fc188.ph By Elizabeth Ayoola, NerdWallet The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments. Kids are often pretty good at being consumers. If you’re a parent with a small business, you have the opportunity to show your kids firsthand what it means to be a producer. Small Business Saturday, which takes place on Nov. 30 this year, may be a great time to do just that. Small Business Saturday was established by American Express in 2010 and encourages consumers to patronize their local stores as a way to keep dollars circulating within their community. Here are three reasons you should consider getting your kids involved in Small Business Saturday, according to two mompreneurs. Ronne Brown is the owner of HERLISTIC, a plant-derived beauty and feminine care brand in Washington, D.C. She’s been participating in Small Business Saturday since she established her business in 2020. The entrepreneur gets her kids (ages 24, 18 and 12), plus her bonus daughter, 10, to help out on Small Business Saturday and beyond. Brown’s kids help with customer service, shipping and fulfillment tasks. That could include counting inventory, quality control or packaging boxes. Other times, help looks like Brown’s 12-year-old daughter keeping her up-to-date with TikTok trends and influencers in the beauty field. “I just want them to understand the price and the value of a dollar and what it actually costs to make it,” Brown says. The mompreneur also hopes her kids learn the benefits of commitment and hard work. “What I want to show them is that you have to work hard every day. And there are gonna be moments where you’re gonna be tired, you’re gonna be exhausted, and you’re not gonna want to do things, and you’re going to have to push through,” she says. Hiring your kids to do legitimate work during Small Business Saturday provides a chance for them to learn pillars needed for a strong financial foundation: earning money , saving money and investing. That said, before hiring kids, it’s critical to understand the child labor laws for your state in addition to the IRS’ rules around hiring kids. Brown says she pays all of her children, including her 24-year-old son who is on payroll. Additionally, she teaches them about investing in the stock market. “I want them to understand the importance of making money, but also investing the money that they’re making,” she says. “Because when I pay them, I always ask them, ‘so what are you gonna do to double this money?’” If you hire your minor kids, they could get a headstart on investing by putting some of their income into a custodial Roth IRA , which requires earned income to open. You could also open them a custodial brokerage account. Another perk of your kids earning income by working for you is that they may be exempt from paying federal income taxes if they earn less than the standard deduction . In 2024, that threshold is $14,600. Having your kids add helping hands, whether it be doing administrative tasks or helping customers, can ensure you keep up with a potential increase in sales. A 2024 NerdWallet holiday spending report found that 16% of 2024 holiday shoppers plan to shop on Small Business Saturday this year. Lisset Tresvant, owner of Glow Esthetics Spa in Hollywood, Florida, has been participating in Small Business Saturday since the genesis of her business in 2019. “I do tend to sell more because people are usually more inclined to purchase because of the sales, and it gives them a reason to support us,” she says. To help with the demand, Tresvant’s daughter, 12, and son, 9, fill her skincare products, add labels and help prep items for shipping. Tresvant says she decided to let her kids get involved in her business so they have a better understanding of what she does. Looking beyond Small Business Saturday, hiring your child can also help with succession planning , which is about planning for your departure from your business. Tresvant hopes to pass hers down to her kids one day. “They understand that I’m building this legacy just for not myself, but for them as well,” says Tresvant. Elizabeth Ayoola writes for NerdWallet. Email: eayoola@nerdwallet.com. The article 3 Reasons to Involve Your Kids in Small Business Saturday originally appeared on NerdWallet .HYDERABAD - The Member National Assembly and president Pakistan Muslim League (N) minority wing Sindh Kheeal Daas Kohistani has said that Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is the builder of Nation and always think for the welfare of the people. He expressed these views while addressing a ceremony in connection with 75th Birthday of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif here at Qasimabad on Sunday. MNA said that M Nawaz Sharif pay respect to his million party workers and strive for the welfare of people irrespective of their religion.caste and political attachment. He said that today’s prosperity is seen in every segment of life and cities credit goes to Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif who established motorways which are a gift for the people of Pakistan. At the time of constructing motorways, it was being said that Nawaz Sharif has constructed it only for him but in fact Nawaz Sharif wanted to connect whole country through motorways and now this project has listed among high level of motorways in the world. Nisar Khuhro calls on federal govt to withdraw from controversial canal project Kheeal Dass refuted the impression that Nawaz Sharif has not worked for the betterment of Sindh and said that Mian Nawaz Sharif has always been worried for Sindh and never leave Sindhi people alone regarding their numerous issues particularly prevailing water canal issue and never allow to make land of Sindh barren at any cost. Tags: nawaz sharif welfare people

Finnish MP skips Independence Day gala to join nationalist torch march

Kam Jones scored 20 points and dished with 10 assists to lead the No. 10 Marquette Golden Eagles to a 94-62 victory over the visiting Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee. Jones added six rebounds for Marquette (8-0), which is off to its best start since winning 10 straight to begin the 2011-12 campaign that ended with a Sweet 16 appearance. Ben Gold added 12 points, while Stevie Mitchell scored 10 and had three steals. David Joplin, Caedin Hamilton and Royce Parham each netted nine points for the Golden Eagles. The Catamounts (2-4) were led by Bernard Pelote's 13 points and eight boards. Jamar Livingston chipped in 10 points and CJ Hyland bundled five points with five rebounds and six assists. Marquette controlled most of the game, thanks largely to 51.4 percent shooting and 21 takeaways. The Golden Eagles built a 16-point lead in the first half before Western Carolina clawed within 37-28 with 3:55 left. Marquette responded with a 12-2 run to take a 49-30 advantage into the break, its largest lead of the game to that point. The game quickly got out of hand from there, with the Golden Eagles eventually scoring 11 straight points to push its lead to 81-45 with 7:15 remaining. Marquette finished with 26 points off of Catamount turnovers and hit 14 of 40 shots (35.0 percent) from 3-point range. The win wasn't all smooth sailing for the Golden Eagles, who lost backup guard Zaide Lowery to an apparent left knee injury. Lowery was helped off the court and into the locker room by his teammates with 1:36 left in the game. Saturday's game was a final tune-up for Marquette, which has three challenging games coming up against No. 5 Iowa State, No. 15 Wisconsin and Dayton before Big East conference play begins Dec. 18. --Field Level MediaThe Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has granted bail to senior journalist Matiullah Jan, who was arrested after an alleged confrontation with police at a security checkpoint in Pakistan's Islamabad, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. ATC judge Tahir Abbas Sipra on Saturday approved Jan's bail plea against surety bonds worth Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 10,000 each and directed authorities to release the journalist. Also read: 17 terrorists killed in helicopter gunship strikes in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Earlier, Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the two-day physical remand of Matiullah Jan. Chief Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued the orders and asked authorities to consider Matiullah Jan in judicial custody. Earlier, the physical remand of Jan was challenged in Islamabad High Court (IHC). According to details, journalist's lawyer Imaan Mazari had filed the plea, challenging the verdict of the ATC judge Tahir Abbas Sipra. On Friday, the Anti-Terrorism Court sent senior journalist Matiullah Jan on a two-day physical remand in a case filed in Margalla police station, as reported by ARY News. According to the details, the ATC judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the reserved verdict where the police had requested a 30-day physical remand of Matiullah Jan. However, the court approved two-day physical remand of journalist. Jan was arrested in Islamabad and a case was registered against him at the Margalla police station, ARY News reported. According to the FIR, the driver allegedly tried to run over law enforcer who signalled him to stop the car. The driver reportedly drove the vehicle towards the personnel, putting their lives at risk. The personnel managed to stop the vehicle by placing a barrier on the route. Also read: Islamabad violence: 6 killed in clashes amid protests for Imran Khan's release Matiullah Jan's name is mentioned in the case and the FIR stated that the journalist was on drugs as ice was recovered from the car's seat. The case against Jan includes charges of attempted murder and other serious offence, ARY News reported. Following his arrest, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for release of Matiullah Jan. In a statement, CPJ said, "Pakistan authorities must immediately and unconditionally release senior journalist Matiullah Jan and stop harassing him for his journalistic work." Expressing displeasure over his arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ's Asia program coordinator, Beh Lih Yi said, "CPJ is dismayed by the arrest of Pakistani journalist Matiullah Jan following his coverage of protests in Islamabad. The Pakistani authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Jan and ensure that journalists are not subjected to retaliation for their reporting." Similarly, human rights organisation Amnesty International took to X to demand release of Jan and called charges against him "politically motivated." Amnesty International called Jan's "arbitrary detention" on "trumped up charges" "an affront on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom", Dawn reported. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has urged Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to intervene in the matter and secure immediate release of Jan, according to Dawn report. In a statement, PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari condemned his arrest.The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan demanded Jan's "immediate and unconditional release."LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.”

GSA Capital Partners LLP decreased its stake in shares of Village Farms International, Inc. ( NASDAQ:VFF – Free Report ) by 27.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 283,045 shares of the company’s stock after selling 105,177 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP owned 0.25% of Village Farms International worth $263,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VFF. Certified Advisory Corp raised its position in shares of Village Farms International by 56.1% during the second quarter. Certified Advisory Corp now owns 41,750 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 15,000 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC raised its holdings in Village Farms International by 182.4% during the 1st quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 63,184 shares of the company’s stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 40,811 shares during the last quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Village Farms International by 73.3% during the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 111,327 shares of the company’s stock valued at $114,000 after purchasing an additional 47,075 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new position in shares of Village Farms International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $449,000. Finally, Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted its stake in shares of Village Farms International by 23.1% in the 2nd quarter. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft now owns 455,559 shares of the company’s stock valued at $464,000 after purchasing an additional 85,559 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 12.15% of the company’s stock. Insider Buying and Selling at Village Farms International In other Village Farms International news, CEO Michael A. Degiglio sold 223,424 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.01, for a total transaction of $225,658.24. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 9,734,703 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,832,050.03. This trade represents a 2.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . In the last 90 days, insiders sold 364,894 shares of company stock worth $365,889. Insiders own 11.50% of the company’s stock. Village Farms International Stock Performance Village Farms International Company Profile ( Free Report ) Village Farms International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and sells greenhouse-grown tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers in North America. It operates through four segments: Produce, Cannabis-Canada, Cannabis-U.S., and Energy. The company also produces and supplies cannabis products to other licensed providers and provincial governments in Canada and internationally; develops and sells cannabinoid-based health and wellness products, including ingestible, edibles, and topical applications; and produces power. Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Village Farms International Find and Profitably Trade Stocks at 52-Week Lows Vertiv’s Cool Tech Makes Its Stock Red-Hot What Are Dividend Achievers? An Introduction MarketBeat Week in Review – 11/18 – 11/22 What Does a Gap Up Mean in Stocks? How to Play the Gap 2 Finance Stocks With Competitive Advantages You Can’t Ignore Receive News & Ratings for Village Farms International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Village Farms International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. In the realm of sports media, it came as a surprise news broke that TNT’s famous basketball pre- and post-game show "Inside the NBA" would be moving to ESPN. One of its stars was just as shocked as the rest of us after finding out when everyone else did. Charles Barkley , who stars on "Inside the NBA" alongside Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny "The Jet" Smith, recently said that there was no word from Warner Bros’ Discovery’s Turner Sports about the move before he learned when the news broke. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Charles Barkley autographs during the In-Season Tournament game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers on December 7, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images) "I’ll tell you what’s fun," Barkley said on "The Bettor Angle" show on BetQL network . "They haven’t even told us we lost the NBA. "We have to hear it through the media. And even this thins with ABC/ESPN, I heard about it on the internet. Scott Van Pelt, Brian Windhorst, Elle Duncan, Bob Myers, all friends of whine who I really like a lot. They texted me welcoming me to the ESPN family. I’m like, ‘What happened?’ TNT didn’t even have the courtesy." CHARLES BARKLEY SAYS HE TURNED DOWN ‘MINIMUM OF $100 MILLION’ TO STAY WITH TNT Barkley added that it felt like the "Inside the NBA" team "got traded," but considering his time playing in the NBA, it’s common courtesy to let that person know before it makes the news. "If I was going to trade somebody that I had respect for and appreciate, I would at least give them a heads up," he said. "I wouldn’t let them hear about it from other people or the internet." Before this move, Barkley had been really vocal about Turner Sports’ rift with its NBA media rights, with "Inside the NBA," a program the famous quartet have been a part of since 2000, potentially closing up shop. Jan 21, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns former player Charles Barkley in attendance at Footprint Center. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports) Back in August, after the NBA signed a new media rights deal with ESPN, NBC and Amazon Prime, Barkley said that he could’ve gone anywhere, but wanted to stay with the team he knew for over two decades. He later backtracked his statement that this season would be his last, saying he wanted to work with TNT leaders to develop new shows and more sports content. TNT felt they weren’t able to fairly match the new deal, leading to a lawsuit that was eventually settled with the two sides inking multi-year agreements that would continue "Inside the NBA." Then, ESPN confirmed reports last week, saying an agreement was struck with TNT Sports where, except when the show goes on the road, TNT would continue independently produce the show from its Atlanta studios with the foursome intact. It will, however, appear on ESPN and ABC starting in the 2025-26 season. TNT basketball analyst Charles Barkley on air before the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the North Carolina State Wolfpack at State Farm Stadium on April 06, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Next season begins the 11-year media rights extension ESPN has with the NBA. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.NoneSEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks took a bumpy path to sole possession of first place in the NFC West. featured several special teams miscues, including a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by New York. On the flip side, the Seahawks got their second pick-6 in as many weeks and just enough production by Geno Smith and the offense. The Seahawks’ uneven performance was characteristic of a season in which they started 3-0, then lost five of six before winning another three in a row to take command of their underachieving division. Seattle (7-5) leads Arizona by one game, with a matchup against the Cardinals looming next weekend. Zach Charbonnet gave Seattle its first lead of the day on an 8-yard touchdown run with 5:37 to go, and the Seahawks’ defense capped another strong outing with a game-sealing stop on fourth down. After a sack by Leonard Williams gave the Jets a fourth-and-15 at the 34-yard line, Aaron Rodgers threw a desperation pass to Garrett Wilson that fell incomplete, giving Seattle the ball with 33 seconds left. What’s working Williams is on a tear. After losing out on NFC defensive player of the week honors last week to teammate Coby Bryant despite 2 1/2 sacks and four quarterback hits, “Big Cat” had an even better game. Williams finished with two sacks, three tackles for loss, a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown that was the longest pick-6 in NFL history by a defensive lineman, and a blocked extra point. The touchdown was the first of Williams’ career. He became since 1982 with multiple sacks, an interception return for a touchdown and a blocked kick in a game. Maybe this week the league will agree he was the NFC’s best defender. What needs help The special teams could not have been much worse in the first half. The Seahawks fumbled three kickoffs, losing two, and allowed Kene Nwangwu’s 99-yard kickoff return for a TD. Dee Williams fumbled on a kickoff in the first quarter to give New York the ball at the 27-yard line, and four plays later, Rodgers hit Isaiah Davis for a touchdown to give the Jets a 14-0 lead. Laviska Shenault Jr. muffed two kicks and fumbled at the Seattle 38-yard line in the second quarter. Seattle also had an extra point blocked. Stock up Smith led his third game-winning drive of the season and his 11th since he became Seattle’s starting quarterback in 2022. Facing the team that drafted him in 2013, Smith went 20 of 31 for 206 yards and a touchdown. For the first time in five weeks, he was not intercepted. The Seahawks trailed by 14 points on two occasions, but Smith brought Seattle back while avoiding the untimely picks that dogged him recently. He threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Barner in the second quarter, and led the Seahawks on a go-ahead nine-play, 71-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. Stock down Coach Mike Macdonald and his staff have to address the problem with their kick returners, Shenault and Dee Williams. Two lost fumbles and several muffs could have easily cost Seattle the game. Injuries WR DK Metcalf left the game briefly with a knee issue but returned. ... P Michael Dickson was unavailable in the fourth quarter because of back spasms. Key number 38 — The Seahawks decided to go for it on fourth-and-6 at their own 33-yard line with 9:34 left in the game. A primary reason was that Dickson was unavailable to punt because of back spasms. The Jets were flagged for having 12 men on the field after sending a punt returner out, which gave Seattle fourth-and-1 at the 38. The Seahawks got a first down after Jets cornerback Quantez Stiggers was flagged for pass interference on Metcalf, and eight players later, Charbonnet scored to put Seattle ahead. Without going for it on fourth down from their own 38, the Seahawks likely would’ve lost. Up next The Seahawks will seek a season sweep of the Cardinals. ___ AP NFL:

DETROIT — The auto industry has an addiction. It’s a “capital junkie” that’s been on a yearslong binge of unprecedented spending on all-electric and autonomous vehicles. And now, it’s waking up from the bender and entering rehab. Automakers from Detroit to Japan and Germany are attempting to lower costs and reduce expenses amid economic concerns, billions of dollars wasted on self-driving vehicles and a prolonged, if not uncertain, return on investment in EVs amid slower-than-expected adoption. Those issues come in addition to weakening consumer demand, higher commodity costs, and some Wall Street analysts sounding the alarm about global automotive sales and profits peaking, as China’s industry continues to expand. General Motors and Ford Motor are cutting billions in fixed costs, including laying off thousands of workers, while other automakers such as Nissan Motor , Volkswagen Group and Chrysler parent Stellantis are taking even more drastic measures to reduce headcounts and trim spending. “Western [automakers] are increasingly focusing on capital efficiency, meaning likely lower spending, more collaboration, and restructured EV portfolios to prioritize profits,” Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said in a September investor note. The automotive industry is a global web of companies producing tens of thousands of parts to assemble a new vehicle. It requires significant capital investment every time an automaker launches a new product or updates current models, causing a spending ripple effect throughout the global supply chain. But in recent years, automakers have put such investments in overdrive with self-driving and electric vehicles. Companies invested tens of billions of dollars into the technologies, most with little to no short- to midterm returns on their investments. Research and development costs, as well as capital spending for the top 25 automotive companies, have increased 33% from roughly $200 billion in 2015 to $266 billion in 2023, according to auto consulting firm AlixPartners. Such costs for GM increased about 62% from 2015 to 2023, to $20.6 billion (excluding sold European operations), despite a 38% drop in global sales during that time. That compares with other increases during that timeframe of 42% for Volkswagen; 37% for Toyota Motor; 27% for Fiat Chrysler’s successor Stellantis; and 18% for Ford. EV startups Rivian Automotive and Lucid Group have burned through $16 billion and $8.8 billion, respectively, in free cash flow since 2022. Both companies are attempting to ramp up vehicle production and narrow their losses. It’s not the first time the auto industry has blown through money to then attempt quickly to cut costs. These kinds of periods happen in cyclical industries such as autos, but could the spending have potentially been avoided — or at least alleviated — this time around? Capital junkie The latest cost-cutting cycle comes nearly a decade after an infamous Wall Street presentation by late-Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne called “Confessions of a Capital Junkie.” The April 2015 report highlighted the industry’s massive capital spending on overlapping or niche products that Marchionne was convinced could be solved through consolidation and shared capital spending. The report, made by Marchionne amid failed merger attempts with Fiat Chrysler that included GM, has reemerged as automakers cut costs and announce tie-ups between companies such as Volkswagen and Rivian Automotive as well as GM and Hyundai Motor to share costs. “We believe the concepts within this deck [are] highly insightful and as relevant today as ever,” Jonas said in a November 2023 investor note invoking Marchionne’s junkie manifesto, which he has continued to reference. 'The Sergio Quotient' Using a measurement called “The Sergio Quotient,” Jonas points out that the average S&P 500 company spends its market cap in capex plus research and development in about 50 years. GM and Ford spend their market cap in 1.9 and 2.6 years, respectively. Only Volkswagen, at 1.8 years, was lower than GM among traditional automakers. Toyota was the best suited, at 14.4 years. As of September, Ford and GM ranked 402 and 403 out of 406 nonfinancial companies in the S&P 500 regarding their capital spend compared with their market cap. Former Ford executive Joe Hinrichs brought up Marchionne’s 2015 manifesto during an automotive conference this summer, condemning the industry for its capital waste. “The auto industry is famous for destroying capital. That’s a bad thing,” said Hinrichs, now CEO of railroad company CSX . “If you waste billions of dollars on autonomous vehicles or billions of dollars on electrification, you should be held accountable. That’s shareholder money.” Most capital spending by automakers isn’t wasted, but the industry isn’t as efficient as other sectors, with minimal return on invested capital. The ROIC of traditional, mainstream automakers is roughly seven or less, while tech companies such as Google parent Alphabet are at roughly 22, according to FactSet. “We’ve seen major CapEx spend with extended ROIs, given the slowdown ... and low utilization in manufacturing plants,” said Rebecca Evans, a principal at management consulting firm Roland Berger . “We have been looking extensively at cost.” In particular, automakers have not seen ROIC on autonomous vehicles and EVs. GM continues to invest in its embattled autonomous vehicle unit Cruise despite already spending more than $10 billion on it since acquiring the company in 2016. Ford also has wasted billions of dollars on warranty and recall costs as well as strategy shifts. It recently canceled production of a three-row electric SUV after significant development cost the automaker roughly $1.9 billion in expenses and cash expenditures. That included $400 million for the write-down of certain product-specific manufacturing assets. Rehab After years of spending, Nissan, Volkswagen and Stellantis are conducting massive business restructurings that include layoffs, production cuts and other cost-saving measures. Others such as Ford, GM, and EV startups Lucid and Rivian are attempting to lower costs but their efforts are not as severe as the others. “Have we got to cut costs with every car we’re making? Absolutely,” Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson told CNBC in October, citing the company’s cost-cutting task force. “We’re working assiduously on that.” Volkswagen is in the midst of a massive cost-cutting program that uncharacteristically involves layoffs and potential plans to shutter plants in its home country of Germany. VW Chairman and CEO Oliver Blume said in an interview published earlier this month that such actions are needed to remedy years of ongoing problems at the German carmaker, which reportedly expects to spend 900 million euros ($975.06 million) to execute the turnaround. “The weak market demand in Europe and significantly lower earnings from China reveal decades of structural problems at VW,” Blume told German paper Bild am Sonntag, according to Reuters . The rise of Chinese automakers has been eating away at the profits of traditional automakers such as VW, GM and others that were once dominant players in China — the world’s largest car market that has quickly moved from being a consumer of vehicles to exporter. Nissan, Honda and BMW, among others, also blamed declines in China for missing earnings expectations or restructuring needs. GM, which has raked in billions from China, is restructuring operations there, including attempting to renegotiate with its major Chinese partner, SAIC. While losing ground in China, GM has been among the most aggressive in spending on EVs and self-driving vehicles. But, to its credit, remains highly profitable and had roughly $27 billion of free cash flow at the end of the third quarter. It remains one of the standouts in balancing investment and cost-cutting efforts, while remaining profitable. GM CFO Paul Jacobson on Wednesday reconfirmed plans for the automaker to level capex to around $11 billion going forward. “What we’ve established over the last couple of years, I think, is a pretty disciplined track record of capital expenditures,” Jacobson said during a Barclays conference . “You want to be in an organization that has more ideas than it can fund. Our job is to allocate that and prioritize it.” Partnerships Newer automakers such as Rivian and Lucid are cutting costs and raising capital to stay afloat as the companies continue to lose tens of thousands of dollars on each EV they sell. Lucid’s largest shareholder, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has invested billions of dollars into the company, while Rivian has teamed up with Volkswagen for an up to $5.8 billion software deal , which is expected to close by the end of this year. GM and Hyundai this summer entered into an agreement to explore “future collaboration across key strategic areas” in an effort to reduce capital spending and increase efficiencies. The companies have not announced any actions since then. Marchionne argued such partnerships were effective but not enough going forward. He said companies could save billions of dollars annually in capital by sharing costs involving commoditized parts such as transmissions, standardized safety equipment and advanced driver assistance systems. “It’s fundamentally immoral to allow for that waste to continue unchecked,” Marchionne said in the three-hour conference call with global industry analysts in 2015. “Something needs to give. It cannot continue like this.” Some things have changed, but there have not been large systemic shifts. Major automotive industry mergers and joint ventures don’t always result in long-term successes. Many fall apart before producing significant results. Both VW and Rivian have experienced such failures with Ford in recent years. Rivian and the Detroit automaker canceled plans to codevelop EVs two years after Ford took a 12% stake in the startup in 2019. Around that time, VW also announced a $2.6 billion deal with Ford for autonomous vehicles that didn’t pan out. Stellantis Stellantis — formed through the merger of Fiat Chrysler and French automaker PSA Groupe in January 2021 — has proven that not all mergers enacted to produce scale guarantee a profitable company. After a record profit last year, the company has struggled in 2024. While Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has touted achieving roughly $9 billion in cost reductions following the merger, the automaker has mismanaged the U.S. market — its prime cash generator — with a lack of investment in new or updated products, historically high prices and extreme cost-cutting measures. When asked by Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska about Stellantis not performing to “capital junkie” standards despite the massive merger, Tavares said the company achieved the scale needed to be more efficient but it’s still working on a product blitz and correcting mistakes in North America . Tavares said Stellantis remains more profitable than Fiat Chrysler and PSA were on their own. He also cited impacts of “regulatory chaos,” a reference to U.S. and Europe standards for EVs and emissions. “Stellantis is the concrete expression of the scale that you need to have to use the resources of your shareholders in a meaningful way. So, that’s what we did. FCA was too small,” Tavares said when discussing first-half results in July. “PSA was too small. Stellantis has the right scale. That’s an answer that I’m sure Sergio would recognize.”

You might think your personality is unique, but all it takes is a two-hour interview for an AI model to create a virtual replica with your attitudes and behaviors. That’s according to published by researchers from Stanford and DeepMind. In the study, 1,052 participants were asked to complete a two-hour interview which covered a wide range of topics, from their personal life story to their views on contemporary social issues. Their responses were recorded and the script was used to train generative AI models – or “simulation agents” – for each individual. To test how well these agents could mimic their human counterparts, both were asked to complete a set of tasks, including personality tests and games. Participants were then asked to replicate their own answers a fortnight later. Remarkably, the AI agents were able to simulate answers with 85% accuracy compared to the human participants. What’s more, the simulation agents were similarly effective when asked to predict personality traits across five social science experiments. While your personality might seem like an intangible or unquantifiable thing, this research shows that it's possible to distill your value structure from a relatively small amount of information, by capturing qualitative responses to a fixed set of questions. Fed this data, AI models can convincingly imitate your personality – at least, in a controlled, test-based setting. And that could make deepfakes even more dangerous. Double agent The research was led by Joon Sung Park, a Stanford PhD student. The idea behind creating these simulation agents is to give social science researchers more freedom when conducting studies. By creating digital replicas which behave like the real people they’re based on, scientists can run studies without the expense of bringing in thousands of human participants every time. They may also be able to run experiments which would be unethical to conduct with real human participants. Speaking to , John Horton, an associate professor of information technologies at the MIT Sloan School of Management, said that the paper demonstrates a way you can “use real humans to generate personas which can then be used programmatically/in-simulation in ways you could not with real humans.” Whether study participants are morally comfortable with this is one thing. More concerning for many people will be the potential for simulation agents to become something more nefarious in the future. In that same MIT Technology Review story, Park predicted that one day “you can have a bunch of small ‘yous’ running around and actually making the decisions that you would have made.” For many, this will set dystopian alarm bells ringing. The idea of digital replicas opens up a realm of security, privacy and identity theft concerns. It doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to foresee a world where scammers – who are already using AI to imitate the voices of loved-ones – could build personality deepfakes to imitate people online. This is particularly concerning when you consider that the AI simulation agents were created in the study using just two hours of interview data. This is much less than the amount of information currently required by companies such as , which create digital twins based on a trove of user data.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 Media