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CBC resurrects plans for live New Year’s Eve broadcast specialsTheir ages vary. But a conspicuous handful of filmmaking lions in winter, or let’s say late autumn, have given us new reasons to be grateful for their work over the decades — even for the work that didn’t quite work. Which, yes, sounds like ingratitude. But do we even want more conventional or better-behaved work from talents such as Francis Ford Coppola? Even if we’re talking about “Megalopolis” ? If Clint Eastwood’s “Juror #2” gave audiences a less morally complicated courtroom drama, would that have mattered, given Warner Bros.’ butt-headed decision to plop it in less than three dozen movie theaters in the U.S.? Coppola is 85. Eastwood is 94. Paul Schrader, whose latest film “Oh, Canada” arrives this week and is well worth seeking out, is a mere 78. Based on the 2021 Russell Banks novel “Foregone,” “Oh, Canada” is the story of a documentary filmmaker, played by Richard Gere, being interviewed near the end of his cancer-shrouded final days. In the Montreal home he shares with his wife and creative partner, played by Uma Thurman, he consents to the interview by two former students of his. Gere’s character, Leonard Fife, has no little contempt for these two, whom he calls “Mr. and Mrs. Ken Burns of Canada” with subtle disdain. As we learn over the artful dodges and layers of past and present, events imagined and/or real, Fife treats the interview as a final confession from a guarded and deceptive soul. He’s also a hero to everyone in the room, famous for his anti-Vietnam war political activism, and for the Frederick Wiseman-like inflection of his own films’ interview techniques. The real-life filmmaker name-checked in “Oh, Canada” is documentarian Errol Morris, whose straight-to-the-lens framing of interview subjects was made possible by his Interrotron device. In Schrader’s adaptation, Fife doesn’t want the nominal director (Michael Imperioli, a nicely finessed embodiment of a second-rate talent with first-rate airs) in his eyeline. Rather, as he struggles with hazy, self-incriminating memories of affairs, marriages, one-offs with a friend’s wife and a tense, brief reunion with the son he never knew, Fife wants only his wife, Emma — his former Goddard College student — in this metaphoric confessional. Schrader and his editor Benjamin Rodriguez Jr. treat the memories as on-screen flashbacks spanning from 1968 to 2023. At times, Gere and Thurman appear as their decades-young selves, without any attempt to de-age them, digitally or otherwise. (Thank god, I kind of hate that stuff in any circumstance.) In other sequences from Fife’s past, Jacob Elordi portrays Fife, with sly and convincing behavioral details linking his performance to Gere’s persona. We hear frequent voiceovers spoken by Gere about having ruined his life by age 24, at least spiritually or morally. Banks’ novel is no less devoted to a dying man’s addled but ardent attempt to come clean and own up to what has terrified him the most in the mess and joy of living: Honesty. Love. Commitment. There are elements of “Oh, Canada” that soften Banks’ conception of Fife, from the parentage of Fife’s abandoned son to the specific qualities of Gere’s performance. It has been 44 years since Gere teamed with Schrader on “American Gigolo,” a movie made by a very different filmmaker with very different preoccupations of hetero male hollowness. It’s also clearly the same director at work, I think. And Gere remains a unique camera object, with a stunning mastery of filling a close-up with an unblinking stillness conveying feelings easier left behind. The musical score is pretty watery, and with Schrader you always get a few lines of tortured rhetoric interrupting the good stuff. In the end, “Oh, Canada” has an extraordinarily simple idea at its core: That of a man with a movie camera, most of his life, now on the other side of the lens. Not easy. “I can’t tell the truth unless that camera’s on!” he barks at one point. I don’t think the line from the novel made it into Schrader’s script, but it too sums up this lion-in-winter feeling of truth without triumphal Hollywood catharsis. The interview, Banks wrote, is one’s man’s “last chance to stop lying.” It’s also a “final prayer,” dramatized by the Calvinist-to-the-bone filmmaker who made sure to include that phrase in his latest devotion to final prayers and missions of redemption. “Oh, Canada” — 3 stars (out of 4) No MPA rating (some language and sexual material) Running time: 1:34 How to watch: Opens in theaters Dec. 13, running 1in Chicago Dec. 13-19 at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St.; siskelfilmcenter.org Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
NoneBy Funto Omojola, NerdWallet Mobile wallets that allow you to pay using your phone have been around for well more than a decade, and over those years they’ve grown in popularity, becoming a key part of consumers’ credit card usage. According to a “state of credit card report” for 2025 from credit bureau Experian, 53% of Americans in a survey say they use digital wallets more frequently than traditional payment methods. To further incentivize mobile wallet usage, some credit card issuers offer bonus rewards when you elect to pay that way. But those incentives can go beyond just higher reward rates. In fact, mobile wallets in some ways are becoming an essential part of activating and holding a credit card. For example, they can offer immediate access to your credit line, and they can be easier and safer than paying with a physical card. From a rewards perspective, it can make a lot of sense to reach for your phone now instead of your physical card. The Apple Card offers its highest reward rates when you use it through the Apple Pay mobile wallet. Same goes for the PayPal Cashback Mastercard® when you use it to make purchases via the PayPal digital wallet. The Kroger grocery store giant has a co-branded credit card that earns the most when you pay using an eligible digital wallet, and some major credit cards with quarterly rotating bonus categories have a history of incentivizing digital wallet use. But again, these days it’s not just about the rewards. Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and PayPal can offer immediate access to your credit line while you wait for your physical card to arrive after approval. Indeed, most major issuers including Bank of America®, Capital One and Chase now offer instant virtual credit card numbers for eligible cards that can be used upon approval by adding them to a digital wallet. Additionally, many co-branded credit cards — those offered in partnership with another brand — commonly offer instant card access and can be used immediately on in-brand purchases. Credit cards typically take seven to 10 days to arrive after approval, so instant access to your credit line can be particularly useful if you need to make an urgent or unexpected purchase. Plus, they allow you to start spending toward a card’s sign-up bonus right away. As issuers push toward mobile payments, a growing number of merchants and businesses are similarly adopting the payment method. The percentage of U.S. businesses that used digital wallets increased to 62% in 2023, compared to 47% the previous year, according to a 2023 survey commissioned by the Federal Reserve Financial Services. Wider acceptance is potentially good news for the average American, who according to Experian has about four credit cards. While that won’t necessarily weigh down your wallet, it can be hard to manage multiple cards and rewards categories at once. Mobile wallets offer a more efficient way to store and organize all of your workhorse cards, while not having to carry around ones that you don’t use often. They can also help you more easily monitor your spending and rewards, and some even track your orders’ status and arrival time. Plus, paying with a digital wallet offers added security. That’s because it uses technology called tokenization when you pay, which masks your real credit card number and instead sends an encrypted “token” that’s unique to each payment. This is unlike swiping or dipping a physical card, during which your credit card number is more directly accessible. And again, because a mobile wallet doesn’t require you to have your physical cards present, there’s less chance of one falling out of your pocket or purse. More From NerdWallet Funto Omojola writes for NerdWallet. Email: fomojola@nerdwallet.com. The article Activating Your Credit Card? Don’t Skip the Mobile Wallet Step originally appeared on NerdWallet .
December 12, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by Steve Lundeberg, Oregon State University Oregon State University researchers have synthesized new molecules able to quickly capture significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the air, an important tactic in climate change mitigation. The study, which focused on titanium peroxides, builds on their earlier research into vanadium peroxides. The research is part of large-scale federal effort to innovate new methods and materials for direct air capture, or DAC, of carbon dioxide, produced by the burning of fossil fuels. Findings of the research, led by May Nyman and Karlie Bach of the OSU College of Science, were published today in Chemistry of Materials . Nyman's team is exploring how some transition metal complexes can react with air to remove carbon dioxide and convert it to a metal carbonate, similar to what is found in many naturally occurring minerals. Transition metals are located near the center of the periodic table and their name arises from the transition of electrons from low energy to high energy states and back again, giving rise to distinctive colors. Facilities that filter carbon dioxide from the air are still in their infancy. Technologies for mitigating carbon dioxide at the point of entry into the atmosphere, such as at power plants , are more mature. Both types of carbon capture will likely be needed if the Earth is to avoid the worst outcomes of climate change, the scientists say. At present there are a combined 18 active direct air capture plants operating in the United States, Canada and Europe, with plans for an additional 130 around the globe. Challenges to direct air capture include big costs and high energy requirements compared to working with industrial exhausts. Additionally, the atmosphere's concentration of carbon dioxide, four parts per million, is low, challenging the performance of carbon capture materials. "We opted to look into titanium as it's 100 times cheaper than vanadium, more abundant, more environmentally friendly and already well established in industrial uses," said Bach, a graduate student in Nyman's lab. "It also is right next to vanadium on the periodic table, so we hypothesized that the carbon capture behavior could be similar enough to vanadium to be effective." Bach, Nyman and the rest of the research team made several new tetraperoxo titanate structures—a titanium atom coordinated with four peroxide groups—that showed varying abilities to scrub carbon dioxide from the air. Tetraperoxo structures tend to be highly reactive because of the peroxide groups, which are potent oxidizing agents. Related peroxotitanates have been studied for their potential uses in catalysis, environmental chemistry and materials science. However, the tetraperoxotitanates in this study had never been definitively synthesized; Bach was able to use inexpensive materials for high-yield chemical reactions. "Our favorite carbon capture structure we discovered is potassium tetraperoxo titanate, which is extra unique because it turns out it is also a peroxosolvate," Bach said. "That means that in addition to having the peroxide bonds to titanium, it also has hydrogen peroxide in the structure, which is what we believe makes it so reactive." The measured carbon capture capacity was about 8.5 millimoles carbon dioxide per gram of potassium tetraperoxo titanate—roughly double that of vanadium peroxide. "Titanium is a cheaper, safer material with a significantly higher capacity," Bach said. Named for the titans of Greek mythology, titanium is as strong as steel but much lighter. It's non-toxic, does not easily corrode and is the ninth most abundant element in the Earth's crust—found in rocks, soil, plants and even the human body in trace amounts. Other Oregon State authors on the paper included assistant professors Tim Zuehlsdorff and Konstantinos Goulas, postdoctoral researcher Eduard Garrido Ribó, graduate students Jacob Hirschi, Zhiwei Mao and Makenzie Nord and crystallographer Lev Zakharov, interim manager of OSU's X-Ray Diffraction Facility. More information: Karlie Bach et al, Tetraperoxotitanates for High-Capacity Direct Air Capture of Carbon Dioxide, Chemistry of Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.4c01795 Journal information: Chemistry of Materials Provided by Oregon State University
Moldova continues to face a high-intensity hybrid war, including a significant increase in malign cyber activity and incursions. This necessitates increasing focus on the development of cyber resilience, which would also support the continued efforts of the Moldovan government to digitize more systems and the ongoing growth of the country's technology sector. Moldova’s data and cybersecurity policy efforts have not kept pace with the development and use of digital infrastructure, further complicating the challenge of counteracting the cyber aspects of the ongoing high-intensity hybrid war. Strategic and deliberate investments made in Moldova over the next five years thus have an enormous potential for return. Given the importance of the topic, this report provides an overview of Moldova’s recent digitization journey. This paper provides a deeper dive into the technology sector, including Moldova’s efforts to increase digital literacy and to strengthen human capital, as well as its e-governance efforts. Moreover, this piece outlines the country’s current cybersecurity landscape, including some specific risks and opportunities as well as the support Moldova’s partners and allies are delivering in this space. Most importantly, this piece includes key policy recommendations to strengthen the sector in support of securing Moldova’s democratic and economic future. This report is made possible by support from the U.S. Agency for International Development.The California Legislative Analyst’s Office projected a dismal fiscal outlook for the Golden State as Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is anticipated to pour millions of dollars into fighting the Trump administration. The non-partisan budget watchdog released an analysis this week showing that while the state has managed to reduce its budget deficit by a massive amount since last year, the deficit is estimated to climb back up to a staggering $20 billion by 2026. “We anticipate the Legislature likely will need to address deficits in the future, for example by reducing spending or increasing taxes. In our view, this year’s budget does not have capacity for new commitments, ongoing ones,” the LAO’s report reads. FIVE DEMOCRATS IN PRIME POSITION TO BE FACE OF THE PARTY IN 2028 LAO analyst Gabriel Petek warned that state expenditures are growing by roughly 2.3% more than they have in previous years. He said expenditures are outpacing revenues by nearly 2%, making additional spending by California officials and agencies unwise. The LAO’s warnings come as Newsom pledged to do everything in his power to stop President-elect Donald Trump’s Republican agenda from touching California after he won the election earlier this month, signaling that pricy lawsuits are on the horizon. California sued the Trump administration more than 120 times between 2016 and 2020 during his first term in office. But with lawsuits coming at a heavy expense and the state headed toward a $30 billion budget deficit by 2027, California Republicans are pushing back against Newsom’s anti-Trump agenda. "California has a $2 billion deficit that’s projected to explode in the next few years, and Newsom’s solution is to spend another $100 million on lawyers to fight President Trump," the California state assembly’s Republican leader, James Gallagher, told the Washington Examiner. "You can’t lead the ‘resistance’ when you can barely pay the bills. It’s too bad Newsom is more focused on chasing headlines for his 2028 presidential run than actually running the state." BIDEN TO USE LAME-DUCK SESSION TO ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ LEGACY Newsom has had a rocky year steering fiscal matters over the past few years. During fiscal years 2021 and 2022, California generated unexpectedly high budget surpluses , largely because the “stock market was on fire.” “California gets a lot of tax revenue from stock market capital gains, and it kind of turbo-charged our revenue growth in those years,” Petek said. Lawmakers responded to the revenue gains by funneling expenditures into a host of one-time or temporary state programs. However, relying on an unpredictable and uncertain stock market for revenue rather than building a strong underlying economy promoting small businesses and job growth didn’t go so well for the Golden State. Downturns in the stock market in 2022 put California in a vulnerable fiscal situation, pushing lawmakers to reconsider the previous investments made into state programs. HOW KAMALA HARRIS PLOWED THROUGH $1 BILLION “We had slower revenue growth than we had had before, and we couldn't afford all of those temporary commitments that had been made based on the prior revenue anticipated revenue growth,” Petek reflected. Facing a $68 billion budget deficit this year, the California legislature slashed expenditures and many “temporary commitments” over the spring of 2024, resulting in an adjusted budget deal announced in June with a projected deficit of $2 billion. While the state’s fiscal situation appears far better at first glance now than it did at the start of the year, the Legislative Analyst's Office's latest report shows that California’s underlying economy is weak, setting it up for a lackluster fiscal outlook and massive budget deficit increases down the road. “We're seeing declining consumer spending. We're seeing an unemployment rate that's ticking up and very anemic, job growth, and the job growth we are getting is entirely attributable to government and healthcare, and so that is not a foundation on which our office can project comfortably that we're going to have robust revenue growth going forward,” Petek said. HOW ELON MUSK HELPED WILL TRUMP BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE He warned that California’s move to expand commitments in recent years such as expanding its Medicaid program, which is called Medi-Cal, to cover noncitizens, has put it on a troubling path where expenditures outweigh revenues by concerning margins. “Our advice to the legislature is that they should conduct oversight of programs and take a take stock of what their main priorities are, and try to, you know, work on addressing that misalignment,” the LAO analyst concluded. California’s Democratic lawmakers have met the budget warnings with pledges to "show restraint with this year’s budget.” "It’s not a moment for expanding programs,” Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said. With both sides of the aisle promising to make trims, it remains to be seen if Newsom will be successful in his pledge to combat the Trump administration with a barrage of costly lawsuits. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER As lawmakers consider the LAO's dismal fiscal outlook, Newsom visited Washington, D.C., earlier this month to lobby the Biden administration for funds as he seeks to target the incoming Trump administration. "Governor Newsom will advocate for key priorities to advance the health and well-being of all Californians — including disaster funding, the approval of state health care initiatives aimed at improving access to health and mental health care for Californians, and crucial climate waivers," his office said.Lions vs. Bears, Buccaneers vs. Cowboys predictions: NFL Week 16 odds, picks
HOUSTON (AP) — For a second straight season, the Houston Texans will be without Tank Dell to end the regular season and for the playoffs after the dynamic receiver suffered another major injury. Dell sustained what coach DeMeco Ryans called a “significant” knee injury on a 30-yard touchdown catch in Houston’s loss to Kansas City on Saturday . Though the team hasn’t officially ruled him out for the season, it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to return after he was hospitalized overnight following the injury. Ryans said Sunday that Dell had been released from the hospital and was heading back to Houston. He added that he was still being evaluated to see what the next steps would be. This injury comes after Dell fractured his fibula in Week 13 against the Broncos last season and had surgery on it the following day. “It’s tough to see guys get injured, the work that guys put in, how much they put their bodies on the line to play this game,” Ryans said. “It’s deeper than football. We are talking about real people who have real emotions and real feelings who are going through a tough time right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in that situation.” The AFC South champion Texans will have to regroup quickly with a visit from the Ravens coming on Christmas Day. Dell’s injury is another blow to a team that was already missing Stefon Diggs after the four-time Pro Bowl receiver sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 8. Dell ranks second on the team with 51 receptions for 667 yards and three touchdowns behind Nico Collins, who has 909 yards receiving and six scores. Tight end Dalton Schultz has 482 yards receiving and two touchdowns and running back Joe Mixon 291 yards receiving and a touchdown grab. But with Dell and Diggs out, the Texans are thin at receiver. John Metchie, who has just 182 yards receiving this season, could fill in for Diggs this week, but his status is uncertain after he missed Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury. “There is a chance John could be back,” Ryans said. “I think he’s progressing, so we’ll see where he ends up on Wednesday.” Other options at the position are veteran Robert Woods, who has just 143 yards receiving this season, and Xavier Hutchinson, who nine catches. Quarterback C.J. Stroud, one of Dell’s closest friends, was distraught after Dell’s injury and remained upset after the game. He said it will be difficult for the team to bounce back after losing Dell to a serious injury again. “The easy answer is to tell you something to make everybody feel nice, but it’s not the truth right now,” he said after the game. “The truth is that it’s not easy seeing your brother go down like that. (Sunday) we’ll have to get recovery, get ready for Wednesday because it’s another big-time opponent. The Ravens are a great team. It’ll be a playoff atmosphere on Christmas Day.” What's working Stroud distributed the ball well Saturday, completing passes to six different players. Dell led the way with six receptions for 98 yards and Collins had seven receptions for 60 yards while being double-teamed often. With teams likely to place even more emphasis on stopping Collins with Dell out, Stroud will need to continue to spread the ball around against the Ravens. What needs help The Texans continue to struggle in the red zone and converted just 1 of 3 opportunities Saturday. This comes after they were also 1 of 3 in a win over the Jaguars in Week 13 and converted just 2 of 4 chances in a loss to the Titans in Week 12. “We had our opportunities, and it just comes down to as simple as guys being in the right spot,” Ryans said. “We just have to make the plays. We have to finish and that’s all it comes down to.” Stock up LB Christian Harris had seventh tackles and a sack against the Chiefs in his second game of the season after missing the first 13 with a calf injury. His sack was Houston’s 46th of the season, which ties a franchise record that was set last season. Stock down K Ka’imi Fairbairn missed an extra point Saturday. He’s been excellent from long range this season, making 13 field goals longer than 50 yards. But has struggled on shorter kicks, missing two from less than 30 yards before Saturday’s PAT miss. Injuries S Jimmie Ward injured his foot Saturday and could miss the rest of the season. ... G Shaq Mason injured his knee against the Chiefs and will likely miss Wednesday’s game. Key number 10 — Dell’s touchdown Saturday was the 10th of his career, tying Hall of Famer Andre Johnson for most TD catches by a Texans through their first two seasons. Next steps The Texans look for their first win over Baltimore since 2014 after five consecutive wins by the Ravens, including a 34-10 victory in the divisional round of the playoffs last season. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Kristie Rieken, The Associated PressBrainy, 'normal guy': the suspect in US insurance CEO's slaying
Todd Grantham is leaving the staff of the NFL's Saints to become the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, New Orleans interim coach Darren Rizzi said Monday. Grantham has been defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in the NFL and for Georgia, Louisville, Mississippi State and Florida at the college level. “He made the decision he wanted to get back into the college game," Rizzi said. “He’s obviously been a coordinator before at a couple of really good college programs. (Oklahoma State coach) Mike Gundy’s getting a great coach, and congratulations to Todd.” An Oklahoma State spokesperson would not comment on the situation. Grantham started this season as a defensive line coach for the Saints. After Rizzi took over following the firing of Dennis Allen, who’d previously overseen the defense, Grantham was moved into the role of senior defensive advisor so he could assist coordinator Joe Woods with the defensive game plan. “He’s done a heck of a job here behind scenes here with the defensive staff,” Rizzi said. “But it’s certainly a great opportunity for him.” Grantham will replace Bryan Nardo and take over a unit that gave up a Big 12-worst 500.6 yards per contest during a 3-9 season. AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballSARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — This year marks the third year for Participatory Budgeting in the Spa City, and this year more projects than ever before were submitted.At the Dec. 3 City Council meeting, Participatory Budgeting Committee Chair Norah Brennan presented the proposed projects that will be voted on by the community — starting this Saturday.Participatory [...]Artificial intelligence-driven scams surge in Colorado. Here’s what you need to know.
White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign(Bloomberg) — Some hedge fund managers are sounding the alarm on overvalued nuclear power stocks and scaling back exposure after a stunning rally this year. Sydney-based Tribeca Investment Partners and Segra Capital Management in Palm Beach, Florida, are among funds that have recently trimmed bets on nuclear technology developers and utilities. “The concern I have is some of this stuff has rallied hard,” said Guy Keller, a portfolio manager at Tribeca who oversees its long/short Nuclear Energy Opportunities Strategy. As a result, it makes sense to “bring my risk down.” Still, “I would never” build a short position “because you’re one data-center announcement away from blowing yourself up,” Keller said in an interview. Investing in nuclear power emerged as one of the hottest energy themes of the year. The rise of artificial intelligence and the huge data centers required to power it mean the future of nuclear is now firmly tied to the seemingly unstoppable rise of Big Tech. At the same time, more green-oriented investors have started to embrace nuclear as a necessary part of the low-carbon energy transition. Stocks swept up in the wave of enthusiasm include Constellation Energy Corp., which has almost doubled this year amid the revival of its shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear plant, and NuScale Power Corp., whose shares soared more than 800% until hitting a peak in late November. Lisa Audet, founder and chief investment officer of Greenwich, Connecticut-based Tall Trees Capital Management, said she remains “cautious” on small modular reactor developers like Oklo Inc. and NuScale, even after watching the share prices come down. Short interest as a percentage of shares outstanding currently stands at about 17% for Oklo and almost 15% for NuScale, according to IHS Markit data, compared with less than 1% for Constellation Energy. Small modular reactors are intended to be faster and cheaper to bring into service than large-scale plants, though the technology remains in development and the first commercial projects aren’t likely until the 2030s, according to the International Energy Agency. The rest of Wall Street is also turning more wary. A team of JPMorgan Chase & Co. analysts published a 63-page report in October warning of the risk of hype surrounding nuclear stocks, even coining a specific term for the moment: “NucleHype.” Led by Jean-Xavier Hecker, head of ESG and sustainability for EMEA equity research, the report highlighted “inherent challenges” in the sector, including uranium supply-chain constraints and the amount of time it takes to develop nuclear power. Some hedge fund managers are seeing opportunities in other parts of the value chain. A “fragile and fragmented” supply chain for uranium “should lead to positive price pressures for the commodity in 2025,” said Arthur Hyde, a portfolio manager at Segra Capital, which manages $600 million of assets mainly in the nuclear and uranium space. Uranium prices have fallen about a third from their February peak, paring gains for the basket of producers and project developers in the $3.4 billion Global X Uranium ETF to 1.4% this year from almost 38% in 2023. Some mining companies are now oversold, Hyde said. However, nuclear-tech valuations are still “relatively lofty” and “you’re going to need a lot of good news to support those valuations into the new year,” he said. That led Segra Capital to scale back its holdings of US utilities and technology companies in the fourth quarter, and add to its exposure of producers and developers in the US, Canada and Australia. Tribeca’s Keller said most of his fund is tilted toward uranium assets, based partly on a bet that Big Tech will eventually expand its investments into the supply chains needed to power nuclear plants. “It’s not going to be long before they realize that they need to secure the upstream supply as well,” he said. “And again, it’s just going to take one deal and then all of the others will pile in.” Segra Capital and Tribeca, which has more than A$200 million ($127 million) in the nuclear and uranium sector, are constructive about the incoming Donald Trump administration’s stance on nuclear. “I’m fairly confident that the Trump administration will be—and is—pro-nuclear,” Keller said. —With assistance from Will Wade and John Cheng.
Indiana aims to run its winning streak to five games Friday night when Nebraska welcomes the Hoosiers to Lincoln, Neb. Indiana (8-2, 1-0 Big Ten) has lost the past three meetings with Nebraska after winning seven straight. The Hoosiers are led by center Oumar Ballo, a transfer from Arizona who averages 13.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, and forward Malik Reneau (team-best 15.5 points and 6.4 rebounds). Reneau, according to Indiana, is one of five major-conference players to average at least 10 points per game with a field goal percentage of at least 60 and 80 percent from the free-throw line. Off Indiana's 82-67 home win over Minnesota on Monday, head coach Mike Woodson said there are things to work on going forward. "When you get a team down 15, 20 points, you got to remember how you got them down and continue to do the same things that got you the lead," said Woodson, "and I don't think we did that coming down the stretch." Nebraska's best win this season was over then-No. 14 Creighton in an in-state battle last month. But the Cornhuskers (6-2, 0-1) haven't played a very difficult schedule, and were blown out 89-52 by current No. 21 Michigan State on the road last weekend. The Spartans became the first team in 25 games to make more than 50 percent of their shots against Nebraska, so improved defense will be key for the Huskers. Nebraska was also outrebounded 48-19. "That hadn't been us all year, and that was the disappointing thing," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "The physicality of the game in this league ... we're going to see it every night. I've been pleased with how they've responded, but we'll see how they step up to the challenge Friday night." If Nebraska can turn things around on offense, it is 38-2 under Hoiberg when scoring at least 80 points, including 4-0 this season. Brice Williams is Nebraska's leading scorer at 17.5 points per game. Connor Essegian adds 13.0 ppg and shoots 42.6 percent from 3-point range. --Field Level Media
By Funto Omojola, NerdWallet Mobile wallets that allow you to pay using your phone have been around for well more than a decade, and over those years they’ve grown in popularity, becoming a key part of consumers’ credit card usage. According to a “state of credit card report” for 2025 from credit bureau Experian, 53% of Americans in a survey say they use digital wallets more frequently than traditional payment methods. To further incentivize mobile wallet usage, some credit card issuers offer bonus rewards when you elect to pay that way. But those incentives can go beyond just higher reward rates. In fact, mobile wallets in some ways are becoming an essential part of activating and holding a credit card. For example, they can offer immediate access to your credit line, and they can be easier and safer than paying with a physical card. From a rewards perspective, it can make a lot of sense to reach for your phone now instead of your physical card. The Apple Card offers its highest reward rates when you use it through the Apple Pay mobile wallet. Same goes for the PayPal Cashback Mastercard® when you use it to make purchases via the PayPal digital wallet. The Kroger grocery store giant has a co-branded credit card that earns the most when you pay using an eligible digital wallet, and some major credit cards with quarterly rotating bonus categories have a history of incentivizing digital wallet use. But again, these days it’s not just about the rewards. Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and PayPal can offer immediate access to your credit line while you wait for your physical card to arrive after approval. Indeed, most major issuers including Bank of America®, Capital One and Chase now offer instant virtual credit card numbers for eligible cards that can be used upon approval by adding them to a digital wallet. Additionally, many co-branded credit cards — those offered in partnership with another brand — commonly offer instant card access and can be used immediately on in-brand purchases. Credit cards typically take seven to 10 days to arrive after approval, so instant access to your credit line can be particularly useful if you need to make an urgent or unexpected purchase. Plus, they allow you to start spending toward a card’s sign-up bonus right away. As issuers push toward mobile payments, a growing number of merchants and businesses are similarly adopting the payment method. The percentage of U.S. businesses that used digital wallets increased to 62% in 2023, compared to 47% the previous year, according to a 2023 survey commissioned by the Federal Reserve Financial Services. Wider acceptance is potentially good news for the average American, who according to Experian has about four credit cards. While that won’t necessarily weigh down your wallet, it can be hard to manage multiple cards and rewards categories at once. Mobile wallets offer a more efficient way to store and organize all of your workhorse cards, while not having to carry around ones that you don’t use often. They can also help you more easily monitor your spending and rewards, and some even track your orders’ status and arrival time. Plus, paying with a digital wallet offers added security. That’s because it uses technology called tokenization when you pay, which masks your real credit card number and instead sends an encrypted “token” that’s unique to each payment. This is unlike swiping or dipping a physical card, during which your credit card number is more directly accessible. And again, because a mobile wallet doesn’t require you to have your physical cards present, there’s less chance of one falling out of your pocket or purse. More From NerdWallet Funto Omojola writes for NerdWallet. Email: fomojola@nerdwallet.com. The article Activating Your Credit Card? Don’t Skip the Mobile Wallet Step originally appeared on NerdWallet .
How to Start a Roth IRA: A Guide for BeginnersSubscribe to our newsletter Privacy Policy Success! Your account was created and you’re signed in. Please visit My Account to verify and manage your account. An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. Support Independent Arts Journalism As an independent publication, we rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, consider becoming a member today . Already a member? Sign in here. We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, please join us as a member . Every year without fail, I neglect to get my holiday shopping done early. Before I know it, I’m on the brink of a breakdown at the Bryant Park holiday market, waiting in a throng of tourists for overpriced scarves and day-old apple cider donuts. It’s a Christmas tradition of sorts. But this past weekend, I found a cure for my gift-related procrastination at the cavernous Pioneer Works in Brooklyn: the Press Play fair , a two-day gathering for independent publishers. Now in its fifth year, the event brought a wealth of remedies for the mind-numbingly commercial holiday season in the form of zines, books, and stickers — ideas, thoughts, and wishes you can touch and hold. “‘Press Play’ is so much more than excellent wordplay,” observed Passenger Pigeon Press ’s Chance Lockard. “They are things that go really hand in hand. It’s also really awesome to see so many well-dressed people turn out for something so cool.” (Lockard, for his part, sported a beautifully knit hat with ear flaps to drown out the crowded book-fair din.) The extinct species that gives the publisher its name serves as a lodestar for its zines and Martha’s Quarterly edition, an homage to the last known passenger pigeon . Project Manager Holly Greene explained that the press, founded by Tammy Nguyen, is dedicated to “spreading ideas through unconventional paths that are detached from technology and more tangible.” Get the latest art news, reviews and opinions from Hyperallergic. Daily Weekly Opportunities Press Play itself was a physical display of the unconventional paths carved by a global network of publishers, artists, writers, record labels, and editors, with free entry and several artist-led workshops inviting visitors into the fold. Veteran presses and organizations in attendance — Nightboat, Secret Riso Club, and Wendy’s Subway to name a few — tend to frequent the likes of the New York Art Book Fair and East Village Zine Fair , making for an environment of warm reunion. And when I visited during the fair’s final hours on Sunday, December 8, new connections and collaborations were already in bloom. “That’s kind of the magic of small press fairs like this,” said illustrator, cartoonist, and riso artist Christina Lee , whose booth Lockard and Greene recommended. “There’s a really nice community, and I think right now everyone’s really lonely. There’s one component of sharing your work and selling it to make a living, but there’s another component of seeing your friends and making new ones, like Kyle right here,” Lee said, pointing to illustrator and comic artist Kyle Canyon, who was seated at the same table. “I literally just met Kyle.” Canyon also works with risographs and shares practices in common with Lee, a sign of the thoughtful booth curation that undergirded the fair. Serendipity was a common theme across the exhibitors, an observation echoed by Esmé Naumes-Givens, who was sharing a table with MAKE ME! Magazine’s Ann Lukyanova and David Gray. “My mom’s name is Ann and my dad’s name is David, so it’s like kismet,” Naumes-Givens said. The artist is on a mission to create one zine per month before their 30th birthday in April, “kind of demarcating a decade of my life.” What began as a way to raise funds to travel to a friend’s wedding soon snowballed into a collection of deliciously psychedelic zines, all bound by hand with copper wire or wax thread. “I was like, ‘What if every month of my 29th year I made a zine, and at the end I’ll have 12?’” For 30, they plan to shave their head and continue writing, which, true to the fair’s spirit, spans autofiction, visual art, and poetry. “A solid 10% of the visitors who come by the booth have a publishing connection to something we have,” explained Charlotte Anderson of Ellipsis Rare Books , whose display included a first-edition copy of John Berger’s 1972 essay collection and Art History 101 mainstay Ways of Seeing . “I was reading a book this morning while it was a little quieter, and it’s an obscure book of slipstream short stories from the ’90s. I had to hunt for this book just to be able to read it,” said Ellipsis founder Andrew Lenoir. “So I’m sitting here reading it, and a woman comes over and says, ‘You know, my husband published that.’ I didn’t believe her for a second. What are the odds that I was reading it, and she happened to pass by?” Among all these strokes of luck and signs from the small press powers universe, perhaps it’s the lesson of the carrier pigeon that prevails: From riso notecards to handwritten zines, nothing compares to the weight of a piece of paper in your hand. We hope you enjoyed this article! Before you keep reading, please consider supporting Hyperallergic ’s journalism during a time when independent, critical reporting is increasingly scarce. Unlike many in the art world, we are not beholden to large corporations or billionaires. Our journalism is funded by readers like you , ensuring integrity and independence in our coverage. We strive to offer trustworthy perspectives on everything from art history to contemporary art. We spotlight artist-led social movements, uncover overlooked stories, and challenge established norms to make art more inclusive and accessible. With your support, we can continue to provide global coverage without the elitism often found in art journalism. If you can, please join us as a member today . Millions rely on Hyperallergic for free, reliable information. By becoming a member, you help keep our journalism free, independent, and accessible to all. Thank you for reading. Share Copied to clipboard Mail Bluesky Threads LinkedIn Facebook
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Venezuela’s oil exports jumped last month on higher sales to its mainstay Asia customers, and approached 1 million barrels per day (bpd), a level not seen since early 2020, according to ship monitoring data. Under U.S. sanctions since 2019, Venezuela’s exports of crude and refined products have been highly volatile. Lack of investment and frequent fires and outages at the South American country’s aging oil infrastructure put a ceiling on production and sales. State oil company PDVSA PDVSA.UL, its joint ventures and other state companies last month shipped an average of 974,033 bpd of crude and fuel, mostly to China. It was the second consecutive month of increase, according to Reuters analysis of tanker movements. November’s total represented a 10% increase from a revised average of almost 885,000 bpd in October, and stood 57% above the same month a year ago, the data showed. Sales to Asia, home to the country’s largest buyers, jumped to some 613,000 bpd from 526,000 in October. Shipments to the United States by producer Chevron CVX.N under a license granted by Washington fell to 238,000 bpd from 280,000 bpd the previous month, while exports to Europe increased to 85,000 bpd from 31,000 bpd. The incoming government of President-elect Donald Trump is expected to revise U.S. policies towards Venezuela, which could lead to license amendments or renegotiations with the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The export increase happened despite a large explosion and fire at one of PDVSA’s main natural gas centers, which hit output of products, including methanol. Venezuela’s exports of oil byproducts and petrochemicals, including methanol and petroleum coke, declined to 330,500 metric tons in November, from 362,000 tons in October, according to the data. The OPEC country also increased exports to its political ally Cuba to 38,000 bpd from 28,000 bpd the previous month. Venezuela imported 87,000 bpd of heavy naphtha and gasoline blend stock last month through U.S.-authorized swap agreements with U.S. and European partners, slightly above the 81,000 bpd of October. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Houston and Caracas newsroom, editing by Ed Osmond)DLH Reports Fiscal 2024 Fourth Quarter Results