No. 1 South Carolina women stunned by No. 5 UCLA, 77-62, ending Gamecocks’ 43-game winning streak
It was a murder case almost everyone had an opinion on. O.J. Simpson ‘s “trial of the century” over the 1994 killings of his ex-wife and her friend bared divisions over race and law enforcement in America and brought an intersection of sports, crime, entertainment and class that was hard to turn away from. In a controversial verdict, the football star-turned-actor was acquitted in the criminal trial but later found civilly liable in the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Years later, he served nine years in prison on unrelated charges. His death in April brought an end to a life that had become defined by scrutiny over the killings. But he was just one of many influential and noteworthy people who died in 2024. Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in February, was a fierce political foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin, crusading against corruption and staging protests against the Kremlin. He had been jailed since 2021 when he returned to Russia to face certain arrest after recovering in Germany from nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin. Other political figures who died this year include: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi; former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney; former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; Vietnamese politician Nguyen Phu Trong; U.S. congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee; former Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Ryzhkov; pundit Lou Dobbs; Greek politician Vasso Papandreou; former U.S. senators Joe Lieberman, Jim Inhofe, Tim Johnson and Jim Sasser; Namibian President Hage Geingob; and former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss. The year also brought the deaths of several rights activists, including the reverends Cecil L. “Chip” Murray and James Lawson Jr.; Dexter Scott King; Hydeia Broadbent; and David Mixner. Business leaders who died this year include: Indian industrialist Ratan Tata, The Home Depot co-founder Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, financier Jacob Rothschild and Daiso retail chain founder Hirotake Yano. Simpson wasn’t the only athlete with a complex legacy who died this year. Pete Rose, who died in September, was a career hits leader in baseball whose achievements were tarnished when it was revealed he gambled on games. Other noteworthy sports figures who died include: basketball players Jerry West and Dikembe Mutombo; baseball players Willie Mays and Fernando Valenzuela; and gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi. The music industry lost a titan in producer Quincy Jones, who died in November. His many contributions included producing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album and working with hundreds of other musicians over a long and storied career. Other artists and entertainers who died this year include: actors James Earl Jones, Chita Rivera, Donald Sutherland, Gena Rowlands, Louis Gossett Jr., Shelley Duvall, Kris Kristofferson, Sandra Milo, Anouk Aimée, Carl Weathers, Joyce Randolph, Tony Todd, Shannen Doherty and Song Jae-lim; musicians Sergio Mendes, Toby Keith, Phil Lesh, Melanie, Dickey Betts, Françoise Hardy, Fatman Scoop, Duane Eddy and Frankie Beverly; filmmakers Roger Corman and Morgan Spurlock; authors Faith Ringgold, Nikki Giovanni and N. Scott Momaday; TV fitness guru Richard Simmons; sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer; talk show host Phil Donahue; and poets Shuntaro Tanikawa, John Sinclair and Kazuko Shiraishi. Here is a roll call of some noteworthy figures who died in 2024 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available): ___ JANUARY ___ Zvi Zamir, 98. A former director of Israel’s Mossad spy service who warned that Israel was about to be attacked on the eve of the 1973 Mideast war. Jan. 2. Glynis Johns, 100. A Tony Award-winning stage and screen star who played the mother opposite Julie Andrews in the classic movie “Mary Poppins” and introduced the world to the bittersweet standard-to-be “Send in the Clowns” by Stephen Sondheim. Jan. 4. David Soul, 80. The actor-singer was a 1970s heartthrob who co-starred as the blond half of the crime-fighting duo “Starsky & Hutch” and topped the music charts with the ballad “Don’t Give Up on Us.” Jan. 4. Franz Beckenbauer, 78. He won the World Cup both as a player and coach and became one of Germany’s most beloved personalities with his easygoing charm. Jan. 7. Joyce Randolph, 99. A veteran stage and television actor whose role as the savvy Trixie Norton on “The Honeymooners” provided the perfect foil to her dimwitted TV husband. Jan. 13. Jack Burke Jr., 100. He was the oldest living Masters champion and staged the greatest comeback ever at Augusta National for one of his two majors. Jan. 19. Marlena Shaw, 81. The jazz and R&B vocalist whose “California Soul” was one of the defining soul songs of the late 1960s. Jan. 19. Mary Weiss, 75. The lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, whose hits included “Leader of the Pack.” Jan. 19. Gigi Riva, 79. The all-time leading goalscorer for Italy’s men’s national team was known as the “Rombo di Tuono” (Rumble of Thunder). Jan. 22. Dexter Scott King, 62. He dedicated much of his life to shepherding the civil rights legacy of his parents, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Jan. 22. Charles Osgood, 91. He anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for more than two decades, was host of the long-running radio program “The Osgood File” and was referred to as CBS News’ poet-in-residence. Jan. 23. Melanie, 76. The singer-songwriter who rose through the New York folk scene, performed at Woodstock and had a series of 1970s hits including the enduring cultural phenomenon “Brand New Key.” Jan. 23. N. Scott Momaday, 89. A Pulitzer Prize-winning storyteller, poet, educator and folklorist whose debut novel “House Made of Dawn” is widely credited as the starting point for contemporary Native American literature. Jan. 24. Herbert Coward, 85. He was known for his “Toothless Man” role in the movie “Deliverance.” Jan. 24. Car crash. Sandra Milo, 90. An icon of Italian cinema who played a key role in Federico Fellini’s “8 1/2” and later became his muse. Jan. 29. Jean Carnahan, 90. She became the first female senator to represent Missouri when she was appointed to replace her husband following his death. Jan. 30. Chita Rivera, 91. The dynamic dancer, singer and actress who garnered 10 Tony nominations, winning twice, in a long Broadway career that forged a path for Latina artists and shrugged off a near-fatal car accident. Jan. 30. ___ FEBRUARY ___ Carl Weathers, 76. A former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, starring with Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore.” Feb. 1. Ian Lavender, 77. An actor who played a hapless Home Guard soldier in the classic British sitcom “Dad’s Army.” Feb. 2. Hage Geingob, 82. Namibia’s president and founding prime minister who played a central role in what has become one of Africa’s most stable democracies after returning from a long exile in Botswana and the United States as an anti-apartheid activist. Feb. 4. Bob Beckwith, 91. A retired firefighter whose chance encounter with the president amid the rubble of ground zero became part of an iconic image of American unity after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Feb. 4. Toby Keith, 62. A hit country crafter of pro-American anthems who both riled up critics and was loved by millions of fans. Feb. 5. Stomach cancer. John Bruton, 76. A former Irish prime minister who played a key role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland. Feb. 6. Sebastián Piñera, 74. The two-time former president of Chile faced social upheaval followed by a pandemic in his second term. Feb. 6. Helicopter crash. Seiji Ozawa, 88. The Japanese conductor amazed audiences with the lithe physicality of his performances during three decades at the helm of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Feb. 6. Henry Fambrough, 85. The last surviving original member of the iconic R&B group The Spinners, whose hits included “It’s a Shame,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” and “The Rubberband Man.” Feb. 7. Robert Badinter, 95. He spearheaded the drive to abolish France’s death penalty, campaigned against antisemitism and Holocaust denial, and led a European body dealing with the legal fallout of Yugoslavia’s breakup. Feb. 9. Bob Edwards, 76. He anchored National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” for just under 25 years and was the baritone voice who told many Americans what had happened while they slept. Feb. 10. Hirotake Yano, 80. He founded the retail chain Daiso known for its 100-yen shops, Japan’s equivalent of the dollar store. Feb. 12. Alexei Navalny, 47. The fiercest foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests. Feb. 16. Lefty Driesell, 92. The Hall of Fame coach whose folksy drawl belied a fiery on-court demeanor that put Maryland on the college basketball map and enabled him to rebuild several struggling programs. Feb. 17. Hydeia Broadbent, 39. The HIV/AIDS activist came to national prominence in the 1990s as a young child for her inspirational talks to reduce the stigma surrounding the virus she was born with. Feb. 20. Jacob Rothschild, 87. The financier and philanthropist was part of the renowned Rothschild banking dynasty. Feb. 26. Richard Lewis, 76. An acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain.” Feb. 27. Nikolai Ryzhkov, 94. A former Soviet prime minister who presided over botched efforts to shore up the crumbling national economy in the final years of the USSR. Feb. 28. Brian Mulroney, 84. The former Canadian prime minister forged close ties with two Republican U.S. presidents through a sweeping free trade agreement that was once vilified but is now celebrated. Feb. 29. ___ MARCH ___ Iris Apfel, 102. A textile expert, interior designer and fashion celebrity known for her eccentric style. March 1. Akira Toriyama, 68. The creator of the best-selling Dragon Ball and other popular anime who influenced Japanese comics. March 1. Blood clot. Chris Mortensen, 72. The award-winning journalist covered the NFL for close to four decades, including 32 as a senior analyst at ESPN. March 3. David E. Harris, 89. He flew bombers for the U.S. military and broke barriers in 1964 when he became the first Black pilot hired at a major U.S. airline. March 8. Eric Carmen, 74. The singer-songwriter fronted the power-pop 1970s band the Raspberries and later had soaring pop hits like “All by Myself” and “Hungry Eyes” from the hit “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack. March 11. Paul Alexander, 78. A Texas man who spent most of his life using an iron lung chamber and built a large following on social media, recounting his life from contracting polio in the 1940s to earning a law degree. March 11. David Mixner, 77. A longtime LGBTQ+ activist who was an adviser to Bill Clinton during his presidential campaign and later called him out over the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer personnel in the military. March 11. M. Emmet Walsh, 88. The character actor brought his unmistakable face and unsettling presence to films including “Blood Simple” and “Blade Runner.” March 19. Lou Whittaker, 95. A legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, and who taught generations of climbers during his more than 250 trips up Mount Rainier, the tallest peak in Washington state. March 24. Joe Lieberman, 82. The former U.S. senator of Connecticut nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in the disputed 2000 election and almost became Republican John McCain’s running mate eight years later. March 27. Complications from a fall. Louis Gossett Jr., 87. The first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots.” March 28. William D. Delahunt, 82. The longtime Massachusetts congressman was a Democratic stalwart who postponed his retirement from Washington to help pass former President Barack Obama’s legislative agenda. March 30. Chance Perdomo, 27. An actor who rose to fame as a star of “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Gen V.” March 29. Motorcycle crash. Barbara Rush, 97. A popular leading actor in the 1950s and 1960s who co-starred with Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman and other top film performers and later had a thriving TV career. March 31. ___ APRIL ___ Lou Conter, 102. The last living survivor of the USS Arizona battleship that exploded and sank during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. April 1. John Sinclair, 82. A poet, music producer and counterculture figure whose lengthy prison sentence after a series of small-time pot busts inspired a John Lennon song and a star-studded 1971 concert to free him. April 2. The Rev. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray, 94. An influential pastor and civil rights leader who used his tenure at one of Los Angeles’ oldest churches to uplift the predominantly Black neighborhoods following one of the country’s worst race riots. April 5. Peter Higgs, 94. The Nobel prize-winning physicist proposed the existence of the so-called “God particle” that helped explain how matter formed after the Big Bang. April 8. Ralph Puckett Jr., 97. A retired Army colonel awarded the Medal of Honor seven decades after he was wounded leading a company of outnumbered Army Rangers in battle during the Korean War. April 8. O.J. Simpson, 76. The decorated football superstar and Hollywood actor who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend but later found liable in a separate civil trial. April 10. William Strickland, 87. A longtime civil rights activist and supporter of the Black Power movement who worked with Malcolm X and other prominent leaders in the 1960s. April 10. Robert MacNeil, 93. He created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored the show with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades. April 12. Faith Ringgold, 93. An award-winning author and artist who broke down barriers for Black female artists and became famous for her richly colored and detailed quilts combining painting, textiles and storytelling. April 12. Carl Erskine, 97. He pitched two no-hitters as a mainstay on the Brooklyn Dodgers and was a 20-game winner in 1953 when he struck out a then-record 14 in the World Series. April 16. Bob Graham, 87. A former U.S. senator and two-term Florida governor who gained national prominence as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks and as an early critic of the Iraq war. April 16. Dickey Betts, 80. The guitar legend who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man.” April 18. Roman Gabriel, 83. The first Filipino-American quarterback in the NFL and the league MVP in 1969. April 20. Terry Anderson, 76. The globe-trotting Associated Press correspondent became one of America’s longest-held hostages after he was snatched from a street in war-torn Lebanon in 1985 and held for nearly seven years. April 21. William Laws Calley Jr., 80. As an Army lieutenant, he led the U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history. April 28. Duane Eddy, 86. A pioneering guitar hero whose reverberating electric sound on instrumentals such as “Rebel Rouser” and “Peter Gunn” helped put the twang in early rock ‘n’ roll and influenced George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and countless others. April 30. ___ MAY ___ Dick Rutan, 85. He, along with copilot Jeana Yeager, completed one of the greatest milestones in aviation history: the first round-the-world flight with no stops or refueling. May 3. Jeannie Epper, 83. A groundbreaking performer who did stunts for many of the most important women of film and television action of the 1970s and ’80s, including star Lynda Carter on TV’s “Wonder Woman.” May 5. Bernard Hill, 79. An actor who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and went down with the ship as the captain in “Titanic.” May 5. Steve Albini, 61. An alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more. May 7. Kim Ki Nam, 94. A North Korean propaganda chief who helped build personality cults around the country’s three dynastic leaders. May 7. Pete McCloskey, 96. A pro-environment, anti-war California Republican who co-wrote the Endangered Species Act and co-founded Earth Day. May 8. Ralph Kennedy Frasier, 85. The last surviving member of a trio of African American youths who were the first to desegregate the undergraduate student body at North Carolina’s flagship public university in the 1950s. May 8. Roger Corman, 98. The “King of the Bs” helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and gave many of Hollywood’s most famous actors and directors early breaks. May 9. Alice Munro, 92. The Nobel laureate was a Canadian literary giant who became one of the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history’s most honored short story writers. May 13. Dabney Coleman, 92. The mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in “9 to 5” and the nasty TV director in “Tootsie.” May 16. Peter Buxtun, 86. The whistleblower who revealed that the U.S. government allowed hundreds of Black men in rural Alabama to go untreated for syphilis in what became known as the Tuskegee study. May 18. Ebrahim Raisi, 63. The Iranian president was a hard-line protege of the country’s supreme leader who helped oversee the mass executions of thousands in 1988 and later led the country as it enriched uranium near weapons-grade levels, launched a major attack on Israel and experienced mass protests. May 19. Helicopter crash. Hossein Amirabdollahian, 60. Iran’s foreign minister and a hard-liner close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who confronted the West while also overseeing indirect talks with the U.S. over the country’s nuclear program. May 19. Helicopter crash. Ivan F. Boesky, 87. The flamboyant stock trader whose cooperation with the government cracked open one of the largest insider trading scandals in the history of Wall Street. May 20. Morgan Spurlock, 53. The documentary filmmaker and Oscar nominee whose most famous works skewered America’s food industry and who notably ate only at McDonald’s for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet. May 23. Complications of cancer. Bill Walton, 71. He starred for John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins before becoming a Hall of Fame center for his NBA career and one of the biggest stars in basketball broadcasting. May 27. Robert Pickton, 74. A Canadian serial killer who took female victims to his pig farm during a crime spree near Vancouver in the late 1990s and early 2000s. May 31. Injuries from a prison assault involving another inmate. ___ JUNE ___ Tin Oo, 97. One of the closest associates of Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi as well as a co-founder of her National League for Democracy party. June 1. Janis Paige, 101. A popular actor in Hollywood and in Broadway musicals and comedies who danced with Fred Astaire, toured with Bob Hope and continued to perform into her 90s. June 2. David Levy, 86. An Israeli politician born in Morocco who fought tirelessly against deep-seated racism against Jews from North Africa and went on to serve as foreign minister and hold other senior governmental posts. June 2. Brigitte Bierlein, 74. The former head of Austria’s Constitutional Court became the country’s first female chancellor in an interim government in 2019. June 3. Paul Pressler, 94. A leading figure of the Southern Baptist Convention who was accused of sexually abusing boys and young men and later settled a lawsuit over the allegations. June 7. The Rev. James Lawson Jr., 95. An apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction. June 9. Lynn Conway, 86. A pioneer in the design of microchips that are at the heart of consumer electronics who overcame discrimination as a transgender person. June 9. Françoise Hardy, 80. A French singing legend and pop icon since the 1960s. June 11. Jerry West, 86. Selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, his silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo. June 12. George Nethercutt, 79. The former U.S. congressman was a Spokane lawyer with limited political experience when he ousted Democratic Speaker of the House Tom Foley as part of a stunning GOP wave that shifted national politics to the right in 1994. June 14. Kazuko Shiraishi, 93. A leading name in modern Japanese “beat” poetry, she was known for her dramatic readings — at times with jazz music. June 14. Willie Mays, 93. The electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players. June 18. Anouk Aimée, 92. The radiant French star and dark-eyed beauty of classic films including Federico Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” and Claude Lelouch’s “A Man and a Woman.” June 18. Donald Sutherland, 88. The Canadian actor whose wry, arresting screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games.” June 20. Bill Cobbs, 90. The veteran character actor became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man. June 25. Martin Mull, 80. His droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development.” June 27. Pål Enger, 57. A talented Norwegian soccer player turned celebrity art thief who pulled off the sensational 1994 heist of Edvard Munch’s famed “The Scream” painting from the National Gallery in Oslo. June 29. ___ JULY ___ Jim Inhofe, 89. A powerful fixture in Oklahoma politics for over six decades, the Republican U.S. senator was a conservative known for his strong support of defense spending and his denial that human activity is responsible for the bulk of climate change. July 9. Joe Bonsall, 76. A Grammy award winner and celebrated tenor of the country and gospel group the Oak Ridge Boys. July 9. Tommy Robinson, 82. A former U.S. congressman who gained notoriety as an Arkansas sheriff for tactics that included chaining inmates outside a state prison to protest overcrowding. July 10. Shelley Duvall, 75. The intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.” July 11. Dr. Ruth Westheimer, 96. The diminutive sex therapist became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics. July 12. Shannen Doherty, 53. The “Beverly Hills, 90210” star whose life and career were roiled by illness and tabloid stories. July 13. Richard Simmons, 76. He was television’s hyperactive court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better. July 13. James Sikking, 90. He starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Street Blues” and as the titular character’s kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.” July 13. Jacoby Jones, 40. A former NFL receiver whose 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. July 14. Cheng Pei-pei, 78. A Chinese-born martial arts film actor who starred in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” July 17. Bob Newhart, 94. The deadpan accountant-turned-comedian became one of the most popular TV stars of his time after striking gold with a classic comedy album. July 18. Lou Dobbs, 78. The conservative political pundit and veteran cable TV host was a founding anchor for CNN and later was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade. July 18. Nguyen Phu Trong, 80. He was general secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party and the country’s most powerful politician. July 19. Sheila Jackson Lee, 74. The longtime congresswoman from Texas helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday. July 19. Abdul “Duke” Fakir, 88. The last surviving original member of the beloved Motown group the Four Tops, which was known for such hits as “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love.” July 22. Edna O’Brien, 93. Ireland’s literary pride and outlaw scandalized her native land with her debut novel “The Country Girls” before gaining international acclaim as a storyteller and iconoclast that found her welcomed everywhere from Dublin to the White House. July 27. Francine Pascal, 92. A onetime soap opera writer whose “Sweet Valley High” novels and the ongoing adventures of twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield and other teens captivated millions of young readers. July 28. Betty Prashker, 99. A pioneering editor of the 20th century who as one of the first women with the power to acquire books published such classics as Kate Millett’s “Sexual Politics” and Susan Faludi’s “Backlash” and helped oversee the careers of Jean Auel, Dominick Dunne and Erik Larson among others. July 30. Ismail Haniyeh, 62. Hamas’ top leader in exile landed on Israel’s hit list after the militant group staged its surprise Oct. 7 attacks. July 31. Killed in an airstrike in Iran. ___ AUGUST ___ Jack Russell, 63. The lead singer of the bluesy ’80s metal band Great White, whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me,” and who was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island. Aug. 7. Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, 88. A Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career. Aug. 8. Susan Wojcicki, 56. A pioneering tech executive who helped shape Google and YouTube. Aug. 9. Wallace “Wally” Amos, 88. The creator of the Famous Amos cookie empire went on to become a children’s literacy advocate. Aug. 13. Gena Rowlands, 94. She was hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes. She later charmed audiences in her son’s tear-jerker “The Notebook.” Aug. 14. Peter Marshall, 98. The actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares.” Aug. 15. Alain Delon, 88. The internationally acclaimed French actor embodied both the bad guy and the policeman and made hearts throb around the world. Aug. 18. Phil Donahue, 88. His pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that brought success to Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others. Aug. 18. Ruth Johnson Colvin, 107. She founded Literacy Volunteers of America, was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and received the nation’s highest civilian award: the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Aug. 18. Al Attles, 87. A Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador. Aug. 20. John Amos, 84. He starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots.” Aug. 21. Salim Hoss, 94. The five-time former Lebanese prime minister served during some of the most tumultuous years of his country’s modern history. Aug. 25. Leonard Riggio, 83. A brash, self-styled underdog who transformed the publishing industry by building Barnes & Noble into the country’s most powerful bookseller before it was overtaken by the rise of Amazon.com. Aug. 27. Edward B. Johnson, 81. As a CIA officer, he traveled into Iran with a colleague to rescue six American diplomats who fled the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran. Aug. 27. Johnny Gaudreau, 31. An NHL player known as “Johnny Hockey,” he played 10 full seasons in the league. Aug. 29. Killed along with his brother when hit by a car while riding bicycles. Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, 69. As New Zealand’s Māori King, he was the seventh monarch in the Kiingitanga movement. Aug. 30. Fatman Scoop, 56. The hip-hop artist topped charts in Europe with “Be Faithful” in the early 2000s and later lent his distinctive voice and ebullient vibe to hits by artists including Missy Elliott and Ciara. Aug. 30. Died after collapsing on stage. ___ SEPTEMBER ___ Linda Deutsch, 80. A special correspondent for The Associated Press who for nearly 50 years wrote glittering first drafts of history from many of the nation’s most significant criminal and civil trials including Charles Manson, O.J. Simpson and Michael Jackson. Sept. 1. James Darren, 88. A teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget.” Sept. 2. Sergio Mendes, 83. The Grammy-winning Brazilian musician whose hit “Mas Que Nada” made him a global legend. Sept. 5. James Earl Jones, 93. He overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen, eventually lending his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and Darth Vader. Sept. 9. Frankie Beverly, 77. With his band Maze, he inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Before I Let Go.” Sept. 10. Jim Sasser, 87. He served 18 years in the U.S. Senate and six years as ambassador to China. Sept. 10. Alberto Fujimori, 86. His decade-long presidency began with triumphs righting Peru’s economy and defeating a brutal insurgency only to end in autocratic excess that later sent him to prison. Sept. 11. Joe Schmidt, 92. The Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team. Sept. 11. Tito Jackson, 70. One of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5. Sept. 15. John David “JD” Souther, 78. A prolific songwriter and musician who helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s with his collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. Sept. 17. Kathryn Crosby, 90. She appeared in such movies as “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad”, “Anatomy of a Murder,” and “Operation Mad Ball” before marrying famed singer and Oscar-winning actor Bing Crosby. Sept. 20. John Ashton, 76. The veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films. Sept. 26. Maggie Smith, 89. The masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for the 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films. Sept. 27. Hassan Nasrallah, 64. The Hezbollah leader who transformed the Lebanese militant group into a potent paramilitary and political force in the Middle East. Sept. 27. Killed in an Israeli airstrike. Kris Kristofferson, 88. A Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor. Sept. 28. Drake Hogestyn, 70. The “Days of Our Lives” star appeared on the show for 38 years. Sept. 28. Pete Rose, 83. Baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied. Sept. 30. Dikembe Mutombo, 58. A Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game. Sept. 30. Brain cancer. Gavin Creel, 48. A Broadway musical theater veteran who won a Tony Award for “Hello, Dolly!” opposite Bette Midler and earned nominations for “Hair” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” Sept. 30. Cancer. Humberto Ortega, 77. The Nicaraguan guerrilla fighter and a Sandinista defense minister who later in life became a critic of his older brother President Daniel Ortega. Sept. 30. Ken Page, 70. A stage and screen actor who starred alongside Beyoncé in “Dreamgirls,” introduced Broadway audiences to Old Deuteronomy in “Cats” and scared generations of kids as the voice of Oogie Boogie, the villain of the 1993 animated holiday film “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Sept. 30. ___ OCTOBER ___ Megan Marshack, 70. An aide to Nelson Rockefeller who was with the former New York governor and vice president when he died under circumstances that spurred intense speculation. Oct. 2. Mimis Plessas, 99. A beloved Greek composer whose music was featured in scores of films, television shows and theatrical productions and who provided the soundtrack to millions of Greeks’ lives. Oct. 5. Cissy Houston, 91. A two-time Grammy-winning soul and gospel artist who sang with Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and other stars and knew triumph and heartbreak as the mother of singer Whitney Houston. Oct. 7. Tim Johnson, 77. The former U.S. senator was the last Democrat to hold statewide office in South Dakota and was adept at securing federal funding for projects back home during his nearly three decades in Washington. Oct. 8. Ratan Tata, 86. One of India’s most influential business leaders, the veteran industrialist was former chairman of the $100 billion conglomerate Tata Group. Oct. 9. Leif Segerstam, 80. The prolific Finnish conductor and composer was one of the most colorful personalities in the Nordic country’s classical music scene. Oct. 9. Ethel Kennedy, 96. The wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter. Oct. 10. Lilly Ledbetter, 86. A former Alabama factory manager whose lawsuit against her employer made her an icon of the equal pay movement and led to landmark wage discrimination legislation. Oct. 12. Philip G. Zimbardo, 91. The psychologist behind the controversial “Stanford Prison Experiment” that was intended to examine the psychological experiences of imprisonment. Oct. 14. Liam Payne, 31. A former One Direction singer whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans. Oct. 16. Died after falling from a hotel balcony. Yahya Sinwar, 61. The Hamas leader who masterminded the surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel that shocked the world and triggered the longest, deadliest and most destructive war in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Oct. 16. Killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. Mitzi Gaynor, 93. The effervescent dancer and actor starred as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film “South Pacific” and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly. Oct. 17. Vasso Papandreou, 79. A trailblazing Greek politician who served as a government minister, European commissioner and leading advocate for women’s representation in politics. Oct. 17. Thelma Mothershed Wair, 83. One of nine Black students who integrated a high school in Arkansas’ capital city of Little Rock in 1957 while a mob of white segregationists yelled threats and insults. Oct. 19. Fethullah Gülen, 83. A reclusive U.S.-based Islamic cleric who inspired a global social movement while facing unproven accusations that he masterminded a failed 2016 coup in his native Turkey. Oct. 20. Fernando Valenzuela, 63. The Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981. Oct. 22. The Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez, 96. The Peruvian theologian was the father of the social justice-centered liberation theology that the Vatican once criticized for its Marxist undercurrents. Oct. 22. Phil Lesh, 84. A classically trained violinist and jazz trumpeter who found his true calling by reinventing the role of rock bass guitar as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. Oct. 25. Teri Garr, 79. The quirky comedy actor rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star in such favorites as “Young Frankenstein” and “Tootsie.” Oct. 29. Multiple sclerosis. Colm McLoughlin, 81. An Irishman who landed in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates and helped lead Dubai Duty Free into becoming an airport retail behemoth generating billions of dollars. Oct. 30. ___ NOVEMBER ___ Quincy Jones, 91. The multi-talented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists. Nov. 3. Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, 95. The co-founder of The Home Depot, a billionaire philanthropist, and a big Republican donor. Nov. 4. Murray Sinclair, 73. A former First Nation judge, senator and chair of the commission that delved into Canada’s troubled history of residential schools for First Nations students. Nov. 4. Elwood Edwards, 74. He voiced America Online’s ever-present “You’ve got mail” greeting. Nov. 5. Tony Todd, 69. An actor known for his haunting portrayal of a killer in the horror film “Candyman” and for roles in many other films and television shows. Nov. 6. Bobby Allison, 86. He was founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer. Nov. 9. Reg Murphy, 90. A renowned journalist whose newsgathering career included stints as an editor and top executive at newspapers in Atlanta, San Francisco and Baltimore — and who found himself the subject of national headlines when he survived a politically motivated kidnapping. Nov. 9. Vardis J. Vardinoyannis, 90. A powerful and pivotal figure in Greek shipping and energy who survived a terrorist attack and cultivated close ties with the Kennedy family. Nov. 12. Timothy West, 90. A British actor who played the classic Shakespeare roles of King Lear and Macbeth and who in recent years along with his wife, Prunella Scales, enchanted millions of people with their boating exploits on Britain’s waterways. Nov. 12. Song Jae-lim, 39. A South Korean actor known for his roles in K-dramas “Moon Embracing the Sun” and “Queen Woo.” Nov. 12. Shuntaro Tanikawa, 92. He pioneered modern Japanese poetry — poignant but conversational in its divergence from haiku and other traditions. Nov. 13. Bela Karolyi, 82. The charismatic, if polarizing, gymnastics coach turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power in the sport. Nov. 15. Olav Thon, 101. A billionaire entrepreneur recognizable for his bright red cap who went from selling leather and fox hides in his youth to building one of Norway’s biggest real estate empires. Nov. 16. Arthur Frommer, 95. His “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day” guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad. Nov. 18. Alice Brock, 83. Her Massachusetts-based eatery helped inspire Arlo Guthrie’s deadpan Thanksgiving standard, “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree.” Nov. 21. Fred Harris, 94. A former U.S. senator from Oklahoma, presidential hopeful and populist who championed Democratic Party reforms in the turbulent 1960s. Nov. 23. Chuck Woolery, 83. The affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19. Nov. 23. Barbara Taylor Bradford, 91. A British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga “A Woman of Substance” and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies. Nov. 24. Mary McGee, 87. A female racing pioneer and subject profiled in the Oscar-contending documentary “Motorcycle Mary.” Nov. 27. Prince Johnson, 72. The Liberian former warlord and senator whose brutal tactics shocked the world. Nov. 28. Ananda Krishnan, 86. One of Malaysia’s richest tycoons with a vast business empire including telecommunications, media, petroleum and real estate. Nov. 28. Lou Carnesecca, 99. The excitable St. John’s coach whose outlandish sweaters became an emblem of his team’s rousing Final Four run in 1985 and who was a treasured figure in New York sports. Nov. 30. ___ DECEMBER ___ Debbie Nelson, 69. The single mother of rapper Eminem whose rocky relationship with her son was known widely through his hit song lyrics. Dec. 2. Nikki Giovanni, 81. The poet, author, educator and public speaker who rose from borrowing money to release her first book to decades as a literary celebrity sharing her blunt and conversational takes on everything from racism and love to space travel and mortality. Dec. 9. George Joseph Kresge Jr., 89. He was known to generations of TV watchers as the mesmerizing entertainer and mentalist The Amazing Kreskin. Dec. 10. Jim Leach, 82. A former congressman who served 30 years as a politician from eastern Iowa and later headed the National Endowment for the Humanities. Dec. 11. John Spratt, 82. A former longtime Democratic congressman from South Carolina who successfully pushed for a balanced budget deal in the 1990s but was unseated decades later when his district turned Republican. Dec. 14. Zakir Hussain, 73. One of India’s most accomplished classical musicians who defied genres and introduced tabla to global audiences. Dec. 15. Fred Lorenzen, 89. A NASCAR Hall of Famer and the 1965 Daytona 500 champion. Dec. 18. Tsuneo Watanabe, 98. The powerful head of the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest newspaper, who had close ties with the country’s powerful conservative leaders. Dec. 19. Rickey Henderson, 65. The baseball Hall of Famer was the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball’s leadoff position. Dec. 20. Shyam Benegal, 90. A renowned Indian filmmaker known for pioneering a new wave cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s. Dec. 23. Desi Bouterse, 79. A military strongman who led a 1980 coup in the former Dutch colony of Suriname then returned to power by election three decades later despite charges of drug smuggling and murder. Dec. 24. Osamu Suzuki, 94. The charismatic former boss of Suzuki Motor Corp. helped turn the Japanese mini-vehicle maker into a globally competitive company. Dec. 25. Manmohan Singh, 92. India’s former prime minister who was widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States. Dec. 26. Richard Parsons, 76. One of corporate America’s most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup. Dec. 26. Bernard Mcghee, The Associated PressTHIBODAUX, La. (AP) — Byron Ireland's 22 points helped Nicholls State defeat New Orleans 73-70 on Saturday. Ireland had seven rebounds for the Colonels (6-4, 2-0 Southland Conference). Trae English scored 18 points while shooting 7 for 13 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. Robert Brown III shot 3 for 6 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 10 points. The Privateers (2-6, 0-1) were led by Michael Thomas, who recorded 16 points and nine rebounds. James White added 15 points for New Orleans. NEXT UP Nicholls State next plays Tuesday against Southern University at New Orleans at home, and New Orleans will visit Iowa on Sunday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Data Skrive.
Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs leaves game because of concussionHezbollah fires about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel in heaviest barrage in weeks BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah has fired about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding seven people in one of the militant group’s heaviest barrages in months. Sunday's attacks in northern and central Israel came in response to deadly Israeli strikes in central Beirut on Saturday. Israel struck southern Beirut on Sunday. Meanwhile, negotiators press on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. And Lebanon's military says an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center in the southwest killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. Israel's military has expressed regret and said its operations are directed solely against the militants. Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Somalia says 24 people have died after 2 boats capsized in the Indian Ocean MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia's government says 24 people died after two boats capsized off the Madagascar coast in the Indian Ocean. Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said 46 people were rescued. Most of the passengers were young Somalis, and their intended destination remains unclear. Many young Somalis embark every year on dangerous journeys in search of better opportunities abroad. A delegation led by the Somali ambassador to Ethiopia is scheduled to travel to Madagascar on Monday to investigate the incident and coordinate efforts to help survivors. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Sunday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast last week, killing two people. Republicans lash out at Democrats' claims that Trump intelligence pick Gabbard is 'compromised' FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Republican lawmakers are pushing back against criticism from some Democrats that President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead U.S. intelligence services is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and a meeting with an ally of that country. The accusation came from Sen. Tammy Duckworth. The Illinois Democrat says she has concerns about the pro-Russian views expressed by Tulsi Gabbard, who was tapped for the post of director of national intelligence. Duckworth’s comments on Sunday drew immediate backlash from Republicans. The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. Moscow offers debt forgiveness to new recruits and AP sees wreckage of a new Russian missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Ukraine. The measure, whose final version appeared on a government website Saturday, underscores Russia’s needs for military personnel in the nearly 3-year-old war, even as it fired last week a new intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has ramped up military recruitment by offering increasing financial incentives to those willing to fight in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service on Sunday showed The Associated Press wreckage of the new intermediate-range ballistic missile that struck a factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. After Trump's win, Black women are rethinking their role as America's reliable political organizers ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump's victory has dismayed many politically engaged Black women, and they're reassessing their enthusiasm for politics and organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote, and they had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Kamala Harris. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. Heavy rains in Bolivia send mud crashing into the capital, leaving 1 missing and destroying homes LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Authorities say that a landslide caused by heavy rains has flooded dozens of homes in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. It swept away a young girl, spurred evacuations and left parts of the city without electricity. Torrential rain on Saturday caused a river to spill its banks Sunday, dislodging mud from a southwestern La Paz neighborhood where low-slung, shoddily built dwellings dot the hillside. The torrent of debris and soil surged down a narrow ravine early Sunday, wrecking some two dozen homes and flooding another 40. Hours after the rain subsided, rescuers were still searching for the missing 5-year-old girl. Emergency workers saved six residents suffering from hypothermia. 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make gravity-defying theater debuts NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday.WATCH: Massive California 'Dolphin Stampede' Fascinates Visitors
No. 1 South Carolina women stunned by No. 5 UCLA, 77-62, ending Gamecocks’ 43-game winning streakNEW YORK (AP) — He's making threats, traveling abroad and negotiating with world leaders. Donald Trump has more than a month and a half to go before he's sworn in for a second term. But the Republican president-elect is already moving aggressively not just to fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but to achieve those priorities . Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, prompting emergency calls and a visit from Canada's prime minister that resulted in what Trump claimed were commitments from both U.S. allies on new border security measures. The incoming president has warned there will be “ALL HELL TO PAY" if, before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, Hamas does not release the hostages being held in Gaza . He has threatened to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company, warning "Buyer Beware!!!” And this weekend, Trump was returning to the global stage, joining a host of other foreign leaders for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral five years after it was ravaged by a fire. On Saturday, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron — joined at the last minute by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — and had plans to see Britain's Prince William also in Paris. Absent in Paris: lame duck President Joe Biden, who has largely disappeared from headlines, except when he issued a pardon of his son , Hunter, who was facing sentencing for gun crimes and tax evasion. First lady Jill Biden is attending in his place. “I think you have seen more happen in the last two weeks than you’ve seen in the last four years. And we’re not even there yet,” Trump said in an over-the-top boast at an awards ceremony Thursday night . For all of Trump's bold talk, though, it is unclear how many of his efforts will bear fruit. The pre-inauguration threats and deal-making are highly unusual, like so much of what Trump does, said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. “Transitions are always a little complicated in this way. Even though we talk about one president at a time," he said, “the reality is one president plus. And that plus can act assertively sometimes." Zelizer said that is particularly true of Trump, who was president previously and already has relationships with many foreign leaders such as Macron, who invited both Trump and Biden to Paris this weekend as part of the Notre Dame celebration. “Right now he’s sort of governing even though he’s not the president yet. He’s having these public meetings with foreign leaders, which aren't simply introductions. He's staking out policy and negotiating things from drug trafficking to tariffs," Zelizer said. Trump already has met with several foreign leaders, in addition to a long list of calls. He hosted Argentinian President Javier Milei in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club in November. After the tariff threat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago for a three-hour dinner meeting. Canadian officials later said the country is ready to make new investments in border security, with plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers. Last Sunday, Trump dined with Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli prime minister. Incoming Trump aides have also been meeting with their future foreign counterparts. On Wednesday, several members of Trump's team, including incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, met with Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Zelenskyy, in Washington, as Ukraine tries to win support for its ongoing efforts to defend itself from Russian invasion, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Yermak also met with Trump officials in Florida, he wrote on X . That comes after Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Qatar and Israel for high-level talks about a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, according to a U.S familiar with the efforts, meeting with the prime ministers of both countries. There is no prohibition on incoming officials or nominees meeting with foreign officials, and it is common and fine for them to do so — unless those meetings are designed to subvert or otherwise impact current U.S. policy. Trump aides were said to be especially cognizant of potential conflicts given their experience in 2016, when interactions between Trump allies and Russian officials came under scrutiny. That included a phone call in which Trump's incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn, discussed new sanctions with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, suggesting things would improve after Trump became president. Flynn was later charged with lying to the FBI about the conversation. Trump’s incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, “All transition officials have followed applicable laws in their interactions with foreign nationals.” She added: “World leaders recognize that President Trump is returning to power and will lead with strength to put the best interests of the United States of America first again. That is why many foreign leaders and officials have reached out to correspond with President Trump and his incoming team.” Such efforts can nonetheless cause complications. If, say, Biden is having productive conversations on a thorny foreign policy issue and Trump weighs in, that could make it harder for Biden “because people are hearing two different voices” that may be in conflict, Zelizer said. Leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu may also anticipate a more favorable incoming administration and wait Biden out, hoping for more a better deal. It also remains unclear how extensively the Biden administration has been kept apprised of Trump transition efforts. Although there is no requirement that an incoming administration coordinate calls and meetings with foreign officials with the State Department or National Security Council, that has long been considered standard practice. That is, in part, because transition teams, particularly in their early days and weeks, do not always have the latest information about the state of relations with foreign nations and may not have the resources, including interpretation and logistical ability, to handle such meetings efficiently. Still, the Biden and Trump teams have been talking, particularly on the Middle East, with the incoming and outgoing administrations having agreed to work together on efforts to free hostages who remain in held in Gaza, according to a U.S. official, who, like others, was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. That includes conversations between Witkoff and Biden’s foreign policy team as well as Waltz and Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Last month, Biden administration officials said they had kept Trump’s team closely apprised of efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border. “I just want to be clear to all of our adversaries, they can’t play the incoming Trump administration off of the Biden administration. I’m regularly talking to the Biden people. And so, this is not a moment of opportunity or wedges for them," Waltz said Friday in a Fox Business interview. But when it comes to immigration, Biden administration officials haven’t been entirely in the loop on discussions around how to execute on Trump’s pledge to deport millions of migrants, according to four administration officials with knowledge of the transition who spoke on condition of anonymity. That’s not terribly surprising given how differently the teams view migration. Trump’s team, meanwhile, is already claiming credit for everything from gains in the stock and cryptocurrency markets to a decision by Walmart to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion policies Trump opposes. “Promises Kept — And President Trump Hasn’t Even Been Inaugurated Yet,” read one press release that claimed, in part, that both Canada and Mexico have already pledged "immediate action” to help “stem the flow of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and deadly drugs entering the United States." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stopped short of saying Trump mischaracterized their call in late November. But she said Friday that Trump “has his own way of communicating, like when we had the phone call and he wrote that we were going to close the border. That was never talked about in the phone call.” Earlier this week, Mexico carried out what it claimed was its largest seizure of fentanyl pills ever. Seizures over the summer had been as little as 50 grams per week, and after the Trump call, they seized more than a ton. Security analyst David Saucedo said that "under the pressure by Donald Trump, it appears President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is willing to increase the capture of drug traffickers and drug seizures that Washington is demanding.” Biden, too, tried to take credit for the seizure in a statement Friday night. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.
Uruguay's voters choose their next president in a close runoff with low stakes but much suspenseAt the beginning of the year, we looked to our correspondents for tips of Among them was hope for change for millions of people who were to vote in elections in 50 countries. At least in the United States, that change turned out to be more of the same. Among the surprises, however, there was the end of a dynasty in Syria and the beginning of another in Indonesia. Here are some of the biggest stories of the past 12 months: If 1992 was the late Queen Elizabeth II’s , then it’s hard to know how she’d have ranked this year for ’s royal family. In January, her son and successor, Charles III, put out a rather benign statement that he would attend hospital the following week for a . The statement was made shortly after it was revealed his daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, was expected to be in hospital for 10 to 14 days after undergoing abdominal surgery. Things would snowball from there. Weeks later, the King would announce he had been diagnosed with cancer. Catherine’s recovery was kept under wraps until the . A family photo was released, and it was a disaster. Even more questions were asked. Suddenly came an announcement: . Neither have been given the all-clear but have returned to light duties. Charles joined with Queen Camilla for a royal visit to Australia. But his relationships with son Harry and brother Andrew have continued to plague him. Our own Princess Mary, was in January after her mother-in-law, to make way for her son, Frederik. Two decades on from Mary’s fairytale wedding, she waved to the crowds in Copenhagen as the sovereign’s wife. Rumours have swirled about , and the Danish royals showed it ain’t just the Brits who have their problems. But 2024 was the year of the election. In Britain, Labor after 14 years of Conservative rule, with Keir Starmer moving into 10 Downing Street in a landslide victory. Within weeks, however, his popularity would start to tumble in a string of scandals and misjudgments. In the across the continent. ’s after beating Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left SPD to second place in the European Parliament elections with 16 per cent. His problems at home reached a peak in December when he lost a confidence vote. In , the EU results triggered an electoral earthquake. after his party was resoundingly defeated by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally. That result left the country without a clear winner but one clear loser: Macron. He continues to struggle to grasp any real power. But it was another story in France that shocked the nation and the world. Seventy-two-year-old grandmother Gisele Pelicot bravely retold , to stop rape from being swept under the carpet. In mass protests were sparked by the government’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the EU and push back on Russian influence. In the end, a pro-Russia former Manchester City footballer, . An election in , with the result annulled and voters to go back to the polls next year. In May, ’s Prime Minister attempt, during which he was shot five times. He recovered and is one of many populists slowly diluting Europe’s unity towards Ukraine and against . Another blow for that cause was ’s far-right Freedom Party, as they celebrated an , aligned himself closely with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his self-styled “illiberal democracy”. Kickl had also spoken of becoming Volkskanzler (people’s chancellor), which for some Austrians carries echoes of the term used to describe Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany. War continues in after almost three years. Where and when it ends, no one knows. . President Volodymyr Zelensky has laid out a plan for peace. It’s likely many will die before that happens. s Vladimir Putin is scrambling to conquer as much territory as possible before those peace talks begin. Last month, while suffering its highest casualty rates of the war. This year, continued its re-engagement strategy with Australia, and finally agreed to trade and two beef exporters, ending the $20 billion of economic sanctions slapped on Australian industries during the Morrison government. Federal Treasurer when he went to Beijing in September. His trip tapped into ongoing concerns about China’s struggling economy and the flow-on impact on Australia. But the rapprochement has not dimmed security concerns posed by China’s increasingly aggressive tactics in the Indo-Pacific, which included confrontations with Australian naval forces and repeated clashes with Filipino vessels in the South China Sea this year that heightened fears of sparking a full-blown conflict. In the face of a drumbeat of negativity from economic analysts and investors, Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to reverse course in the second half of the year and began pursuing into his beleaguered housing sector. inaugurated drawing the ire of Beijing, which regards him as a “dangerous separatist” and responded by encircling the island. A second round of drills in October piled pressure onto Taiwan’s stretched defence systems. ’s Prime Minister as his government slid to record low approval ratings. His replacement in calling a snap election proved costly, leaving the governing Liberal Democratic Party scrambling to form a minority government. In November, on subversion charges under its Beijing-led national security crackdown, in a case that drew international condemnation for its perceived silencing of political dissent. It also reignited the . And in December, virtually imploded under President Yoon Suk Yeol who misread his electorate and fellow politicians, and only to have to . , he now awaits a court decision to confirm the parliamentary move. The year closed with the future of the Sino-American relationship, and hence global stability, facing a new era of uncertainty under the incoming second presidency of Donald Trump. Trump’s appointment of to key administration positions, and his , has set the stage for more turbulence between the two nations. After two failed attempts against Joko Widodo, Prabowo Subianto finally realised his decades-long dream of becoming president of . Widodo was constitutionally barred from running for a third term, so when his sniffing around for ways to run again went nowhere, the president and Prabowo teamed up for some win-win. Prabowo, the former son-in-law of late autocrat Suharto, enlisted Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to be his vice presidential running mate. Widodo then turned his back on his own party and threw his considerable political and popular weight behind his former enemy. Never mind his dodgy human rights track record as a military strongman, in a canter. After backroom deals with self-interested politicians and parties in the months leading up to October’s inauguration, the 73-year-old now sits atop a massive coalition, troubling democracy watchers. , too, underwent . Lee Hsien Loong stepped down in May after 20 years as prime minister, handing the reins to his deputy, Lawrence Wong. Wong inherited a middle power punching way above its weight division, a stable and wealthy nation in a region of regular upheaval. He is an erudite statesman and seems eminently capable, but he has shown little interest in loosening the government’s tight grip on free expression. leadership transition, meanwhile, was a bin fire. , which many Thais and observers consider a big-time cog in the self-serving military and royalist establishment. Pita Limjaroenrat’s Move Forward Party won the most votes in the 2023 election but was blocked from forming government by an unelected senate. Amid the chaos, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of controversial and once-exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Vice President , President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, crossed into the unhinged. In October, she warned “Bong Bong” she would dig up his old man’s bones and throw them into the sea. Last month, she told the press of her if she was killed first. She really said this. The feud is unfolding amid investigations into Duterte’s alleged misuse of funds and her dad’s bloody “war on drugs”. It is not a great time for toxic politics in the Philippines, which is clashing almost weekly with China in the West Philippine Sea. In , which has its own claims to the South China Sea, To Lam inherited the job of Communist Party secretary-general after 80-year-old statesman . In his 12 years at the top (not to mention nearly three decades in the Politburo), Trong significantly reduced poverty rates, strengthened ties with the United States and implemented a fierce anti-corruption drive dubbed the “blazing furnace”. As is often the case in South-East Asia, and Communist regimes more broadly, he also preferred his dissenters in jail. Meanwhile, those who hoped leader Hun Manet’s considerable Western education might yield democratic changes . He was gifted the job by his ruthless and ageing father Hun Sen, who still pulls strings, only now as president of the Senate. If anything, the intimidation of opposition and arrests of protesters have only increased. The most high-profile arrest was journalist Mech Dara, whose reporting touched on the businesses of Ly Yong Phat, a senator, tycoon and Hun Sen adviser, . Dara was bailed several weeks after his October arrest after a coerced public apology, a typical ploy of the Huns’ regime that they think demonstrates their beneficence. , a nation with so much economic potential, continued to suffer repeated wrecking by military men. Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, still holds onto power through force despite serious losses to myriad armed opposition groups. ASEAN, a wet lettuce leaf among regional blocs, has been unable to bring the general to heel. Underscoring the complexity of this multi-front civil war, one of came at the hands of a group fighting the junta, when the Arakan Army slaughtered hundreds of innocent Rohingya Muslims near the border of Bangladesh in August. In recent weeks, however, two major armed rebel groups – Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and ally the Ta’ang National Liberation Army – signalled they were ready for peace talks. The most tragic case closer to Australia in South East Asia was the methanol poisoning of backpackers in in November, among them. , and investigations continue. The biggest election ever staged delivered a shock result in . Ahead of the national poll, concluded on June 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to romp home. But once the 642 million ballots were counted his , he needed to rely on other parties to control parliament. Modi has dominated Indian politics for the past decade, but now faces a more uncertain era of coalition government. Elsewhere on the subcontinent, 2024 was marked by political turmoil. In , Sheikh Hasina, prime minister for 20 of the past 28 years, was driven out by a vast display of people power on the streets of the capital city, Dhaka. After she made a dramatic escape to neighbouring India on August 5, her government was replaced by military-backed , an 84-year-old Nobel Laureate, economist and social entrepreneur. Yunus has the difficult task of building consensus for much-needed reforms and staging a fair election. There was political change in as well when the little-known former Marxist, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, emerged the surprise winner in a presidential election held in September. The country continues to grapple with the aftermath of a debilitating financial crisis in 2022. In the continues to roil politics and society. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), did surprisingly well in February elections and his supporters have since staged huge and sometime violent protests demanding his release. The power dynamics in the Middle East were dramatically reshaped this year, with on the ascendancy and its bitter rival, , substantially weakened. Iran’s President in May, and things only got worse from there for the hard-line rulers in Tehran. Israel and Iran traded missile fire at several points throughout the year, setting off fears of an all-out regional war. Thanks to Israel’s Iron Dome system and support from Western nations, the Iranian strikes caused minimal damage, while Iran’s missile-production capability was crippled. After the monumental intelligence failure of last year’s October 7 attacks, the Jewish state regrouped and achieved some significant strategic victories. The Israeli military assassinated the mastermind of the October 7 attacks, , in Gaza and Hezbollah leader in Beirut. After a year of tit-for-tat fighting on its border with Lebanon, Israel escalated the fight against Hezbollah. This began with the shock September against the Iranian proxy group and culminated in a ground invasion and air strikes on Lebanon. It ended on favourable terms for Israel, with Lebanese civilians paying a heavy price for a conflict many did not want to be involved in. Meanwhile, the devastating war in Gaza continues and there is still no clear vision for what will come when it is over. Almost 45,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war and over 100 Israeli hostages still remain in Gaza. In November, the against Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, reflecting widespread international horror at the war. At home, though, Netanyahu’s popularity has been creeping up. In the most surprising development of all, in a matter of days in December. Syrian rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took advantage of Assad’s key allies – Russia and Iran – being distracted by fighting elsewhere and stormed into Damascus with remarkable ease. This has injected new uncertainty into the region, with Iran again the loser after losing a crucial ally in Assad. By contrast, ’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is emboldened and empowered after backing the rebel forces. This year was meant to culminate in an election rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. But after imploding on a debate stage in June, the ’ oldest president was forced to withdraw his bid for a second term, setting in motion one of the most extraordinary political comebacks in history. While Biden’s decision to upended the trajectory of the 2024 campaign and sparked fresh enthusiasm among voters, it was not enough to dent the anger millions of Americans felt over soaring cost-of-living pressures or immigration. In a victory so resounding even some Republicans were shocked, Trump not only won all seven battleground states, he also narrowly secured the popular vote and helped Republicans take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It was a remarkable turnaround for a former president who began the year facing 91 charges and four criminal trials: one in Washington for trying to subvert the 2020 election; one in Georgia for election interference in that state; another in Florida for mishandling classified documents; and one in New York for falsifying business records to cover up a . In the end, only the New York “hush money” trial would eventuate, resulting in Trump becoming the first convicted felon to run for the White House. A US Supreme Court decision to grant presidents substantial immunity for acts conducted in office helped him thwart all the other trials. Trump’s ascendancy was also fuelled by an at a rally in Pennsylvania – an event that shocked the world, reignited the debate over political violence, and created one of the most iconic images in political history. Two months later came – this time by a lone gunman hiding in the bushes of his golfing resort in West Palm Beach, Florida. In other North America news, environmental scientist Claudia Sheinbaum was elected ’s first female president; the war in Gaza sparked student uprisings at elite universities across the US; and Taylor Swift continued her global dominance, concluding her 149-show in after becoming the most-awarded artist in VMA history. Interest in South America rose briefly in Australian minds last month owing to Prime Minister , for the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation annual summit, overshadowed by incoming US president Donald Trump’s economic agenda. Albanese then went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for this year’s G20. Neither , except to serve as further demonstration of in the region where it has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure. Take the new $5.6 billion port President Xi Jinping – who arrived pushing for an “orderly multipolar world” – inaugurated in Chancay, north of Lima. The intended continental logistics hub creates a direct route between Asia and South America across the Pacific Ocean. Apart from allowing Beijing to look beyond Australia and Asia for imports such as iron ore, wine and soybeans, the port could also, says the US, . China’s influence in the region could also extend to ground stations for Chinese satellites. In former president along with 36 others in a failed coup to reverse the last election and overthrow the government of President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva in a US Capitol-inspired takeover of Congress in 2022. He denies the charges, which add to his long list of legal woes. Lula, 79, had emergency brain surgery to relieve bleeding but was back to work in a few days. In the election of right-wing Trump-like disruptor and cloned-dog owner President provided some relief to the US, after to the alternative BRICS – the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa group that has evolved to admit myriad other countries, and hopes to launch an alternative trade currency to the US dollar. In new elections to power, but no one believed the results, which the opposition said were stolen and the UN human rights watchdog is investigating. The crisis-torn country was also in the headlines owing to campaign-mode In December, prominent human rights lawyer Claudio Grossman quit the International Criminal Court in The Hague over what he said was its failure to prosecute members of Maduro’s government for crimes against humanity. In early December, Argentina, Brazil, , and , under the bloc , signed a blockbuster free trade deal with the European Union. If ratified, it will create one of the world’s largest free trade zones, covering a market of 780 million people. But in France, the Netherlands and other countries with big dairy and beef industries, critics say it will create unfair competition. In , the year started with a large to discuss action against changes proposed by the new coalition government of Prime Minister Chris Luxon, including the watering down of policies previously designed to elevate Maori language and recognition. Tuheitia said the Treaty of Waitangi was not open for reinterpretation. , with King Charles leading the tributes, saying “a mighty tree has fallen”. His daughter, 27-year-old , was chosen by a council of 12 male elders to succeed him, over her two older brothers, although the crown is not automatically inherited. Tensions over the government’s “race-based” changes, and the introduction of a bill to reinterpret the treaty, spilt over when thousands participated in a , where that made headlines around the world. , in May after an electoral reform approved in Paris triggered protests and the . It sent hundreds of police to help stem the riots, including soldiers to secure the port and airports, which were closed, . . His government later blamed . Continuing its efforts to keep closer to Australia than to China, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese headed to PNG and along with Prime Minister James Marape, did a two-day Kokoda hike, complete with . It was all part of Anzac commemorations and soft diplomacy, which continues with the , helped along by . And a in later December, causing many deaths, hundreds of injuries and crippling the nation’s electricity, water and communications systems. – In , after the vote that ended apartheid and brought it to power. President Cyril Ramaphosa managed to retain his job after a coalition deal with the country’s second-biggest party, the Democratic Alliance. In added to evidence that two human species lived side-by-side 1.5 million years ago, in a closing reminder that humans are capable of getting along.The Dallas Cowboys are shutting down CeeDee Lamb for the rest of the season after the star wideout played through a shoulder injury for nearly two months. Lamb initially sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder on Nov. 3 but has not missed any of the Cowboys' first 15 games this season. "Additional examinations and scans this week on CeeDee Lamb's shoulder have determined that his injury has now progressed to a point that he will be listed as ‘Out' for the remaining two games of the season," a team spokesperson said in a statement to media outlets. "He will undergo a process of treatment and rehabilitation for his shoulder, is not currently expected to require surgery and is projected to make a full recovery." The Cowboys (7-8), eliminated from playoff contention, face two division rivals to close the season. They visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and will host the Washington Commanders in Week 18. Lamb, 25, hauled in 101 receptions for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns this season. It marked his fourth straight 1,000-yard season, and he may be selected to a fourth straight Pro Bowl for his efforts. Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million contract extension in August, covering the 2025-28 seasons. --Field Level Media
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