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Dock Street Asset Management Inc. reduced its stake in Amazon.com, Inc. ( NASDAQ:AMZN ) by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 369,346 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock after selling 5,847 shares during the period. Amazon.com makes up 9.3% of Dock Street Asset Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Dock Street Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Amazon.com were worth $68,820,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMZN. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Amazon.com by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 785,811,114 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock valued at $141,744,609,000 after buying an additional 14,724,687 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB acquired a new position in Amazon.com in the first quarter valued at $2,239,757,000. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in shares of Amazon.com by 64.6% during the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 29,359,677 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock worth $5,295,899,000 after purchasing an additional 11,524,463 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in shares of Amazon.com by 8.5% during the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 86,982,857 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock worth $15,689,968,000 after purchasing an additional 6,810,145 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Financial Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Amazon.com by 13,606.7% in the 2nd quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 3,932,580 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock valued at $759,971,000 after purchasing an additional 3,903,889 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.20% of the company’s stock. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director Daniel P. Huttenlocher sold 1,237 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.06, for a total value of $246,237.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 24,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,958,982.72. The trade was a 4.73 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . Also, CEO Douglas J. Herrington sold 5,502 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.81, for a total transaction of $1,132,366.62. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 518,911 shares in the company, valued at approximately $106,797,072.91. This trade represents a 1.05 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 6,011,423 shares of company stock valued at $1,249,093,896. Corporate insiders own 10.80% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades View Our Latest Analysis on Amazon.com Amazon.com Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ AMZN opened at $197.12 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The stock has a market cap of $2.07 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.21, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.14. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $193.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $186.31. Amazon.com, Inc. has a 52 week low of $142.81 and a 52 week high of $215.90. Amazon.com ( NASDAQ:AMZN – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The e-commerce giant reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.14 by $0.29. Amazon.com had a net margin of 8.04% and a return on equity of 22.41%. The business had revenue of $158.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $157.28 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.85 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Amazon.com, Inc. will post 5.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Amazon.com Profile ( Free Report ) Amazon.com, Inc engages in the retail sale of consumer products, advertising, and subscriptions service through online and physical stores in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America, International, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). It also manufactures and sells electronic devices, including Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TVs, Echo, Ring, Blink, and eero; and develops and produces media content. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMZN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Amazon.com, Inc. ( NASDAQ:AMZN – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Amazon.com Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amazon.com and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Trump Jr helps pick most controversial cabinetTOKYO, Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MRM) (“MEDIROM”) announces that M3, Inc. (TOKYO PRIME: 2413), or an affiliate within the M3 group, is participating in the Series A equity financing round of MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc., a subsidiary of MEDIROM. NFES Technologies Inc. is the lead investor of the Series A financing round at a pre-money valuation of JPY9 billion. Additional information is available here: https://medirom.co.jp/en/ir/20240824/6148%09 Forward-Looking Statements Regarding MEDIROM Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include estimates or expectations about MEDIROM’s possible or assumed operational results, financial condition, business strategies and plans, market opportunities, competitive position, industry environment, and potential growth opportunities. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “design,” “target,” “aim,” “hope,” “expect,” “could,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “goal,” or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These statements relate to future events or to MEDIROM’s future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause MEDIROM’s actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond MEDIROM’s control and which could, and likely will, affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects MEDIROM’s current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to MEDIROM’s operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. More information on these risks and other potential factors that could affect MEDIROM’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition, and stock price is included in MEDIROM’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including in the “Risk Factors” and “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” sections of MEDIROM’s most recently filed periodic report on Form 20-F and subsequent filings, which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov . MEDIROM assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. ABOUT M3, Inc. M3 is a one of a kind venture company that operates a multitude of global services centred around its physician platform such as m3.com . M3 is the first company incorporated after the year 2000 to be included in the Nikkei 225 Index. Its 330,000+ Japanese and 6,500,000+ global physician member panel serves as a central platform in advancing innovation and reform across healthcare worldwide. Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market (Securities code 2413) 1-11-44 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 JAPAN Web https://corporate.m3.com/en ABOUT MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. A subsidiary of MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MRM), focuses on the health-tech sector. The company’s core activities include the "Specific Health Guidance Program" offered through the "Lav" health application and development and sales of the 24/7 recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet smart tracker. By leveraging the features of the recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet, MOTHER Labs offers customizable health management solutions across diverse sectors, including caregiving, logistics, manufacturing, etc. MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. NASDAQ Symbol: MRM Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Web https://medirom.co.jp/en Contact: ir@medirom.co.jp MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan MOTHER Bracelet is the world's first* 24/7 recharge-free smart tracker. It uses innovative technology from a Silicon Valley tech company that allows for power generation based on temperature differences between body and surrounding air. The recharge-free feature eliminates the risk of data loss when a device is taken off for recharge. MOTHER Bracelet records five basic metrics: heart rate, calories burned, body surface temperature, step count, and sleep. Official Website: https://mother-bracelet.comBanque Cantonale Vaudoise grew its holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. ( NYSE:JPM ) by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 89,119 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,592 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. accounts for about 0.8% of Banque Cantonale Vaudoise’s holdings, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise’s holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. were worth $18,792,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. during the third quarter worth approximately $1,888,088,000. Swedbank AB purchased a new stake in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $800,130,000. Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 23.3% in the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 17,200,124 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,445,185,000 after purchasing an additional 3,252,451 shares during the last quarter. Wulff Hansen & CO. raised its holdings in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 19,920.7% in the 2nd quarter. Wulff Hansen & CO. now owns 2,801,503 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $566,632,000 after purchasing an additional 2,787,510 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Granite Bay Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 6,239.1% during the 2nd quarter. Granite Bay Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,418,572 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $277,456,000 after purchasing an additional 1,396,194 shares during the last quarter. 71.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Stock Up 1.5 % JPM opened at $248.55 on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a 52 week low of $152.71 and a 52 week high of $249.15. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $223.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $211.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. The company has a market cap of $699.75 billion, a PE ratio of 13.83, a P/E/G ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 1.10. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Friday, October 4th were issued a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 4th. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.01%. This is an increase from JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s payout ratio is currently 27.82%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Robert W. Baird lowered JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Citigroup increased their price objective on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $215.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $211.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Evercore ISI upped their price target on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $217.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 14th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $235.00 price objective on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $229.31. Read Our Latest Report on JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Company Profile ( Free Report ) JPMorgan Chase & Co operates as a financial services company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Consumer & Community Banking (CCB), Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB), Commercial Banking (CB), and Asset & Wealth Management (AWM). The CCB segment offers deposit, investment and lending products, cash management, and payments and services; mortgage origination and servicing activities; residential mortgages and home equity loans; and credit cards, auto loans, leases, and travel services to consumers and small businesses through bank branches, ATMs, and digital and telephone banking. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JPM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for JPMorgan Chase & Co. ( NYSE:JPM – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for JPMorgan Chase & Co. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for JPMorgan Chase & Co. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
The year 2024 delivered all the drama technology fans could want: AI dominance, chip wars, smart devices that were anything but, and a social media implosion that's already a case study in corporate mismanagement. From monumental wins to jaw-dropping failures, here's the definitive breakdown of the year's tech highs and lows. Also: The best Black Friday deals live now Losers Elon Musk spent 2024 doubling down on the chaos that turned X into a punchline. Advertisers fled after baffling policy shifts, verified checkmarks became meaningless, and users abandoned ship for Bluesky and Mastodon in droves. Engagement plummeted, and what was once a cultural institution became a meme of its former self. Musk might still call it "the town square," but in 2024, X was more like the local landfill. Also: I tried replacing Twitter with Bluesky, Threads, and Mastodon: Here's what I found Amazon's five-day return-to-office mandate alienated employees, sparked accusations of "quiet firing," and triggered a mass exodus of talent. Workers who couldn't -- or wouldn't -- move closer to offices were forced out, and with them went years of expertise and innovation. This was the HR equivalent of smashing a robot with a sledgehammer for a company obsessed with efficiency. Quiet quitting? More like loud mismanagement. Also: 82% of leaders plan to increase flexible work options in the next two years Tesla's Cybertruck finally hit the road in 2024 -- and immediately rolled into a ditch. Recalls for defective inverters, cameras that didn't work, and windshield wipers that couldn't handle drizzle made the truck a laughingstock. Its resale value tanked, and its polarizing design still looked like a failed geometry assignment. Sure, it turns heads, but only because people can't believe it exists. Apple's Vision Pro wowed in demos and dazzled on paper, but in practice, it was a solution in search of a problem. At $3,500 , it was more curiosity than game-changer, with no killer app to justify the cost. Apple fans drooled, but most consumers shrugged. A technological marvel? Yes. A must-have device? Not even close. Also: Apple to counter new Meta products with its own cheaper headset In 2024, Intel continued to drift further into irrelevance. Its "AI PCs" barely moved the needle , and the 13th and 14th Gen Core processors -- repackaged versions of last year's chips -- left consumers unimpressed. Meanwhile, Arm-based chips like Apple's M4 and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite set new benchmarks for performance and efficiency. Intel used to lead the charge; now it's trailing behind, yelling at the clouds. Also: The fall of Intel: How gen AI helped dethrone a giant and transform computing as we know it CrowdStrike had one job: keep systems secure. Instead, it botched a software update that caused a global IT outage , affecting millions of Windows devices and denting its reputation. For a company built on trust, this colossal failure had customers second-guessing their investments. Cybersecurity giant? More like cybersecurity headache. Also: What caused the great CrowdStrike-Windows meltdown? History has the answer The Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pin proved that just because you can make something "smart" doesn't mean you should. The Rabbit R1 was clunky, impractical, and destined for the junk drawer, while the Humane AI Pin overheated, lacked features, and came with a ridiculous price tag. AI wearables promised innovation but delivered irrelevance. Also: Humane Ai Pin: What went wrong and how it can be fixed (before it's too late) Sonos hit a new low with a buggy app update that frustrated customers and delayed hardware launches. Employee warnings about the rollout were ignored, leading to a $30 million fiasco, a 25% stock drop, and layoffs. For a company synonymous with high-quality sound, 2024 was a tone-deaf performance. Also: Sonos is failing and millions of devices could become e-waste - why open-source audio is our only hope Winners 2024 was the year AI started earning its buzz. Google's rebranding of Bard to Gemini came with the release of Gemma 2 models , which gave developers powerful tools and helped Google claw its way back into the AI race. OpenAI's GPT series remained the gold standard, tackling everything from legal briefs to code fixes, while Adobe's Firefly turned non-designers into creative pros. For once, the AI hype didn't feel overblown. Also: AI isn't hitting a wall, it's just getting too smart for benchmarks, says Anthropic NVIDIA dominated 2024, selling out its Blackwell chips for 2025 before the year even ended. The company raked in $35.1 billion in quarterly revenue, a 94% jump, and pocketed $19.3 billion in profit. It also launched Fugatto, an AI tool for generating and remixing audio, and kicked Intel out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. NVIDIA didn't just win 2024; it owned it. Also: Today's AI ecosystem is unsustainable for most everyone but Nvidia Open source thrived in 2024, with AI models like LLaMA 3, Falcon, and Gemma 2 empowering developers to build without barriers. Meanwhile, proprietary overreach backfired -- HashiCorp's restrictive Terraform license spawned the popular OpenTofu fork. And while the Open Source AI Definition (OSAID) sparked debate, it underscored open source's growing influence. When companies closed doors, open source opened new ones. Also: Open-source AI definition finally gets its first release candidate - and a compromise Arm processors continued their meteoric rise, led by Apple's M4 and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite. The Mac Mini M4 made desktops portable, the M4 MacBook Pros redefined laptop performance, and the M4 iPad Pro rendered traditional laptops obsolete. Snapdragon turned Windows devices into serious contenders, leaving Intel in the dust. Arm wasn't just the future—it was the present. Also: 2 reasons why I recommend the M4 Mac Mini to everyone While X imploded, Bluesky soared . Its decentralized model, sleek interface, and user-first policies made it the social media platform of choice for anyone fleeing Musk's circus. Every time X rolled out a new policy, Bluesky gained users. By year's end, it wasn't just an alternative—it was the new standard. Also: How to use Bluesky Social: Everything to know about the popular X alternative Matter Protocol finally made smart homes functional by forcing Apple, Google, and Amazon to collaborate. Devices that couldn't communicate before were now seamlessly integrated, making smart home setups less of a headache. It's about time. Also: Matter 1.4 now supports more smart home devices and adds new capabilities Meta surprised everyone with Ray-Ban Smart Glasses that were lightweight, stylish, and useful. Hands-free calls and subtle AR overlays made the glasses practical, not gimmicky. For once, AR tech didn't feel embarrassing—it felt innovative. Also: I tested Meta's transparent Ray-Ban smart glasses, and they're a near-perfect accessory for me Apple's iPhone 16 proved you can still dominate with brute hardware force, even if your AI game is... underwhelming. The base model packed the new A18 chip, boasting a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 8GB of RAM -- a serious performance boost that left Android rivals scrambling. The cameras? A 48MP main shooter and improved 12MP ultra-wide lens delivered stunning photos, even if the selfies still look like you. Also: Why I'm recommending the standard iPhone 16 over the Pro this year (and I'm not alone) See you next year As we enter 2025, the tech industry remains a volatile and unpredictable landscape. The winners will continue to push boundaries, while the losers will struggle to adapt to the rapidly changing technological landscape. One thing is certain: The future of tech is full of promise and peril, and the next year promises to be another thrilling ride. The end of ChromeOS is a new dawn for cheap Android laptops This Meta Quest 3 512GB bundle is one of the best early Black Friday VR deals right now This absurdly simple trick turns off AI in your Google Search results 8 Bluesky tips every new user should knowDonald Trump Jr has emerged as the most influential Trump family member in the transition as the president-elect builds the most controversial cabinet in modern US history, according to a half dozen sources with knowledge of his role, elevating inexperienced loyalists over more qualified candidates for top positions in his administration. Login or signup to continue reading Trump, who fiercely prizes loyalty, has long relied on family members for political advice, but which relative has his ear is known to vary. This time, it is Don Jr who has helped cabinet contenders sink or rise to the fore - from championing Senator JD Vance as Trump's running mate to blocking former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from joining the cabinet, according to the sources, who include donors, personal friends and political allies. Don Jr is due to join conservative venture capital fund 1789 Capital, although one of the sources said he will continue to host his politics-focused podcast and support candidates that espouse Trump's brand of politics. He will provide advice to his father in the White House, the source added, although they cautioned that Don Jr was unlikely to be involved in day-to-day deliberations. Don Jr and the Trump-Vance transition team did not respond to a request for comment. In addition to ensuring candidates are loyal to his father, Don Jr typically seeks out contenders who embrace an anti-establishment worldview, including protectionist economic policies, and a reduction in military interventions and overseas aid, according to a handful of the sources and Don Jr's own comments on social media site X and in public. Two of the candidates Don Jr championed may face a rocky confirmation process in the Senate: Robert F Kennedy Jr, who Trump plans to nominate as the top US health official, and Tulsi Gabbard, who Trump plans to nominate as intelligence chief. Kennedy is an environmental activist who has spread misinformation on vaccines. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, implied that Russian President Vladimir Putin had valid grounds for invading Ukraine and stirred controversy when she met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the midst of his bloody crackdown on dissidents in 2017. Don Jr was also instrumental in lobbying his father to pick his close friend Vance as Trump's running mate - a win that has given him extra political capital as an adviser during the transition, one of the sources added. "The reality this time is we actually know what we're doing," Don Jr told Fox News earlier this month. "And it's about surrounding my father with people who are both competent and loyal." Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner were prominent in his 2016 presidential campaign, the subsequent transition and throughout his first term. This time, they are far less active, although Kushner, formerly Trump's senior adviser who focused on the Middle East, told Reuters that he is briefing real estate investor Steve Witkoff on his new job as special envoy to the region. "I have been working with Witkoff to get him up to speed on Trump's past efforts," Kushner said through a spokesperson. A half-dozen sources close to Kushner said they expect him to be involved in Middle Eastern policy in an unofficial capacity, with the goal of normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia under an expansion of the 2020 Abraham Accords. Kushner helped broker the accords, a series of normalisation agreements between Israel and Arab nations. Kushner, Ivanka and sibling Eric Trump, who runs the Trump Organization business, do not plan to join the new administration, according to their representatives as well as sources. One source close to the transition said Trump does not appear to need his family for advice as much as in the past because of aides like Susie Wiles, who helped to run the most disciplined of his election campaigns to date. Trump has named Wiles as his chief of staff, a powerful position in Washington. "Stuff is really buttoned down," the source said of Trump's current team. "He may not need the family this time like he used to." 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ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 2, 2024-- Volato Group, Inc. (NYSE American: SOAR), a leader in private aviation innovation, announces a new patent-pending technology that advances how aircraft generate revenue by repurposing underutilized aircraft resources for cryptocurrency mining. First filed in 2023, this innovation has already benefited from significant Bitcoin price appreciation, reinforcing its potential to turn aviation’s untapped resources into valuable digital assets. By default, the system operates using excess electricity generated during normal flight operations, ensuring seamless integration with no additional costs or resource demands. However, the system is designed to dynamically scale up and utilize additional onboard electricity when spoiled capacity—such as unoccupied seats or unused cargo space—occurs. This flexibility allows operators to transform inefficiencies into valuable Bitcoin assets, maximizing revenue potential while maintaining operational integrity. Bitcoin Mining Tailored for Aviation At the heart of Volato’s invention is its patented use of specialty mining hardware, optimized to achieve peak performance at high altitudes. By operating in the cool and energy-rich environment of cruising aircraft, the system delivers superior efficiency compared to ground-based mining setups. Aircraft operators can seamlessly integrate this technology into standard operations, turning inefficiencies into opportunities without impacting the aircraft’s primary function. “Our technology secures a future where aircraft don’t just move people or goods—they actively create value through advanced computing,” said Matt Liotta, CEO of Volato. “As Bitcoin adoption continues to accelerate, this innovation ensures that aviation can participate in its evolution while leveraging its unique operating environment.” Sustainability Meets Profitability Volato’s patent-pending system aligns with aviation’s growing focus on sustainability. The revenue generated from Bitcoin mining can support the purchase of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) or fund carbon offset programs, offering a pathway to enhance profitability while reducing environmental impact. This dual benefit positions Volato’s technology as an attractive tool for forward-thinking aircraft operators. Opportunities for Partners Volato is actively seeking partners across the aviation and cryptocurrency sectors to refine and scale this innovation. Partnership opportunities include validating operational performance, tailoring the system for specific fleet needs, and exploring broader applications beyond Bitcoin mining. “Collaboration will be key to unlocking the full potential of this invention,” Liotta added. “We welcome partners who see the opportunity to shape the future of aviation and cryptocurrency together.” Broad Applications Across Aviation This technology is versatile, with applications ranging from private aviation to commercial and cargo operations. Whether deployed on a smaller jet or a large transport aircraft, the system adapts to maximize value generation in every flight scenario. The commercial aviation sector alone, with a Total Addressable Market (TAM) of approximately 25,600 aircraft, demonstrates the immense scalability of the system. Volato’s patent-pending innovation transforms aviation into a platform for advanced computing, providing a new layer of financial optimization. With Bitcoin’s significant price appreciation over the past year and its long-term potential, this technology offers a unique way to capitalize on underutilized resources. By turning inefficiencies into Bitcoin assets, Volato is positioning aviation to lead in the next wave of cryptocurrency innovation. About Volato Volato (NYSE American: SOAR) is a private aviation company advancing the industry with innovative solutions in aviation software and on-demand flight access. Volato’s proprietary Mission Control software drives efficiency across operations and supports operators in managing fractional ownership, charter, and other services. Volato’s Vaunt platform connects travelers with available private flights, offering a flexible option for on-demand travel. With a commitment to advanced technology and customer-focused solutions, Volato is building scalable tools to elevate service quality and operational effectiveness in private aviation. For more information about Volato, please visit www.flyvolato.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241202589135/en/ CONTACT: For Media: media@flyvolato.comFor Investors: investors@flyvolato.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA GEORGIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOFTWARE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DATA MANAGEMENT OTHER TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY DIGITAL CASH MANAGEMENT/DIGITAL ASSETS TRAVEL CRYPTOCURRENCY AIR TRANSPORT AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING SOURCE: Volato Group, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/02/2024 04:00 PM/DISC: 12/02/2024 04:03 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241202589135/enNEW YORK (AP) — More shoppers than ever are on track to use ‘buy now, pay later’ plans this holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt. The data firm Adobe Analytics predicts shoppers will spend 11.4% more this holiday season using buy now, pay later than they did a year ago. The company forecasts shoppers will purchase $18.5 billion worth of goods using the third-party services for the period Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, with $993 million worth of purchases on Cyber Monday alone. Buy now, pay later can be particularly appealing to consumers who have low credit scores or no credit history, such as younger shoppers, because most of the companies providing the service run only soft credit checks and don’t report the loans and payment histories to the credit bureaus, unlike credit card companies. This holiday season, buy now, pay later users can also feel more confident if a transaction goes awry. In May, the CFPB said buy now, pay later company must adhere to other regulations that govern traditional credit, such as providing ways to demand refunds and dispute transactions. To use a buy now, pay later plan, consumers typically sign up with bank account information or a debit or credit card, and agree to pay for purchases in monthly installments, typically over eight weeks or more. The loans are marketed as requiring no or low interest, or only conditional fees, such as for late payment. Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm are three of the biggest buy now, pay later companies. But consumer advocates warn that shoppers who sign up for the payment plans using a credit card can be hit with more interest and fees. That's because individuals open themselves up to interest on the credit card payment, if it's carried month to month, on top of any late fees, interest, or penalties from the buy now, pay later loan itself. Experts advise against using a credit card to pay for these plans for this reason. Consumer watchdogs also say the plans lead consumers to overextend themselves because, for example, not paying full price up front leaves, in the shopper’s mind at least, more money for smaller purchases . They also caution consumers to keep careful track of using multiple buy now, pay later services, as the automatic payments can add up, and there is no central reporting, such as with a credit card statement. “Buy now, pay later can be an innovative tool for purchases you’re going to make anyway,” said Mark Elliott, chief customer officer at financial services company LendingClub. “The challenge is that it does fuel overspending.” For merchants, that’s part of the appeal. Retailers have found that customers are more likely to have bigger cart sizes or to convert from browsing to checking out when buy now, pay later is offered. One report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York cited research that found customers spend 20% more when buy now, pay later is available. “The reality is that the increased cost-of-living and inflation have put more people in a situation where they’re already relying on revolving credit,” Elliott said. “The psychographics of ‘buy now, pay later’ may be different — people don’t think of it as debt — but it is.” If a consumer misses a payment, they can face fees, interest, or the possibility of being locked out of using the services in the future. Emily Childers, consumer financial expert for personal-finance technology company Credit Karma, said that internal data shows member credit card balances are up more than 50% for Gen Z and millennial members since March 2022, when the Fed started raising interest rates. “Young people are entering this holiday season already in the red,” she said. “And, based on what we’re seeing in the data, they’re continuing to bury their heads in the sand and spend.” The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
‘Disrespecting the game’: Legend calls for India to ‘have a little word’ with fiery quick after Head send-offAirports and highways are expected to be jam-packed during Thanksgiving week, a holiday period likely to end with another record day for air travel in the United States. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday, most of them by car. However, travelers could be impacted by ongoing weather challenges and those flying to their destinations could be grounded by delays brought on by airline staffing shortages and an airport service workers strike . Here’s what we’re following today: Here’s the latest: “We cannot live on the wages that we are being paid,” ABM cabin cleaner Priscilla Hoyle said at a rally earlier Monday. “I can honestly say it’s hard every single day with my children, working a full-time job but having to look my kids in the eyes and sit there and say, ’I don’t know if we’re going to have a home today.’” Timothy Lowe II, a wheelchair attendant, said he has to figure out where to spend the night because he doesn’t make enough for a deposit on a home. “We just want to be able to have everything that’s a necessity paid for by the job that hired us to do a great job so they can make billions,” he said. ABM said it is “committed to addressing concerns swiftly” and that there are avenues for employees to communicate issues, including a national hotline and a “general open door policy for managers at our worksite.” Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services cast ballots Friday to authorize the work stoppage at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines. They described living paycheck to paycheck while performing jobs that keep planes running on schedule. Most of them earn $12.50 to $19 an hour, union officials said. Rev. Glencie Rhedrick of Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice said those workers should make $22 to $25 an hour. The strike is expected to last 24 hours. Several hundred workers participated in the work stoppage. Forty-four fights have been canceled today and nearly 1,900 were delayed by midday on the East Coast, according to FlightAware . According to the organization’s cheekily named MiseryMap , San Francisco International Airport is having the most hiccups right now, with 53 delays and three cancellations between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST. While that might sound like a lot of delays, they might not be so bad compared to last Friday when the airport suffered 671 delays and 69 cancellations. In an apparent effort to reduce the headaches caused by airport line cutting, American Airlines has rolled out boarding technology that alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group. This new software won’t accept a boarding pass before the group it’s assigned to is called, so customers who get to the gate prematurely will be asked to go back and wait their turn. As of Wednesday, the airline announced, the technology is now being used in more than 100 U.S. airports that American flies out of. The official expansion arrives after successful tests in three of these locations — Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Tucson International Airport. ▶ Read more about American Airlines’ new boarding technology Travel can be stressful in the best of times. Now add in the high-level anxiety that seems to be baked into every holiday season and it’s clear travelers could use some help calming frazzled nerves. Here are a few ways to make your holiday journey a little less stressful: ▶ Read more tips about staying grounded during holiday travel Thanksgiving Day takes place late this year, with the fourth Thursday of November falling on Nov. 28. That shortens the traditional shopping season and changes the rhythm of holiday travel. With more time before the holiday , people tend to spread out their outbound travel over more days, but everyone returns at the same time, said Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines . “A late Thanksgiving leads to a big crush at the end,” Watterson said. “The Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving are usually very busy with Thanksgiving this late.” Airlines did a relatively good job of handling holiday crowds last year, when the weather was mild in most of the country. Fewer than 400 U.S. flights were canceled during Thanksgiving week in 2023 — about one out of every 450 flights. So far in 2024, airlines have canceled about 1.3% of all flights. Drivers should know that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will be the worst times to travel by car, but it should be smooth sailing on freeways come Thanksgiving Day, according to transportation analytics company INRIX. On the return home, the best travel times for motorists are before 1 p.m. on Sunday, and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Monday, the company said. In metropolitan areas like Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, “traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day,” INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue said. Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that he expects his agency to use special measures at some facilities to deal with an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers. In the past, those facilities have included airports in New York City and Florida. “If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” Whitaker said. The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of controllers that airline officials expect will last for years, despite the agency’s lofty hiring goals. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving travel across the U.S. Workers who clean airplanes, remove trash and help with wheelchairs at Charlotte’s airport, one of the nation’s busiest, went on strike Monday to demand higher wages. The Service Employees International Union announced the strike in a statement early Monday, saying the workers would demand “an end to poverty wages and respect on the job during the holiday travel season.” The strike was expected to last 24 hours, said union spokesperson Sean Keady. Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services cast ballots Friday to authorize the work stoppage at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines. The two companies contract with American, one of the world’s biggest carriers, to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs. ▶ Read more about the Charlotte airport workers’ strike Parts of the Midwest and East Coast can expect to see heavy rain into Thanksgiving, and there’s potential for snow in Northeastern states. A storm last week brought rain to New York and New Jersey, where wildfires have raged in recent weeks, and heavy snow to northeastern Pennsylvania. The precipitation was expected to help ease drought conditions after an exceptionally dry fall. Heavy snow fell in northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Pocono Mountains. Higher elevations reported up to 17 inches, with lesser accumulations in valley cities including Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Around 35,000 customers in 10 counties were still without power, down from 80,000 a day ago. In the Catskills region of New York, nearly 10,000 people remained without power Sunday morning, two days after a storm dumped heavy snow on parts of the region. Precipitation in West Virginia helped put a dent in the state’s worst drought in at least two decades and boosted ski resorts as they prepare to open in the weeks ahead. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving week weather forecasts Two people died in the Pacific Northwest after a rapidly intensifying “ bomb cyclone ” hit the West Coast last Tuesday, bringing fierce winds that toppled trees and power lines and damaged homes and cars. Hundreds of thousands lost electricity in Washington state before powerful gusts and record rains moved into Northern California. Forecasters said the risk of flooding and mudslides remained as the region will get more rain starting Sunday. But the latest storm won’t be as intense as last week’s atmospheric river , a long plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows over land. “However, there’s still threats, smaller threats, and not as significant in terms of magnitude, that are still going to exist across the West Coast for the next two or three days,” weather service forecaster Rich Otto said. As the rain moves east throughout the week, Otto said, there’s a potential for heavy snowfall at higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada, as well as portions of Utah and Colorado. California’s Mammoth Mountain, which received 2 feet of fresh snow in the recent storm, could get another 4 feet before the newest system clears out Wednesday, the resort said. Another round of wintry weather could complicate travel leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, according to forecasts across the U.S., while California and Washington state continue to recover from storm damage and power outages. In California, where two people were found dead in floodwaters on Saturday, authorities braced for more rain while grappling with flooding and small landslides from a previous storm . Here’s a look at some of the regional forecasts: ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving week weather forecastsWith leading technology packed into a bed system, smart beds don't come cheap. If you're looking to take the plunge and invest in a smart bed this Cyber Monday, you need to be sure they are worth your money. While smart beds can help those battling night sweats, muscle pain and snoring by offering helpful data and insights into our sleep patterns and adjusting our sleeping conditions, we're also confident our best mattresses of the year can meet many sleep styles and sleep needs. So who suits a smart bed and who doesn't? We're taking a look at who we think will benefit from these high-tech mattresses and who's better sticking with a more traditional style bed. We'll also round up some of the best Cyber Monday mattress deals on smart beds so you can decide for yourself. What is a smart bed? A smart bed is any mattress, mattress cover or bed base that uses technology to create an ideal sleep environment and help you get quality sleep. Different smart beds have different specialities, but main features include temperature regulation, dual position control, adjustable firmness and sleep tracking. Who should buy a smart bed? Smart beds will suit specific sleep needs and styles. They will be a good match for you if you experience back pain, night sweats or restless legs . Here's why... Hot sleepers A selling point of smart beds is their outstanding climate control functionality. Namely, Eight Sleep pods offer dual temperature regulation and interesting climate features like a thermal alarm and bedtime cooling. The smart mattress covers are lined with water pipes connected to a control hub with a water tank. These pods help hot sleepers as they measure body temperature throughout the night and adjust the temperature of your bed throughout the night to keep wick away night sweats and keep you at an optimal sleep temperature . Sleepers with muscle and joint pain Smart beds with Zero Gravity positioning where the top and bottom of the bed elevate to provide the most comfortable sleeping position are especially beneficial for anyone kept awake by back pain or sore joints. This is become this adjustable positioning enables you to alleviate stress put on the usual pressure points. Sleeping in the most comfortable position possible also ensures your spine is aligned and supported to reduce back pain. Additionally, smart beds are some of the best mattresses for back pain with responsive firmness that adjusts to your movements through the night, providing the right level of firmness for your sleep position. You will need a softer bed surface when sleeping on your side and a firmer, more supportive one if you flip onto your stomach or back. So, these beds ensure you remain comfortable and supported no matter the way you sleep. People who snore Smart bed bases tend to offer adjustable, responsive positioning that elevates the head or feet. This feature is beneficial for snorers as adjusting the position of the head during the night can help open up airways and mitigate noisy breathing (ie snoring). Smart beds like the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Ergo smart power base have specialised snoring mitigation technology that detects snoring and adjusts head position accordingly. Couples who disagree With dual temperature control and dual adjustable firmness and positioning, smart beds allow you to customize your side of the bed. You can make it as warm and cozy as you like without sending you partner into pools of sweat next to you. You can elevate your head or foot position or adjust firmness to achieve optimal comfort without affecting the feel of the bed on their side. Couples with different sleep styles, sleep needs and body weight will particularly benefit from these features, especially if different sleep habits are calling for a sleep divorce . Who should avoid smart beds? There's no denying that smart beds can elevate your sleep routine, teaching you about different sleep metrics and keeping you comfortable all night long. But that doesn't mean they are a worthy investment for everyone. So, who don't we recommend a smart bed to? Let's take a look... Anyone shopping on a budget On sale or not, these high-spec smart beds are no budget buy. You pay for the plush sleep experience you get. Nightly body scans and sleep analysis reports can rack up a hefty bill. Although Sleep Number has some budget options under $1,000 like the c1 and c2 smart beds , most other brand's prices start upwards of $2,000 and reach up to $10,000. Plus you have to consider extra costs incurred. Remember some 'smart beds' aren't actually complete beds and you must purchase a mattress or bedframe separately. Eight Sleep even has a monthly subscription fee to access its full smart functionality via its app. People with little tech knowledge Integrated with tech and mostly operated through compatible smart phone apps requiring WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, smart bed systems require technical knowledge to get them set up and to benefit from all the smart features. That said, if you are looking to customize their bed without the need for mobile connectivity, we recommend the Saatva Solaire . This adjustable firmness smart bed has 50 precise firmness preferences and is fully operated via a remote control. Do note, however, you won't get sleep tracking or smart temperature regulation. People who don't struggle to sleep If you're sleeping soundly on your existing bed, be it a luxury mattress or one this year's best cheap mattresses , we reckon your money would be better invested elsewhere. While a smart bed can help health issues affecting sleep, people without sleep troubles wouldn't benefit as much from nightly sleep reports or a customizable sleep surface. Instead you could revamp your sleep space with this year's best pillows or shop the current Black Friday bedding deals . Is Black Friday a good time to buy a smart bed? Smart bed mattress sales coincide with usual mattress sales we see throughout the year, meaning Cyber Monday is in fact the best time to buy . As high-tech products produced by leading sleep tech specialists, savings are rarely huge on smart beds throughout the year. But you can now save big at our two leading smart bed retailers as Sleep Number mattress sales and Eight Sleep mattress sales are live, offering savings of up to $3,799 and $400 respectively.After his team's 102-89 home win on Wednesday night over Purdue Fort Wayne, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades challenged his team's fan base to show up and make more noise. "Sweat with us," he said at one point. At 5-0, the Nittany Lions haven't had to sweat much to get off to a fast start. They might not have to expend much perspiration to make it 6-0 on Monday when they meet Fordham in a semifinal matchup at the Sunshine Slam tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla. Penn State hasn't played a strong schedule so far, but the team has been impressive. It's averaging 98.2 points per game and 13.8 steals per game, both of which ranked second in Division I through Saturday's play. The Nittany Lions were seventh per kenpom.com in turnover rate, forcing 25.3 per 100 possessions. Point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. is leading the charge, scoring 16.4 points and dishing out 7.8 assists while chipping in 2.6 steals. Zach Hicks has nearly doubled his scoring average from 8.4 last season to 15.8 this season, while Northern Illinois transfer Yanic Konan Niederhauser has beefed up the interior, tallying 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. Meanwhile, Fordham (3-3) is coming off a 73-71 home loss Friday night against Drexel in New York. The Rams blew a seven-point lead early in the second half and missed a chance to force overtime when leading scorer Jackie Johnson III missed a layup as time expired. Johnson, a UNLV transfer, is averaging 19 points per game and is making nearly 48 percent of his shots as one of three Rams with double-figure scoring averages. Jahmere Tripp scores at an 11.0 clip while Japhet Medor is contributed 10.5, but Fordham is struggling to make shots, canning only 41.5 percent from the field. The Rams were picked for a 14th-place finish in the Atlantic 10 despite returning more scoring than any team in the league except for VCU. Third-year coach Keith Urgo thinks his team can defy low external expectations. "We're experienced and I think we're poised to have a tremendous year," he said. --Field Level Media
NEW YORK (AP) — More shoppers than ever are on track to use ‘buy now, pay later’ plans this holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt. The data firm Adobe Analytics predicts shoppers will spend 11.4% more this holiday season using buy now, pay later than they did a year ago. The company forecasts shoppers will purchase $18.5 billion worth of goods using the third-party services for the period Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, with $993 million worth of purchases on Cyber Monday alone. Buy now, pay later can be particularly appealing to consumers who have low credit scores or no credit history, such as younger shoppers, because most of the companies providing the service run only soft credit checks and don’t report the loans and payment histories to the credit bureaus, unlike credit card companies. This holiday season, buy now, pay later users can also feel more confident if a transaction goes awry. In May, the CFPB said buy now, pay later company must adhere to other regulations that govern traditional credit, such as providing ways to demand refunds and dispute transactions. To use a buy now, pay later plan, consumers typically sign up with bank account information or a debit or credit card, and agree to pay for purchases in monthly installments, typically over eight weeks or more. The loans are marketed as requiring no or low interest, or only conditional fees, such as for late payment. Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm are three of the biggest buy now, pay later companies. But consumer advocates warn that shoppers who sign up for the payment plans using a credit card can be hit with more interest and fees. That's because individuals open themselves up to interest on the credit card payment, if it's carried month to month, on top of any late fees, interest, or penalties from the buy now, pay later loan itself. Experts advise against using a credit card to pay for these plans for this reason. Consumer watchdogs also say the plans lead consumers to overextend themselves because, for example, not paying full price up front leaves, in the shopper’s mind at least, more money for smaller purchases . They also caution consumers to keep careful track of using multiple buy now, pay later services, as the automatic payments can add up, and there is no central reporting, such as with a credit card statement. “Buy now, pay later can be an innovative tool for purchases you’re going to make anyway,” said Mark Elliott, chief customer officer at financial services company LendingClub. “The challenge is that it does fuel overspending.” For merchants, that’s part of the appeal. Retailers have found that customers are more likely to have bigger cart sizes or to convert from browsing to checking out when buy now, pay later is offered. One report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York cited research that found customers spend 20% more when buy now, pay later is available. “The reality is that the increased cost-of-living and inflation have put more people in a situation where they’re already relying on revolving credit,” Elliott said. “The psychographics of ‘buy now, pay later’ may be different — people don’t think of it as debt — but it is.” If a consumer misses a payment, they can face fees, interest, or the possibility of being locked out of using the services in the future. Emily Childers, consumer financial expert for personal-finance technology company Credit Karma, said that internal data shows member credit card balances are up more than 50% for Gen Z and millennial members since March 2022, when the Fed started raising interest rates. “Young people are entering this holiday season already in the red,” she said. “And, based on what we’re seeing in the data, they’re continuing to bury their heads in the sand and spend.” The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
NoneThree long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran, who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.
AI voice-clone scams are on the rise, according to security experts Voice-enabled AI models can be used to imitate loved ones Experts recommend agreeing a safe phrase with friends and family The next spam call you receive might not be a real person – and your ear won’t be able to tell the difference. Scammers are using voice-enabled AI models to automate their fraudulent schemes, tricking individuals by imitating real human callers, including family members. Scam calls aren't new, but AI-powered ones are a new dangerous breed. They use generative AI to imitate not just authorities or celebrities, but friends and family. The arrival of AI models trained on human voices has unlocked a new realm of risk when it comes to phone scams. These tools, such as OpenAI ’s voice API, support real-time conversation between a human and the AI model. With a small amount of code, these models can be programmed to execute phone scams automatically, encouraging victims to disclose sensitive information. So how can you stay safe? What makes the threat so problematic is not just how easily and cheaply it can be deployed, but how convincing AI voices have become . OpenAI faced backlash for its Sky voice option earlier this year, which sounded spookily like Scarlett Johansson, while Sir David Attenborough has described himself as “profoundly disturbed” by an AI voice clone which was indistinguishable from his real speech. Just a few seconds of audio is enough to simulate the voice of a loved-one. This could easily be sourced form a video shared on social media. Even tools designed to beat scammers demonstrate how blurred the lines have become. UK network O2 recently launched Daisy , an AI grandma designed to trap phone scammers in a time-wasting conversation, which they believe is with a real senior citizen. It’s a clever use of the technology, but also one that shows just how well AI can simulate human interactions. Disturbingly, fraudsters can train AI voices based on very small audio samples. According to F-Secure , a cybersecurity firm, just a few seconds of audio is enough to simulate the voice of a loved-one. This could easily be sourced form a video shared on social media. The basic concept of a voice-clone scam is similar to standard phone scams: cybercriminals impersonate someone to gain the victim’s trust, then create a sense of urgency which encourages them to disclose sensitive information or transfer money to the fraudster. Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more. Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content. The difference with voice-clone scams are two-fold. Firstly, the criminals can automate the process with code, allowing them to target more people, more quickly and for less money. Secondly, they are able to imitate not just authorities and celebrities, but people known directly to you. All that’s required is an audio sample, which is usually taken from a video online. This is then analyzed by the AI model and imitated, allowing it to be used in deceptive interactions. One increasingly common technique is for the AI model to imitate a family member requesting money in an emergency. The technology can also be used to simulate voices of high-profile individuals to manipulate victims. Scammers recently used an AI voice clone of Queensland Premier, Steven Miles , to try an execute an investment con. According to Starling Bank , a digital lender, 28% of UK adults say they have been targeted by AI voice-clone scams, yet only 30% are confident that they’d know how to recognize one. That’s why Starling launched its Safe Phrases campaign, which encourages friends and family to agree a secret phrase which they can use to confirm each other’s identity – and that's a wise tactic. 1. Agree a safe phrase with friends and family 2. Ask the caller to confirm some recent private information 3. Listen for uneven stresses on words or emotionless talk 4. Hang up and call the person back 5. Be wary of unusual requests, like requests for bank details Even without a pre-agreed safe phrase, you can use a similar tactic if you’re ever in doubt as to the veracity of a caller’s identity. AI voice clones can imitate a person’s speech pattern, but they won’t necessarily have access to private information. Asking the caller to confirm something that only they would know, such as information shared in the last conversation you had, is one step closer to certainty. Trust your ear as well. While AI voice clones are very convincing, they aren’t 100% accurate. Listen for tell-tale signs such as uneven stresses on certain words, emotionless expression or slurring. Scammers have the ability to mask the number they’re calling from and may even appear to be calling from your friend’s number. If you’re ever in doubt, the safest thing you can do is hang up and call the person back on the usual number you have for them. Voice-clone scams also rely on the same tactics as traditional phone scams. These tactics aim to apply emotional pressure and create a sense of urgency, to force you into taking an action your otherwise wouldn’t. Be alert to these and be wary of unusual requests, especially when it relates to making a money transfer. The same red flags apply to callers claiming to be from your bank or another authority. It pays to be familiar with the procedures used by your bank when contacting you. Starling, for example, has a call status indicator in its app, which can you check at any time to see if the bank is genuinely calling you. I cloned my voice with AI and even my wife can’t tell the difference A "fakeness score" could help people identify AI generated content This new scarily realistic AI-call scam is targeting Gmail users
When Colorado voters were asked in 2022 to allow grocery stores to sell wine — lifting a 107-year restriction the industry repeatedly and unsuccessfully tried to beat back legislatively for decades — proponents billed it as a win for consumers’ pocketbooks and the leveling of the playing field for alcohol sales statewide. With far less money in their campaign war chest against Proposition 125, independent liquor store owners fought back with claims that their businesses would be ravaged by an already-competitive market that ultimately favored the larger retailers. The days of the local family-owned liquor store, they said, would be numbered. For many of those stores, the predictions were right. In the two years since 50.6% of state voters passed the measure, dozens of independently owned liquor stores have closed, a Denver Gazette analysis found. The way they described it, with Proposition 125 in place, they were to the edges of fiscal solvency by grocery store chains that sustained penny profits until their competition was emaciated. And the likelihood that scores more are expected to shutter in the coming year — a handful of industry watchers estimate that as many as 400 additional liquor stores will be forced to close by 2026 — appears by some to be a conservative guess. The trade group of grocers in Colorado countered that the change is ultimately benefitting consumers. The reasons are varied, the owners and industry insiders told the Denver Gazette. In some cases, it was a liquor industry that couldn’t compete with chain-owned grocers that drew in and kept the clientele that would normally have stopped only for dinner items and then elsewhere for wine or beer. In other cases, it was savvy big-box retailers that also dispensed prescriptions — Costco and Sam’s Club among them — that tapped into a little-used decades-old liquor license that was originally designed for local pharmacies. And in still others, it was grocery chains that saw they could simply outlast any nearby independent liquor store owner long enough to make the latter’s license virtually worthless for any resale consideration. What voters ultimately approved was a cutthroat industry that in a short timeframe has turned into a bloody and apparently one-sided brawl. What’s more, the state’s craft brewers say they are equally feeling the pinch — dozens have already closed or have diminished their output — because demand for their product lines has also dropped, largely the combined result of fewer local-friendly liquor stores and grocers with little appetite to offer prime shelf space to unproven brands. “The number of stores closing or near closing is a train wreck that is happening and we can see it getting worse,” said Bruce Dierking, co-founder of Hazel’s Beverage World in Boulder and longtime proponent of independent liquor store rights. “I’d say broadly that I knew it would be bad (if Proposition 125 passed), but it’s been worse. For every independent it’s been at least a gut punch if not more devastating.” What stung all the more was only 15 of 64 counties passed the measure, carried mostly by the largest Front Range counties, although it did lose in Jefferson, Boulder, Pueblo and Larimer counties. Another, Proposition 126, which sought to allow third-party deliveries of booze was narrowly defeated. When Prop 125 went into effect in March 2023, the number of stores competing to sell beer and wine literally doubled, as 1,934 outlets that sold 3.2 beer were converted. At the time, there were 1,603 licensed retail liquor stores in Colorado, state records show. By September 2024, the number of independent liquor store licenses had dropped to 1,572, a number experts say is deceptive since licensees are not required to report whether they’ve closed their shop or intend to sell. “I hear of so many others who say they can hold on another year or two until their lease is up,” Dierking said. “Remember, if they close they still have to pay that lease.” The biggest hit hasn’t been in overall sales — state sales tax figures suggest the consumption of alcohol has actually dropped the past few years — but rather foot traffic through the front door. Some store owners have said it’s been a one-third drop; others said their customer traffic has decreased by more than half. “The people through the door has fallen so precipitously,” Dierking said. “We knew it would hurt wine sales, but it’s been much more than expected.” In 2016, independent liquor store owners witnessed a renewed effort by retail grocers to land the right to sell full-strength alcohol. It had been nearly 35 years since the last time voters were asked to allow wine into grocery stores and it failed. To shortcut what might be a more successful process, though, liquor licensees came up with a grand compromise in the Colorado Senate that looked to preserve some of the old ways of selling booze while allowing for newer phased-in rules to apply. It would set up a 20-year phase out of the state’s post-prohibition ban on grocery store alcohol sales. Grocers with drugstore components were allowed to sell beer in a single location, but could add additional stores over time with an eventual unlimited number of licenses allowed by 2037. Put simply, grocers and convenience stores could sell full-strength beer by 2019 and if grocers wanted to sell anything harder or add locations, they’d have to first acquire the liquor license of an existing store if it was within a 1,500-foot radius or 3,000 feet for towns of fewer than 10,000 people. “I was part of that compromise and I regret it,” Dierking said. “It was like a compromise with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. A few short years later, they came back to break the deal.” A key restriction was that drug-store liquor licensees would not be limited in the number of locations they could operate, while independent liquor store owners were. “A retail liquor store ... could never have more than four stores selling beer and wine and spirits in competition with grocery chains and their hundreds of stores selling everything from food to tires to dog food — something independent liquor stores cannot do,” Jim Shpall of Applejack Wine & Spirits told legislators in July 2023 during unsuccessful efforts to change the laws. Prop 125 “blew open the doors” and the industry has tried to grapple with the outcome, Shpall said. Worst, one store owner said, was its passage came just after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “COVID years must be asterisked as most liquor store owners saw a large boost in sales that eroded as soon as the world started re-opening,” said Peter Cook, owner of ACME Liquor Store in Crested Butte. “Since then, the addition of wine to the chain stores has been devastating. Immediately, we saw sales drop 35%. Last fall, off-season sales were down 40%. This year has trended 10-15% down from those numbers.” Struggling to keep up, shop owners chose not to fill employee vacancies as they occurred rather than strip their ranks. Others pared down the amount they bought from wholesalers, with some even stopping altogether. “At the end of the day, I didn’t have a business that could hold water anymore,” said Joe Brunner, owner of Lukas Liquors in Highlands Ranch. The shop closed after 27 years and auctioned its inventory this summer. “Bigger pockets than me blocked me out. Colorado is a horrible state for small business and a great state for corporations.” Brunner predicted as many as 800 additional liquor stores will close over the next two years. “I thought I could survive but at the end of the day the consumers simply didn’t want it anymore,” he said. “We voted for this and I was on the other side of the vote and I lost. That’s how it works. It sucks that it happened to me and I wish it was them instead.” Retail grocers were supported by the Colorado Retail Council in all its battles, a trade association that argued consumers would ultimately win. “Go into any grocery store and see the wine and the variety and see if people are buying and that’s a pretty good way to tell,” CRC president Christopher Howes said. “Yeah, it’s been wildly popular. As we said for at least a decade, the customer ultimately wins and the prices are really appealing and the convenience is there.” During the Prop 125 campaign, proponents said selling alcohol in grocery stores was a safer prospect than those in corner liquor shops. But state law enforcement records show it’s a draw. Ninety retail liquor licensees were cited for selling alcohol to a minor in 2022, while 92 grocery locations were similarly cited, records obtained by The Denver Gazette show. In 2023, after Prop 125 took effect, the state cited 112 retail liquor stores for selling to minors and 113 grocery and convenience stores. The numbers are nearly identical for 2024, with 83 licensees cited in each category through October. In 2024, liquor store owners made an effort with House Bill 24-1373 to lessen the sting of Prop 125 by eliminating the liquor-licensed drugstore license and convert them to malt beverage and wine retailer licenses — in essence, protecting liquor stores’ right to sell spirits by allowing only a single store in a grocery chain to do so. It also would prevent “large national grocery store chains from mandating they receive free labor from alcohol distributors, which currently occurs daily,” according to a letter United Food & Commercial Workers Local 7 president Kim Cordova sent to legislators in April 2024. In essence, liquor stores provide the labor to stock their shelves, while grocers have demanded the distributors do it. "We don't require the sales reps to unload or stock," said Trent Olson, owner of Riverwalk Wine & Spirits in Edwards. "Grocery stores have been demanding it without any increase in sales. What folks didn't realize is that wine into grocery stores added about 1,500 new stops to those locations for distributors, increasing costs we have to cover." Most didn’t see HB 24-1373 as a panacea, but did hope, as Dierking said, “that it slowed down the nails being driven into our coffins.” HB 24-1373 made it through a trio of committees at the House of Representatives before the full House approved it, 42-19. But it survived only three more days in the Colorado Senate before it died in that branch’s Finance Committee on a 4-3 vote, in which Rep. Chris Hansen, a Denver Democrat, sided with the Republican minority. The impact of Prop 125 has magnified ever since, several liquor store owners said. “Our beer sales are down so much more than we expected,” Dierking said. “And we didn’t think the impact would be so large and that the foot traffic shift would be such an issue.” By extension, craft brewers — there are more in Colorado than any other state — have been impacted as well, Dierking said. “It’s just a token to them,” he said of large grocery stores. “They’re not really committed and over time they cut the independent and stock the larger brewers. And those whose product is given shelf space, it’s only their most popular and not the whole lineup, which is what independents offered.” The Colorado Brewers Guild, which represents the bulk of independent craft brewers in the state, said its members are either scaling back, consolidating or, at the worst, closing. “We’ve had about 30 close already this year and last year was 35,” CBG executive director Shawnee Adelson said. “It hurts the smaller guys when you don’t have access to the market like the small independents.” By picking and choosing what they’ll put on a shelf, larger grocery stores have a stronger say over which small businesses survive, Adelson said. “Losing retail liquor stores does impact our smaller crafts that can’t get into the grocery stores; they don’t have the volume,” she said. “The margins are awfully small.” For the grocers, however, a competitive marketplace is ultimately a survival of the fittest. “We said over and again that we didn’t believe the apocalyptic forecast that they’ll all go out of business,” Howes at the Colorado Retail Council said. “And if you keep an eye on those stores around town, they’re not out of business, and the larger ones are doing well. There’s enough room to compete.” He added: “They’re still in business because the smart business owners craft a strategy successfully.”Liberal candidate in B.C. byelection seeks Métis membership after identity questionedA range of independent TDs are contemplating the prospect of entering Ireland’s next coalition government as Fianna Fail and Fine Gael consider ways to secure a solid majority. Three long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran, who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.
Banque Cantonale Vaudoise lessened its position in shares of Seabridge Gold Inc. ( NYSE:SA – Free Report ) (TSE:SEA) by 67.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,415 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 5,060 shares during the quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise’s holdings in Seabridge Gold were worth $41,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. ORG Partners LLC lifted its position in Seabridge Gold by 735.6% during the third quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,880 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,655 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Seabridge Gold by 116.7% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,232 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 1,202 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Seabridge Gold in the second quarter worth about $40,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in Seabridge Gold by 66.9% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,773 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 1,112 shares during the period. Finally, Perkins Coie Trust Co purchased a new position in Seabridge Gold during the second quarter valued at approximately $93,000. 34.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Seabridge Gold to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Seabridge Gold Price Performance SA opened at $15.09 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $17.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $16.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -60.36 and a beta of 1.13. Seabridge Gold Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $9.31 and a fifty-two week high of $20.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 2.28 and a current ratio of 2.28. Seabridge Gold Company Profile ( Free Report ) Seabridge Gold Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition and exploration of gold properties in North America. The company also explores for gold, copper, silver, and molybdenum deposits. The company was formerly known as Seabridge Resources Inc and changed its name to Seabridge Gold Inc in June 2002. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Seabridge Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Seabridge Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
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