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Maybe 15 minutes before the Wild hosted and defeated the Nashville Predators on Saturday, general manager Bill Guerin took a few minutes to talk to the media about his first noteworthy acquisition of the season—the trade with Columbus, which will bring David Jiricek to the State of Hockey in the first few days of December. ADVERTISEMENT Maybe it’s just the pessimistic nature of a fanbase that hasn’t seen a men’s professional team play for a championship in more than three decades, but the grumbling had begun even before the collected media had reached the press box for Saturday’s game. “Seems like a lot to pay for a minor-leaguer,” was one of the comments overheard at the rink on Saturday. Indeed, to get Jiricek – the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft – and a lower-round pick, Guerin surrendered defenseman Daemon Hunt and four draft picks, including Minnesota’s 2025 first-rounder and a second round pick in 2027. He wasted no time in getting an up-close look at the new guy, calling Jiricek up to the NHL level on Sunday, and sending former Gophers forward Travis Boyd back down to Iowa. Guerin and Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell are old friends from their time working together with the Pittsburgh Penguins. But there was no discount offered from Waddell to his old pal in Minnesota. “It took awhile. Donny,” Guerin said with an exasperated grin. “He played with me. He’s one of my old mentors. He made me work for it. He’s the best.” ADVERTISEMENT Still, Guerin would not have pulled the trigger had he not believed in two things: 1) The Wild can turn all of Jiricek’s size (6-foot-4) and potential into another piece of their bright future on the blue line. 2) The price they paid was not as steep as it might look on the surface. To that second point, consider that Hunt was not really part of the Wild’s NHL-level defensive picture, even at a time like this when Jonas Brodin’s long-term viability is a serious question mark. And after getting two points with an overtime win over the Predators on Saturday, the Wild were tied for the most points in the NHL, meaning that at this pace, that 2025 first-round draft pick is going to come in the 25th spot or later. If the Wild go into a tailspin this season, the pick sent to Columbus is lottery protected, meaning the Blue Jackets will not get to pick in the top 10 at the Wild’s expense. ADVERTISEMENT To the first point, Jiricek is a player Guerin and his assistants have had their eye on for some time, even before he was named the top defenseman in the tournament while playing for Czechia in the 2023 World Juniors. “He’s not 30, he’s not a rental. He’s a 21-year-old defenseman that we can invest in. And we did. That’s how I look at it. It’s an investment,” Guerin said. In 2022, the Wild grabbed Liam Ohgren with the 19th overall pick, more than a dozen selections after Jiricek was picked by Columbus and was posing for pictures in a new red-white-and-blue sweater. ADVERTISEMENT “He was somebody that we really liked (during) his draft year. We knew we weren’t going to get him, but we liked him,” Guerin said. “And, you know, when this became available, I did my due diligence and asked our staff what they thought. They were all on board with it. So it’s good.” Perhaps in hopes of getting the fans on board, Guerin also stressed patience. Jiricek has not yet been a star in the NHL, despite his high draft stock. But the Wild are confident that their system of developing players — especially defensemen — is the change the new guy needs. “He’s a young player. He’s got a lot to learn. He’s going to continue to improve, just like all young players,” Guerin said, name-dropping two youthful every-night members of the Wild roster who still have ample room to grow. “Brock Faber’s got to get better. Matt Boldy’s still going to get better. All these guys are going to continue to improve because they’re so young. So just because they’re in the NHL doesn’t mean they’re not going to develop their game and get better. That’s our job as the coaches, management. That’s our job to help him get better.” If he has to spend some future draft capital to put those pieces in place, that is clearly a chance Guerin is willing to take. ADVERTISEMENT ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .Arkansas WR Andrew Armstrong declares for NFL draft, skipping bowlKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A judge has overturned a Black man's conviction in a 2009 double homicide that was investigated by a discredited white Kansas City, Kansas, police detective. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A judge has overturned a Black man's conviction in a 2009 double homicide that was investigated by a discredited white Kansas City, Kansas, police detective. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A judge has overturned a Black man’s conviction in a 2009 double homicide that was investigated by a discredited white Kansas City, Kansas, police detective. The ruling Monday in the case of 34-year-old Cedric Warren came exactly one week after Roger Golubski died in an apparent suicide just before the start of his criminal trial over allegations that he sexually assaulted Black women. Warren is now jailed in Wyandotte County while the prosecutor decides whether to retry him. A spokesman in the prosecutor’s office didn’t immediately respond to an email or phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment. “I’m very thrilled,” Warren’s father, Cedric Toney, said in a phone interview Tuesday. He said before Golubski supervised the investigation that led to his son’s arrest, the former detective stalked his daughter and his son’s mother. The allegation is similar to one raised in the case of Lamonte McIntyre, who served 23 years behind bars for a double homicide before he was freed. McIntyre’s mother has said Golubski pressured her for sexual favors. But Wyandotte County Judge Aaron Roberts based his ruling in Warren’s case on something different. He ruled from the bench that prosecutors failed to turn over information about the severe mental health issues of a key witness in the drug house shooting that killed Charles Ford and Larry Ledoux. The witness had schizophrenia, and offered a shifting account of what happened before he became the only person to link Warren to the killing, the defense wrote in court filings. Attorneys for Warren argued that the prosecution should have known about the witness’ mental health struggles because they caused issues years earlier when he was charged with passing bad checks. A mental health exam in that case found the man was incompetent to stand trial and highlighted several psychiatric hospitalizations. Police officers also were aware of the witness’ mental health struggles because they took him to a psychiatric facility after questioning him in the double homicide, the defense said. The defense wrote that the undisclosed evidence “undermined his credibility and ability to competently and reliably recount events.” Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The family’s claims that Golubski harassed Warren’s mother and sister haven’t been aired in court, said Lindsay Runnels, an attorney for Warren. She said that is largely because a judge was focused on their allegations that evidence was withheld. “As far as Cedric Warren is concerned, out is out,” she said, adding she is confident he will be released and possibly soon. But while Golubski’s role in Warren’s case didn’t play a role in Roberts’ decision, the allegations have led the county prosecutor’s office to undertake a $1.7 million effort to reexamine other cases he worked on during his 35 years on the force. Cheryl Pilate, another attorney representing Warren, is pursuing another claim that a person Golubski investigated is innocent. She stressed that the problems in the community extended beyond one detective and that others also played a role. “This was a one witness case with no corroborating evidence,” she said. “And the witness was someone who was very vulnerable and had very significant mental health issues.” Advertisement AdvertisementEnzo Maresca savoured chants of ‘we’ve got our Chelsea back’ from travelling fans following a 5-1 Premier League thrashing of 10-man Southampton at St Mary’s. Blues supporters also sang the name of head coach Maresca during the closing stages of an emphatic success sealed by goals from Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and substitute Jadon Sancho. Bottom club Southampton briefly levelled through Joe Aribo but were a man down from the 39th minute after captain Jack Stephens was sent off for pulling the hair of Marc Cucurella. Chelsea, who have endured an underwhelming period since Todd Boehly’s consortium bought the club in 2022, climbed above Arsenal and into second place on goal difference, seven points behind leaders Liverpool. The Blues have scored 57 goals in 22 matches in all comps this season, our best goals-per-game ratio in a single season in our history. 💙 | — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) “It was a very good feeling, especially because you can see that they are happy, that is our target,” Maresca said of the atmosphere in the away end. “We work every day to keep them happy and tonight was a very good feeling, especially the one that they can see that Chelsea’s back. This is an important thing.” Maresca rotated his squad in Hampshire, making seven changes following Sunday’s impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa. Following a sloppy start, his side, who stretched their unbeaten run to six top-flight games, could easily have won by more as they hit the woodwork three times, in addition to squandering a host of chances. “I’m very happy with the five we scored,” said the Italian. “I’m not happy with the first 15, 20 minutes, where we struggled. The reason why we struggled is because we prepared the game to press them man to man and the first 15, 20 minutes we were not pressing them man to man. “After 15, 20 minutes we adjust that and the game was much better. For sure we could score more but five goals they are enough.” Southampton manager Russell Martin rued a costly “moment of madness” from skipper Stephens. The defender’s ridiculous red card was the headline mistake of a catalogue of errors from the beleaguered south-coast club as they slipped seven points from safety following an 11th defeat of a dismal season. “I don’t think anyone will be as disappointed as Jack,” Martin said of Stephens, who was sent off for the second time this term after tugging the curls of Cucurella as Saints prepared to take a corner. “I haven’t got to sit down and talk with him about that at all. He will be hurt more than anyone and it’s changed the game for us tonight, which is disappointing. “I think they have to describe it as violent conduct; it’s not violent really but there’s no other explanation for that really. It’s a moment of madness that’s really cost us and Jack.” Southampton repeatedly invited pressure with their risky attempts to play out from defence, with goalkeeper Joe Lumley gifting Chelsea their second goal, scored by Nkunku. While Saints were booed off at full-time, Martin, who was missing a host of key players due to injuries and suspensions, praised the effort of his depleted team. “When they see such a big scoreline and a couple of the goals we concede, I understand it (the jeers),” he said. “It’s football, it’s emotive, people feel so much about it, it’s why it’s such a special sport in this country and so big. “I understand it but I feel really proud of the players tonight, some of the football we played at 11 v 11 was amazing. “For an hour with 10 men we’ve dug in so deep, there were some big performances. I’m proud of them for that and I’m grateful for that because that’s not easy in that circumstance.”
Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA), the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, admitted to the panel that she violated her sworn oath and leaked details of the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz to the press, The Hill reported Monday. Leaks about the Gaetz investigation and the threat of its full release played a significant role in derailing Gaetz’s nomination by Donald Trump for attorney general. The report from The Hill’s Mychael Schnell raises new questions about the motivations of the notoriously bipartisan committee, which restarted its investigations into Gaetz after a probe from Joe Biden’s Department of Justice ended without charges and continued even after the nominee resigned from the House and was no longer under the committee’s purview. Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) even signaled the Ethics Committee was likely to ignore Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) recommendation to withhold releasing its report, before Gaetz ultimately announced he would withdraw his nomination after obstinate senators concerned about the report’s contents refused to back him. The Hill reports that Wild: ...was absent from the panel’s meeting last week after being traced as the source of leaks to the press regarding the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz , sources told The Hill. It remains unclear if Wild voluntarily skipped the Thursday gathering or was asked not to attend, what information she leaked and to whom, and how the panel tracked her back as being the leaker. Two sources said Wild ultimately acknowledged to the panel that she had leaked information. Wild had expressed her anger after Guest told media following a November 20 meeting that the committee had not agreed to release the report. Wild took to the media to call that statement “inaccurate.” Guest “betrayed the process by disclosing our deliberations within moments after walking out of the committee,” Wild said in justifying her own reasoning for going to the press. Wild herself had previously told reporters that the Gaetz report should be released. The committee is known for its intense secrecy and rarely issues an official statement to the press except when required by statute or House rules to provide notice of its actions. Wild’s Chief of Staff, Jed Ober, disputed The Hill’s sources, claiming her frustration over the handling of the yet-to-be-released report was the reason for her attendance issues. “Rep. Wild was frustrated by the manner in which the report was handled and didn’t feel it was fruitful to participate in any further meetings on its ‘potential’ release,” Ober told The Hill. “Characterizing it as anything more is inaccurate. There will be no further statement.” He declined to comment when asked if Wild, who lost her reelection bid in November to Republican Ryan Mackenzie, would attend future meetings regarding the Gaetz report. Reports of Wild’s leaking, as well as the rare public dispute between committee leaders and the unusual timeline of the reinvigorated investigation of Gaetz, cast a shadow on the committee’s investigation and motivations. The leaks, wherever they came from, also raise questions about the committee’s operations. The Hill reports: Various pieces of information about the years-long probe into Gaetz have leaked in recent months, including logistics about meetings, votes taken during those gatherings, and the panel’s plan to vote on releasing the report days after he announced his resignation. Any leaks from members and staff are a violation of the committee’s rules: Individuals on the panel take an oath swearing they will not disclose unauthorized information. Members of the committee and their staffs must take an oath which reads : I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will not disclose, to any person or entity outside the Committee on Ethics, any information received in the course of my service with the Committee, except as authorized by the Committee or in accordance with its rules. The usually sleepy committee has awoken to make plenty of headlines this Congress. Most notably, Republicans on the committee have been criticized for partnering with Democrats to punish Republicans while letting Democrats off the hook. As Breitbart reported : In 2023, the committee broke decades of precedent by releasing its investigation into Republican Rep. George Santos (R-NY) despite the congressman not yet having his day in court for his alleged crimes. The report led to Santos’s expulsion from Congress after prior attempts had failed. When the House last expelled a member, Rep. Jim Traficant (D-OH) in 2002, it did so only after Traficant was found guilty in court. The Ethics Committee then did not even begin an investigation until Traficant’s court case had concluded. The loss of Santos’s reliable conservative vote cost Republicans. Most notably, the House embarrassingly failed by a single vote to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Meanwhile, this Congress, the Republican-chaired committee chose not to take action against Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), despite the congressman pleading guilty after pulling a fire alarm in a House office building that disrupted a House vote — allegedly to prevent House Republicans from passing a spending bill while Senate Democrats readied a package of their own, a potential felony. Committee membership is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats; therefore the math dictates at least one Republican – possibly more – voted to release its report on George Santos, while no Democrats voted to take action against Bowman – already a convicted felon for his actions. The committee is traditionally composed of establishment Republicans. As Breitbart News reported : The Ethics Committee — which, lacking a legislative jurisdiction, provides its members no capability to extract campaign funds from the donor class — is not highly sought after by members of Congress and is generally seen as a chore. Its members usually serve by request of their party’s respective leader and are usually appointed for their loyalty to leadership — often in exchange for other favors quietly bestowed by leadership. Speaker Johnson, who became Speaker after the current members were seated on the committee, responded to a question from Axios’s Juliegrace Brufke Tuesday regarding Wild’s alleged leaking of the report, saying he had not yet spoken to Guest but that “there ought to be repercussions.” “We can’t set that as a precedent,” he said of the leaks. “It’s dangerous.” Gaetz has long denied the allegations against him, arguing the committee only restarted its investigation due to his leading the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) – to whom all members of the committee, including Guest, owe their spot on the committee . Also serving are Reps. David Joyce (R-OH), John Rutherford (R-FL), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), and Michelle Fischbach (R-MN). Gaetz has repeatedly called ou t Guest for his successful stock trading practices and for his acknowledged failure to disclose to the very Ethics Committee he leads a family stock (as well as his voting record), arguing the Ethics Committee should take up reforms to stock trading by members of Congress. As Attorney General, Gaetz would have oversees federal investigations into members of Congress for insider trading or other corruption — including Guest. Democrats are not done demanding the release of the report into Gaetz, who remains a Trump ally and recently announced he would host a primetime program on One America News. Last week, Democrats forced a vote on the floor to release the vote, although Republicans successfully used a procedural method to prevent its release. But Guest himself told reporters the committee is not yet finished meeting for the year. And regardless of whether Wild attends, the committee’s Republicans have a clear recent history of taking action against the conservative Gaetz and Santos. We may not have seen the last of the ongoing Gaetz report saga, but if voters concerned with accountable government had their way, it’s the investigators themselves who would fall under the microscope. Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye .
Arkansas receiver Andrew Armstrong said Tuesday that he is entering the NFL Draft. Later in the day, a school spokesman told reporters that Armstrong will skip the Razorbacks' bowl game. The destination isn't yet known. Armstrong led the Southeastern Conference in both receptions (78) and receiving yards (1,140) but caught just one touchdown in 11 games this season. His catches and yardage were both second-most in Arkansas history behind Cobi Hamilton, who had 90 receptions for 1,335 yards in 2012. "It's been a journey for the books and I wouldn't trade it for anything because it has made me into the man I am today," Armstrong said of his Razorbacks tenure in a social media post. "... I will never forget all the moments that were shared here in Fayetteville." Armstrong played two seasons at Texas A&M-Commerce before transferring to Arkansas ahead of the 2023 season. In two seasons with the Razorbacks, he caught 134 passes for 1,904 yards and six scores. --Field Level Media
Juniper investment company sells $2.5 million in Lincoln Educational stock
Founder of failed crypto lending platform Celsius Network pleads guilty to fraud chargesMaybe 15 minutes before the Wild hosted and defeated the Nashville Predators on Saturday, general manager Bill Guerin took a few minutes to talk to the media about his first noteworthy acquisition of the season—the trade with Columbus, which will bring David Jiricek to the State of Hockey in the first few days of December. ADVERTISEMENT Maybe it’s just the pessimistic nature of a fanbase that hasn’t seen a men’s professional team play for a championship in more than three decades, but the grumbling had begun even before the collected media had reached the press box for Saturday’s game. “Seems like a lot to pay for a minor-leaguer,” was one of the comments overheard at the rink on Saturday. Indeed, to get Jiricek – the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft – and a lower-round pick, Guerin surrendered defenseman Daemon Hunt and four draft picks, including Minnesota’s 2025 first-rounder and a second round pick in 2027. He wasted no time in getting an up-close look at the new guy, calling Jiricek up to the NHL level on Sunday, and sending former Gophers forward Travis Boyd back down to Iowa. Guerin and Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell are old friends from their time working together with the Pittsburgh Penguins. But there was no discount offered from Waddell to his old pal in Minnesota. “It took awhile. Donny,” Guerin said with an exasperated grin. “He played with me. He’s one of my old mentors. He made me work for it. He’s the best.” ADVERTISEMENT Still, Guerin would not have pulled the trigger had he not believed in two things: 1) The Wild can turn all of Jiricek’s size (6-foot-4) and potential into another piece of their bright future on the blue line. 2) The price they paid was not as steep as it might look on the surface. To that second point, consider that Hunt was not really part of the Wild’s NHL-level defensive picture, even at a time like this when Jonas Brodin’s long-term viability is a serious question mark. And after getting two points with an overtime win over the Predators on Saturday, the Wild were tied for the most points in the NHL, meaning that at this pace, that 2025 first-round draft pick is going to come in the 25th spot or later. If the Wild go into a tailspin this season, the pick sent to Columbus is lottery protected, meaning the Blue Jackets will not get to pick in the top 10 at the Wild’s expense. ADVERTISEMENT To the first point, Jiricek is a player Guerin and his assistants have had their eye on for some time, even before he was named the top defenseman in the tournament while playing for Czechia in the 2023 World Juniors. “He’s not 30, he’s not a rental. He’s a 21-year-old defenseman that we can invest in. And we did. That’s how I look at it. It’s an investment,” Guerin said. In 2022, the Wild grabbed Liam Ohgren with the 19th overall pick, more than a dozen selections after Jiricek was picked by Columbus and was posing for pictures in a new red-white-and-blue sweater. ADVERTISEMENT “He was somebody that we really liked (during) his draft year. We knew we weren’t going to get him, but we liked him,” Guerin said. “And, you know, when this became available, I did my due diligence and asked our staff what they thought. They were all on board with it. So it’s good.” Perhaps in hopes of getting the fans on board, Guerin also stressed patience. Jiricek has not yet been a star in the NHL, despite his high draft stock. But the Wild are confident that their system of developing players — especially defensemen — is the change the new guy needs. “He’s a young player. He’s got a lot to learn. He’s going to continue to improve, just like all young players,” Guerin said, name-dropping two youthful every-night members of the Wild roster who still have ample room to grow. “Brock Faber’s got to get better. Matt Boldy’s still going to get better. All these guys are going to continue to improve because they’re so young. So just because they’re in the NHL doesn’t mean they’re not going to develop their game and get better. That’s our job as the coaches, management. That’s our job to help him get better.” If he has to spend some future draft capital to put those pieces in place, that is clearly a chance Guerin is willing to take. ADVERTISEMENT ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes rose to more records Wednesday after tech companies talked up how much of a boost they’re getting from the artificial-intelligence boom. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% to add to what’s set to be one of its best years of the millennium. It’s the 56th time the index has hit an all-time high this year after climbing in 11 of the last 12 days . The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 308 points, or 0.7%, while the Nasdaq composite added 1.3% to its own record. Salesforce helped pull the market higher after delivering stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit fell just short. CEO Mark Benioff highlighted the company’s artificial-intelligence offering for customers, saying “the rise of autonomous AI agents is revolutionizing global labor, reshaping how industries operate and scale.” The stock price of the company, which helps businesses manage their customers, jumped 11%. Marvell Technology leaped even more after delivering better results than expected, up 23.2%. CEO Matt Murphy said the semiconductor supplier is seeing strong demand from AI and gave a forecast for profit in the upcoming quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. All the optimistic talk helped Nvidia , the company whose chips are powering much of the move into AI, rally 3.5%. It was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&P 500 by far. They helped offset an 8.9% drop for Foot Locker, which reported profit and revenue that fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Mary Dillon said the company is taking a more cautious view, and it cut its forecasts for sales and profit this year. Dillon pointed to how keen customers are for discounts and how soft demand has been outside of Thanksgiving week and other key selling periods. Retailers overall have offered mixed signals about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain. Their spending has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has avoided a recession that earlier seemed inevitable after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to crush inflation. But shoppers are now contending with still-high prices and a slowing job market . This week’s highlight for Wall Street will be Friday’s jobs report from the U.S. government, which will show how many people employers hired and fired last month. A narrower report released Wednesday morning suggested employers in the private sector increased their payrolls by less last month than economists expected. Hiring in manufacturing was the weakest since the spring, according to Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. The report strengthened traders’ expectations that the Fed will cut its main interest rate again when it meets in two weeks. The Fed began easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high in September, hoping to offer more support for the job market. The central bank had appeared set to continue cutting rates into next year, but the election of Donald Trump has scrambled Wall Street’s expectations somewhat. Trump’s preference for higher tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , which could alter the Fed’s plans . Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the central bank can afford to cut rates cautiously because inflation has slowed from its peak two years ago and the economy remains sturdy. A separate report on Wednesday said health care, finance and other businesses in the U.S. services sector are continuing to grow, but not by as much as before and not by as much as economists expected. One respondent from the construction industry told the survey from the Institute for Supply Management that the Fed’s rate cuts haven't pulled down mortgage rates as much as hoped. Plus, “the unknown effect of tariffs clouds the future.” In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.18% from 4.23% late Tuesday. On Wall Street, Campbell’s sank 6.2% for one of the S&P 500’s sharper losses despite increasing its dividend and reporting a stronger profit than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, and the National Football League’s Washington Commanders hired Campbell’s CEO Mark Clouse as its team president. Gains for airline stocks helped offset that drop after JetBlue Airways said it saw stronger bookings for travel in November and December following the presidential election. It also said it’s benefiting from lower fuel prices, as well as lower costs due to improved on-time performance. JetBlue jumped 8.3%, while Southwest Airlines climbed 3.5%. All told, the S&P 500 rose 36.61 points to 6,086.49. The Dow climbed 308.51 to 45,014.04, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 254.21 to 19,735.12. In stock markets abroad, South Korea’s Kospi sank 1.4% following a night full of drama in Seoul. President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night, prompting troops to surround the parliament. He revoked the martial law declaration six hours later. In the crypto market , bitcoin climbed near $99,000 after Trump said he would nominate Paul Atkins , a cryptocurrency advocate, to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed.
🌏 Musk v. Bezos
RCMP has 'contingency plans' to bolster the Canada-U.S. border — but here's what it says it still needs from the Trudeau governmentThe primary market is ending the calendar year 2024 with a bang, buoyed by a slew of companies launching their IPOs before the new year. Earlier today, three IPOs of Vishal Mega Mart , Mobikwik and Sai Life Sciences opened for subscription, leaving investors spoilt for choices. However, Vishal Mega Mart emerged as the clear favourite among all the three IPOs, given that the company has priced the issue attractively (at P/E of 77.2x, lower than retail peers) and it is strategically positioned to benefit from India’s expanding retail market, particularly in tier-2 and tier-3 cities where organized retail penetration remains low. At a PE of 77.2x its earnings, the company currently boasts a market capitalization of Rs 35,168.01 crore. However, one drawback is the complete OFS structure, where the promoter will offload around 102 crore shares. "The company’s focus on cost-efficiency, consumer-centricity, and aggressive expansion in underserved markets strengthens its growth prospects. Additionally, Vishal Mega Mart boasts a strong customer loyalty program that enhances repeat business and engagement. Vishal Mega Mart is the top pick among the IPOs as it offers a compelling investment opportunity with a proven business model and significant room for growth," said Akriti Mehrotra, Research Analyst, StoxBox. "Vishal Mega Mart's financial performance is also steady, with both revenue and profitability increasing in the last few quarters. For high-risk investors looking to gain exposure to the retail industry, this IPO is a good option," said Shivani Nyati, Head of Wealth at Swastika Invest. 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The company is planning to raise Rs 572 crore through the issue and use the proceeds for growth in financial and payment services, research and development in AI and machine learning, and expansion of payment device infrastructure. At its core, Mobikwik Systems is a platform company with a two-way payments network that includes both customers and merchants. The IPO is priced at 113.2x PE. "Investors can apply for both short-term and long-term listing advantages because Vishal Mega Mart and Mobikwik Systems Limited appear to have sound financial figures and fair valuations," said Nyati. Sai Life Sciences is the least preferred among analysts as the CDMO (contract research, development, and manufacturing) company priced the issue at high valuations and the offer includes a significant chunk of OFS. ( Disclaimer : Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times) (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )Doctored images have been around for decades. The term "Photoshopped" is part of everyday language. But in recent years, it has seemingly been replaced by a new word: deepfake. It's almost everywhere online, but you likely won't find it in your dictionary at home. What exactly is a deepfake, and how does the technology work? RELATED STORY | Scripps News Reports: Sex, Lies, and Deepfakes A deepfake is an image or video that has been generated by artificial intelligence to look real. Most deepfakes use a type of AI called a "diffusion model." In a nutshell, a diffusion model creates content by stripping away noise. "With diffusion models, they found a very clever way of taking an image and then constructing that procedure to go from here to there," said Lucas Hansen said. He and Siddharth Hiregowdara are cofounders of CivAI, a nonprofit educating the public on the potential — and dangers — of AI. How diffusion models work It can get complicated, so imagine the AI – or diffusion model – as a detective trying to catch a suspect. Like a detective, it relies on its experience and training. It recalls a previous case -– a sneaky cat on the run. Every day it added more and more disguises. On Monday, no disguise. Tuesday, it put on a little wig. Wednesday, it added some jewelry. By Sunday, it's unrecognizable and wearing a cheeseburger mask. The detective learned these changes can tell you what it wore and on what day. AI diffusion models do something similar with noise, learning what something looks like at each step. "The job of the diffusion model is to remove noise," Hiregowdara said. "You would give the model this picture, and then it will give you a slightly de-noised version of this picture." RELATED STORY | Scripps News got deepfaked to see how AI could impact elections When it's time to solve the case and generate a suspect, we give it a clue: the prompts we give when we create an AI-generated image. "We have been given the hint that this is supposed to look like a cat. So what catlike things can we see in here? Okay, we see this curve, maybe that's an ear," Hiregowdara said. The "detective" works backward, recalling its training. It sees a noisy image. Thanks to the clue, it is looking for a suspect — a cat. It subtracts disguises (noise) until it finds the new suspect. Case closed. Now imagine the "detective" living and solving crimes for years and years. It learns and studies everything — landscapes, objects, animals, people, anything at all. So when it needs to generate a suspect or an image, it remembers its training and creates an image. Deepfakes and faceswaps Many deepfake images and videos employ some type of face swapping technology. You've probably experienced this kind of technology already — faceswapping filters like on Snapchat, Instagram or Tiktok use technology similar to diffusion models, recognizing faces and replacing things in real time. "It will find the face in the image and then cut that out kind of, then take the face and convert it to its internal representation," Hansen said. The results are refined then repeated frame by frame. The future and becoming our own detectives As deepfakes become more and more realistic and tougher to detect, understanding how the technology works at a basic level can help us prepare for any dangers or misuse. Deepfakes have already been used to spread election disinformation, create fake explicit images of a teenager, even frame a principal with AI-created racist audio. "All the netizens on social media also have a role to play," Siwei Lyu said. Lyu is a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the University of Buffalo's Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the director of the Media Forensics Lab. His team has created a tool to help spot deepfakes called "DeepFake-o-meter." "We do not know how to handle, how to deal, with these kinds of problems. It's very new. And also requires technical knowledge to understand some of the subtleties there," Lyu said. "The media, the government, can play a very active role to improve user awareness and education. Especially for vulnerable groups like seniors, the kids, who will start to understand the social media world and start to become exposed to AI technologies. They can easily fall for AI magic or start using AI without knowing the limits." RELATED STORY | AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone Both Lyu and CivAI believe in exposure and education to help combat any potential misuse of deepfake technology. "Our overall goal is that we think AI is going t impact pretty much everyone in a lot of different ways," Hansen said. "And we think that everyone should be aware of the ways that it's going to change them because it's going to impact everyone." "More than just general education — just knowing the facts and having heard what's going to happen," he added. "We want to give people a really intuitive experience of what's going on." Hansen goes on to explain CivAI's role in educating the public. "We try and make all of our demonstrations personalized as much as possible. What we're working on is making it so people can see it themselves. So they know it's real, and they feel that it's real," Hansen said. "And they can have a deep gut level feel for tthe impact that it's going to have." "A big part of the solution is essentially just going to be education and sort of cultural changes," he added. "A lot of this synthetic content is sort of like a new virus that is attacking society right now, and people need to become immune to it in some ways. They need to be more suspicious about what's real and what's not, and I think that will help a lot as well."
NoneWales is leading a global movement to become more age-friendly, according to a recent report. The Strategy for an Ageing Society was first launched in 2021, aiming to make Wales a welcoming place for people growing older. The progress report, published by Dawn Bowden MS, minister for children and social care, outlines achievements over the past 12 months. Since 2022, £1.1 million per year has been allocated across local authorities to work towards joining the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. Currently, eight local authorities in Wales have gained membership, with more expected to follow in 2025. The network aims to make cities and communities more accommodating for older individuals and currently includes 1,606 cities and communities in 53 countries, covering more than 330million people worldwide. The development of age-friendly communities has been a strategic priority for the former Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, who has been supporting local authorities since 2019. Although not yet confirmed, the new Older People’s Commissioner for Wales is expected to continue this work. The Welsh government encourages local authorities to involve older people in the design and planning of local services, social networks, and built environments. An analysis of local authority reports indicates that older people are benefiting from the programme funding in various ways. These include increased awareness of local services, having a voice in the design and planning of local services, and participating in activities that combat loneliness. Older people also have the opportunity to volunteer and contribute to the social, cultural, and economic life of Wales. Approximately 66,500 older people have benefitted from the age-friendly programme in the last 12 months up to November 2024. More than 33,000 have taken part in, or attended, a face-to-face engagement event, with 2,000 responding to a survey or consultation. Direct information has reached 23,000 older individuals. The WHO now notes Wales as an international example of good practice in improving policies and services for older people. The strategy aims to continue supporting older people to live and age well, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that everyone can look forward to growing older in Wales.Democrats still don't agree on the seriousness of their political problem after election defeat
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