PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump joined SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son to announce plans by the Japanese company to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years. Trump announced the planned investments, which are expected to focus on artificial intelligence, at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Monday, with Son at his side, along with Howard Lutnick, head of investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and Trump’s pick for commerce secretary. “He’s doing this because he feels very optimistic about our country,” Trump said. The president-elect said that since his election, people have expressed interest in “coming in with tremendous amounts of money.” The investments by SoftBank, Trump said, are “a monumental demonstration of confidence in America’s future.” Son said he wanted to “celebrate the great victory of President Trump” and that he will “bring the world into peace again.” “I am truly excited to make this happen,” he said. After the president-elect noted the $100 billion was double an investment pledge Son made in 2016 on the eve of Trump’s first administration, the technology mogul said he was doubling down. Trump, appearing to joke, asked him at the microphone if he would double the investment again: “Would you make it $200 billion?” Trump has in the past announced deals with companies overseas with much fanfare, though some companies in the end failed to deliver on those promised investments. Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwanese company best known for producing Apple iPhones, won Trump’s praise after announcing plans in 2017 to build a $10 billion complex that would employ 13,000 people in a small town just south of Milwaukee. But Foxconn’s investment has been scaled back to a fraction of that after the COVID-19 pandemic. Monday’s announcement, however, is a win for Trump, who has used the weeks since the election to promote his policies, negotiate with foreign leaders and try to strike deals. He had already threatened steep tariffs for Mexico and Canada, which prompted a visit from Canada’s prime minister aIn a post on his Truth Social site last week, Trump said anyone making a $1 billion investment in the United States “will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals.”nd a call with Mexico’s president. SoftBank was founded in 1981 by Son, a brash entrepreneur who studied at the University of California, Berkeley. SoftBank makes investments in a variety of companies that it groups together through its capital venture fund. The company’s investment portfolio includes search engine Yahoo, Chinese retailer Alibaba, and artificial intelligence company Nvidia . Earlier this year, it joined a partnership with Saudi Arabia to build a robot factory in Riyadh. After Trump won the White House the first time in 2016, he met with Son before taking office. Son then announced plans to create 50,000 jobs and invest $50 billion in U.S. startups, which Trump celebrated on social media, saying it never would have happened if he hadn’t won the election. Not all investments have panned out. The most notorious was SoftBank’s massive stake in the office-sharing company WeWork which sought bankruptcy protection last year. It also invested in the failed robot pizza-making company Zume. Monday’s announcement comes days after Trump vowed to expedite federal permits for energy projects and other construction worth more than $1 billion.China seeks balance of books and sports for children’s fitter futureCould Investing $10,000 in QuantumScape Make You a Millionaire?
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What to know about ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah( MENAFN - PR Newswire) The Base Shelf Prospectus is accessible, and the Final Prospectus Supplement will be accessible within two business days, on SEDAR+ and on EDGAR LONDON, ON, Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - VersaBank (Nasdaq:VBNK ; TSX:VBNK) (the "Bank") today announced the pricing of its previously announced public offering of 5,660,378 common shares (the "Offering") at a price to the public of US$13.25 per share. The gross proceeds from the Offering, before underwriting discounts and offering costs, are expected to be US$75,000,009. The bank has also granted the Underwriters (as defined below) an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the common shares to be sold pursuant to the Offering (the "Over-Allotment Option"). The Over-Allotment Option is exercisable for a period of 30 days from the date of the final prospectus supplement (the "Final Prospectus Supplement") relating to the Offering. The Bank expects that the net proceeds from the Offering will be used for general banking purposes and will qualify as Common Equity Tier 1 capital for the Bank. The closing of the Offering is subject to a number of customary closing conditions, including the listing of the common shares on the Nasdaq and TSX, and any required approvals of each exchange, and is expected to occur on or about December 18, 2024. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. is acting as the sole bookrunning manager, and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company, and Roth Canada, Inc. are acting as co-managers for the Offering (collectively, the "Underwriters"). No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any province, state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, state or jurisdiction. The Bank has filed a preliminary prospectus supplement dated December 16, 2024 (the "Preliminary Prospectus Supplement"), and will file the Final Prospectus Supplement, to its short form base shelf prospectus dated November 22, 2024 (the "Base Shelf Prospectus") with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada except Quebec. The Preliminary Prospectus Supplement has also been filed, and the Final Prospectus Supplement will be filed, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") as a supplement to the Bank's registration statement on Form F-10 (the "Registration Statement") under the U.S./Canada Multijurisdictional Disclosure System. The prospectus supplements, the Base Shelf Prospectus and the Registration Statement contain important detailed information about the Offering. Access to the Base Shelf Prospectus, the Final Prospectus Supplement, and any amendments to the documents will be provided in accordance with securities legislation relating to procedures for providing access to a shelf prospectus supplement, a base shelf prospectus and any amendment thereto. The Base Shelf Prospectus and the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement are, and the Final Prospectus Supplement will be (within two business days of the date hereof), accessible on SEDAR+ at , and copies of the Registration Statement and the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement are, and the Final Prospectus Supplement will be, accessible on EDGAR at . An electronic or paper copy of the Base Shelf Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Final Prospectus Supplement (when filed), and any amendment to the documents may be obtained without charge, from Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Attention: Equity Syndicate – 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida. Telephone: (800) 248-8863 or e-mail: [email protected] by providing the contact with an email address or address, as applicable. Prospective investors should read the Base Shelf Prospectus, the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus Supplement (when filed) before making an investment decision. About VersaBank VersaBank is a North American bank (federally chartered in Canada and the United States) with a difference. VersaBank has a branchless, digital, business-to-business model based on its proprietary state-of-the-art technology that enables it to profitably address underserved segments of the banking industry in a significantly risk mitigated manner. Because VersaBank obtains substantially all of its deposits and undertakes the majority of its lending electronically through financial intermediary partners, it benefits from significant operating leverage that drives efficiency and return on common equity. In March 2022, VersaBank launched its unique Receivable Purchase Program ("RPP") funding solution for point-of-sale finance companies, which has been highly successful in Canada for nearly 15 years, to the underserved multi-trillion-dollar U.S. market. VersaBank also owns Washington, DC-based DRT Cyber Inc., a North America leader in the provision of cyber security services to address the rapidly growing volume of cyber threats challenging financial institutions, multi-national corporations and government entities. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") including statements regarding the terms of the Offering, the expected closing of the Offering and the proposed use of proceeds. Words such as "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes", "aims", "endeavours", "projects", "continue", "predicts", "potential", "intends", or the negative of these terms or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "should" are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements by their nature require the Bank to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific, including without limitation with respect to: the strength of the Canadian and U.S. economies in general and the strength of the local economies within Canada and the U.S. in which the Bank conducts operations; the effects of changes in monetary and fiscal policy, including changes in interest rate policies of the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve; global commodity prices; the effects of competition in the markets in which the Bank operates; inflation; capital market fluctuations; the timely development and introduction of new products in receptive markets; the impact of changes in the laws and regulations pertaining to financial services; changes in tax laws; technological changes; unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings; unexpected changes in consumer spending and savings habits; the impact of wars or conflicts on global supply chains and markets; the impact of outbreaks of disease or illness that affect local, national or international economies; the possible effects on our business of terrorist activities; natural disasters and disruptions to public infrastructure, such as transportation, communications, power or water supply; and the Bank's anticipation of and success in managing the risks implicated by the foregoing. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Although the Bank believes that the assumptions underlying these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and readers cannot be assured that the Offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described above. Completion of the proposed Offering is subject to numerous factors, many of which are beyond the Bank's control, including but not limited to, the failure of customary closing conditions and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in the Bank's filings with the SEC and the securities commissions or similar securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces or territories of Canada. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent the Bank's expectations as of the date of this news release, or as of the date they are otherwise stated to be made, and subsequent events may cause these expectations to change. The Bank undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. SOURCE VersaBank MENAFN16122024003732001241ID1109000148 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Google has named Debbie Weinstein, a senior executive for the tech giant in the UK, as its president in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Until now, Ms Weinstein has been the US firm’s vice president and managing director in the UK and Ireland, having previously worked at Unilever. She said her focus will be on “unlocking AI-powered growth for everyone”, calling the current AI boom a “pivotal” time for the tech giant. Google has joined many of its rivals in launching a string of high-profile generative AI products in recent times, led by the firm’s generative AI-powered assistant, Gemini. “Europe, the Middle East and Africa is an amazingly diverse and varied region, but the enormous growth opportunity that AI can create is universal,” she said. “My focus will be on unlocking that AI-powered growth for everyone – users, businesses, partners and governments across every part of the region. “I’m excited to be stepping into this role at a pivotal time, in a company where I’ve spent the last ten years and leading a region where I’ve spent much of my life.” Google employs more than 29,000 people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with 56 offices across 35 countries in those regions working on many of the firm’s largest products, including its search engine, the Android mobile operating system and its Chrome web browser. Its AI research arm, at Google DeepMind, is also led from London. Philipp Schindler, Google senior vice president and chief business officer, said: “This is the AI era and we are only just beginning to see its transformative impact on business and society. “In such a pivotal moment for technology, I’m thrilled we’ve appointed a visionary leader to be our President of Google EMEA. “Debbie brings a track record of unlocking growth that benefits everyone, alongside the passion and focus needed to help our customers succeed, as we bring the best of Google’s Gemini-era to everyone across EMEA.”California Golden Bears vs. Sacramento State Hornets live stream info, start time, TV channel: How to watch NCAA Basketball on TV, stream online
By ALEXANDRA OLSON and CATHY BUSSEWITZ NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart’s sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world’s biggest retailer followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump’s incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches — the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President — are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI,” Glasgow said. “The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America’s top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart’s announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart’s need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company no longer has explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer’s ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart.” Walmart’s announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 26, 2024-- Klaviyo (NYSE: KVYO), the company that powers smarter digital relationships, today announced that Amanda Whalen, Chief Financial Officer, will participate in fireside chats at the following investor events: Live webcasts and replays will be available on Klaviyo’s investor relations website at https://investors.klaviyo.com/ . About Klaviyo Klaviyo (CLAY-vee-oh) powers smarter digital relationships, making it easy for businesses to capture, store, analyze, and predictively use their own data to drive measurable, high-value outcomes. Klaviyo’s modern and intuitive SaaS platform enables business users of any skill level to harness their first-party data from more than 350 integrations to send the right message at the right time across email, SMS, and push notifications. Innovative businesses like Mattel, TaylorMade, Liquid Death, Stanley 1913, and more than 157,000 other paying customers leverage Klaviyo to acquire, engage, and retain customers—and grow on their own terms. Tag: IR View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126401616/en/ CONTACT: Investor Relations: Andrew Zilli ir@klaviyo.com Press: Dana Hershman press@klaviyo.com KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SOFTWARE NETWORKS DIGITAL MARKETING DATA ANALYTICS DATA MANAGEMENT SOURCE: Klaviyo, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/26/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 11/26/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126401616/enCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Two New Hampshire fathers who were barred from school district events for wearing pink wristbands marked “XX” to represent female chromosomes insisted at a federal court hearing Thursday that they didn't set out to harass or otherwise target a transgender soccer player at the game they attended. But a judge hearing the case suggested the message the parents sent may matter more than their intentions. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Bhopal gas tragedy: Leak effects seen in next generation, says ex-doctorBJP slams Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for resuming Savarkar attack after Maharashtra poll
Exhibition Preview: Tokyo Auto Salon Exhibition 12-17-2024 12:10 AM CET | Industry, Real Estate & Construction Press release from: ABNewswire Exhibition name: TOKYO AUTO SALON EXHIBITION Exhibition location: Japan - Chiba - 2 Chome-1 Nakase, Mihama Ward, Chiba, 261-8550 Japan - Makuhari Messe International Convention Center, Chiba Exhibition time: 2025-1-10 ~ 1-12 Holding cycle: Every Year Exhibition area: 72,000 square meters Exhibition Introduct TOKYO AUTO SALON (TASA) 2025, Show Time: Jan 10~Jan 12, 2025, Show Venue: Japan - Chiba - 2 Chome-1 Nakase, Mihama Ward, Chiba, 261-8550 Japan - Chiba Makuhari Messe International Convention & Exhibition Center, Organizer: TOKYO AUTO SALON ASSOSIATION (TASA), the organizer: once a year, exhibition area: 72,000 square meters, exhibitors: 23,073 visitors, the number of exhibitors and exhibitors brand reached 1120. TOKYO AUTO SALON (Tokyo Tuning Car Show) is an exhibition specializing in the tuning car and auto parts industry. It aims to provide a platform for the tuning car and automobile accessory industry to communicate and display, and to promote the technological innovation and development of the industry. The exhibits at TOKYO AUTO SALON include a wide range of tuning cars and auto parts for different types and purposes, such as tuning cars, wheels, braking systems, exhaust systems, chassis reinforcement, interior trims, and so on. Exhibitors and visitors from different countries and regions can learn about the latest product and technology developments and explore business cooperation opportunities. Image: https://www.vovt-diesel.com/uploads/51.png Scope of Exhibits Vehicles: complete cars, motorcycles, sports cars and automotive products, etc. Accessories: car accessories, sports car products, motorcycle accessories, tires, wheels, air conditioning, car audio, lighting, anti-theft, electronic equipment, automotive electronics and technology Service equipment: automotive maintenance and beauty products, automotive tools and equipment, repair products, etc. Image: https://www.vovt-diesel.com/uploads/3587.jpg Exhibitors at the fair include companies and organizations related to tuning cars and car accessories, such as car tuning factories, car accessory manufacturers, car wheel manufacturers, braking system manufacturers and so on. Car tuning enthusiasts and professionals from all over the world can visit the exhibition. The exhibition is usually held in January every year at the Makuhari Messe in Tokyo. In addition to the exhibition, the TOKYO AUTO SALON Exhibition also organizes a series of professional forums and events, such as seminars on car tuning trends, tuning car demonstrations, and new car accessory launches, with the aim of promoting innovation and development in the car tuning and car accessory industry. The exhibition attracts the attention and participation of car tuning enthusiasts and professionals from all over the world, making it an important event not to be missed by the tuning car and auto accessory industry. Media Contact Company Name: Fuzhou Ruida Machinery Co., Ltd. Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=exhibition-previe-tokyo-auto-salon-exhibition ] Country: American Samoa Website: http://vovt-diesel.com This release was published on openPR.
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