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( MENAFN - EIN Presswire) French Fries Global market Report 2024 - Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2024-2033 The Business Research Company's Early Year-End Sale! Get up to 30% off detailed market research reports-for a limited time only! LONDON, GREATER LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, December 24, 2024 /EINPresswire / -- The Business Research Company's Early Year-End Sale! Get up to 30% off detailed market research reports-limited time only! The french fries market has experienced substantial growth in recent years. From a value of $16.38 billion in 2023, the market is projected to increase to $17.45 billion in 2024, reflecting a compound annual growth rate CAGR of 6.6%. This growth during the historical period can be traced back to vibrant economic advancement in emerging markets, the proliferation of fast-food establishments, as well as a rise in disposable income. What Is the Anticipated Growth Trajectory and Future Market Size of the Global French Fries Market? In the coming years, the french fries market is projected to exhibit strong growth. The market is estimated to reach a substantial value of $21.8 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate CAGR of 5.7%. This growth during the forecast period can be accredited to a rise in demand for ready-to-eat products, an increase in the youth population, the expansion of online food delivery services, and widespread urbanization. Furthermore, key trends to watch out for during the forecast period include escalating investments, the adoption of robotic technology in food preparation, a surge in offering healthier french fries options, product innovations, and a focus on introducing vegan-friendly french fries options. For a comprehensive overview of this booming market, make sure to request a sample of our detailed report: What Are the Key Drivers Propelling the Growth of the French Fries Market? The mounting demand for ready-to-eat food is projected to catalyze the favourable growth trajectory of the french fries market. Ready-to-eat RTE foods, which are pre-cleaned, pre-cooked, wrapped, and ready to consume without any further preparation or cooking, are witnessing increasing popularity. The category includes salads, cooked meats, smoked fish, sweets, sandwiches, cheese, and precooked food intended to be served cold. French fries, a much-loved fast food and side dish made from thinly sliced, deep-fried potatoes, are often used as a ready-to-eat snack or side dish. This preference significantly contributes to the growth of the French fries market. In January 2022, for instance, India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry reported a 24% increase in ready-to-eat food exports to $394 million in the 2021-22 timeframe compared to 2020-21 April-October. What's more, Japan's retail sales in the packaged food sector amounted to a staggering $216.3 billion in 2022 as per Euromonitor projections. These indicators collectively reveal that the rising demand for ready-to-eat food is propelling the French fries market's growth. To gain insights into key market trends and access the detailed forecast, download the full report: Which Industry Titans Lead the French Fries Market? Several major companies are making their mark in the french fries market, including McCain Foods Limited, Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc, Farm Frites International B.V, JR. Simplot Company, The Kraft Heinz Company,Aviko B.V., Checkers Rally's, Albert Bartlett and Sons, Agristo N.V., Agrarfrost, Wow! Momo, Burger Singh, Box8, Bendotti/WA Chip, and Birds Eye. Other significant players include Kaida, Landun Xumei Foods Co. Ltd, Dicos, Zhucheng Dragon Fritopack Co., Ltd, Real Kungfu, Joyvio Group, Belaya Dacha Group, Miratorg Agribusiness Holding, Selkhozinvest, COMPRODCOOP SA, and Tomfrost. The market is further enriched by the presence of Intended Foods, Ore-Ida, Alexia Foods, Cavendish Farms, Pepsico, Agrícola Chapi, Frozen Express, Bem Brasil Alimentos LTDA, Del Ande Alimentos SAC, Freshky, Al Islami Foods, Al Kabeer Groupe, Wafrah for Industry and Development, McDonald's, Burger King, Hardee's, Johnny Rockets, Nature's Garden Pty Ltd, Sano Foods, The Nile Egyptian Co, OK Fruits LLC, and Maysa French Fries. These industry leaders play a crucial role in shaping the market landscape and spurring its growth. What Significant Trends Are Emerging in the French Fries Market? Product innovation is emerging as a defining trend in the french fries market, with major companies adopting new technologies to sustain their market position. Notably, in July 2022, The H. J. Heinz Company, a food processing giant based in the US, launched Spoon Made of Fries, devised to hold perfect dollops of sauce. These chips, designed like little spoons, neatly scoop up the right amount of Heinz tomato ketchup, making them an intriguing premise and a potential game-changer in the market. How Is the French Fries Market Segmented? The french fries market captured in this report can be segmented into – 1 By Product: Fresh, Frozen 2 By Distribution Channel: Supermarkets and Hypermarkets, Convenience Stores, Online, Distributors, Direct Purchase 3 By End-Use: Food Service, Retail Regional Insights: North America is the Dominant Player in the French Fries Market In 2023, North America held the largest share in the french fries market. The report covers a broad spectrum of regions including Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. Browse Through More Similar Reports By The Business Research Company: Snack Food Packaging Global Market Report 2024 Canned And Ambient Food Global Market Report 2024 Food Encapsulation Global Market Report 2024 About The Business Research Company Learn More About The Business Research Company. With over 15000+ reports from 27 industries covering 60+ geographies, The Business Research Company has built a reputation for offering comprehensive, data-rich research and insights. Armed with 1,500,000 datasets, the optimistic contribution of in-depth secondary research, and unique insights from industry leaders, you can get the information you need to stay ahead in the game. Contact us at: The Business Research Company: Americas +1 3156230293 Asia +44 2071930708 Europe +44 2071930708 Email us at ... Follow us on: LinkedIn: YouTube: Global Market Model: global-market-model Oliver Guirdham The Business Research Company +44 20 7193 0708 email us here Visit us on social media: Facebook X LinkedIn Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above. MENAFN23122024003118003196ID1109025236 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.TV and Movie Merchandise Market to Grow by USD 103.5 Billion (2024-2028), Driven by E-Commerce Platform Growth, AI Redefining Market Landscape - Technavio

Chelakkara assembly by-poll: CPM defies anti-incumbency trend with remarkable victory

(BPT) - Has it been a while since you purchased a new TV? You might be surprised by how far TV technology has come since you bought your last set! Today's smart televisions offer dramatic improvements in picture quality and home screens that are far easier to navigate. Plus, they come with a host of cool features like voice control that you may not even know about. It's time to discover what you've been missing — and if you're asking yourself where to start, the Fire TV Buyer Insights Report can help. This independent study surveyed over 2,000 recent purchasers of smart TVs to learn everything from where they did their product research to why they decided to buy. With the holidays almost upon us, the insights in this report can help guide you as you kick off your seasonal shopping. Whether you're buying a gift, hosting a holiday gathering or looking for the perfect game-day screen, read on to find the best TV for your needs. How do you find the right TV? Here's how recent purchasers did it. When it comes to buying a new TV, there are several factors you'll want to consider, starting with who's going to be using it. The study found that spouses (36%), kids (13%), and even grandparents (1%) were involved in the purchase process, so be sure to keep your home's audience in mind. Beyond that, you'll also want to think about: Room size Smart TVs range in size from a 32-inch screen all the way up to a whopping 100 inches or more. To determine the right screen size for your room, follow this guideline: Small rooms: 32"–43" screen Medium rooms: 43"–55" screen Large rooms: 55+" screen As for viewing distance, divide the screen's diameter by 8 to get the ideal viewing distance in feet. For example, a 32-inch screen should be watched from about 4 feet away, while you'll want to be about 8 feet away from a 65-inch screen. Usage How you plan to use your new TV should play a large part in your decision-making process. If you're always looking for the latest show or movie to watch, your smart TV should offer optimal access to the latest streaming services. Gamers will experience better play on a TV with a high refresh rate, while sports enthusiasts will want to watch the big game on a set with smooth motion handling. Connected TV experience One of the most important considerations is how you'll use TV. In the study, 83% of TV purchasers said that easy access to content was one of the things they liked best about their new TV. But beyond being an all-in-one source for entertainment, your smart TV should also play well with other smart home devices. For instance, Fire TV allows you to pair compatible devices seamlessly like video doorbells, smart home devices, and more. And with select models, Fire TV's Ambient Experience can turn the biggest screen in your home into a beautiful, always-on smart display rotating through beautiful art, personal photos, and glanceable information like calendars and reminders. Knowledge is power Before you land on the perfect TV, you'll need to do a little research first. The study found that only 12% of shoppers bought their TV on an impulse, while 65% engaged in some form of product research. Most (82%) respondents conducted some or all of their research online for instant access to smart TV reviews and feature comparisons. In fact, over half of respondents who searched online mentioned digital retailers like Amazon as a great source for honest ratings and buyer reviews. Timing is everything According to the study, the time from research to purchase takes about two weeks, so plan ahead — especially if you're thinking about giving a TV as a holiday gift. There are also some great deals available during this time of year, so keep an eye out for sales and promotional offers. The big picture A new TV is a big purchase, so don't make it an impulsive one. Take the time to do your research and remember that everyone takes a different path to finding the perfect TV. Whether your search begins online, offline, or with a mix of both, it will end with a next-level viewing experience that's just right for the way you watch.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people who were convicted in the slayings of police, military officers and federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move as an assault to common decency just weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner was killed by one of the men whose death sentence was commuted, said the execution of “the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House, “and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.” Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a bank robbery in South Carolina in 2017, called Biden's commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post, adding that the weeks she spent sitting in court with the hope of justice were now “just a waste of time.” “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” There has always been a broad range of opinions on what punishment Roof should face from the families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. Many forgave him, but they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing and said then she can’t even close her eyes to pray because Roof started firing during the closing prayer of Bible study that night. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Richer, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out all of death row. She said every time Roof’s case comes up through numerous appeals it is like reliving the massacre all over again. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Richer said in a statement. Richer, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, was driven to tears by conflicting emotions during a Zoom news conference Monday. “The families are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come,” Richer said. “I’ve got to stay away from the news today. I’ve got to turn the TV off — because whose face am I going to see?” Biden is giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of what drove them to kill, said Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director. “These three racists and terrorists who have been left on death row came to their crimes from political motivations. When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Two of the men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire with assault rifles during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. She said his case “reflects many of the system’s flaws,” and thanked Biden for commuting his sentence. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” ___ Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writer Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, contributed to this report.

The Atlanta Falcons drafting of Michael Penix Jr. just six weeks after signing Kirk Cousins to a $180 million contract doesn't seem like that much of a head-scratcher anymore. Penix, the eighth overall pick in this year's draft, was supposed to serve as Cousins' understudy for a year or two, a plan that was scuttled when Cousins quickly lost the zip and accuracy on his passes and his grip on the starting job. It was hard to argue with making the change after Cousins had nine picks and one touchdown pass in his last five starts — but it was a daring move nonetheless with the Falcons trailing first-place Tampa Bay by a single game with three weeks left. Penix made the move pay off with a solid first NFL start in the Falcons' 34-7 rout of the New York Giants on Sunday that bolstered Atlanta's playoff hopes , and the Falcons (8-7) moved back into first place in the NFC South with the Buccaneers' loss at Dallas on Sunday night. The left-hander was not at all overwhelmed by the moment, completing 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards — numbers that would’ve been better if not for at least three dropped passes, one of which Kyle Pitts bobbled right into the hands of a New York defender for Penix’s lone interception. “He went out and played almost flawless football,” coach Raheem Morris said. Cousins will almost certainly be looking for his fourth team in 2025. If the Falcons cut ties as expected, they'll have paid Cousins $90 million for 14 games. Cousins' career earnings are about $321 million and his record is 84-77-2, including a 1-3 mark in the playoffs and 7-7 this season. In the spirit of expedited judgments, let's take a gander at how other quarterbacks have fared with their new teams in 2024. Russell Wilson The Pittsburgh Steelers landed the biggest bargain of the season in Wilson, whom they signed for the veteran's minimum of $1.21 million, leaving his former team, the Denver Broncos, on the hook for the remaining $37.79 million of his 2024 salary. Wilson's calf injury in camp forced the Steelers to start Justin Fields, who went 4-2 before Mike Tomlin made the risky switch to Wilson, who's gone 6-3 with 15 TD throws and four interceptions. With the Steelers (10-5) playoff-bound, Wilson will make his first postseason appearance since 2020. The only question is whether it'll be at home as AFC North champ or on the road as a wild-card. They're tied with the Ravens atop the division but currently own the tiebreaker. Sam Darnold This was expected to be a rebuilding year in Minnesota after the Vikings lost Cousins in free agency. They signed Darnold, the third overall pick in 2018, to a $10 million, one-year contract and drafted national champion J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. McCarthy tore the meniscus in his right knee during the preseason opener and has undergone two surgeries, opening the way for Darnold's breakthrough season. Darnold brought a 21-35 career record with him to Minneapolis and all he's done is go 13-2 while setting career highs with 32 touchdown passes, 3,776 passing yards and a 67.2% completion percentage. The Vikings are tied with the Lions atop the packed NFC North and the division crown could come down to Minnesota's season finale at Detroit on Jan. 5. Gardner Minshew The Las Vegas Raiders signed Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract and he beat out incumbent Aidan O'Connell for the starting gig. But he only went 2-7 and sustained a season-ending broken collarbone in a Week 12 loss to the Broncos, opening the door for O'Connell (1-4) to return. The Raiders' 19-14 win over Jacksonville on Sunday snapped a 10-game skid but might have taken them out of the Shedeur Sanders sweepstakes. They are 3-12, a game behind the Giants (2-13), who jettisoned QB Daniel Jones less than two years after signing him to a four-year, $160 million contract and have gone with Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito instead. Caleb Williams The Chicago Bears had high hopes after drafting Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, but it might turn out that the second QB taken — Washington's Jayden Daniels — is better than the first as was the case last year when C.J. Stroud outperformed Carolina's Bryce Young. Williams has a terrific TD-to-INT ratio of 19-5, but the Bears are 4-11 and have lost nine in a row. Their last win came way back on Oct. 13 against Jacksonville. Jayden Daniels The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU has led the Washington Commanders (10-5) to the cusp of their first playoff appearance since 2020. His bolstered his Rookie of the Year credentials with a five-TD performance Sunday in leading the Commanders to a 36-33 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. For the year, Daniels has 22 TD throws and eight interceptions. Bo Nix The former Auburn and Oregon star hasn't looked much like a rookie after starting an NCAA QB record 61 times in college. The Broncos (9-6) could snap an eight-year playoff drought with a win Sunday at Cincinnati thanks to Nix's steady play , Sean Payton's exhaustive guidance and Denver's traditionally stingy defense. Nix was drafted 12th overall after the Broncos released Wilson despite a a whopping $85 million dead money charge on top of the $37.79 million they're paying Wilson to play for Pittsburgh this year. With 22 TDs and 11 interceptions, Nix has almost matched Russell's win total (11-19) in his two seasons in Denver. ___ AP Sports Writer Paul Newberry in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ Behind the Call analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL during the season. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Arnie Stapleton, The Associated PressOne of the world's most active volcanoes, Kilauea, on Hawaii's Big Island, has started erupting again. or signup to continue reading The eruption was confined to the volcano's summit caldera, in a remote, closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory reported. Increased earthquake activity began at about 2am local time on Monday and within about half an hour webcam images began to show lava emerging through fissures in the caldera or spurting in fountains. The most immediate threat was from volcanic smog that could reach homes downwind, the observatory said. Such "vog" contains sulphur dioxide and can worsen symptoms for people who have conditions like asthma, other respiratory issues or cardiovascular disease. The area where the eruption is occurring has been closed to the public since 2007 due to hazards that include crater wall instability, ground cracking and rockfalls. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses the summits of two of the world's most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Kilauea also erupted in June and September. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. 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WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith moved to abandon two criminal cases against Donald Trump on Monday, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him for retaining classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The decision was inevitable, since longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Yet it was still a momentous finale to an unprecedented chapter in political and law enforcement history, as federal officials attempted to hold accountable a former president while he was simultaneously running for another term. Trump emerges indisputably victorious, having successfully delayed the investigations through legal maneuvers and then winning re-election despite indictments that described his actions as a threat to the country's constitutional foundations. FILE - Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to the media about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023, at an office of the Department of Justice in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) “I persevered, against all odds, and WON," Trump exulted in a post on Truth Social, his social media website. He also said that “these cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought.” The judge in the election case granted prosecutors' dismissal request. A decision in the documents case was still pending on Monday afternoon. The outcome makes it clear that, when it comes to a president and criminal accusations, nothing supersedes the voters' own verdict. In court filings, Smith's team emphasized that the move to end their prosecutions was not a reflection of the merit of the cases but a recognition of the legal shield that surrounds any commander in chief. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” prosecutors said in one of their filings. They wrote that Trump’s return to the White House “sets at odds two fundamental and compelling national interests: on the one hand, the Constitution’s requirement that the President must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling his weighty responsibilities . . . and on the other hand, the Nation’s commitment to the rule of law.” In this situation, “the Constitution requires that this case be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated,” they concluded. Smith’s team said it was leaving intact charges against two co-defendants in the classified documents case — Trump valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira — because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” Steven Cheung, Trump's incoming White House communications director, said Americans “want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country.” Trump has long described the investigations as politically motivated, and he has vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. Now he will start his second term free from criminal scrutiny by the government that he will lead. The election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing Trump as he tried to reclaim the White House. He was indicted for plotting to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in 2020, an effort that climaxed with his supporters' violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) But the case quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden. In dismissing the case, Chutkan acknowledged prosecutors' request to do so “without prejudice,” raising the possibility that they could try to bring charges against Trump when his term is over. She wrote that is “consistent with the Government’s understanding that the immunity afforded to a sitting President is temporary, expiring when they leave office.” But such a move may be barred by the statute of limitations, and Trump may also try to pardon himself while in office. immunity afforded to a sitting President is temporary, expiring when they leave office. The separate case involving classified documents had been widely seen as legally clear cut, especially because the conduct in question occurred after Trump left the White House and lost the powers of the presidency. The indictment included dozens of felony counts accusing him of illegally hoarding classified records from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and obstructing federal efforts to get them back. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. The case quickly became snarled by delays, with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon slow to issue rulings — which favored Trump’s strategy of pushing off deadlines in all his criminal cases — while also entertaining defense motions and arguments that experts said other judges would have dispensed with without hearings. In May, she indefinitely canceled the trial date amid a series of unresolved legal issues before dismissing the case outright two months later. Smith’s team appealed the decision, but now has given up that effort. Trump faced two other state prosecutions while running for president. One them, a New York case involving hush money payments, resulted in a conviction on felony charges of falsifying business records. It was the first time a former president had been found guilty of a crime. The sentencing in that case is on hold as Trump's lawyers try to have the conviction dismissed before he takes office, arguing that letting the verdict stand will interfere with his presidential transition and duties. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office is fighting the dismissal but has indicated that it would be open to delaying sentencing until Trump leaves office. Bragg, a Democrat, has said the solution needs to balance the obligations of the presidency with “the sanctity of the jury verdict." Trump was also indicted in Georgia along with 18 others accused of participating in a sprawling scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election there. Any trial appears unlikely there while Trump holds office. The prosecution already was on hold after an appeals court agreed to review whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the case. Four defendants have pleaded guilty after reaching deals with prosecutors. Trump and the others have pleaded not guilty. Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Michael Sisak and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this story. ___ Special Counsel Jack Smith plans to step down before Trump’s inauguration, according to The New York Times. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this story. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Special counsel moves to dismiss election interference and classified documents cases against TrumpBy Stevie Brooks/Beacon Media Growing up in Western North Carolina, I have always known that Christmas is a serious business. Christmas usually started as soon as we finished canning tomatoes. With the stovetop in the basement canning kitchen still warm, the Christmas wreath tables would come out. The tree farm from down the road would haul to us their “ugly” Christmas trees that were sold at a discounted price to be turned into Christmas wreaths. These wreaths were a source of income for my family. After breaking down the tree, we would sit around on milk cartons and trim the branches. The small clippings were called “hands” and were then bunched together to be clamped on the wreath table to the wire wreath frames. Noticias recientes de política e inmigración directamente en tu correo! Newsletter Política e Inmigración The process was time consuming and sticky, but the resulting smells and wreaths made it all worth it. We would then take them down the road to the flea market to be sold in my daddy’s airbrush T-shirt booth. My daddy would air-brush just about anything anyone asked for. The most popular design was a beach scene with a couple’s names in two hearts. He could whip up a custom car tag before the Stevie Ray Vaugn song playing on the boombox was finished. That time of year, the wreaths were just as popular, and oftentimes people left with a cartoon T-shirt and a $15 wreath. The rest were given to neighbors with a card. But this isn’t just a side hobby or how folks spread Christmas cheer. Since the 1950s, the Christmas tree farming industry has been a way for farmers in Western North Carolina to use the steep terrain and cooler climate to their advantage in a region lacking many other opportunities. The Christmas tree farms in Western North Carolina have sustained families like mine for nearly 70 years in one way or another. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Western North Carolina saw an outpouring of support from across the country. For one glimmering moment, it didn’t matter who you were, what you believed in, or who you voted for. Post-election, however, there has been a quick shift back again to skepticism and division. I noticed that some of the same people who had been asking how to help a month earlier were back to viewing rural communities like mine with less compassion and understanding. I keep seeing comments online and elsewhere how small towns like my own suddenly “deserved” what happened to them because of who we voted for. WhatsApp Únete a nuestra comunidad de WhatsApp Recibe gratis las noticias más importantes y de utilidad de Carolina del Norte directo en tu celular. Haz preguntas y comentarios, y charla con nuestros periodistas. Choosing what Christmas tree farm to support based on the owner’s voter registration is a new game that folks from outside of the region have found entertaining to play. A performative way to indicate their political stances and disappointments. I’ve seen the comments encouraging deep dives into the personal lives of Christmas tree families and wildly speculating about labor practices involving undocumented workers. This is the type of selective compassion my Namaw, Geraldine Brooks, would have found unacceptable. My Namaw grew up in Robbinsville (Graham County) and learned to sew and can food as a necessity. In her retirement she expanded her crafting to include wreath making and arrangements to take to craft shows all over Western North Carolina. I was also a fixture on this craft show circuit. If Namaw was going, me and my clogging marionette were in the van too, warming up to dance and sing in front of the booth. My “Namaw Flossy,” her nickname before her death in July 2017 at the age of 78, taught me to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” No matter what you believe, the philosophy behind the verse is universal. Finding humanity even when you disagree is how we as North Carolinians begin to heal our communities from natural and social disasters. It doesn’t get much more Christmas than finding common ground around a Christmas tree and helping someone support their livelihood. The only way out is through one another, and the only way to do that is to take some advice from Flossy and never lose sight of your humanity. “Be good to one another,” wasn’t just a thing Flossy had to often remind me and my sister. It’s the only way to nurture and sustain relationships that make our lives and communities whole. ___________________ Stevie Brooks was born and raised in Western North Carolina. As a community organizer in Cleveland County, she is an advocate for rural voices and ensuring that the stories of her neighbors reflect their lived experiences. Do you have any holiday traditions that have become politicized? Contact info@beaconmedianc.org with comments. This column is syndicated by Beacon Media and can be republished anywhere for free under Beacon’s guidelines . The following article is an expression of personal opinion and does not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of Enlace Latino NC organization. This article has the purpose to generate discussion and exchange of ideas on the subject matter. The author is responsible for the opinions expressed in this article, which are based on his/her personal knowledge, experience and analysis of the subject. Enlace Latino NC combate la desinformación, eleva las voces de los inmigrantes y fomenta una comunidad más inclusiva e informada. ¡Tu apoyo hace la diferencia! Desde ahora hasta el 31 de diciembre, cada donación será triplicada (hasta $1,000). PODCAST En este episodio, exploramos el impacto de las políticas migratorias en la salud mental de los migrantes. Escucha testimonios de quienes viven con este miedo a diario y de terapeutas que explican sus efectos. Además, un periodista especializado nos brinda el contexto las políticas migratorias en el estado. Enlace Latino podcast Republish This Story Republique gratuitamente nuestras historias en su website o periódico. Seguimos la licencia de Creative Commons. Dele clic al recuadro, y siga las instrucciones. Republish this article This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . by Beacon Media, Enlace Latino NC December 24, 2024

Heading into holidays some expect to disappoint, Wall Street investors like Goldman Sachs GS.N are using new ways to monitor shoppers’ actions and intentions to help determine the season’s winners and losers. They are tapping into the quickly evolving field of “alternative data” to help them predict retailer performance and provide an advantage over other investors. Historically, Wall Street relied on traditional data like earnings reports and company filings – with an assist from their well-seasoned gut instincts. Now they can buy intel on everything from credit-card swipe data to consumer sentiment reports, from an ever-growing number of providers. One example is data firm HundredX, which earlier this year began selling its shopper-sentiment data to Goldman Sachs. The bank uses the information in equity research and investment banking, according to a Goldman spokesperson. Founded by former Goldman partner Robert Pace in 2012, HundredX partners with non-profits like Habitat for Humanity to measure thousands of individuals’ future purchase intentions, claiming to get an early read on future financial trends. Supporters of the non-profits who partner with HundredX are asked to fill out surveys about their experiences with the retailers or brands they use, including how likely they are to revisit them. The firm donates $2 for every response it gets. Michael Finnegan, CEO of an alt-data aggregation platform called Eagle Alpha that connects data buyers with sellers, said there were about 100 alt-data providers in the industry’s early days in the mid-2010s. Now there are 2,000 around the globe. They provide credit card swipe data that reveals what different classes of consumers are buying; insights about consumer behavior based on cell phone geolocation; pre-holiday consumer sentiment derived from surveys or by scraping social media sites like Reddit RDDT.N. The data helps investors glean information they couldn’t have a few years ago. For instance, HundredX CEO Pace said, measuring a consumer’s shopping experience shows that “the sale is not the outcome.” Numbers may reflect a sale, he said, but if a customer leaves a store fuming after a bad experience, she isn’t likely to come back. In the big-box retail universe, HundredX surveys showed last spring that shoppers seemed less likely to return to Target TGT.N in the near term than Walmart WMT.N. But in recent weeks, Pace said, future intent to shop at Target has been rising. “We see an inflection up,” he said. “That’s a contrarian view today.” Indeed, shares of Target slid about 20% since the Minneapolis-based retail chain forecast flat holiday-quarter sales on Wednesday. AlphaROC, founded three years ago, combines data sets with interviews with roughly 3,000 people in the U.S. per day to gauge consumer intentions for the next three to six months, selling the information to asset managers. Data firm Facteus uses credit card swipe data to update its retail sales outlook from week to week, rather than wait for the U.S. Commerce Department’s monthly estimates. In the week ending November 9, the firm saw signs of “a dramatic turnaround” at TikTok Shop, the e-commerce arm of Beijing-based ByteDance’s TikTok social media platform, with a 16.8% increase in average spend. Some retail executives are annoyed with what they consider a systemic problem. Data ubiquity is “frustrating,” said Dave Powers, board member and former CEO of Deckers Brands DECK.N, which owns Hoka sneakers and Ugg slippers. Datasets like credit-card swipes can be taken out of context to paint inaccurate pictures of the state of business, Powers said in a phone interview. But even retailers who scoff at the use of data by their investors are using it themselves, to measure their own performance. “They recognize that the horse has bolted from the barn,” said Mark Mathews, head of research at the National Retail Federation trade group. “If it’s out there, you might as well use it.” HundredX’s Pace said that as an independent data firm, its relationship with retailers can be a little “love-hate.” “(Retailers) have a plan,” he said, “and sometimes our data shows their plan does or doesn’t look so good.” Placer.ai uses geolocation data to show clients patterns in how people move, so that a retailer or investor could theoretically tell if a billboard was driving people to a store. Social media site Reddit Inc RDDT.N held a webinar ahead of this year’s holiday season to show retailers how it can measure when online conversations about holiday shopping peak, compared to conversations about holiday travel, food, parties or decorating. Firms like HundredX and Facteus confirm that an uptick in investor clients is driving growth. HundredX has tripled its number of investor clients over the last 18 months, according to CEO Pace. Facteus’ revenue has grown 300% since the start of 2023, driven in large part by investors, says Co-Founder Jonathan Chin. Lombard Odier Investment Managers, a $73 billion asset manager based in Switzerland, is one of many financial firms leaning into alt-data. In July, it launched DataEdge, an investment strategy that merges myriad indicators – like credit-card swipes, digital receipts, web traffic, mobile app clicks and geolocation data – to identify consumer trends and trade stocks using computers. The goal, said Laurent Joue, the firm’s head of systematic alternatives, is to anticipate earnings revisions ahead of public announcements, tracking sales, revenue and customer engagement. The strategy’s accuracy has been close to 70% so far, Joue said. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Nicholas P. Brown and Carolina Mandl; Editing by Vanessa O’Connell and Anna Driver)BIV Forty Under 40 Awards: Marc BainsSTATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Jaylen Reed’s hands were still dirty and his face smeared with eye black as he took a seat in the Beaver Stadium media room. The hard-nosed veteran of nearly 50 college football games looked weary after Penn State pounded Maryland on Saturday, but lit up as he watched media members gather around teammate Audavion Collins next to him. The sophomore was excitedly describing his first career interception. Reed grinned, his pride was evident. One of Penn State’s captains, Reed loves when underclassmen earn playing time. He knows, especially on defense, the No. 3 Nittany Lions (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) will likely rely on them to make a run at their first national championship since 1986. “Having that type of depth, having that type of guy that can step up and play the game every week, that’s something that’s going to help us down the stretch,” Reed said. “Having depth at all positions, I feel like that’s the main thing and I feel like we have huge depth.” Reed knows Collins is far from the only reserve player who has been effective for Tom Allen’s defense this season. Heading into Saturday’s Big Ten championship game against No. 1 Oregon in Indianapolis, Penn State has used 39 players on a defense that ranks seventh nationally against the run and pass. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions are fourth overall in total defense (266.8 yards) and sixth in scoring defense (14 points) entering the showdown with the Ducks' 15th-ranked offense with a College Football Playoff first-round bye at stake. It’s not just the starting 11 getting it done. Since mid-October, Penn State has regularly rotated at least nine defensive linemen, six linebackers and nine defensive backs early and midway through games. As a result, seven players have snagged their first interceptions this season, while five others have recorded their first sacks. “We believe in everybody coming in behind us,” linebacker Tony Rojas said. “Our defense, we know what we’re capable of and I feel like our defense is top tier, if not the best.” It technically hasn’t been at full strength since Week 2 of the season. Then, star safety KJ Winston was lost to an unspecified long-term injury. He tried to play at Wisconsin on Oct. 26, but hasn’t seen action since. In the meantime, Winston’s absence has allowed Allen and head coach James Franklin to get a good look at Collins and other young backend players like Eliot Washington, Zion Tracy and Dejuan Lane. Tracy and Lane have seen their snap counts go up since November, and both have interceptions since. The Nittany Lions haven’t been immune to injuries up front, either. Star end Dani Dennis-Sutton was limited midway through the season by an unspecified ailment. Before last weekend’s game against Maryland, Penn State listed defensive tackles Alonzo Ford and Kaleb Artis and defensive end Zuriah Fisher out with injuries. While not near 100% healthy, Dennis-Sutton continued to suit up, but yielded reps to Amin Vanover and Smith Vilbert. Vanover and Vilbert are seniors who were slowed over the years by injuries but have stuck around, and are now shoring up the team’s depth. “I think getting Dani back healthy, that’s been important,” Franklin said. “I think this was his first game back where he was really healthy, Abdul (Carter) the second half of the season, has gotten very comfortable playing defensive end. We’ve been able to rotate and get production out of guys like Amin as well, so I think all those things have been really important.” So is the fact that Penn State’s defense has continued to close out games. The Nittany Lions have allowed just 445 yards on 125 third-quarter plays this season. Meanwhile, they’ve outscored opponents 192-55 in the second half and overtime and held 19 of their last 22 Big Ten opponents to fewer that 100 rushing yards. Like Reed, senior Dvon J-Thomas spent much of the second half against Maryland cheering on his freshman teammates. Notably, tackle Ty Blanding who had his first career tackle for loss in his first defensive series. “I’ve seen a tremendous leap in their attention to detail,” J-Thomas said. “There’s not a lot of moments or times in your career where you’ll have an opportunity like this and I think they realize that." Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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