Acadia Realty Trust ( NYSE:AKR – Get Free Report ) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, November 7th, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of 0.19 per share by the real estate investment trust on Wednesday, January 15th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. Acadia Realty Trust has raised its dividend payment by an average of 35.4% per year over the last three years. Acadia Realty Trust has a payout ratio of 185.4% indicating that the company cannot currently cover its dividend with earnings alone and is relying on its balance sheet to cover its dividend payments. Analysts expect Acadia Realty Trust to earn $1.34 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.76 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 56.7%. Acadia Realty Trust Stock Performance Shares of AKR opened at $23.99 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.87 billion, a PE ratio of 266.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.41 and a beta of 1.46. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $24.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. Acadia Realty Trust has a 12-month low of $16.09 and a 12-month high of $26.29. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on AKR. StockNews.com cut Acadia Realty Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Compass Point raised shares of Acadia Realty Trust from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $23.00 to $27.00 in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Acadia Realty Trust from $23.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Acadia Realty Trust has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $22.40. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on AKR About Acadia Realty Trust ( Get Free Report ) Acadia Realty Trust is an equity real estate investment trust focused on delivering long-term, profitable growth via its dual Core Portfolio and Fund operating platforms and its disciplined, location-driven investment strategy. Acadia Realty Trust is accomplishing this goal by building a best-in-class core real estate portfolio with meaningful concentrations of assets in the nation's most dynamic corridors; making profitable opportunistic and value-add investments through its series of discretionary, institutional funds; and maintaining a strong balance sheet. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Acadia Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Acadia Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Consideration was given to recruiting women into Northern Ireland’s new police force on a 50:50 basis with men to address their “severe under-representation”, declassified files have revealed. However, legal advice was that a policy that half of new recruits to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) should be women was “not viable”, a memo from 2002 said. Stormont officials did seek legal advice that year on whether the new force’s policy of recruiting 50% of all officers from the Catholic community could be challenged as discriminatory towards ethnic minorities. Details are contained in documents held at the Public Record Office in Belfast. Hundreds of the files are being opened for public viewing under the 30/20 year rule. The majority of the files deal with events in 2003, although some are from earlier years. The PSNI replaced the RUC in 2001 following a number of reforms proposed by Lord Patten. Catholics had been under-represented in the RUC, so a 50:50 recruitment policy ran for the first decade, meaning one Catholic recruit for every one person from a Protestant or other background. A file shows an exchange of emails between civil servants in the Office of the First Minister/Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) following a PSNI human rights conference hosted in October 2002. One of the emails was seeking further information on comments at the conference about recruiting people from ethnic minorities to the force. A responding email said: “It’s all about the Patten formula of 50/50 recruitment: 50% Roman Catholic and 50% Protestant and Others. Minority Ethnics fall into the Others. “The issue, at present, is that most applicants still fall into the latter category (around 65% from memory) so this increases the competition within this grouping and makes the candidate less likely to be successful – this could therefore disadvantage Minority Ethnics. “Joe (Stewart) suggested that options could be to move Minority Ethnics to the Roman Catholic Category or alternatively create a 3rd category, say of 2%. “The issue needs further consideration including how any requirement for change could be progressed.” Another email adds: “When the Race Directive was being negotiated, we drew NIO’s (Northern Ireland Office) attention to the 50/50 recruitment policy and suggested they might want to take this up as we thought it could potentially be discriminatory on the grounds of race (likely to be proportionally more non-RC ethnic minorities than RC). “NIO did not not pursue.” Within the file there are clippings from media reports at the time where concern is being raised about the impact of 50:50 recruitment on police numbers after then PSNI chief constable Hugh Orde announced he was axing the force’s band due to resource pressures. Another internal email was then sent on December 12 under the title “50/50 Recruitment and Race”. It says: “Consideration was also given to including women on a 50-50 basis but legal advice at the time was that this was not viable despite their severe under-representation in the police force.” It says the “50:50 split Catholic/non-Catholic has recently survived a legal challenge”. The email continues: “There may still be a point (although unpopular to argue) that the percentage ethnic minority is too small to claim disadvantage/indirect discrimination – ironically the higher the percentage population of ethnic minorities, the stronger would be the claim for advantage/indirect discrimination because the lower the chance of recruitment to the PSNI (ie because the larger the share of the non-Catholic pool). “Interestingly, a stronger challenge could be brought by a young person for age discrimination whom statistics consistently show is more likely to be not religious and so in the ‘non Catholic’ pool. “Politically, there could be difficulties because there is a high profile agenda in GB at present to recruit ethnic minorities into the police service post-Macpherson/Lawrence.” There is also a draft note seeking legal advice on the issue which states that the 50:50 recruitment policy “would seem to be incompatible with the implementation of the (Race) Directive”.

Holly Valance’s property tycoon husband to become Reform UK’s treasurerNEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction, arguing continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that dismissal is warranted because of the extraordinary circumstances of his impending return to the White House. “Wrongly continuing proceedings in this failed lawfare case disrupts President Trump’s transition efforts,” the attorneys continued, before citing the “overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated openness to delaying sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse the conviction, which involved efforts to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels, whose affair allegations threatened to disrupt his 2016 campaign. He has denied any wrongdoing. Trump takes office Jan. 20. Merchan hasn’t set a timetable for a decision. A dismissal would erase Trump’s historic conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. Merchan could also decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option.Municipal vacancy law hasn’t been kind to the Hoboken City Council, which was given just one month to find someone to fill the now vacant Sixth Ward council seat while simultaneously grieving the sudden loss of a colleague. Wednesday will be the final council meeting before the Dec. 5 deadline to appoint a new councilmember, and as of this week, members of the divided council said they are still struggling to find a candidate for the position that would receive enough votes to pass. If there is no vote, or if a candidate does not receive a majority of the votes, the seat will remain vacant until a special election next November. Sixth Ward Councilwoman Jen Giattino died unexpectedly Nov. 5 during the first year of her fourth term. Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, who had both a close personal friendship with Giattino and considered her an ally on the council, said that she has been interested in supporting Giattino’s husband, Joe Giattino, as the new councilmember should he be interested, but as of Monday could not confirm that he wanted to be nominated. “We have to find someone that will get five votes and there aren’t a lot of those people out there and we believe Joe would have five votes,” Fisher said. “I think people would know that he would honor her legacy and be fair, but are there other people as well? “Other people have put their hands up and we’ve had those conversations and it’s just very fluid. I can’t stress enough how challenging of a situation it is.” Jen Giattino always ran independently of Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s slate of candidates and faced opponents that he endorsed. With Giattino on the council, the members critical of the Bhalla Administration held a slight majority this year. Now, the council is more evenly split, with four councilmembers who ran and won as members of Team Bhalla and four who ran campaigns independent and often highly critical of the Bhalla administration. A newly appointed member could determine which cohort has a majority, which is likely the reason that the council has thus far struggled to agree on a candidate. Fisher said it is important to her that anyone who succeeds Giattino be someone who shares similar political views. RECOMMENDED • nj .com Hoboken plans to add 10 more police officers while eyeing further expansion next year Dec. 2, 2024, 4:30 p.m. What exactly is an ‘unconscionable’ rent increase? Hoboken councilmembers say 10% in proposed law Dec. 2, 2024, 3:40 p.m. “The residents of the Sixth Ward voted for Jen overwhelmingly four times and they voted for Jen and how she approaches things, what her policies are four times so it should be a huge responsibility to find the right person that represents similar interests,” she said. “On another hand we have a divided council, and maybe not everyone wants that to be the main priority.” Councilmembers Joe Quintero and Phil Cohen, who are allied with Bhalla, declined to discuss conversations they’ve been involved in about possible candidates. Cohen said as of Tuesday he was not aware of anyone who had the support of the majority of the council. “I suppose anything is possible, but it seems unlikely that in the next 24 hours that that’s going to change,” Cohen said.

