Latest news with #MattSwanson
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lakeville school board votes 4-3 to remove posters promoting inclusion, Black Lives Matter
A collection of posters, including some with the phrase Black Lives Matter, will be removed from buildings in the Lakeville school district following a 4-3 vote from the school board Tuesday night. The 'Inclusive Poster Series', which is at the center of an ongoing federal lawsuit filed against the district, has been displayed inside the schools since 2021. Two of the eight designs included in the series feature the phrase "Black Lives Matter." In the lawsuit, a group of plaintiffs have alleged their First Amendment rights were violated when the district refused to also display "All Lives Matter" and "Blue Lives Matter" posters. Last year, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court's dismissal of the case and reinstated the lawsuit. Whether or not the district should remove the posters has divided the community, with school board members saying they received hundreds of emails ahead of Tuesday's meeting. The meeting also featured extensive public comment, with those in support of keeping the poster series outnumbering those who wanted the posters removed – school board members were interrupted by the crowd on multiple occasions throughout the discussion. Supporters of the poster series said the messages are a valuable tool to promote learning as they combat bullying and help students feel safe, valued and seen. Those critical of the posters claim they are "politically-charged", and contend the district should not promote any political organization or movement. Ultimately, the board adopted a resolution to remove the posters and replace the series with new something new, which has yet to be developed. Board Chair Matt Swanson voted in favor of the posters' removal alongside Paul Carbone, Brett Nicholson and Brian Thompson. Carly Anderson, Kim Baker and Amber Cameron voted against the motion. During his remarks, Swanson said the decision was unrelated to President Donald Trump's recent actions to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion measures nationwide.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IBM beats profit estimates as AI shift boosts software performance, shares surge
By Arsheeya Bajwa (Reuters) -IBM surpassed fourth-quarter profit estimates on Wednesday, driven by robust demand in its software unit as businesses ramped up IT spending, sending the company's shares soaring about 10% in extended trading. The software segment recorded its biggest revenue jump in five years, as customers prioritized spending on cloud infrastructure amid a rush to adopt the data-intensive generative artificial intelligence technology. "When you see more growth come from software, that comes with a lot better margins," said Matt Swanson, analyst at RBC Capital Markets. IBM also forecast revenue growth of at least 5% at constant currency for fiscal 2025, higher than the 3% increase seen in 2024. This suggests "confidence in (IBM's) AI and cloud strategy", said Michael Schulman, chief investment officer of Running Point Capital. IBM's AI Book of Business — a combination of bookings and actual sales across various products — stood at more than $5 billion inception-to-date, up about $2 billion from the third quarter. The company made its "Granite" family of AI models open-source in May, in contrast to rivals such as Microsoft, which charge for access to their models. IBM's approach is in line with Chinese startup DeepSeek, which last week launched a free AI assistant that it said uses less data at a fraction of the cost of incumbent services, fueling concerns over the dominance of U.S. tech. "DeepSeek was an initiation that open (source) AI can play a role in the overall GenAI space," IBM Chief Financial Officer James Kavanaugh told Reuters in an interview. He, however, declined to provide details on whether IBM plans to offer DeepSeek's models on its Watsonx platform, which helps users in tasks such as deploying chatbots. CONSULTING WEAKNESS IBM's AI book is dominated by its consulting business, which accounts for about 80% of it. Software forms the rest. But revenue from the consulting segment fell about 2% to $5.2 billion in the quarter. Software sales grew more than 10%. Companies have focused spending on longer-term consulting deals, centered around integrating AI in their businesses, which is yet to be reflected in IBM's revenue. Total revenue was relatively flat at $17.55 billion for the quarter and largely in line with analysts' estimates, according to data compiled by LSEG. IBM's fourth-quarter adjusted per-share earnings of $3.92 compared with estimates of $3.75. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lakeville school board votes to remove Black Lives Matter posters following controversy, lawsuit
In a 4-3 vote Tuesday night, the Lakeville school board voted to remove a series of posters — which included 'Black Lives Matter' slogans — from district buildings. In a lawsuit filed more than two years ago, a group of residents, parents and students alleged their First Amendment rights were violated when the school district allowed posters featuring 'Black Lives Matter' to be placed in classrooms, while not permitting the display of posters that read 'All Lives Matter' or 'Blue Lives Matter.' The posters are part of a series of 'inclusive' posters ordered by the district in 2021, two of which said 'Black Lives Matter,' and were distributed to staff members when requested. In June, a federal appeals panel reversed a lower court's dismissal of the case against the district. Students, teachers and parents spoke at Tuesday's meeting for and against removing the posters. The school board received more than 300 emails on the topic, with most in favor of keeping the posters, according to board members. While most of those who spoke publicly were in favor of keeping the posters, board members — none of whom were on the board at the time the posters were ordered by the district — debated several amendments to the decision, including to table it. As part of its decision, the board amended to replace the eight posters with a theme of academic excellence or other variations. Board members who spoke in favor of removal attributed the decision to wanting to move away from divisiveness; focus on other district concerns, including academics; and protect the district from litigation. 'Our schools do not have to be the battleground for every hot political and social issue, and those two are becoming more and more synonymous in our divisive culture. We have a big enough task as a school district in educating our youth, and we cannot be distracted from our primary focus of improving educational outcomes by exposing our district to further legal battles,' said board member Matt Swanson. Interim Superintendent Michael Baumann had previously informed families that Black Lives Matter posters violate the district's policy against political endorsements, according to the lawsuit, before the series was ordered by the district. Baumann said he appreciated the feedback. 'And I think then we take the time to refine and define displays and policy and if we want to introduce a new series, that it's done by stakeholders and that we put our faith in our students and our teachers and our families to help us with that process. We're a community,' Baumann said. Board member Brett Nicholson questioned how the district would move forward, saying the topic has divided the community. 'I just want to say, I don't like this. I don't like the divide. I think we're all better than this. All of us. And I think a lot of this is driven from adults. This isn't the kids at all, the kids didn't do it,' Nicholson said. Education | Skiing: Lakeville's Paula Moltzan earns her giant slalom podium in World Cup event Education | Lakeville man accused of killing pregnant sister indicted on premeditated murder charges Education | Gustavus Adolphus hockey player sentenced to probation in 2023 crash that killed teammate Education | Lakeville elections: Wolter and Bermel win city council race Education | Lakeville school board election: Matt Swanson, Amber Cameron and Paul Carbone elected
