Matt Gaetz withdraws as attorney general nomineeMinisters will not set an arbitrary cap on the number of civil servants amid reports more than 10,000 jobs could be lost as the result of a spending squeeze. Sir Keir Starmer has been warned by a trade union not to impose “blunt headcount targets” for the size of the Civil Service but Government sources insisted there would be no set limit, although the number “cannot keep growing”. Departments have been ordered to find 5% “efficiency savings” as part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending review, potentially putting jobs at risk. The size of the Civil Service has increased from a low of around 384,000 in mid-2016, and the Tories went into the general election promising to reduce numbers by 70,000 to fund extra defence spending. Any reduction under Labour would be more modest, with the Guardian reporting more than 10,000 jobs could be lost. A Government spokesman said: “Under our plan for change, we are making sure every part of government is delivering on working people’s priorities — delivering growth, putting more money in people’s pockets, getting the NHS back on its feet, rebuilding Britain and securing our borders in a decade of national renewal. “We are committed to making the Civil Service more efficient and effective, with bold measures to improve skills and harness new technologies.” Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect trade union said: “We need a clear plan for the future of the civil service that goes beyond the blunt headcount targets that have failed in the past. “This plan needs to be developed in partnership with civil servants and their unions, and we look forward to deeper engagement with the government in the coming months.” A Government source said: “The number of civil servants cannot keep growing. “But we will not set an arbitrary cap. “The last government tried that and ended up spending loads on more expensive consultants.” The Government is already risking a confrontation with unions over proposals to limit pay rises for more than a million public servants to 2.8%, a figure only just over the projected 2.6% rate of inflation next year. Unions representing teachers, doctors and nurses have condemned the proposals. In the face of the union backlash, Downing Street said the public sector must improve productivity to justify real-terms pay increases. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It’s vital that pay awards are fair for both taxpayers and workers.” Asked whether higher pay settlements to staff would mean departmental cuts elsewhere, the spokesman said: “Real-terms pay increases must be matched by productivity gains and departments will only be able to fund pay awards above inflation over the medium-term if they become more productive and workforces become more productive.” TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “It’s hard to see how you address the crisis in our services without meaningful pay rises. “And it’s hard to see how services cut to the bone by 14 years of Tory government will find significant cash savings. “The Government must now engage unions and the millions of public sector workers we represent in a serious conversation about public service reform and delivery.”
OSHKOSH, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 12, 2024-- Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), a leading innovator of purpose-built vehicles and equipment, announced the appointment of Ranjit Nair as President of Oshkosh AeroTech. Nair will succeed Chuck Durst, who will retire at the end of March 2025 after more than 39 years of dedicated service to the company. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212151239/en/ Oshkosh Corporation announced the appointment of Ranjit Nair as President of Oshkosh AeroTech. Nair will succeed Chuck Durst, who will retire at the end of March 2025 after more than 39 years of dedicated service to the company. Nair has more than 20 years of leadership in the heavy-duty equipment space and comes to Oshkosh from Epiroc, which recently acquired Stanley Black & Decker’s Infrastructure business where he served as the president of Stanley Infrastructure. Prior to Stanley Black & Decker, Nair worked at Deere & Company in roles across the U.S. and globally including vice president of global supply management as well as chief executive officer of John Deere India. (Photo: Business Wire) Nair has more than 20 years of leadership in the heavy-duty equipment space and comes to Oshkosh from Epiroc, which recently acquired Stanley Black & Decker’s Infrastructure business where he served as the president of Stanley Infrastructure. Prior to Stanley Black & Decker, Nair worked at Deere & Company in roles across the U.S. and globally including vice president of global supply management as well as chief executive officer of John Deere India. “We’re pleased to welcome Ranjit to Oshkosh AeroTech,” said John Pfeifer, president and chief executive officer of Oshkosh Corporation. “His global leadership experience and proven ability to drive technological advancements make him well-suited to lead our efforts in the aviation industry. We are confident that Ranjit’s strategic vision and collaborative approach will accelerate our growth, both domestically and internationally. We also want to extend our gratitude to Chuck Durst for his many contributions to the company, which have been instrumental in positioning Oshkosh AeroTech for future success.” Nair’s appointment underscores Oshkosh AeroTech's commitment to driving advancements in electrification, autonomy and connected solutions, positioning the business as a technology leader for aviation gate and ground support operations. With a focus on meeting the demands of dynamic passenger travel and freight trends, Nair will guide Oshkosh AeroTech in delivering innovative solutions to evolving industry challenges. “I look forward to joining Oshkosh Corporation and leading the Oshkosh AeroTech business,” said Nair. “With a strong commitment to a people-first culture, Oshkosh delivers market-leading innovations across a diversified range of end markets. I’m excited to work with the team to advance its offerings for the aviation industry, while delivering exceptional customer value.” Nair holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland and an MBA from Duke University. To learn more about Oshkosh Corporation, please visit oshkoshcorp.com . About Oshkosh Corporation At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs over 18,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common purpose: to make a difference in people’s lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG®, Pierce®, MAXIMETAL, Oshkosh® S-SeriesTM, Oshkosh® Defense, McNeilus®, IMT®, Jerr-Dan®, FrontlineTM Communications, Oshkosh® Airport Products, Oshkosh AeroTechTM and Pratt Miller. For more information, visit oshkoshcorp.com . ®, TM All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains statements that the Company believes to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include risks related to the Company’s ability to successfully execute on its strategic road map and meet its long-term financial goals. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update information contained in this news release. Investors should be aware that the Company may not update such information until the Company’s next quarterly earnings conference call, if at all. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212151239/en/ CONTACT: Financial: Patrick Davidson Senior Vice President, Investor Relations 920.502.3266 Media: Tim Gilman Senior Manager, Communications and Branding 920.509.0617 KEYWORD: WISCONSIN UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENGINEERING AIR AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING TRANSPORT MANUFACTURING MACHINERY SOURCE: Oshkosh Corporation Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/12/2024 04:30 PM/DISC: 12/12/2024 04:32 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212151239/en
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Fourteen words should guide how citizens and politicians approach the next four years: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” E.J. Dionne The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is clear and unambiguous. It says nothing about “consecutive terms” and contains no hedges subject to reinterpretation. Someone who wins the presidency twice can’t ever serve again. Period. This means that when he is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025, Donald Trump immediately becomes a lame duck president. This has important implications for everyone in government. That’s especially true for Republicans. After nearly a decade — during which so many in the GOP cowered in fear over the costs of defying Trump — ambitious senators, House members and governors will be contemplating their own futures in a world without him. Trump seems well aware of his lame-duck future. He’s already wondering whether there’s an alternative. “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s so good we got to figure something else out,’” Trump told House Republicans last Wednesday. He appeared to say this in jest, but we have learned that Trump’s “jokes” are often a clue to his intentions. This is why it’s important to establish that the plain language of the 22nd Amendment means what it says and applies to Trump. Even the most Trumpist judge or justice will have trouble getting around those words “more than twice,” and we know that neither the required two-thirds of both houses of Congress nor three-fourths of the states would back the amendment’s repeal. Emphasizing all this is a way of guarding against Trump’s possible designs. That’s one reason Rep. Dan Goldman (D-New York) went to the trouble of introducing a resolution clarifying that there are no loopholes in the 22nd Amendment that would allow Trump to run again. Republicans are unlikely to let this get to the floor, but Goldman made his point. Just as important, recognizing the limitations on a Trump presidency is a first step toward holding Trump in check. Doing so allows us to imagine a politics liberated from the unhealthy hold he has on the imaginations of both parties. There are already glimmers of how a post-Trump politics might look in the Senate GOP’s choice for majority leader. Yes, it is easy to write off the significance of the rejection of Rick Scott (Florida), the preferred candidate of Trump’s allies, and the election instead of institutionalist John Thune (South Dakota). After all, it was a secret ballot, so there were no profiles in courage here. Moreover, Trump himself made no formal endorsement in the race, reportedly understanding that Scott is not popular with his colleagues and not wanting to be on the losing side. Fox News suggested that Trump tilted toward Thune in the runoff against his fellow institutionalist, John Cornyn (Texas), although this seemed like an ex post facto way of placing Trump in the winner’s circle. What matters is that Senate Republicans were deciding whether to vote on behalf of Trump’s interests or their own. Their own interests took priority — by a large margin. It’s a sign of things to come. Trump has accelerated the decline of his influence by including some real doozies among his Cabinet choices. A president-elect who had just engineered an extraordinary comeback would expect his party to embrace his nominees. But four of them especially are so manifestly unqualified and dangerous that all but the most Trump-loyal Republican senators have to be asking how they can possibly rationalize supporting them. Attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz is loathed across large parts of the GOP. Trump’s choice of Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence has left the intelligence community aghast, given Gabbard’s lack of experience and her attitudes toward Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominated for health and human services secretary, is known for advancing false claims and conspiracy theories. The Pentagon is stunned by the choice of Fox News personality Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary. When senators from the president-elect’s own party respond to nominees with “Who?,” “This one was not on my bingo card” and “I’m trying to go fix a toilet,” you sense, well, a certain lack of enthusiasm. Of course, it’s hard to imagine a wholesale intraparty rebellion, because Republicans have caved in to Trump again and again. But GOP politicians who hope for long and happy political futures are starting to think beyond this moment to the time when Trump is gone. Do they really want Gaetz, Gabbard, Kennedy and Hegseth on their records — and consciences? Will they abandon their responsibility altogether by letting Trump make recess appointments? There should be no complacency about what Trump can do. He has a lot of power. The MAGA movement will bring pressure to bear on any Republican dissidents. Many in the party no doubt wonder if Trump’s sway over his followers will ever go away. But GOP politicians now face a question they never had to ask about Trump: How much are they willing to risk on behalf of a lame-duck president? E.J. Dionne is on X: @EJDionneWashington (CNN) — The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, officially opened Thursday for students seeking financial aid for college during the 2025-2026 school year. The form traditionally opens on October 1, but the Department of Education delayed the release in an effort to avoid a repeat of last year’s rocky rollout after making significant updates to the application. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressed concern that the problems would prevent some low-income students from attending college at all. Submitting the form is required for students to access federal Pell grants, student loans and other kinds of financial aid and is filled out by millions of people annually. The department has been testing the 2025-26 form by allowing a limited number of students and families to submit the application since October 1. Officials had expected to officially release the form on December 1 but pushed up the opening date after conducting four testing phases. “The results throughout the beta testing have been really encouraging,” said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on a call with reporters. As of Tuesday morning, 167,000 applications had been successfully submitted. “The 2025-26 FAFSA form is ready for prime time and is available both online and on paper,” Cardona said. Earlier this week, both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed a bill that, if signed into law, will legally require the Department of Education to open the FAFSA form on October 1 each year going forward. Late last December, a new version of the FAFSA form – a culmination of changes approved by Congress in 2019 and 2020 – was released. The changes make the FAFSA easier to fill out and deliver more financial aid to students and families, but the implementation was plagued with problems. The botched rollout resulted in significant delays for students, many of whom were still waiting for financial aid award letters – which show how much they will have to pay for college – when trying to decide where to enroll for the coming fall. An earlier analysis from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found that FAFSA submissions were down 3%, or by 432,000, compared with the year before as of late August – when most college fall terms begin – and that the drop in applications was the largest for low-income students. The Department of Education has said that the submissions gap fell to about 2% in September and that more students qualified for Pell grants, which are awarded to the lowest-income students. Many students whose parents do not have Social Security numbers experienced challenges submitting the 2024-25 form as they waited for the government to verify their identity through other means. Now, those students are allowed to submit the 2025-26 FAFSA even if their parent’s identity has yet to be verified. Before submitting the FAFSA through the Federal Student Aid website , a student must create a username and password with Federal Student Aid, known as an FSA ID . Parents of dependent students must also create an FSA ID and fill out a portion of the application. The number of questions on the FAFSA vary by applicant, based on his or her financial circumstance, but there are roughly two-thirds fewer questions as of last year’s form than in previous years. It’s easier to fill out than in years past because some information is now directly taken from a filer’s tax return so that an applicant won’t have to go hunting for information. Additionally, a handful of questions have been eliminated on the updated form. It’s expected to take most people less than an hour to fill out the FAFSA form, including gathering any information needed to complete it. The Department of Education has added 700 agents to its contact center since January and will add 225 more over the next few weeks to help support students and families submit the form. It also added extended FAFSA-only weeknight and Saturday contact center hours. 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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There seemed to be little joy in another last-second win for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes looked stoic after fill-in kicker Spencer Shrader's field goal beat Carolina 30-27. Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and the rest of the Chiefs merely joined him in walking from the sideline to midfield for handshakes, then headed back to the locker room, a scene completely different from the jubilation they exhibited at the end of so many other nail-biters. Might be that they're getting sick of the stress at the end of games; Kansas City has won 12 straight games decided by seven points or fewer, the longest streak in NFL history, and has won five games decided on the final play this season. Then again, it might be that the Chiefs felt as if they should have beaten the Panthers by a much wider margin. They committed 10 penalties for 91 yards. Their secondary struggled against Carolina quarterback Bryce Young, a one-time bust who has started to play better of late. And their offensive tackles were routinely beaten with Mahomes sacked five times. "You always want to have some blowouts. You want to be a little calmer in the fourth quarter," said Mahomes, who had one of his best games despite the protection problems, throwing for 269 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. "It can be a good thing as you get to the playoffs and later in the season," Mahomes added, "just knowing you've been in those moments before, and knowing how to kind of attack it play by play — not making it too big of a moment. I will say this more than anybody, I would love to win a game not by the very last play." The Chiefs (10-1) nevertheless remained a game ahead of Buffalo in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC heading into Friday's game against the Raiders. But there is no margin for error with the Bills now holding the tiebreaker over them. "It's all about getting better. That's the best thing about playing in the NFL," Mahomes said. "We've got to just go back, learn from (Carolina), and know we have a short week against a hungry football team in the Raiders that's coming to our house." What's working The Chiefs' tight ends have taken advantage of deep shell coverages played by opposing defenses by getting open underneath, especially Noah Gray, who had his second straight two-touchdown day against the Panthers. He finished with four catches for a team-best 66 yards, while Kelce was right behind with six catches for 62 yards. What needs help The Chiefs have had problems at tackle all season. Wanya Morris struggled again on the left side and veteran Jawaan Taylor was not much better on the right, and they're a big reason why Mahomes has been sacked 15 times over the past four games. Stock up Just a few weeks ago, Shrader was on the Jets practice squad, hoping for a chance to kick in another regular-season game. Now, with Harrison Butker on injured reserve, he is making the most of that chance in Kansas City. The undrafted rookie is 3 for 3 on field goals, including that 31-yard game-winner against Carolina, and perfect on six extra-point attempts. Stock down Just about everyone in the Kansas City secondary struggled against Carolina, whether it was cornerbacks Nazeeh Johnson and Chamarri Conner or safeties Bryan Cook and Justin Reid. Young shredded them for 263 yards passing and a touchdown. Injuries The Chiefs could have running back Isiah Pacheco and pass rusher Charles Omenihu back this week. Both have been practicing the past couple of weeks and were close to playing against Carolina. Pacheco is returning from an ankle injury sustained in Week 2 while Omenihu has not played since tearing his ACL in the playoffs last season. Key number 5 — Kansas City improved to 5-0 against the NFC this season, making it 26-6 against the AFC's rival conference since Mahomes became the franchise's regular starter for the 2018 season. Next steps The Chiefs have won seven of their past eight against Las Vegas heading into Friday's game, though they no doubt remember the Raiders' previous trip to Arrowhead Stadium. Las Vegas pulled the upset on Christmas Day last season.There must be a billion photographs about Israel from the birth of photography to the present. I wondered how I could capture the sense of the place and cultures within it. How could I find a different and intriguing approach? I looked back to ethnographic research in Cali, Colombia and in projects in the U.S.-Mexico border region. I could buy a more expensive camera. I could also create my own art. Here is what I learned to see over nearly forty years. When I first traveled to Israel in 1985, I was a tourist. Many of my wife’s relatives lived there, having escaped or been forced to leave Iraq in the early 1950s. That was when I snapped photographs. I had yet to become a proficient digital artist. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that I would be able to repurpose my earlier photographs. An adventure in visual art and my relation to Israel began to emerge. I began to impose meaning on my travels to Israel. It was not just being there, but being there in multiple ways with the changing technology of photography and the digital darkroom. My photographs are often edited as digital art. In one photo from 1985, I deleted a view of the Kidron valley below the way up to the Temple Mount. There was a line of rabbis overlooking a low wall. I saw the valley as a distraction. I added clouds from my home in Poway. I now found a sense of awe in the image. I don’t know whether the rabbis had experienced what I imagined. But my image pictured it that way. Years later, I was surprised to see my image resonating with Exodus 24:10 — and they saw the God of Israel — under whose feet was the likeness of a pavement of sapphire. Perhaps I was now seeing what others had imagined in biblical times. In one way it became my just-so story. Places of Significance When I revisited Israel in 2007, I became intrigued with digital infrared photography, The structure of the photographic image remains the same, but the color and lighting sensibility changes. Israel became infrared. This was about using photography, and editing it, to pay attention — a way of mindfulness. Henry Miller captures what I was finding in Israel in blades of grass, about this sense of paying attention: “The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” So, too, I was finding the places and cultures in Israel. In the moment of taking photographs and inquiring into them with image editing. Israel in a Smartphone I was among those trading in their cameras for smartphones. Perhaps the loss in high resolution was not a loss at all. The photos could retain their structure while sacrificing a bit of sharp lines, texture and color. For most photos, the loss was barely noticeable and whatever was lost could be mostly regained with digital editing. Perfection continued to give way to good enough. But the technology was not static, it improved. It was now 2023 and I decided to rely on my smartphone camera. The important question for me was weighted toward the art and less the measures of technical accuracy. Could AI Model What My Camera Saw? Once more I went to Israel. COVID had delayed my travels. It was now 2023. I began to experiment with generative AI to create images. The most accessible platform was DALLE2 (an OpenAI technology). My plan was to take photos with my smartphone; then I would type words that described what I was seeing into the generative AI platform. My plan was to see if my words could capture what I saw. These two images — the actual photo and the AI replicant — would frame a conversation for me. How do these two realities gibe with each other? One seen and the other energized by my words and filtered through the layers, loops and algorithms that had a database of millions of images on which it had been trained. This was an experiment in “seeing” or understanding what it is that we tell ourselves what it is we are seeing. Often, I would have to change my wording to reach a more accurate approximation of what I was seeing. I admit this was a strange experiment. But it was an intellectual exercise that challenged how my words reflected what I perceived. What I was rewarded with was not what my photograph pictured so much as a surprise. Even when I found that the generative AI image was wrongheaded, it was a way to ask myself, What is Israel? The way these generative AI models crafted its versions of my text prompts was biased and puzzling, then and even now. I found myself in one moment having a coffee and pastry at a local café. As my wife and friends chatted, a woman got up. She was juggling her coffee, phone and cigarette. I tried to capture that moment with this text prompt: photorealistic image, middle aged woman, just finished her coffee outside outdoor cafe, cigarette in one hand, cell phone and coffee in her other hand. We have launched our year-end campaign. Our goal: Raise $50,000 by Dec. 31. Help us get there. Times of San Diego is devoted to producing timely, comprehensive news about San Diego County. Your donation helps keep our work free-to-read, funds reporters who cover local issues and allows us to write stories that hold public officials accountable. Join the growing list of donors investing in our community's long-term future. The original photo on the left is an example of street photography. The woman, outside a Tel Aviv café, is struggling to balance her coffee and cell phone (and possible her purse as well) while smoking a cigarette. The images to the right are examples of using a description of the woman as a prompt in two different generative AI models. The DALLE2 image lacks the near perfect rendition found in Epic Realism. Neither, though, capture the entire detail provided in the text prompt. As I tweaked the test, the generative AI models continued to improve. But an important question remained. In using AI, there is no human authorship unless one considers the text prompt sufficient to qualify as the human element. Still, there is potential benefit. If one could not access an unfolding reality, perhaps the AI platform could help imagine it. Picasso had imagined the horror of Guernica . Could AI do as well for the unfolding horror of Oct. 7? That was what wondered as we waited in our Tel Aviv apartment. Our thoughts tried to catch up to the unfolding horror. Imagining Oct. 7 I tried to imagine what was happening in our building. We were shown the stairs outside our apartment. There were already other residents sitting there. My text prompt to DALLE2 described an odd staircase with individuals oddly grabbing each other. The generative AI images often fail to picture the reality we can see; it may refuse to honor our words because of its algorithmic biases, company policies and guidelines; it may be unable to translate our words into what we perceive. In this sense, AI images fail to supplant our own creativity. I was determined to capture what I experienced on Oct. 7. Since coming back from Israel, I started working with other generative AI platforms including Stable Diffusion. This allowed me to keep the same structure of the image while adding a multitude of novel and unexpected elements. I returned to one of the photos I took on Oct. 7. We were shown our building’s bomb shelter by one of the other tenants. It was a basement room that appeared never to have been used. The photograph pictured a drab stairwell leading down to the building’s safe room. I wanted to bring that stairwell into the aesthetic that drove Picasso’s Guernica to Dali’s Premonition of Civil War to Goya’s The Third of May 1808. This stairwell was not the horror of the south of Israel ; it was a different fear — a tourist in Tel Aviv. I would be naïve to think that picturing reality would be better with a camera, AI or digital image editing. Or a paintbrush. Or with any tools an artist might choose. Our eyes center reality, but even then we are deceived. Still, we try to understand the reality in which we exist. Joe Nalven is a San Diego-based digital artist. He is the author of Going Digital: The Practice and Vision of Digital Artists (Thompson, 2005). He will be giving a public lecture at the Coronado Public Library on Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. The lecture is free and sponsored by the Center for Jewish Culture. For more information: Tel. 858-362-1150 or www.lfjcc.org . Get Our Free Daily Email Newsletter Get the latest local and California news from Times of San Diego delivered to your inbox at 8 a.m. daily. Sign up for our free email newsletter and be fully informed of the most important developments.
