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None"Drones" were in the headlines again this week -- and for millions of Americans up and down the East Coast, maybe also over -head. As far north as New York to as far south as Florida -- and as far west as an Air Force base in Ohio, too -- unidentified flying objects (UFOs) that appear to be a mix of formation-flying quadcopter and fixed-wing drones have been reported buzzing American skies. The FBI and Homeland Security insist this is all bunk, that there's "no evidence" that drones "pose a national security or public safety threat," and that the things people are seeing may not even be drones at all but rather misidentified private and commercial aircraft. Regardless, citizens are worried and politicians are irate. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has asked the White House to send "special drone-detection tech" to monitor the airways in New York and New Jersey. Governor Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) wants a "state-of-the-art drone detection system" for her state. In the meantime, the Federal Aviation Administration has banned flying drones over large swathes of central and northern New Jersey for the next month. Buy American or buy Dutch? Obviously, that's untenable as a long-term solution. Drones are part of everyday life now , from families unwrapping DJI drones at Christmas to companies using drones to inspect crop health and cellphone tower repairs. Rather than banning their use entirely, we really need a solution that tells us who's flying around up there. Sen. Schumer and Gov. Hochul favor buying an "IRIS" radar system from Dutch company Robin Radar Systems, already in use in Ukraine to detect Russian drones. This small radar is described as having a 360-degree field of view and being able to detect flying objects to a range of 3 miles. But here's the thing: We don't need to import radar systems from the Netherlands to solve this problem. There's a made-in-America solution already available. (Re) introducing JLENS I'm talking about JLENS, the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System that RTX Corporation ( RTX 0.88% ) developed for the U.S. military back in the early 20-teens. Designed primarily for missile defense, the U.S. Army describes JLENS as being able to detect "all fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and land attack cruise missiles," and even "surface moving targets, large caliber rockets, and tactical ballistic missiles." Like IRIS, JLENS provides a 360-degree field of view, but with significant advantages over IRIS. In contrast to the Dutch system, which sits on the ground, JLENS aerostats float two miles up in the air, extending their horizon such that a single JLENS "can track multiple threats simultaneously up to a range of 340 miles." Moreover, unlike the civilian IRIS system, JLENS possesses fire-control radars among its suite of sensors and can direct active weapons systems to target and destroy threats as they're identified. Time to reactivate JLENS? Admittedly, JLENS is not currently an active U.S. military program. In 2015, a JLENS system stationed at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland broke loose from its ground tether and began wandering aimlessly around the Eastern seaboard , frustrating law enforcement efforts to bring it down to Earth. By 2016, Congress had zeroed out funding, effectively canceling the JLENS project here in the U.S. Internationally, however, JLENS may still be active -- perhaps in the Netherlands' own backyard. Just earlier this year, the Pentagon informed Congress of a request by Poland to purchase multiple aerostat systems for missile defense. While not referred to by the "JLENS" name, these aerostats appear to be in the same line of work as JLENS -- and RTX was named as the principal defense contractor on the sale. JLENS versus IRIS Assuming the U.S. decides to invest in military technology to get its drone situation under control, JLENS seems to me a more cost-effective solution than IRIS, although it may not seem so at first. Details of a 2022 U.K. contract suggest IRIS costs about $300,000 per year to operate versus JLENS costing $235 million to purchase. At first, that may seem to make IRIS the budget-conscious choice for drone control, but consider: JLENS's 340-radius range of detection, across a 360-degree field of view, encompasses some 363,000 square miles of coverage. (The cubic volume of coverage would be even greater.) To cover a similar area with IRIS's 3-mile range (and 113-mile area of coverage) would require setting up more than 3,000 separate IRIS radars...at a total cost of more than $960 million. Just thinking mathematically, therefore, it appears to me that JLENS offers significantly more bang for the buck than does IRIS. In addition, JLENS is a made-in-the-U.S.A. product, benefiting U.S. companies, which IRIS is not and does not. And if buying JLENS helps to accelerate RTX's 10% long-term projected growth rate and makes RTX stock a bit more attractive a buy than its 33 price-to-earnings ( P/E) ratio makes it appear today, then for investors, that would certainly be another argument in favor of buying JLENS.

Alphabet ( GOOG -0.19% ) ( GOOGL -0.17% ) has been an excellent growth stock for long-term investors. The shares have soared more than 500% over the past decade, as earnings and revenue climbed into the billions of dollars. All this is due to Alphabet's dominance in something that most of us use every day -- internet search. Alphabet's Google has steadily held about 90% of that market over time, and this position, along with ongoing improvement in its capabilities and brand strength, make it a very difficult-to-unseat leader. All of this has helped the company build a booming advertising business. Advertisers, trying to reach us where they know they'll find us, rush to Google to promote their products and services. And today, advertising makes up the lion's share of Alpabet's revenue. For example, it represented about 75% in the most recent quarter. So the strength of Google Search is a reason to take a closer look at Alphabet. However, if you're an investor focused on growth, here's why you'll really want to buy this top stock now. Using artificial intelligence (AI) to make Google Search better First, before delving into this exciting source of growth, let's take a closer look at the Alphabet story so far. As mentioned, the company is known for its dominance in search, and the great news is this strength is likely to continue. Alphabet has been heavily investing in artificial intelligence (AI), something it is applying to its search platform to help users generate better results faster. For example, AI Overviews offers users a preview of a topic, including links to find out more, and Alphabet recently rolled it out in 100 new countries. The company's focus on AI also is helping advertisers in many ways. Alphabet's AI, powered by large language model Gemini, helps deliver ads to the most relevant audiences and is helping advertisers create better and potentially more successful campaigns. All of this suggests growth from the search business could not only continue, but even see a big boost as a better-than-ever Google Search attracts more and more users -- and prompts advertisers to spend more to reach them. For the moment, though, Google's advertising business has averaged about 11% revenue growth over the past three quarters. Of course, it's important to keep in mind that Alphabet's search business does face a risk. U.S. regulators recently presented closing arguments in an antitrust case against the tech giant. They're asking a federal judge to break up Google, which could include the sale of the Chrome web browser. It's impossible to predict with 100% certainty how this will turn out, but Alphabet clearly would appeal a potentially unfavorable decision -- a move that would push a new decision farther into the future. Beyond the possibility of a delay, another positive point for Alphabet investors is the idea that major tech breakup orders haven't happened easily in the past. For example, about 25 years ago, a federal appeals court overturned a breakup ruling concerning Microsoft . All of this makes me more optimistic than pessimistic about Alphabet's long-term prospects. A new phase of growth from this established player Now let's consider another Alphabet business -- one that has roared ahead when it comes to revenue power. And this is the business that will make you want to get in on this established company's new phase of growth. I'm talking about Google Cloud, Alphabet's cloud computing unit. The business generated a 35% increase in revenue in the recent quarter after already reporting a 29% revenue increase in the previous quarter. Google Cloud also is outpacing cloud rivals, such as the world's biggest cloud provider, Amazon Web Services (AWS), when it comes to growth. Amazon reported a 19% increase in AWS revenue in the recent quarter, and Microsoft 's Azure and other cloud services revenue gained 33%. Google Cloud's revenue topped $11 billion in the third quarter after revenue and operating income reached the major milestones of more than $10 billion and $1 billion, respectively, in the second quarter. And Google Cloud is showing strong profitability on sales, with an operating margin of 17%. There's reason to be optimistic about Google Cloud keeping up this momentum, as Alphabet's investments in AI have resulted in more and more AI products and services offered through the business. Alphabet says customers are using Google Cloud's AI in several different ways, such as harnessing AI infrastructure, like chips, or using the enterprise software platform to customize AI models. In the recent earnings report, Alphabet said this has helped Google Cloud win new customers and bigger deals and drive a 30% increase in product adoption among current customers. The AI market is forecast to grow from about $200 billion today to $1 trillion by the end of the decade, and Google Cloud is well positioned to benefit. On top of this, Alphabet shares trade for a bargain price, at about 21x forward earnings estimates . All of this means right now is a great time to invest in this top technology company -- for the new wave of growth that's getting started in the cloud business.

Cerity Partners LLC Sells 222 Shares of Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXON)

NoneScientists are enlisting some unusual recruits in their efforts to forecast earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other natural phenomena. They are enrolling thousands of dogs, goats, and other farmyard animals – as well as a wide range of wildlife – in studies that will monitor their movements from space. The programme uses tiny transmitters that are being fitted to mammals, birds and insects. The detailed movements of these creatures will then be monitored from a dedicated satellite to be launched next year. The aim is not just to study how they react to imminent natural events like volcanic eruptions but to gain new insights into migration, the spread of diseases among animals and the impact of the climate crisis, say researchers. “Ultimately, we hope to launch a fleet of around six satellites and establish a global observation network that will not only provide details of wildlife movements and animal health across the planet but reveal how creatures respond to natural phenomena like earthquakes,” said the project leader, Martin Wikelski, of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour in Germany. The value of studying tagged animals in this latter area has already been demonstrated in early experiments in Sicily on the slopes of Mount Etna, said Wikelski last week. “We have found the behaviour of goats is pretty good at predicting large volcanic eruptions.” Sensors have shown the animals become nervous before an eruption and refuse to move to higher pastures that they would normally be happy to visit. “They know beforehand what is coming. We don’t how they do it, but they do,” said Wikelski. Similarly, researchers have monitored dogs, sheep and other farm animals on the Abruzzo mountains outside Rome and found that they also reacted in ways that predicted seven out of eight major earthquakes in the region over the past 12 years. Stories of animals behaving oddly before earthquakes or eruptions are not new. The Greek historian Thucydides claimed that rats, dogs, snakes and weasels deserted the city of Helice just before an earthquake struck in 373BC. Similarly, the 1975 Haicheng earthquake in China occurred after snakes and rats were witnessed leaving their burrows. Why these animals behaved this way is less clear. “During the build-up to an earthquake, tectonic plates slide across each other under enormous pressures, and that throws out ions from the rocks into the air. The animals may be reacting to that,” said Wikelski, the founder of the International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space (Icarus), an international collaboration involving teams of scientists across the globe. Icarus has become possible because of a revolution in tagging technology. Tiny digital transmitters – using small lithium batteries – and cheap and plentiful minuscule GPS devices have made it possible to make tags that are only a few grams in weight. “We are going from where we couldn’t really track most vertebrate species on the planet to flipping it,” Michigan University ecologist Scott Yanco told MIT Technology Review . “We are now able to track most things.” Understanding how creatures react to geological changes is only one area of interest in that revolution, added Wikelski. “For instance, we can survey wildlife health from space,” he said. Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion An example is provided by electronic ear tags – fitted with tiny 30g accelerometers – that have been attached to wild boar. From changes in an animal’s movements, these show that if a boar develops African swine fever – a highly contagious virus – it spreads easily between wild boar and domestic pigs. Knowing when a disease outbreak occurs in the wild could be important for curbing the disease’s impact on farms, say researchers. “This is a gamechanger for wildlife disease monitoring,” said Kevin Morelle, a scientist based at the Max Planck Institute. The technology should also help scientists to understand the processes that drive migrations. Transmitters have been fitted to creatures as small as death’s-head hawkmoths, and their movements could soon reveal the mysteries that lie behind the 2,000-mile migrations they make between Europe and Africa every year. “Similarly, we will be able to study animal populations to determine how they are responding to habitat changes triggered by global warming,” said Wikelski. Icarus had originally been scheduled to be in full operation several years ago when the team began working with Russian scientists to use a radio telescope on the International Space Station to monitor tagged animals. “After the invasion of Ukraine we decided to halt that cooperation,” said Wikelski. As a replacement, the team has built a small satellite called the Icarus CubeSat, which is set for launch next year. “After that, we will scale up our operations until we have around six CubeSats and a permanent system for monitoring animals as they move and migrate across the world,” said Wikelski. “That should provide us with a massive amount of data about the way animals behave.”No. 7 Tennessee gives up 1st 14 points before rallying to rout Vanderbilt 36-23

HUMBOLDT, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee man was convicted Thursday of killing two men and wounding a third in a shooting at a high school basketball game three years ago. Jadon Hardiman, 21, was found guilty in Gibson County of charges including second-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses, district attorney Frederick Agee said in a statement. He faces up to 76 years in prison at sentencing in April. Hardiman, of Jackson, attended a basketball game between Humboldt and North Side high schools on Nov. 30, 2021. Then 18, Hardiman entered the Humboldt gymnasium's crowded concession area and pulled a semi-automatic .40 caliber handgun, prosecutors said. He fired three shots at Justin Pankey, a 21-year-old former Humboldt basketball player. Pankey was hit one time and died within seconds, Agee said. A second bullet hit Xavier Clifton, a former North Side student and basketball player, who was standing in the concession line. Clifton was shot in the neck and paralyzed. He died in March 2022. A third shot struck another man in the back of the head. He survived. “Many people were placed in fear of imminent bodily injury by Hardiman’s shooting, as shown by video footage of their fleeing into the gym, into bathrooms, and other areas of the school,” Agee said. Hardiman ran away and drove to Jackson, disposing of the murder weapon along the way, the district attorney said. The U.S. Marshals Service contacted his family, and he was arrested the next day. Agee said the shooting "frightened every adult, student, and child present, who were only there to support their team and enjoy a good game.” Hardiman's lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.Transaction creates the world's largest network of independent home improvement stores Do it Best President and CEO Dan Starr Do it Best, the nation's largest member-owned co-op for hardware and lumber products, President and CEO Dan Starr stands outside Waynedale Hardware. Do it Best Champions Independent Home Improvement Stores This acquisition aligns with Do it Best's long-standing commitment to championing independent home improvement store owners through its proactive distribution network, broad selection of brand name products, and extensive menu of marketing services. The acquisition brings significant assets to Do it Best, including inventory, brand rights, and paint manufacturing facilities. By acquiring these key resources, Do it Best is poised for substantial growth and increased capability to support independent retailers and bring operational stability to current True Value retailers, along with investment in the iconic brand. Reflecting on the accelerated journey that began on October 14, Do it Best CEO Dan Starr acknowledged the hard work and dedication required to complete the acquisition. "This has been a challenging process,” said Starr. "However, the shared commitment from our team and the True Value team has made today possible. We are now proud to be the world's largest cooperative in our space, and that positions us to make a real difference for all our store owners.” Starr confirmed that True Value will operate as a separate subsidiary, allowing Do it Best to maintain high-quality service while carefully integrating True Value's operations. He emphasized this approach ensures a smooth transition and continued reliability for both Do it Best members and the newly welcomed True Value retailers. "We're excited to welcome True Value retailers and associates into the Do it Best family,” Starr added. "Our commitment to championing the independent retailer is at the heart of everything we do, and I know our True Value team joins us in this mission. This acquisition is about ensuring our collective success, now and in the future.” To support this transformation, Do it Best has established a new leadership team dedicated to stabilizing and growing the True Value business while maintaining a focus on Do it Best member growth. Starr appointed Nick Talarico as President of Do it Best and Dent Johnson as President of True Value. Johnson's True Value leadership team includes: "This is a generational opportunity that will shape the future of our cooperative and our industry,” said Starr. "We're focused on taking our time to get it right. We ask for patience as we integrate True Value and help everyone grow and achieve their dreams.” For additional updates and information, Do it Best will continue sharing developments with its store owners and vendors, ensuring transparency and clear communication as the stabilization and integration process moves forward. Attachments Do it Best President and CEO Dan Starr Do it Best Champions Independent Home Improvement Stores CONTACT: Kate Virag Ferguson Agency 260-414-2431 [email protected]