12272024_B01_Business21_tribCOMBINED by tribune242

Extra power for Harbour Island - but Eleuthera still hit by outages

By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter

AN EXTRA 1MW of rental generation has been installed on Harbour Island after repeated complaints of power outages throughout Eleuthera.

Bahamas Power and Light installed the extra power unit on Christmas Day, although the installation led to a power shutdown on Harbour Island on Boxing Day.

BPL promised an added 2.5MW of “BPL-owned generation” following an “unexpected failure of”

a generator set and constant electricity complaints throughout Eleuthera.

In a statement, BPL said: “On Christmas Day, December 25, 2024, we successfully installed an extra 1MW of rental generation to meet the increasing load

demands as Harbour Island enters its peak season.”

BPL said to integrate the new unit into the system, a complete shutdown would take place on Boxing Day morning from 6am to 8am, “to minimise the disruption

for our residential and business customers”.

Caterer and owner of the Harbour Island Spa Karen Catalyn said she did not experience outages on Christmas Day. However, she gave BPL credit for cutting the electricity at intervals on Boxing Day for the unit integration.

“This morning it’s been off ﬁve times already,” she said. “You could see the attempts that they are making. It went off for ﬁve minutes, maybe ten at the most, but it was always right back on. It didn’t go off until 7.30. So we had probably an outage between 7.30 and say about 8.20. And

Pintard seeks probe over CCA payments

By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business

THE FNM is still calling for an investigation into the China Construction America’s alleged connection to the PLP administration.

In a statement, the Opposition said: “The New York Supreme Court’s appellate division recently denied China Construction America’s (CCA) motion to stay enforcement of a $1.6 billion judgment in the Baha Mar lawsuit, rekindling serious questions about potential conﬂicts of interest within the then-PLP administration—an administration where Prime Minister Davis served as Deputy Prime Minister.”

FN leader Michael Pintard said court documents state that “CCA secured government favour through a $2m contract with a company led by the son of a senior PLP advisor who managed the government’s dealings with the Baha Mar project at the time”. While calling for an investigation into the matter, he added he did not forget

about Sam Bankman-Fried and the FTX collapse and is also awaiting an investigation into that incident as well.

Mr Pintard said: “Once upon a time, Prime Minister Davis was a big fan of investigations. He wanted to look deep into the previous administration’s closet for skeletons—audits, investigations, commissions of inquiry, you name it. Yet, when it comes to holding himself and his team accountable, Crickets. It seems ‘justice’ is only served when it’s dished out to political opponents or regular Bahamians.

“We demand that the Prime Minister stop stalling and launch a full investigation into the $2m payout tied to CCA. The public

deserves to know what those payments were for, who pocketed the money, and what backroom deals or communications between CCA and government ofﬁcials—or their cronies—led CCA to believe the government would blindly back them in any dispute. With CCA ﬁling for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, there is a need to move with a sense of urgency.

“We hope the government has not forgotten that we are still awaiting an investigation to determine which entities linked to Bahamian ofﬁcials pocketed hundreds of thousands in donations from Sam Bankman-Fried and the FTX exchange. What were these donations really for, and who reaped the beneﬁts?”

it wasn’t off for that long. I’m shocked because I have water on demand so I need my electricity to bathe. But they do very good today. They didn’t even want you to have two hours off. You can see them trying to keep it on.”

BPL said the rental generation “is a temporary solution aimed at stabilising the power supply on the island”.

“This unit was transported from New Providence to Harbour Island and installed in just 48 hours. In parallel, the BPL team is committed to bringing an additional 2.5 MW of BPL-owned

generation online within the next week, along with repairing and restoring the previously lost unit.”

While Harbour Island received added generation, other parts of Eleuthera experienced outages at Christmas, with many leaving complaints in the BPL Eleuthera Hotline WhatsApp group since Christmas Eve.

“The outage started at about 6.50pm on Christmas Eve,” local government representative for Current Aldred Albury told Tribune Business. “BPL was notiﬁed and after multiple calls

Medics hope for ‘positive outcome’ over concerns

By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business

THE Consultant Physician Staff Association is hoping for “a more positive outcome” after sharing concerns over the union’s outstanding issues with labour consultant Bernard Evans.

As one of the three unions to have met with the prime minister so far, Dr Charelle Lockhart, CPSA president, said while she received acknowledgement by the permanent secretary that the union’s concerns have been heard and forwarded to the appropriate parties, she was “disappointed” by the response, referring to it as a “stall tactic”.

“So we did get a response from the permanent secretary for OPM,” Dr Lockhart said. “He did acknowledge our email, but not really giving us any information. It was a bit vague.

“His response was very vague, saying that they referred our matter for action to the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Public Service. So that was not the response we were looking for. We were quite disappointed at that response because really the only thing that I wanted them to do was say, ‘yes, we acknowledge these are the things the Prime Minister agreed upon’ so then to engage the PHA and further negotiate. So we were certainly disappointed.

“I feel like it’s a stall tactic because, you know, sending back to the Ministry of Wellness, the public service is not helpful.”

However, during a recent meeting with the Department of Labour, the union’s grievances were presented and Dr Lockhart said Mr Evans “trying to clarify what the response means”.

“To be honest with you, I absolutely love the Labour Minister,” Dr Lockhart

Port Lucaya marketplace ‘ghost

town’ says vendor

in business and visitor numbers for some time.

THE closure of the Grand Lucayan Resort, with only Lighthouse Point remaining operational, has left straw vendors at the Port Lucaya Marketplace grappling with dire economic challenges. As the holiday season approached, some vendors expressed frustration, hope, and a reliance on faith to navigate through these difﬁcult times. Port Lucaya Marketplace, located near the hotel, has been experiencing a decline

Many merchants have been forced to close their doors. Straw vendors are struggling to survive.

Crystal, a long-time vendor, speaking ahead of Christmas, said she did not expect anything this season, “but we did not have a season for years”.

She highlighted concerns over management’s lack of promotion for the marketplace, adding, “I don’t think it is the government’s fault. It is not the government’s property. It is Port Lucaya Marketplace - they

MICHAEL PINTARD

Companies offer support to Junkanoo groups

TWO local business played a part in this year’s Junkanoo preparations by giving donations to groups heading out on the parades.

The Saxons were the winners of this year’s Boxing Day parade - and ahead of the New Year event, Consolidated Water (Bahamas) Ltd (CWCO) supported the group’s brass section, High Voltage Brass, by covering the cost of their costumes for the upcoming parade.

Henderson Cash, general manager of CWCO, expressed the company’s commitment to Bahamian culture. He said, “We are thrilled to support the Saxons Brass Section again this Junkanoo season. At Consolidated Water, investing in our community is a priority, especially when it helps sustain a tradition that showcases our rich cultural heritage. This donation is part of our broader initiative to support cultural events throughout the year, ensuring these traditions continue to thrive.”

Jeremy Lightbourne, a representative of High Voltage Brass, said: “Continuous support from Consolidated Water is a game-changer for us. Thanks to their generosity, each member of our section will parade down Bay Street in costumes that embody the spirit and passion of Junkanoo.”

Meanwhile, Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC),

local producers of CocaCola and Dasani products, provided a $20,000 sponsorship to the One Family Junkanoo Group. CBC, a long-time sponsor of the A category group, said it was proud to lend its support once again this year ahead of the 2024 Boxing Day and 2025 New Year’s Day parades.

“The unwavering dedication and countless hours poured into bringing Junkanoo to life is truly extraordinary. We recognise

both the costs and the tireless effort behind it all, and are proud to contribute to ensuring this world-class spectacle continues to grow and thrive. Junkanoo is an event we as Bahamians cherish,” said Jonathan Thronebury, director of marketing at CBC. In addition to this sizable donation, nine CBC Team members were to take part in the 2024 Boxing Day parade along with One Family rushers featuring a Sprite themed ﬂoat.

HGC family donates over 140 new toys to kids

FOR the holiday season, the real estate team at HG Christie Ltd (HGC) put on their Santa hats to give back to local children in the islands.

In New Providence, led by Daren Seymour, one of the company’s top producing agents, the HGC family donated over 140 new toys

to children in the ‘Over the Hill’ community near the company’s headquarters on East Street.

“Christmas is a season of giving, particularly to those in need. This year, we found immense joy in supporting the children in our local community, just moments away from HGC’s headquarters,” said Mr Seymour. “We are the creators of happy homes, but it’s happy hearts that make those homes truly fulﬁlling.

As community leaders, we recognize the importance of not standing idly by in the face of social challenges. Instead, we strive to be proactive agents of change.

Our focus is on solutions because we believe that love heals, love triumphs, and love brings true joy.”

In Grand Bahama, Ewa Mellor, of the HGC ofﬁces in Freeport, led the charge to support Christmas at Candyland, which was organised by Kingdom Seekers and Hand of Hope Ministries, a non-proﬁt organisation serving the West Grand

Bahama community. “We were proud to assist this ﬁfth annual Christmas and Candyland event, which provides positive and uplifting activities for children in the area,” said Mellor.

On Saturday, December 7, children at two locations at Bayshore Road and Russell Town, Eight Mile Rock, joined in an outdoor celebration. This year, the event welcomed just under 600 children from kindergarten to primary schools. While at the Candyland experience, the children enjoyed free food, drinks, games, face painting, and a bouncy castle.

President and managing broker at HGC, John Christie said he was pleased to support both of these donations and see his agents reaching out and helping others. “This initiative has inspired many, including HGC staff and agents, to make a difference in the lives of children. We encourage everyone to join us in giving back and spreading joy.”

EXTRA POWER FOR HARBOUR ISLAND - BUT ELEUTHERA STILL HIT BY OUTAGES

they said at 11.36pm that linesmen was on their way, however no one showed up. At about 12.30am Christmas Day, I received information that the linesmen was not reachable to persons at the power plant and the plant stopped answering the phone in Hatchet Bay. At about 11am Christmas Day, the power was restored.

“It seems as though in [the] North it was only one line off in Current. Seemed as though this may have impacted BPL response as we currently also have 32 street lights inoperable in the Current community as

well. One of these lights has not worked for the last ten years.”

One group member brought to attention the promise made to Eleutherans by the government that the island would see stable electricity by September. They called for BPL to inform the public of a new timeline.

“Should people with electric stoves like me stay up all night and cook to at least have a decent Christmas meal?” they continued. “I was in my corner but for the life of God, how is it that after months and months and Eleutherans having been quiet on all accounts,

FDA PROPOSES NEW TESTING RULES TO ENSURE COSMETICS ARE ASBESTOS-FREE

By MATTHEW PERRONE

AP Health Writer

COSMETIC companies

would have to take extra steps to ensure that any products containing talc are free of asbestos under a federal rule proposed Thursday.

The proposal from the Food and Drug Administration and mandated by Congress is intended to reassure consumers about the safety of makeup, baby powder and other personal care products.

It follows years of lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson and other companies alleging links between talc-based baby powder and cancer. Despite the lawsuits, research has found mixed evidence of a potential link between cancer and talc, although the possibility has been recognized for decades because of how it is mined. Talc is a mineral used to absorb moisture or improve the texture, feel and color of cosmetics. It is mined from underground deposits that are sometimes located near the toxic mineral asbestos. The risk of cross contamination has

long been recognized by cosmetic companies. But recent FDAsponsored testing hasn't uncovered any safety issues. Since 2021, laboratory analysis of more than 150 cosmetic samples has come back negative for asbestos, according to the FDA. Still, concerns about the risk prompted Congress to pass a 2023 law requiring the FDA to release new industry standards for asbestos testing. Dr. Linda Katz, the director of the FDA's Ofﬁce of Cosmetics and Colors, said in a statement that the agency has "carefully considered the scientiﬁc evidence and complex policy issues related to detecting and identifying asbestos in talc and talc-containing cosmetic products."

"We believe that the proposed testing techniques are appropriate methods to detect asbestos to help ensure the safety of talc-containing cosmetic products," Katz said. The long-running litigation against J&J alleges that the company's talc baby powder caused women to develop ovarian cancer, when used for feminine hygiene.

N O T I C E

IN THE ESTATE OF CYPRIANA VALENTINE FLEISCHER late of 16 Pear Street, Sans Souci in the Eastern District of the Island of New Providence, one of the Islands of the Commonwealth of Te Bahamas, deceased.

NOTICE is hereby given that all persons having any claim or demand against the above Estate are required to send the same duly certifed in writing to the Undersigned on or before 24 January 2025, afer which date the Executor will proceed to distribute the assets having regard only to the claims of which he shall then have had notice.

AND NOTICE is hereby also given that all persons indebted to the said Estate are requested to make full settlement on or before the date hereinbefore mentioned.

DELANEY PARTNERS

Attorneys for the Executor

P. O. Box CB-13007

5th Floor, Lyford Cay House, Western Road, Lyford Cay New Providence, Te Bahamas

absolutely no relief has been a reality?”

In response, BPL spokesperson, Arnette Ingrahm assured the group that “sweeping reforms and upgrades” are being put in place to relieve Eleutherans but their “focus” in that moment was to get the electricity up and running so they could “enjoy” their Christmas.

“We get your frustration particularly tonight, Christmas Eve,” Ms Ingraham wrote. “I will not make promises except to say that everyone in BPL is aware of Eleuthera’s challenges, which are systemic. Eleuthera is a priority and I can share that sweeping

reforms and upgrades are being planned for the island as we speak. More on this will be shared soon... Tonight, our primary focus is to get the power back on so that you can enjoy your Christmas.”

Ms Catalyn said she sees BPL “for what it actually is”. She added that the BPL employees are not to blame but the powers that be are. She also noted that knowledge would certainly help Eleutherans show “more understanding” regarding outages.

“The antiquated, archaic, ancient way is not the workers’ fault,” she said. “It’s the government who has not made it their business to

MEDICS HOPE FOR ‘POSITIVE OUTCOME’ OVER CONCERNS

FROM PAGE B1

said. “I think she has been doing a phenomenal job. I think that she is honest in her dealings. I just think that unfortunately, because of our system and the way we do things, there are some things that she would like to see get done that just are not getting done because of the system that we work in. We were able to present our concern to her. She acknowledged our concern. There was a labour consultant there, Mr Evans, who we’ve been working with all of this time and he did say that we would have gotten a response from the permanent secretary, which we got. It just wasn’t the response that we expected.

“So once we got the response, I did reach out to him for immediate clariﬁcation because I was disappointed in the vague response. And he is currently trying to clarify what the response means and to kind of get us closer to what it is, where it is w indeed to get.

“I think that when we have conversations face to face with the different groups of people, whether they be Minister GloverRolle, whether they be the prime minister, whether they be the ﬁnancial secretary, we always get a positive feel from the meeting and then the follow up is what is disappointing. Whatever they came up with or however they respond to us turns out to be a disappointment. So my hope is that the conversations that I’ve been having with Mr Evans will have a more positive outcome.”

Trade Union Congress president Obie Ferguson said he can’t explain why meetings with the prime minister have stopped but unions “are very, very unhappy and they’re very annoyed”. He reiterated that 14 unions have their strike certiﬁcates and “a strike vote doesn’t mean that there will be a strike tomorrow morning” however they “can strike at any moment”.

“We agreed that we would meet and every time we meet, it would be three

take pride in electricity seriously and make changes. They patch up. I’ve been down there looking. Those guys are trying so hard working on the clock. One generator breaks down, two broke down. And I see them working so feverishly trying but man, it’s not their fault. I got to see it for what it actually is this go around. The government has failed us with water and electricity over the 50 years and now we’re paying for it.

“We don’t know the mechanics, well, the infrastructure of BPL to supply electricity for Eleuthera. We don’t know. We know about power plant here, power plant there, main generator there, backups there. That’s about it. We know that the water needs electricity, but where and how, we don’t really know. If someone came and explained it to us, maybe we could understand so that when it goes off we could be more understanding. But knowledge is understanding and we need to understand why it goes out often. What is the backup plans, why it works sometimes, you know, stuff like that. General information rather than just being told, oh, this plant went down, this generator ran out of diesel, run hot, wouldn’t start, that type of thing.”

unions,” Mr Ferguson said. “So you ﬁgure out, if every other day we meet, from the time when we last met, all of these issues would have been resolved by now. But we haven’t met since we met with the doctors and the air trafﬁc and the management of RM Bailey Park. Those matters, in my view, I thought they resolved. I can’t speak for the prime minister.

I don’t know why we haven’t continued to meet. Maybe his schedule, I don’t know. I can’t speak to them. What I do know, we have not been meeting. The unions are very, very unhappy and they’re very annoyed.

“So what I’m saying [is], you don’t strike just a strike. You strike when there is an impasse. In other words, if you fail to meet with me or I fail to meet with you… the reason why you take strike votes is to ensure that the people who go on strike, they do not get terminated. Well, a strike vote doesn’t mean that there will be a strike tomorrow morning. But if you are able to reach agreement, if you are able to meet to discuss and to ﬁnalise issues, then you can strike at any moment.

“All I’m saying is that this is not a game we’re playing. This is a reality. These

are workers, and our job is to represent the workers of the country. When you have a strike vote and it’s taken by the ministry and the vote is cast into the president of that union, it’s up to the president of that union to decide when it would be most appropriate. But what happens, we have agreed to resolve these matters collectively. Not one union or two unions. We agreed that if we’re going to go and strike, all of the union is going to go and strike. That’s the position we have taken.”

Mr Ferguson, who had been hoping to have union issues resolved by December 25, said meetings with the prime minister aren’t usually long and “if the PM schedule permitted it, we could meet at least two meetings, one in the morning, possibly one in the afternoon for about an hour. An hour each.”

These comments came after Prime Minister Davis said in relation to labour relations that “most of those issues are really minor”. He added that a strike is an “unnecessary step” and “should be resolved by just sitting around a table. These comments, Dr Lockhart felt, were “disconcerting”.

Port Lucaya marketplace ‘ghost town’ says vendor

usually $100, but we can barely afford to pay that.”

Marion, another vendor, described the situation as “dim”.

She indicated they would like to see more overnight guests on the island. She said when visitors stay in hotels they stay longer and spend more money, than cruise visitors who spend less time and money.

Marion also agrees that hotel guests spend more.

Veteran vendor Mary Williams, with over 65 years in the industry, also shared her dismay. “This is the worst I have seen it in all my life. Three and four days out of the week, and not a dime,” she stated.

“But I thank God I am alive, and I have a place where I can come to work.”

Ms Williams said cruise visitors do not have sufﬁcient time to shop when they come to the market. She said buses allow them

Port Lucaya marketplace ‘ghost town’ says vendor

FROM PAGE B1

are responsible for tourists coming here.”

Marilyn said: “As you can see, it could be better - you can’t depend on this place for Christmas.”

She believes things would be a lot better if the hotel was opened. “It should have been open by now because it would have made a big difference,” she said.

When The Tribune visited, two cruise ships were docked in Grand Bahama, but only a handful of visitors were out browsing the market.

“It is hard out here... nothing happening for Port Lucaya market,” said the vendor.

Clifton Simms, who has been struggling to make ends meet, pointed out the challenges with high rent and low sales.

He took over running the booth from his mother two to three years ago.

“The main problem is barely anything selling over here,” he stated. “Rent is usually $100, but we can barely afford to pay that.”

Marion, another vendor, described the situation as “dim”.

Marion also agrees that hotel guests spend more.

“But I thank God I am alive, and I have a place where I can come to work.”

Ms Williams said cruise visitors do not have sufﬁcient time to shop when

about a half-hour to one hour to shop. “That must change, she said. “They need to give them time to walk around and shop so we can make some money because all of us are trying to survive.”

Ms Williams has to rely on the small pension she gets from the government.

Elizabeth Sweeting expressed cautious optimism. “I am hopeful because with God, anything is possible.

they come to the market. She said buses allow them about a half-hour to one hour to shop. “That must change, she said. “They need to give them time to walk around and shop so we can make some money because all of us are trying to survive.”

Ms Williams has to rely on the small pension she gets from the government.

Elizabeth Sweeting expressed cautious optimism. “I am hopeful because with God, anything is possible.

She called for more advertisement by management at Port Lucaya. “They need to do their part to sell us onboard the boats,” she said adding that many cruise visitors are unaware of what the market offers.

Antoinette Smith described the marketplace as a “ghost town,” even with thousands of cruise visitors on the island. “Some 5,000 cruise visitors are on the island (December 10), and if you look around there are hardly any here today.”

Ms Smith said most of the cruise passengers are being taken elsewhere and to the beach. “We have the boats, but they are not coming into Port Lucaya. I think Port Lucaya needs to advertise.”

She also called for grants to support struggling vendors, emphasising: “This ain’t no political thing. This is our livelihood.”

Ernestine Mackland, reﬂecting on the year, described it as “one of the worst economically on

Ms Smith said most of the cruise passengers are being taken elsewhere and to the beach. “We have the boats, but they are not coming into Port Lucaya. I think Port Lucaya needs to advertise.” She also called for grants to support struggling vendors, emphasising: “This ain’t no political thing. This is our livelihood.”

Ernestine Mackland, reﬂecting on the year, described it as “one of the worst economically on record”. “We were told to

record”. “We were told to market ourselves better and be more unique, but how can you be more unique without any resources?” she asked. Vendors are calling for action from the government and Port Lucaya Marketplace management, including grants, better marketing strategies, and improved coordination to attract and retain visitors. With many relying on faith and resilience, they hope for brighter days ahead.

market ourselves better and be more unique, but how can you be more unique without any resources?” she asked.

Vendors are calling for action from the government and Port Lucaya Marketplace management, including grants, better marketing strategies, and improved coordination to attract and retain visitors. With many relying on faith and resilience, they hope for brighter days ahead.

Five facts about electric vehicles in 2024

By ALEXA ST. JOHN Associated Press

ELECTRIC vehicles had another whirlwind year around the globe, driven by buyers in China, and growth in parts of Europe and the United States, despite headwinds.

Te Owners NOTICE

Tis is to inform the GENERAL PUBLIC that the private roadways and parking areas situated in the Harbour Bay Shopping Centre between East Bay Street and Shirley Street will be closed on Wednesday 1st of January, 2025 in order to preserve the right of way ownership thereof.

In a milestone for China, the world’s biggest auto market, EVs hit 50% of new car sales in July. That included pure battery EVs plus plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Chinese companies such as BYD continue to gain traction worldwide with their inexpensive EVs. Electric vehicles also made headway in Europe and the U.S. Uncertainty around purchase subsidies could complicate matters come 2025, especially under the incoming Trump administration in the U.S. But mainstream consumers remain interested in new models, longer driving ranges, better performance and lower prices. The transition to electric vehicles is an important part of the shift to clean energy. Road transport accounts for around onesixth of all global emissions from energy, according to the International Energy Agency. Widespread EV adoption could signiﬁcantly address climate change.

Here are ﬁve facts about EVs this year. Most of the data comes from consultancy Rho Motion. How well did electric vehicles sell?

The global EV market, including pure EVs and plug-in hybrids, grew by 25% year-over-year as of November.

Rho Motion estimates 15.2 million EVs had been sold worldwide ahead of the end of the year, and the International Energy Agency expected electriﬁed

vehicle sales to reach one in ﬁve cars sold globally. Most were in China.

Where did the EV share of new cars jump the most?

Mexico sold roughly 5 times as many EVs this year than last, mostly from Chinese powerhouse automaker BYD, according to Rho Motion. Because China’s population is so much larger, its 40% growth year-to-date translates to many more EVs than Mexico’s ﬁvefold increase.

Other areas of note are the United Kingdom, which saw a roughly 17% increase year-to-date. That’s interesting to compare to France and Germany, which saw sales decline.

In Turkey, the EV market grew by almost 50% yearto-date, driven by Tesla entering the market last

year and Togg, a Turkish auto company, ramping up its sales. In Norway, which for years has been in ﬁrst place for share of vehicles that are electric, 90% of new cars were EVs.

What was the best-selling electric vehicle globally? In the United States?

The best-selling pure electric vehicles were the Tesla Model Y, followed by the Tesla Model 3 — both globally and in the U.S., according to Rho Motion.

The Model Y SUV was released in 2020. Its base version today costs nearly $45,000.

The Model 3 was released in 2017. The least expensive version sells for around $42,000.

Both have been eligible for a $7,500 tax credit in the U.S.

LEGAL NOTICE

We, Mark Rolle, Peter Rolle, and Pastor Joshua Rolle, Descendants of the late Cornelius Rolle of Johnson Bay, South Andros, Bahamas, and holders of Power of Attorney in his estate, hereby issue the following Notice to the General Public:

Please be Advised that Cornelius Rolle (Deceased) is the Rightful Owner of the Montgomery Tract of Land, comprising One Thousand (1,000) acres, located in the Settlement of Johnson Bay and extending into Black Point on the Island of Andros, in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Additionally, the Estate of Cornelius Rolle includes the following parcels of land:

● The AUTEC Site: Fourteen (14) acres

● Jane Russell Tract: Twenty (20) acres

● Cornelius Rolle Estate Parcel: Fourteen (14) acres

All Trespassers and Violators on these Properties will be Prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law.

Dated this 26th Day of November 2024

Contact Information:

● Pastor Joshua Rolle: mjosh02@hotmail.com | 242-357-2250

● Peter Rolle: peterrollel_81@hotmail.com | 242-427-6135

● Mark Rolle: tqes65@msn.com | 242-557-1142

(D. 2, 5, 12, 19, 27, J. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30)

A TESLA level three Electric vehicle charger is visible, Feb. 2, 2024, in Kennesaw, Ga., near Atlanta.

Photo:Mike Stewart/AP

HOW THE STOCK MARKET DEFIED EXPECTATIONS AGAIN THIS YEAR, BY THE NUMBERS

The Associated Press

WHAT a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors.

U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates.

The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn't just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin, gold and other investments also drove higher. Here's a look at some of the numbers that deﬁned the year. All are as of Dec. 20.

1998

Remember when President Bill Clinton got impeached or when baseball's Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run against the Montreal Expos? That was the last time the U.S. stock market closed out a second straight year with a leap of at least 20%, something the S&P 500 is on track to do again this year. The index has climbed 24.3% so far this year, not including dividends, following last year's spurt of 24.2%.

57 The number of all-time highs the S&P 500 has set so far this year. The ﬁrst came early, on Jan. 19, when the index capped a two-year comeback from the swoon caused by high inﬂation and worries that high interest rates instituted by the Federal Reserve to combat it would create a recession. But the index was methodical through the rest of the year, setting a record in every month outside of April and August, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The latest came on Dec. 6.

The number of times the Federal Reserve has cut its main interest rate this year from a two-decade high, offering some relief to the economy. Expectations for those cuts, along with hopes for more in 2025, were a big reason the U.S. stock market has been so successful this year. The 1 percentage point of cuts, though, is still short of the 1.5 percentage points that many traders were forecasting for 2024 at the

start of the year. The Fed disappointed investors in December when it said it may cut rates just two more times in 2025, fewer than it had earlier expected.

1,508 That's how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by the day after Election Day, as investors made bets on what Donald Trump's return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world. The more widely followed S&P 500 soared 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. Aside from bitcoin, stocks of banks and smaller winners were also perceived to be big winners. The bump has since diminished amid worries that Trump's policies could also send inﬂation higher.

$100,000 The level that bitcoin topped to set a record above $108,000 this past month. It's been climbing as interest rates come down, and it got a particularly big boost following Trump's election. He's turned around and become a fan of crypto, and he's named a former regulator who's seen as friendly to digital currencies as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, replacing someone who critics said was overly aggressive in his oversight. Bitcoin was below $17,000 just two years ago following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX.

26.7% Gold's rise for the year, as it also hit records and had as strong a run as U.S. stocks. Wars around the world have helped drive demand for investments seen as safe, such as gold. It's also beneﬁted from the Fed's cut to interest rates. When bonds are paying less in interest, they pull away fewer potential buyers from gold, which pays investors nothing.

$420 It's a favorite number of Elon Musk, and it's also a threshold that Tesla's stock price passed in December as it set a record. The number has a long history among marijuana devotees, and Musk famously said in 2018 that he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share. Tesla soared this year, up from less than $250 at the start,

in part because of expectations that Musk's close relationship with Trump could beneﬁt the company.

$91.2 billion That's how much revenue Nvidia made in the nine months through Oct. 27, showing how the artiﬁcial-intelligence frenzy is creating mountains of cash. Nvidia's chips are driving much of the move into AI, and its revenue through the last nine months catapulted from less than $39 billion the year before. Such growth has boosted

Nvidia's worth to more than $3 trillion in total.

74%

GameStop's gain on May 13 after Keith Gill, better known as "Roaring Kitty," appeared online for the ﬁrst time in three years to support the video game retailer's stock, which he helped rocket to unimaginable heights during the " meme stock craze " in 2021. Several other meme stocks also jumped following his post in May on the social platform X, including AMC Entertainment.

International Business Companies Act (No. 45 of 2000)

LSL Investment Ltd. (the “Company”)

In Voluntary Liquidation

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, (No.45 of 2000), LSL Investment Ltd. (the “Company”) is in Dissolution. The date of commencement of the Dissolution is the 24th day of December, 2024 Gustavo Dos Santos Vaz is the Liquidator and can be contacted at Avenida Bem-Te-Vi, 206, Moema, São Paulo – SP, 04524-030, Brazil. All persons having claims against the abovenamed Company are required to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator before the 24th January, 2025

Gustavo Dos Santos Vaz Liquidator

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTEIO COMPANY LTD.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT (No.45 of 2000)

In Voluntary Liquidation

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, (No.45 of 2000), that ESTEIO COMPANY LTD. (Registration no. 141196 B is in dissolution. The date of commencement of the dissolution is the 17th day of December, 2024. The Liquidator of the Fund is Crowe Bahamas and can be contacted at Harbour Bay Plaza, Shirley Street, Suite 587, P. O. Box AP-59223, Nassau, Bahamas. Email andrew.davies@crowe.bs. All persons having claims against the above-named company are required to mail and email their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator before December 30, 2024.

Crowe Bahamas Liquidator NOTICE

PEOPLE walk past the New York Stock Exchange on Nov. 26 2024.

Photo:Peter Morgan/AP

Chinese automaker BYD slams reports of poor conditions at a factory site in Brazil

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer

A SPOKESPERSON for Chinese automaker BYD has objected to reports about poor conditions at a construction site in Brazil where it is building a factory, saying the allegations were aimed at "smearing" China and Chinese brands.

Earlier in the week, a task force led by Brazilian prosecutors said it had rescued 163 Chinese nationals it said were working in "slavery-like" conditions at the site. A video from the Labor Prosecutor's Ofﬁce of dorms housing the workers showed beds with no mattresses and rudimentary cooking facilities.

A BYD spokesperson, Li Yunfei, vehemently objected in a statement posted Thursday on his Weibo social media site.

"In the matter of smearing Chinese brands, smearing China, and attempting to undermine the friendship between China and Brazil, we have seen how relevant foreign forces maliciously associate and deliberately smear," it said, also criticizing media reports about the situation.

BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is one of the world's largest producers of electric cars. The company said on Monday night that it would "immediately terminate the contract" with a contractor building the factory, the Jinjiang Group, and was "studying other appropriate measures."

BYD said that the Jinjiang workers would be housed in nearby hotels for the time being, and would not suffer from the decision to stop work at the site. The company said that over the past few weeks it had been changing working conditions at the construction site and had told its contractors that "adjustments" had to be made.

Li's Weibo post also included what it said was a "declaration" from the Chinese workers at the site, imprinted with red thumbprints of the men, who were shown in a video sitting together in a room.

The video showed one of workers reading out a statement saying the reports of the poor and "slave-like"

conditions had violated their human rights and that the problems were the result of misunderstandings.

"We cherish this work and want to stay and work here," he said. When he ﬁnished, the workers applauded. Prosecutors said the sanitary situation at BYD's site was especially bad, with only one toilet for every 31 workers, forcing them to wake up at 4 a.m. to line up to be ready to leave for work at 5:30 a.m.

Under Brazilian law, slavery-like conditions are characterized by submission to forced labor or exhausting working hours, subjection to degrading working conditions and restriction of the worker's freedom of movement.

Apart from living conditions for the workers, Brazilian officials said Jinjiang Construction Brazil had confiscated their passports and withheld 60% of their wages. Those who quit would be forced to pay the company for their airfare from China, and for their return ticket, the labor office said in a statement.

The workers' statement said the passports had been taken to allow the company to process work permits and other procedures that they could not manage on their own due to language difﬁculties.

Jinjiang Construction Brazil said in a statement that it had been "frequently and intensively inspected by the local labor department in Brazil." It said that due to cultural differences, problems with translation and understanding, "much of the information released by the labor department was inaccurate, especially statements saying the Jinjiang workers were 'enslaved' and 'rescued,' which is completely inconsistent with the facts."

It said its workers were willing to speak with media about the situation.

Living conditions for migrant construction workers can be quite spartan in many parts of the developing world, and such labor often involves contracts that require workers to pay back large sums of money used to secure the jobs, despite laws prohibiting such arrangements.

The Tribune wants to hear from people who are making news in their neighbourhoods. Perhaps you are raising funds for a good cause, campaigning for improvements in the area or have won an award. If so, call us on 322-1986 and share your story.

After ﬁghting virus, storms and Republicans, departing North Carolina Gov. Cooper focuses on wins

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press

NORTH Carolina Gov.

Roy Cooper is leaving his job after eight years in which the southern Democrat picked his moments against a Republican-dominated legislature, winning big on Medicaid expansion and clean energy while falling short in ﬁghts over private-school vouchers and abortion rights.

Cooper, who steered the state through the coronavirus pandemic, Hurricanes Helene and Florence and an early flashpoint in the culture wars over access to public restrooms, was barred from seeking a third consecutive term. He is wrapping up 24 consecutive years in statewide office — the first 16 as attorney general.

In a December interview with The Associated Press at the executive mansion, Cooper reﬂected on his gubernatorial terms with an emphasis on the positive — an easier undertaking compared with many Democrats around the country in the aftermath of this year’s election.

“To be able to wake up every morning and get to lead the state that you love has been humbling, challenging and fulﬁlling. I have really valued every day,” said Cooper, who will be succeeded by state Attorney General Josh Stein, a fellow Democrat, in early January. Faced with veto-proof majorities for almost half of his time as governor, Cooper was unable to stop many GOP initiatives, including deep income tax cuts, taxpayer-funded vouchers to help public school students attend private schools and new restrictions on abortion.

But Cooper, one of several Democratic governors seen as potential contenders for federal ofﬁce, managed last year to persuade GOP legislative leaders to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act — something he had sought since getting sworn in as governor in 2017. Now 600,000 lowincome adults are enrolled in the program a year ahead of expectations.

“This is a generational investment in people’s health,” Cooper said during a farewell address last week in Nash County, where he grew up and launched his

ﬁrst gubernatorial campaign in 2015. Another bipartisan agreement was reached in 2021 on a milestone energy bill that ordered sharp reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Cooper takes credit for conditions that led to big corporate expansions that he says have contributed to hundreds of thousands of new jobs being created during the past eight years, including those in the clean energy sector. But he also gives his rare praise to Republican lawmakers for all working together on offering economic incentives that have lured companies such as Apple, Toyota and Boom Supersonic to build in the state.

Still, Republicans contend Cooper receives too much acclaim for the state’s broad economic success and has pushed for reckless state spending at every turn. Half of his record 100-plus vetoes were overridden.

“There has not been a governor who has had less of his agenda enacted and North Carolina has succeeded in spite of his leadership failures,” state GOP spokesperson Matt Mercer said.

Regardless, Cooper’s perceived accomplishments in a swing state raised his national proﬁle during this year’s presidential campaign, making him as a potential running mate for Kamala Harris until he said it “just wasn’t the right time” for him and for North Carolina. Now Cooper, 67, will have to decide whether trying to unseat U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican, in 2026 is in the cards after holding what he calls the “best job I have ever had.”

While North Carolina Democrats have won eight of past nine gubernatorial elections, they haven’t won a U.S. Senate race since 2008.

“If you’re going to run for public ofﬁce again, you must have your heart and soul in it, you must have the ﬁre in the belly,” Cooper told the AP. With that in mind, he said he planned to take a couple of months to clear his head before deciding what’s next: “I’m going to think about how I can best contribute to the things that I care about.”

It’s little wonder why many North Carolina Democrats want Cooper to remain on the political

stage. He has never lost a race for state ofﬁce, from the legislature in the mid1980s and including a 10,000-vote win over thenGOP Gov. Pat McCrory in 2016.

“What he’s done really from my perspective is he’s kept the progressive ﬂame alive in North Carolina in a difﬁcult time,” said Gary Pearce, a longtime Democratic political consultant who worked with four-term Gov. Jim Hunt. “I’m not sure anybody else could have done it as well as he did.”

Cooper took on Republicans even before he was sworn in. As governor-elect he began a series of lawsuits challenging legislation approved weeks before he took ofﬁce that shifted executive branch powers to the legislature. The legal results were mixed, and even now litigation over his appointment powers remains in court. This month, Republican lawmakers enacted more changes that would weaken Stein’s gubernatorial authority. Two lawsuits related to that law have been ﬁled so far.

In his first three months in office, Cooper worked with lawmakers to partially repeal the 2016 “bathroom bill,” which had required transgender people to use public bathrooms aligned with the gender on their birth certificate. The law had lost the state business, including canceled sporting events and job expansions, and “North Carolina’s reputation was in tatters,” Cooper said.

Eight years later, “we built a North Carolina that is healthier, better educated, with more money in people’s pockets, and we stand ready to welcome prosperity with open arms for generations to come,” Cooper said. Republicans cite several shortcomings in Cooper’s administration. They include spending overruns at the state Department of Transportation; continued delays to rebuild or renovate homes for eastern North Carolina residents after Hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018; and executive orders that helped extend restrictions on businesses and school instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after inﬂuential panel fails to reach consensus

By JOSH BOAK, MARC LEVY and ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press

A POWERFUL government panel on Monday failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of a nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase U.S. Steel, leaving the decision to President Joe Biden, who opposes the deal.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS, sent its long-awaited report on the merger to Biden, who formally came out against the deal in March. He has 15 days to reach a ﬁnal decision, the White House said. A U.S. ofﬁcial familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the private report, said some federal agencies represented on the panel were skeptical that allowing a Japanese company to buy an American-owned steelmaker would create national security risks.

Monday was the deadline to approve the deal, recommend that Biden block it or extend the review process.

Both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have courted unionized workers at U.S. Steel and vowed to block the acquisition amid concerns about foreign ownership of a ﬂagship American company.

The economic risk, however, is giving up Nippon Steel's potential investments in the mills and upgrades that might help preserve steel production within the United States. Under the terms of the proposed $14.9 billion allcash deal, U.S. Steel would keep its name and its headquarters in Pittsburgh, where it was founded in 1901 by J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie. It would become a subsidiary of Nippon Steel, and the combined company would be among the top three steelmakers in the world, according to 2023 ﬁgures from the World Steel Association.

Biden, backed by the United Steelworkers, said earlier this year that it was "vital for (U.S. Steel) to

remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated."

Trump has also opposed the acquisition and vowed earlier this month on his Truth Social platform to "block this deal from happening." He proposed reviving U.S. Steel's ﬂagging fortunes "through a series of Tax Incentives and Tariffs."

The steelworkers union questions if Nippon Steel would keep jobs at unionized plants, make good on collectively bargained beneﬁts or protect American steel production from cheap foreign imports.

"Our union has been calling for strict government scrutiny of the sale since it was announced. Now it's up to President Biden to determine the best path forward," David McCall, the steelworkers' president, said in a statement Monday. "We continue to believe that means keeping U.S. Steel domestically owned and operated."

Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel have waged a public relations campaign to win over skeptics.

U.S. Steel said in a statement Monday that the deal "is the best way, by far, to ensure that U.S. Steel, including its employees, communities, and customers, will thrive well into the future."

Nippon Steel said Tuesday that it had been informed by CFIUS that it had referred the case to Biden, and urged him to "reﬂect on the great lengths that we have gone to to address any national security concerns that have been raised and the signiﬁcant commitments we have made to grow U. S. Steel, protect American jobs, and strengthen the entire American steel industry, which will enhance American national security."

"We are conﬁdent that our transaction should and will be approved if it is fairly evaluated on its merits," it said in a statement.

A growing number of conservatives have publicly backed the deal, as Nippon Steel began to win over some steelworkers union members and ofﬁcials in areas near its blast furnaces in Pennsylvania and Indiana. Many backers said

Nippon Steel has a stronger ﬁnancial balance sheet than rival Cleveland-Cliffs to invest the necessary cash to upgrade aging U.S. Steel blast furnaces.

Nippon Steel pledged to invest $2.7 billion in United Steelworkers-represented facilities, including U.S. Steel's blast furnaces, and promised not to import steel slabs that would compete with the blast furnaces. It also pledged to protect U.S. Steel in trade matters and to not lay off employees or close plants during the term of the basic labor agreement. Earlier this month, it offered $5,000 in closing bonuses to U.S. Steel employees, a nearly $100 million expense.

Nippon Steel also said it was best positioned to help American steel compete in an industry dominated by the Chinese.

The proposed sale came during a tide of renewed political support for rebuilding America's manufacturing sector, a presidential campaign in which Pennsylvania was a prime battleground, and a long stretch of protectionist U.S. tariffs that analysts

say has helped reinvigorate domestic steel.

Chaired by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, CFIUS screens business deals between U.S. ﬁrms and foreign investors and can block sales or force parties to change the terms of an agreement to protect national security. Congress signiﬁcantly expanded the committee's powers through the 2018 Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, known as FIRRMA. In September, Biden issued an executive order broadening the factors the committee should consider when reviewing deals — such as how they impact the U.S. supply chain or if they put Americans' personal data at risk.

Nippon Steel has factories in the U.S., Mexico, China and Southeast Asia. It supplies the world's top automakers, including Toyota Motor Corp., and makes steel for railways, pipes, appliances and skyscrapers.

AMERICANS ARE EXHAUSTED BY POLITICAL NEWS. TV RATINGS AND A NEW AP-NORC POLL SHOW THEY’RE TUNING OUT

By DAVID BAUDER and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press

AS a Democrat who immersed himself in political news during the presidential campaign, Ziad Aunallah has much in common with many Americans since the election. He's tuned out.

"People are mentally exhausted," said Aunallah, 45, of San Diego. "Everyone knows what is coming and we are just taking some time off." Television ratings — and now a new poll — clearly illustrate the phenomenon. About two-thirds of American adults say they have recently felt the need to limit media consumption about politics and government because of overload, according to the survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Smaller percentages of Americans are limiting their intake of news about overseas conﬂicts, the economy or climate change, the poll says. Politics stand out. Election news on CNN and MSNBC was taking up too much of Sam Gude's time before the election, said the 47-year-old

electrician from Lincoln, Nebraska. "The last thing I want to watch right now is the interregnum," said Gude, a Democrat and no fan of President-elect Donald Trump. Poll ﬁnds more Democrats than Republicans stepping away from news The poll, conducted in early December, found that about 7 in 10 Democrats say they are stepping back from political news. The percentage isn't as high for Republicans, who have reason to celebrate Trump's victory. Still, about 6 in 10 Republicans say they've felt the need to take some time off too, and the share for independents is similar. The differences are far starker for the TV networks that have been consumed by political news. After election night through Dec. 13, the prime-time viewership of MSNBC was an average of 620,000, down 54% from the pre-election audience this year, the Nielsen company said. For the same time comparison, CNN's average of 405,000 viewers was down 45%.

At Fox News Channel, a favorite news network for Trump fans,

the post-election average of 2.68 million viewers is up 13%, Nielsen said. Since the election, 72% of the people watching one of those three cable networks in the evening were watching Fox News, compared to 53% prior to election day.

A post-election slump for fans of the losing candidate is not a new trend for networks that have become heavily identiﬁed for a partisan audience. MSNBC had similar issues after Trump was elected in 2016. Same for Fox in 2020, although that was complicated by anger: many of its viewers were outraged then by the network's crucial election night call of Arizona for the Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, and sought alternatives.

MSNBC had its own anger issues after several "Morning Joe" viewers became upset that hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski visited Trump shortly after his victory last month. Yet while the show's ratings are down 35% since Election Day, that's a smaller drop than the network's primetime ratings.

CNN points out that while it has been suffering in the

television ratings, its streaming and digital ratings have been consistent. Will political interest rebound when Trump takes ofﬁce?

MSNBC can take some solace in history. In previous years, network ratings bounce back when the depression after an election loss lifts. When a new administration takes ofﬁce, people who oppose it are frequently looking for a gathering place.

"I'll be tuning back in once the clown show starts," Aunallah said. "You have no choice. Whether or not you want to hear it, it's happening. If you care about your country, you have no choice but to pay attention."

But the ride may not be smooth. MSNBC's slide is steeper than it was in 2016; and there's some question about whether Trump opponents will want to be as engaged as they were during his ﬁrst term. People are also unplugging from cable television in rates that are only getting more rapid, although MSNBC believes it has bucked this trend eating away at audiences before.

The poll indicates that Americans want less talk

about politics from public ﬁgures in general. After an election season where endorsements from celebrities like Taylor Swift made headlines, the survey found that Americans are more likely to disapprove than approve of celebrities, large companies and professional athletes speaking out about politics.

Still, Gude is among those discovering other ways to get news to which he does want to pay attention, including on YouTube.

MSNBC is also in the middle of some corporate upheaval that raises questions about potential changes. Parent company

Comcast announced last month that the cable network is among some properties that will spin off into a new company, which will give MSNBC new corporate leadership and cut its ties to NBC News.

Advice for networks who want to see the viewers return

Some of the Americans who have turned away from political news lately also had some advice for getting them engaged again.

Gude said, for example, that MSNBC will always

have a hard-core audience of Trump haters. But if the network wants to expand its audience, "then you have to talk about issues, and you have to stop talking about Trump."

Kathleen Kendrick, a 36-year-old sales rep from Grand Junction, Colorado, who's a registered independent voter, said she hears plenty of people loudly spouting off about their political opinions on the job. She wants more depth when she watches the news. Much of what she sees is one-sided and shallow, she said.

"You get a story but only part of a story," Kendrick said. "It would be nice if you could get both sides, and more research."

Aunallah, similarly, is looking for more depth and variety. He's not interested "in watching the angry man on the corner yelling at me anymore," he said.

"It's kind of their own fault that I'm not watching," he said. "I felt they spent all this time talking about the election. They made it so much of their focus that when the main event ends, why would people want to keep watching?"

AI is a game changer for students with disabilities. Schools are still learning to harness it

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH

Associated Press

FOR Makenzie Gilkison, spelling is such a struggle that a word like rhinoceros might come out as "rineanswsaurs" or sarcastic as "srkastik."

The 14-year-old from suburban Indianapolis can sound out words, but her dyslexia makes the process so draining that she often struggles with comprehension. "I just assumed I was stupid," she recalled of her early grade school years.

But assistive technology powered by artiﬁcial intelligence has helped her keep up with classmates. Last year, Makenzie was named to the National Junior Honor Society. She credits a customized AI-powered chatbot, a word prediction program and other tools that can read for her.

"I would have just probably given up if I didn't have them," she said.

Artiﬁcial intelligence holds the promise of helping countless other students with a range of visual, speech, language and hearing impairments to execute tasks that come easily to others. Schools everywhere have been wrestling with how and where to incorporate AI, but many are fast-tracking

applications for students with disabilities.

Getting the latest technology into the hands of students with disabilities is a priority for the U.S. Education Department, which has told schools they must consider whether students need tools like text-tospeech and alternative communication devices.

New rules from the Department of Justice also will require schools and other government entities to make apps and online content accessible to those with disabilities.

There is concern about how to ensure students using it — including those with disabilities — are still learning.

Students can use artiﬁcial intelligence to summarize jumbled thoughts into an outline, summarize complicated passages, or even translate Shakespeare into common English. And computer-generated voices that can read passages for visually impaired and dyslexic students are becoming less robotic and more natural.

"I'm seeing that a lot of students are kind of exploring on their own, almost feeling like they've found a cheat code in a video game," said Alexis Reid, an educational therapist in the Boston area who works with students with learning disabilities. But in her

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that TEUCHELER JEAN of P.O. Box FH-14249, Fox Hill, New Providence, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 27th day of December, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

view, it is far from cheating: "We're meeting students where they are."

Ben Snyder, a 14-yearold freshman from Larchmont, New York, who was recently diagnosed with a learning disability, has been increasingly using AI to help with homework.

"Sometimes in math, my teachers will explain a problem to me, but it just makes absolutely no sense," he said. "So if I plug that problem into AI, it'll give me multiple different ways of explaining how to do that."

He likes a program called Question AI. Earlier in the day, he asked the program to help him write an outline

for a book report — a task he completed in 15 minutes that otherwise would have taken him an hour and a half because of his struggles with writing and organization. But he does think using AI to write the whole report crosses a line. "That's just cheating," Ben said.

Schools have been trying to balance the technology's beneﬁts against the risk that it will do too much. If a special education plan sets reading growth as a goal, the student needs to improve that skill. AI can't do it for them, said Mary Lawson, general counsel at the Council of the Great City Schools.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that KEMONE KNIGHT of P.O.box N-4570, #22 Eneas Avenue, Stapledon Gardens, New Providence, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 20th day of December, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

But the technology can help level the playing ﬁeld for students with disabilities, said Paul Sanft, director of a Minnesotabased center where families can try out different assistive technology tools and borrow devices.

"There are deﬁnitely going to be people who use some of these tools in nefarious ways. That's always going to happen," Sanft said. "But I don't think that's the biggest concern with people with disabilities, who are just trying to do something that they couldn't do before."

Another risk is that AI will track students into less rigorous courses of study.

And, because it is so good at identifying patterns, AI might be able to ﬁgure out a student has a disability. Having that disclosed by AI and not the student or their family could create ethical dilemmas, said Luis Pérez, the disability and digital inclusion lead at CAST, formerly the Center for Applied Specialized Technology.

Schools are using the technology to help students who struggle academically, even if they do not qualify for special education services. In Iowa, a new law requires students deemed not proﬁcient — about a quarter of them — to get an individualized reading plan.

As part of that effort, the state's education department spent $3 million on an AI-driven personalized tutoring program. When

students struggle, a digital avatar intervenes. More AI tools are coming soon. The U.S. National Science Foundation is funding AI research and development. One ﬁrm is developing tools to help children with speech and language difﬁculties. Called the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, it is headquartered at the University of Buffalo, which did pioneering work on handwriting recognition that helped the U.S. Postal Service save hundreds of millions of dollars by automating processing.

"We are able to solve the postal application with very high accuracy. When it comes to children's handwriting, we fail very badly," said Venu Govindaraju, the director of the institute. He sees it as an area that needs more work, along with speech-to-text technology, which isn't as good at understanding children's voices, particularly if there is a speech impediment.

Sorting through the sheer number of programs developed by education technology companies can be a time-consuming challenge for schools. Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, said the nonproﬁt launched an effort this fall to make it easier for districts to vet what they are buying and ensure it is accessible.

Makenzie wishes some of the tools were easier to use.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that SONIA PHILIPPE of Washington Street, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twentyeight days from the 18th day of December, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

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NOTICE is hereby given that GEOFFREY LLOYD SOLAN of Farmers Hill, Exuma, , The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 19th day of December, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that JOHN STANLEY DEFRERE JOSEPH of Market Street, New Providence, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 19th day of December, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that NATASHA ANNE LAVILLE of Fire Trail Road, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 18th day of December, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

MAKENZIE Gilkison stands in the main lobby at Greenﬁeld Central High School, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Greenﬁeld, Ind. Photo:Darron Cummings/AP

Wall Street rallies ahead of Christmas

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer

TECHNOLOGY stocks

led a broad rally on Wall Street Tuesday during a holiday-shortened trading session ahead of Christmas.

The S&P 500 rose 1.1% for its third-straight gain.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.9%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%.

While Big Tech companies, including Apple, Amazon and chip company Broadcom helped push the market higher, the gains were widespread.

Advancers outnumbered decliners by more than 3-to-1 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Broadcom rose 3.2%, Apple gained 1.1% and Amazon closed 1.8% higher. Super Micro Computer climbed 6%.

Tesla jumped 7.4% for the biggest gains among S&P 500 stocks.

American Airlines shook off an early loss and ended with a 0.6% gain after the airline brieﬂy grounded ﬂights nationwide due to a technical issue.

Elsewhere in the market, U.S. Steel rose 1.9% a day after an inﬂuential government panel failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of the nearly $15 billion proposed sale to Nippon Steel of Japan.

NeueHealth surged 74.9% after the health care company agreed to be taken private in a deal valued at roughly $1.3 billion.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 65.97 points to 6,040.04. The Dow added 390.08 points to 43,297.03, and the Nasdaq rose 266.24 points to 20,031.13. Treasury yields held steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was little changed at 4.59%.

European markets closed mostly higher. Markets in Asia mostly gained ground. Tuesday's U.S. market rally comes as the stock market enters what's historically been a very cheerful season. The last ﬁve trading days of each year, plus the ﬁrst two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. The so-called "Santa rally" also correlates closely with

positive returns in January and the upcoming year.

So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump's win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump's preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation, a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade.

Even so, the stock market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up 26.6% so far this year and remains within roughly 1% of the all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year.

U.S. markets will be closed Wednesday for Christmas.

Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to this week, including a weekly update on unemployment beneﬁts on Thursday.