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WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee on Monday accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs as a member of Congress, as lawmakers released the conclusions of a nearly four-year investigation that helped sink his nomination for attorney general. The 37-page report by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in from 2017 to 2020 while the Republican represented Florida's western Panhandle. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R- Fla., speaks at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Congressional investigators concluded that Gaetz violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office, though not federal sex trafficking laws. They also found that Gaetz “knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct” the committee's work. “The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report said. Before the report came out, Gaetz denied any wrongdoing and criticized the committee's process. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” he posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Gaetz, who was first elected in 2017, spent the majority of his time in Washington enmeshed in scandals that ultimately derailed his selection by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Justice Department. Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress last month. His political future is uncertain, although Gaetz has indicated interest in running for the open Senate seat in Florida. The committee painted a damning portrait of Gaetz's conduct, using dozens of pages of exhibits, including text messages and financial records, travel receipts, checks and online payments, to document a party and drug-fueled lifestyle. The committee said it compiled the evidence after issuing 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony and contacting more than two dozen witnesses. In addition to soliciting prostitution, the report said Gaetz “accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts.” That same year, investigators said Gaetz arranged for a staffer to obtain a passport for a woman with whom he was sexually involved, falsely telling the State Department that she was his constituent. In some of the text exchanges made public, he appeared to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. At one point he asked one woman if she had a “cute black dress” to wear. There were also discussions of shipping goods. One of the exhibits was a text exchange that appeared to be between two of the women concerned about their cash flow and payments. In another, a person asked Gaetz for help to pay an educational expense. Regarding the 17-year-old girl, the report said there was no evidence Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her. The woman told the committee she did not tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But Gaetz stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. Florida law says it is a felony for a person 24 or older to have sex with a minor. The law does not allow a claim of ignorance or misrepresentation of a minor's age as a defense. Joel Leppard, who represents two women who told the committee that Gaetz paid them for sex, said the findings “vindicate” the accounts of his clients and “demonstrate their credibility.” “We appreciate the Committee’s commitment to transparency in releasing this comprehensive report so the truth can be known,” Leppard said in a statement. At least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the committee earlier this month in voting to release the report despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. On behalf of the Republicans who voted against making the report public, the committee chairman, Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, wrote that while the members did not challenge the findings, “we take great exception that the majority deviated from the Committee’s well-established standards,” to drop any investigation when a person is not longer a member of the chamber. Guest added that releasing this report sets a precedent that “is a dangerous departure with potentially catastrophic consequences.” But Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Democratic member of the committee, said that for transparency, it was crucial for the public and Congress as an institution to read the findings. "I think that’s important for my colleagues here in the House to know how the committee reviews certain acts," he told The Associated Press. "Some of these were obviously conduct that crossed the line, but some of them weren’t.” Mounting a last-ditch effort to halt the publication of the report, Gaetz filed a lawsuit Monday asking a federal court to intervene. He cited what he called “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his “standing and reputation in the community.” Gaetz’s complaint argued that he was no longer under the committee’s jurisdiction because he had resigned from Congress. The often secretive, bipartisan committee has investigated claims against Gaetz since 2021. But its work became more urgent last month when Trump picked him shortly after the Nov. 5 election Day to be the nation's top law enforcement officer. Gaetz resigned from Congress that same day, putting him outside the purview of the committee's jurisdiction. But Democrats had pressed to make the report public even after Gaetz was no longer in the House and had withdrawn from consideration for Trump's Cabinet. A vote on the House floor this month to force the report’s release failed; all but one Republican voted against it. The committee detailed its start-and-stop investigation over the past several years, which was halted for a time as the Justice Department conducted its own inquiry of Gaetz. Federal prosecutors never brought a case against him. Lawmakers said they asked the Justice Department for information about its investigation, but the agency refused to hand over information, saying it does not disclose information about investigations that do not result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the department for records. After a back-and-forth between department officials and the committee, the department only handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual,” according to the committee's report. The report said Gaetz was “uncooperative" throughout the committee's investigation. He provided “minimal documentation” in response to the committee’s requests, it said. “He also did not agree to a voluntary interview.” ___ Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.( MENAFN - UkrinForm) In Belarus, before the so-called“presidential elections,” repressions by the Regime of Alexander Lukashenko will intensify, including against foreign citizens. This opinion was expressed to Ukrinform by Volodymyr Holovko, head of the Center for Political Analysis, PhD in History, leading researcher at the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, commenting on the recent recommendation of the US State Department for American citizens to“immediately leave” Belarus. In particular, the State Department warns of the risks of detentions and civil unrest in the republic. “The statement of the US State Department is primarily related to the upcoming so-called presidential elections in Belarus . It should be noted that this statement coincided with Lukashenko's registration as a“presidential candidate” on December 23,” the expert noted. According to him, despite the fact that the repressive machine has largely cleared the socio-political field in the republic, Lukashenko's regime is showing anxiety about the possibility of getting the right result and is clearly afraid of facing popular discontent again. Accordingly, in recent months, the atmosphere of intimidation has been growing in Belarus, with punitive authorities searching for social groups that could potentially become sources of resistance. “For example, in November, there were repressive measures against the relatives of those Belarusians who had previously participated in opposition activities. And in December, there was a wave of arrests within the framework of the case of“yard chats,” that is, against citizens who tried to coordinate efforts at the grassroots, everyday level,” said Holovko. Commenting on the peculiarities of the election process in Belarus, the expert noted that a notable indicator of the Lukashenko regime's anxiety is the fact that even technical candidates targeting certain segments of the electorate are refusing to participate in the elections.“For example, in December, a candidate from the 'officers' and a candidate from the 'youth' did so: in both cases, they gave a similar explanation - they allegedly heard the 'voice of the people' that they needed to consolidate around Lukashenko,” Holovko added. At the same time, he said, Lukashenko's regime tried to flirt with the West by gradually releasing political prisoners.“But this did not convince the United States, at least. In early December, the second strategic dialogue between Belarus and the United States took place, during which American diplomats and Belarusian opposition leaders discussed the prospects for cooperation. At the same time, Washington called on Lukashenko to hold truly free elections, to which Minsk accused the United States of interfering in its internal affairs,” the expert noted. He also emphasized that the arrest of a Japanese travel blogger in early December for photographing a railway bridge (by the way, this is the second Japanese citizen detained in Belarus this fall) was a telling signal of the Lukashenko regime's“pre-election” hysteria. “After that, the Japanese Foreign Ministry assigned Belarus the third of four levels of danger, and even the highest level, the fourth, to the territories bordering Ukraine. In this light, the statement of the US State Department is absolutely motivated, and other Western countries should give similar recommendations to their citizens. Because, obviously, as the date of the“voting” approaches - January 26 - unmotivated repressions, including against foreign citizens, by the Lukashenko regime will only intensify,” Holovko summarized. As reported, on December 18, the U.S. State Department recommended that American citizens in Belarus“immediately leave” the country . In addition, all Americans who were going to visit Belarus in the near future were advised by the State Department to cancel their trip“due to the arbitrary implementation of local laws by the Belarusian authorities and the risk of detention, their assistance to Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as the increased instability and unpredictability of the situation in the region.” On December 23, the Central Election Commission of Belarus registered Alexander Lukashenko as a“presidential candidate” in the upcoming“elections”. The election campaign in Belarus will last from January 1 to January 25, 2025. The“elections” themselves are scheduled for January 26. The previous“elections” on August 9, 2020, were marked by the largest protests in the history of independent Belarus. Lukashenka was declared the“winner”. However, many observers believe that Sviatlana Tikhanovskaya won the first round. Mass protests against the falsification of the election results took place in the country. The authorities brutally suppressed these protests, and the opposition was subjected to repression, which continues to this day. Photo: belta MENAFN23122024000193011044ID1109025357 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.The immigration officers sat in their vehicles before dawn near a two-story building. A New York subway line rumbled overhead, then an officer's voice crackled over the radio. After watching for about two hours, he said, “I think that's Tango,” using a term for target. “Gray hoodie. Backpack. Walking quickly.” > Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are The immigration officers surrounded and handcuffed a 23-year-old man from Ecuador who had been convicted of sexually assaulting a minor. Kenneth Genalo, head of Enforcement and Removal Operations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New York, said a popular misconception is that officers can sweep into a community and pick up a wide swath of people who are in the United States illegally and send them to their home countries. “It’s called targeted enforcement,” Genalo said. “We don’t grab people and then take them to JFK and put them on a plane." With Donald Trump returning to the White House, there is intense interest in how the Republican will carry out his immigration agenda , including a campaign pledge of mass deportations. His priorities could run into the realities faced by agents focused on enforcement and removals, including the unit in New York that offered The Associated Press a glimpse into its operations: The number of people already on its lists to target eclipses the number of officers available to do the work. The Biden administration had narrowed deportation priorities to public safety threats and recent border crossers. Trump's incoming “border czar,” Tom Homan , says officials in the new administration also will prioritize those who pose a risk, such as criminals, before moving on to immigrants whom courts have ordered removed from the U.S. But Homan also has signaled that enforcement could be wider: “If you’re in the country illegally you got a problem,” he said recently on Dr. Phil’s Merit TV. It's a tall order. Deportation orders far outnumber staff About 1.4 million people have final orders of removal, while about 660,000 under immigration supervision either have been convicted of crimes or are facing charges. But only 6,000 officers within ICE are tasked with monitoring noncitizens in the country and then finding and removing those not eligible to stay. Those staffing numbers have largely remained static as their caseload has roughly quadrupled over the past decade to 7.6 million. About 10% of that workforce was pulled from their regular duties last year to go to the U.S.-Mexico border at times when immigration spiked. Jason Houser, ICE chief of staff earlier in the Biden administration, said the number of officers needed to pursue those deemed a public safety threat are at direct odds with the goal of deporting people in large numbers. “You're not going to be able to do both of those with the resources you have, with the deportation officers you have,” Houser said. “Just the arithmetic, the time-intensive nature of those sort of arrests will overwhelm any ability to get to those large scale numbers.” Genalo said the officers in charge of individual cases have to get a lead, ensure they have the legal authority to arrest someone and then track the person down. They generally aren't allowed to enter a residence, so they want to catch people outside. How immigration removals work in the field On this recent operation, about a dozen officers gathered before 5 a.m. at a White Castle parking lot in the Bronx. After putting on their body armor and checking their equipment, they circled around for a briefing. Besides the 23-year-old Ecuadorian man, they were going after a 36-year-old Mexican man convicted of forcibly touching a young girl and another Ecuadorian also convicted of sexual abuse of a minor. The first target, the 23-year-old man, who pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl, was believed to usually leave the apartment building around 7 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. Sometimes he was with a woman and child. “Light came on in the first floor of the apartment,” an officer waiting outside said over the radio. Then later: “Someone came out of the basement, but it’s not our target.” They finally spotted him, swept him into the back of a vehicle and quickly left the neighborhood. Inside, the man's 22-year-old wife didn't know what had happened until he called later from detention. In an interview, she said they met in Ecuador and had a child — a bubbly 3-year-old girl with braids — and she was pregnant with their second. He worked construction while she was a manicurist. She said she knew why her husband had been arrested but felt there were important mitigating factors. She said they knew it was possible her husband could be sent back to Ecuador after his criminal case wrapped up but that it was still a shock. ICE deported more than 270,000 people over a recent 12-month period, the highest annual tally in a decade, the agency said in a recent report. But it also said it made fewer arrests of noncitizens, in part because of the demand of sending staff to the border. Of those arrested, a greater proportion had serious criminal histories. Working with local law enforcement Some cities and states work with ICE to turn over people in their custody who aren't U.S. citizens. But many left-leaning states and cities have so-called sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. In New York City, for example, ICE used to have an office at the jail to easily take custody of noncitizens. In 2014, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation kicking out ICE and restricting police cooperation. His successor, Eric Adams, has shown willingness to revisit some of those policies. He recently met with Homan and told reporters they agreed on pursuing people who commit violent crimes. Genalo said agents spend time and resources picking up immigrants few would argue should have the right to stay in America. “How can you state that sanctuary policies help the community when you’re releasing all these criminals right back into the community?” he said. “We’re safer when we collaborate.” Staffing is also an issue. He said he's supposed to have about 325 officers, but in recent years, the number has been about 30% lower. Many immigration advocates have long-standing concerns about ICE's tactics, and those concerns are deepening with Trump's return to office in January. Advocates say the incoming administration's position of going after public safety threats is already longtime policy. They object to rhetoric they say paints immigrants as people to be feared. They say there can be nuances in some cases: Maybe someone committed a crime a long time ago and has been rehabilitated, or someone facing a final order of removal moved and never got the notice. During Trump's first term, there were a lot of “collateral arrests” where immigration officers would detain others besides those being targeted, said Jehan Laner, a senior staff attorney for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. That destabilizes communities, she said, adding, “We saw them go after everyone.” Genalo said he couldn’t comment on the incoming administration’s plans but stressed that officers are going after specific targets with criminal histories. He said he has a docket of about 58,000 people who either have criminal convictions or pending charges. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to be tied up for a while dealing with the criminal population," Genalo said. ___ Associated Press reporter Cedar Attanasio contributed to this report.

Telecom Providers Say Networks Are Secure Following Chinese Salt Typhoon HackNEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2024-- FlexIt , a leader in virtual fitness and wellness, proudly announces the launch of FlexTogetherTM, a platform designed to foster global engagement and connection through innovative wellness experiences. Central to this launch is their new and proprietary AI Class CreatorTM Technology, which enhances personalized workout experiences and social interactions through partnerships with Samsung and LG Electronics. This launch builds on FlexIt’s ongoing efforts, which began with the announcement of ABC's The Bachelorette star Dale Moss as its Head of Community, emphasizing a greater focus on fostering a wellness-driven community through the FlexIt platform. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219024749/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) FlexTogetherTM: Fitness Meets Connection In an increasingly isolated world, FlexTogetherTM redefines fitness by creating opportunities for users to virtually connect, compete, and earn rewards while achieving personal wellness goals. The platform fosters engagement through: A New Era of Social Fitness FlexTogetherTM reshapes how users engage with fitness by creating dynamic opportunities for connection and collaboration. With robust tools like global leaderboards and rewards systems, users are encouraged to stay active while building camaraderie through shared challenges and achievements. By integrating advanced AI features and interactive experiences, the platform unites people across the globe, making fitness a more connected and rewarding endeavor. About FlexIt: FlexIt has revolutionized the fitness and wellness industry through cutting-edge technology, offering a holistic approach to well-being for consumers and enterprises. Our core solution centers around live, 1-on-1, two-way personal health and wellness sessions with fitness and wellness experts, accessible through both web and app platforms. FlexIt's platform goes beyond just fitness training, embracing well-being through nutrition coaching (led by registered nutritionists with a focus on weight loss), low-impact wellness activities (yoga, meditation, stretching, and dance), health coaching, and physical and occupational therapy (covering preventive, pre/post-natal, senior, and recovery), offering 28 health modalities on the platform. Our innovative approach has earned us recognition within the industry. FlexIt has been selected for the Best Budget-Friendly Coaching App of 2023 by Women's Health, the Best Personal Trainer Apps of 2023 by Forbes, and the Best Fitness Apps in 2023 by Oprah Daily and has been awarded by Men’s Health, Inc. 5000, US News & World Report, among many others. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219024749/en/ CONTACT: For media inquiries, please contact: info@flexit.fit KEYWORD: NEW YORK UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HEALTH APPS/APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGY HEALTH TECHNOLOGY FITNESS & NUTRITION GENERAL HEALTH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: FlexIt Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/19/2024 05:02 PM/DISC: 12/19/2024 05:02 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219024749/enImmigration will return to the Department of Justice’s control and may be headed up by a new ‘super junior’ minister, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are also in favour of recreating standalone departments of Transport and Energy in a ‘carve-up’ of multi-faceted ministries held by outgoing Green Party members. And as talks between the two main parties and the Regional Group of Independents resume this week , senior Fine Gael sources said deputy leader Helen McEntee will remain on as Minister of Justice ‘if she wants’. There is likely to be a backlash from Fianna Fáil if Ms McEntee does want to stay on the job. The party – which has 10 more seats than its Fine Gael rivals – has been strongly critical of Ms McEntee’s Justice ministry. In a pre-election interview in this newspaper, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he wanted to run Justice, in coalition with Fine Gael, to ‘make our cities safe again’. In the election campaign, veteran Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea infuriated Fine Gael leadership when he publicly called Ms McEntee ‘the worst Justice Minister in the history of the State’. Despite this, senior Fine Gael figures this weekend insisted it is ‘Helen’s call’ on the portfolio. One party source told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘Helen is at the heart of the [Taoiseach Simon] Harris project. The start may have been uncertain but politically they are joined at the hip. ‘If Helen wants to stay in Justice, she stays in Justice. If she wants to move, then she gets the ministry of her choice, outside perhaps of Finance,’ they said. Another source close to the coalition formation talks said: ‘Justice could be a real sticking point. Some ministries such as Finance will be a straight swap between [outgoing Public Expenditure Minister] Paschal [Donohoe] and [outgoing Finance Minister] Jack [Chambers], but if Helen wants to stay in Justice there could be a real problem.’ Whoever does take the top job in Justice is likely to be joined by a ‘super junior’ minister with responsibility for immigration, according to sources. It is widely acknowledged within Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that the crucial portfolio was ‘lost’ in Green leader Roderic O’Gorman’s multi-layered Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. A source told the MoS said: ‘Integration will return to Justice; it is lost in Roderic’s department.’ Another Government source added: ‘Departmental structures are too complicated in some cases. ‘We need to erase the quadruple-barrelled ministries and return to single-issue ministries like Health and Housing and Finance. Integration will be returned to Justice. It needs the clout of a fully-fledged minister and a Department like Justice instead of being stranded in the Children’s brief.’ Other sources noted Fianna Fáil has, ‘displayed a strong interest in a standalone Department of Energy’ as part of a more concerted push to make the country energy self-sufficient. They also said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are in favour of a return to a single Department of Transport to drive key road projects that were stalled during outgoing Green Minister Eamon Ryan’s tenure. A Fianna Fáil source said: ‘There are a lot of roads needing to be built. We need to reverse the damage done by the Greens.’ The interdepartmental reshuffle is likely to see the dismantling of Mr Ryan’s department, which spanned Transport and the Environment, Climate and Communications portfolios. Party colleague Catherine Martin’s Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media could also be broken up, with some portfolios transferred to Ministers of State. One senior Cabinet source told the MoS: ‘The ministries held by Eamon Ryan, Roderic O’Gorman and Catherine Martin will be dismantled. They are too big.’ Meanwhile, both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are against giving a full seat at Cabinet to an Independent coalition ally. Referring to the pre-Christmas appointment of Verona Murphy to the €255,000 Ceann Comhairle role, a coalition source said: ‘When it comes to full ministries, we [Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael] are going to scoff the lot. The Regionals got their full ministry with the appointment of Verona.’ Another Coalition source said the two parties – who are just shy of an overall majority – will confine the ambitions of their Independent allies to ‘a couple of junior ministers’. They told the MoS: ‘Christmas came early to the Independents with Verona.’ There is an acknowledgement that the Independents will get the politically attractive Department of Rural and Community Affairs, but not a senior ministry. A source involved in the coalition talks said: ‘It is taken that [outgoing Minister] Heather’s [Humphreys] Rural and Community Affairs brief will go to the Independents as some form of super junior. That is their bread and butter. ‘They can have their pick of ministries, but they won’t be [senior] ministers.’

Energy stocks as a whole delivered an underwhelming performance in 2025. The average one in the S&P 500 has only managed to eke out a small gain (the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund -- an ETF that tracks energy stocks in the S&P 500 -- is only up about 1% on the year). Meanwhile, the S&P 500 has rallied more than 25%. A few Fool.com contributors expect a better performance from energy stocks next year. Chevron ( CVX 0.01% ) , Enterprise Products Partners ( EPD -0.23% ) , and Occidental Petroleum ( OXY 0.75% ) top their lists as the best ones to buy in the new year. Here's why they expect these energy companies to deliver a strong performance in 2025. Chevron has you covered through the energy cycle Reuben Gregg Brewer (Chevron): Energy stocks can be volatile, given that oil and natural gas prices are notoriously volatile. So you have to go in ready to handle the inherent ups and downs of the industry, regardless of whether you buy at the top of the energy cycle or the bottom. Chevron is built to ride the wave -- and keep paying you well throughout. The proof is in the $250 billion market cap energy giant's 37-year streak of annual dividend increases. There are a couple of important reasons for this reliable performance. First off, as an integrated energy company, Chevron has exposure across the energy sector, including the upstream (energy production), midstream ( pipelines ), and downstream (chemicals and refining). Each of the sectors operates a little differently from the others and, as such, having all three in the portfolio helps to soften the broader industry's peaks and valleys. CVX Debt to Equity Ratio data by YCharts Then there's Chevron's rock-solid balance sheet , with a debt-to-equity ratio that's a very low 0.2. That would be low for any company, but it gives Chevron the leeway to take on leverage during energy downturns so it can continue to support its business and dividend until the energy sector recovers, as it always has before. Add in an attractive 4.5% dividend yield , and there's even more reason to buy Chevron right now. Dual drivers should fuel more growth in 2025 Matt DiLallo (Enterprise Products Partners ): Midstream giant Enterprise Products Partners had a very solid year in 2024. The master limited partnership ( MLP ) grew its distributable cash flow by 5% in the third quarter. Meanwhile, it has increased its distribution payment by 5% over the past year. The company benefited from recently completed organic expansion projects, which supplied it with new sources of cash flow . That momentum should continue in 2025. The midstream company has several more organic expansion projects in the pipeline that should enter commercial service over the next year. Those projects will supply more sources of cash flow growth next year. In addition, Enterprise Products Partners will get a boost from its recently closed acquisition of Pinon Midstream. The $950 million deal will be highly accretive to its cash flow. The MLP expects it to add $0.03 per unit in 2025, with further upside potential from commercial and operating synergies. Those visible growth drivers should give the MLP the fuel to continue increasing its distribution in 2025. That would extend its growth streak, which reached 26 years in 2024. Its payout currently yields a very attractive 6.8%, putting it much higher than average (the S&P 500's dividend yield is around 1.2%). Enterprise Products Partners' lucrative income stream and visible growth drivers should give it the fuel to produce a solid return in 2025. That low-risk probability of earning a solid return makes it stand out as a top energy stock to buy for the next year. A compelling bounce-back candidate for 2025 Neha Chamaria (Occidental Petroleum): Occidental Petroleum stock turned out to be one of the largest underperforming large-cap energy stocks of 2024, losing 19% of its value in the year as of this writing. While falling oil prices in the second half of the year hit several oil stocks, Occidental Petroleum stock took a bigger hit partly because of debt, which zoomed after its multibillion-dollar CrownRock acquisition in August. At this point, however, Occidental Petroleum looks like the kind of energy stock you'd want to buy for 2025 for one big reason: Management is laser-focused on cutting down debt. Occidental announced a target of reducing debt by at least $4.5 billion within 12 months of closing the CrownRock acquisition. The company, however, hit 90% of its goal in less than three months, driven by strong cash flow generation in its third quarter. During its third-quarter earnings conference call, management stated that Occidental Petroleum has enough cash to repay debt maturing in 2025, and that it should be able to pare debt further next year even in a low-oil price environment. Meanwhile, CrownRock's key assets in the Permian Basin are already contributing to Occidental's production and cash flows, as was evidenced in the third quarter. Occidental also has other growth catalysts, such as its low-carbon ventures business and its chemicals business, called OxyChem. Given the backdrop, Occidental Petroleum looks like a value stock worth betting on for 2025 .Boone County 2025 budget approved with focus on workforce retention

READER POLL: Do you think Donald Trump’s indictments helped or hurt him in the 2024 election?New Jersey fines firms $40K for sports betting violationsPHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2024-- University of Phoenix is proud to share it is a recipient of the EC-Council 2024 Academic Partner of the Year Award . The EC-Council Academia division awards formally highlight academic institutions and faculty within North America and across the world that demonstrate exceptional innovation, impact and dedication to shaping the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. This year’s winners were selected from a pool of over 2,000 academic institutions and recipients were honored for advancing a diverse cybersecurity skillset for their students, while preparing them for an increasingly complex and digital-first world. “Receiving the EC-Council Academic Partner of the Year Award is a testament to our unwavering dedication to enhancing cybersecurity education,” states Kathryn Uhles, dean, College of Business and Information Technology at the University. “For five consecutive years, we received the Circle of Excellence award and Dr. J.L. Graff has spearheaded significant endeavors to advance the university’s cybersecurity offerings in collaboration with EC-Council. This award underscores those efforts to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students as we help prepare them for their career of choice.” University of Phoenix College of Business and Information Technology builds degree programs and certificates which make critical connections and cultivates student understanding of the ways technology and business evolve together, particularly in the arena of cybersecurity. The College offers programs aligned to select industry-leading EC-Council certification exams, as well as EC-Council aligned courses , which can be taken individually to focus on specific skills. “We have enjoyed working with the leadership at the University of Phoenix to support their cybersecurity program which immerses students in tactical cyber range scenarios using critical tools and skills they will use in the workforce,” says Wesley Alvarez, Director of Academics for EC-Council. “Their commitment to student success is unwavering, and they have continuously enabled opportunities for students to assess and grow their skills in and outside of the classroom. We are honored to give them our highest award recognition as they continue to grow their program, producing graduates that are prepared and confident to enter the cyber workforce.” The University’s College of Business and Information Technology offers students access to faculty that possess an average of 32.8 years of professional experience. Current faculty includes 399 directors, 188 presidents, 73 Information Technology/System Administrators and 51 chief executive officers. University of Phoenix has long been recognized for excellence in its cybersecurity programs, having the honor of receiving the EC-Council's Academia Circle of Excellence Award for five years in a row. Learn more here about University of Phoenix College of Business and Information Technology cybersecurity programs . About EC-Council EC-Council’s sole purpose is to build and refine the cybersecurity profession globally. The company helps organizations, educators, and governments, as well as individuals, to address global workforce problems by developing and curating world-class cybersecurity education programs and certifications while also providing cybersecurity services to some of the largest businesses around the world. Trusted by seven of the Fortune 10, 47 of the Fortune 100, the Department of Defense, the global intelligence community, NATO, and more than 2,000 of the best universities, colleges, and training companies, EC-Council programs have made their way to 140 countries and have set the bar in cybersecurity education. Learn more at www.eccouncil.org . About University of Phoenix University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219705547/en/ CONTACT: MEDIA CONTACT: Michele Mitchum University of Phoenix michele.mitchum@phoenix.edu KEYWORD: ARIZONA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER EDUCATION CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY EDUCATION SECURITY BUSINESS SOURCE: University of Phoenix Copyright Business Wire 2024. 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First Title 17 battery loan guarantee to be funded under the current administration after an application and approval process that began in January 2021 TURTLE CREEK, Pa., Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: EOSE) ("Eos" or the "Company”), America's leading innovator in the design, sourcing, and manufacturing of zinc-based long duration energy storage (LDES) systems, manufactured in the United States, today announced that it has received the first loan advance from the Department of Energy's (DOE) Loan Programs Office in the amount of $68.3 million. The loan advance, which covers 80% of eligible costs incurred to date on the Mon Valley Works expansion project, represents the maximum allowable amount under the program at this time. The loan advance covers both capital expenditures and project associated operating expenses incurred as part of the Company's production expansion plans related to Project AMAZE in the Mon Valley Works. These funds support Eos' ongoing efforts to enhance its operational capacity and further its strategic growth objectives. "Our first state-of-the-art manufacturing line has been operational since June 2024, and this funding is a significant milestone towards expanding our manufacturing capacity and being able to procure line 2,” said Nathan Kroeker, Eos Chief Financial Officer. "The loan proceeds from the DOE, coupled with our strategic partnership and investment from Cerberus Capital Management, facilitates our growth plans to capitalize on the growing need for long duration energy storage solutions.” This announcement comes on the heels of 616 MWh in new customer orders and an announced partnership with FlexGen to address a preliminary 50 GWh market opportunity, highlighting the growing demand for American-made long duration energy storage. About Eos Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. is accelerating the shift to American energy independence with positively ingenious solutions that transform how the world stores power. Our breakthrough ZnythTM aqueous zinc battery was designed to overcome the limitations of conventional lithium-ion technology. Safe, scalable, efficient, sustainable-and manufactured in the U.S-it's the core of our innovative systems that today provide utility, industrial, and commercial customers with a proven, reliable energy storage alternative for 3- to 12-hour applications. Eos was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Edison, New Jersey. For more information about Eos (NASDAQ: EOSE), visit eose.com . Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our expected revenue, contribution margins, orders backlog and opportunity pipeline for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, our path to profitability and strategic outlook, the tax credits available to our customers or to Eos pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the delayed draw term loan with Cerberus, milestones thereunder and the anticipated use of proceeds therefrom, the DOE loan and statements regarding the receipt of funds under the DOE loan and the anticipated use of proceeds therefrom, obtaining the requisite approvals from the DOE to receive guarantees under the loan guarantee agreement, our ability to meet the applicable conditions precedent under the loan guarantee agreement, statements that refer to outlook, projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intends," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are based on our management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, them. Because such statements are based on expectations as to future financial and operating results and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ materially from those projected. Factors which may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: changes adversely affecting the business in which we are engaged; our ability to forecast trends accurately; our ability to generate cash, service indebtedness and incur additional indebtedness; our ability to achieve the operational milestones on the delayed draw term loan; our ability to raise financing in the future, including the discretionary revolving facility from Cerberus; risks associated with the credit agreement with Cerberus, including risks of default, dilution of outstanding Common Stock, consequences for failure to meet milestones and contractual lockup of shares; our customers' ability to secure project financing; the amount of final tax credits available to our customers or to Eos pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act; uncertainties around our ability to meet the applicable conditions precedent to any funding under the DOE loan; our ability to continue to develop efficient manufacturing processes to scale and to forecast related costs and efficiencies accurately; fluctuations in our revenue and operating results; competition from existing or new competitors; our ability to convert firm order backlog and pipeline to revenue; risks associated with security breaches in our information technology systems; risks related to legal proceedings or claims; risks associated with evolving energy policies in the United States and other countries and the potential costs of regulatory compliance; risks associated with changes to the U.S. trade environment; risks resulting from the impact of global pandemics, including the novel coronavirus, Covid-19; our ability to maintain the listing of our shares of common stock on NASDAQ; our ability to grow our business and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain our management and key employees; risks related to the adverse changes in general economic conditions, including inflationary pressures and increased interest rates; risk from supply chain disruptions and other impacts of geopolitical conflict; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the possibility that Eos may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; other factors beyond our control; risks related to adverse changes in general economic conditions; and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to additional risks, uncertainties, and factors, including those more fully described in the Company's most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. Further information on potential risks that could affect actual results will be included in the subsequent periodic and current reports and other filings that the Company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Moreover, the Company operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risks and uncertainties may emerge that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.CarMax ( KMX 3.45% ) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Dec 19, 2024 , 9:00 a.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Welcome to the third-quarter fiscal year 2025 CarMax earnings release conference call. [Operator instructions] Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to your speaker today, David Lowenstein, VP, investor relations. Please go ahead. David L. Lowenstein -- Assistant Vice President, Investor Relations Thank you, Todd. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining our fiscal 2025 third-quarter earnings conference call. I'm here today with Bill Nash, our president and CEO; Enrique Mayor-Mora, our executive vice president and CFO; and Jon Daniels, our senior vice president, CarMax Auto Finance Operations. Let me remind you, our statements today that are not statements of historical fact, including statements regarding the company's future business plans, prospects, and financial performance are forward-looking statements we make pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on our current knowledge, expectations, and assumptions and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations. In providing projections and other forward-looking statements, we disclaim any intent or obligation to update them. For additional information on important factors and risks that could affect these expectations, please see our Form 8-K filed with the SEC this morning, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year 2024, and our quarterly results on Form 10-Q, previously filed with the SEC. Should you have any follow-up questions after the call, please feel free to contact our Investor Relations Department at 804-747-0422, extension 7865. Lastly, let me thank you in advance for asking only one question and getting back in the queue for more follow-ups. Bill? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Great. Thank you, David. Good morning, everyone, and thanks for joining us. We're very pleased with the continued positive trends across our diversified business during the third quarter with retail, wholesale, and cap all posting year-over-year gains. Our solid execution in a more stable environment for vehicle valuations enabled us to deliver robust EPS growth as we drove unit volume increases in sales and buys, maintain strong margins, stabilize the provision for loan losses, and realize cost efficiencies. Our results reflect the strength of our business model and we're excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. Our best-in-class omnichannel experience is and will continue to be a key differentiator that gives us access to the largest total addressable market in the used car space and provides a strong runway for future growth. In the third quarter, we grew retail and wholesale unit volume year over year. We delivered strong retail and wholesale GPUs, expanded EPP gross profit, and improved service gross profit year over year. We bought more vehicles from both consumers and dealers year over year, achieving a third-quarter record with dealers. We grew cap income year over year and continued to advance our full credit spectrum underwriting model. We materially levered SG&A as a percent of gross profit and we achieved double-digit EPS growth. For the third quarter of FY'25, our diversified business model delivered total sales of $6.2 billion, up 1% compared to last year, reflecting higher volume partially offset by lower prices. In our retail business, total unit sales increased 5.4%, and used unit comps were up 4.3%. Average selling price declined approximately $1,100 per unit or 4% year over year. Third-quarter retail gross profit per used unit was $2,306 in line with last year's $2,277. Wholesale unit sales were up 6.3% versus the third quarter last year. Average selling price declined approximately $500 per unit or 6% year over year. Third-quarter wholesale gross profit per unit was $1,015 up from $961 a year ago. We bought approximately 270,000 vehicles during the quarter, up 8% from last year. We purchased approximately 237,000 vehicles from consumers with more than half of those buys coming through our online instant appraisal experience. With the support of our Edmunds sales teams, we sourced the remaining approximately 33,000 vehicles through dealers, which is up 47% from last year. We continue to see increased adoption of our omni-channel retail experience. For the third quarter, approximately 15% of retail unit sales were online up from 14% last year, approximately 56% of retail unit sales were omni sales this quarter up from 55% in the prior year. Total revenue from online transactions was approximately 32%, up from 31% last year. All of our third-quarter wholesale auctions in sales were virtual and are considered online transactions, which represents 19% of total revenue for the quarter. CarMax Auto Finance or CAF delivered income of $160 million, up 8% from the same quarter last year. In a few minutes, John will provide more detail on customer financing, the loan loss provision, CAF contribution, and our progress on full credit spectrum lending. At this point, I'd like to turn the call over to Enrique, who will share more information on our third-quarter financial performance. Enrique? Enrique Mayor-Mora -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Thanks, Bill, and good morning, everyone. The momentum that we have been building over the last several quarters carried into the third quarter, as we delivered on all key financial fronts, positive retail unit comps, growth in wholesale unit volumes, robust vehicle margins, material growth, and other gross profit per retail unit, growth in CAF income and strong flow through to the bottom line. Third-quarter net earnings per diluted share with $0.81, up 56% versus a year ago. Total gross profit was $678 million, up 11% from last year's third quarter. Used retail margin of $425 million increased by 7% with higher volume and relatively flat per-unit margins. Wholesale vehicle margin of $138 million grew by 12% due to increases in both volume and unit margins. Other gross profit was $115 million, up 25% from a year ago. This was driven primarily by a combination of EPP and service. EPP increased by $15 million, as we continue to benefit from higher Max care margins per contract. We expect margins per unit to be up slightly year over year in the fourth quarter, not by as much as we've experienced year to date, as we will be lapping over the initial rollout of margin increases that took place in last year's fourth quarter. Service margin improved by $10 million over last year's third quarter, recording in $11 million less. We achieved this performance improvement through successful cost coverage and efficiency measures and positive sales growth. We expect continued year-over-year improvement in the fourth quarter as governed by sales performance given the leverage deleverage nature of service. On the SG&A front, expenses for the third quarter were $576 million, up 3% or $16 million from the prior year. SG&A leveraged by 640 basis points driven by the growth and gross profit and our continued expense efficiency actions. SG&A dollars in the third quarter versus last year were mainly impacted by two factors. First, total compensation and benefits increased by $28 million. This was primarily driven by our corporate bonus accrual, which had been reduced in the last year's third quarter. Second, advertising was favorable by $9 million due to timing. Regard advertising, we expect that our spend in the fourth quarter on a total unit basis will be higher than our year-to-date rate and last year's fourth quarter, which was $219 per total unit. This aligns with the previous guidance we have given on advertising that we expect full-year spend to be approximately $200 on a total unit basis. I also want to point out one noteworthy item. As discussed last quarter, as part of our focus on efficiency, we have been evaluating our logistics operations. This quarter we incurred a one-time charge of $5 million related to equipment and leasing arrangements that hit the other expense line. This is more than offset by efficiencies gained in our logistics operations. Regarding capital allocation during the third quarter, we repurchased approximately 1.5 million shares for a total spend of $115 million. As of the end of the quarter, we had approximately $2.04 billion of repurchase authorization remaining. Now I'd like to turn the call over to John. Jon Daniels -- Senior Vice President, CarMax Auto Finance Thanks, Enrique, and good morning, everyone. During the third quarter, CarMax Auto Finance originated approximately $1.9 billion resulting in sales penetration of 43.1%, net of three-day payoffs as compared to 44% during last year's third quarter. The weighted average contract rate charged to new customers was 11.2%, decrease of 10 basis points from a year ago. Third-party Tier 2 penetration in the quarter was 17.9% in line with a year ago, while third-party Tier 3 volume accounted for 6.5% of sales compared to the 6.9% seen in last year's third quarter. CAF income for the quarter was $160 million, which was up $11 million from the same period last year, and was predominantly impacted by our net interest margin, which increased 35 basis points a year over year to 6.2%. The provision for loan losses was $73 million versus last year's provision of $68 million and results in a reserve balance of $479 million. While the $113 million provision for losses in the second quarter of this year was outsized and included a significant adjustment for the pre-existing receivable base, this quarter's $73 million provision represents our belief that based on observed performance within the quarter, our adjustment in Q2 adequately accounted for future lifetime losses. The $479 million reserve balance results in reserve to receivables ratio of 2.7% as compared to 2.82% at the end of Q2. This 12 basis point reduction is due to the combined effect of the more normalized provision within the quarter and the previous credit tightening still in place. As a normal course of business we are continuously exploring opportunities to help our customers through adjustments in our account servicing strategies. One such example is with payment extensions, which have historically impacted less than 1% of our portfolio in any given month and have been below industry levels. This tool has proven successful in helping customers navigate temporary challenges. During the quarter, we began testing an enhancement to our policy that further empowers delinquent customers to take advantage of a payment extension and more aligns with industry levels. While early performance results are encouraging and similar to those witnessed under the existing policy, we recognize that some customers will eventually return to delinquency and result in a charge off. And for this we have reserved accordingly. Regarding our full spectrum lending initiative during Q3, we continued to test our new credit scoring models and corresponding strategies across the entirety of both the Tier 1 and Tier 2 spaces. And in November, we began initial testing of our new Tier 3 model. During the quarter, we also successfully executed our second higher prime ABS deal. In the next several quarters we will remain disciplined in our testing plan, but we are excited for the significant growth opportunity that lies ahead for CAF. Now I'll turn the call back over to Bill. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Jon and Enrique. As I mentioned at the start of the call, I'm pleased with the continued momentum we're seeing across our business. The differentiated omni-channel capabilities we've built over the past few years have strengthened our business model and our key to our performance. With these core capabilities in place, we are focused on refining the experience for associates and customers and are well-positioned to leverage, what we have built to support future top and bottom-line growth across our diversified business. Some examples include this quarter, we completed the nationwide rollout of our customer shopping accounts. As a reminder, these make it even easier for customers to see the steps they have taken on their shopping journey, whether on their own or with help from an associate. In addition, these accounts guide customers' next steps and create operational efficiencies by empowering associates to seamlessly search and update customer records regardless of where they originated. In addition to the customer shopping accounts, tools such as Sky, our AI powered virtual assistant are creating operating efficiencies and providing help when consumers need it. Our data show that customers are completing more remote steps year over year and this increase in remote steps is also improving conversion across all of our channels, online, in-store, and through our CECs. We continue to add helpful shopping information tools to our website. For example, now we show vehicle specific battery health information on most EVs. We also highlight tax credit eligible vehicles and allow customers to filter searches by cars that are eligible for the used EV tax credit. For supply, we've enhanced our industry leading online appraisal experience. We are now able to give digital offers to approximately 99% of the customers, who come to carmax.com for an appraisal. For finance as Jon mentioned, we recently began testing our new Tier 3 origination model. We're now testing new credit scoring models and the corresponding strategies across the full credit spectrum, which positions us to further grow cap income over time. And finally, we continue to focus on cost efficiencies, for example, we expanded our test of new transportation management process that leverages data science algorithms and AI to provide new planning and execution capabilities. The process essentially dispatches moves and automates communication between drivers and stores. We're pleased with the results and expect to see benefits to cost of goods sold over time. In closing, we're excited about the future and our ability to grow sales and earnings. Our best-in-class omni-channel experience, which is enabled by our great associates, physical footprint, technology, and digital capabilities all tied seamlessly together is a key differentiator that strengthens our competitive mode and we believe will be increasingly important to win consumers going forward. We're excited to be in a position to pivot from building capabilities to leveraging and enhancing them to drive growth through better execution, innovation efforts, and experiences. With that, we'll be happy to take your questions. Todd? Questions & Answers: Operator [Operator instructions] Your first question comes from the line of Brian Nagel with Oppenheimer. Please go ahead. Your line is open. Brian Nagel -- Analyst First off, congratulations, nice quarter. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Brian. Brian Nagel -- Analyst So I'm going to -- I have two questions about merger into one. Just to comply with David's rules. But I get the first question. So here look here, now we have the second consecutive quarter of solid positive used car unit comps. The question I want to ask there is, I mean, if you're thinking about the model and recognizing you don't give -- you don't provide guidance. But as you look at it, the model flex now, I mean, what should we consider to be like a normalized used car unit comp for CarMax? And then the second part of the question, look, we're seeing now starting to see really nice expense leverage as these comps have turned positive. How should we think about the path forward on that assuming comps now are on a better trajectory? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer OK. On the first part of the question, Brian, as far as the normalized unit comp. I think it's a little hard to say at this point. What I would tell you is we're really pleased with the sales momentum. If we look at the comps during the quarter, and you go back to some of my commentary at the end of the second quarter where I said, we were running a little bit lighter. We actually performed better throughout the quarter. And even if you normalized for the day of week adjustment that I talked about last quarter sequentially each month got better. And quite honestly, as we're going forward, obviously December's a little early on, but December's performance month to date has accelerated as beyond the comp of the third quarter. So we feel good about that and we feel good about the trajectory of sales and all else equal, I would tell you as we think about the fourth quarter. What I would tell you is we think the fourth quarter what I will tell you we think the fourth quarter will be stronger from a comp performance than the third quarter. And that's despite having some headwinds of a day a week. We lose a Saturday in the fourth quarter. We also lose leap day, which we had last year. So again, we feel good about the momentum going forward. And what was the second part of your question? Brian Nagel -- Analyst It's on SG&A and the leverage. I can check in. Enrique Mayor-Mora -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer So now Brian, we continue to make progress on our goal of hitting a mid-70% SG&A to gross profit. And that's going to require continued improvement in sales volumes. And Bill has talked about our recent trends here, in addition to the cost management efforts that we have been undertaking now for a couple of years and just to point you back to what some of Bill's prepared remarks, we're past the heavy investment phase of our evolution. We're at a point where we're pivoting from building capabilities to leveraging and enhancing them to drive growth and efficiencies. What this means is lower gross profit growth to leverage SG&A as compared to our heavy investment phase. So we feel really good about our ability to leverage. At the same time, we're going to take a look at investment opportunities. We're not going to leverage just for the sake of leveraging. If there are opportunities to grow the top line and bottom line robustly, we will do that but yet we remain committed to our mid 70% SG&A leverage ratio as well. So we're encouraged by the trends. Brian Nagel -- Analyst I appreciate all the color. Thank you. Congrats again. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Brian. Operator Thank you. Your next question comes from Sharon Zackfia with William Blair. Please go ahead. Sharon Zackfia -- Analyst I guess, when you think about the improvement you've seen over the last, six, seven months. Has it been a reflection more of conversion than traffic to the web or the stores? I guess if it has been more conversion, how much of that would you attribute to kind of prices coming down industry wide versus what you've been doing internally to kind of lessen the friction of the consumer experience? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. Good morning, Sharon. Look, when I think about it, like if I look at this quarter for example, I would tell you I think that the performance is primarily driven by conversion, because if you look at our web traffic, it was fairly flat and it's conversion both looking at remote, engaged customers, but it's also conversion improvements in the actual store when customers are coming into the stores. And I think at the heart of your question is really, what's driving this? And what I would tell you is I do think it's a combination of internal and external factors to your point. Obviously, this is, I think our eighth quarter down our eighth quarter in a row where we have sales prices actually down a little bit year over year. So certainly as prices come down, I think that's a tailwind for us. I think having price stabilization, not a bunch of big price swings from an appreciation or depreciation, more specifically depreciation. I think that's a tailwind. But I would tell you equally important is the focus internally on execution through like experiences and efficiencies. And when I think about remote progression conversion or in-store conversion improvements, it's because we've improved the experience. I mean, even this quarter, talking about the customer shopping hub that's helping us, convert more customers by taking out friction. The CECs, we've been rolling out some tools there, knowledge management tool, which we'll finish rolling out the fourth quarter, helping our CECs to provide better experiences. It's the work we're doing on our cost of goods sold and taking waste out of the process there so that we can take that and make sure our prices continue to be more competitive. It's the inventory management and the quicker turns that we're doing, there's just a lot of different things that we're working on internally that I think are also complementary to some of the tailwinds that we see externally. So I wouldn't say it's all one or the other. I think it's somewhere in between. Sharon Zackfia -- Analyst Thank you. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Sure. Operator Thank you. Your next question comes from John Murphy with Bank of America. Please go ahead. John Murphy -- Analyst Good morning, guys. Just to ask about the same store sales comp in a different way, everybody in the industry, including folks at the auction houses are saying that there's a real shortage of used supply and it's tough to get vehicles, but you're putting up good numbers. Obviously you're doing well on the sourcing side. But one thing that's interesting, I think the average price was down about $1,000 year over year. So I'm just curious if you're making a concerted decision on sourcing to maybe go down market a little bit in age and maybe trim to open up the market to yourselves and get away from some of the competition where things are tighter sort of at the high end. And is that something that might be able to continue going forward to support same store sales comp? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah, John. It's a great question. First of all, we feel great about our diversified sourcing, both from consumers and dealers and specifically to your questions, when you think about the age, if you look at year over year mix, like 0 to 5, 5 to 7, 8 plus year over year, they're very similar. I mean, 0 to 4 is up a point. It's actually up a little bit, a little bit newer vehicle. So there really wasn't a big mix shift in age of vehicles. And I think from a supply standpoint for us, because we're buying so many vehicles both from consumers and dealers directly, I think that's a nice benefit and helps to allow us to source vehicles that are just hard to find out there. To your point, if you're having to rely on third party. John Murphy -- Analyst Got it. So no change -- but no change in what you're doing as far as age, obviously, as you just mentioned or trim. I mean, are you able to kind of go down trim levels to try to open up a better pricing? Because I mean, usually go pricing sequentially is not actually going down. It's actually going up a little bit in the industry. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. I wouldn't say there's anything remarkable there. I think the only thing to note is the team has done a great job. If you look at our under $20,000 vehicles, we've done a great job bumping that number up kind of year over year, quarterly, sequentially, it's pretty similar. But year over year, it's a nice little bump up. And again, I think that goes back to the work that the team's doing on sourcing. Enrique Mayor-Mora -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Yes. 30% of our sales were cars less than 20 grand. So tremendous work there. Last year 25%. So pretty material. John Murphy -- Analyst That's good focus. Thank you very much guys. I appreciate it. Operator Thank you. Your next question comes from Seth Basham with Wedbush Securities. Please go ahead. Seth Basham -- Analyst Thanks a lot and good morning and nice quarter. My first question is on your GPU performance in retail and then wholesale. Within retail, can you give us an update on your cost out initiatives? Are you still on track for $200 per unit? How much have you achieved so far and what are you doing with that savings? How much are you reinvesting in price? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yep. Great. Good morning, Seth. Yeah. The $200, just to remind everybody that's really being driven by two large buckets, our reconditioning and our logistics. And I've spoken previously about the fact the way to think about it is probably 50-50 split $100, $100. And I tell you, on that journey, we're probably realizing about half of that. And I would split it up about half on reconditioning and half on logistics with the remainder coming in the upcoming quarters. We got a lot of good work going on there, feel really good about it. And so far what we're doing is we're passing the bulk of that on to the consumers, but it also allows us to make sure that we've got solid margins as well. And I would think that you should think about that going forward. I mean, we'll continue to look at it and we'll have decisions to make as we find it. But right now the bulk of that's going to the consumer. Seth Basham -- Analyst And then as a follow-up on the wholesale side, how much of the improvement there do you think is because of market conditions relative to some of the things you're doing, like Max offer? You posted some really good numbers this quarter. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yes. I think similar to the response Sharon, I think it's a combination. I mean, certainly this is a better environment than a year ago. You can remember there was some big depreciation. And you know, when depreciation -- steep depreciation happens like that, we're generally ahead of the curve marking down our offers. So that impacts your buy rate. So you certainly can't discount that. And having a more stabilized price environment has helped. But on the Max offer, I tell you, the team, the Edmunds team's done a phenomenal job with that product. And as I look at it, we increased our active dealers on that pretty substantially from where we were before to where we are now. I think our active dealers are up probably close to 40% or so year over year. And so, when you have more dealers in there, doing Max off, you can also buy volume. So I think it's a combination of the two. Seth Basham -- Analyst Thank you and happy holidays. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer You too. Operator Thank you. Your next question comes from Chris Bottiglieri with BNP Paribas. Please go ahead. Chris Bottiglieri -- BNP Paribas -- Analyst Hey, guys. Thanks for taking the question. Just wanted to and just go through the allowance a little bit more detail. Hopefully just give us a sense like, you know, what your -- I think in the past you've given like the expected loss on new originations and get a sense like what kind of led the cut to the allowance. Is it more just the remaining vote or are you cutting the provision on new originations as well? Enrique Mayor-Mora -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer And just to clarify, you know, the cut to provision, I just want to clarify how to think about that. Our provision, as we've laid out is going to be obviously on new originations. Chris, you referenced that new originations, what our expected loss or the life of those receivables are and then any true up that we need to do on the existing receivables based on observed performance in the quarter. Again, we said there's always going to be some form of a true up. Obviously, we said last quarter there was a sizable true up, no doubt that brought the total of the provision to $113 million. But there's always going to be a composition of those two things. If you look at our provision this quarter of those two things, again it's a much more normalized level, which suggests that to your point, the originations plus the true up, our true up was just not to the size that it was before, which is really ideally, what we want to have happened. To your question of origination, how we did $1.9 billion this quarter, remember that's against Tier 1 and the testing that's happening in Tier 2 and Tier 3. If you can assign some loss rate to that, you could see where it'd be maybe in the $60 million range from an origination standpoint. Again, we've tightened, remember in Tier 1, so that's helping us to some degree but we are testing in Tier 2 and Tier 3, it's going to offset that a little bit. And then the remaining obviously is going to be the true up. But again, a true up in a reasonable level, very different than last quarter and probably again that's why we refer to it as a normalized level of provision. Chris Bottiglieri -- BNP Paribas -- Analyst OK. Thank you. Operator Thank you. Your next question comes from Craig Kennison with Baird. Please go ahead. Craig Kennison -- Analyst Hey. Good morning. Thanks for taking my question. Bill, I know you like to measure market share annually, but I think perceived market share has probably been something that held back your stock relative to peers at least this year. I'm curious, has prices stabilized? Do you have any evidence that you are back to gaining share? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah, Craig, would I tell you, the last two quarters I've said, look, market share, I want to get back onto the annual cadence. Barring any type of big price swings and we just haven't seen any big price swings. So we'll update it at the end of the year. What do I tell you is we feel great about our sales momentum and we feel great about our ability to gain market share. Craig Kennison -- Analyst Thanks. Operator Thank you. Our next question will come from Scot Ciccarelli with Truist. Please go ahead. Scot Ciccarelli -- Analyst Good morning, guys. Two-part question. First, outside of the price stabilization, what else would you attribute the magnitude of industry improvement too. Bill, just given your long experience in the industry? And then kind of part two there is, can you guys provide some more color around the payment extension? Like how's that process work and how's it reflected in the P&L? Thanks. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Sure. Scot, on your first question, as far as the market, I mean, I think there's conflicting numbers out there as far as the growth of the overall used car market. I think, it's very volatile from a month-to-month standpoint. But outside of price stabilization and I assume what you're talking about there is kind of how I refer to it, you don't see a lot of appreciation or depreciation, which that's in fact kind of if you look at the depreciation curves historically for this time of year, they line up fairly nicely, which we haven't seen that in a while. I think, the other thing is just something I talked about earlier, it's just the prices continue to moderate and I think having a gap between a late model used car and a new car, I think that has continued to expand a little bit. I think that helps the industry, especially on the late model used cars. The only other thing that I would tell you is I think consumers are still pinched from an inflationary standpoint, so they're looking for alternatives and used cars, whether it's a two year-old used car or 14 year olds used car. I think that helps the industry as well. Enrique Mayor-Mora -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Scot and I'll take your payment extension question first. I'll level set on kind of how we think about extensions and then specifically what we did. So we really wanted to cite an example of where we're continuing to look for opportunity to help the consumer navigate. Again, temporary hardships. It's something that we've always done. It's very standard in the industry. Historically, as I said in my prepared remarks that's generally less than 1% of our units in any given month, and we've done some testing, that has brought it just slightly above that level. But we think this is a really good opportunity to help the consumer and ultimately lower loss. That's the goal that we're trying to do, help people stay in their car. So specifically, what happened within the quarter is if you look at our extension policy historically, it's been and we really kind of targeted that customer. That's a couple payments behind. So if there are a few payments behind, historically we've said, look I need you to make both of those payments and then we can give you a payment extension. In this environment, certainly higher payments, people weren't able to take advantage of those opportunities. So we looked at customers who said, if you cannot make two, we tried to see if they could make both, but if they can't, can you make one payment? And there were incremental customers that were able to do that. And so that allows them to take then a period to kind of get their finances in order. Now, we've started that at the beginning of the quarter. We've been able to watch people come out of that extension period and then see how they're behaving. And we're very pleased with what we're seeing. It's very much in line with our previous policy. And so, we feel really good about this action we've taken for the consumer. Now that being said, we know that some customers may unfortunately revert back into delinquency and loss. So that being said, we need to make sure that we have reserved accordingly for the actions that we've taken. And that's how placed on the P&L it's embodied in our provision and in our reserve. And we know that will happen, but we feel good about what we've done. We like the early results. Again, a relatively small number of customers we've impacted but we like what's occurred. Scot Ciccarelli -- Analyst Understood. Happy holidays. Thanks. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer You too. Operator Thank you. Your next question comes from Jeff Lick with Stephens. Please go ahead. Jeff Lick -- Stephens Inc. -- Analyst Good morning. Congrats on a second consecutive positive quarter in the progress. The question revolves around the wholesale biz. Some pretty interesting growth dynamics 73 or 74 units of wholesale per retail, 50% growth in dealer buys, and with gross profit margins up as well. I'm just curious where you think you can take that. I think that's kind of a hidden source of gross profit, dollar growth for you. I'd love to know where you think this is going and how sustainable these games are? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah, Jeff. Well, look, I want to take it as high as we can get it. I mean, there's a big focus internally. We've had it for a while to continue to buy more cars, whether they're retail cars or whether they're wholesale cars. And like I said earlier, this is a focus Edmunds has been able to really get more dealers signed up for this. I kind of think about the product. The product is in, let's call it a majority of the population but in that majority of the population, there's a lot more opportunity with dealers out there. So we'll continue to push this as hard as we can because again, we want every single car, whether it's a wholesale car or a retail car. Jeff Lick -- Stephens Inc. -- Analyst And who do you think you're taking share from? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Well, I think it's just a nice alternative for dealers. You know, they have different avenues of getting rid of unwanted cars, whether it's through your traditional brick and mortar auctions, whether it's through virtual auctions with other wholesalers. This is just one more tool that they have in their toolbox to leverage. And we see where a lot of dealers, they like using it and so we don't expect it to replace those other things, but it just gives them another opportunity to look at a different valuation. Jeff Lick -- Stephens Inc. -- Analyst Awesome. Well, congrats again and look forward to speaking. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Jeff. Operator Thank you. Your next question comes from David Bellinger with Mizuho. Please go ahead. David Bellinger -- Analyst Hey. Good morning. Thanks for the question. In terms of the operating environment, any noticeable differences lately or change in tone from your lending partners? Have they turned more aggressive post-election and willing to take on additional volume, maybe even those down the credit spectrum? Any additional color you can add as we gauge some of the lending appetite into 2025? Thank you. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. Thanks for the question, David. I think short answer there is, I think they're kind of steady as she goes right now. They really haven't made significant adjustments. I think that plays through in the penetration that they see. And again, that's going to be a function of the lender and also the consumers that are coming to shop. But yes, I think generally, our partners love the CarMax business. They're supportive in tough times, and they're obviously supportive in good times, but they're being as careful as any lender should be right now. So I don't think a lot has changed over the quarter. David Bellinger -- Analyst Great. If I could just add one other quick one. You had pretty significant earnings growth this quarter on the 4% comp. Maybe a bigger picture question. But as you begin to leverage and harvest a lot of this investment spend in the past few years and pushing more volume through the system. Should we expect a comp in that low single-digit, mid-single-digit type range to yield double-digit earnings growth from here? And then maybe the buyback is an accelerant on top of that. How should we think about the earnings growth and the sustainability from here? Enrique Mayor-Mora -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer I mean our objective is for robust top line and bottom line growth. And I think that's the position that we put ourselves in with the investments that we've made. The operating environment out there has been challenging for the past couple of years, which has kind of hit some of those benefits. But I think as we come out of that here, we've had two positive quarters of comps. And as Bill talked about, that accelerated our comps have accelerated here into the fourth quarter. And I would expect moving forward that, like you said, we're in a position to harvest the investments we've made. So we're excited about where we are today and kind of our path moving forward. David Bellinger -- Analyst Great. Thank you. Operator Thank you. Your next question will come from Michael Montani with Evercore. Please go ahead. Michael Montani -- Analyst Yes. Good morning. Congrats on the quarter and thanks for taking the question. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Good morning, Mike. Michael Montani -- Analyst Just wanted to ask -- follow the two parter trend. First, Bill, can you just talk about, I think 245 stores today? Is there opportunity to get that to 300 stores again? And how should we think about the cadence of build-out? Or can you lever multichannel at this point? And then I guess the related question is on the labor compensation and benefits growth now given that the model is more fixed cost structure, should we assume that compensation and benefits will grow slower than kind of top line units at this point for some nice leverage? Or how should we think through that? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. I'll take the first part, and then I'll let Enrique weigh in on the second part. So yes, we actually, 249 stores. So Michael, I want credit for there's other four. So 249 stores. And look, we think we can go beyond for the long term, we say 200, 300 stores. Obviously, we well back to 200 stores. We can go past 300 stores. And I think the way we think about it is every year, we're evaluating the pipeline and there's plenty of stores out there to go. And although, we're reaching a lot of the population, there's a lot of opportunity to still put some stores even in markets that we're in. And then there are some markets that we're still not in yet. So the way we think about it is we look at that pipeline every single year. Sometimes stores get added in pipeline, time stores get taken off of the pipeline. And what I would tell you is I think we've got a strategic footprint and as we continue to go in the progress with the omni-channel experience. If consumers are continuing to do more and we can sell more out of the existing footprint than we have and we end up taking some stores off of the end of the pipeline have been great. But I think you should feel pretty good about getting beyond the 300 stores even with improvements of the omni because I think having a strategic footprint is critical. Enrique Mayor-Mora -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer In regard to comp and benefits in terms of leverage, we would expect to lever more strongly than we had in the past on that line item as we've been lowering the variable cost of our business. We've certainly been talking about our direct selling model, the omni-channel model, right? And what I'd tell you is that we're in the very late innings of efficiency relative to having that direct selling model. It's more efficient than the previous model. This quarter previous pre-omni model. This quarter, we were more efficient year over year when it came to per retail unit, total unit gross profit as well. And I'll point to a couple of things here that can really give you a sense of what's driving that. This quarter, year over year, our web chats through Sky were up 10% year over year. So that's driving, again, the consumer doing more of those activities on their own less need for labor. Containment rate was up 50% to 51% from 41%. That's more than a 25% increase in containment rate. Again, customer being able to do more of the work on their own. At the same time, our SLAs on the web and phone were up year over year. So from a customer service standpoint, it's getting better. So you can see we're really fine-tuning that model. We feel really good and what that means at the end of the day is less labor, but more effective labor and that should help us drive down our comp and benefits relative to where we had been on a leverage standpoint moving forward. So we're really excited about it. Michael Montani -- Analyst Thank you and good luck. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. Operator Thank you. [Operator instructions] Your next question will come from Chris Pierce with Needham. Please go ahead. Chris Pierce -- Needham and Company -- Analyst Hey, Bill. You sort of mentioned it on your -- one of your remarks to a prior question, but do you guys keep data on pay the consumer has pinched they're transferring from -- they're shifting from new to use? Like do you have data that you're picking up new customers and that's why they're preferencing used and could debut by these markets been strong? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yes. The data, if I think about it, we look at kind of overall used -- the overall used industry. So if I go back to last calendar quarter, traditionally, million -- 40 million used cars based on exchange hands. Last year -- last calendar year, only like 35.5 million exchange hands. And so when you think about that decline, the biggest part of that decline was in the 0 to 4%. So while the whole decline was down, whatever that is 12%, I think the 0 to 4%, 0 to 6% was down more like 18%. That's obviously a sweet spot for us. So I think just overall, consumers have been pinched. I think the fact that the used car industry has been depressed a little bit and I think it's impacted anybody that sells late model cars a little bit more over the last couple of years has been something to navigate. But I also look at this as an opportunity that look, consumers will come back. We will get back to the $40 million plus. I just think at this point, consumers have been managing their own pressures that they're realizing from an inflationary standpoint and everything else that they basically have to deal with on a daily basis. Chris Pierce -- Needham and Company -- Analyst OK. Thank you. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Sure. Operator Thank you. Your next question comes from Rajat Gupta with J.P. Morgan. Please go ahead. Rajat Gupta -- J.P. Morgan -- Analyst Great. Thanks for taking the questions and good execution on the cost side here. I just had one clarification on the comps and then had a CAF question. On the comps, I mean, just to tap in a bid on some of the comments that you made the industry acceleration that you've seen in November, it looks like it's continuing into December. Clearly, your results are benefiting as well. John mentioned earlier, like used car prices have actually probably gone up recently. So I'm curious like what do you think has really changed in terms of just the consumer mindset here? Is it just pent-up demand being unleashed somewhat both election anxiety, I don't know was there some hurricane benefit? Just curious if you could just add some color on those aspects? And I just had one quick one on the cash reserves. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yes. I don't -- I can't necessarily say that something has changed in the consumer mindset. I would go back to some of my comments that I said earlier about the things that we've done internally to make the experience better, make friction, less friction, improve conversion. The fact that our prices are down year over year, I think that certainly helps as well. I mean, there's still some consumers that are pinched out there. For example, the consumers, I've talked about this in the past that make less than $3,000 in a monthly household. They're still half of what they used to be for us. And so they're still struggling. So I'm not sure that the consumer mindset has necessarily changed. I think it's more being driven by things that we're doing and just overall bigger kind of macro factors. As far as hurricanes go, I mean, it was immaterial. I mean, you are less than 0.5 point, I would think it's small. Rajat Gupta -- J.P. Morgan -- Analyst Got it. That's helpful. So clearly, there was like some meaningful shift around just the omni experience this quarter. I know you mentioned at the analyst event in October that you had the later innings getting the fruit service investments. It does look like that kind of had a big benefit, would you say this quarter relative to just the last quarter? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Well, I think we've been -- it's not like it just happened this quarter. This is a build. And I think we saw some of the nice benefits last quarter. I think in the second quarter and now this quarter, third quarter, I think we just see a continued building here. I mean when you look at conversion, especially like the remote, if you can give customers to do more things from they're going to convert better. And when we look at remote activities, like a vehicle reservation or a pre-qual or an appointment, an instant offer. The more customers that do that, the more are going to convert. And we saw a nice little continued improvement in customers doing remote progression. And then like I said, we also saw nice conversion improvements in the stores, where the stores are doing a great job just executing, leveraging some of the tools that they've been giving some of the seamlessness between working with customers that may start in the store, maybe they go online later, having that information for our sales folks. There's just a lot of goodness. Once we got past building the capabilities, we've really been focused on now removing that friction. And I think last quarter with order processing being rolled out everywhere. This quarter, you had to have order process anywhere. We have the shopping count this quarter, getting the shopping account out there. There's just a lot of good momentum here and we're going to continue this. And like I said in our in my opening remarks. I think this is going to matter as we go forward. I think consumers are going to -- they're going to want this type of experience. And the more that you can have it seamless and frictionless, I think that's who's going to win. Rajat Gupta -- J.P. Morgan -- Analyst That's great color. And I think you probably answered like my CAF question as well. I mean it doesn't seem like there was a big change in the macro backdrop. So the reserve -- the lowering of the reserve in CAF, was just based on just recent tightening in your initial observed performance. Is that fair? And then nothing has changed in your macro outlook to drive that reserve lower? Jon Daniels -- Senior Vice President, CarMax Auto Finance Yes. And again, I probably wouldn't think about like the reserve as being cut. I know that you're looking at a benchmark from like last quarter, but I'd probably reverse the thinking and say, you look last quarter, we looked at the overall performance and we made an adjustment that really kind of refilled that reserve bucket significantly and we feel that was adequate and it's kind of what we said in our prepared remarks. So I think about this return to normal, if you will, is just a recognition that, that volume that we put aside at the end of Q2 was adequate for the receivable base that we have. So that's just how I just ask you to rethink about it. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yes, I would definitely -- I echo what Jon said because let me just put it a different way. If we didn't get that adjustment last quarter, then it would have been higher. Like we would expect it to come down because last quarter, we thought, hey, this is what we need. But sure enough, Jon and his team did a great job on estimating that. So you would expect it to come down. So I agree with Jon. Don't think about it as a cut because if it went the other way, that would have been -- we just didn't get it right last quarter. So I think that this is -- and really, year over year, it's actually up a little bit. Rajat Gupta -- J.P. Morgan -- Analyst So got it, got it. Great. Thanks for all the color and good luck. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. Operator Thank you. Your next question will come from David Whiston with Morningstar. Please go ahead. David Whiston -- Morningstar -- Analyst Thanks. Good morning. It looks like inventory was a free cash flow drain for the quarter. I was just curious, is that building up for tax season? Or is there something else going on there working capital-wise? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. So inventory -- total inventory was up a little bit. And yes, that's really all that is, is just built we're in production mode right now, obviously, with the upcoming tax season and all. That's a normal seasonal thing that we do. I think the team has done a phenomenal job on inventory management this year. They really focused on it. I think our turns are improved for the quarter year over year and we feel like we're in good shape for the upcoming tax time. David Whiston -- Morningstar -- Analyst And EPP penetration or EPP growth, was that penetration growth? Or did you raise prices? Jon Daniels -- Senior Vice President, CarMax Auto Finance Yes. We raised prices starting in the fourth quarter of last year. We fairly price inelastic product that we have and we raised prices last year. So we'll be lapping over that in the fourth quarter here. And so we'd expect less of an increase year over year. I actually expect a slight increase year over year when it comes to the rate, but that was basically a margin increase that we took last year. Commensurately, penetration has fallen but at the end of the day, we're making -- again, making more money there. David Whiston -- Morningstar -- Analyst OK. Thank you. Operator Thank you. You have a follow-up question from Michael Montani with Evercore. Please go ahead. Michael Montani -- Analyst Hey guys, thanks for letting me sneak back in. Just wanted to get some early thoughts that you might have around the upcoming tax season and how you're thinking about and planning for that? And then also, we did notice some uptick in pricing recently that was alluded to before. So as it stands early in the quarter, are you starting to see your prices rise year over year as well? Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. So, Mike, on the tax season, look, I think tax season for us is all about flexibility. We're planning on having a decent tax season. You just kind of do a baseline well, think about what it was last year and make sure you're prepared for that. But I think more importantly is make sure you have that inventory that you need, but have the flexibility to go up or down depending on what you see. And I think the team has put us in a great position there regardless of if it materializes like last year, if it's better than last year, if it's softer, I think we're in a good spot. As far as prices, again, I think some of the durable actions we've taken and the diversification of sourcing, I feel good about our pricing right off the top of my head, I can't tell you for the December, how we're running, but I think we're probably a little bit lighter year over year. So we'll see how it pans out. Michael Montani -- Analyst Thank you. Operator Thank you. We don't have any further questions in queue at this time. I will now hand the call back to Bill for any closing remarks. Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Great. Thank you, Todd. Well, listen, thanks for joining the call today for your questions and support. As always, I want to thank our associates for everything they do, how they take care of each other and the customers and the communities. I want to wish all of our associates and all of you a great holiday season, and we will talk again next quarter. Thank you. Operator [Operator signoff] Duration: 0 minutes Call participants: David L. Lowenstein -- Assistant Vice President, Investor Relations Bill Nash -- President and Chief Executive Officer Enrique Mayor-Mora -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Jon Daniels -- Senior Vice President, CarMax Auto Finance Brian Nagel -- Analyst Sharon Zackfia -- Analyst John Murphy -- Analyst Seth Basham -- Analyst Chris Bottiglieri -- BNP Paribas -- Analyst Craig Kennison -- Analyst Scot Ciccarelli -- Analyst Jeff Lick -- Stephens Inc. -- Analyst David Bellinger -- Analyst Michael Montani -- Analyst Chris Pierce -- Needham and Company -- Analyst Rajat Gupta -- J.P. Morgan -- Analyst David Whiston -- Morningstar -- Analyst More KMX analysis All earnings call transcripts

Hail Flutie: BC celebrates 40th anniversary of Miracle in MiamiOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Sports legend Alex Scott has bravely opened up about the horrendous online abuse she's faced, including threats from trolls to throw acid in her face. The 40-year-old former England footballer, who has transitioned into a successful TV career with regular appearances on BBC's The One Show and as a pundit for BBC Sport, has been subjected to racist attacks and real-life threat warnings. Despite her achievements, Alex, who's been romantically linked to pop sensation Jess Glynne since 2023, experienced a surge in hostility when rumours suggested she might become the new host of A Question Of Sport—a role that ultimately went to Paddy McGuinness. Speaking to The Times , Alex shared the chilling impact of the abuse: "I was scared to go out of the house because these trolls were saying they were going to throw acid in my face." She also reflected on the darker side of the spotlight, stating: "There are negatives to fame. I've had plenty of racism, abuse and even death threats." Alex opened up about the negative targeting she's faced in her TV career since hanging up her boots in 2017. She shared: "People were saying, 'She's only on TV because she's black, female and younger. She's just ticking boxes'... Luckily there are other people who keep me smiling. They'll come up to me in my local shop and say, 'Keep going,' and that's what I do." When Paddy McGuinness took the helm of A Question of Sport, he faced a wave of criticism from fans pointing out his lack of sporting credentials, reports the Mirror . This controversy seemed to affect the show's viewership, which plummeted, leading to its cancellation by the BBC in 2023 after a 55-year run, just two years into Paddy's tenure. In May 2021, Alex made history as the first woman to permanently host Football Focus in its 46-year run. Expressing her excitement, Alex stated: "When I was a kid, I would never have watched television and thought someone like me could be presenting a programme like Football Focus. For the BBC to trust me with this role and allow me to be my true, authentic self means a lot. To say I'm the Football Focus presenter feels surreal. I've had some amazing messages and an incredible reaction on social media - I want to thank everyone for their support."

ATLANTA — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. In this Nov. 3, 2019, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. FILE - From left, President Barack Obama, former President Jimmy Carter, first lady Michelle Obama and former President Bill Clinton wave from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington during a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke, Aug. 28, 2013. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” FILE - Jimmy Carter gives his acceptance speech after accepting the Democratic nomination for president on the convention floor, July 15, 1976, at New York's Madison Square Garden. ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. FILE - President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter are pictured with their daughter Amy at the first of seven inaugural balls in Washington, Jan. 20, 1977, at the Pension Building. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. FILE - President Jimmy Carter leans across the roof of his car to shake hands along the parade route through Bardstown, Ky., July 31, 1979. The president climbed on top of the car as the parade moved toward the high school gym, where a town meeting was held. 'Jimmy Who?' His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. FILE - Former President Jimmy Carter uses a hand saw to even an edge as he works on a Habitat for Humanity home in Pikeville, Ky., June 16, 1997. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. FILE - President-elect Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd as he and his wife Rosalynn arrive at the Plains Baptist Church to attend services in Plains, Ga., Nov. 22, 1976. 'A wonderful life' At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report. Jimmy Carter is shown at age 6, with his sister, Gloria, 4, in 1931 in Plains, Georgia. (AP Photo) This is a 1932 photo of Jimmy Carter at age 7 in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo) Lt. Jimmy Carter peers at instruments on submarine USS K-1 in a 1952 photo. Directly in front of Carter, smoking a cigar, is Don Dickson. He had forgotten he ever served with Carter until he came upon the photo during Christmas, 1977. A friend got it to the White House where Carter wrote: "To my friend Donald Dickson - Jimmy Carter, USS K-1 to White House." (AP Photo) FILE - In this Sept. 15, 1966 file photo, then Georgia State Sen. Jimmy Carter hugs his wife, Rosalynn, at his Atlanta campaign headquarters. Jimmy Carter, winner in Georgia's runoff primary in the Democratic Party to determine the party's candidate for the November election for governor, 1970. (AP Photo) Former State Sen. Jimmy Carter listens to applause at the Capitol in Atlanta on April 3, 1970, after announcing his candidacy or governor. In background, his wife Rosalyn holds two-year-old daughter Amy who joined in the applause. Carter, 45, of Plains, Ga., finished third in the 1966 Democratic Primary behind Gov. Lester Maddox and Ellis Arnall. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn clutch the microphones as he claims victory in a runoff election at campaign headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, September 24, 1970. Carter beat former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders for the nomination and will face Republican candidate Hal Suit, veteran television newsman, in the general election Nov. 3, 1970. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Former state Sen. Jimmy Carter breaks into a broad smile after early returns gave him a lead of almost 2-1 in the Democratic runoff against former Gov. Carl Sanders, Sept. 23, 1970, in Atlanta, Ga. The winner will meet the Republic Hal Suit for the governorship of Georgia on the Nov. 3 general election. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Governor-elect Jimmy Carter and his daughter Amy, 3, walk about the grounds by the fountain at the Governor's Mansion in Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 10, 1971, as they get to know the place where they will live for the next four years. Carter will be sworn in as governor of Georgia Tuesday. (AP Photo) Judge Robert H. Jordan administers the oath of office to Gov. Jimmy Carter during ceremonies at the state capitol in Atlanta. Ga., Jan. 12, 1971. Next to the judge is former Gov. Lester Maddox, who will take over as lieutenant governer of Georgia. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter of Georgia, seen here Feb. 6, 1971, already described as a symbol of a new breed of moderate southern politician, says that the race question has ceased to be a major issue "between or among candidates" running for office in the old confederacy. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter, Governor of Georgia, is shown at his desk in Atlanta, on February 19, 1971. (AP Photo) Georgia's Gov. Jimmy Carter reaches for pen February 25, 1972 to sign a Georgia Senate House resolution opposing forced busing to achieve integration in the classrooms of the United States. Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter joins a half-dozen Rockettes in a high kick, September 21, 1973, at Radio City Music Hall in New York, while visiting backstage before an afternoon performance. Carter is in New York to induce the film industry to make pictures in his state. (AP Photo/stf) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, right, and Delaware Gov. Sherman Tribbitt say hello to Atlanta Braves Hank Aaron, left, following a rain canceled game with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Sept. 27, 1973, Atlanta, Ga. The cancellation slowed Aaron’s opportunity to tie or break Babe Ruth’s home run record. (AP Photo) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter spoke to 18,000 messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention on Thursday, June 13, 1974 in Dallas, Texas. He urged Baptists to use their personal and political influence to return the nation to ideals of stronger commitment and higher ethics. He said "there is no natural division between a man's Christian life and his political life." (AP Photo/Greg Smith) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter tells a gathering, Saturday, Oct. 5, 1974 at the National Press Club in Washington about his ideas concerning energy conservation. (AP Photo) In this Thursday, Aug. 14, 1975 file photo, former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter announces in Washington that he qualified for federal matching funds to help finance his campaign for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination. Former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, right, drew about 5,000 people to Youngstown's Federal Plaza in Youngstown, Ohio, in his quest for support in Tuesday's Ohio Democratic primary, June 7, 1976. The presidential hopeful waded into the crowd, shaking hands and signing autographs. Carter, speaking to the largest crowd to assemble during his Ohio campaign, said 1976 would be a Democratic year because of the Watergate aftermath and other national ills. (AP Photo) In this Monday, Aug. 23, 1976 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter gives an informal press conference in Los Angeles during a campaign tour through the West and Midwest. On Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015. (AP Photo) Democratic Presidential nominee Jimmy Carter, left, eats some freshly roasted barbecue chicken with his brother Billy Carter at Billy's gas station, Sept 11, 1976, Plains, Ga. The nominee had returned the night before from a week of campaigning, and planned to hold an impromptu press conference at the gas station. (AP Photo/Jeff Taylor) Democratic presidential nominee, Jimmy Carter, is all smiles as he talks with his brother Billy at the Carter Family Peanut warehouse, September 18, 1976. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter stands in a large mound of peanuts at the Carter Peanut Warehouse in Plains, Ga., September 22, 1976. The Democratic party presidential nominee took an early morning walk through the warehouse to inspect some of the harvest. (AP Photo) FILE - In this Oct. 6, 1976 file photo with his wife Rosalynn Carter looking on at center, Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter, center left, shakes hands with President Gerald Ford at the conclusion of their debate at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater in San Francisco, Calif. (AP Photo, File) Jimmy Carter, Democratic candidate for president, is joined by his daughter, Amy, as he waves from the rostrum at Fort Worth Convention Center, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 1, 1976. Carter and his family have been campaigning Texas, making a last minute bid for the state's 26 electoral votes. The others are not identified. (AP Photo) U.S. President-elect Jimmy Carter waves to supporters as he is surrounded by family members at a hotel in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 3, 1976. Carter won the presidential election by 297 electoral votes to 241 for Ford. Standing next to him is his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter Amy Lynn, far right. The others are unidentified. (AP Photo) President-elect Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn wipe tears from their eyes after returning to their home town in Plains, Ga., Nov. 3, 1976. The Carter family was greeted by local residents after returning from Atlanta. (AP Photo) President-elect Jimmy Carter leans over to shake hands with some of the people riding the "Peanut Special" to Washington D.C., Jan. 19, 1977. They will travel all night, arriving in Washington in time for Carter's inauguration as President tomorrow. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter takes the oath of office as the nation's 39th president during inauguration ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1977. Carter's wife, Rosalynn, holds the Bible used in the first inauguration by George Washington as U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger administers the oath. Looking on at left are, Happy Rockefeller, Betty Ford, Joan Mondale, Amy Carter, and outgoing President Gerald Ford. Behind Carter is Vice President Walter Mondale. At far right is former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. (AP Photo) Rosalynn Carter, left, looks up at her husband Jimmy Carter as he takes the oath of office as the 39th President of the United States at the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 20, 1977, Washington, D.C. Mrs. Carter held a family Bible for her husband. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter walk down Pennsylvania Avenue after Carter was sworn in as the nations 39th President, Jan. 20, 1977, Washington, D.C. (AP Photo) FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 20, 1977 file photo, President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd while walking with his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter, Amy, along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House following his inauguration in Washington. (AP Photo/Suzanne Vlamis) In this Jan. 24, 1977 file photo, President Jimmy Carter is interviewed in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. In this file photo dated May 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, right, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II with French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, at Buckingham Palace in London. In this Feb. 20, 1978, file photo, President Jimmy Carter listens to Sen. Joseph R. Biden, D-Del., as they wait to speak at fund raising reception at Padua Academy in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Barry Thumma, File) President Jimmy Carter tucks his thumbs into his jeans and laughs as he prepares to head down the Salmon River in Idaho August 1978 for a three day rubber raft float. (AP Photo) United States President Jimmy Carter, on a visit to West Germany in 1978, rides with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt during a review of United States Forces at a base near Frankfurt. (AP Photo) Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, left, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, center, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin clasp hands on the north lawn of the White House after signing the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel on March 26, 1979. (AP Photo/ Bob Daugherty) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev, right, sign the documents of the SALT II Treaty in the Vienna Imperial Hofburg Palace, Monday, June 18, 1979, Vienna, Austria. President Jimmy Carter leans across the roof of his car to shake hands along the parade route through Bardstown, Ky., Tuesday afternoon, July 31, 1979. The president climbed on top of the car as the parade moved toward the high school gym, where a town meeting was held. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) In this April 25, 1980 file photo, President Jimmy Carter prepares to make a national television address from the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, on the failed mission to rescue the Iran hostages. President Jimmy Carter applauds as Sen. Edward Kennedy waves to cheering crowds of the Democratic National Convention in New York's Madison Square Garden, Aug. 14, 1980. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) President Jimmy Carter raises a clenched fist during his address to the Democratic Convention, August 15, 1980, in New York's Madison Square Garden where he accepted his party's nomination to face Republican Ronald Reagan in the general election. (AP Photo/stf) Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy greets President Jimmy Carter after he landed at Boston's Logan Airport, Aug. 21, 1980. President Carter is in Boston to address the American Legion Convention being held in Boston. (AP Photo) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas enjoy a chuckle during a rally for Carter in Texarkana, Texas, Oct. 22, 1980. Texarkana was the last stop for Carter on a three-city one-day campaign swing through Texas. (AP Photo/John Duricka) In this Oct. 28, 1980 file photo, President Jimmy Carter shakes hands with Republican Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan after debating in the Cleveland Music Hall in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Madeline Drexler, File) Former US President Jimmy Carter, who had negotiated for the hostages release right up to the last hours of his Presidency, lifts his arm to the crowd, while putting his other hand around the shoulders of a former hostage in Iran, believed to be Bruce Laingen, at US AIR Force Hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany, Wednesday, January 21, 1981. Former Pres. Jimmy Carter, center, is joined by his wife Rosalynn and his brother Billy Carter during session of the Democratic National Convention, Tuesday, July 19, 1988, Atlanta, Ga. Billy had been recently diagnosed with cancer. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaks to newsmen as PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, right, looks on after the two men met in Paris Wednesday, April 4, 1990. Carter said he felt some leaders did not represent the region's yearning for peace. (AP Photo/Pierre Gieizes) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, center, introduces his wife Rosalynn, right, to Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin, April 14, 1991 in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Avery) Former President Jimmy Carter gestures at a United Nations news conference in New York, April 23, 1993 about the world conference on Human Rights to be held by the United Nations in Vienna June 14-25. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Former Presidents George Bush, left, and Jimmy Carter, right, stand with President Clinton and wave to volunteers during a kick-off rally for the President's Volunteer Summit at Marcus Foster Stadium in Philladelphia, PA., Sunday morning April 27, 1997. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) President Bill Clinton presents former President Jimmy Carter, right, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, during a ceremony at the Carter Center in Atlanta Monday, Aug. 9, 1999. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter adjusts his glasses during a press conference in Managua, Nicaragua, Thursday, July 6, 2006. The former president and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner is heading a delegation from the democracy-promoting Carter Center, based at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, to observe preparations for Nicaragua's Nov. 5 presidential election. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) In this Friday, Dec. 8, 2006 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter signs copies of his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ric Feld) Former President George H.W. Bush, left, watches as Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton chat during a dedication ceremony for the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, May 31, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Former President Jimmy Carter poses for a portrait during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Former President Jimmy Carter poses on the red carpet for the documentary film, "Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains" during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife Rosalynn wave to the audience at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and former first lady Rosalynn Carter are seen on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Former President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd as he goes on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, is seen with Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) President-elect Barack Obama is welcomed by President George W. Bush for a meeting at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, with former presidents, from left, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) In this photo taken Saturday, May 29, 2010, former South Africa president Nelson Mandela, right, reacts with former US president Jimmy Carter, during a reunion with The Elders, three years after he launched the group, in Johannesburg, South Africa. (AP Photo/Jeff Moore, Pool) Former US President Jimmy Carter, center, one of the delegates of the Elders group of retired prominent world figures, holds a Palestinian child during a visit to the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Menahem Kahana, Pool) Former President Jimmy Carter, 86, leads Habitat for Humanity volunteers to help build and repair houses in Washington's Ivy City neighborhood, Monday, Oct. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 22, 2010 file photo, former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, background right, looks at former U.S. president, Jimmy Carter, center, while visiting a weekly protest in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The protest was organized by groups supporting Palestinians evicted from their homes in east Jerusalem by Israeli authorities. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, his wife, Rosalynn, and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan conclude a visit to a polling center the southern capital of Juba Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Pete Muller) Former President Jimmy Carter signs his name in the guest book at the Jewish Community center in Havana, Cuba, Monday March 28, 2011. Carter arrived in Cuba to discuss economic policies and ways to improve Washington-Havana relations, which are even more tense than usual over the imprisonment of Alan Gross, a U.S. contractor, on the island. C (AP Photo/Adalberto Roque, Pool) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter pauses during an interview as he and his wife Rosalynn visit a Habitat for Humanity project in Leogane, Haiti, Monday Nov. 7, 2011. The Carters joined volunteers from around the world to build 100 homes in partnership with earthquake-affected families in Haiti during a week-long Habitat for Humanity housing project. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, sits prior to a meeting with Israel's President Shimon Peres at the President's residence in Jerusalem, Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012. Peres met two of 'The Elders', a group composed of eminent global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter watches baseball players work out before Game 2 of the National League Division Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) Former President Jimmy Carter speaks during a forum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014. Among other topics, Carter discussed his new book, "A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power." (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Rosalynn Carter arrive at the 2015 MusiCares Person of the Year event at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) In this July 10, 2015, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter is seen in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) In a Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday School class at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown, in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) Former President Jimmy Carter answers questions during a news conference at a Habitat for Humanity building site Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, in Memphis, Tenn. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have volunteered a week of their time annually to Habitat for Humanity since 1984, events dubbed "Carter work projects" that draw thousands of volunteers and take months of planning. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) Former President Bill Clinton, left, and former president Jimmy Carter shake hands after speaking at a Clinton Global Initiative meeting Tuesday, June 14, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter holds a morning devotion in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, Aug. 22, 2016, before he and his wife Rosalynn help build a home for Habitat for Humanity. (AP Photo/Alex Sanz) Former president Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter arrive during the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) In this Feb. 8, 2017, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for a solar panel project on farmland he owns in his hometown of Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) Former President George W. Bush, center, speaks as fellow former Presidents from right, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter look on during a hurricanes relief concert in College Station, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017. All five living former U.S. presidents joined to support a Texas concert raising money for relief efforts from Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria's devastation in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Former President Jimmy Carter, 93, sits for an interview about his new book "Faith: A Journey For All" which will debut at no. 7 on the New York Times best sellers list, pictured before a book signing Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) Former President Jimmy Carter speaks as Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams listens during a news conference to announce Abrams' rural health care plan Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter are seen ahead of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former President Jimmy Carter takes questions submitted by students during an annual Carter Town Hall held at Emory University Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, left, meets with former President Jimmy Carter, center, at Buffalo Cafe in Plains, Ga., Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Former President Jimmy Carter reacts as his wife Rosalynn Carter speaks during a reception to celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary on July 10, 2021, in Plains, Ga. In this Nov. 3, 2019, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. Former President Jimmy Carter, arrives to attend a tribute service for his wife and former first lady Rosalynn Carter, at Glenn Memorial Church, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Former President Jimmy Carter arrives for the funeral service for his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter at Maranatha Baptist Church, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, in Plains, Ga. The former first lady died on Nov. 19. She was 96. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) A sign wishing former President Jimmy Carter a happy 100th birthday sits on the North Lawn of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) FILE - Former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, in Plains, Ga., Nov. 3, 2019. Well-wishes and fond remembrances for the former president continued to roll in Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, a day after he entered hospice care at his home in Georgia. (AP Photo/John Amis, File) Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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