Proceeds to be used primarily to acquire bitcoin and repurchase existing convertible notes due 2026 Fort Lauderdale, FL, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MARA Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA) (“MARA” or the “Company”), a global leader in leveraging digital asset compute to support the energy transformation, today announced the closing on December 4, 2024 of its offering of 0.00% convertible senior notes due 2031 (the “notes”). The aggregate principal amount of the notes sold in the offering was $850 million. MARA also granted the initial purchasers an option to purchase an additional $150 million aggregate principal amount of the notes within a 13-day period beginning on, and including, the date on which the notes were first issued. The notes were sold in a private offering to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The net proceeds from the sale of the notes were approximately $835.1 million, after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts and commissions but before estimated offering expenses payable by MARA. MARA expects to use approximately $48 million of the net proceeds from the sale of the notes to repurchase approximately $51 million in aggregate principal amount of its existing convertible notes due 2026 (the “existing 2026 convertible notes”) in privately negotiated transactions with the remainder of the net proceeds to be used to acquire additional bitcoin and for general corporate purposes, which may include working capital, strategic acquisitions, expansion of existing assets, and repayment of additional debt and other outstanding obligations. The notes are unsecured, senior obligations of MARA. The notes will not bear regular interest and the principal amount of the notes will not accrete. MARA may pay special interest, if any, at its election as the sole remedy for failure to comply with its reporting obligations and under certain other circumstances, each pursuant to the indenture. Special interest, if any, on the notes will be payable semi-annually in arrears on June 1 and December 1 of each year, beginning on June 1, 2025 (if and to the extent that special interest is then payable on the notes). The notes will mature on June 1, 2031, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted in accordance with their terms. Subject to certain conditions, on or after June 5, 2029, MARA may redeem for cash all or any portion of the notes at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid special interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date, if the last reported sale price of MARA’s common stock has been at least 130% of the conversion price then in effect for a specified period of time ending on, and including, the trading day immediately before the date MARA provides the notice of redemption. If MARA redeems fewer than all the outstanding notes, at least $75 million aggregate principal amount of notes must be outstanding and not subject to redemption as of the relevant redemption notice date. Holders of notes may require MARA to repurchase for cash all or any portion of their notes on June 4, 2027 and on June 4, 2029 or upon the occurrence of certain events that constitute a fundamental change under the indenture governing the notes at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid special interest, if any, to, but excluding, the date of repurchase. In connection with certain corporate events or if MARA calls any note for redemption, it will, under certain circumstances, be required to increase the conversion rate for holders who elect to convert their notes in connection with such corporate event or notice of redemption. The notes are convertible into cash, shares of MARA’s common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of MARA’s common stock, at MARA’s election. Prior to March 1, 2031, the notes are convertible only upon the occurrence of certain events and during certain periods, and thereafter, at any time until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date. The conversion rate for the notes is initially 28.9159 shares of MARA’s common stock per $1,000 principal amount of notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $34.5830 per share. The initial conversion price of the notes represents a premium of approximately 40.0% over the U.S. composite volume weighted average price of MARA’s common stock from 2:00 p.m. through 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, December 2, 2024, which was $24.7022. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events. In connection with any repurchase of the existing 2026 convertible notes, MARA expects that holders of the existing 2026 convertible notes who agree to have their notes repurchased and who have hedged their equity price risk with respect to such notes (the “hedged holders”) will unwind all or part of their hedge positions by buying MARA’s common stock and/or entering into or unwinding various derivative transactions with respect to MARA’s common stock. The amount of MARA’s common stock to be purchased by the hedged holders or in connection with such derivative transactions may be substantial in relation to the historic average daily trading volume of MARA’s common stock. This activity by the hedged holders could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of MARA’s common stock, including concurrently with the pricing of the notes, resulting in a higher effective conversion price of the notes. MARA cannot predict the magnitude of such market activity or the overall effect it will have on the price of the notes or MARA’s common stock. The notes were sold to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act. The offer and sale of the notes and the shares of MARA’s common stock issuable upon conversion of the notes, if any, have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and the notes and any such shares may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. The offering of the notes was made only by means of a private offering memorandum. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, the notes, nor shall there be any sale of the notes in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Nothing in this press release shall be deemed an offer to purchase MARA’s existing 2026 convertible notes. About MARA MARA (NASDAQ:MARA) is a global leader in digital asset compute that develops and deploys innovative technologies to build a more sustainable and inclusive future. MARA secures the world’s preeminent blockchain ledger and supports the energy transformation by converting clean, stranded, or otherwise underutilized energy into economic value. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to MARA’s use of the net proceeds of the offering. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of MARA’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 28, 2024, as amended on May 24, 2024, the “Risk Factors” section of MARA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 1, 2024, the “Risk Factors” section of MARA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 12, 2024 and the risks described in other filings that MARA may make from time to time with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and MARA specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law. MARA Company Contact: Telephone: 800-804-1690 Email: ir@mara.compaano mag withdraw sa nice88 。

Darktrace / EMAILTM recognized in first ever Gartner® Magic QuadrantTM for Email Security PlatformsFormer Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign, Doyin Okupe, has insisted that the 2023 presidential election was not rigged by the ruling All Progressives Congress. Mr. Okupe stated this in a statement on Thursday in Lagos State. He argued that there might have been possibility of rigging, but no presidential mandate was stolen from anyone. Okupe emphasized that if LP’s mandate was stolen as claimed by its supporters, he asked that how did the party’s candidate, Peter Obi won Lagos, the home of APC’s candidate, President Bola Tinubu. He said: “If Peter Obi (2023 LP presidential candidate) or the Labour Party says APC rigged elections, how come Obi was able to win in the home base of President Bola Tinubu? “How come APC lost the election in the home base of the sitting president (Muhammadu Buhari)? How come APC lost the election in the home base of the secretary to that government? “So, the accusations about rigging do not hold water; they do not hold water at all. “The truth of the matter is that under the best of conditions, the results we got may not have been the exact results, but they will have that ratio. READ MORE: Criminals Hack Doyin Okupe’s WhatsApp “I was in the Labour Party; we couldn’t have done better than we did. I know that for some reasons, but that is a discussion for another day. “There’s nothing like that. No presidency was stolen. I am not saying there was no rigging. “There was no election that we have done in Nigeria since 1960 till date that was not rigged one way or the other. Not one. “Perhaps an exception was MKO Abiola’s election because of the unique nature of the voting pattern. You know it was Option A4; people were counted. Apart from that, every other election was rigged.”Judge in Alex Jones' bankruptcy case orders new hearing on The Onion's bid for Infowars

Data breach may impact thousands of Monument Health patients

F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix: What Alpine Team principal says on sport's futureIRVINE, Calif. , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OrthAlign, Inc. today announced a significant milestone with the successful first clinical use of its Lantern Hip handheld technology. The procedure was performed by Edwin Su, MD, a renowned orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York, NY . "The first clinical case of Lantern Hip is a monumental achievement for our team and the surgeons involved with this project," said Eric Timko , CEO of OrthAlign. "This expansion of our flagship platform to include hips not only enhances our product portfolio, but also positions us for significant growth in both the hospital and the ambulatory surgery center (ASC). We're excited to kick off the new year with Lantern Hip and showcase its impact at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting," says Eric Timko . Lantern Hip is the latest evolution in hip technology, built upon the success of over 375,000 OrthAlign procedures worldwide. Next-generation sensors, powered by accelerometers and gyroscopes, are designed to provide an accurate and simple solution to navigate cup placement and measure changes in leg length and offset. The system enables the surgeon to choose their preferred implant, and is accessible to any site of service. "Lantern Hip allows me to personalize cup position for each patient," said Dr. Su. "I can compare the functional pelvic plane (FPP), the anterior pelvic plane (APP), and the coronal plane during live cup navigation, so I can place the implant in the best position for function and stability. With its triple-sensor technology, Lantern Hip also allows me to feel confident in my leg length and offset restoration. The system was simple for me and my team to integrate into our workflow during our first case, and I expect this will make a positive impact on other surgeons' experience too." OrthAlign will continue to offer surgeons the opportunity to experience Lantern Hip firsthand through webinars and demonstrations at industry events throughout 2025. For inquiries about upcoming events or to schedule a product demonstration, contact your local OrthAlign representative. Visit www.orthalign.com/lanternhip to view the Lantern Hip introductory video. Lantern Hip is indicated for use in direct anterior total hip arthroplasty procedures with the patient in the supine position. About OrthAlign, Inc. OrthAlign is a medical device company with a focus on delivering practical, cutting-edge technologies for orthopedic surgery. With a commitment to innovation and excellence, OrthAlign provides surgeons with user-friendly, cost-effective solutions to help improve patient care in joint replacement. In 2023, the company celebrated a record-breaking year with over $50 million in global revenue, reflecting its dedication to growth and leadership in the industry. Driven by the belief that everyone deserves exceptional healthcare, OrthAlign is committed to making empowering technologies accessible to all. LANTERN ® and ORTHALIGN ® are registered trademarks of OrthAlign, Inc. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orthalign-inc-announces-first-cases-using-lantern-hip-the-next-evolution-in-total-hip-replacement-technology-302336610.html SOURCE OrthAlignThroughout the last three months, 14 analysts have evaluated Apple AAPL , offering a diverse set of opinions from bullish to bearish. Summarizing their recent assessments, the table below illustrates the evolving sentiments in the past 30 days and compares them to the preceding months. Bullish Somewhat Bullish Indifferent Somewhat Bearish Bearish Total Ratings 4 4 3 3 0 Last 30D 0 1 0 0 0 1M Ago 1 2 0 0 0 2M Ago 2 1 1 1 0 3M Ago 1 0 2 2 0 Analysts' evaluations of 12-month price targets offer additional insights, showcasing an average target of $245.14, with a high estimate of $325.00 and a low estimate of $184.00. A decline of 0.04% from the prior average price target is evident in the current average. Analyzing Analyst Ratings: A Detailed Breakdown The standing of Apple among financial experts becomes clear with a thorough analysis of recent analyst actions. The summary below outlines key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets. Analyst Analyst Firm Action Taken Rating Current Price Target Prior Price Target Daniel Ives Wedbush Raises Outperform $325.00 $300.00 Erik Woodring Morgan Stanley Maintains Overweight $273.00 $273.00 Laura Martin Needham Maintains Buy $260.00 $260.00 Daniel Ives Wedbush Maintains Outperform $300.00 $300.00 Erik Woodring Morgan Stanley Maintains Overweight $273.00 $273.00 Tom Forte Maxim Group Raises Hold $215.00 $203.00 Tim Long Barclays Lowers Underweight $184.00 $186.00 Barton Crockett Rosenblatt Raises Buy $262.00 $261.00 Laura Martin Needham Maintains Buy $260.00 $260.00 Brandon Nispel Keybanc Announces Underweight $200.00 - Matt Farrell Piper Sandler Maintains Neutral $225.00 $225.00 Kyle Mcnealy Jefferies Raises Hold $212.92 $205.00 Wamsi Mohan B of A Securities Maintains Buy $256.00 $256.00 Tim Long Barclays Maintains Underweight $186.00 $186.00 Key Insights: Action Taken: Responding to changing market dynamics and company performance, analysts update their recommendations. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise', or 'Lower' their stance, it signifies their response to recent developments related to Apple. This offers insight into analysts' perspectives on the current state of the company. Rating: Analysts assign qualitative assessments to stocks, ranging from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings convey the analysts' expectations for the relative performance of Apple compared to the broader market. Price Targets: Analysts explore the dynamics of price targets, providing estimates for the future value of Apple's stock. This examination reveals shifts in analysts' expectations over time. Analyzing these analyst evaluations alongside relevant financial metrics can provide a comprehensive view of Apple's market position. Stay informed and make data-driven decisions with the assistance of our Ratings Table. Stay up to date on Apple analyst ratings. Delving into Apple's Background Apple is among the largest companies in the world, with a broad portfolio of hardware and software products targeted at consumers and businesses. Apple's iPhone makes up a majority of the firm sales, and Apple's other products like Mac, iPad, and Watch are designed around the iPhone as the focal point of an expansive software ecosystem. Apple has progressively worked to add new applications, like streaming video, subscription bundles, and augmented reality. The firm designs its own software and semiconductors while working with subcontractors like Foxconn and TSMC to build its products and chips. Slightly less than half of Apple's sales come directly through its flagship stores, with a majority of sales coming indirectly through partnerships and distribution. Understanding the Numbers: Apple's Finances Market Capitalization Analysis: Above industry benchmarks, the company's market capitalization emphasizes a noteworthy size, indicative of a strong market presence. Revenue Growth: Apple's revenue growth over a period of 3 months has been noteworthy. As of 30 September, 2024, the company achieved a revenue growth rate of approximately 6.07% . This indicates a substantial increase in the company's top-line earnings. As compared to its peers, the revenue growth lags behind its industry peers. The company achieved a growth rate lower than the average among peers in Information Technology sector. Net Margin: Apple's net margin excels beyond industry benchmarks, reaching 15.52% . This signifies efficient cost management and strong financial health. Return on Equity (ROE): Apple's ROE stands out, surpassing industry averages. With an impressive ROE of 23.83% , the company demonstrates effective use of equity capital and strong financial performance. Return on Assets (ROA): Apple's ROA stands out, surpassing industry averages. With an impressive ROA of 4.23% , the company demonstrates effective utilization of assets and strong financial performance. Debt Management: With a high debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87 , Apple faces challenges in effectively managing its debt levels, indicating potential financial strain. The Core of Analyst Ratings: What Every Investor Should Know Analysts work in banking and financial systems and typically specialize in reporting for stocks or defined sectors. Analysts may attend company conference calls and meetings, research company financial statements, and communicate with insiders to publish "analyst ratings" for stocks. Analysts typically rate each stock once per quarter. Beyond their standard evaluations, some analysts contribute predictions for metrics like growth estimates, earnings, and revenue, furnishing investors with additional guidance. Users of analyst ratings should be mindful that this specialized advice is shaped by human perspectives and may be subject to variability. Breaking: Wall Street's Next Big Mover Benzinga's #1 analyst just identified a stock poised for explosive growth. This under-the-radar company could surge 200%+ as major market shifts unfold. Click here for urgent details . This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Amp, an Advantage full-service, omnichannel marketing agency, also recognized as a top agency ST. LOUIS, Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advantage Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: ADV), a leading provider of business solutions to consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, has been named to Chief Marketer 's 2025 Top Agencies of the Year, an honor that recognizes the "best and brightest across all agency types and channels.” In recognizing Advantage, Chief Marketer, a leading information hub that serves Fortune 1000 marketers, noted how the organization recently "transformed its business, aligning teams, operations and service offerings under a 'One Advantage' model to support omnicommerce, brand activation and experiential marketing solutions for retailers and CPG brands, from everyday foods and beverages to high-consideration, high-touch categories such as beauty, baby and adult beverage.” The recognition affirms Advantage's position as an industry leader in omnichannel marketing services, offering interconnected solutions to more than 4,000 clients across more than 100,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Canada. "This honor speaks to the collective power of our 70,000 teammates supporting how we continue to evolve and grow as a more modern, agile and essential provider to brands and retailers,” said Kelli Hammersmith, chief communications officer at Advantage. "Our teammates bring an incredible blend of smarts, heart and high-tech precision to how we transform and grow businesses across retail - at scale, in stores and online.” Advantage, which ranks as the No. 1 global provider of experiential marketing services, delivers a range of omnichannel solutions to brands and retailers, such as in-store sampling and demonstration, gift with purchase, online order sampling, subscription boxes, virtual advisor programs and connected sampling via digital engagement and QR codes. The company also owns end-to-end sales execution for dozens of brands in Amazon stores, including operations, merchandising, retailer negotiations, chargebacks, advertising, and more. Advantage Unified Commerce (AUC), one of Advantage's omnichannel marketing agencies, is Amazon's largest full-service partner and was honored earlier this year with Amazon's Gold Tier recognition for excellence. Amp, one of the company's omnichannel marketing agencies, also was honored separately by Chief Marketer. The honorees represent a wide array of expertise, including experiential firms, digital marketing agencies and AI innovators. " Chief Marketer 's Agencies of the Year is the only editorial roster of its kind, dedicated to the most innovative partners across the marketing ecosystem,” said Danielle Sikes, brand director at Chief Marketer . "Our annual list is an invaluable resource that helps brands get a sense of who they can trust with their business.” The Top Agencies honor builds on additional industry recognitions for Advantage. This year, Advantage was named the 16 th largest agency company worldwide and the seventh largest in North America in the 2024 Ad Age Agency Report. Its AUC agency alone received more than a dozen industry honors for its work on behalf of clients this year. The award for Amp continued a string of wins in 2024 for the full-service agency, which also was honored with wins in the Shorty awards, the Davey awards, the Muse awards, the Hermes awards and the Merit awards, among others. About Advantage Solutions Advantage Solutions is the leading omnichannel retail solutions agency in North America, uniquely positioned at the intersection of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brands and retailers. With its data- and technology-powered services, Advantage leverages its unparalleled insights, expertise and scale to help brands and retailers of all sizes generate demand and get products into the hands of consumers, wherever they shop. Whether it's creating meaningful moments and experiences in-store and online, optimizing assortment and merchandising, or accelerating e-commerce and digital capabilities, Advantage is the trusted partner that keeps commerce and life moving. Advantage has offices throughout North America and strategic investments and owned operations in select international markets. For more information, please visit YourADV.com. Media Contacts: Peter Frost [email protected]Beesleys Point redevelopment proposal gets support from planners in advance of committee vote

NEW YORK & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2024-- Republic, a leading global investment platform at the intersection of finance and technology, is thrilled to announce the appointment of James Newman as General Partner – Fund Manager & Vice President of Operations at Republic. James Newman brings two decades of expertise spanning traditional finance, venture building, investing and the cutting edge of Web3 & digital assets. His diverse background and exceptional leadership will play a pivotal role in strengthening Republic’s position as a trailblazer in the investment space. Prior to joining Republic, James has worked extensively across the Brevan Howard and Web3 ecosystem, taking on key roles in investing, business building, and operations. Originally hired at Brevan Howard, his focus was Principal Investing across Crypto, Web3, Fintech, and Frontier Technologies. James was also a founding team member of WebN Group, a renowned incubator for Fintech and Web3 innovation, where over 18 months substantial equity value was created by incubating and scaling early-stage companies such as Twinstake, TruFin, Libre, Geometry, and Soter. James further demonstrated his operational acumen during his tenure at Elwood, a Digital Asset EMS & PMS provider backed by Goldman Sachs, Dawn, Citi Bank and Barclays, where he spent six months on secondment, restructuring and scaling the company’s operational policies and procedures. With eight years of extensive involvement in Web3, James began his career with nearly fifteen years of experience in investment banking, working across multi-asset trading, derivatives, sales, and structuring at top-tier global banks. “James’s depth of experience and strategic vision make him an exceptional addition to the Republic team,” said Andrew Durgee, President of Republic. “His ability to seamlessly navigate the intersections of traditional finance, digital assets, and Web3 innovation aligns perfectly with our mission to democratize access to transformative investment opportunities. We are excited to see the impact James will have as we continue to grow and evolve.” James’s appointment underscores Republic’s commitment to leveraging unparalleled expertise to expand the horizon of investment opportunities for its global community. “I’m thrilled to join Republic during such a transformative time in the financial industry,” said James Newman. “The convergence of digital assets and traditional finance presents immense investment and operational opportunities, and I look forward to driving innovation and investment alongside this talented team.” About Republic: Headquartered in New York City, Republic is a global financial firm operating an enterprise-focused digital merchant bank and a network of multi-jurisdictional retail-focused investment platforms. Backed by Valor Equity Partners, Galaxy Interactive, Morgan Stanley, Hashed, AngelList and other leading institutions, Republic boasts a portfolio of over 1500 companies and a community of nearly 3M members from over 100 countries. More than $2 billion has been deployed through investment platforms, funds, and firms within the Republic family of companies. Republic has established operations in the US, the UK, the UAE, South Korea, and Singapore. For more information on Republic, visit www.republic.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219132421/en/ CONTACT: Media: Jasmyn Pizzimbono PR Strategy Manager Republic jasmyn@republic.com KEYWORD: NEW YORK EUROPE UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY WEB3 FINANCE FINTECH BANKING DIGITAL CASH MANAGEMENT/DIGITAL ASSETS SOURCE: Republic Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/19/2024 04:07 PM/DISC: 12/19/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219132421/enWASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has selected a former soldier and Iraq War veteran to serve as his secretary of the Army . Daniel P. Driscoll, who is from North Carolina, had been serving as a senior advisor to Vice President-elect JD Vance, whom he met when both were attending Yale Law School. He ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for a North Carolina congressional seat in 2020, getting about 8% of the vote in a crowded field of candidates. “Dan will be a fearless and relentless fighter for America’s Soldiers and the America First agenda,” Trump said on his social media platform. If confirmed, Driscoll, 38, would take the helm of a military branch that has been struggling to overcome recruiting shortfalls through a sweeping overhaul of its programs and staffing. The Army is also undertaking a widespread effort to revamp and modernize its weapons systems. Since his graduation from Yale in 2014 and his tour in the Army, Driscoll has worked at several investment banking and consulting firms in North Carolina. According to the Army, Driscoll served as an armor officer from August 2007 to March 2011, deploying to Iraq from October 2009 to July 2010. He completed Army Ranger school, earning a Ranger tab, but it was not immediately clear when that occurred. Completing the course allows a soldier to wear the tab but does not mean that he served as a Ranger in the elite 75th Ranger Regiment, which is part of the Army’s special operations command and requires significantly more training. He left the military service at the rank of first lieutenant. He also graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Driscoll’s military awards include the Army Commendation Medal and the the combat action badge, which are meritoriously earned. His other awards are often given due to completion of service during a military campaign and include National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

Buddhist heritage of Pakistan: A bridge to peace and harmonySarah Krichel Today The Tyee Sarah Krichel is The Tyee’s social media manager. URL copied to clipboard! SHARE: 68 SHARES I was nine when my family adopted Dixie. It was a couple of days before New Year’s Eve, and we were visiting relatives in Mexico. My cousin spontaneously convinced my mom into letting my sister and me check out the next-door neighbour’s dog’s new litter of puppies, and before she knew it, it was too late: we were getting a dog. Announcements, Events & more from Tyee and select partners CONTEST: Win Tickets to PuSh Festival One lucky Tyee reader will receive a pair of tickets to a show of their choice, plus a Modo gift certificate. From the two pups, we picked the sister — the one my mom annoyedly recalls wouldn’t stop barking. My cousin bought her for us for a few hundred pesos — around $60 at the time. Her tiny brown leather collar still said “Wera,” her old name, which is Mexican slang for blondie — a play on how she was an almost entirely black dog. Some of my earliest memories of Dixie include our first meal together — ice cream from a street vendor — and falling asleep together on the couch shortly after midnight on New Year’s. This past August, at almost 18 years old, Dixie could barely see or hear us standing right in front of her. Her hind legs gave in constantly while walking. And despite closing doors and placing barriers around my parents’ house, when she wasn’t sleeping, she would endlessly pace and get trapped in tight spaces. It became clear that her quality of life was in major decline, and that it may soon be time to say goodbye. Over the course of the weeks leading up to her final vet appointment, especially the last few days, I wrestled with feelings of anxiety, guilt and panic. My biggest fear of all: would I regret the decision? I had moved out of my parents’ house several years before, but I spent much of the month commuting across town to be with her. I spent every day of the last two weeks by her side, and for every waking moment of the last two days, all I could do was breathe next to her. During that final month, I took nearly a thousand photos and videos of Dixie — my iPhone kept the tally. I documented her paws wet from the rain, of her posed in the tree as my mom propped her up, of us reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being together in my childhood backyard. The last time we sat together in the yard, just before heading to the vet for the last time, I was sick to my stomach. It’s true what they say: having a dog will bring you some of the happiest days of your life, and one of the worst. Do I look at those photos of Dixie today? Barely, if ever. They make me too sad. But once she was gone, a new determination washed over me: to find every photo of her in existence. Tender moments of the author with her dog, Dixie. ‘It’s true what they say: Having a dog will bring you some of the happiest days of your life, and one of the worst.’ Photos by Sarah Krichel. Finding Dixie In the week after she died, I began scrolling through the tens of thousands of photos on my iPhone X. Wading through the endless grid of tiny thumbnails, I wanted to make a master "Dixie" album — but was quickly overwhelmed by the volume of memories. I tried the AI function that allows you to look up your “pet” by facial recognition or a name you’ve assigned it. It helped me find some old pictures — but it was neither perfect nor exhaustive. My family shared their own photos in our group chats. I had seen many of these iconic photos before but couldn’t remember if I had my own copies. I saved them all, just in case — sometimes more than once as the same treasured photos came up again and again. I planned to eventually go through the collected photos and pick the highest-quality versions. Merging duplicates and going through visually similar photos was one thing. But things were getting scattered, my device storage inching towards capacity. Some photos were saved to my phone, but didn’t get backed up to my already full iCloud account — meaning if I lost or broke my phone, the photos would be gone. I recalled one video I posted to Instagram of Dixie adorably popping her head out of a lost-socks pile. When I went to screen-record it, it wasn’t loading, and I thought it was permanently gone. It just added to the pain. Weeks later, it unexpectedly loaded again. It was an adorable video and I immediately saved it. But watching it paled in comparison to the visceral feeling in my body when I replayed the moment in my mind after thinking the video was lost. It started to set in that some be-all-end-all master album of Dixie wasn’t going to heal me. As my emotions got dark or complicated, the files remained just that: files. How to assemble a life of digital memories? I still don’t know, because I gave up on my digital hunt. RELATED STORIES How Virtual Driving Helped Me Get Free I did, however, start the journey to archive all my photos, in chronological order, month-by-month. I pulled out my one-terabyte external hard drive. I placed all my previous failed attempts in an "archived" folder so I wouldn’t lose them. I created a fresh folder, pinning it to the top. I began uploading from my iCloud, laptop and iPhone. I deleted each individual upload across devices to clean out the junk. I did this whole process slowly, intentionally and sans the existential panic that accompanied my attempt at my ultimate Dixie album. Maybe a perfect archive of my dog’s life was never the point. Because in a tsunami of digital records, my brain was focused on optimization and efficiency, pushing down the feeling that needed to be felt to process my grief healthily: a simple yet aching heartbreak over never getting to hold Dixie and her little curly paws again. Moving beyond digital ephemera The reason for my over-documentation, these days at least, feels less about remembering something or someone, and more about not letting go. Text conversations and all their related files currently take up 24 gigabytes on my laptop — that’s after having gone through and deleted many I don’t need. I still have my entire text conversation since the first day I met my partner six years ago, and I can’t get myself to delete it. I’m inclined to never delete texts from my parents. I have tons of texts and group chats with friends no longer in my life, whether because circumstances pulled us apart, or because tragedy struck. These years-old archives of everyday exchanges serve as a convenient time capsule into the past. I revisit them on occasion, whether when I’m feeling nostalgic, or on birthdays and anniversaries when my thoughts of the past linger. In those last few days with Dixie, taking photos was my way of denying her mortality through some digital version of her. Maybe by extension, I was trying to deny my own. But as I grow older, and become friendlier with grief, I’m finding a way to process it without over-indulging in tech-dependent comforts. The author with Dixie as a child, and in the final weeks of Dixie's life. Memories cascaded over Sarah in the weeks following Dixie’s death, like when she emerged out of an old pile of socks. Photos submitted by Sarah Krichel. Is this what grief looks like now? Technology has been reshaping how we experience loss for decades. In 1997, Carla Sofka, a social work professor at Siena College in New York, coined the term “ thanatechnology .” According to Sofka, the term captures “any type of technology, including digital and social media, that can be used to educate people about dying, death, grief or loss or to help people cope with these phenomena in some way.” This can absolutely include smartphone photos and videos, Sofka said. The definition has had to expand as time's gone on. When MySpace and Facebook came along in the early 2000s, there was the relatively harmless discourse around whether it was cringe or meaningful to post about a loved one’s death on social media. There was our cultural obsession with holograms, such as when a 3D Tupac stunned Coachella in 2012. Today, AI is being used to eradicate grief altogether , from feeding Chat GPT old texts from a lost loved one to simulate comforting conversations with them , to creating a more complex " digital twin .” Things feel more sinister when we use technology to defy human experiences rather than help us process them. Silicon Valley’s transhumanist Ray Kurzweil believes AI will accomplish “immortal software-based humans” by 2030. The 73-year-old hopes to supersede natural biological process and see the day when those who can afford it can “solve death.” While these attempts at eradicating grief or even death sound more upsetting to me than comforting, that doesn’t mean I’m without my own subconscious attempts at defying mortality. Still, Sofka noted: “If you hadn’t done that, you would have had to cope with the absence of something that helped you. So, who am I to judge? Who am I to say you did too much?” What I called “obsessive” photo-taking, said Sofka, simply speaks to my individual coping style. "And that’s an important thing, because I don’t think there is a right or wrong.” Organizing Digital Memories Overwhelmed by storage capacity pop-ups and the deluge of photos on your phone? Staying on top of organizing, archiving and deleting photos can be manageable. Here are some tips. Make an “Old Files” folder . Place your old attempts at organizing photos in a separate folder so you can get started afresh without getting burnt out before you begin. If you ever can’t find a photo in your new master album, you have the option to go back to the archives. Keep things chronological . In building a cataloguing system, include the month and year in the title, as well as a leading number so things stay in order. When looking for a memory, a season often helps pinpoint it, with month-to-month folders manageable to sort through. If you’re less interested in chronological organization and more in cataloguing trips, places and people, Wired explains how to make best use of various smartphones’ AI search functions. Delete excess files, a little bit at a time . Every morning, search the current date in your photos app and delete photos from that date for every year you have archived in your phone. Goodbye receipts, excess selfies and out-of-focus shots. A year down the road, your phone will be a curated album of memories. If you’re deliberating on which photos to keep and which to throw away, the New York Times’ Wirecutter has helpful tips . Accept the reality of data loss . If you end up losing some photos, either from images being corrupted, accidental deletion or the loss of a device, be comforted by the fact that you likely might not ever notice, anyways. The over-documentation generation When New York-based writer Haley Nahman’s terminally ill cat started breathing shallowly and in a panicked manner, “anxious record-keeping” kicked into full swing. Nahman sobbed in fear , and took numerous videos of the cat to send to her boyfriend, thinking it might help reveal new information. Despite her “newfound detachment from capturing every moment of note in [her] life,” she couldn’t help it. She was also aware they might be the last videos she would ever take of him. Digital photography can serve as a metaphor for the risks of technological progress, wrote Nahman. The thought first struck her when she realized she’d lost most of the photos and videos she took between 2010 and 2015 and “felt... almost nothing.” I had a similar experience in my third year of university when my laptop was stolen. The photos and videos it stored — with no online backup — went back to the first year of my undergrad. When I realized my computer, and all the memories it held, were gone, I didn’t skip a beat. It’s a lesson that could help us unlearn our long story of materiality — the idea that collecting is better than discarding, leading us to have and want more than we need. “It seems my constant documenting isn’t actually about the future, as I claim, but about the present — about quieting the neurotic voice in my head that views experience as a losing game,” wrote Nahman. “Digital photography can be extremely useful, but I wonder sometimes if it’s worth the cost. Maybe without the ability to capture life in this way, I’d have accepted that this much of life isn’t meant to be captured.” According to a report by a Boston-based software company, the average U.S. citizen takes an average of 20 photos per day. Concurrently, device storage is only expanding. The first-generation iPod, released in 2001, had a five-gigabyte capacity. By the time I got my first iPhone when I was in high school — the iPhone 4 — it had then-whopping 16-gigabyte storage. In today’s market, 128 gigabytes is the smallest storage option. And my one-terabyte hard drive — the equivalent capacity of the latest iPhone 16 Pro — holds my tens of thousands of photos, and still has 80 per cent of its space available. Much of the archiving is built into modern software, leading us to believe we don’t need to do it ourselves. Until a device bites the dust, a social media platform locks out its users, or a news outlet shuts down — leading Tyee reporter Christopher Cheung to ponder how realistic it is for journalists to archive all their work. Then there’s the ecological impact of our toxic digital habits. According to a BBC report , the carbon footprint of our gadgets and internet uploads account for about 3.7 per cent of global greenhouse emissions — similar to the amount produced by aviation globally. These emissions are predicted to double by 2025. Some companies are addressing the sentimental conundrum of having too many files by capitalizing off the cleanup. In an essay for a Verge web series that explores how the year 2004 shook the world digitally, Allison Johnson highlights how Google Photos and Apple Photos try to package your memories into reels, collages and albums, ready to purchase to print and ship to your door. “I’m a sucker for a montage of my kid and me as much as the next parent,” writes Johnson. “But it’s weird that the photos I see most are either the ones I’ve deemed worthy of the grid or the ones a computer picked because it thought I might like them.” Coping with loss is something we do until the day we die, Sofka told The Tyee. “The role of those photographs and videos and how you cope with death is going to evolve. There’s no way to predict what that’s going to be. It gives you the opportunity to decide over time what goal that technology is going to have in your continuing bonds, because we know your connection to somebody doesn’t just disappear.” But if you’re feeling anxious about how dependent you’ve become on taking photos, or whatever form of thanatechnology you are using, Sofka suggested using self-imposed limits. “Say, ‘okay, it’s important for me, for example, to get videos and pictures of my loved one. For five minutes, I’m going to document my relationship today. Then I’m going to put my phone away.'” Or, “I’m going to take 10 pictures, and I’m going to pick when I take those pictures carefully, so that I have what’s most important for me to capture.” It’s a form of mindfulness, said Sofka. “Once you do that, say, ‘Okay, I’ve done it today, I need to respect leaving my phone off.” Rather than reckoning with our memory overload, we may be choosing to revert to old practices. Take the return of the crappy point-and-shoot camera . Flea markets and online Instagram accounts are selling the same 2000s-style digital cameras I had back in middle school for hundreds of dollars. While scrolling through one of those Instagram pages, I spotted a lime-green Nikon Coolpix I had never seen before. It looked so satisfying to hold that my hand flinched. There was no price listed, but with its all-caps description of “RARE,” I feared the asking price. We as a culture appear to be craving a friction to snapping memories that provides an opportunity to make taking pictures special again, whether in the form of digital or film point-and-shoots. Anything is better than the dated aesthetic of the overly high-definition iPhone photo. Incessantly documenting experience and cataloguing it, as if a life literally depended on it, paradoxically ends up highlighting the ephemeral nature of pictures and videos. They get lost or forgotten. And when we die, we can’t take them with us. “It’s hard to say what’s lurking, forgotten in the 8,000 images in my Google Photos, because hell if I’m going through them all anytime soon,” Johnson went on . “In a way, they’re almost as elusive as those photos from 2004 I still haven’t tracked down.” Reflecting on her visceral memories of Dixie, the author came to realize a perfect archive of her dog’s life was never the point. Photo by Sarah Krichel. Returning to the present Just two weeks after Dixie died, I headed out on a vacation I’d booked months earlier to Greece. The timing was simultaneously poor and ideal. My partner and my friend purchased electronic Sim cards to access the internet on their phones, mapping us everywhere we went. This made my old phone — with no internet connection and its aged, grainy camera — essentially useless. It stayed in my backpack pretty much the entire trip. How Virtual Driving Helped Me Get Free read more During each day of the following two weeks, I easily remembered everything about the previous day, and the day before that, and the day before that — an experience I don’t often have any more working from home, but a quality I recall having back in middle school when I would come home and journal about the day. As Rebecca Seal wrote in the Guardian, when we’re not attending to an experience, we’re less likely to recall it, limiting our capacity to be creative. I still take photos on my iPhone regularly. But where there was once a panicked desire for control, there is now a confidence that I might — that I can — approach hardships in a more grounded way. Snapping photos “for the memories” shouldn’t be about mitigating a consequence or limiting the pain of loss. At least not entirely. It’s mostly just a bonus. Now if I choose not to document something in service of immersion, I see it as a win. Because when I'm truly present, I'm not concerned about forgetting. On our last morning in Greece, I woke up to a fiery sunrise from the top of the hill. I spotted birds of a species I’d never seen before. A small dog that sounded exactly like Dixie barked a couple of houses away. I didn’t take any photos that morning, but I was there. Read more: Photo Essays