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A total of 546,075 job vacancies were reported in the third quarter of this year, which is a 5.5 percent decline from the 577,970 vacancies in the second quarter, according to data released by StatCan on Dec. 16. “Employers continued to face challenges in finding candidates with the right skills,” said Employment and Social Development Canada on Dec. 17. “Labour and skill shortages stem from a mix of temporary factors and more enduring trends, including an aging population, technological shifts, and changes in consumer behavior. These dynamics will continue to impact the labour market and transform our society in the long term,” the report added. Part-time job vacancies saw a steeper percentage decline, falling by 8.6 percent from 148,205 to 135,655. In contrast, full-time vacancies decreased by 5.1 percent, reducing the total by 19,345 from 429,765. Meanwhile, the trade and transport sector also saw a decline of nearly 7,000 job vacancies, while the manufacturing and utilities sector reduced vacancies by more than 3,000. The natural resources, agriculture, and related production occupations sector experienced a decrease of 655 vacancies, according to the StatCan report. Saskatchewan experienced the sharpest percentage drop in job vacancies, declining by approximately 9.6 percent, from 19,825 in the second quarter to 17,930 in the third quarter. Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador followed closely, each seeing about an 8.2 percent decline in job vacancies. Other provinces also experienced declines, with Manitoba dropping 5.1 percent from 22,310 in the second quarter to 21,170 in the third, and Quebec declining 4.7 percent from 127,275 to 121,335. British Columbia saw the smallest decline in percentage, falling by 3.5 percent from 99,640 to 96,135.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.Bilawal resolves to carry forward Benazir's legacy
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Reports Fiscal 2024 Fourth Quarter ResultsMonport Laser Unwraps the "Christmas Laser Bonanza" - Spark Your Creativity with Unbeatable Festive Offers
CUPERTINO — An iconic performing arts theater where Apple co-founder Steve Job unveiled the first Macintosh computer in 1984 is being reduced to rubble, five years after the college district that owns the space closed it down due to high renovation costs . Workers began the demolition of De Anza College’s Flint Center in early October, breaking apart the beige concrete walls that one housed a plethora of community events and exposing dozens of deteriorated railings and theater seats. Majority of the demolition is expected to be completed by March 2025, according to Paula Norsell, a spokesperson for the Foothill-De Anza College District. In 2019, the board of trustees voted to close the center, saying the district would need to pour in $50 million in renovations, seismic and accessibility upgrades to keep the space open. The district is planning to build a new multi-million Creative Arts Building in its place and also make room for an adjacent Student Services building. The projects will be funded by Measure G, which was approved by district voters in 2020 to provide $898 million to upgrade and repair facilities, classrooms and labs, and to acquire and construct facilities and equipment for De Anza and Foothill College. “We are incredibly grateful to the community for approving Measure G and are excited to put the bond dollars to work,” Norsell said. “Improving the college’s aging infrastructure and creating new state-of-the-art facilities that will meet the needs of the next generation of students and reduce our carbon footprint.” In the meantime, De Anza college has temporarily closed down several student walking and drop-off areas around the center until January 2025. The 2,400-seat Flint Center opened in 1971 and was a hotspot for local plays, symphony performances, religious services and college graduations. The center’s popular Celebrity Forum series brought foreign dignitaries into the Silicon Valley, along with famous athletes like 49ers quarterback Joe Montana, and movies stars including Star Trek actor George Takei. It was also where Jobs and other Apple executives unveiled the company’s latest phones, computers and other pioneering technologies. In 2015, the center was even the filming site of for a biopic about Jobs. But managing the five-story concrete building was no easy feat for the Foothill-De Anza District. A 2015 study by the district found the Flint was booked only 17 to 24 percent of the year, and hosted just six or seven annual events that drew crowds of more than 2,000 people.Q3 2024 Overview SAN DIEGO , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: WOOF), a complete partner in pet health and wellness, today announced its third quarter 2024 financial results. In the third quarter of 2024, Petco delivered net revenue of $1.51 billion , up 1.2 percent versus prior year. On an as-reported basis, the company's consumables business was up 2.7 percent versus prior year, and services and other business was up 5.0 percent versus prior year. Growth in the company's consumables and services and other businesses was offset by the company's supplies and companion animal business, down 2.8 percent versus prior year. GAAP net loss in the third quarter of 2024 was $16.7 million , or $(0.06) per share, compared to GAAP net loss of $1.2 billion , or $(4.63) per share in the prior year, which included a $1.2 billion non-cash goodwill impairment charge associated with goodwill originally recorded in 2015. Adjusted Net Income 1 was $(6.5) million , or $(0.02) per share 1 , compared to $(14.5) million , or $(0.05) per share 1 in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA 1 was $81.2 million compared to $72.2 million in the prior year. "Our third quarter results demonstrate the meaningful progress we're making to strengthen our retail fundamentals to drive sustainable, profitable growth," said Joel Anderson , Petco's Chief Executive Officer. "While there is more work to do, our improving results increase our conviction that we are on the right path to position Petco to win long-term. Our entire organization is focused on driving profitability and free cash flow, and I'm confident we're set up for a solid finish to 2024." (1) Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Earnings Per Share ("Adjusted EPS"), and Free Cash Flow are non-GAAP financial measures. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for additional information on non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measures. Fiscal Q4 2024 Outlook The company is providing Q4 guidance for revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EPS, in addition to full year interest expense and capital expenditure expectations. For Fiscal Q4 2024, the company expects: Metric* FQ4 2024 Guidance Net Revenue ~ $1.55 billion Adjusted EBITDA Between $90 million and $95 million, including a minimum of $10 million in third party consulting fees associated with our transformation effort Adjusted EPS Between $0.00 and $0.02 For Fiscal 2024 (a 52-week year), the company expects the following: Metric* 2024 Guidance, YoY Net interest expense ~$140 million Capital Expenditures ~$130 million *Assumptions in the guidance include that economic conditions, currency rates and the tax and regulatory landscape remain generally consistent. For fiscal 2024, our guidance anticipates a 26 percent tax rate, and 273 million weighted average diluted share count. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS are non-GAAP financial measures and have not been reconciled to the most comparable GAAP outlook because it is not possible to do so without unreasonable efforts due to the uncertainty and potential variability of reconciling items, which are dependent on future events and often outside of management's control and which could be significant. Because such items cannot be reasonably predicted with the level of precision required, we are unable to provide outlook for the comparable GAAP measures. Forward-looking estimates of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS are made in a manner consistent with the relevant definitions and assumptions noted herein and in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Earnings Conference Call Webcast Information: Management will host an earnings conference call on December 5, 2024 at approximately 4:30 PM Eastern Time to discuss the company's financial results. The conference call will be accessible through a live webcast. Interested investors and other individuals can access the webcast, earnings release, and earnings presentation via the company's investor relations page at ir.petco.com . A replay of the webcast will be archived on the company's investor relations page through December 19, 2024 until approximately 5:00 PM Eastern Time . About Petco, The Health + Wellness Co.: Founded in 1965, Petco is a category-defining health and wellness company focused on improving the lives of pets, pet parents and our own Petco partners. We've consistently set new standards in pet care while delivering comprehensive pet wellness products, services and solutions, and creating communities that deepen the pet-pet parent bond. We operate more than 1,500 pet care centers across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico , which offer merchandise, companion animals, grooming, training and a growing network of on-site veterinary hospitals and mobile veterinary clinics. Our complete pet health and wellness ecosystem is accessible through our pet care centers and digitally at petco.com and on the Petco app . In tandem with Petco Love , a life-changing independent nonprofit organization, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, we've helped find homes for nearly 7 million animals. Forward-Looking Statements: This earnings release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, concerning expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that are not statements of historical fact, including, but not limited to, statements regarding our Q4 and full year 2024 guidance, operational reset of our business, our competitive positioning, profitability, cost action plans and associated cost-savings. Such forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "believes," "expects," "may," "intends," "will," "shall," "should," "anticipates," "opportunity," "illustrative," or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. Although Petco believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in these statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct or that any forward-looking results will occur or be realized. Nothing contained in this earnings release is, or should be relied upon as, a promise or representation or warranty as to any future matter, including any matter in respect of the operations or business or financial condition of Petco. All forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions about future events that may or may not be correct or necessarily take place and that are by their nature subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are outside the control of Petco. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the potential results or events discussed in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those identified in this earnings release as well as the following: (i) increased competition (including from multi-channel retailers, mass and grocery retailers, and e-Commerce providers); (ii) reduced consumer demand for our products and/or services; (iii) our reliance on key vendors; (iv) our ability to attract and retain qualified employees; (v) risks arising from statutory, regulatory and/or legal developments; (vi) macroeconomic pressures in the markets in which we operate, including inflation, prevailing interest rates and the impact of tariffs; (vii) failure to effectively manage our costs; (viii) our reliance on our information technology systems; (ix) our ability to prevent or effectively respond to a data privacy or security breach; (x) our ability to effectively manage or integrate strategic ventures, alliances or acquisitions and realize the anticipated benefits of such transactions; (xi) economic or regulatory developments that might affect our ability to provide attractive promotional financing; (xii) business interruptions and other supply chain issues; (xiii) catastrophic events, political tensions, conflicts and wars (such as the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East ), health crises, and pandemics; (xiv) our ability to maintain positive brand perception and recognition; (xv) product safety and quality concerns; (xvi) changes to labor or employment laws or regulations; (xvii) our ability to effectively manage our real estate portfolio; (xviii) constraints in the capital markets or our vendor credit terms; (xix) changes in our credit ratings; (xx) impairments of the carrying value of our goodwill and other intangible assets; (xxi) our ability to successfully implement our operational adjustments, achieve the expected benefits of our cost action plans and drive improved profitability; and (xxii) the other risks, uncertainties and other factors identified under "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in Petco's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The occurrence of any such factors could significantly alter the results set forth in these statements. Petco cautions that the foregoing list of risks, uncertainties and other factors is not complete, and forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Petco undertakes no duty to update publicly any such forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law, regulation or other competent legal authority. PETCO HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMPANY, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited and subject to reclassification) 13 Weeks Ended November 2, 2024 October 28, 2023 Percent Change Net sales: Products $ 1,263,194 $ 1,257,803 0 % Services and other 248,243 236,363 5 % Total net sales 1,511,437 1,494,166 1 % Cost of sales: Products 782,240 787,994 (1 %) Services and other 153,440 156,171 (2 %) Total cost of sales 935,680 944,165 (1 %) Gross profit 575,757 550,001 5 % Selling, general and administrative expenses 571,780 559,611 2 % Goodwill impairment — 1,222,524 (100 %) Operating income (loss) 3,977 (1,232,134) N/M Interest income (1,346) (1,139) 18 % Interest expense 35,797 36,557 (2 %) Loss on partial extinguishment of debt — 174 (100 %) Other non-operating income (8,465) (113) 7,391 % Loss before income taxes and income from equity method investees (22,009) (1,267,613) (98 %) Income tax benefit (857) (22,902) (96 %) Income from equity method investees (4,479) (3,574) 25 % Net loss attributable to Class A and B-1 common stockholders $ (16,673) $ (1,241,137) (99 %) Net loss per Class A and B-1 common share: Basic $ (0.06) $ (4.63) (99 %) Diluted $ (0.06) $ (4.63) (99 %) Weighted average shares used in computing net loss per Class A and B-1 common share: Basic 274,495 267,852 2 % Diluted 274,495 267,852 2 % PETCO HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMPANY, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited and subject to reclassification) November 2, 2024 February 3, 2024 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 116,675 $ 125,428 Receivables, less allowance for credit losses 1 40,432 44,369 Merchandise inventories, net 690,291 684,502 Prepaid expenses 46,720 58,615 Other current assets 37,665 38,830 Total current assets 931,783 951,744 Fixed assets 2,233,558 2,173,015 Less accumulated depreciation (1,493,752) (1,356,648) Fixed assets, net 739,806 816,367 Operating lease right-of-use assets 1,328,398 1,384,050 Goodwill 980,064 980,297 Trade name 1,025,000 1,025,000 Other long-term assets 206,429 205,694 Total assets $ 5,211,480 $ 5,363,152 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable and book overdrafts $ 447,673 $ 485,131 Accrued salaries and employee benefits 129,486 101,265 Accrued expenses and other liabilities 190,789 200,278 Current portion of operating lease liabilities 340,437 310,507 Current portion of long-term debt and other lease liabilities 5,294 15,962 Total current liabilities 1,113,679 1,113,143 Senior secured credit facilities, net, excluding current portion 1,576,856 1,576,223 Operating lease liabilities, excluding current portion 1,064,322 1,116,615 Deferred taxes, net 210,708 251,629 Other long-term liabilities 123,077 121,113 Total liabilities 4,088,642 4,178,723 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Class A common stock 2 237 231 Class B-1 common stock 3 38 38 Class B-2 common stock 4 — — Preferred stock 5 — — Additional paid-in-capital 2,271,052 2,229,582 Accumulated deficit (1,135,221) (1,047,243) Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income (13,268) 1,821 Total stockholders' equity 1,122,838 1,184,429 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 5,211,480 $ 5,363,152 (1) Allowances for credit losses are $1,623 and $1,806, respectively (2) Class A common stock, $0.001 par value: Authorized - 1.0 billion shares; Issued and outstanding - 237.2 million and 231.2 million shares, respectively (3) Class B-1 common stock, $0.001 par value: Authorized - 75.0 million shares; Issued and outstanding - 37.8 million shares (4) Class B-2 common stock, $0.000001 par value: Authorized - 75.0 million shares; Issued and outstanding - 37.8 million shares (5) Preferred stock, $0.001 par value: Authorized - 25.0 million shares; Issued and outstanding - none PETCO HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMPANY, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands) (Unaudited and subject to reclassification) 39 Weeks Ended November 2, 2024 October 28, 2023 Cash flows from operating activities: Net loss $ (87,979) $ (1,257,635) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 149,414 148,593 Amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs 3,661 3,658 Provision for deferred taxes (35,629) (35,164) Equity-based compensation 40,705 64,431 Impairments, write-offs and losses on sale of fixed and other assets 8,449 2,202 Loss on partial extinguishment of debt — 920 Income from equity method investees (13,557) (10,032) Amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income (3,035) 674 Goodwill impairment — 1,222,524 Non-cash operating lease costs 311,347
ORLANDO, Fla. — Stacey Allaster , the U.S. Open’s first female tournament director, will step down from that post after the 2025 edition of the Grand Slam event and shift from her job as the U.S. Tennis Association’s chief executive of professional tennis to an advisory role with the organization. The USTA announced Allaster’s job changes Wednesday and said she will help pick her successor as tournament director after the U.S. Open ends next September. Allaster became the U.S. Open tournament director in 2020, the first woman to hold that position in the history of a tournament first held in 1881. She has worked at the USTA since 2016 and before that was the chairman and CEO of the WTA women’s professional tennis tour. “It’s hard to put into words the impact Stacey has made on our sport,” seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams posted on social media. “She’s been a true champion for the game, and has paved the way for more women in leadership. We’re all inspired by you and grateful to call you a friend. Excited to see you continue striving forward. Congratulations Stacey.” USTA CEO and executive director Lew Sherr called Allaster “a tireless advocate for gender equality, leaving a legacy that will continue to inspire future generations in our sport.” AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennisThe Los Angeles Galaxy will aim to complete one of the most remarkable transformations in Major League Soccer history on Saturday when they host the New York Red Bulls chasing a record-extending sixth MLS Cup crown. A year ago, the California franchise had hit rock bottom, plummeting to their worst ever regular season record to finish one place off the bottom of the Western Conference. The team that had once been a home to the likes of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were engulfed in crisis, with fans boycotting fixtures after nearly a decade of failure on the field. Moreover, the Galaxy's status as one of MLS's glamour clubs had been diminished by the arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, as well as the emergence of city rivals Los Angeles FC, winners of the MLS Cup in 2022. The febrile atmosphere at the Galaxy prompted team ownership to shake up their front office, with Will Kuntz appointed general manager to replace long-time predecessor Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. The turnaround since those changes has been dramatic. After winning just eight fixtures in the 2023 season, the Galaxy under head coach Greg Vanney won a record-equalling 19 games this season to finish joint top of the table, second only to leaders LAFC on goal difference. The Galaxy kept up their winning ways in the postseason, swatting aside Colorado 9-1 on aggregate to wrap up their first round series, before thrashing Minnesota United 6-2 and then squeezing past Seattle 1-0 last weekend. Those results have left the club on the threshold of a first MLS Cup title since 2014 and a record sixth championship overall. Victory in Saturday's showpiece in Carson would be especially sweet for Vanney, who appeared in three MLS Cup finals with the Galaxy as a player in 1996, 1999 and 2001 -- and lost all three. Reflecting on his team's journey to this year's final, Vanney said this week his team had thrived under the pressure of being expected to challenge for silverware. "The expectation is to be in games like this, to win trophies and win championships," Vanney said. "This group has come out and attacked it from day one and hasn't been afraid of it or in awe of it -- and that's one of the beauties of this group. "I'm excited for this group and this opportunity and now the objective is to win it and put the stamp on it, rewriting a new group of players and new legacy for this organisation." Vanney's task has become more complicated by an injury to star midfielder Riqui Puig, who suffered torn knee ligaments in last week's Western Conference final win over Seattle and will miss Saturday's game. "He's the ultimate competitor," Vanney said. "He wants to win, compete, and take responsibility on the field. He drives the team in so many ways. "We're going to have to adapt, and we're going to have to adapt in a collective way." The Galaxy meanwhile will be wary of a New York Red Bulls line-up that have ripped up the form book en route to the final. After finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference -- 27 points behind leaders Inter Miami -- the Red Bulls stunned reigning champions Columbus in the first round of the playoffs before wins on the road over rivals New York City FC and Orlando to book their place in their first MLS Cup since 2008. New York's Scotland international midfielder Lewis Morgan says the team is unfazed by Saturday's assignment in Los Angeles. "For me, it doesn't really matter where it is: it's playoff football," Morgan said this week. "It's not the regular season. These games are more cagey. You go 1-0 up, we defend a little bit deeper and we're relying on guys at the back. There have been massive performances." rcw/bbKiev Seeks to Win Trump Administration Support With Critical Mineral Concessions
NEW YORK (AP) — The huge rally for U.S. stocks lost momentum on Thursday as Wall Street counted down to a big jobs report that’s coming on Friday. The crypto market had more action, and bitcoin briefly burst to a record above $103,000 before pulling back. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from the all-time high it had set the day before, its 56th of the year so far, to shave a bit off what’s set to be one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 248 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2% from its own record set the day before.Victor Wembanyama went to a park in New York City and played 1-on-1 with fans on Saturday. He even lost a couple of games. Not in basketball, though. Wemby was playing chess. Before the San Antonio Spurs left New York for a flight to Minnesota, Wembanyama put out the call on social media: “Who wants to meet me at the SW corner of Washington Square park to play chess? Im there,” Wembanyama wrote. It was 9:36 a.m. People began showing up almost immediately. Washington Square Park is a known spot for chess in New York — Bobby Fischer among others have famously played there, and it's been a spot used for multiple movie scenes featuring the game. Wembanyama was there for an hour in the rain, from about 10-11 a.m. He played four games, winning two and losing two before departing to catch the Spurs' flight. Wembanyama had been trying to get somewhere to play chess for the bulk of the team's time in New York — the Spurs played the Knicks on Christmas and won at Brooklyn on Friday night. The schedule never aligned, until Saturday morning. And even with bad weather, he bundled up to make it happen. He posed for photos with a couple of dozen people who showed up, braving a morning of cold rain to play chess with one of the NBA's biggest stars. “We need an NBA players only Chess tournament, proceeds go to the charity of choice of the winner,” he wrote on social media after his chess trip was over. Wembanyama is averaging 25.2 points and 10.1 rebounds this season, his second in the NBA after winning rookie of the year last season. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBAThe 25-year-old Sweden international took his goal tally for the season to 12 in the 3-0 Boxing Day win over Aston Villa at St James’ Park, 10 of them in his last 10 Premier League games, after a challenging start to the new campaign. Isak managed 25 goals in a black and white shirt last season to further justify the club record £63million the club paid to bring him to Tyneside from Real Sociedad during the summer of 2022, but as delighted as he is with his big-money signing, head coach Howe is confident there is even more to come. Murph 🔗 Alex Isak Different game. Same link up. 💪 — Newcastle United (@NUFC) Asked where the former AIK Solna frontman currently ranks in world football, he said: “My biggest thing with Alex is I am evaluating his game on a daily and weekly basis and I just want to try to push him for more. “Everyone else can say where he is in the pecking order of world football. His game is in a good place at the moment. “My job is to not sit back and appreciate that, my job is to try and find areas he can improve, push him towards that and never stop pushing him. He has all the ingredients in there. Football never stops evolving and changing and he has to evolve with it. “There is a lot more to come from him. Our job is to help him deliver that. “Of course the main responsibility is for Alex to keep his focus, ignore the plaudits and keep helping the team, not be selfish. It is about Newcastle and he plays his part.” It is no coincidence that Newcastle have prospered as Isak has rediscovered his best form, and they will head for Manchester United – where they have won only once in the top flight since 1972 – on Monday evening looking for a fifth successive win in all competitions. He has scored in each of the last five league games having grown into the mantle of the Magpies’ main man, a role performed with such distinction in the past by the likes of Jackie Milburn, Malcolm Macdonald and Alan Shearer, and he has done so with the minimum of fuss. Asked about his character, Howe said: “He is calm, cool – he is what you see on the pitch. “He doesn’t get overly emotional, which for a striker is a great quality because that coolness you see and calmness in front of goal is part of his personality, part of what he is. He seems to have an extra half a second when other players don’t. “With Alex, the beauty of his attitude is that he wants to improve. We give him information and he is responsive. He is not a closed shop. “He is in no way thinking he has arrived at a certain place. He knows he has to keep adding to his game. The challenge is great for him to keep scoring freely as he is now.”
It’s been over a year since SAG and the WGA ended their months-long strikes with agreements that sought to address the coming impact of artificial intelligence on film and TV production. But in that time, the technology has grown by leaps and bounds, with Open AI last week releasing it’s long-awaited Sora AI video generator which allows users to make a video from scratch using just a text prompt. Earlier today, Google launched its own video generation tool, Veo 2, which it says supports output in resolutions up to 4K. The tech giant plans to offer the video generation tool on YouTube Shorts and “other products” in 2025. In that context, CAA and YouTube today announced a partnership which the Google-owned video giant says includes “plans to develop tools that will give creators and artists more awareness and control over how AI is being used to depict them on YouTube.” If effective, those tools would be a considerable step forward for talent on the world’s largest streaming and video platform. As part of the partnership, YouTube said “several of the world’s most influential figures will have access to early-stage technology designed to identify and manage AI-generated content that features their likeness, including their face, on YouTube at scale.” Among the stated goals is to allow talent to “provide critical feedback to help us build our detection systems and refine the controls.” Those individuals will include award-winning actors and top talent from the NBA and NFL. While the CAA partnership is new, YouTube announced details on similar-sounding tools in September. That announcement included image management capabilities as well as synthetic-singing identification technology. “At YouTube, we believe that a responsible approach to AI starts with strong partnerships,” said YouTube CEO Neal Mohan in a statement. “We’re excited to collaborate with CAA, an organization that shares our commitment to empowering artists and creators. In the days ahead, we’ll work with CAA to ensure artists and creators experience the incredible potential of AI while also maintaining creative control over their likeness. This partnership marks a significant step toward building that future.” In what could be a big step toward protecting talent, the video giant promised that the tool “will provide easy access to submit requests for removal through our privacy complaint process.” It’s worth noting here CAA client Scarlett Johansson’s months-long dustup with Google competitor Open AI. In May, OpenAI released a query response voice called “Sky” that sounded a lot like Johansson . The voice is no longer available on OpenAI , but the Her star said in an open letter that OpenAI founder Sam Altman in September 2023 sought Johansson’s permission to use her voice, got rejected, but moved ahead anyway. Also in May, CAA inked a deal with artificial intelligence company Veritone to store clients’ digital assets. The “CAAVault” is said to be a synthetic media vault that will store all intellectual property related to all CAA talent’s name, image and likeness. This includes digital scans and voice recordings. CAA CEO and Co-Chairman Bryan Lourd said in his own statement, “Neal and I started speaking earlier this year about the importance of creating a responsible AI ecosystem that protects artists, while unlocking new possibilities for creative expression. At CAA, our AI conversations are centered around ethics and talent rights, and we applaud YouTube’s leadership for creating this talent-friendly solution, which fundamentally aligns with our goals. We are proud to partner with YouTube as it takes this significant step in empowering talent with greater control over their digital likeness and how and where it is used.” YouTube indicated that the CAA partnership “is the first step of a larger testing effort. Over the next few months, we’ll announce new testing cohorts of top YouTube creators, creative professionals, and other leading partners representing talent.”
Galaxy aim to complete journey back to top in MLS Cup final
Lake Michigan waves could be a clean power source for remote spots like Beaver Island
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– The Battle of Faith ministry is finalizing preparations for the 61st edition of its traditional National Evangelical Gathering, set to take place on January 1st at the Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo. This event is recognized as one of the largest gatherings of Christians from various denominations in the country. At a press conference held by the organizing committee, Pastor Ezequiel Molina Rosario, the ministry’s president, along with Vice President Pastor Ezequiel Molina Sánchez, shared details about the event. Pastor Molina Rosario highlighted the impactful message that will be delivered during the gathering, which is themed “Broken Cisterns,” aimed at influencing both the Church and Dominican society at large. Additionally, Pastor Ezequiel Molina Sánchez will lead a special time of intercession focusing on families, the nation, and current global challenges. The event will feature a lively session of praise and worship, headlined by renowned Mexican singer-songwriter Marcos Witt and other Dominican artists. This emblematic gathering, cherished by the Dominican Christian community, will commence at 4:00 PM and will be broadcast live across several media channels, including Color Visión, RTVD, and Telefuturo, among others. It will also be streamed on The Battle of Faith’s social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube.What happens next with Alex Jones' Infowars? No certainty yet after sale to The Onion is rejected
A single underwater cable supplies Beaver Island with its power. Storms, which are becoming increasingly frequent and severe with climate change, have knocked out the lights for days. A maritime accident once cut electricity for months in the 600-person island 30 miles off the coast of western Michigan. What if water surrounding Beaver Island could be the key to delivering the small island with more reliable — and clean — power? Backed by a $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, researchers at the University of Michigan are working with island residents to explore converting wave energy into electricity. If they’re successful, naturally occurring waves would make the remote community more resilient to climate change and mitigate climate change-fueling carbon emissions. Remote islands with compromised grid reliability are early candidates for nascent wave energy converters. Once the technology is established and costs drop, the renewable power source is expected to complement solar and wind power in urban coastal communities as well, said Vishnu Vijayasankar, a doctoral candidate leading the university’s efforts. Vicky Fingeroot, a Detroit native, began traveling to Beaver Island in 2006. “I never thought about energy or how we got it when I bought my first piece of property here back then,” she said. It wasn’t until she moved to Beaver Island full time in 2021 and experienced her first power outage that grid reliability crossed her mind. A strong storm took down multiple overhead power lines that carry electricity ashore from the underwater line. More weather was on the way, so plane and ferry services were paused. There was no way on or off the island. The local line worker who knew how to turn on the backup generator was attending an out-of-town funeral. “It was the perfect storm, no pun intended,” said Fingeroot, who was on the board of trustees for one of the island’s two townships. Left without power for several days, her community’s vulnerability was suddenly thrust in front of her. “What about the elderly who need oxygen? What were they going to do? And are there warming centers?” she recalled worrying. When the emergency diesel generator was finally turned on, it powered only the two main business roads on the north end of the island. Many residents on the island’s southern end had to rely on personal propane generators until the lines were repaired. Both diesel and propane generators are polluting technologies. The generator had been installed after an outage in winter 1999 that lasted over three months. The lake froze over, inhibiting service technicians from reaching the underwater power cable, which had been nicked by a tugboat anchor. The island had expressed interest in exploring renewable energy sources then, but the technologies were new and still expensive, said Beth Croswhite, who has lived on the island for over four decades and served in local government. The 2021 outage, an influx of clean-energy funding under the Biden administration and dramatic decreases in the cost of renewables revived conversations about renewable energy. Beaver Island was one of 12 communities selected to reenvision its energy grid with support from the Department of Energy. Much of the focus in the program so far has been on solar power. The community also was approached by researchers at the University of Michigan seeking to explore wave energy as an additional carbon-free power source. In the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, remote communities are exploring tidal energy as well. Tides — changes in water level caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon — are too small in the Great Lakes. But waves, which are caused by strong winds and changes in atmospheric pressure, are abundant in the fall and early winter. Originally from India, Vijayasankar couldn’t believe how much wave activity Lake Michigan had when he first visited in October. “I went (to the shore) during October and there was a crazy amount of waves. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I was worried that our device might not be able to withstand Lake Michigan,” he said. At the most basic level, a wave energy converter uses the rise and fall of the water to move a motor. That kinetic energy gets run through a generator that converts it to the electric energy needed to power homes and businesses. Wave energy converters are less common than wind turbines and solar panels, largely because of design challenges. One design makes floating buoys that bob up and down with the crest and trough of the waves. Another depends on the crest of the waves to compress air in a chamber, forcing it up through a turbine that spins. Every model comes with pros and cons regarding myriad issues, including but not limited to storm resiliency, energy generation and marine life safety. In the design phase of the Beaver Island project, anticipated to last two years, the university researchers are hosting dinners and creating a survey to ensure their blueprint is accepted by residents. A preliminary survey showed that residents were most concerned about marine life safety, signaling to Vijayasankar that he should nix designs with exposed turbines. Researchers also will have to address resident concerns about the seasonality of waves. They’re typically stronger during the colder months until the lake freezes over. Wave energy likely will be a complement to the solar power Beaver Island is also exploring, Vijayasankar said. There may be lots of waves on stormy days when the sun isn’t shining, for example. Large-scale batteries — which scientists are racing to perfect — could help store excess wave energy produced by passing storm systems for later use. “The end goal is to make us sustainable, and I don’t see us doing it with one thing. I see us doing it with many things,” Fingeroot said. “This wave energy project, there’s certainly an openness to it.”NASA announced the latest delay in Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams' homecoming Tuesday. The two test pilots planned to be away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing's first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. Their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to send the company's problem-plagued Starliner capsule back empty in September. Now the pair won't return until the end of March or even April because of a delay in launching their replacements, according to NASA. A fresh crew needs to launch before Wilmore and Williams can return and the next mission was bumped more than a month, according to the space agency. NASA's next crew of four was supposed to launch in February, followed by Wilmore and Williams' return home by the end of that month alongside two other astronauts. But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the new capsule for liftoff. That launch is now scheduled for no earlier than late March. NASA said it considered using a different SpaceX capsule to fly up the replacement crew in order to keep the flights on schedule. However, it decided the best option was to wait for the new capsule to transport the next crew. NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the space station for a smoother transition, according to officials. Most space station missions last six months, with a few reaching a full year.
Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu has asked the officials to prepare plans to provide electricity subsidies to all aquaculture farmers irrespective of zones, as promised in the election manifesto of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The Minister, during a meeting with the officials on December 17 (Tuesday), emphasised that immediate action should be taken for the distribution of fish seeds, and the involvement of people’s representatives in completing the distribution across the respective districts by the end of January 2025. He instructed the officials to take steps to hold elections for fisheries cooperative societies in Srikakulam and West Godavari districts, where they had been stalled. Pointing out that ₹6.67 crore has been sanctioned for the immediate release of funds for fuel subsidy to fishermen, Mr. Atchannaidu asked the officials to ensure that the funds for fuel subsidies for fishermen’s boats were released in advance every year. Marine fuel The government is introducing marine fuel to save approximately ₹10 per litre and aims to develop 54 government-owned fish seed ponds, he said. Mr. Atchannaidu said that the government was chalking out plans to set up artificial reefs along the coast, with support from the Kerala government, to enhance marine resources and improve livelihood opportunities for fishermen in coastal areas. Mr. Atchannaidu directed the officials to take steps to fill up the vacant posts in the Animal Husbandry Department. He wanted them to submit proposals for the construction and repairs of veterinary hospital buildings. Cattle vaccination Efforts should be made to develop Embryo Transfer Technology in the State to breed superior, disease-resistant livestock, he said and asked the officials to ensure that vaccinations and deworming medicines are provided for all cattle, sheep, and goats in the State by January. Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Principal Secretary M.M. Nayak, Animal Husbandry Director Damodar Nayak, Fisheries Commissioner Dola Shankar, and other officials were present in the meeting. Published - December 18, 2024 03:56 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Andhra PradeshThe PGA Tour announced its schedule of seven post-season tournaments for the fall of 2025 on Tuesday with no Las Vegas event on the calendar for the first time since 1983. The lineup is one fewer than this year and tees off with the Procore Championship in Napa, California, on September 11-14, two weeks after the 2025 Tour Championship. Absent from the schedule is the Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas. After the Ryder Cup next September at Bethpage Black, the PGA Tour events resume with the Sanderson Farms Championship on October 2-5. The PGA Tour's Japan stop, the Baycurrent Classic, will be October 9-12 at Yokohama Country Club followed by the Black Desert Championship on October 23-26 in Utah. The World Wide Technology Championship at Los Cabos, Mexico, will be November 6-9 followed the next week by the Bermuda Championship and the RSM Classic on November 20-23 at Sea Island, Georgia. More from this section "With events in four US states, Japan, Mexico and Bermuda, the conclusion to the 2025 golf calendar promises to be exciting for our fans worldwide," said Tyler Dennis, PGA Tour chief competitions officer. Under tighter qualifying rules for the 2026 PGA Tour approved by the Player Advisory Council last month, only the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings will secure exempt status with the 50 who reach next year's BMW Championship being exempt into signature events for 2026. Those ranked 51st and beyond will take FedEx Cup points into the fall to try and accumulate eligibility points for the 2026 campaign. Three PGA Tour Challenge season events will be played next December -- the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas hosted by Tiger Woods, the LPGA-PGA mixed-team Grant Thornton Invitational and the PNC Championship parent-child event. Tour commissioner Jay Monahan also announced Tuesday that the PGA is searching for a new chief executive officer whose job would be to grow the business side of the operation in light of the $1.5 billion investment in PGA Tour Enterprises by Strategic Sports Group, a set of team sports owners. js/bb