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Tunnels Design and Construction Market May Set a New Growth Story | AECOM, Strabag, Bechtel 12-24-2024 05:29 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Pvt. Ltd. Tunnels Design and Construction Market HTF MI recently introduced Global Tunnels Design and Construction Market study with 143+ pages in-depth overview, describing about the Product / Industry Scope and elaborates market outlook and status (2024-2032). The market Study is segmented by key regions which is accelerating the marketization. At present, the market is developing its presence. Some key players from the complete study are AECOM, Vinci Construction, China Railway Group, Ferrovial, Hochtief AG, Skanska, Bechtel, Balfour Beatty, Strabag, Salini Impregilo, Herrenknecht, Robbins, Eiffage. Download Sample Report PDF (Including Full TOC, Table & Figures) 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/3954594-global-tunnels-design-and-construction-market?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash According to HTF Market Intelligence, the Global Tunnels Design and Construction market is expected to grow from 120 Billion USD in 2024 to 220 Billion USD by 2032, with a CAGR of 6.5% from 2024 to 2032. The Tunnels Design and Construction market is segmented by Types (Drill & Blast, Cut & Cover, TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine), Immersed), Application (Transport, Water Management, Power Supply, Mining) and by Geography (North America, LATAM, West Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Oceania, MEA). Definition: This market focuses on the planning, design, and construction of tunnels for transportation, utilities, and infrastructure projects. Engineers and construction firms develop innovative methods to ensure durability and cost efficiency. Dominating Region: • Asia-Pacific Fastest-Growing Region: • Middle East & Africa Market Trends: •Smart Tunnels, Autonomous Construction, Energy Efficiency Market Drivers: •Urbanization, Infrastructure Spending, Sustainable Transport Market Challenges: •Cost Overruns, Environmental Concerns, Regulatory Issues Have a query? Market an enquiry before purchase 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/3954594-global-tunnels-design-and-construction-market?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below: In-depth analysis of Tunnels Design and Construction market segments by Types: Drill & Blast, Cut & Cover, TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine), Immersed Detailed analysis of Tank Container Shipping market segments by Applications: Transport, Water Management, Power Supply, Mining Geographically, the detailed analysis of consumption, revenue, market share, and growth rate of the following regions: • The Middle East and Africa (South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, Egypt, etc.) • North America (United States, Mexico & Canada) • South America (Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, etc.) • Europe (Turkey, Spain, Turkey, Netherlands Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.) • Asia-Pacific (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia). Buy Now Latest Edition of Tunnels Design and Construction Market Report 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=3954594?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash Tunnels Design and Construction Market Research Objectives: - Focuses on the key manufacturers, to define, pronounce and examine the value, sales volume, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis, and development plans in the next few years. - To share comprehensive information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (opportunities, drivers, growth potential, industry-specific challenges and risks). - To analyze the with respect to individual future prospects, growth trends and their involvement to the total market. - To analyze reasonable developments such as agreements, expansions new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. - To deliberately profile the key players and systematically examine their growth strategies. FIVE FORCES & PESTLE ANALYSIS: In order to better understand market conditions five forces analysis is conducted that includes the Bargaining power of buyers, Bargaining power of suppliers, Threat of new entrants, Threat of substitutes, and Threat of rivalry. • Political (Political policy and stability as well as trade, fiscal, and taxation policies) • Economical (Interest rates, employment or unemployment rates, raw material costs, and foreign exchange rates) • Social (Changing family demographics, education levels, cultural trends, attitude changes, and changes in lifestyles) • Technological (Changes in digital or mobile technology, automation, research, and development) • Legal (Employment legislation, consumer law, health, and safety, international as well as trade regulation and restrictions) • Environmental (Climate, recycling procedures, carbon footprint, waste disposal, and sustainability) Get 10-25% Discount on Immediate purchase 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/request-discount/3954594-global-tunnels-design-and-construction-market?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Tunnels Design and Construction Market: Chapter 01 - Tunnels Design and Construction Executive Summary Chapter 02 - Market Overview Chapter 03 - Key Success Factors Chapter 04 - Global Tunnels Design and Construction Market - Pricing Analysis Chapter 05 - Global Tunnels Design and Construction Market Background or History Chapter 06 - Global Tunnels Design and Construction Market Segmentation (e.g. Type, Application) Chapter 07 - Key and Emerging Countries Analysis Worldwide Tunnels Design and Construction Market Chapter 08 - Global Tunnels Design and Construction Market Structure & worth Analysis Chapter 09 - Global Tunnels Design and Construction Market Competitive Analysis & Challenges Chapter 10 - Assumptions and Acronyms Chapter 11 - Tunnels Design and Construction Market Research Methodology Key questions answered • How Global Tunnels Design and Construction Market growth & size is changing in next few years? • Who are the Leading players and what are their futuristic plans in the Global Tunnels Design and Construction market? • What are the key concerns of the 5-forces analysis of the Global Tunnels Design and Construction market? • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? • What are the different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the Global Tunnels Design and Construction market? Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter-wise sections or region-wise report versions like North America, LATAM, Europe, Japan, Australia or Southeast Asia. Nidhi Bhawsar (PR & Marketing Manager) HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited Phone: +15075562445 sales@htfmarketreport.com About Author: HTF Market Intelligence Consulting is uniquely positioned to empower and inspire with research and consulting services to empower businesses with growth strategies. We offer services with extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events, and experience that assist in decision-making. This release was published on openPR.Optical illusions are fascinating games that challenge how our brains and eyes work together. Among these, a horse optical illusion quiz not only entertains but also offers insights into your personality. How many horses you spot can reveal surprising details about your character. Our sense of sight is one of humanity's most vital and beautiful gifts, shaping how we perceive the world. The way we interpret visuals, including optical illusions, can reveal secret aspects of our personality. How Many Horses Do You See? This unique optical illusion quiz is simple to take yet insightful. All you need to do is follow the game rules below and interpret the results: Game Rules: - Glance at the image for a second or two. - Count the number of horses you notice in the picture. - Match your count with the characteristics outlined below to uncover personality traits. What Your Horse Count Reveals About You 1. One Horse Spotting only one horse indicates that you’re a big-picture thinker. You view things holistically and are skilled at anticipating outcomes before others even begin planning. This ability makes you an excellent manager, as you’re adept at visualizing results. However, this strength can sometimes make you hasty in decision-making, leading to a lack of detailed evaluation. Your focus on the broader perspective can cause you to overlook finer details. To grow, focus on becoming more meticulous and avoid developing a laid-back approach. You have the potential to bring about meaningful change if you harness your natural skills thoughtfully. 2. Between 5 and 10 Horses If you saw between five and ten horses, you likely have a streak of perfectionism. You prioritize what matters and base your decisions on logic and reason. While you approach tasks sensibly, your work style can sometimes lack organization, making your journey to success less smooth than it could be. You’re always in motion—sometimes sprinting, other times crawling—but you never stop. This relentless drive helps you overcome failures and keep pushing forward. However, be mindful of overconfidence, as it can lead to overextending yourself. Accept that not everything has to be perfect, and allow yourself to celebrate small victories along the way. 3. 11 or More Horses Suppose you counted 11 or more horses, congratulations! You’re a perfectionist with keen observational skills. You notice details others overlook, making you a reliable and responsible individual. People enjoy working with you because they trust your sharp eye and dedication. However, perfectionism has its downsides. You may struggle to know when to stop refining a project, constantly thinking, “A little more improvement might help.” This mindset can lead to overthinking and dissatisfaction with outcomes. To balance your meticulous nature, consider incorporating relaxation techniques like yoga into your routine. Surround yourself with people who can remind you to set limits and take time to unwind. Why Should You Take the Optical Illusion Test Optical illusions like this one combine fun with self-discovery, offering unique insights into your personality. Whether you’re a big-picture thinker, a relentless go-getter, or a detail-oriented perfectionist, this test can help you understand and embrace your strengths while identifying areas for growth. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Mental Health, Health and around the world.Tom Purcell: Why kids can’t walk alone
Texans get visit from longtime foe Derrick Henry when the Ravens visit on Christmas DayWhat's New on Prime Video in January 2025At a town hall meeting with the bureau workforce, Mr Wray said he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought”. Mr Wray’s intended resignation is not unexpected considering that Mr Trump had picked Mr Patel for the role in his new administration. Mr Wray had previously been named by Mr Trump and began the 10-year term — a length meant to insulate the agency from the political influence of changing administrations — in 2017, after Mr Trump fired then-FBI director James Comey. Mr Trump had demonstrated his anger with Mr Wray on multiple occasions, including after Mr Wray’s congressional testimony in September. “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” Mr Wray told agency employees. “In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” Mr Wray continued: “It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway — this is not easy for me. I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people — but my focus is, and always has been, on us and doing what’s right for the FBI.” Mr Wray received a standing ovation following his remarks before a standing-room-only crowd at FBI headquarters and some in the audience cried, according to an FBI official who was not authorised to discuss the private gathering and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. Mr Trump applauded the news on social media, calling it “a great day for America as it will end the weaponisation of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice” and saying that Mr Patel’s confirmation will begin “the process of Making the FBI Great Again”. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr Patel would herald a radical leadership transformation at the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency. He has advocated shutting down the FBI’s Washington headquarters and called for ridding the federal government of “conspirators”, raising alarm that he might seek to wield the FBI’s significant investigative powers as an instrument of retribution against Mr Trump’s perceived enemies. Mr Patel said in a statement Wednesday that he was looking forward to “a smooth transition. I will be ready to serve the American people on day one”.
How are brokers helping to drive the fuelling transition?Population in 2024 Although Pakistan made significant strides in 2024 across various fronts, many challenges remain unaddressed A crowd of people along a makeshift market in Karachi. — Reuters/File Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world, bids farewell to 2024 – and yet the unfinished population growth business concerns politicians, leaders, academics, and development practitioners. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); As the country leaves 2024 behind, it does so with a better understanding of population dynamics and the impact of population growth and human capital on prosperity, welfare, and livelihoods. Although Pakistan has made significant strides in 2024 across various fronts, many challenges remain unaddressed. Reflecting on the year, I am encouraged to see Pakistan taking steps to calibrate economic growth with population growth. Demographic and economic cycles are interconnected, with higher fertility rates among poorer families perpetuating cycles of poverty. This produces vulnerable individuals who suffer from poor health, lower education levels, limited income opportunities, higher economic dependency ratios, and increased unemployment rates. These dynamics exacerbate social and economic inequalities, erode the middle class, and threaten stability, social cohesion, and even human security. The widespread, cross-cutting challenges to survival, livelihood, and dignity, ultimately limit individuals’ agency to shape and influence the country’s future. In 2024, both the federal and provincial governments took significant steps to pave the way for an evidence-based population and development agenda. These steps included implementing the population census, organising the first-ever data festival, the launch of the Data for Development (D4D) initiative, and the establishment of Pakistan data portal as a centralised hub for data users including policymakers, researchers, and development practitioners to enhance the visualisation and analysis of data. This year, marked by major milestones, also saw the release of the landmark report on Pakistan 50+ which explores future demographic trends and scenarios to align population growth with economic development. Population policies were drafted in Punjab and AJK, and youth policies were launched in GB and Balochistan. Positive progress is being made towards integrating population and health departments, and there was a slight opening to critical upstream issues in the public domain such as discussions on the delink of the population growth from the NFC formula and the allocation of seats in the assemblies. The country also demonstrated its commitment by increasing financial allocations for family planning commodities and supply chain management. In addition, several pieces of legislation were passed to support to end gender-based violence including child marriage, and the establishment of anti-rape crisis cells in multiple provinces and Islamabad. To bridge the gap in the health workforce, Pakistan launched a four-year undergraduate BSc programme in midwifery. Some provinces also took significant steps to implement the Violence Against Women and Gender Safety Acts, establishing virtual women’s police stations, women safety apps, and functional GBV helplines. All aforementioned steps are important moves in the right direction. Yet, many key recommendations to prioritise the population agenda across various levels of executive and legislative authorities remain either in the pipeline or are yet to be initiated. The population conference organised by the chief justice in 2023 called for the implementation of the CCI recommendations and the National Action Plan (NAP) in the most cost-effective development manner. It also emphasised the need to regulate coordination mechanisms including the federal and provincial task forces and accountability forums such as Country Engagement Working Group (CEWG) and FP2030. The conference further called for the allocation of Rs10 billion per year (non-lapsable) to the Pakistan Population Fund, outside the NFC framework, and incentivising local production of contraceptives. The most strategic recommendation is to reform the NFC formula by delinking it from population size, reducing the weight of the population factor, and incorporating indices related to women's empowerment and human capital. One viable option could involve freezing the population factor at the levels of the previous population census (1998, 2017, or 2023) for a certain period, following the successful experiences initiated by India and Bangladesh in 2000. Delinking of the NFC from population growth will encourage provinces to adopt progressive population programmes, improve both the federal and provincial statistical system, and enhance data quality and accessibility – prerequisites for sound, evidence-based planning and monitoring. A human capital-centred NFC formula rather than one focused on population size will improve Pakistan's performance in the international economic and social development indicators. Another unfinished business is addressing population issues from a multi-sectoral perspective by mainstreaming population factors in all development policies and prioritising the population agenda into concrete action. This includes increasing domestic financing and mobilising external financial resources. It is advisable to revisit the high turnover of senior bureaucrats to preserve the institutional memory and ensure the continuity of long-term programming. Social protection programmes led by the government, such as the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), should also incorporate demand-side financing mechanisms to improve women’s access to quality reproductive health services, including family planning, particularly for marginalised women. The country requires bold legislation and measurable enforcement measures to achieve a genuine transformation in the social and gender norms, aiming to remove discriminatory barriers women face. Despite having affirmative legislation for women, the country struggles with enforcement and significant discrepancies between laws and practice such as in the case of the legal age of child marriage. There is also a need to expand counselling services for voluntary birth spacing, improve access to sexual and reproductive health care, and ensure a violence-free environment that enables women’s full participation in public life. Pakistan is moving in the right direction, yet the pace is slower and softer than necessary, especially in a global landscape where priorities are shifting due to demographic transitions in many countries. To sustain the national development progress, Pakistan must move faster and stronger to avoid missing global partnerships. The writer is the UNFPA representative in Pakistan.
The year 2024 has marked a significant shift in investment patterns for Indian investors, with a remarkable focus on US tech giants like Nvidia and Tesla. Indian investors have strategically turned their attention towards tech stocks in the US market. Nvidia and Tesla topped the charts, attracting considerable investments, according to data from Vested Finance. These two companies alone accounted for more than a quarter of the total investments from India, highlighting a robust belief in the future prospects of AI, GPUs, and electric vehicles. As the global economy navigates through uncertain waters, tech stocks remain the preferred choice for Indian investors, followed closely by ETFs. The broader market witnessed small-cap US equities rally, largely driven by Trump’s re-election and subsequent strengthening of the Republican party’s influence in Congress. Despite market volatility due to political and economic changes, Indian investors have shown a sustained appetite for diversified portfolios. This interest extends to diversified ETFs that use leverage and inverse strategies, which gained momentum over 2024. Vested Finance emphasizes the importance of balancing risk and opportunity. Investors are advised to diversify across high-growth areas like technology and renewable energy while not ignoring defensive sectors such as healthcare and financial services. As market trends evolve, the finance platform encourages careful observation of emerging market stocks, considering currency and geopolitical fluctuations. Besides Nvidia and Tesla, a variety of other tech investments such as Alphabet, AMD, Amazon, and leveraged ETFs like ProShares UltraPro QQQ (TQQQ) remain favored among Indian investors. This investment strategy underscores a keen interest in both maximizing returns and managing potential risks through diversified portfolios featuring both high and stable growth sectors. Why Indian Investors are Betting Big on US Tech Giants in 2024 In 2024, the investment landscape in India has taken a transformative turn, as Indian investors increasingly focus on US technology companies, with significant investments in industry leaders Nvidia and Tesla. This shift underscores a growing belief in the growth potential of artificial intelligence, GPU innovation, and electric vehicles, making these tech giants appealing prospects for robust returns. Investment Patterns and Market Insights Indian investors have shown a profound interest in the tech sector, viewing it as a cornerstone for future growth. In particular, Nvidia and Tesla have emerged as standout choices, capturing a substantial portion of the investment from India. This trend reflects not just confidence in these companies but also a broader shift toward tech-driven innovation and sustainable energy solutions. Additionally, investors have diversified their portfolios beyond individual stocks to include leveraged ETFs like ProShares UltraPro QQQ (TQQQ) and other tech entities such as Alphabet, AMD, and Amazon. This strategic diversification points to a cautious yet optimistic approach to capturing market gains while managing risks. Factors Driving the Trend Several factors are behind this shift towards US tech stocks and ETFs: 1. Global Economic Climate: The global economy remains uncertain, prompting investors to seek reliable growth sectors. Tech stocks provide a viable option due to their innovation-driven potential and resilient performance. 2. US Political Landscape: With Trump’s re-election, small-cap US equities have experienced a boost, further attracting foreign investments, including those from India. The Republican party’s enhanced influence in Congress adds a layer of political stability, bolstering investor confidence. 3. Tech and Renewable Energy Synergies: There is a dual emphasis on technology and renewable energy as key growth areas, aligning with global trends towards sustainability and innovation. Strategic Diversification and Risk Management Vested Finance, a prominent investment platform, underscores the importance of balancing risk and opportunity. They advise investors to spread investments across high-growth areas such as tech and renewable energy while maintaining positions in defensive sectors like healthcare and financial services. A tactical approach to investment, considering both emerging market dynamics and geopolitical shifts, can help mitigate risks associated with currency fluctuations and political disruptions. Future Predictions and Market Trends Looking ahead, Indian investment in US tech giants is expected to continue expanding, with Nvidia and Tesla remaining at the forefront. As technological advancements in AI and electric vehicles progress, these sectors present compelling opportunities for high returns. Moreover, the integration of sustainability into corporate strategies aligns with the global shift towards greener economies, offering an attractive proposition for forward-thinking investors. In conclusion, the 2024 trend of Indian investors channeling funds into US tech companies signifies a strategic alignment with global growth sectors and sustainable innovation. As this trend evolves, investors will likely keep a close eye on technological advancements, policy shifts, and economic indicators that could influence future performance. For more on investing in US markets, visit Vested Finance .
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By JOSH DUBOW | Associated Press Athletics president Dave Kaval will resign from the organization after being the public face of the organization’s departure from Oakland after 57 seasons . Related Articles Oakland Athletics | Rickey being Rickey: Memorable moments from Henderson’s larger-than-life career Oakland Athletics | Oakland A’s teammates, sports luminaries mourn Rickey Henderson Oakland Athletics | From the archives: How Oakland A’s legend Rickey Henderson was molded by ‘Billy Ball’ Oakland Athletics | Rickey Henderson: Oakland remembers the ballplayer who grew up in Bushrod Oakland Athletics | Photos: A look back at Rickey Henderson, the Man of Steal Kaval has been president of the A’s for the past eight years and will step down from the role on Tuesday to pursue new business opportunities in California. Sandy Dean, a longtime business partner with the Fisher family that owns the team, will serve as interim president and a search to fill the full-time role will begin in 2025, when the A’s begin what they hope will be a three-year stint in Sacramento before the franchise ultimately settles in Las Vegas. Kaval and team president John Fisher were at the center of Oakland fans’ growing discontent as multiple potential East Bay stadium plans failed, the franchise’s biggest stars were traded away, and ticket prices increased at the same time the franchise annually fielded a team with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. Kaval will forever remembered for saying the team was on a “parallel path” that included the ballpark plans in Oakland and Las Vegas, a path that ultimately ended with the team playing its final game in Oakland in September . Kaval, 49, made the decision to step down after the team had cleared its final major hurdles to get a stadium built in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Stadium Authority approved lease, non-relocation and development documents earlier this month for the Athletics to construct a $1.75 billion stadium on the Strip. Other details remain to be worked out, such as a development agreement with Clark County, but groundbreaking likely will take place in the spring and the team expects to be in the new stadium in Las Vegas for the start of the 2028 season. “We are grateful for Dave’s contributions and leadership over the past eight years,” A’s owner John Fisher said in a statement. “He guided our organization through a period of significant transition, and we sincerely thank him for his unwavering commitment to the team. As we look ahead to the next chapter of our franchise, the team will continue to grow under new leadership, driving the organization toward success during our interim years in West Sacramento and at our new home in Las Vegas.” Kaval failed in his efforts to get a new stadium built for the team in downtown Oakland and eventually helped the organization reach the deal to move to Las Vegas, ending a run of of 57 seasons in Oakland that included four World Series championships. The A’s will play at least the next three seasons at a minor league ballpark in West Sacramento, California. Kaval, who in 2016 succeeded Michael Crowley as A’s president, had previously served as president of the MLS’ San Jose Earthquakes, who are also owned by the Fisher family. When he first came to the A’s, he drew praise for his open-door policy to hear from fans and for changes he made at the Oakland Coliseum. He brought in food trucks for games and opened the “Treehouse” a 10,000-square-foot area that included a bar, lounge and patio for fans to watch games from left field. Kaval took a less public role in the Bay Area after the team announced plans in 2023 to move to Las Vegas. But by then the man who once promised the A’s would remain “Rooted in Oakland” had been long branded by A’s fans a primary villain (along with Fisher) in the relocation saga. In May 2021, while Kaval and other A’s officials were in Las Vegas exploring possibilities to move the team to the area, he rankled two Bay Area fan bases with a single social media post. While attending the Vegas Golden Knights’ home playoff game he posted a video on the social media platform now known as X of the boisterous crowd on its feet at T-Mobile Arena just before the drop of the puck. “Wow! #StanleyCup playoffs! @GoldenKnights,” Kaval tweeted in regards to the atmosphere inside the arena. Sharks fans were angered because he was complimenting a hated rival, and A’s fans were enraged because it was at the same time his team was losing to the Seattle Mariners at the Coliseum. Kaval was outwardly optimistic about a new ballpark getting done in Oakland early in his tenure. In 2017, he announced the team had decided on a piece of land in the Peralta Community College District in Laney College. But the plan was met with quick opposition from city leaders and residents who were concerned the stadium would displace low-income families and businesses in the Chinatown and East Lake neighborhoods. A year later, Kaval and the A’s publicly announced their intentions to build their new ballpark at Howard Terminal near Jack London Square. The Oakland City Council in 2021 voted to approve a non-binding term sheet to continue negotiations with the team over the $12 billion proposal that included the ballpark and a mixed-use development project. But Kaval said the team would not accept that term sheet while the two sides disagreed over infrastructure costs. It was around that time Kaval publicly spoke about a “parallel path” that included the ballpark plans in Oakland and Las Vegas . In June 2023, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed a bill that would give the A’s $380 million in public money toward their Las Vegas stadium. The A’s began the application process for relocation a week later, and MLB owners unanimously approved the team’s eventual move that November.And with its lease at the Oakland Coliseum up in 2024, the team announced last April it would move temporarily to Sutter Health Park, home of the Sacramento River Cats, rather than extend their lease at their home venue they initially moved to in 1968. Staff writer Laurence Miedema and The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBFormer Boise State coach Chris Petersen still gets asked about the Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma on the first day of 2007. That game had everything. Underdog Boise State took a 28-10 lead over one of college football's blue bloods that was followed by a 25-point Sooners run capped by what could have been a back-breaking interception return for a touchdown with 1:02 left. Then the Broncos used three trick plays that remain sensations to not only force overtime but win 43-42. And then there was the marriage proposal by Boise State running back Ian Johnson — shortly after scoring the winning two-point play — to cheerleader Chrissy Popadics that was accepted on national TV. That game put Broncos football on the national map for most fans, but looking back 18 years later, Petersen sees it differently. “Everybody wants to talk about that Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl game, which is great how it all worked out and all those things,” Petersen said. “But we go back to play TCU (three years later) again on the big stage. It's not as flashy a game, but to me, that was an even better win.” Going back to the Fiesta Bowl and winning, Petersen reasoned, showed the Broncos weren't a splash soon to fade away, that there was something longer lasting and more substantive happening on the famed blue turf. The winning has continued with few interruptions. No. 8 and third-seeded Boise State is preparing for another trip to the Fiesta Bowl, this time in a playoff quarterfinal against No. 5 and sixth-seeded Penn State on New Year's Eve. That success has continued through a series of coaches, though with a lot more of a common thread than readily apparent. Dirk Koetter was hired from Oregon, where Petersen was the wide receivers coach. Not only did Koetter bring Petersen with him to Oregon, Petersen introduced him to Dan Hawkins, who also was hired for the staff. So the transition from Koetter to Hawkins to Petersen ensured at least some level of consistency. Koetter and Hawkins engineered double-digit victory seasons five times over a six-year span that led to power-conference jobs. Koetter went to Arizona State after three seasons and Hawkins to Colorado after five. Then when Petersen became the coach after the 2005 season, he led Boise State to double-digit wins his first seven seasons and made bowls all eight years. He resisted the temptation to leave for a power-conference program until Washington lured him away toward the end of the 2013 season. Then former Boise State quarterback and offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin took over and posted five double-digit victory seasons over his first six years. After going 5-2 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he left for Auburn. “They just needed consistency of leadership,” said Koetter, who is back as Boise State's offensive coordinator. “This program had always won at the junior-college level, the Division II level, the I-AA (now FCS) level.” But Koetter referred to “an unfortunate chain of events” that made Boise State a reclamation project when he took over in 1998. Coach Pokey Allen led Boise State to the Division I-AA national championship game in 1994, but was diagnosed with cancer two days later. He died on Dec. 30, 1996, at 53. Allen coached the final two games that season, Boise State's first in Division I-A (now FBS). Houston Nutt became the coach in 1997, went 4-7 and headed to Arkansas. Then Koetter took over. “One coach dies and the other wasn't the right fit for this program,” Koetter said. “Was a really good coach, did a lot of good things, but just wasn't a good fit for here.” But because of Boise State's success at the lower levels, Koetter said the program was set up for success. “As Boise State has risen up the conference food chain, they’ve pretty much always been at the top from a player talent standpoint,” Koetter said. “So it was fairly clear if we got things headed in the right direction and did a good job recruiting, we would be able to win within our conference for sure.” Success didn't take long. He went 6-5 in 1998 and then won 10 games each of the following two seasons. Hawkins built on that winning and Petersen took it to another level. But there is one season, really one game, no really one half that still bugs Petersen. He thought his best team was in 2010, one that entered that late-November game at Nevada ranked No. 3 and had a legitimate chance to play for the national championship. The Colin Kaepernick-led Wolf Pack won 34-31. “I think the best team that I might've been a part of as the head coach was the team that lost one game to Nevada,” Petersen said. "That team, to me, played one poor half of football on offense the entire season. We were winning by a bunch at half (24-7) and we came out and did nothing on offense in the second half and still had a chance to win. “That team would've done some damage.” There aren't any what-ifs with this season's Boise State team. The Broncos are in the field of the first 12-team playoff, representing the Group of Five as its highest-ranked conference champion. That got Boise State a bye into the quarterfinals. Spencer Danielson has restored the championship-level play after taking over as the interim coach late last season during a rare downturn that led to Andy Avalos' dismissal . Danielson received the job full time after leading Boise State to the Mountain West championship . Now the Broncos are 12-1 with their only defeat to top-ranked and No. 1 seed Oregon on a last-second field goal . Running back Ashton Jeanty also was the runner-up to the Heisman Trophy . “Boise State has been built on the backs of years and years of success way before I got here,” Danielson said. "So even this season is not because of me. It’s because the group of young men wanted to leave a legacy, be different. We haven’t been to the Fiesta Bowl in a decade. They said in January, ‘We’re going to get that done.’ They went to work.” As was the case with Danielson, Petersen and Koetter said attracting top talent is the primary reason Boise State has succeeded all these years. Winning, obviously, is the driving force, and with more entry points to the playoffs, the Broncos could make opportunities to keep returning to the postseason a selling point. But there's also something about the blue carpet. Petersen said he didn't get what it was about when he arrived as an assistant coach, and there was some talk about replacing it with more conventional green grass. A poll in the Idaho Statesman was completely against that idea, and Petersen has come to appreciate what that field means to the program. “It's a cumulative period of time where young kids see big-time games when they're in seventh and eighth and ninth and 10th grade and go, ‘Oh, I know that blue turf. I want to go there,’” Petersen said. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballOnline Language Learning Platform Market Is Booming So Rapidly | Major Giants Open English, FluentU, Lingoda
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If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Amanda Hernández | (TNS) Stateline.org CHICAGO — Shoplifting rates in the three largest U.S. cities — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — remain higher than they were before the pandemic, according to a report last month from the nonpartisan research group Council on Criminal Justice. The sharp rise in retail theft in recent years has made shoplifting a hot-button issue, especially for politicians looking to address public safety concerns in their communities. Since 2020, when viral videos of smash-and-grab robberies flooded social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have expressed fears that crime is out of control. Polls show that perceptions have improved recently, but a majority of Americans still say crime is worse than in previous years. “There is this sense of brazenness that people have — they can just walk in and steal stuff. ... That hurts the consumer, and it hurts the company,” said Alex Piquero, a criminology professor at the University of Miami and former director of the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, in an interview. “That’s just the world we live in,” he said. “We need to get people to realize that you have to obey the law.” At least eight states — Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, New York and Vermont — passed a total of 14 bills in 2024 aimed at tackling retail theft, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The measures range from redefining retail crimes and adjusting penalties to allowing cross-county aggregation of theft charges and protecting retail workers. Major retailers have responded to rising theft since 2020 by locking up merchandise, upgrading security cameras, hiring private security firms and even closing stores. Still, the report indicates that shoplifting remains a stubborn problem. In Chicago, the rate of reported shoplifting incidents remained below pre-pandemic levels throughout 2023 — but surged by 46% from January to October 2024 compared with the same period a year ago. Shoplifting in Los Angeles was 87% higher in 2023 than in 2019. Police reports of shoplifting from January to October 2024 were lower than in 2023. Los Angeles adopted a new crime reporting system in March 2024, which has likely led to an undercount, according to the report. In New York, shoplifting rose 48% from 2021 to 2022, then dipped slightly last year. Still, the shoplifting rate was 55% higher in 2023 than in 2019. This year, the shoplifting rate increased by 3% from January to September compared with the same period last year. While shoplifting rates tend to rise in November and December, which coincides with in-person holiday shopping, data from the Council on Criminal Justice’s sample of 23 U.S. cities shows higher rates in the first half of 2024 compared with 2023. Researchers found it surprising that rates went up despite retailers doing more to fight shoplifting. Experts say the spike might reflect improved reporting efforts rather than a spike in theft. “As retailers have been paying more attention to shoplifting, we would not expect the numbers to increase,” said Ernesto Lopez, the report’s author and a senior research specialist with the council. “It makes it a challenge to understand the trends of shoplifting.” In downtown Chicago on a recent early afternoon, potential shoppers shuffled through the streets and nearby malls, browsing for gifts ahead of the holidays. Edward Johnson, a guard at The Shops at North Bridge, said that malls have become quieter in the dozen or so years he has worked in mall security, with the rise of online retailers. As for shoplifters, Johnson said there isn’t a single type of person to look out for — they can come from any background. “I think good-hearted people see something they can’t afford and figure nothing is lost if they take something from the store,” Johnson said as he patrolled the mall, keeping an eye out for lost or suspicious items. Between 2018 and 2023, most shoplifting in Chicago was reported in the downtown area, as well as in the Old Town, River North and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, according to a separate analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice. Newly sworn-in Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke this month lowered the threshold for charging retail theft as a felony in the county, which includes Chicago, from $1,000 to $300, aligning it with state law. “It sends a signal that she’s taking it seriously,” Rob Karr, the president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, told Stateline. Nationally, retailers are worried about organized theft. The National Retail Federation’s latest report attributed 36% of the $112.1 billion in lost merchandise in 2022 to “external theft,” which includes organized retail crime. Organized retail crime typically involves coordinated efforts by groups to steal items with the intent to resell them for a profit. Commonly targeted goods include high-demand items such as baby formula, laundry detergent and electronics. The same report found that retailers’ fear of violence associated with theft also is on the rise, with more retailers taking a “hands-off approach.” More than 41% of respondents to the organization’s 2023 survey, up from 38% in 2022, reported that no employee is authorized to try and stop a shoplifter. (The federation’s reporting has come under criticism. It retracted a claim last year that attributed nearly half of lost merchandise in 2021 to organized retail crime; such theft accounted for only about 5%. The group announced this fall it will no longer publish its reports on lost merchandise.) Policy experts say shoplifting and organized retail theft can significantly harm critical industries, drive up costs for consumers and reduce sales tax revenue for states. Those worries have driven recent state-level action to boost penalties for shoplifting. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of 10 bills into law in August aimed at addressing retail theft. These measures make repeated theft convictions a felony, allow aggregation of crimes across multiple counties to be charged as a single felony, and permit police to arrest suspects for retail theft even if the crime wasn’t witnessed directly by an officer. In September, Newsom signed an additional bill that imposes steeper felony penalties for large-scale theft offenses. California voters also overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in November that increases penalties for specific drug-related and theft crimes. Under the new law, people who are convicted of theft at least twice may face felony charges on their third offense, regardless of the stolen item’s value. “With these changes in the law, really it comes down to making sure that law enforcement is showing up to our stores in a timely manner, and that the prosecutors and the [district attorneys] are prosecuting,” Rachel Michelin, the president and CEO of the California Retailers Association, told Stateline. “That’s the only way we’re going to deter retail theft in our communities.” In New Jersey, a bipartisan bill making its way through the legislature would increase penalties for leading a shoplifting ring and allow extended sentences for repeat offenders. “This bill is going after a formally organized band of criminals that deliver such destruction to a critical business in our community. We have to act. We have to create a deterrence,” Democratic Assemblymember Joseph Danielsen, one of the bill’s prime sponsors, said in an interview with Stateline. The legislation would allow extended sentences for people convicted of shoplifting three times within 10 years or within 10 years of their release from prison, and would increase penalties to 10 to 20 years in prison for leading a retail crime ring. The bill also would allow law enforcement to aggregate the value of stolen goods over the course of a year to charge serial shoplifters with more serious offenses. Additionally, the bill would increase penalties for assaults committed against retail workers, and would require retailers to train employees on detecting gift card scams. Maryland legislators considered a similar bill during this year’s legislative session that would have defined organized retail theft and made it a felony. The bill didn’t make it out of committee, but Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, said the group plans to propose a bill during next year’s legislative session that would target gift card fraud. Better, more thorough reporting from retailers is essential to truly understanding shoplifting trends and its full impact, in part because some retail-related crimes, such as gift card fraud, are frequently underreported, according to Lopez, of the Council on Criminal Justice. Measuring crime across jurisdictions is notoriously difficult , and the council does not track organized retail theft specifically because law enforcement typically doesn’t identify it as such at the time of arrest — if an arrest even occurs — requiring further investigation, Lopez said. The council’s latest report found conflicting trends in the FBI’s national crime reporting systems. The FBI’s older system, the Summary Reporting System, known as SRS, suggests that reported shoplifting hadn’t gone up through 2023, remaining on par with 2019 levels. In contrast, the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, shows a 93% increase in shoplifting over the same period. The discrepancy may stem from the type of law enforcement agencies that have adopted the latter system, Lopez said. Some of those communities may have higher levels of shoplifting or other types of property crime, which could be what is driving the spike, Lopez said. Despite the discrepancies and varying levels of shoplifting across the country, Lopez said, it’s important for retailers to report these incidents, as doing so could help allocate law enforcement resources more effectively. “All law enforcement agencies have limited resources, and having the most accurate information allows for not just better policy, but also better implementation — better use of strategic resources,” Lopez said. Stateline staff writer Robbie Sequeira contributed to this report. ©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
