The world stands at the dawn of a “third nuclear age” in which Britain is threatened by multiple dilemmas, the head of the armed forces has warned. But alongside his stark warning of the threats facing Britain and its allies, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said there would be only a “remote chance” Russia would directly attack or invade the UK if the two countries were at war. The Chief of the Defence Staff laid out the landscape of British defence in a wide-ranging speech, after a minister warned the Army would be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict. The admiral cast doubt on the possibility as he gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank in London. He told the audience Britain needed to be “clear-eyed in our assessment” of the threats it faces, adding: “That includes recognising that there is only a remote chance of a significant direct attack or invasion by Russia on the United Kingdom, and that’s the same for the whole of Nato.” Moscow “knows the response will be overwhelming”, he added, but warned the nuclear deterrent needed to be “kept strong and strengthened”. Sir Tony added: “We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age, which is altogether more complex. It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.” The first nuclear age was the Cold War, while the second was “governed by disarmament efforts and counter proliferation”, the armed forces chief said. He listed the “wild threats of tactical nuclear use” by Russia, China building up its weapon stocks, Iran’s failure to co-operate with a nuclear deal, and North Korea’s “erratic behaviour” among the threats faced by the West. But Sir Tony said the UK’s nuclear arsenal is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on (President Vladimir) Putin than anything else”. Successive British governments had invested “substantial sums of money” in renewing nuclear submarines and warheads because of this, he added. The admiral described the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Ukraine’s border alongside Russian forces as the year’s “most extraordinary development”. He also signalled further deployments were possible, speaking of “tens of thousands more to follow as part of a new security pact with Russia”. Defence minister Alistair Carns earlier said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. He said it illustrated the need to “generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis”. In comments reported by Sky News, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, said Russia was suffering losses of around 1,500 soldiers killed or injured a day. “In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine – our Army for example, on the current casualty rates, would be expended – as part of a broader multinational coalition – in six months to a year,” Mr Carns said in a speech at Rusi. He added: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger Army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis.” Official figures show the Army had 109,245 personnel on October 1, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Mr Carns, the minister for veterans and people, said the UK needed to “catch up with Nato allies” to place greater emphasis on the reserves. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey had previously spoken about “the state of the armed forces that were inherited from the previous government”. The spokesman said: “It’s why the Budget invested billions of pounds into defence, it’s why we’re undertaking a strategic defence review to ensure that we have the capabilities and the investment needed to defend this country.”
Dr. Eric Liederman, CEO of CybersolutionsMD, a digital health, privacy, security and IT resilience consultancy, has held informatic leadership roles at health system CommonSpirit Health (formerly Catholic Healthcare West), UC Davis Health System and Kaiser Permanente. Liederman will discuss how to prepare and recover from a major cyberattack at the 2025 HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas in March. He recently sat down with MobiHealthNews to discuss his HIMSS25 talk on the severity of cyberattacks and what healthcare organizations can do to prevent them. MobiHealthNews: How severe is the problem? Dr. Eric Liederman: Severity can be measured in a number of different ways. It can be measured in terms of prevalence. And prevalence, if this were a disease, it would be a pandemic much worse than COVID-19. It is affecting by far the majority of healthcare delivery organizations. It can be as high as two-thirds or more. Other surveys put it closer to the 55% level. But it is the majority that have already been hit. Most of them don't like to talk about it because their lawyers tell them to clam up. That's actually its own problem because everyone is operating in an isolated silo, and people aren't able to learn from one another. In terms of the data we have, this is a very severe problem. Now in terms of severity, which is the other thing – prevalence and severity – with severity, there is recent data out of the University of California, San Diego, which paints a dire picture. It published a number of papers showing the impact of a ransomware attack not on themselves, but on a nearby multi-hospital system in San Diego. The impact was terrible. One that comes to mind is that their out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes plummeted. Prior to this attack on their neighboring system, the percentage of such folks who left the hospital with their brains intact was about 40%. During the period of the attack and its aftermath, it dropped to 4%. MHN: What are healthcare leaders doing right? What more should they be doing? Liederman: Defense and its effectiveness are really all over the board. It is very hard to hire experienced cybersecurity professionals, especially in healthcare. These folks can earn a lot more money in financial services. Financial services used to be the No. 1 victim of these attacks, but they have really hardened themselves and they have done it in large part by throwing a lot of money at the problem. But there are only so many of these folks around. So a lot of healthcare organizations do not have the teams they need to adequately defend themselves. That is a big problem that is spread all over the country, all over the world really. Those who are better resourced still have their own challenges in terms of defense. One problem is structural, which is patching takes time and negotiation. Nobody wants to bring their system down to have patches applied. Everybody complains about that. Plus, you have structural delays built in all over the place. The owner of the firmware or the operating system or the software, it takes some time to identify and then publish the fact that there is a vulnerability and then to publish patches for it and then, of course, those patches typically have to be tested and scheduled. Meanwhile, during that time, attackers can come in and take you out. If you don't know you have a vulnerability or you know you have a vulnerability but you don't have a patch or you know you have a vulnerability and you have the patch but you haven't applied it, your door is wide open. The attackers are very well-funded because they are extorting huge amounts of money through ransom attacks, business email compromises and other forms of monetization of their attack vectors and structures. So, they are very well-funded and put a lot of what they pull in into research and development, and they are using tools that the rest of us are now using for other purposes like AI. AI is exciting, but it is being used by the attackers to identify vulnerabilities and identify exploits against them. The defenders can use the same tools, but the problem is that there are structural delays in terms of patching, so it is an imbalanced playing field. MHN: What do you see on the horizon in terms of technology, attitude and spending patterns that will help combat cyberattacks? Liederman: Ironically, the most effective way to shut down these attacks is if everybody were to agree to not pay a dime to the attackers. That would be the most effective way. Just make it so that it is a barren desert in terms of monetization. Of course, even in those situations, those attacks typically have not stopped. When healthcare organizations have refused to pay ransom, there are more and more instances where the attackers have gone after and extorted individual patients. This happened recently in Pennsylvania where a bunch of nude images of patients – the images were taken because they were being assessed and prepared for radiation oncology treatment for their cancers – were obtained by an attacker, and they tried to go after the individual patients and say, "If you don't pay us directly, we are going to publish these naked pictures of you on the internet." There are lots of examples of this all over the country, all over the world. I don't know how that can be stopped. These are aggressive, well-funded players. In terms of supporting the healthcare organizations that are in trouble, I guess it is a multifactor situation. On the one hand, you have a supply and demand problem. As I mentioned, you don't have enough trained professionals – the federal government has tackled such issues before by providing preferential funding and support pipelines for people to be educated and trained in certain areas. Whether or not the incoming administration or future administrations would have an interest in doing this sort of thing, I don't know. In the absence of fixing the supply and demand problem, simply pouring more money into the healthcare or any industry in the United States to try to hire these folks and provide services that they need is just going to create inflation for their services. If you have a fixed supply and you jack up demand, you are just going to increase the price. So I don't know if there is a good solution. There is a fundamental mismatch that needs to be addressed. Dr. Eric Liederman's session, "The Day After: Preparing to Recover from a Major Cyberattack," is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, at 3:15 p.m. at HIMSS25 in Las Vegas .After winning Vikings-themed jackpot amid cancer battle, team invites Debbie Bury to big game
Tesla Energy and Vikta Energy Partner to Enhance Power Resilience in Texas Ahead of Winter 12-24-2024 12:40 AM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: ABNewswire With Texas facing another potentially severe winter, the state's power grid is once again under scrutiny. In light of the catastrophic failures during Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and Hurricane Beryl this past summer, residents are increasingly adopting innovative energy solutions to safeguard against outages. Tesla Energy, in partnership with installation leader Vikta Energy, is spearheading efforts to bolster energy resilience and sustainability for Texas homes and businesses. Extreme weather events have become a recurring challenge in Texas. This past summer, Hurricane Beryl left Houston residents without power for nearly two weeks, exposing significant vulnerabilities in the state's unregulated energy grid. As forecasters predict harsh winter conditions, the need for dependable, self-reliant energy systems has never been more urgent. "Texans deserve the security of knowing their homes can weather any storm," said Angela Zatopek, SVP of Strategic Partnerships at Vikta Energy. "With advanced solar and battery technologies, we can empower homeowners to take control of their power and safeguard their families in the face of grid failures." Tesla's Role in Creating Resilient Energy Solutions Tesla Energy's suite of products, including the Tesla Solar Roof, Powerwall battery storage, and the Cybertruck Powershare, offers a clean and sustainable alternative to traditional energy sources. These solutions allow homeowners to generate, store, and manage their own electricity, reducing reliance on an often-unreliable grid. Houston residents now have access to Tesla Electric's Virtual Power Plant program, enabling them to sell excess energy back to the grid and contribute to a more stable energy ecosystem. Vikta Energy, Tesla's certified partner, ensures seamless installation and integration of these systems, bringing Tesla's vision of energy independence to life. Addressing Safety and Sustainability The Tesla Powerwall has proven to be a safer alternative to traditional generators, which can pose risks such as carbon monoxide poisoning. Following Hurricane Beryl, Houston saw a concerning rise in generator-related incidents, highlighting the critical need for reliable, non-polluting backup power solutions. The Powerwall provides uninterrupted power during outages, offering peace of mind to families across Texas. A Strategic Shift Toward Renewable Energy Investing in renewable energy is a growing trend among Texans, not only as a safeguard against outages but also as a means to reduce energy costs and environmental impact. Tesla's Solar Roofs and Powerwalls offer long-term solutions that prioritize sustainability and resilience. These systems align with Texas's push toward clean energy while addressing the challenges posed by climate change and infrastructure limitations. "Energy independence is no longer a luxury but a necessity for Texans," Zatopek added. "We're proud to lead the charge in providing cutting-edge solutions that protect our communities and support a greener future." Media Contact: Angela Zatopek SVP of Strategic Partnerships, Vikta Energy Email: angela.z@viktaenergy.com Phone: 424-332-6319 Website: www.viktaenergy.com [ http://www.viktaenergy.com/ ] Media Kit: http://www.viktaenergy.com/media-kit About Vikta Energy Vikta Energy is a leading provider of Tesla-based energy solutions, specializing in solar and battery storage technologies. Committed to energy independence and sustainability, Vikta Energy serves residential and commercial clients across Texas, delivering innovative systems that ensure uninterrupted power and peace of mind. Media Contact Company Name: Vikta Energy Contact Person: Angela Zatopek Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=tesla-energy-and-vikta-energy-partner-to-enhance-power-resilience-in-texas-ahead-of-winter ] Phone: 424-332-6319 City: Austin State: Texas Country: United States Website: http://www.viktaenergy.com This release was published on openPR.OTTAWA — Canada's financial intelligence agency says it is modernizing with the aim of providing valuable information to police and security officials in real time — or as close to that goal as it can get. In its newly released annual report, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada says it is working with businesses and federal partners to move more quickly in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. The agency, known as Fintrac, identifies money linked to illicit activities by electronically sifting millions of pieces of information each year from banks, insurance companies, money services businesses, real-estate brokers, casinos and others. In turn, it discloses intelligence to police and security agencies about the suspected cases. In 2023-24, Fintrac produced more than 4,600 financial intelligence disclosure packages for recipients including the RCMP, municipal and provincial police, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Canada Revenue Agency. In a message in the report, Fintrac director Sarah Paquet says the agency aims to harness modern skills, tools and technologies to analyze data and produce intelligence in real time. Paquet said such swiftness could be a game-changer, for example, in the agency's efforts to track financial transactions related to human trafficking for sexual exploitation. "It will allow us to proactively identify and assist law enforcement in disrupting networks much quicker," she said. "This will mean rescuing victims sooner, saving them from prolonged abuse. It will mean supporting survivors sooner, getting them the assistance they need in a more timely fashion. And it will help law enforcement target, arrest and charge the traffickers sooner, preventing the abuse of new victims." Fintrac's digital strategy includes advancing automation, analytics and the use of artificial intelligence, Paquet said. In a bid to "stay ahead of the bad actors," Fintrac has created a digital acceleration and modernization team "to experiment with, and exploit, the latest technologies." Transnational organized crime groups and professional money launderers are the most prominent threats to Canada when it comes to illicit cash transactions, the report said. "At the same time, while the threat of terrorist financing is not as pronounced in Canada as it is in other regions of the world, there are networks operating in our country that are suspected of raising, collecting and transmitting funds abroad to various terrorist groups." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
Rosen Law Firm Announces Investigation of Breaches of Fiduciary Duties by the Directors and ...IOWA CITY — The Iowa football team picked up the commitment of Central Michigan transfer Jonah Pace on Monday. Pace The 6-foot-5, 285-pound defensive lineman announced the decision on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a post captioned: Stay the path. A Marengo, Illinois native, Pace appeared in 37 games over the course of four seasons with the Chippewas. He racked up 54 total tackles, including 30 solo stops, 12 tackles for loss, including five sacks, one forced fumble, one blocked kick and two passes defended. Nebraska reportedly also had interest in the veteran run stuffer. A three-star prospect on the 247Sports Composite rankings out of high school, Pace originally picked Central Michigan over offers from Illinois State, Indiana State, Murray State, North Dakota and Western Illinois. Pace joins Auburn transfer Hank Brown as the only two transfer portal commits for the Hawkeyes since the start of the winter transfer window two weeks ago. According to Connor Colby, the Iowa offensive line knew center Logan Jones would return. Their confidence did not stop the Council Bluffs native from leaving his teammates in the dark. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said he expects Brendan Sullivan to start for the Hawkeyes in the 2024 Music City Bowl after missing the final two games of the season. Two Iowa Hawkeyes received Associated Press All-American honors for the 2024 college football season on Monday. Get local news delivered to your inbox! University of Iowa Athletics Beat Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.FII selling in November at Rs 26,000 crore. What lies in December?
The Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team has gotten off to a fast start this season in more ways than one. The No. 16 Bearcats have raced to a 5-0 record while outscoring their opponents by more than 31 points per game, with just one team (Northern Kentucky) coming within 16 points. Cincinnati is averaging a robust 87 points per game with one of the more efficient offenses in college basketball. Cincinnati will look to continue that hot streak when it plays host to Alabama State in nonconference action Wednesday evening. Cincinnati has punished opposing defenses in a variety of ways this season. Despite being the No. 14 offense in the nation in Ken Pomeroy's efficiency ratings, the Bearcats aren't among the nation's leaders in pace. Still, they take advantage of those opportunities when they are there. "Us playing fast is something we want to do," Cincinnati forward Dillon Mitchell said. "When I was being recruited here, that was something Coach (Wes) Miller wanted to do. "There could be games where we're not making shots or something is off, but one thing is we're gonna push the ball, play hard and play fast. That's something he preaches. We'll be in shape and get rebounds." Mitchell is fresh off a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in Cincinnati's 81-58 road win at Georgia Tech Saturday. He is one of four Bearcats to average double figures in scoring this season. That balance was on display once again against the Yellow Jackets, with Connor Hickman and Jizzle James also scoring 14 points each and Simas Lukosius contributing 12 points. In that game, Cincinnati sank 51.6 percent of its shots while regularly getting out into transition with 16 fastbreak points, while winning the rebounding battle 36-29. "Any time you get a road win over a quality, Power 4 team, you're gonna feel good about it," Miller said. "I was pleased with our effort." Lukosius is scoring 16.6 points per game, while James is at 14.0 points, followed by Mitchell at 12.4, while he also grabs a team-best 8.6 rebounds. Alabama State (3-3) has a tough task ahead, especially when considering its 97-78 loss at Akron Sunday, which ended a three-game winning streak. The Hornets allowed the Zips to shoot 46.4 percent from the field and were 53-32 in the rebounding battle. Alabama State gave up a season high in points, after playing the likes of LSU and UNLV earlier this season. Akron standout Nate Johnson lit up Alabama State for 25 points, as the game got away from the Hornets in the second half to keep them winless in true road games. Alabama leading scorers CJ Hines and TJ Madlock still got theirs against Akron, scoring 19 and 17 points, respectively. They were joined in double figures by reserve Tyler Mack (18 points), but recent history says they'll need more help to keep up with the Bearcats. Hines leads the Hornets with 15.7 points per game, while Madlock contributes 14.5 points. In previous Akron Basketball Classic wins last week against Omaha and Lamar, Alabama State featured at least four double-digit scorers in each game. --Field Level MediaNoneNone
The Green Bay Packers pitched a shutout. Green Bay concluded Week 16 with a 34-0 home rout over the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football . > Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are Jordan Love didn't have the best performance in the victory, but a solid rushing attack got the Packers over the line. The Saints tried to compete with injury issues, but Spencer Rattler couldn't help put any points on the board. New Orleans dropped to 5-10 with the loss having already been eliminated from postseason contention. Green Bay improved to 11-4 and clinched its spot for the second straight season with Love. Let's analyze the game further with winners and losers: WINNER: Green Bay's rushing attack The Packers were propelled by Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks on the ground. Jacobs, as usual, led the way with 69 yards on 13 carries, while Wilson added 52 yards on 11 carries. Josh Jacobs confirmed STRONG pic.twitter.com/fORemLJWIf Brooks tacked on 23 yards on six tries, with all three rushers scoring a touchdown apiece. With a total of 188 ground yards between nine different rushers (including Malik Willis' three QB kneels), Green Bay easily outpaced New Orleans. LOSER: New Orleans' rushing attack It was the opposite story on the ground for the Saints. Without leading rusher Alvin Kamara, no option could generate any momentum against the Packers' front. Rattler led the way with 28 yards on five attempts. Three other rushers tallied 15 carries for just 39 yards, with Jordan Mims' 16 yards on four attempts leading the way. Kendre Miller had 15 yards on eight runs. WINNER: Playoff berths The win moved Green Bay to 11-4 and officially clinched the team a playoff spot. The Packers are currently the No. 6 seed after being No. 7 last season and showcasing the potential for a deep run. Right above Green Bay is the Minnesota Vikings, which is 13-2 and duking it out with the also 13-2 Detroit Lions for the NFC North title and No. 1 seed in the NFC. Green Bay will need help if it hopes to climb the ladder. LOSER: QB play While the Packers put up 34 points, Love wasn't as influential as he could've been on the night. He completed just 16 of 28 passes for 182 yards, one touchdown and no picks. Love had a strong run in the playoffs last season, but he's struggled with inconsistency this year. Though he avoided throwing a pick, he'll need to be much better to give the Packers a chance against the real contenders. Rattler was also predictably poor, completing 50% of his passes for 153 yards, no touchdowns and a pick. WINNER: Shutouts Green Bay's win became the first shutout of the 2024 regular season. As the league continues to focus on offensive play and scoring, New Orleans had nothing to show. With Derek Carr and a healthier offense things could've been different, but for now the Saints entered the wrong side of history despite their ability to light up the scoreboard in the first few weeks.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin speaks about the party's "celebrity candidate" Gráinne Seoige, who polled at just 5% in Galway West , according to tallies.SHELTON, Conn. , Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- William Raveis , the Inman -awarded Top Brokerage in the U.S. (2023), and the number one privately held real estate company in the Northeast, Florida , and South Carolina is proud to announce the strategic partnership with Town & Country Real Estate (T&C), a luxury brokerage serving the East End of Long Island , New York since 2005. Growing throughout the luxury Triangle—New York City, The Hamptons, The North Fork, Palm Beach , and Westchester marketplace. The T&C offices will be joining forces with William Raveis' growing network of over 140 offices, and 4,500 agents from Maine to Florida . Likewise, the award-winning brokerage, William Raveis , gains a foothold within the Hamptons and The North Fork luxury real estate. T&C's founder, Judi Desiderio (CEO) and Janet Hummel (Managing Partner) will stay on as partners along with more than 150 T&C sales agents. "We're delighted to welcome Town & Country to our family company," said William, "Bill" Raveis, Jr. adding, "I've gotten to know Judi and Janet over these many months and found our business model, family culture, and entrepreneurial approach to helping the agents aligns beautifully." This year, William Raveis celebrates 50 years in business, with Bill Raveis at the helm, sons Chris and Ryan Raveis as co-presidents, and strong management support, they are on a trajectory for growth, making company acquisitions in top luxury markets along the East Coast. Chris Raveis comments, "T&C's stellar reputation for luxury service resonates with clients in the Hamptons and will elsewhere in our footprint." Judi Desiderio agrees, "Our trademark has always been our ability to pivot to the needs of buyers, sellers, and renters. This expansion through the Raveis footprint gives our associates the single best opportunity to grow their businesses and service their clients in a unique way bolstered by superior technology and support. Which is why we're excited to grow our business throughout the luxury Triangle—New York City, The Hamptons, Palm Beach , and Westchester County. Stronger together, the possibilities are endless with William Raveis ." Bill Raveis is confident in their mission. "Our expertise in luxury marketing and providing full-service offerings through William Raveis Mortgage and Insurance helps navigate the complexities of buying, selling, and renting properties. In addition, every agent and client benefits from our robust referral network spanning the East Coast". The company is aggressively pursuing growth opportunities with future acquisitions in the pipeline across the Florida and Southern regions as well as in the Northeast marketplace over the coming months. Learn more at raveis.com or visit the team at their new William Raveis Long Island offices in Bridgehampton, Greenport, East Hampton , Mattituck, Montauk, Southampton, and Westhampton Beach. About William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage, and Insurance ... William Raveis is the number one privately held real estate brokerage in the Northeast, Florida , and South Carolina providing integrated real estate services to customers and clients for over 50 years. Selected as the Top Brokerage 2023 by Inman, the voice of REALTORS® and industry news, the company ranks among the nation's top independent and publicly traded brokerages for sales volume and units sold. In addition to its specialized Residential, Relocation, and Luxury Properties divisions, William Raveis has full-service, top-tier Mortgage and Insurance Companies. About Town & Country Real Estate ... Hamptons and North Fork real estate markets are the main topics of conversation across the East End of Long Island with global interest. With decades of experience, Town & Country Real Estate is renowned for its local expertise and market insights delivered by a professional team of over 150 sales agents. Under the leadership of its founder & CEO, Judi Desiderio and T&C Managing Partner Janet Hummel, the firm is prominently featured in New York and national media outlets showcasing their magnificent portfolio of properties throughout the Eastern End of Long Island and expansive regional knowledge and insight. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/william-raveis-expands-to-the-hamptons-and-north-fork-long-island-in-strategic-partnership-with-town--country-real-estate-302335444.html SOURCE William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance
Dublin Central Count 1: Mary Lou McDonald top as Gerard Hutch fourth and Green TD in trouble "I said to myself: "What the hell?"' - Micheál Martin's delight as FF outperforms exit poll Our Evening Tally take from our political team Fine Gael's Jennifer Carroll MacNeill the first TD elected in the country... Don’t blame the electorate when Simon Harris is Taoiseach for Christmas, Kevin Doyle writes Dublin West Count 1: Jack Chambers (FF) and Paul Donnelly (SF) elected Fingal East Count 2: FF's Darragh O'Brien on top with SF, FG and Labour neck and neck in 3-seater Dún Laoghaire Count 2: Two candidates eliminated Austin Stack eliminated in second count Security for Mary Lou McDonald at the count centre Wexford Count 1: Independent Verona Murphy tops poll and is elected on first count Wicklow-Wexford Count 1: No candidate reaches quota, two eliminated Dublin Fingal East Count 2: Nobody elected, Ben Gilroy eliminated Waterford Count 1: Sinn Féin's David Cullinane elected 'Our vote has held' - Helen McEntee hopeful of 20+ new Fine Gael TDs Dublin Central Count 1: Mary Lou McDonald top as Gerard Hutch fourth and Green TD in trouble Fingal West Count 2: Nobody reaches quota as Aontú candidate eliminated Who says multitasking isn't possible? Crossword time Meath West Count 2: SF's Johnny Guirke leads charge; Social Democrat Moore eliminated Fingal East Count 1: Nobody elected and two eliminatedSwiggy announces flash sale on onions after customer’s viral requestNothing's guaranteed, but Bucs need to win out to give themselves best shot to make the playoffsNewswise — Cal State Fullerton is experiencing a record-high year for enrollment. Fall 2024 data showed that CSUF enrolled 43,662 students this semester — increasing about 4% from 41,962 enrolled students in fall 2023. CSUF had the highest enrollment in the California State University system this fall. The increase was due in part to an all-time high number of applications, a record-high number of new students in fall 2024 and strong retention. The university received 83,478 undergraduate and graduate applications for fall 2024 compared to 78,325 applications for 2023. "We are thrilled to announce another successful semester with enrollment numbers that reflect both the resilience and ambition of our students,” said Amir Dabirian, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “This milestone not only underscores the growing demand for the high-quality education we offer, but also highlights the strong commitment of our faculty, staff and community to student success. As we continue to innovate and expand opportunities for academic excellence, we remain dedicated to empowering students to achieve their fullest potential." CSUF’s increased enrollment comes as Diverse Issues in Higher Education ranks CSUF No. 3 in the nation for bachelor’s degrees awarded to underrepresented students. U.S. News & World Report also ranked the university as a No. 7 Top Performer on Social Mobility in the nation this year. The CSU system overall experienced a systemwide enrollment increase of 2% from the previous year to more than 461,000 students. The CSU system extended its intent-to-register deadline last year to give new students more time to consider financial aid offers, which were delayed during the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, rollout. About Cal State Fullerton: The largest university in the CSU and the only campus in Orange County, Cal State Fullerton offers more than 100 degree programs and Division I athletics. Recognized as a national model for supporting student success, CSUF excels with innovative, high-impact educational practices, including faculty-student collaborative research, study abroad and competitive internships. CSUF is a top public university known for its success in supporting first-generation and underrepresented students, and preparing all students to become leaders in the global marketplace. Our vibrant and diverse campus is a primary driver of workforce and economic development in the region. Visit fullerton.edu .
The St. Petersburg City Council's goal is having the home of the Tampa Bay Rays ready for the 2026 season. But extensive repairs cannot be finished before the 2026 season, city documents show.Supreme Court seems likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on treatments for transgender minors
Vanquishing Bears, Thanksgiving losing streak tops Lions' holiday listArcadium Lithium said on Monday its shareholders have voted in favor of a $6.7 billion sale to Australian mining giant Rio Tinto. Shares of Arcadium Lithium rose about 7% in extended trading after the company said that about 98% of its shareholders had voted in favor of the sale. The deal, expected to close in mid-2025, will catapult Rio Tinto to the world’s third-largest lithium miner position, just behind Albemarle and SQM. Arcadium is facing legal hurdles, as some shareholders have filed lawsuits against it alleging misrepresentation, concealment and negligence regarding the takeover deal, the company revealed in a regulatory filing earlier this month. Earlier this year, Rio Tinto said it would pay $5.85 per share in cash for Arcadium, nearly a 90% premium to the stock’s closing price on Oct. 4, the day Reuters exclusively reported a potential deal. The Australian miner will gain access to Arcadium’s lithium mines, processing facilities and deposits in Argentina, Australia, Canada and the United States as well as customers including Tesla, BMW and General Motors. (Reporting by Vallari Srivastava and Pooja Menon in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid, Vijay Kishore and Shinjini Ganguli)
Green and Jamiel score long TDs and Lehigh rallies to defeat Richmond 20-16 in FCS playoff openerDetroit Auto Show unveils speakers for Mobility Global Forum
There was an odd atmosphere on Capital Hill . or signup to continue reading A taut electric vibe tussled with a summery last-day-of-school looseness. Haggard correspondents intoned philosophic, wearily resigned to their designation as villains in the febrile digital colosseum of political combat. With an unholy crush in the Senate - 31 bills passed on one day and 45 for the week - nervous but footloose lower house MPs killed time. Ministers floated between offices, affecting calm in that way trial lawyers do after closing arguments when everything hangs on a curmudgeonly judge or an inscrutable jury. The Speaker, Milton Dick, expressed his thanks to the sprawling complex's thousands of staff for keeping operational what Anthony Albanese described as "the most visited building in Australia". And it certainly seemed "most-visited" at Aussies on Thursday morning - the roiling social hub where over three decades, Dom Calabria and his father Tony have furnished coffee and meals to stressed press gallery journos, MPs, PMs and frontbenchers, and an infinity of lobbyists and public officials. In their ritual post-question time speeches before the summer break - a bilateral nod to civility dubbed "the hypocrisies" by one scribe - Albanese and Peter Dutton praised old Tony's 28-year stint at Aussies. "Tony is the man who did so much to enhance the seat of democracy here," Albanese remarked warmly to his fellow "Italo-Australian" looking up to the public gallery where three generations of Calabrias watched on. Dutton lauded the ailing 84-year-old's migrant story having emigrated at just 14. "He has worked every day since then, he has educated his children, he has provided a role model and has given that love to his family that has created a remarkable legacy," Dutton said. In other comments, Albanese revealed that he and Dutton did not hate each other after all. He noted that while he had visited Morrison's office only once as opposition leader (a startling factoid since the global pandemic occasioned a bipartisanship likened to wartime), Dutton had been into Albanese's prime ministerial suite, well, "more often than I'd like". Cue laughter. Yet coursing impatiently under all this ersatz chumminess, was the existential fight to come. Each knows that within months, one will be up, the other, finished. Since the Second World War, it has occupied the Treasury benches for just 29 years. Nonetheless, Labor goes into next year's election comforted by electoral history and shielded by an unofficial "Swiss G]guard" of community independents. But that historical precedent - every first-term federal government since 1932 has secured a second term - may amount to nothing in this disintermediated age of antisocial media and permanent grievance. For the 93 years since the rookie Scullin Labor government crashed along with everything else in the Great Depression, incumbency has been a winged keel. Australian voters have tended to pick and stick, at least once. Now though, around the democratic world in 2024, the vogue is to "pick then kick". But what about that Swiss guard of independents? Albanese's worst-case scenario is that one or all of the first-term teals lose. Another risk is that some back a Dutton executive. Currently Labor has 78 seats to the Coalition's 58. Dutton needs a net gain of 18 seats to govern in his own right. A huge task. Polls suggest the most likely outcome is a minority parliament. Labor could lose half a dozen seats to Dutton's Liberals and still be close enough to credibly seek crossbench commitments for supply and confidence. But what would the teal independents do - who would they prefer to form government? The lesson from the minority Gillard period is that indies who hold conservative seats but back progressive governments face extinction themselves. In this light,, it may be instructive to consult the AEC's "two-party preferred" exercise, in which it allocated all 151 "Reps" seats to either of the two major parties (irrespective of whether the seat actually fell to a third party). Unsurprisingly, it shows that preferences for either of the two majors (ahead of the other) favoured the Liberals by the following percentages in teal seats: Curtin (5.4), Goldstein (4.8), Kooyong (4.1 ), Mackellar (8.6), Warringah (1.4), Wentworth (5.9). These pro-Liberal margins may even expand in a 2025 election devoid of the unpopular Morrison. Yet this cuts both ways. In formerly safe Labor Fowler, Dai Le (assuming she survives) would have to ignore a strong Labor proclivity in her seat to back a Dutton-led minority government. Another outlier is Alexander Downer's erstwhile stronghold of Mayo, held by the centre-right indie Rebekah Sharkie. Her Adelaide Hills seat actually favoured Labor by 1.6 per cent in 2022. In all three of the Queensland seats filched by the Greens in 2022, voters preferred Labor - even the two secured from the LNP, Brisbane and Ryan. Nationally, the polls show a busy and productive Labor trailing Dutton's detail-light rhetorical assault over cost of living and immigration. The hardline Queenslander is a more effective political communicator than even his own colleagues thought when they overlooked him in 2018. In 2025, Labor remains the narrow favourite. But its hardheads recognise that no opposition leader is unelectable, no historical precedent immutable, and no seat lead impregnable. Mark Kenny is The Canberra Times' political analyst and a professor at the ANU's Australian Studies Institute. He hosts the Democracy Sausage podcast. He writes a column every Sunday. Mark Kenny is The Canberra Times' political analyst and a professor at the ANU's Australian Studies Institute. He hosts the Democracy Sausage podcast. He writes a column every Sunday. Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementNEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 4, 2024-- iHeartMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: IHRT) (“iHeartMedia”, the “Company” or “we”) today announced that, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on November 29, 2024, $750,585,122 aggregate principal amount (93.8%) of iHeartCommunications, Inc.’s (“Communications”) outstanding 6.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 (the “Existing 2026 Secured Notes”), $743,023,000 aggregate principal amount (99.1%) of Communications’ outstanding 5.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 (the “Existing 2027 Secured Notes”), $221,587,000 aggregate principal amount (44.3%) of Communications’ outstanding 4.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 (the “Existing 2028 Secured Notes” and, together with the Existing 2026 Secured Notes and Existing 2027 Secured Notes, the “Existing Secured Notes”) and $843,734,539 aggregate principal amount (92.1%) of Communications’ outstanding 8.375% Senior Notes due 2027 (the “Existing Unsecured Notes” and, together with the Existing Secured Notes, the “Existing Notes”) had tendered and delivered consents in the previously announced exchange offers (the “Notes Exchange Offers”) for the Existing Notes and concurrent consent solicitations (the “Notes Consent Solicitations”) to amend certain provisions in the indentures governing the Existing Notes pursuant to the terms and conditions described in the Confidential Offering Memorandum and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated November 15, 2024 (the “Offering Memorandum”), and that $2,254,656,962 aggregate principal amount (99.5%) of Communications’ outstanding term loans (the “Existing Term Loans” and, together with the Existing Notes, the “Existing Debt”) had agreed to participate and delivered consents in the previously announced exchange offer (the “Term Loan Exchange” and, together with the Notes Exchange Offers, the “Offers”) for the Existing Term Loans and consent solicitation (the “Term Loan Consent Solicitation” and, together with the Notes Consent Solicitations, the “Consent Solicitations”) to amend certain provisions in the credit agreement governing the Existing Term Loans (the “Existing Term Loan Credit Agreement”) in connection with the Term Loan Exchange, representing a total participation of $4,813,586,623 aggregate principal amount (92.0%) of the Existing Debt in the Offers as of such time (the “Early Tender/Participation Debt”). Amendments to the Offers and Consent Solicitations Additionally, Communications announced certain amendments to the Notes Exchange Offers and Notes Consent Solicitations as follows: Communications also announced that corresponding amendments (as applicable) were made to the terms of the Term Loan Exchange and Term Loan Consent Solicitation. The New Comprehensive Condition has been satisfied as of the date hereof and, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the other conditions set forth in the Offering Memorandum, as amended, Communications intends to consummate the Comprehensive Offers. Holders are referred to the Offering Memorandum, as amended, for the detailed terms and conditions of the Notes Exchange Offers and Notes Consent Solicitations with respect to the Existing Notes, all of which remain unchanged except as set forth in this release. Important Information Eligible Holders of the Existing Notes who wish to participate in the Notes Exchange Offers and Notes Consent Solicitations must tender all their Existing Notes across each series in the Notes Exchange Offers (and deliver consents in the related Notes Consent Solicitations) and shall not be permitted to tender in only one or a subset of the foregoing. In addition, such Eligible Holders will be deemed to have delivered consents for each proposed amendment applicable to the indentures governing their Existing Notes. There are no withdrawal or revocation rights in connection with any of the Notes Exchange Offers. As a result, any tenders of Existing Notes and delivery of the related consents will be final and irrevocable. None of the Issuers, their advisors, the trustee of the Existing Notes, the trustee with respect to the new notes, as applicable, the Exchange and Information Agent (as defined below) or any affiliate of any of them, makes any recommendation as to whether Eligible Holders of Existing Notes should participate in the Notes Exchange Offers and Notes Consent Solicitations, and no one has been authorized by any of them to make such a recommendation. Eligible Holders of Existing Notes should read carefully the Offering Memorandum, as amended, before making a decision to participate in the Notes Exchange Offers and the Notes Consent Solicitations. In addition, Eligible Holders of the Existing Notes must make their own decisions as to whether to tender their Existing Notes in the Notes Exchange Offers and provide consent in the related Notes Consent Solicitation. The Notes Exchange Offers and Notes Consent Solicitations are conditioned upon the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Offering Memorandum, as amended, and, other than the amendments described above, the other terms and conditions of the Notes Exchange Offers and Notes Consent Solicitations remain unchanged. The Notes Exchange Offers are being made, and the new notes to be issued by the Issuers in the Notes Exchange Offers are being offered and issued, only to holders of Existing Notes that are either (i) persons who are reasonably believed to be “qualified institutional buyers” as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act or (ii) persons other than “U.S. persons” as defined in Regulation S who agree to purchase any such new notes outside of the United States and who are otherwise in compliance with the requirements of Regulation S. The Issuers are not making the Notes Exchange Offers in any jurisdiction where the inclusion of any person in such jurisdiction would require the Issuers or any subsidiary of the Issuers to comply with registration requirements or other similar requirements under any securities laws of such jurisdiction. The holders of Existing Notes who have certified to us that they are eligible to participate in the Notes Exchange Offers pursuant to at least one of the foregoing conditions are referred to as “Eligible Holders.” Only Eligible Holders of Existing Notes may receive a copy of the Offering Memorandum and the amendment thereto (such amendment, the “Supplement”) and participate in the Notes Exchange Offers and the Notes Consent Solicitations. The Exchange and Information Agent is Kroll Issuer Services (US) (the “Exchange and Information Agent”). Detailed instructions regarding how Eligible Holders of Existing Notes can tender Existing Notes and deliver consents with respect to the Notes Consent Solicitations are set forth in the Offering Memorandum, as amended. Questions concerning the Notes Exchange Offers or Notes Consent Solicitations or requests for additional copies of the Offering Memorandum, the Supplement or other related documents may be directed to the Exchange and Information Agent at iheart@is.kroll.com . Eligible Holders of the Existing Notes should also consult their broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other institution for assistance concerning the Notes Exchange Offers and the Notes Consent Solicitations. This communication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security and does not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any security in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as counsel and PJT Partners served as financial advisor to the Company. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP served as counsel and Perella Weinberg Partners served as financial advisor to an ad hoc group of certain of the Supporting Holders. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements herein constitute “forward-looking statements”. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of iHeartMedia, Inc. and its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The words or phrases "guidance," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "will," "potential," "positioned," "estimates," "forecast," and words of similar meaning, as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to the transactions described above, including the Company’s ability to complete any of the transactions on the terms contemplated herein, on the timeline contemplated or at all, and the Company’s ability to realize the intended benefits of any such transactions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, such as statements about our anticipated growth and financial performance, our expected costs savings and other capital and operating expense reduction initiatives, utilizing new technologies and programmatic platforms, trends in the advertising industry, and strategies and initiatives are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other important factors, some of which are beyond our control and are difficult to predict. Various risks that could cause future results to differ from those expressed by the forward-looking statements included in this press release include, but are not limited to: risks related to weak or uncertain global economic conditions and our dependence on advertising revenues; competition, including increased competition from alternative media platforms and technologies; dependence upon our brand and the performance of on-air talent, program hosts and management; fluctuations in operating costs; technological and industry changes and innovations; shifts in population and other demographics; risks related to our use of artificial intelligence, impact of acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic transactions; risks related to our indebtedness; legislative or regulatory requirements; impact of legislation, ongoing litigation or royalty audits on music licensing and royalties; regulations and concerns regarding privacy and data protection and breaches of information security measures; risks related to scrutiny of environmental, social and governance matters; risks related to our Class A common stock; and regulations impacting our business and the ownership of our securities. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on the Company’s future results, performance or achievements. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release may not occur. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date stated, or if no date is stated, as of the date hereof. Additional risks that could cause future results to differ from those expressed by any forward-looking statement are described in the Company’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the section entitled “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” of iHeartMedia, Inc.’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K and “Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors” of iHeartMedia, Inc.’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements because of new information, future events or otherwise. About iHeartMedia, Inc. iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, reaching over 90% of Americans every month. iHeart’s broadcast radio assets alone have more consumer reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet; twice the reach of the next largest broadcast radio company; and over four times the ad-enabled reach of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to Podtrac, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined and has the number one social footprint among audio players, with seven times more followers than the next audio media brand, and the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241204802225/en/ CONTACT: Media Wendy Goldberg Chief Communications Officer (212) 377-1105 wendygoldberg@iheartmedia.comInvestors Mike McGuinness EVP, Deputy CFO, and Head of Investor Relations (212) 377-1336 mbm@iheartmedia.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PODCAST TV AND RADIO MEDIA MUSIC COMMUNICATIONS ONLINE EVENTS/CONCERTS ENTERTAINMENT SOURCE: iHeartMedia, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/04/2024 05:47 PM/DISC: 12/04/2024 05:47 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241204802225/enUCF coach Gus Malzahn reportedly resigning to take Florida State OC job
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