v niche bar and restaurant
NFL Power Rankings: Bills Remain Firm No. 2 Following Bye Week | Sporting NewsFinal crystal triangles installed on Times Square ball ahead of New Year's Eve
Bosa hilariously clarifies McDaniel encounter after 49ers-DolphinsTRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey and across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern over where they came from and why. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim have both gone out on drone hunts, hoping for answers. The FBI, Homeland Security, state police and other agencies are investigating. Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to be a threat to public safety , but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft — and to be allowed to shoot them out of the sky. Dozens of witnesses have reported seeing drones statewide since mid-November, including near the Picatinny Arsenal, a military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Murphy, a Democrat, said Monday that equipment supplied by the federal government has yielded little new information. He declined to describe the equipment except to say it was powerful and could even “mitigate” the drones, though he added that’s not currently legal on U.S. soil. The state tallied 12 sightings Saturday and just one on Sunday. Murphy urged Congress to give states more authority to deal with the drones. The growing anxiety among some residents is not lost on the Biden administration, which has faced criticism from Trump for not dealing with the matter more aggressively. White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Monday said the federal government has yet to identify any public safety or national security risks from reported drone sightings in the northeast, saying officials believe they were lawfully flown drones, planes or even stars. “There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States,” Kirby said. “And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with.” The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is evaluating each tip reported by citizens, he said. The FBI received more than 5000 tips in recent weeks, he added, with only “about 100” deemed credible enough to require additional investigation. Authorities say they do not know. The Department of Homeland Security and FBI said they have no evidence that the aircraft pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” Speculation has nevertheless raged online, with some expressing concerns that the drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents. Officials stress that ongoing investigations have found no evidence to support such concerns, but U.S. Rep Chris Smith, a Republican, on Saturday echoed such speculation. “The elusive maneuvering of these drones suggests a major military power sophistication that begs the question whether they have been deployed to test our defense capabilities — or worse — by violent dictatorships, perhaps maybe Russia, or China, or Iran, or North Korea,” he said. On Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder cast doubt on the idea that the drones are engaged in intelligence gathering, given how loud and bright they are. He said about 1 million drones are registered drones in the U.S. and about 8,000 flying on any given day. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh has said the aircraft are not U.S. military drones. In Boston, city police arrested two men accused of operating a drone “dangerously close” to Logan Airport on Saturday night. Authorities said an officer using drone monitoring technology detected the aircraft and the location of the operators. A third man fled police and remains at large. Authorities said the two men face trespassing charges and could face more charges and fines. Drones flying around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, forced base officials to close its airspace for about four hours late Friday into early Saturday, said Robert Purtiman, a base spokesperson. It was the first time drones had been spotted at the base, one of the largest in the world, and no sightings have been reported since, Purtiman said Monday. He said the drones had no impact on any facilities on the base. Trump has said he believes the government knows more than it’s saying. “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” he posted on Truth Social. Kim said he’s heard no support for the notion the government is hiding anything. He said a lack of faith in institutions is playing a key part in the saga. “Nothing that I’m seeing, nothing that I’ve engaged in gives me any impression of that nature. But like, I get it, some people won’t believe me, right? Because that’s the level of distrust that we face," Kim said Monday. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut last week called for the drones to be “shot down." Rep. Smith urged the Pentagon to authorize the use of force to bring down one or more drones to try to figure out who deployed them. The objects could be downed over the ocean or in an unpopulated area on land, Smith said Saturday. “Why can't we bag at least one of these drones and get to the bottom of it?” Smith said. Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said members of the public must not try to shoot down drones, as that would violate state and federal laws. Drone sightings were also reported in New York, where a permit is required. Mayor Eric Adams said the city was investigating and collaborating with New Jersey and federal officials. The runways at Stewart International Airport — about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the city — were shut down for about an hour Friday night because of drone activity, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “This has gone too far,” she said in a statement. The governor called on Congress to strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones and give more investigative authority to state and local law enforcement. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Bruce Schreiner in Shelbyville, Kentucky; and Aamer Madhani in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed.
