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646 jili , /PRNewswire/ -- PEAK6 Investments LLC ("PEAK6") today announced that, effective , it will move its global headquarters from its current location in to the company's existing office in , which it established in 2021. PEAK6 affiliates PEAK6 Group LLC, PEAK6 Strategic Capital LLC, PEAK6 APX Holdings LLC and PEAK6 LLC will also relocate their global headquarters to . PEAK6 will maintain its office in . " has been a cornerstone of PEAK6's growth for over a decade," said PEAK6 Co-Founder and Co-CEO, , who continued, "With the majority of our talented workforce now based in and emerging as our largest office, moving our headquarters was an important decision to be closer to our team. We're excited for the next chapter of PEAK6 that will be written from our new headquarters." unique blend of creativity, technology and culture provides the ideal environment for PEAK6. The city's highly educated workforce, business climate, and strong entrepreneurial spirit have enabled us to attract top talent and drive innovation. PEAK6 uses technology to find a better way of doing things. The company's first tech-based solution was developed in 1997 to optimize options trading, and over the past two decades, the same formula has been used across a range of industries, asset classes, and business stages to consistently deliver superior results. Today, PEAK6 seeks transformational opportunities to provide capital and strategic support to entrepreneurs and forward-thinking businesses. PEAK6's core brands include PEAK6 Capital Management, PEAK6 Strategic Capital, Apex Fintech Solutions, We Insure, FOCUS, Zogo, Evil Geniuses and Poker Power. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE PEAK6 Investments Get local news delivered to your inbox!5 recipes perfect for using your Christmas leftovers after the big dayWheel of Fortune contestants regularly whiff their bonus puzzles, but the winner of Monday, December 2’s episode was in for a particularly heartbreaking spin. Her additional letter choices added ZERO letters to a tricky puzzle, which was even more shocking since she had the advantage of a Wild Card wedge. The tough break involved Kelsey Sowders, a mom of three and steak/wine savant from Tomball, Texas. After an astounding performance, she proceeded to the coveted bonus round, having racked up $40,398 in cash, a prize trip to Japan, and the elusive Wild Card. This meant she got to pick five additional letters instead of four, which often spells success. Selecting “What are You Doing?” as her category, with the off-side support of her eldest son Grant and husband, Sowders joined Ryan Seacrest center stage. She landed on the star portion of the wheel, and the host assured, “Perhaps it’s good luck.” “I hope so,” Sowders said. The two-word puzzle read as “_EE_N_’ ‘_ _ S_,’ and she chose an additional “MFDA,” and H.” However, Vanna White didn’t move an inch as the letter choices were useless, making the puzzle very difficult. “Oh no!” Sowders exclaimed in disappointment. She went through the five stages of grief, staring in disbelief, blowing a raspberry in frustration, and recollecting herself. Seacrest wished her the best, “You’re doing great so far tonight.” But the cruel twist of fate left Sowder unable to solve the puzzle under the 10-second timer, which ended up being “KEEPING BUSY.” She was close, even able to get the first word, but nowhere near the second. “Oh no!” Sowders exclaimed once more as the full puzzle was displayed. Then, cutting back to the contestant and Seacrest, the second dagger came. The host revealed from his prize card contained $75,000 and she hid her face from it. “I don’t want to see that,” she said as Seacrest winced at the camera. “Don’t worry,” the host told her as she emotionally recovered and told him, “That’s okay.” The game show shared the big miss on YouTube, where fans expressed their shock and empathized with the player’s reaction. “That was a tough one. I didn’t get it either. Props to her for getting the first word right, but that second word was tricky as hell. I’m glad she’s not walking away empty-handed, though. She still won up until that point and nobody can take that from her,” one fan wrote. More from this section “Impossible without the right letter choices. Been a few of those this season,” wrote another. “If she would have won, she would have won over $100,000 cash without actually landing on the envelope! That’s really disappointing. Also, the fact that she had 5 letters but didn’t get a single one?! Should I be disappointed or impressed?” asked a third. 'Wheel of Fortune' Fans Demand Change After 'Crazy' Bonus Puzzle Pattern “Ouch!” wrote a fourth. “You don’t see $75,000 all that often!” Meanwhile , Seacrest had huge shoes to fill replacing the legendary Pat Sajak after four decades for Season 42. His debut month was the strongest ratings month for WoF in the past three years, and viewers were already treated to a viral moment (via a round of sausage) . That said, there have been some questionable host moments according to fans. In September, Seacrest suffered what fans dubbed his “first blooper” , involving a delayed reaction to rewarding a bonus round. Fans also called out the host for ruling against another player before the timer was up. Most controversially, fans recently called out the host for not reminding a player to pick a letter , leading to him losing the game in a misunderstanding and by a mere $147. Another puzzling pattern has emerged, which is that no player has won the bonus round in a full week , many fans blaming the players, not the host. As for Sowders, another contestant recently botched their bonus puzzle in a similar way after choosing poor letters, but in that instance, they didn’t have the boost of the Wild Card wedge. Wheel of Fortune , Weeknights, Check your local listings More Headlines: ‘Mistletoe Murders’: Sarah Drew Teases ‘Epic’ Finale Cliffhanger & Reveals Season 2 Hopes ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Devastated by Botched $75k Bonus Round Despite Big Boost How Did ‘Severance’ Season 1 End? ‘The Voice’ Season 26 Finale: Everything to Know ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Go Wild Over Vanna White’s ‘Hot’ Son Nikko, 30, in Rare Video

BEIRUT — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and with the government forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels’ moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. Rapid Advances by Opposition Forces The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. As they have advanced, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only four of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Homs, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” Related Story: Panic in Damascus as Insurgents Approach In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to the Syria border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those that remained open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Related Story: Assad’s Status and International Response Amid the developments, Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine. Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation of U.N. Resolution 2254 would be announced later. The resolution, adopted in 2015, called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later in the day, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. The Insurgents’ March and Military Response Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were also marching from eastern Syria toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. Syria’s military, meanwhile, sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that insurgents had entered the historic central town of Palmyra, home to invaluable archaeological sites, a day earlier. Palmyra had been in government hands since it was taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. Related Story: To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani told CNN in an interview Thursday from Syria that the aim is to overthrow Assad’s government. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs, where a battle loomed. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists.” The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process.

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that purchasers or acquirers of Symbotic Inc. SYM publicly traded securities between February 8, 2024 and November 26, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"), have until February 3, 2025 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the Symbotic class action lawsuit. Captioned Decker v. Symbotic Inc. , No. 24-cv-12976 (D. Mass.), the Symbotic class action lawsuit charges Symbotic and certain of Symbotic's top executives with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Symbotic class action lawsuit, please provide your information here: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-symbotic-class-action-lawsuit-sym.html You can also contact attorneys J.C. Sanchez or Jennifer N. Caringal of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at info@rgrdlaw.com . CASE ALLEGATIONS : Symbotic is an automation technology company that engages in developing technologies to improve operating efficiencies in modern warehouses. The Symbotic class action lawsuit alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that Symbotic had improperly accelerated its recognition of revenue. The Symbotic class action lawsuit further alleges that on November 27, 2024, Symbotic disclosed that it "identified errors in its revenue recognition related to cost overruns on certain deployments that will not be billable, which additionally impacted system revenue, income (loss) before income tax, net income (loss) and gross margin recognized in the second, third, and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2024," "identified in its preliminary assessment of internal control over financial reporting for the fiscal year ended September 28, 2024 certain material weaknesses," and Symbotic's "previously issued financial statements for those periods, including the financial information included in [Symbotic]'s earnings press release for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2024 and [Symbotic]'s supplemental presentation, should therefore no longer be relied upon." On this news, the price of Symbotic stock fell nearly 36%, according to the complaint. THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS : The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who purchased or acquired Symbotic publicly traded securities during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the Symbotic class action lawsuit. A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class. A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the Symbotic class action lawsuit. The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the Symbotic class action lawsuit. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff of the Symbotic class action lawsuit. ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER : Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world's leading law firms representing investors in securities fraud cases. Our Firm has been #1 in the ISS Securities Class Action Services rankings for six out of the last ten years for securing the most monetary relief for investors. We recovered $6.6 billion for investors in securities-related class action cases – over $2.2 billion more than any other law firm in the last four years. With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs' firms in the world and the Firm's attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest securities class action recovery ever – $7.2 billion – in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig. Please visit the following page for more information: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/services-litigation-securities-fraud.html Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices. Contact: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP J.C. Sanchez, Jennifer N. Caringal 655 W. Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101 800-449-4900 info@rgrdlaw.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.President and general manager of studio operations at Tyler Perry Studios dies in plane crash

Ange Postecoglou relishing Tottenham’s key run of fixtures before Christmas

NoneEarlier in 2024 a joint advisory was issued in the U.S. by the joint agencies responsible for security – FBI, CISA, and HHS. This was a warning the healthcare sector of BlackCat ransomware , following the group’s association with the Change Healthcare cyberattack. BlackCat, also known as ALPHV, is a ransomware code written in Rust. It first appeared in November 2021. The same name is applied to the threat actor who exploit it. How safe is healthcare now? To review the situation, Digital Journal heard from Andrew Costis, Chapter Lead of the Adversary Research Team at AttackIQ . To begin with Costis presents a reminder as to the key elements of the U.S. government security statement: “This advisory contains updates to the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with BlackCat from a December advisory and the FBI’s FLASH alert from April 2022.” As to the actual threat agent, Costis summarises the risk as: “BlackCat, a Rust-based ransomware family first identified in November 2021, operates under a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model. The group was disrupted by FBI operations last December. After this takedown, BlackCat administrators urged affiliates to target hospitals and critical infrastructure.” BlackCat operates on a ransomware as a service (RaaS) model, with developers offering the malware for use by affiliates and taking a percentage of ransom payments. Threat actors who work with BlackCat seek to gain initial access to IT environments and user accounts. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, such as remote desktop protocols, compromised credentials, and exchange server vulnerabilities. Of the different risk areas, healthcare is the most vulnerable according to Costis: The healthcare sector has been the most commonly victimized out of the nearly 70 leaked victims. The cyberattack on Change Healthcare, the largest healthcare payment exchange platform, has significantly impacted pharmacies nationwide, prompting the adoption of electronic workarounds” The best options are for the healthcare sector to prioritize cybersecurity measures. Costis recommends: “The vast amount of sensitive patient data stored within healthcare systems makes these organizations a dangerous target for ransomware groups, with the potential for far-reaching consequences. These attacks can cripple organizational operations and, more importantly, compromise patient health and safety.” Furthermore, Costis advises: “Healthcare organizations must now prioritize validating their security controls against BlackCat’s TTPs as outlined in the joint advisory leveraging the MITRE ATT&CK framework. By emulating the behaviors exhibited by BlackCat, organizations can assess their security postures and pinpoint any vulnerabilities. This proactive approach is essential to mitigate the risk of future attacks.” Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.( MENAFN - IANS) New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) An advisory has been issued by the Delhi Traffic Police urging people to avoid taking several major routes on roads in the national capital, ahead of the funeral of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday The traffic advisory outlines restrictions and diversions on major routes in New Delhi, urging the public to instead use public transport to help ease congestion. "The dignitaries of many foreign countries and other VIPs/VVIPS and the general public will visit Nigambodh Ghat on the occasion of the state funeral of late Dr Manmohan Singh, Former PM of India on December 28, 2024," Delhi Traffic Police said in its advisory on Friday. According to the advisory, diversion points include Raja Ram Kohli Marg, Rajghat Red Light, Signature Bridge, and Yudhister Setu. Traffic restrictions, regulations, and diversion may be imposed on Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Marg), Nishad Raj Marg, Boulevard Road, SPM Marg, Lothian Road, and Netaji Subhash Marg from 7 a.m. onwards, likely till 3 p.m. The advisory advises people to avoid the mentioned roads and stretches, as well as the area where the procession will take place. Commuters going to Old Delhi Railway Station, ISBT, Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, and Tis Hazari Court are advised to leave with sufficient time to accommodate possible delays on the route. It is also recommended to use public transport to reduce road congestion. Vehicles should only be parked in designated parking lots; roadside parking should be avoided as it obstructs the normal flow of traffic. In case any unusual or unidentified object or person is noticed in suspicious circumstances, the public is urged to report it to the Police, they added. The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday noon. "Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister passed away at 9:51 p.m. on December 26, 2024, at AllMS Hospital, New Delhi. It has been decided by the government that a State funeral will be accorded to Dr Manmohan Singh. The funeral will take place at 11:45 a.m. on December 28, 2024, at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi. The Ministry of Defence is requested to make arrangements for a State funeral with full military honours," the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said. Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernising India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. MENAFN27122024000231011071ID1109036081 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

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US election a shot of adrenaline as the world heals from progressivism’s insanity‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Devastated by Botched $75k Bonus Round Despite Big BoostGrange Hill creator rips into TV bosses saying ‘courage has gone out of broadcasting’ amid rumours BBC show could RETURN

NoneTORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Donald Trump that Americans would also suffer if the president-elect follows through on a plan to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products , a Canadian minister who attended their recent dinner said Monday. Trump threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if they don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders with the United States. He said on social media last week that he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders. Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, attended a dinner with Trump and Trudeau at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on Friday. Trudeau requested the meeting in a bid to avoid the tariffs by convincing Trump that the northern border is nothing like the U.S. southern border with Mexico . "The prime minister of course spoke about the importance of protecting the Canadian economy and Canadian workers from tariffs, but we also discussed with our American friends the negative impact that those tariffs could have on their economy, on affordability in the United States as well," LeBlanc said in Parliament. If Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, alcohol and other goods. The Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said last week that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when the countries retaliate. Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the U.S. should Trump follow through on the threat. After his dinner with Trump, Trudeau returned home without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. “The idea that we came back empty handed is completely false,” LeBlanc said. “We had a very productive discussion with Mr. Trump and his future Cabinet secretaries. ... The commitment from Mr. Trump to continue to work with us was far from empty handed.” Joining Trump and Trudeau at dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, and Mike Waltz, Trump’s choice to be his national security adviser. Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, told The Associated Press on Sunday that “the message that our border is so vastly different than the Mexican border was really understood.” Hillman, who sat at an adjacent table to Trudeau and Trump, said Canada is not the problem when it comes to drugs and migrants. On Monday, Mexico’s president rejected those comments. “Mexico must be respected, especially by its trading partners,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said. She said Canada had its own problems with fentanyl consumption and “could only wish they had the cultural riches Mexico has.” Flows of migrants and seizures of drugs at the two countries’ border are vastly different. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Most of the fentanyl reaching the U.S. — where it causes about 70,000 overdose deaths annually — is made by Mexican drug cartels using precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol reported 1.53 million encounters with migrants at the southwest border with Mexico between October 2023 and September 2024. That compares to 23,721 encounters at the Canadian border during that time. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports as well. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing for national security.After-hours movers: Marvell Technology, Salesforce, Okta and more

Daniel Penny doesn't testify as his defense rests in subway chokehold trial

LAST WEEK SAW an abundance of media attention on the Dublin central constituency due to a nail-biting race for the final seat which came down to the wire. Now, post-election, as talks begin to form the new government, it is vital that the constituency, particularly the North Inner City, continues to receive adequate attention and the recognition that the solutions to its issues lie in structural reforms at a national level. The community is a proud community which is steeped in a rich history, but has not been without its challenges. In the 1980’s the community was deeply impacted by the heroin epidemic. The effects of that epidemic had an intergenerational impact, with many people in the community still navigating addiction and its complexities. Many continue to face long periods before gaining access to appropriate treatments, either for their substance use or for the mental health issues which often go hand in hand with them. If you take a walk around the community, you’ll see many people forced to navigate their illness in damp laneways and other hidden away corners of the community. Many families are still losing loved ones to overdoses. At ages much below the national life expectancy. There has been much talk of a health-led approach, but what’s needed now is a commitment to that which is enshrined in legislation through decriminalisation at a minimum, coupled with unprecedented investment in addiction and wrap-around services. For those who engage in offending behaviour which relates to their addiction, alternative sanctions to incarceration, such as restorative justice, need to be at the fore of the criminal justice response. Imprisonment of those who sell drugs, along with those who have a problematic relationship with them, into one institution is bound to reinforce the issue. Not only does it create an impenetrable market, but also causes an additional barrier in the form of a conviction, which can impact employment and other future opportunities. There’s still largely a system that punishes an individual for relatively low-level offences they may have committed during a tumultuous period in their life. This is something that must change if we are to break cycles in the community. Education has long been seen as the main escape from poverty. The idea was that by staying in school, studying hard, and performing well in exams, one could access the pathways to secure and well-paying employment. The reality is that many children in this community, face unimaginable barriers to the realisation of that truth. The idea that a child who is immersed in a dysfunctional environment daily, be that in their home or wider community, can perform as well as peers who come from less chaotic environment, with more social capital, in the same exams, is not realistic. The children in this community are amazingly resilient and ambitious, but the education system in its current form isn’t set up to see them succeed if they face any of the issues which impact so many in the community. We tend to celebrate if a child from the community gets a place on an access programme in Trinity or another prestigious third-level institution. But in reality, while this is great, we shouldn’t settle for this. An education system which is reformed to see children from the North Inner city get into Trinity as easily as any other student in the country should be our aim. As a result of these barriers, many young people in the community are at risk of leaving the education system early. The research tells us that this results in a massive risk factor in terms of them being groomed and exploited within the drug trade. Child criminal exploitation is still a massive issue in the community. It’s a problem which has received much and interventions, and services are reaching some young people and diverting them. But overall, if another feud started tomorrow, it’s hard to see any other outcome than a number of young people within the community easily being caught up in it. We have some pieces of legislation aimed at tackling the issue, like Fagin’s Law, but poverty is the common denominator in most of these cases, and until that is addressed at a structural level, these projects will continue to firefight and children will continue to be systematically frogmarched towards a prison cell or an early grave. None of this is to say that we haven’t had investment in the community. Overall, we have seen an increase in funding for both the youth sector and the youth justice strategy, for example, in successive budgets. This is much welcomed, and it’s inspiring to see that the state sees value in them. But these sectors were heavily hit during austerity, and the current funding is likely only getting them back to where they should have been many years ago. But we have also had a recent feud and the added impact of a pandemic which has drastically increased the amount of funding needed if they are to reach everyone who needs to be reached. There are also several initiatives currently operating within the area which are focused on regeneration or community safety. There’s much good work being done through these initiatives, but they’re still by and large addressing symptoms as opposed to root causes. The community needs appropriate and ambitious investment in these projects, as well as ensuring they aren’t geographically limited to one part of the community. A recurring issue is that a particular estate might be impacted by a problem, especially if it’s one of the parts of the communities where there are high levels of dereliction or vacancy. Neglected people are often drawn to neglected places, so it’s easy to see why some spaces are impacted more than others. The response then usually involves that space being blocked off or regenerated in some way, which moves the issue to another area of the community but does little to actually resolve it in a sustainable way. If these new spaces fall outside the remit of certain schemes, it can create barriers in terms of feeding into structures or accessing funding for the necessary work to be carried out by community based projects. I would love to suggest that the views put forward in this piece contain a profound or unique insight to the issues of the north inner city. But in reality, they’re the things figures such as the late inner city activist, Fergus McCabe, were calling for many years ago, and they’re the things the next generation of community leaders will be calling for unless they’re addressed. If we want to see positive outcomes for the community, its residents need to benefit from the new, prosperous Republic they keep hearing so much about.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records amid a mixed Tuesday of trading, tacking a touch more onto what’s already been a stellar year so far. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. It’s climbed in 10 of the last 11 days and is on track for one of its best years since the turn of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. AT&T rose 4.6% after it boosted its profit forecast for the year. It also announced a $10 billion plan to send cash to its investors by buying back its own stock, while saying it expects to authorize another $10 billion of repurchases in 2027. On the losing end of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which fell 8%. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he would not let Japan’s Nippon Steel take over the iconic Pennsylvania steelmaker. Nippon Steel announced plans last December to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden also came out against the acquisition. Tesla sank 1.6% after a judge in Delaware reaffirmed a previous ruling that the electric car maker must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package. The judge denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. All told, the S&P 500 rose 2.73 points to 6,049.88. The Dow fell 76.47 to 44,705.53, and the Nasdaq composite gained 76.96 to 19,480.91. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. Continued strength there would raise optimism that the economy could remain out of a recession that many investors had earlier worried was inevitable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.23% from 4.20% from late Monday. Yields have seesawed since Election Day amid worries that Trump’s preferences for lower tax rates and bigger tariffs could spur higher inflation along with economic growth. But traders are still confident the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in two weeks. They’re betting on a nearly three-in-four chance of that, according to data from CME Group. Lower rates can give the economy more juice, but they can also give inflation more fuel. The key report this week that could guide the Fed’s next move will arrive on Friday. It’s the monthly jobs report , which will show how many workers U.S. employers hired and fired during November. It could be difficult to parse given how much storms and strikes distorted figures in October. Based on trading in the options market, Friday’s jobs report appears to be the biggest potential market mover until the Fed announces its next decision on interest rates Dec. 18, according to strategists at Barclays Capital. In financial markets abroad, the value of South Korea’s currency fell 1.1% against the U.S. dollar following a frenetic night where President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and then later said he’d lift it after lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Stocks of Korean companies that trade in the United States also fell, including a 1.6% drop for SK Telecom. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.9% to help lead global markets. Some analysts think Japanese stocks could end up benefiting from Trump’s threats to raise tariffs , including for goods coming from China . Trade relations between the U.S. and China took another step backward after China said it is banning exports to the U.S. of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The counterpunch came swiftly after the U.S. Commerce Department expanded the list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls to include many that make equipment used to make computer chips, chipmaking tools and software. The 140 companies newly included in the so-called “entity list” are nearly all based in China. In China, stock indexes rose 1% in Hong Kong and 0.4% in Shanghai amid unconfirmed reports that Chinese leaders would meet next week to discuss planning for the coming year. Investors are hoping it may bring fresh stimulus to help spur growth in the world’s second-largest economy. In France, the CAC 40 rose 0.3% amid continued worries about politics in Paris , where the government is battling over the budget. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

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