Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was stabbed multiple times by an unidentified intruder at his Bandra residence in Mumbai around 2 a.m. on the night of January 15th and 16th.
Police Launch Investigation and Manhunt
The Mumbai police have registered a case and are actively investigating the matter. The attacker fled the scene following the assault, and authorities have launched a manhunt to apprehend the perpetrator.
Actor Rushed to Hospital for Emergency Surgery Saif Ali Khan was immediately taken to Lilavati Hospital, where he is undergoing surgery for his injuries.
Details of the Actor’s Injuries His injuries include six stab wounds, with two being deep. One of these wounds is dangerously close to his spine, causing significant concern for the medical team.
Specialized Medical Team Monitoring Saif Ali Khan A team of specialized doctors is treating the actor. While his condition is stable, he remains under close observation.
Police Analyze CCTV Footage for Clues The police are reviewing CCTV footage from the area to identify the attacker. This evidence is expected to play a crucial role in the ongoing investigation.
Staff Members Detained for Questioning
As part of their investigation, the police have detained three staff members for questioning to gather information about the events leading up to the incident.
Outpouring of Concern from Fans and Leaders The shocking attack has triggered widespread concern among fans and political leaders. Social media platforms have been flooded with messages expressing shock and prayers for Saif Ali Khan’s speedy recovery.
Family Requests Privacy During Challenging Time Saif Ali Khan’s family has requested privacy and patience from the media and fans. They have urged the public to avoid speculation and allow the investigation to proceed unhindered.
Investigation in Early Stages The investigation is still in its early stages, with the police working diligently to uncover the motive behind the attack and bring the perpetrator to justice.
Kansas vs. Iowa State Basketball: A Matchup of Giants
Right off the bat, both teams are phenomenal: 12-3 KU and 14-1 Iowa State. Iowa State is 8-2 ATS in their last 10, and Kansas is 7-3 ATS in their last 10. But what stands out to me about these two teams is KU’s 1-14 to the under, so clearly, there’s been a lot of value in betting the under in their games. What do we do in this one tonight?
Kansas’ Unders: A Streak to Watch
I actually used Kansas under, so thanks for taking away some of my fire there by sharing that record. They’re off a win against Cincinnati, and that game was 54 to 40—that’s not a halftime score, folks, 54 to 40 was the final score against Cincinnati. You mentioned the 1-4 over/under record for Kansas, with 13 straight unders. It’s important to know that when you’re looking at ATS streaks or over/under streaks, if your average margin of cover is a point or two, there’s much randomness in there—it’s basically flipping a coin. They make the last shot, or they don’t.
Defensive Mastery: Kansas’ Unders by the Numbers Kansas’s last 13 games that have all gone under have done so by 12 points per game—that’s a massive number. Iowa State at home may be the best team in college basketball right now. I had them nowhere near being this good—they’re 14-1, with their only loss to Auburn. Auburn is the number one team in the country right now, and that loss was by two points in a neutral setting.
Iowa State Basketball’s Dominance at Home This year, Iowa State at home is particularly impressive. I’m going to look at the total here. Kansas is 2-7 over/under at home, but when you throw out a couple of games as a favorite of 36 points or more, they’re 0-6 over/under at home and have failed to cover by 10.7 points per game.
Balanced Scoring Powers Iowa State Basketball A couple of other things I like about this Iowa State team: five players average double digits. What does that mean? When you try to scheme against Iowa State, you can’t try to stop one player or even two. If all five starters are legitimate scorers, it gives you a lot of leeway where you don’t need one player to get hot. The player that catches fire that game can lead the team to victory.
Kansas Relies on Limited Scoring Options By the way, Kansas only has two players that average double digits. They are quite young—they’re an experienced team overall, but they do have some newness with some new players. I look at this and say it’s simple for me: I am going to go under the total. I like the under for the first half even a little bit more, and I may actually load this as a client release.
Kansas as an Underdog: A Rarity I haven’t finished my final process of analyzing it, but someone I talked to last night said, “Oh my God, you don’t see Kansas as a dog very often. There’s incredible value in taking the Jayhawks as a dog.” Well, let me quantify that: as a conference underdog since 2021, Kansas is 3-9 straight up and only 4-7 against the spread.
Big 12 Underdog Trends Point to the Under
So again, you think there’s good value for Kansas being an underdog in the Big 12—a conference they’ve dominated over the last decade—but it hasn’t come to fruition. When they are a legitimate dog, there’s a reason for it. And by the way, when Kansas is a Big 12 dog, their last 11 games have had three overs and 11 unders. All signs point to the under here.
Success with Iowa State Basketball and Other Bets
Again, what do you have to promote for our clients? Well, you know I had a 5% NFL teaser that just came down because of a line move. Take a look: I’m number two in profit over the last 30 days. It’s been an incredible run. I do have a college basketball 4% best bet up and available now. I sincerely thank everyone who was on board for my $5 5% winner last night on the Kentucky Wildcats. It’s been a great six weeks, and I’m just looking to continue that stretch.
In a high-profile Senate confirmation hearing, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi faced intense scrutiny over her potential role as Attorney General of the United States. Senators pressed Bondi on key issues ranging from ethical independence to national security concerns, testing her ability to stand firm against political pressures.
Accountability on Election and January 6th
You have to be able to say that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Pam Bondi, you dodged that question when you were asked directly by Senator Durbin. You have to be able to say that January 6 insurrectionists who committed violence shouldn’t be pardoned. You have to be able to say that a nominee for the FBI director who says he has an enemy list and that’s just the beginning of what he has said in terms of deeply politicizing and weaponizing the FBI against political opponents shouldn’t be the FBI director.
Question on Ethical Independence We have some history here with your predecessors—Barr, Sessions, and others—who perhaps sincerely, when they sat where you are now, said that they would say no. But they were working with a president who expected them to be his Roy Cohn, his personal attorney. Pam Bondi, do you really think that you can avoid the disgrace they encountered or the repercussions from the White House if you say no to the president? My question to you is, can you say no to the President of the United States when he asks you to do something unethical or illegal?
Response on Truthfulness
Senator, first, I need to clarify something that you said—that I have to sit up here and say these things. No, I don’t. I sit up here and speak the truth. I’m not going to sit up here and say anything that I need to say to get confirmed by this body. I don’t have to say anything. I will answer the questions to the best of my ability.
Suitability of FBI Nominee Let me ask you, Pam Bondi, an individual who says that he is going to “come after” people he alleges “helped Joe Biden rig the presidential elections,” that he has a list of people who are part of this deep state who should be prosecuted, that he’s going to close down the FBI building on his first day in office—is that a person who should appropriately be the FBI director? Aren’t those comments inappropriate? Shouldn’t you disavow them and ask him to recant them?
Defense of the Nominee Senator, I am not familiar with all those comments. I have not discussed those comments with Mr. Patel. What I do know—I’m asking for excuse me—what I do know is Mr. Patel was a career prosecutor, a career public defender defending people, and he also has great experience within the intelligence community. What I can sit here and tell you, Senator, is that Mr. Patel, if he works with running the FBI, if he is confirmed, and if I am confirmed, he will follow the law. Pam Bondi does not believe he would do anything otherwise.
Chilling Comments and Kids Online Safety Act Let me just submit that the response I would have hoped to hear from you, Pam Bondi, is that those comments are inappropriate and that you will ask him to disavow or recant them when he comes before this committee because they are indeed chilling to fair enforcement and the rule of law. Let me ask you on another topic, when we met, I welcomed your support for the goals of the Kids Online Safety Act. Senator Blackburn and I have spent a lot of time and effort on the passage of the Kids Online Safety Act, which happened by an overwhelming vote of 91 to 3, with 72 co-sponsors, including Vice President-elect Vance.
Commitment to Protecting Children Online I appreciated our discussion and your support for protecting kids online when we met last week. I’m hopeful that this area is one where we can work together. Pam Bondi, can we count on your support in working together to protect kids online?
Support for Collaboration Senator, absolutely, and thank you for that legislation and Senator Blackburn. I believe in this world right now we have to find the things we have in common, and that is certainly one of them, Senator. Protecting our children from online predators—you’ve done so much on that front, and I thank you. I attempted to do that as well when I was Attorney General, but I, Pam Bondi, am committed to working with you on anything we can do to protect our children throughout this country.
Commitment to Address TikTok and National Security
When I was Attorney General, we started something called “From Instant Message to Instant Nightmare,” educating parents about online predators. That also, Senator, is one of the core functions of the FBI—the Cyber Unit. These agents sit there all day long and investigate child predators. We tell parents constantly, you think you’re talking to another child. I apologize, I’m going to interrupt you. I welcome your positive response. I have one more question that I’m going to try to fit into this round.
TikTok will be banned unless it is sold because it has become a tool for the Chinese to collect information, conduct surveillance, and endanger our national security. Pam Bondi, can you commit that you will enforce that law promptly and effectively? I ask this question because President Trump’s pick for your Solicitor General in the Department of Justice went to the United States Supreme Court arguing that the ban should be delayed. Will you commit to enforcing that law on your first day if you are confirmed?
Response on Enforcement of TikTok Ban
Senator, as I discussed with you during our meeting, that is pending litigation within the Department of Justice. Well, it’s pending litigation, but will you enforce that law? I can’t discuss pending litigation, but I will talk to all the career prosecutors who are handling the case. Absolutely, Senator, I will discuss it with them.
Sad news that Linda Nolan has passed away at the age of 65. Her agent confirmed this within the last few minutes. Linda had been open in recent years about her battle with incurable cancer, sharing her journey of treatment and resilience in the face of her diagnosis.
An Iconic Artist
Linda was an extraordinary artist and a brilliant singer with a warm and endearing personality. The Nolan Sisters, often remembered for their late ’70s and early ’80s success, achieved immense global popularity, particularly in Japan, with hits like “I’m in the Mood for Dancing.”
A Versatile Talent
In addition to her success as part of The Nolan Sisters, Linda enjoyed a remarkable stage career. She starred in numerous musicals, earning critical acclaim for her theatrical performances alongside her pop music achievements.
A Relatable Pop Star
Linda and her sisters were beloved not only for their music but also for their relatable and genuine personas. This warmth and affection from fans made news of Linda’s cancer battle especially heartbreaking.
Advocacy and Awareness
Linda used her platform to raise awareness about cancer, encouraging early medical intervention and supporting charitable organizations. Her openness and courage inspired many and left a lasting impact on the community.
A Heartfelt Tribute
Her agent released a statement expressing profound sadness over her passing. The tribute highlighted Linda’s legacy as an Irish pop icon, television personality, and Guinness World Record holder.
Achievements with The Nolan Sisters
As a member of The Nolan Sisters, Linda achieved global success, becoming part of the first Irish act to sell over a million records worldwide. The group sold over 30 million records with hits like “Got to Pull Myself Together” and “Attention to Me.”
A Life of Philanthropy
Linda dedicated her life to helping others, raising over £20 million for charities such as Breast Cancer Now and the Irish Cancer Society. Her philanthropic efforts touched countless lives and further cemented her legacy.
Peaceful Passing
Linda passed away peacefully at 10:20 a.m. on January 15, surrounded by her siblings. Her family’s presence ensured she was comforted in her final moments.
Remembering Linda Nolan
Linda Nolan’s life was one of extraordinary talent, resilience, and generosity. She will be remembered as a beloved pop star, a gifted performer, and a compassionate advocate who left a profound mark on the world.
This is what most Americans innocently put into their bodies these days—and most alarmingly, into the bodies of their children. It’s no coincidence that Americans die earlier than Canadians, Germans, Italians, Japanese, Koreans, Australians, or most other comparable countries. It wasn’t always this way. Until the early 1990s, our life expectancy was the same or better than other developed countries.
A Rise in Chronic Diseases
Then suddenly, more and more Americans began suffering from chronic diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and all kinds of autoimmune diseases. Our maternal mortality rate soared to the highest of any developed country on Earth, and the same with infant mortality.
The Slow Boil of Public Health Decline
Like the frog in slowly boiling water, we didn’t really notice as we got sicker and sicker. We’ve grown now to accept chronic disease conditions as normal. But now, in 2024, we’re finally waking up to this cataclysm and asking ourselves, “How in the world did this happen?”
The Role of Our Diet
A big part of it is our diet. Restaurants that serve contaminated food are fined or shut down. But when it’s the government that approves the poisonous food, a few people get very, very rich, and the toxins end up in every supermarket aisle. Let me show you what I mean.
Junk Food and Toxic Additives
Doritos, Cheez-It, Captain Crunch, gummy bears—everyone knows these are junk foods. So maybe you wouldn’t be too surprised to learn that the ingredients include a lot of poisons, including a harmful yellow dye called tartrazine or Yellow Dye Number Five. What you may not know is that this dye was originally made from the sludge left over when coal is turned into coke for blast furnaces. It’s called coal tar.
The Origin of Tartrazine
I’ve actually sued many big industries for legacy contamination of coal tar all around the country because it’s so toxic. It is so harmful to the environment and human beings. A century ago, it was just an obnoxious industrial byproduct that everybody was trying to figure out ways to get rid of. One of the ways they did that was by paving roads.
From Coal Tar to Food Dye
Then a British chemist figured out that coal tar could be used to derive fabric dye. And if fabric dye, why not food dye? Food manufacturers began using it to cover up the discoloration of low-quality foods they wanted to pass off on unsuspecting customers. They didn’t know back then that this yellow dye, tartrazine, causes tumors, asthma, developmental delays, neurological damage, ADD, ADHD, hormone disruption, gene damage, anxiety, depression, and intestinal injuries.
Known Risks, Ignored Warnings
Well, we know it now. We’ve known this for decades. That’s why tartrazine is heavily restricted in other countries. In some places, foods with tartrazine require a warning label that it may cause ADHD in children. Today, it’s made from petroleum, not coal tar. Either way, it’s crazy to add this to your kids’ favorite foods. It doesn’t even change the flavor.
Hidden in Plain Sight
This yellow dye isn’t just in junk food; it’s in the foods we consider healthy. It’s in everyday kids’ snacks like popcorn, mac and cheese, and fruit snacks. It’s in sports drinks like Gatorade and so-called vitamin water. It’s even added to chicken broth, corn, pickles, mustard, and yogurt. And so, of course, our kids get sick, and we lovingly feed them chewable vitamins, which have—surprise—tartrazine. And so the cycle continues.
The Bigger Picture of Chemical Additives
I’ve been picking on tartrazine today, but that’s just one of at least 100 chemical poisons that our health agencies allow into our children’s food. If we removed all these chemicals, our nation would get healthier immediately. We’d have fewer sick days, better focus, less anxiety, and our kids would learn more easily. We’d lose weight, have more energy, experience fewer tumors, and live longer.
Progress and Political Will
It’s not all dark; over the past 16 years, the government has banned eight chemical additives that cause cancer, genetic damage, and asthma. All eight of those crucial steps forward in our kids’ health were taken under President Trump. But the Democrats, who claim to be all about healthcare, have stood by watching other countries ban these poisons.
A couple of days back, when markets really took a beating, BC was the one which stood out and held itself in the green in such a tough week. The market has been able to do that consistently through all of this volatility over the last three to four trading sessions, which is what’s been so impressive about BC.
Kalyan Jewellers Share Price: Recent Trends and Challenges Before we get to our guests, I want to ask one of our guests about BSE, which is doing very well. The other stock I want to discuss is Kalyan Jewelers. If you look at what’s happened to this stock in the last few days, it’s not related to lab-grown diamond impact.
Kalyan Jewellers Share Price: Rumors and Market Movements Various rumors have been circulating, and by scuttlebutt, I mean talking to a few people and trying to figure out what could be the case. One leverage position is certainly getting squared off, and there’s some shorting happening at the hedge fund end as well. These rumors are floating around an expensive stock, bringing it down to its knees, and in the last ten days, it has lost nearly 30%.
Kalyan Jewellers Share Price and Expert Analysis Now, let’s go across to our guest, Kush Bora, founder of kora.com, and Nashar, head of equity research at Latin Manhar Securities. Good afternoon, gentlemen. It’s good to have you both here. Kush, we have two tales of two stocks: one is BSE, and the other is Kalyan Jewelers. I’ll take an index call from you as well, but let’s start with these two stocks.
Kalyan Jewellers Share Price Outlook: A Critical Viewpoint Kush Bora: It’s certainly engaging, you know. I was listening to it keenly, and yes, both are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. For BSE, the dream run continues, and the dip turned out to be a buying opportunity. We also discussed this a couple of times; there could be a mild resistance around the 5800 mark, which was the previous swing high. So perhaps you could see some profit booking, but that’s all it will be.
Kalyan Jewellers Share Price: How to React in This Situation If, however, you do get a dip near the 5450-5500 mark, this might just turn out to be a good buying opportunity. But that’s a big if, right? If you’ve got a position, continue holding on to BC; it’s not an issue at all.
Kalyan Jewellers Share Price: Analyzing the Decline As for Kalyan Jewelers, things have gotten a little tricky, not just today but also a couple of sessions ago when the medium-term support zone that was held for the last four to five months of 635 was broken. For the last couple of sessions, it was flirting with that 200-day moving average. Today, it’s broken that support level on the back of very serious volumes.
Kalyan Jewellers Share Price: Market Response and Investor Sentiment I think here we need to be a little skeptical. Despite the kind of fall that the stock has seen over the last two weeks, it’s still some territory away from the oversold territory. I think we’ll have to be cautious on this one. I don’t think shorting is going to benefit anymore. If you’ve got a short position, you might as well cover.
Kalyan Jewellers Share Price: Future Considerations and Investor Strategy
Investors should continue monitoring Kalyan Jewellers share price closely for any potential reversals or further decline. Given the volatility in the market and the ongoing speculation, a cautious approach is advisable, particularly for those holding long or short positions.
They’ve already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, and in the third and final ODI, they’ve actually made history by scoring 435 for five, which has turned out to be their highest total in women’s cricket.
Smriti Leads India’s Record-Breaking Performance Now let’s take a look at the plethora of records that have been created and broken in the third ODI between India and Ireland in Rajkot. It’s obviously India who are leading the charts here.
Smriti Mandhana Helps India Set a New High As it has been said, India have a total of 435 for five, which is their highest ever ODI total in women’s cricket history. Before this, India had scored 370 for five, which came in the previous ODI against Ireland at the same venue in Rajkot.
Smriti Mandhana Powers India into Elite Company India have bettered their record by scoring 435 for five. In the overall list of highest totals in women’s cricket, India now stand fourth. The only other teams who have scored 400 plus in women’s ODIs are New Zealand and Australia.
Smriti Mandhana and Priya Punia’s Unstoppable Opening Partnership The opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Priya Punia was a total of 233. The two have already made merry against Ireland in this ODI series and have scored a combined 350 to 400 odd runs.
Smriti Mandhana Breaks Indian ODI Partnership Record In this very match, they put on 233, which is the third highest partnership for India for any wicket in women’s ODIs. Because of this partnership, India were able to cross 400 for the first time in their women’s cricket history.
Smriti Mandhana’s Fastest Century Sets New Record Smriti Mandhana scored a 70-ball century and entered the record books. She broke Harmanpreet Kaur’s record by becoming the first Indian to score the fastest century in women’s cricket, surpassing the previous record of 87 balls.
Smriti Mandhana’s Century Record in Women’s Cricket There have been a total of just four batters to score 10 or more ODI centuries. Mandhana now tops the list with 15, followed by Tammy Beaumont and Suzie Bates with 13 each. With this century, Mandhana has 10 tons in ODI cricket, the most by any Indian in women’s cricket history.
Smriti Mandhana’s Impact on Women’s Cricket The women’s cricket team scored 435, which has bettered the men’s team’s record. The men’s team had scored 418 for five against the West Indies in Indore in 2011, which came almost 14 years ago.
Smriti Mandhana Sets the Stage for the 2025 ODI World Cup
India is gearing up well for the Women’s ODI World Cup that’s going to take place later in 2025. After a poor show in the T20 World Cup in 2024, India made a comeback with an ODI series win against New Zealand. They lost to Australia in an away series, but then scored a 3-0 win against the West Indies. They are looking set for another sweep in the Ireland series, continuing their momentum.
Here’s an additional 200 words to expand on the script, further highlighting Smriti Mandhana’s contributions and achievements:
Smriti Mandhana: The Face of Indian Women’s Cricket Smriti Mandhana has undoubtedly become one of the brightest stars in Indian women’s cricket. Her recent performance in the third ODI against Ireland solidified her reputation as a formidable force in world cricket. Her ability to dominate the game and set new records continues to inspire not only young cricketers but also fans across the globe. Mandhana’s style of play, characterized by elegant drives and powerful strokes, has made her a fan favorite.
Mandhana’s Influence on the Indian Team’s Growth Mandhana’s contributions have been pivotal in India’s rise as a dominant force in women’s cricket. She plays a leadership role, motivating her teammates and setting benchmarks with her on-field performances. Her recent record-breaking century, achieved in just 70 balls, is a testament to her relentless pursuit of excellence. It also shows the progress of Indian women’s cricket, as they continuously push boundaries and break barriers in a traditionally male-dominated sport.
Looking Ahead: Smriti Mandhana and the Future of Women’s Cricket With the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 just around the corner, Smriti Mandhana’s leadership and skill will be crucial in shaping India’s campaign. Her consistent performances have already set high expectations for the team, and fans are eager to see what more she will accomplish in the coming years. As she continues to break records, Smriti Mandhana is undoubtedly shaping the future of women’s cricket in India and beyond.
Jody Burage Triumphs in First Grand Slam Match in 12 Months
Jody Burage has made a remarkable return to the Grand Slam scene, securing a spot in the second round of the Australian Open after a hard-fought victory over Frances Leo Lea Jean Jean. The win marks her first Grand Slam appearance in 12 months, and she expressed her excitement about being back on the match court. “There were a lot of emotions going into the match yesterday, but I was very excited to get on the match court at a Grand Slam level,” Burage said. “I managed to take my moment, and I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Reflecting on a Challenging Year Burage’s journey to this point has not been easy. Just weeks ago, she was contemplating retirement due to injuries that had plagued her career. In a poignant moment after her win, Burage described shedding “happy tears” at the end of the match. She shared her emotions, stating, “I’m not normally someone who cries, so I’m a little bit embarrassed about that, to be honest. But they were happy tears. Over the last year, I’ve tried to put all my emotions aside, get through it, and do the best I can. It was a tough year, but I’m glad I managed to pull through.”
Fighting Through Physical Setbacks In the past 12 months, Burage has faced several physical setbacks, including multiple surgeries. She underwent her fourth surgery—her first wrist surgery—and also dealt with an ankle injury that kept her sidelined for a while. Reflecting on the toll it took on her, she said, “It was a really tough year. I didn’t know how much more fight I had left for the sport, but it can change quickly, and that’s what kept me going these last few months.”
The Underdog Mentality for Round Two Looking ahead to her next challenge, Burage is set to face American third seed Coco Gauff in the second round. Despite the tough competition, Burage is embracing her role as the underdog. “I’m really excited! I’ve never even hit on Rod Laver before, so I’ll try to get some practice in tomorrow. I’ve played Coco before, and she’s arguably the best player in the world right now, so it’s going to be a tricky match. But I’m going to take it to her and see what I can do. I’m going to try and make her as uncomfortable as I can.”
The Challenge of Balancing Singles and Doubles In addition to singles, Burage has also been competing in doubles, although she and her partner were recently defeated in a deciding set tiebreak. “It was a really close match, and I can’t believe we didn’t win it,” Burage said. “We gave it our best shot. It was quite physical, and as you can see, I’m a little sunburned, but it’s always good to get back on the match court. I love competing.”
British Tennis Thriving Down Under Burage’s success is part of a larger trend in British tennis at the Australian Open, with five British players advancing to the next round—a record-equalling achievement. Burage remains hopeful that her compatriot Katy Bolter will join the ranks as well. “We are in a really good spot right now. We’re showing that at the highest level, which is Grand Slam level. Hopefully, we’ll have six players in the third round. British tennis is in a really good spot right now.”
Target cuts and layoffs are becoming more common, but I don’t know. Layoffs have worked pretty well for Facebook’s financial restructuring and year of efficiency.
The Year of Efficiency
Yeah, exactly, year of efficiency. We’ve seen that work for the company. So far, we are getting reports from Reuters that Meta is planning to reduce its workforce again, though the company is expected to cut from the Agile Silicon team unit, which is part of the Reality Labs division. That unit is about 600 people, and we don’t yet know how many layoffs there will be.
Challenges with Augmented Reality Chips
But this is likely coming from a couple of places. This is the unit that develops those chips for augmented and virtual reality. Reports have been that they just really haven’t been able to make a competitive chip, and that’s why we’ve seen Qualcomm come in and provide chips for their Quest and the Ray-Ban sunglasses as well.
Focus on Cost-Cutting and Loss Reduction
And then, as you pointed out, year of efficiency is likely another reason for this. If they’re able to find an area where they can cut some costs, Reality Labs, we know, is the division they’re focusing on for the future. That’s an area where they lost about $13.7 billion in 2022 on just $2.16 billion of revenue.
Financial Impact of Layoffs
So, there’s an area where they are showing a lot of losses, and it’s possible to cut some of that with layoffs. Okay? So the cut is coming with it? I mean, is that related coincidence? It seems like the stock so far has given us no reason to think that layoffs are going to be a bad thing. Cleaning up the bottom line, no matter what it takes, is going to be a good thing because the stock still looks amazing, considering everything that’s happened in the last couple of months.
Stock Performance Amid Restructuring
It’s still off its July high, like the broad market, but barely—talking $26, a little less than 10% off its high. I mean, you know, that’s not bad—less than 8% actually. Yeah, absolutely. What the company has been able to do in terms of cost reduction and seeing some of the ad revenue come back has been impressive.
Excitement Around New Products
And, you know, I think there is some excitement around their Quest headset and the Ray-Ban sunglasses as well. The price cut really did focus on expenses. JPMorgan lowered the price target from $425 to $400, keeping that overweight rating on the shares. They remain positive on Meta’s shares.
JPMorgan’s Adjustments to Estimates
They reduced their 2024 and 2025 earnings estimates primarily to account for increases in expenses. They said the biggest change in their model is increasing the 2024 total expenses from $93.4 billion to $97.5 billion. They think Meta is going to guide in a range of $96 to $102 billion.
Future Outlook and Efficiency Goals
Typically, Meta is not going to comment on their forward revenue in conjunction with their four-year expense outlook, but they think it’s coming. Meta is focusing on efficiency and cost reduction, which seems to be positively impacting their financials and stock performance.
Somebody’s campaign coffers really are struggling right now, so she’s going to keep saying “trans, trans, trans” so that people will feel threatened. And child, listen, I want y’all to tell—do not call me a child. I am no child. Don’t even own it. You will not do that. I am not a child. Claiming my time. If you want to take it outside, Mr. Chairman, the committee is not in order.
Nancy Mace’s Manufactured Outrage
That was Nancy Mace doing the usual manufactured outrage bit at Jasmine Crockett, saying the word “child.” The irony is that Nancy Mace then threatens to go outside with Crockett, thereby proving that she is indeed a child. It’s not often that Republicans instantly validate a Democratic attack against them, but then again, it’s not often you come across a congresswoman as dense as Nancy Mace.
Oversight Committee Chaos
This came during an oversight committee meeting, which predictably went off the rails as soon as the Nancy Maces of the world had the opportunity. Why? Well, Jasmine Crockett nailed it. It’s because any opportunity is a good opportunity for her to stir up controversy and ultimately fundraise off it. So if you’re wondering why Nancy Mace got so upset, as they say, a hit dog will holler.
Trans People as a Boogeyman
The vehicle for Mace to stir up that controversy was, of course, by bringing up trans people, the right’s favorite boogeyman of the moment, which prompted this pushback from Crockett. “Let me tell you something, y’all need to find some people that actually care about their constituents. And honestly, whenever y’all are ready to work, we on this side of the aisle have always been ready to do what is right by the American people.”
Standing Against Vulnerable Attacks
“Instead, what you continue to do is go after the most vulnerable in our country. The fact that you just sat up there and somehow figured out how to tie trans folk to your argument makes no sense to me. But let me tell you something, trans people ain’t going nowhere. Just like when the racists wanted to make sure that Black people somehow were going to be dismissed in this country, we ain’t left either.”
Mace’s Bizarre Statements
Perhaps the most bizarre part of all of this would be this comment from Nancy Mace: “It is time that we stopped wasting time up here on the Hill. We stopped wasting time here in Congress talking about BS. And someone brought up dignity earlier. I would love to see dignity and respect for women up here on the Hill, which is why we should ban men from women’s spaces, which is why we should ban men from the locker rooms, from women’s locker rooms, which is why we should ban men from women’s dressing rooms.”
Irony in Dignity and Respect
“I’m done with this. We got to get back to common sense. We got to get back to fighting and working hard for the American people, and we’ve got to do it together. So you guys can talk all you want on the left side of the aisle, you’re not going to be successful.” First of all, it’s ironic that Mace would bring up dignity when her entire career is predicated on theatrics and manufactured outrage.
Cognitive Dissonance and Trump
We’ll get to more of that in just a moment, I promise. But second of all, respect for women? Her entire identity is predicated on her support for Donald Trump, who is a convicted felon based on charges stemming from hush money payouts for an affair he had while his wife was at home with their infant son. A judge stated that he raped E. Jean Carroll. He’s been credibly accused of sexual assault by more than two dozen women.
Nancy Mace’s Ambitions
In fact, that’s a point that I brought up during an appearance with Piers Morgan. “Look, going back to Nancy Mace, you know, she explains on a weekly basis how she was the victim of sexual assault, including in this very previous segment with you. And yet, you know, to that point, I feel for her, and I think that’s absolutely awful. But she also breathlessly supports somebody like Donald Trump, who is an adjudicated rapist and who was credibly accused of sexual assault by 26 different women.”
Pretend Controversies for Attention
So the cognitive dissonance at play here, first of all, is incredible. But second of all, just with regard to Nancy Mace, with regard to Donald Trump, we know why they’re doing this. Nancy Mace is not afraid of Sarah McBride chasing her into the bathroom. She’s not. She wants to fundraise off this. She wants to be social media famous. Nancy Mace has more ambition to be famous online than every single member of Congress.
Hypocrisy and Opportunism
Doesn’t mean she’s wrong. So look, if Nancy Mace was truly as concerned about the prospect of sexual assault as she claims to be, then maybe she’d have even 1% reticence to vote for the guy who she breathlessly supports, Donald Trump, who again, is credibly accused of sexual assault by 26 women and is an adjudicated rapist according to a judge. And yet, according to Mace, that all seems totally fine. But Sarah McBride, who as far as I can tell, has behaved herself with nothing more than grace and class merely existing, that’s apparently a bridge too far for Nancy Mace.
A Question of Good Faith
So I guess the question for Mace is this: Is sexual assault only okay when Republicans do it? And finally, as promised, let’s be clear about something. Lest you think that Nancy Mace is acting in good faith, she’s not. Her entire MO in Congress is to whip up pretend controversies that she can then leverage for attention or money. She is the physical manifestation of the worst of our attention economy.
