LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is keeping elite company. The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James. "I'm very honored," Ohtani said through translator Matt Hidaka in an exclusive interview with the AP. "Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year, I'll get the award again." In balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members, Ohtani received 48 votes. He previously won the award in 2023 and 2021, when he was with the Angels. "Growing up in Japan, I did follow Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods," he said. "I would see their accolades and how they were successful in the United States." The AP honor has been given out since 1931. Golfer Babe Didrikson won six times, the most by a man or woman. Swimmer Léon Marchand of France, who won four gold medals at the Paris Olympics, was second with 10 votes in balloting announced Monday. Golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose victories this year included the Masters and an Olympic gold medal, was third with nine. The AP Female Athlete of the Year will be announced Tuesday. Moving from the beleaguered Los Angeles Angels to the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player award and first in the National League, led his new team to its eighth World Series championship and created Major League Baseball's 50/50 club by hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases. Ohtani signed a then-record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. Already a two-way superstar, he embellished his reputation even further despite not pitching all season while he rehabilitated from a second major right elbow surgery he had in September 2023. Ohtani went wild on offense, making every at-bat a must-see moment. The 6-foot-4 designated hitter batted a career-high .310 while easily surpassing his previous career highs in home runs and stolen bases. In September, he reached the previously unheard of 50/50 mark in a performance for the ages. Against the Miami Marlins in Florida, Ohtani went 6 for 6 with three homers, 10 RBIs, two stolen bases and 17 total bases. "It wouldn't shock me if he went 60/60 and 20 wins a year from now," Brad Ausmus, who managed the Angels in 2019 during Ohtani's second season in Anaheim, said recently. "This guy is the greatest athlete to ever play the sport of baseball and there's not a close second." Ohtani said he knew the Dodgers' franchise record for most homers in a season was 49. His previous best was 46, set in 2021. "I kind of wanted to get over that bar," he said. "I was pleasantly surprised I was able to pass that record." Ohtani carried the Dodgers offensively during the regular season, and he stayed healthy until Game 2 of the World Series. He injured his left shoulder trying to steal second base against the New York Yankees and finished the Series playing hurt. He underwent surgery a few days after the Dodgers celebrated their championship in early November. "I don't have full range of motion yet, but it feels a lot better," he told the AP. "There's no pain. There's obviously still a little bit of tightness, but slowly but surely it's getting better." Ohtani recently received an updated rehab schedule, and he's focused on the near-term. "It's the small steps that I think are very important to get me to the ultimate goal, which is to just get back healthy," he said. Ohtani is also throwing in the 70 mph range, which is typical for pitchers early in the offseason. "I'm going to continue to ramp up slowly," he said. The Dodgers' rotation for next season is in flux, and Ohtani is waiting to see how it shakes out. "We may go with a five-man rotation with a bullpen (game), which is what we did a lot during this season or we may have a six-man rotation," he said. "But it's all about balancing out when we can get rest and recuperate. We'll see where that takes us along the playoff chase. I've got to obviously pace myself, but again that situation will guide us to how we get there." The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Japan, where Ohtani is even more closely watched. "My personal goal is to be fully healthy by the time the opening games do start," he said. "To be able to pitch and hit would be great, but the situation will kind of guide itself." Each time Ohtani comes to the plate or steps on the mound, there's great pressure and expectation for him to perform spectacular feats. "I just go out there and try to stay within myself," he said. "I can only control what I can control and that's where you trust your teammates. The guys behind me, you trust they're going to make the plays for you. I don't really try to overthink it." Ohtani generated big bucks for the Dodgers off the field, too. Fans traveled from Japan in droves to see him play around the U.S. At Dodger Stadium, they paid extra for tours of baseball's third-oldest venue narrated by Japanese-speaking guides and to be on the field during pre-game batting practice. A majority of the fans bought Ohtani-branded merchandise, especially his No. 17 jersey. Ohtani's presence also helped the Dodgers land a bevy of new Japanese sponsors. Because Ohtani prefers to speak Japanese and use an interpreter with the media, he is shrouded in a bit of mystique. Asked before his first postgame series if he was nervous, he dropped a one-word answer in English: "Nope," which drew laughter. Japanese-born Dodgers manager Dave Roberts observed Ohtani's behind-the-scenes interactions with his teammates, coaches and staff, and came away impressed. "I really do believe that as good of a ballplayer as he is, he's a much better person. He's very kind, considerate, he cares," Roberts told the AP. "I'm just proud of any fame or glory or award that he receives because he just does it in such a respectful and humble way." Ohtani relishes his privacy and rarely shares details about himself off the field. That's why his February announcement via Instagram that he had wed Mamiko Tanaka, a former basketball player, stunned his new teammates and the rest of the world. The following month, after the Dodgers arrived in South Korea to open the season, he was enveloped in scandal when his longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers after being accused of using millions of dollars of Ohtani's money to place bets with an illegal bookmaker. His new teammates rallied around Ohtani, who was found to have no part in the wrongdoing, and publicly it didn't seem to affect him even if he was privately distressed by it. By June, the uproar had subsided. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to federal bank and tax fraud charges and admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani. The public got a glimpse of Ohtani's softer side in August, when his dog Decoy delivered a first pitch to his owner on their shared bobblehead night. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje exchanged an endearing high-five with Ohtani at the plate. As a result, Decoy became a celebrity in his own right, with his breed (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) making the list of the most mispronounced words of 2024. He and Ohtani were mentioned during the telecast of last month's National Dog Show, where the small Spaniel-type breed was among the competitors. "The number of the breed has kind of dwindled, so by him gaining a little bit of popularity hopefully that brings up the number of his breed," Ohtani said. "I do feel like we were able to, in a small way, contribute to the popularity of the dog and I'm sure Decoy himself would be happy about that." Ohtani will be looking to top himself next year while eyeing a repeat World Series title. "It's almost like right now you can lock in the Most Valuable Player in the National League award because no one has that ability or talent," Roberts said. "I'm just excited to see what '25 has for Shohei Ohtani." Get local news delivered to your inbox!David Beckham called Kath Phipps “the heartbeat of Manchester United” as tributes from players past and present poured in following the long-serving receptionist’s death at the age of 85. A lifelong fan, she was an immensely popular figure with players, managers and staff at a club she joined four months after Sir Matt Busby led them to European Cup glory in 1968. Phipps initially worked at Old Trafford in the stadium offices and on matchdays, before Sir Alex Ferguson brought her to their Carrington training ground in 2000. The United great presented her with the League Managers Association’s Service to Football award in 2022, when Beckham was among those to pay tribute. “Forever in our hearts...,” the former midfielder posted on Instagram with a photo holding Phipps’ hand. “The first and last face I would always see was Kath sat at reception at Old Trafford waiting to give me my tickets for the game. “She was the heartbeat of Manchester United, everyone knew who Kath was and everyone adored her. “I moved up to Manchester at 15 and Kath made a promise to my mum and dad ‘I’ll look after your boy for you don’t you worry’ and from that first day till the last day I spent with her that’s exactly what she did. “Old Trafford will never be the same without your smile as we walk through those doors... We love you.” The club confirmed Phipps’ death on Thursday, leading to a flood of tributes on social media from those that worked with her. United’s record goalscorer Wayne Rooney said: “The heart and soul of Manchester United. Everything what the club is about. “A legend who will be greatly missed. Thanks for the memories Kathy. Thoughts with family and friends.” Fellow United former player Patrice Evra said “losing a family member never easy” alongside a photo with Phipps, who David De Gea thanked “for taking care of everyone”. Ex-United defender Rio Ferdinand said: “An absolute mainstay of Manchester United... Always welcomed me and everyone else who visited with a warm smile! Looked at life positively, incredibly selfless & would put others first! RIP.” Current squad members were also quick to pay their respects to Phipps. United skipper Bruno Fernandes reposted the club’s announcement with a heart emoji and Marcus Rashford said: “Awful news, admired by all at the club and beyond, you will be missed.” United defender Harry Maguire posted: “A legend that will never be forgotten. I will miss you. We will miss you. RIP Kath.” Right-back Diogo Dalot wrote: “We love you Kath. Thank you for showing everyday what this club is about and taking care of us.” Jadon Sancho, who is on loan at Chelsea ahead of a permanent United exit, said of Phipps: “I’m grateful that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you, such a lovely kind hearted soul. “She always made sure I was OK and always put a smile on my face whenever I felt down, I appreciate you Kath. My condolences go out to her family through this tough time.” United have yet to confirm what tribute will be paid at Saturday’s Premier League match against Nottingham Forest. The club said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved colleague Kath Phipps at the age of 85. “An omnipresent figure at Manchester United since the late 1960s, Kath worked for the club for over 55 years in a variety of roles, but her contribution went beyond any particular job title. “Kath was a one-woman institution, whose memory will be cherished by everyone at the club who had the privilege of knowing her. “She said last year: ‘I can’t imagine doing anything else’. Well, we can’t imagine the place without her.” This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Bears look for an interim coach bump when they visit the struggling 49ersCEO of Tesla and owner of the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk , has once again claimed the title of the world’s richest person. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk’s net worth soared to an unprecedented $447 billion, making him the first individual in history to surpass the $400 billion mark. The South African-born US-based entrepreneur overtook Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whose net worth now trails Musk’s by over $190 billion. Bezos had previously held the top spot for much of the year. On December 11, Tesla shares reached a record high, closing at $424.77, significantly boosting Musk’s fortune. As Tesla’s largest individual shareholder, the electric vehicle company’s success remains a cornerstone of his wealth. Adding to this, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has experienced rapid growth. The startup more than doubled its valuation to $50 billion in November after a successful funding round, according to ‘The Wall Street Journal’. Musk’s influence is not limited to the tech and business worlds. An avid supporter of Donald Trump during the recent U.S. presidential election, Musk has been appointed by the president-elect to lead a new government body, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump, who defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election, secured more than the required 270 electoral college votes to win. On November 13, he named Musk to oversee the newly established department, signaling Musk’s growing role in shaping U.S. policy under the incoming administration. Musk’s return to the top spot underscored his dominance across industries, from electric vehicles and artificial intelligence to social media. His ability to drive growth and innovation continued to reshape industries, and his record-breaking net worth highlighted his unparalleled success. With his wealth and influence at an all-time high, Musk remained a figurehead of technological advancement and economic power, solidifying his position as one of the most impactful leaders of this generation.
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In a heartfelt ceremony at the city commission meeting, Mayor Robert Blythe announced December 10 as Kham’s Club Awareness Day, honoring the vital role of the non-profit organization in supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. “Autism is a complex neurological condition that impacts social interaction, communication, and behavior,” Mayor Blythe stated as he read the proclamation. He emphasized the significance of understanding ASD, noting that in the United States, one in every 36 children is diagnosed with some form of autism. “Individuals with autism possess unique strengths and abilities that enrich our communities, and inclusivity is essential to fostering a society that respects everyone,” he added. Kham’s Club has emerged as a leader in promoting awareness, providing resources, and advocating for those affected by autism and their families in Richmond. Through specialized programs, educational outreach, and community initiatives, the organization has made a considerable impact on the lives of those living with autism. Commissioner Tammy Cole expressed her pride in the accomplishments of Kham’s Club, saying, “I was able to see some of the things that Kham’s Club has been able to do, and I am so thankful to have them at the commission meeting to receive this proclamation.” The city acknowledges the importance of collaboration with organizations like Kham’s Club in breaking down barriers and fostering a deeper understanding of autism. Kent Hensley, Kham’s father, of Kham’s Club, remarked, “It’s our mission to drive awareness, provide opportunities, and promote inclusiveness. It starts with something as simple as a proclamation, which opens the door for more conversations and allows us to reach out and assist the many families in our community who are in need.” The city of Richmond stands united in its commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all its residents, recognizing the valuable contributions of individuals with autism.
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China concluded the much-awaited annual Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC) on Dec 12, outlining the government’s main economic objectives and policy plans for 2025, which are largely in line with our CEWC preview and Politburo meeting. As usual, key growth and policy targets were not announced at CEWC but will be released at the National People’s Congress (NPC) meeting next March. The CEWC recognized the growth headwinds from domestic demand weakness and external uncertainties, although the potential higher US tariffs was not cited explicitly. Therefore, the CEWC prioritized “stabilizing growth” as the central task and emphasized boosting domestic demand with more proactive macro policies, with “reviving household consumption” listed as a top task. In particular, the government highlighted its comprehensive goals of achieving stable growth, stable employment and “reasonable rebound” of inflation, the latter of which is a direct response to the lingering deflation pressure and an important anchor for market expectation and policy setting. Overall speaking, the CEWC set a much more supportive macro policy tone to stabilize growth, while more details are still set to be revealed later. More specifics expected throughout 2025-26 Our baseline forecast assumes that a plan of higher US tariffs may be released in Q1 2025 and implemented in stages starting from Q3 2025. Therefore, after the March NPC unveils next year’s overall policy stimulus package, we think the government may also ramp up additional policy support in stages throughout the rest of 2025 and in 2026, as macro situations develop, higher tariffs are announced and their impact is felt. Some of the proposed policy targets and measures in the CEWC may be revised in the NPC meeting. The CEWC emphasized more expectation management, better policy coordination and stronger local incentives. Some market participants and policy advisors may expect China to set 2025’s growth target at “around 5 percent” again to anchor market expectations, which we think is very challenging to achieve. We see China’s GDP growth slowing to around 4 percent in 2025, as headwinds from the lingering property downturn and potential higher US tariffs may be partly offset by stronger policy support. ‘More proactive’ fiscal policy The CEWC called for “more proactive” fiscal policy, a tone similar to that in 2020 when China expanded overall fiscal support notably. It indicates a broadly stronger fiscal expansion in 2025. The CEWC explicitly called for higher headline fiscal deficit, more issuance of ultra-long special treasury bonds (CGB) and special local government bonds (LGB), and improving fiscal spending structure (to support social welfare and consumption), with a key focus to scale up fiscal subsidies for trade-in program of consumer goods and equipment upgrading. The government also mentioned rolling out policy measures to boost childbirth, which we think may include the establishment of a subsidy scheme for families with young children. Our baseline forecast assumes 2 percentage point of GDP expansion in augmented fiscal deficit (AFD) in 2025 and another 1 percentage point AFD expansion in 2026. The former in 2025 includes a higher headline budget deficit of close to 4 percent of GDP (3.5-4 percent), larger ultra-long special CGB issuance of RMB 2 trillion, another RMB 500-1000 billion issuance of special CGB for capital injections to banks, and more special LGB issuance of RMB 4.5-5 trillion to support local debt swap and home inventory destocking. Overall speaking, total issuance of government bonds may increase by over RMB 3.5 trillion in 2025 from 2024. Easier monetary policy with additional rate cuts As highlighted in the Politburo meeting and we had expected, the CEWC vowed to take a “moderately easy” monetary policy stance, which is an explicit shift from the “prudent” tone that China had set during 2011-2024. The tone for 2025 is the same as that in 2008-2010, when China eased monetary policy aggressively to revive the economy after the global financial crisis. It indicates more convincing monetary policy easing ahead, although monetary policy room in 2025-2026 is much more limited than 15 years ago. The government explicitly called for cutting (reserve requirement ratio) RRR and policy rates, maintaining ample liquidity, stabilizing financial market and housing market, and guiding prices to recovery appropriately. Our baseline forecast expects the PBoC to cut policy rate by 30-40 basic points in 2025 and another 20-30 basic points in 2026, which could help lead to more cuts in LPR and mortgage rates. We think the PBoC may also use various facilities (including more outright REPO of government bonds) to maintain ample liquidity and support faster total social financing credit growth in 2025. Boosting consumption a top priority The CEWC prioritized “boosting consumption” as the first key policy task, and called for implementing a special action plan for it. As expected, the government vowed explicitly to expand the scale and coverage of trade-in subsidies of consumer goods. We continue to expect the size of trade-in program may more than double to over RMB 300 billion in 2025 from RMB 150 billion in 2024, with expanded coverage for consumer electronics and some general consumption coupons, on top of auto and home appliances in 2024. As we anticipated before, the CEWC planned to “properly” increase pension payout levels for retired employees and urban-rural households, and increase the subsidy standard for household health insurance. These measures could gradually help underpin household confidence and unleash consumption potential in the long run, although the scale of additional fiscal spending may be not big in 2025. In addition, despite no mention from the CEWC, we think the government may create childcare / childbirth subsidies for families with young children, which could reach up to RMB 200 billion or more per year. Stabilizing housing market a top task The CEWC continue to emphasize stabilizing the housing market as a top policy task, with more forceful implementation of urban village renovation, unlocking the full potential of fundamental and upgrading housing demand, reasonable control of new land supply, and more progress of home inventory destocking.If the planned 1 million units of urban village renovation could be completed rapidly in one year (2025) with the help of government subsidies predominately, it could contribute to over 12 percent of annual residential sales and facilitate more progress in inventory destocking. In the coming year, we think the government will also urge banks to increase support for the white-list scheme to ensure home deliveries of stalled projects. That said, policy execution is the key. We think it may still take some time for the government to adjust policy design and address the bottleneck restrictions for the destocking program, especially in setting clear guidelines about purchase price and enhancing incentives of local governments and developers. More innovation and support for private sector, less rat-race, more opening-up The CEWC vowed to push forward more structure reforms, as the government had outlined in the third plenum of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Some key areas are highlighted in the CEWC, such as: boosting high quality growth with stronger support for innovation, enacting legislation on facilitating the development of the private sector, implementing a special action plan to crack down the misconduct in the law enforcement related to the corporate sector, and enhancing local government’s fiscal capacity. In addition, the CEWC called for rectifying “rat-race” style competition and standardizing related behaviors of local governments and corporates, partly echoing the recent criticism of China’s over-capacity issue. Despite the risk of higher US tariffs and more restrictions, the CEWC reiterated China’s determination to further open up its domestic market and integrate with the global supply chain. The CEWC reiterated maintaining a largely stable RMB exchange rate at its “equilibrium level”, while we think 5 plus percent RMB deprecation against the US dollar could be allowed to partly absorb the external shock from potential higher US tariffs. We think the government will likely closely manage the magnitude and pace of RMB depreciation, and we do not envisage the active use of currency depreciation as a macro policy tool. Source: chinadaily.com.cn
Derby County 4-0 Portsmouth: Paul Warne's men earn key win in Championship relegation battle as they break winless run with riotous performance at Pride ParkStocks closed higher on Wall Street as the market posted its fifth straight gain and the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record high. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%. The benchmark index’s 1.7% gain for the week erased most of its loss from last week. The Dow rose 1% as it nudged past its most recent high set last week, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump's victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. It's now within about 0.5% of its all-time high set last week. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 12.8% after handily beating analysts' third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 2.2% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.8% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 gained ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.2%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.7%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.7% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. All told, the S&P 500 rose 20.63 points to 5,969.34. The Dow climbed 426.16 points to 44,296.51, and the Nasdaq picked up 42.65 points to close at 2,406.67. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts' expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rates. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It's still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers' inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the business group The Conference Board releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to the central bank's meeting in December.
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Lynn Fiedler had just met with a roomful of Pennsylvania state senators to discuss new protections for older adults when one of the lawmakers pulled her aside to offer some advice. “She said, ‘You're used to sprinting, but I need you to understand the government is like a marathon,’” Fiedler recalled Lynda Schlegel Culver, a Northumberland County Republican, imparting. Fiedler said she’d been visibly concerned that the competing interests in the room — “one person wanted this, the other that” — would delay a legislative push to create a state registry of people found to have abused older adults in settings like care homes. Industry employers would be required to confirm whether a prospective employee is or isn’t on the registry before making a hire. Culver has proven correct. Things move slowly. But Fiedler, a sort of accidental activist, remains undaunted: “I have been pushing and pushing and pushing, and that's what it takes. But if anyone tells you one voice can't make a difference, that is untrue.” The former public school teacher added: “I used my voice and I gathered an army.” That would be Alice’s Army, named after her mother, whose abuse at the hands of two workers at the Heritage Springs Memory Care center near Lewisburg drew headlines, criminal charges, and lawsuits. Memory care is for people with forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. The ordeal set the stage for Fiedler’s current calling. “I spent 32 years in public education, advocating for children,” she told PA Local by phone. “Now I'm at the other end of the spectrum advocating for the elder population.” Fiedler’s advocacy earned her a nomination for Spotlight PA's latest PA Local Heroes profile, a monthly feature sponsored by Ballard Spahr . The nominator described her as “the definition of a ‘change agent.’" With the help of Culver and law enforcement who investigated her mother’s case, Fiedler created an abuse task force and began championing the adoption of new statewide safeguards. One piece of legislation, dubbed Alice’s Law, would create a registry for people convicted of or fired for abusing older adults in Pennsylvania. Two Heritage Springs employees, one 17 at the time and the other an adult, were fired for taking and sharing dehumanizing photos of Fiedler’s mother and more than a dozen other patients at the facility. The older employee, now 20, was sentenced to three months in jail, 18 months of house arrest, and years of probation on 12 misdemeanor counts. Speaking outside the courthouse, Fiedler, incensed at what she calls a lack of legal protections for older adults under state law, told a crowd of supporters, “It’s on to Harrisburg,” PennLive reported at the time. Culver, who for years sat on the aging committee as a member of the state House, was waiting. “A lot of times folks enlist an association or a lobbying group [to advocate for a cause],” Culver explained. “But for Lynn to be doing what she’s doing, my goodness. It's an honor, honestly, to be working with her. She's a great partner.” Culver said Alice's Law remains a top priority headed into next year, which lawmakers are already preparing for. The Republican, joined by state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin), published a memorandum seeking co-sponsors earlier this week. “Hopefully it passes in 2025,” Fiedler said. “I'm thrilled and will keep the pressure on.” Spotlight PA has previously reported on both Pennsylvania’s looming crisis in dementia care and the commonwealth’s woefully slow investigations of abuse involving older adults. There are 280,000 Pennsylvanians over the age of 64 currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, and another 100,000 with related disorders. The Alzheimer’s figure alone is expected to reach 320,000 by 2025 and swell exponentially from there as baby boomers, one of the largest generations in U.S. history, continue to age. Pennsylvania has one of the oldest state populations in the country. “This population is very unprotected,” Fiedler said. “They’re almost invisible.” This year marks the first holiday season Fiedler has spent without her mother, who died in July, a few weeks shy of her 95th birthday. Fiedler said she lobbies for the sake of her five granddaughters and the scores of Pennsylvanians who will one day need care for a loved one or themselves. Fiedler’s biological father, a veteran of the Korean War who’d fallen ill with cancer, died when she was 11 months old. Her mother raised her alone before remarrying “the second love of her life,” a man who formally adopted Fiedler when she was eight. “One of the last things I promised my dad before he died was that I would take care of my mom,” Fiedler said. “And one of the last things I promised my mother before she passed was I would see this through to the very end, and that's what I plan on doing. I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” 90.5 WESA partners with Spotlight PA, a collaborative, reader-funded newsroom producing accountability journalism for all of Pennsylvania. More at spotlightpa.org .