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Companies embracing artificial intelligence (AI) are pulling ahead of competitors, with Bridgeline ’s HawkSearch reporting new customers each week, IBM finding open-source AI users seeing higher returns, and MIT research showing advanced AI adopters outperforming industry peers. However, a Q4 loss at Bridgeline highlighted the sector’s uneven growth path. Bridgeline Reports AI Growth Despite Mixed Q4 Results AI-powered marketing technology firm Bridgeline reported that HawkSearch, its AI-powered search product, drove significant growth in 2024, despite posting a quarterly net loss of $432,000. The company launched five new AI products under its HawkSearch brand and noted new customer installations nearly every week throughout the year. The company rolled out a conversational search feature powered by generative AI, as well as smart tools for analyzing PDF content. “HawkSearch is the leader in AI-powered product discovery,” Bridgeline CEO Ari Kahn said in the release. “This year we nearly doubled our sales contracts and had better than 103% net revenue retention for HawkSearch.” Total revenue for Q4 reached $3.9 million, up slightly from $3.8 million in the same period last year. The company reported signing 83 new license sales in fiscal 2024, adding $2.1 million in annual recurring revenue. Bridgeline enters 2025 with what it calls the largest sales pipeline in company history, driven by growing demand for AI-enhanced search capabilities among eCommerce and B2B customers. Companies See ROI From Open-Source AI Companies using open-source AI tools are seeing better returns on their investments than those that don’t, according to a Dec. 19 IBM study . The global survey of over 2,400 IT decision-makers found that 51% of companies using open-source AI reported positive returns, compared to 41% of those not utilizing open-source AI. The study indicates a growing shift toward open-source adoption, with 48% of companies planning to leverage these tools in 2025. Despite ongoing economic uncertainties, 89% of organizations plan to maintain or increase AI investments next year. Nearly two-fifths of those increasing spending expect to boost their AI budgets by 25-50%. “Companies continue to rapidly advance their AI strategies, with no sign of slowing down,” Maribel Lopez , of Lopez Research , who collaborated on the study, said in a release. “They are leveraging hybrid cloud strategies and open source to drive AI innovation.” The research revealed that companies are focusing their AI investments primarily on IT operations, with 63% of respondents citing it as their top priority, followed by data quality management at 46%. MIT Study Links AI Adoption to Higher Company Performance Companies with advanced AI capabilities tend to perform better financially than industry peers, according to research released by MIT ’s Center for Information Systems Research . The study of 721 companies found that organizations in the two highest stages of AI maturity reported above-average financial performance, while those in earlier stages performed below industry averages. Only 7% of surveyed companies were at the the highest “AI future ready” stage, where AI is embedded in decision-making processes. Most enterprises remain in early development, with 28% in the experimental phase and 34% building pilot programs. “Enterprises can use the MIT CISR Enterprise AI Maturity Model to assess their current capabilities, identify gaps and create a roadmap for improvement,” Stephanie Woerner , MIT Sloan principal research scientist and MIT CISR director, said in the release. The research team, led by Woerner, Peter Weill and Ina Sebastian , developed the model based on survey data and interviews with executives at nine companies. Their findings suggest enterprises should take decisive action in developing AI capabilities, regardless of their current stage.

Dallas (3-7) at Washington (7-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox BetMGM NFL Odds: Commanders by 10 1/2 Against the spread: Cowboys 2-8; Commanders 7-4 Series record: Dallas leads 78-48-2. Last meeting: The Cowboys clinched the NFC East title last season by beating the Commanders 38-10 at Washington on Jan. 7. Last week: Cowboys lost to the Texans 34-10 on Monday; Commanders lost to the Eagles 26-18 on Thursday, Nov. 14. Cowboys offense: overall (20), rush (31), pass (T-7), scoring (T-24) Cowboys defense: overall (27), rush (31), pass (19), scoring (31) Commanders offense: overall (6), rush (6), pass (15), scoring (4) Commanders defense: overall (18), rush (30), pass (5), scoring (T-14) Turnover differential: Cowboys minus-11; Commanders plus-5 Star pass rusher Micah Parsons has six of his 43 1/2 career sacks against Washington, more than any opponent. But Jayden Daniels is the biggest threat Parsons has faced at QB with this opponent. There’s no question the Dallas pass rush suffered in the four games Parsons missed with a sprained ankle and has been substantially better in the two games since the two-time All-Pro’s return. Parsons making life difficult for Daniels might be the only way for the Cowboys to stay close. Rookie CB Mike Sainristil held his own against A.J. Brown despite being at a sizeable height disadvantage. With trade deadline pickup Marshon sidelined again with a hamstring injury, Sainristil could be counted on to do more of the same against CeeDee Lamb, who is still productive no matter who the Cowboys quarterback is. Commanders rushing offense vs. Cowboys rushing defense. Dallas allowed Houston RB Joe Mixon to pick up 109 yards and three TDs and the ground and has struggled against the run all season. Brian Robinson Jr. returned last week after missing the previous two games with a hamstring injury, and Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols provide some depth for Washington. Cowboys: Perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin and promising young LG Tyler Smith sustained ankle injuries on the same drive in the fourth quarter for the Cowboys against the Texans. Martin, who is also battling a shoulder issue, is doubtful, and Smith is questionable while also dealing with a knee injury. ... Rookie LT Tyler Guyton re-injured a shoulder trying to run with a fumble after QB Cooper Rush had the ball knocked out of his hand on a throw. He is expected to play. ... TE Jake Ferguson was ruled out after sustaining a concussion in the first quarter against the Texans. ... CB Jourdan Lewis (neck) and RB Hunter Luepke (calf) missed the Houston game but are listed as available this week. ... Dallas might get some reinforcements in WR Brandin Cooks (knee), rookie DE Marshawn Kneeland (knee), CB DaRon Bland (foot) and T Chuma Edoga (toe). Cooks last played in Week 4 and Kneeland in Week 5. They are questionable along with Edoga, who hasn't played all season. Bland also hasn't played this year after having surgery for a stress fracture late in the preseason, but it appears he will make his season debut after setting an NFL record in 2023 with five interception returns for touchdowns. ... DB Markquese Bell, a key special teams player, is set for season-ending surgery after injuring a shoulder covering a kickoff against the Texans. Commanders: Lattimore was on the field Wednesday but didn't take part in practice all week. He will miss a third consecutive game since being acquired at the deadline from New Orleans. ... K Austin Seibert appears to be trending toward returning from the right hip injury that sidelined him the past two games. The Cowboys have won five of the past six meetings. Washington's only victory in that span was in the 2022 season finale when Dallas had nothing to play for once it was clear Philadelphia would finish first in the NFC East. ... The Cowboys are 16-4 against NFC East opponents since 2021 and haven’t lost consecutive division games since 2020, when they finished 6-10. Dallas lost to Philadelphia two weeks ago and plays the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day. ... This is Commanders coach Dan Quinn's first game against the Cowboys since spending the past three seasons as their defensive coordinator. ... Washington with a win would have its best start through 12 games since 1996 and first 3-1 division record since 2012. The Cowboys are on a five-game losing streak, their longest since a seven-game skid in 2015. Mike McCarthy has matched the longest losing streak of his coaching career. He lost five in a row in 2008, late in the third of his 12-plus seasons in Green Bay. McCarthy is on an expiring contract and the possibility of returning to the Cowboys diminishes with each loss. ... Dallas is 3-2 on the road. ... Rush has lost three consecutive starts as an injury replacement for Dak Prescott after winning his first five. He is 0-2 this season with a touchdown, an interception and three fumbles lost. Prescott had season-ending surgery on his torn hamstring last week. ... Lamb needs 81 yards receiving to become the fastest Dallas wideout to reach 6,000 yards. ... WR KaVontae Turpin had a career-long touchdown catch of 64 yards against the Texans. It’s the only TD at home for Dallas since Week 3. ... K Brandon Aubrey has 10 field goals of at least 50 yards this season. That’s one behind Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn, who has already tied Daniel Carlson’s single-season NFL record from 2022. ... Daniels has thrown for 10 TDs and three INTs, including one of each against the Eagles. He has four rushing TDs but none since Week 4. He's 18 yards away from being the first rookie QB since Kyler Murray in 2019 to run for 500. ... Robinson's seven TD runs through eight games match his first two professional seasons combined. ... Ekeler had a season-high eight catches for 89 yards at Philadelphia. ... WR Terry McLaurin had just one catch on two targets last week. ... Zach Ertz's 428 yards receiving are his most in a season since 2021. He's 35 away from moving into the top 10 among tight ends in league history. ... LB Bobby Wagner is nine tackles away from joining London Fletcher as the only players with 100-plus tackles in 13 consecutive seasons since 2000. ... LB Frankie Luvu sacked Jalen Hurts twice to tie a career high with seven. McLaurin will almost certainly be targeted more often than last week, especially after he, Daniels and the offense got a full week of practice. Washington's top receiver could be in for a big game. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflPractical gifts top Christmas list at 2 Cape Breton youth centres

Chip giant Nvidia, which dominates the training of artificial intelligence , sold thirty-one billion dollars worth of the systems last quarter, it reported Wednesday evening As chief executive of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, who co-founded the company, is also the chief evangelist of all things AI these days. As such, he spent Wednesday evening telling Wall Street analysts about the important applications being made possible with the technology. Also: Google's AI podcast tool transforms your text into stunningly lifelike audio - for free Huang emphasized one of his favorite applications, Google's Notebook LM , saying he "used the living daylights" out of the AI tool. The NotebookLM program, which is free to use with a Google account, lets users upload documents and create a summary of their contents. It suggests questions to ask about the documents, engages in a chat about the documents , and it will even create an audio conversation about the contents between two speakers in the style of a podcast. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says he has "used the living daylights" out of Google's NotebookLM program. "I put every PDF, every archived paper into it just to listen to it as well as scanning through it," he said. Huang talked about NotebookLM in response to one Wall Street stock analyst's question about the trends in "inference," the practice of making predictions with an AI model after the model has been trained. Also: Google's new AI tool could be your new favorite learning aid - and it's free "Our hope and dream is that someday, the world does a ton of inference," replied Huang. "That's when AI has really succeeded," he continued, "is when every single company is doing inference inside their companies, for the marketing department and forecasting department and supply chain group and their legal department and engineering, of course, and coding." Huang cited other examples of AI inference, such as "physical AI," meaning AI models that "understand the meaning of the structure" of the physical world and how to "reason" about it. Such models can "not only understand but can predict, roll out a short future." Huang is betting that inference tasks will be the new growth engine for his company's data center GPU chip sales, after having dominated the market for chips for training AI models for years. Huang told Wall Street his company's latest GPU, "Blackwell," unveiled in March , is "in great shape," and will generate billions of dollars of revenue in the fiscal fourth quarter ending in January. "Blackwell production is in full steam," said Huang. "We will deliver this quarter more Blackwells than we had previously estimated. And so, the supply chain team is doing an incredible job of working with our supply partners to increase Blackwell, and we're going to continue to work hard to increase Blackwell through next year. It is the case that demand exceeds our supply." Google's new AI tool could be your new favorite learning aid - and it's free The best open-source AI models: All your free-to-use options explained I changed 5 ChatGPT settings and instantly became more productive - here's how The best AI search engines of 2024: Google, Perplexity, and moreTEANECK, N.J. (AP) — Dylan Jones had 22 points in Fairleigh Dickinson's 98-54 victory over Lehman on Saturday. Jones shot 6 for 10 (6 for 9 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Knights (4-7). Terrence Brown added 19 points while shooting 7 for 12 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line and also had six rebounds, five assists, and six steals. Cameron Tweedy had 11 points and shot 4 of 5 from the field and 3 for 5 from the line. The Lightning were led in scoring by Kai Parris, who finished with 12 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated Press

There is a lot of dither about the future of journalism. Make no mistake, it is the essential commodity. If you know what is going on in Gaza, Ukraine or Syria, it is because brave journalists told you. Not the government, not some academic institution, not artificial intelligence, and not hearsay from your friends or from a political party. The crisis in journalism isn’t that it failed analytically in the last election, or that we — an irregular army of individualists — failed, but that journalism has run out of money and its political enemies have found that the courts (and the fear of libel prosecution) can terrorize the companies that own the media. In 2016, the gossipy site Gawker was sued by the pro wrestler and political figure Hulk Hogan. The lawsuit was financed by the billionaire investor Peter Thiel. Now come two suits, filed by President-elect Donald Trump: One that he won against ABC News, and one to be filed against the Des Moines Register. It is reported that conservative interests plan a series of these legal interventions against the media. This will have a frightening effect on news coverage. When there is fear of prosecution, there is less likely to be investigative news coverage. So far, the most troublesome of the prosecutions has been the one against ABC News. The network caved in early. It agreed to pay $15 million plus legal fees into a fund for what will be the first Trump presidential library. Could it be that ABC is owned by Disney, and Disney wants good relations with the incoming administration? However, a much bigger problem faces the media than the fear of prosecution. It is that the old media, led by local and regional newspapers, is dying. Although there are thousands of podcasts, they don’t take up the slack. You could listen to an awful lot of podcasts and not know what is going on. State houses and local courts aren’t being covered. The sanitizing effect of press surveillance has been withdrawn and, frankly, God help the poor defendants in a local court where there is a disproportionate desire to plead cases, to avoid honest trials even when there is conspicuous doubt. I never tire of repeating what Dan Raviv, former CBS News correspondent, said to me once, “My job is simple. I try to find out what is going on and tell people.” Quite so. However, there is a problem: Journalism needs to be concentrated in a newspaper or a broadcast outlet where there is enough revenue to do the job. Otherwise, you get what I think of as the upside-down pyramid of more and more commentary, based on less and less reporting. We are awash in commentary, some of it very good and some of it trash. It is all based on news gathered by those news organizations that can afford to employ a phalanx of reporters. Regional newspapers used to have Washington bureaus and foreign bureaus. At one time, the Baltimore Sun had 12 overseas bureaus. Now it has none. This is the story nationwide. Fewer people actually cover the news, digging, checking and telling us what they have found. Throughout the history of journalism, technology has been disruptive, sometimes advantageously and sometimes less so. Modern printing presses developed at the end of the 19th century were important boosters, as was the invention of the Linotype machine in 1884. On the negative side, television killed off evening papers, and podcasts are taking a toll on radio. Now, the internet and tech companies have siphoned off most of the revenue that supported newspapers, radio and television. As one can’t have a free and fair society without vibrant journalism, we clearly need a new paradigm which is internet-based news organizations that are large enough and rich enough to do the job in the time-honored way with reporters asking questions, whether it is at the courthouse, the White House or on the battlefield. There is a clear choice: News and informed analysis, or rumor and conspiracy. — Llewellyn King is the executive producer and host of “White House Chronicle” on PBS. He wrote this for InsideSources.com .Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Seoul | South Korean legislators’ attempt to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol ended in failure on Saturday night, prolonging the political upheaval and uncertainty that has roiled the country since his short-lived imposition of martial law this past week. The failed vote was a reversion to political deadlock in the deeply divided country , despite large-scale protests calling for the president’s removal. It was a contrast to the brief moment early on Wednesday when legislators across the political spectrum came together to vote swiftly and unanimously against the president’s martial law declaration. 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The Controller of Defence Accounts, Chennai, on Saturday organised SPARSH, a mass outreach programme at the Vellore Institute of Technology for the benefit of defence pensioners and family pensioners of the Vellore region. The programme was organised in association with the Headquarters Dakshin Bharat Area of the Indian Army, Chennai and the Vellore District Ex Servicemen Welfare Board. Governor R.N. Ravi, who presided over the event, honoured Chakra awardees and veterans of the defence forces. He spoke about the contribution of Vellore to the Indian freedom struggle. He further highlighted the role of the Indian Armed forces in nation building and in rendering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, a release said. Over 2100 defence and family pensioners took part in the outreach programme. Their grievances were taken up for a speedy resolution. Lieutenant-General Karanbir Singh Brar, General Officer Commanding, Dakshin Bharat Area; Mayank Sharma, Special Controller General of Defence Accounts; and General Dinakaran, Indian Coast Guard Deputy Inspector were among those present. Published - December 21, 2024 11:14 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp RedditGoogle parent ( ), a stock and artificial intelligence leader, heads up this weekend's watch list of five stocks near that have remained steadfast as the postelection rally suddenly turns volatile. In addition to Google stock, the list includes network-security play ( ), ( ), an online platform for medical professionals, Singapore-based gaming and e-commerce company ( ) and ( ), a digital business-to-business marketplace for used cars. Google is part of the portfolio of elite stocks. GOOGL stock is also a current position. Doximity is part of the flagship list of leading growth stocks. Fed, Trump Agenda Inject Volatility The stock market finished the week on a strong note, buoyed by a calming . Yet that followed the sharpest three-session drawdown since early August, triggered by concern over the Federal Reserve interest-rate outlook. The median forecast among Fed policymakers was for still-elevated 2.5% core inflation next year, but forecasts went as high as 3.2%. That latter forecast apparently came from the segment of rate-setting committee members who began to incorporate assumptions about President-elect Donald Trump's agenda, including some combination of tax cuts, tariffs and tighter immigration. After delivering a third-straight rate cut, Chairman Jerome Powell indicated that "policy uncertainty" coming from the new administration means the Fed's job in the months ahead will be "like driving on a foggy night." Be sure to read IBD's column after each trading day to get the latest on the prevailing stock market trend and what it means for your trading decisions. While Wall Street is still upbeat about expected tax cuts and deregulation, markets face headline risk from tariffs and immigration restrictions that Trump may announce upon taking office on Jan. 20. However, analysts see political developments playing out favorably for some of the stocks in this weekend's watch list. Google Stock Google CEO Sundar Pichai and founder Sergey Brin dined recently at Mar-a-Lago with Trump, who has signaled doubt about the Biden Justice Department's bid to break up the search giant. Analysts see Google as among the beneficiaries if TikTok is banned effective Jan. 19. The Supreme Court granted TikTok a hearing on Jan. 10 to make its case that the law passed by Congress banning Chinese ownership of the social media app violates free speech. Google stock surged 8.7% two weeks ago as release of its Willow quantum computing chip and its updated AI model, Gemini 2.0, won plaudits. Bank of America said the achievements enabled by Willow "underscores ongoing innovation at Google," while Goldman Sachs hailed Gemini 2.0 as proof that Alphabet remains "at the forefront of all aspects" in computing innovation. BofA and Goldman both have buy ratings and 210 price targets for GOOGL. Google fell 3.6% on Wednesday, pulling back into a buy zone from a 182.49 buy point. On Friday, Google rose 1.5% to 191.41. The buy zone runs through 191.61. CyberArk Stock Stifel hiked its price target for CyberArk to 370 from 335 on Wednesday, keeping a buy rating. Analyst Adam Borg said the enterprise software group stands out as a "safe haven" from political shifts amid little or no exposure to China and tariffs. Israel-based CyberArk is the industry leader in privileged access management, controlling access to and monitoring critical systems. CyberArk's efforts to branch out into a one-stop shop, safeguarding not just human identities but machine identities, took a step forward via its Venafi acquisition, which the firm says expanded its total addressable market by $10 billion to reach $60 billion. "Ongoing digital transformation, pervasive cloud computing and the rise of AI are driving an exponential increase in the number of machine identities, which can outnumber human identifies by as much as 45 to 1," CyberArk said in announcing the closing of its Venafi deal on Oct. 1. "If left unprotected and unmanaged, these identities can serve as a lucrative hunting ground for cybercriminals who seek to exploit their vulnerabilities." CyberArk rose 1.3% to 319.15 on Friday, continuing its rally off Wednesday's low of 303.82, which was right at its . The rebound from its 50-day line on slightly above-average volume has carried CYBR past its , flashing an opportunity. Ideally, CYBR would break above the trendline sloping down from its Dec. 5 peak. A move past 326.50 would provide a clear break. CyberArk also has a three-weeks-tight entry at 333.32 CyberArk is ranked No. 2 in the Computer Software-Security industry group, according to . It has an impressive 95 , a single rating that combines technical and fundamental factors. Doximity Stock Doximity has been compared to a LinkedIn site for medical professionals, with a community that includes over 80% of U.S. physicians, 60% of nurse practitioners and 90% of graduating med students. The platform has evolved into much more, including an AI assistant, enabling members to collaborate with colleagues, manage their schedules, streamline administrative paperwork and conduct virtual patient visits. A net revenue retention rate of 116% over the past four quarters is a testament to the platform's indispensability and innovation. That shows members aren't only keeping their subscription but adding features. Having access to most physicians also makes Doximity an attractive advertising platform. Jefferies analyst Glen Santangelo, who has a 64 price target and buy rating on DOCS stock, wrote in a Nov. 27 note that Trump's nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services could offer some upside for Doximity. Kennedy has been critical of direct-to-consumer pharma ad spending, which totals around $10 billion. "Regulatory pressure could push some of this spend to other channels," Santangelo wrote. Doximity, which advertises directly to physicians, "would be a natural beneficiary." Doximity surged 4.8% to 57.83 on Friday. The move carried DOCS past a 56.67 buy point from a handle formation. The buy zone runs through 59.50. Sea Stock After going through some struggles, Sea Ltd. now seems to be firing on all three cylinders — with "high growth across all our three businesses," CEO Forrest Li said in the Nov. 12 Q3 earnings statement. The e-commerce business, Shopee, returned to profitability in Asia and Brazil. Free Fire, the hit game from its Garena unit, is expected to see over 30% growth in bookings this year. SeaMoney, the digital payments and financial services provider, saw its loan book grow over 70%. SE fell to the vicinity of its 10-week and 50-day moving averages on Friday, before rallying intraday to finish off 0.9% at 110.64. Ideally, SE would retake its 21-day exponential average before seizing on the early entry opportunity. ACV Auctions Stock ACV Auctions was featured in IBD's on Nov. 15. Although the used car market has struggled, ACV has been gaining market share in the wholesale space, hosting digital auctions for dealer-to-dealer sales. When consumers trade in their old car for a new one or return cars after vehicle leases expire, they may decide to move those used vehicles off their lots, if they have too much inventory or the vehicle isn't a good match for their clientele. ACV lets dealers avoid the cost of transporting vehicles to Mannheim for physical auctions. ACV's selling point isn't just a lower cost. It also has built leading technology and services to facilitate all aspects of used-car auctions, including inspections and pricing. Citizens JMP analyst Nick Jones told Investor's Business Daily that ACV's growth due to market-share gains, even before the used-car market recovers, makes the stock "like a coiled spring." ACVA slid to its 50-day moving average on Wednesday, falling out of a buy zone as , which is a negative for auto sales. But the stock rebounded strongly the past two sessions, including Friday's 4.5% gain to 21.89. ACVA is back in a buy zone, clear of a 21.11 buy point from a cup base. The buy zone runs through 22.17.

The Contra Costa County Library system is piloting a new program designed to give patrons access to the Concord Library on Sundays, when the branch is normally closed. Related Articles Patrons who sign up for the Self-Service Sundays program in advance can enter the Concord Library from 12 to 4 p.m. Sundays starting Dec. 1. No staff will be on-site, but two security guards will be present to ensure that only patrons who have signed up for the service enter the library. Patrons can browse the collection and check out books, return items, pick up holds, connect to Wi-Fi and use the space for studying or reading. To sign up for the service, patrons must have a library card in good standing and a valid form of identification and must attend an in-person orientation and sign a user agreement. Approved patrons will scan their library cards at the door and use a unique PIN code to enter. More information is available online at . The Contra Costa library system’s early literacy outreach van, the Rolling Reader, will celebrate its first birthday in December. The van and outreach team had a very busy first year connecting with 12,950 people, handing out 7,068 books and driving 6,273 miles. The Rolling Reader visits underserved communities across the county where library staff present storytimes, hand out free books and crafts and provide activities focused on early literacy, small motor skills and STEM. This digital service gives users on-demand access to a vast collection of titles from O’Reilly (including eBooks in early release) and nearly 200 other publishers. Find videos, eBooks, resource centers, learning paths, case studies and playlists. Subject areas include information technology and software, business, digital media, professional and personal development and desktop and web applications. Enjoy this collection of music, dance and theater content spanning hundreds of genres and a wide range of subject types. It includes instructional videos, performances and more from leading providers such as the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Qwest TV, Smithsonian, L.A. Theatre Works and Broadway On-Demand. Visit to sign up for a library card and get connected to books and resources. For questions about Contra Costa library services and programming or account information, contact the library system via email at , online chat at or text questions to 925-290-7627. 6 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Martinez Library. Join host Carolina Amor in creating a tarot and astrology community at the Martinez Library. Attendees will talk about tarot cards, cover different tarot spreads, do practice readings and discuss answers to questions. Registration is required. 12 p.m. Dec. 4 in the De Anza Gardens at 205 Pueblo Ave. in Bay Point. Join the county library system and Tandem, Partners in Early Learning, at a holiday book give-away celebration. The event will include free books for kids and teens, games, crafts and library card signups. No registration is required. All ages and abilities are welcome. The books are provided by the Book Rich Environment, a program of the National Book Foundation. 10 a.m. Dec. 10 at the Bay Point Regional Shoreline. Enjoy a nature walk with a naturalist followed by storytime with a librarian. This program is part of a special partnership between the library system and the East Bay Regional Park District. The meeting spot is Bay Point Regional Shoreline, at the end of McAvoy Road in Bay Point. 4:30 p.m. Dec. 11 in the Hercules Library. Paint scenes from a winter wonderland at an afternoon painting workshop for kids with local artist and educator Tatiana Ortiz. This program is for children and teens ages 6 to 18 years old. Registration is required.Beirut: Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital Damascus and with the government forced to deny rumours that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country. The lightning rebel advance suggests that Assad’s government could fall within the next week, US and other Western officials said. A giant portrait of Syrian president Bashar Assad sets on a building, as empty streets seen in Damascus, Syria, on Saturday. Credit: AP Since the rebels’ sweep into Aleppo a week ago, government defences have crumbled at a dizzying speed as insurgents seized a string of major cities and rose up in places where the rebellion had long seemed over. The twin threats to the strategically vital city of Homs and the capital, Damascus, now pose an existential danger to the Assad dynasty’s five-decade reign over Syria and the continued influence there of its main regional backer, Iran. The rebels’ moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of the southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaeda and is considered a terrorist organisation by the US and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad’s government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only four of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Homs, Latakia and Tartus. People arrive at the Jordanian side of the border as others wait in their cars, after a ban on crossings into Syria, on December 7, 2024 in Jaber, Jordan. Credit: Getty Images The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition”. Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people”. In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told the Associated Press, and those still open had run out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle [in Damascus] or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018 when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a years-long siege. The UN said it was moving non-critical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: Backed by Russia and Iran – both of which are bogged down in separate conflicts. Credit: Saudi Press Agency/AP Assad rumours Syria’s state media denied social media rumours that President Assad had left the country, saying he was performing his duties in Damascus. Assad has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia is busy with its war in Ukraine and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that the US should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a UN resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with UN-supervised elections. A Syrian opposition fighter holds a rocket launcher in front of the provincial government office. Credit: AP Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit on Saturday to discuss the situation. No details were immediately available. The insurgents’ march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. An insurgent commander, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaeda, ditching hardline officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani. Credit: Al Jazeera Syria’s military, meanwhile, sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The shock offensive began on November 27, during which rebel fighters captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth-largest city. Opposition activists said insurgents entered Palmyra on Friday, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites, that had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra, including the main Baath City, activists said. The Syrian Observatory said government troops had withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and were sending reinforcements to Homs, where a battle loomed. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The Syrian Army said in a statement that it had carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists”. The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area”, apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticised Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there was a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. AP, Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter .

Subscribe Search Search Sort by Relevance Title Date Subscribe ALBAWABA – ChatGPT’s developer, OpenAI, said on Thursday that it is looking into consumer complaints regarding issues with the AI program reportedly not functioning for many. Also Read OpenAI fined $15.5M by Italy over ChatGPT Many users took to social media reporting the service’s downtime, with our own testing with the app not showing conversation history, as well as failing to answer to queries with variety of errors. Reports on Down Detector started picking up approximately 1:30 PM ET, which seems to be when the service interruption arose. OpenAI said that ChatGPT, the API, and its text-to-video generator Sora are “currently experiencing high error rates” in a status page update at 2:00 PM ET. WTF is wrong with ChatGPT again?? @OpenAI It's down again! I can't use, can't access my chat history... what am I even paying for??? pic.twitter.com/fir8HlA8nR — Arek Dvornechuck (@ebaqdesign) December 26, 2024 According to an update published at 2:18 PM ET, OpenAI continues to keep an eye on the matter and said that the problem was “caused by an upstream provider.” Also Read Elon Musk's AI startup xAI secures $6 Billion in funding OpenAI said at 3:06 PM ET that it is "continuing to work on a fix." However, no estimated time of return for the service has been provided as of yet. Approximately 92% of users who reported problems with the application suspect they were associated with ChatGPT, with a small percentage claiming that the website or API was the culprit of the issue, as reported by the Mirror. Over the last several months, ChatGPT has experienced multiple outages. Only a few days after OpenAI made Sora available to ChatGPT subscribers earlier this month the video production tool and ChatGPT fell down for hours. In the meanwhile, ChatGPT went down in June due to a large outage that affected the AI tools, according to Yahoo. A passionate about the Gaming Industry with a career of over 5 years in the field, I write about current trends and news in the Game Development business and how it impact the industry and players. Laith has recently started a new position at Al Bawaba as a freelance business writer. Subscribe Sign up to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content Subscribe Now Subscribe Sign up to get Al Bawaba's exclusive celeb scoops and entertainment news Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content SubscribePublished 23:26 IST, December 21st 2024 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday India can never permit others to have a veto on its choices. Mumbai: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday India can never permit others to have a veto on its choices and will do whatever is right in the national interest and for the global good without being intimidated to “conform”. In a video message for a function in Mumbai, he said when India is etched more deeply in global consciousness, its repercussions are truly profound. In a world grappling with unhealthy habits, stressed lifestyles or recurring climate events, there is much learning to be gained from India’s heritage. But the world will only know when the countrymen take pride in it, he said. In an age of globalisation, technology and tradition must march together, said Jaishankar. “Bharat will inevitably progress but it must do so without losing its Bharatiyata. Only then can we truly emerge as a leading power in a multi-polar world,” he said. Jaishankar was conferred the 27th SIES Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati National Eminence Award. The awards are given in four fields – Public Leadership, Community Leadership, Human endeavour, Science and Technology and Social Leadership – with primacy on spiritualism. The awards are named after the late 68th Seer of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi. The foreign minister did not attend the event but sent his video message. “Independence should never be confused with neutrality. We will do whatever is right in our national interest and for global good without being intimidated to conform. Bharat can never permit others to have a veto on its choices,” he said. He further said, “For too long we were schooled to visualise progress and modernity as a rejection of our heritage and traditions.” Perhaps this came from an affinity for imported models, or perhaps it was a discomfort with its own practices. But now as the deepening of democracy has thrown up more authentic voices, the country is rediscovering itself and finding again its own persona, the minister said. Jaishankar said India is an exceptional nation because it is a civilisation state. Such a country will only exercise influence when it fully leverages its cultural strengths in the global arena, he said. “To that it is essential that we ourselves, the younger generation, are fully aware of the value and significance of our heritage. This can be articulated at various levels, but most importantly it should have an impact at the societal level,” he said. Jaishankar said India is poised today at a crucial juncture. On the one hand, the last decade has demonstrated that it has the capabilities, confidence and, most importantly, the commitment to advance development across broad fronts. It has shown that the age-old problems of poverty, discrimination and lack of opportunities can be indeed addressed. On the global stage, it has established itself as an independent power but one committed to global good, especially the well-being of the global south, he said. “At the same time, however, the constraints and limitations that have long been our bane still remain in place. There are viewpoints and ideologies which are more pessimistic and even denigrating of ourselves,” added Jaishankar. With PTI Inputs Get Current Updates on India News , Entertainment News along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world. Updated 23:26 IST, December 21st 2024I’m A Celeb fans accuse show of being ‘fixed’ after spotting ‘unfair’ issue with trial

