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Asbury Automotive: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:08:28 GMT

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Asbury Automotive Group Inc. (ABG) on Tuesday reported first-quarter profit of $181.4 million.The Duluth, Georgia-based company said it had net income of $8.37 per share.The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $7.94 per share.The auto dealership chain posted revenue of $3.58 billion in the period, which did not meet Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $3.7 billion.Asbury Automotive shares have increased 15% since the beginning of the year. The stock has climbed 29% in the last 12 months._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on ABG at https://www.zacks.com/ap/ABGSource

Shots fired during attempted robbery at University of Colorado Boulder

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:08:28 GMT

Editors note: Originally, CU Police said an armed robbery occurred at Williams Village, but later confirmed it was an attempted robbery BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — The University of Colorado Boulder police reported an attempted armed robbery with shots fired near dorms on campus early Tuesday morning. A campus-wide emergency alert was sent out at 3:55 a.m. from CU Police about an armed robbery that took place at CU Williams Village. Williams Village is located east of the main campus at 3300 Baseline Road and is home to undergraduate students. At around 6:30 a.m., officials with CU police said that after an investigation it was an attempted robbery that took place and no one was robbed.According to the alert, two suspects who were dressed in dark clothing allegedly fired shots in the area and then fled in a white Jeep Cherokee towards Baseline Road. CU Boulder police investigating reported sexual assault CU Police said no injuries were reported in the crime. They believe the suspects ...

AI boosts productivity by 14% in real-world study, especially for least-skilled workers

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:08:28 GMT

(WSVN) — In a recent study on artificial intelligence (AI), workers who utilized AI tools were found to be 14% more productive than those who did not. The study, which was conducted in a real-world setting by researchers at Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also revealed that the least-skilled workers benefited the most from AI.The findings of this study are significant as more and more companies are planning to integrate AI into their offerings. AI has been touted as a game-changer in the workplace, with its ability to automate repetitive tasks and provide data-driven insights.Researchers analyzed data from a group of customer service workers at a Fortune 500 software firm who were given access to generative AI tools. The AI assistant was trained on a large set of successful customer service conversations to help workers determine the best language to use on customers. They compared their productivity levels with a group of workers who did not...

Humza said what now? 7 things we never thought we’d hear from Scotland’s first minister

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:08:28 GMT

LONDON — Humza Yousaf hasn’t had the easiest ride as Scotland’s new first minister. And he’ll happily tell you that himself.As Yousaf wondered how he would tackle the already overflowing in-tray that greeted him when he replaced Nicola Sturgeon, his Scottish National Party was rocked by the arrests of senior figures as part of a police probe into the party’s finances.Yousaf has fronted up throughout the crisis, taking questions from journalists in impromptu huddles almost every day and releasing new information about the party’s finances seemingly as soon as he is made aware of it.But while that openness has earned him credit with journalists, not everyone thinks putting himself front-and-center — and delivering some eyebrow-raising lines while he’s at it — is a great idea.“[Yousaf] thinks he has the political skills to smooth things out but with every DING! of his hammer he’s slowly creating a wreck,” Blair McDougall, the former boss ...

UMass Amherst to celebrate campus installation of Berlin Wall segment 

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:08:28 GMT

UMass Amherst will celebrate the installation of a 12-foot segment of the Berlin Wall painted by famed French artist Thierry Noir on Tuesday afternoon. The event will be held at 2 p.m. on the Memorial Hall patio. Sonja Kreibich, Consul General of Germany to the New England States, will join UMass President Marty Meehan, UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and other campus officials for the celebration, which is the highlight of a week of art exhibitions and film screenings related to the structure’s history, impact and legacy.Donated to the university by the family of Eric Hanson, the wall segment painted by Noir is titled “The Power of Creativity over Concrete.” In the 1980s, Noir, credited with being the first artist to paint the Berlin Wall, risked arrest by East German authorities for illicitly painting on the west side of the wall three meters beyond the western border. Noir ultimately painted nearly six kilome...

New York court rules in favor of the Nationals and against the Orioles in yearslong MASN financial dispute

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:08:28 GMT

An arbitration committee of Major League Baseball executives was unbiased when it made a decision in a financial dispute between the Orioles and Washington Nationals, New York’s highest court ruled Tuesday.In the decision — a win for the Nationals — the New York Court of Appeals rejected the Orioles’ appeal and their argument that MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred were biased against them.The Orioles could, in theory, appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but it’s unlikely the court would accept the case. The decision Tuesday could pave the way for the Nationals to receive roughly $100 million that the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network placed in escrow in 2019.The teams have disagreed for years as to how much revenue from MASN each team should receive. MASN is co-owned by the clubs, with the Orioles controlling a majority stake.“By affirming the confirmation of the second arbitration award and directing that the money judgment be vacated, we hold the highly ...

From Embiid to Oladipo, NBA players with overwhelming admiration for Butler’s 56: ‘Crazy’, ‘Animal’, ‘That Dude’

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:08:28 GMT

Sometimes it is about more than the competition.Sometimes it is about the admiration.Monday night was one of those moments, after Jimmy Butler scored 56 points for the No. 8 Miami Heat in the rousing comeback victory over the No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks that has Butler’s team within one victory of one of the most shocking NBA playoff upsets in decades.So almost in unison, Butler’s peers took to social media to cite and salute.From sidelined teammate Victor Oladipo:From former 76ers teammate Joel Embiid:From Warriors forward Draymond Green:From former Heat teammate Kelly Olynyk:From Knicks guard and potential second-round opponent Jason Hart:What Charles Barkley had to say: ()

Prince William got ‘very large sum’ in phone hack settlement

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:08:28 GMT

By BRIAN MELLEY (Associated Press)LONDON (AP) — Prince William, the heir to the British throne, quietly received “a very large sum of money” in a 2020 settlement with the British newspaper arm of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire for phone hacking, according to court documents aired Tuesday in one of his brother’s lawsuits.Prince Harry’s lawyer made the revelation in a summary of arguments about why Harry’s lawsuit against the publisher of The Sun and now-defunct News Of The World should not be thrown out. The suit alleges the newspapers unlawfully gathered information in a scandal dating back two decades.News Group Newspapers, which Murdoch owns, argued that a High Court judge should throw out phone hacking lawsuits by the prince and actor Hugh Grant because the claims were brought too late.But Harry, the Duke of Sussex, said he was prevented from bringing his case because of a secret agreement between the royal family and the newspapers that called for a settlement and apology. The de...

Rape lawsuit trial against Donald Trump set to get underway

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:08:28 GMT

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and JENNIFER PELTZ (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, former President Donald Trump has seemed to shake off allegations, investigations and even impeachments. Now his “Teflon Don” reputation is about to face a new test: a jury of average citizens in a lawsuit accusing him of rape.Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in a trial over former advice columnist’s E. Jean Carroll’s claim that Trump raped her nearly three decades ago in a department store dressing room. He denies it.The trial is in a federal civil court, meaning that no matter the outcome, Trump isn’t in danger of going to jail. He isn’t required to be in court, either, and his lawyers have indicated he most likely won’t testify.But the trial, which comes as Trump is again running for president, still has the potential to be politically damaging for the Republican. The jury is poised to hear a reprisal of stories of sexual misconduct tha...

Germany detains Syrian suspected of planning Islamist attack

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:08:28 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities have detained a Syrian man on suspicion of planning to carry out an explosives attack motivated by Islamic extremism, officials said Tuesday.Federal police said officers detained the 28-year-old man early Tuesday in the northern city of Hamburg.Investigators say the man is suspected of trying to obtain substances online that would have allowed him to manufacturer an explosive belt “in order to carry out an attack against civilian targets.”Police say the man was encouraged and supported in his action by his 24-year-old brother, who lives in the southern town of Kempten. The men, whose names weren’t immediately released, are described as being motivated by “radical Islamist and jihadist” views.Authorities said they had no information indicating a concrete target for the planned attack.Police searched properties in Hamburg and Kempten, seizing large amounts of evidence including chemical substances, officials said. Some 250 officers were involved ...