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TEMPE, Ariz. — Kyler Murray was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft. He was charged with turning around a franchise that has been a perennial also-ran for most of the past century and hasn't won an NFL championship since 1947. Six years later — even though Murray usually has played fairly well — it's still the same ol' Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals (7-8) were eliminated from the playoff race on Sunday after a 36-30 overtime loss to the lowly Carolina Panthers. Arizona fell into an early 20-3 hole before fighting back, but a handful of missed opportunities in overtime doomed the team's postseason hopes. “We didn’t take this team lightly at all, but it’s the NFL,” Murray said. “When you come out and you do that, put yourself behind, we fought back though, and had a chance to win the game and that’s all that matters and we didn’t do it, so, that’s part of the game." During Murray's six seasons, the Cardinals have played in exactly one playoff game, getting blown out by the Rams in 2021. Murray — a two-time Pro Bowl selection — has a 35-44-1 record as the starting quarterback. To be fair, the Cardinals weren't expected to be great this year. They've already won three more games than last season, when they finished 4-13, and a finish around the .500 mark is a solid improvement. But there's little doubt the past month was a missed opportunity. The Cardinals had a 6-4 record after a four-game winning streak, but they have dropped four of five since their bye week. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) can't make the catch as New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) makes the hit during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. Credit: AP/Rick Scuteri “I know they’re down,” second-year coach Jonathan Gannon said. “I know that’s real. Ultimately when you reflect on it, we haven’t done enough, you know what I mean? And it starts with me. We win together, we lose together, everyone had their hand in how this season went and why we are where we are and it starts with me.” What’s working It's no coincidence that Arizona's offense had problems once RB James Conner left in the third quarter with a knee injury. Conner rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, almost single-handedly willing the Cardinals back into the game. Conner's already run for a career-high 1,090 yards this season and the 29-year-old is still a powerful and versatile runner as he approaches his 30s. What needs help This is a franchise that just can't seem to shake its mediocre mojo. Gannon has brought an even-keel, professional approach and there's been slow improvement over his two seasons. He also has meshed with Murray, which is important. But it's unclear if the pairing is going to be able to turn the Cardinals into a consistent winner. Stock up Chad Ryland was a terrific in-season pickup by the Cardinals after veteran kicker Matt Prater went down with a knee injury. Ryland nailed a 58-yard field goal as time expired in regulation, giving Arizona a chance to win it in overtime. He is 25 of 29 on field goals over 11 games, and the 25-year-old looks as if he could be the team's long-term answer at the position. Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter runs against the Carolina Panthers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. Credit: AP/Jacob Kupferman Stock down Marvin Harrison Jr. had another pedestrian day, finishing with four catches for 39 yards. He was targeted four other times, but the wide receiver couldn't come up with big plays when the Cardinals needed them. The No. 4 overall pick in this year's draft is still very young, so he can obviously get better, but it's fair to wonder if he's going to be the game-changing player that the Cardinals expected. Gannon said he wants Harrison to be more physical, but is largely happy with his performance. “I think he's done a really good job this year of learning and adapting his game and fitting where he fits in,” Gannon said. “He's made some plays and missed some plays. These are learning experiences for him. This was a good year for him to get under his belt.” Injuries RT Jonah Williams (knee), LB Baron Browning (neck) and Conner left during the Panthers' game, and there likely will be a lengthy injury report heading into this weekend's game against the Rams. LB Mack Wilson Sr. (concussion) and LT Paris Johnson Jr. (knee) were among those who didn't play against the Panthers. Key number 1 — The Cardinals have made the playoffs just once over the past nine seasons. Next steps Arizona will be playing for pride on the road against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. The surging Rams have won four straight.
House of Glass has opened the café in Newquay as a space for surfers, thanks to the Start Up Loans programme. The collective, owned by partners Ellen Caldwell and Kourosh Zahedi, wanted to create a spot where people could connect over their shared love for surfing. Ms Caldwell said: "We wanted to revive surf culture by providing a space where people could come together." The duo received a £15,000 loan to fund the coffee shop premises, staff, stock, and marketing. As a result, Newquay now boasts a trendy spot for surfers to enjoy a single-estate roast, French pastries, and in-house baked focaccia bread. The café, nestled in Cribbar Yard in Newquay, also acts as a base for the collective's other ventures. Ms Caldwell tailors hand-made to measure wetsuits for her brand FIGURE, while Mr Zahedi crafts surfboards under the brand name ZEDSLEDS. (Image: House of Glass) House of Glass also collaborates on high-profile projects including a summer clothing range with Urban Outfitters, and a surfboard and merchandise collection for the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon X Culted retreat in Polzeath. Ms Caldwell said: "This is the bread and butter of the business - but every day we welcome people who want to feel comfortable in our space." The pair initially considered Polzeath for their café but were swayed by the busy footfall in Newquay. Ms Caldwell added: "It’s a hidden gem, and it’s given us a wider community base." The café embraces sustainability, upcycling much of its interior decor, and hosting sold-out evening events like DJ nights and street food pop-ups. Ms Caldwell explained: "It’s about bringing people together, over nothing less than good food, surf, and drink." The Start Up Loans programme has provided £100 million in funding to businesses across the South West, with over £16 million benefiting Cornish businesses. Ms Caldwell praised the programme for allowing them to operate year-round and reach a premium market. She said: "Without that money, we wouldn’t have been able to make the year and would have had to pare back massively. "It was a survival bucket, a steady hand over the summer that will now enable us to grow." Louise McCoy, commercial managing director of small business lending at the British Business Bank, said: "We’re thrilled that the Start Up Loans programme has delivered over £100m of funding to 10,000 businesses across the region since its launch. "Businesses like House of Glass deliver a wide range of products and services to their communities and contribute to the economic vitality of their areas."
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'AI Jesus' avatar tests man's faith in machines and the divineWINDSOR, Conn. , Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. SSNC today announced an initial agreement with Insignia Financial (Insignia) to deliver superannuation member administration services. Insignia Financial supports around 1.1 million superannuation fund members through its wealth management offerings. Upon signing a final binding agreement, more than 1,000 team members in seven offices across Australia will transfer from Insignia to SS&C. The team will then leverage SS&C's in-house technology to automate processes and streamline operations while providing top-notch service delivery to Insignia's customers alongside SS&C's experts. "As a leading global provider of retirement solutions, SS&C is a trusted partner with extensive expertise in fund administration. We anticipate the collaboration with SS&C will provide our more than 1.1 million members with an improved experience delivered by contemporary technology, our people with the opportunity to be part of a large global enterprise, and greater cost efficiencies," said Insignia Financial's CEO Scott Hartley . "We look forward to welcoming Insignia Financial staff to the team and working closely with our new colleagues," said Bill Stone , Chairman and CEO. "Insignia Financial is one of the largest wealth management businesses in Australia and will be our largest client in Australia . This collaboration will put SS&C one step closer to becoming the leading superannuation administration provider in the region. As more funds look to partner with trusted external providers, we look forward to delivering the best technology and service to optimize superannuation administration for Australia's investors." About Insignia Financial Ltd. With origins dating back to 1846, today the Insignia Financial is a leading Australian wealth manager. Insignia Financial provides financial advice, superannuation, wrap platforms and asset management services to members, financial advisers and corporate employers. Further information about Insignia Financial can be found at www.insigniafinancial.com.au About SS&C SS&C is a global provider of services and software for the financial services and healthcare industries. Founded in 1986, SS&C is headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut , and has offices around the world. Some 20,000 financial services and healthcare organizations, from the world's largest companies to small and mid-market firms, rely on SS&C for expertise, scale and technology. Additional information about SS&C SSNC is available at www.ssctech.com . Follow SS&C on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ssc-signs-agreement-with-insignia-financial-302326720.html SOURCE SS&C © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
The Reform UK leader pushed back against reports suggesting that legal action would be the next step, saying he would make a decision in the next couple of days about his response if there is no apology for the “crazy conspiracy theory”. Mr Farage also said the party has “opened up our systems” to media outlets, including The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times, in the interests of “full transparency to verify that our numbers are correct”. His remarks came after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused Mr Farage of “fakery” in response to Reform claiming they had surpassed the Tories in signed-up members. Mrs Badenoch said Reform’s counter was “coded to tick up automatically”. A digital counter on the Reform website showed a membership tally before lunchtime on Boxing Day ticking past the 131,680 figure declared by the Conservative Party during its leadership election earlier this year. Mr Farage, on whether he was threatening legal action or not, told the PA news agency: “I haven’t threatened anything. I’ve just said that unless I get an apology, I will take some action. “I haven’t said whether it’s legal or anything.” He added: “All I’ve said is I want an apology. If I don’t get an apology, I will take action. “I will decide in the next couple of days what that is. So I’ve not specified what it is.” Mr Farage, on the move to make membership data available to media organisations, said: “We feel our arguments are fully validated. “She (Mrs Badenoch) has put out this crazy conspiracy theory and she needs to apologise.” The accusations of fraud and dishonesty made against me yesterday were disgraceful. Today we opened up our systems to The Telegraph, Spectator, Sky News & FT in the interests of full transparency to verify that our data is correct. I am now demanding @KemiBadenoch apologises. — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) December 27, 2024 On why Mrs Badenoch had reacted as she did, Mr Farage said: “I would imagine she was at home without anybody advising her and was just angry.” Mr Farage, in a statement issued on social media site X, also said: “The accusations of fraud and dishonesty made against me yesterday were disgraceful. “Today we opened up our systems to The Telegraph, Spectator, Sky News and FT in the interests of full transparency to verify that our data is correct. “I am now demanding Kemi Badenoch apologises.” A Conservative Party source claimed Mr Farage was “rattled” that his Boxing Day “publicity stunt is facing serious questions”. They added: “Like most normal people around the UK, Kemi is enjoying Christmas with her family and looking forward to taking on the challenges of renewing the Conservative Party in the New Year.” Mrs Badenoch, in a series of messages posted on X on Thursday, said: “Farage doesn’t understand the digital age. This kind of fakery gets found out pretty quickly, although not before many are fooled.” There were 131,680 Conservative members eligible to vote during the party’s leadership election to replace Rishi Sunak in the autumn. Mrs Badenoch claimed in her thread that “the Conservative Party has gained thousands of new members since the leadership election”. Elsewhere, Mr Farage described Elon Musk as a “bloody hero” and said he believes the US billionaire can help attract younger voters to Reform. Tech entrepreneur Mr Musk met Mr Farage earlier this month at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, amid rumours of a possible donation to either Mr Farage or Reform. Mr Farage told The Daily Telegraph newspaper: “The shades, the bomber jacket, the whole vibe. Elon makes us cool – Elon is a huge help to us with the young generation, and that will be the case going on and, frankly, that’s only just starting. “Reform only wins the next election if it gets the youth vote. The youth vote is the key. Of course, you need voters of all ages, but if you get a wave of youth enthusiasm you can change everything. “And I think we’re beginning to get into that zone – we were anyway, but Elon makes the whole task much, much easier. And the idea that politics can be cool, politics can be fun, politics can be real – Elon helps us with that mission enormously.”The Las Vegas Raiders’ win on Sunday may have ruined their chances at the top pick in the NFL Draft next spring. The Raiders beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 19-14 on Sunday, which gave them their third victory of the year and snapped a 10-game losing skid. In turn, to No. 6. Heading into Week 17 of the regular season, the New York Giants have sole possession of the top pick in the draft. Though that win left plenty of Raiders fans upset, head coach Antonio Pierce insists he doesn’t care about the team's draft pick when games are on the line. "We don't do this to lose," Pierce said Monday, . "We don't do this for anybody's fantasy football team. We don't do this for anybody's draft projections. None of that s**t matters to us. The only thing that matters is winning, and that's all we want to do." While it undoubtedly takes more than a good first draft pick to turn a franchise around, the No. 1 pick could do a lot on that front for the Raiders. had Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders as two of their top three picks in the upcoming draft, and Heisman winner Travis Hunter between them. Either quarterback would be great options for the Raiders, who have bounced between Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew and Desmond Ridder at the position amid their struggles and various injuries. The last time the Raiders had the No. 1 overall pick was in 2007, when they took quarterback JaMarcus Russell. He was just the third quarterback the team has selected in the first round of the draft since 1970. After the Giants, the New England Patriots, Jaguars, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans are slated to pick before the Raiders in the draft if the season were to end now. The Raiders will close out their season with games against the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers. Even if they lose out, it would take help from the Giants and others for the Raiders to climb back up to No. 1. While a top pick may mean that he loses his job, O’Connell is simply keeping his head down. “I don’t read anything, so I don’t really hear it,” he said on Sunday. “Ignorance is definitely bliss, and that’s how I’m rolling.”
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NoneTechnology stocks helped pull stocks lower on Wall Street Wednesday, handing the market its first loss in more than a week. The S&P 500 fell 0.4%, even though more stocks in the index notched gains than ended lower. The loss snapped a seven-day winning streak for the benchmark index. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, its first loss after five gains. The Dow and S&P 500 remain near the all-time highs they set on Tuesday. The Nasdaq composite, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, fell 0.6%. Losses for tech heavyweights like Nvidia, Microsoft and Broadcom were the drag on the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia fell 1.2%. Its huge value gives it outsized influence on market indexes. Microsoft fell 1.2% and Broadcom finished 3.1% lower. Several personal computer makers also helped pull the market lower following their latest earnings reports. HP sank 11.4% after giving investors a weaker-than-expected earnings forecast for its current quarter. Dell slid 12.2% after its latest quarterly revenue fell short of Wall Street forecasts. Gains for financial and health care companies helped temper the market's losses. Berkshire Hathaway rose 0.9% and Merck & Co. added 1.5%. All told, the S&P 500 fell 22.89 points to 5,998.74, while the Dow dropped 138.25 points to 44,722.06. The Nasdaq fell 115.10 points to 19,060.48. Traders also had their eye on new reports on the economy and inflation Wednesday. The U.S. economy expanded at a healthy 2.8% annual pace from July through September, according to the Commerce Department, leaving its original estimate of third-quarter growth unchanged. The growth was driven by strong consumer spending and a surge in exports. The update followed a report on Tuesday from the Conference Board that said confidence among U.S. consumers improved in November, but not by as much as economists expected. Consumers have been driving economic growth, but the latest round of earnings reports from retailers shows a mixed and more cautious picture. Department store operator Nordstrom fell 8.1% after warning investors about a trend toward weakening sales that started in late October. Clothing retailer Urban Outfitters jumped 18.3% after beating analysts’ third-quarter financial forecasts. Weeks earlier, retail giant Target gave investors a discouraging forecast for the holiday season, while Walmart provided a more encouraging forecast. Consumers, though resilient, are still facing pressure from inflation. The latest update from the U.S. government shows that inflation accelerated last month. The personal consumption expenditures index, or PCE, rose to 2.3% in October from 2.1% in September. Overall, the rate of inflation has been falling broadly since it peaked more than two years ago. The PCE, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation, was just below 7.3% in June of 2022. Another measure of inflation, the consumer price index, peaked at 9.1% at the same time. The latest inflation data, though, is a sign that the rate of inflation seems to be stalling as it falls to within range of the Fed's target of 2%. The central bank started raising its benchmark interest rate from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023 and held it there in order to tame inflation. The Fed started cutting its benchmark interest rate in September, followed by a second cut in November. Wall Street expects a similar quarter-point cut at the central bank's upcoming meeting in December. “Today’s data shouldn’t change views of the likely path for disinflation, however bumpy," said David Alcaly, lead macroeconomic strategist at Lazard Asset Management. "But a lot of observers, probably including some at the Fed, are looking for reasons to get more hawkish on the outlook given the potential for inflationary policy change like new tariffs.” President-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China when he takes office in January. That could shock the economy by raising prices on a wide range of goods and accelerating the rate of inflation. Such a shift could prompt the Fed to rethink future cuts to interest rates. Treasury yields slipped in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.25% from 4.30% late Tuesday. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely follows expected actions by the Fed, fell to 4.22% from 4.25% late Tuesday. U.S. markets will be closed Thursday for Thanksgiving, and will reopen for a half day on Friday.