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The College Football Playoffs are on the horizon as conference championship weekend is here. Ashton Jeanty and Boise State headline a Friday slate of championship games as a potential playoff team. While championship weekend will only impact the order in which programs are ranked for the playoffs -- it's hard to see any programs falling in or out of the current top 12 in the rankings. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Akinyemi: Celebrating Nigerian-Russian cancer vaccine doctor

AI Evolution Sparks B2B Revolution! Microsoft at the Forefront• Total Revenues of $138.8M , up 14% year-over-year • Subscription Revenues of $119.9M , up 14% year-over-year • GAAP Operating Margin of (1)% , up ~1,000 basis points year-over-year • Non-GAAP Operating Margin of 20% , up ~350 basis points year-over-year WILMINGTON, N.C., Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- nCino, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCNO), the leading provider of intelligent, best-in-class banking solutions, today announced financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, ended October 31, 2024. "We are very pleased with our third quarter results, once again exceeding expectations for both revenues and non-GAAP operating income," said Pierre Naudé, Chairman and CEO at nCino. "The team delivered solid execution globally, with over 30 multi-solution deals and more gross bookings from net new customers than the previous two quarters combined. Multi-solution deals continue to show the demand for a true end-to-end platform for financial institutions to onboard customers, open accounts, originate loans and manage the portfolio across multiple business lines. We remain focused on innovation and delivering efficiencies that create real business value, and we're excited by the strength and expansion we saw in our business this quarter as a result of that reputation." Financial Highlights Revenues: Total revenues for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 were $138.8 million, a 14% increase from $121.9 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2024. Subscription revenues for the third quarter were $119.9 million, up from $104.8 million one year ago, an increase of 14%. Income (Loss) from Operations: GAAP loss from operations in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 was $(0.8) million compared to $(12.9) million in the same quarter of fiscal 2024. Non-GAAP operating income in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 was $28.0 million compared to $20.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2024, an increase of 38%. Net Income (Loss) Attributable to nCino: GAAP net loss attributable to nCino in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 was $(5.3) million compared to $(16.4) million in the third quarter of fiscal 2024. Non-GAAP net income attributable to nCino in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 was $24.4 million compared to $16.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2024, an increase of 51%. Net Income (Loss) Attributable to nCino per Share: GAAP net loss attributable to nCino in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 was $(0.05) per basic and diluted share compared to $(0.15) per basic and diluted share in the third quarter of fiscal 2024. Non-GAAP net income attributable to nCino in the third quarter was $0.21 per diluted share compared to $0.14 per diluted share in the third quarter of fiscal 2024. Remaining Performance Obligation: Total Remaining Performance Obligation (RPO) as of October 31, 2024, was $1.095 billion, compared with $917.1 million as of October 31, 2023, an increase of 19%. RPO expected to be recognized in the next 24 months was $730.0 million, an increase of 16% from $627.6 million as of October 31, 2023. Cash: Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash were $258.3 million as of October 31, 2024, which reflected refinancing the revolving credit facility and included $129.7 million that was subsequently utilized to acquire FullCircl on November 5, 2024. Recent Business Highlights Completed acquisition of FullCircl: Closed the acquisition of FullCircl on November 5, 2024, expanding nCino's onboarding capabilities by adding data aggregation components to the platform for financial institutions in EMEA. Signed a multi-solution expansion agreement with a top-40 bank in the U.S.: Shortly after quarter end, expanded relationship with a top-40 bank in the U.S. for Commercial and Small Business Lending, Commercial Pricing & Profitability, Automated Spreading and Banking Advisor. Signed first Banking Advisor deal in Australia: Extended relationship with a top-5 Australian bank for three years with the addition of Banking Advisor. Signed largest customer in Japan: Tokushima Taisho Bank selected nCino to transform its business lending operations, making the bank nCino’s largest customer in Japan. Signed an expansion agreement with the largest bank in Norway: The bank expanded its adoption of nCino Commercial Lending, including Banking Advisor, and will also be running Credit Portfolio Management and ESG reporting on nCino. One of the largest home builders in the U.S. went live on the nCino Mortgage Solution: The affiliate mortgage company of a large, national home builder completed its rollout of the nCino Mortgage Solution. Financial Outlook nCino is providing guidance for its fourth quarter ending January 31, 2025 , as follows: Total revenues between $139.5 million and $141.5 million. Subscription revenues between $122.5 million and $124.5 million. Non-GAAP operating income between $23.25 million and $24.25 million. Non-GAAP net income attributable to nCino per diluted share of $0.18 to $0.19. nCino is providing guidance for its fiscal year 2025 ending January 31, 2025 , as follows: Total revenues between $539.0 million and $541.0 million. Subscription revenues between $467.0 million and $469.0 million. Non-GAAP operating income between $95.0 million and $96.0 million. Non-GAAP net income attributable to nCino per diluted share of $0.75 to $0.76. Conference Call nCino will host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET today to discuss its financial results and outlook. The conference call will be available via live webcast and replay at the Investor Relations section of nCino’s website: https://investor.ncino.com/news-events/events-and-presentations . About nCino nCino (NASDAQ: NCNO) is powering a new era in financial services. The Company was founded to help financial institutions digitize and reengineer business processes to boost efficiencies and create better banking experiences. With over 1,800 customers worldwide - including community banks, credit unions, independent mortgage banks, and the largest financial entities globally - nCino offers a trusted platform of best-in-class, intelligent solutions. By integrating artificial intelligence and actionable insights into its platform, nCino is helping financial institutions consolidate legacy systems to enhance strategic decision-making, improve risk management, and elevate customer satisfaction by cohesively bringing together people, AI and data. For more information, visit www.ncino.com. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements about nCino's financial and operating results, which include statements regarding nCino’s future performance, outlook, guidance, the assumptions underlying those statements, the benefits from the use of nCino’s solutions, our strategies, and general business conditions. Forward-looking statements generally include actions, events, results, strategies and expectations and are often identifiable by use of the words “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “projects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “might,” or “continues” or similar expressions and the negatives thereof. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon nCino’s historical performance and its current plans, estimates, and expectations and are not a representation that such plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. These forward-looking statements represent nCino’s expectations as of the date of this press release. Subsequent events may cause these expectations to change and, except as may be required by law, nCino does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to risks associated with (i) adverse changes in the financial services industry, including as a result of customer consolidation or bank failures; (ii) adverse changes in economic, regulatory, or market conditions, including as a direct or indirect consequence of higher interest rates; (iii) risks associated with acquisitions we undertake, (iv) breaches in our security measures or unauthorized access to our customers’ or their clients' data; (v) the accuracy of management’s assumptions and estimates; (vi) our ability to attract new customers and succeed in having current customers expand their use of our solution; (vii) competitive factors, including pricing pressures, consolidation among competitors, entry of new competitors, the launch of new products and marketing initiatives by our competitors, and difficulty securing rights to access or integrate with third party products or data used by our customers; (viii) the rate of adoption of our newer solutions and the results of our efforts to sustain or expand the use and adoption of our more established solutions; (ix) fluctuation of our results of operations, which may make period-to-period comparisons less meaningful; (x) our ability to manage our growth effectively including expanding outside of the United States; (xi) adverse changes in our relationship with Salesforce; (xii) our ability to successfully acquire new companies and/or integrate acquisitions into our existing organization; (xiii) the loss of one or more customers, particularly any of our larger customers, or a reduction in the number of users our customers purchase access and use rights for; (xiv) system unavailability, system performance problems, or loss of data due to disruptions or other problems with our computing infrastructure or the infrastructure we rely on that is operated by third parties; (xv) our ability to maintain our corporate culture and attract and retain highly skilled employees; and (xvi) the outcome and impact of legal proceedings and related fees and expenses. Additional risks and uncertainties that could affect nCino’s business and financial results are included in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (available on our web site at www.ncino.com or the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov ). Further information on potential risks that could affect actual results will be included in other filings nCino makes with the SEC from time to time. Non-GAAP Financial Measures In nCino’s public disclosures, nCino has provided non-GAAP measures, which are measurements of financial performance that have not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. In addition to its GAAP measures, nCino uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally for budgeting and resource allocation purposes and in analyzing our financial results. For the reasons set forth below, nCino believes that excluding the following items provides information that is helpful in understanding our operating results, evaluating our future prospects, comparing our financial results across accounting periods, and comparing our financial results to our peers, many of which provide similar non-GAAP financial measures. Amortization of Purchased Intangibles. nCino incurs amortization expense for purchased intangible assets in connection with certain mergers and acquisitions. Because these costs have already been incurred, cannot be recovered, are non-cash, and are affected by the inherent subjective nature of purchase price allocations, nCino excludes these expenses for our internal management reporting processes. nCino’s management also finds it useful to exclude these charges when assessing the appropriate level of various operating expenses and resource allocations when budgeting, planning and forecasting future periods. Although nCino excludes amortization expense for purchased intangibles from these non-GAAP measures, management believes it is important for investors to understand that such intangible assets were recorded as part of purchase accounting and contribute to revenue generation. Stock-Based Compensation Expenses. nCino excludes stock-based compensation expenses primarily because they are non-cash expenses that nCino excludes from our internal management reporting processes. nCino’s management also finds it useful to exclude these expenses when they assess the appropriate level of various operating expenses and resource allocations when budgeting, planning and forecasting future periods. Moreover, because of varying available valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions and the variety of award types that companies can use, nCino believes excluding stock-based compensation expenses allows investors to make meaningful comparisons between our recurring core business operating results and those of other companies. Acquisition-Related Expenses. nCino excludes expenses related to acquisitions as they limit comparability of operating results with prior periods. We believe these costs, which are primarily related to legal, consulting and other professional services fees, are non-recurring in nature and outside the ordinary course of business. Litigation Expenses. nCino excludes fees and expenses related to litigation expenses incurred from legal matters outside the ordinary course of our business as we believe their exclusion from non-GAAP operating expenses will facilitate a more meaningful explanation of operating results and comparisons with prior period results. Restructuring Costs. nCino excludes costs incurred related to bespoke restructuring plans and other one-time costs that are fundamentally different in strategic nature and frequency from ongoing initiatives. We believe excluding these costs facilitates a more consistent comparison of operating performance over time. Tax Benefit Related to Acquisitions. In connection with deferred tax liabilities assumed from acquisitions, nCino may reduce the valuation allowance against deferred tax assets, resulting in a one-time tax benefit recorded in Income tax provision (benefit). We believe that the exclusion of this benefit from our non-GAAP net income attributable to nCino and non-GAAP net income attributable to nCino per share provides a more direct comparison to all periods presented. Income Tax Effect on Non-GAAP Adjustments. The income tax effects are related to the imputed tax impact on the difference between GAAP and non-GAAP costs and expenses. Adjustment to Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest. nCino adjusts the value of redeemable non-controlling interest of its joint venture nCino K.K. in accordance with the operating agreement for that entity. nCino believes investors benefit from an understanding of the company’s operating results absent the effect of this adjustment, and for comparability, has reconciled this adjustment for previously reported non-GAAP results. There are limitations to using non-GAAP financial measures because non-GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures provided by other companies. The non-GAAP financial measures are limited in value because they exclude certain items that may have a material impact upon our reported financial results. In addition, they are subject to inherent limitations as they reflect the exercise of judgments by nCino’s management about which items are adjusted to calculate its non-GAAP financial measures. nCino compensates for these limitations by analyzing current and future results on a GAAP basis as well as a non-GAAP basis and also by providing GAAP measures in its public disclosures. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. nCino encourages investors and others to review our financial information in its entirety, not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business, and to view our non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of GAAP to the non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the tables below. 1 Columns may not foot due to rounding. 2 These amounts represent the non-interest component of payments towards financing obligations for facilities. CONTACTS INVESTOR CONTACT Harrison Masters nCino +1 910.734.7743 Harrison.masters@ncino.com MEDIA CONTACT Natalia Moose nCino Natalia.moose@ncino.com

Iminyela sees end to shared toiletsThe former Tory chancellor, now chairman of the British Museum, suggested Sir Keir Starmer had contributed to a warmer spirit of the negotiations over the famous ancient artworks. Greece has long called for the return of the Marbles, also known as the Parthenon sculptures, and maintains they were illegally removed from Athens’ acropolis during a period of foreign occupation. The British Museum – where they are currently on display – is forbidden by law from giving away any of its artefacts, and the Government has no plans to change the law to permit a permanent move. But under Mr Osborne’s leadership, the museum is negotiating the possibility of a long-term loan of the sculptures, in exchange for rolling exhibitions of famous artworks. No 10 has indicated the Prime Minister is unlikely to stand in the way of such a deal. Speaking on Political Currency, the podcast he hosts alongside former Labour politician Ed Balls, Mr Osborne said the museum was “looking to see if we can come to some arrangement where at some point some of the sculptures are in Athens, where, of course, they were originally sited”. He added: “And in return, Greece lends us some of its treasures, and we made a lot of progress on that, but we’re still some distance from any kind of agreement.” The Greek government has suggested negotiations with the museum have taken a warmer tone since Labour came to power in the summer. Mr Osborne appeared to concur with this view and praised Sir Keir’s hands-off approach, adding: “It is not the same as Rishi Sunak, who refused to see the Greek prime minister, if you remember, he sort of stood him up. “So it seems to me a more sensible and diplomatic way to proceed.” Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek premier, discussed the Elgin Marbles with Sir Keir when they met on Tuesday morning at Downing Street, he said after returning to Athens. Mr Mitsotakis has signalled his government is awaiting developments on the negotiations. A diplomatic spat between the Greek leader and Mr Sunak emerged last year when the then-prime minister refused to meet his counterpart. Mr Mitsotakis had compared splitting the Elgin Marbles from those still in Athens to cutting the Mona Lisa in half. The marble statues came from friezes on the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple and have been displayed at the British Museum for more than 200 years. They were removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century when he was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Some of the remaining temple statues are on display in the purpose-built Acropolis Museum in Athens, and Greece has called for the collections to be reunited.