Despite various debunkings, the Western establishment is still policing Covid-19 narratives nearly five years later – even when the latest bombshell suggests a US national security coverup. A former head of the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is being accused of spreading fake news for making statements that fall outside the acceptable Covid-related dogma that the Western establishment deems etched into history as indisputable fact. Dr. Robert Redfield, the virologist who served as CDC director during President Donald Trump’s first term, said on a recent podcast that the Covid virus was “intentionally engineered as part of a biodefense program,” and that “the US role was substantial,” citing research funded by the “National Institutes of Health, the State Department, USAID, and the Defense Department.” He specifically attributed the probable creation of “some of the original viral lines” to a researcher at the University of North Carolina, although conceded that he couldn’t actually prove it. Yeah, well, that’s what hearings with the power to compel evidence and testimony under threat of imprisonment are for – not a podcast. How about getting that researcher on the stand? “Scientists agree that there is no evidence to suggest that Covid-19 originated in a lab in any country,” Newsweek wrote in reporting on Redfield’s remarks. Actually, there is at least some smoke to suggest a potential fire. In 2021, Newsweek itself contacted Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) during Trump’s first term. Fauci clarified that the research the US “supported in China, where coronaviruses are prevalent, sought to understand the behavior of coronaviruses circulating in bats that have the potential to cause widespread disease. The body of science produced by this research demonstrates that the bat coronavirus sequences published from that work NIH supported were not SARS-CoV-2.” Fauci added that the US-backed gain of function research wasn’t applied to viruses that could infect humans. Guess it’s just an incredibly wild and unlucky coincidence then that the global epicenter for the outbreak just happened to take place near a lab funded by Washington in China, where they were doing gain of function work on some viruses – just not on the exact virus that happened to cause global mayhem. And we’re supposed to just take Fauci’s word for it, I guess. We’re talking about the same guy who appeared on TV in a cloth mask covered in the logo of his favorite sports team and told everyone to do the same as though the only thing standing between life and death was a pair of grandma’s pantyhose wrapped around your face. Then he told Americans not to invite unvaccinated family members over for the holidays, despite the fact that it failed to actually prevent transmission or infection. During the podcast interview, Redfield also reframed China’s responsibility in a way that would likely annoy the Western establishment. “When you look at the accountability for China, their accountability is not in the lab work and in the creation of the virus. Their accountability is not following the international health regulations after they realized they had a problem,” he said, seemingly implying that it was American interests that spearheaded the research project. Again, why is mainstream America learning about this via some obscure show? This guy even testified at a Covid congressional hearing, but his position was far from audible. “It was told to me that they wanted a single narrative, and that I obviously had a different point of view,” Redfield previously said, according to the BBC. “Science has debate and they squashed any debate,” he added, in a nod to Fauci. The White House has admitted that there isn’t even consensus across the US government on the Covid virus’ origin, yet they seem entirely satisfied with the lack of answers. Despite the lingering uncertainties, the establishment press is quick to dismiss anyone who doesn’t support the theory that it came from some random bat or other animal that some dude ate in China. The scientific community and the Western establishment gate-keep their Covid-related narratives as consensus, and anyone who dares to deviate is written off as a kook – even if the dissenting view, in this case, is expressed by one of America’s leading health authorities during the Covid fiasco. This is the same ‘scientific community’ that largely shrugged off the social applications of their ‘science’ when it led to things like surfers wandering along empty beaches alone being chased down and tackled by cops in the interest of public health. It’s the same community that’s equally intolerant of any dissent related to their manmade climate change theory. Why is debate even remotely controversial when there are still so many unanswered questions? And it’s not like the issue is benign or entirely in the rear-view mirror. Some people are still so traumatized by the tsunami of official government propaganda related to the overwhelmingly survivable (and now largely forgotten) virus that they haven’t stopped regularly running out to top up on their Covid jabs, which have never actually met the time-tested definition of a vaccine. Recently, some American jurisdictions have even taken action to stop people jonesing for their next injection to treat their state-sponsored psychological trauma a half-decade later. Officials in Texas and Florida have actively blocked jab promotion and marketing campaigns. A regional public health authority in Ohio has recently blocked it from even being available. Last year, the House Oversight Committee identified a “highly credible” senior CIA officer who told them that the CIA had offered financial incentive to a group of analysts working on the Covid origin question to support the natural transmission theory over the lab leak theory. If CIA involvement can’t be dismissed, then why ignore the possibility of other related national security agencies’ involvement? Achieving greater transparency on the discreet role of government agencies in the Covid debacle sounds like the perfect job for Trump’s new nominee for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long suspected the involvement of the CIA in the assassination of his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, citing the former president’s refusal to send troops to Vietnam. Western governments from the US to France have classified Covid-related information and deliberations. Sounds like it would be a good time to reopen the conversation, starting with the public release of any secret ‘Covid files’ – all in the interest of science, of course.Last week our two leaders came together in Paris to mark Armistice Day . This was the first time British and French leaders have done so in Paris since 1944, commemorating those who sacrificed their lives to defeat the attempt to rule by brute force. This week, we will meet in London for the first time since becoming Foreign Ministers – holding talks just opposite 4 Carlton Gardens, General de Gaulle’s headquarters during the occupation of Paris. By launching his illegal and unprovoked full-scale war of aggression in Ukraine 1,000 days ago this week , not only did Vladimir Putin accelerate the largest war on the European continent since the Second World War, he also sought to rewrite the international order. The annihilation of the global architecture that has been the cornerstone of international peace and security for generations. All to justify his illegal and intolerable aggression against a sovereign European country. The UK and France will not let him do so. Together with our allies, we will do everything that is necessary to put Ukraine in the best position to achieve a just and lasting peace. Indeed, what has happened in Ukraine is nothing short of the largest violation of territorial integrity of our time. From the bombing of civilians to the abduction and deportation of children, Vladimir Putin ’s Russia has violated international law in countless ways. The risks are not only to European security, but the world at large. Putin’s aim is to set a new precedent that upends the rules-based international system, whereby countries feel they can invade their neighbours with total impunity. That brutality risks becoming the new norm and threatening peace everywhere. And as the war in Ukraine is spreading beyond Europe, we see the consequences of this attempted “Putinisation” for the world. North Korea is leveraging its relationship with Russia to flex its muscles on the battlefield in an attempt to strengthen its hand and further destabilise Asia, starting with its immediate neighbour. Iran is also toughening its stance by providing Russia with drones and missiles , while refraining from rolling back its nuclear programme and destabilising the entire Middle East via its proxies. As two founding nations of the UN and permanent members of the Security Council, the UK and France will relentlessly fight this campaign of “Putinisation”. Learning from history, we believe that international relations should be grounded in justice. Any just and durable peace cannot be achieved through violence nor maintained by force. This is why we have condemned the barbaric terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas and other terrorist groups on 7 October, 2023, and why we have sanctioned the perpetrators. This is also why we continue to call for a ceasefire in Gaza , the release of all hostages, the massive scale-up of humanitarian assistance, and the cessation of violent settlers’ activities in the West Bank in the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians. We know the Palestinian issue will not go away until a two-state solution is implemented, with mutual recognition and security guarantees. Similarly, we are no doubt that diplomacy, not violence, is the only way to achieve peace and security for Israel and Lebanon. We need an immediate ceasefire and a political solution consistent with the principles of UN Security Council resolution 1701. Read Next Putin’s threat to Europe is growing – this is what the UK could do about it We reiterate our full support to UNIFIL and the important work it does every day. Further violence leading to civil casualties and population displacements risks forcing the country into chaos, fuelling even greater instability in the region. In all crises around the world, the UK and France stand united on the side of humanitarian law. We’ve demonstrated it once again this week by championing a UN Security Council resolution for the protection of civilians in Sudan where the worst crisis in the world is unravelling – an effort shamelessly opposed by Putin’s Russia, who stood alone in casting a veto. In those exceptionally challenging times, we believe that the most pressing global problems need multilateral solutions. After the Bletchley Park AI Summit last year, we will work together to make the AI Action Summit in Paris a success in February. We will address the challenges and seize the opportunities of AI, and ensure we narrow the digital divide between developed and developing countries. Protecting our populations also requires protecting our planet. We will step up action on climate change through the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Ten years after its adoption, we will keep pushing for the highest possible level of ambition, on the road to COP30 in Belem. The ocean is one lung of our planet. After adopting the BBNJ treaty, we now need to push the ambition further towards the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, next June. In the face of major crises and huge challenges, more than a century after the signing of the “Entente Cordiale”, the UK and France stand united in the same spirit. We are strengthening our bilateral relationship, and working toward enhanced relations between the UK and the European Union. We are offering a credible alternative to the world’s “Putinisation” and fragmentation. An alternative grounded in technological progress, international law and multilateral action. The world can count on the UK and France to advocate these principles in the years ahead. David Lammy is the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot is Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of FranceDUBAI - Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa told Al Arabiya TV on Sunday that elections could take four years, noted the importance of ties with Iran and Russia, and called for the United States to lift sanctions. In a wide-ranging interview three weeks after his Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied rebels ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad from power after a lightning offensive, Sharaa also said that local Kurdish-led forces which Turkey opposes should be integrated into the national army. "The election process could take four years," Sharaa told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya. "We need to rewrite the constitution" which could take "two or three years", added Sharaa. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, adopted in 2015, outlined a roadmap for a political transition in Syria that included drafting a new constitution and holding UN-supervised elections. Visiting UN special envoy Geir Pedersen this month said he hoped Syria would "adopt a new constitution... and that we will have free and fair elections" after a transitional period. Diplomats from the United States, Turkey, the European Union and Arab countries who met in Jordan this month also called for "an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government formed through a transparent process". An interim government has been appointed to steer the country until March 1. Sharaa expressed hope that the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump would lift sanctions imposed under Assad on the now war-torn and impoverished country. "The sanctions on Syria were issued based on the crimes that the regime committed," Sharaa said, adding that since Assad was gone, "these sanctions should be removed automatically". - Russia, Iran - Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), rooted in Syria's Al-Qaeda branch, is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by many governments including the United States, though it has recently sought to moderate its rhetoric and vowed to protect Syria's religious and ethnic minorities. Sharaa said HTS's dissolution would be announced "during the national dialogue conference", without specifying a date, and emphasising that the dialogue would include all Syrians. He also noted the importance of ties with Russia and Iran, both key allies of Assad, helping him claw back territory during 13 years of war before the rebels launched their offensive last month. "Syria cannot continue without relations with an important regional country like Iran, but they must be based on respect for the sovereignty of both countries and non-interference in the affairs of both countries," Sharaa said. Iran-backed groups including Lebanon's Hezbollah militants were heavily present in Syria under Assad, and Iran long provided what it described as military advisers to the Syrian armed forces. "Russia is an important country and is considered the second most powerful country in the world," Sharaa said, noting the "deep strategic interests between Russia and Syria". Assad fled to Russia as rebels closed in on Damascus, and uncertainty has shrouded the future of Moscow's naval base in Tartus and its Hmeimim air base, both on Syria's Mediterranean coast. - 'Investment' - "All Syria's arms are of Russian origin, and many power plants are managed by Russian experts... We do not want Russia to leave Syria in the way that some wish," Sharaa added. He also said local Kurdish-led forces which Turkey opposes should be integrated into the national army. Swathes of north and northeast Syria are controlled by a Kurdish-led administration whose de facto army, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), spearheaded the fight that helped defeat Islamic State group jihadists in Syria in 2019, with US backing. "Weapons must be in the hands of the state alone. Whoever is armed and qualified to join the defence ministry, we will welcome them," Sharaa said. "Under these terms and conditions, we will open a negotiations dialogue with the SDF... to perhaps find an appropriate solution," he added. Turkey accuses the main component of the SDF, the People's Protection Units (YPG), of being affiliated with the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) at home, which both Washington and Ankara consider a "terrorist" group. Sharaa also said regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia "will certainly have a large role in Syria's future", pointing to "a big investment opportunity for all neighbouring countries".

Tyler Herro scores 27 before ejection in Heat's 104-100 win over Houston Rockets

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Political instability in South Korea has caused the nation's won to plunge in value and has shaken confidence in the nation's stock market. Investors previously viewed South Korean financial assets as strong investments, but South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol suddenly declaring martial law on Tuesday -- and which quickly was lifted -- caused financial turmoil in South Korea and elsewhere.The 49ers' playoff hopes are still teetering even after get-right game against the Bears

Fluence Energy, Inc. Announces Convertible Notes Offering and Intention to Enter into Capped ...The San Francisco 49ers added Brock Purdy to the report on Wednesday for a shoulder issue. The star quarterback has been dealing with soreness in his right (throwing) shoulder since the 49ers 20-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Purdy was in Wednesday's practice but did not throw a pass. On Thursday, the third-year quarterback threw passes but exited practice early to work on rehabilitating the injury. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Emanuel Wallace, 27, from east London, is better known as Big Manny by his 1.9 million followers on TikTok, where he shares videos explaining various science experiments from his back garden while using Jamaican Patois phrases and London slang. In early December, Mr Wallace won the Education Creator of the Year award at the TikTok Awards ceremony, which he said is a “symbol that anything that you put your mind to you can achieve”. The content creator began making videos during the coronavirus pandemic when schools turned to online learning but has since expanded his teaching from videos to paper after releasing his debut book Science Is Lit in August. He believes his “unconventional” teaching methods help to make his content relatable for younger audiences by using slang deriving from his Jamaican and British heritage. “The language that I use, it’s a combination between Jamaican Patois and London slang because I have Jamaican heritage,” the TikToker, who holds a bachelors and masters degree in biomedical science, told the PA news agency. “That’s why in my videos sometimes I might say things like ‘Wagwan’ or ‘you dun know’. I just want to connect with the young people more, so I speak in the same way that they speak. “The words that I use, the way that I deliver the lesson as well, I would say that my method of teaching is quite unconventional. I speak in a way that is quite conversational.” Examples of his videos include lithium batteries catching fire after being sandwiched inside a raw chicken breast, as well as mixing gold with gallium to create blue gold, earning millions of views. Mr Wallace hopes his content will help make the science industry more diverse, saying “the scientists that I was taught about, none of them look like me”. “Now me being a scientist is showing young people that they can become one as well, regardless of the background that they come from, the upbringing that they’ve had,” he said. “I just want to make it seem more attainable and possible for them because if I can do it, and I come from the same place as you, there’s no reason why you can’t do it as well.” The TikToker has seen a shift in more young people turning to the app as a learning resource and feels short-form videos will soon become a part of the national curriculum in schools. “I’m seeing (young people) using that a lot more – social media as a resource for education – and I feel like in the future, it’s going to become more and more popular as well,” he said. “I get a lot of comments from students saying that my teacher showed my video in the classroom as a resource, so I feel like these short form videos are going to be integrated within the national curriculum at some point in the near future.” He also uses his platform to raise awareness of different social issues, which he said is “extremely important”. One of his videos highlighted an anti-knife campaign backed by actor Idris Elba, which earned more than 39 million views, while his clip about the banning of disposable vapes was viewed more than 4.6 million times. He said there is some pressure being a teacher with a large following online but hopes he can be a role model for young people. “I’m aware that I am in the public eye and there’s a lot of young people watching me,” he said. “Young people can be impressionable, so I make sure that I conduct myself appropriately, so that I can be a role model. “I always have the same message for young people, specifically. I tell them to stay curious. Always ask questions and look a little bit deeper into things.” His plans for 2025 include publishing a second Science Is Lit book and expanding his teaching to television where he soon hopes to create his own science show.

Is Enron back? If it's a joke, some former employees aren't laughing HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. Juan A. Lozano, The Associated Press Dec 3, 2024 1:28 PM Dec 3, 2024 1:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message FILE - An unidentified person leaves Enron Corp. headquarters in Houston at the end of the day Jan. 22, 2002. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File) HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. What happened at Enron? Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company's collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Key Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. Is Enron coming back? On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Enron's new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand's tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that "We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company's website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. What do former Enron employees think of the company’s return? Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70 Juan A. Lozano, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More The Mix Saskatchewan introduces legislative amendment to keep carbon levy off home heating Dec 3, 2024 2:31 PM Plan to add resources to border will come before Trump inauguration: LeBlanc Dec 3, 2024 2:31 PM Is Enron back? If it's a joke, some former employees aren't laughing Dec 3, 2024 2:28 PM Featured FlyerMGX Deadline: MGX Investors Have Opportunity to Lead Metagenomi, Inc. Securities LawsuitPolice forces see double spike in religious hate crimes in past 18 months

Matt Gaetz says he won’t return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney generalChief William Commanda Bridge closing for winter as of WednesdaySophie Rain says the $43 million she claims she grossed on OnlyFans is proof women and men don't have to film themselves having sex to make money on the platform ... 'cause she's still a virgin. The super popular OnlyFans model joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and we asked her how she's been able to be so financially successful without putting porn on her page. Sophie says it's a testament to her hard work and constant posting ... and she thinks marketing herself as a virgin is a big draw for men. Of course, it doesn't hurt to be smoking hot ... and Sophie says she hopes she can be an example that folks can still make a nice profit on OF without turning to porn. Sophie says she actually decided to post her earnings on social media as a way to clap back at critics who think everyone on OF is shooting porn ... and she wants to change the narrative. It's a rags-to-riches story too ... Sophie says she used to live off food stamps and worked a minimum-wage job until she decided to try her hand at OnlyFans. The full interview airs today on "TMZ Live" ... and Sophie tells us her plans for her first major purchase.

HOUSTON — A fight between Miami ’s Tyler Herro and Houston ’s Amen Thompson broke out at the end of Sunday’s game between the Heat and Rockets in Houston that escalated to a multi-player altercation and led to a slew of ejections that impacted both teams. The Heat were readying to inbound a pass in the backcourt while up by four points in the final 36 seconds when Thompson and Herro began bumping each other. The situation escalated when Thompson grabbed Herro’s jersey and threw him to the ground, leading to multiple players and coaches — including Rockets coach Ime Udoka, who had to be restrained — rushing onto the court as a fracas ensued. Advertisement Two Rockets players — Thompson and Jalen Green — were ejected along with Udoka and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan. The Heat’s Herro and Terry Rozier were also ejected for their part in the altercation. Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet was ejected on the previous play for arguing a five-second call. Can't lose your composure like that... pic.twitter.com/5DDAWJldAy — HEAT on FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSN_Heat) December 30, 2024 “During the dead ball, Thompson grabs the jersey and body slams Herro,” crew chief Mark Davis said in the pool report. “Herro responds and they are both ejected for fighting fouls. Green is ejected as his actions escalated the altercation. Rozier as well is ejected as his actions were escalators to the altercation. Coach Sullivan is assessed a technical foul and ejected for his unsportsmanlike comments directed at me as I was attempting to redirect [Alperen] Şengün.” Udoka said he didn’t see the incident between Thompson and Herro live, but later watched a replay. “They were in each other’s faces, bumping chests a little bit. One guy is stronger than the other,” he said. Regarding his own ejection, the coach said, “If what I said gets me kicked out, I’d be kicked out of every game.” “Very minimal. (The official) was talking to a staff member, I was talking to him — I think he’s trying to protect his crew,” Udoka continued. When asked about Udoka’s ejection in the pool report, Davis said: “At the conclusion of the altercation, Coach Udoka is ejected as per rule for his unsportsmanlike comments directed towards me.” Udoka also referenced the Rockets’ struggles to score or generate enough defensive stops in the 104-100 defeat, both recurring themes in Houston’s recent two-game skid. The Heat opted to go under a number of pick-and-rolls in the second half and particularly the fourth quarter, essentially daring the Rockets to punish them from beyond the arc. But Houston’s inability to capitalize on Miami’s gamble spoke to larger themes, specifically its lack of control and poise amid struggles. Advertisement “It felt like there wasn’t a lot of control in the game regardless,” Udoka said. “So that’s probably going to happen when there’s inconsistency with (what’s being called). I wouldn’t say I’m surprised it got to that point. They lost control as a crew, and that’s what happens.” What comes next for Rockets? The Rockets have established an identity under Udoka as a no-nonsense, physical group that isn’t afraid to get its hands dirty, even if enforcing that collective will leads to an altercation. In fact, those within the organization say they encourage it . It’s enabled them to post a 21-11 record and a top-four seed so far in a crowded Western Conference. But beyond the flurry of ejections Sunday night, questions about Houston’s lack of offensive consistency remain. The Rockets shot just 39 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3 against a Heat team playing without Jimmy Butler , its most important player. Udoka has successfully constructed a versatile, aggressive defensive unit that can compete with the league’s best offenses. But until the Rockets find an offensive rhythm — the Rockets rank 26th in halfcourt points per 100 plays, according to Cleaning the Glass — they’ll continue to find themselves a risk of meaningless late-game scuffles. Houston is already dealing with the absence of Tari Eason and just welcomed Dillon Brooks back into the fold after missing a few games. A suspension from the league office is likely for Thompson, which deprives the Rockets of arguably their most important reserve. — Kelly Iko, Rockets writer This will be updated. Required Reading: (Photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)Fresh off its biggest win of the season, Penn State plays its first true road game Tuesday when it visits Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. Aces will be wild for the Nittany Lions (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) and the Scarlet Knights (5-4, 0-1) as Penn State's Ace Baldwin Jr. will square off against Ace Bailey of Rutgers. Baldwin is the Nittany Lions' leading scorer at 15.1 points per game and dishes out 8.1 assists -- fourth in the nation entering Monday's action. He registered 17 points and six assists Thursday in an 81-70 victory over then-No. 8 Purdue in a game where Penn State led by as many as 27. Freddie Dilione V chipped in 14 points for the Nittany Lions, who had not defeated a Top 10 team since 2019. "A win like that's a statement win," Dilione said. "I just think it's going to put everybody on notice. We're just a walkover team. We're always going be the underdogs, and that's our mentality. We've just got to come in every game and just punch everybody in the mouth." Penn State must be careful not to suffer a letdown against a talented Rutgers squad led by freshmen Dylan Harper (23.1 points per game) and Bailey (17.9). The duo combined for 30 points in the Scarlet Knights' last game -- an 80-66 setback at Ohio State. The defeat was the fourth in the last five games for Rutgers, which plays seven of its next eight in New Jersey. "We've got to get better," Scarlet Knights coach Steve Pikiell said. "We got to get some more consistency out of a lot of things, especially our defense. Can't give up 80 points on the road and expect to win in this league." In last season's meeting with Penn State, it was offense that was Rutgers' biggest issue. The Scarlet Knights shot just 1-of-17 from 3-point range and 34 percent overall in a 61-46 home defeat. "(It's about) finding ways of how to bounce back as a team and staying together," Harper said. "Even though we lose, we're still going to find a way." --Field Level Media

What do ADHS, sex, cocaine, nova explosions, spiders and seismology have in common? There are all topics we wrote and you read in 2024. As with any other year, 2024 saw its fair share of good and bad stories. But we pride ourselves at DW Science on bringing you a constructive take on developments, whether it's in health and medicine, psychology or archeology. We've seen major leaps in artificial intelligence , neuroscience, and in the fight against antimicrobial resistance . Here's our nine most read stories, starting at the top: 1. ADHD: Did the condition help our ancestors survive? Commonly called a disorder, ADHD may have helped our ancestors find food and survive. DW reporter Hannah Fuchs found an innovative study that asked participants to pick berries and led to the conclusion that the more ADHD symptoms a person had, the more berries they collected. Read the article to find out how that helped early hunter-gatherers and today's understanding of ADHD. 2. Nova explosion without a telescope September's nova explosion of T Coronae Borealis — 3,000 light years from Earth — promised to be a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event. A nova explosion is the dramatic instance of a star exploding as it interacts with another, nearby star. If you missed the event, read Fred Schwaller's article to find out more. And if you're short on time, watch our resident physicist Sushmitha Ramakrishnan explain the "Blaze Star" phenomenon on TikTok. 3. The hymen uncovered Is an intact hymen a sign of virginity in women? No — that's a myth that's caused harm to young women all over the world. Sex and the Body creator, Lea Albrecht, explained how hymens come in different shapes and why it's impossible to tell whether a woman is a virgin by examining it. The hymen – A marker of virginity? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 4. Seismic shift: Yes, India is disappearing! The idea that one country could edge under another may seem strange at first, but in the case of India and China, it has, in fact, been happening for the past 50 million years. It's all down to tectonics, as Julia Vergin wrote in November. And it's fascinating when you think that the two most populous countries on Earth are in a "tug of war" which neither can control. 5. How the German cockroach conquered the world Germany claims to have given the world a number of things, from X-ray vision to the no-speed-limit-autobahn. But the humble cockroach? Alexander Freund wrote in May that it took a team of scientists in Singapore and the DNA of 281 cockroaches from 17 countries on five continents to discover the truth. 6. The eye of the... spider! Our weekly Science show, Tomorrow Today, loves to answer questions from viewers, and this one was especially popular: How did spider eyes evolve? As Cornelia Borrmann explained in this wonderful video, the development of spider eyes is controlled by the same genes as in other animals. How did spider eyes evolve? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 7. The ongoing threat of mpox In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency. A new version of the mpox virus had emerged in Central Africa and was spreading among children and adults in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and neighboring countries. We explained what mpox is, how it spreads and how it can be prevented — there's a vaccine for it, but it's often unavailable where it's needed most. 8. 'Promise' of a cocaine vaccine? On the face of it, the idea of using a drug to mitigate the effects of another drug is about as weird as reading that India is edging under China (see above) — couldn't you could just stop taking the drug you're trying to mitigate? Easier said than done, when the drug is highly addictive, like cocaine. Aline Spantig explained why cocaine is so addictive and why researchers in Brazil were investigating whether inhibiting cocaine's effects with a vaccine was a good way to get people off the drug. 9. New research aims to help people with dyslexia Dyslexia has little to say about a person's intellect or creativity — many famous intellects and creatives have had dyslexia: Albert Einstein, Ludwig van Beethoven, Agatha Christie, Whoopi Goldberg... the list goes on. That said, scientists are still trying to work out what exactly causes it. In 2024, Alexander Freund wrote that new research showed for the first time how dyslexia was linked to the visual thalamus , a brain region important for emotion, memory, and language among other things. The findings may help develop better treatment and support. We hope you enjoyed our stories in 2024 and that you'll join us again in 2025. Remember you can always send us a comment, or ask us to answer your questions about science, health and technology. We look forward to hearing from you! Edited by: Fred Schwaller