movies about sports

NEW YORK — Greg Gumbel, a longtime CBS sportscaster, died from cancer, according to a statement from family released by CBS on Friday. He was 78. "He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten," his wife, Marcy Gumbel, and daughter Michelle Gumbel said in a statement. In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA Tournament since 1997 because of what he said at the time were family health issues. Greg Gumbel, left, watches April 3, 2011, as then-Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun talks to Butler head coach Brad Stevens, right, prior to taping a television interview for the men's NCAA Final Four college basketball championship game in Houston. Gumbel was the studio host for CBS since returning to the network from NBC in 1998. He signed an extension with CBS last year that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping back from NFL announcing duties. In 2001, he announced Super Bowl XXXV for CBS, becoming the first Black announcer in the U.S. to call play-by-play of a major sports championship. David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Greg Gumbel as breaking barriers and setting standards for others during his years as a voice for fans in sports, including in the NFL and March Madness. "A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time," said Berson. Gumbel had two stints at CBS, leaving the network for NBC when it lost football in 1994 and returning when it regained the contract in 1998. He hosted CBS' coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during its four-year run broadcasting the national pastime. But it was football and basketball where he was best known and made his biggest impact. Gumbel hosted CBS' NFL studio show, "The NFL Today" from 1990 to 1993 and again in 2004. He also called NFL games as the network's lead play-by-play announcer from 1998 to 2003, including Super Bowl XXXV and XXXVIII. He returned to the NFL booth in 2005, leaving that role after the 2022 season. Germany players celebrate after Andreas Brehme, left on ground, scores the winning goal in the World Cup soccer final match against Argentina, in the Olympic Stadium, in Rome, July 8, 1990. Andreas Brehme, who scored the only goal as West Germany beat Argentina to win the 1990 World Cup final, died Feb. 20, 2024. He was 63. Brian Mulroney, the former prime minister of Canada, listens during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico relationship, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mulroney died at the age of 84 on Feb. 29, 2024. The Rev. James Lawson Jr. speaks Sept. 17, 2015, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Lawson Jr., an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, has died, his family said Monday. He was 95. His family said Lawson died on Sunday after a short illness in Los Angeles, where he spent decades working as a pastor, labor movement organizer and university professor. Lawson was a close adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who called him “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” Lawson met King in 1957, after spending three years in India soaking up knowledge about Mohandas K. Gandhi’s independence movement. King would travel to India himself two years later, but at the time, he had only read about Gandhi in books. Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry West, representing the 1960 USA Olympic Team, is seen Aug. 13, 2010, during the enshrinement news conference at the Hall of Fame Museum in Springfield, Mass. Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died June 12, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86. West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, was an NBA champion who went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called West “one of the greatest executives in sports history.” Actor and director Ron Simons, seen Jan. 23, 2011, during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, died June 12. Simons turned into a formidable screen and stage producer, winning four Tony Awards and having several films selected at the Sundance Film Festival. He won Tonys for producing “Porgy and Bess,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” and “Jitney.” He also co-produced “Hughie,” with Forest Whitaker, “The Gin Game,” starring Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,” an all-Black production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the revival of "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf" and the original work “Thoughts of a Colored Man.” He was in the films “27 Dresses” and “Mystery Team,” as well as on the small screen in “The Resident,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: SVU.” Bob Schul of West Milton, Ohio, hits the tape Oct. 18, 1964, to win the 5,000 meter run at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Schul, the only American distance runner to win the 5,000 meters at the Olympics, died June 16. He was 86. His death was announced by Miami University in Ohio , where Schul shined on the track and was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 1973. Schul predicted gold leading into the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and followed through with his promise. On a rainy day in Japan, he finished the final lap in a blistering 54.8 seconds to sprint to the win. His white shorts were covered in mud at the finish. He was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1991. He also helped write a book called “In the Long Run.” San Francisco Giants superstar Willie Mays poses for a photo during baseball spring training in 1972. Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, died June 18. He was 93. The center fielder, who began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in 1948, had been baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer. He was voted into the Hall in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News’ list of the game’s top stars. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza. Mays died two days before a game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals to honor the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham , Alabama. Over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants but also including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Gloves. He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, twice was named the Most Valuable Player and finished in the top 10 for the MVP 10 other times. His lightning sprint and over-the-shoulder grab of an apparent extra base hit in the 1954 World Series remains the most celebrated defensive play in baseball history. For millions in the 1950s and ’60s and after, the smiling ballplayer with the friendly, high-pitched voice was a signature athlete and showman during an era when baseball was still the signature pastime. Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015, Mays left his fans with countless memories. But a single feat served to capture his magic — one so untoppable it was simply called “The Catch.” Actor Donald Sutherland appears Oct. 13, 2017, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Sutherland, the Canadian actor whose wry, arrestingly off-kilter screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games,” died June 20. He was 88. Kiefer Sutherland said on X he believed his father was one of the most important actors in the history of film: “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.” The tall and gaunt Sutherland, who flashed a grin that could be sweet or diabolical, was known for offbeat characters like Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman's "M.A.S.H.," the hippie tank commander in "Kelly's Heroes" and the stoned professor in "Animal House." Before transitioning into a long career as a respected character actor, Sutherland epitomized the unpredictable, antiestablishment cinema of the 1970s. He never stopped working, appearing in nearly 200 films and series. Over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down — but still eccentric — roles in Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" and Oliver Stone's "JFK." More, recently, he starred in the “Hunger Games” films. A memoir, “Made Up, But Still True,” is due out in November. Actor Bill Cobbs, a cast member in "Get Low," arrives July 27, 2010, at the premiere of the film in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cobbs, the veteran character actor who became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man, died June 25. He was 90. A Cleveland native, Cobbs acted in such films as “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “The Bodyguard” and “Night at the Museum.” He made his first big-screen appearance in a fleeting role in 1974's “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three." He became a lifelong actor with some 200 film and TV credits. The lion share of those came in his 50s, 60s, and 70s, as filmmakers and TV producers turned to him again and again to imbue small but pivotal parts with a wizened and worn soulfulness. Cobbs appeared on television shows including “The Sopranos," “The West Wing,” “Sesame Street” and “Good Times.” He was Whitney Houston's manager in “The Bodyguard” (1992), the mystical clock man of the Coen brothers' “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) and the doctor of John Sayles' “Sunshine State” (2002). He played the coach in “Air Bud” (1997), the security guard in “Night at the Museum” (2006) and the father on “The Gregory Hines Show." Cobbs rarely got the kinds of major parts that stand out and win awards. Instead, Cobbs was a familiar and memorable everyman who left an impression on audiences, regardless of screen time. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program for the series “Dino Dana” in 2020. Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman speaks with the media Nov. 7, 2009, at his campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas. The singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist, who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan, sang with Willie Nelson, and dabbled in politics with campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, died June 27. He was 79 and had suffered from Parkinson's disease. Often called “The Kinkster" and sporting sideburns, a thick mustache and cowboy hat, Friedman earned a cult following and reputation as a provocateur throughout his career across musical and literary genres. In the 1970s, his satirical country band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys wrote songs with titles such as “They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.” Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976. By the 1980s, Friedman was writing crime novels that often included a version of himself, and he wrote a column for Texas Monthly magazine in the 2000s. Friedman's run at politics brought his brand of irreverence to the serious world of public policy. In 2006, Friedman ran for governor as an independent in a five-way race that included incumbent Republican Rick Perry. Friedman launched his campaign against the backdrop of the Alamo. Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Aug. 2, 2018, at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” died June 28. He was 80. Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight." His first foray into show business was as a songwriter, penning the 1970 semi-hit “A Girl Named Johnny Cash” for singer Jane Morgan. He would combine music and comedy in an act that he brought to hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s. Mull often played slightly sleazy, somewhat slimy and often smarmy characters as he did as Teri Garr's boss and Michael Keaton's foe in 1983's “Mr. Mom.” He played Colonel Mustard in the 1985 movie adaptation of the board game “Clue,” which, like many things Mull appeared in, has become a cult classic. The 1980s also brought what many thought was his best work, “A History of White People in America,” a mockumentary that first aired on Cinemax. Mull co-created the show and starred as a “60 Minutes” style investigative reporter investigating all things milquetoast and mundane. Willard was again a co-star. In the 1990s he was best known for his recurring role on several seasons on “Roseanne,” in which he played a warmer, less sleazy boss to the title character, an openly gay man whose partner was played by Willard, who died in 2020 . Mull would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” a cult-classic character on a cult-classic show, and would be nominated for an Emmy, his first, in 2016 for a guest run on “Veep.” Screenwriter Robert Towne poses at The Regency Hotel, March 7, 2006, in New York. Towne, the Oscar-winning screenplay writer of "Shampoo," "The Last Detail" and other acclaimed films whose work on "Chinatown" became a model of the art form and helped define the jaded allure of his native Los Angeles, died Monday, July 1, 2024, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said publicist Carri McClure. She declined to comment on any cause of death. Vic Seixas of the United States backhands a volley from Denmark's Jurgen Ulrich in the first round of men's singles match at Wimbledon, England, June 27, 1967. Vic Seixas, a Wimbledon winner and tennis Hall of Famer who was the oldest living Grand Slam champion, has died July 5 at the age of 100. The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Seixas’ death on Saturday July 6, 2024, based on confirmation from his daughter Tori. In this June 30, 2020, file photo, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., speaks to reporters following a GOP policy meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Former Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma died July 9. He was 89. The family says in a statement that the Republican had a stroke during the July Fourth holiday and died Tuesday morning. Inhofe was a powerful fixture in state politics for decades. He doubted that climate change was caused by human activity, calling the theory “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” As Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator, he was a staunch supporter of the state’s military installations. He was elected to a fifth Senate term in 2020 and stepped down in early 2023. The Oak Ridge Boys, from left, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, Duane Allen and William Lee Golden hold their awards for Top Vocal Group and Best Album of the Year for "Ya'll Come Back Saloon", during the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., May 3, 1979. Bonsall died on July 9, 2024, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Hendersonville, Tenn. He was 76. A Philadelphia native and resident of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Bonsall joined the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, which originally formed in the 1940s. He saw the band through its golden period in the '80s and beyond, which included their signature 1981 song “Elvira.” The hit marked a massive crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. The group is also known for such hits as 1982’s “Bobbie Sue." Shelley Duvall poses for photographers at the 30th Cannes Film Festival in France, May 27, 1977. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” died July 11. She was 75. Dr. Ruth Westheimer holds a copy of her book "Sex for Dummies" at the International Frankfurt Book Fair 'Frankfurter Buchmesse' in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Westheimer, the sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, died on July 12, 2024. She was 96. Richard Simmons sits for a portrait in Los Angeles, June 23, 1982. Simmons, a fitness guru who urged the overweight to exercise and eat better, died July 13 at the age of 76. Simmons was a court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better. Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who shared his hard-won weight loss tips as the host of the Emmy-winning daytime “Richard Simmons Show" and the “Sweatin' to the Oldies” line of exercise videos, which became a cultural phenomenon. Former NFL receiver Jacoby Jones died July 14 at age 40. Jones' 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. The Houston Texans were Jones’ team for the first five seasons of his career. They announced his death on Sunday. In a statement released by the NFL Players Association, his family said he died at his home in New Orleans. A cause of death was not given. Jones played from 2007-15 for the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. He made several huge plays for the Ravens during their most recent Super Bowl title season, including that kick return. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star whose life and career were roiled by tabloid stories, Shannen Doherty died July 13 at 53. Doherty's publicist said the actor died Saturday following years with breast cancer. Catapulted to fame as Brenda in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” she worked in big-screen films including "Mallrats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and in TV movies including "A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story," in which she played the "Gone with the Wind" author. Doherty co-starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in the series “Charmed” from 1998-2001; appeared in the “90210” sequel series seven years later and competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. Actor James Sikking poses for a photograph at the Los Angeles gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Organization for Women, Dec. 1, 1986. Sikking, who starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Street Blues” and as the titular character's kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” died July 13 of complications from dementia, his publicist Cynthia Snyder said in a statement. He was 90. Pat Williams chats with media before the 2004 NBA draft in Orlando, Fla. Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic and someone who spent more than a half-century working within the NBA, died July 17 from complications related to viral pneumonia. The team announced the death Wednesday. Williams was 84. He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers — helping that franchise win a title in 1983. Williams was later involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league’s board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989. Lou Dobbs speaks Feb. 24, 2017, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md. Dobbs, the conservative political pundit and veteran cable TV host who was a founding anchor for CNN and later was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade, died July 18. He was 78. His death was announced in a post on his official X account, which called him a “fighter till the very end – fighting for what mattered to him the most, God, his family and the country.” He hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on Fox from 2011 to 2021, following two separate stints at CNN. No cause of death was given. Bob Newhart, center, poses with members of the cast and crew of the "Bob Newhart Show," from top left, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily, Jack Riley, and, Suzanne Pleshette, foreground left, and Dick Martin at TV Land's 35th anniversary tribute to "The Bob Newhart Show" on Sept. 5, 2007, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Newhart has died at age 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died July 18 in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. The accountant-turned-comedian gained fame with a smash album and became one of the most popular TV stars of his time. Newhart was a Chicago psychologist in “The Bob Newhart Show” in the 1970s and a Vermont innkeeper on “Newhart” in the 1980s. Both shows featured a low-key Newhart surrounded by eccentric characters. The second had a twist ending in its final show — the whole series was revealed to have been a dream by the psychologist he played in the other show. Cheng Pei-pei, a Chinese-born martial arts film actor who starred in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” died July 17 at age 78. Her family says Cheng, who had been diagnosed with a rare illness with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, passed away Wednesday at home surrounded by her loved ones. The Shanghai-born film star became a household name in Hong Kong, once dubbed the Hollywood of the Far East, for her performances in martial arts movies in the 1960s. She played Jade Fox, who uses poisoned needles, in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which was released in 2000, grossed $128 million in North America and won four Oscars. Abdul “Duke” Fakir holds his life time achievement award backstage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2009, in Los Angeles. The last surviving original member of the Four Tops died July 22. Abdul “Duke” Fakir was 88. He was a charter member of the Motown group along with lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton. Between 1964 and 1967, the Tops had 11 top 20 hits and two No. 1′s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often stories of romantic pain and longing, included “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.” Sculptress Elizabeth Catlett, left, then-Washington D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon, center, and then-curator, division of community life, Smithsonian institution Bernice Johnson Reagon chat during the reception at the Candace awards on June 25, 1991 in New York. Reagon, a musician and scholar who used her rich, powerful contralto voice in the service of the American Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles around the world, died on July 16, 2024, according to her daughter's social media post. She was 81. John Mayall, the British blues musician whose influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars, died July 22. He was 90. He is credited with helping develop the English take on urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues that played an important role in the blues revival of the late 1960s. A statement on Mayall's official Instagram page says he died Monday at his home in California. Though Mayall never approached the fame of some of his illustrious alumni, he was still performing in his late 80s, pounding out his version of Chicago blues. Erica Ash, an actor and comedian skilled in sketch comedy who starred in the parody series “Mad TV” and “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” has died. She was 46. Her publicist and a statement by her mother, Diann, says Ash died July 28 in Los Angeles of cancer. Ash impersonated Michelle Obama and Condoleeza Rice on “Mad TV,” a Fox sketch series, and was a key performer on the Rosie O’Donnell-created series “The Big Gay Sketch Show.” Her other credits included “Scary Movie V,” “Uncle Drew” and the LeBron James-produced basketball dramedy “Survivor’s Remorse.” On the BET series “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” Ash played the ex-wife of Kevin Hart’s character. Jack Russell, the lead singer of the bluesy '80s metal band Great White whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me” and was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, died Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. He was 63. Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career, died Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. Susan Wojcicki, the former YouTube chief executive officer and longtime Google executive, died Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after suffering with non small cell lung cancer for the past two years. She was 56. Frank Selvy, an All-America guard at Furman who scored an NCAA Division I-record 100 points in a game and later played nine NBA seasons, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. He was 91. Wallace “Wally” Amos, the creator of the cookie empire that took his name and made it famous and who went on to become a children’s literacy advocate, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, from complications with dementia. He was 88. Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and who later charmed audiences in her son's tear-jerker “The Notebook,” died Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. She was 94. Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” died. Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 He was 98. Alain Delon, the internationally acclaimed French actor who embodied both the bad guy and the policeman and made hearts throb around the world, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. He was 88. Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that brought success to Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, after a long illness. He was 88. Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador, died Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. He was 87. John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” died Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. He was 84. James Darren, a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget,” died Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. He was 88. James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen has died. He was 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Sept. 9 at home. Jones was a pioneering actor who eventually lent his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and Darth Vader. Working deep into his 80s, he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors and was given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a Broadway theater was renamed in his honor. Frankie Beverly, who with his band Maze inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Before I Let Go,” has died. He was 77. His family said in a post on the band’s website and social media accounts that Beverly died Sept. 10. In the post, which asked for privacy, the family said “he lived his life with a pure soul, as one would say, and for us, no one did it better.” The post did not say his cause of death or where he died. Beverly, whose songs include “Joy and Pain,” “Love is the Key,” and “Southern Girl,” finished his farewell “I Wanna Thank You Tour” in his hometown of Philadelphia in July. Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92. The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Sept. 11. A cause of death was not provided. One of pro football’s first great middle linebackers, Schmidt played his entire NFL career with the Lions from 1953-65. An eight-time All-Pro, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the college football version in 2000. Born in Pittsburgh, Schmidt played college football in his hometown at Pitt. Chad McQueen, an actor known for his performances in the “Karate Kid” movies and the son of the late actor and racer Steve McQueen, died Sep. 11. His lawyer confirmed his death at age 63. McQueen's family shared a statement on social media saying he lived a life “filled with love and dedication.” McQueen was a professional race car driver, like his father, and competed in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona races. He is survived by his wife Jeanie and three children, Chase, Madison and Steven, who is an actor best known for “The Vampire Diaries.” Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, died at age 70 on Sept. 15. Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet. The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. They signed with Berry Gordy’s Motown empire in the 1960s. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s, including “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.” John David “JD” Souther has died. He was a prolific songwriter and musician whose collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s. Souther joined in on some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, such as “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight." The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee also collaborated with James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt and many more. His biggest hit as a solo artist was “You’re Only Lonely.” He was about to tour with Karla Bonoff. Souther died Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico, at 78. In this photo, JD Souther and Alison Krauss attend the Songwriters Hall of Fame 44th annual induction and awards gala on Thursday, June 13, 2013 in New York. Sen. Dan Evans stands with his three sons, from left, Mark, Bruce and Dan Jr., after he won the election for Washington's senate seat in Seattle, Nov. 8, 1983. Evans, a former Washington state governor and a U.S. Senator, died Sept. 20. The popular Republican was 98. He served as governor from 1965 to 1977, and he was the keynote speaker at the 1968 National Republican Convention. In 1983, Evans was appointed to served out the term of Democratic Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson after he died in office. Evans opted not to stand for election in 1988, citing the “tediousness" of the Senate. He later served as a regent at the University of Washington, where the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance bears his name. Eugene “Mercury” Morris, who starred for the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins as part of a star-studded backfield and helped the team win two Super Bowl titles, died Sept. 21. He was 77. The team on Sunday confirmed the death of Morris, a three-time Pro Bowl selection. In a statement, his family said his “talent and passion left an indelible mark on the sport.” Morris was the starting halfback and one of three go-to runners that Dolphins coach Don Shula utilized in Miami’s back-to-back title seasons of 1972 and 1973, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Morris led the Dolphins in rushing touchdowns in both of those seasons. John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. He was 76. Maggie Smith, who won an Oscar for 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and won new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Sept. 27 at 89. Smith's publicist announced the news Friday. She was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench. “Jean Brodie” brought her the Academy Award for best actress in 1969. Smith added a supporting actress Oscar for “California Suite” in 1978. Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 88. Drake Hogestyn, the “Days of Our Lives” star who appeared on the show for 38 years, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 70. Ron Ely, the tall, musclebound actor who played the title character in the 1960s NBC series “Tarzan,” died Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at age 86. Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58. Frank Fritz, left, part of a two-man team who drove around the U.S. looking for antiques and collectibles to buy and resell on the reality show “American Pickers,” died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 60. He's shown here with co-host Mike Wolfe at the A+E Networks 2015 Upfront in New York on April 30, 2015. Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 83. Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, died Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in her New Jersey home. She was 91. Ethel Kennedy, the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, her family said. She was 96. Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said. He was 31. Mitzi Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the Hollywood musical, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. She was 93. Fernando Valenzuela, the Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. He was 63. Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning crooner known for “The Love Boat” television show theme song, died, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. He was 86. Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at age 84. Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," died Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024. She was 79. Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, died Sunday, Nov 3, 2024. He was 91 Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. He was 86. Song Jae-lim, a South Korean actor known for his roles in K-dramas “Moon Embracing the Sun” and “Queen Woo,” was found dead at his home in capital Seoul, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. He was 39. British actor Timothy West, who played the classic Shakespeare roles of King Lear and Macbeth and who in recent years along with his wife, Prunella Scales, enchanted millions of people with their boating exploits on Britain's waterways, died Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024. He was 90. Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power in the sport, died Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. He was 82. Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 95. Former Chicago Bulls forward Bob Love, a three-time All-Star who spent 11 years in the NBA, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 81. Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. He was 83. Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga "A Woman of Substance" and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. She was 91. Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball's leadoff position, died Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. He was 65. Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox.[Catherine Thorbecke] Hanoi follows Beijing in cyber rulesmovies about sports 。

CGI expands operations in multiple U.S. metro markets with Daugherty

Why OpenAI plans transition to public benefit corporation

Beyond Bank and Cognizant join forces to lead the future of customer-owned bankingFinal farewellMegyn Kelly Goes Off on Caitlin Clark for Her 'Sad' 'White Privilege' Pandering

From a young age, Graeme Simpfendorfer has been no stranger to struggle. or signup to continue reading Whether it was navigating family moves across NSW, grappling with the pressures of school, or facing life-threatening emergencies as a frontline police officer, his life has been marked by challenges that would have shaken many people. Yet, through it all, he has been driven by a commitment to serving others and making a That is why it was fitting for to in the Albury-Wodonga region. "I've always believed in showing genuine care for the people I serve, especially during hard times," he said. "My motivation stems from a deep desire to help people feel supported, listened to, and empowered." Mr Simpfendorfer was born in Dubbo, NSW, and is the youngest of three boys. Growing up, his mum, Norma, a registered nurse, was "always very busy with us boys". In 1983, his dad, Peter, a public servant and volunteer firefighter, packed the family up and moved to Wagga. Academically, he didn't stand out in school but dabbled in soccer, gymnastics, and eventually rugby league later in life. He finished high school in 1991, and in 1994, he moved to Melbourne to pursue his dream as a police officer. "I graduated and never looked back," he said. In 2009, a job opportunity led him to the Border. "Our region is more than just a place on the map," he said. "It's a home in the truest sense." He said life as a recently retired police officer was not easy. "I've faced my fair share of what life has thrown at me," he said. He was put to the test in unimaginable ways during the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 and the Black Summer fires of 2019-2020 The destruction of homes and lives across the state left a heavy toll on him mentally. Along the way, he learnt that resilience is as much about mindset as it is about action. "I choose to keep going, even when it feels completely overwhelming," he said. "It's about adapting, growing, and finding solutions through a deliberate process. "Every challenge has shaped me into someone who purposely approaches obstacles." he transitioned to politics, where he was a councillor and deputy mayor at Wodonga Council, and now he runs his own business, Peregrine Consultancy. He is also a director of the Centre Against Violence and on the Blue Ribbon Foundation's committee. Despite his accomplishments, he said focusing on what matters is essential. "My path has included diverse roles," he said. "Success, to me, isn't defined by accolades but by the difference I can make in people's lives. "This motivation keeps me grounded, reminding me that with humility, care, and empathy, I can continue to serve effectively and inspire others to strive to improve." His three children are a constant reminder to push through self-doubt and the feeling of not being good enough. "Knowing there are people who believe in me makes it easier to push forward," he said. Looking ahead, he said he was excited to deepen his impact in leadership roles. "On a more immediate front, I am consulting to a few companies and clients in the areas of risk mitigation, intelligence, and personal safety, both online and face-to-face," he said. "On the personal side, my goal is to continue to be a role model and mentor, especially for men in our community. "When the time is right, I want to tell my whole story to help others develop the resilience, confidence, and skills they need to thrive, no matter what challenges come their way." DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement

Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78Nexa Resources Announces Closing Transaction of Pukaqaqa Project Sale to OlympicVidalia Mayor opposes court order to restructure Concordia Parish Schools

Pune: Their demands might appear to be unusual, but no one can fault their intentions. From crusading against wearing of helmets to demanding a ban on slippers near polling booths and dancing around streets and drawing attention to the need for building toilets for temple-goers, some independent candidates have grabbed eyeballs with their out-of-the-box ideas and indefatigable spirit. Sureshkumar Babulal Oswal, the anti-helmet crusader from Kasba Peth, transformed the busy intersections in his constituency into his personal soapbox. With an arsenal of grievances against traffic regulations , this former sales tax inspector, who took voluntary retirement in 2021, found his calling in fighting "the tyranny of traffic violation fines". "The authorities want us to wear helmets when they can't even provide roads without potholes. Citizens are fined heavily for parking in unpermitted areas when there is not enough space on roads for parking," said Oswal. Sachin Dhankude, an independent candidate from Kothrud whose election symbol is slipper, recently staged a protest against his own election symbol by trying to ban slippers at polling booths, all in an attempt to prove his point to the Election Commission to get rid of all symbols and keep candidates' names and photos on EVMS. "Symbols are so ingrained in public memory that they just press the button next to the symbol they recognise, instead of voting for a candidate who is worthy. It's a brand strategy by big political parties," said Dhankude, adding, "When I was forced to choose a symbol, I chose this because if you wear it on your feet, it's a slipper, but in your hand, it becomes a weapon," he said. Dhankude has participated in every election since 2012. Around 200 km from the city, Gurudas Kamble from Paranda took the footwear protest to new heights by formally requesting a chappal-free zone around polling booths. The election authorities, however, declined all these requests. In the grand theatre of Indian democracy, while political heavyweights dominate centre stage, it's the supporting cast of independent candidates who often steal the show with their peculiar campaigns and unwavering determination. While they might not win elections and lose their deposit, but they certainly win attention – and sometimes, that's exactly what they're after. Their campaigns, often bordering on the theatrical, add colour to the otherwise serious business of democracy. Dhankude said that independent candidates believe that fighting in elections isn't just about winning or losing — it's about raising voices and making statements. Sanjay Bhikaji Magade, an independent candidate from Kolhapur north, danced through the streets, spreading awareness about his manifesto for building public toilets for temple visitors and monthly stipends for transgenders to keep them away from begging. With his dynamic personality and signature style defined by a black hat and coat, Magade paid his election deposit of Rs 25,000 in denominations of Re one and Rs two, keeping the returning officers busy counting the coins all day. "At 65, I'm sure I'll become an MLA. I got 233 votes in 2022, and 4002 in 2024. That's what I call progress," Magade beamed. These candidates, often dismissed as electoral entertainers, believe that they serve a deeper purpose in our democracy. They use their candidature as a megaphone for issues that might otherwise go unheard. Whether it's Oswal's crusade against traffic regulations, Dhankude's symbolic protest against election symbols, or Magade's dance-based campaign for public amenities, each brings their unique flavour to the electoral feast. As another election season wraps up, these candidates will return to their regular lives. Their deposits might be forfeited, but their spirit will remain undefeated. After all, in the grand circus of democracy, sometimes the most important role is played by those who make citizens stop, think, and occasionally laugh, amidst the serious business of elections. (Additional inputs by Rahul Gayakwad)Former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah has already found a new program in Duke, while Mississippi State's Michael Van Buren Jr., Wisconsin's Braedyn Locke and Cal’s Fernando Mendoza are exploring changes of their own in the transfer portal . Mensah, a redshirt freshman with three years of eligibility remaining, told ESPN on Wednesday he has transferred to Duke. He attended the Blue Devils men's basketball game against Incarnate Word on Tuesday night. The Blue Devils (9-3) will face Mississippi in the Gator Bowl, but without 2024 starting quarterback Maalik Murphy and backup Grayson Loftis, who also entered the portal. Mensah, viewed as one of the top players in the portal, threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns and completed 65.9% of his passes. He led the Green Wave to a 9-4 record and the American Athletic Conference championship game, where they lost 35-14 to Army. Tulane will play Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl on Sunday. Van Buren, Mendoza and Locke announced on social media they had entered the portal. Van Buren started eight games as a true freshmen for the Bulldogs. He threw for 1,886 yards on 55% passing with 16 total touchdowns and seven interceptions for the Bulldogs (2-10, 0-8 Southeastern Conference). He took over as the starter when Blake Shapen suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a 45-28 loss to Florida on Sept. 21. Shapen has said he plans to return next season. Van Buren, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound passer from St. Frances Academy in Maryland, had two 300-yard performances for the Bulldogs, including 306 yards and three touchdown passes in a 41-31 road loss against Georgia. Mendoza threw for 3,004 yards in 2024 with 16 TDs, six interceptions and a 68.7 completion percentage. “For the sake of my football future this is the decision I have reached,” he posted. Locke passed for 1,936 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for Wisconsin this season. He said he will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next school. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Pens, Habs going in opposite directions ahead of matchupI'm A Celeb's Maura Higgins addresses Pete Wicks dating rumours in three-word statementLuigi Mangione had spondylolisthesis, a lower back condition. He wrote about painful symptoms like sciatica on Reddit.

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Jonah Pierce had 20 points in Presbyterian's 67-42 win against Youngstown State on Friday night. Pierce added nine rebounds for the Blue Hose (4-3). Kory Mincy scored 12 points, shooting 5 for 11, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc. Kobe Stewart had 11 points and finished 4 of 9 from the field. The Penguins (2-3) were led by Ty Harper, who posted 12 points. EJ Farmer added 10 points and three steals for Youngstown State. Nico Galette also had five points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Lewandowski joins Ronaldo and Messi in the Champions League century club with goal No. 100

Earlier in 2024 a joint advisory was issued in the U.S. by the joint agencies responsible for security – FBI, CISA, and HHS. This was a warning the healthcare sector of BlackCat ransomware , following the group’s association with the Change Healthcare cyberattack. BlackCat, also known as ALPHV, is a ransomware code written in Rust. It first appeared in November 2021. The same name is applied to the threat actor who exploit it. How safe is healthcare now? To review the situation, Digital Journal heard from Andrew Costis, Chapter Lead of the Adversary Research Team at AttackIQ . To begin with Costis presents a reminder as to the key elements of the U.S. government security statement: “This advisory contains updates to the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with BlackCat from a December advisory and the FBI’s FLASH alert from April 2022.” As to the actual threat agent, Costis summarises the risk as: “BlackCat, a Rust-based ransomware family first identified in November 2021, operates under a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model. The group was disrupted by FBI operations last December. After this takedown, BlackCat administrators urged affiliates to target hospitals and critical infrastructure.” BlackCat operates on a ransomware as a service (RaaS) model, with developers offering the malware for use by affiliates and taking a percentage of ransom payments. Threat actors who work with BlackCat seek to gain initial access to IT environments and user accounts. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, such as remote desktop protocols, compromised credentials, and exchange server vulnerabilities. Of the different risk areas, healthcare is the most vulnerable according to Costis: The healthcare sector has been the most commonly victimized out of the nearly 70 leaked victims. The cyberattack on Change Healthcare, the largest healthcare payment exchange platform, has significantly impacted pharmacies nationwide, prompting the adoption of electronic workarounds” The best options are for the healthcare sector to prioritize cybersecurity measures. Costis recommends: “The vast amount of sensitive patient data stored within healthcare systems makes these organizations a dangerous target for ransomware groups, with the potential for far-reaching consequences. These attacks can cripple organizational operations and, more importantly, compromise patient health and safety.” Furthermore, Costis advises: “Healthcare organizations must now prioritize validating their security controls against BlackCat’s TTPs as outlined in the joint advisory leveraging the MITRE ATT&CK framework. By emulating the behaviors exhibited by BlackCat, organizations can assess their security postures and pinpoint any vulnerabilities. This proactive approach is essential to mitigate the risk of future attacks.” Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.Publicly, Joe Biden never wavered. Privately, those close to him that the President would eventually intervene and end the federal prosecutions against his son. Sunday evening’s surprise announcement of a sweeping pardon for Hunter Biden sent Washington ablaze with . Talk turned to what this about-face would mean for the President’s , the impact it might have on the Justice Department’s already battered , and whether President-elect Donald Trump, himself a , would accept the pardon as the final word. It all felt very loud, very urgent—and, to some, very predictable. Yet, when you take a look at Biden’s choice—making use of a power in the Constitution with very few limits—it starts to make some sense. Yes, Biden flip-flopped on a pretty absolute not to exercise the right to spare his son. Yes, it flies in the face of Democrats’ long-standing criticism about Trump, that no one should be regardless of ties to the Oval Office. And, yes, this is going to dog Biden’s final weeks in office in ways that could distract from his urgent work to build a legacy after a half-century in public life. But all those criticisms ignore a bigger truth: Joe Biden faced a trickier decision than whether or not to keep his only living son out of prison. Many will ding it as an entirely selfish move by a guilty father going with his gut. Yet, in a way, this was maybe the most considered decision Biden has made this calendar year—and that includes the jarring in July that he would step aside as the Democratic Party’s nominee. Here are the six factors that explain why Biden signed the roughly 200-word order: For years, Hunter Biden and his work for a Ukrainian energy company has been catnip for conservatives—many of whom still believe that the money paid to Hunter for his on the Burisma board was a bag of cash for the Bidens, with Joe Biden skimming a share from the top. (So much of the GOP case against the Bidens has been and their efforts to Joe Biden fell apart.) With Trump about to be back in charge of the Justice Department and FBI—including an FBI potentially led by an outspoken who has endorsed Trump’s to trample his foes in retribution—there was a quiet fear that the President-elect would make Hunter Biden’s misdeeds a priority—even if Hunter Biden was already serving out a prison sentence. Joe Biden’s signature on an extraordinarily broad pardon rendered those efforts pointless, as no federal charges can be summoned. There is no point disputing this. Most experts that for anyone else facing these charges, the cases would have been likely with an in-and-out plea deal, one that was once on the table but by a Trump-appointed judge for its sweep. The prosecution became even more novel once the Trump-nominated U.S. Attorney for Delaware special counsel for the Hunter Biden case. With protected standing, Special Counsel David Weiss continued down a path that convictions on three federal felony counts for illegally buying a gun and nine guilty pleas on federal tax charges. Hunter Biden was due to be sentenced on the gun conviction on Dec. 12, followed by a Dec. 16 sentencing on the tax evasion plea. If given the maximum penalties—considered unlikely—he would have faced up to 42 years in prison. Yes, Joe Biden flip-flopped with zero apology. Yes, he was running around the world—literally— everyone the justice system worked for both his son and his rival, Trump. Yes, he would take from some of the same folks whose approval Biden has chased for decades. But voters rendered their verdict on Biden’s by-the-books approach when they chose to Trump to power. Heck, Trump repeatedly mass pardons for those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress. Voters decided that was appealing—or at least not disqualifying—and chose to give Trump the keys again. If Trump seems to think waving the magic wand of legal do-overs comes with zero costs to him, maybe Biden is rightly betting that he enjoys similar leeway. After all, Trump’s first term included freebies for former Illinois Gov. , former NYPD Commissioner , and “ ” . He also employed his leniency power to spare five and advisers, three uniformed service members of , seven former members of Congress—all Republicans—and 10 health care providers in a massive Medicare fraud scheme. Given that recent history, imagine if Hunter Biden’s mid-December sentencing included years in prison—for transgressions that experts say are rarely prosecuted. What would the public reaction have been if Joe Biden, in the final days of his presidency, refused to use a get-out-of-jail-free card for his very own son? Joe Biden spent his half-century in politics insisting that politics had no place in the judicial system, but that belief ran head-first into a competing precept that family stands above all other concerns. The President’s over the death of his son Beau Biden has been the of so much of the Biden family’s decision-making in the last decade, and surely factored into the President’s thinking as he weighed the prospect of even more his grandkids spending time without their own father. It was a politically fraught move, but not an unexpected one. After all, when an Iowan asked Biden about Hunter’s work in Ukraine back in December of 2019, the then-former VP the man “a damned liar” and challenged him to a push-up contest. Joe Biden followed-up with a to keep his own house in order if elected. And not for nothing, Hunter Biden has been incredibly open about his with addiction, and has seemingly around his life in the years after some admittedly poor choices. A lengthy jail term would do little to teach Hunter Biden any lessons he hasn’t already internalized. That argument appeared to help Joe Biden get to yes. The pardon power is absolute and the President’s alone. There’s no sign off needed from Congress and no one in his administration has any real authority to stop him. That’s why, when Biden said “I will not pardon him” on June 13, some were skeptical. A pardon was always an option, no matter how much his aides and otherwise on All Things Hunt. How else to explain why Joe Biden Hunter Biden to a state dinner just days after the younger Biden cut a doomed deal with federal prosecutors, led by an Attorney General attending the same event? Despite Hunter Biden’s ghosts, he still has sway inside his father’s inner circle as the eldest living child of a once-imagined political . The White House released the news late Sunday, just as Biden was about to hop on a flight heading out on his final foreign trip as President. That puts the President out of Washington until Thursday with no formal press conference on the books, a strategy that follows a South America trip last month that came with a similar media . That leaves a whole lot of time to fill in a Washington subsumed by this apparent violation of Biden’s vow not to do what he just did. And, aboard the presidential flight on Air Force One, the White House’s top spokeswoman on the reversal. And on Monday, as she welcomed National Guard members to the White House to tour the holiday decorations, First Lady Jill Biden got pelted with a question about the pardon. "Of course I support the pardon of my son," Dr. Biden said in the White House’s State Dining Room. On top of that, Washington faces its seemingly auto-renewal gift of a holiday-themed spending deadline; this year, Congress has until Dec. 20 to kick the can down the road, and there’s a whole lot of just how far into Trump’s second term they should be looking toward. Put simply: the pardon is not going to stay front of mind for most Americans, and Trump is likely to find a way to hijack the public discourse as Team Joe runs down the clock.

NoneDrew Carey Calls Out “The Price Is Right ”Audience Members Who Booed Contestant: 'Good Morning, Judgmental!'

Doha Debates Town Hall asks: Which principles should shape our global future?A petition is calling on Transport Canada to prohibit the expansion of the Montreal-Trudeau Airport, as a group claims it will lead to more noise and air pollution. Pierre Lachapelle, the president of Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau, says that plans to add a new terminal and 10 gates at the international airport will only worsen noise pollution. “We acknowledged there is an airport in Montreal, but we want to be able to sleep at night,” said Lachapelle. “The issue for our group is our quality of life because for a number of years since the closing of Mirabel and this enlargement of the airport in Dorval, in the augmentation, the increase of the number of flights day and night, that’s the issue.” The petition states that airport authorities allow airplanes to travel over the city between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., which Lachapelle says disrupts the sleep of thousands of Montrealers. He adds that noise from aircrafts results in risk to health, particularly in terms of cardiovascular diseases. “We believe that the construction without any impact assessment and any public consultation that our quality of life will diminish again and too much,” explained Lachapelle. The petition also suggests that increased air travel over Montreal will lead to more air pollution because of the accommodation of more planes and passengers. In a statement to CityNews, Transport Canada did not reply to questions about the petition, but said that strict requirements govern aircraft emissions and that airport authorities are required to assess a project to determine whether it is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. “There needs to be a substantial improvement in what we live with this airport. They are not behaving like good neighbours,” said Lachapelle. “It’s the job of our MPs and that’s why we call upon citizens to sign the petition, so we can put pressure. The election will be coming this year in 2025, so it’s the time to speak even louder to our MPs in Ottawa.” Earlier this year, Aéroports de Montréal (ADM), the authority for Trudeau airport, announced $4 billion in renovations — including a new terminal and new gates, expected to be completed by 2028. Since the closure of the Mirabel airport in 2004, concerns about noise and air pollution from aircraft have persisted, particularly in the densely populated neighborhoods surrounding YUL. ADM tells CityNews in a statement that it has pledged to maintain ongoing dialogue with the public and address the concerns raised by citizens. ADM has reiterated its commitment to managing the noise climate around Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) amidst ongoing legal proceedings and growing public concern over its expansion plans. In response to a lawsuit filed by a group of concerned citizens over noise pollution, ADM stated it would refrain from commenting further due to the active legal situation. However, the airport authority emphasized its dedication to balancing its role in the economic development of Greater Montreal with its responsibility to minimize disruption to local communities. “Soundscape management remains a priority for ADM,” officials said. “We strive to ensure a harmonious coexistence between the airport’s operations and the surrounding neighborhoods. Detailed information on our initiatives is available in our 2023 Soundscape Annual Report and throughout the airport’s public reports.” While the new developments aim to alleviate overcrowding, ADM reassured the public that an increase in passenger traffic would not result in a proportional rise in the number of flights. The airport explained that the number of aircraft movements at YUL has declined by 13% over the past decade, despite a significant rise in passenger numbers. Technological advancements, such as more efficient aircraft and higher load factors, have contributed to this reduction in flight frequency. Airlines are also expected to continue upgrading their fleets, further reducing noise and greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years. In addition to its expansion plans, ADM has taken steps to address noise concerns through its 2019-2023 Soundscape Management Action Plan. The authority has worked on developing new operational scenarios, which focus on restricting flights based on noise certification levels rather than aircraft weight. These proposed changes, which would implement stricter noise restrictions during certain hours, aim to mitigate noise pollution by prioritizing quieter aircraft during night and early morning hours. The proposal includes a designated period of no scheduled flights from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., a measure intended to reduce nighttime noise disturbances. ADM has conducted public consultations as part of the regulatory process, including an open-door event for citizens, and has submitted a request to Transport Canada to amend the noise abatement procedures at YUL.

KIRKWOOD, Calif. – With 29 inches of new snow and an incredible effort by its Mountain Operations and Snowmaking teams, Kirkwood Mountain Resort is thrilled to welcome guests back to the slopes for another unforgettable winter season, starting on Saturday, November 30 – six days earlier than scheduled. With the 2024/25 season officially starting early, now is the perfect time to lock in access to Kirkwood, Heavenly, Northstar, and other world-class resorts before [https://epic%20passes/]Epic Passes go off sale on December 2. On Opening Day, guests can look forward to skiing and riding on Chairs 5, 6, 7, and 9 from 9am to 4pm. These four chairs will offer access to 365 acres of terrain and one terrain park. The resort’s Snowmaking and Mountain Operation teams will continue making snow when temperatures are low enough and monitoring conditions to expand terrain and lift offerings for the weeks ahead. Kirkwood’s Opening Day promises to be a fantastic kickoff to the season, with terrain for all skill levels ready to enjoy. The early-season footprint includes top-to-bottom runs, a mix of beginner-to-advanced terrain, and our Time Square Pocket Terrain Park to jumpstart the winter fun. Gear rentals will be available daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Kirkwood Mountain Sports and Village Rental. Private lessons will launch on Opening Day on a first-come, first-served basis. Fuel your day with coffee from the General Store or try out our exciting new menu offerings at Monte Wolfe’s and Snowshoe Thompsons. “Our team is thrilled to kick off the 2024/25 winter season earlier than planned here at Kirkwood,” said Ricky Newberry, VP & GM of Kirkwood Mountain Resort. “Opening Day is always an exciting time, but starting the season ahead of schedule truly showcases the incredible dedication of our team. We’re ready to welcome guests back to enjoy the incredible mountain experience and welcoming atmosphere that make Kirkwood such a special place.” New this season, Kirkwood will debut a reservations-based parking program that offers guests a variety of choices for parking this season, with a combination of both free and paid parking options as well as carpool incentives. This program will kick off in Mid-December on weekends (Saturday – Sunday) and peak periods in all lots – more details can be found on the “ Getting Here & Parking ” webpage. As always, carpooling is highly recommended any time guests visit the resort. Guests that are joining any of our resorts have six days left to lock in their Epic Pass, as all Pass products go off sale on December 2. There is an Epic Pass for everyone, including the Epic 1-day Pass and the Tahoe Local and Value Passes. Passes provide significant savings compared to lift tickets, so lock in a pass now and decide where and when to ski and ride later! Whether planning to hit the slopes one day or every day, by purchasing a pass now, guests will get the best value, plus flexibility and benefits not offered with traditional lift tickets. That includes 20% off on-mountain dining, group ski and ride lessons, lodging, rentals and more with Epic Mountain Rewards. Pass Holders will have discounted lodging options across Vail Resorts’ portfolio of hotels, condos and premier vacation residences. Returning this season with new features is the My Epic app with Mobile Pass and Mobile Lift Tickets. The My Epic App allows guests to use their phone as their ticket to the slopes. Mobile Lift Tickets is a hands-free option for skiers and riders to use at all three Vail Resorts’ owned Tahoe resorts for the 2024/25 season. By using the app, guests can buy their pass or lift ticket online, activate it in the app, put their phone in their pocket, and get scanned, hands free in the lift line using Bluetooth® technology designed for low energy usage to minimize the impact on a phone’s battery life. New this season, the My Epic app will include the Find My Friends feature, allowing skiers and riders to share their location with friends and family on the mountain. Additionally, the My Epic app will feature My Epic Assistant An in-app guide powered by AI and resort experts for mountain information. The My Epic app also offers a range of guest-favorite features, including interactive trail maps, and mountain and resort alerts, including operational information like grooming updates, terrain status, snow reports and conditions. Guests can use the My Epic app for daily updates and real-time information, along with other important news throughout the season on the new – once in the app, look for the bell in the top right corner to see a feed of real-time guest alerts. Guests can also learn about the latest on our teams’ social channels: Instagram, Facebook, Resort Twitter/X, Mountain Operations Twitter/X

isn't afraid to call out unruly audience members. The host, 66, had a quippy response to his audience after the crowd negatively reacted to a contestant named Brian as he answered one of the game show's iconic segments, Switcheroo. In a clip uploaded to on Dec. 16, Brian had 30 seconds on the clock to assign missing numbers to five prizes that included a car, an ice scraper, a massager, an iron and a pillow. Instead of rushing to insert the blocks like typical players, Brian took his time to make sure he was confident in his answers. Related: "25 seconds,” Carey said of the time left on the clock. “20 seconds. He’s not rushing as much as everyone else that plays this game does.” After Brian moved the numbered blocks into positions he felt were the correct answer, Brian finished the game with 10 seconds remaining. When the buzzer finally went off, the audience wasn't impressed with his choices and groaned at the final result. Carey seemed to be taken aback and took a short pause before saying, “Well good morning, judgmental!" Despite their disapproving reactions, Carey revealed that Brian got two answers correct. The game show host added that one of his correct answers might be the car and Brian asked for another 30 seconds on the clock to try again. Sonja Flemming/CBS Related: He went back to the board and switched the blocks for the car, but second guessed the changes and put the board back to the way it was before making a last minute swap for the lower stakes prizes. With the new changes, Carey revealed that Brian had only one answer correct. “Uh oh,” Brian grimaced as Carey added, “Hopefully it is the car.” The television personality then revealed that Brian had won a brand new Toyota Corolla. “Oh my God!” Brian yelled with delight as he ran off screen. Read the original article onDAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad , gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. Blinken arrived in Iraq on a previously unannounced stop after talks in Jordan and Turkey, which backs some of the Syrian insurgent factions. So far, U.S. officials have not talked of direct meetings with Syria's new rulers. The main insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus early Sunday. The group has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad's fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past, though HTS is still labeled a terrorist group by the United States and European countries. HTS's leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, appeared in a video message Friday congratulating “the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution.” “I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people,” he said. “And then after, we will work to build this country, and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God.” Huge crowds, including some insurgents, packed the historic Umayyad Mosque in the capital's old city, many waving the rebel opposition flag — with its three red stars — which has swiftly replaced the Assad-era flag with with its two green stars. Syrian state television reported that the sermon was delivered by Mohammed al-Bashir, the interim prime minister installed by HTS this week. The scene resonated on multiple levels. The mosque, one of the world's oldest dating back some 1,200 years, is a beloved symbol of Syria, and sermons there like all mosque sermons across Syria were tightly controlled under Assad's rule. Also, in the early days of the anti-government uprising in 2011, protesters would leave Friday prayers to march in rallies against Assad before he launched a brutal crackdown that turned the uprising into a long and bloody civil war. “I didn’t step foot in Umayyad Mosque since 2011," because of the tight security controls around it, said one worshipper, Ibrahim al-Araby. “Since 11 or 12 years, I haven’t been this happy.” Another worshipper, Khair Taha, said there was “fear and trepidation for what’s to come. But there is also a lot of hope that now we have a say and we can try to build.” Blocks away in Damascus' biggest roundabout, named Umayyad Square, thousands gathered, including many families with small children — a sign of how, so far at least, the country's transformation has not caused violent instability. “Unified Syria to build Syria,” the crowd chanted. Some shouted slurs against Assad and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centers of Assad’s security forces. One man in the crowd, 51-year-old Khaled Abu Chahine — originally from the southern province of Daraa, where the 2011 uprising first erupted — said he hoped for “freedom and coexistence between all Syrians, Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze.” The interim prime minister, al-Bashir, had been the head of a de facto administration created by HTS in Idlib, the opposition's enclave in northwest Syria. The rebels were bottled up in Idlib for years before fighters broke out in a shock offensive and marched across Syria in 10 days. Similar scenes of joy unfolded in other major cities, including in Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Raqqa. Al-Sharaa, HTS' leader, has promised to bring a pluralistic government to Syria, seeking to dispel fears among many Syrians — especially its many minority communities — that the insurgents will impose a hard-line, extremist rule. Another key factor will be winning international recognition for a new government in a country where multiple foreign powers have their hands in the mix. The Sunni Arab insurgents who overthrew Assad did so with vital help from Turkey, a longtime foe of the U.S.-backed Kurds . Turkey controls a strip of Syrian territory along the shared border and backs an insurgent faction uneasily allied to HTS — and is deeply opposed to any gains by Syria's Kurds. In other developments, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey’s Embassy in Damascus would reopen Saturday for the first time since 2012, when it closed due to the Syrian civil war. The U.S. has troops in eastern Syria to combat remnants of the Islamic State group and supports Kurdish-led fighters who rule most of the east. Since Assad's fall, Israel has bombed sites all over Syria, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. It has also seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. After talks with Fidan, Blinken said there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the U.S. on what they would like to see in Syria. That starts with an "interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said. Fidan said the priority was “establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant” — referring to the Islamic State group and the Kurdistan Workers Party. Ankara considers the PKK within Turkey's borders a terrorist group, as it does the Kurdish-backed forces in Syria backed by the U.S. A U.S. official said that in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fidan both told Blinken that Kurdish attacks on Turkish positions would require a response. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic talks. The U.S. has been trying to limit such incidents in recent days and had helped organize an agreement to prevent confrontations around the northern Syrian town of Manbij, which was taken by Turkey-backed opposition fighters from the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces earlier this week. In Baghdad, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, saying both countries wanted to ensure the Islamic State group — also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh — doesn't exploit Syria's transition to re-emerge. “Having put Daesh back in its box, we can’t let it out, and we’re determined to make sure that that doesn’t happen," Blinken said. The U.S. official who briefed reporters said that Blinken had impressed upon al-Sudani the importance of Iraq exercising its full sovereignty over its territory and airspace to stop Iran from transporting weapons and equipment to Syria, either for Assad supporters or onward to the militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon. Lee reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.Tusculum University is remembering with fondness Dr. Nancy Moody, who contributed to the higher education institution’s strength as she served with distinction for eight years as president. Dr. Moody passed away Thursday, Dec. 26, and the news has resulted in an outpouring of support from those who knew her. She served as president from 2009-2017 when the institution was named Tusculum College. “The Tusculum family expresses its condolences to the family of Dr. Moody while celebrating her work to equip our students to be career-ready professionals,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, who has served as the university’s president since 2020. “I have heard many stories about the positive impact Dr. Moody made on Tusculum and join those who knew her well in mourning her passing. We are grateful Dr. Moody graced us with her service to the university and thank her for her leadership and dedication to Tusculum’s success.” Part of Dr. Moody’s legacy that remains such a force in Tusculum’s delivery of a high-quality education is the construction of the state-of-the-art Meen Center. This is the university’s newest building, and Dr. Moody guided the 100,000-square foot project through every step – from the initial approval to funding to oversight of construction. She led the efforts that secured a $3.9 million gift for the naming of the Meen Center and two $1.5 million endowments to support faculty and students. The Meen Center is a key component of a student’s academic development, but the facility is also playing a key role in the university’s commitment to civic engagement. Since 2018, Tusculum biology and chemistry students have been engaged in researching potential new medications to fight cancer. The building supports additional active and experiential learning opportunities for students across multiple disciplines. A major supporter in the building’s construction was the late Verna June Meen, and Dr. Moody talked about her when she announced her retirement as president. “Verna June came to love Tusculum and her interactions at events with members of the board and others,” Dr. Moody said. “She expressed on more than one occasion how proud she was to have provided support to Tusculum College for the Meen Center for Science and Math and for two endowments, one to fund scholarships and one to fund an endowed professorship in chemistry.” Dr. Chuck Pearson, assistant dean of math and science, was named the Dr. Ronald H. Meen Distinguished Professor of Chemistry in 2022. In addition to the Meen Center, Dr. Moody’s presidency resulted in the installation of several academic programs at the university, including criminal justice and the Master of Business Administration. The university also launched the men’s and women’s lacrosse and track and field programs with Dr. Moody at the helm. Dr. Moody’s presidency produced further success. Tusculum reached articulation and affiliation agreements with regional community colleges and professional schools to increase enrollment in the bachelor’s degree programs and to provide expedited graduate school opportunities for the university’s alumni. The university’s Board of Trustees recognized Dr. Moody’s contributions to Tusculum by presenting her with the inaugural Founders Award in 2013. The award, named in memory of the Rev. Samuel Doak, the Rev. Samuel Witherspoon Doak and the Rev. Hezekiah Balch, recognizes those who have moved Tusculum forward in serving its students, its community and the world with integrity, tenacity, commitment, ingenuity and drive. “I am honored to have had the opportunity to serve as the 27th president and first female president of this historic institution,” Dr. Moody said in announcing her retirement. “In the last 7 1/2 years, the most memorable events for me have been the relationships that I have had the good fortune of developing with students, the Board of Trustees, alumni, members of the local community, faculty and staff and particularly with donors.” In the immediate aftermath of Dr. Moody’s death, several people expressed their sadness and gratitude on social media. Dr. Michael Bodary, a former English professor, highlighted the personal attention she gave him when he rolled his ankle one day. A nurse by training, Dr. Moody checked his ankle and, after concluding he had not broken it, advised him how to treat it. “I missed her when she left TU in 2017, and today I am missing her again,” Dr. Bodary said. Roxanna Jaynes, who works in the cafeteria, remembered when she was undergoing chemotherapy how Dr. Moody visited her. She said Dr. Moody read to her, prayed for her healing and stayed in touch throughout her treatments. Dr. Moody also sent flowers and attended the visitation when Jaynes’ father passed. Dr. Moody began her academic career as a nursing instructor for Lincoln Memorial University in 1974 and advanced to hold several academic leadership positions there. She was associate professor and department chair in the College of Nursing at East Tennessee State University, executive director of the Tennessee Center for Nursing and assistant professor of nursing in the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee. She served as president of Lincoln Memorial for seven years. Dr. Moody earned her associate and bachelor’s degrees in nursing from Eastern Kentucky University, a master’s in nursing from the Texas Women’s University Institute of Health Sciences-Houston Center in 1978 and a doctorate in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Nursing.

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