love me lyrics
2025-01-09   

RIYADH, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The 28th annual World Investment Conference kicked off on Monday in Riyadh, gathering more than 2,000 attendees from 130 countries to explore key strategies for overcoming global investment challenges, according to the organizers. Running from Nov. 25 to 27, the conference, organized by Invest Saudi in partnership with the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies, was held under the theme "Harnessing Digital Transformation and Sustainable Growth: Scaling Investment Opportunities." In his opening remarks, Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih highlighted the challenges and opportunities in addressing global investment amid the ongoing economic transformations, including the rise of green and blue economies, the impact of new technologies, the reconfiguration of global supply chains, and demographic shifts. Showcasing Saudi Arabia's development, the minister said, "Our GDP has grown by 70 percent since the launch of Vision 2030 to 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars, with half of this attributed to non-oil economic activities. Foreign direct investment flows have tripled compared to pre-Vision levels, and registered international investors are 10 times what they were." He also commended the collaborative endeavors of investment promotion agencies and international institutions in achieving the conference's objectives, urging participants to fortify international investment cooperation to achieve sustainable and comprehensive growth.DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza City (AP) — For Gaza’s women, the hardships of life in the territory’s sprawling tent camps are compounded by the daily humiliation of never having privacy. Women struggle to dress modestly while crowded into tents with extended family members, including men, and with strangers only steps away in neighboring tents. Access to menstrual products is limited, so they cut up sheets or old clothes to use as pads. Makeshift toilets usually consist of only a hole in the sand surrounded by sheets dangling from a line, and these must be shared with dozens of other people. Alaa Hamami has dealt with the modesty issue by constantly wearing her prayer shawl, a black cloth that covers her head and upper body. “Our whole lives have become prayer clothes, even to the market we wear it,” said the young mother of three. “Dignity is gone.” Normally, she would wear the shawl only when performing her daily Muslim prayers. But with so many men around, she keeps it on all the time, even when sleeping — just in case an Israeli strike hits nearby in the night and she has to flee quickly, she said. Israel’s 14-month-old campaign in Gaza has driven more than 90% of its 2.3 million Palestinians from their homes. Hundreds of thousands of them are now living in squalid camps of tents packed close together over large areas. Sewage runs into the streets , and food and water are hard to obtain. Winter is setting in. Families often wear the same clothes for weeks because they left clothing and many other belongings behind as they fled. Everyone in the camps searches daily for food, clean water and firewood. Women feel constantly exposed. Gaza has always been a conservative society. Most women wear the hijab, or head scarf, in the presence of men who are not immediate family. Matters of women’s health — pregnancy, menstruation and contraception — tend not to be discussed publicly. “Before we had a roof. Here it does not exist,” said Hamami, whose prayer shawl is torn and smudged with ash from cooking fires. “Here our entire lives have become exposed to the public. There is no privacy for women.” Wafaa Nasrallah, a displaced mother of two, says life in the camps makes even the simplest needs difficult, like getting period pads, which she cannot afford. She tried using pieces of cloth and even diapers, which have also increased in price. For a bathroom, she has a hole in the ground, surrounded by blankets propped up by sticks. The U.N. says more than 690,000 women and girls in Gaza require menstrual hygiene products, as well as clean water and toilets. Aid workers have been unable to meet demand, with supplies piling up at crossings from Israel. Stocks of hygiene kits have run out, and prices are exorbitant. Many women have to choose between buying pads and buying food and water. Doaa Hellis, a mother of three living in a camp, said she has torn up her old clothes to use for menstrual pads. “Wherever we find fabric, we tear it up and use it.” A packet of pads costs 45 shekels ($12), “and there is not even five shekels in the whole tent,” she said. Anera, a rights group active in Gaza, says some women use birth control pills to halt their periods. Others have experienced disruptions in their cycles because of the stress and trauma of repeated displacement. The terrible conditions pose real risks to women’s health, said Amal Seyam, the director of the Women’s Affairs Center in Gaza, which provides supplies for women and surveys them about their experiences. She said some women have not changed clothes for 40 days. That and improvised cloth pads “will certainly create” skin diseases, diseases related to reproductive health and psychological conditions, she said. “Imagine what a woman in Gaza feels like, if she’s unable to control conditions related to hygiene and menstrual cycles,” Seyam said. Hellis remembered a time not so long ago, when being a woman felt more like a joy and less like a burden. “Women are now deprived of everything, no clothes, no bathroom. Their psychology is completely destroyed,” she said. Seyam said the center has tracked cases where girls have been married younger, before the age of 18, to escape the suffocating environment of their family’s tents. The war will “continue to cause a humanitarian disaster in every sense of the word. And women always pay the biggest price,” she said. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, over half of them women and children, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Its count does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. Israel launched its assault in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on southern Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted around 250 others. With large swaths of Gaza’s cities and towns leveled, women wrestle with reduced lives in their tents. Hamami can walk the length of her small tent in a few strides. She shares it with 13 other people from her extended family. During the war, she gave birth to a son, Ahmed, who is now 8 months old. Between caring for him and her two other children, washing her family’s laundry, cooking and waiting in line for water, she says there’s no time to care for herself. She has a few objects that remind her of what her life once was, including a powder compact she brought with her when she fled her home in the Shati camp of Gaza City. The makeup is now caked and crumbling. She managed to keep hold of a small mirror through four different displacements over the past year. It’s broken into two shards that she holds together every so often to catch a glimpse of her reflection. “Previously, I had a wardrobe that contained everything I could wish for,” she said. “We used to go out for a walk every day, go to wedding parties, go to parks, to malls, to buy everything we wanted." Women “lost their being and everything in this war," she said. "Women used to take care of themselves before the war. Now everything is destroyed.” Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report.love me lyrics 。

Biden's broken promise on pardoning his son Hunter is raising new questions about his legacy WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and pardon his son Hunter wasn't all that surprising to those who are familiar with the president's devotion to his family. But by choosing to put his family first, the 82-year-old president has raised new questions about his legacy. Biden has held himself up as placing his respect for the American judicial system and rule of law over his own personal concerns. It was part of an effort to draw a deliberate contrast with Republican Donald Trump. Now, both his broken promise and his act of clemency are a political lightning rod. Some Democrats are frustrated over Joe Biden reversing course and pardoning his son Hunter ATLANTA (AP) — Already reeling from their November defeat at the polls, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden's pardoning of his son for a federal felony conviction — after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who operates above the law. The White House on Monday struggled to defend the pardon claiming the prosecution was politically motivated — a page out of Trump's playbook. That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats who are angry that Biden’s reversal could make it harder to take on Trump. Hezbollah fires into Israel-held area after multiple Israeli strikes in Lebanon since truce began JERUSALEM (AP) — Hezbollah fired into a disputed border zone held by Israel after multiple Israeli strikes inside Lebanon since a ceasefire took hold last week. The militant group said the volley, its first during the truce, was a warning shot in response to what it called repeated Israeli violations. Israeli leaders threatened to retaliate, further straining the fragile U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire. Israeli strikes in recent days, including a string of hits on Monday, have killed at least four people in Lebanon. U.S. officials said the ceasefire was largely holding. Great Lakes region gets yet more snow after a weekend of snarled Thanksgiving travel Some storm-weary residents of the Great Lakes region saw additional snow and faced the prospect of even more accumulations this week. Lake-effect snow continued to fall on parts of western New York that were already blanketed with a foot or more over the past four days. Lake-effect snow warnings were in effect through Tuesday night in parts of Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania. Snow showers fell in western Michigan overnight, and heavier, persistent snow of up to a foot was expected to follow Monday. Turkey calls for reconciliation between Syria government and opposition to end conflict ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's foreign minister says the recent rapid advance by opposition fighters in Syria shows that Syrian President Bashar Assad must reconcile with his own people and hold dialogue with the opposition. Speaking Monday at a joint news conference in Ankara with his Iranian counterpart, Hakan Fidan said Turkey and Iran, which support opposing sides in Syria’s civil war, have agreed to resume diplomatic efforts along with Russia to restore calm days after insurgents launched a lightning offensive and captured almost all of the country’s largest city, Aleppo. The swift advance by fighters that Turkey supports was a huge embarrassment for Assad. A top Fed official leans toward December rate cut but says it depends on economic data WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official says he is leaning toward supporting an interest rate cut when the Fed meets in two weeks but that evidence of persistent inflation before then could cause him to change that view. Speaking at George Washington University, Christopher Waller, a key member of the Fed’s Board of Governors, said he was confident that inflation is headed lower and that the central bank will likely keep reducing its key rate, which affects many consumer and business loans. But he noted that there’s a risk that inflation “may be getting stuck above” the Fed’s 2% target, which would support an argument for keeping the Fed’s rate unchanged this month. More than 3 million travelers screened at US airports in a single day. That's a record Travelers heading home after the Thanksgiving holiday are setting a record. The Transportation Security Administration says that it screened nearly 3.1 million travelers on Sunday, breaking the previous record by about 74,000. That mark was set on July 7, also a Sunday after a holiday, July Fourth. Hundreds of thousands of travelers were delayed or had their flights canceled. FlightAware says more 6,800 flights were delayed on Sunday, with the highest numbers at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Panic among spectators at soccer game kills at least 56 in the West African nation of Guinea CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Officials and witnesses say chaos erupted at a soccer game in Guinea after fans protested a referee’s call and thousands of panicked spectators tried to flee the stadium, leaving at least 56 people dead in the West African nation. Local news website Media Guinea reported that security forces used tear gas. A journalist covering the game for a local sports website tells The Associated Press many of the dead were crushed as they tried to escape through the stadium gates. The world’s latest sports crowd disaster unfurled Sunday in the second-largest city in the military-run nation. Information there is sparse and government-controlled at the best of times. It was not immediately clear how much the death toll could grow. Stars, heads of state, solemn rituals and high-security celebrations for Notre Dame's reopening PARIS (AP) — The reopening of Notre Dame this coming weekend will be a high-security affair, with a repeat of some measures used during the Paris Olympics. After more than five years of reconstruction following the devastating fire in 2019, invitation-only ceremonies Saturday and Sunday will usher in Notre Dame's rebirth. Police chief Laurent Nuñez said Monday that only people with invitations and the island’s residents will have access to the Ile de la Cité in the middle of the River Seine, which includes Notre Dame. He said about 50 heads of state and government are expected.: The Centre on Monday approved a slew of key decisions, including the second edition of the permanent account number or PAN 2.0 project of the income tax department with an estimated cost of Rs 1,435 crore, enabling technology driven transformation of taxpayer registration services. The government, however, aims to emphasize a digital and paperless process for PAN issuance and a grievance redressal mechanism, making the system more efficient and user-friendly. Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the PAN 2.0 project I-T department. "The ambitious project is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,435 crore, where it will roll out a free-of-cost upgrade to the PAN card with a QR Code," Mr Vaishnaw said. “The existing system will be upgraded and the digital backbone will be brought in a new way... We will try to make it a common business identifier. There will be a unified portal, it will be completely paperless and online. The emphasis will be on the grievance redressal system," the minister said. He further said that all PAN, TAN services will be integrated together to build a common business identifier, which was a long-standing demand from the commercial world. "A PAN data vault system would be made mandatory for all entities using PAN data so that the data provided by consumers can be kept safe," he added. Meanwhile, the CCEA also approved two hydropower projects worth a total investment of Rs 3,689 crore in Arunachal Pradesh. After the Cabinet meeting, Mr Vaishnaw told the media that the CCEA approved an investment of Rs 1,750 crore for the construction of 186 MW Tato-I Hydro Electric project and Rs 1,939 crore for 240 MW Heo Hydro Electric project in Shi Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh. The projects will be implemented through joint venture companies between North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd (NEEPCO) and the government of Arunachal Pradesh. "Power generated from the two projects will help improve the power supply position in Arunachal Pradesh and will also help in balancing the national grid," the minister said

Following the Central Economic Work Conference, several provinces and regions that are considered major economic driving forces in China have held meetings to arrange economic work for 2025, including major initiatives to further support the national economy. On Saturday, Southwest China's Sichuan Province held a meeting on development and reform in the provincial capital of Chengdu. Among the major highlights of the meeting, Sichuan, which is considered a major economic powerhouse, will implement 810 major projects in an effort to revitalize private investment. The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to stimulate domestic demand, and give full play to the key role of investment and the basic role of consumption, according to a post on the official website of the Central Government on Sunday. The province also pledged to step up efforts in areas such as bolstering innovation and infrastructure. In terms of innovation, Sichuan aims to build a nationally influential science and technology innovation center, jointly build a low-altitude economic development highland, promote high-quality development of the digital economy, and accelerate the creation of a modern industrial system with Sichuan's characteristics. Other major economic powerhouses also held similar meetings to arrange economic work for 2025. On December 24, East China's Jiangsu, which plays a critical role in the overall Chinese economy, held a meeting on economic work. The meeting noted that as a major economy and a province that focuses on opening-up, Jiangsu has maintained stable economic operations, and the resilience of the economy has continuously improved, further accumulating advantages in areas such as industry, science and technology, talent and business environment. Central China's Henan Province also held a meeting on the economy, according to Henan Daily on December 25. For economic work in 2025, the meeting said that the province will also focus on unleashing the potential for consumption, stepping up investment in innovation, and improving the business environment. These are just three examples of Chinese economic powerhouses looking to further boost the economy, but they also underscored efforts nationwide to ensure stable economic growth in 2025, an economist said on Sunday. In particular, in the field of boosting domestic demand, "China is focused on major economic powerhouses leveraging their roles in leading the national economy," Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Sunday. Li said that through the efforts of the leading economic bases, other areas will also follow suit. "Through these measures to stabilize growth in these economically developed provinces, the development of other places can be effectively lifted. This is a typical feature of the Chinese economy," the economist said. Xi Junyang, a professor at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, said that the economic powerhouses are also planning their development goals based on their own advantages, with each province and region focusing on their own industries. "However, these provinces have a relatively large impact on the national economy and account for a relatively high proportion of the GDP. Therefore, if these development goals are pursued by the provinces, they will play an important role in driving the economic development of our entire country. They will promote the economic development of our entire country next year," Xi Junyang told the Global Times on Sunday.

Eagles Waive WR Parris CampbellPublic access television stations across New Hampshire face growing uncertainty as their funding declines, forcing stations to seek new sources of revenue to support community television. Funding for the television stations derives from franchise fees, a charge that appears on a customer’s cable bill. They are an annual payment by a cable company to a municipality in exchange for the use of public property to operate its cable lines. But the ongoing preference by viewers to “cut the cord” and instead opt for streaming services, as well as a growing customer preference for more customized and cost-effective television options, have led to a dramatic decrease in cable subscriptions nationwide, including in the Granite State. Nashua Community Television, a city-owned station with four public-access channels, is currently working with the city's Board of Aldermen to cover “a sizable deficit” this fiscal year, said Pete Johnson, NCTV’s education channel access director. The station, which has a $600,000 operating budget, received $383,000 in franchise fee revenues this year — down nearly 7% from last fiscal year. “We took a pretty substantial hit this year,” Johnson said. “We knew this downturn was coming (but now) we’ve blown through our reserves.” For several years, the station supplemented its revenue with money from a surplus reserve, Johnson said. But that reserve is now depleted. Since 2017, cable subscriptions in the U.S. have declined annually by nearly 5% — from 96 million subscriptions to 68 million in 2024, according to IBISWorld, a global research firm. Comcast, the largest cable TV provider in New Hampshire and second-largest in the U.S., reported a nationwide loss of over 1.8 million cable subscribers between March 2023 and August 2024. In Nashua, the revenues from franchise fees have declined 21% since 2017, when the station received $483,000. The problem, said community television advocates, lies in the federal government’s funding rules for public access stations, which are 40 years old and outdated. “Consumers are switching to other services (through broadband) that are not regulated the same way as cable,” said Mike Wassenaar, president of the Alliance for Community Media, a national trade organization. “The irony is that there is more and more video being watched today but less and less money going toward the public stations that produce local content.” The funding conundrum Franchise fees are governed under the Cable Communications Act of 1984, which sets a national policy for the regulation of cable television communications. Under federal law, municipalities are entitled to a maximum of 5% of a cable operator’s gross revenues derived from cable subscriptions and related services, such as pay-per-view orders. In New Hampshire, the local government and cable provider negotiate the percentage of this fee when initiating or renewing a franchise agreement. Municipalities may use these revenues for a variety of local purposes, including to fund public, education and government access, or PEG, channels. “There should be a related public benefit in exchange for allowing private companies to make money off of public property,” said Owen Provencher, director of Derry Community Access Media and president of the N.H. Coalition of Community Media, a group of nearly 40 public access outlets in the state. But the federal rule allows a fee charged only to cable services, not to broadband providers. “The law hasn’t caught up to the industry,” Nick Lavallee, executive director of Merrimack TV, told the Town Council at a meeting Sept. 26. “One can purchase broadband and run streaming apps to access the same video content as cable television (without paying a franchise fee),” Wassenaar said. “It’s a problem across the country, and unless there’s a change in the federal law, this problem will still exist.” Community television advocates believe that federal law should expand the application of franchise fees to all companies that use public right-of-ways to deliver video content, including internet providers and streaming services. “The broadband and fiber optics lines are going over the same public right-of-ways as the cable one,” Provencher said in an interview. Meanwhile, community television stations are already serving a large and growing viewership on internet-based platforms, particularly due to the ability to stream recorded programs, several station managers said. Jason Cote, executive director of Manchester Public Television, said a live government meeting might draw between 75 and 100 viewers, whereas the video recording of that meeting online will receive “hundreds of views.” “I brought up 10 years ago that (internet providers) should be involved in funding public access stations,” Cote said. “The federal government should be saying that this service is essential for communities.” The COVID pandemic, in addition to accelerating the market shift toward video streaming, opened new opportunities for public access television to engage audiences. For example, Nashua Community TV began covering live school sporting events because the games were closed to the public, Johnson said. The station still provides live game coverage due to its popularity. “So we find ourselves busier than ever, because people have come to expect that kind of coverage,” Johnson said. “And those are things that we want to continue for the community.” ‘Not sustainable in the long term’ As revenues shrink, some stations are seeking support from their local governments. This includes requests for additional funding or proposals to raise the franchise fee rate. The Merrimack Town Council, at a meeting Sept. 26, discussed whether to include Merrimack TV in the town budget and fund it from local property taxes instead of franchise fees. The station’s franchise fee revenue this year — $368,000 — is 7% lower than in 2021, Town Manager Paul Micali told the council. A recent study projected that the station may be operating at a deficit in three years, based on the rate of declining funds and estimated cost increases. At the meeting, Micali proposed that the council increase the franchise fee rate, from the current 3.75% of cable revenues to 5%, when the agreement is up for renewal in 2029. This increase would not resolve the problem, though it would provide a few additional years of sustainability, Micali said. Several councilors expressed concern about increasing the burden on cable subscribers for a station accessed by the broader community. Among them was Thomas Koenig, who said, “I think that’s wrong. If we need to fund it, I think we (all) need to fund it.” The council has not yet made a decision on the station’s funding. More from this section On the Seacoast, Portsmouth Public Media TV which operates PPMtv, announced in July that its channel may shut down operations after 14 years unless the city council renegotiates a 2009 agreement with the station to increase its funding. Under that agreement, the city retains $360,000 of the annual franchise fee it receives from Comcast — 5% of the company’s cable revenues — and PPMtv receives the remainder of the revenue. In prior years, the station’s share has averaged roughly between $120,000 and $130,000, said Executive Director Chad Cordner. But in May, PPMtv learned that its funding share this year would be $86,000 — a 27% drop from 2023 — and that next year’s funding is projected to be a similar amount, Cordner said. The allotted funding is barely enough to pay Cordner’s full-time salary, $46,000, and the station’s two part-time employees, at $20,000 apiece, he said. “PPMtv is tremendously underfunded as compared to other stations,” Studio Operations Manager Jake Webb wrote in an online petition seeking community support. “A more equal split of this fee would allow PPMtv to continue to operate and even grow.” The station’s Youtube channel has 14,000 subscribers, and its video library has received 4 million total views, Cordner said. The station is seeking between $50,000 and $100,000 in additional franchise fee revenues to cover equipment and programming costs, including media education workshops and internships, Cordner said. Several city councilors, at a meeting Sept. 3, expressed reservations about increasing the station’s funding from a shrinking revenue source. “Even if we gave PPMtv 100% of the franchise fee, that is not sustainable in the long term because that (revenue) will go down significantly, " Councilor Kate Cook said at the meeting. The city’s franchise fees also fund a government channel that streams municipal meetings, which has a budget of over $200,000 a year, Cook said. The council directed city staff on Sept. 3 to present recommendations at a future council meeting for ways to sustainably fund PPMtv. State solutions Despite a strong consensus in support of changing the federal law, several industry members said that is unlikely to happen. Congress would need to approve any amendments to the Cable Communications Act. The political divide in Washington already makes bipartisanship difficult, Wassenaar noted. And many lawmakers would be reluctant to support a fee on Internet services, said Lauren-Glenn Davitian, public policy director at Center for Media & Democracy, a public media advocacy group based in Burlington, Vt. The Internet Tax Freedom Act, a federal law passed in 1998, prohibits state and local governments from imposing taxes directly on the internet or online activity, including taxes on email accounts or internet access. The law’s stated intent was to support the internet’s use as a commercial, educational and informational tool. Some states, including Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts, are taking steps to aid their public access stations through legislation or direct funding. Provencher said there is currently no legislation in New Hampshire pertaining to community television funding. In February, the Maine Legislature passed LD 1967, a law that allows municipalities to charge a franchise fee to any video service provider that uses a public right-of-way, regardless of the technology employed. The law requires any provider of video, audio or digital entertainment that owns or operates facilities in the public right-of-way to have an agreement with the municipality, said Tony Vigue, a public media advocate in Maine. The bill’s stated intent is to ensure that all providers of video services, regardless of the platform, receive equal treatment in respect to franchising and regulating. “Just because the technology has changed, the town still owns a public right-of-way,” Vigue said. The law, which was not signed by the governor, went into effect in August. The Maine Municipal Association and Maine Connectivity Authority are still drafting a standard agreement form for towns and cities to use, Vigue said. Massachusetts lawmakers are considering legislation that would levy fees on streaming companies like Netflix and Roku to help fund community media. Senate Bill 2771 proposes a 5% fee on digital streaming providers, based on a company’s gross annual revenue in the state. A portion of the fee would be distributed to municipalities to support their public access television programs. The bill, introduced last year, is still under review in the Massachusetts Senate. Vermont is considering a similar bill, S.181, which is currently under committee review in the House. That bill would also charge a 5% tax on a company’s statewide revenue. Though she would like to see a legislative plan, Davitian said she does not support a streaming tax, which would result in many consumers being charged more than once for the same use of a right-of-way, such as cable customers with add-on streaming channels. “There needs to be a tax on the infrastructure, not streaming (services),” Davitian said. A separate bill, proposing a $15-per-pole attachment tax for each fiber or copper line attached to a utility pole, was abandoned by the House Ways and Means Committee in February. The bill received heavy opposition from various stakeholders, including local telephone companies, which said they wouldn’t be able to afford the cost, Davitian said. In June, the Vermont Legislature approved a one-time appropriation of $1 million in this year’s budget to help Vermont’s community television stations absorb the impact of declining franchise fees. That money is intended to be a stopgap as legislators continue to seek a funding solution, Davitian said. “It was an interesting victory,” Davitian said. “We are happy to get the money, but we didn’t get to make a public policy.” The money will be distributed through the Vermont Access Network, an organization representing the state’s 24 public access media centers, which operate more than 80 local cable channels in the state. ••• These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org .AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:45 p.m. EST

CDSL shares almost doubled investor wealth in 2024; buy, sell or hold?Lawmakers react to Hunter Biden pardonStock market today: Wall Street’s rally stalls as Nasdaq pulls back from its record

COLUMBIA — The Mark Clark Extension project isn't officially dead, but the chance it will become a reality is quickly disappearing. After decades of debate and following the failure of a county tax referendum meant to fund most of the $2.3 billion project, state lawmakers recommended revoking authorization and returning all the unspent state funds. The Joint Bond Review Committee approved that recommendation by an 8-1 margin Dec. 2. State Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, D-Charleston, was the lone no vote. The final say on the $420 million the state was authorized to spend on its share of the project now rests with the members of the State Transportation Investment Bank, which voted before Thanksgiving to solicit guidance from state lawmakers on the expenditure-approving Joint Bond Review Committee before formally revoking the funding. The guidance came down Dec. 2 with a recommendation to redirect the unspent funding — most of the state's $420 million — to South Carolina's uncommitted resources fund. That came despite a hope from Charleston County officials that if the Mark Clark/Interstate 526 expansion across James and Johns islands were killed, the state funds could go to other Charleston County projects. Two major highway projects in Lowcountry face uncertain fate. SC officials offer no lifelines. County Councilman Joe Boykin, who represents Johns Island, told The Post and Courier after the meeting that the 8-1 vote presented a clear indication of where things are headed. "I think the guidance was pretty specific from the Joint Bond Review Committee," he said. "I didn't have any misunderstanding in their intent and purpose. So I think the path is clear for the (State Transportation Infrastructure Bank), and we will respond appropriately." The effort has cost $57.7 million so far — $49.3 million from the state and $8.4 million from the county. County Council was already scheduled to meet later this week. But with little time to give public notice of the meeting, Charleston County officials are now without a set plan to move forward. And while the infrastructure bank is now likely to reallocate funding intended for Charleston County to somewhere else in the state, that prospect is giving supporters like Stavrinakis little encouragement. Charleston County urges state to get $2.3B Mark Clark Extension 'shovel ready' "We still need traffic help in Charleston," he said. "I would like to have been able to keep those funds in Charleston." "I understand why they're doing what they're doing," he added. "The current agreement is not one that can be executed at this point. But that doesn't change the need for traffic relief in that corridor and in Charleston in general." For years the efforts to extend I-526, also known as the Mark Clark Expressway, to Johns and James islands has been one of the region's most visible infrastructure projects intended to relieve traffic and aid potential hurricane evacuations. While favored by county leadership, years of delays partially driven by concerns over the project's environmental impact and resident opposition eventually ballooned the cost of the project. According to previous reporting by The Post and Courier, the road was expected to cost $420 million in 2006. But today's price tag is $2.33 billion — the brunt of which would be borne by county taxpayers. Editorial: On Johns Island, a bad idea is dead. We need to rally behind good ones. Ultimately, a majority of local voters didn't want it, choosing by a roughly a two-to-one margin on Nov. 5 to reject a sales tax meant to fund the project. That decision, county leaders have admitted, all but crippled the project's viability. "We realize that there is no path forward for us to fund it without the sales tax," said Herb Sass, chairman of Charleston County Council. "That was the chance we had to fund it." Now the county is left searching for alternatives, Stavrinakis said, for growing issues of traffic and a population burst that won't go away anytime soon. "The county's level of commitment, had the funding been approved, was simply unprecedented in state history," he said prior to the vote. "A commitment by a county of that magnitude for essentially an interstate highway is something that we've never seen before. We are where we are, and we have to accept the results of the election. But the need is not going to go away."What Did Billy Ray Cyrus Say About Beyonce’s Snub at CMA Awards 2024? By Acclaimed singer has recently reacted to from the . The iconic artist only ventured into the genre of country music earlier this year, releasing her debut album, Cowboy Carter, to glaring reviews from fans. Therefore, Beyonce’s exclusion from this year’s CMA Awards has generated a discussion on the internet, with Cyrus also sharing his two cents on the topic. But what did the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer say about the aforementioned snub? Here’s everything you need to know regarding Cyrus’ comments about Beyonce and the 2024 CMA Awards. Billy Ray Cyrus reacts to Beyonce snub at CMA Awards 2024 The Country Music Association recently announced their nominees for this year’s edition of their annual award ceremony, which aims to honor the relevant country music artists and broadcasters. In response, Billy Ray Cyrus, a veteran of the field, took to to congratulate the nominated personalities and highlight the unexpected exclusion of Beyonce. The 32-time Grammy winner released the first country record of her career in March 2024. Despite Cowboy Carter being her maiden outing away from pop music, the album received much praise. Many listeners lauded Beyonce for her seamless transition into uncharted territories. Nevertheless, she still failed to make it into the nominee list for the prestigious award. As such, a baffled Billy Ray Cyrus addressed Beyonce’s snub, stating, “I was surprised to see @beyonce wasn’t nominated??? Her album was brilliant. Her single ruled. But she knows that.” However, Cyrus also recognized the might of the “Single Ladies” singer. He conveyed, “She doesn’t need a trophy from the CMA. Or permission. Or approval from any of their judges.” He ended his post by quoting Muhammad Ali, “When ya knock ’em out. Ya don’t need no judge.” Fellow country singer Luke Bryan also regarding Beyonce during his recent appearance on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy. Apoorv is an SEO Contributing Writer for ComingSoon. A dedicated cinephile inside and out, Apoorv's passion for content creation motivated him to ditch the software sector in favour of pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. He is also an avid sports enthusiast, with football topping his favorites list. Share article

Vijay pens emotional letter to students over Anna University sexual assault incidentPolice arrest 22 cattle rustling, robbery suspects in Jigawa

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 22, 2024-- Today, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of BlackRock Enhanced Capital and Income Fund, Inc. (NYSE: CII) (the "Fund") approved changing the name of the Fund to “BlackRock Enhanced Large Cap Core Fund, Inc.” In connection with the name change, the Board has approved the adoption of a non-fundamental investment policy to invest at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in large cap equity securities and derivatives that provide investment exposure to such securities or to one or more market risk factors associated with such securities (the “80% Policy”). For purposes of the 80% Policy, large cap equity securities are equity securities that at the time of purchase have a market capitalization within the range of companies included in the Russell 1000® Index. The name change and adoption of the 80% Policy are expected to be effective as of December 31, 2024. After careful review of the Fund’s current investment strategies and portfolio holdings, the Fund’s investment adviser, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”), recommended that the Board approve the name change and adoption of the 80% Policy in order to comply with recent amendments to Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (often referred to as the “Names Rule”) that will go into effect in 2025 and expand the scope of the Names Rule. There will be no changes to the Fund’s investment objective, NYSE ticker symbol or CUSIP as a result of the name change or adoption of the 80% Policy. About BlackRock BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate Availability of Fund Updates BlackRock will update performance and certain other data for the Fund on a monthly basis on its website in the “Closed-end Funds” section of www.blackrock.com as well as certain other material information as necessary from time to time. Investors and others are advised to check the website for updated performance information and the release of other material information about the Fund. This reference to BlackRock’s website is intended to allow investors public access to information regarding the Fund and does not, and is not intended to, incorporate BlackRock’s website in this release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release, and other statements that BlackRock or the Fund may make, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to the Fund’s or BlackRock’s future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “trend,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “pipeline,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,” “intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions. BlackRock cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and BlackRock assumes no duty to and does not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance. With respect to the Fund, the following factors, among others, could cause actual events to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: (1) changes and volatility in political, economic or industry conditions, the interest rate environment, foreign exchange rates or financial and capital markets, which could result in changes in demand for the Fund or in the Fund’s net asset value; (2) the relative and absolute investment performance of the Fund and its investments; (3) the impact of increased competition; (4) the unfavorable resolution of any legal proceedings; (5) the extent and timing of any distributions or share repurchases; (6) the impact, extent and timing of technological changes; (7) the impact of legislative and regulatory actions and reforms, and regulatory, supervisory or enforcement actions of government agencies relating to the Fund or BlackRock, as applicable; (8) terrorist activities, international hostilities, health epidemics and/or pandemics and natural disasters, which may adversely affect the general economy, domestic and local financial and capital markets, specific industries or BlackRock; (9) BlackRock’s ability to attract and retain highly talented professionals; (10) the impact of BlackRock electing to provide support to its products from time to time; and (11) the impact of problems at other financial institutions or the failure or negative performance of products at other financial institutions. Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and other regulatory filings of the Fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and on BlackRock’s website at www.blackrock.com , and may discuss these or other factors that affect the Fund. The information contained on BlackRock’s website is not a part of this press release. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122388285/en/ 1-800-882-0052 KEYWORD: NEW YORK UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ASSET MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE SOURCE: BlackRock Closed-End Funds Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/22/2024 05:00 PM/DISC: 11/22/2024 05:02 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122388285/en

These Are the 17 Best Cyber Monday Deals That Are Actually Cheaper Than Black Friday

Top war-crimes court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and others in Israel-Hamas fighting

Related hot word search:

Previous: e phil id
Next: