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Players must be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female before going through male puberty to compete in LPGA tournaments or the eight USGA championships for females under new gender policies published Wednesday. The policies, which begin in 2025, follow more than a year of study involving medicine, science, sport physiology and gender policy law. The updated policies would rule out eligibility for Hailey Davidson, who missed qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open this year by one shot and came up short in LPGA Q-school. Davidson, who turned 32 on Tuesday, began hormone treatments when she was in her early 20s in 2015 and in 2021 underwent gender-affirming surgery, which was required under the LPGA's previous gender policy. She had won this year on a Florida mini-tour called NXXT Golf until the circuit announced in March that players had to be assigned female at birth. “Can't say I didn't see this coming,” Davidson wrote Wednesday on an Instagram story. “Banned from the Epson and the LPGA. All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.” LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who is resigning in January, said the new gender policy "is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach." By making it to the second stage of Q-school, Davidson would have had very limited status on the Epson Tour, the pathway to the LPGA. The LPGA and USGA say their policies were geared toward being inclusive of gender identities and expression while striving for equity in competition. The LPGA said its working group of experts advised that the effects of male puberty allowed for competitive advantages in golf compared with players who had not gone through puberty. “Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who announced Monday that she is resigning in January. "The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.” Mike Whan, the former LPGA commissioner and now CEO of the USGA, said it developed the updated policy independently and later discovered it was similar to those used by swimming, track and field, and other sports. United States Golf Association CEO Mike Whan said the new policy will prevent anyone from having "a competitive advantage based on their gender." “It starts with competitive fairness as the North star,” Whan said in a telephone interview. “We tried not to get into politics, or state by state or any of that stuff. We just simply said, ‘Where would somebody — at least medically today — where do we believe somebody would have a competitive advantage in the field?’ And we needed to draw a line. “We needed to be able to walk into any women's event and say with confidence that nobody here has a competitive advantage based on their gender. And this policy delivers that.” The “Competitive Fairness Gender Policy” for the USGA takes effect for the 2025 championship season that starts with the U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball on May 10-14. Qualifying began late this year, though there were no transgender players who took part. “Will that change in the years to come as medicine changes? Probably,” Whan said. “But I think today this stacks up.” The LPGA “Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility” would apply to the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and qualifying for the tours. Players assigned male at birth must prove they have not experienced any part of puberty beyond the first stage or after age 12, whichever comes first, and then meet limitation standards for testosterone levels. The LPGA begins its 75th season on Jan. 30 with the Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida. Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green goes up for a dunk during the second half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Mari Fukada of Japan falls as she competes in the women's Snowboard Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) LSU punter Peyton Todd (38) kneels in prayer before an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. LSU won 37-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, is hit by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, center, as Eagles wide receiver Parris Campbell (80) looks on during a touchdown run by Barkley in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Los Angeles Kings left wing Warren Foegele, left, trips San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, center, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Olympiacos' Francisco Ortega, right, challenges for the ball with FCSB's David Miculescu during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Olympiacos at the National Arena stadium, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Brazil's Botafogo soccer fans react during the Copa Libertadores title match against Atletico Mineiro in Argentina, during a watch party at Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Seattle Kraken fans react after a goal by center Matty Beniers against the San Jose Sharks was disallowed due to goaltender interference during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Seattle. The Sharks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27), center, fight for the puck with Boston Bruins defensemen Parker Wotherspoon (29), left, and Brandon Carlo (25), right during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Jiyai Shin of Korea watches her shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland competes in the women's Freeski Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin cools off during first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Amanda Gutierres, second right, is congratulated by teammate Yasmin, right, after scoring her team's first goal during a soccer international between Brazil and Australia in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher) Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) tries to leap over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo, right. is fouled by goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro inside the penalty area during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) England's Alessia Russo, left, and United States' Naomi Girma challenge for the ball during the International friendly women soccer match between England and United States at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Gold medalists Team Netherlands competes in the Team Sprint Women race of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Beijing 2024 held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reaches for an incomplete pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, foreground right, dives toward the end zone to score past San Francisco 49ers defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (51) and linebacker Dee Winters during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel (1) drives to the basket against UCLA forward Janiah Barker (0) and center Lauren Betts (51) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma misses a catch during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Lara Gut-Behrami, of Switzerland, competes during a women's World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Melanie Meillard, center, of Switzerland, competes during the second run in a women's World Cup slalom skiing race, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Sent weekly directly to your inbox!STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The No. 4 Penn State women's volleyball team clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title for the 18th time in program history Friday night at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions took down No. 2 Nebraska 3-1 (25-21,14-25, 25-22, 25-23) behind a career-high 18 kills from redshirt freshman Caroline Jurevicius, daughter of former Penn State and NFL wide receiver Joe Jurevicius. Penn State wrapped up the regular season at 29-2 overall and 19-1 in the Big Ten. Nebraska fell to 28-2 overall and 18-1 in the conference. The Huskers can clinch a share of the title with a win over Maryland Saturday. If they were to lose, the outright conference championship would go to the Nittany Lions. Jurevicius, who spent a year at Nebraska during a redshirt season in 2023, racked up her career-high kill total on .414 hitting to help Penn State beat Nebraska for the first time since 2018. The win secured the Nittany Lions' first Big Ten title since 2017. They now have nine more conference championships than any other team in the conference. Camryn Hannah and Jess Mruzik joined Jurevicius in double digits with 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Maggie Mendelson tallied eight kills, while fellow middle blocker Taylor Trammell finished with six. Freshman setter Izzy Starck guided the attack with her 46 assists and finished off a double-double with her 11 digs. Penn State held Nebraska to .154 hitting, which was its lowest percentage of the season. The Cornhuskers were held below .200 just two other times this year. Meanwhile, it was the 24th time the Nittany Lions held their opponent under .200 hitting, including 15 of 16 matches at Rec Hall. Opponents are hitting .148 at Rec Hall this season. Mendelson and Starck were in on six blocks apiece as Penn State finished the match with 10. Trammell tallied four blocks. Gillian Grimes totaled 12 digs to lead a group of four Nittany Lions in double digits. Starck had 11 to finish off her 14th double-double of the season. Mruzik also had 10 to register her 12th double-double. Ava Falduto also had 10 digs, while Jocelyn Nathan stepped up with a career-high nine as she made her fourth start of the season. Andi Jackson led Nebraska with 10 kills on .667 hitting and was in on eight of the team's 16 blocks. Harper Murray recorded a double-double with 13 kills and 13 digs. Penn State got the fans on their feet early with a 4-0 run to open the match and went on to take the opening set 25-21. Mendelson and Jurevicius went off against their former team. Mendelson hit .833 with five kills, while Jurevicius had five kills on .444 hitting. The Nittany Lions broke a 14-all tie with a 3-0 run that included back-to-back kills by Mendelson and an ace by Mruzik. Nebraska battled back to tie it at 19-all before Penn State went on a 4-0 run. Hannah and Jurevicius had kills during that stretch. Set point was later scored on a kill by Mruzik. It was all Nebraska in the second set as the Cornhuskers piled up six blocks, including four from Rebekah Allick in a 25-14 win. Penn State was held to minus-.079 hitting in the set. Penn State bounced back strong with a 25-22 win in the third set behind six kills on .625 hitting by Jurevicius. That helped the Nittany Lions hold off an outstanding individual effort by Nebraska's Jackson, who had five kills on five swings. The Nittany Lions trailed 8-7 before going on a 3-0 run and never trailed again. Jurevicius started the run with a kill and followed it with a block alongside Trammell. Mruzik joined Trammell for a block to cap the run. Nebraska got within two numerous times during the set only to see Penn State side out. The final time was at 24-22 following a kill by Taylor Landfair. Hannah responded with a kill for set point for the Nittany Lions. Jurevicius added five more kills on .571 hitting, and Hannah tallied five on .444 hitting to lead Penn State to a match-clinching 25-23 win in the fourth set. Starck had her best set of the night, totaling 16 assists as the Nittany Lions hit .351. Penn State used a 5-0 run that included two kills apiece from Hannah and Trammell to go up 16-12. Nebraska battled back to take a 19-18 advantage, but that would be its final lead of the night. The teams traded points all the way to a 21-all tie before Penn State broke the pattern with a 3-0 run to go up 24-21. The run included a block by Trammell and Starck, as well as two Nebraska attack errors. The Cornhuskers stopped Penn State's first two chances at match point. The third time was the charm as Starck set Hannah for the final kill. (c)2024 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) Visit The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) at www.tribune-democrat.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Defiant Adani says committed to compliance after US indictmentIf you’re a young man in Australia, who is your male political role model? We’re thin on the federal ground, no doubt. There’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese either sitting on the policy fence or marinating in A-list perks. Or Opposition Leader Peter Dutton who has the opportunity to inspire our 20-something tradies and uni students but instead is partial to personal attacks on the PM. “He’s a child in a man’s body,” Dutton declared of Albo at the Liberal Party’s federal council in June but meanwhile doesn’t use his platform to drum up support for our under siege young male voters. So is it any wonder the current Donald Trump-Elon Musk bromance is so attractive to young Aussie males and yet we know explicitly these individuals are not perfect by any stretch. Tuesday was International Men’s Day, did you know? It was crickets and unless you went looking for ways to acknowledge that not all men are evil, it may not have even registered. It’s also nearly 10 years since the one size fits all “toxic masculinity” label became pervasive in our discussions of men and gender. The #MeToo movement had to happen for women but an unintended consequence here was the uniform penalty and eye watering criticism young men copped for the crime of being born male while bereft of any practical guidance on what type of person they actually should be. It was unforgivable and made many youths and men cynical of social discourse. I saw firsthand among my son’s cohort that it sank to the level of being scared to make eye contact or ask a girl on a date, lest they be instantly labelled sexually aggressive or ignorant of consent guardrails. Nothing in my view has changed here. We are not suddenly more sympathetic to the stereotyped cruelty that was unleashed on these men and boys while modern feminism ran amok. These men and boys are still grappling with their purpose, their ambition and their identity. I agree the vile Andrew Tate manufactures violence and vitriol rather than considered advice. Trump and Musk are however better placed to motivate MAMGA or Make Aussie Men Great Again rather than those striding the halls of Canberra. We need innovators not career politicians and men who are decisive and bold, rejecting compromise and timidity of purpose. When our boys are travelling through childhood, we encourage them to think big, love big and to persevere. “Do not give up at the first hurdle,” we counsel while plastering knee wounds and blotting tears of confusion. As parents, we are paralysed with fear that when age 18 ticks over, the muscle of resilience that should power their life is in fact dormant and shrunken. The toxic masculinity tourniquet has shamed young male ambition. Yes, as men you can and must be decent and kind but you can also have conviction for getting ahead in life. And yes Trump disgraced himself with p****-grabbing comments among other things but if you authentically pull apart his personality, Trump is self-made and a masterclass in resilience - whether you agree with his policies or not. People all over the world are queuing up to tear him down yet a larger share of young men voted for Trump in last month’s election compared with four years ago – 56 per cent compared with 41% in the 2020 election. Musk, who played an outsized role in that comeback, is synonymous with innovation and is not afraid to think big, fail and try again. As an industry disruptor in electric vehicles, space travel and communication, his name is the byword for bold. Albo in particular represents a different story. Sure, there is something to be said for his rise through the ranks but his leadership style is not audacious or authentic. Young men here need a political leader with vision more than someone who represents the status quo. Before last month’s US election, Trump and Musk were accused by a US journalist of “taking advantage of an emergent crisis of masculinity in American society in order to gain greater power”. The crisis, I would argue, is failing here on genuine male leadership. A learned friend of mine, an expert on US politics, also suggested that Musk engages young Aussie men because it’s the first time they’ve seen science used for “something cool rather than scolding them or locking them up”. You’ll remember last year that a Federal $3.5 million three year plan was announced to prevent an emerging generation of toxic males. It has been derided as too broad and as simply throwing cash at the Tate issue. So where is the plan at now? It’s insulting to assume our young men are slaves to YouTubers and podcasters and only want to dominate or lose all accountability with women and their lives in general. They need support and to feel like they are understood. A good place to start would be support and understanding from The Lodge.
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No. 5 Alabama has a reputation as 3-point gunners, but it's defense and rebounding that have become a focus as the Tide welcome South Dakota State to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to end the 2024 calendar year. Alabama (10-2) is frequently thought of as an offensive 3-point shooting free-for-all program, but Nate Oats' 2024-25 squad has thrived largely on the basis of inside play. The Tide are shooting 62.2 percent on their two-point attempts and grab 45 rebounds per game, each figure placing the team among the national leaders in those categories. Alabama does still shoot an average of 31 3-point shots per game, again one of the nation's highest totals. But so far, Alabama's 31.2 percent connection rate is very ordinary. But connecting inside and owning the glass has held benefits for Alabama. Meanwhile, defense has concerned Oats, particularly coming off a 97-90 win over North Dakota on Dec. 18. Oats issued warnings about players losing spots in the rotation if defensive execution didn't improve. Alabama passed the first post-North Dakota test in an 81-54 win over Kent State on Sunday. "We did make a big point of emphasis on defense, especially after that debacle up in North Dakota," said Oats after the Kent State victory. "It was a much better defensive effort, so it will be a lot better Christmas break for us." Alabama won the rebounding battle over Kent State 60-40, although Oats contended that the Tide "gave up too many second-chance points." Alabama made 72 percent of its two-point attempts even as just 9 of 35 3-point attempts connected. Alabama has battled personnel uncertainty early in the season. An Achilles injury ended the season of guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. just as transfer Chris Youngblood was preparing to return from an ankle injury. The Tide have 11 players averaging double-digit minutes and eight averaging 7.4 points per game or better, led by super senior guard Mark Sears with 17.8 ppg. Super senior forward Grant Nelson remains a key player, leading the Tide with 8.7 rebounds per game while adding 12.8 ppg. Meanwhile, South Dakota State (9-5) will pin its upset hopes largely on Aussie transfer Oscar Cluff. A 6-foot-11 senior who transferred in from Washington State, Cluff has averaged 16.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Cluff is connecting on 71.4 percent of his shot attempts. He's also shooting 79.2 percent at the foul line and has stabilized a young Jackrabbits team with four freshmen among the top seven scorers. "Oscar's just built the right way," said coach Eric Henderson. "We have probably played through the post more than any other team in the country the last five years and we just felt like we needed a big man that had some experience and boy does he ever." Cluff had a streak of five straight double-doubles, but that ended in recent losses to Nevada and Colorado. The Jackrabbits won 87-72 over Chadron State in their last game on Dec. 19. --Field Level MediaBlack Friday goes digital as American rack up $10bn worth of online purchasesNone
President-elect Trump announced Saturday that Truth Social CEO and former Republican California Rep. Devin Nunes will lead the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB). Nunes will “provide me with independent assessments of the effectiveness and propriety of the U.S. Intelligence Community’s activities” as the leader of the group of “distinguished citizens from outside of the Federal Government,” Trump posted on Truth Social. Nunes will lead the independent group “[w]hile continuing his leadership of Trump Media & Technology Group,” Trump added. Trump also stated his expectation Nunes would “draw on his experience as former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and his key role in exposing the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax.” In his role as House Intelligence Committee chairperson, Nunes alleged the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conspired against Trump during its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Reuters reported . (RELATED: ‘Was Russia Collusion A Hoax?’: GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany Grills Christopher Wray Over Durham Report) The FBI’s investigation was rushed, whereas the agency was more cautious about influencing the campaign of 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hilary Clinton’s than that of Trump, Department of Justice special counsel John Durham argued while ending the Trump-Russia probe , according to The Associated Press. (RELATED: John Durham Says FBI Agents ‘Apologized’ To Him For Trump-Russia Investigation) The 16-member PIAB advises the White House on the effectiveness of the intelligence community as well as how robust its plans for the future are, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The PIAB also “has access to all information necessary to perform its functions.” The Trump Media & Technology Group is a publicly traded company with a market cap of nearly $8 billion market. Trump is the company’s largest shareholder: his nearly 115 million shares are currently worth about $4.2 billion, according to Politico. Nunes became the company’s CEO in December 2021, according to a press release from the organization. Nunes joins TMTG board members Linda McMahon and Kash Patel as nominees for positions in Trump’s incoming cabinet.
NoneSIOUX CITY — Woodbury County Supervisor Jeremy Taylor hoped to have a public discussion Tuesday about finances for the new Law Enforcement Center, but the LEC Authority attorney rejected the move. Taylor said he submitted an agenda item for the board's weekly meeting Tuesday focusing on the annual operating costs for the new LEC, which opened in September. The Republican said County Sheriff Chad Sheehan and County Auditor-Elect Michelle Skaff helped draft the financial information. Taylor said the county is levying $447,980 in property taxes for the LEC, which include bond payments, pay and benefits for jail staff, and insurance and maintenance funds. The costs include $1.2 million per year for 20 to 25 additional jailers to staff the 448-bed facility, which is nearly double in size than the old jail. The new jail, though, is running at a $348,000 deficit each month, due to lower than anticipated revenue from the U.S. Marshals Service to house federal inmates, he said. "These are numbers that are publicly available," Taylor said at the meeting. "Taxpayers were told that $301,000 bond payment every month will be taken care of, so far it hasn't been in three and a half, nearly four years," Taylor said. Board chair Matthew Ung said Taylor's request was removed from the agenda at the advice of the LEC Authority's attorney Jodie McDougal and John A. Templar, Jr., the outside damages attorney hired by the board, saying it could be detrimental to the county's recouping damaging from parties that led to the delay in the completion of the over $70 million project. "Reasons for that probably shouldn't be discussed in open session," Ung said. Taylor said he did not understand why the board could not publicly discuss financial data that is public record. County Attorney James Loomis said public discussion about the numbers is different, due to its relation to damages and mitigation of damages. "I don't think it's appropriate to have this discussion," Loomis said, suggesting the matter would be better brought up in a closed session. Taylor asked if he could share the numbers. Loomis said there is a difference between sharing the numbers and discussing them, and his advice was not to discuss the issue in public. Supervisor Mark Nelson said the boards want to avoid discussing numbers because they may be lower than the actual damages. Therefore, it potentially could impact any costs the county could recoup in a lawsuit. Matthew Ung, Chair of the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors, praises the the LEC Authority while chiding lawmakers and naysayers during an open house at the new LEC on Wednesday. Tim Hynds
Well, it's December, and the year is winding down to its inevitable conclusion. December and January are normally fairly sleepy months in terms of big ASX news. Saying that, investors do sometimes enjoy the fabled 'Santa rally', as was the case last year. However, even though 2025 is nearly upon us, there are still a few ASX 300 shares that will trade ex-dividend before the year is out. Many of the ASX's biggest shares and ( ). The latest dividends from these ASX 300 shares will arrive later this month. But even so, new investors are no longer eligible to receive these payments as these stocks have already passed their ex-dividend dates. However, the three ASX 300 shares named below, which are scheduled for dividend payments in January, have not. As such, those who want to secure their latest payouts still have time to buy the shares before the ex-dividend date. 3 ASX 300 dividend shares trading ex-dividend in December As of yesterday's close, Elders was trading on a of 4.71%. Next replete with full franking credits. Clearly not a superstitious ASX 300 share, Metcash has selected Friday, 13 December, as the ex-dividend date for this upcoming payment. Payday for those eligible investors will then roll around next month on 29 January. Metcash last traded on a dividend yield of 5.07%. Finally, let's discuss another ASX 300 share and agricultural stock in ( ). This pays out its dividend distributions on a quarterly basis rather than the typical bi-monthly schedule. Rural Funds' latest quarterly dividend distribution is set to arrive on 31 January, right at the tail end of next month. However, the company will trade ex-dividend for this payment on 30 December. This payment will be worth 2.93 cents per share and, as is typical with a REIT, will not include franking credits. Rural Funds' current dividend yield is 6.36%.Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi figured that a visit to playoff-bound Green Bay would be a tall order for his injury-riddled squad, whose prominent missing players included starters at quarterback, running back and receiver. And when New Orleans' mostly healthy defensive front struggled against a Packers ground game led by running back Josh Jacobs, the rout was on. Nothing "stuck out on film other than a lack of execution and lack of playmaking,” Rizzi said Tuesday after reviewing video of Monday night's 34-0 loss at Green Bay . “We played against a playoff team, at their place, that has very few holes on their team,” Rizzi added. “It was a little bit of a perfect storm." Rizzi, a special teams coordinator who has made no secret that he sees his eight-game interim stint as an opportunity to further his head-coaching ambitions, has two more games left in what has been an up-and-down audition. The Saints are 3-3 on his watch, which includes one of New Orleans' most lopsided losses since the turn of the century. With the playoffs unattainable, and with a lot of reserves pressed into service, the final two weeks will serve primarily as a player-evaluation period heading into the offseason, when there are bound to be myriad changes on the roster and perhaps the coaching staff. Rizzi said the Saints, realistically, have been in evaluation mode “for the last month or so,” but added that there maybe be additional young or practice-squad players getting longer looks in the final two games. “My big thing this week is to see how we can respond,” Rizzi said. “We’re going to find out a lot about a lot of people.” Of the Saints' four punts, three were inside the Green Bay 20 and New Orleans did not allow a single punt return yard. The punt team might have been the only unit that executed its job (even the kickoff unit allowed a 38-yard return). The Saints had trouble protecting the quarterback (three sacks) and protecting the football (two turnovers). They couldn't run the ball (67 yards). They couldn't stop the run (188 yards allowed). They couldn't pass the ball consistently (129 yards) or stop the pass when they needed to. As former Saints coach Jim Mora once said, they couldn't do “ diddly poo .” Although rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler largely struggled and was responsible for both New Orleans turnovers, he had enough highlights — including a jumping, first-down pass on third-and-long — to keep him penciled in as the starter if the injured Derek Carr remains unable to play, Rizzi said. “It was definitely a performance where we got to take the good with the bad,” Rizzi said. “We've got to get rid of those negative plays.” New Orleans native Foster Moreau has emerged as one of the Saints' most reliable offensive players. The sixth-year NFL tight end made two catches for a team-high 33 yards on Monday night, giving him 25 catches for 335 yards this season. His four TDs receiving entering the game remain tied for the team lead. Rizzi was riding high after two wins to start his interim term as head coach, but Monday night's ugly loss is the club's third in four games and took a lot of luster off his candidacy for a longer-term appointment. Center Erik McCoy left the game with an elbow injury, while guard Lucas Patrick hurt his knee in the closing minutes. Rizzi said McCoy won't need surgery but could miss the rest of the season. The coach said Patrick needs more tests but is not expected to play again this season. While the chances of Carr (non-throwing, left hand) or top running back Alvin Kamara (groin) playing again this season appear slim, the Saints have declined to rule that out. Rizzi said Carr is getting closer to being able to play and wants the opportunity to go against his former team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Meanwhile, Rizzi said Kamara “is working his tail off to try to come back” this season. “Alvin told me this morning, in my office, that he really would like to play again,” Rizzi said. 24 — The number of years since the Saints suffered a more lopsided shutout loss, 38-0 against San Francisco in 2002. The Saints' home finale against lowly Las Vegas will be an anticlimactic affair bound to generate a level of fan interest similar to, if not less than, a preseason game. But the game will be important to the current regime, which needs victories in each of the club's final two games to avoid the franchise's worst record since it was displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and went 3-13. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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Major stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The S&P 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners than gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company's big gain helped cushion the market's broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market's other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street's rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve's last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year . The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank's 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed's policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.American Airlines , the world's largest carrier, briefly grounded flights nationwide on Tuesday due to a technical issue just as the Christmas travel season kicks into high gear. American flights were cleared to fly by federal regulators about one hour after a national ground stop order was issued by federal regulators, AP reported. ET Year-end Special Reads Top 10 equity mutual funds of the year. Do you have any? How India flexed its global power muscles in 2024 2024 was the year India became the talk of America Just before 7 am (ET), the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all American Airlines flights grounded in the US at the airline's request. American had reported a technical issue affecting its entire system with millions travelling for the holiday. The ground stop, according to the time stamps on the FAA's orders, lasted exactly one hour. American has not expanded on what technical issue grounded the flights and the airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The groundings couldn't come at a worse time for the millions of travellers expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers over the holidays and through January 2. 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View Program Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. In December 2022, Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travellers, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Southwest was ordered to pay a USD 35 million fine as part of a USD 140 million settlement to resolve a federal investigation into the Christmas debacle of 2022. Excluding the settlement, the nation's fourth-biggest airline by revenue said the meltdown cost it more than USD 1.1 billion in refunds and reimbursements, extra costs and lost ticket sales over several months. FAQs Q1. Which is world's largest carrier? A1. The world's largest carrier is American Airlines. Q2. Why were American Airlines flights grounded? A2. American Airlines has not expanded on what technical issue grounded the flights and the airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Trump threatens BRICS countries of 100 tariff if they drop dollar as currency
Apple appeals Nebraska tax ruling resulting in $652K in additional taxesFour brothers run JB workshop started by their father and use hand-me-down equipment SHAHIDAHYU Bakri did not expect that her bad reaction to coffee while pregnant about 11 years ago would turn out to be a blessing in disguise. She had been working at a coffee factory in Johor Baru for a few years before being pregnant with her first child. “I experienced bad reactions to the smell of coffee and had to quit my job as the dizzy spells and nausea were too much for me to handle. ALSO READ: Entrepreneur’s museum shares lore on gold ore “I had no choice but to look for work elsewhere to help my husband, as we were about to start a family. “That was when I saw an advertisement on job vacancy at a jewellery workshop and decided to give it a try despite having no prior experience in the field,” Shahidahyu told StarMetro. The job involved producing handmade gold jewellery, which required her to handle tools such as pliers, tweezers, chisels and files. Shahidahyu inspecting various tiny parts before assembling them into gold jewellery. “Besides rings, my boss, who is also my mentor, taught me how to make movable fish pendants. “The pendant consists of several different parts assembled together to make it move as if it was swimming. “I never expected that I would one day become a goldsmith. “I like the fact that I get to learn new skills,” she said. She added that through her job, she has learnt about Chinese culture including why dragons and fish are symbols of good fortune in the community. Some of the handcrafted pieces produced at the shop. In turn, she would also share about her own culture with her colleagues. Shahidahyu is one of the oldest-serving employees at the workshop, and she also guides and trains newcomers who join the company. The mother-of-two said she hoped to see more young people joining the industry as they could bring fresh ideas and innovations. The workshop where Shahidahyu works is run by four brothers who took over the business from their late father. All in the family Owner Yuin Foo Seng said the family business was passed down to him about three decades ago. He recalled that he, too, was working in a different field before joining the business. “In my teenage years, I worked at my maternal grandfather’s restaurant. “One day, my father asked me to help out at his jewellery workshop as he was short of workers. And so began my journey in the gold business. “I learned from my father and eventually became a full-fledged goldsmith,” said Foo Seng. (From left) Brothers Foo Seng, Fook Kuan, Fock Heng and Fook Yung at the second-generation goldsmith business. He added that his father first opened a gold jewellery workshop in Penang, relocating several times before settling down in Johor Baru. Foo Seng, who is the eldest sibling, said he first ran the business with one brother, before his two other siblings switched fields to join them. “My brothers Fook Kuan, Fock Heng, Fook Yung and I each take on a different role – from producing gold jewellery to managing our 13 employees and quality control,” Foo Seng said. He recalled the industry’s peak in the 1990s before the 1997 Asian financial crisis. “At that time, we were getting a lot of orders even during non-festive periods. “Our workers had to work overtime and on weekends to cater to the orders. Soh: There is still a market for traditional and handmade gold jewellery. “During Chinese New Year, buyers who are jewellery shop owners would come to our workshop to buy whatever stock we had left. “The demand for gold jewellery is still there but it is lower now. “We also cannot take as many orders, as we have fewer workers now compared to before.” The goldsmith said their products were for local and overseas markets such as Singapore and India. Pick of the bunch Foo Seng said the shop also produced toothpicks and earpicks, which come in a slim container, all made entirely of gold. “It was in great demand back then. Now, I believe we are the only gold workshop that still produces the item upon order. “We make mostly gold pendants with elements such as carp, arowana and dragons that symbolise auspiciousness and good luck in Chinese culture.” Youths, he revealed, were not interested in being goldsmiths as it was labour-intensive. “They are required to sit for long hours and use their hands and eyes. “A lot of skill is required to produce jewellery with intricate details. Cheng: Young people are influenced by luxury brands and will look for similar gold products. “Previously, we had workers who left after a week as they could not stand the long hours,” he said, adding that his own children had pursued other interests after completing their tertiary education. Foo Seng is grateful that his niece and nephew had joined the family business and learned to become goldsmiths. He admitted that he was concerned about the future of the industry as many jewellery makers had adopted mechanisation. At his workshop, they still use apparatus that used to belong to his father to mould gold into fine wire to produce jewellery. “Our father had always wanted to pass down the craft to his children. He worked until he was 86. “I took over the family business not to become rich but to keep our father’s legacy alive. “We aim to continue offering traditionally-made jewellery pieces as I believe there is still value in them,” said Foo Seng. Updated with tech South Johor Golden Ornaments Trade Association chairman Soh Lip Sim said traditional and handmade gold jewellery still had a market in the 21st century. “Most of the gold jewellery makers in the state are small and medium-sized enterprises, while the major producers are in the Klang Valley and Penang. “There are only about 200 traditional gold jewellery makers left in Johor, which is much fewer than before as many have closed down due to the lack of successors,” he added. Soh said traditional methods might be phased out in the years to come as more jewellery producers move towards mechanisation and modern technology. “With machines, gold jewellery pieces can be made in a shorter period, involve less manpower and offer a huge variety of designs that are lighter in weight. Fine work: Goldsmith Yuin Foo Seng's holding up an intricate handmade gold dragon pendant produced at his family's workshop in Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star “This means consumers can purchase jewellery designs at cheaper price because of the weight and they will not be charged a high craftsmanship fee,” he said. Soh said current market trends were for lightweight jewellery pieces as well as trendy items such as the Labubu doll, with K-pop star Lisa’s social media post featuring it sparking mass interest across Asia. “Thanks to technology, gold jewellery such as pendants can weigh as light as 0.2g per piece, making them very affordable for the younger consumer. “People used to think that gold jewellery catered to the more mature market but these days, many young people prefer to buy gold probably because of the wide variety of designs,” said Soh. Sought-after items Cheng Ching Nian, who runs a 98-year-old gold jewellery shop in Pontian, said young customers could easily spend thousands during a visit to his shop. “I think they are influenced by luxury brands as they will usually come looking for similar designs for pendants and bracelet charms. “They spend between RM3,000 and RM5,000 on jewellery each time,” he said, adding that 3D designs featuring cartoon characters were also popular. With Chinese New Year coming at the end of January, Cheng said he was preparing to stock up on designs featuring Chinese zodiac signs. He added that his products were usually sourced from local jewellery makers but trendier designs would come from China and Hong Kong, where modern machines could produce intricate designs at an affordable price. Cheng, who is the shop’s third-generation owner, said it was tough for locals to compete with foreign gold jewellery producers in terms of cost.COMMERCE, Texas (AP) — Jalen Jackson's 16 points helped Purdue Fort Wayne defeat Texas A&M-Commerce 77-57 on Saturday. Jackson also had six rebounds for the Mastodons (5-3). Corey Hadnot II shot 6 for 9, including 3 for 5 from beyond the arc to add 15 points. Eric Mulder shot 6 of 7 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line to finish with 14 points, while adding six rebounds. Maximus Nelson hit four 3s and scored 14 points. Scooter Williams Jr. led the Lions (1-7) in scoring, finishing with 19 points and six rebounds. Khaliq Abdul-Mateen added 15 points for Texas A&M-Commerce. Josh Taylor also had seven points and nine rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Assam Rifles foils major IED threat in Manipur's Churachandpur
Pakistan's tax chief said on Tuesday that 95% households would not be affected by the proposed legislation to ban economic transactions of "ineligible" people and businesses rather these measures would help increase tax collection by another Rs5 trillion in five years. Pakistan is a poor country and 90 to 95% people do not fall in the tax ambit, said Rashid Langrial, the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Finance on the new tax bill. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb also admitted that people were not having trust in the FBR. "Restoring credibility and trust of the taxpayers with the tax authority is critical, as people come to me and say that they would pay more money but will not come in the tax net," he said. No treasury member attended the meeting and proceedings were held thanks to the presence of two legislators of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – Senator Shibli Faraz and Senator Mohsin Aziz. The Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Senator Saleem Mandviwalla chaired the meeting. FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial, while responding to a question raised by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Shibli Faraz, told the committee that 95% households would not be affected by the new legislation. In four to five years, he added, these enforcement and regulation measures would help the FBR collect additional Rs5 trillion. Langrial said that as against the current level of 10%, the FBR's tax-to-GDP ratio potential was 14%. The government last week introduced the Tax Laws Amendment Bill 2024 in the National Assembly to ban purchase of cars, properties or own bank accounts by ineligible persons. The bill also seeks the powers to freeze bank accounts and confiscate businesses and properties of sales tax unregistered persons. The ineligible persons would also not be allowed to withdraw cash from their bank accounts, beyond a certain limit, according to the proposal. An eligible person, on the other had, could make major purchases up to 130% of value of cash and assets that he declared in his last tax return and the wealth statement. The finance minister could not give a satisfactory reply to the committee when asked about what was different from the past that the government would be able to expand the tax base after the new legislation. "As a country our hands are forced," Aurangzeb said. However, despite these difficult circumstances, the government failed to achieve targets set under the 'Tajir Dost Scheme'. The FBR has already got the authority to disconnect electricity and gas connections of the non-compliant people and ban their foreign travels. These powers, however, have not been yet exercised. There were only 62,000 sales tax registered persons in Pakistan and out of them only 42,000 were active, the FBR chairman said. "Even those who are part of the system do not pay their full taxes." Pakistan's existing sales tax system encourages and facilitates people to remain outside the net, as it is not legally binding for the businesses having Rs10 million sales in a tax year or Rs100 million in a fiscal year to get registered with the FBR. The government has not abolished this clause from the law and instead sought the National Assembly's permission to authorise the FBR to change the limit. The higher the sales tax rate, the higher are the chances for cheating the tax system, said Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik. The current standard GST rate ranges from 18 to 25%, excluding the impact of further sales tax and the extra tax. The FBR chairman said that the technological interventions could help in the issue of corruption in the FBR. After the FBR introduced a face-less appraisal system, within one week, the calls to importers for submitting additional documents decreased from 2,000 to mere 200 in one week, the FBR chairman said. He added that those calls were not made in the past for documents rather for "dacoitting" people. From the point of sale to imposing taxes on electricity bills and introduction of the Tajir Dost Scheme, the government had tried everything but it had failed, said Senator Mohsin Aziz. He added that 5 to 7 million people would be affected by the government's new legislation. The government has not abolished the non-filer category from the law nor did it delete the 10th schedule of the Income Tax Ordinance that carried higher rates for the non-filers. Instead, the government introduced a new category of eligible person, who would be entitled to make big purchases. The eligible person would be the one "who has filed a return of income tax for the tax year immediately preceding the year of transaction and has sufficient resources in wealth statement in case of an individual or financial statement in case of a company or association of persons. The proposal to give authority to the commissioner to determine the input tax claim of a business was a very harsh measure, which would open another avenue for bribes, said Senator Mohsin Aziz of the PTI. But Langrial said that the businesses massively lied about their input tax claims. "Input tax cannot be averaged out due to different kinds of inputs being used by even one specific sector," said Mandviwalla. The government has also proposed hiring private auditors for performing the functions of the audit of the taxpayers. The members were of the view that it would open another shop for setting audit cases through illegal means. The finance minister said that the new legislation would improve compliance and help take due taxes on consumption and income. The committee members objected to bringing the bill as Money Bill despite there was no alternation in the tax rates. Law Secretary Raja Naeem certified that the bill fell in the category of the Money Bill, as it would regulate the existing taxes. In case of Money Bill, the Senate does not have the authority to veto a bill and its legal mandate is only limited to giving recommendation. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see ourDefiant Adani says committed to compliance after US indictment
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