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Would you like a chance to experience the magic of the season while remaining warm and toasty in your car? Hilltop Baptist Church will host its fourth annual drive-through Live Nativity from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday. This is a free event, but guests are asked to bring a can of food to donate if they wish. The church gathers these items and donates them to a local food bank. “This is a great kickoff for the holidays and a reminder of the reason for the season — the gift of Christ,” said Julie VanGorder, event organizer. The idea for this event came in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. People were still practicing social distance then and unable to attend regular church services. “We started this because people weren’t gathering and we wanted to give them an opportunity to hear the message of the season while staying safe,” said VanGorder. “So we put the stations far enough apart that the kids could social distance and we figured it would be safe if people drove through in their cars.” The event was so popular that they decided to continue it. Hilltop’s Live Nativity has now become a much-loved annual tradition. Last year, they had about 130 people drive through in 80 vehicles. There are roughly 50 volunteers involved in the event. In addition to wrangling kids and animals, volunteers will tend five small fires and use heat lamps to keep everyone warm. “The Hilltop Fire Department will be here as our road crew to make sure everyone is safe,” said VanGorder. “And then we have about 30 to 35 children involved from ages 4 to 18 years old and a kitchen crew working inside who will serve all our volunteers afterwards.” Several local men from the church have built sheds and pens throughout the last few years. This year, a grandfather and -son team from the church built a large cross, which will be prominently featured. When visitors drive into the event they will first be greeted and given a program and counted in a census, like the story from the Bible. They will then drive along a series of scenes from the life of Jesus, acted out by the children. The first scene features scripture from the prophet Issah foretelling the birth of Christ. The next scene will feature the angels appearing to Mary, followed by a scene with shepherds and angels seeing the star. The three wise men will be the focus of the next scene. In the penultimate station, visitors will experience the magic of the Live Nativity. Marklyn Brown will haul a menagerie of animals to the event, as she has for the last several years. “I believe she is bringing a donkey, cow, goat and maybe a sheep,” said VanGorder. The last scene will feature the new cross. “This way, it goes from Jesus’ birth all the way to the cross,” said VanGorder. “The new cross is really something; very beautifully made out of a large tree.” As they exit the event, guests will be given a small gift from the church and a Bible from members of Gideons International. VanGorder said, “We hope that this event will remind people that Christ loves them.”
CEO shooting suspect Luigi Mangione in angry outburst as he fights extradition to New YorkMore than 60 years after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, conspiracy theories still swirl and any new glimpse into the fateful day of Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas continues to fascinate. President-elect Donald Trump promised during his reelection campaign that he would declassify all of the remaining government records surrounding the assassination if he returned to office. He made a similar pledge during his first term, but ultimately bended to appeals from the CIA and FBI to keep some documents withheld. The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App At this point, only a few thousand of the millions of governmental records related to the assassination have yet to be fully released, and those who have studied the records released so far say that even if the remaining files are declassified, the public shouldn't anticipate any earth-shattering revelations. “Anybody waiting for a smoking gun that’s going to turn this case upside down will be sorely disappointed,” said Gerald Posner, author of “Case Closed,” which concludes that assassin Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. Friday's 61st anniversary is expected to be marked with a moment of silence at 12:30 p.m. in Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy's motorcade was passing through when he was fatally shot. And throughout this week there have been events marking the anniversary. Nov. 22, 1963 When Air Force One carrying Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy touched down in Dallas, they were greeted by a clear sky and enthusiastic crowds. With a reelection campaign on the horizon the next year, they had gone to Texas on political fence-mending trip. But as the motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested 24-year-old Oswald and, two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer. A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate the assassination, concluded that Oswald acted alone and there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that hasn't quelled a web of alternative theories over the decades. The collection In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection of over 5 million records was required to be opened by 2017, barring any exemptions designated by the president. Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had boasted that he'd allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the potential harm to national security. And while files have continued to be released during President Joe Biden's administration, some still remain unseen. The documents released over the last few years offer details on the way intelligence services operated at the time, and include CIA cables and memos discussing visits by Oswald to the Soviet and Cuban embassies during a trip to Mexico City just weeks before the assassination. The former Marine had previously defected to the Soviet Union before returning home to Texas. Mark S. Zaid, a national security attorney in Washington, said what's been released so far has contributed to the understanding of the time period, giving “a great picture” of what was happening during the Cold War and the activities of the CIA. Withheld files Posner estimates that there are still about 3,000 to 4,000 documents in the collection that haven’t yet been fully released. Of those documents, some are still completely redacted while others just have small redactions, like someone's Social Security number. There are about 500 documents where all the information is redacted, Posner said, and those include Oswald's and Ruby’s tax returns. “If you have been following it, as I have and others have, you sort of are zeroed in on the pages you think might provide some additional information for history,” Posner said. Trump's transition team hasn’t responded to questions this week about his plans when he takes office. A continued fascination From the start, there were those who believed there had to be more to the story than just Oswald acting alone, said Stephen Fagin, curator of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which tells the story of the assassination from the building where Oswald made his sniper's perch. “People want to make sense of this and they want to find the solution that fits the crime," said Fagin, who said that while there are lingering questions, law enforcement made “a pretty compelling case” against Oswald. Read more of the latest international headlines Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said his interest in the assassination dates back to the event itself, when he was a child. “It just seemed so fantastical that one very disturbed individual could end up pulling off the crime of the century," Sabato said. “But the more I studied it, the more I realized that is a very possible, maybe even probable in my view, hypothesis.”WASHINGTON , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Danaher Corporation DHR announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.27 per share of its common stock, payable on January 31, 2025 to holders of record on December 27, 2024 . ABOUT DANAHER Danaher is a leading global life sciences and diagnostics innovator, committed to accelerating the power of science and technology to improve human health. Our businesses partner closely with customers to solve many of the most important health challenges impacting patients around the world. Danaher's advanced science and technology - and proven ability to innovate - help enable faster, more accurate diagnoses and help reduce the time and cost needed to sustainably discover, develop and deliver life-changing therapies. Focused on scientific excellence, innovation and continuous improvement, our approximately 63,000 associates worldwide help ensure that Danaher is improving quality of life for billions of people today, while setting the foundation for a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow. Explore more at www.danaher.com . View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/danaher-announces-quarterly-dividend-302328121.html SOURCE Danaher Corporation © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
(Bloomberg) -- A rally in the world’s largest technology companies drove stocks higher, with traders wading through the latest economic data and awaiting Jerome Powell’s remarks for clues on the Federal Reserve’s next steps. Treasuries rose and the dollar fluctuated. Equities headed toward all-time highs, with the S&P 500 set for its 56th closing record in 2024. The Nasdaq 100 climbed about 1%. Nvidia Corp. led a gauge of the “Magnificent Seven” megacaps higher as the group extended this year’s surge to 62%. Salesforce Inc. jumped 9% and Marvell Technology Inc. soared 24% as their results boosted hopes both companies will keep benefiting from an industrywide boom in artificial intelligence. Just days ahead of the key jobs report, data showed employment at US companies remained firm in November while services activity expanded at the slowest pace in three months. Powell participates in a moderated discussion later Wednesday, and one of his favorite barometers of the economy — the Beige Book — will likely reflect the post-election surge in sentiment. “Right now, the odds favor another cut this month followed by a pause in January, but a significant change in the jobs landscape could rearrange those puzzle pieces,” said Chris Larkin at E*Trade from Morgan Stanley. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%. The Nasdaq 100 climbed 0.9%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.4%. European stocks advanced for a fifth consecutive session as German shares hit a fresh record. Investors were watching the no-confidence vote taking place in France. Treasury 10-year yields declined four basis points to 4.18%. The market-implied odds of a quarter-point Fed cut this month have improved to around 70%. Additionally, a cumulative 80 basis points of easing is priced in by the end of next year. To George Smith at LPL Financial, momentum could continue for stocks as December has been a good month for market seasonals. It’s overall the second-best performing month since 1950 — with a 1.6% average gain — and the third-strongest over the past five years, according to Smith. When studying the proportion of positive monthly returns since 1950, December often delivers the highest proportion of positive monthly returns — around 74%. Despite the seasonality, Smith doesn’t out the possibility of short-term weakness, especially as geopolitical threats have the potential to escalate. Equities may also need to readjust to what may be a slower and shallower Fed rate-cutting cycle than markets are currently pricing in, he noted. “We remain tactically bullish into year-end given the positive macro environment, earnings growth, and a Fed that remains supportive of markets,” wrote JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Market Intelligence Team led by Andrew Tyler. “It is sensible to play the market’s momentum and see low pullback potential until mid-January,” they say. To some technical analysts who watch and analyze price moves, and strategists that keep an eye on investor sentiment, the initial rumblings are starting to sound a lot like a stock market that has overheated. A Bank of America Corp. indicator that tracks sell-side strategists’ average recommendations remains at its highest level since early 2022, in neutral territory, but much closer to a contrarian “sell” signal than a “buy.” “Statistically (and paradoxically), the impact of 2024’s big gains has made the market look riskier for long-term investors, but potentially safer for near-term speculators,” the Leuthold Group’s Doug Ramsey wrote this week. Leuthold’s major trend index (MTI) — which takes into account many different kinds of indicators — remains at a “high neutral,” but all of the indexes in the MTI closed last week with maximum-bullish readings. All the short-term positioning, rally chasing and mechanical buying flow speaks to an attitude of just running with the market tide. That doesn’t stop the potential for things to change when the calendar flips into 2025. “To put it simply, and probably no one wants to hear it, but this is not a good set up — investors and speculators alike have been lulled into permabull paradise,” writes Callum Thomas at Topdown Charts. Investors have their hopes up for a Santa Claus rally, but a healthy dose of skepticism might be warranted after November’s stellar run-up, according to Callie Cox at Ritholtz Wealth Management. “The bar for success is now a lot higher for an economy that may still be in flux,” Cox said. “Yields show that expectations have moved a lot over the past two months, yet we haven’t seen any sustained, clear momentum in economic data. Expectations matter, and the job market is under a microscope.” To Mark Hackett at Nationwide, the sustainability of the market rally will be dependent on the continued resilience of the consumer. One of the best forecasters of consumer spending is the health of the job market. “Markets continue to be driven by a combination of technical and fundamental factors,” Hackett noted. “The consistency of the rally is demoralizing to bears, creating a ‘virtuous circle’ where buying drives further buying. There are questions of sustainability into 2025 given elevated expectations and valuations, but that is unlikely to derail the near-term momentum.” Appetite for equities has shown no sign of abating this year. The S&P 500 made multiple record highs, surging over 25%, powered by technology shares and a broad preference for US assets. The rally extended after the election of Donald Trump raised hopes of tax cuts and deregulation. While American equities have persistently outpaced their global peers, BlackRock Investment Institute says that could continue. The US benefits more from “mega forces,” driving corporate earnings, the firm notes. That is supported by a favorable growth outlook plus potential tax cuts and regulatory easing. “Some valuation measures – whether price-to-earnings ratios or equity risk premiums – look rich relative to history. But they may not tell the full story,” according to BII. “Comparing today’s index to that of the past is like comparing apples to oranges. Plus, valuations tend to matter more for returns over a long-term horizon than in the near term.” BII says the AI mega force will likely benefit US stocks more and that’s why the firm stays overweight, particularly relative to global peers such as European stocks. “The upshot: We are risk-on for now, but stay nimble. Key signposts for changing our view include any surge in long-term bond yields or an escalation in trade protectionism,” BII concluded. Corporate Highlights: Key events this week: Some of the main moves in markets: Stocks Currencies Cryptocurrencies Bonds Commodities This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com ©2024 Bloomberg L.P.Following arguably the most dominant year of golf since Tiger Woods was in his prime, Scottie Scheffler received the PGA Tour Player of the Year award on Tuesday night. It's the third straight year Scheffler has won the honor, and the World No. 1 joins Woods as the only players to win the Jack Nicklaus Award three years in a row. The award is determined by a vote of PGA Tour members. According to a news release, Scheffler received 91 percent of the vote, with Xander Schauffele and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy the only other nominees. Scheffler, 28, was the first player to win seven official PGA Tour events in a calendar year since Tiger Woods in 2007. Those victories were at some of the most prestigious events on the schedule, against some of the most elite fields. He became the first player to go back-to-back at The Players Championship, won his second career major title at the Masters and earned his other five wins at signature events: the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, the Memorial Tournament, the Travelers Championship and the season-ending Tour Championship. Though not a tour event, Scheffler captured the Olympic gold medal for men's golf at the Paris Games. He also helped the United States defeat the International team at the Presidents Cup in Montreal. "Scottie took on challenges from the best players in the world on the biggest stages all season, and being honored as PGA Tour Player of the Year is the ultimate sign of respect from his peers," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.
Sake is perhaps more Japanese than the world-famous sushi. It's brewed in centuries-old mountaintop warehouses, savored in the country’s pub-like izakayas, poured during weddings and served slightly chilled for special toasts. The smooth rice wine that plays a crucial role in Japan 's culinary traditions was enshrined on Wednesday by UNESCO on its list of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity." At a meeting in Luque, Paraguay, members of UNESCO’s committee for safeguarding humanity's cultural heritage voted to recognize 45 cultural practices and products around the world, including Brazilian white cheese, Caribbean cassava bread and Palestinian olive oil soap. Unlike UNESCO’s World Heritage List, which includes sites considered important to humanity like the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Intangible Cultural Heritage designation names products and practices of different cultures that are deserving of recognition. A Japanese delegation welcomed the announcement in Luque. “Sake is considered a divine gift and is essential for social and cultural events in Japan,” Kano Takehiro, the Japanese ambassador to UNESCO, told The Associated Press. The basic ingredients of sake are few: rice, water, yeast and koji, a rice mold, which breaks down the starches into fermentable sugars like malting does in beer production. The whole two-monthlong process of steaming, stirring, fermenting and pressing can be grueling. The rice — which wields tremendous marketing power as part of Japan's broader cultural identity — is key to the alcoholic brew. For a product to be categorized Japanese sake, the rice must be Japanese. The UNESCO recognition, the delegation said, captured more than the craft knowledge of making high-quality sake. It also honored a tradition dating back some 1,000 years — sake makes a cameo in Japan’s famous 11th century novel, “The Tale of Genji,” as the drink of choice in the refined Heian court. Now, officials hope to restore sake's image as Japan's premier alcoholic drink even as the younger drinkers in the country switch to imported wine or domestic beer and whiskey. “It means a lot to Japan and to the Japanese,” Takehiro said of the UNESCO designation. "This will help to renew interest in traditional sake elaboration.” Also, Japanese breweries have expressed hope that the listing could give a little lift to the country's export economy as the popularity of sake booms around the world and in the United States amid heightened interest in Japanese cuisine. Sake exports, mostly to the U.S. and China, now rake in over $265 million a year, according to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, a trade group. Japan's delegation appeared ready to celebrate on Wednesday — in classic Japanese style. After the announcement, Takehiro raised a cypress box full of sake to toast the alcoholic brew and cultural rite.THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a $2.38 per share dividend for the first quarter of 2025. The dividend will be paid on March 7, 2025 , to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 14, 2025 . About Amgen Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative medicines to help millions of patients in their fight against some of the world's toughest diseases. More than 40 years ago, Amgen helped to establish the biotechnology industry and remains on the cutting-edge of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what's known today. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline that builds on its existing portfolio of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases and rare diseases. In 2024, Amgen was named one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" by Fast Company and one of "America's Best Large Employers" by Forbes, among other external recognitions . Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average ® , and it is also part of the Nasdaq-100 Index ® , which includes the largest and most innovative non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. For more information, visit Amgen.com and follow Amgen on X , LinkedIn , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube and Threads . Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company (including BeiGene, Ltd. or Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.), the performance of Otezla® (apremilast) (including anticipated Otezla sales growth and the timing of non-GAAP EPS accretion), our acquisitions of Teneobio, Inc., ChemoCentryx, Inc., or Horizon Therapeutics plc (including the prospective performance and outlook of Horizon's business, performance and opportunities, any potential strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities expected as a result of such acquisition, and any projected impacts from the Horizon acquisition on our acquisition-related expenses going forward), as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems on our business, outcomes, progress, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Our results may be affected by our ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products including biosimilars, difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products and global economic conditions. In addition, sales of our products are affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, our research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. We or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products, including our devices, after they are on the market. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. In addition, our business may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities. If we fail to meet the compliance obligations in the corporate integrity agreement between us and the U.S. government, we could become subject to significant sanctions. Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors, or we may fail to prevail in present and future intellectual property litigation. We perform a substantial amount of our commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities, including in Puerto Rico , and also depend on third parties for a portion of our manufacturing activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development. An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as COVID-19, and the public and governmental effort to mitigate against the spread of such disease, could have a significant adverse effect on the supply of materials for our manufacturing activities, the distribution of our products, the commercialization of our product candidates, and our clinical trial operations, and any such events may have a material adverse effect on our product development, product sales, business and results of operations. We rely on collaborations with third parties for the development of some of our product candidates and for the commercialization and sales of some of our commercial products. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to many of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Certain of our distributors, customers and payers have substantial purchasing leverage in their dealings with us. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on our business and results of operations. Our efforts to collaborate with or acquire other companies, products or technology, and to integrate the operations of companies or to support the products or technology we have acquired, may not be successful. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to realize any of the strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities arising from the Horizon acquisition, and such benefits, synergies or opportunities may take longer to realize than expected. We may not be able to successfully integrate Horizon, and such integration may take longer, be more difficult or cost more than expected. A breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach of our information technology systems could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems and our data. Our stock price is volatile and may be affected by a number of events. Our business and operations may be negatively affected by the failure, or perceived failure, of achieving our environmental, social and governance objectives. The effects of global climate change and related natural disasters could negatively affect our business and operations. Global economic conditions may magnify certain risks that affect our business. Our business performance could affect or limit the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock. We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks Elissa Snook , 609-251-1407 (media) Justin Claeys , 805-313-9775 (investors) View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amgen-announces-2025-first-quarter-dividend-302328180.html SOURCE Amgen
