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bet777 bonus CENTENNIAL, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 22, 2024-- NUBURU, Inc. (“NUBURU” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: BURU), a leading innovator in high-power and high-brightness industrial blue laser technology, today announced it has received a notice of non-compliance (the “NYSE Notice”) from the staff of the NYSE American Market (the “Exchange”) indicating that the Company has become noncompliant with the continued listing standard set forth in Section 803B(2)(c) of the NYSE American Company Guide (the “Company Guide”), since the Company’s Audit Committee is no longer comprised of at least two independent directors, as a result of the recent resignation of an independent director from the Company’s Board of Directors. The NYSE Notice stated that, pursuant to Section 803B(6)(b) of the Company Guide, the Company has until the earlier of its next annual meeting of stockholders or one year from the occurrence of the event that caused the failure to comply with the audit committee composition requirements to regain compliance with the continued listing standards; provided that, if the annual meeting of stockholders occurs no later than 75 days following the event that caused the failure to comply, the Company will instead have 75 days from such event to regain compliance. As a result, the Company has until January 4, 2025 to regain compliance. The Board is undertaking a process to identify two independent directors to join the Board within the permitted time frame. The NYSE Notice does not have any immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s common stock on the Exchange, which remains trading under the trading symbol “BURU”. There can be no assurance, however, that the Company will be able to regain compliance with the continued listing standard discussed above in the permitted time frame. About NUBURU Founded in 2015, NUBURU, Inc. (NYSEAM: BURU) is a developer and manufacturer of industrial blue lasers that leverage fundamental physics and high-brightness, high-power design to produce higher quality welds and parts at a faster rate than current lasers can produce for laser welding and additive manufacturing of copper, gold, aluminum and other industrially important metals. NUBURU’s industrial blue lasers produce minimal to defect-free welds at a rate that is up to eight times faster than traditional welding methods — all with the flexibility inherent to laser processing. For more information, please visit www.nuburu.net . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release may be forward-looking statements. Some of these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words, including “may,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “predict,” “plan,” “seek,” “targets,” “projects,” “could,” “would,” “continue,” “forecast” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, among other things, developments with our Board of Directors and our compliance with Exchange listing standards. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based upon estimates, forecasts and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by NUBURU and its management, are inherently uncertain and many factors may cause the company’s actual results to differ materially from current expectations which include, but are not limited to: (1) the ability to continue to meet the Exchange’s listing standards; (2) failure to achieve expectations regarding its product development and pipeline; (3) the inability to access sufficient capital to operate as anticipated; (4) the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; (5) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (6) the possibility that NUBURU may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; (7) volatility in the financial system and markets caused by geopolitical and economic factors; (8) failing to realize benefits from the partnership with GE Additive; and (9) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in NUBURU’s most recent periodic report on Form 10-K or Form 10-Q and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. NUBURU does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expected results. NUBURU assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by applicable law. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122726110/en/ CONTACT: Investor Relations: NUBURU, Inc. ir@nuburu.net (720) 767-1400 KEYWORD: COLORADO UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MACHINE TOOLS, METALWORKING & METALLURGY MINING/MINERALS MANUFACTURING NATURAL RESOURCES MACHINERY STEEL SOURCE: NUBURU, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/22/2024 06:45 PM/DISC: 11/22/2024 06:47 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122726110/enNone

After half a decade of testing and an investment of nearly $300 million, the federal government is still years away from fully implementing its next-generation pay and human resource cloud platform to replace the problem-plagued Phoenix payroll system. Moving more than 360,000 federal workers onto a cloud-based system will require hiring more contractors and re-opening union agreements to streamline pay categories. The government is also considering building a new data hub to clean and standardize employment information from departments before it's transferred to the new Dayforce platform. Alex Benay, the associate deputy minister at Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) acknowledged to CTV News that the government may have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more on building its NextGen-PayHR platform before it even starts operating. PSPC says it will outline its implementation strategy and provide a final cost estimate by 2026. The Government of Canada’s commitment to increasing accessibility in the public service and its selection of a third-place vendor may also be contributing to prolonged timelines and escalating costs. Alex Benay, associate deputy minister of Public Service and Procurement Canada. Benay stands in front of the inspiration wall with words written by his pay transformation team. Why did Canada choose a third-place bid? Dayforce’s software needs to be redesigned and re-tooled to meet the complex requirements of the federal government. The Toronto-based company, formally known as Ceridian, has dedicated 250 employees to the NextGen project. They work in collaboration with a team of 126 federal public servants. The number of people on the project is expected to grow over the next two-and-a-half years. CTV News has learned that Dayforce had placed last out of three competing vendors when it was awarded the NextGen-PayHR contract in 2021. The top bid was SAP, followed by Workday, then Dayforce. Benay says the contract was awarded before he took over responsibility for NextGen PayHR, but says it’s his understanding that government selected Dayforce because it was “the most flexible.” “After the RFP, what happened is we started throwing more things at all three of the companies (like) accessibility legislation, official languages legislation - and (Dayforce) was most willing to play,” said Benay in an interview with CTV National News. Just over six per cent of federal public servants have disabilities, which is lower than the national average of 9.1 per cent. The government’s accessibility strategy aims to increase the number of employees with disabilities to 5,000 people by 2025. “Accessibility is a core principle of our country. It's based in law and so is official languages. We think it’s extremely serious that suppliers that come and bid on projects for the Government of Canada can meet our basic national values. So, for us, that’s not a negotiation point,” said Benay. Accessibility criteria SAP was the frontrunner to win the bid because it had previously been awarded the 2019 NextGen pilot project. According to four separate government and private sector sources, SAP withdrew in the summer of 2021 after being selected for the massive project. Sources say federal officials made additional accessibility and language demands that were not specified in the government’s original request for proposal (RFP). In an email to CTV News, SAP said it met all the requirements of the RFP and resulting contract, and that its software and web-applications are tested against the European Union EN301 549 standard as well as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Level 2.2. Those are the same requirements that were outlined in the government’s RFP. Documents seen by CTV News indicate that the federal government then offered the contract to Workday, requesting that the company confirm its willingness to honour its technical and financial bid without “any changes to the terms and conditions stipulated.” Workday responded that it agreed to honour the terms of the original RFP and requested a meeting to discuss new caveats. Federal negotiators responded that Canada was “not in a position to negotiate any terms and conditions.” No meeting was scheduled, and less than a week later, the contract was awarded to Dayforce. Workday is currently providing NextGen HR services to a handful of smaller and highly secure departments such as CSIS, CSE and FINTRAC. In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson said that this work includes “Workday agreeing to and meeting a set of accessibility and Official Language requirements which we are proud to support in line with our commitment to providing an inclusive single user experience and accessibility in design.” Neither SAP nor Workday filed complaints about the procurement process. Viable but not ready Dayforce’s founder David Ossip is Canadian and its vice president of public sector revenue enablement and strategy, Gianluca Cairo, previously worked for a minister in Justin Trudeau’s government. Cairo was the chief of staff to former innovation minister Navdeep Bains before he was hired by Dayforce in 2019. Of the $289 million dollars the government has invested in the NextGen initiative, the bulk $171 million has been used to pay Dayforce to build a customized platform for the federal government. According to the NextGen HR and Pay Final Findings Report released in February, after two years of analysis, the government of Canada will need to develop “critical” tools and infrastructure and “significant resource investment” before 130 departments can start using Dayforce. According to the report, Dayforce was deemed “viable” but not ready to be rolled out. Its software solution met 85 per cent of the government's 582 requirements. But there were 90 gaps. These technological holes were related to complex scheduling and pay brackets across roles ranging from ships’ officers to nurses to correctional officers. Factors such as 24-hour scheduling and temporary acting roles posed problems for Dayforce. According to the report, 18 of these shortcomings were gaps that Dayforce “cannot meet now... and that planned future product development will not address.” “These gaps exist mainly because of a lack of alignment between unique GC rules and industry best practices for some HR processes, which are critical to producing accurate and timely pay,” the report found. Patching these critical holes will require re-opening nearly 150 labour agreements with 18 unions to simplify pay processes so they can be imputed into Dayforce. Bargaining required Benay says PSPC plans to meet with union representatives next week to explain what’s needed. Some fixes could be as simple as getting every department to agree to start new employees on the same day of the week, but others may involve renegotiating contracts to change terms to align with Dayforce. Jennifer Carr, the president of the Professional Institute of Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), says PIPSC wants the government to pay its workforce on time, but it won’t agree to simplifications which will result in “rollbacks” for its 70,000 scientists, IT workers and professionals. “We’re not interested in losing any of our rights. We have collectively bargained these rights and it is our entitlement,” says Carr. She’s also concerned about escalating costs and stretched timelines. “We could have helped them build something in house and the government chose to go with a contracted-out solution which in our mind is just more costly for taxpayers,” said Carr. Benay says they’re currently at the “design and build stage” and that the Dayforce solution will not go “LIVE” until all the gaps are addressed. The government has put out a request for information from contractors for cost estimates to build a data hub to bridge the transition to the Dayforce solution. The federal government is aiming to roll out Dayforce NextGen in 2027, one department at a time. But before that, it must test every cloud extension and run a parallel pay system to Phoenix for at least six months to ensure there are no glitches. The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), which represents 25,000 public servants, appreciates PSPC’s cautious approach. “This is about restoring trust with Canadian taxpayers that you’re not going to create another boondoggle,” said Nathan Prier, CAPE’s president. Prier says CAPE’s members are still facing financial pressures stemming from the Phoenix debacle which has cost taxpayers $3.5 billion. “We’re glad they’re taking their time to do pilots and implement things slowly here. We need to be at the table discussing every step of the way...We’re still dealing with the Phoenix disaster. Our members are still facing significant financial pressures stemming from being underpaid, overpaid and not paid at all.” MORE POLITICS NEWS Canada's new public-sector payment system is still years away from being implemented 'Utterly absurd': Freeland rebuffs Poilievre's offer of two hours to present fall economic statement Canada needs to take Trump's tariff threats seriously: experts Trudeau says Poilievre 'not able' to unite to defend Canada against Trump threats Federal minister Harjit Sajjan to attend Taylor Swift concert with taxpayer-funded ticket Trump making 'joke' about Canada becoming 51st state is 'reassuring': Ambassador Hillman Justice Minister Arif Virani says controversial online harms bill to be split in two opinion | Tom Mulcair: The one place in Canada where Poilievre can't break through is Quebec IN DEPTH Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power. 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But will it work before the next election? opinion | Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus. opinion | Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place. opinion | Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. 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Winnipeg Proposed site for Winnipeg supervised consumption site in the city's core The province’s first supervised consumption site could soon be located along the Disraeli Freeway in Winnipeg. Canadian appears in U.S. court in decades-old cold case Robert Creter made his first court appearance since his extradition to the United States from Winnipeg. He's the prime suspect in the murder of 23-year-old Tami Tignor – a cold case dating back to 1997. 'We want you to enjoy shopping': Winnipeg police stepping up presence at busy retail locations for the holidays When you are doing your holiday shopping this month, you may notice more police officers out and about at some of the biggest shopping areas in Winnipeg. Regina 'It's all about tradition': Bushwakker marking 30 years of blackberry mead The ancient art of meadmaking has become a holiday tradition for Regina's Bushwakker Brewpub, marking 30 years of its signature blackberry mead on Saturday. Sask. auditor releases findings on social services’ hotel spending An audit stemming from concerns over government practices of securing hotel rooms for those on social assistance has been released. Residents in Regina, Moose Jaw may notice changes in taste and colour of water Residents in Regina and Moose Jaw may notice some changes in their water as construction continues at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant. Kitchener Waterloo Regional Police recover 52 vehicles from chop shop in North Dumfries, Ont. A chop shop in North Dumfries, Ont. has been dismantled after police found 52 stolen vehicles. Rescue of three boys from Cambridge pond prompts safety plea from officials Three 13-year-old boys fell through the ice at a Cambridge pond on Tuesday. We spoke to the Lifesaving Society of Ontario about how to stay safe on and in the water this winter. Transport Minister to summon airline CEOs as Air Canada set to charge carry-on fees for some passengers Transport Minister Anita Anand says she will be calling Canadian airline CEOs to a meeting in mid-December after Air Canada says it will charge some passengers for carry-on bags in the new year. Saskatoon Saskatoon boy, 16, faces first-degree murder charge in death of woman found outside the Copper Mug A 16-year-old boy faces a first-degree murder charge in the case of a woman found dead in an 8th Street parking lot last month. Saskatchewan maintains dismal status as leader in spread of HIV, with no provincial strategy in place Advocates for Saskatchewan’s HIV-positive residents are calling for a provincial strategy to support those living with the virus, and to help stop its spread. 'Acts of aggression' increase on Saskatoon Transit, violence against drivers drop Mike Moellenbeck, director of Saskatoon Transit, said "acts of aggression" can be classified as an intent to do harm, but physical violence hasn't happened. Northern Ontario Family reeling as victim of Sudbury stabbing left paralyzed A GoFundMe has been set up to help support Josee Rouleau, the victim of a stabbing that happened in Chelmsford in Greater Sudbury on Nov. 22. Warm, wet winter expected in much of Canada, say forecasters Federal forecasters expect a warmer-than-normal start to winter in most of Canada, with more precipitation than usual in parts of the country. Transport Minister to summon airline CEOs as Air Canada set to charge carry-on fees for some passengers Transport Minister Anita Anand says she will be calling Canadian airline CEOs to a meeting in mid-December after Air Canada says it will charge some passengers for carry-on bags in the new year. London Another blast of snow is expected to roll through on Thursday Environment Canada has issued a blowing snow advisory for the London region Wednesday, which is expected to be followed with more snow in the forecast on Thursday. Pedestrian struck in northeast London London police say that one person has been transported to hospital with serious injuries as the result of a collision this afternoon. Interest rate cut fuels increase in home sales: London-St. Thomas Association of Realtors “Little bit of pent-up demand. People were waiting to see the sign that the rates were going to stay stable and probably continue to go down a little bit,” said association CEO Bill Madder. Barrie Winter travel advisory issued as Muskoka braces for more snow Muskoka is in for more snow after a major dumping over the weekend that caused power outages, downed trees and road closures. 17-year-olds arrested with loaded gun, drugs in Barrie, police say Police in Barrie say two teens were arrested for having a loaded gun and drugs in their possession. Midland man accused of violent sexual assaults denied bail after 2nd arrest A Midland man accused of violent sexual assaults who was granted bail last month has been arrested again, but this time, he will remain behind bars. Windsor Rising profits or closing brick and mortar stores: the impact of the ongoing Canada Post strike Most local businesses have found alternative ways to ship their products to customers during the Canada Post Strike. Mourning the loss of dramatic arts program, UWindsor students turn grief into performing arts piece Following budget cuts resulting in no theatre company like the University Players to rely on anymore, dramatic arts students were devastated. 'Hollywood Holidays' celebrates Christmas flicks at the Chrysler Theatre St. Clair College student-performers are spreading Christmas cheer as they prep for opening night of their upcoming Hollywood Holidays production. Vancouver Island LIVE @ 4:30 P.M. PT | Downtown Vancouver stabbing suspect dead after being shot by police A suspect is dead after being shot by police in a Vancouver convenience store after two people were injured in a stabbing Wednesday morning, according to authorities. Federal minister Harjit Sajjan to attend Taylor Swift concert with taxpayer-funded ticket Harjit Sajjan, the federal minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, will be going to the Eras Tour on taxpayer dollars. Environment Canada warns fog causing near-zero visibility in southwest B.C. Environment Canada is warning travellers that dense fog is creating near-zero visibility in parts of southwestern British Columbia on Wednesday. Kelowna Study of 2023 Okanagan wildfires recommends limiting development in high-risk areas A study into the devastating wildfires that struck British Columbia's Okanagan region in 2023 has recommended that government and industry limit development in high-fire-risk areas. Kelowna, B.C., to host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026 The Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets will host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026, the Canadian Hockey League said Wednesday. 545 vehicles impounded in 332 days: BC Highway Patrol pleads for drivers to slow down Mounties with the BC Highway Patrol in Kelowna say they've impounded more than 545 vehicles for excessive speed and aggressive driving so far this year. That works out to more than 1.6 per day. Lethbridge Southern Alberta man sentenced in 2021 killing A southern Alberta man has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years, less time served, in connection with a fatal attack on Linden Grier more than three years ago. Lethbridge charities worry Canada Post strike is impacting donations The Canada Post strike has come at a difficult time of year for most Canadians, but for Lethbridge charities it's the worst-case scenario. Residents debate Grassy Mountain coal mining project applications at public hearing Residents in favour and against coal mining in the Eastern Slopes had the chance to have their voices heard as a public hearing for three applications by Northback got underway in Pincher Creek Tuesday. Sault Ste. Marie New addition to the CTV Northern Ontario family The CTV Northern Ontario family got a little bigger Tuesday when longtime anchor Marina Moore and her husband welcomed their second baby into the world. Some Ontario food banks are making cuts, Timmins is not A new report from Feed Ontario indicates food banks in the province have reduced the amount of food they provide, but the situation is not as bleak in Timmins. Northern Ont. MPP calls for increased winter training for truckers A Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) from northern Ontario presented a bill at Queen’s Park calling for increased winter driving training for truckers. N.L. 'They're sitting ducks:' More women with disabilities unhoused due to abuse, violence New data show women with disabilities are more likely to be forced into homelessness because of violence or abuse. GivingTuesday: Food banks need help, but charity won't end hunger, advocates say It's GivingTuesday, and some directors of food banks and anti-poverty groups say the day underlines a conundrum for their organizations. N.L. man not guilty of sex charges, judge cites inadequate police investigation A Newfoundland and Labrador judge has acquitted a man of six crimes, including sexual assault and sexual interference, citing inadequacies in the investigation by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. Stay Connected

There are some great Cyber Monday deals that are still going strong right now, with Amazon providing some extra special discounts. It’s no secret that TV deals, which have become synonymous with the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale event, are one of the best items you can score major (and rare!) discounts on. The LG 50-inch QNED80 Series TV is no exception, thanks to its 22% discount, bringing its price down to just $548 for Cyber Monday . Its typical sticker price is $697, saving you a cool $149 when you shop now. Perfect for most homes, here’s everything you need to know about it before you dive into one of the better Cyber Monday TV deals out there. Why you should buy the LG QNED80 50-inch Mini-LED TV Not quite sure what mini-LED is? That’s ok. It’s effectively a premium backlight-based technology that builds on traditional LED-LCD tech. It does so by using LEDs that are much smaller and can be used in great numbers. That means you get an image with better, deeper blacks and a much better level of control over your TV’s brightness. With LG being one of the best TV brands around, it knows how to use such technology well. With the LG QNED80 50-inch Mini-LED TV, you get LG Quantum Dot NanoCell technology, which combines Quantum Dots with LG’s NanoCell technology so you get bright and colorful imagery. It has Dimming Pro, which dynamically adjusts the backlight to maintain deep black levels, while its native 120Hz refresh rate helps keep things super smooth. The LG a7 AI processor Gen6 helps to use AI to detect what you’re watching before automatically improving the picture and sound quality. There’s also LG’s Filmmaker mode, which helps you see films just how the director intends you to see them. An LG Game Optimizer provides a similar gaming experience. These are the features you see on the best TVs, so you’re in a good position here. For gaming, there are two HDMI 2.1 ports, so it’s ideal for hooking up the latest consoles. Think of it as a quality all-rounder without having to spend a fortune on a new TV. Normally costing $697, the LG QNED80 50-inch Mini-LED TV is down to $548 right now at Amazon. That’s a great price for a TV that is well-suited for most living rooms and situations. Take a look at it for yourself by tapping the button below.

Dana Hull | (TNS) Bloomberg News Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact. Related Articles National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action National Politics | A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his own National Politics | President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak National Politics | Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug use But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture, or the political operation that’s endeared him to Donald Trump. Instead, they’re tied to the billionaire’s new Montessori school outside Bastrop, Texas, called Ad Astra, according to documents filed with state authorities and obtained via a Texas Public Information Act request. The world’s richest person oversees an overlapping empire of six companies — or seven, if you include his political action committee. Alongside rockets, electric cars, brain implants, social media and the next Trump administration, he is increasingly focused on education, spanning preschool to college. One part of his endeavor was revealed last year, when Bloomberg News reported that his foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. An additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year, according to the most recent tax filing for the Musk Foundation. Ad Astra is closer to fruition. The state documents show Texas authorities issued an initial permit last month, clearing the way for the center to operate with as many as 21 pupils. Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9. To run the school, Ad Astra is partnering with a company that has experience with billionaires: Xplor Education, which developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98% owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison. Ad Astra sits on a highway outside Bastrop, a bedroom community about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that’s home to several of Musk’s businesses. On a visit during a recent weekday morning, there was a single Toyota Prius in the parking lot and no one answered the door at the white building with a gray metal roof. The school’s main entrance was blocked by a gate, and there was no sign of any children on the grounds. But what information there is about Ad Astra makes it sound like a fairly typical, if high-end, Montessori preschool. The proposed schedule includes “thematic, STEM-based activities and projects” as well as outdoor play and nap time. A sample snack calendar features carrots and hummus. While Birchall’s and Balajadia’s names appear in the application, it isn’t clear that they’ll have substantive roles at the school once it’s operational. Musk, Birchall and Balajadia didn’t respond to emailed questions. A phone call and email to the school went unanswered. Access to high quality, affordable childcare is a huge issue for working parents across the country, and tends to be an especially vexing problem in rural areas like Bastrop. Many families live in “childcare deserts” where there is either not a facility or there isn’t an available slot. Opening Ad Astra gives Musk a chance to showcase his vision for education, and his support for the hands-on learning and problem solving that are a hallmark of his industrial companies. His public comments about learning frequently overlap with cultural concerns popular among conservatives and the Make America Great Again crowd, often focusing on what he sees as young minds being indoctrinated by teachers spewing left-wing propaganda. He has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and in August posted that “a lot of schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves.” Musk’s educational interests dovetail with his new role as Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has pitched a role for himself that he — and now the incoming Trump administration — call “DOGE,” or the Department of Government Efficiency. Though it’s not an actual department, DOGE now posts on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools,” the account posted Dec. 12. Back in Texas, Bastrop is quickly becoming a key Musk point of interest. The Boring Co., his tunneling venture, is based in an unincorporated area there. Across the road, SpaceX produces Starlink satellites at a 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) facility. Nearby, X is constructing a building for trust and safety workers. Musk employees, as well as the general public, can grab snacks at the Boring Bodega, a convenience store housed within Musk’s Hyperloop Plaza, which also contains a bar, candy shop and hair salon. Ad Astra is just a five-minute drive away. It seems to have been designed with the children of Musk’s employees — if not Musk’s own offspring — in mind. Musk has fathered at least 12 children, six of them in the last five years. “Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” reads the school’s website. A job posting on the website of the Montessori Institute of North Texas says “While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide.” The school has hired an executive director, according to documents Bloomberg obtained from Texas Health and Human Services. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodeled for the preschool. It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to take an interest in education, according to Bill Gormley, a professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University who studies early childhood education. Charles Butt, the chairman of the Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain, has made public education a focus of his philanthropy. Along with other business and community leaders, Butt founded “Raise Your Hand Texas,” which advocates on school funding, teacher workforce and retention issues and fully funding pre-kindergarten. “Musk is not the only entrepreneur to recognize the value of preschool for Texas workers,” Gormley said. “A lot of politicians and business people get enthusiastic about education in general — and preschool in particular — because they salivate at the prospect of a better workforce.” Musk spent much of October actively campaigning for Trump’s presidential effort, becoming the most prolific donor of the election cycle. He poured at least $274 million into political groups in 2024, including $238 million to America PAC, the political action committee he founded. While the vast majority of money raised by America PAC came from Musk himself, it also had support from other donors. Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump’s first term, donated $250,000, federal filings show. The Department of Education is already in the new administration’s cross hairs. Trump campaigned on the idea of disbanding the department and dismantling diversity initiatives, and he has also taken aim at transgender rights. “Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” Trump wrote in Agenda 47, his campaign platform. Musk has three children with the musician Grimes and three with Shivon Zilis, who in the past was actively involved at Neuralink, his brain machine interface company. All are under the age of five. Musk took X, his son with Grimes, with him on a recent trip to Capitol Hill. After his visit, he shared a graphic that showed the growth of administrators in America’s public schools since 2000. Musk is a fan of hands-on education. During a Tesla earnings call in 2018, he talked about the need for more electricians as the electric-car maker scaled up the energy side of its business. On the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020, Musk said that “too many smart people go into finance and law.” “I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters,” Musk said while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania in October. “That’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors.” Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.” “I do think we need significant reform in education,” Musk said at a separate Trump campaign event. “The priority should be to teach kids skills that they will find useful later in life, and to leave any sort of social propaganda out of the classroom.” With assistance from Sophie Alexander and Kara Carlson. ©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.LOBITO, Angola — President Joe Biden pledged another $600 million Wednesday for an ambitious multi-country rail project in Africa as one of the final foreign policy moves of his administration, and told African leaders the resource-rich continent of more than 1.4 billion people had been “left behind for much too long.” “But not anymore,” Biden added. “Africa is the future.” Biden used the third and final day of a visit to Angola — his long-awaited first trip to sub-Saharan Africa as president — to travel to the coastal city of Lobito and tour an Atlantic port terminal that’s part of the Lobito Corridor railway redevelopment. Biden described it as the largest U.S. investment in a train project outside America. The U.S. and allies are investing heavily in the project that will refurbish nearly 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of train lines connecting to the mineral-rich areas of Congo and Zambia in central Africa. The corridor, which likely will take years to complete, gives the U.S. better access to cobalt, copper and other critical minerals in Congo and Zambia that are used in batteries for electric vehicles, electronic devices and clean energy technologies that Biden said would power the future. China is dominant in mining in Congo and Zambia. The U.S. investment has strategic implications for U.S.-China economic competition, which went up a notch this week as they traded blows over access to key materials and technologies. The African leaders who met with Biden on Wednesday said the railway corridor offered their countries a much faster route for minerals and goods — and a convenient outlet to Western markets. “This is a project that is full of hope for our countries and our region,” said Congo President Félix Tshisekedi, whose country has more than 70% of the word’s cobalt. “This is not just a logistical project. It is a driving force for economic and social transformation for millions of our people.” The leaders said the corridor should spur private-sector investment and improve a myriad of related areas like roads, communication networks, agriculture and clean energy technologies. For the African countries, it could create a wave of new jobs for a burgeoning young population. “It’s a huge, huge opportunity,” said Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. “It’s good for Africa.” Cargo that once took 45 days to get to the U.S. — usually involving trucks via South Africa — would now take around 45 hours, Biden said. He predicted the project could transform the region from a food importer to exporter. It’s “something that if done right will outlast all of us and keep delivering for our people for generations to come,” he said. The announcement of an additional $600 million took the U.S.’s investment in the Lobito Corridor to $4 billion. The corridor has drawn financing from others including the European Union, the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, a Western-led private consortium and African banks. Biden said the total investment was $6 billion. Some calling for more U.S. involvement in Africa hope it will mark a new era of U.S.-Africa engagement. Much of that depends on the administration of Donald Trump , who takes office Jan. 20. The White House says Republicans in Congress have supported past efforts to promote African business interests through targeted investments and that such initiatives have appealed to Trump in the past. Trump also supports measures to counter China, and some see the Lobito Corridor as a direct counter to the Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure strategy that China has used to promote its economic and political influence in Africa and elsewhere. A senior U.S. administration official called the Lobito Corridor the heart of competing with China not as a political adversary but from a business standpoint by sparking investment and helping countries over the long term. The U.S. is looking to replicate the Lobito Corridor project in other parts of the world, said the official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity to offer details that hadn’t yet been made public. Biden had promised to visit sub-Saharan Africa last year but the trip was delayed. He was greeted Monday by thousands of Angolans on the streets of the capital, Luanda. Angola has long and strong ties to China, and the Biden administration’s ability to win it over as a partner for such a major project has been viewed as a rare success for the U.S. in Africa. Biden, who has about six weeks left in office, said he would like to come back to see the railway’s progress. “I want to come back and ride the whole thing,” he told the African leaders, before departing. Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.

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BECAUSE of the rapidly changing times, traditional values that harp on integrity as a core pillar of personal conduct may be going out of fashion. Still, they hold self-evident truths that society can only trifle with or abandon at its own peril. In particular, the saying that honesty is the best policy illustrates the primacy of plainness in societal dealings, as the story of former Hearts of Oak midfielder Joe Tagoe, popularly known as Bobby Short, brings out most poignantly. Now in retirement, the Ghanaian football great recently admitted to falsifying his age during his football career, relating how his actions cost him so dearly. As Tagoe revealed during a television interview, in a bid to escape the poverty trap, he had reduced his age from 35 to 19 in 2017 to secure a spot with an Egyptian under-19 team. Indeed, in a desperate bid to hide his age, the midfielder dyed his grey hair daily, but as it turned out, he could not withstand the intense pressure of the game, and had to quit. Hear him: “I was home and received a call from Francis Martey (a fellow footballer) about an offer for an under-19 player. Looking at my height, I said okay. At that time, I was about 34 or 35 years old. Poverty can make you do such things, and the system isn’t fair to us. I would have died if I hadn’t taken care of myself. I trained with both the senior team and U-20s, but the running with the U-20s always left me dizzy. Many players like me face similar situations.” Around the world, age cheating in football is almost as old as the sport. That is why for Nigerians in particular, Tagoe’s story sounds eerily familiar. For instance, ahead of the 2009 Under-17 World Cup at which the Golden Eaglets emerged runners-up, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) almost got on a collision course with the world soccer-governing body, FIFA, over the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to flush out age cheats. The test had already weeded out 15 age cheats from the Nigerian team, but the then NFF president, Sani Lulu, put up a stiff resistance, declaring that the federation would not use the FIFA-sanctioned method in detecting over-aged players. He said: “I will not use the MRI to disqualify my players. When we came on board to serve Nigerian people, we promised to eradicate age cheats in cadet championships. FIFA has not given us information on the MRI but I can only use it as a guide.” It took the intervention of the then Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Sani Ndanusa, to restore sanity. Pooh-poohing the NFF leadership’s decision to invite the parents of the players in camp to validate their ages, Ndanusa said: “We will not deviate from FIFA’s requirement in terms of ascertaining players’ age. The whole world has gone digital and we are following suit. We are no longer in the era of analog, so we are going to adhere to FIFA’s standard in ascertaining the ages of the players we are going to parade. FIFA has indicated the use of MRI, and we are going to just adhere to that, simple.” Actually, the MRI, although not without drawbacks, has been fairly effective in weeding out overage players over the years. In 2007, the Asian Football Confederation discovered that 10 players were above the age of 16 during an Under-15 tournament. Ahead of the 2009 FIFA Under-17 tournament, the Gambia Football Association found that a few players that had just failed the MRI scan had actually participated at the 2009 African Under-17 championship. According to FIFA, over the years, “over-age players had been wrongly entered into various youth competitions, often benefiting from an unfair advantage due to their greater physical maturity compared to players of the proper age.” That was why the body introduced the mandatory use of MRI during the 2009 Under-17 World Cup in order to determine the actual ages of the players presented by the various national teams. Back to Joe Tagoe’s confession. It is quite easy to join the football veteran in laughing at himself, but the issue he engages is an extremely serious one. Until recently, age cheating was a big problem in African football, particularly in cadet competitions, and the number of players who embarrassed themselves in Europe after getting signed by various clubs was considerable. Indeed, the malaise still goes on in the footballing world as many players, their agents and their parents seek to make cool cash through fraud. As Tagoe’s story demonstrates very clearly, age cheats in sports, or indeed any other field of human endeavour, are unfair even to themselves. They put their bodies through undue strain in order to gain advantage over others, and end up making cruel mockery of themselves. Tagoe’s self-deprecating story has taken some courage to tell, and its lessons are clear: age cheating is anathema in sports. Of course, the problem starts from the home front where undisciplined parents teach their children to lie, cheat and rob others at a very young age. And the situation is not helped by the actions of members of the political leadership, many of whom have biographies riddled with questionable claims. There have been instances where political leaders supposedly graduated from schools that did not even exist as of the time they claimed to have graduated from them. Such deception has a way of seeping through the pore of society and contaminating many people, including those down the pecking order. Any society that wants a massive turnaround must enthrone a transparent, honest and patriotic political leadership. Joe Tagoe’s story is instructive. It is hoped that up and coming athletes will learn from the experience of this veteran footballer and not see his story as mere comic relief. That would be quite tragic. Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more. Join our WhatsApp Channel now

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B.C. artist backs Victoria Hand Project clinic in UkrainePakistan's Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Atta Ullah Tarar emphasized the necessity of an ethical framework to ensure the fair and sustainable application of artificial intelligence (AI) during a panel discussion at the International Strategic Communication Summit 2024 (Stratcom) in Istanbul . The panel, titled "AI in National Strategy: Governmental Perspectives on Digital Transformation and Strategic Communication," included prominent figures, such as Laurence Ndong, Minister of Communication and Media of Gabon; Ziad Makary, Minister of Information of Lebanon; Dejan Ristic, Minister of Information and Telecommunications of Serbia; and Yawa Ahofa Kouigan, Minister of Communication, Media, and Culture of Togo. In his remarks, Minister Tarar highlighted both the opportunities AI presents and the challenges it poses. He stressed the importance of integrating AI in ways that uphold truth, foster social justice, adhere to ethical standards, and combat disinformation. Tarar outlined his country’s Digital Pakistan Vision, which seeks to transform the nation into a knowledge-based economy. He announced an ambitious plan to provide IT training to one million students by 2025 to help them harness AI technologies effectively. Additionally, he highlighted the Pakistan Digital Dialogue project as an example of using generative AI and large language models (LLMs) to craft communication strategies based on public feedback and anticipated needs. He further discussed the potential of AI to drive innovation in sectors such as agriculture (AgriTech), healthcare (HealthTech), education (EdTech), governance (GovTech), and finance (FinTech), emphasizing its role in improving the economy and public welfare. Addressing the risks of AI misuse, Tarar pointed to its role in spreading disinformation, particularly during humanitarian crises like those in Gaza and the censorship of Kashmir-related topics on social media. "While promoting AI investment, we must prioritize addressing the risks of misinformation," he said. The Stratcom Summit 2024, themed "AI in Communication: Trends, Traps, and Transition," organized by the Presidential Communications Directorate, is taking place from Dec. 13-14 in Istanbul, bringing together global leaders to explore the evolving role of AI in strategic communication.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Bill Belichick spent time after his NFL exit talking with college coaches wanting his thoughts on managing new wrinkles at their level that looked a lot like the pros. The two-minute timeout. The transfer portal as de facto free agency. Collectives generating name, image and likeness (NIL) money for athletes becoming like a payroll. The impending arrival of revenue sharing. It didn't take long for Belichick to envision how a college program should look based on his own NFL experience. "I do think there are a lot of parallels," Belichick said. And that's at least partly why the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach is now taking over at North Carolina. Years of rapid change at the have only increased the professionalization of college football across the country, with schools adjusting staffing to handle growing duties once seemingly more fitting for a pro team. UNC just happens to be making the most audacious of those bets, bringing in a 72-year-old who has never coached in college and asking him to build what amounts to a mini-NFL front office. But plenty could follow. "I really think there's going to be some of those guys that maybe don't have a job in the NFL anymore," Kansas State general manager Clint Brown said, "and now that this is going to be structured in a way where there is a cap that that's going to be something they're interested in." The rapid changes in college athletics have fueled that, notably with players able to transfer and play right away without sitting out a year and be paid through NIL endorsement opportunities in the past five years. Recruiting is now just as much about bringing in veteran talent through the portal as signing recruits out of high school, mirroring the NFL with free agency and the draft, respectively. And a bigger change looms with revenue sharing, the result of a $2.78 billion legal settlement to antitrust lawsuits. Specifically, that model will allow the biggest schools to establish a pool of about $21.5 million for athletes in the first year, with a final hearing in that case set for April 2025. It will be up to schools to determine how to distribute that money and in which sports, though football's role as the revenue driver in college sports likely means a prominent cut everywhere as a direct parallel to a professional team's salary cap. Throw all that together, and it's why coaches are adjusting their staffs like Florida's Billy Napier interviewing candidates to be the Gators' general manager. "We're built to do it now," Napier said. "The big thing here is that we're getting ready to be in a business model. We have a cap. We have contracts. We have negotiation. We have strategy about how we distribute those funds, and it's a major math puzzle. "We're going to build out a front office here in the next couple of months, and it's primarily to help us manage that huge math problem," Napier added. "There'll be a ton of strategy around that. I'm looking forward to it." Still, that also explains why Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, the former head coach of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, said: "This job as a head coach is a juggernaut. There's way more to do here than I had to do in the NFL." And it explains why the Tar Heels are betting on Belichick to be the right fit for today's changing climate. "If I was 16 of 17 years old, a coach who came at you and won how many Super Bowls? And he said, 'Come play for me,'" said New York Giants offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu, now in his third year out of UNC. "I mean, that's pretty hard to turn down now, especially in this day and age, he's telling you to come play for him and he's offering you some money, too. I mean, you can't go wrong with that choice." The timing worked for UNC with Belichick, who was bypassed for some NFL openings after leaving the New England Patriots last year and instead spent months taking a closer look at the college game. Those conversations with coaches — some in the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences, he said Thursday — made him understand how the changes in college aligned with his pro experience. "College kind of came to me this year," Belichick said. "I didn't necessarily go and seek it out." And his mere presence in Chapel Hill makes a difference, with athletic director Bubba Cunningham saying his "visibility" would likely allow the team to raise prices for advertising such as sponsorships and signage. Belichick is also hiring Michael Lombardi, a former NFL general manager and executive, as the Tar Heels' general manager. Cunningham also said the plan is for Belichick to continue his appearances on former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning's "Manningcast" broadcasts during Monday Night Football as well as ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" — all giving the coach the chance to promote himself and the program. Yet these steps to reshape football at North Carolina comes with a rising price. Belichick will make $10 million per year in base and supplemental pay, with the first three years of the five-year deal guaranteed, according to a term sheet released by UNC on Thursday. That's roughly double of former coach Mack Brown, whose contract outlined about $4.2 million in base and supplemental salary before bonuses and other add-ons. Additionally, Belichick's deal includes $10 million for a salary pool for assistant coaches and $5.3 million for support staff. That's up from roughly $8.1 million for assistants and $4.8 million for support staff for the 2022 season, according to football financial data for UNC obtained by The Associated Press. And those figures from 2022 under Brown were already up significantly from Larry Fedora's tenure with the 2017 season ($4 million for assistant coaches, $2.3 million for support staff). There is at least one area where the Tar Heels are set for Belichick's arrival: facilities. UNC spent more than $40 million on its football practice complex with an indoor facility (2018) as the biggest project, while other projects include $3 million in upgrades to the locker room and weight room (2019), $14.5 million on renovations to the Kenan Football Center (2022), even $225,000 on Brown's former office (2021). Now it's up to Belichick to rethink the approach to football here for the changing times. "We're taking a risk," Cunningham said. "We're investing more in football with the hope and ambition that the return is going to significantly outweigh the investment." AP Sports Writers Tom Canavan in New Jersey; Mark Long in Florida; and Eric Olson in Nebraska; contributed to this report. Get local news delivered to your inbox!