Kevin Nalepka Appointed as President of MC2

Finding the perfect gift can be challenging, but when it comes to creativity, timeless fun, and display-worthy craftsmanship, Lego sets are a universal favorite. This guide to the best Lego gifts has been curated to include options for every age group and interest —from young kids just starting their building adventures to adults who have admired Lego for decades. Whether building Legos is his or her creative outlet , a collectible hobby, or a brand new journey, there’s a perfect set for all. These Lego gifts include something for everyone—from nostalgic designs inspired by hit movies like Harry Potter , Encanto , or Wicked to innovative builds like Minecraft’s anniversary celebration (there’s even a stunning bouquet of Lego flowers if you want to go romantic!). Don’t forget to consider the skill level of the person you’re shopping for before making a purchase. While adults can dive into detailed, intricate models like the Home Alone McCallisters’ House or Star Wars Millennium Falcon, the littles can stick with sparking their imaginations with interactive playsets like the Gabby’s Dollhouse Garden Party or a novelty hot dog food truck. So, if you’re shopping for an experienced builder or someone new to Lego, these best Lego gifts combine fun, brain power , and collector’s items that will delight any recipient regardless of age. Explore the possibilities and make this holiday season unforgettable with a gift that inspires creativity and endless play. ‘Home Alone’ House Lego Set – Best Gift for the Christmas Movie Lover Nothing captures Christmas better than the movie . This Home Alone Lego gift (aka the iconic McCallisters’ House) set is the ultimate must-have for the festive friend or family member on your list. The 3,955-piece collectible for fans of the iconic movie is designed for ages 18 and up. Consider it an advanced Lego building kit that features a detailed, interactive house, a treehouse, and the crooks’ van, complete with traps, swinging paint cans, and more. You can recreate the memorable scenes from the Christmas classic . It’s an unforgettable gift that combines nostalgia, creativity, and expert Lego craftsmanship. Beginners, beware! Marvel Avengers Tower Lego Set – Best Gift for Marvel Fan This Tower depicts the headquarters of the Avengers in Lego form. Gift it to someone who loves the mighty heroes of the Marvel superhero franchise. They’ll receive 31 figures in all, plus the detailed tower and other authentic accessories to recreate scenes from the movie. Superheroes in the set include Iron Man, Captain America, Thor—just to name a few—offering both an immersive building experience and an epic display piece. Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi Lego Set – Best Gift for the Mario Maven No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. This Mario & Yoshi Lego set appears in a pixelated design. This kit from the Super Mario World collection comes with 1,215 pieces that will thrill both big kids and adults who understand gaming nostalgia. Although this best Lego gift is designed for 18+, it features interactive elements—including a handle to make Yoshi run and a tongue action for playful adventures—that builders of all ages will like. ‘Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon Lego Set – Best Gift for the Star Wars Collector The Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon is a 1,351-piece masterpiece recreating the iconic Corellian freighter. Packed with rotating turrets, detailed interiors, and seven beloved characters, Han Solo’s legendary ship from is the best Lego gift for the building enthusiast who’s also a die-hard Star Wars fan. Once built, display it on a shelf as a collector’s item. ‘Harry Potter’ Hogwarts & Grounds Lego Set – Best Gift for the Potter Head This Hogwarts Castle and Grounds Lego set is a dream gift for adult fans of the Wizarding World. It comes with 2,660 pieces to recreate Hogwarts in stunning detail. Consider this ideal for true Lego pros, not little ones. Think: collectors who display and admire their work, or those who will then play with their creation for years to come. Tuxedo Cat Lego Set – Best Gift for the Cat Parent This Tuxedo Cat made of Legos has gone viral on TikTok with cat parents who showcase it alongside their actual fur baby who resemble it. This Lego Ideas Tuxedo Cat set features 1,710 pieces to build a lifelike, poseable black-and-white cat model with customizable details like eye color and mouth expression. Your gift recipient can use it as part of their decor or their next social media reel. Icons PAC-MAN Arcade Retro Game Lego Set – Best Gift for the Nostalgic Builder The Lego Icons PAC-MAN Arcade Retro Game Building Set embodies nostalgia and fun. This masterpiece comes with 2,651 pieces, recreating the iconic 1980s arcade game. It even features intricate retro details like a 4-way joystick, mechanical maze, and illuminating coin slot. On its pretend screen, a mini 1980s arcade scene is displayed. Perfect for the retro gaming guru, gift this to a loved one for timeless fun! Icons Over the Moon with Pharrell Williams Building Kit – Best Gift for the Pop Culture Fiend The Icons Over the Moon with Pharrell Williams consists of 966 pieces and, once built, showcases a stunning black-and-gold space shuttle, a vibrant jet-stream display, and exclusive minifigures. A true collector’s item that celebrates space exploration, this set is designed by Grammy-winning artist Pharrell Williams himself and coincides with the music icon’s Lego movie that tells the story of his life. Ideal for adult Lego collectors, pop culture aficionados, and space fans, this gift is meant to inspire its builder. Nintendo Entertainment System Lego Set – Best Gift for the ’90s Kid at Heart Combine two of their favorite passions with this Lego gift. This Lego Nintendo Entertainment System set is a 2,646-piece masterpiece for retro gamers who also love building things out of Legos. This nostalgic kit recreates the iconic NES console that was introduced to us in 1990. It even comes complete with a buildable retro TV and an interactive scrolling 8-bit Mario screen. The grown Lego collector in your life can display their Super Mario Bros. creation on a shelf somewhere in their home. LEGO Stationary Set with Minifigure – Best Gift for the Person Who Loves a Novelty Gift Fun and functional, this Lego Stationery Set can be gifted to Lego fans of all ages. This 8-piece set comes with pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, and a buildable minifigure. Perfect for school, work, or just as a novelty gift, it’s a playful way to tell your Lego-obsessed loved one you “get” them! Pixar ‘Up’ House Lego Set – Best Gift for the Adventure Seeker This Up House Lego set recreates the home from the beloved Pixar movie, . The house is also the setting of where Carl Fredricksen embarks on a balloon-fueled adventure with Russell and Dug. This 598-piece building set captures the heartwarming charm of the film, so it’s an inspiring gift for Pixar fans who loved the unforgettable animated film. The Magical Madrigal House from ‘Encanto’ Lego Set – Best Gift for the Magical Family The Magical Madrigal House Lego set is a vibrant, detailed recreation of the family home from the hit Disney’s movie. Perfect for kids ages seven and up, this 1,560-piece best Lego gift features eight colorful rooms and nine of your favorite characters, like Mirabel, Isabela, and Luisa, allowing fans to recreate iconic scenes or imagine new magical adventures. We appreciate the set’s intricate movie-inspired details and interactive play elements. Forest Animals: Red Fox Lego Set – Best Gift for the Animal Lover This Lego Creator Forest Animals: Red Fox building kit is the ultimate collector’s item for the Lego lover in your life. Not only does it give the Lego fan a chance to build one of three charming woodland creatures that came out in the original collection (there’s an owl and squirrel too), this particular box is practically out of stock everywhere. With posable limbs and intricate details, this 667-piece set sparks endless creativity and play. This rare find makes for a special gift for those ages nine and up. T. Rex Lego Set – Best Gift for the Kid Who Digs Dinos This T. Rex comes with 626 pieces. And if the dinosaur lover in your life can’t get enough, there are also a triceratops and a pterodactyl that can be combined with this gift a set of three. And the best part is, each of these dino kits feature creations with posable limbs for action-packed play. Combining the thrill of dinosaurs with the creativity of building, this gift promotes problem-solving and imagination for kids nine and up. ‘Despicable Me 4’ Minions and Gru’s Family Mansion Lego Set – Best Gift for the Little Minion in Your Life Fans of the franchise will appreciate this Minions and Gru’s Family Mansion Lego set. The master builder minions in your life can stay busy with this 868-piece set that recreates Gru’s iconic house and treehouse, packed with rooms to explore, fun accessories, and beloved characters like Gru, Lucy, and their minions. Lego Storage Cinch Bucket – Best Gift for the Most Organized Neat freaks, rejoice. This Lego Storage Cinch Bucket will keep the Lego lover in your life super organized. Made from durable polyester with a cinch closure and clear base for easy visibility, this portable bucket makes cleanup effortless while doubling as stylish on-the-go storage for Lego bricks whether they’re home building or traveling with their sets. Choose from different colors, like blue, grey, purple, orange, and red. Room Copenhagen Lego Ceramic Mug – Best Gift for the Gag Gift Exchange The Room Copenhagen Lego Ceramic Mug showcases the fun Lego Iconic Boy design we’ve come to know and love. Give it to truly Lego-obsessed fans who appreciate novelty items. Made of durable ceramic, it’s dishwasher safe and holds 17.9 oz, making it great for coffee, tea, or hot cocoa. If you don’t love this Lego face, there are other variations like Winking Face and Silly Boy. Beach Camper Van Lego Set – Best Gift for the Travel Savvy The Lego Creator Beach Camper Van set is like a fun, pretend vacation in a box. Gift it to kids 8 and up who love building and imaginative play. With 556 pieces, it transforms into a camper van, ice cream shop, and beach house. Your little builder can then immerse himself in a summer-themed scene! ‘Friends’ Central Perk Lego Building Kit – Best Gift for the Sitcom Queen Only the biggest fanatics will appreciate the Lego Ideas Central Perk set. This 1,070-piece treasure is geared towards 16+, but let’s be honest, us 40-somethings would squeal if this is gifted to us. For those who missed out on the best sitcom of all time, Central Perk was the characters’ iconic hangout spot. This detailed build includes the New York City cafe where Chandler, Monica, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey would spend most of their days, seven minifigures, and accessories, celebrating nostalgia, creativity, and endless storytelling fun. Duplo Peppa Pig Garden and Tree House – Best Gift for Kids Under 6 Give the Lego Duplo Peppa Pig Garden and Tree House set to the toddler with a patient parent. This delightful 20-piece gift for kids age two and up features Peppa and George Pig figures, gardening tools, and a fun treehouse. Encouraging creative play and motor skill development, moms and dads may have to pitch in if the little one hasn’t quite grasped the Lego-building process. Magical Unicorn Lego Set – Best Gift for the Unicorn Kid You Know The Lego Creator Magical Unicorn delivers endless creative play for kids ages 7 and up. With 145 pieces, kids can build and transform a colorful unicorn with movable features. (There are also a seahorse and peacock in this collection if the unicorn isn’t for you.) Perfect for imaginative adventures, this set combines mythical magic with display-worthy designs kids will love. Lego Creative Suitcase – Best Gift for the Little One Who’s Always On-the-Go With Mom and Dad A portable Lego set might just be what your family needs! This Lego Classic Creative Suitcase comes with 213 colorful pieces for endless creations, housed in a sturdy, portable case. Consider it for kids ages four and up. This set sparks creativity with limitless building possibilities. Busy parents on-the-go will appreciate the convenient storage compartments provided for organization. ‘Wicked’ Welcome to Emerald City Lego Set – Best Gift for the ‘Wicked’ Obsessed Celebrate the magic of Wicked with the Lego Welcome to Emerald City set. Perfect for fans of the Broadway classic or the latest movie iteration, this enchanting 945-piece build features Glinda, Elphaba, and the iconic Emerald City. It’s the season’s must-have gift for ages nine and up. ‘Wicked’ Glinda & Elphaba’s Dormitory Lego Set – Best Gift for Your Bestie (Whether You’re the Elphaba and She’s Glinda, or Vice Versa) We don’t know about you, but we can’t get enough of Wicked . This Lego Wicked Glinda & Elphaba’s Dormitory set is perfect for kids ages 8 and up (plus, grown-ups). Your gift recipient can transform herself to one of her favorite scenes from the movie while she sings “Popular.” Gabby’s Dollhouse Kitty Fairy’s Garden Party Lego Set – Best Gift for the Gabby Watcher This Gabby’s Dollhouse Kitty Fairy’s Garden Party Lego set makes an enchanting gift for kids aged four and up. It comes with 130 pieces, and features a treehouse, slide, swing, merry-go-round, and of course the lovable characters from the hit Netflix children’s series. Hello, Gabby, Pandy Paws, and Kitty Fairy! Kids can create magical garden adventures while developing creative building and storytelling skills with this gift, too! Hot Dog Food Truck Lego Set – Best Gift for the Silliest Kid You Know To that fun-loving kid or the adult who’s really a kid-at-heart, this Lego Friends Hot Dog Food Truck set is one fun way to spend a Friday evening. With 100 pieces, it includes a buildable truck, two mini-dolls, and a cat figure, along with pretend play food accessories. Kids (or super-fun grown-ups) can enjoy role-playing adventures, or simply display their creation on a bookshelf or side table. Sea Rescue Center Lego Set – Best Gift for the Kid Who Has a Great Imagination The Lego Friends Sea Rescue Center will engage kids seven and up with its 376 pieces. This gift is perfect for kids who love animals and ocean adventures. It features three minidolls, sea otters, a seahorse, and a turtle. Once he builds the rescue center (which comes with a super-cool water scooter and slide), he can use the vet tools for imaginative marine life-saving play. Flower Bouquet Lego Set – Best Gift for the Love of Your Life She’s not impressed by a bouquet of flowers, she says. But how about a Leco Flower Bouquet Building Set? This 756-piece gift for ages 18 and up combines creativity, thoughtful thinking, and lasting beauty. Not only is it a unique alternative to real flowers, this sweet gesture comes with 15 lifelike stems, including roses and snapdragons, with posable petals. Customize your arrangement—for real—by setting it up your way. Unlike a dozen roses from the flowers hop, this timeless treasure can be displayed for a lifetime. Retro Roller Skate Lego Set – Best Gift for the Trendsetter Friend You may have seen the TikTok reels: retro skating is having a moment right now. This Retro Roller Skate building kit captures the nostalgia perfectly with its vibrant design and overall cuteness. Gift this 264-piece set to the skaters of your life (ages eight and up). They can celebrate their new hobby as they build and transform a roller skate with moving wheels. Lego Storage 3-Piece Organizer Cubes – Best Gift for Moms Who Hate Clutter Combine your pal’s love of Legos with their desire to keep their playroom in tip-top shape. Enter, the Lego Storage Organizer Cubes. This 3-piece set will keep Lego pieces and accessories neat yet accessible. Designed for ages three and up (and moms who have no patience to keep picking up kids’ Legos), this gift comes with three durable, zippered cubes with clear windows for easy organization. Use them for Lego bricks, action figures, or travel essentials for a practical, lightweight storage solution with iconic LEGO charm. Minecraft The Crafting Table Lego Set – Best Gift for the Minecraft Player Minecraft fan or not, this showpiece set can be displayed for all to see. Minecraft The Crafting Table comes with 1,195 pieces that, when built, celebrates Minecraft’s 15th anniversary. Consider it for the adult Minecraft fan or experienced builders who love a collector’s item. It also includes 12 biomes, eight iconic micro figures, and five detachable mini builds for various display options. Lego Medium Creative Brick Box – Best Gift for the Lego Beginner The best starter set for those ages four to 99, this Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box comes with 484 pieces for limitless creations. It includes colorful bricks, wheels, windows, and a green baseplate. They can also use the pieces to make trains, cars, structures, and scenes. This set wonderfully fosters creativity, offers hours of imaginative play, and doubles as convenient storage. Unlike other Lego sets that have defined instructions, the little builder in your life can make whatever they want! BTS Dynamite Lego Set – Best Gift for the K-Pop Fan Have a BTS fan in your life? The Lego Ideas BTS Dynamite set lets K-pop lovers build an iconic scene from their hit music video, “Dynamite” (the group’s first-ever all-English single). Featuring all seven band members as Lego minifigures, this 749-piece kit—complete with a retro, feel-good vibe like the music video—is the perfect gift for collectors who happen to also be BTS-obsessed.US stocks surge to records, shrugging off upheaval in South Korea, FranceNavigating 2024's tech-driven transformations

FROM THE MARGINS Decades ago, I started my microfinance journey by providing credit to landless rural women for enterprise and community development, with a holistic vision of fighting poverty. I have seen firsthand how microfinance can improve people’s lives. By offering a myriad of financial and social services, microfinance institutions (MFIs) do not only help poor vulnerable households address their immediate needs. They provide access to resources that enable people to transform their lives in the long-term. There had been many studies and client testimonials documenting the transformative impact of microfinance. Just last Nov. 25, economist Jan Carlo “JC” Punongbayan of the WeSolve Foundation presented to industry representatives and government regulators a study on the impact of microfinance on income and consumption smoothing, which was based on their groundbreaking Philippine Microfinance Survey. The subsequent panel discussion proved highly insightful, with experts and practitioners examining the study’s implications for shaping microfinance policy and practice in the Philippines. Income and consumption smoothing Consumption smoothing is an economic concept that explains how individuals adjust their spending patterns in response to fluctuating income levels throughout different life stages. The ability to smooth consumption is critical for poor households, as they have limited income and few assets to rely on during disruptions such as death, illness, unemployment, or natural disasters. Lacking ways to mitigate income loss, they cope by borrowing money, cutting back on food and necessities, postponing medical care, deferring their children’s education, and delaying home repairs. These actions, in turn, push them further into poverty. The WeSolve study found that microfinance helps poor households stabilize consumption and avoid extreme poverty, with the greatest benefits seen among the poorer households. Our experience as a microfinance provider confirms this. We begin by offering small loans to help clients start microenterprises and generate income, while providing training on credit discipline and financial literacy. We increase loan amounts based on their performance. In cases when clients, due to economic difficulties, use part of their loans for family needs, intervention is done in center meetings to ensure that funds are reinvested to promote business growth. We offer other products/services to help them. Thus, the immediate impact of microfinance is increased income, primarily from livelihood loans. As businesses stabilize, borrowers gain access to other loans, such as for education, housing, emergencies and microinsurance. Microinsurance acts as a safety net, helping clients manage unexpected losses. The WeSolve study’s finding that microfinance enables poor people to manage income disruptions and economic downturns offer a valuable foundation for understanding how microfinance contributes to poverty alleviation. Beyond credit Microfinance is the heart and soul of financial inclusion because it targets poor and vulnerable households. Its goal is not just to ensure that everyone has access to useful financial tools; it wants to make sure that those tools would positively benefit those living in poverty. Microfinance goes beyond credit and covers a broad range of services, including savings, microinsurance, remittances, education, healthcare, disaster relief, and other interventions. MFIs offer more than enterprise development loans. They have emergency, health, education, home renovation and other loans to address the diverse needs of low-income families. They also provide microinsurance products, including agricultural, health, business interruption, and disaster coverage, along with pre-need products like education, life or memorial services, and pension. Additionally, MFIs offer non-financial services like financial literacy training, marketing support, community development, and relief during disasters. The end-goal? To ensure that financial services help clients address other aspects of their lives that keep them trapped in poverty. Contributing to SDGs In 2019, the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership published a study assessing how one of our affiliates, a microinsurance mutual benefit association, contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study, “Mutual Microinsurance and the SDGs: An Impact Assessment after Typhoon Haiyan,” found that mutual microinsurance can contribute to the SDGs by increasing the protection and resilience of low-income communities, highlighting the interdependence of microfinance and microinsurance in post-disaster recovery. A 2023 impact study done by WeSolve on our microfinance-oriented group of institutions confirms that we are contributing to 10 out of the 17 SDGs. Using the government’s Ambisyon 2040 as framework to assess impact, the study found that: “Significant improvements can be seen in members’ lives during their membership with the MFI. These were evident in aspects of the clients’ personal goals, community life, occupation and livelihood, education, housing, and health behaviors.” Dr. Takayoshi Amenomori also did a case study of our institution in 2023 and found that our program for the “hardcore poor” or those in extreme poverty had been successful, although further interventions are needed to lift them out of poverty. We have come a long way, but we still have far to go. As microfinance industry players work tirelessly to expand and enhance our services, these researches inspire us in our collective efforts to make poor people’s lives better. * * * “Research is creating new knowledge.” – Neil Armstrong (Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip is a poverty eradication advocate. He is the founder of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually-Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), a group of 23 organizations that provide social development services to eight million economically-disadvantaged Filipinos and insure more than 27 million nationwide.)Confluent's chief accounting officer sells $59,170 in stock

TGNAB launches drug-free awareness initiative for Telangana studentsIt's hard to compete with the addictiveness of smartphones — especially for Santa Fe educators trying to keep a classroom engaged. Some say they're fed up, however, with acting as the enforcers of what they call an insufficient new policy and pilot phone pouch program that serves as a disciplinary measure for students who don't stop using their devices. Several local school districts have made attempts this school year to address cellphone concerns. The Taos Municipal School District has made all high schools phone-free spaces by mandating that all secondary students keep their electronic devices locked in a district-provided, signal-blocking pouch for the duration of the school day. Santa Fe Public Schools has flirted with the pouch policy, for now adopting it only as a pilot program in some elementary and secondary schools — and reserving the pouches for students with repeated problems with phone use. “I think that this has to be a joint effort by parents and students — they need to meet us halfway in order for this to be successful,” said Superintendent Hilario “Larry” Chavez. The district's policy is partly to appease parents, who have concerns with their children's devices being revoked. But it has left some educators fed up in feeling personally responsible for dealing with an issue beyond their control. “Over my career, I've watched cell phones ruin the American classroom,” Geron Spray, a history teacher at Capital High School, wrote in response to a survey conducted by The New Mexican in November. “It's laughable that district administration is trying to slay this dragon (rather, have teachers slay this dragon) with Yondr Pouches.” Cellphone use has gone up dramatically over the last 10 years, with one 2023 study showing 97% of 11- to 17-year-olds reporting using their phone in school, up from 51% of high school students who said the same in 2013. That increase has come much at the chagrin of high school teachers, 72% of whom said phones have become a major problem, according to a survey from Pew Research Center conducted in 2023. “During COVID, we told our kids, ‘Everybody's going to be full-on electronic.’ So, how do you undo that? You really can’t,” said Taos Superintendent Antonio Layton. “You can't go from everybody completely online to nobody online. So when we thought about that process, we wanted it to be a holistic approach." Layton said the district initially discussed a policy like Santa Fe’s, only geared toward repeat offenders, but “we did not want to see this as a punitive measure,” Layton said. “We wanted to use it as a tool to help increase student engagement," he said. "If our kids saw it as punitive in nature, it made [it] a little bit harder to implement. We're not trying to punish you. We're just trying to help you increase your academics." Layton said the district did hear some concern from parents, but “because of the level of communication we had, and the transition period that we did, we received minimal pushback from parents and community.” That communication included polling community members on their thoughts. “I think about 80% [of respondents] were parents,” Layton said. “What was interesting was the majority said, ‘We know phones are a problem. We know there are distractions in the classroom. Just don't take them away from our kids.' " Following community feedback, the Taos school district determined phones were a larger issue in high schools than elementary schools and moved to adopt the “CellLockED” pouches districtwide as a solution to increase engagement without physically revoking phones. The pouches close and open using a specialized magnetic lock, which students lock at the start of the school day and unlock at the end, with unlocking magnets placed on school buses, in school offices and in classrooms for educators who plan to use phones to aid in instruction. "For the most part, it has been working," Layton said. "What we were hoping to see and what we have seen is an increase in student engagement, both socially and academically." In a social media survey, conducted in November, The New Mexican asked parents, educators and students on their thoughts toward Santa Fe’s phone pouches, the “Yondr” pouch, a different brand than the Taos pouches but with virtually the same function. Parents brought up familiar concerns about taking away students' property and preventing contact with their child. "Times have changed, and technology is everywhere in everything we do," said parent Angel Lopez. "... Us parents do fear for our kids safety at school and having that phone on them keeps a sense of security.” Studies show an overwhelming majority of parents agree with Lopez. A 2024 National Parents Union survey reported 78% of parents want their kids to have phones in school because of the potential of an emergency. Many teachers see it differently, criticizing the pouch policy as one that leaves enforcement in their hands. “While we teachers are being pounded for not presenting 'engaging' lessons,” wrote Capital High teacher Marty Carvlin, “we are competing with the world's best innovators in social media and technology for our students' attention. Students' ambition to advance their skill level and knowledge base is severely compromised by a crippling addiction.” And even some students admit problems surrounding phones. “I believe the Yondr Pouches could be a good thing," Santa Fe High School ninth grader Emilie Bridges wrote in an email. "Students are always on their phones, even if teachers cannot see them. Students are so disrespectful to their teachers when they ask them to put them away or to give them to them. I think the Yondr Pouches are a good solution, even if you do get a lot of backlash for them.”FuriosaAI Ends 2024 on a High Note: Llama 3.1 Performance, SDK Release, Leadership Expansion