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Australia Strengthens Ties with Nauru through Major Funding DealCOMMERCE, Texas (AP) — Zach Calzada passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns, and he rushed for a score as Incarnate Word beat East Texas A&M 38-24 on Saturday to claim the Southland Conference title. Incarnate Word (10-2, 7-0) became the first team in program history to finish undefeated in conference play. The No. 6 Cardinals await the FCS selection show on Sunday to learn the playoff matchups. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.TD COURT UPDATE: The TD Bank Class Action Deadline is December 23 –Investors with Losses are Urged to Contact BFA Law (NYSE:TD)
Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise prices, won't rule out revenge prosecutionsAt least one Israeli airstrike shook the Lebanese capital of Beirut late Tuesday, moments after U.S. President Joe Biden said Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to ceasefire deal. At least 24 people have been killed in strikes across Lebanon, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah before the ceasefire is set to take hold at 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel on Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens across the country's north. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas' attack on southern Israel, in support of the Palestinian militant group. More than a year of fighting in Lebanon escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes across the country and an Israeli ground invasion of the south. In Gaza, more than 44,000 people have been killed and more than 104,000 wounded in the nearly 14-month war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. ___ Here's the Latest: Netanyahu's office says his security Cabinet has approved ceasefire deal with Hezbollah JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security Cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, clearing the way for the truce to take effect. Netanyahu's office said the plan was approved by a 10-1 margin. The late-night vote came shortly before President Joe Biden was expected to announced details of the deal in Washington. Earlier, Netanyahu defended the ceasefire, saying Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah and could now focus its efforts on Hamas militants in Gaza and his top security concern, Iran. Netanyahu vowed to strike Hezbollah hard if it violates the expected deal. Trump's pick for key adviser credits the president-elect with helping cement Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump's designate to be national security adviser, credited Trump's victory with helping bring the parties together toward a ceasefire in Lebanon. ''Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,'' he said in a post on X on Tuesday. ''His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won't be tolerated. I'm glad to see concrete steps towards deescalation in the Middle East.'' He added: ''But let's be clear: The Iran Regime is the root cause of the chaos & terror that has been unleashed across the region. We will not tolerate the status quo of their support for terrorism.'' Israel airstrikes keep pounding Lebanese capital in the war's biggest wave of attacks BEIRUT — Israeli jets targeted a building in a bustling commercial area of Beirut for the first time since the start of the 13-month war between Hezbollah and Israel. The strike on Hamra is around 400 meters (yards) from the country's central bank. A separate strike hit the Mar Elias neighborhood in the country's capital Tuesday. There was no immediate word on casualties from either strike, part of the biggest wave of attacks on the capital since the war started. Residents in central Beirut were seen fleeing after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for four targets in the city. Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes on at least 30 targets in Beirut's southern suburbs Tuesday, including two strikes in the Jnah neighborhood near the Kuwaiti Embassy. Lebanon's Health Ministry reported that 13 people were injured in the strikes on the southern suburbs. Hezbollah official says the group hasn't seen a final ceasefire agreement BEIRUT — Hezbollah has said it accepts the ceasefire proposal with Israel, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. ''After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,'' Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah's political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. ''We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state.'' of Lebanon, he said. ''Any violation of sovereignty is refused.'' Among the issues that may remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. The deal seeks to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon. Netanyahu recommends his Cabinet approve a Hezbollah cease-fire proposal JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would recommend his Cabinet adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah, as Israeli warplanes struck across Lebanon, killing at least 23 people. The Israeli military also issued a flurry of evacuation warnings — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah down to the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground troops reached parts of Lebanon's Litani River, a focal point of the emerging deal. In a televised statement, Netanyahu said he would present the ceasefire to Cabinet ministers later on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. Netanyahu said the vote was expected later Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal does not affect Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending. Israeli strikes in Lebanon's south and east kill at least 13 people BEIRUT — Lebanon's state media said Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 10 people in Baalbek province the country's east. At least three people were killed in the southern city of Tyre when Israel bombed a Palestinian refugee camp, said Mohammed Bikai, a representative of the Fatah group in the area. He said several more people were missing and at least three children were among the wounded. He said the sites struck inside the camp were ''completely civilian places'' and included a kitchen that was being used to cook food for displaced people. Israelis protest for a Gaza hostage release deal JERUSALEM — Dozens of Israeli protesters took to a major highway in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to call for the return of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as the country awaited news of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Protesters chanted ''We are all hostages,'' and ''Deal now!'' waving signs with faces of some of the roughly 100 hostages believed to be still held in Gaza, at least a third of whom are thought to be dead. Most of the other hostages Hamas captured in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack were released during a ceasefire last year. The prospect of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon has raised desperation among the relatives of captives still held in Gaza, who once hoped that the release of hostages from Gaza would be included. Instead of a comprehensive deal, the ceasefire on the table is instead narrowly confined to Lebanon. Dozens of Israelis were also demonstrating against the expected cease-fire, gathering outside Israel's military headquarters in central Tel Aviv. One of the protesters, Yair Ansbacher, says the deal is merely a return to the failed 2006 U.N. resolution that was meant to uproot Hezbollah from the area. ''Of course that didn't happen,'' he says. ''This agreement is not worth the paper it is written on.'' G7 leaders endorse Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire and insist Israel follow international law FIUGGI, Italy — Foreign ministers from the world's industrialized countries said Tuesday they strongly supported an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and insisted that Israel comply with international law in its ongoing military operations in the region. At the end of their two-day summit, the ministers didn't refer directly to the International Criminal Court and its recent arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over crimes against humanity. Italy had put the ICC warrants on the official meeting agenda, even though the G7 was split on the issue. The U.S., Israel's closest ally, isn't a signatory to the court and has called the warrants ''outrageous.'' However, the EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell said all the other G7 countries were signatories and therefore obliged to respect the warrants. In the end, the final statement adopted by the ministers said Israel, in exercising its right to defend itself, ''must fully comply with its obligations under international law in all circumstances, including international humanitarian law.'' And it said all G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – ''reiterate our commitment to international humanitarian law and will comply with our respective obligations.'' It stressed that ''there can be no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel.'' The ICC warrants say there's reason to believe Netanyahu used ''starvation as a method of warfare'' by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny. Israel strikes in central Beirut kill at least 7 people and wound 37 BEIRUT — An Israeli strike on Tuesday levelled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city's downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded in Beirut, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. It was not immediately clear if anyone in particular was targeted, though Israel says its airstrikes target Hezbollah officials and assets. The Israeli military spokesman issued a flurry of evacuation warnings for many areas, including areas in Beirut that have not been targeted throughout the war, like the capital's commercial Hamra district, where many people displaced by the war have been staying. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks in Lebanon during the final hours before a ceasefire is reached, sparked panic and sent residents fleeing in their cars to safer areas. In areas close to Hamra, families including women and children were seen running away toward the Mediterranean Sea's beaches carrying their belongings. Traffic was completely gridlocked as people tried to get away, honking their car horns as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. The Israeli military also issued warnings for 20 more buildings in Beirut's suburbs to evacuate before they too were struck — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah in the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. Independent Israeli commission blames Netanyahu and others for October 2023 attack TEL AVIV, Israel — The independent civilian commission of inquiry into the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel has found Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly responsible for the failures leading up to the attack, alongside former defense ministers, the army chief and the heads of the security services. The civil commission presented its findings today after a four-month probe in which it heard some 120 witnesses. It was set up by relatives of victims of the Hamas attack, in response to the absence of any state probe. The commission determined that the Israeli government, its army and security services ''failed in their primary mission of protecting the citizens of Israel.'' It said Netanyahu was responsible for ignoring ''repeated warnings'' ahead of Oct. 7, 2023 for what it described as his appeasing approach over the years toward Hamas, and for ''undermining all decision-making centers, including the cabinet and the National Security Council, in a way that prevented any serious discussion'' on security issues. The commission further determined that the military and defense leaders bear blame for ignoring warnings from within the army, and for reducing the army's presence along the Gaza border while relying excessively on technological means. On the day of the Hamas attack, the report says, the army's response was both slow and lacking. The civil commission called for the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack. Netanyahu has opposed launching a state commission of inquiry, arguing that such an investigation should begin only once the war is over. Israeli ground troops in Lebanon reach the Litani River JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military says its ground troops have reached parts of Lebanon's Litani River — a focal point of the emerging ceasefire. In a statement Tuesday, the army said it had reached the Wadi Slouqi area in southern Lebanon and clashed with Hezbollah forces. Under a proposed ceasefire, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border. The military says the clashes with Hezbollah took place on the eastern end of the Litani, just a few kilometers (miles) from the border. It is one of the deepest places Israeli forces have reached in a nearly two-month ground operation. The military says soldiers destroyed rocket launchers and missiles and engaged in ''close-quarters combat'' with Hezbollah forces. The announcement came hours before Israel's security Cabinet is expected to approve a ceasefire that would end nearly 14 months of fighting. Israeli airstrikes hit buildings near Beirut airport BEIRUT — Israeli jets Tuesday struck at least six buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs Tuesday, including one that slammed near the country's only airport. Large plumes of smoke could be seen around the airport near the Mediterranean coast, which has continued to function despite its location beside the densely populated suburbs where many of Hezbollah's operations are based. The strikes come hours before Israel's cabinet was scheduled to meet to discuss a proposal to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The proposal calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. There were no immediate reports of casualties from Tuesday's airstrikes. EU top diplomat calls for urgent aid to Gaza FIUGGI, Italy — EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. ''The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,'' for desperate Palestinians, he said. ''Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.'' It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court's decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel's closest ally, has called the warrants ''outrageous.'' Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. ''Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,'' Borrell said. ''And if the Europeans don't support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,'' he said. Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. ''The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,'' for desperate Palestinians, he said. ''Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.'' It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court's decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel's closest ally, has called the warrants ''outrageous.'' Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. ''Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,'' Borrell said. ''And if the Europeans don't support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,'' he said. (edited)If you’ve ever felt slow at anything – reading, learning, finishing a trendy streaming series – take comfort in knowing that at least you are not one of today’s fastest supercomputers. The machines boastful enough to suffix themselves “super” have been dealt a devastating blow by a quantum chip named Willow, unveiled this week by . Google says its new chip performed a standard benchmark computation in under five minutes that would take one of today’s fastest supercomputers – per a by Hartmut Neven, founder and lead of Google Quantum AI, “a number that vastly exceeds the age of the Universe.” Neven says that when he founded Google Quantum AI in 2012, “the vision was to build a useful, large-scale quantum computer that could harness quantum mechanics – the ‘operating system’ of nature to the extent we know it today – to benefit society by advancing scientific discovery, developing helpful applications, and tackling some of society’s greatest challenges.” Now, with Willow putting today’s fastest supercomputers to absolute shame, he says the path toward commercially relevant applications is significantly shorter. Roughly, that is, around ten septillion years shorter. Neven says this “mind-boggling number” beyond comprehensible timescales “lends credence to the notion that quantum computation occurs in many parallel universes, in line with the idea that we live in a multiverse, a prediction first made by .” If Google taking the world into a with the blast of a press release sounds a bit like playing god, the paranoid will not be encouraged by Google’s visual framing of the Willow chip as a shining monolith hovering over a windblown beach. The announcement of a chip that makes today’s fastest supercomputers look like indolent slugs sent ripples across the breadth of the tech industry – but particularly professions that rely on cryptography. Quantum computing has been flagged as a potentially to all known cryptographic technology, a universal breaker that could reset data security back to factory settings – the next Y2K. Some estimates say that scenario is likely within about five years. But no one knows for sure. Enter the concept of “quantum resiliency” and . If biometrics and other identity data are to be kept safe from the quantum scourge, it has to be made resilient to the threat. In an email to , Karl Holmqvist, CEO of quantum-resilient identity provider , says “we are significantly closer to a cryptographically relevant quantum computer than many people believe, and the rate of development is accelerating.” Lastwall, which is based in Fredericton, New Brunswick, works on critical infrastructure, government and defense use cases, primarily for the U.S. and European markets. Needless to say, security is core to its business. Holmqvist says he can understand skeptics who have a hard time buying the complete collapse of asymmetric that secure all the world’s data. But “in the last 24 months, we’ve seen significant milestones and breakthroughs across a variety of architectural approaches to building scalable quantum computers that are fault tolerant.” What that means (literally) is probably up for debate. But Holmqvist says the real question revolves around that too-common human feeling of being too late. “Would you rather understand the implications of post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) deployments, test them in your environments, and be prepared to rapidly deploy when needed,” he asks. “Or risk losing your secrets?” Speaking on the , Holmqvist says the tools to tackle the new quantum reality are emerging, Holmqvist says. “The rise of and the idea of things like passkeys and biometrically bound passkeys that are stirred in TPMs, that gives us a new set of tools that become the primary way to do things.” At the very end of Hartmut Neven’s post about Willow, he makes space for a sentence on its potential benefits: “helping us discover new medicines, designing more efficient batteries for electric cars, and accelerating progress in fusion and new energy alternatives.” Reporting on Willow has tended to focus on the technical achievement the chip represents – the sheer speed and power and unfathomability contained in an object that has been described as “about the dimensions of an .” So far, there has not been much apparent discussion of whether or not we need a Willow in our lives. As often happens with cutting-edge tech, it is presented as an inevitability, too far established by the time it reaches the public eye to be contained. Neven, who left AI to work in quantum, says “advanced AI will significantly benefit from access to quantum computing.” Increasingly, the benefits of the most advanced tech appear to be shared between machines. So if the laundry takes a few extra days, don’t sweat it. | | | | |
No. 25 Illinois rebounds in big way, blasts UMES 87-40
Can a Muscle Car be electric?Will Riley scored a game-high 19 points off the bench as No. 25 Illinois shrugged off a slow start to earn an 87-40 nonconference victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill. Morez Johnson Jr. recorded his first double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, Kylan Boswell posted 13 points and Tomislav Ivisic contributed 11 for Illinois (4-1). Coming off a 100-87 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Wednesday, the Illini led by as much as 52 despite hitting just 10-of-40 3-point attempts. Jalen Ware paced Maryland Eastern Shore (2-6) with 10 points before fouling out. Ketron "KC" Shaw, who entered Saturday in the top 20 of Division I scorers at 22.3 points per game, went scoreless in the first half and finished with seven points on 2-of-11 shooting. The Hawks canned just 22.1 percent of their shots from the floor. Illinois broke out to a 6-0 lead in the first 2:06, then missed its next six shots. That gave the Hawks time to pull into an 8-8 tie on Evan Johnson's 17-foot pullup at the 12:21 mark. That marked Maryland Eastern Shore's last points for more than seven minutes as the Illini reeled off 17 straight points to remove any suspense. Johnson opened the spree with a basket and two free throws, Ben Humrichous swished a 3-pointer and Tre White sank a layup before Kasparas Jakucionis fed Ivisic for a 3-pointer and an alley-oop layup. Jakucionis set up Johnson for a free throw, then drove for an unchallenged layup to make it 25-8 with 5:15 left in the first. Evan Johnson snapped the visitors' dry spell with a driving layup at the 4:56 mark, but Illinois went on to establish a 35-15 halftime lead on the stretch of 11 offensive rebounds that turned into 12 second-chance points and 13 points off UMES' 10 turnovers. Maryland Eastern Shore needed nearly four minutes to get its first points in the second half as Illinois pushed its lead to 42-15. The Illini margin ballooned all the way to 70-24 on Boswell's driving layup with 8:11 to go. --Field Level Media
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Avianor receives $7.6M in financial assistance from CED. MIRABEL, QC , Nov. 21, 2024 /CNW/ - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) The Government of Canada has already demonstrated how much of a priority it is to support the aerospace industry, a key component of our economy. That is why the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED, today announced a repayable contribution of $7.6M for Avianor, an affiliate of DRAKKAR. This CED support will enable the business to meet the growing needs of the aerospace industry by building a new hangar dedicated to maintaining A220 aircraft. This assistance will contribute to maintaining good jobs in the region. Founded in 1995, Avianor specializes in maintaining, repairing, and servicing aircraft and in developing solutions for airplane interiors. The aim of CED's assistance is to increase the business's production capacity and productivity by creating the A220 Center of Excellence. These new facilities will enable Avianor to meet the rapidly growing demand and will also be an asset in convincing national and international airline companies to entrust the business with maintaining their aircraft. Aerospace is a pillar of the economy and of innovation in Canada . It is one of the most research‐intensive and export-focused manufacturing industries, employing over 230,000 highly qualified people across the country. The aerospace sector is essential to the economic development of communities and businesses from coast to coast to coast. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting businesses within Canada's aerospace sector by helping them adopt sustainable environmental practices and seize opportunities to contribute to the country's future growth. Quotes "Our aerospace industry is a key driver of the economy and innovation in Canada . Our government will always be a faithful ally to this industry. This contribution for Avianor to create the A220 Center of Excellence in Mirabel will strengthen the regional economy. This assistance is key to help the business meet the rapidly growing demand and remain competitive internationally. Thanks to Quebec's expertise and everyone's collaboration, the success and spin-offs of this project will be felt across Quebec and Canada." The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Member of Parliament for Hochelaga, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED "Today's announcement is the final step in a long-term project made possible thanks to the involvement and contributions of several stakeholders, including strategic support from CED. We are celebrating a landmark moment both for Avianor and DRAKKAR and for Canada's aerospace industry." Benoit Hudon , President and CEO, DRAKKAR "Avianor's A220 Center of Excellence consolidates Quebec and Canada's position as a hub of innovation. By increasing our technological capacities and infrastructure, we are opening a path towards new strategic partnerships and strengthening our visibility among international players. A special thank-you to the advisors at CED for their support throughout our journey." Hugo Brouillard , Chief Operating Officer and President of DRAKKAR Affiliates, including Avianor Quick facts The funds have been granted under the Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI). Delivered by Canada's regional development agencies (RDAs) with a national budget of $250 million over three years, the ARRI complements other measures announced in Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan. It is part of a global Government of Canada strategy that includes measures being implemented by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to boost the aerospace industry. CED is the key federal partner in Quebec's regional economic development. With its 12 regional business offices, CED accompanies businesses, supporting organizations and all regions across Quebec into tomorrow's economy. Associated links Avianor DRAKKAR CED funding initiatives and programs Stay connected Follow CED on social media Consult CED's news SOURCE Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2024/21/c7681.html © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
New Delhi There is more than one way to look at the assembly election results for Maharashtra and Jharkhand. And there is merit in looking at each of them in some detail. Here are three questions that can help us understand the results. The incumbent party/alliance is coming back to power with a bigger majority in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand. What explains this? The question is an interesting one because the results in both these states are in stark contrast to what happened in the Lok Sabha elections less than six months ago. What really happened in this short period. The other important question is that of identity-based ideological affinity to parties and its role in shaping the verdict. Let us look at them one by one. What is one thing both the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led government in Jharkhand and the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra did before the elections? They announced cash transfer schemes for women; Ladki Bahin in Maharashtra and Maiya Samman in Jharkahnd. Hemant Soren or Eknath Shinde were not the first chief ministers to do this. Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal and Shivraj Singh Chauhan in Madhya Pradesh have won landslide victories in their states with tail winds from similar schemes. Even the BJP government in Haryana promised a cash transfer scheme to women. It was important enough to find a mention in the speech Narendra Modi made from the BJP headquarters on the night of the Haryana results. The key takeaway is simple. Welfare, freebies, doles, whatever one may choose to call it, is becoming an indispensable part of electoral strategy in most parts of India. It does not matter whether it is a poor state or a rich one – Jharkhand and Maharashtra are extreme examples of each of these – the underclass expects tangible, even if seemingly insignificant to the well-off, amount of money in return for votes. Fiscal hawks may scoff at this trend, but it is the democratic response to what has otherwise been an extremely unequal trajectory of economic growth in the country. This trend is not going anywhere. Both the government and markets should take note. What was one thing which Narendra Modi did right when the BJP had its back against the wall after losing to the Congress in 2018 assembly elections? National security hawks will say may be the Balakot air strikes in the aftermath of terror attack in Pulwama changed the narrative. But the retrospective cash transfer scheme for farmers or PM-KISAN which was perhaps an even bigger factor. Rural distress, thanks to a worsening of terms of trade for agriculture, played a big role in generating headwinds for the BJP in not just Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in 2018 but also Gujarat in 2017. Modi realised that this anger had to be pacified and this is exactly why he announced a retrospective -- send money now verify eligibility later -- scheme before the 2019 general elections. The rest, as they ,say is history. The Congress collapsed even in states where it had formed governments less than six months previously. Fast forward to the 2024 interim budget and this is exactly where the Modi government got it wrong. There was absolutely nothing for the underclass in the 2024 interim budget which was not just hawkish on fiscal consolidation but actually cut back on revenue expenditure (if interest payments were to be excluded) even in nominal terms. Revenue expenditure is what matters if you want to swing an election a few months away. If the 2024 interim budget had been more like the 2019 one, would the BJP have done better? In hindsight, particularly after the Haryana and Maharashtra results, there is evidence to suggest that it would have, and that the 2024 Lok Sabha verdict was more against the BJP’s fiscal stance than its ideological stance. Last but not the least is the question of identity. Does it really work in elections? Ask different people and you will get a different answer. Hemant Soren is now the most successful Schedule Tribe (ST) leader in not just Jharkhand but almost all of India outside the northeast. Not only has he swept the ST reserved ACs in the state but built a coalition which has demolished the historical fault line between ST and non-ST voters in the state. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and almost the entire leadership of the BJP tried very hard to convert the ST vs non-ST binary – the BJP made a non-ST the chief minister in 2014 and did not name a chief ministerial candidate in these elections – into a Hindu-Muslim one in Jharkhand. They failed miserably. The two Shiv Senas are an even bigger example. Uddhav Thackeray’s faction tried to do an ideological somersault by joining hands with the Congress. He first lost most of his legislative party to Eknath Shinde and then almost his entire popular support. What is the key takeaway from these examples? Identity can help your politics but promiscuity blunts its edge. And identity-based projects are not built in a day. The JMM has been a party of STs from the day it was born. The Shiv Sena embraced Hindutva along with nativism decades ago. The only contradiction in this alliance was whether it was willing to become a junior partner of the BJP. Uddhav Thackeray did not want to do it. Today’s results – the BJP’s MLA count is more than double that of the Shiv Sena which was its partner – should settle that question. Also, amorphous, friction-ridden identities do not work. This is exactly why things such as caste census or Maratha reservation politics have had very little traction in these elections. Is there a larger lesson to be drawn here? Acing electoral politics in India requires economic pragmatism and ideological consistency. You cannot force voters to accept an economics which suits the elite and ideology which is oblivious to entrenched social contradictions in the electoral realm. The former is mostly uniform in India and the latter extremely diverse. This is what makes Indian democracy fascinating.Retailers are betting on shoppers spending a bit more this holiday season. Although inflation has prompted higher prices for food and many other items, the National Retail Federation forecasts that 2024 total holiday spending is expected to grow somewhat slowly — estimated between $979.5 billion and $989 billion — in November and December over last year, when $955.6 billion was spent during the same time frame. That equates to growth of between 2.5% and 3.5% over 2023. “The economy remains fundamentally healthy and continues to maintain its momentum heading into the final months of the year,” National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement. “The winter holidays are an important tradition to American families, and their capacity to spend will continue to be supported by a strong job market and wage growth.” The U.S. Census Bureau advance estimates of U.S. retail and food service sales for October 2024 were $718.9 billion, a slight increase from the month prior and up 2.8% from October 2023. Retail trade sales from September 2024 were up 2.6% over September 2023. But consumers will not only shop at brick-and-mortar stores this season, since online shopping and other nonstore sales, a primary contributor to overall retail sales, are expected to increase between 8% and 9% — to between $295.1 billion and $297.9 billion, up from $273.3 billion last year. Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. “We remain optimistic about the pace of economic activity and growth projected in the second half of the year,” Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for the National Retail Federation, said. “Household finances are in good shape and an impetus for strong spending heading into the holiday season, though households will spend more cautiously.” Holiday deals — including those planned for Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving — have been offered by big-box retailers for weeks. The Walmart and Gap chains reported sales gains, but other retailers, such as Target, have missed their earnings mark. A report by Bankrate found 59% of adults said they will likely buy something on Cyber Monday, surpassing Black Friday and Small Business Saturday expectations at 53% and 50%, respectively. Black Friday is Nov. 29, Small Business Saturday is Nov. 30 and Cyber Monday is Dec. 2. Younger adults, including Generation Zers and millennials, are more likely to shop during all three Thanksgiving weekend shopping events than their older adult counterparts. Gen Z adults between ages 18 and 27 plan to shop mostly on Black Friday (71%) and Cyber Monday (68%). A majority of millennials, between ages 28 and 43, will also shop on those two holiday events as well, with 64% buying on Black Friday and 67% on Cyber Monday. Both groups, at 59% each, plan to shop on Small Business Saturday. Older adults, including Generation X and baby boomers, plan to spend less at local stores during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the Bankrate report said. About 54% of Gen Xers, between ages 44 and 59, said they plan to shop mostly on Cyber Monday, compared to 49% on Black Friday and 46% on Small Business Saturday. Baby boomers, ages 60 to 78, also plan to primarily shop on Cyber Monday (51%), compared to 38% on Black Friday and 40% on Small Business Saturday. Income and credit card debt are factors in shopping patterns. About 72% of consumers with annual household incomes of $100,000 or more plan to make purchases on Cyber Monday while a smaller share of those that earn less than $50,000 (53%) will buy on that day. “The gap isn’t as large for Small Business Saturday (58% compared with 45%) and Black Friday (58% versus 51%), but in all cases, higher-income households are significantly more likely to shop,” Bankrate said in its report. Ted Rossman, a Bankrate senior industry analyst, said larger retailers may see more customers than smaller businesses for two of the shopping events since they tend to have larger inventories and lower prices. “Black Friday and Cyber Monday tend to be dominated by larger retailers, while smaller local businesses look to shine during the 15th annual Small Business Saturday,” Rossman said. “Like other types of holiday shopping, Black Friday has been trending in more of an online direction in recent years. An earlier Bankrate survey found 42% of holiday shoppers plan to make most of their purchases online, compared with only 23% who anticipate doing most of their buying in-person.” Small businesses are known for offering better customer service and unique gift ideas but face a sluggish marketplace this year. “Small businesses are facing an uphill battle this holiday season,” Rossman said. “It’s tough for them to win on price and that’s a major consideration for inflation-weary shoppers. Large retailers came in hot with deep discounts beginning in early October. The best ways for small businesses to differentiate themselves are by combining unique gift ideas with friendly, personalized service.” Aaliah Loila, who has operated her business Aaliah’s Gifts & Flowers for 19 years, said her sales have been sluggish this month at her store in La Gran Plaza de Fort Worth, a Latino-themed mall at 4200 South Freeway. “We’re expecting it to pick up in January after the holidays when everything gets back to normal,” she told the Fort Worth Report. Anette Landeros, the outgoing president and CEO of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said that small businesses are the backbone of the local economy. “Small businesses create jobs, spark innovation, and foster a sense of community that large retailers often cannot replicate,” said Landeros, who will become chief strategic officer at the Trinity Metro transit agency in December. “In Fort Worth, where our diverse small-business community reflects our city’s unique culture and talent, supporting these enterprises means investing in our neighbors, friends and families.” The American Independent Business Alliance said shopping at small businesses helps recirculate money to the local economy. For every $100 spent at a local business, $52.90 is recirculated locally compared to $13.60 recirculated by chain stores, the organization said. Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org . 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You have to credit Fort Worth Report. Please use “Author Name, Fort Worth Report” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report” and include our website, fortworthreport.org . You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Eric E. Garcia, Fort Worth Report November 26, 2024
Will Riley scored a game-high 19 points off the bench as No. 25 Illinois shrugged off a slow start to earn an 87-40 nonconference victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill. Morez Johnson Jr. recorded his first double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, Kylan Boswell posted 13 points and Tomislav Ivisic contributed 11 for Illinois (4-1). Coming off a 100-87 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Wednesday, the Illini led by as much as 52 despite hitting just 10-of-40 3-point attempts. Jalen Ware paced Maryland Eastern Shore (2-6) with 10 points before fouling out. Ketron "KC" Shaw, who entered Saturday in the top 20 of Division I scorers at 22.3 points per game, went scoreless in the first half and finished with seven points on 2-of-11 shooting. The Hawks canned just 22.1 percent of their shots from the floor. Illinois broke out to a 6-0 lead in the first 2:06, then missed its next six shots. That gave the Hawks time to pull into an 8-8 tie on Evan Johnson's 17-foot pullup at the 12:21 mark. That marked Maryland Eastern Shore's last points for more than seven minutes as the Illini reeled off 17 straight points to remove any suspense. Johnson opened the spree with a basket and two free throws, Ben Humrichous swished a 3-pointer and Tre White sank a layup before Kasparas Jakucionis fed Ivisic for a 3-pointer and an alley-oop layup. Jakucionis set up Johnson for a free throw, then drove for an unchallenged layup to make it 25-8 with 5:15 left in the first. Evan Johnson snapped the visitors' dry spell with a driving layup at the 4:56 mark, but Illinois went on to establish a 35-15 halftime lead on the stretch of 11 offensive rebounds that turned into 12 second-chance points and 13 points off UMES' 10 turnovers. Maryland Eastern Shore needed nearly four minutes to get its first points in the second half as Illinois pushed its lead to 42-15. The Illini margin ballooned all the way to 70-24 on Boswell's driving layup with 8:11 to go. --Field Level Media
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Amazon only launched the Fire TV Omni Mini-LED series on November 14, 2024. Even so, just ahead of Black Friday – which officially kicks off on November 29 – the online giant just discounted its newest TV by up to $320. That’s right; you can save on Amazon’s latest Fire TV televisions that aim to improve the viewing experience with the power of Mini LEDs, for what it promises is its best picture quality from as many as 1,344 dimming zones. And whether you need a 55-, 65-, 75-, or 85-inch TV, each Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV is discounted and down to its lowest price ever. Walmart's official Black Friday sale is live – here are 55 deals I'd buy with my own money Beyond the picture experience, you also get hands-free control via Alexa from built-in microphones, and with a Fire TV interface built-in, you’ll get easy access to all the major streaming services , including Prime Video , Disney Plus , and Max . Considering that Amazon ’s Omni Mini-LED Fire TV is brand new, there is no telling how long this discount will last, so if you’re keen to get one, now’s the time. The 55-inch is now just $689.99 (originally $819.99) , while the 85-inch is down to just $1,779.99 (originally $2,099.99) . With 512 dimming zones and up to 1,400 nits of brightness, Amazon's goal is to make a splash in the Mini LED TV space with its new 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini-LED television, and it's even more competitive at 16% off for just $689.99. It aims to deliver an immersive viewing expereince with support for HDR 10, HDR 10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision. Plus, you can easily find your favorite content thanks to the built-in Fire TV interface. You can save on the 65, 75, and 85 inch sizes ahead of Black Friday. 65-inch Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV: was $1,089.99 now $919.99 at Amazon 75-inch Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV: was $1,499.99 now $1,269.99 at Amazon 85-inch Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV: was $2,099.99 now $1,779.99 at Amazon While we haven't tested Amazon's latest Fire TV Omni Mini-LED televisions yet, the specs on paper and its place in the market show that it aims to win the budget and mid-range part of the market. It is likely to be a compelling competitor against the likes of Hisense , TCL , and lower-range Samsung models. Amazon's other Fire TV models, like 2023's Fire TV Omni QLED , tested well in our review, scoring four stars. TechRadar called it "one of the best-featured cheap 4K TVs you can buy" and noted that it didn't fail to surprise with "very good picture quality," among other features. Chances are the new Mini-LED offering will pack a picture quality punch above this, as it includes new AI-powered Intelligent Picture Technology, which will adjust visual settings in real-time based on what you're watching. Of course, it's loaded with other smarts like hands-free Alexa control for the entire experience, and a Fire TV interface means access to a ton of content out of the box, assuming you have the correct logins. If you're not interested in a new TV this Black Friday for a steal, check out the other top deals to shop right now ahead. Amazon: TVs, iPads & air fryers from $12.99 Apple: AirPods, iPads, watches from $89.99 Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs & laptops B&H: $600 off Nikon, GoPro, Canon & Sony Cheap TVs: deals from $69.99 at Best Buy Christmas trees: from $54.99 at Amazon Dell: Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99 Dreamcloud: mattresses from $349 + free shipping Gift ideas: deals for the family from $9.99 Holiday: decor, lights, & PJs from $10.99 Home Depot: 40% off tools & appliances Lowe's: holiday decor & appliances from $17.31 Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats & jewelry Purple: up to $1,000 off mattresses + base Saatva: up to $600 off luxury mattresses Samsung: $2,500+ off TVs, phones & appliances Target: furniture, Christmas decor, tech & clothing Tempur-Pedic: up to $500 off mattress sets Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs & AirPods Wayfair: 70% off furniture & decor