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Trump rallies at Capital One Arena in preview of inauguration : NPR

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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump reacts during a MAGA victory rally at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC on Sunday, one day ahead of his inauguration ceremony.

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The day before Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as the 47th president, he and his followers celebrated with an hours-long rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

“Tomorrow at noon, the curtain closes on four long years of American decline, and we begin a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity, and pride,” Trump told the crowd to loud cheers.

“Once and for all we’re going to end the reign of a failed and corrupt political establishment in Washington, a failed administration.”

Trump is set to appear at the same venue tomorrow after his swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, after he cancelled an outdoor parade due to expected frigid weather. Supporters will also be able to view an inauguration livestream from the venue.

He took the opportunity on Sunday to preview several of his Day 1 actions, including on border security, energy, and ending the Biden administration’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in government agencies.

He also celebrated his election win and took credit for multiple recent developments, including the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that went into effect on Sunday.

“I know that Biden is saying they made the deal, well,” he said, trailing off and chuckling as the crowd booed.

Trump’s pick for Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, joined President Biden’s Middle East envoy in the final push of talks on the deal.

Trump also cheered the fact that Tiktok, the popular video app, is back online. TikTok was taken offline Saturday night in compliance with a law that effectively banned the service nationwide unless it splits off from its China-based owner, but Trump on Sunday posted on Truth Social that he would pause the law and extend a liability shield to technology companies that support TikTok.

At the rally on Sunday, he reiterated a proposal he made on social media: for the U.S. government to take a 50% stake in the social media platform, without providing further details.

His promotion of Tiktok is a reversal from 2020, when Trump attempted to ban the platform.

‘Call to action’ for America

Trump supporters stood outside in the chilly rain all morning ahead of the rally’s start.

“I wouldn’t have missed it for anything,” said Cindy Pugh, who traveled from the Minneapolis suburbs. “Donald Trump is the best president of my lifetime. He has done so much sacrificially for Americans, myself included.”

Trump in November won the popular vote for the first time. That fact makes this election feel different from his win in 2016, Pugh said.

“This win reflects a compelling call to action by the American people to listen to us, to act on our behalf, not to be beholden to the political establishment. So it does feel different to me,” she said.

Multiple rally speeches took on a darker tone, however.

“All of you wearing the MAGA hats, it used to be an act of civil disobedience,” political commentator Megyn Kelly told the crowd, referring to ‘Make America Great Again’ hats. “But wearing that hat for much of the past eight years has been an act of courage, too.”

She concluded her speech with an order: “Do not bend. Never bow.”

And Trump adviser Stephen Miller linked Trump’s multiple legal cases to an implication that his supporters were themselves threatened by Trump’s opponents.

Trump was charged in several criminal cases, though his criminal conviction for 34 felony counts in New York state was the only in go to to trial.

“They indicted him, they tried to imprison him and to take away his freedom, to take away his family, to take away his business, to take away your voice, your future, to take away your hopes, your dreams, your government, your country,” Miller told the crowd.

The rally featured appearances by musicians Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood, as well as actor Jon Voight and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whom Trump has said will lead the Department of Government Efficiency group meant to recommend government spending cuts. Trump did not mention Vivek Ramaswamy, the former Republican presidential candidate that he also initially asked to lead DOGE.

The Trump campaign did not respond to a question about the rally crowd’s size. Capital One Arena has a capacity of around 20,000 seats, according to local outlets. Supporters filled the floor and lower two levels of seats of the arena, as well as about half of the top tier.



This story originally appeared on NPR

Fake firefighter at L.A. fire is onetime arsonist from Oregon, police say

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The fire truck pulled up to a checkpoint Saturday morning near where emergency workers were sifting through the wreckage caused by the Palisades fire.

The driver told the National Guard troops manning the perimeter that he was a volunteer firefighter, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the incident told The Times.

They had little reason to believe otherwise, said the official, who wasn’t authorized to speak with the media and requested anonymity. The man was wearing a yellow firefighter uniform — and he was driving a full-size red fire engine outfitted with emergency lights, California license plates and an American flag.

But a firefighter at the checkpoint noticed something off about the decals on the truck, which had markings from the “Roaring River Fire Department,” the official said. He told Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies to check the man’s ID.

According to the law enforcement official, the man presented an Oregon driver’s license with the name of Dustin Nehl. A search of Nehl’s criminal history revealed he had served five years in prison for arson, the official said.

KATU, a Portland TV station, reported that Nehl pleaded guilty in 2017 to setting a series of fires at a golf course, a park and a water facility in Woodburn, Ore., a city about 30 miles south of Portland.

Nehl, 31, was arrested on suspicion of impersonating a firefighter and unauthorized entry of an evacuation zone, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials said in a statement Sunday. Deputies also arrested his wife, Jennifer Nehl, 44. Sheriff’s officials said they planned to ask the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office to charge the couple on Tuesday.

Dustin Nehl isn’t the first to be accused of impersonating emergency personnel to gain access to an evacuation zone. Last week, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said his officers caught a burglary suspect in the Palisades fire zone who was dressed as a firefighter.

Ivan Cedric Reed, 34, was wearing a yellow firefighter’s uniform and carrying a radio when police found him on Clifftop Way in Malibu on Tuesday evening, prosecutors said in announcing that Reed was charged with receiving stolen property, impersonating a firefighter, unlawful use of a badge and unauthorized entry of a closed disaster area.

“We have people who will go to all ends to do what they do,” McDonnell said.

Nehl has not been accused of stealing from unoccupied homes in the Pacific Palisades area, but the source with knowledge of his arrest said deputies found tools in his fire truck that could be used by burglars. They also seized a map showing burn areas and radios tuned to frequencies used by city and county fire departments, the official said.

The truck, originally used by a Northern California fire department, had been decommissioned about 30 years ago and auctioned off, the source said.

It wasn’t clear how long Nehl had been in Los Angeles, but the official said he represented himself as a firefighter to get free lodging at a local Holiday Inn Express.



This story originally appeared on LA Times

Meta announces Edits app as alternative to CapCut

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Apple’s Clips app is a fun tool, but not quite a CapCut replacement

Even as the future of TikTok remains unclear, Meta has rushed out an alternative to CapCut while Apple continues to do nothing to promote Clips eight years after its debut.

There’s a lot of back and forth relating to whether TikTok will be banned or not, but competitors are taking note. Meta, Adobe, and even Apple have an opportunity to take advantage of the void left by TikTok, CapCut, and other apps owned by ByteDance if a ban is enforced.

According to a Reels post from head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, a new video editing app called Edits would be released sometime in February. It’s a similar move to when Meta pre-announced Threads as an alternative to the dying Twitter platform.

The announcement couldn’t have come at a worse time. The TikTok ban lasted less than 24 hours before assurances from the incoming administration allowed TikTok to resume operations without fear of fines for breaking the law — probably.

CapCut is the go-to editing tool for TikTok users, and its potential ban has given companies like Meta some motivation to rush an app out of the door. The new Edits app will apparently feature some social aspect where it will provide users a feed of popular filters and sounds to include in a video.

The Edits app announcement was likely planned to take advantage of the TikTok ban and entice people to move to Instagram Reels right away. Videos posted from Edits to Reels will get performance metrics provided in the app.

Apple and Google haven’t restored access to TikTok on their respective app stores as of this publication Sunday evening, but users in the United States do have access to the service again. Edits is coming whether a ban sticks or not, but clearly Meta expected a void to fill rather than a deeply ingrained popular competitor.

Apple’s missed opportunity

Apple has worked at the edges of social media for years without diving all the way in. The company is still clearly bruised after the failure of Ping.

Despite that, many apps and features on iPhone toe the line between fun tool and social platform. One of those tools was Clips, which arrived in 2017 to little fanfare and has been forgotten since.

Meta and ByteDance have a reason to push their respective video editing apps — brand synergy. More users mean more data, more content, and more ad revenue. Apple, however, doesn’t have the same motivation.

Three smartphones display an App Store page, a text message about a photo in lockdown mode with a dog, and a profile page.
Apple has never gone full social media, but it’s come close with apps like iMessage

While Apple would likely love to see users flock to Clips, it would mean entering a race to satisfy a wave of several million customers in an app and interface that was never really more than a proof of concept. It would be a money pit with very little reward as Apple doesn’t have a social platform to drive users to or a way to monetize the app.

Clips is a kind of toy app that lets users make videos using Memoji and filters that are aware of depth and space. It’s very minimalistic and lacks a lot of the useful tools users would expect from a CapCut alternative.

There is a lot of potential for issues in attempting to compete with Meta and ByteDance, too. Whatever US entity takes 50% ownership of TikTok will be a direct competitor with Meta and whoever tries to enter that market.

Apple would be foolish to enter a politically charged battle where the opponents are backed by the Chinese government, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk. It would undo Apple CEO Tim Cook‘s attempt to keep the company out of the political eye with his personal $1 million donation and cross Zuckerberg’s clear attempts at pledging fealty.

There is too much unknown to predict if Meta’s move will bear any fruit. Though, for now, it seems Apple made the right decision or lack thereof in forgetting about Clips and staying out of it.



This story originally appeared on Appleinsider

Paddy Pimblett Clowns Renato Moicano’s UFC 311 Loss: ‘You F—king Tapped That Quick?’

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The feud between “The Baddy” and “Money” continues.

Renato Moicano got smoked at UFC 311 yesterday (Sat., Jan. 18, 2025) when Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev submitted him with a D’Arce choke in less than a round from inside the brand-new Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California (watch highlights).

For the most part, Moicano got a lot of praise for his effort in such a tough fight on super short notice, but his nemesis, Paddy Pimblett, didn’t see it that way.

“Ah, you f—king tapped that quick, Renato?” Pimblett said on his YouTube channel while watching the fight. “Go to sleep, lad! Go out on your shield. I f—king hate that, you know. You’re in a f—king choke, lad; you’re not going to snap your neck. Go to sleep…That was too easy. I thought Renato would put up more of a fight than that.”

Moicano and Pimblett have been circling each other for about a year now and have asked the UFC to fight each other, but for whatever reason, the promotion has kept them apart.

The two Lightweights even wanted to coach The Ultimate Fighter against each other (that didn’t happen either).

Maybe now, with Moicano’s loss at UFC 311, the two will fight later this year.


To check out the latest and greatest UFC 311: “Makhachev vs. Moicano” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For complete UFC 311 results, highlights, and live play-by-play, click HERE.



This story originally appeared on MMA Mania

Common sport could be ‘effective treatment’ for mental health issue

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A new review has now officially determined which exercises could assist people in overcoming depression.

A team of researchers from institutes in Australia, Spain, Denmark and Finland conducted an in-depth review published in the BMJ. They analysed hundreds of studies and numerous exercises to identify what people with depression should really be aiming for to improve their mental health.

Yoga, aerobic exercises, strength training and tai chi yielded some of the best results, but this may depend on your age and gender.

Yoga was found to be more effective for men, as well as qigong, a holistic exercise system centred on moving meditation, rhythmic breathing, and accessing meditative mind states.

Some studies theorised that this is because yoga and meditation prevent patients from thinking and reflecting too deeply, which can affect their mental health, while another suggested it was because regimes like yoga promote self-compassion, tolerance, body awareness, and mindfulness.

Strength training proved particularly beneficial for women and younger sufferers. Men and women alike seem to benefit from walking or jogging.

Meanwhile, older individuals might find more relief in yoga practices. It was also reported that the “more intense” the workout, the greater the reduction in depressive symptoms.

The researchers stated: “Exercise is an effective treatment for depression, with walking or jogging, yoga, and strength training more effective than other exercises, particularly when intense.”

Interestingly, some outcomes paralleled the efficacy of clinical treatments, although experts caution there is still some uncertainty here. Combining physical activity with conventional clinical interventions seemed especially advantageous.

Despite the apparent benefits, many with depression are not engaging with these programmes. The irony is stark – mental health challenges are one of the most significant hurdles that prevent people from partaking in beneficial exercise.

Social and physical barriers also significantly impede participation, adding another layer of complexity to addressing depression through physical activity.

Following the review, experts suggested that doctors should dish out exercise prescriptions to people battling depression, tailoring the activities to each patient’s fitness level and personal characteristics. They also proposed new studies where participants wouldn’t know what’s being tested, to get more accurate results.

For now, the researchers concluded: “These forms of exercise could be considered alongside psychotherapy and antidepressants as core treatments for depression. Exercise may be an effective complement or alternative to drugs and psychotherapy.”



This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk

Achieve Your Goals Faster With This Meditation App, Now 50% Off

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Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

More than 20% of 2024 small-business owners were solopreneurs, a recent report says. Carrying all the pressure of a business alone can be stressful. However, the powerful self-development meditations available in the Harmony Hypnosis app can improve your focus, confidence, and more. If you want to cultivate these traits and achieve your goals faster, you may want to try the Harmony Premium Plan while a lifetime subscription is on sale at 50% off.

The highly innovative app offers personalized meditation therapy with self-hypnosis sessions that are designed to help you with transformative self-development just as though you had a live professional hypnotherapist on hand. You’ll have access to dozens of sessions on a wide variety of subjects and new topics are added regularly.

You will find it easier to relax and enjoy more restful sleep. The guided sessions can effectively lower your anxiety and stress levels. Experience a robust feeling of empowerment when you boost your focus and inner strength. As you develop greater control and self-esteem, your confidence will also grow. All of these things can help save you time when reaching for your aspirations.

The app was created by Darren Marks, who has 20+ years of experience and founded Harmony Hypnosis. He is a senior associate at The Royal Society of Medicine and board member of The International Hypnotherapy Association.

With millions of downloads, the app has impressive ratings of 4.8 out of 5 stars from 3,600 reviews on the App Store and 4.9 out of 5 stars from almost 3,200 reviews on Google’s Play Store. One user explains why, saying:

“The Harmony App has been life-changing for me, has helped with relaxation and other specific areas. I love the new additional session each month also. Highly recommend! Thank you so much!”

Get a lifetime subscription to the Harmony Premium Plan today for just $99.99, a 50% discount off the regular $199 subscription price.

StackSocial prices subject to change.



This story originally appeared on Entrepreneur

US dollar rally at risk; Aussie dollar offers opportunities

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Investing.com– The U.S. dollar’s recent strength may falter as key indicators suggest it is overbought, BCA Research analysts said in a note.

Analysts recommend caution on the greenback and point to the Australian dollar as a promising alternative, driven by optimism in Australia’s economy and favorable dynamics in global commodity markets.

The U.S. dollar, a momentum-driven currency, could maintain its short-term gains, BCA analysts state. However, structural and cyclical factors hint at potential weakness.

“We remain short the from the 110 level,” BCA analysts said, citing the likelihood of softer U.S. policies under President-elect Donald Trump to sustain the dollar’s rally.

The Australian dollar, by contrast, has been flagged for growth, particularly against the Canadian dollar () and (). Analysts highlight improving domestic conditions, robust labor markets, and Australia’s key role in supplying high-grade commodities to China.

Australia’s strategic advantage includes its high-quality iron ore exports and a growing presence in critical metals needed for clean energy, such as nickel and cobalt. Additionally, China’s ongoing transition toward greener energy could sustain Australian LNG and mineral exports, according to BCA.

Domestically, Australia shows resilience, with low unemployment and housing demand bolstered by immigration and tourism. While consumer debt remains a challenge, BCA sees manageable risks for the Australian economy.

The AUD is priced near its 2008 and 2020 lows, analysts noted, implying limited further downside barring severe global shocks.




This story originally appeared on Investing

TikTok’s brief shutdown blasted as likely ‘deliberate PR stunt’ to create ‘sense of panic’

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TikTok’s decision to shut the app down for barely 12 hours – only to restore access to the China-owned app on Sunday after President-elect Donald Trump chimed in – appeared to be a PR stunt meant to stoke a public outcry, policy experts told The Post.

“TikTok’s early shutdown either came down to corporate incompetence or a deliberate PR stunt to encourage a manufactured sense of panic,” said Joel Thayer, a DC-based tech lawyer and president of the Digital Progress Institute. “Given it’s waffling, I’m assuming it’s the latter.”

The popular video-sharing app pulled the plug for all US users late Saturday night but began restoring service Sunday afternoon after Trump vowed to “save” TikTok through an executive order Monday that would delay enforcement of the divestiture law requiring parent company ByteDance to sell its stake.

The company thanked Trump “for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties.”

However, the Biden administration had already said it would not enforce the law, and Trump previously signaled ahead of the shutdown that he was against the ban and would “most likely” issue the executive order.

TikTok came back online Sunday after a 12-hour shutdown. Christopher Sadowski

The company’s leadership has acted as “an unsympathetic and disingenuous broker” in its dealings with Congress and the public over the last several years, Thayer said.

“The truth is that, even before Congress enacted the law, the US has told TikTok how to fix its blatant national security concerns for over 5 years and the company did nothing,” he added. “Now, after it attempted to bring bogus First Amendment claims to delay the law’s enforcement and on the eve of its ban, it wants a pity party.”

Under the divestiture law, app store operators like Google and Apple face penalties of $5,000 per user if they allow new downloads of the Bytedance-owned app after the Jan. 19 deadline. Service providers like Oracle and Akamai also faced lesser liability for supporting the app’s operation.

As written, the law did not require TikTok to go dark for people who had already downloaded it on their phones, or nor did it ban Americans from accessing the app.

A TikTok representative declined further comment and pointed to the company’s earlier statement.

President-elect Trump has vowed to “save” TikTok. Getty Images

Searches for TikTok yielded no results in Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App store as of 2:45 pm ET – a sign that the US tech giants still weren’t willing to risk massive penalties outlined in the law, even after Trump’s statement.

Google declined comment on the situation. A message in Apple’s App Store said the company was “obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates.”

Oracle and Akamai representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“This may be a game for TikTok, but it isn’t a game for Apple and Google,” said Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and author of “Countering China’s Great Game. “They need to comply with the law, regardless of TikTok’s shenanigans.”

“The law that Congress passed and the Supreme Court upheld requires Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores if it is still owned and controlled by a foreign adversary today – which it is,” Sobolik added.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to attend Trump’s inauguration. Getty Images

Trump said he would “like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.”

“By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up [sic],” Trump said. “Without US approval, there is no TikTok.”

TikTok said it would “work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”

Despite Trump’s assurances, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who previously warned that the liabilities could amount to $850 billion, told service providers to think twice about ignoring the law.

“Any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from DOJ, but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state AGs,” Cotton wrote on X. “Think about it.”

TikTok still wasn’t available in app stores as of Sunday afternoon. Getty Images

Cotton and fellow Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts had earlier said there was “no legal basis for any kind of ‘extension’ of its effective date.”

“For TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that satisfies the law’s qualified-divestiture requirements by severing all ties between TikTok and Communist China,” the senators said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a close Trump ally, also threw cold water on the notion that TikTok could come back without adhering to the law’s requirement that its parent company ByteDance divest.

“I think we will enforce the law,” Johnson told NBC News.

The Biden White House had previously referred to TikTok’s threat to go dark as a “stunt.”

“It is a stunt, and we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office on Monday,” outgoing White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier this week.

TikTok said its service providers had received necessary assurances from Trump. REUTERS

Congress passed the divestiture law with overwhelming bipartisan support due to concerns that TikTok essentially functioned as a spyware and propaganda tool for the Chinese Communist Party – facilitating everything from mass data collection on Americans to subtle manipulation of public opinion through its algorithm.

TikTok has denied wrongdoing. The company repeatedly said it would not sell, even as the deadline approached. Chinese government officials vowed to block any forced sale.

The company unsuccessfully argued that the divestiture law violated the First Amendment. The Supreme Court’s nine justices unanimously ruled against TikTok and ByteDance.

“Unless and until TikTok is no longer controlled by Beijing, the national security threat that motivated the divestiture law hasn’t been addressed,” said Evan Swarztrauber, a senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation.”

As The Post reported, some so-called “TikTok refugees” flocked to China-owned alternative RedNote ahead of the ban – even as experts warned that it carried even greater security risks.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.



This story originally appeared on NYPost

Why Mayor Adams’ latest NYC budget is in far worse shape than it appears

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Mayor Adams, who’s facing a tough reelection fight, plainly hopes the budget he rolled out Thursday will score him points for “investing” in programs New Yorkers want while maintaining diligent fiscal stewardship.

Which, all too naturally, led to a plan that continues the city’s longtime practice of overspending while lowballing actual costs.

Just look at its nominal $114.5 billion price tag. On quick glance, New Yorkers might think, Nice! The mayor held bottom-line growth to just $2 billion, or 1.8%, more than last year’s enacted budget.

Indeed, the $114.5 billion is actually $2 billion less than he says City Hall will have spent when this fiscal year ends June 30 — but those figures aren’t real.

As Citizens Budget Commission President Andrew Rein warns, “Next year’s spending plan does not reflect reality”: It’s “short nearly $4 billion needed to fund existing services.”

And even this year’s revised budget is $700 million in the hole, mostly due to overtime.

“Adjusted for underbudgeting and pre-payments, city-funded spending will grow 6.7% in fiscal year 2025 and 5% in fiscal year 2026,” flags Rein. That’s way faster than inflation.

And it doesn’t even count the extra funding drunken-sailor City Council members are sure to demand, unexpected cuts from state and Washington or a slower-than-anticipated economy.

Similarly, while Adams’ projected future shortfalls — $4.2 billion in 2027, $5.4 billion in 2028 and $5.1 billion in 2029 — are scary enough, the actual gaps are at least 40% worse, totaling $25 billion or more.

So the city will have to either cut back on services, scrape money from other areas or pray that unexpected cash magically appears from a supercharged economy, the state or the feds.

Yes, Adams has found some modest savings at a few agencies. But the city has taxed and spent far too much for far too long — and its budgeting, to be blunt, is a mess.

As Rein puts it, “Hard choices and better management are needed to improve New Yorkers’ quality of life.”

Make no mistake: The council, which must OK the plan, is even more guilty.

But if City Hall can’t even present an honest accounting of how it spends taxpayer money, let alone one that tries to keep the tab low, why should New Yorkers expect it to run the city properly?



This story originally appeared on NYPost

Aim for a million buying just a few shares? Here’s how!

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Image source: Getty Images

Getting into the stock market, some people hope to aim for a million by turning a small stake in some incredible company into a seven-figure investment.

That may happen from time to time, but it is very rare. I think it makes more sense to take a rational approach to investing based on things that seem to have a decent chance of happening, rather than on events that could pay off massively but in reality only have a small chance of coming to fruition.

So, as I aim for a million over the long term in my portfolio, my approach is to focus on a few, well-known shares. Here I explain why.

Quality over quantity

The idea of finding a small, little-known firm with a share price that soars has obvious appeal.

But, investing in lots of companies hoping that one of them may be the next Nvidia means the amount available to invest in any one share is limited. Meanwhile, the risk profile of the overall portfolio could be higher than if sticking to proven businesses.

While some tiny startups go on to massive success, most do not.

Why a few star performers can turbocharge a portfolio

Warren Buffett has put much of his success in investing down to a long-term timeframe and a great decision every five years or so.

The maths make sense. Imagine an investor invests in £100,000 in 50 shares and they compound at 5% annually. It would take 48 years for the portfolio to be worth a million pounds.

But what is that investor invested in just the best five to 10 of those shares and was able to achieve compound growth of 15% annually?

In that case, the plan to aim for a million would be realised after just 17 years.

Getting serious about making money

Before I go on to discuss how I hunt for shares that perform brilliantly, it is worth making a couple of points about this example.

It requires a long-term timeframe. It also foresees investing £100k, which is a lot of money. The same approach could work with less money, but would need a longer timescale.

But this is not some get rich quick scheme. It is a serious approach to aim for a million in the stock market.

Looking for shares to buy

While a 15% compound annual gain may not sound very difficult to achieve, it is actually pretty tough, especially over the long run. So I look for shares I think have a sustainable competitive advantage in an industry I expect to benefit from long-term demand.

To Illustrate, consider Ashtead Group (LSE: AHT). It has more than doubled in the past five years and also has a dividend yield close to 2%.

Construction equipment rental is an area that is likely to see high demand over the long run, as was the case five years ago. Back then, Ashtead had an extensive depot network and large customer base that gave it a competitive advantage. It still does.

Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance. Ashtead faces risks such as a possible downturn in construction hurting rental demand.

So, for now, I have no plans to invest. But understanding its strong performance in recent years can hopefully help me as I aim for a million.



This story originally appeared on Motley Fool