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Meta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facilityAhmad Robinson scores 21 in near triple-double and Mercer beats Georgia State 71-68
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The largest artificial intelligence data center ever built by Facebook’s parent company Meta is coming to northeast Louisiana, the company said Wednesday, bringing hopes that the $10 billion facility will transform an economically neglected corner of the state. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry called it “game-changing” for his state's expanding tech sector, yet some environmental groups have raised concerns over the center's reliance on fossil fuels — and whether the plans for new natural gas power to support it could lead to higher energy bills in the future for Louisiana residents. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lowered its holdings in SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF ( NYSEARCA:KRE – Free Report ) by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 123,779 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock after selling 6,778 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF worth $7,006,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KRE. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF by 4.7% in the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 5,641 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $276,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares in the last quarter. SPC Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. SPC Financial Inc. now owns 12,500 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $708,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Robinson Value Management Ltd. increased its position in shares of SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF by 1.3% during the third quarter. Robinson Value Management Ltd. now owns 24,718 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $1,399,000 after buying an additional 323 shares during the period. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI raised its stake in SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF by 2.3% in the second quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 18,619 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $914,000 after buying an additional 427 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its holdings in SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF by 3.0% in the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 17,023 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $963,000 after buying an additional 495 shares during the period. SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF Stock Performance KRE stock opened at $67.79 on Friday. SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF has a fifty-two week low of $43.51 and a fifty-two week high of $67.96. The company has a market capitalization of $3.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.36 and a beta of 1.56. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $59.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $54.69. SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF Company Profile SPDR KBW Regional Banking ETF, formerly SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF, seeks to closely match the returns and characteristics of the S&P Regional Banks Select Industry Index. Its approach is designed to provide portfolios with low portfolio turnover, tracking, and lower costs. As of October 27, 2011, the Company’s holding included Privatebancorp Inc, Webster Finl Corp Conn, Umpqua Hldgs Corp, Firstmerit Corp, East West Bancorp Inc, Fifth Third Bancorp, Fnb Corp Pa, Susquehanna Bancshares Inc and Keycorp New and First Rep Bk San Fran Cali. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KRE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF ( NYSEARCA:KRE – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
New U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff marked the start of his Senate tenure on Monday , Dec. 9, by taking the oath of office with his hand on an ancient Jewish text. The book used in Schiff’s swearing-in ceremony is the Mishneh Torah , written by the renowned Jewish philosopher and scholar Moses Maimonides. A comprehensive 12th-century codification of Jewish religious law , the Mishneh Torah summarizes all aspects of Jewish law in clear and accessible Hebrew. When sworn into office, newly elected officials often use religious texts or other meaningful books that hold personal or symbolic significance to them. For instance, in 2021 President Joe Biden took his oath of office on a 19th-century Bible that has been in his family since the late 1800s, while Vice President Kamala Harris swore in on two Bibles: one that belonged to former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and another that belonged to a former neighbor close to Harris, according to CNN . Former President Donald Trump also used two Bibles at his 2017 swearing-in ceremony : the Lincoln Bible used by Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration in 1861, and a family Bible given to Trump by his mother in 1955. The Mishneh Torah used by Schiff translates into “repetition of the Torah” or “the second Torah” in English. It was printed in Italy in 1490, according to his office. Schiff, a pro-Israel Democrat, has been open about his Jewish heritage and faith and has strongly condemned antisemitism. “Growing up in a Jewish household with strong ties to the Jewish community, I learned to revere a passage from Micah — that instructs us to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God,” Schiff previously said, according to the Jewish Democratic Council of America’s website . “I am very proud of my Jewish heritage, our traditions and values and the work our community does to build a more just and equitable world for the next generation.” In his swearing-in statement, Schiff said he will be a “tireless advocate for Californians in every part of the state and work across the aisle to deliver on day one.” Schiff, who represented an LA-area district in Congress for nearly 24 years, will complete the remainder of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s term before being sworn in for a full six-year term on Jan. 3. Sen. Laphonza Butler, who Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed in October 2023 to complete Feinstein’s remaining term, resigned Sunday, Dec. 8 .At Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, more than a year of war has taken its toll. Global airlines have canceled flights, gates are empty and pictures of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip guide the few arriving passengers to baggage claim. But one check-in desk remains flush with travelers: the one serving flights to the United Arab Emirates, which have kept up a bridge for Israelis to the outside world throughout the war. The Emirati flights, in addition to bolstering airlines’ bottom lines, have shined a light on the countries’ burgeoning ties — which have survived the wars raging across the Middle East and could be further strengthened as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to office. “It’s a political and economic statement,” said Joshua Teitelbaum, a professor of Middle Eastern studies at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University. “They are the main foreign airlines that continue to fly.” Since the wars began with Hamas’ initial Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, many international airlines have halted, restarted and halted again their flights into Israel’s main gateway to the rest of the world. The concern is real for the carriers, who remember the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine 10 years ago and Iran shooting down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 after takeoff from Tehran in 2020. But FlyDubai, the sister airline to the long-haul carrier Emirates, has kept up multiple flights daily and kept Israel connected to the wider world even as its other low-cost competitors have stopped flights. Abu Dhabi’s Etihad has continued its flights as well. While maintaining the flight schedule remains politically important for the UAE after its 2020 diplomatic recognition of Israel, it also provided a further shot in the arm for revenues — particularly for FlyDubai. Since the Israeli’s wars against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon started, international carriers such as Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, Germany’s Lufthansa and other major airlines halted their flights. Some resumed, only to stop again after Iran’s Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack on Israel and Israel’s Oct. 26 retaliatory strike on the Islamic Republic. Tehran has threatened to strike Israel again. That’s brought major business to Israel’s national carrier El Al, which had struggled in the coronavirus pandemic and prior years. The airline posted its best-ever half-year results this year, recording a $227 million profit as compared to $58 million profit in the same period last year. El Al stock has risen by as much 200% over the past year, as compared to a 29% rise in the wider Tel Aviv 125 stock market index. El Al, however, lacks the routes and connections of major international carriers. Low-cost carriers as well have stopped flying into Israel during periods of the war, sending the price of El Al tickets ever higher. Passenger numbers through Ben Gurion halved compared to the same period the year before, El Al said in its second-quarter financial results. However, FlyDubai has kept flying. The carrier has operated more than 1,800 flights to Israel since October 2023, cancelling only 77 flights overall, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. In September alone, it flew more than 200 flights. As a line snaked toward the FlyDubai check-in counters at Ben Gurion Airport, UAE-bound Motti Eis said the flights were “a symbol that the Emirates countries decided to keep the peace.” FlyDubai declined to answer questions from The Associated Press about the flights. Etihad, the flag carrier for Abu Dhabi, has kept flying into Tel Aviv, but the number of its flights has been dwarfed by FlyDubai. FlyDubai had 3.6% market share at Ben Gurion, compared to El Al’s 43.2% in the second half of 2024. However, at least two of the foreign low-cost airlines with greater market, Wizz Air and Blue Bird, stopped flying for extended periods this year. Etihad said it maintains a close watch on the situation in the region, but continues its daily flights to and from Tel Aviv. “Ben Gurion International Airport remains open, employing best practices in safety and security practices, enabling Etihad and other airlines to provide essential air connectivity as long as it is secure to do so,” the airline said in a statement. Beyond the financial impact, the decision also takes root in the UAE’s decision to recognize Israel in 2020 under agreements brokered by President Donald Trump known as the Abraham Accords. While Abu Dhabi has repeatedly expressed concern and outrage at Israel’s conduct during the wars, Israel’s consulate in Dubai and embassy remain open in the country. And while Dubai, broadly speaking, remains focused on business in the country, Abu Dhabi’s focus long has been on its geopolitical aims — which since the 2011 Arab Spring have been squarely focused on challenging Islamist movements and those who back them in the wider region. The UAE, a hereditary autocracy, long has viewed those groups as serious challenges to its power. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Doing the math, the finalists represent about just two thousandths of all submissions. Among them: two featuring silhouettes of former President Abraham Lincoln; one featuring an orange outline of the state's official butterfly, the monarch; one with a gear and corn kernels to represent the state's robust industrial and agricultural might; and several featuring 21 stars or stripes to symbolize Illinois' status as the 21st state in the nation. And if residents want to maintain the status quo or go back to the future, they will also have the option to keep the current state flag or adopt either the 1918 centennial flag or 1968 sesquicentennial flag. Illinois residents will be able to vote on those 13 choices next month. Whether they are the best options is another question. Social media reaction to the finalists was mixed, with many wondering whether the 22-person commission got it right. Well, folks can now judge for themselves as Lee Enterprises, via a Freedom of Information Act request, has obtained a copy of all 4,838 designs submitted in the contest. They range from serious — incorporating principles of flag design and the key symbols of Illinois such as its waterways and agricultural roots — to silly, such as a Chicago hot dog. They include professionally-designed submissions to those hand-drawn by many of the state's schoolchildren. And some included a political bent, both positive and negative, from the state's status as a beacon for LGBTQ people to its reputation for high taxes and political corruption. Here is a 1,878-page PDF containing every flag submission: Voting will open in January online at www.ilsos.gov/stateflag . Once completed, the commission will submit a report with a recommendation to the Illinois General Assembly by April 1.