queenie digital circus From meltdown to showdownA voter-approved Maine limit on PAC contributions sets the stage for a legal challenge

It comes as Propertymark, which represents estate agents, said selling property or turning to the short-term letting market is becoming a "more attractive" option for landlords. Provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics show the average private rent in St Helens reached £708 per month in the year to October – up 9% from £650 a year prior. It was also up 34% from an estimated £527 a month five years ago. Valuation Office Agency rent officers collect prices from a variety of sources, including landlords and letting agents, with the aim to collect data on approximately 10% of the market. Across the North West, the average rent was £870 – rising 10% from the year before. Trafford had the highest rental cost in the region at £1,278 per month, while the lowest was in Burnley at £582. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "Getting good news about your rent is about as common as discovering your housemates have washed up for you, or your landlord suggesting you get a dog. "It means for many, the only way out of the endless cycle of rising costs is to buy, but this is far easier said than done when rents absorb so much of your income." In October, the average private rent in Great Britain was £1,307 per month. This was £105, or 9%, higher than 12 months ago. Nathan Emerson, chief executive at Propertymark, said: "As we continue to see a further increase in rental prices across the UK, our members continue to emphasise key concerns regarding the ongoing trend of lack of rental stock versus an ever-growing number of tenants looking for homes. "Selling up altogether or turning to the short-term letting market is becoming a more attractive option for landlords due to the challenging legislative changes and increased financial liabilities they face." The figures also show the different costs for various homes in St Helens, from £518 for a one-bed property to £1,165 for a home with four or more bedrooms in October. Among the property types in the area: A detached housed cost £1,036 to rent per month A semi-detached cost £774 per month A terraced house was £697 per month And a flat or maisonette was £604 a monthTwins sign Alex Speas to a minor league contract

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 6, 2024-- Certain BlackRock closed-end funds (the “Funds”) announced distributions today as detailed below. Declaration- 12/6/2024 Ex-Date- 12/16/2024 Record- 12/16/2024 Payable- 12/31/2024 National Funds Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution * BYM $0.055500 - * BTA $0.049500 - .* MUA $0.055500 - * MUI $0.055000 - * BFK $0.050000 - * BKN $0.057000 - * BLE $0.054000 - BTT $0.046400 - * MHD $0.059500 - * MQT $0.051000 - .* MQY $0.058000 - * MUE $0.051000 - * MVT $0.054000 - .* MYD $0.054500 - * MYI $0.055500 - * MVF $0.036000 - BMN $0.093750 - State-Specific Funds Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution * MUC $0.053500 - * BFZ $0.059000 - .* MIY $0.054500 - * MUJ $0.054000 - * MHN $0.051500 - * MYN $0.051200 - * BNY $0.051000 - * MPA $0.066000 - * BHV $0.051500 - Declaration- 12/6/2024 Ex-Date- 12/16/2024 Record- 12/16/2024 Payable- 12/23/2024 Fund Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution * BBN $0.092900 - Declaration- 12/6/2024 Ex-Date- 12/16/2024 Record- 12/16/2024 Payable- 12/23/2024 Fund Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution * BGT $0.120280 - * BHK $0.074600 - * BIT $0.123700 - * BKT $0.088200 - * BLW $0.113200 - * BTZ $0.083900 - * DSU $0.098730 - .* EGF $0.041000 - * FRA $0.123840 - * HYT $0.077900 - Declaration- 12/6/2024 Ex-Date- 12/16/2024 Record- 12/16/2024 Payable- 12/23/2024 Fund Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution BMEZ $0.178090 0.001190 BSTZ $0.218000 0.002510 * BIGZ $0.086760 0.000430 Declaration- 12/6/2024 Ex-Date- 12/16/2024 Record- 12/16/2024 Payable- 12/23/2024 Fund Ticker Distribution Change From Prior Distribution BCAT $0.289190 0.000650 * ECAT $0.306840 0.001810 * In order to comply with the requirements of Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), each of the Funds noted above posted to the DTC bulletin board and sent to its shareholders of record as of the applicable record date a Section 19 notice with the previous distribution payment. The Section 19 notice was provided for informational purposes only and not for tax reporting purposes. This information can be found in the “Closed-End Funds” section of . As applicable, the final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions in 2024 will be made after the end of the year. BlackRock Capital Allocation Term Trust (NYSE: BCAT), BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust (NYSE: ECAT), BlackRock Science and Technology Term Trust (NYSE: BSTZ), BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust (NYSE: BMEZ) and BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust (NYSE: BIGZ) have adopted a managed distribution plan (a “Plan”) to support a level monthly distribution of income, capital gains and/or return of capital, or in the case of BMEZ, BSTZ, BIGZ, ECAT and BCAT a monthly distribution based on an annual rate of 12% (for BMEZ, BSTZ and BIGZ) and 20% (for ECAT and BCAT) of the Fund’s 12-month rolling average daily net asset value calculated 5 business days prior to declaration date of each distribution. The December 2024 distribution for each of BMEZ, BSTZ, BIGZ, ECAT and BCAT was calculated based on the average net asset value from 11/28/2023 to 11/27/2024. Below are the 12-month rolling average daily net asset values used to calculate BMEZ, BSTZ, BIGZ, ECAT and BCAT’s December distributions: BMEZ: $17.808095 BSTZ: $21.799921 BIGZ: $8.675040 ECAT: $18.410000 BCAT: $17.351032 Under its Plan, each Fund will distribute all available investment income to its shareholders, consistent with its investment objectives and as required by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If sufficient income (inclusive of net investment income and short-term capital gains) is not available on a monthly basis, a Fund will distribute long-term capital gains and/or return capital to its shareholders in order to maintain a level distribution. Each Fund’s estimated sources of the distributions paid as of November 29, 2024 and for its current fiscal year are as follows: Fund Distribution Net Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital BMEZ 1 $0.176900 $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.176900 (100%) BSTZ 1 $0.215490 $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.215490 (100%) BIGZ 1 $0.086330 $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.086330 (100%) BCAT 1 $0.288540 $0.032627 (11%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.255913 (89%) ECAT 1 $0.305030 $0.015937 (5%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.289093 (95%) Fund Distribution Net Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital BMEZ 1 $1.512960 $0.040694 (3%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $1.472266 (97%) BSTZ 1 $1.801010 $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.619326 (34%) $1.181684 (66%) BIGZ 1 $0.747140 $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.747140 (100%) BCAT 1 $2.359050 $0.244754 (10%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $2.114296 (90%) ECAT 1 $2.554050 $0.163438 (6%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $2.390612 (94%) 1 The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net-realized capital gains in the current fiscal year; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment is paid back to the shareholder. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with ‘yield’ or ‘income’. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share. Fund Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5-year period ending on 10/31/2024 Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of 10/31/2024 Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through 10/31/2024 Cumulative fiscal year distributions as a percentage of NAV as of 10/31/2024 BMEZ* 5.15% 12.30% 4.83% 7.74% BSTZ 11.57% 11.80% 11.18% 7.24% BIGZ* (14.24%) 12.60% (0.66%) 8.04% BCAT* 4.90% 20.66% 10.23% 12.35% ECAT* 6.70% 20.43% 12.89% 12.55% * Portfolio launched within the past 5 years; the performance and distribution rate information presented for this Fund reflects data from inception to 10/31/2024. BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. (NYSE: EGF), BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (NYSE: DSU), BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc. (NYSE: FRA), BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust (NYSE: BGT), BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund, Inc. (NYSE: HYT), BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust (NYSE: BTZ), BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust (NYSE: BLW), BlackRock Core Bond Trust (NYSE: BHK), BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust (NYSE: BIT), BlackRock Income Trust, Inc. (NYSE: BKT) and BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust (NYSE: BBN) have adopted a Plan to support a level monthly distribution of income, capital gains and/or return of capital. Under its Plan, each Fund will distribute all available net income to its shareholders, consistent with its investment objectives and as required by the Code. If sufficient income (inclusive of net investment income and short-term capital gains) is not available on a monthly basis, a Fund will distribute long-term capital gains and/or return capital to its stockholders in order to maintain a level distribution. Each of the above-listed Funds is currently not relying on any exemptive relief from Section 19(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Each Fund expects that distributions under the Plan will exceed current income and capital gains and therefore will likely include a return of capital. Each Fund may make additional distributions from time to time, including additional capital gain distributions at the end of the taxable year, if required to meet requirements imposed by the Code and/or the 1940 Act. Each Fund’s estimated sources of the distributions paid as of November 29, 2024 and for its current fiscal year are as follows: Fund Distribution Net Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital EGF 2 $0.041000 $0.030660 (75%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.010340 (25%) BKT 2 $0.088200 $0.040551 (46%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.047649 (54%) DSU 2 $0.098730 $0.077696 (79%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.021034 (21%) FRA 2 $0.123840 $0.096014 (78%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.027826 (22%) BBN 2 $0.092900 $0.084923 (91%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.007977 (9%) BGT 2 $0.120280 $0.091087 (76%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.029193 (24%) HYT 2 $0.077900 $0.065724 (84%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.012176 (16%) BTZ 2 $0.083900 $0.060993 (73%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.022907 (27%) BLW 2 $0.113200 $0.099226 (88%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.013974 (12%) BHK 2 $0.074600 $0.048859 (65%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.025741 (35%) BIT 2 $0.123700 $0.083688 (68%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.040012 (32%) Fund Distribution Net Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital EGF 2 $0.451000 $0.331478 (73%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.119522 (27%) BKT 2 $0.970200 $0.375393 (39%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.594807 (61%) DSU 2 $1.086030 $0.814092 (75%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.271938 (25%) FRA 2 $1.362240 $1.085287 (80%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.276953 (20%) BBN 2 $1.021900 $0.834551 (82%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.187349 (18%) BGT 2 $1.323080 $0.982460 (74%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.340620 (26%) HYT 2 $0.856900 $0.660644 (77%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.196256 (23%) BTZ 2 $0.922900 $0.620538 (67%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.302362 (33%) BLW 2 $1.213400 $1.026867 (85%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.186533 (15%) BHK 2 $0.820600 $0.519873 (63%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.300727 (37%) BIT 2 $1.360700 $0.846067 (62%) $0 (0%) $0 (0%) $0.514633 (38%) 2 The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net-realized capital gains in the current fiscal year; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment is paid back to the shareholder. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with ‘yield’ or ‘income’. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share. Fund Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5-year period ending on 10/31/2024 Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of 10/31/2024 Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through 10/31/2024 Cumulative fiscal year distributions as a percentage of NAV as 10/31/2024 EGF (1.59%) 4.90% 1.39% 4.08% BKT (1.52%) 8.78% 1.76% 7.32% DSU 6.42% 11.08% 7.55% 9.24% FRA 6.63% 11.46% 7.56% 9.55% BBN (0.57%) 6.35% 2.66% 5.29% BGT 6.71% 11.42% 7.65% 9.52% HYT 5.53% 9.61% 8.34% 8.01% BTZ 2.98% 8.81% 6.47% 7.34% BLW 4.81% 9.62% 8.22% 7.79% BHK (0.49%) 8.45% 2.97% 7.04% BIT 5.58% 10.16% 7.65% 8.47% Each Plan will be subject to ongoing review by the Board to determine whether the Plan should be continued, modified or terminated. The Board may amend the terms of a Plan or suspend or terminate a Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund’s shareholders if it deems such actions to be in the best interest of the Fund or its shareholders. The amendment or termination of a Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares. BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit BlackRock will update performance and certain other data for the Funds on a monthly basis on its website in the “Closed-end Funds” section of as well as certain other material information as necessary from time to time. Investors and others are advised to check the website for updated performance information and the release of other material information about the Funds. This reference to BlackRock’s website is intended to allow investors public access to information regarding the Funds and does not, and is not intended to, incorporate BlackRock’s website in this release. This press release, and other statements that BlackRock or a Fund may make, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to a Fund’s or BlackRock’s future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “trend,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “pipeline,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,” “intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions. BlackRock cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and BlackRock assumes no duty to and does not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance. With respect to the Funds, the following factors, among others, could cause actual events to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: (1) changes and volatility in political, economic or industry conditions, the interest rate environment, foreign exchange rates or financial and capital markets, which could result in changes in demand for the Funds or in a Fund’s net asset value; (2) the relative and absolute investment performance of a Fund and its investments; (3) the impact of increased competition; (4) the unfavorable resolution of any legal proceedings; (5) the extent and timing of any distributions or share repurchases; (6) the impact, extent and timing of technological changes; (7) the impact of legislative and regulatory actions and reforms, and regulatory, supervisory or enforcement actions of government agencies relating to a Fund or BlackRock, as applicable; (8) terrorist activities, international hostilities, health epidemics and/or pandemics and natural disasters, which may adversely affect the general economy, domestic and local financial and capital markets, specific industries or BlackRock; (9) BlackRock’s ability to attract and retain highly talented professionals; (10) the impact of BlackRock electing to provide support to its products from time to time; and (11) the impact of problems at other financial institutions or the failure or negative performance of products at other financial institutions. Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and other regulatory filings of the Funds with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) are accessible on the SEC's website at and on BlackRock’s website at , and may discuss these or other factors that affect the Funds. The information contained on BlackRock’s website is not a part of this press release. View source version on : 1-800-882-0052 KEYWORD: NEW YORK UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ASSET MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE SOURCE: BlackRock Closed-End Funds Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/06/2024 04:56 PM/DISC: 12/06/2024 04:56 PMKPMG Global Tech Report 2024

Eleven million dollars in federal funds have been announced for northern women’s organizations. The funds are spread across 16 different women’s organizations from Goose Valley, NL, to Prince George. The announcement was made in Whitehorse on Sunday, Dec. 8 by Marci Ien, the federal minister of women and gender equality and youth. Two Prince George organizations are among the organizations to benefit from the funding. The Positive Living North: No Kheyoh T’sih’en T’sehena Society will receive $425,500 through the Women’s Economic and Leadership Opportunities Fund, while the Princ George and District Elizabeth Fry Society will receive $480,880 through the Women's Capacity Fund. More than $5 million of the funds will go to Toronto-based Canadian Women's Foundation for programming focused on gender equality in the North. Ien was joined by Yukoners Élodie Bernard of Francophone organization Les EssentiElles and Liz Peredun of Yukon Women in Trades and Technology (YWITT). The organizations received $584,070 and $599,096, respectively. Peredun, the executive director of YWITT, said the funding was “a testament to endorsing the belief of what we see as a future in gender equality in the trades and technology sectors in particular.” She said that the organization focuses on supporting women and gender-diverse people working in trades, technology, mining and construction. Peredun said many men had joined to cause to support their coworkers as allies. As for Les EssentiElles, the funding they have received will go towards researching the specific issues Francophone women in the North face in economic prosperity and accessing leadership, according to Ien. Ien said the federal gender equality ministry was not receiving applications for funding from Northern women’s organizations. “There was a huge gap. We weren't seeing people apply. So we came to the people and so basically visited the organizations. We were able to see who was doing what, and then they all applied,” said Ien. Ien said most of the time organizations are too busy to apply for federal funding opportunities, often having to focus on the work at hand. She also said that the department used a grading criteria to decide which organizations received funding. “I would say the biggest part is that systemic part: Is this going to help women? Is this going to help them succeed? Is this going to succeed in a way, and I look at, you know, the trades part, where women haven't succeeded before, is it going to make new inroads? What is going to happen here? Is it viable?” According to Statistics Canada, the rate of intimate partner violence is highest in the North, with a rate of 1,073 victims per 100,000 people. In comparison, the rural south has a rate of 393 per 100,000 and the urban south has a rate of 299 per 100,000. The rate of intimate partner violence in the North has increased by 21 per cent since 2018. In the rural and urban south, rates have increased 17 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively.

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