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illegal bookmaker A Nevada commissioner ruled resoundingly against Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to change his family’s trust to consolidate his eldest son Lachlan’s control of his media empire and lock in Fox News’ right-wing editorial slant, according to a sealed court document obtained by The New York Times. The commissioner, Edmund J. Gorman Jr., concluded in a decision filed Saturday that the father and son, who is the head of Fox News and News Corp., had acted in “bad faith” in their effort to amend the irrevocable trust, which divides control of the company equally among Murdoch’s four oldest children — Lachlan, James, Elisabeth and Prudence — after his death. The ruling was at times scathing. At one point in his 96-page opinion, Gorman characterizes the plan to change the trust as a “carefully crafted charade” to “permanently cement Lachlan Murdoch’s executive roles” inside the empire “regardless of the impacts such control would have over the companies or the beneficiaries” of the family trust. A lawyer for Rupert Murdoch, Adam Streisand, said that they were disappointed with the ruling and intended to appeal. A lawyer for James, Elisabeth and Prudence did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The battle over the family trust is not about money — Murdoch is not seeking to diminish any of his children’s financial stakes in the company — but rather about future control of the world’s most powerful conservative media empire, which includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and major newspapers and television outlets in Australia and Britain. Murdoch Determined to Preserve Right-Wing Lean Rupert Murdoch, now 93, has long intended to bequeath these sprawling media conglomerates to his children, much as his own father had passed on his vastly smaller media company to him and his sisters. But he is also determined to preserve the right-wing bent of his empire, and reconciling these two desires has become a growing challenge for him. Over his long career, Murdoch has made a point of fusing his family and his business affairs, with Lachlan, James and Elisabeth all at one point in consideration to succeed him. (His eldest daughter, Prudence, has been the least involved in the family business.) By 2019, though, it was clear that he wanted Lachlan to lead the company after his death. The problem was the structure of the family trust. James and Elisabeth are both known to have less conservative political views than their father or brother. If Murdoch fails to lock in Lachlan’s leadership of the company, he will be unable to ensure that Fox News will remain a right-wing news outlet after his death, putting in jeopardy the legacy of the conservative empire he had spent his life building. In seeking to consolidate Lachlan’s control over this empire, Murdoch has argued that maintaining the political bent of his outlets — and stripping the voting power of three of his children — is in the financial interest of all his beneficiaries. The legal maneuvering came to a head during several days of sealed, in-person testimony in Reno in September by Murdoch, Lachlan, James, Elisabeth, Prudence and a number of their representatives on the trust. The proceedings revealed that Murdoch’s children had started secretly discussing the public-relations strategy for their father’s death in April 2023. Setting off these discussions was the episode of the HBO drama “Succession,” the commissioner wrote, “where the patriarch of the family dies, leaving his family and business in chaos.” The episode prompted Elisabeth’s representative to the trust, Mark Devereux, to write a “‘Succession’ memo” intended to help avoid a real-life repeat. The commissioner’s ruling, while significant, is not the final word in the case. The commissioner acts as a “special master” who weighs the testimony and evidence and submits a recommended resolution to the probate court. It falls to a district judge to ratify or reject that recommendation. Even then, the losing party is free to challenge the determination, which could precipitate an intensive new round of litigation. Murdoch Family Trust Founded in 2006 Rupert Murdoch established the Murdoch Family Trust in 2006, years after he had married his third wife, Wendi Deng, and they had two children of their own, Grace and Chloe. Under the trust, he retains control over the business until his death, at which point his voting shares will be distributed equally among his four oldest children. The initial trust arrangement was meant to be binding, the product of an agreement Murdoch negotiated with his second wife, Anna — the mother of Lachlan, Elisabeth and James — who was concerned that he would bequeath an equal share of control and equity to the young children he had with Deng. Those youngest children were ultimately given an equal financial stake in Murdoch’s multibillion-dollar empire, but no voting power. However, the language of the trust included a provision giving Murdoch the right to make changes to it as long as he was acting in the best interests of his beneficiaries. It was that provision that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch sought to exploit. In recent years, they have grown increasingly concerned that James — who has left the company and is hardly on speaking terms with his father and brother — was planning to lead a coup with Elisabeth and Prudence to oust Lachlan after their father’s death and change the editorial slant of the company. During the proceedings, Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch’s lawyers pointed to a meeting that James, Elisabeth and Prudence held at Claridge’s Hotel in London in September 2023 as proof that they were scheming against Lachlan. But the commissioner ruled that accounts of the meeting were insufficient evidence of “plotting.” It was Lachlan who initiated the plan to change the trust in the middle of 2023, according to the ruling. His and his father’s lawyers and advisers ultimately drew up a blueprint to consolidate Lachlan’s leadership by amending the trust. They called it — “perhaps too optimistically,” the commissioner quipped — “Project Family Harmony.” It singled out James as the “troublesome beneficiary.” One of the options contemplated, according to the ruling, was to simply “sever” James’ “sub-trust” from the larger trust, limiting his power. But Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch ultimately decided that they could more effectively marginalize James by keeping his shares in the trust and thus under their control. Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch appointed new representatives to the family trust — including Bill Barr, the former attorney general — to give them the votes they needed to disenfranchise James, Elisabeth and Prudence. They also offered voting power to the children Rupert Murdoch had with Wendi Deng, according to the ruling. In order for their changes to the trust to pass legal muster, Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch had to prove that they were being done in good faith and with the sole purpose of benefiting all of Rupert Murdoch’s heirs. In court, they argued that locking in Lachlan’s control would ensure that the empire remained on its highly profitable conservative course, which would be in the best interests of all of Murdoch’s beneficiaries. James, Elisabeth and Prudence — referred to in the proceedings as the “Objectors” — strenuously disagreed. They argued that they were being disenfranchised from their own family trust under what they maintained was a false presumption. They “disavowed any plan to oust their brother,” according to the decision, which also did not find “that they shared any singleness of purpose in changing the management of Fox News,” or other outlets following their father’s death. Gorman sided unequivocally with them, ruling that Murdoch and his eldest son had ulterior motives — specifically, to give Lachlan the power to protect his father’s posthumous legacy by keeping the family empire on its conservative course. The Nevada commissioner found that they had operated in bad faith, undertaking their plan in secret for months — and only notifying James, Elisabeth and Prudence days before a scheduled vote at a special emergency of the trust’s representatives. — This article originally appeared in . By Jonathan Mahler and Jim Rutenberg/Emily Najera c. 2024 The New York Times CompanyHaivision to Announce Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year Ended October 31, 2024Emerge fest to promote Silicon Beach

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Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has also resigned as vice-president of the animal welfare organisation, with both of them expressing their “sadness” over leaving the roles. It comes after an Animal Rising investigation made claims of cruelty at “RSPCA Assured” slaughterhouses in England and Scotland, with the campaign group sharing footage of alleged mistreatment. RSPCA Assured is a scheme whereby approved farms must comply with the organisation’s “stringent higher welfare standards”, according to its website. Mr Packham shared the news of his resignation on social media, saying: “It is with enormous sadness that I have resigned from my role as president of the RSPCA. “I would like to register my respect and admiration for all the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to protect animals from cruelty.” Ms Lucas said she and Mr Packham failed to get the charity’s leadership to act. She posted on X, formerly Twitter: “With huge sadness I’m resigning as VP of the RSPCA, a role I’ve held with pride for over 15 years. “But their Assured Schemes risk misleading the public & legitimising cruelty. “I tried with @ChrisGPackham to persuade the leadership to act but sadly failed.” In June, the RSPCA commissioned an independent review of 200 farms on its assurance scheme which concluded the scheme was “operating effectively” to assure animal welfare on member farms. Following Animal Rising’s release of footage last week, the charity said it was “appalled” by what was shown, adding that it launched an immediate investigation and suspended three slaughterhouses from the scheme. In the wake of Mr Packham and Ms Lucas’ resignations, an RSPCA spokesperson said it is “simply not true” that the organisation has failed to take urgent action. They said: “We agree with Chris and Caroline on so many issues and have achieved so much together for animals, but we differ on how best to address the incredibly complex and difficult issue of farmed animal welfare. “We have discussed our work to drive up farmed animal welfare standards openly at length with them on many occasions and it is simply not true that we have not taken urgent action. “We took allegations of poor welfare incredibly seriously, launching an independent review of 200 farms which concluded that it was ‘operating effectively’ to improve animal welfare. “We are taking strong steps to improve oversight of welfare, implementing the recommendations in full including significantly increasing unannounced visits, and exploring technology such as body-worn cameras and CCTV, supported by £2 million of investment.” The charity insisted that while 94% of people continue to choose to eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy, it is the “right thing to do” to work with farmers to improve the lives of animals. “RSPCA Assured visit all farms on the scheme every year, but last year just 3% of farms were assessed for animal welfare by state bodies,” the spokesperson continued. “No-one else is doing this work. We are the only organisation setting and regularly monitoring animal welfare standards on farms. “We have pioneered change through RSPCA Assured, which has led to improvements throughout the industry including CCTV in slaughterhouses, banning barren battery cages for hens and sow stalls for pigs, giving salmon more space to swim and developing slower growing chicken breeds who have better quality of life.”Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said finances of the King George’s Medical University should be better managed. Speaking at the 120th Foundation Day of the institution, he also said no patient who comes to KGMU should be turned away disappointed. The state government will crack down on any corruption in the medical education system, he warned. “All the departments that are unable to spend their allocated budgets properly and on time should return those funds by March 31, so that they can be allocated elsewhere.” He directed that fresh allotments be made in the year 2025, and special attention be paid to raising the data centre in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He also said, “Technology and medicine must go hand in hand for the holistic advancement of the medical institution.” The chief minister suggested a further expansion of the mental health treatment capacities of the institute. Apart from skill and knowledge, the empathy of doctors is amongst their most important qualities, and KGMU has succeeded in setting an example in the state, Adityanath said. IIT Kanpur director Dr Manindra Agarwal, who was also present at the Foundation Day opening ceremony, talked about the integration of robotics and machine learning in academia and surgery. Acknowledging that Artificial Intelligence can never replace humans in medicine, he also recognised its importance in the field. “While the decision making powers rest with the doctor, machines can often perform very complex surgeries,” Dr Agarwal said. Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, the Dean of KGMU, and others were also present at the programme. The chief minister felicitated meritorious students of the year, as well as senior teachers who are close to retirement.

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NoneScottish international Adams scores long-range stunner in Serie A win for Torino EMPOLI, Italy (AP) — Scotland international Che Adams scored from almost the halfway line as Torino ended a run of poor form to win at Empoli 1-0 in Serie A on Friday. Canadian Press Dec 13, 2024 2:09 PM Dec 13, 2024 2:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Torino's Karol Linetty, right, fights for the ball with Empoli's Tino Anjorin during the Serie A soccer match between Empoli and Torino at the Castellani stadium, Italy, Friday Dec. 13, 2024. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP) EMPOLI, Italy (AP) — Scotland international Che Adams scored from almost the halfway line as Torino ended a run of poor form to win at Empoli 1-0 in Serie A on Friday. Adams replaced Antonio Sanabria in the 64th minute and made his mark almost immediately. With 70 gone, he spotted the Empoli goalkeeper off his line and lobbed the ball over his head from inside the center circle. The goal ended his personal eight-game drought in spectacular fashion, and will ease pressure on coach Paolo Vanoli. The Turin club was unbeaten in its first five league games and topped the table for a time. But it has won only one of 10 games since, back in late October. Friday's win lifted Torino into 12th place, two places and three points behind Empoli. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Soccer Valladolid beats fellow struggler Valencia to move off the bottom of La Liga Dec 13, 2024 2:43 PM Toulouse comes from behind to beat Saint-Etienne Dec 13, 2024 2:21 PM Freiburg survives late onslaught to beat Wolfsburg in Bundesliga thriller Dec 13, 2024 2:04 PMWASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09) has been appointed to the House Energy and Commerce Committee for the 119th Congress. As one of the oldest and most influential committees in the House, Energy and Commerce oversees critical areas such as energy policy, healthcare, telecommunications, and economic development. “It’s an honor to join the House Energy and Commerce Committee,” said Congresswoman Houchin. “Indiana has a diverse energy sector, a thriving manufacturing industry, and leadership in healthcare innovation. We are eager to get to work advancing policies that secure our energy future, improve healthcare access, and support economic growth.” Chairman Brett Guthrie praised Houchin’s appointment, emphasizing her qualifications. “Congratulations to Congresswoman Houchin on being appointed to the Energy & Commerce Committee. Erin’s experience representing one of the most dynamic manufacturing districts in the nation uniquely positions her to be a key advocate for domestic manufacturing,” Chairman Brett Guthrie said. As a former Indiana State Senator, Congresswoman Houchin served on the Utilities and the Commerce and Technology Committees, where she gained experience in issues directly aligned with Energy and Commerce’s jurisdiction. Her work included leading one of the nation’s first broadband expansion bills and advocating for bipartisan solutions to strengthen infrastructure and boost regional economic development. Houchin’s appointment comes at a transformative moment, with the Energy and Commerce Committee playing a major role in addressing some of the nation’s most pressing challenges. This positions Congresswoman Houchin to effectively advocate for Indiana’s 9th District and the critical industries that drive the state’s economy.

Home | India | Maharashtra Cabinet Fadnavis Keeps Home Shinde Gets Urban Development Ajit Pawar Gets Finance Maharashtra Cabinet: Fadnavis keeps Home, Shinde gets Urban Development, Ajit Pawar gets Finance Nagpur: Finally, the wait is over. Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Saturday approved the portfolio allocation to the ministers as recommended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The list was released after the conclusion of a weeklong winter session. Fadnavis will hold home, energy excluding renewable energy, law and judiciary, general administration, information and publicity and [...] By Indrajeet Devulapally Published Date - 21 December 2024, 10:33 PM Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde addresses the media on the last day of the Winter session of the State Assembly, at Vidhan Bhavan, in Nagpur, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. Nagpur: Finally, the wait is over. Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Saturday approved the portfolio allocation to the ministers as recommended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis . The list was released after the conclusion of a weeklong winter session. Fadnavis will hold home, energy excluding renewable energy, law and judiciary, general administration, information and publicity and departments/subjects not allowed to any other minister. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will hold urban development, housing and public works (public enterprises) while Deputy CM Ajit Pawar will be in charge of planning and finance and excise. Chandrashekhar Bawankule will hold the revenue department while Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil will be in charge of the water resources department including Godavari and Krishna Valley Development Corporation. Hasan Mushrif will hold medical education, Chandrakant Patil higher and technical education and parliamentary affairs, Girish Mahajan water resources including Vidarbha, Tapi, Konkan Development Corporation and disaster management. Ganesh Naik will hold forest, Gulabrao Patil water supply and sanitation, Dadaji Bhuse school education, Dhananjay Munde food and civil supplies and consumer protection, Mangallrabhat Lodha skill development, employment, entrepreneurship and innovation, Uday Samant industries and Marathi Language, Jaykumar Rawal marketing and protocol, Pankaja Munde environment and climate change and animal husbandry and Ashok Uike tribal development. Atul Save will hold OBC welfare, dairy development and renewable energy, Shabhuraj Desai tourism, mining and ex-servicemen welfare, Ashish Shelar information technology and cultural affairs, Dattatray Bharne sports, youths welfare, minorities development and Aukaf, Aditi Tatkare women and child development and Shivendraraje Bhosale public works excluding public enterprises. Manikrao Kokate will be in charge of agriculture, Jaykumar Gore rural development and panchayat raj, Narhari Zirwal food and drug administration and special assistance, Sanjay Savkare textiles, Sanjay Shirsat social justice, Pratap Sarnaik transport and Bharatsheth Gogawale employment guarantee, horticulture, salt pan land development, Makrand Jadhav Patil relief and rehabilitation, Nitesh Rane fisheries and ports, Akash Fundkar labour, Babasaheb Patil cooperation and Prakash Abitkar public health and family welfare. The minister of state Ashish Jaiswal will hold finance and planning, agriculture, relief and rehabilitation, law and judiciary and labour while the minister of state Madhuri Misal urban development, transport, social justice, medical education, minorities development and Aukaf. Minister of State Pankaj Bhoyar will hold home (rural), housing, school education, cooperation and mining while Meghna Sakore Bordikar will get public health, family welfare, water supply and sanitation, energy, women and child development. Minister of State Indranil Naik will hold industries, public works, higher and technical education, tribal development, tourism, soils and water conservation while Yogesh Kadam will hold home (urban), revenue, rural development and panchayat raj, food and civil supplies and consumer protection, food and drug administration. Fadnavis had expanded his cabinet with the induction of 39 ministers on December 15. Even though he had announced that the portfolio allocation would be done in two days, it was delayed due to hard negotiations among the MahaYuti partners. The strength of the Fadnavis-led cabinet is 42 against 43 permissible under the legislative norms. Shinde insisted on allocating home, revenue and housing but BJP has rejected his demand while agreeing to give him housing. Ajit Pawar has retained planning and finance and in addition, got the excise department. Follow Us : Tags Ajit Pawar CP Radhakrishnan Devendra Fadnavis Eknath Shinde Related News Once neighbour’s envy, Telangana’s farmers now in crisis KTR cautions Rahul Gandhi about Revanth Reddy, Ponguleti using BJP “washing machine” Fadnavis takes oath as Maharashtra CM, Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar as Dy CMs Devendra Fadnavis to take oath as Maha CM at 5.30 pm, Shinde, Ajit Pawar as Deputy CMsSouth Carolina looks to steady ship against South Carolina UpstateAP Trending SummaryBrief at 6:06 p.m. ESTMid-inclination orbit provides more SAR-imaging opportunities at middle latitudes of the globe for ICEYE customers. HELSINKI, Finland , Dec. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ICEYE, the global leader in SAR satellite operations for Earth Observation and persistent monitoring, announced today that it has launched two new satellites to its constellation of SAR satellites. Both satellites expand the availability of ICEYE's latest imaging technology to deliver additional 25 cm imaging capacity. The satellites were integrated via Exolaunch and launched as part of the Bandwagon-2 rideshare mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA . Both satellites have established communication, and early routine operations are underway. With today's launch, ICEYE has successfully launched 40 satellites into orbit since 2018, with nine satellites launched in 2024 alone. The new SAR satellites were launched into mid-inclination orbits; compared to a polar orbit, these mid-inclination orbits provide more than twice the collection opportunities at middle latitudes of the globe. ICEYE customers have many areas of interest in these middle latitudes (+/- 45 degrees), and these customers will benefit from increased persistence over these regions. Customers with imaging interests outside these middle latitudes will continue to benefit from the frequent revisit enabled by ICEYE's dozens of satellites in polar orbits. ICEYE's unique mix of mid-inclination and polar orbits provides its customers with deep revisit capabilities for targets all around the globe. The new satellites will serve ICEYE's commercial missions as part of the world's largest SAR satellite constellation owned and operated by ICEYE. Rafal Modrzewski , CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE said: "This launch marks another significant milestone in ICEYE's ability to provide our customers with a rich diversity of collection opportunities. We bolster our industry-leading SAR constellation and expand our customers' collection opportunities in the areas most important to them." Today's launch is another step forward in ICEYE's steady drumbeat of innovative breakthroughs in Earth Observation. This year alone, ICEYE has, for example, introduced Dwell Precise, a new 25 cm imaging mode that offers its customers the highest-fidelity 25cm imaging capability, and adds advanced capability to ICEYE's line of Dwell products; launched an API that allows customers to directly task its SAR satellite constellation; and launched ICEYE Ocean Vision to provide actionable intelligence for maritime domain awareness. About ICEYE ICEYE delivers unparalleled persistent monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth, faster and more accurately than ever before. Owning the world's largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation, ICEYE provides objective, near real-time insights, ensuring that customers have unmatched access to actionable high-quality data, day or night, even in challenging environmental conditions. As a trusted partner to governments and commercial industries, ICEYE delivers intelligence in sectors such as insurance, natural catastrophe response and recovery, security, maritime monitoring, and finance, enabling decision-making that contributes to community resilience and sustainable development. ICEYE operates internationally with offices in Finland , Poland , Spain , the UK, Australia , Japan , UAE, Greece , and the US. We have more than 700 employees, inspired by the shared vision of improving life on Earth by becoming the global source of truth in Earth Observation. Media contact: press@iceye.com Visit www.iceye.com and follow ICEYE on LinkedIn and X for the latest updates and insights. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/iceye-expands-its-earth-observation-capabilities-with-launch-of-two-sar-satellites-for-mid-inclination-orbit-on-the-bandwagon-2-mission-with-spacex-302337878.html

The former Geordie Shore star, who is nearly eight months pregnant, thanked a security company “for all the hard work this week” after adding the protections to her home. “Trebling our security measures, worth every penny to feel safe again in my own home,” the 34-year-old said in a post to her Instagram story. “Scumbags are gunna get a big shock the next time they even step foot on any perimeter of my land.” It comes after her fiance, Jake Ankers, said on social media that a group of men carrying a machete entered their home on Thursday evening while they were in the house with their two-year-old daughter. The businessman said one of the four men “had a red balaclava on” and was carrying the weapon at the top of the stairs. Durham Constabulary were alerted at 7pm on Thursday to reports of an aggravated burglary in Houghton-le-Spring, a town in the Sunderland area. A spokeswoman for the force said: “Officers attended the area, however the suspects left the scene before their arrival. “Nobody was injured in the incident and no items are believed to have been taken.” She added that an investigation is under way and anyone with information is asked to contact police. After the incident, Crosby was admitted to hospital after experiencing “serious pains” in her stomach, but confirmed her baby is “all fine”. Ankers appeared with the reality star on BBC Three reality show Charlotte In Sunderland. Crosby is best known for appearing in the MTV reality series Geordie Shore and winning the 12th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2013. She and Ankers got engaged in October 2023 after she gave birth to their first child in 2022.

After opening the week with a perfectly clean injury report, Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Rob Havenstein is dealing with a shoulder injury that occurred in practice, putting his status up in the air in advance of Saturday's home game against the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams (9-6), who are on a four-game winning streak that moved them into the lead in the NFC West, have rebounded from a 1-4 start. That poor early stretch was due, in part, to injuries on the offensive line. Havenstein missed the season opener against the Detroit Lions with an ankle injury, then missed a three-game stretch in November with more ankle issues. Havenstein did not practice Thursday because of the shoulder injury, although he typically does not participate in the final practice of the week for rest purposes. The 32-year-old is in his 10th NFL season, all with the Rams going back to the team's 2015 season in St. Louis. Joe Noteboom would likely start if Havenstein is not available Saturday. The Rams can clinch the NFC West this weekend with a victory over the Cardinals (7-8), combined with a loss or tie by the Seattle Seahawks (8-7) against the Chicago Bears (4-11). --Field Level Media

Israel moves to seize more Syrian land near the Golan Heights after opposition forces topple former President Bashar al-Assad. As former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government falls, Israel seizes more territory in Syria’s Golan Heights. That move tears up a 50-year-old ceasefire agreement. But Israeli far-right ministers say their country’s borders should extend further – to Damascus. So what are Israel’s plans in Syria? Presenter: Dareen Abughaida Guests: Robert Geist Pinfold – lecturer in international peace and security at Durham University Akiva Eldar – political analyst and veteran journalist Salma Daoudi – Syria researcher and policy analyst, and non-resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East PolicyNEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 13, 2024-- On December 10, 2024, Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II (the “Company”) received a letter from the NYSE American LLC (“NYSE American” or the “Exchange”) stating that the staff of NYSE Regulation has determined to commence proceedings to delist the Company’s class A common stock, units, and redeemable warrants (collectively, the “Company Securities”), pursuant to Sections 119(b) and 119(f) of the NYSE American Company Guide because the Company failed to consummate a business combination within 36 months of the effectiveness of its initial public offering registration statement, or such shorter period that the Company specified in its registration statement. As a result of the determination, trading of the Company Securities on NYSE American has been suspended. As indicated in the letter from NYSE American, the Company has a right to a review of the delisting determination by the Listings Qualifications Panel of the Committee for Review of the Board of Directors of the Exchange, provided that the Company submits a written request for such review no later than December 17, 2024. The Company is working towards consummating its previously announced business combination with Ace Green Recycling, Inc. If the Company Securities are delisted from NYSE American, the Company intends to seek a listing of the Company Securities on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC in connection with the consummation of the Company’s proposed initial business combination. About Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE American: ATEK.U, ATEK, ATEK WS), incorporated in Delaware, is a special purpose acquisition company incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. ATEK is the third SPAC founded by Isabelle Freidheim, who also serves as its Chief Executive Officer, with Kirthiga Reddy as President and Jennifer Calabrese as Chief Financial Officer. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements made in this press release are not historical facts but may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the “safe harbor” provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook,” “intend,” or continue or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology or expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These statements are based on the current expectations of the Company’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s ability to consummate its previously announced business combination and to list the Company Securities on Nasdaq in connection with the consummation of the proposed business combination. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on, by any investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of the Company. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general economic, political and business conditions; the number of redemption requests made by the Company’s stockholders in connection with a potential business combination; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company; the risk that the approval of the Company’s stockholders for a potential transaction is not obtained; expectations related to the timing of a potential business combination; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of a business combination; the risk that a business combination may not be completed by the Company’s business combination deadline; costs related to a business combination; and other risks that will be detailed from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those risks discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on September 27, 2024 and in subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. There may be additional risks that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in these forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements provide the Company’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. And while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Nothing herein should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that the results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213050198/en/ CONTACT: Bevel PR Athena@bevelpr.com KEYWORD: NEW YORK UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BANKING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE SOURCE: Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/13/2024 03:56 PM/DISC: 12/13/2024 03:57 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213050198/enJill Norton, an education policy adviser in Massachusetts, has a teenage son with dyslexia and ADHD. Shelley Scruggs, an electrical engineer in the same state, also has a teenage son with ADHD. Both students go to the same technical high school. But this fall, Norton and Scruggs advocated on opposite sides of a Massachusetts ballot referendum scrapping the requirement that high school kids pass a standardized state test to graduate. Norton argued that without the high bar of the standard exam, kids like hers won’t have an incentive to strive. But Scruggs maintained that kids with learning disorders also need different types of measurements than standardized tests to qualify for a high school diploma. Voters last month approved the referendum, 59 percent to 41 percent, ending the Massachusetts requirement. There and in most other states, Scruggs’ position against testing is carrying the day. Just seven states now require students to pass a test to graduate, and one of those — New York — will end its Regents Exam as a requirement by the 2027-28 school year. Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Virginia still require testing to graduate, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, a group that opposes such mandates. In Massachusetts, teachers unions favored getting rid of the exam as a graduation requirement. They argued it forced them to teach certain facts at the expense of in-depth or more practical learning. But many business leaders were in favor of keeping the test, arguing that without it, they will have no guarantee that job applicants with high school diplomas possess basic skills. State by state, graduation tests have tumbled over the past decade. In 2012, half the states required the tests, but that number fell to 13 states in 2019, according to Education Week. The trend accelerated during the pandemic, when many school districts scrapped the tests during remote learning and some decided to permanently extend test exemptions. Studies have found that such graduation exams disadvantage students with learning disabilities as well as English language learners, and that they aren’t always a good predictor of success in careers or higher education. An oft-cited 2010 article by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin may have ignited the trend to scrap the tests. Researchers’ review of 46 earlier studies found that high school exit exams “produced few of the expected benefits and have been associated with costs for the most disadvantaged students.” Some states began to find other ways to assess high school competency, such as grades in mandatory courses, capstone projects or technical milestones. “Minimum competency tests in the 1980s drove the idea that we need to make sure that students who graduate from high school have the bare minimum of skills,” said John Papay, an associate professor of education at Brown University. “By the mid-2000s, there was a reaction against standardized testing and a movement away from these exams. They disappeared during the pandemic and that led to these tests going away.” Despite the problems with the tests for English learners and students with learning disabilities, Papay said, the tests are “strong predictors of long-term outcomes. Students who do better on the tests go on to graduate [from] college and they earn more.” Papay, who remains neutral on whether the tests should be required, pointed out that high school students usually have many opportunities to retake the tests and to appeal their scores. Anne Hyslop, director of policy development at All4Ed, a think tank and advocacy group for underserved communities, noted that in many states, the testing requirements were replaced by other measures. The schools “still require some students or all students to demonstrate competency to graduate, but students have many more options on how they could do that. They can pass a dual credit [high school/college] course, pass industry recognized competency tests. ... “A lot of states still have assessments as part of their graduation requirements, but in a much broader form,” she said. Massachusetts moves Scruggs said her son took Massachusetts’ required exam last spring; he passed the science and math portions but fell 1 point short in English. “He could do well in his classes, but if he didn’t pass the three tests, he wouldn’t get his regular diploma,” Scruggs said. “How do you go out into the working world, and you went to school every day and passed your classes, but got no diploma?” Her son has taken the English test again and is awaiting his new score, she said. Norton, by contrast, said the exam, called the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS, gave her son an incentive to work hard. “I worry that kids like him ... are going to end up graduating from high school without the skills they will need,” Norton said. “Without the test, they will just be passed along. I can’t just trust that my kid is getting the basic level of what he needs. I need a bar set where he will get the level of education he needs.” Students in Massachusetts still will have to take the MCAS in their sophomore year of high school, and the scores will be used to assess their overall learning. But failing the test won’t be a barrier to graduation beginning with the class of 2025. The state is still debating how — or whether — to replace the MCAS with other types of required courses, evaluations or measurements. High school students in Massachusetts and most states still have to satisfy other graduation requirements, which usually include four years of English and a number of other core subjects such as mathematics, sciences and social studies. Those requirements vary widely across the country, however, as most are set by individual school districts. In New York, the State Education Department in 2019 began a multiyear process of rethinking high school graduation requirements and the Regents Exam. The department decided last month to phase out the exit exam and replace it with something called a “Portrait of a Graduate,” including seven areas of study in which a student must establish proficiency. Credit options include capstone projects, work-based learning experiences and internships, as well as academic achievement. Several other states have moved recently to a similar approach. Harry Feder, executive director of FairTest, an advocacy group that works to limit standardized testing, said course grades do a better job of assessing students’ abilities. “Standardized tests are poor ways of incentivizing and measuring the kinds of skills and knowledge we should have high school kids focusing on,” Feder said. “You get ‘teaching to the test’ that doesn’t bear much of a relationship to the kinds of things that kids are being asked to do when they go on to college or the workplace.” Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association union, said phrases such as “teaching to the test” disrespect teachers and their ability to know when students have mastered content and competency. The high school tests are first taken in the 10th grade in Massachusetts. If the kids don’t pass, they can retake the exam in the 11th or 12th grade. “Educators are still evaluating students,” he said. “It’s a mirage to say that everything that a student does in education can be measured by a standardized test in the 10th grade. Education, of course, goes through the 12th grade.” He added that course grades are still a good predictor of how much a student knows. Colorado’s menu Several of the experts and groups on both sides of the debate point to Colorado as a blueprint for how to move away from graduation test requirements. Colorado, which made the switch with the graduating class of 2021, now allows school districts to choose from a menu of assessment techniques, such as SAT or ACT scores, or demonstration of workforce readiness in various skill areas. A state task force created by the legislature recently recommended some changes to the education accreditation system to “better reflect diverse student needs and smaller school populations.” They include creating assessments that adapt to student needs, offering multilingual options, and providing quicker results to understand student progress. The state hopes the menu of assessment options will support local flexibility, said Danielle Ongart, assistant commissioner for student pathways and engagement at the Colorado Department of Education. “Depending on what the student wants for themselves, they have the ability to show what they know,” she said in an interview. In particular, she said, the menu allows for industry certificates, if a student knows what type of work they want to do. That includes areas such as computer science or quantum computing. “It allows students to better understand themselves and explain what they can do, what they are good at, and what they want to do,” she said.

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