Citigroup Inc. grew its holdings in Portland General Electric ( NYSE:POR – Free Report ) by 43.5% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 183,044 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 55,529 shares during the quarter. Citigroup Inc.’s holdings in Portland General Electric were worth $8,768,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of POR. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in Portland General Electric by 274.5% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 197,687 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $8,303,000 after purchasing an additional 144,900 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 228.4% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 52,833 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,219,000 after buying an additional 36,744 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Portland General Electric by 231.6% in the first quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 19,499 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $819,000 after buying an additional 13,618 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Portland General Electric during the second quarter worth about $31,557,000. Finally, Qsemble Capital Management LP bought a new position in Portland General Electric during the second quarter valued at about $678,000. Portland General Electric Trading Down 0.3 % Shares of Portland General Electric stock opened at $47.93 on Friday. Portland General Electric has a 12-month low of $39.13 and a 12-month high of $49.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Portland General Electric Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 24th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.17%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 24th. Portland General Electric’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.70%. Insider Transactions at Portland General Electric In other news, SVP Maria Angelica Espinosa sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.30, for a total transaction of $120,750.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 14,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $688,902.90. This represents a 14.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Company insiders own 0.54% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Portland General Electric from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. Barclays reduced their target price on Portland General Electric from $49.00 to $48.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $54.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Portland General Electric from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a report on Friday, September 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $48.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $48.86. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on POR Portland General Electric Profile ( Free Report ) Portland General Electric Company, an integrated electric utility company, engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. It operates six thermal plants, three wind farms, and seven hydroelectric facilities. As of December 31, 2023, the company owned an electric transmission system consisting of 1,254 circuit miles, including 287 circuit miles of 500 kilovolt line, 413 circuit miles of 230 kilovolt line, and 554 miles of 115 kilovolt line; and served 934 thousand retail customers in 51 cities. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding POR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Portland General Electric ( NYSE:POR – Free Report ). 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A massive "VOTE FOR TRUMP" sign now lights up the sky in Amsterdam, N.Y. The sign atop on the former Fownes factory is the largest non-billboard Trump sign in the country and possibly world, according to Sticker Mule, the company behind the sign. Photo courtesy of Sticker Mule Photo courtesy of Sticker Mule Tribune News Service Alex Gault, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y. (TNS) A special election still hasn’t been formally called for New York’s 21st Congressional District, but that isn’t stopping Upstate New York businessman Anthony T. Constantino from starting his campaign for the House seat. Constantino, 42, is a businessman and somewhat recent political activist — he runs Sticker Mule, a well-known printing, labeling and manufacturing company based in Amsterdam, Montgomery County. Constantino is also a recent feature in national headlines — he’s a big fan of President-elect Donald Trump, and recently got attention for putting a large Vote for Trump sign on his company’s factory in downtown Amsterdam. The 100-foot sign, lit day and night, can be seen from the New York State Thruway, and led to a court fight between Constantino and Amsterdam elected officials who believed the sign violated city ordinances. The state courts sided with Constantino, who has vowed to keep the sign up in perpetuity going forward. Constantino bills himself as a local tech CEO, and said he wasn’t heavily involved in politics before Trump entered the political world, although he’s supported Trump and donated to him in 2016. “I was one of the first people to get canceled,” he said in an interview at his factory. “I supported him when was candidate Trump, made a $500 donation, and I got canceled for it.” Constantino said someone on social media discovered he had made the donation, which is a matter of public record, and took to the internet to denounce Constantino. At the time, Sticker Mule had become an established name in the branding and merchandising world. The company was a leader in labelmaking, T-shirt screenprinting and sticker making. Plenty of politically involved groups, including a number of campaigns for federal office, use Sticker Mule products, and some people spoke out against Constantino for supporting a candidate who, at the time, seemed to be unlikely to win. He did, and although Constantino continued supporting Trump through his first term and second run for the office, he stayed relatively quiet. He even registered as a Democrat to assist a friend in a primary campaign for Albany city mayor, although he has since registered as a Republican. Constantino reengaged with national politics after the first assassination attempt on the president-elect, while he spoke at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July. That’s when he put up the sign on his factory in Amsterdam, and when he sent out a letter in support of Trump to the Sticker Mule customer list — a move that garnered more backlash from some customers who said they felt it was an inappropriate use of their information. Constantino said he felt it was important to speak up then, because the stakes of the political disagreements in the U.S. had hit a fever pitch. “It gone to the point where bullets are flying, I want to do something as a citizen to try to fix this situation,” he said. “I decided the best way was simply to admit I support him.” And now, Constantino is eyeing a shot at boosting his influence even more, representing Northern New York in Congress. He’s got a similar early background to longtime Rep. Elise M. Stefanik , R-Schuylerville, who is slated to become the Trump White House’s U.N. ambassador next year. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) AP Constantino is two years older than Stefanik, and attended the Albany Academy for Boys, the brother school of the congresswoman’s alma mater, the Albany Academy for Girls. He said he’s stayed in touch with the congresswoman and recently discussed his campaign with her. A spokesperson for Stefanik didn’t respond to a request for comment on that discussion. When news that Stefanik was to vacate her seat came through, Constantino said he started getting calls from a number of people in his orbit, urging him to run for the seat. It’s not a traditional campaign by any means — in a special election, there is no primary race. Instead, for both Republicans and Democrats, the party chairs in each of the counties vote on a candidate, with their votes weighted by their proportion of the party’s total registered voters in the district. Constantino said he’s starting his campaign by speaking to each of the 15 Republican committee chairs, starting with his home county and moving north and west over the coming weeks. He has some competition in that process. People with knowledge of discussions have said that state Sens. Daniel G. Stec, R-Queensbury and Jacob Ashby, R-Rensselaer, Assemblymen Chris L. Tague, R-Catskill, and Robert J. Smullen, R-Herkimer, Rensselaer County Executive Steven F. McLaughlin, outgoing Rep. Marcus J. Molinaro, R-Tivoli, and a handful of local business leaders are considering running as well. If he gets the party’s support and their nomination in the special election, he said he’ll be campaigning on his tech and marketing background, trying to bring a new energy to the race for Congress in a region that has handily reelected its incumbent congressperson for a decade by wider and wider margins each time. “I’m going to do things that people have never seen before,” he said. He’s pledged to sink $2.6 million of his own money into his campaign — money he made by buying stock in Tesla after Elon Musk bought X, formerly Twitter, and investors showed concerns over the company’s strength. Constantino sees himself as similar to big name tech CEOs like Musk, OpenAI’s Samuel H. Altman or Mark Cuban of “Shark Tank” fame. Like those men have gotten involved in politics, on one side or the other, Constantino said he has done the same. He said he believes he is one of the reasons New York swung so far to the right in this year’s election — Trump did more than 11 percentage points better among New York voters than he did in 2020, the biggest shift of any one state. “I think you could say, objectively, I’m the strongest voice for President Trump in New York state, I think probably across the entire state.” He said he believes the sign on his factory is one of the most effective in American history, because it was discussed in the news and generated controversy and attention in a Democratic-leaning region. Constantino also took on other political projects — he’s held debate sessions discussing Trump’s policies with anyone who wants to, and held one such session in Manhattan, where he said he changed many minds on Trump. He’s also founded a group called Trump for Peace, taking the position that Trump is the candidate who will end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and protect global peace going forward, and he founded a group called StickerPAC, which focused on creating and distributing pro-Trump memorabilia during the campaign. Trump is a big part of Constantino’s platform. He said he’ll go with the president-elect on anything he puts forward as president. Broadly, he said the key to improving things for NY-21 is to end the long-running outmigration in New York, and get the state back on track to gaining population in proportion to the rest of the country. “I’m the strongest voice for championing the fact that people need to come back to New York state,” he said. On Trump’s plan to enforce tariffs on goods shipped into the United States from abroad, Constantino said he would be supportive. As a business owner, he said he isn’t worried about tariffs. He didn’t know how many of his company’s products would be impacted by a tariff, but said as a business owner he is happy to work within the lines set by government, as long as those lines are equally enforced on everyone. “I’m fine with whatever regulatory structure the president thinks makes the most sense,” he said. On agricultural policy, Constantino didn’t have an answer. Congress is set to pass another yearlong extension of the Farm Bill, which sets agricultural policy for the country as well as food benefits programs. It’s already a year overdue, and with Republican control in Washington next year now assured, that party’s priorities are likely to guide the next five-year Farm Bill. Constantino said that if he was elected he would hire advisers to help him navigate agricultural policy. “I’m gonna learn from very talented advisors and also from talking to farmers what makes the most sense,” he said. “I’ll advocate for what makes the most sense, but I don’t have a specific answer on that.” Congress is also set to decide on the next steps for tax policy. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires in 2025 and with Republican control, it’s likely to be reauthorized with some changes. One expected change is the removal of the State and Local Tax deduction cap, which allows taxpayers to deduct what they pay in sales, property and other local and state taxes from their federal taxable income. A cap of $10,000 was put on SALT deductions in 2017, but Trump has said he would like to remove it next year. “Taxes being too high, we gotta get costs under control to fix that,” Constantino said. “But in terms of specific mechanisms we (use to) get taxes down, I’m gonna need to spin up my team and really study the issues to make a correct judgment.” On the border, Constantino supports a broad lockdown on border crossings, an end to the catch-and-release policy that allows people awaiting asylum to remain in the U.S. For immigration, he believes the U.S. needs to be incredibly selective on who it allows to become a resident or citizen as well. “I think the United States of America is sort of a giant corporation,” he said. “It should operate in the same way. If you run a company, I want the best people coming in for my business. We want the best possible people coming into our country.” Constantino said he would support the construction of a missile defense site on Fort Drum, a project that Stefanik has been pushing for years with limited success. The plan calls for a multi-million dollar installation for a missile system that could shoot down incoming ICBMs from hostile nations in the east. For years, the annual defense funding bill has required the Department of Defense move forward with an installation on Fort Drum, but DoD has repeatedly said they don’t see a need to build a site on the east coast, and defense technology and policy experts have said that missile defense systems are spotty at best, and an east coast installation would be ultimately unnecessary. “Elise was championing the missile defense site at Fort Drum,” Constantino said. “I’m going to be following through on that, making sure it gets done.” When asked about the technological and operational concerns over the installation, Constantino said he would push for the project to be as effective as possible. “I’m a perfectionist,” he said. “I think the idea of a missile defense system makes a lot of sense, but we want everything done the best possible way.” While Constantino sets up his campaign, he’ll be talking with the rest of the NY-21 Republican committee chairs. The chairs can’t make a formal announcement of who they’re nominating until Stefanik formally vacates her seat, likely to happen sometime in January, which will start a roughly 3-month timeline from then to the election for the Republican and Democratic, plus any independent or third-party nominees who qualify, to make their case to voters. ___ RECOMMENDED • syracuse .com $8.97 billion plan aims to cut NY rate of child poverty by more than half Nov. 20, 2024, 10:07 a.m. SU football, basketball celebrate big wins (Good Morning CNY for Nov. 18) Nov. 18, 2024, 7:04 a.m. (c)2024 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.) Visit Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.) at www.watertowndailytimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Trudeau reports ‘excellent conversation’ with Trump
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game with 21 seconds left after Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected on an 86-yard touchdown, Juanyeh Thomas returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown and the Dallas Cowboys pulled out a 34-26 victory Sunday that extended the Washington Commanders’ skid to three games. Seibert, who missed the previous two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt following a low snap. Thomas then took the kick back 43 yards as the Cowboys (4-7) ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion. Part of that was the play of backup Cooper Rush, who threw for 247 yards and two TDs in his third start in place of starter Dak Prescott. Part was also the defense forcing two turnovers, as Chauncey Golston ripped the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr.’s hands for what was called an interception of Daniels in the second quarter, and Donovan Wilson stripped John Bates midway through the fourth. KaVonte Turpin provided the fireworks with a spinning, 99-yard kickoff return TD seconds after Daniels found Zach Ertz in the end zone and scored on a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three with 3:02 left. In the final three minutes alone, the Commanders (7-5) scored 10 points and allowed Thomas’ TD. All that after the score was 10-9 through three quarters before madness ensued. CHIEFS 30, PANTHERS 27 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and , Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired and Kansas City beat Carolina to reach double-digit wins for the 10th straight season. Noah Gray caught two TD passes as the Chiefs (10-1) bounced back from last week’s 30-21 loss at Buffalo and won at the buzzer yet again in a season of narrow escapes. for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, who scored on their first five possessions. Bryce Young finished 21 of 35 for 262 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (3-8), who had their two-game winning streak snapped. David Moore had six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. Trailing 27-19, Young completed a fourth-down pass to Adam Thielen to move the chains, then went deep for the veteran receiver, who drew a pass-interference penalty on Chamarri Conner. That set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard. LIONS 24, COLTS 6 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — and David Montgomery added a third touchdown run, leading Detroit to a victory over Indianapolis. Gibbs finished with 21 carries for 90 yards as the Lions (10-1) extended their league-high winning streak to nine straight. Detroit has its been 11-game record since the franchise’s inaugural season in 1934. Jared Goff continued his sensational season, too, completing 26 of 36 throws for 269 yards. The Colts (5-7) lost their second straight home game and for the fourth time in their past five games. with 172 yards while rushing 10 times for 61 yards. the NFL’s highest-scoring offense largely in check Sunday, it was doomed by its inability to finish drives with touchdowns. BUCCANEERS 30, GIANTS 7 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Baker Mayfield catapulted into the end zone for one of Tampa Bay’s four rushing touchdowns, and the Buccaneers beat the Giants and new starting quarterback Tommy DeVito, snapping a four-game losing streak and extending New York’s skid to six. The Giants’ decisions this week to bench and then release quarterback Daniel Jones did nothing to help the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense. DeVito threw for 189 yards, mostly in the second half with New York well on its way to its sixth straight loss at home, where it is winless. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers dominated in every phase in a near-perfect perfect performance that featured TD runs of 1 yard by Sean Tucker, 6 yards by Bucky Irving and 1 yard by Rachaad White. After recent losses to the Ravens, 49ers and Chiefs, Tampa Bay (5-6) moved within one game of idle Atlanta in the NFC South. Tampa Bay scored on five of its on first six possessions to open a 30-0 lead, and none was more exciting than Mayfield’s TD run with 12 seconds left in the first half. On a second-and-goal from the 10, he avoided pressure and went for the end zone. He was hit by Cor’Dale Flott low and Dru Phillips high around the 2-yard line, and he was airborne when he crossed the goal line. The ball came loose when he hit the turf but he jumped up and flexed — — as the Bucs took a 23-0 lead. DOLPHINS 34, PATRIOTS 15 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores to running back De’Von Achane, and Miami routed New England. The Dolphins (5-6) have a thin margin for error the rest of the season but have kept themselves afloat with a three-game winning streak. With their win at New England (3-9) in Week 5, the Dolphins have swept their division rivals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. Tagovailoa, who moved to 7-0 in his career against New England, entered the game with a league-high 73.4% completion rate and went 29 for 40. Backup Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa with about 11 minutes left in what was already a blowout, but a bad handoff on his first play resulted in a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Christian Gonzalez and returned 63 yards for a touchdown. It cut New England’s deficit to 31-15, and Tagovailoa returned the next drive. TITANS 32, TEXANS 27 HOUSTON (AP) — Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a win over the Texans. Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled for the touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 9 1/2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. The Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. Titans coach Brian Callahan held both hands in the air and smiled after watching the miss that allowed his team to win on a day it had three turnovers. The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked C.J. Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. VIKINGS 30, BEARS 27, OT CHICAGO (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up , and Minnesota outlasted Chicago after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation. Darnold threw two touchdown passes, Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings (9-2), who remained one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North. Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (4-7), who lost their fifth straight. Minnesota appeared to have the game in hand, leading 27-16 with 1:56 left after Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Bears weren’t finished. Deandre Carter made up for that led to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kickoff return to the 40. Williams took it from there, capping an eight-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A 2-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 27-24 with 22 seconds remaining. The Bears recovered the onside kick and Williams hit Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30 before spiking the ball. Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal as time expired. The Associated PressNeal Maupay: Whenever I’m having a bad day I check Everton score and smile
HARRISBURG, PA — Governor Josh Shapiro authorized a series of legislative measures into law on Monday, signing seven bills that address a range of significant topics, from memorializing fallen heroes to enhancing consumer protections and modernizing local governance. Each new law signals progress in key areas affecting Pennsylvania residents, with far-reaching implications for public safety, economic activity, and civic recognition. The legislation includes House Bills 71, 1210, 1304, 1850, 2177, 2426, and Senate Bill 155. These new Acts address issues like honoring Gold Star families, protecting victims of abuse, improving emergency services, revising municipal accounting practices, updating motorcycle inspection rules, banning license plate flipping devices, and expanding consumer protections for motorcyclists. House Bill 71 , now Act No. 145 of 2024, underscores Pennsylvania’s commitment to honoring military sacrifice. The law authorizes the construction of the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument on the State Capitol grounds. Sponsored by the Woody Williams Foundation, the monument will recognize Gold Star families who have lost loved ones in military service. Its design reflects core themes of homeland, family, patriotism, sacrifice, and legacy. By creating a space for memory and education, the monument offers a lasting tribute to fallen heroes and their families, while fostering greater public understanding of their sacrifice. Act No. 146 of 2024, originating from House Bill 1210 , enhances protections for victims of domestic violence by allowing judges to explicitly prohibit defendants from harming the victim’s pets. This addition to Pennsylvania’s Protection From Abuse Act addresses an often-overlooked aspect of domestic abuse, where abusers harm pets as a tactic of intimidation. This law empowers courts to address this specific threat, ensuring victims can seek safety without fear for their animals. By recognizing the connection between pet welfare and victim safety, the bill represents a critical evolution in domestic violence protections. House Bill 1304 , now Act No. 147 of 2024, brings sweeping updates to Pennsylvania’s emergency 911 communication system. The legislation promotes the transition to Next Generation 911 (NG911), which enables advanced digital capabilities like text, video, and data sharing. It outlines provisions for surcharge collection, fund distribution, and coordinated operations across counties. By modernizing the state’s emergency response infrastructure, Act 147 enhances public safety and creates a system better equipped to handle evolving technological needs and emergencies in real time. House Bill 1850 , signed as Act No. 148 of 2024, introduces changes to accounting practices in second-class townships. Specifically, it clarifies that advertisements are required only during the initial vote to replace elected auditors with certified public accountants (CPAs). Subsequent CPA reappointments no longer require additional public notices. This measure reduces administrative burdens while maintaining transparency, ensuring that municipalities can efficiently manage their transitions between accounting professionals without undue procedural hurdles. Act No. 149 of 2024, stemming from HB 2177 , simplifies safety inspection rules for motorcycles in Pennsylvania. Previously restricted to inspections between March and October, PennDOT-certified stations may now perform these inspections year-round. This change aligns safety protocols with motorcycle operation and sales, which occur throughout the calendar year. By eliminating this restriction, the law promotes road safety while offering greater convenience for motorcycle owners. House Bill 2426 , now Act No. 150 of 2024, closes a loophole in state vehicle laws by explicitly prohibiting license plate flipping devices. These mechanisms, which allow drivers to conceal or alter license plates, can enable illegal activities such as toll evasion and reckless driving. The new law ensures accountability on the road, making it clear that the use of such devices is unacceptable. This commonsense measure strengthens enforcement efforts and reinforces the principle that all drivers must adhere to traffic laws and identification requirements. Senate Bill 155 , enacted as Act No. 151 of 2024, expands Pennsylvania’s Automobile Lemon Law to include motorcycles. Previously covering only cars, the legislation ensures that motorcyclists receive the same consumer protections against defects that significantly impair use, value, or safety. These protections apply during the first year of ownership or the duration of the warranty, offering critical recourse for buyers. By addressing an oversight in existing consumer protections, this law aligns motorcycle purchasers with the safeguards already afforded to car buyers. The bills signed into law reflect a commitment to practical governance and the enhancement of public welfare. “These new laws address real needs in our communities, from public safety to consumer protection and more.” Gov. Shapiro’s administration repeatedly emphasized bipartisan collaboration in advancing these measures, reinforcing Pennsylvania’s ability to tackle diverse challenges. With laws now in place to honor military families, safeguard victims of abuse, modernize emergency systems, improve local governance, and protect motorcycle buyers, Pennsylvania stands poised to implement these initiatives for the benefit of its citizens. These Acts collectively represent a step forward in fostering safer, stronger, and more equitable communities across the Commonwealth. For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN .None
By TIM REYNOLDS When LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker-room fashion. They made fun of him. “They told me I’m old as hell,” James quipped. By NBA standards, they’re not wrong. He was dubbed “The Kid from Akron” when the Ohio native entered the league with a limitless future nearly 22 years ago. He’s now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard. His milestone birthday comes Dec. 30, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. Such a feat has happened a couple of dozen times in baseball before. It has happened in hockey — Gordie Howe was a five-decade player, appearing in the NHL from his teens to his 50s — but never in the NFL or the NBA. Until now. James is making more basketball history and creating a club all of his own. “In some ways he’s a freak of nature,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “I’ve been around a lot of great players and he’s one of the hardest-working players I’ve been around. I mean, he doesn’t take a day off. He seems to not take an afternoon off. He’s always working on some part of his body. You meet with him and he’s always soaking something or eating something with some contraption attached to him.” A 40th birthday, in NBA terms, means the on-court end is near. James will become the 30th player to appear in a regular-season game with a “4” as the first digit of his age; only nine logged more than 51 games after that birthday. He’ll be the 32nd player to play after turning 40 overall; Tim Duncan and Danny Schayes both turned 40 during playoff runs in what became their final seasons. And for the most part, big numbers are largely nonexistent at that age. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who did it three times), John Stockton (twice), Michael Jordan, Robert Parish and Karl Malone have averaged more than 10 points in a season after turning 40. Jordan averaged 22.4 points in 30 games after turning 40 in his final season with Washington; Malone is the most recent to do it, averaging 13.2 points in 42 games after turning 40 while with the Lakers in 2003-04. James, meanwhile, is still putting up All-Star level numbers: 23.5 points, 9 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game. Forget how doing that at 40 is unheard of. Doing that at 30 is practically unheard of. The only players to have those numbers in all three categories in a season after turning 30 are James (who did it at 33 and 35) and James Harden (who did it at 31). “The size, the strength and the IQ ... with his frame and the way he takes care of himself, he doesn’t have to be the best athlete on the planet. At one time he was,” Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’re not talking about the best athlete in the association. He was the best athlete on the planet arguably, just size, strength, agility, explosiveness combined. But at this size and if he just wants to slow the game down and just play off his brain and IQ, he could do that for another decade. I doubt he’ll find interest in that. But he could.” Nobody knows when James will stop playing. And it surely isn’t going to get any easier: James wanted to play all 82 games this season and couldn’t, was widely criticized when the Lakers went through a slump earlier this season and took tons of backlash when his team drafted his son Bronny in the second round last summer in what many thought was simple nepotism. He has always been a lightning rod. If his play declines at 40, his naysayers will be lined up to revel in that. “It’s a lot harder, physically and emotionally, to face what those guys face night after night after night,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said of top NBA stars getting up in years, like James and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry — who’ll turn 37 in March. “There’s a reason players have to retire. You know, they can’t do it forever.” James won’t either. But even while playing alongside elite 30-year-olds like Giannis Antetokounmpo, James — who reportedly spends more than $1.5 million annually on his fitness and has an on-site mechanic of sorts at all times for anything his body needs in personal athletic training guru in Mike Mancias — has shown how to play long past what used to be considered an NBA player’s peak years. “What he’s done is incredible, never been done, especially at the level he’s playing,” Antetokounmpo said. “For me, I always look at the other players that kind of set the blueprint for us, and this is something that’s never been done before. I definitely want to play late into my career, like 37, 38, 39, as much as my body can allow me to play. But I have to do a good job of taking care of my body, which I believe I do, but he kind of set the path for us, set the blueprint for us. We’ve just got to follow.” The accolades are countless: James is the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, has a place in the GOAT conversation, most minutes played, four NBA championships, three Olympic gold medals, 20 and likely soon to be 21 All-Star selections, oldest to do this, oldest to do that, generational wealth with a net worth exceeding $1 billion, and on and on and on. It begs the question: What does one get a 40-year-old who has everything? “I don’t even know,” lamented Bronny James — another example of how James is one of one, becoming the first dad in NBA history to have his son as a teammate. James has hinted that the end is near. “Don’t make me feel old right now,” he said, only half-kiddingly, when asked earlier this month about the looming 40th birthday. He is under contract for next season but hasn’t offered any guarantees about how long he will play, saying he isn’t “going to play that much longer, to be completely honest” and insisting that he won’t be “playing till the wheels fall off” because he doesn’t want to disrespect the game. No player scored more points in his teens than James did. Same goes for his 20s. Only Malone and Abdul-Jabbar scored more points in their 30s than James. And now, here comes his 40s, with James still going strong. It’s the final decade of a basketball career like none other. “Fans pay attention every time he steps on the court because they’re watching one of the greatest ever and still playing an incredibly high level, despite turning 40 this month,” Silver said. “I marvel at him.”
Political pundits have already called the flatline of Pete Hegseth's nomination to lead the Department of Defense, but he's still lingering around Washington. Speaking to MSNBC on Friday, Matthew Dowd, a former strategist for George W. Bush's presidential campaign, made it clear that Trump has strong opinions about alcoholism and those with drinking problems. "Donald Trump is exceedingly smart at politics, and Donald Trump — and it's been reported in other places — that he was taken aback because they asked him and Pete Hegseth a series of questions, and Pete Hegseth never copped to any of this stuff and never told them," said Dowd. ALSO READ: 'It's offensive': Multiple senators object to Trump's plan to usher in Pete Hegseth "I think Donald Trump doesn't want to be embarrassed," he continued. "As the Reverend said, it's all about performance. I think that this — for Pete Hegseth, he is Bruce Willis in the 'Sixth Sense.' He is dead, and he doesn't know it yet, and the senators hope he passes away without him having to pronounce it." Still, the Fox News weekend co-host pledges to soldier on. Earlier this week it was leaked that Trump was talking to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) as a possible replacement for Hegseth. So, while Trump is saying on Truth Social he continues to stand behind Hegseth, he's also attending the Army-Navy game with DeSantis, who was in the Navy. Hegseth was in the Army, though it is unclear if he was invited. Marc Caputo wrote for The Bulwark that the Trump team has appreciated that Hegseth has helped take the spotlight off other controversial figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard. "Hegseth is a heatshield," a senior Trump adviser told the Bulwark. "Pete can take the heat, and that’s better for everyone else." See the video below or at the link here. - YouTube youtu.be
Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Assurant, Inc. ( NYSE:AIZ – Free Report ) by 3.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,341 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 202 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Assurant were worth $1,261,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Assurant during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Huntington National Bank lifted its stake in shares of Assurant by 509.4% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 195 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Assurant by 62.1% in the second quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 201 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in Assurant in the third quarter valued at about $56,000. Finally, Family Firm Inc. acquired a new stake in Assurant during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.65% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In AIZ has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler upped their target price on Assurant from $200.00 to $217.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Assurant from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Assurant from $217.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 23rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Assurant from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Assurant from $228.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $225.20. Insider Buying and Selling at Assurant In other Assurant news, EVP Biju Nair sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $209.18, for a total transaction of $627,540.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,658 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,321,240.44. The trade was a 12.68 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Assurant Price Performance Shares of NYSE:AIZ opened at $227.10 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Assurant, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $160.12 and a fifty-two week high of $230.55. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $203.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $186.07. The company has a market cap of $11.65 billion, a PE ratio of 16.20 and a beta of 0.57. Assurant ( NYSE:AIZ – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 5th. The financial services provider reported $3.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.48. Assurant had a net margin of 6.31% and a return on equity of 17.42%. The business had revenue of $2.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.29 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Assurant, Inc. will post 15.41 EPS for the current year. Assurant Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.41%. This is a positive change from Assurant’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. Assurant’s payout ratio is presently 22.82%. Assurant Profile ( Free Report ) Assurant, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides business services that supports, protects, and connects consumer purchases in North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through two segments: Global Lifestyle and Global Housing. The Global Lifestyle segment offers mobile device solutions, and extended service contracts and related services for consumer electronics and appliances, and credit and other insurance products; and vehicle protection, commercial equipment, and other related services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AIZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Assurant, Inc. ( NYSE:AIZ – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Assurant Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Assurant and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Springbok Du Toit named World Player of the Year for second timeWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a bloc of nine nations if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. His threat was directed at countries in the so-called BRIC alliance, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have applied to become members and several other countries have expressed interest in joining. While the U.S. dollar is by far the most-used currency in global business and has survived past challenges to its preeminence, members of the alliance and other developing nations say they are fed up with America’s . Trump, in a Truth Social post, said: “We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy.” At a summit of BRIC nations in October, and described it as a “big mistake.” “It’s not us who refuse to use the dollar,” Putin said at the time. “But if they don’t let us work, what can we do? We are forced to search for alternatives.” Russia has specifically pushed for the creation of a new payment system that would offer an alternative to the global bank messaging network, SWIFT, and allow Moscow to dodge Western sanctions and trade with partners. Trump said there is “no chance” BRIC will replace the U.S. dollar in global trade and any country that tries to make that happen “should wave goodbye to America.” Fatima Hussein, The Associated PressTrump and giveaways: What Elon Musk spent $270M on during the election