Crime rate rising, public safety declining in Cong rule: Harish
The Titans have issues to fix and hope to keep slim playoff hopes alive when they host the JagsNone
Extracts from her upcoming book reveal that Angela Merkel viewed Brexit as a “humiliation” for the remaining EU members. The former German Chancellor played a mediating role in the years leading up to Brexit , using her influence to try and help David Cameron obtain the concessions he believed he needed to convince his party and the British people that the country’s future was within the union. She writes: “I tried wherever possible to help David Cameron . He insisted on a seven-year EU budget , which would at the very least show no growth in comparison to the previous one, but which included plans for higher expenditure on research and innovation. “This was an attack on all the recipient countries who received more money from the EU budget than they contributed, and who were now going to have less money at their disposal for their economic development.” Merkel believes that the referendum’s roots date all the way back to 2005, when a young David Cameron promised as part of his Conservative leadership campaign to “leave the European People’s Party because it was too pro-EU.” She said: “Seven years later, in January 2013, he announced in a speech that if he were to win the next general election and be re-elected as prime minister, a referendum would be held on the UK’s membership of the EU during the first half of the subsequent parliamentary session. “He himself was in favour of remaining, but he was attempting to gain the votes of the sceptics. “With this promise he succeeded in emerging victorious from the election on May 7, 2015, but his rivals within the party wouldn’t let it rest; on the contrary.” The former Chancellor believes that the intervention of Boris Johnso n, who eventually pledged his support and political weight behind the leave campaign was crucial in deciding the outcome of the election. She said: “ Boris Johnson , one of his most influential competitors in the power struggle for leadership of the Conservative Party, decided, against Cameron’s hope, to support the UK’s exit from the EU in the 2016 referendum campaign. “This gave the EU opponents’ campaign the decisive boost. They prevailed. “ Ms Merkel reveals the torment she faced over whether she could have done more to prevent it. She reflects: “I came to the conclusion that, in the face of the political developments taking place at the time within the country, there wouldn’t have been any reasonable way of my preventing the UK’s path out of the European Union as an outsider. “Even with the best political will, mistakes of the past could not be undone — this was a bitter lesson. “And so all that remained for me was the hope that the UK and the EU would maintain a sense of mutual appreciation, and that when it came to important matters, they would find ways and means of engaging in dialogue that led to harmonious agreement.”
Liverpool crush sorry Real Madrid as Conor Bradley puts Mbappe in his pocket and Mac Allister shinesSome investors want to swing for the fences. That might be OK to try with a small amount of fun money, especially when you are young. But that kind of investing has a low probability of success, albeit with a high potential reward. On the other hand, building a nest egg for retirement is best done over time and with a diversified portfolio. So if I had to choose just a single stock to buy and hold, it would be the one and only Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK.A -0.39% ) ( BRK.B -0.56% ) . That's because you get not only a diversified group of stocks chosen by one of the best investing minds of all time, but also a unique set of diversified operating businesses. Yes, Warren Buffett is diversified Berkshire stock immediately gives you ownership in a wide array of individual stocks. Buffett has steered the company over decades into the portfolio that the company holds today. As of its most recently filed Form 13F , the company listed over 40 individual equities worth about $300 billion. Some may then wonder why they should bother buying Berkshire stock when they can just get a mix of the overall stock market by owning index mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) . In fact, in addition to the individual stocks, Berkshire also holds two different S&P 500 index ETFs in its portfolio. With Berkshire Hathaway, though, you get full-time management and oversight. That has led to the company making very successful investments in five Japanese industrial conglomerates that aren't in any U.S. index. Berkshire owns about 9% of each of the five, including recognizable names Mitsubishi and Mitsui . Investors also get more than just the equity portfolio . The market sector breakdown of that portfolio is shown here. Note that two of the 11 sectors, utilities and real estate, show no stock holdings. Berkshire has exposure to utilities and real estate through its operating businesses. Berkshire's growing operating earnings While the company only owns portions of the businesses represented in its equity portfolio, Berkshire has full ownership of multiple operating businesses in various sectors. Those include Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE), a utility that generates, transmits, and supplies energy; as well as major North American rail operator Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Other large businesses are Berkshire's insurance and reinsurance businesses, its HomeServices of America residential real estate brokerage firm, and various manufacturing and building products businesses. Berkshire shareholders should appreciate owning these successful businesses as operating earnings have increased from $27.6 billion in 2021 to $30.9 billion in 2022, and $37.4 billion in 2023. Managing expectations That helps explain why Berkshire stock has outpaced the S&P 500 by more than double over the last five years. That's also helped the company reach a record-high level of cash and equivalents on its balance sheet. But Warren Buffett and his younger investment managers, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, don't currently see a place to spend much of that $325 billion. Berkshire has grown so much that investors should have tempered expectations for future performance. In the last annual report, Buffett himself said, "All in all, we have no possibility of eye-popping performance." That doesn't mean Berkshire Hathaway should be avoided, though. It's a holding that can anchor most any retirement portfolio. Shareholders can take the same approach Buffett has concerning returns that may not be explosive. He stated, "Nevertheless, managing Berkshire is mostly fun and always interesting." So is owning Berkshire stock .NoneNone
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anze Kopitar scored twice, Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist, and the Los Angeles Kings got their seventh straight home win by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on Sunday night. Kevin Fiala and Warren Foegele also scored for the Kings, who trailed 4-2 midway through the second period before rebounding to sweep a back-to-back after in overtime on Saturday. David Rittich made 17 saves. Kopitar was in the right place to redirect Quinton Byfield's rebound in and tie it at 4 early in the third, before following it up by chopping in Kempe's shot during a power play at 8:55 for the 5-4 lead. Matvei Michkov had a goal and an assist for the Flyers after being benched for the third period . Tyson Foerster, Scott Laughton and Joel Farabee also scored, and Aleksei Kolosov made 15 saves. Takeaways Flyers: Michkov responded well after some tough coaching from John Tortorella, ending a seven-game point drought. Kings: Kopitar is 19 seasons into his Kings career but shows no signs of slowing down. He is up to 12 goals and 27 assists through 36 games. Key moment Foegele showed good composure in following up his rebound on a breakaway with 4:56 left in the second, getting the Kings back within 4-3 and setting the stage for Kopitar's final-period heroics. Key stat Los Angeles is a resilient bunch, improving to 8-7-1 when allowing the first goal. Up Next The Flyers visit San Jose on Tuesday, and the Kings host New Jersey on Wednesday. ___ AP NHL: Dan Greenspan, The Associated Press
ADDISON, Texas, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CECO Environmental Corp. (Nasdaq: CECO) (together with its consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates, "CECO”), a leading environmentally focused, diversified industrial company whose solutions protect people, the environment and industrial equipment, announced today that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended ("HSR”), applicable to CECO's tender offer for Profire Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: PFIE) ("PFIE”) expired at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on November 15, 2024. The expiration of the HSR waiting period satisfies one of the conditions to consummate the tender offer. Other conditions remain to be satisfied, including, among others, a minimum tender of shares of common stock of PFIE representing a majority of the total number of outstanding shares of common stock of PFIE. Unless the tender offer is extended, the offer and withdrawal rights will expire at one minute after 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on December 31, 2024. ABOUT CECO ENVIRONMENTAL CECO Environmental is a leading environmentally focused, diversified industrial company, serving a broad landscape of industrial air, industrial water, and energy transition markets across the globe through its key business segments: Engineered Systems and Industrial Process Solutions. Providing innovative technology and application expertise, CECO helps companies grow their business with safe, clean, and more efficient solutions that help protect people, the environment and industrial equipment. In regions around the world, CECO works to improve air quality, optimize the energy value chain, and provide custom solutions for applications including power generation, petrochemical processing, general industrial, refining, midstream oil and gas, electric vehicle production, polysilicon fabrication, battery recycling, beverage can, and water/wastewater treatment along with a wide range of other applications. CECO is listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "CECO.” Incorporated in 1966, CECO's global headquarters is in Addison, Texas. For more information, please visit www.cecoenviro.com . SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT Certain statements in this communication are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, both as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking statements” provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements contained in this communication, other than statements of historical fact, including statements about management's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such. These statements are made on the basis of management's views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance. We use words such as "believe,” "expect,” "anticipate,” "intends,” "estimate,” "forecast,” "project,” "will,” "plan,” "should” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Potential risks and uncertainties, among others, that could cause actual results to differ materially are discussed under "Item 1A. Risk Factors” of CECO's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in CECO's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and include, but are not limited to: Important Additional Information Will be Filed with the SEC This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell common stock of PFIE or any other securities. This communication is for informational purposes only. The tender offer transaction commenced by a subsidiary of CECO is being made pursuant to a tender offer statement on Schedule TO (including the Offer to Purchase, a related Letter of Transmittal and other offer materials) filed by such affiliates of CECO with the SEC. In addition, PFIE will file a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC related to the tender offer. The offer to purchase shares of PFIE' common stock is only being made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and related offer materials filed as a part of the tender offer statement on Schedule TO, in each case as amended from time to time. THE TENDER OFFER MATERIALS (INCLUDING THE OFFER TO PURCHASE, THE RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND OTHER MATERIALS) AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14D-9 CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. PRIOR TO MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING THE TENDER OFFER, PFIE STOCKHOLDERS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO CAREFULLY READ THESE DOCUMENTS, AS FILED AND AS THEY MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME, WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. PFIE stockholders will be able to obtain the tender offer statement on Schedule TO (including the Offer to Purchase, a related Letter of Transmittal and other offer materials) and the related solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 at no charge on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, the tender offer statement on Schedule TO (including the Offer to Purchase, a related Letter of Transmittal and other offer materials) and the related solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 may be obtained free of charge from D.F. King & Co., Inc. 48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor New York, New York 10005, Telephone Number (866) 342-4881. Company Contact: Peter Johansson Chief Financial and Strategy Officer 888-990-6670 Investor Relations Contact: Steven Hooser and Jean Marie Young Three Part Advisors 214-872-2710 [email protected]
NoneMichelle Keegan is pregnant. The 37-year-old actress has taken to social media to announce that she's expecting her first child with her husband Mark Wright. Alongside a photo of Michelle cradling her growing baby bump, she wrote on Instagram: "2025 is going to be a special one for us... [star emojis] (sic)" Mark, 37 - who first found fame as a reality TV star - has also shared the same post on his own Instagram page. The loved-up couple have been married since 2015, but Michelle previously bemoaned being asked questions about her family plans, insisting that it was "no one else’s business". The actress told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "It’s horrible. People don’t know if we’re trying. They don’t know the background of what’s happening." Michelle suggested that there was a sexist element to the line of questioning, too. She said: "In this day and age, you shouldn't be asking questions like that. "I'm asked purely because I'm a woman. I'm immune to it now - it's like a reaction, and as soon as I hear it I brush it off as it's no one else's business." Prior to that, Mark admitted that he was keen to become a dad one day. However, the TV star acknowledged that their careers would often get in the way of their family plans, He told The Sun newspaper: "We say we're going to try [for a baby] every year but something comes up with work. "So it'll be Michelle filming in South Africa and then I got the job in Los Angeles - so we think, right, we'll try next year. "With kids, I used to want three or four. But now, I'm 31, we're not having kids any time before 32. "I think we could have two or three. Twins would be great because you're getting two out of the way at once."
179 people dead as plane crashes in South Korea
Retiring Naeher is proud of her achievements and looking forward to USWNT's next generation
Mississippi blows opportunity at making the College Football Playoff with Florida lossWest Virginia knocks off No. 3 Gonzaga 86-78 in overtime in the Battle 4 Atlantis
As U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher looked ahead to the next Women's World Cup in 2027, she calculated what that would look like at her age. Now 36, she already has a World Cup title and won an Olympic gold medal this year in France. She considered the mental, physical and emotional toll of a new cycle and decided it was time to step away . “Honestly, I think I’ve been somebody that has given everything I’ve had to this team. I don’t do anything halfway. It’s kind of, if you can give 100% to it, then keep going," she said. “With that in mind, I kind of just felt like this was the right time coming off of the Olympics, having the year that we had, entering into a new cycle, a new stage for this team.” Naeher is the latest veteran to announce she's stepping down from the national team as the next generation takes over under coach Emma Hayes. Among those who have wrapped up their soccer careers in the past couple of years include World Cup winners Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Kelley O'Hara and Ali Krieger. Naeher will be with the team for two more matches in the coming week. The Americans play England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday and then the Netherlands in The Hague on Tuesday. Naeher said she's excited about the next generation of goalkeepers. In addition to Naeher, Mandy Haught of the Utah Royals and Phallon Tullis-Joyce of Manchester United are on the roster for the upcoming matches. Other goalkeepers who have been on recent rosters include Casey Murphy and Jane Campbell. “I think the beauty of goalkeeping is that it’s not really a one-size-fits-all kind of position," she said. "The more that you can understand — that's going to be the challenge any young goalkeeper coming up, is really taking the time to understand what your strengths are and make them really, really elite and separate yourself.” Naeher spoke on Wednesday from London after announcing her retirement on social media Monday . Naeher made her senior debut with the national team in 2014 and was a backup to Hope Solo at the 2015 World Cup, which the United States won. She became the team’s regular starter following the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and was on the squad that repeated as World Cup winners in 2019. Naeher won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 before the U.S. earned gold this year in Paris. She made a key one-handed save in stoppage time to preserve the Americans’ 1-0 victory over Brazil in the Olympic final. For her career, Naeher has appeared 113 games with 110 starts, 88 wins and 68 shutouts. She had four shutouts over the course of the Olympic tournament in France. While she's leaving the national team, she'll play one more year for her club team, the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women's Soccer League. “I hope that I can be remembered as a good teammate, as a competitor, as somebody that was looked on as someone that could be relied upon on the field and supported those players around me,” she said. “I think it’s just been a really special team to be a part of. And I’m very proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the years.” AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerColts coach Shane Steichen feeling heat after playoff elimination
Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow record
ATLANTA — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors. He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners. He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian, would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015. “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.”
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Ange Postecoglou ‘determined to get it right’ after Spurs lose at BournemouthAutomation That Makes a Difference SUNRISE, Fla. , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to diagnostic imaging, every second counts. That's why Bright Light Imaging has joined forces with Alpha Nodus to revolutionize how they handle prior authorizations. By adopting Gravity Auth , Alpha Nodus's powerful automation platform, Bright Light Imaging has eliminated the red tape slowing down their workflows. The result? Faster approvals, happier staff, and, most importantly, better care for their patients. Let's face it: Prior authorizations can be a headache. Mountains of paperwork, endless phone calls, and delays in patient care—sound familiar? For both Dr. Ramit and Resham Mendi , Medical Directors of Bright Light Imaging , this partnership has been nothing short of a revelation. "Gravity Auth has completely changed the game for us," they said. "It used to take hours—sometimes even days—to navigate the prior authorization process. Now, it's handled seamlessly, often in just minutes. We're getting results to our patients faster, and that's what really matters." The integration wasn't just efficient—it was a breeze. According to Kevin Nowaczyk , Bright Light Imaging's IT Director , "The process was so smooth, it honestly surprised me. Alpha Nodus's team walked us through every step, and we were up and running in no time. Now, we're seeing fewer errors, faster turnarounds, and less stress on our staff. It's a win all around." "Advanced Data Systems (ADS) is proud to have fully integrated our MedicsRIS with Alpha Nodus to provide advanced automated prior authorizations for our mutual client, Bright Light Imaging," said Steve Hamburg , ADS Director of RIS Sales and Development at Advanced Data Systems . " Alpha Nodus is an outstanding solution, and the positive feedback from Bright Light Imaging has been fantastic. This successful collaboration between our three organizations has resulted in better, faster care for patients, and that is what ultimately matters most." This kind of success is exactly why Alpha Nodus built Gravity Auth in the first place. Shamit Patel , CEO of Alpha Nodus , explained, "Bright Light Imaging isn't just a customer—they're an example of what's possible when technology meets ambition. Automation is about empowering people to do their best work, enhancing their capabilities and allowing them to focus on more meaningful tasks. With Gravity Auth, their team can focus on delivering exceptional care while the technology handles the rest. We are thrilled about this engagement. When we collaborate, patients win. Open interfaces and collaborations between organizations like ours and our partners are the key to achieving better, faster care for patients." How Automation Transforms Patient Care Think about it: In the high-stakes world of diagnostic imaging, delays can mean the difference between a quick diagnosis and prolonged uncertainty for patients. By automating the prior authorization process, Bright Light Imaging is removing barriers and ensuring patients get the care they need without unnecessary delays. What does that look like in practice? Imagine a busy morning with multiple urgent imaging requests. Instead of staff scrambling to collect documentation and spend hours on the phone with insurance companies, Gravity Auth steps in. It verifies eligibility, gathers clinical notes, and submits authorizations—all in real time. The team can breathe easier, knowing the system is working behind the scenes to keep everything moving smoothly. For Bright Light Imaging, this isn't just about efficiency. It's about staying ahead in a competitive industry and keeping their commitment to patient-first care. About Alpha Nodus Alpha Nodus specializes in creating smart, intuitive solutions for healthcare providers. Their flagship product, Gravity Auth, simplifies complex workflows, helping providers automate, accelerate, and amplify operations. To learn more, visit www.alphanodus.com . About Bright Light Imaging Bright Light Imaging is known for delivering state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging services with a human touch. By combining cutting-edge technology with a commitment to excellence, they continue to set the gold standard in patient care. Find out more at www.brightlightimaging.com . About Advanced Data Systems Since 1977, clients have relied on the ADS team and our intelligent automation solutions and services. The MedicsCloud Suite, and MedicsRIS for radiology, ADS's latest generation of rules driven financial, revenue cycle, practice management, clinical charting and reporting, and mobility/engagement platforms, are used by clients to produce maximized revenue and efficiency for their practices, groups, and enterprise networks. To learn more, visit https://www.adsc.com Media Contact: Alpha Nodus info@alphanodus.com 1-888-625-7420 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bright-light-imaging-leverages-alpha-noduss-gravity-auth-enhanced-by-integration-with-adss-medicsris-to-streamline-patient-care-302313533.html SOURCE Alpha Nodus , Inc.This top Silicon Valley CEO says AI reminds him of dot-com bubble, claims OpenAI could disappear one day