Energous Co. ( NASDAQ:WATT – Get Free Report ) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 955,200 shares, an increase of 24.3% from the November 30th total of 768,700 shares. Currently, 9.7% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 227,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.2 days. Energous Price Performance NASDAQ WATT opened at $0.41 on Friday. Energous has a 52 week low of $0.28 and a 52 week high of $2.75. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $0.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $0.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.10 million, a PE ratio of -0.13 and a beta of 2.60. Energous ( NASDAQ:WATT – Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 12th. The industrial products company reported ($0.50) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.74) by $0.24. The firm had revenue of $0.23 million during the quarter. Energous had a negative net margin of 4,368.98% and a negative return on equity of 317.56%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Energous About Energous ( Get Free Report ) Energous Corporation provides wireless charging system solutions in the United States. The company develops WattUp wireless power networks technology that consists of semiconductor chipsets; software controls; hardware designs; and antennas that enables radio frequency-based charging for Internet of Things devices. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Energous Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Energous and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .HYBE’s BigHit Music record label named current general manager Seon Jeong Shin to be the next president, following approval at a shareholders meeting and board of directors resolution on Tuesday (Nov. 26). Shin, who was named to Billboard’s 2022 40 Under 40 list for helping develop HYBE’s artist training system, played a role in the creation and success of BTS . As the head of training and development, she also helped launch many HYBE artists that followed BTS’s global success, including TOMORROW X TOGETHER , ENHYPEN , Le Sserafim and &Team . More recently, she helped expand HYBE’s artist training and development system to North America, where HYBE and Geffen Records launched the global girl group KATSEYE . “I feel like understanding the evolving demands of the public and the fans is the most important trend for people in this business,” she told Billboard in 2022. HYBE has undergone a great deal of organizational change in 2024 as it exports its K-pop business model and approach to artist development. In July, Jason Jaesang Lee replaced Jiwon Park as CEO to lead the “HYBE 2.0” global expansion strategy. And when the company unveiled more details about its restructuring in August, current BigHit Music president Young Jae Shin was named president of the newly created HYBE Music Group APAC, which oversees the company’s operations in Japan and South Korea. The South Korean company is also pushing ahead in the Americas. Following the 2023 acquisition of Exile Music Group, HYBE Latin America — under the leadership of CEO Jonghyun “JH” Kah — launched a new record label , DOCEMIL Music, and opened offices in Miami, Los Angeles and Mexico City. Additionally, HYBE America CEO Scooter Braun is overseeing all promotional and marketing collaborations between HYBE and its distributor, Universal Music Group, including helping onboard UMG artists to HYBE’s Weverse social media platform.
Video Chats: A Great Way for Dolphins Fans to Stay Connected Worldwide
Officials: Converging criminal justice crises in Lake County reflected statewideAs It Happens 6:15 Why Switzerland is busy fixing up its vast network of nuclear bunkers There's no point in having a nuclear bunker beneath your home if boxes of old Christmas ornaments are blocking the door. That's not an uncommon scenario in Switzerland, a country with a vast network of Cold War-era nuclear shelters, both public and private, many of which double as storage units and have fallen into disrepair. But a rise in global conflict, paired with an increased reliance on nuclear energy, has the country once again preparing for a worst-case scenario. Switzerland is spending 220 million Swiss franc ($354 million Cdn) to make sure its shelters are in tip-top shape and ready to accommodate all nine million Swiss residents, should the need arise. "Pretty much all Swiss people have a bomb shelter, which has been used for a long time as their storage unit," nuclear expert Stephen Herzog told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. "Now there are reasons to rethink this." Nuclear resilience 'built into the Swiss psyche' Herzog is a professor at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, Calif., who previously worked for the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Nuclear bunkers, he says, are "built into the Swiss psyche." According to 1963 Swiss law, all of the country's residents, including refugees and foreign workers, are guaranteed a spot in a bunker to protect them from bombs and nuclear radiation. "Generally, if you live in Switzerland, you know where your shelter is, you know where your neighbour's shelter is, you have your assigned place," Herzog said. A view through an opened metal door shows the entrance into a 57-year-old disused military bunker near the central Swiss town of Alpnach. (Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters) Some of those bunkers belong to public networks, but many are private and built underneath people's homes. "Over the decades since the '60s, when it was mandated to have these shelter spots that are built into every home in these private shelters, they've taken on new meanings," Herzog said. "People use them as wine cellars. People use them as woodworking workshops. People use them as storage for Christmas decorations." Asked if he's been in a Swiss bunker himself, Herzog replied: "Of course." "If you're at a party and someone says, 'Will you go to my wine cellar and grab the next bottle of wine?' you're going to the shelter," he said. Prepared, not paranoid But in recent years, global conflicts and changes to the country's energy policies have changed people's priorities. Nearly a third of Swiss electricity production comes from nuclear power. And this summer, the country's Federal Council reversed a 2017 decision to exit nuclear power. Russia's war on Ukraine — and subsequent takeover of that country's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station — have also fuelled nuclear anxieties in the country. Bunk beds are seen in the atomic shelter in Gollion. (Cecile Mantovani/Reuters) Louis-Henri Delarageaz, civil protection commander for the Vaud canton, says his office received a surge in calls from worried residents about shelters after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. (A canton in Switzerland is the equivalent of a province in Canada.) "All of a sudden... we were indeed extremely sought-after with people wanting to know: where the shelters were, where is my place, is my shelter ready?" he said. In that spirit, the government launched consultations in October to ensure Swiss "resilience in the event of armed conflict" and plan its nationwide shelter upgrade. "In the coming years, the [Swiss] Confederation wants to remove some of the exceptions to the current rules and update some of the older shelters," Delarageaz said. Visitors look at an air supply tunnel in a nuclear fallout shelter in Lucerne, Switzerland, in 2006. (Sebastian Derungs /Reuters) That means making repairs to public bunkers and ensuring there's adequate space for everyone who needs it. It also means going door-to-door and inspecting private shelters. Last week in the village of Bercher, Reuters followed civil protection officers in orange overalls inspecting a bunker beneath an apartment block. One tried to shove the bunker's door to seal it shut but it would not budge. An air vent wedged between plant pots and a stone ornament was deemed fit, but an escape tunnel full of cobwebs led to a deep manhole with no ladder. "This shelter is not usable in the current state," concluded team head Gregory Fuhrer. The owner will be given a year to fix the faults or else must pay 800 francs ($1,287 Cdn) for each resident's spot in a public shelter, he added. Greenpeace opposes nuclear energy. Young climate activists say that's 'old-fashioned' Analysis Why nuclear power is so hot right now Herzog says this work is the result of "increasing consciousness and awareness" around nuclear risks in Switzerland, but shouldn't be mistaken for paranoia. "No one is panicking that they're going to need the shelters tomorrow or anything like that," he said. Delarageaz echoed that sentiment. "It doesn't mean we're preparing for a conflict. That's not the message. But we have a network of shelters and we need to maintain them and make sure they're functional," he said. "In Switzerland we have foresight.... There's a Latin adage that says: 'If you want peace, prepare for war.'"Joe Rogan heard Elon Musk's economic warning to America entering 2025
Finnish police say they found tracks that drag on for dozens of kilometres along the bottom of the Baltic Sea where a tanker carrying Russian oil is suspected of breaking a power line and four telecoms cables with its anchor. or signup to continue reading The Cook Islands-registered Eagle S was boarded by Finnish police and coast guard officials on Thursday and sailed into Finnish waters where the crew of the impounded tanker is being questioned. Baltic Sea nations have been on high alert after a string of outages of power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. NATO said on Friday it would boost its presence in the region. A break in the 658 megawatt (MW) Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia occurred at midday on Wednesday, leaving only the 358 MW Estlink 1 linking the two countries, grid operators said. They said Estlink 2 might not be back in service before August. Finnish police suspect the Eagle S caused the damage by dragging its anchor along the seabed. Investigators have identified a "dragging track" but have yet to find a missing anchor, Sami Paila, tactical leader and detective chief inspector of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation, said in a statement. "The track is dozens of kilometres in length," Paila said. Photos taken of the Eagle S on Friday showed the vessel missing its port side anchor. Finland's customs service believes the ship is part of a "shadow fleet" of ageing tankers being used to evade sanctions on exports of Russian oil. The Kremlin said on Friday that Finland's seizure of the ship was of little concern to it. Russia has denied involvement in any of the previous Baltic infrastructure damage incidents. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement
Stock market today: Wall Street drifts higher in mixed trading as Nasdaq hits a recordNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted amid mixed trading Monday, ahead of this week’s upcoming meeting by the Federal Reserve that could set Wall Street’s direction into next year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, coming off its first losing week in the last four . The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2% to a record, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was a laggard and fell 110 points, or 0.3%. Broadcom leaped 11.2% to help lead the S&P 500 for a second straight day after delivering a profit report last week that beat analysts’ expectations. The technology company is riding a wave of enthusiasm about its artificial-intelligence offerings in particular. The market’s main event, though, will arrive on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve will announce its last move on interest rates for the year. The widespread expectation is that it will cut its main rate for a third straight time, as it tries to boost the slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its target of 2%. The question is how much more it will cut rates next year, and Fed officials will release projections for where they see the federal funds rate ending 2025, along with other economic indicators, once their meeting concludes. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will also answer questions in a press conference following the meeting. For now, the general expectation among traders is that the Fed may cut a couple more times in 2025, according to data from CME Group. But such expectations have been shrinking following reports suggesting inflation may be tougher to get all the way down to 2% from here. Besides last month’s slight acceleration in inflation, another worry is that President-elect Donald Trump’s preferences for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation down the line. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle has dropped his earlier forecast of a cut by the Fed in January, for example. Beyond the possibility of tariffs, he said Fed officials may also want to slow their cuts because of uncertainty about exactly how low rates need to go so that they no longer press the brakes on the economy. Expectations for a series of cuts to rates by the Fed have been one of the main reasons the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times so far this year and is heading for one of its best years of the millennium . The economy has held up better than many feared, continuing to grow even after the Fed hiked the federal funds rate to a two-decade high in hopes of grinding down on inflation, which topped 9% two summers ago. On Wall Street, MicroStrategy jumped as much as 7% during the day as it continues to benefit from the surging price for bitcoin , which set another all-time high. But its stock ended the day down by les than 0.1% after bitcoin’s price pulled back below $106,000 after setting a record above $107,700, according to CoinDesk. The software company has been building its hoard of the cryptocurrency, and its stock price has more than sextupled this year. It will also soon join the Nasdaq 100 index. Bitcoin’s price has catapulted from roughly $44,000 at the start of the year, riding a recent wave of enthusiasm that Trump will create a system that’s more favorable to digital currencies . Honeywell rose 3.7% after saying it’s still considering a spin-off or sale of its aerospace business, as part of a review of its overall business. It said it plans to give an update with the release of its fourth-quarter results. They helped offset a drop for Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the world’s move into AI. Its stock fell 1.7%. Because it’s grown so massive, with a total value topping $3 trillion, it was the single heaviest weight on the S&P 500. All told, the S&P 500 rose 22.99 points to 6,074.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 110.58 to 43,717.48, and the Nasdaq composite rose 247.17 to 20,173.89. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.39% from 4.40% late Friday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, eased to 4.24% from 4.25%. In stock markets abroad, indexes fell modestly across much of Europe and Asia. They sank 0.9% in Hong Kong and 0.2% in Shanghai after China reported lackluster economic indicators for November despite attempts to strengthen the world’s second-largest economy. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.2% as law enforcement authorities pushed to summon impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree, and the Constitutional Court met to discuss whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey and across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern over where they came from and why. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim have both gone out on drone hunts, hoping for answers. The FBI, Homeland Security, state police and other agencies are investigating. Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to be a threat to public safety , but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft — and to be allowed to shoot them out of the sky. Dozens of witnesses have reported seeing drones statewide since mid-November, including near the Picatinny Arsenal, a military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Murphy, a Democrat, said Monday that equipment supplied by the federal government has yielded little new information. He declined to describe the equipment except to say it was powerful and could even “mitigate” the drones, though he added that’s not currently legal on U.S. soil. The state tallied 12 sightings Saturday and just one on Sunday. Murphy urged Congress to give states more authority to deal with the drones. The growing anxiety among some residents is not lost on the Biden administration, which has faced criticism from Trump for not dealing with the matter more aggressively. White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Monday said the federal government has yet to identify any public safety or national security risks from reported drone sightings in the northeast, saying officials believe they were lawfully flown drones, planes or even stars. “There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States,” Kirby said. “And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with.” The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is evaluating each tip reported by citizens, he said. The FBI received more than 5000 tips in recent weeks, he added, with only “about 100” deemed credible enough to require additional investigation. Authorities say they do not know. The Department of Homeland Security and FBI said they have no evidence that the aircraft pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” Speculation has nevertheless raged online, with some expressing concerns that the drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents. Officials stress that ongoing investigations have found no evidence to support such concerns, but U.S. Rep Chris Smith, a Republican, on Saturday echoed such speculation. “The elusive maneuvering of these drones suggests a major military power sophistication that begs the question whether they have been deployed to test our defense capabilities — or worse — by violent dictatorships, perhaps maybe Russia, or China, or Iran, or North Korea,” he said. On Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder cast doubt on the idea that the drones are engaged in intelligence gathering, given how loud and bright they are. He said about 1 million drones are registered drones in the U.S. and about 8,000 flying on any given day. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh has said the aircraft are not U.S. military drones. In Boston, city police arrested two men accused of operating a drone “dangerously close” to Logan Airport on Saturday night. Authorities said an officer using drone monitoring technology detected the aircraft and the location of the operators. A third man fled police and remains at large. Authorities said the two men face trespassing charges and could face more charges and fines. Drones flying around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, forced base officials to close its airspace for about four hours late Friday into early Saturday, said Robert Purtiman, a base spokesperson. It was the first time drones had been spotted at the base, one of the largest in the world, and no sightings have been reported since, Purtiman said Monday. He said the drones had no impact on any facilities on the base. Trump has said he believes the government knows more than it’s saying. “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” he posted on Truth Social. Kim said he’s heard no support for the notion the government is hiding anything. He said a lack of faith in institutions is playing a key part in the saga. “Nothing that I’m seeing, nothing that I’ve engaged in gives me any impression of that nature. But like, I get it, some people won’t believe me, right? Because that’s the level of distrust that we face," Kim said Monday. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut last week called for the drones to be “shot down." Rep. Smith urged the Pentagon to authorize the use of force to bring down one or more drones to try to figure out who deployed them. The objects could be downed over the ocean or in an unpopulated area on land, Smith said Saturday. “Why can't we bag at least one of these drones and get to the bottom of it?” Smith said. Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said members of the public must not try to shoot down drones, as that would violate state and federal laws. Drone sightings were also reported in New York, where a permit is required. Mayor Eric Adams said the city was investigating and collaborating with New Jersey and federal officials. The runways at Stewart International Airport — about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the city — were shut down for about an hour Friday night because of drone activity, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “This has gone too far,” she said in a statement. The governor called on Congress to strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones and give more investigative authority to state and local law enforcement. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Bruce Schreiner in Shelbyville, Kentucky; and Aamer Madhani in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed.( MENAFN - Newsfile Corp) Izmir, Turkey--(Newsfile Corp. - December 26, 2024) - Smartmetrics , a leading data-driven marketing agency, has unveiled its operational goals and growth strategies for 2025 during a special event at Muranos in Alsancak, Izmir. The event gathered executives and representatives from key departments, including Performance Marketing, Sales, Creative, TV, and Software, to discuss the company's ambitious vision and objectives for the year ahead. Smartmetrics Announces 2025 Operational Goals and Strategic Growth Plans at Special Event in Izmir To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: A Vision for 2025: Smartmetrics' Strategic Growth Plans Smartmetrics Founder, İlka Can Batur, addressed the crowd with an overview of the company's growth in the Turkish market throughout 2024 and its plans to continue this momentum in 2025. He highlighted key initiatives aimed at expanding the company's global footprint and enhancing its data-driven marketing capabilities. Batur emphasized the company's focus on optimizing its processes to connect brands with potential customers by providing comprehensive, end-to-end support. Smartmetrics is set to expand its Call Center operations, which will serve four countries with expert representatives, and by 2025, both the Call Center and TV Operations Center will be fully operational. "We are not just an advertising agency, but a data-driven agency," said Batur. "Our aim for 2025 is to transform Smartmetrics into a globally recognized brand, equipped with cutting-edge tools and strategies that are data-driven and performance-focused." New Developments and Technological Investments Batur also shared key updates regarding Smartmetrics' technological investments. The company has completed the construction and technological upgrades for its Call Center and TV investments, marking a major milestone in its operations. Smartmetrics' new operations center will provide clients with a modern, innovative, and high-standard service experience. Batur defended the company's TV investments, explaining that multichannel marketing strategies are central to Smartmetrics' operations and growth. He further emphasized that each investment, particularly in TV, is based on extensive audience analysis and predetermined KPIs, ensuring alignment with the company's overarching data-driven approach. "Each of our investments, including TV, supports the multichannel marketing dynamics we rely on. These investments are strategic decisions aimed at driving measurable results for our clients," Batur stated. Departmental Achievements and Goals for 2025 The event also showcased departmental achievements and outlined objectives for the coming year. Software Director, Batuhan Sekman, shared that Smartmetrics had successfully exceeded its 2024 goals for mobile app development, with 110% of the target achieved. Looking forward to 2025, the company plans to create even more efficient and faster solutions. Creative Works Director, Mehmet Özkızıl, discussed the exciting creative projects planned for 2025, which are designed to strengthen the company's creative vision and further establish Smartmetrics as a leader in marketing innovation. Franchise Market Turkey Director, Zeynep Gözdoğan, discussed the success of the company's 2024 franchise targets and shared plans for new projects, including bringing the Marketing Talks program to national television, expanding the company's reach and visibility. Global Expansion and Technological Innovation Smartmetrics is setting its sights on global expansion with an emphasis on technological innovation, creative solutions, and a commitment to delivering cutting-edge services. The company's 2025 goals are centered on further cementing its leadership position in the marketing industry and driving sustained growth both locally and internationally. The Path Ahead for Smartmetrics Smartmetrics' innovative approach to multichannel marketing, data-driven insights, and new technological investments is poised to deliver a strong performance in 2025. With its new operations center, expanded international reach, and strategic investments, Smartmetrics is well-positioned to continue leading the way in the marketing and data analytics industries. The event concluded with a group photo session, followed by a networking segment, giving attendees the opportunity to connect and discuss the exciting path ahead for Smartmetrics. About Smartmetrics Smartmetrics is a leading data-driven marketing agency that specializes in performance marketing, audience analysis, and multichannel strategies. The company provides brands with innovative solutions and data-powered insights to drive results and ensure measurable success. Smartmetrics' commitment to excellence and technological innovation makes it a trusted partner for businesses across industries. For more information , visit About the company: Smartmetrics is a leading data-driven marketing agency that specializes in performance marketing, audience analysis, and multichannel strategies. MENAFN26122024004218003983ID1109033762 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Jowell Global Ltd. Announces First Half 2024 Unaudited Financial Results
Hong Kong to grapple with turbulent market in 2025, finance chief saysNetflix NFL Ratings: Christmas Games Set Streaming Record But Trail 2023 Broadcast NumbersFinal crystal triangles installed on Times Square ball ahead of New Year's Eve
STUART, Fla., Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida ("Seacoast” or the "Company”) (NASDAQ: SBCF) announced that on December 18, 2024, its Board of Directors (the "Board”) renewed the Company's share repurchase program, which was set to expire on December 31, 2024. Under the renewed repurchase program, which will expire on December 31, 2025, the Company may repurchase, from time to time, up to $100 million of its shares of common stock, representing approximately 4% of the Company's outstanding common stock. The repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in the open market, by block purchase, in privately negotiated transactions, in one or more transactions from time to time, or pursuant to any trading plan adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act”). Open market purchases will be conducted in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act and other applicable legal and regulatory requirements. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased will be made at the Company's discretion and will depend on a variety of factors including, without limitation, price, corporate and regulatory requirements, market conditions, Seacoast's financial performance, and bank capital and liquidity requirements and priorities. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular number of shares. The repurchase program may be suspended, terminated or modified by the Board without notice at any time for any reason, including, without limitation, market conditions, the cost of repurchasing shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, capital and liquidity objectives, and other factors deemed appropriate by Seacoast's management. About Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ: SBCF) Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida is one of the largest community banks headquartered in Florida with approximately $15.2 billion in assets and $12.2 billion in deposits as of September 30, 2024. Seacoast provides integrated financial services including commercial and consumer banking, wealth management, and mortgage services to customers at 77 full-service branches across Florida, and through advanced mobile and online banking solutions. Seacoast National Bank is the wholly-owned subsidiary bank of Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida. For more information about Seacoast, visit www.SeacoastBanking.com. Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements” within the meaning, and protections, of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, without limitation, statements about future financial and operating results, cost savings, enhanced revenues, economic and seasonal conditions in the Company's markets, and improvements to reported earnings that may be realized from cost controls, tax law changes, new initiatives and for integration of banks that the Company has acquired, or expects to acquire, as well as statements with respect to Seacoast's objectives, strategic plans, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to the Company's beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates and intentions about future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond the Company's control, and which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida ("Seacoast” or the "Company”) or its wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Seacoast National Bank ("Seacoast Bank”), to be materially different from results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You should not expect the Company to update any forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact could be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through the use of words such as "may", "will", "anticipate", "assume", "should", "support", "indicate", "would", "believe", "contemplate", "expect", "estimate", "continue", "further", "plan", "point to", "project", "could", "intend", "target" or other similar words and expressions of the future. These forward-looking statements may not be realized due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: the impact of current and future economic and market conditions generally (including seasonality) and in the financial services industry, nationally and within Seacoast's primary market areas, including the effects of inflationary pressures, changes in interest rates, slowdowns in economic growth, and the potential for high unemployment rates, as well as the financial stress on borrowers and changes to customer and client behavior and credit risk as a result of the foregoing; potential impacts of adverse developments in the banking industry, including those highlighted by high-profile bank failures, and including impacts on customer confidence, deposit outflows, liquidity and the regulatory response thereto (including increases in the cost of our deposit insurance assessments), the Company's ability to effectively manage its liquidity risk and any growth plans, and the availability of capital and funding; governmental monetary and fiscal policies, including interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, as well as legislative, tax and regulatory changes including proposed overdraft and late fee caps, including those that impact the money supply and inflation; the risks of changes in interest rates on the level and composition of deposits (as well as the cost of, and competition for, deposits), loan demand, liquidity and the values of loan collateral, securities, and interest rate sensitive assets and liabilities; interest rate risks (including the impacts of interest rates on macroeconomic conditions, customer and client behavior, and on our net interest income), sensitivities and the shape of the yield curve; changes in accounting policies, rules and practices; changes in retail distribution strategies, customer preferences and behavior generally and as a result of economic factors, including heightened inflation; changes in the availability and cost of credit and capital in the financial markets; changes in the prices, values and sales volumes of residential and commercial real estate, especially as they relate to the value of collateral supporting the Company's loans; the Company's concentration in commercial real estate loans and in real estate collateral in Florida; Seacoast's ability to comply with any regulatory requirements and the risk that the regulatory environment may not be conducive to or may prohibit or delay the consummation of future mergers and/or business combinations, may increase the length of time and amount of resources required to consummate such transactions, and may reduce the anticipated benefit; inaccuracies or other failures from the use of models, including the failure of assumptions and estimates, as well as differences in, and changes to, economic, market and credit conditions; the impact on the valuation of Seacoast's investments due to market volatility or counterparty payment risk, as well as the effect of a decline in stock market prices on our fee income from our wealth management business; statutory and regulatory dividend restrictions; increases in regulatory capital requirements for banking organizations generally; the risks of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, including Seacoast's ability to continue to identify acquisition targets, successfully acquire and integrate desirable financial institutions and realize expected revenues and revenue synergies; changes in technology or products that may be more difficult, costly, or less effective than anticipated; the Company's ability to identify and address increased cybersecurity risks, including those impacting vendors and other third parties which may be exacerbated by developments in generative artificial intelligence; fraud or misconduct by internal or external parties, which Seacoast may not be able to prevent, detect or mitigate; inability of Seacoast's risk management framework to manage risks associated with the Company's business; dependence on key suppliers or vendors to obtain equipment or services for the business on acceptable terms; reduction in or the termination of Seacoast's ability to use the online- or mobile-based platform that is critical to the Company's business growth strategy; the effects of war or other conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, including hurricanes in the Company's footprint, health emergencies, epidemics or pandemics, or other catastrophic events that may affect general economic conditions and/or increase costs, including, but not limited to, property and casualty and other insurance costs; Seacoast's ability to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting; potential claims, damages, penalties, fines, costs and reputational damage resulting from pending or future litigation, regulatory proceedings and enforcement actions; the risks that deferred tax assets could be reduced if estimates of future taxable income from the Company's operations and tax planning strategies are less than currently estimated, the results of tax audit findings, challenges to our tax positions, or adverse changes or interpretations of tax laws; the effects of competition from other commercial banks, thrifts, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, credit unions, non-bank financial technology providers, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market and other mutual funds and other financial institutions; the failure of assumptions underlying the establishment of reserves for expected credit losses; risks related to, and the costs associated with, environmental, social and governance matters, including the scope and pace of related rulemaking activity and disclosure requirements; a deterioration of the credit rating for U.S. long-term sovereign debt, actions that the U.S. government may take to avoid exceeding the debt ceiling, and uncertainties surrounding the federal budget and economic policy; the risk that balance sheet, revenue growth, and loan growth expectations may differ from actual results; and other factors and risks described under "Risk Factors” herein and in any of the Company's subsequent reports filed with the SEC and available on its website at www.sec.gov. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and in other periodic reports that the Company files with the SEC. Such reports are available upon request from the Company, or from the Securities and Exchange Commission, including through the SEC's Internet website at www.sec.gov. CONTACT: CONTACT: Chloe Swicegood [email protected] (850) 702-9800
, first runner-up, responded to the controversy surrounding Miss Universe CEO 's remarks about the "ultimate evolution" of beauty pageants. In an interview, Anne claimed that the pageant had already reached its peak by . This comment sparked backlash, with many criticizing it as racially insensitive. A slew of social media responses followed, in which the CEO was at the center of comments accusing her of racism and insensitivity. What was remarkable about the timing of the comments was that they came just as was named as the runner-up in the latest Miss Universe competition. Chidimma isn't letting the controversy overshadow achievements Chidimma, however, remained unbothered by Anne's statement, expressing that it was just Anne's perspective. However, she did take issue with .'s online remark, which praised "biologically attractive" women winning beauty pageants again, dismissing the diversity of past winners. Chidimma was disappointed by his words, feeling they disregarded the beauty of past queens. "All the queens that were crowned are so beautiful in their own different ways, so for him to make a comment like that, I feel like he was disregarding all the past queens,' declared. "I can understand why people didn't really like a comment like that and why it was causing a spark on social media." Social media reactions were mixed. Some fans defended Anne's comments, seeing them as a shift in the pageant's direction, while others slammed them as reinforcing harmful beauty standards. Critics also voiced concerns over the pageant's production and leadership, accusing them of focusing more on attention-seeking than empowering women. Despite the controversy, emphasized that all the queens crowned are beautiful in their own unique ways, and that beauty should not be confined to one standard.Blame it on the food and drink?
Previous: niceph 777
Next:
