Furthermore, the new method of water resource tax also includes provisions for tax exemptions and reductions for those who demonstrate exceptional water conservation efforts. This incentivizes businesses and individuals to actively engage in water-saving initiatives and innovative practices that contribute to reducing water wastage and protecting water resources. By rewarding those who make significant efforts to conserve water, the government aims to create a culture of sustainability and environmental responsibility among water users in the region.
The on-field success of both Army and Navy in the 2024 season led to television ratings for their rivalry game not seen in more than three decades. According to Front Office Sports, Navy's 31-13 victory last Saturday at Landover, Md., had a viewership of 9.4 million for CBS, making it the highest ratings for the game since at least 1990. The 1992 Army-Navy game had a viewership of 8.45 million. Army (11-2) and Navy (9-3) are both bowl bound. Army will face Louisiana Tech in the Dec. 28 Independence Bowl, while Navy takes on Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 27. The Army-Navy clash led to a 31 percent jump in viewership from the 2023 contest. Earlier this month, CBS announced a 10-year extension to broadcast the game in a deal that runs through 2038. --Field Level MediaBut along with all these advancements, there have been challenges as well. Issues of privacy, data security, and misinformation have become increasingly prevalent, raising questions about the true cost of our connected world. The rise of artificial intelligence and automation has led to fears of job loss and economic disruption, as more and more tasks once performed by humans are taken over by machines.
AP Trending SummaryBrief at 4:29 p.m. ESTThe choice of "Greed" as the representative word of the year also highlights the pressing issues and challenges facing Taiwan in the areas of economic development, social inequality, and ethical values. As Taiwan continues to experience rapid economic growth and social transformation, the word "Greed" serves as a cautionary tale against the dangers of unchecked ambition and self-interest.Busted: NY Times exposes Trump's 'billionaire' adviser as just an obscure truck salesman
From the outset, the show, titled "Carnival of Carnage," promised to push the boundaries of storytelling and explore the darker aspects of human nature. However, what the audience was not prepared for was the gratuitous violence and explicit content that permeated every episode. Scenes of extreme gore and brutality shocked viewers, leading to widespread condemnation and calls for the show to be taken off the air.TORONTO, Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Timbercreek Alternatives LP, a subsidiary of Timbercreek Capital, and Aspen Properties today announced the closing of the previously announced acquisition of the 1 Palliser Square Office Building in Calgary, Alberta for the purpose of converting approximately 418,000 square feet of office into 418 residential units and amenities. 1 Palliser Square is a 27-storey, vacant B-class office building centrally located next to the Calgary Tower, with direct access to residential amenities, entertainment and transit. The project is part of the City of Calgary’s Downtown Development Incentive Program designed to transform vacant office space into new rental housing stock. 1 Palliser Office-to-Residential Project Highlights: The acquisition was completed though a joint venture called 1 Palliser Square LP (the “LP”). As part of the acquisition, the LP completed a private placement offering of units for total proceeds of approximately $21.6 million. Raymond James Ltd. and Canaccord Genuity Corp. acted as co-lead agents and joint bookrunners on behalf of a syndicate of agents, which included, Richardson Wealth Limited, Wellington-Altus Financial Inc. and iA Private Wealth Inc. About Timbercreek Founded in 2000, Timbercreek is one of Canada’s leading alternative asset class investment managers, focused on debt and equity investments in high-quality, value-add commercial real estate in Canada, the United States and Europe. Through active and direct investment, Timbercreek employs a thematic approach to deliver compelling risk-adjusted returns for their investors and partners, leveraging the diversified expertise and relationships of their highly experienced team to invest capital across a wide range of asset classes. Timbercreek’s team of 50+ investment professionals have extensive domain expertise in these markets and combine an entrepreneurial growth focus with institutional risk management. Since 2000, the Timbercreek team has deployed more than $18 billion in equity and debt investments focused on value-add real estate, on behalf of their broad range of capital partners. Timbercreek has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, New York, Dallas and Dublin. About Aspen Aspen Properties is a fully integrated and privately held boutique real estate company with over 25 years of experience in owning and managing real estate in downtown Calgary and Edmonton. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, Aspen is committed to creating and delivering inspiring amenity-rich real estate with innovative technology and processes that help people thrive and contribute to the development and sustainability of the communities they serve. Together with their investment partners, Aspen Properties owns and manages approximately 4.25 million square feet of office space and nearly 3,800 parking spaces in downtown Calgary and Edmonton. Aspen’s portfolio is comprised of 15 buildings—eleven in Calgary, three in Edmonton and a development site in Calgary. For more information: Timbercreek Alternatives Fraser McEwen President fmcewenf@timbercreek.com www.timbercreek.com Aspen Properties Scott Hutcheson Executive Chair of the Board rsh@aspenproperties.ca www.aspenproperties.ca
In conclusion, the real estate market next year holds a mix of new expectations and potential policy developments that are poised to shape the industry landscape. From sustainable development initiatives and technology integration to affordable housing and policy changes, there are exciting opportunities and challenges on the horizon for real estate stakeholders. By staying informed, proactive, and adaptive, industry players can position themselves for success in the evolving real estate market of the future.
Lei Jun: Xiaomi's First SUV Model YU7, Pronounced as "Y-U-7"
In response to the fire, Alibaba Cloud swiftly issued a statement acknowledging the incident and providing reassurance to its customers and stakeholders. The company emphasized that the fire had been contained and that no critical data or infrastructure had been compromised. It also confirmed that no injuries had been reported and that all necessary safety protocols had been followed to ensure the well-being of employees and emergency responders.When Nebraska meets Oregon State on Wednesday in Honolulu in the championship game of the Diamond Head Classic, it will have a chance to win its first tournament since the San Juan Shootout in 2000. If the Cornhuskers (9-2) pull it off, there's a good chance Juwan Gary will have something to do with it -- on both ends of the floor. The 6-foot-6, sixth-year senior averages 11.7 points per game and is coming off a 21-point outing in Monday night's 69-55 semifinal win over Hawaii. Gary is also an elite defender whose ability to guard multiple positions has Nebraska playing the best defense in coach Fred Hoiberg's six seasons. The Cornhuskers, who have allowed an average of 52.0 points per game in victories over Murray State and Hawaii at the tournament, are limiting the opposition to 36.3 percent field-goal shooting. "He can guard anybody one through five," Hoiberg said of Gary. "He does so many little things for his team and he's one of the elite offensive rebounders in the country." Fellow sixth-year senior Brice Williams (19.2 points) is coming off a 32-point outing Monday night for Nebraska, which is on a three-game winning streak. The Beavers (10-2) rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit in Monday's first semifinal to topple Oakland 80-74. Liutauras Lelevicius led a balanced attack with 17 points, producing a three-point play with 12 seconds left in regulation that forced overtime. Reigning West Coast Conference Player of the Week Michael Rataj added 13 points and seven rebounds one day after putting up 16 and 12, respectively, in a win over the College of Charleston. Winners of six in a row, Oregon State's hot start might surprise some, given the losses it incurred to the transfer portal after the program fell from Power 5 status. The departures included Jordan Pope (Texas) and Tyler Bilodeau (UCLA). But coach Wayne Tinkle felt the Beavers got deeper via their portal additions. "They're excited to be wearing the Oregon State uniform," he said. "Our balance of youth brings some real enthusiasm among with a good balance of mature guys." --Field Level MediaMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin public worker and teachers unions scored a major legal victory Monday with a ruling that restores collective bargaining rights they lost under a 2011 state law that sparked weeks of protests and made the state the center of the national battle over union rights. That law, known as Act 10, effectively ended the ability of most public employees to bargain for wage increases and other issues, and forced them to pay more for health insurance and retirement benefits. Under the ruling by Dane County Circuit Judge Jacob Frost, all public sector workers who lost their collective bargaining power would have it restored to what was in place prior to 2011. They would be treated the same as the police, firefighter and other public safety unions that were exempted under the law. Republicans vowed to immediately appeal the ruling, which ultimately is likely to go before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. That only amplifies the importance of the April election that will determine whether the court remains controlled 4-3 by liberal justices. Former Gov. Scott Walker, who proposed the law that catapulted him onto the national political stage, decried the ruling in a post on the social media platform X as “brazen political activism.” He said it makes the state Supreme Court election “that much more important.” Supporters of the law have said it provided local governments more control over workers and the powers they needed to cut costs. Repealing the law, which allowed schools and local governments to raise money through higher employee contributions for benefits, would bankrupt those entities, backers of Act 10 have argued. Democratic opponents argue that the law has hurt schools and other government agencies by taking away the ability of employees to collectively bargain for their pay and working conditions. The law was proposed by Walker and enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature in spite of massive protests that went on for weeks and drew as many as 100,000 people to the Capitol. The law has withstood numerous legal challenges over the years, but this was the first brought since the Wisconsin Supreme Court flipped to liberal control in 2023. The seven unions and three union leaders that brought the lawsuit argued that the law should be struck down because it creates unconstitutional exemptions for firefighters and other public safety workers. Attorneys for the Legislature and state agencies countered that the exemptions are legal, have already been upheld by other courts, and that the case should be dismissed. But Frost sided with the unions in July, saying the law violates equal protection guarantees in the Wisconsin Constitution by dividing public employees into “general” and “public safety” employees. He ruled that general employee unions, like those representing teachers, can not be treated differently from public safety unions that were exempt from the law. His ruling Monday delineated the dozens of specific provisions in the law that must be struck. Wisconsin Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he looked forward to appealing the ruling. “This lawsuit came more than a decade after Act 10 became law and after many courts rejected the same meritless legal challenges,” Vos said in a statement. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state's largest business lobbying organization, also decried the ruling. WMC President Kurt Bauer called Act 10 “a critical tool for policymakers and elected officials to balance budgets and find taxpayer savings." The Legislature said in court filings that arguments made in the current case were rejected in 2014 by the state Supreme Court. The only change since that ruling is the makeup of Wisconsin Supreme Court, attorneys for the Legislature argued. The Act 10 law effectively ended collective bargaining for most public unions by allowing them to bargain solely over base wage increases no greater than inflation. It also disallowed the automatic withdrawal of union dues, required annual recertification votes for unions, and forced public workers to pay more for health insurance and retirement benefits. The law was the signature legislative achievement of Walker, who was targeted for a recall election he won. Walker used his fights with unions to mount an unsuccessful presidential run in 2016. Frost, the judge who issued Monday's ruling, appeared to have signed the petition to recall Walker from office. None of the attorneys sought his removal from the case and he did not step down. Frost was appointed to the bench by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who signed the Walker recall petition. The law has also led to a dramatic decrease in union membership across the state. The nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum said in a 2022 analysis that since 2000, Wisconsin had the largest decline in the proportion of its workforce that is unionized. In 2015, the GOP-controlled Wisconsin Legislature approved a right-to-work law that limited the power of private-sector unions. Public sector unions that brought the lawsuit are the Abbotsford Education Association; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Locals 47 and 1215; the Beaver Dam Education Association; SEIU Wisconsin; the Teaching Assistants’ Association Local 3220 and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 695. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!