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A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Cooper Rush probably will need three more victories in a row filling in for the injured Dak Prescott for any postseason talk to be realistic. The thing is, the Cowboys (4-7) could be favored in two of those games, and already are by four points as an annual Thanksgiving Day host against the New York Giants (2-9) on Thursday, according to BetMGM. Not to mention the losing record at the moment for each of the next four opponents for the defending NFC East champions, playoff qualifiers each of the past three seasons. The Cowboys have a chance to make something of the improbable and chaotic 34-26 win at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. "Behind the eight ball," Micah Parsons said, the star pass rusher acknowledging the reality that Dallas hadn't done much yet. "Let's see how we can handle adversity and see if we can make a playoff run. But we got a long way to go." It was a start, though, powered in part by the best 55 minutes from the Dallas defense since the opener, when the Cowboys dismantled Cleveland and looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. The last five minutes for the Dallas defense against the Commanders looked a lot like most of the nine games after that 33-17 victory over the Browns. Which is to say not very good. Jayden Daniels easily drove Washington 69 yards to a touchdown before throwing an 86-yard scoring pass in the final seconds to Terry McLaurin, who weaved through five defenders when a tackle might have ended the game. The Cowboys kept a 27-26 lead thanks to Austin Seibert's second missed extra point, and withstood another blunder when Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick recovery for a TD rather than slide and leave one kneel-down from Rush to end the game. Dallas will have to remember it did hold a dynamic rookie quarterback's offense to 251 yards before the madness of the ending in the Cowboys' biggest upset victory since 2010 at the New York Giants. That one was too late to save the season. This one might not be. "We needed it," embattled coach Mike McCarthy said. "It's been frustrating, no doubt. We've acknowledged that. We've got another one right around the corner here, so we have to get some wins and get some momentum." What's working Rush ended a personal three-game losing streak with his best showing since the previous time he won as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. The 117.6 passer rating was Rush's best as a starter, and the NFL's second-worst rushing attack played a solid complementary role with Rico Dowdle gaining 86 yards on 19 carries. What needs help KaVontae Turpin's electrifying 99-yard kickoff return did more than lift the Cowboys when it appeared an 11-point lead might get away in the final five minutes. It eased the worst day of special teams for Dallas since John Fassel took over that phase four years ago. Suddenly struggling kicker Brandon Aubrey had one field-goal attempt blocked and missed another. Bryan Anger had a punt blocked. For the second time in five games, Aubrey's attempt to bounce a kickoff in front of the return man backfired. The ball bounced outside the landing zone, putting the Commanders at the 40-yard line to start the second half and setting up the drive to the game's first touchdown. Stock up CB Josh Butler, whose NFL debut earlier this season came five years after the end of his college career, had 12 tackles, a sack and three pass breakups. The pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. Stock down Rookie LT Tyler Guyton, who has had an up-and-down season with injuries and performance issues, was benched immediately after getting called for a false start in the fourth quarter. His replacement, Asim Richards, could be sidelined with a high ankle sprain that executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones revealed on his radio show Monday. Veteran Chuma Edoga, who was the projected starter at Guyton's position before a preseason toe injury, was active but didn't play against the Commanders. He's awaiting his season debut. Injuries The status of perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and LG Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) will be a question on the short week after both sat against Washington. Stephen Jones indicated Smith could be available and said the same of WR Brandin Cooks, who hasn't played since Week 4 because of a knee issue. TE Jake Ferguson may miss at least a second week with a concussion. The short week might make it tough for CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to return. Key number 75% - Rush's completion rate, his best with at least 10 passes. He was 24 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His other game with multiple TDs and no picks was a 25-10 victory over Washington two years ago, when he went 4-1 with Prescott sidelined by a broken thumb. Next steps There's some extra rest after the short week, with Cincinnati making a "Monday Night Football" visit on Dec. 9. The next road game is at Carolina on Dec. 15.

Jayden Daniels and the offense stalling have the Commanders on a three-game losing streakVideo game ends ‘collaboration’ with Conor McGregor

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased Wolfspeed, Inc. ("Wolfspeed" or the "Company") WOLF securities between August 16, 2023 and November 6, 2024 , inclusive (the "Class Period"). Wolfspeed investors have until January 17, 2024 to file a lead plaintiff motion. Investors suffering losses on their Wolfspeed investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com . On November 6, 2024, Wolfspeed released its first quarter fiscal 2025 financial results and provided second quarter guidance significantly below expectations due to "demand ... ramp[ing] more slowly than [the Company] originally anticipated" as "EV customers revise their launch time lines as the market works though this transition period." Additionally, while the Company previously estimated that its Mohawk Valley fabrication facility would result in $100 million in revenue, it now projected a range 30% to 50% below that mark. On this news, Wolfspeed's stock price fell $5.38, or 39.2%, to close at $8.33 per share on November 7, 2024, thereby injuring investors. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) the Company had overstated the demand for its key product and placed undue reliance on purported design wins; (2) the facility's growth had begun to taper before even recognizing the $100 million revenue per quarter allegedly achievable with only 20% utilization of the fab, let alone the promised $2 billion revenue purportedly achievable by the facility; and (3) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. If you purchased Wolfspeed securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020, by telephone at (215) 638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com , or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com . This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125485564/en/ © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.NEW YORK (AP) — More shoppers than ever are on track to use ‘buy now, pay later’ plans this holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt. The data firm Adobe Analytics predicts shoppers will spend 11.4% more this holiday season using buy now, pay later than they did a year ago. The company forecasts shoppers will purchase $18.5 billion worth of goods using the third-party services for the period Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, with $993 million worth of purchases on Cyber Monday alone. Buy now, pay later can be particularly appealing to consumers who have low credit scores or no credit history, such as younger shoppers, because most of the companies providing the service run only soft credit checks and don’t report the loans and payment histories to the credit bureaus, unlike credit card companies. This holiday season, buy now, pay later users can also feel more confident if a transaction goes awry. In May, the CFPB said buy now, pay later company must adhere to other regulations that govern traditional credit, such as providing ways to demand refunds and dispute transactions. To use a buy now, pay later plan, consumers typically sign up with bank account information or a debit or credit card, and agree to pay for purchases in monthly installments, typically over eight weeks or more. The loans are marketed as requiring no or low interest, or only conditional fees, such as for late payment. Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm are three of the biggest buy now, pay later companies. But consumer advocates warn that shoppers who sign up for the payment plans using a credit card can be hit with more interest and fees. That's because individuals open themselves up to interest on the credit card payment, if it's carried month to month, on top of any late fees, interest, or penalties from the buy now, pay later loan itself. Experts advise against using a credit card to pay for these plans for this reason. Consumer watchdogs also say the plans lead consumers to overextend themselves because, for example, not paying full price up front leaves, in the shopper’s mind at least, more money for smaller purchases . They also caution consumers to keep careful track of using multiple buy now, pay later services, as the automatic payments can add up, and there is no central reporting, such as with a credit card statement. “Buy now, pay later can be an innovative tool for purchases you’re going to make anyway,” said Mark Elliott, chief customer officer at financial services company LendingClub. “The challenge is that it does fuel overspending.” For merchants, that’s part of the appeal. Retailers have found that customers are more likely to have bigger cart sizes or to convert from browsing to checking out when buy now, pay later is offered. One report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York cited research that found customers spend 20% more when buy now, pay later is available. “The reality is that the increased cost-of-living and inflation have put more people in a situation where they’re already relying on revolving credit,” Elliott said. “The psychographics of ‘buy now, pay later’ may be different — people don’t think of it as debt — but it is.” If a consumer misses a payment, they can face fees, interest, or the possibility of being locked out of using the services in the future. Emily Childers, consumer financial expert for personal-finance technology company Credit Karma, said that internal data shows member credit card balances are up more than 50% for Gen Z and millennial members since March 2022, when the Fed started raising interest rates. “Young people are entering this holiday season already in the red,” she said. “And, based on what we’re seeing in the data, they’re continuing to bury their heads in the sand and spend.” The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

NoneMONCTON, New Brunswick, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Major Drilling Group International Inc. (“Major Drilling” or the “Company”) (TSX: MDI), a leading provider of specialized drilling services to the mining sector, today reported results for the second quarter of fiscal 2025, ended October 31, 2024. “For Q2 of fiscal 2025, Major Drilling’s globally diversified operations and reputation as the driller-of-choice enabled us to maintain our revenue run rate relative to fiscal Q1, despite challenging conditions in certain markets,” commented Mr. Denis Larocque, President & CEO of Major Drilling. “We were pleased once again by our Australasian and Chilean operations, which continue to offset lower activity levels in North America, primarily driven by lower junior exploration expenditures.” “The Company delivered solid financial results for the quarter, supported by an adjusted gross margin of 30.5%. This represented an increase from 28.9% in fiscal Q1 and is in line with the 31.0% achieved over the same period last year as the Company remains focused on profitable operations and our best-in-class specialized drilling services,” commented Ian Ross, CFO of Major Drilling. “As previously disclosed, our 2021 McKay acquisition successfully met all of the EBITDA milestones in the earnout period, with the final contingent payment of $9.1 million made during the quarter. We also continue to modernize our drill fleet, having spent $20.1 million in capex, which includes the addition of 5 new drills and support equipment, while disposing of 4 older, less efficient rigs, bringing Major Drilling’s total fleet to 610 drills. Given another strong operational performance, our net cash position increased to $100.4 million at quarter end, while we continue to retain an industry leading balance sheet, enabling the acquisition of Explomin in early fiscal Q3,” concluded Mr. Ross. “With McKay continuing to demonstrate strong results in Australasia since its acquisition in 2021, our focus now turns to the integration of Explomin – a leading South American driller with operations in Peru, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Spain. I am excited to welcome Explomin and its employees to the Major Drilling team. Their long-standing reputation, strong base of senior mining customers, and focus on specialized drilling, with its well-maintained fleet of rigs, complement our existing operations and offer further potential growth opportunities in South America,” said Mr. Larocque. “As Peru has been on our radar for quite some time given its status as the second largest copper producer, Explomin solidifies our South American presence, supplementing our existing operations in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and throughout the Guyana Shield.” “Looking ahead to our seasonally slower third quarter of fiscal 2025, we are expecting programs in North America to pause for the holiday period slightly earlier than in prior years, although this is expected to be partially offset by ongoing strength in Australia and Chile. While we will be adding revenue from the Explomin operations, we expect them to have the same usual seasonality as the rest of our South American operations. Demand from senior customers for calendar 2025 is expected to remain robust, while we are optimistic regarding the activity levels of juniors following a slight increase in financing activity. The combination of elevated commodity prices, translating to increased free cash flow generation for mining companies, coupled with depleted reserve bases, should lead to increases in demand for drilling services over the years to come.” “Our well-maintained fleet ensures that we retain utilization capacity which, combined with our optimal inventory levels and experienced crews, puts us in an excellent position to capitalize on these increased levels of demand for our drilling services. Our core strategy is to remain the leader in specialized drilling as new discoveries are made in increasingly challenging and remote locations. Our solid foundation, supplemented by ongoing technological innovation, puts us in an ideal position to take on these new and exciting challenges.” “I’m extremely proud to announce that our Canadian team was recently awarded the Safe Day Every Day Gold Award by the Association for Mineral Exploration, Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, and Canadian Diamond Drilling Association. Our Canadian team achieved over 1,146,000 hours without a lost time injury, an achievement that demonstrates our ongoing dedication to maintaining high safety standards across all projects around the world,” concluded Mr. Larocque. Finally, Major Drilling announces the resignation of Mr. Robert Krcmarov from the Board of Directors effective December 5, 2024, to focus on his new role as Chief Executive Officer of Hecla Mining Company. Kim Keating, Chair of the Board, commented: “On behalf of the Board and the leadership team at Major Drilling, I would like to congratulate Rob on this appointment, and thank him for his significant contributions during his tenure on the Board. Rob’s experience and insights were of great benefit to Major Drilling’s Board and leadership team. He was instrumental in the development of Major Drilling’s Decarbonization Action Plan and in strengthening the Company’s health and safety program, as well as his timely advice regarding the most recent acquisition of Explomin Perforaciones earlier this month. We thank Rob for his invaluable advice and wish him all the best in his new role leading Hecla Mining Company.” Total revenue for the quarter was $189.3 million, down 8.6% from revenue of $207.0 million recorded in the same quarter last year. The foreign exchange translation impact on revenue and earnings, when comparing to the effective rates for the previous year, was minimal. Revenue for the quarter from Canada – U.S. drilling operations decreased by 20.0% to $85.4 million, compared to the same period last year. While senior and intermediate activity levels increased slightly, this only partially offset the decline in demand from juniors relative to the same period last year as they continued to face challenging financing opportunities. South and Central American revenue decreased by 6.5% to $49.1 million for the quarter, compared to the same quarter last year. While operations in Chile remain robust, this was offset by slowdowns in other parts of the region. Australasian and African revenue increased by 14.4% to $54.7 million, compared to the same period last year as demand for specialized drilling services in Australia and Mongolia continue to drive growth in the region. Gross margin percentage for the quarter was 23.4%, compared to 25.3% for the same period last year. Depreciation expense totaling $13.4 million is included in direct costs for the current quarter, versus $11.8 million in the same quarter last year. Adjusted gross margin, which excludes depreciation expense, was 30.5% for the quarter, compared to 31.0% for the same period last year. Adjusted gross margin remained relatively unchanged as the Company remains disciplined with respect to pricing. General and administrative costs were $18.4 million, an increase of $0.8 million compared to the same quarter last year. This increase primarily relates to inflationary wage adjustments. Other expenses were $2.5 million, down from $3.2 million in the same quarter last year due primarily to lower incentive compensation expenses given the decreased profitability. Foreign exchange gain was $0.5 million, compared to a loss of $0.9 million for the same quarter last year. While the Company’s reporting currency is the Canadian dollar, various jurisdictions have net monetary assets or liabilities exposed to various other currencies. The income tax provision for the quarter was an expense of $6.5 million, compared to an expense of $7.4 million for the prior year period. The decrease from the prior year was driven by reduced profitability. Net earnings were $18.2 million or $0.22 per share ($0.22 per share diluted) for the quarter, compared to net earnings of $23.7 million or $0.29 per share ($0.29 per share diluted) for the prior year quarter. The Company’s financial data has been prepared in accordance with IFRS, with the exception of certain financial measures detailed below. The measures below have been used consistently by the Company’s management team in assessing operational performance on both segmented and consolidated levels, and in assessing the Company’s financial strength. The Company believes these non-IFRS financial measures are key, for both management and investors, in evaluating performance at a consolidated level and are commonly reported and widely used by investors and lending institutions as indicators of a company’s operating performance and ability to incur and service debt, and as a valuation metric. These measures do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other publicly traded companies and should not be construed as an alternative to other financial measures determined in accordance with IFRS. This news release includes certain information that may constitute “forward-looking information” under applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this news release that address future events, developments, or performance that the Company expects to occur (including management’s expectations regarding the Company’s objectives, strategies, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and businesses) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by future or conditional verbs such as “outlook”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “project”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, and terms and expressions of similar import. All forward-looking information in this news release is qualified by this cautionary note. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon various estimates and assumptions including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management related to the factors set forth below. While these factors and assumptions are considered reasonable by the Company as at the date of this document in light of management’s experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, these statements are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements and information. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that include, but are not limited to: the level of activity in the mining industry and the demand for the Company’s services; competitive pressures; global and local political and economic environments and conditions; the level of funding for the Company’s clients (particularly for junior mining companies); the Company’s dependence on key customers; the integration of business acquisitions and the realization of the intended benefits of such acquisitions; efficient management of the Company’s growth; exposure to currency movements (which can affect the Company’s revenue in Canadian dollars); currency restrictions; safety of the Company’s workforce; risks and uncertainties relating to climate change and natural disaster; the geographic distribution of the Company’s operations; the impact of operational changes; changes in jurisdictions in which the Company operates (including changes in regulation); failure by counterparties to fulfill contractual obligations; disease outbreak; as well as other risk factors described under “General Risks and Uncertainties” in the Company’s MD&A for the year ended April 30, 2024, available on the SEDAR+ website at . Should one or more risk, uncertainty, contingency, or other factor materialize or should any factor or assumption prove incorrect, actual results could vary materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements made in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available, as a result of future events, or for any other reasons, except as required by applicable securities laws. Major Drilling Group International Inc. is the world’s leading provider of specialized drilling services primarily serving the mining industry. Established in 1980, Major Drilling has over 1,000 years of combined experience and expertise within its management team. The Company maintains field operations and offices in North America, South America, Australia, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Major Drilling provides a complete suite of drilling services including surface and underground coring, directional, reverse circulation, sonic, geotechnical, environmental, water-well, coal-bed methane, shallow gas, underground percussive/longhole drilling, surface drill and blast, a variety of mine services, and ongoing development of data-driven, high-tech drillside solutions. Major Drilling Group International Inc. will provide a simultaneous webcast and conference call to discuss its quarterly results on Friday, December 6, 2024 at 8:00 AM (EST). To access the webcast, which includes a slide presentation, please go to the investors/webcasts section of Major Drilling’s website at www.majordrilling.com and click on the link. Please note that this is listen-only mode. To participate in the conference call, please dial 416-340-2217, participant passcode 4769038# and ask for Major Drilling’s Second Quarter Results Conference Call. To ensure your participation, please call in approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. For those unable to participate, a taped rebroadcast will be available approximately one hour after the completion of the call until Monday, January 6, 2025. To access the rebroadcast, dial 905-694-9451 and enter the passcode 1708283#. The webcast will also be archived for one year and can be accessed on the Major Drilling website at www.majordrilling.com. Ryan Hanley Director, Corporate Development & Investor Relations Tel: (506) 857-8636 Fax: (506) 857-9211 (in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share information) Major Drilling Group International Inc. (the “Company”) is incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act and has its head office at 111 St. George Street, Moncton, NB, Canada. The Company’s common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”). The principal source of revenue consists of contract drilling for companies primarily involved in mining and mineral exploration. The Company has operations in North America, South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa. These Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting (“IAS 34”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) and using the accounting policies as outlined in the Company’s annual Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended April 30, 2024. On December 5, 2024, the Board of Directors authorized the financial statements for issue. These Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements incorporate the financial statements of the Company and entities controlled by the Company. Control is achieved when the Company is exposed or has rights to variable returns from its involvement with the investee and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over the investee. The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the period are included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations from the effective date of acquisition or up to the effective date of disposal, as appropriate. Intercompany transactions, balances, income and expenses are eliminated on consolidation, where appropriate. These Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared based on the historical cost basis, except for certain financial instruments that are measured at fair value, using the same accounting policies and methods of computation, with the exception of those detailed in note 4 below, as presented in the Company’s annual Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended April 30, 2024. The Company has not applied the following IASB standard amendment and standard that have been issued, but are not yet effective: The Company is currently in the process of assessing the impact the adoption of the above amendment and standard will have on the Consolidated Financial Statements. With the exception of the policy detailed below, all accounting policies and methods of computation remain the same as those presented in the Company’s annual Consolidation Financial Statements for the year ended April 30, 2024. Associates are companies that the Company has significant influence over and are accounted for under the equity method. Significant influence is the power to participate in the financial and operating policy decisions of the investee, but is not control or joint control over those policies. Significant influence is presumed when the Company has an ownership interest greater than 20%, unless certain qualitative factors overcome this assumption. In assessing significant influence and the ownership interest, potential voting or other rights that are currently exercisable are taken into consideration. Investments in associates are accounted for using the equity method and are initially recognized at cost, inclusive of transaction costs. The Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the Company’s share of the income or loss and equity movement of equity accounted associates. The Company does not recognize losses exceeding the carrying value of its interest in the associate. The preparation of financial statements, in conformity with IFRS, requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that are not readily apparent from other sources, which affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimate is revised, if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods, if the revision affects both current and future periods. Significant areas requiring the use of management estimates relate to the useful lives of property, plant and equipment for depreciation purposes, inventory valuation, determination of income and other taxes, recoverability of deferred income tax assets, assumptions used in compilation of share-based payments, provisions, contingent considerations, impairment testing of goodwill and intangible assets and long-lived assets. The Company applied judgment in determining the functional currency of the Company and its subsidiaries, the determination of cash-generating units (“CGUs”), the degree of componentization of property, plant and equipment, the recognition of provisions, the determination of the probability that deferred income tax assets will be realized from future taxable earnings, and the determination of whether the Company exerts significant influence with respect to its investment in associate under the equity accounting method. The third quarter (November to January) is normally the Company’s weakest quarter due to the shutdown of mining and exploration activities, often for extended periods over the holiday season. Capital expenditures for the three and six months ended October 31, 2024 were $20,073 (2023 – $17,443) and $41,324 (2023 – $33,717). The Company did not obtain direct financing for the three and six months ended October 31, 2024 or 2023. On July 22, 2024, the Company purchased shares in DGI Geoscience Inc. (“DGI”) for $15,000 in cash consideration, a 39.8% equity interest (that provides the Company with 42.3% of the voting rights). DGI and its subsidiaries are privately held entities, headquartered in Canada, focused on downhole survey and imaging services as well as using artificial intelligence for logging scanned rock samples. In addition to the equity interest, Major Drilling’s representation on the DGI Board of Directors gives the Company significant influence over DGI. While there are special approval rights granted to the Company as part of the investment, these are more protective in nature and therefore, would not result in control, or joint control of DGI. As a result, the Company concluded that the equity method of accounting is appropriate for its investment in DGI. During the prior quarter, the Company incurred costs of $205 for this investment, relating to external legal fees and due diligence costs. These amounts have been recorded as part of the cost of the investment in associate in the Interim Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. In the current quarter, the Company’s earnings from investment in associate is $27. During the prior year, for the three and six months ended October 31, 2023, the Company repurchased 875,268 and 1,020,568 common shares, respectively, at an average price of $8.31 and $8.40, respectively, under its Normal Course Issuer Bid. Direct costs by nature are as follows: General and administrative expenses by nature are as follows: The income tax provision for the periods can be reconciled to accounting earnings before income tax as follows: The Company periodically assesses its liabilities and contingencies for all tax years open to audit based upon the latest information available. For those matters where it is probable that an adjustment will be made, the Company records its best estimate of these tax liabilities, including related interest charges. Inherent uncertainties exist in estimates of tax contingencies due to changes in tax laws. While management believes they have adequately provided for the probable outcome of these matters, future results may include favourable or unfavourable adjustments to these estimated tax liabilities in the period the assessments are made, or resolved, or when the statutes of limitations lapse. All of the Company’s earnings are attributable to common shares, therefore, net earnings are used in determining earnings per share. The calculation of diluted earnings per share for the three and six months ended October 31, 2024 excludes the effect of 200,000 options for both periods (2023 – 297,000 and 205,000, respectively) as they were not in-the-money. The total number of shares outstanding on October 31, 2024 was 81,842,086 (2023 – 82,093,486). The Company’s operations are divided into the following three geographic segments, corresponding to its management structure: Canada – U.S.; South and Central America; and Australasia and Africa. The services provided in each of the reportable segments are essentially the same. The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the Company’s annual Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended April 30, 2024. Management evaluates performance based on earnings from operations in these three geographic segments before finance costs, general corporate expenses and income taxes. Data relating to each of the Company’s reportable segments is presented as follows: *Canada – U.S. includes revenue of $25,695 and $34,074 for Canadian operations for the three months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively and $57,543 and $70,762 for the six months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. **General and corporate expenses include expenses for corporate offices and stock-based compensation. *Canada – U.S. includes property, plant and equipment as at October 31, 2024 of $64,041 (April 30, 2024 – $62,991) for Canadian operations. The carrying values of cash, trade and other receivables, demand credit facilities and trade and other payables approximate their fair value due to the relatively short period to maturity of the instruments. The carrying value of contingent consideration and long-term debt approximates their fair value as the interest applicable is reflective of fair market rates. Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value are classified and disclosed in one of the following categories: The Company enters into certain derivative financial instruments to manage its exposure to market risks, comprised of share-price forward contracts with a combined notional amount of $8,654, maturing at varying dates through June 2027. The fair value hierarchy requires the use of observable market inputs whenever such inputs exist. A financial instrument is classified to the lowest level of the hierarchy for which a significant input has been considered in measuring fair value. The Company’s derivatives, with fair values as follows, are classified as level 2 financial instruments and recorded in trade and other receivables (payables) in the Interim Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. There were no transfers of amounts between level 1, level 2 and level 3 financial instruments for the three and six months ended October 31, 2024. As at October 31, 2024, 96.1% (April 30, 2024 – 95.9%) of the Company’s trade receivables were aged as current and 3.5% (April 30, 2024 – 3.5%) of the trade receivables were impaired. The movements in the allowance for impairment of trade receivables during the periods were as follows: As at October 31, 2024, the most significant carrying amounts of net monetary assets and/or liabilities (which may include intercompany balances with other subsidiaries) that: (i) are denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of the respective Company subsidiary; and (ii) cause foreign exchange rate exposure, including the impact on earnings before income taxes (“EBIT”), if the corresponding rate changes by 10%, are as follows (in $000s CAD): The following table details contractual maturities for the Company’s financial liabilities: On November 5, 2024, the Company completed the purchase of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Explomin Perforaciones (“Explomin”), a leading specialty drilling contractor based in Lima, Peru. This acquisition provides Major Drilling with increased exposure to the copper market as Explomin is one of the largest South American drilling contractors, with the majority of their operations in Peru, while also servicing markets in Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Spain. The purchase price for the acquisition is valued at an amount up to US$85 million, consisting of: (i) a cash payment of US$63 million payable on closing, subject to working capital adjustments; and (ii) an earnout of up to US$22 million payable in cash over the next three years, based on the achievement of certain milestones. The cash portion of the purchase price has been funded from Major Drilling’s cash and existing debt facilities.

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NoneBARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona lost at home for the first time this season when the Liga leader was stunned by Las Palmas 2-1 on Saturday. Sandro Ramirez and Fábio Silva scored for the Canary Islands club on either side of Raphinha’s equalizer to give Las Palmas its first win at Barcelona in more than 50 years. Barcelona played superbly in the first three months under new coach Hansi Flick and was flying high after convincing victories over Real Madrid in the domestic competition and Bayern Munich in the Champions League. It had won all eight of its home games. But it has gone three rounds of La Liga without a win. Before Las Palmas, it fell at Real Sociedad 1-0 and drew at Celta Vigo 2-2 after squandering a two-goal lead in the final minutes. The dropped points mean Madrid, despite its own troubles , especially in the Champions League, can move ahead of Barcelona in La Liga. It trails Barcelona by four points with two games in hand. “I don’t care about scoring, I care about winning,” Raphinha said after his standout performance was unable to end Barcelona's slump. “We have to take a hard look at what we are doing wrong. We have slipped in our form and are letting games get away form us. We have our next game on Tuesday (at Mallorca), and we need to turn this around so we can win the league.” Atletico Madrid was only two points behind Barcelona in second place — and with the same number of games played — after Antoine Griezmann scored a gem of a goal in a 5-0 demolition of last-placed Valladolid. Las Palmas savored its first victory at Barcelona since the 1971-72 season and just its third victory at the Catalan club overall. The other visits by the modest side that wears all yellow uniforms to Barcelona have ended in 34 defeats and three draws. “We are thrilled because we have made history,” Sandro said. “When you start the season you think that these games are usually going to end in wins for the bigger side, but if there is one thing we believe in is our capacity to work hard all week to get results like this.” Barcelona's Lamine Yamal returned from a right ankle injury that sidelined him for three weeks. Yamal appeared as a halftime substitute and Jasper Cillessen saved his best shot. The Las Palmas goalkeeper also palmed a Raphinha free kick over his bar in the final minutes. Sandro, a former Barcelona youth player, capped a fine five-pass buildup by Las Palmas from its own box as it masterfully undid Barcelona’s high pressure in the 49th minute. Raphinha had already hit the crossbar in the first half before he equalized in the 61st. The Brazil forward took a short pass from Pedri just outside the area, skirted across the edge and drilled a shot between two defenders. Story continues below video But Barcelona was caught pushing forward for a second goal when Silva controlled a ball from Javi Muñoz and sent in a shot bouncing past Iñaki Peña in the 67th. The unexpected loss dampened Barcelona’s celebration of its 125th anniversary, which included the debut of its new mascot “Cat,” a large, yellow feline wearing its team kit. Barcelona lost left back Alejandro Balde early in the game when he couldn’t continue after he crashed into Sandro at full speed. Balde appeared to hurt his upper chest or neck area when he ran into Sandro’s shoulder. He was carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Gerard Martín. Griezmann scored one of the goals of the season when the forward exchanged a quick one-two with Julián Alvarez and used a sleek touch of the inside of his boot to roll the ball with him as he spun before dinking it over the Valladolid goalkeeper. That was the visitor's fourth goal. Shortly after, Valladolid fans stood up and applauded when Griezmann was substituted. “That is what every players wants, to make people enjoy what we do. So I appreciate their warmth,” Griezmann said. Atletico also got goals from Alvarez, Clement Lenglet, Rodrigo de Paul, and Alexander Sorloth. Espanyol beat Celta 3-1 to end a streak of four losses in the league and relieve pressure on coach Manolo González. Alaves also drew with Leganes 1-1 at home. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have the slimmest of playoff hopes and must win out to have any chance of keeping them alive. Figuring out who they are would be a first step in the right direction. The Titans (3-9) also must bounce back from last week's ugly loss at Washington that cost this franchise yet another chance to string together consecutive wins for the first time in more than two years. “We know that this is a big opportunity for us to develop as a team and to create and to continue developing our identity,” quarterback Will Levis said. “And so we’re going to make sure that we do our best throughout these next few weeks to do that.” The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10) lost Trevor Lawrence for the rest of the season after the hit he took from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in last week's 23-20 loss to Houston. Their already dim playoff hopes were extinguished Monday night when Denver won. That leaves the Jaguars playing for pride and potentially drafting No. 1 overall for the third time in five years. “It’s all about how you finish,” tight end Evan Engram said. “How we finish probably won’t erase the feeling we have of the season. But as the pride of this franchise, the pride of the team, it’s definitely worth going to finish strong and going to get some wins and fighting for that.” The Titans went into Washington with one of the NFL's stingiest defenses and wound up shredded, giving up a season-worst 267 yards rushing. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said, “We can’t allow what happened last week to happen again.” Wide receiver Calvin Ridley says he's excited to see some old teammates Sunday and downplayed a question about how close Jacksonville's offer to keep him last March might've been when he chose to sign with division rival Tennessee instead. “Doesn't matter right now,” Ridley said. “I'm excited for this week. Jags come in here, play with my boys. I'm excited.” Ridley played one season with Jacksonville after the Jaguars traded for him . He had 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight TDs last season with the Jaguars. So far this season, Ridley has 43 receptions for 679 yards and three TDs. “I just know I'm going to be ready,” Ridley said. Jacksonville has lost 16 consecutive games when tied or trailing at halftime. It’s a complete flip from the 2022 season, in which the Jaguars rallied to beat Dallas, the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee down the stretch to make the playoffs. The 20-16 victory against the Titans in the regular-season finale that year is the last time coach Doug Pederson’s team has come from behind to win after trailing or being tied at the break. Tennessee led 13-7 at the half in that one and was minutes from winning a third straight AFC South title . Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen needs 4 1/2 sacks to break the franchise record of 55 held by Tony Brackens. Hines-Allen has at least half a sack in four consecutive games against Tennessee, which has given up 43 sacks in 2024. “My family knows about it probably more than me,” Hines-Allen said. “My wife tells me all the time, ‘Hey, get that record. All you just need is four sacks.’ Like, you can just (get) four sacks. “I had a couple games last year where I had three, so I can’t say it’s out of the realm. But I never had four sacks; don’t know what it feels like to do that in one game. But hopefully speak it into existence.” Mac Jones will be starting at quarterback and is 0-2 with the Jaguars this season. He has one more interception (three) than touchdown passes (two) in five appearances. The Titans are looking to see if Levis can keep building on his strong play of the past month and start turning those into wins. Levis is 1-3 since returning from a strained throwing shoulder. He has seven TD passes with two interceptions for a 101.3 passer rating in his past four games. He also is completing 61.7% of his passes for 960 yards. “The cool thing right now for Will is that as we’ve corrected things, he’s corrected them,” Titans coach Brian Callahan said . “And that’s been really fun to watch as he’s made adjustments from game to game, sometimes even from in the game made an adjustment to a coverage or a read, and that part’s been good to see.” AP Pro Football Writer Mark Long in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

LAS VEGAS — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. "As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It's an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world's premier racing series, and we're committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM's engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level." The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. "We're excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. "Together, we're assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world." Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. "The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team," Michael Andretti posted on social media. "I'm very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!" The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti's dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years, and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA. The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they've already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti's application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1's current grid. "General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. "Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024," F1 said in a statement. "Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. "With Formula 1's continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1." Get local news delivered to your inbox!SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Spencer Knight made 20 saves, Mackie Samoskevich scored with less than a second left in the second period, and the Florida Panthers got four goals in the third to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-0 on Saturday and complete a two-day sweep. Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Evan Rodrigues and Adam Boqvist also scored for Florida, which won 6-3 at Carolina on Friday. The Panthers have won three straight — that streak following a stretch of six losses in seven games for the Stanley Cup champions. It was Knight's fourth career shutout, his first since Nov. 9, 2022 — also at home against Carolina. Spencer Martin made 23 saves on 28 shots for the Hurricanes, who have dropped four of their last six games (2-3-1). It was Martin's fourth consecutive start for Carolina. Hurricanes: This was the first time all season that the Hurricanes failed to get a point in the game immediately following a loss. Carolina was 4-0-1 after a defeat entering Saturday. Panthers: A big day for Samoskevich — his alma mater Michigan beat Ohio State in football on Saturday, that game ending just before the Florida-Carolina game started. The Panthers are 5-0-0 when he scores this season. Sam Reinhart had each of the four most recent Florida goals at 19:59, before Samoskevich got his Saturday. The Panthers scored two goals 11 seconds apart in the third to make it 5-0, and Yaniv Perets replaced Martin in the Hurricanes' net with 8:12 remaining. It was the second NHL appearance for Perets, who came on once in relief for Carolina last season. Ekblad's goal was his first in a span of 1,045 regular-season shifts since Feb. 20. Carolina starts a two-game homestand Tuesday against Seattle. Florida goes to Pittsburgh to start a two-game trip on Tuesday. AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHLThe Next Stop: London’s New Eco-Friendly Buses Hit the Road!

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Lockheed Martin LMT . And retail traders should know. We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga. Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with LMT, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen. So how do we know what these investors just did? Today, Benzinga 's options scanner spotted 40 uncommon options trades for Lockheed Martin. This isn't normal. The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 30% bullish and 45%, bearish. Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 26 are puts, for a total amount of $1,899,414, and 14 are calls, for a total amount of $920,206. What's The Price Target? Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $230.0 to $900.0 for Lockheed Martin over the last 3 months. Analyzing Volume & Open Interest Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Lockheed Martin's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Lockheed Martin's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $230.0 to $900.0 over the preceding 30 days. Lockheed Martin Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days Noteworthy Options Activity: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume LMT PUT TRADE BEARISH 01/17/25 $8.2 $7.8 $8.2 $500.00 $205.0K 669 323 LMT PUT TRADE NEUTRAL 01/17/25 $8.5 $7.9 $8.2 $500.00 $204.1K 669 573 LMT PUT TRADE BEARISH 01/17/25 $7.6 $7.0 $7.6 $500.00 $189.2K 669 597 LMT CALL TRADE BULLISH 06/20/25 $133.5 $132.5 $133.5 $400.00 $160.2K 19 12 LMT PUT SWEEP BEARISH 03/21/25 $11.8 $11.6 $11.6 $485.00 $156.5K 45 136 About Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin is the world's largest defense contractor and has dominated the Western market for high-end fighter aircraft since it won the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in 2001. Lockheed's largest segment is aeronautics, which derives upward of two-thirds of its revenue from the F-35. Lockheed's remaining segments are rotary and mission systems, mainly encompassing the Sikorsky helicopter business; missiles and fire control, which creates missiles and missile defense systems; and space systems, which produces satellites and receives equity income from the United Launch Alliance joint venture. Having examined the options trading patterns of Lockheed Martin, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance Where Is Lockheed Martin Standing Right Now? Currently trading with a volume of 1,752,276, the LMT's price is down by -4.62%, now at $517.17. RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching oversold. Anticipated earnings release is in 57 days. Professional Analyst Ratings for Lockheed Martin 1 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $565.0. Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days? 20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. Click here for access .* Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Barclays keeps a Equal-Weight rating on Lockheed Martin with a target price of $565. Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely. If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Lockheed Martin, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.LAKEPORT, Calif. — Maria Valadez would like everyone to chill out. Every election, the prickly Lake County registrar follows California’s litany of voting laws and certifies thousands of ballots by the time she is required to. And every year, people still complain. “The state gave us a deadline, we meet the deadline,” an exasperated Valadez said from her small office in Lakeport as a handful of staffers sat at computers verifying signatures more than two weeks after election day, when they had tallied fewer than half of the votes. “I just don’t understand, why do we need to rush?” In a state known for its slow processing of election results , Lake County, with only about 38,000 voters, is often the slowest of them all. For years, the rural Northern California county — known for local disputes over marijuana cultivation and several brutal wildfires — has been among the state’s last to announce votes after elections, often frustrating candidates and befuddling political pundits. The reason appears to be a combination of factors, including an under-resourced elections budget in one of California’s smaller, lower-income counties and a desire to keep a meticulous, steady process that was instilled by trusted staff decades ago, even as technology advances. “Elections are a lot of security, transparency and accountability. That’s what we do here. And it has been like this for all of the years I’ve worked here,” said Valadez, who was hired in 1995 and trained by the prior registrar, who was hired in 1977. “We have a lot of checks and balances. We do them as we go.” She repeated: “We have a deadline, we meet the deadline.” State law requires counties to finalize their official results 30 days after the election, this year by Dec. 5. Though Valadez is adamant that she’ll make it, the pace of progress is startling compared to most of the country. Shortly before midnight on election night, Lake County reported just 5,784 ballots. A few thousand more have been counted since. Yet by Thursday — 16 days after the election — Lake County still had more than 10,000 ballots left to count, according to the secretary of state. “I’m not unsympathetic to the challenges that come with unfunded top-down mandates from Sacramento, but there is a pattern of sheer awfulness with Lake County in particular going back at least a decade and they’ve earned all the scorn coming their way,” Rob Pyers, who operates the election guide California Target Book, said on social media last week. He said Lake County is “in the running for slowest election department worldwide.” This year, that may not matter much. Unlike some other counties in California, where daily ballot counts are still changing results in tight races for the House of Representatives that will determine the size of Republicans’ majority in Washington, Lake County did not have many hot contests on the ballot. Still, the slow count means residents are waiting to find out who will serve on local schools boards, the Clear Lake City Council and the county board of supervisors. Lake County’s lag has delayed statewide outcomes before. In the 2014 primary election , the race for state controller was razor thin. California voters had to wait a month to know who would compete in the general election as Lake County officials took their time with the final ballots even as they were barraged with phone calls from politicos feverishly refreshing their browsers for updates. It was Lake County that declared Betty Yee had edged out fellow Democrat John Perez by fewer than 500 votes and would advance. The county met its deadline. Democracy lived on. Now, it’s a different world than when Valadez first started working in elections 30 years ago, and her department’s speed — or lack thereof — has spurred conspiracy theories like those inflamed by Donald Trump when he lost the election in 2020. As Valadez and her staff calmly processed ballots Wednesday, an angry man from North Dakota called to inquire about what’s taking so long. Conservatives have singled out Lake County on social media as proof that deep blue California is aiming to rig elections. The man who lives 1,600 miles east and can’t vote in Lake County suggested something nefarious was going on. Valadez invited him to visit her office off the shore of Clear Lake, to her tightknit community where the security guard at the courthouse next door calls entrants “kiddo.” She has nothing to hide, she said. “We take our job very seriously,” Valadez said of her small staff. “The integrity of my work is very important to me.” California is among the slowest states to call elections not only because of its huge population, but also because of voting laws designed to increase voter participation, including sending all registered voters a ballot by mail, which can prolong when some races are called. “California deserves all the scorn it gets for holding up House election results,” screamed a headline last week in the New York Post. The article went on: “Hey, bud, what’s the rush? seems to be Golden State officials’ work ethic.” Derek Tisler, who focuses on elections as counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice, confirmed that Lake County is among the slowest to process ballots in the U.S. this year. But that’s OK, he said. “We get impatient, but I think everyone would agree that at the end of the day, we want things to be accurate,” Tisler said. “That is what election officials are going to prioritize. It makes sense they’re doing things in a way that they feel confident in.” As a wall of rain beat down this week on most of Lake County, a place that struggles with meth and opioid abuse, where 73% of public school students qualify for free and reduced-price meals, Valadez said she’s doing her best “within staffing and resource limitations.” The Lake County registrar’s office has five full time-employees, and one is currently on leave. A few retirees have been added as temporary help. The county — population: 67,000 — does not have a high-speed vote counting machine, instead verifying everything by hand. Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said places like Lake County don’t get the same resources as bigger tourism destinations with urban centers and higher property taxes. The state does not help counties pay for elections staff or voting equipment even as it issues more mandates, she said, making local officials’ jobs harder and uneven, depending on where they live. “I get really frustrated when I hear lawmakers complaining about how long it takes to count, because they could actually do something about it,” Alexander said. “If elections were not a chronically underfunded government service, we could have faster results.” Valadez also pointed to voting preferences as a potential reason for the timing of the county’s results. Unlike a growing number of counties, Lake County does not offer voting centers, a hybrid model that allows voters to drop off ballots several days before the election. Voters here prefer to vote in person at their neighborhood polling precincts and some are still getting used to receiving a ballot in the mail, Valadez said. But even if Lake County got a boost in funding, and more voters sent their ballots in by mail early, it’s unclear if elections officials would change much of their decades-old strategy. Wearing a bright red pixie cut and a Carhartt flanel, Diane Fridley, 71, worked to verify votes this week at a computer in the registrar’s office in Lakeport, scrolling her mouse across the screen to identify any issues with ballots. For more than 40 years, Fridley was the Lake County registrar. When she retired in 2019, she passed the torch to Valadez. But in between babysitting her grandchildren, Fridley comes in to help around election season. A Lake County native, Fridley remembers when voters had to bring their birth certificates to their polling stations. She has lived through the days of hanging chads. As someone who likes to have the same breakfast every morning — a slice of apple pie — and is hypervigilant about counting ballots, all the changes have been hard, but exciting. “Yeah, it takes us a little longer, but we dot our I’s and we cross our Ts,” she said. “We’re positive whatever totals we have are correct. I’m not saying other counties don’t do that, but we try to be perfect.” Fridley and Valadez exchanged a knowing look. “There’s a deadline for a reason,” Fridley said, echoing Valadez. “We always meet the deadline.”

The future of Sydney coach John Longmire is uncertain ahead of a major club announcement on Tuesday afternoon. The Swans declined to comment amid speculation, put to them by this masthead, that Longmire would walk away on Monday night. Longmire and his manager Liam Pickering were also contacted for comment. Swans coach John Longmire. Credit: AFL Photos The Swans have called a press conference for a “major club announcement” at 1.30pm. One of the most respected and highly regarded coaches in football, the 53-year-old coached the Swans to a premiership in 2012 before suffering grand final losses in 2014, 2016 and 2022. He was contracted for the upcoming season. People close to Longmire have said he had contemplated walking away from the game in recent years to live on his farm. The Swans have a history of succession planning for their new coaches. Longmire took over from Paul Roos under such a plan. Assistant coach Dean Cox has been part of Sydney’s coaching structure since 2017, and currently oversees game strategy and performance and would be considered highly likely to take over from Longmire. The 42-year-old had been a target of West Coast in their hunt for a senior coach, before the Eagles appointed Andrew McQualter, but Cox opted not to pursue the job . Though the Swans have repeatedly denied he is part of a contracted succession plan with Longmire, the six-time All-Australian ruckman has been seen as Longmire’s logical successor. Longmire has been a vocal critic of the AFL’s soft spending cap for football departments, arguing that coaches and staff were being stretched to the limit. “I think the real challenge for the industry is there’s a lot of really good people working but they’re working enormous hours and putting themselves and their families, in some cases, under some stress,” he said in 2021 . More to come. Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter .AP News Summary at 1:01 p.m. ESTHiking apps prompt warnings after separate rescues from B.C.'s backcountry

Even A No-Growth Scenario Suggests TELUS International Is Highly Undervalued

Each election demonstrates just how little the average citizen cares about our health and the health of the living planet. It also demonstrates how little we care about what we leave to our children and the generations that follow. Candidates know how little most Americans care about the environment by the limited importance it plays in their campaigns. Sure, there are many important things to consider, but is there anything more important than having a healthy world in which to live? The air we breathe and the water we drink have an enormous effect on our health. How many more children will be saddled with a lifetime of asthma because of growing up with particulate matter and toxic chemicals in the air? Toxic pollution is a causative agent of Parkinson’s Disease. Scientists are now discovering ever-increasing threats to our health with the ballooning load of microplastics in every part of the living world and our bodies. The list of the dangers of toxic pollution in our environment and our homes is growing. The results of the just past election will create an ever-greater threat to our health and well-being. While Democrats have in the past taken positive environmental actions, they have not done nearly enough. Republicans, led by the scientific evidence denier Donald Trump, will not work to protect us, but turn back the clock on the gains that have been made. Since the passage of major environmental legislation in the 1970s, Republicans have sold out our health for the profits of corporations. They say they are protecting jobs, but it’s much more about profits. Sending jobs overseas is fine with them as long as supporters’ portfolios grow. Dave McCormick is a star in this category. When the political right talks about taking government off our backs, they don’t mean people but corporations. It’s all about removing regulations so that the polluters can avoid the costs of cleaning up their toxic wastes. We end up paying the costs. We pay in increased medical costs, increased taxes when governments are forced to clean up the mess, and most importantly our health. Think of all the abandoned and orphaned gas wells and coal sites in Pennsylvania that the state is attempting to remediate. The corporations always work to externalize their costs to others. Those of your fellow citizens who believe that we have a fundamental right to clean air, water and land know that the struggle will be greatly intensified in January. In his first term, Trump eliminated more than 100 environmentally protective measures. He has called climate change a hoax. His appointments to environmentally related agencies will be focused on protecting corporate profits, not the environment. He has submitted the name of an oil executive to run the energy department. A man whose concern will be the profits of big carbon: oil, gas and coal. He will work against the transition to clean energy. Clean energy is now less expensive than what he wants to sell. There are no fuel costs for the sun or the wind! Climate change is an existential threat. What deniers think doesn’t alter the facts. It only demonstrates that they a willfully ignorant. Thermometer readings are a matter of fact, not supposition. The increasing levels of CO2 is a measurable fact, not opinion. The increasing intensity and frequency of storms is a confirmable fact. Even if we now act with urgency, it will take some time for these changes to arrest the climatic changes we are now causing, but not acting condemns most of life on this planet, including the human race. You may have voted thinking that Trump will improve the economy. We will hold our breaths on that. The rich know that Trump will take care of them because he is one of them. In voting for Trump you gave us a package of destruction. Now is not the time to hang our heads, but to double our efforts to protect our grandchildren and all the other grandchildren around the world. Saying you care means little. Only action counts. Jack D. Miller lives in Lewisburg.RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Nov, 2024) visited Combined Military Hospital (CMH) to inquire health of security personnels during violence of political party. During her , said “Rangers and personnels are sons of the nation. We are proud of them, and will not spare the protesters who have mercilessly tortured them.” She added,” The personnels of and security agencies are restoring peace in the country by sacrificing their lives. The corrupt political party should have been been ashamed of attacking them.” She highlighted,” The and governments are indebted to the security personnels, and we stand by them and their families.” personally visited each and personnel undergoing treatment, and inquired about their well-being. She appreciated their high morale and sense of duty. The personnels told about the merciless violence of the protesters against them. They briefed,” was carried out at close range, and violence was carried out with nailed sticks. The skull of one official and the bones of most of them were broken, while some others had their eyes affected.” consoled the officials and encouraged them. She said,”Attacks on state institutions, property and security personnels are highly condemnable.” She added,”The miscreants and members who the security personnels will be brought to justice, and severe exemplary punishment will be given to them. The officials expressed their determination to recover and return to their duties soon.After Trump’s win, Black women are rethinking their role as America’s reliable political organizers

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