3 Reasons to Buy Nvidia Stock as the UBS Global Technology and AI Conference Gets Underway
The hills are alive. Anaconda residents won’t hear nuns singing from the slopes of A-Hill or C-Hill. Yet they might savor a songbird’s serenade or a mule deer fawn's bleats and bawls as the animals find cover in recently-rooted shrubs and trees. A current document from the state’s Natural Resource Damage Program describes the recovery of vegetation and wildlife habitat in the landmark hills above Anaconda — a revival aided and abetted by the copper smelter’s closing in 1980, by human toil since then and the passage of time. Both the vegetation and Anaconda have begun to thrive in recent years. The Natural Resource Damage Program, or NRDP, aims to restore vegetation and other natural resources lost to pollution from more than 100 years of toxic smelter emissions. It’s all part of the federal Superfund process that guides remediation and restoration. NRDP’s mission also includes addressing a century of lost recreational opportunities. The program has funds available toward that end reached in a 2008 settlement with Atlantic Richfield. Enter the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Open Lands Plan. Adopted in early 2024, the 142-page plan reports, “The Anaconda community prioritizes the development of a comprehensive, interconnected multi-use trail system that caters to various activities and skill levels.” Enter the Anaconda Trail Society, a nonprofit with about 100 active members. It has proposed creating a recreational trail that would link Birch Street in east Anaconda to the Sunnyside area in west Anaconda. One use of money earmarked to restore natural resources in Anaconda damaged by smelter pollution would be to buy the A-Hill, a key landmark now in private hands, for $200,000. It could host a portion of a new trail proposed by the Anaconda Trail Society. As envisioned, the 3.5-mile non-motorized trail would serve walkers, hikers, bicyclists and, possibly, riders on horseback. On Monday, Emily Adams, president of the Anaconda Trail Society, described the proposed path as a single-track trail. Some accounts of single-track trails describe them as being only as wide as a mountain bike. American Trails reports that a single-track mountain bike trail is typically between 12 inches and 30 inches wide. Adams said the Birch to Sunnyside trail would likely be 36 inches to 48 inches wide. She said a hiker or biker might need to step aside to let the other pass. Signage would explain and encourage trail etiquette, Adams said, and the proposed trail’s comparatively even grade would not enable cyclists to come barreling around curves. Anaconda-Deer Lodge County is poised to purchase the A-Hill property with $200,000 in NRDP funds. The city-county already owns acreage on C-Hill. Anaconda-Deer Lodge County already owns acreage on the city's C-Hill, which would host a portion of the trail proposed by the Anaconda Trail Society. As a result, as envisioned, the trail would travel across Anaconda-Deer Lodge County property. A 2008 Consent Decree with Atlantic Richfield/BP provided about $13.3 million to the state for natural resource damages suffered by pollution-impacted lands on Stucky Ridge, Smelter Hill and the Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area. An Anaconda Uplands Restoration Plan prepared by NRDP specified that up to $4 million could be used for restoration on lands owned by Anaconda-Deer Lodge County. In April 2023, NRDP celebrated the completed cleanup of state lands on Stucky Ridge and within portions of the Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area east and south of Anaconda. Last month, NRDP published an amendment to the Anaconda Uplands Restoration Plan. Among other things, it provides a recommendation about how to divvy up that $4 million between restoration activities such as ecological restoration, wildlife habitat restoration or recreational restoration. NRDP has proposed allocating $1.9 million for recreation projects. The program suggests that development of trail networks, trailheads and signage on A-Hill and C-Hill — trails designed to serve multiple user groups — could be considered an appropriate restoration action. The Anaconda Trail Society would hire professional trail designers and builders if funding becomes available through NRDP, grants or some combination. As proposed, it would partner with Anaconda-Deer Lodge County to collaborate on planning, developing, monitoring and maintaining trail segments. The city-county could also assist with matching costs for potential grant awards and provide other support. Adams said a properly designed and built dirt trail, with water bars and other features to reduce erosion, should need little maintenance. County commissioners for Anaconda-Deer Lodge County were scheduled to review a related memorandum of understanding during the board’s Tuesday night meeting. As envisioned, the connection between Birch Street and Sunnyside Road would be “a leisurely, groomed trail” with a grade below 12%, Adams said. Emily Adams, right, is president of the Anaconda Trail Society. She and her husband, Matt Johnson, own and operate Anaconda Bicycles. Both have been active supporters of outdoors recreation in the region. The community could access the trail at Birch Street, Sheep Gulch, 7 Street, Walnut Street, Willow Street and Sunnyside Road. During a Nov. 26 meeting of commissioners for Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, Adams said the trail would yield community, social and