House rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics report
A HOLLYWOOD child actor that shot to fame in the 1990s, now looks completely different since he quit acting 24 years ago. Actor Justin Pierre Edmund shot to fame when he first appeared in 1996 film The Preacher's Wife. In the film he played Jeremiah Biggs, which follows the storyline of an angel coming to Earth to help a preacher and his family whilst saving his church. He starred alongside huge names including Courtney B. Vance, Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston , but even with working with huge names it appears acting wasn't right for Justin. The actor quit Hollywood and the film industry just four years later after appearing in four more films. As a child actor he appeared in 'Went to Coney Island On A Mission From God', 'Loving Jezebel', 'Music of the Heart' and 'Once In The Life'. He also appeared in an episode of TV series Law and Order, where he played Andrew Howard in 2000. Now he looks totally different to the cute child star we might have seen him as, and his career has gone in a different direction. The star has now instead embraced a career in social media and marketing. In 2011, he graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor's degree in communication design. Most read in Celebrity From there he went to intern at Facebook before switching to another social media platform as he joined Pinterest to become the company's first designer. He's now believed to work at Slack. The actor has largely stayed out of the spotlight since deciding not to pursue a career in acting.Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said the Railways would run about 13,000 trains, including 3,000 special ones, for the convenience of devotees during the Maha Kumbh . The Union minister, who reached Prayagraj by train from Varanasi to review the Railways' preparations for the mega event, expects about 1.5 to 2 crore passengers to reach the city by train during the mela. The Maha Kumbh will commence on January 13 on the occasion of Paush Purnima and conclude on February 26 on Mahashivratri. After inspecting several stations under the Northeast Railway, Northern Railway and the North Central Railway in Prayagraj, the minister told reporters, "I also inspected the new bridge built over the Ganga, which will soon be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A new bridge has been built over the Ganga here after 100 years." "I personally inspected five stations. The holding areas at these stations, where the devotees will be able to sit till their trains arrive, are very good. Colour coding has been used in the holding areas and tickets so that the devotees can reach the right platform," Vaishnaw added. 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The system was used during the Rath Yatra in Puri, he said. "For the Maha Kumbh, the railway track on the Prayagraj-Varanasi route has been doubled. The Phaphamau-Janghai section has been doubled. A second entrance has been built at the Jhansi, Phaphamau, Prayagraj, Subedarganj, Naini and the Cheoki stations," Vaishnaw said. A control room has been set up at every station that will send live feeds to the master control room at the Prayagraj station. CCTV camera feed from Maha Kumbh Nagar and the police will also be received at the master control room. The minister said work at the Prayagraj station was done using the experience gained during the Ram temple consecration programme in Ayodhya and the Rath Yatra in Puri. Vaishnaw also said more than 23 holding areas had been built at various stations in Prayagraj, apart from 48 platforms. Similarly, 21 foot overbridges have been built and arrangements made for 554 ticketing kiosks. The Indian Railways spent more than Rs 5,000 crore on preparations for the Maha Kumbh in the past two years, Vaishnaw said. Railway Board CEO Satish Kumar and other senior officials accompanied Vaishnaw during the review. Nominations for ET MSME Awards are now open. The last day to apply is December 15, 2024. Click here to submit your entry for any one or more of the 22 categories and stand a chance to win a prestigious award. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Prediction: This Under-The-Radar Opportunity Will Be the Most Important Part of Palantir's Business in 2025Hollywood child star looks unrecognisable 28 years after hit movie role and quitting fame
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — Andrew Holifield scored 17 points as Lamar beat Louisiana 74-45 on Saturday. Holifield also contributed 11 rebounds for the Cardinals (5-5). Janko Buljic scored 12 points, shooting 6 of 9 from the field. Alexis Marmolejos had 11 points and shot 4 for 5, including 3 for 3 from beyond the arc. Kyndall Davis finished with 11 points for the Ragin' Cajuns (2-9). Brandon Hardy added 10 points for Louisiana. Kentrell Garnett also recorded nine points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Judge rejects request to restore Musk’s $56 billion Tesla pay
The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Quion Burns scored 17 points as Maine beat Canisius 84-79 on Saturday. Burns had seven rebounds for the Black Bears (8-5). Kellen Tynes scored 15 points while shooting 5 of 5 from the field and 4 for 4 from the line and added nine assists. Christopher Mantis had 15 points and went 5 of 8 from the field (3 for 5 from 3-point range). Jasman Sangha led the way for the Golden Griffins (0-11) with 26 points and three steals. Paul McMillan IV added 22 points and six assists for Canisius. Tana Kopa also had 16 points and two steals. The Golden Griffins prolonged their losing streak to 11 in a row. Maine plays Saturday against Stony Brook on the road, and Canisius visits Loyola Chicago on Wednesday. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Elon’s STATUS rises with election
College Football Playoff field set: SMU’s in, Alabama’s out and there could be consequences
House rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics reportNoneFirst Nations chiefs in Manitoba call on Ottawa to address Jordan's Principle backlog
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Reniya Kelly had 18 points and six assists, Maria Gakdeng added 16 points and nine rebounds, and No. 16 North Carolina beat 14th-ranked Kentucky 72-53 on Thursday night in the SEC/ACC Challenge. North Carolina opened the game on a 14-4 run, capped by Alyssa Ustby’s fifth 3-pointer of the season. The Tar Heels led 36-25 at halftime after holding the Wildcats to 36% shooting. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content.Sunday, December 15, 2024 As the global travel industry steadily moves into a post-pandemic era, business travel is surging back with renewed energy. However, the travel landscape has changed significantly, bringing new costs, challenges, and opportunities for companies and travel managers alike. The latest FCM Consulting Q3 2024 Business Travel Report sheds light on the state of corporate travel, revealing that while prices are rising, travel has also become more predictable. This predictability offers companies a chance to adopt proactive strategies, manage costs, and maximize the value of every business trip. Bonnie Smith, General Manager of FCM South Africa, underscores this dual reality. “Yes, travel is getting more expensive, but it’s also becoming more predictable,” she says, urging travel managers to seize the moment for smarter, data-driven travel planning. Her advice comes as corporate travel faces rising business class fares, increased hotel rates, and crowded flights across key global hubs like London, New York, and Dubai. The pandemic-induced lull in global travel has now given way to a travel surge. Airports, once eerily empty, are now bustling with travelers. Passenger demand grew by 8.6% in August 2024 compared to the previous year, leading to an 86.2% flight load factor — the percentage of available seats that are filled with passengers. Business travelers are feeling this pressure firsthand. Business class fares have seen a 6% to 8% increase from 2023, adding strain to corporate budgets. While economy fares have dipped by 1% to 4%, this offers little relief to companies that prioritize comfort, speed, and productivity for their executives. The days of “last-minute Larry” bookings are over, says Bonnie Smith. Companies delaying their bookings risk paying significantly higher prices. Strategic planners are urged to book early to avoid price hikes and secure seats on crowded flights. Last-minute bookings, especially to high-demand destinations like New York, London, and Dubai, will likely be met with sky-high ticket prices and limited seating options. Hotel rates have also surged, further adding to the cost burden on business travelers. According to the FCM report, the average price of a hotel room in Johannesburg jumped 14%, while the cost of a stay in New York City now averages $490 per night — a 15% increase. North America saw a 6.8% rise in hotel prices, while South America experienced a staggering 25.4% increase. Rates in Europe also climbed by 5.3%, reflecting the heightened demand for business travel accommodation. While the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia saw slight price declines, these regions remain competitive business destinations that require strategic planning. With soaring hotel bills, companies are being advised to reconsider their accommodation strategies. Business hotels located just outside major city centers often offer lower rates and better facilities for productivity. “Some of the best business hotels are just a short ride from the city center,” says Smith, emphasizing that location is not everything. To navigate these rising hotel rates, companies are encouraged to work with Travel Management Corporations (TMCs), which negotiate corporate rates with hotel chains and offer greater flexibility in booking terms. Travel Management Corporations (TMCs) will play a vital role in helping companies navigate the turbulent travel landscape of 2025. TMCs leverage their buying power to secure better rates on flights, hotels, and car rentals, offering flexibility and support when plans change. Bonnie Smith highlights the benefits of using a TMC: “We’re booking thousands of room nights and flights, which means better rates and more flexible terms for our clients.” By consolidating purchasing power, TMCs can negotiate exclusive corporate deals that individual companies could not secure on their own. Additionally, TMCs offer centralized booking systems, allowing companies to track travel expenses, monitor employee movements, and enforce company travel policies. This helps organizations optimize their travel budgets while enhancing employee safety and compliance. Despite rising costs, 2025 offers an unprecedented opportunity for companies to be more strategic with travel. Booking ahead and locking in rates for flights and hotels will be essential for cost control. Early bookings not only secure lower rates but also guarantee better availability of business class seats and preferred hotel rooms. Companies that invest in travel technology and data analytics can gain a competitive edge. By tracking pricing trends and forecasting demand, travel managers can make better-informed decisions. The rise of predictive travel technology allows companies to anticipate price hikes and secure bookings at the right time. According to FCM, proactive planning could become the key to thriving in the 2025 corporate travel space. The “early bird” approach has never been more relevant. Booking flights, hotels, and car rentals months in advance will no longer be a suggestion — it will be a necessity. There is, however, a glimmer of hope. Airlines have announced plans to expand seat availability by 1.8% globally and by 2.1% in Africa in the first half of 2025. While this increase will create more flight options, it does not necessarily mean cheaper fares. As demand for face-to-face meetings remains high, ticket prices are expected to stay elevated. To take advantage of new route announcements, travel managers are encouraged to maintain close relationships with airline representatives or collaborate with their TMCs. Airlines often bundle new routes with promotional rates or corporate deals, providing companies with a chance to lock in early-bird discounts. The companies that succeed in 2025’s travel landscape won’t be the ones with the biggest budgets — they’ll be the ones with the smartest strategies. Proactive planning, early bookings, and the support of TMCs will be essential. By locking in rates early, tracking data trends, and leveraging TMC-negotiated deals, companies can minimize costs while maximizing the value of each business trip. Savvy companies will also diversify their accommodation choices, booking hotels outside city centers or selecting properties with better facilities for productivity. The ability to adapt and stay ahead of changing trends will define success in 2025. Business travel in 2025 will be shaped by rising costs, but also by newfound predictability. Companies that adopt strategic planning, leverage TMCs, and use predictive travel tools will be better positioned to control costs and enhance value. With early bookings, smarter accommodation choices, and greater access to predictive pricing data, companies can turn the challenges of 2025 into a competitive advantage. From crowded airports and pricier hotels to smarter booking strategies, the future of business travel belongs to the well-prepared. As airlines expand seat capacity and TMCs offer better rates, companies have every reason to plan ahead and travel smarter. The early bird truly gets the window seat — and the savings. Read Travel Industry News in 104 different regional platforms Get our daily dose of news, by subscribing to our newsletters. Subscribe here . Watch Travel And Tour World Interviews here . Read more Travel News , Daily Travel Alert , and Travel Industry News on Travel And Tour World only.NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes rose to more records Wednesday after tech companies talked up how much of a boost they’re getting from the artificial-intelligence boom. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% to add to what’s set to be one of its best years of the millennium. It’s the 56th time the index has hit an all-time high this year after climbing in 11 of the last 12 days . The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 308 points, or 0.7%, while the Nasdaq composite added 1.3% to its own record. Salesforce helped pull the market higher after delivering stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit fell just short. CEO Mark Benioff highlighted the company’s artificial-intelligence offering for customers, saying “the rise of autonomous AI agents is revolutionizing global labor, reshaping how industries operate and scale.” The stock price of the company, which helps businesses manage their customers, jumped 11%. Marvell Technology leaped even more after delivering better results than expected, up 23.2%. CEO Matt Murphy said the semiconductor supplier is seeing strong demand from AI and gave a forecast for profit in the upcoming quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. All the optimistic talk helped Nvidia , the company whose chips are powering much of the move into AI, rally 3.5%. It was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&P 500 by far. They helped offset an 8.9% drop for Foot Locker, which reported profit and revenue that fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Mary Dillon said the company is taking a more cautious view, and it cut its forecasts for sales and profit this year. Dillon pointed to how keen customers are for discounts and how soft demand has been outside of Thanksgiving week and other key selling periods. Retailers overall have offered mixed signals about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain. Their spending has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has avoided a recession that earlier seemed inevitable after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to crush inflation. But shoppers are now contending with still-high prices and a slowing job market . This week’s highlight for Wall Street will be Friday’s jobs report from the U.S. government, which will show how many people employers hired and fired last month. A narrower report released Wednesday morning suggested employers in the private sector increased their payrolls by less last month than economists expected. Hiring in manufacturing was the weakest since the spring, according to Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. The report strengthened traders’ expectations that the Fed will cut its main interest rate again when it meets in two weeks. The Fed began easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high in September, hoping to offer more support for the job market. The central bank had appeared set to continue cutting rates into next year, but the election of Donald Trump has scrambled Wall Street’s expectations somewhat. Trump’s preference for higher tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , which could alter the Fed’s plans . Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the central bank can afford to cut rates cautiously because inflation has slowed from its peak two years ago and the economy remains sturdy. A separate report on Wednesday said health care, finance and other businesses in the U.S. services sector are continuing to grow, but not by as much as before and not by as much as economists expected. One respondent from the construction industry told the survey from the Institute for Supply Management that the Fed’s rate cuts haven't pulled down mortgage rates as much as hoped. Plus, “the unknown effect of tariffs clouds the future.” In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.18% from 4.23% late Tuesday. On Wall Street, Campbell’s sank 6.2% for one of the S&P 500’s sharper losses despite increasing its dividend and reporting a stronger profit than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, and the National Football League’s Washington Commanders hired Campbell’s CEO Mark Clouse as its team president. Gains for airline stocks helped offset that drop after JetBlue Airways said it saw stronger bookings for travel in November and December following the presidential election. It also said it’s benefiting from lower fuel prices, as well as lower costs due to improved on-time performance. JetBlue jumped 8.3%, while Southwest Airlines climbed 3.5%. All told, the S&P 500 rose 36.61 points to 6,086.49. The Dow climbed 308.51 to 45,014.04, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 254.21 to 19,735.12. In stock markets abroad, South Korea’s Kospi sank 1.4% following a night full of drama in Seoul. President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night, prompting troops to surround the parliament. He revoked the martial law declaration six hours later. In the crypto market , bitcoin climbed near $99,000 after Trump said he would nominate Paul Atkins , a cryptocurrency advocate, to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed.
More Americans are leaning into their Christian faith in what some religious leaders and scholars are calling a “fourth Great Awakening.” Bible sales in the United States have skyrocketed in 2024, religious colleges are seeing enrollment boosts despite overall declines in higher education attendance and several states are pushing for Bible-based curriculum in public schools. Some Bible scholars believe this may mark a significant cultural shift. “While it has been apparent to a few of us for some time, millions are now realizing that ‘woke’ ideologies are, in fact, destructive attempts to re-found the nation according to a new civic religion which both parodies and persecutes Christianity,” Chad Pecknold, theologian and professor at The Catholic University of America, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Despite overall book sales increasing by only 1% compared to 2023, Bible sales in the U.S. have reached an impressive 22% increase as of October 2024, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Cardinal Newman Society in October reported that enrollment at Catholic colleges has risen in 2024 despite an overall enrollment decrease at other institutions, with several schools such as Ave Maria University in Florida and Benedictine College in Kansas seeing record growth, increasing attendance by more than 20% over the last 10 years. “There is a resurgence of Christianity among young people,” Wade Burleson, retired pastor and president of Istoria Ministries, told the DCNF. “I see what is happening [as] more of an Awakening. An Awakening occurs when the irreligious come to faith in Christ.” Burleson pointed to several instances of young people coming into faith in doves in recent years, with hundreds of students being baptized on campuses across the nation, including several members of the four-time national champion Oklahoma University women’s softball team. “There have been three Great Awakenings in America, and a few smaller ones,” Burleson continued. “I believe we are in the beginning of a fourth Great Awakening and it is a response to inflation (financial panic), pandemics (Covid), wars (global), and the sudden death of stability in America. There is no anchor in life better than the Anchor of Hope, and when the ship of life is tossed to and fro, faith awakens.” Pecknold shared this sentiment, arguing that far-left politics have driven Americans towards Christianity. “Democrats, and the corporations and institutions they controlled, embraced this pseudo-civic religion in their attempt to take total control over the American republic,” Pecknold said. “The American people saw their totalitarian appetites on display in everything from forced vaccinations to extreme racialism to the redefinition of marriage and the denial of sexual difference, all under the ever-evolving banner of ‘the Progress Flag.'” “This is when the Democrats were defeated so thoroughly on November 5th, it was not only seen as a political victory, but also as a religious victory: it was a repudiation of the ersatz civic religion that Democrats had used to re-found the country.” Catholic voters played a pivotal role in the 2024 presidential election, making up approximately 25% of the vote and overwhelmingly siding with President-elect Donald Trump, with other Christian voters following suit. This was a surprising revelation considering tens of millions of Christians were expected to refrain from voting, citing a dislike of both candidates and general uninterest in politics, according to Relevant Magazine. Some religious organizations, however, made efforts to warn voters prior to the election that the Democratic ticket was “ patently anti-religious .” (RELATED: ‘Why Would Any Christian Vote For Her?’: Pro-Life Orgs React To Harris’ ‘Anti-Religious Freedom’ Abortion Stance) A view of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of northern Manhattan on October 06, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images) Greg Boyd, theologian and Pastor at Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota is less convinced of this religious revival. “My concern is that a lot of it seems to be wrapped up with nationalism,” Boyd told the DCNF. “And it concerns me because whenever the Christian faith has gotten too close to political power, it’s been transformed by the political power, and we have Christians trying to control others and conquer others, the same as we’ve had throughout history. And in my opinion, that doesn’t look anything [like] what we find in the Gospel.” Boyd pointed to examples of states like Texas , Louisiana and Oklahoma approving the implementation of Bible lessons into public school lessons. Texas’ law is meant to help “students to better understand the connection of history, art, community, literature, and religion on pivotal events” in history and Oklahoma’s is similarly meant “as an instructional support into the curriculum.” “Where did Jesus ever impose himself on others?” the pastor asked. “I mean, I would love to see a revival in the country,” Boyd said. “The evidence of that would be, I would think, people become more Christ-like, they become more loving. They would be trying to turn the other cheek, trying to reach out across the aisle and build bridges instead of walls. And I don’t see any of that happening with the church as a whole. Seems like it’s kind of gone deeply into political polarization.” Boyd agreed that many issues in politics have driven people to view current affairs through a religious lens. Cultural issues such as abortion, gender ideology and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have been hot topics dividing Americans’ opinions, especially religious Americans. The ongoing war in Gaza, as well as the hundreds of protests that spanned the U.S. in response, also impacted Christians’ perspective, with many viewing the apparent prosecution of Jews on college campuses as an infringement on religious freedom as a whole. Church attendance among Christians remains relatively low in the United States, with only 30% of Protestants and 23% of Catholics attending church every week, according to a March Gallup poll. However, more Americans than ever are consuming religious content, with the Hallow prayer app becoming the first religious app to top Apple’s App Store in 2024 and Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Bible In A Year podcast consistently topping charts in recent years, according to National Review. Young men in particular are maintaining their devotion to faith, with more Gen Z men identifying as Christian than women for the first time, according to the New York Times. “We are currently seeing a kind of clarity about the civilizational conflict that ‘woke’ ideologies provoked,” Pecknold told the DCNF. “In brief, the people are fed up with this fake religion, and even if they aren’t Christian themselves, they’re realizing that Christianity provides a far better ‘unwritten constitution’ for the nation than anti-Christian wokism can supply. There’s a simple realization at work here.” “Christianity is an ordering principle which elevates and ennobles souls, families, and societies — it’s inherently public, and cannot be ‘privatized,’ relegated to the margins, or separated from questions of education, heritage, public morality, family policy, law, or the aspirations of nations,” Pecknold said. “We still date time by the Incarnation because, deep down, everyone knows that Christianity is objectively true and good for all people — it roots us in reality, it helps us to promote the truly good, and avoid those evils which cause so much suffering — it elevates us by the Light of Christ. Public Christianity is literally what makes civilizational renewal possible. The fact that Americans are remembering this, and having the courage to state it, is a sign of great hope for the nation.” All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org .WASHINGTON — The House shut down Democrats' efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty. The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., was the sole Republican to support the effort. Most Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It's unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers have only a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It's the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee's five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump's announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump's choice to head the Justice Department. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg, a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison.
( MENAFN - Jordan Times) Jordan stands at a crossroads. Blessed with a young, tech-savvy population and a thriving IT sector, the country possesses the ingredients for a sustainable and prosperous future. However, a high youth unemployment rate casts a shadow on this potential. The question here is how can Jordan leverage its strengths to empower its youth, transforming a challenge into an opportunity. Jordan boasts an impressive foundation for an IT-driven future. With a literacy rate exceeding 98 per cent and near-universal internet access (97 per cent), the population is primed for technological advancement. The IT sector itself contributes a significant 13 per cent to Jordan's GDP, highlighting its potential as an economic engine. Jordan's leadership in Arabic internet content creation further demonstrates its existing expertise in the digital domain. Despite these advantages, Jordan faces a stark reality; a youth unemployment rate of 22 per cent. This disconnect between a highly educated populace and a lack of job opportunities necessitates immediate action. Developed economies like Singapore and Japan prioritise education and invest heavily in cultivating a skilled workforce. Singapore's focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education has fuelled its IT sector's global dominance. Japan's emphasis on vocational training, meanwhile, ensures a steady stream of skilled professionals entering the workforce. It is strategically wise to consider an intensive education and training programme in the IT sector. Such initiative would drive economic growth, elevate educational standards and reduce unemployment by equipping the workforce with essential skills for the IT sector. Key objectives include economic diversification, educational excellence and increased employment opportunities. Expected outcomes are a highly skilled workforce, significant job creation, sustainable economic development and improved educational quality. This strategic investment promises to transform challenges into opportunities, positioning Jordan as a leader in the IT landscape. Also, IT companies can invest in scholarship programmes that target promising students from underprivileged backgrounds. This ensures a diverse and talented pool entering the workforce. Additionally, establishing internship programmes allows companies to identify and mentor future employees, while providing students with invaluable real-world experience. Partnerships with IT certification bodies like Microsoft, Cisco, or CompTIA can offer industry-recognised certifications within the educational curriculum. Earning these certifications can give Jordanian graduates a competitive edge in the global job market. These intensive programmes should focus on high-demand, industry-specific skills. This could involve bootcamps in web development, data analysis, mobile app development or cybersecurity. The curriculum should be designed for rapid skill acquisition. Jordan can create a future-proof workforce by prioritising these emerging technologies. AI expertise can empower young Jordanians to develop innovative solutions in healthcare, finance and transportation. Also, strong cybersecurity skills will safeguard Jordan's growing digital infrastructure, while cloud computing proficiency will enable businesses to operate with greater agility and scalability. Establishing technology-focused incubators and accelerators that provide young entrepreneurs with co-working spaces, mentorship from experienced professionals, and access to seed funding. These programmes can nurture promising ideas and transform them into viable businesses. By implementing these multifaceted strategies, Jordan can create a dynamic ecosystem that fosters continuous learning, industry collaboration and practical skill development. This will equip its young population with the tools they need to thrive in the ever-evolving IT landscape, solidifying Jordan's position as a leader in the regional technology sector. Though fostering a culture of innovation and providing the necessary support systems, Jordan can empower its young people to become not just employees but also job creators. This entrepreneurial spirit will drive the development of homegrown Jordanian tech companies, and fostering economic growth for generations to come. Accordingly, Jordan can transform its youth unemployment challenge into a springboard for sustainable development. Hamza Alakaleek is a corporate lawyer and tax attorney MENAFN02122024000028011005ID1108949042 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
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