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TikTok’s future uncertain after appeals court rejects its bid to overturn possible US banAnother stowaway caught on Delta flight raises major concerns about airport safetyIt looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. "The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more," Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. "There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie," said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction." In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation, did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the "no-fault findings," as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report, Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist "saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities." But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's "decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable." A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug "then entered the market through illegal channels," he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles," Li said. "The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice." This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. "Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated," he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. "It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. "Which clearly it has not."End of an era: Deion Sanders reflects on coaching sons before Alamo Bowl vs. BYU
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By Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News Worried that President-elect Donald Trump will curtail federal efforts to take on the nation’s medical debt problem, patient and consumer advocates are looking to states to help people who can’t afford their medical bills or pay down their debts. “The election simply shifts our focus,” said Eva Stahl, who oversees public policy at Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that has worked closely with the Biden administration and state leaders on medical debt. “States are going to be the epicenter of policy change to mitigate the harms of medical debt.” New state initiatives may not be enough to protect Americans from medical debt if the incoming Trump administration and congressional Republicans move forward with plans to scale back federal aid that has helped millions gain health insurance or reduce the cost of their plans in recent years. Comprehensive health coverage that limits patients’ out-of-pocket costs remains the best defense against medical debt. But in the face of federal retrenchment, advocates are eyeing new initiatives in state legislatures to keep medical bills off people’s credit reports, a consumer protection that can boost credit scores and make it easier to buy a car, rent an apartment, or even get a job. Several states are looking to strengthen oversight of medical credit cards and other financial products that can leave patients paying high interest rates on top of their medical debt. Some states are also exploring new ways to compel hospitals to bolster financial aid programs to help their patients avoid sinking into debt. “There’s an enormous amount that states can do,” said Elisabeth Benjamin, who leads health care initiatives at the nonprofit Community Service Society of New York. “Look at what’s happened here.” New York state has enacted several laws in recent years to rein in hospital debt collections and to expand financial aid for patients, often with support from both Democrats and Republicans in the legislature. “It doesn’t matter the party. No one likes medical debt,” Benjamin said. Other states that have enacted protections in recent years include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. Many measures picked up bipartisan support. President Joe Biden’s administration has proved to be an ally in state efforts to control health care debt. Such debt burdens 100 million people in the United States, a KFF Health News investigation found . Led by Biden appointee Rohit Chopra, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has made medical debt a priority , going after aggressive collectors and exposing problematic practices across the medical debt industry. Earlier this year, the agency proposed landmark regulations to remove medical bills from consumer credit scores. The White House also championed legislation to boost access to government-subsidized health insurance and to cap out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors, both key bulwarks against medical debt. Trump hasn’t indicated whether his administration will move ahead with the CFPB credit reporting rule, which was slated to be finalized early next year. Congressional Republicans, who will control the House and Senate next year, have blasted the proposal as regulatory overreach that will compromise the value of credit reports. And Elon Musk, the billionaire whom Trump has tapped to lead his initiative to shrink government, last week called for the elimination of the watchdog agency . “Delete CFPB,” Musk posted on X. If the CFPB withdraws the proposed regulation, states could enact their own rules, following the lead of Colorado, New York, and other states that have passed credit reporting bans since 2023. Advocates in Massachusetts are pushing the legislature there to take up a ban when it reconvenes in January. “There are a lot of different levers that states have to take on medical debt,” said April Kuehnhoff, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, which has helped lead national efforts to expand debt protections for patients. Kuehnhoff said she expects more states to crack down on medical credit card providers and other companies that lend money to patients to pay off medical bills, sometimes at double-digit interest rates. Under the Biden administration, the CFPB has been investigating patient financing companies amid warnings that many people may not understand that signing up for a medical credit card such as CareCredit or enrolling in a payment plan through a financial services company can pile on more debt. If the CFPB efforts stall under Trump, states could follow the lead of California, New York, and Illinois, which have all tightened rules governing patient lending in recent years. Consumer advocates say states are also likely to continue expanding efforts to get hospitals to provide more financial assistance to reduce or eliminate bills for low- and middle-income patients, a key protection that can keep people from slipping into debt. Hospitals historically have not made this aid readily available, prompting states such as California, Colorado, and Washington to set stronger standards to ensure more patients get help with bills they can’t afford. This year, North Carolina also won approval from the Biden administration to withhold federal funding from hospitals in the state unless they agreed to expand financial assistance. In Georgia, where state government is entirely in Republican control, officials have been discussing new measures to get hospitals to provide more assistance to patients. “When we talk about hospitals putting profits over patients, we get lots of nodding in the legislature from Democrats and Republicans,” said Liz Coyle, executive director of Georgia Watch, a consumer advocacy nonprofit. Many advocates caution, however, that state efforts to bolster patient protections will be critically undermined if the Trump administration cuts federal funding for health insurance programs such as Medicaid and the insurance marketplaces established through the Affordable Care Act. Trump and congressional Republicans have signaled their intent to roll back federal subsidies passed under Biden that make health plans purchased on ACA marketplaces more affordable. That could hike annual premiums by hundreds or even thousands of dollars for many enrollees, according to estimates by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank. And during Trump’s first term, he backed efforts in Republican-led states to restrict enrollment in their Medicaid safety net programs through rules that would require people to work in order to receive benefits. GOP state leaders in Idaho, Louisiana, and other states have expressed a desire to renew such efforts. “That’s all a recipe for more medical debt,” said Stahl, of Undue Medical Debt. Jessica Altman, who heads the Covered California insurance marketplace, warned that federal cuts will imperil initiatives in her state that have limited copays and deductibles and curtailed debt for many state residents. “States like California that have invested in critical affordable programs for our residents will face tough decisions,” she said. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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The suspect in the high-profile killing of a health insurance CEO that has gripped the United States graduated from an Ivy League university, reportedly hails from a wealthy family, and wrote social media posts brimming with cerebral musings. Luigi Mangione, 26, was thrust into the spotlight Monday after police revealed he is their person of interest in the brutal murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a father of two, last week in broad daylight in Manhattan in a case that laid bare deep frustration and anger with America's privatized medical system. News of his capture in Pennsylvania -- following a tip from a McDonald's worker --triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media tried to understand who he is. While some lauded him as a hero and lamented his arrest, others analyzed his intellectual takes in search of ideological clues. A photo on one of his social media accounts includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine. No explicit political affiliation has emerged. Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." character Luigi, sometimes depicted in AI-altered images wielding a gun or holding a Big Mac. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. "I want to donate to your defense fund," added another. According to Mangione's LinkedIn profile, he is employed as a data engineer at TrueCar, a California-based online auto marketplace. A company spokesperson told AFP Mangione "has not been an employee of our company since 2023." Although he had been living in Hawaii ahead of the killing, he originally hails from Towson, Maryland, near Baltimore. He comes from a prominent and wealthy Italian-American family, according to the Baltimore Banner. The family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, its website says. A standout student, Mangione graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. In an interview with his local paper at the time, he praised his teachers for fostering a passion for learning beyond grades and encouraging intellectual curiosity. A former student who knew Mangione at the Gilman School told AFP the suspect struck him as "a normal guy, nice kid." "There was nothing about him that was off, at least from my perception," this person said, asking that their name not be used. "Seemed to just be smiling, and kind of seemed like he was a smart kid. Ended up being valedictorian, which confirmed that," the former student said. Mangione went on to attend the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage, archived on the Wayback Machine. On Instagram, where his following has skyrocketed from hundreds to tens of thousands, Mangione shared snapshots of his travels in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. He also posted shirtless photos flaunting a six-pack and appeared in celebratory posts with fellow members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. However, it is on X (formerly Twitter) that users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo -- an X-ray of a spine with bolts -- remains cryptic, with no public explanation. Finding a coherent political ideology has also proved elusive, though he had written a review of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto on the online site goodreads, calling it "prescient." Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, carried out a string of bombings in the United States from 1978 to 1995, a campaign he said was aimed at halting the advance of modern society and technology. Mangione called Kaczynski "rightfully imprisoned," while also saying "'violence never solved anything' is a statement uttered by cowards and predators." According to CNN, handwritten documents recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase "these parasites had it coming." Mangione has also linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline. In April, he wrote, "Horror vacui (nature abhors a vacuum)." The following month, he posted an essay he wrote in high school titled "How Christianity Prospered by Appealing to the Lower Classes of Ancient Rome." In another post from April, he speculated that Japan's low birthrate stems from societal disconnection, adding that "fleshlights" and other vaginal-replica sex toys should be banned. ia/nro/dwtimandtim On the surface, Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. ( NYSE: IIPR ) and Plymouth Industrial REIT, Inc. ( NYSE: PLYM ) are quite similar. Industrial real estate investment trusts, or REITs Discounted adjusted funds from operations, or AFFO, multiples relative to the rest of the industrial sector Enticing dividend yields. Yet, we are bullish on PLYM and bearish on IIPR . As value investors, the extremely low AFFO multiples appeal to us, but value alone does not create a total return. Business models need to be durable such that earnings will grow over time. We believe PLYM passes this test and IIPR does not. The difference comes in acquisition strategy and the way properties are leased. Any acquisition looks good when it is cash flowing, but the real test of a REIT’s strategy is in times of struggle. Both IIPR and PLYM have experienced some tenant difficulties lately, affording an opportunity to stress test the companies. The fundamental outcomes of each company’s leasing events show a large quality gap between the discounted industrial REITs. IIPR’s Tenant Difficulties PharmaCann defaulted on its leases with IIPR. As IIPR’s largest tenant at 17% of rental revenues, it is a fairly sizable hit. IIPR Other tenants are struggling to pay rent as well, with IIPR dipping into security deposits from TILT Holdings, 4Front Ventures, and Emerald Growth to cover their rent. Per the 10-Q : “For the three months ended September 30, 2024, we applied $1.4 million of security deposits for payment of rent on properties leased to 4Front Ventures Corp. (“4Front”) (four properties), TILT Holdings Inc. (“TILT”) (one property), and Emerald Growth Holdings LLC (“Emerald Growth”) (one property). A lease was terminated with Temescal Wellness and IIPR retook possession of the property, also per the 10-Q: “We terminated our lease with Temescal Wellness of Massachusetts, LLC at our Massachusetts property and regained possession of the property on September 30, 2024. For the three months ended September 30, 2023, we applied $2.2 million of security deposits for payment of rent.” Rent collection continues to struggle post Q3 2024, with more of it being paid from security deposits: “Subsequent to September 30, 2024, we applied $0.9 million in security deposits for the properties leased to 4Front, TILT and Emerald Growth for the payment of rent owing in October 2024, and, including those security deposits applied, we collected $1.4 million of the contractually due rent and interest of $2.2 million for the month of October 2024 for 4Front, Emerald Growth, TILT and a secured loan for which we are the lender for a California property portfolio.” These security deposits will be depleted, at which point we believe the rent will become delinquent. We find 2 aspects of the poor rent collection troubling: It represents a large portion of their portfolio. PharmaCann is 17% of rental income alone, and some of their other significant tenants are struggling. The prospects for replacing that revenue look weak. Allow me to elaborate on the 2 nd point because I think that is the true weakness of IIPR’s business model. Tenant defaults are fairly common among REITs. Think of something as simple as an apartment tenant defaulting on their monthly rent. This sort of thing happens quite routinely, and it is so routine that the chance of occurrence is actually factored into the underwriting of property acquisitions. When the tenant defaults, the landlord kicks them out and finds a new tenant. Assuming the tenant was paying a normal amount, rent from the new tenant would be roughly the same. Perhaps the landlord loses out on a few months of rent during the transition, but overall, it is not that big of a deal. IIPR’s problem is that its tenants are not paying a normal amount of rent. The company reports 2025 annual base rent (ABR) of $310.8 million, which allows us to run various calculations on its leases. IIPR Annual rent totals a whopping 13.68% of enterprise value. A company could theoretically get to that level by its stock price getting cheap, but that is not the case here. Sure, IIPR crashed on the PharmaCann default announcement, but over a longer period of time, the stock price is up quite considerably. SA Normal cap rates for industrial REITs are around 4%-9% depending on the vintage of the lease and various property quality factors. Thus, rent being over 13% of EV is quite strange. The extremely high rent as a percentage of EV is due to going in cap rates in the mid-teens. We previously identified in the article linked earlier that IIPR’s high cap rates are the result of its leases being partially loans. Industrial buildings are quite cheap to build, often costing less than $100 per square foot. Yet, IIPR’s enterprise value per foot is $267. High EV/foot could be due to IIPR’s stock trading at a bloated valuation, but that is clearly not the case here with an 8.5X AFFO multiple. See, the way most REITs work is that the REIT invests in the building and then the tenant pays rent to use that building. IIPR does things a bit differently. It owns the building, but a substantial portion of its investment is directly with the tenant. IIPR gives its tenants millions of dollars to be used for property improvements in exchange for higher rental rates and longer lease terms. They have been doing this since IPO and are still doing it with recent announcements in its 10-Q. In fact, as recently as February, IIPR invested an additional $16 million in PharmaCann, the now defaulting tenant. “In February 2024, we amended our lease and development agreement with PharmaCann at one of our New York properties, increasing the construction funding commitment by $16.0 million, which also resulted in a corresponding adjustment to the base rent for the lease at the property. We also amended the lease to extend the term.” In April, they provided a similar tenant allowance to Battle Green Holdings: “In April 2024, we amended our lease with a subsidiary of Battle Green Holdings LLC at one of our Ohio properties to provide an additional improvement allowance of $4.5 million, which also resulted in a corresponding adjustment to the base rent for the lease at the property.” Also in April, IIPR provided an additional $1.6 million to 4Front in exchange for higher rents. “In April 2024, we amended the lease with a subsidiary of 4Front at one of our Illinois properties to provide an additional improvement allowance of $1.6 million, which also resulted in a corresponding adjustment to the base rent for the lease at the property and increased the annual base rent escalations for the remainder of the lease term.” That is the same 4Front that is now only covering its rent by dipping into security deposits. Perhaps one could technically classify these as property investments because the funds given to tenants are earmarked to improve the properties. However, I consider it to be the financial equivalent of investing in tenants in the form of loans with interest payments and principal to be paid back to IIPR through higher rent over the lease term. The result of all this investment in tenant improvement is that IIPR’s rent per foot has gotten to a whopping $36.53. 2MC That is an insane level of rent for industrial properties. As a point of comparison, Rexford Industrial Realty ( REXR ) has rent per foot of $16.23 and their portfolio consists almost exclusively of class A+ real estate in the highly dense Inland Empire. S&P Global Market Intelligence In comparison, IIPR’s properties are in the middle of nowhere. S&P Global Market Intelligence I love the Midwest, but property values in Michigan are a fraction of property values in the port of Los Angeles. So, IIPR’s rent per foot of $36.53 is absolutely insane compared to Rexford at $16.23. Rents are high to essentially pay IIPR back for the tenant allowances that IIPR pays the tenants. That works out great when the leases go to full term. It is a disaster when leases end early, such as the PharmaCann default, a few other defaults recently, and the slew of tenants currently struggling to pay rent. The problem for IIPR is that, unlike that apartment landlord who just finds a new tenant at the same rent, a new tenant’s rent is likely to be closer to $8 a foot. If they are lucky, a cannabis-related tenant would be able to use the tenant improvements installed in the buildings and could potentially pay $16 a foot. I just don’t see any realistic scenario in which a replacement tenant pays anywhere close to $36 a foot. IIPR is looking at either substantial vacancies or large cuts in rent when replacement tenants are found. So while the stock is cheap, trading at a very low multiple relative to the industrial sector, I think the fundamental downside makes it cheap for a reason. S&P Global Market Intelligence Plymouth Industrial is similarly discounted at a 9.7X AFFO multiple. It, too, has had tenant troubles with 2 recent tenant defaults on rent. This valuation would indicate that the market thinks Plymouth will also suffer a fundamental downside resulting from these defaults. Indeed, PLYM stock has been clobbered since the tenant lease defaults were announced on November 6 th . SA This, in my opinion, is incorrect. The fundamental impact of PLYM’s tenant issues is entirely different for 2 reasons: These tenants were quite a small slice of PLYM’s revenue PLYM has a different business model in which they invest exclusively in the real estate, not the tenant. We tabulated IIPR's vitals earlier and PLYM’s are below. 2MC There are some considerable differences worth pointing out. PLYM’s enterprise value per foot is $52.44 compared to $267 for IIPR. Part of this is PLYM stock trading cheaply, but most of it is that PLYM’s acquisition criteria involves purchasing properties below replacement cost. It is not feasible to build warehouses of reasonable quality today for $52.44 a foot. Perhaps the more pertinent difference is that PLYM’s rent per foot is $4.79. That is well below market rent for industrial real estate of the quality (usually class B) and location of PLYM’s properties. Rent per foot varies throughout PLYM’s portfolio by vintage of lease and the particular property with which it is associated. In the most recent quarter, PLYM had some of its lower rent leases expire at $4.14 per foot and signed new tenants at $5.27 per foot. Supplemental That is a 27% increase, and I think quite indicative of the rest of the portfolio in terms of existing rents being below market. Below-market rent is a make-or-break when it comes to tenant issues. When an above-market rent tenant fails as was the case with IIPR, rent comes back down to market and that is in the favorable outcome where a new tenant is found. When a below-market rent tenant fails, it is almost an opportunity. It allows the REIT to accelerate marking that rent to market. That is what happened with PLYM’s vacancies. We discussed the replacement of PLYM’s defaulted tenants on our portfolio update on Portfolio Income Solutions. “Digging into the content of {Plymouth’s} the 3Q24 call, both vacancies have already been replaced with new tenants at equal or higher rent. Thus, it is clearly not a demand issue and the financial hit to PLYM will be limited to the roughly 6 month window between the previous tenant leaving and rent of the new tenant commencing.” Anthony Saladino, PLYM’s CFO, confirmed on the Q3 2024 earnings call that the replacement tenant is paying higher rent than the tenant that defaulted. “We sourced, identified and fully negotiated with a new tenant at a 27% positive spread to expiring rents” That is a night and day different outcome than IIPR. PLYM will have a few months of vacancy followed by a larger cash flow stream. That is the result of good asset underwriting and a business model that focuses on good real estate. IIPR will have either a long-term vacancy or a new tenant that pays a fraction of the rent of the previous tenant. Most of the capex IIPR spent on PharmaCann and the other struggling tenants could be lost, and AFFO/share is likely to suffer as rent gets marked to market. The Bottom Line As value investors, we have to choose carefully. PLYM is a strong industrial REIT that happens to be trading at a discounted AFFO multiple and well below NAV. IIPR is cheap for a reason. REITs are cheap relative to the broader market making it a great time to get in to the right REITs. To help people get the most updated REIT data and analysis I am offering 40% off Portfolio Income Solutions, but you can only get it through this link. https://seekingalpha.com/affiliate_link/40Percent I hope you enjoy the plethora of data tables, sector analysis and deep dives into opportunistic REITs. Dane Bowler is the Chief Investment Officer and a registered investment adviser at the 2nd Market Capital Advisory Corporation. He has over a decade of experience running a proprietary portfolio with a specialization in REITs. On-site property tours and critical analysis of REIT management help inform his selection process. Dane leads the investing group Portfolio Income Solutions along with Simon and Ross Bowler. Features of the service include: a diversified high-yield REIT portfolio, data tables on every REIT, tax guidance, macro analysis, fair value estimates, and quick updates via chat on breaking news. Learn More . Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of PLYM either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. All articles are published and provided as an information source for investors capable of making their own investment decisions. None of the information offered should be construed to be advice or a recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.The information offered is impersonal and not tailored to the investment needs of any specific person. Readers should verify all claims and do their own due diligence before investing in any securities, including those mentioned in the article. NEVER make an investment decision based solely on the information provided in our articles.It should not be assumed that any of the securities transactions or holdings discussed were profitable or will prove to be profitable. Past Performance does not guarantee future results. Investing in publicly held securities is speculative and involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Historical returns should not be used as the primary basis for investment decisions.Commentary may contain forward looking statements which are by definition uncertain. Actual results may differ materially from our forecasts or estimations, and 2MC and its affiliates cannot be held liable for the use of and reliance upon the opinions, estimates, forecasts, and findings in this article.S&P Global Market Intelligence LLC. Contains copyrighted material distributed under license from S&P2nd Market Capital Advisory Corporation (2MCAC) is a Wisconsin registered investment advisor. Dane Bowler is an investment advisor representative of 2nd Market Capital Advisory Corporation. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
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Sean Dyche believes finding consistency is the next step for Iliman Ndiaye to become a Premier League star. The £16.9m French forward has impressed at Everton since arriving from Marseille in the summer. But he has thrived in some games and struggled in others. Ndiaye, 24, was below his best in the defeat by Southampton and draw with West Ham . But Everton boss Dyche believes the player is still adapting to the demands of the top tier of English football. “First of all developing,” Dyce said about the former Sheffield United player. “He had hardly played at Marseille, as regards consistently. “I spoke to Chris Wilder and he said ‘great attitude’ which it is, ‘works hard’ which he does and he’s learning to work hard in the Premier League because it is a bit more two-way. Marseille it was a bit more attacking wise, Premier League you got to do a bit more, it’s a double shift so he’s learning that. “He’s showing his goals and trickery but now it is about consistency because last two games he has been quiet. He came in bang on it, burst onto and just quietened off a little bit. The Premier League is that. “He needs to bring the consistency when a quiet day is still a good team day, if you know what I mean? I speak to players all the time. If it is not your day to be THE person then make sure you’re doing the team role.” Some Everton fans have called for Ndiaye to be played in a more central role rather than off the left as Dyche deploys him and where he will likely start today against Brentford when the Bees visit Goodison Park. But Dyche said: “There were different views of where he played, different managers I've spoken to, coaches, his history, looking at him and going ‘right’ and then when we got him in here. In the Premier League playing as a No.10 is a very defensive minded role, now. “It wasn't 10 years ago, it was almost like ‘ we will play a No.10 and they will just wait for us to do the job’. Speak to all managers now, if you ask him they will say a No 10 is not just standing there. “A No.10 is getting into the passing lanes, breaking up the play, working off the bits like when the centre half heads it, being alive, working in transition, driving in the box. “It is coming out the box, getting between the two centre midfield players and getting the ball, linking the play. There's a lot going on with a modern No.10. “I think that's his learning curve. It's not just a case of just throwing him in at a number 10. It is not as easy as that. I wish it was.” Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.Android tablets have been mostly a miss for most users, at least in the U.S. The iPad has been dominating the tablet scene, but there is a space for quality budget tablets and the Lenovo Tab Plus (2024) is probably the best budget Android tablet you can get. Samsung makes an excellent premium Android tablet, but the budget category doesn’t belong to them. The Lenovo Tab Plus starts at $200, and you can even get it cheaper with sales, and it’s better than the price tag implies. Estimated reading time: 9 minutes I have almost given up on Android tablets, but the Lenovo Tab Plus does give me hope. The iPad remains king, but it’s also expensive. Let’s get into the full review of the Lenovo Tab Plus, 2024 version. The Quick Take I’m not a huge fan of Android tablets, I’ve made that known for years. But there are a handful of tablets that are pretty decent. I was not expecting the Lenovo Tab Plus to be one of them. I think what really made this tablet stand out are the speakers. The sound on this tablet makes it an excellent content consumption device, so watching movies on it is very enjoyable. Here’s what I liked and didn’t like. What I liked Solid build quality for a budget tablet Materials used are far above a budget tablet, shocking The display is bright and colorful The speakers are probably the best speakers on any budget tablet, almost iPad level Great battery life The built-in stand is spectacular What I didn’t like The cameras are just OK, but really, tablet photos are just weird Performance is fine, but expect heavy gaming will lag I would recommend this tablet for its sound quality and excellence for movie watching. Perfect for kids and people who just want to watch content. Specifications The Lenovo Tab Plus has the following features and specifications: Processor: MediaTek® Helio G99 (8C, 2x A76 @2.20GHz + 6x A55 @2.00GHz) Operating System Operating System: Android 14 Upgradable until Android 16 Security patches until January 2028 Memory: 8 GB Storage: Up to 256GB integrated storage Supports up to 1TB expandable storage Battery: 8600mAh 45W fast charging Audio: 8x JBL speakers tuned with Dolby Atmos Camera: Front: 8MP, fixed focus Rear: 8MP, autofocus Connectivity: Ports/Slots: USB-C 2.0 (charging + audio) Headphone/mic combo MicroSD slot Wireless Wi-Fi 5 802.11AC (1 x 1) Bluetooth® 5.2 Display: 11.5′′ 2K (2000 X 1200) TFT LCD, 400 nits, 90Hz refresh rate, touchscreen, TUV certified Dimensions (H x W x D): 174.25mm x 268.3mm x 7.77mm, with speaker bump 13.58mm / 6.86′′ x 10.56′′ x 0.31′′ Weight: Starting at .65kg / 1.43lbs Pen: Lenovo Tab Pen Plus (optional) Color: Luna Grey Security: Security patches until January 2028 Preloaded Software: Entertainment Space Google TV Lenovo Freestyle Lenovo Vantage Music MyScript Calculator 2 Nebo Standby Mode YouTube WPS Office What’s In The Box Lenovo Tab Plus USB-C 2.0 Charging Cable 45W Charging Adapter MicroSD Tray Pin Quick Start Guide Safety & Warranty Guide Design Holy cow! The Lenovo Tab Plus design is truly impressive for its sub two hundred dollar price point. You get yourself a full aluminum build with really high-end materials being used. I was expecting a plastic tablet, and that is not what you get here. The front is pretty plain, just the display with a hole punch camera. The bottom is equally uneventful. The top edge houses the volume rocker, SD Card tray, and mics. The right edge houses the USB-C charging port, one set of the JBL speakers, and some venting. The left edge houses the AUX port, the other set of JBL speakers, and the power button. Both the left, and right edges have some really nice accenting around the speakers that give the design a premium look. The back houses the camera and an excellent kickstand that works really well and is sturdy and versatile. So far, very impressed with this design and build. The Lenovo Tab Plus has a solid build, but it’s not too heavy at less than a pound a half. That weight goes up slightly if you use the included cover. The cover is just okay, it does a good job for protection, but I didn’t like the look of it. But fine for keeping the tablet protected. Overall, the design is actually very nice for a budget tablet. I was shocked at how nice the materials were and how good-looking the Lenovo Tab Plus is overall. Display A brief reminder about the Lenovo Tab Plus, this is a budget tablet, people. Not all aspects of this thing are going to compete with tablets in a much higher price category. That said, the display housed in this chassis is an 11.5′′ 2K (2000 X 1200) TFT LCD, 400 nits, 90Hz refresh rate, touchscreen, TUV certified display. It’s a good resolution with a decent refresh rate. Brightness is also good, but I will say there is some glare and off axis viewing can sometimes be an issue. Not a dealbreaker because the price point supports this. Colors are pretty neutral, this is not an AMOLED display so no over saturation and colors are less punchy. Blacks are fine, if you’re paying attention, you can see they are not as deep as an AMOLED, but again, the price point and display tech support the price. The Whites are clean though and the text is crisp. The 90Hz refresh rate gives you smooth scrolling and a pleasant use with light gaming. Overall, this is an excellent display for a budget tablet. It’s not as punchy as an AMOLED, but it’s really a great display for what you pay. Android Software The Lenovo Tab Plus comes with Android 14, but Lenovo claims they will give it updates to Android 16. So that is an excellent thing. This means you spend, not a lot of money, on a tablet that will have a few years of OS updates. There is some bloatware installed on this tablet, which sucks, but you can uninstall it. I know companies pay for having their apps installed on these types of tablets, and it helps reduce costs. But it is still annoying. Things like TikTok, Block Blast, Block Puzzle Adventure, Booking dot com, and other apps are all preinstalled. Normally, I would be very upset by this, but given the price of this tablet, it’s tolerable. And you can delete these apps. Overall, the software is great on the OS side. The bloatware is annoying. Performance and Camera Don’t expect massive gaming performance from the Lenovo Tab Plus. This is not a gaming tablet. But you can play some games on it. I think even heavy games are doable for a short time, but serious gamers should look elsewhere. For everyday performance, like web browsing, email, social media, and watching movies, it works very well. The MediaTek® Helio G99 paired with 8GB of RAM is enough for most normal users and should hold up well. As for the cameras. I roped them in with performance because they are just okay. Not anything special, but I don’t think many people take serious photos with tablets. The front facing camera works fine for video calls and whatnot. The rear camera is just okay. But again, the price here meets the hardware. Speakers The speakers are where the Lenovo Tab Plus shines. These are impressive and excellent speakers that are tuned by JBL. Usually, speakers on tablets are pretty bad. But the Lenovo Tab Plus gives you EIGHT speakers which provide EXCELLENT sound. I am serious when I say that these are even better than some higher end Android tablet speakers. They are pretty damn close to the iPad’s speakers, and that is saying a lot. The bottom end is REALLY good on them, and watching movies is one of the most enjoyable activities to do on this tablet. Lenovo really knocked it out of the park on these speakers. They, alone, are worth the price of this tablet. Battery Life The 8,600mAh battery is massive, and you get a 45W fast charger in the box. This tablet can last for days, depending on what you’re doing. I didn’t stress test it, but it lasted me for three or four days with light use and YouTube watching. This is an excellent battery. Price/Value There’s not much more to say about the Lenovo Tab Plus. Is it perfect? Nope. It is not perfect. But its price point is forgiving. I can tolerate many of its downfalls because its good points are greater. I would recommend this tablet for anyone just wanting a content consumption device that has fantastic sound. In some of our articles and especially in our reviews, you will find Amazon or other affiliate links. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. Any other purchases you make through these links often result in a small amount being earned for the site and/or our writers. Techaeris often covers brand press releases. Doing this does not constitute an endorsement of any product or service by Techaeris. We provide the press release information for our audience to be informed and make their own decision on a purchase or not. Only our reviews are an endorsement or lack thereof. For more information, you can read our full disclaimer .
Stanford takes aim at Andrej Stojakovic, CalStanford and California meet for the first time as Atlantic Coast Conference rivals when each tries to prove its impressive non-league record is no fluke on Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif. Stanford (7-2) took last year's season series 2-1, but the clubs were so evenly matched -- the Cardinal won 14 games, the Golden Bears 13 -- it took overtime at the final Pacific-12 Conference tournament to determine the rivalry winner. The teams enter their first meeting this season with the same number of losses, but Cal (6-2) has had the edge in strength of schedule. The Golden Bears were invited to play in the SEC/ACC Challenge, in which they squandered a second-half lead en route to a 98-93 loss at Missouri. Cal's only other loss also came on the road at a Southeastern Conference site, an 85-69 setback at Vanderbilt on Nov. 13. Meanwhile, Stanford has played seven of its nine games at home and hasn't left the state of California. The Cardinal were beaten by Grand Canyon at a neutral site on Nov. 26 before getting shocked at home by Cal Poly last Saturday. This Saturday's matchup is the first since Andrej Stojakovic, Stanford's prize recruit last year, transferred to Cal after just one season. The son of former NBA standout Peja Stojakovic leads the Golden Bears in scoring at 18.8 points per game. Andrej Stojakovic has averaged 31.9 minutes per game for Cal after getting just 22.3 per game as a freshman at Stanford a season ago. He said anticipating that type of greater opportunity prompted his move across the San Francisco Bay. "I thought that when I played a large amount of minutes (last season), I performed to what I was expected to do from the staff and the program," he noted. "But just going into Cal and having a more consistent role and having the confidence instilled from the staff has been huge so far." Stanford returned just one of its top seven scorers from last season, but that was center Maxime Raynaud. The preseason All-ACC selection is averaging 22.3 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, with double-doubles in eight of nine outings. He had two double-doubles and a pair of 20-point games against Cal last season. Duke transfer Jaylen Blakes offered a unique perspective on his first Stanford-Cal experience. "Every ACC game is going to be a challenge," he claimed. "(Cal is) a rivalry game, but we are just trying to get a win." --Field Level Media
Cook Inlet Region, Inc. Announces Purchase of OSC Edge
Excellence has been the 49ers’ calling card for the past several seasons. Since 2019, they’ve been one of the elite teams in the NFL, amassing 54 wins against 29 losses in the regular season with two Super Bowl runners-up and two NFC Championship losses in five years. Yet on Sunday night in frigid Orchard Park, the 49ers, mired at 5-6 and a game out of first place in the NFC West, find their season hanging in the balance with a showdown against the 9-2 Bills. “I think the vibe is probably a lot lower outside of this locker room than it is inside,” 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey told reporters this week. “I think our team is hungry. We still have everything in front of us and we’re ready to go.”
President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on the BRICS group nations if they undercut the US dollar. For the latest news, bookmark The South African website’s dedicated section for FREE-to-read content “We require a commitment... that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty US Dollar or, they will face 100 percent Tariffs,” Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social website, referring to the grouping that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and others. This developing news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
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