The Union news-dumped their offseason roster moves late Tuesday, announcing a formal parting of ways with Leon Flach. The club retains 24 players under contract for 2025, to be coached by a person still to be determined after the firing of Jim Curtin. That group includes Mikael Uhre, whose option automatically vested earlier in the season, and Isaiah LeFlore. It does not include Flach, out of contract at the end of the season and whom the Union are letting walk. The Union declined options on Homegrowns Brandon Craig and Matthew Real, defender Jack Elliott and forward Joaquin Torres. They also declined the purchase option for on-loan left back Jamir Berdecio. The Union described “ongoing negotiations” with Elliott, Craig and Alejandro Bedoya, who is out of contract. Also out of contract is Sam Adeniran, though the Union don’t plan to bring the forward acquired midseason from St. Louis back. Flach, still just 23, played 116 games (107 starts) with two goals and 10 assists in four seasons since coming over from St. Pauli in the German 2.Bundesliga. A dual U.S.-German citizen, he was more of a defense-first presence, one rated more highly by Curtin than Sporting Director Ernst Tanner. Flach said in October that he had not had any discussions with the club on a new contract by his choice. Berdecio, 22, was acquired on loan from Oriente Petrolero. He made 28 appearances for MLS Next Pro runner-up Union II but never made the squad for the first team. He made his international debut with Bolivia over the summer. Craig, 19, is a Homegrown product who has made one appearance with the Union for three minutes in 2022. He was loaned to Austin FC but did not play in 2023, then spent 2024 on loan with El Paso Locomotive in the USL Championship, with one goal in 19 appearances. Real, now 25, made 52 appearances for the Union since 2018. He spent the season with the Colorado Springs Switchbacks, leading them to the USL title. LeFlore was signed by the Union last offseason from Houston but tore his ACL in the preseason and missed the entire year. Torres was loaned out to Chilean club Universidad Catolica in the spring. He was acquired from Montreal in 2023 but made just 14 appearances for the Union with one goal.NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Clara Strack scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Teonni Key had 16 points and 13 rebounds and No. 14 Kentucky defeated Arizona State 77-61 on Tuesday in the Music City Classic to remain unbeaten. Kentucky nearly had four players with double-doubles as Georgia Amoore added 20 points and nine rebounds and Amelia Hassett had eight points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (6-0), who shot 42% and scored 13 points off 14 Arizona State turnovers. Jalyn Brown scored 16 points and Nevaeh Parkinson added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Sun Devils (3-3). Arizona State shot just 30%. The Sun Devils cut a 19-point deficit to 11 after three quarters but a 6-0 burst with baskets by Key, Amoore and Strack built the lead back to 15 midway through the fourth. Kentucky led 42-23 at halftime after outscoring the Sun Devils 27-9 in the second quarter, scoring the first 13 points of the period with Struck putting in the final seven in the run. A couple ASU free throws later, the Wildcats went on an 11-2 run capped by a Hassett 3 and the lead was 20. Strack scored 14 points and Key 10 in the half. The teams continue play in the Music City Classic on Wednesday with Kentucky playing No. 19 Illinois and Arizona State facing South Dakota. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
Stock market today: Rising tech stocks pull Wall Street to another recordJannik Sinner leads Italy back to the Davis Cup semifinals and a rematch against AustraliaIPG Photonics Completes Acquisition of CleanLASER
No. 14 Kentucky women roll past Arizona State with scoring and rebounding balance 77-61VANCOUVER — The Better Business Bureau in British Columbia is warning Taylor Swift fans of scams ahead of the superstar's Vancouver concerts, highlighting one case in which a social media profile was allegedly hacked and used to sell fake tickets. It says $2,000 was stolen from fans hoping to attend the shows, which will be at BC Place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The warning comes after police in Toronto last month arrested a woman for allegedly selling about $70,000 worth of fake Swift tickets ahead of the concerts there. The Better Business Bureau said in a news release on Monday that the case in B.C. was reported on its Scam Tracker database. It said the complainant, who wasn't identified, reported that scammers took over her social media profile and used its messaging function to trick people into buying "non-existent concert tickets." The bureau said people needed to be vigilant when buying tickets online, especially for major events such as Swift's concerts that could be "a hot spot" for scammers. It advised fans to buy tickets from trusted vendors or reputable brokers while also double-checking with sellers about the tickets' authenticity even if they are a friend or an acquaintance. Using credit cards for the purchase may also grant consumers some protection, the bureau said. "If someone claims to be selling tickets to a sold-out concert just before the date or at an amazing price, think twice," it said. "Scammers love to prey on fans of any artist or sporting event by claiming to have impossible-to-get-tickets for them." Swift's three sold-out shows at Vancouver's B.C. Place end her record-breaking Eras Tour. As the city prepared for thousands of fans to descend, transit operator TransLink said Monday it would provide extra bus, SkyTrain, and SeaBus services on all three concert nights. It said the West Coast Express commuter train would also run on Saturday, leaving Mission, B.C. at 4 p.m. to head into the city and then returning from Vancouver's Waterfront Station at midnight. The statement said fans could expect a singalong on the SeaBus and live performances at Stadium–Chinatown SkyTrain Station near B.C. Place, with extra staff working to help manage crowds. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024. The Canadian PressAdvisors Asset Management Inc. Sells 4,354 Shares of Franklin High Yield Corporate ETF (BATS:FLHY)
Thousands wiped off student debt in pre-Christmas giftMinnesota House Republicans plan to file lawsuit contesting election results in race decided by 15 votes
Kansas GOP senator wants state to invest $1 billion to boost pension system’s bottom linePorter, Middle Tennessee knock off Ohio 83-81 in OTQatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) -- member of Qatar Foundation (QF) --welcomed 13 tech startups from across the globe as part of the second edition of its Global Innovation Link (GIL) programme. Building on the success of its inaugural edition, which engaged startups from Pakistan, GIL’s latest edition was significantly expanded to include a diverse cohort of entrepreneurs from countries including the US, Poland, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Malaysia and Jordan. The programme demonstrates QSTP’s firm resolve to lay the groundwork for future collaborations in tech research and development by establishing a link between Qatar’s tech ecosystem and international tech ecosystems. The startups represented a wide array of industries and sectors, with a focus on innovation-driven fields such as spacetech, edtech, fintech, tourism tech, gaming, urban planning, manufacturing and engineering. As part of thetwo-week immersive experience, the participating startups gained access to QSTP’s world-class infrastructure and co-working space, the opportunity to interact with key stakeholders in Qatar, and exposure to the country’s thriving tech landscape. They were also given a chance to present their solutions to a diverse audience at QSTP’s AI Week 2024, a premier event that gathered over 3,000 local and global industry leaders, experts and tech enthusiasts. Dr Jack Lau, president of QSTP, said the second edition of GIL builds on QSTP’s strong focus on enabling interactions between local and global innovation ecosystems. “This programme is part of our triangulation process where we facilitate international entrepreneurs to engage with the local tech community as well as stakeholders in the education system. This experience allows them to understand the potential demand for their technologies in Qatar, in addition to providing a fertile ground for cross-border research collaborations and benefit from QF’s diverse talent pool of students, researchers, and academics,” Dr Lau said. Beknazar Abdikamalov, Co-Founder of Hupo, a Singapore-based startup that participated in this edition of GIL, said the program was highly valuable in connecting with key stakeholders in Qatar, especially at a time that his startup is looking to enter the MENA market. “This programme has been a great starting point for us. It revealed the opportunities available in Qatar and the region, allowing us to interact with startups based here as well as the wider ecosystem. We have already managed to find some potential partners and clients and look forward to building on these connections to achieve our growth objectives.” QSTP’s GIL programme is open to teams with a strong STEM background (PhD, patent holders, Master’s +5 years of experience, or a company with $100k+ annual revenue). These teams must be nominated by official state/national bodies. Copy 03/12/2024 10
ocugen director Fernandes buys $9,095 in common stock
Phound Wins TMC Labs Unified Communications Innovation of the Year AwardAn oil rig drills a well under moon light near Cremona, Alta., on Sept. 24, 2023. Drilling expertise runs deep in Alberta owing to the province’s long history with oil and gas, but industries that can lower greenhouse-gas emissions also rely on the technology. Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press Alberta is hoping to attract geothermal, critical mineral, helium and carbon-capture companies to the province through a major new drilling hub. The public-private partnership, announced Monday, would become Canada’s first technology-agnostic, industry-led drilling hub. The province has earmarked $50-million from Alberta’s carbon tax on large emitters to develop the project, which is envisioned as a place where companies can test new drilling techniques and technologies to accelerate their development. Major companies in the drilling sector, including geothermal company Eavor Technologies Inc., Calgary-based Tourmaline Oil Corp. TOU-T and global oilfield service company Halliburton Co. HAL-N have already expressed interest in becoming anchor tenants. No binding contracts have been signed, but Premier Danielle Smith told media that tens of millions of dollars in private-sector capital investment could potentially be secured through the project. Drilling expertise runs deep in Alberta owing to the province’s long history with oil and gas. But industries that can lower greenhouse-gas emissions – including geothermal energy and carbon capture – also rely on the technology. So, too, does the production of critical minerals and helium – sectors that have been eyed as potential economic boons for Alberta and other provinces. The site for the Alberta Drilling Accelerator hasn’t yet been selected, but an April feasibility study led by Calgary-based Eavor, in partnership with the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors and the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association, identified various options. The province expects to announce the location in early 2025. Geothermal energy accounts for a mere 0.5 per cent of renewables-based electricity generation, heating and cooling globally, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. However, geothermal electricity generation grew around 3.5 per cent in 2021, and the technology’s use for heating and cooling grew by around 9 per cent annually between 2015 and 2020. The International Energy Agency has identified geothermal as an energy source with untapped potential, and in recent reports has underscored the need to rapidly increase support for the technology to help the world meet goals for net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions. While global growth in geothermal mostly stalled in 2022, according to the agency’s 2023 renewables report, the Paris-based energy watchdog says that’s likely to change, driven by a mix of market interest and government policy. That’s where Canada has a unique opportunity to repurpose existing oil and gas skill sets, as the world pivots to cleaner energy. A recent analysis by energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie estimated that investment in geothermal through 2050 could hit US$1-trillion, should there be broad global adoption of the technology. Eavor chief executive officer John Redfern said Monday there is something of a global “geothermal arms race” under way, exemplified by recent announcements about new geothermal test facilities in China, the United States, New Zealand, Iceland and others. The drilling accelerator would play a crucial role in Canada securing some of that global investment, he said. Drilling accounts for up to 90 per cent of geothermal project capital expenditure. Those high costs have been a major roadblock for the broad global adoption of geothermal energy, but Mr. Redfern said the hub could help address that barrier while attracting investment to the province. “There are incremental improvements we’re making with geothermal, but through things like the accelerator, we’re talking about fundamental new technology that can drastically reduce the cost of it,” he said. Ms. Smith said Monday that industries that rely on drilling are vital for Alberta to achieve its goal of net-zero by 2050, which is why the new accelerator is so important. “We’ll be expanding our already vast knowledge base, keeping Alberta out in front of the preferred global energy provider, and supporting the development of technology the world desperately needs to support a sustainability goal,” she said. She said the project would also support the long-term economic goal of operators being able to scale up and sell their homegrown expertise by developing and manufacturing drilling technology that can be used around the world. “There’s major interest in this project among Alberta’s industry players,” she said. The drilling accelerator is slated to begin operations in 2026, managed as a non-profit by a new industry association.
As we reported last night, president-elect Trump announced he intends to levy a 25% tariff on all imports from Mexico and Canada and an additional 10% tariff on imports from China. Tariffs on Mexico and Canada would remain in place until the flow of “drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop,” while tariffs on China would remain in place “until such time as [the drugs that are pouring into our country] stop”. He also stated that on January 20th he would “sign all necessary documents” to implement the tariffs on Mexico and Canada as one of his “many first Executive Orders”. To be sure, Trump has proposed most of this before, in different forms: Overall, the announcement is more reminiscent of the first Trump administration, when such tariffs were announced as a negotiating tactic, rather than the more systematic tariff policies (e.g., the 10-20% “universal baseline tariff”) Trump frequently discussed during the campaign. Some more details: 43% of US goods imports come from Mexico (15.4%), Canada (13.6%), and China (13.9%). At the proposed tariff rates, this would generate slightly less than $300bn (or 1.0% of GDP) in tariff revenue annually , without accounting for dynamic effects, such as changes to import volumes and prices or taxable incomes, and boost the US effective tariff rate by 8.6% (Goldman's rule of thumb is that every 1% increase in the effective tariff rate would raise core PCE prices by 0.1%), while the proposed tariff increases would also boost core PCE prices by 0.9% if implemented. In its commentary on the tariff announcement, Goldman political analyst Alex Phillips writes that while he had assumed tariffs on imports from China will rise early next year, it is more likely Mexico and Canada will avoid across-the-board tariffs. Phillips also notes that if implemented, these are about three times as large as the China and auto tariffs the bank assumes in its baseline economic forecasts but slightly smaller than a 10% universal tariff. In a separate note from Goldman Delta One trader Rich Privorotsky ( available here for pro subs ), he writes that the bigger surprise in the Trump proposal is Canada. To this point, Goldman tried to calibrate the FX impact of tariffs by assessing the importance of US trade for different economies and the complexity of the products they produce: here the Loonie stands out too. Privo also found it curious that China's HSI was actually up for most the session having now eventually back some its gains (now unch) and believes that " if tariffs on China went up only another 10% I think relative to expectations that have been built up this might be taken as a modest positive." Privorotsky also suggests that Trump's announcement is another part of the wall of worry for Europe. Tariffs are known risk (unknown in magnitude) and "it's the waiting that is really the problem." So while it make sense for European stocks to be down in sympathy on the news (especially after some hopefulness that recent cabinet picks might mean a less hawkish approach), he would argue that a 25% tariff on Canada (biggest source of trade is the import of energy) is likely more of a negotiating tactic rather than a likely outcome. Bottom line: while the CAD will lurch lower on this, it will likely find support. Turning to China, Goldman's EM strategist Sun Lu focuses on the silver lining, i.e., "it's priced in", and lays out the following analysis (excerpted from her full note available to pro subs ). Dovish views: FX response: What trades does Lu like? Continue to like owning 1y USDCNH, USDTWD and USDSGD topside, funded by selling short-dated downside. The Goldman strategist prefers to be long USD ahead of actual tariff announcements rather than just headlines. Finally, we go to Goldman EM vol trader trader Sanjiv Nanwani who writes that "the market remains in a holding pattern despite early AM tariff headlines – but as far as China is concerned, the tariffs seem to underwhelm what is already expected, and in any case, the authorities are clearly unwilling to let FX move as evidenced by the ~unchanged USDCNY fix today." The vol market seems to suggest the same – don’t expect spot to do a whole lot before the inauguration. Nanwani found that a little surprising, "as we now have confirmation that Trump is already contemplating tariff policy and is prepared to announce them ahead of his formal inauguration, which the market will surely have to re-price in response to." Nanwani likes owning some cheap 1mth USD calls here, notwithstanding the poor realized performance (suppressed by the fix) over the past 1-2 weeks. Further out, the market remains very keen on holding onto term premium, keeping calendars uber steep but creating a very high bar for the delivery of realized performance – there is a real risk that the premium decay on some option structures will more than offset expected gains from delta. He therefore likes vol-selling strategies in 3mth+ expiries, particularly via USD bull seagulls, to benefit from both the inverted forward curve and steep vol curve. ATM run: 1m 4.6 3m 6.1 6m 6.6 1y 6.9. It's not just Goldman however: in a note to clients ( available to pro subs ), SouthBay Research this morning reminds us that while attention is focused on China, it really should be on Vietnam; here's why: Here is the timeline to consider: Next, and especially for all the inflation alarmists, it is worth noting that there was minimal inflationary impact in the last trade war: In this context, the real question - according to Southbay - is why doesn't Trump also Tariff Vietnam? Consider this: in 2023, registered Chinese investment in Vietnam was $8.3B. Thanks to offshoring production by Chinese manufacturers, Vietnam has become a player in the global supply chain. This is a response to Trump initiated tariffs whereby OEMs like Apple want to de-risk their exposure to China. Despite proclamations of de-risking and 'internationalizing the supply chain', these moves don't really change the reality that products and components are still sourced from Chinese producers. Given that it's obviously a shell-game, why isn't Trump lumping Vietnam into the anti-China trade tariffs? Here, geopolitics is the most likely reason. There is a containment policy in place. While it's nice to talk about democracy, the major reason for US support of Taiwan is power projection: Taiwan sits at the underbelly of China. With South Korea and Japan to the East, and Taiwan and the Philippines to the South, the US and allies have China surrounded. In case war breaks out with China, a naval blockade would be very effective and complete. Or almost complete, as Vietnam would seal the deal. Turning Vietnam into a friendly ally would plug a big hole in the shipping routes out of Hong Kong. Ships would have to thread a path between Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan. In other words, it's not just negotiation, but more like foreplay... and at the moment there is a courtship underway. China is throwing billions of dollars at Vietnam. The US not so much. But Vietnam is wary of China and might want an American military presence. Trump belligerence towards Vietnam would not create necessary goodwill. Which also means that as long as Trump plays softball with Vietnam, China will continue to bypass most if not all of the tariff threat. More in the full note from Southbay available to pro subs .
With eye on NBA Cup quarters, Knicks face lowly PelicansIrish premier Simon Harris has said Fine Gael will gain seats in the General Election despite a further fragmentation of Irish politics. Fine Gael won 35 seats in the 2020 election, but 18 of those TDs did not seek re-election in Friday’s poll. An exit poll puts the party’s support at 21%, a fraction of a percentage behind the main opposition party Sinn Fein. Mr Harris, the outgoing Taoiseach, was elected with 16,869 first preference votes, well above the quota. He celebrated with his wife Caoimhe, his parents Bart and Mary, his sister Gemma and his political team at the count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Ahead of his re-election, Mr Harris told reporters he was “cautiously optimistic” about the election result and said it was “clear that my party will gain seats”. “It’s also clear that Fine Gael will top the poll in at least 10 constituencies, many more than we did the last time, that we will gain seats in constituencies where we haven’t had seats in many years, like Tipperary South and Waterford, and that we will add second seats in other constituencies as well,” he said. “I think the people of Ireland have now spoken. We now have to work out exactly what they have said, and that is going to take a little bit of time.” In one of the five consecutive broadcast media rounds he did from the Greystones count centre, he said there were a lot of areas where there were “straight shoot-outs” between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for final seats. He described the Sinn Fein vote as “pretty significantly down”, the Fianna Fail vote as “marginally down” and the Fine Gael vote as “static” compared with its 2020 vote. He said it was “a very close, a very competitive election” and that “we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it”. He said: “It was predicted by many that I would become the Taoiseach for a brief period of time, take over from Leo Varadkar, and then have to rebuild my party from the opposition benches as Sinn Fein led a government. “We don’t know what’s going to happen on government formation yet, but that is now looking less likely than it was.” He acknowledged that it was “a very difficult day” for the Green Party and paid tribute to their work in the coalition government, alongside his party and Fianna Fail. “Definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented,” he said. Fine Gael minister Helen McEntee said that her party’s campaign had been “positive”. “The feeling on the doors was very much that people were relatively happy with the government,” she said on RTE Radio. “It will come down to the last seats and it will come down to transfers,” she said of the final result, adding that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were performing better than the exit poll estimated.