Maryland is suing the company that produces the waterproof material Gore-Tex often used for raincoats and other outdoor gear, alleging its leaders kept using “forever chemicals” long after learning about serious health risks associated with them. The complaint, which was filed last week in federal court, focuses on a cluster of 13 facilities in northeastern Maryland operated by Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates. It alleges the company polluted the air and water around its facilities with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances , jeopardizing the health of surrounding communities while raking in profits. The lawsuit adds to other claims filed in recent years, including a class action on behalf of Cecil County residents in 2023 demanding Gore foot the bill for water filtration systems, medical bills and other damages associated with decades of harmful pollution in the largely rural community. “PFAS are linked to cancer, weakened immune systems, and can even harm the ability to bear children,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement. “It is unacceptable for any company to knowingly contaminate our drinking water with these toxins, putting Marylanders at risk of severe health conditions.” Gore spokesperson Donna Leinwand Leger said the company is “surprised by the Maryland Attorney General’s decision to initiate legal action, particularly in light of our proactive and intensive engagement with state regulators over the past two years.” “We have been working with Maryland, employing the most current, reliable science and technology to assess the potential impact of our operations and guide our ongoing, collaborative efforts to protect the environment,” the company said in a statement, noting a Dec. 18 report that contains nearly two years of groundwater testing results. But attorney Philip Federico, who represents plaintiffs in the class action and other lawsuits against Gore, called the company’s efforts “too little, much too late.” In the meantime, he said, residents are continuing to suffer — one of his clients was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer. “It’s typical corporate environmental contamination,” he said. “They’re in no hurry to fix the problem.” The synthetic chemicals are especially harmful because they’re nearly indestructible and can build up in various environments, including the human body. In addition to cancers and immune system problems, exposure to certain levels of PFAS has been linked to increased cholesterol levels, reproductive health issues and developmental delays in children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Gore leaders failed to warn people living near its Maryland facilities about the potential impacts, hoping to protect their corporate image and avoid liability, according to the state’s lawsuit. The result has been “a toxic legacy for generations to come,” the lawsuit alleges. Since the chemicals are already in the local environment, protecting residents now often means installing complex and expensive water filtration systems. People with private wells have found highly elevated levels of dangerous chemicals in their water, according to the class action lawsuit. The Maryland facilities are located in a rural area just across the border from Delaware, where Gore has become a longtime fixture in the community. The company, which today employs more than 13,000 people, was founded in 1958 after Wilbert Gore left the chemical giant DuPont to start his own business. Its profile rose with the development of Gore-Tex , a lightweight waterproof material created by stretching polytetrafluoroethylene, which is better known by the brand name Teflon that’s used to coat nonstick pans. The membrane within Gore-Tex fabric has billions of pores that are smaller than water droplets, making it especially effective for outdoor gear. The state’s complaint traces Gore’s longstanding relationship with DuPont , arguing that information about the chemicals' dangers was long known within both companies as they sought to keep things quiet and boost profits. It alleges that as early as 1961, DuPont scientists knew the chemical caused adverse liver reactions in rats and dogs. DuPont has faced widespread litigation in recent years. Along with two spinoff companies, it announced a $1.18 billion deal last year to resolve complaints of polluting many U.S. drinking water systems with forever chemicals. The Maryland lawsuit seeks to hold Gore responsible for costs associated with the state’s ongoing investigations and cleanup efforts, among other damages. State oversight has ramped up following litigation from residents alleging their drinking water was contaminated. Until then, the company operated in Cecil County with little scrutiny. Gore announced in 2014 that it had eliminated perfluorooctanoic acid from the raw materials used to create Gore-Tex. But it’s still causing long-term impacts because it persists for so long in the environment, attorneys say. Over the past two years, Gore has hired an environmental consulting firm to conduct testing in the area and provided bottled water and water filtration systems to residents near certain Maryland facilities, according to a webpage describing its efforts. Recent testing of drinking water at residences near certain Gore sites revealed perfluorooctanoic acid levels well above what the EPA considers safe, according to state officials. Attorneys for the state acknowledged Gore’s ongoing efforts to investigate and address the problem but said the company needs to step up and be a better neighbor. “While we appreciate Gore’s limited investigation to ascertain the extent of PFAS contamination around its facilities, much more needs to be done to protect the community and the health of residents,” Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said in a statement. “We must remove these forever chemicals from our natural resources urgently, and we expect responsible parties to pay for this remediation.”LOWELL — The site plan for a facility at 10 Technology Drive, that will be the base of operations of the Restoration Center, an ambitious, first-of-its-kind program in Massachusetts, was approved by the Planning Board during its Monday night meeting. Community behavioral health nonprofit Vinfen is partnering with Spectrum Health Systems on the innovative diversion program designed to offer an alternative to emergency rooms and incarceration for individuals with mental health and substance use disabilities. The nonprofit partners hope to open the new facility in the fall of 2025. In a joint statement released via email on Tuesday, Vinfen and Spectrum said the nonprofits appreciated the opportunity to address the board and remained “committed to moving this vital project forward.” “City approvals are important milestones in making the Restoration Center and enhanced substance use treatment a reality for Lowell,” the statement said. “This project addresses a significant unmet need, as Lowell has nearly twice the state average of individuals seeking substance use treatment.” According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Lowell has almost twice the average of individuals seen for substance use needs across all settings. Current substance use visits to Lowell General Hospital’s emergency department are 147 times above the state average. Through a procurement in 2023, the state chose Vinfen as the provider for the Restoration Center and Lowell as its location. The hearing was fairly straightforward given that only the site plan, and not the purpose of the facility, was under review. Site plans look at issues of trash storage and removal, snow services, parking, landscaping and access. The two-story, 32,000-square-foot building sits on almost 6 acres, and is located in the office park zoning district off Wood Street, just before the North Chelmsford line. The applicants intend to change the use of the building into a medical and counseling educational service. Building Commissioner Dave Fuller said the center’s use as a 24-hour inpatient facility is allowed by right in accordance with the Lowell zoning ordinance and did not require zoning board approval. In 2018, “An Act relative to criminal justice reform” was passed and the Middlesex County Restoration Center Commission was established. The commission was co-chaired by Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian and Danna Mauch, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health. It was comprised of representatives of the state Legislature, the behavioral health provider community, advocates, police, courts and state health care agencies. The commission modeled its treatment center idea off of programs already in place in Texas, Arizona and Michigan. At a commission meeting held in September 2022 , Koutoujian called the center “a long time in coming.” “Far too long, law enforcement has had to shoulder the burden of crisis response in the commonwealth,” he said. “It is time we shift the responsibility back to where it appropriately belongs — behavioral health providers.” During their stay at the Restoration Center, individuals will participate in a variety of educational, rehabilitative and therapeutic programs aimed at allowing them to integrate into society and achieve their life goals. Worcester-based Spectrum Health Systems has been providing services for people with substance use disabilities for over 55 years. It currently operates outpatient facilities in 14 cities and towns in the commonwealth. The Restoration Center will include 24-hour and year-round urgent access for walk-in patients and drop-offs by police and other first responders. It will open with 10 beds for less than 24-hour stays and 10 beds for short-term stays with a maximum approximate period of 14-30 days. Planning Board Vice Chair Gerard Frechette asked for the onsite security protocols and considerations for “the safety of the community, as well.” He mentioned a homeless encampment behind the site, a cannabis business within walking distance on Wood Street and whether clients of the center can “walk off the site.” Spectrum’s Chief Behavioral Health Officer Kristin Nolan said the hope is that the “facility is going to help with those encampments and engage people into treatment with mental and substance use disorder services.” The facility is not a psychiatric hospital and does not have locked doors, but Kim Shellenberger, Vinfen’s chief strategy officer, said the site will have 24-hour security, round-the-clock staffing, secure access, motion lights and more. “We are very skilled with managing people,” she said. “As part of the Restoration Center that we are developing, we are working very closely with police to develop secure drop-offs at the center.” The board attached conditions to the site plan approval around landscaping, transportation and stormwater management, but agreed that it was a good use of the parcel. Construction has already begun on the outfitting of the building’s interior spaces. “By collaborating with law enforcement, city officials, and other key partners, the Restoration Center will serve as an essential alternative to the judicial system and emergency rooms, ensuring those who need help receive care in the most appropriate and effective setting,” the Vinfen/Spectrum statement said.Couchbase ( NASDAQ:BASE – Get Free Report ) and Amplitude ( NASDAQ:AMPL – Get Free Report ) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, earnings and risk. Institutional and Insider Ownership 96.1% of Couchbase shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 73.2% of Amplitude shares are held by institutional investors. 16.1% of Couchbase shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.8% of Amplitude shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Risk and Volatility Couchbase has a beta of 0.71, suggesting that its stock price is 29% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Amplitude has a beta of 1.38, suggesting that its stock price is 38% more volatile than the S&P 500. Profitability Earnings & Valuation This table compares Couchbase and Amplitude”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Couchbase has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Amplitude. Amplitude is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Couchbase, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Couchbase and Amplitude, as provided by MarketBeat. Couchbase currently has a consensus target price of $23.13, suggesting a potential upside of 51.74%. Amplitude has a consensus target price of $11.57, suggesting a potential upside of 8.25%. Given Couchbase’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Couchbase is more favorable than Amplitude. Summary Couchbase beats Amplitude on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About Couchbase ( Get Free Report ) Couchbase, Inc. provides cloud database platform for enterprise applications in the United States and internationally. Its database works in multiple configurations, ranging from cloud to multi- or hybrid-cloud to on-premise environments to the edge. The company offers Couchbase Capella, an automated and secure Database-as-a-Service that simplifies database management by deploying, managing, and operating Couchbase Server across cloud environments; and Couchbase Server, a multi-service NoSQL database, which provides SQL-compatible query language and SQL++ that allows for a various array of data manipulation functions. It also provides Couchbase Mobile, an embedded NoSQL database for mobile and edge devices that enables an always-on experience with high data availability, even without internet connectivity, as well as synchronization gateway that allows for secure data sync between mobile devices and the backend data store. The company sells its platform through direct sales force and an ecosystem of partners. It serves governments and organizations, as well as enterprises in various industries, including retail and e-commerce, travel and hospitality, financial services and insurance, software and technology, gaming, media and entertainment, and industrials. The company was formerly known as Membase, Inc. and changed its name to Couchbase, Inc. in February 2011. Couchbase, Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. About Amplitude ( Get Free Report ) Amplitude, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides a digital analytics platform that analyzes customer behavior in the United States and internationally. It offers Amplitude Analytics, which provides real-time product data and reconstructed user visits; Amplitude Experiment, a solution that allows teams to test new capabilities and safely roll out new features; Amplitude CDP, an insight-driven solution that encompasses the data infrastructure, audience management, and data streaming capabilities; and Amplitude Session Replay used by product, marketing, and data teams to understand user behavior, diagnose product issues, and improve product outcomes. The company also provides customer support services related to initial implementation setup, ongoing support, and application training. It delivers its application over the Internet as a subscription service using a software-as-a-service model. The company was formerly known as Sonalight, Inc. and changed its name to Amplitude, Inc. in December 2014. Amplitude, Inc. was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Receive News & Ratings for Couchbase Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Couchbase and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .711 bet bonus code reddit 。

Celebrity-inspired Thanksgiving recipes, plus last-minute holiday meal ideasGeneration Beta Is Coming: Babies Born In 2025 Will Experience A World Like No Other

Ralph Larossa sells $128,093 in Public Service Enterprise Group stockMarvell forecasts fourth-quarter revenue above estimates on strong AI-backed demand

Arshdeep Singh nominated for ICC T20I Cricketer of the YearYour black plastic kitchen utensils aren’t so toxic after all. But you should still toss them, group says

LONDON — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor "brutally raped and battered" her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the "modest award." Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. "She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice," she said. "I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served." The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. "He's not a man, he's a coward," attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. "A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is." Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him "no" as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, "now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times," referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. "I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't tell anyone so he wouldn't hurt me again," she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman's complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said "she never said 'no' or stopped" and testified that everything she said was a lie. "It is a full blown lie among many lies," he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. "How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings." McGregor's lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. "You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise," attorney Remy Farrell said. "I'm not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch." The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor's arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked "happy, happy, happy." McGregor said he was "beyond petrified" when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor's friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

DIY Home Improvement Retailing Market to Grow by USD 196.61 Billion (2024-2028), Driven by Personalized Interior Design, with AI Shaping Market Evolution - TechnavioWorld number one Luke Humphries retained his Players Championship Finals title with an 11-7 victory over teenager Luke Littler in Minehead. Littler, who won the Grand Slam of Darts last week, hit checkouts of 170, 164 and 136 as he threatened to overturn an early deficit, but Humphries held his nerve to win the last three legs. “I’m really, really proud of that one to be honest,” Humphries told Sky Sports. “I didn’t feel myself this week playing-wise, I felt like I was a dart behind in a lot of the scenarios but there’s something that Luke does to you. He really drives me, makes me want to be a better player and I enjoy playing him. “He let me in really early in that first session to go 4-1 up, I never looked back and I’m proud that I didn’t take my foot off the gas. These big games are what I live for. “Luke is a special talent and he was right – I said to him I’ve got to get these (titles) early before he wins them all. “I’d love to be up here and hitting 105 averages like Luke is all the time but he’s a different calibre, he’s probably the best player in the world right now but there’s something about me that never gives up. “This is a great way to go into the worlds.” Littler, who lost the world championship final to Humphries last year, said: “It was tough, missed a few doubles and if you don’t take chances early on, it’s a lot to come back. “I hit the 170 and the 164 but just didn’t have enough in the end. “It’s been a good past two weeks. I just can’t wait to go home, chill out, obviously practice at home for the worlds. That’s it now, leading up to the big one.”

DATA BREACH ALERT: Edelson Lechtzin LLP Is Investigating Claims On Behalf Of American Addiction Centers, Inc. Customers Whose Data May Have Been Compromised

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — What's stoking the Denver Broncos' surprising surge is the growing connection between rookie quarterback Bo Nix and veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Whenever the Broncos (7-5) need a clutch catch, a key flag or a timely touchdown, Sutton is usually the one delivering it like he did Sunday when he caught eight passes on 10 targets for 97 yards and a pair of touchdowns that sparked the Broncos' come-from-behind 29-19 win at Las Vegas. “Courtland played tremendous,” coach Sean Payton said. Again. “He’s just reliable,” Nix said. “He's just always there when you need him.” Sutton's size (6-foot-4 and 216 pounds) and experience (he's in his seventh NFL season) make him an ideal target and safety valve for the rookie QB whose confidence is growing by the week. “He’s smart. He’s savvy. He makes plays when the ball’s in the air,” Nix said. “You can trust him. When it’s up in the air, it’s his or nobody’s. It’s not going to be a pick.” Nix's first touchdown toss to Sutton was an 18-yarder that allowed the QB to break Marlin Briscoe's 1968 Denver rookie record of 14 TD passes, and the two connected again with 5:30 left to make it a two-score game. The Broncos trailed 13-9 at halftime and Nix said they knew they had to get the ball into Sutton's hands more in the second half after he had caught the only pass thrown his way in the first half (for 17 yards). “Didn’t target him (much) in the first half,” Nix said. “We come out and say, ‘Look, Courtland, this is your half.’ We take over the game. He goes for two touchdowns. That just kind of speaks for what he means to our team.” Sutton has been on a tear after since he wasn't targeted a single time in Denver's 33-10 win at New Orleans on Oct. 17. (Payton mentioned as recently as last week what an anomaly that game was because there was a heavy diet of plays for Sutton that just didn't pan out for various reasons.) In his six games before that goose egg, Sutton had 21 catches on 49 targets for 277 yards and a touchdown. In the five games since, he's caught 36 of the 48 balls thrown his way for 467 yards and three TDs. Plus, he threw a touchdown pass to Nix on a “Philly Special” at Baltimore in Week 9. “I think we're just scratching the surface,” Sutton said. Thanks in part to the chemistry between Nix and Sutton, the Broncos are in position for the seventh and final playoff spot entering December. What’s working The passing game, thanks to the Nix-Sutton connection. What needs help The running game. Javonte Williams had just 2 yards on eight carries and Audric Estime ran three times for 15 yards against the Raiders' run-heavy fronts and a steady diet of blitzes. Jaleel McLaughlin saved the day with seven carries for 44 yards. Stock up OLB Nik Bonitto. His 10 sacks make him the first Denver defender with double-digit sacks since 2018, when Von Miller did it. Stock down Once again, the Broncos' special teams, with the exception of K Wil Lutz, who hasn't missed a field goal attempt or extra point since his protection unit cratered at Kansas City three weeks ago and allowed the Chiefs to block what would have been the game-winning kick as time expired. On Sunday, the Raiders had a successful fake punt and a 59-yard kickoff return. Injuries Payton isn't saying much about the injuries to DE Zach Allen (heel) and CB Riley Moss (knee) except that to him they're not serious setbacks for either player. Key number 2 — The Broncos are two games above .500 for the first time since starting the 2021 season with three wins. Next steps The Broncos host Cleveland (3-8) on Monday night ahead of their bye week. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Arnie Stapleton, The Associated PressENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — What's stoking the Denver Broncos' surprising surge is the growing connection between rookie quarterback Bo Nix and veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Whenever the Broncos (7-5) need a clutch catch, a key flag or a timely touchdown, Sutton is usually the one delivering it like he did Sunday when he caught eight passes on 10 targets for 97 yards and a pair of touchdowns that sparked the Broncos' come-from-behind 29-19 win at Las Vegas. “Courtland played tremendous,” coach Sean Payton said. Again. “He’s just reliable,” Nix said. “He's just always there when you need him.” Sutton's size (6-foot-4 and 216 pounds) and experience (he's in his seventh NFL season) make him an ideal target and safety valve for the rookie QB whose confidence is growing by the week. “He’s smart. He’s savvy. He makes plays when the ball’s in the air,” Nix said. “You can trust him. When it’s up in the air, it’s his or nobody’s. It’s not going to be a pick.” Nix's first touchdown toss to Sutton was an 18-yarder that allowed the QB to break Marlin Briscoe's 1968 Denver rookie record of 14 TD passes, and the two connected again with 5:30 left to make it a two-score game. The Broncos trailed 13-9 at halftime and Nix said they knew they had to get the ball into Sutton's hands more in the second half after he had caught the only pass thrown his way in the first half (for 17 yards). “Didn’t target him (much) in the first half,” Nix said. “We come out and say, ‘Look, Courtland, this is your half.’ We take over the game. He goes for two touchdowns. That just kind of speaks for what he means to our team.” Sutton has been on a tear after since he wasn't targeted a single time in Denver's 33-10 win at New Orleans on Oct. 17. (Payton mentioned as recently as last week what an anomaly that game was because there was a heavy diet of plays for Sutton that just didn't pan out for various reasons.) In his six games before that goose egg, Sutton had 21 catches on 49 targets for 277 yards and a touchdown. In the five games since, he's caught 36 of the 48 balls thrown his way for 467 yards and three TDs. Plus, he threw a touchdown pass to Nix on a “Philly Special” at Baltimore in Week 9. “I think we're just scratching the surface,” Sutton said. Thanks in part to the chemistry between Nix and Sutton, the Broncos are in position for the seventh and final playoff spot entering December. The passing game, thanks to the Nix-Sutton connection. The running game. Javonte Williams had just 2 yards on eight carries and Audric Estime ran three times for 15 yards against the Raiders' run-heavy fronts and a steady diet of blitzes. Jaleel McLaughlin saved the day with seven carries for 44 yards. OLB Nik Bonitto. His 10 sacks make him the first Denver defender with double-digit sacks since 2018, when Von Miller did it. Once again, the Broncos' special teams, with the exception of K Wil Lutz, who hasn't missed a field goal attempt or extra point since his protection unit cratered at Kansas City three weeks ago and allowed the Chiefs to block what would have been the game-winning kick as time expired. On Sunday, the Raiders had a successful fake punt and a 59-yard kickoff return. Payton isn't saying much about the injuries to DE Zach Allen (heel) and CB Riley Moss (knee) except that to him they're not serious setbacks for either player. 2 — The Broncos are two games above .500 for the first time since starting the 2021 season with three wins. The Broncos host Cleveland (3-8) on Monday night ahead of their bye week. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Dillard’s, Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend of $25.00 (NYSE:DDS)John Dumelo Files Complaint Against Lydia Seyram Alhassan for Alleged Voter Bribery

Innodata EVP Ashok Mishra sells $67,560 in stockSports on TV for Monday, Dec. 30

Stocks on the US index make the headlines here in the UK too. We can’t have missed ( ), with a market capitalisation of nearly $3.4trn (yes, trillion). It’s worth more than all the companies of the combined. And always seems to be getting a mention. The Tesla share price is up 31% since the US election. Tesla is still well below Nvidia’s rise in the past five years: Flying tech stocks On Friday (22 November) the Nasdaq closed at 19,003 points. On the same date in 2019, it ended at 8,520 points. That’s a gain of 123%. My imagined £5,000 invested in a low-cost Nasdaq index tracker fund back then would be worth around £11,300 today. There’d be some small charges for the fund management. But the Nasdaq pays an average dividend of around 1.8%, so I’ll treat them as canceling out. My key, and surprising, take on this is how small that gain is. I mean, this is the index that provides overnight multibaggers, isn’t it? Index comparison Over the same five years, the broader has risen by 92%, only just behind the Nasdaq. The dividend yield is similar, at around 1.2%. Based on this, the S&P seems like a better index to track than the Nasdaq, even if just for lower risk. But that’s only looking back five years. Winding the clock back a decade, the has gained 189%, but the Nasdaq is up a whopping 303%. So before I decided which to track, I’d carefully examine multiple timescales and think about my own investment horizon. My £5,000 invested in a Nasdaq tracker 10 years ago could be worth £21,500 now. And, the same amount invested when the tech index started in February 1971 could have grown to £948,600. Not that my pocket money reached five grand back then, mind. Concentration But that five-year return seems disappointing, but it reminds me of one main lesson. The Nasdaq’s gains are concentrated among just a few key stocks. Right now, it’s mostly the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’. That’s Nvidia and Tesla, along with , , , , and . They all have artifical intelligence (AI) in common. CNBC runs its own Magnificent 7 index, and that’s up 320% just since it started in December 2022. Nasdaq leader To get back to Nvidia, what we see there is a five-year gain of 2,549%. And to get some idea of where that growth came from, the company posted total revenue back in 2020 of $10.9bn. Then by the year to January 2024, total revenue had reached a whopping $60.9bn. Q3 revenue this year, reported on 20 November, reached $35.1bn. That’s in a single quarter alone. Still, as it looks like growth might slow a little, investors weren’t satisfied, and the price dipped a little. As investors, we need to be aware that Nasdaq growth is often concentrated in a small number of stocks. The index can be very volatile too, and it’s not really for those who don’t want risk. Still, if I’d put a shilling in it in 1971...NoneRomania's pro-European Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was leading in the first round of presidential elections Sunday according to exit polls, with the far right not yet assured of a place in the second round, despite a breakthrough in support. With 25 percent of the vote according to two exit polls, Ciolacu appeared to be well ahead of far-right challengers looking to capitalise on this EU member's concerns about inflation and the war in neighbouring Ukraine. The same exit polls gave second place to centre-right former journalist turned small-town mayor Elena Lasconi at 18 percent, with two far-right candidates scoring 15 and 16 percent. In the absence of an outright winner in the first round -- scoring more than 50 percent -- the top two candidates go through to a second-round run-off in the poor NATO member on December 8. Ciolacu, a Social Democrat, is leading a field of 13 contenders in the race to take over from President Klaus Iohannis in the largely ceremonial post. He welcomed the exit polls putting him in the lead, but said all the votes would have to be counted before he knew who he would face in the second round. Lasconi too, was cautious. "The scores are very tight, it's not yet time to celebrate," said the 52-year-old politician. Far-right leader George Simion, 38, who some had forecast might take second place, is for the moment in fourth. Exit polls put him just behind the 62-year-old pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu. But Simion said Sunday evening: "We'll see the results of the ballot boxes at 11:00 pm (2100 GMT)." Ciolacu's party has shaped Romania's politics for more than three decades, and as he voted Sunday he promised stability and a "decent" standard of living. But political analyst Cristian Parvulescu told AFP: "The far right is by far the big winner of this election." Simion saw his popularity surge by tapping into voter anger over record inflation while promising more affordable housing. Looking for a new election breakthrough for European far-right parties, Simion warned of possible "fraud" and "foreign interference" when voting. But he added: "I am happy that we are giving Romanians hope and the prospect of a better future." The stakes are high for Romania, which has a 650-kilometre (400-mile) border with Ukraine and has become more important since Russia invaded its neighbour in 2022. The Black Sea nation now plays a "vital strategic role" for NATO -- as it is a base for more than 5,000 soldiers -- and the transit of Ukrainian grain, the New Strategy Center think tank said. Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election has further "complicated" Romania's choice, political analyst Cristian Pirvulescu told AFP. Known for his fiery speeches, Simion is a Trump fan who sometimes dons a red cap in appreciation of his idol. Simion opposes sending military aid to Ukraine, wants a "more patriotic Romania" and frequently lashes out against what he calls the "greedy corrupt bubble" running the European Union. Having campaigned hard to win over Romania's large diaspora working abroad, he said the country had only "minions and cowards as leaders". Pirvulescu predicted that if Simion reached the second round his AUR party would get a boost in the December parliamentary election. "Romanian democracy is in danger for the first time since the fall of communism in 1989," he said. "I'm really afraid we'll end up with Simion in the second round," 36-year-old IT worker Oana Diaconu told AFP, expressing concern about the far-right leader's unpredictable nature and attacks on the European Union. The campaign was marked by controversy and personal attacks, with Simion facing accusations of meeting with Russian spies -- a claim he has denied. Ciolacu has been criticised for his use of private jets. Some observers had tipped Lasconi, now mayor of the small town of Campulung and head of a centre-right opposition party, as a surprise package. Sunday's exit polls appeared to suggest they were right. During campaigning, she had said she wanted a future "where no one has to pack their suitcases and leave" the country and for "institutions that work". bur/js-jj/

Innodata EVP Ashok Mishra sells $67,560 in stock

Holy Cross secures 82-46 victory over Regis (MA)