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AP News Summary at 3:43 p.m. ESTAdministrations come and go. Priorities shift and new ones emerge. But there is one constant in the federal market – disruption. “The core missions of the agencies don’t change, but everyday there is disruption,” said Richard Crowe, president of Booz Allen Hamilton's civil sector. “We are in an age of constant change because of technology.” Crowe said change and disruption are normal with any new administration, but added he sees things as settling down. With this second Trump term, Crowe expects more of a focus on modernization and efficiency. Those were major themes of the first Trump term. “We saw a significant increase in implementing IT modernization across many, many agencies during the first term,” Crowe said. “Given what we are hearing publicly from the transition team, those themes are going to carry forward.” No matter what happens in the White House and with a Republican-controlled Congress, Crowe said that Booz Allen will follow the guideposts it has followed throughout its 110-year history. One of them is focusing on the outcomes its customers want to realize. Applying technology to those outcomes remains a critical component of Booz Allen’s strategy regardless of who is in the White House, he said. “I have a bias to growth, so I look for things that are going to grow,” Crowe said. “IT modernization will be a driver and catalyst of change.” The concept of migrating systems and applications to the cloud will be a big part of that strategy. While that is not a new concepts, there is still a lot to be done. “Once you start migrating to the cloud, then you’re in a better position to organize your data and use your data in ways that you haven’t been able to before,” Crowe said. “Once you have your data more readily available and assembled, then you can start thinking about things like automation.” Data modernization is the next wave in government efficiency because it will enable greater use of artificial intelligence which will enable automation, according to Crowe. Through acquisitions and internal investments, Booz Allen has become a major provider of AI in the federal market. The company has built complementary practices around the cloud, digital transformation, and AI. Booz Allen is also three years into its – an acronym of Velocity, Leadership and Technology. “It has crystalized our culture and how we are a digital disruptor in this space, and how we think about problem solving,” Crowe said. “We’re thinking about the problems of efficiency and how to apply technology to existing conditions that even five years ago, you couldn’t solve.” One example is a , where Booz Allen partnered with Amazon Web Services to implement a tech search capability for helping adjudicate benefits faster. Tech search uses AI and other tools to quickly scan and analyze large volumes of data in documents, such as PDFs and other file types. “These files can cover a veteran’s entire career. It can be hundreds and hundreds of static pages,” Crowe said. “We’re able to do tech searching and save literally hundreds of hours.” The result is a quicker process that yields better results. “Think about being able to search a 1,300-page PDF and you start finding things that you need to find to validate a claim,” Crowe said. “That’s a game changer for the adjudicator and think about the impact for the veteran.” One big piece of Booz Allen's strategy is to work with global commercial technology providers such as AWS, Microsoft and Salesforce. But to stay on the disruptive edge, Booz Allen also has that focuses on startups with promising technologies. “We aren’t static and waiting for what the big guys can provide us, but we also have one of the most active venture funds in the industry,” Crowe said. Booz Allen has made more than a dozen investments into companies whose solutions can be brought into customer challenges, he said. One of those saw Booz Allen participate in a $33 million Series A round for that specializes in spotting deep fakes. Booz Allen is also one of several investors in , a developer of a cloud-based software for national security programs. “I think it’s a strategic asset for us to have a corporate venture fund getting us into what’s next from a technology standpoint,” Crowe said. Booz Allen wants to be on the leading edge of disruptive technologies because eventually those tools will become the norm, Crowe said. AI is one of those areas where he wants the company to continue developing deep expertise. “I want more of our workforce to not only be fluent in AI as a user, but to be leaders, driving mission outcomes for our clients,” he said. As Crowe sees it, the key is to think of AI as more than just a tool but as a mission enabler. “A lot of it is, are you asking the right questions to solve the problem? And if you ask the right questions that will lead to what data sets do you need to answer those questions,” Crowe said. Under the VoLT strategy, Booz Allen’s pathway to success relies on matching its consulting heritage with the knowledge of emerging technologies. “Getting an AI fluent workforce is not just about getting people who can train a large language model but being comfortable with these tools to solve problems that we were never able to address as quickly or as effectively before,” he said.

Lions HC has authentic response to resting starters based on Vikings-Packers result | Sporting NewsA massive coaching change is coming to in the state of Florida. is resigning to be the new offensive coordinator at Florida State, . UCF later announced Malzahn's departure Malzahn, according to the report, will also serve as the lead play caller which was a role previously held by Florida State coach Mike Norvell. Malzahn and Norvell go back to when they were assistants at Tulsa in 2007-08. Norvell was a graduate assistant during Malzahn's tenure as the co-offensive coordinator for the Golden Hurricane. The 59-year-old coach just finished his fourth season at UCF, which saw its season end Friday in a loss to Utah. The finished 28-24 in four seasons with the Knights and chose to take a step down to lead the ' offense rather than coach at UCF. Florida State has now filled one of its two open coordinator spots after Norvell fired both Alex Atkins and Adam Fuller midseason, amid one of the worst FSU seasons in a long time: The Seminoles are currently 2-9 going into their regular season finale against Florida on Saturday. Malzahn, who was the head coach at Auburn from 2013-20, led the Tigers to the 2014 BCS national championship game, when they fell to none other than Florida State. Malzahn is known for his high-powered offenses, including when he served as Auburn's associate head coach, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator when it won the national championship in 2010.Illinois stuns Rutgers on Pat Bryant's 40-yard TD reception with 4 seconds left

Maresca led the Foxes to the Sky Bet Championship title last season before joining Chelsea over the summer. Leicester famously toasted their improbable Premier League success in 2016 with an impromptu bash at Vardy’s house. But the venue for last April’s party was not at the striker’s abode, but at Maresca’s house when the players turned up unannounced at 2am. Maresca recalled: “The best present I had from last season was when we got promoted and they arrived at my home. All the team. “This showed the connection between the players; they could go for a party at a different place but they all arrived at my home. It was a fantastic connection and I will always be thankful for them. “I was at home celebrating with my staff and my family and about two o’clock in the morning all the squad was there. We celebrated all together. Last night at Enzo’s 🏡 💙 pic.twitter.com/dqP8BFsDn3 — Leicester City (@LCFC) April 27, 2024 “When I was a player and I won things I never thought to go to the manager’s home. That shows the connection.” Similarly to when they clinched the Premier League crown, Leicester were not actually playing when they found out they were promoted after Leeds lost at QPR. “To be honest I was at home watching the game and when it finished all the staff came over – and later the players,” added the Italian. “They didn’t knock on the door, they were in the garden and knocked on the window. What time did they leave? I don’t remember.” Vardy might not be having a party at the end of this season but he is still banging in the goals at 37 and Maresca rates the striker even more highly than England’s two top goalscorers – Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney. “People don’t realise how good he is,” added Maresca. “I know England have been quite lucky because of Kane and Rooney, this type of striker, they are fantastic. “But Jamie is, if you ask me, the best one.” Maresca returns to the King Power Stadium for the first time with Chelsea on Saturday, but he will be without captain Reece James due to a hamstring problem.Rohit Sharma (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma is undoubtedly going through a tough twilight period of his cricket career both as a captain as well as a batter. He will look to resurrect it by possibly returning to his customary position as an opener in the ongoing Melbourne Test in hope of runs that help him regain confidence and poise as a leader. With India's No. 3 Shubman Gill dropped from the eleven for an extra spin-bowling all-rounder in the form of Washington Sundar, KL Rahul will in all probability play the role of one-down batter, allowing Rohit to open again in Melbourne, and in the last Test at Sydney. Those four possible innings, believes former England spinner Monty Panesar , will be make-or-break knocks for the Indian captain's Test career. "I think that (to open batting again) is the only option for Rohit," said Panesar, talking to Timesofindia.com from London. "To be honest, he's got four innings to save his Test career. If he doesn't perform that well, I think he will probably retire as well." Abhishek Nayar explains reason for dropping Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma's place If that happens, it will be the second high-profile retirement of the series, with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin hanging his boots after the third Test in Brisbane, quitting international cricket with immediate effect. THE ONUS IS ON ROHIT If India fail to qualify for the World Test Championship final, their next Test assignment will be the five-Test tour of England in June-July 2025. For Rohit to play that, if he wants to, Panesar believes he will have to fire in Melbourne and Sydney. Sam Konstas on Kohli altercation: 'I was doing my gloves, he accidentally bumped me' "...With the five Test matches in England, I think Rohit should probably take the ownership and say 'right, you know, (in) overseas Test matches I have got to perform like I do...be aggressive, take it on'," said Panesar. Getty Images (Getty Images) "If he does that, I think he will probably carry on as captain. But if he fails, I think he will be the first one to stand up and say, 'guys, I think I am done, and you have got to move on with the new team'. Especially with five Test matches in England, you have got to build a new side." The five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy stands at 1-1 after three Tests, which means a win in Melbourne will ensure that India won't lose the series and thus remain the title-holders. But Australia have done well to reach 311 for 6 at stumps on day one. If India can take the last four wickets quickly to wrap up the Australian first innings for under 350 and then the visitors' top order bats well, it will be game on. Rohit Sharma: 'Virat Kohli is a modern day great. He will figure it out' "It's a big, big innings for him (Rohit) in Melbourne...I think especially that first innings is a big one for him. He's got to show good intent and start well because Australia are going to come out not holding back now," said the 42-year-old former left-arm spinner, who played 50 Tests for England. KOHLI-KONSTAS INCIDENT WILL FIRE UP THE AUSSIES After a dramatic first day, where Virat Kohli shoulder-barging 19-year-old debutant opener Sam Konstas grabbed the headlines, Panesar believes Indian batters will have to deal with a hostile Australian team now. Kohli has been fined by the match referee for "inappropriate physical contact" and also handed one demerit point for the Level 1 offence in the ICC Code of Conduct. "They (Australian bowlers) are going to come out at Virat, going to make him very uncomfortable, probably the top six as well, (saying) 'how do you just shoulder-barge a 19-year-old like that?'... I think it's going to be hostile when they come out to bat," said Panesar, who is of Indian origin, with his family's roots in Punjab. Image credit: X (Image credit: X) He added that it will make Rohit's challenge a stiff one against the charged-up Aussie pacers Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland. "You have got to be ready for it, and ready for counter-punching and playing aggressive cricket, which I am sure Rohit Sharma can do. But if it was in India, he would have been more confident. He is just not sure if he has the same impact in away Test matches," Panesar reckoned. ROHIT'S POOR RUN Rohit, who missed the first Test in Perth while on paternity leave after the birth of his child, has been going through a rough phase in red-ball cricket. His bat has been silent for three consecutive series now, starting with two Tests against Bangladesh and three against New Zealand at home. He aggregated 42 runs in four innings against Bangladesh and 91 in six innings against the Kiwis. It had an impact on his captaincy as well, with India suffering an embarrassing 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand. Batting at No. 6 in three innings of this BGT so far, Rohit's knocks read 3, 6 and 10. Getting runs under his belt, thus, is imperative for the Indian skipper, according to Panesar. "If he (Rohit) comes round the corner and does well, scores a hundred, I think he answers all his critics; and I am sure he will carry on. But if it doesn't go too well for him...if he knows he is past his best, he will just say 'guys, last Test match in Sydney I am retiring, and that will be it." INDIA, ROHIT RATTLED Rohit, too, was part of a confrontational incident on the first day of play in Melbourne where he was seen having a word with Marnus Labuschagne, after he saw the Australian batter repeatedly running down the middle of the track. Panesar believes such incidents were largely because India got rattled by the aggressive approach debutant Konstas took in scoring 60 off 65, especially when he played audacious ramp shots against the best bowler of the series, Bumrah. "I think India have been rattled, let's be honest. They thought Konstas probably would have got out and it would have been a much better day for them, and (they) would have bowled Australia out for 300," said Panesar. "If they were on top, they would have probably not bothered (about things like Labuschagne running on the pitch). I think it's just more the fact...that a young 19-year-old, who has played 11 Sheffield Shield games, is reverse-sweeping (ramp shot) Bumrah over third-man for six. That is showing complete disrespect to Bumrah and this Indian team." Panesar believes that it was the audacity of a teenager more than anything else that put India off, which also rattled batting legend Kohli to the point that he shoulder-barged a teenage debutant 17 years younger to him. "Virat is left thinking 'he doesn't feel intimidated by me.' This 19-year-old doesn't feel intimidated by this Indian team. That is what's hurting the ego of this Indian team right now," he added. "The real hurt is that a 19-year-old whacks Bumrah over third-man for six. That was pinching them."

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VR Resources Ltd. ( ), (the “ ”), or (“ ”), announces the arrangement of a flow-through financing of $400,000. The Company plans to direct the funds immediately towards drilling planned for January on its copper- nickel-PGE and copper-gold properties in northwestern Ontario, namely: the new chargeability anomaly at Silverback, and follow up drilling to the recently completed Phase 1 drill program at Westwood on the Empire Project. The flow-through financing will consist of up to 8,000,000 units (the “ ”) at a price of per FT Unit for gross proceeds of up to . Each FT Unit consisting of one Flow Through common share (“ ”) of the Company and one-half of one non – flow through common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a “ ”). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional common share (“Share”) at an exercise price of per share for a period of 18 months from the closing date (“ ”). The Closing Date for the Financing is expected to be on or before December 31, 2024, and is subject to all regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities issued in connection with this Financing will be subject to a four-month and a day hold period from the Closing Date in accordance with applicable securities legislation. Red Cloud Securities Inc. (“ ”) is acting as a finder in connection with the Non-Brokered Private Placement. The finders’ fee will consist of 6% cash on the total financing and additional 6% Compensation Warrants associated with the financing (“Compensation Warrants”). The Compensation Warrants will permit the purchase of one common share in the capital of the Company at a price of $0.05 per common share for a period of 18 months from closing of the Offering. The gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Units will be used by the Company to incur eligible “Canadian exploration expenses” that will qualify as “critical metals flow-through mining expenditures” as such terms are defined in the (Canada) (the “Qualifying Expenditures”), and are related to the company’s mineral exploration projects in Ontario, Canada, on or before December 31, 2025, and the Company will renounce all qualifying expenditures in favour of such subscribers to the financing effective December 31, 2024. VR is an established junior exploration company based in Vancouver (TSX.V: VRR; Frankfurt: 5VR; OTCQB: VRRCF). VR evaluates, explores and advances large-scale, blue-sky opportunities in copper, gold and critical metals in Nevada, USA, and Ontario, Canada, and more recently, Canada’s newest discovery of a diamond-bearing kimberlite pipe at its Northway project. VR applies modern exploration technologies and leverages in-house experience and expertise in greenfields exploration to large-footprint mineral systems in underexplored areas/districts. The foundation of VR is the proven track record of its Board in early-stage exploration, discovery and M&A. The Company is financed for its mineral exploration and corporate obligations. VR owns its properties outright and evaluates new opportunities on an ongoing basis, whether by staking or acquisition. _____________________________ Justin Daley, MSc, PGeo President & CEO

AP Business SummaryBrief at 6:26 p.m. ESTMattr Corp. Announces Closing of Debt Subscription Receipt Offering

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Birdwatching is often viewed as a hobby geared towards an older audience, but Broomfield Bird Club members said the club gains plenty of interest from younger kids. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.