Biden says Assad's fall in Syria is 'fundamental act of justice ' but 'a moment of risk'Actress Laura Benanti put her hatred for her former co-star Zachary Levi on full display, attacking the Shazam! star in a recent podcast appearance saying “Fuck you forever.” Benanti and Levi co-starred on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning 2016 musical revival, She Loves Me , but the great success of the stage show apparently did not translate to a friendship between the two stars as during a recent appearance on the That’s a Gay Ass Podcast , Benanti gave Levi both barrels. The Gossip Girl star said everyone loved Levi except her. “He’s so great!’ And I was like, ‘No, he’s not. He’s sucking up all the fucking energy in this room. He wants to mansplain everybody’s part to them,” Benanti insisted, according to The Hollywood Reporter . She continued to describe how she felt about his presence during the Broadway show, saying Levi “really sucked everybody in with his, like, dance party energy. Like, ‘We’re doing a dance party at half-hour.’ I was like, ‘Good luck. Have fun.'” Benanti went on to say that she was especially enraged when Levi ascribed the death of Broadway actor Gavin Creel to a cancer “turbo charged” by the COVID-19 vaccine. After the 48-year-old actor’s death from metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, the Shazam star said he thinks that Creel’s death is tied to the COVID vaccine and during an Instagram Live event Levi insisted, “You better believe that, with everything in me, I believe that if these COVID vaccinations were not forced on the American public, that the theaters weren’t being pushed and leveraged.” Levi, an open supporter of Donald Trump and a COVID skeptic, has faced much criticism from Hollywood for his political stance, and Benanti in particular said she was furious that Levi used Creel’s death to expound on politics. “To use his memory for his political agenda and to watch him try to make himself cry until he had one single tear, which he did not wipe away, I was like, ‘Fuck you forever,” Benanti said on the podcast. Levi fully came out of the Hollywood closet during the 2024 and identified openly as a Trump supporter, endorsing the former president in September. In October, for instance, he urged conservatives in Hollywood to stop hiding and speak out. And this weekend, he defended his endorsement of Donald Trump in a visit to Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast. Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston , or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston2025 is right around the corner, making it the perfect time to reflect on your financial journey in 2024 and where you want to be next year and beyond. While part of that reflection can include hopes and dreams, it's also important to identify some mistakes to avoid next year so that you can stay on track to hit your financial planning goals. The pitfalls of sector rotations One of the worst moves an investor can make is jumping out of a company or sector just because it is underperforming in the short term and putting that money into a hotter sector. There are countless examples of where this strategy fails and leads to missed opportunities. But perhaps the most potent is 2022, when several mega cap growth stocks got hammered due to valuation concerns, inflation, and slowing growth. At the end of 2022, the combined market capitalization of Apple , Microsoft , Alphabet , Amazon , Tesla , Nvidia , and Meta Platforms was $6.9 trillion. Less than two years later, the combined market cap of those same seven companies is $17.6 trillion. Investors who panic-sold out of growth stocks just because they were out of favor would have missed a historic rally. AAPL Market Cap data by YCharts Other noteworthy examples include selling out of oil and gas stocks during the downturn of 2020. In the last four years, the energy sector is up 129%. Or selling out of the financial sector in 2023 in the wake of the banking crisis that saw some small to mid-size banks fail. So far this year, financials are the best-performing sector -- outperforming tech and many growth-focused ETFs . The key takeaway is that the market moves in cycles. Sectors and themes can go in and out of favor for various reasonable or silly reasons. But smooth out the trend over time, and quality companies with earnings growth tend to win out in the long term. Managing momentum Building upon the last point, another mistake worth avoiding is overhauling your investment strategy based on short-term momentum drivers. If you are unfamiliar with cryptocurrency, it would be a bad idea to buy Bitcoin just because it is up so much in a short period. But if you did research and discovered that you want to own Bitcoin long-term, that's a different case. Another example would be piling into hot tech stocks just because they are going up without doing research. That being said, there are valid reasons to invest in artificial intelligence themes. For example, seeing Nvidia continue to hold off the competition and sustain its ultra-high margins is highly encouraging . Similarly, we are seeing enterprise software companies like Salesforce that had been lagging the sector successfully monetize AI and break out to new highs. The AI-driven rally is largely based on existing earnings growth -- not potential growth. However, you don't want to dive headfirst into red-hot AI stocks just because they are going up, but