health benefits. She noted too that studies have demonstrated that trails provide economic benefits to communities. Meeting minutes from Nov. 26 show that Commissioner Ed Beaudette expressed concerns about including horses on the trail and whether it would be wheelchair accessible. Adams said the trail would not be wheelchair accessible and it’s not yet clear whether horses would be appropriate. NRDP’s proposed amendment to the Anaconda Uplands Restoration Plan cites reforestation efforts dating back to 1940. It references work by Bob Andreozzi, now retired as a forester for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and others for shepherding years of conifer and shrubs planting around Anaconda, as well as ambitious Arbor Day plantings. NRDP notes also that in some areas, lands owned by Anaconda-Deer Lodge County are returning to baseline conditions — as in, conditions prior to pollution — “without the expenditure of remedy or restoration funds.” Ray Vinkey, an environmental scientist for NRDP, said no Anaconda Uplands money has been spent to date on recreation. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.David Hilzenrath, Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group | (TNS) KFF Health News In March, newly installed Social Security chief Martin O’Malley criticized agency “injustices” that “shock our shared sense of equity and good conscience as Americans.” He promised to overhaul the Social Security Administration’s often heavy-handed efforts to claw back money that millions of recipients — including people who are living in poverty, are elderly, or have disabilities — were allegedly overpaid, as described by a KFF Health News and Cox Media Group investigation last year. “Innocent people can be badly hurt,” O’Malley said at the time. Nearly eight months since he appeared before Congress and announced a series of policy changes, and with two months left in his term, O’Malley’s effort to fix the system has made inroads but remains a work in progress. For instance, one change, moving away from withholding 100% of people’s monthly Social Security benefits to recover alleged overpayments, has been a major improvement, say advocates for beneficiaries. “It is a tremendous change,” said Kate Lang of Justice in Aging, who called it “life-changing for many people.” The number of people from whom the Social Security Administration was withholding full monthly benefits to recoup money declined sharply — from about 46,000 in January to about 7,000 in September, the agency said. Asked to clarify whether those numbers and others provided for this article covered all programs administered by the agency, the SSA press office did not respond. Another potentially significant change — relieving beneficiaries of having to prove that an overpayment was not their fault — has not been implemented. The agency said it is working on that. Meanwhile, the agency seems to be looking to Congress to take the lead on a change some observers see as crucial: limiting how far back the government can reach to recover an alleged overpayment. Barbara Hubbell of Watkins Glen, New York, called the absence of a statute of limitations “despicable.” Hubbell said her mother was held liable for $43,000 because of an SSA error going back 19 years. “In what universe is that even legal?” Hubbell said. Paying down the overpayment balance left her mother “essentially penniless,” she added. In response to questions for this article, Social Security spokesperson Mark Hinkle said legislation is “the best and fastest way” to set a time limit. Establishing a statute of limitations was not among the policy changes O’Malley announced in his March congressional testimony. In an interview at the time, he said he expected an announcement on it “within the next couple few months.” It could probably be done by regulation, without an act of Congress, he said. Speaking generally, Hinkle said the agency has “made substantial progress on overpayments,” reducing the hardship they cause, and “continues to work diligently” to update policies. The agency is underfunded, he added, is at a near 50-year low in staffing, and could do better with more employees. The SSA did not respond to requests for an interview with O’Malley. O’Malley announced the policy changes after KFF Health News and Cox Media Group jointly published and broadcast investigative reporting on the damage overpayments and clawbacks have done to millions of beneficiaries. When O’Malley, a former Democratic governor of Maryland, presented his plans to three congressional committees in March, lawmakers greeted him with rare bipartisan praise. But the past several months have shown how hard it can be to turn around a federal bureaucracy that is massive, complex, deeply dysfunctional, and, as it says, understaffed. Now O’Malley’s time may be running out. Lang of Justice in Aging, among the advocacy groups that have been meeting with O’Malley and other Social Security officials, said she appreciates how much the commissioner has achieved in a short time. But she added that O’Malley has “not been interested in hearing about our feelings that things have fallen short.” One long-standing policy O’Malley set out to change involves the burden of proof. When the Social Security Administration alleges someone has been overpaid and demands the money back, the burden is on the beneficiary to prove they were not at fault. Cecilia Malone, 24, a beneficiary in Lithonia, Georgia, said she and her parents spent hundreds of hours trying to get errors corrected. “Why is the burden on us to ‘prove’ we weren’t overpaid?” Malone said. It can be exceedingly difficult for beneficiaries to appeal a decision. The alleged overpayments, which can reach tens of thousands of dollars or more, often span years. And people struggling just to survive may have extra difficulty producing financial records from long ago. What’s more, in letters demanding repayment, the government does not typically spell out its case against the beneficiary — making it hard to mount a defense. Testifying before House and Senate committees in March, O’Malley promised to shift the burden of proof. “That should be on the agency,” he said. The agency expects to finalize “guidance” on the subject “in the coming months,” Hinkle said. The agency points to reduced wait times and other improvements in a phone system known to leave beneficiaries on hold. “In September, we answered calls to our national 800 number in an average of 11 minutes — a tremendous improvement from 42 minutes one year ago,” Hinkle said. Still, in response to a nonrepresentative survey by KFF Health News and Cox Media Group focused on overpayments, about half of respondents who said they contacted the agency by phone since April rated that experience as “poor,” and few rated it “good” or “excellent.” The survey was sent to about 600 people who had contacted KFF Health News to share their overpayment stories since September 2023. Almost 200 people answered the survey in September and October of this year. Most of those who said they contacted the agency by mail since April rated their experience as “poor.” Jennifer Campbell, 60, a beneficiary in Nelsonville, Ohio, said in late October that she was still waiting for someone at the agency to follow up as described during a phone call in May. “VERY POOR customer service!!!!!” Campbell wrote. “Nearly impossible to get a hold of someone,” wrote Kathryn Duff of Colorado Springs, Colorado, who has been helping a disabled family member. Letters from SSA have left Duff mystified. One was postmarked July 9, 2024, but dated more than two years earlier. Another, dated Aug. 18, 2024, said her family member was overpaid $31,635.80 in benefits from the Supplemental Security Income program, which provides money to people with little or no income or other resources who are disabled, blind, or at least 65. But Duff said her relative never received SSI benefits. What’s more, for the dates in question, payments listed in the letter to back up the agency’s math didn’t come close to $31,635.80; they totaled about a quarter of that amount. Regarding the 100% clawbacks, O’Malley in March said it’s “unconscionable that someone would find themselves facing homelessness or unable to pay bills, because Social Security withheld their entire payment for recovery of an overpayment.” He said that, starting March 25, if a beneficiary doesn’t respond to a new overpayment notice, the agency would default to withholding 10%. The agency warned of “a short transition period.” That change wasn’t automated until June 25, Hinkle said. The number of people newly placed in full withholding plummeted from 6,771 in February to 51 in September, according to data the agency provided. SSA said it would notify recipients they could request reduced withholding if it was already clawing back more than 10% of their monthly checks. Nonetheless, dozens of beneficiaries or their family members told KFF Health News and Cox Media Group they hadn’t heard they could request reduced withholding. Among those who did ask, roughly half said their requests were approved. According to the SSA, there has been almost a 20% decline in the number of people facing clawbacks of more than 10% but less than 100% of their monthly checks — from 141,316 as of March 8 to 114,950 as of Oct. 25, agency spokesperson Nicole Tiggemann said. Meanwhile, the number of people from whom the agency was withholding exactly 10% soared more than fortyfold — from just over 5,000 to well over 200,000. And the number of beneficiaries having any partial benefits withheld to recover an overpayment increased from almost 600,000 to almost 785,000, according to data Tiggemann provided. Lorraine Anne Davis, 72, of Houston, said she hasn’t received her monthly Social Security payment since June due to an alleged overpayment. Her Medicare premium was being deducted from her monthly benefit, so she’s been left to pay that out-of-pocket. Davis said she’s going to need a kidney transplant and had been trying to save money for when she’d be unable to work. Related Articles National News | California student passes state bar at a record 17 years, 8 months old National News | Even blue states are embracing a tougher approach to crime National News | US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? National News | Supreme Court allows multibillion-dollar class action to proceed against Meta National News | Today in History: November 22, John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas A letter from the SSA dated April 8, 2024, two weeks after the new 10% withholding policy was slated to take effect, said it had overpaid her $13,538 and demanded she pay it back within 30 days. Apparently, the SSA hadn’t accounted for a pension Davis receives from overseas; Davis said she disclosed it when she filed for benefits. In a letter to her dated June 29, the agency said that, under its new policy, it would change the withholding to only 10% if she asked. Davis said she asked by phone repeatedly, and to no avail. “Nobody seems to know what’s going on” and “no one seems to be able to help you,” Davis said. “You’re just held captive.” In October, the agency said she’d receive a payment — in March 2025. Marley Presiado, a research assistant on the Public Opinion and Survey Research team at KFF, contributed to this report. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Three Sooners get SEC weekly honorsCollege Football Playoff: Georgia QB Carson Beck undergoes UCL surgery, to miss postseason
Most EM currencies rise as dollar rally stalls after Trump Treasury nomination Most emerging market currencies advanced on Monday as the dollar weakened globally after US President-elect Donald Trump nominated Wall Street veteran Scott Bessent as Treasury secretary, pulling Treasury yields lower. Trump said late on Friday he would nominate prominent investor Bessent as US Treasury secretary, which sent the greenback and Treasury yields lower, giving a leg up to emerging market assets. Some strategists said his nomination was a relief as he understands markets and his appointment could reduce the chance of severe tariffs.Jane Foley, senior FX strategist at Rabobank wrote that Bessent’s appointment has “raised the possibility that some ‘Trump trades’ may be watered down”. South Africa’s rand was up 0.2 per cent, while most dollar-pairs in emerging Europe also rose, with the Czech crown among top gainers, last up 0.7 per cent.Against the euro, Hungary’s forint was an outlier, down 0.6 per cent, briefly hitting its lowest since December 2022. Romania’s international dollar-denominated debt fell after results showed hard-right Nato critic Calin Georgescu and centre-right opposition party leader Elena Lasconi will likely face each other in a Dec 8 presidential run-off vote. The bond maturing in 2053 was the hardest hit, down more than 1.5 cents on the dollar.Israel’s shekel was last up 0.7 per cent against the dollar ahead of a local interest rate decision, with consensus tilted towards the Bank of Israel keeping rates steady at 4.5 per cent. EM assets have experienced a torrid November as investors mull the implications of Trump’s policies on trade, tariffs and immigration.“EM FX and rates continue to be tightly linked to US assets. Amidst geopolitical tensions and US policy uncertainty, external macro factors will dominate EM asset performance,” Phoenix Kalen, Societe Generale’s global head of emerging markets research wrote in a note. Continued repricing of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate path has also helped the dollar globally, weakening EM currencies.Minutes from the Fed’s most recent policy meeting, where it opted to cut interest rates by 25 basis points, are due to be released on Tuesday. MSCI’s index for emerging market equities had added 0.6 per cent by 1027 GMT, as shares in emerging Asia, which account for the bulk of the index’s weight, rose.India’s benchmark Nifty 50 was last up more than 1.0 per cent as the ruling alliance’s victory in a Maharashtra state election over the weekend boosted sentiment. Most stocks linked to billionaire Gautam Adani also reversed some of the sharp falls of the previous two sessions posted after the founder’s indictment for fraud by US prosecutors and arrest warrants issued for him over an alleged $265 million bribery scheme. Chinese equities lagged with the blue-chip CSI 300 hitting a more than five-week low and the Hong Kong benchmark clocking its weakest close since September.Late on Friday, credit ratings agency Moody’s upgraded Saudi Arabia’s rating to ‘Aa3’ from ‘A1’, citing the country’s efforts to diversify beyond its oil economy. Prices of the country’s dollar-denominated bonds rose, with the 2054 maturity outperforming, up 0.9 cents on the dollar. Moody’s also upgraded Cyprus’ long-term issuer and senior unsecured ratings to A3 from Baa2, citing a “material improvement” in fiscal and debt metrics that the rating agency expected to be sustained.
Universal confirmed the project today (Monday, December 23) [formerly Twitter] account. The film will be shot ‘across the world using brand new IMAX film technology’, according to the studio. — Universal Pictures (@UniversalPics) Set in the 8th century BC, tells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his dangerous journey home after the Trojan War. The film will have a stacked cast of A-list stars, with Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron already attached. Described by Universal as ‘Homer’s foundational saga’, the 12,109-line poem takes in themes such as free will, heroism, loyalty, intelligence, and the struggle against divinity. ’s release date on the third weekend of July mirrors that of previous Nolan-directed tentpoles, including (July 21, 2023), , (July 21, 2017) and (July 20, 2012). Previous screen adaptations of Homer’s poem include Mario Camerini’s 1954 adventure starring Kirk Douglas; Andrei Konchalovsky’s 1997 TV miniseries; and loose adaptations including the Coen brothers’ 2000 comedy-drama . Nolan comes to the film on the back of a major global hit with , which made $974m worldwide, including $330m in North America and $644m internationally. The film swept the board in the 2024 awards season, winning seven awards at both the Oscars and Baftas, including best picture, director for Nolan and actor for Cillian Murphy at both ceremonies.Nvidia DisappointsNon-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Pipeline Insights 2024: Therapies, Clinical Trials, and Key Companies Involved by DelveInsight | Insmed Inc, AstraZeneca, Zambon, CSL Behring, Chiesi Farmaceutici
