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rich9 download Google is ramping up its push into smart glasses and augmented reality headgear, taking on rivals Apple and Meta with help from its sophisticated Gemini artificial intelligence. The internet titan on Thursday unveiled an Android XR operating system created in a collaboration with Samsung, which will use it in a device being built in what is called internally "Project Moohan," according to Google. The software is designed to power augmented and virtual reality experiences enhanced with artificial intelligence, XR vice president Shahram Izadi said in a blog post. "With headsets, you can effortlessly switch between being fully immersed in a virtual environment and staying present in the real world," Izadi said. "You can fill the space around you with apps and content, and with Gemini, our AI assistant, you can even have conversations about what you're seeing or control your device." Google this week announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date, as the world's tech giants race to take the lead in the fast-developing technology. CEO Sundar Pichai said the new model would mark what the company calls "a new agentic era" in AI development, with AI models designed to understand and make decisions about the world around you. Android XR infused with Gemini promises to put digital assistants into eyewear, tapping into what users are seeing and hearing. An AI "agent," the latest Silicon Valley trend, is a digital helper that is supposed to sense surroundings, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals. "Gemini can understand your intent, helping you plan, research topics and guide you through tasks," Izadi said. "Android XR will first launch on headsets that transform how you watch, work and explore." The Android XR release was a preview for developers so they can start building games and other apps for headgear, ideally fun or useful enough to get people to buy the hardware. This is not Google's first foray into smart eyewear. Its first offering, Google Glass, debuted in 2013 only to be treated as an unflattering tech status symbol and met with privacy concerns due to camera capabilities. The market has evolved since then, with Meta investing heavily in a Quest virtual reality headgear line priced for mainstream adoption and Apple hitting the market with pricey Vision Pro "spacial reality" gear. Google plans to soon begin testing prototype Android XR-powered glasses with a small group of users. Google will also adapt popular apps such as YouTube, Photos, Maps, and Google TV for immersive experiences using Android XR, according to Izadi. Gemini AI in glasses will enable tasks like directions and language translations, he added. "It's all within your line of sight, or directly in your ear," Izadi said. gc/dw

CoBank Releases 2025 Year Ahead Report – Forces That Will Shape the U.S. Rural Economy

Kunlavut Vitidsarn booked his berth in the men's singles quarter-finals of the US$1.15 million BWF China Masters 2024 in Shenzhen on Thursday. The Thai fifth seed defeated China's Wang Tzuwei 21-16, 21-17 in the last 16 of the World Tour Super 750 event. Kunlavut will play top seed Shi Yuqi of China in the last eight. Shi edged Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo of Indonesia 22-24, 21-13, 21-18. Olympic silver medallist Kunlavut defeated Shi in the quarter-finals at the Paris Games. Kunlavut is chasing his second title of the year. The reigning world champion claimed his first title of 2024 at the Korea Masters earlier this month. On-song Thai women's singles star Pornpawee Chochuwong also tasted success on Thursday as she marched into the quarter-finals of the tournament. After a relatively slow start, Pornpawee completely dominated Lin Hsiang-ti of Taiwan in the second game of her last-16 encounter before claiming an easy 21-17, 21-9 victory. Pornpawee is in contention for a place in the lucrative World Tour Finals along with compatriot Supanida Katethong, who was to take on Malvika Bansod of India in the last-16 round later yesterday. Earlier, mixed doubles pair Supak Jomkoh and Supsiree Taerattanachai bowed out in the last 16 after losing to eighth seeds Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang of Taiwan 23-21, 12-21, 18-21. Yang and Hu will play top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping in the last eight. The Chinese pair went straight into the quarter-finals after they received a walkover win over Sumeeth B Reddy and Sikki Reddy of India. Meanwhile, women's top seed An Se-Young of South Korea battled past Sung Shuo-yun of Taiwan 21-23, 21-12, 21-12. An will play Zhang Yiman of China in the quarter-finals. Zhang also needed three games to overcome Michelle Li of Canada on Thursday. Japan's rising star Tomoko Yamazaki rallied to beat Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark 17-21, 23-21, 21-10. She will next play Natsuki Nidaira of Japan or Anupama Upadhyaya of India in the last eight. In the men's singles event, top seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark downed Weng Hongyang of China 21-16, 21-11 while sixth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia beat China's Lu Guangzu 21-8, 21-19.OpenAI has finally opened its much-hyped Sora video generator to the public — and its work isn't exactly blowing us away. One particular weakpoint: Sora's attempts to generate videos of gymnasts result in a horrorshow of whirling and morphing limbs that would be more at place among David Cronenberg 's body horror films than the Olympics. As venture capitalist Deedy Das quipped in a thread showing the bizarre creations that "gymnastics is still very much the Turing test for AI video." As cool as the new Sora is, gymnastics is still very much the Turing test for AI video. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/X78dNzusNU — Deedy (@deedydas) December 10, 2024 Das went on to post three more uncanny Sora-generated gymnastics videos, and there's more where that came from. Echoing the venture capitalist, the account associated with the AI for Humans podcast joked that "gymnastics are the funniest way to break [S]ora." Indeed, in a video made with the prompt "gymnast flips five times very fast then lands in a bucket of mustard," the same limb confusion as the previous videos is yet again on display — but this time, a waterfall of what looks like yellow paint is attached to the "feet" of the artificial gymnast, making the whole thing look all the slimier. gymnastics are the funniest way to break sora prompt: gymnast flips five times very fast then lands in a bucket of mustard pic.twitter.com/xLEIlAbEhj — AI For Humans Show (@AIForHumansShow) December 10, 2024 That same account also had Sora make a video of a Raygun-esque breakdancer that had a similarly creepy limb confusion effect. sora has its own interpretation of Raygun's breakdance from the Paris Olympics prompt: famous Australian woman breakdances at the Paris Olympics pic.twitter.com/IefygMDCpT — AI For Humans Show (@AIForHumansShow) December 11, 2024 Even in videos with less movement, where Sora often does significantly better , it struggles with spelling words correctly — a basic imagine generator issue that's emerged as a tell for AI images. In one post, a self-described "politically homeless bitch" claims that the quality of Sora's videos is " mind-bending " — without pointing out that in the last of the four videos of a woman in fascist military uniform, the mask she's wearing misspells "obey" as "oeybey." In an even more egregious example, vlogger Marquees Brownlee said that when he got early access to Sora, it kept outputting "garbled" text despite the often-photorealistic quality of its videos. " How can [Sora] create a photorealistic human but can't spell basic words ?" another user observed in a post screenshotting Brownlee's video. crying laughing at the on screen graphics. How can SORA create a photorealistic human but can't spell basic words? https://t.co/xo6JEMu7l9 pic.twitter.com/spQwDnieFf — A.A. Ron (@AaronTheH) December 9, 2024 While it certainly has its impressive aspects, Sora by and large seems to be way less sophisticated than its boosters would have had you believe before it launched publicly — a common theme among AI hypebeasts. More on Sora: OpenAI Concerned About Illegal Activity on Sora, Releases It Anyway Share This ArticleFlagship Harbor Advisors LLC Invests $34.41 Million in Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)

NHRA ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF LANDMARK 75TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN FOR 2026 SEASON

Australia's regional property markets continue to outperform their metro counterparts, but price growth is cooling. or signup to continue reading Regional dwelling values rose 1.1 per cent in the three months to October, compared with 0.8 per cent in the cities, . The respective growth rates have softened from 2.3 per cent and 2.2 per cent respectively in the quarter to April. Mining regions in WA and Queensland led the charge, with property values in Mackay, Geraldton and Townsville up 8.8 per cent, 8.2 per cent and 6.6 per cent, respectively. Over the year to October, dwelling prices in each of the three markets surged by more than a quarter, driven by affordability and lifestyle appeal, CoreLogic economist Kaytlin Ezzy said. "But even with the impressive growth, for those with the capacity to service a mortgage, they still remain attainable with medians less than $600,000," Ms Ezzy said. In NSW and Victoria, there were signs of cooling in markets that had run hot during COVID-era tree and sea changes. Seven out of eight Victorian non-capital significant urban areas posted value drops, along with 10 of 21 equivalent regions in NSW. The holiday town of Batemans Bay on NSW's southern coast fell the most with a 2.7 per cent slump over the quarter, followed by Warrnambool on Victoria's southwest coast, where values sunk 2.6 per cent. "There's certainly been a slowdown in demand for these areas and more stock on the market and that's in addition to higher interest rates, cost of living pressures, and limited borrowing capacity" Ms Ezzy said. Over the year, 10 property markets in the southeastern states posted declines, led by a 6.3 per cent fall in the town of Ballarat in central-western Victoria. Regional rental prices grinded 0.5 per cent higher over the three months, but held steady on average across capital cities. As for mortgage affordability, Westpac economists recently joined NAB in pushing expectations of a Reserve Bank interest rate cut from February to May 2025. ANZ and CBA economists still expect the RBA to ease the cash rate for the first time in more than four years in February 2025. REGIONAL PROPERTY VALUES AT A GLANCE: - Highest quarterly