casino jackpot slots real money free play ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The stakes were higher for Iowa State, and the outcome was the same as the first for the Cyclones in their second trip to the Big 12 championship game. And the 112-year wait for a conference title will go on. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week

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Women’s representation in the tech sector is improving across the country, even amid other drops in diversity. That’s according to a Wednesday report from the Vancouver-based Tech and People Network (TAP), which found that women’s representation in Canada’s tech sector made some progress over the last year, increasing from 36.9 per cent to 38.6 per cent among 149 employers surveyed. Nevertheless, the management-level gender pay gap still remains at 17 per cent, with all B.C. employers with over 50 employees required to report gender pay discrepancies by 2026, said the release. Women were represented most in tech companies’ human resources departments (84 per cent), while representation lacked in technology, design and support (27 per cent). Entry-level jobs for (45 per cent) had the highest representation, while women made up a meagre 5.8 per cent of jobs at the specialist level (5.8 per cent). Representation in those categories remain the same as last year, according to TAP’s 2024 Diversity in Tech Dashboard. But broader diversity in the tech sector has taken a considerable blow since 2023, with representation of persons of colour dropping by 4.4 percentage points to 33.1 per cent. The report found that the most significant proportion of people who self-identify as a person of colour were in the manufacturing sector (54 per cent), with the lowest being in the executive/corporate level (19 per cent) – those figures remain unchanged since 2023. Entry-level jobs (46 per cent) had the highest representation of this group, with the lowest being the specialist level (16 per cent). TAP Network CEO Stephanie Hollingshead said in Wednesday’s release that declining representation of people of colour and/or Black people is cause for concern, urging organizations to review recruitment/retention strategies. Underrepresented groups like persons with disabilities slightly increased by one percentage point from 4.2 per cent compared with 2023, with the largest numbers coming from those working in human resources. Representation of 2SLGBTQIA+ also increased annually by one percentage point to 9.9 per cent. However, representation for Indigenous persons was the lowest (0.8 per cent) and even saw a decrease of 0.1 percentage points in the last year. The tech sector experienced a mixed bag of improvements and declines over the last year – this was also the case for equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB) policy building in the workplace. Just over half (57 per cent) of the 181 organizations who provided information stated they ask employees for their accessibility needs, with close to half providing EDIB training and analyzing pay gaps. However, only 18 per cent of senior leadership in these companies has set accountability to match these goals. While companies made progress in developing inclusive policies, significant steps forward in diversity and pay equity remain painfully slow, said Hollingshead. “Our 2024 findings serve as an urgent wake-up call for Canada's tech sector. We need decisive, bold action in 2025 to close these persistent representation and gender pay gaps in our sector." The data for TAP Network’s 2024 Diversity in Tech Dashboard was compiled from their tech salary and total rewards survey, which includes data from 27,000 participants at 202 Canadian tech companies. [email protected]A record-breaking rally for coffee prices shows no sign of slowing down, analysts say, with some warning it could take years for one of the world's most traded commodities to recover. Drought and high temperatures, alongside a global reliance on supplies from relatively few regions, are regarded as the key drivers for the dramatic price rise. "History suggests that coffee prices will only ease back as and when supply improves and stocks are replenished," David Oxley, chief climate and commodities economist at Capital Economics, said in a research note. A record-breaking rally for coffee prices shows no sign of slowing down, analysts say, with some warning it could take years for one of the world's most traded commodities to recover. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are Arabica coffee futures with March delivery hit a fresh intraday high of 348.35 cents per pound on Tuesday, notching their highest level in nearly 50 years. The contract has since cut some of its gains but remains up a whopping 70% year-to-date. The last time the price for arabica beans, the world's most popular variety, traded that high was in 1977 when snow destroyed large areas of Brazilian plantations. Renowned for their smooth taste and sweet flavor, arabica beans make up between 60% to 70% of the global coffee market. They are commonly used in espressos and other barista-made coffee. Drought and high temperatures, alongside a global reliance on supplies from relatively few regions, are regarded as the primary drivers for the recent price rise. Robusta futures, meanwhile, also climbed to a fresh record high in late November. Robusta beans are known for their strong and bitter flavor and are typically used in instant blends. The extraordinary price rally for coffee, which is considered the second-most traded commodity by volume, after crude oil, comes amid concerns over the 2025 crop in Brazil, by far the world's largest producer. Money Report European markets set to open lower as investors digest European Central Bank rate cut New AI winners beyond Big Tech are set to emerge, UK fund manager predicts "The country experienced its worst drought in 70 years during August and September, followed by heavy rains in October, raising fears that the flowering crop could fail," Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Denmark's Saxo Bank, said in a research note published Tuesday. For some, the poor growing weather in Brazil means it could take a long time for coffee prices to unwind. "History suggests that coffee prices will only ease back as and when supply improves and stocks are replenished," David Oxley, chief climate and commodities economist at Capital Economics, said in a research note published on Nov. 29. "Crucially, this is a process that can take years, not months," Oxley said. A staple beverage for billions of people across the world, demand for coffee has been boosted in recent years by growing consumption in China . Production, however, has struggled to keep up. "Like cocoa, coffee is grown in a relatively narrow tropical band, with key producers including Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, and Ethiopia," Saxo Bank's Hansen said. "This concentration makes it particularly vulnerable to adverse weather conditions, especially in Brazil and Vietnam, which together account for approximately 56% of global production," he added. Read more World’s largest olive oil producer says ‘liquid gold’ prices on track to halve from record levels Orange juice prices are going through the roof — forcing some makers to consider alternative fruits Cocoa and coffee prices have soared to record highs — and Citi says there may still be room to run The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in its semi-annual report last month that it expects Brazil's coffee production for the marketing year 2024/2025 to come in at 66.4 million (60 kilogram per bag) comprising of 45.4 million bags of arabica and 21 million of robusta. The USDA said its forecast reflected a 5.8% drop from its previous projection, attributing the decrease to irregular weather patterns that negatively affected crop development, particularly for arabica trees. "In Brazil, this will be the fifth consecutive arabica harvest that is disappointing because of adverse weather," Carlos Mera, head of agricultural commodities markets at Dutch lender Rabobank, told CNBC via video call. Asked whether the climate crisis appears to be amplifying the risks for coffee production, Mera said it was difficult to measure accurately, but there are growing concerns across the industry that extreme weather could prevent typical growth in coffee trees. Looking ahead, Mera said coffee prices "can certainly go even higher" from their current record levels. For coffee drinkers, analysts say it is practically inevitable that coffee makers will need to pass on the costs to consumers in order to limit the impact of higher bean prices on their bottom line. Nestlé , the world's biggest coffee maker, which owns leading brands including Nescafé and Nespresso, said last month that it would continue raising prices and making packs smaller to offset the impact of higher prices. "Like every manufacturer, we have seen significant increases in the cost of coffee, making it much more expensive to manufacture our products," a Nestlé spokesperson told CNBC via email. "As always, we continue to be more efficient and absorb increasing costs where possible whilst maintaining the same high quality and delicious taste that consumers know and love," they added. Italian coffee maker Lavazza and U.S. coffee giant Starbucks both declined to comment when contacted by CNBC. Also on CNBC Norway hits pause on controversial deep-sea mining plans This startup makes thrifting furniture far easier, even for big retailers like Pottery Barn Richard Branson to young people: 'We can overcome climate change'

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The regency-style Victoria Barracks in Sydney’s inner east would be converted into residential housing and public parks under proposals from local councillors that echo Paris’ acclaimed transformation of its historic Reuilly barracks. The federal government received an audit of the Australian Defence Force’s sprawling real estate portfolio at the end of last year, which includes the site located between Oxford Street and Moore Park Road, but is now not expected to release its response to the review until after next year’s federal election. Sydney deputy mayor Zann Maxwell outside Victoria Barracks. Credit: Edwina Pickles The City of Sydney will consider a motion on Monday calling for residential redevelopment on parts of the 12.5-hectare Victoria Barracks site if it is put up for divestment as a result of the government’s defence estate review. “Given the density of surrounding Paddington, it’s a site that could potentially accommodate the growing demand for new housing and could provide housing solutions for City of Sydney residents in the future,” says the motion from deputy mayor and Labor councillor Zann Maxwell, which is expected to pass with the backing of Lord Mayor Clover Moore. While up to 50 per cent of Victoria Barracks is heritage-protected, the motion argues that redeveloping parts of the site “could provide significant public benefits, including housing and enhanced community amenities” including parks and bike paths. Arguing that Sydney “needs bold ideas and proactive planning”, Maxwell said: “If Victoria Barracks becomes available, we must be ready to transform it into something extraordinary – something that meets the needs of today while preserving the legacy of the past.” Troops on parade at Victoria Barracks. Maxwell said he wanted to kickstart a debate about how the barracks could be best used if the land is released for alternative use. “I can picture affordable homes integrated with vibrant public spaces, where people picnic on the grass in front of the stunning heritage sandstone barracks, enjoying a space that has been opened up for everyone,” he said. A spokesperson for Moore said the site, built in 1841 to house military personnel in colonial Sydney, “contains one of the most important groups of Edwardian military buildings and one of the best collections of colonial sandstone buildings in Australia”. “While the site’s heritage significance would need to be maintained, this land could provide significant additional benefit,” the spokesperson said. “It is not often such a significant amount of inner-city land becomes available, so any change in use would have to involve community consultation, but affordable housing, parkland and cultural infrastructure are front of mind.” Paris: Military barracks dating back to the 1600s have been transformed into almost 600 apartments, open space and a community centre. Credit: Merlin Dauget/Ville de Paris Greens councillor Sylvie Ellsmore pointed to the 2020 redevelopment of Caserne de Reuilly, a 19th-century former barracks in central Paris, into 600 affordable homes alongside a nursery, artists’ studios and green spaces. “There’s so much in the inner-city where land is really precious but still belongs to the Defence Force,” Ellsmore said. “We could deliver lots and lots of public housing and maintain the green space given the size of that site. “It doesn’t have to be a trade-off.” Victoria Barracks currently houses the headquarters of the Forces Command, which oversees 85 per cent of Army personnel, the Australian Army Museum of NSW and the Australian Army Band Sydney. The ADF, which is failing to meet its ambitious staffing targets, is likely to argue that divesting beloved military sites would make it even harder to attract and retain enough military personnel. Defence is the largest Commonwealth landowner, with a 3 million-hectare portfolio consisting of more than 1000 owned and leased properties, including military bases, barracks, wharves, ports, airbases, training ranges and storage facilities. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton attacked the prospect of a “fire sale” of Defence properties when this masthead reported on the issue in February, accusing Labor of “trashing the history of the Australian Defence Force”. The government subsequently shelved plans to release its response to the review this year, with Defence Minister Richard Marles saying the decisions involved were complicated and should not be rushed. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Raelene Lockhorst, who has written widely about defence infrastructure, told this masthead earlier this year that Victoria Barracks should not be sold off because of the disruption to staff working there. Instead, she nominated HMAS Penguin at Balmoral, a 14-hectare naval training facility sitting on a spectacular site on Middle Head in Sydney Harbour, as a ripe target for divestment. Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter .

The depth of community feeling over high-powered, dangerously ridden e-bikes was evident at a forum held at Cronulla on Saturday. or signup to continue reading More than 160 people packed Thornton Hall at St Aloysius Primary School for the two-hour meeting, organised by Cook MP Simon Kennedy. The event had to be moved to a larger venue than originally planned because of the large number of people who registered to attend. Speakers from the community told of seeing people knocked over by e-bikes, lasting injuries to a three-year-old boy who was hit, their own near-misses, up to four kids on a bike, the apprehension of older residents waking on footpaths where they had once felt safe, the disrespect of young riders, and parents seemingly unaware of their potential liability in the event of an accident. Police and the council were accused of lack of action and it was claimed parents were giving children "weapons", or "lethal weapons", with one speaker noting, "There will be a hell of a lot more of them after Christmas." The meeting heard that Transport for NSW had made a clear ruling that e-bikes equipped with a power rating above 500 Watts, "even if limited by software, switch, or other means", do not meet requirements to be ridden as pedal cycles on paths and roads. A high school teacher said schools were condoning use of illegal e-bikes by housing them for students during the day. "Police should go in, test every bike and take every one of them that doesn't comply," she said. "If we knew that kids were coming to school with weapons in their bags, you can guarantee police would come in and confiscate them." Another speaker received thunderous applause when he said, "I've had enough of it, I think everyone in this room has had enough of it, it's time for action". "If I rode a dirt bike through Cronulla mall, I would be in big trouble, but these guys can ride a silent dirt bike through the mall and get off Scott-free." An older man said, "They come up behind you are 20km/h and fly by you on the footpath which is just a metre wide. It is the parents who need to teach their kids to ring the bloody bell". Mr Kennedy said it was an issue "that needs the entire community to step up, and that includes federal, state and local governments, parents and schools". He said police had been more pro-active since Superintendent Don Faulds took over as Sutherland Shire Police Commander in July. "Action is starting," he said. "I have seen police in the mall multiple times and at Caringbah station. I appreciate it's not as fast as we would like, but Sutherland Shire is leading the way. It's a tough job police have." Mr Kennedy said, "Some of the Catholic schools have started educating parents about what is a legal e-bike". "If it goes over 25km/h or is over 500W, it is not an e-bike, it is a moped [requiring registration and the rider needing to be licensed]," he said. Inspector Dave Parker, from Sutherland Shire Local Area Command, said police made an educational visit to Cronulla mall on Thursday last week with a pop-up stall, and involving youth liaison officers and council officers. He also said, on October 31, an enforcement operation was conducted across the region, in which 115 bicycle offences, 84 of them involving unregistered vehicles ("a good percentage would be e-bikes"), and 53 registration offences were dealt with by police. Inspector Parker said only people of licence age (16 or over) could be issued with offence tickets. "Enforcement is being taken, but when we get into the juveniles, if they are not of licence age, we can't be issuing traffic tickets for licensing offences when they aren't old enough to hold a licence," he said. "We will be continuing pop-up events and other educational events around Sutherland Shire in conjunction with the council." Inspector Parker said plain clothes police would be utilised. "The last thing we want is for a police car with lights and siren tearing off some off after some kid on an e-bike," he said. Inspector Parker said police had the power to impound e-bikes after certain offences, "but then we also get into the storage issue - they have lithium batteries." Cronulla MP Mark Speakman said the Legislative Council inquiry into e-bikes finished taking evidence at the end of October and was expected to provide a report by early in the New Year after which the government had six months to respond. "I think the message that comes through loudly and clearly this morning is that, while we look at age limits, speed limits, registration and licensing and carrying IDs, reducing the wattage from 500 to 250, there is a need for action right now when it comes to enforcement, signage, import control and education," he said. Mayor Jack Boyd said council rangers did not have the power to issue fines or even ask for ID. He said the council would be erecting larger signs, particularly on the Esplanade, stating e-bikes and other bikes were not permitted. Former councillor Leanne Farmer suggested that, as well as using existing laws in enforcement, a social media education campaign should be conducted using "people that adolescents listen to", such as Nicho Hynes and Blakey Johnston. St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news.Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news.Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au

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