CHARLOTTE, N.C. , Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America Corporation announced today that it will redeem all outstanding shares of its Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series MM (CUSIP No. 060505FR0), liquidation preference $25,000 per share (the "Preferred Stock"), and the corresponding depositary shares each representing a 1/25 th interest in a share of the Preferred Stock (CUSIP No. 060505FQ2) (the "Depositary Shares"). The Depositary Shares will be redeemed simultaneously with the Preferred Stock on the upcoming dividend payment date on January 28, 2025 (the "Redemption Date"), at a redemption price of $1,000 per depositary share. Declared dividends of $21.50 per depositary share in respect of the outstanding Depositary Shares for the full current semi-annual dividend period from, and including, July 28, 2024 to, but excluding, January 28, 2025 will be paid separately on January 28, 2025 , to holders of record on January 1, 2025 , in the customary manner. Accordingly, the redemption price of $1,000 per depositary share does not include any accrued and unpaid dividends. Dividends on the redeemed Depositary Shares will cease to accrue on the Redemption Date. The Depositary Shares are held through The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") and will be redeemed in accordance with the applicable procedures of DTC. Payment to DTC for the Depositary Shares will be made by Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., collectively, as redemption agent. The address for the redemption agent is as follows: Computershare Trust Company, N.A. Attn: Corporate Actions 150 Royall St. Canton, MA 02021 This press release does not constitute a notice of redemption under the certificate of designation governing the Preferred Stock or the deposit agreement governing the Depositary Shares. Bank of America Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States , serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,700 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 58 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States , its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC ) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information contained in this news release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are not guarantees of future results or performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions difficult to predict or beyond our control. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement and should consider the uncertainties and risks discussed under Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 , and in any of our subsequent Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statement was made. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts . www.bankofamerica.com Investors May Contact: Lee McEntire , Bank of America Phone: 1.980.388.6780 [email protected] Jonathan G. Blum , Bank of America (Fixed Income) Phone: 1.212.449.3112 [email protected] Reporters May Contact: Jocelyn Seidenfeld , Bank of America Phone: 1.646.743.3356 [email protected] SOURCE Bank of America CorporationDonald Trump has asked a New York state judge to dismiss the criminal case in which he was convicted in May of 34 felony counts involving hush money paid to a porn star in light of his victory in the November US presidential election. Login or signup to continue reading Justice Juan Merchan in last month delayed Trump's previously scheduled November 26 sentencing indefinitely to give him the chance to seek dismissal. Trump's lawyers argue having the case loom over his four-year presidential term that begins on January 20 would cause "unconstitutional impediments" to the Republican businessman-turned-politician's ability to govern. Prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office supported delaying the sentencing to give Trump the chance to make his case for dismissal, though they said they would oppose that bid. The prosecutors have until Monday to respond. The judge has not indicated when he would rule on Trump's motion to dismiss, and has not set a new date for sentencing. Bragg's office has suggested he defer all proceedings in the case until Trump, 78, leaves the White House in 2029. The New York case stemmed from a $US130,000 ($A200,000) payment Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels for her silence before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter she has said she had a decade earlier with Trump, who denies it. A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records to cover up his reimbursement of Cohen. It was the first time a US president - former or sitting - had been convicted of or charged with a criminal offence. Trump pleaded not guilty in the case, which he has sought to portray as a politically motivated attempt by Bragg, a Democrat, to interfere with his presidential campaign. Falsification of business records is punishable by up to four years in prison. Before he was elected, experts said it was unlikely - but not impossible - that Trump would face time behind bars, with punishments such as a fine or probation seen as more likely. Trump's victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election made the prospect of imposing a sentence of jail or probation even more politically fraught and impractical, given that a sentence could have impeded his ability to conduct the duties of the presidency. Trump was charged in three additional state and federal criminal cases in 2023, one involving classified documents he kept after leaving office and two others involving his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. He pleaded not guilty in all three cases. None have gone to trial. A Washington judge on November 25 dismissed the federal criminal case over his attempts to hold onto power. Prosecutors had moved to drop both that case and the classified documents case due to a Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president. Trump also faces state criminal charges in Georgia over his bid to reverse his 2020 loss in that state, but that case remains in limbo. As president, Trump would have no power to shut down the New York or Georgia cases because they were filed in state courts. Trump in November nominated his defence lawyers in the hush money case, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, to serve senior roles at the Justice Department during his administration. Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. 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ASML IMPORTANT DEADLINE: ROSEN, SKILLED INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages ASML Holding N.V. Investors with Losses in Excess of $100K to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – ASML