Home

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

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:28 GMT

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

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

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:28 GMT

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

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

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:28 GMT

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

Origin Bancorp: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:28 GMT

RUSTON, La. (AP) — RUSTON, La. (AP) — Origin Bancorp Inc. (OBK) on Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $21.8 million.The bank, based in Ruston, Louisiana, said it had earnings of 70 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring gains, came to 69 cents per share.The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 64 cents per share.The bank holding company posted revenue of $148 million in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $90.9 million, also surpassing Street forecasts._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on OBK at https://www.zacks.com/ap/OBKSource

Michael Jackson’s employees were not legally obligated to prevent sex abuse, lawyer argues in court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:28 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Workers for corporations owned by Michael Jackson had no legal obligation to protect children from the pop star, an attorney told an appeals court Wednesday. Jackson estate lawyer Jonathan Steinsapir pushed back against a tentative decision by California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal, which said it was inclined to revive previously dismissed lawsuits from two men who allege Jackson sexually abused them for years when they were boys. The court’s reasoning, Steinsapir argued, “would require low-level employees to confront their supervisor and call them pedophiles.”Holly Boyer, an attorney for plaintiffs Wade Robson and James Safechuck, said workers ought to have that responsibility. “We do require that employees of the entity take those steps, because what we are talking about is the sexual abuse of children,” Boyer told the three-judge panel in the videoconference hearing. “What we are talking about here is 7- and 10-year-old children who are entirely ill-eq...

Freddy Peralta matches career high with 13 Ks, Taylor homers to lead Brewers past Reds 3-0

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:28 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Freddy Peralta pitched six scoreless innings and matched a career high with 13 strikeouts, Tyrone Taylor hit a two-run homer and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on Wednesday.The Brewers (57-46) took two of three games in the series and extended their lead in the NL Central to 1 1/2 games over the Reds (56-48). This marked the final matchup of the season between the teams, with Milwaukee winning the season series 10-3.After Abraham Toro singled with one out in the seventh off Cincinnati starter Ben Lively (4-6), Taylor followed with a 417-foot blast to left field on the first pitch from Lively to break a scoreless tie. It was just the second home run of the season for Taylor. Milwaukee extended the lead on Andrew Monasterio’s run-scoring double in the eighth.Peralta was in a groove from the start. He struck out the side on 11 pitches in the first inning and whiffed the first two batters in the second before Joey Votto’s single.The 13 strikeou...

Imax: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:28 GMT

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario (AP) — MISSISSAUGA, Ontario (AP) — Imax Corp. (IMAX) on Wednesday reported second-quarter earnings of $8.4 million.The Mississauga, Ontario-based company said it had net income of 15 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 26 cents per share.The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 17 cents per share.The entertainment technology company posted revenue of $98 million in the period, which also beat Street forecasts. Six analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $88.7 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on IMAX at https://www.zacks.com/ap/IMAXSource

Denver weather: Strong afternoon thunderstorms in metro Denver

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:28 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Temperatures along the Front Range will be in the lower 90s Wednesday, with isolated storms in the afternoon and evening in the Denver weather forecast.At 3 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a special weather statement for strong thunderstorms that will impact portions of northwestern Arapahoe, Denver, northeastern Jefferson and western Adams counties until 3:45 p.m. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph are possible. Weather today: Hot and stormyPartly to mostly sunny skies will be over Denver for the first half of the day Wednesday before some afternoon storms fire up. Sweltering temperatures have air condition technicians swamped High temperatures will top out in the middle to lower 90s with an afternoon breeze. Storms will push into the plains this evening.Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on July 26.Weather tonight: Partly cloudy, warmWinds will begin to slow overnight with some clouds sticking around. Low temperatures will dip into the middle 60s, keeping the Fr...

Local dog saved from euthanasia, but what about the others?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:28 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Denver metro area was relieved once a local dog named Watson was saved from euthanasia on Sunday. While Watson is set to be rehomed, it's not uncommon for a dog to be euthanized at the Denver Animal Shelter.Colorado has the eighth-lowest kill rate in the country, but that doesn't mean Colorado is a no-kill state. For every eight dogs that come into the Denver Animal Shelter, one of them is euthanized, according to a state document provided by Tammy Vigil, Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. Denver family fighting to save dog from being euthanized after biting child In 2022, the Denver Animal Shelter took in 3,500 dogs, most of which were adopted, transferred or returned to the owner. Out of those dogs, 455 were euthanized. In Watson's case, he bit a 2-year-old in the face. After pleas from the family and the public, Denver Animal Shelter released Watson. When it comes to euthanasia, the Denver Animal Shelter follows a protocol with vi...

‘We are here’: Centennial celebration held for 6 Holocaust survivors from Broward County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:28 GMT

Six very special Broward County residents who are among the last generation of Holocaust survivors marked a major milestone with a centennial birthday bash.7News cameras captured Lucy Blicker, Helen Diker, Lucy Blicker, Chaim Greenberg, Elaine Lefkowitz, Rena Reiter and David Sroka as attendees at the celebration, held Wednesday in Davie, sang them “Happy Birthday to You.”Several of the honorees turned 100 years old, and several others actually turned 101.Some of them showed they still got it by blowing all their birthday candles.The party was put together by Goodman Jewish Family Services.“The fact that we had six Holocaust survivors with us today, and we were able to celebrate their lives and bring them a little joy and happiness, is truly a blessing in our lives,” said Goodman Jewish Family Services CEO Randy Coleman.All six honorees were inducted into the organization’s Centenarian Club, surrounded by their friends, family and staff members.“Y...