In a year that has seen high-profile artists raising their voices against artificial intelligence exploiting works of art, reclusive British singer-songwriter Kate Bush is the latest to add her name to the list. As per The Guardian, the Wuthering Heights singer has called on UK ministers to protect artists from AI using their copyrighted works amid ongoing political uncertainty over how to handle the issue. Bush joins actors Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Rosario Dawson, Stephen Fry and Hugh Bonneville in signing a petition, now backed by over 36,000 creatives, which states the "unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted". The latest movement against AI comes as the UK government is expected to launch a consultation into a new system which would allow copyright holders to opt out of having their work mined to train AI algorithms. However, creatives have opposed the approach on the grounds that it is too complicated to opt out from it. Instead, artists would prefer an opt-in arrangement that would allow them to be paid in exchange for algorithms being trained on their work. Bush's foray into the issue comes after Beatles legend Paul McCartney backed calls to stop mass copyright theft by generative AI companies, warning that the technology "could just take over", and that it "would be a very sad thing indeed". Meanwhile, Radiohead singer Thom Yorke and Björn Ulvaeus of Abba, have also signed the same petition as Bush. Speaking on behalf of potentially exploited artists, Ulvaeus has said, "I don't know if it's too late but certainly we have to fight for the writers of music so they can be remunerated in some form or other." COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our
Is Outlook down? Thousands of Microsoft 365 users report outage issues.
US stocks closed near session highs on Friday as investors surveyed President-elect Donald Trump's efforts to build his team and bitcoin's ( BTC-USD ) bid to reach a key milestone. The S&P 500 ( ^GSPC ) advanced 0.3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI ) gained over 400 points, or almost 1%, to close at a record. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC ) rose 0.2%. The major gauges closed out the week with wins of over 1%, despite getting off to a lackluster start as the post-election rally stalled. Markets regrouped after Nvidia's ( NVDA ) earnings fell short of definitively settling the question of whether AI would keep boosting stocks . Some of the "Magnificent Seven" tech megacap stocks closed lower on Friday, including Alphabet ( GOOG , GOOGL ), dogged by the potential forced sale of Google Chrome. Consumer Discretionary ( XLY ), Industrials ( XLI ), and Financials ( XLF ) led the sector gains this week, with XLF closing at an all-time high. Wall Street is still waiting to learn whom Trump will tap for his Treasury secretary — an announcement that could sway markets, given its importance to the economy. The president-elect tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to be the US attorney general after his prior pick, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration on Thursday. Meanwhile, surging bitcoin continued to move near the landmark $100,000 level , buoyed by growing confidence that the Trump administration will support pro-crypto policies. The leading token broke above $99,500 early on Friday before retreating amid hopes for looser regulatory oversight after SEC Chair Gary Gensler said he will step down soon. Smaller cryptocurrencies also got a boost. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy Stocks rose on Friday with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI ) closing at a record high. The blue chip index added more than 400 points, or about 1% while the S&P 500 ( ^GSPC ) gained almost 0.4%. The Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC ) rose slightly. All three major averages rose more than 1% for the week. The 'Magnificent 7' stocks were mixed on Friday with Nvidia ( NVDA ) shares dipping more than 3% while Tesla ( TSLA ) shares popped almost 4% on Friday, helping lift the Consumer Discretionary ( XLY ) sector. Investors also gravitated towards Industrials ( XLI ), and Financials ( XLF ) which also led the weekly sector gains. Oil moved higher for the week as traders priced the threat of a supply disruption amid an escalating Russia-Ukraine war. Meanwhile Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) hovered around $99,200 as of 4 p.m. ET as investors watched the cryptocurrency climb toward the $100,000 milestone. Next Thursday the stock market will be closed due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The biggest winning sectors this week were the ones leading Friday's gains — Consumer Discretionary ( XLY ), Industrials ( XLI ), and Financials ( XLF ). Here's a 5-day chart of the sector action. Consumer Discretionary includes EV giant ( TSLA ), which is up for the week. Investors have also been rotating into Industrial stocks and bank stocks since Donald Trump's presidencial win earlier this month. Oil moved up more than 1.5% on Friday as the Russia-Ukraine war escalated. West Texas Intermediate ( CL=F ) futures climbed to settle at $71.24 per barrel, while Brent ( BZ=F ), the international benchmark, rose above above $75. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he will continue testing a new missile after a recent strike against Ukraine in response to Kyiv’s use of US and British made weaponry this week. Crude prices were on pace for a weekly gain amid concerns that an escalated war could lead to the interruption of Russian supply. Nvidia ( NVDA ) shares dipped more than 3% to hit session lows on Friday afternoon despite quarterly results earlier this week that beat analyst expectations. Enthusiasm over how much higher shares of the chip giant can run seems to have stalled as investors have rotated out of the AI darling and into Consumer Discretionary ( XLY ), Industrials ( XLI ), and Financials ( XLF ). Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley reports: Microsoft ( MSFT ) is preparing to roll out its long-delayed artificial intelligence-powered Recall feature for Windows 11 PCs to developers as part of its Windows Insider program. The company initially announced Recall back in May when it debuted its Copilot+ PCs , AI PCs that have a specific set of features for running native AI applications. Recall is designed to capture screenshots of the various tasks you perform while using your computer, whether that’s browsing the web or working on a document. Read more here. Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) rose back above $99,000 as investors watched the cryptocurrency climb toward the $100,000 milestone. The token has been at the center of the Trump trade over optimism that the incoming administration will implement pro-crypto policies. Year to date, bitcoin is up more than 120%. Tesla ( TSLA ) shares popped 4% on Friday, helping lift the Consumer Discretionary ( XLY ) sector. Shares of the EV giant are on track for a weekly win. The stock is up roughly 40% since the presidential elections earlier this month over optimism that CEO Elon Musk's support for President-elect Donald Trump will result in looser regulations around autonomous driving. Satellite TV provider DirecTV ( T , TPG ) will no longer merge with rival Dish Network ( SATS ) after bondholders rejected the offer. The deal, which was contingent on a key debt exchange, would have created one of the nation's largest pay-TV providers . Both companies had discussed a possible combination more than two decades ago. “While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV’s balance sheet and our operational flexibility,” DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement. Shares in EchoStar, which owns Dish Network, fell by more than 4% on Friday following the news. The deal would have helped aid EchoStar's heavy debt load while also helping cut costs for the owners of DirecTV. AT&T spun off DirecTV in 2021, moving it into a joint venture with private equity investor TPG. At the time, it was valued at about $16 billion with the telecom giant taking a $15.5 billion impairment charge in 2020 to account for subscriber losses. DirecTV was dealt yet another blow after it lost its coveted Sunday Ticket package to Alphabet's YouTube TV ( GOOGL , GOOG ) in late 2022. Amid those struggles, AT&T recently revealed it would sell its entire 70% stake to TPG for $7.6 billion in a move that allows the telecom operator to fully exit the TV business. That deal is still on. AT&T previously had agreed to hold on to its stake in DirecTV for a three-year period, which expired on July 31. Nvidia ( NVDA ) shares dropped more than 2% on Friday, dragging on the Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC ). Shares of the AI chip heavyweight opened in the red after wavering between positive and negative territory on Thursday in reaction to the company's latest quarterly results. Other 'Magnificent Seven' stocks were also under pressure, with Alphabet ( GOOGL , GOOG ) down more than 1% after losing more than 4% in the prior session. E-commerce giant ( AMZN ) was also down less than 1%. Meanwhile, Tesla ( TSLA ) stock rose more than 1%. The Nasdaq was struggling to stay in green territory, down roughly 0.3% by 10:30 a.m. ET. US economic output is roaring as businesses prepare for lower interest rates and a new administration in Washington. S&P Global's flash US composite PMI , which captures activity in both the services and manufacturing sectors, came in at 55.3 in November, up from 54.1 in October. Economists had expected the index to tick up to 54.1. The composite PMI reading for November also signaled the fastest expansion of business activity since April 2022. Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said the data shows business ramping up activity amid a changing operating environment, headed into 2025. “The business mood has brightened in November, with confidence about the year ahead hitting a two-and-a-half year high," Williamson said. "The prospect of lower interest rates and a more pro-business approach from the incoming administration has fueled greater optimism, in turn helping drive output and order book inflows higher in November." Super Micro Computer ( SMCI ) — an AI server maker that uses Nvidia's chips and has a major deal with Elon Musk's xAI — continued a sharp ascent Friday. Shares rose over 9% in early trading, putting the stock on track to record a weekly gain of over 65%. The stock's rally this week has been driven by the company's announcement that it's hired a new auditor and submitted a compliance plan to avoid delisting by the Nasdaq. Super Micro's prior accountant, Ernst & Young, resigned in late October, saying it was "unwilling to be associated with the financial statements prepared by management," and the server maker has been at risk of delisting. Super Micro is reportedly being investigated by the Department of Justice over allegations of accounting violations and other questionable business dealings outlined in a scathing report by short seller firm Hindenburg Research in late August. Reddit ( RDDT ) stock fell over 8% in early trading on Friday as investors reacted to a Bloomberg report that a company shareholder — Conde Nast parent Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. — is looking to establish a credit facility using its stake in the social media platform. Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. is offering 7.8 million shares for $145.38 to $148.54 each, which would be valued at as much as $1.2 billion. That price range represented as much as an 8% discount on Reddit's closing price Thursday of $158. Reddit stock has been on a massive rally over the past month, surging more than 90% since its earnings beat in late October. The social media company went public in March in one of 2024's few hot IPOs, surging nearly 50% after its debut. Shares rose 16% on Thursday alone. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI ) added 250 points, or 0.6%, shortly after the market open as shares of Home Depot ( HD ), Honeywell ( HON ), and Nike ( NKE ) rose. The S&P 500 ( ^GSPC ) gained 0.4%, while the Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC ) stepped above the flat line. Stocks wavered at the open on Friday, but the major averages were still on track to end the week with wins. Meanwhile, investors watched the price of bitcoin ( BTC-USD ), with the leading token trading a stone's throw away from $100,000. The S&P 500 ( ^GSPC ) rose slightly, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI ) was little changed. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC ) fell slightly. Alphabet ( GOOGL , GOOG ) shares extended losses after dropping more than 4% on Thursday amid the threat of a forced sale of Google's Chrome browser. Bitcoin climbed above $99,400 early on Friday before retreating. The cryptocurrency has been on fire since Donald Trump's presidential victory earlier this month, amid optimism that his incoming administration will implement crypto-friendly policies. By 9:30 a.m. ET, bitcoin was trading at just under $98,000. Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) neared the $100,000 level Friday in its latest flirtation with the milestone. Yahoo Finance's Julie Hyman reports on bitcoin's recent surge, up nearly 50% in the past month: The most-held cryptocurrency has been surging since the US presidential election as the crypto community expects a more friendly regulatory regime with President-elect Trump as "HODLer-in-chief." That added to an already torrid rally this year, prompted by the introduction of spot bitcoin ETFs. On the policy front, encouraging signs have been mounting: Coinbase ( COIN ) CEO Brian Armstrong reportedly met with Trump to discuss his picks for the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. And SEC boss Gary Gensler and FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg, seen as crypto foes by the industry, are stepping down around Inauguration Day. Read the full story here. Economic data: S&P Global US manufacturing & services PMI (November preliminary); University of Michigan consumer sentiment (November final) Earnings: No notable earnings releases. Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: YF columnist Rick Newman: Musk's DOGE is already overreaching 2025 Medicare premiums will eat into Social Security checks Bitcoin's surging to $100K — and that's what it needs to do Boeing CEO tells staff to focus on competition, not complaining Gold gains, set for biggest weekly jump in 13 months Honeywell to sell PPE business for $1.33B Cryptos targeted by SEC rise after Gensler steps awayVirginia Beach School Board member Jennifer Franklin's election loss was an unjust response to her principled service, former Del. Karen Greenhalgh writes in a guest column.
CINCINNATI — Here’s a look at whose stock improved or declined after the on Saturday at Paycor Stadium. Surtain vs. Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was one of the biggest storylines of the game. The All-Pro cornerback lived up to the moment. Surtain lined up against Chase on 43 coverage snaps, allowing just three catches for 27 yards on six targets, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Chase had six catches for 75 yards on nine targets against everyone else. Surtain also forced wide receiver Tee Higgins to fumble and Denver recovered the ball at its 40-yard line in the fourth quarter. Despite Denver’s second straight loss, Surtain improved his case for Defensive Player of the Year. Denver’s edge rusher inched closer to a career milestone. Cooper recorded 1.5 sacks against Cincinnati. He now has 9.5 on the season and is half a sack away from reaching double figures in that statistical category. Fellow edge rusher Nik Bonitto has already eclipsed that mark, currently sitting with 11.5 sacks. The Broncos have six players with at least five sacks. The second-year running back only needed 14 offensive snaps to make an impact. After McLaughlin missed last week’s game with a quad injury, he was among the bright spots on offense for Denver on Saturday, totaling 10 carries for 69 yards. He had four rushing attempts gain 10-plus yards. The Broncos finished with 123 yards on the ground — the most in a game since Week 9. Denver’s speedy wide receiver had eight catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns, marking the second time in four games he eclipsed 100 yards receiving. Mims generated 41 yards after catch and averaged 4.6 yards of separation. He had six receptions with three-plus yards of separation. It was a pretty rough afternoon for any Broncos cornerback not named Pat Surtain II. McMillian gave up five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown to Higgins in the second quarter. Fifty-nine of McMillian’s yards allowed came from wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, according to Next Gen Stats. McMillian also was penalized twice for illegal contact. Dixon picked the wrong game to have his worst performance of the season. He averaged a season-low 41.5 yards on four punts and failed to pin the ball inside the 20-yard line. Dixon booted two punts near midfield during overtime, which gave quarterback Joe Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense solid field position to work with. The past two games have been rough for Denver’s head coach. Last week, the offense was held to six points in the second half after dropping 21 in the first two quarters vs. the Chargers. In Cincinnati, the Broncos only scored three points in the first half against one of the NFL’s worst defenses. The game was littered with questionable decisions. Instead of running the ball on third-and-short during Denver’s first scoring drive, Bo Nix threw a fade to Courtland Sutton that had no chance. As well as Jaleel McLaughlin played, he had only two carries in the first half. And while after Marvin Mims Jr.’s 25-yard TD, it was an odd time for Payton to stop being aggressive. Joseph’s defense sacked Burrow seven times and it still wasn’t enough. Denver’s defense has been shaky during the back half of the season and it’s concerning. The Broncos have given up an average of 27.3 points and 435.25 yards in the last four games. They have allowed 100-plus rushing yards in three straight games.( MENAFN - Chainwire) London, united kingdom, December 15th, 2024, Chainwire Pepeto is currently in its presale phase, with tokens priced at $0.000000098 per token. Pepeto distinguishes itself with advanced features, including a zero-fee cross-chain bridge, an exchange tailored for the next generation of memecoins, and a staking platform aimed at rewarding participants for sustained engagement. The official website for Pepeto is https://pepeto.io Users should exercise caution and not visit any unofficial platforms or google sponsored websites. Pepeto's Community Engagement through Thematic Storytelling Pepeto sets itself apart with an engaging narrative, anchored by the God of Frogs' quest to gather six sacred documents-P, E, P, E, T, and O. This storyline has generated interest across social media platforms, fostering interaction within its community and contributing to its visibility Combining Utility and Innovation for the Future of Memecoins As Pepeto's presale progresses, the project emphasizes its combination of utility-focused technology and thematic storytelling. Its bridge and exchange technology works to provide offer practical solutions and value for the next generation of memecoins, meant to position Pepeto as a noteworthy player in the space. With its current presale price, Pepeto draws comparisons to the early trajectories of well-known memecoins. Roadmap Progress Q1 2025 and Early Opportunities Pepeto has completed its Q4 2024 roadmap and is actively advancing Q1 2025 milestones. The project highlights its exchange ecosystem as a central feature, designed to support user engagement. Currently priced at $0.000000098 and sharing the same total supply as Pepe (420T), The project highlights its focus on offering innovative features designed for the memecoin ecosystem. Pepe Tokenomics: Total Supply, Price Action Pepeto continues to make progress on its roadmap, emphasizing platform development to support bridge and exchange functionalities. The upcoming platform upgrade is designed to enhance utility and provide tools for emerging blockchain projects, aligning with its commitment to fostering community engagement Interested users can find the roadmap here: Pepeto highlights its affordability and community-oriented features as it develops tools aimed at enhancing engagement within the blockchain ecosystem. About Pepeto Pepeto is a memecoin project designed to integrate cross-chain utility with community-driven development. Offering zero-fee trading, blockchain bridge functionality, and a staking rewards program, Pepeto seeks to combine accessibility with practical features. The project emphasizes interoperability and long-term value, fostering a dedicated user base through its ecosystem innovations and community-focused. Social Media: Disclaimer The official website for Pepeto is Pepeto is the source of this content. This Press Release is for informational purposes only. The information does not constitute investment advice or an offer to invest. MENAFN15122024007842016840ID1108995362 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Here is What Wall Street Said About NVDA Stock This Week
NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honor on Thursday. Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points. Judge had discussed the MVP award with Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper, the NL winner in 2015 and ’21. “I was telling him, `Man, I’m going to try to catch up to you with these MVPs here, man,’” Judge recalled. “He’d say, hopefully, he could stay a couple ahead of me, which I think he’ll do.” Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022 voting . He didn’t pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery and signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. He was the first player to twice become an unanimous MVP. He combined with Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023 for the first year both MVPs were unanimous. Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title , playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder . Ohtani became the first primary DH to win an MVP. He joined Frank Robinson for Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. Ohtani is the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (three each). Balloting was conducted before the postseason. Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Witt topped the big leagues with a .332 average, hitting 32 homers with 31 stolen bases and 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs. When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. He is the Yankees' 22nd MVP winner, four more than any other team. Judge was hitting .207 with six homers and 18 RBIs through April, then batted .352 with 52 homers and 126 RBIs in 127 games. “March and April were not my friend this year.” Judge said. “Just keep putting in the work and things are going to change. You can’t mope. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. Especially in New York, nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. So you just got to go out there and put up the numbers?” Balloting was conducted before the postseason.Saturday, Dec. 14 125th Army-Navy Game Northwest Stadium, Landover, Md. Navy 31, Army 13 Cricket Celebration Bowl Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta Jackson State 28, South Carolina State 7 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala. South Alabama 30, Western Michigan 23 Tuesday, Dec. 17 Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl Toyota Stadium, Frisco No. 25 Memphis (10-2) vs. West Virginia (6-6), 8 p.m. (ESPN) (UM, minus 2.5) Wednesday, Dec. 18 Boca Raton Bowl FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Fla. James Madison (8-4) vs. Western Kentucky (8-5), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN) (JMU, minus 7) Art of Sport LA Bowl SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif. No. 24 UNLV (10-3) vs. California (6-6), 8 p.m. (ESPN) (Cal minus 3) Thursday, Dec. 19 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Caesars Superdome, New Orleans Sam Houston State (9-3) vs. Georgia Southern (8-4), 6 p.m. (ESPN2) (Ga. Southern, minus 5.5) Friday, Dec. 20 StaffDNA Cure Bowl Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla. Ohio (10-3) vs. Jacksonville State (9-4), 11 a.m. (ESPN) (Ohio, minus 1.5) Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. Florida (7-5) vs. Tulane (9-5), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) (UF, minus 13) College Football Playoff First Round Game Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Ind. No. 8 Indiana (11-1) at No. 5 Notre Dame (11-1), 7 p.m. (ABC/ESPN) (ND, minus 7.5) Saturday, Dec. 21 College Football Playoff First Round Game Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pa. No. 10 SMU (11-2) at No. 4 Penn State (11-2), 11 a.m. (TNT/Max) (PSU, minus 9) College Football Playoff First Round Game Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin No. 16 Clemson (10-3) at No. 3 Texas (11-2), 3 p.m. (TNT/Max) (UT, minus 11) College Football Playoff First Round Game Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio No. 7 Tennessee (10-2) at No. 6 Ohio State (10-2), 7 p.m. (ESPN) (OSU, minus 7.5) Monday, Dec. 23 Myrtle Beach Bowl Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C. Coastal Carolina (6-6) vs. UTSA (6-6), 10 a.m. (ESPN) (UTSA, minus 6.5) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Boise, Idaho Northern Illinois (7-5) vs. Fresno State (6-6), 1:30 p.m. (ESPN) (NIU, minus 2.5) Tuesday, Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, Hawaii South Florida (6-6) vs. San Jose State (7-5), 7 p.m. (ESPN) (SJSU, minus 3) Thursday, Dec. 26 GameAbove Sports Bowl Ford Field, Detroit Pittsburgh (7-5) vs. Toledo (7-5), 1 p.m. (ESPN) (Pitt, minus 9) Rate Bowl Chase Field, Phoenix Rutgers (7-5) vs. Kansas State (8-4), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN) (KSU, minus 6.5) 68 Ventures Bowl Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Ala. Arkansas State (7-5) vs. Bowling Green (7-5), 8 p.m. (ESPN) (BGSU, minus 6.5) Friday, Dec. 27 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth Navy (9-3) vs. Oklahoma (6-6), 2 p.m. (ESPN) (OU, minus 8.5) Birmingham Bowl Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Ala. Georgia Tech (7-5) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) (GaTech, minus 2.5) AutoZone Liberty Bowl Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, Tenn. Arkansas (6-6) vs. Texas Tech (8-4), 6 p.m. (ESPN) (Ark, minus 2.5) DirecTV Holiday Bowl Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego No. 21 Syracuse (9-3) vs. Washington State (8-4), 7 p.m. (FOX) (Syr, minus 6.5) SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas Southern California (6-6) vs. Texas A&M (8-4), 9:30 p.m. (ESPN) (A&M, minus 3) Saturday, Dec. 28 Wasabi Fenway Bowl Fenway Park, Boston Connecticut (8-4) vs. North Carolina (6-6), 10 a.m. (ESPN) (UNC, minus 3) Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y. Boston College (7-5) vs. Nebraska (6-6), 11 a.m. (ABC) (NEB, minus 2.5) Isleta New Mexico Bowl University Stadium, Albuquerque, N.M. TCU (8-4) vs. Louisiana (10-3), 1:15 p.m. (ESPN) (TCU, minus 12.5) Pop-Tarts Bowl Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla. No. 13 Miami (Fla.) (10-2) vs. No. 18 Iowa State (10-3), 2:30 p.m. (ABC) (MIA, minus 4) Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz. Colorado State (8-4) vs. Miami (Ohio) (8-5), 3:30 p.m. (CW Network) (M-OH, minus 3) Go Bowling Military Bowl Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Md. NC State (6-6) vs. East Carolina (7-5), 4:45 p.m. (ESPN) (NCSU, minus 5) Valero Alamo Bowl Alamodome, San Antonio No. 17 BYU (10-2) vs. No. 23 Colorado (9-3), 6:30 p.m. (ABC) (COLO, minus 3) Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La. No. 22 Army (11-2) vs. Louisiana Tech (5-7), 8:15 p.m., (ESPN) Monday, Dec. 30 TransPerfect Music City Bowl Nissan Stadium, Nashville No. 19 Missouri (9-3) vs. Iowa (8-4), 1:30 p.m. (ESPN) (MIZ, minus 3) Tuesday, Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. No. 11 Alabama (9-3) vs. Michigan (7-5), 11 a.m. (ESPN) (ALA, minus 10) Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Sun Bowl, El Paso Louisville (8-4) vs. Washington (6-6), 1 p.m. (CBS) (LOU, minus 2.5) Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla. No. 15 South Carolina (9-3) vs. No. 20 Illinois (9-3), 1 p.m. (ABC) (SC, minus 9.5) Kinder’s Texas Bowl NRG Stadium, Houston LSU (8-4) vs. Baylor (8-4), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) (LSU, minus 1.5) College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Game Vrbo Fiesta Bowl State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. No. 9 Boise State (12-1) vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN) Wednesday, Jan. 1 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Game Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta No. 12 Arizona State (11-2) vs. TBD, Noon (ESPN) College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Game Rose Bowl, presented by Prudential Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif. No. 1 Oregon (13-0) vs. TBD, 4 p.m. (ESPN) College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Game Allstate Sugar Bowl Caesars Superdome, New Orleans No. 2 Georgia (11-2) vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m. (ESPN) Thursday, Jan. 2 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Everbank Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla. No. 14 Mississippi (9-3) vs. Duke (9-3), 6:30 p.m. (ESPN) (Ole Miss, minus 14.5) Friday, Jan. 3 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas North Texas (6-6) vs. Texas State (7-5), 3 p.m. (ESPN) (TXST, minus 10) Duke’s Mayo Bowl Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte Minnesota (7-5) vs. Virginia Tech (6-6), 6:30 p.m. (ESPN) (MINN, minus 5.5) Saturday, Jan. 4 Bahamas Bowl Nassau, Bahamas Liberty (8-3) vs. Buffalo (8-4), 10 a.m. (ESPN2) (LIB, minus 2) Thursday, Jan. 9 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game Capital One Orange Bowl Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. Quarterfinals winners, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN) Friday, Jan. 10 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic AT&T Stadium, Arlington Quarterfinals winners, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN) Monday, Jan. 20 College Football Playoff National Championship Game presented by AT&T Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta Semifinals winners, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki and Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung visited the Drainage Services Department (DSD) this afternoon to learn more about the department's daily operations and the progress of its drainage improvement works. Mr Chan and other officials first met Director of Drainage Services Ringo Mok, together with directorate staff, and were briefed on the department's drainage improvement works in Hong Kong. The department is carrying out seven drainage improvement works projects, covering Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong Island East and other areas hit by severe floods in the past. Besides adopting parallel tendering, the department is also striving to shorten the duration of engineering design, procurement and construction processes, in order to complete the improvements as soon as possible. In response to the higher occurrence of extreme weather conditions in recent years, the department is committed to strengthening its Emergency Control Centre and emergency response teams, and to applying innovative technologies to enhance work safety and efficacy. For instance, the deployment of a desilting robot, “River Ranger”, in emergency clearance works, is aimed at restoring communities to normality within the shortest period of time. In addition, an underground drainage inspection robot known as “Tumbler Inspection Ball”, and other crawler-type survey robots, are used to conduct surveying works to determine the status of underground pipelines. A “Tumbler Inspection Ball” robot can provide 360-degree all-round stable viewing, and then combine its 360-degree real-life images with artificial intelligence, helping officers to accurately check the status of pipelines. In addition, the department's “Strategic Planning Study on Flood Management Against Sea Level Rise & Extreme Rainfall” will help it to formulate new and comprehensive city-wide flood management strategies. Mr Chan said that in the face of various challenges brought about by climate change, the Government is dedicated to implementing a pre-emptive strategic approach and stepping up preventive and contingency measures on various fronts to protect lives and property. He stressed that all government departments are working at full steam to scale up their handling capabilities to minimise the impacts of inclement or extreme weather conditions on the community, adding that the DSD plays a vital role in flood prevention and clearing blockages in drainage systems. Mr Chan advised the DSD to prepare well for future rainy and tropical cyclone seasons by deploying adequate manpower and resources, stepping up inspections of drainage facilities, carrying out timely desilting work, ensuring the clearance of drainage channels across the city and disseminating information to the public properly. He and Mrs Yeung encouraged DSD staff to stand fast at their posts, rise to the challenges ahead, maintain close communication with other relevant departments and organisations, and demonstrate professionalism and team spirit in order to be prepared for inclement or extreme weather conditions. Mr Chan and other officials also toured the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works (SCISTW), largest of its type in Hong Kong. They were briefed by staff on the DSD's work in taking forward sewage treatment initiatives such as the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme. They also met duty officers at the Main Control Room of the SCISTW to learn more about the department's work in monitoring various sewage treatment processes around the clock, and about its contingency strategies in case of inclement or extreme weather conditions. They then viewed the SCISTW from a green roof, where they were briefed on the sewage treatment facilities and the operation of facilities such as Clean Harbour 2, an advanced vessel for the transportation of sludge from the SCISTW to Tuen Mun, where it is turned into energy. The officials also gained a better understanding of the department's progress in promoting the use of renewable energy at the SCISTW, including the installation of thin-film photovoltaic systems. The installation is expected to be completed next year and the project will be the largest of its kind in Hong Kong. Mr Chan said he hopes the DSD will continue to break new ground while upholding fundamental principles, and spare no effort to provide world-class wastewater and stormwater drainage services, while at the same time helping to build a sustainable future for Hong Kong by utilising innovative technology and renewable energy.