growth: Mackay (Qld) - 8.3 per cent - Lowest quarterly growth: Batemans Bay (NSW) - minus 2.7 per cent - Highest annual growth: Geraldton (WA) - 28.7 per cent - Lowest annual growth: Ballarat (Vic) - 6.3 per cent - Shortest days on market: Bunbury (WA) - 13 days - Longest days on market: Batemans Bay (NSW) - 72 days REGIONAL RENTALS AT A GLANCE: - Highest quarterly rental growth: Albany (WA) - up 3.0 per cent - Lowest quarterly rental growth: Batemans Bay (NSW) - minus 2.4 per cent - Highest yearly rental growth: Geraldton (WA) - 14.6 per cent - Lowest yearly rental growth: Burnie - Somerset (Tas) - 1.8 per cent - Most affordable: Burnie - Somerset (Tas) - $408 - Least affordable: Gold Coast - Tweed Heads (Qld and NSW) - $833 Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementSteelers looking to end ridiculously long drought vs. Eagles in Week 15 | Sporting NewsEven when Luigi Mangione was surrounded by people who cared about him, he was isolated by a spinal defect that gave the athletic young man crippling pain and contributed to a jaundiced view of the US healthcare system. Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Credit: nna\josh.hohne Authorities have charged Mangione, 26, with murder in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York and police said on Wednesday they believe the motive was animosity toward the health insurance industry and corporate America. New York police found a three-page, handwritten document on Mangione that expressed disdain for the health business, they’ve said. Mangione foreshadowed that scepticism about the healthcare industry on Reddit in April as he offered advice for getting a doctor to perform spinal surgery. “Tell them you are ‘unable to work’ / do your job,” he wrote. “We live in a capitalist society. I’ve found that the medical industry responds to these key words far more urgently than you describing unbearable pain and how it’s impacting your quality of life.” Mangione’s Reddit posts, under the name mister_cactus, had once linked to his personal programming site and offered numerous matching personal details. Reddit declined to confirm whether the account, which was deactivated this week, belonged to him. Reporters reviewed the posts in an internet archive. A poster depicting Luigi Mangione hangs outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in New York. Credit: AP Nothing in his Reddit posts reviewed by The Washington Post presaged violence. Authorities have not laid out their case for what they think drove Mangione to escalate his frustration with the health system, which is common in the United States, into an allegedly premeditated murder of a prominent executive. Thomas M. Dickey, an attorney for Mangione, didn’t respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Emboldened by the view from the top of the NFC North, the Detroit Lions are out to eliminate nightmare holiday gatherings when the Chicago Bears come to town Thursday for a lunchtime division duel. The Lions (10-1) are streaking one direction, the Bears (4-7) the other in the first matchup of the season between teams on opposite ends of the division. Riding a nine-game winning streak, their longest since a 10-game streak during their first season in Detroit in 1934, the Lions are burdened by losses in their traditional Thanksgiving Day game the past seven seasons. Three of the defeats are courtesy of Chicago. The Bears and Lions get together for the 20th time on Thanksgiving -- the Bears have 11 wins -- this week in the first of two meetings between the teams in a 25-day span. Detroit goes to Soldier Field on Dec. 22. "I think there's two things," Campbell said of the Thanksgiving losing streak. "Number one -- Get a W. And it's a division win that's why this huge. Number two is because the players are going to get a couple of days off. So, they have family, friends in, it'd be nice to feel good about it when you're with everybody because it's just not real fun. It's not real fun to be around." Detroit (10-1) owns the best record in the NFC but the Lions aren't even assured of a division title. Minnesota sits one game behind them and Green Bay is two games back. The Bears (4-7) sit in last place and would likely need to run the table to have any chance of making the playoffs. The Lions have been dominant in all phases and haven't allowed a touchdown in the past 10 consecutive quarters. Detroit's offense ranks first in points per game (32.7) and second in total yardage (394.3) The Lions defense has not given up a touchdown in the last 10 quarters. Rookie placekicker Jake Bates has made all 16 of his field goal attempts, including four from 50-plus yards over the past three games. Chicago shows up in a foul mood. The Bears are saddled with a five-game losing streak and Chicago's defense has been destroyed for nearly 2,000 total yards in the last four games. The Bears failed to reach the 20-point mark four times in five outings since they last won a game. In their latest defeat, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense perked up but they lost to Minnesota in overtime, 30-27. "We have to play complementary football for us to be able to win these games," coach Matt Eberflus said. "The games we have won, we have done that. The games we have been close we've missed the mark a little bit. Over the course of the year, it's been one side or the other, this side or that side. In this league you have to be good on all sides to win. That's what we are searching for." Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. The wide receiver trio of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Romeo Odunze combined for 21 receptions and two touchdowns while tight end Cole Kmet caught seven passes. "What I've been impressed with is just how he has grown," Campbell said. "He has grown every game but these last two I really feel like he's taken off and what they're doing with him has been really good for him and he just looks very composed. He doesn't get frazzled, plays pretty fast, and he's an accurate passer, big arm, and he's got some guys that can get open for him." Detroit's banged-up secondary could be susceptible against the Bears' veteran receivers in their bid to pull off an upset on Thursday. The Lions put two defensive backs on injured reserve in the past week and top cornerback Carlton Davis isn't expected to play due to knee and thumb injuries. Detroit offensive tackle Taylor Decker (knee) and top returner Kalif Raymond (foot) are also expected to miss the game, though Campbell expressed optimism that running back David Montgomery (shoulder), formerly of the Bears, would play. Bears safety Elijah Hicks was listed as a DNP for Tuesday's walkthrough. --Field Level MediaAfter years of Assassin's Creed games that show signs of classic stealthy goodness but aren't quite what I'm looking for, I've been trying really hard not to get excited about Assassin's Creed Shadows. Yes, the series is finally going to Japan and yes, Naoe's stealthy moves look fantastic, but my eyes roll into the back of my head when I see chunky health bars and "level 28" above guard heads. Shadows still has that loot-heavy RPG stink that put me off Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. And yet, the way Ubi keeps talking about Shadows suggests it's not only moving in a stealthier direction than ever before, but doing so by evoking the best games the studio ever made: Splinter Cell. Not by name, though—in a new "Stealth Gameplay Overview" blog , Ubi talked about the core pillars of Shadows' stealth, which heavily involves a new light visibility meter that's ripped straight out of the Splinter Cell playbook. The blog also includes new gameplay snippets, like this one showing the visibility meter in action: "For the first time in the Assassin's Creed series, hiding in the shadows will make you invisible to enemies," Ubi said. "During nighttime, any pocket of shadows becomes a dynamic hiding spot in which you can progress without being seen. This applies to both interiors and exteriors." As an even more direct pull from Splinter Cell, pockets of darkness can be created by extinguishing lanterns with shurikens. This is all stuff that Ubi has previously talked about, but I don't think we've seen Naoe's ability to grab enemies and move them before knocking them out (another notch in the Sam Fisher column). "While undetected, you can briefly grab and drag enemies in any direction to silently assassinate or take them down non-lethally," the blog reads. "This grab mechanic removes some of the automation we've had in the series before." This looks so cool: Naoe skulks up behind a guard, loops a rope around his neck, and starts dragging him away like a belligerent toddler before knocking him out in a bush. As Ubi indicates, this is a way more interesting method of moving bodies around because you don't have to sit through a kill animation first, and it rewards players for thinking ahead before charging toward guards. Now if only Naoe could interrogate bound guards for useful intel... I'm encouraged by this bit about Shadows enemy AI, too: The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. "If you get detected and are able to disappear again, enemies will search for you in pairs (one watcher and one seeker) and will remain more suspicious going forward," Ubi wrote. "That means that tactics such as whistling to lure them in will only increase their suspicion and thus their ability to spot you. This can have an impact on your ability to assassinate from a hiding spot, as these suspicious guards will be more likely to get in the way if you're not cautious enough." That already sounds more sophisticated than the AI behavior of the last few AC games, which as far as I could tell would lose sight of me and forget I ever existed. I love when stealth games manage to tighten the screws on sloppy play while still giving players options. What might prove controversial are enemy types that can't be assassinated dependent on your hidden blade upgrades, like samurai. Telling Assassin's Creed fans that they can't assassinate anyone they want tends to ruffle feathers, which is why Ubi is bringing back an optional setting that enables old school insta-kill assassinations on all enemies. But consider that stealth games are better when you can't just lights-out every scenario. I like the idea of an elite threat that, if stealth is the mission, is best avoided instead of confronted. Maybe this is Ubi acknowledging that easy stealth kills are kind of a crutch in this genre—you barely have to sneak if you can easily kill every guard in your way. This is the first of a handful of overview blogs dropping over the next few weeks. Next up is a focus on Yosuke and combat, all leading up to Assassin's Creed Shadows' new release date of February 14, 2025.

NoneJulia Wick | (TNS) Los Angeles Times As California politicos look ahead to 2025, the biggest question looming is whether Vice President Kamala Harris — a native daughter, battered just weeks ago by presidential election defeat — will enter the 2026 California governor’s race. Related Articles National Politics | Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people National Politics | Trump taps immigration hard-liner Kari Lake as head of Voice of America National Politics | Trump invites China’s Xi to his inauguration even as he threatens massive tariffs on Beijing National Politics | Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump National Politics | What Americans think about Hegseth, Gabbard and key Trump Cabinet picks AP-NORC poll Harris has yet to give any public indication on her thoughts and those close to her suggest the governorship is not immediately top of mind. But if Harris does ultimately run — and that’s a massive if — her entrée would seismically reshape the already crowded race for California’s highest office. Recent polling suggests Harris would have a major advantage, with 46% of likely voters saying they were somewhat or very likely to support her for governor in 2026, according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey co-sponsored by The Times. “If Vice President Harris were to choose to run, I am certain that that would have a near field-clearing effect on the Democratic side,” Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, said during a recent UC Irvine panel interview . Porter, a high-profile Democrat who has been eyeing the wide-open governor’s race, has yet to say whether she plans to run. Porter’s point was broadly echoed in conversations with nearly a dozen California political operatives and strategists, several of whom requested anonymity to speak candidly. Most speculated that a Harris entry would cause some other candidates in the race to scatter, creating further upheaval in down-ballot races as a roster of ambitious politicians scramble for other opportunities. “In politics, you always let the big dogs eat first,” quipped Democratic political consultant Peter Ragone. The current gubernatorial field is a who’s who of California politicians, but lacks a clear favorite or star with widespread name recognition. The vast majority of California’s 22 million voters have yet to pay attention to the race and have little familiarity with the candidates. The list of Democratic candidates includes Los Angeles’ first Latino mayor in more than a century ( Antonio Villaraigosa ); the first female and first out LGBTQ leader of the state Senate ( Toni Atkins ); the sitting lieutenant governor and first woman to hold that post ( Eleni Kounalakis ); the state superintendent of public instruction ( Tony Thurmond ) and the former state controller ( Betty Yee ). Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is serving his second term as California governor, meaning he is ineligible to run again. Several other Democrats, including Porter, outgoing Health and Human Services Director Xavier Becerra and state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta have also publicly toyed with the idea of a run. They could be less likely to enter the fray should Harris decide to run. What the billionaire mall mogul Rick Caruso — who has also been exploring a run — would choose to do is an open question, as Caruso might contrast himself with Harris as a more centrist candidate. The real estate developer was a registered Republican until November 2019. It’s unlikely that Harris will proffer a public decision in the immediate term, leaving plenty of time for political insiders to game out hypotheticals in the weeks and months to come. Harris’ office did not respond to a request for comment. “I think every candidate for governor is trying to get some kind of intel,” Mike Trujillo, a Los Angeles-based Democratic political consultant and former Villaraigosa staffer, said of a potential Harris run. Trujillo speculated that Harris’ current state was probably similar to Hillary Clinton’s hiking sojourns in the Chappaqua woods after losing to Donald Trump in 2016, or Al Gore growing a beard in the bruising aftermath of his 2000 defeat. “The first thing she’s probably thinking about is, ‘Well, can I run again for president in four years?’ Not, ‘Do I run for governor in two years?’” said one political operative who’s worked with Harris in the past. Harris maintains a home in Brentwood and previously served as California’s senator and attorney general. A successful run for governor in 2026 would almost certainly impede a grab for the presidency in 2028. (Though if history is any guide, an unsuccessful run for California governor does not definitively preclude a bid for the Oval Office: Two years after losing the White House to John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon lost the 1962 contest for governor to Pat Brown . The Yorba Linda native became the nation’s 37th president in 1969.) As the chief executive of a state that doubles as the world’s fifth-largest economy, Harris would have more power to steer policy and make changes as a California governor than she did as vice president, where her job required deference to President Biden. But leading a state, even the nation’s most populous, could feel like small potatoes after being a heartbeat (and a few dozen electoral votes) from the presidency. The protracted slog to November 2026 would also be a stark contrast to her ill-fated 107-day sprint toward the White House, particularly for a candidate whose 2020 presidential primary campaign was dogged by allegations of infighting and mismanagement. “I don’t think Kamala Harris has a deep psychological need to be governor of California, or to be in elective office in order to feel like she can contribute to society,” said the operative who’s worked with Harris in the past. “I think some of these people do, but she’s somebody who has enough prominence that she could do a lot of big, wonderful things without having to worry about balancing California’s budget or negotiating with Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel,” the Encino Democrat who chairs the Assembly’s budget committee. Technically, Harris has until March 2026 to decide whether she enters a race. But political strategists who spoke to The Times theorized that she probably would make a move by late spring, if she chooses to do so. “People will be more annoyed if she drops in in June,” a Democratic strategist involved with one of the gubernatorial campaigns said. Sending a clear signal by February would be more “courteous,” the strategist continued, explaining that such a move would give candidates more time to potentially enter other races. Kounalakis is a longtime friend and ally of Harris’ , and the vice president also has long-term relationships with some of the other candidates and potential candidates. California has eight statewide elected offices and campaign finance laws allow candidates to fundraise interchangeably for them, meaning money already raised for a candidate’s gubernatorial campaign could easily be redirected should they decide to run for, say, lieutenant governor instead. There are already a number of candidates running for lieutenant governor, including former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, former state Sen. Steven Bradford and former state Treasurer Fiona Ma. But that office probably would see even more interest should Harris enter the gubernatorial race. It’s a largely ceremonial position, but one that has served as a launching pad for the governorship. Still, even if Harris does enter the race, Republican political strategist Mike Murphy threw cold water on the idea that she would have an automatic glide path to the governor’s office. “It’s like Hollywood. Nobody knows anything. She’s famous enough to look credible in early polling. That’s all we know for sure,” Murphy said. “Does that predict the future? No. Are there a lot of downsides (to a potential Harris candidacy)? Totally, yes.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.DENVER, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. continues to benefit from solid economic growth, low unemployment and moderating inflation. From today’s vantage point, the U.S. economy seems likely to continue on that trajectory into 2025. However, the outlook for the rural economy is more volatile and uncertain. Rural industries are disproportionately exposed to federal policy, and the outcome of the 2024 election cycle promises to bring significant changes in the federal government’s approach to everything from international trade and immigration to energy exploration and rural economic development. According to a comprehensive year-ahead outlook report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange , the high level of policy uncertainty facing rural industries adds to their already long list of headwinds and challenges. “The environment we enter in 2025 hasn’t fully defined itself yet, but many of the policies proposed by the incoming administration would likely have a negative impact on U.S. agriculture,” said Rob Fox , director of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. “Open access to export markets and labor availability are critically important for agricultural producers and processors. Depending on how policy plays out, those two areas could be big challenges in 2025 and beyond.” The CoBank 2025 outlook report examines several key factors that will shape agriculture and market sectors that serve rural communities throughout the U.S. U.S. Economy: A New Economic Era Begins Most economists are forecasting 2025 U.S. GDP growth around 2.5%-3.0%, essentially the same as today. However, those forecasts are based on rather mild assumptions on forthcoming policy changes. When taken in isolation, President-elect Trump’s proposed policies — tax cuts, decreased labor supply and tariffs on imported goods — are all inflationary. Consequently, longer-term interest rates have already edged higher, and the market has downshifted expectations for further Fed rate cuts in 2025. There is a good chance the proposed tariffs and the crackdown on undocumented immigrants will be more disruptive than markets have priced in, particularly in industries like construction and agriculture. U.S. Government: Trump Administration, Congress Set for Bustling January Start Congress is expected to wrap up the lame duck session of the 118th Congress by Dec. 19, hopefully addressing important pieces of unfinished business. A one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill is increasingly likely. President-elect Trump is expected to pursue an ambitious first-100 days of executive orders and other legislative activity that will likely include many of his campaign promises. These may include significant deportation efforts and immigration reform, implementation of tariffs, extending the 2017 tax cuts and providing regulatory relief rolling back the Biden administration’s initiatives. The 119th Congress will have a long and challenging to-do list when members return to Washington on Jan. 3. U.S. Agricultural Economy: Trade War Could Send Ag Economy from Bad to Worse The short-lived commodity boom precipitated by global droughts, the war in Ukraine and COVID-19 supply issues is now a distant memory. Row crop prices are down nearly 50% from their 2022 highs. But production costs have remained elevated, and profitability has plunged to decade-plus lows. The silver lining is that dairy and livestock producers are generally profitable due to low feed costs and resilient consumer demand. However, more headwinds may be coming for both the crop and livestock sectors. President-elect Trump rode to victory on two main economic policy proposals: enact significant import tariffs and reduce immigration while deporting undocumented residents. In theory, these policies could achieve some limited objectives, but it is hard to paint them as anything but negative for the U.S. farm economy. Grains, Farm Supply & Biofuels: Policy Uncertainty Weighs on Exports, Biofuels A strengthening U.S. dollar, combined with the potential for trade disputes and record-large South American crops, weigh heavily on the outlook for grain and oilseed prices in 2025. U.S. farmers are widely expected to struggle with further margin compression as weaker commodity prices test farmers’ ability to lower production costs. Crop input decisions will be evaluated much more closely with a focus on inputs that provide the greatest return on investment. The bearish outlook for oil prices diminishes the demand picture for ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel. Uncertainty over U.S. biofuel policy under the new administration also clouds the demand outlook for biofuels. Animal Protein: Rising Margins Improve Prospects for Growth Falling feed costs and rising producer margins have renewed expansion interest in animal protein segments. However, labor, construction and land costs remain elevated, tempering expectations for any meaningful supply growth in the near term. U.S. beef cow herd expansion is not expected to start until 2026 or 2027. The smaller herd will further support higher feeder and fed cattle prices in the coming year. With consumers now pushing back on beef prices already near historic highs, packer margins will remain under pressure well into 2025. Dairy: Record Investment Will Continue to Grow the Category The U.S. will see an unprecedented $8 billion in new dairy processing investment through 2026. Some of the new plants are poised to come online in 2025, with about half of the investment in the cheese category. The expected surge in cheese and whey output will likely put downward pressure on dairy product prices in the second half of the year. Sourcing additional milk supplies to fill new plant capacity is a looming question. 2023 and 2024 will go down as the first back-to-back years since the late 1960s that U.S. milk production took a downturn. On the flip side, higher component levels in farmgate milk, largely butterfat and protein, have lifted finished product yields. Food & Beverage: Health and Nutrition Take Center Stage The headline news for food, beverage and consumer packaged goods in 2025 is President-elect Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy’s purported goals include eliminating ingredients banned in other countries and “getting the chemicals out” of America’s food supply. Meanwhile, consumers’ renewed focus on their health and the popularity of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are showing signs of impacting food manufacturers. GLP-1 users purchase around 8% less food compared with average consumers, according to J.P. Morgan research. Food and beverage manufacturers’ concerns about volume attrition are likely to continue well into 2025. Power & Energy: What an IRA Rollback Might Look Like President-elect Trump’s return to the White House will signal a significant shift in U.S. energy policy. While he has promised to end the Inflation Reduction Act, slowing the clean energy momentum that has accelerated under the IRA may be more difficult than imagined. Popular programs in the IRA have directed significant investments to many rural and economically distressed communities. And more than a dozen House Republicans have voiced concern that repealing the IRA could jeopardize ongoing development in their communities. Clawing back IRA funds that have already been allocated could prove to be very difficult. The more likely scenario is that unallocated IRA funding will be redirected to other priorities. Digital Infrastructure: Rural Connectivity Faces New Challenges Political uncertainty and low participation in the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment program raises big questions for bridging the digital divide in the year ahead. The $42.5 billion BEAD program, created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, includes an unprecedented level of government support. However, a lack of operator participation could blunt the impact of this well-intended program to bring reliable broadband access to underserved rural areas. Many small operators lack the specialized expertise or financial resources to meet some of the complicated BEAD requirements. Read the full report, The Year Ahead: Forces That Will Shape the U.S. Rural Economy in 2025 . About CoBank CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 77,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore. 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