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Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") reminds investors of the upcoming January 17, 2025 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Humacyte, Inc. ("Humacyte" or the "Company") HUMA securities between May 10, 2024 and October 17, 2024 , inclusive (the "Class Period"). If you suffered a loss on your Humacyte investments or would like to inquire about potentially pursuing claims to recover your loss under the federal securities laws, you can submit your contact information at www.glancylaw.com/cases/Humacyte-Inc/ . You can also contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or via email at shareholders@glancylaw.com to learn more about your rights. On August 9, 2024, after the market closed, Humacyte issued a press release announcing that the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") "will require additional time to complete its review of its Biologic License Application (BLA) for the acellular tissue engineered vessel (ATEV) in the vascular trauma indication." The press release disclosed in part, that, "[d]uring the course of the BLA review, the FDA has conducted inspections of our manufacturing facilities and clinical sites and has actively engaged with us in multiple discussions regarding our BLA filing[.]" On this news, the Company's stock price declined $1.29, or 16.4%, to close at $6.62 per share on August 12, 2024, on unusually heavy volume. On October 17, 2024, during market hours, the FDA released a Form 483 concerning Humacyte's Durham, North Carolina facility, which revealed a number of violations, including "no microbial quality assurance," "no microbial testing," and inadequate "quality oversight." On this news, the Company's stock price declined $0.95, or 16.35%, to close at $4.86 per share on October 17, 2024, on unusually heavy volume. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that the Company's Durham, North Carolina facility failed to comply with good manufacturing practices, including quality assurance and microbial testing; (2) that the FDA's review of the BLA would be delayed while Humacyte remediated these deficiencies; and (3) that, as a result, there was a substantial risk to FDA approval of ATEV for vascular trauma; and (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn , Twitter , or Facebook . If you purchased or otherwise acquired Humacyte securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than January 17, 2025 to request appointment as lead plaintiff in this putative class action lawsuit. To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Charles Linehan, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to shareholders@glancylaw.com , or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com . If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121617494/en/ © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Nextracker Inc. ( NASDAQ:NXT – Free Report ) – Equities research analysts at Northland Capmk issued their Q3 2025 earnings per share estimates for shares of Nextracker in a research report issued on Tuesday, November 19th. Northland Capmk analyst D. Schafer anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $0.44 for the quarter. Northland Capmk has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Nextracker’s current full-year earnings is $2.74 per share. Northland Capmk also issued estimates for Nextracker’s Q4 2025 earnings at $0.64 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $2.68 EPS and Q3 2026 earnings at $0.63 EPS. Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Nextracker in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. They set a “hold” rating and a $46.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Nextracker from $60.00 to $47.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Roth Mkm reduced their target price on shares of Nextracker from $70.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Nextracker from $61.00 to $47.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Northland Securities reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Nextracker in a report on Tuesday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $54.30. Nextracker Stock Up 3.9 % Shares of NXT opened at $38.85 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.99 and a current ratio of 2.21. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $43.09. Nextracker has a 52 week low of $30.93 and a 52 week high of $62.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.69 and a beta of 2.32. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nextracker A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Nextracker by 73.2% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 660 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 279 shares during the period. TFC Financial Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Nextracker in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in shares of Nextracker by 1,602.5% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 681 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 641 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nextracker during the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Quarry LP grew its stake in Nextracker by 61.5% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,119 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 426 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.41% of the company’s stock. About Nextracker ( Get Free Report ) Nextracker Inc, an energy solutions company, provides solar tracker and software solutions for utility-scale and distributed generation solar projects in the United States and internationally. The company offers tracking solutions, which includes NX Horizon, a solar tracking solution; and NX Horizon-XTR, a terrain-following tracker designed to expand the addressable market for trackers on sites with sloped, uneven, and challenging terrain. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nextracker Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nextracker and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .AP Trending SummaryBrief at 12:19 p.m. ESTA few months ago, I logged into my online Securus account to send an electronic message to a friend in a Washington State prison. To my shock, I found the word “blocked” on my account and I was not able to send any messages. The block came just a few weeks after I had published an article with Truthout on censorship inside of prisons and had sent the finished article to some of my sources over the e-messaging system. It’s hard to know for sure, but the block is either the result of my journalism, or it is a result of facilitating a book club that connects people inside with those on the outside. Since my Truthout article was about how difficult prisons make it to access information, especially for LGBTQ+ people, the block seems ironic, to say the least. People in prison do not have direct access to the internet or to any standard email services, nor can they generally receive phone calls. Instead, any communication other than paper mail ( which is increasingly rare ) takes place over services managed by for-profit companies like Aventiv, ViaPath and IC Solutions . If one of these services chooses to implement a block on an account, as in my case, an outside user cannot send e-messages, put money on a loved one’s books or pay for phone calls — for anyone who lives in a prison, anywhere in the United States, that uses the service that has implemented the block. The only remedy for this is apparently to appeal to the state Department of Corrections (DOC), but unsurprisingly, there is no obvious method for such an appeal available to an outside family member or friend. Figuring out how to appeal required several calls and emails, and in the end, did not yield any change to my situation. This block is inhibiting my ability to do my work, and more than that, it’s isolating my friends in prison from contact with the outside world. Censorship in prisons has expanded with the monopolization of prison communications in the hands of only a few private companies. For instance, the services I use the most — JPay and Securus — are under the parent company of the behemoth Aventiv. I have not yet found any information on how blocks like this are processed and how frequent they are, but it seems the Washington State Department of Corrections did not actually mean to block me from communicating with people in other states. That is just a side effect of monopolization. When Aventiv implements a block, it is companywide, meaning that I’m unable to message anyone who uses JPay or Securus, or where the phone service is provided by either Aventiv company, even though Washington State does not even use JPay. Half of all states that have e-messages in their prisons (22) use JPay as their e-message provider. Meanwhile, 42 percent of phone calls are managed by Securus, meaning that my block is a significant barrier to communicating with a large segment of the total prison population. According to the Securus helpline, blocks like this are not uncommon. My ban was upheld on appeal (an email) because I was sharing messages that included more than one person in the prison. Not only is barring people in prison from communicating with one another enforced in more draconian ways than in the past, but prisons are increasingly banning people on the outside from being in contact with more than one person in prison. Given the reality that almost 2 million people are imprisoned in the U.S. each year and the disproportionate impact of the criminal legal system on particular communities, it is arbitrary for prisons and communication companies to act as though no one will have two family members or two close friends in prison at the same time. It is also unfair and punitive to further limit the outside support available to those inside. My rule-breaking activities were related to the Abolitionist Book Club , a reading group that brings together people inside and outside prisons. I co-founded the group in 2023 with a close friend of mine, Vincent “Tank” Sherrill, who lives in a Washington State prison, and another outside organizer, Matthew Charlebois. Our original goal was to create a space for political education about abolition for our comrades outside and inside prison through reading Mariame Kaba and Andrea Ritchie’s book No More Police together. We have since finished the book and become a tight-knit community who meets together virtually once a month to grow our abolitionist imaginations through our relationships with each other. Organizing a group like this is not easy. Our meetings are held over Zoom, with each person in prison joining the video call via a buddy system with the outside members. We were pleasantly surprised that everyone in the prison received the copies of the book despite its title, but as soon as we held our first online meeting, book club members at the Washington Corrections Center for Women received a warning from the facility’s investigator telling them that they were not allowed to participate in this “illegal book club.” One member came to a second meeting — mainly to talk about how to proceed — and was punished with a major infraction (reduced to a minor infraction upon her appeal). This member submitted a formal proposal to the prison to make the group official, since our work fits the prison’s definition of “pro-social behavior” that it supposedly encourages, but she never received a response to the proposal and was not able to join any more of our discussions. After this intimidation, members from the women’s prison were too afraid to join our meetings, but punishment of some members of the book club did not stop us. The Abolitionist Book Club continues, building solidarity and shared analysis between comrades inside and outside prison. This experience has affirmed the value of doing collective work, rather than individual or even centralized work. I was the main outside instigator of the Abolitionist Book Club, and most of the first contacts were mine. I’m proud, though, that as we have grown, everyone in the group has taken ownership and I’m no longer any more central than anyone else. This meant that when I was cut off, other people in the group were ready to step in. Being formally cut off from my friends and comrades inside has been yet another lesson about creating dense webs of relationships rather than jealously guarding our relationships or contacts; it’s much harder for the DOC to destroy that whole web than to sever one particular line of communication. I would love to say that if we organize in this way, the DOC can’t touch us, but unfortunately that’s not true. Since the block, it has been much harder to be in touch with some of my close friends in prison, and I have dearly missed talking regularly with these folks. Nonetheless, I’m thankful for not being totally cut off since I am still able to communicate with the help of others in the book club. The block has a direct impact on my journalism as well as my personal relationships. It would be bad enough if I had only been blocked from communication inside Washington State, where I’m working with people on various projects, but I also can’t send messages to people I know in Michigan or in Missouri. Even worse, I can’t reach out to speak to people in any state or facility that uses an Aventiv service to report on their experiences, unless I reach out to them via another friend of theirs. That, however, would be third party contact , which is the same rule I’m accused of violating. I am stuck either continuing to violate that rule or ceasing to do journalism about the experiences of people in prison. Like so many people before me, most especially those in prison themselves, I have been censored by the prison for writing about censorship in the prison. I am outraged that this has happened; that the prison has extended its reach to censor those of us outside prison in this way is dangerous and disturbing. But the real travesty here is the regular , ongoing censorship that people in prison are subjected to daily, like the women in our book club who were cut off from one of the few sources of outside support and communication available to them. Worse yet, people in prison don’t necessarily have a way of knowing why I’m not responding to them — and Aventiv takes their money to send messages that are not delivered. I keep receiving emails from JPay telling me that someone has sent me a message, but I’m unable to read these messages. One person has been released from prison altogether after sending me a message I couldn’t read, and we’ve completely lost touch. The monopolization of communication technologies combined with the system’s bans on “double contact” significantly expands the existing regime that destroys relationships between people in prison and their communities on the outside. Ultimately, the result of blocking communication is to keep people in prison away from those who want to offer support, and away from people like me who might be able to tell their story to the broader world.
Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Israel says rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found, citing Emirati authorities. The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Zvi Kogan was killed, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” It said: “The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death." Kogan went missing on Thursday, and there were suspicions he had been kidnapped. His disappearance comes as Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel after the two countries traded fire in October. Israeli strike kills Lebanese soldier and wounds 18 as Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center has killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. The Hezbollah militant group meanwhile fired around 160 rockets and other projectiles into northern and central Israel on Sunday, wounding at least five people. Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon's military has largely kept to the sidelines. The Israeli military expressed regret over the strike, saying it occurred in an area of ongoing combat operations against Hezbollah. It said it does not target the Lebanese armed forces and that the strike is under review. The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. After Trump's Project 2025 denials, he is tapping its authors and influencers for key roles WASHINGTON (AP) — During the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump had hailed what would become Project 2025 as a conservative roadmap for “exactly what our movement will do." Trump pulled an about-face when Project 2025 became a political liability. He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans, even though some were written by his former aides and many allies. Now, after winning the 2024 election, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the effort he temporarily shunned. Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain this weekend while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Saturday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast earlier in the week, killing two people. Parts of the Northeast and Appalachia also began the weekend with heavy precipitation. Pakistan partially stops mobile and internet services ahead of pro-Imran Khan protest ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns” as supporters of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan gear up for a protest in the capital. The government and Interior Ministry made the announcement on X, which is banned in Pakistan. Sunday's protest is to demand Khan's release. He has been in prison for more than a year but remains popular. His supporters rely heavily on social media and messaging apps to coordinate with each other. Pakistan has already sealed off Islamabad and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with Khan's power bases. Here's what to know about the new funding deal that countries agreed to at UN climate talks BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. But it’s a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still unsatisfied but hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction. Japan holds Sado mines memorial despite South Korean boycott amid lingering historical tensions SADO, Japan (AP) — Japan has held a memorial ceremony near the Sado Island Gold Mines despite a last-minute boycott of the event by South Korea that highlighted tensions between the neighbors over the issue of Korean forced laborers at the site before and during World War II. South Korea’s absence at Sunday’s memorial, to which Seoul government officials and Korean victims’ families were invited, is a major setback in the rapidly improving ties between the two countries, which since last year have set aside their historical disputes to prioritize U.S.-led security cooperation. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump.5 Savvy Ways to Use Your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) This Season
Jaylen Brown scores 29 points before Celtics beat Timberwolves 107-105 with late defensive stand BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored the Celtics’ first 15 points on five consecutive 3-pointers and finished with 29 points, before Boston withstood a late charge to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-105 on Sunday. Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press Nov 24, 2024 3:05 PM Nov 24, 2024 3:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) looks for an opening around Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored the Celtics’ first 15 points on five consecutive 3-pointers and finished with 29 points, before Boston withstood a late charge to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-105 on Sunday. Jayson Tatum added 26 points and eight rebounds to help Boston post a season-high fifth straight victory. Anthony Edwards had 28 points and nine rebounds for Minnesota, which has lost five of its last seven. Julius Randle added 23 points, and Rudy Gobert finished with 10 points and 20 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the season. Minnesota got within 55-54 early in the third quarter, before a 14-0 run by Boston. The spurt featured four 3s by the Celtics, including two by Tatum. The lead grew to 79-60 with 4:26 to play in the period. But the Timberwolves chipped it all the way down in the fourth, getting within 107-105 with 34 seconds left on a driving layup by Randle. Takeaways Timberwolves: Minnesota will be looking to for some wins at home, after dropping four of its last five on the road. Celtics: The Celtics have struggled at home at times this season but improved to 6-2 at the Garden. Key moment The Timberwolves had the ball with 7.1 seconds and a chance to win. Edwards got the inbounds and tried to drive on Brown. But he was cut off, and the ball swung to Naz Reid, who failed to get off a 3 as time expired. Key stat Boston assisted on 25 of its 37 made field goals. Up next The Timberwolves host Houston in NBA Cup play on Tuesday, beginning a four-game homestand. The Celtics host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Basketball Hornets lose veteran forward Grant Williams to a torn ACL Nov 24, 2024 12:16 PM Charlotte takes on Orlando following Ball's 50-point game Nov 23, 2024 11:04 PM Grant, Trail Blazers to visit Jackson, Grizzlies Nov 23, 2024 11:04 PMAtria Investments Inc Sells 441 Shares of The Baldwin Insurance Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRP)Carvana CVNA has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 7.82% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 21.53%. Currently, Carvana has a market capitalization of $32.25 billion. Buying $1000 In CVNA: If an investor had bought $1000 of CVNA stock 5 years ago, it would be worth $2,629.95 today based on a price of $250.95 for CVNA at the time of writing. Carvana's Performance Over Last 5 Years Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Doug Ford is braced for the worst from Donald Trump’s looming tariffs, but consider a more bracing reality. What if Ford is his own — and Ontario’s — worst economic enemy? What if, instead of the incoming U.S. president, it is the long-serving Ontario premier who is the problem? No one knows with any certainty whether Trump will impose his threatened 25 per cent tariffs. But we do know with statistical certainty that Ontario is already facing serious economic bumps today — not from Trump’s tariffs but Ford’s fecklessness. Unemployment in Ontario continues its relentless climb, leaving the province an outlier — exceeded nationally only by Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. The news is not good, the outlook is not encouraging: The rate jumped almost a full percentage point from 6.8 per cent to 7.6 per cent last month, according to the latest Statistics Canada data. That puts the province in pandemic territory, rather than a recovery trajectory. Today’s labour report will be the last major economic release ahead of the Bank of Canada’s In fact, if you exclude peak COVID, you’d have to go back a full decade to find unemployment at such high levels, as StatCan observed in an accompanying commentary. Back in 2014, Kathleen Wynne won her first election as the province’s Liberal premier and presided over a decline in unemployment to 5.6 per cent through 2018, when Ford won power. Which means that, far from helming the roaring economic engine of Canada, the premier is presiding over a period of decline. And has become a drag on the country. “The decline in November was concentrated in Ontario, where manufacturing employment fell by 20,000 (-2.5%),” the non-partisan agency noted pointedly. During Wynne’s time as premier, the manufacturing sector increased by about 18,400 jobs. In the past 12 months under Ford, Ontario has lost nearly twice that many manufacturing jobs (33,000), the figures show. Meanwhile, the overall unemployment rate is declining or flatlining in neighbouring provinces with large economies. Unemployment is a comparatively healthy 5.9 per cent in neighbouring Quebec and 5.8 per cent in Manitoba. Let’s admit, however, the limitations of having fun with numbers, no matter how unfunny. Let us not forget the old adage, in economics as in politics, that there are three kinds of lies: Lies, damned lies, and statistics. By that measure, Ford is an expert practitioner of all three. For as long as he has been premier and even before, he has pilloried his opponents as as a prudent steward of the province’s industrial heartland. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t proclaim this truism to be self-evidently true — without any evidence beyond a statistical sleight of hand and a rhetorical trick. As for those annoying economic indicators, Ford insists they are merely a reflection of robust immigration numbers leading to more people chasing jobs. Unfortunately for him, Statistics Canada notes that while the labour force rose by 0.4 per cent in November, it was “offsetting a similar-sized decline in October” — in other words, a wash — while the unemployment rate jumped. To put this in perspective, Ontario’s unemployment rate has soared by a full 1.5 percentage points over the past 12 months. Against that backdrop, our premier is not only unprepared but unrepentant: “We are the envy of North America, we’re the envy of the world,” Ford boasted lustily in the legislature. “You wonder why President-elect Trump wants to put tariffs? Because we’re a threat to the U.S., because we’re a manufacturing powerhouse. We created more manufacturing jobs last year than all 50 U.S. states combined.” Never mind that the independent statistical agency says we’ve been losing those manufacturing jobs over the past year. That’s an awfully bad baseline to boast about, before any Trump tariffs add more fuel to the fires of unemployment. To his credit, Ford has recently been relatively restrained about bilateral boasting and domestic dissing. When America’s president-elect publicly trolls Justin Trudeau, the premier rallies to the defence of the prime minister and downplays Trump’s puerile mockery as merely humorous musings. But it’s fair to say that Ford got carried away with his own hyperbole this week by claiming that Trump’s threats are proof he’s feeling threatened. As illogical as those tariff threats might be in terms of economic theories of trade and comparative advantage, they have their own inexorable logic. Heading into Tuesday morning’s cabinet meeting, Defence Minister Bill Blair indicated that he Given how intertwined our supply chains are, the tariffs may be empty threats that never come to pass, but we will still pay a price. For there is method to Trump’s madness, because the more he imperils our trade horizons, the more he discourages future foreign or domestic investment in the manufacturing sector. Even if Trump pulls back from his doomsday tariff scenarios, he still wins the day because future investors will be more inclined to locate their plants on the American side of the border to avoid future angst. Brace for the economy to get worse in 2025, but remember that all was not well in 2024. What ever future tariffs Trump has in store for us, remember how we got to where we are today. For unemployment keeps rising inexorably, courtesy of Ontario’s incumbent premier, not America’s incoming president.Central Division opponents meet when Predators host the Jets