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IOWA CITY — Iowa’s 29-13 win over Maryland in the first start of Jackson Stratton’s career at Iowa improved the Hawkeyes’ record to 7-4 with one game remaining in the season. Following the 16-point win over the Terrapins and ahead of a matchup with the Nebraska in a battle for the Heroes Trophy, uncertainty continues to reign at quarterback, the Huskers may have regained their early season rhythm and stakes seem lessened. In his first career start, Stratton led an efficient and effective Iowa offense down the field on three straight drives of 12 or more plays to start the game, resulting in 10 points and lopsided time of possession numbers. However, once the game went final, Stratton’s stat line showed limited usage for the former fourth-string walk on as he finished with 76 passing yards on 10-of-14 passing. The Hawkeyes ran the ball 58 times in the win and, though Stratton flashed the ability to throw to the wide side of the field early, rarely looked to give their third different starting quarterback of the season a chance to showcase his skillset. Following the win, Ferentz praised Stratton and said he assumed the former Colorado State transfer would be the starting quarterback against Nebraska. “He is the leader of the group right now,” Ferentz said. Despite Ferentz’s postgame comments, Cade McNamara, who started the first eight games of the season, issued a statement on social media Friday indicating his intentions of playing against the Huskers if he were cleared from concussion protocol for game action. Answer: Stratton Nebraska topped Wisconsin 44-25 on Saturday to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2016, when Mike Riley was the head coach. During the win, the Big Red showed flashes of their September selves, racing out to a 34-10 lead behind an efficient and mistake-free Dylan Raiola at quarterback, a strong rushing attack and an opportunistic defense. The Badgers managed to cut the lead to 37-25 with 6:03 remaining in the fourth quarter before a late touchdown sealed the win for the Huskers. The win seemed to demonstrate a return to form for Nebraska as they looked more like the team that raced out to a 28-0 lead in the first half against Colorado than the team that lost to Indiana 56-7. However, did the Huskers fully shake off their struggles after a four-game losing skid? Answer: The fan base hopes so. Saturday will be the test. With Iowa firmly planted at the top of tier two Big Ten teams in the standings with little room to improve their standing and Nebraska reaching bowl eligibility last week, the Black Friday tilt between the two programs does not have the same stakes as in years’ previous. Though Nebraska cannot spoil an Iowa Big Ten Championship bid and the Hawkeyes cannot stop the Huskers from reaching a bowl game, the game remains a pivotal contest for both teams. Nebraska hopes to win to generate excitement into the offseason and important recruiting periods. A three-game winning streak (with a win in a bowl game) would be its strongest finish to a season since winning four straight to cap the 2008 season — Bo Pelini’s first as head coach at Nebraska. For Iowa, a win would once again bring supremacy to the Hawkeyes over the once proud program, give them a chance at closing the season on a three-game win streak and give them nine wins in the last 10 matchups. Though this game possesses no grand national implications on college football, there is still plenty to play for on Friday. Answer: Glory, bragging rights, a trophy — everything that makes college football great. Special teams, pair of defensive stops, explosive run put Iowa over top against Maryland Iowa rides ground game to bounce back win at Maryland, Kaleb Johnson surpasses Shonn Greene 5 Takeaways from Iowa’s bounce back win over Maryland Get local news delivered to your inbox!DANIA BEACH, Florida (AP) — Border Patrol agents are tasked with enforcing hotly contested immigration policies as many Americans at both ends of the political spectrum look askance at the border — and the agents. That's taking a mounting toll, so the agency is training more among its ranks to become chaplains and provide spiritual care for their fellow agents on and off the job. “That’s a really hard thing to deal with, as things tend to flip from one side to the other, and we’re still in the crossfire,” said Border Patrol assistant chief and chaplaincy program manager Spencer Hatch. Unlike the police or military, which recruit faith leaders to serve as chaplains, the Border Patrol trains mostly lay agents endorsed by their faith denominations to become chaplains through a 2.5 week academy. Their numbers have grown to about 240 from 130 four years ago. Three times a year, an academy is held at a different Border Patrol station. About a dozen Border Patrol personnel, plus a few Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management officers, graduated from the most recent academy, held near Miami earlier this month. The program, and a nonreligious, mental-health focused peer support program, were started by grassroots efforts in the 1990s. Chaplains stay in their regular jobs, but are on call to assist. Border Patrol agents say they're motivated by the desire to protect U.S. borders from security threats, including the powerful cartels that control much of the border dynamics. They also often rescue migrants lost and dying in the harsh deserts that line the southern U.S. border. But many agents feel the American public sees them as obstacles to migrants seeking a better life in the United States. They often tell their children to say their parent does “government work” for fear of reprisals, especially in the border communities where they live. That dissonance between upholding a duty they feel proud of, and getting called “terrible names” for it, adds an emotional toll to the already dangerous, often isolating work the agents do. That's where the chaplains come in — to help their fellow 20,000 agents cope and prevent the trauma from degenerating into family crises, addiction or even suicide. While most chaplains are Christian, with a smattering of Muslim and Jewish agents, they don’t offer faith-specific worship and only bring up religion if the person they’re helping does first. Rather, they are a comforting presence during critical moments like assisting a suicidal colleague, notifying a family their loved one was killed on the job, and counseling those dealing with addiction, survivor guilt and other traumas. Those are the scenarios that chaplains-in-training practice role-playing at the academy. They also learn about communication and family dynamics, because constant redeployments — some up to 9 times over 18 months during the record border crossings early in the Biden administration — affect their families too. Hatch teaches about the need to maintain both the “hypervigilance” of law enforcement and the humanitarian instinct to empathize with fellow agents as well as migrants. Many agents say they are especially affected by the plight of migrant children at the hands of smugglers. “One tries to give them support within the limits of what your work allows. I always have the biggest smile,” said a newly minted chaplain, Yaira Santiago, a former schoolteacher who runs a Border Patrol migrant processing center in Southern California. By relying on their faith, their commitment to help their colleagues, and their training, chaplains can make a difference. "Even in moments of uncertainty, your presence is often enough,” said Matt Kiniery, an agent in El Paso, Texas, for 15 years and a graduate of the latest chaplain academy. Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Amazon and Starbucks workers are on strike. Trump might have something to do with it Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract. Strikes during busy periods like the holidays can help unions exercise leverage during negotiations or garner support from sympathetic consumers. One expert says he thinks workers at both companies are “desperate” to make progress before President-elect Donald Trump can appoint a Republican majority to the National Labor Relations Board. Workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands are fighting for their first contracts after several locations voted to unionize. Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber. Agribusinesses in other Southern states saw costly damage as well. The University of Georgia estimates the September storm inflicted $5.5 billion in direct losses and indirect costs in Georgia alone. In rural Toombs County, Chris Hopkins just finished harvesting his ravaged cotton crop and figures he lost half of it, costing him about $430,000. Poultry grower Jeffrey Pridgen in Georgia's Coffee County had four of his 12 chicken houses destroyed and others badly damaged. Farmers say more government disaster assistance is needed. Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI’s strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. But he grew disillusioned with the company and told The Associated Press this fall he would “try to testify” in copyright infringement cases against it. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%, after two months of outsize 0.3% gains. The milder inflation figures arrived two days after Federal Reserve officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, rocked financial markets by revealing that they now expect to cut their key interest rate just two times in 2025, down from four in their previous estimate. Albania to close TikTok for a year blaming it for promoting violence among children TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s prime minister says the government will shut down video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teenager following a quarrel that started on TikTok. Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at a meeting with teachers and parents, said TikTok “would be fully closed for all. ... There will be no TikTok in the Republic of Albania.” Rama says the ban will begin sometime next year. Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to domestic researchers. Stock market today: Wall Street rises to turn a dismal week into just a bad one NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% Friday to shave its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. A report said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than expected. It’s an encouraging signal after the Fed shocked markets Wednesday by saying worries about inflation could keep it from cutting interest rates in 2025 as much as earlier thought. Starbucks workers begin strikes that could spread to hundreds of US stores by Christmas Eve Workers at U.S. Starbucks stores have begun a five-day strike to protest a lack of progress in contract negotiations with the company. The strikes began in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve. Workers at 535 of the 10,000 company-owned Starbucks stores in the U.S. have voted to unionize. The Starbucks Workers United union accuses the Seattle-based coffeehouse chain of failing to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year. Starbucks says the union prematurely left the bargaining table this week. It said Friday there's been no significant impact to store operations. It's beginning to look like another record for holiday travel Drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs better make a dash for it: it’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel in the U.S. The auto club AAA predicts that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day. The two weekends on either side of Christmas are tempting a lot of people to head out earlier. U.S. airlines expect to have their busiest days to be Friday and Sunday this week and next Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A government shutdown that could start as soon as Saturday was not expected to immediately affect flights and airport operations. Amazon workers are striking at multiple facilities. Here's what you should know Amazon workers affiliated with the Teamsters union are on strike for a second day at seven of the company’s delivery hubs just days before Christmas. At midnight on Saturday, the Teamsters say workers at a prominent unionized warehouse in New York will also join. The union has not indicated how many employees were participating in the walkout or when it will end. The Teamsters say the workers were continuing their strike on Friday after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline the union had set for contract negotiations. The company says it doesn’t expect the strikes taking place in Southern California, San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta, and Skokie, Illinois, to impact holiday shipments. Alabama profits off prisoners who work at McDonald’s but deems them too dangerous for parole DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — No state has a longer, more profit-driven history of contracting prisoners out to private companies than Alabama. Best Western, Bama Budweiser and Burger King are among the more than 500 businesses to lease incarcerated workers from one of the most violent, overcrowded and unruly prison systems in the U.S. in the past five years alone, The Associated Press found as part of a two-year investigation into prison labor. The cheap, reliable labor force has generated more than $250 million for the state since 2000 — money garnished from prisoners’ paychecks. Kelly Betts of the corrections department defended the work programs, calling them crucial to the success of inmates preparing to leave prison, though she added some of the incarcerated workers are serving life without parole.

New hope for flight MH370 families as Malaysia agrees to resume searchWaymo has announced plans to bring its self-driving taxis to in early 2025, beating Japanese automakers to the draw and stealing a march on Tesla’s robotaxi in the largest urban market for autonomous driving outside China. This past week the Alphabet (Google) subsidiary revealed a partnership with , the top taxi and limousine service company in Tokyo, and , Japan’s most popular taxi app. Nihon Kotsu will be in charge of managing and servicing of Waymo vehicles. GO provides easy-to-understand directions in English. First, Nihon Kotsu drivers will operate Waymo’s cars manually to map the central areas of the city – the heavily traveled and frequently visited districts of Shinjuku-ku, Shibuya-ku, Minato-ku, Chiyoda-ku, Shinagawa-ku and Koto-ku. Then the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE autonomous vehicles will go on their first outside the US. Waymo boasts. The company goes on to explains: “The Waymo driver is our autonomous driving technology that never gets drunk, tired or distracted,” Waymo boasts. “Each time we test the Waymo Driver in regions far from where we typically operate, we prioritize safety and are mindful of our footprint.” The company explains its procedure as follows: Watch a video showing a Waymo vehicle in traffic . Tokyo’s street map is very complex and, like the British, the Japanese drive on the left-hand side of the road. This will take some getting used to. But Waymo would be able to apply its experience in Tokyo to London and other big cities where they drive on the left – in Mumbai and Delhi, for example. Safety is essential to winning the trust of the public and Waymo has a relatively : about one crash resulting in injury per million miles of driving, . In Waymo’s estimation, compared with the average human driver over 25 million miles of driving in Phoenix and San Francisco, the Waymo Driver had 81% fewer airbag deployment crashes, 72% fewer injury causing crashes and 57% fewer police-reported crashes. So far, no fatalities have been reported. But Waymo Driver does make mistakes. Last June, while on the way to pick up a passenger in Phoenix, a Waymo self-driving taxi crashed into a telephone pole. No one was hurt, but the company recalled all 672 autonomous vehicles it was operating at the time for a software update. There was also a 444-vehicle crash-related recall earlier this year and 2 vehicles were recalled in December 2023, again for software updates. In the six months to 2024, Waymo vehicles were involved in 17 crashes and five other incidents involving potential violations of traffic safety laws. There were no injuries reported. According to an analysis of US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made by Craft Law Firm, a total of 3,979 accidents involving autonomous vehicles were reported between 2019 and June 17, 2024. After more than doubling to 1,450 in 2022, the number dropped to 1,353 in 2023 and was down to 473 in the first half of 2024, demonstrating that safety has improved while the number of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles on the road, and the number of miles driven, has greatly increased. In October 2024, Waymo reported that its self-driving taxis were providing more than 150,000 paid rides per week – up from about 100,000 in August and 50,000 last May – over a total distance of more than one million miles. Of the 3,979 accidents reported to the NHTSA, Tesla accounted for 2,146, Waymo for 415, GM for 219, Cruise for 187, Honda for 155, and Subaru, Toyota, Ford, BMW, Kia, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and some 40 other companies for the remainder. Cruise was acquired by GM in 2016 and shut down in December 2024. This was also a setback for , which had formed a partnership with GM to develop self-driving vehicles and invested in Cruise. Citing a study by the iSeeCars website, reports that Tesla has the highest fatal accident rate among auto brands in the US. There is even a website, which says it “is a record of Tesla accidents that involved a driver, occupant, cyclist, motorcyclist, or pedestrian death, whether or not the Tesla or its driver were at fault,” with “as much related crash data as possible.” The website, which was updated on October 20, notes 51 fatalities related to Tesla Autopilot and two related to FSD (Full Self-Driving). This is important because, as The Wall Street Journal reported in August, “Since 2021, Tesla has reported over 1,200 crashes related to its driver assistance system called Autopilot to federal regulators,” and the NHTSA has “tied at least to the tech[nology]. But it’s been hard for the public to understand the role Autopilot plays in crashes because NHTSA’s reports are heavily redacted. Tesla considers information about Autopilot proprietary, and key details like the crash narrative and even the exact date are obscured in public reports.” In the US, Waymo’s self-driving taxis are currently operating in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles, with commercial service in Austin, Atlanta and Miami scheduled to start in 2025. In Austin, a limited began in October. Tesla’s much-hyped robotaxi, which it also calls , probably won’t be on the road until late 2026 at the earliest. At its public unveiling in October, CEO Elon Musk said it would be in production “before 2027.” Cybercab has been driving Tesla’s stock price higher, but not much else. Furthermore, Tesla has been in Japan since 2014, but there are very few of its vehicles on the road. Meanwhile, a Japanese venture called is working on autonomous driving software that uses neural networks to transform camera imagery directly into driving commands to enable a self-driving vehicle to go anywhere in all conditions, “equipped with human-like knowledge and decision-making capabilities.” Believing that “what is necessary for autonomous driving is not good eyes but a good brain,” Turing is developing generative AI that “directly issues driving instructions from camera images ... without using many sensors or high-precision maps.” Its biggest challenge now appears to be catching up and keeping up with Waymo.

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BALTIMORE (AP) — Wayne Bristol Jr. scored 21 points as Hampton beat Loyola (MD) 76-68 on Saturday. Bristol added 10 rebounds for the Pirates (7-5, 1-0 Coastal Athletic Association). Etienne Strothers shot 4 for 10 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line to add 14 points. Richard Goods had 13 points and shot 2 of 3 from the field and 9 for 10 from the line. The Greyhounds (5-5) were led in scoring by Milos Ilic, who finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. Jordan Stiemke added 12 points for Loyola. Jacob Theodosiou also had nine points. Hampton took the lead with 7:30 to go in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 32-26 at halftime, with Goods racking up nine points. Hampton outscored Loyola (MD) in the second half by two points, with Bristol scoring a team-high 13 points after the break. These two teams both play Saturday. Hampton hosts Howard and Loyola visits DePaul. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .PM tells David Seymour to focus on regulation, not health

Enterprise IT Management Software Market 2024 Set for Major Growth Surge Over the Next Decade 12-25-2024 07:42 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Prudent Markets Enterprise IT Management Software Market The Enterprise IT Management Software Market 2024-2023 report provides a comprehensive analysis of Types (Cloud Based, On Premises), Application (Large Enterprises, SMEs), Analysis of Industry Trends, Growth, and Opportunities, R&D landscape, Data security and privacy concerns Risk Analysis, Pipeline Products, Assumptions, Research Timelines, Secondary Research and Primary Research, Key Insights from Industry Experts, Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2024-2032. Major Players of Enterprise IT Management Software Market are: VMware, Freshworks, AWS, Microsoft, Goverlan, SUMMIT Software, Turbonomic, Genuity, ServiceNow, Ivanti, Kaseya, Quest Software, ManageEngine, Riverbed Technology, Oracle, Nicus Software, IBM, BackBox, Red Hat, squaredup, BMC Software, Hashicorp, Apptio, Cireson, Dell, Eracent, CloudCheckr, Micro Focus, Bravura Software, Symphony SUMMIT Get PDF Sample Report Now! @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/sample-request/9169178/ Enterprise IT management software tools serve as an infrastructure control center for IT departments in mid- to large-sized businesses. These platforms allow the information technology team to oversee company-wide endpoints and communicate with the network for a variety of tasks. Enterprise IT management software give users remote desktop access to employee and administrator platforms for patch and software updates, security settings, and disaster recovery, in addition to system setup and configuration. A number of these programs help bolster IT operations with asset tracking and operational intelligence reporting for data insights such as power consumption and system performance. These programs may also offer multi-factor authentication for identity management and automation of routine tasks. Depending on the platform, certain solutions may be compatible with a single operating system or offer mixed-platform compatibility. This report provides a deep insight into the global Enterprise IT Management Software market covering all its essential aspects. This ranges from a macro overview of the market to micro details of the market size, competitive landscape, development trend, niche market, key market drivers and challenges, SWOT analysis, value chain analysis, etc. The analysis helps the reader to shape the competition within the industries and strategies for the competitive environment to enhance the potential profit. 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Segmentation of Enterprise IT Management Software Market- By Type Cloud Based, On Premises By Application Large Enterprises, SMEs Geographic Segmentation -North America (USA, Canada, Mexico) -Europe (Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy, Rest of Europe) -Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) -South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Rest of South America) -The Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Rest of MEA) Prudent Markets provides attractive discounts that fit your needs. Customization of the reports as per your requirement is also offered. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you a report that suits your needs. Speak To Our Analyst For A Discussion On The Above Findings, And Ask For A Discount On The Report @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/discount-request/9169178/ Key Benefits of the Report: This study presents the analytical depiction of the Enterprise IT Management Software Industry along with the current trends and future estimations to determine the imminent investment pockets. The report presents information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities along with detailed analysis of the Enterprise IT Management Software Market share. The current market is quantitatively analyzed from to highlight the Global Gardening Pots Market growth scenario. Porter's five forces analysis illustrates the potency of buyers & suppliers in the market. The report provides a detailed Enterprise IT Management Software Market analysis based on competitive intensity and how the competition will take shape in coming years. Key poles of the TOC: Chapter 1 Enterprise IT Management Software Market Business Overview Chapter 2 Major Breakdown by Type Chapter 3 Major Application Wise Breakdown (Revenue & Volume) Chapter 4 Manufacture Market Breakdown Chapter 5 Sales & Estimates Market Study Chapter 6 Key Manufacturers Production and Sales Market Comparison Breakdown Chapter 8 Manufacturers, Deals and Closings Market Evaluation & Aggressiveness Chapter 9 Key Companies Breakdown by Overall Market Size & Revenue by Type Chapter 11 Business / Industry Chain (Value & Supply Chain Analysis) Chapter 12 Conclusions & Appendix The report covers the competitive analysis of the market. As the demand is driven by a buyer's paying capacity and the rate of item development, the report shows the important regions that will direct growth. This section exclusively shares insight into the budget reports of big-league members of the market helping key players and new entrants understand the potential of investments in the Global Enterprise IT Management Software Market. It can be better employed by both traditional and new players in the industry for complete know-how of the market. For In-Depth Competitive Analysis - Purchase this Report now at a Complete Table of Contents (Single User License) @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/checkout/?id=9169178&license_type=su Free Customization on the basis of client requirements on Immediate purchase: 1- Free country-level breakdown of any 5 countries of your interest. 2- Competitive breakdown of segment revenue by market players. Customization of the Report: This report can be customized to meet the client's requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@prudentmarkets.com), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +91 83560 50278 || USA/Canada(Toll Free): 1800-601-6071 to share your research requirements. In conclusion, the Enterprise IT Management Software Market report is a genuine source for accessing the research data which is projected to exponentially grow your business. The report provides information such as economic scenarios, benefits, limits, trends, market growth rates, and figures. SWOT analysis and PESTLE analysis is also incorporated in the report. Contact Us: Allan Carter Andheri, Maharashtra, 400102 USA/Canada(Toll Free): 1800-601-6071 Direct Line: +91 83560 50278 Mail: sales@prudentmarkets.com Web: www.prudentmarkets.com About Us: We are leaders in market analytics, business research, and consulting services for Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, financial & government institutions. Since we understand the criticality of data and insights, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. To be at our client's disposal whenever they need help on market research and consulting services. We also aim to be their business partners when it comes to making critical business decisions around new market entry, M&A, competitive Intelligence and strategy. This release was published on openPR.The Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Kwara), has addressed misconceptions surrounding the four Tax Reform Bills currently before the National Assembly. In a statement released on Wednesday to mark the Christmas celebration, Senator Bamidele dismissed claims about the derivation model in the Bills as “utterly incorrect and unfounded.” “The proposed tax reform bills, described as executive legislation, include a review of derivations to states. Under the new model, Kano State’s share would rise from 0.89 per cent to 6.17 per cent, while Zamfara State’s allocation would increase from 0.05 per cent to 1.21 per cent. “However, Lagos State, which currently receives 80.26 per cent, would see a significant reduction to 15.28 per cent, representing an 81 per cent decrease. Rivers State’s share would also drop from 7.74 per cent to 4.6 per cent, marking a 41 per cent reduction,” he stated. Additionally, the Bills propose tax exemptions for employees earning ₦1,000,000 annually (₦83,000 monthly), as well as for start-ups, shared services, and technologically-driven businesses. They also recommend zero VAT on essential services and consumables. The reform Bills have sparked debates, particularly from northern governors, who have labelled them ‘anti-North’. Similarly, members of the National Assembly from across the country have expressed divergent views on the proposed VAT sharing formula in the proposed legislation. LEADERSHIP reports that the National Economic Council (NEC), led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, had earlier urged President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the Bills for further consultation. However, the President insisted that all concerns be addressed within the ongoing legislative process on the Bills. Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State recently criticised the reforms, claiming they would disproportionately benefit Lagos State, the President’s home state. However, Senator Bamidele emphasised that the reforms aimed to foster an environment conducive to business, investment, and economic growth. “We are committed to building an environment where businesses can operate seamlessly; where investors are confident, and where Nigerians can thrive without undue burdens,” he said. He noted that the reforms, including the Tax Reform Bills, National Minimum Wage Act, and Investment and Securities Act, were designed to reverse troubling economic indicators. He reassured Nigerians that the reforms were guided by principles of equity, fairness, and justice. “Contrary to misconceptions, the Tax Reform Bills exempt all employees earning ₦1,000,000 annually, support start-ups and technological services, and propose zero VAT on essential goods and services,” he clarified. Addressing the Christmas season, the Senate Leader highlighted the importance of gratitude, reflection, and compassion. He urged Nigerians to remember the needy, reflect on Christ’s mission, and pray for the country’s economic recovery, political stability, and unity. “As we celebrate, let us recommit to the development of our nation. This is not the time to search for greener pastures abroad but to join hands to rebuild and rebrand our homeland,” he stated. President Tinubu, during his recent Presidential Media Chat, affirmed his commitment to reforming Nigeria’s tax system, stressing that “tax amendments require negotiation and consensus.” He reassured Nigerians that while the reforms may be challenging, they were necessary to secure the nation’s future. Senator Bamidele concluded his message with warm wishes for the festive season: “With all my heart, I wish you all happy celebrations in this season of deep reflection. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance.”

MUMBAI: Come 2025, the Indian telecom sector could see a hiring rush for new opportunities created by satellite communications as the government finalizes the regulatory processes for such services. ET Year-end Special Reads It's all Gucci for Indians' luxury craving even as economy shows wrinkles Investing in 2025: Will domestic funds continue to counter FPI sell-offs amid rising valuations? 2024 exposed the underbelly of India's Silicon Valley Although the introduction of satcom services is in a wait-and-watch mode and the numbers are yet unclear, the sector could create the need for highly skilled talent in space technologies to manage operations from India once players such as Elon Musk 's Starlink , Amazon 's Kuiper , Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and the Reliance Jio- SES JV foray into the satcoms race, hiring experts said. Still, India's telecom workforce growth is expected to remain stable in the upcoming fiscal at 31%, similar to 30% in FY25, and 31% in FY24, recruiting firms Randstad, TeamLease and Quess Corp have said. This does not include expected hirings in the satcoms segment. The telecom hiring in FY26 would majorly be driven by rural expansion, 6G preparedness and focus on advanced network technologies. While temporary field jobs will see an uptick from projects like BharatNet and 4G/5G network expansion, staffing firms are gearing up to hunt new talent on the corporate side as well in areas like cybersecurity, AI, and satellite communications. Though the satellite broadband space is yet to take off, the sector could create significant new job opportunities as India already ranks 5th in space technologies. 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Many pointers, including spectrum allocation mode are in the recommendations stage. Once we have the final policy draft and launch announcement, it will be good to comment about it," said Subburathinam P, chief operating officer - staffing, TeamLease Services. Steady Climb Randstad expects India's telecom workforce to grow from 5 million in FY24 to 5.7 million in FY25. This follows a steady growth trend from 2.5 million in FY22 to 4 million in FY23, the company said. According to Quess, over FY23, there is a 33% increase in the telecom sector hiring in FY24. TeamLease, in turn, said the associate workforce is expected to grow at 8-9% in 2025. "Telecom companies continued to actively hire field sales executives, customer relationship executives, retail executives, installation engineers, fibre repair executives, and cell site repair staff during this period," TeamLease's Subburathinam P said. Besides connectivity solutions, data management, and cybersecurity roles, AI in network management and customer service will create new opportunities in telecom, he explained. However, regulatory challenges could impact the pace of hiring. "In FY25, the primary growth levers will be rural expansion of 5G networks and the preparation for 6G advancements," said Viswanath PS, MD & CEO, Randstad India. "Key roles will focus on customer acquisition, service, backend network optimisation, technical support, and field operations. However, core infrastructure roles such as tower and equipment installations may see a decline as urban network projects are nearing completion," he said. Upskilling Need But, there is a widening demand-supply gap for skilled professionals - already at around 2 million and projected to grow- that highlights the urgent need for targeted skilling initiatives, Viswanath said. According to Quess, over FY23, there is also a 33% increase in telecom hirings in 2024 in network and front-end roles, driven by 5G expansion. Edge computing, as in moving data processing and storage closer to the data source, has also been a major trend. Nominations for ET MSME Awards are now open. The last day to apply is December 31, 2024. Click here to submit your entry for any one or more of the 22 categories and stand a chance to win a prestigious award. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )(WISH) — Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that impacts a million people living in the United States. While most people are older than 60 when diagnosed, 1 in 10 people with Parkinson’s are now being diagnosed before age 50. A new technological method may offer hope for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. News 8’s Brittany Noble has details in Tuesday’s Health Spotlight. This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV. Health Spotlight is presented by Community Health Network .

Nestled along two converging rivers, with the Blue Ridge Mountains’ precipitous cliffs offering a backdrop, Harpers Ferry has long been praised for its rugged natural beauty. The town named for millwright Robert Harper in 1747 soon became one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorite retreats, and today, the mound of Harpers shale on which he stood to survey the water gap below is a popular destination along the Appalachian Trail. George Washington chose Harpers Ferry for a new national armory in 1796. It turned what had been a somewhat sleepy hamlet into a prosperous industrial village. Yet this easternmost town in West Virginia didn’t gain national fame until the Civil War. It was here, in 1859, that abolitionist John Brown and his small group of men seized the armory in hopes of starting an uprising in the South against slavery. If you love history, it lives on at Harpers Ferry, which became a national historic park in 1963. It focuses not just on John Brown’s raid and the Civil War but also shines a light on African American history, industry, transportation and natural heritage. And if you find joy in hiking, cycling, mountaineering or paddling, you will find lots to do in and around this picturesque town on the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers. There also are numerous shops and restaurants, including in nearby Bolivar, if eating, drinking and shopping are high on your to-do list. Walking around charming Lower Town gives the feeling of stepping back in time. One of the most visited historic sites is the only armory building to escape destruction during the Civil War: John Brown’s Fort, where the abolitionist and several followers barricaded themselves during the final hours of their doomed raid. In 1891, it was dismantled and transported to Chicago for the World’s Fair. Other buildings reach even further into the past. When Harper established a ferry across the Potomac River in 1761, it made the town a starting point for settlers moving into the Shenandoah Valley and farther west. They included members of the famed Lewis and Clark expedition, who in 1803 made preparations here for their historic exploration of the western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. Harpers Ferry became a ghost town by the 1950s and was reconstructed by the Park Service in the ’60s as a “multileveled interpretive proving ground.” Wearing comfortable shoes? National Park Service rangers lead free tours detailing the history of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Or take a self-guided Black heritage walking tour that includes 34 stops. Lower Town also includes an industry museum, a 19th-century “landscape” that will fascinate the kids, and both Civil War and Black history museums. And if you climb the rocky set of 44 steps that were carved into the hillside in 1810 behind the museums, you can take in a view of the city below from the stone patio of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church. West Virginia is famous for its variety of outdoor activities on both land and water, and Harpers Ferry does not disappoint. The Appalachian Trail, one of America’s most famous footpaths, passes through Lower Town, and visitors can trek or bike the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath that runs along the banks of the Potomac River. (You’ll find maps at the Visitors Center.) If you don’t mind breaking a sweat and have a few hours, a moderately strenuous but rewarding hike follows the Maryland Heights trailhead to Overlook Cliff. The climb is both steep (1,154 feet uphill) and long (a 4.5-mile loop). But when you get to the top, the view of Harpers Ferry below is bucket- list spectacular. Less challenging (but not accessible to those with physical limitations) is the hike up the Stone Steps to St. Peter’s church, past the ruins of St. John’s Episcopal Church, to Jefferson Rock. You’re not allowed to climb onto the Harpers shale slab that gave Jefferson such pleasure, but you’ll share his terrific view. Continue up the hill a little farther, and you’ll hit the Appalachian Trail on your way to Camp Hill, the 32-acre site that once housed Storer College and is now owned by the Park Service. Harpers Ferry is considered the halfway point of the trail, and during the season, weary-looking hikers are a common sight around town and on the towpath across the Potomac. Many stop at the trail’s hikers’ lounge on Washington Street to rest or take a picture on its front porch. So far in 2024, visitor-center rep Dave Tarasevich has counted more than 1,240 northbound hikers. “It’s one of the few places where the trail goes through town, literally,” he said. Water sports, including fishing, are also popular here. Some people canoe and kayak through October; there’s also white water rafting in season. You also can go horseback riding. After all that walking and history learning, you’re going to want to unwind with some good food and drink. While you won’t find big-city gourmet eats, you can get a pretty good meal at several places around town. I had a tasty salad made with microfarm hemp hearts, greens, tomatoes and avocado on the patio at The Rabbit Hole and a pretty good burger at Coach House Bar and Grill. For coffee, fresh-baked pastries and sandwiches, head to Battle Grounds Bakery & Coffee. If you don’t eat meat, West Virginia’s very first vegan restaurant — Kelley Farm Kitchen in Bolivar — has got you covered with salads, Impossible burgers, hoagies and ramen bowls. Some places are dog-friendly, including my favorite spot for pizza and a beer — Harpers Ferry Brewing in neighboring Purcellville, Virginia. Perched on the side of a mountain next to Harpers Ferry Adventure Center, it offers an awesome view along with local craft brews and live music on weekends through November. Just know that everything in this small town, even the brewery, shutters pretty early. The only life downtown after dark is The Barn of Harpers Ferry, a music venue and bar that offers live music every night Wednesday through Saturday. Want to take a piece of West Virginia home with you? In boutiques along High Street and Public Way, you’ll find everything from original art and distinctive jewelry crafted by regional hands to old-fashioned candy and confections, antiques and hokey souvenirs. Lodging options include bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, a hostel and locally and nationally owned motels. For a guide on where to eat, seasonal events and other attractions, visit wherealmostheavenbegins.com .Qatar tribune It seems everyone has a theory on the nocturnal drone sightings that have alarmed residents in the Northeast. They’re from our government, they’re from a foreign country, they’re planes, they’re just normal drones, they’re extraordinary craft that elude regular detection. One thing we are sure of: The Biden Administration has dropped the ball on transparency and communication. Speculation can bloom only when there’s a lack of leadership, or when people don’t trust the powers that be. There have been more than 5,000 sightings reported on the East Coast states in recent weeks, according to a statement from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security. But White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby led off the weekend by saying there was nothing to fear and that people may be imagining things, according to reports. Over 5,000 sightings is a heck of a lot of imagination. Michael Mastronardy, sheriff of Ocean County, New Jersey, said he sent his own “industrial grade” drone into the air late last week in a bid to follow one of 50 unmanned aerial vehicles a local cop saw “coming off the ocean.” The mysterious drones swiftly maneuvered out of their clutches, Mastronardy told News Nation reporter Rich McHugh. In an interview with Fox News Live on Saturday, former CIA operations officer Laura Ballman theorized that the phenomena might be part of a “classified exercise” mounted by the Biden Administration. New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim went out on drone patrol with local police late last week and said he believes some lights in the sky he came across were possibly drones, but most others — after “deeper analysis” — appear to have just been planes, the New York Post reported. The latest word from the White House: “...these aircraft people are seeing are a mix of law enforcement drones, commercial drones and hobbyists. We continue to see nothing that indicates a public safety risk or national security risk,” Kirby said. “There are 1 million drones registered with the FAA here in the United States. Thousands upon thousands fly in our skies legally and lawfully every single day doing all kinds of good things for the public good. The Northeast corridor is one of the busiest,” he said. Lots of drones doing lots of good things. Yet, sources told CNN Monday, the U.S. government is sending drone detection and tracking systems to two military facilities in New Jersey. There are also helicopters monitoring drones in Pennsylvania. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he’s asking the Department of Homeland Security to deploy special detection systems that use 360-degree technology to detect drones. New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., a retired Navy helicopter commander, slammed the Biden administration for a lack of “coordination and communication,” concerning the drones and/or planes, The Hill reported. “After weeks of unidentified-drone sightings over New Jersey...the drones remain unidentified,” she said. This may all be reduced to memes in weeks, or be remembered as the Great Drone Scare of ’24. But one thing is certain: when it comes to taking action, it’s the local pols who are stepping up for concerned constituents and not the feds. And that’s not our imagination. Copy 22/12/2024 10