Penny acquitted in NYC killingSen. Joni Ernst to helm Senate DOGE Caucus, huddles with Ramaswamy to slash governmentDefense fund established by supporters of suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione tops $100,000
Rockfire Resources (LON:ROCK) Trading Down 8.9% – Should You Sell?Whenever I pull a prank, which generally involves my grandchildren, whose maturity level is way above mine, I think outside the box. Whenever I pull a prank, which generally involves my grandchildren, whose maturity level is way above mine, I think outside the box. This is a wise strategy because I can’t fit inside the box. And even if I could, the air supply to my brain would be cut off and I’d be even more immature, which admittedly would make me a better prankster. Still, I proved to be a pretty good one when I pulled a birthday prank on my wife, Sue, with a box I didn’t have to think outside of. That’s because I got inspiration from the best prankster I have ever known: my longtime buddy Tim Lovelette. Sue, Tim and I were members of the notorious class of 1975 at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont, where our shenanigans were even crazier than those in the 1978 frat-house comedy “National Lampoon’s Animal House.” Maybe we should sue for theft of intellectual property. Anyway, while Sue was an innocent bystander and I engaged in silly but mostly harmless pursuits that seldom involved actual schoolwork, Tim set the standard because his pranks not only were pulled on a daily basis, but sometimes involved live snakes. When Sue and I recently met up with Tim and his wife, Jane, whom we hadn’t seen in a long time, Tim excitedly told me about Prank-O, a company specializing in gift boxes for products that don’t exist. That’s why, like my head, the boxes are empty. “It’s American ingenuity at its finest,” Tim assured me. “You have to look into this.” I called Prank-O, which is headquartered in Minnesota, though not in a big-box store, and spoke with head honcho Ryan Walther. “I thought I had it made because I’m paid to write stuff that has no redeeming social value,” I told him. “But you pull pranks for a living. It sounds like a dream job.” “That’s why I do what I do,” said Ryan, who was one of the original partners in The Onion, the satirical news outlet that lives up to its name by making readers cry with laughter. “It has served me well in life.” His life as a prankster began as a kid, when he discovered the brilliance of the Pet Rock, a collectible toy made in 1975 by advertising executive Gary Dahl, who put small rocks inside cardboard boxes with air holes (for breathing, of course) and sold more than a million of them. “That guy was one of my heroes,” said Ryan, who went on to co-found Prank-O in 2009, when he and his business partner, Arik Nordby, fulfilled their dream of injecting laughter into the solemn ritual of gift-giving. Now 50, with a wife and four kids who are “bewildered” at what he does and parents who are “proud that their son is an empty-box baron,” Ryan has grown up (sort of) to run a company (pranko.com) whose amazing products include the Squirrel Hot Tub, the Noggin Net and the Dream Griddle. There’s also Roto Wipe (“Say goodbye to costly toilet-paper costs!”) and the Pasta Recycler (“Make used pasta almost like new again!”). “These products don’t actually exist?” I asked. “That’s right. We sell empty boxes for $8.99 each,” said Ryan, who went on “Shark Tank” in 2018 and got businessman and show judge Mark Cuban to offer $640,000 for a share in the company, although the deal fell through. “But you did prank him,” I pointed out. “Yes. The world needs laughter and we’re here to help,” said Ryan, adding that gift-givers can put real gifts in the empty boxes. One of his favorites is the Pasta Recycler, which I got for Sue as a birthday present. “What’s this?” she wondered after she unwrapped the box, which I filled with uncooked spaghetti because her real gift, a raincoat (isn’t it romantic?), wouldn’t fit. “My gift to you,” I cooed. “Happy birthday!” “Is this a prank?” Sue asked. “Yes!” I answered proudly. “Here’s another one,” she said. “We’re having pasta for dinner. And you can make it.” Jerry Zezima writes a humor column for Tribune News Service and is the author of seven books. His latest is “The Good Humor Man: Tales of Life, Laughter and, for Dessert, Ice Cream.” Reach him at [email protected] or via jerryzezima.blogspot.com .Fluxx Awards 2025: Global Innovation Celebration
Penny acquitted in NYC killingNEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid mixed trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Monday after closing November at an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared after saying an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or the company’s board. Retailers were mixed coming off Black Friday and heading into what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks are pulling Wall Street toward another record amid mixed trading on Monday. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% in afternoon trading after closing its best month of the year at an all-time high . The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 86 points, or 0.2%, with a little more than an hour remaining in trading, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.9% higher. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 31.1% to lead the market. Following accusations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company's board. It also said it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 2.9% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 1.1% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street's frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 3.7% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.6%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.3%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.3%. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday's headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October's lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 6, 2024-- Certain BlackRock closed-end funds (the “Funds”) announced distributions today as detailed below. Municipal Funds: Declaration- 12/6/2024 Ex-Date- 12/16/2024 Record- 12/16/2024 Payable- 12/31/2024 National Funds Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution BlackRock Municipal Income Quality Trust * BYM $0.055500 - BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trust * BTA $0.049500 - BlackRock MuniAssets Fund, Inc .* MUA $0.055500 - BlackRock Municipal Income Fund, Inc. * MUI $0.055000 - BlackRock Municipal Income Trust * BFK $0.050000 - BlackRock Investment Quality Municipal Trust, Inc. * BKN $0.057000 - BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II * BLE $0.054000 - BlackRock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust BTT $0.046400 - BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund * MHD $0.059500 - BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc. * MQT $0.051000 - BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund, Inc .* MQY $0.058000 - BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc. * MUE $0.051000 - BlackRock MuniVest Fund II, Inc. * MVT $0.054000 - BlackRock MuniYield Fund, Inc .* MYD $0.054500 - BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. * MYI $0.055500 - BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc. * MVF $0.036000 - BlackRock 2037 Municipal Target Term Trust BMN $0.093750 - State-Specific Funds Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc. * MUC $0.053500 - BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust * BFZ $0.059000 - BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc .* MIY $0.054500 - BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. * MUJ $0.054000 - BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund, Inc. * MHN $0.051500 - BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc. * MYN $0.051200 - BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust * BNY $0.051000 - BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund * MPA $0.066000 - BlackRock Virginia Municipal Bond Trust * BHV $0.051500 - Taxable Municipal Fund: Declaration- 12/6/2024 Ex-Date- 12/16/2024 Record- 12/16/2024 Payable- 12/23/2024 Fund Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust * BBN $0.092900 - Taxable Fixed Income Funds: Declaration- 12/6/2024 Ex-Date- 12/16/2024 Record- 12/16/2024 Payable- 12/23/2024 Fund Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust * BGT $0.120280 - BlackRock Core Bond Trust * BHK $0.074600 - BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust * BIT $0.123700 - BlackRock Income Trust, Inc. * BKT $0.088200 - BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust * BLW $0.113200 - BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust * BTZ $0.083900 - BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. * DSU $0.098730 - BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc .* EGF $0.041000 - BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc. * FRA $0.123840 - BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund, Inc. * HYT $0.077900 - Equity Funds: Declaration- 12/6/2024 Ex-Date- 12/16/2024 Record- 12/16/2024 Payable- 12/23/2024 Fund Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust* BMEZ $0.178090 0.001190 BlackRock Science and Technology Term Trust* BSTZ $0.218000 0.002510 BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust * BIGZ $0.086760 0.000430 Multi-Asset Funds: Declaration- 12/6/2024 Ex-Date- 12/16/2024 Record- 12/16/2024 Payable- 12/23/2024 Fund Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution BlackRock Capital Allocation Term Trust* BCAT $0.289190 0.000650 BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust * ECAT $0.306840 0.001810 * In order to comply with the requirements of Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), each of the Funds noted above posted to the DTC bulletin board and sent to its shareholders of record as of the applicable record date a Section 19 notice with the previous distribution payment. The Section 19 notice was provided for informational purposes only and not for tax reporting purposes. This information can be found in the “Closed-End Funds” section of www.blackrock.com . As applicable, the final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions in 2024 will be made after the end of the year. BlackRock Capital Allocation Term Trust (NYSE: BCAT), BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust (NYSE: ECAT), BlackRock Science and Technology Term Trust (NYSE: BSTZ), BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust (NYSE: BMEZ) and BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust (NYSE: BIGZ) have adopted a managed distribution plan (a “Plan”) to support a level monthly distribution of income, capital gains and/or return of capital, or in the case of BMEZ, BSTZ, BIGZ, ECAT and BCAT a monthly distribution based on an annual rate of 12% (for BMEZ, BSTZ and BIGZ) and 20% (for ECAT and BCAT) of the Fund’s 12-month rolling average daily net asset value calculated 5 business days prior to declaration date of each distribution. The December 2024 distribution for each of BMEZ, BSTZ, BIGZ, ECAT and BCAT was calculated based on the average net asset value from 11/28/2023 to 11/27/2024. Below are the 12-month rolling average daily net asset values used to calculate BMEZ, BSTZ, BIGZ, ECAT and BCAT’s December distributions: BMEZ: $17.808095 BSTZ: $21.799921 BIGZ: $8.675040 ECAT: $18.410000 BCAT: $17.351032 The fixed amounts distributed per share or distribution rate, as applicable, are subject to change at the discretion of each Fund’s Board of Directors/Trustees. Under its Plan, each Fund will distribute all available investment income to its shareholders, consistent with its investment objectives and as required by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If sufficient income (inclusive of net investment income and short-term capital gains) is not available on a monthly basis, a Fund will distribute long-term capital gains and/or return capital to its shareholders in order to maintain a level distribution. Each Fund’s estimated sources of the distributions paid as of November 29, 2024 and for its current fiscal year are as follows: Estimated Allocations as of November 29, 2024 Fund Distribution Net Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital BMEZ 1 $0.176900 $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.176900 (100%) BSTZ 1 $0.215490 $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.215490 (100%) BIGZ 1 $0.086330 $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.086330 (100%) BCAT 1 $0.288540 $0.032627 (11%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.255913 (89%) ECAT 1 $0.305030 $0.015937 (5%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.289093 (95%) Estimated Allocations for the Fiscal Year through November 29, 2024 Fund Distribution Net Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital BMEZ 1 $1.512960 $0.040694 (3%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $1.472266 (97%) BSTZ 1 $1.801010 $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.619326 (34%) $1.181684 (66%) BIGZ 1 $0.747140 $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.747140 (100%) BCAT 1 $2.359050 $0.244754 (10%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $2.114296 (90%) ECAT 1 $2.554050 $0.163438 (6%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $2.390612 (94%) 1 The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net-realized capital gains in the current fiscal year; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment is paid back to the shareholder. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with ‘yield’ or ‘income’. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share. The amounts and sources of distributions reported are only estimates and are being provided to you pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund’s investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information: Fund Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5-year period ending on 10/31/2024 Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of 10/31/2024 Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through 10/31/2024 Cumulative fiscal year distributions as a percentage of NAV as of 10/31/2024 BMEZ* 5.15% 12.30% 4.83% 7.74% BSTZ 11.57% 11.80% 11.18% 7.24% BIGZ* (14.24%) 12.60% (0.66%) 8.04% BCAT* 4.90% 20.66% 10.23% 12.35% ECAT* 6.70% 20.43% 12.89% 12.55% * Portfolio launched within the past 5 years; the performance and distribution rate information presented for this Fund reflects data from inception to 10/31/2024. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about a Fund’s investment performance from the amount of the Fund’s current distributions or from the terms of the Fund’s Plan. BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. (NYSE: EGF), BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (NYSE: DSU), BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc. (NYSE: FRA), BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust (NYSE: BGT), BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund, Inc. (NYSE: HYT), BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust (NYSE: BTZ), BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust (NYSE: BLW), BlackRock Core Bond Trust (NYSE: BHK), BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust (NYSE: BIT), BlackRock Income Trust, Inc. (NYSE: BKT) and BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust (NYSE: BBN) have adopted a Plan to support a level monthly distribution of income, capital gains and/or return of capital. The fixed amounts distributed per share are subject to change at the discretion of each Fund’s Board of Directors/Trustees. Under its Plan, each Fund will distribute all available net income to its shareholders, consistent with its investment objectives and as required by the Code. If sufficient income (inclusive of net investment income and short-term capital gains) is not available on a monthly basis, a Fund will distribute long-term capital gains and/or return capital to its stockholders in order to maintain a level distribution. Each of the above-listed Funds is currently not relying on any exemptive relief from Section 19(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Each Fund expects that distributions under the Plan will exceed current income and capital gains and therefore will likely include a return of capital. Each Fund may make additional distributions from time to time, including additional capital gain distributions at the end of the taxable year, if required to meet requirements imposed by the Code and/or the 1940 Act. Each Fund’s estimated sources of the distributions paid as of November 29, 2024 and for its current fiscal year are as follows: Estimated Allocations as of November 29, 2024 Fund Distribution Net Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital EGF 2 $0.041000 $0.030660 (75%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.010340 (25%) BKT 2 $0.088200 $0.040551 (46%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.047649 (54%) DSU 2 $0.098730 $0.077696 (79%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.021034 (21%) FRA 2 $0.123840 $0.096014 (78%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.027826 (22%) BBN 2 $0.092900 $0.084923 (91%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.007977 (9%) BGT 2 $0.120280 $0.091087 (76%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.029193 (24%) HYT 2 $0.077900 $0.065724 (84%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.012176 (16%) BTZ 2 $0.083900 $0.060993 (73%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.022907 (27%) BLW 2 $0.113200 $0.099226 (88%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.013974 (12%) BHK 2 $0.074600 $0.048859 (65%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.025741 (35%) BIT 2 $0.123700 $0.083688 (68%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.040012 (32%) Estimated Allocations for the Fiscal Year through November 29, 2024 Fund Distribution Net Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital EGF 2 $0.451000 $0.331478 (73%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.119522 (27%) BKT 2 $0.970200 $0.375393 (39%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.594807 (61%) DSU 2 $1.086030 $0.814092 (75%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.271938 (25%) FRA 2 $1.362240 $1.085287 (80%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.276953 (20%) BBN 2 $1.021900 $0.834551 (82%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.187349 (18%) BGT 2 $1.323080 $0.982460 (74%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.340620 (26%) HYT 2 $0.856900 $0.660644 (77%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.196256 (23%) BTZ 2 $0.922900 $0.620538 (67%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.302362 (33%) BLW 2 $1.213400 $1.026867 (85%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.186533 (15%) BHK 2 $0.820600 $0.519873 (63%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.300727 (37%) BIT 2 $1.360700 $0.846067 (62%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.514633 (38%) 2 The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net-realized capital gains in the current fiscal year; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment is paid back to the shareholder. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with ‘yield’ or ‘income’. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share. The amounts and sources of distributions reported are only estimates and are being provided to you pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund’s investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Each Fund will send its stockholders a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will illustrate how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information: Fund Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5-year period ending on 10/31/2024 Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of 10/31/2024 Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through 10/31/2024 Cumulative fiscal year distributions as a percentage of NAV as 10/31/2024 EGF (1.59%) 4.90% 1.39% 4.08% BKT (1.52%) 8.78% 1.76% 7.32% DSU 6.42% 11.08% 7.55% 9.24% FRA 6.63% 11.46% 7.56% 9.55% BBN (0.57%) 6.35% 2.66% 5.29% BGT 6.71% 11.42% 7.65% 9.52% HYT 5.53% 9.61% 8.34% 8.01% BTZ 2.98% 8.81% 6.47% 7.34% BLW 4.81% 9.62% 8.22% 7.79% BHK (0.49%) 8.45% 2.97% 7.04% BIT 5.58% 10.16% 7.65% 8.47% No conclusions should be drawn about a Fund’s investment performance from the amount of the Fund’s distributions or from the terms of the Fund’s Plan. The amount distributed per share under a Plan is subject to change at the discretion of the applicable Fund’s Board. Each Plan will be subject to ongoing review by the Board to determine whether the Plan should be continued, modified or terminated. The Board may amend the terms of a Plan or suspend or terminate a Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund’s shareholders if it deems such actions to be in the best interest of the Fund or its shareholders. The amendment or termination of a Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares. About BlackRock BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate Availability of Fund Updates BlackRock will update performance and certain other data for the Funds on a monthly basis on its website in the “Closed-end Funds” section of www.blackrock.com as well as certain other material information as necessary from time to time. Investors and others are advised to check the website for updated performance information and the release of other material information about the Funds. This reference to BlackRock’s website is intended to allow investors public access to information regarding the Funds and does not, and is not intended to, incorporate BlackRock’s website in this release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release, and other statements that BlackRock or a Fund may make, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to a Fund’s or BlackRock’s future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “trend,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “pipeline,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,” “intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions. BlackRock cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and BlackRock assumes no duty to and does not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance. With respect to the Funds, the following factors, among others, could cause actual events to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: (1) changes and volatility in political, economic or industry conditions, the interest rate environment, foreign exchange rates or financial and capital markets, which could result in changes in demand for the Funds or in a Fund’s net asset value; (2) the relative and absolute investment performance of a Fund and its investments; (3) the impact of increased competition; (4) the unfavorable resolution of any legal proceedings; (5) the extent and timing of any distributions or share repurchases; (6) the impact, extent and timing of technological changes; (7) the impact of legislative and regulatory actions and reforms, and regulatory, supervisory or enforcement actions of government agencies relating to a Fund or BlackRock, as applicable; (8) terrorist activities, international hostilities, health epidemics and/or pandemics and natural disasters, which may adversely affect the general economy, domestic and local financial and capital markets, specific industries or BlackRock; (9) BlackRock’s ability to attract and retain highly talented professionals; (10) the impact of BlackRock electing to provide support to its products from time to time; and (11) the impact of problems at other financial institutions or the failure or negative performance of products at other financial institutions. Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and other regulatory filings of the Funds with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and on BlackRock’s website at www.blackrock.com , and may discuss these or other factors that affect the Funds. The information contained on BlackRock’s website is not a part of this press release. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206448100/en/ 1-800-882-0052 KEYWORD: NEW YORK UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ASSET MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE SOURCE: BlackRock Closed-End Funds Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/06/2024 04:56 PM/DISC: 12/06/2024 04:56 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206448100/en
**RIA Eyewear Welcomes Golf Legend Rocco Mediate as New Brand Ambassador**
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s GOP-dominated legislature passed tax cuts on personal and corporate income on Friday in exchange for a statewide sales tax increase, a mixed bag of success for Gov. Jeff Landry, whose original tax revision plans faced mounting resistance from lawmakers and lobbyists amid hard fiscal realities . The final passage of the bulk of Landry's proposed measures winds down a special legislative session called Nov. 6 by the governor and his allies. They said their purpose was to make the state’s tax code more business friendly, bring jobs and reverse trends of outward migration from the state. It was the third special legislative session called by Landry, a Republican, since he assumed office in January. The package of legislation includes a permanent $2,000 raise for teachers and doubles standard deductions for residents aged 65 and older. It raises the state sales tax to 5%, while granting Landry’s wish for lower personal and corporate income tax rates. It repeals the 0.275% corporate franchise tax, a levy on businesses operating on the state worth more than $500 million in annual revenue. The state's new corporate income tax rate will be a flat 5.5%, reducing the highest tier from 7.5%. Landry had wanted a 3.5% flat rate. Lawmakers approved a flat 3% individual income tax rate and nearly tripled the standard deduction for individuals. Previously, the personal income tax rate had stood at 4.25% for individuals earning $50,000 or more. “What I’m very confident in is that everyone’s going to have more money in their pocket at the end of the day with the personal income tax reductions,” said Republican Rep. Julie Emerson, who spearheaded legislation to flatten the income tax rate. With the personal income tax reductions reducing annual revenue by $1.3 billion, Landry’s original plan had called for applying sales taxes to dozens of services like car-washing, dog-grooming and lobbying. He also sought to eliminate large tax incentives for the restoration of historic buildings and the film industry. Those proposals were defeated, leading to a bigger sales tax hike than Landry initially proposed. Louisiana already had the highest combined state and average local sales tax in the country at 9.56%, according to the Tax Foundation, a think tank favored by conservatives. Associated Press writer Kevin McGill contributed to this report. _____ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96
South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski to enter portal, keep eye on draftMatchbox Cast Adds Teyonah Parris, Plot Details Revealed By The is growing, with THR’s Heat Vision newsletter reporting that Teyonah Parris is in talks to star alongside in the upcoming movie based on the legendary Matchbox brand. Parris will appear alongside Cena — — as well and in the movie that’s set to be written by David Coggeshall and Jonathan Tropper. Like its name suggests, the movie will be based on the iconic real-world die-cast toy vehicle line from Mattel. Parris is best known for her role as Dawn Chambers in the hit AMC series Mad Men, as well as the film Dear White People, the drama series Empire, and her role as Monica Rambeau in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What do we know about the Matchbox movie? Elsewhere in the Heat Vision newsletter, the first plot details for the Matchbox movie were detailed. While no major details were released, the report notes that the film is being described as ” action-packed, globetrotting adventure and centers on a group of childhood friends who must work together to stop an impending worldwide disaster and rediscover their friendship along the way.” The live-action Matchbox movie will be directed by Sam Hargrave, who’s best known for helming Chris Hemsworth’s Extraction movies. Matchbox was created by automotive expert Jack Odell in 1953 for Lesney Products. In 1997, the toy brand was officially acquired by Mattel. The screenplay is co-written by David Coggeshall (The Family Plan) and Jonathan Tropper (The Adam Project). It hails from Apple Original Films, Skydance, and Mattel Films, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, and Robbie Brenner serving as producers. “For nearly 70 years, Matchbox has carried enormous cultural relevance and inspired generations of kids to unleash their imaginations, combining what they see in the world every day with what they dream their own world to be,” Brenner said in a when the project was first announced back in 2022. “We look forward to working with our incredible partners at Skydance Media to craft a story for the big screen that evokes the same, imaginative spirit of this beloved Mattel franchise and delights fans of all ages.” (Source: ) Anthony Nash has been writing about games and the gaming industry for nearly a decade. When he’s not writing about games, he’s usually playing them. You can find him on Twitter talking about games or sports at @_anthonynash. Share articleNone
Leaking Enbridge pipeline spills nearly 70K gallons of oil in Wisconsin
