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( ) stock rocketed higher late Tuesday after the enterprise data storage company reported third-quarter earnings and sales that beat expectations. The company also said it had won a "design win" with a top-four hyperscale cloud provider for its DirectFlash data storage technology. Pure Storage said in a news release that it earned an adjusted 50 cents per share on sales of $831 million for its quarter that ended Nov. 3. Analysts polled by FactSet projected the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company would post adjusted earnings of 41 cents per share on sales of $815 million. For the same period a year earlier, Pure Storage posted adjusted earnings of 50 cents per share on sales of $763 million. For the current quarter, Pure Storage guided for sales of $867 million. Analysts were previously projecting $856 million January ending quarter, according to FactSet. The company now expects fiscal year sales of $3.15 billion, up from guidance for $3 billion it gave in August. On the , Pure Storage stock rallied more than 23% to 65.93 in after-hours action. Cloud Hyperscale Design Win Along with posting better-than-expected results, Pure Storage stock is likely being helped by announcing what it called a design win with a top-four hyperscaler. Pure Storage did not name the company in its press release, but the term is typically applied to tech giants ( ), ( ), ( ) and ( ). "Pure Storage has achieved another industry first in our journey of data storage innovation with a transformational design win for our DirectFlash technology in a top-four hyperscaler," CEO . "This win is the vanguard for Pure Flash technology to become the standard for all hyperscaler online storage, providing unparalleled performance and scalability while also reducing operating costs and power consumption." Pure Storage at an analyst presentation in June. Analysts viewed the news at the time as a positive step for the flash storage technology that Pure Storage offers. Hyperscalers typically rely on traditional hard disk storage. Pure Storage Stock Up 53% This Year Prior to earnings, Pure Storage gained 1% in Tuesday trading. Shares have gained 53% this year but are down about 12% since Pure Storage last reported earnings in late August. The company lowered its annual guidance for subscription-as-a-service contracts . Before that, Pure Storage stock was gaining momentum as a potential AI play on the increased needs for data storage. Coming into the report, Pure Storage stock had an IBD Composite Rating of 70 out of 99, according to . The score combines five separate proprietary ratings into one rating. The best growth stocks have a Composite Rating of 90 or better.Steelers WR George Pickens returns to practice, hopeful to play against ChiefsIn one of their most dovish statements in more than a decade, Chinese leaders signalled on Mondaythey are ready to deploy whatever stimulus is needed to counter the impact of expected U.S. trade tariffs on next year’s economic growth. After a meeting of top Communist Party officials, the Politburo, officials said they would switch to an “appropriately loose” monetary policy stance, and “more proactive” fiscal levers. The previous “prudent” stance that the central bank had held for the past 14 years coincided with overalldebt – including that of governments, households and companies – jumping more than 5 times. Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded roughly three times over the same period. The Politburo rarely details policy plans, but the shift in its message shows China is willing to go even deeper into debt, prioritising, at least in the near term, growth over financial risks. “From prudent to moderately loose is a big change,” said Shuang Ding, chief economist for Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered. “It leaves a lot of room for imagination.” Tang Yao, associate professor of applied economics at Peking University, says this policy reset is needed, because slower growth would make debt even more difficult to service. “They’ve by-and-large made peace with the fact that the debt-to-GDP ratio is going to rise further,” said Christopher Beddor, deputy China research director at Gavekal Dragonomics, adding that this was no longer “a binding constraint.” It’s unclear how much monetary easing the central bank could deploy and how much more debt the finance ministry could issue next year. But analysts say that works in Beijing’s favour. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January, having threatened tariffs in excess of 60% on U.S. imports of Chinese goods. The timing and the ultimate level of the levies, which a Reuters poll last month predicted at nearly 40% initially, will determine Beijing’s response. “They are willing to do ‘whatever it takes’ to achieve the GDP target,” said Larry Hu, chief China economist at Macquarie. “But they will do so in a reactive way,” Hu said. “How much they will do in 2025 will depend on two things: their GDP target and the new U.S. tariffs.” Next year’s 2025 growth, budget deficit and other targets will be discussed – but not announced – in coming days at an annual meeting of Communist Party leaders, known as the Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC). Reuters reported last month that most government advisers recommend that Beijing should maintain a growth target of around 5%, even though that pace seemed difficult to reach throughout this year. The tone of the Politburo statement suggests that China won’t lower its growth ambitions for 2025, says Zong Liang, chief researcher at state-owned Bank of China. But it also suggests that China is likely to set an initial budget deficit target of around 4%, its highest ever. “Beijing may want to use the ‘around 5.0%’ growth target to show that it won’t cave to Trump’s threatened 60% tariff and other restrictive measures imposed on China,” said Ting Lu, chief China economist at Nomura, who also expects a 4% fiscal deficit, up from 3% in 2024. A one percentage point increase in the deficit amounts to additional stimulus of about 1.3 trillion yuan ($179.4 billion), but China can add to that if needed by issuing off-budget special bonds or allowing local governments to do so. Beijing is expected to gradually take on greater fiscal responsibility as local municipalities are too deep in debt. China is facing strong deflationary pressures as consumers feel less wealthy due to a prolonged property crisis and minimal social welfare. Low household demand is a key risk to growth. In an apparent nod to this risk, the Politburo pledged “unconventional counter-cyclical adjustments” and to “greatly boost consumption.” The new wording suggests the composition of stimulus “will likely differ substantially from past cycles, with more focus on consumption, high-tech manufacturing, and risk containment rather than traditional infrastructure and property investment,” Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note. Morgan Stanley also read the statement as suggesting that elevating consumption will be “the No.1 key task for 2025,” but warned that “implementation remains uncertain.” China has issued increasingly forceful statements on boosting consumption throughout the year, but it has offered little in terms of policies apart from a subsidy scheme for purchases of cars, appliances and a few other goods. What else Beijing is prepared to do to boost consumption is another unknown. But demand-focused measures are key to improve the effectiveness of monetary policy easing in an economy that for decades has put production at its core. “Monetary easing in China is far less potent than it used to be,” said Julian Evans-Pritchard, an analyst at Capital Economics. “There is now limited appetite among households and large parts of the private sector to take on more debt, even at lower rates.” Source: Reuters (Graphics by Kripa Jayaram; writing by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Kim Coghill)

The man charged in the killing of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare reported in online writings over a period of years that he had been navigating a series of life-altering health problems. In posts on a Reddit account, the man, Luigi Mangione , said back pain that had once been a minor issue in his life grew more extreme in 2022 after he went surfing, then grew worse again a few weeks later when he slipped on a piece of paper. He reported persistent problems, including pain when he sat down, twitching leg muscles, and numbness in his groin and bladder. Suspect Luigi Mangione yells as he is taken into the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennyslvania. Credit: AP He shared details that friends have corroborated, writing that he had a spinal fusion surgery in July 2023. He wrote that within days he did not need pain meds and could sit, stand and walk just fine. “The surgery wasn’t nearly as scary as I made it out to be in my head, and I knew it was the right decision within a week,” he wrote in one Reddit post. He went on to encourage others to consider such surgery, pointing to athletes who had done so. An X-ray that he posted on another social media account showed a spinal fusion. The back pain was not his only struggle. He wrote at times about “brain fog” that had worsened during his college years, making studying more difficult. Doctors could not seem to figure out what was happening, he reported. “It’s absolutely brutal to have such a life-halting issue,” he wrote. He also posted on a page for people dealing with irritable bowel syndrome, saying that he had undergone some testing for the condition. He said the testing had been covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield — his only reference in the Reddit writings to insurance coverage. After the back surgery, he returned to Hawaii, where he had previously been living, but by the spring of this year, he had ceased communications with most friends and family members. His family reached out to his friends in recent months in hopes of finding him.Roborock makes history with out-of-this-world video campaign

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The man charged in the killing of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare reported in online writings over a period of years that he had been navigating a series of life-altering health problems. In posts on a Reddit account, the man, Luigi Mangione , said back pain that had once been a minor issue in his life grew more extreme in 2022 after he went surfing, then grew worse again a few weeks later when he slipped on a piece of paper. He reported persistent problems, including pain when he sat down, twitching leg muscles, and numbness in his groin and bladder. Suspect Luigi Mangione yells as he is taken into the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennyslvania. Credit: AP He shared details that friends have corroborated, writing that he had a spinal fusion surgery in July 2023. He wrote that within days he did not need pain meds and could sit, stand and walk just fine. “The surgery wasn’t nearly as scary as I made it out to be in my head, and I knew it was the right decision within a week,” he wrote in one Reddit post. He went on to encourage others to consider such surgery, pointing to athletes who had done so. An X-ray that he posted on another social media account showed a spinal fusion. The back pain was not his only struggle. He wrote at times about “brain fog” that had worsened during his college years, making studying more difficult. Doctors could not seem to figure out what was happening, he reported. “It’s absolutely brutal to have such a life-halting issue,” he wrote. He also posted on a page for people dealing with irritable bowel syndrome, saying that he had undergone some testing for the condition. He said the testing had been covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield — his only reference in the Reddit writings to insurance coverage. After the back surgery, he returned to Hawaii, where he had previously been living, but by the spring of this year, he had ceased communications with most friends and family members. His family reached out to his friends in recent months in hopes of finding him.

India cannot stay out of global technological race, said Jeet Adani. India cannot stay out of global technological race and should build capabilities that will keep it at the top while remaining vigilant against its misuse, said Jeet Adani, Director, Adani Airport Holdings Ltd. Speaking at IIT Bombay's Techfest 2024, Mr Adani, the 27-year old younger son of infrastructure magnate Gautam Adani, said the future of technology is both scary and exciting. "But be it scary or exciting, we cannot afford to ignore technology or even go slow in our use of technology -- either as a nation or as its citizens. India cannot stay out of this global race," he said. "Our generation needs to build capabilities to lead India into this new technological era if we want to stay at the top of our game and realise our dream of Viksit Bharat -- to become a USD 26-trillion economy by 2047," he said. While technology has helped mankind progress, it is also being applied to wrong causes -- fake news, fake photos, fake videos, fake money, online scams, spoofing, phishing, and cyber-crimes. "As the scope and power of technology grows, we must be careful not to let the harmful use of technology overshadow the beneficial use of technology," he said. Technology is only as good as the benefit it provides. "As we stand on the brink of a new AI-empowered world, we must all ask ourselves how to ensure that the vast potential of technology is harnessed for good. There is no limit to where technology can go or lead us, but it is our generation's responsibility to guide its journey," he said. Even as he hailed Google's new quantum computing chip, Willow, as a revolutionary breakthrough with immense potential for positive impact in areas like drug discovery, renewable energy and climate change, he cautioned that such power also comes with responsibility. "What you do with that kind of power is a choice -- whether to solve the world's problems or create new ones." Urging students to anchor their technological pursuits to societal goals, he called on the next generation to drive progress responsibly, ensuring that technology uplifts humanity and fosters inclusivity. India, he noted, has already embraced technology with purpose through initiatives like UPI and Digital India, which have made financial and digital services accessible to millions. India's 180 billion cashless transactions a year is, he pointed out, a far bigger number than every advanced economy, whether it is the US or the UK or Singapore or any of the developed countries in Europe. "India is in overdrive, and for good reason," he said. "Harnessing technology is crucial not just for economic growth but for addressing long-standing challenges in healthcare, education, and governance." At the Adani Group, simulation-based training is improving workplace safety at ports, At Adani-managed airports, innovations like DigiYatra, eGates and the 'aviio' app are enhancing the passenger experience at airports and the conglomerate is turning arid desert of Kutch in Gujarat into the world's largest clean energy project by leveraging cutting-edge technologies to accelerate construction. Promoted Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com "At Khavda (Gujarat), we're adding 25 MW of clean energy every single day," he said. "That's like building a project the size of our earlier global milestone, the Kamuthi solar plant, every month. Khavda is super-massive, and it's driven by the beneficial use of technology to make a real difference." As India aspires to become a USD 26-trillion economy by 2047, Mr Adani's message underscored the critical role of purpose-driven technology in shaping a future that benefits everyone. (Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)5 Private Jets Produced By Dassault Aviation

WASHINGTON , Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected Nova Space Solutions, LLC of Anchorage, Alaska , to provide operations, services, maintenance, and infrastructure support for NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi , and NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans . The Combined Operations, Services, Maintenance, and Infrastructure Contract is a cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price, and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that has a value of approximately $822.7 million . The performance period begins July 1, 2025 , and extends eight years and three months, with a 15-month base period, followed by a one-year option period and three two-year option periods. Under the contract, Nova Space Solutions will be responsible for contract management, logistics, safety, health and environmental compliance, engineering and manufacturing support services, site services, facility operations and maintenance services, and environmental services and program management. NASA's Stennis Space Center is the nation's largest propulsion test site, with infrastructure to support projects ranging from component and subscale testing to large engine hot fires. Researchers from NASA, other government agencies, and private industry use NASA Stennis test facilities for technology and propulsion research and developmental projects. NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, managed by the agency's Marshall Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama , is the nation's premier site for manufacturing and assembly of large-scale space structures and systems. For information about NASA and other agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-awards-operations-services-maintenance-and-infrastructure-contract-302325313.html SOURCE NASA © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

The boys basketball 2024-25 high school season tipped off last Saturday with a handful of contests. As it kicks into full gear this week, we surveyed all of the coaches in Southwest Idaho’s 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A conferences, asking them for the teams to beat and players to watch. Here’s what they had to say. TEAMS TO WATCH MCCALL-DONNELLY: Led by Lewis-Clark State commit Sam Penny, a senior shooting guard, the Vandals are favored to win the 4A Snake River Valley, receiving four of a possible six first-place votes in the preseason coaches’ poll. Penny averaged 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game last season on his way to SRV Player of the Year and second team All-Idaho honors . Fellow senior starters Michael Foster (10.8 ppg, 8 rebounds) and Maddox Arnold (3.3 ppg, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists) add experience to McCall-Donnelly’s lineup as the Vandals aim for a third district championship in the past four seasons. HOMEDALE: The Trojans have played in the district title game four times in five seasons, winning in 2020 and 2023. While Homedale lost to McCall-Donnelly in last year’s district championship, the Trojans turned the tables by eliminating the Vandals from the state tournament . Seven players are back from that team, including four starters, led by senior guard Luke Henry (second team all-conference) and senior post McCoy Swallow (honorable mention). All but two of the Trojans’ varsity players also play football, which advanced to the 4A title game, meaning Homedale may start slow as the team transitions from one sport to another. AMBROSE: The reigning 2A state champions haven’t lost any respect with the move to the 3A WIC, where they were tabbed the favorite in a preseason poll of the league’s coaches. Three returning starters in senior point guard Lincoln Mathis (10 ppg, 7 rebounds), senior shooting guard Tristen Trevino (10 ppg) and junior power forward Mark Yenor (5 rebounds) will form the backbone of the Archers’ roster. First-year coach Jordan Whittenburg says Ambrose won’t abandon its defensive identity, as the Archers are known for a pressure-cooker D that thrives on turnovers. LIBERTY CHARTER: Having won three straight district championships and gone unbeaten in league play the past two years, the Patriots received top billing in the 2A WIC despite the return of just one starter from last year’s state-qualifying team. Senior guard/wing Stephen Roskum is Liberty Charter’s top returning scorer at 7 points per game, but the Patriots will need to find more weapons after graduating 85% of their scoring from a year ago. Senior wing Aidyn Camarillo, freshman point guard Tyden Blacker and senior guard Owen Henrickson should pick up some of that slack, coach Seth Stallcop said. GARDEN VALLEY: The Wolverines have consistently finished at the top of the league standings, having won four district championships in six seasons. Garden Valley edged rival Cascade by two points for the top spot in a preseason poll of 1A Long Pin coaches, and it will benefit from the return of three starters from a team that lost in the third-place game at state last season. The trio of guards Madix Miller (11.1 ppg), Maxon Yearsley (10.5 ppg) and Trevor Corn headline the Wolverines’ aggressive full-court press, and all three were all-conference honorees last season. TEAM CAPSULES Teams are listed in order of their predicted finish from the preseason coaches’ polls. 4A SRV 1. MCCALL-DONNELLY Last season: 19-3, 10-0 3A SRV Coach: Jason Tinney, 13th season Players to watch: Sam Penny, sr., SG; Michael Foster, sr., PF; Maddox Arnold, sr., PG; Sam Scott, jr., SG 2. HOMEDALE Last season: 10-15, 7-3 3A SRV Coach: Cam Long, sixth season Players to watch: Luke Henry, sr., G; Alex Sotelo, sr., PG; Angel Contreras, sr., G; McCoy Swallow, sr., P 3. COLE VALLEY CHRISTIAN Last season: 25-3, 14-0 2A WIC Coach: Leif Karlberg, first season Players to watch: Isaiah Holsinger, jr., PG; Adam Ashmead, sr., SG; Kaden Krogh, jr., F 4. WEISER Last season: 14-9, 6-4 3A SRV Coach: Ron Shirts, second season Players to watch: Kolin Cook, sr., G; Josh Mizar, sr., G/F; Isai Herrera, sr., P 5. FRUITLAND Last season: 9-16, 4-6 3A SRV Coach: Darren Van Hofwegen, second season Players to watch: Titus Vidlak, so., G; Zeke Van Hofwegen, jr., G; Konnor Clarich, jr., P 6. PAYETTE Last season: 1-21, 0-9 3A SRV Coach: Chris Schultz, first season Players to watch: Michael Ocampo, jr., G/W; Nathan Cisneros, sr., G/W; Josh Rodriguez, sr., SG; Dusk Brooks, sr., G 3A WIC 1. AMBROSE Last season: 21-6, 10-4 2A WIC Coach: Jordan Whittenburg, first season Players to watch: Lincoln Mathis, sr., PG; Tristen Trevino, sr., SG; Mark Yenor, jr., PF; Zane Gammon, so., G T-2. MELBA Last season: 15-10, 9-5 2A WIC Coach: David Lenz, first season Players to watch: Rylan Frank, sr., PG; Carsten Volkers, sr., F; Wyatt Hansen, sr., G T-2. NAMPA CHRISTIAN Last season: 17-8, 8-6 2A WIC Coach: Matthew Gregory, fourth season Did not respond to the Statesman’s preseason survey. 4. MARSING Last season: 9-14, 3-11 2A WIC Coach: Lamon Loucks, first season Players to watch: Teagan Kinney, sr., G; Jace Chadez, sr., G; Juan Ponce, jr., G 5. NEW PLYMOUTH Last season: 17-7, 9-5 2A WIC Did not respond to the Statesman’s preseason survey. 6. PARMA Last season: 7-15, 2-7 3A SRV Coach: Tanner Kramer, second season Players to watch: Nathan Compas, jr., PG; Trevor Mann, jr., SF; Jeb Hansen, jr., PF 7. VISION CHARTER Last season: 11-12, 6-4 1A WIC Coach: Jason George, fourth season Players to watch: Kamden Stoker, sr., W/PF; Dakota Williams, sr., W/G; Payton Williams, jr., G; Jace Duffel, jr., G 2A WIC 1. LIBERTY CHARTER Last season: 19-7, 10-0 1A WIC Coach: Seth Stallcop, 18th season Players to watch: Stephen Roskum, sr, G/W; Aidyn Camarillo, sr., W; Tyden Blacker, fr., PG; Owen Henrickson, sr., G 2. VICTORY CHARTER Last season: 20-7, 9-1 1A WIC Coach: David C. Weaver, third season Players to watch: Cody Luce, sr., G; Jett Wood, sr., G 3. COMPASS CHARTER Last season: 6-16, 2-12 2A WIC Coach: Shane Tolman, second season Players to watch: Kellen Walbuck, sr., G; Mason Bennett, sr., G; Jayden Horn, sr., F; Beau Bristol, sr., C/PF 4. NORTH STAR CHARTER Last season: 2-20, 1-13 2A WIC Coach: Kevin Hutchens, first season Players to watch: Kyle Wheeler, sr., W; Logan Ellis, so., PF/C; Timothy Baros, so., W 5. RIVERSTONE Last season: 17-8, 7-2 1A WIC Coach: Nicholas Kitnikone, first season Players to watch: Amer Sangha, sr., PG; Emerson Bava, jr., PF; Conrad Ness, sr., SF 6. NOTUS Last season: 13-8, 6-4 1A WIC Coach: Brad Huter, first season Players to watch: Luis Vargas, sr., W; Benny Guevara, sr., W; Derrick Huter, jr., G; Caleb Cudaback, jr., W 7. RIMROCK Last season: 9-14, 5-5 1A WIC Coach: Wylee Aquiso, second season Did not respond to the Statesman’s preseason survey. 8. WILDER Last season: 3-18, 2-8 1A WIC Coach: Rudy Cortez, first season Players to watch: Kyevan Gephart, sr., PG; Julian Neri, sr., SG; Brandon Perez, sr., F 9. IDAHO CITY Last season: 10-11, 5-4 1A WIC Coach: Al Hansen, third season Players to watch: Trey Martini, sr., W; Michael Kazmeric, jr., P; Sean Rossett, so., G 10. GEM STATE Last season: 3-12, 1-9 1A WIC Coach: Benjamin White, first season Players to watch: Jakob Evenson, fr., PG; Rowan Hendricks, sr., C; Orion Chavez, sr., PG 11. CENTENNIAL BAPTIST Last season: 1-18, 0-10 1A WIC Coach: Brent Mai, seventh season Players to watch: Cameron Tilzey, sr., G; Karson Sams, so., P; Caleb West, jr., G 1A LONG PIN 1. GARDEN VALLEY Last season: 22-4, 9-1 1A Long Pin Coach: Heather Kelly, fourth season Players to watch: Madix Miller, jr., G; Maxon Yearsley, jr., G; Trevor Corn, sr., G 2. CASCADE Last season: 19-7, 9-1 1A Long Pin Coach: Josh Hurley, fourth season Did not respond to the Statesman’s preseason survey. 3. COUNCIL Last season: 8-14, 4-6 1A Long Pin Coach: JC Tucker, second season Players to watch: Tucker Laine, sr., G; Decker McLinn, sr., G; Garrison Zielinski, jr., PG; Wade Vinning, sr., P 4. TRI-VALLEY Last season: 7-12, 3-7 1A Long Pin Coach: Lee Nichols Did not respond to the Statesman’s preseason survey. T-5. GREENLEAF Last season: 5-19, 3-7 1A WIC Coach: Eric Christianson, fourth season Players to watch: Not provided T-5. SALMON RIVER Last season: 2-18, 0-10 1A Long Pin Coach: Mike Shepherd, fourth season Players to watch: Aaron Markley, jr., F; Kingston Pyle, so., F; Blake Shepherd, so., G; Gage Crump, fr., G 7. HORSESHOE BEND Last season: 13-12, 5-5 1A Long Pin Coach: Terrik Foote, first season Players to watch: Trey Bauer, sr., PG; Colby Swan, sr., C; Lukken March, jr., SG 6A SIC boys basketball preview: Picking the league’s preseason favorites and contenders Boys basketball preview: Preseason picks for the 5A SIC’s favorites and dark horses

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The Bosler Memorial Library will celebrate its 125th birthday in 2025. Every resident of Carlisle and Cumberland County should recognize and be proud of this fact. If the Bosler Memorial Library does not receive increased funding from the Cumberland County commissioners, it will be forced to make difficult decisions regarding operating hours, collections, programs, services and staffing. Libraries serve as a conduit to access information and to learn, encourage social inclusion and equity, foster civic engagement, create a bridge to resources and community involvement, and promote economic vitality within the community (Scott, R., 2011). When political jurisdictions come under budget constraints (real, imagined or manufactured), elected and appointed officials will look to reduce or eliminate budget line items that are soft and vulnerable targets. Cuts to public libraries can be such targets. For budget hawks, the existence of vast amounts of information, most of it free, on the Internet suggests that public libraries have outlived their usefulness, that they have become irrelevant. (Barclay, D., 2017). Not so! In the 10-year period 1993-2013, there was a dramatic increase in the number of visits to libraries—497,600,000 more! This despite the use of the aforementioned Internet (Barclay, D., 2017). There are several reasons people are still drawn to public libraries. The one big, obvious reason is that the physical space offered cannot be replicated in the online environment. This is a compelling enough reason to support and embrace the public library system. There are, of course, many other reasons. So, I urge the Cumberland County commissioners to increase funding to the county library system. And, I urge all the citizens of Cumberland County to reach out to the commissioners and encourage them to find sufficient room in the budget to support the county libraries. Thomas J. Arminio Captain, USN (Ret.) Carlisle Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly![Kim Seong-kon] The yo-yo phenomenon in Korea's political climate

NoneAccording to the latest labour force numbers released by Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remains well below the national average. For the month of November, the provincial rate was 5.6 per cent, which compared to the national average of 6.8 per cent. The province also added 8,400 new jobs year-over-year. “Saskatchewan’s economy remains strong, with 8,400 jobs added and the lowest unemployment rate in Canada,” Deputy Premier and Immigration and Career Training Minister Jim Reiter said in a news release. “Opportunities provided by our growing economy and measures passed to ensure the province remains the most affordable place to live, work and raise a family in Canada.” Year-over-year, full-time employment increased by 5,900, an increase of 1.2 per cent. Female employment is up 4,600 an increase of 1.7 per cent, and male employment is up 3,700, an increase of 1.2 per cent. Major year-over-year gains were reported for health care and social assistance, up 11,700, an increase of 13.5 per cent; accommodation and food services, up 4,100, an increase of 13.6 per cent; and forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas, up 2,800, an increase of 14.1 per cent. The provincial NDP however pointing out Prince Albert and the Northern economic area of Saskatchewan lost 800 jobs in November. Overall, there are 400 fewer jobs in the region since Scott Moe became Premier in February 2018, the opposition stated in a press release. “The Sask. Party Government has left us in last place on full time job creation,” said Kim Breckner, Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Trade & Export Development. “We need good-paying jobs for people in Prince Albert, in the North and right across Saskatchewan. “We need an economic plan for the future, especially during a period of great uncertainty with the potential of tariffs threatened by the incoming U.S. President and the ongoing affordability crisis.” Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck has advocated for prioritizing Saskatchewan jobs and workers, lower taxes for small businesses, retrofit programs for aging buildings and increased policing to keep communities safe. “We want to invest in local economic development to create a domino effect across the region,” Breckner said. “We will continue to propose ideas to get Saskatchewan’s economy out of last place.” panews@pattisonmedia.com On X: @princealbertnow

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