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Army veteran-turned-TikTok celebrity “Papa Jake” Larson will celebrate his 102nd birthday in Martinez this week with his nearly 900,000 social media followers tuned in, and he is not bashful about wanting you to send him a birthday card. Admittedly, “World War II veteran” and “TikTok Star” are not words we usually use together. But we will in the case of Martinez resident “Papa Jake” Larson, who has 842,500 followers on TikTok , and as KTVU reminds us, is turning 102 years old this week on Friday, December 20. And he’s not too proud to ask for a birthday card, which you can send to a PO box listed at the bottom of this post. “I got a little birthday coming up here,” the surprisingly spry Papa Jake says in the video above . “December 20, I’m going to be 102. And thanks to you, I have never felt so good. I enjoy reading your letters and I really enjoy seeing the amount of you who follow me. My god, I'm near a million [followers] there! It’s crazy. It’s plain crazy.” His granddaughter McKaela Larson adds, “For the past four years, we’ve been surprising Papa Jake with birthday cards from all over the world, from viewers just like you. And I want to ask you if you want to send him a birthday card this year.” Papa Jake’s most viral video is the absolute tearjerker above , where vintage photos of his late wife Lola are animated and brought to life. “This past November 23, we would have been married 75 years,” he says, choked up. “And I still love her.” But Papa Jake’s World War II stories are something else. The above video is one in a four-part piece where he recalls 1944’s D-Day, the largest amphibious invasion in the history of the world, when he helped storm Omaha Beach in Normandy. “I finally got behind a little burrow that was about six inches high, with two machine guns shooting at me from two sides,” he recalls. “I reached into my pocket, I was smoking at the time.” “About two feet behind me, there was another soldier. I said ‘Hey, have you got a match buddy?’ I got no answer,” he continues. “Next time I looked, there was no head under the helmet. I thank that soldier’s soul, for me right then getting up and running when I did, because the machine guns had stopped to reload. And I got started, and they started shooting at me.” “But I made it. I made it to the cliff without a scratch.” The family’s goal is to get cards from all 50 states, which they have done, though they still don’t have one from Washington, DC. They’ve also put a call out for cards from celebrities, and Papa Jake has received a card from former President Jimmy Carter, who's also 100 years old. We are going to go ahead and publish the address where you can send cards, as this does not appear to be Papa Jake’s home address. It’s the address of something called Lafayette Pack and Ship + Print Center , where Papa Jake apparently has the following postal box: “Papa Jake” Larson 3559 Mount Diablo Boulevard, #200 Lafayette, CA 94549 Related: 100-Year-Old National Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin Has Retired [SFist] Image: storytimewithpapajake via TikTokExplore Custom Window Treatments with Ease: Bella Casa Shade & Drapery Launches New WebsiteNew Jersey DUI Lawyer Rachel Kugel Releases Article on Key Considerations for DUI Car Insurance 11-25-2024 10:30 PM CET | Politics, Law & Society Press release from: ABNewswire New Jersey DUI lawyer Rachel Kugel ( https://thekugellawfirm.com/what-to-know-about-dui-car-insurance/ ) of The Kugel Law Firm outlines what drivers need to know about DUI-related insurance implications in New Jersey. DUI convictions bring severe legal and financial consequences, particularly impacting car insurance premiums. With years of experience in DUI law, Rachel Kugel provides crucial insights into the increased costs and coverage limitations that DUI offenders face, along with potential strategies for mitigating these expenses. In New Jersey, a DUI conviction categorizes drivers as high-risk, leading to sharply increased insurance premiums. As New Jersey DUI lawyer Rachel Kugel explains, "A DUI can cause a significant spike in your car insurance rates, potentially raising premiums by as much as 74% annually." This high-risk designation often makes it challenging for convicted drivers to find affordable insurance coverage, with many carriers even refusing to insure high-risk drivers. The financial impact on premiums underscores the importance of understanding post-DUI insurance requirements and strategies for cost management. Rachel Kugel emphasizes that DUI-related rate increases are typically long-lasting. The effects of a DUI conviction may influence insurance rates for three to seven years, depending on the policies of individual insurance providers. During this period, the DUI remains on the driver's record, continuing to shape premium calculations. "In many cases, maintaining a clean driving record following a DUI is the best way to potentially reduce rates over time," the New Jersey DUI lawyer says. However, this rate adjustment varies among insurers, some of whom may keep elevated rates for the entire specified period. The financial burden following a DUI goes beyond initial rate increases. Kugel points out that several factors affect the scale of rate hikes, including the severity of the offense, the driver's overall record, and the insurance provider's specific policies. For instance, a DUI involving a high blood alcohol concentration (BAC) or multiple offenses can lead to even steeper premium increases. Moreover, factors such as coverage type and credit history can influence insurance rates, with comprehensive coverage seeing more considerable increases than basic liability coverage. One common question is whether New Jersey requires an SR-22 form, a document that verifies minimum coverage. In the article, Rachel Kugel clarifies that New Jersey does not mandate SR-22 filings for DUI convictions, a notable exception compared to many states. However, for those with convictions in other states, Kugel warns that an SR-22 might still be required if the offense occurred outside New Jersey. Recognizing the challenges DUI offenders face in managing their insurance rates, Rachel Kugel shares practical strategies for alleviating the financial impact. One effective method is point reduction on the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) record. For example, a year without any violations can reduce points by three, while participation in specific MVC programs can lower points further. Kugel notes that "point reduction can help lower overall insurance costs, but it's essential to understand that a DUI still affects insurance independently of MVC points." Kugel advises DUI offenders to avoid lapses in coverage, as a lapse can lead to even higher premiums or a complete lack of coverage options. Maintaining continuous insurance, even with elevated premiums, is essential to prevent future penalties and help ensure ongoing coverage. Kugel also cautions against opting for minimal coverage solely to save on premiums, as this approach could increase risk exposure and further raise rates. Rachel Kugel further suggests that drivers consider enhancing their credit history. Insurance providers often use credit-based scores to determine premiums, and a strong credit score can help to moderate insurance costs. Completing defensive driving courses can be another proactive measure, as some insurers offer discounts for these courses. Kugel highlights that these courses benefit drivers by improving their skills while potentially reducing insurance premiums. Working with a New Jersey DUI lawyer, according to Rachel Kugel, can be instrumental in handling the complex matter of insurance after a DUI conviction. Kugel asserts that DUI attorneys can negotiate with insurance providers to seek more favorable terms by highlighting mitigating factors, such as the completion of rehabilitation programs or defensive driving courses. "A DUI attorney can be invaluable in negotiating with insurers to help ensure drivers receive fair treatment and avoid unnecessary rate hikes," Kugel states. About The Kugel Law Firm: The Kugel Law Firm, led by experienced New Jersey DUI lawyer Rachel Kugel, can provide dedicated legal assistance to individuals facing DUI-related challenges, including insurance complications. The firm is committed to offering personalized guidance and representation, aiming to protect the rights and future of every client facing the consequences of a DUI conviction. Embeds: Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jVgF361Xo8 GMB: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=3822170752710866861 Email and website Email: admin@thekugellawfirm.com Website: https://thekugellawfirm.com/ Media Contact Company Name: The Kugel Law Firm Contact Person: Rachel Kugel Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=new-jersey-dui-lawyer-rachel-kugel-releases-article-on-key-considerations-for-dui-car-insurance ] Phone: (973) 854-0098 Address:1 Gateway Center # 2600 City: Newark State: New Jersey 07102 Country: United States Website: https://thekugellawfirm.com/ This release was published on openPR.A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge's order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana.
Elon Musk spent over $250 million to help elect TrumpSmart speakers often act as the centerpiece of a smart home setup since you can use voice commands to control almost any piece of smart home tech. They also have a variety of other uses, such as playing music, answering questions, and they even replace old-school alarm clocks. There are plenty of other uses for smart home speakers that you may not have even thought of yet . In short, these little devices work perfectly as a normal speaker and have the expanded capability to do other things too. As such, companies have already begun the arms race to get their speakers into your home. Google, Amazon, and Apple are the big players since their speakers use each brand's proprietary smart assistants to answer your questions and perform tasks. In fact, choosing a smart speaker is often the first choice consumers run into when starting a smart home since all other smart home tech will need to be compatible with the speaker. Other brands have also released speakers that use the aforementioned tech brands' ecosystem so there are more choices than ever before. Consumer Reports ranks smart speakers to help consumers figure out which speaker is best for them. We've taken that data and narrowed it down by brand to give you an idea of who makes the best smart speakers. Below is a list ranked worst to first that should give you an idea of which brands make the best smart speakers. We should note, however, that Consumer Reports doesn't have every available smart speaker that money can buy, so this list is based solely on what Consumer Reports has covered. Bang & Olufsen is at the bottom of the list with an aggregate score of 57 out of 100 on Consumer Reports. The brand is hampered somewhat by only having one entrant on Consumer Reports' list, the Beosound A1 2nd Gen speaker . The puck-shaped speaker offers some appealing features such as 18 hours of battery life of listening at 70 decibels and an IP67 water and dust resistance rating. In terms of portable speakers , it's actually pretty decent. It's also bigger than it looks as it'll barely fit in the average palm. In B&O's defense, this smart speaker is made for portability more than it is anything else and it really should fit more in the portable Bluetooth speaker category than as a smart speaker. The Beosound A1 does come with Alexa built-in, so there is smart functionality there, but we have our doubts that people will buy this speaker, plug it in, and place it on a bookshelf for all eternity. Indeed, this speaker is built more for trips to the beach or as a shower speaker, and so while it has smart functionality, it doesn't fall into what many would consider smart speaker territory. Overall, the B&O Beosound A1 is a good overall portable Bluetooth speaker that also comes with some smart functionality. In fact, for its size, it has seriously impressive sound quality, which helps because it's also quite expensive, with a MSRP of $299 on Amazon . However, if you're looking for that smart home centerpiece, you'll want to shop for another brand. Belkin is a step up from B&O with a score of 59 out of 100. Similar to B&O, Belkin only had a single smart speaker on Consumer Reports' list, so Belkin's score is a little hampered by that. Belkin's entrant to the list is the SoundForm Elite with an included wireless charger . It's closer to what you would expect a smart speaker to be with a round design that's meant to be plugged in and sat on a table or shelf. Reviews indicate that the speaker sounds pretty good for its price point and people tend to enjoy the wireless charger on top of the speaker. It comes with Google Assistant, so you can talk to it like a Google Home Hub and run your smart home through it, making it automatically better than B&O's offering for smart speakers. For the most part, complaints about the device stem from functionality, as some folks have had trouble pairing with the speaker. The speaker also tends to lose its alleged hi-fi quality after about 50% volume, which bothers some folks more than others. The biggest issue with Belkin is that the SoundForm Elite seems to be running out of stock in many places and it may be replaced with a new offering sooner rather than later. In any case, for a smart home speaker, there are better options out there than Belkin, even if the company makes plenty of other good products. Bowers & Wilkins is the first brand on the list to top a score of 60, with a 61 out of 100 from Consumer Reports. Like the others so far, Bowers & Wilkins only has one smart speaker on the list, so its entire score is judged by that one speaker. The speaker is certainly a head turner with its wide, zeppelin-like shape. It's also among the most expensive speakers on the list at $799 on Amazon . It also comes in white if the black speaker isn't doing it for you. The speaker comes with Amazon Alexa, so it's made for folks who already engage with the Alexa ecosystem. It's also much larger than it looks, spanning over two feet wide and a little over eight inches tall. So, it not only functions as a smart speaker but it's large enough to be the centerpiece of an entire room. In terms of sound, reviewers agree that it's among the best when it comes to smart speakers. There are five total drivers in the speaker, two for treble, two for midrange, and one six-inch subwoofer to deliver bass. The Zeppelin also has an app where you can mess with the EQ a little bit. For the most part, the biggest issue with the speaker is that it's quite expensive. At $800, this thing is for a very specific audience and the $900 McLaren Edition is even more so. It pumps out loud, bass-rich music and it sounds fantastic. However, you can buy a half a dozen smart speakers with that kind of scratch and load your whole house with them. Google is the first smart speaker maker on Consumer Reports' list that has multiple smart speakers to choose from. These include the Nest Hub Max and the Google Nest Audio , each speaker scoring a 63 out of 100 from Consumer Reports. Both speakers are what you likely think of when you think of a smart speaker. The Nest Hub Max has a screen on the front that you can interact with, stream videos, and even conduct video calls. Meanwhile, the Nest Audio looks more like a traditional speaker but still operates as a smart speaker. Each speaker has its pros and cons. The Nest Hub Max is the stronger option overall as a smart speaker thanks to its screen and superior sound quality. It's an upgrade over the regular Google Nest Hub in almost every way, with better audio and a bigger screen. For folks wanting to buy into Google's ecosystem, it's arguably the best speaker to go with as a first smart speaker. The Nest Audio is still quite good, although it lacks bass at louder volumes. It's a less expensive option that omits the screen but maintains the same Google Assistant functionality. For people wanting to go with Google's ecosystem, Google's speakers are a solid choice. The Nest Hub Max is an excellent centerpiece device while the Nest Audio is good for multi-room smart speaker setups. I personally have a Google Nest Hub in my kitchen, and it's worked well for two years now. At this point, my kitchen wouldn't feel the same without it. Amazon is another big player in the smart speaker game. The brand has four total smart speakers on Consumer Reports' list, including the Amazon Echo Show 15 , Amazon Echo (4th Gen) , the Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) , and the Amazon Echo Studio . Amazon would actually be ranked higher on this list as three of their four speakers rank quite well at 68, 67, and 65 for the Amazon Echo Studio, Amazon Echo Show 10, and Amazone Echo, respectively. However, Amazon's overall score is dragged down by the Echo Show 15, which Consumer Reports gave a 56 out of 100, the lowest ranked individual speaker on the list. For the most part, the Amazon Echo Show 15 is an okay product. Reviews state that the audio quality is mediocre and oddly, the speaker doesn't come with a table stand. Amazon instead includes wall mounting hardware as you are meant to put it on a wall. There are stands available on Amazon , though, so it is a problem that can be solved. It's otherwise quite nice, with a good screen with plenty of functionality. The other three speakers are a more positive experience overall. The Echo Show 10 is Amazon's response to the Google Nest Hub, which means it comes with a screen and a speaker. The other two are standalone speakers. Of the three remaining speakers, our reviewers note that the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) and Echo Studio have excellent sound quality while the Echo Show 10 is the most versatile with its inclusion of the screen. Any of the three of those would make great starter smart speakers for Alexa-friendly households. The only hold out is the Echo Show 15 and that's mostly because it's ergonomically less friendly. Bose had a solid overall showing on Consumer Reports. The well-known speaker brand sports two smart speakers and each one ranks 65 out of 100, making Bose a solid overall choice for smart speakers. What's more interesting is that both options from Bose on the Consumer Reports list are wireless, which is a bit of an oddity since most smart speakers are plugged into a wall. The first is the Bose Home Speaker 500 and the other is the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a wireless speaker with a small screen. It comes loaded with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant out of the box, giving users some choice when it comes to which smart home platform they want to go with. It can also connect to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to stream music, which is also unusual for a wireless speaker. Per reviews, the Home Speaker 500 sounds quite good for its size, although it can get a little rough at louder volumes. Most of the same can be said for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker , which also houses Google and Alexa and sounds decent at moderate volumes. However, its battery life isn't great and it doesn't get very loud. In all, Bose has the same issue as Bang & Olufsen, where you don't typically shop for wireless smart speakers. However, Bose does have a leg up on its competitors by having multiple smart home assistants available. Even so, for wireless audio, we still think a regular Bluetooth speaker does it better . Apple only has one speaker on the Consumer Reports list and it's the Apple HomePod , which scored a 66 out of 100. As Apple's solo entrant onto the list, that gives Apple a higher score than most. The HomePod comes in two colors and is typical of what you'd find in a smart speaker. It plugs in, integrates with Siri, and you can use it to control your smart home. Interestingly, the HomePod mini isn't on Consumer Reports' list, which is a shame. In any case, the HomePod makes a good case for Apple. It has good overall sound quality, which is good because Apple doesn't give users an EQ to tweak it themselves. Its understated design looks good in most rooms and, of course, it's one of the few smart speakers on the market that can interact with Apple's smart home ecosystem. There are some neat tricks too. For example, if you have two speakers in a stereo configuration, Apple uses beamforming technology to broaden the soundstage and make the speakers sound bigger than they are. The speakers can also be used with an Apple TV device as TV speakers, giving them a little extra versatility. The biggest downside for the HomePod is its price. It costs $299 direct from Apple , which is more than Amazon and Google speakers. The HomePod mini costs $99, which makes it the better value buy if you want speakers in multiple rooms, but the HomePod is excellent overall, so it's one we imagine most Apple smart home users will want. Consumer Reports seems to like JBL quite a bit. Their list has three JBL speakers on it — the JBL Authentics 500, Authentics 300, and Authentics 200. The scores for those three speakers are 73, 70, and 67, respectively, earning JBL a 70 overall and dibs on the second spot on the list. As smart speakers go, JBL does some unique things in this space, including allow the speakers to connect to Alexa and Google Assistant simultaneously, omitting the need to choose for the end user. Reviews say that the smart assistants don't always work well together but it's still something you don't see everyday. In general, all three speakers can be used wired, which makes them a good option for sitting on a bookshelf. The Authentics 300 and 500 also have built-in batteries and can be used as portable speakers, making them the only two speakers on the list that are designed for both portable and at-home use. The downside is that the battery life on both speakers is mediocre, so you may not want to take them far. In terms of sound quality, reviews for all three speakers show that they all sound excellent and include JBL's Self-Tuning feature, which matches the sound signature with your room's acoustics. It seems too good to be true until you look at the price tags. The Authentics 200 runs for $349.99 when it's not on sale and that's the least expensive one. You'll spend $449.99 for the JBL Authentics 300 and $699.99 for the Authentics 500 . These are high-end speakers, though, and there's a reason Consumer Reports rates them so well. Sonos tops the Consumer Reports list and therefore it tops our list as well. It has three speakers on the list, including the Era 300 , Move 2 , and the Era 100 . Consumer Reports gives those speakers a 74, 72, and 71, respectively, which gives Sonos a 72/100 overall. Generally speaking, Sonos makes good products and our reviews agree with that notion, so Sonos topping the list isn't the most surprisingly notion. Of the three options, the Era 300 and 100 are wired speakers and the Move 2 is wireless, making Sonos and JBL the only brands on the list that have both options. The Era 300 and 100 are good for the same reasons. Both of them sound good for their respective sizes. They include Amazon Alexa and Sonos' own assistant platform should you choose to use it. Sonos used to support Google Assistant but doesn't seem to on their latest generation of speakers. Additionally, both speakers can be used in stereo configurations for home theater setups or for some excellent music sound in your living room. Meanwhile, the Move II is a wireless speaker that also only has Alexa and Sonos' own assistant. On the plus side, the Move 2 also sounds excellent for its size and has some of the best battery life of any wireless smart speaker on the list. Like JBL, Sonos is an expensive brand. The Era 100 costs $249 when it's not on sale and the Era 300 nearly doubles that price at $449. The Move 2 is also more expensive than most Bluetooth speakers at $449 . So, while Sonos speakers are quite good, it'll cost you approximately one arm and leg to get a multi-speaker setup at home.
AP Business SummaryBrief at 2:53 p.m. ESTThe Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Award Selection Committee announced the list of award-winning manuscripts and authors, of the Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Contest 2023, which was organized by the Printing and Publishing Department under the Ministry of Information yesterday. Prizes will be awarded to winners in the following genres – novel, collection of short stories, collection of poems, general knowledge (arts), general knowledge (pure science and applied science), belles-lettres, Myanmar culture and fine arts, children’s literature, youth’s literature, political literature, drama, translation and English language manuscript. The first, second and third winners of the Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Contest will be honoured with K1.5 million, K1 million and K700,000 respectively. The Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Award Selection Committee is formed with 23 experienced persons, including intellectuals, intelligentsia, literary scholars and seniors from the field of printing and publication, and the committee member systematically screened and selected from 284 manuscripts submitted to the Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Contest 2023 in three stages according to relevant genres. Awardees need to contact 018 240048 – Secretary of the Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Award Selection Committee and 01 381449 – the Administration Department as soon as possible. They also urged the winners to send out their two coloured photos in a 5-inch-by-8-inch size and passport size each, along with the resume within one week from the date of the announcement. Prizes will be awarded at the forthcoming National Lifetime Award for Literary Achievement, National Literary Award and Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Award presentation ceremony, which is to be held on 1 December 2024 (1st Waxing of Nadaw 1386 ME, Myanmar Literati Day). It is reported that the time and place of the ceremony will be issued later. The committee has notified that those wishing to participate in the Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Contest 2024 will need to send out their manuscripts by 31 December 2024. — MNA/KTZH
International Outlook Of BRI Helping Businesses In Wuhan Grow OverseasThe Trudeau government’s two-pronged announcement of a goods and services tax holiday on certain “essential” items and its pledge to dole out $250 to millions of people in the country have left economists scrambling to gauge the impact of Ottawa’s $6.3-billion, election-style splurge. With Canada’s economy facing several headwinds, the stimulus cheques and the sales tax break on items such as groceries, children’s clothing, beer and Christmas trees are expected to spur consumers to open their wallets, boosting economic growth in the near term. However, the sugar high could fade quickly, as shoppers simply shift around the timing of their purchases. And the jolt of spending – coming on top of recent hotter-than-expected inflation data – may help convince the Bank of Canada to slow its pace of interest-rate cuts. The new big-ticket spending proposals also raise questions about Ottawa’s ability to stay within its self-imposed deficit guardrails, especially if, as some economists think, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decides to make the sales tax changes permanent as a way to placate angry voters. “Once politicians get the idea that, ‘Oh, playing with the GST, playing with things that are taxable or not,’ is a political winner, they’re never going to stop. And that is not good for the budget and it’s not good for tax policy,” said Stephen Gordon, an economics professor at Laval University. Coming in at around 0.2 per cent of gross domestic product, Ottawa’s package will ripple through the economy – but it’s hardly a game-changer. The economics team at Bank of Montreal boosted its GDP growth estimate for the first quarter of 2025 to 2.5 per cent from 1.7 per cent, but trimmed its GDP growth forecast for the third quarter, when the effect of the stimulus fades. Avery Shenfeld, chief economist at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, said that the tax rebates could theoretically increase GDP by as much as a quarter-percentage-point next year, especially because fiscal stimulus has a bigger impact when there is slack in the economy, as is currently the case. “But that’s only if these cheques are permitted to raise the federal deficit,” Mr. Shenfeld wrote in a client note. “If Ottawa is merely shifting funds from what it otherwise would have spent elsewhere, in order to stick to a given deficit target, the impact could be negated.” It’s also unclear how much the stimulus cheques will increase consumer spending, with people potentially pocketing the money or using it to pay down debt, rather than going shopping Mr. Shenfeld said the overall package would likely have a “very marginal” impact on upcoming Bank of Canada interest-rate decisions. This view was shared by other Bay Street economists, although there was a broad agreement that Ottawa’s stimulus essentially seals the deal for a quarter-point rate cut at the next Bank of Canada meeting in December, rather than another half-point cut, as happened in October. “On its own, this probably doesn’t move the needle so significantly because of the fact that it’s not massive and it is temporary,” said Taylor Schleich, director of economics and strategy at National Bank Financial. However, complicating that is the fact the measures come at the same time as stimulus is rolling out from other levels of government, inflation has picked up and housing markets are potentially reaccelerating, he said. “If the Bank of Canada was on the fence about cutting 25 or 50 basis points, perhaps all of this data taken together leads them more towards a more gradual easing approach in the near term,” he said. Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said last month that the bank is less concerned than it was about government spending fuelling inflation and working at cross purposes to the bank’s still-restrictive monetary policy now that inflation is largely under control. “We’re no longer trying to get inflation down. Government spending is not pushing against us getting inflation down, we’ve got it down,” he told the Senate Banking Committee. It’s so far impossible to say how the two measures will impact the federal government’s bottom line, because Ottawa has yet to produce its final spending and revenue picture for the past fiscal year. However, in an Oct. 17 report , the Parliamentary Budget Officer, Canada’s budgetary watchdog, estimated the deficit for 2023-24 would come in at $46.8-billion, deeper than the $40-billion deficit laid out in the government’s 2024 budget. The government’s own fiscal guardrail aims to maintain the 2023-24 deficit at or below $40.1-billion. The stimulus cheques and GST changes will likely erode the government’s fiscal standing in the coming months, according to Derek Holt, head of capital markets economics at Bank of Nova Scotia, who speculated in a Friday note to clients that the planned two-month GST holiday “is very likely to turn permanent and blow through Ottawa’s finances.” In a separate report, Mr. Holt estimated if the GST changes were made permanent, along with the stimulus cheques, the changes would result in a $14-billion hit to federal finances in fiscal 2025-26 and $10-billion a year in subsequent years. Over a five-year horizon, if the GST changes remained permanent, “the cumulative deficit would balloon by about an extra $52-billion,” he wrote. Even if the changes remain temporary, economists tend to view these types of stimulus measures dimly, thinking of them as inefficient and poorly targeted. “If they wanted to beef up the income support at lower income levels then you either increase the GST rebates or the Canada Child Benefit, things like that. Just across the board $250 to everybody, that’s clearly electoral,” Prof. Gordon said. Luc Godbout, an economics professor at the Université de Sherbrooke, said the temporary nature of tax cuts will cause consumers to shift the timing of their consumption and complicate things for retailers. And higher-income individuals may also benefit disproportionately from the GST break on things such as restaurant meals. “These are not measures that were thought out from an economic perspective, but from a political perspective,” he said in an e-mail. Nor do the stimulus cheques or GST changes do anything to “impact our long-term growth trajectory or close the competitive gap we have with the U.S.” when it comes to attracting business investment, said Kevin Milligan, a professor of economics at the Vancouver School of Economics at the University of British Columbia. “When you’re in a world of being in deficit and there’s not a macroeconomic need for it, I don’t see these as economically defensible measures,” he said.Amazon will invest another $10 billion in Ohio data centers, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said. The company will consider locations outside its power-strained hub in Columbus. In exchange for tax credits, Amazon committed to more than 1,000 new jobs in its Ohio data centers. Amazon has committed to spending $10 billion on the expansion of its Ohio data center operations, in addition to the billions of dollars it has already said it plans to spend in the state, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday. The tech giant's new Ohio facilities, which should be completed by the end of 2030, will help power the push into AI by its cloud computing unit, Amazon Web Services. Just last year, AWS said it would invest $7.8 billion to expand its data center hub in Columbus and the surrounding suburbs. The company started building data centers in the region in 2015 and has at least six different campuses that are either operational or under construction. Ohio has committed to spending more than $23 billion on data centers in the state between the money it has already spent and its committed investments, a spokesperson for Ohio's Department of Development said. The investment in Ohio is part of Amazon's aggressive spending plan on data center construction to support AI demand. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said on the company's third-quarter earnings call in October that it plans to spend $75 billion on capital expenditures in 2024, most of which will go to cloud computing and data centers, and it expects to spend even more next year . Local politicians have dubbed the Central Ohio "the Silicon Heartland." Gov. DeWine touted the AWS announcement this week as "strengthening the state's role as a major technology hub." Most of Amazon's data centers are located in Northern Virginia, the largest data center market in the world. That area has become saturated with new facilities waiting to be connected to the electric grid. In the last 18 months, Amazon and its competitors have announced plans to build data centers in states nationwide. Just this year, Amazon announced plans to spend $11 billion on data centers in Indiana and $10 billion in Mississippi . Job creation in Ohio Ohio, which offers a generous slate of state and local tax incentives, including an up to 100% sales and use tax exemption for data center equipment, has seen a sharp uptick in development. For this latest investment, the Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved additional job creation tax credits in AWS's existing economic development agreement with the state. In exchange for annual job creation tax credits, AWS has promised 1,058 "full-time equivalent" jobs with a minimum average annual payroll of $101.37 million, a spokesperson for Ohio's Department of Development told Business Insider. Ohio law defines "full-time equivalent employees" as the result of a calculation, or "dividing the total number of hours for which employees were compensated for employment in the project by two thousand eighty." The employees must be directly employed by Amazon for the company to receive its tax credits, although there is no requirement for the kinds of jobs Amazon must offer. When BI contacted AWS and asked what types of jobs would be available in its new Ohio data centers, an AWS spokesperson reiterated the information listed in Gov. DeWine's press release , which referred to the jobs as "new" and "well-paying." Related stories Electricity demand rises AWS's financial commitment to the state will hinge on whether local utilities can provide the amount of electricity the company eventually says it will need. AEP Ohio, the Columbus utility that serves Amazon, said earlier this year that it received 30 gigawatts of service requests from data centers alone — an amount that would put the region's demand for electricity close to New York City's. Much of that demand comes from the wealthy suburban enclave of New Albany , Ohio, where Meta, Microsoft, Google, and QTS are all constructing major data center projects. The site of Intel's future semiconductor chip plant is in neighboring Johnstown, Ohio. The New Albany Company, the real estate company founded by billionaire retail mogul Les Wexner , orchestrated many of the area's major land sales to tech companies, including Intel. For its newest data centers, AWS will look to sites beyond the Columbus region, though no locations have been finalized, according to a statement from Gov. DeWine's office. If AWS locates a data center outside the Columbus region, it would likely be outside AEP's service territory. AEP has asked Ohio's public utilities regulator to approve a tariff and a special rate class for data centers that would require the power-hungry facilities to pay for the majority of electricity they anticipate needing — even if they ultimately do not consume all of it. The data center industry, including Amazon, is working to quash AEP's proposal. In a November testimony filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Michael Fradette, who leads Amazon's energy strategy, called the proposal a "discriminatory structure" that "unfairly targets data center customers by targeting customers in specific industries." The matter has sowed division among corporate interests in Ohio. Those who oppose the tariffs include the Ohio Manufacturers' Association Energy Group, a lobbying offshoot of the state's major manufacturing industry trade group, and the Ohio Energy Leadership Council, which is represented by David Proaño, a lawyer in BakerHostetler's Columbus office who also represents Amazon's data center business before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Meanwhile, Ohio Energy Group, which counts Cargill, Ford, GE, and Intel as members, has testified in favor of AEP's proposed data center tariffs. Walmart, a large customer of AEP in Ohio, has also come out supporting the tariff. AEP is planning new transmission infrastructure projects to service data centers in the Columbus area, as well as the Intel chip plant. The future of the chip plant, which is supposed to bring 3,000 advanced manufacturing jobs to central Ohio, is uncertain as the company debates spinning off its struggling foundry business. Rising energy demand from Columbus area data centers has triggered the need for new transmission infrastructure. Under AEP's existing rate structures, the costs of new transmission lines to data centers could be spread to other ratepayers. Many of AEP's residential, commercial, and industrial customers saw transmission costs rise by $10 monthly in April, the fourth rate increase approved for the utility in three years. Next year, average bill totals will increase another $1.50 a month to support grid reliability, the utility said. Do you have insight, information, or a tip to share with this reporter? Contact Ellen Thomas via the secure messaging app Signal at +1-929-524-6964.
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, has reiterated the Gulf countries' support for Syria and Lebanon. In his speech at the 46th extraordinary meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Cooperation Council, Albudaiwi affirmed that the convening of the meeting comes to coordinate the positions of the GCC states in light of the ongoing events in Syria and Lebanon, and the accompanying rapid developments, and to reaffirm the GCC's support for the two countries, for everything that would enhance their security and stability, in various circumstances and situations. "This meeting reflects the great keenness and interest of the GCC states in the issues of the Arab and Islamic nations. It seeks to enhance joint co-operation among the GCC states to address current challenges and work towards achieving security and stability in the region, which contributes to supporting sustainable development and strengthening Arab and Islamic unity," he stated. He explained that since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the Cooperation Council has adopted a firm stance and a clear policy towards the crisis in Syria, and has made continuous efforts to support the brotherly Syrian people, including Kuwait's hosting of a number of donor conferences to support the humanitarian situation in Syria, and the provision of relief and humanitarian assistance by the GCC states to the brotherly Syrian people amounting to more than $8bn, and its hosting of more than 2mn residents from the Syrian brothers, who enjoy all the rights and privileges that guarantee them a decent life among their Gulf brothers. "On the political level, the GCC states have supported the efforts of the United Nations and its special envoy aimed at a political solution to the Syrian crisis, in accordance with the Geneva 1 statement and Security Council resolution No. (2254), in which the Security Council called on the former Syrian regime to exercise wisdom and work to achieve immediate reforms that meet the aspirations of the Syrian people, preserve its unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and reject any foreign interference in its internal affairs," Albudaiwi said. In this context, he stressed that the repeated Israeli attacks on the sisterly Syrian Arab Republic, and the Israeli occupation forces' occupation of the buffer zone on the Syrian border, as well as the Israeli government's decision to expand the construction of settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, are a flagrant violation of international laws and Security Council resolutions, and the disengagement agreement signed between Syria and Israel (1974). He called on the international community to play its role and responsibilities to stop these attacks on Syrian lands, and the withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Syrian territories, especially since all GCC states welcomed the contents of the statement issued by the Arab Ministerial Contact Committee on Syria, which was held on December 14, 2024, in Aqaba, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Furthermore, Albudaiwi praised the positive steps taken by the interim Syrian government in the peaceful transfer of power, ensuring the safety of civilians, and the positions it announced to preserve Syrian state institutions and resources, and achieve national reconciliation, as key pillars for maintaining security and stability, and restoring Syria's regional role and international standing. The GCC chief stressed the need for the concerted efforts of all parties and components of the Syrian people, and prioritising the supreme interest and national unity, and consecrating the language of dialogue, to achieve the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people in consolidating security, stability, development, and prosperity. He stressed the keenness and interest of the GCC states in their brotherly and historical relations, and their strong ties with the Syrian Arab Republic and the Lebanese Republic, and making every effort to ensure their security and stability, which contributes to their prosperity and the sustainable decent living of their peoples. Related Story Qatar prioritises humanitarian aid to Syria: Mofa spokesman Qatar Charity sends 24 trucks of relief supplies to SyriaDays after two Albany heavy hitters vetoed the MTA’s next five-year capital plan , an audit released Thursday by the state C omptroller’s office says that the operators of New York’s largest transportation agency has not done enough to save money. Get the Full Story The lack of money savings is centered around “ procurements, ” per state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. According to the state’s top money big wig, the MTA has “ not done enough to consolidate its procurements across its agencies to save money as was expected under its Transformation Plan. ” The MTA was required by law to create a Transformation Plan by June 30, 2019, which it did. O ne part of the plan was to consolidate procurement for its five operating agencies, MTA Construction and Development, and MTA Headquarters to save money and avoid redundancies , DiNapoli explained. But those actions were not enough, and now the state comptroller believes the MTA needs to take additional steps to better coordinate its purchasing efforts. “T he MTA faces continued pressure to implement its capital programs and savings initiatives, which would benefit from furthering its stated goals of transforming its procurement process, ” DiNapoli said. “ More savings may be possible if it does more to coordinate purchasing among its agencies instead of the status quo of having them procure their needs independently. Consolidation, efficiency, and savings in this area was promised years ago, but has yet to be fully realized .” The audit follows another blow to the MTA this week , when state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie rejected the agency’s capital plan for 2025-2029 just days before Jan. 1. Delving deeper into Thursday’s audit, the MTA’s “ actual practice of buying goods and services ” has not changed as of September 2023, two years after its October 2021 effective date of consolidation . The audit cites several examples of this lack of progress, mostly with procurement operations, which handles direct purchases of things like parts for train cars and buses. According to the comptroller’s officer, the MTA reported saving $152 million in 2022, but the audit examined $37.7 million of that total and concluded that “ none of it was due to transformation or consolidation .” The audit revealed that the savings were from canceled orders and services that were no longer needed. According to the audit, just $4.29 million of the sampled savings were the result of procurement operations actions. But MTA officials said they largely disagree with the findings. As for consolidation, the agency’s five different procurement departments now fall under one umbrella, with most cost savings coming through construction contracts. “The MTA successfully consolidated and reorganized the agency per the Transformation Plan, forging ahead with less redundancy and red tape,” MTA spokesperson Joana Flores said. “The MTA is still continuously improving business practices with more cost savings and has achieved reduced costs – identifying an additional $100 million in annual recurring savings for a total of $500 million annually, all while providing more subway, bus, and railroad service than ever before.” Riders react Meanwhile, riders’ groups are responding to the MTA’s heavy blows this week. With the capital plan in limbo, public transit users do not know what to expect regarding the future of MTA projects, including signal upgrades and station improvements. “A gain and again, funding uncertainty has turned MTA capital plans into political footballs, with riders caught flailing like Charlie Brown, ” Lisa Daglian, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, said. “ Riders deserve a fully funded capital plan now so the MTA can begin the State-of-Good-Repair and system improvement projects we desperately need .” Danny Pearlstein, the Riders Alliance’s policy and communications director, said in response to the audit that riders’ needs are paramount. “Efficiency is a work in progress, but elected leaders can’t make the perfect the enemy of the good when it comes to meeting riders’ needs for safe, reliable, accessible public transit service,” he said.
