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REDMOND, Wash. , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share. The dividend is payable March 13, 2025 , to shareholders of record on Feb. 20, 2025 . The ex-dividend date will be Feb. 20, 2025 . Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microsoft-announces-quarterly-dividend-302321718.html SOURCE Microsoft Corp. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Matthews International Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2024
Republic of Ireland 'devastated' after play-off defeatArkansas receiver Andrew Armstrong said Tuesday that he is entering the NFL Draft. Later in the day, a school spokesman told reporters that Armstrong will skip the Razorbacks' bowl game. The destination isn't yet known. Armstrong led the Southeastern Conference in both receptions (78) and receiving yards (1,140) but caught just one touchdown in 11 games this season. His catches and yardage were both second-most in Arkansas history behind Cobi Hamilton, who had 90 receptions for 1,335 yards in 2012. "It's been a journey for the books and I wouldn't trade it for anything because it has made me into the man I am today," Armstrong said of his Razorbacks tenure in a social media post. "... I will never forget all the moments that were shared here in Fayetteville." Armstrong played two seasons at Texas A&M-Commerce before transferring to Arkansas ahead of the 2023 season. In two seasons with the Razorbacks, he caught 134 passes for 1,904 yards and six scores. --Field Level Media
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SEATTLE (AP) — Great Osobor and Zoom Diallo each scored a dozen points and Washington rolled to a 90-53 win over NJIT Sunday in its final tune-up before diving full-time into the Big Ten season. The Huskies bounced back from an upset loss at the hands of Seattle U that snapped a 19-game win streak against the cross-town rival. Osobor opened the game with a three-point play in the first minute and followed it with a layup and the Huskies raced to a 20-point lead by intermission, 46-26. Washington's bench saw plenty of playing time with four players scoring at least nine points. Diallo led the bench effort with 12 points, five assists and a pair of steals. Wilhelm Briedenbach finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Sebastian Robinson was 5 of 22 from the field, including 0-for-4 from distance, but led the Highlanders (2-12) with 16 points. Tim Moore Jr. added 14 points and Ari Fulton contributed 11. The Huskies will look look for their first Big Ten Conference victory after an 0-2 start when they play host to Maryland on Thursday and No. 24 Illinois on Sunday. NJIT returns home to host Medgar Evers on Saturday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college basketball: and The Associated Press
Original 'YMCA' Singer Explains Why He Let Trump Use the Song, Answers 'Gay Anthem' Claims10 hot-ticket gifts we predict will sell out on Black Friday 2024
Michigan Trolls Ohio State by Reposting Final Score with Subtle TwistThe world is experiencing more catastrophic weather events with greater frequency. As vulnerable populations continue to face the consequences of climate change, world leaders are faced with the challenge of finding innovative solutions to protect their citizens, adapt their economies, and build resilient infrastructure. The CSIS Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative recently hosted an event with representatives from the United States government, developing country partners, and the private sector to discuss the growing need to prioritize a systems-oriented development approach to climate-resilient infrastructure investments in developing countries. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC), in partnership with other U.S. government agencies, used the event to launch the Resilience at Scale: A Systems Approach to Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Planning report which analyzes the opportunities and challenges associated with applying a systems approach to strategically plan for infrastructure investments. Additionally, at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the U.S. Center convened a related event for that international forum. As representatives from governments, the private sector, and multilateral organizations look for ways to bolster climate-resilient investments in their countries and regions, rethinking how the United States approaches protecting both the monetary and physical value of these investments will be important. Q1: What is the “Resilience at Scale” report? A1: The Resilience at Scale report calls for a “paradigm shift” toward system resilience as opposed to the resilience of individual investment assets. A systems approach looks holistically at how individual infrastructure projects work together to build resilience; brings governments, private sector actors, and multilateral organizations into partnership with one another to support a strategic pipeline of investments in support of adaptation as a whole; and necessitates agreement on resilience standards for long-term development. Historically, U.S. government agencies have addressed climate risk through the lens of individual investments (a road, a bridge, or a school) without thoroughly acknowledging the full picture. If the school is only accessible by road via a bridge, and the bridge gives out in a flood, the value of both the road and the school is negated. Instead, by looking at the system as a whole (the road, the bridge, and the school), the U.S. government and its many partners are better able to identify vulnerabilities and target specific projects to increase the overall resilience of a community or region. A systems approach necessitates assessing current vulnerabilities to the system, integrating climate resilience across development projects, building out country capacity, and coordinating with other donors to financially target adaptation priorities. The Resilience at Scale report is divided into three main sections: This report was an interagency effort led by USAID and the MCC in support of the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) and was informed by the work of the PREPARE Infrastructure Working Group, which included representatives from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, the U.S. Development Finance Corporation, the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Through two years of research and convening, the effort sought to address the gap in the literature on the benefits of, and current appetite for, a systems approach to climate-resilient infrastructure planning. Q2: Why would a shift to a more systematic approach to resilient infrastructure planning be significant? A2: Infrastructure encompasses both the physical assets and the services they provide; building resilient infrastructure means building resilient communities with reliable water, energy, sanitation, communications, and transportation systems. If one piece of infrastructure fails, it can have a domino effect. A systems approach can enable infrastructure to be built strategically to benefit competing priorities , including health, gender equality, and digital connectivity. During the historic flooding in Pakistan in 2022, over one-third of the country was submerged in water and it was estimated that the cost of the damage would exceed $30 billion. Approximately 33,000 schools were either destroyed or damaged, delaying education for millions of children for nearly a year. Because the infrastructure failed, there were ripple effects across a range of public services from education to health care. Adapting to the changing climate requires a comprehensive approach to resilience because climate change impacts are far-reaching. The United States has been screening its international development investments for climate resilience since 2014 in accordance with Executive Order 13677 , which makes it a requirement to take into consideration the impacts of climate change for all projects. But transitioning to a more systems-oriented approach has the potential to improve reliability and cost-effectiveness, while also working to protect multiple assets at once. For example, in 1999 the Japan International Cooperation Agency developed a plan to address flood risk in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, based on previous rainfall patterns, without taking into account future risks such as increased urbanization. This ultimately led to increased flood vulnerability. Ho Chi Minh City has since worked with the World Bank to rethink its approach to drainage infrastructure, which has allowed the city to create an investment pipeline that plans for future risks. By incorporating a systems approach , governments should be able to plan more effectively. Implementing a systems approach faces many challenges , as it requires investors, governments, and multilateral organizations to think through the long-term impacts of different projects, work in conjunction with each other throughout the project’s lifespan, and agree on the same standards of risk, resilience, and feasibility. A lack of strong organizational planning diminishes a government’s ability to effectively implement a long-term strategy to build resilient societies. In addition, taking a systems approach requires upfront private sector involvement. The lack of sufficient funding for climate-oriented projects does not encourage governments to strategically plan for and implement investments that work in tandem to build resilient systems. However, a systems approach to development investments could allow for the U.S. taxpayer dollar to be spent more strategically both in terms of impact and pursuit of U.S. foreign policy objectives. Q3: How does a systems approach to resilient infrastructure relate to the emerging resilience economy? A3: Industries are being forced to rethink their approach to acquisition, production, warehousing, and transportation as extreme weather events are altering agricultural seasons, impacting people’s ability to work, and interfering with supply chains. The economic benefits of adaptation are straightforward: the global economy risks losing 4 percent of its GDP without adaptation; but for every $1 invested in adaptation efforts the economic benefits returned could reach approximately $2–10. Resilience efforts stretch across sectors from enhancing the usability and accuracy of early warning systems to boosting sustainable infrastructure and health systems. As the world works to adapt to the consequences of climate change, a resilience-oriented economy is emerging through the creation of new investment asset classes, insurance solutions, and technology-enabled climate information services. Financing for adaptation efforts crosses sectoral divides that bring a variety of stakeholders together ranging from insurance firms to agricultural companies to technology startups, and it has already produced innovative approaches to building resilience across the world. In Mongolia, one of the nations most impacted by climate change, a joint U.S.-Mongolia study in 2016 found that the country’s water shortage was one of the key constraints for national economic growth. In partnership with the MCC, Mongolia entered into a $462 million investment compact focused on water infrastructure to increase the country’s water supply by up to 80 percent. The compact is to build new groundwater wells and a water purification plant to enable the usage of wastewater for power generation, reducing the demand for fresh water. In addition to the physical infrastructure projects, the compact is working to strengthen institutional, operational, and human resource capacity for water utilities and introduce a self-sustaining financial framework into the system. The water purification plant is the first of its kind in Mongolia, bringing with it new avenues for construction and skills training. The compact is set to end in 2026, but the government of Mongolia is already thinking through the next steps to further incentivize the use of recycled water by updating its existing regulatory framework on wastewater usage and through financial incentives. As the government looks at ways to apply a similar framework to air pollution issues, the resilience economy will continue to grow in Mongolia. Q4: How does this connect to the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience? A4: The PREPARE initiative was launched in 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland with the goal to “help more than half a billion people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change by 2030.” It is based on three principles: knowledge sharing, integrating adaptation into project planning and preparation, and resource mobilization. The following year, the PREPARE Call to Action to the private sector was announced. This prong of the initiative has since mobilized 40 companies to make commitments collectively valued at approximately $3 billion while projecting to reach more than 118 million people around the world by 2030. The private sector invests in what will protect their capital. As supply chains shift, private actors make investments in climate-resilient infrastructure to protect their assets from extreme weather events. The Resilience at Scale report identifies opportunities for partnerships between governments, private sector actors, and multilateral institutions that will mobilize resources to be a catalyst for further investment. The report was published in support of the PREPARE initiative, but it also provides a roadmap for industries that are looking to make investments in climate-vulnerable regions. The report seeks to inform the first pillar of PREPARE, “ Knowledge is Power ,” by articulating a way of thinking about climate-resilient infrastructure investments. As governments, private actors, and multilateral institutions work toward building more resilient communities, taking a systems approach to climate-resilient infrastructure investments wherever possible could help expand the reach of current capital pools while building longevity into those investments. Noam Unger is the director of the Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Madeleine McLean is a program manager and research associate with the Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative at CSIS.
Jubilation. Joy. Relief. Wonder. Pick your word for it — emotions, each and all of them felt by the masses, came pouring out as the clock struck zero inside Memorial Stadium. The Nebraska football program’s long eight-year bowl drought finally came to an end on a 50-degree November afternoon in downtown Lincoln. That achievement is worth celebrating on its own, but the way Nebraska got it done — dominating, rather than eking over the line against an opponent it knows well — made the accomplishment that much sweeter. Nebraska never trailed in a 44-25 win over Wisconsin on Saturday, securing the program’s first bowl game since the 2016 season. The victory also snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Badgers, and the four-game losing skid which NU entered the day with. For a Nebraska (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten) senior class which had never made the postseason before, their level of play on the field matched the seriousness of the opportunity in front of them. Particularly on the offensive side of the ball, improvements from last week’s loss to USC were evident. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, calling his second game as a member of the Nebraska coaching staff, dialed up a blistering six-play, 55-yard touchdown drive to start the game. A 45-yard kickoff return from freshman Jacory Barney Jr. set Nebraska up on the drive, with junior Heinrich Haarberg scoring the 5-yard run to secure NU’s early 7-0 lead. Having parted ways with its offensive coordinator during the week, Wisconsin, (5-6, 3-5) showed no ill effects from that shakeup as it immediately responded with a scoring drive of its own. Helped by a key missed tackle near midfield, Wisconsin found the end zone on a 4-yard passing score from Braedyn Locke to Bryson Green. After the initial scoring drive, Wisconsin took three of its next four possessions into Nebraska territory but came away with just three points from those chances. A Janiran Bonner fumble deep inside Nebraska territory set up Wisconsin with a prime scoring opportunity, but a three-and-out and delay of game penalty contributed to a 34-yard field goal sailing wide. The Badgers pushed across a 33-yard kick later in the half but also missed a second field goal from 41 yards out, a miss which resulted in a 10-play drive netting zero points. Not all of Nebraska’s first-half drives were perfect — the Huskers punted twice and fumbled once — but when things clicked, Wisconsin could do little to slow down the surging Nebraska offense. Nebraska utilized its quick passing game during its second touchdown drive, with a 27-yard gain from Emmett Johnson on a screen pass quickly being followed by a 21-yard Barney gain on a touch pass in the backfield. Running back Dante Dowdell capped off the eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with a 12-yard rushing score in which Jahmal Banks and Nate Boerkircher sealed the edge with a pair of punishing blocks. Nebraska also took advantage of Wisconsin’s field goal miscues by scoring touchdowns immediately following both misses. An efficient drive just prior to the halftime break ended with a toe-tap catch from Banks in the back of the end zone, a 5-yard passing score from Dylan Raiola which extended Nebraska’s lead to 21-10. Taking the ball with just 17 seconds left in the half, Wisconsin could’ve kneeled out the clock but instead opted to give running back Tawee Walker a first down carry. NU’s Nash Hutmacher made Wisconsin regret that decision by jarring the ball loose for a Bager turnover. One completion later and Nebraska brought kicker John Hohl onto the field for a 37-yard try, one he dispatched to give the Huskers a 14-point halftime lead. The 24 first-half points scored by Nebraska marked the team’s second-most all season, and the most since NU’s win over Colorado in September. The Huskers came out firing after the halftime break, too, forcing a Wisconsin three-and-out prior to putting together a scoring drive of its own. While the Nebraska drive stalled out prior to the end zone, a 45-yard Hohl field goal gave the Huskers a three-score advantage, 27-10 in their favor. Unable to trust its kicker in a similar situation, Wisconsin instead opted to keep its offense on the field for a fourth down outside the NU red zone. Walker’s carry up the middle was stuffed by the Blackshirts, resulting in a turnover on downs midway through the third quarter. When Nebraska turned that opportunity into a touchdown of its own, the game just about escaped Wisconsin’s reach. Another well-executed scoring drive, this time a seven-play march down the field which took three-plus minutes, ended in a Dowdell 3-yard touchdown run. As Nebraska’s lead reached 34-10, it marked the most points NU has scored against a Big Ten foe under head coach Matt Rhule. Wisconsin did fire back with a touchdown drive late in the third quarter and another midway through the fourth quarter. A third made field from Hohl helped keep Nebraska’s lead safe to the end, though. Nebraska can take away many positives from its win over Wisconsin, with the all-around performance of Johnson at running back and its much-improved offense taking center stage. Most important of all was the fact that Saturday’s win meant six on the season, a mark Nebraska fans hadn’t celebrated since the 2016 season. That major season milestone now secured, Nebraska’s regular season will come to a close during a Black Friday matchup against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