rather take the time to research the industry and find the companies you have the most conviction in and would be willing to hold through periods of volatility. Be proactive, not reactive Each year brings a new set of expectations, challenges, and fears. It's easy to get caught up and develop recency bias based on factors that seem to carry the most influence in a moment. While it's essential to be aware of these factors and how they can influence the companies you are invested in, it can be a big mistake to overreact to these factors. For example, the new administration will bring policy changes that will likely impact corporate taxes, trade policy, energy policy, renewable energy tax credits, and more. Right now, there is no shortage of media devoted to speculating what the new administration will do, and that speculation can collide with markets to spur some highly volatile price action in various assets. Making big changes to your portfolio based on near-term guesses isn't a good idea. A better exercise would be to look at the companies you are invested in and ensure they can do well no matter what administration is in charge. In other words, do they have the ability to endure challenges and even take market share during an industrywide downturn, or could their financials be squeezed or maybe even compromised? And if so, is that risk already baked into the price and something you're willing to accept? Mistakes happen all the time Every investor makes mistakes. And the longer you travel on your investment journey, chances are you'll build up your fair share of regrets, but hopefully also a consistent process for aligning your investments with your financial goals. Now is a great time to take a deep breath and identify some mistakes you may be prone to making to prevent them before they occur.
Marshall gets rolling in UAlbany men's basketball's 93-50 win at Puerto Rico tournament
Wild winds are whipping up warm weather in SLO County. What are the Santa Anas?Tharimmune ( NASDAQ: THAR ) has entered into a securities purchase agreement to raise gross proceeds of ~$2.02M through a private placement. The agreement includes the issuance of 961,446 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase up to an additional 480,723 sharesIran completes tests for Saman-1 orbital transfer block
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Canadian Businessman Kevin O’Leary Proposes ‘Erasing The Border’ Between US, Canada To Combat ChinaJinkoSolar Inc. JKS shares are trading higher Monday following the company’s announcement of a patent infringement lawsuit filed against VSUN Solar USA, Toyo Co. and their affiliates. Here’s what you need to know. What To Know: The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges infringement of JinkoSolar's proprietary N-type TOPCon technology patents. JinkoSolar, one of the world's leading solar module manufacturers, has an extensive intellectual property portfolio with over 2,800 patents, including 462 related to its TOPCon technology. The company emphasizes its commitment to protecting its innovations, which are a result of significant investments in research and development. The lawsuit underscores JinkoSolar’s efforts to defend its position in the solar module market against competitors selling products that allegedly violate its patents. The company’s legal representation has stated that JinkoSolar intends to vigorously pursue its claims. “JinkoSolar has earned its leadership position in the global solar module market through significant R&D investments and will vigorously defend its intellectual property against those who sell infringing products,” said Louise Lu , a patent litigation lawyer with the Perkins Coie law firm. JKS Price Action: JinkoSolar shares closed Monday up 6.77% at $28.70 at publication, according to Benzinga Pro. Read Next: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Turn Red: ‘Timeline Got Bearish,’ Trader Notes Photo: Shutterstock. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Gov.-elect Mike Braun has selected many familiar names, as well as a few new ones, to lead state government agencies when the Republican takes office Jan. 13 as Indiana's 52nd chief executive. The familiar names include unsuccessful 2022 Northwest Indiana congressional candidate Jennifer-Ruth Green, of Crown Point, as director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, in addition to her previously announced role as Braun's cabinet-level secretary of public safety. Likewise, Braun Commerce Secretary David Adams will also lead the Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC); former state Rep. Mike Speedy, Braun's secretary of business affairs, will head the Department of Labor; Secretary of Education Katie Jenner will remain in charge of the Indiana Department of Education; and Lisa Hershman will oversee and direct the Office of Management and Budget. Other familiar names are former state agency leaders slotted into new roles, including Kent Abernathy as Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) commissioner, after previously serving as Bureau of Motor Vehicles commissioner; Adam Krupp as director of the Department of Child Services, following his prior tenure as state revenue commissioner; and former state Sen. Pete Miller as executive director of the Indiana Management Performance Hub, after managing the Indiana Distressed Unit Appeals Board (DUAB). Mitch Roob, who led the Family and Social Services Agency (FSSA), as well as the IEDC, under Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, once again will lead FSSA as Braun looks to pare back state spending on Medicaid and other health and social safety net programs. Meanwhile, state Rep. Alan Morrison, R-Brazil, will give up his Indiana House seat to become director of the Department of Natural Resources, and former state Rep. Lloyd Arnold, who resigned from the House in 2017 to direct DNR law enforcement, will become commissioner of the Department of Correction, where he's recently worked as chief operating officer of the Indiana Correctional Industries job-training program for incarcerated individuals. State agency leaders staying in their roles amid the gubernatorial transition include: Steve Russo, executive director of the Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS); Holly Lambert, state insurance commissioner; Lindsay Hyer, executive director of the Professional Licensing Agency; Thomas Fite, director of the Department of Financial Institutions; and Dr. Lindsay Weaver, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Health. Also continuing to serve: Dan Huge, a Hobart native, as chairman of the Indiana Finance Authority; Steve Cox, director of the Indiana Broadband Office; Don Lamb, director of the State Department of Agriculture; James Michaels, superintendent of the Indiana School for the Blind; and David Geeslin, superintendent of the Indiana School for the Deaf. Newcomers to top state government posts are: Kevin Garvey, commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles; Jake Adams, head of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Fred Glynn, executive director of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs; and Brandon Clifton, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Administration. Braun also has named his former top Senate aide, Joshua Kelley, as chief of staff; Jason Johnson, deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs; Jessica Wedgewood, deputy chief of staff for operations; and Patrick Price, as the governor's legal counsel.Insurgents advance in Syria: Army Withdraws, Assad Denies FleeingNagpur: As the sun dipped below the horizon, a crisp December breeze swept through the city, carrying with it the clink of glasses, dazzling live music, and the tantalising aroma of sizzling delicacies marking the inauguration of the 11th Nagpur Wine and Food Festival on Saturday. Organised by the Nagpur Wine Club and Tranquillo in association with The Times of India and Maharashtra Times, the event was also supported by Ushakal and Money Yields, which transformed a quaint corner of the city into a vibrant tapestry of flavours, laughter, and camaraderie. Under twinkling lights, wine enthusiasts swirled ruby reds and golden whites in delicate glasses, while food stalls bustled with activity, serving hot, comforting fare that perfectly complemented the chilly winds. It wasn't just the taste of fine wines or the zing of freshly prepared food that drew the crowd — it was the celebration of life itself, bringing together young groups, couples, and even elderly pairs, their shared joy filling the air like a favourite melody. For many, this festival is a much-anticipated tradition. Air Force Officer Rahul Rai, a three-year attendee, beamed with enthusiasm. "It's really one of its kind. Every year, we wait for the event. The event is just fantastic and should continue its legacy for years purely for the sake of Nagpurkars." Another attendee, Snehal Parekar, said, "I have been coming to this event for the past 10 years along with my husband. It has been an awesome experience so far, and I would not miss it for anything else. There are many activities to engage with the public, such as this grape stomping event, group dancing, and more." With each sip and every bite, the festival promised more than indulgence — it offered an experience, one that spoke of Nagpur's growing love for the finer things and its knack for hosting a warm, unforgettable soirée. What made the event truly special was its diverse audience. Youngsters mingled in groups, couples enjoyed romantic moments, and middle-aged and older patrons relished the experience, some in pairs and others in larger social circles. Vinod Rajput, a regular for over seven years, admired the festival's growth while pointing out a challenge. "The fest is very well managed. It's gaining popularity every year, and I think even this space has started falling short as the public demand keeps on increasing every year," he said. Anu Srita, attending the festival for the first time, shared her excitement, "This was a truly unique experience for me. The atmosphere is delightful, and the variety of wines offered at each stall is impressive. I'm already looking forward to coming here again next year." Adding to the chorus of praise was another loyal visitor, Roshan Sumbhate, a regular attendee for the past 7-8 years, who said, "The location changes over the years have been positive, matching the growing enthusiasm for the event. The atmosphere and overall environment are perfectly tailored to meet the public's expectations." The event featured live music that set the mood, with soulful melodies complementing the vibrant buzz of conversations. As glasses clinked and plates emptied, the festival served as a celebration of not just culinary and oenological delights but also of community spirit. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .
Insurgents' stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and with the government forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only four of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Homs, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. Syria’s military, meanwhile, sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs, where a battle loomed. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.Avalonbay Communities Inc. stock rises Friday, still underperforms marketI'm a big fan of investing in individual stocks and truly believe that a well-crafted stock portfolio can outperform the overall stock market. At the same time, there's value in putting some of your investment dollars on autopilot with top-quality index funds. Index fund ETFs can not only give you diversified exposure to an entire portfolio of stocks in a single investment vehicle, but can also generate some pretty impressive returns over long periods of time. With that in mind, although some of my favorite stocks (especially high-yield dividend stocks) look like excellent values right now, I'm planning to gradually buy shares of three ETFs in particular throughout 2025. The ETF every investor should own If I was only allowed to own one investment, it would be the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ( VOO 0.20% ) . This is Vanguard's flagship S&P 500 index fund. As the name suggests, this ETF tracks the S&P 500 ( ^GSPC 0.25% ) , which is widely considered to be the best benchmark of how the U.S. stock market is performing. ^SPXTR data by YCharts This ETF has a rock-bottom 0.03% expense ratio, which means that if you have $10,000 invested in the fund, only $3 will go toward annual investment expenses. Over long periods of time, the S&P 500 has produced average total returns of about 10% annualized. For context, this means that a $10,000 investment in the ETF could be worth about $175,000 in 30 years, with no maintenance needed along the way. My top ETF for 2025 At the beginning of 2024, small-cap stocks were trading at their lowest price-to-book values relative to large caps since the late 1990s. And throughout the year, the valuation gap has widened even further, thanks to the outperformance of large-cap tech stocks and interest rates not falling as much as experts predicted. Now, the average component of the Russell 2000 small-cap index trades for a price-to-book multiple of 1.9, compared with 4.7 for the typical S&P 500 stock. With interest rates finally starting to fall and a potentially pro-growth environment with the incoming Trump administration, small caps could have some big tailwinds. That's why the Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF ( VTWO 0.38% ) is my top overall ETF pick for 2025. AI exposure without the company-specific risk To be perfectly clear, I think artificial intelligence (AI) is a massive opportunity and could end up being the most important technological trend in my lifetime. However, I'm good at evaluating bank stocks, real estate companies, and e-commerce businesses, to name a few. The best AI opportunities are, quite frankly, not in my wheelhouse. Every good investor should know their circle of competence, and AI stocks are a bit outside of mine. For that reason, I'm planning to start building a position in the Ark Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF ( ARKQ 2.94% ) , which is run by Cathie Wood's Ark Invest. The fund owns a hand-selected portfolio of stocks that could be big winners of the AI revolution. In addition to household names like Tesla and Nvidia , the fund also owns lesser-known companies like Kratos Defense & Security as well as less-obvious AI plays like Deere . To be sure, this is by far the highest cost ETF on this list, with a 0.75% expense ratio. However, this is in line with other specialized, actively managed funds. How am I using these ETFs in my portfolio? To be clear, the bulk of my portfolio is still made up of individual stocks, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. However, at this point in my investing career (I'm in my mid-40s), I've started to shift my focus a bit toward building a solid "backbone" to my portfolio with some top-quality index funds. For 2025, and for the foreseeable future, I'm planning to allocate half of any new money in my brokerage account to stocks, and the other half to ETFs like these three.
