BATON ROUGE, La., Dec. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lamar Advertising Company LAMR , a leading owner and operator of outdoor advertising and logo sign displays, announces that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.40 per share and a special cash dividend of $0.25 per share, both payable on December 30, 2024 to stockholders of record of Lamar's Class A common stock and Class B common stock on December 18, 2024. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" concerning Lamar Advertising Company's goals, beliefs, expectations, strategies, objectives, plans, future operating results and underlying assumptions and other statements that are not necessarily based on historical facts. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in our forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those factors set forth in Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as supplemented by any risk factors contained in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. We undertake no obligation to update the information contained in this press release to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances. About Lamar Advertising Company Founded in 1902, Lamar Advertising Company is one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in North America, with over 360,000 displays across the United States and Canada. Lamar offers advertisers a variety of billboard, interstate logo, transit and airport advertising formats, helping both local businesses and national brands reach broad audiences every day. In addition to its more traditional out-of-home inventory, Lamar is proud to offer its customers the largest network of digital billboards in the United States with over 4,800 displays. Company Contact: Buster Kantrow Director of Investor Relations Lamar Advertising Company (225) 926-1000 bkantrow@lamar.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Spotify Wrapped 2024 was released this week and while users clamored to learn what their most-played songs of the year were, the music platform also shared the most streamed songs globally. A mark of the unexpected success of Hozier's "Too Sweet," the song was ranked in the top ten Most-Streamed Songs Globally and Most-Viral Songs Globally in the Spotify Wrapped 2024 roundup. Meanwhile, Hozier fans took to social media after Spotify Wrapped 2024 was issued this week to post the special message that Hozier shared with his top fans this year: A post shared by Hozier Updates (@hozierupdates) Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! It should come as no surprise that Hozier's "Too Sweet" was so popular globally this year, considering it made it into Spotify's exclusive 'Billions Club' in October. It's true, we can't get enough of @Hozier 's Too Sweet - the newest member of the #BillionsClub 🖤 https://t.co/avNpctIBgJ pic.twitter.com/QS23QHtxFS As of December 6, "Too Sweet" has a massive 1.1 billion streams on Spotify, while Hozier boasts a staggering 46,901,444 monthly listeners on the platform. However, Hozier admitted earlier this year that he didn't expect "Too Sweet" to take off like it did. "I didn’t see it coming to this extent, for sure," he told Variety in May. The song was in consideration for his 2023 album "Unreal Unearth," but was cast aside, only to later be featured on his "Unheard" EP, released in March 2024. "I knew I wanted to release the song. I knew it was fun," Hozier explained. "It’s a song that did not (come out originally) because there was a choice between two songs for the album, and 'Too Sweet' was kind of placed to the side. So I didn’t necessarily expect this kind of reaction." Helping boost the popularity of "Too Sweet" was its heavy use on social media platform TikTok. Hozier continued: "I think I kind of found a new fan base in the last couple of years, and maybe after the tour and after 'Unreal Unearth,' maybe there’s more people who are just listening to the work. "But this does feel maybe a little bit mysterious." "Too Sweet" guided Hozier to one of his most successful years to date - in April, he landed in the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with the song , making him the first Irish artist since 1990 to claim the top spot. The success also marked a sweet (no pun intended) bookmark to his career that took off in earnest ten years ago with his Grammy-nominated "Take Me To Church." Despite the swell of success this year, Hozier was snubbed at the Grammys ( again ). He did, however, land three Billboard Award nominations this year - Top Rock Artist, Top Rock Album ("Unheard" EP), and Top Rock Song.
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Gun found on suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO matches shell casings at scene, police say ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — New York City’s police commissioner says the gun found on the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO matches shell casings found at the crime scene. Commissioner Jessica Tisch also said Wednesday that lab results matched suspect Luigi Mangione’s prints to a water bottle and a snack bar wrapper found near the scene of the killing. Police had said earlier that they believed the gunman bought the items at a nearby coffee shop while awaiting his target. Mangione is jailed in Pennsylvania on weapon and forgery charges, but he also has been charged in New York with murder in Brian Thompson's death. His lawyer has noted that Mangione is presumed innocent. Authorities are scrutinizing evidence and the suspect’s experiences with the health care industry. Arguments over whether Luigi Mangione is a 'hero' offer a glimpse into an unusual American moment Memes and online posts in support of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who's charged with killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO, have mushroomed online. Some cast Mangione as a hero. That's too far, says Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a rising Democrat who was almost the Democratic vice presidential nominee this year. CEO Brian Thompson's death touched off off these ripples. They offer a glimpse into how so many different aspects of 21st-century life can be surreally connected, from public violence to politics, from health care to humor, or attempts at it. The Trump and Biden teams insist they're working hand in glove on foreign crises WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t think much of Joe Biden’s foreign policy record. He frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But the Trump and Biden national security teams have come to an understanding that they have no choice but to work together as conflicts in Gaza, Syria and Ukraine have left a significant swath of the world on a knife’s edge. It’s fuzzy how much common ground Biden and Trump’s teams have found as they navigate crises that threaten to cause more global upheaval as Trump prepares to settle back into the White House. FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in January WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray says he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. The announcement Wednesday comes a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the position. His impending resignation will bring him three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations. Trump applauded the news Wednesday, saying it will end the weaponization of what he called the “Department of Injustice.” Syrians flock to morgues looking for loved ones who perished in Assad's prisons DAMASCUS (AP) — Many bodies have been found in Syrian detention centers and prisons since President Bashar al-Assad's government fell. Now Syrians around the world are circulating images of the corpses in hopes that they will see slain loved ones whose fate had been a mystery. At the morgue visited by The Associated Press on Wednesday in Damascus, families flocked to a wall where some of the pictures were pinned in a haunting gallery of the dead. Relatives desperately scanned the images for a recognizable face. Some of the prisoners died just weeks ago. Others perished months earlier. US warns Russia may be ready to use new lethal missile against Ukraine again in 'coming days' WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says Russia could launch its lethal new intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine again soon. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh cited a U.S. intelligence assessment in telling reporters on Wednesday that an attack could come “in the coming days.” She says the U.S. does not consider the Oreshnik missile a game changer on the battlefield. But that Russia is using the weapon to intimidate Ukraine as both sides wrestle for an advantage that will give them leverage in any negotiations to end the war. The Russian Defense Ministry also is warning it may retaliate against Kyiv for an attack on a military base in the Rostov region in southern Russia on Wednesday. Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33 including children, Palestinian medics say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 33 people. One of the strikes hit a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north, killing 19. A separate strike outside nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital killed a woman and her two children, and another strike in central Gaza killed at least seven people. Israel's military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and accuses militants of hiding among them, putting their lives in danger. Local health officials say Israel’s retaliatory offensive after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Hannah Kobayashi, missing Hawaii woman whose disappearance prompted a massive search, is found safe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Kobayashi has been found safe. That’s according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Kobayashi vanished last month in Los Angeles. The missing Hawaii woman's disappearance prompted a massive search and a missing persons investigation. It was not immediately clear where she was found, but police previously said she had voluntarily crossed the border into Mexico. The LAPD said Wednesday the department will wrap up its investigation. Kobayashi's family reported her missing to law enforcement on Nov. 11 after relatives received “strange and cryptic, just alarming” text messages. Kobayashi’s mother and sister said they are “grateful” she has been found safe. Wisconsin kayaker who faked his death and fled the country is charged after returning to US GREEN LAKE, Wis. (AP) — Authorities say a Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning and left his wife and three children for Eastern Europe has willingly returned to the U.S. Ryan Borgwardt is charged with obstruction, a misdemeanor. A not-guilty plea was entered by a judge Wednesday, a day after Borgwardt's return. The judge also set bond at $500 for the obstruction charge, though Borgwardt only has to pay if he violates the conditions of his release. Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll says Borgwardt “came back on his own” because of his family. Investigators say the 45-year-old was living in the country of Georgia. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. But when exactly? ZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament. Key issues include during which part of the year to stage the tournament, where to play the games, whether alcohol will be allowed at all and how to protect workers rights in the massive construction projects required to host the World Cup.