Matthews International Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2024The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's decision to break his word and pardon his son Hunter has spurred a broader discussion about what else he should be doing with the broad clemency powers of the presidency before he leaves office in January, including whether he should be pardoning Donald Trump. Biden on Tuesday ducked questions about his son, ignoring calls for him to explain his reversal as he was making his first presidential trip to Angola . He dismissed shouted questions about the matter with a laugh during a meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço at the presidential palace, telling the Angolan delegation: “Welcome to America.” Biden was not scheduled to take questions from the press during his trip to Africa, and he has largely avoided interactions with reporters since President-elect Trump’s victory last month. Biden’s decision to offer his son a blanket pardon for actions over the past 11 years has sparked a political uproar in Washington, after the president repeatedly had said he would not use his extraordinary powers for the benefit of his family. Biden claimed that the Justice Department had presided over a “miscarriage of justice” in prosecuting his son, using some of the same language that Trump uses to describe his own legal predicaments. Biden's reversal drew criticism from many Democrats , who are working to calibrate their approach to Trump as he prepares to take over the Oval Office in seven weeks. There is concern the pardon — and Biden's claims that his son was prosecuted for political reasons — will erode their ability to push back on the incoming president’s legal moves. And it has threatened to cloud Biden's legacy as he prepares to leave office on Jan. 20. Hunter Biden is the closest presidential relative ever to be granted clemency, but other leaders have pardoned family members and close friends. Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for drug charges after Roger Clinton had served his sentence. By the time Trump left office after his first term, he had issued 144 pardons, which included Charles Kushner , the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner. He also pardoned fervent supporters Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn and other people convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. In the months after the 2020 election, Trump and his allies were trying to overturn his loss, a failed effort that culminated in the violent riot by his supporters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. There were discussions at the time over whether Trump would preemptively pardon some of those involved in the effort — and maybe even himself — before he left office. But that never happened. Now, Democrats are having similar discussions about preemptive pardons on their side because of Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail. He's made no secret of his desire to seek revenge on those who prosecuted him or crossed him. He talks about "enemies from within." He's circulated social media posts that call for the jailing of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. He's also taken aim at Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris, promoting a social media post that suggested he wanted military tribunals to punish her because she was guilty of treason. Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said last week on Boston Public Radio that Biden might consider broad pardons to protect people against whatever wrath Trump may seek, but also as a way to move the country past this acrimonious and divided time. “I think that without question, Trump is going to try to act in a dictatorial way, in a fascistic way, in a revengeful first year at least of his administration toward individuals who he believes harmed him,” Markey said. Presidents enjoy expansive pardon powers when it comes to federal crimes . That includes granting clemency to people who have not yet been charged, as President Gerald Ford did in 1974 when he pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. The decision at the time caused an uproar but has been seen in the ensuing decades as a move that helped restore order. Markey cited Ford's pardon as a way for the country “just to close that chapter and move on to a new era.” Biden could do the same, Markey said, to help the country move on “to an agenda that deals with the ordinary families.” Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent from West Virginia, took it a step further and suggested Biden should even pardon Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, federal charges that are now evaporating with Trump's upcoming return to the White House. “Why don't you go ahead and pardon Donald Trump for all his charges?" he said in an interview with CNN. “It would have gone down a lot more balanced. I'm just saying, wipe them out.” At the same time, Democratic lawmakers and criminal justice reformers are pushing Biden to grant pardons to broad groups of Americans. Democrats Ayanna Pressley, Jim Clyburn and Mary Gay Scanlon wrote to Biden on Nov. 20, asking him to use his clemency powers to "address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.” The letter, also signed by 61 others, suggested Biden could use his powers to send a powerful message of criminal justice reform and "rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges.” “We encourage you to use your clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers,” they wrote. So far, Biden has pardoned 25 people. Most presidents tend to grant a flurry of clemency requests at the end of their terms, and it's likely Biden will do the same. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has said Biden is “thinking through that process very thoroughly.” Weissert reported from Luanda, Angola.Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Has $622,000 Holdings in Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE:HGV)Fmr LLC reduced its position in Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. ( NASDAQ:PLRX – Free Report ) by 0.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,899,481 shares of the company’s stock after selling 12,278 shares during the period. Fmr LLC owned 6.41% of Pliant Therapeutics worth $43,713,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Great Point Partners LLC boosted its stake in Pliant Therapeutics by 42.4% in the second quarter. Great Point Partners LLC now owns 2,636,864 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,346,000 after acquiring an additional 785,000 shares in the last quarter. Candriam S.C.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Pliant Therapeutics by 52.0% during the 2nd quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 833,216 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,957,000 after purchasing an additional 285,216 shares during the last quarter. Fernwood Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Pliant Therapeutics by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Fernwood Investment Management LLC now owns 513,136 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,752,000 after purchasing an additional 16,850 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Pliant Therapeutics by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 456,663 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,119,000 after buying an additional 19,281 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Pliant Therapeutics by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 305,322 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,282,000 after buying an additional 5,152 shares in the last quarter. 97.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts have weighed in on PLRX shares. Leerink Partners initiated coverage on Pliant Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, September 9th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $33.00 price target on the stock. Leerink Partnrs upgraded shares of Pliant Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Finally, HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and set a $38.00 price target on shares of Pliant Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $40.57. Pliant Therapeutics Stock Performance Shares of NASDAQ PLRX opened at $14.69 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $13.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $12.75. The stock has a market cap of $893.89 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.40 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 10.26, a quick ratio of 10.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. has a 12 month low of $10.22 and a 12 month high of $19.62. Pliant Therapeutics Profile ( Free Report ) Pliant Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes novel therapies for the treatment of fibrosis and related diseases in the United States. The company's lead candidate is bexotegrast, an oral, small-molecule, dual selective inhibitor of avß6 and avß1 integrins, which is in phase 2b trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and in phase 2a trial for primary sclerosing cholangitis. Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Pliant Therapeutics What Are Trending Stocks? Trending Stocks Explained Fast-Growing Companies That Are Still Undervalued Stock Trading Terms – Stock Terms Every Investor Needs to Know Top Cybersecurity Stock Picks for 2025 How the NYSE and NASDAQ are Different, Why That Matters to Investors Archer or Joby: Which Aviation Company Might Rise Fastest? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PLRX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. ( NASDAQ:PLRX – Free Report ). 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Microsoft says it’s built an Xbox game store on Android but can’t launch it
Pet passports for dogs, cats and ferrets to travel within UK ‘an outrage’In the current market session, Flex Inc. FLEX share price is at $39.15, after a 1.22% spike. Moreover, over the past month, the stock decreased by 1.93% , but in the past year, went up by 76.12% . Shareholders might be interested in knowing whether the stock is overvalued, even if the company is performing up to par in the current session. Comparing Flex P/E Against Its Peers The P/E ratio is used by long-term shareholders to assess the company's market performance against aggregate market data, historical earnings, and the industry at large. A lower P/E could indicate that shareholders do not expect the stock to perform better in the future or it could mean that the company is undervalued. Compared to the aggregate P/E ratio of the 146.16 in the Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components industry, Flex Inc. has a lower P/E ratio of 18.6 . Shareholders might be inclined to think that the stock might perform worse than it's industry peers. It's also possible that the stock is undervalued. In summary, while the price-to-earnings ratio is a valuable tool for investors to evaluate a company's market performance, it should be used with caution. A low P/E ratio can be an indication of undervaluation, but it can also suggest weak growth prospects or financial instability. Moreover, the P/E ratio is just one of many metrics that investors should consider when making investment decisions, and it should be evaluated alongside other financial ratios, industry trends, and qualitative factors. By taking a comprehensive approach to analyzing a company's financial health, investors can make well-informed decisions that are more likely to lead to successful outcomes. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Pet passports for dogs, cats and ferrets to travel within UK ‘an outrage’
Any driver pulled over on I-95 during holidays in New Hampshire will be ticketed, N.H. Gov. says
Home | Advertisement | Grt Jewellers Unveils New Rajahmundry Showroom With A Mixed Reality Print Ad GRT Jewellers unveils new Rajahmundry Showroom with a Mixed Reality Print Ad With more and more print advertising shifting to Mixed Reality (MR), Flam’s latest collaboration with GRT Jewellers showcases the jewelry designer’s new showroom in Rajahmundry. By Telangana Today Published Date - 22 November 2024, 11:20 PM Flam x GRT Jewellers: Experience Rajahmundry's new showroom with immersive MR technology! Rajahmundry: With more and more print advertising shifting to Mixed Reality (MR), Flam’s latest collaboration with GRT Jewellers showcases the jewelry designer’s new showroom in Rajahmundry. A leader in Mixed Reality Publishing, Flam, has been pushing advertising boundaries across mediums like Print, Digital, OOH (Out of Home) and Television. The print ad with the MR experience is live on three leading Telugu publications, namely, Eenadu, Sakshi, and Andhra Jyothi. Upon scanning, the ad transforms from a static to an immersive 3D experience that unveils the launch of the new showroom and the incredible offers for buyers present during the launch. The experience closes out with GRT’s brand film starring Trisha playing over a 3D model of the new showroom. In the experience, they’ve also added a CTA that functions as a Store Locator – a convenient feature for fewer drop-offs from the print ad. The collaboration between Flam and GRT Jewellers marks the beginning of a new phase of retail advertising. With MR experiences now incorporated into the mix, the ability to boost walk-ins stands at a much greater chance than static ads. Mixed Reality only adds to the age of diminishing attention spans, where capturing the hearts and minds of the audience has become more important and harder than ever. Compared to its media counterparts, MR offers a level of depth, interactivity, and enjoyability that turns an audience member into an active participant in the ad’s storytelling. This brings in the much-wanted domino effect of an ad creating a personal connection which turns curiosity into engagement and that engagement, finally into action. Shourya Agarwal, CEO at Flam said, “It’s been exciting to see the adoption for Mixed Reality and the push towards greater storytelling. Working with a legacy brand like GRT was not just incredible but it was gratifying to see their want to continuously innovate. In hindsight, the new GRT Jewellers Mixed Reality experience stands out more than a promotional tool—it is a step forward towards engaging audiences with better brand storytelling. It is now a gateway of what advertising can be with Flam’s new ‘3I’ approach—immersive, interactive and impactful. This shift in approach can bring about the change in the advertising landscape, one that is more inclusive and action driven–resulting in greater brand recall for brands across industries. Follow Us : Tags collaboration Flam GRT Jewellers mixed reality) Related News Opinion: Seek accountability gently SCR sets up Helpline Numbers in view of heavy rains in AP Ram Charan wraps up ‘Game Changer’, says “GAME is about to Change” Rajahmundry: Fishermen, cops rescue woman from suicide attempt
Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Has $622,000 Holdings in Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE:HGV)South Korea's president backs down after declaring martial law as UK ‘deeply concerned’ over crisis
NoneA small asteroid was visible in northern Siberia on Tuesday, as it closed in on its collision course with Earth. It's first of two expected flybys this week. The European Space Agency issued an alert for the 27-inch asteroid at 4:27 a.m. ET, with the agency saying the celestial rock would create a visible fireball in the sky but that "the impact will be harmless." The asteroid, temporarily named C0WEPC5, has become Earth's fourth detected asteroid strike of the year and just the 11th of all time. Detected strikes are known as "imminent impactors," according to the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, which identified the fast-moving asteroid ahead of its arrival. The space rock entered Earth's atmosphere at 11:15 a.m. ET over Yakutia in northeastern Siberia, creating a massive fireball witnessed by people in the region, according to the agency. Video posted to social media on Tuesday shows the bright, fast-moving fireball darting through the sky before dissipating. It's currently unknown how much, if any, of the asteroid debris landed on Earth. Flyby asteroids are common, and astronomers' ability to detect them has rapidly increased with technological advancements. According to NASA , 132 known asteroids have passed closer to Earth than the moon is since October 2023. Overall, there have been upward of 36,000 asteroid flybys, the agency reported. Adding to the solar system show this week, another asteroid, known as 2020 XR, will fly by Earth at 12:27 a.m. ET on Wednesday, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Significantly larger but much farther away from impact than Tuesday's asteroid, 2020 XR is approximately 1,200 feet in diameter -- roughly the same as the height of New York City's Empire State Building -- but will pass Earth at a comfortable distance of 1.37 million miles, according to NASA. While the massive asteroid will unlikely have any impact, and is not considered a threat by officials, NASA designates any object that comes within 4.6 million miles of Earth as "potentially hazardous."
