India-European Free Trade Agreement to drive $100 bn investment, boost exportsNHL Insider Sends Harsh Warning To Matt RempeFITCHBURG — John Jeffrey, 71, of Fitchburg is proud supporter of anything Fitchburg High, particularly its football and basketball teams. Jeffrey is a proud FHS graduate, Class of 1971, who played on Hall of Fame coach Doug Grutchfield’s first basketball team in 1970-71, considers legendary FHS Hall of Fame running back Barry MacLean a close, personal friend, and boasts about how his maternal uncle, Dominic Ricci, scored the game-winning touchdown against Leominster in the 1941 Thanksgiving game at then-10-year-old Doyle Field. Knowing all that, one may do a double take upon reading the following: regardless of Saturday’s Chicken Bowl result — a 34-0 Leominster win over Fitchburg at Historic Crocker Field — Jeffrey would have a big smile on his face, since he had grandsons, a pair of first cousins, on both sidelines. The story is incredible, and requires a genealogy flow chart chart to figure it out. In 1978, Jeffrey and his wife had identical twin daughters, Sara and Jill. While they were brought up on the Fitchburg-Leominster rivalry, they attended Gardner High. Sara eventually met and married Craig Lashua of Fitchburg, while Jill married Scott Chester of Leominster. Eagle-eyed Blue Devil readers are quick to take note of that marriage, as Scott Chester is a legendary LHS standout athlete from the early 1980s who scored nine TDs in back-to-back Blue Devil Super Bowl wins, and his father, the late David Chester, was himself a four-sport Leominster luminary from the mid-1950s, who scored 54 points against Fitchburg in basketball, the most points ever scored by one player against the Red Raiders, in 1955. Both Scott and David are Leominster High Hall of Famers. And if you know your local sports history, you’ll know that Craig Lashua’s uncle, Ray, was himself a standout Red Raider grid player under Ed Sullivan; Ray Lashua had 10 point-afters in his senior year of 1954, and a safety against Gardner in their October 1953 meeting. Jill’s marriage to Scott gave birth to Masyn Chester, currently a junior at Leominster High. Masyn has played special teams on the Leominster first team and has been a leader on the Blue Devil JV squad. Much like his old man and paternal grandfather, Masyn is speed personified, and he has been key in the success Leominster has had at this level in 2024. In a game against Shrewsbury a month ago, Masyn Chester scored the go-ahead touchdown in what turned out a 16-8 Blue and White victory. A week prior, Masyn scored three times, rushed for 150 yards and had 50 receiving yards in a JV win over Wachusett. Sara’s marriage gave birth to Cole Lashua, currently an eighth grader at Longsjo Middle School; due to numbers, FHS sought a waiver from the MIAA to allow eighth graders from Academy Street and Memorial Middle School to play on the Red Raider second team. Cole is a big, strong kid who stepped into the quarterback role partway through the season, and has also shown — on video captured by his maternal grandfather — to be a defensive beast who flows like water to the football. While Fitchburg has not been successful in terms of win and losses at the JV level, no one expected them to be world beaters: with a good portion of the team as eighth graders, FHS officials were just expecting the boys to get used to the speed of the high school game, giving those young men vital experience against bigger, stronger — and older — kids. The JV kids FHS faced were as many as four years older than the middle schoolers. Saturday afternoon’s annual sub-varsity grid tilt between the archrivals was the first time the maternal first cousins met on the field in a meaningful manner—and may be the only time. Next year, Masyn and the Blue Devils will come to the corner of Circle and Broad again, this time on a Thursday morning, to do battle with the Red and Gray. And Cole will be there, too, on Fitchburg High’s sideline as a freshman. Freshmen aren’t guaranteed varsity action. That meant the combined Jeffrey, Lashua, and Chester clans savored Saturday — again, regardless of the outcome. The cousins did connect on one first-half play Saturday, as Masyn grabbed a 20-yard Jeddiel Melendez pass at the Fitchburg 1, with Cole grabbing him and preventing him from getting into the end zone. Suffice it to say, “Gunka” Jeffrey will always remember Saturday—the day he has patiently waited for for a long time.
AP Business SummaryBrief at 6:41 p.m. ESTThe Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is to ask the Ministry of Finance to exempt the retrospective tax for merger and acquisition (M&A) deals of listed companies, as part of its moves to boost the sluggish domestic exchange. It also aims to push the Thai stock market as a listing hub for flagship businesses in sectors with the potential to grow, such as healthcare, data centres, and food and beverage. The Jump+ project will be launched next year to boost market capitalisation. SET president Asadej Kongsiri said during an interview with the Bangkok Post that listed companies are considering acquiring businesses outside the stock market, but they are concerned over potential negative consequences. "In the process of business expansion, there may be a merger along the way and sometimes the companies on the SET want to acquire non-listed peers," he said. Consequently, the SET is preparing to ask for support from the Ministry of Finance by avoiding retrospective tax collection for those businesses pursuing M&As. "That would help companies expand and grow to their goals faster without being afraid of having their accounting audited retrospectively," said Mr Asadej. These companies would grow, and that will allow the government to collect more tax revenue in the future. In turn, it would let more companies enter the official tax system, he added. JUMP+ PROJECT Mr Asadej revealed that the SET aims to increase the value of stocks and the market capitalisation of the Thai bourse through the Jump+ project, which is similar to a successful initiative by South Korea's stock exchange. Currently, there are more than 800 companies listed on the Thai bourse, with a market cap of roughly 17 trillion baht. Several companies have a large amount of assets and cash, with only a small portion of debt. Nonetheless, they do not have a plan to expand their business. "These companies are classified as having a lazy balance sheet, but they have growth potential," Mr Asadej noted. If a listed company has developed a business expansion plan and future investment, they will be able to increase their stock value, whether they grow in their current business or a new business. The Jump+ initiative is a growth acceleration platform designed to enhance the value creation journey of high-potential listed firms across the Thai capital market. Through this voluntary programme, the SET will empower listed companies by driving operational excellence, advancement in ESG (environmental, social and governance), and adoption of analytical tools and artificial intelligence (AI). Participants will gain access to advisory services and communication channels to enhance market visibility, along with benefits and incentives from the SET, government agencies and partners. The SET will also introduce a new index tracking the performance of successful Jump+ companies and provide analysis reports in partnership with the Investment Analysts Association to support their investment decisions. A group index, possibly called the SET Jump Plus Index, would be set up if a large number of companies participated in the programme, noted Mr Asadej, adding that this initiative would be implemented from the first half of 2025. LISTING HUB According to the president, the SET aims to be a listing hub for flagship Thai businesses, or industries that have strengths and high growth potential, and that are in investment trends. Target businesses include healthcare, wellness, data and cloud centres, and electronic parts. "We are preparing to meet with relevant agencies, including the Board of Investment, the Finance Ministry, and foreign embassies to help attract companies from all over the world to invest in Thailand," Mr Asadej said. "This is a long-term plan that may not be completed in my term. But it must be started to put the Thai stock market in the spotlight and increase the bourse's potential in the long term." Additionally, information spreads through social media and various other channels very quickly nowadays. They contain both the truth and untruths. Therefore, proper and effective communication and warnings provided to investors must be carried out more quickly. He added that the SET is considering the use of AI to help analyse small stocks to provide investors with better information for their investment decisions. One of the pain points nowadays is that investors can only see analysis of large stocks. It is not worth it for brokers to analyse smaller stocks that investors do not trade often. "Now there is technology that can do it. It is a basic analysis that can be translated into many languages for investors to choose from. It helps them access investment information more comprehensively," Mr Asadej said. RISK FACTORS Mr Asadej said that US-China trade is an external factor that could have implications for the Thai stock market in terms of both opportunities and risks. During the first Donald Trump administration from 2017 to 2021, there were US$130 trillion worth of manufacturing relocations from China to the rest of Asia, of which only 10% was captured by Thailand. Vietnam attracted a significant portion due to various factors such as its natural resources and a young workforce whose skill sets were better than that of the Thai population. When Trump returns to the White House next month, Thailand should adjust itself to be capable of seizing the opportunities, including manufacturing relations that are better than during the first Trump administration, said Mr Asadej. Another risk factor is that Trump will increase import taxes on countries that have a trade surplus with the US. Among the members of Asean, Thailand ranks second in terms of its trade surplus with the US and 12th within Asia. "We must closely monitor the US tax policies under the Trump government on countries where China has production bases, including Thailand," Mr Asadej said. As for domestic factors, Mr Asadej believes the political situation is more stable now and the economy is bouncing back thanks to the recovery in tourism to pre-pandemic levels and the government's faster budget disbursement. However, the energy and petrochemical groups, which are heavyweight stocks on the SET, are being pressured by the global economic slowdown while the high level of supply in the market has affected the profits of many companies. Those factors have resulted in a decrease in the total profits of listed firms on the SET overall. In future, it will be necessary to increase contributions from other industries on the SET to balance that of the energy sector, Mr Asadej added.
Fulcrum Therapeutics to Participate in Upcoming December ConferencesNico Iamaleava passed for four touchdowns and Dylan Sampson rushed for 77 yards and set a school-record for TDs as No. 11 Tennessee rolled to a 56-0 victory over UTEP on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, Tenn. Sampson scored on a 14-yard TD run early in the second quarter for the game's first points to deliver his 22nd TD of tje season to break the Tennessee single-season mark set by Gene McEvers in 1929. Iamaleava was 15 of 20 for 173 yards for Tennessee (9-2), while Bru McCoy caught a pair of TD passes and Squirrel White and Ethan Davis each had a TD reception. Tennessee moved its all-time record to 2-0 against the Miners, also having blanked the Conference USA school 24-0 in 2018. Jermod McCoy and John Slaughter had interceptions for the Volunteers, while Dominic Bailey recovered a fumble to set up a score. Skyler Locklear was 10-of-19 passing for 50 yards with an interception for UTEP (2-9), while rushing for 37 yards on eight carries. JP Pickles also had a turn at QB for the Miners and was 10 of 15 for 72 yards. Kenny Odom had eight receptions for 70 yards. Both defenses set the tone in the first quarter. The UTEP defense allowed just one first down to the Southeastern Conference team in three ugly series in the opening quarter and only 22 yards. In the second quarter, Sampson ended a 68-yard drive by dashing up the middle for 14 yards for the record-setting score to take a 7-0 lead with 13:22 remaining before halftime. After Bailey's fumble recovery, Iamaleava flipped a screen pass that White took 9 yards to the end zone nearly six minutes later. Davis put the Volunteers up 21-0 when he grabbed a short pass for a 1-yard TD. Iamaleava then found Bru McCoy from 18 yards with eight seconds left in the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead. McCoy caught his second TD and Peyton Lewis rushed for a pair for a 49-0 lead in the third quarter, but the biggest roar from Volunteers fans came when it was announced Florida beat No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17, to enhance the Volunteers' College Football Playoff hopes. Cameron Seldon's 3-yard run capped the scoring as the Volunteers finished the season undefeated at home for the second time in four years. --Field Level Media
S&P/TSX composite rises Thursday, U.S. markets down
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos' usually stout defense has been rocked ever since losing second-year cornerback Riley Moss to an MCL injury against Las Vegas in Week 12. Without Moss there to capitalize on opponents shying away from star cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos (9-6) have had to largely abandon their preferred man coverage in favor of zone strategies and the results haven't been pretty. They allowed 32 points to the Cleveland Browns when former teammate Jerry Jeudy caught nine passes for a career-best 235 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown. Only Jonathan Taylor's fumble at the goal line as he was about to score a 41-yard touchdown and give Indianapolis a 20-3 lead saved the Broncos in Week 15 and allowed Denver to seize momentum and get the victory. They couldn't stop Justin Herbert , who led the Los Angeles Chargers back from a double-digit third-quarter deficit for a 34-27 win last week that prevented the Broncos from ending their eight-year playoff drought. It also put more pressure on the Broncos to win Saturday at Cincinnati, where the Bengals (7-8) cling to hopes of catching the Broncos and denying Denver a wild-card berth. Moss returned to practice last week and the Broncos will determine this week whether he’s ready to return to the field or if it’s better to keep him out until their season finale against Kansas City. But all signs point to Moss being on the field to help thwart Cincy's offense led by Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. “It's great to have him back,” Surtain said after practice Tuesday. “I mean, you talk about a guy who was playing lights-out before the injury, but to see him back out there with confidence, out there practicing, getting his mojo back, it brings a lot of confidence to the team, as well. So, it's good to see him back out there in action, for sure.” Moss has enjoyed a breakout season in Denver with 71 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception in 12 starts. He played in 14 games as a rotation player his rookie season after recovering from core muscle surgery that relegated him to special teams and spot duty in 2023. “We were and have been super excited" about the third-round pick out of Iowa, coach Sean Payton said. "Obviously, the guy that plays opposite of Patrick is going to get a lot of business. All throughout training camp, he really rose to the occasion, battled, competed and throughout really a good portion of the season. “He’s a big reason why we were playing so well defensively,” Payton added. "The sooner the better when we can get him back in the lineup. Hopefully it can happen this weekend.” In Moss' dozen starts, the Broncos allowed 16.8 points per game. Without him, they've been allowing 26.3 points a game. Burrow and Chase pose a bigger challenge to the Broncos than Jeudy and Jameis Wiston did for Cleveland or Herbert and Ladd McConkey did for the Chargers. The medial collateral ligament is on the inside of the knee that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone. It’s one of four major ligaments that stabilize the knee and allow it to rotate. It typically takes a month to recover from an MCL sprain and the Broncos had their bye week earlier this month, meaning Moss might only have to miss three games. If the Broncos reach the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 in Hall of Famer Peyton Manning's last start, they'll likely need to have a healthy Moss opposite Surtain to have any realistic hopes of avoiding a one-and-done appearance. The Broncos got a scare when Surtain injured an ankle against Indianapolis two weeks ago and limped off the field in the closing minutes. However, he was a full-go at practice last week and had no issues against the Chargers. NOTES: The Broncos waived veteran CB Levi Wallace, who had been inactive the past two weeks after giving up several big plays to Jeudy on Dec. 2. Denver also designated RB Tyler Badie to return from a back injury he sustained against the Jets in Week 4. Payton said he hopes to sign Wallace to the practice squad if he clears waivers. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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Minnesota firearms deer harvest remains above 2023 after third weekend, DNR saysCHICAGO — On quiet nights during the Christmas season, Ed O’Malley enjoys visiting the Nativity scene he helps set up every year in an Arlington Heights park. He’ll check whether the wind has blown over a statue, or whether any lights have gone out. On relatively warm evenings, many families will be out and about, O’Malley said. Usually, they’ll end up in front of the depiction of infant Jesus. “Many times, you’ll see the little children will look in and they’ll touch the statues,” said O’Malley, 64, of nearby Prospect Heights. “A few times, you see a father or a mother just get down on a knee, and you can see that she’s explaining to them what this is.” Despite some misconceptions — stemming from the First Amendment’s separation of church and state — private groups can put up Nativity scenes on public property as an expression of free speech after a federal judge ruled in 1988 that religious exhibits could be erected if maintained by private groups. Private groups can put up Hanukkah menorahs on public property to celebrate the Jewish holiday. Likewise, private groups can put up atheist, satanic, artistic, political, apolitical, eco-modernist or anarcho-pacifist displays on public property, if they so desire. The right to erect religious displays on government land wasn’t always clear — especially in December 1987, when government workers in Chicago began dismantling a Nativity scene in the Loop’s Daley Plaza, almost throwing the statue of the baby Jesus into a trash bin at one point and prompting members of the public to shield what was left of the display with their bodies. O’Malley said he’s learned much about the First Amendment as president of American Nativity Scene, a group that has helped put up more than 200 Nativity scenes on public property across the country. The group was founded in 2012 by O’Malley and his father-in-law. They believe that erecting Nativity scenes on public property is a good way to help keep the birth of Jesus at the center of a Christmas season that they say has become far too commercialized. “Christ is the reason for the season,” O’Malley said. With the backing of an anonymous donor of Nativity sets and conservative public interest law firm Thomas More Society, American Nativity Scene has helped put up scenes at public libraries, parks and courthouses. The group’s main goal is to display them in the country’s 50 statehouses. When O’Malley and his father-in-law created American Nativity Scene 12 years ago, about six or seven state capitol buildings, including the one in Springfield, had regular Nativity displays, O’Malley said. Since then, under American Nativity Scene’s watch, 43 state capitols have put up Nativity displays at least once. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, American Nativity Scene will make “an all-out push” and try to have a Nativity scene on display at every state capitol during the 2026 Christmas season, O’Malley said. Adding a state to the tally isn’t an exact science. American Nativity Scene needs to find people in that state willing to form a local committee that will approach local officials about putting up a Nativity scene on capitol property. O’Malley said he has used friends and the Thomas More Society’s network to identify people who might be interested in forming a local committee in states lacking displays in their capitols. He’s also called random churches and local religious organizations like Knights of Columbus chapters, he said. “We want to be able to say that someone has a Nativity up in every state capitol,” O’Malley said. “I mean, we got Alaska and Hawaii — we got them one. They were interesting. You talk to a lot of great people.” Steven Melia, a Wyoming resident involved with local religious groups who has helped put up a Nativity scene at the statehouse in Cheyenne for the past four years, said he doesn’t remember how exactly O’Malley got in touch with him. After Melia agreed to help advance American Nativity Scene’s mission, O’Malley sent Melia a Nativity set and Melia’s rancher friend built a wooden structure to house it, Melia said. It’s fairly easy to schedule blessings of the Nativity set at the Wyoming statehouse and get permission to leave it up during the season, Melia said. He said the capitol hosts all sorts of school, religious and community gatherings throughout the year. “The capitol belongs to everybody ... I didn’t really know that at the beginning,” Melia said. Other than finding people to attend the blessing, pretty much all Melia has to do is buy insurance for the event and fill out a few forms, he said. One optional form is for inviting the governor, who showed up to the Nativity blessing the first three years, Melia said. O’Malley said he and his father-in-law decided to start American Nativity Scene after facing pushback while trying to erect a Nativity scene in 2012 in North School Park in Arlington Heights. O’Malley’s father-in-law brought in the founder of Thomas More Society, Tom Brejcha, who wrote a “strongly worded” letter to the park district about the pair’s right to put up religious displays on public property, according to O’Malley. Brejcha said he considers the 1988 ruling that protects the right of private groups to put up religious displays on public property as forms of free speech a “landmark” ruling. In summer 1987, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Nativity scene in Chicago’s City Hall violated the First Amendment’s ban on government establishment of religion. Judge Joel Flaum wrote that City Hall visitors would be left with the unavoidable impression that the city tacitly endorses Christianity. In December 1987, a group put up a Nativity scene in Daley Plaza without posting a $100,000 bond demanded by the Public Building Commission of Chicago, which administered the plaza. The commission demanded the bond to cover the cost of defending itself against possible First Amendment lawsuits. After government workers began tearing down the plaza Nativity scene — almost throwing the statue of the baby Jesus into a trash bin at one point — members of the public intervened, shielding what was left of the display with their bodies. In a case stemming from the bond dispute and Nativity scene dismantling, federal judge James Parsons in November 1988 ordered the building commission to allow the Nativity group to put up a display without posting a bond. Parsons wrote that the commission had misplaced fears that allowing religious displays could violate the First Amendment’s ban on government establishment of religion. He deemed the plaza a public forum and wrote that “religious expressive conduct in a traditional public forum enjoys the same protections afforded political, artistic, or other types of protected speech under the First Amendment.” O’Malley, who is also part of the group that continues to put up a Nativity scene on Daley Plaza every year, said that after the Arlington Heights park Nativity scene was successfully erected thanks to Brejcha’s letter, he and his father-and-law started to think about how they could expand. The idea of placing Nativity sets on other government land, especially state capitols, “clicked,” O’Malley said. Thomas More Society Executive Vice President Thomas Olp said the firm supports efforts to put Nativity scenes on public property and has a standard letter it sends to public officials explaining why religious displays on public property are allowed. Olp said the firm hasn’t had to file any lawsuits on behalf of American Nativity Scene. “Not to say there’s anything wrong with the free exercise of religion, but the free speech rationale cut through a lot of the opposition to this,” Brejcha said. ©2024 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Bengaluru: The year 2024 has seen a revival in late-stage funding compared to earlier stages, paving the way for several large pre-initial public offering (IPO) rounds. The trend is likely to continue in the near term as more marquee companies prepare to go public. Meanwhile, even mid-market deals saw a reasonable rise in the past 12 months, while seed- and early-stage deals stuttered. According to data from market intelligence provider Tracxn, there were 83 rounds in Series D stages and above with an average ticket size of $74.4 million this year, surpassing 73 deals with $71 million in 2023. However, it fell short of 2022 levels where there were 137 rounds with an average deal size of $89.5 million. “Given the complicated cap tables, the need to return capital to LPs and companies trying to manage selling pressure once they are listed, companies are pushing for pre-IPO rounds to enable secondary transactions," said Pankaj Naik, managing director and co-head for digital and technology investment banking at Avendus Capital. LPs, or limited partners, are entities or individuals that invest in venture capital and private equity funds. “We are seeing a return of frantic deal activity. We are anticipating volumes to go up," he said, adding that newer pools of capital such as HNIs (high-net-worth individuals) are providing another alternative to crossover investors for high-quality companies. A cross-over investor is someone who is invested through the pre-IPO stage till after the IPO. Also read | Most transactions this year included secondary swap of shares. Looking ahead, too, the Indian private markets appear ripe for secondary transactions with several new-age startups like OfBusiness, Infra market, Purplle, PhonePe, Bluestone, PayU and Meesho expected to go public in the next two to three years. That is leading to a rush of new funds aimed at secondary transactions. For instance, Piyush Gupta, a former managing director of , launched Kenro Capital last month to target late-stage secondary deals. In September, Oister Global alongside Tribe Capital also launched a $500 million India-focused secondaries fund. With the ongoing macroeconomic volatility, Oister Global chief executive officer (CEO) Sandeep Sinha explained that the revival in growth-stage (or late-stage) rounds is mainly a function of investors looking to get quicker exits. The institutional investor is known for backing investment firms such as Blume Ventures and Stride Ventures. “Given the ongoing macroeconomic volatility, investors are hesitant to commit long-term capital or be locked in for a 10-year time span in the case of funds, especially when the returns are moderate," Sinha said. “They are increasingly preferring higher visibility, shorter tenure assets with a faster path to recovery." He added that with the overall secondary markets picking up, the fund is looking at investing about $200 million across different transactions over the next year. Some notable secondary transactions that have happened over the past year include Temasek and Fidelity’s $200 million purchase of Lenskart’s shares in June, and as a part of a larger fundraise this month, among others. Mid-market deals Even mid-market transactions in Series B and C stages have attracted greater investor interest compared to last year, although they still fall short of 2022 levels when capital was more free flowing. While the volume of deals in these stages was fewer, the average ticket size for Series C rose to nearly $21 million from $15.2 million in 2023. It was higher at $36.8 million in 2022. Similarly, Series B also saw a higher average deal size of about $16 million from $12 million a year earlier and $20.9 million in 2022, data from Tracxn showed. “The years of 2021-22 were probably anomalies. If we look at growth companies raising larger rounds today, the path-to-IPO companies are seeing a lot of cap table action. For such companies, there is a decent mix of primary and secondary," said Vikram Gawande, vice president at Blume Ventures. Also read | The venture capital firm, which has backed prominent Indian startups like Purplle, Batterysmart and LeverageEdu, is a big proponent of encouraging companies to tap the public markets at an earlier stage to facilitate quicker exits. “There has been a transition from growth at all costs to measured growth with a clear path to profitability in the current vintage, and we are seeing that play across many of our portfolio companies," Gawande said, adding that there is a healthy pipeline of companies and only those growth companies with strong fundamentals are getting funded in the current climate. Broadly, investors have also noted that the increase in average deal size across Series B and beyond can be attributed to greater participation by local family offices. Over the years, stabilizing returns from active asset management in India has led to growing demand from HNIs for more complex and differentiated investment options, according to a report published by Avendus this month. The report estimates that HNIs currently allocate an estimated 7-8% of their total assets under management (AUM) to alternatives, indicating significant underpenetration in this segment. Avendus projects doubling of total HNI and ultra-HNI wealth in India to $2 trillion by 2027. Early-stage deals Meanwhile, the earlier stages of funding across seed and Series A continue to show significant strain with an average ticket size that has reduced or stagnated over a three-year time span. As per data from Tracxn, seed-stage deals fell steeply to 760 deals from the 1,273 funding rounds of 2023. The average deal size showed little improvement to $1.4 million from $1.1 million in the past two years. Also read | Series A also mirrored similar patterns with 275 rounds this year compared to 305 in 2023 and 469 in 2022. The deal size fell to $6.1 million from $6.5 million last year and $7.4 million in 2022, Tracxn data showed. Early-stage investors such as Antler India, which invests in pre-seed rounds, also alluded to the dull momentum across the early stages, although the venture capital firm expects to see an uptick in deal volumes in the coming year. While pre-seed has seen traction, the slowdown in seed and Series A has made the journey complex for companies to build products and services with lesser capital while growth-stage investors deploy more selectively. “Sometimes, founders sit on the fence before starting companies because it’s not clear where the growth capital will come from. It has been hard to raise large growth rounds over the last two years as that capital has predominantly come from global pools," said Ritesh Banglani, a partner at Stellaris Venture Partners. Also read | Last month, the venture capital firm raised its largest-ever $300 million fund to continue backing seed and Series A startups. “The uptick in growth-stage investment activity that we have seen in the past six months will give confidence to both founders and investors and drive more early rounds in startups in 2025," Banglani concluded.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos' usually stout defense has been rocked ever since losing second-year cornerback Riley Moss to an MCL injury against Las Vegas in Week 12. Without Moss there to capitalize on opponents shying away from star cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos (9-6) have had to largely abandon their preferred man coverage in favor of zone strategies and the results haven't been pretty. They allowed 32 points to the Cleveland Browns when former teammate Jerry Jeudy caught nine passes for a career-best 235 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown. Only Jonathan Taylor's fumble at the goal line as he was about to score a 41-yard touchdown and give Indianapolis a 20-3 lead saved the Broncos in Week 15 and allowed Denver to seize momentum and get the victory. They couldn't stop Justin Herbert , who led the Los Angeles Chargers back from a double-digit third-quarter deficit for a 34-27 win last week that prevented the Broncos from ending their eight-year playoff drought. It also put more pressure on the Broncos to win Saturday at Cincinnati, where the Bengals (7-8) cling to hopes of catching the Broncos and denying Denver a wild-card berth. Moss returned to practice last week and the Broncos will determine this week whether he’s ready to return to the field or if it’s better to keep him out until their season finale against Kansas City. But all signs point to Moss being on the field to help thwart Cincy's offense led by Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. “It's great to have him back,” Surtain said after practice Tuesday. “I mean, you talk about a guy who was playing lights-out before the injury, but to see him back out there with confidence, out there practicing, getting his mojo back, it brings a lot of confidence to the team, as well. So, it's good to see him back out there in action, for sure.” Moss has enjoyed a breakout season in Denver with 71 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception in 12 starts. He played in 14 games as a rotation player his rookie season after recovering from core muscle surgery that relegated him to special teams and spot duty in 2023. “We were and have been super excited" about the third-round pick out of Iowa, coach Sean Payton said. "Obviously, the guy that plays opposite of Patrick is going to get a lot of business. All throughout training camp, he really rose to the occasion, battled, competed and throughout really a good portion of the season. “He’s a big reason why we were playing so well defensively,” Payton added. "The sooner the better when we can get him back in the lineup. Hopefully it can happen this weekend.” In Moss' dozen starts, the Broncos allowed 16.8 points per game. Without him, they've been allowing 26.3 points a game. Burrow and Chase pose a bigger challenge to the Broncos than Jeudy and Jameis Wiston did for Cleveland or Herbert and Ladd McConkey did for the Chargers. The medial collateral ligament is on the inside of the knee that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone. It’s one of four major ligaments that stabilize the knee and allow it to rotate. It typically takes a month to recover from an MCL sprain and the Broncos had their bye week earlier this month, meaning Moss might only have to miss three games. If the Broncos reach the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 in Hall of Famer Peyton Manning's last start, they'll likely need to have a healthy Moss opposite Surtain to have any realistic hopes of avoiding a one-and-done appearance. The Broncos got a scare when Surtain injured an ankle against Indianapolis two weeks ago and limped off the field in the closing minutes. However, he was a full-go at practice last week and had no issues against the Chargers. NOTES: The Broncos waived veteran CB Levi Wallace, who had been inactive the past two weeks after giving up several big plays to Jeudy on Dec. 2. Denver also designated RB Tyler Badie to return from a back injury he sustained against the Jets in Week 4. Payton said he hopes to sign Wallace to the practice squad if he clears waivers. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflTexas Roadhouse, Inc. (NASDAQ:TXRH) Shares Acquired by Natixis Advisors LLC
Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. At least 19 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 19 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 167,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat this week after Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening infections. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration. Actor Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend drops assault and defamation lawsuit against once-rising star NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend has dropped her assault and defamation lawsuit against the once-rising Hollywood star after reaching a settlement. Lawyers for Majors and Grace Jabbari agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice Thursday. Jabbari is a British dancer who had accused Majors of subjecting her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse during their relationship. Representatives for Majors didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday. Jabbari’s lawyer said the suit was “favorably settled” and her client is moving on with “her head held high.” Majors was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment last December and sentenced to a yearlong counseling program. Hyundai, Kia recall over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix problem that can cause loss of power DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix a pesky problem that can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. The recalls cover more than 145,000 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles including the 2022 through 2024 Ioniq 5, the 2023 through 2025 Ioniq 6, GV60 and GV70, and the 2023 and 2024 G80. Also included are nearly 63,000 Kia EV 6 vehicles from 2022 through 2024. The affiliated Korean automakers say in government documents that a transistor in a charging control unit can be damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery. Dealers will inspect and replace the control unit and a fuse if needed. They also will update software. Christmas TV movies are in their Taylor Swift era, with two Swift-inspired films airing this year Two of the new holiday movies coming to TV this season have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding. “Christmas in the Spotlight” debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world’s biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger, playing a pro football player, who meet and fall in love, not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. On Nov. 30, Hallmark will air “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.” Instead of a nod to Swift, it’s an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark’s headquarters is also in Kansas City. Top football recruit Bryce Underwood changes commitment to Michigan instead of LSU, AP source says ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Top football recruit Bryce Underwood has flipped to Michigan after pledging to play at LSU. That's according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the recruit’s plans to join the Wolverines. Underwood pinned a post on his Instagram account, showing a post in which On3.com reported that he has committed to Michigan. The 6-foot-3 quarterback played at Belleville High School about 15 miles east of Michigan's campus, and told LSU nearly a year ago he intended to enroll there. Emperor penguin released at sea 20 days after waddling onto Australian beach MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The only emperor penguin known to have swum from Antarctica to Australia has been released at sea 20 days after he waddled ashore on a popular tourist beach. The adult male was found on Nov. 1 on sand dunes in temperate southwest Australia about 2,200 miles north of the Antarctic coast. He was released Wednesday from a boat that traveled several hours from Western Australia state's most southerly city of Albany. His caregiver Carol Biddulph wasn't sure at first if the penguin would live. She said a mirror was important to his rehabilitation because they provide a sense of company. Biddulph said: “They’re social birds and he stands next to the mirror most of the time.”
By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court should overturn Mississippi’s Jim Crow-era practice of removing voting rights from people convicted of certain felonies, including nonviolent crimes such as forgery and timber theft, attorneys say in new court papers. Most of the people affected are disenfranchised for life because the state provides few options for restoring ballot access. “Mississippi’s harsh and unforgiving felony disenfranchisement scheme is a national outlier,” attorneys representing some who lost voting rights said in an appeal filed Wednesday. They wrote that states “have consistently moved away from lifetime felony disenfranchisement over the past few decades.” This case is the second in recent years — and the third since the late 19th century — that asks the Supreme Court to overturn Mississippi’s disenfranchisement for some felonies. The cases use different legal arguments, and the court rejected the most recent attempt in 2023. The new appeal asks justices to reverse a July ruling from the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said Mississippi legislators, not the courts, must decide whether to change the laws. Stripping away voting rights for some crimes is unconstitutional because it is cruel and unusual punishment, the appeal argues. A majority of justices rejected arguments over cruel and unusual punishment in June when they cleared the way for cities to enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outside in public places. Attorneys who sued Mississippi over voting rights say the authors of the state’s 1890 constitution based disenfranchisement on a list of crimes they thought Black people were more likely to commit. A majority of the appeals judges wrote that the Supreme Court in 1974 reaffirmed constitutional law allowing states to disenfranchise felons. About 38% of Mississippi residents are Black. Nearly 50,000 people were disenfranchised under the state’s felony voting ban between 1994 and 2017. More than 29,000 of them have completed their sentences, and about 58% of that group are Black, according to an expert who analyzed data for plaintiffs challenging the voting ban. Related Articles National Politics | Judge delays Trump hush money sentencing in order to decide where case should go now National Politics | Republicans scramble to fill JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat National Politics | Gaetz’s withdrawal highlights how incoming presidents often lose Cabinet nominees National Politics | What to know about Pam Bondi, Trump’s new pick for attorney general National Politics | Democrat Bob Casey concedes to Republican David McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate contest To regain voting rights in Mississippi, a person convicted of a disenfranchising crime must receive a governor’s pardon or win permission from two-thirds of the state House and Senate. In recent years, legislators have restored voting rights for only a few people. The other recent case that went to the Supreme Court argued that authors of Mississippi’s constitution showed racist intent when they chose which felonies would cause people to lose the right to vote. In that ruling, justices declined to reconsider a 2022 appeals court decision that said Mississippi remedied the discriminatory intent of the original provisions in the state constitution by later altering the list of disenfranchising crimes. In 1950, Mississippi dropped burglary from the list. Murder and rape were added in 1968. The Mississippi attorney general issued an opinion in 2009 that expanded the list to 22 crimes, including timber larceny, carjacking, felony-level shoplifting and felony-level writing bad checks. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in a 2023 dissent that Mississippi’s list of disenfranchising crimes was “adopted for an illicit discriminatory purpose.”ATLANTA, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitcoin Depot Inc. ("Bitcoin Depot” or the "Company”) (NASDAQ: BTM), a U.S.-based Bitcoin ATM ("BTM”) operator and leading fintech company, today celebrates a landmark moment in the cryptocurrency as Bitcoin surpasses its all-time price peak of $100,000. This industry milestone reflects growing global confidence in Bitcoin as a financial asset and highlights the increasing demand for accessible crypto solutions. "Bitcoin reaching $100,000 is an example of its resilience, staying power, and growing role in the financial ecosystem," said Brandon Mintz, CEO and founder of Bitcoin Depot. "This moment shows the growing trust millions place in Bitcoin and further establishes Bitcoin Depot's commitment of 'Bringing Bitcoin to the Masses ® ' by providing secure, user-friendly access points that bridge traditional finance and the digital economy." 2024 has been a defining period for the crypto industry, marked by significant advancements such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's approval of the first Bitcoin spot ETFs and continued growing institutional adoption. These achievements, coupled with increased regulatory clarity and rising global interest in Bitcoin, further demonstrate cryptocurrency's expanding role in the financial landscape. Bitcoin Depot, with over 8,300 Bitcoin ATM kiosks deployed across North America and Puerto Rico, has cemented itself as a key player in facilitating crypto adoption. As the largest BTM operator in North America, the Company has built significant momentum in the last year, marked by key milestones such as bringing its BDCheckout Program to six new states, expanding into Puerto Rico , and introducing strategic retail partnerships with multiple major convenience and grocery store retailers. "Bitcoin's momentum is driving new users to enter the market, and many are choosing BTMs for secure and convenient access to cryptocurrency,” said Scott Buchanan, COO of Bitcoin Depot. "At Bitcoin Depot, we've always believed in providing everyone with easy access to Bitcoin, and as we grow, our focus remains on delivering a simple and reliable way to buy Bitcoin quickly and securely. This is just the beginning for the cryptocurrency industry and Bitcoin Depot as a leading provider.” Bitcoin Depot BTMs are designed to provide a seamless user experience, allowing customers to quickly convert cash into Bitcoin and access the broader digital financial system for payments, transfers, remittances, and investments. About Bitcoin Depot Bitcoin Depot Inc. (Nasdaq: BTM) was founded in 2016 with the mission to connect those who prefer to use cash to the broader, digital financial system. Bitcoin Depot provides its users with simple, efficient and intuitive means of converting cash into Bitcoin, which users can deploy in the payments, spending and investing space. Users can convert cash to bitcoin at Bitcoin Depot kiosks in 48 states and at thousands of name-brand retail locations in 29 states through its BDCheckout product. The Company has the largest market share in North America with approximately 8,486 kiosk locations as of December 05, 2024. Learn more at www.bitcoindepot.com . Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release and any oral statements made in connection herewith include "forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations of plans, business strategies, objectives and growth and anticipated financial and operational performance, including our growth strategy and ability to increase deployment of our products and services, the anticipated effects of the Amendment, and the closing of the Preferred Sale. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current beliefs, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events. Forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as "anticipate," "appears," "approximately," "believe," "continue," "could," "designed," "effect," "estimate," "evaluate," "expect," "forecast," "goal," "initiative," "intend," "may," "objective," "outlook," "plan," "potential," "priorities," "project," "pursue," "seek," "should," "target," "when," "will," "would," or the negative of any of those words or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. In making these statements, we rely upon assumptions and analysis based on our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments, as well as other factors we consider appropriate under the circumstances. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any future events or financial results. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond our control. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination; future global, regional or local economic and market conditions; the development, effects and enforcement of laws and regulations; our ability to manage future growth; our ability to develop new products and services, bring them to market in a timely manner and make enhancements to our platform; the effects of competition on our future business; our ability to issue equity or equity-linked securities; the outcome of any potential litigation, government and regulatory proceedings, investigations and inquiries; and those factors described or referenced in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that we do not presently know or that we currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect our expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our assessments to change. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or other factors that affect the subject of these statements, except where we are expressly required to do so by law. All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Contacts: Investors Cody Slach Gateway Group, Inc. 949-574-3860 [email protected] Media Brenlyn Motlagh, Ryan Deloney Gateway Group, Inc. 949-574-3860 [email protected]
