Several times following New England’s 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he wanted to review the game film before making a final assessment of his team’s performance. He did, and on Monday he said the overarching feeling he was left with was one of pride. Going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the NFL is commendable. Mayo also remains confident this group has even more room for growth over its final two games this season. “To be frank, I don’t believe in good losses,” Mayo said. “I think there’s a lot to learn from the game. Look, we’re headed in the right direction, but it’s all about consistency, and we have to do that on a down-after-down, a game-after-game basis to be successful in this league.” What is also clear is that despite their 3-12 record, Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye wants people to know that he and his teammates believe in their coach. No matter what conversations might be going on outside the Patriots locker room regarding shortcomings by the coaching staff, or Mayo’s job status. “We’ve got his back, and he’s coached us hard. He wants to win. We all want to win. We’re all frustrated,” Maye said. “We’re just plays away, and it’s basically me turning the ball over. I think it’s just a testament to these guys that keep fighting. We keep fighting. Shoot, we’re not going to make the playoffs; we’re out of the race, and these guys are coming in, frustrated when we don’t score. ... So, I think we’re building something good, building something that feels right here, and I’m proud to be a Patriot.” What’s working The Patriots entered the week scoring only 7.5 points per game in the first half this season, which ranked 29th in the NFL. The offense woke up with 14 points in the first half on Sunday, notching multiple offensive touchdowns in the first half for the first time in 2024. What needs help Stopping the run has been an issue for New England’s defense for most of the season and it was on display against the Bills. With Buffalo trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, running back James Cook sliced through the interior of the Patriots defense and broke free for a 46-yard TD run. It was a big chunk of Buffalo’s 172 yards on the ground for the game. Stock up CB Jonathan Jones. He was tasked with being the primary defender on Buffalo’s top receiver Khalil Shakir for most of the game. The veteran held his own, helping limit the Bills’ leader in catches and receiving yards to only two catches for 22 yards on six targets. Jones also forced a fumble by Shakir in the fourth quarter, though Shakir was able to recover it. Stock down Marte Mapu. The linebacker started at safety with Jabrill Peppers sidelined with a hamstring injury. Mapu was strong for most of the game and had a chance to set up the Patriots offense in the second quarter when he snagged his second career interception, picking off Josh Allen’s pass in the end zone. But Mapu decided to run the ball out of the end zone and was tackled on the New England 1-yard line. The poor starting field position eventually led to a punt and the Patriots couldn’t add to their 14-7 lead. Injuries The Patriots didn’t announce any injuries during the game. But along with Peppers, cornerback Marcus Jones also sat out with a hip injury. Key number 2-6 — The Patriots’ record in one-score games this season. Four of those have been by three or fewer points. Next steps The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people convicted in the slayings of police and military officers, as well as federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner, Bryan Hurst, was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the killer's execution "would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House. But Hurst’s widow, Marissa Gibson, called Biden's move distressing and a "complete dismissal and undermining of the federal justice system,” in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch . Tim Timmerman, whose daughter, Rachel, was thrown into a Michigan lake in 1997 to keep her from testifying in a rape trial, said Biden's decision to commute the killer's sentence offered families “only pain.” "Where’s the justice in just giving him a prison bed to die comfortably in?” Timmerman said on WOOD-TV. Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a 2017 South Carolina bank robbery, called the commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post. “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” Corey Groves, whose mother, Kim Groves, was murdered in a 1994 plot by a New Orleans police officer after she filed a complaint against him, said the family has been living with the “nightmare” of her killer for three decades. “I have always wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison and have to wake up every morning and think about what he did when he took our mother from us," Groves said in a statement through his attorney. Families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church have long had a broad range of opinions on Roof's punishment. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Risher, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out federal death row. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Risher said in a statement. Risher, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, said during a Zoom news conference that families “are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come.” Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director, said Biden was giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of their political motivations to kill. “When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden has shown "the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” But Ed Dowd Jr., the U.S. attorney in St. Louis at the time of the robbery and now a private attorney, criticized Biden's move. “This case was a message to people who wanted to go out and shoot people for the hell of it, that you’re going to get the death penalty,” Dowd said. Now, "Biden is sending a message that you can do whatever you want and you won’t get the death penalty.” This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rev. Sharon Risher's name. Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri; Stephen Smith in New Orleans, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed.Check Out These 5 Nasdaq-Listed Multibaggers — One Made Investors 17.56x Richer This Year: Here's What To Expect In 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Hours after the ground stop was lifted, Tajer said the union had not heard about any “chaos out there beyond just the normal heavy travel day.” He said officials were watching for any cascading effects, such as staffing problems. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights were departing within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — were arriving at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 3,712 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 55 flights canceled. It did not show any flights from American Airlines. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York’s Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms were developing in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. And any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have “interline agreements” that let them put stranded customers on another carrier’s flights. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. That’s because finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. “Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation’s highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. Boston, New York City, Seattle and Washington are the metropolitan areas primed for the greatest delays, according to the company. —— Associated Press writers David Koenig, Mae Anderson and Mike Pesoli contributed to this report.Love Island fans convinced star is dating TOWIE hunk after spotting ‘giveaway clue’If you are in the process of building an investment portfolio, then having a few ASX 200 in there could be a good starting point. But which blue chip shares could be buys? Let's take a look at four quality options that analysts currently rate as buys. They are as follows: ( ) Brambles could be an ASX 200 blue chip share to buy according to analysts. It is a supply chain solutions company that manages the world's largest pool of reusable pallets, crates, and containers. The team at Ord Minnett is bullish on the company. It believes that Brambles is well-placed for growth due partly to its Serialisation Plus plan, which is aiming to make its operations more efficient. The broker currently has a buy rating and $20.60 price target on Brambles' shares. ( ) Another ASX 200 blue chip share that could be a buy is Flight Centre. It is the travel company operating the iconic Flight Centre brand, as well as the Aunt Betty, Corporate Traveller, FCM, Stage & Screen, and Travel Associates brands. Macquarie is a fan of the company and believes that its shares are undervalued following recent weakness. Especially given its belief that things will get easier for Flight Centre as FY 2025 progresses following a soft start. The broker has an outperform rating and $22.34 price target on its shares. ( ) A third ASX 200 blue chip share that analysts are tipping as a buy is Goodman Group. It is a leading integrated commercial and industrial property company. Goodman owns, develops, and manages high-quality, sustainable properties that are close to consumers and provide essential infrastructure for the digital economy. It also has growing and meaningful exposure to the booming data centre market. The team at Morgan Stanley is bullish on the company and continues to forecast solid earnings growth in the coming years. The broker has an overweight rating and $42.40 price target on its shares. ( ) A final ASX 200 blue chip share that could be a top buy according to analysts is Treasury Wine. It is a leading wine company that owns a portfolio of popular brands. This includes the Penfolds, Wolf Blass, Lindeman's, DAOU Vineyards, and 19 Crimes brands. The team at Morgans thinks the market is undervaluing its shares at present. Especially given the potential of its recent acquisition of DAOU Vineyards. It notes that the "acquisition is in line with TWE's premiumisation and growth strategy and will strengthen a key gap in Treasury Americas (TA) portfolio" and that "if TWE delivers on its investment case, there is material upside to our valuation." Morgans currently has an add rating and $14.80 price target on its shares.
Community matters: How audience engagement in games is shaping other industries | Playable Futures
An Affiliate of Balmoral Funds LLC Acquires R.H. Sheppard Co., Inc.
Pope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has opened the great Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. The ceremony kicks off the 2025 Holy Year. It's a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome. And it will test the pope’s stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. This begins the Christmas Eve Mass. The ceremony inaugurates the once-every-25-year tradition of a Jubilee. Francis has dedicated the 2025 Jubilee to the theme of hope. Bethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas Eve during the war in Gaza BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem is marking another somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza. Manger Square lacked its usual festive lights and crowds of tourists on Tuesday. Instead, the area outside the Nativity Church was quiet. The church was built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. The war, the violence in the occupied West Bank it has spurred and the lack of festivities has deeply hurt Bethlehem's economy. The town relies heavily on Christmas tourism. The economy in the West Bank was already reeling because of restrictions placed on laborers preventing them from entering Israel during the war. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about one hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by an issue with a vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled. Middle East latest: Israel expels patients from a hospital in Gaza TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli soldiers raided a hospital in isolated northern Gaza after forcing all the patients and most of the doctors to leave. The Israeli military confirmed its troops had entered the Indonesian Hospital in the town of Jabaliya on Tuesday, as part of an operation searching for Hamas fighters. Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian city of Bethlehem was marking a somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza, with most festivities cancelled and crowds of tourists absent. Caitlin Clark honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year following her impact on women's sports Caitlin Clark has been named the AP Female Athlete of the Year after raising the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both college and the WNBA. She led Iowa to the national championship game, was the top pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers followed her journey on and off the court. Clark's exploits also put other women's sports leagues in the spotlight. A group of 74 sports journalists from AP and its members voted on the award. Other athletes who received votes included Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and boxer Imane Khelif. Clark’s only the fourth women’s basketball player to win the award since it was first given in 1931. Major storm pounds California's central coast, blamed for man's death and partially collapsing pier SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — A major storm has pounded California’s central coast bringing flooding and high surf that was blamed for fatally trapping a man beneath debris on a beach and later partially collapsing a pier, tossing three people into the Pacific Ocean. The storm was expected to bring hurricane-force winds and waves up to 60 feet Monday as it gained strength from California to the Pacific Northwest. Some California cities have ordered beachfront homes and hotels to evacuate early Monday afternoon. Forecasters have warned that storm swells would continue to increase throughout the day. Medellin Cartel victims demand truth and justice as cartel boss Fabio Ochoa walks free in Colombia BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — The return of the notorious drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia, following his deportation from the United States, has reopened old wounds among the victims of the Medellin cartel, with some expressing their dismay at the decision of Colombian authorities to let the former mafia boss walk free.Some of the cartel victims said on Tuesday that they are hoping the former drug lord will at least cooperate with ongoing efforts by human rights groups to investigate one of the most violent periods of Colombia’s history, and demanded that Colombian prosecutors also take Ochoa in for questioning. Man arraigned on murder charges in NYC subway death fanned flames with a shirt, prosecutors say NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors say a man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train used a shirt to fan the flames, causing her to become engulfed. The suspect, identified by police as Sebastian Zapeta, was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court on Tuesday. He faces murder charges that could put him in prison for life. Federal immigration officials say 33-year-old Zapeta is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally after being deported in 2018. The apparently random attack occurred Sunday morning on a stationary F train at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn. Amsterdam court sentences 5 men over violence linked to Ajax-Maccabi soccer game THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An Amsterdam District Court has issued sentences of up to six months in jail against 5 men who were involved in violent disorder after a soccer match between the Dutch club Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in November. The riots caused an international outcry and accusations of deliberate anti-Semitic attacks. The violence following a UEFA Europa League match left 5 people in hospital. More than 60 suspects were detained. The court on Tuesday sentenced one man to 6 months in prison, another to 2 1/2 months, two to 1 month and one to 100 hours of community service.
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people convicted in the slayings of police and military officers, as well as federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move weeks before the president-elect takes office. Victims' families and former colleagues share relief and anger Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner, Bryan Hurst, was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the killer's execution "would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House. But Hurst’s widow, Marissa Gibson, called Biden's move distressing and a "complete dismissal and undermining of the federal justice system,” in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch . Tim Timmerman, whose daughter, Rachel, was thrown into a Michigan lake in 1997 to keep her from testifying in a rape trial, said Biden's decision to commute the killer's sentence offered families “only pain.” "Where’s the justice in just giving him a prison bed to die comfortably in?” Timmerman said on WOOD-TV. Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a 2017 South Carolina bank robbery, called the commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post. “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” Corey Groves, whose mother, Kim Groves, was murdered in a 1994 plot by a New Orleans police officer after she filed a complaint against him, said the family has been living with the “nightmare” of her killer for three decades. “I have always wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison and have to wake up every morning and think about what he did when he took our mother from us," Groves said in a statement through his attorney. Decision to leave Roof on death row met with conflicting emotions Families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church have long had a broad range of opinions on Roof's punishment. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Risher, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out federal death row. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Risher said in a statement. Risher, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, said during a Zoom news conference that families “are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come.” Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director, said Biden was giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of their political motivations to kill. “When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Politicians and advocacy groups speak up Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden has shown "the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” One inmate's attorney expresses thanks — and his remorse Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” But Ed Dowd Jr., the U.S. attorney in St. Louis at the time of the robbery and now a private attorney, criticized Biden's move. “This case was a message to people who wanted to go out and shoot people for the hell of it, that you’re going to get the death penalty,” Dowd said. Now, "Biden is sending a message that you can do whatever you want and you won’t get the death penalty.” This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rev. Sharon Risher's name. Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri; Stephen Smith in New Orleans, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed.Patriots coach Jerod Mayo believes narrow loss to Bills shows potential of his young team
HAL to start trial of new Tejas fighter jet in January next year
MCKINNEY, Texas , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hartwater Aesthetics ® , a leading medical aesthetic brand, announced an expansion of its clinical and leadership team with the addition of a new aesthetic provider and a new practice manager at its location in McKinney, TX. The Hartwater Clinical team is joined by Tiffany Byres , LMA, a licensed Medical Aesthetician, Certified Laser Technician, and Laser Safety Officer with 13 years of experience in the plastic surgery and medical aesthetics space. Byres brings to Hartwater an extensive knowledge of skin care techniques and protocols as well as expertise with numerous laser technologies and other treatments to provide top-quality care to patients. Joining the leadership team as Practice Manager is Lauren Parker , an experienced operational and sales leader in the beauty industry. Parker will oversee daily operations at the practice and ensure the continued delivery of a seamless, patient-focused experience. This growth reflects Hartwater's ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional care and innovative services to its patients. The team expansion marks an exciting new chapter for Hartwater Aesthetics ® as it continues to set the standard for medical aesthetic care. About Hartwater Aesthetics ® Hartwater Aesthetics ® is a premier medical aesthetic practice offering industry-leading treatments for the face, body, and skin. It is home to a team of world-class aesthetic providers and uses the most state-of-the-art technology to offer patients the highest quality of care available. Media Contact: pr@h artwatera esthetics.com SOURCE Hartwater AestheticsPope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has opened the great Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. The ceremony kicks off the 2025 Holy Year. It's a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome. And it will test the pope’s stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. This begins the Christmas Eve Mass. The ceremony inaugurates the once-every-25-year tradition of a Jubilee. Francis has dedicated the 2025 Jubilee to the theme of hope. Bethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas Eve during the war in Gaza BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem is marking another somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza. Manger Square lacked its usual festive lights and crowds of tourists on Tuesday. Instead, the area outside the Nativity Church was quiet. The church was built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. The war, the violence in the occupied West Bank it has spurred and the lack of festivities has deeply hurt Bethlehem's economy. The town relies heavily on Christmas tourism. The economy in the West Bank was already reeling because of restrictions placed on laborers preventing them from entering Israel during the war. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about one hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by an issue with a vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled. Middle East latest: Israel expels patients from a hospital in Gaza TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli soldiers raided a hospital in isolated northern Gaza after forcing all the patients and most of the doctors to leave. The Israeli military confirmed its troops had entered the Indonesian Hospital in the town of Jabaliya on Tuesday, as part of an operation searching for Hamas fighters. Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian city of Bethlehem was marking a somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza, with most festivities cancelled and crowds of tourists absent. Caitlin Clark honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year following her impact on women's sports Caitlin Clark has been named the AP Female Athlete of the Year after raising the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both college and the WNBA. She led Iowa to the national championship game, was the top pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers followed her journey on and off the court. Clark's exploits also put other women's sports leagues in the spotlight. A group of 74 sports journalists from AP and its members voted on the award. Other athletes who received votes included Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and boxer Imane Khelif. Clark’s only the fourth women’s basketball player to win the award since it was first given in 1931. Major storm pounds California's central coast, blamed for man's death and partially collapsing pier SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — A major storm has pounded California’s central coast bringing flooding and high surf that was blamed for fatally trapping a man beneath debris on a beach and later partially collapsing a pier, tossing three people into the Pacific Ocean. The storm was expected to bring hurricane-force winds and waves up to 60 feet Monday as it gained strength from California to the Pacific Northwest. Some California cities have ordered beachfront homes and hotels to evacuate early Monday afternoon. Forecasters have warned that storm swells would continue to increase throughout the day. Medellin Cartel victims demand truth and justice as cartel boss Fabio Ochoa walks free in Colombia BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — The return of the notorious drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia, following his deportation from the United States, has reopened old wounds among the victims of the Medellin cartel, with some expressing their dismay at the decision of Colombian authorities to let the former mafia boss walk free.Some of the cartel victims said on Tuesday that they are hoping the former drug lord will at least cooperate with ongoing efforts by human rights groups to investigate one of the most violent periods of Colombia’s history, and demanded that Colombian prosecutors also take Ochoa in for questioning. Man arraigned on murder charges in NYC subway death fanned flames with a shirt, prosecutors say NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors say a man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train used a shirt to fan the flames, causing her to become engulfed. The suspect, identified by police as Sebastian Zapeta, was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court on Tuesday. He faces murder charges that could put him in prison for life. Federal immigration officials say 33-year-old Zapeta is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally after being deported in 2018. The apparently random attack occurred Sunday morning on a stationary F train at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn. Amsterdam court sentences 5 men over violence linked to Ajax-Maccabi soccer game THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An Amsterdam District Court has issued sentences of up to six months in jail against 5 men who were involved in violent disorder after a soccer match between the Dutch club Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in November. The riots caused an international outcry and accusations of deliberate anti-Semitic attacks. The violence following a UEFA Europa League match left 5 people in hospital. More than 60 suspects were detained. The court on Tuesday sentenced one man to 6 months in prison, another to 2 1/2 months, two to 1 month and one to 100 hours of community service.Research from several sites is starting to suggest that people came to the Americas earlier than once thought. Sloths were not always slow-moving, furry tree-dwellers. Their prehistoric ancestors were huge — up to four tonnes — and when startled, they brandished immense claws. For a long time, scientists believed the first humans to arrive in the Americas soon killed off these giant ground sloths through hunting, along with many other massive animals such as mastodons, sabre-toothed cats and dire wolves that once roamed North and South America. But new research from several sites is starting to suggest that people came to the Americas earlier — perhaps far earlier — than once thought. These findings hint at a remarkably different life for these early Americans, one in which they may have spent millennia sharing prehistoric savannas and wetlands with enormous beasts. “There was this idea that humans arrived and killed everything off very quickly — what’s called ‘Pleistocene overkill’,” said Daniel Odess, an archaeologist at White Sands National Park in New Mexico. But new discoveries suggest that “humans were existing alongside these animals for at least 10,000 years, without making them go extinct”. Some of the clues come from an archaeological site in central Brazil, Santa Elina, where bones of giant ground sloths show signs of being manipulated by humans. Sloths such as these once lived from Alaska to Argentina, and some species had bony structures on their backs, called osteoderms — a bit like the plates of modern armadillos — that may have been used to make decorations. The decorative artefacts from Santa Elina are roughly 27,000 years old — more than 10,000 years before scientists once thought that humans arrived in the Americas. Originally researchers wondered if the craftsmen were working on already old fossils. But research strongly suggests that ancient people were carving “fresh bones” shortly after the animals died. University of Sao Paulo researcher Mirian Pacheco’s findings, together with other recent discoveries, could help rewrite the tale of when humans first arrived in the Americas — and the effect they had on the environment they found. “There’s still a big debate,” Ms Pacheco said. Scientists know that the first humans emerged in Africa, then moved into Europe and Asia-Pacific, before finally making their way to the last continental frontier, the Americas. But questions remain about the final chapter of the human origins story. Clovis is a site in New Mexico, where archaeologists in the 1920s and 1930s found distinctive projectile points and other artefacts dated to between 11,000 and 13,000 years ago. This date happens to coincide with the end of the last Ice Age, a time when an ice-free corridor likely emerged in North America — giving rise to an idea about how early humans moved into the continent after crossing the Bering land bridge from Asia. And because the fossil record shows the widespread decline of American megafauna starting around the same time — with North America losing 70% of its large mammals, and South America losing more than 80% — many researchers surmised that humans’ arrival led to mass extinctions. “It was a nice story for a while, when all the timing lined up,” said paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner at the Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins Programme. “But it doesn’t really work so well any more.” In the past 30 years, new research methods — including ancient DNA analysis and new laboratory techniques — coupled with the examination of additional archaeological sites and inclusion of more diverse scholars across the Americas, have upended the old narrative and raised new questions, especially about timing. “Anything older than about 15,000 years still draws intense scrutiny,” said Richard Farina, a palaeontologist at the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay. “But really compelling evidence from more and more older sites keeps coming to light.” In Sao Paulo and at the Federal University of Sao Carlos, Ms Pacheco studies the chemical changes that occur when a bone becomes a fossil. This allows her team to analyse when the sloth osteoderms were likely modified. “We found that the osteoderms were carved before the fossilisation process” in “fresh bones”, she said — meaning anywhere from a few days to a few years after the sloths died, but not thousands of years later. Her team also tested and ruled out several natural processes, such as erosion and animal gnawing. The research was published last year in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. One of her collaborators, palaeontologist Thais Pansani, recently based at the Smithsonian Institution, is analysing whether similar-aged sloth bones found at Santa Elina were charred by human-made fires, which burn at different temperatures from natural wildfires. Her preliminary results suggest that the fresh sloth bones were present at human campsites — whether burned deliberately in cooking, or simply nearby, is not clear. She is also testing and ruling out other possible causes for the black markings, such as natural chemical discoloration. The first site widely accepted as older than Clovis was in Monte Verde, Chile. Buried beneath a peat bog, researchers discovered 14,500-year-old stone tools, pieces of preserved animal hides, and various edible and medicinal plants. “Monte Verde was a shock. You’re here at the end of the world, with all this organic stuff preserved,” said Vanderbilt University archaeologist Tom Dillehay, a researcher at Monte Verde. Other archaeological sites suggest even earlier dates for human presence in the Americas. Among the oldest sites is Arroyo del Vizcaino in Uruguay, where researchers are studying apparent human-made “cut marks” on animal bones dated to around 30,000 years ago. At New Mexico’s White Sands, researchers have uncovered human footprints dated to between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago, as well as similar-aged tracks of giant mammals. But some archaeologists say it is hard to imagine that humans would repeatedly traverse a site and leave no stone tools. “They’ve made a strong case, but there are still some things about that site that puzzle me,” said David Meltzer, an archaeologist at Southern Methodist University. “Why would people leave footprints over a long period of time, but never any artefacts?” While the exact timing of humans’ arrival in the Americas remains contested — and may never be known — it seems clear that if the first people arrived earlier than once thought, they did not immediately decimate the giant beasts they encountered.
GH-002 is under clinical development by GH Research and currently in Phase I for Treatment Resistant Depression. According to GlobalData, Phase I drugs for Treatment Resistant Depression have a 74% phase transition success rate (PTSR) indication benchmark for progressing into Phase II. GlobalData tracks drug-specific phase transition and likelihood of approval scores, in addition to indication benchmarks based off 18 years of historical drug development data. Attributes of the drug, company and its clinical trials play a fundamental role in drug-specific PTSR and likelihood of approval. GH-002 overview GH-002 is under development for the treatment of treatment resistant depression and unspecified neurological disorders. The drug candidate is an injectable formulation of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT). It acts by targeting serotonin 5HT1A and 5HT2A. It is administered through intravenous bolus GH Research overview GH Research biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for psychiatric and neurological disorders. The company has desigend its proprietary inhalable 5-MeO-DMT for depression. GH Research is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. For a complete picture of GH-002’s drug-specific PTSR and LoA scores, This content was updated on 12 April 2024 From Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors. , the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article. GlobalData’s Likelihood of Approval analytics tool dynamically assesses and predicts how likely a drug will move to the next stage in clinical development (PTSR), as well as how likely the drug will be approved (LoA). This is based on a combination of machine learning and a proprietary algorithm to process data points from various databases found on GlobalData’s .LOS ANGELES, Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Law Practice AI is at the forefront of a groundbreaking revolution in legal case management, reshaping how law firms handle complex tasks by leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). With its innovative platform, Law Practice AI automates labor-intensive processes, empowering legal professionals to focus on strategy, analysis, and delivering superior client service. AI-Powered Efficiency: Transforming Legal Case Management Law Practice AI's platform simplifies and accelerates case management by automating document review, case tracking, and research. By streamlining these traditionally time-consuming tasks, law firms can reduce operational costs and eliminate errors that arise from manual data handling. The result is a faster, more efficient legal workflow that enhances productivity and increases client satisfaction. "Law Practice AI has transformed legal case management by automating repetitive tasks, allowing attorneys to focus on high-value work. This boosts efficiency and ensures clients receive top-tier service. We also recognize the importance of ethical concerns around AI, which is why our platform prioritizes privacy, security, and compliance, with encryption and stringent access controls built into every layer," says Hamid Kohan , Founder and CEO of Law Practice AI. AI and Ethics in Law: Prioritizing Privacy and Regulatory Compliance In an industry where privacy and ethics are paramount, Law Practice AI remains dedicated to responsible AI innovation. The platform adheres to strict privacy and regulatory compliance standards, safeguarding sensitive client information and maintaining ethical practices in every aspect of its service. Expanding Horizons: Law Practice AI Leads the Way in AI-Driven Legal Tech Looking ahead, Law Practice AI continues to expand its platform to meet the evolving needs of the legal sector. By integrating cutting-edge AI technologies such as predictive analytics and natural language processing (NLP), the platform is poised to offer broader solutions, including AI-assisted legal research, automated contract generation, and enhanced client communication tools. About Law Practice AI Law Practice AI is on a mission to reshape the legal landscape by harnessing the full power of Artificial Intelligence. Our team of legal and technology experts dive deep into the intricacies of the law, leveraging advanced AI technologies to deliver solutions that improve efficiency, accuracy, and client satisfaction. We are introducing law firms to a new era of smart, precise, and efficient legal services. For media inquiries, please contact: Law Practice AI , powered by Legal Soft Address: 21731 Ventura Blvd. #100 Woodland Hills CA 91364 Phone: 209-500-3033 Email: Sales@mylawfirm.ai Visit us on social media: Facebook Instagram Linkedin X.comThe Lakers own the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a 10-6 record, but some glaring issues are actively holding the team back from their ultimate goal of winning a title. The franchise sports one of the best duos in the world, with future Hall-of-Famers LeBron James and Anthony Davis carrying much of the load each night despite a lack of depth. Davis has been playing at an MVP level, averaging 30.1 points and 11.1 rebounds while James has contributed 23.6 points and 9.1 assists on a career-best 42.3% shooting clip from three-point range. Even with both James and Davis playing some of the best basketball of their careers, the Lakers have managed to drop key games against the NBA’s best competition. Los Angeles has suffered defeat to several elite teams like the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and most recently to the blossoming Orlando Magic Thursday night. A player who had a massive hand in pulling out the thrilling 119-188 victory for Orlando, and who will surely be on the Lakers’ radar until the trade deadline is the 23-year-old defensive prodigy Jalen Suggs. The Lakers deflating first home loss of the season to the Magic could perhaps be blamed on their lackluster defense which carries a 117.9 defensive rating, sitting at No. 27 in the league. This is an area where Suggs, a member of the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team from a season ago, would help tremendously. Suggs scored 23 points to go along with two steals and two blocks against Los Angeles on Thursday, flashing serious two-way potential against a franchise that may be interested in acquiring the disruptive guard. The gritty guard is averaging 14.7 points and 3.6 assists paired with a 105 defensive rating per 100 possessions, up from his 110 rating during the 2023-24 season where he finished top-ten in Defensive Player of the Year voting. The addition of Suggs would help to make Davis’ life easier as a generational defensive talent. The team would be able to deploy one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire league while Davis protects the rim while largely enhancing the production they receive nightly from the point guard position overall. In exchange for Suggs, Orlando could seek somewhat of a haul in return. This could include players that could affect winning in the present like D’Angelo Russell or Jarred Vanderbilt once he returns from injury and draft compensation. More NBA: Warriors predicted to acquire undervalued $78 million center from Raptors via tradePlayfina vs Traditional Bookmakers: What to Choose in 2025?
Comforting robotic companions donated to pediatric cancer patients courtesy of Aflac ROSEVILLE Calif. , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Children in Northern California now have a cuddly companion to bring them comfort through their cancer treatment journey. Aflac Incorporated , a leading provider of health supplemental insurance in the U.S. donated the robotic ducks to Keaton's Child Cancer Alliance in Roseville Thursday. The event marks nearly 200 ducks given to Keaton's in the last two years and more than 33,000 ducks distributed free of charge since the program began in 2018. "Approximately 26 children are diagnosed with cancer each day in the United States , including the brave 'Child Cancer Warriors' supported by Keaton's Child Cancer Alliance," said Ines Rodriguez Gutzmer , Aflac senior vice president and chief Communications officer. "These incredible children, and their families, embody determination and resilience – and most of all, as we saw today, their joyful spirit continues to shine. We're thankful to the team at Keaton's for allowing us to be a part of the great work they do each and every day. Together, we're making a difference in the lives of the children, their families and their communities." My Special Aflac Duck is a social robot powered by innovative technology that helps kids prepare for medical procedures, communicate their feelings, practice distraction techniques and more. The robotic companion was designed in consult with more than 100 children, families and medical professionals in conjunction with Empath Labs. A three-year study revealed that patients reported a reduction in distress, nausea, pain and procedural anxiety compared to those in the study who had not yet received a duck. In addition, parents and caregivers reported a reduction in stress and anxiety, showing how My Special Aflac Duck helps children's support system. The duck delivery Thursday coincided with Keaton's annual Operation Gobble, where more than 20 families received Thanksgiving meal kits. "We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Aflac to ensure that young cancer warriors and their families receive the personalized support they need throughout their journey" said Jessica Alonso , Executive Director of Keaton's Child Cancer Alliance. "This generous contribution of My Special Aflac Ducks will have a meaningful impact on the children we serve. These comforting, interactive companions provide emotional support and help children navigate the complexities of treatment, bringing much-needed smiles and strength to families during some of their most challenging moments. Together, we are empowering those we serve to face cancer with courage and hope." Since its debut in 2018 , My Special Aflac Duck has received numerous awards; it was named one of Time Magazine's 50 Best Inventions and collected the Best in Show at CES and South by Southwest, among others. The My Special Aflac Duck program is a hallmark of Aflac's more than $184 million given toward pediatric cancer and blood disorder treatment, as part of the company's commitment to support the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta . Health care providers, support organizations and families can order My Special Aflac Duck free of charge for children 3 years or older who have been diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell disease at MySpecialAflacDuck.com . ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for more than 68 years to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan . In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products. 1 In Japan , Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 18 consecutive years (2024), Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for 23 years (2024) and Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year (2023). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (2023) for 10 years. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol . Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under "Sustainability." 1 LIMRA 2023 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report Media contact: Jon Sullivan , 706-763-4813 or jsullivan@aflac.com Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young , 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or dyoung@aflac.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/my-special-aflac-duck-lands-in-the-sacramento-valley-302313728.html SOURCE Aflac Best trending stories from the week. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. You may occasionally receive promotions exclusive discounted subscription offers from the Roswell Daily Record. Feel free to cancel any time via the unsubscribe link in the newsletter you received. 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Darden Restaurants, Inc. DRI shares are trading relatively flat on Friday. Yesterday, the company reported that the second quarter adjusted earnings per share was $2.03, beating the street view of $2.02. Looking ahead, Darden Restaurants said it now sees FY25 total sales of approximately $12.1 billion (prior outlook $11.8 billion – $11.9 billion). It reiterated diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations of $9.40 to $9.60. Following the results, here are the analyst takes on the stock : BofA Securities analyst Sara Senatore reiterated the Buy rating on the stock, raising the price forecast to $211 from $195. Goldman Sachs analyst Christine Cho maintained the Neutral rating on Darden Restaurants, raising the price objective to $193 from $183. Stephens analyst Jim Salera reiterated the Equal-Weight rating on the company, increasing the price forecast to $175 from $164. Truist Securities analyst Jake Bartlett reiterated the Buy rating on Darden Restaurants, raising the price forecast to $200 from $195. Oppenheimer analyst Brian Bittner maintained the Outperform rating on the stock, raising the price forecast to $200 from $182. Wedbush analyst Nick Setyan reiterated the Outperform rating on Darden Restaurants, increasing the price forecast to $220 from $200. KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Eric Gonzalez maintained the Overweight rating on the company, raising the price forecast to $200 from $194. Also Read: Market Volatility Halts On Soft Inflation Data, Yet Traders Remain Wary Of Fighting The Fed: 10 ETFs Moving Friday BofA Securities: According to the analyst, Olive Garden’s comps will stay positive in the second half of 2025, thanks to increased marketing efforts and potential growth from new channels like the upcoming Uber Technologies, Inc. rollout. The initial 100-store test shows that delivery order sizes are higher. While Fine Dining continues to face challenges with a 3.8% decline in comparable sales (excluding timing shifts and weather factors), the analyst thinks this performance aligns with a return to previous trends for households with incomes under $150k, Senatore writes. Goldman Sachs: The analyst projects Darden Restaurants to continue benefiting from its scale, the strength of the LongHorn brand, and subsegment diversification, but uncertainties remain around Olive Garden and Fine Dining traffic. The Uber partnership is anticipated to bring increased advertising dollars to Darden Restaurants, though management has indicated they will not promote the delivery option until the full rollout in Olive Garden stores, expected by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 or the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Stephens: Following the quarterly results, the analyst notes that the adjusted earnings per share estimate for fiscal year 2025 has been revised from $9.38 to $9.40, while EBITDA is adjusted from $1.939 billion to $1.962 billion. For fiscal year 2026, the adjusted EPS estimate increases from $10.30 to $10.35, and EBITDA moves from $2.102 billion to $2.111 billion. Truist Securities: The analyst notes that stronger-than-expected same-store sales at Olive Garden have increased confidence in both restaurant demand and the brand’s ability to gain market share through disciplined promotions. These promotions will continue in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 and through the new national delivery partnership, which has tested well. With operating cost inflation decreasing and solid same-store sales performance, Darden Restaurants appears to be focusing on development, which is expected to accelerate in fiscal year 2026, supporting its valuation, Bartlett writes. Oppenheimer: The analyst notes that they have increased their earnings per share estimates for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to $9.50 and $10.68, respectively, up from previous estimates of $9.46 and $10.61. These new estimates are higher than the street’s consensus of $9.43 and $10.58. Bittner also sees potential for further positive revisions as sales levers are implemented. Wedbush: Per the analyst, Darden Restaurants will continue gaining category share despite an uncertain consumer environment, which increases confidence in its ability to achieve long-term annual return targets. The analyst writes that the FY25 EPS estimate has been raised to $9.55 from $9.50, and the FY26 EPS estimate has been increased to $10.64 from $10.32. KeyBanc Capital Markets: The analyst writes that the Fine Dining segment remains a concern due to lower-to-middle-income consumers cutting back on aspirational purchases. However, Darden Restaurants’ diversified portfolio helps offset these challenges. Darden Restaurants now expects an earlier rollout of its third-party delivery partnership with Uber and sees an additional $2 million in synergies from its Chuy’s acquisition, the analyst notes. Price Action: DRI shares are trading higher by 1.92% to $186.96 at last check Friday. Read Next: ETF Market Sets Records In 2024 As Inflows Reach $1.6 Trillion: 7 Funds Leading Charge Photo by Sundry Photography via Shutterstock. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Editorial: Writing thank you notes benefits both sender and recipientBy Connor Smith Magnificent Seven stocks were dragging on the S&P 500 once again. With the market benchmark up just 0.3%, roughly 400 of its member stocks were trading higher. The Dow was up 334 points, or 0.8%. The Nasdaq Composite was mostly unchanged. By contrast, the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF, or RSP, was up 0.8%. RSP shows what the S&P 500 would look like if every stock in the index had the same weighting, so it’s a proxy for market breadth.