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Get $700 Off the JMGO Pro Triple Laser 4K Projector Thanks to Black Friday - CNETDespite a resounding defeat at the hands of Ronald Reagan in 1980, the Democrat forged a new path promoting causes such as electoral probity abroad, social justice and drives to rid the world of medical conditions. His first foreign visit as president was to the UK where then prime minister James Callaghan, as well as the usual visits in London, took his guest to the North East with a visit to Newcastle, Sunderland and Washington – the village bearing the name of the first ever president. Mr Carter delighted crowds in the North East by saying “Howay the lads” during a speech to the assembled throng. He also received a miner’s lamp from 12-year-old Ian McEree in Washington. The 39th US president also carried out more traditional presidential duties, including meetings with western European leaders during his time in London while the Cold War was still ongoing. The practising Baptist continued his globetrotting ways after leaving power, even without Air Force One as his vehicle. He was also part of the Elders, a group of experienced statesmen and women drawn from all corners of the world.
NoneDETROIT: If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25 percent tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea, including additional 10 percent taxes on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the US But his posts Monday on Truth Social threatening the tariffs on his first day in office could just be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. High food prices were a major issue in voters picking Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, but tariffs almost certainly would push those costs up even further. For instance, the Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said Tuesday that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt US farmers when other countries retaliate. “Tariffs distort the marketplace and will raise prices along the supply chain, resulting in the consumer paying more at the checkout line,” said Alan Siger, association president. Mexico and Canada are two of the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables to the US In 2022, Mexico supplied 51 percent of fresh fruit and 69 percent of fresh vegetables imported by value into the US, while Canada supplied 2 percent of fresh fruit and 20 percent of fresh vegetables. Before the election, about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. “We’ll get them down,” Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. The US is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent US Census data. People looking to buy a new vehicle likely would see big price increases as well, at a time when costs have gone up so much they are out of reach for many. The average price of a new vehicle now runs around $48,000. About 15 percent of the 15.6 million new vehicles sold in the US last year came from Mexico, while 8 percent crossed the border from Canada, according to Global Data. Much of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers, unless automakers can somehow quickly find productivity improvements to offset them, said C.J. Finn, US automotive sector leader for PwC. That means even more consumers “would potentially get priced out,” Finn said. Hardest hit would be Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. “A 25 percent tariff on Mexico and Canada would severely cripple the US auto industry,” he said. The tariffs would hurt US industrial production so much that “we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” Roeska said. The tariff threat hit auto stocks on Tuesday, particularly shares of GM, which imports about 30 percent of the vehicles it sells in the US from Canada and Mexico, and Stellantis, which imports about 40 percent from the two countries. For both, about 55 percent of their lucrative pickup trucks come from Mexico and Canada. GM stock lost almost 9 percent of its value, while Stellantis dropped nearly 6 percent. It’s not clear how long the tariffs would last if implemented, but they could force auto executives to move production to the US, which could create more jobs in the long run. However, Morningstar analyst David Whiston said automakers probably won’t make any immediate moves because they can’t quickly change where they build vehicles. Millions of dollars worth of auto parts flow across the borders with Mexico and Canada, and that could raise prices for already costly automobile repairs, Finn said. The Distilled Spirits Council of the US said tariffs on tequila or Canadian whisky won’t boost American jobs because they are distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. In 2023, the US imported $4.6 billion worth of tequila and $108 million worth of mezcal from Mexico and $537 million worth of spirits from Canada, it said. “Tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt US consumers and lead to job losses across the US hospitality industry,” it added. Electronics retailer Best Buy said on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it runs on thin profit margins, so while vendors and the company will shoulder some increases, Best Buy will have to pass tariffs to customers. “These are goods that people need, and higher