gg.bet withdraw to gcash

NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said that it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.2%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Their expectation levels may have been different, but neither Rutgers nor Seton Hall has had the most promising start to the season. New Jersey's two power-conference programs will try to author a signature win when the Pirates visit the Scarlet Knights for the Garden State Hardwood Classic on Saturday afternoon in Piscataway, N.J. Rutgers (6-4) endured a three-game losing streak before picking up its first Big Ten win of the season Tuesday, 80-76 over Penn State. The Scarlet Knights have enjoyed plenty of attention thanks to five-star freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, but they've also put a loss to Kennesaw State on their resume. They'll try to assert their dominance over Seton Hall (5-5), which has lost to Fordham, Hofstra and Monmouth while fielding one of the weakest offenses in Division I. At 60.1 points per game, the Pirates rank sixth-to-last in the country, even as they limit opponents to 59.4 points per outing (the No. 11 scoring defense). Rutgers is 5-0 at home after leading by as many as 15 in the Penn State victory. Harper had 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists and Bailey produced 15 points and 15 rebounds. "They're like a sixth defender for us," Harper said of the fans. "We've been on the road for 20 days so seeing all of our fans, and seeing how loud they were, it meant the world to us." The student section will be especially fired up to see the rival Pirates, which could make free-throw shooting an issue for them. They rank No. 350 in the country at 60.3 percent from the foul line entering Friday. However, Seton Hall pulled out a road win the last time the game was played at Rutgers. In a defensive rock fight in 2022, the Pirates prevailed 45-43. Rutgers got revenge last season at Seton Hall's place, winning 70-63. But most players on both rosters are new and will experience the rivalry game for the first time. "I don't have a Jersey player on my team, right?" Pirates coach Shaheen Holloway told NJ.com . "So I have to get those guys to understand rivalries." Seton Hall will lean on Chaunce Jenkins (11.8 ppg) -- who was limited in the team's 85-76 loss to Oklahoma State on Sunday due to a knee injury, but is cleared to face Rutgers -- and Isaiah Coleman (11.7 ppg), one of three returning players from last year's team. For Rutgers, Harper is excited about the rivalry having grown up in New Jersey and watched his older brother, Ron Harper Jr., play in the game. At 23.4 ppg, Dylan Harper is the third-leading scorer in the country, and he adds 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest. Seton Hall leads the all-time series 42-32. --Field Level MediaManhattan’s top federal prosecutor announced Monday he plans to resign from his post next month to make way for President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the powerful office. Damian Williams said he would step down as US attorney for the Southern District of New York on Dec. 13 – about a month before Trump’s inauguration. “Today is a bittersweet day for me,” Williams said in a statement. “It is bitter in the sense that I am leaving my dream job, leading an institution I love that is filled with the finest public servants in the world,” he continued. “It is sweet in that I am confident I am leaving at a time when the Office is functioning at an incredibly high level — upholding and exceeding its already high standard of excellence, integrity, and independence.” Williams, who was appointed by President Biden in November 2021, has gone after several high-profile Democrats during his tenure, including former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. His office secured several convictions of former billionaire financiers on fraud charges – including of former FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder Sam Bankman-Fried and Archegos Capital Management founder Sung Kook “Bill” Hwang. Williams also brought the sex-trafficking charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs that allege the fallen music mogul led a depraved criminal empire in which he threatened victims and forced them to take part in drugged-up sex shows for over a decade. He has pleaded not guilty. Williams’ announcement comes after Trump earlier this month unveiled plans to replace him with former US Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton. “Jay is a highly respected business leader, counsel, and public servant,” Trump posted on Truth Social at the time. “Jay is going to be a strong Fighter for the Truth as we, Make America Great Again.” The position requires confirmation by the US Senate. Williams’ deputy, Edward Y. Kim, is set to take over as acting US Attorney when he steps down. His looming resignation comes as Adams continues to stare down the federal bribery charges, which he denies. In the lead up to the 2024 presidential election, some in Hizzoner’s camp had viewed a Trump win as a potential path to legal victory for Adams against his unprecedented federal indictment, per sources. Trump, on his part, has repeatedly expressed his belief that Adams has been railroaded by vengeful federal prosecutors. Originally published as Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor Damian Williams resigns to make way for Donald Trump’s replacementDOYLESTOWN, PA — Therapist Annalisa Smithson hadn’t contemplated incorporating animals into her sessions until a 10-pound Maltese hopped into a client’s lap. The office dog at the center where she had been working served as an informal – and completely accidental – icebreaker for a veteran struggling with addiction issues and post-traumatic stress disorder. “We didn’t have enough rapport built that he was ready to open up to me,” Smithson recalled of how the dog followed them into a session and jumped onto his lap. “He looked at her and started petting her with both hands. His whole story just poured out.” That a-ha moment convinced Smithson, of Pottstown-based Unleashed Counseling , to research animal-assisted therapy as a modality to potentially implement into her practice. “I need to do this,” Smithson said she remembered thinking, adding, “At the time, I didn’t even have a dog.” She enlisted her first animal assistant, Benji, in 2018 and began studying animal-assisted therapy at Harcum College. “The human needs to be trained first,” she said. Smithson, who also incorporates nature-based therapy into her practice, has since expanded her office to include “nine humans, four dogs, and one rabbit” with two additional rabbits joining in January. As she was venturing out on her own five years ago, she enlisted help from SCORE Bucks County mentor Bill Grant. “The advice he gave me at our first meeting was life changing,” Smithson recalled of how Grant helped her establish her new office. “’Your life is too precious for a long commute.’ I followed his advice and ultimately landed in an office with a private nature trail and the shortest commute ever. He helped me set the foundation for work-life balance.” She’s met with Grant monthly throughout the last five years, along with co-mentor Robert Sherry. Together, they have tackled personnel changes, her long-term plans, the possibility of developing a franchise business model, addressed medical billing and reimbursement issues, improved social media strategies, identified areas for cost reduction and increased profitability, and worked on program development and implementation. “I get something out of it every single month,” Smithson said. Grant, who has more than 30 years of experience in business relations, financial management and is a certified public accountant, has seen tremendous growth in Smithson’s practice throughout their mentoring journey. “Annalisa’s innovative approach to therapy, including the use of therapy animals and outdoor green spaces, has created a uniquely calming and healing environment for her clients,” Grant said. “Her commitment to creating meaningful experiences for her team and her clients is evident in everything she does.” Smithson recently completed the SBA Thrive program, which has helped in building and planning for the expansion of offerings and locations. Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, Smithson is working to establish a satellite office on a Berks County farm. One of her clinicians is moving to New Jersey and Smithson is considering opening a satellite office there as well. “It all felt so serendipitous,” she said. “2025 is going to be a huge year for us.” Smithson is also partnering with Dentler’s Dog Training on a new program aptly titled “Therapy’s Best Friend: A Companion Animal Program.” The six-week program will be unleashed beginning in spring 2025. It entails a client and his or her dog coming twice per week for what she describes as “short-term solution-focused therapy.” The clients, their dogs, a therapist and a dog trainer work collaboratively to teach dogs skills to be a better emotional support companion. “You know that being around your dog makes you feel better. So let’s be intentional about deepening that bond with activities like ‘deep pressure,’ and ‘the gratitude game,’ Smithson said. “Therapy’s Best Friend is going to be a game-changer stressed out people who love dogs (which is most of us).” About SCORE Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses. With more than 70 members across Bucks and Eastern Montgomery counties, SCORE Bucks County provides free mentoring services annually to local small business owners through one-on-one counseling and small business seminars. Learn more: www.score.org/buckscounty For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN .Rachel Christian | (TNS) Bankrate.com Just because retirement planning involves some guesswork doesn’t mean it has to be a total mystery. Related Articles Business | Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds Business | How to protect your communications through encryption Business | About 2.6 million Stanley cups recalled after malfunctions caused burns. Is your mug included? Business | Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases Business | WBUR is canceling Radio Boston after layoffs at NPR station: ‘Big change is coming’ Whether you’ve been saving since your first job or you’re getting a late start, you can leverage expert-recommended strategies to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. And if you’re not quite on track, don’t sweat it — the experts we spoke to offered actionable tips to help you close the gap. You might have a general idea of how much money you need to save for retirement . A few quick calculations can give you an estimate, but to truly appreciate where you stand, you’ll need to dive into the numbers. Here’s how to get started. A good rule of thumb to estimate your retirement savings goal is the Rule of 25 . Simply multiply your desired annual retirement income by 25. The result is roughly how much you’ll need to save before hitting retirement. For example, if you plan to spend $50,000 a year, you’ll need about $1.25 million to make it a reality. The Rule of 25 is based on the idea that withdrawing 4% annually from your retirement savings should last you about 30 years. While it’s not an exact science by any means — health care costs and lifestyle changes can skew the numbers, for example — the Rule of 25 can be a good starting point to figure out how much you need to save. Fidelity Investments, a behemoth in the retirement planning space, offers savings guidelines to help you determine if you’re on track . —By age 30: Save 1x your annual salary —By age 40: Save 3x your annual salary —By age 50: Save 6x your annual salary —By age 60: Save 8x your annual salary —By age 67: Save 10x your annual salary For example, if you earn $60,000 annually, you should aim for $600,000 in savings by age 67. But like the Rule of 25, Fidelity’s guidelines offer a 10,000-foot look at retirement goals, and they’re not customized to your situation. Maybe you earned a low salary in your 20s, but you’re working hard in your 30s to make up for it. Use these estimates as a benchmark — but don’t get discouraged if you’re lagging behind. Now it’s time to zoom in a little. To get a clearer snapshot of your progress, use an online retirement calculator. These tools factor in your age, current savings, income and lifestyle goals to estimate whether you’re on track. You’ll get a more refined estimate without crunching the numbers yourself. Bankrate’s retirement calculator even lets you input different rates of return on your investments and accounts for estimated annual salary increases. Having a general savings goal is nice, but to avoid falling short in retirement, you’ll need more than a ballpark figure. Experts recommend creating a retirement budget to get an up-close-and-personal look at how much you’ll really need once you leave the workforce. First, estimate how much you’ll spend per month in retirement. While some costs will increase, like health care, others will likely decrease, like dining out and commuting. “Estimating expenses can be challenging for some people, so as a starting point, I often use your net take-home pay,” says Jeff DeLarme, a certified financial planner and president of DeLarme Wealth Management. For example, if you receive a direct deposit of $2,500 every two weeks from work, use $5,000 as your estimated monthly spending in retirement. “Assuming this was enough to pay the bills while working, we can use $5,000 a month as a starting budget to plan for,” says DeLarme. Next, map out your sources of income in retirement. Social Security is the largest income stream for most retirees, but don’t neglect other inflows, such as: —Workplace retirement accounts, like 401(k)s —Personal retirement accounts, like a traditional or Roth IRA —Pensions —Annuities —Selling your home or business —Rental income —Inheritance “If there’s a gap between your expected expenses and income, you’ll have a good idea of how much you need to save,” says Mike Hunsberger, a certified financial planner and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning. From there, you can adjust your savings and investment strategy accordingly. For something as important (and complex) as retirement planning, it pays to speak with a professional. Financial advisers can analyze your savings, investments and retirement goals to create a personalized plan. Advisers use special planning software that account for more variables than an online calculator, giving you a much more precise, granular look at your financial life in retirement. Many financial advisers can also help you optimize your tax strategy, which can potentially save you thousands of dollars over time. Make sure the adviser you hire is a fiduciary , meaning they’re legally obligated to prioritize your interests over their own. A fiduciary won’t push investments to earn a commission or recommend products that aren’t aligned with your needs. A certified financial planner is one of the most well-recognized designations for fiduciaries. You can use Bankrate’s adviser matching tool to find a certified financial planner in your area in minutes. Maybe you did the math and realized you’re not quite where you need to be. Don’t panic if you’re behind schedule. Here are five strategies experts recommend to help you catch up on your retirement savings . Cutting expenses now frees up more cash to invest in your retirement accounts. Evaluate your budget and identify areas where you can cut costs, like dining out, streaming subscriptions or shopping. Don’t rule out bigger lifestyle changes either, especially if retirement is rapidly approaching. Housing is the biggest monthly expense for most people. Getting creative here can help amplify the amount you can sock away, says Joseph Boughan, a certified financial planner and managing member at Parkmount Financial Partners. It can also reduce your expenses in retirement, so you may not need to save as much as before. “Downsizing can be a great way to cut expenses,” says Boughan. “This can even free up cash if you don’t end up needing all that money for a new home.” Moving somewhere with lower property taxes or income taxes can also help bring your retirement plan back in line. And if you’re a renter, making tough short-term decisions, like taking on a roommate or moving to a lower cost-of-living area, can free up hundreds of dollars a month for your retirement. “Everyone’s plan is unique, so exploring all the options is important,” Boughan says. Joe Conroy, a certified financial planner and owner of Harford Retirement Planners, recommends taking a “retirement test drive” as you near your target date. “Start to live on what income you think you can afford in retirement and stash all the extra income into savings and investments,” says Conroy. “If you can make it through each month, you’re ready for retirement. If you run short, then adjust your plan accordingly.” Working a little longer can be a game-changer for your retirement nest egg. Not only does it give you more time to save, it also gives your investments room to grow. “Working longer or even just part time for a few years early in retirement is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of money you need to save,” says Hunsberger. Postponing retirement can also boost your Social Security benefits . “You can claim as early as 62, but your benefits will be reduced significantly,” says Hunsberger. Meanwhile, each year you delay claiming Social Security benefits beyond your full retirement age , your monthly check will increase by 8%, though this benefit maxes out at age 70. So waiting can really pay off. It may seem obvious, but if you’re behind on retirement savings, you’ll need to boost your contributions as much as possible. Here are a few ways to make saving for retirement easier: —Increase your contribution rate: Allocate a larger portion of your paycheck to a workplace retirement plan. Even bumping up your contributions by 1% or 2% can make a huge difference down the road. —Take advantage of your employer match: Don’t leave free money on the table. Many employers will chip in between 3 and 5% depending on your plan, so make sure you’re contributing enough to take advantage of the benefit. —Use “unexpected” money to catch up: If you get a raise or bonus at work, funnel part of it directly into your 401(k). And if you get a refund at tax time, siphon some of it off to beef up your IRA. If you’ve been investing in low-risk, low-return investments, you may not be keeping up with inflation, let alone growing your nest egg. Reallocating part of your portfolio to stocks or low-cost growth exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is one way to get your money working harder. Higher-risk investments like stocks carry more volatility but also offer higher potential returns. Work with a financial adviser or use a robo-adviser to strike the right balance between growth and your personal risk tolerance. Contribution limits for 401(k) plans and IRAs are higher for people over 50. For 2025, employees aged 50 and up who participate in most 401(k) plans or the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan can save up to $31,000 annually, including a $7,500 catch-up contribution . But thanks to SECURE 2.0 , a sweeping retirement law, a new higher catch-up contribution limit of $11,250 applies for employees ages 60 to 63. So, if you’re in this age group, you can squirrel away a whopping $34,750 a year during the final stretch of your career. Of course, you’ll need a big salary (think six figures) in order to take full advantage of such massive contribution limits. But if you can afford it, these catch-up allowances can put your plan back on track, especially if you struggled to save much early in your career. There’s no GPS to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. If you’ve veered off course or aren’t sure where to start, begin by getting a quick estimate of how much you’ll need before mapping out a retirement budget. And if you’re behind, don’t panic — adjusting your spending, boosting your contributions and speaking with a financial adviser can help you catch up. ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Zoe Ball reveals heartbreaking Christmas decorations after devastating lossesBy LOLITA C. BALDOR and AAMER MADHANI, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has transported out of Syria an American who had disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, U.S. officials said Friday. Travis Timmerman, 29, was flown to Jordan on a U.S. military helicopter, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation. It’s unclear where Timmerman may go next. He thanked his rescuers for freeing him but has told American officials that he would like to stay in the region, according to another person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. Timmerman was detained after he crossed into Syria while on a Christian pilgrimage from a mountain along the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle in June. He told The Associated Press in an interview earlier Friday that he was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. In his prison cell, Timmerman said, he had a mattress, a plastic drinking container and two others for waste. He said the Friday calls to prayers helped keep track of days. Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them, after rebels seized control of Damascus and forced Assad from power in a dramatic upheaval . He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didn’t know of any other Americans held in the facility. Timmerman is from Urbana, Missouri, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Springfield in the southwestern part of the state. He earned a finance degree from Missouri State University in 2017. His mother, Stacey Gardiner, said she was told that he was being taken to a military base in Jordan. The family still had not spoken to him. Mouaz Moustafa, a U.S.-based Syrian opposition activist who worked with rebels to arrange Timmerman’s transfer back to safety, tweeted a photo of the freed American standing next to a man in U.S. military uniform in the flat desert of the region. “Safe and sound and back in American hands,” Moustafa wrote. U.S. officials, meanwhile, are continuing their search for Austin Tice, an American journalist who disappeared 12 years ago near Damascus. Related Articles National News | Texas sues New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills by telemedicine National News | Video shows special ed school bus sliding out of control National News | NJ cop suffered ‘medical episode’ before crashing cruiser National News | UnitedHealth Group CEO speaks out after Brian Thompson murder National News | Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases Nizar Zakka, president of the U.S.-based Hostage Aid Worldwide that was commissioned by Tice’s family to search for him, said he called Tice’s mother and sister after receiving a tip Thursday from a Syrian near where Timmerman was found. The caller thought the foreigner was Tice. “We asked them for videos, we ask them for voice (recordings) to make sure,” Zakka said. “We had the feeling from the minute, especially from the age, that it’s not correct. But we sent it to the mom. It was 3 a.m. (in the U.S.), and we woke the sister, and she said to me one thing. She said that definitely it’s not Austin.” In the search for Tice, Zakka said he had visited detention centers and the houses of prominent figures in Assad’s circle, but the search had so far not produced results. The three possible scenarios, Zakka said, are that “we will find him somewhere in Damascus, in the jail that he was left in or in the house, in the safe house where he is”; that a high-ranking member of Assad’s circle took Tice along while escaping the country “as a security for his life”; or that Tice’s captors killed him and other prisoners to erase evidence of their crimes. He criticized the U.S. for announcing a $10 million reward for information leading to Tice, saying that it had led to a flood of false tips and caused confusion. AP writers Abby Sewell in Damascus, Eric Tucker in Washington, Matthew Lee in Aqaba, Jordan, and Nick Ingram in Urbana, Missouri, contributed to this report.College Football Playoff: First-Round Matchups, Schedule, How to Watch and More

Canadian carbon removal company scores US$40M grant from fund backed by Bill Gates

The head of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, is responding to the "vitriol" that's been lodged — both on- and offline — against the health insurance industry and its workers. In an op-ed published in on Friday, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty expressed his grief over the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week, as well as his appreciation for the "outpouring of support" for Thompson. He then condemned the mounting rhetoric that he said has glorified violence against health insurance workers. "We also are struggling to make sense of this unconscionable act and the vitriol that has been directed at our colleagues who have been barraged by threats," Witty wrote. "No employees — be they the people who answer customer calls or nurses who visit patients in their homes — should have to fear for their and their loved ones' safety," he wrote. Witty acknowledged growing criticism that the healthcare industry is flawed and defended his company's place within it. "We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand people's frustrations with it," Witty wrote, adding that UHG's mission is to build a system that works better for everyone. And Thompson, he added, advocated for ideas "aimed at making health care more affordable, more transparent, more intuitive, more compassionate — and more human." The fatal shooting of Thompson outside a midtown Manhattan hotel last week sparked a nationwide conversation about the state of the health insurance industry in the US, with many criticizing the system's ability to provide life-saving care. Social media has been inundated with , praising the shooting suspect, and calling out other healthcare CEOs. Some executives have sought out greater , though and charged in connection with Thompson's murder. Witty's op-ed in the Times had received more than 2,400 comments as of Friday afternoon, many of which ridiculed his statement and condemned what they said were UHG's practices of denying insurance claims. A number of commenters called out Witty for saying the system is flawed without providing any tangible solutions to fix it. Others criticized the for-profit health insurance system as a whole, with some acknowledging that businesses are meant to make a profit and others advocating for nonprofit healthcare. UnitedHealth didn't respond to a request for comment from BI. Read the original article onAP Business SummaryBrief at 2:15 p.m. EST

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev., Dec. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. (the “Company”) (NYSE:TPH) today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a new stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to $250 million of common stock through December 31, 2025 (the “Repurchase Program”), which succeeds the stock repurchase program that the Board of Directors authorized in December 2023 (the “2024 Repurchase Program”). For the fourth quarter through December 17, 2024, under the 2024 Repurchase Program, the Company repurchased 1,202,913 shares of common stock at a weighted average price per share of $41.57 for an aggregate dollar amount of $50.0 million. For the full year through December 17, 2024, under the 2024 Repurchase Program, the Company repurchased 3,964,537 shares of common stock at a weighted average price per share of $36.97 for an aggregate dollar amount of $146.6 million. Purchases of common stock pursuant to the Repurchase Program may be made in open market transactions effected through a broker-dealer at prevailing market prices, in block trades, or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws, including pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company is not obligated under the Repurchase Program to repurchase any specific number or dollar amount of shares of common stock, and it may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Repurchase Program at any time. Company management will determine the timing and amount of any repurchases in its discretion based on a variety of factors, such as the market price of the Company’s common stock, corporate requirements, general market economic conditions, legal requirements, and applicable tax effects. About Tri Pointe Homes® One of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. (NYSE: TPH) is a publicly traded company operating in 12 states and the District of Columbia, and is a recognized leader in customer experience, innovative design, and environmentally responsible business practices. The company builds premium homes and communities with deep ties to the communities it serves—some for as long as a century. Tri Pointe Homes combines the financial resources, technology platforms and proven leadership of a national organization with the regional insights, longstanding community connections and agility of empowered local teams. Tri Pointe has won multiple Builder of the Year awards, was named to the 2024 Fortune World’s Most Admired CompaniesTM list, is one of the 2023 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® and was designated as one of the PEOPLE Companies That Care® in 2023 and 2024. The company was also named as a Great Place To Work-CertifiedTM company for four years in a row (2021 through 2024), and was named on several Great Place to Work ® Best Workplaces lists (2022 through 2024). For more information, please visit TriPointeHomes.com . Forward-Looking Statements Various statements contained in this press release, including those that express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our strategy, projections and estimates concerning the timing and success of specific projects and our future production, land and lot sales, operational and financial results, including our estimates for growth, financial condition, sales prices, prospects, and capital spending. Forward-looking statements that are included in this press release are generally accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “goal,” “guidance,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or other words that convey future events or outcomes. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and we disclaim any obligation to update these statements unless required by law, and we caution you not to rely on them unduly. These forward-looking statements are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. The following factors, among others, may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements: the effects of general economic conditions, including employment rates, housing starts, interest rate levels, home affordability, inflation, consumer sentiment, availability of financing for home mortgages and strength of the U.S. dollar; market demand for our products, which is related to the strength of the various U.S. business segments and U.S. and international economic conditions; the availability of desirable and reasonably priced land and our ability to control, purchase, hold and develop such parcels; access to adequate capital on acceptable terms; geographic concentration of our operations; levels of competition; the successful execution of our internal performance plans, including restructuring and cost reduction initiatives; the prices and availability of supply chain inputs, including raw materials, labor and home components; oil and other energy prices; the effects of U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and duties on homebuilding products and retaliatory measures taken by other countries; the effects of weather, including the occurrence of drought conditions in parts of the western United States; the risk of loss from earthquakes, volcanoes, fires, floods, droughts, windstorms, hurricanes, pest infestations and other natural disasters, and the risk of delays, reduced consumer demand, and shortages and price increases in labor or materials associated with such natural disasters; the risk of loss from acts of war, terrorism, civil unrest or public health emergencies, including outbreaks of contagious disease, such as COVID-19; transportation costs; federal and state tax policies; the effects of land use, environment and other governmental laws and regulations; legal proceedings or disputes and the adequacy of reserves; risks relating to any unforeseen changes to or effects on liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, indebtedness, financial condition, losses and future prospects; changes in accounting principles; risks related to unauthorized access to our computer systems, theft of our homebuyers’ confidential information or other forms of cyber-attack; and additional factors discussed under the sections captioned “Risk Factors” included in our annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The foregoing list is not exhaustive. New risk factors may emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors or to assess the impact of such risk factors on our business. Investor Relations Contact: InvestorRelations@TriPointeHomes.com , 949-478-8696 Media Contact: Carol Ruiz, cruiz@newgroundco.com , 310-437-0045

Kyren Wilson reveals he was left ‘feeling like his head would explode’ during UK Snooker Championship winWall Street tumbles as Fed projects slower rate cuts next year

AFN special chiefs assembly to focus on child welfare, policing, economics5 ways to tell if you’re on track for retirement — and 5 things to do if you need to catch up, according to experts

Rethinking governmentSANTA CLARA, Calif. — A day after De’Vondre Campbell Sr. refused to play and walked off the job, coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear Friday that Campbell won’t be returning to the team. “We’re working through the semantics of exactly how to deal with it,” Shanahan said on a media conference call. “You heard from me last night and the players. His actions from the game are not something you can do to your teammates ... and still be part of our team.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Kash Patel in 2022 (Image: AP/José Luis Villegas) “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.” That was George W. Bush’s high praise for the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Michael Brown, for its response to Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing deluge of New Orleans in September 2005. No-one else, alas, shared the sentiment: within days, Brown — whom Bush had appointed — would be sidelined from the Katrina response by his boss, the head of the Department of Homeland Security. Ten days later, Brown, a lawyer on the fringes of Republican politics who’d lucked into a job in the expanding Bush counterterrorism apparatus and who had minimal experience in emergency management, quit FEMA. The 1,392 lives lost in the deluge — principally due to a failed state and federal government response — were grim testament to what happens when someone without experience is put into a key position during an emergency. But later, a more complicated story would emerge of Brown as not merely a poor leader but a failed turf warrior who had been unable to protect FEMA from budget cuts as resources were shifted to the post-9/11 counterterrorism focus in the newly created Department of Homeland Security. It might be easier to ask which of Trump’s cabinet picks HAVEN’T been accused of sexual misconduct Read More Donald Trump hasn’t nominated a head of FEMA yet — its current head is a veteran emergency administrator — but his pick to run Homeland Security is South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, whose entire focus will be border control. With Trump promising to use troops to help round up undocumented immigrants for deportation, what are the chances that the mistakes of the Bush years will be replayed, only this time with border control, not terrorism, the idée fixe of Homeland Security. That is, until another major hurricane arrives and exposes the failings of another FEMA head... who is then scapegoated by a desperate administration. The perils of appointing people not merely clearly unsuited to cabinet roles — an anti-vaxxer as health secretary; an alleged child sex trafficker as attorney-general — but wholly lacking in the kind of experience needed to run large organisations continue to be a blinking red warning light on Donald Trump’s proposed appointments. The latest is Trump’s proposal to appoint Kash Patel as head of the FBI. Patel, a lawyer and political staffer before becoming a full-time Trump cheerleader, has zero law enforcement or executive experience, but strong views on the FBI: it’s part of the deep state conspiracy against Trump and must have its Washington headquarters shut down (who knew that voting against “Defund the Police” would lead to, well, defunding the police?). Patel has also promised that the new Trump administration would “come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections... We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly — we’ll figure that out.” That’s the person now in charge of one of the world’s largest domestic security services. But please, don’t dare call them fascists. And in any event, “press freedom” is just one of those ridiculous beliefs of out-of-touch elites. Problematically there’s a head of the FBI there already — one appointed by Trump in 2017 (you do have to admire the genius of the deep state — managing to convince Trump himself to appoint someone who would implement its agenda). Christopher Wray’s appointment doesn’t end until 2027, but he’s expected to be fired. While Patel will be directing the FBI to go after journalists who reported that Biden won the 2020 election — no need to bother at Fox, Kash — the FBI’s day job of investigating terrorism, foreign espionage, organised crime, corruption, civil rights abuses and drug trafficking will receive lower priority (assuming FBI resources are not redeployed to the war on undocumented migrants). At least, until a terrorist attack happens that the FBI received warnings of but failed to do anything about; then it will be time for scapegoats. Da pacem, Domine: Why Trump is what democracy needs Read More This grim reality of large government organisations, one not understood by the Elon Musks and Gina Rineharts of the world, is that delivering goods or services (health; infrastructure; security; emergency management; education) on a state or country-sized scale to the satisfaction of those being served is complex, demanding and rarely achieved consistently even by skilled, experienced professional administrators. Insert people who aren’t skilled and experienced and the system might continue to deliver if they’re backed by enough more junior experts. But in a crisis or emergency, which places stress on bureaucratic systems that ends up accumulating at the weakest link, the systems start to malfunction. Insert people actively hostile to the organisation’s goals, or bent on pursuing others, and it doesn’t take a crisis to create dysfunction. White Americans who voted for Trump might be perfectly happy for the federal government to be crippled and broken by Trump’s appointees — the whole system’s rotten, after all, so why not bring it crashing down? How long that sentiment survives amid natural disasters or terrorist attacks will be an interesting question. Have something to say about this article? Write to us at letters@crikey.com.au . Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say . We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.Analysis: Win or lose at UNC, Belichick's NFL legacy cemented