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Ex-HSBC banker Nuno Matos to succeed Shayne Elliott as ANZ CEO
The Clark County boys and girls basketball teams opened the 2024-25 season on the road last week. Both squads have new coaches this year. New coach Brock Egley led the boys to a 53-51 win over the Tigers. The girls team is under coach Jade Birck. The Indians lost to Scotland County 50-45. “The game was very competitive and came down to the last few possessions,” Birck said. Sydney Binsbacher, a freshman at Clark County, had 25 points and was the Indians top rebounder. Charlee Holland led Scotland County with 17 points. She made three of her team’s five 3-pointers, two in the second quarter when the Tigers outscored the Indians 17-6. Karyn Hamlin added 15 points. The Indians led 14-10 at the first quarter break but trailed 27-20 at halftime. The third quarter was a 12-11 advantage for the Indians to trail 38-32. Binsbacher scored 11 points in the fourth quarter alone and eight in the third quarter after seven in the first half. Tianna Little scored eight points. Clark County teammates Maggie Wheeler had four points and Kayleigh Yates three. Emery Goings and Trinity Little had two points apiece. Both boys and girls teams play in the Classic this week.
NoneWINNIPEG - Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand told a ceremony for a new treaty that recognizes his organization as the government for the Red River Métis that the moment was 154 years in the making. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WINNIPEG - Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand told a ceremony for a new treaty that recognizes his organization as the government for the Red River Métis that the moment was 154 years in the making. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WINNIPEG – Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand told a ceremony for a new treaty that recognizes his organization as the government for the Red River Métis that the moment was 154 years in the making. “We will pursue something that’s rightfully ours, and no matter how long it takes, we will never give up.We will try and try and try,” Chartrand told the ceremony in Winnipeg on Saturday. The federation is the first Métis group to sign a modern treaty with the federal government, and the ceremony came after its members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the agreement last year during an assembly. It recognizes the Red River Métis have an inherent right to self-government and law-making powers over their own citizenship, elections and other operations. While the treaty doesn’t lay out specific rights around health care, harvesting or land, Chartrand has said those aspects will likely be negotiated later with the federal government on a nation-to-nation basis. It is subject to legislation passing in Parliament, and Chartrand has said the NDP, Bloc Quebecois and Greens have promised to support the Liberal government. Métis leader Louis Riel negotiated a treaty with Canada some 150 years ago, which led to Manitoba joining Confederation, a development that was supposed to reserve 1.4 million acres of land for Métis residents in the province. But Ottawa did not follow through with the promises of that agreement and Riel was eventually executed for high treason in 1885 for resisting Canada’s encroachment on Métis lands. Chartrand told the crowd gathered for Saturday’s signing ceremony, which included federal ministers, MPs and Premier Wab Kinew, that the injustices against Métis aren’t ancient history. When COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Canada, the federation’s leader fought to get Métis prioritized with other Indigenous groups to receive them, arguing that they, too, faced higher health risks. But he said that never happened because Métis didn’t have constitutional protection, and he said the federal and provincial governments argued over who had jurisdiction over them. “I still, to this day, will hold a grudge, and I’m one that doesn’t, but I’ll never forget what they did to us then. And that’s now, not 1800,” he said. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree called the day “long overdue” and said he hopes to advance the necessary legislation to enable the treaty in the coming days. “I call upon all parliamentarians to support this initiative and ensure we have swift passage of this bill,” he said Saturday. Anandasangaree said once the treaty comes into effect, it will apply to the Manitoba Métis Federation’s approximately 42,500 Red River Métis citizens. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Chartrand has said he has not heard whether the Conservatives will back it. He noted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had intended to be at Saturday’s signing ceremony, but was pulled away Friday to fly to Florida for a dinner meeting with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. “He’s doing his part and we clearly accept his regrets, because he personally wanted to be here,” Chartrand said. — By Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton, with files from Alessia Passafiume in Ottawa This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2024. Advertisement AdvertisementWATCH: Do you know these Kilkenny people and places of old?
The sprawling, windowless warehouses that hold rows of high-speed servers powering almost everything the world does on phones and computers are increasingly becoming fixtures of the American landscape, popping up in towns, cities and suburbs across the United States. Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and urban and rural governments alike are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to move into more densely populated areas, abutting homes and schools, parks and recreation centers, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. In Northern Virginia, more than 300 data centers dot the rolling hills of the area’s westernmost counties and butt up against wooded bike trails winding through the suburbs. But one of the latest proposals in the area, Plaza 500, would see a 466,000-square-foot facility and adjacent electrical substation built a few hundred feet from townhomes, playgrounds and a community center. The pitch from Starwood Capital Group, the private investment firm founded by billionaire Barry Sternlicht, to Fairfax County officials promised jobs and a significant property tax boost. But data center critics say the incentives aren't enough to counteract the consequences of building the facilities so close to homes. Tyler Ray, a leader in the fight against the Virginia project, worries that more data centers in the area could compromise the already stressed power grid: Over 25% of all power produced in Virginia in 2023 went to data centers, a figure that could rise as high as 46% by 2030 if data center growth continues at its current pace. Some estimates also show a mid-sized data center commands the same water usage every day as 1,000 households, prompting concerns over the cost of water. Ray also frets over air quality, as the massive diesel generators that help power the data centers’ hardware send plumes of toxic pollutants into the atmosphere. Ray and his neighbors tried to stop the development, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in September said all newly proposed data centers must adhere to stricter zoning rules, but the Plaza 500 project was exempt. “I don’t know how a general resident, even someone who has been engaging intently on an issue, has any chance to go up against the data center industry,” Ray said the night the supervisors voted. For local governments, attracting data centers to their municipalities means a financial boon: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in 2024 that Virginia’s current data centers brought in $1 billion in tax revenue. For average-sized facilities, data centers offer a small number of direct jobs – often fewer than 100 positions. Google announced recently that its investment in nearby Loudoun County, which included two data centers, created around 150 direct jobs, a figure that data center opponents say isn’t worth the hassle. But data center advocates argue that the number of indirect jobs like construction, technology support and electrical work make the projects worthwhile. In that same announcement, Google said their investment spurred 2,730 indirect jobs. Kathy Smith, the vice chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, voted in favor of the Plaza 500 proposal because, in her estimation, data center growth is inevitable in the region, and Fairfax County should reap the benefits. “I have a responsibility to step back from what we do and look at the big picture,” Smith said. “Data centers are not going away.” On the other side of the country, in Morrow County, Oregon, Amazon Web Services has built at least five data centers surrounding the 4,200-person town of Boardman, nestled among vast stretches of farmland flecked with mint patches and wind turbines, next to the Columbia river. Last year, AWS paid roughly $34 million in property taxes and fees stipulated in the agreements after receiving a $66 million tax break. Those payments, in addition to $1.7 in charitable donations from the company in 2023, have been instrumental in updating infrastructure and bolstering services. These funds have gone toward a new ladder fire engine, a school resource officer and $5,000 grants for homebuyers so far totaling at least $2.8 million. “This road right here? Wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for AWS,” said Boardman Mayor Paul Keefer, riding in the passenger seat of Police Chief Rick Stokoe’s cruiser, pointing out the window at construction workers shifting dirt and laying pavement. AWS has cultivated relationships with local officials including Keefer and Stokoe, who have both been in positions to vote on whether to authorize tax breaks with the company. Some former county commissioners and residents worry that those relationships are too cozy. Kevin Miller, AWS’s vice president of global data centers, said in an interview with the Associated Press that “our interest is in being a model corporate citizen, to really be partners with those communities.” Skepticism of the deals started years ago, when three formerly elected officials allegedly helped approve data center deals while also owning a stake in a company that contracted with AWS to provide fiber optic cables for the data centers. In June, they each paid $2,000 to settle an ethics complaint. Those officials are no longer in office. But the latest data center deal struck between Morrow County officials and AWS, which gives the company an estimated $1 billion in tax breaks spread over the 15 years to build five new data centers, again raised eyebrows. Two former Morrow County Commissioners, Jim Doherty and Melissa Lindsay, pushed unsuccessfully in 2022 for AWS to pay more in taxes in new data center negotiations. “We didn’t want to blow it up. We didn’t want to run them off,” said Lindsay. “But there were better deals to be made.”
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NoneMany tax filers find tax-preparation software to be very useful, and most tax software is simple to use, cost-efficient (especially when compared to the cost of hiring a certified public accountant, or CPA) and fast (some returns may be completed in just an hour). The proof of its popularity: The tax-prep software market was valued at $17.9 billion in 2024 by Fortune Business Insights and is projected to grow to $47.9 billion by 2032. As we approach a new tax year, you might be wondering whether you could ditch your tax professional and stick with tax software . It depends on the nature of your financial situation. Let’s consider some financial situations that are appropriate for tax software and some that might require the expertise of a tax professional. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail. When should you consider using tax software? Tax-prep software is most appropriate when your financial situation is straightforward. In the world of tax, the following qualifies as a straightforward financial situation: You opt for the standard deduction , a fixed amount that is subtracted from your income to arrive at your taxable income, instead of itemizing your deductions. You earn only employment income and receive a Form W-2 from your employer. You invest only in traditional assets like stocks and bonds. You’ve resided in only one state all year. In essence, the fewer your tax events and the fewer tax forms you will need to complete, the more you can rely on tax-prep software. When should you stick to a tax professional? However, the financial situations of many people are more complicated. If any of the following apply to you, tax-prep software might not be entirely up to the job: You itemize your deductions rather than using the standard deduction. You have multiple sources of income, such as 1099 income (dividends, rental income, earnings from a side hustle, etc.), or you juggle two or more jobs. You are self-employed or own a business. If you are a partner in a business, you will need to report your share of income, losses, deductions and credits on Form K-1 . The form also applies if you have shares in an S corporation . You earn income in multiple jurisdictions. You own non-traditional assets such as commodities , derivatives and currencies, among others. You are focused on retirement planning and estate planning and need help identifying tax-efficient strategies to maximize your retirement income and the estate you leave to your loved ones. You sold a business. The tax implications will depend on the business structure ( LLC , partnership, S corp, etc.) and whether it is an asset sale (selling the business assets) or stock sale (selling ownership). Tax professionals can help you minimize your tax liability. You received equity compensation. Different tax rules apply to the four types of stock (or equity) compensation — restricted stock awards, restricted stock units , non-qualified stock options and incentive stock options. Tax professionals can help you plan how to hold and exercise these options to minimize your tax liability. You got divorced. If you file taxes jointly with your partner, then a divorce can complicate tax matters. One point that you should note is that the more complicated your financial situation is, the more tax planning you need to minimize your tax liability. While tax software can help with tax compliance — filing the necessary tax returns and paying the right amount — it cannot help much with tax planning — making decisions that will help reduce your tax liability. Which tax professional do you need? Though we have used “tax professional” throughout this article to refer to experts in tax matters in general, there are some key differences among who does what. CPAs are full-time accountants who are very familiar with the tax code. They often work with businesses or those involved in long-term tax planning. Enrolled agents (EAs) can help prepare your tax return, advise you on tax matters and even represent you before the IRS for a tax audit. The IRS issues the EA credential to those who have met the requirements. Tax consultants or advisers usually have the same expertise on tax matters as CPAs. You can rely on them for both tax compliance and planning, especially in more complex situations. However, while taxation is only one area of expertise for a CPA (financial planning, financial statements preparation, etc., being others), tax consultants are laser-focused on taxation. So, which professional should you choose? If you are looking only for tax preparation in situations that are a tad too complex for tax software, an EA may be all that you need. However, if you are a business owner or you need long-term tax planning (especially relating to retirement and estate planning ), investing the extra bucks in tax consultants or CPAs may be appropriate. Finally, choosing between a tax consultant and a CPA boils down to the scope of services you want. If you are a business in need of more than just tax planning, a CPA might be in a better position to help. In sum, while tax-preparation software has revolutionized the world of taxation by providing taxpayers with a fast, cost-effective and simple way to file their tax returns, some complex financial situations still require the personal touch of a tax professional. Related Content Types of Income the IRS Doesn't Tax States That Tax Social Security Benefits What is Taxable Income? How the IRS Taxes Retirement Income IRS Tax Breaks That Get Better With Age This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA .
Penn State rolls past Maryland, clinches berth in Big Ten title game
Farrakhan leads Hampton past Duquesne 64-59It was a little hard to hear him over the sound of “In the Mood,” but Mark Nelson had an explanation of why a big crowd is drawn to Concord every two months to dance to music that’s nearly a century old. “I think people are looking for a low-pressure way to meet people,” said Nelson, a student at NHTI, during a Swing Dance Night show by the New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra at the BNH Stage on Nov. 16. Nelson became a fan of the music by accident – “I just happened to go to a swing dance in Boston and liked it” – and was drawn to the energy and openness of the community, where anybody can ask anybody else to dance with no judgment. “I don’t drink so I don’t go to bars much. This is a way to get out and interact with people.” There was certainly a lot of interaction on the BNH Stage dance floor that night. There was swing dancing, both East Coast and West Coast, and foxtrot and Charleston and Lindy hop and the occasional waltz, plus simple steps from many folks who received their first dance lesson right before the band started playing. The floor was never empty and often packed. “We get at least 100 people for every show, sometimes 150 people,” said Salvatore Prizio, executive director of the Capitol Center for the Arts, which owns BNH Stage. BNH Stage is the little sibling of the nearby Capitol Center. It opened in 2019 in the former Concord Theater movie house and has made good use of the ability to easily switch from theater-style seating to a wide-open floor watched over by a seated balcony, which lets it hold events from silent discos to Taylor Swift dance nights. “The open floor is a net benefit – it was always part of the plan,” said Prizio. “At the CCA, it’s about trying to engage as many different communities as we can possibly serve. We’re always open to ideas.” Swing is the general term for dancing styles that became popular during the Big Band era from the late 1920s through World War II. They were a creation of the African-American community in big cities before being adopted by the nation at large. Taking advantage of music from full bands featuring up to two dozen players, swing involves dances for couples that emphasize rhythmic athleticism in a spontaneous but not free-form style that uses a number of set moves as the urge arises. Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess Swing dancing largely disappeared after rock ‘n’ roll took over but saw a resurgence in the late 1990s. The rebirth was fueled in the U.S. by a 1998 commercial for Gap clothing stores which highlighted frenetic Lindy hopping and in Europe by a youthful rediscovery of the Harlem Renaissance, which raised dance pioneers like Frankie Manning and Norma Miller from obscurity to international fame. Starting in the 2000s New Hampshire developed a small but eager swing dance community with regular dances playing to live bands, an offshoot of the bigger scene around Boston. Virtually all opened with a free group lesson to get people started, a reflection of the swing community’s tradition of openness, with newcomers and experienced dancers mingling together. Then the pandemic hit. “COVID lockdowns set everything back. At UNH, for example, their swing dance club dissolved,” said Mike Pelletier of Manchester, who runs the Facebook group Swing Dancing in Southern NH. Before that, college groups had been a major incubator of the swing revival. Like much of the arts scene, swing dancing to live music has yet to fully recover from the pandemic but big bands have begun returning to places like Rockingham Ballroom and the American Legion Sweeney Post in Manchester. The Swing Dance Nights dances at BNH Stage, scheduled eight times a year with the next one in January, are part of this. Pelletier and his wife, Joanne, got into swing dancing after he returned from his second deployment with the New Hampshire National Guard in 2011. “We said it’s time to learn how to dance; time to have some fun.” Finding dances is a bit of a hassle, though. “Over the course of years, we found that there are dance opportunities in New Hampshire but there was no real method of learning where they were or who was doing what,” he said. Hence the Facebook page. Being on Facebook isn’t the sexiest way to get the word out but it fits with New Hampshire’s aging demographic. This leads to a key point about swing: The appeal crosses generations. Dances always feature folks of retirement age, who may remember their parents playing Big Band records, but people under 30 are usually well represented and in Boston will make up the majority of the couples on the floor. “You hear people say ‘I’m a metalhead but I like this music. I was born at the wrong time!’” said Clayton “Skip” Poole, who leads the New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra. Poole, 65, of Bow, is a financial advisor who has worked with big bands for 48 years; his first gig included singer/pianist Mel Torme. He is also music director for the Capital Jazz Orchestra, a fully professional big band that plays shows all over the country and will have a Holiday Pops show on Dec. 8. The N.H. Jazz Orchestra is somewhat different. “I was asked to put together a group to feature more community players – including advanced high school students, semi-pros – to meet on a weekly basis,” he said. Poole said he was interested because it’s a “chance to perform music that isn’t heard all that often anymore on a very high level.” He uses his own collection of some 8,000 charts – music for all the instruments in the band for a set arrangement – some dating back to original arrangements from the 1920s. “We can take this music and bring it back to life.” “Most of the music we play is danceable. It’s different when you perform for dancers – Latin material, waltzes, whatever you play for dancing and not just for listening,” Poole said. “It’s much more exciting to have people there, dancing, to look out on the floor and see a sea of bobbing heads. ... Even the most professional musicians who say they play for money – no, they play for the sound of applause. “We’re fortunate to be at BNH, it’s sort of our home away from home, reaching out to swing dancers in the area.” The NH Jazz Orchestra has five reed instruments such as saxophone and clarinet, four trombones and a tuba, five trumpets and four rhythm players including keyboard and guitar, and usually includes a vocalist. Poole is adamant that it avoids the “gazebo circuit” of playing free concerts outdoors to keep up the quality. “We only play if people buy a ticket,” he said. Despite the popularity of events like Swing Dance Night, there’s a problem, Pelletier said. “We have over 1,000 members on (the Facebook) page but what we’ve noticed is that many people want to dance ... but they don’t actually go,” he said. “I think it’s because they’re intimidated. “This generation, people stopped partner dancing and they don’t know how, or they’re embarrassed to try in public. To go to a dance where people actually talk to each other, ask each other to dance, actually touch each other – that’s uncomfortable.” Blame technology, blame the pandemic, blame generational change – whatever the reason this isn’t just a swing dance problem. Digital life, exacerbated by the imposed isolation of the COVID years, seems to be cutting into people’s connection with each other, which cuts into their willingness to attend public events. All sorts of music venues have seen crowds shrink in the past two years, even when there’s no dance floor, and one reason cited by a major survey was that people didn’t have a friend to go with. Whether swing dancing’s openness and lack of judgment can overcome that reluctance is uncertain. But it will be entertaining to find out. “The music is great, isn’t it?” said Pelletier.
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Taking Stock: Mutual fund SIP investors made up to 60% return in 2024