a popular series, produced in partnership with Popjoy Mint to mark the 25th anniversary of the original storybook. And if you have this 50 pence, then you are looking at around £300." He further detailed about some older coins known as wreath crowns, named after their "distinctive reverse design". He added: "These highly collectible silver coins were produced in limited numbers, between 1927 and 1936, as holiday gifts to important clients of the Bank of England leading to their other common name, 'Christmas crowns'. If you have this crown from 1934 then it is worth £4,000." Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow CambridgeLive Facebook X (Twitter) More On Christmas The Queen