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T hree eminent Nigerians: First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Governor Babagana Umar Zulum, yesterday bagged honorary degrees from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) during its 36th Convocation ceremony in recognition of their immense contributions to the development of education, the country and humanity. Also at the convocation, 632 students were admitted into the university’s post-graduate degree for fulfilling all the requirements. While Mrs Tinubu and Uzodimma were conferred with the honorary degree of Doctor of Management, Honoris Causa, Zulum got the honorary degree of the Doctor of Technology, Honoris Causa. In his welcome address, the Chancellor of the University, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Mohammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, appreciated the efforts of the university management in dealing with multiple challenges and appealed to the Federal Government to step-up the funding of universities, especially FUTO to enable it cope with the prevailing debilitating and near crippling financial throes. The chancellor whose address was read by the Vice Chancellor, Prof (Mrs.) Nnenna Oti called on stakeholders like the Alumni, corporate bodies, captains of Industry, multinationals and multilateral linkages to assist the university to achieve its mandate in manpower and skills development to drive national economic development. In his message, the Visitor to the university, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulated the graduands and the awardees for their meritorious successes and service to the society that merited them the honour. President Tinubu who was represented by the Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi, urged them to harness the potentials in the agricultural, vocational and information technology skills to add value to themselves and the nation at large, reminding them that henceforth, they are ambassadors of FUTO and should exhibit creativity, integrity, honesty and innovations as they go into the larger society. The president underscored the Federal Government’s commitment towards tertiary education that necessitated the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) dedicated to granting student’s fees and personal upkeep loans, and commended the management of FUTO for the various initiatives that have repositioned them as a choice university in the country. He urged FUTO and other public universities across the country to make entrepreneurship and skill development top priority so that the graduates nationally and globally will be competitive in emerging technologies and wealth creation. The president enjoined the Pro-Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor, members of the Governing Council and Senate, Principal Officers and indeed all staff of FUTO to serve the university with greater zeal, courage and patriotism and continue to ensure prudent use of resources at their disposal. In her welcome address, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. (Mrs.) Nnenna Oti welcomed all to the 36th Convocation ceremony and called for reawakening of the patriotic zeal to attend the critical mass required to join the league of developed nations. She highlighted several achievements of the university under her watch to include the accreditation of academic programmes, establishment of Centre of Excellence, and improved ranking of the university, among others, noting that “for the first time FUTO was mentioned in a global university ranking.” Other areas of achievements, Oti identified are physical infrastructure development, power infrastructure, expansion of ICT infrastructure, staff welfare and development, research development awards and many others. She identified some challenges which include: lack of staff quarters within the university campus, need for more students hostels, urgent and compelling need for perimeter fencing of the university land, construction of physical infrastructure for the new Teaching Hospital, College of Medicine and Health Sciences and the rehabilitation of internal roads and the major road/broken bridge linking Ihiagwa/other host communities. She, however, appreciated President Tinubu and Governor Uzodimma for their enormous support and assistance to the university that have continued to sustain their operations. In his address, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman 13th Governing Council of FUTO, Senator Jack Tilley-Gyado also singled out and thanked Governor Uzodimma for his personal interest in the university which he said has led to the protection of the university from encroachment and external attacks. He said the governor played more than 80 per cent role in getting the approval of the FUTO University Teaching Hospital, in addition to providing a lot in the areas of security to the university. Tilley-Gyado said: “Governor Uzodimma has a date with history and the FUTO,” and assured that the Council will continue to work closely with the university management to promote amity and good neighbourliness with the host community. He, therefore, enjoined the new graduands to carry the colours and flag of FUTO with pride and distinction wherever they find themselves. In their responses after the conferment of the honour, Uzodimma, Zulum and Mrs Tinubu appreciated the award and pledged their support for the university. Governor Uzodimma was the first to speak. His words: “The Federal University of Technology Owerri is very dear to all of us. That is why since my assumption of office as the governor of Imo State, I have done everything to give all possible support to the existence and well-being of this university. “Today, I’m indeed very glad that I’ve been singled out to be honoured by this great institution – an award which I will hold and cherish for a very longtime. “The difference between other awards and this particular one is that it is coming from an institution that both myself and my government has no influence on, and they were able to single me out for this honour. “On behalf of myself and my wife, the government of Imo State, we are indeed very grateful.” Uzodimma appreciated the First Lady, Governor Zulum and that of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti for being physically present to honour the invitation. He thanked FUTO for the wisdom in selecting the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, himself and the Governor of Bornu State for the award, and reiterated his gratitude to the president for the approval and support to the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri and asserted that “Imo people’s support to Mr. President and the wife is organic.” Uzodimma reassured the president that his administration will surely overcome all the challenges he is currently facing in his policies towards making Nigeria better saying, “it is not easy to see the light at the tunnel.” To the FUTO community, he promised to continue to help resolve all the problems faced by the university. In appreciation of the award, he promised to take one of the projects as enumerated by the university and fund it to completion. Governor Zulum commended the president, the Chancellor of the University, the Pro-Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and Management for finding him worthy of the award and said, “will never take the award for granted.” He said that in “partnership with the governor of Imo State” he will “support the university to grow and develop.” He commended the vice chancellor and her management for the several achievements. In her remarks, MrsTinubu said that she was dedicating the award to the girl child as she thanked the university on behalf of other awardees. She pledged to continue to support the university, noting that the award will inspire them to do more. The First Lady congratulated the graduands and charged them to own Nigeria in such a way that it will be a worthy inheritance for the future generation. According to her “Nigerians will reap what they invest in Nigeria.” She proceeded to announce her plan to launch the Green Environment Club where all Nigerians will participate in keeping the environment clean and ensuring proper disposal of waste. The First Lady disclosed that she had earlier donated N50 million as an endowment for the best graduating student and emphasised the need to support the girl child, the reason she dedicated the award to the girl child. The convocation ceremony was attended by the high and mighty within and outside Imo State.

December 23, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by Weizmann Institute of Science Anyone who has dealt with ants in the kitchen knows that ants are highly social creatures; it's rare to see one alone. Humans are social creatures too, even if some of us enjoy solitude. Ants and humans are also the only creatures in nature that consistently cooperate while transporting large loads that greatly exceed their own dimensions. Prof. Ofer Feinerman and his team at the Weizmann Institute of Science have used this shared trait to conduct a fascinating evolutionary competition that asks the question: Who will be better at maneuvering a large load through a maze? The surprising results, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , shed new light on group decision making, as well as on the pros and cons of cooperation versus going it alone. To enable a comparison between two such disparate species, the research team led by Tabea Dreyer created a real-life version of the "piano movers puzzle," a classical computational problem from the fields of motion planning and robotics that deals with possible ways of moving an unusually shaped object—say, a piano—from point A to point B in a complex environment. Instead of a piano, the participants were given a large T-shaped object that they had to maneuver across a rectangular space divided into three chambers connected by two narrow slits. The researchers created two sets of mazes that differed only in size, to match the dimensions of ants and humans, as well as groups of different sizes. Recruiting study participants was easier in the case of humans, who volunteered simply because they were asked to participate, and probably because they liked the idea of a competition. Ants, on the other hand, are far from competitive. They joined because they were misled into thinking that the heavy load was a juicy edible morsel that they were transporting into their nest. The ants chosen to compete against Homo sapiens were Paratrechina longicornis. They are called this because of their long antennae, though they are sometimes referred to as "crazy ants" for their tendency to dash around. This familiar species of black ant, about 3 mm long, is common around the world. In Israel they are particularly prevalent along the coast and in the south of the country. The ants tackled the maze challenge in three combinations: a single ant, a small group of about seven ants and a large group of about 80. Humans handled the task in three parallel combinations: a single person, a small group of six to nine individuals and a large group of 26. To make the comparison as meaningful as possible, groups of humans were in some cases instructed to avoid communicating through speaking or gestures, even wearing surgical masks and sunglasses to conceal their mouths and eyes. In addition, human participants were told to hold the load only by the handles that simulated the way in which it is held by ants. The handles contained meters that measured the pulling force applied by each person throughout the attempt. The researchers repeated the experiment numerous times for each combination, then meticulously analyzed the videos and all the advanced tracking data while using computer simulations and various physics models. Unsurprisingly, the cognitive abilities of humans gave them an edge in the individual challenge, in which they resorted to calculated, strategic planning , easily outperforming the ants. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter— daily or weekly . In the group challenge, however, the picture was completely different, especially for the larger groups. Not only did groups of ants perform better than individual ants, but in some cases they did better than humans. Groups of ants acted together in a calculated and strategic manner, exhibiting collective memory that helped them persist in a particular direction of motion and avoid repeated mistakes. Humans, on the contrary, failed to significantly improve their performance when acting in groups. When communication between group members was restricted to resemble that of ants, their performance even dropped compared to that of individuals. They tended to opt for "greedy" solutions—which seemed attractive in the short term but were not beneficial in the long term, and—according to the researchers—opted for the lowest common denominator. "An ant colony is actually a family," Feinerman says. "All the ants in the nest are sisters, and they have common interests. It's a tightly knit society in which cooperation greatly outweighs competition. That's why an ant colony is sometimes referred to as a super-organism, sort of a living body composed of multiple 'cells' that cooperate with one another. "Our findings validate this vision. We've shown that ants acting as a group are smarter, that for them the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In contrast, forming groups did not expand the cognitive abilities of humans. The famous 'wisdom of the crowd' that's become so popular in the age of social networks didn't come to the fore in our experiments." Despite all the challenges of human cooperation, several authors successfully joined forces in this study. They included Dr. Ehud Fonio from Feinerman's group in Weizmann's Physics of Complex Systems Department, Prof. Nir Gov of Weizmann's Chemical and Biological Physics Department and Dr. Amir Haluts, then a Ph.D. student supervised by Gov and Prof. Amos Korman of the University of Haifa. More information: Tabea Dreyer et al, Comparing cooperative geometric puzzle solving in ants versus humans, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2414274121 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Provided by Weizmann Institute of Science

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Operator of Sangster International Airport (SIA) MBJ Airports Ltd is planning to roll out the use of biometric technology for outgoing passengers in 2025. According to MBJ Ltd CEO Shane Munroe, it is all about reducing wait time for the millions of passengers who pass through the busy airport each year. “We are going to introduce biometrics on departures. The check-in on mobile devices already exists but then we are expanding the ability of persons to also enrol using biometrics used with mobile devices for them to enrol at the self-service kiosks,” he told the annual MBJ airport forum last Tuesday. If successfully implemented, the move will come about two years after SIA began using the technology for incoming passengers. The idea of introducing biometric technology took on added life in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hammered home the importance of minimising human contact during some stages of the travel experience. Munroe pointed to the benefit it provides in shortening the amount of time passengers spend in the airport. He has seen it work for arriving passengers and the hope is that there will be similar gains when it is expanded to include those leaving. “The whole goal of this project is to speed up the processing of passengers and to reduce wait times. That’s always the key metric for us: queues and wait times; how can we make the whole process seamless and have persons spending less wait time in a queue,” he explained. While Munroe did not provide a specific date for when biometrics would be used to process departing passengers, a source with knowledge of the issue told the Jamaica Observer it would likely be early next year. The MBJ Ltd CEO did provide insight into some aspects of how it will be incorporated into existing processes. “There will be e-gates at security which replaces that passport control function; again biometric boarding at the gates,” he stated. Munroe also told the gathering that passenger luggage will get improved treatment, which will also save time. “It will allow them to do self-bag drops, rather than going to a check-in agent. We are working with some key airline partners here on this pilot project and that equipment should be arriving pretty shortly,” he said. “That should allow passengers who choose to go through that process to then drop their bags with a dedicated machine for that,” added Munroe. Those who wish to do the traditional check-in of luggage have not been left out. According to Munroe, they recently added more counter space in the departure terminal. “We recently replaced our check-in counters, so we have 20 per cent more check-in counters this year than the same time last year,” he said. SIA has been undergoing a US$200-million multifaceted upgrade since 2022. During Tuesday’s event Munroe provided an update on other aspects of the work being done. “The air/sea lounge concept that we had for some time is now a reality, we are just about finishing this project off,” he said. “Traditionally these passengers were processed in the arrivals corridor and if we can imagine several wide-body aircraft coming in at the same time, sometimes there are six on the ground. We’re talking hundreds of people in arrivals during the winter season, causing congestion,” he explained. He anticipates that the purpose-built space for passengers seeking to get on cruise ships will be a major help in easing that bottleneck. “Going forward, in the next few days, this is the area that those passengers will be processed. They’ll enter the area from the arrivals ramp, processed by immigration and customs, they’ll be able to exit out to buses that meet them and carry them directly to the cruise ship pier in Montego Bay,” Munroe explained. The improvements extend well beyond SIA. There will be a new road leading into the airport from Godfrey Dyer Boulevard, in the vicinity of Summit Police Station, which should ease some of the traffic that now has to be navigated by people entering and exiting the area. “We will have a new intersection at Godfrey Dyer Boulevard near where some of our car rentals operate and this will bring you from Godfrey Dyer Boulevard to an area near the fuel farm and further down we have cargo. This road will bring you back to departure and to arrivals,” Munroe said. “The goal of this project is to filter off traffic that normally has to make its way down to the main roundabout, outside of the airport, bring them into the airport earlier or to exit,” he continued. The goal is to complete this road in 2025. Munroe also revealed that there will once again be a gas station at the airport. The one that was there had to be relocated to accommodate the ongoing upgrades. “We have awarded a licence for a new service station which will be established in that area,” the MBJ Ltd CEO assured. He said other changes to come include relocation of the car rental and Knutsford Express operations along with the addition of fully automated car parks. The upgrades are expected to continue over the next few years.COLUMBUS, Ga. , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) announced today that it will webcast its annual Financial Analysts Briefing on December 3, 2024 at starting 8:00 a.m. (ET) . Aflac's executive management will discuss the Company's operations and strategy for the U.S. and Japan , as well as its medium-term outlook. The presentations will be available via webcast, and you must register here prior to the event. Presentation slides will be posted on investors.aflac.com after the market closes on December 2, 2024 , and an archive of the presentations will also be available on investors.aflac.com for two weeks following the conclusion of the webcast. ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL ), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for nearly seven decades to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan . In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products. 1 In Japan , Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 18 consecutive years (2024), Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for 23 years (2024) and Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year (2023). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment ( PRI ) in 2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (2023) for 10 years. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol . Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under " Sustainability ." 1 LIMRA 2023 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" to encourage companies to provide prospective information, so long as those informational statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. The company desires to take advantage of these provisions. This document contains cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected herein, and in any other statements made by company officials in communications with the financial community and contained in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Forward-looking statements are not based on historical information and relate to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments. Furthermore, forward-looking information is subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties. In particular, statements containing words such as "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "goal," "objective," "may," "should," "estimate," "intends," "projects," "will," "assumes," "potential," "target," "outlook" or similar words as well as specific projections of future results, generally qualify as forward-looking. Aflac undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements. The company cautions readers that the following factors, in addition to other factors mentioned from time to time, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements: Analyst and investor contact - David A. Young , 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667 or dyoung@aflac.com Media contact - Ines Gutzmer , 762.207.7601 or igutzmer@aflac.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aflac-incorporated-to-webcast-2024-financial-analysts-briefing-302313462.html SOURCE Aflac Incorporated

Missing 31-year-old man found safe: Ottawa policeTexas A&M signed the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class three years ago believing it had built a potential national title contender. Plenty of players from that heralded 2022 class could indeed be participating in the first 12-team College Football Playoff this month. They just won’t be doing it for the Aggies, who no longer have nearly half their 2022 signees. The list of 2022 recruits now with playoff contenders elsewhere includes Mississippi defensive lineman Walter Nolen, Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart, Alabama defensive lineman LT Overton, SMU offensive tackle PJ Williams and injured Boise State receiver Chris Marshall. Texas A&M has done all right without them, going 8-4 as transfers filled about half the starting roles. Texas A&M represents perhaps the clearest example of how recruiting and roster construction have changed in the era of loosened transfer restrictions. Coaches must assemble high school classes without always knowing which of their own players are transferring and what players from other schools could be available through the portal. “It used to be you lost 20 seniors, you signed 20 incoming freshmen,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “You just had your numbers right. Now you might lose 20 seniors, but you might lose 20 underclassmen. You just don’t know.” Coaches emphasize that high school recruiting remains critical, but recent results suggest it isn’t as vital as before. The last two College Football Playoff runners-up – TCU in 2022 and Washington in 2023 – didn’t sign a single top-15 class in any of the four years leading up their postseason runs, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports. This year’s contenders have shown there’s more than one way to build a championship-caliber roster. About half of No. 1 Oregon’s usual starters began their college careers elsewhere. No. 5 Georgia, which annually signs one of the nation’s top high school classes, has only a few transfers making major contributions. Colorado’s rise under Deion Sanders exemplifies how a team can win without elite high school recruiting. None of Colorado’s last four classes have ranked higher than 30th in the 247Sports Composite. Three ranked 47th or lower. “If anybody ever did the homework and the statistics of these young men – people have a class that they say is the No. 1 class in the nation – then five of those guys play, or four of those guys play, then the rest go through the spring and then they jump in the portal,” Sanders said. “Don’t give me the number of where you rank (in recruiting standings), because it’s like an NFL team," he added. "You always say who won the draft, then the team gets killed all year (and) you don’t say nothing else about it. Who won the draft last year in the NFL? Nobody cares right now, right?” Wisconsin's Christian Alliegro tries to stop Oregon's Evan Stewart, right, during the first half of a Nov. 16 game in Madison, Wis. Star quarterback Shedeur Sanders followed his father from Jackson State to Colorado in 2023, and Heisman Trophy front-runner Travis Hunter accompanied them. According to Colorado, this year’s Buffaloes team has 50 transfer newcomers, trailing only North Texas’ 54 among Bowl Subdivision programs. Relying on transfers comes with caveats. Consider Florida State's rise and fall. Florida State posted an unbeaten regular-season record last year with transfers playing leading roles. When those transfers departed and Florida State's portal additions this year didn't work out, the Seminoles went 2-10. “There has to be some type of balance between the transfer portal and high school recruiting,” said Andrew Ivins, the director of scouting for 247Sports. “I compare it to the NFL. The players from the transfer portal are your free agents and high school recruiting is your NFL draft picks.” A look at the composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports for the 2020-22 classes shows at least 40 of the top 100 prospects each of those years ended up leaving their original school. Coaches must decide which positions they’re better off building with high school prospects and which spots might be easier to fill through the portal. “The ones that have a ton of learning to do - tight end, quarterback, interior offensive line, inside linebacker, safety, where they are the communicators - they are the guys that are processing a lot of information,” Florida’s Billy Napier said. “Those are the ones in a perfect world you have around for a while. “It’s easier to play defensive line, edge, corner, receiver, running back, tackle, specialists. Those are a little bit more plug-and-play I’d say, in my opinion," Napier said. "Either way, it’s not necessarily about that. It’s just about we need a certain number at each spot, and we do the best we can to fill those roles.” Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, right, congratulates place kicker Cristiano Palazzo after he kicked an extra point during the second half of Friday's game against Oklahoma Stat in Boulder, Colo. Power Four programs aren’t the only ones facing a balancing act between recruiting high schools and mining the transfer portal. Group of Five schools encounter similar challenges. “We’re recruiting every position and bringing in a high school class,” Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton said. “That’s not going to be maybe 24 scholarship guys like it used to be. It might be more like 16. It’s not four d-linemen necessarily, right? It might be three. It might not be three receivers. It might be two. And it might not be five offensive linemen. It’s two to three.” The extra hurdle Group of Five schools face is the possibility their top performers might leave for a power-conference program with more lucrative name, image and likeness financial opportunities. They sometimes don’t know which players they’ll lose. “We know who they’re trying to steal,” Miami (Ohio) coach Chuck Martin quipped. “We just don’t know who they’re going to steal.” The obstacles facing coaches are only getting steeper as FBS teams prepare for a 105-man roster limit as part of the fallout from a pending $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement. While having 105 players on scholarship seems like an upgrade from the current 85-man scholarship limit, many rosters have about 125 players once walk-ons are included. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said last week his program would probably end up with about 30-50 players in the portal due to the new roster restrictions. All the added dimensions to roster construction in the college game have drawn parallels to the NFL, but Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck believes those comparisons are misleading. “When people talk about college football right now, they’re saying, ‘Oh, we have an NFL model,’ or it’s kind of moving toward the NFL,” Fleck said. “First of all, it’s nothing like the NFL. There’s a collective bargaining agreement (in the NFL). There’s a true salary cap for everybody. It’s designed for all 32 fan bases to win the Super Bowl maybe once every 32 years – and I know other people are winning that a lot more than others – but that’s how it’s designed. In college football, it’s not that way.” There does seem to be a bit more competitive balance than before. The emergence of TCU and Washington the last couple of postseasons indicates this new era of college football has produced more unpredictability. Yet it’s also created many more challenges as coaches try to figure out how to put together their rosters. “It’s difficult because we’re just kind of inventing it on the fly, right?” Diaz said. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, foreground right, dives toward the end zone to score past San Francisco 49ers defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (51) and linebacker Dee Winters during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green goes up for a dunk during the second half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel (1) drives to the basket against UCLA forward Janiah Barker (0) and center Lauren Betts (51) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Mari Fukada of Japan falls as she competes in the women's Snowboard Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) LSU punter Peyton Todd (38) kneels in prayer before an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. LSU won 37-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma misses a catch during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, is hit by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, center, as Eagles wide receiver Parris Campbell (80) looks on during a touchdown run by Barkley in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Los Angeles Kings left wing Warren Foegele, left, trips San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, center, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Olympiacos' Francisco Ortega, right, challenges for the ball with FCSB's David Miculescu during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Olympiacos at the National Arena stadium, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Brazil's Botafogo soccer fans react during the Copa Libertadores title match against Atletico Mineiro in Argentina, during a watch party at Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Seattle Kraken fans react after a goal by center Matty Beniers against the San Jose Sharks was disallowed due to goaltender interference during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Seattle. The Sharks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27), center, fight for the puck with Boston Bruins defensemen Parker Wotherspoon (29), left, and Brandon Carlo (25), right during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Jiyai Shin of Korea watches her shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland competes in the women's Freeski Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Lara Gut-Behrami, of Switzerland, competes during a women's World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin cools off during first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) tries to leap over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo, right. is fouled by goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro inside the penalty area during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) England's Alessia Russo, left, and United States' Naomi Girma challenge for the ball during the International friendly women soccer match between England and United States at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Gold medalists Team Netherlands competes in the Team Sprint Women race of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Beijing 2024 held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reaches for an incomplete pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Melanie Meillard, center, of Switzerland, competes during the second run in a women's World Cup slalom skiing race, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Brazil's Amanda Gutierres, second right, is congratulated by teammate Yasmin, right, after scoring her team's first goal during a soccer international between Brazil and Australia in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher) Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Nebraska Public Media is making legislative floor debate and committee hearings held at the Nebraska State Capitol accessible to more Nebraskans. Beginning this session, Nebraska Public Media will offer closed captioning in Spanish, as well as in English. The addition is a result of Legislative Bill 254, which passed during the Nebraska Legislature’s 2023 session. Powered by artificial intelligence, new technology integrates closed captioning and real-time translation, providing nearly 100% accuracy according to a press release from Nebraska Public Media. It transforms a resource-intensive process into an efficient, automated solution to document local government. Mark Weakly, Nebraska Public Media’s chief engineer for government services, spearheaded the project, completing it well ahead of the legislative deadline. “The system does a phenomenal job of interpreting speech patterns, including things like accents, hesitations, pacing and variations in how people speak. We’ve trained it to be specific to legislative proceedings with a goal of reaching a wider audience,” Weakly said. As part of LB 254, Nebraska Public Media will also provide the legislature with video files of floor debate and committee hearings for a state-run, searchable digital archive. When the Nebraska Legislature convenes on Jan. 8, gavel-to-gavel broadcasts on Nebraska Public Media’s WORLD television channel, local radio reporting from Fred Knapp during NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered,” and online streaming at nebraskapublicmedia.org/capitol and on the Nebraska Public Media app will connect constituents with state government action from the debate floor and more than a dozen other venues. Nebraska Public Media’s coverage of legislative issues began in the mid-1950s with the interview series "Your Unicameral," followed by occasional live and videotaped coverage of specific legislative activities beginning in 1967. Gavel-to-gavel coverage began in 1980. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!Twilio's Pullback Is Warranted After The Extreme Rally - Buy The DipMetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in VSE Co. ( NASDAQ:VSEC – Free Report ) by 17.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,054 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 1,330 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC’s holdings in VSE were worth $749,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of VSE in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $42,000. US Bancorp DE raised its position in VSE by 1,180.2% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,586 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $214,000 after purchasing an additional 2,384 shares during the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp acquired a new position in VSE in the second quarter worth $247,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in shares of VSE by 4.2% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 3,310 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $274,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of VSE by 13.8% in the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 3,818 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $316,000 after buying an additional 464 shares in the last quarter. 91.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. VSE Trading Up 3.6 % VSEC opened at $118.63 on Friday. VSE Co. has a fifty-two week low of $57.10 and a fifty-two week high of $123.92. The company has a market cap of $2.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.97 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 3.69 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $105.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $92.70. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages recently issued reports on VSEC. StockNews.com upgraded shares of VSE to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. B. Riley upped their target price on shares of VSE from $120.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of VSE from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Truist Financial upped their price objective on VSE from $115.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on VSE from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, VSE currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $118.50. View Our Latest Report on VSEC VSE Profile ( Free Report ) VSE Corporation operates as a diversified aftermarket products and services company in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Aviation and Fleet. The Aviation segment provides aftermarket parts supply and distribution; maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for components and engine accessories supporting commercial, business, and general aviation operators. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VSEC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for VSE Co. ( NASDAQ:VSEC – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for VSE Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for VSE and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .