The US tech giant said it now supported 550,000 jobs in the UK through direct employment, its supply chain and the economy around its App Store – with app developers having earned nearly £9 billion since it launched in 2008. Apple said its engineering teams were carrying out critical work on the firm’s biggest services, including key technology within Apple Intelligence, the iPhone maker’s suite of generative AI-powered tools which are expected to launch in the UK for the first time this week. Elsewhere, the firm said its growing TV empire, spearheaded by its Apple TV+ streaming service and production arm, had also helped boost its investment in the UK with Apple TV+ production in this country tripling in the last two years, the company said. Chief executive Tim Cook said: “We’ve been serving customers in the UK for more than 40 years, and we’re proud of our deep connection with communities across this country. “We’re thrilled to be growing our Apple teams here, and to keep supporting the extraordinary innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs who are pushing the boundaries of technology in so many ways.” The Chancellor Rachel Reeves said companies such as Apple were “intrinsic” to the UK’s prosperity by boosting jobs. “This government is laser focused on creating the right conditions for growth to help put more money in people’s pockets. “That’s what underpins the Plan for Change and is what has driven £63 billion worth of inward investment in the UK through our first international investment summit. “Companies like Apple are intrinsic to the success of our nation’s prosperity – helping deliver jobs, innovative technology, and boost infrastructure.”

From wealth and success to murder suspect, the life of Luigi Mangione took a hard turn

Maybe it’s just my nature, but I’m all about Thanksgiving. It’s a time to reflect on what we enjoy in our lives. It’s a time to appreciate the contributions that others make to our well-being. And, yes, it’s a time to give thanks for a big turkey (or faux-turkey, as the case may be) feast. John Tayer So why is there such a lump in my throat as I approach this Thanksgiving week? Last week, the Boulder Chamber hosted its first Leading Change conference in partnership with the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County and the NAACP Boulder County. It was a remarkable gathering, featuring compelling arguments regarding the business benefits of a diverse workforce and a welcoming environment for every staff member. More than ideology and inspiration, our presenters and panelists provided practical tips for achieving diversity, equity and inclusion goals. As a backdrop to the conference, though, I quoted this article from Inc. Magazine: “Many corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs have been under fire from conservative opponents for the better part of a year, and a growing number of businesses are scaling them back in an apparent response.” In the face of such disheartening retrenchment, I offered that “DEI values remain core to the Boulder Chamber mission and, even more relevant, to our core values.” Still, the current wave of political expediency is upon us. One institution noted that they will have to change the name of their DEI programming to avoid becoming a target of threats to federal funding. They hope to stay under the radar in a hostile environment for something that is currently in the crosshairs of those who command the purse strings, regardless of the clear business benefits and moral imperative. I hear similar talk from our friends in the climate-protection and clean-energy fields. For good reason, they worry about threats to their research budgets, and so should all of us. The economic impact of that research, including spin-off technology development and business enterprises, runs in the billions of dollars for Colorado, with a significant portion of those funds invested in research and businesses in Boulder. Let’s face it, we live in a town that is as blue as it gets on the political front at a time when red blankets our nation, reflecting the balance of control in Washington. Much of our economic vitality also rests on principles that have come under attack in the platitudes of politically heated election rhetoric. The approach we tend to take toward addressing social issues also is confronting new challenges. Well, hold on. As I said in a recent BizWest story, “There’s a great distance between the political rhetoric and what ultimately is approved through the legislative process and executive decision-making.” There will be consequences of any pendulum swing, such as we may be experiencing now, but it’s also a risky proposition to run too fast in the direction of current political winds. We should also resist straying from the foundation of an economy — one built on core values — that has served us so well. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be thoughtful regarding alignment of our work with current national administration goals. While “climate protection” might not be de rigueur these days, there is no question that our economy depends on the projections our climate scientists are making regarding global warming impacts. The insurance industry is paying attention. But also consider those who depend on our threatened water systems. Whether in red Arizona or blue California, your pharmaceutical companies, farms and breweries need to know that water will be flowing. And then there’s diversity, equity and inclusion. How terrible to consider pulling back from the progress we’ve been fighting to make in addressing systemic racism and injustice in our nation. At the same time, in the words of my good friend and communications consultant AJ Grant, “the goals and sentiments we hope to advance often get lost and cordoned off into fraught vocabulary.” It’s important to remember the fundamental ideal of DEI is about bringing the best and brightest voices and perspectives to the table, regardless of background, and circumstance. Ultimately, Grant notes, it is simply about “caring” for one another. Who can argue with that? Yes, there is a lump in my throat when I consider possible impacts to Boulder’s economy from the recent leadership change in Washington. In truth, though, we don’t know what is rhetoric and what changes will ultimately settle across the economic landscape. Regardless, I give thanks to the core values that have been the foundation of our success ... and know our economy and community will weather those changes in the political winds. John Tayer is president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at 303-442-1044, ext 110 or john.tayer@boulderchamber.com.Big Ten slate features Indiana-Ohio State showdown and Penn State-Minnesota matchup Things to watch this week in the Big Ten Conference: No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP ) at No. 2 Ohio State (9-1, 6-1, No. 2 CFP), Saturday, noon ET (Fox) This marks the 98th matchup between these two teams, but it's only the fourth time both teams have been ranked. Although Indiana is unbeaten, its soft schedule means the Hoosiers aren't assured of making the 12-team field if they lose this game. The only team with a winning record that Indiana has beaten is Washington (6-5). Ohio State needs a win to have a realistic shot at a rematch with top-ranked Oregon in the Big Ten championship game. Ohio State has beaten Indiana 28 straight times since the Hoosiers posted back-to-back victories in 1987-88. No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1, No. 4 CFP) at Minnesota (6-4, 4-3), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (CBS) This is likely Penn State's biggest obstacle on its way to a potential playoff berth. The Nittany Lions' lone remaining regular-season game is a Nov. 30 home matchup with Maryland (4-6, 1-6). Minnesota has had an extra week to prepare this game since its 26-19 loss at Rutgers on Nov. 9, which snapped a four-game winning streak. Penn State and Minnesota have split their last four meetings, with the home team winning each time. Penn State DE Abdul Carter has multiple tackles for loss in each of his last three games. He ranks second among all Bowl Subdivision players in tackles for loss (17 1⁄2). Southern California RB Woody Marks rushed for a career-high 146 yards in a 28-20 win over Nebraska. Marks has six 100-yard rushing performances this season. Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai is the first Scarlet Knight to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons since Ray Rice did it three straight years from 2005-07. Monangai has run for 1,028 yards this season and rushed for 1,262 yards last year. Oregon OLB Matayo Uiagalelei recorded a sack and had a game-clinching interception as the top-ranked Ducks won 16-13 at Wisconsin last week. He has 8 1⁄2 sacks this season to rank second in the Big Ten. Four of the top seven Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks in passer rating are from the Big Ten. Indiana's Kurtis Rourke is second, Ohio State's Will Howard is third, Penn State's Drew Allar is fifth and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel is seventh. ... Illinois QB Luke Altmyer has thrown 18 touchdown passes with only three interceptions. The only Power Four quarterback with a better touchdown/interception ratio while throwing at least 10 touchdown passes is Clemson's Cade Klubnik, who has 26 touchdowns and four interceptions. ... Rutgers' three Big Ten wins matches its largest total since joining the league in 2014. Rutgers also had three conference wins in 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023. A victory Saturday over No. 24 Illinois would give Rutgers three straight Big Ten wins for the first time. ... Washington's 31-19 win over UCLA was its 20th straight home victory, representing its second-longest such streak in school history. The Huskies won 45 straight home games from 1908-17. ... Wisconsin heads to Nebraska this week having won its last 10 matchups with the Cornhuskers. Penn State justifiably is favored on the road against Minnesota, but Bet MGM's 12 1⁄2-point spread seems way too big. Expect this game to have a single-digit margin. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added 29 more Chinese entities to its list of exporters banned for suspected use of slavery, including companies that manufacture food and metals, from tomato paste to iron ore. Chinese propaganda organs were predictably outraged by the UFLPA action. The state-run Global Times on Monday published an apoplectic editorial that portrayed “forced labor” as pure fiction created by American politicians and businessmen as an excuse to treat China unfairly. “The U.S. is clearly using ‘human rights’ as a pretext to curb the development of Chinese enterprises, destabilize Xinjiang region [occupied East Turkistan] and contain China’s development,” railed Chinese Academy of Social Sciences research fellow Liu Weidong. WATCH — “Here I Am!” — Trump Warns China over Taking Advantage of American Workers While He Was Gone: Liu repeated the Chinese Communist Party’s mantra that “decoupling” from Chinese supply chains is “costly and unsustainable” for Western companies, as well as being a “shortsighted move that, in the long run, will negatively impact global economic stability and the interests of the U.S. itself.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry accused U.S. officials of “spreading false stories on Xinjiang” and “illegally” sanctioning Chinese companies for imaginary human rights violations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian claimed the UFLPA would only hurt the Uyghurs by depriving them of employment. On Monday, the Global Times ran a propaganda piece intended to convince readers that the Uyghurs of East Turkistan have become happy and productive under China’s wise, if somewhat firm, stewardship. The piece included photos of smiling Uyghurs ostensibly delighted that China forced them to leave their homes and relocate to industrial and agricultural sites where they could find work. Also on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security announced a very big name that might soon be added to the UFLPA entity list: Temu, the Chinese online retailer famed for its low prices. DHS said it was investigating Temu over allegations of using forced labor to produce goods at dirt-cheap prices. DHS officials told the New York Post (NYP) that Temu has been under investigation for quite some time, but the Biden administration has been curiously reluctant to add it to the Entities List. That reluctance might end under the second Trump administration. Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas delivers remarks during a visit to the southern border on February 29, 2024, in Brownsville, Texas, as President Joe Biden, looks on. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) “It’s just incredible that those guys can make a dress, ship it halfway around the world and sell it for, you know, $8 or something, and so those put all sorts of U.S. businesses out of business. And then comes in a question of, how do they do that?” former CIA intelligence officer Kevin Hulbert told the NYP. “They do it probably by having really cheap cotton in their goods and stuff, and so that’s an issue. We shockingly allow Temu to self-certify that none of their cotton comes from the Xinjiang province, which is where slave labor is used,” Hulbert said. The DHS action announced last Wednesday was the first time China-based companies that export steel or aspartame sweeteners have been added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. The UFLPA is a law that took effect in January 2022, banning imports of products that might be tainted by forced labor from the oppressed Uyghur Muslims of occupied East Turkistan, which China refers to as Xinjiang province. The law presumes nearly all exports from Xinjiang have been contaminated with forced labor at some point in their production chains, unless the export company can prove otherwise. With the latest 29 additions – the largest number added in a single action since 2022 – the number of entities on the UFLPA ban list stands at 107. It will most likely be the last forced-labor enforcement action of the outgoing Biden administration. “Today’s enforcement actions make it clear: the United States will not tolerate forced labor in the goods entering our markets,” said DHS Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers, who chairs the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF). “The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is a powerful tool in the fight against forced labor, and we are using it to its full potential. We urge companies to take responsibility, know their supply chains, and act ethically,” Silvers said on Wednesday. WATCH — Harshbarger: U.S. “Dependent” on Foreign Countries Supplying Medical Ingredients Needed for Survival: Twenty-three of the 29 new additions are agricultural companies, while the others mine or process minerals such as copper, lithium, beryllium, nickel, manganese, and gold. Solar power and textiles were among the first industries to be heavily impacted by the UFLPA, but recently the U.S. government has been taking a closer look at Chinese metals and seafood products. Critics of the Biden administration claim enforcement has been too lax, but they expect it to become much more vigorous under President-elect Donald Trump and his Secretary of State nominee, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who was a sponsor of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Rubio sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on October 31, complaining that the Biden administration has not used the tools provided by the UFLPA aggressively enough against certain Chinese pharmaceutical companies. “The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act assures the American people that the products they purchase were made without slave labor. It is clear that the lack of oversight by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not made this true,” Rubio wrote. “The FDA and DHS have a responsibility to rectify this dangerous error and uphold the law,” Rubio told Mayorkas.OAHU, Hawaii -- The long-awaited sequel "Moana 2" takes place a few years after the original, even if it's been eight years in real life! The film's leading lady, Auli'i Cravalho, is back in the role that made her a star. She was a teenager the first time around. She just turned 24 last week. "It feels like coming home, getting to play this character again. And I've missed her, truly," said Cravalho. The young star said she hears differences in her voice now that she's older and she sees differences in the animation with all the latest technology at play. However, one thing remains the same. "I feel so grateful to have a film where our heroine is a young woman of Pacific Island descent," Cravalho said. "We have such Polynesian pride from across all of these islands." In "Moana 2," our young heroine is three years older, and wiser, than when we first met her. She's tasked with leading a dangerous but important journey for her people after receiving an unexpected call from her ancestors. "This Polynesian history is a source of pride for all of us. To see it on the big screen means the world," Cravalho said. "Moana 2" is rated PG and hits theaters Wednesday, Nov. 27.

The US tech giant said it now supported 550,000 jobs in the UK through direct employment, its supply chain and the economy around its App Store – with app developers having earned nearly £9 billion since it launched in 2008. Apple said its engineering teams were carrying out critical work on the firm’s biggest services, including key technology within Apple Intelligence, the iPhone maker’s suite of generative AI-powered tools which are expected to launch in the UK for the first time this week. Elsewhere, the firm said its growing TV empire, spearheaded by its Apple TV+ streaming service and production arm, had also helped boost its investment in the UK with Apple TV+ production in this country tripling in the last two years, the company said. Chief executive Tim Cook said: “We’ve been serving customers in the UK for more than 40 years, and we’re proud of our deep connection with communities across this country. “We’re thrilled to be growing our Apple teams here, and to keep supporting the extraordinary innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs who are pushing the boundaries of technology in so many ways.” The Chancellor Rachel Reeves said companies such as Apple were “intrinsic” to the UK’s prosperity by boosting jobs. “This government is laser focused on creating the right conditions for growth to help put more money in people’s pockets. “That’s what underpins the Plan for Change and is what has driven £63 billion worth of inward investment in the UK through our first international investment summit. “Companies like Apple are intrinsic to the success of our nation’s prosperity – helping deliver jobs, innovative technology, and boost infrastructure.”HARTFORD, CT – The Connecticut Education Association (CEA) released its annual online survey Tuesday afternoon, and educators around the state revealed that they are suffering from burnout, low pay, and issues with student discipline. “If you know a teacher, you know somebody who bought school supplies for another person’s child,” said Kate Dias, president of the CEA. “If you know a teacher, you know somebody who paid out of pocket to ensure that their classroom was welcoming and kind to their students. If you know a teacher, you know somebody who bought snacks to make sure students didn’t go hungry. These are the little things that are really big in terms of making our schools the place our students need them to be. But that burden can’t solely sit on the shoulders of our teachers.” The , conducted by GBAO, ran from October 22 through October 28. 5,016 members of the approximately 43,000 strong CEA responded to the survey. The top five issues for the respondents were stress and burnout (63%), low salaries (56%), problems with student behavior (55%), not feeling respected professionally (36%) and politicians/non-educator making classroom decisions (35%). These conditions, said Rep. Chris Poulos, D-Southington, have helped to contribute to a difficult work conditions which drive people away from the education profession. Napoli also works as a high school teacher in Redding. “It’s not just in my hometown or the district where I teach or in the state of Connecticut, but it’s nationwide that we are facing teacher shortage crisis in our country, ”he said. “Everyone agrees that we need to work to find ways to attract and retain people into our profession. There’s no silver bullet that’s going to bring and populate our profession overnight but a good place to start is with young people.” Napoli suggested that the legislature look at ways to alleviate some of the financial burdens that are involved with earning teaching certification, such as the cost of licensure or the cost of some of the standardized tests that are involved in certifying a teacher. Elsa Batista, a teacher in Newington, spoke about the many ways that teachers go above and beyond for their students. “Teaching is such a rewarding profession,” she said. “We love what we do but with that said, if you’re not in the classroom, if you can’t spend a day in our shoes, please know that we wear many hats. Oftentimes I teach more than just Spanish. We teach students how to be compassionate with one another. We teach social skills, we teach empathy.” She said that teaching is a very emotional job, and the energy she and her colleagues expend on students often comes at the expense of what they can do for their own families when they get home. “We love what we do, but we’re getting tired,” she said. Jeff Morrissey, president of the Bridgeport Educators Association, said that there are critical shortages of teachers in special education, math, science, and English for speakers of other languages in his hometown, and that the shortages are negatively affecting both students and staff. “It is of the utmost importance to have a certified teacher in every classroom, but that’s nearly impossible when you consider, as it has been uttered here earlier, the expense, education, and effort that go into certification and the low salaries and high stress of this career,” he said. He called on the state legislature to accelerate its support of teachers, by passing a statewide minimum starting salary of $60,000 for new teachers and providing adequate funding for regular salary increases. Otherwise, he said, teachers faced the reality of working multiple jobs to make ends meet. “To provide for my own family, personally, I myself have worked on golf courses, bartended, tutored, and weighted tables on nights and weekends,” he said. Joslyn DeLancey, vice president of the CEA, noted that there have been changes to teacher evaluations and DCF reporting requirements to make the job less stressful, but said that wasn’t enough. “The one thing that those changes haven’t been is financial, and I think that that is the critical understanding that we need to invest in our public schools,” she said. “We’ve talked about class size, we’ve talked about salary, we’ve talked about funding for special education. We should be focusing on our para-educators too as well, we need those strong and supported in our schools. So what we need to be doing is making sure that this session, when we start talking about policy and legislation, that a priority is funding our public schools and directing those funds in the places that will impact our students so that they can be successful.”

MALAGA, Spain -- The last man to face — and beat — Rafael Nadal in professional tennis, 80th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp , converted his 10th match point Friday to finally close out a 6-4, 6-7 (12), 6-3 victory over Daniel Altmaier and help the Netherlands reach its first Davis Cup final by sweeping Germany. Tallon Griekspoor, who is ranked 40th, sealed the 2-0 win for the Dutch in the best-of-three-match semifinal by hitting 25 aces and coming back to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4. When it ended, appropriately, on an ace, Griekspoor shut his eyes, dropped to his knees and spread his arms wide. “We have been talking about this for two, three years,” Griekspoor said. “We believed in ourselves so much. We always felt like this was possible. To do it now feels unbelievable.” The other semifinal is Saturday, with No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner and defending champion Italy taking on Australia . The championship will be decided Sunday. “We don’t have that top 5 player. We don’t that top 10 player. We don’t have that top 15 player,” Dutch captain Paul Harhuuis said. “But it’s a team effort. ... So proud of these guys.” In Friday's opener, van de Zandschulp was up a set and just a point away from leading 5-2 in the second when Altmaier began playing more aggressively and interacting more with the German fans, yelling and throwing uppercuts or raising his arms after key points. In the tiebreaker, Altmaier managed to save five match points before converting his own fourth set point to extend the contest. But van de Zandschulp — who upset four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz at the U.S. Open — quickly moved out front in the final set, even if he eventually needed five more match points in the last game before serving it out. “At some point, I didn’t know what to do any more on the match points,” van de Zandschulp said. “I had the toughest match of my life on Tuesday (against Nadal), so everything that comes next is maybe a little bit easier.” In the quarterfinals, van de Zandschulp outplayed Nadal for a 6-4, 6-4 result that marked the end of the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s career because the Netherlands went on to eliminate Spain 2-1. The 38-year-old Nadal announced last month that the Davis Cup would be his final event before retiring. Presumably because people purchased tickets ahead of time with plans to watch Nadal compete in the semifinals, there were hundreds of unoccupied blue or gray seats surrounding the indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain on Friday. Now truly a neutral site, the place was not nearly as loud and rowdy as on Tuesday, although there were shouts of “Vamos, Rafa!” that drew laughter while van de Zandschulp played the 88th-ranked Altmaier. It took Griekspoor more than 75 minutes and nearly two full sets to figure out how to break No. 43 Struff and then did it twice in a row — to lead 6-5 in the second set, and then go up 1-0 in the third. That was plenty, because Griekspoor saved the only two break points he faced. The Netherlands hadn’t been to the semifinals since 2001. The Germans — whose best current player, two-time major finalist Alexander Zverev, is not on the team in Malaga — have won three Davis Cups, but not since 1993, when 1991 Wimbledon champion Michael Stich led them to the title. ___ AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis