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NoneIt’s almost a new year, and that means it’s almost time for a bevy of new state laws to go into effect. For the 2023-24 legislative session that just wrapped up (each session spans two years) Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 1,017 bills into law, according to Chris Micheli, a veteran Sacramento lobbyist. That’s a tick more than one-fifth of t he 4,821 bills introduced over that two-year span . Most of the new laws are slated to kick in on Jan. 1. From new parking rules to health care coverage and more, here is a quick look at just 10 of those new laws: Local jurisdictions could give the green light to permit certain cannabis retailers to prepare and sell drinks and food that do not contain cannabis. The law, signed by the governor in late September , also allows the retailers to host ticketed live events on the premises. The idea is to pave the way for a version of Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes, where people can use cannabis with others while also consuming coffee, sandwiches and live music, for example. The new law “will allow cannabis retailers to diversify their business and move away from the struggling and limited dispensary model,” Assemblymember Matt Haney, a San Francisco Democrat who championed the effort in the legislature, said in a news release . Newsom vetoed similar legislation last year over concerns from public health advocates. This bill included additional provisions meant to reduce health risk, including letting employees wear employer-provided masks and allowing local governments to require filtration and ventilation systems to prevent smoke from permeating nearby buildings. Minors who make money by producing online content should get some extra financial protection as a result of two bills the governor signed this year. One expands the Coogan Act , a longtime California law that requires parents to open a trust and set aside at least 15% of their child actor’s gross earnings. The new rules have been expanded to include “kidfluencers” — or, as the bill describes them, “child influences in paid online content or internet websites, social networks and social media” — as part of the creative or artistic services that would trigger a Coogan trust account. Another extends those financial protections to children who appear in vlogs, or video blogs. Sen. Steve Padilla, D-San Diego, noted the Coogan Act covers children under contract — not necessarily children who appear in their parents’ online content. This new law requires content creators to set aside a percentage of total gross earnings in a trust for the child (to be accessed when they become an adult) if the minor is in at least 30% of their content within a month. Several education bills were signed into law this year, ranging from rules to protect young people from being outed against their will to rules that require elementary schools to offer free menstruation products . Other new laws cover what is taught in the classroom, including a bipartisan measure that ensures students are being taught accurately how Native Americans in California were treated during the Gold Rush era and the Spanish colonization of California. “Classroom instruction about the Mission and Gold Rush periods fails to include the loss of life, enslavement, starvation, illness and violence inflicted upon California Native American people during those times,” said Assemblymember James Ramos, D-San Bernardino. “These historical omissions from the curriculum are misleading.” California public schools also will be required to teach Mendez v. Westminster , a landmark court case involving an Orange County family and local school districts that helped bring about the end of segregation laws in local schools around the country. Selling a device, often called a “tuning kit,” that can modify the speed capability of an electric bicycle so that it is no longer defined as an e-bike will be prohibited . California law already has speed guidelines for e-bikes. For example, a Class 1 bike has a motor that kicks in when a rider is pedaling and tops out at 20 mph; a Class 3 motor is meant to stop at 28 mph, and those bikes include speedometers. Modifying the speed of e-bikes is already illegal and unsafe, Assemblymember Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, said in an analysis of her bill. The new law specifically bans the sale of products that can make the alterations. Tenants soon will have more time to respond to an eviction notice. California law originally dictated that a landlord could not file an eviction lawsuit until after serving their tenant with a three-day notice — which excludes Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays — to pay. Tenants then had five days after they were served to file their defense in court. If they failed to do so, a judge could award a default judgment to the landlord. The new law doubles those five day-windows to 10 days. Responding to eviction lawsuits is not necessarily a simple feat, supporters of the new law have argued , particularly for people struggling to pay their rent. Tenants need to obtain hard-to-find legal aid or an expensive attorney to complete their defense filing accurately, and then they have to find the means to travel to the courthouse. Certain insurers must cover fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization, in 2025. This law, which won’t take effect until July 2025 , will require large group health care service plans to cover up to three oocyte (egg) retrievals. It also prohibits health care service plans from imposing different conditions or coverage limitations on fertility medications or services. Sen. Caroline Manjivar, D-San Fernando Valley, said her bill being signed into law is “a triumph for the many Californians who have been denied a path toward family-building because of the financial barriers that come with fertility treatment, their relationship status or are blatantly discriminated against as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.” Medical debt will no longer be shared with credit reporting agencies , meaning that debt will not show up on credit reports. That said, medical debts still must be paid. In her analysis of the bill Sen. Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara, noted that the new rules doesn’t forgive medical debt or restrict the collection of it. Instead, she said, the new rules are meant to help “lift the credit scores of people who have been inaccurately and unfairly saddled with medical debts on their credit reports, opening opportunities for access to healthier financial products, better housing and more employment opportunities.” A new law may make it easier to opt out of pesky automatic subscription renewals. Companies will now have to obtain the “express affirmative consent” to automatically renew subscriptions entered into after July 1, 2025. Consumers also will need to be sent annual reminders about automatic renewals, what the charges are, and information about how to cancel the service. Think you’ve finally found an open parking spot? If it’s within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk, then you may want to find a new spot. Starting in 2025, motorists could be ticketed for parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk — even if there is no sign posted. The no-parking zone decreases to 15 feet if there is a curb extension present, the law says. Newsom OK’d this law in 2023 — the bill is part of the two-year legislative session that ended in 2024 — and technically it already is in effect. However, the law only allowed jurisdictions to begin ticketing offenders starting Jan. 1, 2025. Residential treatment facilities (also called short-term residential therapeutic programs) that provide services for minors, must report certain information to the child, their parent or guardian, and California’s Department of Social Services when seclusion or restraints are used. These facilities are allowed to use seclusion or restraints when staff believe the patient may be a danger to themselves or others, said Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, who championed this law. The new law mandates that children must be informed of their rights — including the right to contact state social service workers and the California Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson — within one day of seclusion or restraints being used. Those minors also must be given an oral and written description of the incident, including who approved the disciplinary actions and the rationale behind them. That written information must be given to Dept. of Social Services within seven days, leaving it up to the state to review and determine if any laws were potentially violated by using seclusion and restraints, therefore warranting an investigation. Beginning in 2026, the department will need to publicly post information about these incidents, so parents and guardians can be better informed about where they send their children. The effort to bring more transparency to what punishments are used in youth residential facilities was championed by actress and activist Paris Hilton, who has detailed the “continuous torture” she faced while attending a boarding school as a teenager. Hilton has championed similar laws in other states related to what’s been dubbed the troubled teen industry as well as at the federal level . “For too long, these facilities have operated without adequate oversight, leaving vulnerable youth at risk,” said Hilton. “After being abused in a California facility in my teens, it is validating to see California taking a stand to protect our youth, and I hope our state is the standard for transparency and accountability in these facilities moving forward.” Related Articleswinner 777 casino login 。

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer's comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar." Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump's world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift. His presidential transition team did not respond to questions about positions on visas for highly skilled workers or the debate between his supporters online. Instead, his team instead sent a link to a post on X by longtime adviser and immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller that was a transcript of a speech Trump gave in 2020 at Mount Rushmore in which he praised figures and moments from American history. Musk, the world's richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump's movement but his stance on the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump's own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump's businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country" and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he told the “All-In" podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump's budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.Poland plans to take Hungary to European Court of Justice over political asylum case2024 opened with speculation already rife about the timing of a general election. But the first national poll came in the form of two referendums on amending the Constitution’s definition of family and the role of women within the home. Some concern had been expressed over the speed with which both amendments had been rushed through the Oireachtas. There was also criticism of the proposed new wording on carers and the family. But with support from almost every party in the Dáil, along with a wide range of civil society groups, the expectation was that both proposals would pass. In fact, the two amendments were rejected by historic margins. The result led to some soul-searching about a disconnect between the political establishment and popular sentiment. It was also a harbinger of political difficulties ahead for Sinn Féin and the Greens. But the most immediate and consequential aftershock came two weeks later with Leo Varadkar’s resignation as leader of Fine Gael and taoiseach. Within days, Simon Harris had effectively sewn up sufficient support to be confirmed by Fine Gael as Varadkar’s successor in both roles. The new Taoiseach faced a rising drumbeat of controversy over the handling of a growing refugee crisis. Having welcomed almost 100,000 people displaced by the war in Ukraine since 2022, the State appeared unable to cope with the rising numbers of applicants for international protection. Desperate efforts to find premises to house those arriving were met with local opposition across the country, some of which escalated into ugly scenes of arson, violence and racist abuse. After the announcement that new arrivals would no longer be guaranteed accommodation, tent cities sprang up in central Dublin, adding to the sense of a crisis spinning out of control. As candidates prepared for the local and European elections in early June, there was speculation that these tensions could spark an electoral breakthrough for far-right or anti-immigrant parties. While a handful of individuals espousing such views were indeed elected, the results were most notable for the collapse in support for Sinn Féin. The party, which only a few months earlier had held a commanding lead in opinion polls, now found itself trailing well behind Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. The Greens also suffered, losing both their European Parliament seats and a tranche of councillors. The following week Eamon Ryan stepped down after 13 years as Green leader, to be replaced by Roderic O’Gorman. By the end of summer, Harris’s ‘s “new energy” seemed to be successfully lifting his party’s spirits as well as its electoral prospects. Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil’s new Minister for Finance Jack Chambers and his Fine Gael colleague, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe, were fashioning a budget that, despite their protestations, was clearly engineered to woo voters in the upcoming general election. Despite increasingly absurd attempts to maintain that they were not even contemplating such an action, the Government parties eventually called an election for the end of November. The short but oddly uninspiring campaign that followed was marked by extravagant promises from nearly all parties to boost spending and cut taxes. Fine Gael, which had gone into the election as clear frontrunner, made a number of unforced errors. Only in the closing stages was any reference made to the looming threat posed to Ireland’s economic model and buoyant public finances by a second Trump administration. The picture that emerged after the election looked remarkably familiar. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s share of the popular vote was very similar to what the two had achieved in 2020, with Micheál Martin’s party a nose ahead and extracting a significant seat bonus. Sinn Féin dropped five percentage points from the previous general election but it too achieved a seat bonus through canny vote management. The Greens were almost obliterated as a parliamentary force, with most of the slack taken up by Labour and the Social Democrats. At the end of a year of political turbulence and electoral contests internationally, the image which Ireland presented to the world at the end of 2024 was one of unusual stability and continuity. The two large incumbent parties had come through the election effectively unscathed, bucking the international trend, and seemed well positioned to form a government with Independent support in the first few weeks of 2025. While it faces the same pressing questions as its predecessor over housing, infrastructure and services, the greatest challenges facing that government are likely to come once more from external shocks in an uncertain and unpredictable world. How well equipped the current political model is to cope with such challenges remains an open question.SEWP, GSA and DOD leaders to talk contracting at our next Power Breakfast

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The Ministry of Justice inaugurated on Tuesday the first phase of its digital legal services, in accordance with the ministry's approved digital transformation plan. The package of services launched by the Documentation Department includes visual communication transactions, introduced for the first time, and automated transactions connected to the Qatar Digital Identity (QDI) system. During the launch, Director of the Documentation Department, Areej Mohsen al-Shammari, highlighted the services, noting that the launch of digital transformation transactions in the Real Estate Registration and Documentation Sector aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030. She emphasised the ministry's commitment to developing projects and work systems to meet beneficiaries needs, enhance client satisfaction, and improve service delivery mechanisms. Al-Shammari added that this initiative would improve operational efficiency in service delivery, reduce transaction time, enhance transparency, and lessen paper dependency, supporting environmental sustainability efforts and conserving natural resources for sustainable development. She pointed out that this step aims to enhance users' experiences with the ministry by providing advanced and easily accessible electronic services, adopting smart solutions to ensure performance quality, and keeping pace with global technological developments. Regarding the nature of automated transactions, al-Shammari explained that these are offered and issued electronically without human intervention, including general power of attorney for cases and authorisation for handling government transactions. She added that applying for automated transactions linked to the QDI system requires an active account in the QDI application and the availability of an electronic signature. The transaction must be submitted in a personal capacity using one of the available models without modifications, except that a legal representative must be an attorney for court cases. Concerning transactions conducted through visual communication, she stated that these are submitted electronically, where parties' identities and intentions are verified remotely via TEAMS, without visiting documentation offices. Al-Shammari mentioned a new feature in digital transformation transactions: a QR Code for all power of attorneys, allowing reviewers to access the validity and parties' details by scanning the code anytime using a mobile camera. Deputy Director of the Documentation Department, Mohammad Hassan Al Rumaihi, discussed the importance of benefiting from these new services, urging clients to utilize them to facilitate transactions and save time and effort. He noted that any person could complete their digital transactions without human intervention from the ministry, except in cases requiring specific legal procedures to protect clients' rights. Al Rumaihi explained that the new services follow the trial phase of launching digital legal services, which completed around 35 transactions without any reported issues from reviewers or legal notaries. Head of documentation affairs section at the Documentation Department, Sara Al Thobiani, presented a live demonstration of automated transactions linked to the QDI system and visual communication transactions, explaining the simplified procedures for beneficiaries to obtain the ministrys digital services without needing to visit the ministry or its external centers. She noted that the digital transaction cycle compared to the previous one allows the ministrys reviewers to complete their transactions electronically within 5 to 10 minutes if all requirements are met. On the sidelines of the launch, Head of Southern Service Centers, Hussein Ali Al Haiki, emphasized the importance of launching these services to ease reviewers' processes and reduce pressure on service offices, noting that the number of reviewers reaches around 100 daily at peak times. Al Haiki added that the ministry provided a well-equipped technical infrastructure for digital transformation transactions, along with a fully prepared and trained team to offer services, adding that service centers are ready to serve the public parallel with the currently available digital services, ensuring no disruption in services provided to citizens and residents. Related Story Qatar joins Global Coalition for Digital Safety Education ministry honours winners in Digital Creativity OlympiadThis letter is in response to Frank Dare’s letter to the editor of Dec. 13. He states he was a counselor at Maple Lane, that neither Maple Lane or Green Hill was a “school.” I beg to differ with him, because between 1966 through 1975, I worked for the Chehalis School District, which administered the school at Green Hill. We had principals, teachers, counselors, a librarian and myself. My duty as secretary was security, making sure a student was in attendance, then sending him back to either his cottage, the hospital or wherever he was assigned to be next. If necessary, I notified security. At that time, many students had not completed their high school requirements for graduation, so the intent was to see that they either graduated or fulfilled requirements for a GED. There was a library. Art and music were offered, plus vocational classes: print shop, metal shop, floral and garden, culinary arts, etc. Each of these classes provided the student with a skill that they could use after their stay at Green Hill. Some of their completed work was sold. Many years before, students learned to take care of the cows and acquired skills to be a farmer. Green Hill was a correction school. Not a prison. There were many students who came to the office between classes to just talk. One day, I asked a student why he thought it was OK for him to break into someone’s home to take whatever he wanted. His answer was, “Why not? Your insurance will replace anything I take, newer and better.” I replied, “maybe what he was taking had meaning to me, like it belonged to my family or was a special gift.” He had no concept of my answer. When I read their files, I found 95% of the time they didn’t have a chance to learn right from wrong. Either they didn’t have parents who had parenting skills or even cared. But, for me, what was even worse was that all of them had been before judges not just one, two or three times, but many eight, 10 or 12 times. What sense does that make? So, for those of you who are doing the blame game of liberals, Democrats, governors and attorneys general, take a second look at the judicial system. Make laws that allow for second chances, but then enforce the laws to full measure. Note: While at Green Hill, a group of cottage parents went to Seattle to see what it would look like to actually live on the streets for one week. They came back and called for a meeting at the auditorium where we learned that they concluded we were all one week away from living like animals. If that was evident 50 years ago, how can anyone be appalled at what is happening today? Rose Spogen Chehalis

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How major US stock indexes fared Wednesday, 12/4/2024

DETROIT (AP) — For a second time, a Delaware judge has nullified a pay package that Tesla had awarded its CEO, Elon Musk, that once was valued at $56 billion. On Monday, Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick turned aside a request from Musk's lawyers to reverse a ruling she announced in January that had thrown out the compensation plan. The judge ruled then that Musk effectively controlled Tesla's board and had engineered the outsize pay package during sham negotiations . Lawyers for a Tesla shareholder who sued to block the pay package contended that shareholders who had voted for the 10-year plan in 2018 had been given misleading and incomplete information. In their defense, Tesla's board members asserted that the shareholders who ratified the pay plan a second time in June had done so after receiving full disclosures, thereby curing all the problems the judge had cited in her January ruling. As a result, they argued, Musk deserved the pay package for having raised Tesla's market value by billions of dollars. McCormick rejected that argument. In her 103-page opinion, she ruled that under Delaware law, Tesla's lawyers had no grounds to reverse her January ruling “based on evidence they created after trial.” On Monday night, Tesla posted on X, the social media platform owned by Musk, that the company will appeal. The appeal would be filed with the Delaware Supreme Court, the only state appellate court Tesla can pursue. Experts say a ruling would likely come in less than a year. “The ruling, if not overturned, means that judges and plaintiffs' lawyers run Delaware companies rather than their rightful owners — the shareholders,” Tesla argued. Later, on X, Musk unleashed a blistering attack on the judge, asserting that McCormick is “a radical far left activist cosplaying as a judge.” Legal authorities generally suggest that McCormick’s ruling was sound and followed the law. Charles Elson, founding director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, said that in his view, McCormick was right to rule that after Tesla lost its case in the original trial, it created improper new evidence by asking shareholders to ratify the pay package a second time. Had she allowed such a claim, he said, it would cause a major shift in Delaware’s laws against conflicts of interest given the unusually close relationship between Musk and Tesla’s board. “Delaware protects investors — that’s what she did,” said Elson, who has followed the court for more than three decades. “Just because you’re a ‘superstar CEO’ doesn’t put you in a separate category.” Elson said he thinks investors would be reluctant to put money into Delaware companies if there were exceptions to the law for “special people.” Elson said that in his opinion, the court is likely to uphold McCormick's ruling. Experts say no. Rulings on state laws are normally left to state courts. Brian Dunn, program director for the Institute of Compensation Studies at Cornell University, said it's been his experience that Tesla has no choice but to stay in the Delaware courts for this compensation package. The company could try to reconstitute the pay package and seek approval in Texas, where it may expect more friendlier judges. But Dunn, who has spent 40 years as an executive compensation consultant, said it's likely that some other shareholder would challenge the award in Texas because it's excessive compared with other CEOs' pay plans. “If they just want to turn around and deliver him $56 billion, I can't believe somebody wouldn't want to litigate it,” Dunn said. “It's an unconscionable amount of money.” Almost certainly. Tesla stock is trading at 15 times the exercise price of stock options in the current package in Delaware, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in a note to investors. Tesla's share price has doubled in the past six months, Jonas wrote. At Monday’s closing stock price, the Musk package is now worth $101.4 billion, according to Equilar, an executive data firm. And Musk has asked for a subsequent pay package that would give him 25% of Tesla's voting shares. Musk has said he is uncomfortable moving further into artificial intelligence with the company if he doesn't have 25% control. He currently holds about 13% of Tesla's outstanding shares. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Gillian Anderson goes makeup free as a homeless hiker for gritty role in The Salt Path trailer

Colombia shares lower at close of trade; COLCAP down 0.51%A new chapter in both technology and democracy began with the 2024 U.S. elections , raising questions about the impact of rapidly evolving Artificial Intelligence on campaign strategies, voter outreach, and electoral discourse. The impact of artificial intelligence was such that the way campaigns connect with the voters changed quite radically. AI-fueled advanced data analysis allowed political teams to look at enormous amounts of voter data with great precision. All these insights on demographics, voting history, and behavioral patterns helped make targeted campaigns addressing concerns and preferences specific to the individual voter. This natural language processing helped AI come up with messages for various groups. This enabled campaigns to respond to voters' questions with chatbots. This helped maintain informed and engaged supporters. The personalized outreach made relationships between voters and candidates stronger, and communication between a candidate and citizens became more efficient than it was before. Artificial intelligence changed how campaigns could reach voters. Predictive analytics assisted campaigns in finding swing voters and places that needed extra work. Algorithms were applied to areas based on voters' thoughts, ensuring that resources are utilized well. AI tools created eye-catching digital ads that changed messages based on the reactions of the viewers. Deep learning enabled them to monitor trends on social media and adjust campaign materials according to the same so they remained relevant and appealing. This adaptive approach ensured high returns on investments for the funds used in campaigns while keeping voters interested. Artificial intelligence made its presence felt in the minds of people during elections. Social media sites would suggest political content based on algorithms, thus shaping information for voters. This increased awareness of the issues also brought worries about echo chambers where algorithms would just repeat what people already believed rather than showing them alternative ideas. Generative AI tools created videos , images, and articles that blur what is real and what isn't. Most of the campaigns utilized the tools well, but they also helped spread misinformation. AI media's manipulation power had questions regarding ethics and stronger rules. Another important issue surfaced was election security, which involved artificial intelligence again. High-tech threat detection systems continuously monitor cyberattacks and other attempts to disrupt the voting process. It analyzed patterns in real time for possible vulnerabilities. Besides protecting the voting infrastructure, AI played a significant role in fighting misinformation by checking facts. AI helps find false claims and ensure voters have the right information. For this reason, people continued trusting the election process even as misinformation campaigns increased. The use of artificial intelligence also brought several ethical questions into the election process. The use of AI-based tools raised questions on whether the process was transparent or accountable. Voters were frequently unaware of how algorithms influenced their choices. It also raised questions over the privacy of data with respect to personal information that campaigns were gathering and then analyzing. As AI helped increase the efficiency of the campaigns, misuse rose. Policymakers and technologists learned to find a balance between innovation and ethics. The 2024 U.S. elections clearly portrayed how AI can change democracy for the better. These benefits brought many good things for the 2024 U.S. elections, but there are also some problems that may need more careful management in future elections as AI keeps changing. Policymakers, tech experts, and citizens must create rules to help use artificial intelligence ethically in elections. Technology should be there to help democracy, not hurt it, to ensure that there is openness, responsibility, and learning about voting. This is a very important moment in the history of democracy, as AI is now meeting politics. It will only make future elections more open, efficient, and safer than they have ever been if used wisely. Continuous discussions about its influence will determine the future of democratic machinery. Artificial intelligence has already marked its presence on the political landscape and is only just beginning to take part in shaping elections. If used ethically, AI will have the power to make voters stronger and strengthen democracy in the years ahead.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has revealed that the decision to bring Andrew Porter off the bench after just 22 minutes of the 28-7 bonus point win at Thomond Park was pre-planned. Jack Boyle was surprisingly called ashore early on, when the 22-year-old loosehead prop was substituted for Ireland international Porter, who helped maintain Leinster’s scrum dominance. Leinster’s scrum was already well on top by the time Cullen replaced Boyle for Porter, with the interesting tactic bearing all the hallmarks of South Africa Jacques Nienaber, who along with Rassie Erasmus, constantly came up with different innovations during the Springboks’ back-to-back World Cup wins. “That was pre-planned. A pre-planned experiment we’ll call it,” Cullen smiled. “We just wanted to see Jack starting a big game. We wanted to get some decent time into Andrew as well. We’ll consider it (again), yeah...” Cullen clarified that Boyle was fully-aware that he was coming off midway through the first-half. “He knew it was happening so it wasn’t a big shock to him, so that was the important bit. An experiment, we’ll call it.” Cullen was pleased with the manner of his side’s performance, as their blitz defence and set-piece power ensured that they left Limerick with their 100pc winning record still intact. “The lads have gone well there,” the Leinster boss enthused. “If you think, a lot of the players came back in today having had last week off. After the game against Connacht we were talking about how we apply ourselves in the week. “There's so many distractions this time of year. They applied themselves well, and it's nice to see a decent performance off the back of that. It's far from perfect, but for this time of year when there's a lot of chopping and changing, how the guys prepared this week has been pleasing. Off the back of that you get a good outcome. “We started the game pretty well, we go 7-0 in front and had to soak up a lot of pressure after that, and eventually Tommy goes to the bin, but we managed to clear our lines and work our way up the field, and after a good bit of pressure on their try-line Sam (Prendergast) gets over. How we managed that period with 14 players was good in terms of outcome, playing quite sensibly. “Munster came back pretty strong in the second half and get in for a try, but it's good that we managed to hit back straight away. Those periods were quite important during the game. “All the bench guys added pretty well, so it was a good 23-man effort. It's great to get a win down here, because it's difficult to win down here, and it's difficult to score four tries down here.” Meanwhile, Munster’s interim head coach Ian Costello was left to rue an inaccurate display against an ultra-clinical Leinster side, who were the better team on the night. “It's disappointing that the game got away from us but when you play a side like Leinster, of that quality, that's what happens if you're inaccurate in any areas,” Costello said. "They had five chances five metres out from the line, they took four. We had four quick taps and a five-metre metre lineout and converted one. And our scrum was under pressure as well. If you're off in any area against Leinster, unfortunately you can be on the end of a scoreline like that. "But it's pretty frustrating based on some of the positive elements of our performance, unfortunately." Costello was frustrated that Munster let Munster in for a third try just after Tom Ahern’s score had halved the deficit. “I felt we counter-rucked it and had gotten the ball back,” Costello added. “So there's a bit of confusion around that, it was a big swing. To be fair to them, they brought a lot of power off the bench in the last 20 minutes, they were very, very strong, very impressive. “We counter-rucked, new offside line, my understanding is you can't pick the ball up and score, you know. Anyway, that's just a moment or two in the game. “We were frustrated (with the scrum battle) because it happens a lot where in the referee's eyes when one team is dominant, there can be a trend like that,” Costello added. “We got on the wrong side early doors, so that's an area we have to address. We had a couple of young players out there who have done really well over the last period but a couple of front-five players coming back will hopefully add to all areas of our set-piece." Read more

Heating restored at Governmental CenterATLANTA, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DLH Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: DLHC) (“DLH” or the “Company”), a leading provider of science research and development, systems engineering and integration, and digital transformation and cyber security solutions to federal health IT and readiness agencies, today announced financial results for its fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal year ended September 30, 2024. Recent Highlights Reduced debt to $154.6 million as of September 30, 2024 versus $179.4 million as of September 30, 2023. All mandatory principal amortization payments have been satisfied through fiscal 2025. Amended credit facility to provide flexibility for business transition. Announced new business award of $76 million to deliver C5ISR services to the U.S. Navy. Fourth Quarter Results Fourth quarter revenue was $96.4 million in fiscal 2024 versus $101.5 million in fiscal 2023, reflecting the impact of small business contract conversions in the Company’s Veterans Affairs ("VA") and Department of Defense ("DOD") portfolios. Earnings were $2.3 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 versus $(2.6) million, or $(0.18) per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, which included a $7.7 million impairment charge relating to certain long-lived real estate assets which reduced net income. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") were $10.7 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 as compared to $4.4 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, which was impacted by the aforementioned impairment charge. Adjusted EBITDA for the same periods were $10.7 million and $12.1 million, respectively. Fiscal Year Results Fiscal year 2024 revenue was $395.9 million compared to revenue of $375.9 million in fiscal year 2023, reflecting the full year contribution of the December 2022 acquisition and growth in the Company’s Health and Human Services portfolio, offset by small business conversions in its DOD and VA portfolios. Earnings for the full year were $7.4 million, or $0.51 per diluted share for fiscal 2024 as compared to earnings of $1.5 million, or $0.10 per diluted share in fiscal 2023. Operating results for the prior year were impacted by the impairment charge. EBITDA was $42.0 million for fiscal 2024 as compared to $32.7 million in fiscal 2023. Adjusted EBITDA for the same periods were $42.0 million and $42.1 million, respectively. Contract backlog was $690.3 million as of September 30, 2024 versus $704.8 million as of September 30, 2023. Management Discussion "As we close fiscal 2024, I believe that DLH is well positioned for the road ahead as we manage through this inflection point in our company's journey," said Zach Parker, DLH President and Chief Executive Officer. "We continued using our operating cash flow to reduce debt and ended the year with a total debt balance under $155 million. Furthermore, we recently announced an amendment to our credit facility that provides the flexibility to effectively navigate the transition of our CMOP contracts to small business contractors. That said, our pipeline of new business opportunities has never been stronger. We continue to actively bid on a host of opportunities leveraging our expanded customer base and capability set, and our recent new business win with the US Navy demonstrates the value our highly credentialed work force provides to our customers. Utilizing the platform of technology-powered solutions and services we have assembled through our acquisition program, we are confident in our ability to generate growth as we navigate the small business transition of a portion of our contract portfolio. We believe that our focus on providing innovative, high-value-added solutions in IT, public health, and digital transformation has put us on the path to greater operating results in the future, expansion in our business base, and higher shareholder value." Results for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 Revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 was $96.4 million versus $101.5 million in fiscal 2023, once again reflecting strength across the Company's key strategic programs — primarily in public health and IT services — offset by certain work converting to small business set-aside contracts, including the one previously-discussed CMOP location. The Company anticipates additional CMOP contract award decisions during fiscal 2025 to eligible small business bidders. Income from operations was $6.4 million in fiscal 2024, versus $0.1 million in the fiscal 2023 fourth quarter and, as a percentage of revenue, the Company reported an operating margin of 6.6% in fiscal 2024 versus 0.1% in the prior-year period. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, the Company booked a $7.7 million impairment charge on certain long-lived assets, which negatively impacted operating results for such period. General and administrative expenses declined approximately $1.8 million to $8.5 million in the fiscal 2024 fourth quarter from $10.2 million in fiscal 2023 as the company continued to strategically scale its indirect costs during this transitional period. Interest expense was $4.2 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 versus $4.8 million in the prior-year period, reflecting lower debt outstanding due to the Company's use of cash flow generation to de-lever the balance sheet. Income before income taxes was $2.2 million for the fourth quarter this year versus $(4.6) million in fiscal 2023, representing 2.3% and (4.6)% of revenue, respectively, for each period. For the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, DLH recorded an income tax benefit of $0.1 million and $2.0 million, respectively. During the 2024 fiscal quarter and year, the Company benefited from stock-based compensation expense as options were exercised. The Company reported net income of approximately $2.3 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 versus $(2.6) million, or $(0.18) per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. As a percentage of revenue for fiscal 2024 and 2023, net income was 2.4% and (2.6)%, respectively. On a non-GAAP basis, EBITDA for the three months ended September 30, 2024 was approximately $10.7 million versus $4.4 million in the prior-year period, or 11.1% and 4.3% of revenue, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended September 30, 2024 was approximately $10.7 million versus $12.1 million in the prior-year period, or 11.1% and 11.9% of revenue, respectively. Key Financial Indicators During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, DLH generated $12.4 million in operating cash. As of September 30, 2024 the Company had cash of $0.3 million and debt outstanding under its credit facility of $154.6 million versus cash of $0.2 million and debt outstanding of $179.4 million as of September 30, 2023. Of the $11.9 million debt reduction during the fourth quarter, $9.5 million were voluntary prepayments. The Company has satisfied all mandatory term amortization payments through fiscal 2025. As of September 30, 2024 total backlog was approximately $690.3 million, including funded backlog of approximately $155.1 million and unfunded backlog of $535.2 million. Conference Call and Webcast Details DLH management will discuss fourth quarter results and provide a general business update, including current competitive conditions and strategies, during a conference call beginning at 10:00 AM Eastern Time tomorrow, December 5, 2024. Interested parties may listen to the conference call by dialing 888-347-5290 or 412-317-5256. Presentation materials will also be posted on the Investor Relations section of the DLH website prior to the commencement of the conference call. A digital recording of the conference call will be available for replay two hours after the completion of the call and can be accessed on the DLH Investor Relations website or by dialing 877-344-7529 and entering the conference ID 4353784. About DLH DLH (NASDAQ: DLHC), a Russell 2000 company, enhances technology, public health, and cyber security readiness missions through science, technology, cyber, and engineering solutions and services. Our experts solve some of the most complex and critical missions faced by federal customers, leveraging digital transformation, artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, cloud-based applications, telehealth systems, and more. With over 2,800 employees dedicated to the idea that “Your Mission is Our Passion,” DLH brings a unique combination of government sector experience, proven methodology, and unwavering commitment to innovative solutions to improve the lives of millions. For more information, visit www.DLHcorp.com. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events or DLH`s future financial performance. Any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances or that are not statements of historical fact (including without limitation statements to the effect that the Company or its management “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “intends” and similar expressions) should be considered forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or DLH’s actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this release include, among others, statements regarding estimates of future revenues, operating income, earnings and cash flow. These statements reflect our belief and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Our actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements made in this release due to a variety of factors, including: the risk that we will not realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions (including anticipated future financial performance and results); the diversion of management’s attention from normal daily operations of the business and the challenges of managing larger and more widespread operations; the inability to retain employees and customers; contract awards in connection with re-competes for present business and/or competition for new business; our ability to manage our debt obligations; compliance with bank financial and other covenants; changes in client budgetary priorities; government contract procurement (such as bid and award protests, small business set asides, loss of work due to organizational conflicts of interest, etc.) and termination risks; the impact of inflation and higher interest rates; and other risks described in our SEC filings. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in the Company’s periodic reports filed with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 as well as subsequent reports filed thereafter. The forward-looking statements contained herein are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections about our industry and business. Such forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and may become outdated over time. The Company does not assume any responsibility for updating forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. CONTACTS: TABLES TO FOLLOW Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company is presenting additional non-GAAP measures regarding its financial performance for the three months and fiscal years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023. The measures presented are Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization (“EBITDA”), EBITDA Margin on Revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin on Revenue. In calculating Adjusted EBITDA, we have added the corporate development costs associated with completing the December 2022 acquisition to our results for fiscal year 2023 and removed the impairment loss on certain real estate assets. These resulting measures present the quarterly and annual financial performance compared to results delivered in the prior year period. Definitions of these additional non-GAAP measures are set forth below. We have prepared these additional non-GAAP measures to eliminate the impact of items that we do not consider indicative of ongoing operating performance due to their inherently unusual or extraordinary nature. These non-GAAP measures of performance are used by management to conduct and evaluate its business during its review of operating results for the periods presented. Management and the Company's Board utilize these non-GAAP measures to make decisions about the use of the Company's resources, analyze performance between periods, develop internal projections and measure management performance. We believe that these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors in evaluating the Company's ongoing operating and financial results and understanding how such results compare with the Company's historical performance. These supplemental performance measurements may vary from and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures by other companies in our industry. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDA Margin on Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA Margin on Revenue are not recognized measurements under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP, and when analyzing our performance investors should (i) evaluate each adjustment in our reconciliation to the nearest GAAP financial measures and (ii) use the aforementioned non-GAAP measures in addition to, and not as an alternative to, revenue, operating income, net income or diluted EPS, as measures of operating results, each as defined under GAAP. We have defined these non-GAAP measures as follows: "EBITDA" represents net income before income taxes, interest, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA Margin on Revenue is EBITDA divided by revenue for the relevant period. “Adjusted EBITDA” represents net income before income taxes, interest, depreciation and amortization and the corporate costs associated with completing the acquisition and the impairment loss on the right of use asset. Adjusted EBITDA Margin on Revenue is Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue for the relevant period. (a): Represents impairment loss of certain long-lived real estate assets associated with a reduction of the fair value of an asset prompted by a triggering event. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, DLH reduced its leased office space requirement by consolidating underutilized premises as part of an ongoing facility rationalization effort, to accurately reflect the operational needs of the business. As a result, the Company has determined that its Right of Use Assets experienced a reduction in fair value below its associated carrying value and recorded a $7.7 million loss of fair value. (b): Represents corporate development costs we incurred to complete the December 2022 transaction. These costs primarily include legal counsel, financial due diligence, customer market analysis and representation and warranty insurance premiums.