By Riazat Butt | Associated Press ISLAMABAD — Supporters seeking the release of imprisoned Pakistani former Prime Minister Imran Khan broke through a ring of shipping containers blocking off the capital on Tuesday, and battled security forces despite a government threat to respond with gunfire. Six people have died in the violence. Thousands of security forces have poured into central Islamabad in an attempt to quell protests in support of Khan that have gripped the capital and its surrounding areas since Sunday. The popular politician has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases that his party says are politically motivated. Authorities say only courts can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case in August 2023. On Tuesday, Pakistan’s army took control of D-Chowk, a large square in downtown Islamabad’s Red Zone, which houses key government buildings and where visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is staying . Paramilitary rangers and police were also out in force and some fired warning shots into the air. Still, Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who is leading the protests, made slow progress toward the square in a heavily guarded convoy, surrounded by well-wishers. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi threatened that security forces would respond with live fire if protesters fired weapons at them. “We have now allowed police to take any decision according to the situation,” Naqvi said later while visiting the square. Protester Shahzor Ali said people were on the streets because Khan had called for them to be there. “We will stay here until Khan is among us. He will decide what to do next,” Ali said.”If they again fire bullets, the bullet will be responded with the bullet,” he said. Protester Fareeda Bibi, who is not related to Khan’s wife, said people have suffered greatly for the last two years. “We have really suffered for the last two years, whether it is economically, politically or socially. We have been ruined. I have not seen such a Pakistan in my life,” she said. Police so far have used tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds. The dead include four members of the security services and one civilian who were killed when a vehicle rammed them on a street overnight into Tuesday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the attack, saying an “anarchist group” was deliberately targeting law enforcement personnel. There was no claim of responsibility for the ramming. A police officer died separately. Scores of people have also been injured, including journalists who were attacked by demonstrators. Dozens of Khan supporters beat a videographer covering the protest for The Associated Press and took his camera. He sustained head injuries and was treated in a hospital. Pakistani media have mostly stopped filming and photographing the rally, instead focusing on the security measures and the city’s deserted streets. By Tuesday afternoon, fresh waves of protesters made their way unopposed to their final destination in the Red Zone. Most demonstrators had the flag of Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, around their shoulders or wore its tricolors on accessories. Naqvi said Khan’s party rejected a government offer to rally on the outskirts of the city. Information Minister Atta Tarar warned there would be a severe government reaction to the violence. He said the government did not want Bushra Bibi to achieve her goal of freeing Khan. “She wants bodies falling to the ground. She wants bloodshed,” he said. In a bid to foil the unrest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services in some parts of the country and messaging platforms were also experiencing severe disruption in the capital. Related Articles World News | After Trump’s win, Black women are rethinking their role as America’s reliable political organizers World News | Who’s paying the most to lobby CT legislators? One industry tops them all World News | Trump’s Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It’s a shift seen in his labor pick World News | Recount: Democrat unseats Republican in CT’s 8th Senate District World News | Connecticut’s fixed expenses rising faster than its revenues, state report says Khan’s party relies heavily on social media to demand Khan’s release and uses messaging platforms such as WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. The X platform, which is banned in Pakistan, is no longer accessible, even with a VPN. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested. Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible because of shipping containers blocking the roads. All educational institutions remain closed. Pakistan’s Stock Exchange lost more than $1.7 billion Tuesday due to rising political tensions, according to economist Mohammed Sohail from Topline Securities. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this report.About 25 per cent of the population aged between 16 and 64 in Manchester — more than 100,000 people — were classed as “economically inactive” last year. This proportion is 4 percentage points higher than the average across the UK, and one in five people in the city’s working-age population claim out-of-work benefits. If Labour is to bring down Britain’s growing welfare bill, it must tackle the deepening worklessness crisis in cities such as Manchester. People on benefits in the southern suburb of Wythenshawe back Sir Keir Starmer and Liz Kendall’s bid to cut the bloated welfare system. Tracey Baxter, 54, a former airport worker, receives a range of disability benefits after being diagnosed with heart and lung conditions, high blood pressure and blood cancer.This year, Kim Stark’s kids took responsibility for decorating the family Christmas tree. Ornaments include toy cars, puzzle pieces, string and a pair of binoculars — things her three young daughters had handy after the family lost their home in summer’s devastating Jasper wildfire. “I have the most wonderful tree on the planet,” said Stark. “It’s part of our story and part of who we are. “If (the kids) are happy, I’m happy.” Stark is part of the fabric of the Jasper townsite, a 10-year member of the fire department and owner of a coffee shop and bakery. Her family, plus three furry pets and a fish, are living in a condo as they navigate rebuilding their home. “(The kids) miss our house, and we talk about our house,” said Stark. “We make sure we go to our neighbourhood, so that it doesn’t become somebody else’s neighbourhood.” Stark and other residents are anxious and nervous for the future following the fire that hit the town July 24. About 5,000 residents and 20,000 visitors were safely evacuated before the fire breached the western edge of town and destroyed 350 homes and businesses, including 820 housings units. The Insurance Bureau of Canada pegged the damage at $880 million. Six months after the fire, debris is still being cleared — lot by lot. Locals including Stark are quick to say things could have been worse. But anxiety over temporary living situations and what may be a long and slow rebuild process has many residents and municipal leaders feeling unsettled heading into 2025. For Sabrina Charlebois and David Leoni, the top concern is the Alberta government’s $112-million modular housing project. It’s to put up 250 pre-built rental units in the town and rent them to those displaced by the fire. Social Services Minister Jason Nixon said the first homes should be ready by late January or early February, with the rest in April. The majority are to be multi-bedroom suites to accommodate families. “If we can get all of our approvals on time, we definitely are on time to be able to build in the context of what we promised,” Nixon said. It’s complicated, he added, given there are layers of government with an Alberta town in a national park. Charlebois was born and raised in Jasper. The fire destroyed her childhood home, which her late father built, as well as the salon where she worked. “It’s better than nothing,” she said of the housing project, noting at least 2,000 residents were displaced so demand could outnumber the new units. Charlebois, who has been staying in a hotel, said it’s understandable projects like this take time. But “we’re six months into this, and there’s no homes for anyone.” “My fear is not finding a place to live, because I have to be out of my hotel by the spring,” she said. Leoni, a dentist and former Olympic biathlete, and his family also lost their home, as did seven staff at his clinic. He said the April cutoff date Charlebois is facing also applies to his staff staying in hotels. “Hopefully that’s concurrent with the provincial government’s opening of these modular units that they’re putting in, because we’re going to lose staff,” said Leoni. “Without them I can’t do anything.” The clinic needed to replace $160,000 worth of equipment and required a top-to-bottom scrub before appointments resumed in October. Leoni estimates his patient list is down one-third because of the fire. Whether those patients return remains to be seen. Charlebois and Leoni both said their anxiety is heightened when they consider the unpredictable nature of the town’s tourism economy and how it could complicate the pace of rebuilding. It’s a catch-22: residents need houses in order to rebuild and restart the economy, but they can’t restart the economy without tourists. And tourists require services, which require workers, who require housing. Bill Given, the town’s chief administrator, said he’s optimistic the municipality can “thread the needle.” But he has his own anxieties when it comes to rebuilding, namely the complexity of Jasper operating under both federal and provincial oversight. “An associated risk of that is that individual agendas from different orders of government overtake the public interest in delivering on what Jasper needs,” Given said. “I think there’s also a risk, maybe somewhat smaller, that private interests overtake the broader public interest.” Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland, who lost his home in the fire, said they have to find a way. “Failure is not an option for anybody,” said Ireland. “We have one chance to get this right, and that’s what we have to do.” In the meantime, Stark and her daughters watch from behind a fence as what’s left of their home is cleared away. “I’m super excited just to have a hole instead of a burnt spiral staircase that was coming up in my backyard. “Now,” she said, “it’s just this beautiful dirt. “There’s future there.” Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
Trump Asks US Supreme Court To Pause Law Threatening TikTok Ban
Dejounte Murray is rejoining the Pelicans vs. Toronto and drawing inspiration from his motherThe Dec. 4 report from Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino’s office, which covered fiscal years 2021 through 2023, also found that misconduct allegations within IDHS have increased and that the department’s inspector general’s office has been slower to investigate complaints. The report lays out the latest problems for an agency still dealing with fallout from accusations that a downstate mental health center repeatedly covered up staff misconduct amid allegations of abuse and neglect of residents. The report noted that due to a high number of allegations, it’s likely that many of the same issues documented at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna exist at other centers. The overtime issues detailed in the report are eye-opening. In fiscal year 2023, IDHS reported that 70% of the more than 7,200 employees at its state-operated facilities had overtime that accumulated a total of 1,606,962 hours. Of those, 330 employees tallied more than 1,000 hours in OT, the audit found. A worker with an annual pay rate of $66,000 logged 3,331 hours in overtime during the fiscal year and collected $227,800 in gross pay during the calendar year, the audit found. Another employee tallied 2,745 of the extra hours and had gross pay of $203,700, well above their calendar year pay rate of $68,400. The auditor general’s office noted that the hours of overtime reported do not necessarily reflect the amount of overtime worked. One reason for that is that there are different rates of overtime pay for holidays. Another is that an employee with seniority can file a grievance after not being offered an overtime shift, and, if successful, collect the extra money without having worked the shift. “However, even when taking these instances into consideration, the amount of overtime being worked by State-operated facility employees appears excessive,” Mautino’s office wrote. The report noted that beyond the fiscal implications, having employees work so many additional hours can have adverse consequences for people in IDHS care. “Multiple academic studies have found that excessive amounts of overtime can have a detrimental effect on the care provided to residents or patients, as well as the health care workers providing the care,” Mautino’s office said. The report also found allegations of wrongdoing within the department, including those involving its mental health and developmental centers and as well as community agencies, have climbed since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and that the department’s inspector general has been taking longer to investigate those claims. The IDHS inspector general’s office received 3,281 allegations during fiscal year 2023 compared with 2,423 in fiscal year 2021, which at that time was the lowest in a decade. But during fiscal year 2023, the watchdog took an average of 205 calendar days to investigate cases, an increase of 25 days during the 2020 fiscal year, according to Mautino’s office. Along with the rise in complaints, there was a slowdown in the time it took the department’s inspector general’s office to complete investigations, the audit found. In fiscal year 2023, only 22% of the IDHS watchdog’s cases were completed within 60 calendar days, an 8% drop from fiscal year 2020 — which covered part of the prior audit of the watchdog — and a 14% decrease when compared with both fiscal years 2021 and 2022, Mautino’s office found. The auditor general also found the IDHS inspector general’s office was slow to fill open positions. From fiscal years 2021 through 2023, the watchdog requested to hire for 38 positions, but as of mid-August 2023, 17 had been filled and 21 were vacant. “(IDHS watchdog) officials stated that multiple bureaus have lost headcount; if there is a lack of investigators, then timeliness worsens and caseloads increase,” Mautino’s office wrote. “According to (IDHS watchdog officials), they are unable to hire investigators fast enough to maintain their headcount.” The audit also addressed the IDHS inspector general’s office’s Quality Care Board, which is supposed to monitor the watchdog to ensure investigations of abuse and neglect are handled properly. The board is supposed to have seven members, appointed by the governor with consent of the Senate, with two of them being a person with a disability or a parent of someone disabled. According to Mautino’s office, the board did not have the required seven members during the audit period and two members were serving on expired terms. “The Board cannot fully function as directed by statute to ‘monitor and oversee the operations, policies, and procedures of the Inspector General with vacancies and neglected membership requirements,” Mautino’s office wrote. Mautino’s office noted an IDHS watchdog directive requiring that office to interview a “complainant and/or required reporter and the victim and/or guardian” within 15 working days of case assignment. But in five of 39 investigations sampled by the auditor that included a victim who was verbal, it took anywhere from 24 to 536 working days to complete the interview. “Conducting interviews quickly is essential in conducting effective investigations. As time passes, victims who have a developmental disability or mental illness may be more likely to forget what happened or be unable to recount what happened accurately,” Mautino’s office wrote. The audit recommended that IDHS ensure all employees at state-operated facilities receive training in prevention and “reporting of abuse, neglect and exploitation” as required by policies and state law. IDHS and its watchdog should work together to identify and resolve bottlenecks in the hiring process and address pay structure imbalances for management positions, Mautino’s office also said. The office also said IDHS should conduct a staffing analysis to determine if staffing levels at the state-run facilities are appropriate. “The staffing analysis should take into consideration the need to reduce excessive amounts of employee overtime, especially for direct care employees,” according to Mautino’s office. In a response to the findings that was included in the audit, IDHS said it’s in the process of reviewing staffing levels at its facilities and noted it has worked to implement changes to the collective bargaining agreements to expedite hiring for certain positions. The agency acknowledged being challenged by retirement and retention issues. The IDHS watchdog, meanwhile, said it has worked closely with IDHS to increase headcount and is in the process of “substantial additional hiring.” “However, it will take time for the new hires to make a noticeable impact on timeliness, as training takes time and significant effort from supervisory staff,” IDHS said, according to Mautino’s office. “(The IDHS watchdog) continuously reviews processes for timeliness improvements and training opportunities.” IDHS also pointed to how its bureau of hotline and intake has seen “a severe shortage” in intake investigators and bureau management due to retirements and significant delays in the hiring process. The agency also acknowledged how staff shortages result in growing backlogs that further affect the ability of the IDHS watchdog to investigate complaints quickly. “Unfortunately, the ongoing staff shortage has persisted as overall calls, including reportable and non-reportable calls, have increased,” IDHS said, according to Mautino’s report. “As of October 2024, (the IDHS watchdog) has six intake investigators, and five unfilled intake investigator positions that are in various stages of the hiring process.” The IDHS watchdog expects an upcoming change in technology will help the inspector general’s office provide better oversight. Next year, for instance, the watchdog will have a new case management system designed to better track and document when an investigator is unable to reach a victim or complainant within the required timeframes. In a statement, IDHS and its inspector general’s office said it accepted the audit’s findings and is “working to implement changes, including the hiring of staff to ensure appropriate staffing levels across all of our programs and offices.” Separately, IDHS last week said it experienced a privacy breach in April when an outside entity, through a phishing campaign, gained access to files that included the Social Security numbers of more than 4,700 customers and three employees. In addition, public assistance account information was accessed for more than a million customers, though that information did not include Social Security numbers. “Upon learning of the phishing incident, IDHS worked in partnership with (the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology) to investigate the extent of the breach and to determine which individuals were included,” IDHS said in a statement. Read the audit:Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of RXO, Inc. ( NYSE:RXO – Free Report ) by 7.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,068,380 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 136,886 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned 1.29% of RXO worth $57,915,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in RXO by 40.0% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,784 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 510 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in RXO by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 25,537 shares of the company’s stock worth $668,000 after buying an additional 575 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in RXO by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 32,906 shares of the company’s stock worth $860,000 after buying an additional 751 shares during the period. KBC Group NV raised its stake in RXO by 28.1% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 4,055 shares of the company’s stock worth $114,000 after buying an additional 890 shares during the period. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its stake in RXO by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 59,100 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,545,000 after buying an additional 1,100 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.73% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts recently commented on the company. Citigroup downgraded RXO from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $33.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $31.00 price target on shares of RXO in a research note on Tuesday, September 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $29.00 price target on shares of RXO in a research note on Monday, November 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on RXO from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on RXO from $23.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $26.47. RXO Trading Up 0.9 % RXO stock opened at $30.15 on Friday. RXO, Inc. has a 52 week low of $18.75 and a 52 week high of $32.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.85 billion, a P/E ratio of -15.23, a PEG ratio of 16.10 and a beta of 1.33. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $28.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.58. RXO ( NYSE:RXO – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.04 by $0.01. RXO had a positive return on equity of 1.64% and a negative net margin of 6.81%. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $956.19 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.05 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that RXO, Inc. will post 0.12 earnings per share for the current year. RXO Company Profile ( Free Report ) RXO, Inc provides full truckload freight transportation brokering services. It also offers brokered services for managed transportation, last mile, and freight forwarding. The company was incorporated in 2022 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for RXO Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for RXO and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
S&P/TSX composite, U.S. markets end the trading day lower FridayKeir Starmer ‘softening’ inheritance tax stance, NFU chief hints
Up 119% this year, can BrainChip shares soar again in 2025?NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart's sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world's biggest retailer followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump's incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches -- the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President -- are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI," Glasgow said. "The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America's top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart's announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart's need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company no longer has explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer's ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart." Walmart's announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” He said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have “record participation” of more than 1,400 companies in 2025." Alexandra Olson And Cathy Bussewitz, The Associated PressIn the NFL MVP race, the top three candidates — in alphabetical order — are: A) Josh Allen B) Lamar Jackson C) Patrick Mahomes. I’ll take the fourth choice: D) Any of the above. We’re in the ice cream shop. There’s no wrong choice here. With one game left for Jackson and Mahomes and two left for Allen, each AFC quarterback has built a winning case for MVP. They’ve all led their team to the Super Bowl tournament, none missing a contest. The three-star show wasn’t surprising. All three QBs occupy the sweet spot of vast experience and in-their-prime youth — Jackson being the youngest, at 27, followed by Allen, 28, and Mahomes, 29. Running backs don’t affect the game as much as QBs, denying Saquon Barkley a realistic shot at the MVP award, but he deserves NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. And if the Bengals hadn’t failed him, QB Joe Burrow would be in the MVP hunt. Proceeding alphabetically, I’ll begin with why I wouldn’t vote against Allen. Above all, he’s scary in the red zone. That’s where most big games are decided, and it’s where greatness is needed because the game becomes faster and more compressed. Either in the pocket or on the move, Allen can make the right red-zone passes at a high rate. It’s his run dimension that affects defenses the most. He wins races to the pylon or up a seam; unlike most QBs of the Super Bowl era, he initiates and wins collisions with linebackers and safeties. This season, Allen has gone from bad to good at avoiding interceptions. The opportunities Allen creates for teammates stand out, and that’s a big factor in the Bills scoring 30-plus in eight consecutive games and leading the AFC in points scored. Khalil Shakir leads the team in receptions (73). His lateral agility is wicked. At Boise State, dropped passes were a problem for the short-armed receiver. Shakir, tough and resilient, now stands as a fifth-round steal. Assist, Allen. Gritty Mack Hollins leads the Bills with five touchdown catches, a career-high. Allen’s Bills are Hollins’ fifth NFL team. Allen’s run threat expands lanes for running back James Cook, sparing him collisions. Cook, who weighed just 199 pounds when he entered the NFL in 2022, has rushed for 14 TDs, tying him for NFL honors. Here, today, I won’t write much about Jackson and Mahomes — but there’s ample reason to not vote against either one. Jackson has toyed with several defenses as a passer and a rusher by leveraging his astounding explosiveness that now has opponents wishing he’d not lost weight last offseason in pursuit of yet more footspeed. Talk about two-way dominance. Jackson stands first in several passing statistics: passer rating, touchdown percentage, ESPN’s total quarterback rating (which also accounts for rushing) and, per Athlon Sports, passer rating from the pocket. Only Justin Herbert has thrown fewer interceptions per pass. Oh, yeah, Jackson also boasts the second-best passer rating outside the pocket. Rushing, Jackson sports a league-best 6.6 yards per carry and broke Michael Vick’s season record for rushing yards by a quarterback. Any football lover who attends a Ravens game for the first time will find Jackson’s speed dazzling, and see how it distorts the whole chess match. More so than telecasts convey, he dictates terms. Last month in a stunning display of speed even for him, Jackson blazed upfield to try to lend blocking support in pursuit of speedy teammate Zay Flowers, who’d run away from Chargers defenders after catching a short pass. Jackson, gliding without the ball, ran by Flowers and several defenders. At the 2023 NFL combine, Flowers was clocked at 4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash. No QB has had a better season than Mahomes, although I doubt he will finish first or even second in MVP voting. He has led the Chiefs (15-1) to the AFC’s top seed despite poor blindside blocking in many games, losing his top two receivers and top running back for most of the season and suffering a high ankle sprain himself. Because they couldn’t keep up with the Chiefs, the Ravens and Bills may have to meet in the playoffs, improving Mahomes’ odds of winning a fourth Super Bowl title. “Mahomes controls the entire game with his IQ,” former NFL receiver Dez Bryant said this week on social media. Three great seasons. One MVP award. I don’t envy the voters, whose ballots are due before the playoffs begin.