EDITORIAL: The place where jokes go to die
A Lancaster County District Court judge on Wednesday denied a request to issue an order preventing Gov. Jim Pillen from issuing a proclamation declaring a pair of medical marijuana petitions successful. Judge Susan Strong overruled a motion for a temporary restraining order from Edward Greim, a Kansas City attorney representing former state Sen. John Kuehn in a lawsuit seeking to stop the initiatives from taking effect . "Primarily, I do not feel there is about to be immediate and irreparable harm," Strong said near the end of a 40-minute Zoom hearing. "I also find the public interest does not favor issuance of the injunction." Kuehn sued Pillen on Tuesday, arguing that by declaring the initiatives had taken effect, he would be violating federal law, which still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. The lawsuit also said Initiative 438, which would create a commission charged with regulating medical marijuana, violated the separation of powers clause in the state constitution, which grants the Legislature power to create new agencies. After denying the temporary restraining order, Strong said she would not rule on the merits of Kuehn's lawsuit. "I think everyone would like a chance to more fully research the issues, and we'll deal with those as they are raised by the parties in future motions," she said. Under the Nebraska State Constitution, Pillen must issue a proclamation no later than 10 days after the election is certified by the State Board of Canvassers, meaning that action could come as late as Thursday. This is a developing story. Check back with JournalStar.com for the latest. Miami's Flormarie Heredia Colon (left) and Ashley Carr celebrate a point against South Dakota State during an NCAA first-round match, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center. Workers pull up the Capitol Christmas tree on Monday at the Capitol. The 22-foot Colorado spruce from Walton was selected by the Office of the Capitol Commission to be this year’s annual Christmas tree. Jenni Watson helps to arrange chairs for New Covenant Community Church's first service in their repaired main auditorium on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, at New Covenant Community Church. New Covenant Community Church is nearing completion of six months of reconstruction project after a fire in May damages the church. While the building was not fully consumed by fire, there was significant water damage to the main auditorium and the first floor south wing. Jack, the dog, lifts his leg on the Christmas tree that his owners David and Karen Petersen of Hickman chose as Max Novak helps them on Saturday at Prairie Woods tree farm in Hallam. Iowa's Drew Stevens (18) kicks a game-winning field goal through the arms of Nebraska's Ty Robinson (9) and Nash Hutmacher (0) on Friday at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. Lincoln Northwest senior Kynzee McFadden (top right) works with her teammates as they compete in an identifying game on the Anatomage Table on Tuesday at Lincoln Northwest High School. An Anatomage Table is a digital platform that allows students to perform virtual experiments on a life-size touchscreen. The table is a tool that provides an interactive view of the human body, allowing students to virtually work with different body parts. Dahlia Brandon of Lincoln tickles her 15-month-old daughter, Gema, with a stuffed animal while shopping at HobbyTown on Saturday. The toy and game store nearly doubled its sales on Black Friday from last year. Nebraska's Berke Büyüktuncel (left) and South Dakota's Max Burchill (3) reach for the ball during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Eddie Walters, dressed as the Grinch, leads the pack of runners along the Billy Wolff trail during the Santa Fun Run on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. Cicely Wardyn of Lincoln adjusts an outdoor heater next to a Nativity scene during the Hometown Christmas event Sunday at the Governor's Mansion. Nebraska plays against Florida A&M in an NCAA tournament game on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Fourth grade student Lulu Kulwick carries her review worksheet to meet with her teacher during computer science class. Each student was asked to analyze how fun, challenging and easy to understand each game was, and discuss what they thought was a good aspect to the game, and what could use some work. Ben Heppner is illuminated by morning light as he waits for the start of the Santa Fun Run on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, inside the Fleet Feet store. Nebraska head coach Amy Williams (left) and Callin Hake (14) cheer for their team after a defensive stop during the third quarter of the game against Minnesota on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Members of the Lincoln Journal Star's 2024 Super State volleyball team compete in Dance Dance Revolution and air hockey while at a photo shoot on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, at Round 1 Arcade. Lincoln North Star's J'Shawn Afun (10) and Mekhi Wayne-Browne (11) battle Lincoln Southeast's Jaydee Dongrin (21) for a rebound in the first half on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, at Lincoln Southeast High School. Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com . On Bluesky @chrisdunker.bsky.social We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.SANTA CLARA, Calif. — At this point the past two seasons, the San Francisco 49ers were fighting for playoff positioning rather than their playoff lives. After snapping a three-game losing streak with a lopsided win last week against Chicago, the Niners head into a Thursday night division showdown against the Los Angeles Rams hoping to play with the same kind of desperation in a game they almost certainly need to win to get to the postseason. "I think just across the board as a team, everybody had just a bit more of sense of urgency and I think we executed and played together as a team, and we didn't let off," quarterback Brock Purdy said. "Really liked that. But, that was last week so now it's on to this week and how can we do that again?" After getting outscored by 53 points in losses at Green Bay and Buffalo, the 49ers (6-7) played their most complete game of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive. While some credited a feeling of desperation or speeches from players such as Purdy and Deommodore Lenoir for the turnaround, linebacker Fred Warner said it was more about execution than anything else. "We didn't go out there in Green Bay, we didn't go out there in Buffalo saying, 'Let's just hope that we win.' Trust me, I felt desperate as hell going into both those games," he said. "It just didn't work out. ... It didn't happen because last week we decided we wanted to. This was weeks in the making." Whatever the reason, the results were obvious to anyone watching, including the Rams (7-6), who had their own signature performance to boost their playoff chances. Los Angeles held off Buffalo 44-42 to remain one game behind Seattle in the NFC West race and a game ahead of the 49ers and Arizona in the tightly packed division. Coach Sean McVay knows his team will need a similar performance to beat San Francisco and earn a season sweep. "I saw they certainly had a very dominant performance," he said. "If there's anything that you do know, it's a week-to-week league. Humility is only a week away. They have excellent coaches, excellent personnel and really good schemes. No matter what's really happened in terms of the trajectory of the injuries, they're going to be ready to go." Puka Nacua is in dominant form with 33 catches for 458 yards and three TDs in the Rams' past four games, highlighted by a 162-yard performance last week against Buffalo in which he also scored his first rushing TD. Nacua was injured for these clubs' first meeting this season — but last year, he broke the NFL's single-game rookie receptions record with 15 in his first game against San Francisco, and he set the NFL rookie season records for catches and yards receiving during his visit to Santa Clara last January. "He's a tough football player," 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said. "Some guys are just competitive. He's got size, he doesn't go down easy. Some things you can't measure and he's just got it." The least productive four-game stretch of Deebo Samuel's career sent the frustrated wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers to social media. In a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Samuel said the reason he gained only 97 yards from scrimmage the past four games was not that he was struggling but that he wasn't getting the ball. His teammates and coaches believe he will get back to his All-Pro form soon. "I want to get Deebo the ball every play if I could," Purdy said. "I want to have him break all the records as best as possible. I want Deebo to do Deebo things." The Rams defense got shredded twice in the past three weeks by Saquon Barkley's Eagles and Josh Allen's Bills, dropping the unit to 27th in total defense. LA's vaunted young pass rush led by rookie Jared Verse has no sacks in its past two games and just three in the past four games. Considering Purdy drove the Niners to 425 yards in the teams' first meeting this season without Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle or Samuel, the Rams' offense might need yet another prolific game to overcome its defense's weaknesses. With Nick Bosa sidelined the past three games, the 49ers have had to generate pass rushes from different sources. They had a season-high seven sacks last week with Yetur Gross-Matos getting three and Leonard Floyd two. The 32-year-old Floyd has 5 1/2 sacks in his past four games. "Leonard's just an Energizer bunny," Shanahan said. "It's crazy with him being one of the older guys and stuff and how many different teams he's been to, but I've played against him enough and felt that." Bosa has a chance to return this week and is listed as questionable. AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Christopher Nolan’s next film is based on ‘The Odyssey’
The North Dakota Legislature is preparing to give newer lawmakers an experience boost during the upcoming legislative session, with term limits expected to turn over about half the lawmakers in 2028. Lawmakers are meeting for the organizational session of the Legislature through Wednesday. Newly elected officials are receiving training on the legislative basics, their laptops and their committee designations. The committee assignments could provide a quicker path into leadership roles than in the past, said House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson. “I remember when I was a freshman, it was an overwhelming experience. It’s a lot to take in, in a very short period of time,” he told the North Dakota Monitor . The House might appoint multiple vice chairs to some committees to give more lawmakers experience in helping steer a committee. Lefor added he might open up the committee leadership meetings to more lawmakers so they can observe the process. Under the term limits measure, North Dakota lawmakers can’t serve more than eight years in the state House and eight years in the state Senate, which would limit new lawmakers to four legislative sessions. The sessions are held every two years. North Dakota voters approved term limits in 2022. “I was elected majority (leader) in my fifth session and I was blessed to have a lot of people around me that had a tremendous amount of experience,” Lefor said. “But, if you look in the future, you might see more leadership that is only there for one session.” Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, R-Minot, said the Senate will continue to appoint multiple vice chairs to committees and is planning on putting some newer lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee to gain more budget experience. “It’s always helpful to have knowledge of what we’ve done with the budget in the past and what the agencies have told the legislative branch so they have a base of continuity in terms of the budget,” Hogue said. New lawmakers filled out a survey about their interests and what they would like their first committee assignments to be, Lefor said. The Committee on Committees uses those responses to provide recommendations for assignments to each chamber’s leadership. North Dakota House Minority Leader Zachary Ista, D-Grand Forks, said incoming lawmakers might not have the time that previous legislators had to get their feet under them. “We need folks to become subject matter experts in short order because they only have a short time to leave their stamp on those subjects,” he said. Ista said having multiple vice chairs for committees to broaden the experience pool would be a good idea. He also proposed that having more experienced legislators in a vice chair role could provide guidance to less-experienced committee chairs. Ista said he’s not too worried about the first term-limit turnover coming in 2028 because he believes it is on the radar of every lawmaker in leadership. “No doubt, there’s going to be a loss of institutional knowledge and there is going to be a risk of that knowledge and power shifting to the executive branch or to interest groups that are around the Capitol,” Ista said. “But ultimately, I think this is one of those issues where the voters made their judgment and it’s one we can respect and honor just as long as we are doing our best to prepare for it.” Rep.-elect Collette Brown, D-Warwick, said she feels the pressure to get up to speed quickly. Brown, a former lobbyist with experience watching previous legislative sessions behind the brass railing on the chamber floors, said she’s been relying on her fellow District 9 Dem-NPL running mate, Rep. Jayme Davis, D-Rolette, for advice on being an effective lawmaker. She also said she’d like to be mentored by a more seasoned legislator to round out her experience. “Listening and watching, you don’t get to hear, you are not privy to those conversations on the other side of the railing,” Brown said. “So, I am looking forward to finding a good mentor who will be real with me.” Lefor said there were so many lawmakers willing to help out with the mentorship program he could have assigned two or three legislators to each of the new representatives. Hogue said he encourages senior members of committees to mentor the committee freshmen, but those mentorships are informal. “I do a lot of it myself and, in fact, that’s one of the more enjoyable parts of the job,” Hogue said. “Just about everybody who runs has a passion for public policy ... but you may not be as well-informed about how to be successful in getting your policy adopted as law. And that’s part of the mentorship that I focus on.” Hogue said he believes Legislative Council staff will need to preserve some of the institutional knowledge of the Legislature going forward. Emily Thompson, legal division director for the Legislative Council, said training scheduled for the last day of the organizational session aims to help new committee chairs learn how to run an effective legislative committee. She said a similar training was held before the previous legislative session. “It was really a big hit having new chairmen be able to ask kind of those more seasoned chairmen like, ‘What do you do if somebody won’t go away from the microphone and it’s been 30 minutes and you are way over time?’ Like, how you handle those situations?” Thompson said. She added sometimes legislators feel more comfortable asking questions of other lawmakers instead of the legislative staff. Legislative Council also made a new training document for incoming legislators with information such as explaining what a quorum is, and where to go in case of a tornado, Thompson said. When asked if North Dakotans should be worried about the impacts of legislative term limits going forward, Hogue said he’s worried. “And I don’t worry about a lot,” he said. “We’re adapting without waiting until it becomes a reality.” Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!The Prime Minister said the season was a time to remember the importance of “being there for one another”, including in “the more difficult times”. He also expressed hope for “peace, particularly in the Middle East as the birthplace of the Christmas story” amid spiralling conflict across the region. The message comes after a challenging first five months in office for the Labour Government and against the backdrop of a flatlining economy and rising inflation. Sir Keir said: “This Christmas, people will be travelling up and down the country. Heading home, visiting relatives and loved ones to celebrate together the hope and joy of this special season. “It’s a time to remind ourselves what’s really important. Family. Friendship. And fellowship between all people. “Being there for one another – in these celebrations, as well as the more difficult times.” To our military and veterans, the whole nation thanks you for the sacrifices you make to keep us safe. My government will serve you as you have served your country. I wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. pic.twitter.com/LphMZog6np — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) December 22, 2024 The Prime Minister sought to strike an optimistic note following another year of political upheaval for Britain, which saw Labour win a landslide victory after a surprise election called by Rishi Sunak in the summer. After taking office in July, the new Government made a series of unpopular decisions as ministers confronted the realities of creaking public services and strained national finances. As well as dealing with the economic inheritance, Sir Keir said he needed to fix a “broken society” which manifested itself in summer riots across the country after the Southport knife attack. Sir Keir said: “This Christmas, I will be hoping for peace, particularly in the Middle East as the birthplace of the Christmas story. “I’ll be looking towards a better, brighter future for every person and celebrating the joy and wonder that Christmas brings. “So, from my family to yours, I hope you have a very merry Christmas.” The message comes after revised official figures released on Monday indicated that UK gross domestic product (GDP) showed no growth between July and September. Downing Street defended the Government’s record so far when asked about the data, telling reporters: “We had to take those tough decisions to lay the foundations of growth such that we can then deliver the higher living standards over this Parliament that people want to see.” The Prime Minister also used his message to thank those spending Christmas serving others, including in the NHS and emergency services, the armed forces, churches and charities. “I know that this is not an easy time for everyone, and my thoughts are with all those who are lonely this Christmas. “Having a tough time, missing a loved one. You are not alone,” he said. Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch said Christmas was a time to reflect on “all that’s happened in the year” and “support all of those people who need our assistance”. “I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone, not just in the Conservative Party or in my constituency, but across the country,” the Tory leader said. “For all that you have been doing in your communities, supporting each other and helping to keep all our towns, villages and places going. “I think that Christmas is a time for us to reflect on all that’s happened in the year. “Sometimes we have amazing years. “Sometimes, like when I lost my dad, we have difficult years and we’re commiserating, but we do it together. “But it’s a time for us to support all of those people who need our assistance, who need our help, who need our support.” She added: “And I’m looking forward to 2025. “I wish you all the very best for the New Year and all of the exciting things to come.” Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “This year, I’ve had the chance to spend time with some amazing young carers. “Incredible young people who will spend this Christmas doing what they do all year round; looking after loved ones who are ill or disabled. “Carers embody the Christmas spirit of love, selflessness and generosity. “So I hope we can all take some time to think of them, and keep them in our hearts. “And wish them – and everyone – a Christmas full of peace, joy and love.”None
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Badminton: Watch out for Indian doubles pair Treesa-Gayathri in Hangzhou - The Star Online
Whats your favorite festive holiday beverage? Hot chocolate or eggnog? What about mulled wine or rum punch? My personal favorite is coquito. But what about Pepsi ? Soda of any kind is probably not the first drink that comes to mind for most when stringing up lights and hanging stockings. But it might be this year. Pepsi has announced a special limited-edition flavor for the most wonderful time of the year. Some lucky customers are going to win their own mini cans of new Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread. And a big jolly icon beloved around the world is getting in on this cola fun. No, not Santa Claus. We’re talking about Shaquille O’Neal. It might be getting cold outside but Pepsi Cola is heating things up by taking a Christmas cookie staple and putting it in a can. The soda company’s new Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread “combines the classic refreshing sweet and citrus pop and fizz of Pepsi with a festive blend of brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and molasses.” Normally this is where we’d make a joke about weird food crossovers, but this sounds awesome. Wrap these limited-edition mini cans and put them under our Christmas tree. Ideally, we’d like the G.B.O.A.T. (Greatest Baker of All Time) Shaq to put them there. He stars in a very funny “The Mini Holiday Baking Show” ad promoting this special soda flavor. Now, that’s how you box out! THAT’S HOW YOU BOX OUT! Unfortunately, you can’t ask the G.B.O.A.T. himself to deliver these mini cans to you. But how can you buy Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans and experience the festive flavor for yourself, you ask? To get some, you’re going to have to do that yourself. Fans can nab Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans, while supplies last, one of two ways. The first is by visiting PEPSI.COM today through December 11. There, you’ll have a chance to win the limited-edition flavor. The second option is to head to the TikTok Shop . Customers who buy a qualifying purchase of two 10-packs of Pepsi Minis (Original or Wild Cherry) can get a free Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Can with their order. Those who do pick up this drinkable Pepsi present can then add it to their list of favorite festive drinks. Or they can leave it out on Christmas Eve next to a glass of milk. You know, just in case, Shaq works with Santa this year, too. This article first appeared on Nerdist and was syndicated with permission.
After snapping a three-game losing streak with a lopsided win last week against Chicago, the Niners head into a Thursday night division showdown against the Los Angeles Rams hoping to play with the same kind of desperation in a game they almost certainly need to win to get to the postseason. "I think just across the board as a team, everybody had just a bit more of sense of urgency and I think we executed and played together as a team, and we didn't let off," quarterback Brock Purdy said. "Really liked that. But, that was last week so now it's on to this week and how can we do that again?" After getting outscored by 53 points in losses at Green Bay and Buffalo, the 49ers (6-7) played their most complete game of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive. While some credited a feeling of desperation or speeches from players such as Purdy and Deommodore Lenoir for the turnaround, linebacker Fred Warner said it was more about execution than anything else. "We didn't go out there in Green Bay, we didn't go out there in Buffalo saying, 'Let's just hope that we win.' Trust me, I felt desperate as hell going into both those games," he said. "It just didn't work out. ... It didn't happen because last week we decided we wanted to. This was weeks in the making." Whatever the reason, the results were obvious to anyone watching, including the Rams (7-6), who had their own signature performance to boost their playoff chances. Los Angeles held off Buffalo 44-42 to remain one game behind Seattle in the NFC West race and a game ahead of the 49ers and Arizona in the tightly packed division. Coach Sean McVay knows his team will need a similar performance to beat San Francisco and earn a season sweep. "I saw they certainly had a very dominant performance," he said. "If there's anything that you do know, it's a week-to-week league. Humility is only a week away. They have excellent coaches, excellent personnel and really good schemes. No matter what's really happened in terms of the trajectory of the injuries, they're going to be ready to go." Puka Nacua is in dominant form with 33 catches for 458 yards and three TDs in the Rams' past four games, highlighted by a 162-yard performance last week against Buffalo in which he also scored his first rushing TD. Nacua was injured for these clubs' first meeting this season — but last year, he broke the NFL's single-game rookie receptions record with 15 in his first game against San Francisco, and he set the NFL rookie season records for catches and yards receiving during his visit to Santa Clara last January. "He's a tough football player," 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said. "Some guys are just competitive. He's got size, he doesn't go down easy. Some things you can't measure and he's just got it." The least productive four-game stretch of Deebo Samuel's career sent the frustrated wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers to social media. In a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Samuel said the reason he gained only 97 yards from scrimmage the past four games was not that he was struggling but that he wasn't getting the ball. His teammates and coaches believe he will get back to his All-Pro form soon. "I want to get Deebo the ball every play if I could," Purdy said. "I want to have him break all the records as best as possible. I want Deebo to do Deebo things." The Rams defense got shredded twice in the past three weeks by Saquon Barkley's Eagles and Josh Allen's Bills, dropping the unit to 27th in total defense. LA's vaunted young pass rush led by rookie Jared Verse has no sacks in its past two games and just three in the past four games. Considering Purdy drove the Niners to 425 yards in the teams' first meeting this season without Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle or Samuel, the Rams' offense might need yet another prolific game to overcome its defense's weaknesses. With Nick Bosa sidelined the past three games, the 49ers have had to generate pass rushes from different sources. They had a season-high seven sacks last week with Yetur Gross-Matos getting three and Leonard Floyd two. The 32-year-old Floyd has 5 1/2 sacks in his past four games. "Leonard's just an Energizer bunny," Shanahan said. "It's crazy with him being one of the older guys and stuff and how many different teams he's been to, but I've played against him enough and felt that." Bosa has a chance to return this week and is listed as questionable. AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this reportDaily Post Nigeria Trump slams Biden for commuting death sentence of 37 prisoners to life Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News Trump slams Biden for commuting death sentence of 37 prisoners to life Published on December 24, 2024 By Matthew Atungwu US President-elect, Donald Trump, has blasted the incumbent president Joe Biden for commuting the sentences of almost every American federal prisoner on death row, as he prepares to replace the Democrat in the White House. DAILY POST recalls that President Biden, in his final month in office, announced that he was converting the death sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates awaiting federal execution to life without the possibility of parole. The inmates included nine people convicted of murdering fellow prisoners, four for murders committed during bank robberies and one who killed a prison guard. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our country,” Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening,” Trump said. Biden had imposed a moratorium on the federal death penalty but was under pressure to act further before leaving the White House on January 20, amid signals from Republican Trump that he would resume the practice. Three men were excluded from the move: one of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombers, a gunman who murdered 11 Jewish worshippers in 2018 and a white supremacist who shot nine Black churchgoers dead in 2015. Related Topics: Biden Trump Don't Miss Anambra community shuts down town hall activities over leadership tussle You may like Amid Trump’s execution threat, Biden grants 37 death row inmates clemency Trump transfers $4bn Truth Social parent company shares to trust Elon Musk can never be U.S. president – Trump Biden signs funding bill to prevent government shutdown Biden moves to frustrate Trump’s massive deportation plan U.S: Trump-backed spending deal fails in House as shutdown approaches Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd