NoneWith more than half of the 16 teams still mathematically alive to make the conference championship game, the Big 12 will command a lot of attention in the final week of the regular season. No. 14 Arizona State and No. 17 Iowa State would play for the Big 12 title and likely College Football Playoff spot on Dec. 7 if they both win Saturday and there's a four-way tie for first place. There are seven other teams that begin this week with hopes, slim in most cases, of getting into the game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Last week it was No. 19 BYU and No. 23 Colorado that had the inside track to the championship game. Arizona State beat the Cougars and Kansas knocked off the Buffaloes, and here we are. "Everybody counted us out, I think, two weeks ago," Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said after his team beat Utah 31-28. "We didn't flinch. We didn't waver. And we just keep fighting." The Cyclones were national darlings the first half of the season as they won seven straight games to match the best start in program history. Back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Kansas followed. Now they've won two straight heading into "Farmageddon," their rivalry game against Kansas State at home. "Right now they've got the pen and they continue to write the story," Campbell said of his players, "and I hope they will continue to write it the way they've got the ability to write it. Unwavering. Tough, mentally tough, physically tough. This group has stood for it every step of the way." Arizona State has been an even better story than the Cyclones. The Sun Devils have six more wins than they did last season, when they went 3-9. They were picked to finish last in their first year in the Big 12. They'll go for their fifth straight victory when they play at Arizona on Saturday. "These guys came off no momentum and everybody doubting them, and everybody is still doubting them. That's what makes this special," second-year coach Kenny Dillingham said. "Hopefully the expectations become higher. I don't know if there's a way we can exceed expectations more than we're exceeding them right now." Checking in on five of the Top 25: The Ducks were idle Saturday after clinching a spot in the Big Ten championship game with their win at Wisconsin on Nov. 16. Oregon can go 12-0 in the regular season for the first time since 2010 if it beats Washington at home this week. Oregon's only two losses last season came against the Huskies, both decided by three points. The first was a top-10 matchup in the regular season and the second was a top-five matchup in the Pac-12 championship game. The Ducks are 19 1/2-point favorites this time, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Buckeyes' showdown with upstart Indiana combined with Michigan's dropoff after winning the national championship have lowered the volume on this week's meeting with the Wolverines at the Horseshoe. If Michigan beats Ohio State a fourth straight time and it keeps the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten championship game and playoff ... well, there'll be lots of noise in Columbus then. The Lone Star Showdown returns to the gridiron for the first time since 2011, when Texas and Texas A&M were in the Big 12. The Longhorns head to No. 20 Texas A&M on a four-game win streak. The Aggies have lost two of three after Saturday's four-overtime loss at Auburn. The winner advances to the Southeastern Conference championship game against Georgia. The Broncos are tied with Notre Dame for the second-longest active win streak, at nine games, and they seem to have adopted a survive-and-advance mantra. They trailed 23-point underdog Wyoming in the fourth quarter before winning 17-13 and clinching a spot in the Mountain West championship game. They won their previous game, 42-21 against San Jose State, but didn't pull away until the fourth quarter. Two weeks ago they beat a three-win Nevada team 28-21. Just when you think Illinois is about to cash in for the season, they do what they did against Rutgers. The Illini were down 31-30 when they lined up for a 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds left. Ethan Moczulski missed. But wait. Rutgers called timeout before the snap, and Bret Bielema thought better of trying another kick and sent his offense back on the field. Luke Altmyer passed to Pat Bryant for the winning 40-yard touchdown. The Illini won't play for the Big Ten title, but they have a chance for nine wins and a nice bowl. Ohio State played in three of the five regular-season top-five matchups and won three of them. The Buckeyes lost to Oregon and beat Penn State and Indiana. ... Kansas' 37-21 win over Colorado made the Jayhawks the first FBS team with a losing record to beat three straight Top 25 opponents. The Jayhawks, who were 2-6 a month ago, will be bowl eligible if they win at Baylor. ... Nebraska ended the longest power conference bowl drought with its 44-25 win over Wisconsin. The Cornhuskers haven't played in a bowl since 2016.
Digital Photo Frame Market to Grow by USD 110.4 Million (2024-2028), Driven by Rising Living Standards, with AI Redefining the Market Landscape - TechnavioWe may see the next HDMI standard, HDMI 2.2, in only a matter of weeks. According to an email from the HDMI Forum sent around to press including Engadget this weekend, a new HDMI specification will be announced on Monday, January 6 in Las Vegas ahead of the official start to CES 2025 . The details at this point are pretty scant — all we’re told is that the new spec “enables a wide range of higher resolutions and refresh rates and will be supported with a new HDMI Cable.” It’s been seven years since the introduction of HDMI 2.1. It was most recently updated to version 2.1b in 2023, to support bandwidths of up to 48Gbps and resolutions up to 10K. The new specification with the next gen HDMI technology will bring higher bandwidth, according to the email. That’s about all we know now, but we’ll have a team on the ground at CES keeping you up to speed on this and all the other announcements as they come.
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NoneWASHINGTON — The National Park Service is seeing a surge in private support bigger than anytime in its 108-year history, as it also faces a maintenance backlog of more than $23 billion, made worse this fall by hurricane damage to its most popular location. Three years after setting a goal of raising $1 billion, the Park Service’s official charitable partner, the National Park Foundation, is almost there, having raised $840 million since 2021, the foundation’s outgoing president and CEO Will Shafroth said. That fundraising under the Campaign for National Parks is in addition to efforts of park partners across the country — such as the Trust for Public Land, American Battlefield Trust, Conservation Legacy and the Student Conservation Association — that collectively want to raise another $3.5 billion. Visits to national parks rose from about 275 million in 2010 to 325 million last year. Shafroth said many of these visitors, inspired by the beauty of places like Yellowstone National Park, say the parks and staff have “created an amazing experience for me and my family. I want to give back.” Hundreds of thousands more give back by volunteering, whether rebuilding trails, clearing trash, serving as docents or organizing special events. “National parks experienced substantially increased public interest over the past two years,” according to the 2024 Park Partners Report commissioned by the foundation. There are now at least 470 partner groups, many of them “Friends” organizations that coordinate volunteer work with superintendents of individual parks. That community provided nearly 1 million volunteer hours in the park system last year, the equivalent of 122,500 days or 471 full-time employees, according to the report. One of those groups is Friends of the Smokies, which has about 2,000 members who volunteer for projects in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee, the most popular of the 63 national parks with 13.3 million visitors in 2023. The park, which stretches over 816 square miles, sustained extensive damage from Hurricane Helene in late September, and many roads and trails are still closed to the public, said Dana Soehn, president of Friends of the Smokies. But the group is eager to get to work when the Park Service completes its assessments and makes restoration plans, she said. “We stand at the ready to really push and raise funds,” Soehn said. “The public-private partnership in helping meet these challenging times is something that’s critically needed. Our organization is able to provide $2 million to $4 million of funding each year to help support the national park.” Funding needs The private funding goes a long way to help the cash-strapped National Park Service, with an operating budget of $3.3 billion in fiscal 2024, which supports about 20,000 full-time employees. The Senate’s Interior-Environment Appropriations bill would provide $3.5 billion in fiscal 2025, as the Biden administration requested, but the House version would cut the funding to $3.1 billion. The Great American Outdoors Act passed by Congress in 2020 provided up to $1.3 billion per year for five years through 2025 to help reduce $23.3 billion in deferred maintenance projects. Private donations won’t do much to reduce the maintenance backlog because most people aren’t interested in funding infrastructure projects like roads and bridges that are the government’s responsibility, Shafroth said. “We’re never going to be very effective at convincing donors to pay for pothole repair and water systems and things like that,” he said. “So we really need to focus on the things that are resonant to donors and also are a high need for the parks.” When Lilly Endowment Inc. announced a $100 million contribution in August, Shafroth’s foundation said the funds would go toward four priorities: creating environmental stewardship opportunities for young people, protecting fragile ecosystems and diverse species in the parks, developing new technologies to improve visitor experiences, and providing “a more comprehensive historical narrative” about national parks and the communities around them. Many donors to the park system, especially corporate givers, are also motivated by the knowledge that public lands used for recreation are an economic driver. Outdoor recreation generates $1.2 trillion in annual economic activity and supports 5 million jobs, according to a report released in November by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable using data from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. The ORR is a coalition of more than 110,000 businesses in the sector. The Interior Department reported last year that visitor spending in communities near national parks totals more than $50 billion a year, supporting nearly 400,000 jobs. Other legislation Advocates for the parks are urging Congress to rev up this economic engine by passing a package of bills that would overhaul how public land agencies distribute passes and permits, encourage technology to improve visitor experiences, restore campgrounds and address housing shortages near outdoor recreation areas, among other things. The House passed the legislation sponsored by Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., in April by voice vote under suspension of the rules. Dozens of groups are urging the Senate to pass the measure in the lame-duck session. “Despite the profound and widespread benefits that parks and outdoor recreation offer, they are chronically underfunded with many systems facing a significant backlog of capital improvement projects,” more than 50 organizations said in a Nov. 12 letter to Senate leaders urging them to prioritize the legislation. Aside from their economic importance, Shafroth noted that national parks play a role in uniting Americans. “You know, our country just feels so divided in so many ways, especially politically,” he said. “It feels like those divisions just dissolve when people enter a national park. They’re just citizens of the United States. They’re just lovers of the outdoors, appreciators of America’s story.” Shafroth announced this fall that he plans to step aside as president and CEO of the National Park Foundation and turn over the reins to Park Service veteran Jeff Reinbold, most recently the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington. The pair will work together on the transition in December and January, then Shafroth said he plans to develop a new program at the foundation addressing issues facing the park system, including climate change, housing shortages near parks and development of new technologies.When Horace Roberts Jr. was freed after 20 years in prison following his conviction for the murder of a Jurupa Valley woman he did not commit, he emerged into a changed world. Among the innovations occurring while Roberts was behind bars from 1998 to 2018 was the improvement of DNA technology that allows investigators to identify criminal suspects more precisely and from smaller sample sizes. That technology sprung Roberts from his “lion’s den” and pointed authorities to three men who were convicted of killing Terry Cheek, Roberts’ former mistress, and who are scheduled to be imprisoned in January. Roberts testified against the men who not only let Roberts take the fall for the crime but also framed him. “I was relieved,” Roberts, 66, said in a recent interview about his post-prison life from his home in South Carolina. “I was just glad that they were found guilty of what they did.” While Roberts now says “I feel good about where I am” and an $11 million payout in 2021 from Riverside County to settle his wrongful-incarceration lawsuit has eased the transition, the return to a society that had moved on without him was initially difficult. Roberts would wake up at night and wonder whether he was still sleeping in a cell. “When I was in prison you had to think one way, and that was always survival. I had to put on this brave face and just stand my ground. When I got out, it’s different. It’s kind of hard to let my guard down and show that fear,” he said. “Getting around by myself, I was scared,” Roberts said. “Scared to move around; I didn’t know how to react to that. I had not been just locked up but locked in. I had to learn how to go about and do things, shop, and not only that but interact with people on the outside.” Michael Semanchik, who as an attorney for the California Innocence Project took up Roberts’ case and who now leads The Innocence Center, has seen others struggle to adapt after long prison stays. “It’s pretty common when people come home that they don’t like to be in big crowds, they keep their backs to the walls,” Semanchik said. “It’s an ingrained prison mentality that takes years to get past. Choices are so severely limited in prison. Horace could go to the commissary but there are like two types of toothpaste, and clients go into CVS and see 50 types of toothpaste, and that is overwhelming.” But Roberts was quickly able to surround himself with family members who he said “100%” believed he was innocent. Because his wife, Debra, moved east across the country with the 7-year-old twins and a 17-year-old stepdaughter to be closer to family, Roberts never saw his children during his incarceration in several California prisons. So it was an emotional moment when Roberts reunited with his children — now all grown up — at an airport. And yes, Debra waited for him. “It was pure joy. Tears of joy,” Roberts said. “It was like we had never left each other because we were able to communicate with them. I just wanted to be able to see them. I wouldn’t have traded that moment for the world.” Roberts acknowledged that he had some catching up to do in other areas. There was the creation in 2007 of a device that flummoxed Roberts, a computer that fits in your pocket with all sorts of gizmos embedded in it that can even make and receive phone calls. The iWhat? “A lot about these cell phones have changed,” Roberts said. I don’t know how to do anything other than (call and) answer, and I do a little texting. That technology, I’m 20 years behind it.” History also changed as Roberts watched from his cell block. Barack Obama, the first Black president, served two terms. “It was a proud moment for me, but also the Black race,” Roberts said. “Who would have thought we would have lived to see a Black president?” Donald Trump, who starred in the reality show “The Apprentice” while Roberts was imprisoned, had a new job — president of the United States — at the time Roberts was freed. Roberts lamented that he returned to a less-respectful and more angry society. Twice when he worked as a garbageman following his release, Roberts said, teens pulled guns on him over minor disputes. “Old fool, get out of the way,” one said, according to Roberts. “Things are too fast out there for these young people,” Roberts said. “They are too quick to react and not think. ... I never knew teenagers were like they are now. They would rather pick up a gun than put up two fists. It’s hard for me to relate to that.” As for that new DNA technology, Roberts is grateful that his attorney seized upon it to help him win his freedom. “Without Mike Semanchik and his (California) Innocence Project, I’d probably most likely still be in jail,” Roberts said. How he was convicted In April 1998, Cheek, 32, vanished on what was supposed to be a drive from her home in what is now Jurupa Valley to Roberts’ Temecula apartment to pick him up and drive to Quest Diagnostics in San Juan Capistrano, where Roberts supervised her on the night shift. That day, Cheek, according to testimony, was driving Roberts’ pickup, which she sometimes borrowed. But she never arrived at Roberts’ apartment. The pickup was found abandoned on the shoulder of the 15 Freeway about two miles from Lee Lake near Corona, where Cheek’s body was discovered on rocks several days later. Investigators zeroed in on Roberts, even though court records showed Cheek was going through a messy divorce with Googie Rene Harris Sr. Roberts didn’t help himself, trying to cover up his affair with Cheek when questioned by investigators and lying about his whereabouts the night she disappeared. Relatives of Cheek claimed to have found a distinctive black purse belonging to Cheek in Roberts’ apartment when they gathered her belongings. And Roberts mistakenly claimed ownership of a watch found near Cheek’s body. Roberts was convicted after a third trial and sentenced to life in prison. Harris Sr. testified in at least two of the trials and again at Roberts’ parole hearings. In 2013, Semanchik submitted DNA evidence that revealed a match with Googie Rene Harris Jr., who was Cheek’s stepson. DNA found under Cheek’s fingernails belonged to Joaquin Latee Leal III — Harris Sr.’s nephew — according to testimony. Prosecutors said Harris Sr. and Leal strangled Cheek in her garage as she left for work because Harris Sr. was concerned that his wife would take the home from him in the divorce. They loaded the body into the pickup and Harris Jr. and Leal took Cheek to the lake. The Harrises and Leal were charged with murder — and Harris Sr. with a sentencing enhancement of murder for financial gain — and Roberts was declared factually innocent . Harris Sr. and Leal were convicted of murder in August; a jury recommended that Harris Sr. — who still maintains his innocence — receive the death penalty and Leal be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A judge is scheduled to rule on their sentences on Jan. 10. Harris Jr., who testified against Leal and his father, pleaded guilty to accessory to a felony and is scheduled to report to jail in January to serve a one-year sentence. First taste of freedom Roberts stayed the night in a cottage in San Diego the day he was freed. “The first thing that following day, I got up, walked outside and I looked up and I was so thankful and grateful for that moment, just to be able to get out and do what I wanted to do and not have someone directing me on what they want me to do. It was so peaceful, and I enjoyed that peace,” Roberts said. Roberts said he likes keeping things simple these days. He lives in Ladson, about 20 miles from Charleston, with Debra and their grandchildren, ages 3, 4 and 9. Roberts used the lawsuit settlement from Riverside County to purchase a home and a couple of cars. He said he has no interest in traveling the world, even though he can afford it. One of his big goals was to learn taekwondo; He said he will receive a black belt in the martial art in March. “It was easy to come home and it seemed like I fit right in,” Roberts said. “Home is where my heart is, anyway. Being home keeps me rooted and grounded. I don’t have to go outside of that and do too much or want anything. It’s all right here. “I am in the right place, I believe,” Roberts said. Related Articles Crime and Public Safety | LA County judge weighing shutdown of Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall Crime and Public Safety | Bitter divorce, threats of violence between slain Woodland Hills doctor, ex-wife, court records show Crime and Public Safety | Before doctor was killed, Texas man lay in wait for him at Woodland Hills clinic, prosecutors say Crime and Public Safety | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list Crime and Public Safety | 3 men to face murder trial for killing tourist at Fashion Island, judge rules
NEW YORK , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tannenbaum Helpern is pleased to announce that Anne-Mette Elkjær Andersen has joined the Firm as partner in the Firm's Corporate practice. Anne-Mette is a highly qualified corporate attorney focusing on cross border and U.S. mergers and acquisitions, international business transactions, and corporate transactions and corporate compliance for engineering & architecture firms. Her decades of experience include advising clients on strategic purchases and sales in many sectors, including engineering, architecture, and other licensed professional design professions; defense; software; renewable energy; oil and gas; technology; retail and manufacturing; service; aviation; and shipping and rail, among others. Anne-Mette comes to Tannenbaum Helpern from the New York office of Holland & Knight, where she counseled clients on international M&A, financing and securities, performed regulatory and licensing work for professional design corporations, and assisted startup and emerging growth companies enter the U.S. market. Her clients include U.S. and foreign established privately and publicly held corporations and emerging companies on stock and asset sales, joint ventures, and SPAC matters, among others. Her experience also includes advising foreign bank clients on loan and financing agreements involving U.S.-based subsidiaries of foreign clients. Anne-Mette's primary experience is with private strategic buyers and sellers, and she also has experience in public and private securities offerings and initial public offerings (IPOs), including simultaneous offerings both in the U.S. and internationally. Anne-Mette began her career in Denmark as a lawyer with the Danish Ministry of Justice. She also spent four years with the Danish law firm Reumert & Partners (now Kromann Reumert), primarily in the areas of general corporate law, M&A and insolvency law. While practicing in Denmark , Anne-Mette represented, among others, U.S., Canadian, and Danish corporations in M&A transactions and other corporate matters. Managing Partner Andrew W. Singer commented, "Anne-Mette will expand our Corporate and M&A practices, facilitate increased opportunities for our clients and increase our ability to pursue new client relationships, especially in overseas markets and the professional design professions. Welcome, Anne-Mette!" "Anne-Mette is a welcome addition to Tannenbaum Helpern . Her capabilities and international reach add to our existing platform and relationships, both in the U.S. and globally," said Drew Jaglom , Chair of Tannenbaum Helpern's Corporate practice. Regarding her arrival, Anne-Mette added, "It's my privilege to join Tannenbaum Helpern . I'm excited to be a part of such a talented team of attorneys, and a Firm that is focused on the future!" About Tannenbaum Helpern Since 1978, Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP has combined a powerful mix of insight, creativity, industry knowledge, legal talent and experience to successfully guide clients through periods of challenge and opportunity. Our mission is to deliver the highest quality legal services in a practical and efficient manner and to provide the judgment, common sense and legal acumen of well trained, business minded lawyers, all within a culture that fosters an inclusive and respectful workplace. Through our commitment to exceptional service and driven by a focus on results, Tannenbaum Helpern continues to earn the loyalty of our clients and a reputation for excellence. For more information, visit www.thsh.com . Jennifer Papantonio Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer papantonio@thsh.com 212.702.3147 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anne-mette-elkjaer-andersen-joins-tannenbaum-helpern-as-partner-in-the-firms-corporate-practice-group-302320136.html SOURCE Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP
Navosoft Introduces Game-Changing AI Tech for Australian Crypto Investors‘AI revolutionising security industry’AP News Summary at 7:31 a.m. EST
Former Barcelona and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has signed a one-year contract extension with the Major League Soccer club and will line up under new coach Javier Mascherano next season, the club said. The 37-year-old striker has scored 25 goals in all competitions since joining the club before the start of this season including 20 in Miami's record-breaking regular season campaign. After winning the Supporters' Shield for the best record in the regular season, with a new points tally record, Miami were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by Atlanta United. Since then Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino has left the club with his compatriot and Suarez's former team-mate at Barca, Mascherano appointed on Tuesday. "I'm very happy, very excited to continue for another year and to be able to enjoy being here with this fan base, which for us is like family. We feel very, very connected with them, and hopefully, next year, we can bring them even more joy," said Suarez. Miami's president of football operations Raul Sanllehi said Suarez had shown he remains an elite level forward but was also a key component in the dressing room. "Luis was not only our leading scorer this season, but also a leader for the group. His impact cannot be understated," he said. Suarez announced in September he was retiring from international duty with the Uruguay national team after scoring 69 goals in 143 games. The forward played in Europe for Ajax, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid and had a season in Brazil with Gremio before joining Miami. sev/mw
N.S. Tories seek 'fresh' mandate in Tuesday's election to negotiate with Ottawa HALIFAX — Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston says if he's given a second mandate in Tuesday’s election, it will strengthen his position to fight Ottawa on key issues impacting the province, including carbon pricing. Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press Nov 25, 2024 10:25 AM Nov 25, 2024 10:35 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Nova Scotia party leaders, from left to right, Conservative Leader Tim Houston, Liberal Leader Zach Churchill, and NDP Leader Claudia Chender, pose following a televised debate in Halifax, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese HALIFAX — Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston says if he's given a second mandate in Tuesday’s election, it will strengthen his position to fight Ottawa on key issues impacting the province, including carbon pricing. But his opponents say his reasons for calling the snap election were insincere, and that the main issues in voters' minds are housing, affordability and health care — not negotiations with Ottawa. On Monday, during Houston’s final media conference for the election campaign, he told reporters if voters return the Tories to office with another majority, “Ottawa will have to take us seriously.” He repeated his grievances with the federal government on such things as carbon pricing, which he says makes life less affordable, and Ottawa's refusal to pay the entire cost of the expensive work needed to protect the Chignecto Isthmus, the land link between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that is increasingly at risk of severe flooding. “We will have a new, fresh mandate," Houston said about his party's election hopes. The federal government would have no choice but to acknowledge that “we are the voice of Nova Scotians.” Houston called the snap election on Oct. 27, ignoring his government’s election law, which for the first time in Nova Scotia set a fixed election date — July 15, 2025. Polls, meanwhile, point toward a return to power for the Progressive Conservatives. Monday morning, a buoyant NDP Leader Claudia Chender appeared at a local produce market in north-end Halifax with several candidates from the area. She rejected Houston’s assertion that the election is about standing up to Ottawa. “The idea that this government needs a mandate to bicker with Ottawa is absurd,” she told reporters. “This government called an election because they want more power and the power that this government has had, has not made a lick of a difference in the life of almost every Nova Scotian we talk to.” The NDP, which has languished in third place since losing power in the 2013 provincial election, is bullish on its chances of becoming the official Opposition. Polls put the party, which had six seats at dissolution, in a close struggle with the Liberals for second. Chender says the main ballot box issues are housing, health care and the cost of living. "This is an election about who you trust to make decisions in your best interest,” she said. “There are lots of other issues that are very important to Nova Scotians, but those are the three they agree on and the question is who can deliver change?” Chender, about to complete her first campaign as NDP leader, said she’s been encouraged by the reception she’s received on voter’s doorsteps. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how willing Nova Scotians are to have a conversation ... it’s such an amazing opportunity and it’s always wonderful to be reminded how small we are (as a province) and how connected we are.” Also in Halifax, Liberal Leader Zach Churchill revisited his party's promises on making life more affordable for renters. Churchill cited a local news report confirming that one of the biggest landlords in Halifax — Killam Apartment REIT — recorded its "largest rental gains" in the Halifax company's history. The company reported an average monthly rent of $1,443 in Halifax as of Sept. 30, which represented an annual increase of 8.4 per cent — nearly double the increase reported last year. "This is happening because Tim Houston and his (Progressive Conservative) government have let it happen," Churchill said. "They have not taken sufficient action to protect renters." The Liberal leader said the Tory government's five per cent rent cap has done nothing to keep rents from skyrocketing, mainly because landlords have been using fixed-term leases as a loophole to raise rents far beyond the cap. He repeated his party's pledge to establish a residential tenancies enforcement unit and a "rent bank" program, which would provide quick-turnaround, zero-interest loans to renters who can't make monthly payments. Polls across Nova Scotia close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Elections Nova Scotia says early voting is down compared with the last provincial vote, with more than 147,000 early ballots cast as of Saturday. That's compared with 166,400 at the same point in the 2021 election. At dissolution, the Progressive Conservatives held 34 seats in the 55-seat legislature. The Liberals held 14 seats, the NDP had six and there was one Independent. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024. — With files from Keith Doucette and Michael MacDonald, in Halifax. Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More National Business Alberta aiming to create test site to support new drilling technologies Nov 25, 2024 10:43 AM About 1,450 lobster boats to head out on Day 1 of Canada's largest lobster fishery Nov 25, 2024 10:40 AM Court filings show what sparked Competition Bureau probe into Leon's, The Brick Nov 25, 2024 10:25 AM Featured Flyer