ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Maverick McNealy steadied himself after a rugged start Saturday with a 4-under 66 and caught up with Vince Whaley in a wild third round at the RSM Classic in which a half-dozen players had at least a share of the lead. McNealy looked as though he might have the lead when he hit wedge on the final hole that rolled just by the cup and settled 8 feet away. He missed the putt, still in great position to go after his first PGA Tour victory. Whaley, also winless on tour, birdied the 18th for a 63 and will be playing in the final group for the first time on the PGA Tour. McNealy, who joined him at 14-under 198, also shared the 54-hole lead in 2021 at the season opener in Napa, California. Whaley was playing with a sense of freedom not everyone has at the final PGA Tour event this year. He was playing on a medical extension and fulfilled the necessary points in July. The next step was finishing in the top 125 in the FedEx Cup. He secured that last week with a tie for fifth in the Bermuda Championship. Everything else feels like a bonus, and there could be no greater perk than a victory to get into the Masters and PGA Championship, along with a two-year exemption. “I've really got nothing to lose and everything to gain, so I'm just excited for the opportunity,” Whaley said. Opportunity abounds going into the final round. Daniel Berger shot a 63 and played his way into the final group, just two shots behind. He was tied with former Sea Island winner Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., (65), Michael Thorbjornsen (67) and Patrick Fishburn (69). Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., (71) dropped 23 spots to tie for 47th at 3 under. Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., (70) was 1 under. Berger and Thorbjornsen were among those who arrived at Sea Island outside the top 125, the number required to keep full status on tour on next year. Thorbjornsen already has that locked up as the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking. Berger needed a big week and he's delivering, even though he says he doesn't feel stress. Berger missed 19 months with a back injury that he feared might end his career. Now he's healthy enough to have played 27 times this year. “Regardless when I play well, I'm going to be fine,” said Berger, who played in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. "When you miss that much amount of time it takes a little bit of a while to get back. It's just a matter of being patient and eventually good things come around.” Henrik Norlander and Hayden Springer, also on the wrong side of No. 125, each shot 63 and were among those tied for 12th, a position that currently would let them move into the top 125. Joel Dahmen, who had to make a 5-foot par putt on Friday to make the cut, shot 70 and was tied for 61st. He is at No. 124 and his future depends on a big round Sunday, along with how Thorbjornsen, Berger, Norlander and Springer fare. Closer to the top, eight players were separated by three shots. That includes Luke Clanton, the Florida State sophomore and No. 1 amateur in the world who already has three top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour and was going after another one. ___ AP golf: The Associated PressWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — First it was Canada , then the Panama Canal . Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland . The president-elect is renewing unsuccessful calls he made during his first term for the U.S. to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding to the list of allied countries with which he’s picking fights even before taking office on Jan. 20. In a Sunday announcement naming his ambassador to Denmark, Trump wrote that, “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” Trump again having designs on Greenland comes after the president-elect suggested over the weekend that the U.S. could retake control of the Panama Canal if something isn’t done to ease rising shipping costs required for using the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He’s also been suggesting that Canada become the 51st U.S. state and referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor” of the “Great State of Canada.” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, said Trump tweaking friendly countries harkens back to an aggressive style he used during his days in business. “You ask something unreasonable and it’s more likely you can get something less unreasonable,” said Farnsworth, who is also author of the book “Presidential Communication and Character.” Greenland, the world’s largest island, sits between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It is 80% covered by an ice sheet and is home to a large U.S. military base. It gained home rule from Denmark in 1979 and its head of government, Múte Bourup Egede, suggested that Trump’s latest calls for U.S. control would be as meaningless as those made in his first term. “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale,” he said in a statement. “We must not lose our years-long fight for freedom.” The Danish Prime Minister’s Office said in its own statement that the government is “looking forward to welcoming the new American ambassador. And the Government is looking forward to working with the new administration.” “In a complex security political situation as the one we currently experience, transatlantic cooperation is crucial,” the statement said. It noted that it had no comment on Greenland except for it “not being for sale, but open for cooperation.” Trump canceled a 2019 visit to Denmark after his offer to buy Greenland was rejected by Copenhagen, and ultimately came to nothing . He also suggested Sunday that the U.S. is getting “ripped off” at the Panama Canal. “If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question,” he said. Panama President José Raúl Mulino responded in a video that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to,” but Trump fired back on his social media site, “We’ll see about that!” The president-elect also posted a picture of a U.S. flag planted in the canal zone under the phrase, “Welcome to the United States Canal!” The United States built the canal in the early 1900s but relinquished control to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter . The canal depends on reservoirs that were hit by 2023 droughts that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships, administrators also increased the fees that shippers are charged to reserve slots to use the canal. The Greenland and Panama flareups followed Trump recently posting that “Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State” and offering an image of himself superimposed on a mountaintop surveying surrounding territory next to a Canadian flag. Trudeau suggested that Trump was joking about annexing his country, but the pair met recently at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida to discuss Trump’s threats to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods. “Canada is not going to become part of the United States, but Trump’s comments are more about leveraging what he says to get concessions from Canada by putting Canada off balance, particularly given the precarious current political environment in Canada,” Farnsworth said. “Maybe claim a win on trade concessions, a tighter border or other things.” He said the situation is similar with Greenland. “What Trump wants is a win,” Farnsworth said. “And even if the American flag doesn’t raise over Greenland, Europeans may be more willing to say yes to something else because of the pressure.” __ Associated Press writers Gary Fields in Washington and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
On Dec. 2 Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maliki Osman, attended the Cairo ministerial conference to enhance the humanitarian response in Gaza, hosted by Egypt in Cairo. In his speech, Maliki, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Education, said that more is needed to be done to address the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. While in Cairo, Maliki also met with the Palestinian prime minister and foreign minister, Mohammed Mustafa, Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, as well as other foreign dignitaries present at the conference. Humanitarian relief and ceasefire During his conference speech Maliki spoke about Singapore’s concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, its call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, and preparations and hopes for the future, should a ceasefire be called. These points were elaborated on during a doorstop interview that the minister held after the conference. During the doorstop, he elaborated on the humanitarian situation, noting that winter was “fast approaching”, and that the people in Gaza would need better shelter and warm clothing, in addition to the already insufficient food and essential supplies. Maliki also noted that this was true for the remaining hostages in Gaza, who were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas more than a year ago. During the doorstop, he reiterated Singapore’s call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, and also the immediate, safe, and unconditional release of all remaining hostages. S$18 million for relief efforts During his speech and the doorstop, he said that Singaporeans and the Singapore government had collectively donated more than S$18 million in cash and in-kind donations for relief efforts in Gaza. Maliki had gone to Egypt in November 2023 to hand over the first tranche of that aid, while Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan was present for the handover of the third tranche, which had been accompanied by an aircraft from the RSAF in March 2024. He paid tribute to the various regional partners that had helped Singapore’s relief efforts, such as Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Cyprus. He also encouraged Singaporeans to continue contributing to fundraising efforts by reputable organisations such as the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation and the Singapore Red Cross. Maliki shared that the conference had spoken not just about raising aid for Gaza, but also the difficult logistics of delivering that aid to Gaza, but also within Gaza. Massive future needs Maliki also spoke about the future. He said that efforts towards a ceasefire were ongoing but difficult, but even should such a ceasefire be achieved, “the future needs of Gaza will be massive”. Singapore stood ready to join the international community “in supporting the Palestinian people as they seek to rebuild their lives” after the ceasefire is reached. Maliki touched on some of the efforts that had been made by Singapore through its Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP). ETAP supported the Palestinian Authority, which is the governing body that controls the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, and its capacity-building efforts. The programme would be expanded from an annual offering of three postgraduate scholarships in Singapore, to five undergraduate and five postgraduate scholarships, which Singapore hoped would contribute to the PA’s human capital development efforts, in preparation for eventual statehood. 60 years of diplomatic relations Maliki also met several local and foreign dignitaries while in Cairo, including Abdelatty. Abdelatty posted about the meeting on social media, describing Singapore and Egypt diplomatic ties as strong, and that the two friendly nations aspired to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2026. He also hoped to advance various areas of bilateral cooperation to broader horizons. Singapore is the fifth largest Asian investor in Egypt, with over US$ 700 million (S$941 million) in investments in the country. Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to enhancing these investments and increasing bilateral trade exchanges. Abdelatty welcomed the continued and enhanced cooperation in the cultural field, particularly the provision of Egyptian expertise to Singaporeans and students at the Al Azhar University, “ supporting efforts to promote the moderate approach to Islam in Singapore”. Meanwhile, the Singapore Cooperation Programme has also trained about 700 Egyptian officials. Maliki also met with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Palestine, the foreign ministers of Bahrain, Jordan, and Lebanon, and Malaysia’s deputy foreign minister. Related stories Top image via Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Former Chilliwack, B.C. MLA Dan Coulter has diedSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — When the San Francisco 49ers used a third-round pick to draft Jake Moody last year, the hope was it would settle their kicking position for years to come. A shaky second half to Moody's second season with San Francisco has put that into question headed to the offseason. Moody missed his sixth field goal in the past seven games last week, leading to questions about whether the 49ers will need to replace him or at least bring in competition for next season. Coach Kyle Shanahan expressed confidence in Moody on Thursday, attributing some of the struggles to a high ankle sprain he suffered in his kicking leg earlier in the season. “I still feel the same about him, that I believe he is going to be our guy," Shanahan said. “Everyone has got to perform and do things like that and I think he has had a tough year. ... I thought he was doing really well and then had a high ankle sprain to his kicking foot. Since he’s come back, he hasn’t been as consistent, obviously. But I think a lot of that probably has to do with that, just common-sense wise.” Moody got off to a strong start this season, making all six field goals he attempted in the season opener and going 13 for 14 before injuring his ankle while attempting to make a tackle on a kickoff return in Week 5. He missed three games and has struggled since he returned. He missed three field goals in first first game back at Tampa Bay, two more in the snow at Buffalo in Week 13 and then a 41-yarder last week against the Dolphins. “That’s the great thing about kicking is, you can be as talented as whoever and you can struggle,” Moody said. “I feel like this year, I’ve struggled. It doesn’t really waver my confidence or anything. I feel like, throughout my entire life, I’ve gone through struggles, I’ve gone through high points. The biggest thing is to just stay consistent, not change anything.” Moody had an up-and-down rookie season, making 21 of 25 field goals in the regular season and missing only one extra point. But he missed a potential game-winning kick in a loss at Cleveland and missed field goals in playoff wins against Green Bay and Detroit. Moody then made three field goals in the Super Bowl with two coming from more than 50 yards, including a go-ahead 53-yard kick late in the fourth quarter against Kansas City. But Moody also had an extra point blocked in that game. “I believe we’ve got the right guy and I think that eventually, I think he has shown that at times,” Shanahan said. "I thought he showed that at times his rookie year. I thought he showed that big time being 12 out of 13 to start this year. And I think he’ll show us all that in the future.” NOTES: The Niners placed LT Trent Williams on IR after his ankle injury hasn't healed as quickly as hoped. Shanahan didn't think there were any long-term issues. ... LB Dre Greenlaw (calf) will be shut down for the rest of the season after playing parts of two games in his return from a torn left Achilles tendon. ... OL Spencer Burford (calf) didn't practice but might be able to play this week. ... San Francisco has signed two OL this week, adding Matt Hennessy and Charlie Heck. ... RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring, foot) was limited but appears on track to play this week. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLIsrael, Palestinians explore Gaza truce with US envoy on Mideast shuttle mission
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I am the embarrassed owner of a Christmas doormat. It cost $2.50, was possibly made by slave labour, and adds to the world's supply of useless junk. I bought it on late-night impulse, and feel guilty every time I look at it. Black Friday Sale Subscribe Now! Login or signup to continue reading All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Breaking news alerts direct to your inbox Interactive Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All articles from the other regional websites in your area Continue December is the perfect time for thank-you gifts for those who've offered friendship or helped beyond the call of duty, even for those who don't celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Pancha Ganapati, Kwanzaa or a possible visit by Santa Claus. Potted succulents and cacti can withstand much neglect. Picture Shutterstock The best gift is what the recipient needs or loves. (It probably won't be a Christmas doormat). This isn't easy unless they tell you, you're telepathic, or you know them very well. Back in my youth (just before the invention of the wheel) the standard "I don't know what to buy" gift was talcum powder for females, and socks for a bloke. The perfect gift this year would be "plants". Okay, I'm biased, but there's evidence that a plant gift makes almost anyone happy. Every decade or so there's at least one study showing that tall trees, green leaves and white flowers reduce stress and make people feel more secure. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) may have been among the first to write that the ill or injured get better faster when they have green growth around them. The most recent report I've read was in New Scientist magazine, but even back in the 60s and 70s studies showed the crime rate lowered dramatically if greenery was added to the local landscape, not just parks to wander in, but footpath trees, vertical gardens, vast green or flower-draped pergolas (there should be one over every carpark), pots or hanging baskets of flowers or greenery on patios and doorsteps, especially just outside your home. If your home faces concrete, it's time for tall pots or hanging baskets. If anyone steals them, hopefully they'll enjoy them too, adding a speck to the world's happiness index. So here are 20 excellent plant gifts, from cheap to the lavish: 1. A large pot of red-leafed basil, repotted into a better looking container so it can be placed and smelled on a sunny desk or windowsill. 2. A large pot of frothy green and white curly mint; ditto. 3. Cat thyme (teucrium marum) for anyone with a cat. It's low growing, drought tolerant with purple flowers in summer, and more intoxicating for a cat than catnip. 4. A dwarf bougainvillea in a pot for a hot patio, or one that can be hung from the eaves where it will get strong sunlight, for bright colour all through the heat. READ MORE JACKIE FRENCH : My top 20 tips for growing fuss-free roses This is what a gourmet's garden looks like If you can't smell a rose from the footpath, it's not the one you want 5. A large pot or hanging baskets planted with thyme, winter savoury and white alyssum. Buy the basket, potting mix and herbs and combine. 6. A similar hanging basket filled with 'hen and chickens' and a few taller cactus, for a gift that will survive extreme neglect. 7. A good-looking ceramic pot with prostrate rosemary that will spill down the edges 'for remembrance'. 8. A bird bath that can be hung from the eaves or attached to a patio railing. 9. A garden gnome, or tiny concrete duck or wombat to peer out of the foliage, because every garden or plant-filled patio needs something silly. 10. A rose whose name is the same as the giftee's, or sends a message, or any gorgeous potted rose in bloom. 11. A large potted kentia palm for indoors, or two for either side of the front door, almost unkillable. 12. A small terrarium to sit on a desk. You'll need a tall or rounded glass container with a lid, potting mix and ferns, and a small pot-bellied fig or other tiny indoor plants to make your own. A glass teapot makes a great 'desk' terrarium. 19. A potted lemonade tree, Meyer lemon or calamondin (hardier and more fruitful than a cumquat) for summer drinks, salad dressing and garnishes. 20. A small bonsai, with emphatic instructions to keep it by a sunny window or whatever other site and care it needs. 22. Two bay trees in tall matching pots to sit either side of a doorway, traditionally one for 'peace' and one for 'happiness' for all those who live inside. 23. A NSW Christmas bush with red calyxes, decorated with a few twists of tinsel. 24. Whatever gorgeous plant breeders have chosen to tempt us this Christmas, from poinsettias 'forced' into mid-summer bloom, to red 'finger' bananas'. 25. And for the extravagant: a mobile backyard chook house (but no chooks in case the recipient is about to go on holidays). 26. An elegant row of tall matching pots filled with low-care standard Iceberg roses that will bloom almost every day; or sun-loving grass trees: native lemon myrtles for their scent; tall and slender 'Strait and Narrow' lillypillies ( Syzygium australe ); the striking red-stemmed Red Areca palm ( Areca vestiaria 'Red Form' ) or equally spectacular fast-growing and 'keep it in a pot' China Gold Bamboo ( Bambusa eutuldoides viridi )with its bright gold stems, or topiaried olive trees to make a privacy screen by the front door or along the veranda. This week I am: Pulling out most of the gone-to-seed parsley I planted too early, keeping some to guzzle now, and planting a second lot to last us till next summer. This is the time to plant everything that thrives in summer, from beans to corn and mini melons. Hoping one mow/whipper-snip will keep the grass short and tender enough to tempt roos, wallabies and wombats into munching enough of it so it doesn't need mowing again. Wondering why our passionfruit vine that did nothing much for two years has suddenly turned rampant, covered itself in flowers and fruit. Loving the pink rambling roses that wander through our crab apple trees, so we get blossom, roses, autumn leaves or crab apples to enjoy almost all year round. Making a note to get both edges of the fence whipper-snipped before the school holidays in case visiting dogs sniff interesting smells where a snake has decided to hide or lay its eggs. Pruning off the tatty tree fern, hellebore and other leaves from plants which have loved the rain, with new lush growth springing up daily. Adoring the bright orange-red pomegranate flowers that bloom when other fruit blossom has finished. Jackie French is a regular contributor. Share Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email Copy Jackie French Canberra Times columnist Jackie French is an Australian author, historian, ecologist and honourary wombat (part time), 2014-2015 Australian Children' Laureate and 2015 Senior Australian of the Year. She also writes a gardening column for The Canberra Times. Jackie French is an Australian author, historian, ecologist and honourary wombat (part time), 2014-2015 Australian Children' Laureate and 2015 Senior Australian of the Year. She also writes a gardening column for The Canberra Times. More from Canberra 13 years ago six kinder kids were front page news. They just finished year 12 32m ago No comment s How to play a fan-made Survivor series (from an unexpected challenge beast) 32m ago No comment s Our safety nets have gaping holes. 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Commissioner Jessica Tisch also said Wednesday that lab results matched suspect Luigi Mangione’s prints to a water bottle and a snack bar wrapper found near the scene of the killing. Police had said earlier that they believed the gunman bought the items at a nearby coffee shop while awaiting his target. Mangione is jailed in Pennsylvania on weapon and forgery charges, but he also has been charged in New York with murder in Brian Thompson's death. His lawyer has noted that Mangione is presumed innocent. Authorities are scrutinizing evidence and the suspect’s experiences with the health care industry. Arguments over whether Luigi Mangione is a 'hero' offer a glimpse into an unusual American moment Memes and online posts in support of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who's charged with killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO, have mushroomed online. Some cast Mangione as a hero. That's too far, says Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a rising Democrat who was almost the Democratic vice presidential nominee this year. CEO Brian Thompson's death touched off off these ripples. They offer a glimpse into how so many different aspects of 21st-century life can be surreally connected, from public violence to politics, from health care to humor, or attempts at it. FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in January WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray says he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. The announcement Wednesday comes a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the position. His impending resignation will bring him three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations. Trump applauded the news Wednesday, saying it will end the weaponization of what he called the “Department of Injustice.” Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the Year NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and be named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Thursday's events will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who has long seen praise from the business world and media as a sign of success. Four people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press that Trump was expected to be on Wall Street on Thursday to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, while a person familiar with the selection confirmed that Trump had been selected as Time's Person of the Year. The Trump and Biden teams insist they're working hand in glove on foreign crises WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t think much of Joe Biden’s foreign policy record. He frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But the Trump and Biden national security teams have come to an understanding that they have no choice but to work together as conflicts in Gaza, Syria and Ukraine have left a significant swath of the world on a knife’s edge. It’s fuzzy how much common ground Biden and Trump’s teams have found as they navigate crises that threaten to cause more global upheaval as Trump prepares to settle back into the White House. Syrians flock to morgues looking for loved ones who perished in Assad's prisons DAMASCUS (AP) — Many bodies have been found in Syrian detention centers and prisons since President Bashar al-Assad's government fell. Now Syrians around the world are circulating images of the corpses in hopes that they will see slain loved ones whose fate had been a mystery. At the morgue visited by The Associated Press on Wednesday in Damascus, families flocked to a wall where some of the pictures were pinned in a haunting gallery of the dead. Relatives desperately scanned the images for a recognizable face. Some of the prisoners died just weeks ago. Others perished months earlier. US warns Russia may be ready to use new lethal missile against Ukraine again in 'coming days' WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says Russia could launch its lethal new intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine again soon. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh cited a U.S. intelligence assessment in telling reporters on Wednesday that an attack could come “in the coming days.” She says the U.S. does not consider the Oreshnik missile a game changer on the battlefield. But that Russia is using the weapon to intimidate Ukraine as both sides wrestle for an advantage that will give them leverage in any negotiations to end the war. The Russian Defense Ministry also is warning it may retaliate against Kyiv for an attack on a military base in the Rostov region in southern Russia on Wednesday. Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33 including children, Palestinian medics say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 33 people. One of the strikes hit a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north, killing 19. A separate strike outside nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital killed a woman and her two children, and another strike in central Gaza killed at least seven people. Israel's military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and accuses militants of hiding among them, putting their lives in danger. Local health officials say Israel’s retaliatory offensive after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Hannah Kobayashi, missing Hawaii woman whose disappearance prompted a massive search, is found safe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Kobayashi has been found safe. That’s according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Kobayashi vanished last month in Los Angeles. The missing Hawaii woman's disappearance prompted a massive search and a missing persons investigation. It was not immediately clear where she was found, but police previously said she had voluntarily crossed the border into Mexico. The LAPD said Wednesday the department will wrap up its investigation. Kobayashi's family reported her missing to law enforcement on Nov. 11 after relatives received “strange and cryptic, just alarming” text messages. Kobayashi’s mother and sister said they are “grateful” she has been found safe. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. But when exactly? ZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament. Key issues include during which part of the year to stage the tournament, where to play the games, whether alcohol will be allowed at all and how to protect workers rights in the massive construction projects required to host the World Cup.
Higher Education CRM Software Market to Witness Stunning Growth with Salesforce, Oracle, PeopleSoftMy children are going through a "Mary Poppins" phase — the 1964 version starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Especially during these rainy days, we've found ourselves inside on weekend afternoons, singing along to the musical's Sherman Brothers-penned classics. I've been indulging my kids, as our oldest dog just passed away, and the movie serves as a perfectly wholesome distraction. This is how I found myself on a recent afternoon, setting down the newspaper and tablet, so I could belt out "I Love to Laugh" with them, one of the least popular songs from "Mary Poppins," but one that now feels more poignant than ever. "The more I laugh, the more I fill with glee," beloved character actor Ed Wynn sings while floating in the air in a fit of giggle-induced levitation. "And the more the glee, the more I'm a merrier me." To laugh, his number argues, is to be filled with lightness, so much so that we become unbound by the rules of physics — to laugh is to transcend gravity, to go beyond the highest high, even as the world tries to tether us to the ground. Laughter has always been political. From the old Margaret Atwood refrain ("men are afraid that women will laugh at them") to the fact that some of the best insight on current events comes from comedians, humor and politics have always been awkward bedfellows. And in this political moment, as many feel the doom and gloom (or smug elation) of the election results, laughter has never felt more important. In "Mary Poppins," the light and unencumbered Uncle Albert serves as a foil to the very serious banker, Mr. Dawes, Sr. There is a hum of political commentary occurring in the musical, one that urges parents to be present in their children's lives, to let go of their politics and ambitions in the name of family. It's telling that when the elder Mr. Dawes finally laughs, he too begins to float. The bank, it turns out, was only keeping him down. In this time of uncertainty, it's important to find our sense of humor. But I don't think it will be too difficult to find fodder. The president-elect has already given the whole world much to laugh about — and he's not even president yet. "Anti-swamp" candidate immediately appointing deeply swamp-tastic politicos as members of his cabinet? Amazingly uproarious. Two people to head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (never mind the pre-existing Office of Management and Budget)? Hilariously inefficient. Man investigated for sexual relationship with a minor now in charge of the Department of Justice? Jaw-droppingly incongruous. You gotta laugh, right? Buckle in, because the next four years are going to be ripe for parody. The reign of dramatic irony has already begun. Infowars pundit Alex Jones lost a $1.4 billion defamation suit two years ago against the families of the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, after he incorrectly claimed that the massacre of young children was fake, staged by advocates to motivate stricter gun laws. After Jones declared bankruptcy, in September, a Texas judge ruled that assets owned by Jones' companies could be auctioned off to the highest bidder to cover his legal obligations. And on Thursday it was announced that in the case of Infowars, the highest bidder was The Onion, a satirical online newspaper unafraid to punch hard. "We thought this would be a hilarious joke," Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion's parent company, told the New York Times. "This is going to be our answer to this no-guardrails world where there are no gatekeepers and everything's kind of insane." The Onion plans to relaunch their version of Infowars soon, and the families of Sandy Hook victims are on board. "They're all human beings with senses of humor who want fun things to happen and want good things to take place in their lives," Collins said. "They want to be part of something good and positive too." There is goodness to be had from laughter. And the cleverest humor can reveal bigger, and more uncomfortable, truths. Consider how Hannibal Buress' standup helped the effort to hold Bill Cosby accountable for sexual assault. Or the theory that Trump decided to run for president after being mocked by Obama at a dinner. Jokes can change history. When I speak to my Trump-supporting friends, they often cite the president-elect's sense of humor as part of his appeal. "He's funny," my friend Alex wrote on social media. "And let's be honest, Dems have no sense of humor." It's not that the left isn't funny, but its best comics require audiences to overcome subscriptions and paywalls, vocabulary lessons and literary references. Maybe jokes, and the news, should be more accessible, less condescending. Still, it's clear who is losing the humor wars. And there have been consequences that will affect us all. "There's nothing like a good joke," says Bert in "Mary Poppins." "And that was nothing like a good joke," Uncle Albert quickly replies. We could all use a hearty chuckle right now. Or as Abe Lincoln put it: "I laugh because I must not cry, that is all, that is all."
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