Pirates named as top landing spot for $48 million free agent outfielder | Sporting NewsMosaic raises quarterly dividend by 4.8% to $0.22/shareWASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. The announcement caps a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth , who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added. Trump, in a social media post, said: “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” He did not immediately announce a new selection. Last week, he named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible contender, Matthew Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to NATO. The withdrawal, just a week after the pick was announced, averts what was shaping up to be a pitched confirmation fight that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to support Trump’s Cabinet picks. The selection of the fierce Trump ally over well-regarded veteran lawyers whose names had circulated as possible contenders stirred concern for the Justice Department's independence at a time when Trump has openly threatened to seek retribution against political adversaries. It underscored the premium Trump places on personal loyalty and reflected the president-elect's desire to have a disruptor lead a Justice Department that for years investigated and ultimately indicted him. In the Senate, deeply skeptical lawmakers sought more information about Justice Department and congressional investigations into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls, which Gaetz has denied. Meanwhile, Justice Department lawyers were taken aback by the pick of a partisan lawmaker with limited legal experience who has echoed Trump's claims of a weaponized criminal justice system. As Gaetz sought to lock down Senate support, concern over the sex trafficking allegations showed no signs of abating. In recent days, an attorney for two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman. One of the women testified she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to the attorney, Joel Leppard. Leppard has said that his client testified she didn’t think Gaetz knew the girl was underage, stopped their relationship when he found out and did not resume it until after she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18. "They’re grateful for the opportunity to move forward with their lives,” Leppard said Thursday of his clients. “They’re hoping that this brings final closure for all the parties involved.” Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department’s investigation ended last year with no charges against him. Gaetz’s political future is uncertain. He had abruptly resigned his congressional seat upon being selected as attorney general, a move seen as a way to shut down the ethics investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He did win reelection in November for the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, 2025, but he said in his resignation letter last week that he did not intend to take the oath of office. There are plans for a special election in Florida for his seat. Republicans on the House Ethics Committee declined this week to release the panel's findings, over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee did agree to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to discuss the matter. As word of Gaetz's decision spread across the Capitol, Republican senators seemed divided. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served with Gaetz in the House, called it a “positive move." Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Gaetz “put country first and I am pleased with his decision.” Others said they had hoped Gaetz could have overhauled the department. Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a close ally of Trump, said he was “disappointed. I like Matt and I think he would have changed the way DOJ is run.” Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said he hopes Trump will pick someone “equally as tenacious and equally as committed to rooting out and eliminating bias and politicization at the DOJ.” Gaetz is not the only Trump pick facing congressional scrutiny over past allegations. A detailed investigative police report made public Wednesday shows that a woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth, the former Fox News host now tapped to lead the Pentagon, after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave. “The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told reporters Thursday at the Capitol, where he was meeting with senators to build support for his nomination. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. 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By ALEXANDRA OLSON and CATHY BUSSEWITZ NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart’s sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world’s biggest retailer followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump’s incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches — the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President — are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI,” Glasgow said. “The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America’s top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart’s announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart’s need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company no longer has explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer’s ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart.” Walmart’s announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.
Toys for Toga to donate more than 4,500 toys to local children and teensAuthorities in Pakistan launch operation to clear Khan supporters from capitalTHIS WEEK’S DOSE 118th Congress Continues to Grapple with Contentious CR. With the collapse of Republican support for the negotiated continuing resolution (CR) package, as of the time of publication on Friday at 3:00 PM EST, Congress is still grappling with how to extend government funding into the new year. At a minimum, we think any final deal will at least provide a short-term extension to a number of expiring health programs. House Health Committees Select New Republican Members. Republicans identified new committee members, while House Democrats have yet to name new members for the 119th Congress. House Energy & Commerce Committee Announces New Health Subcommittee Chair. Incoming Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) announced today that Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) will be the Health Subcommittee Chair. CBO Details Options to Reduce Federal Deficit. A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report highlights options for Congress to consider to reduce mandatory and discretionary spending. House Bipartisan Task Force on AI Releases Report. The report recommends that the healthcare industry maintain robust support for healthcare research related to artificial intelligence (AI) and encourages the development of standards for AI liability. ASTP/ONC Releases HTI-3 Final Rule. The rule is the second of three expected final rules following the release of a proposed rule from the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator (ASTP/ONC) this summer. CMS Actuary Office Data Shows Increased Healthcare, Hospital Spending. Healthcare spending in 2023 reached $4.9 trillion, a third of which was hospital spending, representing a sharp increase compared to 2022. CONGRESS 118th Congress Continues to Grapple with Contentious CR. Addressing their final agenda item, lawmakers need to at a minimum enact a short-term CR that extends government funding beyond the current CR’s December 20 expiration date. Earlier this week, House Republican leaders brought forth a bipartisan agreement negotiated on both sides of the Capitol to extend government funding through March 14, 2025, and include significant other policies, including disaster relief funding, a Farm Bill extension, and a sizeable package of bipartisan healthcare policies. That package included pharmacy benefit manager reforms, patent reforms, a limited Medicare site neutral policy, Medicaid home- and community-based services policies, a 2.5% offset to the scheduled Medicare physician fee schedule reduction, and a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities. However, amid growing concern from House Republicans, President-elect Donald Trump voiced his opposition Wednesday night and pushed for the debt limit to be raised, putting the package in immediate jeopardy. House Republicans in response developed a slimmed down CR on Thursday to raise the debt limit and fund the government into March 2025, with the inclusion of three months of funding for expiring healthcare programs. A vote on that package failed on the House floor with 38 Republicans joining most Democrats in opposition. As of the time of this publication, on Friday at 3:00 PM EST, House Republicans are working to coalesce around next steps to avoid a government shutdown and appear poised to vote on a CR similar to the one that failed on Thursday, without the provision to raise the debt limit. While we think the CR will include short-term extensions of expiring health provisions, it is not yet clear at this time. Beyond the CR, activity on the House floor this week included passage of numerous public health bills , such as legislation on home care for veterans and funding for autism research. Some of the bills previously passed the Senate and could be signed by President Biden, while others were not voted on in the Senate and will need to be reconsidered next Congress. The House also moved Senate bill S. 4610 , which will now go to the president. This bill proposes to do something we all thought had been done centuries ago: naming the bald eagle the official national bird. House Health Committees Select New Republican Members. The Republican Steering Committee added four new members to the Ways & Means Committee for the 119th Congress: Reps. Rudy Yakym (IN-2), Max Miller (OH-7), Aaron Bean (FL-4), and Nathaniel Moran (TX-1). Ten Republicans have been added to the Energy & Commerce Committee, including three freshmen: Craig Goldman (TX-12), Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL), and Gabe Evans (CO-8). The seven other Republicans joining the committee are Michael Rulli (OH-6), Erin Houchin (IN-9), Russell Fry (SC-7), Laurel Lee (FL-15), Tom Kean (NJ-7), Nick Langworthy (NY-23), and Cliff Bentz (OR-2). Democrats still need to select their new members on the Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees. Across the Capitol, both Republicans and Democrats need to select new members for Senate committees. With a switch in control in the Senate, Republicans will add new members to both the Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Democrats also have Finance Committee seats to fill after previous members lost reelection or retired. House Energy & Commerce Committee Announces New Health Subcommittee Chair. Incoming Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) announced today that Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) will be the Health Subcommittee Chair. Carter has been a supporter of extending Medicare telehealth flexibilities and reforming pharmacy benefit managers. CBO Details Options to Reduce the Federal Deficit. The report comes as Republicans, who will control both Congress and the White House next year, look for ways to reduce federal spending and seek policies that could offset their planned extension of Trump 1.0 tax cuts and other objectives. Healthcare options include reducing federal Medicaid matching rates, reducing Medicare Advantage benchmarks, creating federal spending caps for Medicaid, and implementing Medicare site neutral policies. CBO releases this report regularly; just because an option is included does not mean it is politically tenable or will be pursued, but scoring policies does provide a menu to Members of Congress if they are seeking to find savers. CBO also released a primer explaining how it incorporates administrative and judicial actions when publishing projections of the federal budget and preparing cost estimates. House Bipartisan Task Force on AI Releases Report. The task force adopted several high-level principles to frame its policy analysis, and the report includes both overarching and industry-specific findings and recommendations. The task force found that the use of AI in healthcare can reduce administrative burdens and speed up drug development and clinical diagnosis. It also found that the lack of ubiquitous, uniform standards for medical data and algorithms impedes system interoperability and data sharing. Healthcare recommendations include maintaining robust support for healthcare research related to AI and supporting the development of standards for liability related to AI issues. ADMINISTRATION ASTP/ONC Releases HTI-3 Final Rule. In the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability (HTI-3) rule , ASTP/ONC finalized: The addition of a definition of “reproductive health care” to the information blocking regulation defined terms. Select proposed revisions for two existing information blocking exceptions (the privacy exception and the infeasibility exception). A new information blocking exception (the protecting care access exception). ASTP/ONC has divided finalization of the policies that were included in the broad HTI-2 proposed rule , released in July 2024, into three installments: The HTI-2 final rule released on December 11 focused on the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement. The December 16 HTI-3 final rule focused on protecting care access. The forthcoming HTI-4 final rule will likely address certification updates and other elements of the HTI-2 proposed rule and is expected to be published in March 2025. CMS Actuary Office Data Shows Increased Healthcare, Hospital Spending. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data show that healthcare spending reached $4.9 trillion in 2023, an increase of 7.5% from 2022. This represents the highest percentage change since 2020. The high spending can mostly be attributed to an increase in insurance coverage and high hospital and prescription drug usage in the private insurance market and in Medicare. Hospital spending alone reached $1.5 trillion in 2023, an increase of 10.4%, which is the largest spending increase since 1990. Despite this increased spending, healthcare expenditures remained 17% of the economy overall, the same percentage as in 2022. While the federal share of healthcare spending decreased, an overall increase in healthcare spending could raise alarm bells on Capitol Hill among conservatives who are concerned about high healthcare expenditures. QUICK HITS Biden Administration Releases Fall 2024 Unified Agenda. The agenda lays out what rulemaking is planned for the remainder of 2024 and into 2025. Given that President-elect Trump will be inaugurated in one month, don’t get too attached to this list. Many of these regulations could be set aside or rewritten, and other regulations will be initiated. CMS Calls for Proposals for 2025 Health Equity Conference. Proposals are due to CMS by January 17, 2025, and must focus on the theme “Building a Healthier America.” The Health Equity Conference will be held April 23 – 24, 2025, although it should be noted that this event could be altered or cancelled once the new Administration takes office. More information can be found here . CMS Publishes Lessons from AHCAH. The Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) initiative allows acute care hospitals to deliver inpatient care in a patient’s home. A CMS blog post highlights data from a September 2024 report on the initiative and how it improves care. MACPAC Releases 2024 Medicaid, CHIP Data Book. MACStats , released by the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), includes data on Medicaid and CHIP enrollment, spending, and eligibility. Four State Medicaid Programs Will Participate in IBH Model. The Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) model will begin on January 1, 2025, and Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, and South Carolina will participate. The model involves collaboration between CMS, participating state programs, and community-based behavioral health providers to improve behavioral and physical health. CMS Holds Webinar on IOTA Model. The webinar provided an overview of the mandatory Increasing Organ Transplant Access (IOTA) model . The model is scheduled to begin in July 2025 but could be modified or repealed by the incoming Trump Administration. CMS Approves California Behavioral Health Section 1115 Waiver. The new waiver , which runs from January 2025 through December 2029, gives California authority to test the effectiveness of innovative practices aimed at strengthening the continuum of community-based behavioral health services. Goals of the waiver include strengthening the workforce, supporting the health of children and youth involved in the child welfare system, and reducing stays in institutional settings for significant behavioral health needs. OIG Finds Expenditures for Diabetes and Weight Loss Drugs Rapidly Increased. From 2019 to 2023, Medicaid spending on certain diabetes and weight loss drugs, including glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, increased by more than 540% to total $9 billion, according to an Office of Inspector General (OIG) report . The report follows CMS’s proposal to require Medicare and Medicaid coverage of weight loss drugs for the treatment of obesity. Senate Finance Democrats Release Emergency Reproductive Care Report. The partisan report concludes an investigation into how pregnant women are receiving emergency reproductive care at hospitals in the wake of the Dobbs decision. It assesses how they believe abortion bans conflict with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. Marketplace Sees Record High Enrollment. Over 16.6 million consumers enrolled in marketplace coverage in this year’s open enrollment through HealthCare.gov, and their coverage will begin January 1. Consumers can continue to enroll through January 15 for coverage that begins February 1. NEXT WEEK’S DIAGNOSIS Once Congress resolves the CR situation, the 118th Congress will draw to a close. The 119th Congress will begin on January 3, 2025, when members will be sworn in. You can find the combined House/Senate 2025 congressional calendar here . We will next publish on January 10, 2025. We hope you have a happy holiday and a great start to the new year.(Bloomberg) — Shares of data center operator DigiCo Infrastructure REIT are set to start trading in Sydney on Friday after a A$2 billion ($1.3 billion) initial public offering that was Australia’s biggest in more than six years. The deal — Australia’s largest since oil refiner Viva Energy Group Ltd.’s listing in July 2018 — has helped boost the nation’s overall IPO proceeds for this year to $2.4 billion, more than the amount raised in 2022 and 2023 combined, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. DigiCo shares begin trading at 12 p.m. Sydney time. DigiCo REIT is seeking to capitalize on the surge in investor interest in the sector, with a slate of companies seeking cash to expand their data center portfolios on the back of the artificial intelligence boom. Global demand for such infrastructure is expected to rise at an annual rate of 19% to 22% from 2023 to 2030, according to a recent McKinsey & Co. report. “DigiCo breathes a little life back into the market and may augur a reawakening in the year to come,” Morningstar Inc. market strategist Lochlan Halloway wrote in a Dec. 5 note. High interest rates, inflationary concerns and weak commodity prices have dented IPO activity in Australia in recent years. The DigiCo IPO was met with “significant demand from institutional cornerstone and retail investors,” according to a Nov. 21 exchange filing. The offering also comes on the heels of a massive data center transaction in Australia this year. Blackstone Inc. and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board agreed in September to acquire AirTrunk in a deal valuing the company at A$24 billion. That was Blackstone’s largest-ever investment in the Asia Pacific region. DigiCo is expected to have a total portfolio of 13 properties in Australian and North American markets. It currently holds three properties, according to its prospectus. Subscribe to The Bloomberg Australia Podcast on Apple, Spotify, on YouTube, or wherever you listen. Despite the growing appetite for data centers, Morningstar sees DigiCo REIT’s stock as overpriced. It values the stock at A$3.40 per share, a 32% discount to its A$5 offer price. The “vendors are asking investors to stump up too much,” Halloway wrote. Still, the stock may rise in its debut as “data centers are a hot theme, the deal is oversubscribed and there has been a dearth of new opportunities for investors this year.” Alternative asset manager HMC Capital Ltd., led by former UBS Group AG dealmaker David Di Pilla, is launching the listing. The Sydney-based company will hold about an 18% stake in DigiCo REIT following the IPO. —With assistance from Adam Haigh. (Adds trading start time in second paragraph)
Two of the GAA’s biggest dual counties invested heavily on their inter-county teams in 2024 with Galway spending a record €2.7 million and Wexford shelling out just under €1.5 million. Galway GAA’s spend is slightly up on last year when they invested just under just under €2.65 million on all their county sides in both codes across all age grades - a record at the time. The year before Galway became the first county to crash through the €2 million barrier for spending on inter-county teams. Read More: Our Top 10, two point scoring arc kings: Where David Clifford, Paul Mannion and co rank Read More: Venues, dates, times and TV latest on All-Ireland club hurling semi-finals This year’s slight rise in spending takes account of the senior football side's preparations for the All-Ireland final, and also a team holiday afterwards. Despite their huge investment in their sides the good news for Galway GAA is that they still reported a healthy surplus of over €730,000 - doubling last year’s figure. This was largely due to almost doubling their fundraising income to just over €1.5 million, with commercial income rising to just under €1 million, with overall income a record €6 million for the county. Meanwhile, Wexford were also well in the black with an operating surplus of almost €355,000 and an income of €3.2 million. The net surplus after depreciation was just under €50,000. Their spend on inter-county teams was up 22% to €1.47 million, but commercial income also rose, coming in at €1.47 million, with almost €500,000 spent on coaching and games. Outgoing County Chairman Micheál Martin told delegates at the Clayton Whites Hotel that the increased spend on county teams was down to several factors, including increasing medical costs and more underage games. Martin also confirmed that Revenue are conducting audits into a number of counties and intend to move into all counties and then onto clubs. Galway GAA, supported by their independent auditors, have decided not sign off on their accounts until after the Revenue commissioners complete their own audit. To keep up to date with all the latest GAA news, sign-up to our GAA newsletter here.
SentinelOne Stock Tumbles Despite Increased Guidance. Should Investors Buy the Dip?Patrick Fishburn leads at Sea Island as Joel Dahmen keeps alive hopes of keeping his jobTHIS WEEK’S DOSE 118th Congress Continues to Grapple with Contentious CR. With the collapse of Republican support for the negotiated continuing resolution (CR) package, as of the time of publication on Friday at 3:00 PM EST, Congress is still grappling with how to extend government funding into the new year. At a minimum, we think any final deal will at least provide a short-term extension to a number of expiring health programs. House Health Committees Select New Republican Members. Republicans identified new committee members, while House Democrats have yet to name new members for the 119th Congress. House Energy & Commerce Committee Announces New Health Subcommittee Chair. Incoming Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) announced today that Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) will be the Health Subcommittee Chair. CBO Details Options to Reduce Federal Deficit. A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report highlights options for Congress to consider to reduce mandatory and discretionary spending. House Bipartisan Task Force on AI Releases Report. The report recommends that the healthcare industry maintain robust support for healthcare research related to artificial intelligence (AI) and encourages the development of standards for AI liability. ASTP/ONC Releases HTI-3 Final Rule. The rule is the second of three expected final rules following the release of a proposed rule from the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator (ASTP/ONC) this summer. CMS Actuary Office Data Shows Increased Healthcare, Hospital Spending. Healthcare spending in 2023 reached $4.9 trillion, a third of which was hospital spending, representing a sharp increase compared to 2022. CONGRESS 118th Congress Continues to Grapple with Contentious CR. Addressing their final agenda item, lawmakers need to at a minimum enact a short-term CR that extends government funding beyond the current CR’s December 20 expiration date. Earlier this week, House Republican leaders brought forth a bipartisan agreement negotiated on both sides of the Capitol to extend government funding through March 14, 2025, and include significant other policies, including disaster relief funding, a Farm Bill extension, and a sizeable package of bipartisan healthcare policies. That package included pharmacy benefit manager reforms, patent reforms, a limited Medicare site neutral policy, Medicaid home- and community-based services policies, a 2.5% offset to the scheduled Medicare physician fee schedule reduction, and a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities. However, amid growing concern from House Republicans, President-elect Donald Trump voiced his opposition Wednesday night and pushed for the debt limit to be raised, putting the package in immediate jeopardy. House Republicans in response developed a slimmed down CR on Thursday to raise the debt limit and fund the government into March 2025, with the inclusion of three months of funding for expiring healthcare programs. A vote on that package failed on the House floor with 38 Republicans joining most Democrats in opposition. As of the time of this publication, on Friday at 3:00 PM EST, House Republicans are working to coalesce around next steps to avoid a government shutdown and appear poised to vote on a CR similar to the one that failed on Thursday, without the provision to raise the debt limit. While we think the CR will include short-term extensions of expiring health provisions, it is not yet clear at this time. Beyond the CR, activity on the House floor this week included passage of numerous public health bills , such as legislation on home care for veterans and funding for autism research. Some of the bills previously passed the Senate and could be signed by President Biden, while others were not voted on in the Senate and will need to be reconsidered next Congress. The House also moved Senate bill S. 4610 , which will now go to the president. This bill proposes to do something we all thought had been done centuries ago: naming the bald eagle the official national bird. House Health Committees Select New Republican Members. The Republican Steering Committee added four new members to the Ways & Means Committee for the 119th Congress: Reps. Rudy Yakym (IN-2), Max Miller (OH-7), Aaron Bean (FL-4), and Nathaniel Moran (TX-1). Ten Republicans have been added to the Energy & Commerce Committee, including three freshmen: Craig Goldman (TX-12), Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL), and Gabe Evans (CO-8). The seven other Republicans joining the committee are Michael Rulli (OH-6), Erin Houchin (IN-9), Russell Fry (SC-7), Laurel Lee (FL-15), Tom Kean (NJ-7), Nick Langworthy (NY-23), and Cliff Bentz (OR-2). Democrats still need to select their new members on the Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees. Across the Capitol, both Republicans and Democrats need to select new members for Senate committees. With a switch in control in the Senate, Republicans will add new members to both the Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Democrats also have Finance Committee seats to fill after previous members lost reelection or retired. House Energy & Commerce Committee Announces New Health Subcommittee Chair. Incoming Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) announced today that Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) will be the Health Subcommittee Chair. Carter has been a supporter of extending Medicare telehealth flexibilities and reforming pharmacy benefit managers. CBO Details Options to Reduce the Federal Deficit. The report comes as Republicans, who will control both Congress and the White House next year, look for ways to reduce federal spending and seek policies that could offset their planned extension of Trump 1.0 tax cuts and other objectives. Healthcare options include reducing federal Medicaid matching rates, reducing Medicare Advantage benchmarks, creating federal spending caps for Medicaid, and implementing Medicare site neutral policies. CBO releases this report regularly; just because an option is included does not mean it is politically tenable or will be pursued, but scoring policies does provide a menu to Members of Congress if they are seeking to find savers. CBO also released a primer explaining how it incorporates administrative and judicial actions when publishing projections of the federal budget and preparing cost estimates. House Bipartisan Task Force on AI Releases Report. The task force adopted several high-level principles to frame its policy analysis, and the report includes both overarching and industry-specific findings and recommendations. The task force found that the use of AI in healthcare can reduce administrative burdens and speed up drug development and clinical diagnosis. It also found that the lack of ubiquitous, uniform standards for medical data and algorithms impedes system interoperability and data sharing. Healthcare recommendations include maintaining robust support for healthcare research related to AI and supporting the development of standards for liability related to AI issues. ADMINISTRATION ASTP/ONC Releases HTI-3 Final Rule. In the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability (HTI-3) rule , ASTP/ONC finalized: The addition of a definition of “reproductive health care” to the information blocking regulation defined terms. Select proposed revisions for two existing information blocking exceptions (the privacy exception and the infeasibility exception). A new information blocking exception (the protecting care access exception). ASTP/ONC has divided finalization of the policies that were included in the broad HTI-2 proposed rule , released in July 2024, into three installments: The HTI-2 final rule released on December 11 focused on the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement. The December 16 HTI-3 final rule focused on protecting care access. The forthcoming HTI-4 final rule will likely address certification updates and other elements of the HTI-2 proposed rule and is expected to be published in March 2025. CMS Actuary Office Data Shows Increased Healthcare, Hospital Spending. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data show that healthcare spending reached $4.9 trillion in 2023, an increase of 7.5% from 2022. This represents the highest percentage change since 2020. The high spending can mostly be attributed to an increase in insurance coverage and high hospital and prescription drug usage in the private insurance market and in Medicare. Hospital spending alone reached $1.5 trillion in 2023, an increase of 10.4%, which is the largest spending increase since 1990. Despite this increased spending, healthcare expenditures remained 17% of the economy overall, the same percentage as in 2022. While the federal share of healthcare spending decreased, an overall increase in healthcare spending could raise alarm bells on Capitol Hill among conservatives who are concerned about high healthcare expenditures. QUICK HITS Biden Administration Releases Fall 2024 Unified Agenda. The agenda lays out what rulemaking is planned for the remainder of 2024 and into 2025. Given that President-elect Trump will be inaugurated in one month, don’t get too attached to this list. Many of these regulations could be set aside or rewritten, and other regulations will be initiated. CMS Calls for Proposals for 2025 Health Equity Conference. Proposals are due to CMS by January 17, 2025, and must focus on the theme “Building a Healthier America.” The Health Equity Conference will be held April 23 – 24, 2025, although it should be noted that this event could be altered or cancelled once the new Administration takes office. More information can be found here . CMS Publishes Lessons from AHCAH. The Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) initiative allows acute care hospitals to deliver inpatient care in a patient’s home. A CMS blog post highlights data from a September 2024 report on the initiative and how it improves care. MACPAC Releases 2024 Medicaid, CHIP Data Book. MACStats , released by the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), includes data on Medicaid and CHIP enrollment, spending, and eligibility. Four State Medicaid Programs Will Participate in IBH Model. The Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) model will begin on January 1, 2025, and Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, and South Carolina will participate. The model involves collaboration between CMS, participating state programs, and community-based behavioral health providers to improve behavioral and physical health. CMS Holds Webinar on IOTA Model. The webinar provided an overview of the mandatory Increasing Organ Transplant Access (IOTA) model . The model is scheduled to begin in July 2025 but could be modified or repealed by the incoming Trump Administration. CMS Approves California Behavioral Health Section 1115 Waiver. The new waiver , which runs from January 2025 through December 2029, gives California authority to test the effectiveness of innovative practices aimed at strengthening the continuum of community-based behavioral health services. Goals of the waiver include strengthening the workforce, supporting the health of children and youth involved in the child welfare system, and reducing stays in institutional settings for significant behavioral health needs. OIG Finds Expenditures for Diabetes and Weight Loss Drugs Rapidly Increased. From 2019 to 2023, Medicaid spending on certain diabetes and weight loss drugs, including glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, increased by more than 540% to total $9 billion, according to an Office of Inspector General (OIG) report . The report follows CMS’s proposal to require Medicare and Medicaid coverage of weight loss drugs for the treatment of obesity. Senate Finance Democrats Release Emergency Reproductive Care Report. The partisan report concludes an investigation into how pregnant women are receiving emergency reproductive care at hospitals in the wake of the Dobbs decision. It assesses how they believe abortion bans conflict with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. Marketplace Sees Record High Enrollment. Over 16.6 million consumers enrolled in marketplace coverage in this year’s open enrollment through HealthCare.gov, and their coverage will begin January 1. Consumers can continue to enroll through January 15 for coverage that begins February 1. NEXT WEEK’S DIAGNOSIS Once Congress resolves the CR situation, the 118th Congress will draw to a close. The 119th Congress will begin on January 3, 2025, when members will be sworn in. You can find the combined House/Senate 2025 congressional calendar here . We will next publish on January 10, 2025. We hope you have a happy holiday and a great start to the new year.
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Caitlin Clark on staying focused, the next step for the WNBA, and more at the Massachusetts Conference for WomenNone
Canaan Inc. Signs Agreement with AGM Group Holdings Inc.
REDMOND, Ore., Dec. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Expion360 Inc. (Nasdaq: XPON) (“Expion360” or the “Company”), an industry leader in lithium-ion battery power storage solutions, announced today the resignation of Greg Aydelott, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective December 31, 2024, due to family health concerns. Mr. Aydelott intends to remain available to the Company on an ongoing basis as a consultant to ensure a smooth transition. The Company’s Board of Directors has appointed the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Brian Schaffner, as interim Chief Financial Officer, and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, effective December 31, 2024, and is conducting a search process to identify a new CFO. Mr. Schaffner previously served as the CFO of Expion360 from March 2021 through January 2023. “On behalf of our Board of Directors, leadership team and employees, I would like to thank Greg for his outstanding service and commitment over the past three years," said Mr. Schaffner. "He has made significant contributions to Expion360’s success, including managing our growth, strengthening our balance sheet, enhancing our planning and budgeting process, and overseeing investments in new technologies and batteries.” “This has been an incredible journey with talented people, and it has been a privilege to help lead this passionate team,” said Mr. Aydelott. “I look forward to following the success of Expion360 for years to come.” About Expion360 Expion360 is an industry leader in premium lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries and accessories for recreational vehicles and marine applications, with residential and industrial applications under development. On December 19, 2023, the Company announced its entrance into the home energy storage market with the introduction of two premium LiFePO4 battery storage systems that enable residential and small business customers to create their own stable micro-energy grid and lessen the impact of increasing power fluctuations and outages. The Company’s lithium-ion batteries feature half the weight of standard lead-acid batteries while delivering three times the power and ten times the number of charging cycles. Expion360 batteries also feature better construction and reliability compared to other lithium-ion batteries on the market due to their superior design and quality materials. Specially reinforced, fiberglass-infused, premium ABS and solid mechanical connections help provide top performance and safety. With Expion360 batteries, adventurers can enjoy the most beautiful and remote places on Earth even longer. The Company is headquartered in Redmond, Oregon. Expion360 lithium-ion batteries are available today through more than 300 dealers, wholesalers, private-label customers, and OEMs across the country. To learn more about the Company, visit expion360.com . Forward-Looking Statements and Safe Harbor Notice This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which statements are subject to considerable risks and uncertainties. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are "forward-looking statements" and should be evaluated as such. Examples of such forward-looking statements include statements that use forward-looking words such as "projected," "expect," "possibility,” “believe,” “aim,” “goal,” “plan,” and "anticipate," or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements included in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected timing and impact of the executive transition, including Mr. Aydelott’s continuing role as a consultant to the Company, and the Company’s ability to build on its momentum and achieve its financial and strategic objectives. Forward-looking statements are subject to and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements predicted, assumed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Company Contact: Brian Schaffner, CEO 541-797-6714 Email Contact External Investor Relations: Chris Tyson, Executive Vice President MZ Group - MZ North America 949-491-8235 XPON@mzgroup.us www.mzgroup.us
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SAINT GEORGE, Utah (AP) — Beon Riley's 18 points helped Utah Tech defeat Denver 68-54 on Tuesday night. Riley also had 11 rebounds for the Trailblazers (2-6). Noa Gonsalves scored 15 points and added eight rebounds and three steals. Justin Bieker shot 4 of 6 from the field and 2 for 3 from the line to finish with 11 points. The Pioneers (3-5) were led in scoring by Sebastian Akins and Josh Lee, who both finished with 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Foreign institutional investors become sellers in the cash market on Friday after buying for the three consecutive days. They remained net buyers in index options and index futures. However, FIIs were net sellers in stock options and stock futures. Overseas investors turned net sellers of Indian equities on Friday after three straight days of buying, while domestic institutional investors turned net buyers after three consecutive days of selling. Foreign portfolio investors sold stocks worth Rs 1,830.3 crore, the highest amount sold by the FPIs so far this month. The DIIs bought stocks worth Rs 1,659.1 crore, according to provisional data shared by the National Stock Exchange. In December so far, FIIs have mopped up Rs 11,933.6 crore worth of equities, whereas the DIIs purchased Rs 1,792.5 crore worth of equities. In November, FPIs sold stocks worth Rs 45,974.1 crore, whereas the DIIs mopped up stocks worth Rs 44,483.9 crore. In October, the FPIs had sold equities worth Rs 1.14 lakh crore and the DIIs bought equities worth Rs 1.07 lakh crore. In 2024, foreign institutions have been net sellers of Rs 9,435 crore worth of Indian equities so far, according to data from the National Securities Depository Ltd., updated till the previous trading day. Ahead of the Dec. 24 expiry, the value of outstanding positions—also called open interest in the derivatives segment—has increased for the FIIs in Nifty futures. The FIIs' long-to-short ratio in index futures remains at 45%:55%. The FIIs bought index futures worth Rs 546 crore, index options worth Rs 2,758 crore. However, they sold stock futures worth Rs 1,519 crore and stock options worth Rs 1,965 crore. The value of total Nifty 50 futures open interest in the market increased by Rs 476 crore at the end of November expiry—from Rs 27,672 crore a day earlier—to Rs 28,148 crore. The Nifty November futures were up by 0.04% to 24,775 at a premium of 98 points, with the open interest down by 1.64%. The open interest distribution for the Nifty 50 Dec. 12 expiry series indicated most activity at 26,200 call strikes, with the 21,600 put strikes having maximum open interest. The total long-short ratio for foreign investors fell to 1.31 from 1.37 in the earlier session.
What does the US-brokered truce ending Israel-Hezbollah fighting include?Saturday Night Live has lined up its last trio of hosts for 2024. After a season full of nostalgic bits, political bites, and even some emotional moments, Season 50’s first stretch will conclude with three back-to-back-to-back episodes in December. Here’s what to know about how to tune in for the last three episodes of the year.0 Yes! Saturday Night Live is new this weekend, on Saturday (December 7), with Gladiator II star Paul Mescal hosting and Shaboozey as musical guest. This marks Shaboozey’s first stint on SNL . After this week’s episode, two more consecutive shows have been announced. On December 14, Chris Rock will host for the fourth time, with Gracie Abrams as the musical guest of the week, making her SNL debut in support of her new album The Secret of Us . Then, on December 21, for the holiday episode, Martin Short will host for the third time, and Hozier will take the stage as musical guest, his second stint on the show in support of his new album Unreal Unearth . Saturday Night Live airs on Saturday evenings at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Episodes are also available to stream Peacock , which boasts a sprawling library of all 49 seasons. 'Saturday Night Live' 50th Anniversary Special: What to Know SNL kicked off its 50th season early in October. Here’s a list of the episodes so far. Season 50, Episode 1 (September 28, 2024): Jean Smart and Jelly Roll Season 50, Episode 2 (October 5, 2024): Nate Bargatze and Coldplay Season 50, Episode 3 (October 12, 2024): Ariana Grande and Stevie Nicks Season 50, Episode 4 (October 19, 2024): Michael Keaton and Billie Eilish Season 50, Episode 5 (November 2, 2024): John Mulaney and Chappell Roan Season 50, Episode 6 (November 9, 2024): Bill Burr and Mk.gee Season 50, Episode 7 (November 16, 2024): Charlie XCX The show will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an NBC special airing Sunday, February 16. Find out everything to know about that right here . More Headlines: Is ‘SNL’ New This Weekend? Here’s Everything to Know ‘The Price is Right’ Fans Want Change to Game After Contestant’s ‘Depressing’ Disaster 2025 Golden Globes: Ted Danson to Receive Carol Burnett Award — When & How to Watch ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Demand Change After ‘Crazy’ Bonus Puzzle Pattern ‘Survivor’: Jeff Probst Breaks Down Every Detail of That New Weighted TimerAndrew Tate's site ransacked, subscriber data stolenHow ‘Yellowstone’ is inspiring the comeback of the Roy Rogers fast food chain
