CHICAGO , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Katten announced today that the firm advised CleanSpark Inc. on a $650 million convertible senior notes offering. Mark Wood , Partner and Co-Chair of the Capital Markets practice, led the Katten team that advised the company in connection with its offering of $650 million aggregate principal amount of 0.00% convertible senior notes due 2030. The notes were sold to the initial purchasers, led by Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. as Lead Book-Running Manager, in a private offering for resale to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). The issuance and sale of the notes closed on December 17, 2024 . In connection with the pricing of the notes, CleanSpark entered into capped call transactions with various counterparties and repurchased approximately $145 million of its common stock. ICR Capital LLC served as financial advisor to CleanSpark in connection with this offering. "We congratulate our client CleanSpark on successfully completing its first-ever 144A convertible notes offering," Wood said. "It has been a privilege to work alongside the CleanSpark team as it has led CleanSpark's growth in the bitcoin mining industry." CleanSpark is a market-leading, pure play Bitcoin miner. The company owns and operates a portfolio of mining facilities across the United States . Katten regularly advises companies within the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries, combining its regulatory expertise and deep experience in a wide range of sophisticated transactions to deliver holistic legal advice to companies in this industry. The Katten team also included Capital Markets Partners Elizabeth McNichol and Timothy Kirby , and Associates Maximillian Licona and Michael Tremeski; Financial Markets and Funds Partner Krassi Zourkova and Associate Eli Krasnow; and Transactional Tax Planning Partner Todd Hatcher and Associate Jeffrey Ng. Katten is a full-service law firm with approximately 700 attorneys in locations across the United States and in London and Shanghai . Clients seeking sophisticated, high-value legal services turn to Katten for counsel locally, nationally and internationally. The firm's core areas of practice include corporate, financial markets and funds, insolvency and restructuring, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, structured finance and securitization, transactional tax planning, private credit and private wealth. Katten represents public and private companies in numerous industries, as well as a number of government and nonprofit organizations and individuals. For more information, visit katten.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/katten-advises-cleanspark-on-650-million-convertible-senior-notes-offering-302338629.html SOURCE KattenThe Boston Bruins hope to continue their winning start to Joe Sacco's tenure as interim coach as they begin a stretch of three games in four nights around Thanksgiving on Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks. Sacco has emphasized shoring things up defensively and his team has delivered, allowing a combined 42 shots on goal across only their second set of back-to-back regulation wins all season on Thursday against Utah (1-0 score) and Saturday in Detroit (2-1). There are positive offensive signs as well. Captain Brad Marchand netted the latter game-winner in the third period against the Red Wings, which was Boston's first at 5-on-5 in a three-game span. The first goal in Detroit came from Justin Brazeau and the second power-play unit. "We need contributions from everybody right now," Sacco said. Entering a busy stretch that continues Wednesday with a visit to the New York Islanders, Marchand likes the team's current direction. "We seem to be a little bit more comfortable right now. Effort seems higher," he said. "I like the way we closed the last couple of games, being tight, playing very well defensively." After giving up 12 goals in his previous two starts, Jeremy Swayman -- who signed an eight-year, $66 million contract last month -- returned to the net following Joonas Korpisalo's shutout of Utah and stopped 19 of 20 shots in Detroit. The beginning of the season has been a struggle for Swayman (3.30 goals-against average, .887 save percentage), but the coach affirmed that "he's still (the Bruins') guy" following their latest victory. "I am happy for his response," Sacco said. "I'm sure that he's starting to feel better about himself. It's only a matter of time before ‘Sway' starts to find his groove consistently." Meanwhile, Korpisalo has gone 3-0-1 in November. The Canucks have gone just 3-4-0 since beginning this month on a three-game win streak, but they arrive in Boston for the second of a six-game trip after beating Ottawa 4-3 Saturday. It was their seventh victory in eight road games this season. It was a key team win after center J.T. Miller was added to Vancouver's list of absentees due to an indefinite personal leave last Wednesday and defenseman Quinn Hughes was ejected in the first period for a major boarding penalty. "That's a lot to throw at the team, and I thought we handled it well," coach Rick Tocchet said. "I'm proud of the guys. We hung in there and grinded out the win. ... In an 82-game schedule, you're going to go through a lot of adversity and it's about the way you handle it." Brock Boeser (upper-body injury) has missed the previous seven games, but returned to practice Monday in a regular jersey. In the absence of aforementioned stars, the top line of Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Kiefer Sherwood stepped up for a combined seven points against the Senators. DeBrusk scored two of the trio's three goals and added an assist. A Bruin for his first seven NHL seasons, DeBrusk scored his first three goals of the season in consecutive games before entering Saturday on a six-game drought. The winger will look to ride the momentum into his first game in Boston since moving to Vancouver as a free agent in July. "I think it's more so my game is kind of building," DeBrusk said. "I knew I was going to break through." The Canucks also recalled Max Sasson from AHL affiliate Abbotsford for his first NHL game on Saturday. He recorded an assist. "I really liked his game," Tocchet said. "To just get called up out of the blue, he seized the moment."
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 13, 2024-- Pegasystems Inc. (NASDAQ: PEGA), The Enterprise Transformation CompanyTM, today announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per share, maintaining the company’s current dividend program. The Q1 2025 dividend will be paid on January 16, 2025, to shareholders of record as of January 2, 2025. About Pega Pega is The Enterprise Transformation Company that helps organizations Build for Change® with enterprise AI decisioning and workflow automation. Many of the world’s most influential businesses rely on our platform to solve their most pressing challenges, from personalizing engagement to automating service to streamlining operations. Since 1983, we’ve built our scalable and flexible architecture to help enterprises meet today’s customer demands while continuously transforming for tomorrow. For more information on Pega (NASDAQ: PEGA), visit www.pega.com . All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213294791/en/ CONTACT: Press: Lisa Pintchman VP, Corporate Communications LisaPintchman.Rogers@pega.com (617) 866-6022 Twitter:@pegaInvestor: Peter Welburn VP, Corporate Development & Investor Relations PegaInvestorRelations@pega.com (617) 498-8968 KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES APPS/APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGY OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SOFTWARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: Pegasystems Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/13/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/13/2024 04:04 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213294791/enStock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened week
Trump 2.0 has a Cabinet and executive branch of different ideas and eclectic personalities
NoneNon-Hindu Staff: New TTD Board Charts Course to End Row
iCoreConnect CEO McDermott purchases $49,421 in common stockPre-Money Valuation of JPY9 Billion is Approximately Multiples of Current Parent Company Market Capitalization. Strategic Investors Further Validation of Technology and Growth Potential. Further Commercialization with Recent 25,000 Unit Order from B2B Sales Channel. TOKYO, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MRM) announces that its subsidiary MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. raised to date an aggregate total of 260.3 million yen (approximtaely USD $ [1.7] million calculated at an exchange rate of JPY[153.64] to US$1) at a pre-money equity valuation of JPY9 billion (approximately USD $ [58.6] million calculated at an exchange rate of JPY[153.64] to US$1) in its Series A equity financing. NFES Technologies Inc. is the lead investor in the financing round, and several public companies in Japan, including M3, Inc. (TOKYO PRIME: 2413) and Elematec Corporation (TOKYO PRIME: 2715), as well as certain individual investors are also participating. The Series A equity financing round is still ongoing. MEDIROM MOTHER Labs has closed financings with six investors to date and intends to conclude the financing round by December 31, 2024. “We are very excited that our MEDIROM MOTHER Labs subsidiary has received such significant validation from strategic partners as our lead investor NFES Technologies Inc. as well as M3,Inc and Elematec Corporation. The pre money valuation of 9 billion yen is approximately multiples of MEDIROM’s current NASDAQ listing market capitalization which I believe further validates our technology, business model and growth potential.” said Kouji. The MOTHER Bracelet® is currently in commercialization. From July 1, 2024 through October 31, 2024, MEDIROM MOTHER Labs received purchase orders for an aggregate of over 25,000 units from its B2B sales channel. “We believe the MOTHER Bracelet® to be the world’s first fitness tracker that requires no electric charging by utilizing an innovative technology that enables the user’s body heat to generate electricity. We co-developed it with Matrix Industries, based in Silicon Valley and believe its features are cutting-edge technology with rich features and ease of use to track fitness levels, sleep patterns, pulse and body temperature We will continue to target markets such as hospitals, nursing homes and gyms, where such data is vital,” said Yoshio Uekusa, CEO of MEDIROM MOTHER Labs. ABOUT MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. A subsidiary of MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MRM) (“MEDIROM”), MEDIROM Mother Labs Inc. focuses on the health-tech sector. The company’s core activities include the "Specific Health Guidance Program" offered through the "Lav" health application and development and sales of the 24/7 recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet®︎ smart tracker. By leveraging the features of the recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet®︎, MOTHER Labs offers customizable health management solutions across diverse sectors, including caregiving, logistics, manufacturing, and similar industries. Forward-Looking Statements Regarding MEDIROM and MOTHER Labs Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include estimates or expectations about MEDIROM’s possible or assumed operational results, financial condition, business strategies and plans, market opportunities, competitive position, industry environment, and potential growth opportunities. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “design,” “target,” “aim,” “hope,” “expect,” “could,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “goal,” or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These statements relate to future events or to MEDIROM’s future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause MEDIROM’s actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond MEDIROM’s control and which could, and likely will, affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects MEDIROM’s current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to MEDIROM’s operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. Some of the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release include: MEDIROM’s ability to achieve its development goals for its business and execute and evolve its growth strategies, priorities and initiatives; MEDIROM Mother Labs’s ability to close its Series A equity financing on the anticipated timeline or at all; MEDIROM’s ability to collaborate in the anticipated manner; changes in Japanese and global economic conditions and financial markets, including their effects on MEDIROM’s expansion in Japan and certain overseas markets; MEDIROM’s ability to increase sales of the MOTHER Bracelet and achieve and sustain profitability in its Digital Preventative Healthcare Segment; the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates, which affects MEDIROM’s expenses and liabilities payable in foreign currencies; MEDIROM’s ability to maintain and enhance the value of its brands and to enforce and maintain its trademarks and protect its other intellectual property; MEDIROM’s ability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms or at all; MEDIROM’s level of indebtedness and potential restrictions on MEDIROM under MEDIROM’s debt instruments; changes in consumer preferences and MEDIROM’s competitive environment; MEDIROM’s ability to respond to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, and to global pandemics, such as COVID-19; and the regulatory environment in which MEDIROM operates. More information on these risks and other potential factors that could affect MEDIROM’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition, and stock price is included in MEDIROM’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including in the “Risk Factors” and “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” sections of MEDIROM’s most recently filed periodic report on Form 20-F and subsequent filings, which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov . MEDIROM assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. NASDAQ Symbol: MRM Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Web https://medirom.co.jp/en Contact: ir@medirom.co.jp MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan For more information visit: https://mother-bracelet.comGoogle and the US government faced off in a federal court on Monday, as each side delivered closing arguments in a case revolving around the technology giant's alleged unfair domination of online advertising. The trial in a Virginia federal court is Google's second US antitrust case now under way as the US government tries to rein in the power of big tech. In a separate trial, a Washington judge ruled that Google's search business is an illegal monopoly, and the US Justice Department is asking that Google sell its Chrome browser business to resolve the case. The latest case, also brought by the Justice Department, focuses on ad technology for the open web -- the complex system determining which online ads people see when they surf the internet. The vast majority of websites use a trio of Google ad software products that together, leave no way for publishers to escape Google's advertising technology, the plaintiffs allege. Publishers -- including News Corp and Gannett publishing -- complain that they are locked into Google's advertising technology in order to run ads on their websites. "Google is once, twice, three times a monopolist," DOJ lawyer Aaron Teitelbaum told the court in closing arguments. Presiding judge Leonie Brinkema has said that she would deliver her opinion swiftly, as early as next month. Whatever Brinkema's judgment, the outcome will almost certainly be appealed, prolonging a process that could go all the way to the US Supreme Court. The government alleges that Google controls the auction-style system that advertisers use to purchase advertising space online. The US lawyers argue that this approach allows Google to charge higher prices to advertisers while sending less revenue to publishers such as news websites, many of which are struggling to stay in business. The US argues that Google used its financial power to acquire potential rivals and corner the ad tech market, leaving advertisers and publishers with no choice but to use its technology. The government wants Google to divest parts of its ad tech business. Google dismissed the allegations as an attempt by the government to pick "winners and losers" in a diverse market. The company argues that the display ads at issue are just a small share of today's ad tech business. Google says the plaintiffs' definition of the market ignores ads that are also placed in search results, apps and social media platforms and where, taken as a whole, Google does not dominate. "The law simply does not support what the plaintiffs are arguing in this case," said Google's lawyer Karen Dunn. She warned that if Google were to lose the case, the winners would be rival tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta or Amazon, whose market share in online advertising is ascendant as Google's share is falling. The DOJ countered that it simply "does not matter" that Google is competing in the broader market for online ads. "That is a different question" than the market for ads on websites that is the target of the case, said Teitelbaum. Google also points to US legal precedent, saying arguments similar to the government's have been refuted in previous antitrust cases. Dunn also warned that forcing Google to work with rivals in its ad products would amount to government central planning that the court should reject. If the judge finds Google to be at fault, a new phase of the trial would decide how the company should comply with that conclusion. And all that could be moot if the incoming Trump administration decides to drop the case. The president-elect has been a critic of Google's, but he warned earlier this month that breaking it up could be "a very dangerous thing." arp/dw
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kaskela Law LLC announces that a shareholder lawsuit has been filed against Zuora, Inc. ZUO ("Zuora") in connection with the sale of the company to Silver Lake at $10.00 per share. Click here to submit your information: https://kaskelalaw.com/case/zuora/ Under the terms of the buyout offer, Zuora stockholders are only expected to receive $10.00 per share in cash in exchange for their ZUO shares. Notably, at the time the proposed buyout at $10.00 per share was announced, numerous stock analysts were maintaining price targets for ZUO shares in excess of $12.00 per share . Following the closing of the proposed transaction, Zuora's stockholders will be cashed out of their investment position and the company's shares will no longer be publicly traded. Zuora shareholders are encouraged to contact Kaskela Law LLC (D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq. or Adrienne Bell, Esq.) at (484) 229 – 0750 to receive additional information about this matter and their legal rights and options with respect to the proposed buyout. Alternatively, investors may submit their information to the firm by clicking on the following link (or by copying and pasting the link into your browser): https://kaskelalaw.com/case/zuora/ Kaskela Law LLC exclusively represents investors in securities fraud, corporate governance, and merger & acquisition litigation on a contingent basis. For additional information about Kaskela Law LLC please visit www.kaskelalaw.com . CONTACT: KASKELA LAW LLC D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq. ( skaskela@kaskelalaw.com ) Adrienne Bell, Esq. ( abell@kaskelalaw.com ) 18 Campus Blvd., Suite 100 Newtown Square, PA 19073 (888) 715 – 1740 (484) 229 – 0750 www.kaskelalaw.com This notice may constitute attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Conor McGregor has ‘instructed’ legal team to ‘appeal the decision’ after civil trial found he did rape Nikita Hand
Katten Advises CleanSpark on $650 Million Convertible Senior Notes OfferingStock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened week
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s personnel choices for his new Cabinet and White House reflect his signature positions on immigration and trade but also a range of viewpoints and backgrounds that raise questions about what ideological anchors might guide his Oval Office encore. With a rapid assembly of his second administration — faster than his effort eight years ago — the former and incoming president has combined television personalities , former Democrats, a wrestling executive and traditional elected Republicans into a mix that makes clear his intentions to impose tariffs on imported goods and crack down on illegal immigration but leaves open a range of possibilities on other policy pursuits. “The president has his two big priorities and doesn’t feel as strongly about anything else — so it’s going to be a real jump ball and zigzag,” predicted Marc Short, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence during Trump’s 2017-21 term. “In the first administration, he surrounded himself with more conservative thinkers, and the results showed we were mostly rowing in the same direction. This is more eclectic.” Indeed, Secretary of State-designee Marco Rubio , the Florida senator who has pilloried authoritarian regimes around the world, is in line to serve as top diplomat to a president who praises autocratic leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban. Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon has been tapped to sit at the Cabinet table as a pro-union labor secretary alongside multiple billionaires, former governors and others who oppose making it easier for workers to organize themselves. The prospective treasury secretary, Scott Bessent , wants to cut deficits for a president who promised more tax cuts, better veterans services and no rollbacks of the largest federal outlays: Social Security, Medicare and national defense. Abortion-rights supporter Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is Trump's choice to lead the Health and Human Services Department, which Trump’s conservative Christian base has long targeted as an agency where the anti-abortion movement must wield more influence. Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich allowed that members of Trump’s slate will not always agree with the president and certainly not with one another. But he minimized the potential for irreconcilable differences: “A strong Cabinet, by definition, means you’re going to have people with different opinions and different skills.” That kind of unpredictability is at the core of Trump’s political identity. He is the erstwhile reality TV star who already upended Washington once and is returning to power with sweeping, sometimes contradictory promises that convinced voters, especially those in the working class, that he will do it all again. “What Donald Trump has done is reorient political leadership and activism to a more entrepreneurial spirit,” Gingrich said. There's also plenty of room for conflict, given the breadth of Trump's 2024 campaign promises and his pattern of cycling through Cabinet members and national security personnel during his first term. This time, Trump has pledged to impose tariffs on foreign goods, end illegal immigration and launch a mass deportation force, goose U.S. energy production and exact retribution on people who opposed — and prosecuted — him. He's added promises to cut taxes, raise wages, end wars in Israel and Ukraine , streamline government, protect Social Security and Medicare, help veterans and squelch cultural progressivism. Trump alluded to some of those promises in recent weeks as he completed his proposed roster of federal department heads and named top White House staff members. But his announcements skimmed over any policy paradoxes or potential complications. Bessent has crusaded as a deficit hawk, warning that the ballooning national debt , paired with higher interest rates, drives consumer inflation. But he also supports extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts that added to the overall debt and annual debt service payments to investors who buy Treasury notes. A hedge-fund billionaire, Bessent built his wealth in world markets. Yet, generally speaking, he’s endorsed Trump's tariffs. He rejects the idea that they feed inflation and instead frames tariffs as one-time price adjustments and leverage to achieve U.S. foreign policy and domestic economic aims. Trump, for his part, declared that Bessent would “help me usher in a new Golden Age for the United States.” Chavez-DeRemer, Trump promised, “will achieve historic cooperation between Business and Labor that will restore the American Dream for Working Families.” Trump did not address the Oregon congresswoman’s staunch support for the PRO-Act, a Democratic-backed measure that would make it easier for workers to unionize, among other provisions. That proposal passed the House when Democrats held a majority. But it’s never had measurable Republican support in either chamber on Capitol Hill, and Trump has never made it part of his agenda. When Trump named Kennedy as his pick for health secretary, he did not mention the former Democrat’s support for abortion rights. Instead, Trump put the focus on Kennedy’s intention to take on the U.S. agriculture, food processing and drug manufacturing sectors. The vagaries of Trump’s foreign policy stand out, as well. Trump's choice for national security adviser , Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, offered mixed messages Sunday when discussing the Russia-Ukraine war, which Trump claims never would have started had he been president, because he would have prevailed on Putin not to invade his neighboring country. Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” Waltz repeated Trump’s concerns over recent escalations, which include President Joe Biden approving sending antipersonnel mines to Ukrainian forces. “We need to restore deterrence, restore peace and get ahead of this escalation ladder, rather than responding to it,” Waltz said. But in the same interview, Waltz declared the mines necessary to help Ukraine “stop Russian gains” and said he’s working “hand in glove” with Biden’s team during the transition. Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence , the top intelligence post in government, is an outspoken defender of Putin and Syrian President Bashar al Assad, a close ally of Russia and Iran. Perhaps the biggest wildcards of Trump’s governing constellation are budget-and-spending advisers Russell Vought, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Vought led Trump’s Office of Management and Budget in his first term and is in line for the same post again. Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, and Ramaswamy, a mega-millionaire venture capitalist, are leading an outside advisory panel known as the “Department of Government Efficiency.” The latter effort is a quasi-official exercise to identify waste. It carries no statutory authority, but Trump can route Musk’s and Ramaswamy’s recommendations to official government pathways, including via Vought. A leading author of Project 2025 , the conservative movement’s blueprint for a hard-right turn in U.S. government and society, Vought envisions OMB not just as an influential office to shape Trump’s budget proposals for Congress but a power center of the executive branch, “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” As for how Trump might navigate differences across his administration, Gingrich pointed to Chavez-DeRemer. “He might not agree with her on union issues, but he might not stop her from pushing it herself,” Gingrich said of the PRO-Act. “And he will listen to anybody. If you convince him, he absolutely will spend presidential capital.” Short said other factors are more likely to influence Trump: personalities and, of course, loyalty . Vought “brought him potential spending cuts” in the first administration, Short said, “that Trump wouldn’t go along with.” This time, Short continued, “maybe Elon and Vivek provide backup,” giving Vought the imprimatur of two wealthy businessmen. “He will always calculate who has been good to him,” Short said. “You already see that: The unions got the labor secretary they wanted, and Putin and Assad got the DNI (intelligence chief) they wanted. ... This is not so much a team-of-rivals situation. I think it’s going to look a lot like a reality TV show.” 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!(The Center Square) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom said if President-elect Donald Trump ends the $7,500 electric vehicle rebate program, he’ll get Californians to pay for new credits. However, the credits would not include Tesla, which is the most popular EV company and the only EV manufacturer in the state. This comes weeks after Newsom and his administration passed new refinery and carbon credit regulations that will add up to $1.15 per gallon of gasoline and require Californians with gasoline-powered cars to earn up to another $1,000 per year in pretax income to afford. “We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California,” said Newsom in a statement. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose rocket launches were recently blocked by a California regulatory board that cited his personal politics, shared his disapproval on his social media platform, X, after Newsom staff told Bloomberg that Tesla models would not qualify for California rebates. “Even though Tesla is the only company who manufactures their EVs in California,” said Musk. “This is insane.” Musk recently moved SpaceX and X out of California, citing a new law signed by Newsom banning parental notification for gender change requests from K-12 students. The credits would be paid for through California’s cap-and-trade program, which requires carbon emitters to purchase credits from the state — costs which are generally passed on to consumers in the form of more expensive gasoline, energy, and even concrete. Emitters buy a few billion dollars worth of credits from California each year, with the state’s $135 billion high speed rail project getting the lion’s share of the revenue. The California Resources Board — all but two of whose voting members are appointed by the governor — recently approved $105 billion in EV charging credits and $8 billion in hydrogen charging credits to be largely paid for by drivers of gas cars and diesel trucks. An investigation by The Center Square found the change was pushed by EV makers and the builders of EV charging systems. Buyers of EV chargers, who pay for the energy and own the charger, sign installation contracts that permanently give away their rights to government or other EV charging credits generated from fueling a vehicle with electrons instead of gasoline. These chargers are often bundled with the purchase of an EV, or covered entirely by utility or government rebates, meaning they are permanent, zero-or-low-cost revenue streams for the company collecting the credits.Milwaukee Brewers Could See New York Yankees Steal Star Free Agent
(The Center Square) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom said if President-elect Donald Trump ends the $7,500 electric vehicle rebate program, he’ll get Californians to pay for new credits. However, the credits would not include Tesla, which is the most popular EV company and the only EV manufacturer in the state. This comes weeks after Newsom and his administration passed new refinery and carbon credit regulations that will add up to $1.15 per gallon of gasoline and require Californians with gasoline-powered cars to earn up to another $1,000 per year in pretax income to afford. “We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California,” said Newsom in a statement. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose rocket launches were recently blocked by a California regulatory board that cited his personal politics, shared his disapproval on his social media platform, X, after Newsom staff told Bloomberg that Tesla models would not qualify for California rebates. “Even though Tesla is the only company who manufactures their EVs in California,” said Musk. “This is insane.” Musk recently moved SpaceX and X out of California, citing a new law signed by Newsom banning parental notification for gender change requests from K-12 students. The credits would be paid for through California’s cap-and-trade program, which requires carbon emitters to purchase credits from the state — costs which are generally passed on to consumers in the form of more expensive gasoline, energy, and even concrete. Emitters buy a few billion dollars worth of credits from California each year, with the state’s $135 billion high speed rail project getting the lion’s share of the revenue. The California Resources Board — all but two of whose voting members are appointed by the governor — recently approved $105 billion in EV charging credits and $8 billion in hydrogen charging credits to be largely paid for by drivers of gas cars and diesel trucks. An investigation by The Center Square found the change was pushed by EV makers and the builders of EV charging systems. Buyers of EV chargers, who pay for the energy and own the charger, sign installation contracts that permanently give away their rights to government or other EV charging credits generated from fueling a vehicle with electrons instead of gasoline. These chargers are often bundled with the purchase of an EV, or covered entirely by utility or government rebates, meaning they are permanent, zero-or-low-cost revenue streams for the company collecting the credits.Data Center IT Equipment Market to Grow by USD 73.6 Million (2024-2028), Driven by Multi-Cloud Adoption and 5G Network Upgrades, AI Redefining Market Landscape - Technavio
HOUSTON (AP) — C.J. Stroud was far from the only Houston Texan who struggled Sunday in an embarrassing loss to the Tennessee Titans. But it was the second-year quarterback who was the most vocal in taking the blame . “It’s no secret, I haven’t been playing well personally, for my standard,” he said. “I have a couple good drives and plays here, but it’s up and down ... I’ve got to be hard on myself and realize that games can come down to me making plays.” Stroud threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions as the Texans lost for the third time in four games after a 5-1 start. “I’ve got to just be better, and I know that,” he said. Stroud has thrown five interceptions combined in the past three games to give him nine this season after he had just five in 15 games as a rookie. The Texans (7-5) got a touchdown on an interception return by Jimmie Ward in the third quarter Sunday, but the offense managed only a field goal after halftime as the unit’s second-half struggles continued. Houston’s offense scored 10 points after halftime in a 34-10 win over the Cowboys on Monday night, but has combined for just nine points in the second half of its past three losses. “We have to create positive plays,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Too many times, whether it’s run or pass, we have a negative play which kills our drive. First things first, how can we sustain positive plays and build drives? Too many drives were stalled out before we could even get started.” Despite the offensive struggles, the Texans still had a chance to tie the game with less than two minutes to go. But Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field goal sailed wide left. What’s working The Texans tied a franchise record with eight sacks Sunday. Danielle Hunter had a season-high three to give him 10 1/2 this season, which leads the team. Will Anderson Jr. added two in his return after missing two games with an ankle injury and has a career-high 9 1/2 this season. Houston ranks second in the NFL with 42 sacks entering Monday. What needs help Houston had just 40 yards rushing Sunday in a game where Joe Mixon had his worst performance of the season. Mixon, who ran for 109 yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys, had a season-low 22 yards on 14 carries. “They’re a really good front, we knew that going into the game,” Ryans said. “But it doesn’t matter. Every front is good. You have to own the line of scrimmage. You have to be able to control the line of scrimmage and run the ball. We didn’t. We had too many negative plays in the running game.” The performance was Houston’s second-worst rushing game of the season after the team had 38 yards rushing in a loss to Minnesota in Week 3 when Mixon was out with an injury. Stock up Dameon Pierce had three kick returns for 135 yards Sunday, highlighted by an 80-yard return on the opening kickoff that set up Houston’s first touchdown. Stock down There have only been four missed field goals from 28 yards or closer in the NFL this season and Fairbairn has two of them. Fairbairn’s miss Sunday came after he missed a 27-yard attempt in a loss to the Jets. Injuries S Jalen Pitre left Sunday’s game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. ... CB Ka’dar Hollman left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. ... OT Blake Fisher missed a second straight game in the concussion protocol. Key number 23% — Houston converted just 3 of 13 third down attempts or 23% of its chances Sunday. Next steps The Texans, who lead the AFC South, will look to regroup to avoid another letdown next week when they visit the Jaguars (2-9), who have lost four in a row. “We made a lot of mistakes,” Hunter said. “We weren’t as locked in as we should have been. The biggest thing is just learning from this and just moving on to the next game.” Houston has its bye after facing Jacksonville before playing the Dolphins, Chiefs and Ravens in a 10-day stretch from Dec. 15-25. ___ AP NFL:NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally gunning down health insurance executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street, pleaded not guilty on Monday to New York state murder charges that brand him a terrorist. Mangione, 26, was escorted into Judge Gregory Carro's 13th-floor courtroom in the New York state criminal courthouse in lower Manhattan with a court officer on each arm, and a procession of a half dozen officers following him. He was in handcuffs and shackles, and wore a burgundy sweater over a white-collared shirt. ADVERTISEMENT Mangione leaned into a microphone and said "not guilty" when Carro asked how he pleaded to the 11-count indictment charging him with murder as an act of terrorism and weapons offenses. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group's UNH.N insurance unit UnitedHealthcare, was shot dead on Dec. 4 outside a hotel in midtown Manhattan where the company was gathering for an investor conference. The brazen killing and ensuing five-day manhunt captivated Americans. While public officials have condemned the killing, some Americans who decry the steep costs of healthcare and insurance companies' power to deny paying for some medical treatments have feted Mangione as a folk hero. Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9. After deciding last week not to fight extradition, he was transferred to New York, where he was led off a helicopter in lower Manhattan by a large phalanx of police officers and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. That spectacle and other statements by public officials suggest Mangione may not be able to get a fair trial, his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said at Monday's hearing. "They are treating him like he is some sort of political fodder, some sort of spectacle," Agnifilo said. "He is not a symbol, he is someone who is afforded a right to a fair trial." ADVERTISEMENT Several dozen people gathered outside the courthouse in freezing temperatures to express support for Mangione and anger at healthcare companies. One person held a sign with the words "DENY, DEFEND, DEPOSE," a phrase that echoes tactics some accuse insurers of using to avoid paying out claims. Authorities say the words "deny," "delay," and "depose" were found written on shell casings at the crime scene. Kara Hay, a 42-year-old schoolteacher, said she believed it was wrong for Mangione to be charged with terrorism. "Shooting one CEO does not make him a terrorist, and I do not feel terrorized," said Hay, who held a sign reading "innocent until proven guilty." After the 30-minute hearing, officers once again shackled Mangione and led him out of the courtroom. He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal lockup in Brooklyn. Carro set Mangione's next court appearance for Feb. 21. Monday's arraignment was the second court appearance in New York for Mangione, who also faces a four-count federal criminal complaint charging him with stalking and killing Thompson. ADVERTISEMENT He has not yet been asked to enter a plea in that case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker ordered Mangione detained at a Dec. 19 hearing in Manhattan federal court. The federal charges would make him eligible for the death penalty, should the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan decide to pursue it. The separate federal and state cases will proceed in parallel. The state case is currently expected to go to trial first, federal prosecutors said. At the hearing, Friedman Agnifilo said it was difficult to defend her client in dual state and federal cases. "He is being treated like a human ping-pong ball between these two jurisdictions," Friedman Agnifilo said. She also said the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which brought the charges, has not handed over any evidence to the defense to help prepare for trial, a process known as discovery. A prosecutor responded that the office would begin handing over evidence soon. According to the federal criminal complaint, the police who arrested Mangione found a notebook that contained several handwritten pages that "express hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular." ADVERTISEMENT A notebook entry dated Oct. 22 allegedly described an intent to "wack" the chief executive of an insurance company at its investor conference. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .