Dec. 26—Jason Mackey: Hello, everyone. Thanks for finding my weekly chat. You know the drill. We'll get started in a few minutes. Tom: So when the Steelers schedule rolled out, literally everyone said they would need to win early and probably lose in the brutal second half. So they did exactly what they needed to do and what everybody thought they would do but somehow the world is still ending? Please explain Jason Mackey: You want me to explain how the entire Steelers fanbase reacts to something? I don't know if I can do that, Tom. I do know — and I wrote this for A1 today — that the Steelers are where about where thought they would be. 10-6 or 10-7, maybe 11-6 ... but still flawed and a coin flip to win a football game. I'm not sure if that's much different than what you're saying. Tom: Are you suprised the Pens are playing Jarry so much? Jason Mackey: I'm not. I think they know they need to find out what they have in him. One, it allows him to get into a rhythm. I think it might help him get comfortable. At minimum, you know what you have. Covering Tristan, I've always found him to be the type of guy who does better when he's involved with the group, not doing things on his own like a backup would. Stairway to seventh seed: Jason: what a disaster. As of right now what would be your 2025 QB plan? 12 days ago I thought they would give Wilson a Baker Mayfield like 3 yr $100m deal. Now I think it is between Wilson at say $22m per, Fields at $14-16m, or other. It is hard to evaluate a QB playing behind this line with this group of WRs, but I say go with the younger, cheaper Fields. Am I over-reacting? Jason Mackey: I think you're overreacting. I don't have an answer on that right now because I'm not against it. I do think 3 years, $100 million is probably high. But if Wilson leads them to a playoff win or two, I'd probably feel differently about it. I think you just need to see how the balance of this plays out, honestly. I know that's an unsexy answer, but it's kind of where I'm at with all of it. Brad: It seems like the Steelers defense is really mad at one person talking about it can't just be 10 guys on the same page. Who are they criticizing? Jason Mackey: I don't know if it's one guy all the time. It's kinda true of defense writ large. If everyone isn't on the same page, you're gonna have problems. Stairway to seventh seed: Connor Heyward's offsides penalty yesterday was obviously the least of our concerns, but what does it say about the accountability on this team that such a fringe NFL player who has made no contribution on offense and a limited one on special teams can commit a half dozen or so pre-snap penalties this year and still be on the roster? Jason Mackey: Yeah, he does get penalized a lot. More than he should for his role, no doubt. I don't know what it says, but probably that stuff like that is being tolerated more than it should. demosthenes98: Happy Boxing Day! Since this is a holiday celebrated in Canada and has a name with connotations of socially acceptable violence, I have to ask—what's your all-time favorite hockey fight? Jason Mackey: Alex Semin vs. Marc Staal. demosthenes98: Andrew McCutchen has contributed many things to the Pirates over the course of his lengthy association with them, not the least of which is leadership. With that in mind, which move shows more leadership? Is it meekly returning to put lipstick on the proverbial pig? Or is it telling the low-character liars on Federal Street NO, then going public with it and the reasons why? Jason Mackey: I'm not sure it's either. Cutch wants to come back. He likes it here. He thinks they can win. You're free to disagree or get mad at Bob Nutting. But the premise of your question doesn't make sense based on what I know about Cutch. He hit 20 homers last year. Had a pretty respectable OPS. Would have to think he'd have a job somewhere if he really wanted it. He wants to be here. demosthenes98: Is it possible that the Pitt football team isn't as good as they looked when they were 7-0 or as bad as they've looked since then? That, instead of being world-beaters or bottom-feeders, they're just...okay? Jason Mackey: Yeah, that's possible. If not likely. Erryg: How concerned are you that Russell Wilson may not be the solution at QB? Jason Mackey: I don't know. I think he can be a solution. I just don't know if he would be worth $30 million. His return will be about how much he wants, what he's willing to accept, etc. We've been talking about Russ for $100 million over three. I'd have a hard time with that. But if he wanted $45 million over three, that's a different discussion. artie bridge: Jason, After three straight debacles, what specific steps can we take to get this train back on track? And, is the post-season already all but lost? Jason Mackey: Their only postseason hope might be beating a bad Texans team. Actual steps: communicating better, tackling better, not turning it over, leaning on Jaylen Warren, involving George Pickens even more ... yeah, there's stuff they can do. But the defense does have to improve. Seferg: Are there any quarterbacks in this year's draft that you would trade up for? Jason Mackey: Honestly, no. I'd rather see them preserve picks to address other areas of need, chiefly defensive line, defensive back and wide receiver. Seferg: How would you grade the Pirates trade for Horwitz? Fair, gave up too much or we got a great deal? Jason Mackey: I don't hate it as much as I originally did. He's one of those players who probably requires some nuance and numbers to grasp. Certainly not anyone who's gonna blow you away. But I still don't like that they gave up a bunch of young pitching to do it. Ortiz straight up, fine. Or the prospects. Just not both. Jason: Hi Jason! If the Steelers get a late game and the Ravens get an early game depending on the outcome should the Steelers rest as many starters as possible? They sure seem Jason Mackey: They probably should. But I also don't love it because I think this group probably needs some confidence. Maybe if you could have a good half and call it a day that would work. You certainly don't want to get anyone hurt. Jason: like there isn't much left in the tank and understandably so. Jason Mackey: I see this is the second part to your question. Joel: Jason, Happy Holidays to you and your family. Sorry you had to spend Christmas Day dealing with another Steelers debacle. I know that Tomlin is getting torched by frustrated Steelers fans, but isn't the core problem roster construction rather than coaching? Tell me a coach in this league who could win 10 games with this roster. So my critique of Tomlin (and Khan and Wylie) is around the inability to choose players that can win on game day against elite teams. Jason Mackey: I think the people fixating on Tomlin are ignoring the other factors. In other words, he's not absolved. But, yeah, it's an imperfect roster, to be kind about it. Players have also underperformed. But he's been around a while and hasn't helped himself with his performance of late. James of WV: Hi Jason, I hope your holiday season has been better than the Steelers. Jason Mackey: I can confirm that it has. Thanks, James. Jeff: Thanks for the chats Jason. World is clearly ending here in the Burgh...steelers reeling, pens fighting to just make playoffs and the pirates, well nothing seems to ever change. Question on the pirates do you see any younger arms in the minors making it to the bigs this year? I cannot believe we are dangling Jones. Without the starting pitching we lose 90 games! Oh and happy holidays Jason Mackey: They're not going to trade Jones. I doubt they trade Keller. I don't know if this is what you mean, but I'd expect Chandler, Harrington and Ashcraft to make their MLB debus this year. Jason Mackey: debuts* Country Roads JP: Hello Jason, I realize there's reason for pessimism about the Steelers but it seems they never do well on short weeks and I feel if they can regroup and rest over the next 10 days and get back to playing on Sundays again they will perform better plus there's a strong possibility they will open the playoffs against Houston which is their best case scenario. Jason Mackey: I don't disagree with you. The short week thing is real. And I don't think the Texans are very good. They could win that game. Bill in Clinton: Seriously, what will it take for Nutting to sell the team? Jason Mackey: I don't think he has any interest in selling. Sid: There's a lot of talk about RSNs and how teams like Yankees/Cubs/Dodgers are good, but small-market teams aren't. How secure are the Pirates with SNP, and what would happen if it fell through? Jason Mackey: I don't expect the Pirates to be long-term with SNP. I expect, when the next CBA is up for them to move to MLB's in-house model. Greg Brown: Will I call a Pirates World Series game before I retire? Jason Mackey: I sure hope so, Brownie. You deserve it my man. Sam: Is pedigree so important in sports that despite Jaylen Warren performing better than Najee Harris when he's in there, Harris' next contract was thought of as "too expensive" to be worth extending, but Warren is considered a no brainer signing this offseason? I know if you try bell cow status with a guy Warren's size he's liable to wear down, but if you did one of those blind resume graphics or simply watch how dangerous each one looks with the ball, you'd probably answer that Warren is worth more money. Just because he went to Alabama and was a #1 pick. Jason Mackey: Yeah, it has something to do with it, I'm sure. I think that's true at all levels. To be fair, he's also proven a lot more than Warren has. Jaylen Warren doesn't have four 1,000-yard seasons. Or one. But I agree with you: He's probably the better fit for the Steelers' offense right now. JR IN ATL: Hey Jason, do you think Tomlin's coaching tree has basically no branches because he feels threatened by coaches that might perform better than him as coordinators. I still think Flores would have been a much better coordinator than Austin, and we already had him in the building. Jason Mackey: Could be that. I'd also argue that he hasn't done a very good job hiring assistants. He might not have been threatened by Matt Canada. Matt Canada simply wasn't very good. It's probably a combination of both. But it is crazy how it has zero branches. Gary: Why do they only throw to Pickens along the sidelines? How about the middle of the field, WR screens, Reverse? With his speed and strength, I feel they are not tapping into all of his skills. Totally predictable like the rest of the offensive game plan. Jason Mackey: I agree they could go over the middle more. But (1) he's an outside receiver. He's also more likely to get man-to-man coverage that way, and that works to Pickens' benefit. When you consider the quarterback, Russ is short. It's not the easiest thing for him to see some of those routes. The truth: Was Arthur Smith an overrated hire? He obviously couldn't be worse than Canada, but he seems really middle of the road to me. He doesn't seem to scheme guys open, is always changing personnel, and is is very predictable at times. The offense only took off once Russ was named starter, and lately it's still very mediocre. Yesterday was an offensive coaching clinic by KC, and it looks like Smith isn't anywhere close to that. Jason Mackey: Yeah, I think that's fair. I don't think Arthur Smith has been a disaster by any stretch. But I also don't think he has delivered on the considerable excitement that surrounded his hire. I think he's been merely OK. Jason: I'm not sure why people are down on Wilson so much. The lack of a legit #2 WR and the horrible play of the OL should fall on Omar and the coaches not on Wilson. Yes he has had a few bad turnovers but besides him not sliding on the fumble last week the man is under pressure almost everytime he drops back to pass. Jason Mackey: A fair, balanced way of looking at it. There's a lot at play here. The Dude: Tomlin promised changes, since it certainly makes no sense to continue the way things are going. What changes do you expect to see for the Bengals game, and will any of them help? Jason Mackey: Sadly, he has promised them before — and then done nothing. I'm not expecting a ton to change. There's only so much he can do. Maybe a little more man coverage? They didn't do a good job in zone. Nate: Jason, friends of mine are all on the "Fire Tomlin" bandwagon. As someone who believes he is a top 5 coach in the league, my bigger concern is we don't have a franchise QB. You could have the greatest coach in the history of football but no QB makes it impossible to win the big one. Why does no one seem to realize this? Jason Mackey: I think people are aware you need a good quarterback to win. I also think people are frustrated with Tomlin and want to see the Steelers win a playoff game. Both can be true. Draft Milroe: Let's do the damn thing! Draft Milroe, sign Russ for 3 years, first year guaranteed, then let Milroe play when he is ready. I am sick of this not having a franchise QB thing! Jason Mackey: To each their own. If I bring Russ back, I'd probably use my draft resources differently. They need receivers. They're also thin at DL and DB. Kyser Sozay: If it turns out the Steelers go to Houston, then I would contend that things didn't turn out all that badly. Agree? Jason Mackey: If they go there and win ... Shane in Colrain: Did you see Pickens taking his helmet off after plays in the 4th quarter and screaming at the sidelines? Surprised he wasn't penalized. He should be benched by Tomlin for that since they were 3 scores down. Send a message. Thoughts? Jason Mackey: I saw it. You think Tomlin is suddenly gonna lose his you know what over that? I didn't love it, but benching Pickens only hurts the Steelers. Part of the problem they have with him. He's also done far worse that went unpunished. Shane in Colrain: Sam Darnald or Russell Wilson for QB next year? Jason Mackey: I'd want to know the prices for each. WTF: Please explain how Nutting can have one of the greatest arms of all time, yet not expand payroll while he's here? I am not asking for us to have a payroll of 200 million but to have Skenes here for 5 more years and not having a payroll eclipse 100 million is beyond baffling. Jason Mackey: I don't have a good answer for you. I'm with you. If now isn't the time to increase payroll, when is? I do think it'll go up some — like $5 million — but they should spend more. Tim Imperial: The offensive line has been a huge disappointment in pass pro, I say fire the o-line coach!!! Jason Mackey: They have two rookies and a sophomore starting. Three guys are out for the season with injuries. I agree it has ben bad, but I'm not sure the OL coach needs fired. Shane in Colrain: Baltimore cycles through OCs and DCs every couple of years with success. Why can't the Steelers find a guy who can be successful? Jason Mackey: More questions than my wife today, Shane. I don't know. But you bring up a good point. Other NFL teams seems to be able to do that fairly routinely. In Smith's defense, though, he's drawing up an offense for a group without a WR2. That's not his faut. Shane in Colrain: The best gift you got yesterday was...? Jason Mackey: Really, my wife and kids. But in terms of actual gifts, probably a T-shirt from my wife that says Lange, Prince & Cope, honoring the legendary announcers. Shane in Colrain: At least the Chiefs didn't score over 30 point. Silver lining? Jason Mackey: Oh, yeah. Surprised that wasn't a headline. The truth: George Pickens has the skills to warrant a huge deal, but he seems Jason Mackey: I would pay Pickens. Jules Winfield: I know folks are down on Russ at this point, but who you gonna get that's better? Assuming he can be had for between 15 and 20 million for a couple of years, he seems a better choice than Fields or some others. Right or wrong? Jason Mackey: I would take Russ over Fields, yes. I don't know what Darnold would want. But, yeah, if you can make it work financially, it probably does make the most sense to keep Russ. Jason: If the excuse is the Pirates won't spend because they are a small Jason Mackey: What excuse? Erryg: Will Cutch be the most expensive free agent signing for the Pirates this off season? Jason Mackey: Yes. But I think they will add some salary in the form of a trade or two. PQ: Jason, any current or former employee of the PG, including the old Pittsburgh Press, makes that catch on a ball tumbling to earth at free fall, no? Jason Mackey: Little surprised you dropped that, PQ. Jason: If the Pirates use the small market excuse for not spending would the Steelers and Pens use the same excuse if there was no cap in the NFL or NHL? Jason Mackey: They are vastly different businesses. That's not excusing the Pirates, but comparing MLB to any other sport is foolish given how its finances are derived. Mr. Smith: Jason, in retrospect, was a little too hasty on that whole college opportunity thing? Jason Mackey: We are on the overreaction rollercoaster something terrible today, folks! Gregg@7723ft : In all honesty, really, not being a doomsayer, I see the Steelers losing to Cincy and their playoff opener. Should that come to fruition....man, I don't know. There has to be some major changes, don't there? Jason Mackey: Yeah, that's a fair way of looking at things. I get it. I don't know if they'll win another game. I hope they do. That would be really ugly. And I would think if they don't win a game, yeah, that has to result in something. Seven: I hope you and your wonderful family are enjoying the holidays, Jason. I was hoping that the Steelers were one good offseason away from being a top tier team, but they still need a lot of help at DB, DL, WR and obviously QB will be a temporary fix at best. Do you see this team going deep into the playoffs next year? Jason Mackey: Not as currently constituted. They have to get better in several areas. They're a playoff team, sure. But going deep in the playoffs is what's tripping me up. Stash: Jason, did C Patt give Arthur a lucrative stock pick back in the day? Jason Mackey: Sure seems like it. Wild how much of a part of things he remains. Seven: I think that a well-deserved shout out is in order for the Penn State volleyball team, and also the football team's advance through the playoffs. Do you see the Lions winning on the blue field on New Year's Eve? Jason Mackey: Absolutely. Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud. And, yes, I do. Though they're playing at the Fiesta Bowl. That's not blue, is it? Stash: Jason, The Kinks have the best holiday song of all time. And it's not even close. Your thoughts? Jason Mackey: Um, no. My favorite rock 'n roll Christmas song is probably Tom Petty, Christmas All Over. Sully: Jason, I assume you are hearing less of those nasty fire Sully demands? Jason Mackey: Yes. Including fewer that come from my own mouth and fingers. Pretty amazing what this team has been able to do. Russ: Jason, was that fun till it lasted? Jason Mackey: It might not be over. I seriously could see Russ bouncing back against the Bengals. Jeff: is Ben trying for an outfield bat or is he going with Palacios, Yorke and Cook combo? Jason Mackey: I think Suwinski would be given first crack ahead of those guys. But I do expect them to add an OF bat in some form or fashion. Either trade or via agency. Probably the latter. Gene: Do you think the reason the Steelers have lost the last 3 games is coaching injuries or that the team just can't win against great teams because of talent? Jason Mackey: I read this as coaching injuries. Like the Steelers lost their past three because Mike Tomlin pulled his hamstring. That made me laugh, and I think we need some of that today. I think it's all three, Gene. Injuries have exposed a lack of depth. Coaching decisions haven't been great, the game plan unimaginable. Players have also done a poor job executing. I don't think you can narrow it down to one thing. Jeff: So if it is Suwinski, and no other additions due to payroll and lack of trading partner, is this team as constructed now a playoff contender? Jason Mackey: No. I think they need to fix the bullpen. And I believe they will. I also think they'll add an outfield bat in some capacity. They did go 56-54 through 100 games last year and have a pretty solid starting staff. Kordell: The Steelers are not a serious organization any longer. Nepotism reigns, the defense can't even line-up correctly (see Worthy TD), and the top players make crucial mistakes at crucial times (Najee, Wilson, Freirmuth). Is a total house-cleaning in order? Jason Mackey: No. But points on the unserious organization comment. That's how you know things are bad around here. Baghdad_Ben: Jason — I see the question(s) about us being where we thought we would be. True, I have to agree we are. But, what has become clear is we are no closer to being a real contender. We still are featherweights against the good teams. Something in the Steeler's recipe is missing. The fan base is tired of hearing it is the players. No one ever seems to develop and improve outside of TJ Watt. Jason Mackey: I think that's probably an over-generalization. I think some linemen have improved. Jaylen Warren. Shoot, Pickens has improved since his rookie year. Payton Wilson has promise. You're upset because they lost, I can't it. I just don't totally agree with you here. Scorp: Does Teryl Austin get fired after the season? Jason Mackey: If they don't win again, I could see that happening. Jason: I live in Clearwater and can't wait for Spring Training. You have any tips on how to get Paul's autograph? I am really having bad luck when I go see them play against the Phillies lol Jason Mackey: I don't. Outside of the fact that he's probably not signing when he's pitching. That's his day, a work day. But I know he has been incredibly accommodating on days where he doesn't pitch. There's also a lot of interested. So, you might have to be patient. Bob: Where is the accountability with the coaching staff and players ? Tomlin won with Cowher's players and remaining coaches. Tomlin is a very poor game manager. A hugh issue is that his job will be there no matter what a game's outcome. Week 16, and he is just now reviewing and making changes. Time to go. Jason Mackey: I feel like you can copy/paste this response and use it every year Tomlin has been here. Shoot, there might be a billboard somewhere around tahn with this on it by now. Kordell: JMac — thanks for the long chat, insights are always great. Are players allowed to call time-outs? There were multiple plays where the defensive guys were gesturing, pointing, etc... and clearly not on the same page. If a player can call a time-out, you'd think that would be in order on some of those plays to avoid, you know, communication issues? Jason Mackey: Thanks, Kordell. Appreciate you stopping by. Yes, they are. Usually that would be the defensive captain or green dot guy, something of that nature. Jason: I think Gruden would be the perfect coach for the Steelers next year. Jason make it happen! Jason Mackey: Yeah, that's likely. Ha. Fun thought. Not gonna happen. Not in a billion years. Jeff: Given his history, I'm not confident Cherington can pull off any of the needed pieces. Jason Mackey: The past trade history is not good. I hear you. That being said, you only need one or two to hit. Ben has made some good moves (Bart, the Chandler draft pick looks solid, I don't hate IKF, Skenes though it was obvious, bringing up Jones, etc.) But yeah, the trade return hasn't matched what was going out. Guest: Howdy. Hope your holiday is a happy one. Read elsewhere about what a great job Hines is doing at Arizona State. And yet both Georgia and (even worse) the Steelers wouldn't hire him. What gives? Jason Mackey: I think they're vastly different jobs. Just because you're a solid HC or assistant somewhere, doesn't automatically make you a fit. May have something to do with Pickens. Maybe Azzanni has a specific personality type? I don't know. I'm not in those rooms. I'm just saying that we don't know everything there is to know about the Hines Ward situation. sam: who do you think will play rightfield for the pirates in 2025 Jason Mackey: Can I have two options? I'd go with Jack Suwinski or TBD. Not the pitching TBD we've come to know so well, but I do think they could acquire that guy still, possibly via trade. I do think they're gonna give Jack a chance to win the job. Jason Mackey: OK, everybody. Thanks so much for this. Really enjoyed it. Was bummed our site was down for last week's. Let's do this again real soon. (c)2024 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and RussiaATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center simply said in posting about Carter's death on the social media platform X. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.
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Stocks closed higher on Wall Street ahead of the Christmas holiday, led by gains in Big Tech stocks. The S&P 500 added 1.1% Tuesday. Trading closed early ahead of the holiday. Tech companies including Apple, Amazon and chip company Broadcom helped pull the market higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%. American Airlines shook off an early loss and ended mostly higher after the airline briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical issue. Treasury yields held steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was little changed at 4.59% THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Tech companies led a broad rally for U.S. stocks Tuesday, a boost for the market in a holiday-shortened trading session. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% in midday trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 273 points, or 0.6%, as of 12:18 p.m. Eastern time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite was up 1%. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.9%, while semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, rose 0.8%. Super Micro Computer jumped 5.8%. Tesla climbed 5.1%, one of the biggest gains among S&P 500 stocks. Amazon.com rose 1.6% American Airlines slipped 0.1% after the airline briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical issue. U.S. Steel rose 1.1% a day after an influential government panel failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of the nearly $15 billion proposed sale to Nippon Steel of Japan. NeueHealth surged 68.9% after the health care company agreed to be taken private in a deal valued at roughly $1.3 billion. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.61% from 4.59% late Monday. European markets were mostly higher. Markets in Asia mostly gained ground. U.S. markets will close at 1 p.m. Eastern and stay closed Wednesday for Christmas. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to this week, including a weekly update on unemployment benefits on Thursday. Tuesday’s rally comes as the stock market enters what’s historically been a very cheerful season. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. The so-called “Santa rally” also correlates closely with positive returns in January and the upcoming year. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the stock market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up about 26% so far this year and remains within roughly 1.3% of the all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Alex Veiga, The Associated Press
Special needs pupils will be forced out of private schools into homeschooling as a result of Labour's tax raid, education bosses claimTrump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and RussiaWhile serving as the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter—who died on December 29 at age 100—brokered a peace deal between Israel and Egypt, pioneered a federal energy program and reassured a nation that was still shaken by the Watergate scandal. Carter’s greatest legacy, however, might just be the way he approached life following his presidency. Carter, inaugurated at age 52, was relatively young when he took the highest office in the nation. He had decades of possibility ahead of him when he left the White House in 1981, and he chose to devote the latter half of his life to continued public service. In 1982, in partnership with Emory University, he established the Carter Center , an organization dedicated to promoting peace and well-being around the globe. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn , who died in November 2023 at age 96, famously volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for decades, and he brought to action what most presidents only speak about, says Claire Jerry, curator of political history at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History . “He doesn’t just talk about housing issues; he’s building houses. He doesn’t just talk about fair elections; he’s traveling the world to ensure that they happen,” Jerry says. “He’s actually doing the things that other people only give words to.” Mindy Farmer, a historian with the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, agrees. “One of the interesting things about being a post-president or former president is that there’s no job description for what you do. You can do any number of things, and some presidents have chosen a life that’s quiet. Some have chosen to be activists. But Carter is really remarkable for choosing to be a nonpartisan humanitarian.” The National Portrait Gallery is home to a significant archive of Carter images , including those displayed here. “Our portraits of Jimmy Carter include images by noted photographers Ansel Adams and Diana Walker. We have prints by Andy Warhol,” says Farmer. “We have several paintings of distinction, and we have many pieces that at one time adorned the cover of Time magazine. Those span a number of mediums, including collages, sculptures and more paintings. And, of course, we have political cartoons.” Carter will be remembered for governing with a sense of morality and honesty, in his approach to both foreign affairs and domestic matters. The late president said in 1978, “Human rights is the soul of our foreign policy.” He maintained his commitment to human rights in his projects with the Carter Center, and he was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” “He was absolutely steadfast in promoting human rights across the globe,” says Farmer. “It actually cost him at times in his overall foreign policy, but to that he was committed, and that commitment extended not just to the presidency, but the post-presidency.” Domestically, Carter implemented policies that were progressive for his time. He was devoted to protecting the environment in ways big and small, from the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to the solar panels he installed on the roof of the White House. In his infamous “Crisis of Confidence” speech , Carter stressed the gravity of the energy crisis and warned of “a loss of a unity of purpose for our nation”—ideas that the public perhaps was not ready to hear in the 1970s, Jerry says. Carter enjoyed the longest life of any U.S. president, and he made his many years count. Although his commitment to human rights and ethics may have been underappreciated during his term in office, Jerry says his reputation was resurrected in his out-of-office life. “This idea that the post-presidential platform has a lot of power will be an enduring legacy of Jimmy Carter,” she says. “I think future post-presidencies will be measured against his mark.” James Earl Carter Jr. was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. His family owned a peanut farm, which would become the subject of good-natured jokes throughout Carter’s political campaigns. At age 10, young Jimmy had already started helping with the family business by selling produce from the farm at the town market. Inspired by postcards from his uncle Tom Gordy , Carter decided to join the Navy at a young age. After completing two years at Georgia Southwestern College and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Carter enrolled in the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He graduated in the top ten percent of his class in 1946. In the Navy, Carter completed two years of surface ship duty before applying to join the submarine service. Admiral Hyman G. Rickover selected the then-lieutenant to join a new nuclear submarine program, where he would become an engineering officer for the nuclear power plant of the U.S.S. Seawolf . However, when the senior Carter fell ill and died in 1953, Jimmy returned to Plains to take over the family business. Carter married Rosalynn Smith, a friend of his sister Ruth, shortly after graduating from the Naval Academy in 1946. Together, they operated Carter’s Warehouse, a seed and farm supply company, in the years following his father’s death. Upon his return to Plains, Carter quickly became a community leader in the areas of education, the hospital authority and the local library. He pursued leadership roles in local elections, winning a seat in the State Senate in 1962 and becoming Georgia’s governor in 1971 after losing his first gubernatorial race in 1966. On December 12, 1974, Carter announced his candidacy for president of the United States. Although he was the Democratic National Committee chairman for the congressional and gubernatorial elections earlier that year, he was entirely unknown in the public sphere—in fact, after his announcement, the Atlanta Constitution ran a headline that read, “Jimmy Who is Running for What!?” Carter’s outsider status turned out to be an advantage given the state of post- Watergate politics. The public was still distrustful of what has come to be known as the imperial presidency, says Jerry, so a newcomer was more than welcome in Washington. “Carter ran very much as a more personal candidate,” Jerry said. “‘We’re going to restore honesty to the White House; we’re going to really work on this together.’ And that resonated very, very positively with the American people.” The 1976 election saw a record number of primaries as the presidential nomination process we know today coalesced, giving Carter the opportunity for nationwide exposure. His campaign established the modern role of the Iowa caucuses as a litmus test for the nation. “He really anticipated that if he was to make a showing in Iowa, it would vault him to the list of front-runner candidates,” Jerry says. Carter came out of Iowa as the top candidate—second only to “uncommitted” in the polls—proving his personal campaigning strategy to be a success. Carter was nominated on the first ballot at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, and he went on to defeat incumbent President Gerald Ford in the presidential election on November 2, 1976. Following his inauguration, Carter opted to walk from the Capitol to the White House with his wife and daughter in the Inaugural Parade, symbolizing a humble shift away from the imperial presidency. On his first full day in office, Carter pardoned hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War draft evaders in an attempt to heal the psychic effects of the war and the social unrest that came with it. Throughout his inaugural year, Carter prioritized energy policy and urged the public to seriously consider the energy crisis. In a televised April 1977 speech , the president called the impending crisis the “moral equivalent of war” and emphasized energy conservation measures. He established the Department of Energy with the Department of Energy Organization Act later that year, but he expressed frustration with the slow pace of energy reform for the remainder of his presidency. “He creates new protected land, especially in Alaska,” notes Farmer. “He encouraged the creation of new forms of renewable energy. In fact, he created [the] Department of Energy just to do that. Under his administration, we see the development of nuclear, wind, solar and other sustainable sources of energy.” Carter inherited the economic quagmire of stagflation, a combination of high inflation and unemployment and slow economic growth. He managed to decrease the budget deficit and create some eight million jobs during his time in office, but inflation and interest rates continued to rise. Toward the end of his presidency, Carter created another new cabinet-level department, the Department of Education , to expand social services for children and families. When it came to foreign policy, Carter took a values-based approach of protecting democracy and advocating for human rights abroad. His most celebrated achievement in the global sphere is the Camp David Accords, the result of a two-week meeting that put to rest 30 years of conflict between Egypt and Israel, and that set a framework for the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty of 1979. Carter also relieved tension between the U.S. and Latin America with the ratification of the Panama Canal treaties that returned the canal zone to the Panamanians. Additionally, he set a precedent for future foreign affairs in Asia by officially establishing diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Carter further strained U.S. relations with the Soviet Union, especially when he criticized Soviet rights abuses openly. While this may have exacerbated Cold War tensions, some historians credit Carter’s bold criticism as a catalyst for later social reforms in the Soviet Union. Nonetheless, there were casualties in Carter’s dicey diplomacy with the Soviets, such as the failure to ratify the SALT II nuclear limitation treaty. With a series of unfortunate events—namely the Iran hostage crisis—causing discord during Carter’s final year in office, he failed to win reelection in 1980. However, he bounced back with a uniquely strong post-presidency. The Carter Center , a nongovernmental organization committed to promoting human rights around the globe, has engaged in conflict resolution, overseen democratic elections and pioneered public health initiatives in more than 80 countries. His 2002 Nobel Peace Prize made him the third of four presidents to receive the honor. The former chief executive also wrote more than 30 books , including several memoirs, a poetry collection and a children’s book, and he won three Grammy Awards for his audiobooks. Many of Carter’s books deal with the topic of religious faith, which was central to the way he approached his life and death. At a Sunday school lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, in November 2019, Carter shared his reflections on death. “I obviously prayed about it,” Carter said of his diagnosis of metastatic melanoma, which he beat in 2015. “I didn’t ask God to let me live, but I asked God to give me a proper attitude toward death. And I found that I was absolutely and completely at ease with death.”Titans return to QB Mason Rudolph after 3-INT performance