Scott Turner, President-elect Donald Trump choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a former NFL player who ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term. Turner, 52, is the first black person selected to be a member of the Republican's Cabinet. Here are some things to know about Turner: From professional football to politics Turner grew up in a Dallas suburb, Richardson, and graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was a defensive back and spent nine seasons in the NFL beginning in 1995, playing for the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos. During offseasons, he worked as an intern then-Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. After Turner retired in 2004, he worked full time for the congressman. In 2006, Turner ran unsuccessfully as a Republican in California’s 50th Congressional District. Turner joined the Texas House in 2013 as part of a large crop of tea party-supported lawmakers. He tried unsuccessfully to become speaker before he finished his second term in 2016. He did not seek a third term. Motivational speaker and pastor Turner also worked for a software company in a position called “chief inspiration officer” and said he acted as a professional mentor, pastor, and councilor for the employees and executive team. He also has been a motivational speaker. He and his wife, Robin Turner, founded a nonprofit promoting initiatives to improve childhood literacy. His church, Prestonwood Baptist Church, lists him as an associate pastor. He is also chair of the center for education opportunity at America First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers to lay the groundwork if he won a second term. Headed council in Trump's first term Trump introduced Turner in April 2019 as the head of the new White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Trump credited Turner with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” The mission of the council was to coordinate with various federal agencies to attract investment to so-called “Opportunity Zones," which were economically depressed areas eligible to be used for the federal tax incentives. The role of HUD HUD is responsible for addressing the nation’s housing needs. It also is charged with fair housing laws and oversees housing for the poorest Americans, sheltering more than 4.3 million low-income families through public housing, rental subsidy and voucher programs. The agency, with a budget of tens of billions of dollars, runs a multitude of programs that do everything from reducing homelessness to promoting homeownership. It also funds the construction of affordable housing and provides vouchers that allow low income families to pay for housing in the private market. During the campaign, Trump focused mostly on the prices of housing, not public housing. He railed against the high cost of housing and said he could make it more affordable by cracking down on illegal immigration and reducing inflation. He also said he would work to reduce regulations on home construction and make some federal land available for residential construction.
Illawarra basketball stalwart Bob Cannon takes great delight in being the oldest registered player in NSW. Subscribe now for unlimited access . Login or signup to continue reading The 82-year-old has no plans to slow down. Cannon is playing the game he loves more now than in years. Last month, Cannon enjoyed a successful campaign at the 2024 Pan Pacific Masters Games. He was part of the Myths and Legends team, which won a gold medal in the 80+ years and a silver in the 75+ age group in basketball. Cannon played 10 games during the Pan Pacific Games from November 3 to 10. "It was a tough schedule, but I loved every minute," he said. "I'm at my happiest when I'm playing basketball." Despite usually being one of the oldest players on the team, Cannon is one of the fittest and is often seen after a game doing a few line sprints to keep his fitness up, putting his much younger teammates to shame. Cannon, who was born in West Sydney but has lived in the Illawarra for the past twenty-plus years, started his basketball Masters' campaign in Bankstown in 1994. Over the years, he has had some speed humps, most notably a knee replacement and, more recently, a shoulder replacement. Cannon is now fighting fit. His current weekly routine involves veterans basketball on Sunday and Wednesday, Walking basketball on Wednesday and social men's basketball on Thursday. The latter has no age restriction, meaning Cannon can and often does play against players as young as 18. Last year, Cannon and his Illawarra Walking Basketball team won the state title in Hills District. The achievement came 10 years after Cannon first played in an Australian Masters' basketball tournament in 2013. That same year, he coached Australian women for 60+ years to a gold medal at the World Masters in Italy. Cannon has also played in several World Masters Games, including those held in the Philippines, Guam, New Zealand and the USA. He also represented Australia at the 2017 FIMBA Basketball World Championships in Italy, finishing sixth out of 18 teams participating. Cannon also had the honour of being the Australian flag bearer. He was also the Australian flag bearer in 2019 in Finland and was part of the first Australian side to win a medal after the team finished fourth out of the 10 competing teams. Cannon represented Australia again in 2023 in Argentina. He is preparing to play for his country again when Australia heads to Switzerland in 2025. Other team members hail from Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. One of the players, Frank Tomasi, currently living in Perth, originally lived in Wollongong and recalls helping his father install the original backboard supports at the Snakepit basketball courts (now called courts 3 and 4) around 1965. Australian Basketball Hall of Fame member Adrian Hurley OAM is the coach of Australia's 80+ team heading to Switzerland. Hurley has previously been the head coach of the Australian Boomers, in charge of the Illawarra Hawks NBL team in 1980, and a Perth Wildcats championship-winning coach. Bob advised the 80+ years team will get together for a training camp in Wollongong with coach Adrian Hurley around mid-May next year in preparation for the 2025 Switzerland FIMBA Basketball World Championships. "It's exciting. I can't wait to play for Australia again," Cannon said. Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure. Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure. More from Basketball Newsletters & Alerts DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Find out what's happening in local business. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. 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The film follows the story of Lily, a quirky and optimistic woman who dreams of becoming a successful writer. However, her life takes an unexpected turn when she accidentally crashes into the moon. Yes, you read that right – the moon! What ensues is a series of hilarious situations as Lily embarks on a quest to mend the moon and set things right in the sky.
Title: Exposing the Dark Underworld of Car Loan Scams Targeting People To Borrow Tens of Thousands in Order to Earn a Meager 30,000