Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83VANCOUVER — A confidence agreement between British Columbia's New Democrats and the provincial Green Party stabilizes David Eby’s bare-majority government, while putting Green election promises on the legislative agenda. The agreement announced Friday outlines the basis on which the Greens' two-member caucus will provide confidence to Eby's party, which won election with 47 seats in B.C.'s 93-seat legislature in October's provincial election. The deal features key elements of the Greens' election platform, including a commitment to growing a community health centre model for primary care and expanding public coverage of psychology services at a cost of $50 million. Deputy premier Niki Sharma said the framework focuses on areas of agreement between the two parties, while recognizing their positions won't always align. The balance struck is "a way to keep government stable for four years ... without erasing the distinct identity that we both have as political parties," she said Friday. The seven-page agreement says the house leaders of the NDP and the Greens "agree to establish a relationship of trust based on good faith and no surprises." While set to last four years, it is subject to annual agreement at each parties discretion. It was important to the Greens throughout the negotiations to be able to disagree with government positions, Sharma told a news conference. "I know that we'll have differences of opinions moving forward, but the fact that we can show a pathway where two political parties in a time of great polarization can come together for British Columbians, I think is a profound thing." The October election saw two new Green members win seats, lawyer Rob Botterell, representing Saanich North and the Islands, and geological engineer Jeremy Valeriote in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, while the B.C. Conservatives won 44 seats. B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said after the election that he would work to bring the NDP government down if it continues with its "destructive policies." When he was asked about the agreement on Friday, Rustad said he has always assumed the Greens would back the NDP. Eby is "fooling himself" if he thinks having the support of the Green Party is going to make it easier to pass legislation, Rustad said in an interview. "We are going to make it very difficult for him to move anything through the legislature that is continuing the destruction of British Columbia," he said. "A week can be a long time in politics, so we'll see what January brings. I don't want to say anything further at this point." The stability of Eby's government had appeared shakier earlier this month when New Democrat Grace Lore announced she was temporarily stepping away due to a cancer diagnosis, though she said she intended to participate in important votes. Eby said in a statement Friday that the agreement with the Greens will "strengthen the stability of government and help deliver on the priorities of British Columbians." While his party and the Greens are distinct and won't always agree, the premier said they have "many shared values." He said the deal sets out specific areas of action they will work together on, including health care, affordable housing, creating livable communities and growing a strong, sustainable economy. "We will continue to work with all MLAs who want to make the legislature work for people," Eby said. Additional policy commitments outlined in the deal that reflect the Green platform include expanding access to housing aid for elderly renters and building 30,000 more units of non-market housing than the government had pledged. The agreement also commits to a review of B.C.'s forests to "address concerns around sustainability, jobs, environmental protection an the future of the industry." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
Vikings waive former starting cornerback Akayleb Evans in another blow to 2022 draft class
AstroNova: Margins Issues To Work ThroughJennings 2-3 5-6 11, Ousmane 3-8 5-8 11, Brantley 2-5 5-6 9, Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Thompson 1-9 5-7 7, Avery 5-11 3-4 15, Dean 5-8 2-2 13, Newman 1-3 2-2 4, Keller 1-2 2-4 5, Suemnick 1-1 1-2 3. Totals 21-50 30-41 78. T.Coleman 2-9 2-2 6, Davidson 9-16 4-7 23, Love 5-5 1-2 11, DuSell 3-5 0-0 8, Sanders 7-10 10-13 27, Rolison 1-3 0-0 3, Hymes 2-3 0-0 4, McBride 2-3 0-1 4, Bailey 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 33-56 17-25 90. Halftime_Nevada 40-33. 3-Point Goals_Oklahoma St. 6-21 (Jennings 2-3, Avery 2-8, Dean 1-2, Keller 1-2, Newman 0-2, Thompson 0-4), Nevada 7-18 (Sanders 3-5, DuSell 2-4, Rolison 1-2, Davidson 1-4, T.Coleman 0-3). Fouled Out_Davis, Rolison. Rebounds_Oklahoma St. 27 (Ousmane 6), Nevada 31 (T.Coleman, McBride 6). Assists_Oklahoma St. 8 (Brantley 3), Nevada 14 (T.Coleman 8). Total Fouls_Oklahoma St. 23, Nevada 26.
2 / 12 An AI CEO was arrested for defrauding investors — and allegedly using the money to pay for her wedding An AI CEO was arrested for defrauding investors — and allegedly using the money to pay for her wedding The founder of an AI startup once featured on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list was charged Tuesday with defrauding investors. Joanna Smith-Griffin, 33, who founded AllHere Education, was arrested in North Carolina and charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft. Read More 3 / 12 ChatGPT beat doctors at diagnosing medical conditions, study says ChatGPT beat doctors at diagnosing medical conditions, study says A small study meant to see if doctors were able to improve diagnoses with the help of ChatGPT yielded unsettling results : the AI chatbot was better at diagnosis than the doctors themselves. Read More 4 / 12 Trump’s latest hire is a boon for Elon Musk’s SpaceX — and a hit to Big Tech Trump’s latest hire is a boon for Elon Musk’s SpaceX — and a hit to Big Tech President-elect Donald Trump said he would appoint Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr as chair, delivering another win to ally Elon Musk and a gut punch to Big Tech. Read More 5 / 12 Tesla stock spikes 7% because Trump might hand Elon Musk another win Tesla stock spikes 7% because Trump might hand Elon Musk another win Tesla ( TSLA ) stock was popping again early Monday as President-elect Donald Trump’s team reportedly plans to hand key ally Elon Musk another win. Members of Trump’s transition team have said they plan to make a federal framework for fully autonomous vehicles a priority for the incoming Department of Transportation, Bloomberg News reported . Current federal rules make it difficult to deploy vehicles without steering wheels or pedals like Tesla’s advertised Cybercab . Read More 6 / 12 The feds want Google to sell its Chrome browser The feds want Google to sell its Chrome browser The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Wednesday that it wants Google ( GOOGL ) to sell its Chrome web browser as the government looks to break up the tech giant’s dominance in the search engine market. Read More 7 / 12 Trump is joining Elon Musk to watch SpaceX’s latest Starship test Trump is joining Elon Musk to watch SpaceX’s latest Starship test President-elect Donald Trump has made it abundantly clear that he really likes rockets. On Tuesday, he’s expected to watch his ally launch a fully reusable, 400-foot mega-rocket out of southern Texas, according to reports . Read More 8 / 12 Air is leaking from the International Space Station. The U.S. and Russia can’t agree why Air is leaking from the International Space Station. The U.S. and Russia can’t agree why The International Space Station (ISS) has an air leakage problem — and tensions between the U.S. and Russia appear to be getting in the way of a solution. Read More 9 / 12 ‘What happens in Vegas’: How Google tried to keep the bad stuff quiet ‘What happens in Vegas’: How Google tried to keep the bad stuff quiet Outdated technology, codenames, and paranoia have marked the better part of the last two decades at Google ( GOOGL ). A New York Times ( NYT ) report published Wednesday shows the lengths Google employees, from rank-and-file workers to executives, took to keep sensitive information off the books. Read More 10 / 12 The DOJ wants to force Google to sell off Chrome The DOJ wants to force Google to sell off Chrome The Department of Justice may push for Google ( GOOGL ) to sell off its Chrome browser in an effort to break up the tech giant’s dominance of the search engine market. Read More 11 / 12 Hyundai and Kia are recalling more than 200,000 EVs that could lose power Hyundai and Kia are recalling more than 200,000 EVs that could lose power Hyundai ( HYMTF ) and Kia are recalling more than 200,000 electric vehicles over potential defects that could cut drive power to the vehicles. The recall includes vehicles sold by Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, which are collectively owned by the South Korean Hyundai Motor Group. That includes Hyundai’s 2022-2024 Ioniq 5 and 2023-2025 Ioniq 6, Kia’s 2022-2024 EV6, and Genesis’ 2023-2025 GV60, GV70, and 2023-2024 G80 electric models. Read More 12 / 12Marcus Harper, Keyon Ware-Hudson available for No. 1 Oregon in Big Ten championship game
Beed Sarpanch Murder Case: BJP And NCP Leaders Protest, Demanding Arrest Of Accused And Resignation Of Minister Dhananjay Munde‘Kazakhstan leading FDI recipient’ An Azeri state flag flies at half-mast as the country observes the day of national mourning for the victims of an Azerbaijan Airlines' Embraer passenger plane crash near the Kazakh city of Aktau, in a square in Baku, Azerbaijan, December 26, 2024. — Reuters Islamabad : Kazakhstan continues to be the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in the region, a position it has maintained for several years, according to a spokesperson for the Kazakhstan Embassy in Islamabad. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); He said that Kazakhstan's economic diversification, industrial vibrancy, and advanced digitalisation were key drivers behind its ability to attract significant foreign capital. The spokesperson also said the country benefitted from a highly skilled workforce, which contributed to the availability of high-quality human capital essential for sustaining growth and innovation. He added that above all, Kazakhstan's commitment to economic liberalisation, a strong role for the private sector, and the state's sovereign guarantees had been pivotal in creating a stable and investor-friendly environment. The spokesperson noted that political stability, economic sustainability, social harmony, and legal independence further protected the vested interests and investments of international companies in the country. He said his country aimed to continue diversifying FDI inflows into high-potential sectors, with major focus on green technologies, hydropower generation, lithium batteries, electric vehicles, hybrid agriculture and the development of Islamic banking.
If you crave exciting investments, Costco Wholesale ( COST -1.72% ) probably isn't for you. Selling groceries in bulk is far from world-changing, and single-digit growth is the norm for this membership-based retailer. If your goal is reliable long-term investments, this ho-hum name is worth considering despite its stock's premium valuation. What the company lacks in pizzazz, it more than makes up for in a bunch of other ways. Three of these ways stand out from the rest. 1. Costco offers exactly what consumers increasingly want Costco Wholesale is considered a club-based warehouse retailer . That just means it charges customers or businesses an annual fee for the privilege of (usually) buying in bulk. It's the United States' third-biggest grocer, in fact, according to data from market research outfit Numerator, behind Walmart and Kroger . It also sells non-grocery goods like clothing, appliances, computers, and furniture, but food is its biggest moneymaker. In the industry's early days, many people were hesitant to pay such a fee just to have access to bulk-based discounts. They've come around, though. Thanks to the immediate availability of competitors' prices and the ever-growing pain of inflation, shoppers are increasingly figuring out that the annual Costco fee is worth it in the long run. That's why the membership model's been slowly poaching market share from more traditional grocers for the past several years. Underscoring Costco's bullish argument is the fact that its customer base boasts years of uninterrupted growth, reaching a record 77.4 million memberships and 138.8 million total cardholders as of the end of September. People are also just more comfortable with the idea of fee-based subscriptions these days. From Amazon Prime to Netflix to gym memberships, paying for access to options and services that aren't necessarily always used is increasingly normal. 2. It's willing to evolve, expanding its ecosystem in the process In Costco's infancy -- well before the advent of the internet and aggressive expansion of competitors like the aforementioned Walmart -- simply offering low-cost groceries was enough. Not anymore, though. Customers now expect a wide range of perks and offerings that cater to lifestyles. That's why more and more grocery chains operate in-store health clinics, for example. Similarly, that's the reason Amazon's Prime subscribers have access to a library of on-demand shows and movies, in addition to their free next-day shipping of online orders. Costco's now following suit with this idea of offering more to members. Its stores now also house optometrist offices, pharmacies, photograph printing, and travel agent services, just to name a few. The company will also assemble and deliver furniture for you ... for a fee. It's even entered a fray it was at one time adamant about avoiding: Curbside pickup of online orders. Although this service is technically managed by Instacart (which also handles its local deliveries of online orders), it certainly makes the retailer a more convenient shopping option. It also keeps it competitive with Kroger and Walmart, both of which offer comparable amenities. One perk or service obviously doesn't make or break a company. However, each one does make it easier to stick with a brand or service provider. So, it's encouraging that Costco is finally starting to see its business as an entire lifestyle ecosystem, rather than as an operation that just swaps out groceries and other goods for consumers' dollars. Last quarter's international membership renewal rate was a healthy 90.4% and an even healthier 92.8% within the U.S. 3. This retailer's more than proven that its growth is resilient Perhaps the top reason to buy Costco stock like there's no tomorrow (despite its frothy price ) is that the company's results speak for themselves. With the exception of the economic fallout of 2008's subprime mortgage meltdown, this retailer's revenue has grown every quarter for the past few decades. Operating income and net income have grown almost as consistently. And that includes a short stretch in early 2020 when pandemic-prompted shutdowns made it nearly impossible to do any business. COST Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts. This persistent growth isn't just the result of building new stores (although that certainly helps). With the exception of March of 2020 -- when the pandemic shutdowns were in full swing -- Costco's monthly same-store sales have also grown like clockwork. It's never been huge growth, to be clear, but again, what this retailer might lack in firepower it more than offsets with reliability. Much of this persistent progress is also attributable to the company's sheer size and its dominance of the club/warehouse retailing industry. With 614 U.S. stores up and running as of November 2024, plus another 276 outside of the U.S., Costco can dominate within this sliver of the retail space. Costco is a great bet (if a boring, reliable trade is your goal) None of this means you can simply buy Costco stock and forget about it for years on end. Like any other investment, this one will require the occasional check-in just to see if anything's changed, or if something not expected right now is brewing on the horizon then . Think something along the lines of Amazon getting into the warehouse-retailing business, for example. On balance, though, this slow-moving bulldozer looks unstoppable for the near and distant future. If you're hunting for a solid name you can comfortably dive into today and not worry about constantly monitoring until you sell it, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more compelling prospect ... even with 2024's sizable run-up.Conversational AI Market Size, Trends, Latest Insights, Analysis and Forecast 2024-2031 11-22-2024 07:58 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Orion Market Research The global conversational AI market is anticipated to grow at a considerable CAGR of 20.5% during the forecast period. There are several growth opportunities that could be taken advantage by major companies to maximize the potential of the conversational AI market. One such key opportunity is to rise in integration of the existing conversational AI capabilities into advance AI capabilities. Several key market companies are building intelligent agents and services to perform integrated tasks with multiple other platforms that are using AI and NLP technology. To offer the user smart controls without touching and speech, companies are innovating the integration of AI and gesture control. The integrated technology can also be used in high noise disturbance environments or when the user's tone and accent is unrecognizable. To learn more about this report request a sample copy @ https://www.omrglobal.com/request-sample/conversational-ai-market For instance, in February 2021, Anexinet Corp., which a leading provider of digital business solutions partnered with an IPsoft Company named Amelia. Amelia is an independent leader in enterprise AI. In conjunction with their licensed, innovative AI solution, the partnership enabled Anexinet to launch its newest kickstart: Conversational AI Strategy & Roadmap. This three-week program jumpstarts every organization's ability to elevate their customer experience and streamline processes by replicating human behavior through advanced automation bots. Furthermore, conversational AI only offers assistance in English language with a few additional languages in key company's chatbots and virtual assistants. Thus, the global adoption of advance conversational AI would support creating chatbots and virtual assistants in regional language, further driving the growth of the market. For instance, in February of 2018, Google announced that their Google assistant would start supporting seven new languages. Additionally, the Google assistant will also provide support to 16 languages and new actions using Dialogflow. Global Conversational AI Market Report Segment By Type IVA Chatbot By Mode of Integration Web-based App-based Telephonic By Technology Machine & Deep learning Natural Learning Process (NLP) Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) By Application Customer Support Personal Assistance Branding & Advertising By End-user BSFI Retail & E-commerce Healthcare IT & Telecom Media & Entertainment Others (Travel & Hospitality and Government Institutions) A full report of Conversational AI Market available @ https://www.omrglobal.com/industry-reports/conversational-ai-market Conversational AI Market Report Segment by Region North America United States Canada Europe Germany United Kingdom France Spain Italy Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China Japan India Rest of Asia-Pacific Rest of the World Middle East & Africa Latin America Company Profiles Avaamo Inc. AmplifyReach Baidu, Inc. Conversica, Inc. Cognigy GmbH Creative Virtual Google LLC Gupshup Inbenta Kasisto, Inc. ai Reasons to Buying From us - We cover more than 15 major industries, further segmented into more than 90 sectors. More than 120 countries are for analysis. Over 100+ paid data sources mined for investigation. Our expert research analysts answer all your questions before and after purchasing your report. Visit more report at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/scaffold-technology-market-size-trends-latest-arti-vishwakarma-mlsof/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aesthetic-threads-market-increasing-demand-growth-2031-vishwakarma-pyg5f Media Contact: Contact Person: Mr. Anurag Tiwari Email: anurag@omrglobal.com Contact no: +91 780-304-0404 Company Name: Orion Market Research About Orion Market Research Orion Market Research (OMR) is a market research and consulting company known for its crisp and concise reports. The company is equipped with an experienced team of analysts and consultants. OMR offers quality syndicated research reports, customized research reports, consulting and other research-based services. The company also offers Digital Marketing services through its subsidiary OMR Digital and Software development and Consulting Services through another subsidiary Encanto Technologies. This release was published on openPR.
SOMERVILLE, N.J. , Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Specified Technologies Inc. has announced their latest Firestop Clash Management (FCM) and Firestop Locator (FSL) releases. FCM automates the process of locating and assigning firestop solutions to conditions within Autodesk ® Revit ® , enabling firestop novices to find firestop solutions like a firestop expert. In this latest release, STI has further expanded the capabilities of FCM by integrating it with their firestop documentation and compliance tool, Firestop Locator (FSL). FSL enables contractors and facilities' teams to document the status, location, and products used for any and all fire life safety services across a building. In the latest update for FSL, teams can now create custom items to track any service on their project beyond the base six (Penetration, Joint, Extinguisher, Door, Damper, and Barrier). Teams can also modify the base six items to include project specific inspection and maintenance requirements and any other details that they would like to be tracked. With this new integration, decisions made during the design phase of a building using FCM are seamlessly passed into FSL during the construction phase, giving implementation teams a jump start on work to be done. This integration also improves data integrity and eliminates the guesswork in the field of determining what firestop systems and products are to be used where. "We're proud of the latest releases of FCM and FSL and look forward to continuing to support the fire life safety community," says Justin Pine, Sr. Manager of Software & Services. Specified Technologies Inc. promotes life and building safety by developing innovative fire protection systems and accompanying digital tools that help stop the spread of fire, smoke, and hot gases. Our SpecSeal® and EZ Path® product lines are engineered for easy installation and deliver powerful performance, often resulting in lower installed costs. Since firestopping is our only business, we concentrate all our resources on providing the highest quality, fully tested, innovative firestopping solutions. Contact: Jess Bern ; jbern@stifirestop.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/specified-technologies-inc-unveils-firestop-clash-management-and-locator-updates-302314629.html SOURCE Specified Technologies, Inc.
FUNDING for milk and healthy snacks for pre-school kids is being effectively slashed by Nats ministers, we can reveal. A real-terms cut — buried in last week’s SNP Budget — comes despite First Minister John Swinney boasting of “eradicating child poverty” . 2 Martin Whitfield MSP says local authorities are being asked to provide more with less Credit: Alamy The Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme has now been held at £12.5million for four years, despite increasing demand. And taking inflation into account, it is the equivalent of a cut of around £1.3million. Scottish Labour children’s spokesman Martin Whitfield said that already cash-strapped councils are being further squeezed. He said: “Every child deserves healthy and nutritious food, but local authorities are being asked to provide more with less. read more politics TURN UP TRUMPS Lara Trump's monumental rise from TV producer to Rubio's 'Senate successor' CHRIS MUSSON SNP & Labour should stop virtue-signalling with President Donald Trump The SNP has pledged to tackle child poverty yet this decision risks pricing the poorest children out of a healthy start to their day.” The amount available to pay for one carton of milk and a piece of fruit has remained static at 58.2p since April 2022. But council chiefs have warned that actual prices for providing these essentials has rocketed. The programme, which began in August 2021, replaced a UK Nursery Milk Scheme. Most read in Politics LEADERS MEET Prime Minister Keir Starmer to meet John Swinney and other leaders in Scotland BUDGET FALLOUT SNP cut funding to public services while splurging extra £1.3bn on benefits 'RECORD FUNDING' Scots Finance Minister says 'no reason' for councils to impose tax hikes POLITICIAN NICKED Glasgow Labour councillor charged with stalking & suspended by party The Scottish Government said it was going further by providing fruit or a vegetable portion, and a non-dairy alternative for kids who cannot drink cow milk. In October, a Scottish Government report recorded that 140,834 children were registered with the scheme as of April — an increase of 25,000 since August 2021. Trump’s son calls John Swinney ‘nasty’ and says doing business in Scotland ‘virtually impossible’ The Association of Directors of Education highlighted “inflationary pressures” on the 58.2p flat rate. It also questioned a 175-day funding assumption, noting some childcare centres open between 190 and 220 days per year. LibDem Willie Rennie said: “We have been clear that this budget must properly support children from disadvantaged backgrounds.” The Tories’ Roz McCall said: “The SNP squanders millions on wasteful projects but axes funding for worthwhile schemes like this.” A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our Budget invests in public services, lifts children out of poverty, acts in the face of the climate emergency, and supports jobs and economic growth. “Since 2021 our Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme (SMHSS) has been providing milk or a non-dairy alternative and a portion of fruit or vegetables in day care settings to help young children establish good nutrition before starting school, reinforcing our ambition to improve health outcomes for children and young people.” “We are firmly committed to improving children’s health and wellbeing. Read more on the Scottish Sun FERRY WINDY Ferry stranded amid Storm Darragh as passengers stuck on ship for 12 hours HORROR BLAZE Huge fire erupts at Scots industrial estate as emergency crews race to scene "That’s why we are working with local government to expand free school meals provision for Primary 6 and 7 children in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment. "This will help thousands more children access nutritious and healthy food. This is part of our wider mission to eradicate child poverty in Scotland.” 2 Funding for milk and healthy snacks for pre-school kids is being effectively slashed by Nats ministers Credit: Getty
Sean Duffy’s Fox News Host Wife Dabbles in Transphobia During Nancy Mace Interview“Yucatan is an ideal destination for local and global companies to invest” Joaquín Díaz Mena