fortune on hoe The outpouring of support from her fans and followers has been nothing short of inspiring. The surge in likes, comments, and shares is a testament to the impact Wu Liufang's content has had on her audience. Her ability to connect with people on a personal level and create content that is both relatable and engaging has endeared her to a wide range of viewers, contributing to her meteoric rise in popularity.

The inquest jury has made a series of recommendations for the improved supervision and care of vulnerable young people after recording a verdict of suicide in Shane O’Connor’s death. Sinead O'Connor with her son Shane. The son of Sinéad O’Connor found his imminent 18th birthday a “very daunting experience” as he would no longer have access to specialist health and welfare services for young people, an inquest into his death at age 17 heard. The inquest jury has made a series of recommendations for the improved supervision and care of vulnerable young people after recording a verdict of suicide in Shane O’Connor’s death. His body was found in a secluded area at the back of a housing estate outside Bray, Co Wicklow on January 7, 2022 less than 24 hours after he was reported missing from Tallaght University Hospital at a time when he was supposed to be under supervised 24/7 one-to-one care. A sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court heard the teenager had been brought to TUH’s emergency department by his mother on December 29, 2021 after a drug overdose in what was believed to be an attempted suicide. The inquest heard staff were not available to provide the 24/7 supervision prescribed by the hospital’s doctors. Evidence at the time was that he had absconded from TUH on the morning of January 6, 2022. A senior social worker with Tusla, Joyce Connolly, told the second day of the inquest on Tuesday that Shane and his mother had a “complex and turbulent” relationship but were also very close and “in some way dependent on each other throughout their lives.” Ms Connolly said the singer hoped to resume full-time care of her son and there were ongoing discussions to see if that might be possible. Ms O’Connor, who formally identified her son’s body to gardaí, died suddenly herself from natural causes just 18 months later in London. The inquest heard Shane had been under the care of Tusla since 2015 and had been fostered by his half-brother, Jake Reynolds – the late singer’s eldest child – and his partner, Lia Petcu, between July 2016 and May 2018 before being placed in residential care facilities. Asked about rules on what Shane could do when he had chosen not to engage in education, Ms Connolly said a “delicate balance” had to be struck but they had power to stop him leaving to do what he wished. Ms Connolly said a committee sat on January 4, 2022 to consider applying for a special care order for Shane – which would have given Tusla power to deprive the teenager of his liberty – but deferred a decision as it did not have a report from the HSE’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). However, Ms Connolly said she believed Shane’s needs were more “of a mental health nature.” She said the teenager would have been actively encouraged to attend addiction treatment services but it was “an unfortunate factor” that he did not want to stop consuming cannabis. Ms Connolly noted that he had indicated that his life was better when he was using the drug. However, she said childcare authorities also had no powers to prevent him accessing such substances. Asked about possible improvements that could be made, she recommended “greater work on relationship-building” between the various State agencies involved in the care of young people. Aoife Scanlon, a manager of the New Beginnings residential care centre in Newbridge, Co Kildare where Shane had lived since March 2019, said he had settled in well to the facility for the first year. However, the inquest heard the teenager seemed to deteriorate from July 2021, although Ms Scanlon said she could identify no particular trigger for it. New Beginnings later informed Tusla that it no longer felt it could provide safe accommodation for Shane because of his complex mental health needs. Ms Scanlon said they had continued to support him by providing staff to assist TUH and Shane’s father, Donal Lunny – a leading folk musician – with 24/7 supervision of Shane after his admission to the hospital. The inquest heard New Beginnings stopped assisting with such supervision under Covid-19 guidelines after Shane was deemed a close contact when Mr Lunny tested positive for the virus on January 4, 2022. Ms Scanlon fought back tears as she recalled Shane as “a lovely, lovely lad.” “He struggled with being in care for a good while but he knew he needed a level of support,” she added. Ms Scanlon also remarked: “He was so intelligent, so smart. He knew he could make it in life and would have spoken to that.” The inquest heard that Shane spent his days in Dublin city centre and Bray and would get lifts from Newbridge. Ms Scanlon said the reality of the situation was that New Beginnings operated “an open unit” and the teenager could not be physically stopped from going out. She believed that he spent a lot of time with his then girlfriend in Bray. However, Ms Petcu expressed concern over how Shane could be allowed “out all day” at the age of 15 to do whatever he wanted. “What adult would let a child do that,” she remarked. There was an emotional exchange during the proceedings between several members of Shane’s family including Ms O’Connor’s father, Seán, and her daughter, Róisín Waters, which arose after a juror had raised a question about the teenager’s access to cannabis. The coroner, Cróna Gallagher, observed that it was a “very difficult situation.” Ms Waters left the hearing a short time later appearing visibly upset and did not return. At another stage, Mr O’Connor described how his daughter and Shane were “very close.” “They loved each other madly,” he observed. Mr O’Connor outlined how the singer was also suffering mental health issues around the same time of her son’s death. “She was not in a position to do more than she did, which was a lot,” he added. A psychiatrist who had treated Shane at the Linn Dara in-patient psychiatric unit at Cherry Orchard Hospital in Ballyfermot, Dublin, Tara Rudd, said the teenager’s substance misuse had caused his mental health problems. Although his condition always improved following detoxification, Dr Rudd said Shane never contemplated giving up his use of cannabis. She said Shane had not engaged with therapeutic services at Linn Dara because he was unable to. Dr Rudd spoke fondly of how they had argued a lot but he would always come back to apologise and joke that he would not invite her to his housewarming. “Spending time with his family and getting his own place was all he wanted,” Dr Rudd recalled. She added: “I’m saddened for his family and this young man that he didn’t live the life he deserved to live,” she added. The inquest heard that CAMHS had requested that Shane be kept at Linn Dara for the final three months before reaching his 18th birthday. However, Dr Rudd said it was not warranted as he had no active mental health illness at the time and it would have been “unfair.” She told the coroner that she believed the development of a specialist young adult mental health service to assist those aged 16-25 years to transition from CAMHS to adult mental services would be useful. A jury of six men and two women made a series of recommendations including that all HSE hospitals should have clear protocols for the close supervision of vulnerable patients, particularly children. They also called for a review of protocols for reporting missing people to ensure that gardaí would accept such reports from family members, Tusla and medical staff. Evidence was heard that gardaí in Tallaght would not accept a report that Shane was missing from TUH staff and stated it had to be made by Tusla. Closing the inquest, Dr Gallagher said the hearing had involved “very complex evidence” which was also “very arduous and harrowing” but expressed hope it had been of some value to his family. The coroner acknowledged that Shane had suffered in his short life but that he had hoped as he matured that he could “move through this time of crisis.” She said she could only imagine the shock of his death to his family, noting that he would have celebrated his 21st birthday next March. If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, contact the Samaritans on 116 123; Pieta House on 1800 247 247 or text HELLO to 50808, a free 24/7 text support service for people going through a mental health or emotional crisis.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, who may have left an even greater legacy with his efforts in his post-White House years, in which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in resolving international conflicts, died Sunday, according to . He was 100. Carter had entered hospice care in 2023 after surviving metastatic brain cancer, liver cancer and brain surgery after a 2019 fall. He appeared at his wife Rosalyn’s memorial service in late 2023. The former president, who remained active well into his ’90s, served from 1977 to 1981. He had been the oldest living president since the death of George H.W. Bush and was the longest-lived U.S. President. Elected in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Carter was unknown nationally when he began his presidential campaign in December 1974, with pundits asking, “Jimmy who?” He even appeared on the game show “What’s My Line,” in which a panel of celebrities, usually blindfolded, try to guess a guest’s profession is. Carter was so unrecognizable that the panel was allowed to keep their blindfolds off. But a savvy campaign strategy that emphasized Carter’s honesty as a counterweight to the D.C. establishment, propelled him to the Democratic nomination over a handful of senators and other contenders. His personal biography — a Georgia peanut farmer, with a wide grin, from the small town of Plains — seemed like a breath of fresh air against a Washington still reeling from the resignation of Richard Nixon, his pardon by his successor Gerald R. Ford and the after-effects of failed American policy in Vietnam. Carter’s accessibility was reflected in his inauguration, in which he and his wife Rosalynn got out of their limousine and walked down Pennsylvania Avenue on their way to the reviewing stand to watch the parade. Carter also shunned some of the ceremonial aspects — for a time banning “Hail to the Chief” when he entered a room for an event, or carrying his own bags. He even resurrected the fireside chat, a throwback to the era of Franklin D. Roosevelt. His presidency paralleled the disco era and what could best be described as “rural chic,” with movies like “Smokey and the Bandit” and TV shows like “The Dukes of Hazzard” drawing on Southern humor while avoiding the thorny civil rights struggles of the previous decade. There was even a sitcom, “Carter Country,” that was a nod to his roots as a peanut farmer from Plains, Ga. The 2020 documentary “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President” detailed how Carter rallied support from musicians including the Allman Brothers, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett during his campaign. The sense of optimism that greeted the arrival of a Washington outsider eventually gave way to the realities of governing. Even with substantial Democratic majorities, Carter and his team grappled with high inflation and then stagnant growth, as well as the lingering crisis over the taking of American hostages in Iran. Even decades later, Carter still expressed frustration that some of his signature initiatives, like comprehensive health care, were blocked by Democrats. “There were times when a Congress member would try to blackmail me, or when a Congress member would make a demand that I thought was inappropriate,” Carter told CBS News years later. In 1979 Carter gave what has generally been referred to as the “malaise” speech (even though he never used that term) in which he talked of a “crisis of confidence” in the country. By that point, the country was facing rising costs of oil imports; the president’s policies directed at conservation initiatives like solar power, energy initiatives later proved prescient, but his attempts to sell conservation came across as lecturing about wastefulness. The speech only seemed to reinforce the notion that his presidency was faltering, bottoming out with a failed 1980 attempt to rescue American hostages from Iran. By that point, Carter was facing formidable opposition within his own party from Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), who waged a spirited yet unsuccessful effort to wrest the nomination away from a sitting president. Carter’s resounding defeat in 1980 and Ronald Reagan’s victory signaled the triumph of the conservative movement. But rather than retire, Carter re-emerged in the role of peace negotiator and humanitarian activist, supervising election integrity in foreign countries and working to eradicate disease, like ringworm, in sub-Saharan Africa. Although his post-presidency efforts built on some of his accomplishments while in office — like brokering the Israel-Egypt peace accords — only after he left the White House did that achievement earn widespread acclaim. His work earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Later in life, Carter’s outspokenness, particularly about international issues, made him a polarizing figure at times. His 2007 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” drew criticism for its Israel position. Carter, however, defended the book, and his promotion of it was a central feature of Jonathan Demme’s 2007 documentary “Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains.” In the movie, Carter is shown much as he was during his unlikely campaign: Free of trappings, full of faith and occasionally flashing his signature grin. Perhaps the signature moment was when he and Rosalynn sit down for their own dinner of hamburgers. James Earl Carter Jr. was born in Plains, Georgia. After his rural upbringing, he entered the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., serving seven years. He went into state politics in 1962, before running for governor in 1970 and winning. He was among a handful of governors elected in the South in the early 1970s who were billed as a sign that the region was moving away from its segregationist past. On racial issues, Carter was progressive, and he reformed the state bureaucracy. Then prohibited from running for another term, he announced in late 1974 that he was running for the White House; the New York Times noted that his supporters considered him a “Southern-style Kennedy.” His centrism was a selling point in his campaign, but a primary message was that he would bring honesty and integrity to the White House, with Watergate still fresh in voters’ minds. He defeated incumbent Gerald Ford, whose short tenure also was untarnished by scandal but who nevertheless suffered backlash from his decision to pardon Nixon. Carter’s out-of-the-blue rise to the top of the Democratic field in 1976 was not lost on Hollywood. According to Dennis McDougal’s book “The Last Mogul,” after deciding to run, one of the first people that Carter reached out to from outside Georgia was Lew Wasserman. “When he let friends know he had confidence in me, it was extremely helpful,” Carter said. The Carters and the Wassermans became good friends during his presidency. But Wasserman, not too surprisingly, switched his allegiance to a former client, Reagan. In many ways Carter’s post-presidency built on some of his accomplishments while president, including a foreign policy based on human rights. His work for Habitat for Humanity, in which he would frequently be seen helping to build homes in low-income areas, elevated the non-profit’s visibility. Carter published more than 30 books, including “Faith: A Journey for All,” “Christmas in Plains,” “A White House Diary” and “A Full Life: Reflections at 90,” about which New York Times columnist Nick Kristof wrote, “Carter, the one-termer who was a pariah in his own party, may well have improved the lives of more people in more places over a longer period of time than any other recent president.” Carter is survived by sons Jack, Chip and Jeff and daughter Amy. Sign up for . For the latest news, follow us on , , and .BN stock soars to all-time high of $60.22 amid robust growth

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants snapped a franchise-record 10-game losing streak and ended the Indianapolis Colts' slim playoff hopes Sunday as Drew Lock threw four touchdown passes and ran for another in a 45-33 victory. New York earned its first home win of the season and it no longer has control of the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Lock sandwiched touchdown passes of 31 and 59 yards to Malik Nabers around TD passes of 32 yards to Darius Slayton and 5 yards to Wan'Dale Robinson in leading the Giants (3-13) to their first win since beating Seattle on Oct. 6. Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a 100-yard return on the second-half kickoff on a day the league's worst offense set a season high for points. Jonathan Taylor scored on runs of 3 and 26 yards for Indianapolis (7-9), while Joe Flacco, subbing for the injured Anthony Richardson, threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Alec Pierce and 7 yards to Michael Pittman, the last bringing the Colts within 35-33 with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter. Lock, who finished 17 of 23 for 309 yards, iced the game by leading a nine-play, 70-yard drive that he capped with a 5-yard run. The 45 points were the most for New York since putting up 49 in a 52-49 loss to the Saints in 2015. It’s the Giants most in a win since a 45-14 rout against Washington in 2014 and most at home since a 52-27 win against the Saints in 2012. Nabers finished with seven catches for a career-high 171 yards. Flacco was 26 of 38 for 330 yards with two interceptions, the second by rookie Dru Phillips shortly after Lock's TD run. Taylor, who rushed for 218 yards in a win over Tennessee last weekend, finished with 125 yards on 32 carries. Pierce had six catches for 122 yards. Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy become the third pair of rookies to have more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in the same season. The previous duo was running back Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston of the Saints in 2006. Colts: Richardson was inactive with foot and back injuries sustained against Tennessee. Giants: DL Armon Watts (knee) was ruled out in the first half. Colts: Finish the regular season by hosting Jacksonville. Giants: At Philadelphia to face Saquon Barkley and the Eagles. AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Figure skaters Stellato-Dudek, Deschamps lead Canada into Grand Prix final

One of the key issues that have caused friction within Barcelona is the team's on-field performance. While the club has a history of success and has boasted some of the greatest players in the game, recent seasons have been marked by underwhelming results and inconsistency. This has put pressure on the team's core players, such as Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, and Sergio Busquets, to carry the burden of expectations and deliver results. However, with the team struggling to compete for top honors, frustration has begun to build among the players, leading to disagreements on and off the pitch.

NoneJaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's governance in the state has been praised by the party workers, who credited the work done by the government with the BJP's impressive performance in the November 13 by-elections in the desert state as it bagged five out of seven seats. Meanwhile, questions are being raised over alleged infighting among Congress workers over its disappointing performance due to which its tally has been reduced to one which was four before these bypolls. Political observers believe that the by-election results on seven assembly seats have made significant political implications on veteran leaders including Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, former deputy CM Sachin Pilot, state unit Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, ex-state Cabinet minister Kirodi Lal Meena and RLP convenor Hanuman Beniwal. Notably, the BJP has won Jhunjhunu, Deoli Uniara, Ramgarh, Salumber, and Khinvsar. However, Congress has won Dausa while the BAP won Chorasi. BJP workers submitted that "Sharma's stature in the party has definitely been elevated after the victory on five seats as it shows that the people have marked a stamp of approval on his good governance". In fact, Sharma himself attended highest election meetings which were equal to those being attended by former CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot together. Meanwhile, CM Sharma credited the victory in five Assembly seats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's work. He said: "People trust what PM Narendra Modi says and does. The credit of this victory goes to him, BJP's vote share has increased by 15 per cent in this election and so has workers' dedication and hardwork." Party leaders said that micro-management on party levels, coordination among party workers and Haryana elections have boosted the confidence of party workers and hence this grand victory. Speaking in this context, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said: "Winning five out of seven seats is not an easy task. Congratulations on central and state leadership on this victory. Heartiest congratulations to all." State in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agarwal also congratulated all on the historic victory of the BJP in the bypolls. He said: "We had one seat before bypolls, now we have won five seats due to the people' support." The BJP leader said that the Dausa seat has been won by Congress by a very thin margin. "Also, we have reduced the margin of win in Chorasi." Rajasthan unit party president Madan Rathore told IANS: "The party wanted to go with the best names and hence co-ordinated with each layer of workers to consult on winnable candidates. Once a consensus was built, the names were discussed with Delhi leaders. The names were announced only after consensus was arrived upon on aspiring candidates." Former state BJP president Satish Poonia also gave credit to this victory to the organisation's micro-management methods. "BJP's micro-management stands different from other parties. 'Sangathan ke vichar, double engine ki sarkar' helped the party win," he added. Of the seven contested seats, Congress previously held four seats, BJP had one, and the remaining two were with smaller parties -- the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) and Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP). This made the bypolls a test for the BJP's governance under Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. For the BJP, it was an opportunity to consolidate its position and counter Congress's momentum. Jhunjhunu was a tough seat for BJP as there was Congress' Ola family holding the fort for over 20 years. The BJP finally wrested the seat from Congress as the BJP candidate Rajendra Bhambhu won with a massive margin of 45,562 votes, leaving his rival candidate Amit Ola from Congress much behind. Many heavyweights have fallen flat in these elections. State Minister Kirodi Lal Meena's brother Jagmohan Meena had to face defeat. Similarly, Congress MP Brijendra Ola's son Amit Ola lost in Jhunjhunu and MP Hanuman Beniwal's wife Kanika Beniwal lost in Khinvsar. Congress candidate from Khinvsar, Ratan Chaudhary's deposit has been forfeited. In Khinvsar, Kanika Beniwal lost to BJP's Rewant Ram Danga by more than 13,000 votes. Similarly, the tables turned in the last round of Salumber Assembly constituency and BJP's Shanta Meena won defeating her rival BAP candidate Jitesh Kumar Katara. Congress' Deendayal Bairwa from Dausa Assembly seat, BJP's Rajendra Bhambu from Jhunjhunu, BJP's Rajendra Gurjar from Deoli-Uniara, BJP's Sukhwant Singh from Ramgarh recorded a massive win. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Adivasi Party (BAP) candidate Anil Kumar Katara has won from Chorasi assembly seat. Congress' PCC chief Govind Dotasra accepted the defeat as a verdict of the people of the state. Meanwhile, hints of factionalism affecting party prospects also came out as many leaders told IANS that 'Pilot versus Gehlot' factor again led to the party's defeat. Jhunjhunu, Dausa and Deoli Uniara have a large number of people from the Gujjar community. "However, why did Sachin Pilot not make many visits? Questions were also being raised on Gehlot's absence from campaigning sites," a party worker said. "Our PCC president Dotasra went to all seats except Jhunjhunu as he was not invited to campaign there. Internal frictions are responsible for losing our strong seats, Those Congress MPs who won LS polls gave tickets to our candidates, so they should be held responsible for their defeat," they added.

Foley is here to help you through all aspects of rethinking your long-term business strategies, investments, partnerships, and technology. Contact the authors, your Foley relationship partner, or our Automotive Team to discuss and learn more. Key Developments Foley & Lardner announced the 2024 installment of its Auto Trends series—A Year in Review: Updates, Trends and the Road Ahead . This series delves deep into the transformative forces shaping the automotive world by providing weekly insights and analysis tailored to help business leaders navigate a shifting market landscape. The first two articles in the series address the regulatory themes and outlook for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , and potential scenarios for a realignment of the EV and EV infrastructure market . manufacturing under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration in the Pitchbook article, “ Manufacturers prep for a new tariff regime .” President-elect Donald Trump in a November 25 social media post stated he would impose additional 10% tariffs on goods from China , and 25% tariffs on all products from Mexico and Canada for the nations’ alleged facilitation of illegal immigration and fentanyl abuse in the U.S. In response, officials from Canada and Mexico indicated retaliatory tariffs would be pursued. [ News coverage of this development is rapidly evolving .] The cost of tariffs on imported vehicles or components would eventually be passed along to consumers in the form of higher vehicle prices , according to commentary from S&P Global Mobility. The New York Times reported the effects of U.S. tariffs on Mexico’s auto industry “would be profound , affecting the price in the United States of popular models like Ford Maverick pickups, Chevrolet Equinox sport-utility vehicles and several variations of Ram trucks.” A number of provincial leaders in Canada recently called for a bilateral trade agreement between the U.S. and Canada that would exclude Mexico. In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated that including Mexico in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement is his “first choice,” but he is “leaving all doors open.” Political leaders in the U.S. and Canada have expressed concerns over the potential for Chinese goods to avoid tariffs by entering the North American market through Mexico , a claim Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has disputed , as well as the possibility that Chinese companies such as BYD could soon establish manufacturing operations in Mexico. As part of a goal to dismantle Biden administration policies that have been described as equivalent to an “EV mandate,” the incoming Trump administration signaled an intent to weaken the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and the Environmental Protection Agency’s tailpipe emissions requirements . The first Trump administration overturned similar Obama-era vehicle fuel economy and emissions regulations. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation urged President-elect Donald Trump to maintain the $7,500 consumer tax credit for qualifying EV purchases , and to establish policies to accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicles . The industry association also suggested revisions to vehicle emissions and fuel-economy regulations , as well as the need to rethink a requirement to equip nearly all new light vehicles with advanced automatic emergency braking systems by 2029. Wood Mackenzie analysis indicates a potential revision or repeal of federal EV subsidies , as well as fuel economy and vehicle emissions rules ,could lower projected U.S. EV sales by nine percentage points to 23% of new light vehicles by 2030 . The analysis also predicts hybrid vehicles could achieve a U.S. market share of 18% by 2030 . Consultancy AlixPartners predicted that up to $129 billion of EV investments in North America through 2027 are “at risk” due to anticipated Trump administration policiesthat are expected to be unfavorable to EVs , as well as the expectation automakers will delay or cancel BEV models and further reduce electrification expenditures. Members of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team indicated that establishing a federal framework for autonomous vehicles could be among the Transportation Department’s top priorities, according to unnamed sources in Bloomberg . Foley & Lardner provided highlights from the MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers Annual Conference held on November 12 and 13 in Novi, Michigan. During the conference, at least one automotive analyst remarked on the risk of excessive inventory levels and underutilized manufacturing capacity. OEMs/Suppliers Automotive News summarized remarks by Ford and GM regarding the automakers’ scenario planning ahead of the incoming Trump administration . Stellantis is exploring potential revisions to its manufacturing and sourcing strategies in the event Trump administration policies affect supply chains, and the automaker indicated it could revisit a plan to expand production and sourcing from lower-cost countries if new tariffs are imposed. GM will lay off approximately 1,000 workers worldwide , and a significant portion of the reductions will affect employees at the Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. This follows layoffs of over 1,000 software and services employees in August 2024 . A report in The Detroit News estimates Stellantis has laid off over 3,750 hourly workers in the U.S. in recent months. Ford will eliminate 4,000 employees in Europe, equivalent to 14% of the region’s workforce, by the end of 2027 because of economic challenges, increased competition and weaker-than-anticipated EV sales. The majority of the reductions will occur in Germany . Volkswagen’s union workersin Germany could begin mass walkouts in December if an agreement is not reached during negotiations over the automaker’s planned cost reductions. VW’s labor costs in Germany are reported to be higher than competitors that include BMW and Mercedes. Ford will reallocate 400 hourly workers following reduced Bronco production at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI. Electric Vehicles and Low EmissionS Technology During a panel at the MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers Annual Conference , purchasing executives at three major automakers assured suppliers of transparency for evolving product plans and EV programs. Volkswagen increased its potential investment in Rivian by $800 million to $5.8 billion, as part of a joint venture to advance both in-vehicle software capabilities and EV development . VW previously invested $1 billion in the EV maker as part of a collaboration announced earlier this year. S&P Global Market Intelligence estimates global private equity and venture capital deal value in EVs and EV components reached $3.32 billion in the first three quarters of 2024, compared to $4.03 billion raised by non-EV companies in the same period. Global private equity deal value in EV charging infrastructure from January through October 18, 2024, reached $1.04 billion, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. This compares to a deal value of $1.11 billion in full-year 2023. Swedish battery maker Northvolt AB filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Separately, Northvolt recently sold certain production assets to Lyten , a California-based lithium-sulfur battery maker. Rivian received approval for a conditional loan of up to $6.6 billion from the Department of Energy to expand EV production. Separately, LG Energy Solution was awarded a five-year battery supply agreement for Rivian’s R2 crossover model. Ford will no longer participate in a joint venture manufacturing plant in Quebec that will produce battery materials for EVs. Construction on the cathode active materials plant is already underway and it is expected to continue, according to a report in La Presse . Workers at the Ford – SK On battery joint venture plant in Kentucky signed union authorization cards to begin a campaign to join the UAW. Stellantis delayed the launch of the 2025 Ram 1500 REV electric pickup truck and its range-extended version to the first half of 2025 from the end of this year. The automaker is also working toward two additional EV launches, the Dodge Charger Daytona muscle car and the Jeep Wagoneer S SUV . EVgo hopes to close a U.S. Energy Department $ 1.05 billion conditional loan guarantee for up to 7,500 fast-charging stalls ahead of the incoming Trump administration. Chinese EV makers delivered 9.75 million EVs to mainland buyers in the first ten months of 2024, reflecting an increase of 34% compared to the same period last year. BYD could surpass Ford in worldwide annual shipments this year, and the milestone would establish the Chinese EV maker as a top 10 global automaker measured by unit volumes. California Governor Gavin Newsom plans to offer EV rebates to consumers in the state if the federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for qualifying EV purchases is eliminated. Stellantis plans to add a hybrid model to the Jeep lineup sometime next year, according to an announcement at the Los Angeles Auto Show . Kia intends to produce the 2025 EV6 compact electric crossover at its plant in Georgia , and the vehicle will begin sales in the first half of next year. Hyundai’s 2026 Ioniq 9 electric SUV will have three-row seating and an estimated 300 miles of range. Hyundai and Kia will recall over 200,000 EVs in North America over a defect that may cause the loss of drive power. Automated, Autonomous or Connected Vehicles Technologies GM autonomous driving unit Cruise agreed to pay a $500,000 criminal fine to end claims that it made false statements to federal investigators after one of its vehicles struck a pedestrian. This follows a $1.5 million civil penalty for the same incident. Autonomous technology developer May Mobility launched robotaxi operations in Ann Arbor, Michigan, without human backup drivers in the vehicles. The company previously established driverless operations in Sun City, Arizona. Market Trends and Regulatory Recent appointments announced by the incoming Trump administration include: former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Transportation ; Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer , described as a “pro-union Republican,” to lead the Labor Department ; Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick to head the Commerce Department and have “additional direct responsibility” for the U.S. Trade Representative’s office; and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency tasked to “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fined Ford $165 million over claims the automaker delayed the recall of more than 600,000 vehicles with defective rearview cameras. This represents the second largest civil penalty in the agency’s history. Less than a week later, NHTSA opened separate investigations into 457,000 Ford Bronco Sport SUVs over the potential for vehicles to lose power, and roughly 113,000 Ford Expeditions due to the possibility of faulty seat belts. New passenger car registrations in Europe reached 8.9 million units for the first ten months of 2024, reflecting growth of less than 1% when compared to the same period in 2023. In the past decade, venture capitalists have invested approximately $120 billion globally into shared mobility service businesses such as ride-hailing and station-based bike systems. The Federal Communications Commission announced final rules governing cellular-vehicle-to-everything technology in the 5.9 GHz band. This is expected to promote the use of 30 megahertz of spectrum previously reserved for dedicated short-range radio communications for in-vehicle and roadside C-V2X units. Analysis by Julie Dautermann, Competitive Intelligence Analyst

In the fast-paced digital era, businesses are constantly seeking innovative solutions to stay ahead in the competitive market. The emergence of low-code platforms has revolutionized the software development industry, enabling organizations to build applications with minimal coding effort. Among the leading players in this space is Three-Dimensional Universe, with its self-developed low-code platform that caters to the evolving needs of businesses.