A cross country ski centre is starting the winter season by experimenting with a snow machine to make ski trails after last year's poor weather made it difficult to continue operations. This year more than a dozen volunteers at the Windsor Park Nordic Centre have stepped up to create a preliminary 2.5 kilometre loop to push back against unpredictable weather conditions and ensure skiers will be able to suit up by early December. "The fact that we can manufacture snow is a total game-changer," ski centre manager Laurie Penton said Sunday while working on the trails. "The skiers wait all winter ... like last year was very demoralizing to not really have much of a ski season after all the work and planning and training for the competitive season," he said. Manager Laurie Penton, who's pictured cross country skiing last year, says the Windsor Park Nordic Centre is expected to be open in early December. (Josh Crabb/CBC) The centre started experimenting with snow machines in March to sustain its melting ski trails after an abnormally warm winter put an end to many activities like skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing and skating. Laurie said this is the first year volunteers plan to use the machines for the entire cross country ski season to keep the trail, which is approximately 10 kilometres long, open to the public — something he's dreamed of doing for about 15 years. Snow in short supply in Winnipeg despite the city's Winterpeg nickname Western Manitoba shovels out after winter finally hits "Well of course natural snow is always welcome ... [but] we're suddenly in a position where we don't have to depend on it, slowly, and so if we do not get natural snow, we don't see that as a problem," he said. "So that in itself is a huge relief." Volunteers at the Windsor Park Nordic Centre are starting this year's cross country ski season by using snow machines to make paths after last year's poor weather made it challenging to sustain the trails. (Ron Dhaliwal/CBC) Volunteers have been monitoring the forecast for the perfect snowmaking conditions, which includes a mix of colder temperatures and humidity to create artificial snow, Laurie said. So far the group has spent three days preparing the base layer of a one-kilometre trail that should be ready within the next couple of weeks. Frosty experiments The Windsor Park Nordic Centre is among a number of recreational facilities, organizations and resorts experimenting with snow machines this winter. Festival du Voyageur used snow machines and other materials like hay for the first time during its 10-day event in February to make sculptures and a wintry ambiance in Whittier Park. But this year the festival's head director Breanne Lavallee-Heckert is hoping the event won't need snow machines to make artificial snow. "Not many people have an expertise in this snow machine, especially in Winnipeg where we didn't think that we would have to use one," she said, adding that the festival is partnering with Anvil Tree to experiment with snow machines and test out new snow structures designs. "I think this last year we had seen the impact of what happens when we don't have snow in Winnipeg and I think Winnipeggers and Manitobans are really looking forward to a winter that actually feels like winter," Lavallee-Heckert said. Breanne Lavallee-Heckert, executive director of Festival du Voyageur, says she hopes the 10-day event won't need to use snow machines to create its sculptures this winter. (Radio-Canada) As Manitoba continues to see the impacts of climate change, she said the festival has a responsibility to talk about winter and why it's important to protect the climate for future generations, in addition to using recycled materials for snow sculptures like hay, dogwood, willow and pine. No snow? No problem! Festival du Voyageur finding creative ways to make snow for winter sculptures The lack of snow in February paired with warmer temperatures that began thawing the ground made the site very muddy, she said. Volunteer crews at Asessippi Ski Resort have also been using snow machines to create a base layer of snow to kick off the season. "We want to have a base of about 100 centimetres, so we have to make our own snow," Shannon Johnston, assistant manager of the ski resort, said prior to a snow storm headed for the area on Wednesday. "We gotta be prepared for any weather, so if there's no snowfall, we gotta do it on our own so we can actually open in the winter." River trail, ski trails shut down due to abnormally warm weather in Winnipeg During an interview on CBC's Radio Noon show with host Cory Funk, Johnston said Manitoba's largest ski hill has tentative plans to open for Dec. 13 and last until the beginning of April. "We always say tentative because you never know what mother nature is going to bring, and what the weather is going to bring, but we have a really good two-week window here of some cold temperatures and if this snow keeps falling, we are always prepared to open early if we can," she said.None
Patrick Gorski, 27, was arrested in Chicago on Thursday on charges including obstructing law enforcement officers during a civil disorder, a felony. A federal judge ordered him released on bond after his initial court appearance. Gorski didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. An attorney who represented him after his arrest declined to comment on Gorski's behalf. Authorities allege that during the attack, Gorski climbed scaffolding, breaching police lines, and took photos and videos inside the building. He yelled at officers, pushed against an officer's riot shield and was eventually forced out after being sprayed with a chemical irritant, authorities said. When the FBI interviewed him, Gorski did not claim that he was working as a photojournalist during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and said he didn't bring his professional camera to the Capitol. He told federal agents that he had worked as a photographer for the Chicago Fire Department and for Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign. He has not professionally published any photographs of the Capitol riot, according to the FBI. An FBI agent’s affidavit says some of Gorski’s sports photographs are available through Getty Images and have been “picked up” by The Associated Press and USA Today. Authorities said Gorski has continued to take photos at some local sporting events in Chicago but hasn't published any political photographs in the last five years. Gorski is not an Associated Press journalist and has never been employed by the news organization, said Lauren Easton, AP's vice president of corporate communications. "We have distributed some photos he took for AP’s photo partners and member news organizations," Easton said in a statement. Gorski's resume says he works as a building commissioner for the Village of Norridge, Illinois, and graduated earlier this year from Southeastern Illinois University with a master’s degree in public administration. He attended then-President Trump's “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on Jan. 6 before he marched to the Capitol in a group of people that included conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and Owen Shroyer , who has hosted a show on Jones' Infowars website. On the west side of the Capitol, Gorski climbed up a wall onto stairs, helped another rioter onto the wall and removed a tarp covering scaffolding, according to the FBI. He climbed up and down the scaffolding before he helped pass a bike rack to other rioters, the agent's affidavit says. Gorski pointed and yelled at police officers outside the building. He also clapped and chanted, “Let us in!” After rioters broke through a police lines and sent officers retreating, Gorski hung a flag over the edge of a balcony. Gorski used his phone to take photos or videos inside a tunnel entrance that police were guarding, according to the affidavit. He screamed at the officers, “This is our house!” as he pushed against an officer’s riot shield, the FBI said. Gorski left the tunnel after several minutes and entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing door, taking more photos or videos inside the building, the affidavit says. An officer had to forcibly move Gorski from a doorway in another part of the Capitol, according to the agent. Gorski retreated after police sprayed him with a chemical irritant. Approximately one year after the attack, the FBI received a tip that Gorski had posted photos of the riot in a group chat with friends. More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the Capitol riot.Column: Brady Corbet’s epic movie ‘The Brutalist’ came close to crashing down more than onceVested Business Brokers Reviews and Complaints Analysis Released by IRAEmpire.com
Man City boss Guardiola has a friendly reminder
CLEVELAND (AP) — Shortly after doing a face-down snow angel, firing a few celebratory snowballs and singing “Jingle Bells” on his way to the media room, Jameis Winston ended his postgame news conference with a simple question. “Am I a Brown yet?” he asked. He is now. And who knows? Maybe for a lot longer than expected. Winston entered Cleveland football folklore on Thursday night by leading the Browns to a 24-19 win over the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, who had their five-game winning streak stopped. Winston's performance at Huntington Bank Field, which transformed into the world's largest snow globe, not only made him an instantaneous hero in the eyes of Browns fans but added another wrinkle to the team's ever-changing, never-ending quarterback conundrum. In his fourth start since Deshaun Watson's season-ending Achilles tendon injury, Winston made enough big plays to help the Browns (3-8) get a victory that should quiet conjecture about coach Kevin Stefanski's job. Some wins mean more than others. In Cleveland, beating the Steelers is as big as it gets. But beyond any instant gratification, Winston has given the Browns more to consider as they move forward. Watson's future with Cleveland is highly uncertain since it will still be months before the team has a grip on whether he's even an option in 2025, his fourth year since signing a $230 million, fully guaranteed contract that has proven calamitous. It's also possible the Browns will cut ties with Watson. They signed Winston to a one-year contract to be Watson's backup. But the unexpected events of 2024 have changed plans and led to the possibility that the 30-year-old Winston could become Cleveland's full-time QB or a bridge to their next young one. So much is unclear. What's not is that Winston, who leaped into the end zone on fourth-and-2 for a TD to put the Browns ahead 18-6 in the fourth quarter, is a difference maker. With his larger-than-life personality and the joy he shows whether practicing or throwing three touchdown passes, he has lifted the Browns. A man of faith, he's made his teammates believe. Winston has done what Watson couldn't: made the Browns better. “A very, very authentic person,” Stefanski said Friday on a Zoom call. “He’s the same guy every single day. He's the same guy at 5 a.m. as he at 5 p.m. He brings great energy to everything he does, and I think his teammates appreciate that about him.” Winston, who is 2-2 as a starter with wins over the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, has a knack for inspiring through fiery, preacher-like pregame speeches. But what has impressed the Browns is his ability to stay calm in the storm. “He doesn’t get rattled,” said Myles Garrett, who had three sacks against the Steelers . “He’s just tuned in and focused as anyone I’ve seen at that position. Turn the page. There was a turnover, came back to the sideline, ‘Love you. I’m sorry. We’re going to get it back.’ He was already on to the next one, ‘How can we complete the mission?’ “I have a lot of respect for him. First was from afar and now seeing it on the field in front of me, it’s a blessing to have someone who plays a game with such a passion and want-to. You can’t ask for a better teammate when they take those things to heart and they want to play for you like we’re actually brothers and that’s what we have to attain. That brotherhood.” Winston has done something else Watson couldn't: move the offense. The Browns scored more than 20 points for just the second time this season, and like Joe Flacco a year ago, Winston has shown that Stefanski's system works with a quarterback patient enough to let plays develop and unafraid to take shots downfield. The conditions certainly were a factor, but the Browns were a miserable 1 of 10 on third down, a season-long trend. However, Cleveland converted all four fourth-down tries, including a fourth-and-3 pass from Winston to Jerry Jeudy with 2:36 left that helped set up Nick Chubb's go-ahead TD run. RT Jack Conklin. Garrett outplayed Steelers star T.J. Watt in their rivalry within the rivalry partly because Conklin did a nice job containing Pittsburgh's edge rusher, who was held without a sack and had one tackle for loss. Conklin has made a remarkable comeback since undergoing reconstructive knee surgery last year. Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam. Their desire to build a dome is well intended, but an indoor game could never come close to matching the surreal setting of Thursday night, when snow swirled throughout the stadium and covered nearly all the yard lines and hash marks. “It was beautiful,” Winston said. WR Cedric Tillman is in the concussion protocol. He had two catches before taking a big hit on the final play of the third quarter. 9 — Consecutive home wins for the Browns in Thursday night games. Three of those have come against Pittsburgh. An extended break before visiting the Denver Broncos on Dec. 2. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLLight snow could bring slick roads Wed. Night & Thursday morning in New Hampshire
Daniel Jones Next Team Odds: Contenders jockeying for QB?
Tinubu returns to Nigeria from France, South Africa tripsArticle content WATCH as Postmedia political columnist Lorne Gunter says a recent poll conducted by Leger/Postmedia has Canadians seeing right through the Liberal’s two-month GST holiday gimmick and aren’t buying it. Recommended Videos What do YOU think? Tweet and Facebook us! And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel .
Cruise into this holiday season with a non-traditional vacationCruise into this holiday season with a non-traditional vacation
Art Cashin, UBS’ director of floor operations at the New York Stock Exchange, has died, CNBC reported on Monday. He was 83. The publication, however, did not reveal any other details. His cause of death is not known yet. Meanwhile, several social media users paid tribute to Cashin, referring to him as an NYSE 'legend'. "So sorry to learn of the passing of Art Cashin. He was one of the all-time greats, and a lovely person. RIP Art..." one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. Read More: Musk Reveals Ultimate Goal Of Trump's DOGE: 'Delete Itself' "I was fortunate to have a Fireside chat with him at one of the early Big Picture conferences in 2013, where he told his infamous "never short incoming ICBMs" stories. And of course, his famous Louis Tiffany hat pin tales. An absolute legend," another one added. "Rest in peace Art. ❤️ I grew up watching Art Cashin & @BobPisani talk about Subprime, GFC & all of the pre GFC stuff back in the day. Art instinctively knew the behavior, nerve & pulse of the market at any given moment. A Wall St legend," a third person said on the Elon Musk-led platform. Read More: Hunter Biden's Pardon Was Predicted Back In June - By Norstaramaswamy Who Was Art Cashin? Arthur Cashin was a managing director of UBS Financial Services Inc. He was the Director of Floor Operations for UBS Financial Services at the New York Stock Exchange. The 83-year-old kicked off his business career at Thomson McKinnon in 1959. Five years later, he became a member of the NYSE and a partner of P.R. Herzig & Co. In 1980, he joined PaineWebber and managed their floor operation. At the NYSE, Cashin has served as a Governor and Member of the Market Performance Committee. Family: Cashin was married to Joan Cashin, who died in 1998 from cancer. The couple had a daughter, Jennifer Cashin, who died tragically in 2007 at the age of 33. Net Worth: According to celebritynetworth.com, Cashin's net worth was around $10 million. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.A Michelin-starred chef has appealed to thieves who stole his van with 2,500 pies inside to “do the right thing” and drop them somewhere so people in need can have them. Tommy Banks, who owns two restaurants and a pub in North Yorkshire, posted on Instagram on Monday morning to say his van with £25,000 of stock in the back had been taken from just outside Ripon. Mr Banks said in the video that the stock – including steak and ale, turkey and butternut squash pies, as well as gravy and custard – was for York Christmas Market. A post shared by Tommy Banks (@tommybanks) He urged the thieves to drop the pies somewhere such as a community centre, adding “I know you’re a criminal, but maybe just do something nice because it’s Christmas and maybe we can feed a few thousand people with these pies that you’ve stolen, do the right thing”. Mr Banks also asked anyone who is offered pies from someone who is not him to report them to the police. North Yorkshire Police said it had been informed of the theft and asked anyone with information to get in touch, the BBC reported. Mr Banks’s video contained the caption: “So @matthewalockwood went into @madeinoldstead this morning to pick up the van and it has been stolen. “These guys had loaded up the van with stock for @tommyspieshop today and left plugged in overnight. “I’m guessing the thieves didn’t realise they were stealing 2,500 pies along with the van! The pies are all in boxes with my name on so not very easy to sell. “If you are the thieves and read this I urge you to drop the pies off somewhere. So we can at least give them to people who need food and they are not wasted.” Mr Banks told the PA news agency: “What was really making me sad this morning, I thought suddenly they’re going to realise what’s in the back and ditch the food. “We talk about zero waste and when you’ve got just short of a tonne of food that’s probably been ditched, it would be good if it could find its way to people who need it.” He added that his team were “much less bothered about the van as they’re bothered about the pies” as it was a week’s worth of stock. The chef said they are planning to create a chicken pie this week and one of his team came up with the name “bandit butter chicken pie”, as he said the situation was “all a bit Home Alone – at Christmas with the pie bandit stealing our pies”.
White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaignAfter three months of bargaining over issues like artificial intelligence, wages, shrinking crews, and more, The Animation Guild has reached a tentative agreement for a new three-year contract with the group that represents Hollywood's studios, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Negotiations initially began on August 12 between TAG and the AMPTP, although the two organizations did not come to an agreement in the five days allotted for bargaining. Negotiations resumed on September 16, with the tentative agreement being reached on Saturday morning and announced on Monday, per a email from TAG sent to guild members. Among the issues that TAG touts gains in are stronger AI guardrails, including consultation and notification provisions; health and pension fund improvements; wage increases; protections for remote work; additional sick days; and the recognition of Juneteenth as a holiday. They also note "craft-specific gains," including staffing minimums for writers rooms. A tentative agreement between TAG and the AMPTP is a massive step forward, but it doesn't mean the new contract is set in stone quite yet. The next step will be a ratification vote by the members, which is currently being scheduled. While there were many issues at play, getting stricter protections for generative AI was a major one for this round of negotiations, something that also played a large role in last year's writers' and actors' strikes and the ongoing video game actor strike . IGN ran a comprehensive report last year about how it's become a hot-button topic in the animation industry specifically, with some believing the technology could make their work more efficient and others arguing it's not worth risking jobs or artistic integrity. “After weeks of negotiations that covered months in the calendar, I am very proud of the agreement that we reached with the studios for our new contract,” said Steve Kaplan, TAG Business Representative, said in a statement. “Not only have we seen the inclusion of the advancements in the industry realized by the other Unions and Guilds, but we were able to address industry-specific issues in a meaningful way. The animation industry at large has been facing issues like crunch, layoffs, and low pay for years now, spawning an entire #StandWithAnimation movement. For more, check out our report about the tumultuous making of Inside Out 2 . Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Kobe Bryant once gave big praise to Colin Kaepernick: "Having the bravery to be able to do that is something that we should all stand for"This is a big week for PlayStation gamers. Not only is Sony offering some incredible deals on consoles, accessories and games at its massive Black Friday sale , but the company is also celebrating the PlayStation's 30th anniversary . To mark the occasion, it's released a new limited-edition 30th Anniversary DualSense controller featuring a unique color scheme inspired by the original console. While the controller was originally released on Nov. 21, it very quickly sold out. It's still out of stock at the moment, but will be available through Best Buy Drops sometime on Dec. 2. To increase your odds of snagging this hotly sought after controller, make sure to turn on notifications and select "notify me" within the app. Over on Amazon the 30th Anniversary DualSense Controller is flickering in and out of stock. However, if you're looking for the PlayStation Portal, a new inventory restock of the PlayStation Portal 30th Anniversary Edition handheld streaming device is currently live right now. The 30th Anniversary DualSense controller features a throwback design that mimics the controllers of the original PlayStation that hit shelves all the way back in 1994. It's also relatively versatile, and is compatible with the PlayStation 5 console, PC, Mac and mobile devices. The cable isn't included, though, so be sure to use the USB cable supplied with the PS5 console to connect or charge the controller. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money . If you're looking for more customization options and stronger battery life, you can snag the 30th-anniversary edition of the DualSense Edge controller for $220 . It will also be available for purchase along with the standard DualSense controller restock, so you can pick your preference when they drop. It's also important to note that there is a one-controller-per-order policy in effect, and we don't expect that to change when the new restock arrives. And if you're looking to grab even more PlayStation gaming gear, you'll find tons of discounts on consoles, accessories and games in our full roundup of all the best Black Friday PS5 deals available. We've also gathered plenty of great gifts for gamers if you're looking to level up with your player two. How does the 30th Anniversary controller compare to the standard DualSense? The limited-edition 30th Anniversary controller doesn't have any special features or upgraded hardware, so internally it's no different from the standard DualSense that you get with your console. It does, however, feature a unique legacy PlayStation gray color scheme with colored buttons. Will there be more production runs after this restock? Sony is keeping its cards pretty close to the vest in regards to any future restocks, but at the moment there has been no official announcement. And considering all of its 30th Anniversary consoles and accessories are being marketed as limited edition, it's more likely than not that the next restock will be the last. If you're serious about getting your hands on one of these controllers, you'll want to keep a close eye on Sony's online store in the coming days.On Dec. 4, U.S. intelligence officials and the FBI announced a hacking campaign affecting at least eight U.S. telecommunication firms, including Verizon and AT&T. In response, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with domestic and international partners, issued guidance for telecommunication companies to strengthen their security. Recommendations include implementing measures like end-to-end encryption to safeguard both company and customer data. Several news outlets reported that officials are advising against sending unencrypted text messages in the aftermath of the hack, so bad actors can’t read them. VERIFY readers Barbara and Joseph asked us if Chinese hackers can actually read people’s text messages. Here’s what we can VERIFY about protecting your text message privacy. THE QUESTION Can hackers intercept and read some types of text messages? THE SOURCES Joint guide from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), the FBI and other international partners published Dec. 3 Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Apple Google WhatsApp , Signal and Telegram SoCRadar and How-To Geek , technology blogs McAfee THE ANSWER Yes, hackers can intercept and read some types of text messages. But there are ways to protect them. Sign up for the VERIFY Fast Facts newsletter here . WHAT WE FOUND Messages sent between Apple and Android devices, as well as some types of messages sent between multiple Android devices, can be susceptible to hackers. But there is a type of protection that can ensure no hackers can read your texts. It’s called encryption. Encryption uses an algorithm to scramble information, like text messages, that can only be un-scrambled by the recipient’s device. This layer of protection ensures that even if hackers or scammers intercept your texts, they can’t access the content. When text messages aren’t encrypted, they travel across networks in plain text, making them vulnerable to interception, the SoCRadar and How-To Geek technology blogs explain. It’s like sending a letter without an envelope . Encrypted messages aren’t plain text. They’re transformed into what’s called ciphertext , which appears across a network as a scrambled, unreadable string of characters. Hackers can use tricks like creating fake cell towers or spying on public wireless networks to capture the messages. Without protection, text messages can be read and other personal information can be stolen. So, hypothetically, if a hacker is monitoring a network and you send a message in plain unprotected text that says, “Meet at my house at 123 Elm Street, the door will be unlocked.” That is the message a hacker can read, leaving you (and your home) vulnerable. But, if you send it as an encrypted message, a hacker would only see gibberish, like "Ff8g$%qLq9d@8z.” Your intended recipient, though, would receive the real message. Cellular providers don’t directly provide end-to-end encryption automatically, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) says , but the device manufacturers and independent messaging apps often do. Here’s how some devices work and tips to protect yourself. For Apple users : iMessages sent between Apple devices – the messages that appear in blue bubbles – are encrypted from end to end. However, messages sent from an Apple device to a non-Apple device – the messages that appear in green – are not encrypted. For Android users : For Android users using Google Messages , there is a feature known as Rich Communication Services. If that feature is turned on ( here’s how ) on both devices, the messages are encrypted. Cross-platform messaging and third-party applications: Text messages sent between Apple gadgets are encrypted, as are those exchanged between users of Google Messages, but text messages between Android and Apple devices are not encrypted, CISA says . That’s where third-party applications come in. Apps like WhatsApp , Signal and Telegram encrypt messages automatically and work between any device. WhatsApp describes their encryption technology like having a key that is exchanged between recipients. The technology locks (encrypts) a message before it leaves a device, turning it into a jumbled code. Only the recipient’s device has the unique "key" to unlock (decrypt) it and make it readable again. Stay secure with updates While the use of these technologies is important to understand, you should also keep your software updated, McAfee , a security company, says. These security updates for devices and applications patch vulnerabilities that hackers or scammers exploit. On an Android device, go to settings and click on software update. On an iPhone, go to settings, then general and then continue to software updates. For more tips on protecting yourself from scammers and hackers, visit VERIFY’s website . Related Articles Watch out for these common holiday scams 5 tips to avoid online shopping scams: VERIFY Fact Sheet VERIFYING 6 kinds of social media scams The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter , text alerts and our YouTube channel . You can also follow us on Snapchat , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok . Learn More » Follow Us YouTube Snapchat Instagram Facebook TikTok Want something VERIFIED? Text: 202-410-8808
Cruise into this holiday season with a non-traditional vacationWASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president’s extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject. No decisions have been made, the people said, and it is possible Biden opts to do nothing at all. Pardons are historically afforded to those accused of specific crimes – and usually those who have already been convicted of an offense — but Biden’s team is considering issuing them for those who have not even been investigated, let alone charged. They fear that Trump and his allies, who have boasted of enemies lists and exacting “retribution,” could launch investigations that would be reputationally and financially costly for their targets even if they don’t result in prosecutions. While the president’s pardon power is absolute, Biden’s use in this fashion would mark a significant expansion of how they are deployed, and some Biden aides fear it could lay the groundwork for an even more drastic usage by Trump. They also worry that issuing pardons would feed into claims by Trump and his allies that the individuals committed acts that necessitated immunity. Recipients could include infectious-disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was instrumental in combating the coronavirus pandemic and who has become a pariah to conservatives angry about mask mandates and vaccines. Others include witnesses in Trump’s criminal or civil trials and Biden administration officials who have drawn the ire of the incoming president and his allies. Some fearful former officials have reached out to the Biden White House preemptively seeking some sort of protection from the future Trump administration, one of the people said. It follows Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter — not just for his convictions on federal gun and tax violations, but for any potential federal offense committed over an 11-year period, as the president feared that Trump allies would seek to prosecute his son for other offenses. That could serve as a model for other pardons Biden might issue to those who could find themselves in legal jeopardy under Trump. Biden is not the first to consider such pardons — Trump aides considered them for him and his supporters involved in his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that culminated in a violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But he could be the first to issue them since Trump’s pardons never materialized before he left office nearly four years ago. Gerald Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” in 1974 to his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. He believed a potential trial would “cause prolonged and divisive debate over the propriety of exposing to further punishment and degradation a man who has already paid the unprecedented penalty of relinquishing the highest elective office of the United States,” as written in the pardon proclamation. Politico was first to report that Biden was studying the use of preemptive pardons. On the campaign trail, Trump made no secret of his desire to seek revenge on those who prosecuted him or crossed him. Trump has talked about “enemies from within” and circulated social media posts that call for the jailing of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. He also zeroed in on former Rep. Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris and helped investigate Jan. 6, and he promoted a social media post that suggested he wanted military tribunals for supposed treason. Kash Patel, whom Trump has announced as his nominee to be director of the FBI, has listed dozens of former government officials he wanted to “come after.” Richard Painter, a Trump critic who served as the top White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said he was reluctantly in support of having Biden issue sweeping pardons to people who could be targeted by Trump’s administration. He said he hoped that would “clean the slate” for the incoming president and encourage him to focus on governing, not on punishing his political allies. “It’s not an ideal situation at all,” Painter said. “We have a whole lot of bad options confronting us at this point.” While the Supreme Court this year ruled that the president enjoys broad immunity from prosecution for what could be considered official acts, his aides and allies enjoy no such shield. Some fear that Trump could use the promise of a blanket pardon to encourage his allies to take actions they might otherwise resist for fear of running afoul of the law. “There could be blatant illegal conduct over the next four years, and he can go out and pardon his people before he leaves office,” Painter said. “But if he’s going to do that, he’s going to do that anyway regardless of what Biden does.” More conventional pardons from Biden, such as those for sentencing disparities for people convicted of federal crimes, are expected before the end of the year, the White House said.
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Tommy Banks, who owns two restaurants and a pub in North Yorkshire, posted on Instagram on Monday morning to say his van with £25,000 of stock in the back had been taken from just outside Ripon. Mr Banks said in the video that the stock – including steak and ale, turkey and butternut squash pies, as well as gravy and custard – was for York Christmas Market. A post shared by Tommy Banks (@tommybanks) He urged the thieves to drop the pies somewhere such as a community centre, adding “I know you’re a criminal, but maybe just do something nice because it’s Christmas and maybe we can feed a few thousand people with these pies that you’ve stolen, do the right thing”. Mr Banks also asked anyone who is offered pies from someone who is not him to report them to the police. North Yorkshire Police said it had been informed of the theft and asked anyone with information to get in touch, the BBC reported. Mr Banks’s video contained the caption: “So @matthewalockwood went into @madeinoldstead this morning to pick up the van and it has been stolen. “These guys had loaded up the van with stock for @tommyspieshop today and left plugged in overnight. “I’m guessing the thieves didn’t realise they were stealing 2,500 pies along with the van! The pies are all in boxes with my name on so not very easy to sell. “If you are the thieves and read this I urge you to drop the pies off somewhere. So we can at least give them to people who need food and they are not wasted.” Mr Banks told the PA news agency: “What was really making me sad this morning, I thought suddenly they’re going to realise what’s in the back and ditch the food. “We talk about zero waste and when you’ve got just short of a tonne of food that’s probably been ditched, it would be good if it could find its way to people who need it.” He added that his team were “much less bothered about the van as they’re bothered about the pies” as it was a week’s worth of stock. The chef said they are planning to create a chicken pie this week and one of his team came up with the name “bandit butter chicken pie”, as he said the situation was “all a bit Home Alone – at Christmas with the pie bandit stealing our pies”.AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:04 p.m. ESTNFL ends investigation into sexual assault allegations against Browns QB Deshaun WatsonOne night last month, near the end of the Chicago International Film Festival, a particularly long line of moviegoers snaked down Southport Avenue by the Music Box Theatre. The hot ticket? This fall’s hottest ticket, in fact, all over the international festival circuit? Well, it’s a 215-minute drama about a fictional Hungarian Jewish architect who emigrates to America in 1947 after surviving the Holocaust. The film’s title, “The Brutalist,” references several things, firstly a post-World War II design imperative made of stern concrete, steel, and a collision of poetry and functionality. Director and co-writer Brady Corbet, who wrote “The Brutalist” with his filmmaker wife, Mona Fastvold, explores brutalism in other forms as well, including love, envy, capitalist economics and how the promise of America eludes someone like the visionary architect László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody. Corbet, now 36 and a good bet for Oscar nominations this coming January, says his unfashionable sprawl of a picture, being distributed by A24, is also about the “strange relationship between artist and patron, and art and commerce.” It co-stars Felicity Jones as the visionary architect’s wife, Erzsébet, trapped in Eastern Europe after the war with their niece for an agonizingly long time. Guy Pearce portrays the imperious Philadelphia blueblood who hires Tóth, a near-invisible figure in his adopted country, to design a monumental public building known as the Institute in rural Pennsylvania. The project becomes an obsession, then a breaking point and then something else. Corbet’s project, which took the better part of a decade to come together after falling apart more than once, felt like that, too. Spanning five decades and filmed in Hungary and Italy, “The Brutalist” looks like a well-spent $50 million project. In actuality, it was made for a mere $10 million, with Corbet and cinematographer Lol Crawley shooting on film, largely in the VistaVision process. The filmmaker said at the Chicago festival screening: “Who woulda thunk that for screening after screening over the last couple of months, people stood in line around the block to get into a three-and-a-half-hour movie about a mid-century designer?” He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with Fastvold and their daughter. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Q: Putting together an independent movie, keeping it on track, getting it made: not easy, as you told the Music Box audience last night. Money is inevitably going to be part of the story of “The Brutalist,” since you had only so much to make a far-flung historical epic. A: Yeah, that’s right. In relation to my earlier features, “The Childhood of a Leader” had a $3 million budget. The budget for “Vox Lux” was right around $10 million, same as “The Brutalist,” although the actual production budget for “Vox Lux” was about $4.5 million. Which is to say: All the money on top of that was going to all the wrong places. For a lot of reasons, when my wife and I finished the screenplay for “The Brutalist,” we ruled out scouting locations in Philadelphia or anywhere in the northeastern United States. We needed to (film) somewhere with a lot less red tape. My wife’s previous film, “The World to Come,” she made in Romania; we shot “Childhood of a Leader” in Hungary. For “The Brutalist” we initially landed on Poland, but this was early on in COVID and Poland shut its borders the week our crew was arriving for pre-production. When we finally got things up and running again with a different iteration of the cast (the original ensemble was to star Joel Edgerton, Marion Cotillard and Mark Rylance), after nine months, the movie fell apart again because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We couldn’t get any of the banks to cash-flow the tax credit (for location shooting in Poland). It’s completely stable now, but at that time the banks were nervous about whether the war would be contained to Ukraine or not. And then we finally got it up and running in Budapest, Hungary. Q: That’s a long time. A: Every filmmaker I know suffers from some form of post-traumatic stress (laughs). It sounds funny but it’s true. At every level. On the level of independent cinema, you’re just so damn poor. You’re not making any money, and yet from nose to tail, at minimum, a movie always takes a couple of years. With bigger projects, you might have a little more personal security but a lot less creative security with so many more cooks in the kitchen. Either route you choose, it can be an arduous and painful one. Whether you’re making a movie for a million dollars, or $10 million, or $100 million, it’s still “millions of dollars.” And if you’re concerned about the lives and livelihoods of the people working with you, it’s especially stressful. People are constantly calling you: “Is it happening? Are we starting? Should I take this other job or not?” And you have 250 people who need that answer from you. Every iteration of the project, I always thought we were really about to start in a week, two weeks. It’s just very challenging interpersonally. It’s an imposition for everyone in your life. And then there’s the imposition of screening a movie that’s three-and-a-half-hours long for film festivals, where it’s difficult to find that kind of real estate on the schedule. So essentially, making a movie means constantly apologizing. Q: At what point in your acting career did you take a strong interest in what was going on behind the camera? A: I was making short films when I was 11, 12 years old. The first thing I ever made more properly, I guess, was a short film I made when I was 18, “Protect You + Me,” shot by (cinematographer) Darius Khondji. It was supposed to be part of a triptych of films, and I went to Paris for the two films that followed it. And then all the financing fell through. But that first one screened at the London film festival, and won a prize at Sundance, and I was making music videos and other stuff by then. Q: You’ve written a lot of screenplays with your wife. How many? A: Probably 25. We work a lot for other people, too. I think we’ve done six together for our own projects. Sometimes I’ll start something at night and my wife will finish in the morning. Sometimes we work very closely together, talking and typing together. It’s always different. Right now I’m writing a lot on the road, and my wife is editing her film, which is a musical we wrote, “Ann Lee,” about the founder of the Shakers. I’m working on my next movie now, which spans a lot of time, like “The Brutalist,” with a lot of locations. And I need to make sure we can do it for not a lot of money, because it’s just not possible to have a lot of money and total autonomy. For me making a movie is like cooking. If everyone starts coming in and throwing a dash of this or that in the pot, it won’t work out. A continuity of vision is what I look for when I read a novel. Same with watching a film. A lot of stuff out there today, appropriately referred to as “content,” has more in common with a pair of Nikes than it does with narrative cinema. Q: Yeah, I can’t imagine a lot of Hollywood executives who’d sign off on “The Brutalist.” A: Well, even with our terrific producing team, I mean, everyone was up for a three-hour movie but we were sort of pushing it with three-and-a-half (laughs). I figured, worst-case scenario, it opens on a streamer. Not what I had in mind, but people watch stuff that’s eight, 12 hours long all the time. They get a cold, they watch four seasons of “Succession.” (A24 is releasing the film in theaters, gradually.) It was important for all of us to try to capture an entire century’s worth of thinking about design with “The Brutalist.” For me, making something means expressing a feeling I have about our history. I’ve described my films as poetic films about politics, that go to places politics alone cannot reach. It’s one thing to say something like “history repeats itself.” It’s another thing to make people see that, and feel it. I really want viewers to engage with the past, and the trauma of that history can be uncomfortable, or dusty, or dry. But if you can make it something vital, and tangible, the way great professors can do for their students, that’s my definition of success. “The Brutalist” opens in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 20. The Chicago release is Jan. 10, 2025. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
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