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Iron Castings Market: 68% Growth to Originate from APAC, with AI Driving Market Transformation - TechnavioAccording to an undergraduate, having pocket money from the Sarawak government eases the financial burden off from students who live far from their families. — Bernama photo KUCHING (Dec 11): The RM1,200 pocket money initiative for Sarawakian university students, announced last month, has been met with enthusiasm by many. However, some of them are questioning its long-term effectiveness and economic impact. Russell Floyd Albert For Russell Floyd Albert, he agrees that the programme offers immediate relief. “This is helpful for us in terms of our budgeting and pocket money. We, the students, can use the money to buy books, stationery items, clothes and other essential things for us to use every day,” the fourth-year student of a public institution of higher learning (IPTA) told The Borneo Post. Adding on, Russell said this incentive would alleviate some burden off the students and help to keep them focused on their studies, instead of having to do part-time jobs to cover their living expenses and also university fees. “Some of my friends said: ‘Abang Jo terbaik!’ (Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg is the best!) as this initiative by him would reduce the burden of living costs and school fees off the students,” he added. Dzul Iqnizarith Zahren Mohamad Yakup Dzul Iqnizarith Zahren Mohamad Yakup, a third-year IPTA student, was also all praise for the aid programme. “Having pocket money from the Sarawak government eases the financial burden off from the students who live far from their families. “We, students, won’t have to stress about how to cover our daily expenses. It supports our social activities too, allowing us to attend gatherings, dine out with friends, or work on group projects without always depending on others. “Ultimately, this assistance helps us lead a more stable and productive life during our studies.” Private university student J. Lee agreed, calling the initiative a good way of promoting tertiary education. “It would help cover postgraduate study costs like printing materials and transportation.” However, not all students view the RM1,200 aid as a major lifeline. Anselm Mcbryan Devric For another IPTA student, Anselm Mcbryan Devric, he praised the initiative for helping those from the B40 (low-income) and M40 (medium-income) families, but also pointed out that RM1,200 would not be enough for the whole year. “At least, it alleviates our burden,” he said. Anselm, a member of his university’s Executive Welfare Committee, also said some of his friends were curious about the procedures involved in the channelling of the RM1,200. “They are eager to know clearer instructions on the distribution process.” Meanwhile, academician Prof Dr Jerome Kueh gave a more cautious perspective. The Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) praised the ‘spirit of inclusivity’ in the initiative, but at the same time, questioned its sustainability. “This can continue if the state is able to maintain its revenue diversification. “Also, the funds used for students’ cash aid may divert the resources from long-term investments like educational infrastructure or skills programmes,” he said. Kueh also warned about ‘unintended consequences’ such as students becoming too reliant on government aid, or spending the funds on non-essential items. “Without financial literacy programmes, the students may misallocate the money, which would defeat the initiative’s purpose.” The lecturer also highlighted potential inflationary effects, saying increased student spending could drive up prices for food, accommodation and transportation near campuses. In this respect, he suggested that pairing the RM1,200 incentive with financial education could further maximise its benefits. “Teaching students to handle their budget wisely and to prioritise their expenses can foster financial independence and responsible-spending habits.”
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The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high. They're the first back-to-back losses for the index in nearly a month, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 6.7% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts' expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that's helped many companies' stock prices skyrocket. Oracle's stock had already leaped more than 80% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday's report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show similar increases as the month before. Wednesday's update and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year's third cut to interest rates. The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to take pressure off the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts through next year have been a big reason the S&P 500 has set so many records this year. Trading in the options market suggests traders aren't expecting a very big move for U.S. stocks following Wednesday's report, according to strategists at Barclays. But a reading far off expectations in either direction could quickly change that. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn to stay high and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers' stock fell 6.9% even though it delivered profit and revenue for the latest quarter that topped analysts' expectations. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January. Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.2% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul. Boeing climbed 4.5% after saying it's resuming production of its bestselling plane, the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.5% after the ski resort operator reported a smaller first-quarter loss than analysts expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. All told, the S&P 500 fell 17.94 points to 6,034.91. The Dow dipped 154.10 to 44,247.83, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 49.45 to 19,687.24. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world's second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. Indexes fell across much of Europe ahead of a meeting this week by the European Central Bank, where the widespread expectation is for another cut in interest rates.Court upholds death sentence for tycoon in $12bn fraud case
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NEW YORK — Eager to preserve President-elect Donald Trump's hush money conviction even as he returns to office, prosecutors suggested various ways forward — including one based on how some courts handle criminal cases when defendants die. In court papers made public Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorney's office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books. The proposals include freezing the case until Trump is out of office, or agreeing that any future sentence wouldn't include jail time. Another idea: closing the case with a notation that acknowledges his conviction but says that he was never sentenced and his appeal wasn't resolved because of presidential immunity. Former President Donald Trump appears in Manhattan criminal court May 30 during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. The last is adopted from what some states do when a criminal defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether that option is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Judge Juan M. Merchan could innovate in what's already a unique case. "This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding," prosecutors wrote. But at the same time, it wouldn't "precipitously discard" the "meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers." Expanding on a position they laid out last month, prosecutors acknowledged that "presidential immunity requires accommodation during a president's time in office," but they were adamant that the conviction should stand. They argued that Trump's impending return to the White House should not upend a jury's finding. Trump wants the case to be thrown out in light of his election. His communications director, Steven Cheung, called prosecutors' filing "a pathetic attempt to salvage the remains of an unconstitutional and politically motivated hoax." Trump has fought for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. Former President Donald Trump returns to the courtroom May 30 at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York. He says they did not and denies wrongdoing. Trump portrays the case as a political attack ginned up by District Attorney Alvin Bragg and other Democrats. Trump's legal team argues that letting the case continue would present unconstitutional "disruptions" to his upcoming presidential term. Trump's attorneys also cited President Joe Biden's recent pardon of his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted of tax and gun charges. Biden complained that his son was unfairly prosecuted for political reasons — and Trump's lawyers say he was, too. Trump's lawyers argued that the possibility of a jail sentence — even if it's after he leaves office — would affect his presidency. Prosecutors suggested Merchan could address that concern by agreeing not to put him behind bars. It's unclear how soon Merchan could decide what to do next with the case. He could grant Trump's request for dismissal, go with one of the suggestions from prosecutors, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump's parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. Former President Donald Trump gestures May 31 as he leaves a news conference at Trump Tower in New York. He was scheduled for sentencing late last month. After Trump's Nov. 5 election win, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president's sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump's prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump's conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. The hush money case was the only one of Trump's four criminal indictments to go to trial. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith ended his two federal cases, which pertained to Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in each case. Former President Donald Trump speaks outside the courtroom after a jury convicted him of felony crimes for falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, Thursday, May 30, 2024. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool) Former President Donald Trump sits in Manhattan criminal court, on May 13, 2024, in New York. (Sarah Yenesel/Pool Photo via AP) Former President Donald Trump talks to the media outside Manhattan criminal court in New York, on May 14, 2024. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP) Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, on April 30, 2024. (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP) Michael Cohen, right, leaves his apartment building in New York, on May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York, Thursday, May 30, 2024. (Mark Peterson/Pool Photo via AP) Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings in Manhattan Criminal Court, on May 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, Pool) Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York, Thursday, May 30, 2024. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool) From left North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy look on as former President Donald Trump talks to the media as he arrives at Manhattan criminal court in New York, on May 14, 2024. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP) A supporter of former President Donald Trump reads a "Jews for Trump" sign outside Manhattan Criminal Court, on May 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Donald Trump, Jr. speaks to reporters across the street from former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York, on May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) A supporter of former President Donald Trump and an anti-Trump protester fight outside Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, May 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Robert De Niro, center, argues with a Donald Trump supporter after speaking to reporters in support of President Joe Biden across the street from Trump's criminal trial in New York, on May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Donald Trump Jr. speaks outside Manhattan criminal court, on May 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Former President Donald Trump talks to the media after a day of testimony in his trial at Manhattan Criminal court in New York, on May 10, 2024. (Jeenah Moon/Pool Photo via AP) Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, wears a tie with photographs of former President Donald Trump during a press conference outside Manhattan criminal court, on May 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Trump supporters wave flags and cheer as the motorcade carrying former President Donald Trump leaves the Manhattan Criminal court, on May 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) Former President Donald Trump, seen through a camera viewfinder, speaks to members of the media at Manhattan criminal court in New York, on May 2, 2024. (Jeenah Moon/Pool Photo via AP) Former President Donald Trump gestures as he returns to court after a lunch break, at Manhattan criminal court in New York, on May 16, 2024. (Mike Segar/Pool Photo via AP) Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 21, 2024 in New York. (Michael M. Santiago/Pool Photo via AP) Supporters of former President Donald Trump gather in Collect Pond Park outside Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, May 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Former President Donald Trump closes his eyes, during his trial at Manhattan criminal court on May 16, 2024, in New York. (Mike Segar/Pool Photo via AP) Former President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his criminal trial at the Manhattan criminal court in New York, on May 6, 2024. (Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP) Former President Donald Trump walks to the courtroom at Manhattan criminal court as jurors are expected to begin deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York, on May 29, 2024. (Charly Triballeau/Pool Photo via AP) Former President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower on his way to Manhattan criminal court, on April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Former President Donald Trump sits in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, on May 20, 2024. (Dave Sanders/The New York Times via AP, Pool) Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.
Pezeshkian made the remarks in a televised interview on Monday evening while elaborating on activities and policies of the 14th government in its 100 days in office. In response to a question about foreign policy, he said: We have had about 100 meetings and discussions with presidents and heads of government of different countries during this period. Generally, in the diplomatic process and foreign policy, the main issue is to interact with the whole world, including neighboring countries, and this is what can save us from crises, Pezeshkian said, stressing that “we must open the economy and develop the process of cooperation”. Pointing to his government’s foreign policy priority, the president underlined that Iran will be attending the Eurasian Summit in the near future where it will be given an observer status, which according to him, will provide a great opportunity for the Islamic Republic to interact with 5-6 countries in Eurasia and create a market for Iranian producers and traders with low tariffs. Pezeshkian continued: Our government has decided to have the Chamber of Commerce and private sector entrepreneurs accompany officials on such trip and follow up on their needs and the work that we can do for them. "In most of these trips, we are striving to have our manufacturers and industrialists present and to pave the way for these exchanges to take place”. On relations with China, the Iranian president said he had fruitful discussions and talks with his Chinese counterpart that resulted in good agreements and efforts are underway to implement and make them operational. We have also spoken to Russia and based on communications, programs and treaties we agreed upon, experts are reviewing the fields of oil, gas, roads and electricity in order to implement them, he added, Pezeshkian further said Russian President Vladimir Putin during a telephone conversation agreed to send two of his deputies to Iran next week to finalize the agreements between the two countries that can be formally inked during the meeting in Eurasia or in Moscow in January. The president also touched on healthy relations with other regional countries including India and Iraq. The government had negotiated with India and Iraq and signed a series of agreements, Pezeshkian said, adding that “We are also working on agreements that we can have with other neighboring and friendly countries”. On the north-south corridor, the Iranian president said the Minister of Roads and Urban Development personally inspected to solve any problems to the project which according to him can solve the country’s many problems once it becomes fully operational in accordance with treaties and partnership with regional countries. During his interview, Pezeshkian also mentioned about some tragic incidents since taking office, including the Israeli assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Palestinian resistance movement in Tehran on the night of the presidential inauguration, as well as the crimes of the occupying Zionist regime in Gaza and Lebanon during this period. 4399Stitch Fix: Fiscal Q1 Earnings SnapshotA winless run through the Maui Invitational
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Judge hears closing arguments on whether Google's advertising tech constitutes a monopoly ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The Justice Department and Google have made their closing arguments in a trial alleging Google’s online advertising technology constitutes an illegal monopoly. The arguments in federal court Monday in northern Virginia came as Google already faces a possible breakup of the company over its ubiquitous search engine. The Justice Department says it will seek the breakup of Google to remedy its search engine monopoly. The case in Virginia focuses not on the search engine but on technology that matches online advertisers to consumers on the internet. A judge is expected to rule by the end of the year. ‘Busiest Thanksgiving ever’: How the TSA plans to handle record air travel DALLAS (AP) — The Thanksgiving travel rush is expected to be bigger than ever this year. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million people in the U.S. will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday — most of them by car. Thanksgiving Day falling so late this year has altered traditional travel patterns. At airports, the Transportation Security Administration says it could screen a record number of U.S. air travelers on Sunday. Meanwhile, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration says a shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays. Transportation analytics company INRIX says roads could be congested on Monday with both commuters and returning holiday travelers. Macy’s says employee hid up to $154 million in expenses, delaying Q3 earnings Macy’s says it’s delaying the release of its fiscal third-quarter earnings results after it discovered an up to $154 million accounting-related issue. The company did provide some preliminary results for its third quarter, including that net sales fell 2.4% to $4.74 billion. It anticipates reporting its full third-quarter financial results by Dec. 11. Newsom says California could offer electric vehicle rebates if Trump eliminates federal tax credit SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California could offer state tax rebates for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration eliminates the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. Gov. Gavin Newsom says Monday he'll propose creating a new version of the state’s successful Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which was phased out in 2023 after funding nearly 600,000 new cars and trucks. Officials didn’t say how much the program would cost or how the rebates would work. Newsom’s proposal is part of his plan to protect California’s progressive policies ahead of Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. But a budget shortfall could complicate California’s resistance efforts. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by handing out more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations Monday, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Stock market today: Dow hits another record as stocks rise NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose, with those benefiting the most from lower interest rates and a stronger economy leading the way. The S&P 500 climbed 0.3% Monday to pull closer to its record set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 440 points to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. They got a boost from easing Treasury yields after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants hedge-fund manager Scott Bessent to be his Treasury Secretary. Smaller companies can feel a big boost from easier borrowing costs, and the Russell 2000 index of small stocks finished just shy of its record. Workers at Charlotte airport, an American Airlines hub, go on strike during Thanksgiving travel week CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — American Airlines says it doesn’t expect significant disruptions to flights this week as a result of a labor strike at its hub in Charlotte, North Carolina. Service workers there walked out Monday during a busy week of Thanksgiving travel to protest what they say are unlivable wages. Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services authorized the work stoppage. Union spokesperson Sean Keady says the strike is expected to last 24 hours. The companies contract with American Airlines to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs. The companies have acknowledged the seriousness of a strike during the holiday travel season. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Eggs are available -- but pricier -- as the holiday baking season begins Egg prices are on the rise again as a lingering outbreak of bird flu coincides with high demand during the holiday baking season. The average price for a dozen eggs in U.S. cities was $3.37 in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was up 63% from October 2023, when a dozen eggs cost an average of $2.07. Avian influenza is the main culprit. The current bird flu outbreak that began in February 2022 has led to the slaughter of more than 111 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens. But the American Egg Board says egg shortages at grocery stores have been isolated and temporary so far. Detroit's iconic Renaissance Center could see 2 towers razed in $1.6B redevelopment plan DETROIT (AP) — Two towers at Detroit’s iconic Renaissance Center would be razed and the complex converted to a mix of housing and offices under an ambitious $1.6 billion plan announced on Monday. GM will move its headquarters out of the complex next year. The towers are a symbol of Detroit, with aerial views often shown on television sports broadcasts. GM announced that it would join forces with the Bedrock real estate development firm and Wayne County to turn the partially vacant property into a roughly 27-acre entertainment complex across the Detroit River from Windsor, Ontario. Bedrock would invest at least $1 billion, with roughly $250 million more coming from GM and another $250 million in public money, possibly from the state of Michigan.Catch senior receiver Talyn Taylor in action on the football field for Geneva, and there’s a temptation to call the Georgia recruit a natural. He makes it look easy. It’s apparent the 6-foot-1 Taylor has plenty of inherited or God-given ability, smoothly reaching out to make a one-handed catch without breaking stride, winning a 50-50 battle for the ball or leaving a would-be tackler grasping for nothing but air with an elusive move after a catch. Add to that, Taylor has a strong work ethic that has helped him develop and refine those skills. “When he came in to take part in our summer program and what not, we all said, ‘This kid could end up being the best who has ever walked these halls,’” said Geneva coach Boone Thorgesen , who succeed Rob Wicinski in 2021, shortly before Taylor started his freshman year. “You could just tell he had that ‘it’ factor. “Obviously, he went above and beyond what we told him he could be. He made it come true.” That he has. Taylor, the 2024 Beacon-News/Courier-News Football Player of the Year, capped his high school career at Hancock Stadium in Normal by catching eight passes for 116 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings in a 48-28 loss to East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship game. Sixty two of those yards came after the catch. Overall, Taylor finished the season with 84 receptions for 1,617 yards and 24 TDs, adding two more scores on kick returns. Geneva’s Talyn Taylor (1) turns up the field after a catch against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship game at Hancock Stadium in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / The Beacon-News) Four days later, the Class 8A all-state selection by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association and the DuKane Conference’s offensive player of the year signed with powerhouse Georgia, winner of two of the last three NCAA championships. Talyn will graduate early from high school and start the spring semester at Georgia to take part in spring practice. His mother, Venus , is the head softball coach at North Central College. It’s been this way for Taylor from the very beginning. “I was pretty much always a wide receiver because of my speed,” he said. “I can throw the ball but never played quarterback. I really like running with the ball. Reverses and jet sweeps are fun. “It’s definitely an exciting position, involved in all aspects of the offense.” Geneva’s Talyn Taylor (1) catches a TD pass against Amundsen during a Class 6A first-round playoff game in Geneva on Saturday, Nov 2, 2024. (Sean King / The Beacon-News) While he’s aware of the criticism of 7-on-7 offseason leagues and events, Taylor is a believer. It may not be a be-all, end-all but he thinks it helped him. “I definitely thought it could be a big contribution to my success,” Taylor said of his travel team that draws players from the Chicago area. “You’re going up against other kids who want to compete. “We went to national events in states like Florida and Texas, definitely states they say are football states, and you faced really stacked teams with four and five-star recruits.” Lifting with teammates, a fitness class at school and summer workouts on their own helped his connection this season with senior quarterback Tony Chahino and previously Nate Stempowski . As a sophomore, Taylor totaled 801 yards receiving but that dropped to 512 yards last season when he was sidelined for over a month with a knee injury. He ended up with 2,930 career yards. Geneva’s Talyn Taylor (1) secures a pass as Cary-Groves Preston Walsh (3) and Oliver Antonelli (33) defend of a Class 6A state semifinal game in Geneva on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News) “What separates him from even other high-level kids is he can play anywhere on the field,” Thorgesen said. “Even big colleges recruiting him said that. We see it on a daily basis. He can play inside as a slot receiver or as an outside receiver. “He has a big enough frame, good wingspan, and his route running is superb. His athleticism and ball skills are elite as well. He’s the total package, and it showed on film and when he went to showcase events. It makes him one of the best receivers in the nation.” It made him the focus of opposing defenses, but that opened up windows for fellow receivers in senior Finnegan Weppner and sophomore Bennett Konkey , who had 1,037 yards and 548 yards, respectively. “The great thing about Talyn is not only that any time he touches the ball it can go for a score,” Thorgesen said. “But just what it opens up for everyone else when defenses try to take him away.”