prices are not helpful,” CEO Corie Barry said. Walmart also warned last week that tariffs could force it to raise prices. Tariffs could trigger supply chain disruptions as people buy goods before they are imposed and companies seek alternate sources of parts, said Rob Handfield, a professor of supply chain management at North Carolina State University. Some businesses might not be able to pass on the costs. “It could actually shut down a lot of industries in the United States. It could actually put a lot of US businesses out of business,” he said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who talked with Trump after his call for tariffs, said they had a good conversation about working together. “This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau said. Trump’s threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have been falling. But arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico, and seizures have increased. Trump has sound legal justification to impose tariffs, even though they conflict with a 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico, said William Reinsch, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former Clinton administration trade official. The treaty, known as the USMCA, is up for review in 2026. In China’s case, he could simply declare Beijing hasn’t met obligations under an agreement he negotiated in his first term. For Canada and Mexico, he could say the influx of migrants and drugs are a national security threat, and turn to a section of trade law he used in his first term to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum. The law he would most likely use for Canada and Mexico has a legal process that often takes up to nine months, giving Trump time to seek a deal. If talks failed and the duties were imposed, all three countries would likely retaliate with tariffs on US exports, said Reinsch, who believes Trump’s tariffs threat is a negotiating ploy. US companies would lobby intensively against tariffs, and would seek to have products exempted. Some of the biggest exporters from Mexico are US firms that make parts there, Reinsch said. Longer term, Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the threat of tariffs could make the US an “unstable partner” in international trade. “It is an incentive to move activity outside the United States to avoid all this uncertainty,” she said. Trump transition team officials did not immediately respond to questions about what he would need to see to prevent the tariffs from being implemented and how they would impact prices in the US Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Tuesday that Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own. Sheinbaum said she was willing to talk about the issues, but said drugs were a US problem.
Orthofix Medical ( NASDAQ:OFIX – Get Free Report ) and AngioDynamics ( NASDAQ:ANGO – Get Free Report ) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations and profitability. Volatility and Risk Orthofix Medical has a beta of 1.09, meaning that its share price is 9% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, AngioDynamics has a beta of 0.68, meaning that its share price is 32% less volatile than the S&P 500. Insider and Institutional Ownership 89.8% of Orthofix Medical shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 89.4% of AngioDynamics shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.6% of Orthofix Medical shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.4% of AngioDynamics shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Analyst Recommendations Orthofix Medical currently has a consensus target price of $23.00, suggesting a potential upside of 31.20%. AngioDynamics has a consensus target price of $12.00, suggesting a potential upside of 34.68%. Given AngioDynamics’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe AngioDynamics is more favorable than Orthofix Medical. Profitability This table compares Orthofix Medical and AngioDynamics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Orthofix Medical and AngioDynamics”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Orthofix Medical has higher revenue and earnings than AngioDynamics. Orthofix Medical is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than AngioDynamics, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Summary AngioDynamics beats Orthofix Medical on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About Orthofix Medical ( Get Free Report ) Orthofix Medical Inc. operates as a spine and orthopedics company in the United States, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Brazil, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Global Spine and Global Orthopedics. The Global Spine segment manufactures and distributes bone growth stimulator devices for enhance of bone fusion, including adjunctive and noninvasive treatment of cervical and lumbar spine, as well as a therapeutic treatment for non-spine; designs, develops, and markets a portfolio of motion preservation and fixation implant products, which are used in surgical procedures of the spine; and offers biological products, such as fiber-based and particulate demineralized bone matrices, cellular bone allografts, collagen ceramic matrices, and synthetic bone void fillers, and tissue forms, which allow physicians to treat various spinal and orthopedic conditions. This segment also designs, develops, and markets a portfolio of navigation technologies, including tracked surgical tools, intelligent software, and imaging equipment based on machine-vision and optical innovations. The Global Orthopedics segment offers products and solutions that allow physicians to treat various orthopedic conditions related to limb reconstruction and deformity correction unrelated to the spine. This segment designs, develops, and markets external and internal fixation orthopedic products that are coupled with enabling digital technologies to serve the complete patient treatment pathway. It sells its products through distributors and sales representatives to hospitals, healthcare organizations, and healthcare providers. The company was formerly known as Orthofix International N.V. and changed its name to Orthofix Medical Inc. in 2018. Orthofix Medical Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Lewisville, Texas. About AngioDynamics ( Get Free Report ) AngioDynamics, Inc., a medical technology company, engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of medical, surgical, and diagnostic devices for the use in treating peripheral vascular disease, and oncology and surgical settings in the United States and internationally. The company offers Auryon Atherectomy system that is designed to deliver an optimized wavelength, pulse width, and amplitude to remove lesions while preserving vessel wall endothelium. Its thrombus management portfolio includes AlphaVac mechanical thrombectomy system, an emergent mechanical aspiration device that eliminates the need for perfusionist support; thrombolytic catheters that are used to deliver thrombolytic agents, which are drugs to dissolve blood clots in hemodialysis access grafts, arteries, veins, and surgical bypass grafts; and AngioVac venous drainage cannula and extracorporeal circuit, indicated for extracorporeal circulatory support for periods of up to six hours including off-the-shelf pump, filter, and reinfusion cannula, to facilitate venous drainage as part of an extracorporeal bypass procedure. The company also offers NanoKnife IRE Ablation System, an alternative to traditional thermal ablation for the surgical ablation of soft tissue; and peripheral products, which includes angiographic catheters, and diagnostic and interventional guidewires, percutaneous drainage catheters, and coaxial micro-introducer kits used during peripheral diagnostic and interventional procedures. In addition, it provides drainage catheters for multi-purpose/general, nephrostomy, and biliary drainage; micro-Access kits provides interventional physicians a smaller introducer system for minimally invasive procedures; VenaCure EVLT system that are used in endovascular laser procedures to treat superficial venous disease; and Solero MTA System includes solero microwave generator and the specially designed solero MW applicators. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Latham, New York. Receive News & Ratings for Orthofix Medical Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Orthofix Medical and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .DUBLIN, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fusion Fuel Green PLC HTOO ("Fusion Fuel" or the "Company"), a leader in full-service green hydrogen solutions, today announced the successful closing of its previously disclosed transaction to acquire a controlling stake in Quality Industrial Corp. QIND ("QIND") through a share exchange. The completion of this strategic acquisition strengthens Fusion Fuel's position in the energy engineering, supply, and services business, creating a robust platform to capitalize on growing demand in the renewable energy and industrial gas sectors. As part of the transaction, Fusion Fuel has made several key leadership changes to align with its strategic vision. Effective immediately, John-Paul Backwell has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and will join the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Backwell will continue in his current role as Chief Executive Officer of QIND. Additionally, Frederico Figueira de Chaves, formerly the Company's Chief Executive Officer, will transition to the role of Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Hydrogen Solutions. Gavin Jones continues as the Company's Chief Financial Officer. Remarking upon the changes, Jeffrey Schwarz, Chairman of the Board of Fusion Fuel said, "We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Backwell to our executive leadership team, further strengthening the depth and breadth of our management capabilities. His extensive multidisciplinary experience in business management, with particular emphasis on the scaling of companies, international market development, and mergers and acquisitions—will be instrumental in driving Fusion Fuel's growth and delivering long-term value to its stakeholders. Over the course of his more than two-decade career, Mr. Backwell has demonstrated exceptional leadership, holding key roles as Chief Executive, Managing Director, and both Executive and Non-Executive Director." Mr. Schwarz continued, "In his new role as Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Hydrogen Solutions, Mr. Figueira de Chaves will focus on operational excellence and driving innovation in Fusion Fuel's core hydrogen engineering capabilities." John-Paul Backwell added: "I am honored to lead Fusion Fuel at this pivotal moment. This transaction marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Fusion Fuel's business, providing the scale, synergies, and expertise needed to drive growth and deliver exceptional value to our stakeholders. Together with Frederico and the rest of the team, I am excited to build a world-class platform for engineering and advisory services across the energy and industrial sectors, helping to shape the future of energy and sustainability." The Company plans to hold an investor presentation to provide an overview of the strategic rationale behind this transaction, the vision for the combined company, and its plans for sustained growth in the hydrogen and industrial gases markets. The date and time of the presentation will be announced over the coming days, with access details to follow on the Company's website. Nasdaq Compliance Update The Company has also announced that the hearing to appeal the delisting of its securities from Nasdaq has been scheduled for January 7, 2025. Management is confident that following the close of this transaction and the consolidation of financials, Fusion Fuel will meet the stockholder equity requirements for continued listing. About Fusion Fuel Green plc Fusion Fuel Green plc HTOO is a leading provider of full-service energy engineering and advisory solutions, specializing in green hydrogen and broader industrial gas applications. Through its majority-owned subsidiary, Quality Industrial Corp., Fusion Fuel now offers an expanded portfolio of services, including the design, supply, installation, and maintenance of energy systems, as well as the transport and distribution of liquefied petroleum gas. The Company serves a diverse customer base spanning commercial buildings, mixed-use developments, heavy industries, and food service sectors, while continuing to drive innovation in the renewable energy space. Fusion Fuel is committed to advancing the global energy transition by delivering sustainable, efficient, and reliable energy solutions. Learn more about Fusion Fuel by visiting our website at https://www.fusion-fuel.eu and following us on LinkedIn . A description of the Stock Purchase Agreement, dated November 19, 2024 (the "Purchase Agreement"), among the Company, QIND, and certain shareholders of QIND (the "Sellers") is contained in a report on Form 6-K that was furnished by the Company to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on November 20, 2024, and a copy of which was included as an exhibit to such Form 6-K. The description above is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such exhibit. The Purchase Agreement sets forth material terms and conditions for the transaction that, upon consummation, resulted in Fusion Fuel's acquisition of approximately 70% of the issued and outstanding share capital of QIND. Certain post-closing requirements are applicable, including stockholder approval of related matters and Nasdaq clearance of a new initial listing application, and failure to satisfy such requirements within a certain period may result in the unwinding of the acquisition by the Company of the shares of QIND. A further description of these requirements is contained in a report on Form 6-K that is being furnished by the Company to the SEC on or around the date hereof. There can be no assurance that post-closing requirements for the acquisition will be met. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "estimate," "plan," "project," "forecast," "intend," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "seek," "target", "may", "intend", "predict", "should", "would", "predict", "potential", "seem", "future", "outlook" or other similar expressions (or negative versions of such words or expressions) that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company's control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation, the ability of the Company, QIND, and the Sellers to obtain all necessary regulatory and other consents and approvals in connection with the acquisition, the Company's ability to complete the acquisition of QIND and integrate its business, obtain Nasdaq clearance of a new initial listing application in connection with the acquisition, and obtain stockholder approval of the matters to be voted on at a stockholders' meeting to approve matters required to be approved in connection with the Purchase Agreement. Fusion Fuel has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations, including but not limited the ability of the investment reported on to be consummated as anticipated. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties (including those set forth in Fusion Fuel's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. Investor Relations Contact ir@fusion-fuel.eu © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
NoneToni Breidinger is set to join the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series full-time in 2025. The American driver will take the wheel of the No. 5 Toyota Tundra for Tricon Garage, backed by the support of Toyota. Breidinger's move comes after competing in the ARCA Menards Series where she celebrated impressive achievements despite not capturing a win in the 2024 season. Breidinger has now opened up on her relentless preparation during the off-season. During an interview with 5Goats , Breidinger explained: "I'm definitely excited for that next step. "Obviously, there is going to be a learning curve with it but Toyota's been super supportive, and I've been preparing and like, grinding pretty hard during the off-season." As a driver known for her upbeat outlook, Breidinger is determined to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. She aims high, aspiring to clinch the Rookie of the Year award. She added: "I'm definitely expecting the season to be tough, I think there's going to be a lot of challenges. But I think [one goal] for me is resilience. "I know I'm going to be facing challenges and I know I'm going to have to adapt to situations very quickly and learn a lot on the fly. So, I think for me, just being resilient, being a sponge, soaking everything up, and hopefully, [I can] get Rookie of the Year at the end of the season." Support plays a critical role in Breidinger's development. Within Tricon Garage, Corey Heim provides valuable guidance. "I want to know his thought processes because obviously he's so good and it seems everything comes to him so naturally," Breidinger said. "So, I'm always like, 'Corey, how do you do it?' But I always bug him with a bunch of questions and he's been super helpful for me." Parallel to her progress on the track is Breidinger's robust presence beyond racing. Her social media following is formidable, boasting over five million followers across Instagram and TikTok . This engagement cements her status as the most involved NASCAR driver on social platforms. Moreover, her modeling pursuits add to her brand, with appearances in campaigns for renowned companies and an upcoming feature in the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. "Thankfully, I do enjoy doing all the side hustles and traveling and going to different events and working on social media," Breidinger explained. "But it all ties together and, yeah, it's interesting when drivers say they want to just focus on racing because I'm like, 'how are you guys paying your bills?' "Honestly. Because I wouldn't be able to race without my partners and I want to do a good job for them on and off the track. So, it's super important for me to be able to balance all of that."
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — After three straight losses, including back-to-back blowouts, the San Francisco 49ers needed a get-right game. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — After three straight losses, including back-to-back blowouts, the San Francisco 49ers needed a get-right game. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — After three straight losses, including back-to-back blowouts, the San Francisco 49ers needed a get-right game. The Chicago Bears helped provide just that. Brock Purdy carved up Chicago’s defense to lead San Francisco to its best offensive output of the season and the defense dominated the Bears in a 38-13 win Sunday that looked a lot more like the team that went to the Super Bowl last season than the one that has struggled in 2024. “I think just the biggest thing was just getting some energy and momentum,” Purdy said. “This league is hard. It’s tough. If you don’t have momentum or energy and belief within a building, it can be really tough.” The problem for San Francisco (6-7) is it might be too late to salvage its playoff hopes. Three blown fourth-quarter leads to division rivals and the lopsided losses at Green Bay and Buffalo the previous two weeks leave the Niners two games out of the playoffs with only four games to go. They might need to win out to get back to the postseason for a fourth straight season, and even then they could need some help because their three division losses will make it tough to win any tiebreakers in the tightly packed NFC West. “If we win every single game, I think we’ve put ourselves in a very good position to either win the division or somehow sneak our way into playoff contention,” tight end George Kittle said. “I thought everyone’s focused on this one week. ... Forget the whole season whether you’ve played like crap the entire season, whether you’ve had missed opportunities, or whether you have a bunch of touchdowns. Whatever it is, flush all that and just focus on this one game.” What’s working Big plays. The Niners repeatedly gashed the Bears for big plays as the passing game looked as good as it has all season. Purdy had eight completions go for at least 20 yards — tied for the most in any game for the 49ers since at least 1991 — with Kittle catching four of them, Isaac Guerendo two and one each for Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings. What needs help Kickoffs. Jake Moody attempted two line-drive kicks as San Francisco tried to pin Chicago deep instead of allowing a touchback. But both kicks landed shy of the landing zone at the 20, giving the Bears the ball at the 40. Stock up DL Yetur Gross-Matos. The Niners have been struggling to generate a pass rush with Nick Bosa sidelined, but Gross-Matos made a big impact on Sunday. He had a career-high three sacks in the game after coming into the game with just one this season. Stock down S Ji’Ayir Brown. The second-year safety lost his starting job with the return of Talanoa Hufanga from a wrist injury. Brown played 15 defensive snaps in a spot role and was beat on a TD pass to Rome Odunze in his limited action. Injuries Guerendo has a sprained foot and will be evaluated later this week to see if he can play. ... OL Ben Bartch will likely go on IR after suffering a high ankle sprain Sunday. ... LB Dre Greenlaw could return this week for the first time since tearing his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl. ... DL Nick Bosa (hip, oblique) and LT Trent Williams (ankle) will be evaluated this week but there is no timeline on when they will return. ... LG Aaron Banks cleared the concussion protocol and should play this week. ... LB Dee Winters (ankle), S Malik Mustapha (chest, shoulder) and LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles are day-to-day. Key number Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 305 — The 49ers outgained the Bears by 305 yards in the first half for the ninth best advantage in a first half since at least 1991. The 319 yards for San Francisco were the most by any team in a first half this season and the 4 yards allowed were the fewest. What’s next The 49ers host the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Advertisement Advertisement
In Pictures: Jimmy Carter continued campaigning long after leaving powerNEW YORK , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share on the Company's Class A and Common Stock for the third quarter of fiscal 2025. The dividend is payable on March 14, 2025 , to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on January 31, 2025 . About Scholastic For more than 100 years, Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) has been meeting children where they are – at school, at home and in their communities – by creating quality content and experiences, all beginning with literacy. Scholastic delivers stories, characters, and learning moments that empower all kids to become lifelong readers and learners through bestselling children's books, literacy- and knowledge-building resources for schools including classroom magazines, and award-winning, entertaining children's media. As the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books through school-based book clubs and book fairs, classroom libraries, school and public libraries, retail, and online, and with a global reach into more than 135 countries, Scholastic encourages the personal and intellectual growth of all children, while nurturing a lifelong relationship with reading, themselves, and the world around them. Learn more at www.scholastic.com . SCHL: Financial View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scholastic-corporation-announces-third-quarter-dividend-302329290.html SOURCE Scholastic Corporation
Article content The great National Hockey League contradiction of sports, celebration and politics is upon us. We have already begun the daily Alexander Ovechkin watch, the giant leap as he makes his way toward the career goal-scoring lead in hockey history. This all comes at a time when the league couldn’t — or wouldn’t — find a place for a Russian team in its major in-house tournament in February. It will be Ovechkin — yay — in the days and months to come, game by game, as he chases down Wayne Gretzky for a record none of us thought was possible. It will be Ovechkin — yay and Russia boo. All in the same convoluted sentence. All happening in a season in which Kirill Kaprizov of Minnesota and Nikita Kucherov of Tampa Bay are among the leading candidates for the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player in the NHL and the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin signing a contract making him the highest paid goaltender in hockey history. Russian hockey is alive and well, individually. But it’s not alive in any team concept internationally. Ovechkin has been a long-time supporter of Russian president Vladimir Putin. So has the Stanley Cup-winning goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, who was just named Russian athlete of the year. We like their hockey but don’t care much for their politics or the war that continues in Ukraine. Ovechkin has had an incredible run since entering the NHL in 2005. His 868 goals are 266 more than anyone who has played during his time. Sidney Crosby is second in goals at 602, as of Saturday. Steven Stamkos and another Russian, Evgeni Malkin, are the only others within 300 goals of Ovie’s totals. In Gretzky’s career, he finished 186 goals ahead of Mike Gartner, 281 and 284 ahead of Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier. Ovechkin, in his time, is individually more of a dominant goal-scorer than Gretzky was in his time. And there’s a certain discomfort that goes along with it all in current times. I can cheer for Ovechkin the hockey player, while at the same time feel disdain for his politics and those of his leader and country. Sports and politics mix, whether we want them to or not. Rarely are they as separate as they should be or as they seem right now while Ovechkin works his way to a mark that may never be equalled. THIS AND THAT There is nothing wrong with Mitch Marner that a playoff series against Detroit or Buffalo or Pittsburgh wouldn’t solve. Marner has 13 goals this season, 10 of them against teams that won’t be in the playoffs. He has six playoff goals in his past 37 playoff games ... Marner, having a terrific season, still ranks below Mikko Rantanen and Kucherov in scoring among right wingers ... The Florida Panthers’ second line has Sam Bennett centring Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe. Not sure anyone would relish playing against them in a best-of-seven series in April ... If Auston Matthews doesn’t play for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Americans will still have Jack Hughes, Jack Eichel and Dylan Larkin at centre. But it becomes a tougher matchup, depending on what Canada does with Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid and Crosby as either their first three centres, or two of the top three with one of Crosby or MacKinnon going to the wing ... Nearing the halfway point of the NHL season, Cale Makar leads all defencemen in scoring. But he’s also been on the ice for 37 even-strength goals-against. That’s significantly more than Victor Hedman and Gustav Forsling with 24, and Darnell Nurse, if you can believe this one, at just 15 ... A Canadian network would be wise to snap up fired Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde for panel work, at least for the short term. Lalonde was sharp on TV in the playoffs between periods a few years back ... Outdoor hockey games are wonderful spectacles for the city in which they take place. But as a must-see TV event, they’ve kind of lost their way. I can’t imagine there are a lot of people waiting for this Chicago-St. Louis outdoor event ... When I first met Scott Arniel, he was playing left wing on a line in Winnipeg with Dale Hawerchuk and Paul MacLean. All three of them became coaches, and Arniel is now a coach of the year candidate in the NHL with the Jets ... The last talk I had with Hawerchuk was when he was coaching Barrie of the OHL. He was telling me all about his underrated centre, Mark Scheifele. He said NHL scouts had him rated too low and he was going to be a good one. The great Hawerchuk, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 57, was right on Scheifele. HEAR AND THERE I had this conversation with a Blue Jays front office man after they traded Teoscar Hernandez to Seattle following the 2022 season. “Would you pay Teoscar $20 million a year?” I was asked. I said I would not. He said neither would the Jays. Since then, Hernandez has won a World Series in Los Angeles and has recently signed to remain with the Dodgers for the next three years at an average of $22 million a season. And the Jays remain in need of a power bat for the outfield. Which means two things: 1) Don’t expect financial advice from me; 2) don’t trust whatever financial advice you might get from the Blue Jays front office, either ... A question to ask yourself, Mr. Edward Rogers. How is it the Blue Jays keep offering more money for free agents, but aren’t signing any? What does that say about the perception of the franchise around Major League Baseball and those operating it? ... This has not been the best of years for shareholders of Bell or Rogers Communications, the former majority owners of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. Bell stock is down 36.5% on the year. Rogers stock is down 35%. Netflix stock, by the way, is up 85% on the year and 227% over the past two years ... This was Thursday in the NBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 45 points for Oklahoma City and teammate Lu Dort had 13 against Indiana. Meanwhile, Andrew Nembhard and Ben Mathurin combined for 41 for the Pacers. That’s 99 points scored by four Canadians in the same game. Not sure that’s ever happened before ... Some things in life don’t make sense: The Raptors are a better three-point shooting team on the road than the 24-5 first-place Thunder is ... Simon Benoit is hardly a sexy name among NHL defencemen, but few are on the ice as much as he is while being scored upon so infrequently. SCENE AND HEARD My favourite sporting things of 2024, in no particular order: The Paris Olympics; Paris itself; Roland Garros Stadium; everything that is Summer McIntosh ; the American League Championship Series; the Patrick Mahomes comeback in the Super Bowl; the Stanley Cup final, never mind the result; Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Vladdy Guerrero Jr.; the unlikely Argos; Matthews’ almost 70-goal season; Andre De Grasse and his 100-metre teammates in the 4 x100 relay at the Olympics; Team USA vs. Serbia in men’s basketball, the greatest game I’ve ever seen; Steph Curry ... Terrible time to be a sports fan in Chicago. The Bears stink. The Blackhawks stink. The White Sox stink. The Bulls aren’t any good. Not much to care about in one of the great sporting towns in America ... It’s wonderful for the hammer thrower Ethan Katzberg to be named The Canadian Press male athlete of the year. But I don’t quite understand how you can compare a hammer thrower — a singular event in athletics with a very small competitive field — with an NBA star such as Gilgeous-Alexander, who plays 82 games, plus playoffs. Or McDavid or MacKinnon, who played more than 100 NHL games in the calendar year ... The challenge for Leafs coach Craig Berube in the second half of the NHL season: Finding the right defensive partner for Morgan Rielly. He hasn’t had the right partner since Ron Hainsey was a Leaf ... First baseman Pete Alonso, a good player, not a great one, seems to be pricing himself out of the free-agent market in baseball. Even the high-priced Mets seem to be willing to walk away from Alonso ... Brendan Shanahan takes a lot of heat for his time running the Leafs, but consider this: Steve Yzerman is six years in as GM in Detroit, nowhere near the playoffs; Buffalo hasn’t made the playoffs in a lifetime. Shanahan missed the playoffs once, hasn’t missed since drafting Matthews ... Don’t know where Darko Rajakovic rates as an all-time coach — probably near the bottom — but his tantrum in Memphis the other night is an all-time unforgettable Raptors moment ... So many tough questions this time of year. What presents to keep, which to return, which games to watch when you’re not screaming about junior hockey. Are you watching the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl or the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl? ... And good luck to all those playing fantasy football championship games on Sunday. I started the wrong kicker two weeks ago. Cost me and my partner a title shot. AND ANOTHER THING There are four sound candidates for MVP in the NFL, although if you watch enough television these days, you would think there is only one: Josh Allen. It’s a quarterback’s job to produce wins and Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City have the most in the league. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson has combined yardage of 4,807 passing and rushing in Baltimore, which blows everyone else away. The giant Allen is unstoppable, having run for 11 touchdowns and passed for 3,549 yards with the Bills. And Saquon Barkley is in contention for all-time numbers as a running back, leading the Philadelphia Eagles. In any given year, any one of the four could, or should, be MVP. This year it will come down to Allen or Jackson, and a sound case could be made right now for either quarterback ... It drives me a little batty when I see Tkachuk or Steelers wide receiver George Pickens dangling or chewing on their mouthguard, rather than keeping it where it should be. We try to convince kids about the necessity of mouthguard usage. This kind of example doesn’t help ... Wonder how many owners in sports are paying attention to what the Suns are doing in Phoenix, charging $2 at concession stands for water, soda, hotdogs, and popcorn? A small popcorn at Cineplex is $9 now. And you wonder why people don’t go to movies anymore ... It’s highly possible that Cody Bellinger will be batting next to Giancarlo Stanton in the Yankees batting order this coming season. Bellinger, by the way, is married to Stanton’s old girlfriend ... The NBA was excited to have five million people watching games on Christmas Day on television, especially those up against NFL games on Netflix for the first time. But follow me here for a second: The U.S. is 10 times the size of Canada. A five-million-person audience in the U.S. is about half a million Canadians. By my translation, the NBA audience in the U.S. at Christmas is basically equal to the average CFL audience in Canada throughout the season ... Happy birthday to Ray Bourque (64), Myles Garrett (29), Bill Lee (78), George Parros (45), Julio Rodriguez (24), Sean Payton (61) Theo Epstein (51), Adam Vinatieri (52) and B.J. Ryan (49) ... And hey, whatever became of Jonathan Toews? ssimmons@postmedia.com twitter.com/simmonssteveCalifornia to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sitesBETHESDA, Md. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AGNC Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AGNC) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.12 per share of common stock for December 2024 . The dividend is payable on January 10, 2025 to common stockholders of record as of December 31, 2024 . For further information or questions, please contact Investor Relations at (301) 968-9300 or IR@AGNC.com . ABOUT AGNC INVESTMENT CORP. Founded in 2008, AGNC Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AGNC) is a leading investor in Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (Agency MBS), which benefit from a guarantee against credit losses by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or Ginnie Mae . We invest on a leveraged basis, financing our Agency MBS assets primarily through repurchase agreements, and utilize dynamic risk management strategies intended to protect the value of our portfolio from interest rate and other market risks. AGNC has a track record of providing favorable long-term returns for our stockholders through substantial monthly dividend income, with over $13 billion of common stock dividends paid since inception. Our business is a significant source of private capital for the U.S. residential housing market, and our team has extensive experience managing mortgage assets across market cycles. To learn more about The Premier Agency Residential Mortgage REIT , please visit www.AGNC.com , follow us on LinkedIn and X , and sign up for Investor Alerts . CONTACT: Investor Relations - (301) 968-9300 View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agnc-investment-corp-declares-monthly-common-stock-dividend-of-0-12-per-common-share-for-december-2024--302329440.html SOURCE AGNC Investment Corp.