Learner drivers face a 24-week wait for practical driving tests due to a backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with delays expected to persist until November 2027. The backlog has led to increased costs for test slots, exploitation by third-party sellers, and frustration among learners. The government and DVSA are taking measures, including hiring more examiners and restricting third-party bookings, to address the issue.
Despite a significant stock decline due to concerns over high capital expenditure and negative cash flow, top investor James Foord sees Oracle as a reasonable buy, citing its large backlog and potential for future revenue growth, especially in AI, with a positive outlook supported by Wall Street consensus.
Democrats in Washington are proposing legislation to restrict the appointment of temporary immigration judges to those with significant experience, in response to recent mass layoffs and firings of experienced judges by the Trump administration, which aims to reshape the immigration court system amid ongoing backlogs and controversy over the administration's approach to immigration enforcement.
Oracle has successfully transformed into a cloud computing powerhouse, with its cloud revenue and infrastructure growing rapidly, leading to a significant stock price increase. However, concerns remain about the sustainability of its large backlog, especially the reliance on a single customer, OpenAI, and the company's ability to meet its ambitious future commitments. Investors are advised to consider taking profits given the high valuation and uncertainties.
Oracle's stock has nearly doubled this year, reaching a record high after reporting strong quarterly results driven by booming demand for AI infrastructure, a large backlog, and new multibillion-dollar contracts. Wall Street analysts are highly optimistic, raising their price targets and expecting the company's AI initiatives and upcoming product unveilings to sustain its growth trajectory.
Oracle's strong quarterly report, driven by a surge in AI cloud service demand and a significant increase in backlog to $455 billion, has boosted investor confidence and caused a 36% rise in its stock, positively impacting related industrial stocks and the broader market.
Oracle's stock surged 25% after reporting a strong increase in its AI cloud backlog, with remaining performance obligations soaring 359% to $455 billion, despite missing earnings and revenue estimates for Q1. The company expects significant growth in its cloud infrastructure revenue driven by large multibillion-dollar contracts and AI demand, positioning it as a challenger to Amazon and Microsoft in cloud services.
Microsoft is the leading AI and cloud computing company with a $368 billion backlog of contracted revenue, driven by growing demand for its Azure cloud services and enterprise software, positioning it for sustained long-term growth despite high valuation multiples.
The U.S. is temporarily deploying around 600 military lawyers as immigration judges to address a backlog of nearly 4 million cases, with 150 expected to start soon, following changes that lowered qualification requirements and increased funding for immigration enforcement.
The Chelmsford Immigration Court in Massachusetts faces severe staffing shortages due to judge dismissals and resignations, leading to significant delays and postponed cases for thousands of immigrants, exacerbating the national backlog and raising concerns about due process and fairness in immigration proceedings.
Fallout 4, the open-world RPG by Bethesda, is a massive game that may have fallen off your backlog. With the game available on various platforms including Xbox Series, PS5, and PC, players are faced with the decision to resume an old save or start fresh. The game offers a variety of quests and activities, making it possible to clear from your backlog by focusing on the main quest, faction quests, or setting personal goals within the game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a massive game that may have fallen off your radar, but it's worth revisiting. With a main story of about 50 hours and numerous side-quests, returning to the game is doable. Whether to resume or restart depends on your familiarity with the game, and playing the previous Witcher games is optional. Tips for returning to an old save file include refreshing combat skills, restocking items, and reading up on NPCs. Whether starting anew or picking up where you left off, The Witcher 3 is a modern classic worth experiencing.
The US State Department has announced that processing times for passport applications have returned to pre-pandemic levels, with routine service taking six to eight weeks and expedited service taking two to three weeks. This comes after years of delays caused by a backlog resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, processing times of up to 18 weeks frustrated travelers and led to abandoned travel plans. The State Department issued a record-breaking number of passport books and cards in the last fiscal year, and the number of Americans with passports has significantly increased over the years.
Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama has announced that he will drop his months-long hold on most military promotions, except for those of Four Star generals, due to his objections to a Pentagon policy regarding abortion care. Tuberville's hold has created a backlog of over 350 promotions since February.
The end of the 118-day SAG-AFTRA strike is reviving the U.S. film and TV industry as well as European productions, but there are concerns about a backlog in production and potential squeeze on smaller indie projects. Shoots in Paris will kick off in January, while productions in Malta, Hungary, and Italy are also set to resume. However, there are worries about finding available filming locations and access to talent, with some predicting a hectic year in 2024. The strike also blocked the announcement and promotion of indie projects, and actors will have to choose between campaigning for awards or getting back to work.
