Tag Archives: year-over-year

Legislative leaders celebrate reduction in drug overdoses

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Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, and Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, praised the Oversight Commission on Alabama Opioid Settlement Funds and its chairman, State Representative Rex Reynolds, R-Hazel Green, on Friday for a recent report showing a 30 percent year-over-year decline in drug overdoses across the state.

“These numbers demonstrate the results that can be achieved when the Alabama House and Senate target a problem and focus their joint efforts on resolving it,” Ledbetter and Gudger said. “Most important are the lives that have been saved and the families that have been spared a devastating loss because of the work this commission has accomplished and the funding it has provided.”

Since its formation in 2023, the commission has developed and implemented a statewide plan for the targeted investment of Alabama’s share of national opioid settlement funds.

“To be able to say that drug overdoses are down 30 percent year-over-year is a tremendous blessing and speaks to the impactful work of this commission,” Reynolds said. “Whether it be the 88,000-plus Naloxone kits distributed to first responders or the evidence-based programs the commission has funded, we are taking every possible step to protect communities and set struggling Alabamians on the road to recovery.”

Over the last three budget cycles, a total of $81 million has been appropriated to support prevention, treatment, and recovery programs. Programs and initiatives made possible by this funding include:

– More than 88,000 Naloxone kits distributed to first responders
– Support for 209 opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery programs through the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s Community Provider Grant Program
– Expanded staffing and hours of operation for Alabama’s 988 Crisis Lifeline, achieving a 90 percent answer rate for three consecutive months
– An interagency agreement establishing specialty courts with the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts
– Launch of a statewide opioid awareness and prevention marketing campaign named “Opioids Take” in 2024, which has reached nearly 1.9 million Alabamians—roughly 36 percent of the state—through testimonial videos and display ads featuring real survivors

These efforts underscore the commission’s commitment to combating the opioid crisis and supporting affected individuals and communities throughout Alabama.
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/10/28/legislative-leaders-celebrate-reduction-in-drug-overdoses/

Why IonQ Could Be the Best Quantum Computing Stock To Buy

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The U.S. government is reportedly in talks to take equity stakes in leading quantum computing companies, including IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum, as part of a broader national security initiative. This move aims to strengthen America’s position in frontier technologies amid increasing global competition.

### Market Reaction and Stock Volatility

Following the news, shares of all three companies experienced significant gains. IonQ stock, in particular, has seen extreme volatility in recent weeks. The company’s shares surged to around $82 in mid-October after J.P. Morgan Chase announced a $10 billion investment program targeting 27 strategically important industries, including quantum computing. However, the stock then dropped nearly 30% within days as investors locked in profits amid broader market concerns about banking sector stresses and rising gold prices, which pushed traders away from high-risk tech stocks.

By late October, IonQ shares had slid back toward the mid-$50 range before the reports of potential government investment reignited investor interest.

### Government Denial and Industry Outlook

A U.S. Department of Commerce official has denied that such equity talks are underway. Nonetheless, the media reports have reignited enthusiasm around the quantum computing sector. Top investor George Budwell, ranked among the top 1% of stock professionals by TipRanks, remains bullish on IonQ, calling it “the quantum play to bet on” should government backing materialize. Budwell emphasizes that government support typically favors companies closest to deployment readiness, a position he believes IonQ holds.

### IonQ’s Technical Advantages

IonQ recently achieved a record-breaking algorithmic qubit score of #AQ 64 ahead of schedule, a key metric measuring the complexity of problems a quantum computer can reliably solve. The company reports approximately 99.99% 2-qubit gate fidelity, meaning operations execute correctly 9,999 times out of 10,000.

This high fidelity is achieved using IonQ’s trapped-ion technology, which operates without requiring extreme cryogenic conditions, setting it apart from competitors employing other quantum computing approaches. The superior accuracy allows IonQ’s systems to chain together more operations before errors accumulate, enhancing overall computational power.

### Cloud Accessibility and Commercial Progress

IonQ’s quantum hardware is accessible through major cloud platforms including Amazon Web Services Braket, Microsoft Azure Quantum, and Google Cloud Marketplace. This widespread cloud availability enables enterprises to experiment with quantum workloads without the need for in-house infrastructure development.

Financially, IonQ has demonstrated strong growth. The company reported $20.7 million in revenue in its most recent quarter, marking an 82% increase year-over-year and surpassing company guidance.

Additionally, IonQ has partnered with the Electric Power Board (EPB) of Chattanooga on a $22 million quantum hub initiative. EPB will host one of IonQ’s systems and collaborate on grid optimization projects. IonQ is also opening a new local office in Chattanooga to support training and customer engagement.

### Institutional Confidence and Analyst Ratings

Amazon recently disclosed a $36.7 million stake in IonQ, signaling growing institutional confidence in the company’s technology and business model. George Budwell highlights IonQ’s competitive edge, noting its best-in-class cloud availability and established enterprise pathways among pure-play quantum companies. He asserts, “If the government takes a stake or procurements follow, customers and talent would gravitate toward the perceived winner.”

Wall Street analysts maintain a Strong Buy consensus rating on IonQ stock. Currently, six analysts recommend buying the stock, two suggest holding, and none recommend selling.

### Risks and Future Outlook

Despite the optimism, Budwell cautions that the development of scaled, fault-tolerant quantum solutions remains years away. The technology still faces significant challenges before achieving commercial-scale deployment.

Furthermore, while government investment discussions have sparked excitement, there is no guarantee that such support materializes.

In summary, IonQ presents a compelling opportunity in the quantum computing sector, supported by strong technical achievements, strategic partnerships, and increasing institutional backing. However, investors should remain mindful of the inherent risks and the nascent stage of the technology.
https://coincentral.com/why-ionq-could-be-the-best-quantum-computing-stock-to-buy/

BigBear.ai (BBAI) Stock Jumps 11% Following Chicago O’Hare Security Partnership

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On October 24, BigBear.ai saw a massive surge in trading volume, hitting nearly 293 million shares traded—a 216% increase from its normal levels. The stock briefly touched $9.39 on October 14 before settling back, though it remains well above the levels seen before recent announcements.

BigBear.ai has also been making strides in civilian infrastructure. On September 11, the company launched its veriScan biometric system at Nashville International Airport. This expansion continued on October 23 with a rollout at Chicago O’Hare, drawing significant attention. The facial recognition platform reduces international arrival processing times from 60 seconds to just 10 seconds per traveler, a claim supported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. The Enhanced Passenger Processing program confirms these improvements at airports nationwide. Kevin McAleenan, former CBP Commissioner, called the O’Hare deployment “a major advancement in securing and accelerating international arrivals.”

Beyond these headline developments, BigBear.ai has been actively involved in defense projects. The company collaborated with SMX Solutions on U.S. Navy maritime surveillance during the UNITAS 2025 exercise, highlighting its growing footprint in military applications.

### Financial Reality Check

Despite the upbeat stock activity and contract wins, BigBear.ai’s recent financial results paint a more challenging picture. The company reported Q2 2025 revenue of $32.5 million, down 18% year-over-year and significantly below analyst expectations, which hovered around $41 million. The quarter concluded with a net loss of $228.6 million, mostly due to one-time non-cash charges, though the sizeable loss remains concerning.

Management has since lowered its full-year 2025 revenue guidance to a range of $125–140 million, down from the prior $155 million target, and has withdrawn all profit estimates. Analysts interpret this caution as a response to uncertainties surrounding federal government spending.

On a positive note, BigBear.ai ended Q2 with approximately $390 million in cash—equating to over $2 per share—and maintains a contract backlog of $380 million. While this backlog suggests potential revenue growth as projects progress, timing remains uncertain. Investors will keenly watch Q3 earnings, scheduled for November 10, for signs of improvement in bookings and sales.

Operationally, the company faces hurdles: its net margin stood at a negative 269% in the latest quarter, fueled by declining revenue and mounting losses.

### Market Sentiment and Analyst Views

Wall Street remains divided on BigBear.ai’s prospects. The consensus rating is “Hold” with an average price target near $6.00 per share. H.C. Wainwright takes a more bullish stance, maintaining a Buy rating and an $8 target, citing the company’s strengthened balance sheet and anticipated boosts in defense spending.

Conversely, some analysts are bearish. Weiss Ratings assigns the stock a “Sell (D-)” grade, warning about the speculative risks of investing in BigBear.ai. Valuation metrics look stretched, as the stock trades at roughly 13 times projected 2025 sales—an expensive multiple for a company facing revenue declines and ongoing losses.

The stock price largely reflects optimism around future contract wins rather than current earnings performance.

Social media discussions parallel these mixed views. While some traders celebrated recent contract deals as a bullish signal, others focus on lowered guidance and sustained losses. Technical analysts have spotted potential for further upside: StockInvest’s AI analysis forecasts a 19% gain over the next three months, driven by momentum indicators and confirmed by volume patterns following a short-term “pivot bottom” on October 22.

### Risks and Competitive Landscape

BigBear.ai’s future success hinges on converting its substantial contract backlog into consistent revenue streams. Management has hinted that several larger contract awards are forthcoming. However, government programs often face procurement delays and budgetary uncertainties that could impede progress. Any setbacks in project execution might negatively impact the stock.

Investor concerns are also fueled by high insider selling, including shares sold by the CFO in late August, raising questions about management’s confidence in near-term prospects.

Competition in the defense and AI sector is intensifying. Established firms like Palantir and emerging players like Anduril are all vying for Pentagon contracts. In comparison, BigBear.ai’s $32.5 million quarterly revenue is modest versus Palantir’s billings in the billions, highlighting the vast scale gap despite some market comparisons to a “mini-Palantir.”

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BigBear.ai’s story is one of promising technology and strategic wins shadowed by financial challenges and operational risks. Investors will be closely monitoring upcoming quarterly results and contract developments to gauge whether the company can capitalize on its pipeline and improve its bottom line.
https://coincentral.com/bigbear-ai-bbai-stock-jumps-11-following-chicago-ohare-security-partnership/

US inflation rises to 3% in September — paving way for fed to cut rates next week

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US Inflation Ticks Up to 3% in September, Paving the Way for Federal Reserve Rate Cuts

US inflation edged up in September to 3%, a slightly lower-than-expected figure that clears the path for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates at its policy meeting next week.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 3% over the past 12 months ending September. This marks the fastest inflation rate since the start of the year and a small rise from August’s 2.9%. Despite this increase, economists polled by Bloomberg had anticipated a slightly higher year-over-year inflation rate of 3.1%.

On a monthly basis, the CPI rose by 0.3%. Core inflation, which excludes the more volatile food and energy prices, also grew by 3% over the last 12 months. This was a slight decline from the previous month’s 3.1%, while economists expected it to remain steady at 3.1%.

The release of September’s CPI report was delayed by more than a week due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, now the second-longest in US history at 23 days with no clear end in sight. The report, originally scheduled for October 15, finally provided insight into inflation trends amid significant economic uncertainty.

“Inflation coming in weaker-than-expected further solidifies a continuation of the Federal Reserve’s rate cutting cycle, at least for the next two meetings,” said Skyler Weinand, Chief Investment Officer at Regan Capital. He added, “Once the government reopens and if we start to see weak unemployment data and the unemployment rate rises precipitously towards 5%, we could expect either a 50 basis point cut for December or the Fed to communicate a string of cuts in 2026.”

Wall Street welcomed the data with cautious optimism. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 66 points, or 0.1%, in premarket trading. However, concerns remain about the accuracy of the consumer inflation report, given the disruption caused by the government shutdown.

The Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut interest rates at its policy meeting next Wednesday, following its first quarter-point reduction since December, which was implemented last month. However, there remains some disagreement among Fed officials on the pace of easing. For instance, Fed Governor Stephen Muir, recently appointed by President Trump, has advocated for a half-point cut, while others, including Christopher Waller, favor a more gradual quarter-point reduction.

Economists are also monitoring any indications that President Trump’s tariffs are beginning to impact consumer prices. As inflation and economic signals evolve, all eyes will remain on the Fed’s upcoming decision and the broader effects of ongoing fiscal policies.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/24/business/us-inflation-rises-to-3-in-september-paving-way-for-fed-to-cut-rates-next-week/

Wikipedia Traffic Drops as AI Answers Eat the Free Encyclopedia

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The Wikimedia Foundation announced this week that human traffic to Wikipedia fell roughly 8% between May and August compared to the same period last year. The decline came into focus after the foundation discovered that sophisticated bots, primarily from Brazil, had been disguising themselves as human visitors.

After updating its detection systems in May, the foundation reclassified traffic data and found that much of the unusually high traffic in May and June came from bots built to evade detection. The revised numbers revealed what many in publishing already knew: fewer people visit Wikipedia directly because search engines now provide answers on their own pages.

“After making this revision, we are seeing declines in human pageviews on Wikipedia over the past few months, amounting to a decrease of roughly 8% as compared to the same months in 2024,” Marshall Miller wrote. “We believe that these declines reflect the impact of generative AI and social media on how people seek information, especially with search engines providing answers directly to searchers, often based on Wikipedia content.”

AI is not just affecting Wikipedia. Data from Pew Research showed that median year-over-year referral traffic from Google Search to premium publishers has decreased almost every week during May and June 2025, with losses outpacing gains two-to-one. Nearly 60% of all Google searches now end in an AI-generated summary instead of directing users to read the actual source.

Publishers across industries are sounding alarms and resorting to lawsuits in an attempt to gain some protection. Danielle Coffey, who leads the News/Media Alliance representing more than 2,000 outlets, said Google is using publisher content without compensation while offering no meaningful way to opt out without disappearing from search entirely.

“It’s parasitic, it’s unsustainable, and it poses a real existential threat to many in our industry,” she said.

The volume of AI content online is rising fast. Research from SEO firm Graphite found that as of November 2024, almost half of new web articles were generated using AI in some form, up from just 5% before ChatGPT’s launch. A post by Ask Perplexity on X claimed AI content went from around 5% in 2020 to 48% by May 2025, with projections saying 90% or more by next year.

The Wikimedia Foundation said fewer visits to Wikipedia could mean that fewer volunteers contribute to growing and enriching the content, and fewer individual donors support the work. In response, the foundation is enforcing policies for third-party access, developing a framework for attribution, and experimenting with ways to bring free knowledge to younger audiences on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

The foundation emphasized that Wikipedia’s human knowledge is more valuable to the world than ever before, 25 years since its creation. The question remains whether the platforms using that knowledge will support the ecosystem that creates it.
https://decrypt.co/344845/wikipedia-traffic-drops-ai-answers-eat-free-encyclopedia

Ethereum Attracts Most Developers in 2025, Surging Past 16,000 New

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**Ethereum Adds Over 16,000 New Developers in 2025, Maintaining Lead in Blockchain Development**

Between January and September 2025, Ethereum attracted more than 16,000 new developers, reinforcing its position as the most actively developed blockchain network worldwide. According to the Ethereum Foundation and data from Electric Capital’s developer tracker, Ethereum now boasts a total of 31,869 active developers across its core network and layer-2 solutions such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Unichain.

### Ethereum Remains the Leading Blockchain for Developer Activity

Ethereum leads the blockchain space with the largest developer ecosystem, encompassing contributors working on both the main network and various layer-2 platforms. The reported developer count excludes individuals contributing across multiple layers to avoid double-counting.

Year-over-year, Ethereum’s developer base grew by 5.8%, maintaining a steady upward trajectory. Key factors driving this growth include Ethereum’s consistent ecosystem, regulatory clarity, transparency, and ease of integration, which appeal to developers compared to newer blockchains.

The Ethereum Foundation credits its active community and robust tooling infrastructure for attracting thousands of new developers in 2025. Notably, Ethereum dominates developer activity in Latin America, accounting for over 75% of blockchain transactions in the region — a trend reflective of a broader global migration toward Ethereum’s stable ecosystem.

### Solana Experiences Strong Developer Growth Amid Data Concerns

Solana ranked second in developer growth, welcoming approximately 11,500 new developers during the same period. By September 2025, Solana’s active developer community reached 17,708 — marking a 29.1% increase from the previous year and a 61.7% growth over the past two years.

Despite these impressive numbers, the Solana Foundation has contested the dataset’s accuracy, stating that around 7,800 developers may be missing from Electric Capital’s tracking. Jacob Creech from Solana urged the community to update GitHub repository submissions to enhance data accuracy.

Solana’s allure stems from its fast execution times and scalable infrastructure, which have spurred faster developer activity growth compared to Ethereum. However, tracking methods remain under review to better capture the full scope of Solana’s developer base.

### Bitcoin’s Developer Growth Remains Steady But Slower

Bitcoin attracted roughly 7,500 new developers between January and September 2025, bringing its total to 11,036 active developers. This places Bitcoin third among the largest blockchain ecosystems by developer count.

While Bitcoin continues to see steady development activity, its growth pace lags behind more versatile platforms like Ethereum and Solana. Bitcoin’s limited smart contract capabilities restrict broader innovation, leading many developers to favor ecosystems offering programmable features, such as Ethereum’s EVM-compatible infrastructure.

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Overall, the first nine months of 2025 underscore Ethereum’s dominance in developer engagement and ecosystem growth, while Solana shows rapid gains albeit with some data reporting challenges. Bitcoin remains a foundational player with steady but comparatively slower developer expansion.
https://coincentral.com/ethereum-attracts-most-developers-in-2025-surging-past-16000-new/