Preclinical CRO Market to See Rapid Expansion Over the Next Decade 2024-2032The NCAA doesn't actually call it National Signing Day anymore because it isn't just one day. College football's modern version of this annual rite of passage, conducted mostly by fax machine not long ago, is the early signing period. And it begins Wednesday. This is when most of the best high school football recruits in the country will make their college choice official. The dynamic, of course, changed in recent years with the huge emphasis placed on the transfer portal and the introduction of name, image and likeness benefits for players. But there's an excitement to the end of another recruiting cycle, with commitments and recruiting flips serving as another method to take stock of where programs stand as the and college football's offseason calendar collide. There's a slew of top prospects set to announce decisions on Wednesday, as well as potential movement by top prospects who . Here's what to know about the start of the early signing period in college football: There is not a singular National Signing Day in college football anymore. The three-day early signing period will run from Wednesday, Dec. 4 through Friday, Dec. 6, one day before the Power Four conferences hold their league championship games. It's more than two weeks earlier this year when compared to 2023. There had been widespread criticism from college coaches about how condensed the sport's calendar had become with the early signing period, the opening of the transfer portal, and bowl prep occurring simultaneously in December. Here's a look at the key college football recruiting dates for the 2024-2025 offseason: Wednesday, Dec. 4 through Friday, Dec. 6 Opens Monday, Dec. 9, closes Saturday, Dec. 28 Wednesday, Feb. 5 through Tuesday, April 1. Here's a look at some of the top 2025 uncommitted football prospects planning to announce their college plans during the early signing period, according to and . (Manchester, Georgia): Georgia, Alabama and Auburn are among top choices. (New Orleans): USC, Oregon, LSU and Ohio State are among top choices. (Manassas, Virginia): Michigan and Colorado are among top choices. (San Juan Capistrano, California): Considering USC, Notre Dame, Texas, Washington and Ohio State (Durham, North Carolina): Tennessee and North Carolina are among top choices (Cocoa, Florida): Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M, Syracuse and Pitt among top choices (San Antonio): Texas, Oregon and Nebraska are among top choices. (Montgomery, Alabama): Georgia, Ohio State, and Auburn among top choices (Columbia, South Carolina): South Carolina and Clemson are among top choices (Doylestown, Pennsylvania): Alabama commit. Also considering Colorado. (Charlotte, North Carolina): Tennessee commit. Also considering Ohio State. (Jacksonville, Florida): Florida State commit. Also considering LSU and Florida. (Goodland, Kansas): Kansas State commit. Also considering Oregon. (Baxley, Georgia): Arkansas commit. Also considering Georgia and Florida State. Georgia Alabama Ohio State Texas Auburn Oregon Michigan LSU Texas A&M Tennessee Florida Notre Dame Miami Oklahoma Mississippi

49ers claim RB Israel Abanikanda off waivers from Jets

Pridgen scores 23 in Montana's 83-73 win against Denver at Stew Morrill Classic

Apple Employee Accuses Company of Using Mobile Devices to Spy on Personal Lives in Bombshell LawsuitThe Welsh Secretary has launched a new initiative to boost economic growth. Jo Stevens chaired the first meeting of the Welsh Economic Growth Advisory Group on Monday, December 2. The group, which includes , industry, university, and union leaders, aims to improve prosperity and increase people's incomes. As part of this initiative, Ms Stevens also engaged in a detailed discussion with leaders from Wales's digital and technology sector to explore growth opportunities. Last week, she chaired a discussion with Wales's creative industries, which included a tour of Wolf Studios in Cardiff Bay, home to productions like Doctor Who. Ms Stevens said: "I was thrilled to meet with some of Wales’s most talented and ambitious minds and hear their ideas on how we usher in a new era of prosperity. "This new partnership has hit the ground running and will work at pace to ensure we get the growth we need to put more money in people’s pockets." The group will also help shape the UK Government's new Industrial Strategy, expected in spring 2025. Alison Orrells, chairperson of CBI Wales, said: "I welcome the opportunity to share our members’ insights on the actions needed to unlock and drive sustainable economic growth and build prosperity in communities across Wales." Shavanah Taj, TUC Cymru general secretary, said: "We welcome the opportunity to participate in this advisory group to shape the vision for economic growth, industrial strategy and clean energy." The Economic Growth Advisory Group will hold a series of meetings over the next six months as UK Government priorities on economic growth and clean energy are developed. Attendees at the first meeting included representatives from CBI Wales, Industry Wales, the Welsh Government, Airbus, TUC Cymru, FSB, Fintech Wales, PWC, Renewables UK Cymru, and Cardiff University.

Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Bit Digital, Inc. ( NASDAQ:BTBT – Free Report ) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 348,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,222,000. A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of BTBT. Crescent Grove Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Bit Digital during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Creative Planning bought a new stake in Bit Digital during the third quarter valued at about $37,000. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in Bit Digital during the second quarter valued at about $38,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Bit Digital by 39.3% during the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 15,522 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 4,380 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. bought a new stake in Bit Digital during the second quarter valued at about $51,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.70% of the company’s stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have issued reports on the company. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $7.00 price target on shares of Bit Digital in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. B. Riley assumed coverage on Bit Digital in a report on Thursday, October 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $6.00 price target for the company. Bit Digital Stock Up 11.3 % NASDAQ BTBT opened at $4.44 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $366.21 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 74.00 and a beta of 4.79. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $3.76 and a 200-day moving average price of $3.29. Bit Digital, Inc. has a twelve month low of $1.76 and a twelve month high of $5.74. Bit Digital Company Profile ( Free Report ) Bit Digital, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the bitcoin mining business. It is also involved in the treasury management activities; and digital asset staking and digital asset mining businesses, as well as ethereum staking activities. In addition, it provides specialized cloud-infrastructure services for artificial intelligence applications. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BTBT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bit Digital, Inc. ( NASDAQ:BTBT – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Bit Digital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bit Digital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .3 E Network Technology Group Limited Files for 1.2M Share IPO at $4-$6/sh

Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” Europe's economy needs help. Political chaos in France and Germany means it may be slower in coming BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe's economy has enough difficulties, from tepid growth to trade tensions with the U.S. Dealing with those woes is only getting harder due to the political chaos in the two biggest European countries, France and Germany. Neither has a government backed by a functioning majority, and France could take a while yet to sort things out. But some problems aren't going to wait, such as what to do about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's America First stance on trade and how to fund stronger defense against Putin's Russia. ‘Moana 2’ cruises to another record weekend and $600 million globally “Moana 2” remains at the top of the box office in its second weekend in theaters as it pulled in another record haul. According to studio estimates Sunday, the animated Disney film added $52 million, bringing its domestic total to $300 million. That surpasses the take for the original “Moana” and brings the sequel's global tally to a staggering $600 million. It also puts the film in this year's top five at the box office. “Wicked” came in second place for the weekend with $34.9 million and “Gladiator II” was third with $12.5 million. The 10th anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan's “Interstellar” also earned an impressive $4.4 million even though it played in only 165 theaters. Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok as soon as next month, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Executive of Tyler Perry Studios dies when plane he was piloting crashes in Florida ATLANTA (AP) — The president of Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios has died when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The studio confirmed on Saturday that Steve Mensch, its 62-year-old president and general manager, had died Friday. The crash happened in Homosassa, about 60 miles north of Tampa. Photos from the scene show the plane having come to rest upside down on a road. Mensch helped advocate for Georgia’s film tax credit of more than $1 billion a year. Perry hired Mensch to run his namesake studio in 2016. Mensch died as Perry released his war drama, “The Six Triple Eight." The film was shot at the Atlanta studio. US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8% to set its own record. Treasury yields eased after the jobs report showed stronger hiring than expected but also an uptick in the unemployment rate. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass NEW YORK (AP) — In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million to surround CEO Mark Zuckerberg with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. And experts say the task of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them is getting more difficult. One of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to decide what represents a real threat. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus The U.S. government has ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows. The Agriculture Department on Friday said raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16. Testing will begin in six states — California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania. The move is aimed at eliminating the virus, which has infected more than 700 dairy herds in 15 states.

Horan Capital Advisors LLC. decreased its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. ( NYSE:JPM ) by 1.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 34,345 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 563 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. makes up about 2.4% of Horan Capital Advisors LLC.’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Horan Capital Advisors LLC.’s holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. were worth $7,242,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in JPM. WFA Asset Management Corp grew its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 51.2% during the 1st quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 1,216 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $244,000 after purchasing an additional 412 shares during the period. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the first quarter worth about $1,185,000. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC grew its holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 4.2% during the first quarter. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC now owns 106,829 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $21,398,000 after acquiring an additional 4,296 shares during the period. EP Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 0.7% during the first quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 640,857 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $128,364,000 after acquiring an additional 4,253 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Axxcess Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 3.9% in the first quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 167,057 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,462,000 after acquiring an additional 6,280 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.55% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have recently commented on JPM. Robert W. Baird cut shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $217.00 to $257.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Morgan Stanley lowered JPMorgan Chase & Co. from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $220.00 to $224.00 in a research note on Monday, September 30th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets dropped their price objective on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $240.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $229.31. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Stock Performance Shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. stock opened at $248.55 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $223.14 and its 200 day moving average price is $211.90. The company has a market cap of $699.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.83, a PEG ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.89. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a one year low of $152.71 and a one year high of $249.15. JPMorgan Chase & Co. ( NYSE:JPM – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 11th. The financial services provider reported $4.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.02 by $0.35. JPMorgan Chase & Co. had a net margin of 19.64% and a return on equity of 16.71%. The firm had revenue of $43.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $41.43 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.33 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that JPMorgan Chase & Co. will post 17.62 EPS for the current year. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 4th were issued a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 4th. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.01%. This is an increase from JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.82%. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Company Profile ( Free Report ) JPMorgan Chase & Co operates as a financial services company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Consumer & Community Banking (CCB), Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB), Commercial Banking (CB), and Asset & Wealth Management (AWM). The CCB segment offers deposit, investment and lending products, cash management, and payments and services; mortgage origination and servicing activities; residential mortgages and home equity loans; and credit cards, auto loans, leases, and travel services to consumers and small businesses through bank branches, ATMs, and digital and telephone banking. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JPM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for JPMorgan Chase & Co. ( NYSE:JPM – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for JPMorgan Chase & Co. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for JPMorgan Chase & Co. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Browns get 497-yard performance from QB Jameis Winston and lose anyway in season long gone sour

The need for fair, accountable, and sustainable energyLG Electronics, a multinational appliance and consumer electronics corporation, has introduced an innovative air conditioner in Nigeria that actively repels mosquitoes, and offers a new line of defence against malaria. The “Mosquito Away” AC, announced Saturday, utilises “ultrasonic wave technology” to create sound frequencies imperceptible to humans but disruptive to mosquitoes, effectively driving them away. The new technology, tested by the Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training (IAMRAT) at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, reported 92 percent mosquito repulsion rate and an 88 percent knockdown rate in indoor settings. Following successful launches in other West African nations, LG is now making the AC available across Nigeria through its sole distributor, FUOANI. In Nigeria, FUOANI is the sole distributor of LG & Hisense products in Nigeria/Africa, with over 20 years of experience in the Nigerian market. The timing is particularly crucial for Nigeria, a country heavily burdened by malaria. With an estimated 76 percent of the population living in high-transmission areas, Nigeria accounts for 27 percent of global malaria cases and tragically led the world in malaria-related deaths in 2019, according to the 2020 World Malaria Report. “The ‘Mosquito Away’ AC is a first for Nigeria. This technology offers not only greater comfort but also enhanced safety for families, addressing a critical need in the fight against this devastating disease”, Olugbenga Ogunbayo, a master trainer at LG Electronics, said. The locally manufactured air conditioners also feature a dual inverter compressor, which is supposed to consume up to 70 percent less energy than conventional models, including a “volt care” which “ensures uninterrupted operation even during voltage fluctuations in Nigeria’s often unstable power grid environment,” the company added.

When you hear a $20 million-a-year salary, the first thought should gravitate toward an athlete getting paid. But not in 2024. Even analysts, who aren’t actually on the field but are off it, talking about a game, are about to reset the market by a margin that’s never been done before. Yes, we are talking about Stephen A. Smith, who is set to be paid more than the current highest-paid NFL running back. After months of negotiations between WME (Smith’s agency) and ESPN (Smith’s employer), the bar has been set at a $20 million-a-year contract. This deal is structured for multiple years — at least five but possibly up to six. This adds up to a $120 million contract, which is not even being earned by several quarterbacks. Notably, highest-paid running back Christian McCaffrey ($17.2 million), highest-paid tight end Travis Kelce ($17.1 million), and highest-paid center Creed Humphrey ($18 million) will neither make as much money (per year) as Stephen A. Smith, nor have contracts as long. And wait till you hear how much Smith’s analyst peers are getting paid. While there is no clear information about how much Shannon Sharpe is making at ESPN, estimated reports suggest that he earns about $3 million per year. Despite having a playing background and two decades of broadcasting experience, he is getting paid significantly less. The former tight end has arguably become the soul of First Take , the face of which is Stephen A., yet a $17 million gap doesn’t make sense. Even Pat McAfee is making less than Stephen A. He signed a five-year, $85 million contract with ESPN, which comes down to $17 million per year. Troy Aikman, too, is making less, with a $18.5 million salary per year. So, why is ESPN paying Stephen A. this much money? Well, the truth is, the leading analyst is delivering the results that the media giant would expect from someone earning $20 million a year. Stephen A. has turned First Take into a household staple, especially in the morning. While cable TV is losing business, losing customers, and shifting to digital, Stephen A. hasn’t lost his viewers; he’s doubled them instead, maybe more. Per episode, First Take is averaging over 500k viewers, something no other show can rack up. The one show that could — the Undisputed — is no longer relevant . It’s the Stephen A. Smith effect. His charisma has always played a key role in attracting viewers. His engaging conversations, too, are fun to listen to, even when answering the silliest queries. He has also spread his spider’s web on social media, often interacting with fans. His own YouTube shows and side gigs are very successful as well. And last but not least, he’s so famous that even team owners and player agents are watching him, trying to gauge the audience’s feelings and what a leading analyst like Smith has to say. If that doesn’t impress you or ESPN, nothing will.SeaPRwire Expands Media Network and Launches New Solutions in Cambodia

NoneSmall businesses need the right kind of incentives to succeed