Fazl sets one-day ultimatum over madrassa bill
MG says it expects to continue to be able to boast it has Australia’s most popular small SUV and light car, even as new-generation models come on stream that are more expensive. It launched a new MG 3 in June, which saw the base price of the popular light hatch climb by $18,990 drive-away to $23,990 before on-roads. MG’s new-generation MG 3 is therefore a significantly more expensive vehicle than the one it replaces, and the new ZS is launching first as a pricier hybrid with more affordable petrol models following early next year. 100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . But while its entry-level hatch and SUV are no longer quite the bargain basement vehicles they were – or rather, are, as stock of the old-shape models is still available – MG thinks they’ll remain more popular than rivals. “We expect so,” MG Motor Australia chief commercial officer Giles Belcher told Australian media when asked whether the ZS will remain Australia’s best-selling small SUV. He shared the same confidence when asked about the MG 3 remaining Australia’s best-selling light car, again saying, “We expect so.” The MG 3 became Australia’s best-selling light car in 2020, while the ZS became the best-selling small SUV in 2021. MG sold 714 MG 3s in November as stock of the old-shape car continued to dry up, somewhat of a drop compared to previous months. From January to October, it averaged 1042 sales per month. Its November performance saw the gulf between it and the Suzuki Swift (623 sales) and Mazda 2 (525 sales) narrowed significantly, though it’s still far ahead of them in year-to-date figures. To November 30, MG has sold 11,135 MG 3s in Australia against 5735 Suzuki Swifts and 4948 Mazda 2s. The company doesn’t split the tallies of the outgoing and new generations of its light hatch, so it’s unclear how many of those sales can be attributed to the new car. It has previously said it had enough stock of the previous-generation model to last it until this month. Sales of the ZS swelled in November to 2794, including not only examples of the new-generation ZS Hybrid+ but also the outgoing petrol-powered ZS and ZST and electric ZS EV . Much like the MG 3, it’s far ahead of its rivals in year-to-date tallies. MG has sold 21,462 examples this year, with the Hyundai Kona a distant second at 16,431 sales. The company has yet to confirm pricing for the petrol-powered new-generation ZS models due in the first quarter of 2025. According to government approval documents , these will feature both naturally aspirated and turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engines. MG confirmed in November that production of the outgoing ZS and ZST had ceased, though there would be stock around – depending on demand – to last until January and February. The ZS EV will be replaced in the second quarter of 2025 by the new ES5 electric SUV , which sits on a separate dedicated electric vehicle platform shared with the MG 4 . While this will take some sales away from the ZS’ tally in 2025, this may be offset by the introduction of the Hybrid+. To the end of the September, MG sold 1003 ZS EVs, accounting for 5.9 per cent of the total ZS tally for that period. MORE: Everything MG 3 MORE: Everything MG ZSCarrier Board of Directors Announces an 18 Percent Increase in Quarterly Dividend to $0.225 per Share
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Green technologies and sustainability-focused project strategies are helping the industry address risks earlier and build longer-lasting community ties, a London industry event heard this week. Better technologies, integrating artisanal miners and out-of-the-box mine closure strategies are key to improving mining’s social and environmental impact, a panel heard at The Northern Miner’s International Metals Symposium on Dec. 1-2. Panelists agreed that mining companies ignoring sustainability risk losing social and political support. The panelists shared how their diverse approaches could bolster projects’ sustainability credentials. Brent Johnson, vice-president of environment at Dundee Sustainable Technologies (CSE: DST), called his company’s non-cyanide gold extraction process, CLEVR, a breakthrough for safety. “If cyanide were banned overnight, 80% to 90% of mines would face immediate disruption,” Johnson told the panel. Johnson stressed that new alternatives, like his company’s tech, mitigate risks. They also reduce long-term liabilities, especially in tailings management. “Our approach eliminates the need for massive tailings dams, transforming how mines manage waste,” he said. Technological push Process innovation is one answer. But, Thomas Mumford, vice-president for exploration at Scottie Resources (TSXV: SCOT), noted that electrification and automation entail another. They are more sustainable and efficient. But new technologies face hurdles due to high capital costs and slow industry uptake. “New technologies require rigorous testing, often by large companies with the resources to run pilot projects,” he said. “This slows adoption.” Mumford cited the Borden mine in Ontario, operated by Newmont (NYSE: NEM, TSX: NGT, ASX: NEM), as Canada’s first all-electric underground mine. He noted that, while it shows electrification is viable, such mines are rare. The industry is slow to adopt new technologies due to high costs and risks. Informal integration The discussion also explored challenges from artisanal mining. It accounts for 85% of gold production in places like Colombia. In 2012 and 2013, Aris Mining (TSX: ARIS; NYSE-A: ARMN) began to formalize artisanal miners at its Segovia operations in the country as a way to seal local buy-in for the project, senior vice-president for corporate affairs and sustainability Giovanna Romero said. The company integrated them as contract mining partners. This collaboration has led to 44% of the company’s gold production today coming from these partnerships. Romero described them as an important step in reducing environmental harm and fostering community trust. “By integrating artisanal miners into our supply chain and sharing geological and technical knowledge, we’ve transformed them into legal, productive partners,” she said. Innovative mine closure strategies also took centre stage. Romero described Aris’s reclamation project at Segovia that converted a tailings site into a community park featuring football fields and recreational domes. A second stage includes a photovoltaic plant, further extending the site’s utility. “This project, managed by the local municipality, illustrates how closures can benefit communities long after mining operations end,” she said. Technically savvy The panel stressed that sustainability is a must, not just a goal. It’s vital for both ethics and business. Mumford called for early planning to ensure mine sites can be reused productively after closure. “Reclaimed mines shouldn’t sit as wastelands. They need to contribute to the community in a meaningful way,” he said. Johnson emphasized that companies need to factor sustainability into financial risk management. He cited the 2015 Vale (NYSE: VALE) dam collapse in Brazil, which killed 19 people, polluted the Doce River all the way to the Atlantic and saddled the company with $29.9 billion in damages. “Spending extra money upfront on sustainable technologies isn’t just ethical — it’s a no-brainer when you consider the long-term savings on liabilities and the avoidance of catastrophic failures,” he said. Meanwhile, mining communities are becoming more “technically savvy” and demanding better practices. “A mine could win awards one year and face ruin the next over ESG failures,” Johnson said.
NEW YORK (AP) — Police don't know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack , not a random one. They know he ambushed Thompson at 6:44 a.m. Wednesday as the executive arrived at the Hilton for his company’s annual investor conference, using a 9 mm pistol that resembled the guns farmers use to put down animals without causing a loud noise. They know ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics . The fact that the shooter knew UnitedHealthcare group was holding a conference at the hotel and what route Thompson might take to get there suggested that he could possibly be a disgruntled employee or client, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. Over the weekend, police divers were seen searching a pond in Central Park, where the killer fled after the shooting. Officers have been scouring the park for days for any possible clues and found his backpack there Friday. They didn’t immediately reveal what, if anything, it contained but said it would be tested and analyzed. Early Sunday afternoon, police declined to comment on the contents of the backpack, or on the results of the search in the pond, saying no updates were planned. The bag’s apparent manufacturer did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. Investigators have urged patience, saying the process of logging evidence that stands up in court isn’t as quick as it looks like on TV . Hundreds of detectives are combing through video recordings and social media, vetting tips from the public and interviewing people who might have information, including Thompson’s family and coworkers and the shooter’s randomly assigned roommates at the Manhattan hostel where he stayed. Investigators caught a break when they came across security camera images of an unguarded moment at the hostel in which he briefly showed his face. Retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, police say, it appears he left the city by bus soon after the shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. He was seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later, Kenny said. With the high-profile search expanding across state lines, the FBI announced late Friday that it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered. Police say they believe the suspect acted alone. Police distributed the images to news outlets and on social media but so far haven’t been able to ID him using facial recognition — possibly because of the angle of the images or limitations on how the NYPD is allowed to use that technology, Kenny said. Late Saturday, police released two additional photos of the suspected shooter that appeared to be from a camera mounted inside a taxi. The first shows him outside the vehicle and the second shows him looking through the partition between the back seat and the front of the cab. In both, his face is partially obscured by a blue, medical-style mask.
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