Marvell Technology, Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend PaymentAP Trending SummaryBrief at 6:06 p.m. ESTRCC apprentices bring manufacturing lessons to kidsbetfred odds 。

England facing tricky Women’s Euros test with France and the Netherlands among their group stage rivals along with WalesFree-agent slugger Anthony Santander is one of the top power bats on the market this winter and has drawn interest from a wide array of suitors, including the Red Sox and Blue Jays . Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that Santander is also of interest to the Yankees, now that Juan Soto is in Queens and adds that the longtime Orioles slugger is seeking a five-year contract in free agency. The switch-hitting Santander is coming off a career year in which he belted a personal-best 44 home runs. He’s heading into his age-30 season and doing so on the heels of a .235/.308/.506 batting line (129 wRC+). Santander doesn’t hit for much average and typically carries a pedestrian (at best) walk rate, but he’s been a consistent source of power for the O’s in recent seasons. Dating back to 2020, the former Rule 5 pick is a .245/.312/.476 hitter with 134 home runs, a 7.8% walk rate and a 20.6% strikeout rate. This past season’s 8.7% walk rate was the best of Santander’s career, while his 19.4% strikeout rate was his second-lowest in a full 162-game season. Defensively, Santander hasn’t generated particularly strong reviews in recent seasons, but his work in 2024 drew harsher grades than usual. Defensive Runs Saved pegged him at -7, while Statcast’s Outs Above Average was at -2. Santander’s average sprint speed, per Statcast, sat in just the 18th percentile of big league players this past season (26.0 ft/sec). His raw arm strength was better than average, but Statcast still pegged his throwing value as well below average, likely suggesting some inaccurate and/or ill-advised throws. Historically speaking, there’s some precedent for this skill set — defensively limited, corner-only slugger — still landing a five-year pact. Nick Castellanos comes to mind as the most recent example, having inked a five-year, $100M deal with the Phillies just three winters ago. That same offseason saw Kyle Schwarber sign for four years and $79M with the Phils. Prior to that, J.D. Martinez landed a five-year, $110M deal with the Red Sox to serve as a full-time DH. Each of Castellanos (140 wRC+), Schwarber (145) and especially Martinez (170) were coming off superior offensive seasons in free agency, however. Of the three, only Castellanos received and rejected a qualifying offer. Neither Schwarber nor Martinez were eligible for qualifying offers when they reached free agency, as both were traded during their respective walk years — Martinez from Detroit to Arizona, and Schwarber from Washington to Boston. All of those reasons factored into MLBTR’s decision to “only” predict a four-year deal worth $20M per season for Santander at the outset of free agency. Of course, in the six weeks since our Top 50 Free-Agent Rankings were published, the market has proven to be the most aggressive in recent memory. While the position-player market hasn’t yet to fully take shape beyond Soto’s expectation-shattering $765M contract, it’s been a bull market for starting pitching. Whether that will carry over to the offensive side of the market remains unclear, but Santander appears well positioned to cash in. The Yankees, who were spurned by Soto, have already spent a stunning $218M on Max Fried and acquired Devin Williams from the Brewers. They still have a hole in right field, however, and while Santander wouldn’t make up for all of the lost production from Soto, “Tony Taters” would offer comparable home run power (with lower averages and dramatically lower on-base skills). Similarly, the Blue Jays have been trying to make a splash to upgrade their lineup but came up empty in their Soto bid. The Red Sox don’t need another corner bat at the moment, but if they deal from their stock of outfielders to acquire additional starting pitching, that calculus could change. Other teams seeking middle-of-the-order bats include the Nationals, Tigers and Dodgers, among others. Santander’s market is in many ways linked to that of Teoscar Hernandez, a similarly powered-up bat with defensive questions and a rejected qualifying offer hanging over his head. Hernandez is two years older and thus seems likely to sign a shorter deal, but he could still land three or perhaps even four years if the market is strong enough. This article first appeared on MLB Trade Rumors and was syndicated with permission.MLB Star Colt Keith Gets Married, Parties with Detroit Tigers Teammates

Fred Harris was 33 years old when countless people dismissed him as a has-been. It was 1964. Harris, a Democratic state senator in Oklahoma, wanted the job coveted by his state's biggest celebrity. Harris ran for an open U.S. Senate seat against Republican Bud Wilkinson, the man credited with crushing Oklahoma's Grapes of Wrath image. Wilkinson had coached the football team at the University of Oklahoma to three national championships. From 1953-57, Wilkinson's Sooners won 47 consecutive games, still the record for Division I schools. After excelling against ferocious competition in football, Wilkinson couldn't imagine losing to Harris. And so Wilkinson did what he lectured his players never to do: He underestimated an opponent. Harris, a transplanted New Mexican, died last week at 94. The election of '64 might have been his favorite chapter in a rich, full life. Harris defeated two former governors in the Democratic primary election for the right to run against Wilkinson. Doubters figured Harris wanted too much too soon. They didn't see how he could outpoint a legend in the general election. Fans of Harris knew he had a chance. He was well-prepared, a Phi Beta Kappa scholar who had served in the state Senate since he was 25. But Wilkinson started with an obvious advantage. Because the coach had brought so much positive attention to Oklahoma, even people who did not care about football were intrigued by him. Telegenic and a polished public speaker, Wilkinson seemed like the ideal candidate. He was not. "Wilkinson was a strong right-winger, almost a Bircher," Harris told me in one of our many interviews. "He started giving speeches about why Rome fell, and he said it was because people got hooked on welfare. "I said I'd done my own research and found that Rome fell because people got too carried away with sports and gladiators in arenas. It was kind of bad history, but no worse than Wilkinson's." Being on the right side of history became pivotal in their Senate race. Debate was underway on landmark civil rights legislation favored by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson. Never had Wilkinson fumbled as he did on this issue. He had seemed enlightened on matters of race during his coaching career. Wilkinson desegregated his Oklahoma team in 1956 by recruiting Prentice Gautt, a Black running back. Welcoming a Black kid to a football program was, by some standards, a bold step. Coaches at collegiate powerhouses Texas and Alabama stalled until the early 1970s before they signed any Black talent. As if spiting his own record, Wilkinson invited South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond to campaign for him in the section of Oklahoma known as Little Dixie. "He brought in the strongest racist in the Senate when the polls showed we were splitting the Black vote 50-50," Harris said. "By the end, I was getting nine of every 10 of those votes." Harris knew the presidential election was another key to victory in his race. He announced his support for Johnson, and he urged Wilkinson to disclose his own choice for president. The coach's natural instinct was to accept any challenge. His strategists didn't want Wilkinson talking about who should be president. Wilkinson nonetheless committed himself to Republican Barry Goldwater, who was sinking in the polls. Harris spoke with authority on every issue from taxes to voting rights. This also set him apart from Wilkinson, whose world had been Oklahoma football from 1947 to 1963. "His understanding of government was really rather shallow," Harris said. Election Day brought a landslide and a lesson. Johnson thrashed Goldwater in Oklahoma by 107,000 votes. Harris sweated out a closer race, defeating Wilkinson by 21,000 votes. Harris' talents soon became apparent to party elders. He was one of the final two people Democratic presidential nominee Hubert Humphrey considered to be his running mate in 1968. The other was Sen. Edmund Muskie of Maine. Humphrey evaluated both men, shuttling between their rooms in the same Chicago hotel. Just 37, Harris in this competition found his age was a disadvantage. "Fred, I'm going to have to go with the older man," Humphrey said. "If he's your choice, I'll nominate him," Harris replied. And he did, telling conventioneers Muskie was a strong addition to the ticket. Harris spent eight years in the U.S. Senate, became national chairman of the Democratic Party and twice ran unsuccessfully for president in the 1970s. Finished as a candidate, he moved to New Mexico. Harris taught political science at the University of New Mexico, wrote books and for a time led the state Democratic Party. His students remember Harris as a superb storyteller. Candidates who sought his counsel learned Harris took nothing for granted and neither should they. As for Wilkinson, he made a Dust Bowl state proud by winning more than 80% of his games at Oklahoma. But he was never in Harris' league.

‘Father time always wins’: Warren Buffett updates plan to give away his $227b fortune

Bengaluru - The Indian government is reportedly looking to relax some conditions for Mr Elon Musk’s satellite high-speed internet company, suggesting that Starlink might soon obtain regulatory approval to operate in India after a marathon pursuit. Data security concerns and pushback from domestic telecom companies have delayed Starlink’s approval since 2021, when it opened an Indian subsidiary and accepted pre-registrations but was warned by India not to do so without a licence. Decisions have been complicated by Mr Musk’s close relationship with incoming US president Donald Trump, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government wary of upsetting the politically influential billionaire. India is also keen for Mr Musk to fulfil his promise of building a factory in the country for his Tesla electric cars. The American company’s impending arrival in the world’s second-largest telecommunications market could transform the provision of fast, affordable, and reliable internet to underserved regions in India, particularly in remote areas. Some 37 per cent of the 1.4 billion people in India are still without internet access , according to EY-Parthenon, a consulting company. Unlike terrestrial internet providers, which rely on cables or fibre-optic infrastructure, satellite connectivity is ideal for reaching rural, remote, or hilly areas where laying cables is impractical or too expensive. Starlink is already operating in more than 100 countries and has capabilities that are superior to its rivals, but it has not been straightforward to get a foot in India’s door. In October, India’s Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said Starlink must address the government’s security concerns before licence approval is given to the satellite-based internet service launched by Mr Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX. India’s National Security Directive on the Telecommunications Sector (NSDTS) mandates that telecom service providers procure and deploy trusted product or components from trusted sources only. Starlink has requested exemptions from certain provisions, citing technical limitations, to operate in India. Experts said that India would relax only some restrictions. “It’s not unusual for telecom operators to get exemptions or interim exemptions from NSDTS (so that they can use the equipment), especially for something that is non-critical, as long as they promise to comply with it later,” said telecom and public policy consultant, Mr Prasanto K. Roy. But he added that the Indian government’s greater concern would be about satellite calls that it cannot intercept in case of a security threat. “Starlink would have to provide government agencies call data records on demand, and pass all calls through a gateway located in India that would also allow interception if legally demanded,” said Mr Roy. Starlink’s exact licensing terms are not known publicly. The Ministry of Communications and SpaceX did not respond to ST’s queries. Mr Musk’s appointment to a US government department in Mr Trump’s future administration worries some experts in India, as the businessman is now a political individual. As an American company, Starlink would already be governed by the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America (RISA) Act, which allows the US government to gain access to data in the satellite spectrum, noted Mr Nikhil Pahwa, founder of the website MediaNama, which analyses technology and telecom policy. “Someone who might potentially be able to use the companies he owns for political gain is someone we need to think twice about,” he said. Mr Pahwa added that “internet connectivity must be neutral”. Satellite communication is a small, niche sector in India. It currently stands at US$2.3 billion (S$3 billion) a year, but a KPMG India report expects it to reach US$20 billion by 2028. While the Elon Musk-led Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper await Indian government operating approvals, the two Indian telecom companies that control 80 per cent of the terrestrial internet market have already received authorisations to launch their own satellite-based internet services. In November 2023, Bharti Group-backed OneWeb India received authorisation to launch French operator Eutelsat’s commercial satellite broadband services. In June 2024, Jio Satellite Communications, a joint venture between Luxembourg-based SES Astra and Mr Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio, also received approval to offer satellite connectivity. But analysts believe that technically, Starlink has a significant advantage over other satellite communication providers, not just in India but globally. Non-profit orbital data tracker CelesTrak said that SES operates 38 medium-earth orbit satellites at a high altitude, beaming signals to receivers that provide internet connectivity. Eutelsat OneWeb’s network features more than 630 satellites at 1,200km above earth in low orbit. In comparison, as of September 2024, Starlink had 6,426 low-earth orbit satellites at some 550km from the planet’s surface, offering faster service. SpaceX plans to eventually have as many as 42,000 satellites as part of its ‘megaconstellation’. Not only is Mr Musk in a better position today to dominate satellite connectivity, but analysts also expect him to adopt aggressive pricing policies like he did in Kenya, where Starlink charged customers US$10 per month as opposed to US$120 in the US. Mr Musk’s immense wealth would allow him to take some initial losses from discounts on Starlink installation kits or monthly bills, some experts said. This could undercut domestic competitors in a price sensitive Indian market. Mr Gareth Owen, associate director at research firm Counterpoint, however, told Reuters that some of the fears about Mr Musk might be overstated, as “terrestrial networks will always be less expensive (and) businesses will never switch completely to satellite”. Starlink’s competitors in India are doing all they can to prevent or delay its entry to the market. Mr Ambani, whose Reliance Jio leads the Indian market, is calling for an auction to allocate satellite spectrum or airwaves, like India does for terrestrial internet, while Mr Musk is happy with administrative allocation, or direct licensing by the government, as is now the case. Unlike terrestrial spectrum used for mobile communications, satellite spectrum has no national territorial limits and is a globally shared resource. The efficient allocation of satellite spectrum is overseen globally by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN agency. “As a signatory to the ITU Treaty, India is bound by its international standard of administratively allocating spectrum,” said Mr Roy. Most countries follow direct allocations, but the US did conduct auctions for allocating spectrum along orbital slots in 2004. When this turned out not to be feasible, it reverted to administrative allocations. The country now charges annual regulatory and licence fees. The Indian government changed the telecommunication law in 2023 to require an administrative allocation of satellite spectrum. In October, Telecom Minister Scindia indicated that the government would administratively allocate satellite spectrum to Starlink in keeping with global practice. Jio expressed concerns in a Nov 15 letter to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that a direct allocation would not create a level-playing field. Starlink reportedly said in its submission, however, that the Indian operators were “transparently self-serving”. Experts agree on the need for internet access to remote areas and greater competition in the Indian telecom sector dominated by a duopoly, but are divided on how licences should be given. Mr Roy said that an administrative allocation for satellite spectrum “made more sense” because “auctions are expensive, and ultimately the cost will be transferred to the consumer”. But, given the country’s history of corruption and arbitrariness in the allocation of 2G spectrum, some believe that auctions are the best model for India. In fact, the Supreme Court in 2012 cancelled the allocation of terrestrial spectrum licences in favour of auctions, to limit the discretionary powers of the government. The court rejected a government petition in May 2024 to clarify if the verdict also applied to satellite spectrum. “It’s a lesson India learnt, and we should not go back on that. Administrative allocation lacks transparency, and leaves room for discretion and corruption. Auctions are the most transparent, corruption-free and apolitical way to make a decision,” said Mr Pahwa. Vodafone Idea, Airtel and the Cellular Operators Association of India advocate a differentiated pricing strategy, where spectrum should be auctioned when serving urban areas to level the playing field with terrestrial networks which compete there, while administrative pricing could apply only for remote areas with fewer commercial players to improve access while keep prices there low. He added that auctions in the past created healthy competition as it allowed many new players to enter the market, like Norwegian operator Telenor, Russian telco Systema, and the UAE’s Etisalat. Mr Musk’s unfulfilled promise of a Tesla factory in India also hangs in the balance. There were hurried developments since 2021 as Tesla tried to reduce import duties on its electric cars, and even set up an office in Pune, but after Mr Musk cancelled a much-touted visit to India in 2024, talks have stalled. “We know that India is under pressure to give Starlink the right to provide internet access in exchange for a Tesla factory it has long wanted. But allocation of a public resource like spectrum should not be a trade, or a political or geopolitical decision,” Mr Pahwa warned.

Stock indexes closed mixed on Wall Street at the end of a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 ended little changed Friday. The benchmark index reached its latest in a string of records a week ago. It lost ground for the week following three weeks of gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite edged up 0.1%. Broadcom surged after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged after raising its revenue forecast. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Stocks slipped in afternoon trading Friday as Wall Street closes out a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 was up by less than 0.1% and is on track for a loss for the week after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 58 points, or 0.1% to 43,856 as of 3 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq rose 0.1% and is hovering around its record. Broadcom surged 24.9% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company's big gain helped cushion the market's broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Even so, some big tech stocks were in the red Friday. Nvidia slid 2.6%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Netflix was down 0.7%. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 14.2% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. Wall Street's rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve's last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year . The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank's 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed's policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower. Damian J. Troise And Alex Veiga, The Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — Starting in September of 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers don’t buckle up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that it finalized the rule, which also requires enhanced warnings when front seat belts aren’t fastened. The agency estimates that the new rule will save 50 lives per year and prevent 500 injuries when fully in effect, according to a statement. The new rule will apply to passenger cars, trucks, buses except for school buses, and multipurpose vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds. Before the rule, seat belt warnings were required only for the driver’s seat. Under the new rule, outboard front-seat passengers also must get a warning if they don’t fasten their belts. Front-center seats will not get a warning because NHTSA found that it wouldn’t be cost effective. The agency said most vehicles already have warnings for the outboard passenger seats. The rule also lengthens the duration of audio and visual warnings for the driver’s seat. The front-seat rules are effective starting Sept. 1 of 2026. Rear passengers consistently use seat belts at a lower rate than front passengers, the agency says. In 2022, front belt use was just under 92%, while rear use dropped to about 82%. About half of automobile passengers who died in crashes two years ago weren’t wearing belts, according to NHTSA data. The seat belt rule is the second significant regulation to come from NHTSA in the past two months. In November the agency bolstered its five-star auto safety ratings to include driver assistance technologies and pedestrian protection. Safety advocates want the Department of Transportation, which includes NHTSA, to finish several more rules before the end of the Biden administration, because President-elect Donald Trump has said he’s against new government regulations. Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, urged the department to approve automatic emergency braking for heavy trucks and technology to prevent impaired driving.West Ham surprise Newcastle with 2-0 away win

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 6:06 p.m. ESTWestern Union Announces New $1 Billion Share Repurchase Program and $0.235 Quarterly Dividend

Lending and deposits grow a same pace in December 20 fortnightDENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 13, 2024-- The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) announced today that its Board of Directors approved a new $1 billion authorization for the Company to repurchase its common stock and declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.235 per common share. The dividend will be payable December 31, 2024, to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 23, 2024. “We remain committed to returning capital to our shareholders with our disciplined approach focused on driving long-term shareholder value through both dividends and stock repurchases and today’s announcements allows us the flexibility to continue to do that,” said Devin McGranahan, President and Chief Executive Officer. Repurchases may be made at management’s discretion through open-market transactions, privately negotiated transactions, tender offers, Rule 10b5-1 plans, or by other means. The amount and timing of any repurchases made under the share repurchase program will depend on a variety of factors, including market conditions, share price, legal requirements, and other factors. The program does not have a set expiration date and may be suspended, modified, or discontinued at any time without prior notice. Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, our forward-looking statements. Words such as “expects,” “intends,” “targets,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “guides,” “provides guidance,” “provides outlook,” “projects,” “designed to,” and other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” and “might” are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Readers of this press release of The Western Union Company (the “Company,” “Western Union,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) should not rely solely on the forward-looking statements and should consider all uncertainties and risks discussed in the Risk Factors section and throughout the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. The statements are only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Possible events or factors that could cause results or performance to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include the following: (i) events related to our business and industry, such as: changes in general economic conditions and economic conditions in the regions and industries in which we operate, including global economic downturns and trade disruptions, or significantly slower growth or declines in the money transfer, payment service, and other markets in which we operate, including downturns or declines related to interruptions in migration patterns or other events, such as public health emergencies, epidemics, or pandemics, civil unrest, war, terrorism, natural disasters, or non-performance by our banks, lenders, insurers, or other financial services providers; failure to compete effectively in the money transfer and payment service industry, including among other things, with respect to price or customer experience, with global and niche or corridor money transfer providers, banks and other money transfer and payment service providers, including digital, mobile and internet-based services, card associations, and card-based payment providers, and with digital currencies and related exchanges and protocols, and other innovations in technology and business models; geopolitical tensions, political conditions and related actions, including trade restrictions and government sanctions, which may adversely affect our business and economic conditions as a whole, including interruptions of United States or other government relations with countries in which we have or are implementing significant business relationships with agents, clients, or other partners; deterioration in customer confidence in our business, or in money transfer and payment service providers generally; failure to maintain our agent network and business relationships under terms consistent with or more advantageous to us than those currently in place; our ability to adopt new technology and develop and gain market acceptance of new and enhanced services in response to changing industry and consumer needs or trends; mergers, acquisitions, and the integration of acquired businesses and technologies into our Company, divestitures, and the failure to realize anticipated financial benefits from these transactions, and events requiring us to write down our goodwill; decisions to change our business mix; changes in, and failure to manage effectively, exposure to foreign exchange rates, including the impact of the regulation of foreign exchange spreads on money transfers; changes in tax laws, or their interpretation, any subsequent regulation, and unfavorable resolution of tax contingencies; any material breach of security, including cybersecurity, or safeguards of or interruptions in any of our systems or those of our vendors or other third parties; cessation of or defects in various services provided to us by third-party vendors; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits from restructuring-related initiatives, which may include decisions to downsize or to transition operating activities from one location to another, and to minimize any disruptions in our workforce that may result from those initiatives; our ability to attract and retain qualified key employees and to manage our workforce successfully; failure to manage credit and fraud risks presented by our agents, clients, and consumers; adverse rating actions by credit rating agencies; our ability to protect our trademarks, patents, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights, and to defend ourselves against potential intellectual property infringement claims; material changes in the market value or liquidity of securities that we hold; restrictions imposed by our debt obligations; (ii) events related to our regulatory and litigation environment, such as: liabilities or loss of business resulting from a failure by us, our agents, or their subagents to comply with laws and regulations and regulatory or judicial interpretations thereof, including laws and regulations designed to protect consumers, or detect and prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, and other illicit activity; increased costs or loss of business due to regulatory initiatives and changes in laws, regulations and industry practices and standards, including changes in interpretations, in the United States and abroad, affecting us, our agents or their subagents, or the banks with which we or our agents maintain bank accounts needed to provide our services, including related to anti-money laundering regulations, anti-fraud measures, our licensing arrangements, customer due diligence, agent and subagent due diligence, registration and monitoring requirements, consumer protection requirements, remittances, immigration, and sustainability reporting including climate-related reporting; liabilities, increased costs or loss of business and unanticipated developments resulting from governmental investigations and consent agreements with, or investigations or enforcement actions by regulators and other government authorities; liabilities resulting from litigation, including class-action lawsuits and similar matters, and regulatory enforcement actions, including costs, expenses, settlements, and judgments; failure to comply with regulations and evolving industry standards regarding consumer privacy, data use, the transfer of personal data between jurisdictions, and information security, failure to comply with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as well as regulations issued pursuant to it and the actions of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and similar legislation and regulations enacted by other governmental authorities in the United States and abroad related to consumer protection; effects of unclaimed property laws or their interpretation or the enforcement thereof; failure to maintain sufficient amounts or types of regulatory capital or other restrictions on the use of our working capital to meet the changing requirements of our regulators worldwide; changes in accounting standards, rules and interpretations, or industry standards affecting our business; and (iii) other events, such as catastrophic events and management’s ability to identify and manage these and other risks. About Western Union The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is committed to helping people around the world who aspire to build financial futures for themselves, their loved ones and their communities. Our leading cross-border, cross-currency money movement, payments and digital financial services empower consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments—across more than 200 countries and territories and nearly 130 currencies—to connect with billions of bank accounts, millions of digital wallets and cards, and a global footprint of hundreds of thousands of retail locations. Our goal is to offer accessible financial services that help people and communities prosper. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com . WU-G View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213394701/en/ CONTACT: Media Relations: Brad Jones media@westernunion.comInvestor Relations: Tom Hadley WesternUnion.IR@westernunion.com KEYWORD: COLORADO UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOFTWARE PERSONAL FINANCE PAYMENTS FINANCE BANKING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY FINTECH SOURCE: The Western Union Company Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/13/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/13/2024 04:04 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213394701/enIzzy Morelli put Gray-New Gloucester ahead for good with two free throws in the fourth quarter and finished with a game-high 12 points as the Patriots edged Edward Little, 31-28, in a girls basketball game Friday in Gray. Gray-New Gloucester (6-2) also got nine points from Ella Kenney. Elizabeth Galway scored 10 points and Alexis Creaser had eight for Edward Little (3-3). GREELY 41, LEWISTON 32: Molly Partridge scored 11 points, Hannah Hussey added nine, and the Rangers (3-3) extended their winning streak to three games by turning back the Blue Devils (0-6) in Lewiston. Lewiston’s Ella Beaudoin was the game’s high scorer with 12 points. Bailey Tardif-Mockler finished with nine points and Bailey Toderico had eight for the Blue Devils. LEAVITT 42, CAPE ELIZABETH 32: Jordyn Boulay scored 16 points for the Hornets (4-1) in a win over the Capers (0-6) in Turner. Gabrielle Smith added 10 points. Lila Rosu-Myles paced Cape Elizabeth with 16 points. BOYS BASKETBALL OXFORD HILLS 51, BRUNSWICK 46: Brady Delamater (15 points), Brayden Murch (14) and Cam Pulkkinen (11) all reached double figures as the Vikings (4-3) edged the Dragons (4-2) in Paris. Oxford Hills took control by outscoring Brunswick 18-8 in the second quarter to build a 29-19 lead. Trevor Gerrish led Brunswick with 12 points. Logan Gray added 10. OAK HILL 65, WATERVILLE 37: Braden Dubuc and Eli Desmond each scored 16 points, leading Oak Hill to a win over Waterville in Wales. Desmond got all but two of his points in the second half. Oak Hill (2-4) held the Purple Panthers (2-6) to three points in the second quarter as it turned a 15-15 tie into a 29-18 lead, then continued to pull away from there. Braden New also reached double figures with 10 points. Derek Couture scored 21 points for Waterville. FOREST HILLS 82, RANGELEY 46: Jaxson Desjardins scored 23 points and four assists as the Tigers won in Jackman. Blaine Nadeau also had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Forest Hills (5-3). Anthony Whittier led the Lakers (1-5) with 25 points. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . 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TikTok asks Supreme Court to block ban as deadline nears

Starting Monday, Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) software to write documents and produce images, videos, music, and audio. The Support Module for Writing with Artificial Intelligence has been named “MARIA” given its acronym in Portuguese. In the case of votes, MARIA can summarize each magistrate's understanding of the matter in question in the format of minutes adopted by the court, which would then be reviewed and edited directly in the STF-Digital system. This functionality was developed by the STF teams. The Galileo-AI-based system can optimize the production of sentencing minutes and has mechanisms to reduce the chances of incorrect information. It is also intended to “offer technological support to provide speed and efficiency to the jurisdictional service,” STF Secretary of Technology and Innovation Natacha Moraes de Oliveira said. She also considered the new resource a milestone in the technological advancement of the court. Users play a fundamental role in evaluating the content generated, approving or rejecting it, and sending feedback that allows the tool to be continuously improved, she added. “Our goal is to add speed and effectiveness to processes, always with human supervision to ensure quality and precision,” she also pointed out. “MARIA's objective is not to replace people, but to assist the work of the STF. In addition, all tools that use Generative AI require human supervision,” the STF claimed on its website. “The STF-Digital system records when MARIA is used, and all generated texts are stored for auditing, if necessary.” In the future, it is hoped that MARIA will generate consolidated reports and identify relevant precedents for the case in question.Lamar Jackson's MVP bid shouldn't distract Baltimore Ravens from what really matters | Sporting NewsMINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midnight Oil and Imagine are thrilled to announce their recent accolades at the Clio Entertainment Awards and the 61st Annual Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) Awards. Midnight Oil Takes Home Three Clio Entertainment Awards Out of thousands of global entries, Midnight Oil, an Imagine Group company, is celebrating a major win at this year's Clio Entertainment Awards, winning three awards for outstanding Out-of-Home (OOH) creative work. The prestigious Clio awards honor groundbreaking ideas and innovation in advertising, and Midnight Oil's wins highlight its ability to craft bold, engaging experiences. The awarded campaigns include: Imagine Among Top 10% of Creative Excellence at the 61st Annual GDUSA Awards Out of 8,000 entries, Imagine is honored to be named among the top 10% of creative works selected as winners in the 61st annual GDUSA Awards. This prestigious competition recognizes outstanding creativity across print, packaging, POP, interactive, video, and more, celebrating the innovative work that drives results for brands and businesses alike. Imagine's winning projects reflect our commitment to pushing creative boundaries while delivering value to our clients: Check out the full articles on our website. About Imagine Imagine is an industry-leading provider of visual communications solutions. As a trusted partner to the world's most successful brands, Imagine designs, produces, and delivers beautifully crafted print and digital solutions that inspire action and get results. From concept to consumer, our end-to-end solutions include creative design, pre-media, décor, commercial print, store signage, specialty packaging, out of home, fulfillment & kitting. With a customer technology stack powered by Dotti, a single, flexible platform designed to manage even the most complex in-store marketing programs and a collection of talented designers and innovators in Imagine Studio, all backed with powerhouse print and digital production capabilities Imagine has the solution. Learn more at theimaginegroup.com or moagency.com . Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/708b4657-1d52-4940-9ca9-3ed8628eba94 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/afbd9898-9a94-4457-9870-5b756b5e81f3 CONTACT: Contact: Diana Black Sr. Marketing Manager [email protected]

It’s the season of giving, and the Knicks embraced it in full. While the Knicks’ Christmas Day matchup against the San Antonio Spurs may have captured the attention of basketball fans nationwide, the team’s focus extended well beyond the court, making a tangible impact in the communities they serve. Knicks captain Jalen Brunson took members of the Garden of Dreams Foundation and Covenant House on a Target shopping spree, bringing holiday cheer and essential support to those in need. OG Anunoby partnered with the Boys & Girls Club, treating kids to a shopping spree at JD Sports and Finish Line. Karl-Anthony Towns took a more personal approach, adopting a family for the holidays. He brought them to the Knicks’ Dec. 23 matchup against the Toronto Raptors , fulfilled their holiday wishlists, and made a financial contribution to ease their burdens during the season. Meanwhile, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson hosted a toy giveaway through his MR23 Foundation in Mount Vernon. His foundation’s mission is to “empower and uplift young individuals from underprivileged backgrounds through sports, education, and community engagement.” Mikal Bridges also went above and beyond, adopting three families through the Garden of Dreams Foundation. Bridges didn’t just check off their holiday wishlists — he exceeded expectations, purchasing 55 gifts in total along with $1,000 NIKE gift cards for each family. He also hosted the families in a private suite during the Dec. 23 game against the Raptors, ensuring they experienced the joy of the season alongside him. For Bridges, this effort was deeply personal. Each family was led by a single mother, which resonated with him as someone raised by one himself. “It’s awesome just to be able to be in this position to do that,” Bridges said. “I grew up with a single mother, so I know how much those mothers go through. And I don’t even know to the full extent because there’s stuff my mom did that I probably don’t know to this day. “They work so much, and it’s not easy. A lot of them have multiple kids — my mom just had me — so I know it’s even tougher. So it’s good to be in this position to give back and show them that maybe not everyone sees it, but I see it. I appreciate you.” For the Knicks, the season of giving wasn’t just about scoring points on the court — it was about making them count where they matter most. The NBA announced the Knicks-Spurs Christmas Day game averaged 4.91 million viewers, making it the most-watched Christmas Day opener since 2011. Viewership for that game was up 98% over last year’s Christmas opener, a Knicks home win over the Milwaukee Bucks. “It’s not easy. It’s a holiday. It’s a family day. These guys, they make a lot of sacrifices. They have young kids and so we also know it’s an honor and a privilege to be playing on this day,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said after the Knicks’ victory over the Spurs. “So we embrace that. We also know what it means to our city and our fans. And so we wanted to give them something to be proud of. So hopefully we can spend the rest of the day with our families and then on to the next one.” The Sacramento Kings fired head coach Mike Brown amid a five-game losing streak just months after signing him to a three-year extension. “You hate to see it,” Thibodeau told reporters in Orlando on Friday. “It’s part of what we go through. Mike is a terrific person and great coach.”None

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge is signaling that Rudy Giuliani’s contempt hearing next Friday might not end so well for the former New York City mayor and onetime personal lawyer for President-elect Donald Trump as two Georgia election poll workers try to collect a $148 million defamation award they won against him. Judge Lewis J. Liman in Manhattan issued an order Friday in which he was dismissive of what he described as attempts by Giuliani and his lawyer to dodge providing information to the election workers' lawyers. And he said the litigants should be ready at the contempt hearing to explain why he should not grant a request by lawyers for the two election workers that he make adverse inferences from evidence in the case that would put Giuliani's Palm Beach, Florida, condominium in danger of being surrendered to satisfy the defamation award. The judge also said he may rule on the contempt request at the hearing. Giuliani has maintained that the Palm Beach property is his personal residence now and should be shielded from the judgment. He faces a Jan. 16 trial before Liman over the disposition of his Florida residence and World Series rings . Lawyers for the election workers filed the contempt request after saying Giuliani had failed to turn over a lease to his Manhattan apartment, a Mercedes, various watches and jewelry, a signed Joe DiMaggio shirt and other baseball momentos. The judge ordered Giuliani to turn over the items in October. A request for comment was sent to a lawyer for Giuliani, who was supposed to be deposed on Friday. In October, Liman ordered Giuliani to turn over many of his prized possessions to the poll workers. Giuliani’s lawyers have predicted that Giuliani will eventually win custody of the items on appeal. The contempt hearing follows a contentious November hearing in which Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, became angry at the judge and said Liman was treating him unfairly. Giuliani was found liable last year for defaming the two Georgia poll workers by falsely accusing them of tampering with ballots during the 2020 presidential election. The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani falsely claimed they sneaked in ballots in suitcases, counted ballots multiple times and tampered with voting machines. Larry Neumeister, The Associated PressNEW DELHI – Both 1982 and 2010 were seminal years in India’s sporting history, marked by the hosting of the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, respectively, with each leaving an enduring legacy. Now, as India formally begins its bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games, some are questioning what kind of turning point this could be for a country where cricket still dominates attention and resources, while other sports are chronically underfunded. India has submitted a Letter of Intent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games , former athlete and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P.T. Usha announced on Nov 5 on X. The move is only the first step in a long and competitive bidding process that will pit India against others in the race such as Indonesia, Chile and Turkey. A final decision is expected after 2025. According to a Nov 8 report in The Indian Express, India’s letter to the IOC portrays the Games as a “critical catalyst for India’s continued rise on the global stage”. The letter notes that India is the “only major economy yet to host the Games”, describing it as “a stark reflection of our region’s need for the types of sport and social benefits that only the Olympic Games can provide”. No city has yet been identified as the potential host, but many expect Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar – two cities near each other in the western state of Gujarat – to be the front runners. Gujarat is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state. One of the world’s largest stadiums, the Narendra Modi Stadium – which can accommodate more than 130,000 people – is situated in Ahmedabad. In anticipation of the 2036 Summer Olympic Games, the Gujarat government has already earmarked a 60 billion rupee (S$957.8 million) budget to build six sports complexes in the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar area. Mr Modi, too, has thrown his political weight behind the Olympic bid, calling it “the dream of 1.4 billion Indians”. He assured the IOC in October 2023 that India “will leave no stone unturned in the preparation for the successful organisation of the Olympics in 2036”. This promise, which was also mentioned in his Bharatiya Janata Party’s election manifesto for the 2024 General Election, is seen as an attempt by Mr Modi to cement his legacy. India’s attempt to host the Olympics has drawn polarised reactions. Supporters have dubbed a potential win as “phenomenal”, saying it could help transform Indian sports. Critics, however, see the bid as Mr Modi’s “vanity project”, warning of the post-Games economic woes of host nations and urging India to instead invest the money in training athletes so they can win more Olympic medals. India’s best performance was at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where it won seven medals, including one gold and two silvers. Since 1896, when the modern version of the event began, India has won just 10 gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games; eight of them came from hockey alone. One of the country’s only two individual gold winners was Mr Abhinav Bindra, who won the 10m air rifle event in the 2008 Beijing Games. He told The Straits Times he would love to see the Olympics come to India in 2036, but that the Games had to “really act as a catalyst for change and a catalyst for development”. “Why do we want to host the Olympics?” asked the former world shooting champion. “I think that’s a fundamental question that needs to be answered.” For Mr Bindra, the reasons for India to pursue hosting the Games are clear – to use the opportunity to democratise sport and make it accessible to all sections of society; harness sport to transform India into a healthier nation; and leverage it to drive India’s large youth population in positive ways. “We have to create a legacy during the Games, but we need to also create a legacy that transcends the Games and goes much beyond,” he said. “The Olympics cannot be viewed just as a two-week sporting extravaganza. Because if you just look at it that way, then I think it will be a massive, massive missed opportunity.” No one knows how much it is going to cost India to host the Olympics in 2036, but it is certain the costs will far outstrip the budget for recent games, including Tokyo 2020 that cost around US$13 billion (S$17.5 billion). Even the Commonwealth Games in 2010, one of the most expensive ever, cost India US$4.1 billion, instead of the US$270 million that was first estimated. Revenue from the Games, on the other hand, was only US$38 million. Construction delays, budget overruns and corruption allegations also soured the experience. The Olympics, too, have been dogged by controversies. A 2024 University of Oxford study estimated the average cost of hosting the Games since 1960 has been triple the bid price. The excitement over the recent editions has fizzled out, saddling the host cities with debt and a legacy of “white elephants” and leading many to label the Olympics a multi-billion-dollar risk. Several grand venues, including those in Athens and Rio de Janeiro, which were built with significant investment but with poor planning and foresight, fell into disrepair and were dismantled or needed billions to be fixed. Fewer nations want to host the Games today because of the risk of such financial strain; Rome and Boston even withdrew their bids for the 2024 Games. In 2021, Brisbane, host of the 2032 Summer Games, became the first city to win an Olympic bid unopposed since Los Angeles for the 1984 Games. Not surprisingly, some in India are asking if hosting the 2036 Olympics will justify the enormous expenditure required to develop infrastructure for the temporary influx of athletes and tourists – an investment that may not fully pay off in the long run. Mr Jonathan Selvaraj, a senior Indian sports journalist, argues that India’s Olympic bid is a “misplaced priority”, one that focuses more on the public spectacle of hosting the high-profile quadrennial event, rather than actually developing India’s sports ecosystem. If the latter is what India wants to achieve, the focus, he said, should be on reforming sports governance at the top – where unqualified politicians still hold power and corruption is endemic – as well as developing grassroots sports infrastructure. For instance, the IOA is currently caught up in an internal fight over the appointment of its chief executive, and the National Games of India – a domestic Olympics-style multi-sport event – have been delayed on several occasions because host states failed to put up the necessary infrastructure. Even in Delhi, top athletes from neighbouring states struggle to find space to train, with the Delhi government restricting the use of its stadiums only to local residents. “It’s always been the case that the Olympics takes place in a sort of a mature sports ecosystem,” Mr Selvaraj told ST. “I cannot honestly say that the Indian sports ecosystem is what we consider to be a mature sports ecosystem.” India is far, far away from being a sporting power like China, which has won 303 Olympic gold medals across a range of sports, or even Brazil, which has won 40 golds in athletics, sailing, volleyball, judo and other sports. Yet, many would argue that, despite initial hurdles and its limited sporting prowess, India managed to pull off the 2010 Commonwealth Games, with the infrastructure such as stadiums still being used by athletes and for sporting events. But the question, one that Mr Selvaraj also asks, is whether India made the best use of the money. “When you spend a billion dollars on the Games, it’s not going to have no impact. Surely, there’s going to be some impact, but the question is whether the return on investment is justified.” It is a pertinent question for a country that allocated only 34.42 billion rupees for sports in its 2025 financial year budget. The bill for hosting the 2036 Olympic Games will be many times that amount, and the financial feasibility of its bid will be crucial as it aims to woo the IOC. Sustainability has become a key focus for the committee, which has been trying to reduce the number of new venues built for the Olympics and asking host countries to present a “robust legacy plan” for any new development. No city in India currently has the infrastructure necessary to host the Games, which means significant funds will have to be spent on developing both sporting and non-sporting facilities. Nearly half of the Commonwealth Games budget was dedicated to boosting Delhi’s infrastructure, with only a quarter allocated to development of sports infrastructure. Instead of hosting the Games in just one city that would require infrastructure to be built from scratch, Ms Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO of GoSports Foundation, which supports some of India’s emerging and elite athletes, said the country could look at spreading the Games across multiple cities with good sporting facilities that could benefit from refurbishment. This approach would reduce costs, she said. “This way it also becomes the legacy of India... and I would love to see the Olympics of India, not just the Olympics in one place in India,” she told ST. Limiting all the Olympic sports infrastructure to the Gandhinagar-Ahmedabad cluster also raises the risk of future underutilisation in a state that does not have a widespread public sporting culture such as that of Haryana, a small north Indian state with around 25 million people but whose athletes have won 12 of India’s 21 medals at the Summer Olympics since 2012. But it is not only infrastructure that India has to prioritise. Young talent has to be identified and groomed right away if India hopes to surpass its best-ever Olympic haul of seven medals in 2036. “This involves the coming together of many things – infrastructure, people, talent, coaches, sports, science,” Ms Bopaiah said. “And we should have started planning yesterday, not today or tomorrow; 12 years is going to rush by us.” The IOA did not respond to questions from ST. However, it told the IOC that “there are over 600 million Indians under the age of 25” and “in India’s current stage of economic development, the Games would serve as a powerful force for job creation and business opportunities, particularly in sectors connected to sports infrastructure, services and tourism”. Mr Beant Singh, a 26-year-old athletics coach in Delhi, hopes that prediction turns out to be true and that India will use the Olympics bid to develop sports at the grassroots level. This includes providing scholarships for state-level athletes who currently lack financial support to progress to the national level. “Winning medals at the Olympics is more important than hosting it,” he said. “So focusing on winning medals while preparing to host the Games would be great.”