DALLAS (AP) — Juan Soto gets free use of a luxury suite and up to four premium tickets behind home plate for regular-season and postseason New York Mets home games as part of his record $765 million, 15-year contract that was finalized Wednesday. The Mets also agreed to provide personal team security for the All-Star outfielder and his family at the team’s expense for all spring training and regular-season home and road games, according to details of the agreement obtained by The Associated Press. Major League Baseball teams usually provide security for player families in seating areas at ballparks. New York also agreed to assist Soto’s family for in-season travel arrangements, guaranteed Soto will have uniform No. 22 and included eight types of award bonuses. Soto wore No. 22 with all his previous major league teams: the Nationals, Padres and Yankees. Young third baseman Brett Baty wore No. 22 with the Mets the past three seasons. The Mets will formally introduce Soto in a news conference Thursday afternoon at Citi Field. “This is a seminal moment in franchise history,” owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. “Juan Soto is a generational talent. He is not only bringing staggering historical statistics with him but also a championship pedigree.” RELATED COVERAGE Pitchers dominate Rule 5 draft, comprising 11 of 15 unprotected players picked in big league phase Shane Bieber says bonds led to re-signing with Guardians after he missed ’24 following elbow surgery All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet acquired by Red Sox from White Sox for prospects Soto’s suite will be valued at the Mets’ prevailing prices, presumably for tax purposes, and after 2025 he can by each Jan. 15 modify or give up his suite selection for the upcoming season. He can request the premium tickets, to be used by family members, no later than 72 hours before the scheduled game time. The Yankees had refused to offer Soto a free suite. “Some high-end players that make a lot of money for us, if they want suites they buy them ... whether it’s CC (Sabathia), whether it’s (Aaron) Judge, whether it’s (Gerrit) Cole, whether it’s any of these guys,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “We’ve gone through a process on previous negotiations where asks might have happened and this is what we did and we’re going to honor those, so no regrets there.” Cashman said the Yankees have a shared suite for player families and a family room with babysitting. Soto gets a $75 million signing bonus, payable within 60 days of the agreement’s approval by the commissioner’s office. The deal for the 26-year-old slugger, which tops Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers, was reached Sunday pending a physical that took place Tuesday. Soto receives salaries of $46,875,000 each in 2025 and 2026, $42.5 million in 2027, $46,875,000 apiece in 2028 and 2029 and $46 million in each of the final 10 seasons. Soto has a contingent right to opt out of the agreement after the 2029 World Series to become a free agent again. But the Mets have an option to negate that opt-out provision by increasing the yearly salaries for 2030-39 by $4 million annually to $50 million and raising the total value to $805 million. If the club does not exercise its option to negate the opt-out provision by the third day after the World Series, Soto can make his opt-out decision by the fifth day after the Series. He has a full no-trade provision and gets a hotel suite on road trips. “Today’s signing further solidifies our organizational commitment to consistent championship competitiveness,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “Not only does Juan provide historic levels of on field production, but his joy, intensity, and passion for the game mirror our budding culture. We are thrilled to add him to our team and look forward to watching his excellence for years to come.” Soto would receive a $500,000 bonus for winning his first Most Valuable Player award and $1 million for each MVP award. He would get $350,000 for finishing second in the voting and $150,000 for finishing third through fifth. Soto was third in AL voting this year. He would earn $100,000 for each All-Star selection and Gold Glove, $350,000 for World Series MVP and $150,000 for League Championship Series MVP. Soto would get $100,000 for selection to the All-MLB first or second team, $150,000 for a Silver Slugger award and $100,000 for the Hank Aaron Award. Award bonuses are to be paid by the Jan. 31 after the season in which the bonus is earned. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray told the bureau workforce Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January, an announcement that came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the job. Wray said at a town hall meeting that he would be stepping down "after weeks of careful thought," three years short of the completion of a 10-year term marked by high-profile and politically charged investigations, including that led to two separate indictments of Trump last year. Wray's intended resignation is not unexpected considering that Trump had settled on Patel to be director and had repeatedly aired his ire at Wray, including in a television interview broadcast Sunday. By stepping down rather than waiting to be fired, Wray is trying to avert a collision with the new Trump administration that he said would have further entangled the FBI "deeper into the fray." "My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you're doing on behalf of the American people every day," Wray told agency employees. "In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work." Wray was put in the job by Trump and began the 10-year term — a length meant to insulate the agency from the political influence of changing administrations — in 2017, after Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey amid an investigation into ties between Russia and the Republican president's campaign. Trump had telegraphed his anger with Wray on multiple occasions. Trump said in the recent interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that "I can't say I'm thrilled with him. He invaded my home," a reference to the FBI search of his Florida property, Mar-a-Lago, two years ago for classified documents from Trump's first term as president. But the soft-spoken director rarely seemed to go out of his way to publicly confront the White House. In fact, Wray was quick to distance himself and his leadership team from the FBI's Russia investigation. On the same day of a harshly critical inspector general report on that inquiry, Wray announced more than 40 corrective actions to the FBI's process for applying for warrants for secret national security surveillance. He said mistakes made during the Russia inquiry were unacceptable and he helped tighten controls for investigations into candidates for federal office. FBI officials actively trumpeted those changes to make clear that Wray's leadership had ushered in a different era at the bureau. Even then, though, Wray's criticism of the investigation was occasionally measured — he did not agree, for instance, with Trump's characterization of it as a "witch hunt" — and there were other instances, particularly in response to specific questions, when he memorably broke with the White House. Last December, he said that there was "no indication" that Ukraine had interfered in the 2016 election, countering a frequent talking point at the time from Trump. When the Trump White House blessed the declassification of materials related to the surveillance of a former Trump campaign aide, Wray made known his displeasure. Wray angered Trump for saying that antifa was a movement and an ideology but not an organization. Trump had said he would like to designate the group as a terrorist organization. Wray described in detail Russian efforts to interfere in the 2020 election that Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden, even though Trump and senior officials in his administration, including his attorney general and national security adviser, maintained that China was the more assertive threat. Wray also said the FBI had not seen evidence of widespread voter fraud, a claim that Trump repeatedly pushed. Before being named FBI director, Wray worked at a prestigious law firm, King & Spalding, where he represented former Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., during the "Bridgegate" affair. He also led the Justice Department's criminal division for a period during President George W. Bush's administration.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Central 1 Credit Union (Central 1) today reported third quarter performance reflecting steady financial results across business lines, consistent with plans and expectations. “Our stable third quarter results were in line with our expectations,” said Sheila Vokey, Central 1’s President & CEO. “Central 1 continues to grow its critical payments, treasury and clearing and settlement services, which we provide at scale to financial institutions who deliver banking choice to Canadians.” Third quarter 2024 compared with third quarter 2023: Net income was $5.8 million, compared with $3.9 million Net fair value gain 1 was $6.9 million, compared with loss of $2.0 million Net interest income was $9.7 million, compared with $19.6 million Return on average equity 2 of 2.1%, compared with 1.6% Year-to-date 2024 compared with year-to-date 2023: Net income was $47.8 million, compared with $23.6 million Net fair value gain 1 was $60.2 million, compared with $24.2 million Net interest income was $34.0 million, compared with $41.3 million Return on average equity 2 of 8.0%, compared with 4.4% Central 1’s third quarter and year-to-date (YTD) results continue to report strong financial performance in 2024. Central 1’s net income for the third quarter was $5.8 million, an increase of $1.9 million compared to the third quarter last year. This is primarily reflecting higher net fair value gains 1 and higher non-interest income, excluding strategic initiatives 1 , partially offset by lower net interest income. The reported YTD net income was $47.8 million, an increase of $24.2 million compared to the same period last year, reflecting an increase of $36.0 million in net fair value gains 1 largely due to credit spreads narrowing. Core Business & Financial Performance Treasury Treasury delivered consistently strong results in the quarter and reported a net income of $11.3 million, broadly in line with $11.5 million reported in the third quarter last year. Net interest income was $10.1 million, a decrease of $9.9 million compared to the third quarter last year. However, the decline in net interest income was offset by an $8.9 million increase in net fair value gains 1 . Non-interest income, including revenue from Treasury’s fee-for-service operations, also increased by $2.4 million compared to the third quarter last year. Payments & Digital Banking Payments & Digital Banking reported net loss for the quarter was $3.8 million, compared with a reported net loss of $4.7 million in the third quarter last year, driven by the Digital Banking business and partially offset by the net income in Payments. The year-over-year reduction in net loss for the current quarter can be attributed to reduced spending on strategic initiatives 1 . This decline is due to the pause earlier in the year in the Payments Modernization initiative, awaiting details from Payments Canada. Additionally, there were lower professional fees associated with Forge implementations, and completion of certain digital strategy projects. After the close of the quarter, Central 1 announced its intention to wind down its digital banking business and transition clients to one or more alternative digital banking providers. While no firm date has been set for completing this transition, Central 1 is working with digital banking providers and clients to complete transitions within a three-to-four-year timeline. Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Central 1 uses a number of financial measures and ratios to assess overall performance. Some of these measures do not have a standardized definition prescribed by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and might not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Presenting non-GAAP financial measures and ratios provides readers with an enhanced understanding of how management analyzes Central 1’s results and assesses the underlying business performance. The discussions of non-GAAP financial measures and ratios that Central 1 uses in evaluating its operating results are presented as footnotes in the respective sections of the Management’s Discussion and Analysis together with the required disclosure below in accordance with National Instrument 52-112 Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure. Non-GAAP Financial Measures The following non-GAAP financial measures exclude certain items from our financial results prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Accounting Standards. The tables below present reconciliations of these measures to their respective most directly comparable financial measures disclosed in Central 1’s Interim Consolidated Financial Statements. Net Fair Value Gain (Loss) Net fair value gain (loss) used across this press release is comprised of gain (loss) on disposal of financial instruments plus changes in fair value of financial instruments reported in the Consolidated Statement of Income (Loss). Reporting them combined provides better information on the fair value movements of Central 1’s financial instruments to the readers. Non-Interest Income, excluding Strategic Initiatives Non-interest income, excluding strategic initiatives, presented in the Overall Performance and Results by Segment sections of this press release is derived by excluding Central 1’s income from investments in strategic initiatives. Excluding income from strategic initiatives allows readers to better understand Central 1’s recurring financial performance and related trends. Overall Performance Results by Segment Payments & Digital Banking Central 1’s third quarter Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) and Financial Statements have been filed on Central 1’s SEDAR profile at www.sedarplus.com and are also available at central1.com/investor-relations . About Central 1 Central 1 cooperatively empowers credit unions and other financial institutions who deliver banking choice to Canadians. With assets of $11.6 billion as of September 30, 2024, Central 1 provides critical services at scale to enable a thriving credit union system. We do this by collaborating with our clients, developing strategies, products, and services to support the financial well-being of their more than 5 million diverse customers in communities across Canada. For more information, visit www.central1.com . Notes 1. These are n on-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP financial ratios. Refer to the "Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures" section of th is release or the MD&A for more information. 2. This is a non-GAAP financial ratio. Refer to the “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures” section of the MD&A for more information. Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release and announcement contain historical and forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are or may be based on assumptions, uncertainties, and management’s best estimates of future events. Central 1 has based the forward-looking statements on current plans, information, data, estimates, expectations, and projections about, among other things, results of operations, financial condition, prospects, strategies and future events, and therefore undue reliance should not be placed on them. These include, without limitation, statements relating to our financial and non-financial performance objectives, vision and strategic goals and priorities, including focus on capital and cost management, the economic, market and regulatory review and outlook for the Canadian economy and the provincial economies in which our member credit unions operate , the impacts of external events such as international conflicts, protests, natural disasters or pandemics, as well as statements that contain the words “may,” “will,” “intends” and “anticipates” and other similar words and expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated. Securityholders are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Certain important assumptions by Central 1 in making forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, competitive conditions, economic conditions and regulatory considerations. Important risk factors that could cause actual results and the timing of such results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include economic risks, regulatory risks (including legislative and regulatory developments), risks and uncertainty from the impact of rising or falling interest rates, international conflicts, natural disasters or pandemics, geopolitical uncertainty, information technology and cyber risks, environmental and social risk (including climate change), digital disruption and innovation, reputation risk, competitive risk, privacy, data and third-party related risks, risks related to business and operations, risks relating to the transition of clients to alternative digital banking providers, and other risks detailed from time to time in Central 1’s periodic reports filed with securities regulators. Given these risks, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Central 1 undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. Contacts Media: Heather Merry Senior Manager, Communications Central 1 Credit Union T 1.800.661.6813 ext. 2355 E communications@central1.com Investors: Brent Clode Chief Investment Officer Central 1 Credit Union T 905.282.8588 or 1.800.661.6813 ext. 8588 E bclode@central1.com
MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. Attorney Andy Luger is stepping down soon as the top federal law enforcement official in Minnesota. As is custom for political appointees, he’s resigning to make way for a yet-to-be-announced successor chosen by incoming President Donald Trump. After serving under President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden appointed Luger, 65, to a second term that began in 2022. ADVERTISEMENT Luger spoke Thursday afternoon with MPR News correspondent Matt Sepic. This is a condensed version of the interview. In May of that year, you launched a violent crime initiative that focused initially on carjacking and gun cases, particularly machine guns. Where does that stand now nearly three years later? Has it been successful? We hear from defendants and community members that our initiatives are having an effect. Someone who commits a carjacking gets arrested and they’re in the car, one of the questions they ask the police is, is this going federal? Last year, you expanded that effort to focus on Minneapolis street gangs. Why was it important for you to make gangs a priority for federal law enforcement? Both north-side community leaders as well as law enforcement leaders said that following the murder of George Floyd and the riots that ensued, and the downturn in number of officers on the street, the gangs really saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. They began to become more violent against each other, which both affects them, affects the neighborhoods and innocent bystanders. What have you learned about Minneapolis gangs, and specifically their inner workings as a result of this investigation and the trial a few months ago? This is almost incredible to say, but when you ask a member of the Highs, what’s their purpose, what are they doing, their answer is to kill members of the Lows. And when you ask a member of the Lows, what’s your purpose, why do you do this, their answer is to kill the Highs. It’s just that simple. ADVERTISEMENT You returned for your second term as U.S. attorney amid the FBI’s investigation into an alleged $250 million COVID fraud scheme centered around the Twin Cities nonprofit Feeding Our Future. After having prosecuted many different kinds of crimes over the decades in your career, what did you think when you first sat down and cracked open that case file? The day before the search warrants were executed in January 2022, I got a call from Joe Thompson, who’s the white-collar chief in this office, and he said, “When are you coming?” Because we were waiting daily for my confirmation. And I said, any day. And he said, “All right, well, watch the news Thursday.” I think it was pretty much from the day I got here, Joe Thompson and I with the FBI agents and others, talking about we need more people on this, and we’re going to turn this into one of the biggest cases this office has ever seen, because it had to be. After you step down, what happens with this case and all of the other pending cases that are in this office and the trials next year, half a dozen of them related to Feeding Our Future? We have been very careful in the months leading up to the election, knowing that I could leave if the election goes in a particular way, in plotting out what 2025 looks like, it could take a year or more to have a new U.S. attorney confirmed. They’ll pick up the mantle. They’ll make changes where that person sees fit, just like I did. But I got to believe the core mission of this office on violent crime and on Feeding Our Future and other large government fraud investigations that could ensue, I got to believe that’s going to go forward. ADVERTISEMENT What’s next for you? Under Department of Justice rules and my own sense of propriety, I’m not going to talk about my future while I still sit in this chair. I think the state of Minnesota deserves a full-time U.S. attorney (who is) focused on that, and that’s where I’m at. Somebody asked me earlier today in the office, will you retire? And I said, I really don’t know the meaning of that word, so I don’t plan on retiring. I will stay active in the law and in causes and ideas that I believe in, the most important of which is faith in our government institutions. I believe so much in our criminal justice system that I’ll be a vocal advocate for that system going forward. This story was originally published on MPRNews.org ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .Extra Innings podcast: Analyzing the start to the Mariners’ offseasonUS House passes defense bill banning gender care for minorsInjury Update: Seahawks could be without Ken Walker vs. Cardinals - Field Gulls
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Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has been named Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward played a pivotal role in Inter Miami’s record-breaking regular season points total. The team was however eliminated in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs in November. Read Also: Iwobi nets brace in Fulham win over Brighton; Spurs lose At 37, Messi led the league in goal contributions, with 20 goals and 16 assists, despite injuries restricting him to just 19 regular-season games and two playoff appearances. The MVP award, determined by votes from players, club technical staff, and journalists, saw Messi secure 38.43% of the votes, surpassing Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernández, who earned 33.7%. The honor, officially titled the Landon Donovan MLS MVP, has previously been awarded to notable players such as U.S. legend Landon Donovan, Ireland’s Robbie Keane, and Spain’s David Villa. Opinions Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate NowINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts defense started this season struggling. It couldn't stop the run, couldn't keep teams out of the end zone, couldn't get off the field. Now the script has flipped. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's group is playing stouter, holding teams — even the high-scoring Detroit Lions — largely in check long enough to give Indy a chance to win, and it's the Colts offense that has struggled. “They are playing their tails off. You don’t want them on the field a bunch and as an offense you want to be able to play complementary football,” running back Jonathan Taylor said after Sunday's 24-6 loss. “I would say specifically on offense, it sucks when you can’t help your defense out when they are fighting their tails off all game.” Indy's defense held up its end of the bargain by limiting the Lions (10-1) to 14 first-half points and allowing just 24, matching Detroit's lowest output since Week 3. The problem: Even when the Colts (5-7) did get Detroit off the field, they couldn't sustain drives or score touchdowns. Again. Anthony Richardson provided the bulk of the ground game by rushing 10 times for 61 yards, mostly early. Taylor managed just 35 yards on 11 carries and a season-high 10 penalties constantly forced the Colts to dig out from deep deficits. Part of that was by design. “We knew Jonathan Taylor was going to be the guy we needed to shut down,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We did that. The quarterback runs. It got us on a couple but overall, we did what we needed to do, and we kept them out of that game." Part of it could be because of an injury-battered offensive line that has started three rookies each of the past two weeks and finished the previous game with the same three rookies. Whatever the fix, Indy needs a good solution. There is good news for Indy is that its schedule now gets substantially more manageable. After losing four of five, all to teams in playoff position and three to division leaders, Indy faces only one team with a winning record in its final five games. The most recent time the Colts played a team with a losing mark, Richardson rallied them past the New York Jets 28-27. But Colts coach Shane Steichen knows that's not the answer. The Colts must get this offense righted now. “We’ve got to get that figured out. We’ve got to get him going on the ground,” Steichen said when asked about Taylor, who has 92 yards on his past 35 carries. “We’ll look at the offensive line. We’ll look at everything." What’s working Pass rush. Pro Bowl DT DeForest Buckner's presence certainly has been felt since he returned from a sprained ankle Oct. 27. In those past five games, the Colts have had 14 sacks, including three of Jared Goff on Sunday. What needs work Penalties. The Colts have had one of the cleanest operations in the league most of this season. Sunday was an anomaly, but one that can't merely be written off. Stock up WR Michael Pittman Jr. The five-year veteran is one of the league's toughest guys, but playing through a back injury appeared to take its toll on Pittman's productivity. Since sitting out in Week 10, Pittman has 11 receptions for 142 yards including six for 96 yards, his second-highest total of the season, Sunday. Stock down Tight ends. Each week the Colts want their tight ends to make an impact. And each week, they seem to fail. It happened again Sunday when Drew Ogletree dropped a TD pass that would have given Indy a 10-7 lead. Instead, Indy settled for a field goal and a 7-6 deficit. Through 12 games, Indy's tight ends have a total of 26 catches, 299 yards and two TDs. That's just not good enough in a league where versatile, productive tight ends increasingly signal success. Injuries Pittman and WR Josh Downs both returned to the game after leaving briefly with shoulder injuries. WR Ashton Dulin did not return after hurting his foot in the second half. But the bigger questions come on the offensive line. LT Bernhard Raimann (knee) was inactive Sunday, and rookie center Tanor Bortolini entered the concussion protocol Monday. Bortolini was one of three rookie starters the past two weeks, replacing Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly who is on injured reserve. Key number 55.88 — Indy has scored touchdowns on 55.88% of its red zone trips this season. While it puts it near the middle of the NFL, it's cost the Colts multiple wins. Next steps Richardson needs to rebound from this latest 11 of 28 performance and show he can lead the Colts to victories week after week. He'll get plenty of chances over the season's final month, starting with next week's game at the New England Patriots. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Michael Marot, The Associated Press