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Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve remained out of the team’s starting lineup for Tuesday’s road game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Altuve is sidelined for the second straight game due to an injured right heel he sustained Saturday while legging out a bunt single against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mauricio Dubon was slated to make another start in place of Altuve, who is batting .263 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 26 games this season. The three-time batting champion missed the team’s first 43 games due to a right thumb fracture he sustained in the World Baseball Classic.
Altuve, 33, has a .306 career batting average to go with 195 homers, 707 RBIs and 284 steals. He has helped the Astros win two World Series, including a title in six games over the Philadelphia Phillies last season.
Altuve is an eight-time All-Star and was named American League MVP in 2017.
Minnesota Twins right-handed reliever Brock Stewart, in the midst of a career season, was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to right elbow soreness.
The move was retroactive to Monday. In a corresponding transaction, the Twins recalled right-hander Oliver Ortega from Triple-A Saint Paul.
Stewart, a sixth-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014, had only appeared in 46 career major league games before 2023. This season, the 31-year-old has appeared in 25 games and pitched to a 0.70 ERA — just two earned runs across 25 2/3 innings, with a 2-0 record and one save.
Stewart signed with the Twins as a free agent in July 2022 and made his first big-league appearance since 2019 on April 27, striking out three batters over two scoreless innings of middle relief. He last played Sunday, when he pitched a perfect eighth inning in a win over Detroit.
Ortega, 26, is in his first season with the Twins after his first two MLB seasons were spent with the Los Angeles Angels. In his lone appearance June 20, he allowed two runs in one inning of a loss to the Boston Red Sox. He has a 2-3 record and 4.26 ERA over 36 career games.
NASCAR’s first foray into city street racing resulted in a sharp uptick in interest from TV viewers at home.
The Grant Park 220, contested Sunday on a street course in Chicago, averaged just shy of 4.8 million viewers between NBC and Peacock.
That made it the most-watched NASCAR Cup Series race on NBC since a visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2017, NBC Sports said Monday. It was also the most-watched NASCAR race outside of the Daytona 500 on any network in more than two years.
Viewership peaked at 5.383 million TV viewers when New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen captured the checkered flag, becoming the first driver in 60 years to win his NASCAR Cup Series debut.
The race was delayed and shortened from 100 to 75 laps due to a weather delay.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares jumped more than 6% pre-market today after the electric vehicle (EV) leader exceeded Wall Street expectations in Q2 deliveries due to price reductions.
In the quarter, Tesla delivered more than 466,000 vehicles, surpassing the Street estimate of 448,350 deliveries. The company also produced close to 480,000 vehicles.
Breakdown of production and deliveries for specific models: Model 3/Y had 460,211 produced and 446,915 delivered, while Model S/X had 19,489 produced and 19,225 delivered.
Following the announcement, JPMorgan raised its price target on Tesla to $120.00 from $115.00 while maintaining an Underweight rating.
Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN), the California-based electric automaker, saw a more than 14% surge in its stock price intra-day today following its Q2 delivery results. The company surpassed Wall Street expectations by delivering 12,640 vehicles, marking a 59% increase compared to the previous year’s delivery figures.
During the same period, Rivian produced 13,992 vehicles at its manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, which is 4,597 more vehicles than in Q1. Despite facing challenges in the supply chain, Rivian reiterated its annual production target of 50,000 units.
In a statement, the company expressed confidence in meeting this goal, stating that the figures align with their expectations. The announcement from Rivian comes after Tesla also reported record-breaking Q2 deliveries over the weekend, surpassing market expectations.
Deutsche Bank expects a potential “handshake” deal between UPS (NYSE:UPS) and Teamsters in the near future, according to a note released on Monday. The discussions between the two parties, regarding a potential employee strike represented by Teamsters, have been ongoing for two months.
Deutsche Bank analysts stated that there have been positive developments in recent days, indicating that the negotiations are progressing well. The analysts believe that the two sides are close to reaching an agreement and anticipate a deal soon.
The Teamsters issued a press release on Friday, stating that UPS has committed to reaching a resolution by July 5, further reducing the likelihood of a strike. The analysts emphasized their positive outlook on UPS shares in the near, mid, and long term, highlighting the company’s strong execution despite challenges posed by lower volumes.
Jefferies upgraded ACM Research (NASDAQ:ACMR) from Hold to Buy and raised its price target from $9 per share to $23.40. As a result, shares jumped more than 13% intra-day today.
Analysts cited the relaxation of DUV (deep ultraviolet) rules in China’s fab CapEx as the basis for the rating change. The recent announcement by the Dutch government regarding the export rules for ASML’s oldest Arf immersion machine, NXT1980Di, is expected to facilitate the export of this equipment to China.
The analysts believe that China will take advantage of this opportunity to purchase as much equipment as possible, given the machine’s capability to produce 16/14nm and even 7/5nm. As a result, Jefferies also increased its revenue forecast for ACM Research for the years 2023 to 2026 by 23%, positioning it 8% above Street estimates.
Citi resumed coverage of Lucid Group (NASDAQ:LCID) with a Neutral/High-Risk rating and price target of $8.00. This comes after Lucid announced a collaboration deal with Aston Martin.
Citi highlighted Lucid’s leading technology position but expresses caution regarding near-term demand for the Lucid Air and the company’s gross margin progression.
Citi forecasts 8,800 deliveries in 2023 and 22,500 deliveries in 2024, with an estimated adjusted EBITDA loss of $2.4 billion in 2023, narrowing to $1.0 billion in 2024 before approaching breakeven in 2025.
Shares rose more than 25% last week, partly due to the company’s announcement that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, The Public Investment Fund (PIF), had acquired around 265.7 million shares of the EV manufacturer through a private placement.
Harvard University has unveiled intentions to integrate AI chatbots into its teaching approach in a ground-breaking step that promises to transform the future of education. These chatbots strive to increase access to educational resources, personalize help, and improve the learning experience by utilizing the capabilities of artificial intelligence. Harvard’s courageous move shows the expanding overlap between academia and technology, setting the path for an exciting change in the way we learn.
AI Chatbots is revolutionizing education.
The inclusion of AI chatbots in the Harvard University curriculum represents a fundamental change in the way that education is provided. These chatbots can evaluate enormous quantities of data, adjust to different learning preferences, and provide students with content that is specifically designed for them by utilizing the power of machine learning. This creative application of technology has the power to completely transform education, making it more accessible, participatory, and efficient.
Using AI chatbots in education has a number of noteworthy advantages, one of which is the capacity to offer a tailored learning experience. Every kid has a different rate of learning and learning preferences. Harvard wants to develop an adaptive learning environment that responds to the needs of individual students using AI chatbots. These chatbots may examine student performance information, spot knowledge gaps, and offer pertinent criticism and suggestions. This individualized method encourages increased engagement, increases self-assurance, and helps pupils realize their greatest potential.
24/7 Availability and Assistance
The availability of materials and help during regular class hours is frequently limited in traditional classroom settings. However, Harvard hopes to overcome these obstacles by incorporating AI chatbots. Students will benefit from having constant access to learning resources, study guides, and engaging lessons. Additionally, AI chatbots will be accessible to answer questions and offer direction anytime students need it. Due to increased flexibility and convenience, learning may now accommodate different schedules and learning pacing preferences.
Enhanced Engagement and Interaction
AI chatbots can greatly improve student engagement, which is a critical component of effective learning. These chatbots could produce immersive, interactive learning environments that go beyond standard lectures. They can interact with pupils in real-time dialogues, respond to inquiries, and simulate interactive scenarios thanks to their natural language processing abilities. AI chatbots can encourage critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and knowledge retention in pupils by encouraging active interaction.
Scalable and Effective Education
The issues of scalability and resource management are also addressed by the inclusion of AI chatbots in Harvard’s curriculum. It gets harder and harder to give each student individualized attention and support as student enrollments rise and staff resources decline. On the other hand, AI chatbots can assist many students at once, guaranteeing that no student is left behind. These chatbots can automate grading, speed up feedback, and expedite administrative procedures, freeing up teachers to concentrate on mentoring and higher-order instructional activities.
Ethics of Touch and Human Contact
Even though integrating AI chatbots has many benefits, it’s important to balance technology use with interpersonal engagement and think about the moral consequences. Harvard University makes sure that the AI chatbots complement human professors rather than replacing them because it recognizes the value of keeping a human touch in education. While teachers continue to play a crucial role in developing curricula, encouraging creativity, and teaching critical thinking skills, the chatbots act as useful learning aids, guiding students and offering support.
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Shirley Bloxom can’t forget the pride-swallowing shame she felt asking friends and church members for financial help.
After surgery left her husband partially paralyzed, he needed to use disposable underwear at least three times a day, said Bloxom, 72. Living on a fixed income, the couple couldn’t afford them.
Bloxom’s husband is among the estimated 2.5 million older Floridians who use incontinence products, like pads and adult diapers, daily. But with over a tenth of the Sunshine State’s seniors living in poverty, many struggle to pay for the supplies they need.
Last month, Florida joined a growing number of states that are banning sales taxes on diapers to make them more affordable for older adults and families with young children. Florida is one of the United States’ top three destination states for retirees, with about 21% of its residents age 65 or older.
“So it affects more people in Florida than it does in other places,” said state Sen. Jay Trumbull, a Republican.
Fifteen other states, including California, Louisiana, and Minnesota, as well as the District of Columbia, have permanently eliminated the diaper tax, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. (Five others do not have sales taxes in general.)
Exemptions can vary widely. Some states ban taxes on diapers but no other incontinence products; others exempt taxes only on diapers purchased with a doctor’s prescription. Florida’s effort is particularly comprehensive — eliminating sales taxes on both baby diapers and adult incontinence supplies.
The measure will reduce the state’s general revenue by about $54.4 million annually after its first year, according to a Florida Senate analysis. That money could make a huge difference in the lives of everyday Floridians, said Rima Nathan, a professor and the director of the Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic at Florida State University.
Eliminating taxes on the products could save an adult who uses four or five diapers a day about $18 a month, according to a clinic analysis.
Though diapers, including for babies, are essential for many, they are not covered by food stamps. Nor are incontinence products for older adults typically covered by Medicare.
The cost can easily add up on a fixed income.
The Bloxoms receive $2,500 a month through Social Security. With medical copays, groceries, and mortgage payments, the money dries up quickly, Shirley Bloxom said.
Bloxom, who lives in Tallahassee, said she knows too many friends who have sat in unchanged incontinence products, stretching their luck and resources thin because money was tight.
“This stuff does not come cheap,” she said. “I can understand why some people let their loved ones sit there in that kind of condition. Because they don’t have the money.”
Karla Muñoz, a manager of aging services for Florida’s Hillsborough County, said the region’s older adults can spend about $100 a month on incontinence products. About half of the low-income seniors served by the county rely on these supplies, she said.
Lacking clean diapers can have a social cost. Seniors may avoid activities with grandchildren or friends, putting them at risk of isolation, which is linked to poorer health outcomes.
“Sometimes, they’ll have a tendency to use them a little bit longer, and that poses health risks,” Muñoz said. “They could develop bedsores, and now you’re talking about hospitalizations.”
Eliminating sales taxes has long been considered a way to make essential items more affordable. Many states, including Florida, have removed taxes on period products, for example.
For the past year, the Sunshine State has had a temporary pause on taxing diapers for infants, through a relief package Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last May. But the one-year ban did not apply to products for older adults.
“I just didn’t think it was fair to ignore one over the other — especially knowing many seniors are on a fixed income,” said state Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat, who has proposed bills in the past three legislative sessions that would ban taxes on all incontinence products. “Every penny does count.”
This year’s tax bill, which sailed through the Florida Legislature owing to a bipartisan push, made the diaper tax ban permanent — and extended it to senior incontinence products.
The relief package provides a sales tax exemption for diapers, incontinence undergarments, pads, and liners. DeSantis signed it into law on May 25.
The Sunshine State joined Iowa, Virginia, and North Dakota in permanently banning sales taxes on diapers this year.
The Bloxoms were eventually connected to Elder Care Services, a local nonprofit that provides support to low-income seniors in northeastern Florida. Because of the program, they no longer pay for diapers.
“It has been a lifesaver,” Shirley Bloxom said.
This article was produced in partnership with the Tampa Bay Times. The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg also provided funding for this report.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
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