Northwestern Lehigh and Scranton Prep are facing off Saturday at Berwick’s Crispin Field in a PIAA 3A football quarterfinal game. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Our own Tom Housenick is there covering the action live. Refresh the page to see his latest updates below (the feed will not update automatically). NOTE: You must be signed into X , formerly known as Twitter, to see our feed. If you are seeing tweets from 2017, you are not signed in!) Tweets by TomHousenickStar Australian golfer Cameron Smith introduced himself simply as “Cameron” as he shook hands with his playing partners Nick Voke and Ben Schmidt and their caddies on the first tee at Kingston Heath last Sunday morning at 7.22am. He was about to play the final round of the Australian Open, the last leg of a busy Australian tour in which he had played four tournaments in five weeks for three podium finishes – but no victory. Cam Smith finished runner-up in the Australian PGA and kept drawing big galleries despite being well off the pace in the Australian Open Credit: Getty Images He had played in Brisbane, Swan Hill and then Melbourne during a visit that brought the Australian summer of golf to life, giving it the necessary star factor to make the tour visible. A small crowd took photos of him as soon as he emerged from the Kingston Heath clubhouse in his LIV Golf team’s Ripper GC cap, customary final day maroon shirt and white pants. They watched him chat to his loyal caddy Sam Pinfold and hand the starstruck son of a security guard a golf glove from his bag as a memento. By the time Smith finished his round about four and a half hours later, the gallery watching his every move had swelled to at least a 1000 as he drew a huge roar when finishing the tournament with a birdie. All this was before the main contenders, Smith’s LIV teammate Lucas Herbert and unknown American Ryggs Johnston, had even teed off. With the mullet, a dynamite short game and a laid-back, polite Australian vibe that appeals to all generations, the 31-year-old attracted 20 times more spectators to his round than any other competitor every time he took to the fairways. “He’s a massive drawcard. He still had the biggest crowds out there,” former golf professional Ewan Porter said. Throw in a willingness to disrupt the old (and often older) order, which he showed when he joined LIV Golf just months after landing the 2022 British Open (to, it must be said, significant backlash) and you can see why recognition of his name has crossed over to non-golf fans. That box-office appeal has given him the potential to be the most influential voice in shaping the future of Australian golf. When Smith finally flew out of Melbourne that night, headed for Saudi Arabia after failing to land that elusive national title at his 10th consecutive attempt in what he described as “a long week”, he left golf administrators pondering a range of questions they are finding hard to answer. Working together (from left) Gavin Kirkman, CEO, PGA of Australia; Karen Lunn, CEO, WPGA Tour Australasia; and James Sutherland, CEO of Golf Australia. Credit: Courtesy WPGA Tour of Australasia Smith had spoken out against the way Kingston Heath had been prepared in a thinly veiled criticism of the dual format where men and women play in the tournament at the same time. He also wondered aloud to at least one source, who preferred to remain anonymous, at how difficult it had become for Australia’s best golfers to make their way to the world tour despite participation rates being high. Not only does his status, alongside Adam Scott, Jason Day and Min Woo Lee as one of the country’s best male golfers, give him credibility on such issues. But he has also supported the Australian tour with his presence in the past decade. His logic on the dual format was backed too by star Australian golfer Hannah Green who said in an ideal world the women’s event would be held in February. Smith had also just done hard yards to support the state titles, heading to Murray Downs to play in the NSW Open, a moment former professional Mike Clayton said was “like the Beatles going to Swan Hill”. Smith’s headline-grabbing comments resonated enough to eventually force a response from Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland, who said that it was “not that easy” to separate the men and women’s competition, as the women’s tournament lost money, and attempted to explain the professional golfing labyrinth and the issues facing Australian golf. Different directions According to two sources who preferred to remain anonymous, Smith has a view that Australian golf would be well-advised to leverage off LIV and develop an alliance with the International Series played on the Asian Tour to provide a lucrative pathway for young Australian golfers. Australia’s Ripper GC team of (left to right) Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert, Cameron Smith and Matt Jones celebrate their teams win at LIV Golf Adelaide. Credit: Getty That’s impossible for Australian golf right now. The Australian PGA has a strategic alliance with the DP World Tour (the European tour) until 2026 that connects to the American circuit, which they put in place before LIV Golf emerged. They also have the “Australian Golfing Strategy”, which has a range of objectives including taking advantage of the participation increase that started during the COVID-19 pandemic – reversing a constant decline over the previous 20 years – increasing female participation and breaking down some of the perceptions around golf that made many Australians see it as pale, male and stale – and inaccessible. British Open champion, respected golf commentator and chair of the Australian PGA Ian Baker-Finch is a fan of Smith’s as well as being well aware of Australia’s golfing landscapes. He respects Smith’s support for Australian golf and its emerging golfers, which includes an academy for young Australian golfers at his home in Jacksonville, where they learn about what is required to make it in the extraordinarily competitive world of professional golf (a former recipient was this year’s Australian PGA winner Elvis Smylie). “I can’t say anything bad about him,” Baker-Finch said. “He is giving back. He offers opportunities to junior golfers through his charitable endeavours himself ... I like what Cam is doing. I am a big fan.” But there is a caveat that echoes Sutherland’s thoughts – “it’s not that easy” to execute a strategy that pleases everyone. “Golf Australia and our PGA are trying to create pathways, put money into junior golf, create more and more opportunities ... we have 300 or more Australian PGA Tour members, men and women. We have to look after pathways for 300, not just one or two to make their way on to LIV. The Australian PGA Tour’s [objective] is to get as many of our players as possible on to the other world tours to improve their play, improve their position, to get them to play for more money.” The LIV Golf Tournament is huge for spectators but it only includes four Australian golfers. Australian golf officials need to cater for the broader game. Credit: Getty Because the broadcast revenue some other sports command is not there for golf, the sport has to rely on commercial partners who rely, in turn, on broadcast for exposure. It means the PGA has to invest in getting coverage of tournaments through Foxtel, with many, including this week’s low-profile Victorian PGA event at Moonah Links, available on Kayo. But without any big drawcards playing in those tournaments, the broad interest in the results is minimal. The Smith impact Smith, on the other hand, is key to keeping the game on the front and back pages in summer. He knows it and so does Golf Australia. Sutherland was keen to emphasise last week that the players “are the stars of the show”. “The last time we saw anything like it was when Greg Norman was in his halcyon days when he was world No.1 and would come back and play,” Porter said. “People like Cam. Kids find him very relatable, there were real or fake mullets supporting him and I saw Ripper GC merch everywhere. His presence has been great for the grassroots.” Smith’s genuine desire to help Australian golf has been overshadowed for some because LIV Golf is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Private Investment Fund. There has been ongoing controversy surrounding LIV Golf’s emergence and the challenge it laid down to the hegemony of America’s PGA Tour. Smith leads an All-Australian LIV Golf team called Ripper Golf Club that includes Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert and Matt Jones, who won the team’s title in 2024. In some ways, the foursome is golf’s Kelly gang. “The notion they don’t care is garbage,” Porter said. The team now has a new managing director in Nick Adams and hopes to set up a high-performance centre in Brisbane. Smith’s presence ensures Australia will not be forgotten by the LIV hierarchy, which is about to announce a Scott O’Neil as Norman’s replacement as CEO. Possible paths for Australian golf “I think our tour needs to look to LIV,” Porter said. “It needs to look to Asia. When you do that you get the funding behind it to potentially do something more impactful than what we have now. But I think the tour has done a really good job since COVID to increase the playing opportunities for our players and increase the pathways, which we have seen David Micheluzzi [the 2022-23 Order of Merit winner] take advantage of in Europe. “It has all been beneficial, but it would grow exponentially if they were to align themselves with LIV and Ripper GC.” David Micheluzzi played in this week’s Victorian PGA after playing on the DP World Tour. Credit: Getty Images A pragmatic Baker-Finch says the two strands can co-exist in Australian golf for now as LIV and PGA of America merger talks (DP World Tour is a party to those discussions) continue at snail’s pace. He stands firm behind the need for Australian officials to take a broad view and would like to see LIV Golf “give back a bit more through junior golf” although he has no philosophical objection to the roadshow. “I actually am one to think there is a place for LIV. I am OK with LIV being a Formula 1 tour and travelling around the world 14 weeks a year,” Baker-Finch said. Loading “If the Australian players want to go and try out for LIV or try our for the International Series, that is fine go have a game, but we can’t align with the tour that is against our principles of supplying opportunities to as many players as possible. “I love the fact they [Ripper Golf Club players] come home and play here if there is no tournament on or in the LIV tournament. We want to welcome them back.” Welcomed back they are by local fans. Smith felt the support of Australian crowds who don’t care for the debates. They just want to see players as quietly charismatic as Smith, who wows crowds when he fires golf balls off tees like Exocet missiles, as he did in the past five weeks. What became clear in the past month is that Smith is the most valuable asset in Australian golf right now. His second in the Saudi International on Saturday after a play-off confirmed his status among the world’s best. That he wants to strengthen Australian golf is clear, but his satisfaction with its direction can’t be taken for granted. Getting the decision right on the format and locations of the country’s biggest tournaments next summer is vital and will play a part in whether Smith and the equally supportive Scott return next year. Smith made his point but left the door open to be back as he has every year since 2012 – bar during COVID-19 when the tournament was cancelled – to play in the Australian Open. “It’s nice to be back to support those [tournaments] and give back ... hopefully I can keep doing it in the future,” Smith said. News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Australian Open Australians in sport For subscribers Analysis Peter Ryan is a sports reporter with The Age. Connect via Twitter or email . Most Viewed in Sport LoadingEditor’s note: The 2024 election is The Eagle’s No. 7 news story of 2024. This is part of a daily series of the top 10 stories in Bryan-College Station and the Brazos Valley this year. Stories will appear daily with No. 1 running in the Dec. 31 edition. Some things changed and others stayed the same in the Brazos Valley during the 2024 election in November. In the Texas House races, the Republican Party held onto its seats in the districts that cover Brazos County but the occupants of those seats changed. After serving their House districts for more than a decade, both incumbents, Kyle Kacal in District 12 and John Raney in District 14, decided not to run for reelection. Trey Wharton and Paul Dyson, both supporters of Gov. Greg Abbott’s school voucher plan, won their seats handily. Both also voiced support to fund Texas public schools. “The public school has to be taken care of, especially in this [District 12] in the fact if the school district is not the largest employer in the community, it’s one of the largest,” Wharton told the Eagle in October. “We need to make sure that they are taken care of at the same time because we’ll have an economic crisis on our hands if we don’t get it right.” Wharton earned his seat in District 12 after defeating Dee Howard Mullins with almost 77% of the vote in the general election. Wharton won the Republican nomination after beating Ben Bius in a runoff election in May after neither won a majority in the March primary against John Harvey Slocum. “I was extremely excited,” Wharton said in November describing his emotions on hearing the results. “It was good to see my hard work pay off and I just want to be a voice for my district. I didn’t come into this with an agenda. My thing was I was doing this to give us a representative that would listen and be there.” District 12 encompasses most of Brazos County outside of Bryan, College Station and Kurten as well as all of Grimes, Madison, Robertson, Walker and Washington counties. In District 14, which is made up entirely of Bryan and College Station, Dyson defeated Democratic challenger Fred Medina with 61% of the vote. Dyson reached the general election after defeating Rick Davis in the Republican primary in March. “You take it all in, you’ve been doing this for a little over a year and there’s so many sacrifices that your family and a lot of other people around you do,” Dyson said on election night. “It’s definitely not just my win, it’s everybody’s win.” Both Dyson and Wharton have spent the month and a half since winning the election going back and forth between their district and Austin to learn more about being a representative. The swearing in of new representatives takes place Jan. 14 when the 89th legislative session convenes in Austin. “At the end of the day we are public servants and we always have to remember that we’re not there to move a personal agenda,” Dyson told the Eagle in October. “We’re there to make sure that our constituents, the people in my district, are properly represented while there in Austin.” At the city council level, College Station incumbents Linda Harvell, Elizabeth Cunha and Dennis Maloney chose not to run again so newcomers David White, Melissa McIlhaney and Scott Shafer were sworn in after winning on Election Day. White won Place 3 with 73% of the vote over Valen Cepak while McIlhaney captured Place 4 with 69.3% of the vote over Aron Collins. The narrowest margin came in the race for Place 6 with Scott Shafer winning the seat by just 221 votes. Bob Yancy ran unopposed in Place 5. All four incumbents held their seats on the Bryan City Council. In District 3, Jared Salvato won with 80.1% of the vote over Bob Achgill; James Edge kept his District 4 seat after earning 66.6% of the vote against Shane Savage; Marca Ewers-Shurtleff won reelection in District 5 with 59.3% of the vote against Patrick Giammalva; and Kevin C. Boriskie held on to At Large Place 6 seat after gaining 62.1% against Justin C. Wager. Bryan council members were sworn in at the November meeting. Republicans Bentley Nettles and Fred Brown prevailed in the Brazos County Commissioner’s Court races. Nettles won Precinct 1 unopposed after unseating incumbent Steve Aldrich in the spring. Brown won Precinct 3 after getting 69.7% of the vote against Libertarian Mike Southerland. Brown reached the general election after defeating incumbent Nancy Berry in the March Republican primary. “I’m excited, I’m humbled because I didn’t know how it would turn out,” Brown told the Eagle in November. “I’m just honored that the people in Precinct 3 had the faith in me to go in and do the things I told them I would do.” Brown and Nettles will be sworn in at the commissioners meeting on Jan. 1. Brazos County voters paralleled the state of Texas as a whole by backing Donald Trump over Kamala Harris for president and Ted Cruz over Collin Allred for senator. Cruz won with 59% of the county vote as opposed to 53% statewide. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, won another term in Texas’ 10th District, winning 63.4% of the vote over Democratic challenger Theresa Boisseau. “From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the people of TX-10 for entrusting me to continue serving them in Congress,” McCaul said in a statement. “it’s my duty — and my honor — to be a voice for Texans and to fight for conservative policies that will allow us to hand down a better America to the next generation.” The voters of Brazos County also had two propositions on the ballot that would change Brazos County from an open range county to a closed range county. Voters approved the two propositions but the enforcement has been put on hold after mistakes were made in the process of putting the propositions on the ballot. The first mistake had to do with the order approving the propositions. There should have been two different orders, one for the commissioners to sign and the other for the county judge to sign. Instead Brazos County General Counsel Bruce Erratt combined the two as one order. The second mistake made in the placing of the propositions on the ballot was that by Texas statute only landowners can vote on stock laws. “But there is also wording in the statute that describes who is qualified to vote on the Stock Laws,” Erratt said in a statement. “In order to vote on the Stock Laws, ‘a person must be a freeholder and a qualified voter.’ In the Nov. 5 election, voters were not qualified as being ‘freeholders’ (landowners).” Erratt has consulted with the state attorney general’s office and the secretary of state’s office. If the open/closed range county vote is voided, the process for getting the two propositions on the ballot would have to start over and the next vote would have to limited to qualified landowners.
Maputo tense after disputed poll resultEvery Black Friday, there’s a number of viral products that everyone has on their Christmas wish list, and we don’t expect this year to be any different. However, not all of these popular items are going to stay in stock, and we have some insight on the ones that won’t. Black Friday is big business, and last year shoppers spent $222.1 billion during the entire holiday shopping season, according to Queue-it. Sales on Black Friday reached $16.4 billion (online and in stores), and this was a 9% increase from the year before. While it comes as no surprise that electronics are the most sought-after products of the holiday season, Queue-it said this accounts for the majority of holiday sales, jumping to $50.8 billion in 2023. Apparel, furniture, groceries and toys are the other hot sellers of Black Friday. Together, these five categories accounted for 65% of sales during the holidays last year and is only expected to grow in 2024. While many items that sell out over Black Friday are driven by a good deal, we also know that a hot product is just that — a gift that most people want to open on Christmas Day. So, here are our picks for the top 10 hot-ticket items that could sell out over Black Friday. Samsung 98-inch QLED TV The holidays are ripe for TV deals, and we expect shoppers to buy a ton of them in 2024, especially at Walmart. Consumers are trending toward bigger TVs and the super low-price deals over Black Friday force many models to sell out. This is especially true of popular models from Samsung, Hisense, LG and more favorites. Apple Watch Series 9 Apple's smartwatches are a top pick among Apple fans. We’ve seen prices on the Apple Watch continue to trend downward, which was only spurred by the release of the new Apple Watch 10 in September. This pushed down prices on earlier models, with the best deals coming on the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch 9. For Black Friday, we think the prices will drop even lower and sell out due to high demand. Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones are one of the most popular products of 2024, and Beats are one of the top brands. We’re already seeing big markdowns on Beats Wireless Headphones, and we expect these price drops to continue into Black Friday. The Beats Solo3 is likely to be on sale for even cheaper than we’ve already seen, and we think they will sell out for Black Friday, with the possibility of other popular Beats headphones joining them. Apple AirPods (3rd gen) If you haven’t picked up a pair of Apple AirPods yet, this could be your year to do it. With Apple launching a fourth generation of AirPods earlier this year, the price on prevvious models are creeping lower. We think over Black Friday they’ll be at their cheapest price ever, with the AirPods (3rd Gen) likely to sell out. JBL Flip 6 Bluetooth speakers are a must-have for many this year, and with the big sound that comes from JBL’s speakers, it’s easy to see why they might sell out for Black Friday. These popular speakers come in a variety of portable sizes and waterproof designs. We expect big deals on JBL’s top-rated Clip 5 and Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker models. Apple iPad (10th Gen) One of Apple’s most sought-after products of the year was the iPad, and we saw the 9th Gen and 10th Gen models drop to their lowest prices ever. We think this year will bring some iPad bliss with even better discounts, but these deals will disappear just as fast as they arrive. We think that mega discounts on the iPad (9th Gen) and iPad (10th Gen) could cause sell outs, especially on Amazon. Dyson Airwrap The Dyson Airwrap just might be the top product of Black Friday, as this is one of the rare times there’s a discount on the beloved hair styling tool. At $600, the Airwrap carries a hefty price tag, so any discount presented is a welcome surprise. But as we’ve seen in the past, any Black Friday deal on the Dyson Airwrap causes a crush of interest that’s followed by a sell out. Ugg Tasman slippers If you’ve tried to scoop up the UGG Tasman Slippers in previous years, you already know they never stay in stock for long. As the “it” slipper of the holiday season, UGG’s Tasman sells out multiple times over the holidays, even without a discount offered. We think that this year will be similar, with popular sizes and colors of the Tasman Slipper snatched up fast over Black Friday. Bissell Little Green The Bissell Little Green carpet cleaner is a popular home product that just can’t seem to stay in stock. With prices falling under $90, this mighty machine can be a blessing for pet owners and parents, as its compact size makes it easy to store and use when needed. We’ve seen the Little Green Machine sell out before, and we’d be surprised if it didn’t do it again over Black Friday. Furby Galaxy Edition We’d be remiss if we didn’t include a top toy that we think will be hard to find and gift this year. Our pick is the Furby Galaxy Edition. This glow-in-the-dark Furby is based on the original Furby from the late ’90s with even more features, interactive modes and more fun. Making a comeback in 2023, we saw the revival of this popular toy sell out last year, and we expect the new Furby Galaxy Edition to do the same. For the holidays: Get inspiring home and gift ideas – sign up now!Note: Most subscribers have some, but not all, of the puzzles that correspond to the following set of solutions for their local newspaper. CROSSWORDS USA TODAY crossword Play the USA TODAY Crossword Puzzle . Sunday Los Angeles Times crossword Sunday New York Times crossword Sunday Premier crossword SUDOKU Play the USA TODAY Sudoku Game . JUMBLE Answer: WHINNY ARCADE DOCTOR WOODEN FAMILY PICNICAfter the mountain climber started sneezing and coughing at the summit, he — CAME DOWN WITH A COLD (Distributed by Tribune Content Agency) Cryptoquip IF A "WILL AND GRACE" ACTRESS WERE MAKING FISHNET STOCKINGS, WHAT WOULD THAT SITUATION BE? DEBRA MESHING. (Distributed by King Features) OTHER PUZZLES Boggle BED DESK SOFA CHAIR TABLE DRESSER RECLINER (Distributed by Tribune Content Agency) Lexigo SLASH, HELEN, NAUSEA, AIDED, DRESSER (Distributed by Andrews McMeel) KenKen Scrabblegrams 7 Little Words (Distributed by Andrews McMeel) Find the Words Get to the hospital (Distributed by Creators Syndicate) Kubok
Are you tracking your health with a device? Here’s what could happen with the dataCanada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day.The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . BALTIMORE (AP) — Miles Brewster had 18 points in Boston University’s 75-71 victory over UMBC on Saturday. Brewster also had six rebounds for the Terriers (2-4). Matai Baptiste added 13 points while shooting 4 for 5, including 3 for 3 from beyond the arc while they also had nine rebounds. Michael McNair went 3 of 6 from the field (2 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 10 points. Josh Odunowo led the Retrievers (3-4) in scoring, finishing with 23 points and six rebounds. UMBC also got 18 points from Bryce Johnson. Marlon Short had 10 points and three steals. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
