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Soldiers Mutiny in U.S.-Allied Niger

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:43 GMT

Soldiers from Niger’s presidential guard blockaded the office of President Mohamed Bazoum on Wednesday, according to published reports. Several sources say they have detained Bazoum. The West African regional and economic bloc ECOWAS has termed it an “attempted coup.”The mutiny is the latest in a long line of military uprisings in West Africa, many of them led by U.S.-trained officers. It was not immediately clear if any of the Nigerien troops involved were trained or mentored by the United States, but the U.S. has trained members of Niger’s presidential guard in recent years, according to Pentagon and State Department documents.U.S.-trained officers have been involved in at least six coups in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali since 2012. In total, America’s mentees have conducted at least 10 coups in West Africa since 2008, including in Burkina Faso (2014, 2015, 2022); Gambia (2014); Guinea (2021); Mali (2012, 2020, 2021); and Mauritania (2008).“We are aware of the situation in Nia...

Love says he got text from Rodgers before opening 1st training camp as Packers’ starting QB

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:43 GMT

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — On the night before his first training camp workout as the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback, Jordan Love received some advice from his four-time MVP predecessor.Love said Wednesday that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers texted him the previous evening. When the Packers traded Rodgers to the Jets the week of the draft, it cleared the way for Love to take over as Green Bay’s first-team quarterback.“He said just be yourself, have fun, enjoy it,” Love said. “It’s obviously my time now, and he just said be yourself. And I mean, that’s all you can do.”Love backed up Rodgers the last three seasons, just as Rodgers earned Green Bay’s starting spot in 2008 after spending three years as Hall of Famer Brett Favre’s backup.Although Love has made only one career start, he believes his three years of experience make him much more prepared than if he’d received this assignment as a rookie.“He definitely has complete command of our offense,” Packers coach M...

Houston Astros reinstate Alvarez and Altuve from injured list ahead of finale against Rangers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:43 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros received a major boost Wednesday when designated hitter Yordan Álvarez and second baseman José Altuve were reinstated from the injured list before the finale of a series against the Texas Rangers.The Astros won the first two games against Texas this week and a victory Wednesday night would tie them with the Rangers for first place in the AL West.Altuve was leading off and Alvarez was batting fifth in the lineup Wednesday.Alvarez hasn’t played since injuring his right oblique June 8. Altuve has been out since injuring his left oblique during batting practice July 4.Alvarez is batting .277 and ranks second on the team with 17 homers and third with 55 RBIs despite his extended absence.This was the second stint on the injured list this season for Altuve, who didn’t make his debut this year until May 19 after fracturing his left thumb in the World Baseball Classic. The 2017 AL MVP is batting .264 with six homers and 18 RBIs in 32 games this season.The As...

Evertec: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:43 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Evertec Inc. (EVTC) on Wednesday reported second-quarter profit of $28.2 million.On a per-share basis, the San Juan, Puerto Rico-based company said it had net income of 43 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and stock option expense, were 71 cents per share.The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 66 cents per share.The payment processing company posted revenue of $167.1 million in the period.Evertec expects full-year earnings in the range of $2.75 to $2.83 per share, with revenue in the range of $652 million to $658 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on EVTC at https://www.zacks.com/ap/EVTCSource

Edwards Lifesciences: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:43 GMT

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (EW) on Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $307.1 million.On a per-share basis, the Irvine, California-based company said it had net income of 50 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and amortization costs, came to 66 cents per share.The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 12 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 65 cents per share.The medical device maker posted revenue of $1.53 billion in the period, also beating Street forecasts. Eleven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.51 billion.For the current quarter ending in September, Edwards Lifesciences expects its per-share earnings to range from 55 cents to 61 cents.The company said it expects revenue in the range of $1.44 billion to $1.52 billion for the fiscal third quarter.Edwards Lifesciences expects full-year earnings in the range of $2.50 to $2.60 per share, with revenue r...

Western Union: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:43 GMT

DENVER (AP) — DENVER (AP) — Western Union Co. (WU) on Wednesday reported second-quarter earnings of $176.2 million.The Denver-based company said it had net income of 47 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and pretax expenses, came to 51 cents per share.The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 38 cents per share.The money transfer company posted revenue of $1.17 billion in the period, also topping Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.05 billion.Western Union expects full-year earnings in the range of $1.65 to $1.75 per share._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on WU at https://www.zacks.com/ap/WUSource

FTAI Aviation: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:43 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — NEW YORK (AP) — FTAI Aviation Ltd. (FTAI) on Wednesday reported net income of $54.8 million in its second quarter.On a per-share basis, the New York-based company said it had profit of 46 cents.The transportation infrastructure company posted revenue of $274.3 million in the period, which missed Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $286.8 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on FTAI at https://www.zacks.com/ap/FTAISource

Facebook parent Meta posts higher profit, revenue for Q2 as advertising rebounds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:43 GMT

Facebook parent company Meta Platforms posted stronger-than-expected results for the second quarter on Wednesday, buoyed by a rebound in online advertising after a post-pandemic slump.The Menlo Park, California-based company earned $7.79 billion, or $2.98 per share, in the April-June period. That’s up 16% from $6.69 billion, or $2.46 per share, in the same period a year earlier.Revenue jumped 11% to $32 billion from $28.82 billion in the year-ago quarter. Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of $2.91 per share on revenue of $31.08 billion, according to a poll by FactSet Research. Facebook had 3.03 billion monthly active users as of June 30, up 3% year-over-year. Meta’s rebound followed a solid earnings report from Google parent company Alphabet a day earlier. Meta’s stock jumped $14.45, or 4.8%, to $313.02 in after-hours trading in response to the results. Source

Hemp growers say Maryland’s new marijuana laws leave them high — and dry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:43 GMT

FILE - Marijuana plants grow at a secured growing facility in Washington county, N.Y., May 12, 2023. An NCAA medical committee believes it is time to remove marijuana from the governing body's list of banned drugs. It also thinks drug testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)(AP/Hans Pennink) FILE - Marijuana plants grow at a secured growing facility in Washington county, N.Y., May 12, 2023. An NCAA medical committee believes it is time to remove marijuana from the governing body's list of banned drugs. It also thinks drug testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)(AP/Hans Pennink) A group of farmers and retailers ...

Stock market today: Stocks drift after Fed hikes rates, as yields fall on hopes that’s the last one

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:43 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks held steady Wednesday after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to their highest level in more than two decades, just as Wall Street expected.The S&P 500 slipped 0.71, or less than 0.1%, to 4,566.75, remaining near a 15-month high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 82.05 points, or 0.2%, to 35,520.12, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 17.27, or 0.1%, to 14,127.29.The bond market moved more sharply, and Treasury yields fell after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said no decision has been made about whether to raise rates at its next meeting or beyond. That may have bolstered hopes among traders that Wednesday’s hike could be the last for a long time. Microsoft weighed on the market after falling 3.8%. That was despite reporting better profit and revenue for the spring than expected. Analysts said the company made comments that were perhaps intended to rein in huge expectations for upcoming growth related to artificial intelligence. Investors also may ...