Ravens QB Jackson leads first NFL Pro Bowl fan voting results
Once upon a time, reinvention was not part of our lexicon. Life was predictable growing up in the ’50s and ’60s. Our grandparents were the fountain of wisdom and virtue, much revered in the community. No significant events, culturally and politically, were held without their blessing. We sought their foresight and judgment; they could do no wrong. But that era passed with their demise. So much has changed since. The societal changes and upheavals in the larger community were gradual and passive. The stability of the postwar decades began to unravel by the mid ’80s and early ’90s. The collapse of the Soviet Union, the rise of cable networks, and the beginnings of the internet were the political and social alterations of that decade. It was not until the rapid rise of social media, along with significant societal eruptions like same-sex marriage, that the rise of LGBTQI and the transgender phenomenon jolted us out of our laissez-faire attitude toward homosexuality and drug abuse. The Pope’s recent declaration is a testament to a major realignment of long-held views when he came full circle, and recognized that religion is the most divisive human invention that has caused much misery throughout history. The natural change process, called natural selection, is a slow adaptation mechanism. Without human intervention, coping with environmental changes like climate change could take tens of thousands of years or more. It has never been a problem in the past millennia because humanity constantly collaborated with nature in the hunting-gathering-agricultural phase of civilization. The Advent of the Enlightenment years and later, “Big Science” left us unable to change fast enough to keep up with major environmental upheavals. Today’s extinction rate is estimated to be 1,000-10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate. Entrenched belief has held us back more often than most people realize. The wisdom of the old folks (matatanda) is highly overrated. They have no clue about the realities of today. We are saddled with slogans that ring hollow in today’s paradigm: “Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa pupuntahan. (If you don’t look back on where you came from, you won’t make it to where you’re going.)” This is one of those regressive BS that holds us back. It’s more like, “Ang hindi tumitingin sa pupuntahan ay hindi makakarating sa patutunguhan. (If you’re not looking where you’re going, you’re not going to get there.)” Filipinos are very often cultural casualties of superstitious rubbish. We have to stop passing on this nonsense to our children. Political dynasties (80 percent in the Philippines, the world’s highest) are so unrelenting that reinventing our politics is becoming a distant dream. It’s the one institution that can bring enormous changes to this country. But as long as we have foxes in the hen house, our legislators see only a trough from which they can fatten themselves. In this era of political realignment and globalization, our country’s ability to reinvent itself is hamstrung by people who are disciples of the past and who can only see through the lens of kindred souls with the same ideas and biases. The generational divide has never been so vast. Dynastic politics offers nothing but roadblocks to self-realization. Humans have been on a rush since the Enlightenment. We innovate to respond to our immediate needs, whether to increase our food supply, mitigate environmental concerns, provide cutting-edge health care, or become more responsive to socioeconomic concerns. The most innovative countries show a trajectory of progress. Based on our population and resourcefulness, the Philippines should rank much better than we do. (In the list of most innovative countries in 2024, we are No. 53, and tiny Singapore is No. 4, after the United States.) Being innovative, after all, is dependent on creativity and resourcefulness. Many countries with fewer human capital are trending higher than us. In fact, we have been victims of our early successes; we sat too long on our laurels. Our system became stale, our educational standards have gone down, our political leaders got busy enriching themselves, our people have become disillusioned, and talent started migrating elsewhere. Our creative outputs have been victims of religious subjugation; we are beset by doubt and internal fear brought on by 500 years of theological colonialism. Who is going to lead us at the turn of the century? We will be at the mercy of the descendants of today’s dynasty and the continued control of oligarchs. If the future generation of Filipinos chooses to stay put, staying engaged will prove consequential. Until our political leadership reinvents itself into a benevolent stewardship, our country’s future remains at the margins. —————- Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . Edwin de Leon is Canada-based, and an occasional contributor to Philippine Daily Inquirer.
A City of Ottawa official says the proposed Sprung structures that the city wants to use to house asylum seekers could be converted to other public uses once they are no longer needed as newcomer welcoming centres. Kale Brown, acting director of Housing and Homelessness Services, tells CTV News Ottawa the immediate plan is to use the structures for three years as temporary housing and support services for asylum seekers, but the structures themselves have a long lifespan. "The structures themselves are initially rated to last at least 25 years. And with kind of minor maintenance, we anticipate they'll last up to 50 years. That does not mean that we will need to use them for the purpose of providing placement to asylum seekers during that whole entire period," he said. "Our actual funding we requested through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is for a total of three years." Brown said the customizability of the structures allows them to be repurposed in a variety of ways. "Should the asylum seeker crisis kind of go away in the city and the demand is not needed for that purpose, they're much more configurable for other things like pickleball, people have used them for community centers, libraries, because you can kind of remove all the interior fitment, given that it's a clear span structure." The city is planning to have one such structure along Woodroffe Avenue near the Nepean Sportsplex by the end of 2025 to serve as temporary housing for asylum seekers while they wait for permanent housing. A second structure at the Eagleson Park and Ride in Kanata could also be built if the Woodroffe Avenue structure proves insufficient to meet demand. The structures are also meant to help get asylum seekers out of local community centres that are currently housing them, as those centres are not meant for long-term habitation. There are divided opinions on the plan, with some residents opposing the structures or raising concerns about a lack of transparency and public consultation, while others are welcoming the idea, saying it will be a more supportive option for people seeking asylum in Canada. A public information session about the structure was briefly interrupted Wednesday night when a protester stormed the stage . The man was arrested and charged with trespassing. Other residents walked out of the meeting because there was no open question period, just one-on-one questions with staff after the presentations. Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine, in whose ward the Woodroffe structure would be built, told CTV News Ottawa he is considering other formats for future meetings with the public. "I am more than willing to have the kind of town hall where I will just sit at the center of the room and residents from that community can ask me their questions, tell me their concerns, that I am more than eager to do," he said. "I'm looking to have conversations in a productive way with my constituents, and I think there's plenty of opportunity for that." Devine added he has already reached out to some community organizations in areas in the immediate area surrounding the location to have meetings with them. Brown says the Sprung structures are meant to be part of a much larger housing and homelessness plan for the city. "These structures that we're looking to build are part of a larger ecosystem of a whole settlement network to get people who are claiming asylum through that settlement process all the way into long-term housing," he said. "And also, important to reiterate that beyond that, this fits into a much larger housing and homelessness system that we do through our 10-year housing and homelessness plan, which has components that serve non-newcomers. So, this connects into a much larger system where we're building permanent housing, supportive housing and all of the long-term elements of that housing continuum, as well." Brown said the city is continuing to work with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to secure funding for the structure and its operation and going through the procurement process to build it. "We've had a lot of questions around, is this a sole source contract? Not necessarily. Again, we want to make sure we meet those parameters. Staff have mentioned around the timeline urgency to get it done in cost, so that we can get out of those community centers." A pre-construction opinion of probable costs for the engineering site works, provided by Stantec, estimating the total cost for the Woodroffe site at $3.5 million, the city said last month. Brown said the exact costs are still being determined. --With files from CTV News Ottawa's Katie Griffin Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. 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LIVE UPDATES | Anger, vitriol against health insurers filled social media in the wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing The masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson used ammunition emblazoned with the words 'deny,' 'defend' and 'depose,' a law enforcement official said Thursday. Here's the latest. Man wanted for military desertion turns himself in at Canada-U.S. border A man wanted for deserting the U.S. military 16 years ago was arrested at the border in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this week. Life expectancy in Canada: Up last year, still down compared to pre-pandemic The average Canadian can expect to live 81.7 years, according to new death data from Statistics Canada. That’s higher than the previous year, but still lower than pre-pandemic levels. The National Weather Service cancels tsunami warning for the U.S. West Coast after 7.0 earthquake A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast. These foods will be hit hardest by inflation in 2025, according to AI modelling The new year won’t bring a resolution to rising food costs, according to a new report that predicts prices to rise as much as five per cent in 2025. The world has been warming faster than expected. Scientists now think they know why Last year was the hottest on record, oceans boiled, glaciers melted at alarming rates, and it left scientists scrambling to understand exactly why. Pete Davidson, Jason Sudeikis and other former 'SNL' cast members reveal how little they got paid Live from New York, it’s revelations about paydays on 'Saturday Night Live.' 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Police investigating after second homeless Nova Scotia man dies in as many weeks Police in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley are investigating the second sudden death of a homeless person within the past two weeks, prompting a local social advocate to sound the alarm about worsening weather. Toronto 2 men, 4 teens charged in Markham jewelry store robbery as police search for 6 more suspects York Regional Police have charged four teenage boys and two men and are looking for six more suspects in connection with a jewelry store robbery in Markham on Wednesday. Video shows moments leading up to fatal shooting in Brampton Video has surfaced showing the moments leading up to a fatal shooting outside of a Brampton home late Wednesday night. 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Northern Ontario Four transport truck drivers charged in northern Ont. collisions on Hwy. 11 Bad weather and bad driving contributed to multiple collisions on Highway 11 on Wednesday, leading to charges for several commercial motor vehicle drivers. Layoffs at Vale's Sudbury operations not affecting members of Local 6500 Some non-union staff at Vale in the Sudbury area are being laid off, but the company is not saying how many and what positions are being affected. Northern Ont. police catch liquor store thief, getaway driver Two people from southern Ontario have been charged in connection with a liquor store robbery Wednesday in the Town of Thessalon. The suspects were caught after trying to flee on Highway 17 and hiding the booze in a snowbank. Windsor 14-year-old boys charged with gunpoint robbery and kidnapping Windsor police officers have arrested two 14-year-old boys related to a kidnapping and gunpoint robbery in south Windsor. Group of Caldwell First Nation residents fighting Boxing Day eviction notices A group of Caldwell First Nation residents are hanging onto hope that they can keep living in their homes on their ancestral lands in the recently revived First Nation reserve, after receiving eviction notices to move out by Dec. 26. 'It’s a big milestone': New CK children’s treatment centre expanding The new Chatham-Kent Children’s Treatment Centre is taking a big next step in its expansion process. London Snowfall projected to taper off overnight, with difficult driving conditions persisting If you’re begging for the snow to stop, unfortunately reprieve is not on the way just yet. Police close local highways due to weather Snow squalls and strong winds made for treacherous conditions, closing portions of the 401 and 402 on Thursday. Fire displaces eight people, injures two A fire that broke out at a home on Hale Street resulted in two people being assessed by paramedics, and as many as eight people being displaced. Kitchener developing | Arrest made, replica firearm seized, after early morning standoff in Stratford One woman has been sent to hospital as Stratford Police investigate an intimate violence investigation Thursday morning. Family displaced after fire rips through Kitchener apartment A Kitchener family is looking for a new place to live after a fire ripped through their apartment. jeewan chanicka no longer Waterloo Regional District School Board director The Waterloo Region District School Board is under new leadership. Barrie BREAKING | Ontario police charge man in connection with deadly police-involved shooting in Innisfil A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with a fatal police-involved shooting in an Innisfil, Ont. community nearly four months ago. 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Regina Affordability, carbon tax bills pass as Sask. legislature continues short sitting The Saskatchewan Party's election promises of action on affordability and continued carbon tax exemptions have been fulfilled as the short sitting of the legislature carries on. Executive committee moves forward with motion to apply for federal funding to address homeless encampments Regina's Executive Committee unanimously approved a plan Wednesday to apply for federal funding related to addressing homeless encampments. Roughriders re-sign veteran quarterback Trevor Harris, inside source confirms The Saskatchewan Roughriders have re-signed veteran quarterback Trevor Harris, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji. Saskatoon Saskatoon dog rescue operator ordered to pay $27K for defamatory Facebook posts A Saskatoon dog rescue operator has been ordered to pay over $27,000 in damages to five women after a judge ruled she defamed them in several Facebook posts. Saskatoon police chief supports regulating bear spray sales after spike in attacks Saskatoon is seeing a rise in attacks involving bear spray. Sask. school bus driver arrested for impaired driving after transporting 50 kids A Saskatchewan school bus driver, who was transporting 50 children shortly before his arrest, is facing impaired driving related charges. Vancouver Hiking apps prompt warnings after separate rescues from B.C. backcountry The search and rescue organization for Metro Vancouver's North Shore mountains is warning people to do their research after two international visitors became stranded while relying on hiking apps to plan their routes. Fatal crash closes Vancouver intersection Police are on scene after a fatal collision between a cyclist and a vehicle in East Vancouver Thursday afternoon. 2 men arrested, 3rd suspect at large after targeted shooting in Abbotsford, B.C. Two men were arrested and a third suspect remains at large after what police described as a targeted shooting Thursday morning outside a home in Abbotsford, B.C. Vancouver Island B.C. minister stepping away from role following cancer diagnosis B.C.'s Minister of Children and Family Development, Grace Lore, is stepping away from her role after being diagnosed with cancer. Hiking apps prompt warnings after separate rescues from B.C. backcountry The search and rescue organization for Metro Vancouver's North Shore mountains is warning people to do their research after two international visitors became stranded while relying on hiking apps to plan their routes. 2 men arrested, 3rd suspect at large after targeted shooting in Abbotsford, B.C. Two men were arrested and a third suspect remains at large after what police described as a targeted shooting Thursday morning outside a home in Abbotsford, B.C. 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The Chargers came up as a team that was on the radar to claim Diontae Johnson . Hours after that report, the Texans lost Tank Dell to another season-ending injury. The end zone fall that ended Dell’s second season appears to have affected the Bolts’ receiver plans. Johnson is Houston-bound, having been claimed by the Texans ahead of their Christmas Day matchup against Johnson’s most recent team. As Johnson prepares to potentially face the Ravens, the Chargers saw their chances to land him denied. The Bolts were the only other team to submit a claim, ESPN.com’s Field Yates reports . Although both the Chargers and Texans are 9-6, the latter held the waiver priority. This could be significant for a Chargers team that has depended on second-round rookie Ladd McConkey this season. McConkey has battled injuries, most notably missing the Bolts’ rematch with the Chiefs, but emerged as their clear No. 1 target. Johnson could have given Los Angeles another proven option ahead of a likely playoff berth, albeit a rather volatile option based on how uneven his 2024 has been. Traded twice, Johnson asked out of both situations (Pittsburgh and Carolina) and refused to enter Baltimore’s Week 13 game against Philadelphia. The Ravens suspended the sixth-year vet and then cut him. Known for his separation skills (and drop issues), Johnson caught just one pass in four Ravens games after being acquired in a low-end pick-swap trade at the trade deadline. Jim Harbaugh‘s first offseason in L.A. led the Bolts to trade Keenan Allen and cut Mike Williams , ending a seven-year partnership. The Chargers were connected to potentially reacquiring Williams at the deadline , but the Steelers sent the Jets a fifth-round pick to do so. Los Angeles stayed the course at receiver, keeping the likes of Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston in place as McConkey complements. Palmer’s 543 yards sit second among Chargers, but McConkey has amassed 960 in his rookie year. He is poised to become the first Charger rookie since Allen (2013) to post a 1,000-yard receiving season. Still, Justin Herbert is short on weapons in an offense that also has not seen much from its tight ends in the passing game. Palmer is due for free agency, and a pre-deadline report pointed to the sides being likely to separate come March . Johnston is also at best a work in progress, having not yet justified his 2023 draft slot while first-round peers Jordan Addison , Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Zay Flowers have been better options for their respective teams. Johnston has totaled 477 yards and eight touchdowns, however, showing more than he did as a rookie. For now, the TCU alum remains in the Chargers’ plans. It would seem Harbaugh’s second offseason will require an addition at receiver and perhaps help at tight end, the coach’s run-game interest notwithstanding. Johnson would have provided an interesting player on that front, as the Bolts would have secured exclusive negotiating rights with him until March 10 had the claim gone through. The Texans now hold those rights, as Johnson will attempt to salvage some free agency value amid his worst NFL season. This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission.Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow record
Mizzou prepping for cowbells, Mississippi State's poor defense
The Liberal government has outlawed another 324 firearm varieties — guns it says belong on the battlefield, not in the hands of hunters or sport shooters. The move follows the May 2020 ban of 1,500 makes and models of firearms , a number that grew to more than 2,000 by November of this year as new variants were identified. The latest prohibition of hundreds more, announced today at a news conference, follows expressions of concern from gun-control advocates that many assault-style firearms were not covered by the 2020 ban. The federal government says it is working with provinces, territories and police on a planned buyback of prohibited weapons from individual owners. Ottawa also says it has committed to the Ukrainian government to work with firearms businesses and identify how these guns could be donated to support the fight against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The newly announced measures come on the eve of the 35th anniversary of a gunman’s murder of 19 women at the École Polytechnique in Montreal.
France’s Michel Barnier faced an abrupt end to his premiership on Monday after key opposition parties said they would back a no-confidence motion against his government after only three months in power. Certain that the National Assembly would deny him a majority backing the government’s social security financing plan for next year, Barnier forced through the bill without a vote, using executive powers under article 49.3 of the French constitution. The conservative premier, who formed a minority government in September after an inconclusive general election, has lived under the constant threat of a no-confidence vote that could force him to quit. The government could be toppled as early as tomorrow, when a vote is expected. “I honestly believe that the French people will not forgive us if we prefer partisan interests to the best interest of the nation,” Barnier told the lawmakers. “This is a moment of truth in which everybody must take their responsibilities. I am taking mine,” he added. Far-left opposition party LFI said immediately it would bring a no-confidence motion which the far-right National Rally (RN) — the largest single party in France’s parliament — said it would vote in favour of, after accusing Barnier of failing to negotiate on some of the bill’s provisions. “We will vote no confidence,” the RN said on X. Key to any such vote is Marine Le Pen, the parliamentary leader of the RN that has opposed several parts of the government’s 2025 budget plan, including the social security financing bill submitted to the National Assembly on Monday. In a last-ditch concession to the RN, the prime minister’s office said it was scrapping plans for a less generous prescription drug reimbursement policy from next year. It was uncertain to the last moment whether the nod to Le Pen’s concerns would be enough to save the day for Barnier, who has little hope of finding any left-wing support. But in the end the “miracle” — which RN party leader Jordan Bardella said was needed to avoid the no-confidence motion — failed to materialise. LFI deputy Mathilde Panot said Barnier had sought to avoid the no-confidence vote by making “dishonourable” concessions to the RN. “On Wednesday he will get both, dishonour and the no-confidence vote,” she said, adding that the move would allow France to emerge from “a political impasse” and “political chaos”. If the government falls, it would be the first successful no-confidence vote since a defeat for Georges Pompidou’s government in 1962, when Charles de Gaulle was president. The life span of Barnier’s government would also be the shortest of any administration of France’s Fifth Republic since 1958. Le Pen had already reacted icily Sunday after Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin said the government did not plan any further changes to the social security budget plan. “We have taken note,” she told AFP, calling the stance “extremely closed-minded and partisan behaviour”. The RN is the largest single party in the 577-seat National Assembly, with more than 140 deputies. On Thursday, Barnier scrapped a previously planned increase on an electricity tax, in a concession to critics. Saint-Martin has highlighted that the budget proposals have already been discussed by a parliamentary commission ahead of Monday’s debate and changed following talks between National Assembly deputies and upper house senators. “To reject this text is to reject a democratic agreement,” he said. The Senate, where right-wing parties have a majority, partly approved the 2025 budget Sunday, giving a green light to government revenue projections, in a vote boycotted by the left. The Socialist party, part of the left-wing opposition, told Barnier it would vote against him if he used article 49.3 to push through a budget. Saint-Martin warned that the fall of the government would raise the risk premium on French government debt that has reached rare heights because of the country’s shaky financial situation.