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Hub Group ( NASDAQ: HUBG ) declares $0.125/share quarterly dividend , in line with previous. Forward yield 0.94% Payable Dec. 20; for shareholders of record Dec. 6; ex-div Dec. 6. See HUBG Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on Hub Group Hub Group, Inc. (HUBG) Q3 2024 Earnings Call Transcript Hub Group, Inc. 2024 Q3 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Hub Group: Why I Am Cutting My Stock Price Target By 10% Hub Group Q3 2024 Earnings Preview Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Hub GroupBraden Smith goes off as No. 21 Purdue tops ToledoIan Schieffelin came within two assists of a triple-double and Clemson handed Penn State its first loss with a 75-67 decision for the championship of the Sunshine Slam tournament Tuesday in Daytona Beach, Fla. Schieffelin finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for the Tigers (6-1), leading four players in double figures. Chase Hunter added 17 points, while Chauncey Wiggins scored 14 and reserve Del Jones chipped in 10 points. Clemson sank 9 of 19 3-pointers, converted 16 of 20 free throws and was able to limit the impact of the Nittany Lions' full-court pressure. The Tigers committed just 13 turnovers, helping them hold Penn State (6-1) to less than 85 points for the first time this year. Ace Baldwin starred in defeat with game highs of 20 points and 11 assists, while center Yanic Konan Niederhauser added 14 points. Nick Kern came off the bench to score 11 but Penn State was outscored 15-2 on the fast break and made just 4 of 18 attempts from 3-point range. Schieffelin came up big down the stretch, assisting on a 3-pointer by Jaeden Zackery with 6:04 left that made it 65-61. Then he made two foul shots and tossed in a jump hook from the lane to up the margin to 71-66 with 1:03 left. The big storyline going into this game was which team would be able to control the pace. Penn State came in averaging 96 ppg, while Clemson demonstrated its ability to enforce a slower tempo in March, advancing to a regional final in the NCAA Tournament. In the first 10 minutes of the game, the Tigers made the Nittany Lions play at a crawl, opening up a 17-10 advantage when Schieffelin converted a short hook in the lane. But Penn State answered with an 18-4 run over nearly six minutes, establishing a 28-21 lead when Kern shook free for a layup. Clemson rallied with nine straight points but the Nittany Lions had the last say as Baldwin converted a layup with 24 seconds left, cutting the Tigers' edge to 38-36 at halftime. --Field Level Media

SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks activated center Nico Sturm off injured reserve Monday and made room for him on the 23-man roster by assigning defenseman Jack Thompson to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. The transactions mean that the Sharks currently have 14 forwards, six defensemen, and three goalies: Mackenzie Blackwood, Vitek Vanecek, and rookie Yaroslav Askarov. Sturm’s return to the Sharks’ active roster was believed to be imminent after he showed signs of improvement last week and practiced with the team on Sunday. He also took part in the Sharks’ morning skate on Monday, when he was officially considered a game-time decision by coach Ryan Warsofsky. The Sharks play the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night in the second game of a four-game homestand. Warsofsky did not say who his starting goalie would be. Warsofsky said he had a few players who were “nicked up” and considered game-time decisions, although it would be a surprise not to see Sturm, a mainstay as the Sharks’ fourth-line center, play against the Kings. Sturm, injured in the Sharks’ game earlier this month against the New York Rangers, is the Sharks’ faceoff leader by percentage and is one of the team’s leading penalty-killing forwards. Thompson has been on the Sharks’ roster for almost the entire season and played in 13 of the team’s 23 games. His five points are third-most among all Sharks defensemen, as he’s averaged just under 16 minutes of ice time per game. The Sharks have had three goalies on their roster since Nov. 18, when they recalled Askarov from the Barracuda. At the time, Vanecek was considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury, but Vanecek backed up Blackwood on Saturday in the Sharks’ 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Askarov made his Sharks debut on Thursday, making 29 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues. It’s unclear how long the Sharks plan to keep three goalies on their active roster. Both Blackwood and Vanecek are pending unrestricted free agents, and speculation is that one could be dealt to another team before the NHL trade deadline on March 7. Kevin Weekes of ESPN and the NHL Network posted on the social media platform X on Monday that the Carolina Hurricanes “are exploring potential goalie options in the market.” Frederik Andersen is out eight to 12 weeks after knee surgery, and Pyotr Kochetkov left Saturday’s game at Columbus after colliding with defenseman Sean Walker. Kochetkov is now in concussion protocol.

India’s payments regulator is set to decide as early as Monday whether to curb the dominance of Walmart’s PhonePe and Google in the nation’s fast-growing mobile payments market, a move that could reshape how its billion-plus population moves money. The decision centers on UPI, or Unified Payments Interface, a network backed by more than 50 retail banks that has changed how Indians pay for everything from groceries to taxi rides. The platform processes over 13 billion transactions monthly, making it one of the world’s largest digital payment networks. It’s also, by far, the most popular way Indians transact online. At issue is whether the National Payments Corporation of India, which reports to India’s central bank, will enforce a rule limiting companies to handling no more than 30% of all UPI transactions . The rule, first proposed in 2020 , would particularly affect Walmart-owned PhonePe, which handles 47.8% of all UPI payments, and Google Pay, which processes 37.1%. The uncertainty has thrown a wrench into PhonePe’s plans to go public. The startup, valued at $12 billion and backed by Walmart, would be one of India’s most prominent technology IPOs. PhonePe’s co-founder and chief executive, Sameer Nigam, said in August that the startup cannot go public “if there is uncertainty on the regulatory side.” “If you are buying a share at Rs 100 and you price it assuming we have 48-49% market share, then there is an uncertainty about whether it will come down to 30% and by when,” said Nigam (pictured above) at a fintech conference. “We are requesting them [the regulator], if they can find another way to at least solve whatever their concerns are or tell us what the list of concerns is.” The issue also impacts the growth potential of numerous fintech startups that are attempting to make deeper inroads in digital payments. If the regulator imposes restrictions on PhonePe and Google Pay’s ability to onboard new users or puts a check on how many transactions they process, many other startups stand to gain grounds. The regulator is inclined to delay enforcing the cap again or may increase the limit to more than 40%, people briefed on the situation told TechCrunch. The agency has already pushed back the deadline several times, from January 2021 to 2023, and then to 2025, as it struggled with implementation. It has held talks with many stakeholders as recently as last week over the decision. Enforcing a limitation on the market share will impact the consumer experience, some of the people said. The situation highlights India’s efforts to balance technological innovation with market competition. UPI has been a cornerstone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to digitize India’s economy and reduce its reliance on cash. The system allows instant transfers between bank accounts using simple identifiers like phone numbers, making it more accessible than traditional banking services. A market share cap would mark one of India’s most significant interventions in its technology sector, which has attracted massive investments from global companies like Walmart, Google, and Meta. These companies view India, with its young, increasingly digital population, as a crucial growth market.It is clear the next Trump administration will insist on a far better return on health care dollars if the nation is to come to grips with a debt of nearly $2 trillion. President-elect Donald Trump’s designation of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), coupled with his choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), sends an unmistakable message that profound and dramatic change will take place after Jan. 20. While Musk and Ramaswamy are looking at the federal government at large, considerable focus will be on Kennedy as it is a certainty that he will look quite closely at strategic health care issues. With more than 67 million Americans currently enrolled in Medicare, his actions will be closely watched. For the home health care industry, DOGE and Kennedy’s arrival as HHS secretary means it’s time to take stock and conduct a thorough and candid self-appraisal, asking the question, “Is this the best we can be?” Home health care is not a new concept. It was first introduced in the United States during the early 1800s, offering a range of basic medical and non-medical support services in the homes of individuals in need of care. It has much evolved since then, and today, friends or family members can be licensed and retained to offer a broad range of services, significantly reducing the need for costly hospital stays. However, given its importance, home health care is likely to be part of the Trump administration’s top-to-bottom review of HHS. Accordingly, the industry needs to examine its business model with the intent of examining the cost of caring and how best to offer the nation a better rate of return. One significant answer is value-based care. By practicing value-based case, this health care sector can seek to realistically cap rising costs, end fragmented care, and create more meaningful outcomes for the millions of Americans currently enrolled in home care. Far more than management jargon, value-based care dispenses with traditional accounting metrics often applied to health care. Rather, it focuses on the recipient’s overall well-being with the intent of preventing that fall, rescuing an individual from depression, or avoiding a lengthy hospital stay that too often leads to a dangerous infection. Value-based care is about proactively managing a recipient’s health at home, where they are most comfortable, familiar with their surroundings, and better disposed to accept treatment. It is no longer about waiting for an illness but preventing it. Who benefits? Everyone. Patients, caregivers, and health plans. This shift captures the heart of VBC: success isn’t about waiting to treat illness; it’s about promoting well-being every single day and enabling people to live with dignity, reducing the need for unnecessary medical interventions, and creating value that benefits everyone. When we succeed in keeping people healthier at home, everyone wins – patients, caregivers, health plans, and the U.S. Treasury. As Washington’s policies toward home health care begin to become apparent during the first quarter of 2025, this industry needs to take the initiative, proactively presenting the HHS with a strategy that demonstrates its ability to transform itself into a far more cost-efficient model without losing the empathy with the home care patient that lies at the core of its success. Company owners need to dismantle management silos, allowing providers, specialists, and health plans to work together, sharing data to reduce costs while maintaining the level of care that protects and enhances the quality of life of those in their care. We know this much. Throughout his presidential campaign Donald Trump said he would re-enter the Oval Office with the intent of looking at every aspect of our federal government for the purpose of making it work smarter, cheaper, and far more effectively. DOGE plus his nominee for HSS are an indication of just how serious Mr. Trump will be in re-examining the means and money required for the health and well-being of America. The home health care community needs to hear and heed this coming revolution in how Washington approaches this all important sector. It will either have the vision to embrace value-based care or it will have it dictated to it by unprecedented federal directive. Josh Klein is the chief executive officer of Emerest and Royal Care, which provides home and specialized health services in several states including Connecticut, where it operates the Waterbury-based Emerest Home Care.

Airports and highways are expected to be jam-packed during Thanksgiving week, a holiday period likely to end with another record day for air travel in the United States. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday, most of them by car. However, travelers could be impacted by ongoing weather challenges and those flying to their destinations could be grounded by delays brought on by airline staffing shortages and an airport service workers strike . Here's the latest: 2.2 billion packages are expected to ship between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve U.S. airlines are preparing for a Thanksgiving holiday rush, and so are the U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service and FedEx. Shipping companies will deliver about 2.2 billion packages to homes and businesses across the U.S. from Thanksgiving to Dec. 31, said Satish Jindel, a shipping and logistics expert and president of ShipMatrix. That’s down from 2.3 billion packages last year. Because the shopping period is a week shorter than in 2023, consumers are shopping further ahead of Black Friday and more purchases are taking place in physical stores, he said. The number of holiday package shipments grew 27% in 2020 and by more than 3% the following year during the pandemic. The numbers have been falling since then, with a projected decline of about 6% this holiday season. Does your airport offer therapy dogs? Looking to de-stress while waiting for your flight? Many airports have a fleet of therapy dogs — designated fidos and puppers that are eager to receive pets and snuggles from weary travelers. Rules and schedules vary from airport to airport, but the group AirportTherapyDogs uses online crowdsourcing to share the locations of therapy dogs across its various social media accounts. Today, Gracie, a toy Australian shepherd, and Budge, an English bulldog, wandered the concourses at Denver International Airport, and an American Staffordshire Terrier named Hugo greeted travelers at Punta Gorda Airport in Florida. Some airports even feature other therapy pals. San Francisco International Airport’s fleet of animals includes a Flemish Giant rabbit and a hypoallergenic pig. What the striking airport workers are saying “We cannot live on the wages that we are being paid,” ABM cabin cleaner Priscilla Hoyle said at a rally earlier Monday. “I can honestly say it’s hard every single day with my children, working a full-time job but having to look my kids in the eyes and sit there and say, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to have a home today.’” Timothy Lowe II, a wheelchair attendant, said he has to figure out where to spend the night because he doesn’t make enough for a deposit on a home. “We just want to be able to have everything that’s a necessity paid for by the job that hired us to do a great job so they can make billions,” he said. ABM said it is “committed to addressing concerns swiftly” and that there are avenues for employees to communicate issues, including a national hotline and a “general open door policy for managers at our worksite.” What are striking Charlotte airport workers’ demands? Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services cast ballots Friday to authorize the work stoppage at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines. They described living paycheck to paycheck while performing jobs that keep planes running on schedule. Most of them earn $12.50 to $19 an hour, union officials said. Rev. Glencie Rhedrick of Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice said those workers should make $22 to $25 an hour. The strike is expected to last 24 hours. Several hundred workers participated in the work stoppage. US flights are running normally Forty-four fights have been canceled today and nearly 1,900 were delayed by midday on the East Coast, according to FlightAware . According to the organization’s cheekily named MiseryMap , San Francisco International Airport is having the most hiccups right now, with 53 delays and three cancellations between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST. While that might sound like a lot of delays, they might not be so bad compared to last Friday when the airport suffered 671 delays and 69 cancellations. Cutting in line? American Airlines’ new boarding tech might stop you now at over 100 airports In an apparent effort to reduce the headaches caused by airport line cutting, American Airlines has rolled out boarding technology that alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group. This new software won’t accept a boarding pass before the group it’s assigned to is called, so customers who get to the gate prematurely will be asked to go back and wait their turn. As of Wednesday, the airline announced, the technology is now being used in more than 100 U.S. airports that American flies out of. The official expansion arrives after successful tests in three of these locations — Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Tucson International Airport. ▶ Read more about American Airlines’ new boarding technology Tips to make holiday travel a bit easier Travel can be stressful in the best of times. Now add in the high-level anxiety that seems to be baked into every holiday season and it’s clear travelers could use some help calming frazzled nerves. Here are a few ways to make your holiday journey a little less stressful: 1. Make a checklist of what you need to do and what you need to bring 2. Carry your comfort with you — think noise-canceling headphones, cozy clothes, snacks and extra medication 3. Stay hydrated 4. Keep up to date on delays, gate changes and cancellations with your airline’s app ▶ Read more tips about staying grounded during holiday travel The timing of this year’s holiday shapes travel patterns Thanksgiving Day takes place late this year, with the fourth Thursday of November falling on Nov. 28. That shortens the traditional shopping season and changes the rhythm of holiday travel. With more time before the holiday , people tend to spread out their outbound travel over more days, but everyone returns at the same time, said Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines . “A late Thanksgiving leads to a big crush at the end,” Watterson said. “The Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving are usually very busy with Thanksgiving this late.” Airlines did a relatively good job of handling holiday crowds last year, when the weather was mild in most of the country. Fewer than 400 U.S. flights were canceled during Thanksgiving week in 2023 — about one out of every 450 flights. So far in 2024, airlines have canceled about 1.3% of all flights. Advice for drivers Drivers should know that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will be the worst times to travel by car, but it should be smooth sailing on freeways come Thanksgiving Day, according to transportation analytics company INRIX. On the return home, the best travel times for motorists are before 1 p.m. on Sunday, and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Monday, the company said. In metropolitan areas like Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, “traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day,” INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue said. FAA staffing shortage could cause flight delays Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that he expects his agency to use special measures at some facilities to deal with an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers. In the past, those facilities have included airports in New York City and Florida. “If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” Whitaker said. The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of controllers that airline officials expect will last for years, despite the agency’s lofty hiring goals. Thanksgiving travel, b y the numbers 5. Auto club and insurance company AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday. Most of them will travel by car. 6. Drivers should get a slight break on gas prices . The nationwide average price for gasoline was $3.06 a gallon on Sunday, down from $3.27 at this time last year. 7. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 18.3 million people at U.S. airports during the same seven-day stretch. That would be 6% more than during the corresponding days last year but fit a pattern set throughout 2024. 8. The TSA predicts that 3 million people will pass through airport security checkpoints on Sunday; more than that could break the record of 3.01 million set on the Sunday after the July Fourth holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the next busiest air travel days of Thanksgiving week. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving travel across the U.S. Charlotte airport workers strike over low wages Workers who clean airplanes, remove trash and help with wheelchairs at Charlotte’s airport, one of the nation’s busiest, went on strike Monday to demand higher wages. The Service Employees International Union announced the strike in a statement early Monday, saying the workers would demand “an end to poverty wages and respect on the job during the holiday travel season.” The strike was expected to last 24 hours, said union spokesperson Sean Keady. Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services cast ballots Friday to authorize the work stoppage at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines. The two companies contract with American, one of the world’s biggest carriers, to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs. ▶ Read more about the Charlotte airport workers’ strike Northeast should get needed precipitation Parts of the Midwest and East Coast can expect to see heavy rain into Thanksgiving, and there’s potential for snow in Northeastern states. A storm last week brought rain to New York and New Jersey, where wildfires have raged in recent weeks, and heavy snow to northeastern Pennsylvania. The precipitation was expected to help ease drought conditions after an exceptionally dry fall. Heavy snow fell in northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Pocono Mountains. Higher elevations reported up to 17 inches (43 centimeters), with lesser accumulations in valley cities including Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Around 35,000 customers in 10 counties were still without power, down from 80,000 a day ago. In the Catskills region of New York, nearly 10,000 people remained without power Sunday morning, two days after a storm dumped heavy snow on parts of the region. Precipitation in West Virginia helped put a dent in the state’s worst drought in at least two decades and boosted ski resorts as they prepare to open in the weeks ahead. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving week weather forecasts More rain expected after deadly ‘bomb cyclone’ on West Coast Two people died in the Pacific Northwest after a rapidly intensifying “ bomb cyclone ” hit the West Coast last Tuesday, bringing fierce winds that toppled trees and power lines and damaged homes and cars. Hundreds of thousands lost electricity in Washington state before powerful gusts and record rains moved into Northern California. Forecasters said the risk of flooding and mudslides remained as the region will get more rain starting Sunday. But the latest storm won’t be as intense as last week’s atmospheric river , a long plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows over land. “However, there’s still threats, smaller threats, and not as significant in terms of magnitude, that are still going to exist across the West Coast for the next two or three days,” weather service forecaster Rich Otto said. As the rain moves east throughout the week, Otto said, there’s a potential for heavy snowfall at higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada, as well as portions of Utah and Colorado. California’s Mammoth Mountain, which received 2 feet (0.6 meters) of fresh snow in the recent storm, could get another 4 feet (1.2 meters) before the newest system clears out Wednesday, the resort said. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week Another round of wintry weather could complicate travel leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, according to forecasts across the U.S., while California and Washington state continue to recover from storm damage and power outages. In California, where two people were found dead in floodwaters on Saturday, authorities braced for more rain while grappling with flooding and small landslides from a previous storm . Here’s a look at some of the regional forecasts: 9. Sierra Nevada: The National Weather Service office issued a winter storm warning through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at higher elevations and wind gusts potentially reaching 55 mph (88 kph). Total snowfall of roughly 4 feet (1.2 meters) was forecast, with the heaviest accumulations expected Monday and Tuesday. 10. Midwest and Great Lakes: The Midwest and Great Lakes regions will see rain and snow Monday and the East Coast will be the most impacted on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, forecasters said. 11. East Coast: A low pressure system is forecast to bring rain to the Southeast early Thursday before heading to the Northeast. Areas from Boston to New York could see rain and breezy conditions, with snowfall possible in parts of northern New Hampshire, northern Maine and the Adirondacks. If the system tracks further inland, there could be less snow and more rain in the mountains, forecasters said. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving week weather forecasts The Associated Press

Japan's education ministry has urged that school trips be planned for the off-season due to a recent labor shortage in transportation and accommodations amid a boom in inbound tourism, according to sources familiar with the matter. Schools tend to have their trips between May and June or from September to December, according to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Avoiding peak travel seasons would benefit schools as they would not need to suddenly change schedules due to the unavailability of charter buses or hotels. The ministry sent notices on Dec 12 to education boards and schools after the bus and travel industries requested its cooperation regarding the scheduling of school trips. "The recent acute labor shortage makes it difficult for schools to secure charter buses and accommodations," the ministry said in the notice, urging more flexible timing. The most popular travel season for junior high schools in fiscal 2023 was May, while that for high schools was October, according to a survey by the Japan School Tours Bureau, a nonprofit private organization. Many schools decide timing of their trips based on annual academic schedules and weather, with Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Okinawa prefectures among the favored destinations. There has been a shortage in bus driver availability since the government earlier this year restricted their working hours to improve conditions, with some schools opting for trains instead.

Palantir Technologies ( PLTR -3.72% ) has been one of the biggest winners on the stock market this year. The data fusion specialist is up a whopping 379% year to date as of Dec. 26. The company has established itself as a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) software thanks to its new AI platform, and it's experiencing strong growth in both government contracts and commercial business. Palantir has now delivered five straight quarters of accelerating revenue growth and eight straight quarters of expanding operating margins, showing that the business is rapidly gaining leverage. Along the way, the company has turned profitable on a generally accepted accounting principles ( GAAP ) basis and gained admission into the S&P 500 ( ^GSPC -1.11% ) . However, Palantir's stock price has grown much faster than the underlying business. As a result, its valuation has ballooned. The stock trades at a sky-high price-to-sales ratio of 75, meaning that extremely high expectations are now priced into Palantir's market value. Recently, shares have soared following a strong third-quarter earnings report and the election of Donald Trump, which has increased hopes of spending on government defense and intelligence in the next administration, boosting Palantir's bottom line. More recently, investors responded well to news that Palantir was teaming up with defense tech start-up Anduril to start a consortium to bid on defense contracts, challenging traditional leaders like Lockheed Martin , RTX , and Boeing . In other words, Palantir has soared in large part due to improving sentiment, but in order for the stock to keep climbing or maintain its gains, it will have to continue to accelerate its revenue growth. It will take a long time for the stock to grow into its lofty valuation if revenue growth continues at 30% or slows from there. Therefore, revenue growth looks like the most important metric driving Palantir's stock price growth. Keep your eye on that metric going forward, as it will likely determine whether the stock continues to climb in 2025.Major power stations have left people without power as NSW residents continue to swelter through a heatwave, with temperatures tipped to reach up to 39C across parts of the state. Over the span of five days, eastern NSW has been subjected to a relentless heat spell, with residents experiencing temperatures of 35C, marking it the hottest spring in four years. The Bureau of Meteorology has maintained its three-day severe heatwave warning for eastern NSW, including Sydney, Hunter, Illawarra, Mid North Coast, South Coast and Southern Tablelands Regions, with temperatures anticipated to soar 12C above seasonal averages on Wednesday. Batemans Bay, Camden, Campbelltown, Hornsby, Liverpool Nowra, Penrith, Parramatta, Richmond and Wollongong are set to feel the brunt of the heat, with conditions in Sydney’s western suburbs expected to reach between 39-40C by 3pm on Wednesday. The heat isn’t budging this Wednesday. Picture: Bureau of Meteorology Millions of people have also been warned of possible power outages across the state, as the oppressive heatwave continue its chokehold, forcing people to stay inside and increase their energy supply to stay cool. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said major power stations were “unavailable” as of 11am Wednesday. “AEMO is working with industry to manage electricity reliability during high-demand, heatwave conditions in NSW with major power stations unavailable due to forced and planned outages,” the AEMO said in a statement. “We have flagged this risk to industry through market notices (lack of reserve) urging all available generation to return to service and restore all available powerlines across the grid to meet consumers’ electricity needs. “In addition, AEMO is looking to procure additional reserves (reliability and emergency reserve trader, RERT) to best manage low electricity supply forecast this afternoon and early evening. “We’re closely monitoring the situation and will keep stakeholders informed.” The blackouts began on Tuesday afternoon in several areas of Sydney, including the CBD, where Pitt St, Sussex St and King St were plunged into darkness. Early on Wednesday morning, the blackouts continued, with more than 6000 residents in Wagga Wagga and other areas of the Riverina region waking up to power outages. Sweltering conditions have caused blackouts in parts of the state. Picture: NewsWire / David Swift Although energy distributer Ausgrid confirmed that Tuesday’s outages were caused by a faulty underground cable and weren’t heat-related, the AEMO warned that energy supplies might be at “risk” as the sweltering heat continued into Wednesday. “We are experiencing some quite unseasonably hot weather ... and effectively that is a summer heatwave while we are still here in spring,” AEMO chief executive Daniel Westerman said. Combined with scheduled maintenance works on three of the state’s four coal-fired power stations in Bayswater, Vales Point and Eraring, the AEMO warned residents of a “tightness in electricity supply”. “It is pretty normal both generation and transmission to use periods in autumn and spring to undertake maintenance activities that do need to happen,” he continued. Residents can expect hot weather to stick around for a coupe of days before rain washes the heat away on Friday and Saturday. Millions of residents across NSW have suffered blackouts as the heatwave continues to grip the nation. Picture: Bureau of Meteorology The heat is also targeting parts of northern Western Australia, northern and eastern Queensland, with maximum temperatures expected to soar to the mid-to-high 30s, with severe conditions holding strong until the weekend. Locations likely to be most impacted in Queensland include Weipa and Thursday Island, with temperatures tipped to reach 38C by 3pm on Wednesday. Blackout warnings have also been issued for Queensland, with the heatwave putting a strain on energy supplies. Despite the heat in NSW, rain, thunderstorms and heavy fog continues in Victoria. Picture: Bureau of Meteorology Across Victoria, bouts of heavy fog and rain have blanketed the skies, and the humidity is expected to reach levels of 100 per cent on Wednesday. Overnight, severe thunderstorms impacted parts of northern Victoria and western, inland and southern NSW, delivering strong and damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall, which led to flash flooding in some areas. While rain has battered Melbourne overnight, warmer conditions can be expected to seep into the state in the next two days, with the chance of showers decreasing into the weekend. A severe weather warning for damaging winds has been issued for people in parts of the northeast, East Gippsland and West and South Gippsland districts. Wind speeds exceeding 110km/h are anticipated to travel across the mountain peaks nut are expected to ease by the midafternoon. It’s a wet start to the day for Melburnians. Picture: NewsWire / Valeriu Campan On Wednesday, Sydney will reach a top of 34C, and while conditions will be mostly sunny, people can expect cloudy skies and a chance of rain in the evening. Melbourne will be wet and humid, with a top of 28C and an 80 per cent chance of showers in the early morning and afternoon as well as the chance of a severe thunderstorm. Brisbane residents can expect a wet and warm day, with partly cloudy skies, a maximum temperature of 25C and a medium chance of a shower or two in the evening. Perth will be bright and sunny on Wednesday, with a maximum temperature of 29C and top wind speeds of 35km/h. It will be a wet day in Adelaide, with a high chance of showers in the morning and early afternoon and temperatures reaching a top of 23C. Hobart residents will also need to grab their umbrellas, starting with a foggy morning and heading into the afternoon with a 90 per cent chance of rain and a potential thunderstorm. Canberra will reach a maximum temperature of 29C, with a very high chance of rain and a thunderstorm. Winds will increase to 35km/h in the morning, easing off into the afternoon and evening. People in Darwin can expect a hot and wet day, with a high likelihood of showers in the late morning and afternoon and a chance of a thunderstorm, reaching a top of 32C. Originally published as Major power stations ‘unavailable’ as heatwave worsens in NSW Environment Don't miss out on the headlines from Environment. Followed categories will be added to My News. More related stories Breaking News Thousands impacted as blackout hits city More than 1,000 residents are waking up to darkness as one of Australia’s biggest cities experiences another blackout due to a burst water pipe. Read more Health State on alert for thunderstorm asthma Victorians have been put on alert of a high risk of epidemic thunderstorm asthma that is about to hit parts of the state. Read more

Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’

Rutgers 77, Georgia Southern 60

Tyrese Hunter tossed in a game-high 26 points to lead Memphis to a 99-97 upset victory over No. 2 UConn on Monday in the first round of the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii. Hunter, who played at Iowa State and Texas before transferring to Memphis, made eight field goals with 7-of-10 3-point shooting. The Tigers (5-0) connected on 12 of their 22 3-point attempts in the win. UConn's Hassan Diarra made a free throw to cut the Memphis lead to 99-97 with 2.2 seconds left. He intentionally missed the second free throw and collected the loose ball, but his desperation shot was off the mark. It was 92-92 when UConn's Liam McNeeley was called for an offensive foul with 40.3 seconds left. UConn coach Dan Hurley received a technical for arguing the foul call, and PJ Carter made all four free throws to give the Tigers a four-point lead. Memphis, which squandered a 13-point lead with four minutes to play in regulation, received 22 points from PJ Haggerty, 19 from Colby Rogers and 14 from Dain Dainja. Memphis will play the winner of Monday night's game between Colorado and Michigan State in Tuesday's semifinals. UConn will face the loser of that contest. Tarris Reed Jr. had a team-high 22 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for UConn (4-1) before he fouled out with 3:18 to play. He made 10 of his 13 field goal attempts. Alex Karaban added 19 points for the Huskies. Jaylin Stewart scored a career-high 16 points, Diarra had 12 and McNeeley added 10. UConn trailed 82-79 after Diarra made two free throws with 24.2 seconds to play in regulation. The Huskies then forced a turnover and tied the game on a 3-pointer by Solo Ball with 1.2 on the clock. Although Memphis shot 56.5 percent from the field (13 for 23) and 50 percent from 3-point territory (5 for 10) in the first half, the game was tied 40-40 after 20 minutes. Neither team led by more than six points in the half. UConn received 29 points from its bench in the first half. Reed scored 15 of those points and Stewart supplied the other 14. --Field Level Media

In 2020, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd BABA prepared for the record-breaking IPO of its affiliate, Ant Group, poised to revolutionize financial technology. Just days before the launch, regulators revealed that Ant had bypassed key banking laws to expand its services. The IPO, valued at $35 billion, was abruptly suspended, causing Alibaba's stock to plummet 13% in a single day. Shortly after, the State Administration for Market Regulation launched an antitrust investigation into Alibaba's monopolistic practices. Investors alleged that Alibaba misled them about regulatory risks tied to Ant Group, its ownership structure, and lending activities. Alibaba has agreed to a $433.5 million settlement with investors to resolve these claims. Affected investors can now file a claim to receive their payouts. Overview In July 2020, Ant Group announced plans for a record-breaking $35 billion IPO, poised to drive significant growth for Alibaba Group Holding Ltd BABA , which held a 33% stake. However, regulatory concerns over Ant's business model, ownership structure, and compliance with new fintech rules led to the IPO's abrupt suspension in November, just days before its launch. The fallout caused Alibaba's shares to plummet, erasing billions in market value, and triggered an antitrust investigation into its monopolistic "Choose One of Two" practices. In response, investors filed a class-action lawsuit, accusing Alibaba of failing to disclose critical regulatory risks. Recently, Alibaba agreed to pay $433.5 million to affected shareholders to settle this lawsuit. SAMR's Crackdown on Alibaba: Legal and Regulatory Implications As Alibaba's market dominance and access to vast consumer data grew, the Chinese government expressed rising concerns about its economic impact. In response, the SAMR introduced new anti-monopoly regulations on September 1, 2019, targeting practices by powerful companies like Alibaba. On November 5, SAMR convened a meeting with around twenty major e-commerce firms, warning that practices like "Choose One of Two" were illegal and must stop. While Alibaba did not deny using such practices, it dismissed the criticism as "slander" and "malicious hype" in a press statement. Under growing regulatory pressure, however, the company eventually committed to compliance, acknowledging potential scrutiny for future violations. Despite the clear warnings, Alibaba continued its anti-competitive behavior. In November 2020, the government introduced new regulations specifically targeting monopolistic behavior in the internet industry, with Alibaba as a primary focus. This announcement triggered a sharp 9% drop in Alibaba's share price on November 10, 2020. By December, SAMR launched a formal investigation, which ultimately found Alibaba guilty and resulted in a record $2.8 billion fine. Political Risk and the Hidden Investors Behind Ant’s IPO Ant Group was spun off from Alibaba in 2011. Jack Ma controlled 50.5% of Ant's shares, while Alibaba held a 33% stake. On July 20, 2020, Alibaba announced Ant’s IPO, aiming to raise a record $35 billion with a $300 billion valuation, sparking excitement among investors, as Alibaba's stake could be worth over $100 billion. However, the enthusiasm was short-lived, as the company revealed in November 2020 that the IPO had been abruptly suspended. The suspension was largely driven by Ant's attempt to bypass financial regulations. Although operating as a financial services company, Ant positioned itself as a tech firm to avoid traditional banking rules. Its high-risk lending activities, with leverage ratios of 50-60 times, raised serious concerns among regulators. In response, China introduced new rules in September 2020, requiring financial holding companies like Ant to maintain higher capital levels, further intensifying scrutiny. Jack Ma's criticism of regulators in an October speech further fueled tensions. Another major risk to the IPO was the hidden identities of private investors whose interests conflicted with those of Chinese President. These investors concealed their ownership through complex and opaque investment structures. Jack Ma was reportedly aware of the political risks tied to these undisclosed ownership interests but failed to address them transparently. When the Chinese government uncovered the identities of these investors during an investigation prior to the Ant IPO, it decided to halt the offering entirely. As a result of the undisclosed information, the share price of Alibaba dropped from $310 on November 2, 2020, to $222 on December 24, 2020, indicating a total fall of 29%. Following these events, investors accused Alibaba of failing to disclose the regulatory risks tied to Ant Group and its monopolistic practices, leading to a lawsuit against the company. Resolving the Case To resolve the lawsuit from investors, Alibaba has agreed to a cash settlement of $433.5 million. If you invested in Alibaba, you may be eligible to claim a portion of this settlement to recover your losses. Despite these efforts, Alibaba’s stock remains below its peak, trading at $85. In August 2024, China's market regulator announced that Alibaba had completed three years of "rectification" for monopolistic behavior. Alibaba called the announcement a "new starting point for development" and pledged to continue fostering the healthy growth of the platform economy. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Get a text about a package that can’t be delivered? U.S. Postal Service says it might be a scam