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DES MOINES — Iowa K-12 students would be barred from having their cellphones in the classroom under a proposal that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds plans to present to state lawmakers. Reynolds mentioned her proposal Thursday during an interview with the Gray TV stations’ Washington, D.C. bureau. “Gov. Reynolds believes Iowa students deserve the opportunity to learn free from the distraction of personal electronic devices. Iowa kids should have the freedom to focus and be fully engaged in their education,” Reynolds’ spokesman, Mason Mauro, said in an email Friday night. Proponents of such bans say they prevent students from being distracted during school instruction time and also help address concerns about students’ mental health. Eight states had banned cellphones in classrooms as of Nov. 4, according to KFF, a nonprofit health care news and advocacy organization. The states with statewide bans on phones in the classroom are Minnesota, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, South Carolina, Louisiana and California, according to KFF. Another 12 states — including Iowa — have introduced legislation that would ban or restrict cellphone use in classrooms, and education departments in nine more states have recommended policies or pilot programs designed to ban or restrict cellphones in schools, according to KFF. It is unclear whether state lawmakers would support a ban on cellphones in the classroom, even with Reynolds’ fellow Republicans holding majorities in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature. State Sen. Ken Rozenboom, a Republican from Pella who chairs the Senate’s Education Committee, said he has not considered introducing a ban on cellphones in classrooms, nor has anyone contacted him about the issue. “I believe cellphone usage is a very significant problem in our schools, but I’m not convinced that this is something that should be governed by the state,” Rozenboom said. A spokeswoman for Iowa House Republicans pointed to legislation considered in that chamber during the 2024 session that would have required school districts to adopt a policy that restricts the use of cellphones during classroom instruction, but did not ban phones from the classroom. That bill did not advance far enough to be passed into law. Melissa Saitz, the spokeswoman for Iowa House Republicans, said she believes the topic will come up during the 2025 legislative session, and that House Republicans will be seeking feedback from Iowans on the topic. She said it is too early to say whether House Republicans will support a full ban on phones in the classroom, but it will “definitely be a discussion” during the session. “We have heard from so many teachers that cellphones are a huge distraction preventing kids from learning,” Saitz said. A spokeswoman for the Iowa State Education Association, the statewide union that represents public schoolteachers, said the union will not comment at this time since there is not yet a “specific proposal.” The 2025 session of the Iowa Legislature begins Jan. 13. Gov. Kim Reynolds likely will give her annual Condition of the State address on Jan. 14. Many Eastern Iowa schools are exploring policies about cellphones in the classroom, mirroring a national trend of school districts and states restricting students’ cellphone use in schools. Hillcrest Academy, a private school in Kalona, is one of the first Iowa districts to become phone-free this academic year to reduce distractions in the classroom and out of concerns for students’ mental health. Grace King of The Gazette contributed to this report. We all know that staring at screens constantly is bad for our health. So here are some easy ways to reduce screen time. At Bullard High School in Fresno, California, it's easy to see the benefits of banning students' cellphones. Bullying is down and socialization is up, principal Armen Torigian said. Enforcing the smartphone restrictions? That's been harder. Instead of putting their devices in magnetically locked pouches, like they're supposed to, some kids will stick something else in there instead, like a disused old phone, a calculator, a glue bottle or just the phone case. Others attack the pouch, pulling at stitches, cutting the bottom, or defacing it so it looks closed when it's really open. Most students comply, but those who don't create disproportionate chaos. "You should see how bad it is," Torigian said. "It's great to say no phones, but I don't think people realize the addiction of the phones and what students will go to to tell you 'No, you're not taking my phone.'" Bullard, which began restricting phones two years ago, is a step ahead of other schools around the state that have moved recently to prohibit cellphones in classrooms, CalMatters reports. Bullard and other pioneering schools offer a preview of how such bans might play out as they become more common. Educators who have enacted the smartphone restrictions said they help bolster student participation and reduce bullying but also raise challenges, like how to effectively keep phones locked up against determined students and how to identify and treat kids truly addicted to their devices. Citing Bullard as an example, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Aug. 13, urged school districts statewide to "act now" and adopt similar restrictions on smartphone use, reminding them that a 2019 law gives them the authority to do so. Los Angeles Unified, the nation's second-largest school district, recently approved plans to ban phones in January. One bill before the state legislature would impose similar limits statewide while another would ban the use of social media at school . Another would prevent social media companies from sending notifications during school hours as part of a broader set of regulations intended to disrupt social media addiction. Calls to limit how students use smartphones are driven in part by concerned educators. A Pew Research Center survey released in June found that one in three middle school teachers and nearly three in four high school teachers call smartphones a major problem. During school hours in a single day, the average student receives 60 notifications and spends 43 minutes — roughly the length of a classroom period — on their phone, according to a 2023 study by Common Sense Media. There is growing pressure to protect young people from excessive screen time generally: The moves to limit smartphone use in California put it near the forefront of an increasingly national trend. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul has reportedly been mulling a statewide school smartphone ban for several months . Florida, Ohio and Indiana have all imposed some degree of statewide restrictions on phones in schools, and several other states have introduced similar legislation. Education Week in June said 11 states either restrict or encourage school districts to restrict student phone use. Teachers have had classroom phone policies for years; what's new at schools like Bullard are that their bans are blanket, campuswide restrictions. Many of the schools that moved early to adopt such bans are smaller and charter schools, like Soar Academy, a TK-8 charter school with 430 mostly low-income students in San Bernardino, California. Like Bullard, it also found enforcement of its ban was tough. Suspending students wasn't an option. Neither was yanking phones from students' hands. That left an honor system, which relied on students' willingness to accept that smartphones and social media are harmful to their mental health and a distraction from learning. "The key was that we needed 100% buy-in from teachers. There couldn't be a weak link," said Soar principal Trisha Lancaster. "It was scary, because we weren't sure it was going to work. But we were determined to try." Lancaster said it also helped not to give parents or students a choice in the matter. The school simply presented the new policy, alongside ample research on the harmful effects of cellphones and social media on young people, and made it clear what the punishments would be. For the first violation, staff would keep a student's phone for the day and call their parents. Punishments would escalate until the sixth offense, when a student would have to meet with the school board, whose members might suggest the student enroll elsewhere. At Soar, the idea originated at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, when teachers said they were fed up with distracted students and an overall dispiriting school climate. Students, Lancaster said, "had lost their social skills." So the staff decided to ban phones during class, at recess, at lunch and after school — essentially, all times except when in a special area where parents or others can pick them up from school. Students must keep phones off and in backpacks when they are not permitted. The first year of the ban went smoother than expected, Lancaster said. Some students and parents protested, but most understood the policy was in students' best interests. Test scores didn't budge much, but at the end of the school year, a survey of teachers showed much higher job satisfaction than they recorded previously. And walking across campus, the improvements are obvious, Lancaster said. "Everyone on campus is so much happier. You see kids actually socializing, problem-solving, enjoying themselves," Lancaster said, choking up as she described the school atmosphere. "It's true, it's one more thing to enforce. But education matters, and now kids are learning. That's the No. 1 reason we did this." Soar's experience has been mirrored on a larger scale in the San Mateo-Foster City School District, which serves 10,000 students at 21 TK-8 schools south of San Francisco. After a full-time return to campus in 2022, teachers in the district found many students were "interacting intensely with cellphones in a way we didn't see before the pandemic," said superintendent Diego Ochoa, and so the school district adopted a smartphone ban for four middle schools in 2022. Administrators were convinced to do so following a trip to a nearby high school with a smartphone ban. There, they saw students speaking to each other and looking at one another during break time instead of their phones. Ochoa said the benefits of locking smartphones away is evident from improved test scores and an anonymous annual student survey that found a decline in depression, bullying and fights in the 2023-2024 school year relative to prior years. But saying the smartphone ban led to those benefits is tricky because they could have also been caused by other policy changes that happened at the same time, including a "restorative" approach to discipline that relied less on detention and suspension and more on support from counselors. Still, when students were surveyed specifically about the policy and the biggest difference in their education since it was put into place, they said that they pay more attention in class. Ron Dyste also implemented a smartphone ban and, like Ochoa, recommends them. Dyste is principal at Urban Discovery Academy, a TK-12 charter school in San Diego, which banned cellphones during the 2023-2024 academic year amid an uptick in bullying, harassment and anxiety among students, staff told CalMatters. Nearly 90% of discipline cases, across Urban Discovery Academy and a school where he worked previously, could be traced to misuse of phones or social media, including students filming fights, spreading nude photos of classmates and encouraging students to kill themselves. "I may never get some of those images out of my head. It's horrible, what kids can do to each other," Dyste said. "The damage to our kids and our communities is real." Dyste got the idea to ban phones when he and his wife went to a Dave Chapelle performance where audience members were required to secure their phones in locked pouches. "My wife said, why don't we do this in schools?" he said. "We knew we had to do something." Over last summer, the school sent out notices to families about the new policy, explaining the rationale. Some students complained, but parents were thrilled, Dyste said. And the improvements in campus climate were almost immediate. Instead of "hiding away with their screens," said Jenni Owen, the school's chief operations officer, students spent their breaks talking, dancing, playing volleyball and having fun. They developed empathy and a sense of community, she said. At the end of the academic year, the school logged zero fights. The previous year, the school's suspension rate was 13.5%, almost four times the state average. "For schools that are wondering if they should take this on, I think the answer is, we have to," Dyste said. "If we don't educate kids on how and when to use this technology, we're going to continue seeing a rise in suicide, sexual harassment and anxiety." State legislators have recognized the importance of healthier technology use among children. California students are supposed to learn about "appropriate, responsible and healthy behavior... related to current technology" under a media literacy law passed in October . To enforce smartphone bans, some schools rely on smartphone lockers or locked pouches like the kind Dyste saw in use at the Dave Chappelle show. He tried using locked pouches from the Los Angeles-based company Yondr, but encountered numerous issues. Some kids were breaking and smashing the pouches to open them, or they'd listen to music all day by connecting their earbuds to their locked-away phones using Bluetooth. "We had to return what was left of the equipment," he said. Instead of going with Yondr, which wanted $6,000 to cover 110 kids, Dyste found clear, plastic phone lockers on Amazon that cost $50 each and put one in each classroom. Yondr told CalMatters: "Our pouches are designed to withstand heavy-duty usage, and we are continuously working to improve the durability of our solution. However, there will always be students who try to push boundaries, especially when policies are initially rolled out. For this reason, it is critical that our team works directly with districts and administrators in rolling out the Yondr Program, to ensure that the most effective policies and procedures are implemented for successful schoolwide adoption. Without adherence to strong policies, schools may struggle with student compliance." Soar Academy also considered purchasing Yondr phone pouches, but was discouraged by the $19,000 price tag. The San Mateo-Foster City School District paid $50,000 to obtain Yondr pouches for roughly 3,000 students. To use them, staff hand out pouches at school entryways each morning, then students swipe the pouch over a demagnetizer to unlock the pouch at the end of the day. Kids who want an exception to the rule — for a family emergency for example — must come to the school front office and ask for permission. Yondr pouches come with a hefty price tag, Ochoa said, but he thinks it's worth it to improve student focus. "Call up five random superintendents, I don't care where they're at and ask them, 'How much would you spend to have your students pay more attention?' It's worth millions," he said. Whether phones get locked in a clear box or a silver pouch, Oakland High School senior Leah West said she finds it punitive to require students to lock their phones away before they have broken any rules with the devices. While California's Oakland High School does not have a blanket smartphone ban, West's former English teacher sometimes locked student phones in Yondr pouches. "We should be given a chance to prove ourselves," she said, adding that such an approach can motivate a rebellious streak in students like her who like freedom and don't like when she isn't trusted to make a responsible decision. Louisa Perry-Picciotto, who graduated from high school in Alameda, California, in June, said students with jobs rely on their phones for work updates and all teens use their phones to communicate with their friends. Still, she's grateful her parents didn't get her a smartphone until she was in eighth grade. "I get distracted easily, and without a phone I was a lot more connected to the world," she said. Edamevoh Ajayi, who is a junior at Oakland Technical High School, said there's no question some students don't pay attention in class because they're busy texting or playing games. Those students would definitely benefit from rules surrounding cellphone use like the kind being implemented at her school this year. But she feels like she has a strong sense of self-control and a desire to learn, and doesn't need a phone ban. "When they take away my belongings, I feel like I'm being treated like a child," she said. At her school, policies vary by classroom. In general, students are free to use their phones between classes and at lunch. When students use their phones in class it can be frustrating for everyone else, said Fremont High School science teacher Chris Jackson. It puts teachers in a tough position: Either ignore that student and carry on for the sake of the students who are listening or disrupt learning for all students and confront them. In the long run, Jackson said he's worried that students of color, who have historically faced higher rates of punishment than other students , will again bear the brunt of disciplinary actions related to smartphone bans. Rather than punishment, Jackson would prefer to see solutions that address root issues, like addiction, that lead students to use their devices in violation of the rules. So no matter what policy school districts adopt, he wants the focus to remain on teaching students digital literacy and how social media can be a risk to their health. Some schools who helped pioneer smartphone bans have reassessed their initial approach. This year, Bullard is changing its policy to allow students to access their smartphones at lunch time. Torigian said school administrators wanted to make room for important communications, for example by allowing students who pick up younger siblings to text with their parents. They also hoped the looser rules would encourage more students to comply with the ban. If kids don't comply, teachers call parents, and if they still refuse, they're sent to what the school calls the re-engagement center. Starting last month, California began prohibiting suspensions for "willful defiance ." Torigian believes that schools need an exemption from the policy in order to enforce smartphone restrictions. He wants it back because he said he needs a way to hold kids accountable. "That's why the governor's got to give us some leeway on this willful defiance; you can't do one [smartphone restrictions] without the other." Ochoa said if he had to do it over again in San Mateo-Foster City he would devote more time to explaining to students why they adopted such a policy before putting it into place. Getting a smartphone is a big deal for middle school students, a milestone for adolescents that represents more freedom and autonomy, and it's counterproductive for the school environment if they feel punished or something they value is taken away with little explanation. "Our teenagers told us, 'You forgot to explain why we're doing this,'" he said, adding that even if a small percentage of kids violate the policy it can be really harmful academically and to school culture. "Even with your conviction to implement a policy like this, spend the time developing the language around the policy and explaining it to your students." Common Sense Media CEO Jim Steyer, whose nonprofit is focused on how children use media and technology, agreed that it works best to explain to kids why a rule to limit smartphone access at school is necessary. Parents and teachers need the same explanation so that they can help enforce some restrictions in order to keep kids safe and healthy. "Any even remotely engaged parent is going to want their kid to do well in school, and is going to want them to understand why phones and social media platforms get in the way of learning and can be really distracting and can affect your mental health," he said. This story was produced by CalMatters and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Veteran farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose hunger strike entered its 29th day on Tuesday, urged all farm unions to ‘fight unitedly to win this battle.’ Addressing the protesters, the 67-year-old said: “I want to tell all of you that I am alright. We have to win this battle. This battle will be won only if the whole country fights unitedly. Dallewal also appealed to Punjab’s ‘younger brother Haryana’ and other states to join the battle. “I want that the government should not be able to evict us from here at any cost. If it is not able to do so, then either we will win or die, one of two things will happen,” he said in his speech. Meanwhile, a team of specialists, including a cardiologist, neurosurgeon and urologist from Government Rajindra Hospital, conducted a medical examination on Dallewal here on Tuesday. The team examined the veteran farm leader and collected blood and urine samples. One of the doctors, pleading anonymity, said that the sample will be tested in the hospital lab and the results will be shared tomorrow. Dallewal also made an appeal to all the farmers to stay alert in case the police tried to evict them from the site. Farmers, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces. A “jatha (group)” of 101 farmers attempted to march to Delhi on foot three times between December 6 and 14 but were stopped by security personnel in Haryana.

First Lady Distributes 1,000 Bags Of Rice To Northern Christian Political Forum In KogiSporting the colours of world powerhouse Yu Long Investments, New Zealand-bred filly Certain Future has bright prospects in the opening race of the Newcastle Jockey Club's iconic Boxing Day meeting on the Beaumont track on Thursday. Login or signup to continue reading Trained by Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald, Certain Future is well weighted under the set conditions in the Des Edser Memorial Super Maiden Plate (1350m), with only 52.5 kilograms on her back after the claim for the stable's talented apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald. The filly carried 58.5 kilograms on debut when beaten less than two lengths as favourite on the Kensington track on December 6. Prior to that run she beat the smart Madam Instrife in a Randwick trial. On debut, Certain Future settled back in seventh place with a nice trail and after coming off heels around the 250-metre mark the three-year-old finished strongly. This race is a drop in class and the rails barrier is gold. Mark Minervini's mare Rubi's Serve is in career best form and is well placed in the 1350-metre For The Love Of Freda Benchmark 64 Handicap. She has had four starts this preparation, including three on the Newcastle course proper. First up on November 2, the mare found the 900 metres too short when placed behind boom three-year-old Private Harry. Up to 1300 metres two starts back, Rubis Serve came from well back in the field to win a Newcastle Maiden. Last start on December 7, she was beaten by a head at Newcastle by the unbeaten and promising Churchill's Choice which won at Randwick last Saturday. Lee Magorrian rode the mare last start, and he retains the mount. The consistent Central Coast mare Spicy Hotspot races well when fresh and the Russian Revolution four-year-old has a good chance first up in the 1150-metre The Prince Of Merewether After Party 64 Handicap. Both her two wins have been first up and second up and she has easily won two recent trials at Newcastle and Wyong. In the last trial at Newcastle, she sat outside stablemate Much Much Better and careered away in the last 200 metres to win by 2.18 lengths untouched. The mare has drawn perfectly in barrier two and is another good mount for Lee Magorrian. Kris Lee's filly Alliri, placed in her only three starts, can break through in the 1200-metre Recycle Today Greener Tomorrow 3YO Maiden Plate. After narrow defeats at Scone and Taree, the three-year-old went to the Kensington track on December 6, and was beaten 1.5 lengths into third place. She raced on the speed in second place and this field is not as strong. James Cummings has two three-year-old fillies lining up in the 1200-metre Lucky's Scrap Metals Maiden Plate. Jean Van Overmeire rides Magenta which found the line OK although only ninth beaten two lengths at Hawkesbury on debut on December 8. The longer trip is ideal, and she has drawn perfectly. Luminol, daughter of 2007 Golden Slipper winner Forensics, is on debut after a very soft trial on the Kensington track on December 9. The Boxing Day meeting attracts one of the biggest crowds to Newcastle each year and with fine weather predicted the club's second-biggest crowd of the year is expected. The club will then have a short break before hosting a Gosford transferred meeting on Friday 10th January. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!

Travis Hunter's month of December has been marred by controversy, overshadowing what should have been a celebration of his Heisman Trophy win. The Colorado football star began the month on top, achieving one of college football's highest honors. However, what followed was a storm of personal turmoil, with his private life thrust into the public eye. Leaked Videos Stir Public Attention The debate started on Monday when outdated clips of Hunter’s fiancée, Leanna Lenee, surfaced on the internet. The footage, said to be from three years ago, features Lenee in private moments with a different man. The material is not inherently surprising, but the timing has drawn attention. Hunter and Lenee have been together for five years, and the reappearance of the footage has sparked significant speculation. In a video, Lenee appears in a home, trying to conceal her face while dressed in a T-shirt and panties. In another video, she's seen in bed with the man, and a third clip shows her cooking a meal for him afterward. The online community swiftly responded, as users on social media analyzed the videos. Numerous people doubted the authenticity of Hunter's relationship with Lenee, and some even encouraged him to rethink their engagement. Although certain fans proposed that the past shouldn’t dictate the future, the timing of the videos inevitably ignited a broader discussion. The Role of Social Media The leaked video caught attention on social media. Supporters and analysts gathered on platforms to express their views. Numerous supporters of Hunter advised him to rethink his relationship, labeling it a possible distraction as he progresses in his career. Some, on the other hand, contended that an individual's past behavior should not determine their future. Regardless of these differing opinions, the videos attracted significant public attention for the athlete. Hunter’s Withdrawal from Social Media In the midst of the escalating online discussion, Hunter opted to deactivate his Instagram account. Even though he hasn't made any public remarks about the issue, his exit from social media communicates a lot regarding the personal impact the controversy has had on him. It is still uncertain if this action is permanent or if Hunter intends to discuss the matter publicly in the future. A Crucial Moment in Hunter’s Career The timing of this issue is especially delicate for Hunter. As a Heisman Trophy recipient and a leading candidate for the NFL, the athlete is under considerable pressure. His job opportunities are improving, and the next year may be crucial for solidifying his future in the NFL. Nonetheless, the personal turmoil around him may distract from his professional concentration. The examination, along with the emotional impact of the dispute, may present a difficulty in the upcoming months. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US Buzz, World and around the world.Dynex Capital ( NYSE:DX – Get Free Report ) and EPR Properties ( NYSE:EPR – Get Free Report ) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends and earnings. Risk and Volatility Dynex Capital has a beta of 1.32, meaning that its stock price is 32% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, EPR Properties has a beta of 1.76, meaning that its stock price is 76% more volatile than the S&P 500. Institutional & Insider Ownership 38.3% of Dynex Capital shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 74.7% of EPR Properties shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.5% of Dynex Capital shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 2.1% of EPR Properties shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Dividends Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Dynex Capital and EPR Properties, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Dynex Capital currently has a consensus price target of $13.35, suggesting a potential upside of 7.79%. EPR Properties has a consensus price target of $48.28, suggesting a potential upside of 7.30%. Given Dynex Capital’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Dynex Capital is more favorable than EPR Properties. Profitability This table compares Dynex Capital and EPR Properties’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Dynex Capital and EPR Properties”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. EPR Properties has higher revenue and earnings than Dynex Capital. Dynex Capital is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than EPR Properties, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Summary EPR Properties beats Dynex Capital on 11 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks. About Dynex Capital ( Get Free Report ) Dynex Capital, Inc., a mortgage real estate investment trust, invests in mortgage-backed securities (MBS) on a leveraged basis in the United States. It invests in agency and non-agency MBS consisting of residential MBS, commercial MBS (CMBS), and CMBS interest-only securities. Agency MBS have a guaranty of principal payment by an agency of the U.S. government or a U.S. government-sponsored entity, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Non-Agency MBS have no such guaranty of payment. The company has qualified as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes. It generally would not be subject to federal income taxes if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders as dividends. Dynex Capital, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Glen Allen, Virginia. About EPR Properties ( Get Free Report ) EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) is the leading diversified experiential net lease real estate investment trust (REIT), specializing in select enduring experiential properties in the real estate industry. We focus on real estate venues that create value by facilitating out of home leisure and recreation experiences where consumers choose to spend their discretionary time and money. We have total assets of approximately $5.7 billion (after accumulated depreciation of approximately $1.4 billion) across 44 states. We adhere to rigorous underwriting and investing criteria centered on key industry, property and tenant level cash flow standards. We believe our focused approach provides a competitive advantage and the potential for stable and attractive returns. Receive News & Ratings for Dynex Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dynex Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

What’s open and closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2024? Last-minute errands often seem to pop up on Christmas and Christmas Eve, whether it’s buying a quick present or picking up one last ingredient. Many stores and offices are closed on the two holidays to give employees a chance to spend time with loved ones during the holiday season. This year, Christmas Eve falls on Tuesday, December 24, and Christmas falls on Wednesday, December 25. Before heading out, make sure to check the times of locally owned businesses. Here’s what’s open and closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2024. Grocery stores Albertsons Companies’ stores – Safeway, Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, ACME, Randalls, Shaw’s, Vons and Tom Thumb – will be open Christmas Eve with reduced hours. Many of those banner stores and pharmacies, including Jewel-Osco, Randalls, Shaw’s and Tom Thumb, will be closed Christmas Day. Some Albertsons, Safeway, ACME and Vons stores will be open with adjusted hours. The company said to check with your local store before visiting on Christmas. Another grocery giant, Kroger, will mostly operate on normal hours Christmas Eve, but will be closed Christmas Day. Along with Kroger, the company owns Ralphs, Dillons, Smith’s, King Soopers, Fry’s, QFC, City Market, Owen’s, Jay C, Pay Less, Baker’s, Gerbes, Harris Teeter, Pick ‘n Save, Metro Market, Mariano’s, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less and Foods Co. Whole Foods, Aldi and specialty grocer Trader Joe’s are open on modified hours Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. Warehouse club Costco is closed on Christmas. Sam’s Club closes at 6 pm local time on Christmas Eve and will be closed on Christmas Day. Retail Walmart stores will close at 6 pm local time on Christmas Eve and all stores are closed on Christmas Day. Target will be open from 7 am until 8 pm local time Christmas Eve, but it will be closed on Christmas. Home Depot says to check with your local store, but locations will generally close at 5 pm on Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day. Lowe’s will be open as normal on Christmas Eve and will close on Christmas Day. Department store Macy’s will be open from 8 am to 7 pm local time on Christmas Eve and close on Christmas Day. Kohl’s will be open from 7 am to 7 pm local time on Christmas Eve and close on Christmas. Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores will be open with limited store hours on Christmas Eve and close the next day. Financial centers Most banks follow the Federal Reserve banking holidays, so most teller services will be closed Christmas Day. As always, you can use mobile banking services and ATMs. Bank of America will be closed on Christmas Day. Wells Fargo will close at noon local time on Christmas Eve and will be closed all day December 25. TD Bank will also be closed on Christmas. The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ will not be trading on Christmas Day. Pharmacies CVS Pharmacy locations will be open on Christmas Eve and Christmas, but may have reduced hours. CVS said to check with your local store before visiting. Rite Aid will be open regular business hours on Christmas Eve but will close on Christmas Day. Walgreens will be open on Christmas Eve and all of its 24-hour pharmacies will remain open for 24 hours. On Christmas Day, Walgreens will operate during its usual hours, but the majority of pharmacies are closed except for 24-hour locations and certain others. Postal services The United States Postal Service will not be sending or shipping mail on December 25. On Christmas Eve, FedEx Express and FedEx Office will be operating on modified hours, but other services such as FedEx Ground and Custom Critical will be open as normal. On Christmas Day, every FedEx service except Custom Critical will be unavailable. UPS will operate as usual on Christmas Eve. Limited UPS store locations will be open on Christmas Day, and only the UPS Express Critical service will be available.Midfielder Dante Polvara has thanked boss Jimmy Thelin for considering his mental health as well as his physical rehabilitation from long-term injury. American Polvara missed the first five months of the campaign after suffering a hamstring tear which required surgery during pre-season. To keep Polvara involved with the first-team, and limit any feelings of isolation, Thelin made him a set-piece coach. Polvara revealed this personal touch from the Swede meant a lot – particularly as he was more than 3,000 miles from his family in New York. The midfielder’s set-piece expertise even led to a number of goals during the Dons’ record breaking 16-game unbeaten start to the season. Now, the Reds have hit a six-game winless slump and Polvara aims to do his bit on the pitch to get the campaign back on track. He said: “It was a big boost to me to still be involved as a lot of managers can forget about players when they are out for so long. “However, the gaffer emphasises the importance of our mental health as well. “We are all still people and it was maybe harder for me than someone else who could have family here. “To keep me involved like that really meant a lot. It made me feel closer to the staff and more trusted. “I’ve been at the club for a while now and I’m close with a lot of people here, so to not be around them every day as much and have different schedules can be tough. “For the manager to keep me involved was a big boost for me. “I think the manager saw an opportunity for me to maybe work on leadership, tactics and organisation. “I tried to make the most of it. It gave me a completely different perspective – especially when I was in the coaches room and hearing what they’re talking about and thinking. “I’ve spent a lot of time, of course, analysing.” Satisfaction at goal from set-pieces Polvara returned to action when he was introduced as a substitute in the 83rd minute of the 1-0 Premiership loss to Celtic at Parkhead. It was the first time he had played under Thelin. His second appearance after long-term injury was at the weekend. is determined to be back in the thick of the action after so long on the sidelines. He said: “It did take a few weeks of trying to get them to take me seriously wearing the coaches kit and having the papers. “I would get nervous when we had corners as it was a really bad feeling when the set-pieces went wrong. “But it was a great feeling when we scored from them! “Now I’m just excited to play, and be grateful for it. “I’ve obviously watched everything from the sidelines for a few months. “That’s a lot of time analysing on how I can help and provide something different.” Aberdeen can rediscover top form Polvara is in contention to as the Dons bid to end the winless slump. It has been a season of contrast for Aberdeen. A sensational start where they were level on points with Celtic at the top of the Premiership after 11 games, and now a slump which has resulted in the Reds being overtaken by Rangers in second spot. Polvara said: “I just want to make as much of an impact as I can and play as much as possible. “There are a lot of games coming up and there are always injuries and suspensions coming up. “But I think the best is yet to come from me and the same is true of the team. “The first few months of the season showed what this team is capable of and we need to get back to that standard. “You’re always going to have a dip as there aren’t many teams in the world that can keep that perfect season going. “It’s all about getting out of the recent disappointing run – and the Kilmarnock game is a great chance to do that. “They are a really tough team with an experienced manager, so we have to be fully at it to win. “That’s what we need to do to get back to our very best again. “Let’s have a really strong and consistent second half to the season and make it very exciting along the way.”eLong Power Holding Limited Completes Business Combination with TMT Acquisition Corp

What's open and closed for Christmas and Christmas Eve?TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES — About a month after moving into the New Mexico State Veterans Home's Turtleback building, Lesha and Lorenzo Delgado's new place was starting to feel like home. Though there were a few boxes and suitcases left to unpack, the couple added little touches to make the studio-style space feel more comfortable. A green and purple patchwork quilt covered Lorenzo Delgado's twin-sized bed. Across the room, Lesha Delgado's bed is decorated with a blanket bearing the likeness of Frida Kahlo — a gift from her husband, who knows her fondness for the artist. Lorenzo Delgado said he's eager to find a place to display his wife's master's degree. And the Delgados installed a small Christmas tree to infuse their new home with holiday cheer. Lorenzo Delgado's status as a U.S. Army veteran entitled both members of the couple to live at the facility, allowing Lesha Delgado to receive the skilled nursing care she needs while living with multiple sclerosis. "The reason I can live here is because of him," she said. In the past five years, the New Mexico State Veterans Home has served as the site of dozens of deaths from COVID-19, the subject of scathing legislative reports and a repeated cause for concern for state lawmakers. But since 2022, it's also experienced a kind of rebirth. Thanks to $40 million in legislative funding and $20 million in bond funds, the veterans home constructed six new buildings, each composed of 12 private rooms with individual bathrooms plus communal kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms. Now, as veterans, spouses and Gold Star parents are settling into those new homes — which opened to residents in August — the facility's outlook is growing sunnier. Though they provide the level of care customary for a skilled nursing facility, the new homes mark a shift in ideology, said Kenneth Shull, a retired Army brigadier general and the facility's administrator. They were designed to feel like, well, homes. Staff keep residents company during meal times or while they watch television. Outdoor patios allow residents to soak up some sun or visit with family. The communal kitchen is stocked with easy-access lemonade and snacks. "We're taking care of the patients like we were but [with] a different methodology," Shull said. "The staff has been very well trained in the new model," he added. "We're still working and training and learning new techniques — how to make the program a better program." For years, news of the veterans home was mostly bad. In 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 tore through the facility, resulting in nearly 40 deaths. Legislative reports published in the following years painted a damning portrait of life in the veterans home, attributing the deaths to chronic leadership issues and failure to adhere to pandemic safety protocols. At the time, Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe, called the situation at the veterans home “not only unacceptable but unconscionable.” The state has since settled wrongful death lawsuits brought by surviving family members of those who died of COVID-19 at the veterans home. In 2022, lawmakers set aside funds for a facility overhaul, an initiative secured by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The site's Depression-era main building — originally designed as a children's hospital and now known as "Old Main" — wasn't sufficient anymore. Now, the facility includes the new homes; Old Main, which is currently being used as administrative space; and an annex, built in 2017 and housing veterans whose medical conditions necessitate secure units. On Dec. 17, 104 of the home's 131 beds were filled. Shull said an average of eight new residents join the facility each month. Though he has some gripes about the new facility, David McLaren, another resident of the Turtleback building, said he's glad he made the move to the veterans home. After graduating from boot camp in 1972, McLaren spent three years as a Seabee — a member of the U.S. Navy's Construction Battalion, responsible for building infrastructure in support of operating forces. Faced with a low draft number, McLaren said he opted to enlist, visiting various recruiters. The Navy offered him the best deal: a chance to continue the kind of construction work he'd been doing as a civilian. McLaren moved into the New Mexico State Veterans Home in February 2017, after reaching a point where he could no longer take good care of himself while living alone. He loved living in Old Main, from examining the military memorabilia fellow veterans left behind in the building to relaxing in the building's turtle-filled courtyard. "That was such a wonderful facility, such a great place to live," he said. "It just had so much feeling of history." The new buildings, McLaren said, upset him "a little bit" because they were built on what was once the veterans home's sprawling front yard, where he used to enjoy time outside. It would have been nice to preserve that space, he said. But on the whole, McLaren said, "I'm glad I'm here." John Smith moved into the veterans home in February with a specific goal in mind. Smith spent 13 years in the Army, completing tours in Germany and Korea, as well as more than three decades in military civil service. All of it adds up to 47 and a half years — "But who's counting?" he quipped. But repeated falls and infections left Smith, now in his 70s, unable to walk. At the veterans home, he's been working with physical therapists to improve his movement and ability to transfer out of bed or a wheelchair. "I've been working on that ever since," he said. "So that's what I do here: I work on it, see if I can get myself to function again." Smith lives by a motto: "You either lead, follow or get out the way." Between visits from his children, grandkids and wife of more than 50 years, Smith has recently been leading as the veterans home's resident movie buff. Combining the home's collection of DVDs with his own, Smith has been working to set up movie viewings in the facility's on-site theater. After moving into the Turtleback building a month or two ago, Smith said he likes his new home. "This is a fantastic facility," he said.

Friends, family reunite in Ottawa on Christmas Eve

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