Tetairoa McMillan, one of the best wide receivers in Arizona history, will skip his final year of eligibility and enter the 2025 NFL Draft, he announced on social media on Thursday. Projected as a top-10 draft pick, the 6-foot-5, 212-pound McMillan finished his illustrious career at Arizona with 3,423 receiving yards, breaking the mark set by Bobby Wade (3,351). In three seasons, the Hawaii native also posted the fourth-most catches (213) and third-most touchdowns (26) in school history. "Wildcat Nation, this journey has been everything I dreamed of and more," McMillan wrote on Instagram. "From the moment I committed to the University of Arizona, to every second spent wearing that Arizona jersey ... it's been an absolute honor. "The University of Arizona has provided me with the platform to grow and chase my dreams. ... Thank you from the bottom of my heart. To the best fans in the country, I appreciate you for all of the love and support you have given me these last 3 years. I will always be a Wildcat." In 2024, McMillan totaled 84 grabs (ninth in Division I) for 1,319 yards (third in Division I) and eight touchdowns for the 4-8 Wildcats. He also ranked third in Division I with 109.9 receiving yards per game. McMillan is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the most outstanding receiver in college football. --Field Level Media
Donald Trump’s election interference and classified documents cases dismissedMiami should be without two starters on defense for its Thanksgiving night game against the Green Bay Packers, but both could be back soon. The Dolphins also activated offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn off the PUP list.Denver Shines Brightly this New Year's Eve
Firefly to enter European market in first half of 2025 trough dealers, Nio CEO saysFacebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save WASHINGTON — The House passed a $895 billion measure Wednesday that authorizes a 1% increase in defense spending this fiscal year and would give a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military. The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization. The bill passed by a vote of 281-140 and next moves to the Senate, where lawmakers sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the current measure allows. The Pentagon and the surrounding area is seen Jan. 26, 2020, from the air in Washington. Lawmakers are touting the bill's 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. People are also reading... OSU football: A prediction gone badly wrong Philomath driver suspected of DUII in Corvallis pileup Corvallis police seek grinches who stole Christmas As I See It: Six reasons why Trump won again OSU men's basketball: Beavers hope blowout wins pave the way for bigger things Corvallis Samaritan hospital has new CEO 2025 to bring rate increases, new fee for hauling Corvallis waste Graduate employees reach deal with OSU to end strike The real reason Corvallis' Pastega Lights moved to Linn County Why did Trump win? Election debrief hosted by Corvallis group Graduate strike at OSU continues. What's the holdup? OSU football: Beavers add 18 players as signing period opens Corvallis woman cuts hair for homeless: 'The Lord gave me a calling' Albany man pleads to numerous sex crimes Molestation victim’s mother tampered with court case Lawmakers said service member pay failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. "No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that's exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "This bill goes a long way to fixing that." The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation's borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators wanted to increase defense spending about $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a "tremendous loss for our national defense," though he agreed with many provisions in the bill. "We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it," Wicker said. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., speaks with reporters Nov. 21 on Capitol Hill in Washington. House Republicans don't want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many nondefense programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a "very real problem." He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, proved effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. "These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives," Smith said. "And in this bill, we decided we're going to bar service members' children from having access to that." Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care extends into the thousands. He could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson's office insisted on the ban and said the provision "taints an otherwise excellent piece of legislation." Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying, "I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates." Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, "and yet, here it is in this bill." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., responds to reporters Dec. 6 during his weekly news conference at the Capitol in Washington. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team did not tell Democrats how to vote on the bill. "There's a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well," Jeffries said. The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration requested about $10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January. U.S. Troops Face Mounting Threats from Predatory Debt Collectors U.S. Troops Face Mounting Threats from Predatory Debt Collectors Rising threats from debt collectors against members of the U.S. armed forces are undermining national security, according to data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal watchdog that protects consumer rights. To manage the impact of financial stress on individual performance, the Defense Department dedicates precious resources to improving financial literacy, so service members know the dangers of notorious no-credit-check loans. “The financial well-being of service members and their families is one of the Department’s top priorities,” said Andrew Cohen, the director of financial readiness in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. But debt collectors are gaining ground. Last quarter, debt collection complaints by U.S. military service members increased 24% , and attempts to collect on “debts not owed” surged 40%. Complaints by service members against debt collectors for deceptive practices ballooned from 1,360 in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 1,833 in the first quarter of 2024. “There’s a connection between the financial readiness and the readiness of a service member to perform their duty,” said Jim Rice, Assistant Director, Office of Servicemember Affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Laws exist to protect the mission readiness of U.S. troops from being compromised by threats and intimidation, but debt collectors appear to be violating them at an alarming pace. “If they’re threatening to call your commander or get your security clearance revoked, that’s illegal,” says Deborah Olvera, financial readiness manager at Wounded Warriors Project, and a military spouse who’s been harassed herself by a collection agency that tried to extort money from her for a debt she didn’t owe. But after she requested the name of the original creditor, she never heard from them again. “The financial well-being of service members and their families is one of the Department’s top priorities.” —Andrew Cohen, Director of Financial Readiness at the Pentagon Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, it’s illegal for debt collectors to threaten to contact your boss or have you arrested because it violates your financial privacy. The FDCPA also prohibits debt collectors from making false, deceptive, or misleading representations in connection with the collection of a debt, even for borrowers with bad credit scores. But according to the data, debt collectors are increasingly ignoring those rules. “Debt collection continues to be one of the top consumer complaint categories,” said a spokesperson at the Federal Trade Commission. The commission released a report earlier this year revealing that consumers were scammed $10 billion in 2023, a new benchmark for fraud losses. In his book Debt: The First 5,000 Years, David Graeber argues that debt often creates a relationship that can feel more oppressive than systems of hierarchy, like slavery or caste systems because it starts by presuming equality between the debtor and the creditor. When the debtor falls into arrears, that equality is then destroyed. This sense of betrayal and the subsequent imbalance of power leads to widespread resentment toward lenders. Most Menacing Loan Messengers Photo Credit: Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock The debt collector reportedly harassing military service members most was Resurgent Capital Services, a subsidiary of collection giant Sherman Financial Group. The company tacks on accrued interest and junk fees and tries to collect on debts purchased for pennies on the dollar from cable companies, hospitals, and credit card companies, among others. Sherman Financial Group is run by billionaire Benjamin Navarro, who has a reported net worth of $1.5 billion, according to Forbes. Sherman Financial also owns subprime lender Credit One Bank and LVNV Funding, which outsource collections to Resurgent Capital. According to CFPB data, the second worst offender is CL Holdings, the parent company of debt-buyer Jefferson Capital Systems. The company has also been named in numerous complaints to the Better Business Bureau for alleged violations of the FDCPA, such as failing to properly validate debts or update credit reports with accurate information. Under the leadership of CEO David Burton, Jefferson Capital Systems is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CompuCredit Corporation, which markets subprime credit cards under the names Aspire, Majestic, and others. The third most referenced debt collector is publicly traded Portfolio Recovery Associates [NASDAQ: PRAA], which was forced to pay $27 million in penalties for making false representations about debts, initiating lawsuits without proper documentation, and other violations. Portfolio Recovery Associates is run by CEO Vikram Atal. Fourth place for alleged worst offender goes to Encore Capital Group [NASDAQ ECPG], which was required to pay $42 million in consumer refunds and a $10 million penalty for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Encore collects under its subsidiary Midland Credit Management Group. These debt collectors all operate under a veritable shell game of company and brand names, almost none of which are disclosed on their websites, sending consumers on a wild goose chase to try and figure out how they’re related to each other. But despite their attempts to hide their tracks behind a smoke screen of subsidiaries, a leopard can’t change its spots, and the CFPB complaint database makes it harder for them to try. Loan Harassment Hotspots Photo Credit: Bumble Dee / Shutterstock Although widely considered a consumer-friendly state, complaints spiked most in California, which saw a 188% increase in complaints filed from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. California is home to 157,367 military personnel, making it the most populous state for active-duty service members. The second-largest increase in debt collection complaints was in Texas, which saw a 66% jump from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. The U.S. Department of Defense reports 111,005 service members stationed in the Lone Star State, which is the third-most populous state for active-duty military. The rising trends do not correlate to the number of military personnel by state. Complaints against debt collectors in Virginia, the second most populous state with 126,145 active duty personnel, decreased by 29% in the same quarter-over-quarter period. And complaints filed quarter-over-quarter in North Carolina, the fifth most populous state with 91,077 military personnel, decreased by 3% in the same period. The third largest percentage increase in debt collection complaints was from service members stationed in Maryland, where alleged harassment reports jumped 112% from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. Maryland ranks number 12 with just 28,059 active duty service members. Fourth place goes to Ohio – the 28th most populous active-duty state – where complaints doubled, followed by Arizona – the 15th most populous military state – where complaints were up 70% in the same quarter-over-quarter period. Billionaire Bets on Bad Credit Photo Credit: PeopleImages.com - Yuri A / Shutterstock In 2007, Congress passed the Military Lending Act to cap the cost of credit to a 36% annual percentage rate, inclusive of junk fees and late charges, for active duty military service members. That rate is still considerably higher than average credit card rates, which range from 8% for borrowers with excellent credit scores to as high as 36% for borrowers with bad credit. But lenders still get hauled into court for violating the MLA. Don Hankey, the billionaire subprime auto lender who funded Donald Trump’s $175 million appeal bond , is among those violators. His company, Westlake Financial, which markets high-interest car loans for bad credit, has been sued twice by the Department of Justice for harassing military service members. In 2017, the DoJ alleged Hankey’s Westlake Financial illegally repossessed at least 70 vehicles owned by military service members. Westlake Financial paid $700,000 to settle the charges. In 2022, Westlake Financial paid $250,000 for allegedly cheating U.S. troops out of interest rates they were legally entitled to. Westlake Financial continues to receive complaints from military service members alleging abusive debt collection practices on its no-credit-check loans. A steady year-over-year increase in the number of complaints filed against Westlake Financial continued from 2020 to 2023. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data shows a 13% increase in the number of complaints against the company from 2020 to 2021, a 28% increase from 2021 to 2022, and a torrential 119% surge from 2022 to 2023. The numbers suggest systemic complaint-handling processes and inadequate customer service resources. Lenders Try to Shutter CFPB Photo Credit: Cynthia Shirk / Shutterstock On May 16, 2024, a deceptively named predatory lending industry front group dubbed the Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA) lost a legal attempt to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In an effort to deprive Americans of essential consumer protections, the lobby group argued that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding structure was unconstitutional. But the Supreme Court denied its claim. In a 7-2 ruling, the Court held that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding structure is indeed constitutional. That means the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau cannot be defunded, but it does not mean the agency cannot be defanged. The New York Times suggested that Hankey’s incentive to finance Trump’s $175 million bond could have been a reciprocity pledge to neuter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if Trump wins the upcoming U.S. presidential election. If Trump wins a second term, he could replace Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Rohit Chopra, an American consumer advocate, with a predatory lending advocate. In 2020, the Trump Administration secured a Supreme Court ruling that made it easier for the president to fire the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The ruling struck down previous restrictions on when a president can fire the bureau’s director. Like other federal agencies, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has also been confronted for overstepping its bounds, pushing too far, and acting unfairly against entities it regulates. Holidays, Interest Rates Not to Blame Photo Credit: Lux Blue / Shutterstock Seasonality and rising interest rates do not explain the increase in debt collection complaints from service members. The surge in complaints is not tied to predictable seasonal fluctuations or changes in interest rates. The increase in debt collection complaints by service members may point to underlying systemic issues, such as aggressive and predatory debt collection practices that exploit the unique financial vulnerabilities of service members, who face frequent relocations and deployments. Debt Complaints by Service Members From Q1 2021 to Q4 2022 Up 4% From Q4 2022 to Q1 2023 Up 6% From Q4 2023 to Q1 2024 Up 24% The 24% spike in debt collection complaints exhibits no correlation to fluctuations in interest rates. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates From 3.08% in Q4 2021 to 3.82% in Q1 2022 From 6.66% in Q4 2022 to 6.37% in Q1 2023 From 7.30% in Q1 2023 to 6.75% in Q4 2024 Pandemic stimulus checks were also not a factor. COVID-19 relief benefit checks went through three major rounds during the pandemic. The final round of Economic Impact Payments went out in March 2021 . To better understand the rising trend of debt collection complaints, we calculated the increase in the total number of complaints and the percentage increase quarter-over-quarter. For example, New Jersey has the second largest percentage increase in complaints quarter-over-quarter, but the total number of complaints increased by just 16. Methodology The data for this study was sourced from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaint database. The dataset specifically targeted complaints filed by U.S. military service members, identified using the tag “Servicemember” within Q4 2023 and Q1 2024. Readers can find the detailed research methodology underlying this news story in the accompanying section here . For complete results, see U.S. Troops Face Mounting Threats from Predatory Debt Collectors on BadCredit.org . Veteran homelessness is on the rise despite government efforts—here's how it happens Veteran homelessness is on the rise despite government efforts—here's how it happens Homelessness reached record levels in 2023, as rents and home prices continued to rise in most of the U.S. One group was particularly impacted: people who have served in the U.S. military. "This time last year, we knew the nation was facing a deadly public health crisis," Jeff Olivet, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, said in a statement about the 2023 numbers. He said the latest homelessness estimates from the Department of Housing and Urban Development "confirms the depth of the crisis." At least 35,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness in 2023, according to HUD. While that's about half of what it was in 2009—when the organization began collecting data—things have plateaued in recent years despite active efforts to get that number to zero. Although they make up just 6.6% of the total homeless population, veterans are more likely to be at risk of homelessness than Americans overall. Of every 10,000 Americans, 20 were experiencing homelessness. Of veterans living in the United States, that number jumps to 22, HUD data shows. Complicated by bureaucracy, family dynamics, and prejudice, the path from serving in the military to homelessness is a long one. According to a 2022 study by Yale School of Medicine researchers, homelessness typically occurs within four years of leaving the military, as veterans must contend with the harsh reality of finding a job in a world where employers struggle to see how skills on the battlefield transfer to a corporate environment. These days, veterans also deal with historically high rent and home prices, which causes many to rely on family generosity while figuring out a game plan. Stacker examined academic studies, analyzed government data, and spoke with members of the Biden administration, experts, and former members of the armed forces to see the struggles members of the military face when leaving the armed forces. Veterans struggle to find a path forward The Department of Veterans Affairs offers transition assistance to the roughly 250,000 service members who leave each year. However, those programs can be burdensome and complex to navigate, especially for those who don't have a plan for post-military life. Only a small portion of veterans have jobs lined up when they leave, according to 2019 Pew Research. Many also choose to live with relatives until they get on their feet, which can be longer than anticipated. Some former service members are unsure what kind of career they'd like to pursue and may have to get further education or training, Carl Castro, director of the Military and Veteran Programs at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California, told Stacker. "It takes years for that kind of transition," Castro said. Many have trouble finding a job after leaving the service, even if they are qualified. Some employers carry misconceptions about those who have served. A 2020 analysis from the journal Human Resource Management Review found that some veterans face hiring discrimination due to negative stereotypes that lead hiring managers to write them off as a poor culture fit. Underemployment, or working low-wage jobs below their skill level, is also an issue. While the unemployment rate for veterans was 3% in March 2024, a study released by Penn State at the end of 2023 found three years after leaving the service, 61% of veterans said they were underemployed because of perceived skill mismatches . This phenomenon can have long-term economic effects, and eventually, that frustration can boil over, strain relationships, and potentially lead to housing instability. Working, especially a low-wage job, is not protection against homelessness. A 2021 study from the University of Chicago found half of people living in homeless shelters and 2 in 5 unsheltered people were employed, full or part-time. Some veterans struggle to find homes in their budget High rents make it difficult to save up, even when applying for a VA loan—a mortgage backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs that typically has more favorable terms. While the VA does not require a downpayment, some lenders, who ultimately provide the loan, do. They're not entirely risk-free either, and veterans can still lose their homes if they are unable to keep up with their mortgages. In November 2023, the VA put a six-month pause on foreclosures when an NPR investigation found thousands of veterans were in danger of losing their homes after a COVID forbearance program ended. Biden officials pointed to high rents and the end of COVID-era housing restrictions like eviction moratoriums to explain the spike in Americans experiencing homelessness. In the last year, homelessness rose 12%—to more than 650,000 people—the highest level since data began being collected in 2007. Overall, more than half of people experiencing homelessness in 2023 live in states with high living costs. Most were in California, followed by New York and Florida. Western states, including Montana and Utah, experienced massive population growth during the pandemic, becoming hubs for remote workers who drove home prices and rents even further. Vets with mental health issues most at risk for homelessness For veterans, housing costs certainly play a role, but those who leave the military also face systemic barriers. "It's worrying there are people that continue to fall through the cracks," said Jeanette Yih Harvie, a research associate at Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Just under a quarter of adults experiencing homelessness have a severe mental illness , according to 2022 HUD survey data. They are also likely to have chronic illnesses but are unable to maintain preventative care, which only exacerbates these problems. Veterans facing homelessness are more likely to have experienced trauma , either before or after joining the military, according to Yale researchers who analyzed the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Childhood trauma was among the most significant commonalities among vets who become homeless. Substance use disorder is also widespread and can indicate an undiagnosed mental illness . Racial and ethnic disparities are at play, too. A 2023 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research showed that Hispanic and Black veterans were more likely to screen positive for PTSD, and Hispanic veterans were more likely to report having suicidal ideation. Overall, access to mental health care has improved in the last decade or so. In December 2023, the VA announced it would open nine additional counseling centers. However, the stigma of getting help remains, especially after years of being conditioned to be self-reliant and pull oneself up by their bootstraps. That help, in the form of public policy, is slowly working to catch up to the need. In 2023, the Biden administration invested millions into research programs and studies on suicide prevention by the VA office in addition to a proposed $16 billion to improve quality and lower-cost mental health care services for veterans. And, in February of this year, HUD and the VA announced they would give up to $14 million in vouchers to public housing agencies for veterans experiencing homelessness. The program would also offer case management and other services. Still, with a culture that pushes people to keep going, it can be challenging for servicemembers to take advantage of these opportunities, Harvie said. "When you've been doing that for the last 15 or 20 years, it's difficult to stop and say, 'I'm the person that needs help.'" Story editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
NEW YORK , Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with the AI impact on market trends - The retail market in vietnam size is estimated to grow by USD 226.4 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 13.64% during the forecast period. Growing demand for convenience food products is driving market growth, with a trend towards emergence of urban lifestyles in Vietnam . However, issues related to logistics and supply chain operations poses a challenge.Key market players include 7 Eleven Inc., AEON CO. LTD., Berli Jucker Public Co. Ltd., Central Group of Company, Central Retail Corp., Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL, Circle K, E Mart Co. Ltd., FPT Retail Joint Stock Co., Lotte Shopping Plaza Vietnam Co. Ltd., Masan Group, MM Mega Market Vietnam, Saigon Union of Trading Cooperatives, and SPAR International. Key insights into market evolution with AI-powered analysis. Explore trends, segmentation, and growth drivers- View Free Sample PDF Market Driver Vietnam's retail market is experiencing significant growth due to economic development. Traditional formats like brick-and-mortar stores, shopping malls, boutiques, and specialty stores coexist with modern retailing. The digital wave is transforming businesses with tech-savvy consumers preferring ecommerce platforms. AI, machine learning, IoT, and omnichannel strategies offer seamless shopping experiences, enhancing customer loyalty. Price sensitivity remains a key factor, with health, wellness products, fitness, and wellness supplements gaining popularity. Brands focus on brand awareness and shopping experience, offering diverse product ranges. Sustainability is a growing trend, with eco-friendly products, green technologies, and reduced plastic use. Mahindra, the Chairperson, sustainability and environmental awareness in the supply chain. Adaptation to changing consumer preferences, data analytics, and omnichannel experiences are essential for businesses. Urbanization increases the demand for modern retail, including department stores and organized sector growth. Traditional stores like Kirana shops and street vendors maintain their local connection and personalized service, offering lower operational costs. Cultural significance remains, with infrastructure improvements supporting the expansion of both modern and traditional retail sectors. Vietnam's retail market is experiencing significant growth due to urbanization and changing consumer preferences among young urban customers. This shift is leading to the expansion of contemporary retail channels, including convenience stores and e-commerce. Online retail sales have seen substantial growth, with both established and private retailers effectively selling their products through digital platforms. The elimination of physical stores, merchandise, salespeople, and inventory requirements makes online sales an attractive option for retailers. Additionally, the increasing Internet and smartphone penetration in Vietnam provides retailers with an opportunity to expand their reach and offer their products online. Request Sample of our comprehensive report now to stay ahead in the AI-driven market evolution! Market Challenges In Vietnam's retail market, economic development brings new opportunities but also challenges. Traditional formats like brick-and-mortar stores face competition from modern retailing and ecommerce platforms. Tech-savvy consumers prefer seamless shopping experiences, digital technologies like AI and machine learning, and omnichannel strategies. Businesses must adapt to the digital wave and offer convenience, customer loyalty, and eco-friendly practices to stay competitive. Price sensitivity remains a key factor, with health, wellness products, fitness, and wellness supplements popular. Brands aim for increased awareness and better shopping experiences through payment options, infrastructure, and personalized service. Sustainability is a growing concern, with green technologies, ecofriendly products, and reduced plastic use gaining importance. The organized sector, including department stores and modern retail, competes with the unorganized sector, including traditional stores, kirana shops, and street vendors, which offer local connection and lower operational costs. Mahindra's Chairperson sustainability and environmental awareness in the retail sector's supply chain. Urbanization and changing consumer preferences drive e-commerce expansion and adaptation to an omnichannel experience. Data analytics plays a crucial role in understanding consumer behavior and adapting to their evolving needs. In Vietnam's retail market, back-end supply chain management processes are intricate due to the developing infrastructure. Functions include product acquisition, warehouse management, packaging, inventory, distribution, and merchandising. Costs entail IT support, infrastructure, and customer service. Managing transportation and multiple retail stores adds complexity, with potential product damage risks. Retailers face challenges in optimizing these processes for efficiency and cost savings. Effective supply chain management is crucial for retailers to remain competitive in Vietnam's market. Discover how AI is revolutionizing market trends- Get your access now! Segment Overview This retail market in Vietnam report extensively covers market segmentation by 1.1 Offline 1.2 Online 2.1 Grocery 2.2 Electronics and appliances 2.3 Home and garden 2.4 Health and beauty 2.5 Others 3.1 APAC 1.1 Offline- The retail market in Vietnam offers significant growth opportunities, yet faces intense competition among domestic and international retailers. Supermarkets, with their wide range of daily necessities and convenient one-stop shopping experience, remain popular among consumers. These stores provide food, non-food items, and household appliances, as well as in-house bakeries and cafes. Traditional retailers continue to dominate due to their extensive availability, lower prices, and fresh produce offerings. Convenience stores, offering everyday essentials, are strategically located near highways and busy roads. Department stores or commercial centers provide a broad selection of consumer goods, shaping urban shopping habits. Despite the rise of digital channels, physical retail channels continue to dominate the Vietnamese retail landscape. Download a Sample of our comprehensive report today to discover how AI-driven innovations are reshaping competitive dynamics Research Analysis Vietnam's retail market is experiencing rapid growth due to the country's economic development. Traditional formats like street markets and mom-and-pop stores continue to coexist with modern retailing, offering a diverse shopping experience. The economy's digital wave has brought about a tech-savvy consumer base, leading businesses to adopt digital technologies such as AI, machine learning, and IoT for omnichannel strategies. Ecommerce platforms and brick-and-mortar stores are merging to provide seamless shopping experiences. Shopping malls, boutiques, and specialty stores cater to various consumer needs, from health and wellness products to fitness and wellness supplements. The organized sector, including department stores and brand awareness, is expanding, offering a wider range of products at competitive prices. Price sensitivity remains a key factor, making affordability a priority for many businesses. Overall, Vietnam's retail market is an exciting space to watch as it continues to evolve and adapt to consumer demands. Market Research Overview Vietnam's retail market is experiencing significant growth due to the country's economic development. Traditional formats are evolving as modern retailing gains popularity among tech-savvy consumers. The digital wave is transforming businesses with ecommerce platforms and AI, machine learning, IoT, and omnichannel strategies offering seamless shopping experiences. Convenience, customer loyalty, and environmental impact are key considerations. Indian consumers are price-sensitive and prefer health, wellness products, fitness products, and wellness supplements. The organized sector, including department stores and modern retail, is expanding, while the unorganized sector, including traditional stores, Kirana shops, and street vendors, maintains a local connection and offers personalized service at lower operational costs. Sustainability and environmental awareness are increasingly important, with eco-friendly products, green technologies, and plastic use reduction becoming priorities. Urbanization and changing consumer preferences are driving the adoption of digital technologies and infrastructure development. Adaptation to these trends is essential for businesses to thrive in this dynamic market. Mahindra, the Chairperson, the importance of sustainability and environmental awareness in the retail sector. Supply chain optimization and brand awareness are also crucial factors in the shopping experience, with payment options and infrastructure development playing a significant role in the success of both physical stores and online platforms. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Distribution Channel Offline Online Type Grocery Electronics And Appliances Home And Garden Health And Beauty Others Geography APAC 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE TechnavioRussia’s steady gains along much of the Ukraine war’s battlefront have fueled doubts among Ukrainians that their military will ever reclaim significant swaths of lost territory. And as pressure grows to reach a negotiated settlement, they are increasingly resigned that any peace deal will entail giving up much if not all of the land Russia now occupies. According to a Gallup poll published this week, 52% now say Ukraine should be willing to give up territory to end the war. Still, many remain adamant that what is at stake is not just some eastern provinces bordering Russia, but Ukraine’s existence as an independent nation. And the notion remains strong that Ukraine’s acquiescence to Russia on the territorial issue would send a devastating signal around the world that force prevails over the rule of law. “It sounds very good if it could end the war, but the truth is that if you give Russia one meter of territory, they will see that as weakness, and they will not stop until they take everything,” says Yevhen, an engineering student at Mykolaiv’s Black Sea National University. “We Ukrainians know this,” he adds, “but it’s something the world must understand as well.” Standing on the shrapnel-pocked steps of Mykolaiv’s Black Sea National University, second-year engineering student Yevhen ponders the seductive appeal of the formula “land for peace” for ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. And then, like many of his fellow Ukrainians, he firmly rejects the idea. “It sounds very good if it could end the war, but the truth is that if you give Russia one meter of territory, they will see that as weakness, and they will not stop until they take everything,” says Yevhen, who asked that his last name be withheld. “We Ukrainians know this,” adds the student, whose city was blasted and bombed – but never occupied – following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “But it’s something the world must understand as well.” For months Russia has advanced – slowly and at great cost, to be sure – along much of the war’s battlefront. That has fueled doubts that Ukraine’s military will ever reclaim significant swaths of lost territory. Moreover, Russia’s steady gains have fed resignation that any peace deal will entail giving up much if not all of the 20% of Ukrainian territory Russia now occupies. The impending return of former President Donald Trump to the White House is only the latest element in mounting pressure on Ukraine to reach a negotiated settlement with Russia. Last week German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war, the first conversation between the two in nearly two years. The German government said Mr. Scholz expressed full support for Ukraine. Even so, the outreach was panned by some NATO members and widely interpreted as another sign of fading Western interest in sustaining Ukraine’s military effort – and growing interest in a negotiated settlement. Even President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russia is seen by many analysts as an effort to position Ukraine better for the negotiations Mr. Trump is expected to push for, rather than to boost Ukraine’s ability to win the war. Signs of escalation before any negotiations continued Thursday, as Ukraine said Russia had launched an intercontinental ballistic missile armed with conventional warheads at the central city of Dnipro. Russia refused comment, and U.S. officials reportedly said it was more likely an intermediate range ballistic missile. On Wednesday, President Biden authorized supplying Ukraine with antipersonnel mines to thwart Russia’s ground assault. As Russia’s full-scale invasion – what Ukrainians now call “the big war” – reaches 1,000 days, signs are growing that more Ukrainians are shifting in favor of entering negotiations with Russia. Moreover, a growing number appear to have resigned themselves to the once-taboo prospect of ceding territory to reach a deal. A Gallup poll of Ukrainians published this week finds that more than half want to see negotiations start as soon as possible – up from about one-quarter a year ago. And the same proportion, 52%, says the country should be willing to give up territory to end the war. That view is echoed by Black Sea student Yevhen’s friend Andrii, who says Ukraine’s priority now must be ending the loss of life. “There are two sides to this question of giving up land for peace,” he says. “I understand that for some people, giving up land would be dishonoring the soldiers and others who died defending Ukrainian territory,” says the engineering student. “But if by giving up land for peace you save Ukrainian lives, that view has value, too.” Yet even as more war-weary Ukrainians appear ready to accept ceding territory, many remain adamant that what is at stake is not just some eastern provinces bordering Russia, but Ukraine’s existence as an independent nation. Indeed, the notion remains strong that Ukraine’s acquiescence to Russia on the territorial issue would send a devastating signal around the world that force prevails over the rule of law. For many Ukrainians, their country’s long history with the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and now Mr. Putin’s Russia, offers proof that no deal involving Russian-occupied territory will satisfy Mr. Putin’s real goal: reconstituting the former USSR. “With this war, we are talking about two very different things, either an independent Ukraine that sets its own course and decides its own future, or Ukraine as part of Russia,” says Anastasiia Khmel, dean of the faculty of political sciences at Black Sea National University. As a result, “We have come to the conclusion that part of our territory would not be enough, [that] just the occupied lands would never guarantee peace,” she says. Explaining why “land for peace” is a “false promise,” Professor Khmel says Russia’s real goal – as she says Mr. Putin has made clear – is complete domination of Ukraine. And that, she adds, means more than just territorial control, but “repression of Ukrainian identity and Ukrainian culture as it has occurred throughout the past 300 years” of Russian imperialism. Others agree that ceding land would mean much more than a smaller Ukraine. “In Russia they don’t have a normal conception of national borders; they are thinking in terms of what were the borders of the Soviet Union,” says Mykhailo Ziatin, a Mykolaiv poet and mathematician who has joined a nearby military unit to help repel the invading forces. “That means Russia is not a normal entity you can negotiate with, but an aggressor who would see a land deal as a step and not an end.” And there is another dimension to the land issue that Ukraine is confronting, not just for itself, Mr. Ziatin says. “We Ukrainians don’t want to give up the lands we are responsible for to evil; we are taking a stand that force is not right,” he says. “That is a conviction that should matter to our Western neighbors and to the world.” For the Western democracies that support Ukraine, Mr. Ziatin says, the question is “Are you OK with rewarding the monster who wishes to make our democracy impossible; do we really want to give up anything to that beast?” That Ukrainians do not trust Mr. Putin to abide by any settlement for very long is hardly news, given how he has been seizing Ukrainian territory since 2014. More surprising perhaps is their deep mistrust of any “security guarantees” they anticipate Ukraine’s Western partners would offer as part of a “land for peace” deal. “We already learned the hard way that any deal based on vague security assurances comes with no means to enforce it, and that is the definition of a bad deal,” says Yevhen Hlibovytsky, director of Frontier Institute, a Kyiv think tank. “If Russia is rewarded now for its bad behavior, why should it not return to that bad behavior in the future?” As many Ukrainians are wont to do, Mr. Hlibovytsky refers to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, under which a newly independent Ukraine gave up the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for assurances from world powers, including Russia, that the “inviolability” of its borders would be respected. The Budapest Memorandum “obviously didn’t work,” Mr. Hlibovytsky notes, leading him to foresee dire global consequences if Ukraine is forced into another accord now. “If Ukraine has to cede territory in exchange for another set of vague security assurances,” he says, “that’s an invitation to broader nuclear proliferation around the globe.” Mr. Hlibovytsky says average Ukrainians carry in their hearts the same basic convictions about the rules for achieving international peace. “People on the street will tell you the same thing, just with more four-letter words than a smooth-talking academic uses,” he says. “They sense that Ukraine is something like a test for what rules and order govern the world going forward.” “If the West is not committed to what it has said are its own standards and values,” he adds, “then they feel they have been fooled, and Ukraine is being betrayed.”
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