Iminyela sees end to shared toilets

Doha: The State of Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Municipality, is celebrating World Soil Day, which falls on December 5 each year. Held under the theme of rural soil care: measurement, monitoring, and management, the celebration intends to shine a spotlight on the importance of accurate data and information to figure out soil characteristics, as well as support insightful decisions on the sustainable management of soil, thereby fostering food security. The State of Qatar's participation in marking this day stems from the Qatar National Vision 2030, that seeks to achieve sustainable development, including the preservation of environment and natural resources, as long as the priority given to soil is a core part of environment protection, in addition to achieving sustainability in utilizing natural resources and reducing desertification. In addition, the Ministry of Municipality, represented by the Department of Agricultural Research, has accomplished concrete results in protecting soil and lands in Qatar from wind-induced degeneration, erosion and desertification through protecting the plant genetic resources and biodiversity, as well as the national Gene Bank. Director of the Agricultural Research Department at the Ministry of Municipality, Hamad Saket Al Shammari, stated that the Qatari genetic seed bank currently includes 1,138 plant entries, comprising many local wild plants such as Al Ghaf Sidr, Awsaj and others, as well as plants related to food and agriculture, such as tomatoes, corn, onions, et al. He highlighted that the key objective of this bank is to preserve seeds that are compatible with the soil and climate conditions in Qatar after conducting the necessary research on them. Additionally, the Department of Agricultural Research is making significant efforts in scientific research and development to optimize soil quality and increase its productivity, while leveraging various technologies, especially in light of the focus on achieving and sustaining food security, added Al Shammari. He highlighted several critical successes that have been made to protect biodiversity and soil in Qatar, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, since 2015, such as the protection of the Qatari Al Ghaf at Al Ghaf meadow in the north of Qatar, where an overall research was conducted on the site to receive the essential imprimaturs to embark on implementing an integrated plan that included fencing the area and cleaning it from harmful and invasive plants, primarily the Mesquite plant, in addition to exploring the most appropriate scientific techniques to propagate Al Ghaf seeds and recultivate its offshoots These efforts resulted in restoring the site's standard environmental criteria, where the vegetation cover density and soil coverage with plants and plant remains have increased in the summer, and subsequently the wild Al Ghaf trees have developed, with an increase in their annual seed production, after they were in a state of severe degeneration prior to taking the protection decision, Al Shammari outlined. Aisha Dasmal Al Kuwari from the Department of Agricultural Research asserted that since its inception in 2012, the Qatar Gene Bank has succeeded in studying and collating approximately 70% of local plant species in a form of seeds, along with herbaceous plants and DNA samples, emphasizing that plant genetic resources are one of the national assets with strategic and economic value, since directly or indirectly support human livelihoods and ensure stability by providing food, medicine, fodder, fibers, clothing, shelter, and energy, in addition to their crucial role in conserving the environment and preventing soil degradation and erosion. The Gene Bank pursues a sophisticated system to manage and document genetic resources in compliance with international standards, with overall data for each type logged in the international database of Qatar's Gene Bank. This database was established in 2015, in collaboration with the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), highlighted Al Kuwari. For his part, Biotechnology & Genetic Resources Expert at Ministry of Municipality, Dr. Elsayed M. Elazazi, indicated that the Qatari Gene Bank compiled 1,138 samples from various sites across the State of Qatar that included over 9 million seeds saved under standard conditions, either for long or short term preservation mechanism, representing over 150 species and nearly 200 unique species, with a special focus on vital domestic types that prevent land degeneration and enhance their sustainable management. Noteworthy, the State of Qatar has successfully activated the law of the unified system for the management of plant genetic resources proposed by Qatar for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to protect the rights of GCC states over their local plants and regulate the mechanism for sharing genetic resources among the countries.None

How major US stock indexes fared Wednesday, 12/4/2024

Oil palm cultivation has reached a total of 395,772 acres as of October 2024 in Taninthayi Region. As oil palm is a perennial crop, it is of vital importance to select the high-yielding seed for commercial farming for 30 years, said Daw Ingyin Khaing, head of the Agriculture Department in Myeik District. There are six raw oil factories in the region, with one in Dawei Township, one in Myeik, two in Bokpyin and two in Kawthoung respectively. Well-managed oil palm plantation is thriving after five years of plantation. Then, it will cover capital investment for the next three years. The business will flourish 20 more years as well. At present, hybrid oil palm seedlings that produce large amounts of oil can be locally produced. A plan is underway to establish a palm oil refinery plant in the region that is fit for health. Only raw oil factories can be found, and 39 companies and 40 private farm owners are executing oil palm cultivation in the region. Perennial plant research and technology development session, Perennial Crop Division of the Agriculture Department opened oil palm seed germination and hybrid production course on 2 December at the department in Myeik Township, Taninthayi Region. Daw Ingyin Khaing, head of the Agriculture Department in Myeik District gave a remark that “oil palm plantation can be cultivated only in Taninthayi Region (mostly in Myeik and Kawthoung areas) that can be found 10 degrees north and south of the equator. “Hybrid seed production is crucial for this long-term business. Earlier, the seeds were imported from foreign markets. Now, hybrid seeds are locally produced. Therefore, this hybrid production method has played a pivotal role in this”, she added. — Myint Oo/KKThese Maryland football signees could make an instant impact in 2025The Jacksonville Jaguars placed quarterback Trevor Lawrence (concussion) on injured reserve Wednesday, likely ending his season after a vicious illegal hit in last week's loss to the Houston Texans. Lawrence, slammed in the head and neck by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after giving himself up, would be eligible to return Week 18. However, the 2-10 Jags are already eliminated from playoff contention. Mac Jones will start for the Jags this week against the Tennessee Titans. Al-Shaair, meanwhile, was suspended three games by the NFL on Tuesday. Lawrence, 25, has thrown for 2,045 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 10 starts this season. He also missed time with a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury. Lawrence was carrying the ball and went into a feet-first slide at Houston's 45-yard line during the second quarter of Sunday's game. Al-Shaair launched into him and delivered a forearm shot near the quarterback's head and shoulder. Multiple skirmishes erupted as Lawrence lay prone on the field. Al-Shaair was ejected, along with Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones. Lawrence immediately displayed the hand motion known as the fencing posture that is associated with traumatic brain injury. However, he was able to stand after being attended to briefly, and he sat up while being taken to the locker room on a cart. Al-Shaair took to social media Monday to apologize but the NFL was unmoved, announcing the three-game suspension on Tuesday. He is appealing. Al-Shaair, 27, is a repeat offender this season, having just been fined $11,255 for a late hit on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard last week. He was also fined $11,817 for punching Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson in a Week 2 game. That came after a sideline skirmish that began after Al-Shaair hit Bears quarterback Caleb Williams late out of bounds but wasn't flagged. Lawrence has thrown for 13,815 yards, 69 TDs and 46 INTs since being selected No. 1 overall by the Jags in the 2021 draft out of Clemson. --Field Level MediaMADRID (AP) — Spanish King Felipe VI used his traditional Christmas Eve speech to remember the victims of the catastrophic Valencia flash floods , and urged the country to remain calm despite public debates around hot-button issues such as immigration and housing affordability. In a pre-recorded speech that usually reviews the year's most relevant issues, Felipe said Spain “must never forget the pain and sadness" the flood have caused. The Oct. 29 floods killed more than 225 people in eastern Spain, damaging countless homes and leaving graveyards of cars piled on top of each other. In some towns, the heavy downpours that caused the floods dropped as much as a year's worth of rain in just eight hours. In early November, as Spaniards' shock at the wreckage turned into frustration, a political blame game began, directed especially at regional authorities who failed to send timely emergency alerts to cell phones on the day of the floods. The frustration of residents in hard-hit Paiporta near Valencia was on display when people tossed mud and shouted insults at the king and government officials in early November when they made their first visit to the town. “We have seen — and understood — the frustration, the pain, the impatience, the demands for greater and more effective coordination," Felipe said about how the disaster was managed, adding that he had asked that aid be sent to everyone who needed it. He also addressed the country's housing crunch and high rents, which have become a leading concern in this European Union country that is the eurozone's fourth-largest economy. Fast-rising rents are especially acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid, where incomes have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment. Felipe urged that “all the actors involved reflect” and "listen to each other” so that they facilitate bringing access to housing under “affordable conditions.” Spain's immigration debate should keep in mind the country's European partners and immigrants' countries of origin, Felipe said, warning that “the way in which we are able to address immigration ... will say a lot in the future about our principles and the quality of our democracy.” Felipe said Spain need to remain calm in the public sphere, even in the face of a “sometimes thunderous” contest in its politics.

WASHINGTON — Parents whose kids died allegedly because of social media content are pushing lawmakers to require tech companies to alter practices to minimize such harms. Attorneys general in more than half of U.S. states support the same legislation, saying “many social media platforms target minors, resulting in a national youth mental health catastrophe.” But with few days left in the current session, House leadership hasn’t set a floor vote for a measure approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee in September. The bill’s companion in the Senate passed on a 91-3 vote in July. “We are trying to get it done,” Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., said in a recent hallway interview in the Capitol. “I’m working like heck to get it done.” Bilirakis is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce, whose jurisdiction includes data privacy, security and consumer protection. Bilirakis said he had spoken with the House Republican leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson, about bringing the measure to a vote. “I haven’t given up at all,” Bilirakis said. “I think we have a shot.” A spokesman for Johnson’s office did not respond to questions about the bill. Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, one of the lawmakers seeking the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the new Congress, said he had not discussed the bill with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the committee chair who’s retiring. Latta said in a brief interview that he wasn’t aware of whether the schedule will include the bill. Social media companies’ aversion to the legislation is no secret. Tech industry trade groups — including NetChoice, a group that represents top tech platforms including Google LLC, Meta Platforms Inc. and Snap Inc. — have said that the measure is anti-constitutional because it curbs free speech. Meta, for example, favors requiring app stores to get parents’ consent if kids under 16 want to download certain social media apps. A spokesman said that would be better than the proposals being considered in Congress, even with the House version stripping out some Senate bill provisions through a substitute amendment by Bilirakis. The first provision removed would have required tech companies to exercise a “reasonable care in the creation and implementation of any design feature to prevent and mitigate” harms to minors, including mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, substance use disorders and suicidal behaviors. The second provision would have required tech companies to design their products and services to mitigate “patterns of use that indicate or encourage compulsive usage by minors.” During the committee vote, several Democratic lawmakers lamented that Bilirakis’ amendment was released a day before the markup, leaving them without time to propose changes. The amendment was approved by a voice vote. Pleas from parents Among the parents pushing for passage is a state legislator touched by the issue. “I’m tired of seeing kids die daily while we have Congress playing politics,” said Brandon Guffey, a Republican state representative from South Carolina. “I’m watching money go around. I’m watching misinformation on the kids online safety bill.” Guffey, speaking at an event organized last week by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, said his 17-year old son Gavin committed suicide in July 2022 after becoming a victim of online sexual extortion on Instagram, a platform owned by Meta. Parents and their lawyers at the event urged Congress to protect kids online. A group of 31 state attorneys general, led by Tennessee’s Jonathan Skrmetti, wrote to the House and Senate leaders on Nov. 18 pressing them to pass the measure. Other groups, such as kids safety advocate Design It For Us, have pushed House Republicans to beef up the provisions in the bill. “If Congress fails to pass KOSA this year, it will jeopardize the lives of more young people,” Zamaan Qureshi, co-chair of Design It For Us, said in a text message. “We can’t wait any longer.” The measure is about “design, not content,” said Laura Marquez-Garrett, an attorney at the Social Media Victims Law Center in Seattle. The group represents 3,600 families from all 50 states who have lost a loved one to social media harms, she said. Speaking at the same event as Guffey, Marquez-Garrett said that “there were changes made and those concerns were resolved,” including removing any penalties on platforms for hosting content. In the absence of guardrails, when kids search for inspirational quotes online, for example, social media platforms serve up “extreme videos,” she said. A 16-year old boy who searched online for inspirational quotes “after his first heartbreak got thousands of ‘no one will ever love you’ and suicide-promoting videos,” and the boy committed suicide, Marquez-Garrett said.

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The former Tory chancellor, now chairman of the British Museum, suggested Sir Keir Starmer had contributed to a warmer spirit of the negotiations over the famous ancient artworks. Greece has long called for the return of the Marbles, also known as the Parthenon sculptures, and maintains they were illegally removed from Athens’ acropolis during a period of foreign occupation. The British Museum – where they are currently on display – is forbidden by law from giving away any of its artefacts, and the Government has no plans to change the law to permit a permanent move. But under Mr Osborne’s leadership, the museum is negotiating the possibility of a long-term loan of the sculptures, in exchange for rolling exhibitions of famous artworks. No 10 has indicated the Prime Minister is unlikely to stand in the way of such a deal. Speaking on Political Currency, the podcast he hosts alongside former Labour politician Ed Balls, Mr Osborne said the museum was “looking to see if we can come to some arrangement where at some point some of the sculptures are in Athens, where, of course, they were originally sited”. He added: “And in return, Greece lends us some of its treasures, and we made a lot of progress on that, but we’re still some distance from any kind of agreement.” The Greek government has suggested negotiations with the museum have taken a warmer tone since Labour came to power in the summer. Mr Osborne appeared to concur with this view and praised Sir Keir’s hands-off approach, adding: “It is not the same as Rishi Sunak, who refused to see the Greek prime minister, if you remember, he sort of stood him up. “So it seems to me a more sensible and diplomatic way to proceed.” Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek premier, discussed the Elgin Marbles with Sir Keir when they met on Tuesday morning at Downing Street, he said after returning to Athens. Mr Mitsotakis has signalled his government is awaiting developments on the negotiations. A diplomatic spat between the Greek leader and Mr Sunak emerged last year when the then-prime minister refused to meet his counterpart. Mr Mitsotakis had compared splitting the Elgin Marbles from those still in Athens to cutting the Mona Lisa in half. The marble statues came from friezes on the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple and have been displayed at the British Museum for more than 200 years. They were removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century when he was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Some of the remaining temple statues are on display in the purpose-built Acropolis Museum in Athens, and Greece has called for the collections to be reunited.

Glicked Vs. Barbenheimer: ‘Wicked’ And ‘Gladiator II’ Box Office Preview Numbers Trail Below ‘Barbie’ And ‘Oppenheimer’KitchenAid's viral Evergreen stand mixer keeps selling out, but it's finally back in stock ahead of the holidaysThe Jacksonville Jaguars placed quarterback Trevor Lawrence (concussion) on injured reserve Wednesday, likely ending his season after a vicious illegal hit in last week's loss to the Houston Texans. Lawrence, slammed in the head and neck by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after giving himself up, would be eligible to return Week 18. However, the 2-10 Jags are already eliminated from playoff contention. Mac Jones will start for the Jags this week against the Tennessee Titans. Al-Shaair, meanwhile, was suspended three games by the NFL on Tuesday. Lawrence, 25, has thrown for 2,045 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 10 starts this season. He also missed time with a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury. Lawrence was carrying the ball and went into a feet-first slide at Houston's 45-yard line during the second quarter of Sunday's game. Al-Shaair launched into him and delivered a forearm shot near the quarterback's head and shoulder. Multiple skirmishes erupted as Lawrence lay prone on the field. Al-Shaair was ejected, along with Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones. Lawrence immediately displayed the hand motion known as the fencing posture that is associated with traumatic brain injury. However, he was able to stand after being attended to briefly, and he sat up while being taken to the locker room on a cart. Al-Shaair took to social media Monday to apologize but the NFL was unmoved, announcing the three-game suspension on Tuesday. He is appealing. Al-Shaair, 27, is a repeat offender this season, having just been fined $11,255 for a late hit on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard last week. He was also fined $11,817 for punching Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson in a Week 2 game. That came after a sideline skirmish that began after Al-Shaair hit Bears quarterback Caleb Williams late out of bounds but wasn't flagged. Lawrence has thrown for 13,815 yards, 69 TDs and 46 INTs since being selected No. 1 overall by the Jags in the 2021 draft out of Clemson. --Field Level Media Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more.

Formula 1: Liam Lawson’s Red Bull hopes take a hit - what we learned from Las Vegas Grand PrixChris Sutton has lauded Celtic for grinding out an “enormous” win over Aberdeen to tighten their grip on the Scottish Premiership title. As the elements battered Pittodrie, it was Reo Hatate’s brilliant strike which finally broke the deadlock 12 minutes from time to end Aberdeen’s 100% home record and send the Hoops seven points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand. US defender Cameron Carter-Vickers picked up the Player of the Match award for his battling performance, putting in a vital block in the closing minutes to deny Ester Sokler from snatching a late equaliser for the Dons. Read more: Luis Palma Celtic transfer situation addressed amid MLS link Celtic UCL opponent in heartfelt message after 'wonderful' away day Sky Sports pundit Chris Sutton heaped praise on Brendan Rodgers ' side after what could prove to be a pivotal moment in the title race. “Enormous win for Celtic in wild conditions,” he wrote on X. “Celtic had to earn it. Aberdeen gave it their all and pushed them all the way. Hatate with a stunning winner. Taylor great assist. Carter-Vickers a giant at the back.” Enormous win for Celtic in wild conditions. Celtic had to earn it. Aberdeen gave it their all and pushed them all the way. Hatate with a stunning winner. Taylor great assist. Carter-Vickers a giant at the back👏👏 — Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) December 4, 2024 Celtic are the only team who remain unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership with 13 wins and a draw after 14 games. The Hoops take on Hibernian at Celtic Park on Saturday.

Princeton 66, Rutgers 49Guwahati: Infrastructure projects valued at approximately Rs 1 lakh crore are at various stages of development, said chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday, noting that the state govt has been endeavouring to secure approval for several projects by Feb 25. During a press briefing in New Delhi, Sarma revealed that discussions concerning numerous crucial infrastructure projects were deliberated in his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said, “The list of the projects is extensive. We have requested the PM to consider several key projects. The PM has assured us that the projects, albeit not all, would be undertaken.” Sarma disclosed that an express highway from Guwahati to Silchar in Barak Valley via Barapani in Meghalaya is being planned, with an estimated budget of Rs 25,000 crore. “Should this project receive central govt approval and implementation, the journey duration between Guwahati and Silchar will be substantially reduced. People will be able to travel to Silchar from Guwahati and return the same day. We have requested the PM’s consideration for this project,” he elaborated. He further mentioned that a new bridge spanning the Brahmaputra River, linking Morigaon district on the south bank and Darrang district on the north bank, is being envisioned. This was also discussed with the PM. Another significant project involves establishing direct train connectivity between Guwahati and Gelephu in Bhutan, which was also addressed during his meeting with the PM. Beyond these major initiatives, he said expanding the capacity of the Bongaigaon Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd to five million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) from the current 2.7 MMTPA is another vital project discussed with the PM. He specified that the budget would be approximately Rs 9,000 crore. Bongaigaon Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd, an Indian Oil subsidiary, is situated in Assam’s Chirang district. The CM said efforts are underway for PM Modi to lay the foundation stone for the Guwahati ring-road and the bridge over the Brahmaputra connecting Narengi on the south bank and Kuruwa on the north bank during his February visit to the state. He also anticipated positive developments regarding the Gohpur-Numaligarh underwater tunnel and Kaziranga elevated corridor by Feb. We also published the following articles recently Guwahati-North Guwahati flyover to be complete in 6 months: Sarma Guwahati's new six-lane Brahmaputra River bridge, linking Bharalumukh and Majgaon, is nearing completion, with a projected inauguration between September and October 2024. This bridge will drastically cut travel time, and tolls will apply only to lorries and night super buses to manage city traffic. Sarma, Conrad inaugurates IISF at IIT-Guwahati The 10th India International Science Festival (IISF) commenced on Saturday at IIT-Guwahati, celebrating scientific advancements and collaboration. Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya, along with other dignitaries, inaugurated the event, which is supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences. Silchar 4-laning project nears completion Silchar's infrastructure receives a major boost with the ongoing conversion of a key two-lane road into a four-lane highway. Cachar DC Mridul Yadav recently inspected the Rangirkhari Point to Birbal Bazar stretch, assessing progress and preparations for the next phase. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .