10 jili com A look back at 2024 in photosSyria Rebels Celebrate in Captured Homs, Set Sights on DamascusMonday, December 16, 2024 Welcome to a Season of Extended Greetings and Holiday Celebrations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)! This holiday season, SEA is not just a transit point but a hub of festive joy. In a spirited move, SEA is offering 90 minutes of complimentary parking in the evenings from December 20 to 27, between 8 p.m. and midnight, to make holiday welcomes and goodbyes a little warmer. This special parking offer is available in the General Parking area, giving you ample time to embrace your loved ones without the rush. As you arrive, take note of the spacious new area at the north end of the ticketing section, unveiled as the construction walls come down. This improvement is part of the ongoing SEA Gateway project, which is enhancing the airport’s infrastructure and services. Don’t forget to check SEA’s newly relaunched website for more handy travel tips and updates. Celebrate the Holiday Season at SEA The airport is alive with holiday spirit! Wander through the terminals and you might encounter various holiday characters and live music performances scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Discover interactive snow globes and learn about festive traditions from different cultures. Keep an eye out for Jett the SEA Otter, the airport’s new mascot, who will be making appearances at select times and events. SEA Visitor Pass Returns! Reconnect with the joy of greeting friends and family right at the gate with the return of the SEA Visitor Pass program. This unique offering allows non-travelers to pass through security for meet-and-greets or simply to enjoy the airport’s amenities, including dining, shopping, and panoramic views of planes taking off to exciting destinations. Embrace the New Open Spaces Experience the newly expanded areas at SEA, where phase one of the SEA Gateway project has recently concluded. This expansion includes brighter, more open check-in spaces equipped with the latest technologies to streamline your travel experience. While Checkpoint 5 remains closed, helpful Pathfinders and volunteers in green are available throughout the airport to assist with directions and security procedures. Travel Insights and Tips Over the holiday stretch from December 19 to January 2, SEA expects to welcome over two million travelers, a slight increase from last year. Despite being busier than usual, the numbers remain below the peak records of 2019. Planning your visit during less busy times can enhance your experience. Arrival and Departure Strategies To make your airport visit as smooth as possible, consider arriving early, especially before peak times in the morning and late afternoon. Utilize SEA Spot Saver to reserve a spot at security checkpoints, which helps reduce waiting times. For those picking up passengers, consider the less congested south entrance of the parking garage on International Boulevard and 182nd Street. By planning ahead, utilizing the SEA Visitor Pass, and taking advantage of the extended parking hours and festive activities, your visit to SEA this holiday season can be as joyful and stress-free as the destinations awaiting you.

The Kansas City Invention Convention is expanding its program to include students throughout Missouri and parts of Kansas. The convention is an annual event presented by the Linda Hall Library , "One of the world’s leading independent science research libraries", located at 5109 Cherry Street in Kansas City, Missouri, near the University of Missouri - Kansas City campus. Registration for the annual convention allows educators access to free Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation otherwise known as "STEM-IE" curriculum and begin preparing students for the competition. "It's become very popular here in the Kansas City Metro Area," said Eric Ward, the vice president of public programs at Linda Hall Library. "It's an adventure and competition for students in grades five through 12." Schools throughout Northwest Missouri, Central Missouri and Eastern Kansas are now able to participate in the competition. When asked if students in other parts of Missouri could join, Ward said they were welcome as well. One education specialist at the Linda Hall Library said curriculum for the convention is a big selling point. "There's curriculum that's very flexible and adaptable to whatever your teaching situation," said Jessica Berlinsky. "So you could use it in a traditional classroom setting to kind of supplement your lessons...We have a lot of homeschool participants. We have some students who do it through an afterschool program. So there's a lot of flexibility." Both Ward and Berlinsky said students who participate could see cash prizes, as the convention offers about $35,000 to winners. Ward also said students don't always have to be interested in STEM to participate in the annual convention. "You can be a musician, you can be an athlete. You can like to garden, like to cook, whatever your hobby interest," said Ward. "All you have to do is think of something that will help you a family member, a pet, even a friend." The 2025 Kansas City Invention Convention competition will be on Apr. 10, and educators must register on the convention website at www.kcinvent.org/educator-registration .None(Continuing Himal Southasian article by Tisaranee Gunasekera) On September 21, 2024, Sri Lanka will hold (Note: this was written before the election) its ninth presidential election. Unlike all previous such polls, which were in effect two-way battles between the governing party and the main opposition party, this is a three-way contest between Wickremesinghe, Premadasa of the SJB and Dissanayake of the JVP – the latter heading a coalition dubbed National People’s Power (NPP). But the election is taking place on a battleground largely of Wickremesinghe’s making. The 21st Amendment he pushed through gave birth to an independent Election Commission. He also enacted a campaign finance law that enables the commission to decide the amounts candidates can spend and to enforce these limits. The commission is conducting this election with unprecedented even-handedness and applying long-ignored election laws – including against Wickremesinghe’s own campaign. Wickremesinghe’s deal with the IMF earlier came under severe opposition criticism; Wickremesinghe’s campaign theme, “Sri Lanka Can”, is a spin on the decades-old “Ranil Can’t”. He claims credit, rightly, for saving Sri Lanka from going the way of Lebanon or Greece, and for achieving an economic turnaround less than two years after the country went bankrupt. It is due to his machinations that the Rajapaksa candidate is vying for third position in this election rather than first. And despite his authoritarian tendencies, he has contributed to the strengthening of Sri Lankan democracy. The 2024 presidential election promises to be Sri Lanka’s most free, fair and non-violent poll in living memory, thanks in the main to the constitutional and legal changes Wickremesinghe effected. And, II. RANIL WICKREMESINGHE got his start in national politics in 1977, when the UNP won a landslide victory in a parliamentary election. He was one of the Young Turks surrounding the new prime minister, J R Jayewardene, though not a front-ranker. After a brief stint as the deputy minister of foreign affairs, he became, at the age of 28, Sri Lanka’s youngest ever cabinet minister to that point, in charge of youth affairs and employment. In this capacity he set up the National Youth Services Council, which provided many talented young men and women with a springboard into prominence and success, especially in the cultural fields. In 1980, Wickremesinghe became the minister of education. By then Jayewardene had introduced two systemic changes which remain in place today. He opened up the economy, doing away with a model of protectionism and state control that had resulted in major shortages and queues in the preceding years. He also replaced the parliamentary form of governance with a particularly authoritarian executive presidency – which, unsurprisingly, he assumed himself. In 1945, Ceylon – still a British colony – introduced free primary and secondary education. Free tertiary education soon followed. But by the late 1960s and early 1970s, free and universal education had given rise to an “inflationary” situation in the labour market, with too many graduates – mostly from the arts stream and largely mono-lingual – chasing too few jobs, mainly in the public sector. In 1971, the JVP launched an insurgency that exposed this contradiction and its political consequences, with educated but unemployed youth forming the main force of a bloody attempt at armed socialist revolution. Wickremesinghe proposed a set of education reforms as a solution to this problem. The main aim of his proposal – known simply as the White Paper – was to reduce unemployment by making future graduates more employable in the private sector. University admissions were to be streamlined based on the needs of the economy, producing fewer graduates in the arts and more in fields like science and technology. Arts students would be taught at least one science subject. Students would be exposed to industry, schools would have career-guidance units, and students would have to choose between academic and vocational or technical education when they reached the eighth grade, leaving the school system if they picked the latter. But the proposals failed to contend with a fundamental fact: an absolute majority of graduates did not want to be employed in the private sector. Most students belonged to the Sinhala rural middle class, and this class had long regarded government jobs, with their permanence and pensions, as the acme of success. More than that, these students regarded government jobs as a right – particularly after the Sinhala Only Act and other reforms in the preceding decades had tilted the balance of public education and employment in the favour of the Sinhala community, while shutting out the country’s Tamil minority. They regarded Wickremesinghe’s reforms as a class-based conspiracy to deprive them of upward social mobility. The White Paper failed to withstand the opposition to it, which crossed party lines, and Wickremesinghe was forced to withdraw it. University student unions played a leading role in securing this outcome. Then, in 1983, democratically-elected student councils were abolished – a decision commonly blamed on Wickremesinghe. This would soon backfire. For as long as they were elected bodies, student councils had to maintain a balance between political and welfare work. The unofficial and unelected action committees which replaced them could focus on politics alone. The ban led to the rapid radicalization of the student movement and its eventual takeover by the JVP. This movement played a key role in a second insurgency, in the latter half of the 1980s, that was even bloodier than the first. Wickremesinghe’s botched attempt at educational reform bestowed on him a lifelong reputation for being inorganic, a socio-political and cultural alien. The UNP, despite commanding a rural support base, was commonly regarded as less of a pro-people party than its main competitor, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), which called for socialist economic policies (in reality, state capitalism) and championed Sinhala nationalism. Some UNP leaders were able to transcend this to an extent with popular programmes and a populist demeanour – the future president Ranasinghe Premadasa, for example, whose signature scheme was a massive housing programme. Wickremesinghe may have meant his reforms to be a popular platform for his own ambitions, but they achieved the very opposite effect. His stiff public manner, his manifest inability to connect with an audience – already in evidence in his failure to sell his reforms to the populace – further cemented his image as being disconnected and withdrawn. It would come to haunt him at critical points in his career. If Wickremesinghe lacked the gifts of a natural politician, he was amply blessed in social and political pedigree. Born in Colombo in 1949, he was a nephew of J R Jayewardene and the grandson of D R Wijewardene, the country’s pioneering press baron. His father, Esmond Wickremesinghe, was a prominent UNP leader and managing director of the Lake House publications until they were nationalized by an SLFP government in 1973. By then Wickremesinghe had passed through Royal College, one of the country’s most distinguished schools, and then the University of Ceylon, where he studied law and became involved with the UNP’s youth wing. Wickremesinghe got his most important break under Jayewardene’s successor, Ranasinghe Premadasa. Premadasa appointed Wickremesinghe as the leader of the house in 1989, soon after he took over the presidency, bypassing Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake. Athulathmudali and Dissanayake had been Premadasa’s competitors for the UNP leadership. He did not trust them and felt they would try to undermine his leadership at the first opportunity. Wickremesinghe, by contrast, was younger and thus not a threat. A joint attempt in 1991 by Dissanayake, Athulathmudali and the opposition to impeach Premadasa proved his instincts correct. When Sirisena Cooray, Premadasa’s long-standing companion and UNP general secretary, organized a round of top-secret meetings between the UNP and the rebels, Wickremesinghe was asked to join – a sign of the trust Premadasa reposed in him. The talks failed, as did the impeachment, and Athulathmudali and Dissanayake were expelled from the UNP. Wickremesinghe became, by default, a frontline leader of the UNP. Wickremesinghe remained steadfastly loyal to Premadasa before, during and after the impeachment attempt, defending the president within and outside parliament. And, over the years, he built up a reputation for understated competence. He did not dazzle, but did the job he was given without making unwanted waves. If Wickremesinghe had leadership ambitions, he did not wear them on his sleeve. Instead, he built a close relationship with important Premadasa loyalists – especially Cooray. By inches, he cemented an image of himself, based largely on fact, as a true party-man, a loyal UNP-er who never let the side or the leader down. The seeds of Wickremesinghe’s reputation as a protector of the minorities were also sown during this time. In July 1983, Sri Lanka’s ethnic tensions erupted in a barbaric anti-Tamil pogrom. Militancy escalated in the North and East, and the Sri Lankan state entered a decades-long war against Tamil separatist groups. Premadasa took office while the LTTE was locked in a brutal war with the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), which had come to Sri Lanka, at Jayewardene’s invitation, to monitor the implementation of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. Premadasa invited the LTTE for talks, much to India’s chagrin, and the Tigers accepted. In 1989, he publicly asked the IPKF to leave. The move was aimed at neutralising the JVP, which had cast its second insurgency as a national liberation struggle against occupying Indian forces. In mid-1990, the peace talks with the LTTE collapsed and the war resumed. Yet Premadasa kept the door open for negotiations and said so. He also became a proponent of the 13th Amendment, which addressed Tamil demands for self-government to a degree via the devolution of some government powers to provincial councils. On May 1, 1993, Premadasa was killed by an LTTE suicide bomber. D B Wijetunga, Premadasa’s hand-picked prime minister, became the acting president and was soon confirmed by parliament. Wijetunga, at the request of Sirisena Cooray, appointed Wickremesinghe as prime minister. Wickremesinghe was also generally credited with the smooth transfer of power following the assassination, thereby gaining a reputation for a cool head in a crisis and a thorough grounding in constitutional nitty-gritty. Later that year, Wijetunga brought Gamini Dissanayake back into the UNP fold. Dissanayake made no secret about his leadership ambitions. Cooray responded with a highly symbolic gesture; he presented Wickremesinghe with Premadasa’s Colombo-Central constituency – which Premadasa had called his “other child” and had handed over to Cooray when he became president. A tussle for eventual party leadership was in the making, with Wickremesinghe pitted against Dissanayake. In 1994, Wijetunga called a sudden parliamentary election, taking even his own cabinet by surprise. The gambit did not work out well for him or the UNP. The party was roundly beaten by the People’s Alliance (PA), led by Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga of the SLFP. Dissanayake tried to form a minority government with the backing of smaller parties and possible crossovers, with himself as prime minister. Wickremesinghe forestalled him by resigning from his post as acting prime minister and leaving Temple Trees in a highly publicized and choreographed move – a harbinger of much more UNP infighting to come. Kumaratunga formed the government and took the prime minister’s seat. After 17 long and turbulent years in government, the UNP was back in the opposition. (To be continued next Sunday)

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The right frame can freeze a moment in time, creating meaning for the masses from a fist pump over a bloodied ear , a bridge crumbled by a ship , towns shredded by nature , and a victory sealed with an on-field kiss . In 2024, photographers across the U.S. captured glimpses of humanity, ranging from a deeply divisive presidential election , to hurricanes and fires that ravaged communities, to campus protests over the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The gallery from The Associated Press illustrates a new chapter of political history — the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump , the moment President Joe Biden announced he would no longer run again , the campaign sprint by Vice President Kamala Harris in Biden’s place, and the raw emotion from voters during a grueling contest ultimately won by Trump . Related Articles Hurricanes whipped through the country with devastating imagery, leaving a path of wreckage and death from Florida to Appalachia . After Hurricane Helene , Lake Lure in North Carolina was shown in a jarring photo covered in shards of debris thick enough to hide the surface of the water. Hurricane Milton ripped apart the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, home to Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays. The scale of destruction experienced in some corners of the country in 2024 was hard to capture and might have been harder to fathom. That was the case when a container ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse and crumple around the vessel, killing construction workers on the bridge. As flames torched the landscape in California , another image captured firefighters and sheriff’s deputies pushing a vintage car away from a burning home. Elsewhere in California , one photo is aglow with bright orange flames, broken up only by the subtle features of an animal running through them. But hope also persevered in the face of devastation. In Helene’s aftermath , an image from Crystal River, Florida, shows Dustin Holmes holding hands with his girlfriend, Hailey Morgan, as they sloshed through floodwaters with her 4- and 7-year-old children to return to their flooded home. And in Manasota Key, Florida, a family was lit up by the glow of flashlights as they walked to check on their home damaged by Milton. Other photos from 2024 also grabbed the darkness and shadows to emphasize light: among them, a rocket liftoff and a total solar eclipse . And, yes, eclipse glasses were back in style for a shared moment of skygazing. But many other photos delivered a blast of color, from the spectrum of the northern lights across a Maine sky to a crew of workers wading into the deep-red of a Massachusetts cranberry bog . And, once again, Taylor Swift captured the country’s attention, even as a part of the crowd. She rushed down from the stands to kiss her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, after the Chiefs won the AFC Championship , en route to another Super Bowl win.Watch Detroit Pistons vs. Charlotte Hornets free live stream

Key Trends in the Plumbing Fixtures Market with Insights from Moen Incorporated, Geberit AG, Roca Sanitario S.A, LIXIL Group Corporation, Kohler Co, TOTO, Masco Corporation, Jacuzzi 12-15-2024 09:50 PM CET | Industry, Real Estate & Construction Press release from: STATS N DATA Plumbing Fixtures Market The Plumbing Fixtures Market is a critical segment of the broader construction industry, encompassing a wide array of products that are essential for both residential and commercial applications. This market includes a variety of fixtures such as sinks, faucets, bathtubs, toilets, and other plumbing accessories. As urbanization continues to rise and the demand for sophisticated plumbing solutions increases, the relevance of the Plumbing Fixtures Market has never been more pronounced. You can access a sample PDF report here: https://www.statsndata.org/download-sample.php?id=97169 In recent years, the market has witnessed a surge in growth, driven by a combination of technological advancements and strategic collaborations among key players. Innovations in product design, materials, and smart technology integration are reshaping consumer expectations and expanding the scope of plumbing fixtures. For instance, the introduction of eco-friendly materials and water-saving technologies aligns with global sustainability goals, offering actionable insights for manufacturers and developers aiming to stay relevant in this evolving landscape. As the market continues to evolve, understanding current trends and dynamics is crucial for stakeholders looking to capitalize on opportunities. This includes a shift towards more sustainable practices, greater emphasis on product customization, and the adoption of digital solutions that enhance consumer engagement and streamline purchasing processes. Key Growth Drivers and Trends Several critical factors are influencing the demand for plumbing fixtures. Sustainability has emerged as a paramount concern among consumers, driving manufacturers to develop environmentally friendly products. The rise of digitization in the industry has also played a significant role, with advanced technologies enabling better design, production, and distribution processes. Additionally, consumer awareness regarding water conservation and energy efficiency is shaping purchasing decisions, prompting brands to innovate and offer products that meet these new expectations. Trends such as the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) into plumbing fixtures are creating smart home solutions that enhance user convenience, safety, and efficiency. Product customization is another emerging trend, as consumers increasingly seek fixtures tailored to their specific needs and preferences. This focus on personalization is reshaping the market, with companies investing in new technologies and strategies to deliver unique, customizable products. Market Segmentation The Plumbing Fixtures Market can be segmented as follows: - Segment by Type - Metals: This segment includes plumbing fixtures made from various metals such as stainless steel, brass, and bronze, known for their durability and aesthetic appeal. - Plastics: This segment encompasses fixtures made from high-quality plastics, offering lightweight options that are often more affordable and versatile. - Segment by Application - Residential: This segment focuses on fixtures used in homes, including kitchens and bathrooms, catering to individual consumer preferences and needs. - Commercial: This segment includes fixtures designed for businesses, public facilities, and industrial applications, emphasizing functionality and compliance with regulations. Get 30% Discount On Full Report: https://www.statsndata.org/ask-for-discount.php?id=97169 Competitive Landscape The Plumbing Fixtures Market is characterized by a competitive landscape featuring several key players who are actively shaping trends and driving innovation. These companies include: - Moen Incorporated: Renowned for its high-quality faucets and shower systems, Moen is at the forefront of innovative design and sustainability initiatives. - Geberit AG: A leader in sanitary and piping systems, Geberit focuses on providing advanced solutions that enhance water efficiency and hygiene. - Roca Sanitario S.A: Known for its commitment to innovation, Roca specializes in bathroom products that combine design with functionality. - LIXIL Group Corporation: LIXIL is a global leader in housing and building materials, emphasizing smart home technologies in its plumbing solutions. - Kohler Co: With a strong emphasis on design and technology, Kohler is known for its wide range of plumbing products that cater to various consumer segments. - TOTO: TOTO is recognized for its innovative toilets and bathroom fixtures that incorporate cutting-edge technology for enhanced user experience. - Masco Corporation: A diversified leader in the home improvement and building products industry, Masco focuses on developing sustainable plumbing solutions. - Jacuzzi: Famous for its whirlpool baths and hot tubs, Jacuzzi is also expanding its product line to include a variety of plumbing fixtures designed for luxury and comfort. These companies are not only competing on innovation but are also entering strategic partnerships and collaborations to expand their market reach and enhance their product offerings. Opportunities and Challenges The Plumbing Fixtures Market presents numerous opportunities, particularly in untapped regions where urban development is accelerating. Evolving consumer preferences, such as the shift towards eco-friendly and technologically advanced products, also create avenues for growth. Manufacturers can leverage these preferences by developing innovative solutions that align with consumer expectations. However, the market is not without its challenges. Regulatory constraints related to environmental standards and safety can pose hurdles for manufacturers. Additionally, operational inefficiencies and talent shortages in the industry can impact production timelines and product quality. To overcome these challenges, companies must invest in workforce development and streamline their operations while ensuring compliance with regulations. Technological Advancements Cutting-edge technologies are significantly impacting the Plumbing Fixtures Market. The integration of AI and IoT is revolutionizing how consumers interact with plumbing fixtures. Smart faucets and toilets equipped with sensors and connectivity features are becoming increasingly popular, providing users with enhanced functionality and convenience. Moreover, the use of virtual tools for product design and consumer engagement is on the rise. These technologies allow consumers to visualize plumbing fixtures in their spaces before making a purchase, improving the overall shopping experience. Research Methodology and Insights The insights presented in this press release are derived from a robust research methodology employed by STATS N DATA. This approach includes both top-down and bottom-up methodologies, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the market dynamics. Primary and secondary research sources are utilized to gather data, while triangulation techniques are applied to validate findings and deliver accurate insights. Through extensive analysis, STATS N DATA aims to provide stakeholders with valuable information to make informed decisions in the Plumbing Fixtures Market. By focusing on the key trends, growth drivers, and competitive landscape, this press release serves as a valuable resource for industry participants seeking to navigate the complexities of the market and capitalize on emerging opportunities. For customization requests, please visit: https://www.statsndata.org/request-customization.php?id=97169 Full Plumbing Fixtures Market Report Link: https://www.statsndata.org/report/Global-Plumbing-Fixtures-Market-97169 Related Reports: Industrial Touch Screen Computer Market https://www.statsndata.org/report/industrial-touch-screen-computer-market-1826 Laboratory Hoods and Enclosures Market https://www.statsndata.org/report/laboratory-hoods-and-enclosures-market-194301 Millimeter Wave Technology Equipment Market https://www.statsndata.org/report/millimeter-wave-technology-equipment-market-202943 Marine Ceramic Coating Market https://www.statsndata.org/report/marine-ceramic-coating-market-74719 Landscaping and Gardening Services Market https://www.statsndata.org/report/landscaping-and-gardening-services-market-37702 John Jones Sales & Marketing Head | Stats N Data Phone: +1 (315) 642-4324 Email: sales@statsndata.org Website: www.statsndata.org STATS N DATA is a trusted provider of industry intelligence and market research, delivering actionable insights to businesses across diverse sectors. We specialize in helping organizations navigate complex markets with advanced analytics, detailed market segmentation, and strategic guidance. Our expertise spans industries including technology, healthcare, telecommunications, energy, food & beverages, and more. Committed to accuracy and innovation, we provide tailored reports that empower clients to make informed decisions, identify emerging opportunities, and achieve sustainable growth. Our team of skilled analysts leverages cutting-edge methodologies to ensure every report addresses the unique challenges of our clients. At STATS N DATA, we transform data into knowledge and insights into success. Partner with us to gain a competitive edge in today's fast-paced business environment. For more information, visit https://www.statsndata.org or contact us today at sales@statsndata.org This release was published on openPR.

Insurgents reach gates of Syria’s capital, threatening to upend decades of Assad ruleThe USA, the UK, the UAE, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Japan, Egypt, India and more than 70 countries unite at the International M.I.C.E. Summit 2024 in RiyadhIn a groundbreaking research published in the International Journal of Computer Engineering and Technology, technology expert Jagadish Raju explores the critical transformation of banking infrastructure . Based in the USA, his analysis reveals how financial institutions are navigating the delicate balance between traditional mainframe systems and modern cloud solutions. The Power of Legacy Systems Traditional mainframe systems continue to be the backbone of banking operations, processing an impressive 31 billion transactions daily with remarkable reliability. These systems maintain uptimes of 99.999%, demonstrating their crucial role in maintaining the stability of global financial operations. However, the challenge lies in adapting these robust systems to meet modern digital demands. Cloud Revolution in Banking The banking sector is witnessing a dramatic shift toward cloud adoption, with the global cloud computing market in banking projected to surge from $24.13 billion in 2021 to $112.44 billion by 2030. This transformation is driven by the need for greater agility and innovation in financial services, enabling banks to reduce infrastructure costs by 25% to 30% through strategic cloud adoption. Breaking Down the Innovation Barriers The industry faces a significant challenge: approximately 44% of banks still heavily rely on legacy mainframe systems for core operations, while 92% of IT leaders acknowledge these systems hinder innovation. This disparity highlights the urgent need for modernization while maintaining the reliability that mainframes are known for. The Hybrid Solution Modern banking is embracing a hybrid approach, combining the strengths of traditional mainframes with the flexibility of cloud platforms. This integration allows banks to maintain their robust security and high-volume transaction processing capabilities while gaining the scalability and innovation potential of cloud technologies. Performance Metrics That Matter The transformation is yielding impressive results. Banks implementing modernized systems have reported 15-20% cost savings and 30-40% improvement in application performance. Additionally, the adoption of cloud technologies has led to a 20% increase in customer satisfaction and a 15% reduction in fraud incidents. Security and Compliance in the Digital Age The transition to cloud-based solutions addresses critical security concerns, with advanced features matching or exceeding traditional mainframe security levels. Modern hybrid solutions provide up to 99.999% uptime, ensuring both reliability and enhanced protection against evolving cyber threats. The integration of advanced security protocols has become a cornerstone of modern banking infrastructure. Innovation at Scale Cloud adoption is revolutionizing banking operations by enabling rapid deployment of new services and features. Banks leveraging cloud technologies have reduced their time-to-market for new offerings by 40% while improving risk assessment accuracy by 30% through advanced analytics capabilities. These improvements demonstrate the tangible benefits of technological modernization in banking. Future of Banking Technology As the banking sector continues to evolve, the focus remains on creating a balanced technological ecosystem that combines the best of both worlds. The industry is moving toward a future where traditional banking reliability meets modern innovation, ensuring better service delivery and enhanced customer experiences. Digital Transformation Journey The transition represents more than just a technological shift; it's a strategic imperative for banks aiming to remain competitive in an increasingly digital marketplace. The modernization journey enables financial institutions to harness advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning while maintaining the robust foundation that traditional systems provide. In conclusion, the future of banking technology presents a unique opportunity to blend the best of both worlds. Rather than forcing a choice between mainframes and cloud computing, the path forward lies in harmonious integration. This balanced approach allows financial institutions to maintain their traditional reliability while embracing cutting-edge innovations. As Jagadish Raju demonstrates in his research, this strategic combination will be crucial for banks to thrive in an increasingly digital future, ensuring both stability and innovation in financial services.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s false claims linking autism to childhood vaccinations are receiving new scrutiny now that President-elect Donald Trump has selected him to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a sprawling agency with a budget of $1.7 trillion that oversees research into both autism and vaccines. The myth that autism is caused by childhood vaccines — proposed in 1998 by a British doctor who was later banned from practicing medicine in the United Kingdom — has been thoroughly debunked . Hundreds of studies have found vaccines to be safe . The World Health Organization estimates that over the past 50 years, immunizations have saved 154 million lives around the world. Kennedy, who espouses a number of health-related conspiracy theories , has pointed to vaccines to explain the substantial rise in autism diagnoses in recent decades, which have ballooned from an estimated 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 today. Research suggests that much of that increase is due to increasing awareness and screening for the condition; changing definitions of autism to include milder conditions on the spectrum that weren’t recognized in previous years; as well as advances in diagnostic technology. “For a very long time, the anti-vaccine movement has been exploiting families of autistic people, promoting a market for pseudo-scientific treatments that don’t provide the answers they’re looking for and that can expose autistic people to real harm,” said Ari Ne’eman, co-founder of the nonprofit Autistic Self Advocacy Network and an assistant professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “More discredited conspiracy theories linking autism and vaccines are not the answer.” Timothy Caulfield, research director at the University of Alberta’s Health Law Institute in Canada, who studies health misinformation, said that people often are more willing to believe conspiracy theories about conditions such as autism, whose causes are complex and not fully understood, than diseases with clear causes. People seem less inclined to speculate, for example, about alternative explanations for Down syndrome, which causes intellectual disabilities and has long been known to be caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. “It’s really a shame because there are vulnerable families [of people with autism] who need our support,” said Judith Miller, a clinical psychologist and senior scientist and training director at the Center for Autism Research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Every dollar and hour spent trying to debunk a conspiracy theory is a dollar and an hour lost that could have been spent trying to understand how to help families.” Finding the causes of autism is complicated, because it’s not a single disorder, said Manish Arora, a professor of environmental medical and climate science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “Autism is a spectrum, not a single narrow disease,” Arora said. “It’s many, many things under one umbrella.” Although people diagnosed with autism often have similar strengths and challenges, “there are many paths to autism and many presentations of autism,” Miller said. Scientists have found a variety of risk factors for autism — most of which exist before birth — but there is no single cause for a neurological and developmental condition that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn and behave. A number of the traits sometimes seen in people with autism — such as being sensitive to loud noises, for example, or finding it difficult to interpret social cues — are also found in people who have not been diagnosed with autism. Doctors diagnose autism based on a person’s behavior, noting that there is no simple test for the condition, as there is for Covid or diabetes, said Arora, founder and CEO of a start-up company that researches biomarkers for autism and other neurological conditions. Finding the cause of an infectious disease — such as influenza, which is caused by the flu virus — is much more straightforward. While researchers continue to study the factors that influence the development of autistic traits, “the one thing we know doesn’t cause autism is vaccines,” said Catherine Lord, a psychologist and researcher at the Center for Autism Research and Treatment at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Doctors have long known that genes play a large role in autism, simply by noting that autism can run in families. For example, in identical twins — who share all of their DNA — if one twin has autism, the other usually does, as well. In the case of fraternal twins — who share about half their DNA — if one fraternal twin has autism, the chance that the other will have autism ranges from 53% to 67%, according to an analysis of research studies. Scientists have identified more than 100 genes related to autism, Miller said, and genes are believed to play a role in 60% to 80% of cases. “The genetics of autism have never been better understood,” said Dr. Gregory Cejas, medical director of the Autism Clinical Center and Fragile X Clinic at the Washington University School of Medicine. “We’re making leaps and bounds about known genetic causes of autism.” Yet genes clearly don’t explain every case of autism. Autism is very different from conditions like sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis, which are caused by a single gene. Scientists believe that people develop autistic traits due to a combination of genetic vulnerability and environmental exposures, Lord said. “People have found many, many different genetic patterns associated with autism, but none of them are only associated with autism and none of them are always associated with autism,” Lord said. For example, fragile X syndrome — caused by a mutated gene on the X chromosome — is the most common known cause of autism. But only a fraction of children with the genetic mutation actually develop autism, Miller said. It’s possible that this mutation leaves some people more vulnerable to developing autistic characteristics, while others with the same mutations don’t develop autistic traits, because they are shielded by protective factors that have not yet been identified. Some people blamed the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine with autism because symptoms of the condition often occur at around 12 to 15 months of age, the same time toddlers get that immunization. But Miller notes that “most of the genetic conditions that affect our life and health aren’t apparent at birth. Symptoms or characteristics won’t show up until later, but the genetic code will have been with us the whole time.” Many of the known risk factors for autistic characteristics occur before birth or at the time of delivery, Arora said. Babies who experience complications at birth , such as their umbilical cord becoming wrapped around their neck, have a higher risk of autism. So do babies born prematurely , perhaps because of something that happened in the womb. Children are also slightly more likely to be diagnosed with autism if they have older fathers and possibly if they have older mothers, Miller said. It’s not clear if something in the biology of older parents causes a child to have a higher risk of autism, or if socioeconomic issues could play a role. It’s possible that older parents have better access to health care, making it more likely for their child to receive an autism diagnosis. A mother’s health influences her child’s autism risk in several ways, according to multiple studies: Children have a greater chance of being diagnosed with autism if their mothers were exposed to high levels of air pollution or developed a serious infection , such as the flu or pneumonia, while pregnant. While Ne’eman, of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, said he’s not opposed to basic biological research on autism or its causes, he said those studies do little to help people with autism overcome the barriers they face in their everyday lives. He notes that only 8.4% of the $419 million spent on autism research in the United States is devoted to support and services for people with autism. “We need an autism research agenda,” he said, “that reflects the true priorities of autistic people and our families: supports across the lifespan and inclusion in the community.” This article first appeared on NBCNews.com . Read more from NBC News here:

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