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Developments in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector have generated a lot of headlines over the past couple of years. The abilities of AI systems to create original content, automate processes, and increase productivity have businesses of all stripes eager to secure a part of the resulting windfall. One company that's well positioned to benefit from this trend is Palantir Technologies ( PLTR 8.54% ) . It has decades of experience creating novel AI solutions, which came in handy when the generative AI trend went mainstream early in 2023. That secular tailwind has been extremely profitable for the company and its shareholders. The stock is up 333% so far this year and up 1,060% since the start of 2023, with its gains driven by robust results and an expanding opportunity. Positive developments for Palantir were so plentiful over the past week, it's likely that some investors didn't catch all the announcements. So here are four things you may have missed this week. 1. Admission to the Nasdaq-100 index To kick off the week, Nasdaq announced that Palantir will be added to the Nasdaq-100 index before the market opens on Dec. 23. This was widely expected after Palantir switched its listing from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq last month. In a press release at the time, Palantir said, "The company expects to begin trading as a Nasdaq-listed company on November 26, 2024 and its common stock will continue to trade under the symbol "PLTR." Upon transferring, Palantir anticipates meeting the eligibility requirements of the Nasdaq-100 Index." While the listing move was largely a cosmetic change, it could boost demand for Palantir stock, as mutual funds , institutional investors, and exchange-traded funds that track the index will have to buy it. 2. A new partnership Palantir and Red Cat Holdings ( RCAT 18.33% ) announced a strategic partnership that will see Palantir's Visual Navigation software integrated into Red Cat's Black Widow drone. The company will also deploy Palantir's Warp Speed manufacturing operating system. "Equipped with Palantir's visual navigation and artificial intelligence, the Black Widow will be among the most capable drones ever fielded by the Department of Defense, compact enough to fit in a rucksack," said Red Cat CEO Jeff Thompson. The terms of the contract weren't provided. 3. Extending its Army Vantage contract Palantir announced an extension to its "long-standing partnership with the U.S. Army to deliver the Army Vantage capability in support of the 'Army Data Platform' (ADP)." The platform leverages data and Palantir's AI to accelerate decision-making and improve combat readiness. While the original contract was focused on personnel and combat readiness, the ADP system has become integral to the Army's data-driven decision-making process. It supports soldiers in a growing list of use cases in areas such as logistics, risk management, recruiting, and financial management. This new agreement will expand the contract to include data across the entire Department of the Army. The total value of the contract is $400 million, though it could potentially be increased to as much as $618 million over the next four years. 4. Translating faith-based content On the other side of the war and peace coin, Pray.com chose Palantir to help it with foreign language translations for the company's faith-based content. The company noted the challenge of providing its offerings in a variety of languages, which has been cost-prohibitive due to the staffing requirements and the complexity of local idioms. Using Palantir's Ontology Software Development Kit, Pray.com was able to process audio and video transcripts and translations "across multiple languages," achieving the "quality of native language speakers." Perhaps equally important, it was able to achieve these results in a matter of minutes, rather than the days or weeks of human efforts its large volumes of translations had previously required. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. What it all means for investors It's important to point out that none of these developments are likely to move the needle for Palantir individually. Taken together, however, they bolster the company's investment thesis. Given Palantir's rapid growth trajectory, commonly used valuation metrics like price-to-earnings and price-to-sales ratios fall short as gauges of its stock. However, applying the more appropriate forward price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio -- which considers Palantir's robust growth rate -- provides a multiple of 0.61. Generally speaking, the experts view any positive PEG ratio below 1 as signifying an undervalued stock. For price-sensitive investors concerned about its current level, it might be worth buying Palantir using a dollar-cost averaging strategy -- investing set amounts in the stock at regular intervals, regardless of what the price is doing at those times. Or, one could wait and hope the stock dips. That said, given the company's accelerating growth and the magnitude of the opportunity, I believe Palantir is a buy .THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay Border Cats will open their home schedule on May 28. The Northwoods League team, who start the 2025 campaign on the road on May 26 against the Eau Claire Express, will welcome the Rochester Honkers to Port Arthur Stadium two nights later to open their 20th season. New manager Joe Ellison will be at the helm. The 2025 schedule includes school-day games on June 4 against Duluth, and June 17 against the LaCrosse Loggers. The Cats will also host heir annual Canada Day game on July 1 against the Waterloo Bucks. The team will host three fireworks games, on Friday, May 30, Monday, June 30 and Thursday, Aug. 7, following their final regular-season game against their cross-border rivals, the Duluth Huskies. The Northwoods League playoffs are scheduled to begin on Aug. 10. The Border Cats finished 35-34 last season, the third-best record in the Great Plains East Division, finishing three games behind Duluth and two behind Waterloo.
Musk wants to slash US government spending by a third, and Ramaswamy wants to cut 75% of the federal workforce. Can they? For months, Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has been pushing for a department to slash United States government spending. On November 12, President-elect Donald Trump made his wish come true and announced that Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and failed Republican presidential candidate, would lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE appears to be an outside advisory department that will work in conjunction with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a White House office in charge of helping the sitting president craft budget proposals to bring to Congress. Musk gave the department official government credentials on X, the social media platform he owns. “From everything we’ve heard now, what Elon and Vivek are proposing to do would be something similar to what the Office of Management and Budget and GAO [Government Accountability Office] does. OMB serves the president specifically to help manage federal agencies across the executive branch. Anything that goes to the president has to go through OMB first. Anything that comes from the president to other agencies has to go through OMB first,” a former senior Trump administration official who declined to be named told Al Jazeera. Regardless, it would not be an official cabinet position, which would require the formation of a new government agency, which would require congressional approval. The most recent agency to be created was the Department of Homeland Security, which opened its doors in 2003 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. What is DOGE planning to do? Musk has promised to cut $2 trillion, or more than a third, of the US government’s annual budget. He said he wants to cut the number of agencies from 428 to 99 . Last week, he shared on X an old interview with Milton Friedman in which the economist lists the government departments that should be scrapped – agriculture, education, commerce – adding, “Milton Friedman was the best,” a post that is being read as things Musk would like to do. Ramaswamy, who will co-lead the office, said he wants to cut 75 percent of the federal government workforce. The federal government employs roughly 2 million civilians. A 75 percent reduction would mean that 1.5 million people would be out of a job, which, experts said, will strip down a range of services from food stamps to defence spending. To boost the effort, Trump ally and Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has been picked to lead a DOGE subcommittee in the House of Representatives, in which she is to outline plans to fire government employees. The subcommittee has yet to be created. Musk has acknowledged that the move would create temporary hardships but said it is for long-term prosperity. “There are a lot of questions that are brought up by his stated goal of streamlining the government and by some of the metrics that he’s put out. [And that’s] before he’s done any of his initial analysis,” Ann Skeet, senior director of leadership ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University in California, told Al Jazeera. This week, Musk singled out specific government employees, questioning their jobs to his 205 million followers on X, The Wall Street Journal reported, many of whom then followed up with tweets targeting those people. Musk has oversimplified government programmes to make them sound ridiculous and worthy of cuts but has ignored why these programmes exist. He slammed , for instance, research in which the US government spent $4.5m to spray alcoholic rats with bobcat urine. However, this is part of a bigger research study into the relationship between alcoholism and post-traumatic stress disorder, a common issue among military veterans and one the research is trying to find treatment for. Musk’s willingness to make cuts “just speaks to an arrogance that because you’ve been successful in one domain, that doesn’t mean he can be successful in another domain”, Skeet said. Musk and Ramaswamy argued that Trump will be able to cut government jobs unilaterally under a policy called Schedule F, an executive order that Trump signed during his first term and never went into effect. It would have reclassified civilian civil servants as at will employees who serve at the pleasure of the president, similar to a political appointment like a cabinet secretary. It would strip job protections from these employees. Musk has a long record of firing people who are necessary to key functions of his companies, including during his takeover of Twitter when he laid off half its employees, a move that led to systemic failures across the company. As a result of his decisions, the company is now valued at 80 percent less than when he took it over. Musk has tweeted that DOGE is looking to hire people with high IQs who are willing to work 80 hours a week for no money and will need to buy a subscription to X to apply. Skeet warned that a skeleton staff manning the federal government “will impact how consumers will interact with the government – whether or not airplanes will be safe to fly and cars will be regulated in the correct way and sort of just will people get their tax returns on time”. Musk’s appointment is until July 4, 2026, in conjunction with the country’s 250th birthday, according to a Trump team press release. That is also only a few months before midterm elections. Conflicts of interest Musk’s appointment comes with significant conflicts of interest. He has claimed on X that his businesses were “smothered by bureaucracy” and DOGE would address that. Musk’s businesses have billions of dollars in government contracts. SpaceX alone received $3.8bn in government contracts in the 2024 fiscal year, most of which was work for NASA and the Department of Defense, according to government data. Those contracts include building the propulsion systems NASA uses while another contract is to use Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service provider, to first responders during weather events like the floods in North Carolina. While SpaceX has the lion’s share of government contracts among Musk’s companies, some of his other firms also earn money from the US government, including Tesla. In the 2024 fiscal year, Tesla had $6m of government contracts. NASA and the Department of Commerce are the largest awarding agencies for the electric vehicle giant. “Having somebody who is a beneficiary of government decision-making, you know, in a role to decide which parts of government to streamline, is somebody who is fundamentally conflicted,” Skeet said. Musk’s conflicts of interest do not just stem from federal contracts but also agencies either investigating or sanctioning him and his businesses. As the co-head of this new agency, he would be in charge of coming up with financial policy decisions that could impact their future funding. One agency where Musk faces fines and investigations is the National Labor Relations Board, which investigates allegations of union busting and workforce harm. Musk faced complaints for his actions in the overhaul of Twitter, including lawsuits from employees he fired. Musk also faces a complaint lodged by the United Auto Workers union after his interview with then-candidate Trump in which the two joked about firing striking workers. That case is still open. The National Transportation Safety Board has pending investigations against Tesla on its self-driving cars, which have been involved in crashes, including one that killed a pedestrian in Arizona in 2023. Musk also has conflicts with the Department of Justice (DOJ), which has been trying to access all data and records pertaining to Trump’s X account as recently as last month as it investigates Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol by his supporters. Before the November elections, Musk was also accused of breaking federal election laws by the DOJ for a $1m daily giveaway conducted by his political action committee. In recent days, Senate Democrats have raised concerns about Musk’s calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as 2022 and his sustained connections with high-level Russian officials, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. They have asked the DOJ to determine if Musk should be barred from future involvement in space contracts. There are other areas of potential conflicts. During President Joe Biden’s administration, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) awarded Starlink an $885m contract to provide access to rural America, but it was later revoked because the FCC didn’t think Starlink could provide the service. Musk slammed the decision as politically biased. Now Trump has picked Musk ally Brenden Carr to lead the commission. Carr is the top Republican on the FCC, who disagreed with the decision to deny Starlink the contract. He also wrote the chapter on the FCC in the conservative policy playbook for a second Trump term, Project 2025. The Securities and Exchange Commission is also a thorn in Musk’s side. As recently as September, the agency planned to sanction him for not showing up to testify for a second time over his acquisition of Twitter and rejected his proposal to pay a $2,923 fine for missing the deposition. But arguably, Musk’s conflicts of interest are neither unique to him nor are they new to Washington. Last year, an investigative report from the outlet Insider found that 78 members of Congress had not properly disclosed personal financial trades, which is required by law. The law is meant to combat issues like insider trading. Musk did not say whether he would divest before joining the government or serve as an outside adviser. He also did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for clarification. At the same time, some of Trump’s policies might also negatively impact Musk. “From everything that President Trump has said, it sounds like he will be very tough on China, which will then serve Elon Musk poorly. He gets a lot of his materials that he needs for his different companies from China,” the former senior Trump administration official who spoke to Al Jazeera said. Tesla, for example, reportedly gets roughly 40 percent of its materials from China. Trump’s proposed tariffs on the country could be as high as 60 percent. In case the tariffs do kick in, “I don’t think it’s all necessarily going to be good for Elon as an adviser,” the official added. Can Musk actually serve? Given all of these factors, can Musk actually serve as head of DOGE under his current arrangements with Tesla, X and SpaceX? Ethics experts suggested they should be disqualifying. “What’s happening here is problematic. Elon Musk has built-in obvious conflicts of interest because the companies that he is associated with have relationships with the very government that he is now going to come in and try to make more efficient,” Skeet said. Legal experts, however, said it’s a bit more of an open question. Advisory committees whether for a federal agency or the president fall under a specific law that requires they make public their actions and meetings so the public can participate, explained Kedric Payne, vice president, general counsel and senior director of ethics at the Campaign Legal Center. But “it’s not clear that [DOGE] will fall under those transparency requirements of the law that applies to most advisory committees,” he said. That law is called the Federal Advisory Committee Act and requires that nongovernmental experts who provide federal agencies with advice publicly disclose their recommendations. Musk said on X he would do that. “In most situations where an official has a conflict of interest, there is a rule that can be enforced to stop that conflict of interest. In this situation, it is not clear yet whether or not there are any rules that could prohibit these conflicts,” Payne said. But with few specifics on how DOGE will be set up, there’s not a lot that can be said about the legal options, Payne pointed out. The Trump transition team, which did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment, has publicly said it is compliant with all laws.
NEW YORK , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report on how AI is redefining market landscape - The global non- fungible token (NFT) market size is estimated to grow by USD 68.16 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 30.23% during the forecast period. Increasing demand for digital art is driving market growth, with a trend towards growing interest in nfts among major brands. However, uncertainty in nfts poses a challenge. Key market players include AirNFTs Platform, Asynchronous Art Inc., Binance Holdings Ltd., Blockchain App Factory, Celer Network, Chaincella, Decentraland Foundation, Enjin Pte. Ltd., Foundation Labs Inc., Funko Inc., Gemini Trust Co. LLC, Mintable.app, Ozone Networks Inc., Out The Mud Ventures Inc., Rarible Inc., Sky Mavis , SuperRare Labs Inc., Tiki Labs Inc., Yellowheart LLC, Axie Infinity.Cloudflare, Inc.; PLBY Group, Inc.; Dolphin Entertainment, Inc.; Takung Art Co., Ltd.; Dapper Labs, Inc.; Onchain Labs, Inc Key insights into market evolution with AI-powered analysis. Explore trends, segmentation, and growth drivers- View Free Sample PDF Market Driver NFTs, or Non- Fungible Tokens, have taken the art, athletes, and celebrities worlds by storm. These digital assets, representing unique items like artworks, collectibles, and even virtual real estate, are creating buzz in various industries. Blockchain technology powers NFTs, ensuring transparency, ownership, and scarcity. The gaming industry and media & entertainment sector are leveraging NFTs for tokenizing games, trading cards, and virtual items. Artists and athletes are minting NFTs of their digital artworks and collectibles, offering fans exclusive ownership. Augmented Reality (AR) and Extended Reality (XR) are enhancing the NFT experience, making it more interactive. The NFT community is growing, with online platforms enabling easy buying, selling, and trading. However, regulatory considerations, consumer protection, and legal frameworks are crucial. Fraud and taxation are concerns, with securities laws and intellectual property rights coming into play. Blockchain networks like Ethereum and proof-of-work/stake mechanisms ensure secure transactions. The NFT market is evolving, with potential applications in decentralized finance, music, and even virtual vehicles. The future looks promising, with the metaverse and virtual reality (VR) offering new possibilities. The White House and third parties are exploring NFTs, signaling mainstream adoption. Big brands, such as Visa Inc. And Budweiser, are increasingly exploring the Non- Fungible Token (NFT) market for potential earnings. In August 2021 , Visa Inc. Made a significant investment by purchasing a CryptoPunk NFT for approximately USD165,000 . This acquisition expanded Visa's historic commerce artifacts collection. The primary motivation for these corporations is the opportunity to generate additional revenue. Furthermore, they are focusing on utilizing NFTs as incentives for consumers. For instance, NFTs can serve as innovative rewards, offering exclusive gifts to loyal customers. Request Sample of our comprehensive report now to stay ahead in the AI-driven market evolution! Non- Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have disrupted the art, collectibles, and entertainment industries by allowing unique digital assets to be bought and sold as property. Artists, athletes, celebrities, and even the White House have joined the NFT community, creating digital artworks, collectibles, and virtual items backed by blockchain technology. NFTs provide proof of ownership, scarcity, and authenticity, making them attractive to investors. However, challenges persist, such as regulatory considerations under securities laws, consumer protection, and fraud . Distributed networks like Ethereum facilitate NFT trading, but logistical issues and taxation remain unclear. The gaming industry, media & entertainment, and decentralized finance are exploring NFTs for tokenization of games, virtual items, and digital property. Augmented Reality (AR) and Extended Reality (XR) are expected to enhance the NFT experience. However, legal frameworks and regulatory considerations need to address intellectual property, third-party rights, and securities laws. Ultimately, NFTs offer a new way to monetize and trade digital assets, but careful planning and regulation are crucial to ensure a fair and secure marketplace. The Non- Fungible Token (NFT) market presents both opportunities and challenges for sellers. Valuation of NFTs is uncertain due to the difficulty in determining future demand and pricing. Factors such as scarcity, uniqueness, and buyer perception play a significant role in determining NFT value. New sellers face challenges in anticipating buyer identity and purchase drivers. As the market continues to evolve, predicting future trends in NFT pricing remains difficult for new investors. The value of NFTs is subjective and dependent on buyer perception, leading to price fluctuations. Discover how AI is revolutionizing market trends- Get your access now! This non- fungible token (nft) market report extensively covers market segmentation by 1.1 Collectibles 1.2 Sports 1.3 Arts 1.4 Others 2.1 Personal 2.2 Commercial 3.1 APAC 3.2 North America 3.3 South America 3.4 Europe 3.5 Middle East and Africa 1.1 Collectibles- Non- Fungible Tokens (NFTs) refer to unique digital collectibles, minted on the Blockchain. These collectibles are limited-edition and cannot be exchanged or replicated. Vendors offer online platforms for buying and selling NFTs. Key features include the owner's exclusive right to sell, royalty payments on future sales, and protection against unauthorized use or copying. The NFT market's expansion is fueled by the increasing demand for digital assets worldwide. Industries are going digital, and the Internet's ubiquity, along with rising usage, encourages investments in digital assets. Tokenization, which creates digital tokens representing asset ownership, further boosts market growth. These factors are expected to significantly contribute to the growth of the global NFT market. Download a Sample of our comprehensive report today to discover how AI-driven innovations are reshaping competitive dynamics The Non- Fungible Token (NFT) market is revolutionizing the way we buy, sell, and own digital assets. This innovative technology allows for the unique representation and ownership of electronic artworks, gaming items, and collectibles on the blockchain. The gaming industry has embraced NFTs, enabling tokenization of in-game items and creating new revenue streams. NFTs on Ethereum network provide scarcity and ownership, making digital artworks valuable and collectible. Legal frameworks are evolving to accommodate this new asset class, while AR, VR, and XR technologies enhance the NFT experience. Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies power the NFT market, with Web 3 enabling decentralized finance and creating new distribution networks. Fraud prevention is crucial in this market, with NFT suppliers ensuring authenticity and ownership. The NFT market offers a new frontier for creators, collectors, and investors, with Magic Eden and other platforms serving as marketplaces for these unique digital assets. The Non- Fungible Token (NFT) market is a revolutionary digital ecosystem where Art, Digital Artworks, and Collectibles come to life as unique, verifiable, and tradable assets on the blockchain. This decentralized platform allows Artists, Athletes, and Celebrities to monetize and showcase their Intellectual Property in the form of NFTs, including Painting, Music, and even Virtual Real Estate. Blockchain technology enables Ownership and Transfer of these Digital Assets with transparency and Security. NFTs are not limited to the Art World but extend to Gaming Industry, Sports Collectibles, Trading Cards, and Virtual Items. The market also includes Decentralized Finance, Cryptocurrencies , and Cryptocurrencies /assets. Regulatory considerations and Consumer Protection are essential aspects of this emerging market, with legal frameworks and Taxation being crucial. NFTs can be traded on various Online Platforms, and the market is expanding into Extended Reality (XR) and Metaverse, offering new opportunities for creators and investors. However, Fraud and Scam risks exist, highlighting the need for careful consideration and due diligence. NFTs represent a new frontier in the Digital Economy, with potential applications in various industries, including Media & Entertainment, Logistics, and even House and Vehicle ownership. Smart Contracts and Proof of Work or Stake are essential components of the NFT market, enabling seamless Transactions and Distribution Networks. The NFT community continues to grow, with various Third Parties offering services and solutions to facilitate the creation, trading, and management of NFTs. The NFT market is a dynamic and evolving space, offering endless possibilities for creators, investors, and consumers alike. 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Application Collectibles Sports Arts Others End-user Personal Commercial Geography APAC North America South America Europe Middle East And Africa Type 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE TechnavioPressure on Nike to deliver for Caitlin Clark after Paige Bueckers got a different dealHTS could not have taken Damascus without their help. We sit down with a Syrian rebel commander S ITTING IN A walled compound near the Syrian city of Daraa, not far from the Jordanian border, a Syrian rebel commander recalls his men’s part in the conquest of the capital, Damascus , a few days earlier. “We were supposed to wait until they took Homs, but when they took Hama, everyone decided to take up arms, we couldn’t stop them,” says the unassuming former trader now known by his nom de guerre , Abu Hamza. Discover more The fall of Bashar al-Assad is a major blow for Iran Will the weakened regime reform, or race for the bomb? Protests have shut down Mozambique The aftermath of a rigged election is threatening a social revolt As Syria’s regime collapses, Erdogan eyes victory over the Kurds They are suddenly isolated and weakened. Worse may be to come As Syria’s new leaders settle in, life in the capital resumes Government employees look ready to take orders from a fresh set of rulers Exploiting disarray in Syria, Israel grabs more of the Golan Heights The incursions are neither justified nor necessary Inside Bashar al-Assad’s dungeons With the dictator gone, Syrians are desperately searching for loved ones lost in his prisons
Ghanaian photojournalist Paul Ninson was thrilled — and surprised. When he came to New York to study photography five years ago, he found a trove of images of life in Africa, past and present, in the archives of the city's libraries, galleries and museums. Here he was thousands of miles from Ghana surrounded by more visual history of Africa than he had ever seen back home. That paradox led to an idea: create a library of photobooks in Ghana to bring the African story home, allowing people to learn about their history and give them the tools to tell new stories of the continent. "A man does not know his true identity when he does not know his history and the background of where he comes from," says Ninson. "And for us to solve problems in Africa, education is critical." This idea has been realized with the creation of the Dikan Center in Accra, Ghana's capital. Dikan means "take the lead" in the Akan language, primarily spoken in southern Ghana and the Cote d'Ivoire. The library celebrated its second anniversary this past Monday. Big dreams This isn't the only time Ninson set his sights on a seemingly impossible dream. When he initially pursued a career in photography, the challenge felt daunting. Photography isn't exactly valued as a career path in Ghana, Ninson says: "If you tell your parents you're going to be a photographer, it was like, 'Yuck, what? Go be a lawyer.''' But Ninson felt photography was his calling. He was deeply influenced by the rich family history of storytelling passed down through his grandparents and later, captivated by a friend's images, developed a love of photography. It felt natural to combine the two arts, so he dove in. He sold his iPhone, bought a camera and began studying photography, largely teaching himself. Though Ninson began his journey with commercial photography, he soon shifted his focus to stories closer to his heart — those of African history and culture that he would capture as a budding photojournalist. His 2017 project, " Village With No Men ," offered an intimate look at the the village of Umoja in northern Kenya — a female-only community established by women who escaped gender-based violence and oppressive patriarchal environments in their former villages. New York frame of mind Ninson still sought a formal education in photojournalism. Unable to find a suitable program in Africa, he left Ghana in 2019 to study Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York City. There, he devoured the center's hundreds of photobooks. In Ghana, he only had access to five or six of such books. As he ventured deeper into the city, he discovered more visual histories of Africa than he had experienced at home, such as documentation of Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah at the New York Public Library. The museums and libraries Ninson visited were unwilling to give him their archives to return to Africa, which led to his idea to create a library in Africa that held such stories. Akin to coffee table books, photobooks are an ideal vehicle for stories since they are portable and can live on a shelf indefinitely. Michael Itkoff, co-founder of Daylight Books, an organization that showcases the work of documentary and conceptual photographers, has been publishing photobooks since 2010. A supporter of Ninson and the Dikan Center from the start, Itkoff says photobooks offer a different visual experience in today's world, which is often focused on the volume and speed of images available online. "The photobook allows for an intimate and more slowed down — and I would say elegant — experience of visuals," says Itkoff. The great book hunt With characteristic determination, Ninson began scouring New York City for books to ship to Ghana. While continuing his studies amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he searched secondhand stores on the Lower East Side, engaged in online bidding wars and reached out to publishers and galleries, some of whom donated hundreds of materials. He maxed out his credit cards and lined his apartment walls with books, using Uber and U-Haul trucks to transport the books to storage units he rented across the city. He managed to amass more than 30,000 volumes — mainly about photography filmmaking, but also issues of publications like National Geographic dating back to the early 1940s. Ninson had additional support from his friend and collaborator, Brandon Stanton, (creator of Humans of New York ). Stanton started a GoFundMe that raised over $1.2 million for the founding of Dikan. With funding secured, Ninson was finally able to pack the collection for the ocean voyage from the Bronx (where his shipping agent was located) to Ghana. In December 2022, the Dikan Center opened its doors just a few hundred yards from the Gulf of Guinea — and the same ocean waters that bore the ships of the Atlantic slave trade. In a former residence that was renovated to house the center, anyone is welcome to sit with the African story as long as they'd like. Dikan's holdings are separated into two collections: one centered on African and African American stories, the other containing the work of photographers from around the world. Ninson's favorite book is also Dikan's oldest, and the first book he purchased in New York: The Gold Coast Yesterday and Today by Paul Redmayne, published in the early 1940s. The book contains images made when Ghana was still a colony known as the Gold Coast before gaining independence from the British in 1957. The narratives told from a colonial perspective of the country that would become Ninson's homeland remain for him "a constant source of inspiration in my work at Dikan, reminding me of the rich heritage we carry and the stories that need to be shared with the world." George Koranteng is an Accra native and digital communications specialist with The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Ghana. Interested in photojournalism and documenting Ghanaian culture and history, Danso visits Dikan often, staying for hours at a time. Danso recalls that when he first Googled "photojournalist," only white photographers appeared in the results. "And the question that I asked myself is 'Are there not any Black photojournalists or documentary photographers?'" he says. Through Dikan's photobooks, Koranteng was able to spend meaningful time absorbing the work of Black photojournalists, such as the great Gordon Parks , an American photographer renowned for documenting the civil rights movement and Black America. Danso had known of Parks but sitting with the books allowed him to connect intimately with Parks' methods and style, which fundamentally changed his art. "He [Parks] has a way of capturing powerful images of Black people. So for me, it actually changed the way I photograph. I really focus on what light can actually do to the skin of people, how light actually plays on the skin of Black people ... when it comes to creating very powerful images..." Storytelling lessons To complement the books, Dikan provides educational workshops, fellowships and seminars on the skills associated with photojournalism and visual storytelling, providing a new generation of storytellers and creative leaders with the tools to tell new stories of the continent. Dikan's efforts to train new storytellers has become impactful to the point that industry veterans are travelling to teach them. One of last year's workshops; "Photojournalism: Crafting Visual Narratives, " was taught by Pete Souza , former chief official White House photographer during the Reagan and Obama administrations, and veteran photo editor Alice Gabriner ( National Geographic , TIME Magazine , and The New York Times ). The center's flagship educational offering is a full-time program in documentary storytelling and visual journalism similar to the one Ninson completed at ICP. The inaugural class — eight students from Ghana and two from Nigeria — graduated last December. Complementing the educational programs, Dikan helps mitigate the technological barrier to visual storytelling with access to the digital tools needed to tell new stories. The center houses a photo studio, and provides access to computers, digital cameras, (including 360-degree cameras), and virtual reality equipment. Not all of Dikan's stories live in books on its shelves. Dikan hosts rotating exhibitions and film screenings. The center's current exhibition: "Tewahdo," showcases female photographers Sehin Tewabe and Svenja Krüger's documentation of the life and culture of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. Ghanaian Daniella Afful was particularly moved by Dikan's second exhibition, "1957: Freedom and Justice," which presented images of Ghana's Independence from British Rule. Afful said it gave her a new perspective on this pivotal moment in her country's history as well as a better understanding of day-to-day life at the time. "People actually went to bars. You see old-school dance moves being pictured on the wall ... And I didn't even know that there were actual, there were that many photographers in the past. I thought photography was something modern in Ghana..." In Afful's eyes, Dikan is a spark for the growth of Ghana's creative community: "Dikan has magnified art, magnified photography. Dikan has kind of given us the hope that we may soon have a music library in Ghana. We could have a film library in Ghana — anything just to preserve our history and make history." Max Posner is a documentary photographer based in Richmond, Virginia. You can view his work at maxposner.com. Copyright 2024 NPR
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Trump's eldest son emerges as key voice influencing cabinet picksTop 25 teams will take the court across four games on Tuesday’s college basketball slate. That includes the Arizona State Sun Devils playing the Kentucky Wildcats at Trojan Fieldhouse at Moore Physical Education Center. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.
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Fred Lorenzen, ‘the Elmhurst Express’ and NASCAR Hall of Famer, dies just shy of 90The Sweden midfielder hailed Saturday’s 4-0 thrashing of the champions as the best game of his career. The 24-year-old delivered an outstanding performance as Spurs shattered the champions’ 52-game unbeaten home run, helping start the rout with a superb cross for James Maddison’s opening goal. Kulusevski said: “I believed (we would win) this because in the past years, we’ve come here and played really well. “So this is the game I look forward to most in the year and, once again, it happened – glory to God. “I’d say it’s the best result ever in my career. It’s a big night for the whole club, for the coach, for the players. “Because City have a lot of the ball sometimes, we can rest when we defend. There’s also so much space up there, we play one against one and then it’s always dangerous because we have a lot of quality. “It’s always great to play great teams because they always want to play football. When you play lower teams, sometimes it’s not. There’s not much football played because they are a lot of fouls, a lot of injuries and it’s slow going.” Maddison stole the show with two goals in quick succession in the first half while Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson later got on the scoresheet. Kulu-chef-ski cooked 👨🍳 📊 @KumhoTyreUK pic.twitter.com/CsrTh5oUgn — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 24, 2024 Yet Kulusevski’s performance was also eye-catching and the player himself believes there is plenty more to come from him. Asked if his form made him feel “unstoppable”, Kulusevski said: “I feel like that. I feel very good and I’m trying to keep this way. I’m very happy, I’m trying to improve. “I started the season good but there is over half of the season left and I hope I can do much better. “I think I have something that no other player has. With my engine, with my heart – I don’t get tired – I feel like I can do a lot still in my career.” Spurs have won more matches against Pep Guardiola's Man City than any other side 👀 pic.twitter.com/BHLZqde9sP — Premier League (@premierleague) November 23, 2024 Tottenham’s scintillating performance marked a spectacular return to form after their dismal loss to Ipswich in their previous Premier League outing. Kulusevski said: “We have to be much more consistent. It’s not a turning point. We just have to be better in other games. “This game suited us perfectly but we have a lot of improvement to make in the other games.”