magic ocean book One lucky winner could take home game's seventh billion-dollar prize during Christmas Eve drawing New Jackpot.com customers can claim a free Mega Millions ticket on their first play with promo code XMAS SAN FRANCISCO , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With Christmas Day just hours away, lottery players across the country are preparing for an extraordinary opportunity to take home Mega Millions' seventh-largest Jackpot as a winner has not won the grand prize in the last 29 drawings, dating back to September 10th when a Texas resident took home $810 million . 2024 has already been a record-breaking year for the lottery as it hit the ground running with a massive $842.4 million Powerball win on New Year's Day. Shortly after, a second lucky winner took home a staggering $1.13 billion Mega Millions prize in March, followed by a $1.326 billion Powerball jackpot in April, all of which signify some of the largest prizes ever awarded. 2025 represents a significant year for Mega Millions players, as the game as they know it will undergo a variety of changes come April. The game will feature larger starting jackpots, expedited rollover growth, and better odds. Lottery courier services like Jackpot.com eagerly await these welcome changes, which will not only enhance gameplay, but also elevate player experience(s). "There's a lot to like about the upcoming changes to Mega Millions," said CEO and co-founder of Jackpot.com , Akshay Khanna . "Whether you're a casual player or avid lottery user, the faster-growing jackpots, improved odds, and built-in multipliers will offer an entirely new feel to the game - hopefully one that encourages new players to get in on the action. That said, we have a one billion-dollar prize just before Christmas and potentially the ultimate present for one lucky winner, a life-changing gift at that." While tonight's drawing occurs on Christmas Eve, the Mega Millions jackpot has been won just once on the "Eve." Back in 2002, a $68 million jackpot was won in New York , unfortunately going unclaimed. Currently available in Colorado , Massachusetts , Arkansas , New Jersey , New York , Ohio , Texas , and Arizona , New Jackpot.com customers can get in on the fun this holiday by scoring a free Mega Millions ticket on their first play by using promo code XMAS. Amid the Mega Millions frenzy, Jackpot.com remains committed to upholding responsible gaming protocols through the integration of modern conveniences and safety guardrails, one of the standout features of digital lottery platforms. Through responsible gaming protections including spend limits, default limits on daily deposits, access to local and national responsible gambling resources, self-exclusion, self-suspension and automated notifications that offer help should problematic behavior arise, Jackpot.com ensures safe and secure transactions and play. The platform is also the only lottery courier service to launch with iCap certification from the National Council on Problem Gambling . To get started, download the Jackpot.com Lottery App on the iOS or Android App Stores, or visit www.jackpot.com to learn more. About Jackpot.com Jackpot.com allows customers to order official state lottery tickets from their mobile phone, tablet, or computer. Currently available in Colorado , Massachusetts , Arkansas , New Jersey , New York , Ohio and Texas , Jackpot.com is expanding its safe and secure lottery courier service to additional markets across the US. An Associate Member of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL), Jackpot.com has invested significantly in responsible gaming safeguards, with default spending limits and other features built in throughout the experience, earning it iCap certification from the National Council on Problem Gaming. To learn more, visit www.jackpot.com or download the iOS or Android app. Jason Heller Senior Vice President 212.584.4278| 5WPR.com 3 Park Avenue, Floor 19 New York, NY 10016 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tickets-to-the-1-billion-mega-millions-draw-available-this-christmas-eve-on-jackpotcom-302339022.html SOURCE Jackpot.comThe Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of underlying inflation accelerated in October from a year ago, helping explain policymakers’ more cautious approach to lowering interest rates. The so-called core personal consumption expenditures price index, which strips out volatile food and energy items, increased 2.8% from October last year and 0.3% from a month earlier, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data out Wednesday (November 27). A good part of that acceleration was due to the impact of higher stock prices on the calculation. Inflation-adjusted consumer spending edged up 0.1% after an upwardly revised 0.5% gain in September, consistent with uneven demand over the course of the year. Also Read: US economy grows at 2.8% pace in Q3 on consumer spending, unchanged from first estimate On a three-month annualised basis — a metric economists say paints a more accurate picture of the trajectory of inflation — the core PCE price gauge advanced 2.8%. The figures support recent comments by many Fed officials that there’s no rush to cut interest rates so long as the labour market remains healthy and the economy continues to power ahead. While inflation is taking time to recede back to the Fed’s 2% target, the policy path ahead will be complicated by President-elect Donald Trump’s economic agenda. Stanley Black & Decker Inc. said it’s already considering raising prices early next year in anticipation of higher tariffs. Treasuries pared gains after inflation data, while the S&P 500 remained a touch weaker. Also Read: Russia says it will respond if US places missiles in Japan The pickup in inflation was due to service prices, reflecting a surge in portfolio management fees that coincided with a rally in stock prices. Core services prices — a closely watched category that excludes housing and energy — climbed 0.4% from a month earlier, the most since March. Core goods costs were unchanged. The PCE figures follow a slew of other economic releases ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. A separate government report Wednesday showed gross domestic product increased an unrevised 2.8% in the third quarter, fueled by healthy advances in household and business spending. Income figures from the October PCE report offer the possibility for healthy spending growth in the months ahead. Inflation-adjusted disposable personal income increased 0.4% last month, the most since January. Moreover, nominal wages and salaries rose a solid 0.5%, while the saving rate increased for the first time since the start of the year. Spending Breakdown Services spending, which makes up the bulk of household consumption, rose 0.2% from a month earlier, largely reflecting healthcare outlays. Goods outlays ticked up. Also Read: US markets face Trump tariff risks, Citi economist warns While the job market is solid, an elevated cost of living is stretching household budgets. That explains why Americans say they intend to spend less on holiday gifts this year. Economists will be closely watching Black Friday sales to get another reading on consumers’ spending appetite. Big-name retailers Target Corp., Best Buy Co. and Walmart Inc. have all extended their holiday promotions in the hopes of attracting consumers seeking deals. Many consumers are relying on credit cards and other loans to support their spending, with younger consumers and lower earners showing signs of financial strain like higher delinquency rates.

The Raspberry Pi series of inexpensive single-board computers (or SBCs) built around an ARM system on a chip have greatly changed the landscape of do it yourself computing projects in the past 15 years. The germ of the idea came in 2006, when a group of employees at the University of Cambridge's Computer Laboratory who were concerned by a year-over-year decline in the number of computer science students and the skill level of those students who did enroll. Learning how to code had been part and parcel of the 1980s computer-owning experience, but in the 1990s and beyond, it became a less necessary skill. Introducing incredibly inexpensive computers designed for DIY projects that would encourage younger computer enthusiasts to learn programming languages was thus the catalyst for launching the Raspberry Pi organization and product line. The Raspberry Pi line is divided into four series of boards. Those are the flagship Pi with the most horsepower and connectivity options, the Zero series with a smaller form factor and fewer ports with lower specs, the Compute Module series for embedded applications, and the Pico series, which are very small microcontroller boards that don't run Linux or have removable storage, instead being programmed by flashing a binary onto the built-in flash storage. They're best for single-purpose uses, like controlling other devices. The Pico series has a new update, the $7 Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W . Let's take a look at what this board brings to the table with its feature set. What sets the Raspberry Pi Pico series apart from its cousins like the Raspberry Pi Zero series is that instead of being a cut-down version of the flagship Raspberry Pi, it's supposed to be a low-cost alternative to older Arduino boards. If you're new to Arduino boards , they're much more straightforward than Raspberry Pi boards, without the need to load an operating system onto it or worry about a user interface. Instead, you write your code in the Arduino software on your primary computer and flash it to the board. The Pico series works the same way. If you're looking at comparing the Raspberry Pi Pico to Arduino boards , though they're broadly similar, they use different programming languages and have different pinouts. Spec-wise, the Pico 2 W boasts dual Arm Cortex-M33 or dual Hazard3 RISC-V processor running at 150MHz, 520KB of on-chip SRAM, newly included 2.4GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi with support for Bluetooth 5.2, plus various security features with full documentation. As of this writing, there's just one professional review of the Pico 2 W available online, from Les Pounder at Tom's Hardware . That review is very positive, giving the board 4.5 stars out of five and noting that the addition of Wi-Fi was the big game changer. The review also praises the new model for coming with an increase in power while keeping the price low. If you don't need Wi-Fi, the regular Pico 2 is fine, but this is the one for your " internet of things " projects.