Georgia is turning to backup Gunner Stockton at quarterback in CFP quarterfinal against IrishShafali Verma’s explosive knock of 197 runs from 115 balls in the Women’s One Day Cup Trophy was nothing short of a masterclass in batting. Leading Haryana as captain, she played a pivotal role in guiding her team to a mammoth total of 390 runs in their 50 overs. The knock was particularly significant following a rough patch in her international career, where she struggled in the series against New Zealand and was dropped by the Indian women’s cricket selection committee. Shafali’s recent performances had raised questions about her place in the Indian team. During the New Zealand series, she was able to muster only 56 runs across three innings, which led to her exclusion from the squad. Despite this setback, Verma’s response on the field has been nothing short of remarkable, demonstrating her capability to bounce back under pressure. Her recent innings for Haryana served as a reminder of her immense talent and determination to prove her worth. When asked about Shafali’s exclusion from the Indian team, captain Harmanpreet Kaur kept her comments focused on the team’s performance. “I can only talk about the team. The team is here, and we focus on what we can do to win the series. Regarding Shafali or any other player, it’s better to ask the right people,” Kaur said, reinforcing the team’s collective approach and not delving into individual selections. In a recent encounter against the West Indies, Smriti Mandhana’s brilliance with the bat played a key role in India’s victory. Mandhana’s 77 runs helped India post 217/4 in the series-deciding match in Mumbai. Her fiery innings overshadowed an early collapse, including a two-ball duck by Uma Chetry and a slow start by Rodrigues. Despite these early setbacks, Rodrigues made a recovery, scoring 39 runs off 28 balls, including four boundaries, building an essential partnership with Mandhana. At No. 4, Raghvi Bisht made an impactful debut for India, scoring 31 not out off 22 balls, which included two boundaries and a six. Her first-ever six off Karishma Ramharack was a highlight, and she continued to contribute to India’s total with her all-around batting display. Bisht’s performance helped India create a solid foundation for the team in the series finale. Shafali Verma’s explosive comeback and the young talents like Raghvi Bisht making their mark showcase the bright future of women’s cricket. As the women’s team gears up for more international challenges, the performances of players like Verma, Mandhana, Rodrigues, and Bisht are sure to play a crucial role in shaping the future of the game.
$1000 Invested In CrowdStrike Holdings 5 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much TodayAs TikTok bill steams forward, online influencers put on their lobbying hats to visit WashingtonDon Quixote is pronounced “dawn kih hoh tee”, colonel is pronounced “kuh nuhl”. English teacher Chitra learned this only after she got a smartboard. “Switching from blackboard to smartboard is one of the major changes in the past two decades,” says Chitra who teaches at a Chennai school. Her students now make PowerPoint presentations which are captured on mobile phones and uploaded to a YouTube channel, with the link shared with all students. Technology has changed the way teachers teach and students study. And the pandemic has accelerated the change. “When I started as a teacher in the 1990s, classroom instruction relied heavily on textbooks, explanations, and exam preparation,” says G J Manohar, a retired economics teacher. “Now, if students don’t understand something in class, they go online to access videos that explain things better.” University professors say online education has flipped things around in colleges and universities. “Students come to class to discuss and clarify what they read online. Classrooms have become more interactive, less about information delivery and more about engagement,” said T R Gopalakrishnan, head of the department of journalism and communication, University of Madras . Students are more comfortable with gadgets than books; it helps that online books are more interactive. “These days, students are preparing for exams entirely based on online books on laptops and mobile phones. They also prepare their own notes as PowerPoints,” said professor D Arivudainambi, department of mathematics, Anna University . In higher education, more and more students have started to enrol for degree, diploma, and other courses in Tamil Nadu in the past two decades. The Gross Enrolment Ratio increased by around five percentage points to 47% in the last 10 years alone in Tamil Nadu. There is also a greater emphasis on employability than a couple of decades ago. But the standout change is the shift to online mode. Online courses and certifications from portals such as NPTEL and SWAYAM have more takers after the pandemic. But even legacy institutions such as IITs have embraced the change. The online BS degree in data science by IIT Madras has attracted thousands, including working professionals from across the country. “More than 35,000 students are enrolled in two BS programmes, with nearly 35% from families with less than 5 lakh a year income. This combination of access, flexibility, affordability, and value is possible only by using digital means,” said professor Andrew Thangaraj of IIT Madras. Since the turn of the century, deemed and private universities have also come into their own. “Moving away from the affiliating system of education helped us transition from ‘standardisation at scale’ to ‘quality and innovation and scale’ in education. It’s similar to moving from Henry Ford’s Model-T to the Tesla model in education in the past two decades,” said Ramkumar Ramamoorthy, partner at Catalincs and former CMD, Cognizant India. But as digital tools reshape education, experts emphasise the need for a balanced approach. “While technology has made resources more accessible, it has also shortened attention spans in classrooms,” says Dr Sangeetha Chandrasekaran, a psychiatrist at SCARF and a school counsellor in Chennai. What has changed Use of technology in classroom learning No takers for BSc maths, physics and chemistry courses More focus on skilling college students No takers for core engineering courses Online courses and accessing e-content in mobiles Attention span; excessive use of gadgets What has not changed Preference for computer science-related courses Assessment of students Teacher shortage in primary and middle schools Faculty shortage in colleges, universities Poor learning outcomes Unusable toilets and hygiene issues Events that shaped education in the past 25 years 2007 | Abolition of entrance exams On the grounds that rural students are unable to get into professional courses including BE, BTech and MBBS, BDS, then CM M Karunanidhi abolished The Tamil Nadu Professional Course Entrance Examinations. Admission was based on Class XII marks in maths, physics, chemistry & biology. 2017 | NEET-based medical admissions Introduction of NEET-based medical admissions left aspirants in shock in Tamil Nadu. Students were not used to competitive exams. The syllabus had also not been updated for more than 10years. First-year, only four students from govt schools got MBBS admissions. This led the govt to introduce 7.5% special reservation for them three years later. 2020 | Pandemic and thereafter The long period of online education and lack of in-person classes created learning gaps. Students struggled to write exams after returning to school. It took 2 years for normalcy to return. 2021 | State Education Policy Following differences with the Centre on the National Education Policy, 2020, Tamil Nadu announced that it would bring an exclusive State Education Policy. It formed a panel headed by Justice D Murugesan, which has submitted recommendations. The panel’s report is yet to be made public 2022 | Breakfast scheme A flagship scheme of the Stalin-led govt, it offers free breakfast to nearly 20lakh children in govt schools. Govt says it has improved academic performance. State govt also launched a skilling initiative called Naan Mudhalvan, Ennum Ezhuthum to ensure all children below eight age can read and write by 2025.
NoneRocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ( NASDAQ:RCKT – Free Report ) – Investment analysts at Leerink Partnrs increased their FY2025 earnings per share estimates for Rocket Pharmaceuticals in a report released on Monday, November 18th. Leerink Partnrs analyst M. Foroohar now expects that the biotechnology company will earn ($2.31) per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of ($2.46). The consensus estimate for Rocket Pharmaceuticals’ current full-year earnings is ($2.85) per share. Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $52.00 price target on shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Rocket Pharmaceuticals from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Chardan Capital reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $62.00 price objective on shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Finally, Scotiabank started coverage on Rocket Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. They set a “sector outperform” rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Rocket Pharmaceuticals currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $51.00. Rocket Pharmaceuticals Price Performance Rocket Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $14.11 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $17.26 and its 200 day moving average is $19.93. Rocket Pharmaceuticals has a one year low of $12.62 and a one year high of $32.53. The firm has a market cap of $1.29 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.14 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 6.05 and a quick ratio of 6.05. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rocket Pharmaceuticals A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RCKT. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals by 21.5% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 3,292 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 582 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Rocket Pharmaceuticals by 31.9% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,160 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $68,000 after purchasing an additional 764 shares in the last quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter worth approximately $108,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter valued at approximately $113,000. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter valued at approximately $286,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.39% of the company’s stock. Rocket Pharmaceuticals Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a late-stage biotechnology company that focuses on developing gene therapies for rare and devastating diseases. It has three clinical-stage ex vivo lentiviral vector programs for fanconi anemia, a genetic defect in the bone marrow that reduces production of blood cells or promotes the production of faulty blood cells; leukocyte adhesion deficiency-I, a genetic disorder that causes the immune system to malfunction; and pyruvate kinase deficiency, a rare red blood cell autosomal recessive disorder that results in chronic non-spherocytic hemolytic anemia. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Rocket Pharmaceuticals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rocket Pharmaceuticals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
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Jerome Ford questionable to return with ankle injuryNew Jersey fines firms $40K for sports betting violationsATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors. He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners. He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian, would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. ‘Jimmy Who?’ His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. ‘A wonderful life’ At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015. “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___ Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.
A journalist for the German tabloid Bild has suggested that the new Russian ballistic missile that struck the city of Dnipro on 21 November was a test version of the RS-26 missile, and contained no explosives. Source : Julian Röpcke , Senior Editor for German tabloid Bild Details : Röpcke has reportedly studied various videos of the attack on the Pivdenmash plant in Dnipro. [Pivdenmash plant is a leading Ukrainian company that produces rocket and space technology and technologies for defence, scientific and economic purposes - ed.] He believes the Russians used a modified version of the RS-26 Rubezh missile in the strike. Quote from Röpcke : "Multiple surveillance cameras captured what are known as sub-munitions, i.e. an RS-26 re-entering the lower atmosphere. This horrific footage shows six missiles falling from the sky through the clouds. The peculiarity is that it was a decoy with the same mass and size, which was supposed to simulate a nuclear charge. This confirms it was a propaganda and political move, not a military one. There was no nuclear charge or explosives inside, which is why the damage was minimal. We don't see explosions [in the videos of the attack], only kinetic energy from a fall from a height of several hundred kilometres." Background : Support UP or become our patron !Football notebook: Gold Ball droughts end in state championship gamesNEW YORK — Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and terror offenses in Manhattan Supreme Court Monday stemming from the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Wearing a burgundy sweater, white collared shirt and khaki pants, a handcuffed Mangione, 26, entered his first formal plea to charges linked to the high-profile hit before state Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro. He pleaded not guilty to all allegations in the 11-count indictment brought last week by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office — first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism, second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism, an additional count of murder and eight other counts. If convicted of the top counts, he faces a potential sentence of life without parole. Following his extradition last week to New York from Pennsylvania — where he was arrested at a McDonald’s on Dec. 9 after a nationwide five-day manhunt — Mangione was taken into federal authorities’ custody and charged with murder with the use of a firearm, stalking, and a firearm offense. The maximum potential sentence in Mangione’s federal case is the death penalty, though it’s not clear prosecutors would pursue that punishment. State and federal authorities have said the cases will proceed in parallel. Mangione’s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo slammed the authorities’ handling of his case at Monday’s hearing and the dramatic show put on when he was transferred back to New York. “He’s a young man and he is being treated like a human ping pong ball between two warring jurisdictions here,” Friedman Agnifilo said. “These federal and state prosecutors are coordinating with one another at the expense of him. They have conflicting theories in their indictments, and they are literally treating him like he is some sort of political fodder, like some sort of spectacle.” Mangione on Thursday was flown from Pennsylvania to Long Island and then transported to lower Manhattan via helicopter. In what is typically a covert arrangement hidden from the public, dozens of armed law enforcement agents awaited his arrival at the Wall Street heliport, along with Mayor Eric Adams and throngs of photographers tipped off by the cops. “He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest staged perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career. It was absolutely unnecessary. He’s been cooperative with law enforcement. He had been in custody for over a week. He waived extradition. He was cooperative at all accounts — there was no reason for the NYPD and everybody to have these big assault rifles that, frankly, I had no idea was in their arsenal,” Friedman Agnifilo said. “Frankly, Your Honor, the mayor should know more than anyone of the presumption of innocence that he, too, is afforded dealing with his own issues, and, frankly, I submit that he was just trying to detract from those issues by making a spectacle of Mr. Mangione.” Mangione was detained on the eighth floor of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after appearing in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday. Carro said he would wait to order his transfer to state custody but told the DA’s office to work it out with the feds. The Ivy League computer science graduate who comes from a prominent family in Towson, Md., is accused of fatally shooting Thompson in the back and leg on Dec. 4 as the health care executive arrived at the Hilton Hotel in Midtown for an annual investor conference. When he was spotted at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa., on Dec. 9, police took him into custody and recovered on his person a 3D-printed ghost gun, silencer, and ammunition matching that which was recovered at the scene, according to state and federal authorities. He was allegedly also in possession of fake IDs and writings critical of the health care industry, according to court docs, and sketched-out plans documented months before the killing to “wack” a CEO at the conference.
Quest Partners LLC acquired a new stake in TriCo Bancshares ( NASDAQ:TCBK – Free Report ) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 13,793 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $588,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TCBK. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of TriCo Bancshares by 3.5% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,502,992 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $59,471,000 after purchasing an additional 50,358 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in TriCo Bancshares by 27.3% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 403,712 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $15,975,000 after acquiring an additional 86,689 shares during the period. Curi RMB Capital LLC lifted its position in TriCo Bancshares by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Curi RMB Capital LLC now owns 346,833 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $14,792,000 after acquiring an additional 5,314 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in TriCo Bancshares by 8.9% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 235,867 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,333,000 after acquiring an additional 19,224 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of TriCo Bancshares by 5.6% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 184,610 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,305,000 after purchasing an additional 9,723 shares during the last quarter. 59.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Insider Buying and Selling at TriCo Bancshares In other TriCo Bancshares news, Director Michael W. Koehnen sold 1,400 shares of TriCo Bancshares stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.20, for a total value of $63,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $135,600. The trade was a 31.82 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Company insiders own 4.64% of the company’s stock. TriCo Bancshares Stock Up 3.2 % TriCo Bancshares ( NASDAQ:TCBK – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.82 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $133.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $98.65 million. TriCo Bancshares had a net margin of 21.12% and a return on equity of 9.45%. On average, analysts anticipate that TriCo Bancshares will post 3.38 EPS for the current year. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on TriCo Bancshares from $53.00 to $50.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Stephens reduced their price objective on TriCo Bancshares from $52.00 to $50.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Janney Montgomery Scott reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of TriCo Bancshares in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 price target (up from $42.00) on shares of TriCo Bancshares in a report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, DA Davidson downgraded shares of TriCo Bancshares from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $50.00 to $53.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.20. View Our Latest Stock Report on TriCo Bancshares TriCo Bancshares Profile ( Free Report ) TriCo Bancshares operates as a bank holding company for Tri Counties Bank that provides commercial banking services to individual and corporate customers. The company accepts demand, savings, and time deposits. It also provides small business loans; real estate mortgage loans, such as residential and commercial loans; consumer loans; mortgage, auto, other vehicle, and personal loans; commercial loans, including agricultural loans; and real estate construction loans. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TCBK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for TriCo Bancshares ( NASDAQ:TCBK – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for TriCo Bancshares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TriCo Bancshares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .As we enter 2025 in a couple of days, we all know that the tech world is gearing up for major changes that will shake things up and affect our daily lives and how we run our businesses. These technological advancements are not just about making things faster or more connected; they also have much to do with big global challenges like climate change and cybersecurity. Artificial intelligence is on the verge of a significant transformation by 2025. For example, instead of relying solely on centralized servers, AI will start processing information from local devices like smartphones and gadgets. This shift will make everything run even faster. Scientists also say that we’ll see more agentic AI — autonomous systems that can make decisions on the ir own. Imagine AI optimizing supply chains based on real-time data, for example. Sustainability, which has taken the limelight these past years, will move even closer to center stage, driving more companies to focus on innovations that reduce environmental impact. We’ll also be seeing new waste management technologies and circular business models — where products are designed for reuse or recycling — as organizations aim for net-zero commitments. Additionally, AI will be used to drive the networks that optimize the distribution of energy across grids. It’s a marriage of renewable energy sources and smart technology, helping businesses to significantly lower their carbon footprints while boosting operational efficiency. In the world of quantum computing, actual applications across various fields will be seen this 2025, revolutionizing areas like drug discovery, climate modeling, and cybersecurity. As more organizations invest in quantum research and development, we might see significant advancements that change how we approach problem solving in science, finance, and logistics, among others. The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to explode this coming year owing to 5G connectivity. The number of interconnected devices — from smart home gadgets to industrial sensors — is projected to reach billions! This allows businesses to gather vast amounts of real-time data from their operations, leading to better decision-making and greater efficiency. In smart cities, IoT applications will help manage traffic more effectively using real-time data analysis. Ambient computing envisions a world where digital devices seamlessly blend into our daily lives, operating quietly in the background without us having to think about them. Devices equipped with sensors and AI will understand our preferences automatically. In the world of work,, ambient computing could streamline workflows by anticipating needs. This trend will enhance user experiences and reduce the mental load of managing multiple devices or apps. As we embrace these exciting advancements on the horizon for 2025, we must remain vigilant and proactive in addressing the potential risks associated with these innovations. While the benefits are immense, they also bring challenges that require careful consideration. For instance, as AI systems become more autonomous, we must ensure robust ethical guidelines and regulatory frameworks are in place to prevent misuse and protect privacy. Similarly, with the rapid expansion of IoT devices, security measures must be strengthened to safeguard sensitive data from cyber threats. As we move toward a more sustainable future, we should also be mindful of the environmental impact of new technologies and prioritize circular economy practices to minimize waste. While we harness the power of technological advancements, we must make sure to safeguard our society and environment at the same time. Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II received his Law degree from Ateneo de Manila University in 1994. He is currently engaged in the General Practice of Law through the firm he established, Jose M. Rojas Law Office. Prior to getting his Law degree, Atty. Rojas graduated Cum Laude in Economics and Political Science from the University of Massachusetts. He used to chair the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) and, more recently, used to sit as Vice-Chairman and General Manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). Atty. Rojas is an opinion columnist for the Business Mirror and Pilipino Mirror, and 2014 awardee of People Asia’s “Men Who Matter.” He is a member of the Saturday Group of artists and is married to Atty. Patricia A.O. Bunye.The UN now says 207 people were killed in a slum neighborhood of the capital, Port-au-Prince, earlier this month. The United Nations has raised the death toll of a recent mass killing in Haiti, saying its investigation found that 207 people were killed by a gang , including dozens of older people and Vodou religious leaders. In a report published on Monday, the UN office in Haiti detailed events that took place between December 6 and 11 in the Wharf Jeremie neighbourhood of Cite Soleil, a coastal slum in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The gang took people from their homes and a place of worship, interrogated them and then “executed” them with bullets and machetes before burning their bodies and throwing them into the sea, the report found. Earlier this month, human rights groups in Haiti had estimated that more than 100 people were killed in the event, but the new UN investigation concluded that a total of 134 men and 73 women were slaughtered. “We cannot pretend that nothing happened,” said María Isabel Salvador, the UN secretary-general’s special representative in Haiti. “I call on the Haitian justice system to thoroughly investigate these horrific crimes and arrest and punish the perpetrators, as well as those who support them,” she said in a statement. The Haitian government acknowledged the killing of older people in a statement issued earlier this month, and promised to prosecute those responsible for this act of “unspeakable carnage”. The UN Security Council issued a statement on Monday condemning the latest gang killings and expressing their “deep concern” over the crisis in Haiti, highlighting food insecurity and gang recruitment of children . Insecurity and isolation The insecurity has deteriorated so far in Haiti that the UN recently ordered some of its personnel to leave the country or relocate from the capital to safer areas. The country is increasingly isolated after the Port-au-Prince international airport was closed due to commercial passenger planes being struck by gunfire . The UN is in discussions over what steps to take in Haiti after an international security mission led by 400 Kenyan police has struggled to restore law and order. One option being considered is a return to a full-scale peacekeeping operation, despite mixed results by previous deployments, including a “stabilisation” mission, MINUSTAH, which ran from 2004 until it departed in 2017. ‘King Micanor’ Human rights groups in Haiti said the Wharf Jeremie killings began after the son of Micanor Altes, a local gang leader, died from an illness. Witnesses told the groups that Altes, alias “King Micanor”, accused people in the neighbourhood of causing his son’s illness by casting an evil spell on him. In Monday’s report, the UN said that people were tracked down in their homes and in a place of worship by Altes’s gang, where they were first interrogated and then taken to a site where they would be killed. The killings are the latest humanitarian tragedy in Haiti, where gang violence has intensified since the nation’s president, Jovenel Moise, was killed in a 2021 coup attempt . The Caribbean nation is currently governed by a transitional council that includes representatives from the business community, civil society and political parties, but its government has no control over many areas of the capital city, and gangs are constantly fighting over ports, highways and neighbourhoods. According to the UN, more than 5,358 people have been killed in Haiti’s gang wars this year and another 2,155 injured. More than 17,000 people have been killed or injured in gang-related violence in Haiti since the beginning of 2022.
Barclays began coverage on shares of Okta ( NASDAQ:OKTA – Free Report ) in a research note released on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued an equal weight rating and a $81.00 price target on the stock. OKTA has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Bank of America lowered shares of Okta from a “buy” rating to an “underperform” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $135.00 to $75.00 in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Okta from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Okta from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 29th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Okta from $120.00 to $108.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Okta from $100.00 to $92.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nineteen have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $98.30. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Okta Okta Stock Up 1.5 % Okta ( NASDAQ:OKTA – Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 28th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.08) by $0.29. The business had revenue of $646.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $632.24 million. Okta had a negative return on equity of 1.10% and a negative net margin of 5.55%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Okta will post 0.19 EPS for the current year. Insider Activity at Okta In other Okta news, CEO Todd Mckinnon sold 200,512 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.21, for a total value of $15,080,507.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 8,495 shares in the company, valued at approximately $638,908.95. This represents a 95.94 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . Also, insider Larissa Schwartz sold 2,791 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.50, for a total value of $199,556.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 22,125 shares in the company, valued at $1,581,937.50. This trade represents a 11.20 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold a total of 475,789 shares of company stock valued at $35,701,361 in the last quarter. Insiders own 7.00% of the company’s stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Okta Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in OKTA. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in Okta during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,436,000. MML Investors Services LLC lifted its holdings in Okta by 43.2% during the third quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 33,333 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,478,000 after acquiring an additional 10,048 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Okta in the third quarter worth about $32,000. Wahed Invest LLC grew its holdings in Okta by 14.8% during the third quarter. Wahed Invest LLC now owns 3,874 shares of the company’s stock valued at $288,000 after purchasing an additional 499 shares during the period. Finally, Washington Harbour Partners LP raised its stake in Okta by 19.4% in the 3rd quarter. Washington Harbour Partners LP now owns 35,760 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,658,000 after acquiring an additional 5,800 shares during the period. 86.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Okta ( Get Free Report ) Okta, Inc operates as an identity partner in the United States and internationally. The company offers Okta's suite of products and services used to manage and secure identities, such as Single Sign-On that enables users to access applications in the cloud or on-premises from various devices; Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication provides a layer of security for cloud, mobile, web applications, and data; API Access Management enables organizations to secure APIs; Access Gateway enables organizations to extend Workforce Identity Cloud; and Okta Device Access enables end users to securely log in to devices with Okta credentials. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Okta Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Okta and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Georgia quarterback Carson Beck on Saturday announced his plans to enter the NFL draft, five days after having season-ending elbow surgery . Beck, a fifth-year senior, made his NFL plans official on social media. He suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 7 in Atlanta. Beck had surgery on Monday to repair his ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Beck is expected to begin throwing next spring. He could have returned for a sixth season but instead will enter the NFL draft. Beck posted on Instagram: “The past five years at the University of Georgia have been nothing short of a dream come true and I will forever cherish the memories that have been made.” Gunner Stockton, who took over for Beck in the second half against Texas, will make his first start for Georgia on Wednesday in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Beck has started every game of the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He was 24-3 as a starter. Beck passed for 3,941 yards with 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions in 2023 but had more difficulties with turnovers this season as he passed for 28 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He completed 7 of 13 passes for 56 yards before his injury in the SEC championship game. Georgia coach Kirby Smart stuck with Beck despite a midseason string of eight interceptions in three games. “Obviously, you look at the stats and they aren’t the same stats as the year before,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said Saturday when reflecting on Beck's career. “The goal in this league is to win the SEC championship. And he was the quarterback of that team that got us to that game and put us in that position.” Added offensive guard Tate Ratledge: “I think Carson should be remembered as a great player. He’s who got us to this point of the season.” Stockton, a sophomore, completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with one interception against Texas. He signed with Georgia as a highly recruited in-state player from Rabun County High School, where he broke Trevor Lawrence's state high school record for most career touchdown passes and Deshaun Watson's state record for combined rushing and passing touchdowns in a career. “Obviously when he was in high school, he was one of the best to ever do it in Georgia,” Bulldogs linebacker Chaz Chambliss said of Stockton before adding that he “just has that fire in him.” Georgia was preparing to start Stockton before announcing Beck's season-ending injury. Stockton will attempt to join a short list of quarterbacks who have been promoted from backup jobs to win national championships. The list includes Georgia's Stetson Bennett, who began the 2021 season as the backup to JT Daniels before taking over the starting job in October. Lawrence took over for Kelly Bryant during Clemson's 2018 championship season. The best comparison to Stockton's challenge during the CFP era may be Cardale Jones on the 2014 Ohio State national championship team. Jones' first start was the Big Ten championship game following an injury to J.T. Barrett, who began the preseason as the expected backup before Braxton Miller's injury. Stockton led Georgia to a touchdown on his first drive against Texas and has had extra practice time during the Bulldogs' break after receiving a first-round bye in the playoff. “To see his growth since he’s been here, he’s been waiting patiently, he’s been sitting and putting his time in and he’s been working while he was waiting,” Georgia safety Malaki Starks said Friday. “And now he gets a chance to go out there and prove what he can do. And, you know, I believe in him 100%.” Starks, who is from Jefferson, Ga., often faced Stockton's Rabun County teams in high school. “He’s always been, you know, that guy, you know, since I’ve been growing up,” Starks said. “He’s an easy guy to follow. I mean, Gunner is a great guy, you know, very respectful, great parents. I mean, he’s the guy that you want to lead. And a lot of guys have confidence in him. And I think you saw it during games in the SEC (championship game), how much the guys believed in him.” ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Charles Odum, The Associated Press
Article content ATLANTA — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the centre said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aqYmcE9tXi Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential centre where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. President Jimmy Carter’s leadership, intellect, and moral example ennobled our country, during and ever since his presidency. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the centre began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors. He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the centre’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners. He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian, would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox _ and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. ‘Jimmy Who?’ His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. ‘A wonderful life’ At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015. “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” — Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.Biden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardons and first lady gets Christmas treeEmpowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. ( NASDAQ:SWBI – Free Report ) by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 73,923 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 3,752 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.16% of Smith & Wesson Brands worth $960,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 0.8% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 79,360 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,138,000 after purchasing an additional 655 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 1.8% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 80,650 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,421 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 311.0% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,614 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 17.5% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 13,111 shares of the company’s stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 1,952 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 14.0% in the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 16,250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $233,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. 59.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Smith & Wesson Brands Trading Up 0.9 % Shares of NASDAQ:SWBI opened at $13.37 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $599.67 million, a P/E ratio of 18.07 and a beta of 1.00. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $13.15 and its 200-day moving average is $14.51. Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. has a 52-week low of $11.96 and a 52-week high of $18.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 3.54. Smith & Wesson Brands Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, September 19th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.89%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 19th. Smith & Wesson Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.27%. Smith & Wesson Brands Company Profile ( Free Report ) Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells firearms worldwide. The company offers handguns, including revolvers and pistols; long guns, such as modern sporting rifles, bolt action rifles; handcuffs; suppressors; and other firearm-related products under the Smith & Wesson, M&P, and Gemtech brands. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SWBI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. ( NASDAQ:SWBI – Free Report ). 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