CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Bryce Thompson scored 17 points, Marchelus Avery had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Oklahoma State beat Miami 80-74 on Friday in the consolation bracket of the Charleston Classic. Oklahoma State (4-1) will play in the fifth-place game on Sunday, while Miami (3-2) will try to avoid going winless in the tournament. Oklahoma State led 43-27 at halftime after making 8 of 15 from 3-point range, while Miami was just 8 of 27 overall. Four different Cowboys made a 3-pointer in the first half, with Brandon Newman making three. Thompson banked in a shot early in the second half to give Oklahoma State a 20-point lead at 49-29. Miami, which opened the game by missing 7 of 8 shots, went 1 for 8 from the field to begin the second half. Miami trailed by double figures the entire second half until Matthew Cleveland made a difficult shot in the lane while being fouled. He made the free throw to pull the Hurricanes within 75-67 with 49 seconds left. Arturo Dean restored a double-digit lead by making two free throws at 43.8. Thompson reached the 1,000 career points with the Cowboys on a shot in the lane with 13:01 left in the second half to give Oklahoma State a 55-38 lead. Nijel Pack scored 20 points and Brandon Johnson had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Miami. Cleveland finished with 11 points, and Lynn Kidd and Paul Djobet each had 10. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballTeens eye teaching, commerce and health in first-round university offersHyderabad: To tackle concerns regarding illegal construction in Hyderabad, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) plans to introduce an online portal to monitor violations and impose heavy penalties on property owners. According to the TOI report, this move follows the Telangana High Court’s recent directive for stricter action against illegal constructions, which include unauthorized floors, road encroachments, deviation from approved plans, and violations of building codes, such as construction without proper approvals or occupying government or private land. In the past five years, over 2.5 lakh writ petitions have been filed in the Telangana High Court over the past five years regarding illegal constructions in Hyderabad. During GHMC’s Prajavani program, around 40 to 50 percent petitions were regarding illegal constructions in Hyderabad. This year alone, TOI reports that GHMC has demolished over 1,000 illegal structures. However, enforcement is often delayed until complaints are lodged, and many property owners manage to evade scrutiny. GHMC Commissioner K Ilambarithi stated that guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) are being developed to tackle illegal constructions in Hyderabad. Property owners ignoring orders against illegal constructions will face criminal charges under Section 223 of the BNS along with a 400 percent penalty on the original fee. The new online portal will track complaints from the initial notice to the final actions including the sealing and demolition of properties. GHMC also plans to work with the stamps and registration department to update the EC system, marking properties with illegal constructions in Hyderabad. This would alert potential buyers, creating a deterrent for owners engaged in unauthorized building activities. Officials further informed TOI that many property owners bypass regulations by obtaining permits for smaller structures and later adding illegal floors or converting residential spaces into commercial establishments to evade higher tax rates.
Consumers in the United States scoured the internet for online deals as they looked to take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon with Cyber Monday. Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of many people's regular routines and the holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday — a term coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation — has become the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to the deals and the hype the industry has created to fuel it. Adobe Analytics, which tracks online shopping, expected consumers to spend $13.2 billion Monday — a record, and 6.1% more than last year. That would make it the biggest shopping day for e-commerce for the season — and the year. Online spending was expected to peak between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday night, per Adobe — reaching an estimated $15.7 million spent every minute. For several major retailers, a Cyber Monday sale is a dayslong event that began over the Thanksgiving weekend. An Amazon Prime delivery person lifts packages while making a stop Nov. 28, 2023, in Denver. Amazon kicked off its sales event right after midnight Pacific time on Saturday. Target's two days of discount offers on its website and app began overnight Sunday. Walmart rolled out its Cyber Monday offers for Walmart+ members Sunday afternoon and opened it up to all customers three hours later, at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Consumer spending for Cyber Week — the five major shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday — provides a strong indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays. Many U.S. consumers continue to experience sticker shock after the period of post-pandemic inflation, which left prices for many goods and services higher than they were three years ago. But retail sales nonetheless remain strong, and the economy kept growing at a healthy pace. At the same time, credit card debt and delinquencies are rising. More shoppers than ever are also on track to use "buy now, pay later" plans this holiday season, which allows them to delay payments on holiday decor, gifts and other items. Many economists also warned that President-elect Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs next year on foreign goods coming into the United States would lead to higher prices on everything from food to clothing to automobiles. A FedEx delivery person carries a package from a truck Nov. 17, 2022, in Denver. The National Retail Federation expects holiday shoppers to spend more this year both in stores and online than last year. But the pace of spending growth will slow slightly, the trade group said, growing 2.5% to 3.5% — compared to 3.9% in 2023. A clear sense of consumer spending patterns during the holiday season won't emerge until the government releases sales data for the period, but some preliminary data from other sources shows some encouraging signs for retailers. Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, noted that discounts from Thanksgiving onward "exceeded expectations" and online spending throughout Cyber Week is on track to cross a record $40 billion mark combined. U.S. shoppers spent $10.8 billion online on Black Friday, a 10.2% increase over last year, according to Adobe Analytics. That's also more than double what consumers spent in 2017, when Black Friday pulled in about $5 billion in online sales. Consumers also spent a record $6.1 billion online on Thanksgiving Day, Adobe said. Meanwhile, software company Salesforce, which also tracks online shopping, estimated that Black Friday online sales totaled $17.5 billion in the U.S. and $74.4 billion globally. Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks in-person and online spending, reported that overall Black Friday sales excluding automotive rose 3.4% from a year ago. A United Parcel Service driver sorts deliveries July 15, 2023, on New York's Upper West Side. E-commerce platform Shopify said its merchants raked in a record $5 billion in sales worldwide on Black Friday. At its peak, sales reached $4.6 million per minute — with top categories by volume including clothing, cosmetics and fitness products, according to the Canadian company. Toys, electronics, home goods, self-care and beauty categories were among the key drivers of holiday spending on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to Adobe. "Hot products" included Lego sets, espresso machines, fitness trackers, makeup and skin care. Other data showed physical stores saw fewer customers on Black Friday, underscoring how the huge crowds that were once synonymous with the day after Thanksgiving are now more than happy to shop from the comfort of their homes. RetailNext, which measures real-time foot traffic in stores, said its early data showed store traffic on Friday was down 3.2% in the U.S. compared to last year, with the biggest dip happening in the Midwest. Sensormatic Solutions, which also tracks store traffic, said its preliminary analysis showed retail store traffic on Black Friday was down 8.2% compared to 2023. Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions, noted that in-store traffic was getting spread across multiple days since many retailers offered generous discounts before and after Black Friday. "Some of the extended Black Friday promotions really ended up leading to a little bit of a softer day-of traffic than expected," Gustafson said. In 2024, staying small on purpose seems to be paying off big for small businesses. They're keeping operations small and targeting niche, highly specialized customers. And some business owners find this strategy results in more time, energy, and money to intentionally capitalize on unique, small cap opportunities. The data tells the story of growth in small businesses for the year. According to NEXT , the Small Business Administration (SBA) reports awarding 38,000 SBA 7(a) loans under $150,000: double the amount they awarded in 2020. Here are the related small-business trends paying off in 2024. Commercial real estate agent Ryan Beckenhauer of Market Real Estate in Boulder, Colorado, has noticed that small businesses are growing smaller, and that their office and warehouse spaces are starting to reflect that as they shop for business space. In commercial real estate, many small business owners gravitate toward industrial condos and other flexible spaces. These are small-scale industrial spaces with a 90:10 or 80:20 split of warehouse to office. "More individuals are leveraging skills acquired at larger organizations to venture out on their own," explains Beckenhauer. And he goes on to say that they don't need a large commercial space as they make that leap to start a business. His clients include engineers, consultants, builders and other tradespeople. Beckenhauer's clients like the flexibility of being out of an office and being close to their inventory and workshop space. "The clients want to see and touch the finishes," he says. Small business owners both rent or buy these spaces. But he's seeing his clients opt to own industrial condos to stabilize costs due to rent increases in Boulder. And because these spaces are smaller, it can be easier for new buyers to qualify for financing. Mariana Alvarez, owner of Controller Works , an online bookkeeping and advisory firm, has noticed that small business owners outsource financial support services because they don't want to increase headcount. "Outsourcing gives them the possibility of having access to the knowledge and the skills of a CFO without having to pay for the salary," she says. "They don't have to manage or deal with the workload, employment taxes , and all that comes with it," says Alvarez. Additionally, many small business owners in fields like construction are family-owned, and this makes it easier for business owners to hand off delicate financial work to a trusted person with financial experience. Every small business has recurring tasks that can benefit from some level of artificial intelligence automation . And Alvarez sees a lot of value in using AI for small business bookkeeping. She explains that you can automate the data entry on Quickbooks. "When you create rules, as long as you create the rules correctly, it pretty much does itself," says Alvarez. From there, you can lean on financial experts to help you analyze the data and make more informed decisions. She uses AI as a background resource when guiding her accounting clients. "I believe that we still need the human-to-human interaction that comes with more perspective for financial analysis," she explains. According to the SBA , 77% of consumers feel that human interaction is still required for a positive customer experience. People turn to small businesses every day for a human experience. According to Arvind Rongala, CEO of Edstellar , small business workers can show up for their customers but still use AI for routine tasks like customer queries. "This balance allows companies to scale their operations without losing the personal touch that makes them unique. It's important to remember that AI isn't there to replace the human element—it's there to enhance it," he says. "By really focusing on one very small weakness that Amazon has, I've been able to carve out a successful business by offering something different," says Lou Harvey owner of Tank Retailer , a retailer of commercial water and fuel tanks. "When you read our customer reviews, many of them actually mention me by name because of how much we focus on customer service and go the extra mile." One of Harvey's most successful business strategies this year has been to lean into his small, niche market and offer the kind of customer experience that large retailers like Amazon don't. "Any small weaknesses that Amazon has (however small those weaknesses may be) needs to become a strength of a smaller business focusing on a niche market," says Harvey. Harvey has his company's customer service phone number front and center on the website to help earn customer trust. "I prominently feature our phone number, and a real person always answers the phone (usually it's me)," says Harvey. Lucie Voves, CEO and founder of Church Hill Classics , an online, woman-owned diploma framing company that uses sustainable materials, has noticed an uptick in customers seeking services from a business on a mission. "This year, we've seen a growing inclination for consumers to actively seek out and support small businesses owned by women and minorities," says Voves. When consumers shop small, they choose to make their dollars count. "Customers are fueled by a desire to promote social impact through purchasing power," says Voves. Long gone are the days of online retailers "building it and they will come." In 2024 we've seen more small businesses than ever turn to social commerce to sell directly on social media platforms like Instagram Shopping , Facebook Marketplace , and TikTok . Small business owners are turning toward influencers, social media ads, and organic content to target their customers. Mike Vannelli of Envy Creative creates online ads for businesses, and he has seen his clients succeed on TikTok of late. "I've seen businesses, especially in retail, use TikTok's short-form video format to make their products go viral. Think of it as word-of-mouth marketing on steroids," says Vannelli. He uses the platform's algorithm to push a company's content to the right audiences, and it works because TikTok loves storytelling. "I know small brands that use behind-the-scenes videos, customer testimonials, and even playful challenges that tap into trends to humanize their products and build trust," explains Vannelli. To stand out on TikTok, he says, smaller brands need to embrace authenticity and emotional connection. Show your team, share your journey, and involve your community in content creation. This story was produced by NEXT and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.
Scientists pinpoint just how fast Santa would have to travel to visit every child on the planet... and reveal why, at this speed, Rudolf's nose wouldn't be red READ MORE: Follow the 2024 NORAD Santa Tracker LIVE By WILIAM HUNTER Published: 16:27 GMT, 24 December 2024 | Updated: 16:30 GMT, 24 December 2024 e-mail 4 View comments As Christmas approaches, children around the world will be eagerly awaiting a visit from Santa and his reindeer. But with around two billion children on the planet, Santa really has his work cut out for him tonight. Scientists have calculated that Santa would need to travel 89 million miles (144 million kilometres) to deliver presents to all the good girls and boys around the world. That is the equivalent of flying his sleigh all the way from Earth to the sun in a single night. In order to leave some time for delivering presents, this means Santa would need to travel at 5.1 million miles per hour (8.2 million kmph), or 0.8 per cent of the speed of light. That incredible speed might also explain why Joly Saint Nick is able to fit his belly down a narrow chimney. According to Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity, objects travelling with Santa's sleigh will become compressed in size as they near the speed of light. But most strange of all, scientists say that, at this speed, Rudolf's famous nose wouldn't appear red at all. Scientists have calculated that Santa would need to cover 89 million miles (144 million kilometres) to deliver presents to all the children who celebrate Christmas. This is the equivalent of travelling almost all the way to the sun in a single night (stock image) Dr Laura Nicole Driessen, a radio astronomer from the University of Sydney, made these festive calculations based on a formula created by particle physicists from Fermilab in the 1980s. First Dr Driessen estimated the number of children that Santa would need to deliver presents to. There are approximately two billion children on Earth, but Christmas is only celebrated in some way in 93 per cent of countries we can assume that seven per cent of children don’t need presents. But, of course, even among those who celebrate Christmas not every child is good enough to warrant a visit from the man himself. Writing for the Conversation, Dr Driessen says: 'We know Father Christmas only delivers presents to those who truly believe. 'If we assume the same percentage of believers by age as found in the United States, that leaves us with approximately 690 million children.' And with about 2.3 children per household worldwide, Santa will need to stop at a minimum of 300 million homes tonight. 'Spreading those households evenly across 69 million square kilometres of habitable land area on Earth,' says Dr Driessen. In order to make that journey, Santa would need to travel at a minimum speed of 5.1 million miles per hour (8.2 million kmph), or 0.8 per cent of the speed of light. Pictured: The NORAD Santa Tracker 'Father Christmas has to travel 144 million kilometres on Christmas Eve. That’s nearly the same as the distance from Earth to the Sun.' That would be a very tall order if Father Christmas only had the 10 hours between 20:00 and 06:00 the next day when children in the UK are sleeping. Thankfully, he gets a few extra hours thanks to Earth’s rotation. If the children are evenly distributed around the globe, then Sata has at least 24 hours to travel from the make his way all around the planet. And, with the 11-hour difference in time zones between one side of the world and the other, Santa has a total of 35 hours from the first child falling asleep to the last waking up. Dr Driessen says: 'Let’s say Father Christmas uses half his time to zip in and out of each household, which gives him 17.5 hours total or 0.2 milliseconds per household. He uses the other 17.5 hours for travelling between households. 'My hypothesis is that he needs to travel at a whopping 8.2 million kilometres per hour, or 0.8 per cent of the speed of light, to drop off all the presents.' But if Santa wants some time to eat a mince pie and put his feet up and the end of the evening, Dr Driessen suggests he might have to travel significantly faster. Some of the strangest effects would occur when looking at the bright nose of Rudolf the reindeer. At this speed, scientists say it might not appear red at all (stock image) To deliver everything nice and fast, Santa could travel 10 per cent of the speed of light - or 66.5 million miles per hour (107 million kmph). However, at these speeds, things would start to get very weird for Father Christmas. Thanks to the theory of special relativity, from our perspective Santa and anything travelling with him would appear to be much skinnier than usual. Even though Einstein predicts that Santa would gain more mass as he gets faster, as he nears the speed of light he would get compressed in the direction he’s travelling – letting him slip down a chimney with ease. Dr Katy Sheen, a physicist in the geography department at the University of Exeter, has previously suggested this could also be why Santa always looks the same age. As objects near the speed of light, time moves slower from their frame of reference than in ours which means that Santa would age slower while travelling. Yet, thanks to something called the Dopler Effect, the strangest effects would occur if we were to look out for the bright light of Rudolf's nose. This is the same effect which means that an oncoming ambulance’s siren sounds higher pitched than it does once it has passed. The Dopler effect means that motion changes the frequency of the sound wave based on the direction of motion of its source. This is why ambulance sirens sound lower after they've passed us Due to the Dopler Effect, Rudolf would appear to have a bright orange nose as he flies towards you and a dark black nose as he flies away As the object races towards us, the waves are compressed making the pitch higher and as it moves away the waves stretch out to produce a lower tone. The faster something is moving the more pronounced this effect becomes which means that Rudolf’s breakneck flight will create an extraordinarily strong Dopler effect. Red-coloured light has a wavelength, the distance between one peak to the next, of 694.3 nanometres when its source is at rest. Flying at 10 per cent of the speed of light, we would see this light shift radically in either direction. Read More How to spot 'Santa' in the sky tomorrow as the International Space Station passes over the UK Dr Driessen says: 'At this speed, Rudolph’s nose would be blueshifted to bright orange (624 nanometres) as he was flying towards your home. 'And it would be redshifted to a very dark red (763 nanometres) as he was moving away. 'The darkest red human eyes can see is around 780 nanometres. At these speeds, Rudolph’s nose would be almost black.' That means no one on Earth would ever really get to see Rudolf's famous red nose. WHAT IS THE DOPPLER EFFECT? The Doppler Effect is a well-understood physical phenomenon which is also seen in astrophysics as the universe expands and creates 'redshifting' but is more commonly seen in sirens. For example, when a blaring ambulance or police car shoots past with its sirens on, they seem high-pitched as they approach you and then lower-pitched as they speed past. This is due to the compression of sound waves as they come closer, and they then stretch out as they grow more distant. A stretched-out sound wave has a greater wavelength, and therefore a lower frequency, resulting in an increasingly lower pitch. In astronomy, scientists use this effect to measure the speed of distant stars and planets. When light sources in space move away from us, their wavelengths are stretched out into the red end of the spectrum. Likewise, when something is moving towards us the light wave is compressed and the light shifts towards the blue part of the spectrum. By looking at this red and blue shift, we are able to work out how something is moving relative to Earth. For example, by measuring the red-shift of distant supernovae the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope have helped to calculate how fast the universe is expanding. Astronomers have also used this effect to work out whether a star is orbiting another. The Doppler effect, or Doppler shift, describes the changes in frequency of any kind of sound or light wave produced by a moving source with respect to an observer Christmas Earth Share or comment on this article: Scientists pinpoint just how fast Santa would have to travel to visit every child on the planet... and reveal why, at this speed, Rudolf's nose wouldn't be red e-mail Add commentMILPITAS, Calif. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global semiconductor equipment billings increased 19% year-over-year to US$30.38 billion in the third quarter of 2024, while quarter-over-quarter billings registered 13% growth during the same period, SEMI announced today in its Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) Report . "The global semiconductor equipment market recorded robust growth in the third quarter of 2024 driven by investments aimed at supporting the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence as well as production of mature technologies," said Ajit Manocha , SEMI President and CEO. "The growth in equipment investments was spread across multiple regions seeking to bolster their chipmaking ecosystems, with North America posting the largest year-over-year gain while China continues to lead in spending." Compiled from data submitted by members of SEMI and the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ), the WWSEMS Report is a summary of the monthly billings figures for the global semiconductor equipment industry. Following are quarterly billings data in billions of U.S. dollars with quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year changes by region: The SEMI Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) provides comprehensive market data for the global semiconductor equipment market. The subscription includes three reports: Monthly SEMI Billings Report, a perspective on equipment market trends Monthly Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS), a detailed report of semiconductor equipment billings for seven regions and 24 market segments SEMI Semiconductor Equipment Forecast, an outlook for the semiconductor equipment market Download a sample of the EMDS report . For more information about the report or to subscribe, please contact the SEMI Market Intelligence Team at [email protected] . More details are also available on the SEMI Market Data webpage . About SEMI SEMI ® is the global industry association connecting over 3,000 member companies and 1.5 million professionals worldwide across the semiconductor and electronics design and manufacturing supply chain. We accelerate member collaboration on solutions to top industry challenges through Advocacy, Workforce Development, Sustainability, Supply Chain Management and other programs. Our SEMICON ® expositions and events, technology communities, standards and market intelligence help advance our members' business growth and innovations in design, devices, equipment, materials, services and software, enabling smarter, faster, more secure electronics. Visit www.semi.org , contact a regional office, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and X to learn more. Association Contact Samer Bahou /SEMI Phone: 1.408.943.7870 Email: [email protected] SOURCE SEMI
2024 in pop culture: In a bruising year, we sought out fantasy, escapism — and cute little animalsPAT ONUKWULI argues that the success of the budgets will not be measured by economic growth alone but by improvements in the lives of ordinary people In the swirling winds of Nigeria’s economic landscape, the Tinubu administration’s 2024 ‘Budget of Renewed Hope’ and 2025 ‘Budget of Restoration’ stand like a tightrope stretched over a yawning abyss. These budgets, with their lofty ideals and carefully crafted promises, balance economic revival and collapse. Yet, as with any high-wire performance, one false step could plunge the nation into more profound despair, leaving millions of Nigerians, already dangling on the edge of poverty, as casualties of ambition unmet by execution. The story begins with the 2024 Budget, aptly named ‘Renewed Hope’, a declaration of optimism for a nation battered by years of economic turbulence. This budget sought to stabilise the ship, leveraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to fund ambitious energy and infrastructure projects and introducing a student loan scheme to bolster human capital. On paper, it was a blueprint for transformation: a conservative oil benchmark of $77.96 per barrel, a production target of 1.78 million barrels per day, and a Naira exchange rate of N750/USD. Yet, beneath this calculated optimism lay the storm. Inflation surged above 30 per cent, eroding the purchasing power of Nigerians and revealing the fragility beneath the surface. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)’s achievement of 75 per cent of its revenue target by the third quarter of 2024 showcased some progress. However, challenges like soaring living costs, insecurity, corruption, ballooning debt, and widespread discontent remained glaring. The narrative is one of a house built on shifting sands, vulnerable to external shocks and internal inefficiencies. Then comes the 2025 Budget, a bolder gambit christened ‘Restoration’. This time, the stakes are higher, the ambitions grander. With an unprecedented expenditure of N47.9 trillion, the government aims to consolidate the “progress” of 2024 while targeting inflation reduction to 15 per cent, stabilising the Naira at N1,500/USD, and expanding investments in security, agriculture, and social services. It is a budget of promises built on the premise of hope restored. But the risks are glaring: debt servicing costs surge to N15.81 trillion, swallowing revenues and threatening to leave critical sectors gasping for funds. Oil revenue, the lifeline of Nigeria’s economy, remains a volatile foundation for such towering aspirations. The tightrope act is precarious not because the goals are unworthy but because the ground beneath Nigeria’s institutional framework remains unstable. Macroeconomic stability, employment generation, and poverty reduction are laudable aims, but they hinge on more than fiscal policy. They demand the preservation of fundamental principles of the state and its constitution, such as security, judicial independence, and the rule of law. Without these cornerstones, even the most meticulous budget becomes a brittle scaffold, incapable of supporting the weight of its ambitions. Security is the foundation upon which all progress is built. Without it, businesses falter, investments flee, and citizens live in perpetual fear. The administration’s pledge to overhaul internal security systems is laudable, but implementation is key. Financial allocations alone cannot combat entrenched corruption, mismanagement, and inefficiency within the security apparatus. Decisive actions are crucial, from equipping law enforcement to fostering inter-agency coordination. If this fails, the promised transformation will remain elusive, and insecurity will suffocate economic growth. A thriving democracy depends on the impartiality and independence of its judiciary. For policies to take root and flourish, the justice system must be free from political interference and corruption. It must serve as an instrument of fairness and accountability, ensuring the rule of law prevails. Without this, the budgets’ potential to foster equitable income distribution and human capital development will be undermined. In its wake, a parlous and dysfunctional system will endure for ordinary Nigerians. Corruption, the insidious monster gnawed at Nigeria’s progress for decades, remains the greatest threat to these budgets’ success. It seeps into every sector, distorting priorities and siphoning resources meant for development. The fight against corruption cannot be half-hearted. It requires a comprehensive strategy, from strengthening anti-corruption agencies to promoting transparency in public financial management. Without this, the ‘Renewed Hope’ and ‘Restoration’ agendas risk being devoured by the system they seek to reform. The journey from ‘Renewed Hope’ to ‘Restoration’ is not just a fiscal challenge but a moral and institutional one. Success lies in balance: between ambition and realism, promises and actions, and short-term fixes and long-term solutions. For the Nigerian farmer in Borno, braving insecurity to till the soil or the small business owner in Lagos grappling with inflation and power outages, these budgets must transcend numbers to become catalysts for real change. Therefore, success will not be measured by economic growth alone but by the tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians. The question remains: Can these promises ripple through Nigeria’s diverse socio-economic strata to foster honest and lasting development? For these budgets to resonate, they must address these lived realities. One critical challenge lies in implementation. History has shown that even the best-laid plans falter without meticulous execution and robust accountability frameworks. The Tinubu administration must resist the allure of symbolic achievements and instead prioritise measurable, impactful interventions. For instance, investments in education and healthcare, highlighted as cornerstones of the 2025 Budget, must translate into functional schools, accessible student loans, and revitalised hospitals equipped to serve the masses. Nigeria’s overreliance on oil revenue is a well-worn narrative, but diversification, its elixir, remains elusive. The 2025 Budget’s emphasis on agricultural revitalisation and manufacturing growth is a step in the right direction. However, it requires more than rhetoric. It demands infrastructure development, access to modern technologies, and policies that empower local producers. By reducing dependency on imports and creating jobs, these efforts can lay the foundation for a more resilient economy. Trust is the currency of governance, and transparency is its guarantor. Citizens, as stakeholders, must have avenues to monitor and engage with budgetary processes. This participatory approach builds trust and ensures that projects meet people’s needs. The government’s commitment to leveraging technology for financial management reforms is commendable, but it must be backed by consistent implementation and independent oversight. The world beyond Nigeria’s borders adds another layer of complexity. Rising geopolitical tensions, fluctuating commodity prices, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cast long shadows over national ambitions. Navigating these external pressures requires adaptive strategies and cohesive leadership, which will be tested as the Tinubu administration progresses. Amid these challenges, the resilience of the Nigerian people inspires hope. Time and again, they have shown an ability to thrive against all odds. It is this spirit that the Tinubu administration must harness and amplify but never underrate or treat with disdain. By empowering citizens through education, entrepreneurial support, and social safety nets, the government can transform these budgets from theoretical frameworks into engines of collective progress. Accordingly, for the Tinubu administration, the path ahead demands courage, collaboration, and untiring devotion to the principles of good governance. Only by addressing the systemic issues that underlie Nigeria’s economic struggles can the promises of ‘Renewed Hope’ and ‘Restoration’ materialise. Onukwuli PhD, writes from Bolton, UK patonukwuli2003@yahoo.co.uk
NoneCalifornia has enough problems without making people endure political stunts. That’s just what the California Air Resource Board did by providing a subsidy up to $2,000 to buy an electric bike, part of the California E-Bike Incentive Project. That’s the average price of a new e-bike, according to REI. The idea is to get people out of gas-guzzling cars and onto bikes to reduce climate change. Costing $3 million for just 1,500 grants, the application deadline was Dec. 18, but the website announced soon there will be new application windows. Applicants must apply online, be a California resident 18 or older and earn a household income less than the 300% of the federal poverty level, currently $93,600 for a family of four. According to the website of the program, “Applicants who either live in a disadvantaged community or low-income community” or who “have an income at or below 225% of” the federal poverty line will be prioritized for the subsidy. CARB is very proud of itself for this program. “By using e-bikes, people can get around and meet everyday needs while improving air quality,” said Steven Cliff, CARB’s executive officer, in a press release. “Prioritizing equity and access is key as we work to achieve our zero-emissions goals, and this incentive program will support those efforts by helping e-bikes be part of the solution.” For all the buzzwords, though, it’s obvious there isn’t really much to this program. The gimmick will bring “imperceptible impact on environmental outcomes,” Mark Scribner told us; he’s the senior transportation policy analyst at the Los Angeles-based Reason Foundation. “This is political posturing. It confers private benefits on recipients, but will fail a social cost-benefit test.” That’s right. Statista Market Insights estimates 1.6 million e-bikes were sold nationally in 2024. There’s no breakout, but equivalent sales in California could be 192,000. The 1,500 e-bike grants, if all are for purchases above that amount, would goose sales just 0.78%. Another issue is safety. A July study by UCSF found, “Electric Scooter and Bike Accidents Are Soaring Across the U.S.” From 2017-22, e-bike injuries doubled each year, while e-scooter injuries rose 45%. Co-lead author Adrian Fernandez, MD, chief resident with the UCSF Department of Urology, called the findings “an urgent need for added safety measures.” Last July, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1774, which banned devices to make the e-bikes go faster than the 28 mph limit currently allowed by law. But the devices could be brought in from other states. Another problem is kids riding e-bikes irresponsibly. Although underage for the grants, kids obviously will be driving many of the subsidized e-bikes. We’ll examine the new safety bills as they come. But CARB should put the brakes on subsidizing expensive e-bikes that won’t do anything for the climate but might help put a few more people in the hospital. If government officials want to spend their own money helping people buy e-bikes, fine. But government shouldn’t be wasting time and money with efforts like this.
Trump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal. Panama's president balks at the suggestionTrump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal. Panama's president balks at the suggestion
Jurors end 1st day of deliberations without a verdict in the YSL gang and racketeering trial