People are tired of political news as ratings show they are tuning out, poll findsSyrian government forces have lost control of Daraa city, a war monitor said, in another stunning blow for President Bashar al-Assad's rule after rebels wrested other key cities from his grip. Daraa was dubbed "the cradle of the revolution" early in Syria's civil war, after activists accused the government of detaining and torturing a group of boys for scribbling anti-Assad graffiti on their school walls in 2011. While Aleppo and Hama, the two other main cities taken from government control in recent days, fell to an Islamist-led rebel alliance, Daraa fell to local armed groups, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Local factions have taken control of more areas in Daraa province, including Daraa city... they now control more than 90 percent of the province, as regime forces successively pulled out," the Britain-based Observatory said late Friday, which relies on a network of sources around Syria. Daraa province borders Jordan. Despite a truce brokered by Assad ally Russia, it has been plagued by unrest in recent years, with frequent attacks, clashes and assassinations. Syria's civil war, which began with Assad's crackdown on democracy protests, has killed more than 500,000 people and forced more than half the population to flee their homes. Never in the war had Assad's forces lost control of so many key cities in such a short space of time. Since a rebel alliance led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched its offensive on November 27, the government has lost second city Aleppo and subsequently Hama in central Syria. The rebels were on Friday at the gates of Homs, Syria's third city, as the government pulled out its troops from Deir Ezzor in the east to redeploy towards to the centre. In an interview published on Friday, the leader of HTS, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, said the aim of the offensive was to overthrow Assad. "When we talk about objectives, the goal of the revolution remains the overthrow of this regime. It is our right to use all available means to achieve that goal," Jolani told CNN. HTS is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda. Proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Western governments, it has sought to soften its image in recent years. According to Fabrice Balanche, a lecturer at France's Lumiere Lyon 2 university, HTS now controls 20,000 square kilometres (more than 7,700 square miles) of territory, nearly seven times as much as it did before the offensive started. As the army and its Iran-backed militia allies pulled out of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, Kurdish-led forces said they crossed the Euphrates and took control of the territory that had been vacated. The Observatory said government troops and their allies withdrew "suddenly" from the east and headed towards the oasis town of Palmyra on the desert road to Homs. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who are backed by the United States, expressed readiness for dialogue with both Turkey and the rebels, saying the offensive heralded a "new" political reality for Syria. The rebels launched their offensive the same day a ceasefire took effect in neighbouring Lebanon in the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The Lebanese militant group has been an important Assad ally, alongside Russia and Iran. Turkey, which has backed the opposition, said it would hold talks with Russia and Iran in Qatar this weekend. Ahead of the talks, the top diplomats of Iran, Iraq and Syria met in Baghdad, where Syria's Bassam al-Sabbagh accused the government's enemies of seeking to "redraw the political map". Iran's Abbas Araghchi pledged to provide Assad's government with "whatever (support) is needed". In Homs, scene of some of the war's deadliest violence, tens of thousands of members of Assad's Alawite minority were fleeing, fearing the rebels' advance, residents and the Britain-based Observatory said. Syrians who were forced out of the country years ago by the initial crackdown on the revolt were glued to their phones as they watched current developments unfold. "We've been dreaming of this for more than a decade," said Yazan, a 39-year-old former activist who now lives in France. Asked whether he was worried about HTS's Islamist agenda, he said: "It doesn't matter to me who is conducting this. The devil himself could be behind it. What people care about is who is going to liberate the country." On the other side of the sectarian divide, Haidar, 37, who lives in an Alawite-majority neighbourhood, told AFP by telephone that "fear is the umbrella that covers Homs now". The army shelled the advancing rebels as Syrian and Russian aircraft struck from the skies. At least 20 civilians, including five children, were killed in the bombardment, the war monitor added. At least 826 people, mostly combatants but also including 111 civilians, have been killed since the offensive began last week, according to the Observatory's figures, while the United Nations said the violence has displaced 280,000 people. Many of the scenes witnessed in recent days would have been unimaginable earlier in the war. In Hama, an AFP photographer saw residents set fire to a giant poster of Assad on the facade of city hall. "Our joy is indescribable, and we wish this for every honourable Syrian to experience these happy moments that we have been deprived of since birth," said Hama resident Ghiath Suleiman. Online footage verified by AFP showed residents toppling a statue of Assad's father Hafez, under whose brutal rule the army carried out a massacre in the city in the 1980s. Aron Lund, a fellow of the Century International think tank, called the loss of Hama "a massive, massive blow to the Syrian government". Should Assad lose Homs, it wouldn't mean the end of his rule, Lund said, but "with no secure route from Damascus to the coast, I'd say it's over as a credible state entity". bur-ser/rsc
Tariffs, sanctions or bans? What will Trump really achieve when the US says ‘no’Wicked would be fun and forgettable but for the alt-right waging its dark arts against it | Kate Maltby
Limited again, 49ers QB Brock Purdy still fighting sore shoulderTrump wants pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner to be ambassador to France
Massive Buyback Plan Announced – What You Need to KnowNoneHow major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 12/26/2024
Black Friday, November 29, has passed, but that doesn't mean it's too late to score the best deals of 2024. I've worked through numerous Black Fridays over the years, and my experience has always been the same: about half of the deals end on Black Friday at midnight, and the other half will stay live through the weekend and end on Cyber Monday (which lands on December 2). I have seen some amazing deals this year and at this point many are still available. I can promise you there will not be a shortage of incredible deals from now until December 2. In terms of deal quality, Black Friday 2024 has shaped up to be a golden year across several categories and expect this gravy train to continue into Cyber Monday. There are better-than-expected discounts on gaming consoles like the PlayStation 5 , Nintendo Switch , Meta Quest 3S , and Steam Deck, several Apple iPads , AirPods , and Apple Watches, including new 2024 models, rarely discounted video games (including top-shelf Switch games priced well under $40), powerful gaming PCs and laptops, and much, much more. Whether you're hunting down a specific deal, or casually perusing the top 100 Black Friday deals so far, I've got you covered. TL;DR - Best Black Friday Deals Meta Quest 3S (Free $75 Amazon Credit) - $299 Meta Quest 3 (Free $75 Amazon Credit) - $499 Nintendo Switch OLED Holiday Bundle - $274.99 Nintendo Switch Holiday Bundle - $224.99 PS5 Cobalt Star Disc Bundle - $424.99 PS5 NBA 2K25 Digital Bundle - $374.99 Hulu for $0.99/mo for 12 Months Apple AirPods Pro - $153.99 JLabs JBuds Lux Noise Cancelling Headphones - $29 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - $30 Star Wars Outlaws - $39.99 The Best Black Friday VR Headset Deal At $299.99, the Meta Quest 3S was inarguably the best value out there in the world of VR gaming, but the deal's even better. Both Amazon and Target are including freebies: Amazon shoppers get a bonus $75 in Amazon digital credit , and Target shoppers get a bonus $75 Target gift card . The Quest 3S also includes the Batman: Arkham Shadow VR game. What really sets this deal above all other VR deals (like the PlayStation VR2 ) is that the Meta Quest 3S can be played completely untethered. That means you can play games like Beat Saber or Pistol Whip without having to own a powerful gaming PC or a PlayStation 5 console. Try to find another standalone VR headset at this price and you'll come up empty. The Other Best Black Friday VR Headset Deal Deep into Black Friday, Amazon has finally offered a pretty sweet deal on a Meta Quest 3 512GB VR headset. You can get it for the current retail price of $499.99, however Amazon is throwing in a bonus $75 in Amazon digital credit. Reminder that it was less than two months go that Meta dropped the official retail price from $649.99 to $499.99. The Meta Quest 3 is the best standalone consumer-oriented VR headset you can get right now. The Quest 3S has very similar internals, and the same Touch controllers, but with downgraded optics. That's more significant than it reads on paper. How much enjoyment you get from VR headset is largely determined by the visual quality of the display.. If the image that you see is blurry, or distorted, it takes you out of the immersion. Sony released its entire set of Black Friday PlayStation deals last week and most major retailers have followed suit. The best deal is definitely on the consoles themselves and not the accessories: The PS5 Slim Disc Edition has dropped to $424.99 (originally $500) and the PS5 Slim Digital Edition has dropped to $374.99 (originally $450). I would choose the Disc Edition because it's only $50 more and then I have the option to buy (and later sell or trade) physical disc media. But if you want to save some money and go the Digital Edition route, I would suggest getting the NBA 2K25 bundle (see below), which also includes a game. Although the Fortnite Cobalt Star bundle has a fancy-looking box, no actual game is included. More PlayStation Black Friday Deals Star Wars: Outlaws was released only three months ago and it's already 33% off for Black Friday. Maybe Ubisoft is trying to boost sales after a lackluster launch , but that means you get to enjoy a AAA title at a great discount. IGN's Tristan Ogilvie gave it a 7/10 review, which is still good, but I've beaten the game and immensely enjoyed it, so I would have given it an 8. It definitely has an "Assassin's Creed game in a Star Wars skin" vibe, and there's nothing wrong with that. More Black Friday Video Game Deals for PS5/Xbox Compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the Nintendo Switch console has the best discount for Black Friday. The early holiday bundles, which were released back in October, included your choice of the Switch or Switch OLED , a digital download voucher for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe , and a 12-month Switch Online membership. I thought that this was going to be the official Black Friday deal. Alas, Target ( but not Amazon, due to its supposedly shaky relationship with Nintendo ) has just knocked another $75 off the price tag. That means you can pick up a Switch bundle for as low as $225. I have both models and, if I were to buy a third, it would be the Switch OLED. The screen is that much better. More Nintendo Switch Black Friday Deals For the moment, Walmart is the only retailer offering Tears of the Kingdom for $30. IGN gave it a 10/10 "Masterpiece" rating and I would have to agree. Tom Marks wrote that "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an unfathomable follow-up, expanding a world that already felt full beyond expectation and raising the bar ever higher into the clouds." I wouldn't wait too long to get this deal; Walmart is already sold out of physical copies. More Black Friday Video Game Deals for Nintendo Switch The least expensive adjustable dumbells Bowflex isn't the only option when it comes to adjustable dumbbell sets, especially on Black Friday. FitRX is another popular brand at a much, much lower price point. As part of the Walmart Black Friday Sale , you can pick up a pair of FitRx Adjustable Dumbbells for only $139.97. A comparable set of Bowflex 551 adjustable dumbbells costs three times more . Walmart even offers free shipping, which is great since the package will weigh in at well over 100 pounds. The Best Black Friday Streaming Deal This Black Friday, Hulu is available for just $0.99/month for an entire year – down from $9.99/month, and at 90% off that's hard to beat. Similarly, the Disney+ bundle is being offered at $2.99/month for a year , down from $10.99/month, making these some of the best Black Friday streaming deals available. Don't miss out. Hulu stands out as one of the top streaming platforms today, yet it’s often underrated. With critically acclaimed movies like Anatomy of a Fall and Talk to Me , and standout, Emmy-winning TV series such as Shogun , Abbott Elementary , The Bear , and Only Murders in the Building , there’s always something exceptional to watch. The best Black Friday AirPods deal has arrived and it's better than I predicted . Amazon, Target, and Walmart have all dropped the price of the second-generation Apple AirPods Pro wireless noise-cancelling earbuds to $153.99. This discount brings the price down to the same level as the Apple AirPods 4 with noise cancellation . Between the two, the AirPods Pro is still Apple's best earbuds because it offers better sound quality and better noise cancellation performance. There are a lot of amazing iPad deals today, like the new iPad Mini for $399.99 or the iPad Pro M4 for $850 , but this is the best deal for most people. The standard iPad is the model I'd recommend; it offers snappy performance and the intuitive iOS interface at a low price. Tenth gen improvements over its predecessor include a larger 10.9" screen and a faster A14 Bionic chip, Magic Folio keyboard support so you can convert it into a mini laptop (making it one of the best iPads for students ), a USB Type-C port, better camera, and updated Wi-Fi 6 protocol. For anyone on a budget, this is the Apple Watch to get . The second generation Apple Watch SE starts at just $149 only at Amazon and Walmart . This is the best price we've ever seen for a brand-new Apple Watch with a warranty. Despite the affordable price tag, you actually don't lose out on much functionality if you opt for an Apple Watch SE. It's powered by the same S8 processor found in the Apple Watch Series 8 and the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra. It also features a bright and sharp OLED Retina display, IPX7 water resistance, fall detection, sleep tracking, Apple Pay, and nearly all the fitness tracking functionality including heart rate monitoring. More Apple Black Friday Deals Lots of interactive elements for a display-worthy set This popular LEGO Creator set rarely goes on sale. Today, LEGO Shop is offering the LEGO NASA Space Shuttle Discovery 10283 set for $159.99, or a savings of 20%. You'll need to be a LEGO Insiders member, but signing up is free. This impressive set consists of 2,354 bricks, which averages out to about 6.7 cents per brick. As its namesake suggests, this is a replica of the Space Shuttle Discovery, with a center compartment that opens up and houses a separate Hubble telescope, which can be deployed with a robot arm. It looks amazing as a display, but it's also very interactive. Up to 50% Off These Smart Glasses There's a very intriguing – if a bit controversial – deal going on that you might want to check out for yourself. Both Amazon and Target are offering a 20% discount off the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses , with prices starting at $239.20. That's the same deal you'll find at other retailers, however Amazon and Target are throwing in additional freebies: either $90 in Amazon digital credit or a $90 Target gift card. The Meta Wayfarer glasses are an influencer's dream, and that's exactly what they're designed for: social media. They're surprisingly slim and lightweight for glasses equipped with an integrated 12MP video camera and speaker. You can use them to take quick snapshots or up to 60 second videos that you can then upload to your social media of choice. You can even livestream 30 second videos in 720p. Includes One-Time $20 Audible Credit See deal in the UK - £0.99/month for three months (was £7.99) From now until December 31, non-current Audible subscribers are eligible for three months of Audible Premium Plus for $0.99 per month and a bonus one-time $20 Audible credit. Premium Plus is Audible's best plan and three months would normally cost you about $44.95. You also get a free audiobook of your choice each month that you get to keep indefinitely. Audible is a subscription service that gives you access to hundreds of thousands of the best audiobooks without ever having to purchase them. Premium Plus is Audible's highest tier plan and it gives you access to a whopping 500,000 audiobooks. These include all-time classics like Frank Herbert's Dune , Harry Potter, Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire), The Witcher , The Sandman Series, and The Lord of the Rings . Where Are the Xbox Deals? Xbox gamers might be wondering why I haven't listed Xbox consoles. Unfortunately, Microsoft seems to have taken a step back and decided not to host any outstanding console deals for Black Friday. All of the consoles are marked down by $50, but these deals aren't exceptional. If you're already an Xbox owner, however, and are looking for discounts on peripherals, there are two great deals to consider. The WD Black C50 Storage Expansion Card is down to $99.99 from $150. Also, Xbox wireless controllers are down to as low as $39.99. Even better, the limited edition Ghost Cipher and Sky Cipher controllers are both on sale for just $45 each. One of the best gaming PC deals to come out of the Alienware Black Friday Sale is this Alienware Aurora R16 configuration for $1,499.99. It's the least expensive desktop computer equipped with an RTX 4070 Ti Super GPU. The rest of the specs are up to snuff as well, like an Intel Core i7-14700 CPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. The RTX 4070 Ti Super GPU is good enough to run even the newest games at up to 4K resolution (in fact, it's the least expensive GPU that I'd recommend for high-framerate 4K gaming), although I'd say that 1440p is its sweet spot. More Black Friday Gaming PC Deals The Walmart Black Friday Sale brings with it this excellent gaming laptop deal. Walmart is offering a Lenovo LOQ RTX 4070 gaming laptop for only $879.99. Yes, you read that right. The LOQ is Lenovo's lineup of budget-oriented gaming laptops. This system features a 15" 1080p display, a low-voltage AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS CPU, GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The RTX 4070 GPU is a fully powered (115W TGP) model, not a throttled one like on some other budget laptops. Despite its low cost, this laptop will perform almost as well as the best RTX 4070 gaming laptops. You should be able to play any game comfortably on the 1080p display. More Black Friday Gaming Laptop Deals Perhaps the best Black Friday deal on a high-end gaming monitor has arrived. Amazon is offering the massive 57" Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Dual 4K UHD gaming monitor at the exclusive price of $1,499.99. That's $100 less than everyone else's gaming monitor Black Friday deal and nearly 50% off the retail price. Keep in mind that there is no other monitor to compare it with. If you're looking for the biggest and sharpest super ultra-wide gaming monitor on the planet, this would be it right here. Just make sure that your GPU is up to snuff. Alienware just sweetened the deal on its best gaming monitor for Black Friday Sale. Right now, the 32" Alienware AW3225QF 32" 4K QD OLED gaming monitor is down to $899.99. That's the lowest price I've seen all year long. However for Black Friday only, Alienware just tossed in a bonus $100 Dell promotional e-gift card with your purchase. The Alienware AW3225QF was released earlier this year and is actually Dell's one and only monitor that combines a 4K resolution with an OLED panel. More Black Friday Gaming Monitor Deals Best Buy is the only retailer to drop the price on the new Asus ROG Ally X so far for Black Friday. Right now you can get it for $699.99 after a $100 instant discount. In our Asus ROG Ally X review , gaming guru Jacqueline Thomas wrote that "the Asus ROG Ally X is simply the best handheld gaming PC on the market right now. With more and faster memory and double the battery as the original Ally, the Ally X will run any modern game without dying in an hour and a half." More Black Friday PC Gaming Deals Black Friday TV Deals These JLabs JBuds Lux are an incredible value. First of all, they feature both wireless connectivity and noise cancellation for under $30. Better yet, unlike virtually all other headphones at this price point, they're actually very good! SoundGuys recently reviewed the JLabs JBuds Lux and gave it an absolutely glowing review, mentioning that they were one of the best headphones under $100. SoundGuys considered them an extremely good value at their retail price of $79 . Imagine their opinion at the current $29 price point. More Black Friday Headphone Deals You can pick up a copy of Azul for only $20 for Black Friday. Many board games are about mystery or war, but Azul is totally different. Players in Azul compete to design the most beautiful tiled mosaics they can. In our Azul review , Matt Thrower writes, "Between its beautiful presentation, simplicity and depth there’s little doubt that Azul has earned its place as a modern classic. While the tinkering with its formula undertaken by its sequels has created more challenging games, none has captured the fine blend of accessibility and interactivity that makes it special." More Black Friday Board Games The Coolest Toy for Gamers One deal you might have missed is this really awesome MEGA Microsoft Xbox 360 Collector Building Set . It's normally $150 but there's a 50% discount for Black Friday that drops it to only $74.99. The MEGA Microsoft Xbox 360 Collector Building Set is a buildable 3:4 scale replica of the Xbox 360 console with a brick count total of 1,342 pieces (5.5 cents per brick). The details in this build are, frankly, incredible, and include interactive elements, lighting effects, and the coolest accessories. This is such an interesting product that I wrote up a dedicated Black Friday article just for this deal . iFixit might be a familiar brand name for you from all of the helpful teardown videos of various electronics that've hosted on YouTube. Well, they also sell an extremely practical and high quality toolkit that helps you do the same. Amazon is offering the iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit for electronics, smartphones, gaming consoles, PCs and laptops, and tablets for only $59.96. It normally retails for $75 and we've only seen a price drop only once this year back in May. This is one of the very best tool kits you can buy for disassembling and repairing your electronics -- including your Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck -- without spending hundreds of dollars on a commercial kit. More Random Black Friday Deals Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy are all one-stop shopping sites, so it makes sense that their Black Friday sales extend beyond gaming and tech. Here are the best deals I've seen so far on small kitchen appliances, personal care products like hair dryers and toothbrushes , vacuum cleaners , and other convenient necessities that everyone – gamers included – might find useful. On a personal note, although air fryers are all the rage these days, I bought my Instant Pot pressure cooker over 10 years ago and I still use it weekly. My air fryer sits in the cabinet. If you prefer to shop by retailer, we've written up Black Friday Deals roundups for each of the major retailers: Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and Gamestop. Check them out below: Amazon Black Friday Sale Target Black Friday Sale Walmart Black Friday Sale Best Buy Black Friday Sale Gamestop Black Friday Sale Dell Black Friday Sale Alienware Black Friday Sale Lenovo Cyber Monday Sale HP Black Friday Sale Secretlab Black Friday Sale Sonos Black Friday Sale Will the Deals Change for Cyber Monday? In my experience, many of the same deals we saw on Black Friday will return for Cyber Monday 2024 , including deals that were sold out or expired. Retailers usually release their hottest selling items in batches so that every sale event has at least some inventory reserved. That said, I also expect plenty of new, never before seen deals. Traditionally, Black Friday was known as the "retail holiday," where the best deals were found in-store, and Cyber Monday was known as the "online holiday," where the best deals were online only. Although today the lines have blurred, it is still true that many online only retailers still consider Cyber Monday the sale event of the year instead of Black Friday . Expect some amazing sales to come out of online-only sites like Amazon, Newegg, Dell, HP, Lenovo and several online-only deals from traditional retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. In fact, Amazon has taken the preemptive and already switched over to Cyber Monday. Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.If you want to get the biggest possible Social Security benefit, you have to wait until age 70, and personal finance experts do often recommend waiting until that age to claim. Several studies suggest that's the age when the average retiree will maximize their lifetime benefit from the program. However, delaying until age 70 comes with serious downsides too, and it doesn't make sense for everyone to wait that long. Here's the unfortunate truth about claiming Social Security at age 70. You're taking a risk As mentioned, studies show the average retiree will collect more in Social Security benefits over their lifetime if they delay until age 70. While they'll forego benefit checks in their sixties, the larger amount they'll receive in their 70s and beyond will eventually catch up and overtake the amount they'd receive from claiming early. But the person waiting to claim at age 70 must live into their 80s before their cumulative benefits overtake what they would have received from the program by claiming earlier. But you're probably not average. You might live longer than average; you might live shorter. There's no way to know for certain, but you can make a good guess. If you have reason to suspect you'll live a shorter-than-average life due to family history, personal health issues, or other reasons, it might be wise to claim benefits earlier rather than waiting. You may leave less for your heirs While you might maximize your lifetime income from Social Security by waiting until age 70, you could end up with less wealth to pass onto your heirs. Unlike your investment accounts and retirement savings, Social Security benefits don't pass on to your next of kin. If you wait to start collecting Social Security until age 70, you may have to draw down your retirement accounts faster in your 60s. That puts a lot of pressure on your accounts to perform well for those few years while you're taking larger withdrawals. A poor sequence of returns could leave your retirement balances substantially lower, if not depleted, by the time the years of good returns show up. At that point, you'll be able to get by with the help of Social Security, but you might not have a whole lot left to give to your loved ones. Again, it all comes down to risk. There are ways to mitigate that risk in your portfolio with smart asset allocation , but it comes at the cost of expected returns. Waiting until age 70 and using appropriate asset allocation in your 60s should lead to higher and more stable overall cash flow during retirement, but it can come with the cost of leaving less for your heirs (on average). You may have other factors to consider A couple can often increase their total expected lifetime benefits if the lower-earning partner claims well before age 70. That's because Social Security offers special benefits for couples. The first one to consider is spousal benefits , which offer the lower-earning spouse the right to receive up to one-half of the amount the higher-earning spouse would receive at their full retirement age. That could be more than what they'd receive based on their own earnings record. But unlike personal benefits, spousal benefits max out at full retirement age , or between 66 and 67. The second one to consider is survivor benefits. These allow a widow or widower to receive the same amount in benefits that their partner was receiving before their passing. Thus, couples need to consider their joint life expectancies when deciding when to claim for the higher-earning spouse. This often tilts the odds even more heavily toward waiting until age 70 for the higher-earning spouse. On the other hand, the lower-earning spouse can claim much earlier, perhaps even at age 62 since their Social Security income will have less of an impact on the couple's joint lifetime benefits. The math gets a lot more complicated when discussing Social Security claiming strategies for couples. It may be worth sitting down with a professional to discuss your options and how they could impact the financial factors you value you most -- whether it's maximizing Social Security, leaving more to your heirs, or making sure your income in retirement remains as stable as possible. Waiting until age 70 isn't always the right answer.Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its holdings in Dell Technologies Inc. ( NYSE:DELL – Free Report ) by 529.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,008 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 11,783 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Dell Technologies were worth $1,661,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of DELL. Accordant Advisory Group Inc purchased a new position in Dell Technologies during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Clean Yield Group acquired a new position in Dell Technologies in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Nemes Rush Group LLC purchased a new stake in Dell Technologies during the second quarter valued at about $33,000. Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Dell Technologies during the second quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new position in shares of Dell Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 38.10% of the company’s stock. Insider Activity In other news, CFO Yvonne Mcgill sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.24, for a total transaction of $1,145,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 236,419 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $33,864,657.56. The trade was a 3.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, CEO Michael S. Dell sold 221,460 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $102.07, for a total transaction of $22,604,422.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 20,190,781 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,060,873,016.67. This trade represents a 1.08 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 17,962,112 shares of company stock valued at $2,114,595,059. 46.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets View Our Latest Stock Report on DELL Dell Technologies Trading Up 2.6 % Shares of NYSE DELL opened at $127.59 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $89.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.89. Dell Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $67.51 and a twelve month high of $179.70. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $127.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $126.91. Dell Technologies ( NYSE:DELL – Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 26th. The technology company reported $2.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.32. Dell Technologies had a net margin of 4.36% and a negative return on equity of 184.20%. The firm had revenue of $24.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.67 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.62 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Dell Technologies Inc. will post 6.93 earnings per share for the current year. Dell Technologies Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 22nd were paid a $0.445 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, October 22nd. This represents a $1.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.40%. Dell Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 31.45%. Dell Technologies Profile ( Free Report ) Dell Technologies Inc designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports various comprehensive and integrated solutions, products, and services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Client Solutions Group (CSG). Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Dell Technologies Investing In Preferred Stock vs. Common Stock The Latest 13F Filings Are In: See Where Big Money Is Flowing What Are Dividend Achievers? An Introduction 3 Penny Stocks Ready to Break Out in 2025 Breakout Stocks: What They Are and How to Identify Them FMC, Mosaic, Nutrien: Top Agricultural Stocks With Big Potential Receive News & Ratings for Dell Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dell Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Vice President Kamala Harris rarely, if ever, brought up transgender rights during her 2024 presidential bid — but President-elect Donald Trump did, devoting . Yahoo News reporter Andrew Romano breaks down a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll that shows how that $37 million investment appears to have paid off at the ballot box.
Palantir Technologies ( PLTR 1.56% ) shares have soared by 285% this year, while Nvidia ( NVDA 2.15% ) shares have advanced by 175%. Both companies play important roles in the burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) economy, but several billionaire fund managers sold some of their Palantir stakes and bought more shares of Nvidia during the third quarter. Cliff Asness of AQR Capital Management sold 99,140 shares of Palantir, cutting his position by 16%. Meanwhile, he added 719,710 shares of Nvidia, upping his position by 5%. Nvidia is now the largest position in AQR's portfolio. Ken Griffin of Citadel sold 5.1 million shares of Palantir, reducing his stake by 91%. Meanwhile, he bought 4.7 million shares of Nvidia, increasing his stake by 194%. Nvidia is the second largest position in Citadel's portfolio, excluding options contracts and index funds. Steven Schonfeld of Schonfeld Strategic Advisors sold 60,384 shares of Palantir, closing his position in it completely. Meanwhile, he added 703,192 shares of Nvidia, increasing his stake by 217%. Nvidia is the largest holding in Schonfeld's portfolio, excluding index funds. Palantir Technologies: The stock some billionaires were selling Palantir provides data analytics software. Its core Gotham and Foundry platforms integrate information and machine learning (ML) models into an ontology -- a digital layer that defines the relationships between real-world objects. Using prebuilt and custom analytics tools, businesses can query the ontology layer to surface insights that improve decision-making. Palantir also has an artificial intelligence platform called AIP, which brings generative AI support to its core products, letting users engage with that software using natural language. For instance, procurement teams managing supply chains with Foundry can simply ask the platform to review problems and propose solutions as they arise. While many vendors sell AI and analytics tools, Palantir believes it is unique in its ability to operationalize AI. In other words, Palantir says its software lets clients move prototype use cases to production more effectively than other solutions. There may be a bit of posturing in that belief, but analysts have recognized Palantir as a leader in AI/ML platforms. Palantir reported excellent financial results in the third quarter, beating estimates on the top and bottom lines. Revenue increased 30% to $725 million, and non-GAAP net income surged 43% to $0.10 per diluted share. Management attributed its strong performance to momentum with AIP. "Our unchallenged ability to channel and guide the demand for integrating AI seamlessly with essential data, distribution, and decision-making structures is what truly sets us apart," CEO Alex Karp wrote in his letter to shareholders. That confidence is undoubtedly encouraging for Palantir shareholders, but the company's valuation has become a significant problem. Wall Street expects Palantir to grow its adjusted earnings at an annualized rate of 27% through 2025. That makes the current valuation of 188 times earnings look absurdly expensive. Those figures give it a price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 7, and conventional wisdom says anything trading at a PEG above 2 is expensive. Prospective investors should avoid this stock for the time being, and current shareholders should consider trimming large positions. Nvidia: The stock some billionaires were buying Dan Ives at Wedbush Securities says Nvidia is the "foundation of the AI revolution." The company designs the most coveted graphics processing units (GPUs) in the computing industry. Nvidia accounted for 98% of data center GPU shipments in the last two years, and it has about 80% market share in AI accelerator chips. That leadership is reinforced by CUDA, a robust ecosystem of software development tools. An article in The Wall Street Journal recently explained how CUDA contributed to the rise of Nvidia: "Year after year, Nvidia responded to the needs of software developers by pumping out specialized libraries of code, allowing a huge array of tasks to be performed on its GPUs at speeds that were impossible with conventional, general-purpose processors like those made by Intel and AMD ," wrote that newspaper's Christopher Mims. Nvidia reported excellent financial results in the third quarter, beating estimates on the top and bottom lines. Revenue rose 94% to $35 billion, and non-GAAP net income jumped 103% to $0.81 per diluted share. Investors have good reason to think that momentum will continue. Nvidia is currently ramping up production of its next-generation Blackwell GPUs, and CFO Colette Kress recently told analysts, "Demand is staggering." Looking ahead, Wall Street expects Nvidia's adjusted earnings to increase at an annualized rate of 52% through its fiscal 2026, which ends in January 2026. That consensus makes the current valuation of 52 times adjusted earnings look quite reasonable. Those figures give a PEG ratio of 1, which makes Nvidia far cheaper than Palantir. Patient investors should be comfortable buying a position in this stock today.Ghana’s opposition leader John Mahama officially won the country’s election on Monday, easily defeating the ruling party candidate after voters punished the government’s economic management and high living costs. Mahama won 56 percent of the votes in Saturday’s presidential ballot, compared to the ruling party candidate and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who secured 41 percent, the electoral commission said announcing official results. The landslide comeback for former president Mahama ended eight years in power for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose last term was marked by Ghana’s worst economic turmoil in years, an IMF bailout and a debt default. “These eight years have witnessed some of the darkest periods of our governance,” Mahama told crowds of supporters blowing horns and whistles in his party office in Accra. “This mandate also serves as a constant reminder of what fate awaits us if we fail to meet the aspirations of our people.” Bawumia, a former central banker, had already quickly conceded defeat on Sunday, acknowledging Ghanaians wanted change after the government failed to shake off widespread frustration. Bawumia also said the Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) party had won the parliamentary vote in Saturday’s election. Official results for the parliament are still being tallied. Mahama, 66, had previously failed twice to secure the presidency, but in Saturday’s election he managed to tap into expectations of change among Ghanaians. – Back on track – He promised to “reset” Ghana, usher in economic revival and renegotiate parts of the country’s $3 billion IMF accord. In his acceptance speech, Mahama promised reforms and “severe” measures to bring Ghana back on track. “The journey is not going to be easy... because the outgoing government has plunged our dear nation into the abyss,” he said. “I am certain that we shall win the battle.” With a history of democratic stability, Ghana’s two major parties, the NPP and NDC, have alternated in power equally since the return to multi-party politics in 1992. But Ghana’s economic woes dominated the 2024 election, after the continent’s top gold producer and world’s second cacao exporter went through a debt crisis, the default and currency devaluation. Turnout for Saturday election was 60.9 percent, a slide in participation from 79 percent in the 2020 election, results showed. With a slogan “Break the 8” — a reference to two, four-year terms in power — Bawumia had sought to take the NPP to an unprecedented third mandate. But he struggled to break from criticism of Akufo-Addo’s economic record. While inflation slowed from more than 50 percent to around 23 percent, and other indicators stabilised, economic concerns were still a clear election issue for most Ghanaians. That frustration opened the way for a comeback from Mahama, who first came to the presidency in 2012 when he was serving as vice president and then President John Atta Mills died in office. During campaigning, the former president also faced criticism from those who remember his government’s own financial tribulations and especially the massive power blackouts that marred his time in office. With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.
Britain should move thousands of inmates into low-security open prisons to tackle the overcrowding crisis and reduce reoffending, a senior government adviser has said. David Gauke, the Tory former justice secretary, urged ministers to copy Spain, where a much greater proportion of convicted criminals are free to work and study outside prison walls during the day. In an interview with The Times, he said the policy saved money and meant that inmates were better prepared for release and therefore less likely to reoffend. Gauke, who was justice secretary under Theresa May, is leading a review of sentencing policy for the Labour government, which will influence changes to legislation by the end of next year. He said: “We don’t make as much use of open prisonsForgotten Chelsea star could hand Enzo Maresca huge boost in title bid this weekend... without even playing for Blues
VANCOUVER, BC , Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Seaspan Corporation (Seaspan), world leading independent containership lessor, has signed an agreement to equip its fleet with the OneWeb advanced low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite offering from KVH Industries. This marks the next step in Seaspan's drive to deliver shore-like internet connectivity at sea, supporting its digital transformation strategy and augmenting its fleet's existing LEO services. As an early adopter of LEO technologies, Seaspan is the first major owner/operator of containerships to partner with KVH for its OneWeb solution. Seaspan's OneWeb rollout will further strengthen the fleet's data connectivity infrastructure, enabling Seaspan to leverage advanced technologies and high bandwidth-demanding applications, including solutions such as cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) technology that were previously unsuitable for maritime use. "Our partnership with KVH for OneWeb services aligns with our strategy of providing a best-in-class communication experience across our fleet," said Garret Wong , Seaspan's Vice President of Information Technology. "This initiative brings us closer to realizing shore-like connectivity at sea while enhancing efficiency, safety, and seafarer welfare." Adrian Alb, Senior Manager of IT Operations at Seaspan, added "LEO satellite technologies have set a new benchmark for vessel communications, offering high-bandwidth, low latency, and reliability far beyond traditional marine satellite solutions. This collaboration with KVH aligns with our goal of enhancing provider diversity and minimizing geographical blackout zones, further bolstering the robustness of our satellite communications infrastructure." Chad Impey , Senior Vice President for Global Sales at KVH, commented, "We are proud to support Seaspan with the planned deployment of OneWeb service and hardware as part of our integrated KVH ONE multi-orbit, multi-channel network solution." With the integration of OneWeb LEO technology from KVH Industries, Seaspan continues to demonstrate its commitment to adopting cutting edge technologies enabling its fleet to meet the demands of modern maritime operations. About Seaspan Corporation Seaspan is the world's leading maritime asset-owner and operator focussed on long-term, fixed-rate leases to the world's most prominent shipping lines. As of September 30, 2024 , Seaspan's operating fleet consisted of 218 vessels, pro forma for undelivered newbuilds including PCTCs, with a total fleet capacity of approximately 2.3 million TEU on a fully delivered basis. For more information, visit seaspancorp.com . About KVH Industries, Inc. KVH Industries, Inc. is a global leader in maritime and mobile connectivity delivered via the KVH ONE® network. The company, founded in 1982, is based in Middletown, RI , with research, development, and manufacturing operations in Middletown, RI , and more than a dozen offices around the globe. KVH provides connectivity solutions for commercial maritime, leisure marine, military/government, and land mobile applications on vessels and vehicles, including the TracNetTM, TracPhone®, and TracVision product lines, the KVH ONE OpenNet Program for non-KVH antennas, AgilePlans® Connectivity as a Service (CaaS), and the KVH Link crew wellbeing content service. KVH Industries, Inc., has used, registered, or applied to register its trademarks in the USA and other countries around the world, including but not limited to the following marks: KVH, KVH ONE, TracVision, TracPhone, TracNet, and AgilePlans. Other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seaspan-corporation-signs-agreement-with-kvh-to-equip-fleet-with-oneweb-low-earth-orbit-solution-302326768.html SOURCE Seaspan CorporationShare Tweet Share Share Email The cryptocurrency landscape is evolving rapidly, with innovative projects paving the way for transformative change in blockchain, artificial intelligence, and decentralised finance. For investors seeking the best coins to invest in now, Qubetics , Cosmos (COSMOS), and EOS stand out as top contenders. These altcoins offer groundbreaking solutions to real-world challenges with immense potential for exponential growth. Qubetics aims to unify blockchain ecosystems by enhancing cross-chain interoperability and asset transfer capabilities, unlocking new possibilities for Web3. 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For More Information: Qubetics: https://qubetics.com Telegram: https://t.me/qubetics Twitter: https://x.com/qubetics Related Items: Blockchain , Qubetic Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you $560K Could Be $4.5M With Qubetics While Hedera Gains Institutional Backing and Polygon Scales Up Best Coins to Invest in for Short Term: Qubetics’ QubeQode, Binance’s Exchange Power, and Bitcoin Cash’s Speed What Are the Best Crypto Coins to Buy in December? Comments
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