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Climate-threatened nations stage protest at COP29 over contentious deal
Subscribe to our newsletter Privacy Policy Success! Your account was created and you’re signed in. Please visit My Account to verify and manage your account. An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. Support Independent Arts Journalism As an independent publication, we rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, consider becoming a member today . Already a member? Sign in here. We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, please join us as a member . This is the sixth of a series of comics depicting transformative moments in the lives of artists, activists, and organizers on the front lines of the housing affordability crisis in New York City Ramona Ferreyra Activist, founder of Save Section 9 Color by Katherine Domínguez Get the latest art news, reviews and opinions from Hyperallergic. Daily Weekly Opportunities Monxo López Organizer and curator at the Museum of the City of New York Color by Katherine Domínguez Samuel Stein Urban planner, housing policy analyst at Community Service Center of New York Color by Katherine Domínguez The series was originally commissioned by More Art . We hope you enjoyed this article! Before you keep reading, please consider supporting Hyperallergic ’s journalism during a time when independent, critical reporting is increasingly scarce. Unlike many in the art world, we are not beholden to large corporations or billionaires. Our journalism is funded by readers like you , ensuring integrity and independence in our coverage. We strive to offer trustworthy perspectives on everything from art history to contemporary art. We spotlight artist-led social movements, uncover overlooked stories, and challenge established norms to make art more inclusive and accessible. With your support, we can continue to provide global coverage without the elitism often found in art journalism. If you can, please join us as a member today . Millions rely on Hyperallergic for free, reliable information. By becoming a member, you help keep our journalism free, independent, and accessible to all. Thank you for reading. Share Copied to clipboard Mail Bluesky Threads LinkedIn FacebookNoneNone
Court challenge over vote to extend post-Brexit trading arrangements dismissed
Given that money -- and technology -- make the world go round, it's not surprising that the combination can make for some of the world's most rewarding investments. Here's a closer look at three fantastic fintech stocks you can buy in quantity, even if you've only got $1,000 to work with. Bill Holdings Even if you haven't heard of Bill Holdings ( BILL 1.70% ) , there's a very good chance your employer has. Bill offers a range of accounting software to enterprises of all sorts and sizes. It's a seemingly crowded market dominated by brands like QuickBooks, NetSuite, and ZipBooks. Bill is still something of a standout within this space, though. Its software is built from the ground up to meet the unique needs of accounts receivable and accounts payable departments, accounting firms, and supervisors who just need to keep a handle on employees' spending. The company monetizes this cloud-based technology by charging subscription fees for access to it, or by charging a small fee for every processed payment it facilitates. Last quarter's revenue was up 18% year over year, extending the company's well-established top-line progress. BILL Revenue (Quarterly) data by YCharts There’s no getting around the fact that Bill’s revenue growth is slowing down. Its revenue-retention rate is also falling, from better than 100% just a couple years ago to only 92% at the end of fiscal 2024 on June 30. It means at least some customers are discontinuing their service, or at least using its technology less. This slowdown could also be the result of economic headwinds that are forcing small businesses to cut costs whenever and however they can. Bill should at least be actively addressing both challenges, while sharing its plans with shareholders about how it’s doing that. Just keep things in perspective. This company’s high-growth phase in 2022 and 2023 wasn’t exactly sustainable in light of the way it was being driven. Although top-line growth may be slowing now, profit margins are widening faster because sales have been growing much faster than spending has. This new norm makes for a higher-margin business, providing Bill Holdings with the fiscal flexibility it needs to navigate the two aforementioned challenges. The stock is still relatively expensive by almost all measures. It's also trading a bit above the consensus price target around $82. These could seem to hold the stock back. The thing is, the stock's present price and analysts' collective pessimism reflect more of the past than the plausible future. The more this stock bounces back from the big pullback following its pandemic-promoted 2021 peak, the more likely it is that the market will start pricing in this bright future. Bill's solutions are what many enterprises and businesses have been waiting on for a long while. SoFi Technologies Given the degree to which consumers have moved many aspects of their lives online (shopping, work, keeping up with friends, etc.), it comes as no surprise that folks are increasingly doing their banking online too. What may surprise you, though, is the extent to which it's already happened. Yet, there's still much more of this shift left to play out. As of its latest look at the data, the American Bankers Association says that within the United States, a mobile banking app is the most commonly used means of handling banking business, with 48% of customers making it their first option. Online banking (via a web browser) is a distant second at 23%. In-branch visits and telephone calls are relatively rare. Connect the dots. Most banking consumers are self-sufficient these days, so much so that they rarely -- if ever -- need any help from an actual person. Enter SoFi Technologies ( SOFI 3.93% ) . Founded in 2011 as a platform intended to help consumers better manage student loans, SoFi has since evolved into so much more. Checking accounts, loans, credit cards, insurance, and investments are all in its wheelhouse, with all of these services available in a purely online package. Consumers are increasingly embracing these options. As of the end of September, the company boasts 9.4 million customers, extending what's become a four-year uninterrupted streak of quarterly user growth from a count of 1.5 million customers in the same period of 2020. Revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization ( EBITDA ) have grown at a similarly fast clip as these customers sign up for additional products and services once on board. The company swung to a sustained profit early this year and is expected to continue widening these profits going forward. SOFI Revenue (Quarterly) data by YCharts There's certainly plenty more room for SoFi Technologies to continue this pace of growth into the distant future, too. Despite the online banking industry's growth thus far, YouGov reports that only 3 out of every 10 U.S. consumers currently have an account with an online-only bank . The other 7 are up for grabs. They're apt to come around soon enough. Market research outfit Straits Research predicts that the global online banking business is set to achieve annualized growth of nearly 14% through 2030, led by the North American market. American Express Finally, add American Express ( AXP 2.83% ) to your list of fintech stocks to scoop up if you're currently sitting on an extra $1,000. It's obviously far better known than Bill Holdings or SoFi Technologies. American Express is, of course, a credit card name. Its payment network handled nearly $1.7 trillion worth of transactions last year and turned that into $13.5 billion worth of revenue. There are roughly 140 million American Express cards in consumers' hands right now. The thing is, AmEx is unlike more familiar credit card payment networks like Mastercard and Visa . It's far more accurate to see American Express as a credit card provider as well as a payment network platform combined in a way that creates a powerful revenue-bearing credit card ecosystem. Think about it. Although almost every credit card offers perks of some sort, few compare to those received by Amex cardholders. Hotel-stay credits, cash back on groceries, discounted streaming services, access to airport lounges, and more are just some of the reasons people (and businesses) will pay as much as $695 per year to hold an American Express card. Merchants, of course, also pay the company a small fee every time a member uses one of its cards at their establishment. It's also worth noting that Amex tends to attract more affluent consumers who may not be as adversely impacted by economic headwinds as the average consumer occasionally is. That's at least part of the reason the company's now reported 14 consecutive quarters of revenue growth, carrying it out of its pandemic-prompted funk in a rather impressive fashion. Its future is bright, too. Millennials and Gen Z, in particular, are big fans, collectively accounting for about one-third of the company's payment volume and the vast majority of last quarter's new cardholders. This under-40 crowd is already accustomed to membership-based ecosystems like Amazon Prime and access to Costco 's stores. As this crowd ages at the same time Generation Alpha reaches adulthood, look for more consumers to become even more willing to pay for Amex's superior perks.A MAJOR telecoms provider has extended its free data scheme for people struggling with bills - and it is perfect for Christmas. Virgin Media O2 is transforming a further 70 O2 stores into National Databank Hubs in a bid to provide free mobile data to people. The company has now rolled out the National Databank to all O2 stores nationwide which are providing free O2 mobile data, texts and calls to people who need it, regardless of their mobile operator. Customers can now receive 25GB of free O2 data per month for 12 months. This connectivity will support people experiencing data poverty to access essential websites and manage everyday tasks, such as booking medical appointments, applying for work, and online training. And it will also help them keep in touch with loved ones over the festive period and beyond. read more money stories It comes as new research reveals that 26%of Brits on low incomes (those with a household income of less than £15,000) are struggling to afford their mobile phone bill. More than half of them say they’d feel lonely if they couldn’t access the internet or mobile data at home. Meanwhile, nearly eight in 10 say they’d feel alone or isolated if they didn’t have mobile data over the Christmas period and couldn’t connect with their family or friends. A lot of customers also claim to miss out on the moments that make Christmas more enjoyable, such as sending festive messages or photos or videos from their Christmas celebrations, if they don’t have mobile data. Most read in Money To help cash-strapped customers with these issues, O2 will be providing free internet data during the holiday season. To be eligible for free data from the National Databank, a recipient must fulfil these criteria: Age: Must be 18 years or older. Income: Must belong to a low-income household. Internet Access: And/or have no access or insufficient access to the internet at home, And/or no or insufficient access to the internet when away from home And/or being unable to afford their existing monthly contract or top-up. Nicola Green from Virgin Media O2 said: "We know that people experiencing poverty are having to make difficult choices around how they spend their money – but affording mobile data shouldn’t be one of them. “That’s why Virgin Media O2 has rolled out the National Databank to all its O2 stores nationwide, offering free O2 mobile data to connect people in need, so they can get online and stay in touch with their loved ones this Christmas and beyond." The campaign is being backed by campaigner and actor Will Mellor , who said: “It’s heartbreaking to think there are people who can’t connect with their loved ones this Christmas. “I experienced poverty first-hand when I was growing up, so I appreciate how vital initiatives such as the National Databank are to underprivileged communities who are struggling to afford connectivity. "I would encourage anyone who’s in need to visit their local O2 store to get free mobile data for 12 months so they can get online and stay connected to everything and everyone they love this Christmas and beyond." Helen Milner OBE, Group CEO at Good Things Foundation, said: “I’m delighted to see the National Databank grow even larger, with a further 70 O2 stores across the UK now becoming National Databank Digital Inclusion Hubs. “Virgin Media O2’s work to help reduce digital exclusion now allows the Databank to extend its impact to even more people and is a lifeline to those struggling to access the internet this Christmas. "This means more people in need can access essential services and connect with loved ones." READ MORE SUN STORIES The National Databank forms part of a series of measures Virgin Media O2 has in place to support people in need so they can stay connected. This includes the company’s social tariffs for people who receive government support payments, such as Essential Broadband and the O2 Essential plan. Antrim - The Junction. 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Amcor PLC stock falls Wednesday, underperforms market
The Onion's bid to buy Infowars goes before judge as Alex Jones tries stopping sale The Onion's bid to buy conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars has returned to a Texas courtroom. A federal judge in Houston is hearing arguments Monday on whether a bankruptcy auction was run properly as Jones alleges collusion and fraud. The hearing is expected to continue into Tuesday. The Onion satirical news outlet was named the winning bidder last month over a company affiliated with Jones. The auction was held to help pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation judgments that Jones was ordered to pay families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The families won lawsuits against Jones for calling the shooting a hoax. Juan Soto agrees to record $765 million, 15-year contract with Mets, AP source says DALLAS (AP) — A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that star outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets have agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement, first reported by the New York Post, was subject to a successful physical. Soto’s deal is the largest and longest in Major League Baseball history, topping Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 14-year contract with San Diego. Soto's deal does not include deferred money, the person said. TikTok asks federal appeals court to bar enforcement of potential ban until Supreme Court review TikTok on Monday asked a federal appeals court to bar the Biden administration from enforcing a law that could lead to a ban on the popular platform until the Supreme Court reviews the case. The legal filing was made after a panel of judges on the same court sided with the government last week and ruled that the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban as soon as next month, was constitutional. If the law is not overturned, both TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have said the popular app will shut down by mid-January. Pinheiro Braathen performs snow samba to celebrate Brazil's first podium in a World Cup ski race It’s not just soccer anymore. Brazil is finding World Cup success in skiing now too. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen became the first Brazilian skier to finish on a World Cup podium when he placed second in a giant slalom in Beaver Creek, Colorado, on Sunday. Pinheiro Braathen celebrated the achievement in truly Brazilian style: with a samba dance on the podium, the Brazilian flag wrapped around his waist and cowboy boots on his feet. Pinheiro Braathen’s mother is Brazilian and his father is Norwegian. He raced for Norway until switching his nationality for this season. The end of an Eras tour approaches, marking a bittersweet moment for Taylor Swift fans NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to an end after the popstar performed more than 150 shows across five continents over nearly two years. Since launching the tour in 2023, Swift has shattered sales and attendance records. It's even created such an economic boom that the Federal Reserve took note. But for many who attended the concerts, and the millions more who eagerly watched on their screens, the tour also became a beacon of joy. It's become a chance not only to appreciate Swift’s expansive music career, but also celebrate the yearslong journey fans have taken with her. College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama out SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs, losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama of the SEC but one fewer loss. The inaugural 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta. Dave Parker and Dick Allen elected to baseball's Hall of Fame DALLAS (AP) — Dave Parker and Dick Allen have been elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame by the classic era committee. Parker received 14 of 16 votes and Allen got 13. A vote of 75% or more was needed for election. They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 27 along with players voted in by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, whose balloting will be announced on Jan. 21. ‘Moana 2’ cruises to another record weekend and $600 million globally “Moana 2” remains at the top of the box office in its second weekend in theaters as it pulled in another record haul. According to studio estimates Sunday, the animated Disney film added $52 million, bringing its domestic total to $300 million. That surpasses the take for the original “Moana” and brings the sequel's global tally to a staggering $600 million. It also puts the film in this year's top five at the box office. “Wicked” came in second place for the weekend with $34.9 million and “Gladiator II” was third with $12.5 million. The 10th anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan's “Interstellar” also earned an impressive $4.4 million even though it played in only 165 theaters. Hemingway look-alikes visit Cuba and some of the late writer's favorite places HAVANA (AP) — Eighteen white-bearded men who resemble the late U.S. author Ernest Hemingway have arrived in Havana for the weekend to visit some of the his favorite places when he lived on the island decades ago. Members of the Hemingway Look-alike Society visited the author’s favorite bar in Havana, La Floridita, where the music immediately picked up, and tourists and locals gathered around to take photos. The visit comes as Cuba and the United States are in the midst of tense relations. Hemingway lived in Cuba from 1939 to 1960. 'Reindeer' volunteers bring holiday magic to Ukrainian children living on the frontlines IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — A volunteer group is trying to fulfill the holiday dreams of thousands of children living near the frontlines in Ukraine. The St. Nicholas’ Reindeers initiative publishes letters online detailing the children's wishes. Some ask for gifts, such as a bicycle or a pet mouse, alongside more complicated requests for their family members to be released from captivity or to be able to return to their homes. Donors fulfill the gift requests and volunteer “reindeers,” named for the magical beasts that pull Santa's sleigh, deliver them in the weeks following Dec. 6, when Ukraine celebrates St. Nicholas Day. Project co-founder Inna Achkasova says the reindeer volunteers aim to ensure that every child feels seen, heard and loved.Seahawks add some depth, pick up safety
ALEXANDRIA, VA. — The sprawling, windowless warehouses that hold rows of high-speed servers powering almost everything the world does on phones and computers are increasingly becoming fixtures of the American landscape, popping up in towns, cities and suburbs across the United States. Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years because of the rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and urban and rural governments are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to move into more densely populated areas, abutting homes and schools, parks and recreation centers, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. In Northern Virginia, more than 300 data centers dot the rolling hills of the area’s westernmost counties and butt up against wooded bike trails winding through the suburbs. But one of the latest proposals in the area, Plaza 500, would see a 466,000-square-foot facility and adjacent electrical substation built a few hundred feet from townhomes, playgrounds and a community center. The pitch from Starwood Capital Group, the private investment firm founded by billionaire Barry Sternlicht, to Fairfax County officials promised jobs and a significant property tax revenue boost. But data center critics say the incentives aren’t enough to counteract the consequences of building the facilities so close to homes. Tyler Ray, a leader in the fight against the Virginia project, worries that more data centers in the area could compromise the already stressed power grid: More than 25% of all power produced in Virginia in 2023 went to data centers, a figure that could rise as high as 46% by 2030 if data center growth continues at its current pace. Some estimates also show a mid-size data center commands the same water usage every day as 1,000 households, prompting concerns over the cost of water. Ray also frets over air quality, as the massive diesel generators that help power the data centers’ hardware send plumes of pollutants into the atmosphere. He and his neighbors tried to stop the development, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful. In September, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors said all newly proposed data centers must adhere to stricter zoning rules, but the Plaza 500 project was exempt. “I don’t know how a general resident, even someone who has been engaging intently on an issue, has any chance to go up against the data center industry,” Ray said the night the supervisors voted. For local governments, attracting data centers to their municipalities means a financial boon: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Virginia’s data centers brought in $1 billion in tax revenue this year. With average-size facilities, data centers offer a small number of direct jobs — often fewer than 100 positions. Google announced recently that its investment in nearby Loudoun County, which included two data centers, created about 150 direct jobs, a figure data center opponents say isn’t worth the hassle. Data center advocates contend the number of indirect jobs like construction, technology support and electrical work make the projects worthwhile. In that same announcement, Google said its investment created 2,730 indirect jobs. Kathy Smith, the vice chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, voted in favor of the Plaza 500 proposal because, in her estimation, data center growth is inevitable in the region and Fairfax County should reap the benefits. “I have a responsibility to step back from what we do and look at the big picture,” Smith said. “Data centers are not going away.” On the other side of the country, in Morrow County, Oregon, Amazon Web Services built at least five data centers surrounding the 4,200-resident town of Boardman, nestled among vast stretches of farmland flecked with mint patches and wind turbines, next to the Columbia River. Last year, AWS paid roughly $34 million in property taxes and fees stipulated in the agreements after receiving a $66 million tax break. Those payments, in addition to $1.7 million in charitable donations from the company in 2023, have been instrumental in updating infrastructure and bolstering services. This funding has gone toward a new ladder fire engine, a school resource officer and $5,000 grants for homebuyers so far totaling at least $2.8 million. “This road right here? Wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for AWS,” said Boardman Mayor Paul Keefer, riding in the passenger seat of Police Chief Rick Stokoe’s cruiser and pointing out the window at construction workers shifting dirt and laying pavement. AWS cultivated relationships with local officials, including Keefer and Stokoe, who have both been in positions to vote on whether to authorize tax breaks for the company. Some former county commissioners and residents worry that those relationships are too cozy. Kevin Miller, AWS’s vice president of global data centers, said “our interest is in being a model corporate citizen, to really be partners with those communities.” Skepticism of the deals started years ago, when three elected officials allegedly helped approve data center deals while also owning a stake in a company that contracted with AWS to provide fiber optic cables for the data centers. In June, they each paid $2,000 to settle an ethics complaint. Those officials are no longer in office. But the latest data center deal struck between Morrow County officials and AWS, which gives the company an estimated $1 billion in tax breaks spread over the 15 years to build five new data centers, again raised eyebrows. Two former Morrow County commissioners, Jim Doherty and Melissa Lindsay, pushed unsuccessfully in 2022 for AWS to pay more in taxes in new data center negotiations. “We didn’t want to blow it up. We didn’t want to run them off,” Lindsay said. “But there were better deals to be made.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Ellomay Capital Announces an Extraordinary General Meeting of ShareholdersMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia's House of Representatives passes bill banning children younger than age 16 from social media.
