TCU's TD barrage breaks open tight game vs. Arizona
Minnesotans break their own record with $37 million donated to local nonprofits on Give to the Max DayOn the eve of heritage week celebrationsThe slump in the number of people heading to the shops during Boxing Day sales signals a return to declining pre-pandemic levels, an analyst has said. Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.
A LEADING supermarket has dramatically reduced the price of 6.5ft Christmas trees by 88%. Tesco is selling 6.5ft luxury artificial alpine snow trees for just £7.50. 1 Unfortunately, the offer isn't available online, so you'll need to head to your local store to check if there's still stock Credit: Facebook The artificial fir, which usually retails at £60 a piece, can be bought for the knockoff price in-store while stocks last. Shoppers have taken to social media to brag about the offer. One person posted on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook page and said: This bad boy was originally £60... "It's now reduced to £7.50!" Read more in money FINAL CURTAIN Cineworld to close first site TOMORROW ahead of six closing for good TIME SAVER Little-known key limits set by major banks to help you skip branch visits Another shopper, responding to the find, said: "I bought this tree last year and put it up this year. It's lovely. "They are deffo a bargain at that kind of price." A third shopper said: "I have this tree! "I got it last year, but not this cheap!" Most read in Money OPEN UP New Year's opening hours 2025 - Tesco, Asda and Aldi reveal closing times RUNNING DRY Fears supermarket Guinness shortage could mean NO supplies for New Year’s Eve WELL ISLE BE We've moved onto an island in London with no bridge - pals say we're 'bonkers' 'SAD NEWS' 'Genuinely gutted' cry locals as popular Scots eatery announces sudden closure Unfortunately, the offer isn't available online, so you'll need to head to your local store to check if there's still stock. You can find yours by visiting tesco.com/store-locator/. SAVE HUNDREDS AT TESCO Always remember to compare prices to ensure you get the best deal. However, the in-store Tesco offer is the best we've seen on 6ft trees. A similar alpine snow-covered artificial tree from Homebase currently costs £90 - and that's with a 50% markdown. Online-only retailer Studio has slashed the price of its own 6ft frosted artificial trees from £35.99 to £6.50. However, they're five inches shorter than the one on offer at Tesco. How to compare prices to get the best deal JUST because something is on offer, or is part of a sale, it doesn't mean it's always a good deal. There are plenty of comparison websites out there that'll check prices for you - so don't be left paying more than you have to. Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers. Here are some that we recommend: Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results. Price Spy logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets. Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock. Idealo is another website that lets you compare prices between retailers. All shoppers need to do is search for the item they need and the website will rank them from the cheapest to the most expensive one. CamelCamelCamel only works on goods being sold on Amazon. To use it, type in the URL of the product you want to check the price of. SAVE AT TESCO With a few simple tricks you can cut down the total on your Tesco shop. Here are some tips to help you: Get a Tesco Clubcard : If you're a frequent Tesco shopper, signing up for a Tesco Clubcard is highly recommended. With every £1 you spend, you earn one point, which can be redeemed for vouchers. Accumulate 150 points to receive a £1.50 voucher in-store. For added value, exchange your points online via the Clubcard website for days out or restaurant meals, where they can be worth up to three times their value. Don’t forget to check for any unused points, as they remain valid for up to two years. Save on Tesco deliveries : Consider signing up for Tesco’s Delivery Saver subscription service to save on home delivery costs. For a monthly fee starting at £3.49, you can get all online deliveries over £40 delivered free of charge, with one order per day. This service is ideal if you place two or more orders over £40 a month. The delivery charge typically ranges from £1 to £7, so if you regularly shop online, the subscription could offer substantial savings. Make the most of yellow stickers : Yellow stickers indicate items that have been reduced in price due to approaching sell-by dates or minor damage. If you have a large freezer, these discounts are a great way to stock up on quality products for less. The timing for yellow sticker discounts varies by store, so check our guide for the best times to find these bargains. Look for "Exclusively at Tesco" products : Tesco offers an “Exclusively at Tesco” range featuring around 400 key items such as bread, tea bags, and family meals. This range is priced competitively against discount retailers like Aldi and Lidl. Always compare prices to ensure you’re getting the best deal and consider using price comparison tools like MoneySupermarket or Idealo to track supermarket prices. Try downshifting your products : Switching from premium to standard products can lead to significant savings. For example, a Tesco Finest chicken kiev costs £6, whereas a standard Tesco kiev is only £2—a £4 saving. According to MoneySavingExpert Martin Lewis , this simple change can save an average family up to £1,500 annually. Bring your own bags : Tesco charges 10p for its bags for life, which may seem small, but can add up over time. Using four bags per week equates to £1.60 a month or £20.80 a year. Save money by bringing your own bags—keeping them in your car can help you remember them on your next trip. Read more on the Scottish Sun GHOST TOWN Former Scots shopping hotspot 'decaying' as multimillion pound revamp ‘failing’ VAX HORROR Striken Scots 'gaslit' by health bosses after complications from Covid vaccine With these tricks you can maximise your savings the next time you shop at Tesco. Meanwhile, Tesco Clubcard customers can boost their points by spending money with partners like Ovo Energy, Vauxhall, and Inkjet Recycling. How to bag a bargain SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain... Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with. Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks. Sales are when you can pick up a real steal. Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on. Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too. When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer. Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping. Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out. And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.Volunteers with Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana sort through boxes of petitions submitted just before a deadline in 2022 to submit signatures to qualify for the November ballot. July 7, 2022. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and the Hall County Attorney’s Office are appealing the dismissal of criminal charges against a notary public who notarized medical cannabis petitions for the fall election. Hall County Attorney Marty Klein, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Assistant Attorney General Michael Jensen filed an appeal Friday to take the case to Hall County District Court against Jacy C. Todd, 54, a notary from York. Mark Porto, Todd’s attorney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday on the appeal but previously urged prosecutors to “ stop playing political games .” “A series of politically orchestrated (and false) Class II misdemeanors are among the least scary and intimidating things Mr. Todd has ever encountered,” Porto said in a statement last month. Prosecutors to appeal case against Nebraska notary, whose attorney asks ‘to stop playing games’ Prosecutors charged Todd on Oct. 2 with 24 counts of “ official misconduct ” for allegedly notarizing petitions outside the presence of a paid petition circulator — Michael Egbert of Grand — on 24 separate dates. Egbert pleaded guilty Nov. 8 to a Class I misdemeanor for circulator fraud, down from a felony. He testified in court that he used a phone book to illegally add and forge voter signatures. Hall County Judge Alfred Corey dismissed all charges against Todd on Nov. 22, finding that notaries are not public officials and that allegations of notarial “malfeasance” can already be tried administratively. Corey ordered the state to pay associated court costs. “While these duties greatly assist others, notary publics are not public servants who are performing governmental functions,” Corey wrote in a four-page opinion. The prosecutors, in their appeal, argue that Corey erred in finding that a notary was not a public official and said many states recognize notaries public as having governmental power. The prosecutors added that an administrative investigation doesn’t prohibit criminal prosecution. Todd is believed to be the first notary public criminally charged in Nebraska in actions involving allegations of notary malfeasance. Hilgers’ office accused about seven other notaries involved with the medical marijuana ballot initiatives of similar malfeasance by Hilgers’ office in a Lancaster County District Court case against the petitions . None of the seven have been charged in the same manner as Todd. The Lancaster County district judge dismissed the case after rejecting arguments from the AG’s Office, which included accusations of notarial malfeasance. That ruling is also being appealed . SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Has $7.46 Million Holdings in Shopify Inc. (NYSE:SHOP)Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new position in shares of Blue Owl Capital Inc. ( NYSE:OWL – Free Report ) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 46,475 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $900,000. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in shares of Blue Owl Capital by 6,783.8% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 25,470 shares of the company’s stock worth $480,000 after purchasing an additional 25,100 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Blue Owl Capital in the first quarter worth $624,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new position in shares of Blue Owl Capital in the first quarter worth $738,000. LRI Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Blue Owl Capital in the first quarter worth $105,000. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc increased its position in shares of Blue Owl Capital by 14.0% in the first quarter. Morse Asset Management Inc now owns 12,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $230,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 35.85% of the company’s stock. Blue Owl Capital Trading Up 0.9 % Shares of OWL stock opened at $24.55 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $21.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $19.15. Blue Owl Capital Inc. has a 12 month low of $13.01 and a 12 month high of $24.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 144.41, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.14. Blue Owl Capital Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th were paid a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 11th. Blue Owl Capital’s payout ratio is 423.53%. Analyst Ratings Changes OWL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler raised their price target on Blue Owl Capital from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Blue Owl Capital from $18.50 to $21.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on Blue Owl Capital from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Blue Owl Capital from $20.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Blue Owl Capital from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $22.31. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on OWL Blue Owl Capital Company Profile ( Free Report ) Blue Owl Capital Inc operates as an asset manager in the United States. The company offers permanent capital base solutions that enables it to offer holistic framework of capital solutions to middle market companies, large alternative asset managers, and corporate real estate owners and tenants. It also provides direct lending products that offer private credit products comprising diversified, technology, first lien, and opportunistic lending to middle-market companies; liquid credit; GP strategic capital products, which offers capital solutions, including GP minority stakes, GP debt financing, and professional sports minority stakes; and real estate products that focuses on acquiring triple net lease real estate by investment grade or creditworthy tenants. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OWL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Blue Owl Capital Inc. ( NYSE:OWL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Blue Owl Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Blue Owl Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans police arrested on Friday a man accused of killing two people during a large parade where within an hour left two dead and at least 10 wounded. Curtis Gray, 19, faces two counts of second-degree murder tied to the Nov. 17 shootings along a crowded parade route, according to a news release from the New Orleans Police Department. Gray allegedly fatally shot Rasean Carter, 21, and Malachi Jackson, 19, at the Almonaster Avenue Bridge, authorities say. Carter, an aspiring photographer who lived in Marrero just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, had planned to document the Nine Times Social Aid & Pleasure Club's annual outing and was accompanied by Jackson, his friend and uncle, reported. The parade was part of New Orleans' long-running tradition of “second-lines” where revelers follow brass bands marching through the streets and has deep ties to the city's Black culture. The deaths of Carter and Jackson were among a series of recent lethal shootings in New Orleans. While most violence has been on the , there were three people killed and eight wounded in six shootings over the past weekend . On Thursday, New Orleans police arrested two men, Darrell Fairley Jr., 18, and Cornelius G. Tillman, 19, in connection with a Nov. 30 double homicide in New Orleans East. Associated Press, The Associated PressBoxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.
American Airlines expands its ‘Gate Lice’ across the U.S. airports ahead of the Thanksgiving travel surge
Clara Strack and Georgia Amoore each scored 21 points on Saturday to help No. 16 Kentucky beat visiting Western Kentucky 88-70 in Lexington. Teonni Key netted 15 points, Amelia Hassett paired nine points with 12 rebounds and Saniah Tyler scored 11 off the bench for the Wildcats (11-1), who won their fourth straight game. The Lady Toppers (9-3) got 18 points from Alexis Mead, 14 from Acacia Hayes, 11 from Destiny Salary and 10 from Josie Gilvin. Western Kentucky has lost three of five following a 7-0 start. Kentucky used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to take a double-digit lead that it held for the rest of the game. Strack bookended the surge with a layup and a 3-pointer that pushed the hosts ahead 36-22 with 1:01 remaining in the first half. The Wildcats' lead peaked at 23 points after Amoore scored five straight late in the fourth quarter to make it 88-65. Saturday marked the final nonconference game for both teams this season. Kentucky hosts Mississippi State to begin Southeastern Conference play on Thursday, while Western Kentucky starts its Conference USA slate by hosting Liberty the same night. --Field Level MediaCNN — Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan will be taking audiences to mythical Greece with his latest project. Universal Pictures announced this week that Nolan will be directing a cinematic adaptation of " The Odyssey ," an ancient poem believed to be written by Homer between 750 and 650 BCE centering on the character Odysseus' 10-year trek home after the Trojan War. Nolan's forthcoming adaptation is described as "a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology," according to the studio's announcement posted to their X page Monday. Zendaya, Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson along with Oscar-winners Matt Damon, Lupita Nyong'o, Anne Hathaway and Charlize Theron are reportedly set to star in the film. Holland recently spoke about signing onto the project, saying on "The Dish" podcast last week that the film hasn't started shooting yet. He added that Nolan only "loosely pitched" it to him when they met to discuss the project, but that he still didn't know all the details. The "Spider-Man" actor also touched on working with his girlfriend Zendaya, joking that "studios love it" when they're on the same project because they only have to pay for "one hotel room." Pattinson, Damon and Hathaway have all previously appeared in Nolan's films, including "Tenet," "Interstellar" and "Oppenheimer." Nolan is also behind epic films including "Inception," "The Dark Knight," "Dunkirk" and his most recent film "Oppenheimer," which scored big at last year's Oscars when it took home the trophy for Best Picture. Nolan won that award as a producer and also took home the Academy Award for Best Director. According to Universal's social media announcement this week, "The Odyssey" will bring Homer's "foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time" and will open in theaters on July 17, 2026.He has made a monumental history; breaking barriers and shattering shells not just as the current richest man globally but the wealthiest man to ever walk the surface of Planet Earth! By crossing the hitherto unreachable threshold of $400 billion (£345 billion) and going ahead to hit a staggering net worth of a mouth-watering $500 billion as at December 2024 he is richer than both Microsoft CEO, Bill Gates and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos with their combined net worths that is according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index (BBI). Reading through these recent epochal achievements the million-naira question that gripped the mind of yours truly concerns what he has done differently to achieve these feats. That one unique man under discourse is none other than Elon Musk, the South African -American business icon whose rare innovations in cutting -edge technologies through Space X, Tesla, Neuralink and the Boring Company have revolutionalised the way we live. While Space X, his private aerospace engineering company is a game – changer and pioneering space exploration and satellite internet, Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturing company is raking in the dollars due to expanding patronage. There are certainly several significant lessons to glean from Musk as individuals, who want to be better at our various businesses and professional ventures, more so in the new year of 2025. One of such important factors is to understand that all the veritable ideas of the life – changing inventions and innovations that have led to the production of electricity, air conditioner, refrigerator, television, traffic light, motorcycles, cars, aeroplane, cell phone, lap top, internet connectivity and such others as even tooth brush, all emanated from man’s mindset. The mind, according to the famous motivator, Norman Vincent Pearle is made of two parts- the subconscious and the conscious. Whereas, thoughts, ideas, wishes, and dreams are like seeds sown into the fertile field of the subconscious mind, the eventual decisions and actions taken are products of our conscious mind. The lesson hereby is the imperative of having a firm control of our mindset, as Musk has done. Once that is achieved one is able to open the horizon of the mindset. That of course, is what transpired in that of great scientists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Pythagoras, Marie Curie, and our own Silas Adekunle and Prof. Philip Emeagwali. To them and other creative minds including artists, poets, novelists, film makers and creative chefs the word impossible does not exist. Not at all! That perhaps, explains why Musk thinks that going to Planet Mars is a possibility, travelling from New York City to London through an underground tunnel, taking but a few hours is a possibility. So, it is up you to come to terms with the difficulties you have had in the past years, including 2024 and muster the mental will to break the limitations that have held you captive. If Elon Musk could think about spaceships that travel much faster than those currently in place and work on the ideas, why not you? What it means therefore is to master your mind, but do so with a Positive Mental Attitude ((PMA) as Vincent Pearle admonished. With such a PMA you should be able to identify your God-given talents, skills and passion. What is it that you do so effortlessly while others find it an uphill task to achieve? What gives you that inner joy, contentment. and eventual fulfilment in life? What, as the renowned American media mogul, Oprah Winfrey asked is that passion you can easily display even without being paid for it? Whatever it might be that is what you should identify and cash on to make not just a living but a reasonable one at that. Is it to be a tailor, hair dresser, teacher to the ignorant, nurse to sick, and lawyer to defend the defendless? Is it to clean the dirty environment? Or perhaps, you love to play football as Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman do? What about finding it engaging to repair to repair broken down vehicles, television sets, and cell phones? It does not matter what. Even it could be to be a comedian and crack other people ‘s ribs. Recall that our own popular actress, Mercy Johnson once hawked pure water along some Lagos streets, while the now world acclaimed singer, Patorankin also hawked rat killers in the same city streets. Even ace comedian Ali Baba once trekked all the way from Ikorodu to Victoria Island in search of a white-collar job. But unknown to them they had tremendous talents hidden deep within them. So, like gold and diamond that are not found floating on the surface of the soil, we all have to dig deeper to bring out the pearls within, hone them from their rustic appearance to glow and shine for the world to see, admire and learn from. Year 2025 is the time to do so. Yet, to succeed you to do away with all forms of negativity. Say goodbye to doubts, don’ts, discouragement and delays. Those are the devilish doctrines that often lead to frustrating failures in life. That is the salient reason great scientists turn deaf ears to such demeaning and dehumanising principles. For instance, Isaac Newton was told by one of his science teachers that he was a failure and would amount to nothing in life. Similarly, Charles Darwin the man whose father laughed at as only good at chasing rabbits in the field did not listen to his bearer when he came up with his brilliant scientific research on the ‘Origin of Species’ and the history making ‘Evolution Theory’ way back in 1859. Even the Wright Brothers who were told by friends to forget the “crazy idea” of flying their airplane, that it would never work defied all negativity when they did what was then thought as impossible at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, precisely on December 17, 1903. What it means therefore, is not to listen to discouraging remarks of the traducers. They are nothing but destiny destroyers. Doing away with all forms of discouragement is one step forward towards achieving your goals come 2025. After that is the deployment of the unfailing principles of positivity, ‘can do it’ spirit, team work with those who believe in your vision, focus, and being a problem -solver with your creativity and innovations. Yes, you can! It takes vision of what exactly you want to achieve as your goals and within set timeframe, in addition to the practical application of the four C principles of character, courage, confidence, and commitment. Not left out are the 3 H philosophies of honour, honesty of purpose, humility, integrity, in addition to continuous learning and the ability to adapt to the dynamics of life. As Benjamin Franklin rightly noted: ” Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning”. For all these to come to pass there is the need to make sacrifices of energy, time and valuable resources. And that is because success is not served a la carte or on a platter of gold. That brings to the fore the significance of the persistent pursuit of your set goals. You must therefore, never give up. Instead, turn your stumbling blocks into stepping stones, as the late Chinese Kung Fu actor, Bruce Lee once admonished, to lift you to higher grounds. To do that you must muster the courage to keep going forward, against all odds. For instance, the legendary American politician, Abraham Lincoln ( of blessed memory ) failed twice in business, several times as a politician but he did not give up. Eventually, fate smiled on him as he was sworn in as America’s 16th president. In a similar spirit of doggedness, the scientists who worked on producing Dolly, the first ever cloned sheep failed 277 times! What could have happened if they gave up at the 276th attempt? The answer is obvious. It would also be recalled that Elon Musk ‘s fortunes fell to $137 billion in 2022 but he did not cave in. Today, he is the history maker. The message is crystal clear- never give up. As Ray Kroc the man who bought the franchise of Mc Donald aptly stated: ” persistence pays”. So, as 2025 is placed before us as an empty canvas before a painter, what we make of it would be determined by our vision, passion, self-belief in our dreams, experiences and how well we deploy our senses of sight, smell, taste, hearing, thinking and the critical decisions we make. But one unfailing principle in our choices is that of being problem-solvers with the power of creativity. Interestingly, that is exactly what Elon Musk has done with 13% share in Tesla, and 42% share in Space X, which as at December 2024 was valued at $350 billion. In addition, he owns 79% share in X Corp by his $ 44 billion acquisition in 2022. Going forward, we must be futuristic in the running of our businesses, upgrading the processes with cutting -edge technologies as Musk has wisely done. But firstly, ” know thyself and to thyself be true.” Welcome to 2025, your best year ever!
Drop in Boxing Day footfall ‘signals return to declining pre-pandemic levels’
Need some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today's theme — "Keep it classical" — isn't too hard to decode, but does require some specialist knowledge. Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #302, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #302, so read on if you need a little help. Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #302. Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints The official theme for NYT Strands #302 is... "Keep it classical". And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Musical phrases." If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens: Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with C and ends with N. Scroll down to find out what it is... It's COMPOSITION. Today's Strands answers So, what are today's Strands answers for game #302? Drumroll, please... ...and the spangram was COMPOSITION. Strands #302 “Keep it classical” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵 Hi Strands fans. A nice and easy one today. A theme like "Keep it classical" could only really refer to classical music after all. And while I might have spent time looking for names of composers in the grid, I quickly saw the spangram of COMPOSITION which made it clear that this was actually going to be about the different parts of classical compositions, rather than the artists themselves. With that in mind, I found PRELUDE with the last three letters protruding into the spangram. SONATA was above it, with SYMPHONY to its left to complete the top half of the grid. There were two long words to find on the bottom half. I found CONCERTO spelt backwards from the bottom right, and then OVERTURE diagonally above it to complete the puzzle. Yesterday's Strands answers Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #301 right here .