Niagara’s wineries, restaurants and some retailers have had a busy December, crediting the federal government’s GST holiday for their increased sales. Henry of Pelham president Paul Speck said although Christmas season sales this year began slowly, they quickly increased as the holiday grew closer. “VQAO wine sales are up and wine in general,” Speck said. “That’s good to see. We think people will kind of stock up, especially when something’s on sale.” In some cases, he said consumers are saving $5 a bottle for some popular wines his company sells, when the sale price and GST break are added up. “It’s a pretty good deal, and why not get a couple extra bottles?” he said, laughing. “I think any savings, especially right now when the economy is tough, is very much welcome.” Speck said it’s also an opportunity for people to “maybe even experiment a little bit, with wines from Niagara that they may not have tried before because they’re a little bit cheaper.” Niagara wineries, restaurants and some retailers are crediting the temporary GST holiday for increased sales. For two months, a list of items including children’s toys, snacks, wine and restaurant food are exempt from the federal Goods and Services Tax. Smaller wineries like Black Bank Hill in Beamsville saw a slight sales increase, too, likely as a result of the tax savings, said owner Taylor Emerson. “People have noticed ... and bought wine because of it,” he said. “It’s an added incentive. It does make it easier.” Emerson called it a “quiet December” for many wineries as customers have less money left over to spend on wine, due to inflation, but the tax break likely helped bring customers through the door. “It hasn’t hurt for sure,” he said. Pierre Kountouris, who owns Joe Feta’s in St Catharines, said his restaurant is one of many that have seen significant increases in sales in the weeks since the GST break began Dec. 14. “I don’t think there’s any food service operation that hasn’t seen an increase” in sales. “We found that people are spending a little bit more, because you’re getting a 13 per cent break. Typically, that’s how it goes,” Kountouris said. He said this December has already been busier than last year, and he expects it to be even busier during the last week of the month. “I can see people are spending a little more money and I think the GST holiday has something to do with it. It makes a big difference when you’re not paying the extra 13 per cent.” Large corporate catering orders have also increased for his business, with taxes no longer being included in budgets, he said. Kountouris expected increased sales to continue for the weeks to come, until the GST break ends on Feb. 15. “All in all, especially in our industry it’s been a good thing,” he said. Although Albert Zappitelli recently stepped away from most of the day-to-day operations at the Niagara Falls restaurant he founded, Zappi’s Pizza and Pasta, subletting the restaurant to his employees, he said the GST break is a massive opportunity for restaurants. “This is the biggest bonus you’ll ever see,” he said. “Something like this in December, January and part of February, you’ve got to take advantage of this because this is massive. Do you even know what it feels like to buy a $15 lunch and pay $15?” Some retailers, too, are reporting increased sales. Vincent Fattore said his Port Dalhousie business, Thistle Bookshop and Café, is definitely busier than usual. “We’ve definitely seen quite the increase in sales over here,” he said. “We’re definitely seeing an increase in people coming down to Port Dalhousie and definitely have a lot more customers in the store too.” Fattore said the tax break applies to most of the items he sells, including books, games and puzzles, and the suppliers he works with helped sort out any products where taxes would still be charged.flying circus 。

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NEW YORK — Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been fined $25,000 for using profane language during a media interview, the NBA announced Monday. Edwards' comments came after the Timberwolves' 107-90 win at Golden State on Dec. 6. Edwards, a two-time All-Star, is averaging 26.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this season. Minnesota is off to a 12-11 start after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Several Installation Methods of PC Sheets for Maximum Performance 12-26-2024 07:58 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: ABNewswire Polycarbonate panels [ https://www.gwxpcsheet.com/products/ ] have quickly become the go-to material for modern construction projects, thanks to their strength, durability, and energy efficiency. Whether you're designing a sleek sunroom, building a greenhouse [ https://www.gwxpcsheet.com/news/guidelines-for-choosing-the-polycarbonate-thickness-for-your-greenhouse/ ], or upgrading your commercial roof, choosing the right installation method can make all the difference in ensuring long-lasting, high-performance results. But with so many installation techniques to choose from, how do you know which one is right for your project? In this article, we'll explore the top installation methods for PC panels, offering you expert tips to help you make the most of your investment. 1. 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Image: https://ecdn6.globalso.com/upload/p/317/image_other/2024-12/wechat-picture_20241224152418.jpg 2. Snap-Fit or Lock-In Installation (For Multi-Layer PC Panels) For multi-wall polycarbonate Sheets, such as those used in skylights or curved roofs, the snap-fit or lock-in system is a popular choice. This method involves connecting panels using a built-in interlocking design that doesn't require screws or fasteners. * Preparation: Lay out the panels and align the grooves of each panel with the corresponding sections of the frame. * Locking Panels in Place: Snap the panels into place by pressing the interlocking edges together. Depending on the system, you may need special tools to secure the panels into the frame. * Sealing: Ensure the joints are sealed properly to prevent water ingress, especially around the edges. This system minimizes the need for fasteners, which reduces the risk of leaks and damage over time. 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This method involves using industrial-grade adhesives to bond the polycarbonate panels directly to the surface without visible fasteners. * Preparation: Clean the surfaces thoroughly to ensure optimal adhesion. * Application: Apply a polyurethane adhesive or silicone sealant to the back of the panels and press them firmly onto the mounting surface. * Curing: Allow the adhesive to cure for the recommended period before subjecting the installation to any stress. This technique is perfect for decorative applications or areas where you want to avoid the appearance of fasteners, such as glass-like facades or modern architectural designs. 4. Glued Installation (For Architectural or Decorative Applications) The installation method you choose will depend on several factors, including the type of polycarbonate sheet, application, location, and desired aesthetics. 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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans made claims about illegal a centerpiece of their 2024 and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there's one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That's because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn't been enforced Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn't touch it. “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” Kansas' experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, revised the form that poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions' provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement to The Associated Press. After Kansas residents challenged their state's law, both a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded that it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That's an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn't justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded that the state’s evidence showed that only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing that federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” The U.S. Supreme Court in 2020. But in August, it in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state's law was challenged. "If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different," he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea that a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call," Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted "a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Initially, the Kansas requirement's impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver's license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn't accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn't know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned that they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven't traveled outside the U.S. and don't have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don't have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical that there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.” Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

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Barclays PLC increased its holdings in Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. ( NYSE:MEG – Free Report ) by 375.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 53,575 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 42,297 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned approximately 0.16% of Montrose Environmental Group worth $1,410,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MEG. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Montrose Environmental Group in the third quarter worth about $214,000. XTX Topco Ltd raised its stake in shares of Montrose Environmental Group by 81.3% in the 3rd quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 15,719 shares of the company’s stock valued at $413,000 after acquiring an additional 7,048 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Montrose Environmental Group by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 679,871 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,881,000 after purchasing an additional 5,687 shares during the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Montrose Environmental Group by 58.7% in the third quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 23,521 shares of the company’s stock worth $619,000 after buying an additional 8,703 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in Montrose Environmental Group during the 3rd quarter worth $111,000. 87.87% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth MEG has been the subject of several research reports. Bank of America cut Montrose Environmental Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $52.00 to $29.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price target on shares of Montrose Environmental Group from $44.00 to $39.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Montrose Environmental Group from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $29.00 target price (down previously from $48.00) on shares of Montrose Environmental Group in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI set a $43.00 price target on Montrose Environmental Group in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $35.60. Montrose Environmental Group Trading Down 1.1 % Shares of MEG stock opened at $17.45 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $20.40 and a 200-day moving average of $28.65. The stock has a market cap of $598.55 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.71 and a beta of 1.71. Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $15.21 and a 52-week high of $49.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.93 and a current ratio of 1.93. Montrose Environmental Group Profile ( Free Report ) Montrose Environmental Group, Inc operates as an environmental services company in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Assessment, Permitting and Response; Measurement and Analysis; and Remediation and Reuse. The Assessment, Permitting and Response segment provides scientific advisory and consulting services to support environmental assessments; environmental emergency response and recovery; toxicology consulting and environmental audits and permits for current operations; facility upgrades; new projects; decommissioning projects; and development projects. Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Montrose Environmental Group What is the Nasdaq? Complete Overview with History Buffett Takes the Bait; Berkshire Buys More Oxy in December How to Capture the Benefits of Dividend Increases Top 3 ETFs to Hedge Against Inflation in 2025 How to Invest in Small Cap Stocks These 3 Chip Stock Kings Are Still Buys for 2025 Receive News & Ratings for Montrose Environmental Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Montrose Environmental Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .