20 facts about cockfighting NFL Week 13 2024 Monday Night Football winner picks for Browns vs. BroncosIf you're looking for top stocks, there's no need to reinvent the wheel. The Securities and Exchange Commission makes it a breeze to follow the world's greatest investors. Every three months, the regulator has everyone with more than $100 million under management share their trading details with the public on a Form 13F filing. One billionaire investor whom investors of all sizes follow closely is Philippe Laffont of Coatue Management. Known for investing in a combination of tech and healthcare stocks, Laffont grew his fund to $26.9 billion at the end of September. Laffont and Coatue made a lot of money with Nvidia in the first half of 2024. At the end of June, Wall Street's favorite artificial intelligence ( AI ) stock was the fund's fourth-largest holding at a value of roughly $1.2 billion. His love for Nvidia found a limit. During the third quarter, Coatue sold 3.6 million shares of the high-flying AI stock, which was enough to reduce its stake by 26%. Nvidia has fallen out of favor at Coatue and been replaced by a pair of two drugmakers leading the anti-obesity niche. During the third quarter, Laffont increased his firm's stake in Novo Nordisk ( NVO -0.32% ) more than ninefold to $39 million. Coatue already had a large Eli Lilly ( LLY -1.38% ) stake that it raised by 20% to $220 million. 1. Novo Nordisk The drugs that Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly market for the treatment of obesity and diabetes are flying off pharmacy shelves and have further to climb. A report from Morgan Stanley suggests the market for anti-obesity drugs could rise from $6 billion in 2023 to $105 billion in 2030. Novo's lead drug is semaglutide, a glucagon-line peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved as Ozempic and Rybelsus to treat diabetes and later as Wegovy to treat obesity. In the first nine months of 2024, total semaglutide sales grew about 41% year over year to $19.8 billion. In a clinical trial leading to its approval as a weight management drug, Wegovy reduced patients' weight by 12.4% compared to a placebo. Novo Nordisk isn't stopping at Wegovy. It's developing a next-generation weight management treatment made from semaglutide and an amylin analog called CagriSema (cagrilintide). Treatment with CagriSema lowered patients' weight by a placebo-adjusted 20.4% on average after 68 weeks of treatment. 2. Eli Lilly Eli Lilly is another large pharmaceutical company with a blockbuster GLP-1 drug. Tirzepatide first earned FDA approval to treat diabetes in 2022 under the brand name Mounjaro. The FDA approved the same drug to treat obesity in 2023 under the brand name Zepbound. While semaglutide acts on GLP-1 alone, tirzepatide is a dual GLP-1 and GIP agonist. The dual action has improved its efficacy and sales trajectory. In trials leading to Zepbound's approval, it reduced patients' weight by a placebo-adjusted 17.8% on average after 72 weeks. Novo Nordisk still has a leading share of the market for GLP-1 drugs, but tirzepatide is gaining fast. Despite just two short years on the market, total tirzepatide sales during the first nine months of 2024 rose above $11 billion. CagriSema could disrupt tirzepatide's upward trajectory, but there's a good chance Eli Lilly will overtake Novo Nordisk as the leading seller of GLP-1 drugs. Although CagriSema's pivotal trial results were impressive, they pale in comparison to retatrutide, a triplet therapy Eli Lilly is testing. Retatrutide is a GLP-1/GIP agonist that also acts on glucagon receptors. In 2023, a phase 2 trial showed it lowered patients' weight by a placebo-adjusted 22.1% after 48 weeks. Time to buy? The GLP-1 drug market will be stuck in a game of tug-of-war between Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk for the next several years. Tirzepatide will likely overtake semaglutide in another year or two, but it could fall to CagriSema. Novo Nordisk's next-generation anti-obesity candidate already finished a phase 3 trial and could earn FDA approval in 2025. Retatrutide began a phase 3 study in May of 2023 that should wrap up in January of 2026. If all goes as expected, CagriSema could be the top obesity treatment for about a year before the FDA looks at an application from Lilly for retatrutide. While we can reasonably look forward to rapid sales growth from their still-experimental GLP-1 candidates, the stock market is already pricing in a lot of success. Expectations are so high for Eli Lilly that it's probably best to avoid the stock for now. It's been trading for about 60 times forward-looking earnings estimates. At this steep valuation, any sign of trouble for tirzepatide or retatrutide could lead to heavy losses. Shares of Novo Nordisk recently tanked because CagriSema results don't appear competitive against retatrutide. At its recently beaten-down price, the pharmaceutical giant is trading for 27.9 times forward-looking earnings expectations. That's a steep price to pay for a drugmaker, but soaring demand for its GLP-1 drugs could allow it to grow into its valuation and provide market-beating gains to patient investors.Projections from Market Research Future estimate the electric motorcycle market could grow to approximately $17 billion by 2030. Considering that the market was valued at around $7 billion in 2021, this represents a compound annual growth rate of nearly 12%. Gas price increases, government subsidies, technological advancements, and concerns over climate change have driven this trend. It could be argued that electric motorcycle companies have also had an impact on consumer preferences, primarily by designing powerful and technologically advanced bikes that can rival motorcycles with internal combustion engines. One such company is Stark Future. Founded in 2020 in Barcelona, Stark Future has a presence in over 50 countries around the world, including the United States. At present, Stark Future has one primary model, the Stark VARG. The year 2024 was Stark Future's first full year of operation, so it's safe to assume most people aren't too familiar with the company. Here's what you need to know about Stark motorcycles, including who makes them and where they are built. Stark Future's production facility is located just outside of Barcelona — that is where Stark Motorcycles are designed, made, and assembled. Spanning 215,000 square feet across three floors, the plant houses production lines, research and development, design, sourcing, and logistics operations. Stark Future uses the latest robot hardware for assembly, while its research and development team employs computer-aided design (CAD) software, as well as modern technologies like virtual reality and 3D printing . The company also operates an in-house lab for testing materials and construction techniques. Stark Future has the capacity to manufacture 1,000 motorcycles on a monthly basis as of 2024, thanks to investments from Eicher Motors, Santander, and Big Bets. Eicher Motors, the parent company of Royal Enfield , holds a 10.35% equity stake in Stark Future, valued at over $50 million. Santander has contributed over $20 million, while Big Bets has extended a credit facility of over $28 million. Additionally, in November 2024, Stark Future formed a strategic partnership with the Chinese industrial 3D printing company Farsoon Technologies. In Swedish, the word "stark" means "strong" or "powerful," while "varg" translates to "wolf." The Stark VARG lives up to its name with a carbon fiber-housed 360V motor, delivering between 60 to 80 horsepower and 938 Nm of torque. Charging takes one to two hours, depending on the charger specifications, while the bike weighs 260 pounds. The base model price for the Stark VARG is $10,999, which positions it competitively against bikes like the Yamaha XE4 , for example. The Stark VARG seems to be performing well in the market, as Stark Future is on track to reach over $90 million in annual revenue by the end of 2024. Stark Future is expected to release its first road-legal models in 2025. CEO Anton Wass said his company is "now preparing to achieve the same penetration in significantly larger road categories, with motorcycle platforms with a non-comparable level of innovation."

AP News Summary at 5:00 p.m. EST

Consumers in the United States scoured the internet for online deals as they looked to take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon with Cyber Monday. Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of many people's regular routines and the holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday — a term coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation — has become the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to the deals and the hype the industry has created to fuel it. Adobe Analytics, which tracks online shopping, expected consumers to spend $13.2 billion Monday — a record, and 6.1% more than last year. That would make it the biggest shopping day for e-commerce for the season — and the year. Online spending was expected to peak between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday night, per Adobe — reaching an estimated $15.7 million spent every minute. People are also reading... ‘I don’t care who’s played': Nebraska’s Dana Holgorsen on personnel changes at tight end Search warrants lead to arrest of man in narcotics investigation Blue Springs family to host 2025 Cattleman's Ball They fell in love with Beatrice. So they opened a store in downtown. At the courthouse, Nov. 30, 2024 La Segoviana finds new home in Court Street Plaza Hospice foundation helps with extra support At the courthouse, Nov. 23, 2024 Board of Supervisors denies permit for Filley telecom tower Fall Farmers Market and Brunch planned for Saturday 'The Message' religious sect sprouts destructive groups across globe Dale G. Lunsford Shatel: Emotions are still simmering, but Nebraska delivered the bottom line for 2024 — a bowl game Sound waves: What others are saying about Nebraska's loss to Iowa Spreading kindness one butterfly at a time For several major retailers, a Cyber Monday sale is a dayslong event that began over the Thanksgiving weekend. An Amazon Prime delivery person lifts packages while making a stop Nov. 28, 2023, in Denver. Amazon kicked off its sales event right after midnight Pacific time on Saturday. Target's two days of discount offers on its website and app began overnight Sunday. Walmart rolled out its Cyber Monday offers for Walmart+ members Sunday afternoon and opened it up to all customers three hours later, at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Consumer spending for Cyber Week — the five major shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday — provides a strong indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays. Many U.S. consumers continue to experience sticker shock after the period of post-pandemic inflation, which left prices for many goods and services higher than they were three years ago. But retail sales nonetheless remain strong, and the economy kept growing at a healthy pace. At the same time, credit card debt and delinquencies are rising. More shoppers than ever are also on track to use "buy now, pay later" plans this holiday season, which allows them to delay payments on holiday decor, gifts and other items. Many economists also warned that President-elect Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs next year on foreign goods coming into the United States would lead to higher prices on everything from food to clothing to automobiles. A FedEx delivery person carries a package from a truck Nov. 17, 2022, in Denver. The National Retail Federation expects holiday shoppers to spend more this year both in stores and online than last year. But the pace of spending growth will slow slightly, the trade group said, growing 2.5% to 3.5% — compared to 3.9% in 2023. A clear sense of consumer spending patterns during the holiday season won't emerge until the government releases sales data for the period, but some preliminary data from other sources shows some encouraging signs for retailers. Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, noted that discounts from Thanksgiving onward "exceeded expectations" and online spending throughout Cyber Week is on track to cross a record $40 billion mark combined. U.S. shoppers spent $10.8 billion online on Black Friday, a 10.2% increase over last year, according to Adobe Analytics. That's also more than double what consumers spent in 2017, when Black Friday pulled in about $5 billion in online sales. Consumers also spent a record $6.1 billion online on Thanksgiving Day, Adobe said. Meanwhile, software company Salesforce, which also tracks online shopping, estimated that Black Friday online sales totaled $17.5 billion in the U.S. and $74.4 billion globally. Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks in-person and online spending, reported that overall Black Friday sales excluding automotive rose 3.4% from a year ago. A United Parcel Service driver sorts deliveries July 15, 2023, on New York's Upper West Side. E-commerce platform Shopify said its merchants raked in a record $5 billion in sales worldwide on Black Friday. At its peak, sales reached $4.6 million per minute — with top categories by volume including clothing, cosmetics and fitness products, according to the Canadian company. Toys, electronics, home goods, self-care and beauty categories were among the key drivers of holiday spending on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to Adobe. "Hot products" included Lego sets, espresso machines, fitness trackers, makeup and skin care. Other data showed physical stores saw fewer customers on Black Friday, underscoring how the huge crowds that were once synonymous with the day after Thanksgiving are now more than happy to shop from the comfort of their homes. RetailNext, which measures real-time foot traffic in stores, said its early data showed store traffic on Friday was down 3.2% in the U.S. compared to last year, with the biggest dip happening in the Midwest. Sensormatic Solutions, which also tracks store traffic, said its preliminary analysis showed retail store traffic on Black Friday was down 8.2% compared to 2023. Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions, noted that in-store traffic was getting spread across multiple days since many retailers offered generous discounts before and after Black Friday. "Some of the extended Black Friday promotions really ended up leading to a little bit of a softer day-of traffic than expected," Gustafson said. The 7 small business trends that paid off in 2024 The 7 small business trends that paid off in 2024 In 2024, staying small on purpose seems to be paying off big for small businesses. They're keeping operations small and targeting niche, highly specialized customers. And some business owners find this strategy results in more time, energy, and money to intentionally capitalize on unique, small cap opportunities. The data tells the story of growth in small businesses for the year. According to NEXT , the Small Business Administration (SBA) reports awarding 38,000 SBA 7(a) loans under $150,000: double the amount they awarded in 2020. Here are the related small-business trends paying off in 2024. 1. Small and cozy office spaces in industrial and flex condos Commercial real estate agent Ryan Beckenhauer of Market Real Estate in Boulder, Colorado, has noticed that small businesses are growing smaller, and that their office and warehouse spaces are starting to reflect that as they shop for business space. In commercial real estate, many small business owners gravitate toward industrial condos and other flexible spaces. These are small-scale industrial spaces with a 90:10 or 80:20 split of warehouse to office. "More individuals are leveraging skills acquired at larger organizations to venture out on their own," explains Beckenhauer. And he goes on to say that they don't need a large commercial space as they make that leap to start a business. His clients include engineers, consultants, builders and other tradespeople. Beckenhauer's clients like the flexibility of being out of an office and being close to their inventory and workshop space. "The clients want to see and touch the finishes," he says. Small business owners both rent or buy these spaces. But he's seeing his clients opt to own industrial condos to stabilize costs due to rent increases in Boulder. And because these spaces are smaller, it can be easier for new buyers to qualify for financing. 2. More outsourcing of financial services Mariana Alvarez, owner of Controller Works , an online bookkeeping and advisory firm, has noticed that small business owners outsource financial support services because they don't want to increase headcount. "Outsourcing gives them the possibility of having access to the knowledge and the skills of a CFO without having to pay for the salary," she says. "They don't have to manage or deal with the workload, employment taxes , and all that comes with it," says Alvarez. Additionally, many small business owners in fields like construction are family-owned, and this makes it easier for business owners to hand off delicate financial work to a trusted person with financial experience. 3. Automating bookkeeping tasks with AI Every small business has recurring tasks that can benefit from some level of artificial intelligence automation . And Alvarez sees a lot of value in using AI for small business bookkeeping. She explains that you can automate the data entry on Quickbooks. "When you create rules, as long as you create the rules correctly, it pretty much does itself," says Alvarez. From there, you can lean on financial experts to help you analyze the data and make more informed decisions. She uses AI as a background resource when guiding her accounting clients. "I believe that we still need the human-to-human interaction that comes with more perspective for financial analysis," she explains. 4. AI-driven customer service According to the SBA , 77% of consumers feel that human interaction is still required for a positive customer experience. People turn to small businesses every day for a human experience. According to Arvind Rongala, CEO of Edstellar , small business workers can show up for their customers but still use AI for routine tasks like customer queries. "This balance allows companies to scale their operations without losing the personal touch that makes them unique. It's important to remember that AI isn't there to replace the human element—it's there to enhance it," he says. 5. Personalized customer experiences "By really focusing on one very small weakness that Amazon has, I've been able to carve out a successful business by offering something different," says Lou Harvey owner of Tank Retailer , a retailer of commercial water and fuel tanks. "When you read our customer reviews, many of them actually mention me by name because of how much we focus on customer service and go the extra mile." One of Harvey's most successful business strategies this year has been to lean into his small, niche market and offer the kind of customer experience that large retailers like Amazon don't. "Any small weaknesses that Amazon has (however small those weaknesses may be) needs to become a strength of a smaller business focusing on a niche market," says Harvey. Harvey has his company's customer service phone number front and center on the website to help earn customer trust. "I prominently feature our phone number, and a real person always answers the phone (usually it's me)," says Harvey. 6. Businesses promoting social impact Lucie Voves, CEO and founder of Church Hill Classics , an online, woman-owned diploma framing company that uses sustainable materials, has noticed an uptick in customers seeking services from a business on a mission. "This year, we've seen a growing inclination for consumers to actively seek out and support small businesses owned by women and minorities," says Voves. When consumers shop small, they choose to make their dollars count. "Customers are fueled by a desire to promote social impact through purchasing power," says Voves. 7. Increased social commerce sales Long gone are the days of online retailers "building it and they will come." In 2024 we've seen more small businesses than ever turn to social commerce to sell directly on social media platforms like Instagram Shopping , Facebook Marketplace , and TikTok . Small business owners are turning toward influencers, social media ads, and organic content to target their customers. Mike Vannelli of Envy Creative creates online ads for businesses, and he has seen his clients succeed on TikTok of late. "I've seen businesses, especially in retail, use TikTok's short-form video format to make their products go viral. Think of it as word-of-mouth marketing on steroids," says Vannelli. He uses the platform's algorithm to push a company's content to the right audiences, and it works because TikTok loves storytelling. "I know small brands that use behind-the-scenes videos, customer testimonials, and even playful challenges that tap into trends to humanize their products and build trust," explains Vannelli. To stand out on TikTok, he says, smaller brands need to embrace authenticity and emotional connection. Show your team, share your journey, and involve your community in content creation. This story was produced by NEXT and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.Consumers in the United States scoured the internet for online deals as they looked to take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon with Cyber Monday. Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of many people's regular routines and the holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday — a term coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation — has become the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to the deals and the hype the industry has created to fuel it. Adobe Analytics, which tracks online shopping, expected consumers to spend $13.2 billion Monday — a record, and 6.1% more than last year. That would make it the biggest shopping day for e-commerce for the season — and the year. Online spending was expected to peak between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday night, per Adobe — reaching an estimated $15.7 million spent every minute. For several major retailers, a Cyber Monday sale is a dayslong event that began over the Thanksgiving weekend. An Amazon Prime delivery person lifts packages while making a stop Nov. 28, 2023, in Denver. Amazon kicked off its sales event right after midnight Pacific time on Saturday. Target's two days of discount offers on its website and app began overnight Sunday. Walmart rolled out its Cyber Monday offers for Walmart+ members Sunday afternoon and opened it up to all customers three hours later, at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Consumer spending for Cyber Week — the five major shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday — provides a strong indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays. Many U.S. consumers continue to experience sticker shock after the period of post-pandemic inflation, which left prices for many goods and services higher than they were three years ago. But retail sales nonetheless remain strong, and the economy kept growing at a healthy pace. At the same time, credit card debt and delinquencies are rising. More shoppers than ever are also on track to use "buy now, pay later" plans this holiday season, which allows them to delay payments on holiday decor, gifts and other items. Many economists also warned that President-elect Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs next year on foreign goods coming into the United States would lead to higher prices on everything from food to clothing to automobiles. A FedEx delivery person carries a package from a truck Nov. 17, 2022, in Denver. The National Retail Federation expects holiday shoppers to spend more this year both in stores and online than last year. But the pace of spending growth will slow slightly, the trade group said, growing 2.5% to 3.5% — compared to 3.9% in 2023. A clear sense of consumer spending patterns during the holiday season won't emerge until the government releases sales data for the period, but some preliminary data from other sources shows some encouraging signs for retailers. Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, noted that discounts from Thanksgiving onward "exceeded expectations" and online spending throughout Cyber Week is on track to cross a record $40 billion mark combined. U.S. shoppers spent $10.8 billion online on Black Friday, a 10.2% increase over last year, according to Adobe Analytics. That's also more than double what consumers spent in 2017, when Black Friday pulled in about $5 billion in online sales. Consumers also spent a record $6.1 billion online on Thanksgiving Day, Adobe said. Meanwhile, software company Salesforce, which also tracks online shopping, estimated that Black Friday online sales totaled $17.5 billion in the U.S. and $74.4 billion globally. Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks in-person and online spending, reported that overall Black Friday sales excluding automotive rose 3.4% from a year ago. A United Parcel Service driver sorts deliveries July 15, 2023, on New York's Upper West Side. E-commerce platform Shopify said its merchants raked in a record $5 billion in sales worldwide on Black Friday. At its peak, sales reached $4.6 million per minute — with top categories by volume including clothing, cosmetics and fitness products, according to the Canadian company. Toys, electronics, home goods, self-care and beauty categories were among the key drivers of holiday spending on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to Adobe. "Hot products" included Lego sets, espresso machines, fitness trackers, makeup and skin care. Other data showed physical stores saw fewer customers on Black Friday, underscoring how the huge crowds that were once synonymous with the day after Thanksgiving are now more than happy to shop from the comfort of their homes. RetailNext, which measures real-time foot traffic in stores, said its early data showed store traffic on Friday was down 3.2% in the U.S. compared to last year, with the biggest dip happening in the Midwest. Sensormatic Solutions, which also tracks store traffic, said its preliminary analysis showed retail store traffic on Black Friday was down 8.2% compared to 2023. Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions, noted that in-store traffic was getting spread across multiple days since many retailers offered generous discounts before and after Black Friday. "Some of the extended Black Friday promotions really ended up leading to a little bit of a softer day-of traffic than expected," Gustafson said. In 2024, staying small on purpose seems to be paying off big for small businesses. They're keeping operations small and targeting niche, highly specialized customers. And some business owners find this strategy results in more time, energy, and money to intentionally capitalize on unique, small cap opportunities. The data tells the story of growth in small businesses for the year. According to NEXT , the Small Business Administration (SBA) reports awarding 38,000 SBA 7(a) loans under $150,000: double the amount they awarded in 2020. Here are the related small-business trends paying off in 2024. Commercial real estate agent Ryan Beckenhauer of Market Real Estate in Boulder, Colorado, has noticed that small businesses are growing smaller, and that their office and warehouse spaces are starting to reflect that as they shop for business space. In commercial real estate, many small business owners gravitate toward industrial condos and other flexible spaces. These are small-scale industrial spaces with a 90:10 or 80:20 split of warehouse to office. "More individuals are leveraging skills acquired at larger organizations to venture out on their own," explains Beckenhauer. And he goes on to say that they don't need a large commercial space as they make that leap to start a business. His clients include engineers, consultants, builders and other tradespeople. Beckenhauer's clients like the flexibility of being out of an office and being close to their inventory and workshop space. "The clients want to see and touch the finishes," he says. Small business owners both rent or buy these spaces. But he's seeing his clients opt to own industrial condos to stabilize costs due to rent increases in Boulder. And because these spaces are smaller, it can be easier for new buyers to qualify for financing. Mariana Alvarez, owner of Controller Works , an online bookkeeping and advisory firm, has noticed that small business owners outsource financial support services because they don't want to increase headcount. "Outsourcing gives them the possibility of having access to the knowledge and the skills of a CFO without having to pay for the salary," she says. "They don't have to manage or deal with the workload, employment taxes , and all that comes with it," says Alvarez. Additionally, many small business owners in fields like construction are family-owned, and this makes it easier for business owners to hand off delicate financial work to a trusted person with financial experience. Every small business has recurring tasks that can benefit from some level of artificial intelligence automation . And Alvarez sees a lot of value in using AI for small business bookkeeping. She explains that you can automate the data entry on Quickbooks. "When you create rules, as long as you create the rules correctly, it pretty much does itself," says Alvarez. From there, you can lean on financial experts to help you analyze the data and make more informed decisions. She uses AI as a background resource when guiding her accounting clients. "I believe that we still need the human-to-human interaction that comes with more perspective for financial analysis," she explains. According to the SBA , 77% of consumers feel that human interaction is still required for a positive customer experience. People turn to small businesses every day for a human experience. According to Arvind Rongala, CEO of Edstellar , small business workers can show up for their customers but still use AI for routine tasks like customer queries. "This balance allows companies to scale their operations without losing the personal touch that makes them unique. It's important to remember that AI isn't there to replace the human element—it's there to enhance it," he says. "By really focusing on one very small weakness that Amazon has, I've been able to carve out a successful business by offering something different," says Lou Harvey owner of Tank Retailer , a retailer of commercial water and fuel tanks. "When you read our customer reviews, many of them actually mention me by name because of how much we focus on customer service and go the extra mile." One of Harvey's most successful business strategies this year has been to lean into his small, niche market and offer the kind of customer experience that large retailers like Amazon don't. "Any small weaknesses that Amazon has (however small those weaknesses may be) needs to become a strength of a smaller business focusing on a niche market," says Harvey. Harvey has his company's customer service phone number front and center on the website to help earn customer trust. "I prominently feature our phone number, and a real person always answers the phone (usually it's me)," says Harvey. Lucie Voves, CEO and founder of Church Hill Classics , an online, woman-owned diploma framing company that uses sustainable materials, has noticed an uptick in customers seeking services from a business on a mission. "This year, we've seen a growing inclination for consumers to actively seek out and support small businesses owned by women and minorities," says Voves. When consumers shop small, they choose to make their dollars count. "Customers are fueled by a desire to promote social impact through purchasing power," says Voves. Long gone are the days of online retailers "building it and they will come." In 2024 we've seen more small businesses than ever turn to social commerce to sell directly on social media platforms like Instagram Shopping , Facebook Marketplace , and TikTok . Small business owners are turning toward influencers, social media ads, and organic content to target their customers. Mike Vannelli of Envy Creative creates online ads for businesses, and he has seen his clients succeed on TikTok of late. "I've seen businesses, especially in retail, use TikTok's short-form video format to make their products go viral. Think of it as word-of-mouth marketing on steroids," says Vannelli. He uses the platform's algorithm to push a company's content to the right audiences, and it works because TikTok loves storytelling. "I know small brands that use behind-the-scenes videos, customer testimonials, and even playful challenges that tap into trends to humanize their products and build trust," explains Vannelli. To stand out on TikTok, he says, smaller brands need to embrace authenticity and emotional connection. Show your team, share your journey, and involve your community in content creation. This story was produced by NEXT and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

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TMC Ignores It’s Rajya Sabha MP for Top Party Meet

Aidan O'Connell threw two touchdown passes, Daniel Carlson kicked four field goals, Ameer Abdullah had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career and the visiting Las Vegas Raiders defeated the New Orleans Saints 25-10 on Sunday afternoon. Abdullah, playing in the 141st game of his 10-year career, finished with 115 yards on 20 carries. O'Connell completed 20 of 35 passes for 242 yards as the Raiders (4-12) won their second straight after a 10-game losing streak. Brock Bowers added seven receptions for 77 yards, giving him 1,144 receiving yards, which broke the NFL single-season record for a rookie tight end, set by Mike Ditka with 1,076 yards in 14 games in 1961. Rookie Spencer Rattler passed for 218 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions and fell to 0-5 as the starter for the Saints (5-11). Las Vegas's first possession of the third quarter resulted in Carlson's 54-yard field goal, which increased its lead to 16-10 at the end of the period. Carlson's 25-yard field goal pushed the lead to 19-10 on the third play of the fourth quarter. O'Connell added an 18-yard touchdown pass to Tre Tucker to complete the scoring. The Raiders received the opening kickoff and held the ball for 17 plays before stalling. Carlson kicked a 31-yard field goal and the 3-0 lead held up through the end of the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Rattler threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to former Raiders tight end Foster Moreau and the Saints took a 7-3 lead with their first points in the first half in three games. The ensuing possession ended with Carlson kicking a 39-yard field goal that trimmed the lead to 7-6. O'Connell threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers to give Las Vegas a 13-7 lead with 57 seconds left in the second quarter. Rattler completed 5 of 7 for 54 yards in driving New Orleans to Blake Grupe's 34-yard field goal as time expired that trimmed the lead to 13-10 at halftime. --Field Level Media

Maupay also had a dig at Everton when he departed on loan to Marseille in the summer and his latest taunt has further angered the Premier League club’s supporters. The 28-year-old said on X after Sean Dyche’s side had lost 2-0 to Nottingham Forest at Goodison Park on Sunday: “Whenever I’m having a bad day I just check the Everton score and smile.” Whenever I’m having a bad day I just check the Everton score and smile 🙂 — Neal Maupay (@nealmaupay_) December 29, 2024 Former boxer Tony Bellew was among the Toffees’ supporters who responded to Maupay, with the ex-world cruiserweight champion replying on X with: “P****!” Maupay endured a miserable spell at Everton, scoring just one league goal in 29 appearances after being signed by the Merseysiders for an undisclosed fee in 2022. He departed on a season-long loan to his former club Brentford for the 2023-24 season and left Goodison for a second time in August when Marseille signed him on loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent. After leaving Everton in the summer, Maupay outraged their fans by posting on social media a scene from the film Shawshank Redemption, famous for depicting the main character’s long fight for freedom.8 shot, 3 killed in Chicago Lawn, Fire Department says

Admission fraud in Rajasthan: 9 MBBS grads lose case, face bar from practice

Media Release Beltangady, Nov 24: The Vimukti Self-Help Group (SHG) Trust celebrated its silver jubilee with grandeur at Krishnanugraha Hall, Ujire, on November 23. The celebrations commenced with a spiritual dance by the members at 10.30 am. Fr Vinod Mascarenhas, director of Capuchin Krishik Seva Kendra (CKSK), delivered the introductory speech, reminiscing about the trust's impactful journey. He expressed gratitude to the late Fr Theophilus Pereira, founder of CKSK, and the late Fr Joel Pinto, founder of Vimukti SHG Trust, for their visionary leadership. Initially established in Kalmanja village, the trust has expanded across districts, offering a platform for rural poor women to achieve social and economic empowerment. Over the years, beneficiaries transformed into contributors, implementing initiatives such as self-employment activities, Vidya Snehi (interest-free loans for higher education), Arogya Nidhi (healthcare support for women and their families), and advocating for the establishment of DAYA Special School. The silver jubilee celebrations were inaugurated by MLC K Pratapsinha Nayak, alongside Vimukti SHG Trust president Shali, CKSK president Fr Alwyn Dias, former MLC Harish Kumar, Best Foundation founder Rakshith Shivaram, advocate Ashwini D'Souza, Fr Vinod Mascarenhas, and Fr Rohan Lobo. Addressing the gathering, advocate Ashwini D'Souza from Moodbidri spoke on women’s empowerment through self-help groups. She lauded the efforts of Vimukti SHG members in achieving social and economic independence and urged them to continue combating gender discrimination and superstitions hindering women’s progress. MLC K Pratapsinha Nayak congratulated the trust and its members for their achievements, while Harish Kumar encouraged the attendees to leverage opportunities provided by CKSK and government initiatives. Rakshith Shivaram commended the trust for establishing DAYA Special School, which recently received the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award 2024, and pledged his continued support for the institution and its children. Fr Alwyn Dias congratulated the members, urging them to dream big and achieve greater milestones, while acknowledging the support of the trust's staff and directors. During the event, former and current presidents, secretaries, directors, and assistant directors of Vimukti SHG Trust were felicitated for their dedicated service. The trust also launched Arogya Nidhi, a new health guarantee scheme, during the program. A celebratory lunch followed the stage events, after which members showcased colorful cultural programs. The program concluded with a vote of thanks by Prameela and a closing address by counselor Merin. The jubilee celebration marked a significant milestone in the trust's journey, reflecting its dedication to empowering women and uplifting the community.Houston's Al-Shaair apologizes for hit on Jacksonville's Lawrence that led to concussion HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair took to X to apologize to Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence after his violent blow to the quarterback’s facemask led to him being carted off the field with a concussion. Back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a sprained left shoulder, Lawrence scrambled left on a second-and-7 play in the second quarter of Houston’s 23-20 win on Sunday. He initiated a slide before Al-Shaair raised his forearm and unleashed on the defenseless quarterback. In the long post, Al-Shaair says "To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening.” Jets are sticking with struggling Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers will remain the New York Jets’ starting quarterback despite speculation the team could bench him in what has been a disappointing season. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said during a video call that he still believes Rodgers, who turned 41 on Monday, gives the Jets their best chance to win. Rodgers was 21 of 39 for 185 yards and touchdown passes to Davante Adams and Isaiah Davis but also had an interception returned 92 yards for a touchdown by Leonard Williams in the Jets’ 26-21 loss to Seattle on Sunday. Hall of Famer Randy Moss reveals he's 'battling something' internal and asks for prayers Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss revealed he’s dealing with a health issue and asked fans to pray for him and his family. The 47-year-old ESPN football analyst made the announcement on Instagram from the set of the network’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show. He directed his message to men and urged them to get checkups and bloodwork done, without specifying for any particular illness. Moss explained why he’s been wearing tinted sunglasses, saying, “I’m battling something, man, and it’s something internal, your boy is going to get through it.” College playoff bracket offers last dress rehearsal and one more chance to see where the SEC stands The next set of College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night under heavy scrutiny before the final bracket is set on Sunday. It will be one last chance to see just how much the selection committee loves the Southeastern Conference. The best gauge will be whether Miami, which suffered its second loss over the weekend, is placed behind any or all three SEC teams with three losses — Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina, all of which are coming off wins. Whatever happens, the SEC is likely to have at least five teams in the 12-team field when the final bracket comes out. Mollie Marcoux Samaan stepping down as LPGA commissioner after 3 1/2 years of record prize money Mollie Marcoux Samaan is leaving after more than three years as LPGA commissioner. In a surprise announcement Monday, Marcoux Samaan says she will step down in January, just three weeks before the LPGA starts its 75th season. Liz Moore is the chief legal and technology officer. She'll be serving as interim commissioner until a search committee can find a permanent replacement. Marcoux Samaan was the athletic director at Princeton when she took over the LPGA in May 2021. Prize money has soared during her tenure. She also has faced criticism for the LPGA not gaining in popularity during a rise in women's sports. Kansas holds off Auburn for No. 1 in AP Top 25 as SEC grabs 3 of top 4 spots; UConn slides to No. 25 Kansas continues to hold the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll. Auburn is pushing the Jayhawks in the latest poll after winning the Maui Invitational and checked in at No. 2. Two-time reigning national champion UConn nearly fell out entirely after an 0-3 week at Maui, falling from No. 2 to 25th. The Southeastern Conference had three of the top four teams with No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Kentucky behind the Tigers. The poll featured six new teams, headlined by No. 13 Oregon, No. 16 Memphis and No. 18 Pittsburgh. TCU, Duke climb into top 10, Notre Dame drops in women's AP Top 25; UCLA and UConn remain 1-2 TCU has its best ranking ever in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll after a convincing win over Notre Dame. The Horned Frogs jumped eight spots to No. 9, the first time the school has ever been in the top 10. The Fighting Irish, who were third last week, fell seven spots to 10th after losses to TCU and Utah. UCLA remained No. 1, followed by UConn, South Carolina, Texas and LSU. USC, Maryland and Duke are next. USC QB Miller Moss enters transfer portal after losing starting job to Jayden Maiava LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California quarterback Miller Moss is entering the transfer portal after losing the Trojans’ starting job last month. Moss started the Trojans’ bowl victory last season and their first nine games this season before coach Lincoln Riley replaced him with Jayden Maiava in early November. Moss signed with USC before Riley arrived at the school. Moss also stayed after Caleb Williams transferred from Oklahoma to rejoin Riley, and he served as Williams’ backup for two seasons before getting his chance to play with six touchdown passes in last year’s Holiday Bowl. Michael Andretti's Formula 1 dream comes to bittersweet fruition without his involvement Michael Andretti has been sidelined from his namesake motorsports organization and won’t have any role with the Formula 1 program he spent the last four years desperately trying to launch. His effort to get a program partnered with General Motors into F1 was approved last week, a month after he stepped aside from his teams. F1’s decision to expand its grid for Cadillac F1 came amidst a federal antitrust investigation into why Liberty Media refused to admit Andretti Global and after Andretti partners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter claimed controlling interest of the fledgling effort. Ryan Poles to remain Bears general manager and lead search for new head coach LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears president Kevin Warren said Ryan Poles will remain the general manager and serve as the point person in the search for a head coach to replace the fired Matt Eberflus. He says Poles will have the “final say” if the two have differing opinions on who should get the job. Chicago had never fired a coach during a season. But a six-game losing streak marked by questionable coaching decisions spurred the founding NFL franchise to change course. The Bears let Eberflus go Friday and replaced him on an interim basis with offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk , an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today’s edition, two of our Capitol Hill experts, Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp V, break down the key senators to watch in the confirmation battles over Donald Trump's Cabinet. Plus, national political correspondent Steve Kornacki takes a break from election data to dive into the polling around what Americans plan to serve at Thanksgiving this year. Programming note: From the Politics Desk is taking a holiday break the rest of the week. We’ll be back in your inbox on Monday, Dec. 2. Have a happy Thanksgiving! Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. The key senators to watch in the fight over Trump’s Cabinet By Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp V President-elect Donald Trump is poised to kick off his second term by sending the Senate an unconventional slate of nominees for powerful executive branch positions, seeing his 2024 victory as validation of a voter desire for disruption. But how much disruption will America’s “ cooling saucer ” tolerate? The Senate will be split 53-47 in favor of the Republicans next year, meaning they can lose no more than three votes to confirm nominees without requiring some bipartisan support. A 50-50 tie can be broken by Vice President-elect JD Vance. Here are the key senators to watch in the nomination battles. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine: The five-term centrist intends to run for re-election in 2026 after Trump lost her state by 7 points. Trump’s Cabinet picks present an opening for Collins to further demonstrate her independent streak if she chooses to vote against some of Trump’s more controversial picks. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska: The moderate has already shown a willingness to be outspoken on Trump’s Cabinet picks, dismissing Matt Gaetz as an unserious choice for attorney general before he withdrew from consideration. Murkowski is also a rare Republican who supports bringing back the abortion rights protections included in Roe v. Wade, which could play a role in health care-related positions. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.: McConnell is the ultimate free agent as he relinquishes the job of Senate Republican leader after a record 18 years. His quarrels and disagreements with Trump are well documented. As GOP leader, McConnell’s style was usually to read the political winds within his party and follow them. Now, he doesn’t have to. The Cabinet nominees could be an opportunity for him to flex his muscle and use his vote to shape Trump’s agenda. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.: Tillis faces re-election in 2026 after winning his first two elections by less than 2 points. He’ll need to balance appealing to a general electorate in a purple state with securing renomination from a GOP base that has shown a willingness to veer to the right. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa.: Fetterman has also carved out a unique identity by breaking with his party’s left — through his unrelenting support of Israel despite the civilian casualties caused by its military campaign in Gaza and his remark that Democrats “lost ourselves” when it came to key issues like immigration. In a party that’s currently doing some soul-searching, his voice could play a major role in that conversation for Democrats. Also on the list: Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.; Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.; Sen.-elect John Curtis, R-Utah; and Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. Read more from Sahil and Frank → What Americans will be feasting on this Thanksgiving By Steve Kornacki It turns out there’s still something out there that can transcend the country’s deep political and cultural divides and bring Americans together: a big old Butterball. A new Economist/YouGov poll finds that 67% of Americans who will celebrate Thanksgiving this week plan to have turkey on their plates. And, in a refreshing break from every single political poll during the presidential campaign, the crosstabs in this survey find nothing but consensus on this meal choice. * There’s no gender gap: 69% of men and 66% of women say they’ll be feasting on turkey. * Nor is there a racial gap: 69% of white and Hispanic Americans will have turkey, as will 68% of African Americans. * And there’s not even a meaningful partisan divide: 73% of Republicans and 67% of Democrats say turkey will be part of their meal. Of course, Thanksgiving typically involves stuffing yourself silly with more than just turkey. And there are five other dishes that lesser majorities of Americans report they will also be noshing on. * Mashed potatoes: 56% * Bread or rolls: 55% * Pie: 54% * Gravy: 51% * Stuffing: 51% Curiously, when it comes to these items, some small partisan fissures do begin to emerge. Sixty-five percent of Republicans will have mashed potatoes, while only 50% of Democrats plan to. And gravy will be served to 59% of Republicans and only 46% of Democrats. Why the tastes of partisans would diverge at all on these two foods is, alas, beyond our remit. As for what’ll make up the rest of Americans’ Turkey Day menus, there’s plenty of variety, but no consensus: * Green beans: 40% * Sweet potatoes: 39% * Cranberry sauce: 38% * Corn: 33% * Macaroni and cheese: 27% * Ham: 26% * Brussel sprouts: 10% And then there’s what may be the most puzzling group of Americans — the 2% who say they will be having Thanksgiving meals but wouldn’t include a single one of the foods listed above. Maybe the pollsters should have added turducken to the list? That’s all from the Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com And if you’re a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here .

Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital to begin kidney transplant in 2025None

Asian Stocks Eye Gains as Wall Street Awaits Data: Markets WrapGREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Pjay Smith Jr. scored 23 points as Furman beat Princeton 69-63 on Saturday. Smith also added eight rebounds and four steals for the Paladins (9-1). Garrett Hien scored 10 points while going 5 of 10 and 0 of 4 from the free-throw line and added seven rebounds. Nick Anderson shot 3 for 9 from beyond the arc to finish with nine points. The Tigers (7-4) were led by Xaivian Lee, who posted 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Princeton also got 13 points and four assists from Dalen Davis. Caden Pierce also had 11 points and four steals. NEXT UP Story continues below video Up next for Furman is a Saturday matchup with South Carolina State at home, and Princeton hosts Monmouth on Tuesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .