The Transportation Security Administration has some reminders for those heading to airports during the holidays. “People seem to forget some of the more common and routine steps that they need to take when packing for a flight or when they are going through a checkpoint, perhaps because they’re focused on being at their destination and not focusing on what needs to happen before getting there,” said TSA officer Christopher Kirchein of John F. Kennedy International Airport. “Travelers sometimes ignore the advice that we give them,” said TeaNeisha Barker, a TSA uniformed adviser. “We are providing guidance so that they get through the checkpoint as simply and conveniently as possible. Not every airport has the same technology, so listen to the guidance we are offering.” “Passengers forget that knives and other weapons are not allowed through our checkpoints. It’s shocking to see so many people with knives,” said TSA officer Aisha Hicks of Philadelphia International Airport. “Weapons of any kind are prohibited through a TSA checkpoint.” TSA officers shared this list of the common things that travelers forget and should remember when coming to a security checkpoint. Ten things that travelers need to remember when preparing to go through the security screening process: • Remember that you cannot bring bottles of water, energy drinks, juice, coffee, soda or any filled insulated reusable container through a security checkpoint. However, they can finish their beverage and bring the empty bottle or container with them. • Remember to bring your ID to the checkpoint. • Remember when TSA officers remind you to remove everything from your pockets that it does not only mean metallic items such as keys and mobile phones, but it means everything, including non-metallic items such as tissues, lip balm, breath mints, etc. • Remember that you cannot bring a firearm through a checkpoint. Instead, pack your unloaded firearm in a locked hard-sided case and declare it at your airline check-in counter and the airline will ensure it is transported in the belly of the plane where nobody has access to it. • Remember that you need to remove your shoes when getting screened and then end up barefoot on the floor. It’s probably a good idea to wear socks. • Remember that children 12 and under are allowed to travel through a TSA PreCheck screening lane with a parent who has TSA PreCheck on their boarding pass. In addition, don’t forget that children up to the age of 18 can also come into the TSA PreCheck lane with their parent if they are on the same airline reservation as their parent. • Remember that passengers that appear 12 and under or 75 and older do not need to remove their shoes and light jacket. • Remember, if you are putting a lock on your luggage, make sure it is a TSA compatible lock so that if TSA officers need to open your luggage, they can unlock it and relock it. If the lock is not TSA compliant, TSA officers who need to open your luggage will cut off the lock, rendering it useless. • Remember that you can bring medications through a security checkpoint, even liquid medication. Just let the TSA officer know that you have liquid medication with you so it can be screened separately. • Remember to get a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license sooner rather than later because REAL ID goes into effect on May 7.Coleen Rooney, Danny Jones or Reverend Richard Coles will be crowned King or Queen of the jungle in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here tonight The I'm a Celebrity final takes place tonight after three weeks of daily entertainment on our screens. The three remaining celebrities who have made it as finalists are Liverpool's Coleen Rooney , McFly bassist Danny Jones and Reverend Richard Coles. Coleen is the last remaining female in the competition and she has been supported all the way by her friends and family. The TV personality, 38, has been married to the former Everton striker Wayne Rooney since 2008 and the couple share four sons; Kai, 13, Klay, 10, Kit, seven, and Cass, five, together. In his last message to his wife before the final takes place, Wayne has shared a video to his social media channels wishing Coleen luck and sending his love alongside his eldest children Kai and Klay. He said: "Hi Col we just want to wish you all the best in the final tonight, we've all been so proud of you I think you have shown everyone who you really are and your character." Rooney urged everyone who watched the video to "please go and vote for Coleen in one last push" he added that no matter what she will be his Queen and they love her. Klay said "Just want to wish you good luck in the final, hopefully you can bring the win home. Good luck." Kai added "Excited to watch tonight you have shown everyone who you really are and you've done us all proud we all love you so much." The three remaining celebrities have been the top three in the betting market for some time now. McFly's Danny Jones is the favourite to win the show tonight with some bookmakers having him at odds of 2/5. Coleen Rooney is considered the only realistic contender at a price of just over 2/1 and Richard Coles remains the outsider at 12/1, at the time of writing.ace mech pilot wild rift 。

Cowboys win wild one vs. Commanders to halt five-game slideGetting smart about car insurance can provide cost savings and peace of mind

Taxation is not merely a tool for generating revenue; it is a cornerstone for fostering national balance and ensuring the collective survival of all citizens. Recognising this, Nigeria has, with wisdom, exempted many essential goods and services such as agricultural produce, fertilisers, certain baby products, and healthcare items from taxation or VAT. This policy ensures that food items like rice, maize, sorghum, millet, beans, and meat—produced in states like Kano, Borno, Adamawa, and Taraba, etc —can reach markets in Enugu, Lagos, and Port Harcourt, where they are accessible to Nigerians at reasonable prices. Conversely, products such as fertilisers, agricultural machinery, baby items, and healthcare essentials manufactured in industrial hubs like Aba, Ibadan, Warri, and Lagos, etc, remain affordable across the country, including the northern states, because they are VAT-exempt. This interconnected economic framework fosters interdependence among states and promotes equitable access to essential goods, irrespective of geographic location. However, the current discourse surrounding the proposed tax reform bill, particularly its provisions on VAT, has raised concerns about fairness and equity. Rather than serving as a unifying mechanism, the proposed VAT contributions and their sharing formula have become a source of tension, with some Nigerians—especially from the North—perceiving the system as skewed in favour of economically dominant states like Lagos. This perception has fueled suspicions, leading to terms like “Lagos colonialism” being used to describe the perceived imbalance in resource allocation and benefit distribution in the new VAT bill if passed into law by the two chambers of the National Assembly To address these concerns, the tax reform bill must be designed not only to generate revenue but also to reflect the principles of fairness, inclusivity and Nigeria’s complex politics. Taxation policies should be a tool for strengthening national unity, ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of region or state, feels an equitable share of the nation’s prosperity. There is no need to rush to nowhere- the government must patiently engage in transparent dialogue and adopt a balanced approach that considers the diverse economic contributions and needs of all states. One of the key reasons for the rejection of the bills by the North is because the President Tinubu administration is facing growing suspicion among many northerners due to certain policies, programmes, and appointments. This is a troubling development for a government that, prior to coming to power, proudly counted the North as its political stronghold and key support base. Such distrust is damaging not only for the administration’s credibility but also for national unity. To maintain the confidence of all Nigerians, it is crucial for the government to address these concerns transparently, ensuring that its actions reflect inclusivity and fairness. Economy and politics often intertwine. When political backlash outweighs economic benefits, retreat and consultations are essential. The Tinubu government must strive to deliver on its promises while fostering trust across all states and demographics, particularly among those who placed their faith in its leadership. In essence, taxation should not be seen as a divisive tool but as a bridge that connects the unique strengths of each state and region, fostering a truly united and prosperous Nigeria.FOBI AI Inc. Announces Proposed Private Placement and BCSC OrderFBI director guides the agency in confronting complex international threats, investigating federal crimes and running 55 field offices

Tom Brady Gushes Over Son in New PhotoTrump’s FCC pick comes in swinging at Big TechThis costume don’t impress fans much. Country superstar Shania Twain divided the Internet over a flashy two-piece ensemble she wore during a Las Vegas show last week, with some commentators calling the getup a “rhinestone Depends.” Pictures shared on social media show the “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” singer, whose “Come On Over” residency is set to last through February at the Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, wearing the revealing garments, a long pink jacket and a matching cowboy hat. Ruthless commenters, however, were not saying “let’s go girls,” to the 59-year-old singer’s fashion choice, which some compared to an adult diaper. “Is that a rhinestone Depends?” one critic wrote on TikTok. Another critical commentator chimed in on X: “I didn’t know Depends made such a sexy option.” One commentator questioned: “Why is 59-year-old Shania Twain in a nude bodysuit and diaper on stage?” Some kinder fans tried to make light of the outfit, with one person joking : “Maybe she has been hanging out with Cher.” Others defended the controversial clothing choice, lauding the singer for not looking her age, with one fan writing , “She looks great for 60! How many of you look like that?!” “She’s an entertainer!! She’s 59 and rockin’ it while she still has it!!! All the power to you Shania Twain!!! Legend,” another fan commented. “So obviously, it’s just me, but I think she looks fantastic!” one fan wrote, alongside a fire emoji. Others suggested that Twain should grow up a bit — 30 years after he smash country-pop crossover sound made her a household name. One commentator joked: “Is this midlife crisis barbie?” “These comments are priceless,” another TikTok user added.

Things can go sour in life, but there's often a way to make those situations better. That's why insurance upstart Lemonade ( LMND 2.22% ) chose its quirky name. Lemonade shareholders should be feeling a bit sweeter these days. After three quarters of ups and downs, the stock is now up 180% year to date as we get close to the end of 2024. However, it's still 74% off of its all-time highs. Here's what's happening now, and how to think about this growth stock going into the new year. No more sour lemons Lemonade electrified the market when it went public in July 2020 -- but many other tech stocks did too during that period's bull market. Valuations went through the roof in the excitement, Lemonade's along with them. Then came the 2022 tech slump, and the stock was quickly and deeply humbled, falling by more than 90% from its peak. Since then, the stock has plodded along, largely moving sideways. But recently, its business has displayed incredible momentum, and that has translated into fantastic share price gains. The market's new enthusiasm stems from Lemonade's improving loss ratio and profitability. For years, the company has touted its artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms, claiming that its system gave it significant advantages over legacy insurers. But as it produced unexceptional results and mounting losses, that was starting to look like wishful thinking. Now, it's finally beginning to deliver on the hype. It's still reporting robust growth, with in-force premiums up 24% year over year in the third quarter, and a 17% increase in customer count. But its loss ratio went down by 10 percentage points to 73% -- a level within Lemonade's target long-term range. It also generated $16 million in cash from operations and $48 million in net cash flow . Stocks tend to move based on quarterly reports, but something Lemonade noted in the latest report was that its trailing-12-month loss ratio was 77%, down 11 percentage points, and it was the fifth consecutive decrease in the trailing-12-month figure. That's a more telling metric, signaling that the quarterly improvement was not a fluke. However, loss ratios are down for the entire industry as inflation eases, and Lemonade's loss ratio movement is still something for investors to keep an eye on. Sweetening the deal Lemonade just had its first investor meeting in two years, and while there were many highlights, the most exciting part was that management is expecting to 10x its business, boosting its in force premiums to $10 billion, in the same amount of time it took to reach $1 billion -- about 10 years. It made a compelling argument. The company noted that insurance is one of the biggest industries there is, and disrupters have a meaningful shot at becoming its new leaders. Since the industry is dominated by centuries-old companies, Lemonade -- built around new digital systems -- has a structural advantage. From the beginning, it maintained that it would take time for its platform to get enough data and perform enough modeling to start demonstrating superior results. The company is just getting into that phase, and as its revenue growth exceeds its expenses, it expects to become not just profitable, but massively profitable. This chart offers investors a sense of how this is playing out. IFP is the average total premium in-force in a given period of time, Opex refers to operating expense, and CAC is customer-acquisition costs. Lemonade has kept headcount flat even as it achieved steady growth. That's because it relies on technology to do the heavy lifting. But this chart is focused on fixed expenses and leaves out Lemonade's biggest expense, CAC. Lemonade will reach a level of scale when sales outdo expenses, including CAC. Management is expecting growth to accelerate over the next two years and for the company to report positive net income in 2027. The stock's recent jump already reflects the improved performance and confidence in the future. But if one tries to peer far into the future -- say, 20 years -- it's easy to imagine that Lemonade's platform could be completely outperforming the models of traditional insurance companies. Is there more upside? After a share price run-up like the one Lemonade has enjoyed in the past few months, investors might be worried that there's not much more upside potential. No one can know what will happen in the near term, but the long-term opportunity looks very exciting. Lemonade's valuation might still be called reasonable. It's not a regular insurance company because it has the tech element and it's a growth stock, and it's not profitable, so it's not easy to value. It trades at 5.5 book value, which is in line with some other insurance companies, although price-to-book value has soared along with Lemonade's price. It's trading at 6 times trailing-12-month sales , which isn't objectively cheap, but it's nowhere near the astronomical ratios of more than 50 that it traded at back at the stock's peak. Don't expect linear upward movement from this stock, but if you have some appetite for risk and a long-term investing horizon, Lemonade should be on your buy list.

New putting grip, same old Scottie Scheffler. The World No. 1 shot a blazing 9-under-par 63 on Sunday to repeat at the Hero World Challenge, winning by six shots over South Korea's Tom Kim at Albany Golf Course in Nassau, Bahamas. Scheffler rolled in nine birdie putts, the longest a 49-footer at the par-4 fourth hole, as he finished the week at 25-under-par 263 to win Tiger Woods' exclusive exhibition tournament for the second straight December. He stuck his approach shot at the par-4 18th inside 4 feet and finished up with a birdie. Scheffler completed a banner year in which he won The Players Championship, the Masters, an Olympic gold medal and the Tour Championship. "I think it's been a great year, it's been a fun year," Scheffler said. "I've been fortunate to get some wins and have some really good golf. This was another week when I played really solid and was able to see some nice results from that. Overall it was a pretty, pretty fun year." That said, he wasn't satisfied with his game and debuted a new putting grip that he said was introduced to him by his putting coach, Phil Kenyon. "I think Phil calls it a claw, but he really doesn't even say that," Scheffler said Thursday. "He just says ‘I want you to try a little bit' and he points his hand like that and wherever my hand felt good, that's where we settled. Not trying to think too much about it, trying to keep things simple." Scheffler held the 36-hole lead but was passed by Justin Thomas on Saturday. Thomas had an uneven fourth round for his highest score of the week, a 71 (five birdies, four bogeys), and he finished third at 18 under, seven behind Scheffler and one behind Kim (final-round 68). "It's just disappointing," said Thomas, who hasn't won a tournament of any kind since the 2022 PGA Championship. "I would have liked to put a little more heat obviously on Scottie going in the back nine. You know, I felt like I got a couple bad breaks there on the par 3s, the wind completely died or switched on 5. But I mean, you know, obviously I can't expect to have good things happen when I'm leading by 1 over Scottie and only shooting 1 under on Sunday." Akshay Bhatia (69) placed fourth at 15 under and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (71) took fifth at 14 under. Other notable finishes included Sweden's Ludvig Aberg in sixth at 12 under; Patrick Cantlay in 11th at 7 under; Brian Harman in 12th at 6 under; and Australian Jason Day tied for 19th (last) at 1 over with Russell Henley. Woods did not play this week, saying before the tournament his health is "still not there" and he is not "tournament-sharp" at the moment. --Field Level Media

‘Google Maps can be...’: 3 dead as car following ‘misleading navigation’ falls off incomplete bridge; netizens react

Mumbai, December 28: “Creation of the infrastructure is given more emphasis in the state and such the road, water and air connectivity are being strengthened in order to connect all the parts of the state with Air traffic. The work of expansion of all the existing airports should be accelerated. The state government and the union government will be providing all possible assistance,” said Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis. The meeting of the Board of Directors of the Maharashtra Airport Development Company was today held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis at the Sahyadri guest house. Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis said that there is a lot of scope in increasing the air connectivity in the state and so along with the Civil aviation schemes of the union government, emphasis should be given by utilizing the state funds for the development of Airports, their expansion, night landing facilities, increasing the length of runways, providing modern facilities to the air passengers and like facilities. 🕑 2pm | 28-12-2024📍Sahyadri Guest House, Mumbai | दु. २ वा. | २८-१२-२०२४📍सह्याद्री अतिथीगृह, मुंबई. 💡CM Devendra Fadnavis chaired a meeting of 'Board of Directors of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Board Holding Company Ltd.' 💡मुख्यमंत्री देवेंद्र फडणवीस यांच्या... pic.twitter.com/ZFKGetkwR5 The Chief Minister also directed the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation to initiate action for taking the airports of the state in their position from the position of Reliance. He also said that in order to decrease the load on the airports of cosmopolitan cities, the Maharashtra Airport Development Company should initiate action at the war footing. The Chief Minister also reviewed the ongoing work of Airports at Ratnagiri, Shirdi, Amravati (Belora), Purandar, Karad, Chandrapur, (Morwa) Solapur, Dhule, Phaltan, Akola and Gadchiroli. The Chief Minister also took stock of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to 786.56 hectares of land for the GMR Nagpur International Airport under the Mihan region. He also directed to complete the MoU at the earliest. Additional chief secretary of the transportation department Sanjay Sethi, additional chief secretary of the finance department O P Gupta, principal secretary of Urban Development Department Aseem Kumar Gupta, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of CIDCO Vijay Singhal, Managing Director of Maharashtra Airport Development Company Swati Pandey, secretary of industries department Anbalgam, chief executive officer of MIDC Vallarasu, District Magistrate of Nagpur Vipin Itankar and others were present on the occasion.The crash happened at 10.45am in crowded downtown Delray Beach, multiple news outlets reported. The Brightline train was stopped on the tracks, its front destroyed, about a block away from the Delray Beach fire rescue truck, its ladder ripped off and strewn in the grass several yards away, The Sun-Sentinel newspaper reported. The Delray Beach Fire Rescue said in a social media post that three Delray Beach firefighters were in stable condition at a hospital. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue took 12 people from the train to the hospital with minor injuries. Emmanuel Amaral rushed to the scene on his golf cart after hearing a loud crash and screeching train brakes from where he was having breakfast a couple of blocks away. He saw firefighters climbing out of the window of their damaged truck and pulling injured colleagues away from the tracks. One of their helmets came to rest several hundred feet away from the crash. “The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts to the fire truck stuck in the front of the train, but it split the car right in half. It split the fire truck right in half, and the debris was everywhere,” Mr Amaral said. Brightline officials did not immediately comment on the crash. A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said it was still gathering information about the crash and had not decided yet whether it will investigate. The NTSB is already investigating two crashes involving Brightline’s high-speed trains that killed three people early this year at the same crossing along the railroad’s route between Miami and Orlando. More than 100 people have died after being hit by trains since Brightline began operations in July 2017 – giving the railroad the worst death rate in the United States. But most of those deaths have been either suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train or drivers who went around crossing gates instead of waiting for a train to pass. Brightline has not been found to be at fault in those previous deaths.

Cooper Rush passed for two touchdowns, Dallas returned two kicks for scores and the visiting Cowboys held off the Washington Commanders in a wild fourth quarter for a 34-26 win. Dallas led 10-9 after three quarters. With Washington trailing 27-26, Jayden Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left, but Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game. Juanyeh Thomas of the Cowboys then returned the onside kick 43 yards for a touchdown. Rush completed 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards for Dallas (4-7), which snapped a five-game losing streak. Rico Dowdle ran 19 times for 86 yards and CeeDee Lamb had 10 catches for 67 yards. Jayden Daniels was 25-of-38 passing for 274 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for reeling Washington (7-5), which has lost three straight. He ran for 74 yards and one score. McLaurin had five catches for 102 yards. Trailing 20-9 late in the fourth quarter, Daniels drove Washington 69 yards in nine plays and hit Zach Ertz for a 4-yard touchdown. Daniels ran for two points and Washington trailed 20-17 with 3:02 remaining. KaVontae Turpin muffed the ensuing kickoff, picked it up at the one, and raced 99 yards for a touchdown to make it 27-17. Austin Seibert's 51-yard field goal pulled the Commanders within 27-20 with 1:40 left, With the score tied 3-3, Washington took the second half kick and went 60 yards in 10 plays. On third-and-three from the Dallas 17, Daniels faked a handoff, ran left and scored his first rushing touchdown since Week 4. Seibert missed the point after and Washington led 9-3. Dallas answered with an 80-yard drive. A 23-yard pass interference penalty gave the Cowboys a first-and-goal at the 4. Two plays later Rush found Jalen Tolbert in the end zone and the extra point made it 10-9. Brandon Aubrey's 48-yard field goal made it 13-9 with 8:11 remaining in the game. On the next play, Daniels hit John Bates for 14 yards, but Donovan Wilson forced a fumble and Dallas recovered at the Washington 44. Five plays later, Rush found Luke Schoonmaker down the middle for a 22-yard touchdown and Dallas led 20-9 with 5:16 left. The first quarter was all about field goals. Aubrey's field goal attempt was blocked on the opening drive and Michael Davis returned it to the Dallas 40. Washington later settled for Seibert's 41-yard field goal. On the next Dallas drive, Aubrey hit the right upright from 42 yards out, and then Seibert missed from 51 yards. With 14 seconds left in the half, Rush found Jalen Brooks for a 41-yard gain to the Washington 28. On the next play Aubrey connected from 46 yards to tie it. --Field Level MediaIssues Sri Lanka should take up with New DelhiImmune Thrombocytopenia Purpura Pipeline Dynamics 2024: FDA Approvals, Therapeutic Advances, Analysis of Clinical Trials, Therapies, Mechanism of Action, Route of Administration, and Developments | Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Symphogen A/S, Rigel Pharmaceuti

Our HS sports photos like the ones above put you right up close with the action and the whole experience. Check them out by clicking anywhere in the collage above to open the photo gallery. Don’t forget to share the gallery with friends and relatives. These photos are also available for purchase in a variety of sizes and finishes – just click the “BUY IMAGE” link below any photo to see available options and make a purchase. NJ.com subscribers can also get free print-quality digital downloads of any images in this gallery. Note: Because we are trying to make these galleries available for viewing as quickly as possible, the gallery may not be in its final form. If you only see a few photos, you are probably seeing an early version and more photos will be added later. Please return and refresh the page to see additions. Mobile device users: For the best experience downloading high-resolution images (available free and to subscribers only) and making photo purchases, it’s best to visit this page from your desktop or laptop computer. The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalition

Firefighters and passengers hurt after train hits fire truck on crossingGetting smart about car insurance can provide cost savings and peace of mind

A pre-Mayan system of canals used to direct and catch fish was found in Belize, establishing “continuity” between the Mayans and a predecessor as they continued to use them. First believed to have been a Mayan construction, after running numerous radiocarbon dates, archaeologists from the University of New Hampshire made an astonishing discovery that these fish-trapping canals predate the mythic and powerful ancient civilization. From what researchers gather, they may have even assisted the Mayans’ flourishing growth as the impressive design allowed their predecessors to feed 15,000 people a year, according to Eleanor Harrison-Buck, professor of anthropology and director of the Belize River East Archaeology (BREA) project. The Mayans capitalized on the ingenious zigzagging network, and with an abundant food source, they built one of the largest and most significant ancient cultures in the world. An ingenious pre-Mayan zigzagging system of canals to trap fish In the largest inland wetland in Belize, Central America, with drones and Good Earth, New Hampshire researchers conducted tests on a large-scale pre-Columbian fish-trapping facility. At first, they never expected that anyone but the Mayans could have constructed such a sophisticated means of catching fish. The research used 26 radiocarbon dates from test excavation sites in the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (CTWS). The presence of the canals extended over a thousand years in the past, before the Mayans began to emerge, which “surprised” researchers due to its massive size. Late Archaic hunter-gatherer-fishers developed this system, which worked so brilliantly that the Mayans later adopted it. “For Mesoamerica in general, we tend to regard agricultural production as the engine of civilization, but this study tells us that it wasn’t just agriculture—it was also potential mass harvesting of aquatic species,” Harrison-Buck stated in a press release. Collecting sediment samples along the walls, they were investigating nitrogen and carbon levels to determine “environmental changes over time,” according to the press release. With no evidence of crop production in sight, they deduced that these channels served as large-scale fish trapping facilities. The network directed the annual flood waters into a source pool where they could trap thousands of fish, able to feed a growing population, as the Mayans , it has been estimated, exceeded eight million people. This gave archaeologists a rare first link that connected a predecessor to the grand empire. “It seems likely that the canals allowed for annual fish harvests and social gatherings, which would have encouraged people to return to this area year after year and congregate for longer periods of time,” said Marieka Brouwer Burg, professor of anthropology at the University of Vermont and BREA co-director. “Such intensive investments in the landscape may have led ultimately to the development of the complex society characteristic of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, which subsequently occurred in this area by around 1200 BCE.” Wetlands, one of the most significant ecosystems on Earth Always a critical ecosystem across the globe, wetlands play a critical role in the environment, Samantha Krause, professor of geography and environmental studies at Texas State University explained in a recent press release. “Knowing how to manage wetland resources responsibly is essential for the continued resilience of these ecosystems both in the past and today. The Archaic hunter-gatherer-fishers knew how to protect their resources and use them in a way that could sustain these habitats, not exhaust them, which explains their long-lasting occupation in this area,” a press release concludes . The team, bolstered by the support of the local community, plans to investigate further, “hoping to more fully understand the complexity of human-wetland interactions in the past.”MicroStrategy, which has become a play on bitcoin, will be joining the Nasdaq 100 index, effective Dec. 23. Exchange-traded funds that follow the index – including the popular Invesco QQQ Trust – will become automatic buyers of the stock. Shares of MicroStrategy have soared more than 500% in 2024. MicroStrategy , the preferred high beta play on the price of bitcoin, will join the Nasdaq 100 index, a move that could further increase demand for the controversial stock that has been on a torrid run this year alongside the price of the cryptocurrency. The Nasdaq 100 comprises 100 of the largest nonfinancial companies in the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite index . A stock's addition means that ETFs – including the highly popular Invesco QQQ Trust , which has $325 billion in assets – will become automatic buyers as well. Shares of the bitcoin proxy could be set to gain off the move. They're up more than sixfold this year, compared with bitcoin's nearly 140% gain in the same period. The change, which will become effective before the market open on Dec. 23, was announced Friday after the stock market close. MicroStrategy was widely telegraphed as a potential contender for membership by investors who were looking forward to the index's rebalancing this week. "This would lead to inclusion of MSTR in some of the largest ETFs such as QQQ (5th largest ETF) etc, leading to one-time fresh buying ... and ongoing participation in future inflows," said Gautam Chhugani, an analyst at Bernstein, in a note this week ahead of the reshuffle. Additionally, "the market will likely set its sight on S&P 500 inclusion for 2025," Chhugani said. "Currently, due to profitability of its software business, it may be challenging to be considered for S&P 500 inclusion." The Nasdaq changes the constitution of the Nasdaq 100 index annually. The companies selected for inclusion are based largely on market cap rankings on the last trading day of November, which was Nov. 29 this year. Stocks must also meet eligibility requirements around liquidity and the free float percentage of their shares. MicroStrategy originally sold enterprise software, but the firm has increasingly become a bitcoin holding company. It first added bitcoin to its balance sheet in 2020, with Michael Saylor as CEO at the time, and has been leaning into that strategy in the years since. MicroStrategy now issues convertible notes to leverage its purchases, and its stock's daily trading sometimes looks like a more volatile version of bitcoin. The company now has a market cap of roughly $90 billion despite having less than $500 million in revenue over its previous four quarters, according to FactSet. Saylor told CNBC's " Squawk Box " earlier this month that he sees the company's role as " securitizing bitcoin ." "Primarily, our job is to bridge the traditional capital markets that want bonds, or they want fixed income, or they want equity, or they want options, and we plug that into the crypto economy. And we use bitcoin as the vehicle to do that," said Saylor, who is now the company's executive chairman. MicroStrategy began cranking up its purchases after the U.S. presidential election. The victory of pro-crypto President-elect Donald Trump — specifically his promise to establish a national strategic bitcoin stockpile — has propelled bitcoin to new all-time highs, achieved in part by the company's purchases. MicroStrategy now owns 423,650 bitcoins. It bought 149,880 of them in four different purchases over the past month, beginning Nov. 11. As part of MicroStrategy's hot streak this year, activists have been pushing bitcoin investing as an agenda item in shareholder meetings at companies like Microsoft and Amazon. Mining stocks like Mara Holdings have also begun employing Saylor's bitcoin yield strategy . Palantir Technologies and Axon Enterprise will also be joining the Nasdaq 100 later this month. Illumina , Moderna and Super Micro Computer will be removed from the index. Last year, the Nasdaq 100 added six companies in its annual reconstitution, including DoorDash. Five of those six stocks rose the Monday after the announcement, with an average move of 1.21%. —With reporting by Jesse Pound.